2026 NFL Draft: ESPN, Field Yates unveil new mock draft with blockbuster trade for No. 1 pick

by: Alex Byington 4 hours ago _AlexByington

With college football’s 2025 regular season firmly in the rearview mirror, NFL fans are already turning their attention to the 2026 NFL Draft in April. That includes ESPN draft analyst Field Yates , who unveiled his latest first-round mock draft featuring major changes from his first mock released in August.

Of course, with four more weeks remaining in the current NFL season — as well as the upcoming postseason and free agency after that — there will be plenty of changes before the 2026 NFL Draft . But in the meantime, Yates took a stab at how all 32 first-round picks could play out April 23rd.

Yates included a massive blockbuster trade between MetLife Stadium partners with the New York Jets trading both first-round picks at No. 7 and 18 and a Day 2 selection to the New York Giants for the No. 1 overall to land their preferred franchise quarterback. Check out Yates’ updated mock draft below:

After trading up to the No. 1 overall pick, Yates has the Jets targeting Heisman Trophy finalist and betting favorite Fernando Mendoza out of Indiana. Mendoza has been electric in his first season in Bloomington, guiding his undefeated Hoosiers to a 13-0 regular season and the No. 1 seed in the upcoming College Football Playoff after securing Indiana’s first Big Ten title since 1967.

Yates: “Mendoza has had a remarkable season at Indiana, showing off excellent accuracy and a powerful right arm to pair with much-improved pocket awareness and sack avoidance after two seasons at Cal . He leads the FBS with 33 passing touchdowns this season and just handled an extremely tough test against Ohio State.”

Ben Lonergan-The Register-Guard/USA TODAY NETWORK via Imagn Images.

Rather than trading up a spot to land Mendoza, Yates has the Raiders standing pat at No. 2 and taking the second-best option in Moore, who shined in his first year as the Ducks’ starting quarterback after redshirting last year. The dynamic Moore would pair with 2025 top-pick Ashton Jeanty to give Las Vegas one of the NFL’s most talented backfields.

Yates: “While he has a slender build at 6-foot-3 and 206 pounds, he has shown strong functional mobility and high-level downfield accuracy (third-best completion percentage in the FBS). He has a unique ability to change his arm angles when navigating pressure, too, making him a very creative quarterback overall.”

After landing franchise QB Cam Ward with the No. 1 overall pick last year, the Titans nab arguably the best all-around player in this year’s draft class at No. 3 overall after the early run on QBs. Reese is rising up NFL draft boards everywhere after a breakout junior season with the Buckeyes, where he’s posted 62 tackles, 10 tackles for loss and 6.5 sacks.

Yates: “Reese has a case to be the best overall prospect in this entire draft class. After just 0.5 sacks as mostly a linebacker last season, he posted 6.5 sacks as a primary edge rusher this year. Reese has exceptional burst and power, plus the frame to be a standout NFL edge rusher.”

While quarterback will undoubtedly be a topic of discussion in Round 1, with Mendoza and Moore already off the board, Yates projects the Browns land the next great Buckeyes wideout at No. 4. Tate is a big-play threat averaging 17.46 yards per catch this season to ranks third in the Big Ten to go along with nine touchdowns as Ohio State’s No. 2 option behind Jeremiah Smith .

Yates: “Tate is the next first-round lock from the Ohio State receiver room, and he would be awesome in the Cleveland pass game. He has very good size, runs terrific routes and can make contested catches. He would bring a vertical ability, as he averaged 17.5 yards per catch this season.”

The Saints have plenty of holes to fill, but after dedicating a second-round pick last year on Louisville’s Tyler Shough , Yates expects New Orleans to target offensive line help. And there’s no one bigger in this year’s draft class than Mauigoa, the 6-foot-6 and 315-pound mauler from Miami. Mauigoa has allowed a pressure on just 0.5% of pressures this season, the top mark in the FBS.

Yates: “Mauigoa has been a three-year starter for Miami, playing all but 13 of his snaps at right tackle over the past three seasons. He has excellent mauling power and size at 6-6, 315 pounds, and he holds up extremely well in pass protection.”

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