With the 2025 college football season entering Week 13 and the 2025 NFL season entering Week 12, the top prospects and draft order is starting to take form, which makes NFL Mock draft season that much more fun. In this NFL Mocks’ draft projections, we get bold with a couple of trades that will shake up the draft board.
While there is still some time for some NFL teams to start tanking for the top spot in the 2026 NFL Draft, the Tennessee Titans and New York Giants currently hold the top two spots in the draft. Neither one of those teams need a quarterback, so could QB hungry teams make bold moves to jump into one of those top spots to select either Indiana’s Fernando Mendoza or Alabama’s Ty Simpson?
Well, as it stands right now, those are the two prize QBs of the draft. Both the Titans and Giants are in position to upstart their rebuilds, roster resets by trading down for more draft capital.
2026 NFL Draft: Two blockbuster trades rattles top of the draft board
With the Cleveland Browns holding the No. 3 overall selection in the draft, teams will want to jump ahead of them if they want a shot at one of the top quarterbacks in the draft. One of those teams is the Las Vegas Raiders.
The Raiders are selecting behind the New York Jets at No. 6. To move up to the top overall pick, the Raiders send the No. 6 overall pick, their 2026 second round pick (No. 38 overall), their 2027 first overall pick to the Titans. This could yield a few more future picks with the New York Jets also on the phone with the Titans. The Raiders ultimately offer the Titans a deal they can’t resist.
2026 NFL Mock Draft Top 5: Raiders make a splash for QB of the future
In a draft order determined by current record and the projected trade, the Raiders start it off with the No. 1 overall pick.
No. 1: Las Vegas Raiders (via Tennessee) – Ty Simpson, QB, Alabama
This big gamble is a risk for the Raiders, but also a desperate move. In Ty Simpson, the Raiders see a quarterback who has the tools to lead them into the future. They could decide to lore a veteran quarterback like Kyler Murray, but after the Geno Smith experiment, its time the Raiders finally took a shot at a young quarterback prospect and Simpson could be that dude. At Alabama this season, Simpson has propelled himself as a possible No. 1 overall pick due to his accuracy as a passer, his high-level processing ability in the pocket and his poise in making plays with his legs. Again, a gamble for the Raiders, but this team has talent in areas to be successful with the right quarterback under center.
The Jets make yet another blockbuster by swapping the No. 5 overall pick and sending a 2025 second round pick (No. 37 overall) and a 2027 second round pick to the New York Giants for No. 2 overall to get ahead of the Browns.
No. 2: New York Jets (Via New Yor Giants) – Fernando Mendoza, QB, Indiana
The Jets will be high on either Ty Simpson or Fernando Mendoza, so when the Raiders move up and select Simpson, the Jets get aggressive to move up and land Mendoza. The Indiana quarterback has been impressive in 2025 in both passing statistics and leadership. He does need to work on his deep ball accuracy, but the Heisman Trophy candidate has proven to be the best of the QB draft class so far. Simpson has the higher ceiling, but Mendoza is a QB who can move the ball with his accuracy and is mobile enough to manipulate the pocket and carve up defenses.
No. 3: Cleveland Browns – Jordyn Tyson, WR, Arizona State
The big surprise here is that Dante Moore is not the third quarterback off the board. With two first round picks, the Browns decide to use the No. 3 overall pick on Arizona State wideout Jordyn Tyson. The 6-foot-2, 200-pound wide receiver has established himself as the top wideout in the draft due to his route-running and ability to make plays all over the field. The Browns are desperate for a QB but take an opportunity here to add another playmaker on offense who can be a difference maker right away.
No. 4: New Orleans Saints – Rueben Bain Jr., ED, Miami (FL)
The Saints also pass on a quarterback here and address their needs on defense. With two big-time defenders on the board in Rueben Bain Jr. and Ohio State’s Arvell Reese, the Saints lean towards Bain as an explosive, disruptor off the edge. With Chase Young providing a consistent pass rush in 2025, the Saints complement him with Bain on the other side. With this selection, the Saints decide to ride with Tyler Shough and take a chance at a QB on Day 2.
No. 5: New York Giants (via New York Jets)– Caleb Downs, S, Ohio State
Once Jordyn Tyson is off the board, the Giants focus their attention on taking the best available player and that is Ohio State’s Caleb Downs. With his high football IQ as a secondary defender, Downs is a player who can instantly improve any defensive backfield with his tackling, run defense and versatility in coverage. In all, another young building block for the Giants.