Free Agency has wound down to a crawl, which means NFL draft season is about to ramp up between now and the last week of April. NFL teams have tried to address roster needs and free themselves up to draft the best players on their board so this is an interesting time to start piecing together my first mock draft of the season. 

Stay tuned for more draft coverage at NFL Trade Rumors from our writers over the next month or so!

2026 NFL Mock Draft

1 — Las Vegas Raiders: Indiana QB Fernando Mendoza

It’s clear which way the Raiders are headed with the No. 1 overall pick. Mendoza showed out in his final year at Indiana and is clearly the kind of quarterback prospect that teams are hoping to build around at the next level. There’s buzz that Mendoza is learning the Raiders’ playbook already, so this seems like a foregone conclusion. 

2 — New York Jets: Ohio State EDGE Arvell Reese

The Jets’ defense was historically bad in 2025 and while they have tried to shore things up on that side of the ball with eight notable additions, adding a high impact pass rusher in the draft could help them turn a corner and take some pressure off of their secondary. Reese was a Combine standout who is coming off of a productive season at Ohio State. 

3 — Arizona Cardinals: Miami OT Francis Mauigoa

Ideally, this would be a quarterback for Arizona after cutting Kyler Murray this offseason and not doing much else to shore up the position long term. However, this is a limited draft class. Mauigoa is considered to be the top offensive lineman in this year’s draft and could be a day-one starter for the Cardinals. 

4 — Tennessee Titans: Notre Dame RB Jeremiyah Love

The Titans need help at almost every position, so they would ideally invest the No. 4 pick in a premium position. Love is considered to be one of the top prospects in this year’s class and the kind of game-breaking talent that would make him worthy of being selected this high, despite being a running back. Lance Zierlein comps Love to Lions RB Jahmyr Gibbs.

5 — New York Giants: Ohio State LB Sonny Styles

The Giants’ second and third levels of their defense have been a weak spot in recent years. New York did go out and bring in a veteran LB in Tremaine Edmunds this offseason. However, Styles would turn off-ball linebacker into a real strength for the Giants in the coming years. Lance Zierlein comps him to 49ers LB Fred Warner. 

6 — Cleveland Browns: Ohio State WR Carnell Tate

Receiver and offensive line stood out for the Browns coming into this offseason. Cleveland has made a number of moves up to this point to try to shore up their offensive line after all five of their starters from last year hit the open market. There’s still room for improvement there, but this sim presents an opportunity to take the top receiver on the board. Tate is a complete and proven receiver, who should quickly become a go-to target at the next level. Lance Zierlein comps him to Saints WR Chris Olave.

7 — Washington Commanders: LSU CB Mansoor Delane

The defense has to improve in Washington this year and it’s clear that the front office agrees. They spent a good amount of money to try to fix their pass rush in free agency and have added to linebacker and cornerback. Delane is considered to be the top corner in this year’s class and offers good size and versatility. Lance Zierlein comps him to Eagles CB Quinyon Mitchell.

8 — New Orleans Saints: Texas Tech EDGE David Bailey

I thought about giving the Saints a receiver here, considering their suspect depth beyond Chris Olave, but the value of getting a top edge rusher prospect at this point is just hard to pass up. Bailey is a tough pass rusher to defend due to his elusiveness and body control. He’s a little smaller than teams may like, but the upside is there as a potential Pro Bowler. 

9 — Kansas City Chiefs: Miami EDGE Rueben Bain Jr.

Cornerback is a huge need for the Chiefs heading into the draft, but with Delane off the board to Washington, pivoting to edge rusher makes sense for Kansas City. Bain is a bit undersized and a polarizing prospect to some degree, but he can clearly rush the passer. Bain has a good combination of speed and power and should be a productive player at the next level. Lance Zierlein comps him to Eagles EDGE Brandon Graham. 

10 — Cincinnati Bengals: Ohio State S Caleb Downs

Running back and linebacker also stand out as positions of need for the Bengals, but the value doesn’t really align as well at this point. Instead, Cincinnati is staring at the best available safety in this year’s class at No. 10 overall. Downs offers some versatility, given that he can hold up around the line of scrimmage. Lance Zierlein comps him to Texans S Jalen Pitre. 

11 — Miami Dolphins: Utah OT Spencer Fano

The Dolphins roster is in bad shape and with a new regime in place, it would not be surprising if they opted to trade down for more picks. Should they hold the pick, I would not be surprised to see them focus on building out their offensive and defensive lines. Fano could give them a long-term prospect at right tackle with Austin Jackson dealing with injury issues over the last few years. 

12 — Dallas Cowboys: Tennessee CB Jermod McCoy

This is a risky pick with McCoy coming off of an ACL tear. However, there’s also big upside here, given that McCoy was likely to be a top pick in this year’s class before injury. Dallas is still trying to shore up a disappointing defensive unit and McCoy could really round out their secondary in the coming years. 

13 — Los Angeles Rams (via ATL): USC WR Makai Lemon

There are other potential targets for the Rams to consider here, but I like the idea of them investing in a receiver at this point. Lemon could compete for the starting slot receiver job this summer and he gives them some youth and receiver depth, which will be needed in the years to come with Davante Adams getting up there in age. Lance Zierlein comps him to Lions WR Amon-Ra St. Brown

14 — Baltimore Ravens: Arizona State WR Jordyn Tyson

The Ravens’ roster is in pretty good shape. I do think some help at receiver couldn’t hurt, as they try to get Lamar Jackson back on track after a disappointing 2025 season. Tyson would be a good complement to the dynamic Zay Flowers and give the Ravens a versatile receiver. Lance Zierlein comps him to Commanders WR Terry McLaurin. 

15 — Tampa Bay Buccaneers: Miami EDGE Akheem Mesidor

To me, this is a no-brainer pick for the Buccaneers, who could use some more pass rushers. Mesidor is an intriguing pass rusher, given that he can win off the edge and inside. There are some concerns with his profile, but he’s a high-effort player with plenty of talent to develop into a very good pass rusher in the NFL. 

16 — New York Jets (via IND): Indiana WR Omar Cooper Jr.

The Jets have a dynamic receiver on the outside in Garrett Wilson. Cooper would give them mismatch potential in the slot. He’s a tough, physical receiver who can make things difficult on the second and third levels of opposing defenses. Lance Zierlein comps him to former Commanders WR Deebo Samuel. 

17 — Detroit Lions: Georgia OT Monroe Freeling

The Lions are in the market for tackle help now that they’re moving on from long-time LT Taylor Decker. There has been some talk about moving Penei Sewell to left tackle, but they could always draft a prospect and keep Sewell where he is, considering that he’s arguably the best right tackle in football. Freeling is a high upside prospect that could be too good to pass up at this point. 

18 — Minnesota Vikings: Oregon S Dillon Thieneman

This is a very chalky pick right now based on the mock draft consensus but that’s because it’s such an easy and obvious connection to make for Minnesota. It remains to be seen what happens with Harrison Smith, but even if he’s back in Minnesota next year, there’s still a case to be made to target a safety. Thieneman was a three-year starter at Oregon and a combine standout last month. He has day-one starting potential. 

19 — Carolina Panthers: Toledo S Emmanuel McNeil-Warren

I considered going with an edge rusher here to further bolster their pass rush, but in the end settled on safety. McNeil-Warren is an athletic and rangy safety who could be a great fit in DC Ejiro Evero‘s defensive scheme. 

20 — Dallas Cowboys (via GB): Auburn EDGE Keldric Faulk

This, of course, is the Micah Parsons‘ pick they got from the Packers and sure enough, I have them going with an edge rusher. Faulk is a real upside prospect, as he’s one of the youngest players in the entire draft class this year. He’s a long, versatile edge player who could kick inside if need be.

21 — Pittsburgh Steelers: Penn State G Olaivavega Ioane

The Steelers lost Isaac Seumalo to the Cardinals in free agency so interior offensive line help should at least be a strong consideration for them in round one. Ioane is arguably the best interior lineman in this year’s class and would help shore up their pass protection.

22 — Los Angeles Chargers: Clemson CB Avieon Terrell

Receiver is another position where I could see Los Angeles going in round one, but adding some cornerback depth should still be a priority for the Chargers in this year’s draft. Terrell is the brother of Falcons CB AJ Terrell. He’s a smaller corner but is coming off a very impressive combine and is capable of holding up against the pass and run.

23 — Philadelphia Eagles: Alabama OT Kadyn Proctor

I would not be surprised to see the Eagles reinvest in offensive line during the draft. Lane Johnson has dealt with a number of injuries and G Landon Dickerson nearly retired this offseason. If Johnson is ready to go for the 2026 season, Proctor could slot inside if need be while still giving them a long-term option at tackle. 

TRADE: 24 — Arizona Cardinals (via CLE, JAX): Alabama QB Ty Simpson

Admittedly, this is a little early for me to be projecting draft trades, but this just feels like a move to watch in Round 1. Simpson is going to have his detractors, but there’s enough upside there that a team will be willing to take the risk in a draft with limited depth at the top of the class. The Cardinals have a veteran quarterback in place to start the season in Jacoby Brissett, which could work to Simpson’s benefit, as he could sit and acclimate to the NFL before taking over the reins at some point. 

25 — Chicago Bears: Clemson EDGE T.J. Parker

The Bears are coming off a very promising season and have a roster that’s headed in the right direction overall. It would make sense to continue investing in their defensive front to hopefully take some pressure off the rest of their defense. Parker is a powerful pass rusher with a high floor as a prospect. He’ll need to improve in some areas, but he’s a projectable player at the next level. 

26 — Buffalo Bills: Georgia LB CJ Allen

The Bills have a good roster to the point where there aren’t that many obvious needs for them heading into the draft. Linebacker stands out as an area of need and I think Allen could be too appealing for the Bills to pass up at this point. Allen was a team captain and is capable of being a three-down linebacker at the next level. 

27 — San Francisco 49ers: Oregon TE Kenyon Sadiq

The value here with Sadiq on the board could be too much for the 49ers to pass up, even though they have one of the best tight ends in the league. Kyle Shanahan is more than capable of utilizing two tight ends and this could take some pressure off of Kittle, who has dealt with injuries the last few years. Lance Zierlein comps Sadiq to Cardinals TE Trey McBride. 

28 — Houston Texans: Florida DT Caleb Banks

The Texans have some notable players on their roster at defensive tackle, but there are questions about any of these players being a long-term solution for Houston. Banks is a large presence in the middle of a defense with a quick first step. He has flashed real upside and with some modest development could end up having a long career in the NFL. 

29 — Kansas City Chiefs (via LAR): Tennessee CB Colton Hood

The Chiefs lost their top two starting cornerbacks to the Rams this offseason. Since then, Kansas City hasn’t done much to address the position, which makes the draft critical in terms of adding some much-needed cornerback help. Hood is a complete corner. He can hold up against the run and the pass and has a physical nature to his game. 

30 — Miami Dolphins (Via DEN): Washington WR Denzel Boston

The Dolphins acquired this pick in the Jaylen Waddle trade, so why not invest this pick on a potential replacement? Boston is a different type of receiver than Waddle. He’s more of a physical receiver who will likely pay dividends in the red zone. There’s room for development with Boston, but he offers a high floor for NFL teams looking to bolster their receiving corps. Lance Zierlein comps Boston to Rams WR Puka Nacua. 

31 — New England Patriots: Kayden McDonald DT Ohio State

The Patriots could use a run-stopping defensive lineman to add to their defensive front and that’s exactly what McDonald would offer New England and HC Mike Vrabel. His pass-rushing ability could use some refinement but he’s another high-floor prospect teams will feel very comfortable projecting to the next level. 

32 — Seattle Seahawks: Texas A&M EDGE Cashius Howell

The Super Bowl champs finish off the first round of this mock with a pass rusher to help make up for the loss of Boye Mafe in free agency. The Seahawks have some impact pass rushers, but maintaining their depth at the position could be important to staving off regression. Howell is a pass rush specialist who could start out in a rotation before taking on a larger role in the coming years.