Projecting the top 10 picks of next year's NFL draft: Why Yates has three QBs going early — SkimNews
Get the Sports newsletter
Daily sports — scores, transfers, the storylines from the leagues you actually follow. Free.
- Los Angeles Chargers hold the No. 1 pick at 0-6, with Yates projecting Ohio State WR Jeremiah Smith — who has 984 receiving yards and 12 TDs this season — and noting no wide receiver has gone No. 1 overall since Keyshawn Johnson in 1996.
- Three quarterbacks crack Yates' top 10: Drew Mestemaker (Oklahoma State) at No. 2 to Miami, CJ Carr (Notre Dame) at No. 7 to the Jets via Dallas, and Trinidad Chambliss (Ole Miss) at No. 9 to Arizona.
- New York Jets control two top-10 picks (Nos. 7 and 10) and would also hold No. 11 in this scenario, with both first-round selections acquired via the Sauce Gardner trade from Dallas and Indianapolis.
- Washington Commanders (1-5) draft South Carolina edge rusher Dylan Stewart, whose explosiveness is offset by just one sack this season and a recent one-game suspension for punching an Alabama player in the helmet.
- Tennessee Titans (1-5) select Notre Dame CB Leonard Moore — six receptions allowed on 153 coverage snaps — while Tampa Bay (1-5) takes Texas edge rusher Colin Simmons, who has 31.5 sacks and eight forced fumbles since the start of 2024.
- Philadelphia Eagles (2-4) pick Indiana WR Charlie Becker, averaging 99.1 receiving yards per game (11th nationally), as a perimeter complement to 2026 first-rounder Maki Lemon.
Why it matters: The 0-6 Chargers' grip on the No. 1 pick and the Jets' three top-11 selections — two via the Sauce Gardner trade — illustrate how badly 2026 has unraveled for certain franchises, with quarterbacks dominating the early board as three go in the top 10.
Ask SkimNews
