2026 NFL Mock Draft 1.0: Joel Klatt Predicts the Cowboys Get a Future All-Pro

Could you imagine the Kansas City Chiefs’ offense with a Christian McCaffrey-type player, or the Dallas Cowboys’ defense adding someone destined to become an All-Pro? Well, I’m certainly imagining that in my first mock draft of the 2026 draft season. Those are just two potential home run picks I have for contending hopefuls in my first mock draft. This year’s draft class isn’t heavy on quarterback talent, but is filled with talented star that can make a difference right away. So, let’s dive right in and start finding some new homes for the top prospects in the 2026 NFL Draft. 1. Las Vegas Raiders: Indiana QB Fernando Mendoza We all know where they’re going here with this pick. Nothing went right in Pete Carroll’s only year as head coach, and this was one of the worst scoring offenses in a long time. Geno Smith didn’t work out at quarterback, so they need a quarterback. We know this is going to be Fernando Mendoza. He had a remarkable year at Indiana. I was always impressed with him in the few times I got to speak with Mendoza. Everyone loves his postgame interviews, and rightfully so. This guy’s a football nerd in the best possible sense. Mendoza was accurate and Indiana utilized a lot of NFL and college concepts with its offense. What I love the most about Mendoza, though, was that when his best was needed, he was great. Every single time, whether it was on the road or in the national championship, when Indiana needed a play, Mendoza delivered with his arm or legs. If the Raiders want to get to where they want to be, they need a guy like Mendoza at quarterback. 2. New York Jets: Ohio State OLB Arvell Reese The draft suddenly gets interesting at No. 2. The Jets have a big quarterback need, and they could use Ty Simpson. But this roster needs a lot of help after trading away all its stars. So, the Jets take quite possibly the best player in the draft. Reese is a versatile defender. I think he’s best when he’s on the ball — he’s explosive, flexible and can bend. All of those things are going to pay off in a big way for Reese at the next level. He reminds me so much of Micah Parsons, who flashed some of his pass-rushing ability in college before majoring as a pass rusher in the NFL. Reese can blitz up the middle and can tackle, too. 3. Arizona Cardinals: Miami (Fla.) OT Francis Mauigoa New Cardinals head coach Mike LaFleur needs to figure out what to do at quarterback. But they’ve got to fix the offensive line, too. They were bottom-five in the league in sacks allowed and rushing. So, the Cardinals should take Mauigoa, who is my top offensive lineman in this draft. He didn’t just dominate lesser opponents, but Mauigoa also stood out over the course of the CFP. That offensive line dominated in the CFP against some pretty stout defensive lines, with Mauigoa allowing just one quarterback hit. 4. Tennessee Titans: Miami (Fla.) EDGE Rueben Bain Jr. I’m a big believer that you have to try and give your young quarterback some help. They could certainly use some help upfront. But Robert Saleh comes in and I believe that Bain is the type of player that the Titans’ new head coach can rely on. I loved watching Bain. He has an elite motor and talent. There will be a lot made about his arm length, but I’m not concerned about that. Just watch the tape. Watch the production. He’s an absolute gamewrecker. 5. New York Giants: Ohio State WR Carnell Tate John Harbaugh has a really specific blueprint and the Giants have some really pressing needs on their roster. However, I think they’ll make a vanity pick here. They can give Jaxson Dart some help as wide receiver Malik Nabers makes his way back from an ACL tear. I think Dart is at his best when he’s pushing the ball down the field, and no wide receiver in this draft was better at making contested grabs. Tate is so good and was largely overshadowed because of Jeremiah Smith. But he was incredible down the field this past season, constantly getting open and creating space. 6. Cleveland Browns: Utah OT Spencer Fano This offense needs some talent. They struggled to throw and run the ball, ranking second in scoring offense this past season. So, you could probably get better with a good offensive lineman. I think there will be several good offensive linemen picked in the first 15 to 20 selections, and Fano fits that bill. Fano might be the best offensive lineman in the draft after playing left and right tackle at Utah. Cleveland can play him on either side, and maybe Shedeur Sanders, or whoever is at quarterback, can have a respectable 2026 season. 7. Washington Commanders: LSU CB Mansoor Delane The Commanders gave up the most passing yards in the league last season, so they have to address that side of the ball. Delane’s my top corner in this draft. So, a natural fit here. 8. New Orleans Saints: USC WR Makai Lemon This is an interesting pick here. I think the Saints will look to build around Tyler Shough, who I thought showed flashes as a rookie quarterback. Because of that, I think Jeremiyah Love should be an option for the Saints here. But I went with Lemon, who is an outstanding wide receiver. The way he operates in space and over the middle shows how he has such a strong feel for the game. He knows how to attack the grass thanks to the offense he played in at USC. 9. Kansas City Chiefs: Notre Dame RB Jeremiyah Love This guy’s phenomenal. I actually got to meet him at the Doak Walker Award Show and he told me about his Hall of Fame aspirations. Well, getting paired with Patrick Mahomes would help that. I think about what the Chiefs’ offense could be if they had someone with Love’s ability to run and catch the ball. The Chiefs also need some running back help with Isiah Pacheco and Kareem Hunt hitting free agency. But I really love the idea of giving Mahomes his Jahmyr Gibbs or Christian McCaffrey. 10. Cincinnati Bengals: Texas Tech EDGE David Bailey Cincinnati would be ecstatic if the draft played out this way. If the Bengals saw Bailey on the board here, they’d jump right up and make this pick. It sounds like edge rusher Trey Hendrickson might move on in free agency this offseason, but the Bengals had one of the worst defenses in the league again this past season. So, they need defensive help, regardless. 11. Miami Dolphins: Tennessee CB Jermod McCoy I can’t wait to see what first-year head coach Jeff Hafley does with the Dolphins. The former Packers defensive coordinator takes over a Dolphins pass defense that needs help, allowing opposing quarterbacks to complete 72% of their passes last season. McCoy might have been my top corner had he not torn his ACL last January. When he’s on the field, he’s outstanding. And what I know about Hafley is that when he was at Ohio State, he built his defense around having three great cover corners. So, I think he’d appreciate McCoy. 12. Dallas Cowboys: Ohio State S Caleb Downs The Cowboys were a disaster on defense, if only they could’ve had one of the league’s best pass rushers. Oh well, they have to live with that mistake. But they can address their defensive needs by getting the player who I feel is the safest pick waiting to happen. Caleb Downs is an All-Pro waiting in the wings. He’s the smartest defender I’ve ever covered in college football. He can do everything. We called him the Swiss Army Knife because of that. He is incredible over the middle of the field. He can rush the passer. He’s excellent in the run fit. He’s tremendous in the slot. Downs should get picked higher than this, but the positional value might hurt him a bit. 13. Los Angeles Rams (from Atlanta Falcons): Penn State OG Vega Ioane The Rams might feel tempted to go after another weapon on offense. If Makai Lemon were still available, he’d be a no-brainer pick for them. So, the next best thing they can do to help Matthew Stafford out would be to get him some protection. I love Ioane. He didn’t allow a sack in the last two years, and he might be the best interior offensive lineman in the draft. 14. Baltimore Ravens: Texas A&M EDGE Cashius Howell I got to know new Ravens head coach Jesse Minter when he was Michigan’s defensive coordinator for a couple of seasons, and the principles of that defense start with hard edges. The Ravens also have a need for some pass rush help, ranking in the bottom-five in sacks. Howell was one of the better pass rushers in the country this past season, getting 11.5 sacks in 13 games. 15. Tampa Bay Buccaneers: Ohio State LB Sonny Styles Lavonte David is 36 and a free agent. So, the Buccaneers are probably looking at replacing this offseason or sometime soon. Styles is the best inside linebacker in the draft, showing he can do it all at Ohio State this past season. He actually started his college career at safety, but they moved him to linebacker because of his massive 6-foot-5 frame. He’s also got three years of starting experience and he’s still just 21 years old. 16. New York Jets (from Indianapolis Colts): Tennessee CB Colton Hood I don’t think it makes a ton of sense for the Jets to take a swing at wide receiver here, and we still don’t know who their quarterback will be. They’ve got so many holes to address and I think they might be smart to wait until next offseason to be aggressive in getting a quarterback. But this was the first team in NFL history to not get an interception in a season. So, they need someone who can help in the secondary. Hood’s a really good player. 17. Detroit Lions: Miami (Fla.) EDGE Akheem Mesidor Aidan Hutchinson draws too many double teams, so it’d be wise for the Lions to get another edge rusher to pair opposite him. Edge rusher Al-Quadin Muhammad might also cash in on his 11-sack year in free agency this year. Mesidor is massive, weighing 280 pounds. He is older, though, as he’ll be 25 when he’s drafted in April. 18. Minnesota Vikings: Toledo S Emmanuel McNeil-Warren This is a weird spot for the Vikings as they recently fired their general manager. But Harrison Smith seems likely to retire, so the Vikings need some safety help. McNeil-Warren was probably the top non-power conference player this season, logging nine forced fumbles and five interceptions in his career. 19. Carolina Panthers: Alabama OT Kadyn Proctor Offensive tackle Ikem Ekwonu seems set to miss a lot of time after rupturing his patellar tendon in the Panthers’ playoff to the Rams, so Carolina needs some offensive line help. Proctor would certainly fit the bill. He’s massive and was pretty highly-touted coming out of high school. 20. Dallas Cowboys (from Green Bay Packers): Auburn EDGE Keldric Faulk The Cowboys could afford to double up on defense with their two first-round picks. The trade of Micah Parsons left a sizable hole in terms of pass rush. Faulk is versatile and explosive, so I think he could get the job done. These two picks might turn Dallas’ defense around. 21. Pittsburgh Steelers: Alabama QB Ty Simpson We wondered if the Steelers would pick a quarterback early on last year. They didn’t do that, opting to sign Aaron Rodgers instead. Well, the Steelers are in need of a quarterback, and I really like Simpson. I know Simpson doesn’t have tremendous size, but he can make all the throws. He can make anticipatory and leverage throws. He’s accurate on the outside. I know Indiana was able to get to Simpson in the Rose Bowl, but he was the reason why Alabama defeated Georgia in Athens this past season. 22. Los Angeles Chargers: Texas Tech DT Lee Hunter As I mentioned with Minter earlier, Jim Harbaugh still believes in that defensive philosophy of being big upfront and creating a run wall. Hunter fits the bill. He’s very good in the interior and was a big winner at the Senior Bowl following his All-American season. 23. Philadelphia Eagles: Oregon TE Kenyon Sadiq Jalen Hurts and the Eagles threw for 17 touchdowns in the red zone this past season. Tight end Dallas Goedert had 10 of them, and he’s a free agent this offseason. I’m a huge proponent of getting a great tight end, and Sadiq is the best at his position in this draft class. This would also allow the Eagles to reallocate some resources and get more athletic. Sadiq is outstanding, showing great pass-catching skills for a tight end and is strong as a run blocker. 24. Cleveland Browns (from Jacksonville Jaguars): Arizona State WR Jordyn Tyson Just like the Cowboys, the Browns need to double-dip on one side of the ball in the first round of the draft. Tyson would not only provide much-needed wide receiver help. It would also create an interesting fit with Sheduer Sanders. Tyson spent his freshman season at Colorado, but transferred when Deion Sanders became the head coach. Tyson actually apologized to Deion for the way things went when he left Colorado. That shows maturity. But Tyson would give Sanders a strong option on the outside. 25. Chicago Bears: Ohio State DT Kayden McDonald The Bears went heavy on drafting skill players over the last couple of drafts, which paid off. Now, they need to address their defensive interior, especially as they can’t rely on turnover luck to carry over from last year. McDonald was terrific in the interior for Ohio State, and it allowed the Buckeyes to play that odd defense. He plays with great effort and force. 26. Buffalo Bills: Washington WR Denzel Boston The Bills need to improve their run defense, but they also need more playmakers on the outside offensively. We all saw what owner Terry Pegula said about the team’s decision to draft wide receiver Keion Coleman, which was pretty wild. Boston is a tremendous player and I was impressed with him when I watched him on tape. He’s got solid body control and athleticism, giving Josh Allen a potential strong target on the outside. 27. San Francisco 49ers: Utah OT Caleb Lomu Life after Trent Williams is coming sooner rather than later. We know he’s coming back for 2026, but he’ll be 38. And you always need some depth along the offensive line. Lomu could be a potential successor to Williams. He played a lot of left tackle at Utah, making him a solid fit for the 49ers. 28. Houston Texans: Clemson OT Blake Miller Houston’s defense is elite, so it needs to keep building on the offensive side of the ball. The Texans’ offensive line was better this past season, but it can still improve. Miller started all 54 games in his career and is reliable. 29. Los Angeles Rams: Clemson CB Avieon Terrell The Rams have a few corners that are set to be free agents this offseason. So, why not bring in an All-American corner? Yes, I know it’s another Clemson player going in the first round after its underwhelming season. That doesn’t mean some of the Tigers’ top players aren’t NFL-caliber, though. Terrell is one of those guys and can play on the outside. 30. Denver Broncos: Georgia LB CJ Allen As we get later into the first round, teams will seemingly prioritize need. For the Broncos, that’s linebacker. Allen is another experienced guy, starting 29 games. He’s also a talented player, earning an All-American nod and being named a finalist for the Butkus Award this past season. What we know about Georgia defensive players is that they’re going to be ready to succeed in the NFL. 31. New England Patriots: Clemson EDGE T.J. Parker The Patriots could use some more firepower at wide receiver, but they need some pass-rushing help, too. Parker was considered to be a candidate to be a top-10 pick at the start of the season. He disappointed a bit, although the upside with Parker is still strong. 32. Seattle Seahawks: South Carolina CB Brandon Cisse The Seahawks’ secondary seems set to lose multiple players in free agency. So, addressing the secondary would be smart. Cisse is a really good player and is explosive. Mike Macdonald can refine him a bit and make him a contributor to that already strong defense.