2026 NFL mock draft after Week 1 of college football season: LSU’s Garrett Nussmeier is QB1, Cowboys get EDGE

It’s not hard to see that Nussmeier is a coach’s son — he plays like a grizzled NFL veteran and when he’s on it’s pretty easy to see LSU Joe Burrow. The issues arise when Nuss Bus tries to do too much — and that was something of a theme as the ’24 season progressed and LSU Joe Burrow turned into New England Mac Jones. If Nussmeier can limit the poor decisions and untimely turnovers, he’ll have a great chance to be the No. 1 overall pick.

At 6-foot-7, 369 pounds, Proctor has an enormous frame and wingspan, but he’s also a good athlete who plays with power and surprising agility both as a run blocker and in pass protection.

Mendoza is a pocket passer but not a statue; he buys time with subtle pocket movements, excels off-platform and when needed, can stride out in the open field. Will get through reads while hanging in a pocket closing in around him. Consistently played with pressure in his face, consistently stood tall in the pocket and delivered strikes to all three levels on time and accurately. Ball comes out on time and with touch/accuracy to all three levels. He has a good feel for pocket pressure, can climb with eyes downfield and deliver accurately off-platform. It’s hard to envision him not having success at Indiana after the numbers he put up at Cal.

Technician in both pass protection and against the run. Played in primarily zone scheme and fit it perfectly because of his mix of athleticism and power. Technically sound run blocker who wins with power/balance and with former first-rounder Evan Neal and starting RT Jermaine Eluemunor heading into the final year of their deals, Fano makes a lot of sense here.

There are perhaps bigger needs at WR or RB but even with Jeffrey Simmons and T’Vondre Sweat atop the depth chart, you can’t pass up on Peter Woods-type talent here. The Clemson standout plays with leverage, power and a low center of gravity. He flashes strong hands and can toss offensive linemen off-balance and shed blocks quickly to fill gaps and get to the ball carrier.

First, Faulk turns 20 in September. Second, he’s unofficially 6-foot-6 and 288 pounds, and he is already near-elite as a run defender. The power and athleticism with which he plays makes it an easy projection to see him as a dominant pass rusher down the road. Maybe it doesn’t happen this season, and maybe it doesn’t happen until, say, Year 2 in the league, but when it all comes together, it’s going to be scary.

Downs could be a Troy Polamalu-level talent in the NFL. He’s only 5-foot-11, and he may not end up running a 4.35-second 40-yard dash, but I don’t care. Not even a little bit. Both Kyle Hamilton and Brian Branch slipped on draft day because of mediocre 40 times. They’re two of the best young defensive backs in football. Downs is a run-game enforcer and has the sideline-to-sideline juice, coupled with the short-area burst, to excel in pass coverage.

The Dolphins currently have 10(!) CBs on the roster whose contracts will expire after either the 2025 or 2026 seasons. Terrell has NFL bloodlines — his brother is former first-round pick A.J. Terrell. Avieon plays bigger than his listed size (see his matchup in 2024 against former Stanford WR Elic Ayomanor). He can stay in phase on vertical routes and has good ball skills and he will try to bait QB into making throws. In run support, he plays outside CB like he’s a strong safety.

Christian Gonzalez and Carlton Davis are the starting CBs but there’s not much depth behind them and both NB Marcus Jones and backup DJ James could be free agents after the season. McCoy is a physical corner who can play man on an island and is also comfortable in zone looks. He’s in phase on vertical routes, and in run support he comes downhill looking to thump someone. He’s coming off a January ACL injury but he could end up being the best CB in this class.

Allar might have been a first-round pick had he declared for the 2024 draft. He looks the part physically, he just needs to continue to make strides. We all saw glimpses of his first-round talent at various points last season, and if he can put it all together in ’25, he’ll be a first-round lock.

Road grader/earth-mover in the run game with enormous size and insane athleticism for that size. He plays with an edge and is better vs. the run than in pass protection right now but well above average in both departments. He could play right tackle or kick inside to guard.

Klubnik and Clemson had a tough 2025 debut vs. LSU, but he showed constant improvement in ’24; he got off to a slow start vs. Georgia in the opener and looked a lot like a first-round pick in the playoff loss to Texas. He’s incredibly tough (and that was on full display against LSU), is a top-end athlete who can win with his legs, and he can play on time and with good touch on second-level layered throws. There is some symbolism in Klubnik going 12th here, just like Bo Nix two years ago. I had a second-round grade on Nix, and currently have Klubnik as a second-rounder, but in the right system he can flourish.

The Steelers will be looking for a QB but after reaching for Kenny Pickett (and passing on Shedeur Sanders last April) they may look to address other needs. Tyson is a big-bodied receiver who can effortlessly snatch the ball out of the air and then immediately becomes a legit YAC machine. He has an enormous catch radius, routinely making tough catches. He can have the occasional focus drop, and I would like to see him stack defensive backs more consistently on vertical routes. That said, he has the contested-catch and high-point skills that will immediately translate to the next level.

It’s all coming together! Parker, one of the top edge rushers in this class, falls to the Cowboys in the middle of the round. Will he replace Micah Parsons? Nope! Not even close. Will he give you 60% of what Parsons gave the Cowboys in his first season? Again, not likely. And in that sense, this is wholly unfair to one of the best players in college football. But Jerry has a plan and we’ll just have to wait to see how it plays out. Meanwhile, Parker can win with both speed and power, is stout at the point vs. offensive tackles and is a high-motor, high-end athlete who is just now in Year 3.

Bowling ball who can line up anywhere from 3T to 9T — think Ed Oliver meets Jared Verse. One of the best edge rushers when it comes to inside counters. Plays with a low center of gravity, which makes up for lack of elite bend. Bain is good vs. both run and pass and is only going into his true junior season in ’25.

Williams, who suffered a first-quarter hamstring injury vs. LSU in the ’25 season opener, was targeted 103 times in ’24. And while he had eight drops, he consistently wins off the line of scrimmage vs. physical corners, can get hope at all three levels, and has legit separation ability. He can play outside, in the slot and has punt-return ability.

Love has legit track speed and high-end acceleration. He can stop on a dime and redirect with rare change of direction, while playing with good contact balance and the footwork to jump-cut to avoid defenders before hitting the crease. He wasn’t asked to do a lot in the pass game last season but Love flashes ability there too.

Boston has a huge catch radius, soft hands and surprising YAC wiggle. He’s a smooth route runner who flashes urgency out of his breaks, is an asset in the screen game because he has the ability to win in small areas and can run through arm tackles anywhere on the field.

Lew just turned 20 years old in September and he already looks like a 10-year NFL veteran. He’s a run-game technician who can also win with athleticism and power — a rare player who reminds me of Zach Frazier coming out of West Virginia a few years ago.

Delane was No. 34 on my preseason Big Board and the Virginia Tech transfer came out white hot vs. Clemson in the season opener. He’s verified 5-foot-11 but plays much longer than that — and he has ball skills. I do question his straight line speed but appreciate that he will throw his body around in run support.

Allen is a high-motor, high-end athlete who excels as a three-down player, whether it’s vs. the run, the pass, or as a pass rusher.

A special teams standout, Sadiq is a versatile athlete who was used at QB on four extra points in ’24, and twice threw TDs on rollout plays (and he’s also run fake punts from the upback position). As a TE, he oozes athleticism, will run through arm tackles and is used all over the formation. He can be a quick-game target as outside WR and is used effectively on jet sweeps. He reminds me of Kadarius Toney in the quick game and Anquan Boldin in space with the ball in his hands.

Overton has a thick frame and plays with violent hands; he’s able to disengage quickly from blocks, can rag doll interior OL to the ground on his way to the ball carrier. He can win with a powerful bull rush but doesn’t have an array of pass-rush moves beyond that. He is surprisingly bendy for his size but doesn’t consistently win with speed. He’s better vs. the run than as a pass rusher right now but there is a lot to like.

Only his second year as the starting LT at Utah, but there was a reason the Utes felt comfortable enough moving Spencer Fano to the right side. Lomu has a long frame and plays with surprisingly good footwork. Not to oversell it, but if I squint, I see shades of Joe Alt because of the length and athleticism.

Hill can line up anywhere from off the ball to a 9-tech edge rusher to the slot. He’s incredibly disruptive from all over the field, and his athleticism and burst makes him a nightmare for offensive linemen when he’s coming downhill.

In pass protection, Chaplin flashes power and athleticism, anchors well, though he’ll need to tidy up his footwork at the next level. He’s a powerful run-blocker who excels at combo blocks, and locking up second-level defenders.

Baxter missed the 2024 season because of injury but he could be the most explosive back to come out of Texas since Bijan Robinson. He’s a thick, upright runner who can put his foot in the ground in a one-cut-and-go zone scheme. He’ll run with patience, letting the play develop before hitting the hole with urgency. Baxter is a bulldozer vs. second- and third-level defenders.

Banks is surprisingly explosive for his size, playing with power, juice and a nonstop motor.

Uiagalelei was No. 35 on my preseason Big Board but he fits the physical profile for what the Chiefs look for in their edge rushers. And if his performance against Montana State in the season opener is any indication of things to come, Uiagalelei will be long gone by this point in the first round.

Miller can line up anywhere along the defensive line, he plays with active hands and low pad level, and is disruptive vs. both run and pass.

Goosby has a huge frame and long arms on tape. He’s a good athlete with impressive lateral movement skills who plays from a good base. He’s a work in progress, for sure, but there’s no denying the athleticism and flashes of big-time potential. Also loves that he plays with an edge.

Sapp is an plus-run defender because of power, leverage and the low base he plays with. He has heavy hands that allow him to disengage from blocks quickly and be disruptive. As a pass rusher, he can overwhelm offensive linemen with sheer power and consistently collapse the pocket.