NFL Mock Draft Comparisons for Mel Kiper, ESPN and Chad Reuter Ahead of 2026 NFL Draft

As the 2026 NFL draft draws nearer, we're starting to get a fairly good idea of how the top of the draft will look.

The Las Vegas Raiders are almost certainly going to take Indiana quarterback Fernando Mendoza with the first overall pick. The New York Jets are expected to take an edge-defender with the second pick, and Notre Dame running back Jeremiyah Love is starting to look like a top-five lock.

Things after the early first round, however, are much more uncertain. To get a broader scope of how things may play out, let's examine a pair of recent multi-round mock drafts.

ESPN conducted a collaborative mock draft with picks made by draft analysts Mel Kiper Jr., Matt Miller, Jordan Reid, and Field Yates that spans the first three rounds. NFL Media's Chad Reuter, meanwhile, recently conducted a five-round mock draft.

Here, we'll dive into some of the most interesting trends from the two, but first, let's examine a snapshot of each mock's top 10.

Top 10 Comparison

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Indiana QB prospect Fernando Mendoza

ESPN's Top 10 Picks

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, Edge, 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)

Reuter's Top 10 Picks

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: Jeremiyah Love, RB, Notre Dame

6. Cleveland Browns: Monroe Freeling, OT, Georgia

7. Washington Commanders: Mansoor Delane, CB, LSU

8. New Orleans Saints: Caleb Downs, S, Ohio State

9. Kansas City Chiefs: Rueben Bain Jr., Edge, Miami

10. Cincinnati Bengals: Jermod McCoy, CB, Tennessee

Top of the Draft Looking Relatively Settled

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Ohio State LB prospect Arvell Reese

While we certainly don't know which prospects will land with which teams—aside from Mendoza and the Raiders, of course—we're getting a pretty good idea of which players will go early in Round 1.

ESPN and Reuter had identical top-five projections and included seven of the same players among their top 10s. Ohio State safety Caleb Downs and LSU corner Mansoor Delane were top-10 picks in both mocks.

The Cleveland Browns were the first wild card, with ESPN opting for a receiver in USC's Makai Lemon and Reuter going with Georgia tackle Monroe Freeling.

"Freeling is one of the few true left tackles available in this draft. His length and athleticism should catch the attention of the Browns, who must find a blindside blocker for whoever is leading the offense going forward," Reuter wrote.

The Bleacher Report Scouting Department recently mocked a receiver to Cleveland at No. 6, though it went with Ohio State's Carnell Tate.

Along with Freeling, Reuter included Miami edge-rusher Rueben Bain Jr. and Tennessee cornerback Jermod McCoy in his top 10. ESPN had Ohio State linebacker Sonny Styles and Oregon tight end Kenyon Sadiq in its top 10.

Of the differing top-10 selections, Sadiq and Freeling were the only ones to fall out of the top 16 in either draft. ESPN paired Freeling with the Detroit Lions at No. 17, while Reuter paired Sadiq with the Carolina Panthers at No. 19.

Ty Simpson's Draft Range Still a Mystery

AP Photo/Michael Conroy

Alabama QB prospect Ty Simpson

Another thing the ESPN crew and Reuter agree upon is which team will draft Alabama quarterback Ty Simpson—though their draft ranges differ.

Simpson is largely viewed as the second-best quarterback in the 2026 class behind Mendoza but not a legitimate first-round prospect. Quarterback-needy teams like the New York Jets, Arizona Cardinals, Cleveland Browns, and Pittsburgh Steelers could be interested in taking him. Where Simpson will get selected remains one of the draft's biggest mysteries.

Reuter paired the former Crimson Tide standout with the New York Jets at No. 16.

"The Jets need a quarterback, and Simpson is still on the board. There is sufficient depth at receiver and cornerback in this class that the team could address both early in the second round while still securing the second-best passer in the draft in Simpson," Reuter wrote.

The ESPN panel also had the Jets taking Simpson, albeit with the first pick in the second round.

"There isn't as much risk in taking Simpson—who had just 15 career starts, all in 2025—in Round 2," Kiper wrote.

The Bleacher Report Scouting Department mocked a trade that put the Cardinals back into Round 1 and had them taking Simpson at No. 26. There's a very real chance that a team does look to take Simpson on Day 1 and get the fifth-year option on his contract. However, it's not a strategy that every decision-maker expects.

"In talking to sources throughout the league, you often hear teams suggest someone might take him, but no one is convinced on who that might be," Miller recently wrote. "Even the idea of the Cardinals trading back into Round 1 was met with skepticism from one scouting director I spoke to."

There Could be a Large Gap Between Love and RB2

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ESPN and Reuter both paired Love with the New York Giants at No. 5. The B/R Scouting Department paired him with the Tennessee Titans at No. 4. There are a couple of reasons why most expect the Notre Dame product to be an early pick.

The first is that he's a special prospect, ranked second overall on the Scouting Department's latest big board.

"Love is a dynamic and explosive running back who possesses the skill set to be a complete weapon in an NFL offense," Dame Parson of the B/R Scouting Department wrote. "He combines home-run top-end speed with route-running and pass-catching ability to impact the offense in multiple ways."

The second reason is that there is a wide gap between Love and the rest of the running back class. For teams seeking a legitimate difference-maker in the backfield, it may be Love or bust.

Both ESPN and Reuter had Love's former teammate, Jadarian Price, as the second running back off the board. Price went 64th overall to the Seattle Seahawks in Reuter's mock and 49th overall to the Minnesota Vikings in ESPN's mock.

"Aaron Jones Sr. is 31 years old, and Jordan Mason hasn't made the jump to clear RB1," Kiper wrote. "Neither is signed beyond 2026. And Price is a powerful runner with enough speed to cut and go."

Arkansas' Mike Washington Jr. was RB3 in both mocks, landing with the Atlanta Falcons (79th, Reuter) and Seattle Seahawks (96th, ESPN) in Round 3.