From Fernando Mendoza to Mansoor Delane, here’s how I rank the top 10 players in the 2026 NFL Draft class two weeks before draft night.
I think the 2026 NFL Draft boards start blending together this time of the year. That’s why I wanted mine to reflect what I actually believe instead of just echoing the consensus.
The top of this class still runs through the names many boards have now in the first few picks, even if the exact order changes from board to board.
This will be Part 1 of breaking down the top 50 prospects. So, why not start at the top and work my way down.
1. Fernando Mendoza, QB, Indiana
I’ll start with Fernando Mendoza because he still feels like the cleanest quarterback bet in the class.
When I watched Mendoza throughout the College Football Playoffs, I saw a player with poise and tons of confidence. He doesn’t look rushed when he plays, there’s a rhythm to his game, and he needs a good system built around him to stay in that rhythm.
I like a quarterback who can keep the offense on schedule.
Player comp: A Bigger Brock Purdy
Not because their talent is exactly the same, but because Fernando Mendoza wins with timing, poise, layering throws, and makes the offense run smoothly. Mendoza is just more physically imposing.
2. Arvell Reese, LB, Ohio State
I love a linebacker who can change the speed of a defense, and Arvell Reese is that player.
He closes fast, covers ground, and looks like a modern linebacker. When your talking about the top of this class, that matters because the 2026 group looks loaded on defense, especially at linebacker and edge.
Player comp: A faster Tremaine Edmunds
I feel the physical presence and the range are traits these two share. Arvell Reese could be the type of linebacker offenses have to account for before the ball is even snapped.
3. Jeremiyah Love, RB, Notre Dame
Jeremiyah Love might be the best player in this class, and more people are starting to agree with that statement. Todd McShay has Love as his No.1 player in the draft.
Love has that smooth, easy acceleration where it feels like he’s gliding until the defense realizes it’s in trouble. That kind of runner changes how a game feels.
Player comp: A better built Jahmyr Gibbs
Jeremiyah Love has the same stress-defender speed and receiving value, but feels more comfortable pressing downhill and running with contact than people give him credit for. That lines up with the consensus describing him as a true every-down back.
4. Sonny Styles, LB, Ohio State
Sonny Styles is one of the most interesting evaluations in this draft class because there are so many ways to use him.
He’s big, fast, and gives a team flexibility without feeling like a gimmicky player. That matters to me. Sometimes “versatile” becomes code for “we don’t know what he is.” I don’t think that applies here.
Player comp: A more under control Isaiah Simmons
This is about movement and range, but I like Styles because I think there’s more structure to his game than people assume. He’s also widely viewed as one of the best defenders in the class.
5. Rueben Bain Jr., EDGE, Miami
Rueben Bain is my kind of pass rusher in this draft.
There’s force to his game. He doesn’t feel like a projection-first player, but like a football player first. I like edge defenders who can win with more than one answer, and Bain looks like he has that in him.
Player comp: Trey Hendrickson
This one is about the rush, the power, the urgency. The way he can make reps uncomfortable even when the finish isn’t pretty.
The Top 5 As I See It
That’s my top five for the 2026 NFL Draft, and I feel better about a board like this than one that tries too hard to look safe.
I’m not interested in pretending I see the class exactly the way everyone else does.
I’d rather rank the players I believe in and live with it. That’s the point of a good board.
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