Takeaways from 2026 NFL Mock Draft, including analysis of Jets and Giants picks

(Mark J. Rebilas - Imagn Images)

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Takeaways from 2026 NFL Mock Draft, including analysis of Jets and Giants picks

1 / 2

Takeaways from 2026 NFL Mock Draft, including analysis of Jets and Giants picks

2 / 2

Takeaways from 2026 NFL Mock Draft, including analysis of Jets and Giants picks

(Mark J. Rebilas - Imagn Images)

Mock drafts are commonplace this time of year. Everyone does them. Some take it more seriously than others. The accuracy of each varies to extreme degrees.

SNY and Jets Final Drive decided to do something a little different this year with our only full first-round prediction. Instead of making every selection ourselves, we called in reporters who cover each of the teams picking in the first round to make the selections for them.

Who knows the Giants better than ESPN’s Jordan Raanan? Or the Eagles more than NBC’s Dave Zangaro? Who better to pick for the Cowboys than the Dallas Morning News’ Calvin Watkins? They know those teams inside and out. So, based off their expertise, the selection carries a bit more weight.

The full mock ran on Wednesday’s edition of JFD. Here are a few takeaways off how things panned out.

Quarterbacks? What quarterbacks?

Fernando Mendoza went first to the Raiders – duh. That one was locked in place the moment Las Vegas secured the No. 1 pick. The biggest surprise is that … no other quarterback went in the first round.

Ty Simpson, the polarizing prospect out of Alabama, slid all the way to the second.

There’s some ridiculous hype and narratives on Simpson right now, but this mock painted a pretty clear picture of where reporters who cover quarterback-needy teams feel they stand on said quarterback.

One thing to monitor: Trades were not allowed in this mock. There is a chance, if Simpson slips into the late teens or 20s, a team moves back into the first round for him. The Giants, in 2025, did this for Jaxson Dart.

Those non-premium positions

The Titans grabbed Notre Dame running back Jeremiyah Love and the Giants followed with Ohio State safety Caleb Downs. An interesting 1-2 punch there. There’s been so much talk about where those two players might go. They’re arguably the best in the class, but play positions teams simply don’t value as much as others.

Davenport selecting Love is fascinating, especially with linebacker Sonny Styles and defensive end Rueben Bain still on the board. Robert Saleh loves his defenders, and believes a dominant unit on that side is a young quarterback’s best friend.

The Giants, in most other mocks, pick between Styles and Love. Raanan went with Downs, giving John Harbaugh his Kyle Hamilton in New York.

One thing to watch here: Among the worst-kept secrets entering the draft is the Commanders’ infatuation with Love. The Titans would love to move back and recoup additional picks. This could be an opportunity for a trade up in an effort to jump New York to get the playmaking back.

Receivers go early and often

The Jets, with their second first-round pick (16), would love a pass catcher. Ideally, it’s one of the big three (Carnell Tate, Makai Lemon, Jordyn Tyson). Those three went off the board in a four-pick stretch.

Good-ish news for the Jets: No one else did. That left them Omar Cooper, the versatile slot out of Indiana.

The Jets are very high on AD Mitchell. He’s a legit outside threat. They also love to move Garrett Wilson all around. Cooper is more of a slot, but that fits in well with Wilson and Mitchell. The three would give the Jets their deepest receiving group in awhile.

Those big men

Seven offensive linemen went in the first round. The Jets and Giants are both interested in that position early in the second. There’s a lot of talk about trading up for quarterbacks in the back half of the first, but if this run on tackles and guards plays out as it did here, one or both might be interested in making a leap to assure they get their guy.

The biggest surprises

Denzel Boston the 49ers was a bit of a surprise. He’s someone some have going in the second round. He snuck into the first. Some other players who went earlier than other mocks have projected: Defensive lineman Akheem Mesidor (No. 15 to Bucs), edge TJ Parker (Chargers at No. 22) and corner Avieon Terrell (Dolphins at No. 30).