2026 NFL Draft top prospects by position: Who are the best players to watch?

2026 NFL Draft top prospects by position: Who are the best players to watch? originally appeared on NBC Sports Boston

It’s one thing to be drafted, but it’s another thing to be the best of the best.

The 2026 NFL Draft , set to held from April 23-25 in Pittsburgh , is quickly approaching as players will soon learn their future fate. Teams are now likely wrapping up their final evaluations of the players, whether it’s the top picks or potential undrafted free agents.

This upcoming class has several areas of depth or other spots lacking high-end talent. Who are the top players at each position? Which schools are well-represented? And which rounds might these players be drafted in?

Here are the five best prospects for every position :

Quarterbacks

1. Fernando Mendoza, Indiana

2. Ty Simpson , Alabama

3. Garrett Nussmeier , LSU

4. Taylen Green , Arkansas

5. Drew Allar , Penn State

Mendoza is the overwhelming favorite to go first overall to the Las Vegas Raiders , but there’s uncertainty at the position behind the 2025 Heisman winner and national champion. Simpson could sneak into the first round, but he’s more likely to be selected on Day 2. Nussmeier, Green and Allar have even more questions — they could go on Day 2 or drop back to Day 3. Overall, it’s a weaker quarterback class with a loaded group projected for 2027.

Running backs

1. Jeremiyah Love, Notre Dame

2. Jadarian Price, Notre Dame

3. Mike Washington Jr., Arkansas

4. Emmett Johnson, Nebraska

5. Jonah Coleman , Washington

The running back group is also top heavy with questions behind the No. 1 player. Love is expected to go top-10 — or maybe even top-five. His college teammate Price is likely a second-rounder, but everyone behind him is expected to fall to the third round or later. Johnson led all draft-eligible running backs with 1,451 rushing yards last season, making him a viable mid-round sleeper.

Wide receivers

1. Carnell Tate, Ohio State

2. Jordyn Tyson, Arizona State

3. Makai Lemon, USC

4. KC Concepcion, Texas A&M

5. Omar Cooper Jr., Indiana

There’s not an obvious star atop this group, like there has been in recent drafts with Ja’Marr Chase, Malik Nabers or Tet McMillan. Tate, Tyson and Lemon all have a case to be the No. 1 wideout in the class after standout seasons, and they should be top-20 selections. Concepcion and Cooper, along with Washington’s Denzel Boston, could join them on Day 1 to make it six first-round receivers.

Tight ends

1. Kenyon Sadiq, Oregon

2. Eli Stowers , Vanderbilt

3. Max Klare, Ohio State

4. Justin Joly, NC State

5. Sam Roush, Stamford

Tight end-needy teams have been spoiled in recent drafts with Tyler Warren , Colston Loveland , Harold Fannin Jr. and Brock Bowers , among others. It’ll be tougher to find a future star this year, with the ultra-athletic Sadiq looking like the only first-round pick. Stowers, Klare, Joly and Roush should all be selected on Day 2, despite none of them putting up eye-popping numbers last season.

Offensive tackles

1. Francis Mauigoa, Miami

2. Spencer Fano, Utah

3. Kadyn Proctor, Alabama

4. Monroe Freeling, Georgia

5. Blake Miller , Clemson

Offensive linemen often fly off the board due to the lack of capable talent at the position. Mauigoa and Fano project as top-10 picks, and they should be joined in the first round by Proctor, Freeling and Miller (who plays all across the OL). Utah’s Caleb Lomu and Arizona State’s Max Iheanachor could make it seven first-round tackles as the importance of the position grows in today’s NFL.

Interior offensive linemen

1. Vega Ioane, Penn State

2. Emmanuel Pregnon, Oregon

3. Keylan Rutledge, Georgia Tech

4. Chase Bisontis, Texas A&M

5. Connor Lew, Auburn

Guards and centers aren’t as valued as tackles, so these players are likely to be waiting around a little bit longer. Ioane is the top guard in the class and should be off the board on Day 1. For everyone else, look for teams to scoop them up on Day 2. Interior OL is important, but it’s much easier to find effective play inside than it is outside — which is part of why tackles usually go off the board first.

Defensive tackles

1. Peter Woods, Clemson

2. Kayden McDonald, Ohio State

3. Caleb Banks, Florida

4. Lee Hunter, Texas Tech

5. Christen Miller, Georgia

None of the defensive tackles will be early first-round picks this year. Woods and McDonald should be later picks on Day 1. Banks, Hunter and Miller all have an outside chance to join them, but it would take a team looking to fill an obvious need rather than taking the best player available. Either way, that trio will be picked on Day 2 at the latest.

Defensive ends/EDGE

1. Arvell Reese, Ohio State

2. David Bailey, Texas Tech

3. Rueben Bain Jr., Miami

4. Akheem Mesidor , Miami

5. Cashius Howell, Texas A&M

We’ve finally reached the biggest strength of the 2026 class. Reese and Bailey are top-five picks and could even go second and third behind Mendoza. Bain, despite being measured with shorter arms than teams would like, will be picked in the 5-12 range. His teammate Mesidor is a mid-first-rounder, too. Howell, along with Auburn’s Keldric Faulk, Clemson’s T.J. Parker and Oklahoma’s R Mason Thomas , make for intriguing late-first-round options.

Linebackers

1. Sonny Styles , Ohio State

2. Jacob Rodriguez, Texas Tech

3. CJ Allen, Georgia

4. Anthony Hill Jr., Texas

5. Josiah Trotter, Missouri

No player has risen faster in the pre-draft process than Styles. The Ohio State star can be the centerpiece of a defense, but the question is always “how high is too high” to take an off-ball linebacker. He’ll be a top-10 pick, given his sheer talent and athleticism. As for the rest of the group, they’ll all be jockeying to be picked on Day 2. Rodriguez was the most productive last season (seven forced fumbles, four interceptions and 128 tackles) while leading the Red Raiders to the Big 12 title.

Cornerbacks

1. Mansoor Delane, LSU

2. Jermod McCoy, Tennessee

3. Colton Hood, Tennessee

4. Avieon Terrell, Clemson

5. Chris Johnson , San Diego State

Cornerbacks have become increasingly valued in the draft, with seven top-10 selections since 2020. That number likely won’t increase in 2026, but Delane and McCoy should be top-20 picks. McCoy is coming off a torn ACL, but he expects to be ready for this season. Hood and Terrell could be late-first-rounders, while Johnson is seen as a Day 2 pick.

Safeties

1. Caleb Downs , Ohio State

2. Dillon Thieneman, Oregon

3. Emmanuel McNeil-Warren, Toledo

4. A.J. Haulcy, LSU

5. Bud Clark , TCU

Some have called Downs the most talented player in the draft, but there are questions about where he ultimately gets picked. Safeties are not valued nearly as much as some other positions. When you have a player that can do it all, though, it’s hard to see him falling outside the top-10. Thieneman and McNeil-Warren could also be first-round picks, with Haulcy and Clark going on Day 2.

Special teams

1. Brett Thorson, Georgia, punter

2. Dominic Zvada, Michigan, kicker

3. Trey Smack, Florida, kicker

4. Drew Stevens, Iowa, kicker

5. Jack Stonehouse, Syracuse

How early is too early to draft a kicker or punter? That’s the question every year. After how last season went, you’d have to imagine teams might value their specialists a bit more. Some kickers were in field goal range at midfield, which gives the offense a huge advantage. And don’t forget Seahawks punter Michael Dickson , who kept the Patriots buried in their own territory throughout the Super Bowl . These guys could go off the board earlier than you think in 2026.