2026 NFL First Round Mock Draft For All 32 Picks: 8.0 (Scouting Combine Edition)
This article was originally published on Total Pro Sports.
Many NFL teams’ draft priorities will change when free agency opens. But, how would the first round play out if the first round of the NFL draft were held today?
Let’s dive into a brand new edition of our 2026 NFL first-round mock draft.
Which top prospects will go early in the 2026 NFL Draft?
1. Las Vegas Raiders: Fernando Mendoza
As the lucky holders of the No. 1 pick in the NFL Draft, the Raiders can draft the only five-star quarterback prospect in this year’s class.
The Heisman Trophy winner and national champion would take over an offense featuring two other young stars in Brock Bowers and Ashton Jeanty. With Tom Brady there to mentor him, Mendoza would be ready to produce right away.
2. New York Jets: Arvell Reese
The Jets should prioritize defense after trading away their two backbone pieces, Sauce Gardner and Quinnen Williams, at the trade deadline.
Reese and Will McDonald IV, who have 18.5 sacks over their last two years, would quickly emerge as one of the league’s elite pass-rushing duos.
3. Arizona Cardinals: Rueben Bain Jr.
Josh Sweat proved to be money well spent in free agency last year, and 2025 first-round pick Walter Nolen showed plenty of flashes in the six games he was limited to.
Let’s add more beef to an already-stout front seven here. Bain is a plug-and-play guy who could quickly become Arizona’s best pass-rusher since Chandler Jones. A three-headed pass-rushing monster would help the Redbirds close the gap with their three NFC West bullies.
4. Tennessee Titans: Carnell Tate
Tight end Chigoziem Okonkwo was Tennessee’s leading receiver with…560 yards. Wowza.
Cam Ward will never stand a chance in Music City if the supporting cast doesn’t improve. Fortunately, the Titans hold the No. 4 pick in the NFL Draft and are in a position to get one of the top receivers in this class.
Tate is a dynamic deep threat whose game-breaking speed and contested-catch skills would complement Cam Ward’s ability to extend plays.
5. New York Giants: Spencer Fano
The Giants already have one of the league’s best premier offensive tackles in Andrew Thomas. The rest of the o-line, however, leaves a lot to be desired
Fano would shore up the other bookend spot and keep Jaxson Dart in good hands for years to come. He took way too many hits as a rookie, but that wouldn’t be a concern anymore with a Thomas-Fano tackle tandem.
6. Cleveland Browns: Francis Mauigoa
Cleveland’s entire starting offensive line is set to hit free agency, per a report on X. Unless they fill most of those voids on the open market, Andrew Berry’s first pick here will have to be a lineman.
Fortunately for the Browns, who own two first-round picks, the draft is loaded with quality offensive linemen. If the Miami product is on the board when it’s Berry’s turn to pick, this card should be handed within seconds.
Mauigoa is a well-rounded lineman who would firmly help establish Todd Monken’s rush-heavy offense.
7. Washington Commanders: Caleb Downs
The Ohio State safety has drawn comparisons to Baltimore Ravens superstar Kyle Hamilton. It’s always tough to predict how much GMs will value the safety position, but this would be a no-brainer for Washington if Downs were available at No. 7.
Dan Quinn has made a living thanks to his defensive expertise. But he hasn’t worked with a world-class safety since his final season as the Seahawks’ defensive coordinator. You know, during their “Legion of Boom” run.
That all changes with Downs, who immediately takes over as the heart and soul of a Washington D devoid of playmakers.
8. New Orleans Saints: Jordyn Tyson
Tyler Shough’s strong finish to his rookie season suddenly gives New Orleans some hope of winning the weak NFC South. That said, he’d sure benefit from another big-time receiver to complement Chris Olave.
Arizona State’s Jordyn Tyson is a shifty, big-bodied receiver who can become Shough’s reliable downfield target. Tyson would have his potential maximized in a Kellen Moore-coached offense.
9. Kansas City Chiefs: Jeremiyah Love
Is this the year the Chiefs actually give Patrick Mahomes a superstar-level running back? It would sure be nice!
Love will be a game-changer wherever he lands. But working in a Mahomes-led offense would take this Kansas City group to another level after a forgettable 2025 season. The fit is just too freakin’ good.
One might say that Chiefs fans would…LOVE…this pick!
10. Cincinnati Bengals: David Bailey
This would be a great value pick for the Bengals in the 2026 NFL Draft. If they somehow got Bailey here, it would make the decision to move on from Trey Hendrickson look like a stroke of genius.
A Bailey-Shemar Stewart pass-rushing tandem could be enough to help this Bengals’ D return to above-average status. It might be enough to help them recapture the AFC North division crown, too.
11. Miami Dolphins: Sonny Styles
The release of Bradley Chubb leaves an already-weak Miami defense short of one game-changing player.
New head coach Jeff Hafley had the fortune of working with do-it-all playmakers as the Packers’ defensive coordinator. Here, he gets his own five-star linebacker prospect to build the Miami defense around.
12. Dallas Cowboys: Keldric Faulk
Dallas has plenty of options with two first-round picks. But it’d be a great start to the draft if Jerry Jones could get one of his much-needed stud pass-rushers early.
Faulk is another NFL-ready edge rusher with future All-Pro written all over him. Few potential draft matchmaking scenarios are better than Faulk and the Cowboys.
13. Los Angeles Rams (From Atlanta Falcons): Jermod McCoy
If there’s one weakness on the Rams’ otherwise-elite defense, it’s a capable shutdown cornerback. Just look at how badly their secondary struggled in the playoffs.
Tennessee’s Jermod McCoy is a quality shutdown corner who also has a nose for the football, with 14 pass breakups and two forced fumbles over his last two college seasons. The torn ACL injury is concerning, yes, but Les Snead’s “go-for-it” mentality has worked far more often than not.
14. Baltimore Ravens: Makai Lemon
Lamar Jackson’s concerning injury history and the presence of the ageless Derrick Henry mean Baltimore must shift to a more pass-happy offense in 2026.
Zay Flowers looks better suited for a No. 2 role, so the Ravens can add another explosive element to their offense here by bringing in Lemon to take on the WR1 role. An offense with Lamar, Henry, Flowers, Lemon, and Mark Andrews would make Baltimore the team to beat in the division again.
15. Tampa Bay Buccaneers: Mansoor Delane
The Buccaneers’ secondary has been a tremendous weakness since their Super Bowl 55 triumph. We know the front office loves to go with pass rushers in the early rounds of the NFL Draft, but they’d be wise to take one of the top corners while he’s available.
Delane would immediately take over as Tampa’s top corner, adding some much-needed secondary support for superstar safety Antoine Winfield Jr.
16. New York Jets (From Indianapolis Colts): Avieon Terrell
We will say that Ty Simpson could be an option here if the Jets don’t bring in another veteran QB — Kyler Murray or Kirk Cousins, anyone — before the draft. They certainly can’t run it back with a tandem of Justin Fields and Tyrod Taylor, after all.
The Jets will need to add a cornerback early, with ‘Sauce’ Gardner long gone. Delane and McCoy are on the board, and there’s a considerable drop-off in the cornerback pool after those two and Terrell.
So, the Jets wrap up round one by adding their next “hopeful” shutdown corner in Terrell.
17. Detroit Lions: Olaivavega Ioane
From the Nittany Lions to the Lions? It’d be perfect.
The Lions’ interior offensive line was a problem last year. Obviously, they weren’t prepared for the unexpected retirement of Pro Bowl center Frank Ragnow.
Ioane is another plug-and-play guy who can shore up the interior of Detroit’s unit and get ‘em back to basics.
18. Minnesota Vikings: Peter Woods
The Vikings already have one of the league’s best front sevens under Brian Flores. But the group could get even more dangerous with a rock in the middle like Woods.
The Vikings signed veteran stars Javon Hargrave and Jonathan Allen to shore up their d-line last year, but both performed below expectations. Here, they turn to the younger, more explosive Woods to resolve the issue via the 2026 NFL Draft.
19. Carolina Panthers: Caleb Lomu
Bryce Young finally got a non-horrible offensive line and led Carolina to its first NFC South division title in a decade. Now, imagine what he could do if the Panthers added a future All-Pro at the tackle spot?
Lomu and veteran Taylor Moton would set up Carolina nicely on the bookend spots long-term, especially if 2022 first-rounder Ikem Ekwonu doesn’t put it together in his make-or-break season.
20. Dallas Cowboys (From Green Bay Packers): T.J. Parker
With the Cowboys retaining Javonte Williams and George Pickens, they don’t have any pressing weaknesses on offense. So, it should be an easy call for Jerry Jones to double down on defense here.
Getting Parker here means Jerry essentially turned Micah Parsons into Parker and Quinnen Williams… with Keldrick Faulk already there. Pretty darn good way to rebuild your defense without Micah!
21. Pittsburgh Steelers: Ty Simpson
Steelers fans probably want to see a wide receiver in this spot in the NFL Draft. But if the second-best QB prospect is available, Pittsburgh can’t hesitate to nab Aaron Rodgers’ successor.
Ideally, Rodgers re-ups for one more year in Pittsburgh. They can then draft Simpson and have him learn behind the four-time MVP for a year before taking on the reins.
22. Los Angeles Chargers: Cashius Howell
The Chargers don’t have any real difference-making pass-rushers outside of Tuli Tuipulotu. That can change right here with the addition of Cashius Howell.
The 6-foot-2, 248-pound Howell racked up 11.5 sacks in his final season at Texas A&M. And yeah, the Bolts will love a tandem of Howell and Tuipulotu to deal with Patrick Mahomes and Bo Nix in the AFC West.
23. Philadelphia Eagles: Denzel Boston
Assuming the Eagles do what everyone expects and trade AJ Brown, they’ll have to find a new playmaking receiver to complement DeVonta Smith in the passing game.
Like Brown, Boston is a big-bodied receiver and contested catch specialist who’s mostly unguardable in one-on-one situations. The ideal prospect to help the Eagles’ offense return to form.
24. Cleveland Browns (From Jacksonville Jaguars): K.C. Concepcion
The Browns have built up a nice set of skill position guys led by Jerry Jeudy and 2025 rookie standouts Quinshon Judkins and Harold Fannin Jr. Now, let’s add the cherry on top by adding one more stud receiver to the mix via the NFL Draft.
We’re not sure who the Browns’ starting QB will be in 2026. But it will be hard for them to falter with Todd Monken at the helm and an offensive nucleus like this…
25. Chicago Bears: Caleb Banks
The Bears need to upgrade their run defense and pass-rush. They can do both in one by selecting the hulking 6-foot-6, 330-pound Florida defensive lineman.
Banks would sure be a nice weapon to combat running backs Josh Jacobs, Jahmyr Gibbs, and Aaron Jones in the division, too!
26. Buffalo Bills: Omar Cooper Jr.
The Bills have sorely missed the production of All-Pro wideout Stefon Diggs…even if his attitude made the divorce inevitable.
The Bills will have several high-end receiver prospects to choose from in the late stages of round one. After the failed Amari Cooper trade of 2024, the Bills try their hand at another Cooper, this one being the crafty Indiana deep threat.
27. San Francisco 49ers: Kadyn Proctor
With Trent Williams’ NFL career winding down, the 49ers should draft and groom his successor ASAP.
Williams has struggled to stay healthy since joining the 49ers in 2020, too. Proctor would be a safe insurance option if Williams misses ample time in his age-38 season. The fit just makes too much sense here.
28. Houston Texans: Germie Bernard
The Texans’ lack of receiving depth was exposed with Tank Dell missing all of 2025. Unfortunately, there’s no guarantee that Dell will return to his star-like form after that horrific knee injury.
Houston can cover all bases here by dipping into the deep pool of receivers. Bernard could easily slot in as a capable No. 2 receiver here that just might help CJ Stroud shake off a rough 2025 season.
29. Los Angeles Rams: Kenyon Sadiq
The Rams certainly aren’t starving for playmakers at the NFL Draft. But it’d be very difficult to pass up on the Oregon tight end if he were on the board here.
Davante Adams isn’t getting any younger, either. So the Rams can lock in their No. 2 pass-catcher to complement Puka Nacua for years to come.
30. Denver Broncos: Chris Bell
It’s surprising that the Broncos still haven’t filled the No. 2 receiver void with Sean Payton at the helm. Maybe this is the year the Broncos finally get someone else to complement Courtland Sutton?
The 6-2 Bell could fill the serious threat and red-zone target roles for the Broncos. His 6-foot-2, 220-pound frame would make Bell a matchup nightmare with defenses focusing primarily on Sutton.
31. New England Patriots: Emmanuel Pregnon
The Patriots don’t need to be reminded about how badly their interior o-line got ripped apart during the postseason. The ship finally sank when they met the Seahawks’ defense in Super Bowl 60.
Fortunately for the Pats, the board in the NFL Draft plays out in their favor, with the Oregon product and No. 2 guard in the class falling into their laps. Pregnon and tackle Will Campbell ensure excellent long-term protection for Drake Maye.
32. Seattle Seahawks: C.J. Allen
Seattle will lose some key defensive players from their Super Bowl championship team in free agency. But fear not, because adequate replacements will be available at the draft.
The Seahawks could use another jack-of-all-trades player like Georgia linebacker CJ Allen to offset some of the departures. Mike Macdonald has a strong track record of maximizing the talents of his linebackers. Allen would be ready to start immediately for the “Darkside defense.”
