The NFL playoffs are officially underway, and the 2026 NFL Draft is quickly starting to come into focus. There is still plenty of time between now and the 2026 Draft, but we've already got the Senior Bowl coming up as well as the NFL Scouting Combine next month.
This year's incoming class is going to be a fascinating one, because a lot of people are already looking ahead to the star-studded potential class of 2027 with the likes of Arch Manning (who is officially going back to Texas), Ryan Williams, and Jeremiah Smith, and possibly others like Julian Sayin.
And at this stage, the 2027 NFL Draft class could also include Oregon QB Dante Moore, whose status is unknown at this point. It could be "Fernando Mendoza and everyone else" at quarterback in 2026, which could make for some blockbuster veteran moves. We're making our newest 2026 NFL Mock Draft predictions, taking a look at the first two rounds and top 64 picks overall.
2026 NFL Mock Draft: Fernando Mendoza running away as Raiders top option at #1 overall
1. Las Vegas Raiders: Fernando Mendoza, QB, Indiana
At this stage, I don't think there's any question about the fact that Fernando Mendoza is running away with that #1 overall spot in this year's draft. The Las Vegas Raiders earned the #1 overall pick, but they paid the price as well. They've moved on from head coach Pete Carroll, and they'll soon move on from Geno Smith.
This is a team with significant concerns along the offensive line and with their defensive personnel as well. So it's not exactly a no-brainer situation for someone like Mendoza, who doesn't have the types of physical traits you typically covet at this position.
Luke McCown compared Mendoza to Sam Bradford coming out of Oklahoma, and that seems like a solid comparison. He's got the competitive fire you absolutely love, he's smart, and he's elevated a program more than anyone could have anticipated.
2. New York Jets: Dante Moore, QB, Oregon
I previously alluded to this, but it's not impossible to think that the Oregon Ducks star quarterback could go back to school. There's been a lot of chatter about that, and with the way things ended in the bowl game against Indiana, I wouldn't be surprised about it either.
But the reality is that Moore has a clear path ahead of him to likely be the second quarterback selected in this entire class. This is not a great quarterback class, and NFL teams are always desperate for quarterbacks. He needs to make sure his agent has a really good idea of what his value is among NFL teams right now, however, because he could use the additional time on task at Oregon as opposed to being on a bad NFL team.
As far as "bad" teams go, the Jets have a lot of interesting pieces offensively. So this wouldn't be the worst situation on paper.