Fernando Mendoza wins 2025 Heisman after historic Indiana season
Indiana QB Fernando Mendoza wins 2025 Heisman after leading Hoosiers to an undefeated season and Big Ten title
Christmas is here. It’s a day each year to reflect on the best ways to show appreciation and love for your close friends through gift-giving (among other traditions).
This morning, millions of kids around the world will wake up hoping that Santa got them exactly what they wanted this year. In that spirit, we’re taking up the mantle of Santa with the NFL Draft.
With the season down to the final two weeks, nearly half of the league has been eliminated from postseason contention. Fourteen franchises and their fans are likely already looking forward to the offseason, including the NFL Draft.
Twenty-nine of 32 NFL teams are currently slated to pick in the first round of the 2026 NFL Draft. Atlanta and Jacksonville are without picks due to trades made during the draft last year and Indianapolis dealt its first-rounder away at the trade deadline.
For those 29 teams and their respective fanbases that still have a first-round pick, we’re happy to provide you a gift this time of year. Here are our choices for the ideal picks at each spot for teams in the first round of the 2026 NFL Draft:
2026 NFL mock draft: Ideal picks for each first-round teamNew York Jets: Trade up for QB Fernando Mendoza, Indiana
Waiting for next year’s class could turn out to be a fool’s errand. Let’s have the two teams in the Big Apple agree to help each other out. The Jets need a franchise quarterback; the Giants need more pieces around Jaxson Dart in a new regime. Our gift to Jets fans is Heisman Trophy winner Fernando Mendoza and it takes their two first-round picks this year in the process (No. 4 and No. 18).
Las Vegas Raiders: QB Dante Moore, Oregon
With Mendoza off the board, our gift to the Raiders is another passer in Moore. The Oregon product hasn’t decided whether he’ll return to school in 2026. If he comes out, Las Vegas would be happy to have him. He’s less proven than Mendoza but has a higher ceiling with impressive mobility, deep ball accuracy and velocity.
Cleveland Browns: QB Ty Simpson, Alabama and OT Caleb Tiernan, Northwestern
The Jets had a slightly better offer for the No. 1 pick than the Browns could offer, so Cleveland stays put and selects the third of the top three passers in the class. Simpson doesn’t have the same experience as Mendoza but has shown impressive flashes throughout his first full season as a starter in Tuscaloosa. He’s the son of a college football head coach, which eases some concerns about his lack of experience.
At No. 27, the Browns get a potential long-term starter on the offensive line in Tiernan. We’re gifting Simpson a massive tackle (6-foot-7, 325 pounds) with the athleticism and footwork to be a solid pass protector from day one. Protecting Simpson into the future is crucial to the Browns’ success.
New York Giants: Trade down for WR Jordyn Tyson, Arizona State and CB Brandon Cisse, South Carolina
Our first gift to the Giants after trading them down from No. 1 overall is to get one of the top receivers in this class in Tyson. He’s our top wide receiver who routinely separates from defenders, can line up anywhere and is a contested catch winner. He would be an outstanding No. 2 option to Malik Nabers in the passing game.
At No. 18, New York gets Cisse, a rangy, fast cornerback with the size (6-foot, 190 pounds) to hold up against the best the NFC East has to offer at wide receiver. With the top offensive linemen off the board, we opt for a gift in the secondary to help the new coaching staff.
Tennessee Titans: LB Arvell Reese, Ohio State
Tennessee stays put at No. 5 and gets the gift of arguably the best player in the NFL Draft in Reese. The linebacker has the tools to do everything at the NFL level: cover, run support, rush the passer and spy a mobile quarterback. Tennessee could use more help on offense but coming away with the best prospect is the best gift of all for a new coaching staff.
Arizona Cardinals: OT Spencer Fano, Utah
Arizona has plenty of questions on offense but needs players up front worth developing. Fano’s an ideal gift for that. He’s the best offensive lineman prospect in the class and could end up at either tackle or guard at the next level, depending on where Arizona would rather deploy him.
Washington Commanders: Edge Rueben Bain Jr., Miami
Washington’s defense needs as much help as it can get. As great as Reese would be, a powerful, mauling edge rusher is exactly what Dan Quinn would love to see in the first round. Bain hasn’t racked up sacks as some would’ve hoped this season but gets pressures at a high clip thanks to that power. It also makes him a great fit against the run, something that’ll come in handy twice a year against Philadelphia.
New Orleans Saints: WR Carnell Tate, Ohio State
Tyler Shough is playing his way into the starting job in 2026 so we’re giving him and the Saints’ offense as a whole a dynamic threat on the outside. Tate gets vertical and wins at the catch point with his long frame (6-foot-3, 190 pounds). New Orleans will gladly take him and give Shough a target to rely on in year two.
Cincinnati Bengals: S Caleb Downs, Ohio State
After a near-historically bad year on defense, we’re gifting the Bengals arguably the best prospect in the draft in Downs. He’s a safety but is only limited by his defensive coordinator’s creativity. He can man up myriad assignments in coverage, play deep safety in zone and stay in the box as a run defender. He’d be a force multiplier for a Bengals defense that desperately needs it.
Miami Dolphins: WR Makai Lemon, USC
The Dolphins have a lot of questions to answer on offense this offseason. Getting the most reliable receiver in the class is the ideal way to sort some of those out. A potentially new quarterback will have another target alongside Jaylen Waddle and this could make a break with star wideout Tyreek Hill easier to bear.
Los Angeles Rams: CB Mansoor Delane, LSU and WR Denzel Boston, Washington
Los Angeles’ scheme on defense is making up for some of its talent deficiencies on the back end. Delane just feels like a future Ram. He may be overlooked due to testing numbers but opposing quarterbacks know not to target him in coverage. They use the pick they have from Atlanta to get him.
At the end of the round with their own pick, the Rams are ecstatic to see Boston still available as a prototypical outside receiver to pair with Puka Nacua into the future. Boston could learn under Davante Adams and work into a larger role into the future.
Kansas City Chiefs: TE Kenyon Sadiq, Oregon
The Chiefs’ offense lacks a dynamic weapon in the passing game. If they’re not going to invest in the running game, Sadiq is the best gift we could give the Chiefs and quarterback Patrick Mahomes at this point of the first round. He’s an impressive vertical threat and just 20 years old with plenty of room to develop into a top tight end in the league.
Dallas Cowboys: RB Jeremiyah Love, Notre Dame and Edge T.J. Parker, Clemson
Dallas’ offense is an incredibly efficient machine in 2025; imagine what they could do with the best running back in the class. Love is tailor-made for the modern NFL as a home-run hitter with the size to run between the tackles. A combination of him and Javonte Williams would upgrade this high-octane Cowboys offense even more.
With the top cornerback talents off the board, the Cowboys take the top remaining edge rusher at No. 21. Parker’s one of many good prospects on a team that underperformed in 2025. Still, the tools are there to become an impact edge rusher and it makes sense for the Cowboys to draft and develop.
Baltimore Ravens: OT Francis Mauigoa, Miami
Baltimore needs help in the trenches on both sides of the ball. We decide to give the offense a gift with Mauigoa. He brings a mauling presence to the line, either at right tackle or inside, depending on what the coaching staff prefers. Baltimore has struggled to impose their will up front as much as it did in 2024. Mauigoa could help solve that.
Minnesota Vikings: CB Jermod McCoy, Tennessee
Minnesota took a step back in 2025 and we’d rather not fork over future draft capital to move up for another young quarterback this time around. Instead, we give the defense a gift it’s needed for a while: a top-tier cornerback prospect. McCoy missed the 2025 season while recovering from an ACL injury but he brings ideal size, football IQ and demeanor to a team that needs it in the secondary.
Tampa Bay Buccaneers: Edge Keldric Faulk, Auburn
Tampa Bay needs an edge rusher who can produce dropped onto this defense. Faulk could line up either at edge on the interior thanks to his size and length. He hasn’t put up great sack totals thanks to Auburn’s rotation on the defensive line but has plenty of elite tools to work with and is one of the youngest prospects in the class.
Detroit Lions: OT Kadyn Proctor, Alabama
Alabama used Proctor as a receiver multiple times this fall in Tuscaloosa and that’d make for a perfect gift for coach Dan Campbell. Proctor’s an outlier of an athlete size-wise and will need some improvement with his technique and consistency but Detroit is a great place to develop that. He could start out on the interior and develop into a potential tackle of the future in time.
Carolina Panthers: CB Avieon Terrell, Clemson
The offense is making strides so we give the defense a gift in the form of the third-best cornerback in the class. He’s the younger brother of Falcons corner A.J. Terrell and could be a complement on the outside to Jaycee Horn on defense. He’s slightly undersized but plays aggressively with excellent ball production.
Pittsburgh Steelers: Edge David Bailey, Texas Tech
Pittsburgh’s defense is getting old and our gift to them is Bailey, one of the most productive pass rushers in college football. He should be able to produce immediately as one of the more pro-ready rushers in the class. He’d be an immediate impact rusher to help ease star T.J. Watt into the twilight of his career.
Philadelphia Eagles: DT Kayden McDonald, Ohio State
Philadelphia often takes the best player available but this time it’s tinted by looking towards the future. McDonald’s is an impressive run defender with the size (6-foot-3, 330 pounds) that Philadelphia likes in the middle. His power would complement Jalen Carter very well at the center of the Eagles‘ defensive line.
Houston Texans: DT Peter Woods, Clemson
Houston’s offensive line is rounding into form, and with where they’re likely to pick, the best talent on the line is off the board. So we gift them the final of three Clemson defenders in the first round with Woods. The Texans‘ mighty defense has a slight weakness on the interior between their star edge rushers. Woods was viewed as one of the top players entering the 2025 season and could be a force in the future as a pass rusher and run defender in this system.
Buffalo Bills: WR Chris Brazzell II, Tennessee
Josh Allen can’t do it all in the passing game. Brazzell’s a gift that Allen could work with for years to come on offense thanks to his frame (6-foot-5, 200 pounds) and burst to take advantage of all three levels of the defense. Buffalo lacks a true difference-maker on offense and could use one like him come January in playoff matchups.
Los Angeles Chargers: IOL Olaivavega Ioane, Penn State
The Chargers have one of the worst interior offensive lines in the league this season. This regime tried the free agency route with little success (Mekhi Becton) so the draft is the way to go. The top interior-only offensive lineman in this class, Ioane’s powerful presence will be a gift for the coaching staff, quarterback Justin Herbert and running back Omarion Hampton.
San Francisco 49ers: WR Chris Bell, Louisville
When given the chance, San Francisco will take a dynamic receiving threat in the first round. Bell is in the mold of a young Deebo Samuel with linebacker size (6-foot-2, 227 pounds) and impressive speed. He’ll need time to work into a reliable route-runner but Kyle Shanahan would enjoy this gift to deploy in myriad ways against opposing defenses.
Chicago Bears: Edge Matayo Uiagalelei, Oregon
Chicago has the worst time to pressure in the league per NFL Next Gen Stats. Uiagalelei isn’t a game-changing force off the edge, but he has the size Dennis Allen usually likes for his edge rushers and is pretty good at just about everything. His high floor should upgrade the Bears‘ rotation and bring them closer to league-average in overall pressure metrics.
New England Patriots: Edge LT Overton, Alabama
New England’s defense is full of veteran free agent signings and could use some homegrown talent to lift the floor of the unit. Overton’s versatility would be welcome on the defensive line. He can line up at edge or on the interior and complement Milton Williams. That’s a worthwhile gift for a Patriots defense looking to contend in January for years to come.
Denver Broncos: LB C.J. Allen, Georgia
One of the best defenses in the league gets another gift in Allen. He’s an athletic linebacker with the speed to cover and the demeanor to attack blocks in the run game. Investing in the spine of the defense is the best way to ensure it remains one of the best units in the NFL. Allen is Georgia’s best linebacker prospect since Roquan Smith.
Seattle Seahawks: IOL Gennings Dunker, Iowa
Seattle’s offense has been exposed by specific game plans a few times this season. The name of the game is getting interior penetration and forcing the offense into dropback scenarios. Guard Anthony Bradford leads the league in SISData’s blown run blocks metric with 21; no other offensive lineman has more than 18 entering Week 17. Dunker’s powerful frame and nasty streak would be a welcome gift to change that reality on the interior into the future.