2026 Nfl Mock Drafts Latest Espn Player Team Predictions

Bonisiwe Shabane

-Nov 4, 2025, 9:08 AM

2026 nfl mock drafts latest espn player team predictions

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 NFL has passed the halfway point of the season, now entering Week 10.

With that, ESPN’s Mel Kiper Jr. and Field Yates have come together to conduct their first live, joint mock going into the 2026 NFL Draft. Kiper and Yates went through that process on ‘First Draft’ on Wednesday, with the mock hosted by Mike Greenberg. With a projected order, the two draft experts alternated picks with Yates making the odd-numbered selections while Kiper made the even ones. Here were the results of that draft completed by Kiper and Yates: The Saints selected a quarterback just a year ago in the second round in Tyler Shough, and also still have another quarterback they’ve drafted in Spencer Rattler.

However, Yates had New Orleans going with another one with the No. 1 pick in 2026, choosing Mendoza, who is having a career-best season at IU with 72.3% completion for 236 passing yards per game, 25 touchdowns, and only four picks, at first overall. “I have some conviction on this pick being a quarterback. My top-graded quarterback, so far, at this juncture of the college football season, remains Fernando Mendoza, quarterback from the University of Indiana,” Yates said. “We have talked at length about the skill set that he brings to the table – superior accuracy, excellent arm strength, has some mobility as well…A quarterback race that I think was three players,... Fernando Mendoza emerges

Paul Finebaum explains why Texas Tech is a legit threat for the College Football Playoff while Alabama is questionable because of its running game. (1:31) We're now through Week 11 of the 2025 college football season. Indiana stayed undefeated against Penn State, Alabama took care of LSU, Texas Tech beat BYU, Oregon edged Iowa, Wake Forest upset Virginia, Cal took down Louisville and Wisconsin slid past Washington. So we have a lot to talk about here. The 2026 NFL draft is still roughly half a year away.

But our NFL draft analysts are always looking down the road, taking early notes on top prospects and starting to stack their rankings for an exciting class. With that in mind, Mel Kiper Jr., Miller and Jordan Reid will size up CFB action through a draft-centric lens on Sundays all season long. (Save this link!) They will answer lingering questions on the best 2026 prospects, share insights from scouts, pick out risers to watch and pull back the curtain on their evaluation process. Here is what they've seen and heard through Week 11. Jump to notes on: Week 11 | Week 10 | Week 9 | Week 8 Week 7 | Week 6 | Week 5 | Week 4 Week 3 | Week 2 Rex Ryan and Adam Schefter discuss the Ravens' season-saving win against the Bears and when Lamar Jackson might return to the field.

(1:08) We are through Week 10 of the 2025 NFL regular season, and while the 2026 draft is still months away, it's never too early to take a look at the projected first-round draft order... Each week during the season, ESPN's FPI projects the draft order by simulating the remainder of the season 10,000 times. Game probabilities are based primarily on the model's team ratings and game locations. The draft order is determined by the records the model projects for each team after 17 games, as well as each team's average draft position across the simulations. Our FPI predictions are currently giving the Titans the first pick in back-to-back years, but who is behind them in the top 10?

Where could teams with two first-round picks -- including the Jets after the Sauce Gardner trade -- end up selecting? Check out our full projections below ahead of Week 11. Average draft position: 2.9 FPI chance to earn No. 1 pick: 36.6% FPI chance to earn top-five pick: 87.3% FPI chance to earn top-10 pick: 99.0% Micah Parsons who? Could the Dallas Cowboys be a landing spot for the next big pass rushing star in the 2026 NFL Draft?

With a defense that is last in the league in total defense, that blockbuster trade that sent Parsons to the Green Bay Packers is paying no dividends for the Cowboys on the defensive side... But, with two first round picks in the draft, could help be on the way for America’s team? Currently, with the No. 12 and No. 29 overall picks in the draft, the Cowboys will have a shot to land two top defenders in the draft. Could the top pick land them a player who could fill the shoes of Parsons?

That will be a tall task, but there are some prospects who could add some explosiveness off the edge for the Cowboys, one of which is playing his college football right in the state... In ESPN’s latest NFL Mock Draft, the Cowboys land one of the hottest defensive players in college football in Texas Tech star David Bailey. An absolute force off the edge, Bailey has been one of the main reasons the Red Raiders are undefeated so far this season. Already racking up 8.5 sacks and 2 forced fumbles, ESPN’s Jordan Reid sees Bailey as the “outside presence” the Cowboys need. “Bailey has been a force off the edge this season, and he leads the FBS with a 24.6% pressure rate to go along with 8.5 sacks, which are tied for first. He is a constant disruptor who can win with speed or power.

And with Micah Parsons now in Green Bay, the Cowboys need a potent pass-rushing presence outside, which Bailey could provide. Dallas' 11 sacks are tied for 22nd in the NFL, and that defense is giving up 6.2 yards per play, which ranks 30th.” Training camp for the 2025-26 NFL season is officially underway, signaling the return of football and the start of roster battles across the league. While plenty will change between now and next April, it’s never too early to look ahead. So, why not dive into a 2026 NFL Mock Draft and get an early sense of which college stars could hear their names called first? There are plenty of college football players who have already shown enough to warrant NFL consideration.

To give you all a look at which prospects to keep an eye on, we predicted every pick based on current evaluations and team needs. The draft order comes from PFSN’s 2026 NFL Mock Draft Simulator, which you can use to create your mocks. There’s no guarantee that Arch Manning will declare for the 2026 NFL Draft. He’s a massive unknown at this stage, having only started in two games. But he has an impressive arm, makes smart decisions in the pocket, reads the field well, and offers better athleticism than either of his famous uncles, Peyton and Eli. Although the Cleveland Browns drafted Dillon Gabriel and Shedeur Sanders in 2025, neither came with the kind of draft capital that typically signals a long-term commitment.

If Cleveland finishes with the league’s worst record, they’d be smart to take a swing at a true franchise QB. The NFL season is past its halfway point, as the NFL trade deadline has passed for the 2025 season. The college football season is nearing the playoffs, while the NFL playoff picture is also coming into focus. Which means, it's starting to become clear which teams need to think about what they want to do in the 2026 draft. With a remixed order and the top prospects in flux, here's Sporting News' third set of first-round projections for what will go down next April 23 in Pittsburgh: MORE: Where Fernando Mendoza, other QBs rank in 2026 NFL Draft reset

2026 Nfl Mock Drafts Latest Espn Player Team Predictions

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