Harbaugh's Giants Projected to Land WR, Chiefs Take RB in Mel Kiper Jr.'s Latest 2026 NFL Mock Draft

In his first mock draft since the order for the top 28 picks in the 2026 NFL draft became official, ESPN NFL draft expert Mel Kiper Jr. has some notable skill-position players coming off the board early.

It starts with Indiana quarterback Fernando Mendoza going first overall to the Las Vegas Raiders, but he is joined by a couple of wide receivers and even a running back in the top 10:

1. Las Vegas Raiders: Fernando Mendoza, QB, Indiana
2. New York Jets: Arvell Reese, EDGE, Ohio State
3. Arizona Cardinals: Francis Mauigoa, OT, Miami
4. Tennessee Titans: David Bailey, EDGE, Texas Tech
5. New York Giants: Carnell Tate, WR, Ohio State
6. Cleveland Browns: Spencer Fano, OT, Utah
7. Washington Commanders: Rueben Bain Jr., EDGE, Miami
8. New Orleans Saints: Jordyn Tyson, WR, Arizona State
9. Kansas City Chiefs: Jeremiyah Love, RB, Notre Dame
10. Cincinnati Bengals: Caleb Downs, S, Ohio State

All eyes will be on the New York Giants come draft night since it will be the first pick of the John Harbaugh era.

The Giants hired Harbaugh as their new head coach following his dismissal from the Baltimore Ravens after 18 seasons, 12 playoff appearances and one Super Bowl win.

While New York has needs on both sides of the ball on the heels of a 4-13 season, Kiper has the G-Men adding another weapon for quarterback Jaxson Dart, who was a first-round pick in 2025.

Ohio State's Carnell Tate is the first wide receiver off the board in Kiper's mock, and if the Giants take him, he would pair with 2024 No. 6 overall pick Malik Nabers, who missed most of the 2025 campaign with a torn ACL.

After helping the Buckeyes win a national title in 2024, he caught 51 passes this past season and set career highs in receiving yardage (875), receiving touchdowns (nine) and yards per catch (17.2).

Tate would add another big-play element to the New York offense, and he would be another major piece to the young, talented core the Giants have on offense.

One of the most intriguing picks in the 2026 NFL draft will be that of the Kansas City Chiefs, who are set to pick in the top 10 for the first time since 2017 when they selected quarterback Patrick Mahomes 10th overall.

After 10 straight playoff appearances, three consecutive trips to the Super Bowl and seven years in a row reaching at least the AFC Championship Game, the Chiefs shockingly missed the playoffs this season with a 6-11 record.

Mahomes tearing his ACL and missing the final three games of the season played a role, but the Chiefs were on the brink of elimination even before that, and their deficiencies on offense were obvious.

KC ranked a pedestrian 25th in rushing this season, and the team has not had a 1,000-yard rusher since Kareem Hunt in 2017.

Notre Dame's Jeremiyah Love is clearly the top running back in the 2026 draft class, and he would seemingly be a perfect fit in terms of adding a new element to Kansas City's offense and taking some pressure off of Mahomes' shoulders.

Love rushed for 1,125 yards and 17 touchdowns in 2024 and followed it up with 1,372 yards and 18 touchdowns in 2025. He was also effective in the passing game with 27 receptions for 280 yards and three scores, giving him 21 touchdowns in total.

The third-place finisher in the Heisman Trophy voting is the type of special talent the Chiefs have not had in their backfield for years, and he may be exactly what Kansas City needs in order to return to prominence and keep its window of championship contention open.