The 2026 NFL Draft is slowly coming into view. With Super Bowl LX on Sunday, the official end of the 2025 season is about here. After the Super Bowl, we'll get into the NFL Free Agency period, and the NFL Draft then follows at the end of April.
The next few months will be the biggest roster movement we get in any part of the NFL season. With the 2026 NFL Draft not featuring a ton of top-end talent, the aggression during the offseason is surely going to kick up a notch from previous years.
With Super Bowl LX set to take us to the finish line, let's dive into some fresh first-round NFL Mock Draft predictions.
Updated 2026 NFL Mock Draft ahead of Super Bowl
Picks 1-8
1. Las Vegas Raiders - Fernando Mendoza, QB, Indiana
You could probably Sharpie this pick in at this point. The Raiders will take Fernando Mendoza at pick one and attempt to turn him into a franchise quarterback under new head coach, Klint Kubiak.
2. New York Jets - Arvell Reese, LB, Ohio State
Arvell Reese is a special prospect and is a day one starter along the defensive line for the New York Jets. This pick likely would have been Dante Moore had he not opted to head back to Oregon for another season.
3. Arizona Cardinals - Caleb Downs, S, Ohio State
Caleb Downs is one of those defensive backs who can do a bit of everything. Downs could be a player who changes the entire complexion of a defense for years to come.
4. Tennessee Titans - Jordyn Tyson, WR, Arizona State
The Titans have to get Cam Ward some weapons. Jordyn Tyson would make a lot of sense here at pick four, but Tennessee needs a ton of talent on both sides of the ball.
5. New York Giants - Spencer Fano, OT, Utah
Spencer Fano could hopefully develop into a long-term right tackle solution for the Giants, a team that could use another starter along the offensive line.
6. Cleveland Browns - David Bailey, EDGE, Texas Tech
Adding to a strength is not a bad idea at all, especially if it's a hyper-productive collegiate rusher in David Bailey.
7. Washington Commanders - Jeremiyah Love, RB, Notre Dame
Jeremiyah Love is a blue-chip prospect in the 2026 NFL Draft class and is a slam-dunk top-10 pick. Sure, "Bill" Croskey-Merritt has been a fun story, but he's not close to as talented as Love is.
8. New Orleans Saints - Carnell Tate, WR, Ohio State
Carnell Tate could join Chris Olave as two high-end Ohio State wide receivers who excel in the NFL.
Picks 9-16
9. Kansas City Chiefs - Makai Lemon, WR, USC
The Chiefs decide to skip out on one of the talented defensive line prospects and instead opt to grab some immediate and potentially long-term offensive help with Makai Lemon, a wide receiver from USC.
10. Cincinnati Bengals - Peter Woods, DT, Clemson
The Bengals have to get better in the trenches. Trench play is where games in the NFL are won and lost, and with Trey Hendrickson surely not returning, nabbing Peter Woods at pick 10 makes all the sense in the world.
11. Miami Dolphins - Jermod McCoy, CB, Tennessee
New Miami Dolphins head coach Jeff Hafley dealt with some below-average cornerback play with the Green Bay Packers, so he pounds the table for a first-round investment at the position and lands Jermod McCoy from Tennessee
12. Dallas Cowboys - Keldric Faulk, EDGE, Auburn
The Cowboys use their first pick in the first round on Keldric Faulk, a pass-rusher from Auburn. Dallas has another first-round pick this year thanks to the Micah Parsons trade.
13. Los Angeles Rams - Mansoor Delane, CB, LSU
The Rams would be fools to not select a cornerback at some point in the first round, right? Mansoor Delane is arguably the top cornerback prospect in the 2026 class.
14. Baltimore Ravens - Francis Mauigoa, OT, Miami (FL)
Francis Mauigoa might end up kicking inside to guard at the NFL level, but that's a position the Ravens need. Baltimore has made a ton of changes last year, including replacing John Harbaugh with Jesse Minter.
15. Tampa Bay Buccaneers - Sonny Styles, LB, Ohio State
The Buccaneers being able to draft Sonny Styles would honestly feel like a massive steal at pick 15. That defense desperately needs more defensive line talent to return to a competent place in 2026 and beyond.
16. New York Jets - Avieon Terrell, CB, Clemson
The Jets could use another cornerback or two after the departure of Sauce Gardner via trade. Avieon Terrell is the younger brother of AJ Terrell and has inside-out versatility at the cornerbacl position.
Picks 17-24
17. Detroit Lions - Rueben Bain Jr, EDGE, Miami (FL)
Rueben Bain's size, or lack thereof, has made his NFL projection a bit foggy. Bain is a good player, and teams should be drafting good players, but finding a home along the defensive line might be a bit of a challege. Still, he's worth a first-round pick.
18. Minnesota Vikings - Ty Simpson, QB, Alabama
The Minnesota Vikings simply have to find a quarterback solution in 2026 and beyond. Not only will the Vikings likely acquire an upgrade for the room before the NFL Draft, but they could double-dip and snag Ty Simpson from Alabama as well.
19. Carolina Panthers - Kenyon Sadiq, TE, Oregon
Kenyon Sadiq is a high-end tight end prospect and could be part of the finishing touches on the Carolina Panthers offense, but I would not be shocked if this team brought in some legitimate quarterback competition for Bryce Young, who just has not cut it thus far.
20. Dallas Cowboys - Kayden McDonald, DT, Ohio State
Kayden McDonald is the second first-round choice for the Cowboys here in this mock draft. This offseason is all about restocking the defensive side of the ball.
21. Pittsburgh Steelers - Kadyn Proctor, OT, Alabama
Kadyn Proctor might kick inside to guard at the NFL level, but he also does profile as a tackle. Having that potential versatility makes him an enciticing prospect.
22. Los Angeles Chargers - Caleb Lomu, OT, Utah
Caleb Lomu would be a slam-dunk pick for the Chargers in Round 1 of the 2026 NFL Draft. The Chargers saw both Joe Alt and Rashawn Slater miss significant time in 2025, but even with those two healthy, the unit still needs a major boost.
23. Philadelphia Eagles - Vega Ioane, OG, Penn State
With the shocking news that Landon Dickerson could retire, the Eagles have to reinforce the offensive line. They take Vega Ioane from Penn State at pick 23 in this mock draft. Ioane is a day one interior starter and plays with a nasty edge.
24. Cleveland Browns - Denzel Boston, WR, Washington
The Cleveland Browns get some size in the wide receiver room and snag Denzel Boston from Washington. Cleveland has now addressed both sides of the ball in this mock draft.
Picks 25-32
25. Chicago Bears - CJ Allen, LB, Georgia
The Chicago Bears need some more talent along the defensive line, and that does include the linebacker position. The Bears snag CJ Allen from Georgia, an immediate starter and an old-school type of player at the position.
26. Buffalo Bills - Brandon Cisse, CB, South Carolina
It's not a mystery that the secondary is a huge need for the Bills this offseason. General Manager Brandon Beane has to get aggressive to fix this unit, so he does and snags Brandon Cisse from South Carolina. Yet another first-round cornerback is off the board.
27. San Francisco 49ers - Caleb Banks, DT, Florida
Caleb Banks just oozes with potential. The 49ers see that potential and take him with the 27th pick in this mock draft. That defensive line absolutely needs a ton of work in the offseason.
28. Houston Texans - Monroe Freeling, OT, Georgia
Monroe Freeling could be another first-round tackle prospect who may have to kick inside to guard at the next level. You do get the sense that the Texans have some good pieces of fielding a strong offensive line, but are another solid starter away.
29. Los Angeles Rams - Colton Hood, CB, Tennessee
It might seem odd that the Rams take two first-round cornerbacks, but much of their secondary will hit the free agency market this year, and that unit just did not have much talent at the position in 2025.
30. Denver Broncos - KC Concepcion, WR, Texas A&M
KC Concepcion is a massive weapon with the ball in his hands. If the Broncos do not trade this pick for an offensive upgrade, drafting one makes a ton of sense.
31. New England Patriots - TJ Parker, EDGE, Clemson
Getting more consistent off the edge is going to be a huge point of emphasis for the New England Patriots this offseason. They draft TJ Parker from Clemson at pick 31.
32. Seattle Seahawks - Ahkeem Mesidor, EDGE, Miami (FL)
Ahkeem Mesidor is a very old collegiate football player, but you can look past the age and draft him because of the insane talent he has. Draft good football players.