2026 NFL draft: Execs, scouts, players on top prospects

When the NFL combine begins in Indianapolis this week, it will be the next step in the evaluation process ahead of the 2026 NFL draft (April 23-25, ESPN and ABC).

Each spring presents prime opportunities for NFL teams to scout prospects: the all-star games (Senior Bowl in Mobile, Alabama, and the East-West Shrine Bowl in Frisco, Texas, among the more notable), the combine and individual pro days leading up to this year’s draft in Pittsburgh. Teams also have the opportunity to bring in as many as 30 players to their facility during the spring. While each team scouts events differently, there are major things they’re looking for at each stop.

“The football aspect, that’s what resonates right now. We’re trying to confirm the things we see and then obviously you find out who the guys are that love this game and are doing all the little things to help their career along and help the organization achieve their goals,” said New Orleans Saints running backs coach Joel Thomas, who coached the American team during the Senior Bowl, in January.

Teams at the combine will interview players, run them through workouts and share medical information. Pro days and top-30 visits allow teams to interact with players who chose to skip the combine or who were not invited to the event.

One NFC executive told ESPN that evaluating players’ draft stocks after their seasons can still be difficult to measure. “Most of the work that gets done after the season is usually an affirmation or confirmation of what you believe already,” he said.

Where do things stand right now? ESPN’s Jeff Legwold, Jeremy Fowler and Roman Modrowski used the Senior Bowl, Shrine Bowl and Super Bowl as opportunities to poll executives, coaches and players on three big questions about the class. Will the Las Vegas Raiders keep the No. 1 pick and draft quarterback Fernando Mendoza? Who is the best prospect in this class, regardless of position? And which prospects will be most exciting to watch on Sundays this fall? (Each reporter asked a question, and the number of responses differs from question to question.)

Jump to a question:
Will the Raiders keep the No. 1 pick?
Who is the best prospect in the class?
Who are NFL players most excited to watch?

Will the Raiders keep the No. 1 pick and select Fernando Mendoza?

Keep the pick: Eight votes
Trade the pick: Zero votes

The Raiders are smart to remain noncommittal in the public eye, but people around the league see through that. To executives and scouts, the answer to this question is clear-cut: There’s zero chance the Raiders move out of the top spot and pass on drafting the QB out of Indiana.

“Never say never, but never,” said an AFC exec about the Raiders moving from the top pick while evoking a line made famous by former Pittsburgh Steelers coach Mike Tomlin.

Getting a capable starting quarterback on a rookie contract is the envy of most front offices. The Raiders have that chance — perhaps the only chance in a draft with one slam-dunk passer at the top. That’s Mendoza, the Heisman Trophy winner who showed out in his final collegiate season. It was a performance of the ages, similar to star turns by Joe Burrow (Cincinnati) and Jayden Daniels (Washington) during their final seasons at LSU.

“The Raiders’ roster is bad, but Mendoza is the best passer in the draft and it’s not close,” an NFC executive said. “You can’t pass that up. He’s accurate to all levels of the field with a good arm, plus-size and good character.”

Those same evaluators believe Mendoza could be a good fit for a Raiders team that needs a dose of his enthusiasm.

“That can be his superpower,” a separate NFC executive said about the QB’s demeanor. “… He’s really that focused, and I think guys will gravitate toward that.”

A few voters weighed the alternative, if trading the first pick could land a big fish such as Burrow or Baltimore’s Lamar Jackson. But such deals are considered unlikely at best.

The Raiders ranked last in the NFL in total offense last season (245.3 yards per game). Mendoza won’t have much talent around him in Vegas in Year 1, but it wouldn’t surprise if the Raiders spend aggressively along the offensive line and skill positions in free agency. Vegas’ near-$88 million in salary cap space ranks second behind the Tennessee Titans. — Fowler

Who is the best prospect in the class, regardless of position?

Arvell Reese, LB/Edge, Ohio State: Five votes
Jeremiyah Love, RB, Notre Dame: Three votes
Caleb Downs, S, Ohio State: One vote
Fernando Mendoza, QB, Indiana: One vote

Since roughly the time Pro Football Hall of Famer Peyton Manning was selected with the No. 1 pick of the 1998 NFL draft, there seem to be two draft boards that teams have each year: the quarterback board and everybody else. Twenty-one quarterbacks have been selected No. 1 in the past 28 drafts, including seven of the past eight years.

So, when asked about the best prospect in this year’s draft, every scout or personnel executive that was polled was quick to say they believe Mendoza will be the No. 1 pick. And they said that Mendoza was easily the best quarterback on the board and is certainly one of the best players in the draft.

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Why Fernando Mendoza is Field Yates’ top prospect in the 2026 draft

Field Yates and Ben Solak discuss what makes Fernando Mendoza the top overall player in the 2026 NFL draft.

“But it won’t be a Mario Williams-type year,” an NFC general manager said. “I don’t see many, if any, scenarios where [Mendoza] doesn’t go No. 1, no matter where everybody is graded. There will be some grades a bit higher.”

Williams was one of the seven nonquarterback No. 1 picks over those past 28 drafts when the Houston Texans selected him No. 1 in 2006. He was eventually named to four Pro Bowls to go with one first-team All Pro selection in his 11-year career, but Vince Young (No. 3), Matt Leinart (No. 10) and Jay Cutler (No. 11) were the first-round quarterbacks that year.

When it comes to who the best prospect is in the 2026 class regardless of position, that honor based on our polling goes to Reese. The Ohio State linebacker/edge rusher was a multitask player in the Buckeyes’ defense, boasting athleticism, physicality and walk-in starter ability as a three-down player. He has enormous potential as an edge rusher to go with his vast array of off-ball abilities.

Love, who had 35 rushing touchdowns over the past two seasons combined, received the most votes after Reese. For a league in search of explosive plays, the Notre Dame running back is a player who could emerge in a big way, and the fact he isn’t considered a scheme-dependent back will make his list of NFL suitors longer. — Legwold

Which draft prospects are current NFL players most excited to watch on Sundays?

Two weeks before he helped the Seattle Seahawks win Super Bowl LX, first-team All-Pro defensive end Leonard Williams watched Mendoza lead Indiana to the national championship. Mendoza’s iconic scramble-and-stretch over the goal line was one of the most memorable in championship game history, but there was something else that stuck with Williams.

“He just looks like a great, humble kid,” Williams said during Super Bowl week. “He just looks like he’s happy to be there, wherever he’s at. I think that type of attitude, combined with his athleticism and playmaking ability, he’s going to change a locker room wherever he goes.”

Mendoza’s 27 red zone touchdowns (without an interception) were the most in the FBS, and his 79.2% adjusted completion percentage ranked second in the country. But Mendoza also made an impact when the ball wasn’t in play.

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Who will the Jets draft at No. 2?

Field Yates and Mina Kimes speculate on what the Jets could do with the No. 2 pick in this year’s NFL draft.

“Being in the league for [11 years], it’s not always about your ability to play, it’s about your ability — especially at quarterback — to influence a team. His demeanor and his nature, the way he is to the core, you can see it,” Williams said.

Patriots guard Mike Onwenu said he’s excited to see what Mendoza can do in the NFL, too.

“Based on the year he had, and seeing him as a leader, seeing him address the team and seeing him address the media, he went from moment to moment,” Onwenu said.

Patriots Pro Bowl cornerback Christian Gonzalez said he’s most looking forward to welcoming Arizona State wide receiver Jordyn Tyson to the NFL, though. Tyson has battled injuries the past two seasons, but ESPN’s Field Yates has him going No. 8 to the Saints in his most recent mock draft.

Gonzalez’s interest in the 6-foot-2, 200-pound wide receiver extends beyond the stats.

“He’s from the same area as me, near Dallas,” Gonzalez said. “And we have the same agent. So I got to know him a little bit. Great guy, great athlete. Excited to see him in this league, and he’s going to be a great player.”

Patriots special-teamer Alex Austin also chose Tyson after watching some of his highlights on YouTube.

“He’s real athletic,” Austin said. “I’m excited to see what he does. I think he can be a great weapon. He’s legitimate.”

Seahawks rookie safety Nick Emmanwori had a standout season after being named a first-team All-American at South Carolina. It was no surprise that some of the prospects Emmanwori has his eye on have S.C. ties.

“I like [South Carolina CB] Brandon Cisse,” Emmanwori said, “and [Clemson WR] Antonio Williams. … I played [Williams] in high school, played him in college, he’s from Irmo, South Carolina, which is where I’m from. Hometown rival. Great college career. Those are the dudes I’ve been keeping up with coming out of college.”

Emmanwori also mentioned Ohio State’s Reese and LSU cornerback Mansoor Delane among the prospects he is most excited to watch.

Mendoza wasn’t the only player who had a strong championship game. Miami defensive lineman Rueben Bain Jr. had a sack and 2.5 tackles for a loss. “He’s an exciting player,” Patriots linebacker Jack Gibbens said of him. “I watched him in a couple of the playoff games and he seems like he’s definitely someone to watch.”

And finally, Seahawks defensive tackle Jarran Reed chose Alabama receiver Germie Bernard as the prospect he’s most excited to watch.

“Why? Cause I went to Alabama,” Reed said. — Modrowski

ESPN Saints reporter Katherine Terrell contributed to this story.