The dust has barely settled on the 2025 NFL Draft, but it’s never too early to look ahead to 2026. In this early mock, I’ve got the Saints finally landing a franchise quarterback, half the top ten coming from the ACC, and a total of four quarterbacks coming off the board.
Top Ten Mock Draft
1. New Orleans Saints: Garrett Nussmeier, QB, LSU
The Saints spent a second-round pick on Louisville quarterback Tyler Shough this year, but his extensive injury history makes it hard to see him as the long-term answer. That leads to New Orleans taking a quarterback in the top 40 for the second straight year, this time selecting LSU’s Garrett Nussmeier with the No. 1 overall pick.
2. Cleveland Browns: T.J. Parker, DE, Clemson
I expect rookie Shedeur Sanders to show enough this season to convince the Browns they don’t need to draft another quarterback in 2026. While Cleveland could end up picking lower than this, I’m sticking with Tankathon’s draft order. With this spot, they grab Clemson’s T.J. Parker, a disruptive edge rusher who earned second-team All-ACC honors last season after posting 19.5 tackles for loss and 11 sacks.
3. Tennessee Titans: Rueben Bain, DE, Miami
The Titans found their franchise quarterback in the 2025 NFL Draft with the No. 1 overall pick, Cam Ward. Now they turn to the defensive side of the ball, where finding a top-tier pass rusher is the priority. Rueben Bain brings explosive get-off and stands out as one of the best athletes in this year’s edge class. With better health in 2025, expect his production to take a big step forward.
4. New York Giants: Kadyn Proctor, OT, Alabama
The Giants are another team that hope they found their quarterback in the 2025 NFL Draft. For Jaxson Dart to succeed, though, they need to upgrade his protection. Kadyn Proctor has true left tackle feet and offers the highest upside of any offensive lineman in the 2026 draft class.
5. New York Jets: Peter Woods, DT, Clemson
We see our third ACC defensive lineman come off the board as the Jets select Peter Woods from Clemson. Woods brings a rare blend of quickness and power at 6'3", 315 pounds—disruptive enough to pressure the quarterback and stout enough to plug running lanes. If the Jets are picking this high in 2026, though, don’t rule out a quarterback being in play either.
6. Carolina Panthers: Avieon Terrell, CB, Clemson
Carolina needs to find a corner to play opposite Jaycee Horn, and they grab one of my favorite players in the 2026 NFL Draft, Clemson’s Avieon Terrell. Last season, Terrell led the Tigers with 13 pass breakups, the most by a Clemson player since 2014. What stands out most, beyond his ball skills, is how smooth and sticky he is in coverage, staying stride-for-stride with top receivers.
7. Las Vegas Raiders: Cade Klubnik, QB, Clemson
The Raiders made a significant investment in Geno Smith this offseason, but at 34 years old, he's not a long-term solution. That puts Las Vegas in position to draft a developmental quarterback, and they land one here in Clemson’s Cade Klubnik. Klubnik is a fundamentally sound passer who threw for 3,639 yards and 36 touchdowns last season, second only to Cam Ward and Shedeur Sanders.
8. Indianapolis Colts: Fernando Mendoza, QB, Indiana
When your top two quarterbacks are Anthony Richardson and Daniel Jones, both of whom have underachieved, it’s probably time to look for a new option. In this scenario, the Colts do just that by selecting Indiana’s Fernando Mendoza. While some may expect Penn State’s Drew Allar to be the first Big Ten quarterback off the board, Mendoza is the better athlete and a strong fit for the Hoosiers’ offense, where he’s expected to break out this season.
9. Cleveland Browns: Denzel Boston, WR, Washington
After going defense with the No. 2 pick, the Browns turn to offense with their second first-rounder. Denzel Boston is a wideout I expect to rise up draft boards this season thanks to his ideal size at 6-foot-4, strong hands with only three drops last year, and the toughness to make contested catches in traffic.
10. Los Angeles Rams: Drew Allar, QB, Penn State
The Rams have been linked to top quarterbacks in recent drafts, and they finally make the move by using the pick acquired from Atlanta to take Drew Allar. Head coach Sean McVay prefers traditional pocket passers, and that’s exactly what they get in the 6-5, 236-pound Allar. He’s coming off the best season of his career, throwing for 3,327 yards and 24 touchdowns with a 67% completion rate. He also set multiple single-season marks at Penn State and should improve further in his second year under offensive coordinator Andy Kotelnicki. While Allar has struggled in big games and must clean up late-game mistakes, the arm strength, size, and mechanics make him a strong developmental option for McVay’s offense.