NFL Trade Rumors
The dust is starting to settle on the 2025 draft. Most of the notable undrafted free agents have found their initial landing spots and teams are finalizing their camp rosters. Before we turn the page to the summer, let’s take an early look at how the 2026 draft could play out.
First, a disclaimer. This far out, it is virtually impossible to project team needs for next year’s draft. This year’s rookies haven’t even started mandatory minicamp yet! As such, this exercise is much more about highlighting players to watch this upcoming college season than specific prospect-to-team fits. I tried to avoid giving teams players at positions they’re loaded at or just picked highly in this draft, but beyond that, this is a player showcase.
Draft order is based on Tankathon’s projected 2026 draft order. Later this summer, I’ll do my summer scouting series for the 2026 class, so stay tuned for that in the future. Without further ado, let’s dive in:
Yes, it’s the year of (maybe?) Arch Manning. Even though he’s only started two games in college, he is draft-eligible in 2026. Currently, it sounds like the plan is for Manning to play two more years of college ball before declaring, but plans can change. He’s the current betting favorite for the Heisman, and in that scenario, it’s hard to see him staying.
As for the Browns, they need a rookie quarterback reset after the Deshaun Watson debacle. If either of their two 2025 rookie signal-callers (Dillon Gabriel and Shedeur Sanders) pan out, their plans might change. But given the draft capital invested, that seems unlikely.
Parker was arguably the best pass rusher in the country last year. Entering his junior year, he can build on that production and he has prototypical NFL size at 6-3 and 265 pounds.
Downs is pretty unambiguously the best draft-eligible returning player in college football going into the season. It would be unprecedented for a safety to go this high, but Downs has the pedigree and production to make teams think about it.
A transfer from Oregon State, McCoy had a fantastic debut season for the Volunteers. As a true sophomore, he picked off four passes and knocked down nine others. He’s extremely athletic and a fluid mover in coverage.
Behind Manning, the 2026 quarterback class is tough to parse with so much unproven talent. Allar might have been a potential top-10 pick had he declared this year, but he chose to return to school to boost and solidify his stock after getting feedback from the NFL draft advisory committee. He enters the season as the best quarterback in the Big 10.
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