This exercise demonstrates where and when the quarterbacks will be drafted this year. There were 15 players
chosen, with most of them projected to be taken in the NFL Draft. These rankings are based on a variety of
traits that each quarterback has and what has made them into the player they are today.
1. Fernando Mendoza, Indiana, 6’5” and 236 pounds:Mendoza is
the best pro-ready quarterback in the draft this year. He can read through all of his progressions. He also
has great footwork, with a clean and quick release. He passes the ball with deadly precision into tight
spaces. He also showcases the ability to help his receivers get open by throwing the ball with excellent
placement. Overall, he can make spectacular plays happen under duress, whether that is escaping the pocket or
throwing on the run using his mobility, which is a very underrated part of his game.
Draft Projection: Top 5
2. Ty Simpson, Alabama, 6’1” and 211 pounds:Simpson plays in a
pro-style offense, where he goes under center at times. He can go through all of his progressions and throw
completions while under pressure. His arm is not the most talented but it is above-average. The offense
utilized play-action by the use of RPO plays, which exhibited his mobility, showing that he can escape
pressure. He does need to understand when to run out of bounds or slide to avoid being hit though so he can
get himself out of harm’s way.
Draft Projection: Late 1st Round - Middle of the 2nd Round
3. Garrett Nussmeier, LSU, 6’2” and 203 pounds:Nussmeier is
the definition of a gunslinger. He has a great arm and is accurate. He also allows his receivers to adjust to
the ball. He shows the ability to throw off-platform and on the run. However, his arm is not the strongest and
he takes major risks. He throws the ball across his body, which some think is the cardinal sin of football.
He also passes the ball into traffic a lot, and makes things more difficult for himself by leaving the pocket
prematurely.
Draft Projection: Late 2nd Round - Middle of the 3rd Round
4. Drew Allar, Penn State, 6’5” and 228 pounds:Allar has one
of the best arms in the entire draft. He throws with ease, including passing into the deep parts of the field.
His arm is exceptional, as he can sidearm passes. He has the talent to do all of this despite not having clean
footwork, which leads to accuracy issues. Although he is not very mobile, he surprisingly extends plays and
improvises.
Draft Projection: Late 2nd Round - Late 3rd Round
5. Cade Klubnik, Clemson, 6’2” and 207 pounds:Klubnik has an easy
time throwing the ball into the intermediate parts of the field. He can also complete passes, even with
pressure in his face. Not only that, but when pressed into these situations, he lets his receivers adjust to
the ball. He checks it down to a player near him when he absolutely has to. His athleticism allows him to
extend plays and elude pressure.
Draft Projection: Middle of the 3rd Round - Late 4th Round
6. Carson Beck, Miami (FL), 6’5” and 233 pounds:Beck is up
there in terms of being one of the most pro-ready quarterbacks in this draft. He reads through all of his
progressions and completes passes into tight spaces. He also lets his receivers make a play on the ball. His
arm talent is not the greatest and he has average arm strength. Because of this, he wins games for his team by
being an effective passer and making the right decisions.
Draft Projection: Middle of the 3rd Round - Late 4th Round
7. Cole Payton, NDSU, 6’3” and 232 pounds:Payton has one of the
most talented arms in the draft, and yet, also has superb athletic abilities that most quarterbacks do not
have. He throws beautiful, accurate deep balls and also has the ability to take it the distance with great
speed by using his legs. He makes accurate passes to all parts of the field. There is a problem though, but to
a lesser degree, which is that he is a lefty. Due to this, it may take some time for his teammates to adjust
to his throwing style. There is also a major potential issue, and it is that he played at the FCS level. It is
a lower college level compared to where most of the prospects have played at. Not only that, but it is even a
bigger jump when playing in the NFL. He will need help to translate his abilities to the next level.
Draft Projection: Early 4th Round - Late 4th Round
8. Behren Morton, Texas Tech, 6’2” and 221 pounds:Morton has
good pocket awareness and throws the ball with satisfactory velocity to the short and intermediate parts of
the field. This is due to his quick release. However, he loses velocity on deep passes. He does go through all
of his progressions, permitting his receivers to track and locate the ball. He has shown an inability to stay
healthy for an entire season throughout his college career. He can also put the ball in harm’s way at times.
Draft Projection: Late 4th Round - Late 5th Round
9. Taylen Green, Arkansas, 6’6” and 227 pounds:Green is an
athletic specimen, being the fastest quarterback in the history of the NFL combine. He also recorded the
highest vertical jump for a quarterback. He is a dangerous weapon on the ground because of these attributes.
This lets him evade pressure and throw the ball to his receiver. Not only that, but he can throw the farthest
passes in the entire draft. However, his fundamentals are not good, as he is one of the most inaccurate
quarterbacks in this draft class. Speaking of now, he is a better runner than passer at this point in his
career. He could be an excellent quarterback one day, but needs serious development first.
Draft Projection: Early 5th Round - Late 5th Round
10. Jalon Daniels, Kansas, 6’1” and 219 pounds:Daniels
definitely has the ability to run and improvise with decent athleticism. His first instinct when escaping pass
rushers is to take off and run. He is not very strong due to his frame though. A high level of effort is
needed when driving the ball down the field, which helps him throw a good deep ball. He puts the ball where
only his receiver can catch it. He can throw it on the run and off-platform.
Draft Projection: Middle of the 6th Round - Middle of the 7th Round
11. Sawyer Robertson, Baylor, 6’4” and 216 pounds:Robertson is
an accurate and precise passer who stays in the pocket. He throws a good ball to all three levels of the field
(even though that was not the case during throwing drills at the combine). He allows his receivers to get open
and adjust to the ball. He also has a tight spiral on his throws too. Shockingly, he is somewhat mobile and
evades pressure when it is required.
Draft Projection: Middle of the 6th Round - Middle of the 7th Round
12. Diego Pavia, Vanderbilt, 5’10” and 207 pounds:Pavia is one
of the most underrated quarterbacks in this draft who keeps proving people wrong over and over again. Most of
the skepticism is because of his small stature. He throws with high effort and lets his receivers make
adjustments on the ball. He also locates the ball very well. He runs when it is absolutely necessary. He is a
gamer who never gives up and has been an underdog his entire college career. He needs that same mentality if
he wants to succeed at the next level.
Draft Projection: Early 7th Round - Late 7th Round
13. Luke Altmyer, Illinois, 6’2” and 210 pounds:Altmyer shows
decent athleticism but is average when it comes to throwing under duress. Instead, he steers clear of pass
rushers, which buys him time to throw the ball. It also helps his receivers get open. In addition, he allows
his receivers to adjust to the ball. He throws on the run, but his accuracy is a question mark to begin with,
so he should be advised against that. Instead, he should scramble more and try to get as many yards as he can
before sliding or running out of bounds.
Draft Projection: Early 7th Round - Undrafted
14. Joe Fagnano, UConn, 6’3” and 226 pounds:Fagnano had a
fantastic touchdown to interception ratio this past season, as it was 28:1. He finds the easy completions, is
very accurate and can throw with great anticipation. He also reads through all of his progressions. He has a
very high IQ, as shown by the ratio. He can tightrope passes by whipping his arm, using all of his strength to
throw it far with high velocity. He also allows his receivers to adjust to his passes, especially near the
endzone. He can throw on rollouts and on the run. He needs to learn how to slide more to avoid injury though.
Draft Projection: Middle of the 7th Round - Undrafted
15. Athan Kaliakmanis, 6’3” and 212 pounds:Kaliakmanis trusts his
receivers plenty to make the contested catch. He is definitely a pocket passer, and stands tall in there when
facing pressure. Even though pass rushers are trying to sack him to the ground, he will drop the pass into the
bucket for the receiver to come down with the catch. There is not much mobility to his game. He passes the
football with more loft than velocity. He does show the potential to look through his progressions, but he
does not do that very often.
Draft Projection: Undrafted
Top RB Rankings - NFL Draft 2026
By Tanner Ostrowski
March 8th, 2026
This article ranks 20 running backs from this draft class. These rankings factor in each player’s traits and
determine when they should (or not) be taken in the draft. This also takes into consideration what the player can
do now, as well as their future potential.
1. Jeremiah Love, Notre Dame, 6’0” and 212 pounds:Love has
spectacular speed to easily break loose to score a touchdown. He also has great receiving abilities, as he looks
like a natural receiver. He has the ability to make great cuts and is patient enough to see holes open up on the
offensive line. He does well at securing the ball. Overall, he is a special running back, and one of the best we
have seen coming out of college in the last few years.
Draft Projection: Top 10
2. Jadarian Price, Notre Dame, 5’11” and 203 pounds:Price can
weave his way through traffic and has decent speed to turn the corner. He can also take it to the house. He is
very difficult to bring down and forces missed tackles. In addition, he can play on special teams as a returner.
He does have the ability to catch the ball naturally.
Draft Projection: Early 2nd Round - Middle of the 2nd Round
3. Nicholas Singleton, Penn State, 6’0” and 219 pounds:
Singleton’s stature and strength allows him to break tackles. He is used as a goal line back, but that is not his
entire game. He is a speedster too, as he can make nice cuts and take it the distance rather quickly. He has easy
acceleration for his size. He also has the ability to play on special teams as a kickoff returner, and shows his
receiving prowess.
Draft Projection: Early 2nd Round - Middle of the 2nd Round
4. Jonah Coleman, Washington, 5’8” and 220 pounds:Coleman has
decent speed for his stature, but is still slower than most running backs. He can also win with great patience
and vision. He is a bruiser type of running back. Surprisingly, he does have an adequate spin move and has shown
the ability to hurdle defenders. However, he can be brought down somewhat easier than expected.
Draft Projection: Middle of the 2nd Round - Early 3rd Round
5. Roman Hemby, Indiana, 6’0” and 207 pounds:Hemby is a very
physical runner who is a natural at catching the ball out of the backfield. He breaks tackles from time-to-time,
but keeps his legs churning and is a great goal line back. He can stiff arm people quite well. Additionally, he
has good vision and cuts, with above average speed to get away from tacklers.
Draft Projection: Middle of the 2nd Round - Early 3rd Round
6. Mike Washington Jr., Arkansas, 6’1” and 223 pounds:Washington
Jr. is a physical runner who can bulldoze people to the ground. He has great speed for someone of his size, but
it takes a while to build up. He has shown that he has the ability to catch the ball out of the backfield too.
Draft Projection: Late 2nd Round - Early 3rd Round
7. Emmett Johnson, Nebraska, 5’10” and 202 pounds:Johnson is not
as fast as many would have expected for his frame, though he does have the speed to turn the corner. Instead, he
is more of a bruiser who is a north-south runner. He is super tough to bring down and keeps his legs moving when
defenders are trying to tackle him. He has good balance and is also used near the end zone. He does have
satisfactory vision and a nice juke move. He can adequately change directions too. Not only that, but he has the
ability to catch passes.
Draft Projection: Early 3rd Round - Middle of the 3rd Round
8. Demond Claiborne, Wake Forest, 5’10” and 188 pounds:Claiborne
has superb speed and catches the ball naturally. His speed allows him to take the ball to the house quite easily,
as he runs past almost everyone. He makes great cuts and he can accelerate easily. He is somewhat elusive but can
be tackled down easily due to his stature.
Draft Projection: Middle of the 3rd Round - Late 3rd Round
9. Rahsul Faison, South Carolina, 5’11” and 208 pounds:Faison
shows great patience and breaks tackles due to his size. He also has quality speed for his frame, but could slow
down the further he runs down the field. He has some moves to get away from defenders to avoid tackles. He also
has decent balance. However, he will be 26 years old his rookie year and there are questions on whether he has
met his ceiling already because of his age.
Draft Projection: Middle of the 3rd Round - Early 4th Round
10. Kaytron Allen, Penn State, 5’11” and 216 pounds:Allen is not
the fastest but has adequate speed for his size. He is very difficult to tackle and is used as a goal line back.
It will take multiple defenders to tackle him and he keeps his legs churning as this happens. He is also elusive
enough to elude tacklers. He has decent vision and a good stutter step. He surprisingly shows that he can catch
passes.
Draft Projection: Late 3rd Round - Middle of the 4th Round
11. Le’Veon Moss, Texas A&M, 5’11” and 203 pounds:Moss can run
fast enough to turn the corner. He has great vision and decent cuts that help him get through the line of
scrimmage. He also has quality balance. He is very exhausting for defenders to tackle, as it takes multiple
people to bring him down and he carries them on his back at times. He is also utilized near the end zone.
Draft Projection: Early 4th Round - Late 4th Round
12. Terion Stewart, Virginia Tech, 5’9” and 222 pounds:Stewart has
beyond ridiculous speed for his stature. He starts off with an exceptional burst, but slows down the farther he
runs. He has some balance and elusiveness. He is not as physical as he should be for his stature. He can change
directions decently and utilizes a nice spin move.
Draft Projection: Middle of the 4th Round - Early 5th Round
13. Robert Henry Jr., UTSA, 5’9” and 196 pounds:Henry Jr. has
enough speed to break loose. Whether that will translate to the NFL level is a question mark, as he ran the
40-yard dash in 4.52 seconds at the NFL Combine. He has an exceptional burst to get through the hole created by
his offensive linemen and also makes opponents miss around the line of scrimmage thanks to his substantial
patience and cuts. He also has excellent balance. He is not very physical, which is expected for his size, but
did show off his talents against Texas A&M, who play in one of the best conferences in all of college football.
He can catch the ball and even line up as an outside receiver.
Draft Projection: Middle of the 4th Round - Early 5th Round
14. Jam Miller, Alabama, 5’10” and 209 pounds:Miller has decent
vision but does not have the speed that matches up with his frame. He can make defenders miss because of quality
cuts and gets through traffic to break loose. Surprisingly, he can be used as a receiver too, despite his lack of
high-quality traits.
Draft Projection: Middle of the 5th Round - Late 5th Round
15. J’Mari Taylor, Virginia, 5’10” and 199 pounds:Taylor has a
surprising amount of strength for his frame, as he breaks tackles because of his tough running style. Due to this,
he can also be used as a goal line back. He will not be stopped at will and has great balance. He can also find
ways to get through the line of scrimmage and has exceptional speed.
Draft Projection: Late 5th Round - Early 6th Round
16. Kaelon Black, Indiana, 5’10” and 211 pounds:Black has adequate
speed and he does have somewhat of a decent burst, but is better at changing directions. He can also make nice
moves to avoid tacklers, along with good balance. He has the ability to find his way through traffic and shows
that he can break loose at times. He did show his receiving skills at his previous college, James Madison
University. Physicality is a big part of his game which compensates for his lack of speed.
Draft Projection: Early 6th Round - Middle of the 6th Round
17. Adam Randall, Clemson, 6’3” and 233 pounds:Randall was a
receiver who switched positions and is now a running back, and that shows up on the field. Not only that, but he
has satisfactory speed, even with his stature. He has good vision in the backfield and showcases some quality
moves to get away from defenders. He has somewhat above average balance. He also plays on special teams as a
kickoff returner. He does have physicality to his game, but sometimes it does not show up. He can churn his legs
at times but also gets tackled easier than expected.
Draft Projection: Early 6th Round - Middle of the 6th Round
18. Seth McGowan, Kentucky, 6’0” and 223 pounds:McGowan is one of
the most physical runners, as he is very hard to tackle. He does utilize nice cuts, but is not the fastest. He
does have acceptable speed for his size though, with the ability to turn the corner.
Draft Projection: Late 6th Round - Late 7th Round
19. Dean Connors, Houston, 6’0” and 206 pounds:Connors has excellent speed, in addition
to great vision and the ability to find ways to get through the line of scrimmage. He also has nice moves to
elude tackles. Once he reaches the open field, not many people can reach him. He is exceptional at changing
directions and has the ability to catch passes. However, he has almost no physicality to his game, as he gets
tackled quite easily and falls after immediate contact.
Draft Projection: Middle of the 7th Round - Undrafted
20. Chip Trayanum, Toledo, 5’11” and 227 pounds:Trayanum is
somewhat difficult to tackle because of his above average strength and balance. These traits allow him to break
through tackles. He can weave his way through the line of scrimmage, even though he is slower than other running
backs of his stature. Surprisingly, he shows the ability to catch the ball, though not very often.
