College football 2025 opens with Iowa State-Kansas State, then Week 1 features Texas-Ohio State, LSU-Clemson and Notre Dame-Miami, followed by the NFL season days later. An early mock of the 2026 NFL Draft projects all 32 first-round selections using ESPN's Football Power Index simulations to estimate team draft positions. Only 30 franchises currently hold first-round picks; the Jaguars and Falcons traded away 2026 Day 1 selections. Two additional top-order trades are envisioned for this projection. The mock forecasts six quarterbacks selected in Round 1, including Arch Manning projected first overall; Manning shows strong build, accuracy, movement and rushing threat.
For this exercise, I used ESPN's Football Power Index -- which uses thousands of simulations to predict the entire NFL season -- to project where every team will make its pick. Remember that only 30 franchises currently have a first-round selection, though. The Jaguars and Falcons both dealt away their 2026 Day 1 picks during the 2025 draft. I also crafted two more moves at the top of the order that would make sense if things played out like this.
The 2025 college football season kicks off Saturday with a ranked Iowa State-Kansas State matchup. The following Saturday -- officially Week 1 -- brings big-time showdowns of Texas-Ohio State, LSU-Clemson and Notre Dame-Miami. And then the NFL season begins just a few days after that. Buckle up ... football is here! That means we can really start looking ahead to the 2026 NFL draft.
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