From surprise breakouts to underwhelming performances from our favorite prospects, the 2026 rookie class is one of the more polarizing groups in recent memory. The Campus2Canton Devy team got together to tackle such an ambiguous group with our first way-too-early mock draft of the season.
THE DRAFTERS
- Mike Vallerie (@FF_DirtyMike)
- Aaron Wilcox (@AaronWilcox86)
- Colin Decker (@C2CDecker)
- Cory Pereira (@FF_Guitarist)
- Austin Nace (@Devydeets)
- Justin Massie (@Justin_Massie_)
- Dwight Peebles (@FFPeeblesChamp)
ROUND 1 TAKEAWAYS
It might surprise some people to see anyone taken over Notre Dame RB Jeremiyah Love, but Arizona State’s Jordyn Tyson could be the smarter play. Between the longevity of both positions and the shock of reality from last year’s top selection, Ashton Jeanty, Tyson is the perfect piece to build your team around. Especially considering most owners at the top of the draft aren’t ready to contend any time soon and would benefit from a longer-lasting asset.
This isn’t to downplay Love’s potential impact, as he still makes a great selection here and probably shouldn’t go any lower than 1.02, but he isn’t the only one I’d personally consider at the top of the draft. Love and Tyson are two parts of a trio I’d deem worthy of that honor, with USC’s Makai Lemon working his way into that mix. The Biletnikoff Award winner had an unreal season and is arguably the most improved player from a year ago. He should fit seamlessly into any offensive scheme.
You might think we are low on the QB position in this draft, with Indiana’s Fernando Mendoza and Oregon’s Dante Moore falling to the second half of this round. Still, it’s a very ambiguous class in that position. Both quarterbacks have traits to like and have proven they can command an offense, but this year’s scheme simplicity, a lack of mobility, and up-and-down play have us questioning the ceiling of each prospect. There’s an element of this group that feels propped up due to a lack of better options, and it wouldn’t even be that surprising to see the true QB1 of this class come from outside this round.
The strength of this round lies in the WR position, with each offering a different skill set. Ohio State’s Carnell Tate is pushing himself into the top tier and could solidify that placement with a solid showing through the draft process. Washington’s Denzel Boston is true X with sneaky versatility, Texas A&M’s Kevin Concepcion is a jack-of-all-trades who took promising steps towards being a more refined receiver, and Clemson’s Antonio Williams is as steady as they come. He could grow into a QB’s best friend, operating similarly to a Jayden Reed, Cooper Kupp, or even an Amon-Ra St.Brown.
Michigan RB Justice Haynes and Nebraska RB Emmett Johnson round out a thin RB class at the top of the draft. Without his injury, I think there’s a real possibility we’d be hearing Haynes’ name included with the upper tier of this class after rushing for over 100 yards in six of seven games he played. The selection of Johnson might surprise some, but he led the P4 in rushing, and his do-it-all skill set should be appealing to a number of teams. He may need to address some concerns about size and athleticism throughout the process, though.
ROUND 2 TAKEAWAYS
This polarizing quarterback class continues with the selection of Alabama quarterback Ty Simpson in the middle of this round. His play has been a little bit up and down throughout the last month, but he’s garnered a lot of interest for some of the flashes he’s showing this year. I still think his best route to NFL success may be to return for another year, but you may have to be comfortable with a little bit of projection if he decides to run with the hype he’s received and enter the draft.
If you had asked anyone about the RB position four weeks into the season, they would have told you Jonah Coleman was a locked-in first-round dynasty selection. Unfortunately, injuries and inconsistent play plagued him over the rest of the season. He still has the workhorse-size and tackle-breaking ability that should appeal to multiple teams, but he’ll need a strong showing during the pre-draft process to remind teams of his potential.
One of the most hotly contested battles we will likely be having this offseason is between the PSU RBs Nick Singleton and Kaytron Allen. Allen, while lacking the same athletic upside as his backfield mate, has been much steadier throughout his career and arguably took over the backfield this year. Singleton, on the other hand, has given us flashes that made him rank as highly as RB1 in the past and will likely blow up the combine. It’s fair to wonder if he’s ever truly refined his abilities as a runner, though, and the hope would be that someone could unlock his potential at the next level.
Jadarian Price rounds out the RB group in his round, who has made a name for himself running behind Jeremiyah Love. The sample size is small, so you’ll have to be comfortable projecting his potential at the next level.
At WR, strong breakouts from names like Duce Robinson, Chris Bell, and Chris Brazzell should place them firmly in the second round of dynasty drafts this year. Unfortunately, Bell’s ACL injury might cast a shadow over his draft stock, but one look at our Athletic Comparison Tool will tell you all you need to know about his athletic upside.
Elijah Sarratt and Eric Singleton Jr. were slightly underwhelming by their own previously set standards, but both for differing reasons. Sarratt, despite playing in arguably his most efficient offense, had his worst receiving totals over the past four years, but he has the size and ball skills to grab the NFL’s attention. Singleton, who transferred to Auburn this past offseason, dealt with sporadic quarterback play that severely stunted his production. He’s an electric playmaker with high-end track speed who should really shine during the pre-draft process.
I didn’t touch on the selection of Oregon TE Kenyon Sadiq in the first round, which will likely be everyone’s TE1 at this point in the process, but don’t sleep on this year’s Mackey award winner in Vanderbilt TE Eli Stowers. The former QB-convert has the size, athleticism, and production to garner serious interest from the NFL. His usage could mirror the way we are seeing Orande Gadsden and Harold Fannin used in the NFL this year, and I wouldn’t be surprised if he ends up as the most productive tight end in this class.
ROUND 3 TAKEAWAYS
It’s hard to critique any pick in the third round, as most owners start targeting their favorite sleepers, “my guys,” or players in advantageous situations.
You’ll see that early with the selection of LSU QB Garrett Nussmeier, whose injury-riddled campaign saw his draft stock crater from a potential 1st rounder to a likely day two selection. He’ll be a polarizing prospect who’s worth the late-round investment if he lands somewhere appealing.
If you haven’t heard his name yet, get familiar with NDSU WR Bryce Lance. The FCS product has received steady hype from the draft community over the past two years and will be a trendy late-round sleeper.
Speaking of WRs, we’ve already had two of these names enter the transfer portal in Omarion Miller and Jayce Brown. Unfortunately, our draft concluded before we heard the news, but we expect to hear these names come up again throughout the year.
Don’t sleep on BYU RB LJ Martin either, whose selection over NC State RB Hollywood Smothers may come as a surprise to some. Martin finally stayed healthy and put together an impressive 1,500-yard campaign. He has the traits that NFL teams will love and is a capable player on all three downs. Smothers fits more into a change-of-pace role and profiles as more of a complementary player, but he’s an electric playmaker. More and more NFL teams are prioritizing a committee approach at the RB position, giving Smothers plenty of avenues to NFL relevance.
SNUBS
QB
- None
RB
- Darius Taylor, Minnesota
- Demond Claiborne, Wake Forest
WR
- Ja’Kobi Lane, USC
- Omar Cooper Jr, Indiana
TE
- Jack Endries, Texas
Be sure to check out this week’s Back 2 Devy Podcast for an in-depth review of this mock draft: SPOTIFY | APPLE
