Updated NFL Mock Draft Trends for Prospects Moving Up and Sliding With 2 Weeks to Go

The 2026 NFL draft is just over two weeks away, and while we think we know how the first overall selection will go, things are a little more mysterious after that.

The Las Vegas Raiders are widely expected to take Indiana quarterback Fernando Mendoza first overall.

The draft picture after that is a little more hazy, however. The New York Jets hold the second overall pick and are in the market for a long-term quarterback answer. However, there doesn't appear to be a signal-caller worthy of the No. 2 selection in this year's class.

What will the Jets and the rest of the NFL do on opening night? No one knows for sure, but the draft experts have their opinions. Let's examine a few recent mock-draft trends involving recent risers and fallers.

LB Arvell Reese Racing to the Top of the Jets' Board

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Ohio State LB prospect Arvell Reese

While the Jets aren't yet locked into a prospect at the No. 2 spot, Ohio State's Arvell Reese is looking like a likely candidate. That's the word coming out of the NFL's spring meeting, according to ESPN's Rich Cimini:

"General manager Darren Mougey said they haven't identified that player yet. After listening to Glenn, then gathering a few crumbs at the NFL spring meetings in Phoenix, it feels like Ohio State's Arvell Reese is the best fit," Cimini wrote.

Many recent mock drafts are backing the Jets-Reese pairing.

NFL Media's Chad Reuter recently released a five-round mock draft, and Reese was the first non-QB off the board. Reese was also the pick at No. 2 on ESPN's collaborative mock draft constructed by Mel Kiper Jr., Matt Miller, Jordan Reid and Field Yates.

The Ringer's Todd McShay paired the Jets with Reese at No. 2, as did the Bleacher Report Scouting Department. In its post-Super Bowl mock draft, the B/R Scouting Department didn't have Reese coming off the board until pick No. 4.

No one should be surprised if Reese hears his name called mere moments after Mendoza later this month.

Ty Simpson Gaining Momentum as a First-Round Pick

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Alabama QB prospect Ty Simpson

While we're unlikely to see a second quarterback come off the board in the top five, that doesn't mean Mendoza is the only high-ceiling prospect on the 2026 class. Alabama's Ty Simpson has a limited resume but is beginning to feel like a likely first-round pick.

The one-year starter said he feels like a first-round pick following Alabama's pro day.

"Absolutely," Simpson said, per Kennington Smith III of the Associated Press. "I feel like I've done everything I can, but it's not up to me."

It's worth noting that Simpson isn't universally viewed as a Day 1 prospect. He went to the Jets at pick No. 33 in the ESPN mock and wasn't a first-rounder in McShay's mock.

However, ESPN's Dan Orlovsky recently stated that he views Simpson as the best QB in the class. If a team feels similarly, the fifth-year option alone could make him a first-round pick.

The B/R Scouting Department had the Arizona Cardinals trading back into Round 1 for Simpson in its latest mock. Bleacher Report's Brent Sobleski recently examined some other hypothetical trade scenarios involving Simpson. Reuter simply had the Jets snagging Simpson with the 16th pick.

WR Malachi Fields Appears to be Falling

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Notre Dame WR prospect Malachi Fields

It's worth noting that when draft prospects rise and fall in the weeks leading up to the draft, it's often a matter of perception. Interviews, the scouting combine, and pro days can influence how NFL teams view a player, but mock draft trends are sometimes the product of the media catching up to league opinions.

In the case of Notre Dame wide receiver Malachi Fields, a draft slide could be the result of multiple factors.

A few months ago, the former Irish star felt like a likely first-round pick—the B/R Scouting Department paired Fields with the Buffalo Bills at No. 26. Concerns about his playing speed—exacerbated by a 4.61-second 40-yard dash at the combine—are now pushing him into Day 2 territory.

Fields wasn't a first-round pick in the B/R Scouting Department's latest mock, nor in McShay's. Reuter paired him with the Chicago Bears at No. 60 overall, while ESPN put him with the Baltimore Ravens at No. 80 overall.

"Fields would give the Ravens a much different style of wideout than Zay Flowers. Fields has vise-grip hands (one drop in 2025) and contested-catch ability, but his speed is just average," Yates wrote.

There's a very real chance that NFL teams were never as high on Fields as those in the media. An underwhelming combine performance and a refusal to run at Notre Dame's pro day may keep Fields from reentering the first-round conversation.

Opinions of CB Avieon Terrell Remain Mixed

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Clemson CB prospect Avieon Terrell

Clemson cornerback prospect Avieon Terrell has also experienced a disappointing spring. He didn't run at the combine or participate in Clemson's pro day because of a lingering hamstring injury. He then aggravated the injury at his private workout in late March.

Terrell's injury issues might not have him tumbling down every draft board, but they have created an uncertain draft range.

The B/R Scouting Department had paired Terrell with the Miami Dolphins at No. 30 in its latest mock, while McShay didn't have him in the first round at all. Reuter paired Terrell with the Kansas City Chiefs at No. 40, but ESPN had him going to Buffalo at No. 26.

"Predraft hamstring issues aside, Terrell has high-end ability as an inside or outside cornerback and plays with the toughness and feistiness the Bills love at the position," Miller wrote.

The 21-year-old probably won't last long on Day 2, if he slides out of Round 1, but he's certainly not a lock to go on the draft's opening night.