The 2026 NFL draft is only one day away, and it’s shaping up to be a big draft for Ohio State and the Big Ten.
After publishing my projections for where every draft prospect from Ohio State will be selected on Tuesday, I’ve put together a full projection for how all 32 first-round picks could play out tomorrow. It’s shaping up to be a big first round for the Big Ten, which is projected to have eight of the draft’s first 15 picks, including four Buckeyes. In total, the Big Ten is projected to have 12 of the draft’s top 25 picks, while the SEC is projected to have only one top-15 pick and eight total first-rounders.
Coming off of back-to-back top-15 finishes in The Huddle Report’s media mock draft contest, will I be able to keep the good results going in 2026? Here’s my best guesses as to how the entire first round of the 2026 NFL draft will play out on Thursday night in Pittsburgh.
1. Las Vegas Raiders: Fernando Mendoza, QB, Indiana
This pick has been carved in stone since Oregon quarterback Dante Moore opted to stay in school for another year. After leading Indiana to last season’s national championship, Mendoza is the clear-cut top quarterback in this year’s draft, and the Raiders need a franchise QB. He’ll join Joe Burrow and Cam Newton as the only quarterbacks to win the Heisman Trophy and the national championship and be the No. 1 overall pick in the NFL draft in the same season.
2. New York Jets: Arvell Reese, LB/ED, Ohio State
3. Arizona Cardinals: David Bailey, ED, Texas Tech
The Jets are believed to be deciding between Reese and Bailey with the No. 2 overall pick as they look to add a much-needed impact player to their pass-rush. Ultimately, I think they side with the Buckeye, as they’ve shown considerable interest in Reese throughout the draft process and his playmaking ability as both an edge rusher and off-ball linebacker gives him the highest upside as a player for the Jets to build their multiple-front defense around.
Arizona is also in the market for a premier pass-rusher, so the Cardinals will likely draft whoever the Jets don’t take between Reese and Bailey, though they’re also considering Notre Dame running back Jeremiyah Love.
4. Tennessee Titans: Jeremiyah Love, RB, Notre Dame
Sonny Styles is also a candidate to be the No. 4 overall pick, as the Titans have a major need to upgrade at linebacker, but it’s widely expected they’ll draft Love if the Cardinals don’t. Their offensive performance has dropped off drastically since Derrick Henry left the team in free agency two years ago, so they have good reason to target a potential superstar running back with their top pick.
5. New York Giants: Caleb Downs, S, Ohio State
Any one of three Buckeyes could be the pick here, as Sonny Styles and Carnell Tate would also address needs for the Giants, but I don’t see them passing upon Downs. New Giants coach John Harbaugh is on record calling Downs “a potential future Hall of Fame safety,” and his defenses with the Baltimore Ravens were often built around elite, do-everything safeties like Downs, from Ed Reed at the start of his tenure to Kyle Hamilton over the past four years.
6. Dallas Cowboys (from Cleveland Browns): Sonny Styles, LB, Ohio State
PROJECTED TRADE: Cowboys trade No. 12, 20 and 112 overall picks to Browns for No. 6 and No. 39 overall picks
While many Ohio football fans would surely like to see the Browns stay put and draft Carnell Tate with the sixth pick, they’ve made it no secret that they’d like to trade down. The Cowboys, meanwhile, are rumored to be exploring a trade up for a top defensive playmaker. Styles has been seen as an ideal target for Dallas all along as a linebacker who can address a major need for a three-down playmaker in the middle of their defense, which allowed a league-high 30.1 points per game in 2025.
7. Washington Commanders: Mansoor Delane, CB, LSU
8. New Orleans Saints: Carnell Tate, WR, Ohio State
9. Kansas City Chiefs: Rueben Bain Jr., ED, Miami
This range of three picks feels like the sweet spot for Tate, as all three of these teams have reason to target the draft’s top receiver. The Commanders are considering the possibility of pairing him with fellow former Ohio State receiver Terry McLaurin, but improving their defense is their greatest need, so I have them taking the draft’s top cornerback in Delane, the older brother of former Ohio State safety Faheem Delane (who transferred to LSU this offseason). The Chiefs would be an ideal destination for Tate, as he’d potentially be the No. 1 receiver in an offense led by superstar quarterback Patrick Mahomes. But the Saints have a massive need for another top receiver to pair with Chris Olave, so I have them going back to their familiar strategy of drafting Buckeyes and taking Tate as the first receiver off the board.
Carnell Tate is projected to be the first wide receiver selected in the 2026 NFL draft.
10. New York Giants (from Cincinnati Bengals): Jordyn Tyson, WR, Arizona State
If the Giants use their first top-10 pick on Downs, they’ll likely look to pair him with an offensive playmaker with the pick they acquired from the Bengals in exchange for Dexter Lawrence. Tyson is rumored to be the Giants’ top target on offense as they look for another top wideout to pair with Malik Nabers as the latter works his way back from a torn ACL.
11. Miami Dolphins: Francis Mauigoa, OT, Miami
In the midst of a full-scale rebuild under new head coach and former Ohio State defensive coordinator Jeff Hafley, the Dolphins can take a best-player-available draft strategy with seven picks in the first three rounds. In this scenario, drafting Mauigoa is a layup; he’s the draft’s top offensive lineman, has already played in Hard Rock Stadium for three years and can be a building block in the trenches for Miami at either tackle or guard.
12. Cleveland Browns (from Dallas Cowboys): Spencer Fano, OT, Utah
If the Browns trade down instead of taking Tate, it’ll likely be because they’re looking to add value before drafting an offensive tackle. Fano, the 2025 Outland Trophy winner, is arguably the best true offensive tackle in the draft and would likely replace former Ohio State big man Dawand Jones as the Browns’ starting left tackle.
13. Los Angeles Rams (from Atlanta Falcons): Makai Lemon, WR, USC
In win-now mode with a 38-year-old reigning MVP at quarterback in Matthew Stafford, and few pressing needs to address, the Rams could give Stafford another weapon from their own backyard by drafting Lemon, who controversially beat out Jeremiah Smith for the Biletnikoff Award last season and would pair with Puka Nacua and Davante Adams to give the Rams one of the league’s top receiving trios.
14. Baltimore Ravens: Olaivavega Ioane, G, Penn State
The Ravens have famously emphasized drafting the best player available over drafting for need for many years, but in this case, the Ravens’ biggest need and player value align perfectly with Ioane. The Ravens have multiple holes to fill on their interior offensive line, and Ioane is arguably the best player available in this scenario after earning first-team All-American honors at Penn State last season.
15. Tampa Bay Buccaneers: Kenyon Sadiq, TE, Oregon
The Buccaneers have spent time with many of the top tight ends in this year’s class leading up to the draft, and Sadiq is the clear-cut No. 1 tight end in the class after he caught 51 passes for 560 yards and eight touchdowns for Oregon last season. A rare athlete who ran a 4.39-second 40-yard dash at 6-foot-3 and 241 pounds, Sadiq would give the Buccaneers a big weapon to help them replace Mike Evans alongside Emeka Egbuka and Chris Godwin. He’d also be the eighth Big Ten player drafted in the top 15 in this scenario, continuing a dominant year for the conference.
16. New York Jets (from Indianapolis Colts): Jermod McCoy, CB, Tennessee
McCoy is one of the biggest wild cards in this year’s draft; he missed the entire 2025 season with a torn ACL, and lingering concerns about his knee could lead to a slide down the draft board. Before his injury, however, McCoy was viewed as a potential top-10 pick. The Jets have this pick from the Colts as well as the Colts’ 2027 first-round pick after trading Sauce Gardner to Indianapolis last season; that trade left the Jets without a No. 1 cornerback, so it would make sense for them to draft one if they’re comfortable with McCoy’s health.
17. Detroit Lions: Kadyn Proctor, OT, Alabama
The Lions need a new left tackle after parting ways with former Ohio State stalwart Taylor Decker this offseason. Proctor, a 6-foot-7, 352-pound behemoth who earned consensus All-American honors last season, may have the highest upside of any offensive tackle in this year’s draft.
18. Minnesota Vikings: Dillon Thieneman, S, Oregon
As longtime Vikings free safety Harrison Smith ponders the possibility of retirement, Thieneman looks like a plug-and-play fit to replace Smith in the middle of the Minnesota secondary. The former Purdue-turned-Oregon safety earned first-team All-American and All-Big Ten honors alongside Caleb Downs last season.
19. Carolina Panthers: Monroe Freeling, OT, Georgia
Panthers left tackle Ikem Ekwonu is at risk of missing the entire 2026 season with a ruptured patellar tendon and is entering the final year of his rookie contract, so it wouldn’t be surprising if the Panthers use their first-round pick to replace him. Freeling, a South Carolina native, is the highest-ranked player available on NFL Mock Draft Database’s consensus big board in this scenario, though Toledo safety Emmanuel McNeil-Warren (or Thieneman or Sadiq if either is still available) could also draw consideration here.
20. Cleveland Browns (from Green Bay Packers via Dallas Cowboys): Denzel Boston, WR, Washington
If the Browns don’t draft Tate with their first pick, they’ll likely use their second first-round pick on a much-needed wide receiver. Boston is the best fit among the available receivers in this scenario, as the former Big Ten star brings the size and athleticism at 6-foot-4 and 212 pounds to be the true X receiver the Browns currently lack.
21. Pittsburgh Steelers: Omar Cooper Jr., WR, Indiana
New Steelers head coach Mike McCarthy has always valued having a variety of versatile receiving weapons in his offenses, so Pittsburgh is widely expected to target another wideout to pair with DK Metcalf and Michael Pittman Jr. with its top pick. Cooper’s proven versatility to play both in the slot and outside for a national championship team would make him a valuable addition to round out the receiving corps for Aaron Rodgers, Will Howard or whoever the Steelers’ quarterback is in 2026.
22. Los Angeles Chargers: Akheem Mesidor, ED, Miami
Kayden McDonald would be a good fit here for a team that needs defensive line reinforcements, but Jim Harbaugh has yet to draft a Buckeye in two years as Chargers head coach. With that in mind, my projection is Mesidor, who would likely be a top-20 pick if he weren’t already 25 years old but can provide an immediate boost to a pass-rush that lost Odafe Oweh in free agency.
23. Philadelphia Eagles: Max Iheanachor, OT, Arizona State
The Eagles frequently prioritize the trenches with their early draft picks, and drafting their right tackle of the future is viewed as their top priority this year with Lane Johnson about to turn 36 and nearing the end of his NFL career. With Johnson returning for one more season, though, they can bet on the upside of Iheanachor, who’s not considered as NFL-ready as the tackles projected to go above him but is as physically gifted as any tackle in the draft.
24. Cleveland Browns (from Jacksonville Jaguars): Emmanuel McNeil-Warren, S, Toledo
With three first-round picks in this scenario, the Browns can afford to draft best player available with their third pick. In this scenario, that’s McNeil-Warren, who earned second-team All-American honors last season at Toledo and is a big, physical safety who can make plays all over the field. The Browns don’t have a massive need at safety with Ronnie Hickman and Grant Delpit returning as starters, but they’ve shown interest in McNeil-Warren by hosting him for a pre-draft visit and would likely look to draft a defensive player after addressing offensive needs with their first two choices.
25. Chicago Bears: Kayden McDonald, DT, Ohio State
The Bears shouldn’t pass up the chance to draft McDonald if he’s still available when they’re on the clock. Chicago’s run defense has been one of the NFL’s worst for each of the past two seasons, and McDonald – a unanimous All-American at Ohio State last season – is the best run-stopper and best all-around defensive tackle in the draft.
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Kayden McDonald is projected to be the only defensive tackle selected in Round 1 of the 2026 NFL draft. (Photo: Joe Nicholson – Imagn Images)
26. Buffalo Bills: Keldric Faulk, ED, Auburn
Some mock drafts have Faulk being selected as early as the top 15 picks. That seems high for a defensive end who had only two sacks last season, but at 6-foot-6 and 276 pounds with great athleticism for his size, he has high upside and fits the mold of big defensive ends that the Bills typically target and are likely in the market for in this draft after opting not to re-sign Joey Bosa.
27. San Francisco 49ers: KC Concepcion, WR, Texas A&M
Even after adding Mike Evans in free agency, the 49ers could be in the market to add another weapon to their passing game for Brock Purdy. Concepcion, the last of the projected first-round receivers available in this scenario, fits the 49ers’ offense well as a shifty receiver who’s dynamic after the catch, so he gets the slight nod here over edge rushers like Malachi Lawrence and T.J. Parker who could bolster a pass-rush that finished dead last in the NFL in sacks last season.
28. Houston Texans: Blake Miller, OT, Clemson
Even after adding multiple starting offensive linemen in free agency, adding more protection for C.J. Stroud remains the top priority for the Texans. Miller, a four-year starter at Clemson from Strongsville, Ohio, projects as a long-term starter at right tackle and is the top offensive lineman still on the board in this scenario.
29. Kansas City Chiefs (from Los Angeles Rams): Colton Hood, CB, Tennessee
Like the Jets with McCoy, the Chiefs could use one of the picks they received in exchange for the star cornerback they traded away – Trent McDuffie – to replace him with a cornerback from Tennessee. Hood pushed himself into the late first-round conversation with an excellent NFL Scouting Combine performance and would address the Chiefs’ most pressing position of need.
30. Miami Dolphins (from Denver Broncos): Avieon Terrell, CB, Clemson
The Dolphins have a dearth of talent in the secondary, so given Hafley’s background as a secondary coach, it’s unlikely he’ll let the first round pass by without adding a defensive back. Terrell, the younger brother of Atlanta Falcons star A.J. Terrell, gets the nod here as the top cornerback remaining on the board.
31. New England Patriots: Caleb Lomu, OT, Utah
Poor line play doomed the Patriots in the Super Bowl, so chances are good they’ll use their first pick to add talent in the trenches. A defensive end could also be in play for the Patriots, but drafting the last available first-round offensive tackle in Lomu would give New England back-to-back first-round picks at OT (Will Campbell in 2025) to be bookends of their offensive line for years to come.
32. Arizona Cardinals (from Seattle Seahawks): Ty Simpson, QB, Alabama
PROJECTED TRADE: Cardinals trade No. 34 and No. 143 overall picks to Seahawks for No. 32 overall pick
The Cardinals seemingly have their eye on Simpson to be their quarterback of the future, but they may need to jump the Jets – who hold the first round pick of Round 2 – to secure the draft’s No. 2 quarterback. The Seahawks currently hold only four total picks in this year’s draft, so they have good reason to explore a trade down. In this trade, the Seahawks would land one of the top picks of Round 5 to move down just two spots, while the Cardinals land the opportunity to draft Simpson while adding a fifth-year option to his contract as a first-round pick.