Ranking our 18 first-round prospects in the 2026 NFL draft
We only have first-round grades on 18 players in the 2026 NFL draft and here's how we have them ranked.
Just because there are 32 picks in the first round of the 2026 NFL draft doesn't mean there are 32 players who are worth being taken in the first round. After studying all the top prospects, we gave first-round grades to just 18. This group is someone unique among drafts of the past in that there are no interior defensive lineman who made the cut, only one quarterback but two safeties.
There's also a single running back and three wide receivers. 1 - S Caleb Downs - Ohio State 2 - LB Arvell Reese - Ohio State 3 - QB Fernando Mendoza - Indiana 4 - EDGE David Bailey - Texas Tech 5 - WR Carnell Tate - Ohio State 6 - RB Jeremiyah Love - Notre Dame 7 - LB Sonny Styles - Ohio State 8 - OT Caleb Lomu - Utah 9 - CB Mansoor Delane - LSU 10 - OT Francis Mauigoa - Miami 11 - S Dillon Thieneman - Oregon 12 - EDGE Rueben Bain Jr. - Miami 13 - TE Kenyon Sadiq - Oregon 14 - OL Vega Ioane - Penn State 15 - OT Spencer Fano - Utah 16 - WR Jordyn Tyson - Arizona State 17 - CB Jermod McCoy - Tennessee 18 - OT Monroe Freeling - Georgia 19 - WR Makai Lemon - USC This article originally appeared on Draft Wire: Ranking our 18 first-round prospects in the 2026 NFL draft