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Mel Kiper Releases End Of Season 2026 Nfl Mock Draft

Bonisiwe Shabane
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mel kiper releases end of season 2026 nfl mock draft

It’s been a while since we’ve done a mock draft roundup, but the season’s over and playoffs start tomorrow, so let’s dive into it again. The Washington Commanders’ season has thankfully ended, and they finished with a 5-12 record, and the No. 7 overall pick in this year’s draft. Head coach Dan Quinn has already made several changes to the coaching staff, with OC Kliff Kingsbury moving on, and DC Joe Whitt Jr and OL coach Bobby Johnson fired. This roundup has 43 mock drafts and 21 of them feature EDGE rushers. Miami’s Rueben Bain is still the most popular selection for the Commanders with 11 mocks giving him to Washington.

Texas’s David Bailey is also a popular choice, with 9 mocks sending him to D.C. Auburn’s Kevin Faulk rounds out the group with his name called once for Washington this week. ESPN’s Mel Kiper Jr and Field Yates did a mock together, and Kiper selected Texas Tech’s David Bailey for the Washington Commanders at No. 7. He has Bailey as the No. 6 overall player in the draft, and said he would be a great fit for Washington with QBs like Dak Prescott, Jalen Hurts, and Jaxson Dart in the division.

Lack of pressure due to injuries and lack of top talent severely limited Washington’s defense last season, and Adam Peters stated the team needed to add more pass rushers in his post-season presser on... Ohio State safety Caleb Downs is gaining in popularity for a Top-10 pick, and he continues to get heavily linked to the Commanders. He’s picked for Washington 11 times in this week’s roundup, and the fit is hard to ignore. People will argue the positional value isn’t there for a safety this high, but Washington’s defense continues to have a need at the position. Downs is a smart player who would elevate a defense that needs a new direction. We’ve got two more players on defense at two different positions that Washington will be looking to upgrade this offseason.

Ohio State LB Arvell Reese is expected to be a Top-5 pick, but continues to “fall” in some mock drafts that want to send him to Washington. That happens six times this week, and will continue to be a popular option with people looking to add youth to the Commanders LB group. The NFL regular season is over and the college football season is nearing its end, which means draft season is right around the corner. Following the conclusion of the NFL season, ESPN's Mel Kiper Jr. and Field Yates gave their latest mock draft. Kiper had Indiana quarterback Fernando Mendoza going to the Las Vegas Raiders, explaining that he's "better right now as a prospect" than Oregon's Dante Moore.

Yates had the second pick, and he projected Moore to land with the New York Jets. From there, Notre Dame running back Jeremiyah Love went to the Arizona Cardinals at No. 3, Ohio State linebacker Arvell Reese landed with the Tennessee Titans and Miami offensive tackle Francis Mauigoa rounded out the top five, going to the New York Giants. Mendoza, the 2025 Heisman Trophy winner, has thrown for 3,172 yards, 36 touchdowns and six interceptions while adding 256 yards and six touchdowns on the ground. He's led the Hoosiers to a perfect 14-0 record and they'll take on Moore's Ducks in the College Football Playoff semifinal on Friday. 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. The first 18 picks of the draft order are set, so Jordan has a new projection of Round 1, starting with a QB for the Raiders. Field helps kick off the unofficial "draft season" with a fresh set of first-round projections -- including a trade up to No.

1. We're through the2025 college football regular season, with bowl games and the College Football Playoff on deck. That means we finally have some clarity on the top players in the 2026 NFL draft class. I've spent the past few months watching tape on the best playerseligible to get drafted, and I have an updated top-25 Big Board ranking through mid-December. Of course, the class will still change a ton between now and April 23 when Round 1 begins in Pittsburgh. But for now, this is how I see the top of the class, starting with a talented QB prospect.

I will keep this list updated throughout the postseason and into predraft events. I have scouting reports for the top 25 overall, and I have stacked the best of the best at every position at the bottom. A key note to please remember: This is not a mock draft or a prediction of where players will be drafted. These are my personal rankings focusing on talent -- the best players based on what I'm seeing and my own evaluations. Let's get started. (Underclassmen are marked with an asterisk.)

Height: 6-foot-3 | Weight: 206 | Prev. rank:1 2025 stats over 12 games: 72.5% completion rate, 2,733 passing yards, 24 TD passes, 6 INTs,1 rushing TD The College Football Playoff Semifinals will take center stage later this week, after some rousing performances in the Quarterfinals. That’s led to Mel Kiper Jr. updating his Big Board Top 25 Player Rankings.

Indiana will face Oregon in a matchup featuring Kiper Jr.’s top two quarterbacks, while Ole Miss and Miami will play, with the winners slated for the national title game. Two fantastic matchups that’ll see many of Kiper’s top players battle. Check out Kiper’s rankings below. They give a solid baseline for the 2026 NFL Draft, as April will be here before we know it. Moore has impressed as a passer in his first season starting for the Ducks, posting 72.5% completion for 227.8 passing yards per game with 24 touchdowns and six interceptions. With that ability in the pocket, despite possibly being in a weaker class of quarterbacks if he were to leave Eugene, Kiper has him at No.

1 on his Big Board. “His accuracy has been solid all season, and he shows good touch on his deep ball. Moore can throw from different arm angles with precision and delivers strikes while rolling either left or right out of the pocket. He can scramble a bit too,” Kiper wrote. “Moore is still developing and will be only 20 years old at draft time. But the toolbox is loaded, and he plays with true command of the Ducks’ offense.”

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