It’s NFL Draft week! We’re getting our 2026 NFL Draft coverage started by posting our writers’ final mock drafts of the season. 

Stay tuned for more draft coverage at NFL Trade Rumors from our staff leading up to the start of round one at 7:00 p.m. CST (8:00 p.m. EST) on Thursday, April 23. 

After that, the draft continues Friday, April 24 at 7:00 PM EST for Rounds 2-3.

The event wraps up 12:00 PM EST on Saturday, April 25 with Rounds 4-7

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: Texas Tech EDGE David Bailey

The Titans need help at almost every position, so they would ideally invest the No. 4 pick in a premium position like pass rusher.  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. 

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: Notre Dame RB Jeremiyah Love

Love could end up going higher than this, especially in a weaker draft class. However, should he last this long, it would be difficult for the Commanders to pass up on the opportunity to pair him with QB Jayden Daniels. 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.

8 — New Orleans Saints: Arizona State WR Jordyn Tyson

The Saints are in a good spot at No. 8 overall. There are edge rushers, offensive linemen and other good position prospects available at this point. Receiver seems like the move to me. They could really use some more depth beyond Chris Olave, and Tyson would give him a high upside prospect to help out QB Tyler Shough. Lance Zierlein comps him to Commanders WR Terry McLaurin. 

9 — Kansas City Chiefs: LSU CB Mansoor Delane

Cornerback is a huge need for the Chiefs heading into the draft and just so happens that Delane drops right into their laps in this mock. 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.

10 — New York Giants (via CIN): USC WR Makai Lemon

The Giants were able to get another top-10 pick in the Dexter Lawrence trade, which gives them some decent options to continue building out their roster. Malik Nabers is working his way back from injury and while the Giants do have some veteran depth at the position, adding another impact receiver seems like a good move for them long term. Lance Zierlein comps him to Lions WR Amon-Ra St. Brown

11 — Miami Dolphins: Ohio State S Caleb Downs

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 best available player. Downs offers some versatility, given that he can hold up around the line of scrimmage. Lance Zierlein comps him to Texans S Jalen Pitre. 

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): Oregon TE Kenyon Sadiq

Depending on how the board shakes out ahead of them, this seems like a team to watch to either move up or trade out of the pick. The Rams have one of the best rosters in the NFL, so they have the luxury of targeting some positions that other teams may pass on like tight end. Lance Zierlein comps Sadiq to Cardinals TE Trey McBride. 

14 — Baltimore Ravens: Miami EDGE Rueben Bain Jr.

Baltimore’s offensive line could still use some help, but this would be a classic Ravens’ pick. 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. 

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): Texas A&M WR KC Concepcion

The Jets have a dynamic receiver on the outside in Garrett Wilson. Concepcion would give them another mismatch weapon to keep opposing defense off guard. Lance Zierlein comps him to former Seahawks WR Doug Baldwin.  

17 — Detroit Lions: Utah OT Spencer Fano

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. Fano could give them a long-term prospect at right tackle with Austin Jackson dealing with injury issues over the last few years. 

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: Georgia OT Monroe Freeling

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, Freeling could slot inside if need be while still giving them a long-term option at tackle. Freeling is a high upside prospect that could be too good to pass up at this point. 

24 — Cleveland Browns: (via JAX): Tennessee CB Colton Hood

Earlier the Browns addressed the receiver position and come back in the latter part of round one to add a cornerback. Hood is a complete corner who would give the Browns some much needed depth heading into the 2026 season and beyond. He can hold up against the run and the pass and has a physical nature to his game. 

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. 

TRADE: 27 — Arizona Cardinals (via SF, JAX): Alabama QB Ty Simpson

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. 

28 — Houston Texans: Alabama OT Kadyn Proctor

Tackle depth is needed for the Texans after trading away multiple veteran offensive tackles in recent years. Proctor is a good value in the back end of round one. 

29 — Kansas City Chiefs (via LAR): Texas A&M EDGE Cashius Howell

The Chiefs are working to revamp their defense this offseason. We gave them a cornerback early in round one and now a pass rusher to round things out. Howell is a pass rush specialist who could start out in a rotation before taking on a larger role in the coming years. 

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: Clemson OT Blake Miller

I would look for the Patriots to focus on the trenches, either offensive tackle or defensive line with this pick. Miller is a solid pick at the end of round one and would give the Patriots some options at a key position, given that there are some questions about veteran Morgan Moses moving forward. 

32 — Seattle Seahawks: San Diego State CB Chris Johnson

The Super Bowl champs finish off the first round of this mock with a cornerback to help make up for some of the key players they lost in free agency. Johnson is a cover-corner who would give the Seahawks some depth and versatility in the coming years.