The 2026 NFL Draft is just days away. With that, teams are finalizing their draft boards and making final preparations for Thursday’s annual event.
In the spirit of draft season, NBC Sports analyst and former NFL QB Chris Simms has revealed his final mock draft — and it’s one to remember. Simms’ mock features a whopping six trades — all of which he expects to go down during night one.
This includes two teams swapping picks in the top 10, as well as teams like the Dolphins, Steelers and Chargers all trading back. Find Simms’ full mock draft below:
There’s not much more to say about Fernando Mendoza other than he’s long since been considered the consensus No. 1 overall selection. His accolades last season speak for themselves: a Heisman Trophy, leading Indiana to a national title, and going undefeated.
It appears Mendoza will have to fight for the starting job right away, however, as Las Vegas signed veteran Kirk Cousins during free agency. Still, Mendoza should be looked at as the long-term solution under center for the Raiders.
Production came easy to Arvell Reese at Ohio State. He ultimately spent three years — and only two on the field — to be considered one of the top overall players in the current draft cycle.
Since 2024, Reese has combined for 112 tackles for the Buckeyes. He finished 2025 with 69 combined tackles, 10 tackles for loss and 6.5 sacks. As a result, he earned All-American status in 2025 and was also a key piece to the Buckeyes’ national championship squad the year before.
A running back hasn’t been drafted in the top three since Saquon Barkley was taken second overall by the New York Giants in 2018. Jeremiyah Love could change that on Thursday.
In 2025, Love took 199 carries for 1,372 yards and 18 touchdowns on 6.9 yards per carry. He added 27 catches for 280 receiving yards and three touchdowns through the air as well.
In three seasons at Stanford, David Bailey tallied 14.5 total sacks. During one season at Texas Tech — he matched that total and was a pivotal piece to the Big 12 championship-winning Red Raiders squad.
Bailey’s 14.5 sacks led the FBS level and he enters the league with the reputation as a pass-rush specialist. He could very well be one of the first names taken off the board after Fernando Mendoza goes No. 1 overall.
5. *MOCK TRADE* Washington Commanders (via Giants): WR Carnell Tate, Ohio State
Ohio State wide receiver Carnell Tate was back on top of his game at Michigan. (Birm/Lettermen Row)
The first mock trade in Simms’ projections — the Giants trading back in the top 10 to allow Washington to draft the top receiver in the draft: Ohio State’s Carnell Tate. New York would move back to the No. 7 pick in this scenario.
On the field, Tate finished this past season for Ohio State having caught 51 passes for 875 yards and nine receiving touchdowns. He averaged an explosive 17.2 yards per catch.
Former Georgia offensive tackle Monroe Freeling has raised his draft stock exponentially since draft season began. Now, he’s seemingly played himself into being a top 10 draft pick and potentially the first OT taken overall.
In 2025, Freeling played 739 snaps at left tackle. During that stretch, he allowed one sack and was penalized twice. He ranked ninth among left tackles, having allowed just five pressures.
7. *MOCK TRADE* New York Giants (via Commanders): LB Sonny Styles, Ohio State
The Giants only moved back two spots in Simms projections to select Sonny Styles seventh overall, and there’s not much missing from game. He has the size, speed, strength and resume it takes to be a linebacker in the NFL, as the numbers speak for themselves.
Styles has logged 185 tackles in the last two seasons, including 245 combined in his career. Moreover, he dazzled scouts at the NFL combine with a 4.46 40-yard dash time, a 43.5-inch vertical jump, as well as an 11-foot-2 broad jump.
8. New Orleans Saints: S Caleb Downs, Ohio State
Caleb Downs (Mick Walker/Lettermen Row)
A former five-star recruit, scouts saw NFL potential in Caleb Downs from the start. Now after one year at Alabama and two at Ohio State, he’s set to be the top safety, and perhaps the top overall defensive back drafted on Thursday.
He played for Nick Saban in 2023 and won a national title in 2024. This past season Ohio State finished short of repeating for a title while Downs finished the 2025 season with 68 combined tackles, a PBU, one sack and a pair of interceptions.
Rueben Bain Jr. doesn’t have the look of a typical EDGE, but his pass-rushing abilities are on par with any in this years cycle. In all, Bain cleared 20.5 sacks during his college football career, including 9.5 this past season.
The star EDGE rusher finished 2025 ranked No. 1 among EDGE rushers with 54 hurries and second with 67 pressures as well. He helped anchor the Miami defensive line all the way to the national championship game in 2025. He’s expected to continue this production in the NFL.
Passing on Carnell Tate with the fifth pick pays off in the sense that the Giants would be selecting who they’d feel would be its next star wide receiver in Jordyn Tyson. Tyson arrives in the NFL with quite the resume as well.
This past season, Tyson caught 61 passes for 711 yards and eight touchdowns for the Sun Devils during the 2025-26 season. On his career, Tyson has caught 158 passes for 2,282 yards and 22 touchdowns. Tyson also began his career playing for Deion Sanders at Colorado.
Chris Simms mock draft picks No. 11-32
11. *MOCK TRADE* Tampa Bay Buccaneers (via Dolphins): CB Mansoor Delane, LSU
12. Dallas Cowboys: CB Colton Hood, Tennessee
13. *MOCK TRADE* New York Jets (via Rams): OG Vega Ioane, Penn State
14. Baltimore Ravens: WR Denzel Boston, Washington
15. *MOCK TRADE* Miami Dolphins (via Buccaneers): OT Francis Mauigoa, Miami
16. *MOCK TRADE* Los Angeles Rams (via Jets): WR Makai Lemon, USC
17. Detroit Lions: OT Kadyn Proctor, Alabama
18. Minnesota Vikings: DT Kayden McDonald, Ohio State
19. Carolina Panthers: TE Kenyon Sadiq, Oregon
20. Dallas Cowboys: EDGE Zion Young, Missouri
21. *MOCK TRADE* Cleveland Browns (via Steelers): WR Omar Cooper Jr, Indiana
22. *MOCK TRADE* Chicago Bears (via Chargers): EDGE TJ Parker, Clemson
23. Philadelphia Eagles: OT Blake Miller, Clemson
24. *MOCK TRADE* Pittsburgh Steelers (via Browns): OT Spencer Fano, Utah
25. *MOCK TRADE* Los Angeles Chargers (via Bears): DT Peter Woods, Clemson
26. Buffalo Bills: EDGE Akheem Mesidor, Miami
27. San Francisco 49ers: DT Max Iheanachor, Arizona State
28. Houston Texans: DT Christen Miller, Georgia
29. Kansas City Chiefs: DT Caleb Banks, Florida
30. Miami Dolphins: WR KC Concepcion, Texas A&M
31. *MOCK TRADE* Philadelphia Eagles (via Patriots): CB Jermod McCoy, Tennessee
32. Seattle Seahawks: OG Chase Bisontis, Texas A&M