2026 NFL Mock Draft: Mendoza and Moore Go Top Two; Simpson to Steelers

It's late December, and we still have nearly a month left of college football. 

That means we still have a month to see which players will increase their draft stock in some incredible College Football Playoff matchups. FOX Sports Research has put together a mock for the 2026 NFL Draft ahead of the CFP quarterfinals. 

The draft order below was determined by aggregating several projections for each team while still factoring in trades involving draft picks to account for teams with multiple selections.

Let's take a look.

Note: Several players expected to declare for the 2026 NFL Draft have not because of their participation in upcoming CFP games; below is a projection of players who are expected to declare at the conclusion of their respective seasons.

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1. New York Jets (from Giants): Fernando Mendoza, QB, Indiana

The Jets are in desperate need of a franchise quarterback, and Mendoza has exhibited all the tools you want to see in a top QB prospect: elite arm strength, the ability to throw into tight windows, and sneaky mobility for a 6-foot-5 signal caller. The Heisman winner leads all of FBS with 33 pass touchdowns this season, which is also the Indiana single-season record. 

With a couple more clutch performances in the CFP, it'll be tough for any team to pass on him with the first pick.

2. Las Vegas Raiders: Dante Moore, QB, Oregon

Geno Smith is 35 years old and hasn't lived up to expectations in Las Vegas. Moore was the third-ranked QB in his high school class and fourth-ranked player in the country (according to 247Sports) and