Final 2026 NFL Mock Draft 1.0

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It’s NFL Draft week! We’re getting our 2026 NFL Draft coverage started by posting our writers’ final mock drafts of the season. Stay tuned for more draft coverage at NFL Trade Rumors from our staff leading up to the start of round one at 7:00 p.m. CST (8:00 p.m. EST) on Thursday, April 23. After that, the draft continues Friday, April 24 at 7:00 PM EST for Rounds 2-3. The event wraps up 12:00 PM EST on Saturday, April 25 with Rounds 4-7 2026 NFL Mock Draft 1 — Las Vegas Raiders: Indiana QB Fernando Mendoza It’s clear which way the Raiders are headed with the No. 1 overall pick. Mendoza showed out in his final year at Indiana and is clearly the kind of quarterback prospect that teams are hoping to build around at the next level. There’s buzz that Mendoza is learning the Raiders’ playbook already, so this seems like a foregone conclusion. 2 — New York Jets: Ohio State EDGE Arvell Reese The Jets’ defense was historically bad in 2025 and while they have tried to shore things up on that side of the ball with eight notable additions, adding a high impact pass rusher in the draft could help them turn a corner and take some pressure off of their secondary. Reese was a Combine standout who is coming off of a productive season at Ohio State. 3 — Arizona Cardinals: Miami OT Francis Mauigoa Ideally, this would be a quarterback for Arizona after cutting Kyler Murray this offseason and not doing much else to shore up the position long term. However, this is a limited draft class. Mauigoa is considered to be the top offensive lineman in this year’s draft and could be a day-one starter for the Cardinals. 4 — Tennessee Titans: Texas Tech EDGE David Bailey The Titans need help at almost every position, so they would ideally invest the No. 4 pick in a premium position like pass rusher. Bailey is a tough pass rusher to defend due to his elusiveness and body control. He’s a little smaller than teams may like, but the upside is there as a potential Pro Bowler. 5 — New York Giants: Ohio State LB Sonny Styles The Giants’ second and third levels of their defense have been a weak spot in recent years. New York did go out and bring in a veteran LB in Tremaine Edmunds this offseason. However, Styles would turn off-ball linebacker into a real strength for the Giants in the coming years. Lance Zierlein comps him to 49ers LB Fred Warner . 6 — Cleveland Browns: Ohio State WR Carnell Tate Receiver and offensive line stood out for the Browns coming into this offseason. Cleveland has made a number of moves up to this point to try to shore up their offensive line after all five of their starters from last year hit the open market. There’s still room for improvement there, but this sim presents an opportunity to take the top receiver on the board. Tate is a complete and proven receiver, who should quickly become a go-to target at the next level. Lance Zierlein comps him to Saints WR Chris Olave . 7 — Washington Commanders: Notre Dame RB Jeremiyah Love Love could end up going higher than this, especially in a weaker draft class. However, should he last this long, it would be difficult for the Commanders to pass up on the opportunity to pair him with QB Jayden Daniels. Love is considered to be one of the top prospects in this year’s class and the kind of game-breaking talent that would make him worthy of being selected this high, despite being a running back. Lance Zierlein comps Love to Lions RB Jahmyr Gibbs . 8 — New Orleans Saints: Arizona State WR Jordyn Tyson The Saint…