We prompted four of the top AI models to predict the 2026 NFL Draft — and let them cook their Round 1 mock drafts.
Gemini, ChatGPT, Claude, and Grok all took a shot at mocking out every pick in Round 1; the results were much different from (and pale in comparison to) our final NFL mock draft from our human expert.
Spoiler: all the AI models agree on the first pick, Jeremiyah Love going top five, and only one QB going in the first round. Everything else? Pure chaos. Welcome to draft night, brought to you by artificial intelligence.
Before the draft gets underway, make your own NFL Draft predictions on PrizePicks Team Picks and earn money if you’re right on markets like top 10 picks, player landing spots, and more.
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2026 NFL Mock Drafts Created by AI Models
Below is the prompt — or my input — given to every AI model to get the final mock drafts below. Only additional inputs were around the formatting, to make styling consistent.
You can tweak this prompt to get additional mock drafts from the AI model you prefer for the following rounds on Day 2 and Day 3.
Prompt:
Create a 2026 NFL Mock Draft for Round 1, picks 1-32 only, using the most recent credible news, team needs, rumors, injuries, depth charts, prospect rankings, and reports. not project trades; use the current official Round 1 order at the time of writing.
After the picks, add a general analysis of no more than 200 words covering only the most important themes, surprises, and team-direction takeaways from the mock.
2026 NFL Mock Drafts by AI Models for Round 1
Click to view each full Round 1 mock draft below.
- Google Gemini’s 2026 NFL Mock Draft – Round 1
- OpenAI ChatGPT’s 2026 NFL Mock Draft – Round 1
- Anthropic Claude’s 2026 NFL Mock Draft – Round 1
- X Grok’s 2026 NFL Mock Draft – Round 1
- Human (Jordan Foote) 2026 NFL Mock Draft 3.0 – Round 1
All NFL Draft predictions in these mock drafts are the opinions of artificial intelligence that are not investment professionals. Picks are not based on PrizePicks Team Picks payout multipliers, and are not recommendations to trade.
Gemini’s 2026 NFL Mock Draft for Round 1
The 2026 NFL Mock Draft below was created and written entirely by Google’s AI, Gemini 3 (Thinking model)
Round 1, Pick 1: Las Vegas Raiders – Fernando Mendoza, QB, Indiana
Round 1, Pick 2: New York Jets – David Bailey, EDGE, Texas Tech
Round 1, Pick 3: Arizona Cardinals – Arvell Reese, EDGE, Ohio State
Round 1, Pick 4: Tennessee Titans – Jeremiyah Love, RB, Notre Dame
Round 1, Pick 5: New York Giants – Caleb Downs, S, Ohio State
Round 1, Pick 6: Cleveland Browns – Carnell Tate, WR, Ohio State
Round 1, Pick 7: Washington Commanders – Sonny Styles, LB, Ohio State
Round 1, Pick 8: New Orleans Saints – Makai Lemon, WR, USC
Round 1, Pick 9: Kansas City Chiefs – Rueben Bain Jr., EDGE, Miami
Round 1, Pick 10: New York Giants – Francis Mauigoa, OT, Miami
Round 1, Pick 11: Miami Dolphins – Carson Beck, QB, Miami
Round 1, Pick 12: Dallas Cowboys – Mansoor Delane, CB, LSU
Round 1, Pick 13: Los Angeles Rams – Spencer Fano, OT, Utah
Round 1, Pick 14: Baltimore Ravens – Kadyn Proctor, OT, Alabama
Round 1, Pick 15: Tampa Bay Buccaneers – Olaivavega Ioane, IOL, Penn State
Round 1, Pick 16: New York Jets – Denzel Boston, WR, Washington
Round 1, Pick 17: Detroit Lions – Monroe Freeling, OT, Georgia
Round 1, Pick 18: Minnesota Vikings – Ty Simpson, QB, Alabama
Round 1, Pick 19: Carolina Panthers – Zachariah Branch, WR, USC
Round 1, Pick 20: Dallas Cowboys – Dani Dennis-Sutton, EDGE, Penn State
Round 1, Pick 21: Pittsburgh Steelers – Chris Johnson, CB, San Diego State
Round 1, Pick 22: Los Angeles Chargers – Peter Woods, DL, Clemson
Round 1, Pick 23: Philadelphia Eagles – Anthony Hill Jr., LB, Texas
Round 1, Pick 24: Cleveland Browns – Colton Hood, CB, Tennessee
Round 1, Pick 25: Chicago Bears – Akheem Mesidor, EDGE, Miami
Round 1, Pick 26: Buffalo Bills – Omar Cooper Jr., WR, Indiana
Round 1, Pick 27: San Francisco 49ers – Emmanuel Pregnon, OG, Oregon
Round 1, Pick 28: Houston Texans – Zion Young, EDGE, Missouri
Round 1, Pick 29: Kansas City Chiefs – Mike Washington Jr., RB, Arkansas
Round 1, Pick 30: Miami Dolphins – Ahmad Moten Sr., DT, Miami
Round 1, Pick 31: New England Patriots – Gabe Jacas, EDGE, Illinois
Round 1, Pick 32: Seattle Seahawks – Carter Smith, OT, Indiana
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Gemini’s First Round Mock Draft Analysis
The 2026 NFL Draft is defined by the "Indiana and Miami Renaissance," following their dominant College Football Playoff runs. Fernando Mendoza’s ascent from Indiana starter to the consensus No. 1 pick highlights a top-heavy quarterback class; with Arch Manning opting to stay in school for another year, the gap between Mendoza and the field is massive.
This scarcity led to the Vikings’ "desperation" pick of Ty Simpson and the Dolphins taking the veteran Carson Beck.
A major surprise is the return of the "Generational Running Back" value, as Jeremiyah Love cracked the top five — a testament to his dual-threat production. Defensively, Ohio State continues its "NFL Academy" reputation, placing three defenders in the top seven.
The draft also reflects a significant "NIL Depth Crunch," with a noticeable talent drop-off after pick 20, as mid-tier prospects chose collegiate earnings over Day 2 projections. Consequently, teams like the Giants, Cowboys, and Jets used their multiple first-rounders to secure "safe" blue-chip infrastructure, prioritizing elite offensive tackles and secondary anchors over speculative developmental projects.
ChatGPT’s NFL Mock Draft for Round 1
The 2026 NFL Mock Draft below was created and written entirely by OpenAI’s ChatGPT (Thinking) – extended thinking effort setting.
Round 1, Pick 1: Las Vegas Raiders – Fernando Mendoza, QB, Indiana
Round 1, Pick 2: New York Jets – David Bailey, EDGE, Texas Tech
Round 1, Pick 3: Arizona Cardinals – Jeremiyah Love, RB, Notre Dame
Round 1, Pick 4: Tennessee Titans – Arvell Reese, EDGE, Ohio State
Round 1, Pick 5: New York Giants – Caleb Downs, S, Ohio State
Round 1, Pick 6: Cleveland Browns – Spencer Fano, OT, Utah
Round 1, Pick 7: Washington Commanders – Rueben Bain Jr, EDGE, Miami
Round 1, Pick 8: New Orleans Saints – Jordyn Tyson, WR, Arizona State
Round 1, Pick 9: Kansas City Chiefs – Francis Mauigoa, OT, Miami
Round 1, Pick 10: New York Giants – Sonny Styles, LB, Ohio State
Round 1, Pick 11: Miami Dolphins – Mansoor Delane, CB, LSU
Round 1, Pick 12: Dallas Cowboys – Colton Hood, CB, Tennessee
Round 1, Pick 13: Los Angeles Rams – Makai Lemon, WR, USC
Round 1, Pick 14: Baltimore Ravens – Olaivavega Ioane, IOL, Penn State
Round 1, Pick 15: Tampa Bay Buccaneers – Akheem Mesidor, EDGE, Miami
Round 1, Pick 16: New York Jets – Omar Cooper Jr, WR, Indiana
Round 1, Pick 17: Detroit Lions – Kadyn Proctor, OT, Alabama
Round 1, Pick 18: Minnesota Vikings – Peter Woods, DT, Clemson
Round 1, Pick 19: Carolina Panthers – Dillon Thieneman, S, Oregon
Round 1, Pick 20: Dallas Cowboys – Keldric Faulk, EDGE, Auburn
Round 1, Pick 21: Pittsburgh Steelers – Blake Miller, OT, Clemson
Round 1, Pick 22: Los Angeles Chargers – Chase Bisontis, IOL, Texas A&M
Round 1, Pick 23: Philadelphia Eagles – Caleb Lomu, OT, Utah
Round 1, Pick 24: Cleveland Browns – KC Concepcion, WR, Texas A&M
Round 1, Pick 25: Chicago Bears – T J Parker, EDGE, Clemson
Round 1, Pick 26: Buffalo Bills – Malachi Lawrence, LB, UCF
Round 1, Pick 27: San Francisco 49ers – Kenyon Sadiq, TE, Oregon
Round 1, Pick 28: Houston Texans – Kayden McDonald, DT, Ohio State
Round 1, Pick 29: Kansas City Chiefs – Colton Hood, CB, Tennessee
Round 1, Pick 30: Miami Dolphins – Monroe Freeling, OT, Georgia
Round 1, Pick 31: New England Patriots – Max Iheanachor, OT, Arizona State
Round 1, Pick 32: Seattle Seahawks – Chris Johnson, CB, San Diego State
ChatGPT’s First Round Mock Draft Analysis
In this no-trade version, the biggest theme is how much premium non-QB talent gets shoved up the board: Love, Downs, and Styles all land in the top 10, while Ty Simpson gets squeezed out of Round 1 despite real first-round chatter.
Arizona staying put and taking Love reflects the strongest late smoke around No. 3, while the Giants go all-in on a defensive reset with Downs and Styles.
Contenders mostly reinforce infrastructure instead of chasing flash: Kansas City attacks tackle and corner, Baltimore locks in the interior line, Buffalo adds front-seven juice, and New England targets long-term tackle help.
The other major takeaway is the receiver run in the middle of the round, with New Orleans, the Rams, the Jets, and Cleveland all adding offensive weapons rather than forcing lower-tier trenches picks.
Claude’s 2026 NFL Mock Draft for Round 1
The below 2026 NFL Mock Draft created and written entirely by Anthropic’s Claude Sonnet 4.6 model on adaptive thinking setting.
Round 1, Pick 1: Las Vegas Raiders – Fernando Mendoza, QB, Indiana
Round 1, Pick 2: New York Jets – Arvell Reese, EDGE, Ohio State
Round 1, Pick 3: Arizona Cardinals – David Bailey, EDGE, Texas Tech
Round 1, Pick 4: Tennessee Titans – Jeremiyah Love, RB, Notre Dame
Round 1, Pick 5: New York Giants – Sonny Styles, LB, Ohio State
Round 1, Pick 6: Cleveland Browns – Carnell Tate, WR, Ohio State
Round 1, Pick 7: Washington Commanders – Mansoor Delane, CB, LSU
Round 1, Pick 8: New Orleans Saints – Jordyn Tyson, WR, Arizona State
Round 1, Pick 9: Kansas City Chiefs – Francis Mauigoa, OT, Miami
Round 1, Pick 10: New York Giants – Caleb Downs, S, Ohio State
Round 1, Pick 11: Miami Dolphins – Rueben Bain Jr., EDGE, Miami
Round 1, Pick 12: Dallas Cowboys – Keldric Faulk, EDGE, Auburn
Round 1, Pick 13: Los Angeles Rams – Omar Cooper Jr., WR, Indiana
Round 1, Pick 14: Baltimore Ravens – Spencer Fano, OL, Utah
Round 1, Pick 15: Tampa Bay Buccaneers – Kenyon Sadiq, TE, Oregon
Round 1, Pick 16: New York Jets – Ty Simpson, QB, Alabama
Round 1, Pick 17: Detroit Lions – Monroe Freeling, OT, Georgia
Round 1, Pick 18: Minnesota Vikings – Colton Hood, CB, Tennessee
Round 1, Pick 19: Carolina Panthers – Kadyn Proctor, OT, Alabama
Round 1, Pick 20: Dallas Cowboys – Smael Mondon Jr., LB, Georgia
Round 1, Pick 21: Pittsburgh Steelers – Vega Ioane, G, Penn State
Round 1, Pick 22: Los Angeles Chargers – Jermod McCoy, CB, Tennessee
Round 1, Pick 23: Philadelphia Eagles – Blake Miller, OT, Clemson
Round 1, Pick 24: Cleveland Browns – Max Iheanachor, OT, Arizona State
Round 1, Pick 25: Chicago Bears – T.J. Parker, EDGE, Clemson
Round 1, Pick 26: Buffalo Bills – Kayden McDonald, DT, Ohio State
Round 1, Pick 27: San Francisco 49ers – Caleb Lomu, OT, Utah
Round 1, Pick 28: Houston Texans – Emmanuel Pregnon, G, Oregon
Round 1, Pick 29: Kansas City Chiefs – Dillon Thieneman, S, Oregon
Round 1, Pick 30: Miami Dolphins – Denzel Boston, WR, Washington
Round 1, Pick 31: New England Patriots – T.J. Lawrence, EDGE, UCF
Round 1, Pick 32: Seattle Seahawks – Chris Johnson, CB, San Diego State
Claude’s First Round Mock Draft Analysis
This NFL Draft class is widely viewed as underwhelming, with only one quarterback — Mendoza — considered a lock for Round 1.
The defining storyline is Ohio State's stranglehold on the top 10: Reese, Styles, Tate, and Downs all potentially coming off the board in the first 10 picks is a historic Buckeye run.
The Giants are the most fascinating team — John Harbaugh arrives with two top-10 picks and, per reporting, a serious interest in surrounding Jaxson Dart with weapons. Trading Dexter Lawrence for pick 10 looks shrewder by the minute.
Love at No. 4 to Tennessee is the positional-value headline — one NFL GM noted this class's best players are at non-premium positions, including running back and linebacker.
The Chiefs grabbing Mauigoa at 9 reflects real urgency after Josh Simmons's injury-plagued rookie season. Patrick Mahomes recovering from a serious knee injury only amplifies that priority.
The mid-round OT run (picks 17–27 feature six offensive linemen) signals where the real trench depth sits. Dallas quietly has the strongest defensive haul, bookending the round with Faulk and Mondon.
The Jets hold five first-rounders over two years — adding Simpson as a developmental QB at 16 is the patient play.
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Grok’s 2026 NFL Mock Draft for Round 1
The below 2026 NFL Mock Draft created and written entirely by X’s Grok AI on expert setting.
Round 1, Pick 1: Las Vegas Raiders – Fernando Mendoza, QB, Indiana
Round 1, Pick 2: New York Jets – David Bailey, EDGE, Texas Tech
Round 1, Pick 3: Arizona Cardinals – Arvell Reese, EDGE, Ohio State
Round 1, Pick 4: Tennessee Titans – Jeremiyah Love, RB, Notre Dame
Round 1, Pick 5: New York Giants – Jordyn Tyson, WR, Arizona State
Round 1, Pick 6: Cleveland Browns – Francis Mauigoa, OT, Miami
Round 1, Pick 7: Washington Commanders – Sonny Styles, LB, Ohio State
Round 1, Pick 8: New Orleans Saints – Carnell Tate, WR, Ohio State
Round 1, Pick 9: Kansas City Chiefs – Rueben Bain Jr., EDGE, Miami
Round 1, Pick 10: New York Giants – Caleb Downs, S, Ohio State
Round 1, Pick 11: Miami Dolphins – Spencer Fano, OT, Utah
Round 1, Pick 12: Dallas Cowboys – Mansoor Delane, CB, LSU
Round 1, Pick 13: Los Angeles Rams – Makai Lemon, WR, USC
Round 1, Pick 14: Baltimore Ravens – Olaivavega Ioane, G, Penn State
Round 1, Pick 15: Tampa Bay Buccaneers – Akheem Mesidor, EDGE, Miami
Round 1, Pick 16: New York Jets – Omar Cooper Jr., WR, Indiana
Round 1, Pick 17: Detroit Lions – Kadyn Proctor, OT, Alabama
Round 1, Pick 18: Minnesota Vikings – Dillon Thieneman, S, Oregon
Round 1, Pick 19: Carolina Panthers – Kenyon Sadiq, TE, Oregon
Round 1, Pick 20: Dallas Cowboys – Keldric Faulk, EDGE, Auburn
Round 1, Pick 21: Pittsburgh Steelers – Monroe Freeling, OT, Georgia
Round 1, Pick 22: Los Angeles Chargers – Jermod McCoy, CB, Tennessee
Round 1, Pick 23: Philadelphia Eagles – Blake Miller, OT, Clemson
Round 1, Pick 24: Cleveland Browns – Denzel Boston, WR, Washington
Round 1, Pick 25: Chicago Bears – Caleb Lomu, OT, Utah
Round 1, Pick 26: Buffalo Bills – KC Concepcion, WR, Texas A&M
Round 1, Pick 27: San Francisco 49ers – Emmanuel McNeil-Warren, S, Toledo
Round 1, Pick 28: Houston Texans – Peter Woods, DT, Clemson
Round 1, Pick 29: Los Angeles Rams – Chris Johnson, CB, San Diego State
Round 1, Pick 30: Denver Broncos – Colton Hood, CB, Tennessee
Round 1, Pick 31: New England Patriots – Max Iheanachor, OT, Arizona State
Round 1, Pick 32: Seattle Seahawks – Malachi Lawrence, EDGE, UCF
Grok’s First Round Mock Draft Analysis
The 2026 NFL Draft first round is defined by trench dominance and defensive upside, with four EDGE rushers, five offensive tackles/guards, and multiple secondary pieces flying off the board early.
Fernando Mendoza is the clear No. 1 lock for the Raiders, launching a new era at quarterback, while the Jets double-dip on pass-rush and weapons.
Surprises include Jeremiyah Love’s early RB selection for Tennessee and only one quarterback taken overall, reflecting a thin class after Mendoza.
Teams like the Giants (WR/S), Cowboys (CB/EDGE), and Rams (WR/CB) aggressively addressed skill-position and back-end needs, signaling immediate contention pushes, while rebuilding squads like the Browns and Texans loaded up on blue-chip trenches talent for long-term foundation building.
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Make Your 2026 NFL Draft Predictions on PrizePicks
The all-knowing AI models have spoken with their NFL mock drafts — now it's your turn to make your draft predictions.
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