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It’s a pivotal time for mock drafts on the football calendar, as we recently wrapped up the Shrine and Senior Bowls. With notable standouts from both events, here’s how we see the first round of the 2026 NFL Draft shaking out.
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There’s no need to overcomplicate this. Mendoza was the best quarterback in the country this past season, earning a 90.7 PFF passing grade overall and a 70.6 PFF passing grade under pressure. I gave him a higher prospect grade than Cam Ward, the No. 1 pick in 2025. He will be a Raider.
2. New York Jets: EDGE Rueben Bain Jr., Miami (FL)
Bain is my top edge rusher prospect. He is so good that I believe he should be the Jets' choice at No. 2, despite the team's more pressing needs. Bain earned an elite 92.4 PFF pass-rush grade against true pass sets in 2025, and he chipped in an 86.2 PFF run-defense grade, too.
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I thought about giving the Cardinals linebacker Arvell Reese, a seek-and-destroy second-level defender. However, Arizona badly needs offensive line help. Mauigoa might not be a Penei Sewell– or a Tristan Wirfs-caliber prospect, but he’s a two-contract starting offensive tackle who was rock-solid this season, garnering an 87.0 PFF pass-blocking grade and a 77.1 PFF run-blocking grade.
4. Tennessee Titans: EDGE David Bailey, Texas Tech
Bailey tallied elite PFF pass-rush grades above 90.0 in each of the past two seasons. The Titans have to get more juice on the outside, especially in Robert Saleh’s defensive system, which often requires pressure on the quarterback with just four rushers.
5. New York Giants: WR Makai Lemon, USC
It’s not often we see Lemon as the top wide receiver in a mock draft, but I am making a bit of a statement here because I think he should be right there in the conversation with Carnell Tate and Jordyn Tyson. I have Tyson as my WR1, but if the Giants aren’t comfortable with his injury history, especially amid Malik Nabers‘ recovery from an ACL tear, they could look elsewhere. Lemon earned a 91.4 PFF receiving grade overall and an 81.3 PFF receiving grade versus single coverage this past season.
6. Cleveland Browns: T Spencer Fano, Utah
The Browns could certainly go with a weapon at receiver, but I am worried about their offensive line. Fano didn’t have as strong a 2025 campaign compared to his previous body of work, but he still recorded PFF run-blocking and pass-blocking grades above 80.0. New Cleveland head coach Todd Monken will likely see that group as a priority to upgrade for the short term and long term.
7. Washington Commanders: LB Arvell Reese, Ohio State
Reese doesn’t have a ton of true coverage drops on his 2025 tape, but as a heat-seeking missile type of second-level defender, he can be a very impactful player. The Commanders need more off- and on-ball linebacker production, something with which Reese can help. He played 286 snaps in the box as an off-ball backer and 327 as an on-ball edge last season.
8. New Orleans Saints: RB Jeremiyah Love, Notre Dame
Love is one of the most talented players in the class, owning an elite 93.7 PFF rushing grade and a 72.7 PFF receiving grade in 2025. He is the ideal blend of size, strength, balance and explosiveness to impact the game on all three downs at a high level. This is Jahmyr Gibbs — but bigger.
9. Kansas City Chiefs: DI Caleb Banks, Florida
The board didn’t fall favorably for the Chiefs in this mock, with Rueben Bain Jr., Jeremiyah Love and the best two offensive linemen all gone. They could pick a cornerback, but I think they may look at the defensive line. Banks didn’t play much in 2025 due to a foot injury, but on the final two days of Senior Bowl practices, he reminded us why he was seen as a potential top-15 pick heading into the season. His size and length — 6-foot-6 and 330 pounds — are very alluring to pair with Chris Jones.
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Read More →10. Cincinnati Bengals: DI Peter Woods, Clemson
The Bengals have to get more stout up front. Their secondary improved down the stretch this past season, but their defensive line did not. Myles Murphy and Shemar Stewart are still expected to take the next step in 2026 on the edge, but the team's interior defensive line needs more talent. Woods wasn’t as good in 2025 as he was in 2024 or 2023, earning a 72.2 PFF overall grade, compared to 83.7 and 87.6 marks, but he’s still a top all-around talent at 3-technique who can hopefully anchor the middle for a long time.
11. Miami Dolphins: CB Mansoor Delane, LSU
Delane was one of the best cornerbacks in college football this past season. He earned a 90.7 PFF overall grade with an 89.1 PFF coverage grade in man coverage. His 74.4 PFF run-defense grade was also strong, a mark that never fell below 70.0 for his college career. He would be CB1 in Jeff Hafley’s Miami defense.
12. Dallas Cowboys: S Caleb Downs, Ohio State
It might seem crazy for Downs to slide outside the top 10, but from talking with people around the industry at the Senior Bowl, it appears his range is truly anywhere in the top 20. If he makes it to No. 12, I have no doubt the Cowboys will be interested. Downs earned PFF overall grades above 85.0 in each of the past three seasons as a do-it-all safety.
13. Los Angeles Rams (via Falcons): CB Jermod McCoy, Tennessee
McCoy didn’t play this past season while recovering from an ACL tear in January, but no cornerback’s 2025 tape was as good as his 2024 tape as a shutdown man-coverage press cornerback. If his knee checks out medically, he’ll be in range to be the top cornerback off the board.
14. Baltimore Ravens: WR Carnell Tate, Ohio State
The Ravens have trench needs, but that doesn’t mean they have to address them in Round 1. They certainly could, but with Tate still on the board, I like him as an option. Tate improved his efficiency as a route runner this season and displayed the most reliable hands in the country, with an 85.7% contested catch rate, a 0.0% drop rate and an 89.0 PFF receiving grade.
15. Tampa Bay Buccaneers: EDGE Cashius Howell, Texas A&M
The Buccaneers’ lack of pass rush was a major reason why their defense fell flat down the stretch of the 2025 season. Howell earned elite 90.0-plus PFF pass-rush grades in each of the past three seasons, and he would immediately be Tampa Bay’s best pass rusher.
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Some mock drafts have Tyson going as high as No. 5 overall, so to see him this low might be a surprise, but wide receiver draft ranges tend to be wider than we think, and Tyson does have a more extensive injury history. That being said, he is my top wide receiver based on his tape. Pairing him with Garrett Wilson would create a nasty duo (or trio if you throw in AD Mitchell).
17. Detroit Lions: EDGE Akheem Mesidor, Miami (FL)
“But Trevor, he’s old!”
Yes, but for the Lions, I don’t really care — and they shouldn’t either. Mesidor will be 25 years old on draft night, but he’s a ready-made NFL pass rusher, having earned a 94.2 PFF pass-rush grade versus true pass sets in 2025, in addition to generating a 20.8% pass-rush win rate. Being ready to slot in immediately makes Mesidor worthy of a first-round pick for a team in a winning window.
18. Minnesota Vikings: DI Kayden McDonald, Ohio State
The Vikings got great play from Jalen Redmond this past season, but the long-term outlook on their interior still needs a boost. McDonald was one of the best run defenders in the country this past season, regardless of position, earning a 91.2 PFF grade in that category.
19. Carolina Panthers: LB Sonny Styles, Ohio State
If the Panthers can somehow stay at No. 19 and still get Styles, they should be jumping for joy. They have a big need at the second level of their defense, and Styles is good enough that he could go in the top 10 — although being a linebacker gives him a draft range in the top 20. He earned an 87.4 PFF run-defense grade and an 86.9 PFF coverage grade in 2025.
20. Dallas Cowboys (via Packers): EDGE T.J. Parker, Clemson
Parker didn’t have the year many of us expected, earning PFF run-defense and pass-rush grades in the high 70.0s instead of the 80.0s as he did in 2024. But he was one of the standout players from the Senior Bowl. His violence as an edge defender in run and pass situations gives him first-round value. He would pair nicely opposite Donovan Ezeiruaku.
21. Pittsburgh Steelers: QB Ty Simpson, Alabama
It’s hard to get a read on where Simpson will go in this draft. He was one of the best quarterbacks in the country through the first five or six games of the 2025 season, but then he struggled down the stretch, especially under pressure (47.7 PFF passing grade). But he was also the best middle-of-the-field passer in the class. He made protection calls and was a full-progression-read type of quarterback. The NFL will see that football IQ and likely value it highly. If the Steelers still need a top quarterback option by the time the draft rolls around, Simpson could be an option.
22. Los Angeles Chargers: G Olaivavega Ioane, Penn State
The Chargers’ offensive line was an Achilles' heel this past season. They’ll get Joe Alt and Rashawn Slater back from injury at the tackle spots, but their interior pass blocking must improve. Ioane was one of the best pass-blocking guards in college football in 2025, notching an 87.0 PFF pass-blocking grade.
23. Philadelphia Eagles: T Kadyn Proctor, Alabama
Proctor is a behemoth of an offensive lineman at 6-foot-7 and 360 pounds. Given his size, his foot speed can look slow and heavy, but I don’t think he’s getting enough credit for how well he played down the stretch of 2025. By the end of the year, he earned an 84.2 PFF pass-blocking grade and an 81.1 PFF run-blocking grade. I like him best as a guard, but the Eagles could draft him as a guard in the short term and then perhaps have him kick out to tackle when Lane Johnson retires.
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I thought about double-dipping at offensive line here for the Browns, as some good options remain on the board, but Concepcion gives them the reliable athleticism they’re missing at wide receiver. He improved tremendously as a route runner this past season, evidenced by his 78.3 PFF receiving grade against man coverage, and averaged 7.2 yards after catch per reception.
25. Chicago Bears: DI Lee Hunter, Texas Tech
Hunter made a case for the prospect who had the best overall week at the Senior Bowl. He was impactful in team drills and one-on-ones as a run stopper and a pass rusher. He was good at UCF in years prior, but he really took his game to the next level at Texas Tech this past season, earning an 84.5 PFF run-defense grade and a 75.0 PFF pass-rush grade against true pass sets. His Senior Bowl momentum brings him into Round 1 conversations.
26. Buffalo Bills: LB CJ Allen, Georgia
While Ohio State's Sonny Styles gets a lot of the praise as the top linebacker in this class, whichever team drafts Allen will also be very happy. He was one of the more reliable run defenders in the country in 2025, finishing with an 88.6 PFF run-defense grade and just a 7.8% missed tackle percentage. Although his PFF coverage grade was low (55.6), he showed flashes and ability to bet on with good movement and anticipation skills. He could be the next true centerpiece player for the Bills' defense.
27. San Francisco 49ers: WR Denzel Boston, Washington
In many mock drafts over the past few months, when the 49ers have drafted a wide receiver, it has been Texas A&M's KC Concepcion. But with him off the board, I think they would be just as happy with Boston. Boston isn’t the after-the-catch weapon that Concepcion is, but he’s a smooth big man with the hands and the route-running ability to win on the outside and in the slot. He earned an 89.7 PFF receiving grade against man coverage in 2025.
28. Houston Texans: T Max Iheanachor, Arizona State
Iheanachor made a statement during Senior Bowl week, showcasing a ceiling of a first-round offensive tackle. His movement and body control made him a wall in pass protection on days two and three of Senior Bowl practices, making it nearly impossible for any pass rusher to get around him. He is a better pass blocker than a run blocker, but his physical gifts don’t come around very often.
29. Los Angeles Rams: CB Keionte Scott, Miami (FL)
This is a new name in the first round, but one I am excited to shout out. Scott, a redshirt senior this past season at Miami, established himself as one of the best defensive players in the country. As primarily a slot defender, he earned a 91.2 PFF run-defense grade with an 87.1 PFF coverage grade. In an age where having an elite slot defender is key for defenses, Scott should get first-round consideration.
30. Denver Broncos: S Emmanuel McNeil-Warren, Toledo
Safety isn’t a huge need for the Broncos, but if they’re taking a best-player-available approach and McNeil-Warren is on the board, I could see them being interested. Talanoa Hufanga is an impact player, but Brandon Jones could be a cut candidate. McNeil-Warren earned an 89.6 PFF overall grade with two interceptions, five forced incompletions and 17 coverage stops this past season.
31. New England Patriots: EDGE Zion Young, Missouri
Young was as advertised at the Senior Bowl. The 6-foot-5, 260-pound edge defender showcased power and explosiveness in the team drills and one-on-ones. He also has a defensive lineman’s mindset, meaning he is competitive, tough and physical at all times. He’ll get more first-round buzz after this past week.
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With the report that Seahawks offensive coordinator Klint Kubiak is set to become the Raiders‘ head coach, it’s unknown exactly what Seattle's next offensive scheme will be. But an upgrade to their interior offensive line will benefit any new coach. Pregnon was one of the best this past season, earning a 93.0 PFF run-blocking grade in zone schemes, with an 88.1 PFF pass-blocking grade to boot.