Lance Zierlein – 2026 Mock Draft Prediction

When will Lance Zierlein publish his 2026 NFL mock draft? His "Mock Draft 4.0" is his final mock each year. Based on 5 years of consistent timing data, here’s our prediction.

Predicted 2026 Mock Draft Drop Date
Wednesday, April 22, 2026
1 Day Before Draft · Pittsburgh, PA
Why this date? Zierlein has consistently published his Mock Draft 4.0 — his final mock — one day before the NFL Draft in every year tracked (2021–2025). The 2026 NFL Draft begins on Thursday, April 23 in Pittsburgh, so expect his final mock on Wednesday, April 22.

Historical Mock Draft Drop Dates

Every year, Zierlein publishes his final mock draft (Mock Draft 4.0) on NFL.com approximately one day before Round 1 of the NFL Draft. This consistent pattern informs our 2026 prediction.

YearMock PublishedDraft DateDays Before
2021 ↗April 28, 2021April 29, 20211 Day Before
2022 ↗April 27, 2022April 28, 20221 Day Before
2023 ↗April 26, 2023April 27, 20231 Day Before
2024 ↗April 24, 2024April 25, 20241 Day Before
2025 ↗April 23, 2025April 24, 20251 Day Before
2026April 22, 2026 (predicted)April 23, 20261 Day Before
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