CBS Sports has three LSU Tigers in 2026 first round mock draft

With the summer months here, there’s more anticipation for the 2025 season with every passing day. LSU is projected to have one of the top offenses in the country, led by returning passer Garrett Nussmeier and a few high-level playmakers.
After the 2025 NFL Draft finished, all eyes turned towards Nussmeier and the 2026 NFL Draft class as the talented senior quarterback opted to return for another season at LSU. In return, Brian Kelly and the program invested significantly more into the portal to try to get this team to a championship caliber.
Now, early in the month of June, CBS Sports writer Ryan Wilson released an updated NFL Mock Draft, but chose to leave out Arch Manning in this draft class — assuming he returns for 2026. With that being the case, he has Nussmeier as the top pick in the draft.
Furthermore, he also has a pair of LSU wide receivers going in the first round as Nussmeier is set to thrive with this new-look receiver group on the perimeter. Here’s his writeup on each player and where he has them slated in this initial mock draft.
Pick No. 1 – Saints: Quarterback Garrett Nussmeier
“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.”
Along with Nussmeier, Wilson also had Drew Allar going No. 8 to the Colts, Fernando Mendoza going No. 14 to the Steelers, Cade Klubnik going No. 27 to the Rams, and LaNorris Sellers going No. 32 to the Jets. Even without Manning this appears to be a much stronger quarterback class than the 2025 one.
Top 10
- 1New
Rece Davis
Ranks Top 5 QBs
- 2Hot
Shedeur Sanders speeding
Body cam footage out
- 3
CWS Odds
Lines set for LSU vs. Coastal
- 4Trending
Return to BCS model?
Paul Finebaum explains, reacts
- 5
Marquise Henderson
Dismissed from Clemson FB
Get the On3 Top 10 to your inbox every morning
By clicking "Subscribe to Newsletter", I agree to On3's Privacy Notice, Terms, and use of my personal information described therein.
Pick No. 26 – Commanders: Wide receiver Aaron Anderson
“Undersized and twitchy with short-area quickness to win in small areas. Anderson will consistently create separation from the slot vs. off coverage, and he has an extra gear in the open field. Legit track speed on go routes, and he can run the entire route tree, though he will have the occasional focus drop.”
Anderson posted 884 yards and five touchdowns on 61 receptions last year as one of the top options on LSU’s offense. Though only 5-foot-8, Anderson has excellent versatility and can make some contested catches. He’s set to have another strong year within the Tigers revamped receiver room.
Pick No. 31 – Ravens: Wide receiver Nic Anderson
“Missed all but one game in ’24 because of quad injury; only saw one target, no catches. That said, in 2023, he set an Oklahoma record for TD receptions by a freshman with 10. Anderson is a big, physical X receiver who can play through contact. He tracks deep balls well on go routes, and he consistently stacks CBs. He’s a YAC machine who plays with great contact balance and will drag defenders downfield — he’s almost like a RB with ball in his hands; if you need 2-3 yards, he’ll get them.”
It was a huge deal when LSU got Nic Anderson from the portal with his 6-foot-4 frame and his YAC ability he showed in 2023. Now, coming off of an injury it’s harder to project, but he’s set to be one of the top options for Nussmeier in 2025 as the tallest perimeter receiver.