The 2025 NFL season is heating up, but for some teams, it’s already time to start looking towards the NFL Draft in April. The consensus big board looks much different from how it did in August, and should only continue to change as the season progresses. Still, it’s never too early to do a mock draft.

For those of you who are fans of one or two-win teams (like myself) this is for you. Here’s my prediction for the top-10 picks in the 2026 NFL Draft.

Note: Draft order via Tankathon

1. New Orleans Saints (1-7)

Fernando Mendoza, QB, Indiana

I’m not sure there’s a single player in college football who has done more for his NFL draft stock than Fernando Mendoza. The Indiana Hoosiers’ starting quarterback has quickly risen to the top of draft boards, and with the struggles the New Orleans Saints have had at quarterback this year, they could pull the trigger and take the top rookie available.

Mendoza’s an accurate pocket passer, but is also pretty mobile, totaling 196 rushing yards and three touchdowns this season. He’s also thrown for 24 touchdowns and just three interceptions, and he’s leading arguably the best team in America. Pretty simple pick.

2. New York Jets (1-7)

Dante Moore, QB, Oregon

Another guy who has drastically risen on the NFL draft boards is Dante Moore. The Oregon Ducks’ QB1 has been great this season, throwing for 1,772 yards and 19 touchdowns while adding another 131 on the ground. He did get a bit dinged up this past week, which caused him to miss most of the second half, but he should be fine and ready to go next week. The New York Jets will almost certainly be in the market for a quarterback, so this move makes a lot of sense. It could also be LaNorris Sellers, depending on how much of a gamble they want to take.

3. Tennessee Titans (1-7)

Rueben Bain Jr., DE, Miami

Reuben Bain Jr. seems to be the consensus top non-quarterback in the draft. He’s played seven games this year and has racked up 39 pressures, 33 hurries, and two sacks while being double-teamed almost every play. He is a game wrecker, and the Tennessee Titans have a glaring weakness at edge rusher. With their quarterback in place, they have the luxury of taking the best player in the draft.

4. Cleveland Browns (2-6)

Jordyn Tyson, WR, Arizona State

I’m not sure that there’s a team with a bigger need at wide receiver than the Cleveland Browns. They already have a pretty stout defense and two rookie quarterbacks, so getting them a playmaker as good as Jordyn Tyson could be the move in the first round. Tyson is 6-foot-2 and has the ideal size for a starting wide receiver in the NFL. He’s good at pretty much everything and can instantly become the team’s WR1.

5. Miami Dolphins (2-6)

LaNorris Sellers, QB, South Carolina

LaNorris Sellers might be the most dynamic player in the draft this year. The South Carolina star hasn’t lived up to expectations this season, but there’s no denying he’s an electric athlete. He’d instantly be one of the fastest quarterbacks in the league, and his arm is nothing to laugh at. He needs to develop quite a bit, but he should still be a top 10 pick because of his traits.

With Tua under contract for the next three years, they could play him for another year while they develop Sellers, and then find a way to get rid of him when Sellers is ready to start. Seems like an ideal landing spot for him.

6. New York Giants (2-6)

It was hard letting Spencer Fano drop this far, but with so many quarterbacks going early, I just couldn’t find a spot for him in the top five. He’s the consensus top tackle in this draft class, giving up just five pressures and no sacks in 265 pass blocking snaps this year. Someone’s going to get a franchise tackle, and in this mock, it’s the New York Giants, who need help upfront to protect Jaxson Dart.

7. Baltimore Ravens (2-5)

Keldric Faulk, DE, Auburn

Nobody expected the Baltimore Ravens to be 2-5 through eight weeks, but here we are. Their offense has suffered because of Lamar Jackson’s injury, but their defense is the real concern. They can’t get pressure on the quarterback, and with Bain off the board, they go with the next-best option, Keldric Faulk. 

8. Las Vegas Raiders (2-5)

Ty Simpson, QB, Alabama

Even though this QB class might not be led by the guys we thought before the season, there are still a ton of talented signal callers who can find themselves taken in the top 10 this April. Ty Simpson wasn’t on any first-round mocks before the season, but Alabama’s starter has been arguably the best quarterback in football this season, throwing for 2,184 yards and 20 touchdowns to just one interception. The Geno Smith experience hasn’t worked in Vegas, so they should definitely be in the market for a QB.

9. Arizona Cardinals (2-5)

Caleb Downs, S, Ohio State

Caleb Downs is another guy who probably shouldn’t slip this far, but four quarterbacks in the top seven picks will force someone like Downs to fall to No. 9. The Arizona Cardinals have a lot of holes to fill, but can you imagine a safety duo of Budda Baker and Downs? That would be the best duo in football, and he’d give the Cardinals an electric playmaker on defense.

10. Cincinnati Bengals (3-5)

Caleb Lomu, OT, Utah

Just a couple of picks after his teammate goes to New York, Caleb Lomu finds himself taken in the top 10, going to the Cincinnati Bengals. It’s no secret that the Bengals have problems all over their offensive line. Joe Burrow has suffered quite a few injuries because of it, so they need to invest in players that can help them right away, and that’s exactly what Lomu can do.

Here’s the rest of the NFL Draft order:

11. Los Angeles Rams (via Atlanta Falcons)

12. Washington Commanders

13. Minnesota Vikings

14. Houston Texans

15. Dallas Cowboys

16. Carolina Panthers

17. Chicago Bears

18. Kansas City Chiefs

19. Pittsburgh Steelers

20. Cleveland Browns (via Jacksonville Jaguars)

21. San Francisco 49ers

23. Los Angeles Chargers

24. Los Angeles Rams

25. Detroit Lions

26. Seattle Seahawks

27. Denver Broncos

28. Tampa Bay Buccaneers

29. New England Patriots

30. Philadelphia Eagles

31. Dallas Cowboys (via Green Bay Packers)

32. Indianapolis Colts