Full 1st Round NFL Mock Draft; NBA Award Predictions; Mets Stay Cursed

TRENDING FAN CONVERSATIONS FROM THE WEEKEND IN SPORTS

APRIL 17 - 19, 2026

NFL DRAFT WEEK! Austin Krueger’s One And Only 2026 NFL Mock Draft For Sidelinr Sports

1. Las Vegas Raiders — Fernando Mendoza, QB, Indiana The only true lock of this entire draft. The Mendoza era starts this week, regardless of Vegas’ decision to roll out Kirk Cousins as QB1 to start the season or not.

2. New York Jets — David Bailey, EDGE, Texas Tech The Jets were 31st in sacks last season, and Bailey is the most direct fix on the board. The draft hands the Jets the perfect answer to solve an abysmal group. He tied for the FBS lead with 14.5 sacks in 2025 and generated pressure at a 21.6% win rate. Aaron Glenn needs results fast, and Bailey delivers a premier pass-rusher skill set to deliver.

3. Dallas Cowboys (trade up from No. 12) — Arvell Reese, LB/Edge, Ohio State Dallas ships picks 12 and 20 to Arizona to land the one of the rarest, and physically freakish do-it-all defenders in recent drafts. This is the Micah Parsons redemption pick. Reese posted a 4.46 forty, a 43.5-inch vertical, and an 11-foot-2 broad jump at 6-foot-5 and 244 pounds. Folks, even by today’s NFL athletic standards, that’s a profile that doesn't exist. He can rush, drop into coverage, or play off the ball, which is exactly what new DC Christian Parker is building around. Reese is more than a chess piece, he’s a game wrecker that’s worthy of the premium draft capital to move up to snag.

4. Tennessee Titans — Jeremiyah Love, RB, Notre Dame The Titans loaded up on defense in free agency, which means they can use this pick to do something fun for Cam Ward and Brian Daboll. Love ran for 1,372 yards and 18 touchdowns while catching passes out of the backfield at 10.4 yards per reception. A true three-down weapon that adds a dangerously effective element to the Titans’ offense that takes pressure off Ward to do it all to keep the offense moving.

5. New York Giants (pick 1 of 2) — Francis Mauigoa, OT, Miami John Harbaugh called the offensive line a work in progress, and that's being generous. Priority one needs to be to keep the presumed franchise QB, Jaxson Dart, on his feet. Dart was pressured on 35% of his dropbacks last season and needs himself a new road grader up front to ensure he can thrive in New York. Mauigoa is a 329-pound mauler who allowed just two sacks across 557 pass-blocking snaps in 2025, and he can play tackle or slide inside to guard. Dart’s blind side is set up for success for the next decade plus.

6. Cleveland Browns (pick 1 of 2) — Carnell Tate, WR, Ohio State There’s a handful of day 1 starting caliber OT’s this class that Cleveland is betting they can snag later in the first round at No. 24, so they use this pick to solve the WR1 problem they've had for years. There’s very little not to love about Tate, who averaged 17.2 yards per catch last season with zero drops and no wasted motions, making the difficult catches look routine. Whoever ends up under center in Cleveland just got a legitimate weapon. Some say the ceiling is high-end WR2 because of his wiry frame. But 6’3, 195 is nothing to scoff at, and his play at the highest level should give the Browns extreme confidence.

7. Washington Commanders — Sonny Styles, LB, Ohio State Washington gave up 6.0 yards per play in 2025, third worst in the NFL, and the defense needs a tone-setter in the middle. Styles recorded tackles last season going sideline to sideline, and his combine numbers took the world by storm after posting a 4.46 forty and 43.5-inch vertical. They addressed the pass rush by adding Odafe Oweh and K'Lavon Chaisson, so now it only makes sense to further build out the new look defense with the guy who moves like a corner, has undeniable pass-rush capabilities, and is a football magnet on the second level. GM Adam Peters came from San Francisco, where he watched Fred Warner’s freakish ability elevate the 49ers unit into one of the most formidable in the league. With Bobby Wagner out and Leo Chanel in, this could be a top LB duo in football.

8. New Orleans Saints — Rueben Bain Jr., Edge, Miami The Saints lost Cameron Jordan, Demario Davis, and Alontae Taylor in the same offseason, leaving the defense void of meaningful talent. Enter Rueben Bain. Despite the arm length concerns, Bain’s 2025 seasons generated 9.5 sacks, an FBS leading 83 pressures, posted a 91.8 PFF pass-rush grade, an elite 87.5 run defense grade, and 15.5 TFLs. New Orleans needs to build out a new identity on defense, which needs a new franchise pass rusher. Bain is a wrecking ball that can line up along the defensive line, giving New Orleans a premier player to build around.

9. Kansas City Chiefs (via Rams) — Spencer Fano, OT, Utah Kansas City is in the middle of an OL rebuild and Fano is not only a dominant lineman, he is also the most versatile lineman in recent memory, with starts at left tackle, right tackle, and worked out at center during the combine. He allowed zero sacks in 2025 and allows the Chiefs versatility to get this group back on track quickly.

10. New York Giants (from Bengals via Dexter Lawrence trade) — Caleb Downs, S, Ohio State The Giants trade Dexter Lawrence to Cincinnati and walk away from Round 1 with a franchise offensive lineman and a face-of-the-defense safety who plays a high level no matter where he’s lined up. Despite missing on Styles, they land Downs who posted the highest coverage grade of any safety in this class, and is the kind of quarterback for a defense that makes everyone around him better. The talent, immediate impact, and upside are a steal at pick 10.

11. Miami Dolphins — Makai Lemon, WR, USC Miami traded Waddle to Denver and cut Tyreek Hill, leaving the wide receiver room void of high-ceiling talent for new quarterback Malik Willis. Lemon averaged over three yards per route run against both man and zone coverage in 2025, and his ability to create separation at every level of the route tree makes every QB’s life exponentially easier. There are a lot of holes across the roster, but Miami chooses to help their new QB1 with a WR talent who has caught plenty of JSN comparisons.

12. Arizona Cardinals (received from Cowboys trade) — Mansoor Delane, CB, LSU Arizona trades back, collects assets, and still lands arguably the top corner in the draft. Jalen Thompson is gone and Budda Baker is turning 30, so the secondary needs a shot of young talent. Delane is velcro in coverage, allowing just 10 catches on 36 targets in 2025 while running a 4.35 forty. He’s the kind of press-man corner who you can put on an island against a WR1 and forget about it. After all, JSN, Puka, McVay, Shanahan, Stafford, Purdy, and Darnold are all in the division. There’s no such thing as enough DB assets for a retooling Cardinals.

13. Los Angeles Rams (via Falcons) — Jordyn Tyson, WR, Arizona State The Rams were already in trade talks at wide receiver before the draft, and there’s no sure bet that Davante Adams is still on the roster after the draft concludes. Tyson has a Mr. Glass calling card due to his wildly concerning injury history, but the talent is otherwise best in class. The 6-foot-2 weapon won 76.9% of his contested catch opportunities last season, with a genuine WR1 ceiling on day 1 if he can stay healthy. Los Angeles gets him at a discount because of injury history, and that's a bet worth taking. Simply unfair to pair him with Puka.

14. Baltimore Ravens — Vega Ioane, iOL, Penn State The Ravens lost interior line depth this offseason and Ioane is the exact player they go for to get this group right back on track. With violent hands, an explosive first step, and the nastiness in the run game that the Baltimore program has always prized, he fits the Ravens’ culture to a tee. He posted a 90.9 PFF pass-blocking grade in 2025, first among all guards in the country. With top WRs off the board, this becomes a “don’t overthink it” pick for an offense that needs to maximise its potential with Lamar and Henry.

15. Tampa Bay Buccaneers — Akheem Mesidor, Edge, Miami Lavonte David retired and the Buccaneers pass rush has no identity heading into 2026. Mesidor amassed 35.5 college sacks over his career, including 12.5 last season, and plays with a relentless motor that fits Todd Bowles' 3-4 perfectly. Just because he was overshadowed by Bain in Miami, don’t be fooled; this is a premier player. He can rush from outside or kick inside on passing downs, giving Tampa genuine scheme versatility off the edge.

16. New York Jets (via Colts) — Omar Cooper Jr., WR, Indiana The Jets were the only team in the NFL last season not to have a single receiver crack 400 yards. Cooper doesn’t fix the QB issue, but he posted 937 yards and 13 touchdowns at Indiana in 2025, developing into one of the most elite YAC wide receivers in the class with the ability to make some ridiculous catches. Gang Green finally gets a legitimate WR2 opposite Garrett Wilson.

17. Detroit Lions — Kadyn Proctor, OT, Alabama Taylor Decker is gone and Detroit needs to plug the hole without disrupting Penei Sewell's All-Pro setup on the right side. Proctor is 6-foot-7, 352 pounds, and a mauling presence who fits exactly what Dan Campbell wants in the trenches. He keeps Sewell at right tackle and gives the Lions a road-grader at left tackle/guard for years. There is risk in his profile, but the upside is too immense to ignore, and the Lions need all the help they can get at OL, despite adding Larry Borom and Calade Mays.

18. Minnesota Vikings — Dillon Thieneman, S, Oregon Harrison Smith was the heartbeat of Minnesota's secondary for over a decade. Thieneman is the most logical heir after stunning at the NFL Combine with a 9.89 RAS. He touts tremendous athleticism and posted a 90.5 coverage grade in 2025. Brian Flores builds defenses around players who can disguise coverage and make plays on the ball. Thieneman does both. If he falls to 18, this is a sure bet pick.

19. Carolina Panthers — Kenyon Sadiq, TE, Oregon Bryce Young made a massive leap in 2025, and the Panthers reward him by drafting the most dangerous tight end in the class to pair with Tet and Coker. Sadiq led all FBS tight ends with 8 receiving touchdowns while running a 4.39 forty at 241 pounds. Folks, we call that a matchup NIGHTMARE. Dave Canales can weaponize him in any formation to help the ascending Panthers take the next step.

20. Arizona Cardinals (received from Cowboys trade) — Ty Simpson, QB, Alabama Kyler Murray is gone, Jacoby Brissett is holding out for an extension he is never going to get, and Arizona cannot go into 2026 pretending Gardner Minshew is acceptable even in what already seems like it’ll be a lost season as the Cardinals fight for air in the best division in football. After having previously never started a full season, Simpson comes with question marks despite posting 28 touchdowns against just 5 interceptions at Alabama in 2025. That said, the upside is mouth-watering, and the Cardinals know they won’t be competing this season, taking pressure off of Simpson to: A) be ready to start on day 1 and B) be expected to take them to the promised land in year 1.

21. Pittsburgh Steelers — Vega Ioane, iOL, Penn State Isaac Seumalo left for Arizona in free agency and the Steelers have a hole at left guard that needs a real answer. Ioane plays with pure power and quick feet for 6-foot-4 and 320 pounds, and he posted a 98th percentile pass-blocking grade in 2025 with his zero sacks allowed. Pittsburgh gets the interior anchor that protects whoever ends up under center in 2026.

22. Los Angeles Chargers — Emmanuel Pregnon, OG, Oregon There remains no bigger need for the Bolts than to get right up front. A broken OL has played a major role in their lackluster end-of-season results in back-to-back years, and clock is ticking on Herbert. The Chargers allowed 60 sacks last season, and the interior of that offensive line was a disaster all year. Pregnon is a powerful, technically sound guard out of Oregon who dominated in pass protection and projects as a day-one starter in the middle of that line. Los Angeles plugs one of the ugliest holes on the roster and gives Justin Herbert a cleaner pocket to work from.

23. Philadelphia Eagles — Blake Miller, OT, Clemson Lane Johnson turns 36 this season and Howie Roseman never lets the future become an emergency. Miller is a 54-game starter at Clemson with a 9.97 RAS, sixth ALL-TIME among offensive tackles since RAS began tracking. He also brings the toughness and physicality the Eagles' scheme demands up front. Miller’s immediate starter potential gives Philly an insurance plan on day one at RT while setting them up for continued dominance the next 10-12 years.

24. Cleveland Browns (via Jaguars) — Monroe Freeling, OT, Georgia The gamble at pick six pays off in the best possible way. Freeling is one of the most athletically gifted offensive tackle prospects, coming in with a 6-foot-7 frame that was built in a lab to protect a quarterback's blind side. Cleveland waited, the board fell their way, and they walk away from Round 1 with a WR1 and a franchise left tackle.

25. Chicago Bears — Emmanuel McNeil-Warren, S, Toledo Chicago lost THREE safeties this offseason and need a playmaker to anchor the back end of what has been one of the most opportunistic defenses in football. McNeil-Warren posted a 94.2 PFF overall grade from Toledo, and his combination of size, range, and ball instincts projects as a day-one starter.

26. Buffalo Bills — Cashius Howell, Edge, Texas A&M The Bills made moves to add to the offense to build another contender team around Josh Allen, but to win in January, they need a pass rush that can get home. Howell led the SEC in sacks at 11.5 in 2025 and posted the fastest ten-yard split of any defensive player in the entire draft class. Pair him with Greg Rousseau, Bradley Chubb, and Ed Oliver, and Buffalo suddenly has one of the scarier fronts in the AFC.

27. San Francisco 49ers — KC Concepcion, WR, Texas A&M The 49ers' receiver room is thinning out fast, and Kyle Shanahan's motion-heavy system demands versatile playmakers who can win in the short and intermediate game. Concepcion won the Paul Hornung Award (most versatile player in college football) in 2025 and posted 919 yards and 9 touchdowns operating out of the slot, from the Z, and out of the backfield — a true Swiss Army knife for a creative offensive mind. He is the perfect weapon to add to Shanahan’s system.

28. Houston Texans — Kayden McDonald, DT, Ohio State The Texans spent the offseason quietly rebuilding one of the neediest offensive lines in the league, so they can use this pick to turn a nightmare defense into an agent of nonstop chaos. McDonald is a run-stuffing, double-team-consuming interior force who packs a serious bull rush. It should be illegal to add a true nose-eating presence in the middle of a front that already has Will Anderson Jr. and Danielle Hunter terrorizing opposing quarterbacks from the edge.

29. Kansas City Chiefs (via Rams) — Colton Hood, CB, Tennessee Kansas City lost both Trent McDuffie and Jaylen Watson from the cornerback room in the same offseason, and the secondary went from a strength to the biggest question mark on the roster overnight. Hood is a long, physical press corner with the instincts and recovery speed to hold up in Steve Spagnuolo's man-heavy scheme — exactly the profile Kansas City needs to rebuild the back end.

30. Miami Dolphins (via Broncos) — T.J. Parker, Edge, Clemson The Dolphins cut Bradley Chubb after trading away Jaelan Phillips, leaving a glaring weakness at edge. Parker accumulated 21.5 sacks, 114 pressures, and 6 forced fumbles over three seasons at Clemson and brings the speed-to-power conversion that Jeff Hafley wants defining his defensive front in year one. His get-off is elite, but his bull rush is capable of displacing most any human.

31. New England Patriots — Max Iheanachor, OT, Arizona State Drake Maye took a beating last season, and the Patriots need to fix the protection around their franchise quarterback before anything else matters. Iheanachor is a 6-foot-6 athletic freak who has only been playing football for four years, which means the ceiling on his development is harder to project. That said, he allowed zero sacks last season, and if he’s already this good, it’s fair to understand all the first-round hype. Mike Vrabel gets a long-term anchor up front and one of the most intriguing upside picks of the entire first round.

32. Seattle Seahawks — Jadarian Price, RB, Notre Dame Kenneth Walker III is gone and Zach Charbonnet is coming off an ACL tear, leaving the Seahawks without a reliable backfield option heading into 2026. Price is a powerful, zone-scheme runner with natural feel, elite vision, and receiving ability out of the backfield. He generated 6 yards per carry and 11 touchdowns last season, and had he not been on the same roster as Jeremiyah Love in college, he’s gone earlier than pick 32.

NBA

Predicting the 2025-26 NBA Awards

MVP: Shai Gilgeous-Alexander, Oklahoma City Thunder

This year’s MVP race, on the surface seems close, but it’s really not. It’s a clear case of the best player on the best team. That best player also happens to be an All-World player for the past handful of seasons. It’s SGA.

In a media straw poll of 100 voters conducted by ESPN's Tim Bontemps, SGA received 88 first-place votes. Wembanyama received eight. The rest of the field split the remaining four. That kind of dominance in pre-vote polling tells you all you need to know.

SGA averaged 31.1 points and 6.6 assists per game while leading the Thunder to a 64-18 record, the best in the league for the second consecutive season. His clutch-time performance was historically dominant, leading the league in clutch points while taking the Thunder to 20-7 in games decided in the final five minutes. That’s IF he was even playing in the fourth quarter, since the Thunder beat down so many teams that the starters often got to rest for most of the final 15 minutes of games.

As dominant as Jokic and Wemby were, there is no statistical case or team-record argument that meaningfully challenges the conclusion of SGA walking away with back-to-back MVPs.

Defensive Player of the Year: Victor Wembanyama, San Antonio Spurs

The only question this award ever had was whether Wembanyama would reach the 65-game eligibility threshold after an early-season absence. He indeed went on to play in his 65th game against Dallas in the season's final week, a game in which he scored 40 points in 26 minutes, making sure nobody forgot the NBA’s newest alien is still THAT GUY.

As a defender, the numbers are absurd and the advanced analytics only compound his case for the award. He led the league in blocks for the third consecutive season, posted the best defensive field-goal percentage differential among rotation regulars at -8.9%, and dropped San Antonio's defensive rating by over 10 points per 100 possessions when on the floor. He’s the most impactful defender in basketball. Plain and simple. He should win this award unanimously, or close to it.

Rookie of the Year: Kon Knueppel, Charlotte Hornets

This is the closest race on the ballot and the one where reasonable people genuinely disagree. Cooper Flagg had the more dramatic individual numbers, put up a career-high 51 points to become the youngest player in NBA history to reach the 50-point threshold, and carried a 24-52 Mavericks team on his back.

However, Knueppel broke the all-time record for three-pointers made by a rookie, immediately became one of the most efficient shooters in the league, and became the first rookie to ever lead the NBA in three-pointers made despite being Charlotte’s third option.

The tiebreaker here is team success and winning impact. Flagg deserves enormous credit. Knueppel gets the trophy.

Most Improved Player: Nickeil Alexander-Walker, Atlanta Hawks

From a useful bench piece in Minnesota to 20.8 points per game and starting on one of the East's best stories, Alexander-Walker's leap in Year 7 of his career is genuinely unprecedented. Just a season ago, he averaged 9.4 points on roughly 25 minutes per game. He was supposed to come off the bench in Trae Young's backcourt; instead, he became the face of Atlanta's post-Trae identity and was their star on defense. Not only that, but he now owns Atlanta’s single-season 3-point record. Alexander-Walker's transformation is more dramatic in raw before-and-after terms, and the team context, going from a bench reserve to a playoff-caliber starter, pushes him over the top compared to other eligible players here.

MLB

The Mets Are Boasting The Most Expensive Disaster in Baseball

New York Mets owner Steve Cohen is out here paying for a Ferrari and watching it perform like a 2001 Pontiac Aztec on a spare tire.

The Mets entered the 2026 season with the second-most expensive roster in baseball, sitting behind only the Los Angeles Dodgers with a payroll north of $352 million. THIS was supposed to be the team that finally figured it out in the Big Apple.

A deep rotation, a loaded lineup, and shiny new pieces to complement what was already there. The plan was airtight on paper.

Then, April happened.

The Mets lost their 11th straight game Sunday afternoon at Wrigley Field in a manner that could only be described as peak Mets. Holding a 1-0 lead heading into the bottom of the ninth, closer Devin Williams, who New York paid handsomely to replace Edwin Diaz, proceeded to blow the save to none other than seven-year Mets’ veteran Michael Conforto. The Cubs then took the game in the bottom of the 10th to complete the sweep and send New York to 7-15, the worst record in baseball.

It is the Mets' longest losing streak since 2004, when they went on to finish 71-91. It is also an indictment of how badly money can fail to buy results in baseball.

The central culprit is injury, not incompetence. Juan Soto, the man earning $61.9 million this season alone, has missed 11 games with a calf injury. When your $62 million man is sitting in the training room, the second-most expensive roster in the sport looks a lot more average.

Williams himself has now posted a 7.11 ERA in seven appearances with his new team. He was one of the best closers in baseball for six seasons in Milwaukee, then lost his job in New York last year after joining the Yankees, and the Mets decided he was worth the risk. That risk is currently blowing up in their face. Freddy Peralta, another former top Brewers’ pitcher, was acquired via trade this winter as a top-of-the-rotation arm, currently owns a 4.05 ERA, an abnormally high HR/9, and a lower than norm SO/9.

It is still very early in the season, and a 7-15 record in mid-April for a team of this caliber says more about the timing of injuries and bad breaks than it does about the roster's ceiling. When Soto comes back healthy, when/if Williams finds his command again, and when the rotation stabilizes, the Mets should realistically be fine. They have too much talent and too much money invested in the roster for this to persist.

But Mets fans will be the first to tell you not to hold your breath with this team, and if there’s any top payroll team that will not be immune to failure, it’s them.