With lower than a month till the 2026 NFL draft, groups are engaged on their prospect boards. It is robust for every of them to return to a consensus as a result of there are at all times a whole lot of opinions throughout entrance workplaces, teaching staffs and scouting departments. Everybody has their guys — the gamers they’re standing on the desk for and arguing should be within the crew’s plans.
These spirited debates have been at all times enjoyable after I was the overall supervisor and govt vice chairman of the Jets (2006-12) after which govt vice chairman of soccer operations for the Dolphins (2015-18). I keep in mind a whole lot of back-and-forth in predraft conferences in my first yr working the Jets about what to do at choose No. 4. We talked about defensive finish Mario Williams earlier than it was clear he was going to Houston at No. 1. Operating again Reggie Bush had some followers within the room, and a whole lot of of us wished tight finish Vernon Davis.
I used to be one of many folks pounding the desk for offensive deal with D’Brickashaw Ferguson. Our go safety wanted to enhance, and Ferguson had the dimensions and traits to be a foundational participant. With Williams and Bush off the board rapidly (together with Vince Younger), we went with Ferguson over Davis.
These sorts of discussions will play out in crew services across the league within the coming weeks. And it goes past Spherical 1; when groups are about 15-20 picks away from their Day 2 and Day 3 choices, everybody begins to take a look at who remains to be on the board and description a handful of gamers they consider may very well be out there on the slot, earlier than zeroing in on the ultimate goal.
With all that in thoughts, I made a decision to do an identical train, going again to my GM roots and selecting out my guys for this 2026 class. However somewhat than cater to any explicit crew, I constructed a mini board throughout all seven rounds for a hypothetical Group X. No particular roster wants in thoughts. No championship or rebuilding home windows to contemplate. No schemes or personnel preferences to issue into decision-making. Simply the gamers I would need in my lineup. I outlined a number of names in Rounds 1-4 after which picked out one sleeper in every of the ultimate three rounds. (I went exterior the highest 10 in Spherical 1 to keep away from the apparent prospects.)
Let’s rise up on the desk and begin arguing for some future stars.
Bounce to a spherical:
1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | 5 | 6 | 7
First-rounders I would goal exterior the highest 10
Makai Lemon, WR, USC
I like his model of play — he is relentless and bodily. Positive, Lemon may begin off within the slot, the place he performed more often than not for USC. However I believe he is sufficiently big at 5-foot-11 and 192 kilos to play exterior within the professionals. Lemon thrived in contested-catch conditions in faculty, with 11 of them in 12 video games final season. He completed with 11 touchdowns and was third within the nation in receiving yards per recreation at 96.3. With Ohio State’s Carnell Tate and/or Arizona State’s Jordyn Tyson main most WR rankings, Lemon ought to be there exterior the highest 10.
Dillon Thieneman, S, Oregon
His athleticism is terrific, as he ran 4.35 within the 40-yard sprint and had a 41-inch vertical soar on the mix. His 6-foot, 201-pound measurement is nice. And I like his versatility; he strains up within the slot, deep and near the road of scrimmage. Thieneman is the epitome of a contemporary NFL security, and he can are available in and begin instantly. The Purdue switch has nice movie, and that nice mix exercise ought to be the additional push to make him a top-20 choose. He had 86 tackles and two interceptions final season. Signal me up.
Kenyon Sadiq, TE, Oregon
If I am the overall supervisor of a crew in that center a part of Spherical 1, I am making the case to my artistic playcaller that Sadiq might open issues up for the offense. He’s explosive, with a blazing 4.39-second run within the 40 and unimaginable jumps of 43½ inches (vertical) and 11-foot-1 (broad). The manufacturing additionally matched the talent set. Sadiq caught 51 passes for 560 yards and eight touchdowns final season. At 6-foot-3 and 241 kilos, he might be flexed out to create mismatches one-on-one with safeties.
The gamers I would be concentrating on in Spherical 2
Peter Woods, DT, Clemson
There’s a particular likelihood that Woods goes in Spherical 1. He was getting early-pick buzz final summer time, however an absence of big-time manufacturing (solely 33 tackles and two sacks final season) brought on a whole lot of evaluators to chill on him. If there’s any shot I can get him in Spherical 2, I am making it occur. Woods has explosive traits and will make an actual distinction on the inside. He is perhaps a bit undersized at 6-foot-3 and 298 kilos (with sub-32-inch arms), however I am banking on the potential, upside and worth on Day 2. Now, I am simply crossing my fingers that he is nonetheless there.
Chris Johnson, CB, San Diego State
I like this participant rather a lot. I believe Johnson will begin within the NFL and may very well be an efficient man-to-man nook on the surface at 6-foot and 193 kilos. He performed in 48 video games on the similar faculty, which is a rarity on this transfer-heavy period of school soccer. And he has good manufacturing. Over the previous two seasons, he had 5 interceptions, 13 go breakups and two compelled fumbles. Toss in 4.4 velocity, and I see him as a day one starter.
D’Angelo Ponds, CB, Indiana
Although I would be pushing to get Johnson to play on the surface, I would be equally persistent in touchdown Ponds to play within the slot. Despite the fact that he is 5-foot-9 and 182 kilos, Indiana typically had him on the surface. Within the professionals, he is a really perfect nickel. And given that the majority NFL groups play a whole lot of 11 personnel (three broad receivers), he in all probability will get on the sector for greater than 80% of defensive snaps. Ponds is tenacious, and his talent set ought to translate nicely to the subsequent stage. He had an incredible pick-six on the primary play of the CFP recreation towards Oregon — one among seven profession picks.
0:51
Indiana begins off Peach Bowl with an electrical pick-six
Oregon QB Dante Moore goes to go however is picked off by Indiana’s D’Angelo Ponds, who takes it to the crib for a landing.
The gamers I would be concentrating on in Spherical 3
Malachi Lawrence, Edge, UCF
A four-year participant at UCF, Lawrence has a very good motor and posted stable manufacturing with 20 profession sacks. Plus, he had a implausible exercise in Indianapolis, working a 4.52-second 40-yard sprint at 6-foot-4 and 253 kilos. Anytime I can add a productive, high-motor go rusher with manufacturing, I am in.
Eli Stowers, TE, Vanderbilt
Quarterbacks love a good finish with a giant catch radius, and that is precisely what Stowers brings to the desk. Now we have to get this man. He is 6-foot-4 and 239 kilos, and he jumped 45½ inches within the vertical. That is wild. I do know Stowers has to enhance as a blocker, however he caught 146 balls and hauled in 11 touchdowns over the previous three seasons (one among which was at New Mexico State). He can get down the seam and make huge performs.
Jacob Rodriguez, LB, Texas Tech
Rodriguez jogs my memory a lot of Corridor of Famer Zach Thomas. He has an unimaginable knack for forcing fumbles (seven final season, 13 over his profession), and he picked off 4 passes in 2025. Usually when somebody is that productive and instinctive, it carries over to the subsequent stage. I would need him on my crew, regardless that he is barely undersized at 6-foot-1 and 231 kilos. It is kind of not possible to suppose he will not make it as a starter within the NFL.
The gamers I would be attempting to steal in Spherical 4
Taylen Inexperienced, QB, Arkansas
I am highlighting two quarterbacks within the Spherical 4 vary, and I would be glad getting both of them. I simply can’t miss out on each of them. The primary is Inexperienced, who in fact dominated the mix. At 6-foot-6 and 227 kilos, Inexperienced had a 4.36 within the 40, 43½ inches within the vertical and 11-foot-2 within the broad soar. However he really began to get my consideration weeks earlier on the Senior Bowl. The accuracy wants to enhance, however getting him within the constructing and dealing with him might repay in a giant approach due to all these plus traits.
Drew Allar, QB, Penn State
The opposite quarteback is Allar, who began 35 video games in faculty earlier than a season-ending ankle harm final yr towards Northwestern. There is a great quantity of intrigue with Allar due to his resiliency, and he is the form of participant I would love to herald and chase that potential. At 6-foot-5 and 228 kilos, he accomplished practically 65% of his passes over his profession. There may be sufficient of a basis to work from and to attempt to develop for the long run.
The participant I would be attempting to steal in Spherical 5
Marlin Klein, TE, Michigan
There’s one thing particular about Klein, who grew up enjoying primarily soccer in Germany, went to a boarding faculty in Georgia to play highschool soccer and finally turned a captain his senior yr at Michigan. I see nice bodily attributes at 6-foot-6 and 248 kilos. Even with 248 yards and one rating final season, I consider Klein could make it over the long run. He is the form of developmental prospect I would be searching for on this vary.
The participant I would be attempting to steal in Spherical 6
Bryce Boettcher, LB, Oregon
I suppose I watched a whole lot of Oregon soccer final season — this is my third Geese participant on the listing. An undersized linebacker at 6-foot-1 and 233 kilos, Boettcher had an excellent week on the Senior Bowl, the place he confirmed toughness and instincts. Over the previous two seasons, he had 12 tackles for a loss, however I am considering he may very well be a core particular groups participant (at a minimal).
The participant I would be attempting to steal in Spherical 7
Jaffer Murphy, Ok, UTSA
OK, I am closing it out with an fascinating kicker prospect. Murphy transferred to UTSA from Lake Erie School, the place he hit 13 discipline objectives in 2024 — together with a 60-yarder. However he dealt with solely kickoffs for the Roadrunners final season, with one extra-point try exterior of these duties (which he made). At his professional day earlier this week, he booted a 70-yard discipline aim. Why not take a flier?
