As college football Pro Days around the country take place, NFL scouts are getting their last look at the potential crop ahead of the 2026 NFL Draft. And there are some shakeups to the mock drafts as a result.
USA TODAY recently updated its first-round mock draft. The new-look mock has a couple of surprises early in the first round, in the top 10 picks.
Let’s take a look at what the publication is predicting. We begin below.
The 2025 Heisman Trophy winner and national championship-winning quarterback seems to be a slam-dunk favorite as the No. 1 overall pick in the draft. He’s the kind of player who can change a program’s fortunes — just ask Indiana.
In his lone year at Indiana, Mendoza threw for 3,535 yards and 41 touchdowns, against just six interceptions. He also ran for 276 yards and seven scores. The perfect candidate to lead off USA TODAY’s mock draft.
Arvell Reese (Birm/Lettermen Row)
The Jets need a lot of help defensively, and Reese was the best that Ohio State — and possibly college football — had to offer at his position. He was absolutely everywhere in 2025.
This season, Reese logged 69 tackles, 10.0 tackles for a loss and 6.5 sacks. He also had two passes defended, showing some ability to be disruptive in the passing lanes.
With a defensive theme developing early on in the USA TODAY mock draft, there are a few directions Arizona could go here. Few better places to turn than David Bailey from a stout Texas Tech defense.
Bailey was a first-team AP All-American this season. He also earned a slew of other awards after finishing with 47 tackles, 18.0 tackles for a loss, 13.5 sacks, two forced fumbles, a fumble recovery and three passes defended.
Tennessee looks to shore up its defense with an early pick out of Ohio State — which provides plenty of options in the top end of the draft. In this mock draft, it’s Sonny Styles going two spots after teammate Arvell Reese.
Pro Football Focus pointed to an 87.4 run-defense grade, a 91.6 tackling grade and an 86.9 coverage grade as reasons justifying a possible selection this high. Styles tallied 82 tackles, 6.5 tackles for a loss, a sack, an interception, a forced fumble and three passes defended during his final year with the Buckeyes.
(Michael Caterina-Imagn Images)
The first running back off the board goes to a team that has been searching for answers at the position since Saquon Barkley departed. The Giants haven’t had a 1,000-yard tailback since 2022.
Love is coming off a season in which he tallied 199 carries for 1,372 yards. He was great in the big games and against cupcakes, scoring 18 times in every game but the season opener against Miami.
A bit of a surprise selection here relative to most other mock drafts, the Georgia offensive tackle is the first lineman taken in this prognostication. The NFL Network’s Bucky Brooks says Freeling has physical tools and upside that make him an intriguing developmental prospect. The Browns will be looking for more if they take him at No. 6 overall.
Freeling is coming off his first full season as Georgia’s starting left tackle. He was the SEC’s offensive lineman of the week twice in 2025. While starting 13 of 14 games, Freeling allowed just two sacks in 2025.
The defensive trend in this mock draft picks back up at No. 7 overall. This time, Washington snatches arguably the best defensive back in the class with Caleb Downs out of Ohio State.
Downs emerged on the scene as a star freshman at Alabama before transferring to Ohio State. With the Buckeyes, he won a national title. This season, Downs tallied 68 tackles, 5.0 tackles for a loss, a sack, two interceptions and two passes defended.
(Mick Walker/Lettermen Row)
New Orleans has done quite well with receivers out of Ohio State in the past, so why not dip back into the well for another excellent one? Ohio State has been the place to go for wide receiver talent over the last decade, and Carnell Tate is next in line in this mock draft.
Tate finished his 2025 campaign with 51 catches for 875 yards. He also found the end zone nine times, showing he can be a big-play threat.
Kansas City has a big need at running back, but with Jeremiyah Love already off the board, the Chiefs would have to turn elsewhere. How about adding one of college’s top pass-rushers to the mix?
Bain racked up 15.5 tackles for a loss and 9.5 sacks en route to the national title game in 2025. During his three-year career at Miami, he logged 33.5 tackles for a loss and 20.5 sacks. That’s getting it done at a high level.
The Bengals have a big need at defensive back. Unfortunately for them, in this mock draft, Caleb Downs has already been selected in front of them. So the Bengals reach for the next best safety in the class.
Thieneman averaged 102 tackles per season during his college career. He was constantly around the ball. He also racked up eight interceptions and 14 passes defended. You could do a lot worse in the secondary.
Rest of the USA TODAY Mock Draft:
Miami Dolphins – OL Francis Mauigoa, Miami
Dallas Cowboys – CB Mansoor Delane, LSU
Los Angeles Rams* – WR Makai Lemon, USC
Baltimore Ravens – OG Vega Ioane, Penn State
Tampa Bay Buccaneers – DE Akheem Mesidor, Miami
New York Jets** – WR Jordyn Tyson, Arizona State
Detroit Lions – OL Spencer Fano, Utah
Minnesota Vikings – CB Jermod McCoy, Tennessee
Carolina Panthers – TE Kenyon Sadiq, Oregon
Dallas Cowboys – LB CJ Allen, Georgia
Pittsburgh Steelers – OL Kadyn Proctor, Alabama
Los Angeles Chargers – DE TJ Parker, Clemson
Philadelphia Eagles – DE Keldric Faulk, Auburn
Cleveland Browns – WR Omar Cooper, Indiana
Chicago Bears – S Emmanuel McNeil-Warren, Toledo
Buffalo Bills – OLB Cashius Howell, Texas A&M
San Francisco 49ers – OT Caleb Lomu, Utah
Houston Texans – OT Blake Miller, Clemson
Kansas City Chiefs^ – CB Colton Hood, Tennessee
Miami Dolphins^^ – WR Denzel Boston, Washington
New England Patriots – DE Zion Young, Missouri
Seattle Seahawks – CB Avieon Terrell, Clemson
* – from Atlanta Falcons
** – from Indianapolis Colts
^ – from Los Angeles Rams
^^ – from Denver Broncos