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Amid the frenzy of the NFL Draft, there’s no better predictive resource than the PFF Mock Draft Simulator (MDS). Making your own mock drafts based on any type of big board is incredibly valuable, but another useful tool is gleaning the most frequent team-player pairings that fans want to see.
Below are the five most common picks per team that make the most sense — and which could come to fruition on April 23.
Dallas Cowboys: LB Sonny Styles, Ohio State
It seems like a near certainty that Styles will be off the board by the time the Cowboys make their first selection at No. 12 overall. But if not, Jerry Jones & Co. would absolutely sprint in the card — as 36.1% of participants did.
Styles was magnificent for Ohio State during its run to the College Football Playoff, accruing an 88.6 overall PFF grade with 86.9-plus grades in coverage, run defense and tackling. Viewed as one of the premier prospects in this draft class, Styles would totally reform a Dallas linebacker unit that ranked 31st in overall grade last year — and continue a retooling under new defensive coordinator Christian Parker.
Los Angeles Chargers: G Olaivavega Ioane, Penn State
Like Styles, Ioane is likely to be gone by the Chargers’ selection at No. 22. But it’s hard to blame Los Angeles fans for taking him 53.1% of the time in the MDS.
Ioane was rock solid for the Nittany Lions in 2025, allowing just four pressures across 311 pass-blocking snaps while compiling a 78.6 PFF run-blocking grade. Although the Chargers signed presumptive starters Tyler Biadasz and Cole Strange in free agency, their offensive line could use further reinforcements up the middle next to the returning Rashawn Slater and Joe Alt. Ioane would be a dream for new offensive mastermind Mike McDaniel.
Cleveland Browns: WR Carnell Tate, Ohio State
Tate’s stock continues to soar ahead of the start of the draft, making it more probable that he’ll be off the board within the first eight selections. Going to the Browns at No. 6 is a highly realistic and sound destination.
Tate stepped into an elevated role for the Buckeyes this year, earning an 89.0 PFF receiving grade while dropping zero of his 66 targets. His downfield speed, effective route-running and wide catch radius would bolster a Cleveland receiving corps that finished last year 31st in receiving grade, especially considering the struggles of Jerry Jeudy (58.5 overall grade).
Explore PFF Tools Mock Draft Simulator Be the GM for any team in the 2026 NFL Draft with a fully immersive simulation that lets you trade picks and players for a realistic, in-depth draft experience. Customizable Draft Big Board Take control of your rankings with a customizable big board that lets you add players, share with friends, export to CSV and save your personalized list. Scouting Assistant Master the evaluation process with a customizable grading system built for serious scouts. Choose your own scouting categories, assign 0–10 grades in each area and generate a finalized prospect grade tailored to your criteria. NCAA Premium Stats Our exclusive database, featuring the most in-depth collection of NCAA player performance data. Subscribe For Full AccessDetroit Lions: OL Spencer Fano, Utah
The Lions appear poised to augment their offensive line with the 17th overall pick. The question becomes which player might be in Detroit’s crosshairs, and Fano would be an outstanding fit if he falls that far.
Fano was dominant for the Utes over the last two years, recording a 92.0 overall PFF grade while giving up only one sack and 19 pressures. His polarizing arm length and precision in pass protection may kick him inside, but his tenacious run-blocking (79.9 grade in 2025) should make an immediate difference at any spot. Whether filling Taylor Decker’s void at left tackle or competing with Christian Mahogany at guard, Fano would offer a much-needed boost to a group that fell to 11th in overall PFF grade.
ChicagoBears: Dl Kayden McDonald, Ohio State
McDonald heading to the Bears is one of the more common projections across industry-wide mock drafts, and the same goes for the MDS. Indeed, 22.8% of Chicago’s selections have nabbed the Buckeye standout.
McDonald particularly shone in run defense last season, as his 91.2 PFF run-defense grade and 13.8% run stop rate paced all qualified interior defenders. Although McDonald is more work-in-progress as a pass-rusher with a 63.1 PFF pass-rush grade last year, he would offer the Bears a long-term solution on an interior defensive line that finished 2025 ranked 29th in run-defense grade.