7 Round 2026 Nfl Mock Draft Arch Manning Declares Early Fernando

Bonisiwe Shabane

-Nov 15, 2025, 5:02 AM

7 round 2026 nfl mock draft arch manning declares early fernando

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. Editor’s note: This post has been updated to reflect the Dallas Cowboys’ trade of Micah Parsons to the Green Bay Packers, who gave up first-round draft picks in 2026 and 2027 plus DT Kenny...

Selections adjusted after that trade are designated with an asterisk. No fan base in the league will enter September thinking very much about the 2026 NFL Draft. With the college football season kicking off in full this weekend, now feels like a good time to take an early look at what the first round of the 2026 NFL Draft could look... Plenty is going to change between now and then, of course, but we’ll project anyway. The following draft order was based off Austin Mock’s NFL wins projections for The Athletic. The odds of Manning returning to Texas for a fourth season aren’t very long — many believe he’ll be a 2027 prospect.

Nothing’s etched in stone, though. And as of right now, Manning is the best QB prospect in this class, from his arm talent to footwork to processing and, perhaps, even mobility. Who says no to another Manning in New Orleans? The ink is barely dry on the 2025 NFL Draft, but like the league's scouts, we are naturally curious about the best draft-eligible players in college football and the strength of the next incoming... Think this is an exercise in futility? Think again.

A year ago at this time, we unleashed our way-too-early 2025 mock draft and it correctly projected 11 first-round selections. Sure, there will be a lot of changes between now and then, but many of the elite prospects are already well-known in the scouting community. What is less clear, of course, is the selection order. No one knows who will be picking first or hoisting the Lombardi Trophy at the end of next season, so rather than project the entire NFL season, we simply took the inverse order of... So, don't think of this as an attempt at wizardry, but instead a sneak peek at what looks like an even more talented crop of NFL prospects in 2026. Player heights and weights are according to their official school bios.

Week 4 of the 2025 NFL season saw teams like the New Orleans Saints, New York Jets and Tennessee Titans remain winless. The top needs of those teams will shape the 2026 NFL Draft. With college football approaching Week 6, attention is starting to turn towards top prospects, especially at the quarterback position where a couple of QBs projected near the top of the draft board are starting... It’s getting interesting for sure, and more interesting depending on a decision by one of those QBs who just happen to be part of a legacy family. Arch Manning’s decision will drive this draft. The last two NFL Mock Drafts we explored the impact of the draft if Manning returns to Texas for another season.

But with quarterbacks like Fernando Mendoza, Dante Moore and John Mateer emerging, how will the draft be impacting if Manning does declare? With so many talented quarterbacks available, there is a big possibility some of the top quarterbacks get squeezed out of the first round. It does happen every year, but the storyline of the 2026 NFL Draft, certainly this Week 5 NFL Mock Draft is the number of quarterbacks who don’t go in the first round. It really will depend on how these NFL teams have quarterbacks graded when they select. In a draft order determined by current record, the New Orleans Saints are on the clock: The 2025 college football season is just getting underway, but all eyes are already turning to the next crop of NFL stars as ESPN’s Field Yates released his preseason projections for the 2026 NFL...

Yates’ initial mock draft, which uses ESPN’s Football Power Index (FPI) to simulate draft order, is loaded with quarterback intrigue and early trades, previewing what could be an eventful Round 1 on April 23. Texas Longhorns quarterback Arch Manning leads the class as Yates’ projected No. 1 overall pick to the Cleveland Browns. Although Manning’s family has indicated he might stay in Austin for at least two seasons, 2026 draft eligibility and his immense talent fuel speculation that he could make the early jump if he lives... “Manning has a very good build, throws with accuracy to all levels of the field and shows solid movement traits. He’s a different QB than his uncles Peyton and Eli were in that he is a threat with his legs.

He is inexperienced and needs to add more weight to his 6-foot-4 frame, but it’s easy to see his immense ceiling,” Yates wrote, noting Cleveland’s persistent need at quarterback despite recent draft investments. Arch Manning has addressed the comments made by his grandfather, Archie Manning, regarding his potential entry into the 2026 NFL Draft. Earlier this month, Archie told Texas Monthly that he believed Arch would not declare for the draft and would stay at Texas for at least another season. However, Arch clarified to reporters that he hadn't made any decisions about his future and that he was "not sure where [his grandfather] got that from." Arch said Archie texted him to apologize for... Later, he clarified that he felt it was too soon to speculate about the NFL draft for his grandson. Arch Manning has remained non-committal, choosing instead to focus on the upcoming season as Texas's starting quarterback.

He mentioned that his grandfather continues to advise him on avoiding unnecessary hits but allows him to make his own career decisions. The 2025 NFL Draft is in the rearview mirror with this year’s rookie class led by Travis Hunter and Ashton Jeanty now heading into their rookie seasons. For quarterback-needy teams, the 2026 NFL Draft is much stronger. As our first 2026 NFL mock draft will showcase, next year’s class is loaded at some key positions. Let’s dive into our 2026 NFL mock draft. The 2026 NFL Draft order is based on the inverse of our NFL power rankings following the 2025 NFL Draft.

Arch Manning is the best player in the 2026 NFL Draft class right now. He’s also a bit of a mystery. Rated by 247 Sports’ as the No. 1 player in the 2023 recruiting class, the 6-foot-4 quarterback has just 95 career pass attempts through his first two seasons. There’s also a strong reason to believe that Manning will forego the 2026 NFL Draft, spending two seasons as the Texas Longhorns starting quarterback. However, this opportunity might change that.

Manning would be the franchise quarterback for his hometown team, the savior for the New Orleans Saints like Drew Brees was. That might be enough incentive to get him to declare if the Saints have the first overall pick. Related: Highest paid college football players 2025, including Arch Manning If the Tennessee Titans are picking this high in the 2026 NFL Draft, head coach Brian Callahan will be fired. However, quarterback Cam Ward is still the face of this franchise and general manager Mike Borgonzi will recognize the value in pairing his star quarterback with an elite defensive talent. T.J.

Parker, a 247 Sports‘ four-star recruit in 2023, is coming off a breakout 11-sack season as a sophomore. The 6-foot-3 edge rusher boasts all the tools to be a difference-maker in the NFL and would be a building block for the Titans’ defense. 2026 NFL Mock Draft: Early first-round projections feature Arch Manning to the Saints, Caleb Downs to the Titans, and a deep QB class shaping the top of the board. See all 32 way-too-early picks and scouting breakdowns. The 2026 NFL Draft is still months away, but it’s never too early to start evaluating the top prospects in next year’s class. At Football Scout 365, we spend the summer months breaking down film, grading prospects, and building early rankings based on their most recent seasons.

These summer evaluations are our starting point, but they’re far from set in stone. Player rankings will shift dramatically over the course of the 2025 season. Some prospects will rise, others will fall, and many underclassmen may choose to return to school in an effort to boost their draft stock. The same goes for any mock draft you see between now and next April; the landscape will change week to week. As with every NFL Draft class, this one will ultimately be defined by the quarterback position. At the top sits Arch Manning, who, according to reports, isn’t even considering entering the 2026 NFL Draft.

I’m not buying it. If Manning delivers a monster season as Texas’ first-year starter and the right team is holding the top pick, he will have to at least consider his options. Until he officially declares—or definitively stays—I won’t stop projecting him in the first round. Beyond Manning, several other quarterbacks could shape the early portion of this draft. Names like Cade Klubnik, LaNorris Sellers, Garrett Nussmeier, and Drew Allar all have the ceiling to push into the top 10 if they take a leap in 2025. The equation changes entirely if some of these underclassmen, like Manning or Sellers, decide to stay in school.

Although the 2025 NFL Draft just wrapped up, it’s never too early to look ahead to next year.Here’s our way-too-early look at the 2026 NFL Draft, with a heavy emphasis on “way too early,”... The draft order is based on Super Bowl 60 odds. The Giants hope to have found their franchise quarterback in 2025 first-round pick Jaxson Dart, and they should look to build up the infrastructure around him. Proctor still needs some development to become worthy of a No. 1 overall selection, but there’s no denying his freakish movement ability at 6-foot-7 and 360 pounds. Across three career games against Georgia and South Carolina, two elite defensive lines, the Iowa native boasts a 90.4 PFF pass-blocking grade with only one pressure allowed on 96 pass-blocking snaps.

Texas’ new star quarterback will have high expectations heading into 2025, but he played well in limited action last season. Across 233 snaps, including two starts, Manning posted an 88.0 PFF overall grade with six big-time throws and two turnover-worthy plays. He also generated four explosive runs on just 21 carries. The sky is the limit for Manning in Steve Sarkisian’s offense. The Titans nab the best player in the draft in Downs, who could go down as one of the greatest safety prospects in recent memory. He’s been the most valuable safety in college football over the past two seasons, according to PFF’s Wins Above Average metric.

7 Round 2026 Nfl Mock Draft Arch Manning Declares Early Fernando

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