There are two types of fans in the NFL – those who look ahead to the playoffs and those who look ahead to the draft.
As we flip the page to Week 2 of the regular season, panic is already setting in for some teams across the league. Draft season might be months away from really ramping up, but that doesn’t mean we can’t take stock of where we stand right now.
With that in mind, we asked artificial intelligence (AI), specifically Microsoft’s Copilot, for some help in determining the results for the first round of the 2026 NFL Draft.
The results were interesting to say the least.
Technology has come a long way, but not long enough yet. Much like your GPS that can’t figure out road closures or detours, AI is far from intelligent when it comes to the workings of the NFL draft.
Ohio State’s Caleb Downs didn’t make the cut in what we can only assume is some foreshadowing for a career change. Somehow, that wasn’t even the craziest thing to come out of this.
It’s funny how we say that things are ‘unbelievable’ to convey a message that it’s actually completely believable. With that in mind, here’s a look at the unbelievable results of what Copilot predicts for the first round of the upcoming NFL draft.
2026 NFL mock draft: First-round AI picks
If you would like to try this at home, here is the prompt we used, with the draft order from Tankathon after Week 1’s results: ‘With the __ pick in the 2026 NFL Draft, who will the [TEAM NAME] select?’
1. New Orleans Saints: Garrett Nussmeier, QB, LSU
The Saints invest the top pick in the local kid, drafting the son of offensive coordinator Doug Nussmeier – no surprises to start.
2. New England Patriots: Arch Manning, QB, Texas
Manning may or may not come out in this year’s draft, but the Patriots surprisingly take a shot on a quarterback after selecting Drake Maye in 2024. The Texas signal caller has seen his stock take a hit over the first couple of weeks, but don’t write him off yet.
3. New York Jets: Cade Klubnik, QB, Clemson
New York’s search for a QB continues and they land on Klubnik, who is another one that has struggled in the early going. Apparently, AI isn’t buying into Justin Fields’ big Week 1.
4. Miami Dolphins: Arch Manning, QB, Texas
Copilot is either predicting cloning will exist in 2026 or Manning will be pulling double duty for this pair of division rivals. Already ticketed for New England, he’ll be like many in the northeast and spending some significant time in Florida.
5. Carolina Panthers: Keldric Faulk, EDGE, Auburn
Carolina is in desperate need of defense, and they address it early in this exercise.
6. Baltimore Ravens: Suntarine Perkins, LB, Ole Miss
If Baltimore is picking here in April, something has gone horribly wrong. If they are picking here and opt for a linebacker projected to land in the second round, it’s even worse.
7. Los Angeles Rams (from Atlanta): Jermod McCoy, CB, Tennessee
The Rams could be in the market for a QB given the age of Matthew Stafford, but they opt for defense here.
8. Cleveland Browns: Rueben Bain Jr., EDGE, Miami
Conventional wisdom suggests the Browns would like some offense in the first round, but the franchise continues to defy all logic and pairs Bain with Myles Garrett. At least they can get after the quarterback though.
9. New York Giants: Peter Woods, DT, Clemson
The strength of the Giants is their defensive front, so in the imaginary eyes of Copilot, it only makes sense that they add to it with Woods.
10. Detroit Lions: Suntarine Perkins, LB, Ole Miss
Dan Campbell’s Lions are off to a tough start, but they shouldn’t be in the top-10 when the dust settles. If they are, Copilot believes they’ll opt for a player that is already heading to Baltimore.
11. Tennessee Titans: Peter Woods, DT, Clemson
Maybe cloning will be real by 2026.
12. Dallas Cowboys: T.J. Parker, EDGE, Clemson
Welcome to Dallas, new Micah Parsons.
13. Chicago Bears: Jeremiyah Love, RB, Notre Dame
Ben Johnson had success after getting Jahmyr Gibbs with the 12th pick in Detroit. Now he’ll hope to find Love at No. 13 – how romantic.
14. Kansas City Chiefs: DJ McKinney, CB, Colorado
The Chiefs roster needs some help and you can’t fix all of that with just one pick. They’ll try, however, by adding to a secondary that looked brutal in Week 1.
15. Houston Texans: Francis Mauigoa, OT, Miami
Mauigoa is a welcome addition to a team that might start posting Craigslist ads for offensive line help in the near future.
16. Seattle Seahawks: Domani Jackson, CB, Alabama
In this exercise, Mike Macdonald is the parent who says they don’t have a favorite child, but they actually do. Another defender sets their home address to Seattle, Washington with this pick.
17. Pittsburgh Steelers: LaNorris Sellers, QB, South Carolina
The quarterback carousel in Pittsburgh has stopped long enough for Aaron Rodgers to get off and LaNorris Sellers to get on.
18. Minnesota Vikings: Kenyon Sadiq, TE, Oregon
J.J. McCarthy gets a weapon in the passing game, which is a big deal after fans declared his career was over following one half of football in Week 1.
19. San Francisco 49ers: Trevor Goosby, OT, Texas
The 49ers invest in the trenches, but likely only because you can’t draft a new medical staff in the NFL. At least not yet, anyway.
20. Washington Commanders: Dani Dennis-Sutton, EDGE, Penn State
Dan Quinn couldn’t get Parsons from the Cowboys, so he does the next best thing and drafts an edge from Penn State.
21. Los Angeles Rams: Cade Klubnik, QB, Clemson
Klubnik is going coast-to-coast in his rookie season after already being selected by the Jets, but that’s not even the most surprising thing here. It’s that a Jets’ QB would be in such high demand.
22. Las Vegas Raiders: Peter Woods, DT, Clemson
Already taken by the Giants and Titans, we must ask – how many times are they cloning Peter Woods in 2026?
23. Cleveland Browns (from Jacksonville): Kadyn Proctor, OT, Alabama
After passing on a quarterback earlier, the Browns can now protect their imaginary signal caller with one of the best tackles in the class.
24. Los Angeles Chargers: Chandler Rivers, CB, Duke
The Chargers could do no wrong in Week 1 and don’t have many weaknesses across the roster. They take a chance on Rivers because they can.
25. Buffalo Bills: Nyck Harbor, WR, South Carolina
Harbor looks like the type of player that was made in a factory with a ridiculous combination of physical traits and pure talent. Buffalo will hope he can be their version of DK Metcalf and take this already terrifying offense to another level.
26. Tampa Bay Buccaneers: Matayo Uiagalelei, EDGE, Oregon
Todd Bowles wants his team to get after the quarterback and this time he’s going through the draft to find someone who can.
27. Cincinnati Bengals: Malik Muhammad, CB, Texas
With Shemar Stewart and Trey Hendrickson signed, there is officially a void for another contract dispute in Cincinnati. Copilot believes Muhammad is next in line.
28. Dallas Cowboys (from Green Bay): CJ Baxter, RB, Texas
Welcome to Dallas, new Ezekiel Elliott.
29. Arizona Cardinals: Spencer Fano, OT, Utah
Kyler Murray gets some help up front and it’s hard to complain about that.
30. Indianapolis Colts: Jermod McCoy, CB, Tennessee
Another clone! By this point on draft night, McCoy was boarding a flight to Hollywood. He’ll be in for a surprise when he lands.
31. Philadelphia Eagles: Jalen Kilgore, S, South Carolina
Caleb Downs must’ve chosen a different career path as Kilgore becomes the first safety off the board.
32. Denver Broncos: L.T. Overton, EDGE, Alabama
The rich get richer as the Broncos add to an already loaded defense.
