{"id":693766,"date":"2026-01-21T13:10:22","date_gmt":"2026-01-21T13:10:22","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.rawchili.com\/nfl\/693766\/"},"modified":"2026-01-21T13:10:22","modified_gmt":"2026-01-21T13:10:22","slug":"2026-nfl-draft-big-questions-for-teams-with-top-10-picks-2","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.rawchili.com\/nfl\/693766\/","title":{"rendered":"2026 NFL draft: Big questions for teams with top-10 picks"},"content":{"rendered":"


There are onlythree games<\/a>left in the2025 NFL season<\/a>, then all eyes will turn to theoffseason<\/a>. So let’s check in with teams that have a top-10 pick in the2026 draft<\/a>, which begins April 23 in Pittsburgh.<\/p>\n

The Raiders have the No. 1 pick for the first time since 2007, and they seem poised to select a signal-caller. But could they be willing to entertain a trade for the top selection? The rest of the top 10 also offers intrigue. How can the Titans best support quarterback Cam Ward<\/a> — the No. 1 pick from 2025 — at No. 4? Would the Chiefs consider making a splashy move with a rare top-10 selection? What kind of approach makes sense for the Giants at No. 5?<\/p>\n

We asked our NFL Nation reporters to answer one big question about each team with a top-10 selection. Let’s dive in. (And for more on these 10 picks, as well as the rest of Round 1, check out Mel Kiper Jr.’s new mock draft<\/a>.)<\/p>\n

Jump to a team:<\/p>\n

ARI<\/a> | CIN<\/a>| CLE<\/a> | KC<\/a>|LV<\/a><\/p>\n

NO<\/a> | NYG<\/a>|NYJ<\/a> | TEN<\/a> | WSH<\/a><\/p>\n

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Would the Raiders entertain a trade for the No. 1 pick?<\/p>\n

I doubt it. It’s hard to imagine the Raiders passing on Indiana’sFernando Mendoza<\/a>, especially after ownership, including Tom Brady<\/a>, attended the College Football Playoff National Championship<\/a>.<\/p>\n

After Geno Smith<\/a>‘s rough 2025 season, the Raiders need to bring in a young signal-caller who can grow with running back Ashton Jeanty<\/a> and tight end Brock Bowers<\/a>. Mendoza has shown the toughness, accuracy and ability to deliver in pressured situations — traits that Las Vegas would covet from the quarterback position. Given the current state of the organization, there’s no need for the Raiders to overthink this selection.– Ryan McFadden<\/p>\n

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What is the most likely route that the Jets will take in addressing QB?<\/p>\n

They won’t draft a quarterback here unless the Raiders somehow pass on Mendoza. Chances are, the Jets will have an all-encompassing plan: acquire a veteran or two (perhaps Malik Willis<\/a> or Kirk Cousins<\/a>), release Justin Fields<\/a> and draft a quarterback with the No. 16 or No. 33 pick.<\/p>\n

The later draft pick could be Alabama’s Ty Simpson<\/a> or Ole Miss’ Trinidad Chambliss<\/a>. This would cover their short- and long-term interests. And if the Jets can’t secure a quarterback of the future, they can look toward 2027 and start a “March for Arch” campaign. — Rich Cimini<\/p>\n

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Which side of the ball is the bigger need this offseason?<\/p>\n

Offense, without a doubt. The Cardinals spent a lot in free agency last offseason rebuilding the defense only to see it underperform — it gave up 40 or more points four times and 37 in two other games. But the offense needs upgrades in a few areas to help Arizona get back on track after a 3-14 season, starting with the offensive line.<\/p>\n

There are at least two line positions — guard and right tackle — that need to be addressed. Plus, getting another receiver to complement Marvin Harrison Jr<\/a>. and Michael Wilson<\/a>would be useful. — Josh Weinfuss<\/p>\n

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How can the Titans best support Cam Ward with this pick?<\/p>\n

Even though it’s on the other side of the ball, the best thing to do is add an impactful pass rusher to team up with defensive tackle Jeffery Simmons<\/a> and help create favorable field position. A stout, turnover-generating defense would give Ward and the offense shorter fields to work with and more opportunities to score points. The Titans finished 15th in pass rush win rate in 2025, and Simmons’ 11 sacks were six more than the next closest player (Jihad Ward<\/a>).– Turron Davenport<\/p>\n

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The Giants have a lot of needs. Will they just take a “best player available” approach with this pick?<\/p>\n

The Giants could use another offensive playmaker, offensive lineman, defensive lineman, linebacker, cornerback or safety. They definitely have options. With new coach John Harbaugh<\/a> now the biggest voice in the room, anything is possible. But something tells me he’s going to build from the trenches (the same as he did in Baltimore 18 years ago), especially with his desire to make the Giants a “more physical team.”– Jordan Raanan<\/p>\n

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Outside of QB, what other needs could the Browns fill with their two first-rounders?<\/p>\n

Offensive line and wide receiver. Cleveland’s offensive line is aging and in decline. With only one Week 1 starter under contract for the 2026 season, general manager Andrew Berry acknowledged the position group will have a “fair amount of turnover” in the offseason.<\/p>\n

The Browns could also use a dynamic playmaker on the outside. Cleveland’s pass catchers accounted for the second-fewest yards in the NFL (3,152) in 2025, behind only the Jets. — Daniel Oyefusi<\/p>\n

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After the Commanders had the NFL’s oldest roster in 2025, which position needs the biggest reboot?<\/p>\n

Washington’s offense has a strong foundation, thanks to its line and quarterback Jayden Daniels<\/a>. But the defense needs youth, speed and athleticism — especially on the edge.<\/p>\n

The Commanders have one rotational defensive lineman under 28 years old. Their top pass rusher, Dorance Armstrong<\/a>, tore his ACL<\/a> in October. But realistically, every area of the defense needs to be upgraded after the team finds a new coordinator.– John Keim<\/p>\n

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Are the Saints more likely to select a potential successor to linebacker Demario Davis<\/a> or defensive end Cameron Jordan<\/a> with this pick?<\/p>\n

The Saints probably won’t put themselves in one box, as offensive needs will take a high priority. If they do take a defensive player with a high pick, it’s more likely they would try to find another defensive end to complement Chase Young<\/a> and Carl Granderson<\/a> versus taking a linebacker.<\/p>\n

New Orleans hasn’t drafted a linebacker in the first round since Stephone Anthony<\/a> at No. 31 in 2015. They’ve taken four defensive linemen during that period, including defensive ends Payton Turner<\/a> at No. 28 in 2021 and Marcus Davenport<\/a> at No. 14 in 2018 (through a trade-up with the Packers<\/a>). — Katherine Terrell<\/p>\n

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Let’s say Notre Dame running back Jeremiyah Love<\/a> is still on the board. Could the Chiefs make a splashy move to fix their run game?<\/p>\n

Boy, this is such an alluring option. The Chiefs desperately need to upgrade their rushing attack, and Love has demonstrated dynamic playmaking ability.<\/p>\n

The better option, though, is for Kansas City to prioritize whomever is the best pass rusher available with this pick. The Chiefs’ pass rush was a liability in 2025 (tied for 22nd with 35 total sacks) and defensive tackle Chris Jones<\/a> will turn 31 this summer. Another capable player next to Jones and George Karlaftis<\/a> is more necessary than selecting Love.– Nate Taylor<\/p>\n

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What does history tell us about which position Duke Tobin and Zac Taylor will lean toward in Round 1?<\/p>\n

The Bengals haven’t used a top-10 pick on defense since 2010, when they drafted USC linebacker Keith Rivers with the No. 9 pick. But they can’t afford to follow history this time.<\/p>\n

The team needs playmakers on defense. Given the expensive investments in Joe Burrow<\/a>, Ja’Marr Chase<\/a> and Tee Higgins<\/a> on offense, finding a pass rusher or elite defender is the logical move for a team that has been poor defensively in recent years. Cincinnati tied with Chicago for last in pass rush win rate this season. — Ben Baby<\/p>\n

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]<\/p>\n

Copyright \u00a9 2026 ESPN Internet Ventures. All rights reserved.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"There are onlythree gamesleft in the2025 NFL season, then all eyes will turn to theoffseason. So let’s check…\n","protected":false},"author":2,"featured_media":693685,"comment_status":"","ping_status":"","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[2069],"tags":[101267,4955,390,1327,256,54,427,12,7,519,226,110,393,55,56,255,6,15,525,394,527,855,111,2480],"class_list":{"0":"post-693766","1":"post","2":"type-post","3":"status-publish","4":"format-standard","5":"has-post-thumbnail","7":"category-washington-commanders","8":"tag-101267","9":"tag-2026-nfl-draft","10":"tag-arizona-cardinals","11":"tag-cardinals","12":"tag-cincinnati-bengals","13":"tag-cleveland-browns","14":"tag-commanders","15":"tag-espn","16":"tag-football","17":"tag-giants","18":"tag-jets","19":"tag-kansas-city-chiefs","20":"tag-las-vegas-raiders","21":"tag-new-orleans-saints","22":"tag-new-york-giants","23":"tag-new-york-jets","24":"tag-nfl","25":"tag-nfl-draft","26":"tag-raiders","27":"tag-tennessee-titans","28":"tag-titans","29":"tag-washington","30":"tag-washington-commanders","31":"tag-washingtoncommanders"},"share_on_mastodon":{"url":"https:\/\/channels.im\/@nfl\/115933259681924590","error":""},"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.rawchili.com\/nfl\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/693766","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.rawchili.com\/nfl\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.rawchili.com\/nfl\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.rawchili.com\/nfl\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/2"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.rawchili.com\/nfl\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=693766"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/www.rawchili.com\/nfl\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/693766\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.rawchili.com\/nfl\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/693685"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.rawchili.com\/nfl\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=693766"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.rawchili.com\/nfl\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=693766"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.rawchili.com\/nfl\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=693766"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}