Ben Deihl & Noah Fries | sports editor & staff writer

With the NFL Draft just a week away, analysts and fans alike are scrambling to figure out who’s the best prospect, who their favorite team will pick and who will end up as the best player from the 2026 NFL Draft. As Pittsburgh plays host to this year’s rendition, The Duke created a mock draft of who will hear their name called first in the Steel City.

No. 1 — Las Vegas Raiders — Fernando Mendoza, QB, Indiana

The reigning Heisman winner who led Indiana to one of the greatest seasons in the history of college football; 6’5, 245 lbs; phenomenal poise, decision making and toughness.

Mendoza is the obvious first pick in this year’s draft. Heisman, national champion and the most complete quarterback in his class. The Raiders desperately need a replacement for Geno Smith, who was 27th of 28 in quarterback rating last season.

No. 2 — New York Jets — Arvell Reese, Edge, Ohio State

Reese stands at 6 foot 4 inches, 245 lbs; elite speed off the edges paired with powerful hands; could be the first edge rusher taken off the board; comparisons to Micah Parsons; good intangibles.

Passing up on Reese’s elite talent would be a mistake by the Jets. Easily the best edge rusher prospect, Reese combines elite speed, strength and football IQ to draw comparisons to some of the best edge rushers the NFL has seen.

No. 3 — Arizona Cardinals — David Bailey, Edge, Texas Tech

Bailey pairs good length with fluid movements and footwork, uses his frame to his advantage; had one of the best combines; 6 foot 3 inches, 250 lbs.

The Cardinals could take almost any position and see immediate improvement. As the sack leader in college football last season, Bailey is a bonafide talent that will give Arizona a young spark on defense.

No. 4 — Tennessee Titans — Jeremiyah Love, RB, Notre Dame

Standing at 6 foot, 214 lbs, Love has elite strength and balance with an incredible burst of speed; runs downhill and has a nose for the end zone.

The Titans finally get their Derrick Henry replacement after searching for the past couple of years. Tyjae Spears and Tony Pollard didn’t perform as hoped, and Tennessee continues to prioritize their offensive rebuild by giving Cam Ward a new weapon.

No. 5 — New York Giants — Carnell Tate, WR, Ohio State

Tate boasts his elite route-running and ability to win contested catches in traffic; comparisons to Justin Jefferson, pairs that with a 6 foot 3, 195 lbs frame.

The Giants need a WR to pair with Malik Nabers, especially with Wandale Robinson signing with Tennessee; continue to develop a young superstar core with Jaxon Dart, Cam Skattebo and Nabers.

No. 6 — Cleveland Browns — Francis Mauigoa, OT, Miami

Mauigoa pairs long arms with a 6-foot-6-inch, 315-lbs frame; only allowed two sacks in 16 games played last season; overwhelming consistency that wears down edge rushers; 41 career starts in college.

Regardless of who the Browns trot out at QB, it needs to be a priority to protect him; experience at both left and right tackles to potentially take over for RT Jack Conklin.

No. 7 — Washington Commanders — Sonny Styles, LB, Ohio State

Styles has the idea linebacker look at 6 foot 4 inches, 243 lbs; he’s a linebacker with superior speed, length and tackling ability, able to track down anyone on the gridiron.

With Bobby Wagner aging and not on a long-term deal, the Commanders can grab the best linebacker in this class to beef up their young defense. Styles was the biggest winner of the combine and finds himself likely going in the Top 10 because of it.

No. 8 — New Orleans Saints — Jordyn Tyson, WR, Arizona State

Tyson is a physical wide receiver standing at 6 foot 2 inches, 200 lbs; size, strength and body control allow him to win contested catches, can play any wide receiver position

Now with a franchise QB in Tyler Shough, New Orleans gives him another receiver in Tyson. His versatility allows him to play wherever the Saints need him while also giving Chris Olave more room to work with another WR.

No. 9 — Kansas City Chiefs — Spencer Fano, OT, Utah

With a huge 6-foot-6-inch, 302-lb frame, Fano is a three-year starter that has only allowed three sacks over his last 24 starts; versatile, powerful OT.

One of the Chiefs’ biggest downfalls this past season was their lackluster protection for Patrick Mahomes. Fano will become an instant starter to bolster the oline and give Mahomes a second layer of protection fresh off of his ACL injury.

No. 10 — Cincinnati Bengals — Mansoor Delane, CB, LSU

Delane has a long, athletic frame that gives him leverage at the point of attack; superior coverage skills and sharp eyes, defended 11 passes in 2025; 6 foot, 190 lbs.

Cincinnati’s defense has long been their Achilles heel. Losing Trey Hendrickson to a division rival in free agency hurts, so adding a lockdown corner to pair with new signee Kyle Dugger makes the most sense for the Bengals.

Notably, Rueben Bain Jr. is absent from the Top 10 after being projected as a top pick this year for the entirety of the 2025-2026 college football season. While Bain was a key player for the national runner-up Miami Hurricanes, recent news has made his draft stock fall.

Back in 2024, Bain was involved in a fatal car accident that claimed the life of one of his passengers, Destiny Betts, according to documents and reports obtained by The Read Optional.

Bain was driving on Interstate 95 near Miami when he collided with another vehicle before his vehicle crashed into several concrete barriers. Betts fell into a coma for three months after the crash before her death.

The recent events parallel what happened to offensive tackle Laremy Tunsil before he was drafted in 2016. Tunsil’s social media accounts were hacked, showing him smoking, asking his college coaches for paychecks and other questionable behavior. Once touted as the No. 1 overall pick, Tunsil fell to 13 in the 2016 NFL Draft.

Worries about Bain’s size have also caused his slip in the rankings, as his arms measured in at 30 7/8 inches, while the NFL average is 33-plus inches. Still, Bain is a candidate for a Top-10 pick and is a sneaky talent to receive in late round one.

More recent news has placed the Arizona Cardinals’ No. 3 pick on the trade block according to Sports Illustrated, as Arizona seems to be eyeing a complete rebuild after releasing franchise quarterback Kyler Murray.

The Cardinals would likely be able to pick up at least two first-round picks for No. 3, giving them key capital to completely reload their roster, espcially with an unusually weak quarterback class in the draft.

Whether Arizona moves down could shake up the entire draft, as ESPN’s Mel Kiper Jr. said that “Arizona holds the key to this entire draft.”

Ben Deihl can be reached at deihlb1@duq.edu

Noah Fries can be reached at friesn@duq.edu