For another handful of NFL teams, it's onto the 2026 offseason, officially. And more specifically, we're taking a look at the 2026 NFL Draft for the teams that lost on Wild Card weekend.
Teams that made the playoffs but got bounced quickly have to figure out the best way to bounce back, and how to add the biggest difference makers they possibly can from what appears to be somewhat of an underwhelming class of incoming prospects.
As the dust settles from a chaotic weekend of football, let's take a look at which prospects might be the ideal top picks for each of the losing teams.
2026 NFL Mock Draft: The ideal picks for Wild Card round losers
Carolina Panthers: Kadyn Proctor, OT, Alabama
During the Carolina Panthers' playoff loss against the Los Angeles Rams, they suffered injury on top of the insult of losing the game. Starting left tackle Ikem Ekwonu, one of the more underrated offensive tackles in the league, suffered a torn patellar tendon that will likely affect the start of his 2026 season.
And patellar tendon injuries are not nearly as commonly overcome as ACL tears these days. In fact, it's quite rare for offensive linemen to come back from those and return to full strength, though nothing is impossible.
Not to be doom and gloom for Panthers fans, but that injury will require an insurance selection early in next year's draft. And if the talented Kadyn Proctor from Alabama is on the board, he could be the ideal selection in terms of talent and upside.
Green Bay Packers (2nd round): Gennings Dunker, OT, Iowa
As of right now, many mock drafts have Iowa offensive tackle Gennings Dunker going in the 1st or 2nd round. The Green Bay Packers might have whiffed on the chance to snag an Iowa Hawkeye prospect (Cooper DeJean) a couple of years ago when he surprisingly fell to the 2nd round, so they can't let that happen if Gennings Dunker is on the board.
The Packers don't have a 1st-round pick in 2026 thanks to the Micah Parsons trade. They'll obviously be hoping he comes back at full strength, but the offensive line could be in flux with the futures of both Rasheed Walker and Sean Rhyan in question. Those guys are both unrestricted free agents.
A player like Dunker, who has experience at right guard and has been a consistent (and outstanding) starter at right tackle, would be ideal for Green Bay.
Los Angeles Chargers: Francis Mauigoa, OL, Miami
There might be a few guys you could say make a lot of sense for the Los Angeles Chargers in the 1st round of the 2026 NFL Draft, but they all better be over 300 pounds and they all better be getting paid to protect Justin Herbert.
What we all just witnessed from the Chargers' offensive line in the playoffs was absolutely unacceptable. It was putrid, putrid stuff. And you can't predict every injury, but this team had to deal with devastating injuries to both Rashawn Slater and Joe Alt, arguably the best tackle duo in the NFL.
Not to mention, the free agent signing of Mekhi Becton looks like a total whiff. The Chargers need someone like Francis Mauigoa of Miami, who could come in and start at either right guard or right tackle (depending on the 2026 status of guys like Alt and Slater) and be an upgrade immediately.
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.