As for the other 31 picks in Round 1? The possibilities are endless.
In an attempt to cut through the rumors and silliness that envelop draft week, Matt Miller has used info from NFL scouts and evaluators to power this final mock draft. He has been making calls and firing off text messages to get the latest about each team's draft strategy. He also got help from national NFL reporter Jeremy Fowler, who canvassed his sources to get the latest info. Fowler has shared nuggets from his own calls below for a handful of picks, too.
Of course, this could all be made moot on Thursday with a trade or an unexpected pick, especially in a year in which prospects with first-round grades are few and far between. But this is Matt and Jeremy's best attempt to forecast the rapidly approaching draft.
Here is what we're hearing entering Thursday, including information on when the second quarterback (Ty Simpson) could be picked, which teams could be the most aggressive, and where the elite Ohio State foursome might end up. We even forecast a trade! We'll start things off with Mendoza and the Raiders.
See Miller's final rankings
1. Las Vegas Raiders
Miller's pick prediction: Fernando Mendoza, QB, Indiana
The 2026 draft might be the most difficult to predict in a long time, but it won't start that way. There are no surprises coming at No. 1: Mendoza will be the first selection and the Raiders are thrilled to have him. The biggest question might be what the Raiders plan to do with their remaining nine picks. I'm told the Raiders don't anticipate a move back into Round 1 from pick No. 36 given the lack of players with a true first-round grade in this class. The Raiders view any player available late in Round 1 as similarly graded to the players who will be available at 36.
2. New York Jets
Miller's pick prediction: David Bailey, Edge, Texas Tech
The buzz entering this week was that the Jets preferred Bailey here. Despite some late speculation that momentum might have swung to Arvell Reese, I'm sticking with the consistent info that Bailey is the pick. It's essentially a choice between two strategies -- build for the future with Reese's higher ceiling or get the more pro-ready, sure thing in Bailey. The Jets can afford to go either route, but all signs right now point to Bailey as the pick based on conversations with more than a half dozen NFL sources.
Fowler's intel: The Jets had settled on their pick as of late last week and have shifted to the No. 16 selection and how the board might fall there. The team had not received any inquiries for the No. 2 pick as of midday Wednesday. My potential sleeper QB for the Jets in the middle rounds is Carson Beck (Miami).