With the 2025 NFL season headed into Week 14 the 2026 NFL Draft board is starting to take shape as far as draft positions. Which teams are in position to land the top prospects in college football?
In what will be a big weekend in college football with conference championships taking place, some of those prospects that teams will be keeping an eye on is Indiana quarterback Fernando Mendoza who is going up against and Ohio State Buckeyes team loaded with top prospects.
How will Mendoza play against the explosiveness of Buckeyes linebacker duo Arvell Reese and Sonny Styles who are projected first round picks? Will OSU safety Caleb Downs get in the head of the Heisman Trophy candidate. Another area to keep an eye on is the wide receiver position which features prospects like OSU’s Carnell Tate and Indiana’s Elijah Sarratt.
Those are just some prospects NFL scouts will be watching over the weekend. As far as NFL teams and current draft order, teams in position for that top overall pick include the Tennessee Titans, New York Giants and New Orleans Saints. Ironically, each of those teams are led by rookie quarterbacks. The play of those QBs down the stretch will most likely determine who lands the top spot and which prospects will be taken in the top 3 based on need.
2026 NFL Mock Draft Top 5: Saints and Browns make intriguing selections; Raiders get their QB
In a draft order determined by current record and the projected trade, the Tennessee Titans get the ball rolling with the No. 1 overall pick in the draft
No. 1: Tennessee Titans– Rueben Bain Jr., ED, Miami (FL)
The Titans currently hold the No. 1 overall pick for the second consecutive draft. In 2025, they used the pick on quarterback Cam Ward out of the University of Miami and in the 2026 NFL Draft, they dip back into the Hurricanes talent pool and make Rueben Bain Jr. the No. 1 overall pick in the draft. The Titans will have a big opportunity to trade back and gain more draft capital in this draft and could still be able to draft Bain. But assuming no trades, the Titans go with an edge rusher with the talent to be a cornerstone on defense for years to come.
No. 2: New York Giants – Caleb Downs, S, Ohio State
The Giants will have to decide between a pair of Ohio State defenders with the No. 2 overall pick in the draft. They ultimately go with Caleb Downs who is the best safety prospect in the draft. In Downs they get a player who can reshape their defensive backfield as a defender who can play multiple defensive back positions. Although the Giants can go in any direction with this pick, Downs is a solid pick to add to the young nucleus this NFC East squad is formulating through recent drafts.
No. 3: New Orleans Saints – Jordyn Tyson, WR, Arizona State
The Saints had their eye on Bain Jr. as an edge rusher who can replace Cameron Jordan, but with him off the board they chose a running mate for Chris Olave in Arizona State’s Jordyn Tyson. This is assuming they see enough in Tyler Shough to roll with him at quarterback for another season. If they do, adding another explosive playmaker to the mix will be in the cards. Tyson is that type of playmaker as long as he is healthy, which would be the one weakness that could dampen his draft position.
No. 4: Las Vegas Raiders– Ty Simpson, QB, Alabama
The Raiders must address the quarterback position in this draft. With the No. 4 overall pick, they will have their choice of the top prospects entering the draft. Given his poise, arm talent and athleticism, they make Alabama’s Ty Simpson the first quarterback off the board. With tight end Brock Bowers as the top playmaker and what Ashton Jeanty is able to do out of the backfield, the 6-foo-2, 208-pound quarterback will have talent around him to continue his growth at the NFL level. The Raiders will still have a veteran in Geno Smith for him to learn behind until he is ready to take over the role.
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— Alabama Football (@AlabamaFTBL) November 12, 2025
No. 5: Cleveland Browns – Makai Lemon, WR, USC
The Browns may not be as starved at quarterback in this draft. They will take more of a look at Shedeur Sanders in 2026 and they also have Deshaun Watson back in the mix. With two picks in the first round, there is flexibility for the Browns to address other areas of need. They add to their wide receiver group with the selection of USC’s Makai Lemon. A great route runner who is extremely shifty and plays the game with toughness, Lemon is a player who will make the Browns offense more exciting and a bit more explosive in 2026, assuming one of their QBs settle in as the man.