play1:06Kadyn Proctor’s NFL draft profileCheck out some of the top highlights from Alabama’s Kadyn Proctor.
play0:48Omar Cooper Jr.’s NFL draft profileCheck out some of the top highlights from Indiana’s Omar Cooper Jr.
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Field YatesCloseField YatesESPN NFL InsiderField Yates is a fantasy football expert and NFL draft analyst for ESPN. You can find him on Fantasy Football Now on Sunday mornings and regularly on NFL Live throughout the week, as well as the Fantasy Focus and First Draft podcasts. A graduate of Wesleyan University (CT) and native of Weston, Mass., Yates has previous experience interning with the New England Patriots on both their coaching and scouting staffs.Follow on X and Mel Kiper Jr.CloseMel Kiper Jr.Football analystMel Kiper Jr. has served as an NFL draft analyst for ESPN since 1984. He is a regular contributor on “SportsCenter,” ESPN studio shows and ESPN Radio. He is the co-host of the First Draft podcast, and he writes regularly for ESPN+.Follow on XMultiple AuthorsApr 23, 2026, 06:40 AM ET
Deciphering Freeling, Simpson’s first-round chances ahead of NFL Draft (3:06)ESPN’s NFL Draft analyst Field Yates breaks down Monroe Freeling and Ty Simpson’s strengths as he discusses what makes them both great prospects for the first round. (3:06)
Omar Cooper Jr.’s NFL draft profileCheck out some of the top highlights from Indiana’s Omar Cooper Jr.
30. Arizona Cardinals (via projected trade with MIA through DEN)
We’ve finally reached the 2026 NFL draft, and Field Yates is in Pittsburgh. But before the Raiders are officially on the clock at No. 1, he projected all 32 first-round picks in his final mock draft — which includes one big late trade for a team to select Alabama quarterback Ty Simpson.
After months of studying the top prospects, he wove together what he’s hearing, big team needs and how the board stacks up to match players to each pick. The first selection is clear at this point, but the questions start immediately with the Jets at No. 2.
At the bottom here, Mel Kiper Jr. shared some buzz he’s hearing in the final hours before Round 1 begins. He has notes from conversations with executives, coaches and scouts from around the NFL on some top picks and late risers.
In an unpredictable draft, Mendoza to the Raiders has been the only sure thing for months. According to ESPN Research, this pick would put him alongside Joe Burrow, Jameis Winston and Cam Newton as the only quarterbacks to win the Heisman Trophy, a national championship and then be selected No. 1 since 1967.
Mendoza is an accurate, well-built and experienced. He has the arm strength and precision to drive the football to all levels of the field. A new era in Las Vegas will center on Mendoza and rookie head coach Klint Kubiak.
The Jets made meaningful progress this offseason through free agency additions on defense, but the team must add more youth to their pass rush room. Will McDonald IV was the only Jets player with more than four sacks last season, but half of his eight sacks came in Week 10 against the Browns.
I had Bailey here in my last mock draft, and I’m sticking with him again. Bailey boasts the best first step in the class and plays with aggressive hands and instincts. He had 14.5 sacks in 2025, tied for the most in the FBS.
Arizona has far greater needs on both sides of the ball, but Love is No. 2 on my board and late momentum has suggested the Cardinals will take him here if they don’t trade back. Love can supercharge an offense with his elite ability as both a rusher and a receiver. He had an FBS-best 40 scrimmage touchdowns since 2024, per ESPN Research. Arizona still has a lot of work to do on offense, and its RB1 James Conner sat out the majority of the 2025 season after surgery on his right foot.
This pick would come down to a pair of Buckeyes defenders, as Arvell Reese is still available. I’m expecting the tiebreaker to go to Styles since he is less of a projection than Reese, who was not a full-time edge rusher in college.
Styles is an incredibly versatile, high-IQ prospect who could immediately be the field general in new coach Robert Saleh’s defense. His tackle rate of 98% was third in the FBS last season, per ESPN Research.
Reese falling to No. 5 might not be a scenario the Giants have contemplated much, but he’s too good to keep sliding. Is it oversaturation to take a third pass rusher with a top-five selection in the past five years when you already have Abdul Carter, Brian Burns and Kayvon Thibodeaux? Not in my eyes, especially after they tied for the sixth-fewest sacks without blitzing in the league last season (22), per ESPN Research.
Defense was a consideration here, with two talented defensive backs still on the board in Ohio State safety Caleb Downs and LSU cornerback Mansoor Delane. But Washington is thin at wide receiver after Terry McLaurin; Deebo Samuel is still a free agent after leading the team with 727 receiving yards last season. Tate has reliable hands (only four drops on 162 career targets), runs precise routes and is among the most pro-ready prospects in this class.
Like the Commanders, the Saints are in a need of more firepower in their receiver room. New Orleans’ projected No. 2 wide receiver behind Chris Olave is Devaughn Vele, who had 25 receptions and 293 receiving yards in 2025. Tyson is one of the most explosive prospects, regardless of position. He can stretch a defense with his combination of size and vertical burst, plus he has a knack for picking up yards after the catch.
Cornerback, wide receiver and pass rusher are logical positions to consider for the Chiefs. But Downs is too good to pass up, as the impactful, tone-setting safety from Ohio State can help reshape a secondary that saw Bryan Cook depart to the Bengals.
For their second pick in the top 10, the Giants can address what will surely be a need next season at the latest: interior offensive line. Ionae is among the highest-floor players in the class, with power, athleticism and dependability. Only four interior offensive linemen have been taken in the top 10 since 1990, per ESPN Research. The most recent was guard Quenton Nelson to the Colts at No. 6 in 2018.
There are needs all over this roster for Miami, but I believe general manager Jon-Eric Sullivan will adhere to the inside-out approach to roster construction that he is bringing from Green Bay. Mauigoa can be a fixture for another Miami offensive line, as the rock-steady right tackle allowed a 1.1% pressure percentage in 2025 (third best among FBS tackles).
Dallas is a team that people around the NFL believe would move up the board in the right scenario, but at what cost? The stick-and-pick approach pays off here, as the team lands the No. 1 cornerback after giving up a league-high 46 completions of 25-plus yards in 2025, per ESPN Research. Delane’s size, run-support skills and ball disruption are NFL ready.
Is there a decided need right now for the Rams along the offensive line? There isn’t, but Fano is a good enough player and there is no such thing as too much offensive line depth. That’s especially true for a team led by a quarterback in Matthew Stafford who lacks mobility. Fano was an offensive tackle throughout college, but some evaluators say they believe he has the goods to play any of the five positions.
The Ravens’ pass rush will be much better with Trey Hendrickson in tow, but this pick represents a blend of remaining need and value. Bain is a rugged, powerful pass rusher who doesn’t appear to have the ideal size (30⅞-inch arm length specifically) and athleticism for the position, but that’s not enough to drop him any more than this. Baltimore’s 30 sacks in 2025 was its second fewest in the team’s 30-year history, per ESPN Research.
Tight ends for the Buccaneers totaled only two touchdowns in 2025, and their top player at the position right now is a steady but not dynamic athlete in Cade Otton. Sadiq is one of the most physically-gifted prospects we’ve ever seen at the position, with a 4.39-second 40-yard dash at the combine. He would help quarterback Baker Mayfield and this passing attack get back on track.
Wide receiver is a must for the Jets early in the draft, and Lemon is coming off an incredible 2025 season in which he won the Biletnikoff Award for the nation’s best wide receiver. He’s extremely tough and fierce with the football in his hands. In 2025, he tied for the nation lead in two categories: receptions of 15-plus yards (31) and games with at least 150 receiving yards (four).
I wouldn’t put it past general manager Brad Holmes to be aggressive and trade up, especially with four offensive linemen already off the board in this scenario. At 6-foot-7, 352 pounds, Proctor is a massive player to fill the Lions’ massive need — they had the second-worst pass block win rate in 2025 (56%). He must be more consistent but has major upside at just 20 years old.
Kadyn Proctor’s NFL draft profileCheck out some of the top highlights from Alabama’s Kadyn Proctor.
Check out some of the top highlights from Alabama’s Kadyn Proctor.
This is the most common pairing in 2026 mock drafts outside the first handful of picks. The Vikings need to fill some gaps in the safety room and Thieneman is the best ball hawk in the class. He can quickly augment Brian Flores’ defense and showed improvement as a tackler in 2025, finishing with eight missed tackles compared to 22 in 2024.
Carolina signed two defensive playmakers in edge rusher Jaelan Phillips and linebacker Devin Lloyd, but they still need to address their defensive tackle depth after releasing A’Shawn Robinson. McDonald, like Robinson, is a standout run defender with excellent size and power at the point of attack. He had a breakout season in 2025, which included three sacks and a 7.8% run stop win rate (sixth highest in the FBS).
The defensive overhaul for the Cowboys continues with Faulk, a 21-year-old who looked like a potential top-10 pick coming into this past season. His production tapered (only two sacks in 2025 after seven in 2024), but he has a lot of desirable traits. Faulk was the tallest (6-foot-5⅞) and heaviest (276 pounds) among all edge rushers at the combine. He is strong against the run and has positional versatility.
