Now that the college football season is over and I’ve updated all 11 of my position rankings, it’s time to unveil my updated top 50 2026 draft Big Board. It’s the culmination of two months’ worth of tape review and statistical analysis, and stay tuned for more coming soon.

I’m hoping to expand this to 150 players by the time the draft rolls around, but for now, here are my top 50 prospects, broken out into tiers. For more information on each prospect, including a full scouting report, be sure to check out the individual position ranking articles below:

• Quarterbacks
• Running Backs
• Wide Receivers
• Tight Ends
• Offensive Tackles
• Interior Offensive Linemen
• Edge Rushers
• Defensive Tackles
• Linebackers
• Cornerbacks
• Safeties

Blue-Chip Prospects

1: Rueben Bain Jr. — ED, Miami

My No. 1 overall player in this class wire to wire, Bain’s first step off the line is otherworldly for a man his size, immediately putting the tackle in recovery mode. He has elite bend and flexibility for his size, turning the corner in an instant and playing with impressive agility and quickness for such a large human being. His hands jolt blockers on contact, ripping through them to apply pressure to the quarterback. He collapses pockets in fractions of a second, completely discarding the tackle within a step or two to break up a play.

2: Caleb Downs — S, Ohio State

A two-time consensus first-team All-American, Downs lines up all over the defense. His instincts are off the charts — he reads plays before they happen and as they develop as well as anyone, exploding to the ball with a suddenness and violence that completely detonates the play design. He has the fluidity and hip agility of a cornerback, capable of mirroring slot receivers in man coverage.

3: Jordyn Tyson — WR, Arizona State

A Colorado transfer originally who battled injuries throughout his collegiate career, Tyson has great size on the outside and is a master of creating separation. He uses a combination of elite quick-twitch athleticism and an advanced understanding of how to manipulate leverage, exploding out of his breaks so smoothly that defenders have difficulty keeping up with him. After the catch, he runs with purpose and has solid contact balance, generating yards with the ball in his hands.

4: Jeremiyah Love — RB, Notre Dame

A Heisman finalist, Love has game-changing speed, blowing past the second level when he gets a crease to gash defenses for huge chunks of yardage. In traffic, he keeps his feet moving and has strong contact balance, bouncing off hits and ripping through arm tackles in the hole. When he breaks into the open field, he’s both decisive and creative, making defenders look silly with his moves without spending too much time dancing around and letting backside defenders catch up.

First-Round Talent

5: Carnell Tate — WR, Ohio State

Tate finally got his chance to shine for the Buckeyes after some teammates departed to the NFL. He might have the best hands and body control of any receiver I’ve ever scouted — he’s acrobatic, with elite focus hauling in passes, and is effective after the catch, making efficient use of the space available without risking fumbles or lost yardage. He shreds zone defenses, weaving into pockets of space and getting north/south after the catch, and he’s the best blocker in this receiver class.

6: Fernando Mendoza — QB, Indiana

The reigning Heisman Trophy winner and a national champion, Mendoza is built like a prototypical NFL passer. He is pinpoint accurate to all three levels of the field, with superb ball placement and great timing and anticipation. Defenders bounce off his big frame, and he can muscle through sacks to gain positive yards out of broken plays. Pressure doesn’t faze him, and he thrives in hostile environments and championship moments, rising to the occasion with steady play and clutch throws.

7: Joshua Josephs — ED, Tennessee

The most underappreciated prospect in this class, Josephs has a massive wingspan and incredible power for his size, anchoring against the run and playing with exceptional eye discipline. He holds the edge and funnels action back inside, pursuing to make big plays in the backfield without giving up positioning or losing contain. With freakish bend around the edge, he plays with incredible hips and fluid movement, wasting no time turning the corner. His first step off the line is absurdly quick and he converts that speed to power well, exploding on contact to dent the line and create rush opportunities.

8: Arvell Reese — LB, Ohio State

An off-ball linebacker who may transition to edge rusher, Reese is a physical monster with prototypical size and strength. What makes him special is his speed and athleticism at that size — he flies around the football field, making plays sideline-to-sideline and routinely outrunning running backs and receivers to do it. His play speed is sensational, with quick processing and diagnosing of play designs, plus the reaction times to put his immense physical tools to use. As a pass rusher, he has an explosive first step that puts tackles in recovery mode immediately, with superb speed to power moves to take advantage of the momentum he generates.

9: Sonny Styles — LB, Ohio State

A converted safety with plus size for a linebacker, Styles is silky-smooth when changing direction and with incredible short-area burst. Violent in his run fits and capable of plowing through blockers, he plays like an old-school linebacker against the run, blowing up plays with some highlight-reel hits. He uses his long arms to deflect passes and close throwing lanes, taking up a massive amount of space in the middle of the field. In man coverage, he shows off his mirroring ability and can stay with backs, tight ends, and slot receivers with equal effectiveness, using his size/speed combo to his advantage in each matchup.

10: David Bailey — ED, Texas Tech

A transfer from Stanford, Bailey fires off the snap so quickly it sometimes looks like he left early. A violent pass rusher, he has so many moves he uses to go after the quarterback, using his quick first step and powerful hands to win one-on-one. He can stop and start on a time, adding extra layers to his pass rush moves other players simply can’t match. As a run defender, Bailey holds his own at the point of attack and maintains the edge well enough, pursuing to make big tackles for a loss.

11: Spencer Fano — OT, Utah

With experience at both right and left tackle, Fano stands out as an elite mover at the tackle position. His change-of-direction skills and fluidity are otherworldly, and he routinely puts them to use in the run game. When in space, he can redirect and connect on blocks most tackles simply can’t, and Utah frequently took advantage of this by using him as a lead blocker and pulling him around on lots of power and counter runs. When outflanked or initially beaten, he can recover with incredible quickness, staying engaged on the block and buying his quarterback more time.

12: Mansoor Delane — CB, LSU

A transfer from Virginia Tech, Delane has all-world change-of-direction abilities and movement skills. It doesn’t matter how fast he or the receiver is going, because he can turn on a dime with incredibly smooth hips and elite footwork to stay sticky in coverage. He can track multiple routes when playing zone with ease and plays off the quarterback well, jumping routes for easy picks and shutting down his area. At the catch point, he consistently rakes through the receiver’s arms to break up passes even if he can’t get his hands on the football.

13: Francis Mauigoa — OT, Miami

Mauigoa is an incredible mover at his size, with the fluidity and agility in space of a much smaller man. In the run game, he pancakes defenders on the move, gliding to his spots and clearing a path in front of him. In pass protection, he has excellent mirroring abilities, using quick feet and coordinated hands to keep his man in front of him and ward off pass rushers. He moves people, with some incredible drive blocking reps on tape and the functional power in both his hands and lower half to cause some serious damage in short-yardage situations.

14: Makai Lemon — WR, USC

A first-team All-Big Ten player, Lemon’s change-of-direction abilities are otherworldly, making moves in the open field that make defenders look silly. Whether he’s running complex routes or shaking guys after the catch, he’s slippery and tough for defenders to get their hands on. Combined with lightning-quick acceleration off the line of scrimmage, he can attack all levels of the field, running a complete route tree with a technical precision coaches will love.

15: Olaivavega Ioane — G, Penn State

A late arrival to the sport, Ioane is a load for defensive linemen to try to deal with in the trenches, consistently winning with power and imposing his will on the opposing front. He has massive, powerful hands that jolt defenders on contact and give him an immediate advantage off the snap. In pass protection, he stymies speed rushers with his quick punch and has the foot speed to stay in front of the shifty 3-techs he’s faced, with great hand usage to combat them and hold the pocket.

16: Jermod McCoy — CB, Tennessee

McCoy didn’t play at all in 2025 after tearing his ACL last January. But he has smooth hips and fluid transition abilities and is sticky in man coverage, keeping his assignment on lockdown with quick feet and natural reaction skills. He has great awareness, defending multiple routes in his area without losing anyone in traffic. He loves to bait quarterbacks into dangerous throws, using his eyes to manipulate them into attempting throws he’s ready to break on.

Borderline First-Round Picks

17: Dillon Thieneman — S, Oregon

A transfer from Purdue, Thieneman is a plus athlete even by NFL standards. He can play as a deep safety in single-high schemes, down in the box, or in the slot. He brings the boom in run support and in the secondary without sacrificing his fundamentals, slamming throwing windows shut and snuffing out screens and runs with consistency.

18: Malik Muhammad — CB, Texas

Muhammad is a supreme athlete, smooth as butter in his transitions and with exceptional closing speed from off-coverage. His athleticism translates to one-on-one assignments, with the deep speed to easily cover any receiver he faces and the short-area twitch to mirror shifty receivers through multiple breaks without losing stride. In zone, he has great eye discipline and the ability to read and react and otherworldly speeds.

19: Peter Woods — DT, Clemson

A former five-star recruit, Woods is such an explosive athlete for his size. He has uncanny quickness and fluidity to his movements, firing off the snap with a suddenness that catches blockers by surprise, thundering into them or dancing around them before they can react. He makes some incredible plays against the run, with consistent backfield production throughout his college career and solid fundamentals in that phase.

20: Keldric Faulk — ED, Auburn

Built in a lab to play on the defensive line in the NFL, Faulk can line up as a stand-up rusher, play with his hand in the dirt, or even reduce inside to moonlight at 3-technique. The power he has in his hands is staggering — often quite literally to the offensive linemen who have to stop him. He plays with devastating strength on contact, dislodging blockers and resetting the line of scrimmage. He’s not as fast as some of these smaller players, but he makes up for it with quick feet and freakish bend.

21: Max Klare — TE, Ohio State

A Purdue transfer, Klare is an elite route runner for the position. He can beat linebackers down the field and is too big for safeties and corners to match at the catch point. He’s fast and can decelerate surprisingly well for a man his size, creating consistent separation down the field. After the catch, he’s got some juice, though he’s more liable to run through someone than make them miss in the open field.

22: Christen Miller — DT, Georgia

Another monster from Georgia’s defensive line, Miller has elite foot speed and explosive quickness for an interior defensive lineman. With plus lateral agility as well, he has the fluid movement skills and speed to destroy many interior offensive linemen, shredding their pass sets off the snap. His ability to penetrate the backfield quickly is incredibly disruptive and he did it consistently, whether he made the play himself or caused enough havoc for someone else to.

23: KC Concepcion — WR, Texas A&M

A transfer from N.C. State, Concepcion is an excellent route runner, with a diverse route tree and an advanced ability to tempo his routes to create separation through fakes and quick cuts. He turns into a running back with the ball in his hands, weaving through the defense for huge plays. He’s liable to house a simple slant if he has an angle, and he routinely adds 10-15 extra yards after short catches.

24: Cashius Howell — ED, Texas A&M

A transfer from Bowling Green in 2024, Howell is moving before anyone else is, using his plus length to engage his blocker and set the tone for the rep. Few players in this class have as deep and as varied a bag of pass rush moves as he does, and he keeps tackles guessing all game long with his approach to each snap. He plays with good instincts in the backfield, with a knack for finishing plays and solid backfield production in each of his collegiate seasons.

25: Denzel Boston — WR, Washington

A hard worker who’s developed his game over several years with the Huskies, Boston has the size to dominate almost every cornerback he faces. He creates separation against press coverage through physicality and exceptional route running, with fantastic little moves to sell his routes and sharp breaks to get open. Over the middle of the field, Boston is a nightmare for defenses to cover, shredding them for routine chunk plays.

26: Kenyon Sadiq — TE, Oregon

A practical lock for the first round, Sadiq is an explosive vertical athlete, blowing past linebackers down the field and making safeties work hard to keep up with him. That game-changing speed makes him a difficult cover when combined with his body control and rapid acceleration and deceleration abilities, making him a great route runner. He can make people miss in space as easily as run through them — or hurdle over them.

Second-Round Talent

27: Gennings Dunker — G, Iowa

A college tackle who will move inside to guard at the next level, Dunker is a true people mover. In short yardage and goal line situations, he generates explosive vertical displacement, carving holes in the defensive front to pave lanes for the offense to use. In the run game, he moves well in space, climbing to the second level and erasing linebackers and safeties from the play. He has great quickness and mirroring ability for a guard, with the precision and hand usage to ward off even the most creative pass rushers.

28: Jadarian Price — RB, Notre Dame

Love’s backfield running mate in South Bend, Price plays with an appealing combination of speed and power. He runs like a bowling ball through contact, ripping through tackles and punishing defenders who get in his way. When he finds a little daylight, he accelerates in a heartbeat, leaving would-be tacklers flat-footed as he races past them. He plays with patience and vision behind the line of scrimmage, and he’s shown a surprisingly sophisticated route tree in limited opportunities.

29: Anthony Hill Jr. — LB, Texas

A former second-team All-American, Hill is a downhill playmaker. He reads the field incredibly well, putting his foot in the ground and making for the ball-carrier like he was shot out of a cannon. Combined with his impressive lateral quickness and agility, he can make insane plays against the run, covering sideline-to-sideline and making plays in the backfield. He plays with good awareness in space, keeping shallow receivers in front of him and rallying to make the tackle. Despite his reputation, he can get deep quickly and break up passes down the seam or on in-breaking routes from his underneath position.

30: Avieon Terrell — CB, Clemson

The younger brother of Falcons CB AJ Terrell, Avieon plays as physical as any corner I’ve scouted, punishing ball carriers in run support with routine highlight-reel hits. He’s a smooth mover with excellent transition abilities, mirroring receivers through their routes with ease. Positioning is one of his strengths, as a big part of his high ball production is due to his ability to be in the right place at the right time through a combination of athleticism and technique.

31: Emmanuel Pregnon — G, Oregon

A transfer from USC, Pregnon is as refined as they come after six years of college football. His hand placement and timing in the run game are immaculate, knocking defenders off-balance and maintaining tight control of the rep. With long arms and quick feet, he’s a fantastic pass blocker. He can establish initial contact and has a counter for every interior move, keeping low and flexible without compromising his solid base.

32: Keith Abney II — CB, Arizona State

A champion speed skater in his youth, Abney is an exceptionally fluid athlete. He offers no purchase to a receiver on his break, cleanly decelerating to prevent separation windows and using his smooth hips to stay attached. With quick feet and great recovery speed, he can close passing lanes from off coverage as well, or on the occasions he loses a step throughout the route.

33: Kamari Ramsey — S, USC

A transfer from UCLA, Ramsey is a safety/slot corner hybrid who can fire downhill and make plays near the line of scrimmage, unafraid of the physicality in traffic and arriving to the ball with purpose. He has the man coverage abilities of a cornerback, able to mirror tight ends and slot receivers with fluidity and quickness. His short-area agility is top-notch and it lets him stay sticky in man coverage against even the shiftiest receivers.

34: Lee Hunter — DT, Texas Tech

The well-traveled Hunter is a load to deal with down low. He’s a tremendous run defender, manning multiple gaps and blowing up rushing plays with his presence alone. He demolishes offensive linemen on contact, with overwhelming strength at the point of attack and the anchor to hold his ground against dedicated drive blocks. He has the foot quickness to execute complex pass rush packages and the strength to just bulldoze interior linemen.

35: Kayden McDonald — DT, Ohio State

A 2025 breakout, McDonald is a game-changing run defender. He regularly takes on double teams, easily holding his ground and often resetting the line of scrimmage back. His play strength is elite, occupying space and funneling the action towards his linebackers to come up and make tackles. With quick feet for his size and the ability to get skinny, McDonald can knife into the backfield effectively, blowing up plays when he wants to penetrate and contribute to the action directly.

36: T.J. Parker — ED, Clemson

It wasn’t the banner year Parker hoped for, but he’s a masterful technician of a pass rusher, with many different moves he uses to create pressure. His hand usage in particular is exceptional, with strong initial contact to set the tone and great hand-fighting skills to free himself from blocks. He doesn’t overpursue or lose contain often, and he’s disciplined in his rush lanes, not allowing the quarterback to scramble free through his side of the line.

37: Chris Johnson — CB, San Diego State

The highest-graded cornerback in PFF’s system in 2025, Johnson is an exceptionally skilled zone cornerback. He’s incredible at keeping route awareness in his area while focusing his eyes on the quarterback, baiting them into bad throws and making plays on the ball. His ability to trigger downhill lets him play with a soft cushion without giving up easy yards underneath, as he flies to the football with uncanny speed and is a sure tackler in space.

38: Caleb Banks — DT, Florida

Banks has been hampered by an injury recently, but he moves with a level of twitchiness and fluidity that sets him apart from other prospects. The way he moves just shouldn’t be possible at his size, and he shoots gaps like a man 50 pounds lighter. He can penetrate in an instant, forcing the issue off the snap with a quick first step and powerful hands that initiate contact and give him the space he needs to operate.

39: Trevor Goosby — OT, Texas

A first-year starter, Goosby has elite mobility and fluidity in space, able to change direction and mirror speed rushers with ease. At the snap, he’s often the first one moving, getting into his kickslide with burst yet under control. He has impressive flexibility at his size, able to get low in his stance and maintain good leverage throughout the play. He’s great in both zone and gap schemes, showcasing versatility in multiple offensive systems. When he gets his hands on someone, he locks them down with fantastic grip strength and the control to avoid drawing flags.

40: Daylen Everette — CB, Georgia

A college veteran, Everette has true vertical speed that lets him get depth quickly and shut off deep routes before they materialize. He’s comfortable playing multiple positions across the secondary and filling a variety of coverage roles, from deep-field safety to outside corner. With a plus wingspan and great play strength, he’s a bully at the catch point, consistently winning over bigger receivers through his timing, technique, and tenacity.

41: Chris Bell — WR, Louisville

Bell’s draft stock is a bit in flux given the ACL injury he sustained late in the season. He uses his size to his advantage, punishing defenders after the catch and running through arm tackles. With legit speed and surprising quickness and short-area agility, he creates separation at all levels of the field, tempoing his routes well and selling fakes to give him extra space. His deep-ball tracking is a plus, adjusting to off-target throws and reeling in well-placed passes in tight spaces.

42: Kadyn Proctor — OT, Alabama

A mammoth from Iowa, Proctor is a wall in pass protection, with massive arms and a wide stance that simply takes a lot of time for edge rushers to get around — if they can at all. He routinely stonewalls pass rushers by initiating contact with those long arms, stunning defenders with his heavy punch and disrupting their movement. Bull rushes die on contact with him in an almost comical fashion, and when he controls the rep, pass rushers are simply helpless.

43: Emmanuel McNeil-Warren — S, Toledo

McNeil-Warren is an unheralded player but boy is his tape fun. He has plus length and athleticism and is very fluid in space, with sharp change of direction skills and rapid acceleration that allows him to break on underneath passes and quick cuts to disrupt routes. With his size, he can physically match up in man coverage with tight ends, matching their height and being disruptive through the route.

44: Colton Hood — CB, Tennessee

A transfer from Colorado, Hood is best in man coverage, where he can use his plus athleticism and smooth hips to blanket receivers one-on-one. With good top speed and excellent short-area quickness and change-of-direction skills, he plays with great anticipation, putting in the work in the film room and showcasing it on game days.

45: Romello Height — ED, Texas Tech

Height previously played at Auburn, USC, and Georgia Tech before landing with the Red Raiders. He is a pass-rushing specialist with unmatched get-off, firing off the ball to apply immediate pressure on the opposing tackle on every rep. Quarterbacks are constantly forced to step up in the pocket when he’s barreling toward them, even if he doesn’t win cleanly. He has a deep bag of pass rush moves and some well-crafted counters to play off them, chaining moves in dizzying sequences that keep tackles guessing on every play.

46: D’Angelo Ponds — CB, Indiana

A slot corner in the NFL, Ponds has elite change-of-direction skills and a blazing fast top speed, allowing him to stay sticky with anyone in man coverage. He has silky-smooth hips and such natural deceleration skills that he rarely cedes any separation, even on quick routes designed to get easy yards. He’s great at diagnosing routes and beating receivers to the catch point, but he isn’t overaggressive to the point of getting burned.

47: Domonique Orange — DT, Iowa State

“Big Citrus” himself, Orange combines devastating power with surprisingly light feet for a nose tackle. This class’ “dancing bear,” he can penetrate quickly off the snap, getting vertical with speed and forcing the offensive line to reset to account for him. He moves people off the line of scrimmage, bulldozing blockers and completely destroying plays. Dedicated double teams and drive blocks are mere annoyances to him, as he has a strong anchor and isn’t moved off his spot.

48: Jake Slaughter — C, Florida

Slaughter has a bit of an unusual build for a center. He’s an all-world pass protector, playing under supreme control at all times. His hand usage is masterful and he knows how to manipulate spacing on the interior, pinning pass rushers inside and congesting the areas they can work from. He gets low in his stance and plays with outstanding leverage, using his powerful hands to move defenders off the ball and get under their pads.

49: Elijah Sarratt — WR, Indiana

A former FCS player, Sarratt owns the middle of the field. He absolutely shreds zone coverages, breaking open between defenders with uncanny timing on his routes. As a route runner, he has an advanced understanding of how to set up defenders, creating consistent separation.has excellent hands and rarely drops passes, securing tough catches consistently and never wavering to the point of concentration drops. He has plus body control at the catch point to keep his feet in-bounds and haul in passes outside his frame.

50: LT Overton — ED, Alabama

A tweener who’s best on the interior as a pass rusher, Overton moves incredibly well at his size. His change-of-direction skills are otherworldly, with the short-area quickness and bend of a man 30 pounds lighter. He has some ludicrous reps on film that other players simply can’t replicate, pulling off eye-popping moves with insane fluidity. He plays with earth-shattering hands, detonating on contact with blockers and straight-up moving people where he wants them to go.