CLEVELAND, OH — With the Indiana Hoosiers 27-21 win over the Miami Hurricanes, football fans and media now turn their attention to the upcoming 2026 NFL Draft in Pittsburgh this coming April.
Below is my first mock draft before the offical one down in the Steel City.
Enjoy!
1. Las Vegas Raiders: QB Fernando Mendoza, Indiana – the most obvious QB1 pick since Andrew Luck, Mendoza steps into the iconic Silver and Black as their new franchise quarterback.
2. New York Jets: LB Arvell Reese, Ohio State – Lacking a star linebacker and edge rusher, due to the loss of Quinten Williams, the Jets tab the former Buckeye star to be the new face of their defense.
3. Arizona Cardinals: OL Francis Mauigoa, Miami: In a choice between Utah OT Spencer Fano and Mauigoa, the Cards roll the dice on this drafts best OL prospect here.
4. Tennessee Titans: Edge David Bailey, Texas Tech – With the hiring of Joe Saleh as new head coach, Tennessee goes defense as they were one of the worst in the NFL at getting sacks and QB pressures.
5. New York Giants: OT Spencer Fano, Utah: While Francis Mauigoa is off the board, and new head coach Jon Harbaugh looking to bring some old-school physicality up front, Big Blue goes with who many regard as possibly the second best OT1 in the draft in the former Utah tackle to help protect Jaxson Dart.
6. Cleveland Browns: WR Carnell Tate, Ohio State – With a new and younger head coach rumored to be the favorite to coach in Cleveland, and a possible franchise QB1 in Shedeur Sanders, the Browns give him a ready-made elite WR1 out the box in Tate, who will immediately step into the new role of main playmaker.
7. Washington Commanders: S Caleb Downs, Ohio State – Another Buckeye star here as the Commanders get some much needed help in the secondary in Downs.
8. New Orleans Saints: WR Jordyn Tyson, Arizona State – The Saints get another blessing from the man above if Tyson slides down to No.8, as Tyler Shough and Kellen Moore get another playmaker to pair across from Chris Olave.
9. Kansas City Chiefs: RB Jeremiyah Love, Notre Dame – Just what the doctor ordered for the run deficient Chiefs. With Mahomes likely to be out much of the year, and the lack of a consistent running game, Love is a perfect fit for Andy Reid and his legendary screen game.
10. Cincinnati Bengals: Edge Rueben Bain Jr., Miami: Thanks to the pending free agency of Trey Hendrickson, the Bengals draft his replacement in the 6’3 275-pound game wrecker in Bain.
PHOTO: Robert D. Cobb – INSC Media & Photography