2026 NFL Draft Order 1.0: Post-Combine Risers, Fallout from Kyler's Exit, and Why Bryce Young Has Us Talking

The NFL Scouting Combine is officially in the rearview mirror, and for the first time since the Super Bowl, the 2026 NFL Draft order feels like it has a pulse. We know who is picking where. We know the desperate teams at the top. But after a week in Indianapolis that saw workout warriors rise and franchise quarterbacks get cut, the entire projection of Round 1 has been flipped on its head. Let's break down the new landscape, from the Las Vegas Raiders at No. 1 all the way to Mr. Irrelevant.

The Top 5 is Set, But the Names Are Changing

The draft order at the very top is locked in, and it's a treasure chest of needs. The Las Vegas Raiders hold the keys to the kingdom at No. 1, and after watching Fernando Mendoza measure in at a rock-solid 6-foot-5 and 236 pounds in Indy, the idea of taking the Indiana quarterback feels like a foregone conclusion. He's got the arm, the mobility, and the frame. Unless someone backs up a Brinks truck for this pick, expect Mendoza to be the face of the franchise in Vegas.

Right behind them, the New York Jets at No. 2 and the Arizona Cardinals at No. 3 are in fascinating spots. The Jets are tearing it down to the studs and have four of the top 50 picks. They need everything, but after Arvell Reese ran around the Combine looking like a heat-seeking missile, pairing the Ohio State linebacker with Aaron Glenn's new defensive scheme in New York makes too much sense.

The Kyler Murray Bombshell

Speaking of the Cardinals, the elephant in the room in Glendale is finally out of the building. Arizona exhausted every possible trade avenue for Kyler Murray at the Combine, but as the word came down from the team facility, there were simply no takers for that contract. They had to pull the trigger on the release. It's the end of an era that promised so much but delivered frustration.

Now sitting at No. 3, the Cardinals are suddenly the wild card of the draft. Do they reach for a QB like Ty Simpson, or do they go best player available? Most mock draft gurus I respect are slotting Notre Dame running back Jeremiyah Love here, and honestly, after Love ran a blistering 4.36 40, he looks like the most explosive weapon in the class. Pairing him with James Conner (if he stays) gives whoever is under center a fighting chance. And in a twist that feels like a Hollywood script, the A's just left the door wide open for Kyler to come back to baseball. Don't bet against him exploring that option, but for now, his next NFL stop—whether it's with the Jets, Dolphins, or Raiders as a veteran backup—is the story of the offseason.

• Pick 1 (LV): Fernando Mendoza, QB – The safe, smart pick.
• Pick 2 (NYJ): Arvell Reese, LB – The new defensive lynchpin.
• Pick 3 (ARI): Jeremiyah Love, RB – The home run hitter to spark the offense.
• Pick 4 (TEN): Rueben Bain Jr., EDGE – A relentless pass rusher for a defensive coach.
• Pick 5 (NYG): Caleb Downs, S – The best pure safety in years; a quarterback for the secondary.

Post-Combine Risers: The Freaks Are Moving Up

If you didn't watch the drills in Indianapolis, you missed the stock skyrocketing for a few key names. Sonny Styles from Ohio State is the talk of the town. At 6-foot-5 and 244 pounds, he moved like a cornerback. He shot up boards so fast that he's now a lock for the top 10, with the New Orleans Saints at No. 8 being the perfect landing spot to learn from the great Demario Davis.

Then there's the trenches. Monroe Freeling from Georgia validated his OT1 potential with a dominant showing, and you better believe the Chicago Bears at No. 25 are praying he falls to them to protect Caleb Williams. On the defensive side, Caleb Banks from Florida was an absolute wrecking ball in drills, cementing his status as the top defensive tackle and a perfect fit for a Baltimore Ravens team at No. 14 that desperately needs interior disruption.

The Bryce Young Redemption Arc and the Wild Card Round Hangover

You can't talk about the draft order without talking about the quarterbacks already in the league. Remember when everyone wrote off Bryce Young? Yeah, about that. Down the stretch of the 2025 season, and especially in that heartbreaking Wild Card loss to the Rams, Young showed us something we hadn't seen before: sudden, electric playmaking ability.

He started using his legs, scrambling for first downs, and buying time. In Week 17 against the Cardinals, he ran for a career-high 68 yards and a touchdown. The moment wasn't too big for him in the playoffs—he put the team on his back and almost stole the game from Matthew Stafford. Because of that surge, the Panthers (picking at No. 19) are in a weird spot. They don't need a QB. They need to build around him. That means grabbing a guard like Olaivavega Ioane or a linebacker like C.J. Allen to fix that run defense that got shredded last year.

On the flip side, you have to feel for Justin Tucker. It's been a brutal year for the Ravens' legend, and while the front office won't say it, missing that consistency makes you wonder if they look for a late-round kicker to bring in for competition. It's the ugly side of the business, but if Tucker doesn't bounce back, Baltimore might have a special teams problem on top of their pass rush issues.

Final Thoughts on the First Round

This draft class is deep, but it's not top-heavy with can't-miss QBs. That means the teams in the 2026 NFL Draft order between picks 5 and 15—places like Cleveland, New Orleans, and Cincinnati—are going to be fighting over the blue-chip skill players and pass rushers. The Combine solidified the athletic pecking order. Now it's about scheme fits and pro days.

One thing is certain: By the time we get to Pittsburgh in April, the board is going to look a lot different than it does today. Buckle up.