7. Washington Commanders - Sonny Styles, LB, Ohio State
The Washington Commanders are doing what many teams would do with a ton of cap space. They've spent a metric-ton of money to shore up the defense, which was a sore spot in 2025. To be fair, though, this team struggled big-time with injuries, so they likely would have flirted with a winning record had the health was better.
But adding players like Odafe Oweh and Leo Chenal, for example, are pieces of what could end up being a stellar defense in 2026. Dan Quinn and the Commanders have made a ton of changes this offseason even before free agency, which included overhauling the coaching staff a bit.
But at the end of the day, the main factor here is going to be the health of Jayden Daniels, and that was a slight concern of his coming into the NFL given his thinner frame. Washington, in this mock draft, keeps their foot on the gas defensively and takes Sonny Styles. Styles is an immediate impact player.
8. New Orleans Saints - Rueben Bain Jr, EDGE, Miami (FL)
Hats off to the New Orleans Saints thus far. Adding Noah Fant, Travis Etienne, and David Edwards in free agency are great moves to help get the most out of Tyler Shough in what could be a breakout season in year two. Shough and the Saints won four of their final five games in 2025 and also saw some notable improvements defensively.
The Saints stay put at pick eight and take Rueben Bain Jr, and while his length is a concern, he's also simply a top prospect and a good football player, so in a few years, we might look back at Bain and wonder how so many people simply overthought this prospect. New Orleans could make teams look silly for passing him up.