We are finally here. It is draft week. The 2026 NFL Draft is just days away, and the buzz continues to grow. We know Fernando Mendoza, barring something unexpected, is slotted to go first overall, but the intrigue and suspense start after that. David Bailey, Arvell Reese, or perhaps even Rueben Bain for the Jets? What do the Titans do at four? Was Dan Orlovsky being serious when he said Ty Simpson could be a better pro than Fernando Mendoza? How many wide receivers will be selected in the first round? These questions and more are at the top of mind for draftniks across the globe. Let’s take a look at some of the most burning questions heading into the three day draft spectacular.
2026 NFL Draft Burning Questions: Draft Week Edition
Will Ty Simpson be a better pro than Fernando Mendoza?
Former QB Dan Orlovsky started a firestorm when he admitted, and then doubled down, that he believed Simpson was a better prospect due to his developmental upside, coupled with the fact that he was asked to run more of an NFL offense, go through his progressions, and make more NFL throws. There is no debate that Mendoza had a better college career, but Orlovsky’s concerns are valid, and there are reportedly numerous NFL personnel types who do believe Simpson has more upside than Mendoza (a sentiment echoed by former QB Chase Daniels). This discourse is more an indictment of the draft class (and Mendoza’s perceived risk and ceiling) than it is about Simpson.
How will Arvell Reese be deployed in the NFL?
There has been a ton of discourse regarding where Reese will play in the NFL, as he showed exciting upside playing both on and off the ball under Matt Patricia at Ohio State. There is a reason Micah Parsons was moved to the edge full-time: it is a more premium position where he proved dominant. However, Reese is not Parsons, and may be better suited to an early-career Parsons role, where he was primarily an off-ball linebacker who got 10-20 edge snaps per game, creating true havoc on every snap. With that said, his pass coverage skills are lacking, so the Jets may be able to hide him more in their 3-4 as an edge.
What teams are most likely to trade into the first round?
Arizona has been the team most commonly linked to a trade into the first round, but that has been mostly under the assumption that they have Simpson rated highly enough to punt on their 2027 NFL Draft plans. This is a team that has previously used first round picks on quarterbacks two years in a row and likely will not want to do so again (especially since they traded up in that scenario as well). Other QB-needy teams could make the call, but the more likely scenario is seeing a team targeting the fifth year or control on a wideout or defensive back and trading up 10-20 spots to get their player of choice.
Can seven receivers go in the first round?
The NFL record for wide receivers drafted in the first round of the NFL Draft is seven, achieved in 2004 and 2024. While conventional wisdom still views this as one of the weaker wide receiver classes, there is still considerable ‘depth’ as it features more than a dozen above average prospects hitting the league at the right time (and in the right class (the drop off from the starting tier to the others is not as significant as in most years)). The positional need has become alarming across the league, and the top-level talent at other positions is somewhat lacking, leading to a perfect storm. This is why you will often see so many wideouts in analysts’ top-50 or top-150. The wide receivers currently expected to go in the first round are Carnell Tate, Jordyn Tyson, and Makai Lemon, with K.C. Concepcion and Omar Cooper Jr. commonly mocked as first round picks. Depending on who you talk to, there are teams around the league that have Denzel Boston second or third at the position on their boards, so he has a strong chance of going Day 1 as well. In this scenario, that means only one more receiver needs to be selected. With that said, the current juice is on the under at 5.5 wide receivers being selected (-240).
Should Tennessee take Jeremiyah Love?
While a top-tier running game is conducive to helping your young quarterback take the next step, there is still some debate regarding what position the Titans will seek out at fourth overall. Love would make a ton of sense and would help take pressure off Cam Ward, and with all the defensive signings they made in free agency, Robert Saleh may be willing to wait until Day 2 before he starts to stock his pass rusher cupboard. With that said, offensive line and wide receiver will still be in play as well. For what it’s worth, we can see via BettingPros that Love is the favorite to be drafted by the Titans with consensus odds of +150, but can be found as high as +170. One should note, however, that he opened at +125, and that players like David Bailey (+375 to +235), Rueben Bain (+900 to +290), Sonny Styles (+2000 to +750), and Carnell Tate (+1450 to +850) have all seen their odds drop.
Will Jordyn Tyson be drafted before Carnell Tate?
Peter Schrager made some waves when he had Tyson coming off the board before Tate in his most recent mock draft. Tate has emerged as the consensus top wide receiver in the draft class, but after being buried on the depth chart for the better part of three seasons, he may not have the best tape in the class, even if he indeed has the highest floor. Lemon gets eliminated from this conversation because he is seen as a slot receiver, but Tyson was the top receiver expected to be available this season, and only back-to-back hamstring injuries derailed him. Soft tissue injuries would not normally be something that caused the top prospect at his position to fall down boards, but when coupled with season-ending injuries in both of the previous seasons, the ‘injury bug’ becomes a durability concern. Tyson is off the boards of some teams, but the buzz that he is the top receiver on the board of a number of teams considering a wideout only continues to grow.
Who is the second best safety in this class?
Caleb Downs is the unanimous top safety in this draft class, but there has been significant debate regarding Dillon Thieneman vs Emmanuel McNeil-Warren. EMW was the more highly rated prospect prior to the 2026 NFL Combine, but then Dillon ran a 4.35 at 6’0, 201 lbs, while EMW at 6’3, 201 lbs ran a 4.52, causing the two to flip on many top-50s or top-150s. Dillon has the versatility to cover the free safety or the slot role full time, while EMW can man either safety spot effectively. While his NFL Combine performance was highly impressive, there are still some teams who have EMW ahead on their boards. Thieneman remains the favorite to be the second safety off the board, but which of these two talented prospects will develop into the better pro is anyone’s guess.
Why are NFL teams so obsessed with arm length?
Yes, this is a Ruben Bain discussion, but it applies to offensive and defensive linemen from drafts present and past. Teams will often drop players up or down their boards due to arm length measurements. Yes, there have been players on both sides of the line who have succeeded despite less than ideal arm length, but no edge rusher has ever recorded a double-digit sack season with arm length under 31 inches. There are several All Pros and Pro Bowlers under the 33-inch benchmark; however, so there is reason for optimism. Furthermore, no edge with arms as short as Bain has ever been projected as a top-10 pick. Bain’s tape was that good that he will still go high despite his perceived physical tool limitations. Bain’s tape is the best in this edge class outside of David Bailey 2025 and T.J. Parker circa 2024. He proved he can create constant pressure (83 pressures on the season) and has the pass rush arsenal to succeed, even if some teams will overlook this talented prospect due to preconceived notions.
Where does the second running back get drafted?
This has been the topic of some debate in the weeks leading up to the draft. Jadarian Price is the consensus number two back in the draft class, but that sentiment is far from unanimous. His draft window is believed to begin at 32 with the Seattle Seahawks, who lost Super Bowl MVP Kenneth Walker to the Kansas City Chiefs and have presumptive starter Zach Charbonnet rehabbing a torn ACL and not expected to be back with the team until at least Week 5, most likely later. Jadarian should hear his name called in the second round if no one nabs him in the first. His Day 2 draft window would begin with the Tennessee Titans at 35th overall, provided, of course, they don’t take his former teammate in the first round. His window would start at 37th overall and the New York Giants otherwise. Jonah Coleman and Emmett Johnson may also be in play if it gets to Day 2.
Is Sonny Styles a risk for an Isaiah Simmons size bust?
This is a lazy narrative from analysts who don’t actually watch tape or bother to do any research. Simmons was a DB who was moved to LB in the pros because Arizona is Arizona, and he does have the tools (but lacks the skill set) to thrive in the middle if he could have figured out the position. Styles, on the other hand, is a middle linebacker and has been playing it at a high level. Yes, he can move to the edge on some snaps and has a safety background, but he played 79 percent of his college snaps in the middle, while Simmons played just 38 percent (and box safety and middle linebacker are two different roles anyway). Furthermore, Styles donned the green dot (called the plays for the defense) under former NFL head coach and defensive coordinator Matt Patricia. Styles has a much higher floor than Simmons ever did, because he is playing what is now his natural position. Simmons is a DB and has requested to be moved back to that position on more than one occasion. Suffice it to say, these two players are very different, even if some in the media cannot figure that out.
How many wide receivers have actual first round grades?
This is a trick question. In the context of the 2026 NFL Draft Class, there are four to five wide receivers who consistently garner first round grades. If these receivers were in another class, only one, Carnell Tate, would likely get first round grade. With that said, there are teams who have Jordyn Tyson first on their board (the ones who admitted this aren’t teams who will be drafting a wide receiver), and others who have Denzel Boston as their number two receiver. He would likely receive a first round grade from that team(s), regardless of class. Tyson, if not dinged for injuries (which is likely the case for the aforementioned teams), would likely receive first round grades from that team(s) regardless of class.
Will the Baltimore Ravens force an OL in the first round?
The Baltimore Ravens lost quite a few significant pieces in free agency and will be looking to the draft to fill many of those holes. Baltimore has incessantly been linked to either an interior offensive lineman or a wide receiver. OL is a major need, but if you really gave up on Maxx Crosby because of a ‘medical’, just so you could reach on an offensive lineman, you have failed (Olaivavega Ioane, commonly mocked to them, is the only one that makes sense). If the Ravens are truly set on taking an offensive lineman not named Ioane, don’t be surprised if they try to move back a few spots and pick up some extra ammo in this draft. Wide receiver does make sense, but with Tyson’s injury risk (and rising draft stock) and Lemon being a slot only (who may be also be off the board), they may be better off trading down for the sure-handed Denzel Boston. With that said, do not be surprised if they take a falling edge rusher or tap one of the two safeties expected to be left on the board in Dillon Thieneman and Emmanuel McNeil-Warren. The Ravens have long been a BPA (best-player-available) team, but that was when they were picking in the 20’s. If Jermod McCoy or Mansoor Delane somehow drop this far, they will likely be the pick.
Has Jermod McCoy leapfrogged Mansoor Delane?
Delane was locked in as the top corner in this class until McCoy proved his knee was healthy by blazing a 4.39 40 time at his Pro Day. McCoy also posted a 38-inch vertical jump. McCoy has indeed leapfrogged Delane on some boards, but the consensus still sides with Delane. With that said, McCoy has proven to be more of a ballhawking playmaker, while Mansoor has proven to be more dominant as a shutdown corner. Delane, however, played four college seasons, with his best tape coming as a senior. McCoy played just two games, with his best tape coming as a sophomore. Delane turns 23 in December, Jermod turns 21 in August. McCoy opened as high as +400 to be the first cornerback drafted, but dropped all the way to as low as +150 immediately following his Pro Day performance. He is back up around +350. There will be some teams that will or would draft McCoy first, but there are others who have removed him from their boards completely due to concerns about the long-term prognosis of the knee. Mansoor is still expected to be the first corner selected.
Why did the Jets cancel David Bailey’s Top 30 Visit?
The short answer is: The New York Jets have decided who they are taking at 2nd overall. Long answer: The New York Jets surprisingly canceled the Top 30 visit for David Bailey. What should we make of this? There are different schools of thought here. The prevailing notion before the canceled visit was that Aaron Glenn had zeroed in on David Bailey as he played edge full time and is regarded as the more pro ready prospect, which jives more with Glenn’s potential timeline. The canceled visit made enough waves that while Bailey was still the favorite to be drafted second overall, Arvell Reese has moved to Even money at DraftKings (as of Friday night). The other notion is that the Jets have decided on Reese and don’t want to waste Bailey’s time. Yes, the Jets have decided who they were taking, and reports opined that New York already had all the information they needed on Bailey. What this means as far as who is going second overall is up in the air, as the odds movement suggests.
What will the Giants do at 10th overall?
The Giants have positioned themselves to take the best player available on their board with the 10th overall pick. They will be hoping an Ohio State product slips to 10, namely Caleb Downs, Sonny Styles, or Carnell Tate, but will be equally enthused to select Spencer Fano, Francis Mauigoa, Jordyn Tyson, or perhaps even Jeremiyah Love if he falls. The Ohio State trio will be strongly in play at fifth overall. Landing two of them, however unlikely that may be, would be seen as a coup. New York has done extensive homework on Tyson and will be comfortable selecting him at 10th overall if that’s how the board falls.
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Raju Byfield is a featured writer for FantasyPros. For more from Raju, check out his profile and follow him @FantasyContext.
