NFL Mock Draft 5.0: Commanders Land Jeremiyah Love, Chiefs Snag Kenyon Sadiq
The first round of the 2026 NFL Draft will kick off on April 23 in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania. This will be my fifth full first-round mock draft for next month's 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
We all know who the top pick in this year's draft is going to be. Mendoza will be a Raider.
2. New York Jets
LB Arvell Reese, Ohio State
The Jets have plenty of holes to fill on their defense, and Reese is a high-upside option.
3. Arizona Cardinals
OL Francis Mauigoa, Miami
Mauigoa might be the best player in this draft. He is a great piece to build their offensive line around.
4. Tennessee Titans
OT Spencer Fano, Utah
Tennessee needs to get their first-overall quarterback some help. That starts with protecting him.
5. New York Giants
CB Mansoor Delane, LSU
The Giants have a lot of talent in their front seven, but their secondary is terrible. Delane could have a massive impact on this team.
6. Cleveland Browns
WR Carnell Tate, Ohio State
Cleveland needs help at wide receiver, and Tate is the best in the draft.
7. Washington Commanders
RB Jeremiyah Love, Notre Dame
Washington has struggled to find a running back, and it has limited their offense. Love will be a game-changer.
8. New Orleans Saints
S Caleb Downs, Ohio State Buckeyes
There are some concerns with Downs medicals, but the Saints go with the best player available here.
9. Kansas City Chiefs
Kenyon Sadiq, Oregon
Travis Kelce will be returning for one more season, but Sadiq is a special player and could be the long-term answer in Kansas City.
10. Cincinnati Bengals
EDGE Davis Bailey, Texas Tech
Cincinnati has made moves to shore up their defensive line in free agency, but it's still not enough. They need to address the line through the draft as well.
11. Miami Dolphins
CB Jermod McCoy, Tennessee
McCoy missed all of 2025 with a torn ACL, but we still have him ranked as the best corner in this draft, assuming he's fully recovered.
12. Dallas Cowboys
LB Sonny Styles, Ohio State
The Cowboys continue to build their defense here with a star linebacker.
13. Los Angeles Rams
WR Makai Lemon, USC
Pairing Lemon with Puka Nacua will give the Rams a dangerous duo at wide receiver for a long time.
14. Baltimore Ravens
OG Olaivavega Ioane, Penn State
Baltimore desperately needs to address the interior of their offensive line, and they do so with the top guard in the draft.
15. Tampa Bay Buccaneers
DE Rueben Bain, Miami
Bain is the best player available and will be a key addition to the Buccaneers' defense.
16. New York Jets
EDGE Cashius Howell, Texas A&M
The Jets have to rebuild their defensive line, and Howell is a high-end pass rusher.
17. Detroit Lions
EDGE Akheem Mesidor, Miami
After playing opposite of Bain at Miami, Mesidor will now be paired with Aidan Hutchinson in Detroit.
18. Minnesota Vikings
S Emmanuel McNeil-Warren, Toledo
McNeil-Warren is the perfect option to replace Harrison Smith in Minnesota.
19. Carolina Panthers
OL Kadyn Proctor, Alabama
Proctor is a versatile lineman whom the Panthers can plug in where they need him.
20. Dallas Cowboys
CB Colton Hood, Tennessee
The Cowboys continue to hammer defense with their second pick in the first round.
21. Pittsburgh Steelers
QB Ty Simpson, Alabama
As of now, the Steelers are still without a quarterback, and it's likely Aaron Rodgers or bust for them heading towards the draft. There aren't many better options left on the market.
22. Los Angeles Chargers
DT Caleb Banks, Florida
Banks is an impressive presence in the middle of the defensive line and exactly the kind of player Jim Harbaugh looks for.
23. Philadelphia Eagles
WR Jordyn Tyson, Arizona State
We expect AJ Brown to be traded at some point before or even during the draft, and Tyson will be the man they try to replace him with.
24. Cleveland Browns
OT Blake Miller, Clemson
The Browns' offensive line is not what it used to be, and they will need to strengthen it in a division with Maxx Crosby and TJ Watt.
25. Chicago Bears
DT Lee Hunter, Texas Tech
Chicago's biggest area of need is the interior of their defense, and they address it here.
26. Buffalo Bills
WR Denzel Boston, Washington
Buffalo made a big move trading for DJ Moore. Here, they add the big-bodied Boston to complement Moore on the outside.
27. San Francisco 49ers
WR KC Concepcion, Texas A&M
The 49ers also made a big splash by adding Mike Evans in free agency. Concepcion's skill set complements their offense very well, with Jauan Jennings and Kendrick Bourne likely gone.
28. Houston Texans
OG Emmanuel Pregnon, Oregon
Houston is looking to build up their rushing attack. After trading for David Montgomery, they need to build their interior offensive line.
29. Kansas City Chiefs
CB Avieon Terrell, Clemson
Kansas City acquired this pick from the Rams for star cornerback Trent McDuffie. This is how they try to replace him.
30. Denver Broncos
OT Caleb Lomu, Utah
Denver looks to strengthen their offensive line with pick No. 30.
31. New England Patriots
CB Brandon Cisse, South Carolina
We are sticking with the Patriots, going with defense here, but depending on what they do in free agency, offensive line and wide receiver could both be options as well.
32. Seattle Seahawks
EDGE Kendrick Faulk, Auburn
Seattle adds a stud defensive lineman to rotate and keep pressure on opposing offenses. This is how they like to build their defense, and they've proven it works.
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-0e06b43c57ceb063781f337e307e72d4.png "Mark Morales-Smith")
Mark Morales-Smith is a father of five, a former college football scout and semi-pro football player. Morales-Smith is a long-time competitive fantasy football player with well over a decade of professional writing experience at multiple high-level sites, including Sports Illustrated, FullTime Fantasy, FantasySP, and more.
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