2026 Watch List

[mayoclinic]

Updated top-25 and positional rankings from the Kipper:

2026 NFL draft Big Board rankings: Mel Kiper's top prospects

Mel Kiper Jr. updated his NFL draft rankings one last time. His Big Board stacks 150 prospects -- starting with Fernando Mendoza -- and goes deep at every position.

www.espn.com

 

[mayoclinic]

Nate Tice top 30:

2026 NFL Draft midseason big board: Several QBs to like, but SEC and Big Ten defenders are top prospects at this point

With more eyes starting to turn to next April, Nate Tice checks in with his second big board of the season.

sports.yahoo.com

He has Keldric Faulk at #1, which seems a tad high for me, and I'm a Faulk fan.

Arvell Reese #2, David Bailey #10.

Caleb Lomu his top OT.

 

[manxman2601]

Nate Tice top 30:

He has Keldric Faulk at #1, which seems a tad high for me, and I'm a Faulk fan.

Arvell Reese #2, David Bailey #10.

I can't get there myself, but I think it speaks to how relatively poor the top of this draft is, especially when three of the best prospects are a RB, a LB and a S.

Woods and Parker have underperformed, Tyson is not a conventional X and Bain is not your traditional top 5 pass rusher in terms of length and athleticism. All are very good but I question whether they are blue chippers.

 

[mayoclinic]

Daniel Jeremiah agrees with you.

 

[mayoclinic]

A to Z Sports top 100 big board:

https://atozsports.com/nfl-draft/2026-nfl-draft-top-100-big-board-battle-for-qb1-still-wide-open-elite-edge-rusher-ranks-fernando-mendoza-ty-simpson-dante-moore-jeremiyah-love-caleb-downs/

Of interest:

14. Arvell Reese, LB, Ohio St.
22. David Bailey, EDGE, Texas tech
31. Sonny Styles, LB, Ohio St.
45. Anthony Hill, LB, Texas
63. Zion Young, EDGE, Missouri
66. Zakee Wheatley, S, Penn St.
80. Trevor Goosby, OT, Texas
84. Carter Smith, OT, Indiana
85. Kage Casey, OT, Boise St.
86. Michael Taaffe, S, Texas
87. Jadarian Price, RB, Notre Dame
91. Julian Neal, CB, Arkansas
92. Blake Miller, OT, Clemson

No Jelani McDonald, Quincy Rhodes, Jake Golday, Mateen Ibirogba, Fa'alili Fa'amoe, Austin Siereveld, or Ian Strong.

 

[manxman2601]

31. Sonny Styles, LB, Ohio St.
45. Anthony Hill, LB, Texas

63. Zion Young, EDGE, Missouri
66. Zakee Wheatley, S, Penn St.

86. Michael Taaffe, S, Texas
87. Jadarian Price, RB, Notre Dame
91. Julian Neal, CB, Arkansas

Round 1, round 2 and round 3 righ there. It writes itself really. OL double dip in round 4.

Just based purely upon those rankings.

 

[mayoclinic]

From that board:

29. Sonny Styles, LB (31)
62. Zakee Wheatley, S (66)
93. Julian Neal, CB (91)

Sign Jaelan Phillips in FA and defense fixed.

OL in round 4 x 2:

RT: Monroe Freeling PJ Williams, Fa'alili Fa'amoe, Max Iheanachor, ...

IOL: Austin Siereveld, Logan Jones, ...

 

[p8ryts]

Round 1, round 2 and round 3 righ there. It writes itself really. OL double dip in round 4.

Just based purely upon those rankings.

We certainly need those positions improved but aren't there any Olinemen worthy in there?

 

[mayoclinic]

There are plenty of OLs. But based on those rankings, we would be using our 1st round pick to get an OL with a second round grade, or our 2nd round pick to get an OL with a 3rd round grade.

 

[manxman2601]

We certainly need those positions improved but aren't there any Olinemen worthy in there?

See Mayo's reply above. I was just looking purely at the rankings.

 

[mayoclinic]

From The Athletic:

Ten rising NFL Draft 2026 prospects, including R Mason Thomas, Jacob Rodriguez

Ohio State's Kayden McDonald and Indiana's Carter Smith are climbing draft boards, too. Who else is on the list?

www.nytimes.com

Lots of Manx's guys.

 

[manxman2601]

From The Athletic:

Ten rising NFL Draft 2026 prospects, including R Mason Thomas, Jacob Rodriguez

Ohio State's Kayden McDonald and Indiana's Carter Smith are climbing draft boards, too. Who else is on the list?

www.nytimes.com

Lots of Manx's guys.

Add Keionte Scott to my binky list. Perhaps he's too limited to the nickel role backup for us, but his game very much matches Vrabel's aggressive, violent defensive philosophy.

 

[mayoclinic]

College Football 2026 NFL Draft Stock Up Week 10: Olaivavega Ioane, Malachi Lawrence & More

Check out four Stock Up selections and seven honorable mentions for Week 10

sportstalk.substack.com

 

[mayoclinic]

https://atozsports.com/nfl-draft/2026-nfl-draft-defensive-intel-arvell-reese-rueben-bain-jr-mansoor-delane/

 

[mayoclinic]

Top-100 list from Mike Renner at CBS Sports:

Renner's 2026 NFL Draft Big Board: Top 100 prospects as a defense-heavy class forms and the QB picture evolves

Ranking the top 2026 NFL Draft prospects as defenders surge and QBs battle for position.

www.cbssports.com

Some interesting ones:

28. Jake Golday, LB, Cincinnati. Has him ranked ahead of Sonny Styles and Anthony Hill: "Golday has the rare combination of edge-rusher size and safety-level athleticism. He can do it all at the second level."
30. Sonny Styles, LB, Ohio St.
31. Trevor Goosby, OT, Texas
35. Omar Cooper, WR, Indiana. Ahead of Denzel Boston and Chris Bell.
38. Mansoor Delane, CB, LSU
39. Anthony Hill, WR, Texas
40. Kade Pieper, IOL, Iowa
52. Kenyon Sadiq, TE, Oregon
53. Mateen Ibirogba, DL, Wake Forest
57. Keionte Scott, CB, Miami: "Scott is easily my favorite slot cornerback in the draft class. His short-area quickness and toughness are put on full display every week. If he could just wrap up a little more consistently, he could be a top-50 pick."
58. Cayden Green, IOL, Missouri
64. Dillon Thieneman, S, Oregon
68. Alex Harkey, OK, Oregon
70. Conner Lew, IOL, Auburn
71. Julian Neal, CB, Arkansas
72. Chris Bell, WR, Louisville
80. Zakee Wheatley, S, Penn St.
81. Chris Johnson, CB, San Diego St.
85. Akheem Mesidor, EDGE, Miami
91. Chase Bisontis, IOL, Missouri
94. Keith Abney, CB, Arizona St.
95. Carter Smith, OT, Indiana

Renner also has some guys I don't know much about, which is always exciting:

50. Josiah Trotter, LB, Missouri
75. Ethan Burke, EDGE, Texas
82. Terrance Carter, TE, Texas Tech
83. Jamel Johnson, S, TCU
87. Hero Kanu, DL, Texas
92. Red Murdock, LB, Buffalo
96. Javier Lawson, EDGE, Clemson
99. Devin Moore, CB, Florida

 

[Clonamery]

Top-100 list from Mike Renner at CBS Sports:

Renner's 2026 NFL Draft Big Board: Top 100 prospects as a defense-heavy class forms and the QB picture evolves

Ranking the top 2026 NFL Draft prospects as defenders surge and QBs battle for position.

www.cbssports.com

Some interesting ones:

28. Jake Golday, LB, Cincinnati. Has him ranked ahead of Sonny Styles and Anthony Hill: "Golday has the rare combination of edge-rusher size and safety-level athleticism. He can do it all at the second level."
30. Sonny Styles, LB, Ohio St.
31. Trevor Goosby, OT, Texas
35. Omar Cooper, WR, Indiana. Ahead of Denzel Boston and Chris Bell.
38. Mansoor Delane, CB, LSU
39. Anthony Hill, WR, Texas
40. Kade Pieper, IOL, Iowa
52. Kenyon Sadiq, TE, Oregon
53. Mateen Ibirogba, DL, Wake Forest
57. Keionte Scott, CB, Miami: "Scott is easily my favorite slot cornerback in the draft class. His short-area quickness and toughness are put on full display every week. If he could just wrap up a little more consistently, he could be a top-50 pick."
58. Cayden Green, IOL, Missouri
64. Dillon Thieneman, S, Oregon
68. Alex Harkey, OK, Oregon
70. Conner Lew, IOL, Auburn
71. Julian Neal, CB, Arkansas
72. Chris Bell, WR, Louisville
80. Zakee Wheatley, S, Penn St.
81. Chris Johnson, CB, San Diego St.
85. Akheem Mesidor, EDGE, Miami
91. Chase Bisontis, IOL, Missouri
94. Keith Abney, CB, Arizona St.
95. Carter Smith, OT, Indiana

Renner also has some guys I don't know much about, which is always exciting:

50. Josiah Trotter, LB, Missouri
75. Ethan Burke, EDGE, Texas
82. Terrance Carter, TE, Texas Tech
83. Jamel Johnson, S, TCU
87. Hero Kanu, DL, Texas
92. Red Murdock, LB, Buffalo
96. Javier Lawson, EDGE, Clemson
99. Devin Moore, CB, Florida

Manx was talking up Red Murdock the other day.

 

[mayoclinic]

It's interesting to compare the difference between big boards, and who is left off. Are players left off because evaluators don't rate them highly enough, or because they are not on those evaluators radar (or, if underclassmen, because they don't see them declaring)?

For example, it's hard to see PFF mocking Austin Siereveld at 30, and CBS Sports or A to Z not having them on their top 100 list. Cayden Green goes 19 in one mock, doesn't make the top 100 on another board. There are many other examples.

That's the fun of this draft, finding Gold. IMHO, the goal should be:

1. Hitting on your day 1 and 2 picks.
2. Finding at least 2-3 day 2 talents who slip through the cracks to day 3.

Siereveld not a bad late 1st round option, IMHO. Getting him day 2 would be awesome. Getting him in the 4th round would be incredible.

Again, there are many other examples.

 

[mayoclinic]

5 prospects dramatically elevating their NFL draft profiles in 2025

Five prospects dramatically elevating their 2026 NFL draft profiles in 2025 in the eyes of Draft Wire's Jeff Risdon

draftwire.usatoday.com

Need to check out NIU's Roy Williams.

 

[manxman2601]

Top-100 list from Mike Renner at CBS Sports:

Renner's 2026 NFL Draft Big Board: Top 100 prospects as a defense-heavy class forms and the QB picture evolves

Ranking the top 2026 NFL Draft prospects as defenders surge and QBs battle for position.

www.cbssports.com

Some interesting ones:

57. Keionte Scott, CB, Miami: "Scott is easily my favorite slot cornerback in the draft class. His short-area quickness and toughness are put on full display every week. If he could just wrap up a little more consistently, he could be a top-
85. Akheem Mesidor, EDGE, Miami
92. Red Murdock, LB, Buffalo

Oh man. These were my day 3 bankers.

 

[mayoclinic]

More of the same from Rob Staton at Seahawksdraftblog:

10 thoughts on 2026 NFL Draft prospects – Seahawks Draft Blog

seahawksdraftblog.com