2026 NFL Mock Draft: Updated Jets pick as QB Dante Moore returns to Oregon, Fernando Mendoza No. 1 to Raiders
Although the deadline for declaring for the 2026 NFL Draft is not until January 23, Dante Moore’s decision to return to Oregon all but establishes the field available to the league’s 32 teams.
Lets dive into our first mock draft of the season.
Notes: Draft order for teams still in the playoffs determined by PFF’s Mock Draft simulator. All grades are from PFF.
1. Las Vegas Raiders
Fernando Mendoza, QB, Indiana
Fernando Mendoza (6-5/225 pounds) put together a Heisman-winning campaign, completing 72.3% of his passes for 3,349 yards with a 41–6 TD-INT ratio while posting an elite 9.5 yards per attempt and an 89.5 Total QBR. He paired accuracy with aggression, averaging 13.0 yards per completion and generating a remarkable 58.4% passing success rate despite operating in a fairly vertical offense. From a grading standpoint, Mendoza earned a 91.6 overall offensive grade and a 91.0 passing grade, consistently limiting negative plays with just a 2.5% turnover-worthy play rate. He will almost assuredly be the first player taken in the 2026 NFL Draft.
2. New York Jets
Carnell Tate, WR, Ohio State
With Oregon QB Dante Moore returning to school, a trade-down is firmly in play for the Jets to stockpile assets for a run at a QB in the 2027 draft. If they stick, I think they could take a WR to pair with Garrett Wilson and put their 2027 first-round QB in position to succeed quickly. Carnell Tate (6-3/195) emerged in 2025 as one of college football’s cleanest and most efficient perimeter separators, turning 67 targets into 51 receptions for 875 yards (17.2 YPR) and nine touchdowns with a 76.1% catch rate. With polished ball skills, pro-ready route pacing, downfield economy, and no glaring usage red flags, Tate projects as a high-floor, high-efficiency NFL X/Z hybrid who can step into a starting role early.
3. Arizona Cardinals
Francis Mauigoa, OT, Miami
Francis Mauigoa (6-6/315) anchored Miami’s offensive front at right tackle and authored a highly efficient 2025 campaign where he logged 802 snaps with near-perfect availability and no positional volatility. Viewed through a draft lens, he combines prototypical RT traits—mass, anchor, stability, and low-variance technique—with a production résumé that will make him one of the first offensive linemen off the board in 2026.
4. Tennessee Titans
Jeremiyah Love, RB, Notre Dame
Jeremiyah Love (6-0/214) delivered back-to-back All-America caliber seasons, elevating from a breakout 2024 to a bona fide star turn in 2025 for Notre Dame. A complete feature back, raising his marks to a 93.1 offensive grade, 93.7 rushing and a much improved 80.2 run-block grade, while boosting total ground output to 1,372 yards, 6.89 YPC, and an improved 48.2% success rate with 32.2% first-down conversion rate. Love’s ability to generate yards after contact reached workhorse levels in 2025—4.50 YAC per attempt, 896 total YAC, 56 missed tackles forced, and 726 breakaway yards that accounted for 52.9% of his production.
5. New York Giants
Caleb Downs, S, Ohio State
Caleb Downs (6’0/205) enters the 2026 NFL Draft cycle with one of the cleanest and most reliable defensive résumés in the class, pairing elite coverage metrics with high-level run support and professional tackling technique. He allowed just nine completions on 20 targets (45.0%) for 72 yards with zero TDs allowed, two INT, and a staggering 7.0 passer rating allowed, making him one of the most efficient safeties in college football. Downs’ value comes from certainty, he’s a plug-and-play NFL starter with Pro Bowl floor traits and one of the safest defensive evaluations in the 2026 pool.
6. Cleveland Browns
Jordyn Tyson, WR, Arizona State
Jordyn Tyson emerged as a high-volume perimeter target, commanding 100 targets despite playing just seven full games and turning them into 61 catches for 711 yards and eight touchdowns while splitting reps between the outside (56%) and slot (39%), reflecting formation versatility. He won most consistently in the intermediate and deep quadrants of the field, where 65% of his targets came at 10+ air yards and 11.7 air yards per target, pairing vertical push with good functional downfield tracking and YAC instincts. Entering the NFL, his profile is that of a low-error, chain-moving receiver with just enough vertical juice to punish safeties who squat on his routes.
7. Washington Commanders
Rueben Bain Jr., Edge, Miami
Rueben Bain Jr. (6-3/275) put together a complete, high-impact season as the centerpiece of Miami’s front, finishing with 46 tackles, 16.5 tackles for loss, and 8.5 sacks while posting an elite 90.9% tackle rate. His 21 havoc plays placed him as the most disruptive defender on the roster. As a pass rusher, Bain generated a staggering 80 total pressures, good for a sterling 13.1% pressure rate, while creating 10 sacks overall and forcing a fumble in the process. Bain’s profile reflects a rugged, every-down defensive end who combined power, effort, and finishing ability to anchor one of the nation’s most disruptive defensive fronts.
8 – New Orleans Saints
David Bailey, Edge, Texas Tech
Unanimous All-American and Big 12 Defensive Player of the Year, David Bailey (6’3/250) delivered a dominant all-around season in 2025, earning an elite 93.6 overall PFF grade with standout marks as a pass rusher (93.9). He was consistently disruptive off the edge, piling up 81 total pressures that included 14.5 sacks, 23 hits, and 43 hurries, while also batting two passes at the line of scrimmage. The combination of high-end pressure production paired with high-level efficiency against both the run and pass made Bailey one of the most impactful defenders in the country this season and a coveted 2026 NFL Draft edge defender regardless of defensive scheme.
9 – Kansas City Chiefs
Peter Woods, DT, Clemson
Peter Woods (6’3/310) anchored Clemson’s interior defensive line with a high-floor, snap-eating role, logging 347 pass-rush snaps and 562 total snaps across 12 games. He posted 33 total tackles (13 solo), 5.0 havoc plays, 2.5 TFL, 2.0 sacks and 6 run stops, showcasing steady run-fit discipline despite modest splash-play volume. His pass-rush production was limited on the stat sheet (11 pressures, 3.2% pressure rate), but his PFF pass-rush grade (65.5) reflects more pocket-influence than raw numbers. The result was a season that didn’t produce gaudy totals, but firmly established Woods as a rugged, assignment-sound interior lineman with NFL projection upside tied to block-destruction, early-down reliability and scheme-context pass rushing.
10 – Cincinnati Bengals
Keldric Faulk, Edge, Auburn
Keldric Faulk (6’6/285) delivered a strong and versatile season off the edge for Auburn, posting 44 tackles, 6.5 TFLs, two sacks, and 11 run stops across 12 games while playing with notable technique against the run. Overall, Faulk’s profile reads like a rugged early-down edge who improved his efficiency and posted a solid 75.8 PFF defensive grade, giving Auburn consistent snaps and a trench stabilizer who projects to carry a high run-defense valuation with pass rushing upside at the next level if he can harness his natural physical gifts.
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11 – Miami Dolphins
Jermod McCoy, CB, Tennessee
Jermod McCoy (6’0/193) sustained a torn ACL in January 2025 which kept him out of action this year, but he turned in a polished and well-rounded 2024 campaign, earning an 89.6 PFF coverage grade that underscored his ability to stay connected, squeeze throwing windows, and finish at the catch point. Opposing quarterbacks targeted him 62 times, completing just 31 passes (50.0%) for 386 yards, as McCoy complemented ball skills with disruption, logging four interceptions and six PBUs. Overall, McCoy’s 2024 profile reads like a high-IQ, ball-productive cover corner with sticky man traits and efficient tackling.
12 – Dallas Cowboys
Sonny Styles, LB, Ohio State
A former safety prospect, Sonny Styles (6’5/243) thrived as an off-ball linebacker in 2025 and immediately became one of the most versatile centerpieces of the Buckeyes defense, finishing with 71 tackles, 47 stops, and one forced fumble while earning an 88.5 PFF Defensive Grade across 316 snaps. The full statistical profile—elite tackling, strong run fits, low-volume yet effective pressure, and above-average coverage acumen solidified Styles as one of college football’s most well-rounded modern “moneybackers” and a tantalizing hybrid NFL projection entering 2026.
13. Los Angeles Rams (via Falcons)
Spencer Fano, OT, Utah
Spencer Fano (6’6/308) emerged as Utah’s full-time starting right tackle in 2024 and 2025, logging 749 pass-blocking snaps in 2024 with an elite 1.1% pressure rate allowed, one sack attributed, and just a 1.0% blown block rate, reinforcing his reliability in true pass sets. Across both seasons, Fano’s combination of durability, low-event pass protection, and minimal penalties (four in 2024; five in 2025) positions him as one of the most assignment-sound collegiate tackles entering the 2026 NFL Draft cycle.
14 – Baltimore Ravens
Makai Lemon, WR, USC
Makai Lemon (5’11/195) emerged as USC’s most reliable chain-moving target in 2025, posting a sterling receiving line of 79 catches for 1,156 yards and 11 touchdowns with a 71.8% catch rate and an elite 53.3% success rate, leading the roster in both yardage and touchdowns. With 11 TDs, a balanced alignment profile, and strong advanced metrics, Lemon checked the production, efficiency, and technical boxes scouts love — projecting comfortably as a future NFL slot-plus separator with downfield capability.
15 – Tampa Bay Buccaneers
Arvell Reese, LB, Ohio State
Arvell Reese (6’4/243) recorded a highly disruptive 2025 campaign, once again functioning as one of Ohio State’s most efficient havoc-linebackers. He produced 31 total pressures with eight sacks, six hits, and 13 hurries on the year (72.1 pass rush grade), while maintaining disruptive consistency on money downs and registering 34 defensive stops, reinforcing his value as a run-and-chase finisher. While still developing in coverage (56.4 cover grade, 82.1% completion rate allowed), his athletic profile and functional play strength make him a highly translatable multi-level defender.
16 – New York Jets (via Colts)
Mansoor Delane, CB, LSU
A three-time All-ACC performer at Virginia Tech, Mansoor Delane (6’0/190) put together a sensational 2025 season as LSU’s top cover corner, earning elite PFF marks with a 90.7 overall grade and 91.0 coverage grade to go with a 74.4 run-defense and 76.4 tackling grades. Over 339 coverage snaps he was targeted only about one in every 10 snaps, giving up just 10 completions on 36 attempts for 119 yards with zero touchdowns allowed, while piling up two interceptions and 11 pass breakups, which held quarterbacks to a minuscule 3.9 QBR.
17 – Detroit Lions
Cashius Howell, Edge, Texas A&M
Cashius Howell (6’2/248) emerged as Texas A&M’s premier edge disruptor in 2025, pairing volume with efficiency while stacking up elite havoc totals. Across 591 snaps he posted a strong 81.2 PFF defensive grade supported by well-rounded marks in run defense (73.6), tackling (79.6) and pass rush (90.3), the latter cementing his identity as a pressure-first finisher. Howell led the Aggies with 23 total havoc plays, including 16.5 TFLs and 11.5 sacks, and his 40 total pressures on 265 rushes (15.1% pressure rate) yielded nine sacks created and one strip-sack.
18 – Minnesota Vikings
Kayden McDonald, DT, Ohio State
Kayden McDonald (6’3/326) was a consistently disruptive interior anchor for Ohio State in 2025, posting 67 tackles (28 solo) with a dominant 95.5% tackle efficiency against the run and a strong 91.2 Run Defense grade from PFF. He piled up 13 Havoc Plays, including 9.5 TFL, 3 sacks, and 17 run stops, pairing stout gap control with backfield penetration to help stabilize OSU’s front. In total, McDonald’s 2025 season graded out as high floor with reliable interior control as OSU’s best run defender on the roster and one of the Big Ten’s most efficient trench enforcers.
19 – Carolina Panthers
Caleb Banks, DT, Florida
Caleb Banks (6’6/330) flashed disruptive upside along Florida’s interior in 2023–24 before a foot injury cut short his 2025 campaign. His 2025 breakout bid was derailed after just 96 snaps, but his two-year trajectory beforehand painted the profile of a plus athlete with real interior penetration skills and a pass-rush ceiling that Florida coaches believed was just beginning to unlock.
20 – Dallas Cowboys (via Packers)
T.J. Parker, Edge, Clemson
T.J. Parker (6’3/260) delivered back-to-back impact seasons off the edge for Clemson, posting 51 pressures in 2024 followed by 11.0 Havoc Plays, 11.0 TFL and 5.0 sacks in 2025, consistently pairing disruptive penetration with assignment discipline. Even as Clemson reduced his snap load from 640 to 548, his efficiency kept him a centerpiece of the front, solidifying his profile as a durable, pressure-capable Edge with matching run-defense traits.
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21 – Pittsburgh Steelers
Ty Simpson, QB, Alabama
Ty Simpson (6’2/208) delivered one of the cleanest quarterback seasons in college football in 2025, throwing for 3,561 yards with 28 touchdowns, five interceptions, and a 64.6% completion rate while earning an 83.1 PFF offensive grade and 81.4 passing grade. Simpson got rattled under pressure though, producing just a 47.6 passing grade with 5.9 YPA under duress while taking 29 sacks with a decent 17.7% P2S rate. Outside of a below-average 48.6 fumble grade, Simpson’s combination of accuracy, decision-making, and stability marked him as one of the more effective SEC quarterbacks of the 2025 season.
22 – Los Angeles Chargers
Olaivavega Ioane, OG, Penn State
Olaivavega Iaone (6’4/328) quietly delivered one of the cleanest offensive line seasons in the Big Ten in 2025, locking down the left guard spot for Penn State across 614 snaps while posting elite efficiency metrics in both phases. His pass protection was exceptional — Iaone allowed zero sacks and only a 0.7% pressure rate on 294 pass-blocking snaps, pairing that with a 99.7% pass-block efficiency and an 87.1 PFF pass-block grade, all while drawing just one penalty. Iaone profiled as a high-floor interior operator whose snap-to-snap consistency, clean sheet in pass pro, and minimal penalty/negative-play footprint made him a stabilizing anchor for a Penn State front that leaned heavily on interior reliability in 2025.
23 – Philadelphia Eagles
Romello Height, Edge, Texas Tech
One of the older prospects in the 2025 draft pool, (4/13/2001) the well-traveled Romello Height (6’3/240) played for three different schools (Auburn, USC, Georgia Tech) before delivering a breakout-edge campaign in 2025. Across 598 snaps, he posted 48 tackles, 16 havoc plays, 12.5 TFL, 10.0 sacks, and 2 forced fumbles, acting as Tech’s second major heat source opposite All-American Edge David Bailey. With a blend of explosiveness, finishing ability and versatility, Height has positioned himself as one of the most improved edge defenders in the Big 12 and a legitimate 2026 NFL Draft riser.
24 – Cleveland Browns (via Jaguars)
Kadyn Proctor, OT, Alabama
Kadyn Proctor (6’7/366) anchored Alabama’s offensive line at left tackle in 2025, logging 901 snaps with 882 of them coming on the blindside and turning in his busiest collegiate season to date. He was notably sturdy in pass protection, allowing 21 pressures on 584 pass-block snaps with only two sacks attributed. The result was a bona fide LT1-level campaign: rugged in the run game (0.6% blown run block rate), effective in pass pro, and the kind of reliable, high-volume anchor performance that NFL scouts circle when they build their early tackle boards.
25 – Chicago Bears
CJ Allen, LB, Georgia
CJ Allen (6’1/235) was a linchpin of Georgia’s front seven in his second year as a full-time defensive centerpiece. He finished with 93 total tackles and an 89.4% tackle efficiency rate while generating 12 havoc plays, 7.0 TFLs, and 3.5 sacks while adding eight run stops, showing three-down disruption rather than merely cleanup volume. Allen was rugged between the hashes, highly efficient as a finisher, and a tone-setter for a Bulldogs’ defense that leaned on physicality rather than finesse.
26 – Buffalo Bills
Denzel Boston, WR, Washington
Denzel Boston (6’4/209) emerged as Washington’s premier downfield playmaker in 2025, turning 96 targets into 62 receptions for 881 yards and 11 touchdowns while aligning both wide (52%) and in the slot (44%). His PFF profile reflected a legitimately well-rounded receiving season, earning an 88.0 offensive grade, 87.2 receiving grade, and 85.4 drop grade, supported by a strong 97.8% reception conversion rate on catchable passes. Boston’s downfield reliability and multi-level grading profile cemented him as a true collegiate WR1 capable of dictating coverage and producing within any quadrant of the field.
27 – San Francisco 49ers
Emmanuel Pregnon, OG, Oregon
Emmanuel Pregnon (6’5/318) emerged as one of the most reliable interior blockers in the Big Ten during Oregon’s 2025 campaign, logging 910 snaps with 849 of them at left guard while allowing pressure on only 0.8% of his pass-blocking reps and being charged with just one sack over his last three seasons. With his efficiency, durability, and lack of self-inflicted errors (just two penalties committed across 1,792 snaps last two years), Pregnon positioned himself as one of the Ducks’ most stabilizing offensive contributors and a likely early-round interior OL riser heading into 2026 NFL Draft evaluations.
28 – Houston Texans
Caleb Lomu, OT, Utah
Caleb Lomu (6’6/308) proved to be a reliable blindside protector in 2025 logging 792 snaps, with the vast majority at LT (769 snaps), while allowing zero sacks and a 1.7% pressure rate on 362 pass-blocking snaps. Penalties (4) were a noticeable blemish, but overall Lomu’s 2025 film and metrics reflected a polished, assignment-sound blind-side protector whose stability elevated both the pass game and Utah’s gap-based run scheme.
29 – Los Angeles Rams
Avieon Terrell, CB, Clemson
Avieon Terrell (5’11/180) delivered a strong second season as Clemson’s boundary corner, logging 375 coverage snaps and holding opponents to 21 completions on 43 targets (48.8%) for 216 yards while flashing improved patience and route recognition on the perimeter. Despite allowing three touchdowns, Terrell countered with nine pass breakups and an 18.6% forced incompletion rate, illustrating how often he played through the hands and stayed connected at the catch point. When combined with his smooth movement profile and improved zone transitions, the 2025 campaign positioned Terrell as one of Georgia’s most reliable coverage matchups and a rising NFL draftable corner entering 2026.
30 – New England Patriots
Gennings Dunker, OT, Iowa
Gennings Dunker (6’5/315) anchored the Iowa line in 2025 with a season defined by consistency and a notably clean profile in both phases. He logged 680 snaps, spending all of his work at right tackle, and allowed pressure on 3.1% of his 288 pass-block reps, contributing to a commendable 78.8 pass-block PFF grade and a 98.0 pass-block efficiency against one of the most blitz-heavy defensive schedules in the Big Ten. Dunker’s blend of efficiency, assignment reliability, and low-error play gave Iowa one of the most stable offensive lines in the Big Ten conference and positioned him as a potentially valuable NFL front-side protector heading into the 2026 NFL Draft process.
31 – Denver Broncos
Kenyon Sadiq, TE, Oregon
Kenyon Sadiq (6’3/245) emerged as one of the nation’s most productive tight ends in 2025, turning 67 targets into 51 receptions for 560 yards and eight touchdowns while functioning as Oregon’s primary slot-aligned mismatch piece (52% of his catches from the slot). Sadiq delivered a prototype modern TE impact: slot-heavy, scheme-versatile, and difficult to match up with in space, giving Oregon a reliable intermediate worker who also produced explosive plays downfield.
32 – Seattle Seahawks
Colton Hood, CB, Tennessee
A transfer from Colorado in the offseason, Colton Hood (6’0/195) delivered a Second Team All-SEC campaign as Tennessee’s top boundary corner, pairing physical press play with disciplined eyes in off-coverage. He was targeted on 10.8% of his coverage snaps yet still produced ball production, allowing just 21 completions on 45 attempts (46.7%) for 295 yards with one interception and 10 PBUs, holding opposing passers to a stellar 40.1 defensive QBR. Tennessee leaned on him against vertical routes and back-shoulder attempts, and he consistently competed at the catch point, resulting in one of the SEC’s cleaner season-long performances at corner.
We’ll be back with another look at Round 1 at the NFL Combine. Enjoy the NFL Playoffs this weekend and college football’s national championship game Monday Night.
