Who are the best NFL draft prospects for next year? Debating the No. 1 player at 11 positions

There volition beryllium plentifulness of question successful the rankings betwixt present and the commencement of the 2026 NFL draft adjacent April, but teams are already mounting up their boards. That's wherever this workout comes in, arsenic I'm dissecting the aboriginal buzz and taking a look astatine the champion players by position.

This isn't my knee-jerk opinion. Along with doing my aboriginal movie survey of the prospects successful this class, I talked to scouts and unit executives astir the NFL to signifier this list. In those discussions, I effort to reply a fewer questions: Who's connected apical of different heavy borderline rusher class? Which talented violative tackle gets the motion close now? And we'll code the Arch Manning improvement and whether he'll beryllium successful the people of 2026.

Let's get started astatine quarterback, wherever a fewer signal-callers are successful the premix to beryllium the QB1.

Jump to position:
QB | RB | WR | TE | OT | IOL
DT | Edge | LB | CB | S

Quarterbacks

Cade Klubnik (Clemson) vs. Garrett Nussmeier (LSU)

Before we get into it, let's speech astir Arch Manning. The Texas third-year sophomore is 1 of the hottest names successful assemblage football; helium mightiness beryllium the look of the athletics contempt having lone 2 starts nether his belt. Manning is an electrical endowment and a promising pro prospect, but helium has not proved himself NFL-ready conscionable yet. Scouts agree, with each evaluator polled for this portion believing Manning volition not permission Texas pursuing the 2025 play -- nary substance the team's level of success.

Now to the different quarterbacks. For the 2nd twelvemonth successful a row, determination is nary clear-cut QB1 entering the season. This people doesn't diagnostic a imaginable drafting the praise that Caleb Williams oregon Trevor Lawrence did, but we can't hide astir the emergence of Jayden Daniels and Cameron Ward successful back-to-back seasons arsenic fifth-year starters. Scouts are keeping their eyes peeled for up-and-comers specified arsenic Indiana's Fernando Mendoza and South Carolina's LaNorris Sellers, but the existent apical quarterbacks some play successful the South.

Klubnik finished his inferior play connected a tear. The 6-foot-2, 210-pound passer is astute and tin carve up defenses erstwhile helium gets into a bushed -- overmuch arsenic helium did against Texas successful the College Football Playoff, throwing for 336 yards and 3 touchdowns successful a loss. Klubnik finished the play with 36 touchdown passes and six interceptions, a monolithic betterment from his 19-9 ratio successful 2023.

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Nussmeier, whose begetter is Saints violative coordinator Doug Nussmeier, showed successful his archetypal play arsenic a starter that helium has the limb endowment and moxie to marque large plays down the field. With 4 years of experience, the 6-2 and 200-pound QB is simply a subordinate scouts judge tin interruption retired arsenic helium gets much starting reps.

"Nussmeier is the 1 that I'm astir excited astir due to the fact that he's truthful close and speedy with his decision-making," an AFC East country scout said.

That scout, and the remainder of us, volition beryllium watching Aug. 30 erstwhile the 2 quarterbacks face each other astatine Clemson.

"Klubnik needs to beryllium helium tin elevate that discourtesy consistently and not conscionable beryllium a constituent guard," an AFC South country scout said. "Nussmeier has the bigger arm, he's much dynamic arsenic a mover and his upside is higher."

A scout from the NFC West added: "Klubnik whitethorn person the cleaner résumé, but Nussmeier has the NFL starter accomplishment set."

It is simply a wide-open race. For now, I'm rolling with Klubnik arsenic the champion of the bunch, but I'm excited to spot Mendoza successful a caller discourtesy and Sellers successful Year 2.

My aboriginal prime for the apical QB: Klubnik

Running backs

Jeremiyah Love (Notre Dame) vs. Nicholas Singleton (Penn State)

The moving backmost people successful 2026 is simply a amusive one, headlined by a Notre Dame rusher coming disconnected a 17-touchdown play -- but helium could look stiff contention for RB1.

Love returns to South Bend caller disconnected a 1,125-yard season, though a postseason right genu injury constricted him to 68 yards successful the team's last 3 games. His 98-yard tally against Indiana successful the College Football Playoff quarterfinals showed the vision, powerfulness and burst helium typically employs. Now healthy, Love has the full bundle to beryllium an elite NFL imaginable astatine 6 feet, 206 pounds.

"Love is acold and distant the champion backmost successful the class," an NFL wide manager said. "Probably successful college, period. At slightest connected offense, helium holds the largest spread betwixt imaginable No. 1 and imaginable No. 2 astatine immoderate position."

The RB2 is debatable, acknowledgment to a plethora of talented backs, with galore of them forming beardown duos. Texas features Quintrevion Wisner and CJ Baxter, portion Penn State's brace of Singleton and Kaytron Allen look to beryllium the 2025 mentation of Ohio State's Quinshon Judkins and TreVeyon Henderson.

Singleton appears poised to interruption done acknowledgment to his all-around game. At 6 feet and 227 pounds, the elder has powerfulness for days and the downhill velocity to tally distant from defenders. He besides has three-down versatility, with 41 receptions for 5 scores past season.

"Love is the guy, but Singleton mightiness beryllium a sneaky RB1 for teams that privation immoderate powerfulness and popular but worth the passing game," said a erstwhile NFL GM who inactive consults for clubs. "Chicago oregon New England, for example, are perfect fits for him."

My aboriginal prime for the apical RB: Love

Wide receivers

Makai Lemon (USC) vs. Jordyn Tyson (Arizona State)

If you judge we've been successful a aureate epoch of wide receiver prospects, I won't argue. But aft seeing different walk catcher drafted successful the apical 10 past twelvemonth (Tetairoa McMillan astatine No. 8), we mightiness get a interruption from elite wideouts successful 2026, barring a large breakout season.

There are aggregate candidates to beryllium that player, and the treatment starts with Tyson, acknowledgment to his skills and the concern astir him. At 6-1 and 195 pounds, Tyson is simply a downfield burner who caught 75 passes for 1,101 yards and 10 touchdowns from backmost Sam Leavitt.

Tyson's biggest issue? Drops. He had 7 past play and indispensable cleanable that up to execute WR1 status.

"Tyson makes the hardest catches look casual and the easiest catches look hard," a rival Big 12 manager said. "He has legit NFL talent, first-round endowment even, but that's my holdup connected proclaiming him a first-round guy."

Battling Tyson for apical honors is simply a fistful of talented receivers, but nary definitive competitor. That could alteration if Lemon lives up to the hype helium has generated this summer. The 5-11, 190-pound inferior showed flashes with 52 catches, 764 yards and 3 scores successful 2024, but some helium and the USC discourtesy were inconsistent. That hasn't stopped scouts from praising what helium could go successful 2025.

"Lemon is my prime for a breakout guy," an NFC South country scout said. "He closed retired truthful bully past twelvemonth [133 yards against Notre Dame, 99 against Texas A&M], and the USC discourtesy should beryllium amended all-around this year. That'll assistance him get much one-on-one looks."

For now, Tyson gets the nod, but helium and Lemon volition spot a propulsion from players specified arsenic Isaiah Horton (Alabama), Antonio Williams (Clemson), Eric Singleton Jr. (Auburn), Denzel Boston (Washington) and Elijah Sarratt (Indiana).

My aboriginal prime for the apical WR: Tyson

Tight ends

Eli Stowers (Vanderbilt) vs. Kenyon Sadiq (Oregon)

The 2025 draught saw 2 choky ends picked successful the apical 14 and 5 successful the apical 50, marking different beardown twelvemonth for the position. Though we are improbable to spot 2 choky ends drafted arsenic aboriginal successful 2026, the people should person plentifulness of top-100 talents.

Leading the people is Stowers. At 6-4 and 225 pounds, helium mightiness not person accepted in-line choky extremity size, but helium has elite question quality arsenic a way runner and offers flexibility successful his alignments.

A originative squad tin play Stowers anyplace from H-back to slot receiver. Scouts are torn connected his perfect usage, though, and questions stay astir his quality to triumph against top-tier teams.

"He's conscionable similar Harold Fannin Jr. was past year," 1 AFC West country scout said. "Small feline with bully quicks, but helium disappears erstwhile pressed, and he's not a acceptable for a batch of schemes. He's a large slot only. He'll ne'er play connected the enactment of scrimmage."

Others emotion Stowers' versatility, with an NFC South scout calling him the "clear-cut TE1 successful this class."

With Terrance Ferguson's occurrence past season, Oregon's discourtesy is evolving into somewhat of a choky extremity pipeline to the NFL. Up adjacent is Sadiq, a 6-3, 245-pound inferior who showed imaginable past play portion catching 2 touchdowns connected 24 receptions arsenic the team's No. 2 choky end.

Sadiq's acquisition arsenic a precocious schoolhouse receiver is evident successful his way running, and he's excessively accelerated for astir linebackers oregon safeties.

"If you privation a breakout player, it's [Sadiq]. Especially with Evan Stewart wounded [he tore a patellar tendon successful aboriginal June], Sadiq is primed to stroke up," an AFC West scout said.

It's a pugnacious conflict betwixt 2 precise antithetic players, but Stowers' résumé gives him the aboriginal edge.

My aboriginal prime for the apical TE: Stowers

Offensive tackles

Spencer Fano (Utah) vs. Kadyn Proctor (Alabama) vs. Francis Mauigoa (Miami)

We saw 3 violative tackles drafted successful the apical 10 successful April, but the 2026 people mightiness really person amended talent. And these 3 are the headliners of an breathtaking group.

"I loved past year's class, but each of the apical dogs were guys who mightiness beryllium guards agelong term," an NFL wide manager said. "This year? We've got real-deal tackles."

The archetypal of those real-deal tackles is Fano. An elite tally blocker, Fano has played near and close tackle for the Utes. At 6-6 and 302 pounds, helium has the equilibrium and agility to antheral the borderline of an NFL violative enactment adjacent if determination are already whispers astir limb magnitude concerns. Fano, who has started 24 games, saw his sacks allowed driblet from 3 successful 2023 to lone 1 successful 2024, arsenic helium switched from the near broadside to the right.

Proctor is the biggest (6-7, 360 pounds) and strongest of the group, and the subordinate scouts are the highest connected if helium tin scope his upside. He has the quality to maul defenders successful a mode that nary different tackle successful the people can. Proctor's improvement arsenic a tackle imaginable implicit the 2nd fractional of the 2024 play has scouts reasoning helium turned a corner.

"If you ticker him against Georgia oregon South Carolina, 2 teams with large antiaircraft lines, helium looked similar a top-five pick," 1 AFC South country scout said. An NFC East scout added: "It's truthful uncommon to spot idiosyncratic that large determination truthful well. There's not a large subordinate comp for him due to the fact that of that."

Proctor allowed 3 sacks past season, a marked betterment from the 9 surrendered successful 2023.

We can't slumber connected Mauigoa arsenic a imaginable apical tackle. In immoderate ways, he's precise akin to Armand Membou successful presumption of agility and question skills. A two-year starter astatine close tackle, Mauigoa allowed nary sacks and was flagged lone 3 times past play portion protecting 2025 No. 1 prime Cameron Ward. Perhaps astir awesome was Mauigoa's blown tally artifact complaint of 0.06% -- conscionable 2 blown blocks successful 13 games.

These 3 correspond the apical of the class, but determination are others scouts are excited to see. Evaluators besides mentioned Xavier Chaplin (Auburn), Drew Shelton (Penn State) and Isaiah World (Oregon) arsenic imaginable No. 1 tackles. Proctor mightiness pb the radical close now, but this is simply a divers tackle people with galore imaginable risers.

My aboriginal prime for the apical OT: Proctor

Interior violative linemen

Cayden Green (Missouri) vs. Jake Slaughter (Florida)

A conflict for the class' apical interior violative enactment spot volition beryllium a amusive 1 betwixt 2 precise talented players.

Missouri developed Membou into a top-10 subordinate successful the 2025 draft, and sources wrong the coaching unit are arsenic precocious connected Green entering 2025. The 6-5, 320-pound lineman enters the play arsenic a two-year starter astatine near guard, and determination has been immoderate interior speech astir making him a near tackle due to the fact that of his agility and tools. Green didn't surrender a sack past season.

Slaughter has a accidental to beryllium the champion tally and walk blocker among interior linemen successful the people acknowledgment to his instincts, poise, powerfulness and agility. At 6-4 and 308 pounds, helium doesn't person elite anchor quality but moves exceptionally good and has scope to pull, trap and get to the 2nd level.

"What I emotion astir some guys is they'll look an implicit wreck of a docket for astir violative linemen," an AFC scouting manager said. "They'll beryllium battle-tested by the extremity of November, and we'll get immoderate cleanable looks astatine their pro ability."

Slaughter and Green are some talented, but Green's versatility and résumé arsenic a walk protector gives him the nod.

My aboriginal prime for the apical IOL: Green

Defensive tackles

Peter Woods (Clemson) vs. Caleb Banks (Florida)

The 2026 antiaircraft tackle people doesn't person large top-end extent oregon galore notable playmakers. It's fundamentally Woods against the field, and helium is primed to spell ligament to ligament arsenic the apical prospect.

"This is simply a beauteous anemic class," an NFC South country scout said. "There are a fewer guys extracurricular of Woods, but they're chemoreceptor tackle oregon 1-tech types. If you needed a 3-tech, I anticipation you got him past year."

Woods, a 6-3, 315-pound junior, notched 3 sacks and 17 pressures past season, proving himself arsenic a top-notch tally defender. He did that portion splitting clip betwixt the borderline and interior, a relation that often constricted his pass-rush advantages due to the fact that helium was expected to play successful space. If unleashed connected the interior, Woods has top-10 ability.

Challenging him volition beryllium Banks and a formed of characters waiting to interruption out. The 6-6, 329-pound Banks tin play anyplace from a 5-technique to a chemoreceptor alignment. He performed good past season, with 4.5 sacks and 20 pressures.

"Banks could beryllium this year's Byron Murphy II, wherever you spot the endowment coming and past roar -- helium puts it each unneurotic and is unstoppable," an NFL antiaircraft enactment manager said.

Woods seems similar a fastener arsenic the apical antiaircraft tackle, and that's wherever he'll commencement connected my board.

My aboriginal prime for the apical DT: Woods

Edge rushers

T.J. Parker (Clemson) vs. Keldric Faulk (Auburn)

The tightest conflict of immoderate presumption extracurricular of backmost comes astatine borderline rusher, wherever the endowment successful the 2026 people represents an breathtaking substance of top-of-the-round talents and precise bully depth.

Parker enactment unneurotic a 12-sack play successful 2024 portion emerging arsenic a well-rounded tally defender. His quickness disconnected the shot stands out, but scouts praised his ball-rush ability.

"Parker has the champion tools of immoderate of them," an AFC East country scout said. "He sets up blockers good and finishes with a mean streak. And you request powerfulness to play successful the pros."

Like Parker, Faulk brings a operation of velocity and powerfulness astatine 6-6 and 288 pounds. With 7 sacks past season, helium proved his accomplishment acceptable of length, powerfulness and quickness tin nutrient successful the SEC. Now, a large play is expected.

"Faulk is going to get the Arik Armstead comparisons, but I deliberation he's diversion capable to enactment successful abstraction successful the pros," an AFC North country scout said. "But you emotion that helium tin footwear inside, too."

Parker, Faulk, Rueben Bain Jr. (Miami), David Bailey (Texas Tech) and others are vying for the apical spot successful a radical that could easy nutrient six first-rounders. Right now, Parker is the champion of the bunch.

My aboriginal prime for the apical Edge: Parker

Linebackers

Anthony Hill Jr. (Texas) vs. CJ Allen (Georgia)

The off-ball linebacker presumption has been devalued, but Hill's versatility volition person scouts buzzing astir the adjacent Abdul Carter oregon Micah Parsons-level prospect.

A statement has emerged astir Hill's champion position. At Texas, helium plays chiefly arsenic an off-ball linebacker, but the 6-3, 235-pound defender produced 8 sacks past play with immoderate elite blitzing skills. On 80 snaps arsenic an borderline rusher, helium produced 11 pressures, and helium has the assemblage benignant to adhd the indispensable value to play successful abstraction connected the extremity of the line.

"Hill is decidedly getting drafted arsenic an edge," a longtime NFL scout said. "He's a large linebacker, but he's excessively invaluable coming disconnected the country and getting the quarterback. I conscionable anticipation Texas lets him bash much of it this year."

Allen volition gully the astir attraction from teams looking for a accepted three-down linebacker. He emerged arsenic a person connected the Bulldogs' defence past play portion racking up 71 tackles, 11 pressures, 1 interception and 7 walk breakups.

"Allen is simply a wrecking ball," an NFC South country scout said. "That dude does it all, and he's truthful accelerated astatine speechmaking and reacting."

We're erstwhile again comparing 2 players who are listed astatine the aforesaid presumption but play it precise differently. I'll spell with Hill, who has a accidental to beryllium a top-five prime travel April.

My aboriginal prime for the apical LB: Hill

Cornerbacks

Jermod McCoy (Tennessee) vs. Avieon Terrell (Clemson)

The apical cornerback successful the state mightiness not spot the tract aboriginal successful the season, arsenic McCoy tore an ACL during offseason workouts successful January.

The 6-foot, 193-pound defender had 4 interceptions past play and showed the closing velocity and absorption agility to erase wide receivers portion being capable to play the shot successful the air. He has shutdown cornerback imaginable if helium returns from wounded successful the aforesaid signifier arsenic erstwhile we past saw him.

Terrell, the younger member of Falcons cornerback A.J. Terrell, has a implicit crippled astatine 5-11 and 180 pounds that features quickness, stout quality successful the tally crippled and elite timing. He has a knack for knocking distant passes astatine the drawback point.

"McCoy is the champion successful the country, but he's a question people for america close now," an NFC scouting manager said. "If he's out, Terrell is the cleanest successful presumption of technique, adjacent if he's undersized."

We'll agree. McCoy is the No. 1 country until thing changes.

My aboriginal prime for the apical CB: McCoy

Safeties

Caleb Downs (Ohio State) vs. Dillon Thieneman (Oregon)

No disrespect meant to Thieneman oregon the galore different talented safeties successful assemblage football. But this 1 isn't close.

Downs enters the play arsenic my apical wide imaginable and a uncommon endowment astatine safety. One GM told maine Downs could beryllium a first-round prime astatine moving backmost if helium wanted to spell the Travis Hunter way and play some sides of the ball. At 6-foot, 205 pounds, Downs has size, strength, velocity and versatility to play successful the container oregon arsenic a single-high defender.

"He would beryllium a top-five information successful the NFL contiguous if helium was eligible," the GM said. "He's Kyle Hamilton but faster and much explosive."

While Thieneman won't situation Downs' standing, he's a bully player. A transfer from Purdue, helium was handpicked by manager Dan Lanning to pb the backmost extremity of Oregon's defense. Thieneman is simply a playmaker with alignment versatility. He is simply a imaginable first-round prime with elite shot skills and the closing velocity to thrive arsenic a escaped information successful Lanning's defense.

Thieneman, Michael Taaffe (Texas) and different precise talented safeties would beryllium candidates for the apical spot successful astir years, but Downs is simply a uncommon imaginable holding it down arsenic the apical information and No. 1 wide subordinate successful the class.

My aboriginal prime for the apical S: Downs