It feels weird to even say it, but we’re already about to wrap up the first month of the 2025 NFL season. Time flies when you’re having fun, right? Well, not everyone is having fun at this point, but you get the idea.
Some fan bases are already fixated on the 2026 NFL Draft after the first month of the season, and understandably so. You can see the writing on the wall for some teams, even though there’s still plenty of time to turn things around.
As the NFL season has progressed, we’ve seen a number of college football players emerging as potential future first-round talents. We’ve got a brand-new 1st-round mock draft projection reflecting some of the hottest rising prospects in next year’s cycle, new quarterbacks emerging, and plenty more.
2026 NFL Mock Draft: New quarterbacks galore in 1st-round mock draft predictions
1. New Orleans Saints: Fernando Mendoza, QB, Indiana
There was some significant offseason hype surrounding Indiana quarterback Fernando Mendoza, who was transferring from Cal in 2025. The hype wasn’t immediately met with on-field production, but in recent weeks, Mendoza has proven exactly why so many people were intrigued by his NFL projection after last season. He has looked like a future top pick, even though the 2026 NFL Draft class is anything but settled at quarterback. If the Saints get the top pick, you already know they’re going to be after the top QB on their board.
2. Tennessee Titans: Rueben Bain, EDGE, Miami
The Tennessee Titans will have questions to answer on both sides of the line of scrimmage in the 2026 offseason, but general manager Mike Borgonzi has to focus on taking the best player available here. After going to “The U” for his #1 overall pick in 2025, he goes right back to the same well here in 2026 with Rueben Bain, one of the hottest prospects in the entire cycle right now. Bain has been dominating off the edge for the Hurricanes and looks like he’s going to be the top defensive player in the 2026 class.
3. New York Jets: LaNorris Sellers, QB, South Carolina
If the New York Jets finish with the third-worst record in the entire NFL after the season is over, there’s no question that they’re going to be in the mix for a new quarterback. Even with Justin Fields signing a hefty contract in the 2025 offseason, a finish this poor would reflect directly on the team’s need for someone new under center. New GM Darren Mougey used his first draft on the job to fortify other areas of the roster, especially the offensive line. Go get a dynamic quarterback prospect to build around.
4. Miami Dolphins: Mansoor Delane, CB, LSU
If the Miami Dolphins end up this bad at the end of the 2025 season, they will undoubtedly be headed for a massive overhaul as a franchise. The Dolphins have already flipped the coaching staff, which didn’t previously suit Tua Tagovailoa. If they blow it up in 2026, Tua is probably not safe, either. Still, I’m not hitching my wagon to the idea that the Dolphins are going to move on from Tua, as realistic as that is. They need help at cornerback, and LSU prospect Mansoor Delane is slowly reaching CB1 status.