The 2025 NFL season is just getting underway, but it’s never too early to peek ahead to who your team might have its sights set on. For a few fan bases, the Draft might be the only thing to look forward to in 2025! Either way, let’s dive in and see who I have my eye on for your favorite team in this preseason 2026 NFL Draft first-round mock.
The Draft order, of course, isn’t yet set for 2026, so I used the odds for the “fewest wins” available on the sports books to set the order based on where the books think each team will finish. The Saints, who seem to be the unquestioned worst team in the league, secure the #1 overall pick, as they star at an LSU quarterback as the favorite to go #1 overall. The Browns pick up the second pick; they’ll also
The Browns came out well with the #1 overall pick as well as the 10th selection, which they acquired in the trade with the Jacksonville Jaguars, who selected Travis Hunter in the 2025 NFL Draft. The Los Angeles Rams picked up the Atlanta Falcons’ first-rounder after a trade that also happened during the draft for the Falcons to select James Pearce Jr. That ends up being the #12 overall selection for the Rams, who ended up in the playoffs according to the odds.
Preseason 2026 NFL Draft First Round Mock
| 1 |  Saints | Garrett Nussmeier | QB | LSU |
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| Arch Manning is staying in college another year in this one, and after that Ohio State game. It may be the best plan of action anyway. The Saints can grab a kid from down the road in Baton Rouge to help elevate this team. His dad is also the offensive coordinator for the Saints, and he’s got that gunslinger mentality. | ||||
| 2 |  Browns Cade Clubnik | QB | Clemson |
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| Time to spin the quarterback wheel once again for the Browns. This time it’s Cade Clubnik. Clubnik is a dual-threat quarterback with a lot of potential. Week 1 against LSU was a tough one for him, but now you’ve got the two quarterbacks from that game gone in the first two picks. |
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| 3 |  Giants | Kayden Proctor | OT | Alabama |
| The Giants have what they believe to be the future in Jaxson Dart. Time to build around him. At 6-7, 366lbs, Proctor gave up just three sacks all of 2024 in the SEC. He can quickly help shore up a Giants line that needs it. | ||||
| 4 |  Jets | LaNorris Sellers | QB | South Carolina |
| With a quarterback class this good, if the Jets fall this far and pick at #4, Justin Fields likely isn’t the answer. So they’ll bring in LaNorris Sellers, who is described as a “physical freak.” Sellers possess elite arm talent. If he can limit his mistakes, his upside is high. | ||||
| 5 |  Titans | Caleb Downs | S | Ohio State |
| Downs is an elite-level safety who can quarterback a defensive backfield for years to come. Field Yates calls Downs a “no weakness” prospect. Who has excellent range and ball skills. Downs will be patrolling the defensive backfield for years to come. | ||||
| 6 |  Raiders | Francis Mauigoa | OT | Miami |
| A rough first season for Pete Carroll and Geno Smith has the team looking to build up the line to protect Geno and give stud running back Ashton Jeanty a chance to run wild. At 6-6, Mauigoa is nimble on his feet. | ||||
| 7 |  Panthers | Keldric Faulk | DT | Auburn/b> |
| Faulk would be the perfect fit for this Panthers defense. At 6-6, 290lbs, you can move him around the line, and he can get the job done from the interior or the edge. The Panthers could use a boost on defense, and Faulk is just the right piece. | ||||
| 8 |  Colts Fernando Mendoza | QB | Indiana |
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| Twice in the same draft, the NFL team gets the quarterback from the same school. It would be a weird way for things to line up, but don’t count it out. The Colts clearly need to address the quarterback position, and Mendoza ranks as high as #1 overall in some mocks. | ||||
| 9 |  Dolphins | Jermod McCoy | CB | Tennessee |
| The Dolphins need serious help in their cornerback room, and they’ll get the top one on the board. McCoy is a physical corner with great awareness. His sophomore tape holds up with some of the best prospects in recent memory. | ||||
| 10 | Browns Spencer Fano | OT | Utah |
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| The Browns find themselves on the clock once again in the top 10 after acquiring this pick in the deal during the 2025 NFL Draft that allowed the Jaguars to move up to #2 and select Travis Hunter. They got their quarterback in Clubnik; now it's time to protect him with one of the best tackles in the class. | ||||
| 11 |  Rams Drew Allar | QB | Penn State |
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| Back-to-back traded picks on the clock here. The Rams also acquired this pick during the 2025 NFL Draft. Maybe the Rams had good foresight with this trade; they selected the quarterback of the future, Penn State’s Drew Allar. As a rookie quarterback, this is a win-win. You either walk into Sean McVay’s offense as the guy. Or get to sit behind Matthew Stafford for a year and learn. | ||||
| 12 |  Cowboys | Rueben Bain | ED | Miami |
| How do the Cowboys not go edge here? Well, assuming Jerry Jones is still in charge, I guess that’s how. Outside of that, Bain is the easy pick here as the best edge on the board. Nobody can replace Micah Parsons, but Bain should hold his own on a Cowboys defense that desperately needs it. | ||||
| 13 |  Seahawks | Peter Woods | DT | Clemson |
| Woods has been a force to be reckoned with, even back to high school. He wasted no time as a freshman at Clemson living up to the name he built in high school. Now at 6-3, 315lbs, he’s wreaking havoc on Clemson's opponents and can fill a big defensive need for the Seahawks. | ||||
| 14 |  Steelers | Jordyn Tyson | WR | Arizona State |
| The Steelers quarterback is certainly a question. Is it still Aaron Rodgers? Do they trade for Kirk Cousins? Who knows, but they always figure it out. You’ve locked up DK Metcalf, now let’s get him a running mate with the top receiver in the Draft. The Sun Devil star brings great route running and isn’t afraid to pass block and get his hands dirty. That has “Mike Tomlin guy” written all over it. | ||||
| 15 |  Bears Jeremiyah Love | RB | Notre Dame |
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| They passed on a top running back in last year’s Draft to roll with Swift again in 2025. Now with a top Heisman candidate and stud running back staring them down at pick #15, it’s too good for Ben Johnson to pass up on. He’ll get the last piece of his main offensive skill players here. | ||||
| 16 |  Texans | Anthony Hill Jr | LB | Texas |
| It wasn’t planned, but another NFL team has reached down the road to pluck a college player their fans are already familiar with. Hill is ranked by many as the top linebacker available in the 2026 class. He’s a track star who was also a five-star coming to Texas, and he’s delivered on every level so far. | ||||
| 17 |  Cardinals | TJ Parker | DT | Clemson |
| The Cardinals look up and see Peter Woods running mate’s name still on the board at #17, and they are a happy bunch. This Clemson defensive line is set to turn out some stars. Parker is the next one up. | ||||
| 18 |  Patriots | Caleb Banks | DT | Florida |
| The Patriots have a strong season in year one under Miele Vrabel, but need to keep building up their defense. Vrabel is a defensive guy, and can spot a figure star when he sees one. Banks was underrated out of high school, and it took him a little time to get up to speed. But the second half of his Junior season was the breakout he needed. If he keeps it up, Banks may not even be available at #18 come April. | ||||
| 19 |  Vikings | Avieon Terrell | CB | Clemson |
| The Clemson defensive run continues, this time from their backfield. Terrell has been described as a “pest” to opposing wide receivers. Terrell is the younger brother of AJ, the Falcons' defensive back, and has him to lean on to help him learn the ropes. | ||||
| 20 |  Bengals | Dillon Thieneman | S | Oregon |
| Defense defense defense. That should be all the Bengals are looking at early in this one. He comes with a chip on his shoulder. His brothers walked on to Purdue, where he followed before moving to Oregon. Now one of the best safeties in all of College Football, Theineman should make a major impact for the Bengals right away. | ||||
| 21 |  Chargers | Dani Dennis-Sutton | ED | Penn State |
| At 6-5 272 pounds, Dennis-Sutton brings a physical, NFL-ready frame. He has violent handwork that can truly only be appreciated by someone like Jim Harbaugh. Harbaugh is always looking to get tougher in the trenches, and Dani Dennis-Sutton will help accomplish that. | ||||
| 22 | Cowboys | AJ Harris | S | Penn State |
| The first Cowboy pick of the Parsons trade will also be on the defensive side of the ball. They look to Penn State corner AJ Harris to help shore up their defensive backfield. | ||||
| 23 | Rams Caleb Tiernan | OT | Northwestern |
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| They got their quarterback of the future in Garrett Nussmeier earlier on with the Falcons' pick. Now, they can finally fix their right tackle issues. Tiernan is an older prospect who should be ready to plug and play and handle whatever the NFL throws at him. | ||||
| 24 |  Broncos Carnell Tate | WR | Ohio State |
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| Has Ohio State turned in WRU? Tate is the next prospect in a long line of receivers who, so far, have been pretty successful in the league. Tate has shown all the traits and gets his chance to shine with Emeka Egbuka off to Tampa Bay. | ||||
| 25 |  Commanders | CJ Allen | LB | Georgia |
| The Commanders have focused heavily on the offensive side of the ball these last few years. Bobby Wagner is there for now, but the Commanders need to focus on a plan to succeed the veteran. Allen has been the man in charge of one of the toughest defenses in college football for the Georgia Bulldogs and should be a great fit in Washington. | ||||
| 26 |  Buccaneers | Harold Perkins Jr. | LB | LSU |
| It’s a back-to-back linebackers as playoff teams attempt to strengthen the middle of their defense. It’s been a great run for Lavonte David as one of the best linebackers in the league. Many thought they’d address this position in the 25 Draft, but feels like one they can’t overlook in 26. | ||||
| 27 |  49ers Caleb Lomu | OT | Utah |
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| The 49ers have a lot to address, but picking at #27 means they made it pretty far once again. Lomu can help boost an offensive line that needs it and protect Brock Purdy for years to come. | ||||
| 28 |  Lions | LT Overton | ED | Alabama |
| Overton is a defensive force who brings toughness and strength. Overton, meet Dan Campbell. A match made in football heaven. | ||||
| 29 |  Chiefs | Matayo Uiaglelei | ED | Oregon |
| Uiaglelei brings a nasty temperament to the field and has a rare athletic versatility. He flies all over the field and brings an “edge”, pun intended, to this Chiefs defense. | ||||
| 30 |  Eagles Antonio WIlliams | WR | Clemson |
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| Yet another Tiger is going in the first round of this 2026 NFL mock draft. Williams has exceptional speed and body control. He’ll be the perfect running mate on the inside with Brown and Smith on either side of him. | ||||
| 31 |  Ravens | Eric Singleton | WR | Georgia Tech |
| If they are picking at 31, that means they made it to the Super Bowl but fell just short. Lamar Jackson needs more weapons in the receiving game, and Singleton fits their high-speed offense well. | ||||
| 32 |  Bills | David Bailey | ED | Texas Tech |
| The Bills need a defensive pass rusher, and they’ll get a versatile one here. The Stanford transfer can play off the edge and slide in at linebacker. He’s explosive and possesses rare athletic traits. | ||||
