The mock drafts are in full force, and they won't stop anytime soon. As we have talked about for multiple months now, the 2026 NFL Draft is not necessarily the most talented class we have seen, especially at the quarterback position.
There is some blue-chip talent here and there, but overall, teams picking late in the first round won't have a ton of first-round worthy prospects to choose from. At the end of the day, we could see an extra-aggressive free agency period due to this.
Teams lacking talent and needing to continue or begin a rebuild are in a bit of a tough spot right now. Let's dive into our latest mock draft; it's one round long and does feature a ton of trade chaos.
Updated first-round mock draft predictions as the NFL Draft slowly approaches
1. Las Vegas Raiders - Fernando Mendoza, QB, Indiana
The real question as to what the Las Vegas Raiders could do may actually be centered around their free agency haul. Vegas does have enough money to splurge a bit and really stack this roster with some neat talent ahead of drafting Mendoza.
2. New York Jets - Arvell Reese, LB, Ohio State
The New York Jets stand pat at pick two and take Arvell Reese, improving the defense from day one.
3. Arizona Cardinals - David Bailey, EDGE, Texas Tech
David Bailey has a lot of Nik Bonitto to his game and was an extremely productive player. This could be another defensive selection who displays promise immediately.
4. Los Angeles Rams (via TEN) - Caleb Downs, S, Ohio State
Our first major trade sees the Los Angeles Rams moving up nearly 10 spots to take Caleb Downs, the best defensive back in the country and someone who can quite literally do it all from the backend of the defense.
5. New York Giants - Carnell Tate, WR, Ohio State
Carnell Tate eventually pairing up with Malik Nabers in New York would be an unfair receiver duo for opposing defense to try and stop.
6. Cleveland Browns - Spencer Fano, OT, Utah
With the entire Cleveland Browns offensive line set to hit free agency this offseason, the Browns could honestly draft three players along the offensive line in 2026. Spencer Fano is increasingly likely to be the first prospect of the board along the offensive line.
7. Washington Commanders - Rueben Bain Jr, EDGE, Miami (FL)
Rueben Bain is a bit undersized, but that hasn't stopped players before. Hopefully, Washington doesn't overthink this is Bain is in their reach,
8. Dallas Cowboys (via NOR) - Sonny Styles, LB, Ohio State
The Dallas Cowboys get in on some of the trade fun and snag Sonny Styles to immediately bolster the middle of their defense. Logan Wilson was recently cut at the linebacker position, and he wasn't going to be much of a solution regardless.