Ravens find their next lockdown corner in early 2026 mock draft

There's what we would refer to as 'forward thinking', and then, there's the NFL media. Training camp begins, and before the Baltimore Ravens have an opportunity to buckle their chin straps, platforms like Pro Football Network are already in the process of building next year's roster.

Their recent three-round 2026 mock draft is loaded with future NFL stars in the making. The rival Cleveland Browns take Arch Manning with the first overall pick, while the Ravens add to a secondary bent on stopping him 27 picks later.

Ravens take Colorado cornerback D.J. McKinney in a recent NFL mock draft

In three of the past four drafts, the Ravens have added first-round talent to their secondary. Kyle Hamilton was the choice in 2022, along with Tyler Linderbaum. Nate Wiggins and Malaki Starks were added in 2024 and 2025, respectively.

D.J. McKinney spent his first two NCAA seasons with the Oklahoma State Cowboys before transferring to the Colorado Buffaloes and playing opposite Travis Hunter during the 2024 college football season. If PFN is right, he could be joining Baltimore's secondary next season as another option at cornerback and a possible replacement for Jaire Alexander.

McKinney stands at six-foot-two. He weighs a solid 190 pounds. Here's what PFN wrote about his pedigree.

"Former Oklahoma State Cowboys D.J. McKinney cornerback impressed opposite Travis Hunter in his first year in Boulder and enters 2025 as one of the top 2026 NFL Draft-eligible cornerbacks.

At 6’2” and 190 pounds, the Colorado Buffaloes defender had nine pass breakups and three interceptions in 2024, displaying fluid mobility, explosive footwork, and physicality when following routes to disturb twitchy receivers."

Baltimore also added running back Makhi Hughes (Oregon Ducks) and tight end Oscar Delp (Georgia Bulldogs) in rounds two and three, respectively. These mock drafts rarely work out as planned, but they are certainly a lot of fun. Take them for what they are, an opportunity to gauge team needs and prospects who may be available. Do that, and you'll enjoy them more than you'd think you would.

This article originally appeared on Ravens Wire: Mock draft sends Ravens a possible heir to a shutdown legacy