Renner’s 2026 NFL mock draft: First-round projections with top-18 picks set

The Heisman winner and leader of the undefeated Hoosiers keeps passing every test thrown his way. He made mincemeat of the Alabama defense in his first playoff game. We can debate his ceiling all we want, but his floor is very high for an incoming quarterback prospect.

Moore has some of the most effortless arm talent you’ll ever see, with a throwing motion taken straight out of a textbook. He’s shown some cracks under pressure this season, but that’s to be expected with his limited experience. If Moore doesn’t declare, the Jets look poised to go the veteran quarterback route, as there’s no one else worthy of reaching for in the top five or even top 20 this year.

Bailey saved his best for last with an elite all-around performance against Oregon’s vaunted offensive line in the playoff. A year ago, he couldn’t even start for Stanford because of his timidness against the run. Now, he single-handedly shut down the Ducks’ rushing attack with four run stops in the loss. He’s skyrocketed up boards this season.

Reese is a modern hybrid linebacker who would bring pass-rushing juice from anywhere to the Titans’ front seven. The Titans need all the help getting after opposing quarterbacks they can get.

Faulk may be listed as a defensive end, but his body type fits as a defensive tackle for pretty much every scheme in the NFL nowadays. At 6-foot-6, 285 pounds, he is a Calais Campbell-esque tweener who is already a handful in the run game. If you watched the Giants’ worst-ranked run defense this past fall, you know that’s a massive need.

Goosby finished the season on a tear and looks like the only tackle in the class with bona fide top-10 tools. The Browns’ tackle position was a banged-up mess this past fall, so he’ll be a welcome addition.

With both Terry McLaurin and Deebo Samuel getting up there in age, the Commanders have to think about someone to pair with Jayden Daniels long term. Tate is the exact kind of rangy vertical threat that would pair perfectly with Daniels’ feathery deep balls.

Kellen Moore loves himself a running game but could never quite find one in his first year in New Orleans while cycling through numerous backs. That cycle would end with Love, as he’s the kind of home run threat who can be the focal point of an offense.

If Bain falls because of his arm length, the Chiefs aren’t likely to hesitate to add him to Steve Spagnuolo’s defense. He’s the exact type of power defensive end that Spagnuolo has loved dating back to his days as the Giants’ defensive coordinator.

Downs is the reliable secondary player the Bengals desperately need. He’s not only assignment-sure in coverage but also rarely misses tackles.

Sadiq was born to play tight end for Mike McDaniel for two reasons. The first is that he’s electric after the catch. With a squattier frame than most running backs, he resembles a jumbo running back with the ball in his hands. The other is that Sadiq is a ferocious blocker in space. That’s a far more common assignment for a Dolphins tight end than inline blocking a defensive end.

Styles feels like exactly what the Cowboys need in their front seven: someone with elite range who also is assignment-sure. The former safety turned linebacker is easily the best tackler at the position in the draft class.

Tyson’s injury history, which has cost him time in three straight seasons, could cause him to fall, and that would be bad news for the rest of the NFL. He’s the best pure separator in the draft class and would be able to pick up Davante Adams’ torch in the offense whenever he hangs them up.

Mauigoa would likely start at guard early in his career, with the option to kick out to tackle when Ronnie Stanley retires. The Ravens simply have to get better at guard, and Mauigoa is exactly the kind of butt-kicker who could make the switch.

The Buccaneers could look to bolster their guard position, which was an issue for much of 2025. Fano was a tackle at Utah but looks best suited for the interior in the NFL.

Lemon is the missing link in the slot on what’s been an overhauled receiving corps. Garrett Wilson, Adonai Mitchell, Mason Taylor and Makai Lemon would be a formidable front four for years to come.

Delane was the best man corner in college football this fall, and the Lions are one of the man-heaviest teams in the NFL. While the Lions have options in the pipeline, like Terrion Arnold and Ennis Rakestraw, they’ve yet to prove anything meaningful two years in.

Kwesi Adofo-Mensah showed in free agency last year that he’s willing to buy low on players with injury risks for the potential value they present. That describes no one in this draft class better than McCoy. His sophomore tape was top-10 worthy, but he didn’t play all fall with an ACL tear suffered last January.

The Panthers have a lot of money committed to their defensive tackle position, but they need impact wherever they can get it on the defensive side of the ball. Woods was a projected top-five pick based on his sophomore film before a lackluster junior campaign. That talent didn’t disappear, though, and would look great next to Derrick Brown on early downs.

Parker is, at minimum, an upgrade for the Cowboys in the run game. He’s a powerful defensive end who’s been productive ever since his freshman year at Clemson. It would bolster their by-committee approach in the wake of the Micah Parsons trade.

It seems like it’s time to admit Broderick Jones can’t be Plan A at left tackle for the future. Lomu is a much more refined pass blocker coming out than Jones ever was and could allow Jones to kick inside.

Banks might be the biggest wild card in the draft class. He’s a fifth-year defensive tackle who’s averaged fewer than 200 snaps per season for his career and played only 96 this fall with a foot injury. The high-end reps he has for a 6-foot-6, 330-pounder, though, are jaw-dropping.

This only makes sense if the Eagles and A.J. Brown finalize the divorce that looks inevitable this offseason. Boston is the kind of big-bodied vertical threat on the outside who could replace much of Brown’s role in the offense.

Concepcion is a pure separator, the likes of which the Bills have not had since Stefon Diggs was in his prime. That’s the biggest missing piece hampering the Bills’ offense this season.

With how well Ben Johnson has protected his tackles in the passing game, Chicago is one of the few schemes in which Proctor could stick at tackle. His ability to move the line of scrimmage would be put to good use in the offense.

Spencer Burford has been a pain point in pass protection at left guard ever since he entered the starting lineup in 2022. With the emergence of the Rams’ and Seahawks’ defensive interiors, that’s a big problem going forward. Ioane would be a massive upgrade in that regard.

Washington is the kind of explosive one-gap defensive tackle who could take the Texans’ defense into the all-time category. He’s not close to a finished product, but he doesn’t need much polish to be disruptive with his physical tools.

Could the Browns nab a franchise left tackle and right tackle in one round? Iheanachor is one of the draft’s most intriguing prospects, as he never played football before he got to college. He has all the traits to be an NFL tackle but is obviously raw.

The corner position has been one of the biggest points of contention for the Rams this season. Terrell changes that. He’s a physical tackler and would allow the Rams to mix in more man coverage concepts.

The Patriots would prefer edge help here but would settle for a playmaking nose tackle like Hunter. Hunter is the rare 330-plus-pounder who can consistently get into opponents’ backfields.

Allen would add even more oomph to the Broncos’ blitz packages, and that’s a scary thought. He’s a downhill thumper who sends offensive linemen backward.

This feels unfair. The Seahawks adding the draft’s best run-defending nose tackle to the league’s best run defense in six years would send a resounding message to the rest of the league: You aren’t running on Seattle.