There can’t be six quarterbacks picked in the top 12 overall every year in the NFL Draft, but teams are going to give themselves every excuse to keep that quarterback carousel spinning. The 2026 NFL Draft class looks like it’s poised to be one of the most interesting in recent memory as there are quarterback prospects galore and plenty of other potential building blocks for teams to target.
Our latest 2026 NFL mock draft is going to take a look at a number of fascinating prospects and their potential projection to an NFL future. How many quarterbacks will go in the 1st round? Which teams are in need of 1st-round quarterbacks? Who will pass on next year’s quarterback class in favor of guys already on the roster?
We’re going to take a way-too-early look into the crystal ball for 2026 and get a feel for not only some possible first-round prospects, but potential team needs next offseason as well.
2026 NFL Mock Draft: Quarterbacks fill up early 1st-round predictions
1. New Orleans Saints: Garrett Nussmeier, QB, LSU
The Saints are going to give it a shot this year with Tyler Shough, Spencer Rattler, and even Jake Haener getting into the mix. This team is the perfect example of “if you have two (or more) quarterbacks, you have none.” I don’t want to completely write off the idea of one of those guys figuring it out, but if the Saints are picking 1st overall, Garrett Nussmeier makes plenty of sense. The offensive coordinator isn’t making the pick, but having Doug Nussmeier – Garrett’s dad – on the staff certainly could sway the Saints here.
2. Cleveland Browns: Cade Klubnik, QB, Clemson
The Browns need stability at the quarterback position, and while I have absolutely no skin in the game, I would love to see Shedeur Sanders emerge from that situation. Nothing against Dillon Gabriel, of course. But if the Browns are picking 2nd overall next year, it’s likely that the quarterback position is a big reason why. The Browns won’t be able to pass on a stellar quarterback class if they have this kind of opportunity, so they’re going to need to get a clear look at Sanders (and maybe others) in 2025.
3. Tennessee Titans: TJ Parker, EDGE, Clemson
The Titans hope they have their franchise quarterback in place with Cam Ward. Even though Ward is talented and could be the long-term solution for the team, it doesn’t mean the Titans are going to have a Commanders-like resurgence. They might struggle similar to what we saw from the Patriots last year, even though they had Drake Maye. The Titans need pass rush help in the worst way and TJ Parker looks like he could be the best in this class. Tennessee has (checks notes) nobody coming off the edge that strikes fear in opposing offenses.
4. New York Giants: Kadyn Proctor, OT, Alabama
Giants fans might be scared of the idea of taking another Alabama offensive tackle prospect considering how things have gone with Evan Neal up to this point, but if this team is going to invest in Jaxson Dart, they’ve got to do it right. Dart’s presence on the roster makes this projection a really tough one because you want so bad to put Arch Manning on one of his uncle’s old teams. Proctor gives the Giants another stud on the offensive line to build around the QB they traded up for this year.
5. New York Jets: Arch Manning, QB, Texas
The Jets hired Darren Mougey to be their GM this year, and Mougey had a front row seat in Denver to the impact of Peyton Manning. While Arch Manning isn’t Peyton Manning, this is a legacy player NFL teams are going to fall in love with rather easily. Unlike Peyton and Eli, Arch has outstanding dual-threat capabilities. He’s a competitor and it feels like NFL Draft folks are overthinking him right now. He’s going to have a huge year in 2025 for Texas and would be a perfect long-term option for the Jets.
6. Carolina Panthers: Caleb Downs, S, Ohio State
The Carolina Panthers are one of those teams that needs to finish somewhere lower than this on next year’s draft order for the sake of quarterback Bryce Young. The last thing this team needs is another reason (or two) to draft someone to take Young’s place. The Panthers have so many interesting pieces in place offensively, including an underrated offensive line, but they lack pieces defensively. Caleb Downs is widely considered to be one of the top two or three overall defensive players in the class.
7. Indianapolis Colts: Fernando Mendoza, QB, Indiana
While Arch Manning is perhaps getting a bit underrated by the NFL Draft community, Fernando Mendoza is the guy they arguably love the most. Mendoza is a transfer from Cal who is set up perfectly to come in and increase his NFL Draft stock in the 2025 season. Folks are already seeing his outstanding arm talent on tape, and if the Colts finish somewhere in the top 10 overall picks, they’re definitely going to be in the QB market. The good news for Mendoza is, he has a chance to win over this fan base before he even gets to the pros.
8. Las Vegas Raiders: Peter Woods, DL, Clemson
The Raiders made a pretty significant investment in Geno Smith this offseason, and while they would absolutely be in the quarterback market here, I don’t know that Pete Carroll is going to be overly interested in overseeing the development of a young quarterback while he is with the Raiders. He’s still got a youthful way about him, but how much patience does he have? Father Time rests for no one. Instead of a QB here, the Raiders go with a playmaking defensive lineman to boost a defense that looks like one of the worst in the league on paper.
9. Cleveland Browns (from Jaguars): Francis Mauioga, OT, Miami
The Browns already got a quarterback earlier in this 2026 NFL mock draft, and here they add some help for the offensive line. One of the most underrated reasons why the Browns could struggle to win more than two or three games this season is the state of their offensive line right now. Francis Mauioga is one of a handful of guys who could potentially emerge as OT1 in the coming cycle of prospects.
10. Los Angeles Rams (from Falcons): LaNorris Sellers, QB, South Carolina
For the last few years, we’ve been projecting the Los Angeles Rams to take a shot on a quarterback early in the NFL Draft. Matthew Stafford is still playing at an extremely high level, so the Rams have been caught in this spot where they don’t have to plan for the long-term future, but they might pull the trigger at any time. If they get a top-10 pick from the Falcons, it might be the perfect chance to do it. LaNorris Sellers is one of a number of guys getting some top-10 offseason hype and could be a great pickup for Sean McVay.
11. Miami Dolphins: Spencer Fano, OT, Utah
The Miami Dolphins are one of those teams right now that just has so many potential roster issues that you can see how this team might bottom out at some point. In fact, we recently labeled the Dolphins as one of the teams that might be most likely to “sell” at the 2025 NFL trade deadline. One of the areas the Dolphins need to do some serious renovating is on the offensive lie. Spencer Fano could be a starter at tackle or guard for them.
12. Seattle Seahawks: Keldric Faulk, DL, Auburn
We’ll see how the Sam Darnold experiment works out for the Seattle Seahawks in 2025. Darnold was excellent for most of the 2024 season with the Vikings, but he’s being thrust into a completely new environment once again. Has Darnold broken through as a player and created a new floor for himself, or are the Seahawks going to be in the QB market again? We’re going to give Darnold the benefit of the doubt. The Seahawks get a playmaker for the defensive front in this scenario.
13. New England Patriots: Rueben Bain, EDGE, Miami
The Patriots have done quite a bit to try and upgrade their defensive front this season, making arguably the biggest move of NFL Free Agency with the signing of Milton Williams. They also added veteran edge rusher Harold Landry, but the long-term future needs to be addressed off the edge. Rueben Bain is healthy this season and is expected to have a massive year for the Miami program with his relentless effort off the edge. He converts speed to power as well as anyone at the college level.
14. Arizona Cardinals: Jermod McCoy, CB, Tennessee
I love the calculated risk the Cardinals took in the 2025 NFL Draft with the selection of Will Johnson in the 2nd round. The former Michigan star was projected as a consensus top-10 pick at this time a year ago. Even with the addition of Johnson, the cornerback position could remain an area of need for Jonathan Gannon’s defense this coming season and his team gets the first one off the board here in Tennessee’s ballhawk Jermod McCoy.
15. Dallas Cowboys: Jeremiyah Love, RB, Notre Dame
Dallas Cowboys fans got mock draft fatigue last year with the projection of Ashton Jeanty almost all year long, and they’d better buckle in for another year of running back mock draft picks. Miles Sanders and Javonte Williams are interesting one year propositions for this team, but the Cowboys could quickly find themselves in the running back market again as those two guys kind of just are what they are at this stage of their careers. Notre Dame’s Jeremiyah Love has a chance to be the first back off the board and a game-changer in this type of situation.
16. Pittsburgh Steelers: Drew Allar, QB, Penn State
The Pittsburgh Steelers have finally and mercifully got Aaron Rodgers in the fold for the 2025 season, but the future of the position is still in question. You can’t help but wonder what Rodgers is planning on beyond this year, but at some point, he’s going to call it quits. The Steelers love going after local products when they have a chance and Drew Allar is a polarizing prospect at the game’s most important position. He could be a fun fit in Pittsburgh to replace Rodgers if he is one-and-done.
17. Chicago Bears: LT Overton, EDGE, Alabama
The Chicago Bears did a great job of resetting on the offensive line this offseason, but general manager Ryan Poles might find his team’s biggest weakness is on the other side of the line in 2025. The Bears made a bold trade a couple of years ago for Montez Sweat, but he took a big step back in 2024. They need help off the edge and LT Overton has the potential to be a big-time sack producer at the next level. The former Texas A&M transfer is big, long, and powerful off the edge.
18. Minnesota Vikings: Avieon Terrell, CB, Clemson
The Minnesota Vikings had limited NFL Draft capital to work with in 2025, so they are going to have to address the secondary in 2026. The cornerback class in 2026 doesn’t look like it has any true blue-chip prospects, but NFL teams always love guys with NFL bloodlines and Avieon Terrell’s older brother AJ has carved out quite the career for himself in Atlanta. The Vikings get little bro here and he’s no slouch. He had 12 broken up passes, two interceptions, and three forced fumbles last season.
19. Houston Texans: Anthony Hill Jr., LB, Texas
The Houston Texans are in a position where they can sit and take the best player on their board in almost any projected offseason scenario. One of the position groups that gets undervalued by the NFL these days is the off-ball linebacker position, and Anthony Hill Jr. is someone who could go quite a bit higher than this depending on his testing numbers. He had 113 total tackles last season and a whopping 17 tackles for loss with four forced fumbles and eight sacks. He can be a game changer.
20. Tampa Bay Buccaneers: CJ Allen, LB, Georgia
The Buccaneers were rumored to be one of the teams most heavily in on off-ball linebackers in the 2025 NFL Draft, but they stayed pretty chalk with the group they had last year. Lavonte David is back for another year with the team, seemingly an ageless wonder at this point. But the Bucs need to get younger at the position and CJ Allen could be the perfect fit with his range, athleticism, and three-down abilities.
21. Denver Broncos: Jake Slaughter, C, Florida
The Denver Broncos have invested heavily in the offensive line under head coach Sean Payton and that should be expected to continue in 2026. There are a number of developmental late-round guys on the roster right now, but with Luke Wattenberg set to hit free agency in 2026, the Broncos might go after a first-round player on the interior line who can play either center or guard. Slaughter could step right in and keep one of the best offensive lines in the league humming.
22. Los Angeles Chargers: Dani Dennis-Sutton, EDGE, Penn State
The Chargers lost Joey Bosa in the 2025 offseason and signed veterans Khalil Mack and Bud Dupree to new deals. That’s pretty indicative of the state of the position in Los Angeles right now, even though Tuli Tuipulotu is an underrated edge player who deserves more recognition than he gets. Dani Dennis-Sutton will be a familiar face for Jim Harbaugh and Jesse Minter and could be a fantastic value for the Chargers late in the first round. They’ve got to find a way to upgrade the defensive front, especially off the edge.
23. Green Bay Packers: DJ McKinney, CB, Colorado
For two offseasons in a row, the Packers have not really gone after guys in the NFL Draft to upgrade their situation at the cornerback position. With former first-round pick Eric Stokes officially gone and Jaire Alexander maybe having one foot out the door already, the cornerback discussion is going to come up yet again in 2026. DJ McKinney has the size (6-foot-2) that GM Brian Gutekunst covets at the position and could be a Day 1 starter for Green Bay.
24. San Francisco 49res: Caleb Lomu, OT, Utah
The San Francisco 49ers reloaded their roster in 2025, but there’s only so much you can do with just one offseason. With Robert Saleh coming back in the fold, the Niners decided to save the offensive line reload for 2026 and instead chose to emphasize the defense early and often in the 2025 NFL Draft. The 2026 NFL Draft is going to need a bit more of an offensive focus after the team’s massive investment in Brock Purdy. Caleb Lomu can come in and potentially start at tackle or guard.
25. Cincinnati Bengals: Caleb Banks, DL, Florida
The Cincinnati Bengals have to do everything in their power to upgrade the defensive side of the ball through the draft over the next couple of seasons with how much money they’ve spent to keep the band together offensively. They’ve got some trouble in paradise with 2025 first-round pick Shemar Stewart, but assuming he’s going to get that situation figured out, he’s going to need more help on the defensive front. Caleb Banks is a big, long player who can create havoc from a number of alignments.
26. Los Angeles Rams: Jordyn Tyson, WR, Arizona State
Shockingly, we don’t have a single wide receiver coming off the board in this 2026 NFL mock draft projection until this point. The wide receiver crop in 2025 was uninspiring, and barring someone else stepping up, the 2026 group might be even worse. But beauty is in the eye of the beholder and one of the best players in the class is former Colorado transfer and Arizona State star Jordyn Tyson. With the Rams getting one year of Davante Adams, they might be in the market for another playmaker to join LaNorris Sellers in this scenario.
27. Washington Commanders: Matayo Uiagalelei, EDGE, Oregon
The Washington Commanders are hoping to duplicate and even build off of their success as a team in 2024 when they reached the NFC Championship Game, but they have done a shockingly bad job at upgrading their defensive front this offseason. There’s still time for the Commanders to try and make some moves to upgrade their situation there, but it’s more likely we’re looking at this team using a 2026 1st-round pick on the pass rush. Matayo Uiagalelei had 10.5 sacks last year and is just scratching the surface.
28. Buffalo Bills: Antonio Williams, WR, Clemson
Depending on how the board falls, the Bills could absolutely be in the mix for a first-round receiver. Keon Coleman showed some nice stuff as a rookie with the Bills, but needs to take that next step in 2025. The Bills re-signed Khalil Shakir, an after-the-catch demon, but they could still look to upgrade the weaponry around Josh Allen. Antonio Williams is a favorite target of Cade Klubnik and should see his draft stock soar as a result.
29. Detroit Lions: AJ Harris, CB, Penn State
The Detroit Lions still need a lot on the defensive side of the ball, even though that was the clear area of this team that had to be improved after the 2024 season. They also might have serious needs on the interior offensive line a year from now. The secondary is an area where the Lions are taking some calculated risks on guys they’ve invested high draft capital in, but if it doesn’t work out, they’ll be back to the drawing board.
30. Baltimore Ravens: Deontae Lawson, LB, Alabama
When you look at the Baltimore Ravens roster right now, you just don’t see a ton of pressing areas of need. This team simply needs to add playmakers on both sides of the ball and continue investing in the trenches so they can replace guys who end up getting paid on the open market. They could look to someone like Deontae Lawson late in next year’s first round, a player who is very experienced as a four-year starter at Alabama with the ability to take on blocks and make plays in coverage.
31. Kansas City Chiefs: Dillon Thienaman, SAF, Oregon
The Kansas City Chiefs had bigger fish to fry in the 2025 offseason, but their defensive backfield has taken some significant hits in recent years. They lost L’Jarius Sneed last year and let Justin Reid walk in free agency in 2025. The loss of Reid could be felt more than anyone in Kansas City seems to expect. Dillon Thienaman is a Purdue transfer at Oregon this year who had six interceptions in 2023 and could prove himself to be one of the best ballhawks in the country yet again in 2025.
32. Philadelphia Eagles: Eric Singleton Jr., WR, Auburn
The Philadelphia Eagles have one of the best and most complete rosters in the NFL, but have they nearly maximized their investment in AJ Brown at the wide receiver position? It’s possible they could still get a couple more really good years out of him, but it’s also possible they could try to maximize his value by trading him in the near future. Eric Singleton Jr. is a transfer from Georgia Tech whose stock could skyrocket in a new situation this season.