The best football teamslast time we put out a mock draft, free agency had just begun, and some of the biggest names in the NFL were on the move to new places. Not to mention, the Broncos recently sent their first-round draft pick to the Miami Dolphins. With the NFL landscape looking very different now that free agency is well underway, let's take a look at the first round of the 2026 NFL Draft and predict where the top prospects will be selected.
1. Las Vegas Raiders: QB, Fernando Mendoza. Indiana.
After trading away Geno Smith, the Raiders only have one quarterback on their roster: Aidan O'Connell. Considering he has only started 17 games in three seasons and has seven wins to show for it, Fernando Mendoza will obviously be the first overall pick in the 2026 NFL Draft. This is not a prediction; it's a spoiler.
2. New York Jets: LB/EDGE, Arvell Reese. Ohio State.
For the third consecutive mock draft, Arvell Reese goes to the Jets. Gang Green addressed a lot of its defensive needs through free agency, but they lack a true home-run hitting pass rusher. Arvell Reese can be that guy. The Jets could end up going with David Bailey, but Reese's potential is so great that it would be foolish to pass up on him. He has the exact build necessary to become the next Micah Parsons.
3. Arizona Cardinals: OT Spencer Fano. Utah.
A lot of analysts believe David Bailey could go here, but the Cards added three defensive linemen in free agency and have not found a pure right tackle yet this off-season. Fano is not only the highest-graded lineman in this draft, but he is a natural right tackle. He will be Arizona's Week One starter and will provide excellent protection for whoever the quarterback ends up being.
4. Tennessee Titans: RB, Jeremiyah Love. Notre Dame.
They already have Tony Pollard on the roster, but Jeremiyah Love is leaps and bounds better than him. Also, Pollard is going to become a free agent next off-season, and this way, the Titans can avoid giving him a second contract. A game-breaking halfback like Love will improve the run game and help Cam Ward tremendously in the passing attack.
5. New York Giants: WR, Carnell Tate. Ohio State.
After bringing in Tremaine Edmunds and three new defensive backs, the Giants use the fifth overall pick to add a top-flight number-two receiver to play opposite of Malik Nabers. Tate will take attention away from Nabers and give Jaxson Dart an excellent number-two option, which will aid in his progression. With that being said, I wouldn't be surprised if they traded back to acquire more picks and add another defender.
6. Cleveland Browns: OT, Kadyn Proctor. Alabama.
They could just as easily draft a highly coveted right tackle with this pick, like Francis Mauigoa, but the Browns clearly need a franchise left tackle, and Proctor is a mountain of a man (6'7", 352 lbs.). If he doesn't work out as a left tackle, he can slide inside and be an excellent guard. Regardless of who goes here, the Browns will be taking an offensive lineman with this pick.
7. Washington Commanders: CB, Mansoor Delane. LSU.
They added FIVE defensive linemen in free agency, and four of them are edge rushers. It's safe to say the Commanders will not be addressing their pass-rushing needs with this pick, so they take my top-rated cornerback in the 2026 Draft Class. They lost three corners to free agency, including their starter, Marshon Lattimore. They need to add help in the secondary after allowing the fifth-most passing yards in the league last season (4,122).
8. New Orleans Saints: EDGE, David Bailey. Texas Tech.
New Orleans lost two long-time defensive leaders in Demario Davis and Cameron Jordan. They found Davis' successor in free agency. Bailey can be Jordan's replacement. Hell, there's a possibility that he could end up being better than Cameron Jordan. He's the most polished pass-rusher in this draft. David Bailey will be an immediate difference-maker in the Big Easy.
9. Kansas City Chiefs: CB, Jermod McCoy. Tennessee.
Some people might look at McCoy as a consolation prize, but there's still a chance that he will be the first cornerback taken off the board, despite missing the entire 2025-26 season after suffering a torn ACL. That’s how good he looked in 2024. Kansas City needs a new starting corner after losing Trent McDuffie and Jaylen Watson. I'm sure they will add more than one cornerback in the 2026 NFL Draft.
10. Cincinnati Bengals: LB, Sonny Styles. Ohio State.
They have needs at all three levels on the defensive side of the ball. Cincy could select Caleb Downs or Rueben Bain Jr., but I like Sonny Styles at this spot. He's an Ohio native who is undoubtedly the best linebacker in this draft class. Styles has insane athleticism and the production to back it up. He will man the middle of the Bengals' defense for years to come, while elevating the play of the guys around him.
11. Miami Dolphins: WR, Jordyn Tyson. Arizona State.
Tyreek Hill is gone. Jaylen Waddle was traded away. Darren Waller remains unsigned. If they want new quarterback Malik Willis to have any type of early success, they need to add pass catchers. To some people, Tyson is the best wideout in this draft class, so Miami uses its first pick to start rebuilding its wideout room.
12. Dallas Cowboys: S, Caleb Downs. Ohio State.
They need to continue to add pieces to the defense after finishing dead last in points allowed per game (30.1). Caleb Downs is the best safety in this draft class and will probably take Malik Hooker's job, considering he'll be a free agent next off-season. Downs has the skills to be a perennial Pro Bowler, making this one of the best picks in the first round of the 2026 NFL Draft. This would be a huge steal for Dallas.
13. Los Angeles Rams (from ATL): OT, Francis Mauigoa. Miami.
The only thing LA hasn't done this off-season is find a replacement for Rob Havenstein, who retired last month. Franci Mauigoa is arguably the best offensive lineman prospect in this draft, but the league places a premium on left tackles, so he'll fall out of the top ten. Don't let Mauigoa's brief draft slide fool you; he will be the Week One starting right tackle for LA.
14. Baltimore Ravens: IOL, Olaivavega Ioane. Penn State.
Last off-season, guard Patrick Mekari signed with the Jacksonville Jaguars. This year, Tyler Linderbaum left to go play with the Las Vegas Raiders. It's too early to take a center, but it's not too early for Baltimore to draft arguably the best pure interior offensive lineman in this class. Ioane would be a great guard, but if the Ravens are feeling really bold, they can move him to center in the preseason and use him as Linerdbaum's replacement.
15. Tampa Bay Buccaneers: EDGE, Rueben Bain Jr. Miami.
The Bucs added Al-Quadin Muhammad and A'Shawn Robinson through free agency, but something tells me they're not done acquiring pass-rushers. After all, both of those guys signed one-year, prove-it deals. Rueben Bain has fantastic tape and was arguably the most productive pass-rusher in college football last year. When you put him on the same defense as Vita Vea, nobody will be worrying about how long his arms are.
16. New York Jets (from IND): WR, Makai Lemon. USC.
I really want to see the Jets add another cornerback, but I think it's too early in the draft to take a gamble on a guy like Avieon Terrell or Colton Hood. That's why they take Makai Lemon with the 16th pick. Adonai Mitchell can be a solid number-two wideout, but the Jets need a slot receiver, and Lemon's size makes him an ideal candidate. Then again, he could impress Gang Green in camp and maybe even end up being the team's WR2.
17. Detroit Lions: OT, Monroe Freeling. Georgia
With left tackles Taylor Decker and Dan Skipper no longer on the team, the Lions' top priority in the draft is finding a new franchise LT. I don't believe that Detroit is going to go into next season with Larry Borom as their starting left tackle since he has only started 15 games over the last two years. Freeling has been rocketing up teams' boards after an incredibly impressive performance at the NFL Scouting Combine. His athleticism will be too tempting for Detroit to pass up at this spot.
18. Minnesota Vikings: DT, Kayden McDonald. Ohio State.
It would not be surprising if the Vikes used this pick to find a successor for safety Harrison Smith, but Minnesota desperately needs more bodies along the defensive line. They only have six active D-linemen on the roster, and all of them are no-name guys besides maybe Jalen Redmon. Kayden McDonald is the perfect size to be a 3-4 nose tackle (6'3", 326 lbs.).
19. Carolina Panthers: TE, Kenyon Sadiq. Oregon.
Forget the fact that three of the six tight ends currently on Carolina's roster are scheduled to be free agents next season. None of the guys in the tight end room are needle movers. Their top two guys, Tommy Tremble and Ja'Tavion Sanders, only combined for 439 receiving yards last year. Kenyon Sadiq will easily replicate that level of production and then some. He'll be a difference-maker in this offense that will allow Tet McMillan to continue to progress next season.
20. Dallas Cowboys (from GB): LB, CJ Allen. Georgia.
With the somewhat surprising retirement of Logan Wilson, whom the Cowboys traded for in the middle of last year, Dallas has a void at the inside linebacker spot. After addressing pass-rushing needs in free agency, they use the 20th pick to take the second-best pure linebacker in this draft. He is a proven leader and a great run defender, which is incredibly important to owner Jerry Jones, as we all know.
21. Pittsburgh Steelers: QB, Ty Simpson. Alabama.
Could the Steelers add another pass catcher to round out their wide receiver room? Of course, but they need to start planning for a future without Aaron Rodgers. Hell, it's not even a guarantee that Rodgers will be returning to Pittsburgh next year. Regardless of what happens with Arod, the Steelers draft Ty Simpson with their first-round pick. He'll either be the starter next season or the year after that. Sitting behind Rodgers will be a great learning experience for any young QB.
22. Los Angeles Chargers: EDGE, Akheem Mesidor. Miami.
Khalil Mack might be returning for one more season, but he won't play forever. After all, he's 35 years old. Mesidor can play opposite of Mack or play on first and second down so that Mack can save his energy for third-down pass-rushing situations. Either way, LA needs more pass-rush help, and Mesidor would be an excellent addition to that defense.
23. Philadelphia Eagles: WR, Denzel Boston. Washington.
I'm not at all convinced that everything is fine and dandy between Philly and wideout A.J. Brown. If he isn't traded this off-season, then he'll probably be released next year because there's a potential out in his contract. To prepare for life after Brown, the Eagles draft Boston. He's taller than A.J. Brown and weighs less. DeVonta Smith will be the speedster, and Boston can be the possession receiver.
24. Cleveland Browns (from JAX): WR, Omar Cooper Jr. Indiana.
After addressing the offensive line with their first pick, Cleveland adds another pass-catcher with their other first-rounder. Omar Cooper Jr. can line up at multiple wide receiver spots, which makes him a versatile weapon who could eventually overtake Jerry Jeudy as the team's WR1. It's not a matter of if the Browns take a wide receiver, but when.
25. Chicago Bears: EDGE, T.J. Parker. Clemson.
The Bears didn't add another pass-rusher in free agency to play on the opposite side of Montez Sweat. Parker can be that guy. He's a natural fit for Chicago, which runs a 4-3 defense. Parker will perform well as the Bears' number-two edge rusher. When he was the number-two guy at Clemson in 2024, he recorded 11 sacks, 19.5 tackles for loss, and six forced fumbles. This is a match made in heaven for both Parker and Chicago.
26. Buffalo Bills: WR, KC Concepcion. Texas A&M.
Even though Buffalo traded for DJ Moore, they're probably not done adding pass catchers, especially with the loss of Brandin Cooks and Curtis Samuel. On top of that, the Bills will eventually have to make a decision on Keon Coleman, and after the weird comments owner Terry Pegula made about him, I don't expect Coleman to stay with Buffalo long-term. Concepcion is a fast wideout who will be able to stretch the field from the slot or WR2 spot.
27. San Francisco 49ers: OT, Caleb Lomu. Utah.
The vibes are not great right now between San Fran and Trent Williams. Even if they bring him back, it will probably only be on a short-term deal. The Niners need to have a succession plan in place for whenever Williams decides to call it a career. Lomu would be an ideal replacement for Williams. He still needs to polish his game, but learning behind Trent Williams will allow Caleb Lomu to reach new heights as an offensive lineman.
28. Houston Texans: DT, Peter Woods. Clemson.
After losing four interior defensive linemen in free agency, the Texans need another DT to line up next to Sheldon Rankins, who is also getting up there in age. Woods may not have been all that impressive at the NFL Scouting Combine, but that shouldn't matter when he gets to play alongside Will Anderson Jr. and Danielle Hunter. Though Woods might be a little undersized as a 3-4 nose tackle, he's the right size to play in a 4-3 defense, which is what the Texans run.
29. Kansas City Chiefs (from LAR): EDGE, Cashius Howell. Texas A&M.
There was a lot left to be desired from KC's pass rush after it finished last season tied for 26th in sacks (35). After losing six defensive linemen in free agency, the Chiefs desperately need to add more pass rushers. If we ignore Cashius Howell's short arms, we see a guy who was clearly productive in college after finishing last season as the SEC Defensive Player of the Year and a unanimous All-American. If Howell's arms were just two inches longer, he could potentially be a top-ten pick.
30. Miami Dolphins (from DEN): CB, Avieon Terrell. Clemson.
Outside of the wide receiver room, the 'Phins are also depleted in the secondary. They lost six cornerbacks in free agency, so they need to find new starters on the outside. Avieon Terrell is a tad bit undersized, but he has all the skills you want to see in an NFL-level cornerback. He's good in man coverage and can create turnovers. He is also solid when it comes to defending the run.
31. New England Patriots: OT, Blake Miller. Clemson.
It's not a sexy pick, but Miller makes a ton of sense for New England. Starting right tackle Morgan Moses is not going to be playing much longer since he just turned 35. Blake Miller can be an excellent succession plan. Hell, I wouldn't be surprised if Miller outshines Moses in camp. He's a reliable plug-and-play tackle who started 54 career games.
32. Seattle Seahawks: CB, Colton Hood. Tennesee.
They added another running back and are meeting with Najee Harris, so they probably won't take a halfback with their first-round pick. It makes much more sense for them to address their losses in the secondary. They lost a starting safety and a starting cornerback. Nick Emmanwori can fill in as a safety. After that, Colton Hood can be the number-two cornerback on the other side of Devon Witherspoon.
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