by Zak Drapeau Sportz Nation - 4/8/2026 Graphic by NFL For the first time in the 2026 Draft season I will be putting out a Mock Draft with trades. This exercise helps with 2 things, the first being it gives everyone an idea of the most likely candidates to move picks when it comes to the First Round on April 24 and also shakes up the normal routine of draft picks we see selected just about at the same selection just about every time. I will probably make a separate list just

by Zak Drapeau Sportz Nation - 4/7/2026 Photo by Samantha Madar/ Columbus Dispatch/ USA Today Network via Imagn Images 1. Sonny Styles 6'5" - 244 lbs Ohio State Big Board Rank: 5 Pro Comparison: Kyle Hamilton Sonny Styles may be the best off-ball Linebacker I've ever scouted and that comes mainly down to his background as a Safety. At 6'5" and 244 pounds, Styles blew away EVERYONE at the NFL Combine and declared himself the biggest "freak" of his class by a longshot. Styles

by Zak Drapeau Sportz Nation - 4/2/2026 Photo by Mark J. Rebilas/ Imagn Images 1. David Bailey 6'4" - 251 lbs Texas Tech Big Board Rank: 3 Pro Comparison: Souped-Up Jared Verse Bailey checks off all of my boxes for an NFL rusher and is the most ready prospect for the next level at current day. Bailey doesn't have elite strength but his twitch, explosiveness, hands and agility are already at an NFL-level. Bailey has fallen out with some teams in the NFL and may go as low as 1

by Zak Drapeau Sportz Nation - 3/31/2026 Photo by Matt Pendleton/ Gainesville Sun 1. Caleb Banks 6'6" - 327 lbs Florida Big Board Rank: 18 Player Comparison: Jordan Davis It took me a long time to say that Banks is the better prospetc than Woods in this class but I'm confident now. Banks has the ability to be a brick wall in the middle of the line with his size and strength but his athletic upside is what rose him up my board. Like Peter Woods and most of this group, Banks d

by Zak Drapeau Sportz Nation - 3/30/2026 Positions of Need : Tackle Wide Receiver Edge Rusher Defensive Tackle Draft Picks : Round 1 (31) Round 2 (63) Round 3 (95) Round 4 (125) Round 4 (131) _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ Pick #31 Photo by Jerome Miron/ Imagn Images (What They Should Do) - Draft Best Player Available of WR, OT, Edge or DT (What They Will Probably Do) - Draft Edge or DT (Prospects That Make Sense) - T.J. Parker, Edge, Clemson - Denzel Boston, WR, Washing

by Zak Drapeau Sportz Nation - 3/26/2026 Photo by Ericka Apolskis/ Onward State 1. Olaivavega Ioane 6'4" - 320 lbs Penn State Big Board Rank: 16 Pro Comparison: Robert Hunt "Vega" Ioane is the best run blocker of the class while also having the technical ability and physical traits to be a future All-Pro. At 6'4" and 320+ pounds, Vega is a bit rigid and it will show sometime when having to battle more finesse rushers, but his pass blocking is still solid if not very good. Ve

by Zak Drapeau Sportz Nation - 3/24/2026 Photo by Lauren Sopourn/ Getty Images 1. Francis Mauigoa 6'6" - 329 lbs Miami Big Board Rank: 12 Pro Comparison: Tailese Fuaga Mauigoa is a Right Tackle in the league and while I don't think he's the best player in this ranking, he is the best player that will stay at Tackle for sure. A strong and consistent pass blocker, Mauigoa was a 3-year starter at Miami and measured and tested very well at the Combine. _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _

by Zak Drapeau Sportz Nation - 3/19/2026 Photo by Brian Murphy/ Icon Sportswire via Getty Images 1. Kenyon Sadiq 6'3" - 245 lbs Oregon Big Board Rank: 6 Pro Comparison: Trey McBride The last two years have seen Tyler Warren, Brock Bowers and Colston Loveland go in the first round and I'm not too sure Kenyon Sadiq isn't the best of the bunch. Certainly the best athlete, Sadiq put up one of the bets Combines of any Tight End in history and has shown to be a good enough athlete

by Zak Drapeau Sportz Nation - 3/17/2026 Photo by Kirby Lee/ Imagn Images 1. Makai Lemon 5'11" - 192 lbs USC Big Board Rank: 9 Pro Comparison: Emeka Egbuka Makai Lemon might be the most dangerous receiver after the catch I've seen in years. Always falling forward and having the agility of players like Barkley and Gibbs, Lemon will be a premier slot receiver from the first day he's drafted. His ceiling as a boundary, X-receiver may be limited which prevents him from being hig

by Zak Drapeau Sportz Nation - 3/14/2026 On Friday, March 13th Matt Hylen and myself did our first Mock Draft together of the 2026 season. Follow us on X for in podcast form if you want to listen in live as we'll do several more of these before the actual draft. This Mock Draft was an exercise we wanted to do because of Free Agency. While the period only technically started 2 days ago, "legal tampering" started Monday and we've seen the majority of the bigger moves take place

by Zak Drapeau Sportz Nation - 3/12/2026 Photo by Rick Kimball/ ISD 1. Jeremiyah Love 6'0" - 212 pounds Notre Dame Big Board Rank: 2 Pro Comparison: Christian McCaffrey Jeremiyah Love is different from the other Top-End RB prospects before him like Jeanty and Robinson. While he is not a RB you can depend to get you 4-5 yards every carry, he may be the best "Home Run hitter" we've seen at the position in a VERY long time. As athletic and agile as we've seen in a 215-pound RB,

by Zak Drapeau Sportz Nation - 3/10/2026 Photo by Darron Cummings/ Associated Press 1. Fernando Mendoza 6'5" - 236 lbs. Indiana Big Board Rank - 7 Pro Comparison: Trevor Lawrence Mendoza's stock may have risen with his National Championship performance but I'm still not sold on him as a #1 prospect even though he'll go #1 overall. Mendoza is by far the best of a bad QB class and has a lot of what you're looking for in a Franchise QB. Mendoza has the size, the accuracy, a goo

by Zak Drapeau Sportz Nation - 3/5/2026 Graphic by NFL via steelers.com 1. Fernando Mendoza Las Vegas Raiders Big Board Rank: 7 Mendoza is the clear pick here for the QB-needy Raiders. The top Quarterback by a landslide in his class, this pick is al but decided already. 2. Arvel Reese New York Jets Big Board Rank: 4 And now the NFL draft starts, (or so they say.) Arevll Reese has gathered the most hype around his potential so he should be the pick here. As a hybrid off ball l

by Zak Drapeau Sportz Nation - 3/4/2026 My last Big Board came out on January 21st which you can read hereafter the CFP Playoffs which you can read here . Since then, I've had over a month of more research and film studies, The Shrine Bowl and Senior Bowls and then the NFL Combine last weekend. With only CFB Pro Days to go from now until the Draft starts on April 23rd, I have ranked my Top-100 prospects of this class. In general, this class is not as good as years prior. Whil

by Zak Drapeau Sportz Nation - 3/2/2026 Graphic by NFL via PFF.com Quarterback Winner: Drew Allar, Penn State Drew Allar couldn't test after Tearing his ACL only 4 months ago but BOY OH BOY did he show off his arm in on-file workouts. Multiple QBs showed off their accuracy this year as it is truly a group marked for their precision, but no other QB showed off his arm strength like Allar while still being on the money. Allar is fighting to be QB3 off the board come April behin

by Zak Drapeau Sportz Nation - 2/11/2026 The NFL Combine is one of the biggest NFL Offseason events of the year and it starts tomorrow. A total of 319 college football prospects are heading to Lucas Oil Stadium for the combine as one of the last showcases ahead of the 2026 NFL Draft on April 23-25. Breaking the schedule of prospects into 4 different days based on positions, here's how the schedule for the Combine will go. Thursday: D-Lineman, Linebackers and Kickers Friday: S

by Zak Drapeau 1/6/2026 Sportz Nation Graphic by NFL 1. Fernando Mendoza QB Las Vegas Raiders Mendoza is a good Quarterback but maybe not to the level of #1 Quarterbacks in the past. Still this is the pick, with the Raiders needing a Quarterback and this class being the worst for QBs since 2022, this is a no-doubter. 2. Arvell Reese LB New York Jets Reese isn't my #1 prospect this year but he does have the best potential in his class. A freak athlete with all of the physical

by Zak Drapeau Sportz Nation - 1/31/2026 Risers Quarterbacks Garrett Nussmeier LSU Photo by Butch Dill/ Associated Press Nussmeier was one of the top QBs of the class heading into the season but has since moved down to about a 2nd round prospect after a mediocre and injured 2025 season. Coming into the Senior Bowl, Nussmeier needed to show veteran-like leadership on the field and all-around leadership on the field and that's exactly what he did. Nussmeier was clearly the best

by Zak Drapeau 1/11/2026 Sportz Nation Photo by Samantha Madar/ Columbus Dispatch/ USA Today Network via Imagn Images 1. Caleb Downs Safety 1 6'1" 204 lbs. Ohio State Strengths: - Great Special Teams Returner - High Production at both Ohio State and Alabama - Great processing speed when in deep and medium zone coverage. Uses zone IQ and athleticism to constantly threaten passing lanes. - Elite at sniffing out run plays and making plays in backfield. - Versatility. Can be dee

by Zak Drapeau 1/7/2026 Sportz Nation Note From Author: I will be drafting based on all ORIGINAL Picks. Meaning the Browns are back at number 2 with the trade between the Jaguars and them never occurring. I am also taking in account for future potential and not redrafting SOLELY on 2025 performance, although their 2025 season will be heavily impactful toward this exercise. This is NOT my picks for Rookie of the Year odds nor my opinion of who had the best rookie seasons, rath