The first round of the NFL Draft is always loaded with talent, but that doesn’t give an excuse to dismiss the rest of the rounds. Every year, great careers are born out of the latter stages of the NFL Draft. Look at Tom Brady, a former sixth-round pick. It’s impossible to hold everyone to that standard, but there will be players that make you look back on the 2026 draft class and make you scratch your head.
5. Harold Perkins
The Atlanta Falcons got their talons on Harold Perkins in the sixth round, and he was a good player at LSU. It doesn’t make sense how he fell that far. He registered 39.5 tackles for loss, 17 sacks, and eight forced fumbles in 43 games as a Tiger. The Falcons don’t appear to do much right, but they got a beast at the 215th pick. They still don’t have the quarterback thing solved, but maybe next year.
4. Ephesians Prysock
Ephesians Prysock fell the whole way to the fourth round, where the San Francisco 49ers picked him. Prysock is a 6’3”, 196-pound cornerback who runs a 4.4-second 40-yard dash. He had 20 passes defended in his four years of college. The former Washington Husky should get a chance to play in San Francisco, and with a name like Prysock, he has to be destined for greatness.
3. Kyle Louis
The Miami Dolphins might have overhauled their entire linebacker core in one draft with the selections of Jacob Rodriguez and Kyle Louis. Everyone knows about Rodriguez, but Louis could be a future star in the NFL. At Pittsburgh, he was an All-American in 2024 and grabbed six interceptions and two fumble recoveries in four seasons. At the NFL Combine, he ran a 4.5-second 40-yard dash and posted a 39.5-inch vertical jump.
2. Ja’Kobi Lane
The Baltimore Ravens needed help in the wide receiver room, and Ja’Kobi Lane is going to make that group better. Last season at USC, he caught 49 passes for 745 yards and four touchdowns. In 2024, Lane caught 11 touchdowns. If you turn on his tape, he looks like a George Pickens clone. He is going to help Lamar Jackson in the near future. My hot take? Lane has a better career than his former USC teammate Makai Lemon.
1. Emmanuel McNeil-Warren
Toledo safety Emmanuel McNeil-Warren was getting heavy first-round projections in the draft cycle, but he somehow fell to the Cleveland Browns at the 58th overall pick. He is 6’3”, 201 pounds, and ran a 4.5-second 40-yard dash. In 48 games at Toledo, McNeil-Warren forced nine fumbles. Cleveland found a gem to add to their defense in the second round. If they could figure out the offense, they would have something.
End Of My NFL Draft Rant
It’s impossible to see the future when it pertains to the NFL Draft. All of these players could end up as nothing in the football world, but it doesn’t feel like that will be the case. All of these players were ballers in college, and their skill set has a chance to transition smoothly to the NFL. If it doesn’t, at least teams didn’t use a boatload of capital to get them. If you ask me, they will all be beasts in the league.
