Sportsnaut
The first 10 weeks of the 2025 NFL season have passed, with a clear tier of playoff contenders and Super Bowl hopefuls emerging while other franchises are beginning preparations for the 2026 NFL Draft. While this year’s class doesn’t have any household names, some of the best college football players this season have seen their draft stock soar int he last two months.
Let’s dive into our latest 2026 NFL mock draft, deliverign Round 1 projections and analysis for each pick heading into Sunday’s Week 11 slate.
It’s certainly a bad look for the Tennessee Titans to have the first overall pick in the NFL Draft in consecutive years, but it’s not Cam Ward’s fault. While he needs a lot more help on the offensive side of the ball, the 2026 NFL Draft is defense-heavy at the top. Rueben Bain Jr. would provide desperately-needed help to a Titans defense that has very little in the front seven outside of Jeffery Simmons and T’Vondre Sweat. Bain offers the upside to become a perennial Pro Bowl edge rusher, and he’d pair with Simmons and Sweat perfectly.
It is certainly popular in consensus 2026 NFL mock drafts to have the New Orleans Saints taking a quarterback. However, this feels like a multi-year rebuild for New Orleans and the roster isn’t necessarily in place to take a quarterback prospect who is very good but not great. Instead, the Saints add a potential All-Pro safety in Caleb Downs. He’s a do-it-all safety who can impact a defense like Kyle Hamilton has in Baltimore. New Orleans can keep filling out the supporting cast and then take its next franchise QB in 2027.
Jaxson Dart has demonstrated more than enough this season to prove the New York Giants need to build around him. That starts in the 2026 NFL Draft, addressing an offensive line that has a glaring hole at right tackle. Enter Miami’s Francis Mauigoa. He’s the best lineman in the 2026 class, and the added benefit is that he’s already playing right tackle in college, so there would be no concerns about his transition to a new position. Mauigoa’s athleticism would help out Dart in pass protection, while his strength and size would make him a great road grader for Cam Skattebo.
The Cleveland Browns have put themselves in a position where taking a quarterback feels necessary. Fortunately, Fernando Mendoza falls right into their lap. While he doesn’t have elite arm strength and he’s only an average athlete for the position, Mendoza is a great processor and he gets the football out quickly. He also is great at making accurate throws even when pressured. Whether Kevin Stefanski sticks around in Cleveland or not, Mendoza’s NFL-ready skills will be coveted by any head coach.
