The NFL trade deadline has come and gone, we're well into Week 11 at this point, and the college football season is already approaching the playoffs. Where has this season gone? It's been flying by, which means we're really starting to close in on 2026 NFL Draft preparation for a lot of teams that might already be out of the playoff mix.
The latest 2026 NFL mock draft will take a look at the entire first round and how things stand after the first 10 weeks of the NFL season. We've got a brand-new #1 overall pick in this mock draft as well as some intriguing changes in the pecking order at quarterback.
How will the drama unfold in the Spring? It's impossible to know right now, but we're going to take another stab at predicting the 1st round with teams' current needs and the stock of prospects around the country.
2026 NFL Mock Draft: Arvell Reese skyrockets to #1 overall pick; Ty Simpson QB1
1. Tennessee Titans: Arvell Reese, LB, Ohio State
It might feel like a stretch at this point to say that a linebacker could go 1st overall in the draft, but Arvell Reese is not any run-of-the-mill linebacker. He's a weapon for the defense on all three downs, he can get after the quarterback, and he's exactly what a team like the Titans needs right now.
Well, the Titans have a lot of needs, but Reese could go a long way to upgrading their talent defensively.
2. New Orleans Saints: Ty Simpson, QB, Alabama
The way NFL teams perceive this year's quarterback class will be fascinating to watch. There were a lot of players you could have penciled into this slot earlier in the season, but it feels like the quarterbacks possibly coming out this year won't be ranked based on any consensus, but on a team-by-team basis.
Ty Simpson doesn't have a huge body of work, by any stretch, but he might be playing the position at the highest level of anyone in college football this year right alongside Fernando Mendoza.
3. New York Jets: Fernando Mendoza, QB, Indiana
Nobody needs a quarterback right now more than the New York Jets. Justin Fields has been an abject disaster for that team, and they have no passing game to really speak of at this point. Fernando Mendoza might be able to come in right now, get a quick download of the offense, and provide an upgrade if he played this weekend.
The Jets have a lot of high picks over the next couple of years, but none of it will matter if they don't get this position right. It's going to be a huge offseason upcoming for GM Darren Mougey.
4. New York Giants: Caleb Downs, SAF, Ohio State
We're really on the struggle bus when we've got a linebacker and a safety going in the top four picks overall, but the lack of offensive tackles, corners, and receivers in this upcoming class among the consensus top-5 overall is pretty rare. The New York Giants have a lot of those pieces in place already, anyway, so they might be able to afford something like this.
Caleb Downs has been consistently projected as a top-5 overall player in this class, regardless of positional value. He would be a huge upgrade to the Giants defense.