The 2026 NFL Draft is coming quickly, and unlike this time a year ago, there are quite a few teams right now without a 1st-round pick.
A number of blockbuster trades have been made over the past 12 months, leaving a whopping five franchises without picks in the top 32 selections overall. And those are the teams that most often get forsaken in mock drafts, because many mock draft scenarios only take a look at the first round.
But today's mock draft is going to flip the script. We're going to leave out the teams that have 1st-round picks and take a look at just the teams without a selection on the first night. So if you're a fan of a team without a first-rounder, you won't have to scroll far. You won't have to click through pages. Let's look at what could be your favorite team's top pick in the 2026 NFL Draft.
2026 NFL Mock Draft: Predicting top picks for teams without a 1st-rounder
Indianapolis Colts (47th overall): Anthony Hill Jr., LB, Texas
After the trade sending Zaire Franklin to the Green Bay Packers, the Indianapolis Colts have opened up a clear need at the off-ball linebacker position. And in the second round, they could be in a sweet spot to capitalize on this draft's value at that position. Linebacker is truly one of the deepest positions in this class, and the Colts won't even need a 1st-rounder to get an instant starter at that spot.
Anthony Hill has outstanding athletic traits and playmaking ability at the position.
Atlanta Falcons (48th overall): Antonio Williams, WR, Clemson
The Falcons have invested so much in their offense in recent draft classes, but they still have a pretty glaring need at the receiver position. With their top pick here in 2026, they get one of the toughest players pound-for-pound in the class in Antonio Williams. Williams has the YAC ability and strong hands to be a great complement to Drake London, and a weapon with speed and separation ability.
Green Bay Packers (52nd overall): Gabe Jacas, EDGE, Illinois
The Packers won't likely have Micah Parsons at the very beginning of the 2026 season, and they traded Rashan Gary to the Cowboys earlier this offseason. They need more help off the edge, and Gabe Jacas looks like one of the more pro-ready players in this class. He's big, physical, and had 11 sacks this past season. The pass rush productivity is immediately translatable.
Jacksonville Jaguars (56th overall): Jacob Rodriguez, LB, Texas Tech
Losing Devin Lloyd is significant, but the Jaguars came to the right place for their replacement. One of the reasons why the Jacksonville defense was able to have such a dramatic resurgence last year was the way Devin Lloyd was creating takeaways. And that's exactly the type of ability Jacob Rodriguez brings to the table.
He had 7 forced fumbles and 4 interceptions last season at Texas Tech, and 19 combined FF and INTs over the course of his collegiate career. The ball finds him.
Denver Broncos (62nd overall): Eli Stowers, TE, Vanderbilt
The Denver Broncos are still on the hunt for a dynamic weapon at the tight end position, even after the addition of Evan Engram last offseason. Engram's role was disappointing in year one in Denver, so we'll see if the team can figure out how to use him properly in 2026 while also developing his future replacement. Eli Stowers is a dynamic mismatch option at tight end who could feast with Bo Nix throwing him passes.