by Zak Drapeau Sportz Nation - 7/19/2026 30. Jared Goff Lions Quarterback Last Year's Rank: 55 Photo Credits to Peter Casey via Imagn Images Jared Goff had another outstanding season last year in Detroit in the midst of one of the worst teams Dan Campbell has ever produced and for that reason I'm seeing a LOT of people that are really underrating Goff this year. 4564-34-8 was his line last season and it was a statistical down year for him some how as he continues to show tha

by Zak Drapeau Sportz Nation - 7/12/2026 Photo Credits to Eric Hartline via Imagn Images 40. Cooper DeJean Eagles Defensive Back Last Year's Rank: N/A DeJean is one of the new school DB's that are all the rage now because of their versatility. DeJean could be a lockdown, boundary corner one play and a soul taking, Box Safety the next in the blink of an eye and the way he showed improvement from his rookie season to his sophomore makes me really excited for his 3rd. DeJean is

by Zak Drapeau Sportz Nation - 7/5/2026 Photo Credits to Mitchell Leff via Getty Images 50. Saquon Barkley Eagles Running Back Last Year's Rank: 2 After Barkley was debatably snubbed for the 2024 MVP award due to his 2,000-yard rushing season and Super Bowl winning season, we all thought Barkley and the Eagles were the best rushers in the league. With their 2025 season looking to be their Championship run part 2, both the team and the superstar fell well short of expectatio

by Zak Drapeau Sportz Nation - 6/28/2026 Photo Credits to Jeff Roberson via Associated Press 60. Caleb Downs Cowboys Safety Last Year's Rank: N/A In my 3rd season of making my Top-100 players list, no rookie has even come close to being in the Top-60 but Caleb Downs is nowhere near a normal rookie. Not only was he the best pound-for-pound player to come out of the 2026 draft class but he went to the Dallas Cowboys where he will have the best opportunity to make the best of h

by Zak Drapeau Sportz Nation - 6/21/2026 70. Deommodore Lenoir 49ers Cornerback Last Year's Rank: Not Ranked Here's a guy that if you're not a 49ers fan you may never had heard of but has become the backbone of San Francisco's secondary. Lenoir signed a 5-year extension with the 49ers worth up to $88 million and immediately paid dividends for the niners with his best season to date. A rare Cornerback in the league who is considered elite at both zone and man coverage, Lenoir

by Zak Drapeau Sportz Nation - 6/14/2026 Photo Credits to Eric Hartline via Imagn Images 80. Jalen Hurts Eagles Quarterback Last Year's Rank: 35 The Eagles offense is under transition after the departure of A.J. Brown and the replacement of Kevin Patullo for the new OC Sean Mannion. Hurts had a statistical better season in passing the ball but all around some what of a disappointment as the team's offense severely regressed from the 2024 Super Bowl group. Hurts has shown tha

by Zak Drapeau Sportz Nation - 6/7/26 90. Cedric Gray Titans Linebacker Last Year's Rank: Not Ranked Gray is one of the most underrated players coming into the season and likely one of the least known. His reputation has definitely been hindered by being in Tennessee but the work speaks for itself. After a shoulder injury caused him to miss the first 10 games of his 2024 rookie season, he was never 100% until the offseason. When he came back healthy for 2025, he instantly be

by Zak Drapeau Sportz Nation - 5/24/2026 Photo Credits to Kevin Richardson via Baltimore Sun/Tribune News Services via Getty Images 100. Olaivavega Ioane Ravens Guard Last Year's Rank: Unranked And we start the Top 100 Players of 2026 with an immediate hot take as I have rookie Guard Vega Ioane with the #100 spot. As the clear #1 Guard in the 2026 NFL Draft and being drafted by one of the best running offenses in the league, I'm confident that Vega belongs on this list and I

by Zak Drapeau Sportz Nation - 5/18/2026 Photo by NFL via draftcountdown.com Quarterback Joe Burrow - CIN Let's get the big one out of the way first; IF JOE BURROW CAN STAY HEALTHY, I believe he can have the best season of any QB in the league. Flanked by Ja'Marr Chase, Tee Higgins, Chase Brown and a much improve offensive line, Burrow could easily throw for 5,000 yards and 40 TDs. Burrow has been a Top-3 thrower in the league for years now but hampered by injuries and bad O-

by Zak Drapeau Sportz Nation - 5/15/2026 Quarterback Fernando Mendoza - LV This one's easy, Mendoza may not get the start until a few weeks into the season but either way he'll easily be the #1 Quarterback in the class' first year and possibly the only one that sees actual playing time HM: Carson Beck - ARI Running Backs Jeremiyah Love - ARI Jadarian Price - SEA Photo by Mark J. Rebilas via Imagn Images Another group that was easy for me, Love is the only Day 1 starter I see

by Zak Drapeau Sportz Nation - 4/27/2026 Photo by Sue Ogrocki/ Associated Press 1. New York Jets The Jets and the Giants had the best classes of all to me but I think the Jets just topped their cross-town rivals. With 4 picks in the Top-50, the Jets hit home runs with all of them including filling the 3 biggest needs of the team. David Bailey will be a force on the Edge for years to come. D'Angelo Ponds is a feisty leader on the outside or at slot corner. Then you get two dyn

by Zak Drapeau Sportz Nation - 4/23/2026 Graphic by The Sporting News 1. Miami Dolphins Jeremiah Smith - WR Ohio State Jeremiah Smith is the best wide receiver prospect I've ever seen and the best player in this class. Seeing as Malik Willis just got a contract before the 2026 season, the Dolphins should get him a #1 weapon rather than enter the Quarterback sweepstakes which means this pick will likely be traded for come next April for a team trying to get... 2. New York Jets

by Zak Drapeau Sportz Nation - 4/24/2026 Photo by Kirby Lee/ Imagn Imgaes via CNN 1. Fernando Mendoza - LV Grade: A- The right pick. Mendoza isn't the perfect QB prospect but he's very good and the best of the class. He'll be under no pressure to start until he's ready with Kirk Cousins on the roster and is already surrounded by Jeanty and Bowers. 2. David Bailey - NYJ Grade: A I had Bailey as the 2nd pick all along and a much better fit for the Jets than Reese so I love the

by Zak Drapeau Sportz Nation - 4/23/2026 My Final Mock of the year will come with no trades. While I expect there to be more than a few trades going down today, today's exercise is all about rumors I've heard, team expectations and player evaluations. While I wouldn't make all of these picks myself, this is the full mock draft I expect to actually happen tonight. You can also check out: my What I Would Do Mock Draft here and my Top-150 Prospect Big Board. Happy Draft Day! -Z.

by Zak Drapeau Sportz Nation - 4/21/2026 Photo by Kirby Lee/ Imagn Images *Click For Final Top-150 Big Board *Click For Final Positional Rankings _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ 1. Fernando Mendoza QB Las Vegas Raiders The Raiders need a Quarterback and Mendoza is the easy pick. Mendoza will get to sit behind Cousins for a few games before taking the reigns and becoming their Franchise guy for the next decade. 2. Arvell Reese Edge New York Jets The Jets have been linked to Bailey a

by Zak Drapeau Sportz Nation - 4/21/2026 Graphic by NFL For Full Top-150 Prospect Big Board click Here, Quarterback 1. Fernando Mendoza 2. Ty Simpson 3. Drew Allar 4. Carson Beck 5. Garrett Nussmeier Running Back 1. Jeremiyah Love 2. Mike Washington Jr. 3. Jadarian Price 4. Jonah Coleman 5. Roman Hemby 6. Emmett Johnson 7. Seth McGowan 8. Nicholas Singleton 9. Jadyn Ott 10. Le'Veon Moss 11. Kaytron Allen 12. Kaelon Black Wide Receiver 1. Jordyn Tyson 2. Makai Lemon 3. Carnell

by Zak Drapeau Sportz Nation - 4/21/2026 Graphic by ESPN Click here for Full Positional Rankings 1. Caleb Downs Safety Ohio St Best Safety Prospect I've scouted either in the box or in deep zone. The only knock on him is that he's not 6'4" like Kyle Hamilton but to me, his instincts and fearlessness are even better. 2. Jeremiyah Love Running Back Notre Dame The biggest home run hitter in the class both on the ground or through the air. Love may not be the biggest back like

by Zak Drapeau Sportz Nation - 4/14/2026 Photo by Ryan Kang/ Getty Images 1. Caleb Downs 6'0" - 206 lbs. Ohio State Big Board Rank: 1 Pro Comparison: Ed Reed Look, there are a few cant miss prospects in draft every year and I am more than comfortable saying Caleb Downs is the ONLY prospect in the 2026 NFL Draft that has zero chance in not becoming a Pro Bowler in this year's class. An extremely intelligent and fearless Safety, Downs is brilliant in coverage in a generational

by Zak Drapeau Sportz Nation - 4/14/2026 Photo by Kate Luffman/ Tennessee Athletics 1. Jermod McCoy 6'1" - 188 lbs Tennessee Big Board Rank: 10 Pro Comparison: Stephon Gilmore McCoy is a very elite ball hawking corner with intense man coverage WHEN HEALTHY. And that's really the only knock on him is that he hasn't played real football since January of 2025 after tearing his ACL in an offseason workout. After his Tennessee Pro Day where he got back on the field and had good mo

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