Who are the best players in the 2026 NFL draft class? We picked the top five at every position

We person plentifulness of clip earlier the 2026 NFL draft kicks disconnected successful Pittsburgh -- 10 months, successful fact. But it's ne'er excessively aboriginal to instrumentality inventory of the class.

Matt Miller and Jordan Reid enactment unneurotic their idiosyncratic top-five lists astatine each position, based connected the portion they've already watched and the conversations they've had with radical astir assemblage shot and the NFL. Then they dove a small deeper. At each position, they identified 1 imaginable whose banal is analyzable by a assortment of extracurricular factors (transfers, injuries, presumption changes, etc.) and called retired 1 imaginable inactive flying under the radar extracurricular the apical five.

Let's instrumentality an aboriginal look astatine each presumption radical successful the 2026 class, starting with quarterback. Note: Some prospects are listed nether antithetic positions for antithetic analysts.

Jump to a position:
QB | RB | WR | TE | OT | G | C
Edge | DT | LB | CB | S

Quarterback

Miller's apical five

1. Cade Klubnik, Clemson
2. Garrett Nussmeier, LSU
3. Fernando Mendoza, Indiana
4. LaNorris Sellers, South Carolina
5. Drew Allar, Penn State

Reid's apical five

1. Cade Klubnik, Clemson
2. LaNorris Sellers, South Carolina
3. Garrett Nussmeier, LSU
4. Drew Allar, Penn State
5. Fernando Mendoza, Indiana

Toughest subordinate to rank: Allar. Every backmost successful this people is pugnacious to rank, but Penn State's passer is the toughest. He flashes brilliance with a large limb and bully mobility for his 6-foot-5, 238-pound size, but his decision-making is precise hit-or-miss, particularly against apical opponents. His quality to cleanable up intelligence mistakes volition find wherever his banal goes arsenic a senior. Allar could beryllium the apical QB successful the people ... oregon gaffe to Day 3. -- Miller

Player extracurricular of the apical 5 to watch: John Mateer, Oklahoma. Mateer has the makings of a riser. He broke retired past play astatine Washington State, passing for 3,139 yards, 29 touchdowns and lone 7 interceptions, portion besides rushing for 826 yards and 15 scores. He'll get a accidental to execute connected a bigger signifier aft transferring to Oklahoma. If Mateer excels against the SEC -- on with a Week 2 nonconference game against Michigan -- his banal volition emergence quickly. -- Reid

Running back

Miller's apical five

1. Jeremiyah Love, Notre Dame
2. CJ Baxter, Texas
3. Makhi Hughes, Oregon
4. Kaytron Allen, Penn State
5. Nicholas Singleton, Penn State

Reid's apical five

1. Jeremiyah Love, Notre Dame
2. Nicholas Singleton, Penn State
3. Demond Claiborne, Wake Forest
4. Quintrevion Wisner, Texas
5. Jonah Coleman, Washington

Toughest subordinate to rank: Baxter. The redshirt sophomore returns aft missing the 2024 play with a torn close ACL. Although he'll beryllium fresh, tin helium recapture the signifier that allowed him to unreserved for 659 yards and 5 touchdowns arsenic a existent freshman successful 2023? He'll stock carries with Wisner, who rushed for 1,064 yards past season, which could make an absorbing dynamic. -- Miller

Player extracurricular of the apical 5 to watch: Jaydn Ott, Oklahoma. Ott entered past play with sizeable 2025 draught buzz aft rushing for 1,305 yards and 12 touchdowns astatine Cal successful 2023. But his 2024 run was spoiled by a Week 1 right ankle injury that lingered the full season, holding him to 385 yards and 4 touchdowns. Ott has since transferred to Oklahoma and is looking to bounce backmost arsenic a senior. -- Reid

play

0:35

Cal stuns Miami with a 66-yard TD connected 4th-and-1

Cal dials up a cleanable blitz-beater arsenic Fernando Mendoza finds Jaydn Ott for a 66-yard touchdown.

Wide receiver

Miller's apical five

1. Antonio Williams, Clemson
2. Jordyn Tyson, Arizona State
3. Eric Singleton Jr., Georgia Tech
4. Denzel Boston, Washington
5. Carnell Tate, Ohio State

Reid's apical five

1. Ja'Kobi Lane, USC
2. Jordyn Tyson, Arizona State
3. Antonio Williams, Clemson
4. Carnell Tate, Ohio State
5. Denzel Boston, Washington

Toughest subordinate to rank: Lane. I person the 6-4, 195-pound redshirt sophomore ranked higher than everyone and volition proceed to reside connected that island. But helium is simply a polarizing imaginable who has galore scouts needing to spot more. Despite 12 touchdowns past season, Lane had lone 528 receiving yards and was held beneath 50 yards successful 8 of USC's 13 games. There isn't a existent WR1 successful this people yet, so, with a spot much consistency, Lane has the accidental to emergence and beryllium the archetypal receiver disconnected the board. -- Reid

Player extracurricular of the apical 5 to watch: Elijah Sarratt, Indiana. The 6-2, 210-pound Sarratt has large breakout potential, particularly with backmost Fernando Mendoza transferring in from Cal. Sarratt had 53 catches for 987 yards and 8 touchdowns past play and fits the mold of Texans prima receiver Nico Collins, with fantabulous assemblage positioning and pugnacious hands successful traffic. -- Miller

Tight end

Miller's apical five

1. Eli Stowers, Vanderbilt
2. Jack Endries, Texas
3. Kenyon Sadiq, Oregon
4. Max Klare, Ohio State
5. Joe Royer, Cincinnati

Reid's apical five

1. Kenyon Sadiq, Oregon
2. Eli Stowers, Vanderbilt
3. Max Klare, Ohio State
4. Jack Endries, Texas
5. Joe Royer, Cincinnati

Toughest subordinate to rank: Sadiq. His touches were constricted past play down eventual second-round prime Terrance Ferguson, with Sadiq finishing with 24 catches for 308 yards and 2 touchdowns. But helium showed glimpses of his potential, astir notably his way moving and his question skills aft the catch. With Ferguson disconnected to the NFL and starring returning receiver Evan Stewart apt retired for the play with a knee injury, Sadiq volition measurement into a marquee role. -- Reid

Player extracurricular of the apical 5 to watch: Luke Hasz, Ole Miss. Hasz transferred from Arkansas successful the offseason and volition play successful a overmuch much TE-friendly discourtesy astatine Ole Miss. Hasz had large moments for the Razorbacks, but inconsistent backmost play and an unproductive strategy made it casual for opposing defenses to cardinal connected him. It volition beryllium amusive to spot what plays Lane Kiffin devises to get Hasz open. -- Miller

Offensive tackle

Miller's apical five

1. Francis Mauigoa, Miami
2. Kadyn Proctor, Alabama
3. Austin Barber, Florida
4. Spencer Fano, Utah
5. Caleb Lomu, Utah

Reid's apical five

1. Spencer Fano, Utah
2. Kadyn Proctor, Alabama
3. Isaiah World, Oregon
4. Caleb Lomu, Utah
5. Drew Shelton, Penn State

Toughest subordinate to rank: Proctor. There are mixed feelings astir the 6-7, 360-pound junior. On 1 hand, he's a monolithic tackle imaginable with otherworldly blocking strength. But his moments of brilliance are countered by plentifulness of disappointing stretches. He tends to interval against lesser competition, losing attraction to item and not utilizing his powerfulness advantage. Scouts privation to spot much consistency from Proctor successful 2025, and galore judge helium tin beryllium a top-15 prime if helium shows it. -- Reid

Player extracurricular of the apical 5 to watch: Aamil Wagner, Notre Dame. I had a beauteous pugnacious clip keeping Wagner retired of my apical 5 aft helium played a precise beardown 16 games successful 2024. The 6-6, 293-pound inferior close tackle flourished arsenic a tally blocker, with awesome agility and consciousness successful space. He has the accidental to sprout up draught boards if his 2nd play arsenic a full-time starter is arsenic bully arsenic his first. -- Miller

Guard

Miller's apical five

1. Cayden Green, Missouri
2. Ar'maj Reed-Adams, Texas A&M
3. Jaeden Roberts, Alabama
4. Joshua Braun, Arkansas
5. Davion Carter, Texas Tech

Reid's apical five

1. Francis Mauigoa, Miami
2. Cayden Green, Missouri
3. Ar'maj Reed-Adams, Texas A&M
4. Jaeden Roberts, Alabama
5. Emmanuel Pregnon, Oregon

Toughest subordinate to rank: Roberts. After an awesome 2023 campaign, Roberts entered 2024 with top-75 hype for the 2025 draft. But his play slipped past season, truthful helium is backmost astatine Alabama. Was it the strategy alteration from Nick Saban to Kalen DeBoer that caused Roberts' issues, oregon was it thing else? He has imaginable to beryllium a apical defender prospect, but which subordinate volition amusement up this season? -- Miller

Player extracurricular of the apical 5 to watch: DJ Campbell, Texas. Campbell is the Longhorns' lone returning interior starter and is expected to instrumentality a bigger relation successful 2025. He started each 16 games past play and excelled arsenic a tally blocker owed to his spot astatine the constituent of attack. He needs to proceed to amended his method and manus timing successful walk protection. If helium does that, helium could emergence up the defender rankings. -- Reid

Center

Miller's apical five

1. Jake Slaughter, Florida
2. Iapani Laloulu, Oregon
3. Logan Jones, Iowa
4. Connor Tollison, Missouri
5. Pat Coogan, Indiana

Reid's apical five

1. Connor Lew, Auburn
2. Jake Slaughter, Florida
3. Iapani Laloulu, Oregon
4. Logan Jones, Iowa
5. Connor Tollison, Missouri

Toughest subordinate to rank: Tollison. Despite getting Day 2 grades from scouts I've talked to, Tollison decided to instrumentality for his elder season. He fell disconnected a spot toward the extremity of past play owed to a knee injury. Although the 2026 halfway people looks deep, Tollison is simply a subordinate to ticker -- particularly if helium returns to his pre-injury form. He has started 35 games, with each drawback coming astatine center. -- Reid

Player extracurricular of the apical 5 to watch: Bryce Foster, Kansas. Foster made a immense leap successful 2024, which leads maine to judge that there's adjacent much to travel successful 2025. The 6-5 330-pounder is simply a mauler successful the tally crippled with the agility to marque blocks successful space. Don't beryllium amazed to spot him paving the mode for now-healthy backmost Jalon Daniels, earning postseason awards and moving up draught boards. -- Miller

Edge rusher

Miller's apical five

1. T.J. Parker, Clemson
2. Rueben Bain Jr., Miami
3. Keldric Faulk, Auburn
4. David Bailey, Texas Tech
5. Patrick Payton, LSU

Reid's apical five

1. Keldric Faulk, Auburn
2. T.J. Parker, Clemson
3. Dani Dennis-Sutton, Penn State
4. Rueben Bain Jr., Miami
5. Gabe Jacas, Illinois

Toughest subordinate to rank: Payton. After a superb 2023 play astatine Florida State, 6-5, 250-pound Payton entered past play with All-American hype. But his play mimicked the Seminoles' disappointment arsenic his sack full fell from 7 to four. Payton -- whose flashes punctual galore of Giants borderline rusher Brian Burns -- has the imaginable to get backmost connected way at LSU. If helium does, large things are possible. -- Miller

play

1:08

Flashback: Patrick Payton tallies 3 sacks successful FSU's win

Look backmost astatine caller LSU transportation Patrick Payton's champion crippled of the play successful Florida State's triumph implicit California.

Player extracurricular of the apical 5 to watch: Cashius Howell, Texas A&M. The Bowling Green transportation had to hold his crook successful 2024 down Shemar Stewart and Nic Scourton. But with some of those guys present successful the NFL, it's Howell's crook to pb the Aggies' antiaircraft front. He provided a glimpse of his imaginable successful his lone commencement past season, with 5 tackles, a sack and an interception successful the Las Vegas Bowl. Continuing that accumulation would enactment Howell among the apical players successful different loaded radical of borderline rushers. -- Reid

Defensive tackle

Miller's apical five

1. Peter Woods, Clemson
2. Tim Keenan III, Alabama
3. Keanu Tanuvasa, BYU
4. Lee Hunter, Texas Tech
5. Zane Durant, Penn State

Reid's apical five

1. Peter Woods, Clemson
2. Caleb Banks, Florida
3. Christen Miller, Georgia
4. Zane Durant, Penn State
5. Tim Keenan III, Alabama

Toughest subordinate to rank: Banks. The 6-6 325-pounder finished past play connected a blistery streak, with 3.5 sacks successful his last 2 games. Banks is simply a quick-footed interior defender with powerfulness and manus quickness astatine the constituent of attack. Florida's defence should beryllium improved, and Banks is an important first-level portion of that unit. He has first-round potential, but helium volition request to enactment steadfast and physique connected his accelerated 2024 finish. -- Reid

Player extracurricular of the apical 5 to watch: Rayshaun Benny, Michigan. Another year, different Wolverines antiaircraft lineman to watch. The 6-4, 296-pound Benny volition beryllium tasked with replacing first-rounder Mason Graham. The fifth-year elder had lone 1.5 sacks past play arsenic a rotational subordinate but has breakout potential. He ended the play playing his champion ball, sharing Big Ten Defensive Player of the Week honors aft helping Michigan upset Ohio State. -- Miller

Linebacker

Miller's apical five

1. Anthony Hill Jr., Texas
2. CJ Allen, Georgia
3. Deontae Lawson, Alabama
4. Whit Weeks, LSU
5. Harold Perkins Jr., LSU

Reid's apical five

1. Anthony Hill Jr., Texas
2. CJ Allen, Georgia
3. Whit Weeks, LSU
4. Deontae Lawson, Alabama
5. Sonny Styles, Ohio State

Toughest subordinate to rank: Perkins. If it feels arsenic if the 6-1 220-pounder has been connected these lists for 3 years, good ... he has. He's a talented dual-threat defender susceptible of rushing the passer and playing disconnected the ball, but helium missed the last 9 games of 2024 aft suffering a torn ACL. Perkins is 1 of the astir breathtaking players successful the federation erstwhile healthy, but size concerns and a deficiency of a defined relation marque him a pugnacious eval. -- Miller

Player extracurricular of the apical 5 to watch: Suntarine Perkins, Ole Miss. I'm joining Matt connected the Perkins train, albeit a antithetic one. The Ole Miss Perkins was 1 of the astir explosive players successful the country, signaling 10.5 sacks past season. With 3 Rebels antiaircraft linemen drafted successful April, Perkins volition apt beryllium utilized arsenic an borderline defender again, but his 6-1, 210-pound framework makes it improbable that he'll play borderline successful the NFL. Scouts privation him to summation value and play much snaps successful an off-ball linebacker role, which volition apt beryllium his presumption astatine the adjacent level. -- Reid

Cornerback

Miller's apical five

1. Jermod McCoy, Tennessee
2. Avieon Terrell, Clemson
3. Malik Muhammad, Texas
4. Chandler Rivers, Duke
5. D'Angelo Ponds, Indiana

Reid's apical five

1. A.J. Harris, Penn State
2. Jermod McCoy, Tennessee
3. DJ McKinney, Colorado
4. Avieon Terrell, Clemson
5. Malik Muhammad, Texas

Toughest subordinate to rank: McCoy. The Oregon State transportation thrived successful his archetypal play with the Vols, intercepting 4 passes and looking similar the CB1 of a beardown 2026 country class. But helium suffered a torn ACL during a January grooming session, putting his presumption for the 2025 play successful doubt. Can McCoy instrumentality to the tract this season, and however would helium execute if helium does? -- Reid

Player extracurricular of the apical 5 to watch: Josh Moten, Southern Miss. I really wanted to get Moten into my apical five, and I mightiness bash truthful successful my preseason rerank. He began his vocation astatine Texas A&M earlier transferring to Marshall, wherever helium had 5 interceptions past season. Moten is present astatine Southern Miss, moving with new Golden Eagles coach Charles Huff. At 164 pounds, determination are questions astir Moten's size, but helium tin flat-out screen and onslaught the ball. -- Miller

Safety

Miller's apical five

1. Caleb Downs, Ohio State
2. Dillon Thieneman, Oregon
3. Kamari Ramsey, USC
4. Michael Taaffe, Texas
5. Rod Moore, Michigan

Reid's apical five

1. Caleb Downs, Ohio State
2. Kamari Ramsey, USC
3. Dillon Thieneman, Oregon
4. Jalon Kilgore, South Carolina
5. Tao Johnson, Utah

Toughest subordinate to rank: Moore. The fifth-year elder missed past play aft suffering a torn ACL successful the outpouring of 2024. If helium tin instrumentality to his erstwhile level of play (six combined interceptions successful 2022-23), that's a immense triumph for the Michigan defence and could propulsion Moore adjacent the apical of the information class. But scouts are successful wait-and-see mode arsenic helium returns from injury. -- Miller

Player extracurricular of the apical 5 to watch: Keon Sabb, Alabama. After serving arsenic a reserve connected Michigan's nationalist title defence successful 2023, Sabb transferred to Alabama and started past play with a flourish. But aft grabbing 2 interceptions successful his archetypal 7 games, helium suffered a breached foot that had to beryllium surgically repaired. He should commencement again astatine escaped information arsenic a rangy, instinctive shot hawk who generates turnovers. -- Reid