Rhett Lewis 2026 NFL mock draft 1.0: Eagles make biggest splash in Round 1

Mendoza is Pick 1.1, QB1 and the face of the Raiders franchise for years to come. Now, how will Vegas use the rest of its draft capital to support him?

The selection of Reese brings intoxicating potential to the Jets' defense, and a full-time transition to edge rusher could allow the freakishly athletic Buckeye to turn that potential into production.

Lots of options for the Cardinals here, including taking the top running back (Jeremiyah Love) or the top offensive lineman (Francis Mauigoa) in this year's class. But Bailey is also a top player, and at a premier position the Cardinals desperately need after finishing with just 30 sacks in 2025.

There’s been plenty of conversation about the Titans passing on Love if he's available at this slot, but it makes too much sense to me to support last year’s No. 1 overall pick, QB Cam Ward, by handing him the most dynamic offensive player in this draft. 

Ohio State lost the Big Ten Championship Game to Indiana, but Styles was the best defensive player on the field. Seemed like he made every tackle. Throw in his wildly impressive combine performance and it's clear that Styles isn’t any ordinary off-ball linebacker -- he's a defensive cornerstone with impact play production. 

I think the Browns entertain the idea of selecting Carnell Tate here, but ultimately opt for the draft’s best offensive lineman. A foundational piece for the next decade, Mauigoa headlines Cleveland's reset along the O-line.

Support your young talented QB! I don’t think you can go wrong following that North Star philosophy, especially when Jayden Daniels is your quarterback.

Even if Cameron Jordan re-signs with the Saints this offseason, the team needs to find another presence on the edge. Bain gives them a menace both as a pass rusher and run defender.

After trading Trent McDuffie to the Rams in March, the Chiefs find a new core piece in the secondary with the best corner in this year's class. 

Although there's been some debate over his measurables not being elite, Downs simply is one of the best football players in this draft. The Bengals don't overthink it and land a stalwart in the secondary.

The Dolphins should have plenty of options to address their needs at corner and edge rusher at No. 11 overall. But they're also undergoing an overhaul at receiver, and so they don't pass on the opportunity to land Lemon. The USC product spent the majority of his time in the slot, but has experience on the perimeter, as well.

McCoy missed all of last season after tearing his ACL in January 2025, and so all eyes were on his pro day at the end of March. The fact that he aced his testing in front of NFL personnel should help cement his status as a top-tier corner in this class. And it just so happens the Cowboys need an elite CB.

I remember that viral interaction Sean McVay had with Les Snead ahead of the selection of Puka Nacua back in 2023, and Cooper registers many of the same qualities that got the Rams' brass so excited. He’s not as physically imposing as Puka, but Cooper's body control and ability to break tackles and make guys miss should be immensely appealing.

There’s been a lot of conversation around Fano’s arm length and the potential of moving him from tackle to guard. In this scenario, the Ravens start Fano inside while building depth as a potential replacement at a bookend should the need arise.

The Bucs haven’t had a player hit the eight-sack mark since Shaq Barrett registered 10 in 2021. Mesidor is an absolute force to be reckoned with off the edge and should provide a big time pass-rush presence in Tampa.

Tyson is Bucky Brooks’ No. 1 ranked receiver in this class, and there might be more consensus with that evaluation if not for the injuries that have derailed the last couple of seasons for the talented Arizona State Sun Devil. Tyson would form a dynamic duo with Garrett Wilson.

Whether the Lions move Penei Sewell to left tackle or not, Detroit needs help on the outside of the O-line. Freeling is a big, athletic tackle with plenty of room to expand his game given he didn’t become a full-time starter at Georgia until his third college season.

This is one of the more popular projections in the collective mock draft community. It just fits. With Harrison Smith's time in Minnesota at an end, the Vikings turn to the ballhawking Thieneman. His athletic profile should allow DC Brian Flores to use him in a variety of roles.

Plenty of speculation about Carolina taking another wide out here to support Bryce Young, but the Panthers pick Sadiq instead, who has a receiver skill set, just with a bigger frame, creating chances to capitalize on some matchup advantages.

The Cowboys have prioritized upgrading their defense this offseason, and Faulk is another piece in that overall goal. He's a massive edge rusher who could provide some positional flexibility as Dallas transitions its defense under new coordinator Christian Parker.

The Steelers have done a nice job drafting and developing their offensive line recently, with three starters (Troy Fautanu, Zach Frazier and Mason McCormick) coming from the 2024 NFL Draft alone. The trend continues as here, as the best guard in this class moves from Happy Valley to the Steel City. 

The Chargers have had their issues with injuries at the tackle position, and they just lost guard Zion Johnson in free agency. Proctor, who played left tackle at Alabama, could provide security there as Rashawn Slater and Joe Alt recover from a torn patellar tendon and ankle injury, respectively -- and he could potentially step in as a starting guard, as well.

R-E-L-A-X. While there has been no shortage of drama surrounding the Eagles and QB Jalen Hurts, I'm not advocating for drafting a replacement here, although Philly has had a habit of accumulating quarterbacks and then acquiring value by moving them down the line. This, however, feels like a potential landing area for Simpson via trade, especially if a team believes the Browns could be looking to select the Alabama product with their second first-round pick at 24. And instead of trying to predict which QB-needy organization will be desperate enough to make this move, I'm keeping the Eagles as a placeholder in this mock to highlight the tantalizing leverage they could hold when their turn comes around -- setting Howie Roseman up perfectly to work some of his customary wheeler-dealer magic.

If the Browns roll with Shedeur Sanders this fall, giving him a receiver who can create big plays with the ball in his hands only helps support the young quarterback in his development. 

Parker had a down year in terms of production in 2025, but the lengthy Clemson edge rusher showed flashes of brilliance early in his collegiate career and again at the Senior Bowl. He gives the Bears a nice option opposite Montez Sweat.

The Bills signed C.J. Gardner-Johnson in free agency, but pairing the rangy, playmaking safety McNeil-Warren with 2024 second-round pick Cole Bishop gives the Bills a long-term vision of the position. 

Trent Williams is still one of the best left tackles in the NFL, but his age (he'll be 38 in July) and constant contract issues make it feel like the end is near. I gave the 49ers a long-term solution at left tackle in this exercise last year, and I’ll do it again. Lomu would get the luxury of watching Williams work for at least a year.

Houston’s offensive line has been under construction for several years, and Miller gives that unit a building block for future after starting an impressive 54 consecutive games at Clemson. 

A Senior Bowl standout, Arizona State’s Iheanachor boasts big-time potential with the Chiefs. Jaylon Moore can start at right tackle while Iheanachor learns the ropes.

Miami uses the first-round pick it gained from the Jaylen Waddle trade on a starting cornerback. Hood really stepped up for the Vols in the season-long absence of Jermod McCoy and could do the same early on for Jeff Hafley.

With 20 touchdowns over the last two seasons, Boston has a knack for finding the end zone. The Washington product has a big frame and his ability to win contested catches would help round out the Patriots’ receiving corps.  

The Super Bowl champs can afford to take some risk with players who possess some outlier traits like Howell, who produced 27 sacks in his collegiate career but has a smaller frame and sub-31-inch arm length.