Before looking ahead, it’s instructive (and maybe even entertaining) to look back at my preseason big board, published Aug. 28, 2025. Clemson DL Peter Woods was my No. 1 player, followed by Alabama OT Kadyn Proctor, Auburn EDGE Keldric Faulk, and Utah OTs Spencer Fano and Caleb Lomu to round out the top five.
The quarterbacks who made my preseason top 50: Texas’ Arch Manning (No. 9), LSU’s Garrett Nussmeier (No. 11), Indiana’s Fernando Mendoza (No. 15) and Penn State’s Drew Allar (No. 17). In my final top 100 Big Board below, I have exactly three quarterbacks — and only one from that group.
A year ago, on my final Big Board for 2025, I also had just three QBs in the top 100 — Cam Ward, Shedeur Sanders and Jaxson Dart. In reality, five went in the top 94: Ward, Dart, Tyler Shough, Jalen Milroe and Dillon Gabriel. That uncertainty makes the process fun — trying to suss out which players teams like, what they’ll do on draft weekend, and then looking back in the years that follow to see who was closest to the truth.
Like the 2025 class, there isn’t much depth at quarterback, but there are a lot of good players at other positions. If your favorite team needs offensive linemen, defensive backs, linebackers, tight ends or wide receivers, you’re in luck because you’ll find them well into Day 3.
One last thing: instead of just giving you a list of names, I wanted to see how my final board stacked up against the consensus board from NFL Mock Draft Database.
In the table below, you’ll find my final Big Board ranking for each player, followed by the consensus ranking and a final column showing the difference. A positive number means I’m higher on the player; a negative number means I’m lower.
Alright, let’s get to it!
|
1
|
Fernando Mendoza, QB, Indiana
|
1
|
0
|
|
2
|
Arvell Reese, EDGE, Ohio State
|
2
|
0
|
|
3
|
Caleb Downs, S, Ohio State
|
9
|
6
|
|
4
|
David Bailey, EDGE, Texas Tech
|
3
|
-1
|
|
5
|
Francis Mauigoa, OT, Miami
|
5
|
0
|
|
6
|
Peter Woods, DL, Clemson
|
26
|
20
|
|
7
|
Rueben Bain Jr., EDGE, Miami
|
7
|
0
|
|
8
|
Sonny Styles, LB, Ohio State
|
6
|
-2
|
|
9
|
Mansoor Delane, CB, LSU
|
10
|
1
|
|
10
|
Spencer Fano, OT, Utah
|
12
|
2
|
|
11
|
Jeremiyah Love, RB, Notre Dame
|
4
|
-7
|
|
12
|
Caleb Lomu, OT, Utah
|
25
|
13
|
|
13
|
Carnell Tate, WR, Ohio State
|
8
|
-5
|
|
14
|
Jermod McCoy, CB, Tennessee
|
14
|
0
|
|
15
|
Caleb Banks, DL, Florida
|
37
|
22
|
|
16
|
Akheem Mesidor, EDGE, Miami
|
19
|
3
|
|
17
|
Makai Lemon, WR, USC
|
13
|
-4
|
|
18
|
Keldric Faulk, EDGE, Auburn
|
20
|
2
|
|
19
|
Kadyn Proctor, OT, Alabama
|
21
|
2
|
|
20
|
Olaivavega Ioane, IOL, Penn State
|
16
|
-4
|
|
21
|
Denzel Boston, WR, Washington
|
32
|
11
|
|
22
|
Colton Hood, CB, Tennessee
|
35
|
13
|
|
23
|
Jordyn Tyson, WR, Arizona State
|
15
|
-8
|
|
24
|
T.J. Parker, EDGE, Clemson
|
27
|
3
|
|
25
|
Kayden McDonald, DL, Ohio State
|
31
|
6
|
Peter Woods
CLEM • DL • #11
2023-25: Fourth-most pressures (54) and tackles (85) by ACC DT
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In talking to people around the league, Clemson DL Peter Woods (No. 6 on my final Big Board) could end up going in the bottom of Round 1, but for me, he’s a top-10 talent. Like every other member of the Clemson program, Woods had a down 2025 campaign — especially compared to the season before. He weighed 298 pounds during the pre-draft process but played closer to 320 in 2024, which feels more reflective of the player he’ll be in the NFL.
His game is built on dominating the line of scrimmage, and despite average arm length (31¼ inches) and testing numbers (29-inch vertical), he consistently wins with leverage, violent hands and power. He’s also scheme-versatile, lining up just about everywhere along the defensive line, and plays with a high motor. Even without a deep pass-rush arsenal, Woods’ ability to control gaps, defeat double teams and consistently reset the line of scrimmage is a big reason he’s my DL1.
Jeremiyah Love
ND • RB • #4
2025: Doak Walker Award winner (nation’s top RB); unanimous All-American
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Notre Dame RB Jeremiyah Love (No. 11) is one of the most dynamic players in this draft class. I don’t think that’s in dispute. But I also don’t think he’s one of the top two or three players in this class. That’s not a slight to Love, but more an acknowledgment that while he’s certainly in the same conversation as recent high first-round running backs, if you’re asking me to rank him alongside Saquon Barkley (second overall, 2018), Bijan Robinson (eighth overall, 2023), Jahmyr Gibbs (12th overall, 2023) and Ashton Jeanty (sixth overall, 2025), it would look like this:
- Saquon Barkley
- Bijan Robinson
- Jahmyr Gibbs
- Ashton Jeanty
- Jeremiyah Love
All are elite talents, but I liked the four other backs slightly more than Love based on their college tape. That doesn’t mean Love won’t go No. 4 to the Titans, No. 5 to the Giants or No. 7 to the Commanders and be just as dominant as Barkley, Robinson and Gibbs — it just means I don’t have him graded as highly as those players.
The argument for (and against) selecting Jeremiyah Love as top-five pick in 2026 NFL Draft
Mike Renner
|
26
|
KC Concepcion, WR, Texas A&M
|
30
|
4
|
|
27
|
Monroe Freeling, OT, Georgia
|
11
|
-16
|
|
28
|
Kenyon Sadiq, TE, Oregon
|
17
|
-11
|
|
29
|
Brandon Cisse, CB, South Carolina
|
39
|
10
|
|
30
|
Ty Simpson, QB, Alabama
|
29
|
-1
|
|
31
|
Max Iheanachor, OT, Arizona State
|
36
|
5
|
|
32
|
Blake Miller, OT, Clemson
|
28
|
-4
|
|
33
|
Emmanuel McNeil-Warren, S, Toledo
|
24
|
-9
|
|
34
|
Omar Cooper Jr., WR, Indiana
|
22
|
-12
|
|
35
|
CJ Allen, LB, Georgia
|
33
|
-2
|
|
36
|
Cashius Howell, EDGE, Texas A&M
|
34
|
-2
|
|
37
|
Jacob Rodriguez, LB, Texas Tech
|
43
|
6
|
|
38
|
Dillon Thieneman, S, Oregon
|
18
|
-20
|
|
39
|
Germie Bernard, WR, Alabama
|
56
|
17
|
|
40
|
R Mason Thomas, EDGE, Oklahoma
|
45
|
5
|
|
41
|
Jadarian Price, RB, Notre Dame
|
44
|
3
|
|
42
|
Treydan Stukes, CB, Arizona
|
67
|
25
|
|
43
|
Chase Bisontis, IOL, Texas A&M
|
46
|
3
|
|
44
|
Devin Moore, CB, Florida
|
100
|
56
|
|
45
|
D’Angelo Ponds, CB, Indiana
|
55
|
10
|
|
46
|
Chris Johnson, CB, San Diego State
|
42
|
-4
|
|
47
|
Avieon Terrell, CB, Clemson
|
23
|
-24
|
|
48
|
De’Zhaun Stribling, WR, Ole Miss
|
128
|
80
|
|
49
|
Lee Hunter, DL, Texas Tech
|
48
|
-1
|
|
50
|
Davison Igbinosun, CB, Ohio State
|
74
|
24
|
Germie Bernard
BAMA • WR • #5
2025: Top five in the SEC in first-down receptions (42) and forced missed tackles on receptions (17)
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Alabama WR Germie Bernard (No. 39) is built for Sundays, in part because he’s not reliant on traits that take time to translate. He’s one of the best route runners in the class, understands coverages and is consistently where his quarterbacks expect him to be.
As Ran Carthon, the former Titans GM and my co-host on the “With the First Pick” podcast, noted, when a receiver — especially a young one — is always where he’s supposed to be, that’s the fastest way to earn trust with not just your quarterback, but the coaching staff, too.
Bernard will also stick his face in the fan as a blocker, and while he may not go early on Day 2, we’ll look back in a few years and wonder why not.
Treydan Stukes
ARIZ • CB • #2
2025: Third-team All-American
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Arizona CB Treydan Stukes (No. 42) doesn’t derive his value from one position — it comes from his ability to solve problems from just about anywhere on the field. He’s a true hybrid defensive back who can line up at slot, safety, in the box or outside, which makes him more chess piece than role player.
Add his elite ball skills, top-tier athletic testing and experience, and you get Brian Branch with a better 40-yard dash time. If you want to read more on Stukes, I had a chance to talk with him about his journey from walk-on to likely top-50 selection.
Devin Moore
FLA • CB • #28
2024-25: 4 interceptions (T-ninth-most in SEC)
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I don’t care that Florida CB Devin Moore (No. 44) ran a 4.62 in the 40 at his pro day because he plays much faster than that. In fact, he plays faster than the 4.50 he ran at the combine.
First, at 6-foot-3 and 193 pounds, he has length. He’s also scheme-diverse, comfortable in both man and zone looks, and has some of the best instincts in the class, consistently reading the QB and driving on throws. Because of his frame, Moore can match up with bigger NFL receivers while also offering real value as a tackler and force defender against the run.
There’s also his position flexibility; he can play outside, in the box and even some safety. And though the production doesn’t jump off the stat sheet, the combination of size, physicality and football IQ makes him a high-floor player for me, and it’s why I have him ranked so high.
Avieon Terrell
CLEM • CB • #8
2024-25: First player in FBS history with 20+ PD and 8+ FF in a two-year span
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I spend a lot of time preaching the power of “not overthinking it,” but even before the stated slow 40 time for Clemson CB Avieon Terrell (No. 47) at his pro day, I viewed him as a fringe first-rounder. Again, that’s not to say he won’t have a long and great NFL career, but when you’re stacking players ahead of the draft and weighing all the information at your disposal, I have more questions about Terrell than eight other corners in the class.
And I know, I know: Kamari Lassiter ran a 4.64 at his pro day, but I thought a) he played much faster than that at Georgia, and b) he had first-round tape. And while Terrell certainly played faster than the stated 4.6-ish 40 time, I didn’t think he played like a sub-4.5 corner. Maybe we’re splitting hairs when talking tenths of seconds, but in the simplest terms: I thought Lassiter was a better prospect. Still, I think Terrell is a second-rounder all day long whose NFL future could be in the slot.
De’Zhaun Stribling
MISS • WR • #1
2025: 55 receptions, 811 yards, 6 TD
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Ole Miss WR De’Zhaun Stribling (No. 48) has pro-ready traits — even if the 2025 college production doesn’t immediately grab your attention. He’s a physical, reliable target who wins with strong hands, toughness over the middle and the ability to consistently find space against zone looks. His versatility (outside, slot, even H-back usage) and elite blocking give him Day 1 value in NFL personnel groupings.
And despite the lack of high-end production for Ole Miss last season, Stribling had 919 receiving yards in 2024 for Oklahoma State, including four games of at least 100 yards. When you add in that he rarely drops passes and is one of the best blocking wide receivers in the class, it’s not hard to imagine him as a Day 2 pick.
2026 NFL three-round mock draft: Steelers target high-upside WR, then trade back into Round 1 for QB
Ryan Wilson
|
51
|
Malachi Lawrence, EDGE, UCF
|
72
|
21
|
|
52
|
Nick Barrett, DL, South Carolina
|
176
|
124
|
|
53
|
Julian Neal, CB, Arkansas
|
92
|
39
|
|
54
|
Keyron Crawford, EDGE, Auburn
|
93
|
39
|
|
55
|
AJ Haulcy, S, LSU
|
57
|
2
|
|
56
|
Josiah Trotter, LB, Missouri
|
64
|
8
|
|
57
|
Malik Muhammad, CB, Texas
|
91
|
34
|
|
58
|
Jonah Coleman, RB, Washington
|
97
|
39
|
|
59
|
Trey Zuhn III, IOL, Texas A&M
|
135
|
76
|
|
60
|
Tacario Davis, CB, Washington
|
130
|
70
|
|
61
|
Darrell Jackson Jr., DL, Florida State
|
86
|
25
|
|
62
|
Domonique Orange, DL, Iowa State
|
66
|
4
|
|
63
|
Ted Hurst, WR, Georgia State
|
76
|
13
|
|
64
|
Antonio Williams, WR, Clemson
|
70
|
6
|
|
65
|
Christen Miller, DL, Georgia
|
47
|
-18
|
|
66
|
Dametrious Crownover, OT, Texas A&M
|
104
|
38
|
|
67
|
Chris Brazzell II, WR, Tennessee
|
51
|
-16
|
|
68
|
Romello Height, EDGE, Texas Tech
|
73
|
5
|
|
69
|
Chandler Rivers, CB, Duke
|
99
|
30
|
|
70
|
Caleb Tiernan, IOL, Northwestern
|
65
|
-5
|
|
71
|
Deontae Lawson, LB, Alabama
|
108
|
37
|
|
72
|
Zakee Wheatley, S, Penn State
|
90
|
18
|
|
73
|
Keylan Rutledge, IOL, Georgia Tech
|
61
|
-12
|
|
74
|
Chris McClellan, DL, Missouri
|
113
|
39
|
|
75
|
Anthony Hill Jr., LB, Texas
|
49
|
-26
|
Nick Barrett
SC • DL • #93
2025: Led South Carolina IDL in tackles (42)
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South Carolina DL Nick Barrett (No. 52) wins with traits that translate to Sundays: heavy hands, natural leverage and a relentless motor that leads to hidden production: hustle pressures, pocket push and a disruptive presence that doesn’t always show up statistically. Coming off a Lisfranc redshirt in 2024, his 2025 tape shows a player who not only improved but still has room to grow.
Barrett consistently forces re-anchors with power, flashes the quickness to shoot gaps and has the positional versatility to line up across the interior. He has the potential to be a high-floor, scheme-versatile interior lineman whose impact will exceed conventional wisdom about his draft slot.
Tacario Davis
WASH • CB • #8
2023 (at Arizona): Led Pac-12 in PBU (15)
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Washington CB Tacario Davis (No. 60) flashes traits and a play style tailor-made for today’s NFL. At 6-foot-3, with rare length (his 33⅜-inch arms match Alabama LT Kadyn Proctor) and long speed (4.41 40), he can erase vertical routes and live in phase downfield.
So what separates Davis from other DBs in this class? His combination of recovery speed and ball skills; he had four interceptions in 2025 after none the year before. He’s scheme-versatile, and while he can get handsy at times, that’s an easy coaching correction. No amount of coaching can change a player’s size, length and makeup speed, which is why I’m so high on Davis’ game translating to Sundays.
Chris Brazzell II
TENN • WR • #17
2025: Led SEC with 6 receiving TD on throws of 20+ air yards
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Tennessee WR Chris Brazzell II (No. 67) looks the part, and his testing numbers are eye-popping (6-foot-4, 198 pounds, 4.37 40). But his production may not fully translate because his wins are too situation-dependent. He’s a build-up, long-strider who thrives on vertical routes and in contested-catch situations, but his lack of short-area quickness and route precision makes me wonder if he’ll consistently separate against NFL cornerbacks, despite the size advantage.
When you factor in average play strength at the catch point, limited versatility (he played almost exclusively outside in 2025) and a funky Vols offense, it’s fair to question whether his role shrinks against faster, more physical NFL defenders. That’s not to say he can’t be a productive NFL wide receiver; he just may be closer to a mid-to-late Day 2 pick than a first-round target.
|
76
|
Elijah Sarratt, WR, Indiana
|
80
|
4
|
|
77
|
Carson Beck, QB, Miami
|
120
|
43
|
|
78
|
Jake Slaughter, IOL, Florida
|
103
|
25
|
|
79
|
Rayshaun Benny, DL, Michigan
|
125
|
46
|
|
80
|
Sam Hecht, IOL, Kansas State
|
79
|
-1
|
|
81
|
Jager Burton, IOL, Kentucky
|
154
|
73
|
|
82
|
Emmett Johnson, RB, Nebraska
|
105
|
23
|
|
83
|
Keionte Scott, S, Miami
|
60
|
-23
|
|
84
|
Genesis Smith, S, Arizona
|
95
|
11
|
|
85
|
Austin Barber, OT, Florida
|
126
|
41
|
|
86
|
Kage Casey, OT, Boise State
|
121
|
35
|
|
87
|
Malachi Fields, WR, Notre Dame
|
68
|
-19
|
|
88
|
Anez Cooper, IOL, Miami
|
198 |
110
|
|
89
|
Jaishawn Barham, LB, Michigan
|
85
|
-4
|
|
90
|
Kyle Louis, LB, Pittsburgh
|
72
|
-18
|
|
91
|
Ephesians Prysock, CB, Washington
|
145
|
54
|
|
92
|
Jeremiah Wright, IOL, Auburn
|
165
|
73
|
|
93
|
Keagen Trost, OT, Missouri
|
163
|
70
|
|
94
|
Bud Clark, S, TCU
|
89
|
-5
|
|
95
|
Connor Lew, IOL, Auburn
|
75
|
-20
|
|
96
|
Gennings Dunker, IOL, Iowa
|
63
|
-33
|
|
97
|
Gracen Halton, DL, Oklahoma
|
78
|
-19
|
|
98
|
Logan Jones, IOL, Iowa
|
102
|
4
|
|
99
|
Brenen Thompson, WR, Mississippi State
|
112
|
13
|
|
100
|
Eli Stowers, TE, Vanderbilt
|
54
|
-46
|
Carson Beck
MIAMI • QB • #11
2025: Led ACC in passer efficiency rating (157.0), completion percentage (72.4%) and completions (338)
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Miami QB Carson Beck (No. 77) has had a college career that’s been one long roller coaster. Considered the presumptive No. 1 pick heading into the 2024 season, things at Georgia didn’t go as planned, and his final pass for the Bulldogs led to elbow surgery. Beck transferred to Miami in 2025, reinvented (rediscovered?) himself while leading the Hurricanes to the national title game, and has done a lot to repair his draft stock compared to 18 months ago.
He’s a rhythm passer with size, experience and the ability to work full-field reads — traits that translate directly to the league. His processing, accuracy and poise in structure give him a high floor. That reported, there are concerns about his ability to make plays out of structure; when he’s flushed from the pocket, mistakes can follow.
Still, in a QB class defined by uncertainty after the words “Fernando Mendoza,” Beck’s experience and growth while overcoming adversity make him a strong bet to outperform a late Day 2/Day 3 projection.
Malachi Fields
ND • WR
Career: 15.0 yards per catch, 16 TD
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At 6-foot-4, 218 pounds, Notre Dame WR Malachi Fields (No. 87) looks the part, but too much of his game relies on contested catches rather than consistent separation. He’s a long-strider who struggles to stack DBs vertically, which shows up in his 4.61 40. And though he has a big catch radius, the comfortable throwing windows shrink on Sundays against bigger, faster, stronger cornerbacks.
Fields also lacks suddenness out of his breaks, which means he’ll be more of a volume-dependent receiver at the next level. And while you can have a long, successful career in that role, those players typically aren’t top-50 targets.
