Simms’ mock draft: Chiefs land Bain
Chris Simms breaks down picks nine through 16 of his 2026 NFL Mock Draft, with the Kansas City Chiefs landing Rueben Bain Jr., the Jets trading up for Vega Ioane and the Rams trading back to take Makai Lemon.
Video Transcript
All right, let's move on to the Chiefs at nine here.
This is another one of the draft that it's pretty quiet right now.
The Chiefs, for as great as they've been over the last decade, they now have a lot of different needs.
Is this where the slide ends for Reuben Bain Jr.?
I, I think so.
This is where I'm gonna say it's Reuben Bain.
th- they need to get their defensive line going.
That, that's what the You know, they were under-the-radar awesome defensive line.
Their years they were winning the Super Bowl or competing for the Super Bowl.
They've gotten a little old there.
We know Chris Jones, still good, but it's coming to an end there.
Carl Laptas, good pass rusher, but not a superstar.
Right.
You know, the other side, Ashton Jelatt, right?
Or Jelatt?
Jelatt, yep.
Jelatt, yeah, right.
He- he's solid player, but you don't want him to be your starter.
So to me, this is where Reuben Bain comes into play.
Physical, can rush the passer, and, and they need it.
So I, I You know, I thought maybe corner, right?
That was definitely part of my thought here.
I know, and I They've had some conversations with the Cardinals at pick number three.
That would be a- So- blockbuster I would think if they do that, they're going after not a Jeremiah Love, because they've, they've s- they've signed, uh- Kenneth Walker yeah, Kenneth Walker, excuse me.
Mm-hmm.
Right.
David Bailey?
Yeah, so yeah, I would think it's gonna be a pass rusher, right?
Yeah.
Whoever's left over.
Is it Arval Reese or David Bailey, whatever, whoever the Jets don't take.
There's been that conversation.
I know that's out there.
But yeah, for right now, I'm gonna have they go with Reuben Bain, who everybody in football loves, everybody.
It's just there's the little scare of the arms.
Yeah.
But y- anybody I talk to, it's just, "I love Reuben Bain" , just the arm's a little scary.
And I think they'll make the bold move here.
By the way, going back to eight for the Saints, I did confirm this.
This was from Sleeper Saints on Twitter.
One of the weirdest things.
Since 2015, they have not drafted from a top 30 visit in the first round.
Wow.
I think they're the only team- Wow in that span.
Everybody else is usually You know, there's a couple guys that are- Yeah the s- Now, they could buck that trend this year, but it is interesting.
They're just, they operate really well quietly- They're very well the Saints.
You don't hear anything about them.
So that's why that was a hard pick to make.
Yep.
And, we're gonna see if Caleb Downs ends up happening.
So the Chiefs get Reuben Bain at nine.
He is your number two pass rusher, Chris.
Yep.
This would be a You're right, it's just getting a difference-maker.
Like Felix Anadeka, Uzama, and George Karlaftis, especially Karlaftis, they're fine, but they, like, wreck the game, close the game.
No, right.
Yeah.
This is a different kind of guy here.
It's a totally different- Yeah kind of player.
And then, and of course, what we talk about too with him is just how well, awesome he plays the run as well, and that's where Bain is special, too.
He's really a complete football player.
Giants back on the clock again at number 10.
Of course, this is the pick acquired from the Dexter Lawrence trade.
They got a, a blue-chip defender at seven in Sonny Stiles.
Now do they look offense?
This can be I, I do think they look offense, and I think this is why, you know Th- this to me is w- w- what I would think they'd be thinking after they made the trade is, "Damn, we can get, you know, Jeremiah Love, Sonny Stiles maybe at five or seven or whatever," right?
And then, oh my gosh, right?
We were at the workout of Jordan Tyson last weekend.
He's healthy, he's the man.
Jordan Tyson, I would say, is everybody's favorite receiver, too.
I haven't talked to anybody that doesn't say Jordan Tyson's their favorite receiver.
It's just a little bit of the injury- Right and hamstring issue.
So yeah, I got him going here.
But this is Yeah, this'll be a crazy part of the draft.
Will somebody make a move up here to get Jordan Tyson?
And I, I wouldn't be shocked by that either.
I mean, his talent is, warrants that.
But yeah, I, I look at this and go, you know, the Giants, you add this, you got Jaxson Dart, you got a special quarterback.
Malik Nabers we know is awesome.
He's not gonna be totally 100% himself to start the year.
And now you couple them, you know, with Jordan Tyson going in the future, I go, yeah, that's got a chance to be a special offense.
I think he's too good to pass up here.
I think it's Jordan Tyson.
Joe Shane was at that workout- Yeah you mentioned.
Yeah.
I heard the Giants were one of a few teams that were doing a little extra- I, I, I- at the workout.
They were, they're really on Jordan Tyson.
I, I would think so.
The question has now become, to your point of everybody loves him- Will it go earlier?
I- is he a lock to make it to 10?
I, I don't know.
You're exactly right.
I don't, I don't know.
No.
I, I mean, would, would you, would you Would I be shocked if, you know- The Saints at eight the Saints at eight or the Commanders at seven decide to go Jordan Tyson instead of Carnell Tate?
Right.
I mean, no, I would not.
I, I would not.
But, I, I'm gonna go on that the top five, top six, top seven will be a little scared of the hamstring issues- Yeah and he'll, he'll slide to 10.
That's kinda what I'm betting on there.
Trade alert at 11.
Woo-woo.
What do you got here, Chris, as Miami moves out of the 11th overall pick?
I got the Bucs moving up to 11 because- The Tampa Bay Buds the Tampa Bay Buds.
Right, my team.
but, but yeah, I, I So my justification here is Tampa needs a secondary player.
Tampa needs a cover corner.
They lost Jermel Dean.
Their corners were not good last year.
They, they were pitiful.
They couldn't cover anybody.
I think they're gonna feel the desperation here.
And then within that too, I think you gotta be looking at the board going, "Wait, the Cowboys could go DB.
They, they could do that.
So what do we wanna do here?"
And so from that, I got the Bucs making a move up here, trading with the Dolphins, Dolphins go back, and the Bucs get Monsaur Delane, right?
Not my favorite corner- Sure you know that.
But- But I know he's going.
Everybody- That'd be the first one taken it seems like everybody says that.
Yeah.
And what's funny too, and you know, it's, it's, it's a p- it's a little all over the place with Delane.
Some like him, some go, "Ooh, I..." You know, "I, I thought he was good.
I had to give him a second look to see what all the fuss was about a little bit," right?
I've gotten stuff like that too.
so yeah, he's not my favorite, but I think in the NFL he's viewed as the number one guy other than Jermond McCoy, who just has the injury.
I think everybody thinks Jermond McCoy is the man.
It's just the injury history and what happens there, and does Jermond McCoy from Tennessee fall out of the first round like Will Johnson did last year?
Yes.
I think that thought's out there, right.
Well, number 12, the Dallas Cowboys stay on the clock here.
Yeah.And a Tennessee corner comes off the board.
Yeah.
A- and I mean, Dallas, I know, they could be a team that trades up to maybe get a Sonny Stiles or one of these other players.
But I look at Dallas, and yeah, I, I go the corner position here and Colton Hood.
would they I'm sure look, love the Jermaine McCoy.
I'm just gonna play the angle that they're gonna play.
We need somebody that we know can play.
There's no health concerns.
I would not be shocked if Jermaine McCoy went though too.
I mean, I think he's worthy of it.
And if you felt- It takes one team comfortably.
It takes one team.
Yep.
And th- they are a team that drafted Chavon Ravel, who came out of college off an ACL tear- That's right a few years ago, right?
That's right.
So I, I just look at that and I go, "It's too good to pass up right there."
I- other positions of need for the Cowboys.
You know, you kinda look at their football team and you go, "They don't need a ton."
They really don't.
They're in a pretty good spot.
The middle linebacker position is the position that jumps out.
They, yeah.
And that's why everybody thinks they might try to trade up to get Sonny Stiles.
Which makes sense, yes.
I think you're gonna- And I don't think they're gonna be here at this point.
Yeah.
No.
I don't think they're gonna make the trade to get there or give enough up to get there, and so I think then they're gonna go to switch to corner would be my play here.
13.
Yeah.
Another trade.
Oh.
This pick many moons ago- Hey was the Falcons pick, then it became the Rams pick, and now at 13 it becomes the New York Jets pick.
New York Jet- I'm a mover, I'm a shaker, I'm a dealer.
You're, there's a lot happening in this live.
Well, I'm doing this here.
I like it.
But my, my process here is that if I'm the Jets and we need an offensive lineman and we need an interior guard, I'm looking at the Ravens going, "They might take one too."
There's a chance.
So the And, and you look at the Ravens and they don't have a whole lot of needs on their football team either, but line is one of them.
So I think the Jets are gonna go, and I think this guy is kind of viewed as the number one guard, or you can tell me.
You probably know more about that, but it seems to be the consensus- He is I get.
Yep.
To where they go with Vega, Vega- Vega Ioane Ioane.
Ioane.
Yep.
I got I almost got it there.
They go with Vega Ioane to get him in the interior part of the offensive line.
I mean, again, it's the transformation here of the New York Jets becoming the Detroit Lions of the East.
That, that's what I look at here, and their big physical people has been the, the model of the whole off-season.
And I think that's where they go right here and, fill, fill that guard need that they have.
When you think back to last year, 'cause there was a lot of conversation about them and Tyler Warren- Exactly and will they And they took Memeo because they were like, "He's 330 pounds."
Uh-huh.
"We care about our offensive line more than anything else."
Yep.
And that's been one of the best moves of this regime.
I, I- They actually, 'cause of how bad a lot of other things have been, don't get enough credit for doing the obvious and taking Memeo.
Yes.
'Cause it would've been easy to get something shinier and faster.
That, that's the problem with offensive lineman.
Yeah.
Nobody really wants to take it 'cause it's not shiny and sexy.
I have this conversation with coaches all the time 'cause they're always like, "Ah, I don't really wanna take an offensive lineman at 9 or 12," but at the end of the day, it's usually pays off the most.
It, it does.
and, and I think this is one here with what they need, I, I look at this.
Because defensively, I don't know if there's anything that you look there that makes sense.
Maybe they could use another corner.
That was another po- thing I did look at.
Yeah, but Hood went off the board early.
You're exactly right.
And I don't- So it makes sense.
And I don't think they're gonna take a chance on- I don't get a sense they're a McCoy team.
No, they're not gonna- Yeah.
They need to win now.
They're, they'd be afraid.
They can't take a chance on guys.
Yeah.
Exactly.
They're gonna go with something that they know can work for them right now this second.
One of my funnier- Did you think receiver at all with them?
Oh, yeah.
They're all over the receivers.
Yeah, okay.
But I know they love Tyson.
Yes.
Love Tyson.
Yeah.
He's not making it to this range.
Right.
I'm sure they like Tate.
Yep.
He's not making it to this range.
Maybe I'm wrong, I just don't think they would draft Mekhi Lemon w- at that size and speed.
But also Detroit had a Monra- Yeah and that's what he gets comped to.
I don't think he's a Monra, I think he's a good player.
They probably like Omar Cooper and Denzel Boston.
Yeah.
But- What do you feel like their thought is on Adonai Mitchell, right?
That was ultimately what I just went But damn, they traded for him.
They gotta make it work a little bit.
A really good vertical number three.
Yeah.
They need that number two- Right between him and Garrett Wilson.
Yep.
By the way, you reminded me of one of my funnier draft memories growing up.
When I was a kid and they drafted Debrickashaw Ferguson and Nick Mangold- Yeah my dad was the most excited person on planet Earth.
And I was like, "Dad, this draft sucks.
Two offensive linemen-" Right it's so boring."
Right.
It's like the greatest thing they ever did in my childhood.
Of course.
Yeah.
That's when they were at their best.
Those guys were stalwarts for 10 years.
Went to the playoffs.
So yeah.
Yeah, actually went to the playoffs.
Exactly.
Exactly.
It's just funny, like how- It, it's tough.
It's- It's Offensive line's a tough sell to the public.
It's a tough sell.
And then but how do you win games?
Ask, ask the Eagles.
Yeah.
Ask the Lions.
Tell me about them.
How, how's that going?
Yep.
Oh, look, Seattle improved their offensive line in one year.
Super Bowl, right?
Yep.
I mean, it's, it's, you know, it's not sexy, but damn, you need it.
So Vega Ioane to the Jets in a trade up to 13.
The Ravens now on the clock at 14.
Chris, you said it, they don't have a ton of glaring needs.
Where do they go here?
Ton of gla- Not a ton of glaring re- needs.
I could see them going offensive line.
You know, maybe even for the future a little bit, but when it came down to it too, to me the other thing that just jumped out was going, they, they need another receiver.
The, we, we can't depend on Rashod Bateman to be healthy again when he's not been healthy really for like- Right other than one year of his career.
I To me, it's like it's just too risky.
You know, D- DeVonta Walker, okay, yeah, good player, but he's really like a third or a four.
Right.
And no, you don't want him to do that.
To me, this is the time.
So this is where I'm gonna go Denzel Boston off the board to the Ravens.
Yeah, they get a difference maker on the offensive side of the ball.
Let Lamar have a guy where you got Zay Flowers.
Yep, he can run around and do all the intricate routes, and then we got Denzel Boston who can be the X and, you know, back shoulders, big boy catches, but also is gonna be able to run intricate routes as well to where you'll be able to formulate some of the Zay Flower stuff around Denzel Boston.
Denzel Boston I feel like not getting a lot of talk, but, but I feel like NFL people like him.
I'm so You beat me to my question.
Yeah.
I wanted to stop and ask you- Yeah Denzel Boston, you love him.
Mm-hmm.
He's number one wide receiver.
Yeah.
The media consensus board, which is a million different boards put together, has him 27th overall.
Yes.You-- I, I get that sense every time you talk about him.
The league likes him more than 27th overall.
I, I think so.
Just the conversations I've had with people, and I brought this up to you last week, 'cause I-- what I always do is I go, "Wait, how is Tetairoa McMillan the fourth pick, and then Denzel Boston maybe not in the first round?"
Like 28th.
Yeah.
I don't understand that.
How, how is that?
They're the same size.
I would argue Boston looks faster and has better yards after catch.
He might not be quite the route runner Tetairoa McMillan is, but it's really damn close.
So that, that's where I just-- the draft some years, I wanna go, "Wait, this year he's valued like gold.
Here's the same player next year, and he's silver."
I don't, I don't understand it.
And so yeah, that's one where I do think the league is, keeping quiet on Denzel Boston.
14 to the Ravens, Denzel Boston.
15, the Dolphins traded out of 11 to let the Bucs come up into that pick, so now they pick 15th, Chris.
And this is a pairing I, I often give them at 11.
Yeah.
And you run it at 15, Francis Maunawa from Miami.
I think they could look at it and go, "Hey, we don't think these teams are gonna go line.
We can And, and, you know, we can trade back, get some trade capital, and even if it's not Maunawa, there's gonna be another lineman we can get at this spot.
Like we're, we're sitting pretty."
Right.
Like, we're, we're sitting there.
But I just look at that and go, the- they need to do something there up front.
And to me, he's just too good to pass up at that point.
I think that, yeah, he's made for guard.
We've talked about he could do tackle too, and I probably would wanna try him there too, but I think if they do take him, they will probably make him guard.
I, I feel like just the way their team is set up right now, but that can change in the future.
Either way, they need to work on the trenches.
The other big glaring need they have is wide receiver.
and I did think about that, but they have a pick later in the first round to where I get to that point, and they get to address wide receiver.
All right, Miami takes Francis Maunawa as they look to become a bigger, more physical football team with their new regime from Green Bay.
16, the Rams traded out of 13 with the Jets, so now they pick here, and they still get a guy, Chris, that they're constantly, tied to at 13.
I, I feel like the Rams, if the trade didn't happen with the Giants and the Bengals, I feel like there was a t- there was a way where I looked at it and I went, "The Rams are gonna end up with Jordan Tyson," right?
That's what I kinda looked at.
I was like, "Them, they're gonna get Jordan Tyson.
Holy crap," when I first saw your mock.
And everybody was like, "Oh my God."
Yeah.
Yeah.
And I was like, of course, like, what?
Of course.
It's an of course.
It's like, what?
That's, unbelievable.
Okay, so the Giants take him.
They trade down.
And you, you look at the Rams, the Rams don't need much.
I mean, what, what The Rams are You look at the roster and you go, "I mean, shit, they've got everything, really."
What you gotta worry about is if Puka or Davante Adams get hurt, it changes their football team.
That's right.
And who else can they really depend on behind that?
And Davante Adams, as we know, is getting up there in age, just because last year with the Rams no matter what anyways.
So this is where I'm gonna have them go Mekhi Lemon.
Yep.
Right in their backyard.
They're gonna get a guy that they feel comfortable with.
I have no inside info if that's the guy they'd be after here.
I don't know.
But I'm gonna play the angle that they have the most info on him.
And if you want a guy, we're a Super Bowl team, that we just need a guy that can play and produce for us right now, I feel like Mekhi Lemon is The, the floor is very high.
Maybe the ceiling's not as high- Yep as some other guys, but the floor is very high.
They get a real pro and somebody that can help them out right now.
Yeah, they hit a point last year.
I feel like w- we were coming on this podcast every week.
We were like, "The Rams are living in 13 personnel."
They had to do it.
They just ran out of people at receiver.
He, he Right, and Adams hurt his hamstring.
Yep.
And they had to do it.
And they've been a team in general who's never had real great depth at receiver.
They kind of play with fire of just like, "We got two or three guys, and we just- It's a day's repick we just run them to death," right?
Yeah, yeah.
And so I think you gotta be worried about that a little.
And Puka, we know, plays a physical brand of football too.
You gotta protect that.
All right, to recap picks nine through 16.
Reuben Bain's mini slide ends to the Chiefs at nine.
The Giants do take Jordan Tyson, the wide receiver from Arizona State, at 10 after they acquired that pick in the Dexter Lawrence trade.
The Bucs at 11.
They move up to 11.
That was Miami's pick.
They get Mansor Delane, the corner from LSU.
The Cowboys stick and pick at 12.
They get Colton Hood from Tennessee, the other Tennessee corner.
The Jets move up to 13 where the Rams were picking.
They take Penn State guard Venga Ewone.
The Ravens at 14 go with Washington wide receiver Denzel Boston.
The Dolphins at 15 beef up their offensive line after moving out of pick 11 to 15 and get Francis Maunawa, somebody in their backyard to play on the right side of their offensive line.
And the Rams at 16 take Mekhi Lemon, the wide receiver from USC
