NFL Draft Approaches: Final Predictions for the First Round
The NFL Draft is right around the corner—finally! All the endless chatter and speculation will come to a close with the first round set for Thursday night. While it’s clear that Fernando Mendoza will be picked first overall by the Las Vegas Raiders, the rest of the selections are still very much up in the air. After a good deal of deliberation over our big board, team requirements, and possible trades, we’ve settled on a final mock draft for the first round of 2026.
This mock draft was the result of teamwork between James Deiter and Mark Schofield. They took turns picking players, discussing choices, and planning potential trades. To keep the fun alive, we’re not disclosing who picked whom—if you have any complaints, they’ll be directed our way equally. Just to reiterate, this is only a mock draft for now. Afterward, we’ll touch on the trades made during the first round and some additional observations.
| Pick | Team | Player | Position | School | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Las Vegas Raiders | Fernando Mendoza | QB | Indiana | |
| 2 | New York Jets | David Bailey | CB | Texas Tech University | |
| 3 | Arizona Cardinals | Jeremiah Love | RB | Notre Dame Cathedral | |
| 4 | Tennessee Titans | Sonny Styles | LB | Ohio | |
| 5 | New York Giants | Caleb Downs | S | Ohio | |
| 6 | Dallas Cowboys (from Browns) | Abel Reese | LB/Edge | Ohio | Cleveland Receptions: 12, 20 — Dallas Receptions: 6, 70 |
| 7 | Washington Commanders | Ruben Bain Jr. | CB | Miami | |
| 8 | New Orleans Saints | Colonel Tate | WR | Ohio | |
| 9 | Kansas City Chiefs | Mansour Deran | CB | LSU | |
| 10 | New York Giants (from Bengals) | Francis Mauigoa | OT | Miami | |
| 11 | Miami Dolphins | Jordyn Tyson | WR | Arizona | |
| 12 | Cleveland Browns (from Cowboys) | Spencer Fano | OT | Utah | |
| 13 | Los Angeles Rams (from Falcons) | Makai Lemon | WR | University of Southern California | |
| 14 | Baltimore Ravens | Olaiba Vega Ioane | IOL | Pennsylvania State University | |
| 15 | Tampa Bay Buccaneers | Akheem Messidor | CB | Miami | |
| 16 | New York Jets (from Colts) | Omar Cooper Jr. | WR | Indiana | |
| 17 | Detroit Lions | Monroe Freeling | OT | Georgia | |
| 18 | Minnesota Vikings | Dillion Thieneman | S | Oregon | |
| 19 | Carolina Panthers | KC Concepcion | WR | Texas A&M | |
| 20 | Cleveland Browns (from Cowboys via GB) | Denzel Boston | WR | Washington | |
| 21 | Pittsburgh Steelers | Kaydin Proctor | OT | Alabama | |
| 22 | LA Chargers | Chase Bisontis | IOL | Texas A&M | |
| 23 | Philadelphia Eagles | Blake Miller | OT | Clemson | |
| 24 | Arizona Cardinals (from Browns) | Ty Simpson | QB | Alabama | Cleveland acquires: 2027 first-round pick. |
| 25 | Chicago Bears | Kayden McDonald | DT | Ohio | |
| 26 | Buffalo Bills | Keldric Folk | CB | Auburn | |
| 27 | San Francisco 49ers | Jermod McCoy | CB | Tennessee | |
| 28 | Houston Texans | Caleb Lom | OT | Utah | |
| 29 | Kansas City Chiefs (via Rams) | Kenyon Sadik | TE | Oregon | |
| 30 | Miami Dolphins (via Broncos) | Chris Johnson | CB | San Diego State | |
| 31 | New England Patriots | Zion Young | CB | Missouri | |
| 32 | Seattle Seahawks | Colton Hood | CB | Tennessee |
Cleveland’s Trades in the Spotlight
Interestingly, the Browns will be involved in two significant trades during the first round. The widely-discussed move of Dallas to the No. 6 pick makes sense, especially with players like Abel Reese and Reuben Bain Jr. still available. Without this trade, the Cowboys risk missing out on their prospective pass rushers, so securing the top player on our board felt like a necessary move.
For the Cowboys to move up, they need the 12th and 20th picks, but they’re receiving a third-round pick from the Browns. This deal seems fair, allowing both teams to move in their desired directions.
The second trade involves selecting Ty Simpson, and honestly, we pondered whether to make this pick easier for Pittsburgh. However, I doubt the Steelers want to chance a repeat of past mistakes with Kenny Pickett. Simpson carries risk, and while giving up a championship chance in 2027 feels daunting, the team needs a win now to build confidence. Grabbing both Simpson and Jeremiah Love would certainly raise excitement in Glendale, all while giving the Browns a future pick for potential quarterback insurance with Shedule Sanders.
Giants Pull Off Surprising Picks
This draft could offer some unexpected opportunities for the Giants. They’ve managed to pick up a talented defensive player in Caleb Downs and also addressed a critical offensive tackle need with Francis Mauigoa. We valued Downs and Mauigoa as third and eighth on our board, respectively, so getting them as fifth and tenth picks is quite a win.
On the Chiefs’ Draft Strategy
Heading into the later rounds, it felt like we were setting the stage for the Chiefs to acquire both Mansour Delane and Kenyon Sadiq. I felt almost obligated to continue with this plan.
After trading away Trent McDuffie, Delane appears to be a valuable addition for the Chiefs. However, Sadiq’s unexpected drop raises eyebrows. There weren’t many obvious fits for him, particularly for Carolina, which has been more focused on bolstering their receiving corps rather than addressing tight end needs in this draft, changing our trajectory.
Sadiq indeed seems like an excellent fit for Kansas City—he’s going to flourish there.
Jermod McCoy’s Injury Insights
Neither of us is a medical professional, so diagnosing Jermod McCoy’s knee issues isn’t in our wheelhouse. However, I cautiously opted out of this situation. Assuming no medical setbacks, McCoy might have been grabbed in the high teens, or as early as No. 11, but his injury status led to a late-round fall.
If he’s fit, McCoy could be a major asset for the 49ers, and even should surgery be needed, San Francisco gains the fifth-year option from selecting him in this round.
What Didn’t Happen? A Look at Omar Cooper Jr.
I’m curious about Indiana WR Omar Cooper Jr. In our mock, he’s set to go to the Jets at No. 16, which feels like a reasonable pick—though it might not align with the Raiders who could be looking to build for the future. Joe Burrow and Jamar Chase have set an impressive precedent for college QB/WR pairings. This dynamic could inspire Las Vegas to aim for a similar relationship by pairing Mendoza with Cooper.
