The 2026 NFL offseason is already flying by, and we haven't even reached Super Bowl LX yet. The head coaching carousel was absolutely wild with almost one-third of the teams in the league looking for new leadership, on top of dozens of coordinator changes and a handful of general manager shakeups as well.
With all of the coaching movement so far this offseason, we can now start to connect some dots about what direction teams might go in the 2026 NFL Draft.
Now that all of the coaching vacancies have been filled (on paper, at least) around the league, we're going to take an abbreviated look with a brand-new 2026 NFL mock draft for the first two rounds.
2026 NFL mock draft: Rueben Bain rising quickly in the top 10 picks overall
1. Las Vegas Raiders: Fernando Mendoza, QB, Indiana
The Las Vegas Raiders are zeroing in on hiring Klint Kubiak as their next head coach, but they can't make that move official until after Super Bowl LX, obviously. Kubiak's arrival should be good news for the offensive weapons in Las Vegas, but part of the reason Kubiak is willing to accept this job is the fact that he knows he's going to be getting Fernando Mendoza with the top pick.
Mendoza won the Heisman, won a National title, and brought the Indiana Hoosiers program to a place nobody is used to seeing them. This is the type of player Kubiak is going to want leading his team on the field.
2. New York Jets: Arvell Reese, LB, Ohio State
If you're the New York Jets, this scenario has to be a little sickening. You have to make the most of it, and Arvell Reese is exactly how they do that.
Reese can get after the quarterback, but he's not exactly a full-time edge rusher that you would typically see in this high of a pick slot. To put it very blunt, you just don't love using this high of a draft selection on an off-ball linebacker. Even if Reese reaches his ceiling, this type of NFL Draft real estate is best spent on premium positions. But the projection here will be based on the team drafting him and what their vision is for him. Aaron Glenn will have a good plan.