Grading the 2026 NFL mock drafts: How did Mel Kiper, Daniel Jeremiah, Todd McShay and other experts fare?

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Grading the 2026 NFL mock drafts: How did Mel Kiper, Daniel Jeremiah, Todd McShay and other experts fare? originally appeared on The Sporting News. Add The Sporting News as a Preferred Source by clicking here.

The first round of the 2026 NFL Draft proved to be one of the most whirlwind in recent memory.

The action really started at No. 2, with the Jets opting for Texas Tech EDGE David Bailey as opposed to Ohio State maven Arvell Reese. That set the stage for a hectic draft board, one whose fireworks were amplified by trades and Ty Simpson's surge up the rankings.

All told, it made for a heart-racing, but memorable night at the races for the more than 300,000 fans that pooled into Pittsburgh's North Shore on Thursday night.

The Sporting News is grading pundits' final mock drafts. Here is the point system:

• One full point for correct player, pick and team;
• One half point for correct player and pick, but incorrect team;
• One half point for correct player and team, but incorrect pick

Here's a look at how some of the experts fared in their final mock drafts.

(Bold lines represent one full point while italicized lines represent a half-point).

2026 NFL DRAFT HQ:Live tracker | Pick-by-pick grades | Best players still available

Vinnie Iyer (The Sporting News)​

Iyer's latest mock draft was released on Wednesday, April 22

Pick	Team	Player	Position	School
1	Raiders	Fernando Mendoza	QB	Indiana
2	Jets	Arvell Reese	LB/EDGE	Ohio State
3	Cardinals	David Bailey	EDGE	Texas Tech
4	Titans	Jeremiyah Love	RB	Notre Dame
5	Giants	Sonny Styles	LB	Ohio State
6	Browns	Carnell Tate	WR	Ohio State
7	Commanders	Caleb Downs	S	Ohio State
8	Saints	Rueben Bain Jr.	EDGE	Miami
9	Chiefs	Mansoor Delane	CB	LSU
10	Giants	Jordyn Tyson	WR	Arizona State
11	Dolphins	Spencer Fano	OT	Utah
12	Cowboys	Jermod McCoy	CB	Tennessee
13	Rams	Makai Lemon	WR	USC
14	Ravens	Olaivavega Ioane	G	Penn State
15	Buccaneers	Kenyon Saddiq	TE	Oregon
16	Jets	Omar Cooper Jr.	WR	Indiana
17	Lions	Francis Mauigoa	OT	Miami
18	Vikings	Dillon Thienman	S	Oregon
19	Panthers	KC Concepcion	WR	Texas A&M
20	Cowboys	Akheem Mesidor	EDGE	Miami
21	Steelers	Monroe Freeling	OT	Georgia
22	Chargers	Keldric Faulk	EDGE	Auburn
23	Eagles	Blake Miller	OT	Clemson
24	Browns	Caleb Lomu	OT	Utah
25	Bears	Emmanuel McNeil-Warren	S	Toledo
26	Bills	Cashius Howell	EDGE	Texas A&M
27	49ers	Max Iheanachor	OT	Arizona State
28	Texans	Chase Bisontis	G/C	Texas A&M
29	Chiefs	Peter Woods	DT	Clemson
30	Dolphins	Kayden McDonald	DT	Ohio State
31	Patriots	Kadyn Proctor	OT	Alabama
32	Seahawks	C.J. Allen	LB	Georgia

Picks correct: 4/32

Iyer successfully predicted three picks, projecting Fernando Mendoza to land with the Raiders at No. 1, Olaivavega Ioane to join the Ravens at No. 14 and Peter Woods to be swallowed into the Chiefs ranks at No. 29. He also was right in linking Mansoor Delane with the Chiefs and Omar Cooper Jr. with the Jets, although they heard their names called at different points than Iyer initially thought.

MORE 2026 NFL MOCK DRAFTS:

• SN's complete 7-round projections
• NFL mock draft with trades
• Quarterback-only mock draft
• NFL player comparisons for Round 1 picks
• Expert mock drafts from Mel Kiper Jr. and more

Mel Kiper Jr. (ESPN)​

Kiper's latest mock draft was last updated on Saturday, April 18

Pick	Team	Player	Position	School
1	Raiders	Fernando Mendoza	QB	Indiana
2	Jets	David Bailey	EDGE	Texas Tech
3	Cardinals	Arvell Reese	LB/EDGE	Ohio State
4	Titans	Jeremiyah Love	RB	Notre Dame
5	Giants	Caleb Downs	S	Ohio State
6	Cowboys (via trade)	Sonny Styles	LB	Ohio State
7	Commanders	Carnell Tate	WR	Ohio State
8	Saints	Rueben Bain Jr.	EDGE	Miami
9	Chiefs	Jordyn Tyson	WR	Arizona State
10	Giants	Francis Mauigoa	OT	Miami
11	Dolphins	Mansoor Delane	CB	LSU
12	Browns (via trade)	Kadyn Proctor	OT	Alabama
13	Rams	Makai Lemon	WR	USC
14	Ravens	Spencer Fano	OT	Utah
15	Buccaneers	Kenyon Saddiq	TE	Oregon
16	Jets	Omar Cooper Jr.	WR	Indiana
17	Lions	Monroe Freeling	OT	Georgia
18	Vikings	Dillon Thieneman	S	Oregon
19	Panthers	Emmanuel McNeil-Warren	S	Toledo
20	Browns (via trade)	Denzel Boston	WR	Washington
21	Steelers	Olaivavega Ioane	G	Penn State
22	Chargers	Peter Woods	DT	Clemson
23	Eagles	Blake Miller	OT	Clemson
24	Browns	Jermod McCoy	CB	Tennessee
25	Bears	Zion Young	EDGE	Missouri
26	Bills	Keldric Faulk	EDGE	Auburn
27	49ers	Max Iheanachor	OT	Arizona State
28	Texans	Christen Miller	DT	Georgia
29	Chiefs	Colton Hood	CB	Tennessee
30	Cardinals (via trade	Ty Simpson	QB	Alabama
31	Patriots	Akheem Mesidor	EDGE	Miami
32	Seahawks	Jadarian Price	RB	Notre Dame

Picks correct: 4.5/32

Kiper was correct with his prediction for the draft's first two picks. His accuracy dwindled as trades and surprises took hold of the board. He pulled things together towards the end, however, correctly hypothesizing that the Seahawks would grab Jadarian Price with the last pick in the first round.

Peter Schrager (ESPN)​

Schrager's mock draft was released on Wednesday, April 22

Pick	Team	Player	Position	School
1	Raiders	Fernando Mendoza	QB	Indiana
2	Jets	David Bailey	EDGE	Texas Tech
3	Cardinals	Jeremiyah Love	RB	Notre Dame
4	Titans	Sonny Styles	LB	Ohio State
5	Giants	Arvell Reese	LB/EDGE	Ohio State
6	Browns	Spencer Fano	OT	Utah
7	Commanders	Carnell Tate	WR	Ohio State
8	Saints	Caleb Downs	S	Ohio State
9	Cowboys	Mansoor Delane	CB	LSU
10	Giants	Jordan Tyson	WR	Arizona State
11	Dolphins	Francis Mauigoa	OT	Miami
12	Chiefs	Rueben Bain Jr.	EDGE	Miami
13	Lions	Kadyn Proctor	OT	Alabama
14	Ravens	Olaivavega Ioane	G	Penn State
15	Buccaneers	Akheem Mesidor	EDGE	Miami
16	Jets	Makai Lemon	WR	USC
17	Rams	Kenyon Saddiq	TE	Oregon
18	Vikings	Dillon Thieneman	S	Oregon
19	Texans	Blake Miller	OT	Clemson
20	Chiefs	Omar Cooper Jr.	WR	Indiana
21	Steelers	Monroe Freeling	OT	Georgia
22	Chargers	Keldric Faulk	EDGE	Auburn
23	Eagles	Max Iheanachor	OT	Arizona State
24	Browns	Denzel Boston	WR	Washington
25	Bears	T.J. Parker	EDGE	Clemson
26	Bills	Peter Woods	DT	Clemson
27	49ers	Caleb Lomu	OT	Utah
28	Panthers	KC Concepcion	WR	Texas A&M
29	Cowboys	Malachi Lawrence	EDGE	UCF
30	Dolphins	Jermod McCoy	CB	Tennessee
31	Patriots	Zion Young	EDGE	Missouri
32	Cardinals (via trade)	Ty Simpson	QB	Alabama

Picks correct: 5/32

Schrager started his draft board on a tear, successfully predicting four of the first five picks. His accuracy waned throughout the night, although he did offer sage assessments that the Browns and Cowboys were interested in Spencer Fano and Malachi Lawrence's services, respectively.

MORE NFL DRAFT NEWS:

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Bucky Brooks (NFL.com)​

Brooks' mock draft was released on Tuesday, April 21

Pick	Team	Player	Position	School
1	Raiders	Fernando Mendoza	QB	Indiana
2	Jets	David Bailey	EDGE	Texas Tech
3	Cardinals	Arvell Reese	LB/EDGE	Ohio State
4	Titans	Sonny Styles	LB	Ohio State
5	Giants	Jeremiyah Love	RB	Notre Dame
6	Browns	Carnell Tate	WR	Ohio State
7	Commanders	Caleb Downs	S	Ohio State
8	Saints	Rueben Bain Jr.	EDGE	Miami
9	Chiefs	Francis Mauigoa	OT	Miami
10	Giants	Jordyn Tyson	WR	Arizona State
11	Dolphins	Mansoor Delane	CB	LSU
12	Cowboys	Dillon Thieneman	S	Oregon
13	Rams	Makai Lemon	WR	USC
14	Ravens	Spencer Fano	OT	Utah
15	Buccaneers	Olaivavega Ioane	G	Penn State
16	Jets	Jermod McCoy	CB	Tennessee
17	Lions	Kadyn Proctor	OT	Alabama
18	Vikings	Peter Woods	DT	Clemson
19	Panthers	Kenyon Saddiq	TE	Oregon
20	Cowboys	Colton Hood	CB	Tennessee
21	Steelers	Emmanuel McNeil-Warren	S	Toledo
22	Chargers	T.J. Parker	EDGE	Clemson
23	Eagles	Monroe Freeling	OT	Georgia
24	Browns	Caleb Lomu	OT	Utah
25	Bears	Akheem Mesidor	EDGE	Miami
26	Bills	Keldric Faulk	EDGE	Auburn
27	49ers	Denzel Boston	WR	Washington
28	Texans	Chase Bisontis	G	Texas A&M
29	Chiefs	Avieon Terrell	CB	Clemson
30	Dolphins	Emmanuel Pregnon	G	Oregon
31	Patriots	Max Iheanachor	OT	Arizona State
32	Seahawks	Jadarian Price	RB	Notre Dame

Picks correct: 3/32

Brooks only mustered three correct picks over the course of the first round of the draft. His vision of Mendoza, Bailey and Price was inspired. The hectic nature of the remainder of the draft board left his mock draft looking worse for the wear, however.

Dane Brugler (The Athletic)​

Brugler's most recent mock draft was released on Wednesday, April 15

Pick	Team	Player	Position	School
1	Raiders	Fernando Mendoza	QB	Indiana
2	Jets	Arvell Reese	EDGE	Ohio State
3	Cardinals	Francis Mauigoa	OT	Miami
4	Titans	David Bailey	EDGE	Texas Tech
5	Giants	Caleb Downs	S	Ohio State
6	Cowboys (via Browns)	Sonny Styles	LB	Ohio State
7	Commanders	Jeremiyah Love	RB	Notre Dame
8	Saints	Carnell Tate	WR	Ohio State
9	Chiefs	Rueben Bain Jr.	EDGE	Miami
10	Bengals	Mansoor Delane	CB	LSU
11	Dolphins	Keldric Faulk	EDGE	Auburn
12	Browns	Spencer Fano	OT	Utah
13	Rams	Jordyn Tyson	WR	Arizona State
14	Ravens	Kenyon Sadiq	TE	Oregon
15	Buccaneers	Olaivavega Ioane	G	Penn State
16	Jets	Makai Lemon	WR	USC
17	Lions	Monroe Freeling	OT	Georgia
18	Vikings	Jermod McCoy	CB	Tennessee
19	Panthers	Dillon Thieneman	S	Oregon
20	Browns	KC Concepcion	WR	Texas A&M
21	Steelers	Omar Cooper Jr.	WR	Indiana
22	Chargers	Akheem Mesidor	EDGE	Miami
23	Eagles	Kadyn Proctor	OT	Alabama
24	Browns	Emmanuel McNeil-Warren	S	Toledo
25	Bears	T.J. Parker	EDGE	Clemson
26	Bills	Malachi Lawrence	EDGE	UCF
27	49ers	Caleb Lomu	OT	Utah
28	Texans	Chase Bisontis	G	Texas A&M
29	Chiefs	Denzel Boston	WR	Washington
30	Dolphins	Chris Johnson	CB	San Diego State
31	Patriots	Blake Miller	OT	Clemson
32	Seahawks	Colton Hood	CB	Tennessee

Picks correct: 3.5/32

Brugler recorded two fully-correct picks, successfully predicting Mendoza landing with the Raiders and, more impressively, Akheem Mesidor being selected by the Chargers. He also predicted that Browns would add Spencer Fano and KC Concepcion to their ranks, albeit at different draft slots.

Chris Simms (NBC Sports)​

Simms' latest mock draft was released on Monday, April 20

Pick	Team	Player	Position	School
1	Raiders	Fernando Mendoza	QB	Indiana
2	Jets	Arvell Reese	LB/EDGE	Ohio State
3	Cardinals	Jeremiyah Love	RB	Notre Dame
4	Titans	David Bailey	EDGE	Texas Tech
5	Commanders	Carnell Tate	WR	Ohio State
6	Browns	Monroe Freeling	OT	Georgia
7	Giants	Sonny Styles	LB	Ohio State
8	Saints	Caleb Downs	S	Ohio State
9	Chiefs	Rueben Bain	EDGE	Miami
10	Giants	Jordyn Tyson	WR	Arizona State
11	Buccaneers	Mansoor Delane	CB	LSU
12	Cowboys	Colton Hood	CB	Tennessee
13	Jets	Olaivevaga Ioane	G	Penn State
14	Ravens	Denzel Boston	WR	Washington
15	Dolphins	Francis Mauigoa	OT	Miami
16	Rams	Makai Lemon	WR	USC
17	Lions	Kadyn Proctor	OT	Alabama
18	Vikings	Kayden McDonald	DT	Ohio State
19	Panthers	Kenyon Sadiq	TE	Oregon
20	Cowboys	Zion Young	EDGE	Missouri
21	Browns	Omar Cooper	WR	Indiana
22	Bears	T.J. Parker	EDGE	Clemson
23	Eagles	Blake Miller	OT	Clemson
24	Steelers	Spencer Fano	OT	Steelers
25	Chargers	Peter Woods	DT	Clemson
26	Bills	Akheem Mesidor	EDGE	Miami
27	49ers	Max Iheanachor	OT	Arizona State
28	Texans	Christen Miller	DT	Georgia
29	Chiefs	Caleb Banks	DT	Florida
30	Dolphins	KC Concepcion	WR	Texas A&M
31	Eagles	Jermod McCoy	CB	Tennessee
32	Seahawks	Chase Bisontis	G	Texas A&M

Picks correct: 2.5/32

Simms, too, was felled by a streak of inaccuracy, with his picks proving fully successful just two times. He did predict that Sonny Styles would hear his name called with the No. 7 pick, although Simms believed the Giants would swap selections with the Commanders to make the choice.

Field Yates (ESPN)​

Yates' latest mock draft was released on Thursday, April 23

Pick	Team	Player	Position	School
1	Raiders	Fernando Mendoza	QB	Indiana
2	Jets	David Bailey	EDGE	Texas Tech
3	Cardinals	Jeremiyah Love	RB	Notre Dame
4	Titans	Sonny Styles	LB	Ohio State
5	Giants	Arvell Reese	LB/EDGE	Ohio State
6	Browns	Monroe Freeling	OT	Georgia
7	Commanders	Carnell Tate	WR	Ohio State
8	Saints	Jordyn Tyson	WR	Arizona State
9	Chiefs	Caleb Downs	S	Ohio State
10	Giants	Olaivavega Ioane	OL	Penn State
11	Dolphins	Francis Mauigoa	OT	Miami
12	Cowboys	Mansoor Delane	CB	LSU
13	Rams	Spencer Fano	OT	Utah
14	Ravens	Rueben Bain	EDGE	Miami
15	Buccaneers	Kenyon Saddiq	TE	Oregon
16	Jets	Makai Lemon	WR	USC
17	Lions	Kadyn Proctor	OT	Alabama
18	Vikings	Dillon Thienman	S	Oregon
19	Panthers	Kayden McDonald	DT	Ohio State
20	Cowboys	Keldric Faulk	EDGE	Auburn
21	Steelers	Max Iheanachor	OT	Arizona State
22	Chargers	Akheem Mesidor	EDGE	Miami
23	Eagles	Blake Miller	OT	Clemson
24	Browns	Denzel Boston	WR	Washington
25	Bears	R Mason Thomas	EDGE	Oklahoma
26	Bills	Malachi Lawrence	EDGE	UCF
27	49ers	Omar Cooper Jr.	WR	Indiana
28	Texans	Peter Woods	DT	Clemson
29	Chiefs	Colton Hood	CB	Tennessee
30	Cardinals	Ty Simpson	QB	Alabama
31	Patriots	Caleb Lomu	OT	Utah
32	Seahawks	T.J. Parker	EDGE	Clemson

Picks correct: 7.5/32

Yates was by far the most accurate draft expert in our roundup, successfully predicting seven picks. His most impressive lands were Jordyn Tyson with the Saints at No. 8 and Max Iheanachor with the Steelers at No. 21. He also was correct in believing the Patriots were targeting Utah OT Caleb Lomu with their first-round pick.

Daniel Jeremiah (NFL Network)​

Jeremiah's latest mock draft was released on Wednesday, April 22

Pick	Team	Player	Position	School
1	Raiders	Fernando Mendoza	QB	Indiana
2	Jets	David Bailey	EDGE	Texas Tech
3	Saints	Arvell Reese	LB/EDGE	Ohio State
4	Titans	Sonny Styles	LB	Ohio State
5	Giants	Jeremiyah Love	RB	Notre Dame
6	Browns	Spencer Fano	OT	Utah
7	Commanders	Jordyn Tyson	WR	Arizona State
8	Cardinals	Francis Mauigoa	OT	Miami
9	Chiefs	Mansoor Delane	CB	LSU
10	Giants	Carnell Tate	WR	Ohio State
11	Dolphins	Rueben Bain	EDGE	Miami
12	Cowboys	Caleb Downs	S	Ohio State
13	Rams	Makai Lemon	WR	USC
14	Ravens	Kenyon Saddiq	TE	Oregon
15	Eagles	Kadyn Proctor	OT	Alabama
16	Jets	Omar Cooper Jr.	WR	Indiana
17	Lions	Monroe Freeling	OT	Georgia
18	Vikings	Colton Hood	CB	Tennessee
19	Panthers	Dillon Thieneman	S	Oregon
20	Cowboys	Malachi Lawrence	EDGE	UCF
21	Steelers	Blake Miller	OT	Clemson
22	Chargers	Olaivavega Ioane	OG	Penn State
23	Buccaneers	Akheem Mesidor	EDGE	Miami
24	Browns	KC Concepcion	WR	Texas A&M
25	Bears	Keldric Faulk	EDGE	Auburn
26	Cardinals	Ty Simpson	QB	Alabama
27	49ers	Denzel Boston	WR	Washington
28	Texans	Max Iheanachor	OT	Arizona State
29	Chiefs	Treydan Stukes	DB	Arizona
30	Dolphins	Caleb Lomu	OT	Utah
31	Patriots	Chris Johnson	CB	San Diego State
32	Ravens	Peter Woods	DT	Clemson

Picks correct: 6.5/32

Jeremiah, too, was fairly successful with his pre-draft predictions, with five of his premonitions coming true. He was correct in assuming that the Cowboys would be looking at Caleb Downs at No. 12. He also has good reason to think that Todd Monken would be interested in adding KC Concepcion to the Browns' roster at No. 24.

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