2026 NFL mock draft: Fornelli projects first round, surprise WR leads class

I have no doubt that Fernando Mendoza is the best available QB in this class, and until there are signals otherwise, there’s no reason not to have him going No. 1 to a Raiders team desperate for a QB. Still, while I like Mendoza a lot and love some of his intangibles, I’m not convinced he’s a franchise guy at the NFL level.

As NFL defenses continue to evolve, positional versatility is becoming more valuable, and Arvell Reese provides that. He can play all three linebacker spots, fit any scheme, and is as good off the ball as he is rushing off the edge. In other words, he’s the kind of player likely to come off the board early.

There is depth at the tackle spot in this class, even if there isn’t a no-doubt franchise left tackle prospect. Spencer Fano currently sits at the top of my board among tackle prospects. He’s incredible in the run game but can be overpowered by bigger defenders in pass pro.

You’re likely going to see conflicting opinions of Rueben Bain Jr. based on his measurables, but this is one of those times I like to rely on the tape. The first time I saw Bain play for Miami as a freshman, he popped off the screen, and I’ve followed his college career with googly eyes ever since. He has limitations, but he also has a pretty damn high floor.

I have Fano as my top tackle, but the gap between him and Miami’s Francis Mauigoa isn’t significant. Some will argue he’s better suited to play guard, and I get why scouts feel that way, but I see an above-average starting tackle in the NFL.

Makai Lemon is the best WR in the class by my estimation. He’ll be best used in the slot, but he won’t be limited to it. He lacks blazing speed, but his ability to move and change direction separates him from the rest of the class. He might be only 5-foot-11, but he plays like he’s 6-foot-3 on contested balls. He’s the kind of WR who will be a QB’s best friend, and Cleveland can use one of those.

David Bailey is just so damn fast off the snap. His first step overwhelmed a lot of his competition at the college level, and while life will be more difficult at the next level — meaning he’ll need to develop more technique — Bailey will improve your pass rush. Will he help stop the run? I’m not as confident there.

I raised a lot of eyebrows last year when I said I liked Jeremiyah Love more than Ashton Jeanty, and my feelings on the subject haven’t changed. Love is a versatile, special playmaker who will quickly prove to be one of the better running backs in the NFL. He’s a ready-made replacement for Alvin Kamara.

Carnell Tate was always overshadowed by Jeremiah Smith at Ohio State, but that’s more about Smith than Tate. After all, Chris Olave and Emeka Egbuka were often overshadowed by other Buckeyes receivers, and they’ve turned out pretty well. Tate is smooth in everything he does. He’s not a burner and isn’t overly special after the catch, but he gets open routinely.

Caleb Downs is an instinctive, highly skilled, versatile safety who can be used in a number of different spots and in a number of different ways, and he never takes a snap off. He has a knack for being the guy who makes The Play every time one is needed.

Mansoor Delane is a corner who has shown the ability to play well in both man and zone, and he isn’t afraid to mix it up in the run game, either. He will take chances, though, and that can get him in trouble — but it’s that same aggressiveness that has helped him make plays.

That’s four Ohio State players in the top 12, and the third member of the Buckeyes defense. Sonny Styles didn’t receive the same kind of attention as Caleb Downs or Arvell Reese, but he’s another versatile chess piece who began his college career at safety before moving to linebacker.

Jermod McCoy missed the 2025 season due to a torn ACL, which could ultimately lead to him going much later than this, but he was fantastic for Tennessee in 2024. He’s a very good athlete who moves well and looks fluid in coverage. He’s not a great tackler, which could also knock him down some boards, but I like the upside here.

It’s a matter of personal preference, but when it comes to interior defensive linemen in this class, I don’t know that anybody has as high a ceiling as Caleb Banks, which makes him worth betting on. He played in only three games in 2025, but when you go through the tape, you see flashes of eye-popping plays. The question will be whether those flashes turn into more consistent production.

I genuinely wouldn’t be surprised if Kenyon Sadiq works his way into the top 10 by the time the draft rolls around. We’ve seen how important tight ends have become for plenty of offenses in recent years, and how teams value the position. Sadiq is the clear No. 1 option at the position to be That Guy in this class. He reminds me of George Kittle.

The Vikings need help on the interior of their offensive line, and Olaivavega Ioane is the lone guard in this class I view as a first-round player. So Minnesota moves up to get him and makes sure Detroit can’t.

Cashius Howell is a high-motor, productive pass rusher who has shown the ability to line up at different spots. He’s probably not somebody you want dropping into coverage a lot, which could make him less attractive to some teams, but the Lions need another edge to take some of the load off Aidan Hutchinson.

It’s possible the Jets could go for a QB with their second first-round pick, but I have them targeting another WR for whoever their quarterback ends up being in 2026 and beyond. Jordyn Tyson essentially was the Arizona State passing attack, receiving roughly 125% of the team’s targets. Everybody knew where the Sun Devils were trying to get the ball, and nobody could keep Tyson from getting it.

Tetairoa McMillan was a hit for the Panthers last year, but they could use a complement for him in the offense, and KC Concepcion feels like a good fit alongside him. He’s not huge, but he plays bigger than his size. He reminds me a bit of former Panthers WR Steve Smith.

With two first-round picks, I wouldn’t be shocked if the Cowboys trade up into the top 10 for somebody on draft day, but in this mock, I have them sitting pat and using both picks. After getting Sonny Styles with their first, they address the pass rush with their second.

For the first half of the 2025 season, Simpson was the best QB in college football. Then things quickly eroded over the second half of the season. The talent is still there, and I can’t help but feel like the hiring of Mike McCarthy was done with QB development in mind. Maybe Simpson isn’t drafted to start right away, but the Steelers need a QB, and Simpson is good value here.

I’m not as high on Peter Woods as the industry consensus. He does possess a rare combination of power and athleticism that causes scouts to drool, but I worry about his length and how it will translate to the next level. I’d also like to see him showcase it more often. There are too many snaps where he looks ordinary.

If Avieon Terrell — the younger brother of former first-round pick A.J. Terrell — were two inches taller, he’d probably be my top CB in this class. Alas, he is not, and it causes me to question what his ultimate ceiling will be as an NFL corner. That said, I still have him going in the first round. He’s pretty good.

Coming into the 2025 season, Kadyn Proctor struck me as a player who might be described as “looks like Tarzan, plays like Jane.” Thankfully, he played more like Tarzan last season, but there are still too many moments where he looks tired. On one hand, you could argue that an NFL strength and conditioning program could be just what he needs, but I’d quickly counter by saying it’s not like Alabama doesn’t have that, too! Perhaps you’ve noticed they’ve developed quite a few NFL players in Tuscaloosa.

The Bears need to address their defensive line, but there’s also a chance they’ll be without both of their starting 2025 safeties next year. With the way the board has fallen, Emmanuel McNeil-Warren may look like the better value. McNeil-Warren is good at a lot of the things Jaquan Brisker has done well for the Bears and seems like a natural replacement.

It’s been a few years since the last one, but CJ Allen is the latest in the long line of Georgia LBs who are smart, can fly sideline to sideline and hit the crap out of you when they find you. He’d be an immediate help to Buffalo’s run defense.

I could be wishcasting here, but I’ve watched Denzel Boston at Washington the last two years and have felt all along that he’s a player who would flourish in a Kyle Shanahan offense, so why not just put him in Kyle Shanahan’s offense? He’s a big body with fantastic hands and is a precise route runner who thrives on the kind of timing routes the 49ers utilize.

Spencer Fano is the Utah OT who gets the most attention, but he may not be the only one off the board by the end of the first round. Caleb Lomu isn’t an incredible athlete (in the context of NFL OTs), but he’s a coach’s dream when it comes to technique and fundamentals. He’ll be starting at RT in the NFL for 10 years.

Monroe Freeling doesn’t have a wealth of experience, so there’s a lot of projection here based on his length and athleticism. The combine could see him fly up boards or drop, depending on how he performs, but for the moment, this feels like a logical landing spot.

I don’t know where the Broncos would go here based on what I had available to them, but I’m a Lee Hunter fan, so I’d approve of this pick. He’s a very large human being who seems to greatly enjoy playing football and making you feel like an idiot for thinking there’d be room to run in the A-gap. There are legit concerns about what, if anything, he’ll offer as a pass rusher.

I’m taking a flier here. I’m an Illini fan who has seen a lot of Gabe Jacas over his career, and he’s always reminded me of former Ohio State player and current New England Patriots head coach Mike Vrabel. If the Patriots look to address the pass rush in this spot, Jacas makes a lot of sense for both his ability and scheme fit.

When a team wins the Super Bowl, it’s easy to say they don’t have any needs, but the Seahawks can afford to beef up the interior of their OL in my eyes. Emmanuel Pregnon is viewed by some as the best OG in the class, but while I have him behind Penn State’s Olaivavega Ioane, the gap between them isn’t wide.