NFL mock draft, sorting through Fernando Mendoza vs Dante Moore at No. 1

4 days ago 2

For 18 NFL teams, the focus turned from in-season to the offseason at the end of Week 18.

The 2026 NFL draft is in 15 weeks, beginning on April 23 in Pittsburgh with the first round.

Indiana quarterback Fernando Mendoza and Oregon quarterback Dante Moore (if he enters) are wildly expected to be contenders for the top selection. But the depth of this draft is on defense.

There could be as many as four edge rushers selected in the top 10, along with a handful of defensive backs and off-ball linebackers.

Tennessee will pick fourth, behind three teams with quarterback questions. That's good news for GM Mike Borgonzi.

Here's The Tennessean's first offseason NFL mock draft of the year, from 1-18:

NFL mock draft: Dante Moore or Fernando Mendoza at No. 1 overall?

1. Las Vegas Raiders | Fernando Mendoza, QB, Indiana

It's early in the process, but Mendoza and Dante Moore both look to be a step below what Cam Ward was last winter. And I didn't consider Ward a slam-dunk, must-have No. 1 prospect. (We'll see if I was wrong. I thought he improved from Week 1 to Week 18 with field awareness and ball placement downfield. Anyway.) Mendoza's best trait? Accuracy down the field and in tight coverage. He's unafraid to place the ball in tight spots on the perimeter, even if he doesn't always command the middle the field.

2. New York Jets | Dante Moore, QB, Oregon

Moore's downfield accuracy comes and goes, even on easier passes. I do like Moore's processing; he's unafraid to take what the defense gives him with checkdowns. Oregon's offense benefitted from that a lot in the CFP quarterfinal win over Texas Tech last week.

3. Arizona Cardinals | Rueben Bain Jr., EDGE, Miami (FL)

The draft unofficially begins right here. It's possible that Ohio State safety Caleb Downs and Notre Dame running back Jeremiyah Love are, talent wise, the top two players in the draft. But the positional value inside the top 5 precludes them from being a factor. Josh Sweat and Calais Campbell combined for 18.5 of the team's 30 sacks this year. So which of three top edge rushers (Rueben Bain, Arvell Reese and David Bailey) fit here? Bain's CFP film might render the argument moot.

4. Tennessee Titans | Arvell Reese, LB/EDGE, Ohio State

This is a difficult pick without knowing who will be coaching the Titans in 2026. A creative defensive coordinator could maximize Reese's versatility. At his size, you rarely see the speed and physicality combination that Reese possesses at 6-foot-4 and 243 pounds. It could be as simple as Reese owning the edge and speeding around offensive tackles at the next level.

5. New York Giants | Mansoor Delane, CB, LSU

Cornerback is often a position that starts a little earlier than the draft boards may suggest. The Giants will need to overhaul their secondary, and it'll take more than just this draft to do it. But Delane is a great start at doing so, showing an ability to make a play on the ball in his one season at LSU.

6. Cleveland Browns | Spencer Fano, OT, Utah

This pick can go one of two ways for the Browns, and the couple months of roster building will make clear which way GM Andrew Berry is leaning in April. Cleveland needs help at receiver and across the offensive line. I'll go for the latter here; Fano fits the prototype for a perennial Pro Bowl offensive tackle.

7. Washington Commanders | David Bailey, EDGE, Texas Tech

It could not have sat well with Dan Quinn to see his defense pushed around more often than not in 2025. The Commanders front-seven needs a lot of work, but Bailey's juice off the edge serves as a building block.

8. New Orleans Saints | Carnell Tate, WR, Ohio State

Tyler Shough impressed in the second half of the season with his vertical accuracy, but adding Tate to a receiving corps made up of Chris Olave and company should help create more easy yards for the Saints offense. (It was very tempting to go Jeremiyah Love here, given Alvin Kamara's age and contract status.)

9. Kansas City Chiefs | Caleb Downs, S, Ohio State

This is another pick heavily dependent on what roster changes are made in March. Kansas City went 0-for-December and January to move into the top 10. As tempting as Jeremiyah Love would be, Downs might be the best player in the draft regardless of position. Bryan Cook is a pending free agent, and Downs could be a Pro Bowl safety as a rookie.

10. Cincinnati Bengals | Peter Woods, DT, Clemson

Cincinnati stopped the run a little better in the second half of the season, but Woods is a mauler who controls his side of the formation on a down-to-down basis. He reminds me a lot of what Derrick Brown does in Carolina.

11. Miami Dolphins | Francis Mauigoa, OT, Miami (FL)

The Dolphins need to make a Mike McDaniel decision (and hire a GM), but they have a need along the offensive line. Mauigoa could play inside or at tackle early in his NFL career.

12. Dallas Cowboys | Jeremiyah Love, RB, Notre Dame

You're welcome, Jerry Jones. Javonte Williams was solid in 2025 in Dallas, but Love's home-run ability is too much to pass up. He probably should have gone in the top 10.

13. Los Angeles Rams (from Atlanta) | Sonny Styles, LB, Ohio State

The Rams, with two first round picks, don't have to worry as much about positional value here. Styles is another top-10 prospect from Ohio State's defense that slips a bit as an off-ball linebacker. But he could be a Pro Bowler too as a rookie. He has all the physical ability you could want in a modern linebacker.

14. Baltimore Ravens | Jordyn Tyson, WR, Arizona State

Tyson and Zay Flowers would be a real problem for AFC secondaries. I'd like to see more consistency from Tyson's route running and explosiveness off the line, though he was battling injuries in 2025 which may have impacted that on film. It's all there, just not every time. Still, Tyson looks uncoverable most reps on film.

15. Tampa Bay Buccaneers | Avieon Terrell, CB, Clemson

Tampa's secondary was picked apart too often in 2025, and Terrell could be a plug-and-play starter. Clemson's secondary was a mess for a lot of last season, other than Terrell.

16. New York Jets (from Indianapolis) | Kayden McDonald, DT, Ohio State

The Jets use their second first-round pick on McDonald, who rivals Peter Woods as the best run defender in this class in the interior.

17. Detroit Lions | Keldric Faulk, EDGE, Auburn

Detroit must address the non-Aidan Hutchinson parts of its defensive line. Faulk's countable stats in 2025 weren't great, but he shows up a lot on film as a physical player who is around the football.