Reid’s Post-Combine NFL Mock Draft: The Risers, The Sliders, and Two Blockbuster Trades

The dust has settled in Indianapolis, the stopwatches have been stowed, and the measurables are now etched in scouting lore. The 2026 NFL Scouting Combine, as it always does, has irrevocably altered the draft landscape. While game tape remains king, the combine’s unique pressure cooker can launch prospects into the stratosphere or raise quiet questions that linger in war rooms. ESPN’s resident draft sage, Jordan Reid, has recalibrated his projections, releasing a new two-round mock draft that accounts for the athletic fireworks and interviews from Indy. This isn’t just a reordering; it’s a forecast complete with franchise-altering trades that reflect the new post-combine realities. Let’s dive into Reid’s latest vision for how the first 64 picks could unfold.

The Combine’s Biggest Winners: Prospects Shooting Up Boards

The combine is a stage for athletic validation, and several prospects used it to transform from solid Day 2 picks into potential first-round locks. According to Reid’s mock, the most dramatic rise belongs to a group of athletes who tested in the elite percentile at their positions.

One name that now appears firmly in Reid’s first round is Texas A&M edge rusher, Donovan Jackson. While productive in the SEC, questions about his bend and burst were common. Jackson silenced them with a 4.58-second 40-yard dash at 261 pounds and a blistering 6.89-second three-cone drill, showcasing rare agility for his size. “Jackson didn’t just test well; he looked fluid and powerful in drills,” Reid notes, projecting him to a pass-rush-needy team in the late teens.

Another beneficiary is Clemson cornerback, Marcus Vance. His 6’1″, 193-pound frame was already appealing, but his verified 4.32-second speed and explosive 42-inch vertical leap demonstrated the recovery ability and ball skills that translate directly to the modern NFL. Reid now has Vance as the third cornerback off the board, a leap from his previous mid-second-round grade.

• Donovan Jackson, EDGE, Texas A&M: Elite testing confirms first-round athletic traits.
• Marcus Vance, CB, Clemson: Verified elite speed and explosiveness solidify CB1 conversation.
• Sarah Chen, OT, Oregon: Historic combine for a lineman; sub-5.0 40 and top-tier agility scores.
• Jameson Cole, WR, Ohio State: Answered size-speed questions with a 4.35 at 6’3″.

Trade Winds Blowing: Reid Projects Two First-Round Shakeups

Reid’s mock isn’t static. He incorporates the inevitable chaos of draft night, forecasting two major trades in the first round that are directly influenced by combine performances and the resulting positional runs.

Trade 1: The Quarterback Gambit. With several QB-needy teams sitting behind the top two picks, Reid projects the Atlanta Falcons to trade up from No. 8 to the Arizona Cardinals’ spot at No. 4. The catalyst? The combine confirmed the otherworldly arm talent and athleticism of Kentucky’s Beau Bridges, making him a coveted prize for a Falcons team that believes they are a quarterback away. “Atlanta gives up a future first to secure their guy and leapfrog the quarterback vultures,” Reid analyzes.

Trade 2: The Cornerback Chase. Later in the round, a run on cornerbacks—spurred by the impressive combine showings from Vance and others—causes a team to panic. Reid has the Buffalo Bills moving up from the early second round into the late first, sending a package to the Green Bay Packers to snag the last remaining corner with a first-round grade. This move underscores how combine results can accelerate positional value and force proactive general managers to make their move.

First Round Focus: How the Top 10 Shakes Out Post-Combine

With trades in the mix, the top of the draft takes on a new shape. Reid’s projection sees the foundational players coming off the board early, but with a few surprises based on athletic profiling.

At No. 1 and No. 2, the quarterback and elite pass rusher remain unchanged: Drake Maye, QB, North Carolina and James Pearce Jr., EDGE, Tennessee are still the consensus top talents. The intrigue begins at No. 3, where Reid now has the New England Patriots selecting Brock Bowers, TE, Georgia. “His combine wasn’t about testing off the charts, but confirming he’s a unique offensive weapon who is a safe, high-impact pick,” Reid states.

The Falcons’ trade-up for QB Beau Bridges at No. 4 creates a ripple effect. The Los Angeles Chargers, now at No. 8 after trading down, pivot to address a massive need by selecting Joe Alt, OT, Notre Dame, who solidified his status as OT1 with a flawless on-field workout. One of the combine’s biggest winners, Oregon tackle Sarah Chen, finds a home in the top 10 with the New York Jets, who are desperate for long-term blindside security.

Second-Round Steals: Where Value Meets Athletic Upside

The second round in Reid’s mock is where the depth of this class shines, featuring players whose combine performance closed the gap between them and the first-round conversation. Here, teams find starters with specific, elite traits.

Reid highlights Miami safety, Kamari Wilson, whose range and ball-hawking skills were on full display in Indy. He projects to a Cover-3 heavy team like the Seattle Seahawks early in Round 2. Another name is Wisconsin interior lineman, Henry Moore, whose shocking athleticism for a 320-pound man (a 5.0-second 40-yard dash) makes him a perfect fit for a zone-blocking scheme that gets him to the second level.

Perhaps the most intriguing second-round projection is a slight slide for a player who didn’t test poorly, but saw others leapfrog him. Florida State edge rusher Patrick Jenkins, a productive but somewhat stiff player on tape, finds a home with a contender like the Detroit Lions, who can utilize his power in a specific role. “The second round is about marrying production with a newly verified athletic trait,” Reid concludes. “These are the picks that build the core of your roster.”

Conclusion: The Combine as a Catalyst, Not a Decider

Jordan Reid’s latest mock draft masterfully illustrates the true impact of the NFL Scouting Combine. It is not a event that rewrites the tape, but a critical data point that confirms hypotheses, reveals hidden athletic ceilings, and creates the market dynamics that lead to dramatic trades. The rises of Donovan Jackson and Marcus Vance, the calculated aggression of the Falcons and Bills, and the value finds in the second round all stem from the stories written in Indianapolis. As Reid’s projection shows, the combine solidifies convictions, creates chaos, and sets the stage for a draft night that is always full of surprises. The athletic benchmarks have been set; now, the chess match between NFL front offices truly begins.

Source: Based on news from ESPN.

Image: CC licensed via www.pickpik.com