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

The Raiders grab their quarterback of the future.

In 2025, Mendoza completed 72 percent of his passes for 3,535 yards with 41 touchdowns and six interceptions. He had seven 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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Free agency will give some clues to where Simpson will go and which teams could target him. If the Jets have a starter grade on Simpson, they can’t bank on Simpson getting to their pick at 16. The Cardinals, Browns, and Dolphins could all take Simpson before they’re up at 16. And other teams like the Steelers could trade up to get in front of them for him. The same situation played out with the Giants’ selection of Daniel Jones with the sixth-overall pick in the 2019 NFL Draft. Sources say Simpson could rise because of good tape, and he will interview well. If a young quarterback plays well next season, that could save the regime in New York and get them a third season.

Simpson has been phenomenal in 2025, leading the Crimson Tide to some big wins against tough opponents. In 2025, Simpson had completed 65 percent of his passes for 3,500 yards with 28 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 Cardinals need a tackle to pair with Paris Johnson.

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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Tennessee takes an upgrade for the middle of their defense.

In 2025, Reese had 69 tackles with 6.5 sacks, two passes broken up, zero forced fumbles, and zero interceptions. 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 Giants take the best player available and add a safety to fortify the deep middle of their defense. Downs has the potential to be a difference maker for New York on the back end.

In 2025, Downs had 68 tackles with two interceptions, two forced fumbles, three passes 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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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 some edge rush youth.

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 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.

The Saints need more weapons for Tyler Shough. Here’s a back that could remind Kellen Moore of what Saquon Barkley did in his offense. New Orleans got little production out of their rushing offense, and Love could be dynamic behind their talented young offensive line.

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.

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The Chiefs need more playmakers and weapons for Pat Mahomes, especially with Mahomes coming off an injury that could limit his mobility in the short-term and long-term. Here’s a receiver that can uncover for Mahomes.

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

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 Dolphins could move on from Tyreek Hill. Here’s a receiver to pair with Jaylen Waddle.

With teammates like Marvin Harrison Jr., Emeka Egbuka, and Jeremiah Smith, Tate went under the radar, but he is a talented receiver in his own right and showed that in 2025. 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. In 2025, Tate had 51 receptions for 875 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.

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The Cowboys grab an edge rusher to replace Micah Parsons.

Bain had 54 tackles, 9.5 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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The Rams go with the best player available and add a No.1 cornerback.

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 Ravens need more defensive line talent next to Nnamdi Madubuike, and Madubuike is coming off a serious injury. Here is an edge rusher who brings size and upside.

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, 270-pounder has upside to develop as he gains experience. Sources say that Faulk is a great kid, a hard worker, and loves football.

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

In 2025, Styles had 83 tackles, five 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 Jets grab a receiver to pair with Garrett Wilson.

Boston had 62 catches for 881 yards and 11 touchdowns. After Washington lost a trio of good receivers to the NFL, Boston enjoyed a breakout season for the Huskies in 2024. He had 64 receptions for 834 yards and nine touchdowns. The 6-foot-4, 209-pounder has mismatch size and looks like he is just scratching the surface of his potential.

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