2026 NFL Mock Draft: Ideal 1st-round targets for teams that lost in Wild Card round

Who are the ideal 1st-round targets for Wild Card losers?
2026 NFL Mock Draft; Jim Harbaugh
2026 NFL Mock Draft; Jim Harbaugh | Michael Owens/GettyImages
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Philadelphia Eagles: Denzel Boston, WR, Washington (trade for another vet WR)

I'm not sure the "perfect" target exists for the Eagles in the 1st round of this draft, at least not unless someone like Jordyn Tyson unexpectedly falls. But the best name I can give you right now is Washington wide receiver Denzel Boston, who would be the guy likely taking the place of AJ Brown.

It feels like AJ Brown is all but gone at this point, so the question then becomes how the Eagles are going to replace him. It could be with a rookie, or it could be to use this 1st-round pick right here to go after a veteran elsewhere who might be available.

And I wouldn't be shocked if Howie Roseman tried to do that. The Eagles general manager is always ultra aggressive, and that's not going to change this offseason. In fact, the struggles of his offense might make him even more aggressive than we're used to seeing.

Jacksonville Jaguars (2nd round): D'Angelo Ponds, CB, Indiana

We'll see what the future holds for Travis Hunter with the Jacksonville Jaguars in terms of whether or not he's going to play a full-time role at both cornerback and receiver, but regardless of what the Jaguars decide to do, they might need to address the cornerback position in next year's draft.

Does it need to be their top pick? Not necessarily, but one guy who is routinely projected (right now, at least) right in this range is Indiana playmaker D'Angelo Ponds. Ponds is a smaller corner at 5-foot-8, but he knows how to get his hands on the football and we saw that against Oregon in the College Football Playoff.

This guy is an absolute stud and looks like a fixture in the slot at the next level.

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