Well…Here we are. After months of speculation, rumours, and reports, we are at the 2026 NLL Dispersal Draft, which will see over 40 players from the Ottawa Black Bears and Philadelphia Wings available to be selected by the remaining 12 National Lacrosse League franchises.

This draft could go a number of different ways. But we’re going to give it our best stab at how the first round could go. As usual there are no trades factored into this mock. We’ll go off of the current order without assuming any deals — although there is the real possibility we could see some business being conducted on Tuesday.

Let’s jump in and take a look at which players could be in new homes in the next 24 hours.

2026 NLL DRAFT ANALYSIS

26 Players to Watch in the 2026 NLL Draft

2026 NLL Draft - The Big Board 1.0

2026 NLL Draft - Team Needs

2026 NLL Draft - Stock Watch

2026 NLL Draft - Forwards to Watch

2026 NLL Draft - Defenders & Goalies to Watch

2026 NLL Draft - Americans to Watch

2026 NLL Draft - Others to Watch

1) Oshawa FireWolves - Jeff Teat (LF)

Not really much to say that hasn’t already been said about Jeff Teat. A superstar from the day he stepped into the league, he’s franchise altering for the FireWolves who, just two years removed from featuring in the NLL Finals, haven’t been able to recapture that level of success over the previous two years.

Teat will step in and immediately have the most offensive depth that he’s seen so far in his career. On his side of the floor, he’s got fellow first-overall selection Dyson Williams, Ethan Walker, and Dawson Theede, as well stars Alex Simmons and Tye Kurtz on the other side.

The big question will be how Oshawa spreads the wealth. Teat, Simmons, Kurtz, Dyson, and Walker are all strong scorers, and Theede is also a multi-time 30-goal scorer. But you grab Teat here and laugh all the way to the bank and figure everything else out later. Another homegrown star that should help the FireWolves sell out every game at Tribute Communities Centre going forward, Teat should help this team back into the postseason this year.

2) Las Vegas Desert Dogs - Nick Damude (G)

It’s no secret that the Desert Dogs have been in search of help in the crease for a few years. While Vegas did use a first-rounder on goaltender Caleb Khan in the 2025 NLL Draft, he’s a 2007-born goaltender who still has two years of junior lacrosse to play. He does project to be excellent, but putting the weight of backstopping a team is a difficult task for a 19-year-old.

Honestly, it’s a toss-up between two world-class starting goaltenders who will immediately step in and help Vegas be a playoff contender. But with Damude about to turn 28, it creates a strong one-two punch for the future for the Desert Dogs. You have the present accounted for with Damude, and the future in Khan developing behind him. You’ve also got Landon Kells as an option still.

Depth in the crease is extremely important in the NLL, and while they could snap up Callum Jones here as well, the glaring need is in the cage.

3) Rochester Knighthawks - Callum Jones (RD)

Another team that has some questions in net, Rochester also needs some help and youth on the back end. Enter the reigning Defender of the Year.

Jones was a mutant on the back end for the Black Bears this past year, becoming an eraser and a loose-ball menace. At just 28 years old, he’s already one of the best defenders in the entire NLL with just three years of experience under his belt.

This could very well be a selection for a goaltender. Rylan Hartley has been a strong shot-stopper at times in his career, but he’s also had trouble with injuries at times. And the duo of Cam MacLeod and the newly acquired Drew Hutchison have had spurts as starters but haven’t grabbed the reins full-time to this point in their respective careers. One of Damude or Higgins will almost certainly be on the board at this pick, making this a very intriguing selection in dispersal.

Jones will pair up with the likes of Matt Gilray, Brad Gillies, Dan Coates, Chad Tutton, and Jake Piseno, among others, to help bring some physicality and two-way prowess to Rochester.

4) Calgary Roughnecks - Zach Higgins (G)

That leaves the Roughnecks with probably the easiest first-round selection. The team is in need of a little bit of everything going into this year, and with two first-rounders in the 2026 NLL Draft, this offers them another opportunity to help build out their roster.

Calgary can choose from whichever of Jones, Damude, and Higgins fall to them at four and feel very good about themselves. Aden Walsh has shown glimpses of promise and is just 25 years old. Colby Bowman is also 24 and had a ridiculous 4.12 GAA and a .923 SV% in 116 minutes of action last year. But adding a multi-time finalist for the NLL Goalie of the Year honours is a no-brainer for a Roughnecks squad looking for stability across the board.

The 35-year-old goaltender can steady things at the back and also previously played for the Riggers in 2017. It allows Calgary to develop their young goalies more or make a subsequent move to acquire assets.

5) San Diego Seals - Brennan O’Neill (LF)

This pick feels like a slam dunk for the Seals, who have been looking for help on the lefty side of the floor for a few years now.

San Diego has a strong leader on that side in Connor Robinson, and Zach Currier has proven he’s a two-way mutant, putting up 47 and 57 points the last two seasons playing both ends of the floor. But O’Neill is a force offensively. The 6-foot-2, 230-pounder has hit over 50 points in each of his first two seasons in the NLL, including a career-high 31 goals and 67 points in 2026.

The 24-year-old is just getting started in box, and with a team that has invested in American talent over their tenure in the NLL, San Diego is a perfect landing spot for the lefty.

6) Halifax Thunderbirds - Matt Marinier (LD)

You can’t teach size, and Marinier stands at 6-foot-6, 225 pounds. The 27-year-old is an imposing force on the back end who doesn’t mind leaning into the physical side of the game.

He’s also hit double-digit points two times in his career, and his 16 caused turnovers this year with the Black Bears were the second-highest total of his career to date. Halifax had a great run to the NLL Finals last season, but they’ll need to keep adding to the roster if they want to take another step and bring the title home to the Maritimes. This early pick will let them strengthen the depth out the back gate.

The Thunderbirds will have a number of options at this pick, but after taking younger brother Alex sixth overall in the 2025 NLL Draft, reuniting the brothers would be a nice storyline heading into the season.

7) Colorado Mammoth - Alex Pace (RD)

We considered a number of options for this pick. The Mammoth could look at a forward — namely a righty — but with Ryan Lee coming back this year and Owen Rahn having a strong 2025-26 season, it didn’t seem necessary. Colorado also should be getting Eli McLaughlin back into the fold. So defence seems more likely for seventh overall.

With six NLL campaigns under his belt, it’s a little surprising when you realize Pace is still just 28 years old — he was an early draft entrant back in 2019. Coming off a campaign with career-highs in assists (6), points (8), and loose balls (126), he’s continued to improve with every year. He also spends the summers playing for the MSL’s Peterborough Lakers, alongside many of the Thunderbirds’ veteran players, so the chemistry should already be there ahead of the season.

The Mammoth do have their share of bruisers on the back end. Adding a dependable piece in Pace just makes sense. He’s got the ability to log solid minutes, kill penalties, and transition the ball up the floor. He’ll be a great fit on Pat Coyle’s defensive unit.

8) Georgia Swarm - Jake Stevens (RT)

Stevens was very strong for the Black Bears last season, finishing with five goals, 10 points, 84 loose balls, and 23 caused turnovers, which was tied for the ninth-best total league-wide.

The former 10th overall selection has played in every game over his two-year NLL career while finishing with double-digit point totals in both years. Georgia proved they have one of the best lineups in the NLL last season, but they are getting older on the back end. The infusion of youth, defensive ability, and transition punch will be welcomed as this squad looks to go one step further than last year and compete for a championship in 2027.

9) Buffalo Bandits - Deacan Knott (G)

The third goaltender off the board, Knott is a perfect fit for the Bandits, who are now in search of their long-term solution after the retirement of Matt Vinc this summer.

Buffalo is looking to bounce back following a first-round exit this postseason, and there should be a competition for the starter between Kiigs Shognosh and Evan Constantopoulos. The former, like Caleb Khan in Vegas, is still going to be playing junior for two years, while the latter is just 22 with minimal playing time in pro to this point.

Knott was given a run of play by Philadelphia last season and showed well, finishing the year with a 10.84 goals-against average and a .792 save percentage. At just 24 years old, he’s on the rise and could prove to be a legitimate starter for an NLL team for a long time.

That would be music to the ears of the Bandits, who could go from arguably the greatest goaltender of all time to a young goalie who’s just finding his footing as a pro.

10) Saskatchewan Rush - Lukas Nielsen (RF)

There are a number of ways Saskatchewan could go with this pick. They could add defensive depth, but Austin Shanks is still unsigned just a few days ahead of free agency opening. That would be a massive loss up front for the Rush. So getting assurance on that side of the floor might be the more pressing need.

Nielsen has played a pair of seasons in the National Lacrosse League. The first came with the Bandits, who selected him seventh overall in the 2024 NLL Draft. He spent most of that year on the practice roster. but saw two games of action while getting to experience a championship run.

This year, he was traded at the deadline to Philadelphia in the Joe Resetarits deal. While he had just five points in four games with the Bandits, His 13 goals and 20 points in five games with the Wings in an extended role were eye-opening.

At just 21 years old, Nielsen is scratching the surface of his ceiling in the league, and if he reaches it, the Rush could have another potent offensive talent lighting it up on their right side.

Photo: Micheline Veluvolu/Rochester Knighthawks

11) Vancouver Warriors - Jake Saunders (LD)

There’s not a whole lot Vancouver needs in this dispersal draft. For a team that finished with the best record in the regular season, they’re loaded everywhere and will look to repeat their success in 2027.

This could be a spot where they look to flip the pick to gain some more assets. But with Saunders on the board, he’s a strong depth option for the Warriors’ back end. The Oakville, Ontario native is no stranger to playing out West, having played for Las Vegas in his first two years as a pro. The former 16th overall selection has also played a pair of summers in Coquitlam, which likely would have given Curt Malawsky a good idea of what he’ll be getting on his squad.

12) Toronto Rock - Sam LeClair (RF)

The Rock certainly don’t need much. A team that is fresh off a championship, adding the 2025 second-overall pick to the squad this year, and picking second overall again as a result of the Nick Rose trade and the two defunct franchises.

What Toronto is a little thin in is righties. With Tom Schreiber stepping away, the team has three strong options with Challen Rogers, Chris Boushy, and Josh Dawick. But if one was to miss time, they’d be scrambling for replacements.

LeClair is a 26-year-old who just set a career-high in points this season with 42 in 16 outings. He also has a great motor in the offensive end, working to get teammates open while flashing and cutting for chances. A strong crease scorer with a nose for the net, LeClair would help free up some of the othe righties on the Rock while being a solid scoring option who could find himself open for prime scoring chances.

Connor Kearnan could also provide a similar option for the Rock, who should be able to add an everyday player for free at the end of this round. What about Rob Hellyer? The former Rock draftee won a championship with Toronto in 2011 as a rookie. The 34-year-old is a UFA that could walk, but with the ties he has to the Rock, it wouldn’t be surprising to see a reunion.

2026 OTC NLL Mock Dispersal Draft