It’s already that time of year when early 2026 watchlists are coming out. We love them…but we thought it might be fun to pull back the curtain and show you our list.

When we start building a draft list, it’s truly an organic thing. A Google Sheet is created and as we’re watching games, or breaking down film, or talking to scouts and agents we add players to it.

Once you have a list of names, you start breaking the position groups down into tiers or rankings. We prefer tiers to start with. And that’s where we’re at with the 2026 list—212 names being worked into tiers.

The early read on next year’s class: It’s much better than the 2025 group.

There’s more talent at quarterback—and time will tell whether that talent develops into full-blown first-round ability. There’s depth at running back and wide receiver even if there’s not yet an elite talent at either position that’ll conjure up Bijan Robinson or Marvin Harrison Jr. type early grades.

Tight end and the trenches look very good. There are three offensive tackle candidates who could be first overall type talents. The same goes for edge-rusher where T.J. Parker is a beast.

The secondary class is uneven, without an elite cornerback talent returning but with arguably the best safety prospect in a very long time in Caleb Downs.

How do the tiers work?

Tier 1 — future first-round pick

Tier 2 — Day 2 pick with upside

Tier 3 — likely Day 2 pick or an intriguing prospect

Untiered players may be unscouted at this time or not a top 100 prospect

Enough with the intro…you want the list. Here it is:

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Scouting is a process.

The rankings we posted in August were based on the tape we’d studied at that time and expectations of growth from key players. Some players met those expectations. Others exceeded them. Some failed.

That’s scouting.

We’re always collecting as much information as possible to give you updated, accurate intel on the top draft prospects in the nation. We watch All-22 tape, we talk to scouts and agents and coaches, and we travel to see players in person. We also comb through data in an effort to gain as many points of information as possible.

So yeah, we work really hard (sarcasm here) and we love sharing the info with you guys.

The below Top 50 big board is updated as of January 7 and could be affected by player decisions to declare for the draft or return to school.

1. Abdul Carter, DE, Penn State

NFL ceiling: Micah Parsons

2. Travis Hunter, ATH, Colorado

NFL ceiling: Denzel Ward meets DeVonta Smith

3. Will Johnson, CB, Michigan

NFL ceiling: Patrick Surtain II

4. Mason Graham, DT, Michigan

NFL ceiling: Quinnen Williams

5. Ashton Jeanty, RB, Boise State

NFL ceiling: Bijan Robinson

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The college football regular season is in the bag. What comes next is five months of intense scouting as players head into the college football playoffs or their pre-draft process.

Many have opined that the 2025 draft class is weak. There’s some truth to that in terms of top-end talent. There isn’t a player in this class that would rank ahead of Caleb Williams or Aidan Hutchinson or Bijan Robinson as former top prospects, but there is great depth in the group of players we’re evaluating for the NFL.

But what about those top-tier players? Who comes in at the top when looking not just at college production, but taking into account future development and position-specific traits?

Today we’ll lay out our top 10.

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10. Shedeur Sanders, QB, Colorado (6-2, 215)

A four-year starter—two at Jackson State before following his dad Deion Sanders to Colorado—Sanders is experience, confident, accurate and tough. But scouts are worried about on-field and off-field behaviors. Sanders has been involved in multiple on-field scuffles and was recently seen pushing an official. He has never been coached by anyone other than his dad, leading to concerns about coachability. As a player, Sanders has to speed up his process as he often trusts his arm strength and incredible field vision to save him when making late decisions. What’s remarkable is that it usually works out. He has 62 touchdown passes to 11 interceptions in the last two seasons and is completing 74.2 percent of his passes this year. Scouts must get to know the person—to find out if Sanders is coachable—to buy in. The passing traits are impressive enough to warrant that investigation. He’s a surgical passer with starter-level velocity and good pocket escapability. And while he doesn’t project as a future top 10 starter in the NFL, Sanders’ traits and confidence will combine to make him a good starter if he buys into the NFL program.

Key Stat: 132 career touchdown passes

Player Comparison: Geno Smith

9. Ashton Jeanty, RB, Boise State (5-9, 215)

A three-year starter, Jeanty has been college football’s best player in 2024. He leads the nation with 2,288 yards rushing and 28 touchdowns on the ground. Jeanty excels at contact balance—bouncing off tacklers and using his agility and long speed to pull away for big runs. He has enough speed to rip off 77-yarders and beat defenders to daylight. Jeanty hasn’t been used as much as a receiver this year, but had 43 catches for five scores in ‘23. As a pro running back prospect, Jeanty may not have game-changing speed but he’s a pinball getting through the defense. He’s great at making defenders miss, too. He projects as a high-end NFL starter.

Key Stat: 12 straight games of over 125 yards rushing

Player Comparison: Jahmyr Gibbs

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The desire to overreact to early performances hits us all. When the reality is it’s better to wait for a month (or more) to make a judgement on a player’s game early in a season. It seems like realizing that a player and team can develop over the course of a season is becoming lost on people—especially as it relates to NFL teams and players.

But we digress.

Let’s take a look at which players have made the splash up the board, which are falling, and those stars like Travis Hunter and Shedeur Sanders who are rock solid.

For this Big Board, we’re breaking the ranks down into tiers. The top 25 players are ranked linearly, but in groups as you’ll see below. And at the end of the Big Board, you’ll get our latest top 10s at each position group.

Top 25 Overall

— Blue Chip Tier —

1. Travis Hunter, WR/CB, Colorado

2. Will Johnson, CB, Michigan

3. James Pearce, DE, Tennessee

4. Luther Burden III, WR, Missouri

5. Mason Graham, DT, Michigan

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A summer Big Board is sure to rile up some readers, but it’s also a great starting point for the 2024 college football season and the upcoming NFL Draft.

Yes, we know it’s early.

Yes, we know things will change. In fact, things are supposed to change as we get more information on these players and prospects. There’s nine months between now and the 2025 NFL draft kicking off. If the information didn’t change, something would be wrong.

But come along with us as we take an early look at the upcoming class, based on scouting the 2023 college season and our conversations with decision-makers around the league.

Top 25 Overall

1. James Pearce Jr., DE, Tennessee

Reminds you of: Brian Burns, New York Giants

Best Trait: First-step quickness

2. Mason Graham, DT, Michigan

Reminds you of: Justin Madubuike, Baltimore Ravens

Best Trait: Gap-shooting quickness

3. Will Campbell, OT, LSU

Reminds you of: Jedrick Wills, Cleveland Browns

Best Trait: Power at the point of attack

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1. Kelvin Banks, Texas, OT, 6'5, 318

2. Harold Perkins, LSU, EDGE, 6'2, 220

3. Travis Hunter, Colorado, ATH - WR/CB, 6'1, 185

4. Luther Burden, Missouri, WR, 5'11, 208

5. Will Johnson, Michigan, CB, 6'2, 194

6. James Pearce Jr, Tennessee, EDGE, 6'5, 242

7. Benjamin Morrison, Notre Dame, CB, 6'0, 185

8. Quinn Ewers, Texas, QB, 6'2, 195

9. Carson Beck, Georgia, QB, 6'4, 215

10. Will Campbell, LSU, OT, 6'6, 325

11. Emeka Egbuka, Ohio State, WR, 6'1, 206

12. Tetairoa McMillan, Arizona, WR, 6'5, 205

13. Landon Jackson, Arkansas, EDGE, 6'7, 280

14. Colston Loveland, Michigan, TE, 6'5, 237

15. Mason Graham, Michigan, DL, 6’3, 318

16. Evan Stewart, Oregon, WR, 6'0, 175

17. Tyleik Williams, Ohio State, DL, 6'2, 290

18. Denzel Burke, Ohio State, CB, 6'1, 190

19. Isaiah Bond, Texas, WR, 5'11, 175

20. Shedeur Sanders, Colorado, QB, 6'2, 215

21. J.T. Tuimoloau, Ohio State, EDGE, 6'4, 270

22. Josh Simmons, Ohio State, OT, 6'6, 330

23. Malaki Starks, Georgia, S, 6'1, 205

24. Deone Walker, Kentucky, DL, 6’6, 348

25. Emery Jones Jr., LSU, OT, 6’6, 322

PROSPECTS BY SCHOOL:
Ohio State: 15
Georgia: 12
Texas: 10
Notre Dame: 8
Michigan: 8
Alabama: 7
Oregon: 7

TOP PROSPECTS BY POSITION:

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The excitement of the first round is over but there are still a ton of good players on the board. Let’s run through some of them.

TOP 10 BPA:
1. Cooper DeJean, Iowa
2. Adonai Mitchell, WR, Texas
3. Kool-Aid McKinstry, CB, Alabama
4. Jer'Zhan Newton, DL, Illinois
5. Ladd McConkey, WR, Georgia
6. Jackson Powers-Johnson, C, Oregon
7. Ennis Rakestraw Jr., CB, Missouri
8. Kingsley Suamataia, OT, BYU
9. Junior Colson, LB, Michigan
10. Jonathan Brooks, RB, Texas

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It’s the end of the road for these draft prospects - at least as prospects. So we’ll hand out some draft superlatives before they turn pro. Find out who has the strongest arm, who has the best hands and who is the best tackler.

QUARTERBACK:
Most Accurate: Caleb Williams, USC
Strongest Arm: Joe Milton, Tennessee

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It’s almost hard to believe but we are nearing the end of Draft Season. We’re all putting together our final Mocks, that will be destroyed with the first draft night trade or when our favorite draft crush slides a little down the board. So instead of trying to figure out who is going where - let’s look at the top players for each position group and how good that groups is.

Quarterback — Position Grade: B+
1. Caleb Williams, USC
2. Jayden Daniels, LSU

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Draft Season is in full swing. We’re all putting together our Mocks that will be destroyed with the first draft night trade or when our favorite draft crush slides a little down the board. So instead of trying to figure out who is going where - let’s look at the top players for each position group and how good that groups is.

Quarterback — Position Grade: B+
1. Caleb Williams, USC
2. Jayden Daniels, LSU
3. Drake Maye, North Carolina
4. JJ McCarthy, Michigan
5. Bo Nix, Oregon

Caleb Williams leads the pack of quarterbacks and I am a big believer in what he can do. Hopefully Chicago supports and builds around him a little better than they did Justin Fields. However, after Williams I don’t love this class of quarterbacks. Daniels, Maye and McCarthy are going to be drafted in the top 5 and I’m not 100% sold on any of them. Daniels struggled before transferring and I question which quarterback we’re getting. LSU or ASU? Maye has never done much to impress me. I’ve almost been impressed but then he does something to knock himself back down. McCarthy was a game manager in college, he did make some nice throws, but can he lead a franchise and carry a team or will he be a manager in the NFL too? You don’t draft game managers in the top 5. Nix might be my favorite QB after Williams. If I’m a team and miss out on a QB in the first round I would have no problem waiting for Nix in round 2 - assuming he will be there.

Running Back — Position Grade: D

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Two huge events on the pre-draft calendar are in the rearview with the Shrine Game and Senior Bowl officially complete. That means it is time to dive in and update our Top 50 players for the 2024 NFL draft.

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Top 50 Big Board

1. Caleb Williams, QB, USC

Pro Comp: Patrick Mahomes meets Russell Wilson

2. Marvin Harrison Jr., WR, Ohio State

Pro Comp: A.J. Green

3. Drake Maye, QB, North Carolina

Pro Comp: A shorter Josh Allen

4. Jayden Daniels, QB, LSU

Pro Comp: A better-passing Lamar Jackson

5. Malik Nabers, WR, LSU

Pro Comp: Brandon Aiyuk

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The college football season is coming to an end and the NFL Draft will be here before we know it. That means it’s time to really start stacking boards and getting to know these players. In this VERY preliminary big board we’ll look at 50 of the top players and do a little deeper dive on the top 25.

1. Caleb Williams, QB, USC

   Even though Williams didn’t have great talent around him at USC he still put up great numbers this year. His arm talent is beyond rare and he does things on the football field that few can even dream of. Adding a little structure to his freelance play will be huge at the next level - which is why he is getting compared to Patrick Mahomes already.

2. Olu Fashanu, OT, Penn State

   Fashanu is an outstanding prospect - I considered him at No. 1 overall but gave Williams the title mainly because of positional value. Fashanu only allowed one sack during his time at Penn State and faced some of the best pass rushers in college football. Fashanu could be a Day 1 starter for most NFL teams but Fashanu should be a top 5 pick.

3. Marvin Harrison Jr., WR, Ohio State

   Some people have Harrison Jr as their No. 1 prospect and you cant hate someone for doing that. Harrison checks all the boxes with his size, speed, hands and intangibles. He has the football pedigree but has also made a name for himself at Ohio State.

4. Drake Maye, QB, UNC

   Much like Marvin Harrison Jr., some scouts have Maye as their NO. 1 prospect. Which might sound a little crazy but Maye just may be QB1 in this class. Maye has the arm, IQ and sneaky athletic ability (nine rushing TDs this year) that are getting compared to Justin Herbert - and I totally see it.

5. Dallas Turner, EDGE, Alabama

   Last year we all got excited about Will Anderson from Alabama but I think anyone that watched Anderson’s tape was also wondering who the other edge rusher was. That was Dallas Turner and he is also worthy of a top 5 pick in the NFL Draft. The natural ability is there but Turner does need to add a little to his pass rush tool box.

6. Joe Alt, OT, Notre Dame

   If it weren’t for Fashanu, more people would be talking about how good Alt is. But right now he comes in at OT2 in this class. Alt has incredible length and came to Notre Dame as a tight end prospect - so he has athletic ability too.

7. Jared Verse, EDGE, Florida State

   Verse is one of my favorite prospects in this class but some of it might be his story. The Albany transfer lit the college football world on fire last year and then shocked the draft world by returning for another year at Florida State. Verse plays stronger than his size and does a good job of converting his speed into a powerful bull rush.

8. Malik Nabers, WR, LSU

   The scouting cycle started this offseason with scouts wondering who would emerge as WR2 and how strong this receiver class would be. We might not know who WR2 is yet but we know this is a strong receiver class. Nabers looks like a top prospect regardless of his positional ranking. His big play ability will fit in with any offense and we could see him be an immediate impact on any team.

9. Brock Bowers, TE, Georgia

   Bowers suffered an injury and missed a few games this year. I wondered how it change his draft stock and it turns out it didn’t at all. Bowers came back and didn’t miss a beat - he actually looked better. We all know about Bowers ability as a receiver but I actually love his willingness as a blocker too. He isn’t afraid to do the dirty work that comes with being a tight end but will also burn you for 100+ yards in the receiving game.

10. Keon Coleman, WR, Florida State

    Another one of my favorite prospects and it’s another FSU player. I had eyes on FSU receiver Johnny Wilson to start the year and Coleman quickly caught my attention. At 6’4” Coleman has unique 50/50 ball ability but has also shown adequate route running and screen game ability.

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The quarterback class has been talked about at length by everyone with a football opinion but there is a good reason for it. There are two pretty special QBs and a heard of others that could become first-rounders - Quinn Ewers and Michael Penix Jr.

And while everyone is talking about Caleb Williams, Drake Maye and Marvin Harrison Jr…this offensive line class looks very good! Fashanu is one of the best left tackle prospects in a few years and should be a top 5 pick. Joe Alt (Notre Dame), JC Latham (Alabama) and Kingsley Suamataia (BYU) are damn near first round locks for me and Kingsley Suamataia might end up as OT2 in this loaded class after he lights it up at the combine.

Running back is weak this year but someone usually surprises and has a breakout year. I’m keeping an eye on Ohio State to see which back emerges because either Miyan Williams or TreVeyon Henderson could be the breakout star. Oh, the Buckeyes also have the top two receivers this year and it doesn’t seem like anyone will surpass the dynamic duo. Rounding out the offense with tight end where there are two pretty special players in Blake Bowers (Georgia) and JT Sanders (Texas) in this class. I could see both going in the first round and have both listed in my top 40 - I cant imagine them being drafted outside of the top 40 either.

Defensively this class has a lot to offer up front. The edge rushers are led by Jared Verse (Florida State) but there are numerous guys that could see their draft stock soar after this season. I have six edge rushers in my top 40 and that’s not including guys like Maason Smith (LSU) that is an interior guy that could play on the edge. Speaking of Smith, I really like the defensive line class too. Five defensive line prospects land in my top 40 but positional value might be keeping a few more off the list.

Much like the running back class, the linebacker class is looking for someone to breakout. Clemson has two potential stars in Jeremiah Trotter Jr. and Barrett Carter but we’re not talking about them in the top 10 and possibly not even in the first round. We’ll see what happens and if anyone else can push the Clemson duo.

Corner and safety is nice in 2024 with big time players like Kool-Aid McKinstry (Alabama) and Calen Bullock (USC) but there is also depth in the secondary as well. Georgia has an amazing secondary this year and all draft eligible prospects should be heavily scouted by everyone. By the way, I also love Cooper DeJean (Iowa) and hope he can build on his five interceptions and three touchdowns from last year. I mean, who doesn’t love a 6-1, 209 pound corner from Iowa?

Enjoy the list and let me know your favorite player that didn’t make it - I need a few more guys to watch ;)

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After months of tape study and hours spent talking to NFL sources—scouts, coaches, media members and agents—we’ve finally compiled our top 300 list. Here’s the final Big Board for the 2023 class.

Stay tuned for our final rumors posts, final mock draft, and more as we get closer to the 2023 draft.

1. OLB Will Anderson Alabama

2. QB Bryce Young Alabama

3. RB Bijan Robinson Texas

4. QB CJ Stroud Ohio State

5. WR Jaxon Smith-Njigba Ohio State

6. DT Jalen Carter Georgia

7. CB Devon Witherspoon Illinois

8. DE Tyree Wilson Texas Tech

9. OT Peter Skoronski Northwestern

10. CB Christian Gonzalez Oregon

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*Spoiler alert* I only like two quarterbacks in this class. 

1. Will Anderson, EDGE, Alabama, 6'4, 245

Will Andreson had an outstanding season in 2022 but too many of us were grading him against what he did in 2021 - when he had 17.5 sacks and finished 5th in the Heisman. Anderson is the prototypical outside linebacker in a 3-4 defense but any team could use Anderson because of his versatility, length and strength. Any team that doesn’t need a quarterback, should be considering Anderson at the top of their board. I have a hard time seeing him fall out of the top five. 

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Quarterback
Bryce Young Alabama
CJ Stroud Ohio State
Anthony Richardson Florida
DJ Uiagaelei Clemson
Phil Jurkovec Boston College
Tyler Van Dyke Miami
Grayson McCall Coastal Carolina
…

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1. Will Anderson, EDGE, Alabama (6'4", 235)
2. CJ Stroud, QB, Ohio State (6'3, 218)
3. Jalen Carter, DL, Georgia (6'3", 310)
4. Jaxon Smith-Njigba, WR, Ohio State (6'0", 198)
5. Bryce Young, QB, Alabama (6'0, 194)

You’re probably wondering why Bryce Young is at No. 5 and it’s a very fair question. The answer - size an…

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1. EDGE Aidan Hutchinson Michigan COMP: Jared Allen

2. OT Evan Neal Alabama COMP: Laremy Tunsil

3. OT Ikem Ekwonu NC State COMP: Tristan Wirfs

4. SAF Kyle Hamilton Notre Dame COMP: Derwin James

5. EDGE Travon Walker Georgia COMP: Robert Quinn

6. CB Ahmad Gardner Cincinnati COMP: Richard Sherman

7. WR Drake London USC COMP: Mike Evans

8. WR Jameson Williams Ala…

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But here I’ll list my top 100 players with a few notes sprinkled in along the way. One thing I can promise you is that I don’t hate your favorite draft prospect - I just have a different opinion on them than you do. And that’s ok. We all see the game differently and even though we may disagree on where a player should be ranked we all love the game and love the draft. Let’s use these big boards as a means to have respectful conversations about the draft and the players in it.

Or you can crap all over it - I already got your click! Share it here:

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1. Aidan Hutchinson, EDGE, Michigan

Hutchinson appears to be the consensus No. 1 overall pick in this draft and his blend of burst, strength and bend warrant all the praise. In fact, Hutchinson posted a 9.86 RAS (Relative Athletic Score) which puts him in the top 20 out of all edge rushers from 1987-2022. 

Also, Hutchinson has the “high-motor” or “scrappy” and “never takes plays off” traits as well. 

2. Evan Neal, OT, Alabama

Evan Neal has the chance to be a franchise changing left tackle. His size is literally hard to overlook but Neal’s ability to move with fluid hips and footwork are going to surprise even the top NFL pass rushers. Neal was also a three-year starter at Alabama and has played both right and left tackle. 

3. Ikem Ekwonu, OT, NC State

One of the biggest risers in this year's draft has been Ekwonu. At the start of the season I thought Ekwonu might be the best guard in this class - and I guess he still could be - but he has proven that he can play tackle in the NFL and may be the first tackle selected. One trait that I love about Ekwonu is that he has great length (34 inch arms) in pass protection but plays with amazing leverage in the run game. Ekwonu is going to find success in the NFL - even if he does play guard. 

4. Kyle Hamilton, S, Notre Dame

There is a lot of buzz about Kyle Hamilton falling in the draft. Here’s the truth - the NFL was never as high on Hamilton as draft Twitter or draft fans. For some reason, and I don’t understand it or agree with it, the NFL does not value safeties in the top 10 of the NFL draft. We’ve seen numerous safeties drastically change a defense but the pros still doubt them. I don’t think Hamilton will go top 10 but that won’t stop me from putting him in my top five. Standing at 6’4”, Hamilton is a dream matchup for the modern tight end but can also come downhill and play the run. There aren’t many holes in Hamilton’s game - and he game speed is good too. 

5. Ahmad Gardner, CB, Cincinnati

I’m gonna go ahead and pat myself on the back for this one. I’ve loved Sauce Gardner since his freshman year at Cincinnati, but I will admit, even I didn’t think Sauce would be a top five player. But, when you’re 6’3” and run a 4.41 you’re going to get some attention. And that’s exactly what happened here. The measurables and times made a lot of people take a closer look at his tape and people were wowed when they did. Gardner posted nine career interceptions at Cincy but also has great hands at the line of scrimmage and in the air. Gardner comes in slightly ahead of Derek Stingley for me. 

Ok, now I’m really going to get crazy!

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April has arrived and the 2022 NFL Draft is just a few short weeks away. The scouting combine is past us and many top prospects have had their pro days or will soon. Teams are finalizing roster needs and sorting through their draft boards as you’re reading this.

The next few weeks will come at us lightning quick. So, let’s dive right into my latest top 50 overall players.

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