The 2026 NFL offseason is already flying by as the first few waves of NFL Free Agency have come and gone, a ton of huge trades have gone down (and one has been redacted), and the picture for each roster around the league is starting to take shape.
The 2026 NFL Draft order has seen some major changes over the last handful of weeks with the Broncos and Dolphins striking a blockbuster trade sending Jaylen Waddle to Denver for a trio of draft picks, including number 30 overall in the 1st round.
With picks changing hands this offseason and teams addressing major needs in free agency, how might the first three rounds of the draft look in April? You probably have a better chance of a perfect bracket in the March Madness pool than you do of having a perfect mock draft, but these are some interesting team and player scenarios to ponder and maybe some good fits now that the dust is starting to settle a little bit.
2026 NFL Mock Draft: Complete 1st-round mock draft predictions
1. Las Vegas Raiders: Fernando Mendoza, QB, Indiana
Everybody knows how the 2026 NFL Draft is going to start. The Las Vegas Raiders will have another new franchise quarterback to build around with the arrival of Fernando Mendoza, who is going to be coming into the NFL with high expectations. Some of the rumors floating around out there seem to indicate that the Raiders don’t necessarily want to throw Mendoza to the wolves, so they will either have to sign a veteran or give Aidan O’Connell another shot.
Mendoza is coming into the NFL, at the very least, with a much better offensive line than anyone else playing QB for the Raiders in recent years has had, if only just for the addition of Tyler Linderbaum at center. The Raiders also did a lot better of a job already this offseason of revamping their defense through free agency, and getting Maxx Crosby back in the wild saga that transpired at the beginning of free agency.
2. New York Jets: Arvell Reese, LB/EDGE, Ohio State
It’s been an intriguing offseason for the New York Jets, who have a ton of moving parts once again on their roster this offseason. Nothing surprising going on here.
General manager Darren Mougey apparently never saw a trade he didn’t like, and has certainly made some fascinating moves, including bringing quarterback Geno Smith and linebacker Demario Davis back to the Jets to close out their NFL careers (presumably). The Smith move is an obvious precursor to something more long-term at some point, but that may not be this offseason.
The tough part about the Jets sitting here in the 2nd overall spot is that they should be in prime position to get a young quarterback, but that player isn’t in this class. Arvell Reese is a very solid prospect, but how much does Geno Smith raise the floor of this team? Are Mougey and Aaron Glenn going to be around to see their project through?