Jeff LegwoldApr 19, 2026, 06:40 AM ETCloseJeff Legwold covers the Denver Broncos at ESPN. He has covered the Broncos for more than 20 years and also assists with NFL draft coverage, joining ESPN in 2013. He has been a member of the Pro Football Hall of Fame Board of Selectors since 1999, too. Jeff previously covered the Pittsburgh Steelers, Buffalo Bills and Houston Oilers/Tennessee Titans at previous stops prior to ESPN.Follow on XMultiple Authors
play0:39Why Fernando Mendoza is Field Yates’ top prospect in the 2026 draftField Yates and Ben Solak discuss what makes Fernando Mendoza the top player in the 2026 NFL draft.
play0:30Ben Solak: Kenyon Sadiq can be a ‘George Kittle-style’ TE unicornBen Solak breaks down Oregon TE Kenyon Sadiq as an NFL draft prospect comparable to George Kittle.
play0:47Joey Aguilar throws 52-yard touchdown pass to Chris Brazzell IIJoey Aguilar airs it out for 52-yard touchdown pass
play0:33Jacob Rodriguez leaps over defender after pickJacob Rodriguez jumps over a Houston player following his big pick.
play0:36AJ Haulcy comes up with interception for LSUMarcel Reed’s pass is picked off in the red zone by AJ Haulcy for LSU vs. Texas A&M.
play1:13Gennings Dunker is obsessed with Culver’sTake a look at NFL draft prospect Gennings Dunker, the Culver’s loving offensive tackle from Iowa. Amy Lombard for ESPN : IG @amylombard
Why Fernando Mendoza is Field Yates’ top prospect in the 2026 draftField Yates and Ben Solak discuss what makes Fernando Mendoza the top player in the 2026 NFL draft.
Ben Solak: Kenyon Sadiq can be a ‘George Kittle-style’ TE unicornBen Solak breaks down Oregon TE Kenyon Sadiq as an NFL draft prospect comparable to George Kittle.
Joey Aguilar throws 52-yard touchdown pass to Chris Brazzell IIJoey Aguilar airs it out for 52-yard touchdown pass
Jacob Rodriguez leaps over defender after pickJacob Rodriguez jumps over a Houston player following his big pick.
AJ Haulcy comes up with interception for LSUMarcel Reed’s pass is picked off in the red zone by AJ Haulcy for LSU vs. Texas A&M.
Gennings Dunker is obsessed with Culver’sTake a look at NFL draft prospect Gennings Dunker, the Culver’s loving offensive tackle from Iowa. Amy Lombard for ESPN : IG @amylombard
Take a look at NFL draft prospect Gennings Dunker, the Culver’s loving offensive tackle from Iowa. Amy Lombard for ESPN : IG @amylombard
“Especially early in this draft, we’re all going to be presented with positional value and the football grades,” an AFC director of college scouting said. “The best players on this board, for the most part, aren’t quarterbacks, they’re not left tackles. You’ve got high-value edge players and really, really good players at other positions.”
Indiana quarterback Fernando Mendoza is expected to be the No. 1 pick Thursday night when the draft opens at 8 p.m. ET in Pittsburgh (ESPN, ABC and the ESPN app). But players such as Notre Dame running back Jeremiyah Love and Ohio State safety Caleb Downs will test the value charts early on Day 1.
An electric player with the brightest of futures, given he won’t turn 21 until August. Reese is a dynamic rusher who has shown burgeoning counter moves that are already difficult for opposing tackles. He also has the bend of the best pass rushers, sets a forceful edge when needed and can be impactful off the ball. Reese is a rare player with elite versatility.
It is one metric among many, but Love ran the same 40 time at the combine as Lions Pro Bowler Jahmyr Gibbs in 2023, and Love was 13 pounds heavier. His run skills, vision and explosiveness — eight plays of 20 yards or more, and he forced more than 50 missed tackles last season — are enough to put him here. But Love’s route-running/receiving skills will force plenty of evaluators to consider taking a running back this high on the board.
Since the start of the 2023 season, Bailey led the FBS with a pressure rate of 21.6% over that span, higher than any player with at least 25 games played over those three seasons. He’s active, sudden and presents a problem for blockers on every down. Bailey tallied 19.5 tackles for loss and 14.5 sacks in 2025.
Styles is a former safety who is quick and decisive to the ball in run defense. He’s also a quality tackler who can match slot receivers as well as tight ends in coverage. His 40 time, 43½-inch vertical jump and 11-foot-2 broad jump were eyebrow-raising exclamation points. His 12-tackle day in the Big Ten championship game was circled by many scouts.
Some say Downs’ traits are not elite, but his best trait might be that he’s the best football player on the board. He understands what offenses want to do from snap to snap, makes his team better, and is a high-end tackler and productive blitzer. He can play the nickel, safety or dime linebacker.
Delane’s game is NFL-ready, given he’s far more adept at affecting the release of opposing receivers than most prospects and has top-end speed with man or zone versatility. He doesn’t allow much separation at the top of the route, and he has faced some of the best receivers in this draft. Delane was credited with 27 pass breakups in his career.
Why Fernando Mendoza is Field Yates’ top prospect in the 2026 draft
Field Yates and Ben Solak discuss what makes Fernando Mendoza the top player in the 2026 NFL draft.
All 42 of Mauigoa’s career games were starts at right tackle — 2,709 snaps — and he projects as a long-term starter in the league. Some see a future guard, but his intelligence, power and footwork in pass protection suggest an immediate starter at right tackle. He allowed a pressure rate of just 1.1% this past season in 525 pass-block plays, easily the best of any player with at least 450 chances.
Carnell Tate discusses NFL draft process with Rich Eisen
His selection likely depends on the comfort level teams find with an extensive injury history that includes a torn ACL, MCL and PCL, as well as a fractured collarbone and a hamstring injury that derailed his 2025 season. At full strength, Tyson can line up all over the formation, is a 50-50 ball wizard and has vast WR1 potential.
He started at least one season at both tackle spots for the Utes — the past two at right tackle — and smoothly took snaps at center for teams at the combine. Because of that, some evaluators believe Fano has five-position ability. He’s likely a quicker fit for a zone scheme team with his athleticism.
Proctor’s 11-yard reception on a screen pass against Georgia last season was a mark-it-down play for a prospect with his size and movement skills. His weight will be monitored closely in the league — scouts believe he played at more than 360 pounds in 2025, while he was 352 at the combine and 358 at his pro day. He has plenty of rough edges to smooth in technique, but the power, movement and quickness at his size are rare.
There is an array of NFL playcallers who will see the possibilities of a well-rounded route tree for Sadiq, who is bigger and/or faster than virtually all of the defensive backs or linebackers he will face in coverage. He had 260 of his 560 receiving yards in 2025 after the catch. Sadiq had a smattering of drops (seven over the past two seasons), but he will be a high-volume receiver the moment he walks into an NFL facility.
Ben Solak: Kenyon Sadiq can be a ‘George Kittle-style’ TE unicorn
Ben Solak breaks down Oregon TE Kenyon Sadiq as an NFL draft prospect comparable to George Kittle.
The lure of potential is big here, as Faulk is one of the youngest players in the draft — he’ll turn 21 in September — yet has three seasons of SEC experience. While scouts believe his 2024 season was better (seven sacks) than his work in 2025 (two), there is maturity and skill in how he rushes the passer. Faulk should be effective as an inside rusher in nickel looks as well.
Ioane is the top-rated interior lineman, with 32 starts over the past three seasons. He played with slightly more quickness in 2025, as he was a bit lighter than he had been in previous seasons. Ioane is a powerful drive blocker in the run game who makes it a long day for the power pass rushers on the interior. He also has the reach to keep the defenders at bay.
Some might see some limitations for McNeil-Warren in the space-and-cover world of the NFL, but he is consistently around the ball with one high-impact collision after another. He forced eight fumbles over four seasons at Toledo.
With the suddenness and fluidity in his game, Lemon projects to have immediate impact as a high-volume slot receiver. He could face issues against more physical cornerbacks near the line of scrimmage, but his ball skills, ability to adjust to throws and route precision are NFL-ready. He had the fewest drops — one — of any WR prospect coming off a 1,000-yard season in 2025.
Though Cooper frequently played in the slot last season for the national champions, he showed productivity on the outside in previous years — his 21.2 yards per catch in 2024 ranked fourth highest in FBS. Cooper is a forceful runner after the catch who can also line up to carry the ball from scrimmage.
Thieneman has quite the résumé, with at least 95 tackles in each of the past three seasons. He showed up over the rest of the stat sheet too, with 14 pass breakups, eight interceptions, 10 tackles for loss and two sacks in his career. Thieneman has range in coverage, plays the run with fervor and diagnoses quickly.
Freeling was a full-time starter for just one season — 13 of his 18 career starts were in 2025. He has difficult-to-find physical traits, while his pass-protecting ability specifically showed vast improvement by season’s end. He has work to do in technique, but there’s so much potential.
There were moments when Hood flashed as the best player on the field during Senior Bowl workouts, and defensive back coaches who prefer physical, matchup press cornerbacks will favor his style. Hood played at three schools in three seasons — Auburn, Colorado and Tennessee — and scored touchdowns on both an interception and fumble recovery in 2025.
Hill is a linebacker who doesn’t waste time or steps sorting out a play. He projects as a three-down option, with high-end movement skills after 32 collegiate starts. He presents some intriguing scheme options as well, posting 17 sacks and eight forced fumbles in his three-year career.