Race for the No. 1 Pick of the 2026 NFL Draft:
New York Jets:
The Jets currently are the leaders for the No. 1 pick as they are the only winless team in the NFL at 0-7. New York has some talent on the roster, but they are clearly in a big rebuilding project under Aaron Glenn and won’t be a playoff contender this season. New York should win some games this year, and I do not think they will go winless.
Tennessee Titans:
Tennessee was fortunate to get a win over Arizona, and the Cardinals should have won that game. 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:
The Saints are in rebuilding mode, whether they like it or not. While they seem desperate to stay competitive and avoid another era of being the ‘Aints, New Orleans has an aging roster in need of difference makers and long-term starters. The Saints will find out this season if Spencer Rattler or 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.
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:
Denver Broncos: Arvell Reese, LB, Ohio State 
The Broncos pulled off a huge comeback win over the Giants. The Denver defense had some surprising struggles with the Giants’ offense, and the middle of the defense was hurt by the New York running backs and tight ends. Denver could consider adding more interior linebacker talent to help fortify the middle of their defense.
Thus far in 2025, Reese has 42 tackles with 5.5 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. At 6-foot-4, 238 pounds, Reese is a large linebacker with a versatile skill set. He would be a great addition to the Broncos’ defense with their first-round pick.
Chicago Bears: Rueben Bain, DE, Miami 
The Bears improved to 4-2 with a win over the lowly Saints. Caleb Williams and the passing offense was not prolific, but Chicago got a nice game out of D’Andre Swift. The Bears had four sacks, but only one of them came from a defensive lineman. They could use an edge rusher to pair with Montez Sweat.
Bain has 27 tackles, two 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 could make sense for the Bears’ first-round pick.
Philadelphia Eagles: Zion Young, DE, Missouri 
The Eagles ended their two-game losing streak as Jalen Hurts had a huge game passing to A.J. Brown and DeVonta Smith. A Carson Wentz pick-six was a massive play, but Wentz moved the ball with ease on the Philadelphia defense. The Vikings settled for five field goals, and the Eagles need to add more pass-rush talent to their front.
Young has 23 tackles with five sacks and two passes batted thus far, but has been among the nation’s leaders in pressures. In 2024, Young had 41 tackles with 2.5 sacks and a forced fumble. The 6-foot-6, 265-pound Young has good size, length, and upside to develop. While Young has good size, he is also quick to close and shows good instincts as a rusher. Young could be a riser throughout the 2026 draft process, and he might be a good early-round selection for Philadelphia.
Dallas Cowboys: David Bailey, DE, Texas Tech 
The Cowboys cruised over the Redskins with the Dallas offense dominating. Defensively, they got a good game out of their linebackers with a pair of sacks and veteran Jadeveon Clowney got to the quarterback as well. Clowney has been a nice signing by Dallas, but the Cowboys need some long-term edge rushers for their defense.
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 10.5 sacks and 22 tackles with the Red Raiders. Bailey has natural quarterback hunting ability and could be a riser through the 2026 draft process.
Kansas City Chiefs: Kenyon Sadiq, TE, Oregon 
The Chiefs cruised over the rebuilding Raiders and didn’t need the help of their zebar teammates or the officials in he league office to buzz in any penalties on the opposition. Kansas City enjoyed Rashee Rice coming back from suspension as he caught two touchdowns, but the declining Travis Kelce (3-54) led them in receiving. Adding a young tight end to replace Kelce would make sense for the Chiefs.
Thus far in 2025, Sadiq has 21 catches for 305 yards and five 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, and he has athletic 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. Sadiq would be a great addition to the Kansas City offense.
Indianapolis Colts: Dani Dennis-Sutton, DE, Penn State 
The Colts improved to 6-1 with a road win at Los Angeles. Indianapolis had two huge interceptions of Justin Herbert, but they allowed him to throw for 420 yards with Oronde Gadsden and Keenan Allen crossing the century mark. To improve their pass rush, they could use more edge rush talent across from Laiatu Latu. Kwity Paye was shut out on the stat sheet and is a free agent after this season.
In 2025, Dennis-Sutton has 24 tackles with two sacks, two passes broken up, two forced fumbles, and a blocked punt. Dennis-Sutton (6-5, 272) is a big body at the point of attack, and he is a tough run defender. In 2024, he recorded 36 tackles, 6.5 sacks, three passes defended, and a forced fumble. He had 26 tackles and 3.5 sacks in 2023. Dennis-Sutton is a good run defender who shows some variety in pass-rushing moves, some quickness to close, and is a tough presence to set the edge. He could be a nice early-round pick for Indianapolis.
Cincinnati Bengals: Kyle Louis, LB, Pitt 
The Bengals pulled off a huge upset over the first-place Steelers on Thursday night with Joe Flacco throwing for 342 yards and three touchdowns for a comeback win. Ja’Marr Chase, Tee Higgins, and Chase Brown all produced and showed the potential of the Cincinnati offense when they have competent quarterback play. Cincinnati’s defense allowed 31 points, and their linebackers got worked. The Steelers got big nights out of Jaylen Warren and had three touchdown catches from their tight end tandem. The Bengals could use a tight end upgrade that would help them defend the ground game and receiving tight ends.
In 2025, Louis has 41 tackles with two sacks, a pass defended, a forced fumble, and an interception. In 2024, Louis was a breakout star and one of the best linebackers in the nation as a sophomore. Louis was all over the field for the Panthers and made some clutch plays for his team. Louis was tremendous with 97 tackles, 15 tackles for a loss, seven sacks, one forced fumble, four interceptions, and seven passes broken up. In pass coverage, Louis really stands out as a future contributor for the NFL. He is very smooth dropping in coverage and covers a lot of ground in zone. He could help with man coverage on tight ends and even some slot receivers. For the NFL, Louis (6-0, 225) is undersized, so he will need to work on taking on blocks, stacking, shedding, and getting on tackles. Given his size, that could be a persistent issue for him. But some smaller linebackers overcome it, and Louis could be that type. He could be a nice day-two pick for Cincinnati.
Team Draft Report:
In this section, we take a deeper look at specific teams and where they stand regarding the 2025 NFL Draft.
Cleveland Browns:
Even though they are not a playoff contender, the Browns are going to be a fascinating team to watch down the stretch of the 2025 season. Cleveland needs to figure out if Dillon Gabriel or Shedeur Sanders has the potential to be their long-term starting quarterback. Given that they did not draft them in the early rounds, the Browns brass’ actions say they think those two are backup-quality players. Thus, the Browns’ musical chairs game at quarterback looks poised to continue in 2026.
In my latest mock 2026 NFL Draft, I have the Browns taking Indiana quarterback Fernando Mendoza in the first round. Mendoza has a good arm, pocket presence, is smart, and accurate. He has more size and arm talent than the Browns’ current quarterbacks, and Mendoza would be a good fit in Kevin Stefanski’s offense. Aside from Mendoza, the Browns could consider other first-round quarterbacks like Oregon’s Dante Moore, Alabama’s Ty Simpson, Oklahoma’s John Mateer, and South Carolina’s LaNorris Sellers.
Aside from a franchise quarterback, the Browns have other big needs to fill on offense. They need a true left tackle after Jedrick Wills ended up being a bust. In the first round of the 2026 NFL Draft, they could consider tackles like Utah’s Spencer Fano, Oregon’s Isaiah World, Alabama’s Kayden Proctor, Boston College’s Jude Bowry, Miami’s Francis Mauigoa, and Utah’s Caleb Lomu. With the pick from the Jaguars, they probably won’t be high enough for Fano and Proctor, but they should have some of those others in play later on.
Defensively, Cleveland could use some young talent at edge rusher across from Myles Garrett. The 2026 NFL Draft looks like it could be a strong year for edge rush talent, so the Browns could have some good options to consider with players like 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. Their pick from the Jaguars might not be high enough for some of those pass rushers, but some should be available for Cleveland in the back half of the first round.
On day two, Cleveland could consider adding more talent at wide receiver, safety, and cornerback. If they take a rookie quarterback with their first pick, a wide receiver could also be in play for the first round.
The Browns are going to be a fascinating team to watch for the rest of 2025 and in the 2026 offseason. General manager Andrew Berry has consistently screwed up quarterback evaluations during his time with Cleveland. They passed on Pat Mahomes, made among the worst trades in league history for Deshaun Watson, and got rid of Baker Mayfield too quickly. Cleveland needs Berry to finally get it right at the quarterback position in the 2026 NFL Draft.
Pittsburgh Steelers:
Even though the Steelers suffered a surprising upset at Cincinnati on Thursday night, they are still in the thick of the race for the AFC. With the Ravens struggling to open the year and Joe Burrow being injured with Cincinnati, the Steelers are still in a good position to win the AFC North. While Pittsburgh has a golden opportunity to make the playoffs this year, the Steelers need to start planning for the future and find a franchise quarterback to build around.
Aaron Rodgers has stated this is likely his last year of NFL football, but even if he changes his mind and reunites with Pittsburgh next year, Rodgers is not a long-term starter, and the Steelers need to find a solution. The 2026 NFL Draft could offer some solutions, but it remains to be seen if Pittsburgh will be picking high enough to land a legit first-round pick. The Steelers probably won’t pick high enough for quarterbacks like Oregon’s Dante Moore, Indiana’s Fernando Mendoza, and Alabama’s Ty Simpson. South Carolina’s LaNorris Sellers and Oklahoma’s John Mateer are wild cards that could be in the mix for Pittsburgh, but in my latest mock 2026 NFL Draft, I don’t have either getting within range for Pittsburgh. I have the Steelers taking LSU quarterback Garrett Nussmeier. He is a smart, accurate quarterback with some arm talent, but he does not have an elite skill set. Thus, some might be concerned that Nussmeier is Kenny Pickett 2.0. Thus, Pittsburgh could be in a tough spot if it gets into the postseason but ends up picking too low to land a legit franchise quarterback.
The Steelers may have to consider trying to do a big trade-up in the first round to land a better future starter. If the Steelers miss out on the first-round quarterbacks, they could consider some day two or mid-round caliber quarterbacks like Miami’s Carson Beck, Penn State’s Drew Allar, Arizona State’s Sam Leavitt, or Kansas State’s Avery Johnson. If they foresee targeting a second-day quarterback, Pittsburgh should look to add a veteran capable of starting in free agency.
If the Steelers target a quarterback on day two, they could consider a wide receiver or cornerback in the first round. Cornerback is the bigger need, but wide receiver talent is needed across from D.K. Metcalf. In the first round, some wide receivers to consider include Arizona State’s Jordyn Tyson, Washington’s Denzel Boston, South Carolina’s Nyck Harbor, Louisville’s Chris Bell, and USC’s Makai Lemon.
If the Steelers find a veteran starting quarterback again, they could look to add more talent to their defense. Pittsburgh’s defense has not been the same since late in the 2024 season, and they need some young difference makers on that side of the ball. As Ja’Marr Chase illustrated on Thursday Night Football, adding a young cornerback is a necessity. Jalen Ramsey and Darius Slay are declining veterans, and other teams saw that, which is why they didn’t make a run at acquiring the overpriced and big-name veterans. In the first round, Pittsburgh could target candidates like LSU’s Mansoor Delane, Tennessee’s Jermod McCoy, and Texas A&M’s Will Lee. The other positions they could consider on defense in the first round would be some youth at linebacker. They could consider a linebacker like Ohio State’s Arvell Reese or LSU’s Harold Perkins Jr to bolster the middle of their defense.
This is going to be a critical offseason in Pittsburgh. They really need to find a franchise quarterback and a long-term starter to stabilize the team. Once they get that riddle solved, then they need to bring talent to the defense, as they are not the scary, tough defense they used to be. However, a big decision looms even before the quarterback: Should the Steelers move on from general manager Omar Khan and head coach Mike Tomlin? Are they the right men for the job? Will they keep the franchise stuck in mediocrity? They are the decision makers who took Pickett, signed Russell Wilson, and started other backup quality players like Justin Fields and Mason Rudolph. It could be time for a regime change in Pittsburgh, but it sounds like the Rooney family is more likely to stick with Tomlin and Khan in 2026.
