Race for the No. 1 Pick of the 2026 NFL Draft:
Las Vegas Raiders:
Before the Raiders kicked off their season finale, they clinched the No. 1 pick in the 2026 NFL Draft after the Giants got a win over the Cowboys. The No. 1 pick could be the catalyst for a turnaround for the franchise (see below). The Raiders are dealing with the ramifications of years of bad management by Mark Davis. After Davis allowed the NFL league office to bully him into blowing up the playoff team that had been built by Jon Gruden, Davis has made a number of terrible hires at head coach and general manager. The Raiders roster has a serious lack of talent, and it would be surprising if they won in Week 18. Las Vegas should take advantage of having the No.1 pick and add a long-term starter at quarterback. They could consider Indiana’s Fernando Mendoza, Oregon’s Dante Moore, and Alabama’s Ty Simpson, depending on which ones enter the draft.
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
- Green Bay Packers defensive coordinator Jeff Hafley
- Baltimore Ravens offensive coordinator Todd Monken
- Green Bay Packers special teams coordinator Rich Bisaccia
- Minnesota Vikings defensive coordinator Brian Flores
Head Coach Hot-Seat Tracker:
- Arizona Cardinals: Jonathan Gannon
- Atlanta Falcons: Raheem Morris
- Tampa Bay Buccaneers: Todd Bowles
- Cleveland Browns: Kevin Stefanski
- Miami Dolphins: Mike McDaniel
- Cincinnati Bengals: Zac Taylor
Let’s Play Matchmaker:
Seattle Seahawks: Carnell Tate, WR, Ohio State 
The Seahawks clinched the No. 1 seed in the NFC with a win over the 49ers, and Seattle is positioned to make noise in the postseason and years to come in the NFC. Signing Sam Darnold was a brilliant move by general manager John Schneider, and all Darnold has done the past two seasons is produce back-to-back 14-win seasons for his team. To help Darnold continue his winning ways, Seattle could stand to add a big receiver to replace D.K. Metcalf and give them another mismatch weapon.
With teammates like Marvin Harrison Jr., Emeka Egbuka, and Jeremiah Smith, Tate has gone under the radar, but he is a talented receiver in his own right. The 6-foot-3, 195-pounder has good size, runs well enough, and has flashed big-play ability while never being the No. 1 featured receiver. Thus far in 2025, Tate has 48 receptions for 838 yards with nine touchdowns. In 2024, Tate had 50 receptions for 698 yards and four touchdowns. Tate flashed as a freshman in 2023, catching 18 passes for 264 yards and a touchdown. Tate has athletic upside and untapped potential. He could make sense for the Seahawks’ first-round pick
Detroit Lions: Ola Ioane, G, Penn State 
For the fourth straight season under Dan Campbell, Detroit finished with a winning record and they are not far from being elite again. The big difference between the Lions team that won 15 games in 2024 and the one that won nine games this year was the struggles of the offensive line in the back half of the 2025 season. Detroit’s ground game was not the same; they had issues protecting Jared Goff, and they struggled on third and fourth down. The Lions could stand to upgrade Graham Glasgow. They could move Tate Ratledge to center in year two and draft a guard. Ioane would give them a power guard, and they could have Christian Mahogany and Miles Frazier compete for the other guard spot.
The 6-foot-4, 334-pound Ioane is a strong blocker at the point of attack with the ability to generate movement in the ground game. He is also a reliable pass protector. Ioane is explosive, can mirror speed rushers, and plays with physicality with a nasty streak. Ioane looks like a guard for the NFL and probably does not have the length to kick outside to tackle. Ioane would help the Lions’ ground game and improve the interior protection for Goff. Ioane would make a lot of sense for the Lions’ second-round pick.
Jacksonville Jaguars: Caleb Banks, DT, Florida 
The Jaguars blew out the Titans to win the AFC South, and their eighth game in a row. Liam Coen has done a phenomenal job in his first season in Jacksonville, and the Jaguars have a real shot at going to the Super Bowl. Even if they don’t get there this year, Jacksonville is headed in the right direction. They are without a first-round pick thanks to the Travis Hunter trade, but they could help their defense by adding some interior defensive line talent in the second round.
Banks injured his foot in September and missed over two months. He has three tackles in 2025. In his second season with the Gators, Banks (6-6, 325) is a large interior defender who flashed some pass-rush ability in 2024. He recorded 4.5 sacks with 21 tackles, one forced fumble, and one pass defended. He had 19 tackles with a sack in 2023. Prior to that, Banks had two tackles with a sack while playing at Louisville. Banks has a good skill set with upside. Banks could be an excellent long-term tackle next to Travon Walker.
Washington Redskins: David Bailey, DE, Texas Tech 
Washington and Philadelphia were both playing lots of backups as Josh Johnson won over Tanner McKee. This offseason, there are a lot of holes for Washington to fix, including edge rusher. Von Miller had a sack in the season finale, but Miller is not a long-term starter. To get back into the postseason next year, Washington must improve their pass rush, and Bailey would be a great fit for Dan Quinn.
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 2025, he had 14.5 sacks, three forced fumbles, three passes batted, and 52 tackles. In 2024, he recorded 31 tackles, seven sacks, and five forced fumbles with Stanford. Bailey has natural quarterback hunting ability and could be a riser in the pre-draft workouts. Bailey would be an excellent pick for Washington in the first round of the 2026 NFL Draft.
Tampa Bay Buccaneers: Rueben Bain, DE, Miami 
The Buccaneers got a home win over Carolina, but with the Falcons beating the Saints, the Panthers are NFC South champions. Tampa Bay enters the offseason needing young talent in its defensive front seven. They have devoted a lot of draft picks to the secondary, but they need some young edge rush and linebacker talent. In the first round of the 2026 NFL Draft, Bain could be a nice fit for Tampa Bay.
Bain has 45 tackles, 8.5 sacks, an interception, and a forced fumble. Bain had an excellent freshman season for Miami, totaling 7.5 sacks, three forced fumbles, and 44 tackles. At the point of attack, Bain (6-3, 275) is strong and violent. He is tough to set the edge in the ground game, and Bain battles hard on every snap with relentless effort. In the pass rush, he shows some quickness and power, but some team sources feel that Bain is a tweener tackle/end. Bain was injured to start 2024 and didn’t debut until early October. He totaled 23 tackles with 3.5 sacks. Bain would be a good culture fit with the Buccaneers.
Atlanta Falcons: K.C. Concepcion, WR, Texas A&M 
The 8-9 Falcons finished with the same record as first-place Carolina and second-place Tampa Bay in 2025, but Atlanta was playing the best football of any of those teams over the final month of the season. The Falcons have a lot of young talent on their roster, and the players showed significant improvement late in the season. Atlanta could stand to add a speed receiver to go with Drake London next season.
Concepcion caught 5761 passes for 919 yards and nine touchdowns, and returned two punts for touchdowns. The 5-foot-11, 190-pounder is a quick and shifty receiver who is very dangerous with the ball in his hands, over two seasons at N.C. State, Concepcion flashed some ability with the Wolfpack. In 2023, he had 71 receptions for 839 yards and 10 touchdowns. He also ran for 320 yards that season on 41 carries. In 2024, he had 53 catches for 460 yards and six scores. In the second round of the 2026 NFL Draft, Concepcion would be a nice addition for the Atlanta offense.
Minnesota Vikings: Brancon Cisse, CB, South Carolina 
The Packers started third-string quarterback Clayton Thune as Green Bay had nothing to play for, and they managed just three points in the regular season finale. Minnesota has the potential to bounce back into the postseason next year. They need to at least get competition if not an upgrade over J.J. McCarthy. As the No. 1 seed Seahawks have proven, it was a huge mistake to let Sam Darnold leave. Minnesota should target a veteran like Kyler Murray, Tua Tagovailoa, Kirk Cousins, Aaron Rodgers, or Daniel Jones to compete with McCarthy. If they sign a veteran cornerback, they can target a cornerback upgrade in the first round to help their defense.
Cisse has been an impressive cover corner for South Carolina in 2025. He had 27 tackles with an interception, five 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. In the first round of the 2026 NFL Draft, Cisse could be a good fit for the Vikings.
Team Draft Report:
In this section, we take a deeper look at specific teams and where they stand regarding the 2025 NFL Draft.
New York Giants:
It was a rough season for the Giants that saw their head coach get fired, and New York almost ended up landing the No. 1 pick in the 2026 NFL Draft, but winning their final two games secured the pick for the Raiders. On the positive side, New York quarterback Jaxson Dart showed some promising signs as a rookie, and the Giants need to build around him in the 2026 NFL Draft. Landing a good head coach to work with Dart will be critical, and it would make sense to get a general manager upgrade that comes in with the new head coach.
To help Dart, the offensive line has to be a top candidate in the first round. Evan Neal is a free agent after this season, and other veterans like Greg Van Roten and Jermaine Eluemunor are not long-term starters. It would make sense to add some young blocking talent to protect Dart. High in the first round, Utah’s Spencer Fano, Alabama’s Kayden Proctor, and Miami’s Francis Mauigoa could be considerations. Fano or Proctor could pair with Andrew Thomas to give them a pair of bookend tackles. And there could be other good options to consider in the second round, including Oregon’s Isaiah World, Utah’s Caleb Lomu, and Boston College’s Jude Bowry. Continuing to build up the blocking for Dart and Cam Skattebo would make a lot of sense.
While they have some quality young backs on their roster, if the Giants go with the best player available approach, they will have to give some consideration to Notre Dame running back Jeremiyah Love. Some team sources have compared him to Saquon Barkley, and Love could form a dynamite tandem with Skattebo. Having a dynamic rushing attack will help Dart with better down-and-distance situations and help the New York defense. Love could be an interesting and surprisingly good selection for New York.
Aside from tackle, New York could consider adding some guard talent on the second day. Penn State’s Ola Ioane would be an excellent long-term right guard to blast open holes for Skattebo and protect Dart. Auburn center Conner Lew is a well-balanced blocker who is tough and gritty at the point of attack. He could be a guard for the Giants who offers the ability to move to center if an injury hits John Michael Schmitz Jr.
Defensively, the Giants could consider going with the best player available. In my latest mock 2026 NFL Draft, I have the Giants taking Ohio State linebacker Arvell Reese. Reese could be the top non-quarterback and bolster he middle of the defense. He would help their run defense and pass coverage in the middle of the field. Another option could be cornerback, especially if they are able to trade down. LSU’s Mansoor Delane or Tennessee’s Jermod McCoy would give New York a true No. 1 cornerback. Having a cornerback like Delane or McCoy would help them when matching up against division rivals like CeeDee Lamb, A.J. Brown, and Terry McLaurin.
With the play of Dart, the Giants can feel some optimism. However, they need to get improvements in their decision-makers and build more around Dart. Even though they have a high first-rounder, New York isn’t that far away from being a playoff contender, and with some good moves, they could make a big jump next season, similar to the Patriots or Bears. 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 Gruden out. Davis then made some dumb decisions, like not retaining Gruden’s staff under Rich Bisaccia He then blundered with hiring Dave Ziegler and Josh McDaniels, and made another regrettable hire with 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 massive rebuild project for them after years of mismanagement. With the No. 1 pick in the 2026 NFL Draft, the Raiders have a chance to land a player who changes the franchise.
In my latest mock 2026 NFL Draft, I have the Raiders taking Indiana quarterback Fernando Mendoza. Las Vegas traded for Geno Smith, and they committed significant money to him in a contract extension, but at Smith’s age, he is not a long-term starter, and Las Vegas can’t turn down the chance to get a future franchise quarterback. Mendoza has a big arm, is smart, has accuracy, pocket presence, and functional mobility. The Raiders have a great offensive coordinator/quarterback coach in Greg Olson to work with him. Turning down trading down and taking Mendoza has to be the direction they go. With Smith signed, they have the luxury of letting Mendoza develop at his own pace and are not forced to start him right away. They can let him learn by watching Smith and give Smith the chance to build himself into a tradeable commodity. Smith was a good backup for many years, so he could be helpful in that role as well. Taking Mendoza and starting the future at quarterback is a no-brainer for the Raiders.
After taking Mendoza, Las Vegas needs to build up the talent around him. 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. They could consider some solid options in the second round, including Oregon’s Isaiah World, Utah’s Caleb Lomu, Clemson’s Blake Miller, or Boston College’s Jude Bowry. However, I think starting a rookie right tackle could be dangerous and hurt their rookie quarterback. I think they should spend in free agency for a veteran right tackle, so they are giving Mendoza some veteran edge protectors who have experience blocking NFL pass rushers. If they sign a tackle, they could target a receiving weapon at the top of the second.
In my latest mock 2026 NFL Draft, I have the Raiders taking a receiving weapon for Mendoza in the second round. Las Vegas badly needs more receiving talent, and they could land a good option early in the second. Some players they could consider include Louisville’s Chris Bell, Notre Dame’s Malachi Fields, USC’s Makai Lemon, or Alabama’s Germie Bernard. Bell would be a great fit for a possession receiver. Fields could be a size-mismatch weapon, while Lemon could be a capable slot receiver. Adding a steady receiver
The Raiders are a big rebuilding project for Carroll and Spytek. In the 2026 NFL Draft, they should take their young franchise quarterback and get him some receiving talent in the second round. In the third round, they could go best player available and maybe take a contributor for their defense with a cornerback, tackle, or linebacker. Or perhaps they add more offensive line or another receiver. The AFC West is among the best in the NFL, so Las Vegas must get this draft right to lay the foundation toward becoming a playoff contender again.
