Whether you're a Pittsburgh Steelers fanatic or an NFL Draft sicko (or perhaps both if you're like me), the best time of the year is officially upon us as football season has finally arrived. For many of you, your weekends will be entirely spent in front of the television, and it's a decision that I wholeheartedly endorse. Week one of the college football schedule is set to kick off, so let's talk about some intriguing prospects worthy of being placed on your radar.
Months ago, I gave pretty detailed thoughts on the quarterback and wide receiver classes, knowing that those are two positions that Omar Khan and company will assuredly be keeping close tabs on. Every cycle, each analyst has their collection of prospects that they hold near and dear to their heart, aka the "my guys" list. In addition to guys like Indiana signal caller Fernando Mendoza and USC weapon Makai Lemon highlighted in articles above, these are the guys that I'm most bullish on compared to others.
It's obviously still very early in the process, but below are a couple of my preliminary flag plants for the 2026 NFL Draft. The number in parenthesis beside each player is where they are currently ranked on the consensus board, and you will notice that most of these prospects are not slam-dunk selections. That's on purpose. Everyone loves Archie Manning, Peter Woods, and Caleb Downs ! The point of this piece is merely to introduce some names that you may have not heard about so far so that you can follow their journey throughout the fall. Enjoy!
Rapidly ascending prospect with mesmerizing physical tools. Fano has limitless pocket range and advanced hand usage well beyond his years as a pass protector, while simultaneously being a legit mauler in the run game with a nasty play demeanor. There's a reality in which he's the first tackle off the board in April, especially after adding some mass this offseason, presumably to help improve the stability of his anchor.
Juiced-up Junior has matchup nightmare written all over him due to his smooth movement skills up the seam, creativity as a ball carrier on designed touches, and upside as an in-line blocker due to his now 255-pound frame. With just 30 career receptions, his overall body of work seems underwhelming on the surface; however, keep in mind that he was playing behind a fellow top-50 selection in Terrance Ferguson . He's a loose mover that should see an expanded route tree in 2025.
Boundary cornerback with plenty of press-man experience, regularly blankets receivers on vertical routes, and has a proven ability to weaponize his length at the catch point with nine forced incompletions last season. While playing near the line of scrimmage is his calling card, he's comfortable playing with vision on the quarterback, plays with an edge, and is a reliable tackler. He can be a bit overaggressive, but you'd rather say "whoa" than "sic 'em."
Undersized edge with impressive springs off the ball, a natural feel for how to soften the corner up the arc, but the change of direction ability leads to some wicked inside counters. Even beyond his one-on-one proficiency, Howell projects as an exciting chess piece for the current NFL landscape, with his ability to drop into coverage and be an asset in the stunt game. His underlying metric suggests he's ready for another jump in production with more playing time.
Chris Bell, Louisville Athletics
Despite modest box score production, Bell is a height-weight-speed specimen worth betting on in this upcoming receiver class. He possesses the top gear to pull away from opponents, operates like a power forward in contested catch situations, and is extremely dangerous with the football in his hands after the catch. His route tree should continually expand with more time on task and offers significant upside in a class searching for game breakers.
Feisty corner that is built for the modern NFL with his inside/outside versatility, fluid hips, good closing burst to bounce into throwing lanes, and rare playmaking ability for the collegiate level. Scott doesn't panic when caught out of phase, albeit something that happens a touch too often right now, and will compete at the catch point by playing through the hands if necessary. He projects as an immediate starter regardless of defensive scheme.
Monstrous nose tackle with built-in leverage, heavy hands that resemble cinder blocks, and consistent block recognition skills. For someone just shy of 330 pounds, Orange moves really well, capable of getting on blockers' edges, and his 2024 tape dismisses the notion of him being merely a two-down player. He can create disruption, hold the point on attack, and collect blocks for his teammates, meaning his stock should continue to rise over the course of the year.
Developmental signal caller with dual threat ability, evidenced by a live arm to push the ball on a line on deep out-breakers to the sideline, plus the straight-line speed and wiggle to create explosive plays with his legs. His 2024 tape displayed glimpses of anticipation and consistent aggression as a 19-year-old operating in a pro-style offense without a ton of surrounding talent. The scattershot accuracy is troublesome right now, which will have to improve if he wants to go from an intriguing dart throw to someone that NFL organizations can trust to lead their franchise.
CJ Baxter, Texas Athletics
A forgotten talent after a knee injury wiped away his sophomore campaign, but Baxter has excellent size at 6-foot-1, 230 pounds, is a terror to get on the ground, and has good vision, particularly on outside zone runs. As an 18-year-old freshman, he broke 29 tackles and averaged an eye-popping 2.94 yards after contact on just 139 attempts. There's an obvious level of unpredictability in predicting how long it takes him to get back up to speed, but this kid can really play.
The Rockets' latest underrated gem wears a bunch of different hats in the secondary, with good range combined with natural instincts to cover ground in the deep part of the field, but also the size and physicality to bang in the box. Even though he missed a couple games in 2024, he's forced an astounding eight fumbles over the last two seasons with timely punches and aggressive rips on contact, but not at the expense of missed tackles. He's the riser to watch in the MAC.
This article originally appeared on Steelers Now : Bell: Ten Underrated 2026 NFL Draft Prospects to Watch
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