2026 NFL Draft: Daniel Jeremiah unveils eye-opening Mock 2.0 for NFL.com following Super Bowl
Super Bowl LX is in the books, with the Seattle Seahawks topping the New England Patriots. But who’s got next? That could depend in large part on the 2026 NFL Draft, and NFL.com insider Daniel Jeremiah has produced his latest mock draft to that effect.
The 2026 college football season was one for the ages, producing some seriously memorable players who are likely to be the future of the sport in the NFL. It also set us up for some highly intriguing mock drafts.
So which players will go in the first round? That’s a question answered by Daniel Jeremiah’s Mock Draft 2.0, released this week. On3 is here to recap his picks. Let’s dive in.
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 Daniel Jeremiah’s mock draft.
The Jets need help in several places, but shoring up the defensive front after the loss of Quinnen Williams is a priority. Few better places to turn than David Bailey from a stout Texas Tech defense, even if it’s at a different position.
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.
The offensive line is a hard-hit position in the top 10 picks in Daniel Jeremiah’s mock draft, and the Arizona Cardinals are first to tap into the deep pool. Here, Francis Mauigoa comes off the board.
Mauigoa was the star of a very good Miami offensive line, one that helped the Hurricanes reach the national title game. At 6 foot 6, 335 pounds, Mauigoa is the ideal mold for an offensive tackle.
Tennessee already boasts one excellent defensive front player in Jeffery Simmons. How about pairing one of college’s top pass-rushers alongside him?
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 Giants will be looking to grow the arsenal of weapons for quarterback Jaxson Dart this offseason. 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.
Cleveland needs help in plenty of places, but shoring up the offensive line is one of the top priorities for the team this offseason. Fano fits the bill to the letter there.
The Utah offensive lineman was an Outland Trophy finalist and a Lombardi Award semifinalist. He played in 37 career games with 35 starts, with a split between right and left tackle.
The third defensive player comes off the board to Washington, 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.
8. New Orleans Saints – WR Makai Lemon, USC
New Orleans appears to have found its quarterback of the future in Tyler Shough, one of the finalists for Offensive Rookie of the Year. Now he needs weapons.
Enter Lemon, who was a superstar while at USC playing in Lincoln Riley‘s offense. Lemon is fresh off a 79-catch, 1,156-yard season in which he scored 11 times. He’s big-play potential personified.
The first running back off the board goes to a team that has been searching for answers at the position for the last year or two. Kansas City could certainly afford to use a draft pick to grab the top available back in this mock draft.
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.
The trend turns back to defense to close out the top 10 in Daniel Jeremiah’s mock draft. Cincinnati 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.
Rest of Daniel Jeremiah’s Mock Draft 2.0
- Miami Dolphins – CB Mansoor Delane, LSU
- Dallas Cowboys – CB Jermod McCoy, Tennessee
- Los Angeles Rams – S Emmanuel McNeil-Warren, Toledo
- Baltimore Ravens – WR Jordyn Tyson, Arizona State
- Tampa Bay Buccaneers – LB Sonny Styles, Ohio State
- New York Jets – IOL Olaivavega Ioane, Penn State
- Detroit Lions – EDGE TJ Parker, Clemson
- Minnesota Vikings – S Dillon Thieneman, Oregon
- Carolina Panthers – EDGE Keldric Faulk, Auburn
- Dallas Cowboys – EDGE Akheem Mesidor, Miami
- Pittsburgh Steelers – WR Denzel Boston, Washington
- Los Angeles Chargers – TE Kenyon Sadiq, Oregon
- Philadelphia Eagles – OT Blake Miller, Clemson
- Cleveland Browns – OT Monroe Freeling, Georgia
- Chicago Bears – DT Peter Woods, Clemson
- Buffalo Bills – WR Malachi Fields, Notre Dame
- San Francisco 49ers – DT Lee Hunter, Texas Tech
- Houston Texans – OT Caleb Lomu, Utah
- Los Angeles Rams – CB Colton Hood, Tennessee
- Denver Broncos – LB CJ Allen, Georgia
- New England Patriots – EDGE Zion Young, Missouri
- Seattle Seahawks – WR KC Concepcion, Texas A&M
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