2026 NFL First Round Mock Draft For All 32 Picks: 6.0 (The Draft Is Set!)
This article was originally published on Total Pro Sports.
With the 2025 NFL regular season behind us and the college football season in the books, it’s the perfect time to run another mock draft.
Let’s dive right into it. Las Vegas Raiders, you’re on the clock.
Who are the top prospects of the 2026 NFL Draft?
1. Las Vegas Raiders: Fernando Mendoza
The Raiders have an easy decision to take the No. 1 quarterback on their draft board. If they hit on the pick, the rebuild won’t last long.
This year’s Heisman Trophy winner has asserted himself as the best quarterback in the class. And he’d join an offense led by two rising superstars in Ashton Jeanty and Brock Bowers. And having Tom Brady in the building to mentor on occasion won’t hurt.
After wasting three years searching for Derek Carr’s successor, the Raiders finally got a viable solution in Mendoza.
2. New York Jets: Dante Moore
The Jets might have the easiest pick in the 2026 NFL draft. All they gotta do is sit pretty and take whoever remains between Moore and Mendoza. Nice and easy.
We know the Jets have struck out on their fair share of once-highly-touted quarterbacks. But they don’t have any better options. Moore’s poise, pinpoint accuracy, and good ball security could turn him into the franchise QB this club has lacked for decades.
3. Arizona Cardinals: Arvell Reese
Even if Arizona moves on from Kyler Murray, it’s probably too early to take a quarterback here. Then again, maybe their QB solution will have been resolved in the trade or free agent markets? Hmm…
Arizona should be in a “take-the-best-player-available” mentality in the NFL draft. Here, it would be Ohio State linebacker Arvell Reese. Adding him to a D with Budda Baker, Josh Sweat, Will Johnson, and Walter Nolen would give Arizona a top-10 defense in a short time.
4. Tennessee Titans: Carnell Tate
The Titans have a plethora of roster holes to address. But the main concern here is a lack of pass-catching threats for Cam Ward. Unless Tennessee addresses that weakness in free agency, they have to go with a receiver here.
Ohio State’s Carnell Tate is the top receiver in this class. He averaged 17.2 yards per catch and finished with nine touchdowns. This big-bodied, serious threat specialist would give Tennessee its best receiver since, well, AJ Brown…
5. New York Giants: Spencer Fano
The Giants already had a shining star at offensive tackle in Andrew Thomas. But the rest of the o-line is a weakness. Taking one of the “big two” Utah offensive linemen could shore up the unit in front of Jaxson Dart for the better part of the next decade.
6. Cleveland Browns: Jordyn Tyson
Harold Fannin was the Browns’ leading pass-catcher with only 731 yards. There is no way Shedeur Sanders or Cleveland’s next QB will take that next step forward unless the receiving corps improves.
The Browns could complete the makeover by taking Arizona State’s Jordyn Tyson in the NFL draft. The 6-2, 200-pound wideout would immediately slot in as Cleveland’s WR1. That would shift Jerry Jeudy to the more appropriate No. 2 role. With Fannin and Quinshon Judkins also in the fold, the Browns’ offense would have a beautiful long-term outlook.
7. Washington Commanders: Caleb Downs
The Commanders had the fifth-worst pass defense in 2025. Even if Jayden Daniels stays healthy next year, Washington simply isn’t rebounding with this lackluster group of defensive backs.
Some view Buckeyes’ safety Caleb Downs as the best overall prospect in this class. A special do-it-all chess piece like Baltimore Ravens’ star Kyle Hamilton, Downs would immediately shore up Washington’s pass defense and run D. The must-have weapon for Dan Quinn to turn his unit around.
8. New Orleans Saints: Rueben Bain Jr.
With Cam Jordan getting up there in age, this is the ideal time for New Orleans to start rebuilding its defensive line.
Getting Miami’s Rueben Bain Jr. in this spot would be a great value pick for GM Mickey Loomis in the NFL draft. Bain was previously ranked by some scouts as the best prospect in this class. Jordan could mentor Bain for a season or two before taking over as the leader of New Orleans’ D.
9. Kansas City Chiefs: Jeremiyah Love
The Chiefs haven’t had a 1,000-yard rusher since 2017, when Patrick Mahomes was a rookie and backup to Alex Smith. It’s time to invest in a running game now.
Travis Kelce may retire. Hollywood Brown is a free agent. Rashee Rice’s legal troubles may spell the end of his time in Kansas City. So, how about taking pressure off Mahomes and giving him an RB1?
Bijan Robinson, Jahmyr Gibbs, and Omarion Hampton have proven that it’s worth rolling the dice early on a stud running back. The NFL is a copycat league. And the Chiefs need to follow suit.
10. Cincinnati Bengals: David Bailey
The Bengals most certainly won’t bring back Trey Hendrickson. It’d be great if Shemar Stewart broke out after his forgettable rookie season. But we all saw how horrible that defense is. They are more than a Hendrickson replacement away from building up a competent defense.
Texas Tech star David Bailey had 14.5 sacks in his final college season. Imagine a tandem of him and Stewart if both hit their potential? Now we’re talking about some help for Joe Burrow!
11. Miami Dolphins: Caleb Lomu
Miami is expected to move on from Tua Tagovailoa and find another QB. Since they’re not in a position to pick a top quarterback, Miami should target a QB via trade or free agency.
At any rate, Miami’s next quarterback will need a better O-line than the one Tua Tagovailoa was stuck with. Lomu didn’t allow a single sack in his final season at Utah, per Pro Football Focus.
12. Dallas Cowboys: Keldric Faulk
With two first-round picks, it’d be a surprise if Dallas didn’t take at least one defensive player in the NFL draft. The Micah Parsons trade predictably created a void on the pass rush, and Jerry Jones knows it must be addressed in the offseason.
Pairing Faulk with Quinnen Williams is a nice step in reshaping the D in the post-Parsons era.
13. Los Angeles Rams (From Atlanta Falcons): Jermod McCoy
The Rams’ defense is sorely missing a pure shutdown corner, they haven’t had since Jalen Ramsey three years ago. Thanks to the Falcons, LA is in a good spot to take one of this year’s top cornerback prospects via the NFL draft.
Sean McVay’s offense is basically flawless. The front seven is lights out. The finishing touch on this D is a corner like McCoy, who can take away or limit the opposition’s top wide receiver.
14. Baltimore Ravens: Peter Woods
One reason the Ravens were such a disappointment this year? Well, start with a pass rush. Travis Jones led that defense with only five sacks. Help wanted in Baltimore.
The hulking 6-foot-3, 315-pound Woods is a day-one starter who will have more toughness and physicality to Baltimore’s D.
15. Tampa Bay Buccaneers: Mansoor Delane
The Bucs wouldn’t have blown the NFC South division race if they didn’t have such a horrific pass defense. Remember how crucial Carlton Davis was during the Tom Brady years?
Delane was lights-out in his one season at LSU, recording two picks and 11 pass breakups. He allowed just a 26.7 passer rating when targeted, per PFF. Add Delane to that secondary, and Tampa’s D will quickly be back in business.
16. New York Jets (From Indianapolis Colts): Makai Lemon
Since the Jets got their QB earlier in this exercise, the focus can now be on bolstering his supporting cast. The offense needs a secondary pass-catcher to complement superstar Garrett Wilson, and Lemon can easily fill that void.
Suddenly, the Jets’ offense has upside with Dante Moore, Lemon, and Wilson.
17. Detroit Lions: T.J. Parker
We’ve been saying time and time and time again that the Lions need another stud edge rusher to help Aidan Hutchinson. Unless they make a big splash in March, their pick in the 2026 NFL Draft has to be a defensive lineman here.
Clemson stalwart TJ Parker, who had 16 sacks over his last two college seasons, is another plug-and-play guy who could quickly shore up the Lions’ D.
18. Minnesota Vikings: Sonny Styles
The Vikings have one of the league’s better, well-rounded linebackers in Andrew Van Ginkel. But we can’t help but wonder what would happen if Van Ginkel had another Swiss Army Knife linebacker at his side.
Styles would give Minnesota’s front seven more flexibility, speed, and athleticism. In an NFC North with three other explosive offenses, Styles would quickly emerge as a difference-maker in Minny.
19. Carolina Panthers: Kenyon Sadiq
The good of Carolina’s 2025 receiving core: Likely Offensive Rookie of the Year Tetairoa McMillan. The bad: Well, the rest. Nobody else hit the 40-catch or 400-yard marks.
You get the idea. Carolina badly needs another weapon in the passing game. That can be taken care of with the pick of the Oregon tight end. Sadiq is a one-on-one matchup nightmare who had eight touchdowns in his final college season.
Sadiq and McMillan would make that passing game lethal in the red zone.
20. Dallas Cowboys (From Green Bay Packers): Caleb Banks
If Dallas grabs two defensive linemen in round one? Woah mama.
We just can’t stop loading up on linemen in this exercise for Dallas. Quinnen Williams, Keldric Faulk, and 6-foot-6, 330-pound run-stopping menace Caleb Banks? Now, Jerry Jones suddenly looks like a genius for trading Parsons.
21. Pittsburgh Steelers: Ty Simpson
The Steelers have to come away with a QB. Even if Aaron Rodgers returns…or if they sign another veteran. A new QB must be drafted and developed for this NFL team.
Alabama’s Ty Simpson is the best option remaining here. Pittsburgh takes a chance on the kid, hoping he’ll become the solution Kenny Pickett failed to be.
22. Los Angeles Chargers: L.T. Overton
LA’s lack of pass-rushing depth was exposed in the wild-card round loss to New England. And Jim Harbaugh should know better by now that you need plenty of pass-rushing help to win in the NFL.
The Bolts get their guy in Overton, who can take over as the lead edge rusher if Khalil Mack leaves or retires.
23. Philadelphia Eagles: Chris Bell
If the AJ Brown era in Philadelphia is truly over – and it should be! – The Eagles will need to find a new stud pass-catcher for DeVonta Smith.
Louisville’s Chris Bell averaged 14.3 yards per catch in his four seasons with the Cardinals. His speed and ability to stretch the field make him an ideal fit for Nick Sirianni’s offense.
24. Cleveland Browns (From Jacksonville Jaguars): Kadyn Proctor
Offensive linemen Wyatt Teller, Joel Bitonio, Cam Robinson, and Jack Conklin are all pending free agents. The Browns have to find linemen in the early rounds, and they can get a quality day-one starter in Alabama’s Kadyn Proctor.
Though he’s rock-solid in pass-blocking, Proctor’s main strength is the run-blocking department. That will make him a good fit in the Browns’ rush-heavy offense, led by 2025 rookie standout Quinshon Judkins.
25. Chicago Bears: Cashius Howell
Montez Sweat led the Bears with 10 sacks in the regular season. Nobody else topped six. So yeah, more pass-rushing help is badly needed here.
If he’s available, Texas A&M edge rusher Cashius Howell would be an excellent value pick in the NFL draft. He’s another capable day-one starter who posted 11.5 sacks in his last season. The Bears can build around a potent edge-rushing duo of Howell and Sweat.
26. San Francisco 49ers: Francis Mauigoa
With Trent Williams getting closer and closer to the end, this is a good time for the 49ers to line up a succession plan. Even if Mauigoa isn’t ready to start as a rookie, there’s no issue in having him learn behind the best offensive tackle of this generation before taking over the reins.
27. Buffalo Bills: Denzel Boston
It’s amazing how far Josh Allen has carried Buffalo without a legitimate No. 1 receiver since the Stefon Diggs trade. Maybe this is the year they finally get a WR1 for Josh Allen?
Khalil Shakir is better suited as a No. 2 guy anyway, and Keon Coleman has already fallen out of favor in Buffalo. Take Boston here, and hopefully Allen’s dream of a No. 1 receiver ends.
28. Houston Texans: Chris Brazzell II
We still don’t know how Tank Dell will look when he eventually returns from the horrific knee injury late in the 2024 season. As resilient as the Texans have been under DeMeco Ryans, they simply need more weapons to help CJ Stroud and Nico Collins.
At this phase, Chris Brazzell II of Tennessee is the best wide receiver on the board. If Dell isn’t the same player when he returns, they’ll at least have a new capable No. 2 guy in Brazzell.
29. New England Patriots: K.C. Concepcion
If there’s one long-term concern in New England’s offense, it’s wide receiver depth. Stefon Diggs is still a 1,000-yard weapon, but he’s also 32.
The receiver-heavy 2026 NFL draft gives New England a good opportunity to find Drake Maye’s next No. 1 receiving option. The speedy and crafty Concepcion is a scary deep threat who could also run plenty of reverse and gadget plays in Josh McDaniels’ offense.
30. Seattle Seahawks: C.J. Allen
News Joshua L Jones
The Seahawks already have football’s No. 1 defense. But why in the world should you settle for great when you can do greater?
Georgia linebacker CJ Allen is a do-it-all workhorse who’s elite in run defense and phenomenal in pass coverage. Schematic fit will matter for Allen to hit his potential, and Mike Macdonald’s D is tailor-made.
31. Denver Broncos: Germie Bernard
The late first-round run of wide receivers concludes here with the Broncos taking the dynamic Alabama playmaker.
Courtland Sutton is Denver’s only pass-catcher, constantly giving opposing defenses nightmares. Sean Payton has to get another playmaker here for Bo Nix, and this big-bodied target would give the QB a second giant red zone threat to help Evan Engram.
32. Los Angeles Rams: Anthony Hill Jr.
The Rams can put the finishing touch on their defense by snagging another hard-hitting workhorse to help their defense. Hill could easily slot in as a day-one starter for Sean McVay in 2026.
He does it all as a pass-rusher and explosive pass-rusher. Over his last two seasons at Texas, Hill had three picks, 12 sacks, and seven forced fumbles. McVay would love a big-time player like Hill.
