The 2026 NFL Draft will finally kick off tonight in Pittsburgh. The first round is likely to be full of some surprises and more than a few trades as teams move up the board to grab the player that they want most.
This predictive mock draft includes six first-round trades, including two by the Kansas City Chiefs. To be clear, this isn't what I would do, but my best attempt to predict what will happen in the 1st round.
1. Las Vegas Raiders - Fernando Mendoza - QB - Indiana
The Raiders get their franchise quarterback in the pick that we've known was coming for months.
2. New York Jets - Arvell Reese - LB/Edge - Ohio State
While David Bailey is an easier fit in terms of how the Jets would use him, it seems like the consensus is that Reese is the more "special" player and that New York is going to gamble on unlocking his upside.
3. TRADE - New York Giants - RB - Jeremiyah Love - RB - Notre Dame
Giants give the Cardinals picks #5 and #37 in return for #3 and #65
Fresh off the Dexter Lawrence trade, the extra draft capital gives the Giants the confidence to move up and get the best offensive weapon in this draft. John Harbaugh gets the running back he can lean on and take pressure off of Jaxson Dart, and G.M. Joe Schoen tries to make owner John Mara (who seemed unhappy about letting Saquon Barkley go) happy by landing their next star player.
4. Tennessee Titans - David Bailey - Edge - Texas Tech
If the smoke around Tennessee taking Jeremiyah Love was real, they might be slightly disappointed by getting jumped over by the Giants, but Texas Tech edge David Bailey is a great consolation prize and arguably a much smarter pick for a rebuilding franchise.
5. Arizona Cardinals - Francis Mauigoa - OT - Miami
The Cardinals desperately needed another starting tackle. That was a tougher sell at #3 overall with Love and Bailey on the board, but after moving back two spots and getting the #37 pick, they now can take Francis Mauigoa without hesitation and address other needs with their two early 2nd-round picks.
6. TRADE - Dallas Cowboys - LB - Sonny Styles - Ohio State
Dallas gives the Browns picks #12 and #20 in return for #6, #39, and #149
If it was any other team letting their love of a specific player leak into the media, I would just assume it was a smokescreen, but everyone knows that Jerry Jones can't help himself. The Cowboys give up their additional 1st-round pick but get an early 2nd and a 5th-rounder to help balance things out.
7. TRADE - Kansas City Chiefs - Edge - Rueben Bain Jr. - Miami
Kansas City gives up picks #9, #109, and #169 in return for pick #7
Brett Veach likes to get his man, and while he didn't pay the premium to move up into the top five picks, he does make a move to jump up two spots to make sure he gets the one top-ten pass rusher that is a natural fit for Steve Spagnuolo's defense. The Chiefs give up their 4th-rounder and one of their 5th-rounders to get it done, but securing Bain is worth it.
8. New Orleans Saints - Carnell Tate - WR - Ohio State
The Saints decide to pair Chris Olave with another Ohio State wide receiver. Tate gives New Orleans a more physical option that probably complements Olave's slim build and skill set better than Jordyn Tyson would.
9. Washington Commanders - Jordyn Tyson - WR - Arizona State
The Commanders wanted to land a top wideout to pair with Terry McLaurin, and with both Tate and Tyson on the board at #7, they decided to move back a couple of spots and still land one of them. The Commanders were missing both their 2nd- and 4th-round picks prior to this trade, so picking up a 4th- and 5th-rounder helps give them some more draft capital while still landing a top wideout.
10. New York Giants - Caleb Downs - S - Ohio State
The Giants land the most pro-ready defensive player and best defensive back in this draft class with the pick they got from the Bengals for Dexter Lawrence. The Giants walking away from the 1st round with both Jeremiyah Love and Caleb Downs could be a franchise-defining moment.
11. TRADE - Los Angeles Rams - Makai Lemon - WR - USC
The Rams give up picks #13 and #61 in return for pick #11 and 75
The Rams want a top wideout as insurance in case Puka Nacua continues to have issues and Father Time (or injuries) catches up to Davante Adams. With Tate and Tyson off the board and wideout-needy teams like Miami and Cleveland ahead of them, they swap picks with the Dolphins (who need to fill a plethora of positions) in order to move up and land the last of the big three wideouts in this draft. Lemon's tough style is also a perfect fit for their system.
12. Cleveland Browns - Monroe Freeling - OT - Georgia
The Browns need a new starting left tackle, and #6 overall would have been a real reach for Freeling, who has elite tools but isn't a finished product yet. After moving back and picking up an extra 1st-round pick, they don't hesitate to take Freeling here.
13. Miami Dolphins - Mansoor Delane - CB - LSU
The Dolphins move back two spots and still get one of the top players they were considering at pick #11, and get to jump up 14 spots from the 3rd round into the 2nd round in the process. With 2026 being a shallow class, that move up could be the difference in them getting a guy they really feel confident about.
14. Baltimore Ravens - Spencer Fano - OL - Utah
The Ravens have a history of just sitting back and letting good players fall into their lap. Fano is the top tackle on a lot of boards, but Baltimore is able to land him as the 3rd lineman off the board. Plus, Fano has the versatility to play all over the line and could instantly fill a hole on their interior.
15. Tampa Bay Buccaneers - Keldric Faulk - DL - Auburn
The Buccaneers need defensive line help, and Keldric Faulk gives them a young developing talent with the potential to be a terror that can play both inside and outside.
16. New York Jets - Omar Cooper Jr. - WR - Indiana
The Jets need a complement to go with Garrett Wilson. Wilson may be electric, but he isn't the most physical receiver. Omar Cooper Jr. gives them someone with more run-after-the-catch upside.
17. Detroit Lions - Kadyn Proctor - OT - Alabama
The Lions need a new starting OT, and Kadyn Proctor has the combo of size and athleticism to excel in their system. Detroit can decide who they think will be better at LT and RT between Proctor and Penei Sewell.
18. Minnesota Vikings - Dillon Thieneman - S - Oregon
Some picks just seem like a universally accepted match, and that is the case with the Vikings and Thieneman. Someone else could definitely snag the athletic safety before pick #18, but in this mock he's still on the board and the Vikings don't hesitate to make this often-predicted pairing come true.
19. Carolina Panthers - Kenyon Sadiq - TE - Oregon
Ja'Tavion Sanders hasn't panned out as a significant weapon for Carolina, and Kenyon Sadiq offers more upside at this point than the wideouts still on the board. Pairing Tet McMillan with Sadiq gives Bryce Young a nice pair of weapons to work with.
20. Cleveland Browns - Olaivavega Ioane - OG - Penn State
The Browns completely overhaul their offensive line by pairing Monroe Freeling with Olaivavega Ioane in the 1st round of this draft. Their patchwork offensive line now has two foundational pieces to help provide a stable pocket for whomever is their quarterback in 2027.
21. Pittsburgh Steelers - Caleb Lomu - OT - Utah
The Steelers decide that they can't risk having Broderick Jones as their only option protecting the quarterback's blindside and take the last 1st-round-worthy left tackle in this class. Lomu has some growing to do, but he's a good run blocker and has the athleticism to be equally good in pass protection. He will need some development, so if he plays right away, there could be some bumps in the road.
22. Los Angeles Chargers - Peter Woods - DT - Clemson
The Chargers could go a lot of different directions here, but they need defensive line help, and Woods has elite upside. Before the season, he was viewed as a lock to go in the top ten. He may have had a down year, but the upside he showed in 2024 is still there.
23. Philadelphia Eagles - Max Iheanachor - OT - Arizona State
The run on offensive line continues as the Eagles draft the heir to Lane Johnson at right tackle. The same team that turned a raw Australian prospect in Jordan Mailata into a top-tier left tackle hopes to the same with raw right tackle prospect Max Iheanachor, who is from Nigeria and has similar physical upside.
24. TRADE - Kansas City - Blake Miller - OT - Clemson
Kansas City gives up pick #29 and #176 this year and a 2027 3rd rounder in return for pick #24
The Chiefs see the run on offensive linemen and decide to move up and get their man for the 2nd time in the 1st round. This time, it is for Blake Miller, who has a ton of experience and is viewed as a high-floor right tackle prospect. He may not have the upside of Max Iheanachor, who went right before him, but he's also a safer bet to be a reliable starter, and that will appeal to a team that is looking for the long-term answer at right tackle. Lots of KC fans won't like this move, but tackle is a need.
25. Chicago Bears - Kayden McDonald - DT - Ohio State
The Bears have a promising young offense, but their defense was a little too soft in the playoffs last year. They help fix that here by drafting the best run-stopping defensive tackle in this draft class.
26. Buffalo Bills - Jermod McCoy - CB - Tennessee
Jermod McCoy could go 15 picks higher than this if teams are confident that his knee will be okay. He tested well, but there are whispers that this could be a situation like Will Johnson last season. This late in the 1st round, the Bills are willing to take a shot on what could end up being an elite cornerback if he's fully healthy.
27. San Francisco 49ers - Emmanuel McNeil-Warren - S - Toledo
The 49ers are getting old and could really go anywhere with this pick. McNeil-Warren gives them a physical playmaker on the back end to help revitalize their defense.
28. Houston Texans - Chase Bisontis - OG - Texas A&M
Some people may think this is too early for Bisontis, but his combination of size, athleticism, and feisty play style will make him a great addition to a team that needs to run the ball and protect CJ Stroud.
29. Cleveland Browns - Denzel Boston - WR - Washington
The Browns add their 3rd player of the first round, and all of them are picks that will help their future quarterback thrive in the future. After adding two of the top offensive linemen, they also add a big outside receiver that can win contested catches and be an excellent red-zone threat.
30. Miami Dolphins - KC Concepcion - WR - Texas A&M
The Dolphins replace Jaylen Waddle with the pick they got for him from the Broncos. Concepcion may not quite have Waddle's straight line speed, but he may be even better at creating separation in his routes and creating after the catch.
31. New England Patriots - Akheem Mesidor - Miami
Mesidor's advanced age may have caused him to slide farther than his play last season deserves, but the Patriots are happy to snatch him up with the next to last pick of the 1st round to give their pass rush a needed boost.
32. TRADE - Arizona Cardinals - Ty Simpson - QB - Alabama
The Cardinals give up picks #34 and #143 in return for pick #32
The Cardinals decide to jump ahead of the Jets and make sure no other QB-needy team jumps in to this spot and takes a flier on a QB with the added 5th year option in case they hit. There are lots of questions about Simpson, but he looked like a potential 1st overall pick early in the season before he got hurt, and his play dropped off in the 2nd half.
Closing Thoughts:
The Chiefs have lots of draft capital, and this isn't viewed as a very deep class. So don't be surprised if they're aggressive and don't hesitate to trade away mid- to late-round picks without a second thought. The trade chart worked out so that they were able to trade up twice without giving up any of their top 100 picks in this class.
Looking at the mock as a whole, the run on offensive linemen, a position that is always needed and has a steep drop-off in this class, pushed many deserving cornerbacks and edge players out of the 1st round. I think this could be a very realistic scenario since those two positions are some of the deepest in the draft, and teams may feel like they can still get quality there in the 2nd or 3rd round. That would be great for the Chiefs, who could land a really good corner (or maybe even double down at edge) at pick #40 if they wanted.Â
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