7. Indianapolis Colts: Fernando Mendoza, QB, Indiana
Just like most teams picking in the top 10 picks of any mock draft, you’d have to assume the quarterback position is a big reason why the Colts would end up here. After the team’s decision to name Daniel Jones the starting quarterback, it’s even more believable that the Colts would be in the market for a top quarterback prospect in this range.
If you’ve been reading through our 2026 NFL mock drafts all offseason, you’ve undoubtedly seen this fit between the Colts and Fernando Mendoza. Mendoza is a favorite right now of a lot of folks on “Draft Twitter” who loved what he put on tape at Cal last season. Now that he’s transferred to Bloomington, he’s got a chance to win over the home crowd before even taking a snap for the Colts.
8. Las Vegas Raiders: Keldric Faulk, EDGE, Auburn
There’s no question that the Las Vegas Raiders have raised their floor offensively this offseason. Getting Geno Smith to come in at quarterback and take over for Gardner Minshew and Aidan O’Connell is huge. Getting Ashton Jeanty to come be the lead back instead of guys like Alexander Mattison.
Again, the floor has been raised.
But GM John Spytek and head coach Pete Carroll gave us our clearest indicator yet that this is a multi-year rebuild when they started adding a bunch of reclamation projects on the defensive side of the ball. We’ll see if any of the dart throws can actually hit, but this team needs defensive cornerstone pieces in the worst way. Keldric Faulk is perceived as one of the players this college season with such a high ceiling thanks to his size, traits, and positional versatility.