The 2026 NFL Draft might be a long way off, but so are a lot of NFL teams from being legitimately competitive. It’s never too early to start taking a look at what prospects could be the most coveted for the upcoming NFL Draft class, and NFL teams will be ecstatic to know that there are a plethora of quarterbacks that could become available in less than a year.
Unlike the 2025 NFL Draft, we’ve already seen a number of 1st-round picks already change hands. The Jaguars and Falcons are already out of the first round of next year’s draft, and their respective selections are adding even more intrigue to that quarterback market.
This 2026 NFL Mock Draft will cover the entire 1st round and will take a look at NFL teams’ top needs, a bit of a stock report on which prospects are getting the most first-round buzz right now, and perhaps a look at some fits between teams and players that could turn franchises around in 2026 and beyond.
2025 NFL Mock Draft: Saints, Browns, Colts take QBs early
1. New Orleans Saints: Cade Klubnik, QB, Clemson
Last year, it was the Denver Broncos who were pretty much unanimously projected to be the worst team in the NFL, and the entire NFL media world was wrong. The more I think about it, the more I’m starting to feel like the Saints are in a similar boat this coming season. The talent on the Saints roster right now is good enough to probably win at least five or six games, which would put them out of the running for the #1 overall pick in next year’s draft.
Still, if they finish anywhere near the top five picks overall, the Saints have to be considered one of the top candidates to go after a quarterback prospect. And if they do find themselves in this #1 overall slot, it seems like the pendulum has swung in favor of Clemson’s Cade Klubnik lately to be that top pick.
The Saints will hope for the best with Spencer Rattler and Tyler Shough this coming season, but those guys are more likely to drag this team down rather than put them in contention for the NFC South.
2. Cleveland Browns: Garrett Nussmeier, QB, LSU
The Cleveland Browns have a lot of faith in the duo of Andrew Berry (GM) and Kevin Stefanski to lead this team out of the doldrums of the NFL, but how quickly is that going to happen after the Deshaun Watson disaster?
Ownership in Cleveland has rightfully taken a lot of the blame for the Watson fiasco, which is going to cripple this franchise on the salary cap for years to come. But the Browns are in the process of moving on, and the next big step is going to be solidifying the quarterback position for the long haul.
They have one of the most uninspiring quarterback battles currently taking place in the NFL with Joe Flacco, Kenny Pickett, Dillon Gabriel, and Shedeur Sanders. And they have a lot more needs than just the QB position. This is a pivotal year for the Browns to discover core players on their roster going forward.