Danny Parkins' 2026 NFL mock draft: Why Arch Manning might not be a No. 1 lock
As some are wondering how this year's class will impact the upcoming season, though, Danny Parkins of FS1's "Breakfast Ball" is imagining what the top of the 2026 NFL Draft will look like. In his first mock draft for next year, Parkins projected the 10 worst teams in the league and what their biggest needs will be entering draft weekend.
"I really, really miss the NFL, so I figured no time like the present," Parkins said. "Let's fast-forward to the 2026 NFL Draft. This is a fun exercise because you're trying to figure out the players in college who are going to be in the top 10 and the teams that are going to be bad enough to be drafting in the top 10."
Let's take a look at how Parkins envisions the top 10 shaking out in the 2026 NFL Draft, with odds via DraftKings Sportsbook.
Odds to be No. 1 pick: +225
Parkins' thoughts: "My guess is everyone in the world is going to mock Arch Manning to the Saints because his grandfather is Archie Manning. It's the first family of football — the Mannings, New Orleans. Everyone in the world is going to do that. But, I've got to say, it's not going to be as easy of a decision as people think. Garrett Nussmeier, the quarterback out of LSU … is a gunslinger, he's got a huge arm. The Saints just hired Kellen Moore as their head coach. Garrett Nussmeier's father (Doug) is the offensive coordinator of the Saints. So, if Nussmeier has as good of a season as I expect him to have with all the talented players around him at LSU, do they take Archie Manning's grandson when Archie Manning is a Saints legend, or do they take their offensive coordinator's son who played right down the road in Baton Rouge? I think the Saints go with Arch Manning."
Odds to be No. 1 pick: +500
Parkins' thoughts: "Sorry to Shedeur Sanders and Dillon Gabriel. I don't think you guys are the answer for the Browns [at quarterback] of the future. I think Nussmeier has a big year and goes to the Browns."
Odds to be No. 1 pick: +7500
Parkins' thoughts: "Clemson's defense is going to be the best in the country this year. The Jets take the big boy in the middle of the defensive line, Peter Woods. He had nine tackles for loss last year. [Defensive tackle] is the biggest need for the Jets, outside of quarterback. But with quarterbacks going 1-2 — and I don't fully believe in Drew Allar out of Penn State, I still need to see more out of that one to believe it — the next biggest need is on the D-line. So, they go with a blue-chip player who's a massive, mammoth of an individual from a great program that's produced monsters on the defensive line in the NFL."
Odds to be No. 1 pick: +5000
Parkins' thoughts: "Rueben Bain is an absolute stud. You wanna add at a premium position. The Colts could be looking to add a premium quarterback if they're drafting in the top four. I understand that, but how many quarterbacks are going to be there? The second-most valuable position in the NFL, other than the quarterback, is the guys who stop the quarterback."
Odds to be No. 1 pick: +2500
Parkins' thoughts: "The Panthers are probably a little disappointed that Rueben Bain comes off the board. They go right back to the Clemson Tigers defense with T.J. Parker. The Panthers … were the worst pass-rushing team in the NFL. They tried to help Bryce Young [with their first-round pick in this year's draft] and picked Tetairoa McMillan. This is the year, with quarterback off the board, that they do their best to, frankly, fix the biggest hole on their team. I understood why they took McMillan. They need to make the Bryce Young investment work and do everything they could there. They'll be just good enough to not get a top pick. They'll roll it out with Bryce Young for one more year."
Odds to be No. 1 pick: +5000
Parkins' thoughts: "How do you help Cam Ward? You draft a mountain of a man, the 6-foot-7, 370-pound Kadyn Proctor. You can either give the guy a pass-catcher or a pass protector. I think in this spot, in this draft, the Titans go to Alabama and take Kadyn Proctor." 7. New York Giants: Francis Mauigoa, OT, Miami (Fla.)
Odds to be No. 1 pick: +3500
Parkins' thoughts: "The Giants would be upset that Proctor comes off the board, but they still go with an offensive tackle. Francis Mauigoa is a very talented player and is the second player out of 'The U' drafted in the top seven. The defense for the Giants is in great shape. They have just drafted Jaxson Dart. They're probably not looking quarterback in this spot. Their defense, especially with that front seven, is locked in. So, is it receiver or is it offensive lineman? Right tackle is the biggest need on that offensive line." 8. Miami Dolphins: Harold Perkins Jr., LB, LSU
Odds to be No. 1 overall pick: +4000
Parkins' thoughts: "I know Dolphins fans are going to be disappointed if they're picking in the top eight next year, but I don't think you'll be disappointed if Harold Perkins becomes a Dolphin. He might be the best athlete in college football. Yes, he had the big injury. We'll see what level of production he has going forward. But it's their defensive line that's left a lot to be desired. They've made a lot of investments, some of that is due to injury. But you bring in a true blue-chip, Swiss Army knife of a player that can get to the quarterback, that's a focal point for the Dolphins defense moving forward."
Parkins' thoughts: "I think the Raiders are better this year, but not great. Pete Carroll's going to want to build that team from the line of scrimmage. He already took Ashton Jeanty, and they're not ready to move on from Geno Smith [in this scenario]. So, they just go best player available with Caleb Banks, the huge defensive tackle out of Florida. You have Christian Wilkins, who you paid a bunch of money to, and Maxx Crosby, who apparently wants to be a Raider for life, and you add a Caleb Banks to create a top-five defensive line in football. You need a great defense in the AFC West."
Odds to be No. 1 overall pick: +2500
Parkins' thoughts: "The Cowboys should be better than this, but I don't know about the coach. I don't know about the depth. At some point, they're going to have a 'fall on their face' year. They'd be thrilled if the board fell like this. Caleb Downs — I don't know whether to list him at safety, cornerback or defensive back — but he might be the best player in all of college football. But because if he's going to be more of a safety, maybe the lack of premium value that's placed at that position makes him fall."
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