The 2026 NFL Draft takes place in Pittsburgh from Thursday through Saturday this week as the 32 teams that make up the National Football League select the leading players from college football.
More than 250 picks will be made over the course of seven rounds, but only a select few will create the headlines that we will be talking about in the coming days and weeks. Here are 10 players who I believe will shape the news agenda for the 2026 NFL Draft.
Fernando Mendoza – Quarterback – Indiana
The worst-kept secret in American football is the fact that Indiana's national championship-winning quarterback Fernando Mendoza is going to be the first overall selection and will become a member of the Las Vegas Raiders. While there are a few who are not sure that Mendoza is going to become a generational talent, the value of the position and the fact the Raiders have been without an answer there for quite some time makes him hard to ignore. The question then becomes 'How quickly will Mendoza be handed the reins?' Will he be a day one starter or asked to sit and learn behind veteran Pro Bowler Kirk Cousins? Mendoza has been compared to former NFL Most Valuable Player Matt Ryan – an accurate passer who is as tough as he is talented. The Raiders will be praying they find their long-term answer.
Jeremiyah Love – Running Back – Notre Dame
The real intrigue at the top of this Draft will centre around the landing spot for a game-changing running back talent in Notre Dame's Jeremiyah Love. Compared to Saquon Barkley as someone who can score from anywhere on the field, Love scored 40 touchdowns in his final two college seasons and has been tabbed by many as the best prospect in this class. The Tennessee Titans are drooling at the idea of adding him to their attack at number four. But will they get the chance to hand in their card? Or will the Arizona Cardinals – picking third – trade to a team desperate to add an elite offensive talent? That would make sense for a Cardinals team with many needs that is keen to add more picks.
Carnell Tate – Wide Receiver – Ohio State
As many as five wide receivers could go in the first round and USC's Makai Lemon (compared to Amon-Ra St. Brown) may yet be the first off the board. But I think Carnell Tate, who averaged more than 17 yards per catch in the 2025 season, will hear his name called first and will become a member of the Washington Commanders. They badly need a second receiver to play opposite Terry McLaurin. Tate is about to continue an incredible tradition of Ohio State receivers going in round one as he follows the likes of Emeka Egbuka (2025), Marvin Harrison Jr (2024), Jaxon Smith-Njigba (2023), Garrett Wilson (2022) and Chris Olave (2022) into the NFL.
Kenyon Sadiq – Tight End – Oregon
The tight end position is so important in today's NFL and we saw evidence of that last season when two players – Colston Loveland (Chicago Bears) and Tyler Warren (Indianapolis Colts) were taken in the first 14 picks. The year before, the Raiders took Brock Bowers at 13. I think another fascinating tight end prospect comes off the board in the first half of round one in the form of Oregon's Kenyon Sadiq. Despite weighing in at more than 240 pounds, Sadiq ran the 40-yard dash in just 4.39 seconds at the NFL Combine. He has been described as a "unicorn" and has drawn comparisons to George Kittle. Seeing which offense Sadiq – who has been dubbed one of the top five players in this class regardless of position - gets integrated into will be one of the defining stories of this Draft.
Francis Mauigoa – Offensive Tackle – Miami
There could be as many as seven offensive linemen taken in the opening round of the Draft and the native of American Samoa could lead the way. Francis Mauigoa started 42 games at right tackle for the Miami Hurricanes and has also been tabbed as a player who could move inside and be a Pro Bowl-level guard. That will be useful for the NFL team that selects him, but is it all that newsworthy? Probably not. But Mauigoa was called for a medical re-check after the NFL Combine in Indianapolis with ESPN's Adam Schefter reporting that he has a herniated disc in his back. Recent reports suggest the back is not an issue for now but completely fixing it would lead to a three-month recovery period. Even the suggestion of injury woes has famously sent top prospects tumbling down boards in the past. Will Mauigoa be the latest victim of Draft night cold feet?
Arvell Reese – Edge/Linebacker – Ohio State
Versatility is king in today's NFL and Arvell Reese could be the latest defensive chess piece to enter the league. Described as a "rare player" who has topped quite a few Draft boards in recent months, Reese can play as an off-the-ball inside linebacker. But his best strength might be getting after the quarterback, which means he should become more of an explosive edge rusher in the pros. That sounds exactly like the transition from college to the NFL that was made by Micah Parsons. He was used quite a bit as a linebacker early in his time with the Dallas Cowboys but would now be viewed almost exclusively as an edge rusher. While he is not the finished product just yet, there is every chance Reese hears his name called within the opening half an hour of Thursday's first round.
David Bailey – Edge – Texas Tech
It has long been said that the most important position in the NFL is the quarterback. Then the next-most-important is the pass rushers who affect the golden boys of the league. David Bailey has been hailed as "the most accomplished pass rusher in this class" and he jointly led college football with 14 ½ sacks in 2025. What makes Bailey so dangerous is his freakish athleticism. He is 6-foot-3 and 247 pounds, can run at 22 miles per hour, squat 550 pounds and bench press 405 pounds. None of that guarantees instant production on the field, but Bailey has already shown that he can make plays at the college level. Now, he needs to take it up to the next level. If he puts it all together, he could be a very scary addition for 2026.
Sonny Styles – Linebacker – Ohio State
Here comes another defensive Swiss Army knife in Sonny Styles, who has moved to an inside linebacker after playing as a safety in high school and for his first two seasons at Ohio State (13 starts). The thought of a 6-foot-5, 244-pound linebacker who knows how to cover and hit with an occasional cameo appearance at safety should be enough to send shivers down the spines of many NFL wide receivers. Styles has NFL pedigree as his father, Lorenzo Styles Sr, spent six seasons in the league with the Atlanta Falcons and St. Louis Rams, winning a Super Bowl with the latter. It's the son's time to shine now and Styles has all the tools to be one of the very best to come out of this class. His usage in the NFL will be fascinating.
Caleb Downs – Safety – Ohio State
While he may not be an athletic freak like some of the other defenders in this Draft, Caleb Downs has been listed as one of the best football players in this class. And it is football, after all, that these guys will be playing on Sundays come September. Downs has tremendous instincts and can sniff out plays before they develop. And he has shown he can do that from the nickel corner, safety and linebacker positions. So, he is yet another versatile defensive weapon who is about to enter the NFL. His father, Gary Downs, was a running back in the NFL and his uncle, Dre Bly, was a Pro Bowl cornerback. There is every chance Downs will be a top 10 pick and will be a player capable of replicating his uncle's all-star status.
Seydou Traore – Tight End – Mississippi State
There will likely be British interest in the Draft on day three (Saturday) as former NFL Academy star Seydou Traore could hear his name called. Traore – who played youth football for the London Warriors as a teenager – was on the very first NFL Academy roster as a wide receiver when the high school football program opened in 2019. He went on to play college football at Arkansas State and, most recently, at Mississippi State where he caught 30 passes and scored five touchdowns as a tight end in the 2025 season. Traore spent the months leading up to the NFL Draft on the NFL's International Player Pathway program. If he is selected by an NFL team this weekend, it should spark huge celebrations internationally. Grabbing a kid off the streets of London and sending him all the way to the NFL via the NFL Academy and the NFL IPP program would be quite the statement and offer great hope to more international athletes around the world. Good luck, Seydou!
