2026 NFL Mock Draft – Round 1 (1-16) – Charlie Campbell

The Raiders grab their quarterback of the future.

In 2025, Mendoza has completed 72 percent of his passes for 2,980 yards with 33 touchdowns and six interceptions. He has five rushing touchdowns as well. The 6-foot-5, 225-pounder has a quality arm, reads the field well, makes good decisions, and has dangerous pocket passing ability. Mendoza played well for Cal in 2024. He completed 69 percent of his passes for 3,004 yards with 16 touchdowns and six interceptions. Mendoza has good size, and it will be interesting to see how he develops at Indiana.

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The Giants would move down and add picks to build around Jaxson Dart. If they move down, they could take the best player available approach and add a linebacker like Reese to fortify the middle of their defense.

Thus far in 2025, Reese has 62 tackles with 6.5 sacks and two passes broken up. Team sources feel that Reese is a special player as they like his instincts in combination with being big and athletic. Reese is a sideline-to-sideline run defender who is tough at the point of attack. He is also capable of dropping into coverage, moves well in zone, and is a dangerous pass rusher. At 6-foot-4. 238 pounds, Reese is a large linebacker with a versatile skill set. In 2024, Reese had 43 tackles with .5 sacks as a rotational backup.

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The Jets take their starter of the future.

Moore has been a dynamic point-producer for the Ducks in 2025, making plays with his arm and legs. In 2025, Moore has completed 73 percent of his passes for 2,733 yards with 24 touchdowns and six interceptions. Moore (6-3, 203) is a dangerous quarterback who is tough to defend. He has shown impressive arm talent and feel as a passer. Moore throws some beautiful deep balls and shows impressive composure and poise for a young player.

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Tennessee goes with the best prospect available and a safety upgrade to pair with Amani Hooker.

In 2025, Downs has 60 tackles with two interceptions, one pass broken up, and one sack. In 2024, Downs had 76 tackles with six passes broken up and two interceptions. Downs was phenomenal for Alabama in 2023, recording 107 tackles, two interceptions, three passes broken up, and a forced fumble. After the season, he transferred to Ohio State. Downs (6-0, 205) could be a plug-and-play starter and could be a Pro Bowl safety early in his pro career.

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With Kyler Murray on his way out, Arizona grabs its next hope for a true franchise quarterback.

Simpson has been phenomenal in 2025, leading the Crimson Tide to some big wins against tough opponents. In 2025, Simpson has completed 64 percent of his passes for 3,268 yards with 26 touchdowns, five interceptions, 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.

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The Browns need two offensive tackles to help improve the protection for their young quarterback.

Overall, Proctor played well in 2023 as a freshman. Except for struggling against Michigan in the college football playoff, Proctor was generally reliable in protecting Jalen Milroe. Proctor (6-7, 360) is a massive left tackle with a very good skill set of size and strength. Proctor is quick and athletic for his size, but some might feel he could be a right tackle candidate for the NFL. The tapes against Missouri and South Carolina suggest that. NFL team sources say they have concerns about Proctor’s weight. They feel he will lose weight for the combine and pre-draft process, but they are worried he won’t keep the weight off and could get too heavy. That could cut down on his effectiveness as a pro player.

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Washington needs to get Jayden Daniels more help. Here’s a back to supercharge the ground game and provide better down-and-distance situations for Daniels.

In 2025, Love averaged 6.9 yards per carry for 1,372 yards with 18 touchdowns. He had 27 catches for 280 yards with three touchdowns receiving, and Love has blocked well in pass protection In 2024, Love had a breakout season for the Fighting Irish, producing a lot of clutch plays to help the Irish reach the National Championship. As a sophomore, Love averaged 6.9 yards per carry for 1,125 yards with 17 touchdowns. He also caught 28 passes for 237 yards. Love has a strong build and is a physical downhill runner. Love is a talented runner with speed and instincts. He reminds me of Nick Chubb at Georgia.

The Saints need more weapons for Tyler Shough. Here’s a receiver to pair with Chris Olave.

Tyson had 61 catches for 711 yards and eight touchdowns while missing some time with injuries. On top of being a good wideout, Tyson has blocked well. Tyson was a dangerous weapon for the Sun Devils in 2024 as he hauled in 75 catches for 1,101 yards and 10 touchdowns. Tyson is quick with easy acceleration. The 6-foot-1, 195-pounder has adequate size and showed big-play ability in 2022, averaging 21.4 yards per reception (22-470-4). Team sources have durability concerns with Tyson as he missed time with injuries in each season in college.

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The Chiefs need more playmakers and weapons for Pat Mahomes. Here’s a replacement for Travis Kelce.

Thus far in 2025, Sadiq has 40 catches for 490 yards and eight touchdowns. Sadiq flashed in 2024 with 24 catches for 308 yards and two touchdowns. The 6-foot-3, 245-pound Sadiq is a dangerous receiver with upside. Team sources are raving about Sadiq as a talent and mismatch weapon. Even though he is not a big tight end, Sadiq blocks hard and really battles defenders. He is fast, athletic, an excellent route-runner, has good hands, and can pick up yards after the catch. He looks like a real weapon for the NFL.

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The Bengals could use a true No. 1 cornerback for their defense.

Delane had 45 tackles with two interceptions and 11 passes broken up in 2025. Delane is an instinctive defender with a quality skill set for the next level. In 2024, he had four interceptions with seven passes defended, two forced fumbles, and 54 tackles with Virginia Tech. In 2023, he had one interception, one pass batted, and 54 tackles. He had eight breakups with an interception in 2022 as a freshman. The 6-foot-1, 188-pounder has good size to him with upside to continue to get better as he gains experience.

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The Dolphins grab some more tackle talent.

The 6-foot-6, 310-pound Fano has a lot of talent and has played well at tackle for the Utes. He has been a versatile tackle with 11 starts at left tackle and 13 at right tackle heading into the 2025 season. For the most part, Fano played on the left side in 2023 and on the right side in 2024. Fano is fast, athletic, and plays with a mean streak. He is a force as a run blocker and shows a lot of athleticism to take away speed rushers. A lot of teams could fall in love with his tape.

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The Rams go with the best player available and add a No.1 cornerback.

McCoy did not play in 2025, coming off a torn ACL, but his 2024 tape was so good that he could still be a first-round pick. The 6-foot, 190-pound McCoy had an excellent sophomore season with 44 tackles, four interceptions, and seven passes broken up. He played well in 2023 with 31 tackles, two interceptions, and seven breakups. McCoy is an instinctive corner with good ball skills and a willing tackler. He could be a steal if he returns to his 2024 form.

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The Bucs need some young talent and difference makers in the middle of their defense.

In 2025, Styles had 81 tackles, three passes defended, one interception, .5 sacks, and a forced fumble. Styles (6-4, 243) has a lot of talent and started to play up to his potential during the 2024 season. He finished with 100 tackles, six sacks, one forced fumble, and five passes broken up. In 2023, he recorded 53 tackles, two sacks, and one pass batted, plus he has been very good in pass coverage. Styles started out as a safety, but was eventually moved to linebacker. Given his size, he fits best as a linebacker in the NFL. Syles is fast, athletic, and versatile. He could be a valuable zone coverage linebacker who is also a sideline-to-sideline run defender.

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The Cowboys grab an edge rusher to replace Micah Parsons.

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. Thus far in 2025, he has 13.5 sacks, three forced fumbles, and 42 tackles. In 2024, he recorded 31 tackles with seven sacks and five forced fumbles with Stanford. Bailey has natural quarterback hunting ability and could be a riser in the pre-draft workouts.

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Even if Al-Quadin Muhammad gets re-signed, he will be 31, and the Lions could use a long-term end to pair with Aidan Hutchinson.

Faulk had 29 tackles with two sacks and three passes batted in 2025. The Tigers’ defensive coaches squandered Faulk’s pass-rush ability by making him two-gap rather than letting him rush upfield. Faulk was a beast for Auburn in 2024, with a big-time presence behind the line of scrimmage. He had seven sacks, 45 tackles, and one forced fumble. He has shown speed and power as a pass rusher while being a big-bodied lineman to defend the run. The 6-foot-6, 288-pounder has upside to develop as he gains experience. Sources say that Faulk is a great kid, hard worker, and loves football.

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The Ravens need more defensive line talent next to Nnamdi Madubuike, and Madubuike is coming off a serious injury. Here is an edge rusher who is a good scheme fit.

Bain has 37 tackles, 4.5 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.

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