NFL Mock Draft 4.0: Only Two QBs Drafted in First Round

The first round of the 2026 NFL Draft is set to kick off in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, starting on April 23. This will be my fourth full first-round mock draft for the upcoming draft. We will not be projecting any trades that have not been made already here. We will begin to project trades later in the offseason.

1. Las Vegas Raiders

QB Fernando Mendoza, Indiana

Mendoza is all but locked in as the first overall pick in this year's draft.

2. New York Jets

LB Arvell Reese, Ohio State

Reese is a high-upside prospect with bust potential. If he lands in New York, we can all guess how that situation plays out.

3. Arizona Cardinals

OL Francis Mauigoa, Miami

You can make a strong case that Mauigoa is the best player in the draft. He's a great choice at No. 3.

4. Tennessee Titans

OT Spencer Fano, Utah

Tennessee needs to build up their offense around Cam Ward if they want him to be successful. That starts with protecting him.

5. New York Giants

CB Mansoor Delane, LSU

The Giants' secondary is their biggest issue, and Delane is the top cornerback on the board.

6. Cleveland Browns

WR Carnell Tate, Ohio State

At some point, the Browns have to get a high-end wide receiver for their quarterbacks to throw to. Tate could be that guy.

7. Washington Commanders

Kenyon Sadiq, Oregon

Sadiq is a special player. He'd be a great weapon for star quarterback Jayden Daniels, who will be looking to bounce back from injury in 2026.

8. New Orleans Saints

S Caleb Downs, Ohio State Buckeyes

Downs is sliding down our board a bit after some concerns were raised with his medicals.

9. Kansas City Chiefs

RB Jeremiyah Love, Notre Dame

Now that Breece Hall has been franchise tagged, we are more confident than ever that Love is destined to land in Kansas City.

10. Cincinnati Bengals

EDGE Davis Bailey, Texas Tech

If you thought the Bengals' defense couldn't get any worse, they have now moved on from Trey Hendrickson. They have to go defense here, and a top pass-rusher makes sense.

11. Miami Dolphins

CB Jermod McCoy, Tennessee

McCoy missed all of 2025 with a torn ACL, but could very well be the best cornerback in this draft.

12. Dallas Cowboys

EDGE Cashius Howell, Texas A&M

The Cowboys continue to work on their defense here with an elite edge rusher.

13. Los Angeles Rams

WR Makai Lemon, USC

Lemon will be the long-term replacement for Davante Adams as the running mate across from Puka Nacua.

14. Baltimore Ravens

OG Olaivavega Ioane, Penn State

Baltimore needs to go back to what they have always done best, running the ball between the tackles.

15. Tampa Bay Buccaneers

LB Sonny Styles, Ohio State

Lavonte David has anchored the Bucs defense since 2012. Now at 36 years old, it looks like he'll finally be out in Tampa, and Styles could step into a key role for the Bucs.

16. New York Jets

DE Rueben Bain, Miami

Bain is sliding down our board here due to concerns about his arm length at the 2026 NFL Scouting Combine. He is a steal this late.

17. Detroit Lions

EDGE Akheem Mesidor, Miami

The Miami Hurricanes' stud defensive ends go back-to-back, with Mesidor being paired with Aiden Hutchinson on the Lions' line.

18. Minnesota Vikings

S Emmanuel McNeil-Warren, Toledo

McNeil-Warren will be drafted to replace long-time veteran Harrison Smith in Minnesota.

19. Carolina Panthers

OL Kadyn Proctor, Alabama

Carolina grabs Proctor here, who they can use all over his line thanks to his impressive versatility.

20. Dallas Cowboys

CB Colton Hood, Tennessee

Dallas doubles down on their defense here, bolstering their secondary.

21. Pittsburgh Steelers

QB Ty Simpson, Alabama

Simpson will be brought into Pittsburgh with hopes of becoming the long-term answer at quarterback, even if he sits out a year behind Aaron Rodgers or another veteran.

22. Los Angeles Chargers

DT Caleb Banks, Florida

Los Angeles gets themselves a big physical defensive tackle, who John Harbaugh will love.

23. Philadelphia Eagles

WR Jordyn Tyson, Arizona State

There is a decent chance someone will trade up to get Tyson, but here we have him replacing AJ Brown in Philly.

24. Cleveland Browns

OT Blake Miller, Clemson

If you're going to compete in the AFC North, you have to be able to run the ball and protect your quarterback. Cleveland looks to build back their offensive line here.

25. Chicago Bears

DT Lee Hunter, Texas Tech

The Bears' biggest issue is their interior defensive line. They have to address it here.

26. Buffalo Bills

WR KC Concepcion, Texas A&M

Buffalo made a big move trading for DJ Moore, and here they get Allen another weapon to solidify their WR corps.

27. San Francisco 49ers

WR Denzel Boston, Washington

Boston slid behind Concepcion with his poor performance at the combine, but he still holds onto a spot late in the first round.

28. Houston Texans

OG Emmanuel Pregnon, Oregon

The Texans clearly want to run the ball, but their offensive line is suspect at best. Building up their interior line will go a long way in helping that process.

29. Kansas City Chiefs

CB Avieon Terrell, Clemson

Kansas City just acquired this pick this week from the Rams for star cornerback Trent McDuffie. They look to replace him here.

30. Denver Broncos

OT Caleb Lomu, Utah

Denver hasn't had as much success as many have hoped with Sean Payton at the helm. They are looking to improve their offensive line here.

31. New England Patriots

CB Brandon Cisse, South Carolina

We are banking on the Patriots acquiring a wide receiver before the draft and going defense here. If they don't, this pick could end up shifting to a wide receiver, but for now, they grab an impressive corner to pair with Christian Gonzalez.

32. Seattle Seahawks

EDGE Kendrick Faulk, Auburn

The Seahawks continue to do what they've done for years, adding stud defensive linemen to rotate and keep pressure on opposing offenses.