Photo: Dec 7, 2024; Charlotte, NC, USA; Clemson Tigers quarterback Cade Klubnik (2) drops to throw during the first quarter against the Southern Methodist Mustangs in the 2024 ACC Championship game at Bank of America Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Jim Dedmon-Imagn Images
The First NFL 2026 Mock Drafts Are In - Who Should You Listen To?
The Super Bowl is only just behind us, but fans and pundits across the world are already gearing up with their hot takes about the next season. How will teams line up and who will play a key part in 2026? Obviously, it’s all a bit too early to speculate, but there are always some interesting needles in the haystack. Question is: where should you look to find them?
Here are some of the most insightful early mock drafts for NFL 2026 we have been able to find.
The 2026 NFL Draft starts on April 23 and ends two days later, on April 25. It is the 91st edition of the prestigious event.
Over at ESPN, Field Yates’ mock draft lists Fernando Mendoza, the Indiana quarterback, as the Raiders’ top choice for head coach Klint Kubiak, followed by the heavily hurting New York Jets picking up Arvell Reese. In his version, the Arizona Cardinals round out the top three with Francis Mauigoa for Mike LaFleur’s new regime.
FOX Sports’ Rob Rang lists the exact same top two choices in his NFL mock draft article but suggests that the Cardinals might opt for Jeremiyah Love in RB, taken straight from Notre Dame. He rounds out his article with a surprise choice for the Super Bowl-winning Seattle Seahawks, suggesting Brandon Cisse for the cornerback role, writing that “there are safer prospects available, but Cisse could be a star in the making – especially if plugged into a defense such as Seattle’s.”
The Mendoza-Reese one-two combo is a common suggestion among the pundit class, with USA TODAY’s Michael Middlehurst-Schwarz also listing the same opening choices and matching Yates’ third pick as well with predicting Mauigoa going to the Cardinals. Their mock drafts diverge on pick four. Where the ESPN author lists David Bailey as the player of choice for the Tennesse Titans, USA TODAY’s expert predicted Rueben Bain, Jr. as the player of choice, writing that "a fearsome front four feels like a prerequisite for a true embrace of the Robert Saleh experience".
The hottest prospects and the biggest roster holes are always the easiest to plug in a mock draft, and this little thought experiment indicates that the differences in opinion come into play later down the line. Whatever the final draft outcome may be, the early picks seem to be a shoo-in for the best and brightest of the NFL.
What Do We Know About the 2026 NFL Draft?
A few things are already set in stone for the National Football League. The draft order has been set, and we know that the Raiders will start things off and to no one’s surprise, the Seahawks will get the last spot at number 32. There are four teams with two day-one picks – the Browns, the Cowboys, the Jets, and the Rams – and they will choose at number 6 and 24, 12 and 20, 2 and 14, and 13 and 29, respectively.The 2026 NFL Draft starts on April 23 and ends two days later, on April 25. It is the 91st edition of the prestigious event.
NFL 2026 Mock Drafts – What Are The Experts Saying?
It is no surprise that pundits of all stripes are already getting into the action, and the sportsbooks are beginning to make their mock draft predictions. Whilst the offseason might have seen a turn to non-football activities like online bingo sites rather than the sportsbooks, as the season gears up, it's time to start assessing the predictions.Over at ESPN, Field Yates’ mock draft lists Fernando Mendoza, the Indiana quarterback, as the Raiders’ top choice for head coach Klint Kubiak, followed by the heavily hurting New York Jets picking up Arvell Reese. In his version, the Arizona Cardinals round out the top three with Francis Mauigoa for Mike LaFleur’s new regime.
FOX Sports’ Rob Rang lists the exact same top two choices in his NFL mock draft article but suggests that the Cardinals might opt for Jeremiyah Love in RB, taken straight from Notre Dame. He rounds out his article with a surprise choice for the Super Bowl-winning Seattle Seahawks, suggesting Brandon Cisse for the cornerback role, writing that “there are safer prospects available, but Cisse could be a star in the making – especially if plugged into a defense such as Seattle’s.”
The Mendoza-Reese one-two combo is a common suggestion among the pundit class, with USA TODAY’s Michael Middlehurst-Schwarz also listing the same opening choices and matching Yates’ third pick as well with predicting Mauigoa going to the Cardinals. Their mock drafts diverge on pick four. Where the ESPN author lists David Bailey as the player of choice for the Tennesse Titans, USA TODAY’s expert predicted Rueben Bain, Jr. as the player of choice, writing that "a fearsome front four feels like a prerequisite for a true embrace of the Robert Saleh experience".
The hottest prospects and the biggest roster holes are always the easiest to plug in a mock draft, and this little thought experiment indicates that the differences in opinion come into play later down the line. Whatever the final draft outcome may be, the early picks seem to be a shoo-in for the best and brightest of the NFL.