Mike Band

The 2026 NFL Draft marks the seventh year we've used the Next Gen Stats Draft Model to identify Day 2 standouts and Day 3 hidden gems. By training position-specific models on draft classes dating back to 2003, we can use production, athletic testing and other prospect indicators to highlight players whose profiles suggest they could outperform their draft slot. As in previous years, this list is organized around Daniel Jeremiah's rankings of the top 150 prospects, with players ranked between Nos.

The best mock drafts are built on signals, not guesses. For this projection, I weighed post-free agency needs, scheme fits, front office tendencies, prospect-team connections and market clues across all 32 clubs. NFL IQ powered by Amazon Quick helped me build the puzzle, while its new AI assistant gave me another way to pressure-test roster needs, draft capital and realistic outcomes along the way.

The best mock drafts are built on signals, not guesses. For this projection, I weighed post-free agency needs, scheme fits, front-office tendencies, prospect-team connections and market clues across all 32 clubs. NFL IQ powered by Amazon Quick helped me pressure-test team needs, draft capital and realistic outcomes before putting this mock together. Here's how I see the first round playing out.NOTE: NFL Network and NFL+ will have live coverage of the 2026 NFL Draft on April 23-25.