Jan. 13, 2026, 7:04 a.m. ET
For three quarters of the NFL, the 2026 offseason has begun. That means Super Bowl hopes and dreams have been replaced by scouting reports and salary cap debates.
That means, for 24 teams, it’s draft season.
The 2026 NFL Draft is modest when it comes to quarterback talent but still loaded with players who can change the fortunes of a franchise. Pass rushers, wideouts, cornerbacks and reinforcements on both sides of the trenches are waiting to hear their names called in April. Let’s see who fits where and make some educated guesses.
Please note this draft was completed before Monday night’s Wild Card game between the Houston Texans and Pittsburgh Steelers, so draft position among the top 24 picks was determined using the betting spread of that game (a projected three-point Texans win).
1. Las Vegas Raiders: QB Fernando Mendoza, Indiana
Needs: WR, OL, LB, CB, EDGE
Expert NFL picks: Exclusive betting insights only at USA TODAY.
Geno Smith can be kept for about $8 million more than his dead cap number. While he might be a useful veteran mentor, he’s also the guy who flipped off his home fans in his first year in Las Vegas, so… Aidan O’Connell will probably be the experienced (well, kinda) hand that turns things over to a polished rookie next August.
Mendoza’s elite downfield accuracy means he’ll dazzle when it comes to advanced stats like completion percentage over expected (CPOE). He balances pinpoint throws with strong, quick decision making and enough athleticism to keep defenses wary of his run game. While he lacks elite physical traits, you can’t argue with his outcomes. Las Vegas needs a winner — ideally immediately given how quickly it’s cycled through head coaches. Mendoza has been wrecking shop at INDIANA.
2. New York Jets: QB Dante Moore, Oregon
Needs: QB, WR, IOL, S, LB
Moore has more physical tools in his box than Mendoza, but he’s not as polished as the Heisman Trophy winner. Still, it’s not difficult to see how a quick release and the arm strength to whip a deep shot through a rapidly closing window make him a tantalizing NFL prospect.
The Oregon star can break down under pressure and will need some time to acclimate to the NFL. Picking up a wideout with the pick acquired from the Colts in the Sauce Gardner trade (or, later on, the second round acquired from the Cowboys in the Quinnen Williams trade) could find him some badly needed receiving help to ease his transition.
3. Arizona Cardinals: LB Arvell Reese, Ohio State
Needs: OT, WR, LB, RB
Josh Sweat was one of the few bright spots in Arizona last fall, racking up a career-high 12 sacks in his first season with the club. Only one other Cardinal had more than two, and that was 39-year-old Calais Campbell.
Arizona needs help just about everywhere but tight end. Reese’s versatility can help him plug holes in a few places along the defense but most notably as a pass rusher. He had 10 tackles for loss and 6.5 sacks in his All-American 2025.
Needs: EDGE, WR, CB, LB, IOL
Texas Tech stud David Bailey is worth a look here, but Bain’s playoff performance is too fresh to ignore. The 6-foot-3, 275 pound edge rushing monster had 5.5 tackles for loss and four sacks in the Hurricanes’ first two CFP games, setting the stage for a push even further up draft boards.
His get-off and closing speed hit like a series of small explosions, making him an absolute nightmare to block and a haunting presence to escape. The Titans badly need an influx of talent; Bain may be the best raw prospect of 2026.
5. New York Giants: WR Carnell Tate, Ohio State
Needs: DT, LB, OT, IOL, WR
Tate’s ability to create space with savvy route running, strong hands and upper crust ball tracking would be a rising tide for New York’s cache of young skill players. Malik Nabers’ double-teams would drop. Cam Skattebo (and Tyrone Tracy, if he ever re-enters the circle of trust) would face fewer stacked boxes.
And Jaxson Dart, importantly, would have more options downfield that don’t require him to lower his shoulder and run face-first into the concussion protocol (he probably still will. He just won’t *have* to). Wideout isn’t the team’s biggest need, but it could be the catalyst that revives an inefficient offense.
6. Cleveland Browns: OT Spencer Fano, Utah
Needs: QB, IOL, WR, CB, S
The Browns allowed pressure on a league-high 46.5 percent of their dropbacks — four percent higher than the second-worst Chargers, who were missing their starting tackles most of the season. Four different linemen who played at least 69 percent of the team’s snaps are set for free agency. Spending room is sparse, in large part thanks to Deshaun Watson, formerly accused of more than 20 counts of sexual misconduct and what the NFL described as “predatory behavior,” and his albatross contract.
The easiest fix is to find a dynamic starter on a rookie deal. Here, Cleveland has its choice. Fano gets the nod thanks to his absurd power and athleticism at 6-foot-6 and 305 pounds. That athleticism boosts his recovery when beaten, which will be an asset when squaring up with rookie mistakes and elite edge rushers.
7. Washington Commanders: WR Jordyn Tyson, Arizona State
Needs: WR, LB, TE, IOL, EDGE
Terry McLaurin is locked in, but Jayden Daniels’ targets get iffy after that. Deebo Samuel is a pending free agent. So is Zach Ertz, who is coming off a season-ending ACL tear. Daniels badly needs a boost after backsliding in 2025 due to injury and lackluster play.
Tyson is a jetpack. The Arizona State star is good at just about everything, but shines hardest when it comes to breaking off cornerbacks at the top of his route and creating the space for clutch pickups. Sticky hands and elite recognition make him a dynamic closer on 50/50 balls as well — though he could stand to bulk up a bit to withstand the rigors of a 17-game season.
Needs: CB, IOL, EDGE, LB, RB, WR
New Orleans could have used Tate or Tyson. Taking a player like Makai Lemon or Denzel Boston could be a bit of a reach here. Good news! The Saints also need help at another position that would boost Tyler Shough after a promising rookie season.
Enter Love, who’d be a boon to a tailback rotation that got below-average returns from Alvin Kamara and Devin Neal last fall. His value as a runner (nearly seven yards per carry the last two seasons) and receiver (280 yards, three touchdowns in 12 games this fall) give New Orleans a dynamic replacement for Kamara and rising tide to the offense, albeit at considerable expense for a running back.
9. Kansas City Chiefs: OT Francis Mauigoa, Miami
Needs: CB, EDGE, DT, RB, S
Releasing Jawaan Taylor could save up to $20 million in salary cap space for 2026. Jaylon Moore hasn’t been great and is only under contract through 2026. Josh Simmons was uneven and injured as a rookie, though his ceiling is massive. After Patrick Mahomes faced pressure on at least 42 percent of his dropbacks in his final two games of his 2025 (two games that washed Kansas City out of the postseason race), the Chiefs reload to keep their star QB comfortable.
Mauigoa is a rampart in pass protection, but he’s truly devastating in space where his 315-pound frame flies upfield to demolish poor, poor linebackers. He’s in the running with Fano to be the first tackle off the board in 2026.
10. Cincinnati Bengals: EDGE David Bailey, Texas Tech
Needs: EDGE, CB, S, OL
Trey Hendrickson won’t be coming back, leaving the league’s 25th-ranked pass rush in dire need. Maybe 2025 first round pick Shemar Stewart will get there, but he was always a project whose growth was further stunted by a truly pointless contract standoff last season.
Bailey brings proven production that Stewart did not, racking up a Big 12-leading 19.5 tackles for loss and an FBS-leading 14.5 sacks after departing Stanford for a hefty payday at Texas Tech. His explosive get-off and devastating closing speed means he can man the second level, but at 6-foot-3 and 250 pounds he’s not so small he can’t handle edge duties in Ohio (Joseph Ossai, for example, only has an inch and about 15 pounds on him). He’s not a perfect fit, but Cincinnati gets a chance to course correct by taking an NFL-ready pass rusher in the first round.
11. Miami Dolphins: S Caleb Downs, Ohio State
Needs: CB, S, WR, TE, QB
In theory, Miami’s next coach could use this pick to pump up his offense with another athletic marvel and make tight end Kenyon Sadiq a Dolphin. But whomever succeeds Mike McDaniel badly needs to address the league’s 25th-ranked defense. And, lo and behold, Miami has a need at safety and Downs has slid out of the top 10.
Downs can play deep or near the line of scrimmage and line up tracking slot receivers with ease. His NFL ceiling is “Brian Branch, but better.” He’s a fixer, plain and simple, in a Miami defense in need of playmakers.
12. Dallas Cowboys: EDGE Keldric Faulk, Auburn
Needs: EDGE, LB, S, CB, RB
Does Jerry Jones truly want to shore up his run defense? If so, Clemson’s Peter Woods could be the call here. Is he in the market for a Trevon Diggs replacement? There’s Mansoor Delane and Jermod McCoy, among others. But the combination of need and cost savings at a high cost position instead shift the focus to Faulk, a high potential pass rusher who could lift a team that went from a top-four pressure rate with Micah Parsons in the lineup to the middle of the NFL pack without him.
Faulk brings proven production (seven sacks in 2024 before this fall’s down year) and the size Cincinnati covets up front (6-foot-6, 285 pounds). He’s not a one-dimensional edge rusher, either; he has legitimate chops on the ground for a defense that ranked 29th in rushing EPA allowed in 2025.
13. Los Angeles Rams (via Atlanta Falcons): CB Mansoor Delane, LSU
Needs: CB, LB, DT, OT, WR… QB?
The Rams only have three pending free agents who played more than 50 percent of the teams snaps on offense or defense. All three are defensive backs, including Cobie Durant. Darious Williams is 32 years old. 2026 presents a wonderful opportunity for LA to take the draft’s first cornerback.
Enter Delane, who led the SEC with 11 pass breakups and hauled in a pair of interceptions in 11 games. He can be trusted in single coverage on the sideline, with fluid hips and turn-and-go speed to keep up with NFL deep threats. His trustworthiness on an island could mean more blitzes for the Rams — and an even scarier defense.
Needs: IOL, DL, WR, CB
This is a pick that may hinge on Baltimore’s next head coach. But this is a franchise with a definite identity. Landing a hoss like Woods who can set a bruising tone up front would help the Ravens get back to it.
Woods, a 315-pound fairy tale monster with absurd quickness and athleticism, is set to jump up draft boards at the 2026 Scouting Combine. He lands in the top half of the draft here, pairing with Justin Madubuike to give Baltimore some world-class BEEF in the middle of its line and make life easier for the defenders behind them.
15. Tampa Bay Buccaneers: LB Sonny Styles, Ohio State
Needs: EDGE, LB, TE, CB
Lavonte David cannot possibly keep doing this forever. Please welcome his replacement, a taller, faster version of Lavonte David.
Styles is a former safety who plays like it (complimentary), using elite athleticism to create problems at every level. He has the speed to turn and run with slot receivers and the physicality to meet a running back at the line of scrimmage and leave him with nothing but regret.
16. New York Jets (via Indianapolis Colts): TE Kenyon Sadiq, Oregon
Needs: QB, WR, IOL, S, LB
With Moore on board, several options to punch up his receiving corps persist. But while solid wideouts will last into Day 2, there may only be one chance to draft 2026’s top tight end. With apologies to Denzel Boston and Makai Lemon, Sadiq is the pick.
The Oregon tight end is an athletic marvel and solid blocker who can seal off running lanes or get out in space to deflect defensive backs. More importantly, he’s got excellent speed up the seam and quick change-of-direction skills to snap off linebackers and slot corners. Pair that with solid hands and, baby, you’ve got a stew going.
17. Detroit Lions: EDGE TJ Parker, Clemson
Needs: EDGE, IOL, CB, LB, DT
Detroit needs a pass rusher big enough to hold down the edge and the intelligence to react and adjust as plays unfold. The 6-foot-3, 265 pound Parker qualifies as a valuable counterweight to Aidan Hutchinson.
Though his numbers tailed off after last year’s absurd 19.5-TFL, 11-sack campaign, he remains a versatile piece with a high ceiling and useful floor. He’s violent at the point of attack, using a quick punch and active hands to shed blockers, though he’s fast enough to win with speed on the edge as well.
18. Minnesota Vikings: CB Jermod McCoy, Tennessee
Needs: LB, S, DE, RB
Byron Murphy and Isaiah Rodgers played well in 2025, but there’s no such thing as too many talented quarterbacks in a defense as aggressive as Brian Flores’. Adding McCoy would create space to shift Rodgers to the slot, adding strength over the middle alongside a young player who can be trusted on the boundary.
McCoy’s torn ACL kept him from shining in 2025, but his four-interception 2024 proved he’s a shadow in coverage, rarely allowing space thanks to fluid hips, elite quickness and vital recognition skills. He’s an asset in man coverage from the line of scrimmage, and erasing quick-outs is a specialty — something that would be a boon for the Vikings’ pressure in the pocket.
19. Carolina Panthers: WR Makai Lemon, USC
Needs: EDGE, LB, CB, S, IOL
The Panthers are running out of time to decide whether Bryce Young can be their franchise quarterback. After Tetairoa McMillan and Jalen Coker made up 81 percent of their receiving output in a Wild Card loss to the Rams, it’s clear Carolina could use help to maximize its young passer.
Lemon’s size at 5-foot-10 is a concern, but putting him in a lineup across from 6-foot-4 McMillan and 6-foot-3 Coker alleviates that. More importantly, he gives the team another man coverage beater with elite acceleration and quickness who can thrive in the short/intermediate zone in the space McMillan creates.
20. Dallas Cowboys (via Green Bay Packers): CB Avieon Terrell, Clemson
Needs: EDGE, LB, S, CB, RB
Ohio State’s Kayden McDonald could be an answer up front with Kenny Clark on the wrong side of 30. But cornerback is a more pressing need and a top-three prospect has slid into Dallas’ range.
Not a single defensive back in the Cowboys locker room finished 2025 with a passer rating under 99 when targeted. Terrell, with 22 breakups the last two seasons (and eight! forced! fumbles!) would be rain to that desert. With elite acceleration and lateral movement, he’s difficult to shake — even if he’s a bit smaller than Jerry Jones might prefer at under six feet tall.
21. Pittsburgh Steelers: DL Caleb Banks, Florida
Needs: QB, WR, CB, S, IOL
Sure, a quarterback would be nice here — but Ty Simpson here feels destined to end up like Kenny Pickett before him. It could be a wideout, but with Lemon off the board Pittsburgh may opt to play into tradition and coach up a receiver selected on Day 2 instead. Thus, we get Banks, a massive lineman who can play multiple roles but, most importantly, can succeed Cameron Heyward and pair with Derrick Harmon and Keeanu Benton to give the Steelers’ a terrifying young defensive front.
Banks has to refine his game, but his raw talent would make him a tantalizing lump of clay for a franchise that’s expertly molded defensive talent. He’s explosive at the snap and elusive laterally, allowing him to shed blocks and contribute all three downs. While injury limited him to three games this season and dented his draft stock, he may be due for a pre-draft rise this spring.
22. Los Angeles Chargers: IOL Olaivavega Ioane, Penn State
Needs: OL, LB, DL, EDGE, CB
Zion Johnson has been frustrating in his time as a Charger and headed to free agency. Jim Harbaugh can pluck a Big Ten star to replace him months after the Patriots ended his season by brutalizing poor Justin Herbert.
Ioane, Iowa’s Gennings Dunker or Oregon’s Emmanuel Pregnon could be the call here, but let’s start with the Nittany Lion. He’s a brick wall at 330 pounds and has the quickness and aggression to create space at the second level — something Jim Harbaugh will absolutely love as he establishes the run.
23. Philadelphia Eagles: OT Caleb Lomu, Utah
Needs: CB, OT, EDGE, DL, TE
The Eagles haven’t been shy about taking a legendary offensive lineman’s replacement early in the draft while he’s still on the roster. Cam Jurgens was drafted in 2022 to take over for Jason Kelce. Now comes Lomu ahead of whatever Lane Johnson decides comes next.
Philadelphia’s pressure rate allowed actually decreased between 2024 and 2025, but all was not well across an offensive front whose struggles tied into an overall regression this fall. Lomu is a high level athlete who adjusted to Big 12 play with aplomb, showcasing All-Pro upside for the right head coach. Given the Eagles’ success with homegrown and retread blockers in the past, his upside is too much to pass up.
24. Cleveland Browns (via Jacksonville Jaguars): WR Denzel Boston, Washington
Needs: QB, IOL, WR, CB, S
With a blocking upgrade secured in the top 10, the Browns take the next step to elevate whichever poor, unfortunate soul has to play quarterback next season. It’s too early to write off Jerry Jeudy even after his disastrous 2025. Instead, he gets a little help — and another big body alongside Harold Fannin Jr. to serve as a playmaking threat.
The 6-foot-4 Boston is a bail out machine on jump balls, but his biggest strength comes breaking off defenders in the mid-range. That would make him kind of a super-sized Kayshon Boutte. We’ve seen how nicely Drake Maye has leaned on Boutte en route to an All-Pro second season, correct?
25. Chicago Bears: EDGE Cashius Howell, Texas A&M
Needs: S, EDGE, OT, CB, DT
The draft board has been kind to the Bears — even at No. 25 they have a wide array of top-level prospects to choose from at positions of need. Secondary and offensive line help is waiting, but Howell’s value for the league’s 27th-ranked pass rush is massive.
Howell led the SEC with 11 sacks. While he doesn’t have an enormous frame at 6-foot-2 and 250 pounds, his versatile pass rushing attack makes him an asset even in Chicago’s 4-3 alignment. His ability to use his speed to create leverage and then toss off blockers suggests he could help fix what ails the Bears.
26. Buffalo Bills: OT Gennings Dunker, Iowa
Needs: WR, EDGE, CB, LB, IOL
Buffalo could fall in love with a wideout here, but there will be time to address the position on Day 2. Finding a young stud who can keep the middle of the line chugging forward with both Connor McGovern and David Edwards headed to free agency, however, is a tougher call. Dunker could step in immediately to pair with O’Cyrus Torrence as a road-grading young duo at guard.
The Iowa tackle will likely kick inside due to his arm length but can hold his own on the edge if needed. More importantly, he’s mean as hell, quick at the point of attack and difficult to move backward. So, pretty standard Hawkeye stuff.
27. San Francisco 49ers: OT Kadyn Proctor, Alabama
Needs: OL, EDGE, S, RB
Trent Williams has to retire someday. We saw how lost the Niners looked without him in stretches in 2025. The Niners’ postseason success has prevented them from at least a couple potential saviors earlier in round one, but they still get a good one here. Proctor is enormous; 6-foot-7 and more than 360 pounds.
He’s got the strength to match that frame, but his athleticism belongs to a much smaller man — including a 32-inch vertical leap despite being the same weight as a Smart car. He’s solid as a shadow, and while pad level and lateral quickness will always be a concern with a player his size he should make an immediate impact if Williams doesn’t return for 2026.
28. Houston Texans: DL Kayden McDonald, Ohio State
Needs: OL, DT, RB, TE
Ah crap, we let the Texans get another elite defensive prospect. McDonald is an anchor up front, damn near impossible to move at 326 pounds. But he’s also blessed with an explosive opening salvo that fires him into gaps and shrinks pocket space from the inside-out. Now he gets to pair up with Will Anderson and Danielle Hunter.
29. Los Angeles Rams: LB C.J. Allen, Georgia
Needs: CB, LB, DT, OT, WR… QB?
Could this be a spot for Alabama’s Ty Simpson to serve as Matthew Stafford’s apprentice? It’s possible, but Allen’s availability and the need to add dynamic, young athletic talent to the middle of the field makes the Georgia linebacker the pick.
Allen can handle pass rushing duties as well as lock down the middle of the field in coverage or against the run. He’s not huge at 6-foot-1 and 235 pounds, but he moves quickly and fluidity, rarely crossing himself up and sticking to receivers in coverage. He’s also a bonafide thumper who can move Omar Speights into pending free agent Troy Reeder’s role as a rotational presence.
30. New England Patriots: EDGE Matayo Uiagalelei, Oregon
Needs: OT, S, LB, EDGE, WR
New England’s pass rush was a strength in its Wild Card win over the Chargers, but K’Lavon Chaisson is a free agent and Harold Landry turns 30 this summer. Reloading here would help create positional savings that will be vital once Drake Maye signs a record-setting contract extension.
Uiagalelei can break into the lineup as a pass rushing specialist while fleshing out his game. He’s an athletic marvel who looks the part of an NFL star but still needs to refine his game. But with power and speed in droves, he’d bring a stable floor to a position of need for Mike Vrabel.
31. Seattle Seahawks: CB Brandon Cisse, South Carolina
Needs: CB, EDGE, WR, OL
Cisse’s turn-and-run ability and elite acceleration suggest he’s going to be an absolute darling at the combine. That raw athletic ability is backed by an inconsistent approach — his 78.9 passer rating in Columbia last season was solid but his 20-plus yards allowed per reception were not. Fortunately, he lands here with a head coach capable of extracting the very best from him.
Cisse occasionally plays over-excited, biting on double-moves and adding some boom-bust to his game. Mike Macdonald can fix that. If he can, there’s a player with All-Pro potential waiting underneath.
32. Denver Broncos: LB Anthony Hill Jr., Texas
Needs: WR, TE, LB, EDGE
Alex Singleton is a pending free agent on the wrong side of 30. Denver needs a running mate next to Dre Greenlaw in the middle of the field. Hill can do that.
The Texas star is a smart linebacker who identifies plays and gets where he needs to be to stop them. His coverage continues to develop, but that’s a weakness that the rest of the Broncos’ defense can help cover as he develops it into a strength.