Kiper 2026 Mock Draft: Raiders Lock In Mendoza at No. 1
Get the Sports newsletter
Daily sports — scores, transfers, the storylines from the leagues you actually follow. Free.
- Mel Kiper updated his 2026 NFL mock draft Tuesday morning after the Broncos traded the No. 30 pick to the Dolphins in a deal involving WR Jaylen Waddle, forcing changes to picks 11, 13, and 30.
- The Raiders are projected to take QB Fernando Mendoza (Indiana) at No. 1 after signing center Tyler Linderbaum to a three-year, $81 million deal and trading Geno Smith to the Jets, leaving Aidan O'Connell as the only other passer on the roster.
- The Titans are projected to select RB Jeremiyah Love (Notre Dame) at No. 4 — the first running back taken in the top four since Saquon Barkley went No. 2 in 2018 — to boost the offense around second-year QB Cam Ward.
- The Jets are projected to take OLB David Bailey (Texas Tech) at No. 2 after finishing 31st in sacks last season (26) and trading Jermaine Johnson; Bailey led the FBS with 14.5 sacks and a 20.2% pressure rate in 2025.
- The Giants are projected to take S Caleb Downs (Ohio State) at No. 5, the highest draft slot for a safety since Eric Berry in 2010, pairing him with Jevon Holland to fix a run defense that helped produce just 15 turnovers (25th in the league).
- The Ravens backed out of the Maxx Crosby trade, keeping the No. 14 pick in Baltimore, where Kiper projects Utah OT Spencer Fano to anchor the offensive line.
- The Dolphins are projected to take WR Jordyn Tyson (Arizona State) at No. 11 after trading Waddle to Denver, leaving Malik Washington and new addition Jalen Tolbert as the top two receivers for QB Malik Willis, whom Miami signed to a three-year, $67.5 million deal.
Why it matters: Kiper projecting Jeremiyah Love at No. 4 would end a top-four running back drought dating to Saquon Barkley in 2018. The Dolphins, stripped of Waddle, now lean on Malik Washington and Jalen Tolbert to support a $67.5M Malik Willis — a thin receiving corps they must address on April 23.
