15. Tampa Bay Buccaneers - Sonny Styles, LB, Ohio State
The Tampa Bay Buccaneers started out quite hot in the regular season, but things fell apart in the second half of the season, and the team missed the playoffs entirely. What we saw was a soft defense up the middle, and it's clear that Todd Bowles could not do what he wanted to do.
The linebacker room could use a boost, and Sonny Styles is yet another first-round caliber defensive prospect from Ohio State, so the fit and the prosect make a lot of sense for Tampa Bay. Fortunately, the Bucs might not be all that far off from getting back to the top of the NFC South, but some have wondered if Bowles returning in 2026 was the right move or not.
At the end of the day, having below-average coaching is one thing that teams cannot overcome. Styles to Tampa at pick 15 is a very easy selection for GM Jason Licht to make. How many more first-rounders from Ohio State will see see in this mock draft?
16. New York Jets - Makai Lemon, WR, USC
After taking Arvell Reese from Ohio State at pick two, the New York Jets now target the other side of the ball and grab Makai Lemon from USC at pick 16, slowing building up both sides of the ball with blue-chip players. The Jets may have to get creative to find a competent QB in 2026, but it's clear that this is going to be a longer rebuild, so the team likely won't become relevant until 2027, at minimum.
Darren Mougey is entering his second offseason as the Jets' GM after spending years with the Denver Broncos, so, if nothing else, he did see how a former-dysfunctional team rebuilds. That is great experience for the Jets in this new era of football.