As always, The Athletic draft expert Dane Brugler gave us a lot to talk about when he unveiled his updated 2026 NFL Draft board. His post-Super Bowl, pre-NFL Scouting Combine top 100 featured some familiar names at the top, including Ohio State’s Arvell Reese and Indiana’s Fernando Mendoza, as well as some unheralded prospects who have climbed into the early-round mix.
NFL Draft analyst Nick Baumgardner and college football writer Scott Dochterman take a closer look at what we learned:
1. Jeremiyah Love at No. 3 probably caught a few people off guard. What jumped out for you in the top 10?
Nick Baumgardner: My only complaint about Dane’s top three is that Caleb Downs isn’t in it. (He’s fourth, behind Reese, Mendoza and Love, so it’s a nitpick).
But I definitely expected Love to be there, as it’s just impossible to watch his tape from the last two years and not see an explosive, three-down NFL playmaker ready to make an immediate impact.
The biggest surprise for me probably was that LSU cornerback Mansoor Delane not only landed as CB1, but also all the way up at No. 7. I don’t necessarily disagree, as Delane has been one of my favorite coverage players in college football for two years, but I wonder if NFL teams can get over his lack of size (5 feet 11 inches, 191 pounds) enough to draft him in the top 10.
Scott Dochterman: I was surprised to see Ohio State linebacker Sonny Styles at No. 5. It’s rare for an off-ball linebacker to crack the top 10 these days, and I viewed Styles as maybe a top-15 prospect. He obviously is incredibly athletic, and his move from safety to linebacker set a template that has led NFL teams to ask many current college defensive coordinators if their bigger safeties can make a similar transition.
Love’s spot doesn’t surprise you once you let your eyes guide you in the right spot. He is an elite talent at running back, probably alongside Bijan Robinson as one of the top RB prospects over the last decade. But the positional devaluation of running backs does force you to pause for a moment when seeing Love that high.
2. We always have to talk about the QBs — there are just three on the top-100 board. Is there any hope for this class?
Baumgardner: There is, yes. I think the biggest difference between this class and some of the other recent groups that turned out to be duds is that Mendoza feels like a pretty safe bet. You really have to squint to find reasons to complain about his game. His intelligence, competitiveness and accuracy are all top-notch. He’s a plus athlete who prepares like a pro. I have a hard time believing he’ll just flop in the NFL.
I also think if we go beyond Simpson and Garrett Nussmeier, we see at least a few more interesting names — one being Ole Miss quarterback Trinidad Chambliss, provided he winds up in the 2026 class. Not unlike Simpson, Chambliss might need a year before he’s ready for the NFL, but he might’ve been (and possibly still will be) in the QB1 discussion for 2027.
Mendoza, Simpson, Nussmeier and Chambliss all have enough to at least get a shot at starting in the NFL. That’s more than I would have said at this point last year, for whatever that’s worth.
Dochterman: This is a tough class, and it’s such a cycle downward from six months ago. Mendoza always had the physical traits and mental acumen to be a first-rounder, but most of us would have expected Nussmeier, Miami’s Carson Beck, Penn State’s Drew Allar and Clemson’s Cade Klubnik to enter the first-round conversation. Of that group, only Beck had a stellar 2025 season.
There are hidden gems, though. It’s just going to take patience — outside of Mendoza, none of them are ready to start and potentially win games right away. On Day 3 of the draft, every GM will be looking for the next Brock Purdy. And if that’s your strategy for finding a starter, it’s like buying a Powerball ticket to get rich.
But there is potential. The aforementioned quarterbacks all are talented, and Nussmeier might have been in the first-round discussion if injuries hadn’t sidelined him. Rutgers’ Athan Kaliakmanis has all the physical gifts that NFL teams covet. Illinois’ Luke Altmyer has many of the same traits as Purdy and was very accurate. Iowa’s Mark Gronowski won more games than any quarterback in college football history, and with his physical running style, he could become a multi-faceted threat like Taysom Hill.
Each of those quarterbacks could earn an early role and develop into a key performer. Outside of Mendoza, however, you also can’t predict it.
3. Other than Simpson, is there a prospect outside of Dane’s top 25 who could shake up Round 1 by making a big leap up the board?
Baumgardner: Chambliss is my pick there. After sort of coming out of nowhere toward the start of last season, he improved as much as any other quarterback in the country throughout the 2025 campaign. He’s not very big, but he’s a unique player with a legit arm and enough athleticism to cause serious problems. I won’t put money on him getting into Round 1 if he joins the ’26 class, but it’d be possible.
I wouldn’t totally rule it out with Nussmeier either. LSU was a mess last season, and that was more Brian Kelly’s fault than Nussmeier’s. The QB’s entire body of work is much better than what his ’25 numbers show. I think he’s probably a Day 2 (Rounds 2-3) pick, but it wouldn’t surprise me to see him go higher than many believe.
Dochterman: Northwestern offensive tackle Caleb Tiernan has a chance to sneak into Round 1 because of his experience (43 starts in the Big Ten), size (6-7, 320) and positional demand. He could have sat out the Wildcats’ bowl game against Central Michigan; instead, he couldn’t imagine missing that experience. He battled top-level pass rushers almost weekly and is just scratching the surface of his potential.
I’d add Indiana cornerback D’Angelo Ponds as a late-first-round possibility. Perhaps he doesn’t check every height/weight box, but he was a bona fide playmaker in the Hoosiers’ secondary. He had no issues battling elite receivers, played very physical defense when required and was a top-shelf special teamer. At 5-9. Ponds’ height will give some teams pause. A smart one will scoop him up, and he’ll start for a decade.
4. Are there any prospects you like a little (or a lot) more than Dane does at this point?
Baumgardner: Tennessee CB Colton Hood is a tough one. Dane has him at No. 28, and though there are definitely moments on tape when he flashes like a first-round corner, the third-year sophomore is also pretty inconsistent. His tool box is very deep, but he’s not totally sure what to do with everything in there just yet.
I also go back and forth on whether to slot Indiana WR Omar Cooper Jr. in the top 30 (Dane has him at 27), or to keep Clemson OT Blake Miller (No. 42) in the top 50. Miller is a great athlete who has big-time potential as a protector, but I have questions about his ability to run block at an NFL level.
One guy Dane doesn’t have in his top 100 who I love is Josh Cuevas. The Alabama tight end doesn’t blow anyone away with his straight-line speed, but he’s a really nice athlete with reliable hands at 6-3, 256 pounds. He’s also strong enough to be a factor in the run game and athletic enough to possibly wear multiple hats offensively.
Dochterman: At No. 60, Texas Tech defensive lineman Lee Hunter is probably 15-20 slots too low for me. He was so underrated on one of the nation’s top defenses and allowed David Bailey and Jacob Rodriguez to put together All-America seasons. Hunter has two-gap potential that might not garner many awards, but his teammates will know his value.
Among players Dane doesn’t have in his top 100, I’m bullish on Iowa four-year starter Logan Jones, the nation’s top center last year. He bulked up to more than 300 pounds, set the program record in the squat (705 pounds), ranked second in the hang clean (470) behind Tristan Wirfs and second among Iowa offensive linemen in vertical jump (36.6 inches). Jones compares favorably to his predecessor, Tyler Linderbaum, but he’s a little longer, heavier and more athletic. Perhaps he’s not quite as mean, but he’s close.