2026 NFL Draft Skill Position Rankings, Grades, and "My Guys"

It is draft day, and in the coming days, 257 players will hear their names called and live out their dreams. Without further ado, here are my position rankings and grades for the QBs, RBs, WRs, and DBs in the 2026 NFL Draft.

QB's

1. Fernando Mendoza, Indiana. 90, Round 1.

2. Ty Simpson, Alabama. 82, Rounds 2-3.

3. Garrett Nussmeier, LSU. 79.5, Rounds 4-5.

4. Sawyer Robertson, Baylor. 77.75, Rounds 4-5*.

5. Drew Allar, Penn State. 77, Rounds 4-5.

6. Carson Beck, Miami. 76, Rounds 4-5.

7. Taylen Green, Arkansas. 76, Rounds 4-5. **

8. Cade Klubnik, Clemson. 75.5, Rounds 4-5.

9. Luke Altmyer, Illinois. 74.5, Rounds 5-7.

10. Jalon Daniels, Kansas. 70.5, Rounds 5-7.

*Robertson has improved every season and has the tools to possibly become a starter in this league if he keeps developing on that track.

**Green has some of the best athletic tools I've seen from a QB, and definitely the best of the bunch in this class. If developed and deployed correctly, he could find a solid role in this league, even if only as a reliable backup.

RB's

1. Jeremiyah Love, Notre Dame. 95.75, Round 1.

2. Emmett Johnson, Nebraska. 86.5, Rounds 2-3*

3. Jadarian Price, Notre Dame. 86.25, Rounds 2-3.**

4. Nicholas Singleton, Penn State. 79.75, Rounds 4-5.

5. Jam Miller, Alabama. 79, Rounds 4-5.***

6. Mike Washington Jr., Arkansas. 78.5, Rounds 4-6.

7. Jonah Coleman, Washington. 74.25, Rounds 6-7.

8. Kaytron Allen, Penn State. 73.5, Rounds 6-7.

9. Seth McGowan, Kentucky. 71.5, Rounds 6-7.

10. Kaelon Black, Indiana. 70.25, Rounds 6-7.

*Johnson is 100% one of "my guys" in this draft. Of course, Jeremiyah Love is the best prospect in the group, no question. With that being said, Johnson has high-level vision as a ball-carrier, and what he lacks in initial speed, he makes up for with his acceleration, sharp cuts, and IQ. Additionally, his zone run style is very translatable to the current popular run styles in NFL offenses.

**Price did not get a big chance to shine this year at ND with Jeremiyah Love having the season that he had, but Price had himself a noteworthy season on film as well. There were several gasp-worthy plays that left me wondering how in the world he kept his balance after initially losing it or being hit by a defender, and his ability to break tackles off of that has led to several big plays. He is also a strong receiver out of the backfield, and NFL teams are always looking to add more of those.

***Miller's career has had its ups and downs as Alabama's team has been in a state of flux ever since the departure of Nick Saban, but his strong frame with his low center of gravity and downhill running style makes for a good situational back in the NFL. His ability to get extra yardage on plays where it may not seem possible could prove vital to some teams looking to add to their run game but are not willing to pick an RB very high regardless of that fact.

WR's

1. Carnell Tate, Ohio State. 89.5, Round 1.

2. Jordyn Tyson, Arizona State. 89.25, Round 1.

3. Denzel Boston, Washington. 88.3, Round 1.*

4. Makai Lemon, USC. 88.25, Round 1.

5. Germie Bernard, Alabama. 87, Rounds 1-2. **

6. KC Concepcion, Texas A&M. 86.5, Round 2.

7. Omar Cooper, Indiana. 81.75, Rounds 2-3.

8. Skylar Bell, Connecticut. 79.5, Round 3. ***

9. Elijah Sarratt, Indiana. 78.75, Rounds 3-4.

10. Chris Bell, Louisville. 78, Rounds 3-4.

*A lot has been made about Boston's supposed "lack of speed" from his 4.6 40-yard dash, but the film tells a much different story. His football speed is much closer to NFL speed than the 40 number would have one assuming, and his catch radius and ability to adjust to put himself in a good position to play the ball is astounding. He runs strong routes and can run after the catch, even when it comes to contested catches. Whoever skips out on him because of combine measurements is not doing their job correctly.

**Bernard is higher on this list than most, but with a floor as high as his is and how strong he was against cover 3 this season (which is the most-used base zone coverage in the NFL at the moment) the argument to move him down the list is unclear. He has great hands and has that special ability to find the open space in zone coverages and exploit them.

***Bell is a lesser -known prospect since he is coming out of UCONN, but every year we see receivers that specialize in YAC go earlier than expected in the draft, and Skylar Bell is one of the best if not the best YAC receiver in this class. I expect him to go higher than his projections indicate.

DB's

1. Caleb Downs, S, Ohio State. 95.25, Round 1.

2. Jermod McCoy, CB, Tennessee. 88.5, Round 1.*

3. Mansoor Delane, CB, LSU. 88.25, Round 1.

4. Dillon Thieneman, S, Oregon. 87, Round 1.

5. Avion Terrell, CB, Clemson. 86.5, Rounds 1-2.

6. Chris Johnson, CB, San Diego State. 81.5, Rounds 2-3.**

7. Emmanuel McNeil-Warren, S, Penn State. 81.25, Rounds 2-3.

8. Davison Igbinosun, CB, Ohio State. 79.5, Round 3.

9. Colton Hood, CB, Tennessee. 76, Rounds 3-4.

10. Keith Abney, CB, Arizona State. 75.25, Rounds 3-4.

*The decision between McCoy and Delane for the CB1 spot was a difficult one, but ultimately, McCoy is the more prepared prospect of the two. Coming off of a torn ACL in 2024, picking McCoy doesn't come without its risks, but he was so elite in cover 3 in school, is such a polished prospect despite the injury concerns and has NFL-level ball skills from his experience as a receiver before he transitioned to defense, that he had to be CB1 in this class. Delane is a strong prospect as well and it should be considered a 1A/1B situation, but Delane needs more refinement on his techniques than McCoy does at the moment.

**Johnson may have snuck into the top 5 in a less-loaded DB class, but his skill shouldn't be underrated regardless of the players he is surrounded by. Zone boundary corners are always a hot commodity in the NFL, especially ones with his archetype. He has great ball skills and his technique is stronger than many would assume from a CB coming out of the Mountain West conference, but he does have to work on his man-to-man coverage if he wants to be an every-down player.

My Guys

Every year scouts have a few players that they will stake their claim on. It isn't necessarily a sleeper (although it is cool to call those), but rather a player you are sure on based on what you've seen and how you think their game will translate. Here are "my guys" for this year (in no particular order):

Denzel Boston

Emmett Johnson

Caleb Downs

Jermod McCoy

Kenyon Sadiq

Tonight, hope springs anew for fans of franchises across the league hoping to witness their team begin to turn into champions, and if their teams pick the players on the lists written above, those fans may very well get their wish. The 2026 NFL Draft is on clock...Soon.