It’s time for an NFL Draft Big Board. The past few days have been filled with free agency, big trades, and, oddly enough, trade back-outs, too. Excluding some remaining moves to be made, however, the offseason is now back focused on April’s main event.
I will end up ranking around 150 prospects by the time Roger Goodell steps on the stage with the Las Vegas Raiders pick, but here, I’ll focus on my top-50 guys.
If you’re a Cowboys fan, you already know this draft class is a bit of a doozy, with some positions stacked up and others lacking considerably in comparison to recent years.
I’ll add the disclaimer before we jump in, however, that these rankings are not a draft-slot prediction: they are solely where I rank these guys from a talent perspective.
The first 19 players will feature a brief write-up on them, as they are my current first-round grades; they are followed by 20–46 as second-round grades, and concluding with the final 47–50, which are early-third round grades.
First Round Grades: 1–19.
1. Jeremiyah Love, Running Back, Notre Dame
My top spot in this class, to this point, belongs to the Fighting Irish star, Jeremiyah Love. He’s a true game breaker that can reshape an offense on day one, and he will be a top-ten selection in this class as such.
He’s my highest-rated running back since I started grading players in 2019; higher than Ashton Jeanty, higher than Bijan Robinson, and higher than Saquon Barkley.
2. Caleb Downs, Safety, Ohio State.
To a certain degree, you should scrap any fears you’ve heard about the knee of Ohio State’s Caleb Downs. Yes, there may be an issue, but teams disagree on severity, and his talent is unquestioned.
Downs, like Love, is absolutely special despite limited “positional value.” There will be teams that have him as their highest-rated safety ever.
3. Sonny Styles, Linebacker, Ohio State.
Pre-combine, Cowboys fans knew this name well, due to the team’s positional need at linebacker. Post-combine? I think the entire NFL world knows about Sonny Styles, and that’s for a damn good reason.
A Buckeye defender like Downs (and the man that will come in fourth), Styles is impossibly athletic with top-notch tape to boot; I expect him to be drafted in the top ten as well.
4. Arvell Reese, Linebacker/EDGE, Ohio State.
Yes, I’m putting three Ohio State defenders in a row, at this point, on my big board. No, I’m not doing it to catch eyes: these three guys are elite draft prospects, and it seems that Arvell Reese will actually be the highest drafted of the bunch.
The linebacker/EDGE rusher brings great versatility, endless potential, and a very high ceiling as a linebacker. Aaron Glenn seems poised to add him with the second pick.
5. Mansoor Delane, Cornerback, LSU.
If you know me and how I scout draft prospects, you know I absolutely love elite cornerbacks. Since 2019, I’ve ranked Jaire Alexander, Jeff Okudah, Patrick Surtain II, Derek Stingley Jr., Christian Gonzales, Terrion Arnold, and Travis Hunter in my top-five in their respective draft classes.
Mansoor Delane, LSU’s star corner, is likely to join that list of hits (and a few misses) this time around. He is clearly the best CB in this class, and his stock has risen firmly into the top-12.
6. Rueben Bain Jr., EDGE Rusher, Miami.
Small arms be damned, I think Miami’s Rueben Bain Jr. should be inside everybody’s top-ten ranking in this draft class.
The production is elite, the strength is elite, and the bend is everything you want from a big-time pass-rusher in today’s NFL. I totally get the unprecedented nature of his arm length, but sometimes sheer talent trumps logic, and I think Bain fits that mold.
7. Francis Mauigoa, Offensive Tackle, Miami.
I don’t think the debate for OL1 in this class is particularly close, even though you’ll soon see some other guys at the position. Francis Mauigoa’s tape shows a guy with NFL-level talent who could quickly bloom into an All-Pro, full stop.
The Miami product will be drafted in the first ten picks, barring a surge from somebody like Monroe Freeling and an unexpected drought on offensive line picks early.
8. Carnell Tate, Wide Receiver, Ohio State.
The fourth Buckeye in my top-eight and the first wide receiver, I have Carnell Tate as the second-best offensive weapon in this class behind Love.
Ohio State has solidly become “Wide Receiver U” in recent years, and Tate projects to be the next torch-carrier to continue that reputation. He isn’t getting as much hype as draft-class WR1’s tend to get, but that, in my view, is pretty ridiculous.
9. Fernando Mendoza, Quarterback, Indiana.
Here’s where that previous disclaimer needs to be reiterated: I am not saying Heisman winner, National Champion, and future first-overall pick Fernando Mendoza will be drafted ninth; it is simply where I have his talent slotted.
Mendoza is worthy of heading to Las Vegas at 1; he’s a one-of-a-kind character, and he’s clearly the best quarterback in the class.
Look for Las Vegas to bring a veteran QB in free agency.
That said, anybody telling you he is the best pure talent in the class (over guys like Downs, Love, etc.) might just be making sure his name is as high on the screen as it can be.
Mendy = Clicks in 2026.
10. Vega Ioane, Guard, Penn State.
This may be the first “boring” spot on my big board, and it belongs to the clear-cut best interior offensive lineman in this class, Penn State’s Vega Ioane.
Will he be a top-ten pick? Probably not, but as could be the case with guys like Love, Downs, and Styles, the NFL still foolishly passes on great talent due to positional value. Ioane becomes a starter on day one for some smart team in 2026.
11. Monroe Freeling, Offensive Tackle, Georgia.
I warned you there would be a few o-linemen that quickly followed Mauigoa, though I stand by the fact that there is a pretty strong gap between them. That is especially not a diss to Georgia’s Monroe Freeling, who is quite the prospect, if a bit unknown.
I see Freeling as a true left tackle with elite athleticism for the position; he could absolutely be drafted as high as sixth by the Cleveland Browns.
12. David Bailey, EDGE Rusher, Texas Tech.
This may be lower than you’re used to seeing David Bailey ranked or mocked, but I see it as a more than fair slot for a talented, yet flawed, first-round talent.
Bailey is ridiculously explosive; nobody can deny that. Where things get a bit shaky for the former Texas Tech star is with bend, which I value heavily in pass rushers, and with his value as a run defender in the NFL. Again, first-round talent? You bet. Top two pick? I’m not sold.
13. Omar Cooper Jr., Wide Receiver, Indiana.
Here, we have back-to-back surprising ranks, though for very different reasons. While Bailey is lower than you’ll often see, I have former Indiana Hoosier Omar Cooper Jr. a decent bit higher than the average “consensus.”
He’s my WR2 behind Tate due to what I see as a rare combination of strength, run-after-catch, ball-skills, and rugged toughness. He may never be CeeDee Lamb, but he could be Deebo Samuel with better longevity.
14. Makai Lemon, Wide Receiver, USC.
Switching over now to a wide receiver you’re probably more used to this high, we have USC’s Makai Lemon, a consensus top-three wide receiver in this draft class.
Despite a seriously weird interview process for him at the NFL Scouting Combine in Indianapolis, the tape doesn’t lie when it comes to Lemon: he may not have game-breaking athleticism, but his skill-set, which many have compared to former Trojan Amon-Ra St. Brown, gives major reason for optimism.
15. Akheem Mesidor, EDGE Rusher, Miami.
My third Miami Hurricane in this top-15 is the most controversial of the pack, with 25-year-old pass-rusher Akheem Mesidor.
His age and injury history are going to give fans and front offices pause, but ultimately, it’s the latter who will have the detailed information on his medicals needed to make a call. Talent-wise, this guy is an animal, and his ridiculous production (12.5 sacks in 2025) proves that.
Expect Mesidor to land at the top of the Dallas Cowboys’ wishlist with the 20th pick.
16. Dillon Thieneman, Safety, Oregon.
Another riser in this draft process, former Oregon Duck Dillon Thieneman, has had one of the better PR runs of any prospect over these past few months, and for good reason.
His skills are unique, giving him what may be his best trait in the secondary: elite versatility. You need him at safety? You got it. He needs to move down into the slot? He can handle that too. Thieneman has NFL athleticism, is silky smooth in movement, and has great potential to become an INT machine.
17. Avieon Terrell, Cornerback, Clemson.
Unlike Thieneman, the media hype hasn’t come quite yet for Clemson’s Avieon Terrell, but from everything I hear, NFL front offices are definitely there.
The brother of Falcons star cornerback A.J., this younger Terrell is going to go higher than many are expecting in the first-round thanks to his unreplicable energy, instincts, and potential at just 21-years-old. Put simply, this dude has that dog in him.
18. CJ Allen, Linebacker, Georgia.
My second true linebacker in this class, CJ Allen from Georgia, is a guy people will debate from now until draft day, but I say trust that his elite intelligence and more than formidable talent to cement him as a high-quality NFL talent.
This guy essentially ran the Bulldogs’ elite defense at times in his collegiate career, and while he isn’t a perfect prospect aside from the IQ, he will get the job done at minimum, and could become one of the league’s best at his max.
19. Jermod McCoy, Cornerback, Tennessee.
Finishing off the first-round grades, and the subsequent mini-scouting reports, is former Volunteer Jermod McCoy, who could go anywhere from the top-15 to the second-round.
If not for a January 2025 ACL tear that had him sitting out Tennessee’s regular season and the Scouting Combine, we’re likely talking about this guy as a potential top-seven pick. His talent is off-the-charts, but we haven’t seen him in forever, and that will hurt his stock.
2nd Round Grades: 20-45.
20. Kenyon Sadiq, Tight End, Oregon.
21. D’Angelo Ponds, Cornerback, Indiana.
22. T.J. Parker, EDGE Rusher, Clemson.
23. Spencer Fano, Offensive Tackle, Utah.
24. Jordyn Tyson, Wide Receiver, Arizona State.
25. Emmanuel McNeil-Warren, Safety, Toledo.
26. Caleb Banks, Defensive Tackle, Florida.
27. Jacob Rodriguez, Linebacker, Texas Tech.
28. Blake Miller, Offensive Tackle, Clemson.
29. Lee Hunter, Defensive Tackle, Texas Tech.
30. Jadarian Price, Running Back, Notre Dame.
31. KC Concepcion, Wide Receiver, Texas A&M.
32. Keldric Faulk, EDGE, Auburn.
33. Germie Bernard, Wide Receiver, Alabama.
34. Cashius Howell, EDGE, Texas A&M.
35. Colton Hood, Cornerback, Tennessee.
36. Eli Stowers, Tight End, Vanderbilt.
37. Josiah Trotter, Linebacker, Missouri.
38. Kayden McDonald, Defensive Tackle, Ohio State.
39. R Mason Thomas, EDGE Rusher, Oklahoma.
40. Christen Miller, Defensive Tackle, Georgia.
41. Brandon Cisse, Cornerback, South Carolina.
42. Caleb Lomu, Offensive Tackle, Utah.
43. Romello Height, EDGE Rusher, Texas Tech.
44. Kyle Louis, Linebacker, Pittsburgh.
45. Chris Johnson, Cornerback, San Diego State.
3rd Round Grades: 46-50.
46. Denzel Boston, Wide Receiver, Washington.
47. Keionte Scott, Cornerback, Miami.
48. Zachariah Branch, Wide Receiver, Georgia.
49. Malachi Lawrence, EDGE Rusher, Central Florida.
50: Kadyn Proctor, Offensive Tackle, Alabama.
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