It's sad to think that the 2025 NFL season is nearing its end, but for many fan bases around the league, the end of this season will mark the beginning of renewed hope. For more than half the league, this season didn't go the way everyone expected. Or maybe in the case of some teams, it went exactly as expected, and that's part of the problem.
Thankfully, there's a new batch of prospects coming up to the league, but at the most premium positions (QB, OT, CB, WR, EDGE), beauty is truly in the eye of the beholder.
With big names like Arch Manning returning to school for another season, who is going 1st overall? Will quarterback-needy teams be able to bank on this year's draft class? We're making picks for the entire first round in this all-new 2026 NFL mock draft.
2026 NFL Mock Draft: Heisman winner Fernando Mendoza lands with Raiders
1. Las Vegas Raiders: Fernando Mendoza, QB, Indiana
The Raiders play against the New York Giants in what could end up being a battle for the #1 overall pick in the 2026 NFL Draft. And right now, the Raiders need it more. They even put Brock Bowers on IR to give themselves a better chance. Okay, we can’t say that as fact, that’s more tongue in cheek, but if the boot fits…
The Raiders need a QB to build around, and Fernando Mendoza looks like he’s got what it takes to come run the point effectively.
2. New York Giants: Arvell Reese, LB, Ohio State
The Giants may end up being able to sell off the #1 or #2 pick in this year’s draft for a king’s ransom of draft picks and players. And that would be ideal, because there aren’t really many blue-chip prospects at the positions they have the greatest needs. Arvell Reese would be an impact player, but would he be an underwhelming top pick for this team?
3. Cleveland Browns: Dante Moore, QB, Oregon
We’ve toyed with the idea of the Browns building around Shedeur Sanders, and while nothing is impossible, it just feels like the organization is going to convince itself to truly fall in love with a player at the position in the draft process. As Myles Garrett pursues NFL history, the Browns have one eye on the future and which quarterback is going to finally be “the guy” for this team.
4. New York Jets: Ty Simpson, QB, Alabama
The Jets have so many roster holes beyond this season, but getting the right quarterback in place would absolutely heal a lot of this team’s issues. If they had even semi-competent quarterback play for the majority of the season, they probably could have won seven or eight games. Ty Simpson showed some guts in the opening round of the College Football Playoff, and some NFL teams love him already.