Early mock drafts such as this one are merely an exercise, a snapshot of what a 2026 Draft might look like if it took place the first week of January.
There are valuable takeaways from a mock draft this early. Numerous lessons to be learned and applied to future drafts by comparing them to those done before the season started and in seasons past. The 2025 season is fresh on our minds, not yet tainted by playoff performances or the offseason rumor mill. Remember Gabe Davis getting overdrafted a few seasons ago after his monster playoff performance against the Chiefs? We’re trying to avoid stuff like that.
I’ll break it down into three sections: Early Rounds (1-3), Middle Rounds (4-7), and Late Rounds (8-9).
I’ll give you a Jay’s-eye view of how the board is breaking down, how my strategy is evolving, and the thought process behind it all. I’ll wrap up with some final thoughts on the mock happenings and identify a few of my favorite teams and picks.
Rookies were excluded from this mock draft since the team that takes them in the NFL draft significantly impacts their value.
The draft order and participants were as follows:
- Pranav Babarjung – pepe72
- Christian Otteman – cotteman7
- Brian Hartman – TooMuchBrian
- Steve Pintado – CoachSteve12
- Matt Bevins- MattBevins
- Jay Felicio (That’s Me!) – GMenJay
- Dan Adams – dadams0323
- Brett Ford – BrettFord33
- Chris Helle – chrishelle7
- Nick Beaudoin – nickbode
- Eric Romoff – atfantasynav
- Mario Adamo Jr – MVPmaterial
Note: A table of the draft results is available at the bottom of this article.
Early Rounds (1-3)
Analysis:
A rather chalky first few rounds, which is to be expected. Mostly running backs and wide receivers, one quarterback, and two tight ends in the first three rounds (Trey McBride and Brock Bowers). There’s the old adage: “You can’t win your league on draft day, but you can lose it.” The point of that cheesy saying is that the first three-ish rounds should be about acquiring as much top-tier talent as possible. Don’t reach for a guy and take on all the risk, and don’t pass on value just to fill out your starting roster. Picks 1, 2, and 10 followed the latter strategy to a tee. For this exercise, we’re only starting two running backs and two wide receivers, but Pranav (pepe72), Christian (cotteman7), and Nick (nickbode) didn’t let that deter them from grabbing the value that fell into their laps in the third. Pranav snagged Derrick Henry despite taking Bijan Robinson and Chase Brown with his first two picks—a trio that could be lethal if both Brown and Henry produce even 75% of their 2025 numbers. Christian Otteman adding Rashee Rice to the delightful duo of Puka Nacua and Chris Olave sets him up for a solid floor with the potential for video game–type spike weeks. (Note: The mock was started before news broke of allegations of abuse against Rice and does not consider any potential suspension.) The same can be said for Nick with CeeDee Lamb, Malik Nabers, and Davante Adams—just a little more touchdown dependent. I understand the reasoning behind taking elite tight ends early, but I just can’t stomach the risk of taking Trey McBride, Brock Bowers, or any tight end among the elite RBs and WRs. That’s too high a draft capital cost for my liking.
My Strategy:
My default draft approach is Hero RB, so I’m almost always looking to take a running back with at least one of my first two picks. That doesn’t mean I’m inflexible; I’ll readily adjust my strategy based on how the board falls. I had a tough decision between Jonathan Taylor and James Cook and ultimately landed on JT. De’Von Achane and Christian McCaffrey were also in the same range. I’m concerned about Achane’s upside without Mike McDaniel, and while it feels foolish to doubt CMC, I don’t want to gamble on him staying healthy in back-to-back seasons. I took Taylor assuming Daniel Jones returns to Indianapolis, largely because Taylor set career highs in targets, catches, and receiving yards thanks to Jones’ heavy volume of short throws (over 60% of his passes traveled nine yards or fewer). After locking in my hero back, I planned to double-tap wide receiver. But had one of Omarion Hampton, Breece Hall, Brown, or Henry made it back to me in the third, I would’ve gladly taken a second back without hesitation. Instead, I came away with a combination of Nico Collins and Garrett Wilson, borderline WR1s with warts, but they complement each other well. Collins is a near-automatic 15 points but lacks the top-three upside I like in a WR1. That’s where Wilson comes in. Drafting any Jet in fantasy means accepting a non-existent floor, but if Wilson can get even decent quarterback play, his hefty target share and elite talent give him enormous upside.
Favorite Pick(s):
If Justin Jefferson and Malik Nabers are available in the mid-to-early second round come August/September, I’ll have a butt-ton of both (assuming a clean bill of health for Nabers).
Middle Rounds (4-7)
Analysis:
This is my favorite range of drafts. It’s the point where league mates get more comfortable tossing ADP out the window and start making bolder picks. You shouldn’t ignore value when it falls, but you should focus on filling out your starting lineup in these rounds. Brian (TooMuchBrian) opened with the inverse of my early build (WR–RB–RB), and I love what he did to complement that start. Landing Kenneth Walker as an RB3(!) while adding Jalen Waddle and Christian Watson to pair with Ja’Marr Chase is a fantastic way to load up on upside. I’m not a huge fan of taking Bhayshul Tuten in the seventh, but that could end up being his range if Travis Etienne Jr. moves on in the offseason. We see quarterbacks start to go in this range, and while I wouldn’t take Jayden Daniels in the fourth round myself, Lamar Jackson in the sixth, and Drake Maye and Jalen Hurts in the seventh are all price tags I’d happily pay for elite fantasy production. No other team drafted as much 100% all-natural, grass-fed upside as Brett (BrettFord33) in the middle rounds. Luther Burden in the fourth feels a bit pricey, but it could pay off in a big way if those flashes were a precursor to a sophomore breakout. Terry McLaurin had an injury-riddled follow-up to a career year in 2025, but a high-floor WR3 with room for more if he and Daniels come back fully healthy is a phenomenal fifth-round pick. Colston Loveland was one of the best picks of the middle rounds and kicked off a sixth-round tight end run that pushed me to draft Tyler Warren a little earlier than I would’ve liked. And J.K. Dobbins is a sneaky good value in the seventh, especially if he re-signs with Denver.
My Strategy:
I felt my start gave me the freedom to take any path the draft board led me, and as much as I love Rome Odunze and Marvin Harrison Jr., I couldn’t pass up the opportunity to chase the dragon that is Weeks 1–5 Emeka Egbuka. There’s a chance both Mike Evans (possible retirement) and Chris Godwin (possible cap casualty) aren’t on the Bucs roster next season, but even if one or both return, Egbuka can go back to being the same guy who averaged over 15 fantasy points per game in the first half of the season. I was hoping to land one of Walker, Javonte Williams, or Quinshon Judkins in the fifth, but D’Andre Swift isn’t a terrible consolation prize. Swift has never finished outside the top 24 running backs in points per game and makes for a solid RB2 with some delicious spike weeks sprinkled in. As I mentioned before, I would have preferred to wait another round or two for tight end, but there was a tier drop for me after Warren, Loveland, and Tucker Kraft, and my hand was forced with the latter two going a few picks before. And, I know, I know—I just can’t quit Jordan Mason. Aaron Jones is another year older, Mason ranked inside the top 10 in explosive run rate and missed tackles forced per attempt, and the Vikings’ offense has to improve, right? RIGHT?!
Favorite Pick(s):
Jaylen Warren, Christian Watson, and Colston Loveland in the sixth.
Late Rounds (8-10)
Analysis:
With this being an abbreviated 10-round draft, you’ll see fewer pure upside dart throws in these “late rounds” and more borderline starters and starting quarterbacks. But in this range, it’s all about the value, baby. Finding players who jump a tier or two from their ADP to their actual production is what can instantly make you a contender. Guys in this range before the 2025 season? Travis Etienne, Emeka Egbuka, Quinshon Judkins, Javonte Williams, Tucker Kraft. So many incredible values. Some names that stand out in our mock and could provide similar value are Jayden Higgins, Sam LaPorta, DJ Moore (if he’s traded), and possibly my favorite pick of the draft, Jonathan Brooks. The biggest takeaway from these rounds is that I will once again be waiting on quarterback in 1QB leagues. Joe Burrow in the 8th; Trevor Lawrence, Brock Purdy, and Jaxson Dart in the 9th; Caleb Williams in the 10th. There is an edge to be had if you nail which elite quarterback you take early, but not enough of one to justify passing up the incredible mix of value and upside by waiting.
My Strategy:
I came into the draft expecting to wait on quarterback, and once we got towards the end, I had two names left that I was comfortable with leaving the draft as my QB1: Jaxson Dart and Caleb Williams. When my pick came up in the 9th, if I didn’t take one there, I run the risk of missing out on both with both Chris (chishelle7) and Mario (MVPmaterial) also yet to draft a quarterback. Both would have two picks each before it got back to me. I decided I’d roll with the record-breaking quarterback for the New York Football Giants and dream about what could happen with a full season of health from Malik Nabers and Cam Skattebo to support him. As for my other picks, Tyler Allgeier is a free agent and could find himself in line for a starting role, and a theme you may have noticed, I can’t quit some guys. Tank Bigsby is one of them. Bigsby finished the season with a 5.65 yards per carry, a 7.9% explosive run rate, and looked electric every time he saw the field in relief of Saquon Barkley, who’s another year older and could cede more work in 2026.
Favorite Pick(s):
Outside of the names I’ve already mentioned, I also loved the values on Quentin Jonston, Kyle Pitts, Tyrone Tracy, and Tory Horton.
My Final Roster
QB: Jaxson Dart
RB: Jonathan Taylor
RB: D’Andre Swift
WR: Nico Collins
WR: Garrett Wilson
TE: Tyler Warren
FLEX: Emeka Egbuka
BEN: Jordan Mason
BEN: Tyler Allgeier
BEN: Tank Bigsby
Overall, I’m pretty happy with how things shook out. My receivers are a bit risky considering the question marks that haunt Wilson and Egbuka. The lack of depth at running back after JT makes me nervous. The quantity is there, I just need the quality to match.
Favorite Teams:
1st – Brian Hartman
2nd – Christian Otteman
3rd – Chris Helle
Favorite Picks:
QB – Caleb Williams (10.10)
RB – Jonathan Brooks (10.05)
WR – Jakobi Meyers (7.5)
TE – Sam LaPorta (9.11)
Way-Too-Early 2026 Fantasy Football Mock Draft
Photo by Stephen R. Sylvanie-Imagn Images / via NFL | Adapted by Parker McDonald (@CarbonFoxGFX on Twitter/X)