Fernando Mendoza will almost certainly be the No. 1 overall pick in the 2026 NFL Draft. After that, there isn’t much clarity about what will happen in the first round.
The New York Jets will have their choice among the draft’s non-quarterbacks with the No. 2 overall pick. There will be plenty of talented edge rushers available with that pick, but Aaron Glenn and Darren Mougey’s preference with the selection isn’t yet clear.
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Neither is the exact landing spot of Notre Dame star Jeremiyah Love, who is looking to become the first top-five running back selection since Saquon Barkley in 2018. Love is universally considered one of the best players in the draft, but will a team like the Tennessee Titans be willing to use the No. 4 overall selection on him?
Then, of course, there’s Ty Simpson, who could be the biggest wild card of this year’s class. The Alabama quarterback will almost certainly be the second off the board at his position behind Mendoza, but he could fall to the latter stages of the first round if the NFL’s quarterback-needy teams pass on him.
Eventually, a clearer picture will crystallize atop the 2026 NFL Draft, allowing fans and draftniks alike to prognosticate how the opening round may play out. For now, here’s a look at our latest projection for the draft’s first round:
2026 NFL mock draft
1. Las Vegas Raiders: QB Fernando Mendoza, Indiana
Write it in pen. The Raiders are going to take Mendoza, who won the 2025 Heisman Trophy and led Indiana to a national title, with the No. 1 overall pick. The only question is whether Mendoza will start in Week 1 or if Las Vegas will rely on the veteran Kirk Cousins to play ahead of him, which Klint Kubiak stated was his preference.
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2. New York Jets: Edge David Bailey, Texas Tech
The Jets seem likely to add a pass rusher with the No. 2 overall pick. It’s just a matter of whether it will be Bailey, Rueben Bain Jr. or Arvell Reese. Bailey will get the nod here, as his proven production – he had an FBS-leading 14.5 sacks in 2025 – and pro-ready skill set fit the win-now quest Aaron Glenn is facing in his second season with the Jets.
3. Arizona Cardinals: Edge/LB Arvell Reese, Ohio State
The Cardinals need to add blue-chip talent on defense. Reese is arguably the best player in the draft. His elite athleticism and versatility should make him a do-it-all playmaker in the front seven. The Micah Parsons comparisons may be premature, but it would hardly be a surprise if Reese emerges as a top-tier edge rusher.
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4. Tennessee Titans: RB Jeremiyah Love, Notre Dame
The Titans added tons of depth to their roster in free agency. They added at receiver (the team’s top quarterback in 2026. Boston is a big-bodied receiver (6-4, 212 pounds) who has great physicality and should quickly emerge as a red-zone weapon at the NFL level.
25. Chicago Bears: Edge T.J. Parker, Clemson
The Bears had the seventh-lowest pressure rate in the NFL last season. Adding a high-end complement across from Montez Sweat could help solve that issue, and Parker generated 21.5 sacks in 39 games over three seasons at Clemson. He should be a plug-and-play starter with the physicality needed to set a strong edge across from Sweat.
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26. Buffalo Bills: LB CJ Allen, Georgia
The Bills haven’t yet re-signed Matt Milano or Shaq Thompson, who ranked second and fourth in snaps played among Buffalo’s linebackers last season. If neither returns, the Bills may consider drafting a long-term replacement who could start alongside Terrel Bernard.
Allen was an All-American in his last season at Georgia and is a sure tackler, as he logged 88 in 2025 while missing just six, per Pro Football Focus. His presence in pursuit could go a long way toward helping clean up a Bills defense that allowed the fifth-most rushing yards last season.
27. San Francisco 49ers: OT Caleb Lomu, Utah
The 49ers need to invest in an eventual successor for Trent Williams, who will turn 38 in July. Lomu is a great athlete with excellent movement skills and room to add more weight and power to his 6-6, 313-pound frame. Drafting him now to learn behind Williams, or play left guard until Williams calls it quits, would be a wise investment for San Francisco.
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28. Houston Texans: OT Blake Miller, Clemson
The Texans signed Braden Smith to start for them at right tackle, but the 31-year-old is only on a one-year deal. Houston could look to draft a successor for him, and Miller’s four years of starting experience and toughness at the point of attack could make him an ideal, long-term bookend for Aireontae Ersery.
29. Arizona Cardinals: QB Ty Simpson, Alabama
Projected trade with Kansas City Chiefs (via Los Angeles Rams)
It’s hard to imagine Simpson falling out of the first round, but if the Jets pass on him at 16, there aren’t many obvious landing spots for him. That could allow a quarterback-needy team to trade into the back of the first round to select the Alabama star, much like what the Giants did with Jaxson Dart last season.
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The Cardinals are desperate for young talent at quarterback, as Jacoby Brissett, Gardner Minshew and Kedon Slovis are presently headlining Arizona’s depth chart at the position. Simpson’s excellent accuracy, ball placement and pocket awareness would make him a nice fit in Mike LaFleur’s offense, and the one-year college starter could be afforded a chance to develop behind Brissett and Minshew in 2026.
NFL DRAFT ODDS: Which team will draft Ty Simpson?
30. Miami Dolphins (via Denver Broncos): CB Avieon Terrell, Clemson
The Dolphins addressed their barren receiver room with the 11th pick. Now, they will target help for their cornerback room, where Jason Marshall Jr. is the top returning player on the roster. Terrell is a tenacious cornerback who logged 25 pass defenses and three interceptions across three seasons at Clemson and would instantly be Miami’s top cornerback despite his smaller frame (5-11, 186 pounds).
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31. New England Patriots: WR Omar Cooper Jr., Indiana
The Patriots could eventually trade for A.J. Brown, but doing so wouldn’t necessarily preclude them from taking a receiver at 31. New England released its lone 1,000-yard receiver from 2025, Stefon Diggs, and his replacement, Romeo Doubs, is probably better cast as a No. 2 receiver.
Cooper is a compact, elusive receiver who forced a whopping 27 missed tackles in 2025. He has a little Deebo Samuel to his game and would instantly be a versatile weapon with whom Drake Maye can grow.
32. Seattle Seahawks: CB Brandon Cisse, South Carolina
The Seahawks lost Riq Woolen in free agency and could use an upgrade across from Devon Witherspoon. Cisse is an elite athlete and allowed just 18 catches on 38 targets in his lone season at South Carolina. Mike Macdonald could mold him into a star alongside Witherspoon and another former Gamecock, Nick Emmanwori.
This article originally appeared on USA TODAY: 2026 NFL mock draft: Latest predictions include big first-round trade
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