New Mel Kiper, ESPN NFL Mock Draft Drops for Rounds 1-3, What Changed After 2026 Pro Days?

Exactly three weeks from the start of the 2026 NFL draft, ESPN's primary quartet of analysts have released a mock for the first three rounds.

Mel Kiper Jr., Jordan Reid, Field Yates and Matt Miller alternated making picks, with Kiper leading off and going chalk with Fernando Mendoza at No. 1 overall to the Las Vegas Raiders.

Among the notable early changes from Kiper's last solo mock released on March 17 is Makai Lemon vaulting up to the Cleveland Browns at six and the Kansas City Chiefs adding Kenyon Sadiq as Travis Kelce's eventual successor.

Here are the projected top 10 picks in ESPN's new mock with each analysts name listed who made the selection:

1. Las Vegas Raiders: Fernando Mendoza, QB, Indiana (Kiper)
2. New York Jets: Arvell Reese, LB, Ohio State (Miller)
3. Arizona Cardinals: Francis Mauigoa, OT, Miami (Reid)
4. Tennessee Titans: David Bailey, LB, Texas Tech (Yates)
5. New York Giants: Jeremiyah Love, RB, Notre Dame (Kiper)
6. Cleveland Browns: Makai Lemon, WR, USC (Miller)
7. Washington Commanders: Caleb Downs, S, Ohio State (Reid)
8. New Orleans Saints: Sonny Styles, LB, Ohio State (Yates)
9. Kansas City Chiefs: Kenyon Sadiq, TE, Oregon (Kiper)
10. Cincinnati Bengals: Mansoor Delane, CB, LSU (Miller)

Kiper had the New York Jets taking Alabama quarterback Ty Simpson with the No. 33 overall pick after getting Reese and Indiana wide receiver Omar Cooper Jr. with their two first-round picks.

The biggest change from Kiper's solo mock to this one is Francis Mauigoa not only entering the top 10, but going No. 3 overall to the Arizona Cardinals.

Arizona has been the team at the very top of the draft that has felt like it could do anything. There have been analysts connecting the Cardinals to Jeremiyah Love, but that would seem like a disaster for all parties given how many roster needs this team has right now.

We just saw last season with Ashton Jeanty what happens when you push a running back, even one with tremendous talent, onto a team that doesn't have a good offensive line or infrastructure in place.

Love to the Giants is a match that continues to percolate. Miller reported last week that New York would "likely" take the Notre Dame standout at five if he gets past the Tennessee Titans, who are another popular landing spot for him.

The selection of Lemon as the top receiver off the board to the Browns is a twist. General consensus is Ohio State's Carnell Tate will be the first wideout taken, though opinions about this receiver class have been all over the place.

Miller noted Lemon is the No. 1 wideout on his board. B/R's NFL scouting department has Arizona State's Jordyn Tyson ranked as the top pass-catcher. The consensus big board has Carnell Tate from Ohio State as the best receiver (No. 8 overall), though the top three are bunched with Lemon at No. 13 and Tyson at 14.

Sadiq would absolutely fit the way Kansas City likes to draft pass-catchers. The team has made a habit in recent years of drafting really fast players, including Xavier Worthy and Skyy Moore.

During the NFL scouting combine, Sadiq had arguably the best testing performance ever by a tight end.

The Chiefs would also be able to ease Sadiq into the flow of the offense because Kelce is back for at least one more season.

Outside the top 10, this mock draft works out great for the Dallas Cowboys because Rueben Bain Jr. remains on the board when they pick at No. 12. Yates had the selection and projected the Miami standout would be taken by Jerry Jones in that scenario.

A defensive line with Bain, Quinnen Williams, Rashan Gary and Kenny Clark would look a lot more formidable than what the Cowboys had in 2025 when they allowed the most points in the NFL.