With the 2026 NFL combine taking place this week, we are now less than 2 months away from the 2026 NFL draft. Thus here is my mock draft 1.0
#1 LAs vegas raiders: QB Fernando Mendoza - Indiana
This pick is an absolute lock. The 2025 heisman winner is regarded as the top QB in the class and looks to use his size and great football IQ to fill one of the biggest needs for the rebuilding Raiders.
#2 New York Jets: EDGE David Bailey - Texas Tech
With the recent trade of Jermaine Johnson, the Jets now have a hole at EDGE. This makes this pick a lot easier to mock as before it seemed the Jets could go many directions, but here they go with Bailey to give they a lot of speed off the edge to get to the quarterback.
#3 Arizona Cardinals: LB ARvell Reese - Ohio State
This was the most difficult pick to make in this mock draft. It seems the Cardinals would like to take offensive line but would passing on a lot of top talent to do so, therefore they decide to grab Reese and use him in a similar role to Zaven Collins.
#4 TennesseE Titans: WR Carnell Tate - Ohio State
After acquiring Jermaine Johnson in a recent trade the Titans now have the opportunity to get a number 1 option for Cam Ward in Carnell Tate who was one of the top receivers in the country in 2025.
#5 New York Giants: OL Francis Mauigoa - Miami
The first offensive lineman comes off the board here at #5 to the Giants. With their right guard and tackle being pending free agents the Giants draft Mauigoa who has some flexibility across the line to fill a starting role in 2026.
#6 Cleveland Browns: Ot Spencer Fano - Utah
The Browns basically need to rebuild their entire offensive line this offseason, and they get a key piece here in Fano who will be their tackle of the future.
#7 Washington Commanders: LB Sonny Styles - Ohio State
With one of the oldest defenses in the NFL, the Commanders get their Jayden Daniels on defense in Sonny Styles who is one of the best athletes in the draft and can also learn from Bobby Wagner for a year.
#8 New Orleans Saints: CB Jermod McCoy - Tennessee
The Saints have a need at edge but also a large need at corner, as long as all the medicals check out on McCoy he should be the top corner on most teams boards and here the Saints draft him at eight to be their shutdown #1 corner.
#9 Kansas City Chiefs: RB Jeremiyah Love - Notre Dame
You may be tired of seeing this pick, but it just makes too much sense. With Mahomes recovering from the ACL the Chiefs will need to lean on the run more and who better to do it than Love.
#10 Cincinnati Bengals: S Caleb Downs - Ohio State
The Bengals have one of the best offenses but worst defenses in the NFL, and they try to turn that around by getting one of the best defenders in the draft in Downs to play all over their secondary.
#11 Miami Dolphins: CB Mansoor Delane - LSU
Another defensive back flies off the board here at #11 to the Miami Dolphins. The Dolphins have struggled at corner ever since the departure of Jalen Ramsey and try to replace him with here with Delane.
#12 Dallas Cowboys: DE Rueben Bain - Miami
The slight fall of Bain stops here. After measuring into the combine with short arms some teams might hesitate to draft Bain, but the tape is just too good for him to fall too far. The Cowboys take him here at 12 and pair him with Ezeiruaku to be their edge duo for the future.
#13 Los Angeles Rams: WR Makai Lemon - USC
With The top DBs off the board the Rams decide to pivot and continue to stack up their offensive weapons with Lemon. With an aging Adams, Lemon could be a great counter piece to Puka Nacua.
#14 Baltimore Ravens: WR Jordyn Tyson - Arizona State
Tyson would most likely be the top WR in the class if it weren't for his injury history, but luckily for the Ravens they are able to get Lamar a top weapon in hope to make a Super Bowl run.
#15 Tampa Bay Buccaneers: EDGE Cashius Howell - Texas a&m
For what feels like the fifth year in a row the Bucs top need is a pash rusher. This time they try to strike gold with Howell, who is a speedy rusher out of Texas A&M.
#16 New York Jets: G Vega Ioane - Penn State
With the top 3 WRs off the board the Jets decide to go offensive line at pick 16. with both their starting guards slated to be free agents, they take the top guard in the class out of Penn State.
#17 Detroit Lions: OT Monroe Freeling - Georgia
The first Georgia player comes off the board here at 17 to the Lions. With Taylor Decker getting older the Lions decide to continue to build up the trenches and get their left tackle of the future in Freeling.
#18 Minesotta Vikings: S Emmanuel Mcneil-Warren - Toledo
Harrison Smith isn't getting any younger and the Viking have no safety depth behind him. Warren would slot right in and start day one for the Vikings defense.
#19 Carolina Panthers: LB CJ Allen - Georgia
It might not be their biggest need, but CJ Allen gives the Panthers a leader on defense that they have not had since Luke Kuechly.
#20 Dallas Cowboys: CB Colton Hood - Tennessee
The Cowboys use their second first round pick to draft a corner. With no more Travon Diggs they are missing a their star corner, and Hood may not be ready immediately but he should work his way into being Dallas' CB1.
#21 Pittsburgh Steelers: CB Avieon Terrell - Clemson
Similarly to the Cowboys, the Steelers take a corner here at 21. The Steelers have struggled to find "the guy" to play opposite of Joey Porter Jr, but I believe Terrell can do so. He is a smaller corner, but is a ball hawk and agressive and would fit well in the Steelers defense.
#22 Los Angeles Chargers: DL Lee Hunter - Texas Tech
The first interior defensive lineman comes off the board here at 22 to the Chargers. Hunter has been boosting his stock since the senior bowl and could be the top DL in the draft, and fills a big need for the Chargers.
#23 Philadelphia Eagles: OL Kadyn Proctor - Alabama
Proctor has been a polarizing prospect for many, but the eagles take him here and look to move him inside to guard similar to how they did with Mekhi Becton a few years ago.
#24 Cleveland Browns: WR Denzel Boston - Washington
The Browns use their second pick to give Shedeur Sanders a number one receiver in Denzel Boston. Boston is a big bodied receiver that excels at route running and would be a day one starter for Cleveland.
#25 Chicago Bears: DE Keldric Faulk - Auburn
Even though Austin Booker has showed flashes, the bears are still looking to upgrade at edge and Faulk fits the sort of build the Bears have been going after recently.
#26 Buffalo Bills: WR KC Concepcion - Texas A&M
He might now be the big bodied WR the Bills are missing, but he could transform into Josh Allens new favorite target. KC execls in the intermediate routes and is great at getting open.
#27 San Fransico 49ers: OT Caleb Lomu - Utah
With the chance that the 49ers may have to cut Trent Williams, Lomu could be a top replacement option for the 49ers to keep Brock Purdy protected.
#28 Houston Texans: DL Caleb Banks - Florida
With one of the best edge duos in the league the Texans decide to upgrade on the interior and add Banks who was hurt in most of 2025, but has had a rising draft stock over the last few weeks.
#29 Los Angeles Rams: OT Blake Miller - Clemson
As the Rams continue to build for the future they grab Blake Miller, who is a developmental tackle, and can sit for a year while he continues to learn.
#30 Denver Broncos: TE Kenyon Sadiq - Oregon
Sean Payton has always loved his tight ends and Sadiq is next in line. The Broncos will look to use him in a similar role to Evan Engram, and get the ball in his hands as much as possible.
#31 New England Patriots: EDGE TJ Parker - Clemson
After a great year in 2025 the Patriots still need a few key pieces, one of them being edge. TJ Parker is a name that has been up and down draft boards but here he ends up at 31 to the Patriots.
#32 Seattle Seahawks: CB Chris JohnSon - San Diego State
With many of their DBs being pending free agents the Seahawks may need to reload on the backend of their defense. Johnson boosted his stock with a great combine and could be a fringe first round pick.