With just three weeks remaining in the 2025 NFL season, and the Conference Championship games behind us at the college level, the 2026 NFL Draft picture is coming into focus.
As things stand right now, the New York Giants have the first overall selection, followed by the Las Vegas Raiders, the Tennessee Titans, and the Cleveland Browns.
That could make for a fascinating start to the draft.
While the order could change between now and next spring, here is the latest SB Nation mock draft looking at how the first round could play out, with some thoughts on the picks in the top ten to follow:
Pick
Team
Player
Position
School
1New York Jets (via NYG)Fernando MendozaQBIndiana2Las Vegas RaidersDante MooreQBOregon3Tennessee TitansRueben BainEDGEMiami4Cleveland BrownsCarnell TateWROhio State5New York Giants (via NYJ)Arvell ReeseLBOhio State6Arizona CardinalsSpencer FanoOTUtah7New Orleans SaintsJordyn TysonWRArizona State8Washington CommandersDavid BaileyEDGETexas Tech9Cincinnati BengalsCaleb DownsSOhio State10Los Angeles Rams (via ATL)Mansoor DelaneCBLSU11Kansas City ChiefsJeremiyah LoveRBNotre Dame12Minnesota VikingsJermod McCoyCBTennessee13Miami DolphinsKenyon SadiqTEOregon14Dallas CowboysCashius HowellEDGETexas A&M15Baltimore RavensPeter WoodsDLClemson16Carolina PanthersSonny StylesLBOhio State17Detroit LionsT.J. ParkerEDGEClemson18New York Giants (via NYJ)Makai LemonWRUSC19Tampa Bay BuccaneersC.J. AllenLBGeorgia20Pittsburgh SteelersDenzel BostonWRWashington21Philadelphia EaglesAvieon TerrellCBClemson22Houston TexansFrancis MauigoaOTMiami23Dallas Cowboys (via GB)Colton HoodCBTennessee24Buffalo BillsKevin ConcepcionWRTexas A&M25Chicago BearsTrevor GoosbyOTTexas26Los Angeles ChargersKayden McDonaldDLOhio State27San Francisco 49ersOlaivavega IoaneIOLPenn State28Cleveland Browns (via JAX)Kadyn ProctorOTAlabama29New England PatriotsBrandon CisseCBSouth Carolina30Seattle SeahawksEmmanuel PregnonIOLOregon31Los Angeles RamsTy SimpsonQBAlabama32Denver BroncosMatayo UiagaleleiEDGEOregon
Breaking down the top ten
1. New York Jets (via New York Giants): Fernando Mendoza, QB, Indiana
The incoming class of rookie quarterbacks has taken shape in recent weeks.
One potential first-round pick, Ty Simpson, struggled down the stretch at Alabama. Simpson may yet sneak into the first round — Mike Renner at CBS Sports has him coming off the board at No. 10 in his most recent mock while Field Yates has him at No. 31 — but he might also go back to school.
Speaking of which, LaNorris Sellers is going back to school. So too is Arch Manning, with news breaking on Tuesday morning that the redshirt sophomore is heading back to Texas for at least one more season. While Manning’s play over the second half of the season put him back in the first-round discussion, now another potential early QB pick is off the board.
That leaves Fernando Mendoza (fresh with a Heisman Trophy to his name) and Dante Moore as the two likely options at the top of the draft. And with the New York Giants holding the first-overall selection right now, expect a bidding war for that pick should that scenario materialize.
Two teams that need quarterbacks — the Jets and the Browns — hold multiple first-round picks. At the moment the Jets can make the better offer, pairing their own first-round pick (No. 5) along with the one they acquired from the Indianapolis Colts (No. 18) in the Sauce Gardner trade. The Jets come up for Mendoza, while the Giants slide back.
And the Browns might get frozen out of a quarterback in this scenario.
2. Las Vegas Raiders: Dante Moore, QB, Oregon
Moore does not have a ton of experience, and might go back to school himself. But the potential is there. The Raiders need to address quarterback, and even Pete Carroll is opening up about the idea of a complete rebuild in Las Vegas. Should Moore come out, and if the Raiders are picking with Mendoza off the board, this route makes sense.
3. Tennessee Titans: Rueben Bain, EDGE, Miami
Miami pass rusher Rueben Bain has been at the top of mock drafts all season long. There are some questions about his lack of length and how that could hamper him at the next level, but he has a dip-and-rip off the edge that has worked wonders for him in the ACC. He also flashed some power off the edge, particularly on a shared sack in the season opener against Notre Dame.
4. Cleveland Browns: Carnell Tate, WR, Ohio State
You might describe this as making the best of a tricky situation.
Barring Shedeur Sanders taking a massive step forward over the final three weeks, the Browns are going to address quarterback again this offseason. One problem? They might be picking fourth in a two-QB first round, meaning they either overpay in a trade or, go in a different direction in the first round.
Adding an Ohio State wide receiver to help whoever is taking the snaps is not a bad consolation prize.
5. New York Giants (via New York Jets): Arvell Reese, LB, Ohio State
With the first of two picks the Giants receive in the hypothetical trade with the Jets, New York bolsters their defensive front with Arvell Reese, arguably the best overall player in the class. After playing in an off-ball role last year, Reese shifted to the edge to boost Ohio State’s pass-rushing group. He’d fit in well on a roster that badly needs defensive help.
6. Arizona Cardinals: Spencer Fano, OT, Utah
Quarterback could also be a need in Arizona, as Kyler Murray’s time with the Cardinals might be coming to an end.
But similar to the discussion with the Cleveland Browns, the Cardinals could get shut out of the top options at QB if they are picking in this spot. As such, they pivot to Spencer Fano, the versatile tackle who began his career on the left side before moving to right tackle for 2024 and 2025. Over the past two seasons, Fano has been charted with allowing just two sacks, and gave up four over the past three campaigns. As we see every draft cycle he might face questions about kicking inside to guard, but from where we sit he’s an NFL tackle-in-waiting.
7. New Orleans Saints: Jordyn Tyson, WR, Arizona State
Has Tyler Shough done enough to win the job?
That might be an open question, but in keeping with the overall theme of this mock, the Saints might need to pivot to a different position in this spot. Instead of drafting Shough’s replacement, they give him some help in Jordyn Tyson, an explosive wide receiver who has aligned both in the slot and along the boundary for Arizona State. His best traits might be when the ball is in his hands after the catch, but he showed the ability to win routes early in the down, even against press-aligned defenders.
8. Washington Commanders: David Bailey, EDGE, Texas Tech
Washington’s defense is in desperate need of pass-rushing help.
It does not take long to see how Bailey’s game will translate to the next level. In fact, you just need to see his first step. The Texas Tech defender explodes off the ball, putting tackles in danger right after the snap. Take his sack against Oregon State, where he burst by the right tackle — swatting his hands with perfect timing — and was in the backfield before the quarterback even finished his drop. He also plays with a relentless motor, showcased on his first sack against Arizona State where he first barreled through a tight end trying to chip him, and then the left tackle who was given a head start, before getting home for the sack.
And his inside spin move, which he flashed for one of his three sacks against Kansas, is a thing of beauty.
9. Cincinnati Bengals: Caleb Downs, S, Ohio State
For a defense that needs help, a defender who can play almost anywhere on the field makes a ton of sense.
Caleb Downs is another player in the mix for “best overall prospect in the class” marks. Positional value might push him down the board a bit, but given that he can line up in the slot, in the box, along the boundary as a corner, or as a single-high or two-high safety, he might change that calculus a bit.
10. Los Angeles Rams (via Atlanta Falcons): Mansoor Delane, CB, LSU
As mentioned at the outset the Jets and the Browns are teams that each have a pair of first-round picks.
The Los Angeles Rams are another.
That gives Les Snead a ton of options. Here, he adds Mansoor Delane to the cornerback room, bringing in a defender who thrives in an off-ball role, is willing to fight downhill in the running game, but has incredible read-and-react skills in man coverage. His pass breakup against South Carolina, where he jammed the initial stack receiver before breaking on an out route from the off-ball WR, will be part of the highlight package when he comes off the board.
Where do the Packers and Chiefs go?
The biggest stories from Week 15 of the NFL season?
Patrick Mahomes and Micah Parsons suffering season-ending injuries.
That could impact what both teams do early in the 2026 NFL Draft. Let’s start with the Chiefs, who are facing a world where Mahomes is not ready for the start of the 2026 NFL season. Mahomes underwent surgery on Monday for the ACL tear in his left knee and will begin his rehab process “immediately” according to the Chiefs, but a rough estimate of how long he could be out is six to 12 months.
Putting the start of next year in doubt.
Certainly, the Chiefs are not drafting a quarterback early. But they might look to help the offense around the quarterback position with their first-round selection. Offensive line could be an option for the Chiefs, as a means of helping protect Mahomes when he does return. Another option would be running back, which is how Kansas City addresses the first round in this mock draft. Adding Notre Dame RB Jeremiyah Love would take the load off the quarterback to start the year, and give Mahomes some help when he returns.
For more on the rationale behind picking Love, our own James Dator has you covered here.
As for the Packers, who lost Parsons to an ACL tear as well, they do not have a first-round pick next spring thanks to the trade that brought the pass rusher to Lambeau Field. As things stand right now, the Packers would be on the clock at pick No. 55.
Pass rushers in that range include Alabama’s LT Overton, Texas Tech’s Romello Height, Tennessee’s Joshua Josephs, R. Mason Thomas from Oklahoma, Akheem Mesidor from Miami, and Roy Williams from Northern Illinois.
