2026 NFL mock draft 9.0: Final edition has Chiefs and Eagles trading up, Giants making post-Dexter Lawrence splashes and much more

It’s officially the week of the 2026 NFL Draft ! Months of scouting evaluations, testing numbers, pro days, team visits, trades and more all come down to Thursday through Saturday in Pittsburgh, when 257 players will hear their names called as draft picks. Here’s our final mock draft of this cycle, the ninth overall and we hope the most accurate yet.

We’ll find out soon enough. In this mock draft, Yahoo Sports’ Nate Tice makes the odd-numbered picks, and Charles McDonald makes the even. Big Boards: Consensus Top 75 • Nate Tice • Charles McDonald | Draft guide 1.

Las Vegas Raiders — Fernando Mendoza, QB, Indiana Set it and forget it. Mendoza has reportedly already been working to acclimate himself to the Raiders’ offense, and he is a great fit with Klint Kubiak’s preferred attack. Mendoza’s size and mental makeup will help him acclimate quickly to the next level, but the Raiders have done a nice job of insulating Mendoza with a veteran center in Tyler Linderbaum and adding quarterback Kirk Cousins to hold the fort down for when Mendoza is ready.

2. New York Jets — David Bailey, Edge, Texas Tech There’s been a lot of smoke recently linking the Jets and Bailey, so let’s follow suit and start the draft here. This might be a bit rich for Bailey considering the Jets have their pick of the litter, but one thing he has over the Ohio State trio is conventional positional value helping his cause.