New Peter Schrager 2026 NFL Mock Draft and Notable Picks from ESPN Expert's Final Predictions

On the eve of the 2026 NFL draft, ESPN's Peter Schrager dropped his final first-round mock that features Jeremiyah Love going in the top three and a trade up for the Dallas Cowboys.

Amid the rising smoke that Love is very high on the Arizona Cardinals' board, Schrager did match the Notre Dame running back with the club at No. 3 overall.

The mock also features the Cowboys making a trade with the Kansas City Chiefs for the No. 9 overall pick and selecting LSU cornerback Mansoor Delane.

Here are the top 10 projected picks in Schrager's mock.

Team	Pick
1. Raiders	Fernando Mendoza, QB
2. Jets	David Bailey, EDGE
3. Cardinals	Jeremiyah Love, RB
4. Titans	Sonny Styles, LB
5. Giants	Arvell Reese, EDGE
6. Browns	Spencer Fano, OT
7. Commanders	Carnell Tate, WR
8. Saints	Caleb Downs, S
9. Cowboys (via KC)	Mansoor Delane, CB
10. Giants	Jordyn Tyson, WR

ESPN's Adam Schefter reported people in the NFL believe Love is "truly in play" for the Cardinals at three, but Arizona is also looking at potential trade down scenarios to acquire more picks.

Even with the questions about running back value that high in the first round, no one disputes Love is among the best players in this year's class. B/R's NFL scouting department has him ranked No. 2 overall, behind Caleb Downs.

Sticking with the Cardinals, they are also projected in the mock to end the first round by selecting Ty Simpson after trading up to acquire pick No. 32 from the Seattle Seahawks.

In the projected trade between the Cowboys and Chiefs, Schrager has the two teams just swapping their four combined first-round picks this year. Dallas picks up No. 9 and 29, while Kansas City gets No. 12 and 20.

The trade down works out great for the Chiefs, who are projected to get Rueben Bain Jr. with the 12th pick in Schrager's mock. They also land Indiana wide receiver Omar Cooper Jr. at No. 20.

One interesting nugget from Schrager is his belief that the Giants could take Jordyn Tyson with their first pick at five instead of waiting on him at No. 10 with the pick they acquired from the Cincinnati Bengals for Dexter Lawrence.

Another notable trade projection sees the Los Angeles Rams and Detroit Lions hooking up for a deal five years after the Jared Goff-Matthew Stafford swap.

This projected trade would see the Lions move up four spots to No. 13 and select Alabama offensive tackle Kadyn Proctor, while the Rams would get picks No. 17, No. 118 and a 2027 second-round selection.

With their pick lower in the first round, Schrager has the Rams landing Kenyon Sadiq as another pass-catching weapon for Stafford in Sean McVay's offense.

The Simpson-Cardinals connection has been popular in pre-draft projections. B/R projected Arizona to select the Alabama quarterback, but waiting until the start of the second round at No. 34 to do so.

All of the questions are close to finally getting answered when the 2026 NFL draft begins on Thursday at 8 p.m. ET.