Sports360AZ
In the past week, multiple teams have fired coaches and general managers in search of a fresh start in the offseason. With the NFL postseason upon us and the college football postseason nearing its end, it’s a good time to see what the top 10 of the 2026 NFL draft will look like as of this moment and how some of the movement around the league impacts the draft.
1. Las Vegas Raiders (3-14)
Fernando Mendoza, QB, Indiana
There certainly will be a conversation about who goes No. 1 overall if Oregon’s Dante Moore decides to declare. But as of this moment, it feels like Mendoza will be the first pick come April. He may not be the type of prospect Caleb Williams, Drake Maye or Jayden Daniels were. But that doesn’t mean he doesn’t deserve to go No. 1 overall.
His post-snap processing improved over the 2025 season, and he has the arm to make any throw on the field. Can particularly shoot the ball up the seams and take hits while doing so. He has the body type for the NFL, and whoever ends up being the coach in Vegas after the firing of Pete Carroll will have their signal-caller of the future to start the rebuild with.
2. New York Jets (3-14)
Arvell Reese, LB, Ohio State
There is a world where Aaron Glenn is pressured into taking a quarterback here with the Jets having no quarterback. Towards the end of the season, there was legitimate talk of him being fired, as the Jets were not competitive at all.
General manager Darren Mougey scored on being able to trade two of his defensive stars, Sauce Gardner and Quinnen Williams, for draft capital. With the 2026 draft being weaker on quarterback prospects, the Jets wait for their QB of the future and decide to bulk up the roster with Reese.
Reese is a true plug-and-play type of player on the defensive end. Can play standup linebacker, rush the passer or spy the quarterback. He has speed, strength and violence in anything he does on the field. The Jets would have fun utilizing his versatility all over the field. Heck, maybe Reese can even help the Jets by getting some interceptions of his own; something they couldn’t achieve all of 2025.
3. Arizona Cardinals (3-14)
Dante Moore, QB, Oregon
The Cardinals pulled the plug on Jonathan Gannon after losing nine straight to close out the year. The new regime has a decision to make on quarterback Kyler Murray, and in this scenario, they trade him to select their new quarterback of the future.
Moore has the higher ceiling of the two top quarterbacks in this draft class. Arizona takes the bet and rolls with Moore as their quarterback heading into the 2026 season. Moore can make any throw on the field, but he struggles with arm strength on throws over the middle. A couple of instances throughout the season where he floats balls over the middle, putting it in harm’s way.
4. Tennessee Titans (3-14)
Carnell Tate, WR, Ohio Tate
Whoever gets the job in Tennessee should have one goal with the No. 4 overall pick, and it’s getting Cam Ward help. It’s clear that Ward has the talent to make plays happen, but he just lacked offensive weapons all season long.
Tate comes in and instantly brings a downfield threat to the Titans’ offense. He can catch anything and run every route in the book, giving Ward a target anywhere on the field.
5. New York Giants (4-13)
Jordyn Tyson, WR, Arizona State
The Giants are in a similar boat as the Titans. They need a head coach and are helping their young quarterback develop. New York already has some weapons in wide receiver Malik Nabers and running back Cameron Skattebo, but both are coming off season-ending injuries this past season.
Tyson is the best route runner in this class, being able to win at any point on the field. He isn’t the fastest guy, but he has some speed when pushing vertically down the field. He has an injury history, which teams will learn about in the upcoming months, but Tyson gives Dart another dangerous weapon to work with in 2026.
6. Cleveland Browns (5-12)
Francis Mauigoa, OT, Miami
It’s a boring pick, but it’s what the Browns need. In a weak quarterback class, Cleveland decides to upgrade the trenches early in the first round with Mauigoa, who is a true mauler in the trenches at 6-foot-6, 315 pounds. With current right tackle Jack Conklin potentially being a free agent in March, Mauigoa can step right in or move inside to guard.
7. Washington Commanders (5-12)
David Bailey, EDGE, Texas Tech
The Commanders had a quarterback pressure rate of 32.5 percent, ranking 24th best in the NFL. They certainly need a boost in rushing the passer, and Bailey provides that instantly with his 21.9 pass rush win rate as a defender. He put on a show against Oregon in the Orange Bowl, despite his team coming up short, solidifying himself as a top-10 pick.
There is some concern with his run defense at the next level, but he has a good frame to work with at 6-foot-3, 250 pounds.
8. New Orleans Saints (6-11)
Peter Woods, DT, Clemson
With quarterback Tyler Shough looking the part in the back half of the 2025 season for the Saints, they can focus elsewhere with their first pick in this draft. With aging defensive players like defensive edge Cameron Jordan and linebacker Demario Davis, New Orleans opts for Woods.
Woods didn’t have the season many anticipated for him, but at 6-foot-3, 310 pounds, he’s still a strong and smart tackle who can wreck any play from the inside. He had a 10.1 percent run-stop rate in 2025 and finished the year with three sacks.
9. Kansas City Chiefs (6-11)
Rueben Bain Jr., EDGE, Miami
Bain will be one of those players with major discussion over the next couple of months. He is simply powerful off the edge and showcases it with every chance he gets. His speed-to-power move is lethal and can easily translate to the NFL level.
It feels weird having the Chiefs pick in the top 10, but they score big with Bain available at pick No. 9. His arm length will drive discussions until April, but when you watch him play, he screams top-10 pick.
