The 2026 NFL Draft is just a few weeks away. Teams across the league are studying their big boards like they’re preparing for college finals. There is always a question of whether to go for “best player available” or to fill a positional need. Who are the best players at each position in the 2026 NFL Draft?
Fernando Mendoza is the top QB available in this class. He’s widely projected as the first overall pick and the only quarterback likely to go in the first round. Ty Simpson from Alabama may sneak into the late first but will likely be an early second-round pick.
Mendoza is a fundamentally sound, pocket-passing QB with the ability to scramble under pressure. He’s 6’5” and 236 pounds, the ideal size for an NFL QB, and can be an extension of his playcaller.
Mendoza was a part of the undefeated Indiana Hoosiers team. He went on to win the Heisman Award and the College Football National Championship. He’s accurate and has an optimistic personality that will immediately win over a locker room and fanbase.
Similar to Mendoza, Jeremiyah Love is a top 10 pick in this year’s Draft, and may be the only player at his position taken in the first round. At 6’0” and 212 pounds, he moves with an elusiveness that few others have.
Love recorded a 4.36-second 40-yard dash at the NFL Combine, and his pro comparison is Detroit Lions star Jahmyr Gibbs. Not only is he an effective rusher, but he’s also a threat in the pass game.
Love recorded 2,497 rushing yards and 35 touchdowns over his last two seasons at Notre Dame. He also recorded 55 receptions for 517 yards and five scores in that span. He’s a game-changer from the word go and will likely become a highly successful running back in the NFL.
The first of three Ohio State players to hit this list is Carnell Tate. Depending on who you ask, an argument could be made here for USC’s Makai Lemon and Arizona State’s Jordyn Tyson.
In 39 games at Ohio State, Tate recorded 121 receptions for 1,872 yards and 14 touchdowns. He spent his three seasons alongside players like Jeremiah Smith, Emeka Egbuka, and Marvin Harrison Jr. He has great speed and body control, along with great spatial awareness.
Tate is only 21 years old and has shown his ability to grow as a player. He thrives at the catch point and will make a great deep threat for a QB with a big arm.
Simply put, Oregon’s Kenyon Sadiq is a one-of-one athlete. He’s 6’3” and 241 pounds, and a high-volume target. Over the last two years, he recorded 75 receptions for 868 yards and 10 touchdowns.
Sadiq wowed at the NFL Combine, running a 4.39-second 40-yard dash, the fastest by a tight end since 2003. He’s a versatile player who can run a complex route tree and may be the only tight end taken in the first 50 picks.
Penn State’s offensive guard, Olaivavega Ioane, is 6’4” and 320 pounds of pure strength. The offensive guard plays well in both base blocks and double teams and excels in the run game.
Ioane plays with great contact balance and has strong arms to hold off defenders coming from any angle. He’s the prototypical guard in this Draft and will likely be taken in the top 15.
At 6’5” and 329 pounds, Francis Mauigoa is built like an offensive guard but moves well at the tackle position. He has good balance and excellent hip positioning.
In 2025, Mauigoa played 576 pass-blocking snaps, allowing just 10 QB pressures and one sack. To broaden the scale, he’s allowed only two sacks in over 1,200 pass-blocking snaps. He’s a force that could quickly become one of the NFL’s top offensive tackles.
Moving on to the defensive side of the ball, we have another Ohio State player. Defensive tackle Kayden McDonald’s 6’2”, 326-pound frame allows him to excel as a run defender. He’s quick to fill a gap and can change direction extremely well.
In 2025, McDonald recorded 31 solo tackles, nine tackles for loss (TFL), and three sacks. He finds the ball-carrier quickly and springs to action. He plays best against the run but has the potential to terrorize QBs with some development.
There is a real case to be made for Texas Tech’s David Bailey to take this spot, but the edge goes to Rueben Bain Jr. The Miami product has the strength of a defensive tackle but moves with a speed that can surprise offensive tackles.
Bain’s pro comparison is Philadelphia Eagles legend Brandon Graham, which is extremely high praise. Through 38 games at Miami, he recorded 121 combined tackles, 67 solo, 33.5 TFLs, and 20.5 sacks.
The linebacker position is another two-man race, this time between teammates Arvell Reese and Sonny Styles. The Ohio State duo could each find themselves taken in the first five picks of this year’s Draft.
What sets Styles apart from other linebackers in this class is his IQ. He can seemingly diagnose offenses with ease, and knows where to adjust, not just for himself, but his teammates as well. At 6’5” and 244 pounds, he’s an athletic freak.
Syles achieved a 43.5-inch vertical jump at the Combine, the highest for a linebacker since 1999. Over the last two seasons, recorded 182 combined tackles, 94 solo, 17 TFLs, and seven sacks.
There are several cornerbacks who could find themselves taken in the first round of this year’s Draft. Tennessee’s duo of Jermod McCoy and Colton Hood and Clemson’s Avieon Terrell are top CB prospects in 2026. LSU’s Mansoor Delane, however, is atop the hill.
Delane played his first three years with Virginia Tech, finishing his college career at LSU in 2025. In that span, he played 44 games, logging 191 combined tackles, 108 solo, seven TFLs, and eight interceptions.
At 6’0” and 187 pounds, Delane moves smoothly with efficient footwork. He has a great awareness of what opposing QBs are doing without losing his man in the route. He has the potential to be a true lockdown corner in the NFL.
Closing out this list might be the best overall player in the entire Draft. Ohio State’s Caleb Downs is a tackling machine who plays effectively in coverage and at the line of scrimmage. He’s 6’0” and 206 pounds with Houston Texans star Jalen Pitre listed as his NFL comp.
Downs played his freshman year at Alabama before spending the next two at Ohio State. In 44 games, he recorded 257 combined tackles, 164 solo, 16 TFLs, 1.5 sacks, and six interceptions. In an era where safeties are becoming multi-tooled players, he fits the mold.
If there are any flaws in Downs’ game, it’s that he doesn’t target the ball enough. He does, however, play the receiver extremely well. He has terrific awareness and denies big plays in man coverage. At 21 years old, he’ll improve as a ballhawk, and he should be, at worst, a top 10 pick in this year’s Draft.
While most NFL Drafts are seen as the perfect time to find a franchise QB, this one is vastly different. The talent at other positions is incredible. PFF’s big board has five wide receivers ranked in the top 32, along with six edge defenders and six offensive tackles. This is a deep class that also offers plenty of hidden gems in later rounds.
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