Race for the No. 1 Pick of the 2026 NFL Draft:
Tennessee Titans:
Tennessee was off in Week 10, and they moved into the top pick of the 2026 NFL Draft. As the only one-win team in the NFL, the Titans could land the No. 1 pick for the second straight season. If Tennessee gets the No. 1 pick, it would make sense to auction the pick to load up on draft picks to rebuild the Titans’ roster.
New Orleans Saints:
For the time being, New Orleans lost control of the No. 1 pick as they won on the road at Carolina to improve to 2-8. The Saints will find out over the back half of the season if Tyler Shough can be the long-term starter, but if they land the No. 1 pick, they should probably target a franchise quarterback to build around.
New York Jets:
After trading Sauce Garder and Quinnen Williams, the Jets improved their chances of landing the No. 1 pick in the 2026 NFL Draft. However, they dealt those hopes a blow when they won at home over Cleveland. New York is now loaded with four first-round picks and three second-round picks in the next two draft classes. If the Jets land the No. 1 pick, they should target Alabama quarterback Ty Simpson, Oregon’s Dante Moore, or Indiana’s Fernando Mendoza.
Top General Manager Candidates:
- Notre Dame general manager Mike Martin
- Atlanta Falcons vice president of player personnel Kyle Smith
- Tampa Bay Buccaneers senior personnel executive Byron Kiefer
- Detroit Lions assistant general manager Ray Agnew
- Detroit Lions senior personnel executive John Dorsey
- Houston Texans assistant general manager Chris Blanco
- Former Indianapolis Colts chief personnel executive Morocco Brown
- New England Patriots senior personnel executive Alonzo Highsmith
- Buffalo Bills director of player personnel Terrance Gray
- Las Vegas Raiders vice president of player personnel Brandon Hunt
Top Head Coach Candidates:
- Notre Dame head coach Marcus Freeman
- Super Bowl-winning head coach Jon Gruden
- Tampa Bay Buccaneers offensive coordinator Josh Grizzard
- Green Bay Packers defensive coordinator Jeff Hafley
- Baltimore Ravens offensive coordinator Todd Monken
- Detroit Lions defensive coordinator Kelvin Sheppard
- Green Bay Packers special teams coordinator Rich Bisaccia
- Minnesota Vikings defensive coordinator Brian Flores
Head Coach Hot-Seat Tracker:
- Miami Dolphins: Mike McDaniel
- Arizona Cardinals: Jonathan Gannon
- New York Giants: Brian Daboll
Let’s Play Matchmaker:
New York Jets: Ty Simpson, QB, Alabama 
The Jets traded Sauce Gardner and Quinnen Williams just days before the game, but New York showed no quit and held Cleveland to only three points in the final two quarters. Will McDonald IV had four sacks, and New York won despite Justin Fields completing only 6-of-11 passes for 54 yards with a touchdown and an interception. The Jets need a long-term starter, and Simpson would be a great fit in Tannger Engstrand’s offense.
Simpson has been phenomenal in 2025, leading the Crimson Tide to some big wins against tough opponents. In 2025, Simpson has completed 67 percent of his passes for 2,461 yards with 21 touchdowns, an interception, and two rushing touchdowns. Simpson has shown some serious arm talent, making some beautiful throws downfield with superb ball placement to beat tight coverage. In tight games, Simpson made some great passes to lead his team to wins over Georgia and Missouri. Simpson is accurate, smart, has a strong arm, and throws with timing and anticipation. Simpson has shown superb ball security this season as well, with excellent decision-making. If Simpson gets to the Jets’ first-round pick, he would be a great selection.
New Orleans Saints: Chris Bell, WR, Louisville 
Carolina had been red hot, and the Saints pulled off a surprising road upset. Tyler Shough threw two touchdown passes, and Alvin Kamara ran well for New Orleans. Chris Olave (5-104) played well, but no other Saints wide receiver had 17 yards through the air. Clearly, the Saints need more receiving talent for Shough or whoever is their quarterback in 2026.
To open 2025, Bell has 44 catches for 638 yards and six touchdowns. Bell (6-2, 220) was a solid receiver for the Cardinals in 2024, catching 43 passes for 737 yards and four touchdowns. With a strong build, Bell is physical and tough, but he also has good speed and runs well for a thick-built receiver. Bell would be a nice mismatch weapon and chain mover in Kellen Moore’s offense. At the top of the second round, Bell would be a great value pick.
Houston Texans: Caleb Lomu, OT, Utah 
With C.J. Stroud out, the Texans’ defense stepped up with an interception, a fumble, and five sacks. Houston scored 26 in the fourth quarter to get a 36-29 win over Jacksonville. Last year and this year, the Texans’ offensive line has not been good enough at protecting the quarterback and opening running lanes. Houston should look to improve their line in the next draft.
Lomu forms a formidable tackle tandem for the Utes with Spencer Fano. Lomu might not have quite as good a skill set as Fano, but Lomu is an athletic blocker who could have starting potential for the NFL. The 6-foot-6, 304-pound Lomu is agile, nimble, quick, and has natural size. Lomu needs to improve on his technique, but he has upside to work with. He could be a good tackle to be the long-term blind side protector for Stroud.
Baltimore Ravens: David Bailey, DE, Texas Tech 
The Ravens won their third straight game with an impressive road win in Minnesota. Baltimore’s defense has struggled this year, but they intercepted J.J. McCarthy twice and McCarthy was unable to utilize Justin Jefferson (4-37). While the Ravens covered well aside from Jalen Nailor, Baltimore only recorded one sack. They need more edge rush talent to go with Mike Green.
The 6-foot-3, 250-pound Bailey is a fast edge rusher with serious speed off the ball and the ability to bend around the corner. In 2024, he recorded 31 tackles with seven sacks and five forced fumbles with Stanford. Thus far in 2025, he has 11.5 sacks and 30 tackles with the Red Raiders. Bailey has natural quarterback hunting ability and could be a riser through the 2026 draft process. Bailey would be a great fit as an edge rusher in the Ravens’ scheme.
Miami Dolphins: Brandon Cisse, CB, South Carolina 
The Dolphins pulled off the most shocking upset of Week 10 with a win over the Buffalo Bills. Miami’s defense got big fumbles out of Josh Allen and James Cook while Devon Achane (22-174-2) ran all over Buffalo. The Bills’ receivers made some plays against the Miami secondary, and the Dolphins need more long-term starters at cornerback.
Cisse has been an impressive cover corner for South Carolina in 2025. He has 20 tackles with an interception, four passes batted, and a forced fumble. In 2024, he had 28 tackles with five passes broken up. The 6-foot, 190-pounder has quality size to go with speed and athleticism. He could be a starting man corner in the NFL. Miami could target Cisse at the top of the second round, and that would allow them to take an offensive lineman or possibly a quarterback in the first round.
Indianapolis Colts: Germie Bernard, WR, Alabama
Indianapolis won in Europe with an overtime win thanks to Jonathan Taylor’s prolific game (32-244-3 rushing, 3-42 receiving). Rookie Tyler Warren led them in receiving, and Indianapolis could use more receiving talent. The Colts included Adonai Mitchell in the trade for Sauce Gardner, and Alec Pierce is entering free agency. This offseason, Indianapolis could look to add more receiving weapons for Daniel Jones.
Bernard has played well in 2025, coming up with some clutch plays for Alabama. He has 41 catches for 605 yards and six touchdowns. Bernard played well in 2024, with 50 catches for 794 yards and two touchdowns. Bernard has the upside to produce more in 2025. The 6-foot-1, 190-pounder has solid size, speed, and athleticism. While Bernard might not become a true No. 1, he could be a solid No. 2 and capable NFL starter. Bernard would be a nice value pick for the Colts in the second round.
Denver Broncos: Francis Mauigoa, OT, Miami 
The Broncos won on Thursday Night Football with Denver’s defense dominating the Raiders’ offense. Denver needs to improve their talent around Bo Nix to help them develop more consistency on offense. They could target an offensive line upgrade in the first round. Mauigao could start out at guard and then eventually be a potential replacement for Mike McGlinchey at right tackle.
Mauigoa was a star recruit and one of the top players in the nation. After choosing the Hurricanes, Mauigoa has been a starting tackle for the past three seasons. The 6-foot-6, 315-pounder has a quality skill set with upside, but has not been overly dominant. Hence, he is more of a late first or second-rounder. Some team sources feel he might be better off moving inside to guard in the NFL, but he could be a starting right tackle or guard in the NFL. Mauigoa could make sense for the Broncos picking late in the first round of the 2026 NFL Draft.
Team Draft Report:
In this section, we take a deeper look at specific teams and where they stand regarding the 2025 NFL Draft.
New England Patriots:
The Patriots are ahead of schedule in their rebuild, and they have emerged as one of the best teams in the AFC. It is shocking to think they lost to the Raiders to open the season, but aside from that Week 1 oddity, New England has been remarkably consistent. The key to the success has been the play of second-year quarterback Drake Maye. Maye has proven me correct, as I had him rated throughout the 2024 NFL Draft process as the No. 1 player in the draft ahead of Caleb Williams and Jayden Daniels. Maye is on his way to emerging as one of the elite quarterbacks in the NFL, and he could lead New England back to Super Bowl Championships.
In the 2026 NFL Draft, the emphasis will likely be on building around Maye. In my latest mock 2026 NFL Draft, I have the Patriots taking Louisville’s Chris Bell, and that would be a great addition. Bell is a thick, quick, and dangerous run-after-the-catch receiver who would be a nice chain mover for Maye. Aside from Bell, New England could consider Arizona State’s Jordyn Tyson or Washington’s Denzel Boston. However, they probably won’t be picking high enough for Tyson. Other receivers they could consider include Ohio State’s Carnell Tate or South Carolina’s Nyck Harbor. Adding more mismatch weapons is a high priority for New England.
The other position the Patriots could consider on offense in the first round is offensive tackle. They hit a home run with the selection of Will Campbell last April, but aging veteran right tackle Morgan Moses is not a long-term starter. Adding a bookend to go with Campbell could be a wise move to help protect Maye and improve the run blocking for TreVeyon Henderson. There could be some good tackle options in the first round, including Utah’s Spencer Fano, his teammate Caleb Lomu, Oregon’s Isaiah World, Alabama’s Kayden Proctor, and Miami’s Francis Mauigoa.
Defensively, the Patriots could consider adding a safety or a defensive end. They ditched Jabrill Peppers, and if their young players don’t seize the jobs, they could consider Ohio State’s Caleb Downs in the first round. Downs may not get to their pick; they could consider other safeties, like USC’s Kamari Ramsey, Alabama’s Keon Sabb, and Alabama’s Bray Hubbard on day two.
New England could use some young talent at edge rusher across from Harold Landry. The 2026 NFL Draft could provide some good options, including Auburn’s Keldric Faulk, Penn State’s Dani Dennis-Sutton, Miami’s Rueben Bain Jr., Texas Tech’s David Bailey, Missouri’s Zion Young, and Missouri’s Damon Wilson. Adding one of them would make sense with an early-round pick.
The Patriots look like they are poised to be a top Super Bowl contender for many years to come. Continuing to build up their talent around Maye and their pass defense could put New England over the top and bring them a championship in the next few seasons.
Las Vegas Raiders:
The Raiders have been horribly managed by owner Mark Davis over the last decade. When Las Vegas was finally built into a playoff team by Jon Gruden, Davis caved to pressure from the league office and forced out Gruden. Davis then made some dumb decisions, like not retaining Gruden’s staff, hiring Dave Ziegler and Josh McDaniels, and hiring Antonio Pierce. Perhaps new head coach Pete Carroll and general manager John Spytek will develop them into a playoff contender, but it looks like a significant rebuild project for them after years of mismanagement.
Las Vegas could consider drafting a quarterback in the first round if there was a signal caller that they were in love with. However, they committed significant money to Geno Smith, and they could stick with Smith. He has been an effective starter when given a quality supporting cast to work with. The 2026 NFL Draft may not be a great year to land a quarterback, so Las Vegas might be picking too low to land one of the quarterback prospects worthy of being a high first-rounder.
In my latest mock 2026 NFL Draft, I have the Raiders taking Oregon left tackle Isaiah World. As the Broncos proved on Thursday night, the Las Vegas offensive line is in need of upgrades, and they could use a new right tackle to pair with Kolton Miller. In my opinion, they should have taken Armand Membou in the first round last year with a running back like Quinshon Judkins or TreVeyon Henderson in the second round. I think Spytek got caught up in the hype of Ashton Jeanty and did not look through the lens of team building. Aside from World, there could be other quality offensive tackle options like Utah’s Spencer Fano, his teammate Caleb Lomu, Alabama’s Kayden Proctor, and Miami’s Francis Mauigoa. Adding one of these tackles would help the protection for Geno Smith and improve the run blocking for Jeanty.
Wide receiver is the other huge need on the Raiders roster. The position has been a weakness for many seasons, and Las Vegas badly needs some long-term solutions. In the first round of the 2026 NFL Draft, the Raiders could consider a receiver like Arizona State’s Jordyn Tyson, Washington’s Denzel Boston, or Louisville’s Chris Bell. However, they might not be special enough talents to go as high as the Raiders’ first-round pick. They could consider one of those wideouts if they slide to the second round, or consider other options in the second round, like Ohio State’s Carnell Tate or South Carolina’s Nyck Harbor.
The Raiders are a big rebuilding project for Carroll and Spytek. In the 2026 NFL Draft, they should take the best offensive player available, except for a running back or tight end. Playing in one of the toughest divisions in the NFL, Las Vegas is going to need to do some shrewd drafting and free agency signings to become a playoff contender again.
