2026 NFL Mock Draft: 1st Round Mock v3.0 (by Ross Jacobs)
1) Las Vegas Raiders - QB Fernando Mendoza, Indiana
One of the most guaranteed first picks we’ve ever seen behind only Andrew Luck to the Colts and Joe Burrow to the Bengals. There’s nothing else to say.
2) New York Jets - LB Arvell Reese, Ohio St
There are some rumblings this week from people in the know that the Jets might actually do the correct thing and take David Bailey over Reese…but it’s the Jets and I’m not second guessing myself now. They’ll find a way to screw this up.
3) Kansas City Chiefs (Trade!) - EDGE David Bailey, Texas Tech
I don’t think it’s an accident that it suddenly “leaked” from Arizona that they could be interested in taking Jeremiyah Love. That smells like an intentional leak to try and get someone to trade up in front of Tennessee for him. We all know the Cardinals desperately want to trade down again.
The speculation recently has been on the Cowboys moving up, but I think they are more likely to move down than up. They need multiple picks to rebuild their defense. The Chiefs don’t need to move as far, and they are more searching for big impact players than Dallas is. They can move up and still hang onto their second first round pick.
Bailey isn’t Spagnuolo’s usual type at the position, but they had a 30 visit with him and I suspect they just want another dangerous pass rusher. If they sit and wait until 9 they’ll be picking between stubby Bain, a second rate receiver, or a corner which they know they can find later. Pass rushers of Bailey’s caliber don’t come around often, and you have to get them when you can.
4) Tennessee Titans - RB Jeremiyah Love, Notre Dame
Some people are still trying to get Love to fall to the Commanders or Giants, quoting Robert Saleh as saying he “loves our backfield,” but he followed that up with “I love our backfield right now.” I’ve heard GMs and coaches use those words before, and it often means they have no problem adding a good player.
There are just too many people saying Love is the best player in the draft (no matter the truth of the matter) for him not to go very high in a weak class at the top. The only way I could see them passing on Love would be if Reese or Bailey somehow fell.
5) New York Giants - OT Francis Mauigoa, Miami
If Jeremiyah Love was somehow still on the board, for example the Cardinals took a tackle and the Titans took Bailey, I believe the Giants would run to the podium for Love. They want to build a deep and powerful running game, and even though Cam Skattebo proved valuable last year, he doesn’t have a lot of explosiveness and there’s the lingering concussion issue.
However, Love might not even make it to the 5th pick, so I have the Giants simply taking the next highest rated player to help finish off their offensive line rebuild. Mauigoa is a great run blocker and can start at guard as a rookie and eventually take over at right tackle.
6) Arizona Cardinals (Trade!) - OT Spencer Fano, Utah
In a repeat of the 2023 draft, the Cardinals pass up an elite edge rusher with the 3rd pick (Will Anderson), trade down and then back up for the offensive lineman they coveted all along (Paris Johnson). The Browns are happy to oblige by moving down a couple of picks, grab a little more capital, and still get to choose between the remaining linemen and receivers.
7) Washington Commanders - WR Carnell Tate, Ohio St
Washington added heavily to their defense in free agency, and now they want to add young playmakers to help Jayden Daniels. Other potential options are Mansoor Delane and Sonny Styles, but the Commanders have several young corners and they just paid Leo Chenal starting linebacker money to go alongside Frankie Luvu. What they don’t have is a complement to Terry McLaurin.
8) New Orleans Saints - CB Mansoor Delane, LSU
I think their first choice is Tate, but it seems like there are too many teams ahead of them for him to get this far. Cornerback isn’t their biggest need, but there are two things working for Delane here. First, the Saints have never been a “draft for need” team, and second, since Kellen Moore became the coach, there has been a concerted effort to bring in as many LSU players as possible as part of a culture building strategy. The thinking is that LSU players have a greater appreciation for the local team and will play harder and take lesser deals to stay in Louisiana.
9) Cleveland Browns (Trade!) - OT Monroe Freeling, Georgia
Win-win for the Browns and Cardinals. They both get their preferred tackles. I do somewhat question if Cleveland will pass on Tate for the tackle, but Cleveland, for all their faults, still try to be an analytical team and they have to know their best chance at a tackle is here in the top 10 and they can still get a couple of decent receivers later. You can’t do it in the opposite order.
10) Cincinnati Bengals - LB Sonny Styles, Ohio St
The Bengals linebacker unit was arguably the single worst position group of any team in the entire league in 2025, and they have spent all offseason talking about how they want a “combo” linebacker, which as far as I can tell means someone capable of playing traditional off-ball LB, dropping into coverage, and occasionally lining up on the edge. They want a versatile, positionless player like that for Al Golden’s complex defense. Now there aren’t a whole lot of linebackers with the size and athleticism to do that, so I have to imagine they will pounce on Styles if he’s available.
11) Miami Dolphins - CB Jermod McCoy, Tennessee
Miami could take just about anything here and I won’t be surprised. They need everything. But as far as I can tell cornerback and offensive tackle are the two most likely choices given what’s available. If Freeling or Kadyn Proctor are available I think they are both very much in play. Here though I have them taking McCoy, possibly an even better prospect than Delane when he’s fully healthy. He fits the prototype Eric Sullivan learned in Green Bay.
12) Dallas Cowboys - S Caleb Downs, Ohio St
Everyone knows Dallas is going to take defense wherever possible this draft, and here they catch a falling safety, a common occurrence in modern drafts. Teams will take the more premium positions whenever possible which pushes him downs (sorry) the board a little. Christian Parker wants one trait above all others for his defense…intelligence. He wants smart players that know their assignments and can execute as a unit. It only took Downs a handful of games as a true freshman for Nick Saban to put him on the field permanently at Alabama. There aren’t a whole lot of freshman secondary players capable of that.
13) Los Angeles Rams - EDGE Rueben Bain, Miami
I’ve said since January that the media was massively overrating Bain in the draft, and you’re finally starting to see them all catching up. Bain simply does not have the measurables that teams covet at the top of the draft. They are drafting for upside, not a high floor which is what Bain provides.
The Rams are one of the rare teams that won’t care about measurables as much as everyone else, and they will be happy to scoop up another physical edge rusher to add to their rotation. Byron Young’s contract is up next year anyways, and they may not be able to pay him, so Bain provides much needed insurance.
14) Baltimore Ravens - OG Olaivavega Ioane, Penn St
A very consensus pick here, but I won’t argue. This is the proper range for Ioane, and the Ravens have a huge need for interior offensive line. If not Ioane, they could also look at Woods or a wide receiver possibly.
15) Tampa Bay Buccaneers - EDGE Keldric Faulk, Auburn
The media is still trying to force Faulk down the board the same way they did Tetairoa McMillan. I will never understand how or why they choose the players to support and pick on.
Tampa obviously needs help on their defensive line, both the pass rush and in run support. In addition, GM Jason Licht covets youth, prototype size, and high football character above all else. Faulk gives you all of that in one neat package. I haven’t seen Faulk mocked to Tampa anywhere else, but I love this pick.
16) New York Jets - WR Makai Lemon, USC
Almost everyone has a receiver to the Jets with this pick, but it’s usually Tyson or Omar Cooper for some reason. That feels high for him. It’s odd that you never see Lemon though, maybe because everyone keeps jamming him to the Rams even though he’s got the exact same skill set as Puka Nacua and the Rams don’t need another player like that. This feels like the proper range for Lemon, a good receiver, but one without the elite traits that teams usually go for higher up. The one caveat I have though is that if the Chiefs are stuck at 9 and Tate and Delane are already off the board, they may bite the bullet and take Lemon there.
17) Detroit Lions - OT Kadyn Proctor, Alabama
I think this pick comes down to one of two players, either Ioane or Proctor. They have said over and over all spring that they want to get better at running the ball, and these are the two biggest, strongest run blockers in the draft.
18) Minnesota Vikings - DT Peter Woods, Clemson
Every mock I read still has Dillon Thieneman to the Vikings, and I still don’t get it. Maybe I’ll be the sucker in the end. It just feels too high for him and a force trying to replace Harrison Smith who might still play this year anyways.
A much bigger need is on the defensive line where they lost both Jonathan Allen and Javon Hargrave. And I know many in the media keep dropping Woods down the board, sometimes even out of the first round entirely, but I’ve heard from too many places that the league is much higher on Woods than the media and consider him in a similar vein to Seattle’s Byron Murphy who they drafted at 16 a couple of years ago.
19) Carolina Panthers - TE Kenyon Sadiq, Oregon
There are a lot of directions the Panthers could go, but they flat out said recently that they are primarily looking at three positions in the first round, wide receiver (a third first round pick in three years?), safety (too high for Thieneman still), and tight end. It just so happens an athletic, hyped up tight end prospect is available here. Easy.
20) San Francisco 49ers (Trade!) - WR Jordyn Tyson, Arizona St
The 49ers signed Mike Evans, but he’s probably got just another year, maybe two, left, and they still need a future at the position. Why not take another Arizona St receiver stylistically similar to your last one (Brandon Aiyuk), complete with the 49er special and all (constantly injured)?
Tyson “falls” to this spot due to lacking overwhelming speed and the injury issues, and the 49ers see a chance to get aggressive and leap the WR-needy Steelers by trading up with the Cowboys who are content to trade back and grab a few extra picks to continue rebuilding their defense.
21) Pittsburgh Steelers - WR Omar Cooper, Indiana
Despite trading for Michael Pittman, the Steelers still need WR help, and Cooper might remind some people in Pittsburgh of Hines Ward. I don’t feel super confident in this pick yet as the Steelers haven’t telegraphed their interest yet the way they normally do. There’s still time though and there are plenty of people close to the team that are linking Cooper to them.
22) Los Angeles Chargers - EDGE Cashius Howell, Texas A&M
Yes, the Chargers still need to improve the interior of the offensive line, but they can find starters at guard in the 2nd and 3rd rounds. But they also need to start planning for the day that Khalil Mack retires and they need a third edge rusher for depth right now anyways. Howell isn’t very physical and will need to work on his strength and run defense, but he’s incredibly slippery coming off the edge.
23) Philadelphia Eagles - OT Caleb Lomu, Utah
I think Monroe Freeling is Philly’s ideal target, but I’m not sure he’s going to fall far enough for them to move up for him. If they can’t get Freeling they’ll turn to either Lomu or Blake Miller. Honestly Miller is closer to the profile they normally go for, but he’s just a solid player whereas Lomu has a much greater upside if he can get stronger. The Eagles once took a shot on a similar player in Andre Dillard and it didn’t work out. Will they shy away from Lomu because of that?
24) Cleveland Browns - WR KC Concepcion, Texas A&M
The Browns got their tackle early and now they can take the first of two or three receivers they’ll take this draft. One thing to know about the Browns is they like their draft prospects young, so Omar Cooper and Denzel Boston are probably farther down the list than Concepcion.
25) Chicago Bears - S Dillon Thieneman, Oregon
Now we’re getting into the range where Thieneman makes more sense. He also fits the scheme Dennis Allen wants to run and they have a huge need at safety after letting Jaquan Brisker go. Other options would be a smaller, quicker defensive tackle or a big, run stuffing defensive end like Zion Young.
26) Buffalo Bills - DT Kayden McDonald, Ohio St
The fans want a receiver here, but I doubt that’s the direction the Bills go especially after trading for DJ Moore. They are much more likely to attempt to fix the defense, particularly the run defense, and a big nose tackle for their new 3-4 scheme is the easiest way to do that. McDonald is big, strong, but surprisingly quick for his size and offers a little more pass rush than your typical nose tackle.
27) Dallas Cowboys (Trade!) - LB CJ Allen, Georgia
I know many people have Jacob Rodriguez ranked higher than Allen (I do as well), but I’m not sure the NFL does. I keep hearing Allen is a borderline top 20 player for many teams, and so I have to weigh that against my own evaluations.
I mentioned on the Cowboys' first pick how they were looking for intelligent players, and this selection fits directly into that bucket. Allen is a team captain and leader and supposedly a defensive coordinator on the field for Georgia making all the calls and checks, sometimes entirely on his own. I think those are traits that will appeal to Christian Parker, and the Cowboys are completely unafraid of taking a player well ahead of consensus projections.
28) Arizona Cardinals (Trade!) - QB Ty Simpson, Alabama
It really only seems like there is one suitor for Simpson, and that’s the Cardinals. The only other two that make some sense are the Jets (where Aaron Glenn is trying to save his job) and the Browns (who seem likely to let Watson and Shedeur fight it out). That leaves just Arizona in the early QB market and they reportedly are fans of Simpson.
This seems like a good spot for the trade as we know Nick Caserio loves to trade down for more picks, and the Texans don’t have any glaring needs outside of center which they can get later. If they do stick and pick though I still can’t shake the feeling that Jake Slaughter could be in play despite the fact that you often don’t even see him ranked in the 2nd or 3rd rounds, much less the 1st.
29) Kansas City Chiefs - CB Colton Hood, Tennessee
If there was a receiver within range I think the Chiefs would be very tempted to trade up again. I think the belief is that they can find cornerbacks later in the draft that fit their system, so preferably they would get the receiver earlier. However, all the guys that fit what Andy Reid normally looks for are gone here. Denzel Boston doesn’t have the speed that Andy covets. So instead, I’m going with a big, press man corner similar to what they have drafted recently under Spagnuolo.
30) Miami Dolphins - OT Blake Miller, Clemson
Miami got their corner earlier, and now they can take their future right tackle to solidify the offensive line. Miller is big, athletic, and tough, all the traits the Packers always looked for. He can start at guard and move out to tackle when the team inevitably releases Austin Jackson next year.
31) New England Patriots - EDGE TJ Parker, Clemson
The Patriots could go for a number of different positions here, but a powerful edge rusher seems like something Mike Vrabel would be interested in.
32) Seattle Seahawks - EDGE Zion Young, Missouri
Many people seem to think Seattle will go offense here considering how good their defense was last year, but I actually think it’s the opposite. I think they are much more likely to go defense because the offense is kind of set other than guard (which they can get later), but they’ll be losing several defenders over the next year or two as they are forced to pay their stars. The edge rusher group could already use an infusion after Boye Mafe took a big deal to play for the Bengals. Young is big, powerful, and athletic but comes with some character issues that could prevent him from going higher.
