Nfl Mock Draft 2026 Updated Projection With Only 2 Qbs In First Round

Bonisiwe Shabane

-Jan 8, 2026, 1:09 AM

nfl mock draft 2026 updated projection with only 2 qbs in first round

The order for the first 18 picks in the 2026 NFL Draft is set. So it’s a perfect time for our latest mock draft As a new year begins, 14 NFL teams remain alive in the chase for Super Bowl LX. For the other 18 teams, the offseason has already begun. Coaches and general managers are losing their jobs, interviews are being lined up for their successors, and fans are scouring the internet for every little bit of hope. Hope that when this time of the year rolls around next season, their teams will be the ones still alive in the chase for Super Bowl LXI.

Of course, the 2026 NFL Draft is a big driver of that hope. So let’s take a look at how the draft could unfold, now that the order for the first 18 picks has been set. For this exercise there are no trades, and at the end of the draft we look at what teams without a first-round pick might do when they are on the clock. The regular season has concluded, which means the first 18 selections in the 2026 NFL Draft are locked into place. Of course, there could be trades to shake that up — even the ones that we least expect. With the Las Vegas Raiders and New York Jets picking 1-2 in the draft, people are expecting the clear-cut top quarterbacks in the class to go off the board in that order.

But what if a wild card entered the chat with a trade offer to shake things up? That's where we're heading at the top of our first post-regular season 2026 NFL Mock Draft. Obviously, there's still quite a lot that needs to be decided in the NFL Playoffs, and then in free agency. That is to say, none of this should be written in stone just yet. However, with how things currently stand, we're projecting the entire first round of the 2026 draft, starting with the Raiders on the clock and making an obvious selection that, frankly, might be less obvious... Fernando Mendoza should be the No.

1 pick in the 2026 draft, especially for a Raiders team that needs to not grasp at straws to find an answer at quarterback. He's a more athletic version of Kirk Cousins or Jared Goff (though I wouldn't call him a super athlete by any stretch), and that type of stability with a core of Ashton Jeanty and... Having said that, I'm not entirely convinced that the Raiders won't eventually get overly enamored with Dante Moore's upside, but for now, the pick is Mendoza. The thought of the Jets not taking a quarterback at No. 2 has been rattling around in my brain. Naturally, I had to explore what that would look like.

And with the Arizona Cardinals evaluating the future of Kyler Murray, what if the also quarterback-needy Cards traded up one spot, sent Murray to the Jets to answer the QB question, and then took... Because we're so early in the offseason, I'm not sure how in play this is — but I can say it's not unrealistic. And for the Cardinals, I love this direction. There have been so many ill-advised draft decisions over the years that has led to such a mismatched roster. Moore can be an equalizer in that, a player with C.J. Stroud-like poise and arm talent that could start to elevate this team with a new coaching regime to the next level.

The march toward solidifying the NFL playoff picture tends to define Week 18 annually. But for most fan bases, the turning of the calendar means flipping attention to mock draft season rather than the postseason. Sunday mark an important step in the pre-draft process, as the top 18 spots in the first-round order – occupied by all the franchises that failed to make the playoffs – are now set. And with a flurry of coaching staff and front-office shake-ups looming this week as the College Football Playoff continues, more clarity could be ahead in the coming weeks. With Week 18's games now complete and more than half of the first-round order in place, here's our latest NFL mock draft projection: The Heisman Trophy winner isn't the elite improvisor or creator that recent No.

1 picks have been, but he's composed and clean in almost any scenario you could throw at him. Mendoza also does seem capable of enacting a significant cultural shift, which is more than needed for a Raiders organization that has severely whiffed in a series of resets. Moore is no mere consolation prize, and he's proven himself to be a highly composed and accurate distributor despite a limited body of work. Returning to school and vying for the No. 1 pick in 2027 remains an option, but Moore should be highly in demand if he does declare. 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. 1 overall pick: Picks 1 through 18 are set in the NFL Draft ...

for now. Something tells me this is going to be an eventful draft season of trades for a number of reasons. That's because it's not a particularly strong crop of first-round talent. That means we'll see teams willing to move first-rounders for proven players. I'd argue the last time we saw a first round this weak was 2022, and that year set the record with 18 trades involving first-round picks. That said, I'll play it straight with no trades, at least until we get past the Jan.

23 deadline for players to officially declare for the 2026 NFL Draft. Note: This is the current NFL Draft order after Week 18 (via Tankathon). 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.

Nfl Mock Draft 2026 Updated Projection With Only 2 Qbs In First Round

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