2026 Nfl Mock Draft Reid S Predictions On First Round Picks

Bonisiwe Shabane
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2026 nfl mock draft reid s predictions on first round picks

The rising importance of the 2026 NFL Draft for several teams came into focus after last week's trade deadline. With the New York Jets having dealt cornerback Sauce Gardner to the Indianapolis Colts, there are now four NFL teams that have multiple first-round picks in April. And with the Tennessee Titans and New York Giants having already fired their head coaches, several fan bases are probably ready to close the book on this season and enter offseason mode. But with the first-round order still shifting significantly week to week, there's still ample time for team's draft fortunes to rise or fall. With that said, here's USA TODAY Sports' latest first-round projection and 2026 NFL mock draft: There's a strong possibility for Tennessee to possess the No.

1 pick in consecutive years after the Saints' and Browns' victories left the Titans as the only one-win team remaining. And that creates a bit of a mystery atop the order. An organization that's yet again rebooting would clearly stand to benefit from trading back and stockpiling more early selections to support Cam Ward. Yet this quarterback class doesn't seem particularly conducive to drumming up a bidding war for this choice. If Tennessee does end up in the slot and stands pat, it could supercharge its defense with Reese. Though he operates as a linebacker for the Buckeyes, the 6-foot-4, 243-pounder has Micah Parsons-like movement abilities that could be best put to use in a full-time edge rushing role.

The Titans could pair him with Jeffery Simmons to create one of the league's most formidable inside-outside tandems and then use the rest of the draft – and free agency – to focus on... A franchise with a decades-long habit of being trigger-shy when it comes to selecting quarterbacks might be hard-pressed to go this route, especially if Tyler Shough continues to exhibit the promise he displayed in... But unless the second-round rookie firmly establishes himself as New Orleans' answer at the position in the back half of the season, Mendoza might be massively alluring. The Heisman Trophy front-runner now also figures to be the favorite to be the first quarterback taken, with his game-winning drive against Penn State highlighting resiliency and a knack for operating out of structure... The 6-5, 225-pounder is the kind of precise thrower who could allow Kellen Moore to launch a new era for the organization in earnest. The 2025 NFL Draft is now in our rearview mirror.

Therefore, it’s time to move on to the 2026 NFL Draft. While it might be too early to break down prospect film, it’s never a bad time for a way-too-early mock draft. Therefore, let’s not waste any time and dive into it. This mock draft is for the first round only and will include six hypothetical trades. The draft order is set based on the reverse Super Bowl odds. If the Saints land the No.

1 pick in the 2026 NFL Draft, it likely means Tyler Shough had an awful rookie season. Therefore, expect them to select a quarterback with the top pick. Indianapolis Colts receive pick 2. Cleveland Browns receive picks 7, 2027 & 2028 first-rounders. Unfortunately, Anthony Richardson seems like a bust, while Daniel Jones isn’t the long-term answer. The Colts pay a heavy price to move ahead of several quarterback-needy teams to secure the Penn State star.

Jeremiyah Love's success has come from truly embracing who he is. (6:00) The 2025 college football season has fully entered conference play, and we're exactly one-third of the way through the 2025 NFL season. That means it's a perfect time to take a look at the 2026 NFL draft and forecast the first 32 picks. Keep in mind that there's plenty of time between now and the start of the draft on April 23 in Pittsburgh. Beyond multiple months of football still ahead, some players could decide to head back to school, while others could surprisingly declare early.

We also have predraft events such as all-star games and the combine, which will shake up boards. And every team's needs will continue evolving as they move toward the upcoming offseason. Our draft order for this mock draft is based on the standings as of today. Three teams have multiple picks: the Rams (from the Falcons), the Browns (from the Jaguars) and the Cowboys (from the Packers). Here are my projections for all 32 first-round picks in 2026, starting with the Jets looking for another quarterback. (Underclassmen are noted with an asterisk.)

After the best and wildest NFL trade deadline anyone will ever see, the 2026 NFL Draft is getting shaken up significantly. Even with the ink still drying on our latest 2026 NFL mock draft projections, we've got to crank out a new first round, at the very least, with so many more picks being exchanged. The New York Jets now own multiple first-round picks in the 2026 NFL Draft, as well as a second-round pick from the Dallas Cowboys. They'll have three first-round picks in 2027. So far, we've already had four first-round picks change hands and we haven't even reached the 2026 offseason yet. Buckle up.

Even though the Jets only added one first-round pick in this year's draft, the trades we saw at the deadline have also impacted teams' future needs and how they might attack the draft next... Let's refresh our 1st-round predictions. The move off of Spencer Rattler to Tyler Shough will give the New Orleans Saints a clear picture, but if they finish with the worst record in the NFL this season, they're going to... More than anything, the Titans just need pieces around Cam Ward. This team sold off its most valuable parts at the NFL trade deadline and they need to take the best player on their board here. The 2025 college football season has fully entered conference play, and we’re exactly one-third of the way through the 2025 NFL season.That means it’s a perfect time to take a look at the 2026...

Keep in mind that there’s plenty of time between now and the start of the draft on April 23 in Pittsburgh. Beyond multiple months of football still ahead,some players could decide to head back to school,while others could surprisingly declare early. We also have predraft events such as all-star games and the combine, which will shake up standings as of today. Three teams have multiple picks: the Rams (from the Falcons), the Browns (from the Jaguars) and the Cowboys (from the Packers). Here are my projections for all 32 first-round picks in 2026, starting with the Jets looking for another quarterback. (underclassmen are noted with an asterisk.)

See more:/id/46149416/2026-nfl-draft-rankings-top-prospects-position”>Position rankings Lions GM Brad Holmes isn’t afraid to go against the grain and take players who best fit the team’s profile, even if it means reaching. Overton could help a Detroit defensive line that needs reinforcements opposite star edge rusher Aidan Hutchinsonas its 27.4% pass rush win rate as a team ranks 31st in the NFL. Overton is a scheme-versatile defender who wins with overwhelming power at the point of attack and could pair nicely with Tyleik WilliamsDetroit’s first-round pick in 2025, on the inside. ESPN has every angle covered for the 2026 NFL draft, including mock drafts and much more from analysts Mel Kiper Jr., Matt Miller, Jordan Reid and Field Yates. The first round will take place on April 23 in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania.

Rounds 2-3 follow on April 24, and finally Rounds 4-7 are on April 25. You can watch on ESPN, ABC and the ESPN app. To help you get ready for all the action, here is every mock draft we have produced for the 2026 cycle. Jordan projects the first round with draft order based on how things stand at the moment. Who do the 0-6 Jets take at No. 1?

Field made his first-round picks ahead of the college football season, with two teams trading up for quarterbacks. Technically, rookie Tyler Shough is the Saints' starter for the rest of the season. When New Orleans goes on the clock in the 2026 NFL Draft, Shough will almost certainly become the latest high-round pick whose team uses an even higher-round pick 12 months later in the hopes... The Panthers did it in 2011 when they took Cam Newton No. 1 overall, and the Cardinals did it eight years later when they selected Kyler Murray with the top pick. And as we sit here, nine weeks into the 2026 season, the Saints are staring that first-overall selection in the face.

There will no doubt be discussions in the building about trading down and what such a draft haul might do to reset this roster, but if the organization feels that Fernando Mendoza or Ty... Former Titans GM Ran Carthon and I talked about this last week on "With the First Pick," our NFL Draft podcast: In my Mock Draft 2.0, I have just three QBs going in the first round -- and one via trade; after trading down from No. 2 to No. 5 last April, the Browns move up from No. 6 to No.

2 in this excerise for a quarterback. And much like the conversation surrounding Shough, it's fair to assume that neither Dylan Gabriel or Shedeur Sanders (or any other QB currently on Cleveland's roster) will be penciled in as the 2026 starter... Databricks co-founder argues US must go open source to beat China in AI Why Your Airplane Ticket is So Expensive Corporate Executives Say Trump’s Economy Has Left U.S. Consumers “Under Pressure” and “Stressed”

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