Super mega huge ultra hyper football weekend is here everyone! It all starts on Thursday night, with the Fiesta Bowl/College Football Playoff semifinal. Then you have the other semifinal, in the Peach Bowl, the next night. Then comes the Wild Card round, in the NFL, over the weekend. No better time than now for a 2026 NFL mock draft.
Far as we know, The Sports Bank is the only independently-owned, mom and pop shop website to publish a mock draft in all four of the major North American sports.
And also in the nation’s top women’s professional sport. So that’s five pieces of mock draft, organic content, served fresh from Chicagoland.
Here is the link to our current 2026 NBA mock draft. Our latest WNBA mock draft can be found here.
Here’s the link to our first 2026 NHL mock draft. And our last MLB mock draft can be found at this link.
Past NFL Mock Drafts, final editions: 2024 2022 2021 2020 2019 2018 2017 2016 2015 2014 2013 2012 2010 2009
As always, enjoy our 50 worst NFL Draft buzz phrases, cliches and other assorted word salad. Our 2026 NFL mock draft order is provided by Tankathon, who base it off the current standings.
This NFL mock draft is listed on NFL Mock Draft Database, EDS Football’s 2026 NFL Mock Draft Database and also linked on USA Today Draft Wire.
Team needs were often, but not always taken into account for this 2026 NFL mock draft.
This year’s edition of The Sports Bank NFL mock draft has a new feature. Sports Bank Founder Paul M. Banks is a Contributor to Draft Wire, USA Today’s Draft site.
So in every update we include snippets from Banks’ articles in the player descriptions of our 2026 NFL mock draft.
1. Las Vegas Raiders, Dante Moore, QB, Oregon
There has been a ton of flux when it comes to the quarterback prospects in this class. Cade Klubnik, Drew Allar and Garrett Nussmeier all fell way down while Arch Manning returned to school. That paved the way for other signal callers, like Oregon’s Dante Moore and Indiana’s Fernando Mendoza, to fill the void.
Moore, a UCLA transfer, is the real deal. He learned a lot from Dillon Gabriel, while he was backing him up last season. You can read all about that here.
2. New York Jets, Fernando Mendoza, QB, Indiana
In the words of 1970s Swedish pop superstars Abba:
There was something in the air that night The stars were bright, Fernando
Quoting our USA Today, Draft Wire piece: “Mendoza is not, never has been and won’t ever become a 400+ yards, 15+ yards-per-attempt in a single game kind of guy. He’s a bona fide football version of a true point guard.
Like a floor general on the hardwood, he distributes and gets others involved. That’s his game- being efficient, effective.”
3. Arizona Cardinals, Rueben Bain Jr., Edge, Miami
Quoting our Draft Wire article: “Bain is certainly in the mix to be the #1 overall pick, and he’s probably the top overall non-quarterback prospect. If the first pick goes to a team that prioritizes pass rushing, he’ll be the first selection.”
4. Tennesse Titans, Arvel Reese, LB, Ohio State
Former ESPN NFL Draft analyst Todd McShay believes Reese can buck the trend of off-the-ball linebackers not going very high in the draft. Reese could become a top five, maybe even top three, overall pick come April.
More on Ohio State and their defense here.
5. New York Giants, Jordyn Tyson, WR, Arizona State
How exciting it would be to pair him with Malik Nabers and give young Jaxson Dart, not one, but two, top flight developing wideouts to work with. Look out Newark international airport- we know you’ve had some issues with air traffic control, and now your airspace will fill up with spiraling footballs from the Meadowlands.
6. Cleveland Browns, Carnell Tate, WR, Ohio State
OSU is, has been for awhile, and will be for at least the immediate future, WRU. We covered that at USA Today Draft Wire here.
7. Washington Commanders, Caleb Downs, S, Ohio State
Quoting our Draft Wire article:
“The 20-year-old Hoschton, GA native transferred in from Alabama last offseason, and his run stopping capabilities are top-notch. A true “run stuffer,” he can fill gaps to shut down rush lanes effectively.
He’s probably the best overall prospect in this class, regardless of position.
8. New Orleans Saints, Jeremiyah Love, RB, Notre Dame
There is a big drop off in RB prospects after this guy, so “After the Love has Gone…cc Earth Wind & Fire/Philip Bailey, the quality of draft stock diminishes among tailback prospects in this class.
Quoting our Draft Wire piece on Love:
“Agility is another strong suit of the St. Louis native, and that is conveyed every time he makes a cut in the open field. Very few defenders are “too fast for love” (with apologies to Motley Crue), as the focal point of the Fighting Irish offense consistently conveyed an ability to set the edge.
“And despite all opposing defenses keying in on him, during the Irish’s national runner-up season, he still averaged an eye-popping 6.9 yards per rush. That includes a long of 98 yards.”
9. Kansas City Chiefs, Keldrick Faulk, Edge, Auburn
10. Cincinnati Bengals, T.J. Parker, Edge, Clemson
11. Miami Dolphins, Jermond McCoy, CB, Tennessee
12. Dallas Cowboys, Mansoor Delane, CB, LSU
12. Los Angeles Rams, Francis Mauigoa, OT, Miami
14. Baltimore Ravens, Caleb Banks, DL, Florida
The Ravens pass defense is atrocious, and a big reason for that are their interior tackle positions. They do have some talent there, but some of those guys are aging and also oft-injured. So they should go best DT available here.
15. Tampa Bay Buccaneers, Sonny Styles, LB, Ohio State
Quoting our Draft Wire piece on Styles: “Last season, Styles put up the kind of numbers (six sacks, five passed defended) that conveyed how strong he is in pass defense.
“And in today’s pass happy NFL, Styles will only see his stock continue to rise. He may be a second round prospect now, but don’t be surprised if he plays his way into the first.”
Bucs have plenty of issues, especially on that side of the ball, so they should go best defender possible.
16. New York Jets via Indianapolis, David Bailey, Edge, Texas Tech
Jets badly need to improve their pass rush, so they should take this fast-rising prospect.
17. Detroit Lions, Spencer Fano, OT, Utah
18. Minnesota Vikings, Avieon Terrell, CB, Clemson
The younger brother of Falcons star cornerback A.J. Avieon is a rising star in his
Eliminated in Wild Card Round
19. Carolina Panthers, Makai Lemon, WR, USC
Facing Lemon and the USC passing attack is quite a challenge. Illinois free safety Miles Scott provided an insightful take on defending Lemon. Go here for that.
20. Dallas Cowboys via Green Bay Packers, Kenyon Sadiq, TE, Oregon
We covered Oregon’s plethora of NFL prospects here and here. So follow those links to learn more about this guy.
21. Pittsburgh Steelers, Ty Simpson, QB, Alabama
There are only two QBs with a first round grade in this class, but every year, teams reach to grab one, much earlier than they really should. Simpson could be that guy, as the Steelers need a plan beyond Aaron Rodgers.
22. L.A. Chargers, Cashius Howell, Edge, Texas A&M
23. Philadelphia Eagles, Denzel Boston, WR, Washington
24. Buffalo Bills, Kayden McDonald, DL, Ohio State
Divisional Round Exit Teams
25. Chicago Bears, A’Mauri Washington, DT, Oregon
26. San Francisco 49ers, Kadyn Proctor, OT, Alabama
27. Houston Texans, Caleb Lomu, OT, Utah
28. Cleveland Browns via Jacksonville Jaguars, Olaivavega Ioane, G, Penn State
Conference Runners-Up
29. L.A. Rams, Brandon Cisse, CB, South Carolina
30. New England Patriots, Matayo Uiagalelei, Edge, Oregon
We covered Oregon’s plethora of NFL prospects here and here. So follow those links to learn more about this guy.
Super Bowl Teams
31. Denver Broncos, CJ Allen, LB, Georgia
32. Seattle Seahawks, Colton Hood, CB, Tennessee
Paul M. Banks is the Founding Editor of The Sports Bank. He’s also the author of “Transatlantic Passage: How the English Premier League Redefined Soccer in America,” and “No, I Can’t Get You Free Tickets: Lessons Learned From a Life in the Sports Media Industry.”
He currently contributes to USA Today’s NFL Wires Network. His past bylines include the New York Daily News, Sports Illustrated and the Chicago Tribune. His work has been featured in numerous outlets, including the Wall Street Journal, Forbes, the Washington Post and ESPN. You can follow him on Linked In and Twitter