{"id":420125,"date":"2025-12-02T19:13:17","date_gmt":"2025-12-02T19:13:17","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/us\/420125\/"},"modified":"2025-12-02T19:13:17","modified_gmt":"2025-12-02T19:13:17","slug":"nfl-mock-draft-2026-4-qbs-in-first-round-plus-the-arch-manning-dilemma","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/us\/420125\/","title":{"rendered":"NFL mock draft 2026: 4 QBs in first round, plus the Arch Manning dilemma"},"content":{"rendered":"

Thanksgiving has come and gone, and we are getting teams officially eliminated from playoff contention. The New York Giants were the first team eliminated following Week 12 results, and the Tennessee Titans, Las Vegas Raiders, Arizona Cardinals, and the New Orleans Saints joined them following Week 13 results.<\/p>\n

Draft season is truly here.<\/p>\n

Let\u2019s kick it off with our latest mock draft:<\/p>\nPickTeamPlayerPositionSchool<\/tr>\n\n1<\/td>\nTennessee Titans<\/td>\nRueben Bain Jr<\/td>\nEDGE<\/td>\nMiami<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n\n2<\/td>\nNew York Giants<\/td>\nArvell Reese<\/td>\nLB<\/td>\nOhio State<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n\n3<\/td>\nNew Orleans Saints<\/td>\nFernando Mendoza<\/td>\nQB<\/td>\nIndiana<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n\n4<\/td>\nLas Vegas Raiders<\/td>\nDante Moore<\/td>\nQB<\/td>\nOregon<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n\n5<\/td>\nCleveland Browns<\/td>\nJordyn Tyson<\/td>\nWR<\/td>\nArizona State<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n\n6<\/td>\nWashington Commanders<\/td>\nKeldric Faulk<\/td>\nEDGE<\/td>\nAuburn<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n\n7<\/td>\nNew York Jets<\/td>\nTy Simpson<\/td>\nQB<\/td>\nAlabama<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n\n8<\/td>\nArizona Cardinals<\/td>\nSpencer Fano<\/td>\nOT<\/td>\nUtah<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n\n9<\/td>\nLos Angeles Rams (via ATL)<\/td>\nJermod McCoy<\/td>\nCB<\/td>\nTennessee<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n\n10<\/td>\nCincinnati Bengals<\/td>\nMansoor Delane<\/td>\nCB<\/td>\nLSU<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n\n11<\/td>\nMinnesota Vikings<\/td>\nPeter Woods<\/td>\nDL<\/td>\nClemson<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n\n12<\/td>\nMiami Dolphins<\/td>\nCaleb Downs<\/td>\nS<\/td>\nOhio State<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n\n13<\/td>\nKansas City Chiefs<\/td>\nJeremiyah Love<\/td>\nRB<\/td>\nNotre Dame<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n\n14<\/td>\nPittsburgh Steelers<\/td>\nCarnell Tate<\/td>\nWR<\/td>\nOhio State<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n\n15<\/td>\nCarolina Panthers<\/td>\nFrancis Mauigoa<\/td>\nOT<\/td>\nMiami<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n\n16<\/td>\nDallas Cowboys<\/td>\nDavid Bailey<\/td>\nEDGE<\/td>\nTexas Tech<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n\n17<\/td>\nDetroit Lions<\/td>\nT.J. Parker<\/td>\nEDGE<\/td>\nClemson<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n\n18<\/td>\nHouston Texans<\/td>\nKadyn Proctor<\/td>\nOT<\/td>\nAlabama<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n\n19<\/td>\nBaltimore Ravens<\/td>\nKenyon Sadiq<\/td>\nTE<\/td>\nOregon<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n\n20<\/td>\nTampa Bay Buccaneers<\/td>\nSonny Styles<\/td>\nLB<\/td>\nOhio State<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n\n21<\/td>\nBuffalo Bills<\/td>\nMakai Lemon<\/td>\nWR<\/td>\nUSC<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n\n22<\/td>\nPhiladelphia Eagles<\/td>\nColton Hood<\/td>\nCB<\/td>\nTennessee<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n\n23<\/td>\nNew York Jets (via IND)<\/td>\nBrandon Cisse<\/td>\nCB<\/td>\nSouth Carolina<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n\n24<\/td>\nSan Francisco 49ers<\/td>\nDenzel Boston<\/td>\nWR<\/td>\nWashington<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n\n25<\/td>\nLos Angeles Chargers<\/td>\nCashius Howell<\/td>\nEDGE<\/td>\nTexas A&M<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n\n26<\/td>\nCleveland Browns (via JAX)<\/td>\nCaleb Lomu<\/td>\nOT<\/td>\nUtah<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n\n27<\/td>\nDallas Cowboys (via GB)<\/td>\nC.J. Allen<\/td>\nLB<\/td>\nGeorgia<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n\n28<\/td>\nSeattle Seahawks<\/td>\nOlaivavega Ioane<\/td>\nIOL<\/td>\nPenn State<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n\n29<\/td>\nLos Angeles Rams<\/td>\nLaNorris Sellers<\/td>\nQB<\/td>\nSouth Carolina<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n\n30<\/td>\nDenver Broncos<\/td>\nAnthony Hill Jr.<\/td>\nLB<\/td>\nTexas<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n\n31<\/td>\nChicago Bears<\/td>\nMatayo Uiagalelei<\/td>\nEDGE<\/td>\nOregon<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n\n32<\/td>\nNew England Patriots<\/td>\nChris Bell<\/td>\nWR<\/td>\nLouisville<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n

No, I\u2019m not using that header because I came across Back to the Future II while channel surfing last night.<\/p>\n

The last time two defensive players came off the board to open an NFL Draft was in 2022, when the Jacksonville Jaguars selected Travon Walker with the first pick, and the Detroit Lions followed with Aidan Hutchinson. In fact, those two picks kicked off a run of five defensive players, including Derek Stingley Jr, Sauce Gardner, and Kayvon Thibodeaux.<\/p>\n

While we might not see five consecutive defensive players this year \u2014 more on that in a moment \u2014 with the Titans and Giants currently sitting in the top two spots it is likely we get non-quarterbacks to open the draft. In this mock, Tennessee adds pass rusher Rueben Bain Jr. while the Giants bolster their defense with Arvell Reese, one of the best all-around prospects in the class.<\/p>\n

Again, we will touch on the quarterbacks in a moment but with three QB-needy teams currently behind them (and a fourth if you include the Browns), it is likely we see a trade up in a world where this is the draft order.<\/p>\n

What about the quarterbacks?<\/p>\n

Yes, we can talk about the quarterbacks now.<\/p>\n

This has been an \u2026 interesting draft cycle at the quarterback position.<\/p>\n

Let\u2019s start by looking at our very early mock draft from last spring<\/a>, which had five quarterbacks in the first round. Two of those QBs are still right in the mix: Fernando Mendoza and LaNorris Sellers while the other three (Cade Klubnik, Garrett Nussmeier, and Drew Allar) have likely slid out of the first round.<\/p>\n

Those three sliding, coupled with a disappointing season from Arch Manning, have led to the idea that this quarterback class has \u201cflopped.\u201d But that is not exactly the case. Granted, quarterback evaluation remains one of the toughest aspects of the NFL evaluation game \u2014 partly because that process is more about evaluating where you are as an organization and self-evaluation is never easy \u2014 but given the number of teams that need quarterbacks, we are likely to see at least a few inside the top ten, and a few more in the first round.<\/p>\n

Mendoza has enjoyed a tremendous season, and is one of the more efficient quarterbacks in the class. His comeback effort against Penn State is another check mark on his resume, and if he leads Indiana to a deep title run, he might cement his status as QB1. But he has another year remaining of eligibility, and if the Hoosiers fall short of a title you could see a world where he stays in school to finish the job.<\/p>\n

This is Dante Moore\u2019s first season as a starter, so there is not a huge sample size, but the arrow is trending up. If he decides to enter the draft, you can see teams wanting to buy that potential. But he also has eligibility remaining and could decide to stay in Eugene.<\/p>\n

Ty Simpson played himself into both the Heisman mix as well as a potential first-round spot, but the Alabama passer also has just one full year as a starter under his belt, and has collegiate eligibility remaining.<\/p>\n

As for the teams in the QB market, the Saints, Jets, and Raiders go early at the position in this mock draft. Cleveland is certainly a team to watch, and while they do not dip their toes into the QB pool in this mock draft, the Browns are likely to make a move or two to address the quarterback position next spring. Yes, Shedeur Sanders showed flashes in his first NFL start \u2014 that throw to Isaiah Bond certainly stands out \u2014 but we will need to see a lot more from him before we entrench him as the starter in Cleveland going forward.<\/p>\n

As for LaNorris Sellers. Talking to others in the NFL Draft media space, the opinions are all over the map on the South Carolina passer. He has some incredible highs, but some head-scratching lows. Again, if teams buy the upside you could see him in the first round (if he comes 0ut), but there will need to be a plan.<\/p>\n

Learning from Matthew Stafford and Sean McVay seems like a solid plan.<\/p>\n

This is also going to be a topic of conversation as 2026 approaches.<\/p>\n

After beginning the 2025 college football season with a ton of hype, the idea that Arch Manning would be the first-overall selection fell by the wayside. Manning struggled in Texas\u2019 season-opening loss to Ohio State, and a tough early stretch that included two interceptions in a loss to Florida took his name out of the draft conversation.<\/p>\n

But that conversation has shifted again. Manning has played much better as of late, including a three-touchdown performance against Vanderbilt, and then last week\u2019s win over Texas A&M. His recent stretch has led Nate Tice \u2014 one of the voices in the quarterback evaluation space I listen to \u2014 to declare that if Manning were to enter the draft, he would be the first-overall pick<\/a>.<\/p>\n

I\u2019m not quite ready to say Manning would enter the draft, or even should. Another year at Texas could do him some good, and he might feel there is some unfinished business left for him in Austin. But if he does declare, expect the first round to look a little different in subsequent mock drafts \u2026<\/p>\n

Four teams currently have a pair of picks in the first round: The New York Jets (thanks to the Sauce Gardner trade), the Dallas Cowboys (via the Micah Parsons trade), the Cleveland Browns (via the Travis Hunter Jr. trade), and the Los Angeles Rams, thanks to the Atlanta Falcons.<\/p>\n

The Jets in this mock address quarterback, and then try to replace Gardner with South Carolina cornerback Brandon Cisse late in the first round. Dallas tries to shore up their defense by adding a pair of defenders, first Texas Tech pass rusher David Bailey and then Georgia linebacker C.J. Allen. For the Rams, while their defense is playing extremely well right now, cornerbacks Cobie Durant, Ahkello Witherspoon, and Roger McCreary are all headed to free agency, so adding a CB makes sense early in the first round.<\/p>\n

Then as I\u2019ve mentioned before I\u2019m going to keep trying to pair McVay with a quarterback, so Sellers it is at the end of the first round.<\/p>\n

As for Cleveland. Quarterback is going to be a popular pick for them in mock drafts, unless Sanders truly seizes that job down the stretch here. But with the way the board fell in this mock, the Browns instead add around the position, adding WR Jordyn Tyson with their first pick and Utah OT Caleb Lomu with their second.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"Thanksgiving has come and gone, and we are getting teams officially eliminated from playoff contention. The New York…\n","protected":false},"author":3,"featured_media":420126,"comment_status":"","ping_status":"","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[10],"tags":[1232,62,67,132,68],"class_list":{"0":"post-420125","1":"post","2":"type-post","3":"status-publish","4":"format-standard","5":"has-post-thumbnail","7":"category-sports","8":"tag-nfl","9":"tag-sports","10":"tag-united-states","11":"tag-unitedstates","12":"tag-us"},"share_on_mastodon":{"url":"https:\/\/pubeurope.com\/@us\/115651569535449319","error":""},"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/us\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/420125","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/us\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/us\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/us\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/3"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/us\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=420125"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/us\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/420125\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/us\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/420126"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/us\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=420125"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/us\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=420125"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/us\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=420125"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}