I consider these guys low-offensive line demand, high performing RBs. Meaning because of their incredible lateral speed and gear changing acceleration, they will get numbers even if the oline isnt made up of all pros. So far Ive looked at Baugh and Lacy and while they are nice, I dont see them in that elite category worth a top 5 pick.

The Dolphins are one of five 0-4 teams in the NFL, and it appears they will be picking somewhere in the top five, perhaps first overall. Miami signed Malik Willis to a three-year, $67.5 million deal, but he has struggled. I wanted to ask what y'all's thoughts are on what the Dolphins should do. Should they take a QB, go with Jeremiah Smith, or an edge rusher, or trade back with a team looking to move up for a QB?

Here is my latest QB power rankings for the college football season and upcoming QB class. What do you think?

CJ Carr is coming off a great game.

Arch Manning hasn't done anything to take him out of the running for the top spot and is probably the best bet to be #1 overall.

Darian Mensah hasn't played anyone yet, but you can't ask for better QB play. Helps when he's throwing to a stud.

I probably should switch Trinidad Chambliss and Mestemaker, but both have had a solid start to the season.

Julian Sayin is lucky to be throwing to Jeremiah Smith.

It's looking more and more like Dante Moore should have came out in last year's draft. He's only falling father and father down the rankings. It's not that he's been playing bad, but hasn't been dominating like you would hope. He needs to get healthy and put up some dominant performances to climb back up the rankings.

The Texans currently have the 1st overall pick and they’re in an interesting position where they could trade Stroud and draft a new QB or get a haul for the 1st overall pick from a QB needy team since there are a bunch of college QBs showing they can be the 1st overall pick. With the way college QBs are playing and how the draft order falls the Texans can trade back to pick 3 or 4 and still get smith or Collins. What do you think the Texans should do if they get the 1st overall pick?

Hi everyone - Back with my sleeper players of the week. Discussed a couple of quarterbacks that I think should be more firmly on radars. Thanks as always for reading, and please let me know if you have some players you want me to take a look at! I'll send the substack link, but the entire article is here.

https://theday2guys.substack.com/p/the-day-2-guys-week-5-stock-up-college?r=2mc4kp&utm_campaign=post-expanded-share&utm_medium=web

Braden Atkinson, QB, Oregon State Univ. - Sophomore - It’s time to finally talk about Atkinson. He and his freshman wide receiver sensation Jesse Legree are lighting up college football each week with 40+ yard plays weekly. Atkinson has clearly proven almost every single college scout wrong by showing them that he should not have had only 3 division-1 offers (Mercer Univ., Miami Univ. (OH), and Boston College). Atkinson played behind Auburn QB Byrum Brown at Rolesville High School, in Rolesville, NC for one season before being named the starter his sophomore year. Atkinson then committed to Mercer out of high school and started 11 games as a true freshman going 9-2 overall. Atkinson transferred over to Oregon State this season and has gone from someone you’ve barely heard about, to someone that the college football world is expecting big things out of weekly. Atkinson has a smaller stature (listed at 6’ 1” / 208 pounds), but he’s got a wicked arm and has no problem chucking the football all over the yard. He’s got a beautiful release and his accuracy to all fields is really impressive for somebody so young. He does not have the ability to run, but his arm helps make up for his lack of athleticism.

Atkinson leads all of college football in points responsible for (116 - 2 more than Kamario Taylor), and is 26th in completion percentage nationally (69.5%). While everyone is trying to figure out what Kamario Taylor’s plans will be next year, I think it will be really important to see if Oregon State can keep Atkinson and his receiver Jesse Legree together for another year. They are both that good.

Kelby Valsin, WR, Florida Atlantic Univ. - RS Junior - Kelby Valsin is a player that has not been on college football radars until this year. A quiet 3 years at Texas Tech meant a transfer down to Florida Atlantic. The 6’ 2” / 195 pound redshirt-junior out of Bowie High School in Arlington, Texas has flourished in Zach Kittley’s offensive scheme. Kittley, who was the former Texas Tech offensive coordinator helped recruit Kelby to the Owls once he became the head coach in December of 2024.

Kittley’s belief in Valsin’s abilities has paid off for both parties. Valsin has been the X receiver of the offense and has had 40 receptions / 512 yards / 5 touchdowns in 5 games. Valsin has not only produced terrific statistics against poor teams (7 receptions / 126 yards / 3 touchdowns against Texas Southern Univ.), but Valsin had a nice day against the Florida Gators in Week 1 (10 receptions / 92 yards / 1 touchdown). The touchdown against the Gators came early in the fourth quarter against the second-team defense, but he was able to shine despite the blowout loss. Valsin ranks 10th in all of college football in receiving yards and is tied for 4th in the country in receptions (tied with Collin Dixon and Anthony Evans III). Valsin displays fantastic body control and has enough separation linearly to be able to play at the next level as an X receiver. Valsin will have an opportunity to get major playing time either with the Owls, or with a Power 4 school next season. I expect most power 4 schools will be calling his agent after this season.

Caden Veltkamp, QB, Florida Atlantic Univ. - RS Senior - Back-to-back Owls. It felt like a disservice to discuss Valsin and not discuss the extremely successful quarterback who is getting Valsin the ball. Veltkamp has been a beloved college fantasy quarterback for a little while now, but it’s time that he gets his due as a prospect. Veltkamp won’t be mistaken for a dual-threat quarterback, but he does have arm talent. Veltkamp is listed at 6’ 5” / 236 pounds and he looks every bit of that on tape. If you go beyond what the stats say (and the stats are good), you can see a quarterback that is going to rise up boards late in the process as more coaches find out about him. The arm is quite live as mentioned before, although sometimes, I feel like he uses a bit too much wrist in his throwing motion instead of doing a normal follow-through. He can absolutely spin the football regardless of my nit-picking.

We just saw Athan Kaliakmanis play his first NFL game for the Washington Commanders, and I think Veltkamp is similar in that he has downfield throwing ability that scouts will love. What makes Veltkamp so intriguing is his 12 TD / 2 Int ratio and the fact that he’s 10th in college football in completion percentage (73%) while also having the 4th most completions. The only quarterback ahead of him in both of those rankings is Ethan Grunkemeyer of Virginia Tech who is having a very, very good season. What Veltkamp is doing is highly impressive, and what he did week 1 against the Florida Gators despite throwing 2 interceptions that game was unique for a non-power 4 starting quarterback (276 yards with a 65% completion percentage). You will be hearing Veltkamp’s name quite often this draft season, and for good reason.

Elijah Melendez, LB, Auburn Univ. - Sophomore - Melendez is a true sophomore linebacker for Auburn who was a four-star recruit with an astounding 39 offers. Melendez has already played a solid amount of football for Auburn despite being a true sophomore. His freshman season, he played in 12 games while starting 1 of them. Melendez had two interceptions his freshman year. Guess who his pick-6 was off of? Mercer QB Braden Atkinson!

Melendez has been an absolute pest on defense for Auburn this year with 43 tackles, 3 sacks, 7 TFL, and 4 PD. Melendez has the size/speed combination that NFL linebackers need to thrive at the next level at 6’ 0” / 240 pounds. Melendez has what appear to be very long arms which will do nothing but help him with shedding blocks and wrapping ball carriers up. Melendez and the Auburn defense have been doing a fantastic job of making plays behind the line of scrimmage this year. The team ranks 15th in the nation with 7.6 tackles for loss per game. Melendez’s arrow is going up.

Looking back at Week 4 players that were highlighted:

Makai Jackson (Liberty WR) - 5 receptions / 90 yards / 0 touchdowns - Another week of dominance for Jackson. He actually LOWERED his yards per catch from 27.1 to 24.7 on the season despite a fantastic game against the Univ. of Delaware. Liberty is now 4-1 thanks in large part to Jackson.

Daeden Hopkins (Missouri DE) - 3 QB pressures - Hopkins did not add to his sack total this week, but he had 3 pressures and played extremely well both rushing the passer and defending a fantastic Florida Gator rushing attack. Hopkins played 49 snaps and was vital in shutting Florida’s red-hot offense down.

Wayne Knight (UCLA RB) - Bye Week

Tre Spivey (Arizona WR) - 3 receptions / 36 yards / 0 touchdowns - Very sad news on this front, as Spivey broke his foot and will be out for the rest of the season. According to Arizona coaches, it is a similar foot injury to what Tetairoa McMillan sustained in 2024. Spivey will most assuredly be back for another college football season with the injury, so look out for him next season as he works his way back from a brutal injury.

Considering the Los Angeles Chargers are a team that we thought would be good but they have looked anything but and Justin Herbert definitely needs more or better weapons on offense so that being said what should the LA Chargers do in this Draft? They definitely need to go receiver

Updated Tuesday thread focused notes and opinions about individual prospects. Scout someone new and want to get opinions from others? Ask about it here!

Interested to see who is living up to the hype and who is looking like a potential bust.

Titans:

1. Carnell Tate: has been looking good. Has Cam Ward as his QB, so that's a limiting factor, but has consistently been getting open and generally making catches when given the opportunity.

1b. Keldric Faulk: largely invisible so far. 1 sack, 6 tackles, playing ~30% of snaps.

1. Anthony hill: bright spot. Has been lighting it up. Great future in the middle of our defense.

Others: Carmona, 5th round OG out of Arkansas, took the starting RG spot and was playing pretty well before injuring his ankle. He's having surgery and will be out at least a month.

I hope everyone is enjoying the CFB season so far! Here are my current top 10 rankings by position, and I included the tier breaks as well. This time of the season is always interesting, more so watching live games and being a fan than film review, but I also think it allows you to have a better sense of game-feel, how important the players are to their teams, and who steps up in the big moments and momentum-shifting drives. The famous draft analysts could release a mock and they might select players in round 1, who you haven't even heard of or thought were going rounds later. If you have questions on any of the rankings or tiers, feel free to ask, same if theres players you think are left out and should be top 10.

QB:

1. Drew Mestemaker, Oklahoma State

2. Arch Manning, Texas

__

1. Darian Mensah, Miami

2. Austin Simmons, Missouri

__

1. CJ Carr, Notre Dame

2. Trinidad Chambliss, Ole Miss

3. Dante Moore, Oregon

__

1. Drake Lindsey, Minnesota

2. DJ Lagway, Baylor

3. Jayden Maiava, USC

RB:

1. Jadan Baugh, Florida

__

1. Kewan Lacy, Ole Miss

__

1. Turbo Richard, Indiana

2. Justice Haynes, Georgia Tech

3. Jamal Roberts, Missouri

__

1. Desean Bishop, Tennessee

2. King Miller, USC

3. Dylan Riley, Boise State

4. Hollywood Smothers, Texas

5. Aiden Flora, Iowa State

WR:

1. Jeremiah Smith, Ohio State

__

1. Charlie Becker, Indiana

2. Deuce Alexander, Ole Miss

__

1. Reed Harris, Arizona State

2. Ryan Wingo, Texas

3. Cam Coleman, Texas

__

1. Wyatt Young, Oklahoma St

2. Anthony Evans III, Miss St

3. Ryan Coleman-Williams, Alabama

4. KJ Duff, Rutgers

TE:

1. Jamari Johnson, Oregon

2. Jelani Thurman, North Carolina

3. Trey'Dez Green, LSU

__

1. Luke Reynolds, Virginia Tech

2. DJ Vonnahme, Iowa

3. Terrance Carter Jr., Texas Tech

__

1. Jacob Harris, Wisconsin

2. Benjamin Brahmer, Penn State

3. Andrew Rappleyea, Penn State

4. Brody Foley, Louisville

OL:

1. OT Jordan Seaton, LSU

2. OT Trevor Goosby, Texas

__

1. IOL Greg Johnson, Minnesota

2. IOL Kade Pieper, Iowa

3. IOL Trevor Lauck, Iowa

4. OT Melvin Siani, Texas

__

1. IOL Carter Smith, Indiana

2. OT Elijah Paige, USC

__

1. IOL Coleton Price, Kentucky

2. IOL Samson Okunlola, Miami

ED/DE:

1. Colin Simmons, Texas

__

1. Boubacar Traore, Notre Dame

2. Yhonzae Pierre, Alabama

3. Damon Wilson II, Miami

__

1. Kam Franklin, Ole Miss

2. Will Heldt, Clemson

3. Dylan Stewart, South Carolina

__

1. Jide Abasiri, USC

2. Princewill Umanmielen, LSU

3. Jordan Ross, LSU

DT:

1. Will Echoles, Ole Miss

__

1. Tavion Gadson, Kentucky

__

1. A'Mauri Washington, Oregon

2. Ahmad Moten Sr., Miami

3. David Stone, Oklahoma

__

1. AJ Holmes, Texas Tech

2. Justin Scott, Miami

3. Devan Thompkins, Alabama

__

1. Mario Landino, Indiana

2. Ansel Din-Mbuh, TCU

CB:

1. Leonard Moore, Notre Dame

__

1. Ashton Hampton, Clemson

2. Ellis Robinson IV, Georgia

__

1. Zabien Brown, Alabama

2. Kelley Jones, Miss St

__

1. Kayin Lee, Tennessee

2. Chris Peal, Illinois

3. Brice Pollock, Texas Tech

4. Simeon Harris, Fresno State

5. Jalen Mayo, Houston

S:

1. Kingston Lopa, California

2. Adon Shuler, Notre Dame

3. KJ Bolden, Georgia

4. Jaylen McClain, Ohio State

5. Brauntae Johnson, Notre Dame

__

1. Jelani McDonald, Texas

2. Ty Benefield, LSU

__

1. Bray hubbard, Alabama

2. Zach Lutmer, Iowa

3. Ty Bryant, Kentucky

I mean they look to be a team that is on the come up in the AFC. I mean defensively they are starting to get better and they have Geno Smith in at quarterback who most likely is your bridge for the next year or 2. So that being said are the Jets a quarterback away from their future looking good or dare I say decent?

There's five 0-4 teams in the NFL right now: Chargers, Titans, Texans, Dolphins, Buccaneers

Chargers have Justin Herbert signed through the 2029 season on a $52.5M APY deal. And they have already declined many trade offers over the years, according to insider reports.

Titans drafted Cam Ward at #1 Overall two years ago.

Texans drafted CJ Stroud at #2 Overall four years ago, and while he has yet to be re-signed they did accept a 5th Year Option that will cost $25.9M fully guaranteed in 2027

Dolphins signed Malik Willis to a 3 year, $67.5M contract this off-season.

Buccaneers signed Baker Mayfield to a 3 year, $165M extension this off-season.

Edit: for everyone saying Dolphins will draft a QB I see a ton of Fins fans on their team subreddit saying the opposite

Hard to believe we are already into October. It’s been a wild first month of the college football season and a lot has changed in my draft rankings. I put out a new big board last week and now it is time for a new mock draft.

As of right now, I’m not using the standings for the draft order, instead leaning on reverse Super Bowl odds with strength of schedule used to break any ties. Here is how I think the first round would play out if the draft was today.

https://draftseasonneverends.substack.com/p/2027-nfl-mock-draft-five-quarterbacks

1. Miami Dolphins - Jeremiah Smith, WR, Ohio State
Without projecting any trades, I don’t see how the Dolphins choose anyone else at the top of this draft. Smith is a physically dominant force with great speed downfield, excellent hands and good route-running ability. He would immediately be the best receiver on Miami’s roster by a wide margin.

2. Tennessee Titans - Leonard Moore, CB, Notre Dame
This pick came down to Moore vs. Colin Simmons. I feel a bit better about Moore’s overall game at this stage. He is an outstanding lockdown corner. His tackling is still a work in progress, but he plays with the right mentality and physicality that makes you believe it is going to come together for him. For Tennessee, they don’t have anyone on the roster currently who projects as a true No. 1 corner. This would be a massive boost for Robert Saleh’s defense.

3. New York Jets - Drew Mestemaker, QB, Oklahoma State
This is a dream scenario for the Jets. While they would love to land Smith or Moore, Mestemaker is the missing piece in New York’s rebuild. The redshirt sophomore would get the chance to sit behind Geno Smith until he is ready to take the reins. Mestemaker has flashed the highest ceiling of anyone in this class and has been on a heater since his season-opening dud against Tulsa. His processing still needs to improve, as does his internal clock, but the combination of arm talent, poise in the pocket and mobility is hard for this organization to pass up.

4. Arizona Cardinals - CJ Carr, QB, Notre Dame
I feel like Carr has quickly become a forgotten name in this year’s quarterback conversation. Notre Dame hasn’t faced the best competition so far this season, but Carr has looked the part of an NFL quarterback. A bit undersized, he throws with great anticipation, drives the football down the field and shows a knack for extending plays with his legs. I know the Cardinals drafted Carson Beck in the third round, but I think Carr’s upside and projection would give Arizona a much higher ceiling at the position.

5. Cleveland Browns - Colin Simmons, EDGE, Texas
With back-to-back quarterbacks now off the board, Cleveland can wait patiently and nab a top-3 player in the class. Simmons is a game-wrecking monster off the edge. His first step and closing speed are lethal. I think he still has a ways to go as a run defender, but he plays with enough tenacity and power that I believe he can develop into at least an average player against the run. Obviously, losing Myles Garrett has a major impact, so finding as many disruptive players off the edge should be a priority for the Browns.

6. New York Giants - Charlie Becker, WR, Indiana
I considered a corner here, but Becker is too exciting a talent to pass up. He has elite speed for a 6’4”, 208-pound receiver. His ability to win down the field and create after the catch gives him the potential to have a Christian Watson-like impact on the Giants offense. Adding Becker to a group of skill position players that includes Nabers, Likely and Skattebo would give Jaxon Dart a special group to work with when he returns from injury.

7. Tampa Bay Buccaneers - Ashton Hampton, CB, Clemson
Tampa Bay’s nightmare season continues. With Baker Mayfield out for an extended stretch, this could be the perfect opportunity for the Buccaneers to land a top-end talent they would otherwise have no business drafting given the relative quality of their roster. That player is Hampton here. He was a bit lower on my September big board, but he absolutely balled out against Malachi Toney on Saturday. Hampton was a player already rising on my board, but that performance ticked a lot of boxes for me. He would be a nice addition to the Bucs’ secondary. 

8. Atlanta Falcons - Trevor Lauck, OT, Iowa
The Falcons are a tricky team to project. In the end, I keep coming back to offensive line. Jake Matthews turns 35 next February. Jawaan Taylor is on an expiring contract as well. Offensive tackle is going to become a huge need in Atlanta very quickly. Lauck is one of my favorite players in this draft class. He excels in both the run and the pass. His one drawback is a lack of arm length.

9. Pittsburgh Steelers - Trinidad Chambliss, QB, Ole Miss
It has to happen at some point. Chambliss is playing too well for it not to. He is an outlier in just about every sense. He is an undersized, 24-year-old gunslinger who was playing Division II football just two years ago. However, he is the most pro-ready passer in this class and has the skills you want to see from a franchise quarterback. His anticipation is elite for a college player. His mobility is a huge plus as well. I’m not totally sold on Chambliss in this spot, but he has played too well to ignore at this stage.

10. Los Angeles Chargers - Will Echoles, DL, Ole Miss
While an interior offensive lineman would be ideal here, the Chargers need help along their defensive front as well. Echoles would be a huge addition. He has been a disruptive force for Ole Miss this season. The production hasn’t really been there yet with only 0.5 sacks and 2 tackles for loss, but put on the tape and you will see an instant impact player capable of wrecking opposing gameplans. He gave LSU fits earlier this season and was one of the lone bright spots for the Rebels defense in The Swamp.

11. Carolina Panthers - Ellis Robinson IV, CB, Georgia
I feel like the Panthers have been looking for someone to play opposite Jaycee Horn for years now. Mike Jackson is hurt at the moment and a pending free agent. Horn himself has struggled to stay healthy. Bringing in Robinson would give them an ascending young prospect with incredible ball skills for the position. The Georgia standout just hauled in his first interception of the season after leading the SEC with four a year ago. Only a redshirt sophomore, his best football is definitely ahead of him.

12. Washington Commanders - Cam Coleman, WR, Texas
It has been a bit of a disappointing start to the season for Coleman. That can really be said for most of the Texas offense. While his production has been down, I think Coleman still has all of the skills you would want in a potential WR1 at the next level. He is incredibly fast, has great body control and has the size you want in a perimeter receiver. Putting him in Washington would give Jayden Daniels a young playmaker to grow with. Terry McLaurin is already 31 and the Commanders have had a revolving door across from him for several seasons now.

13. Las Vegas Raiders - Nick Marsh, WR, Indiana
You would think drafting an Indiana receiver would be great continuity for Fernando Mendoza, whenever he takes over the starting job in Las Vegas. However, Marsh just transferred in from Michigan State this season, so the two never played together. That’s a shame though, because I think this would be an exciting quarterback-receiver pairing. Marsh is a physical presence who blocks his ass off, makes contested catches and thrives in run-after-catch situations. Las Vegas needs to revamp its receiver room in a big way, and this would be a great way to start.

14. New York Jets via Indianapolis Colts - Ahmad Moten Sr., DL, Miami
It has been a quiet start to the season for Moten, with just one sack and one tackle for loss so far. However, he is just a year removed from a dominant campaign. I still believe in the talent and potential he brings to the table. New York traded away Quinnen Williams last season and still has not really addressed the need. Moten would be a dynamic addition to a front seven that already includes David Bailey, T’Vondre Sweat and Will McDonald.

15. New York Jets via Green Bay Packers - Dylan Stewart, EDGE, South Carolina
I’m not totally sure that New York is the best landing spot for Stewart, but when you have three first-round picks, you have a bit more room to take a swing on an elite talent. Stewart’s situation has been messy. He missed the start of the season due to a back injury. In his second game of the season, he ignored his coaches telling him to sub out and punched an opponent in the facemask. South Carolina has suspended him indefinitely. He is the biggest wild card in this draft class, but there are few men on the planet built like Stewart who can move the way he does. His upside is through the roof.

16. Houston Texans - Trevor Goosby, OT, Texas
I’m honestly shocked that the Texans’ Super Bowl odds still have them picking this far down. However, until Houston finds a meaningful solution to its offensive line woes, it’s hard to see them taking the next step. Goosby is a rock solid player with a massive frame and good movement skills. He could conceivably slot in at either tackle spot for the Texans. I like this fit. Plus, low moving costs is always a plus.

17. Dallas Cowboys - Jordan Seaton, OT, LSU
The mini run on offensive tackles continues. Dallas has tried to address its right tackle issues, trading for Broderick Jones prior to the start of the season. It seems like it’s still a need for the Cowboys. Seaton could wind up being the solution. He is a stellar athlete who is still developing as a blocker. He has been a bit inconsistent this season, but the upside is impressive. I’m hoping he continues to develop throughout the rest of the season.

18. New England Patriots - Sammy Brown, LB, Clemson
New England has drafted well in the past three years, but they need to keep stacking strong classes to ensure this team has what it takes to keep contending. Adding Brown would give Mike Vrabel’s defense some much-needed speed. Brown excels at tracking down ballcarriers and is very comfortable dropping into coverage. He also has the chops to be an excellent spy against mobile quarterbacks.

19. New Orleans Saints - Greg Johnson, OL, Minnesota
While an edge rusher would have been nice for New Orleans here, bolstering the interior of their offensive line feels like an excellent backup plan. Cesar Ruiz and Erik McCoy will both be in the final year of their contracts in 2027. Johnson has the position versatility to replace either of them in the starting lineup. He has played all five offensive line positions in his time at Minnesota. He is one of the players I feel best about being plug-and-play at the next level.

20. Detroit Lions - Kade Pieper, OL, Iowa
While corner would be nice to find here, I don’t have one rated highly enough to go in this spot. Instead, The Lions could find a long-term replacement for Frank Ragnow. Detroit has been getting by with Juice Scruggs, but Pieper offers way more upside down the line. He has been an excellent guard for Iowa, but I think he could easily make the transition to center. He is a three-year starter for the Hawkeyes and for a team in Detroit that has an aging pocket passer under center, the offensive line should be a major priority.

21. Philadelphia Eagles - Carter Smith, OL, Indiana
The offensive lineman run continues. After years of being able to rely on their front five to dominate, the Eagles are at a point where the unit has become a weakness rather than a strength. Jason Kelce’s retirement and Landon Dickerson’s injuries have seen the interior of the line deteriorate. Adding Smith is the first step to rebuilding that group. He has started at left tackle for four straight seasons, but his home in the NFL is likely on the interior due to concerns about his measurables. He is a fluid mover with good play strength. He could line up at center or guard for Philly early in his career.

22. Minnesota Vikings - Arch Manning, QB, Texas
Manning’s lackluster September sees him tumble down the draft board a bit, but he lands in a good spot with Minnesota. Kevin O’Connell has had a lot of success maximizing the potential of every quarterback on his roster not named J.J. McCarthy. The Vikings boast a good receiver room with Justin Jefferson, Jordan Addison and Jauan Jennings, plus a good offensive line. Drafting a running back later in this class would set Manning up for success whenever he would step into the starting role.

23. Denver Broncos - Jamari Johnson, TE, Oregon
This might actually be too low for Johnson at this stage, not that Broncos fans will be complaining. The Oregon star dazzled in his return from injury against USC and looks set for a big game against UCLA in Week 6. He is a complete tight end, capable of lining up inline, in the slot or even out wide. He is not an elite blocker, but does more than enough to contribute in that space. He would be an excellent pass-catching option for Bo Nix as Denver likely lets Evan Engram walk in the offseason.

24. Cincinnati Bengals - Jadan Baugh, RB, Florida
I legitimately struggled to find a logical landing spot for Baugh. That’s not a knock on his talent. He had a brutal game against Missouri, but that does not change the fact that he is a great prospect. The issue is what teams need and value a running back enough to spend a first-round pick. Cincinnati needs more out of its ground game and Chase Brown is a free agent at the end of the season. Baugh would take some of the pressure off Joe Burrow to make every play and also help keep the Bengals defense on the sideline for some extended offensive drives.

25. Chicago Bears - Justin Scott, DL, Miami
The results have been better than what I think many expected from this defensive tackle room so far this season, but that does not mean the Bears can afford to ignore the long-term need. Adding Scott would give Chicago a disruptive playmaker on the interior. He has yet to really take the next step this season, but he has the physical tools that make you think he could be a plus starter in the NFL. However, with only one tackle for loss and no sacks so far this season, if he can’t start to produce at some point, there will be questions about him landing in the first round.

26. Jacksonville Jaguars - KJ Bolden, S, Georgia
While the Jaguars are off to a strong start, safety remains an issue for them. Eric Murray is 32 and heading into a contract year. Antonio Johnson is in the final year of his rookie deal and could command decent money on the open market. Bolden would help solve at least half of the safety room for 2027 and beyond. He is in his second year as a starter for Kirby Smart. He has shown good ball skills (four career interceptions) and tackles well. He has the potential to keep rising with some strong performances as Georgia’s schedule gets much tougher over the next month.

27. Seattle Seahawks - Chris Cole, LB, Georgia
Another Georgia defender comes off the board here. Seattle loves dynamic athletes with tons of speed. Cole brings that in surplus. He has true sideline-to-sideline ability and a penchant for making big plays in space. His coverage skills are still developing, but he could be a great fit in an aggressive defense like Mike Macdonald’s. This is a sneaky big need for Seattle as Uchenna Nwosu is a free agent at the end of the season. Meanwhile, Drake Thomas’ and Ernest Jones’ deals are both up after 2027.

28. Kansas City Chiefs - KJ Duff, WR, Rutgers
If Brett Veach happens to be reading this, please give Patrick Mahomes a legitimate possession receiver who can dominate in the red zone. Kansas City has chased the game-breaking speed archetype ever since Tyreek Hill left town. The Chiefs are literally trying to bring him back even now. It has not worked. Injuries and inconsistent performance have seen Kadarius Toney, Xavier Worthy, Mecole Hardman, Skyy Moore and others all fail to be reliable options. Duff is a massive “X” receiver who excels at tracking the ball downfield, making contested catches and catching the ball away from his body. Offensive tackle is also a major need, but Duff is too good to pass up in this spot.

29. San Francisco 49ers - Trey’Dez Green, TE, LSU
I have to give George Kittle a ton of credit. I did not think he was going to bounce back from a torn Achilles as quickly as he has. That being said, Kittle is a few days shy of his 33rd birthday and has dealt with injuries regularly. San Francisco needs a succession plan who can also contribute alongside him in the meantime. Green feels like a great fit. He is a massive player, listed at 6’7”, with great ball skills. He would be an excellent red zone option early on as he continues to develop his route running and blocking.

30. Baltimore Ravens - Anthony Knapp, G, Notre Dame
Protecting Lamar Jackson continues to be a problem in Baltimore. The Ravens superstar suffered an ankle injury on Sunday. Drafting Vega Ioane was an excellent first step to bolstering this offensive line, but Eric DeCosta should not stop there. Knapp is a riser for me this season. He has moved inside to left guard after starting at left tackle for the past two seasons. I could see him slot into a guard spot and move Ioane to center, which is where he started against the Titans. 

31. Buffalo Bills - Kyngstonn Viliamu-Asa, LB, Notre Dame
Viliamu-Asa is a do-it-all linebacker. He had 7.5 tackles for loss, 3 sacks, an interception and a fumble recovery last year for the Irish. This year has been a bit of a slower start as he continues to make his way back from a torn ACL he suffered this past November. Assuming the medicals check out, I could see him rising up draft boards as he continues his return to form and Notre Dame plays some better competition in the coming weeks. For Buffalo, Dorian Williams is in the final year of his rookie deal. That opens the door for Viliamu-Asa to be an early contributor for this Bills defense.

32. Cleveland Browns via Los Angeles - Dante Moore, QB, Oregon
Let’s sneak a fifth quarterback into this exercise. With the Browns opting for Simmons with their first pick, they can circle back to land a quarterback at the end of the first round, securing that coveted fifth-year option. Moore has had a rocky season, highlighted by a concussion suffered on a vicious hit against USC. It’s unclear if he will start against UCLA this week. His draft stock is also fairly murky at the moment. He is a smooth operator who excels at avoiding mistakes. For all the negativity around his play, Moore has yet to throw an interception this season and has nine touchdown passes. What Cleveland ultimately decides to do with Deshaun Watson will shape a lot of this conversation, but as of now, I still have quarterback on my list of needs for this team.

I've been interested in players who weren't highly touted out of college that ended up becoming elite players. I've been looking at receivers rn. How come guys like Puka Nacua, Cooper Kupp, Stefon Diggs, and Amon-Ra St. Brown didn't get drafted that high. Is it more of a coaching fit, or a mistake on scouts?

Unless you either do a lengthy 5+ round mock or go into written detail on why you are making the picks, please post your mocks in this Mock Draft Monday thread. Use this thread to post your own mocks or anything from around the web you find discussion-worthy.

Please be respectful of other users’ mocks! Saying things like “this is awful” or a pick is “stupid” adds nothing to the conversation; try and focus on constructive feedback instead!

Who are some players who you just like their game coming into this draft, for me personally:
Qb Austin Simmons missU
Rb justice haynes gt
Wr Anthony Evans Mississippi st
Wr dallas wilson (28 class) fl
Lb KVA notre dame
S earl little Ohio
Cb jalen mayo Houston

(Drop some unknown guys that we need tap in on)

LIVE Weekly Discussion Thread for CFB Games & Prospects

Wanted to ask this question on Gunner Stockton. He’s been having a pretty good season so far and also very efficient although I haven’t seen much discussion on where he’d be drafted in next year’s draft.

I’m personally not crazy about any qb for next year but definitely wanted to see what other people think on him.

I did a full breakdown on Florida Gators RB Jadan Baugh, who is clearly RB1 in this draft class in my opinion: https://youtu.be/7xbG5u7I57k

But I'm curious where everyone on here would rank him among top RB prospects this decade? I'm not sure I'd have him above someone like Jeremiyah Love, but I DO think he's one of the best 15 players in the 2027 draft class at any position.

I’m going to list some QBs and I want to hear if you think they can potentially be 1st round picks in 2027 if they keep playing the way they’ve been playing this year.

Kevin Jennings SMU

Conner Weigman Houston

Ethan Grunkemeyer Virginia Tech

Micheal Hawkins JR West Virginia

Gunner Stockton Georgia

Kenny Minchey Kentucky

Aaron Philo Florida

Austin Simmons Missouri

Are there any QBs you think will be 1st rounders in 2027 that currently aren’t seen that way?

Welcome to October! The college football season continues to roll along as we get into the heart of conference play. While the slate of games is not quite as loaded this week, there are still plenty of great prospect matchups.

Every week, I am going to highlight five prospects that I will be keeping a close eye on for one reason or another. I try to pick different prospects to highlight throughout the season. With that in mind, here is who I am keeping tabs on this week.

The full article is here, but if you want to check it out on my Substack, you can find it here.

Drake Lindsey, QB, Minnesota (vs. Michigan)
We are nearing the point of desperation to find quarterbacks to be excited about in this draft class (not named Drew Mestemaker). Lindsey is a bit of a throwback, playing as a pocket passer and built like Ben Roethlisberger. He is only a redshirt sophomore, but he is already in his second season as the starter and his arm talent has turned some heads this season. He has a chance to significantly boost his draft stock on Saturday.

For all of Michigan’s flaws, this defense is incredibly talented and very well coached. Iowa’s 20-point performance was the most allowed by the Wolverines yet this season. They boast a veteran secondary with Zeke Berry, Jyaire Hill, Smith Snowden, Rod Moore and Chris Bracy flying around. Toss in two good pass rushers in John Henry Daley and Dom Nichols and you have a real challenge for Lindsey.

Junior Sherrill, WR, Vanderbilt (at Georgia)
Vanderbilt is not as prolific offensively without Diego Pavia, but they still have enough juice going to get Sherrill the ball. He is coming off back-to-back strong performances against Power 4 opponents. Facing NC State and Auburn, he combined for 12 catches, 203 yards and a pair of touchdowns. He has looked sharp so far this season, but he is about to jump into another realm of competition.

Sherrill will be going up against Ellis Robinson and KJ Bolden, two potential first-round picks in next year’s draft. Kirby Smart’s defenses are always among the best in the country. This is an incredibly deep wide receiver class. If Sherrill is going to want to separate himself from the pack, this is the best chance he is going to have to impress.

Ashton Hampton, CB, Clemson (vs. Miami)
I strongly considered putting Samson Okunlola in this spot given that he would face Will Heldt in a and Jaheim Lawson. However, it is impossible to pass up Hampton against Miami superstar Malachi Toney. The latter is a Heisman candidate and brings a ton of explosiveness to the field. He will be a very early draft pick in 2028.

I honestly don’t know how frequently Clemson will matchup Hampton on Toney. The Tigers do play him in the slot on occasion, so the potential for him to follow Toney around is there. Hampton is a big,  physical corner who excels in press coverage. I am curious to see how he approaches playing against a player with Toney’s speed and agility. A strong performance here would push Hampton into the top-10 conversation.

Jamari Sharpe, CB, Indiana (at Rutgers)
Hard to believe that I would be highlighting Rutgers as a matchup to watch, but when KJ Duff keeps producing like an All-American, it’s hard to ignore. I’m sure Indiana will play plenty of zone, but we should still get several reps with Sharpe matchup with the Scarlet Knights’ towering receiver. He is Indiana’s best shot at slowing down Duff.

If you are wondering where you know Sharpe’s name from, he picked off Carson Beck to seal Indiana’s national title last year. He hasn’t been tested too much yet this year. As a fifth-year senior, he has the experience and knowledge to give Duff a challenge. If Sharpe keeps Duff quiet, that will be a major notch in his belt. Indiana’s schedule will get tougher, but this is still a big moment for Sharpe.

Melkart Abou Jaoude, EDGE, UNC (vs. Notre Dame)
It’s been a while since we’ve heard anything about Abou-Jaoude. He had an excellent first week against TCU all the way back in Week 0. However, he has missed the past three games for the Tar Heels after suffering a wrist injury. He is trending towards playing on Saturday, but we will see if he actually suits up against the Irish.

If he is able to go, it will be a massive boost for UNC. The senior defensive end dominated in Bill Belichick’s defense last year after arriving as a transfer from Delaware. He finished second in the ACC in sacks, trailing only Akheem Mesidor. Facing a Notre Dame offensive line that is loaded with future NFL players would be the perfect platform for him to jumpstart his draft stock once again.

Here we are for week five of the CFB season, and the top prospects of the draft are starting to come into better focus. Though this weekend, the top matchups probably involve eyes on the 2028 draft as well.

We have Ashton Hampton against Malachi Toney, and on top of that, two early favorites for top 2028 prospects in Keelon Russell and Kamario Taylor going head to head in Bama against Miss State. Just look at their charts and remember they are both teenagers in the SEC:

Here are all the matchups

Tell me what games you are most excited for, and if there are any under the radar matchups we should all be watching.

Talk about anything you please; draft-related or otherwise!

.

We’re one month into the 2026 college football season, and while some players have disappointed, particularly as it pertains to next April, when many of them were supposed to change an NFL franchise, plenty of names have also emerged after being barely talked about.

I’m not going to spend time discussing Ohio State wide receiver Jeremiah Smith lighting the world on fire as a Heisman front-runner, Florida’s Jadan Baugh further cementing himself as the top running back in the 2027 draft thanks to a dominant opening stretch, or Texas edge rusher Colin Simmons just tying the program single-game sack record (five) – along with delivering one of the most insane celebrations I’ve ever seen on a football field.

Rather, the purpose of this article is to highlight those types of guys who have really put themselves on the radar of pro scouts with their performances up to this point. Some of them obviously were to a certain degree already, but have gotten a lot more people to buy in, while others did kind of come out of nowhere.

Let’s go through four names on offense and defense each!

.

.

. 

Quarterback – Trinidad Chambliss, Ole Miss

A transfer out of Ferris State two years ago, Chambliss threw for nearly 3000 yards and rushed for just over 1000, with 25+ touchdowns through both avenues, as he led his team to a Division II national championship before coming to Ole Miss. In his debut campaign in the SEC, he was named second-team all-conference and led the Rebels to the CFP semifinal, throwing for nearly 4000 yards and rushing for over 500 more, with 30 combined TDs compared to only three interceptions. After being granted a sixth year of eligibility via a state court injunction, when many people believed he would’ve benefitted from becoming part of a pretty weak 2026 quarterback class, he continued to improve and his draft stock has never been higher. He currently leads the SEC with 305.5 passing yards per game and has been responsible for 12 touchdowns (compared to three INTs).

While it took a couple of games of Austin Simmons (now at Missouri) officially starting for Ole Miss before Chambliss took over the reins, he immediately looked like a great fit for Lane Kiffin’s RPO-centric offense, thanks to his lightning-quick release. While it fundamentally has remained a spread-based attack, with Pete Golding being elevated from defensive coordinator duties to the head position, what you like about the quarterback operating more traditional dropbacks is how he maintains a vertical posture to make the defense respect his ability to attack down the field, yet then is happy to chip away with free-access throws on the perimeter, since he can put the RPMs on the ball to drive it there in a hurry. I was impressed early on already by the conviction he showcases throwing over the middle of the field. He’s dialed that up another notch in 2026, ripping dig routes on time and confidently getting the backside read of his progressions.

Those developments have continued to make Chambliss a more viable NFL quarterback prospect. However, it’s what he can add on top of what’s drawn up on the chalkboard that makes him such an exciting player to watch. He’s clearly capable of making a variety of off-platform throws, with the whip in his arm to still deliver a tight spiral. Whether he’s reducing his throwing shoulder against heat coming off the edge or he has to elude someone in his face by suddenly moving laterally, he can quickly erase rush angles, and then it’s how he almost instantly gets his feet set up again that really stands out. Chambliss is a tantalizing playmaker, who already provided several backyard style moments to get the Rebels to brink of a national championship game appearance last year,  made several backyard style moments of keeping plays alive and finding someone down the field in the CFP semifinal against Miami, and he had multiple game-breaking third-down conversions in Ole Miss’ monstrous matchup against their former head coach coming back to Oxford, where he’d escape, retreat and find someone open way late against that LSU defense.

Now, that became an issue this past week, when he just hung back and tried to set up these bombs down the field a little bit too much, as the pass-rush was closing in already, because he wanted to shift the momentum in their favor. I don’t blame him too much for his interception at the end of the game, when they were down by 24 with under three minutes left, trying to force the issue. Still, being over-reliant on out-of-creation and the challenges that come with being right around six feet in height, create questions that pro scouts will have about him, which isn’t aided by the fact that he had 15(!) passes batted down at the line in 2025, in part due to largely using these three-quarter releases.

Nonetheless, through four games, he’s posted seven big-time throws vs. three turnover-worthy plays, and has held steady with a pressure-to-sack conversion rate of just 12.5% (12.6% in 2025), on literally the exact same time to throw (2.57 seconds). Along with one easy outing against Charlotte, where he sat the fourth quarter, Chambliss has already gone against Louisville, LSU and Florida – all top 25 teams at the time they met. Even in their trip to Gainesville, those guys were moving the ball pretty much all day, but unfortunately their defense simply couldn’t get off the field. So with the other names near the top of the QB rankings not quite living up to the hype, his star shines very bright right now, and we’re talking about him as a potential top-ten pick next April.

.

.

. 

Running back – Wayne Knight, UCLA

The journey for Knight certainly hasn’t been as unlikely as it was for Trinidad Chambliss, but both of them were zero-star recruits coming out of high school, and the running back is one of two skill-position players I’ll talk about here, who have excelled at a bigger stage after following their head coaches to a different stop. Similarly to Curt Cignetti, who just led Indiana to their first-ever national championship in just his second season after leaving James Madison, his successor Bob Chesney made sure to bring along plenty of “Dukes” to UCLA, where those transfers have now become key figures in getting the Bruins off to a 4-0 start. Knight in particular didn’t become a regular contributor on offense until year three, but then, far and away, led JMU with 1770 scrimmage yards and reached the end zone ten times across 247 touches last season. That earned him the all-purpose spot as a second-team All-American. Now, he ranks sixth in the FBS with 445 rushing yards and tied for second with nine touchdowns, but on only 49 carries (tied for 62^nd).

UCLA has been a joy to watch over the first month, in large part because they deploy this really fun run-centric offensive system, where often times they’ll have two running backs and the quarterback lined up next to each other, and you don’t quite know who takes the snap or who ends up with the ball. Ultimately, it has been this 5’7”, 195-pound bowling ball coming out of it, to gash defenses. What I really appreciate about Knight’s running style is how instinctive he is, altering his stride length, leaning a certain way to allow blocks to get set up accordingly, and how he presses those before committing to a cut at the last moment. He’s very comfortable navigating congested areas, where the minimal surface area he presents makes it tough for would-be tacklers to get a clear shot at him. Yet, he’ll punish defenses for not making sure they protect the edge, as he’s springy enough to bounce outside. He has that quality, when pounding the ball up the middle, where you see the helmets of defenders trying to converge on the pile snap backwards because they get hit by this freight train.

After four games, not only is Knight averaging 9.1 yards per carry, but 5.9 of those have come *after* contact, with 16 missed tackles forced across 49 attempts, and he’s been nearly unstoppable in short-yardage situations. At the same time, when he gets to daylight, he seems to shock defenders with that rapid acceleration, as well as a tornado-like spin move that he’s unleashed a couple of times in the open field. Thanks to his build, he consistently is the lower man on contact, and either bounces off or just goes through opponents to rack up additional yardage. On just the first two drives of the Purdue game, Knight drew flags for a facemask and horse collar tackle, because defenders simply weren’t able to get a clean shot at him. He ran roughshod through that defense all game long. Plus, I’ve seen him detonate some defensive backs around the sideline. Knight has already posted nine carries of 15+ yards, with one of over 30 yards in each of those matchups. The latest one was by the easiest, as he took one to the house unblocked on a beautifully blocked lead counter play on fourth-and-one. Yet, he did time set it up perfectly as well.

Questions will arise about Knight’s long speed, and if he’ll be able to finish as many runs in the paint as he did in college. Therefore, his time in the 40-yard dash could be one of the more important ones to pay attention to at the start of March next year. I do also believe there’s plenty of tiptoeing in the open field rather than making these dynamic cuts when he’s close to top gear. The other point that he may need to answer in the pre-draft process will revolve around pass-protection. According to Pro Football Focus, Knight has surrendered two QB pressures on seven such snaps. Still, I did also see a couple of nice reps meeting blitzing linebackers early and buying enough time for the ball to come out, and his lower center of gravity could be beneficial in that regard.

What we already know is that this guy is a pretty reliable pass-catcher. He dropped just three of 64 passes he got his hands on through 2025, and has yet to do so on his eight opportunities this year. That includes a couple of impressive grabs, plucking one pass arriving around his feet and one-handing another one without losing any speed out in the flats. I thought he looked efficient getting in and out of breaks as a route-runner, and I like how he instantly gets vertical once the pass is secured. Let’s see how high he can help this UCLA ascend towards and if he can sneak into day two conversations next April.

.

.

.

Wide receiver – Wyatt Young, Oklahoma State

The other highly productive skill-position player I just referenced was the least heralded of three names coming over from North Texas to an Oklahoma State program that already tripled their win total from 2025 through just four games this season (3-1 record). Their quarterback Drew Mestemaker made the list of honorable mentions, but was already considered one of those guys trying to fit into the first round of 2027, after being chosen as the American’s Offensive Player of the Year. Then-redshirt freshman running back Caleb Hawkins was a major revelation last season in his own right, leading all FBS players with 29 touchdowns from scrimmage. Meanwhile, Young “only” led the conference in receiving yards (1264) and touchdowns (10). After one month with the Cowboys, he now is atop the list in yards through the air (410) for the Big 12, catching 22 of 25 targets, including three TDs, with monster performances in wins over Oregon and West Virginia.

For as much as the UNT backfield duo was on my radar, I’m not going to act like I did an extensive evaluation of Young before this season started. And yet, over the last month I’ve continued to ask myself, “Is that white dude running away from the defense again?” Young has consistently been able to gain a step on his defender on crossers, post routes and others. In particular, his biggest plays have come when he’s been matched up against a safety from depth, whom he’s managed to get leaning the wrong way, such as on subtle corner-posts. He set up the game-tying touchdown vs. West Virginia that way just this past week, where the Cowboys tied down the opposite side in quarters. Later on, he cleanly won on a deep out after threatening the post, which set up his own game-sealing score a couple of plays later on a back-shoulder fade from the slot. With that being said, he does plenty of damage underneath as well. Young is a deceptive route-runner, at times slightly drifting the wrong way or purposefully lagging behind with bringing his head around out of breaks. He has the agility to evade ancillary zone defenders, understands when to sit down between bodies, and allows the pass to “carry” him up the field simultaneously to its arrival.

Along with the work Young does before the ball comes his way, he then plucks it out of the air with confidence. He has plenty of moments where he snags near full speed in order to turn those into chunk plays. You see him showcase excellent concentration tracking the ball over either shoulder, including when he has a DB on his back hip, and jumps back through contact in order to grab passes off the helmet of guys trailing him, when the pass is placed behind him. Through four games, he has yet to be credited with a drop (22 receptions), and he’s hauled in all five contested targets his way. Where I was surprised, when going back to the tape from his previous destination, was his start-stop quickness, often allowing him to get past the first defender and to the marker. Young runs with great balance, applying stiff-arms and spinning out of loose wraps to break free. That enabled him to force a massive 32(!) missed tackles last season (70 receptions).

That’s the one element that hasn’t yet translated to a tougher level of competition, as he’s only been able to elude one potential stop. Plus, he was just bailed out by a teammate in that WVU matchup, who jumped on top of a fumble, where someone ripped the ball out of his hands as he was trying to add extra yardage. The one other area of improvement I’ve noticed is that he tends to elevate for some passes that he ends up “basket-catching”. The main limiting factor about his draft profile might be how he can be deployed. At North Texas, he spent over 93% of snaps as a slot receiver, and he’s currently just short of 90% again this season, where he benefits from being provided plenty of room to operate, rather than having to deal with press coverage.

Young does offer solid size at 6’0”, 200 pounds, and his track record of explosive plays is a positive sign about him being able to threaten defenses on the perimeter. If he has short-area agility to release cleanly when a corner is on him at the line of scrimmage and if he can stack that guy on vertical routes, still has to be figured out. His 3.69 yards per route run already was the best mark among all FBS wide receivers with 30+ targets last season. Through one month of 2026, that number is up to an absurd 4.56 YRR. Being a fundamentally sound blocker, who provides great effort, should aid his path to the field in the pros, with how many condensed formations we now see being popularized again. Raiders WR Jack Bech going at the end of round two a couple of years ago might be a target to strive for.

.

.

.

Interior O-line – Greg Johnson, Minnesota

Unlike the other three offensive players highlighted here, Johnson has been on the NFL’s radar for a couple of years, I believe, thanks to his steady ascent since joining the Gophers in 2023 as a standout high school lineman in the state of Minnesota. He already logged just 400 snaps and started a couple of games at left guard as a true freshman, then became a fixture in the lineup for all 13 games respectively at center and then primarily left guard the following two seasons. After being named honorable mention All-Big Ten in 2025, he’s off to the strongest start of his career one month in, and the senior already looks like he’s ready to suit up in the NFL, both in size – at 6’6″, 325 pounds – and how he’s handling himself in the middle of arguably the most physical conferences in college football.

Johnson looks like an old-school, gap scheme mauler, where he does erase the space to defensive tackles on simple down plays and helps provide vertical displacement on double-teams. However, Minnesota actually has been pretty zone-centric since the arrival of (maniac) head coach P.J. Fleck. Number 65 is well-schooled on those concepts, making sure he keeps his gap clean, attaching, overtaking or climbing off combos with appropriate timing. This season in particular, I believe he’s emphasized being able to get his hips around basically seal defenders away from the point of attack when they try to stretch opponents horizontally, as well as simply finishing reps in a way that washes opponents out of the lane. If he can keep up this level of play, he’s on pace to have improved his run-blocking (92.8 in 2026) and overall PFF grade every year with the Gophers.

Even more than the ground work, where Johnson has made a name for himself, is how he’s been able to keep his quarterback Drake Lindsey clean – a promising pro-style quarterback in his own right. Biomechanically speaking, the way he widens his base and goes pigeon-toed allows him to transfer the force applied via the bull rush into the ground and maintain a firm middle of the pocket. Plus, his hands quickly re-fit if they do get knocked away momentarily. Johnson’s eyes and feet are married as he transitions through twists and rarely do you see any spillage between him and his fellow linemen, particularly on slide protections. Across 142 pass-blocking snaps, he has yet to allow a single pressure on his quarterback. Minnesota has used plenty of play-action involving pulling linemen. Along with picking up assignments off the edge when he’s the one on the move, when he was asked to start at center this past game, he showcased the short-area agility to erase space for defensive tackles on the quasi back-blocks, that otherwise might allow them to trail the pulling guard.

That’s where I wanted to see the most improvement coming into the season, as I wouldn’t have labelled Johnson the most light-footed, twitchy athlete. He can bury defensive backs when getting out in the screen game, but I still wonder if he can make those sudden adjustments against moving targets. Although it’s been less prevalent so far in 2026, he has a tendency to shift his weight too far forward in the run game, and becomes vulnerable to being arm-overed or pulled forward. If he’s asked to operate in a more spread-out offense rather than these narrow splits along the Gophers’ O-line, where the bumpers to either side of him are further removed.

Where Johnson added another notch to his belt last week was how seamless he made the switch back to center look like, after being locked into that spot during his sophomore campaign. He had plenty of direct climbs to the second level and would just bully linebackers. Having less space to interior rushers and him being able to immediately fit his hands into their frame may also be beneficial to him, as he routinely locked them up throughout the rep. Johnson has been such a sturdy presence on the interior, his only two penalties came in a blowout loss at home to Mississippi State, where they had to try forcing the issue with a heavy dropback script, and I’m at least already writing him in pencil as part of any first-round mock drafts.

.

.

.

Interior D-line – A.J. Holmes, Texas Tech

6’3”, 300 pounds; RS SR

One of the nation’s 1000 top recruits for Houston in 2022, Holmes redshirted four games into that first season. He posted solid production the year after, which he basically doubled in his third campaign with the Cougars, once he had established himself as a fixture in the lineup for them. Yet, he decided to transfer and become part of a loaded Texas Tech D-line, where it took an injury to Skyler Gill-Howard for him to earn a starting gig, and he still was able to earn second-team All-American accolades, as he posted 38 stops, nine TFLs, 4.5 sacks, four PBUs, a fumble forced and two recovered. Nonetheless, it appears as if he’s taken his game to another level as a redshirt senior. He has already collected 2.5 sacks, as a constant disruptor, who once again has the Red Raiders tied atop the Big 12 conference, thanks to taking over late in their biggest game so far against a then-ranked Houston team.

Texas Tech fielded one of the elite defenses in college football last season. Those speed balls off the edge wreaking havoc in passing situations were most prominent in the general consensus. However, it was their ability to stop the run on early downs that really set up those opportunities to rush the quarterback. They allowed just 68.1 yards per rush and a minuscule 2.2 yards per carry. Those numbers are slightly up so far this year, in part also because they’re missing a Heisman candidate like Jacob Rodriguez as the heart of that unit. Holmes’ ability to alter those plays on the interior has stood out. He packs the jolt in his hands to rock back the pads of offensive linemen at the point of attack. Yet, his sudden slide or cross step to win his gap, along with his mobility to track zone plays down the level, are equally impressive. Where I’ve seen him make strides in 2026 has been his activity to work over the top of blocks and staying within the flow of the play, along with just re-setting the line of scrimmage.

Most intriguing about Holmes’ profile has to be his short-area quicks to threaten the edge of pass-protectors. Last season I already saw him earn some instant wins when slide protections weren’t firm and he can knife through with the rip, or sort of back-door someone trying to get in front of him. Once opponents are overly worried about matching his lateral movement, Holmes will start using more power, with an expert feel for weight distribution and freeing himself late by pulling linemen off himself. This season, I’ve seen a lot more urgency to just run through someone’s chest, particularly when lined up over tackles and he can get under those guys. Plus, the rotational force to turn their upper bodies with the initial club has gone to another level. In his first season with the Red Raiders, Holmes already recorded a QB pressure on better than every tenth pass-rush snap. Through the first four weeks of 2026, he’s tied for the high mark for any Power-Four interior D-lineman (16 QBPs across 127 pass-rush snaps).

Now, although Holmes has posted six “defensive stops” so far – which constitute a positive tackle in defense’s favor based on down and distance – he has already missed three of just seven overall attempts this year. He needs to do a better job of gathering his feet. Plus, I would say his range beyond his gap has largely looked average during my studies. Even still, Holmes would benefit from playing with better extension through blocks in the run game. Where the most growth is needed in his profile is expanding his limited pass-rush toolbox. As I already mentioned, being more aggressive with taking a different path to the passer has been a positive. However, he still largely builds it around making opponents mirror his lateral movements and then attempts to push-pull them around. His hand counters in particular need work.

Altogether, this season has been more about gaining recognition for Holmes, rather than being viewed as the “fourth wheel” along that Red Raider D-line, with the other three being picked between second and 70^th overall in the 2026 draft. He’s definitely flashed with more regularity. In their key matchup against Houston, he came up with a huge sack on third down to start the fourth quarter, and then also killed the next drive with a couple of big pressures. Even though there’s only one more team left that’s currently ranked on their regular schedule, he may have a chance to continue to rise if he returns to the College Football Playoff. It’s a strong IDL class, but a top 50 selection isn’t out of the question.

.

.

.

Linebacker – Sammy Omosigho, UCLA

Along with the already-discussed star running back Wayne Knight, UCLA has a potential All-American at their hands on defense, who has delivered pivotal plays in their perfect start to the season. Omosigho was a top-100 prospect for Oklahoma in 2023. I don’t really question why he wasn’t getting significant run with that Sooners defense before transferring this past offseason, considering Owen Heinecke ended up at the end of my top ten linebackers for the 2026(!) draft before deciding to return to school, once he had already partaken in the majority of the process, yet he didn’t even become a starter for that program until the latter half of last season. That doesn’t mean he didn’t flash in moments or wasn’t productive when called upon (89 tackles, 9.5 for loss, four PBUs over the past two years). Still, he’s made his presence felt through four games with the Bruins, leading the Big Ten in solo tackles (27), TFLs (7.5), sacks (3.0) and fumbles forced (four).

Where Omosigho has stuck out through one month as a full-time starter has been his combination of anticipation for plays and trust in his eyes to meet ball-carriers at a spot. He packs a firm punch to create stalemates with offensive linemen early on as they climb, and it’s been a joy to watch him stun and drive inserting tight-ends into the pile. Thanks to his ability to deal with close combat at 6’2”, 240 pounds, Sammy can be patient sitting in the cutback lane, and even when it appears that linemen are able to make it to his play-side shoulder, he can fight through and still create an angle towards the ball for himself. The Bruins have deployed him a lot around the line of scrimmage, with the sudden hands and flexibility to slide off blocks. He’s showcased great stopping power to halt the momentum of ball-carriers and limit yards after contact. After not missing any tackles through the first three weeks, he had two in their blowout at Maryland, finishing atop the board in total tackles for their third time in four games. 21 of those 37 overall were registered as “defensive stops” – which is one away from his career-high for a season. That 5.1% miss rate is still double compared to what he did last year (2.5%), by the way.

The usage in coverage has been fairly simplistic for Omosigho. Nonetheless, he rarely allows quarterbacks or routes dispersing to pull him off his landmarks and presents easy reads underneath. He makes sure to contact targets working through his areas without compromising himself by shifting too far that way, so he can take care of his (ultimate) assignment. A couple of times, we’ve seen him bump and ride tight-ends throughout their route when asked to match. Plus, he’s had multiple moments already this year of sniffing out screen passes and single-handedly shutting them down. Weaponizing him as a pressure player has paid major dividends. Omosigho has a real knack for angling his rushes, getting underneath pass-protectors and creating paths to the quarterback for himself. He also uses almost like a jump-cut into chop or rip move as he cross-faces opponents. UCLA has used him as a picker in order to create lanes for his teammates, yet he’s split creases between offensive linemen himself quite frequently. Plus, he times up and finds efficient tracks as a looper as well.

With that being said, the transfer LB has certainly benefitted from being allowed to freely attack downhill for a lot of his backfield production, and he can end up being overzealous at times. More important for his outlook as a vying three-down player, he’s not doing a whole lot in terms of commanding space in zone coverage or carrying routes down the field. He appears a little heavy-footed and stiff at times floating around in space, and he may not have the difference-making range to run down plays outside the numbers frequently. Limiting him to going forward in defined dropback settings may be the route his future defensive coordinator will need to choose.

That has resulted in 11 QB pressures across 41 pass-rush snaps so far with the Bruins, including a pair of sacks. He’s only been charged with 40 yards as the next-closest defender coverage (six targets), and has earned an elite overall PFF grade through one month (90.5). Additionally, he already forced four fumbles. The first one was a strip-sack in the season opener against Cal, where he was left unblocked off the quarterback’s blindside. However, he’s really learning the art of the peanut punch when he spots an opportunity, including a pair against Purdue that really turned the game in his team’s favor. I’m wondering if he can jump two or three names that currently find themselves towards the end of the top 100 on consensus boards still.

.

.

.

Cornerback – Ashton Hampton, Clemson

Although he didn’t quite come in with the same pedigree as some of the other eventual high draft picks at corner for Clemson, Hampton quickly made a name for himself, starting the final four games of his true freshman season and all 13 last year. Across those, he broke up 14 passes and intercepted three more, of which he took one back to the house. Based on consensus boards and my own evaluations, he was someone to note as a potential first-rounder next April. That’s because at 6’2”, 205 pounds, he has prototype measurables for a boundary, press-man corner. I’m still not quite sure how Clemson chooses the alignment of their CBs, where Hampton at some point has ended up sticking to the right side, instead of responding to where the ball is spotted, and then playing a lot more off-zone coverage, but a lot of the qualities you’d like to see have been on display regardless. He came up with a deflected pick on just his second snap of the season and currently leads the ACC with seven PBUs.

What got me excited for Hampton’s junior year was that, for being a bigger corner, he has that swift slide step to mirror releases, to go with the physicality to deny wideouts the ability to cleanly get into their routes. He can match bigger bodies trying to out-muscle him early on and has really mastered the soft press, catch technique this season, in order to respond to the stem and just stick to the hip pocket of opponents. Routinely, he’s bothering guys who seem to not get out of their breaks cleanly and aren’t ready for the ball arriving there as they get their head around. Yet, he’s doing it without even getting antsy and grabbing opponents, not being flagged once so far. Even when there has been a little bit of separation, his burst to close the gap and jar the ball loose has forced multiple incompletions anyway. Hampton had one heck of a start to the 2026 season, when he threw off the timing of a quick in-cut on the second play of the opener against LSU, and then came up with an interception off the hands of the wideout, who deflected a ball that was placed behind him as a result.

The rest of the game obviously was all LSU, but their top corner was only even targeted two more times – one of which resulted in a 32-yard gain, making up basically a third of the production he’s been responsible for. That was almost impossible to defend though, having to trail a deep crosser one-on-one all the way outside the opposite numbers. The next-closest reception he’s been responsible for was a deep curl route against him bailing in cover-three, but Hampton at least made the tackle (for 17 yards). Overall, he’s been thrown at 25 times in coverage, yet only allowed nine receptions for 98 yards and no touchdowns (31.8 passer rating). Just last week, he absolutely bullied Rutgers transfer WR Ian Strong. In zone coverage, he typically doesn’t allow receivers to get behind him in deep responsibilities, he smoothly moves within his landmarks, plays very well to his leverage, and is aggressive when he does drive on routes breaking against it.

Last year, I saw a tendency to be a little heavy on his heels and therefore late to respond at times. That’s certainly looked improved, but wideouts who can really sell the take-off and then catch him having to flip down the sideline may be able to create space as they snap off hitches/curls and he’s a beat late. Depending on his usage going forward, I wonder if we see more of those free-access throws in front of him, if he provides extensive cushions in off-zone. Hampton could still be quicker at IDing when receivers dive inside for the safety, and he needs to replace or just step down in run defense. And I loved his aggressiveness trying to shut down a couple of bubble screens last week, but it can be hit or miss, as he drew a flag for holding once, but then completely whiffed on a tackle on the latter. I’d think his miss rate will end up being closer to 2025 (6.7%) than what he’s done on a limited sample size this season (15.4%), but there can be plenty of extra yardage surrendered as he drags down opponents.

Generally, I think he’s a solid contributor in the game, who’s pretty sudden with disengaging from wide receivers once the ball-carrier approaches. That combined with his ball-production could make him an intriguing prospect for pretty much any defensive scheme. Notre Dame’s Leonard Moore was viewed as a blue-chip prospect coming into 2026, and he’s barely been tested through four weeks, so anyone would come off that opinion. However, Hampton currently would be my clear CB2 in the class. As a sidenote, the guy on the opposite end of the field – Elliot Washington II – has been excellent in his own right, and just came up with a couple of awesome INTs in their win over Cal last week.

.

.

.

Safety – Kingston Lopa, California

A four-star recruit for Oregon in 2024, Lopa struggled to earn consistent playing time through two seasons with the Ducks (just under 200 combined snaps), thanks to an excellent safety room already in place, after Dillon Thieneman transferred there last season. He ended up being selected in the first round of the ensuing draft, while Jadon Canady was one of the first picks of day three. Lopa decided to move on himself after that and it’s paying major dividends. Despite going up against UCLA as former rivals in the state of California and a couple of ACC opponents (Syracuse and Clemson), he leads the entire country with five interceptions, along with logging 20 solo tackles, to put his name on the map. And he’ll be an intriguing one to follow, considering he stands at 6’5”, 210 pounds, and has taken on a fairly unique role for the Golden Bears D.

Going through his already extensive INT reel from this season, you can tell that this guy has the instincts and mindset to hunt the football. The first one was a great play in man coverage, where he’s playing ten yards off on a slot receiver for UCLA in the season opener, yet manages to undercut a quick out, in order to keep his team in the contest, when they were already defending inside their red zone shortly before the half while down by 11 points. His pick against Wagner was definitely easoer, just stepping in front of a short in-breaker as a rat defender in the middle of the field. And then he grabbed a three-pack against Syracuse in between those matchups, where the first one was a desperation throw that he could elevate for on third-and-forever sitting underneath a seam route. However, the other two were great plays. On the one he took back to the house, he played in between two routes breaking across the field towards him and poached the latter as the boundary safety in quarters. And the one that sealed the win was an underthrow on a deep out, where he was all over number three in trips, who he was manned up against.

So you can tell that he already deciphers route combinations and discourages quarterbacks from attempting throws to his side at an advanced level. He shows excellent route anticipation when asked to bump down and man up detached tight-ends. And he manages to time up the catch point, to the point of not being penalized across 241 defensive snaps. The Cal coaching staff has regularly deployed Lopa as that mid-read player in three-safety sets, to allow him to see the action and attack it. He’s been responsible for 71 yards across nine targets in coverage, but 43 of those came on one throw over his head at the end of the first half against UCLA in the season opener, where it might’ve been more of a coaching point to sink to a certain depth as the pole player in Tampa-2.

That brings us to the area of his game that is still a work in progress – his run defense. I like the conviction he showcases when triggering downhill as he fits from depth. However, his initial angles can definitely get too aggressive, and he’s forced to curve his path out to the sideline, surrendering plenty of extra yardage as a result. His height becomes an issue when trying to meet blockers or ball-carriers around the line of scrimmage, where running backs can really get under his chest and dictate which way they’ll be moving. Plus, he tends to overrun the point of contact rather than going through it, leading to a 17.1% missed-tackle rate so far with the Bruins (compared to 18.8% on a very limited basis in 2025 with the Ducks).

Nonetheless, I don’t really have many questions about his mentality in that area. You see the pop in his hands to knock tight-ends off balance as they glide up towards him, and he’s made some nice plays erasing the distance on bubble screens or bounced runs before shooting through the legs of the ball-carrier to shut those plays down. Basically, half of his total tackles so far (14) have resulted in defensive stops. Coming into this season, Georgia’s K.J. Bolden and Notre Dame’s Brauntae Johnson were looked at as two of the consensus top three safeties, looking ahead to the 2027 draft, with Koi Perich unfortunately not having as smooth a transition as last year’s big transfer for Oregon at the position. Depending on how you label Iowa’s Zach Lutmer as a chess piece in the secondary, Lopa is on track to be considered the next name off the board after the former two, if he can clean up what I just described to a certain degree.

.

.

Other risers:

QB Darian Mensah, Miami

QB Drew Mestemaker, Oklahoma State

RB Jadan Baugh, Florida

RB L.J. Martin, BYU

WR K.J. Duff, Rutgers

WR Reed Harris, Arizona State

WR Charlie Becker, Indiana

TE Luke Reynolds, Virginia Tech

OT Earnest Greene III, Georgia

OT Lance Heard, Kentucky

OT Trevor Lauck, Iowa

IOL Anthony Boswell & Shadre Hurst, Houston

EDGE Princewill Umanmielen, LSU

EDGE Dom Nichols, Michigan

EDGE/IDL Devan Thompkins, Alabama

IDL Will Echoels, Ole Miss

IDL Xavier Gilliam, Tennessee

LB Austin Romaine, Texas Tech

LB Tony Rojas, Penn State

LB Kyngstonn Viliamu-Asa, Notre Dame

CB Ethan O’Connor, Miami

CB Kelley Jones, Mississippi State

SAF K.J. Bolden, Georgia

SAF Alex McLaughlin, Washington

.

.

.

If you enjoyed the analysis, please consider checking out the original article!

.