2026 NFL Draft Chiefs NFL

2026 NFL Mock Draft: Trying to Predict an Impossible First Round

Scott Kacsmar22/04/2026 - 08:32 am

The 2026 NFL Draft is finally happening Thursday night, and we’re back with our third annual attempt at a mock draft. I did one for 2024, then last year was a lot of chalk with the first seven picks correct as far as the player in the right slot, then I got a few more right like Tyler Warren to the Colts, Derrick Harmon to the Steelers, and Matthew Golden to the Packers.

But this year? Good luck to everyone, including the 32 NFL teams who are going to have to make sense of what’s been considered by many to be a weak draft class as far as true first-round talent goes. There were so many chalk picks last year that just don’t exist this year once you get past Fernando Mendoza at No. 1. That one’s free.

However, it could be a deep draft with plenty of players with a second or third-round grade that prove useful for your team, and some teams have quite an arsenal of top 100 picks to unload on Thursday and Friday night.

Here are our positional previews for the top draft prospects:

I did not include any trades this year, though one that you could realistically see is the Jets moving up to No. 20 with Dallas to get quarterback Ty Simpson one pick ahead of the Steelers. But I would expect several trades on the night.

For what it’s worth, 27 of the 32 players I picked last year were drafted in the first round, and I don’t think anyone saw Shedeur Sanders lasting until the fifth round. But this year should be a wild one as the lack of blue-chip talents means anything goes on Thursday and Friday.

1. Las Vegas Raiders

The Pick: QB Fernando Mendoza, Indiana

Easiest call of the night even if there are valid reasons to have reservations about how great Fernando Mendoza will be in the NFL, or if he’d be the No. 1 pick in stronger classes of the past.

But this is the 2026 draft, and he’s the best shot the Raiders have at finding a franchise quarterback right away for new coach Klint Kubiak. If you don’t have the quarterback, you’re never competing in this division with Patrick Mahomes, Justin Herbert, and Bo Nix.

2. New York Jets

The Pick: DE David Bailey, Texas Tech

The odds keep flip-flopping on whether the Jets should take David Bailey or Arvell Reese. I’m sticking to what I said weeks ago. The Jets should draft Bailey as the more traditional edge rusher with the best chance in this draft of being a perennial double-digit sack guy.

3. Arizona Cardinals

The Pick: LB Arvell Reese, Ohio State

The Cardinals should try to trade down, but if they’re sticking at No. 3, I think they take Ohio State’s Arvell Reese, who can be their younger take on Budda Baker as a hybrid player. But I’m not loving the value on a player who did not force a single turnover in college despite playing on a historic defense.

4. Tennessee Titans

The Pick: RB Jeremiyah Love, Notre Dame

They don’t take running backs in the top four these days, but when the class isn’t that strong, you make exceptions, especially for a player that should be a success at the next level. If you want to make Cam Ward’s job easier, you get him a playmaker like Jeremiyah Love.

Besides, the Oilers/Titans have a long history of being led by running backs, including Earl Campbell, Eddie George, Chris Johnson, and Derrick Henry. The kind of player that sells merch and puts butts in seats.

The Titans have a relevancy issue, so if we’re past the days of laughable Will Levis highlights, then let’s see some Love highlights in 2026 as he’ll likely open as the favorite for Offensive Rookie of the Year.

5. New York Giants

The Pick: LB Sonny Styles, Ohio State

It’s a new era for the Giants with John Harbaugh as their head coach. They’ve drafted their wideout (Malik Nabers) and quarterback (Jaxson Dart) in the last two drafts, so I think they will immediately attack the defense with two top 10 picks now.

For a coach tied to linebackers like Ray Lewis and Roquan Smith in Baltimore, I’m sure Harbaugh would love Ohio State’s Sonny Styles as a new leader for his defense. An elite off-ball linebacker.

6. Cleveland Browns

The Pick: OT Monroe Freeling, Georgia

Frankly, the Browns should trade down and may even do so if a team like the Chiefs, Dolphins, or Steelers wants to trade up to get wide receiver Carnell Tate.

I’m not sure there’s anyone who can immediately improve the Browns here, but I know they had to replace the offensive line this offseason, so getting a top left tackle in Monroe Freeling would make a lot of sense.

7. Washington Commanders

The Pick: WR Carnell Tate, Ohio State

Defense would make a lot of sense for Dan Quinn’s group as I think Jayden Daniels, when healthy, has the tools to make his players look better on offense. Maybe this is where you take Rueben Bain, Mansoor Delane, or Caleb Downs.

But I think they’re the team that pulls the trigger on Carnell Tate, the best wide receiver prospect this year despite never being a WR1 at Ohio State. But the Buckeyes are an NFL wide receiver factory, and Tate can learn from Terry McLaurin before hopefully taking over as WR1 with Daniels for years to come.

Concepts of a plan in Washington. Imagine that.

8. New Orleans Saints

The Pick: CB Mansoor Delane, LSU

The Saints could go in a variety of directions, but I like the idea of keeping Mansoor Delane in Louisiana as the No. 1 corner in this draft. You play in the NFC South, you need someone to match up with Emeka Egbuka, Tetairoa McMillan, and Drake London. Delane is the most likely to fit that lockdown corner role in this draft.

9. Kansas City Chiefs

The Pick: OT Francis Mauigoa, Miami

When Patrick Mahomes tore his ACL against the Chargers last season, it was on a play where he scrambled out of the pocket while playing with two third-string offensive tackles.

Some injuries are just bad luck, and while the Chiefs have made investments into the offensive line to account for cutting right tackle Jawaan Taylor, I think they need to take advantage of a high pick they hope to never have again in the Mahomes era and get their long-term right tackle in Miami’s Francis Mauigoa.

They drafted Josh Simmons for the left side last year, so now they pair him with Mauigoa and stop this game of musical chairs at tackle for Mahomes in his 30s.

10. New York Giants

The Pick: S Caleb Downs, Ohio State

This was a late development with the Giants getting the No. 10 pick from the Bengals after they sent defensive tackle Dexter Lawrence to Cincinnati. But I think it works out great for Harbaugh in his first season. He gets Sonny Styles at No. 5, now he gets his Ed Reed/Kyle Hamilton piece in Caleb Downs, the best safety prospect in the draft.

Two Ohio State players trying to become cornerstones for a revamped New York defense.

11. Miami Dolphins

The Pick: WR Jordyn Tyson, Arizona State

If the Dolphins want to make new quarterback Malik Willis look good, he’ll likely need someone better than Malik Washington to throw to after the team cut Tyreek Hill and traded Jayden Waddle to the Broncos this offseason.

Jordyn Tyson is a polarizing prospect as some believe he’s the best wideout in the 2026 class, and some are terrified to draft him because he’s always hurt. But he can make big plays, and Willis seems poised to be a big-play, low-volume passer, so I think it’s a good fit and worth the risk for a team that hasn’t won a playoff game since the 2000 season.

12. Dallas Cowboys

The Pick: Edge Rueben Bain, Miami

The Cowboys aren’t afraid of controversial players. That’s why Michael Irvin is their greatest wide receiver, or how they got Charles Haley from the 49ers back in the day. But those moves were decades ago, and maybe the Cowboys just need to swing for the fences and take the best edge rusher on the board in Rueben Bain, who has been named as a participant in a fatal car crash in 2024.

But teams apparently knew about that for a long time, and it’s unlikely to impact his draft stock here. The Cowboys made that boneheaded trade to move Micah Parsons to Green Bay last year, so they can make up for it here with Bain at No. 12.

13. Los Angeles Rams

The Pick: OT Spencer Fano, Utah

Rare for the Rams to have a first-round pick, let alone the No. 13 pick that they got from the Falcons in a draft trade last year. But it sets up well for them to get a top tackle in Spencer Fano, who was excellent for Utah and would be blocking for Matthew Stafford in a Sean McVay offense that’s desperately trying to win a Super Bowl while Stafford’s back is functional.

14. Baltimore Ravens

The Pick: G Olaivavega Ioane, Penn State

The Ravens are no longer coached by John Harbaugh, but I’d still expect similar thought processes in the draft where they love to beef up the trenches and wide receivers. Not really feeling the wideouts in this portion of the draft, so I think they’ll go back to rebuilding the interior line for Lamar Jackson and Derrick Henry with Vega Ioane from Penn State. Remember, they lost center Tyler Linderbaum to the Raiders.

15. Tampa Bay Buccaneers

The Pick: DE Akheem Mesidor, Miami

The Buccaneers are standing by coach Todd Bowles after last year’s collapse, but the defense needs more work than the offense, which added another wideout in Emeka Egbuka last year when it didn’t necessarily look like they needed one. Good call with Mike Evans leaving the team in 2026.

But now you have to give Bowles more talent on defense, and Miami’s Akheem Mesidor is the other good rusher from the Hurricanes after he arguably had a better year than Rueben Bain with a team-high 12.5 sacks.

16. New York Jets

The Pick: WR Makai Lemon, USC

The Jets may not know what they’re doing at quarterback, but they also need another competent pass catcher besides Garrett Wilson. Makai Lemon is one of the top prospects this year, and with numerous draft picks in the first two rounds, this feels like the right spot for the Jets to splurge on Lemon.

17. Detroit Lions

The Pick: OT Kadyn Proctor, Alabama

The Lions are mad that the Ravens stole Vega Ioane from them, but they still want to shore up the offensive line, which was the biggest reason the offense took a step back last year. It wasn’t losing Ben Johnson as the coordinator as much as it was that they couldn’t bully teams up front with losses along the line.

When you lose your thumper back in David Montgomery, I think blocking takes on even greater importance this year. So, I would draft tackle Kadyn Proctor from the Crimson Tide to keep Jahmyr Gibbs and Jared Goff happy.

18. Minnesota Vikings

The Pick: S Dillon Thieneman, Oregon

I hinted strongly at this one in the safeties preview, but Dillon Thieneman would be a perfect replacement for Harrison Smith. Not to mention a good fit for the way defensive coordinator Brian Flores likes to get creative with his looks as Thieneman is a versatile defensive back with plenty of tackles and takeaways on his resume.

19. Carolina Panthers

The Pick: TE Kenyon Sadiq, Oregon

The Carolina Panthers have had nothing of substance at the tight end position since Greg Olsen was playing for them years before he was doing better TV analysis for FOX than Tom Brady ever has.

That’s why I think they take the gamble on Kenyon Sadiq from Oregon, another good athlete for Bryce Young to try to take advantage of his height and speed.

20. Dallas Cowboys

The Pick: CB Jermod McCoy, Tennessee

Let’s just say Dallas owner Jerry Jones is at the age where waiting for the future isn’t really in the cards. But with their second pick in the first round, the Cowboys might not be able to help themselves from taking Jermod McCoy, who has been considered the No. 2 corner in this draft class.

There’s just a knee injury that is scaring some off, though he still managed to run a sub 4.40 40 this spring at his pro day, so he could be ready to go in Week 1 after sitting out all of the 2025 college season.

If you play in the NFC, you better have the corners to deal with Jaxon Smith-Njigba and Puka Nacua.

21. Pittsburgh Steelers

The Pick: OT Blake Miller, Clemson

I’m usually dialed in to what the Steelers are doing in the first round of the draft, but this year is a bigger mystery with Mike McCarthy replacing Mike Tomlin at head coach, and GM Omar Khan is a bit harder to read than Kevin Colbert was.

It could be quarterback Ty Simpson, it could be a wide receiver, but I’m going with Clemson’s huge tackle Blake Miller, especially with Broderick Jones having a serious neck injury situation to monitor.

22. Los Angeles Chargers

The Pick: Edge Keldric Faulk, Auburn

The Chargers lost defensive coordinator Jesse Minter to the Ravens this year, so they’re going to rely on a new coordinator and could use some talent upgrades if they lose some strategic points. Plus, Khalil Mack isn’t getting any younger and you always need pass rush to beat Patrick Mahomes in the AFC West.

Keldric Faulk is like a lot of the second-tier edge rushers in this class where he peaked in 2024 (11.0 sacks) at Auburn instead of 2025, but he could be the pick here.

23. Philadelphia Eagles

The Pick: OT Max Iheanachor, Arizona State

Some might think the Eagles will take a wide receiver in light of the pending move to trade A.J. Brown after June 1, but we’ll see what GM Howie Roseman does. I like to think the main reason his teams have consistently won is the attention to the trenches, and with Lane Johnson getting up there in years, there’s a chance to get an offensive tackle for the long-term future in the big and athletic Max Iheanachor from Arizona State.

24. Cleveland Browns

The Pick: WR Omar Cooper Jr., Indiana

The Browns still have to put the offense on the field, and new coach Todd Monken is going to want weapons beyond Jerry Jeudy at wide receiver. Omar Cooper Jr. is an intriguing prospect from Indiana where he really took off under coach Curt Cignetti. He can instantly be a WR2 in this offense.

25. Chicago Bears

The Pick: S Emmanuel McNeil-Warren, Toledo

The Bears used their top picks on offense under Ben Johnson last year. Feels like the defense is the area to attack this year, and you can get a top safety in Emmanuel McNeil-Warren from Toledo. When I think successful Chicago defenses, I think of successful safety play like Mike Brown or Chris Harris.

26. Buffalo Bills

The Pick: WR Kevin Concepcion, Texas A&M

I think the Bills still need a wide receiver who can quickly separate, and maybe one who doesn’t have a cookie craving like Keon Coleman. They acquired D.J. Moore this offseason, but they have to keep trying to find that true Stefon Diggs replacement for the long term, and Kevin Concepcion could be that guy for Josh Allen. Somewhere between Cole Beasley and Diggs as far as his skills go.

27. San Francisco 49ers

The Pick: OT Caleb Lomu, Utah

GM John Lynch caught some heat for saying they’re using AI for draft picks, though he hopefully means doing some advanced modeling with their data using Claude rather than asking ChatGPT or Grok for a pick, which could be absolutely disastrous.

But you don’t need AI to see that Trent Williams is the oldest offensive tackle in football, and getting the other quality Utah tackle in Caleb Lomu would be a solid move for Kyle Shanahan’s offense.

28. Houston Texans

The Pick: DL Kayden McDonald, Ohio State

There’s not much the Texans could do at this pick to help C.J. Stroud out on offense, so I would just continue bolstering the defense to make it as great as possible. Adding Kayden McDonald to the middle of that defensive line with Will Anderson, Sheldon Rankins, and Danielle Hunter is how you end up with the best front in the league.

29. Kansas City Chiefs

The Pick: CB Colton Hood, Tennessee

The Chiefs have the No. 29 pick thanks to the trade that sent corner Trent McDuffie to the Rams this offseason. It would only be fitting if they used that pick to draft McDuffie’s replacement, and I think they do that with Colton Hood, the other quality corner from Tennessee.

You can’t keep taking corners away from coordinator Steve Spagnuolo and expect him to make things work here.

30. Miami Dolphins

The Pick: Edge T.J. Parker, Clemson

When you play in a division with Josh Allen and Drake Maye, to say nothing of the other AFC quarterbacks, you better have some pass rush. The Dolphins aren’t up to par there after losing Bradley Chubb in the offseason, so I’m going with Clemson’s T.J. Parker, who had 11.0 sacks in his best season with the Tigers.

31. New England Patriots

The Pick: Edge Cashius Howell, Texas A&M

The Patriots learned some hard lessons about pass rush on their way to losing the Super Bowl with the way great defenses were teeing off on Drake Maye. One way to help there could be to invest more in the offensive line, but I think they need to attack their own pass rush and upgrade there.

Especially since Harold Landry is turning 30 and their second-leading sacker, K’Lavon Chaisson, is with Washington. The best remaining edge is Cashius Howell, who had 9.5 sacks at Bowling Green (2023) and 11.5 sacks at Texas A&M (2025).

32. Seattle Seahawks

The Pick: CB Avieon Terrell, Clemson

To close the first round, the defending champs have some holes to fill after losing some notable players in free agency, including Super Bowl MVP running back Kenneth Walker. But instead of forcing a first-round pick on Notre Dame running back Jadarian Price, I think the Seahawks add another piece to that defense for Mike Macdonald.

The Seahawks lost corner Riq Woolen to the Eagles, so they can get a new corner with NFL bloodlines in Avieon Terrell, the brother of Atlanta’s AJ Terrell.

Related Articles:

Table of Contents