James Foster's Final 2026 Mock Draft
Wide Left draft analyst James Foster predicts the first round of the upcoming 2026 NFL Draft.
[Editor’s Note: We asked James Foster to produce a mock draft with the draft just around the corner. In this draft, Foster projects five trades and eight defensive backs to go in the first round. Wide Left will have some of the most unique draft coverage in the NFL media world this year and Foster’s incredible, in-depth insights will be part of it]
With ten days left until the draft, these are my final predictions for the first round.
1. Las Vegas Raiders — QB Fernando Mendoza, Indiana
There haven’t been any indications that the Raiders are considering other options here. Mendoza is a sharpshooter with prototypical size and underrated athleticism. He made smart decisions and got the ball out on time in Indiana’s RPO-heavy scheme, but is unproven attacking the middle of the field and working to his second read from within the pocket.
2. New York Jets — EDGE/LB Arvell Reese, Ohio State
David Bailey currently seems like the chalk pick, but his questionable run support and redundancy with Will McDonald IV makes Arvell Reese a better fit.
I have Reese graded as an off-ball linebacker, but it’s much more likely that he plays edge in the NFL. In just 960 career snaps, Reese showed enough to earn first round grades at two positions. He’s an explosive athlete with a shredded physique - he looks like he was built in a lab to set the edge, take on pullers, or flatten blockers with speed-to-power.
In a very limited sample of pass-rushing snaps, he won with a long arm (3), cross-chop (2), bull rush (1), and power-to-speed (1), but 22/27 of his pressures and all eight of his sacks came within the first eight games of the year. While his resume is sparse compared to most first-round edge defenders, he wasn’t even practicing at that position in college. In a recent interview with ESPN’s Benjamin Solak, Reese revealed that he didn’t know the name of a cross-chop he won with in Week 10. It’s easy to imagine him improving dramatically with a single offseason of technical work.
3. Arizona Cardinals — EDGE David Bailey, Texas Tech
The Cardinals are in a tough spot and should be looking to trade down, but I couldn’t find any partners that made sense.
David Bailey is a top-tier linear athlete with the first step, arc speed, and hand usage to dominate the outside track. His success rate plummets when he doesn’t win immediately, however, as he struggles to bend through contact and lacks the upper-body strength and torque to break his opponent’s grip and transition to counters. Bailey’s fastball is overwhelming, but he’ll need to continue to develop his long-arm to maintain his snap-to-snap impact vs. NFL tackles.
4. Tennessee Titans — RB Jeremiyah Love, Notre Dame
Tennessee had just 35 explosive (1+ EPA) runs last year, which ranked 31st in the NFL. With the top two edge rushers off the board, they take Jeremiyah Love, upgrading the offense and avoiding the steep dropoff between RB1 and RB2.
Love has the patience, elusiveness, and breakaway speed to flip the field in one play. His average power through contact might reduce his efficiency as a singles and doubles hitter, but we haven’t seen a homerun threat of this caliber since Jahmyr Gibbs. In 2025, Love expanded his route tree and showed more composure and physicality in pass protection, proving himself as a three-down back.
5. New York Giants — LB Sonny Styles, Ohio State
The Giants take Sonny Styles, my highest-graded player in the 2026 class. Styles has the range and coverage versatility of a converted safety, and the instincts and block-shedding ability of a lifelong linebacker. He rarely misses tackles or run fits and processes at remarkable speeds for a two-year starter.
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