- The Jets go in another direction with no quarterback options: With Oregon’s Dante Moore returning to school, New York focuses on its defense with the No. 2 overall pick.
- The Giants add a new weapon for Jaxson Dart: Ohio State’s Carnell Tate would create an exciting wide receiver tandem with Malik Nabers.
Estimated Reading Time: 14 minutes
Just four teams remain alive for a trip to Super Bowl 60. Everyone else is now fully focused on the offseason, and that means that we know the order for all but the final four picks in the 2026 NFL Draft.
Using the updated draft order, here’s how the first round could shape up when April rolls around.
🏈 Draft Season 2026
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1. Las Vegas Raiders: QB Fernando Mendoza, Indiana
The Raiders seem unlikely to go in any other direction with the No. 1 overall pick at this point. It’s hard to find a reason for them not to make Mendoza the pick when the draft officially begins in late April.
Heading into the College Football Playoff National Championship game, the Indiana quarterback has produced a 6.1% big-time throw rate and a 2.5% turnover-worthy play rate. Compare that to the 6.3% and 3.3% rates, respectively, that we saw from Tennessee Titans quarterback Cam Ward in his final college season, and it’s clear that Mendoza is worthy of being drafted first overall.
2. New York Jets: EDGE David Bailey, Texas Tech
The news that quarterback Dante Moore is staying at Oregon for another season is a blow to the Jets, who could have either selected him at No. 2 overall or traded the pick for serious draft capital.
With Moore off the board, the most logical route would be to target one of the top defensive players in the draft. Bailey’s 81 quarterback pressures in 2025 led all FBS edge defenders, and while he’s not as refined a prospect as Penn State’s Abdul Carter was last year, he is more than good enough as a pass rusher to be worthy of a top-five selection.
3. Arizona Cardinals: S Caleb Downs, Ohio State
The Cardinals are in an interesting position due to their quarterback situation, as they need to figure out if Kyler Murray is a long-term answer at the position. This draft class likely doesn’t give them the option of finding a potential replacement in the first round, though. So, like the Jets, the Cardinals may want to target a top defensive player.
No. 3 overall is rich for a safety, but Downs is a special athlete and the top prospect on the PFF Big Board. He finished the 2025 season with PFF run-defense and coverage grades above 80.0 and should be an impact player at the next level.
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4. Tennessee Titans: EDGE Rueben Bain Jr., Miami (FL)
Bain is likely to be a polarizing prospect if his measurements come in as expected, but it’s hard to ignore his dominance in his final college season.
His 87.1 PFF run-defense grade ranked seventh among all FBS edge defenders this past season, while he placed second at the position with 80 quarterback pressures. His size should allow him to kick inside in obvious passing situations, too, giving him the type of versatility that can maximize his impact.
5. New York Giants: WR Carnell Tate, Ohio State
The Giants should follow a simple line of thinking in the 2026 NFL Draft: Build around quarterback Jaxson Dart. Thus, the optimal pick is either an offensive lineman or a pass catcher.
If New York goes the pass catcher route, then Ohio State’s Carnell Tate is the best stylistic fit, given what the Giants already have in wide receiver Malik Nabers. The next man up in an increasingly long line of impressive Ohio State wide receivers, Tate caught 85.7% of the contested targets he saw in 2025, didn’t drop a pass and averaged 3.03 yards per route run.
6. Cleveland Browns: WR Jordyn Tyson, Arizona State
Regardless of the Browns’ plans at quarterback in 2026, a top wide receiver should be No. 1 on their priority list. Arizona State’s Jordyn Tyson would make a lot of sense.
He dropped just 1.6% of the catchable passes thrown his way this season and earned an 89.0 PFF receiving grade against man coverage.
7. Washington Commanders: EDGE Cashius Howell, Texas A&M
The Commanders will dream that one of the top two edge defenders falls to them at No. 7 overall, but if not, Howell would be a solid consolation prize. The Texas A&M standout earned a 90.3 PFF pass-rush grade and produced a 19.8% PFF pass-rush win rate in 2025.
8. New Orleans Saints: WR Makai Lemon, USC
Rookie quarterback Tyler Shough showed enough in 2025 for the Saints to want to build around him with a playmaker like Lemon. The USC star logged an 81.0 PFF receiving grade against man coverage, caught 66.7% of contested targets and dropped just 2.5% of the catchable targets thrown his way this season.
9. Kansas City Chiefs: RB Jeremiyah Love, Notre Dame
As long as Patrick Mahomes is the Chiefs‘ quarterback, opposing defenses will have reason to worry. A dynamic running back would only lift Kansas City’s attack in 2026. Love earned elite PFF overall grades of 91.1 and 93.9 over the past two seasons, and he averaged 4.5 yards after contact in 2025. He would instantly be the favorite to win Offensive Rookie of the Year if he landed in Kansas City.
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10. Cincinnati Bengals: DI Peters Woods, Clemson
The Bengals need to improve their defense. While there is a case to draft an offensive lineman here, Cincinnati would be wise to go with an impact player on the defensive interior. Woods underperformed in 2025 but earned PFF grades above 80.0 in each of the two seasons prior and has the skill set to shine as a pass rusher and against the run.
11. Miami Dolphins: CB Mansoor Delane, LSU
It’s difficult to know exactly what scheme we will see from the new-look Dolphins in 2026, but Delane was one of the best cornerbacks in college football in 2025. He earned an 89.1 PFF coverage grade in man coverage, allowed a catch on just 37.1% of passes faced and forced 11 incompletions.
12. Dallas Cowboys: LB Arvell Reese, Ohio State
The team that drafts Reese needs to have a solid plan for how to use him, which is why I don’t have him in the same tier as the top defenders in this class. He is versatile, though, having earned an 86.5 PFF run-defense grade and a 72.1 PFF pass-rush grade this past season.
13. Los Angeles Rams: CB Jermod McCoy, Tennessee
McCoy missed all of the 2025 season due to injury, but his 2024 campaign was good enough that he will be in contention to be the top cornerback off the board in April’s draft. That year, he earned an 87.0 PFF overall grade and notched a combined 10 interceptions and pass breakups.
14. Baltimore Ravens: T Francis Mauigoa, Miami (FL)
Mauigoa is listed as a tackle, but he would begin his NFL career at guard for the Ravens, where they are unlikely to re-sign right guard Daniel Faalele — who earned a 57.2 overall grade in 2025.
Mauigoa is an excellent pass blocker who earned an 85.4 PFF pass blocking grade on true pass sets this past season. He was also no slouch in the run game, earning a PFF run-blocking grade above 74.0 on both gap and zone concepts.
15. Tampa Bay Buccaneers: LB Sonny Styles, Ohio State
This is one of the easiest team-player fits at the point in the draft. The only concern for the Buccaneers would be that Styles doesn’t make it to No. 15th overall. He earned PFF coverage and run-defense grades above 85.0 in his final college season, and he missed just 2.2% of his tackle attempts. Styles looks like the type of linebacker who could start for 10-plus years in the NFL.
16. New York Jets (from Colts): WR Denzel Boston, Washington
With the Jets likely to look to free agency or the trade market to fix their quarterback situation, finding the right players for their offense in the draft becomes even more important.
Boston could be the perfect partner for Garrett Wilson at wide receiver, coming off a season in which he earned an 89.3 PFF receiving grade against man coverage and caught 76.9% of his contested targets.
17. Detroit Lions: T Kadyn Proctor, Alabama
Although Penei Sewell is a proven star, Taylor Decker is in his 30s and coming off his lowest-graded season since 2017. It’s time for the Lions to think about a long-term replacement at left tackle.
The best options on the left side are Proctor and Utah’s Caleb Lomu. While both are strong prospects, Detroit opts for the 20-year-old Proctor here. He earned 80.0-plus PFF grades as a run blocker and in pass protection in 2025.
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18. Minnesota Vikings: CB Avieon Terrell, Clemson
Terrell has secured PFF overall grades above 80.0 in each of the past two seasons and should be in contention to be the third cornerback off the board when the draft rolls around.
Despite being on the lighter side, Terrell pairs his coverage abilities with run-support acumen, having earned an 85.2 PFF run defense grade this past season.
19. Carolina Panthers: DI Kayden McDonald, Ohio State
McDonald is much more effective as a run defender than as a pass rusher, and that run-stopping prowess makes him still worthy of a top-20 selection. He earned a 91.2 PFF run-defense grade and recorded a 13.2% PFF run-stop rate in 2025.
Pairing McDonald with Derrick Brown on the Panthers’ interior would create a brick wall in run defense without forcing too many players at the second and third levels to sell out in the ground game.
20. Dallas Cowboys: EDGE Keldric Faulk, Auburn
After acquiring more pass-rush juice with Arvell Reese earlier in the round, the Cowboys can look to find a replacement for DeMarcus Lawrence here. While Lawrence was good as a pass rusher, he was elite as a run defender — something the Cowboys lacked in 2025.
Jadeveon Clowney was Dallas’ highest-graded edge defender against the run this season, earning a 70.6 PFF run-defense grade, and he is headed to free agency. Faulk garnered an 85.5 PFF run-defense grade in 2025 and can line up all along the defensive front.
21. Pittsburgh Steelers: WR KC Concepcion, Texas A&M
It’s an offseason of change for the Steelers, with head coach Mike Tomlin stepping down after the team’s wild-card round loss to the Houston Texans. Big questions remain at the quarterback position, but answers are unlikely to come in the first round of the draft.
Pittsburgh’s other big problem on offense was wide receiver depth. Concepcion earned a 78.2 PFF receiving grade against man coverage in 2025 and would pair nicely with DK Metcalf.
22. Los Angeles Chargers: G Olaivavega Ioane, Penn State
Offensive line issues crippled the Chargers in the playoffs, and while tackles Rashawn Slater and Joe Alt will return from injuries in 2026, the team needs big improvements on the interior.
Ioane is the best pure guard in this class, having logged an elite 90.9 PFF pass-blocking grade on true pass sets in 2025. He would immediately upgrade the unit and provide more protection for quarterback Justin Herbert.
23. Philadelphia Eagles: TE Kenyon Sadiq, Oregon
The Eagles could go in several directions. Assuming 31-year-old tight end Dallas Goedert leaves in free agency, Sadiq is one option. The Oregon pass catcher is generating noise as a potential top-10 pick and is likely to test very well this spring.
His on-field production wasn’t incredible in 2025, leading to a 69.0 PFF overall grade, but there is a lot of athleticism to work with, which will make Sadiq a top target for many NFL teams.
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24. Cleveland Browns (from Jaguars): T Spencer Fano, Utah
If the Browns can come out of the first round of April’s draft with an upgraded offensive line and more skill-position talent, it will have been a successful first night.
Fano took a step back in 2025 but still earned 80.0-plus PFF grades as a run blocker and in pass protection. His 2024 season was even better, though, headlined by a 92.6 PFF overall grade that made him one of the top players in this class coming into the season.
25. Chicago Bears: DI Christen Miller, Georgia
The Bears could benefit from some reinforcements against the run, and Miller should be able to make an impact in that regard from day one. He earned a 90.2 PFF run-defense grade in 2025. While his 70.0 PFF pass-rush grade is far from bad, he will likely be most valuable in the run game as an NFL player.
26. Buffalo Bills: EDGE T.J. Parker, Clemson
The Bills fell short in the playoffs again, but the production they got from veteran edge defender Joey Bosa — who is now set to head to free agency — should reinforce their desire to invest in the position.
Parker is coming off a season where he tallied a 15.5% PFF pass-rush win rate and proved capable as a run defender, earning a 77.5 PFF run-defense grade.
27. San Francisco 49ers: T Caleb Lomu, Utah
Lomu disappointed as a run blocker in 2025, resulting in a 62.0 PFF run-blocking grade, but his 82.1 PFF pass-blocking grade was impressive. The 49ers need a long-term replacement for left tackle Trent Williams, and Lomu could be the perfect fit.
28. Houston Texans: G Emmanuel Pregnon, Oregon
The Texans are still in need of offensive line help. They deployed man and zone run concepts at a near-even split in 2025, although Pregnon is much better in zone concepts (93.0 PFF run-blocking grade). He would immediately upgrade Houston’s pass protection, too, after earning an 88.2 PFF pass-blocking grade in his final college season.
29. Los Angeles Rams: CB Chris Johnson, San Diego State
Johnson is flying under the radar despite his sensational 2025 season. He earned an elite 92.4 PFF coverage grade in 2025 after allowing just 18 receptions and a 16.1 NFL passer rating on throws into his coverage.
30. New England Patriots: T Gennings Dunker, Iowa
Although Morgan Moses has been solid for the Patriots this season, he’ll be 35 years old in March. New England should set out to find his long-term replacement in this draft.
Dunker was better in 2024, logging an elite 90.2 PFF overall grade, but still put together a solid 2025 campaign with 75.0-plus PFF grades in pass protection and as a run blocker.
31. Denver Broncos: DI Caleb Banks, Florida
The Broncos don’t have many needs at this point, but it’s never a bad idea to acquire more depth along the defensive line. Banks missed most of the 2025 season but flashed as a pass rusher toward the end of the 2024 campaign, with 17 pressures on 92 pass-rushing snaps in the final three games of the year.
32. Seattle Seahawks: CB Keith Abney II, Arizona State
The Seahawks already have some high-profile players in their secondary — Devon Witherspoon and Nick Emmanwori — but cornerback Tariq Woolen is currently headed for free agency. Abney doesn’t bring Woolen’s size, but as his 77.9 PFF run-defense grade shows, he plays with the type of physicality on which the Seahawks’ defense thrives.
