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2026 Nfl Mock Draft Picks 1 18 How Will Non Playoff Teams Approach

Bonisiwe Shabane
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2026 nfl mock draft picks 1 18 how will non playoff teams approach

Fernando Mendoza and top-seeded Indiana will take on Alabama in the College Football Playoff quarterfinals. Michael Reaves / Getty Images The race for the NFL’s worst record has a firm leader heading into the final lap. At 2-14 with one game left (versus the Chiefs), the Raiders are the current favorites to land the No. 1 pick for the 2026 NFL Draft. Four three-win teams remain right behind Las Vegas: the Giants (versus Dallas in Week 18), Jets (at Buffalo), Titans (at Jacksonville) and Cardinals (at Rams).

While we wait for the final non-playoff teams to settle into place, here’s a look at how the first 18 picks of this year’s draft — everything up until the postseason cutline — could... Once again, the Raiders need an awful lot, but they’ve kicked the QB can down the road long enough. With the NFL's regular season drawing to a close, compiling a 2026 mock draft has gone from complete guesswork to ... educated guesswork. With the top of the first-round order still not set and the underclassmen declaration cutoff almost a month away, there are still many moving parts that need to be settled before the full picture... But the parts are moving more slowly, at least, with the College Football Playoff beginning and the top 18 slots nearly two weeks away from being set.

And as the action on the field gears down, that's when draft season truly ramps up. With that in mind, here's our latest 2026 NFL mock draft projection: If the Giants do secure the top overall pick, they might as well start the bidding for the selection right after Week 18. With Jaxson Dart in tow and a robust pass rush, there's no reason for Big Blue to hang onto this spot when it has myriad other needs that don't necessarily align with the top... The Jets could seize on that opportunity by flipping their own top-five pick and the Indianapolis Colts' selection from the Sauce Gardner trade, which is rapidly becoming more valuable amid the team's spiral. After a season of stasis, Gang Green would have every reason to strike out for Mendoza, a high-floor passer who also could help bring a cultural sea change.

With much of the offensive line in place and Garrett Wilson at his disposal, the Jets could actually propel themselves a good distance in 2026 if they're able to bring aboard Mendoza as a... The Silver and Black host the Giants in Week 17 in a matchup that likely will decide who secures the No. 1 overall pick. Given the way things are going, the Raiders might be the front-runners for the slot. The expansive scope of an undeniable rebuild is setting in for Las Vegas, which has to decide whether to make more expansive leadership changes after already firing Chip Kelly. And while the current setup hardly feels conducive to success for an inexperienced young quarterback, the front office has the cap space to go on a free-agent spending spree and fast-track a facelift at...

Moore could still return to Oregon for another year, but his composure and ability to thrive both within and outside of structure will make him a coveted prospect if he takes the leap. The infamous ‘we’re one player away from competing!’. Raiders need an overhaul of the entire roster; not just a QB. They should trade back, accept ’26 will bad, but have an actual foundation to support a QB in ’27 draft class. Good plan arty! but how do the Raiders trade back to 1983?

Is it too late for Mendoza to go back to Indiana???? Going to Vegas is the worse thing for his young career….that OL will get him killed! Ask Geno Smith…I guess he better hope Dante Moore declares and they draft him 1st so Mendoza can go to NY…. if the Giants end with the 2nd, I’d still expect them to trade out also. It is unlikely they would trade with the Jets, unless it was a haul. regardless of perceived quality,, i dont recall a large number of QBs in this class.

We could see best available selections or it could be a crazy sprint to get #1 and #2 picks. It is going to be interesting for sure. I read Tom Brady really likes Dante Moore….we shall see come April By the time we've reached Week 17 and Christmas Day in the NFL season, there are just as many teams eyeing the 2026 NFL Draft and free agency as there are thinking about the... And heck, even some playoff teams, if they're realistic with themselves, would have eyes for the NFL Draft as the Super Bowl just simply isn't in the cards. But as the New York Giants currently sit with the No.

1 overall pick, there's already some draft drama as a bevy of teams could trade up to draft a quarterback. The New York Jets and Cleveland Browns are the obvious options, as they would look to jump ahead of the Las Vegas Raiders. But what about sleeper teams like the Miami Dolphins and Los Angeles Rams? They might have even more incentive to trade up for their choice of Fernando Mendoza or Dante Moore Jr. One of them does in our latest NFL Mock Draft with a full first-round projection for 2026. It's become undeniable that the Tua Tagovailoa era is over in Miami.

But with it looking like Mike McDaniel could be the one who sticks around, the Dolphins need surety at quarterback and Quinn Ewers hasn't shown those signs yet. It's time to make an aggressive trade, and Fernando Mendoza would be perfect in this offense. His decisiveness, plus arm and mobility would reinvigorate the Miami attack and, though it'll cost likely multiple first-rounders, it'd be worth it to reset this franchise's trajectory. The race for QB1 between Mendoza and Dante Moore has gotten closer throughout the year, but the Raiders should happily take whichever quarterback falls to them at No. 2. Vegas misplayed their timeline with the Geno Smith deal, but getting out of it and moving on to Moore makes perfect sense.

He's got all the tools, but just might need a bit more experience and polish. However, he would allow the Raiders, who are flush with cap space, to build around Moore and some other attractive pieces to make the elevation they'd hoped to this past season. There's a chance that the Browns make a draft move for a quarterback in 2026, but it's not a guarantee. They could also either stick with Shedeur Sanders or make a move for a veteran. That seems more likely right now, which brings wide receiver to the forefront given how lackluster that corps is right now. Jordyn Tyson remains my WR1 by a hair over Carnell Tate.

The ASU product has the size and movement skills to be a No. 1 at the next level, and the Browns direly need that no matter who is under center. This is a look at the first-round order for the 2026 NFL Draft heading into the final weekend of the 2025 NFL regular season. The order is determined by record, using strength of schedule as the first tiebreaker (click here to see a full list of the draft-order tiebreakers). Keep in mind -- teams that would make the playoffs if the season ended today are marked as PL (short for playoffs) in the order below. The draft order for playoff teams is determined by the results of postseason play.

Arrows reflect movement from last week's order. Sunday’s blowout loss to the Giants gave the Raiders the inside track to the first overall pick. All Vegas needs to clinch it is a loss or tie against the Chiefs in Week 18. However, a win over Kansas City means the strength of schedule tiebreaker would likely determine who picks first. The Raiders have a higher SOS than the Giants -- the only other team still in the running for the No. 1 selection, per NFL Research's Jack Andrade -- and the tiebreaker goes to the team with the lower SOS.

Winning for the first time since October didn’t completely crush the Giants’ chances of picking first, but they’ll need to lose to the Cowboys and get help from other teams -- including the Raiders,... 1 slot. Had the Giants lost to Vegas on Sunday, they would have locked up the first selection. Seven teams still have a chance to secure the second overall pick heading into Week 18. The Jets were eliminated from contention for the top pick on Monday night, thanks to the Falcons’ upset of the Rams. There’s no path for them to finish with a lower strength of schedule than the Raiders.

Aaron Glenn’s team still is in play for the second selection, but it will need help from its fellow New York squad to make it happen. Quick take: This 2026 NFL Mock Draft from Lead NFL Draft Analyst Bobby Bishop highlights all 32 first-round selections and features three major trades. The New York Jets move up to 1.01 for quarterback Fernando Mendoza, while the Tennessee Titans land wide receiver Jordyn Tyson as part of the blockbuster deal. NFL Draft nerds are beginning to gain more clarity for April 2026, but nothing is set yet. Many college prospects still have games remaining. The draft order is still in flux.

Evaluations are far from finalized. I do my best to merge my big board with team fit, making sure an NFL team may truly select that player. The order of selections is based on the NFL Draft order after Week 14. Without further ado, here is my mock draft 2.0 for the 2026 NFL Draft. Go here for Lead NFL Draft Analyst Bobby Bishop’s 2026 NFL Mock Draft 1.0 and see our Mock Draft Hub for fantasy football content. In the table below are the top 32 selections for the 2026 NFL Draft according to Bobby Bishop:

New York Jets receive 2026 1.01Tennessee Titans receive 1.07, 1.23, 2027 IND 1st It is with great sadness to report the NFL is in the final quarter of its regular season. A month from today, it will be over. For fans of several teams, the season has been over for quite some time and the days until the offseason were being counted. In today's thought exercise, CBSSports.com takes a look at the new draft order and examines which teams may be in the market for a quarterback. No trades are projected because it makes little sense until the draft order is finalized.

Neither the Giants nor the Titans need a quarterback, but they are the gatekeepers to a team potentially moving up to take one of those players. As a result of this being, potentially, my last mock draft before the regular season finale, let's explore the remaining games that will weigh heavily in determining the top-10 overall. Here are the games involving two teams with four wins or less entering Week 15: As a reminder, there are four teams without a first round pick: the Jaguars, Falcons, Colts and Packers. A pick will be made for each of those teams after the first-round mock draft. To set the stage, here are the current odds to be the No.

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