Mel Kiper Unveils 2026 NFL Mock Draft 2.0 Ahead of Combine, Who Gets Picked in Top 10 After Mendoza?

Ahead of the start of the NFL scouting combine on Thursday, ESPN's Mel Kiper Jr. has released his latest mock draft with no change at the very top.

Fernando Mendoza remains the projected No. 1 overall pick to the Las Vegas Raiders, followed by Ohio State safety Caleb Downs going to the New York Jets and Texas Tech linebacker David Bailey to the Arizona Cardinals.

Here is the projected top 10 picks in Kiper's new mock:

Mendoza is the lock of the night because he seems to be the one quarterback in this class everyone agrees on, combined with the Raiders' need at the position and new head coach Klint Kubiak taking over.

Things get very interesting right after that due to the lack of quarterback depth. The Jets, Cardinals and Cleveland Browns have a glaring need at the position, but there doesn't seem to be anyone worth going where they pick in the first round.

Downs going at No. 2 would be a huge outlier at the position. Kiper noted the highest-drafted safety is Eric Turner, who went second in 1991. The only other safeties who have been selected in the top five are Sean Taylor (2004) and Eric Berry (2010).

"He reads the offense so well, and then he has quickness, physicality and ball skills to make plays against both the run and the pass," Kiper wrote of Downs. "He can truly impact a defense's ceiling from the back end, with six interceptions, 18 tackles for loss and 22 run stops over his three college seasons."

For a Jets defense that just made dubious history as the first team in NFL history to not record an interception over the course of a full season, adding a ball-hawking playmaker who can also make plays at the line of scrimmage could be a difference-maker.

Perhaps the most interesting selection in Kiper's top 10 is Jeremiyah Love to the Kansas City Chiefs at No. 9. They have a need at running back and Love is regarded as a top-three talent in this class, but the question of positional value is a big one.

That's especially true for a Chiefs team that just went through a season in which Patrick Mahomes often had to play hero ball because the offensive line was not very good and receiving talent left a lot to be desired.

This offseason feels like a crucial moment for the Chiefs front office because it's the first time they have shown significant cracks in the foundation since Mahomes became the starter in 2018.

Love would absolutely fill a need for the Chiefs, but they have to be confident in their ability to rebuild their offensive line and defensive talent if they are going to take a running back in the top 10.

This is just the start of what is going to be a fascinating offseason and draft cycle throughout the NFL. Things will likely begin to change in mock drafts next week after the combine wraps up.

The 2026 NFL draft will take place from April 23-25 in Pittsburgh.