The NFL combine has come and gone, and teams continue to plug their holes in free agency. Where does this leave the top prospects in the 2026 NFL Draft, however?
According to CBS Sports’ latest mock draft, they project the Washington Commanders to trade up from their current spot at No. 7 overall. They expect Washington to select their next defensive stalwart.
Elsewhere in the mock draft, five Ohio State Buckeyes are expected to be drafted in the first round. Below, you can find the full first-round mock draft, including the blockbuster trade featuring the Commanders.
1. Las Vegas Raiders: Indiana QB Fernando Mendoza
It almost seems like a sure thing that Fernando Mendoza will be selected with the No. 1 pick in the 2026 NFL Draft. He continues to be the top overall prospect and hopes to be considered as the Raiders’ franchise quarterback moving forward.
At Indiana this season, Mendoza passed for 3,535 yards, 41 passing touchdowns (48 overall) and six interceptions. He finished the season with a 72% completion percentage. Mendoza won the Heisman Trophy as a result and led the Hoosiers to an undefeated, national championship-winning season.
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Since 2024, Arvell Reese has combined for 112 tackles for the Buckeyes. He finished this past year with 69 combined tackles, 10 tackles for loss and 6.5 sacks. As a result, he earned All-American status in 2025.
Reese was also a key piece to the Buckeyes’ national championship squad the year before. He’s one of three Ohio State players CBS Sports projects could hear their name called within the top 10.
3. *MOCK TRADE* Washington Commanders (via Cardinals): Texas Tech EDGE David Bailey
CBS Sports projected the Commanders to move up all the way to No. 3 to draft Texas Tech EDGE, David Bailey. This comes after a stellar single season in Lubbock, which resulted in a Big 12 title and College Football Playoff appearance.
More importantly, Bailey led Division I with 14.5 sacks this season. He entered the year with 14.5 total sacks in three seasons at Stanford before he transferred.
Jeremiyah Love could be the first running back to be drafted in the top five since Saquon Barkley was drafted by the Giants in 2018. In an age where tailbacks don’t typically enjoy high draft status, Love is far and away RB1 in this year’s cycle.
In 2025, he was given 199 carries for 1,372 yards and 18 touchdowns on 6.9 yards per carry. He added 27 catches for 280 receiving yards and three touchdowns through the air as well.
5. New York Giants: Ohio State S Caleb Downs
Caleb Downs (Mick Walker/Lettermen Row)
Caleb Downs has had first-round potential since he was a true freshman at Alabama. It’s no surprise that he left college after three successful seasons, including two at Ohio State. In that time, he learned under both head coaches, Nick Saban and Ryan Day.
This past season, Downs finished the 2025 season with 68 combined tackles, a PBU, one sack and a pair of interceptions. Many expect him to be the first defensive back overall selected in the draft next month.
Mauigoa finished the 2025 season with 826 offensive snaps. He allowed just two sacks and 10 pressures across 440 pass block snaps. Mauigoa played 814 snaps at right tackle in 16 games for the Miami Hurricanes en route to a national championship game appearance.
Many believe it’s a toss-up between Mauigoa, Georgia’s Monroe Freeling and Utah’s Spencer Fano as the top-rated offensive tackles in this draft. All three are considered top 10 picks, according to CBS Sports.
7. *MOCK TRADE* Arizona Cardinals (via Commanders): Georgia OT Monroe Freeling
The Cardinals won’t be moving back too far, and CBS Sports expects them to select Georgia’s Monroe Freeling. Freeling has raised his draft stock exponentially since draft season began. Now, he’s seemingly played himself into being a top 10 draft pick.
In 2025, Freeling played 739 snaps at left tackle. During that stretch, he allowed one sack and was penalized twice. He ranked ninth among left tackles, having allowed just five pressures.
LSU transfer CB Mansoor Delane has been elite since arriving in Baton Rouge (Photo: © Stephen Lew-Imagn Images)
Mansoor Delane is projected to be selected anywhere from the top 10 to the middle of the first round, but there’s no doubting his skill as CBS Sports’ top-rated cornerback in this year’s NFL Draft cycle. He’s one of four cornerbacks projected to be drafted on day one.
He spent three seasons at Virginia Tech before a standout season at LSU this past season. Across his career, he logged 191 total tackles, 27 PBUs and eight interceptions.
9. Kansas City Chiefs: Ohio State WR Carnell Tate
Carnell Tate finished the season having caught 51 passes for 875 yards and nine receiving touchdowns. In his career, he caught 121 passes for 1,872 yards and 14 touchdowns.
His 17.2 yards per catch earned him the reputation as an explosive playmaker downfield, and many expect that to continue after the NFL Draft. If the Chiefs do end up selecting him, Patrick Mahomes will have a new deep threat.
Across 822 snaps in 2025, Fano didn’t allow a single sack or hit on his quarterback. Notably, only 382 of those were pass block snaps. He also finished fifth among offensive tackles with just five pressures allowed on the year.
He started 12 games at left tackle in 2023 before starting 24 games at the right tackle position over the next two seasons. The 6-foot-6, 311-pounder also ran at 4.91 in the 40-yard dash.
CBS Sports mock 2026 NFL Draft No. 11-32
Photo by Neil Gershman/Zooba Images
11. Miami Dolphins: Miami EDGE Rueben Bain Jr.
12. Dallas Cowboys: Ohio State LB Sonny Styles
13. Los Angeles Rams (via Falcons): USC WR Makai Lemon
14. Baltimore Ravens: Penn State OL Vega Ioane
15. Tampa Bay Bucaneers: Auburn EDGE Keldric Faulk
16. New York Jet (via Colts): Oregon TE Kenyon Sadiq
17. Detroit Lions: Clemson OT Blake Miller
18. Minnesota Vikings: Oregon S Dillon Thieneman
19. Carolina Panthers: Utah OT Caleb Lomu
20. Dallas Cowboys (via Packers): Texas A&M EDGE Cashius Howell
21. Pittsburgh Steelers: Alabama OT Kadyn Proctor
22. Los Angeles Chargers: Ohio State DL Kayden McDonald
23. Philadelphia Eagles: Miami DL Akheem Mesidor
24. Cleveland Browns (via Jaguars): Arizona State WR Jordyn Tyson
25. Chicago Bears: Clemson DL Peter Woods
26. Buffalo Bills: Washington WE Denzel Boston
27. San Francisco 49ers: Missouri EDGE Zion Young
28. Houston Texans: Iowa OL Gennings Dunker
29. Kansas City Chiefs (via Rams): Tennessee CB Jermod McCoy
30. Miami Dolphins (via Broncos): Clemson CB Avieon Terrell
31. New England Patriots: Clemson EDGE T.J. Parker
32. Seattle Seahawks: South Carolina CB Brandon Cisse