The 2026 NFL Draft is still a long way off, but the 2025 college football season is knocking at the door. Competition for 1st-round status is already well underway, and even though Summer has literally just begun, football is nearly in the air.
The latest 2026 NFL Mock Draft is fired up and ready to go with the latest College Football video game set to release on July 10 and plenty of prospects coming into focus. As always, these mock drafts are more of an exercise to find out what experts think of players around the country right now and which players currently have some first-round hype.
Expect those opinions to change drastically over the course of the next six months.
Not only that, but we're getting an early look at some potential needs for NFL teams around the league. Who will be riding the quarterback carousel in 2026? Which teams are going to find those missing pieces to their championship hopes?
2026 NFL Mock Draft: QBs load up latest 1st round predictions
1. New Orleans Saints: Cade Klubnik, QB, Clemson
We could put together a handful of different 2026 NFL mock draft projections right now and justify a variety of players in this spot. Ultimately, the one name that seems to be gaining the most consistent #1 overall pick steam right now is Clemson’s Cade Klubnik, who is simultaneously in line for the unofficial “most underrated” quarterback award. He’s got the arm talent and athleticism teams love, but his ability to put the ball in the end zone while limiting turnovers will endear him to just about any head coach.
Key X-factor for this season: Can Tyler Shough potentially develop into a franchise quarterback for this team? The Saints have a lot of veteran talent, but if the QB position struggles (as expected), they'll be trade deadline sellers.
2. Cleveland Browns: Garrett Nussmeier, QB, LSU
The Cleveland Browns are once again in a disastrous situation at the quarterback position, hoping for literally any sort of spark from a 40-year-old Joe Flacco or a former 1st-round bust in Kenny Pickett. The Browns don’t have the offensive line to help a quarterback like those guys truly succeed in 2025, so you figure they are going to be somewhere in the top three picks next year, depending on how many games they accidentally win (or don’t). I think we’re going to see the Browns go after a QB prospect with more time on task than strictly physical upside or talent.
Key X-factor for this season: Finding foundational pieces on the roster outside of QB and Myles Garrett. What do the Browns have to build around right now? That's a major question mark for this team, which has issues all over the place.
3. Tennessee Titans: TJ Parker, EDGE, Clemson
If the Titans are this bad in 2025, I think they still need to make sure they don’t abandon their investment in Cam Ward. Some teams go year to year with quarterback investments, and picking high in next year’s draft, it could be tempting to move on. But you already do some advance scouting for the next class when you make a decision like the Titans did to take Ward, so they’ve got to do work to surround him with talent on both sides of the ball. This team has nothing to speak of right now off the edge.
Key X-factor for this season: The organization buying Cam Ward as a franchise quarterback. The Titans know their roster is a work in progress, but Ward can prove himself to be a franchise player regardless.
4. New York Giants: Caleb Downs, SAF, Ohio State
The New York Giants are in another brutal situation if they’re picking this high. They have the talent on paper on both sides of the ball to be much more competitive than this, but they need the Jaxson Dart pick to be a hit. I’m going to say they give Dart at least a year on the job to figure out if he can be something for them. If Dart doesn’t play much in 2025 and the Giants stink, they could change their GM and coach, which would put them in prime QB territory here. If Joe Schoen and Brian Daboll are still around, they’ll take the best player on the board.
Key X-factor for this season: Getting a fair evaluation on Jaxson Dart. The current regime traded up to make Dart a 1st-round selection, so they've got to see what he can do. Unless Russell Wilson is playing at an other-worldly level, getting Dart at least six starts is crucial.
5. New York Jets: Fernando Mendoza, QB, Indiana
The New York Jets were rumored to be in the market for quarterbacks in the 2025 NFL Draft, but I think they wisely passed and decided to invest in the offensive line with the Armand Membou selection. The Jets have one year to see what they’ve got in Justin Fields, but if they’ve got a top-five pick next year, it likely means things went poorly for Fields. And if that’s the case, they’re going to need to target a QB with this pick. Fernando Mendoza is quickly rising up everyone’s draft boards these days and with a big year at Indiana, he could contend for the #1 overall pick.
Key X-factor for this season: Establishing a physical culture under Aaron Glenn. Allow a QB to step right into the offense and have success.
6. Carolina Panthers: Keldric Faulk, EDGE, Auburn
If the Carolina Panthers finish with one of the five or six worst records in the NFL next year, it’s likely not going to be because their offense let them down. This is a team with clear weaknesses on the roster defensively, especially after their trade of Brian Burns last year. They’ve gone after so much offensive talent early in the draft in recent years that the difference in number of building blocks on one side of the ball compared to the other is staggering. The Panthers need to go after a top-tier edge player in 2026 and they’ll be hoping players like Keldric Faulk continue to emerge.
Key X-factor for this season: Seeing young players develop defensively. The Panthers have very few true building blocks on the defensive side of the ball and they need some players to step up, even if it's unexpected.
7. Las Vegas Raiders: Peter Woods, DL, Clemson
The Las Vegas Raiders are going to give Geno Smith every opportunity over the next couple of years to elevate the talent they have on the offensive side of the ball. The offensive personnel doesn’t look like the issue for this team right now, but the defense in Las Vegas is looking ugly. With recent rumors that Christian Wilkins could miss even more time with injury issues, the Raiders’ defensive woes could quickly get out of control. They need to start adding from the inside out and Peter Woods would be able to thrive next to players like Maxx Crosby and Tyree Wilson.
Key X-factor for this season: Geno Smith needs to make 2026 QB decision very easy, one way or the other. Either he plays well enough to buy this team one more year, or they know they have to dive head-first into next year's QB pool.
8. Indianapolis Colts: Arch Manning, QB, Texas
This would be one of the wildest stories of the draft, wouldn’t it? The Indianapolis Colts taking Peyton Manning’s nephew to be their franchise quarterback of the future would be wild, and it would serve to make millennials like me continually feel old. If you take a pulse on the NFL Draft community right now, people are just not very high on Arch Manning at all. It’s going to be fun to see what he can do this coming season and if he puts himself in this kind of conversation. We might have to wait for Arch in the NFL until 2027, but I’m still high on him as a prospect.
Key X-factor this season: Can Anthony Richardson progress or will Daniel Jones be a comeback player of the year candidate? If neither of those things happens, the Colts' direction is clear. But will Chris Ballard and Shane Steichen be part of that?
9. Cleveland Browns (from Jaguars): Kadyn Proctor, OT, Alabama
The Browns used their top pick on a quarterback, and they lucked out by getting maybe the top offensive lineman off the board here with their other pick in the top 10 overall. The Browns picking twice in the top 10 overall means that some folks out there believe the Jacksonville Jaguars are going to be one of the 10 worst teams in the league again in 2025. The Browns will certainly be hoping so, because they need the foundational pieces for their roster, which has quickly become one of the worst in the NFL.
Key X-factor this season (for the Jaguars): Ensuring you've invested in the right players as foundational pieces (Trevor Lawrence, Travis Hunter, Brian Thomas, Josh Hines-Allen, Travon Walker). Be ready to spend big in 2026 NFL Free Agency.
10. Los Angeles Rams (from Falcons): LaNorris Sellers, QB, South Carolina
The Los Angeles Rams took a calculated risk by trading out of the 1st round of the 2025 NFL Draft entirely, instead taking a chance that the Atlanta Falcons would struggle with their first full year in the Michael Penix Jr. era. You can’t blame them, especially because the 2026 quarterback class could be absolutely perfect for them to start their Matthew Stafford succession plan. LaNorris Sellers has drawn some hype as a potential #1 overall pick and would be a fun dual-threat for Sean McVay to mold in his offense.
Key X-factor this season (for Falcons): Michael Penix Jr. and young defensive players have to take a big step forward, regardless of the team's win-loss record.
11. Miami Dolphins: Spencer Fano, OT, Utah
It’s going to be interesting to watch the Miami Dolphins in 2025. This is a roster that, if healthy, could be one of the best in the entire AFC. If they start to struggle with injuries, which has been the case in recent years, then they’re going to be a complete disaster again. The one area of this team that has gotten worse and is preventing me from buying them as true contenders is the offensive line. The offensive line for Miami lost Terron Armstead, and was already a problem area. They could be poised to take the best lineman available in 2026.
Key X-factor for this season: Find out which players you can truly build around and who needs to get traded to the highest bidder. You can't mess around with guys who can't stay healthy for too long.
12. New England Patriots: Rueben Bain, EDGE, Miami
The rebuilding project for Mike Vrabel and the New England Patriots is going to take some time. This team could be one of the top up-and-coming teams in the league, but they need to do more work to the defensive front in order to truly get back in the mix with teams like Miami and Buffalo in the AFC East. The pass rush will get a jolt from free agent pickup Milton Williams, but the Patriots also brought in Harold Landry to try and add a veteran presence off the edge. This team needs pass rushers to emerge at the college level so they can cash in during the 2026 NFL Draft, and Rueben Bain is looking to bounce back after an injury-plauged 2024.
Key X-factor for this season: Drake Maye taking the next step is crucial, along with big-money free agents helping take the defense to another level.
13. Seattle Seahawks: Francis Mauioga, OT, Miami
The Seattle Seahawks upgraded their weak offensive line with the addition of Grey Zabel in the 1st round of the 2025 NFL Draft, but I think they are far from done adding to that group. The offensive line in Seattle needed as many as three new starters at different points last season, and while you’ve got to give the young guys time to develop, I’m guessing we’re going to see offensive line at the top of their needs list once again in 2026. Francis Mauioga could end up being the top tackle in the class, so he’d be a nice value for Seattle.
Key X-factor for this season: Sweeping changes cannot reflect poorly on the new coaching staff. Sam Darnold needs to make everyone look smart.
14. Arizona Cardinals: Jermod McCoy, CB, Tennessee
This is an extremely talented class of cornerbacks at the top, and Jermod McCoy might be the best of them all. The only issue is that he tore his ACL in January and his status for this coming season is in question. Do the Cardinals want to take another risk on an injured player at the position after taking Will Johnson in 2025? If McCoy can get back out there on the field in 2025, he might be worth the risk. Arizona has needed to upgrade their talent in the secondary for a while.
Key X-factor this season: Pass rushers need to make everyone's lives easier, especially Josh Sweat. If the pass rush struggles again this year, it could cost Jonathan Gannon his job.
15. Pittsburgh Steelers: Drew Allar, QB, Penn State
Just like with Arch Manning, NFL Draft analysts right now seem to be very split on the polarizing Drew Allar out of Penn State. You can only imagine what NFL teams are saying about him right now. When it comes to physical traits and arm talent, Allar has #1 overall pick type of stuff. When it comes to decision-making, he might be more of a Day 3 pick when you watch him consistently. The optimistic view is that he figures out how to put it all together in 2025 and becomes a legitimate 1st-round player, and a team like the Steelers would love to cash in on the fall of a talent like this.
Key X-factor this season: Can the running game support Aaron Rodgers enough to give this team the necessary balance offensively to compete in the AFC North? Kaleb Johnson's development and fit will be huge.
16. Dallas Cowboys: Anthony Hill, LB, Texas
The Dallas Cowboys could very well go with a running back or defensive back here, but I’m not sure they’d be able to pass on the allure of a guy like Anthony Hill Jr., a local product who can shrink the field for your defense. Hill makes it feel like Texas’s defense is out there playing with 12 guys a lot of times. He’s got outstanding range, instincts, and playmaking ability. He lives behind the line of scrimmage. Dallas will need more impact players like this after this season to create additional opportunities for the very well-paid offense.
Key X-factor this season: Dak Prescott must stay healthy and George Pickens needs to be as-advertised. The Cowboys have injury issues defensively, especially in the secondary. The offense will have to carry this team.
17. Chicago Bears: Jeremiyah Love, RB, Notre Dame
I find it hard to believe that new Chicago Bears head coach Ben Johnson is just going to be okay with D’Andre Swift as his top back, considering his old team – the Detroit Lions – ditched Swift like a bad habit. It feels like this is very much a one-year union before the Bears go looking for new players at running back to keep supporting Caleb Williams with more and more talent at the skill positions. Here, they make Jeremiyah Love the first running back off the board and they do a little fan service in the process by taking a guy from Notre Dame.
Key X-factor this season: The offensive line has to mesh quickly, and Caleb Williams has to prove his internal clock has sped up from a season ago.
18. Minnesota Vikings: Avieon Terrell, CB, Clemson
The Minnesota Vikings already have one of the most loaded rosters in the league, but the one area of the team that needs to be looked at under a microscope next offseason is the secondary. We’ll see how some of the incoming free agents can do this year like Isaiah Rodgers and Jeff Okudah, but it’s looking like the secondary could be getting an overhaul for the Vikings next year. The uncertainty of a young QB like JJ McCarthy and the question marks in the secondary are the two things really giving pause with this otherwise stellar team.
Key X-factor this season: The secondary cannot cause JJ McCarthy to have to constantly play from behind. McCarthy's health will be in focus, but the Vikings may have bigger roster issues that cause him to struggle than his injury last year.
19. Houston Texans: Isaiah World, OT, Oregon
The Houston Texans somewhat surprisingly decided to do a full-on renovation project with their offensive line in the 2025 offseason. Maybe it was a year late or maybe they did too much at once, but they are putting CJ Stroud in an interesting position in 2025. Regardless, he spent way too much time on his back last season, and if it happens again this year, the Texans are going to be in big trouble. They have to continue investing in the offensive line after using a second-round pick on Aireontae Ersery in 2025.
Key X-factor this season: Offensive line must do a better job protecting CJ Stroud, and the young receivers have to step up quickly.
20. Tampa Bay Buccaneers: CJ Allen, LB, Georgia
I’m guessing CJ Allen is going to be a very popular 2026 NFL mock draft pick for the Buccaneers in the coming months. This is not a roster with a ton of pressing needs, so folks are going to have to dig a little bit to find one until the Bucs prove they have some serious weaknesses on the field. The one area of the team that I was surprised to see them sort of pass on upgrading this offseason was off-ball linebacker. You’ve got the ageless wonder in Lavonte David out there, but this is a question mark for the Bucs in 2025.
Key X-factor this season: Can the Bucs get Haason Reddick to actually show up and play to the level he's capable of? If they can get good production out of Reddick, they'll be a tough team to beat.
21. Denver Broncos: Kenyon Sadiq, TE, Oregon
The Denver Broncos upgraded their tight end position this offseason with the addition of veteran Evan Engram on a two-year deal. Engram should be a huge impact player on the Broncos’ offense, but he only signed a two-year deal and has injury concerns throughout his career. The tight end position in this year’s draft doesn’t look great right now, but there’s a chance for Oregon’s Kenyon Sadiq to step up and become the top player in the class. He’s already the #1 tight end for ESPN’s Jordan Reid.
Key X-factor this season: Bo Nix cannot be the one carrying the offense all season. If the Broncos can add a competent running game and better consitency from the receivers, this could be a top-5 team in both scoring offense and scoring defense.
22. Los Angeles Chargers: Dani Dennis-Sutton, EDGE, Penn State
The Los Angeles Chargers are getting (and staying) a little long in the tooth off the edge this coming season. While they moved on from the oft-injured Joey Bosa (who signed with the Buffalo Bills), they wound up giving new contracts to both Khalil Mack (34) and Bud Dupree (32). It’s not that the Chargers have no talent off the edge, but they need to get younger. Dani Dennis-Sutton looks like the latest Penn State pass rusher to make a smooth transition to the NFL after racking up 8.5 sacks and a pair of forced fumbles last season.
Key X-factor this season: Chargers running game making life extremely easy on Justin Herbert. The Chargers invested heavily in their run game, signing Mekhi Becton and Najee Harris in free agency and adding Omarion Hampton in the 2025 NFL Draft.
23. Green Bay Packers: AJ Harris, CB, Penn State
We’ve got a couple of teams going back-to-back Nittany Lions here in this 2026 NFL mock draft with the Packers taking cornerback AJ Harris just one selection after the Chargers took his teammate Dani Dennis-Sutton. The Packers have somewhat neglected the cornerback position the past couple of years, and it’s coming back to bite them a bit. They traded Rasul Douglas in 2023 and then moved on from a pair of former first-round picks – Jaire Alexander and Eric Stokes – in 2025. And they did it with no real backup plan. The Packers have to be one of the most likely teams in the NFL to take a 1st-round corner in 2026.
Key X-factor this season: The Packers desperately need Lukas Van Ness to take the next step in his game and be a disruptive force off the edge.
24. San Francisco 49ers: DJ McKinney, CB, Colorado
We did not make the order for this mock draft, so obviously it came as a bit of a shock to see the 49ers this low in the order. The 49ers lost so much this past offseason that it’s hard to see them finishing as one of the top 10 overall teams in the NFL, but you never know. Regardless, the Niners absolutely need to upgrade their secondary after losing both Charvarius Ward and Talanoa Hufanga in 2025 NFL free agency. One player who isn’t a unanimous first-round guy right now but could be soon is Colorado’s DJ McKinney, a long player with great ball skills.
Key X-factor this season: 49ers need to stay healthy, and the key to this team being back in contention in the NFC overall might be Robert Saleh. He always gets the most out of his guys, but there are a lot of moving parts on his defense. How much can he elevate that talent?
25. Cincinnati Bengals: Caleb Banks, DL, Florida
I’m trying to figure out a way to make a joke here about it not mattering who the Bengals select in this spot, they’re not going to try to sign him anyway. All kidding aside, the Bengals basically just need to take offensive guys off the list here in the 1st round and focus strictly on the defensive side of the ball. They legitimately might be in an unprecedented situation with Shemar Stewart to the point that they need to go back-to-back edge rushers just to get someone in the building, but the defensive front is a safe bet. Caleb Banks is a fringe first-round player at this point, but would be a good fit for the Bengals if they’re in the market to sign rookies
Key X-factor for this season: The defense cannot be incompetent. This is an offense that can outscore anybody, so long as the defense comes up with a few big stops each game.
26. Washington Commanders: Antonio Williams, WR, Clemson
As tough as the 2025 NFL Draft class felt at the wide receiver position, the 2026 draft class is even worse at the moment. Guys could still emerge, but it would be wild to see one of the positions most coveted by the NFL year after year not get picked until 26th overall. The distinction of WR1 in the 2026 NFL Draft class is very much up for grabs, and it would be fitting for a school like Clemson to have that player emerge. This was once a true wide receiver factory. Antonio Williams had 11 touchdowns last season and will likely be the top target for projected #1 overall pick Cade Klubnik.
Key X-factor this season: The Commanders might have the worst assembly of pass rushers in the entire NFL. That could be a major issue over the course of this season.
27. Los Angeles Rams: Malik Muhammad, CB, Texas
The Rams went after a quarterback earlier in this mock draft projection and here they address the back end of their defense. This is a team that’s been rumored to be in on the Jalen Ramsey sweepstakes once again, and it’s obvious to see why. As good as the Rams have been the past couple of years defensively, especially reloading the roster on that side of the ball since they won the Super Bowl, their secondary talent is lacking. This is a strong incoming cornerback class and Malik Muhammad could be a nice value for the Rams late in round one.
Key X-factor this season: The Rams need their older veterans offensively to stay healthy and produce at the level they've been capable of throughout their careers. Matthew Stafford and Davante Adams could key another Super Bowl run for this team.
28. Buffalo Bills: Jordyn Tyson, WR, Arizona State
The Buffalo Bills have invested in the wide receiver position, but the 2025 season will tell us if they’ve invested enough. They re-signed Khalil Shakir to a big-money deal and he’s proven to be one of the best in the league after the catch. They obviously feel like Keon Coleman can continue to develop. It will be fascinating to see if the Bills can hit on someone like free agent receiver Josh Palmer or one of the other guys they’ve brought in as a dart throw. If not, they can afford to throw a 1st-round pick at receiver. Jordan Tyson was outstanding for ASU after transferring away from Colorado.
Key X-factor this season: The defensive front staying healthy is crucial. The Bills added a bunch of risky players on the defensive line and need them to all be ready to go for January.
29. Detroit Lions: Gabe Jacas, EDGE, Illinois
I was a little shocked to see the way the Detroit Lions approached reloading off the edge in 2025. That is to say, they didn’t really reload at all. The Lions are banking on Aidan Hutchinson returning to his top form as quickly as possible, and while we all hope that happens, there were no contingency plans made. I have a feeling the Lions are going to be scrambling for help off the edge as we get closer to the season. Gabe Jacas had a nice year last year at Illinois, racking up 8.0 sacks, 3 FF, and 13 TFLs. He could be a darkhorse 1st-round player heading into the 2025 college season.
Key X-factor this season: Aidan Hutchinson's health will determine the success of this defense yet again. The coordinators both leaving after the 2024 season will also be something to monitor closely.
30. Baltimore Ravens: Ja’Kobi Lane, WR, USC
The idea of Ja’Kobi Lane going somewhere in the 20s or 30s of the 2026 NFL Draft might look silly in just a handful of months. The 6-foot-4 receiver out of USC is just 20 years old and had 12 touchdowns on 43 receptions last season. He’s got outstanding hands and body control, and at one point late last season had six straight catches that went for touchdowns. The Ravens don’t have many roster needs and can afford luxuries like this to keep supporting Lamar Jackson with top-tier talent as long as they have him around.
Key X-factor this season: Health might be the only thing that prevents this Ravens team from running the table. And just the fact that it's nearly impossible to win every game in the NFL. Otherwise, what are the weaknesses here?
31. Kansas City Chiefs: Dillon Thieneman, SAF, Oregon
The Kansas City Chiefs are on the back end of their current championship window, but you just expect another window to come flying open at any point in time. As long as the rest of the NFL lets this team keep its continuity on the coaching staff, players will continue to rotate in and out and play well for this team. Steve Spagnuolo has his defensive backfield always playing at a high level but he needs more talent there. Dillon Thieneman is a name to watch at Oregon this coming season and could help the Chiefs replace veteran Justin Reid, who left for the Saints in NFL Free Agency.
Key X-factor this season: Replacing Joe Thuney and Justin Reid. The Chiefs will have an inexperienced player at both left tackle and left guard.
32. Philadelphia Eagles: Christen Miller, DL, Georgia
We know the Philadelphia Eagles love to draft players in the trenches, and we also know they love to draft players from Georgia.
That’s good news for Christen Miller, in this case. It just feels like Miller is the next breakout star for the Georgia defensive line and no team will value that more than the Philadelphia Eagles and GM Howie Roseman. The Eagles lost a number of key players defensively this offseason, but the toughest one to replace might be Milton Williams on the defensive line. As much as the Eagles invest there, they always are looking to replenish talent and bring pass rush in waves from the inside out.
Key X-factor this season: The Eagles need their young players on the defensive front to step up yet again after the departures of players like Josh Sweat, Milton Williams, and Brandon Graham.