NFL mock draft 2026: Updated projection after trade deadline

The NFL trade deadline shocked the sports world on Tuesday.

Now it is time to pick up the pieces and move forward.

The New York Jets traded two of their defensive stars, waiving the white flag on the 2025 season and turning their attention to the future. How might that impact what we see next spring in the 2026 NFL Draft? Let’s answer that question and more with a mock draft.

Regarding the draft order, this mock draft uses the current draft order based on NFL standings as outlined by Tankathon. The eventual draft order next spring may look a lot different.

Here are the picks, followed with some big-picture thoughts as well as a few quick takeaways on some favorite pairings and players:

Quarterbacks move the needle

As with most drafts, quarterbacks move the needle. Given the number of teams that could be looking at a quarterback next spring, even with some questions about the incoming crop of passers this mock has five passers coming off the board in the first round.

Ty Simpson leads the way, the Alabama quarterback who has kick-started the Crimson Tide’s rise up the rankings. He is an older prospect (Simpson will be 23 come draft time) without a ton of experience, but moves well in the pocket and has shown the competitive toughness necessary to win at any level. Yes, the New Orleans Saints have a pair of young quarterbacks in Spencer Rattler and Tyler Shough, but if they are picking first you have to believe QB is on the table.

Fernando Mendoza has propelled Indiana to the top of the college football world, and projects as a prototypical pocket passer at the next level. Accuracy, decision-making, and coverage diagnosis are areas where he stands out. The New York Jets ahve to figure out the quarterback position, and Mendoza gives them a chance to do just that.

Where things start to get interesting are with the Miami Dolphins at No. 4. Yes they have tied themselves to Tua Tagovailoa through 2026 thanks to the terms of his contract, but it becomes easier to move on from him after that season. That could make Dante Moore a perfect pick for them, as he will still be 20 years old by the time the 2026 NFL Draft rolls around. Moore’s arm talent and athleticism are perfect for the modern game, and Miami could bring him into the fold now rather than wait for 2027.

LaNorris Sellers has QB1 moments, but lacks the consistency you want to see from a quarterback at the next level. Improved ball placement and decision-making are areas where he needs to improve, but the potential is certainly there. Given the … let’s just say interesting way Jonathan Gannon is handling the quarterback position right now, QB could certainly be on the table for Arizona next spring.

As for Garrett Nussmeier, long-time readers will remember my fascination with trying to find a quarterback for Bruce Arians in mock drafts while he was still coaching. That has given way to trying to find a quarterback for Sean McVay. Matthew Stafford is still playing at a high level, but at some point the Los Angeles Rams are going to need a plan for the future.

How the Jets can start the rebuild

Tuesday brought a fire sale to New York City. No we are not talking about election results, but rather the moves the New York Jets made to load up for the future. Thanks to trades involving Sauce Gardner and Quinnen Williams, the Jets now own two first-round picks and two second-round picks in 2026, and three first-round picks and a second-round pick in 2027.

That is a lot of draft capital.

And yes, there is a bit of the “Family Guy mystery box scene” at work here. Gardner is just 25 years old, and Williams is not much older, as the defensive lineman will turn 28 just a few days before Christmas. Moving on from those players and creating a need to replace them via the draft does carry some risk.

Still, it is hard to argue with the draft capital they added.

As discussed above, addressing the quarterback position is one area, and in this mock draft the Jets do that with the Indiana quarterback. As for the second pick in the first round, one coming from Indianapolis, here we have the Jets taking cornerback Colton Hood out of Tennessee. With Gardner headed to the Colts, the Jets will have a need in the secondary. He is an aggressive corner with fluid feet, comfortable in both man coverage as well as in zone.

Jerry Jones addresses the defense

Stop me if you have heard this before.

The Dallas Cowboys have a need on the defensive side of the ball.

Adding Logan Wilson as well as Quinnen Williams at the trade deadline certainly helps, but this unit still needs some upgrades. This mock draft has Dallas doing just that, as the Cowboys add pass rusher Keldric Faulk out of Auburn with their own pick, and then bring in a cornerback at No. 24 in Tennessee’s Jermod McCoy. With Faulk, while size is not a skill, the Auburn defender’s size and length jump off the film. He plays with a high motor and his athleticism and strength help him both against the run, and with his pass-rushing prowess.

McCoy is an All-American who has yet to play this season due to an ACL tear that he suffered during offseason workouts. When healthy he is an elite coverage cornerback with impressive ball skills and a good feel for zone coverage. All four of his interceptions last season came in Tennessee, illustrating an ability to change the complexion of a game in an instant. (His interception against Alabama on an goal-line fade is particularly noteworthy, given the patience and technique he displayed on the play).

Other quick thoughts

Retirement rumors have followed Travis Kelce for a few seasons now, and some comments the tight end made after the Kansas City Chiefs’ win over the Washington Commanders have fans believing this will be his final season. “We’re cherishing every single one of these games, not knowing how long we’ll be able to do this,” said Kelce on ESPN after the win, before describing himself as “the old lucky dog that’s still able to do this thing.” If the Chiefs are looking for a Kelce replacement, they could find one in Oregon tight end Kenyon Sadiq, a versatile player who has shown flashes of the explosiveness and yardage after the catch that Kelce brings to the Chiefs.

One player cannot fix an entire defense, but Caleb Downs could come close. The Cincinnati Bengals certainly have a need on that side of the football, and Downs might be the best pure prospect in the entire class. Safeties do tend to slide a bit due to positional value, but Downs can line up almost anywhere on the defense and make plays. His vision and instinct, particularly in zone coverage, stand out as strengths.

Left tackle is a need in Cleveland, and here the Browns solve that with Spencer Fano out of Utah. Fano has played at both left tackle and at right tackle, and would give Cleveland an option at both spots. Yes, quarterback is a need for the Browns, and if the board falls this way Sellers would be a consideration, but the value in Fano is hard to pass on.

How about some off-ball linebackers? Ohio State has a pair of off-ball standouts, and this mock draft sees both come off the board in the first round, with Arvell Reese going to the Minnesota Vikings at No. 15 and Sonny Styles coming off the board at No. 28 to the Denver Broncos. Reese has elite athleticism for an off-ball linebacker, and has been used as a situational pass rusher off the edge by Matt Patricia. Styles is a converted safety, and as such his strengths are against the pass, but he has shown a willingness to fight downhill against the run.