NFL.com has published its final seven-round mock draft for the 2026 NFL draft, projecting all 257 picks and four first-round trades before the league’s annual talent show begins April 23-25 in Pittsburgh. In the projection, the Jets take quarterback Ty Simpson in Round 1, one of the clearest early swings in a draft that could still shift before the first pick is made.
The mock lands nearly a full week before the draft begins, and it deliberately leaves out the last-minute information that often shapes team decisions. That makes the projections a snapshot, not a verdict, but the board still offers a blunt read on where some clubs appear headed. The Raiders are said to need a rebuilt offensive line and outside pass catchers for Mendoza, while the Cardinals are projected to use their first-round choice on Bailey to improve the pass rush.
Elsewhere in the first round, the Giants could move rookie right guard Mauigoa into the lineup immediately, a fit that echoes Brandon Scherff as a comparison point. Freeling’s athleticism, length and experience starting at both tackle spots pushed him into the top 10 overall selections, underscoring how much value teams still place on players who can plug multiple holes. The board also points to Delane’s speed and ball skills giving Dan Quinn the chance to lean on man coverage on at least one side of the field more regularly, a luxury every defensive coordinator wants but few can count on.
Downs is described as intelligent and instinctive even if he may not be the fastest defensive back in the league, a profile that recalls Kyle Hamilton as a useful reference for how teams can lean on feel and processing speed. The Chiefs, meanwhile, are again tied to their long-running habit of betting on talent even when a prospect does not match the prototypical mold, a philosophy that has helped them stay aggressive when others hesitate. Bain is another example of the balancing act in the mock: his shorter-than-average arms, measured at 30 7/8 inches, do not knock him out of the discussion, but they do frame how much teams will weigh traits against measurements as the draft gets closer.
For all the detail in the projection, the biggest force in the room remains the same one that reshapes every draft: the gap between the board and the real phone calls. NFL.com’s final mock is a full run through the event, but the history of the draft says the cleanest predictions are usually the ones that age fastest. Travon Walker going first overall over Aidan Hutchinson four years ago is still the reminder that the first shock often arrives before the first name is called.
By the time the draft opens in Pittsburgh, the board will almost certainly look different. What is already clear is that teams are still being sorted by need, fit and risk, and that the final week before April 23 may matter as much as the mock that tried to beat it there.