2026 NFL Mock Draft: Post-Free Agency Projections
By Owain Jones
Free agency has answered some questions, but all roads now lead to the 2026 NFL Draft. Some questions remain, and some projections have become more connected. In this 2026 NFL Mock Draft, we look at who each team could be looking at in round 1.
2026 NFL Mock Draft | Round 1
1. Las Vegas Raiders
Fernando Mendoza - QB, Indiana
Pencil it in. This pick has felt inevitable for months. Fernando Mendoza brings the processing, anticipation, and leadership traits needed to immediately stabilize and elevate an offense. He’s not built on flash, but he is controlled and level-headed, and that’s exactly what the Raiders have been missing.
2. New York Jets
Arvell Reese - EDGE/LB, Ohio State
The Jets don’t need to force a position of need at No. 2 overall, they need impact and value. Arvell Reese fits what they already do schematically, allowing them to stay multiple and unpredictable. His ability to rush, drop, and play in space makes him a perfect prototypical weapon for a defense built on unlocked versatility.
3. Arizona Cardinals
Sonny Styles - LB, Ohio State
This is where talent vs positional value comes into play because linebackers rarely go in the top 5. But Styles isn’t just a linebacker; he’s a defensive centerpiece. Arizona needs range, intelligence, and playmaking at the second level, and Styles gives them all three. Passing on him here would mean overthinking a rare player.
4. Tennessee Titans
Jeremiyah Love - RB, Notre Dame
Giving Cam Ward support has to be the priority. Jeremiah Love changes that instantly with his burst, receiving ability, and big-play threat. He takes pressure off the quarterback while also becoming a focal point.
5. New York Giants
Caleb Downs, - SAF, Ohio State
The Giants need defensive stability, and Caleb Downs gives them that immediately. John Harbaugh has seen how an elite safety elevates the structure of the entire unit with Kyle Hamilton in Baltimore. His versatility allows everything else to work, and that kind of player is worth ignoring positional value concerns.
6. Cleveland Browns
Monroe Freeling - OT, Georgia
This is a bet on traits and long-term value. The Browns need a future at left tackle, and Monroe Freeling offers rare movement skills and upside. It may feel extremely early, but securing premium positions matters, and Cleveland chooses ceiling over waiting and risking missing out.
7. Washington Commanders
David Bailey - EDGE, Texas Tech
Washington needs consistent pass-rush disruption, and Bailey provides it immediately. His burst and bend stress tackles from the first step, and his production backs it up. The Commanders add a player who can tilt games with a consistently chaotic backfield disruption.
8. New Orleans Saints
Carnell Tate - WR, Ohio State
The Saints need to find out what they have at quarterback, and that starts with improving the supporting cast. Tate gives them a reliable, polished target who creates separation and plays within structure.
9. Kansas City Chiefs
Rueben Bain Jr. - EDGE, Miami
Rueben Bain adds power and disruption opposite George Karlaftis, giving the Chiefs a more complete pass-rush profile. He wins with force and consistency, which fits a defense that thrives on pressure without needing to blitz heavily.
10. Cincinnati Bengals
Mansoor Delane - CB, LSU
Defense has to be the priority. The Bengals ranked 31st in the NFL in passing yards allowed. Mansoor Delane brings composure, coverage discipline, and proven experience to a defense that struggled badly against the pass.
11. Miami Dolphins
Olaivavega Ioane - OL, Penn State
Miami has to get more physical up front. Olaivavega Ioane changes the tone immediately with power, leverage, and run-game impact. The Penn State prospect is the best offensive lineman in the 2026 NFL Draft, who wins instantly with precise violence.
12. Dallas Cowboys
Dillon Thieneman - SAF, Oregon
The Cowboys need range on the back end, and Dillon Thieneman brings exactly that. His ability to erase space with elite athleticism and instincts allows the defense to be more aggressive underneath.
13. Los Angeles Rams (via LAR)
Francis Mauigoa - OL, Miami
The Rams are currently slated to start Warren McClendon at right tackle after he showed he could be servicable during the 2025 season, but Francis Mauigoa is a potential difference maker. The Miami right tackle is technically polished and physically dominant, and can be a starting offensive tackle in the NFL for the next decade.
14. Baltimore Ravens
Spencer Fano - OL, Utah
Baltimore needs to rebuild its offensive line, and Spencer Fano projects as a starting right tackle who could also be slotted inside at guard or even center. The Utah lineman is a high-floor prospect who is calm, composed, and technically reliable.
15. Tampa Bay Buccaneers
Akheem Mesidor - EDGE, Miami
Tampa needs more consistent edge pressure, and Mesidor brings a balanced profile as both a pass-rusher and a run defender. He’s physically ready and fits a defense that asks its edges to do more than just chase sacks.
16. New York Jets (via IND)
Jordyn Tyson - WR, Arizona State
The Jets need more weapons alongside Garrett Wilson. Jordyn Tyson gives them a complementary option who can win within structure and stretch coverage with his vertical separation and route discipline.
17. Detroit Lions
Kadyn Proctor - OL, Alabama
Tyler Decker is out, and the Lions need a long-term answer at left tackle if they choose to stick with Penei Sewell at RT. Kadyn Proctor is a high ceiling player who has mammoth size at 6’7” and 366 pounds, and blends powers, athletic upside, and an ascending technical profile.
18. Minnesota Vikings
Caleb Banks - DT, Florida
Here, Minnesota bets on traits and upside. Caleb Banks offers rare size and movement ability, giving them a disruptive presence inside. The production isn’t fully there yet, but the physical profile is too intriguing to ignore.
19. Carolina Panthers
Kenyon Sadiq - TE, Oregon
Carolina needs to add more offensive weapons with speed and power. Kenyon Sadiq is an explosive threat at tight end who can stretch defenses and create mismatches.
20. Dallas Cowboys (via GB)
CJ Allen - LB, Georgia
Dallas adds leadership and reliability to the second level. CJ Allen processes quickly, tackles consistently, and is a disciplined three-down presence with range and pursuit.
21. Pittsburgh Steelers
Makai Lemon - WR, USC
The quarterback question remains in Pittsburgh, but the Steelers still need weapons. Makai Lemon gives them separation, route intelligence, and flexibility from the slot to elevate the offense.
22. Los Angeles Chargers
Emmanuel McNeil-Warren - SAF, Toledo
Emmanuel McNeil-Warren is a tone-setting defensive back who is versatile and reliable as an enforcer in the passing and running game. He has a high ceiling as a strong safety to sure up the secondary.
23. Philadelphia Eagles
Keldric Faulk - EDGE, Auburn
This is a classic Eagles pick. Elite traits, long-term upside, and a clear developmental pathway. Keldric Faulk doesn’t need to contribute immediately, which allows Philadelphia to bet on his physical tools and build him into a complete edge defender.
24. Cleveland Browns (via JAX)
Denzel Boston - WR, Washington
Cleveland needs more excitement and separation in their wide receiver room. Denzel Boston gives them a smooth, timing-based receiver who can consistently create space.
25. Chicago Bears
TJ Parker - EDGE, Clemson
TJ Parker’s burst, bend, and ability to win early in reps give him real upside as a disruptive edge. The production context is complicated, but the flashes are too strong to ignore with an explosive first step and the ability to flatten through contact.
26. Buffalo Bills
Cashius Howell - EDGE, Texas A&M
Buffalo adds pure pass-rush juice. Cashius Howell brings speed, bend, and disruption off the edge, even if the run defense is still a concern. However, in terms of disruptive pass rush explosive upside, the Texas A&M defender brings the flash.
27. Houston Texans
KC Concepcion - WR, Texas A&M
Kyle Shanahan’s system leans into offensive creativity. KC Concepcion fits perfectly as a motion-heavy, YAC-driven weapon who can stress defenses horizontally and vertically.
28. Houston Texans
Caleb Lomu - OT, Utah
Houston has patched the offensive line, but long-term answers are still needed. Caleb Lomu gives them a high-upside blindside protector who can develop into a cornerstone. This is about being proactive and establishing the future left tackle.
29. Kansas City Chiefs (via LAR)
Avieon Terrell - CB, Clemson
After trading Trent McDuffie, Kansas City adds a steady, reliable corner. Avieon Terrell may not have elite traits, but his consistency and technique make him a dependable outside option on a defense built on discipline and competitiveness.
30. Miami Dolphins (via DEN)
Jermod McCoy - CB, Tennessee
Miami has gained an extra first-round pick after trading Jaylen Waddle to the Denver Broncos, and take a calculated risk here. Jermod McCoy’s 2024 tape is first-round caliber, but the medical and evaluation gap has created uncertainty. Nevertheless, Miami gets a long corner with ball production.
31. Denver Broncos
Omar Cooper Jr. - WR, Indiana
New England needs a true offensive centerpiece at wide receiver. Omar Cooper Jr. brings size, physicality, and three-level ability to the passing game with exceptional speed, balance, and instinctive feel to be a true WR1.
32. Seattle Seahawks
Colton Hood - CB, Tennessee
Seattle still needs to add depth and stability to the perimeter. Colton Hood’s physical profile, composure, and coverage consistency make him a clean projection as an outside starter, comfortable with different concepts and with an NFL-ready size-speed profile.
OWAIN JONES
college football & NFL DRAFT ANALYST
OWAIN jones COVERS EVERYTHING college football & NFL DRAFT. COMING WITH PLENTY OF EXPERIENCE, OWAIN was PREVIOUSLY a writer for pfsn and WAS THE NFL DRAFT EDITOR AT NINETY-NINE YARDS WHERE HE CREATED DRAFT TALK, YOU CAN FOLLOW HIM ON TWITTER @OwainJonesCFB