Welcome to Draft Week.<\/p>\n
The 2026 NFL Draft gets underway in Pittsburgh<\/a> in just a few short days, but the week begins with a shocker. The New York Giants<\/a> sent defensive tackle Dexter Lawrence<\/a> to the Cincinnati Bengals<\/a>, in exchange for the No. 10 pick in the draft. New York now owns a pair of picks inside the top ten, and the Giants are one of several teams \u2014 along with the Jets<\/a>, the Cowboys, the Browns<\/a>, the Chiefs<\/a>, and the Dolphins \u2014 with a pair of picks in the first round.<\/p>\n Advertisement<\/p>\n As the week begins, here is our latest look at how the first round could unfold. For those wondering, this is more of a predictive mock, trying to sift through the latest reporting and rumors to predict how the first 32 picks will come off the board. In some cases \u2014 see No. 10 for example \u2014 there is an element of \u201cwhat I would do\u201d that plays a role.<\/p>\n Here are the picks in this predictive mock, with deeper thoughts on how this top ten would play out.<\/p>\n Pick<\/p>\n Team<\/p>\n Player<\/p>\n Position<\/p>\n School<\/p>\n 1<\/p>\n Las Vegas Raiders<\/a><\/p>\n Fernando Mendoza<\/p>\n QB<\/p>\n Indiana<\/p>\n 2<\/p>\n New York Jets<\/p>\n David Bailey<\/p>\n EDGE<\/p>\n Texas Tech<\/p>\n 3<\/p>\n Dallas Cowboys<\/a> (via ARI)<\/p>\n Arvell Reese<\/p>\n EDGE\/LB<\/p>\n Ohio State<\/p>\n 4<\/p>\n Tennessee Titans<\/a><\/p>\n Jeremiyah Love<\/p>\n RB<\/p>\n Notre Dame<\/p>\n 5<\/p>\n New York Giants<\/p>\n Francis Mauigoa<\/p>\n OT<\/p>\n Miami<\/a><\/p>\n 6<\/p>\n Cleveland Browns<\/p>\n Carnell Tate<\/p>\n WR<\/p>\n Ohio State<\/p>\n 7<\/p>\n Washington Commanders<\/a><\/p>\n Sonny Styles<\/a><\/p>\n LB<\/p>\n Ohio State<\/p>\n 8<\/p>\n New Orleans Saints<\/a><\/p>\n Rueben Bain Jr.<\/p>\n EDGE<\/p>\n Miami<\/p>\n 9<\/p>\n Kansas City Chiefs<\/p>\n Jordyn Tyson<\/p>\n WR<\/p>\n Arizona State<\/p>\n 10<\/p>\n New York Giants (via CIN)<\/p>\n Caleb Downs<\/p>\n S<\/p>\n Ohio State<\/p>\n 11<\/p>\n Miami Dolphins<\/a><\/p>\n Mansoor Delane<\/p>\n CB<\/p>\n LSU<\/p>\n 12<\/p>\n Arizona Cardinals<\/a> (via DAL)<\/p>\n Monroe Freeling<\/p>\n OT<\/p>\n Georgia<\/p>\n 13<\/p>\n Los Angeles Rams<\/a> (via ATL)<\/p>\n Makai Lemon<\/p>\n WR<\/p>\n USC<\/p>\n 14<\/p>\n Baltimore Ravens<\/a><\/p>\n Kenyon Sadiq<\/p>\n TE<\/p>\n Oregon<\/p>\n 15<\/p>\n Tampa Bay Buccaneers<\/a><\/p>\n Olaivavega Ioane<\/p>\n IOL<\/p>\n Penn State<\/p>\n 16<\/p>\n New York Jets (via IND)<\/p>\n Omar Cooper Jr.<\/p>\n WR<\/p>\n Indiana<\/p>\n 17<\/p>\n Detroit Lions<\/a><\/p>\n Blake Miller<\/a><\/p>\n OT<\/p>\n Clemson<\/p>\n 18<\/p>\n Minnesota Vikings<\/a><\/p>\n Dillon Thieneman<\/p>\n S<\/p>\n Oregon<\/p>\n 19<\/p>\n Carolina Panthers<\/a><\/p>\n Emmanuel McNeil-Warren<\/p>\n S<\/p>\n Toledo<\/p>\n 20<\/p>\n Dallas Cowboys (via GB)<\/p>\n Colton Hood<\/p>\n CB<\/p>\n Tennessee<\/p>\n 21<\/p>\n Pittsburgh Steelers<\/a><\/p>\n KC Concepcion<\/p>\n WR<\/p>\n Texas State<\/p>\n 22<\/p>\n Los Angeles Chargers<\/a><\/p>\n Akheem Mesidor<\/a><\/p>\n EDGE<\/p>\n Miami<\/p>\n 23<\/p>\n Philadelphia Eagles<\/a><\/p>\n Kadyn Proctor<\/p>\n OT<\/p>\n Alabama<\/p>\n 24<\/p>\n Cleveland Browns (via JAX)<\/p>\n Max Iheanachor<\/p>\n OT<\/p>\n Arizona State<\/p>\n 25<\/p>\n Chicago Bears<\/a><\/p>\n Kayden MacDonald<\/p>\n DT<\/p>\n Ohio State<\/p>\n 26<\/p>\n Buffalo Bills<\/a><\/p>\n Keldric Faulk<\/p>\n EDGE<\/p>\n Auburn<\/p>\n 27<\/p>\n San Francisco 49ers<\/a><\/p>\n TJ Parker<\/p>\n EDGE<\/p>\n Clemson<\/p>\n 28<\/p>\n Houston Texans<\/a><\/p>\n Chase Bisontis<\/p>\n IOL<\/p>\n Texas A&M<\/p>\n 29<\/p>\n Kansas City Chiefs (via LAR)<\/p>\n Avieon Terrell<\/p>\n CB<\/p>\n Clemson<\/p>\n 30<\/p>\n Arizona Cardinals (via MIA)<\/p>\n Ty<\/a> Simpson<\/p>\n QB<\/p>\n Alabama<\/p>\n 31<\/p>\n New England Patriots<\/a><\/p>\n Zion Young<\/p>\n EDGE<\/p>\n Missouri<\/p>\n 32<\/p>\n Seattle Seahawks<\/a><\/p>\n Chris Johnson<\/a><\/p>\n CB<\/p>\n San Diego State<\/p>\n Let\u2019s dive into these top ten selections.<\/p>\n 1. Las Vegas Raiders: Fernando Mendoza, QB, Indiana<\/p>\n This remains perhaps the only selection anyone feels confident about inside the top five, let alone the top ten.<\/p>\n Advertisement<\/p>\n 2. New York Jets: David Bailey, EDGE, Texas Tech<\/p>\n Opinions on the Texas Tech pass rusher are mixed, and for the bulk of the pre-draft process it looked as if Arvell Reese from Ohio State would be the Jets\u2019 selection in this spot. But the conversation has shifted heavily to Bailey, with reports from New York beat writers indicating that the organization believes Bailey can help them immediately, while Reese will need a little development as he moves to the edge full-time.<\/p>\n 3. Dallas Cowboys: Arvell Reese, EDGE, Ohio State<\/p>\n One of the worst-kept secrets in the league right now is that the Dallas Cowboys want to move up in the draft, to land a premium defensive prospect. Earlier in the pre-draft process the rumors held that Dallas would move to No. 6 in a deal with the Cleveland Browns, but as the draft gets closer there are rumblings of a move even higher.<\/p>\n Advertisement<\/p>\n Here, they jump to No. 3 and land Reese in a deal with the Arizona Cardinals, who have been rumored to be moving back as the draft approaches. Using the NFL Trade Calculator from OverTheCap<\/a>, the cost for such a move? Dallas\u2019 2027 second-round pick .<\/p>\n 4. Tennessee Titans: Jeremiyah Love, RB, Notre Dame<\/p>\n