The NFL calendar never sleeps, and the last two weeks have once again reshaped the first round of our 2026 NFL Mock Draft.
With the NFL Scouting Combine now behind us and the first wave of free agency in the books, teams have already begun reshuffling priorities. Some needs have been filled. Others have been created. Meanwhile, several prospects used their week in Indianapolis to rocket up draft boards, while others left evaluators with new questions.
That combination — roster movement and fresh evaluation data — always makes this time of year one of the most volatile points in the draft cycle.
We’ve already seen major changes across the league. The Raiders’ aggressive rebuild, the Ravens’ splash moves, and several teams addressing premium positions in free agency have all influenced how this board looks today. And as always, quarterback decisions across the league continue to shape everything else.
Combine risers have also forced adjustments. Testing numbers, on-field drills, and medical evaluations rarely define a prospect on their own, but they can confirm what teams see on tape — or introduce new conversations about upside and positional value.
So this week’s mock reflects a league that is still settling after free agency’s opening wave, while also reacting to the information gathered in Indianapolis.
Here’s how the first round currently stacks up.
2026 NFL Mock Draft
1. Las Vegas Raiders — QB Fernando Mendoza (Indiana)
Mendoza is now the clear QB1 in the class. The Heisman winner checks every box as a processor, distributor, and late-game closer. In other words, he is exactly what the Raiders need to anchor a full organizational reset.
Syndication: The Herald-Times2. New York Jets — LB Arvell Reese (Ohio State)
With Oregon quarterback Dante Moore returning to school, the Jets pivot to the defense. Reese is a tone-setting linebacker with range, instincts, and leadership traits — a centerpiece defender for a unit searching for identity.
3. Arizona Cardinals — T Francis Mauigoa (Miami)
Arizona continues to build from the trenches out. Mauigoa is a massive, athletic right tackle with legitimate power in the run game and improving consistency in pass protection. He gives the Cardinals a long-term bookend and keeps their offense upright.
4. Tennessee Titans — RB Jeremiyah Love (Notre Dame)
Love is one of the most explosive offensive players in the entire class. His blend of speed, vision, and home-run ability makes him a true offensive centerpiece rather than a traditional running back selection. For a Titans offense that struggled to create chunk plays last season, Love offers immediate juice and the kind of game-breaking ability that can flip field position and scoring opportunities in an instant.
5. New York Giants — S Caleb Downs (Ohio State)
The Giants grab one of the most instinctive defenders in the class. Downs is a do-it-all safety who can live deep, spin down into the box, or erase slot matchups. He instantly upgrades a secondary that needs range and reliability.
6. Cleveland Browns — T Monroe Freeling (Georgia)
Freeling looks the part of a franchise tackle with his length, athleticism, and pass protection upside. Georgia asked him to handle a wide variety of pass sets, and he showed the movement skills to mirror speed rushers while also bringing enough power to anchor against bull rushes. Cleveland continues investing in protecting its quarterback and solidifying the edges of the offensive line.
7. Washington Commanders — ED David Bailey (Texas Tech)
Bailey brings burst, flexibility, and pass-rush juice. He fits perfectly as a modern edge defender in a defense that needs more disruption up front.
8. New Orleans Saints — ED Ruben Bain Jr. (Miami)
Bain is one of the most disruptive pass rushers in the class, winning with explosive first-step quickness and natural leverage. He plays with relentless energy and consistently collapses the pocket, making life uncomfortable for opposing quarterbacks. The Saints add another young piece to a defensive front that is in the middle of a transition.
Mandatory Credit: Sam Navarro-Imagn Images9. Kansas City Chiefs — LB Sonny Styles (Ohio State)
Styles is one of the most unique defenders in the class thanks to his hybrid skill set. He has the size of a linebacker but moves like a defensive back, giving defensive coordinators flexibility to disguise coverages and match up against modern offenses. For Kansas City, Styles offers the versatility to play downhill against the run while also covering tight ends and backs in space.
10. Cincinnati Bengals — CB Mansoor Delane (LSU)
Delane is a long, physical corner who thrives in press coverage and brings the competitive temperament teams want on the boundary. He challenges receivers at the line of scrimmage and uses his length to disrupt routes throughout the rep. Cincinnati continues to invest in the secondary with a player who has the tools to develop into a true No. 1 corner.
11. Miami Dolphins — CB Jermod McCoy (Tennessee)
McCoy’s rise over the past year has been driven by his ball skills and natural coverage instincts. He shows excellent route recognition and closes quickly on the football, making him a consistent threat to create turnovers. Miami adds another athletic defensive back capable of holding up in man coverage.
12. Dallas Cowboys — LB CJ Allen (Georgia)
Allen is a fast, aggressive linebacker who flies sideline-to-sideline and plays with the physicality expected from Georgia defenders. He diagnoses plays quickly and arrives with bad intentions as a tackler. Dallas continues to prioritize speed and range in the middle of its defense.
13. Los Angeles Rams (via ATL) — WR Carnell Tate (Ohio State)
Tate is one of the smoothest route runners in the class, consistently creating separation with precise footwork and body control. He can win outside or from the slot and has the ball skills to make contested catches down the field. The Rams add another dynamic weapon to an offense built around timing and spacing.
14. Baltimore Ravens — WR Jordyn Tyson (Arizona State)
Tyson brings separation, quickness, and vertical speed. Baltimore continues to surround Lamar Jackson with dynamic targets who can stretch defenses horizontally and vertically.
15. Tampa Bay Buccaneers — TE Kenyon Sadiq (Oregon)
Sadiq is a matchup nightmare thanks to his blend of size, athleticism, and receiving ability. Oregon used him in a variety of ways — inline, in the slot, and even detached as a receiver — and he consistently produced explosive plays. Tampa Bay adds a tight end capable of stretching the seam and creating problems for linebackers and safeties.
© Troy Wayrynen-Imagn Images16. New York Jets (via IND) — WR Makai Lemon (USC)
The Jets add a smooth, savvy route-runner in Lemon. He thrives in space and gives their offense a reliable separator who can win early in routes.
17. Detroit Lions — T Spencer Fano (Utah)
Fano is a physical tackle with outstanding movement skills and the temperament teams want in the trenches. He plays with balance, strong hands, and the ability to redirect against speed rushers. Detroit continues to build around a powerful offensive line identity.
18. Minnesota Vikings — S Dillon Thieneman (Oregon)
Thieneman is a rangy safety with elite instincts and ball production. He reads quarterbacks well and has the closing speed to erase plays deep down the field. Minnesota adds a centerfielder who can anchor the back end of the defense for years to come.
19. Carolina Panthers — DI Caleb Banks (Florida)
Banks is a disruptive interior defender who can penetrate gaps and collapse the pocket from the inside. His quickness off the snap allows him to beat guards before they can establish leverage. Carolina adds needed juice to a defensive line that struggled to generate consistent pressure.
20. Dallas Cowboys (via GB) — CB Avieon Terrell (Clemson)
Terrell is a polished corner who mirrors routes with fluid footwork and strong instincts in coverage. He plays with confidence and rarely panics at the catch point. Dallas continues reinforcing its secondary with another athletic defensive back.
21. Pittsburgh Steelers — S Emmanuel McNeil-Warren (Toledo)
McNeil-Warren is one of the most instinctive defenders in the class, constantly finding the football and creating takeaways. His range and physicality allow him to impact both the run and pass game. Pittsburgh lands a versatile safety who fits the team’s defensive identity.
22. Los Angeles Chargers — G Vega Ioane (Penn State)
The Chargers fortify the interior. Ioane is physical in the run game and steady in pass protection, helping solidify the pocket from the inside out.
23. Philadelphia Eagles — ED Keldrick Faulk (Auburn)
Faulk brings length, power, and pass-rush upside to the edge. He flashes the ability to convert speed to power and consistently pushes tackles back into the pocket. Philadelphia adds another young pass rusher to keep its defensive line rotation deep and disruptive.
24. Cleveland Browns (via JAX) — ED Akheem Mesidor (Miami)
Mesidor is a versatile defensive lineman who can rush from multiple alignments along the front. His quick hands and leverage allow him to defeat blocks inside or outside. Cleveland doubles down on building a disruptive defensive front.
25. Chicago Bears — DL Kayden McDonald (Ohio State)
Chicago adds interior power to complement its edge rushers. McDonald is stout against the run and flashes pocket-pushing ability, strengthening the middle of the defense.
© Adam Cairns/Columbus Dispatch / USA TODAY NETWORK via Imagn Images26. Buffalo Bills — DI Peter Woods (Clemson)
Woods is a compact, powerful interior defender who plays with relentless intensity. He consistently wins with leverage and violent hands, collapsing pockets, and disrupting run lanes. Buffalo strengthens the interior of its defensive line with a player capable of creating chaos between the tackles.
27. San Francisco 49ers — T Blake Miller (Clemson)
Miller is an athletic tackle who moves well in space and excels in zone blocking schemes. He shows the balance and foot quickness necessary to handle speed off the edge. San Francisco adds another piece to an offensive line built around mobility and versatility.
28. Houston Texans — WR Omar Cooper Jr. (Indiana)
Cooper is a physical receiver who wins with strength, body control, and contested-catch ability. He consistently fights through contact and shows a knack for making plays in traffic. Houston continues building a dynamic group of offensive weapons.
29. Kansas City Chiefs (via LAR) — WR Denzel Boston (Washington)
Boston brings size, length, and vertical ability to the receiver position. He stretches the field with long-striding speed and uses his frame well at the catch point. Kansas City adds another explosive option for its passing attack.
30. Denver Broncos — DI Lee Hunter (Texas Tech)
Hunter is a powerful interior presence who anchors well against the run and flashes the ability to collapse the pocket. His strength and leverage make him difficult to move at the point of attack. Denver adds toughness and physicality to the middle of its defensive front.
31. New England Patriots — T Caleb Lomu (Utah)
Lomu is technically refined and battle-tested. New England reinforces its offensive line with a dependable, high-floor tackle prospect.
32. Seattle Seahawks — RB Jadarian Price (Notre Dame)
Price is a dynamic runner with outstanding burst and open-field acceleration. He hits creases quickly and has the speed to turn routine runs into explosive plays. Seattle adds a back with big-play potential to its offense.
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