{"id":728117,"date":"2026-02-04T06:12:38","date_gmt":"2026-02-04T06:12:38","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.rawchili.com\/nfl\/728117\/"},"modified":"2026-02-04T06:12:38","modified_gmt":"2026-02-04T06:12:38","slug":"espn-releases-first-2-round-mock-draft","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.rawchili.com\/nfl\/728117\/","title":{"rendered":"ESPN releases first 2-round mock draft"},"content":{"rendered":"

ESPN\u2019s Matt Miller<\/a> has revealed<\/a> his first two-round mock draft ahead of April\u2019s 2026 NFL Draft<\/a>. His latest update comes after the Senior Bowl shook things up a bit. <\/p>\n

When April rolls around, there\u2019s going to be plenty of incredible prospects available, but one who won\u2019t be hearing their name called in a few short months is Oregon quarterback Dante Moore<\/a>. Instead of being a top-five pick, he opted to return to the Ducks for another season, and that\u2019s led to some serious unknown at the top of the draft.<\/p>\n

Regardless, the Las Vegas Raiders are on the clock, and Miller\u2019s insight is as valuable as ever. Check out his mock draft, beginning with Heisman-winning quarterback\u00a0Fernando Mendoza<\/a> heading to Sin City.<\/p>\n

A phenomenal season for the Heisman winner. Mendoza threw for 3,349 yards and 41 touchdowns to just six interceptions. He\u2019ll be the first quarterback taken in April after leading Indiana to a national title.<\/p>\n

Miller: \u201cMendoza gives the Raiders a franchise-caliber quarterback with excellent poise, decision-making, accuracy and toughness both in and out of the pocket, which he showed in winning the\u00a0Heisman Trophy\u00a0and leading Indiana to the\u00a0national championship.\u201d<\/p>\n

\"Ohio(Samantha Madar | Columbus Dispatch | USA TODAY NETWORK via Imagn Images)<\/p>\n

Reese spent three seasons at Ohio State, playing in a total of 36 games. During that time, he had 112 career sacks, 13.5 tackles for a loss, and 7.0 sacks. He would also defend two passes.<\/p>\n

Miller: \u201cReese split time at linebacker and edge rusher. He is built in the\u00a0Micah Parsons\/Abdul Carter\u00a0mold, with elite speed and powerful hands off the edge and high potential once he settles in as a full-time edge rusher.\u201d<\/p>\n

Offensive line will be at a premium, per usual in the NFL Draft. Evidently, Miller believes Mauigoa is the best of the bunch. No matter if he\u2019s protecting Kyler Murray or someone else.<\/p>\n

Miller: \u201cMauigoa to the Cardinals is one of the most seamless fits in the first round. Arizona must shore up its offensive line and needs a long-term starter at right tackle opposite\u00a0Paris Johnson Jr.\u201d<\/p>\n

Bain was one of the more feared pass-rushers in all of college football this past season, and for good reason. Miller has moved him firmly inside his top five after a campaign where he amassed 64 total tackles, 17.5 tackles for loss, 9.5 sacks, 68 pressures, eight run stops, one forced fumble and one interception.\u00a0<\/p>\n

Miller: \u201cBain has the power at 6-foot-3, 275 pounds to stay on the field regardless of down or distance. With 9.5 sacks and an incredible 71 pressures last season, Bain showed the necessary determination to complement his athletic traits and be great on the edge.\u201d<\/p>\n

\"Ohio(Joseph Maiorana | Imagn Images)<\/p>\n

Tate is the next in a long line of star Ohio State wide receivers to be drafted in the first round. The Giants have a hole with Malik Nabers coming off a torn ACL, so the rookie could hit the ground running in 2026 as the first pick of John Harbaugh\u2019s regime in New York.<\/p>\n

Miller: \u201cTate\u2019s tape reminds me of\u00a0Justin Jefferson\u00a0at LSU, and he enters the league with a similar body type and skill set. So although the Giants could consider a right tackle or defensive back here, pairing Tate with Nabers to give Dart more playmakers is the move.\u201d<\/p>\n

With Todd Monken in charge, it\u2019s time to start protecting the quarterback better in Cleveland. The figures to be Shedeur Sanders. Fano is a great choice to help his development. <\/p>\n

Miller: \u201cThe rebuild is ongoing in Cleveland, as the Browns have holes throughout the roster with no clear-cut answer at quarterback or left tackle. That leads to yet another \u2018best player available\u2019 approach.\u201d<\/p>\n

Some may scoff at a safety being drafted this high, but this isn\u2019t any ordinary safety. Downs has been a tremendous defensive back for both Alabama and Ohio State, and he seems like a sure-fire NFL star.<\/p>\n

Miller: \u201cThere might be criticism of a team using a top-10 pick on a safety, but this draft class lacks a ton of elite top-end talent at the premium positions. And Commanders coach Dan Quinn needs to tighten up a defense that allowed a league-worst 384.0 yards per game.\u201d<\/p>\n

\"NotreMichael Caterina | Imagn Images<\/p>\n

Love was one of the best offensive players in the entire country during his time with Notre Dame, known for his blend of explosive and powerful runs. He\u2019d play in 41 games over three seasons, rushing for 2,882 yards and 36 touchdowns during that time. He also caught 63 passes for 594 yards and another six touchdowns.<\/p>\n

Miller: \u201cThe Saints could have a similar conversation if Love is there at this pick. He is\u00a0my No. 1 overall player\u00a0and a dynamic running back with the talent to be a\u00a0Bijan Robinson-level threat in the run and passing game.\u201d<\/p>\n

Bailey spent the first three seasons of his college career at\u00a0Stanford. Then, ahead of his fourth and final college season, he transferred to Texas Tech, becoming an All-American with 19.5 tackles for a loss and 14.5 sacks. For his career, Bailey had 163 total tackles, 42.0 tackles for a loss, and 29.0 sacks.<\/p>\n

Miller: \u201cAlthough he isn\u2019t the big-bodied defensive end Chiefs defensive coordinator Steve Spagnuolo prefers, the 6-foot-3, 250-pound Bailey has speed off the snap and the ability to chase down quarterbacks.\u201d<\/p>\n

The Bengals might need an entire defensive overhaul. Delane would help them stop the pass in a big way, and give them a shot to keep up with their potent offense in 2026.<\/p>\n

Miller: \u201cDelane was the best cornerback I studied in 2025, with feisty play at the line of scrimmage and excellent instincts in coverage. He doesn\u2019t have elite measurables, but Delane\u2019s timing and quickness on click-and-close plays stands out above the rest of the cornerback class.\u201d<\/p>\n

11. Miami Dolphins: CB Jermod McCoy<\/a>, Tennessee<\/a>
12. Dallas Cowboys: LB\u00a0Sonny Styles<\/a>,\u00a0Ohio State<\/a>
13. Los Angeles Rams (via ATL): CB Colton Hood<\/a>, Tennessee<\/a>
14. Baltimore Ravens: WR\u00a0Jordyn Tyson<\/a>,\u00a0Arizona State<\/a>
15. Tampa Bay Buccaneers: CB Brandon Cisse<\/a>, South Carolina<\/a>
16. New York Jets (via IND): WR Makai Lemon<\/a>, USC<\/a>
17. Detroit Lions: EDGE Keldric Faulk<\/a>, Auburn<\/a>
18. Minnesota Vikings: S Emmanuel McNeil-Warren<\/a>, Toledo<\/a>
19. Carolina Panthers: G Vega Ioane<\/a>, Penn State<\/a>
20. Dallas Cowboys (via GB): EDGE TJ Parker<\/a>, Clemson<\/a>
21. Pittsburgh Steelers: CB Avieon Terrell<\/a>, Clemson<\/a>
22. Los Angeles Chargers: DT Caleb Banks<\/a>, Florida<\/a>
23. Philadelphia Eagles: TE Kenyon Sadiq<\/a>, Oregon<\/a>
24. Cleveland Browns (via JAX): WR Denzel Boston<\/a>, Washington<\/a>
25. Chicago Bears: EDGE Zion Young<\/a>, Missouri<\/a>
26. Buffalo Bills: WR KC Concepcion<\/a>, Texas A&M<\/a>
27. San Francisco 49ers: OT Caleb Lomu<\/a>, Utah<\/a>
28. Houston Texans: OT Blake Miller<\/a>, Clemson<\/a>
29. Los Angeles Rams: OT Monroe Freeling<\/a>, Georgia<\/a>
30. Denver Broncos: LB Anthony Hill Jr.<\/a>, Texas<\/a>
31. New England Patriots: EDGE Cashius Howell<\/a>, Texas A&M<\/a>
32. Seattle Seahawks: WR Malachi Fields<\/a>, Notre Dame<\/a><\/p>\n

Round 2<\/p>\n

33. New York Jets: DT Kayden McDonald<\/a>, Ohio State<\/a>
34. Arizona Cardinals: WR Germie Bernard<\/a>, Alabama<\/a>
35. Tennessee Titans: OT Kadyn Proctor<\/a>, Alabama<\/a>
36. Las Vegas Raiders: DE\u00a0Akheem Mesidor<\/a>,\u00a0Miami<\/a>
37. New York Giants: CB D\u2019Angelo Ponds<\/a>, Indiana<\/a>
38. Houston Texans (via WAS): S Dillon Thieneman<\/a>, Oregon<\/a>
39. Cleveland Browns: LB Jake Golday<\/a>, Cincinnati<\/a>
40. Kansas City Chiefs: S Kamari Ramsey<\/a>, USC<\/a>
41. Cincinnati Bengals: DT Peter Woods<\/a>, Clemson<\/a>
42. New Orleans Saints: WR Antonio Williams<\/a>, Clemson<\/a>
43. Miami Dolphins: WR Omar Cooper Jr.<\/a>, Indiana<\/a>
44. New York Jets (via DAL): QB Ty Simpson<\/a>, Alabama<\/a>
45. Baltimore Ravens: EDGE LT Overton<\/a>, Alabama<\/a>
46. Tampa Bay Buccaneers: LB CJ Allen<\/a>, Georgia<\/a>
47. Indianapolis Colts: EDGE R Mason Thomas<\/a>, Oklahoma<\/a>
48. Atlanta Falcons: TE Eli Stowers<\/a>, Vanderbilt<\/a>
49. Minnesota Vikings: DT Lee Hunter<\/a>, Texas Tech<\/a>
50. Detroit Lions: OT Max Iheanachor<\/a>, Arizona State<\/a>
51. Carolina Panthers: CB Keith Abney II<\/a>, Arizona State<\/a>
52. Green Bay Packers: DT Christen Miller<\/a>, Georgia<\/a>
53. Pittsburgh Steelers: WR Zachariah Branch<\/a>, Georgia<\/a>
54. Philadelphia Eagles: DT Domonique Orange<\/a>, Iowa State<\/a>
55. Los Angeles Chargers: G Emmanuel Pregnon<\/a>, Oregon<\/a>
56. Jacksonville Jaguars: CB Keionte Scott<\/a>, Miami<\/a>
57. Chicago Bears: S AJ Haulcy<\/a>, LSU<\/a>
58. San Francisco 49ers: C Logan Jones<\/a>, Iowa<\/a>
59. Houston Texans: RB Jadarian Price<\/a>, Notre Dame<\/a>
60. Buffalo Bills: EDGE Gabe Jacas<\/a>, Illinois<\/a>
61. Los Angeles Rams: LB Jacob Rodriguez<\/a>, Texas Tech<\/a>
62. Denver Broncos: WR Chris Bell<\/a>, Louisville<\/a>
63. New England Patriots: WR Elijah Sarratt<\/a>, Indiana<\/a>
64. Seattle Seahawks: G Chase Bisontis<\/a>, Texas A&M<\/a> <\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"ESPN\u2019s Matt Miller has revealed his first two-round mock draft ahead of April\u2019s 2026 NFL Draft. His latest…\n","protected":false},"author":2,"featured_media":728118,"comment_status":"","ping_status":"","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[4],"tags":[40442,75116,5780,11867,40956,9383,48175,5781,5782,5783,5784,9384,40456,40561,5787,9385,51594,30725,84481,9387,20644,5791,105267,9388,38684,90218,40974,26735,7,5795,11872,11873,41148,90221,51019,9391,5798,20645,5799,40989,84482,105268,99463,5800,26737,25581,89972,34438,5802,11876,41151,32679,94095,5804,99465,6,15,51157,5806,5807,5808,34445,5809,5810,15529,34447,38827,105269],"class_list":["post-728117","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","category-nfl-draft","tag-a-j-haulcy-22-fort-bend-marshall","tag-amauri-washington-23-chandler","tag-anthony-hill-23-ryan","tag-antonio-williams-22-dutch-fork","tag-arvell-reese-23-glenville","tag-avieon-terrell-23-westlake","tag-brandon-cisse-23-lakewood","tag-caleb-banks-21-southfield","tag-caleb-downs-23-mill-creek","tag-caleb-lomu-23-highland","tag-carnell-tate-23-img-academy","tag-cashius-howell-21-rockhurst","tag-chase-bisontis-23-don-bosco-prep","tag-chris-bell-22-greenville-christian-school","tag-christen-miller-22-cedar-grove","tag-cj-allen-23-lamar-county-comprehensive","tag-colton-hood-23-eagles-landing-christian-academy","tag-dangelo-ponds-23-chaminade-madonna-prep","tag-dante-moore-23-martin-luther-king-jr","tag-david-bailey-22-mater-dei","tag-denzel-boston-22-emerald-ridge","tag-dillon-thieneman-23-westfield","tag-domonique-orange-22-north-kansas-city","tag-eli-stowers-21-guyer","tag-elijah-sarratt-22-st-frances-academy","tag-emmanuel-mcneil-warren-22-lakewood","tag-emmanuel-pregnon-20-thomas-jefferson","tag-fernando-mendoza-22-columbus","tag-football","tag-francis-mauigoa-23-img-academy","tag-gabriel-jacas-22-fort-pierce-central","tag-germie-bernard-22-liberty","tag-jacob-rodriguez-21-rider","tag-jadarian-price-22-denison","tag-jake-golday-21-arlington","tag-jeremiyah-love-23-christian-brothers-college","tag-jermod-mccoy-23-whitehouse","tag-jordyn-tyson-22-independence","tag-kadyn-proctor-23-southeast-polk","tag-kamari-ramsey-22-sierra-canyon","tag-kayden-mcdonald-23-north-gwinnett","tag-keionte-scott-20-helix","tag-keith-abney-23-waxahachie","tag-keldric-faulk-23-highland-home","tag-kenyon-sadiq-23-skyline-senior","tag-kevin-concepcion-23-chambers","tag-lee-hunter-21-blount","tag-logan-jones-20-lewis-central","tag-lt-overton-22-milton","tag-makai-lemon-23-los-alamitos","tag-malachi-fields-21-monticello","tag-mansoor-delane-22-archbishop-spalding","tag-mark-iheanachor-25-narbonne","tag-matayo-uiagalelei-23-st-john-bosco","tag-monroe-freeling-23-oceanside-collegiate-academy","tag-nfl","tag-nfl-draft","tag-omar-cooper-22-lawrence-north","tag-peter-woods-23-thompson","tag-r-mason-thomas-22-cardinal-gibbons","tag-rueben-bain-23-miami-central","tag-sonny-styles-22-pickerington-central","tag-spencer-fano-23-timpview","tag-t-j-parker-23-central","tag-ty-simpson-22-westview","tag-vega-ioane-22-graham-kapowsin","tag-zachariah-branch-23-bishop-gorman","tag-zion-young-22-westlake"],"share_on_mastodon":{"url":"","error":"Validation failed: Text character limit of 500 exceeded"},"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.rawchili.com\/nfl\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/728117","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.rawchili.com\/nfl\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.rawchili.com\/nfl\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.rawchili.com\/nfl\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/2"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.rawchili.com\/nfl\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=728117"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/www.rawchili.com\/nfl\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/728117\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.rawchili.com\/nfl\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/728118"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.rawchili.com\/nfl\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=728117"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.rawchili.com\/nfl\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=728117"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.rawchili.com\/nfl\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=728117"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}