As expected, Fernando Mendoza has declared for the 2026 NFL Draft. The Heisman Trophy winner is just about a guarantee to go No. 1 overall in the draft if the draft happened now. The intrigue around this draft is that things can change by the time April comes around.
Change how?
With offseason workouts, the NFL Combine and team interviews, NFL scouts, draft analysts and even team front office executives could talk themselves out of Mendoza as the top pick or at least giving off that perception.
When it comes to teams like the Las Vegas Raiders, New York Jets and Pittsburgh Steelers, teams who are hungry for quarterbacks, the options after Mendoza goes off the board are thin when it comes to first round talent at the QB position. This does not mean a QB talent like Ty Simpson, Trinidad Chambliss or a Garrett Nussmeier won’t emerge, it just means that established NFL quarterbacks possibly on the trade block like a Lamar Jackson, Kyler Murray, Kirk Cousins and Tua Tagovailoa could impact this draft board.
Could the Raiders pass on Mendoza, trade the pick in a package that includes one of the QB’s above and future draft capital?
2026 NFL Mock Draft Top 5: Blockbuster trade blindsides the draft board
There is no doubt Mendoza is the top quarterback prospect in this class based on his 2025 performance. The question is whether NFL teams, especially the Raiders see him as a franchise QB. There will be continuous rumors regarding the No. 1 overall pick up until the day of the draft, especially with trade rumors surrounding a couple of starting quarterbacks.
One of those quarterbacks is Kyler Murray who will become a name to watch throughout the offseason. Teams will be interested and the top landing spot will be Vegas.
In this mock draft, we explore what happens if the Raiders are open to the idea of trading the top pick for a Pro Bowl caliber QB like Murray. Could a change of scenery spark a resurgence in his career? What would the Raiders then do with the No. 3 overall pick?
Following a blockbuster trade, the Arizona Cardinals are on the board.
No. 1: Arizona Cardinals – Fernando Mendoza, QB, Indiana
The Cardinals make a wager here and trade up two spots for the No. 1 overall pick to select Heisman Trophy winner Fernando Mendoza. Clearly the top QB pick in this draft, Mendoza led the Indiana Hoosiers to their first national championship and finished the season with 3,535 passing yards and led the nation with 41 touchdowns. A poised pocket passer, Mendoza has demonstrated he is willing to lay his body on the line for his team as he did in the national championship win over the Miami Hurricanes. In moving on from Kyler Murray, the Cardinals get their QB of the future with this huge wager to land Mendoza.
No. 2: New Yor Jets– Arvell Reese, LB, Ohio State
With Mendoza off the board, the New York Jets will be left with a big decision. Do they take a quarterback at No. 2 to just take a quarterback? With other options out there at the position, the Jets will take their chances in this draft in hopes of landing a QB or two later in the draft. At No. 2, the Jets take care of one of their defensive needs with the selection of Ohio State’s Arvell Reese who is labeled as one of the top linebackers in the draft. As a hybrid edge, Reese brings speed and explosiveness to the Jets’ defense and is a player who will add to the lack of pass rush production in 2025.
No. 3: Las Vegas Raiders– Ty Simpson, QB, Alabama
The Raiders shock the 2026 NFL Draft twice. They trade for Kyler Murray and swap top 3 picks with the Cardinals and still select a quarterback at No. 3. Although Ty Simpson is the No. 2 ranked QB of the draft, taking him as high as No. 3 will open some eyes, particularly the team drafting ahead of them. The Raiders could use this pick to address other needs, but the idea here is Simpson gaining experience and leaning behind a veteran while the team is competing. The trade and this selection also mean the Raiders see Simpson as the QB with a higher upside than Mendoza. What about Murray? The selection keeps Murray motivated, but also gives the Raiders competition at the position and a decision in the future that could benefit the team
No. 4: Tennessee Titans – Caleb Downs, S, Ohio State
With the new head coach hire of Robert Salah, the Tennessee Titans take one of the top defenders on the board in safety Caleb Downs. This draft will be about building around Cam board, but they do use this top pick to add an impact player on defense who will help shift the identity of the team and a player they can build around in reshaping the defense as well. Downs is a big play waiting to happy and a player who hold down the secondary. This could be an eye opener with top wide receivers and edge rushers on the board, but the player is a generational talent and the Titans will opt for the best available player which is Downs.
No. 5: New York Giants – Carnell Tate, WR, Ohio State
The new John Harbaugh regime will focus on building around Jaxson Dart. In doing so, they give him another playmaker with the selection of Ohio State wide receiver Carnell Tate, a player who is an excellent route runner with a big frame (6-foot-3, 195 lbs) and catch radius. He doesn’t have the game-breaking speed most would expect from a top 5 pick as wide receiver, but with a healthy Malik Nabers back, the Giants will look for Tate to the highly impactful second option he was with the Buckeyes playing alongside Jeremiah Smith.
2026 NFL Mock Draft 6-10: Browns address top offensive line needs; Commanders, Saints, Bengals gain an edge
No. 6: Cleveland Browns – Francis Mauigoa, T, Miami
The Browns use the first of their two first round picks on Miami Hurricanes tackle Francis Mauigoa. The Browns add Mauigoa as an effort to overhaul to their offensive line. Big, powerful and solid at both run blocking and pass protection, Mauigoa can take care of their need at tackle and/or can slide inside with the team expecting to move on from Joel Bitonio and Wyatt Teller. The Browns do have other needs, but the offensive line is a starting point and will help address their biggest needs on the offensive side of the ball.
No. 7: Washington Commanders – David Bailey, ED, Texas Tech
The Commanders have their choice here between two of the top edge rushers on the board in Texas Tech’s David Bailey and Miami’s Rueben Bain Jr. They ultimately go with Bailey who led the nation in sacks with 14.5 and demonstrated in the college football playoffs that he can disrupt a top-level quarterback like Fernando Mendoza. With an array of pass rush moves to go along with his explosiveness off the snap, Bailey gives the Commanders that young, force off the edge they have been seeking.
No. 8: New Orleans Saints – Rueben Bain Jr, ED, Miami
The Saints jump at the opportunity to select Rueben Bain Jr. with the No. 8 overall pick in the 2026 NFL Draft. He wasn’t as impactful as David Bailey when it comes to sack total, but he still tallied 9.5 sacks in help leading the Hurricanes to the CFP National Championship Game and with his speed and power provides consistent pressure on the quarterback. There is some concerns about his below-average arm length which is the reason he slides just a little in this draft, which is great for the Saints because they get their Cameron Jordan replacement.
No. 9: Kansas City Chiefs– Jeremiyah Love, HB, Notre Dame
The Kansas City Chiefs can go in any direction with this top 10 pick. It really is going to come down to what they do in free agency, but in addressing one of their top needs, the Chiefs do make Jeremiyah Love a top 10 pick in the 2026 NFL Draft. The recovery of Patrick Mahomes matters here because if he is not fully 100 percent or not ready to go by the start of the 2026 NFL season, the Chiefs can lean on their run game. Love gives them that lead back they have been missing. He is also a player with homerun ability whenever and wherever he touches the ball.
No. 10: Cincinnati Bengals – Keldrick Faulk, ED, Auburn
Adding another edge rusher will be a priority of the Cincinnati Bengals. Whether they find a way to keep Try Hendrickson or not, they need to bolster the pass rush and Auburn’s Keldrick Faulk helps them do that. With prototypical size (6-foot-6, 285 pound), and power, Faulk is a player who will remind Bengals fans of Carlos Dunlap. As a player who can collapse the pocket and also defend the run, Faulk is the type of three-down defender who could replace Hendrickson if they move on.
2026 NFL Mock Draft 11-15: Dolphins add receiver; Top DL falls to Ravens
Two teams with new head coaches step into the spotlight in this range. What will Jeff Hafley do to get the Dolphins back into contention in the AFC East? The quarterback situation will need to be addressed first, but which other position of need will take priority? Given how the draft board is shaping up, the Dolphins add another reliable playmaker in Jordyn Tyson to go alongside Jaylen Waddle. Ravens new head coach Jesse Minter sees a top defensive lineman fall into his laps in Clemson’s Peter Woods who is a disruptive force anywhere he lines up along the defensive line.
No. 11: Miami Dolphins – Jordyn Tyson, WR, Arizona State
No. 12: Dallas Cowboys – Sonny Styles, LB, Ohio State
No. 13: Los Angeles Rams– Mansoor Delane, CB, LSU
No. 14: Baltimore Ravens – Peter Woods, DL, Clemson
No. 15: Tampa Bay Buccaneers – Cashius Howell, ED, Texas A&M
2026 NFL Mock Draft 16-20: Jets shift priorities; Vikings and Cowboys land top cornerback talent
The New York Jets are left in the cold when it comes to top quarterback talent, so they shift their attention to addressing another area of need on offense. With their second first round pick, they select Makai Lemon who could be considered as the top wide receiver in the draft. The Jets will address quarterback via free agency (maybe Malik Willis) and adding a QB on Day 2, but adding offensive talent is key and they get that with Lemon. Elsewhere, the Vikings and Cowboys add top cornerback talent as Tennessee’s Jermod McCoy and Clemson’s Avieon Terrell come off the board.
No. 16: New York Jets via Indianapolis Colts – Makai Lemon, WR, LSU
No. 17: Detroit Lions – Spencer Fano, T, Utah
No. 18: Minnesota Vikings– Jermod McCoy, CB, Tennessee
No. 19: Carolina Panthers– T.J. Parker, ED, Clemson
No. 20: Dallas Cowboys via Green Bay – Avieon Terrell, CB, Clemson
2026 NFL Mock Draft 21-25: Steelers reach at QB; Eagles add star tight end
The Pittsburgh Steelers missed on an opportunity to land an Ole Miss quarterback in the 2025 NFL Draft in this range as Jaxson Dart went to the Giants. They won’t pass it up this time and select Trinidad Chambliss in the first round. With the number of picks the Steelers have, they could address other areas of need and double dip at QB. Their in-state counterparts get their next tight end as Kenyon Sadiq falls to the Philadelphia Eagles.
No. 21: Pittsburgh Steelers – Trinidad Chambliss, QB, Ole Miss
No. 22: Los Angeles Chargers – Olaivavega Ioane, G, Penn State
No. 23: Philadelphia Eagles – Kenyon Sadiq, TE, Oregon
No. 24: Cleveland Browns via Jacksonville – Denzel Boston, WR, Washington
No. 25: Chicago Bears – Kayden McDonald, DL, Ohio State
2026 NFL Mock Draft 26-32: Bills pass on wide receiver in first round
The team to watch last in the first round are the Buffalo Bills. Will they add a weapon for Josh Allen? With the No. 26 overall pick, the Bills pass on Texas A&M wide receiver KC Concepcion and go defense here, but the team will see enough talent on Day 2 to take a receiver or two. Players to watch in the second or third round is Lousiville’s Chris Bell, Tennessee’s Chris Brazzell Jr. and Indiana’s Elijah Sarratt.