BTSC’s updated 2026 NFL Draft Top-150 Big Board

SAN DIEGO, CALIFORNIA - NOVEMBER 22: Chris Johnson #1 of the San Diego State Aztecs defends during the first half against the San Jose State Spartans at Snapdragon Stadium on November 22, 2025 in San Diego, California. (Photo by Orlando Ramirez/Getty Images) | Getty Images

We’ve had some time to ruminate on our original rankings and watch more film. What is one of the biggest changes reflected in your ranks since our first Big Board?

RP: Nothing that feels major to me. I’ve shuffled around some of my Edge and CB preferences. I’ve lowered some of the skill position guys — tight end Kenyon Sadiq took a small tumble on my board from 12 to 19 — but nothing too crazy. UCF edge Malachi Lawrence is probably my biggest riser as a guy I think has a decent shot of going in the top-40 when taking into account his production and athletic testing.

JB: I agree with Ryan that most of the guys at the top have stayed the same for me. One thing for me personally has been just how deep this wide receiver class is. Guys like Omar Cooper Jr. have been flying up boards after a great week at the combine, and I don’t fault anyone for that way of thinking. Guys like Cincinnati’s Cyrus Allen, Baylor’s Josh Cameron, and Texas Tech’s Caleb Douglas are all intriguing guys with lots of speed and physical tools despite being day three projections.

RB: Like the others, I wouldn’t say my rankings have dramatically shuffled, but I’ve tuned them up and feel more confident in the individual position groups. Wide receiver is one group where I feel I’ve largely solidifed how I feel about the top group. LSU safety A.J. Haulcy came away as one of my biggest risers; he’s not a freak athlete, but I love the way he plays the game and his plus instincts as a center fielder.

We’ve also expanded our board. Who are a couple of players you’ve added to your ranks that you’d want to highlight?

RB: Georgia tight end Oscar Delp has been a recent riser. He’s light for the position, but tested well and has some potentially special athletic upside. He can block a bit, as well. I’m also a growing fan of Western Michigan edge rusher Nadame Tucker, a small-school demon with size and age concerns, but he dominated in 2025 and has held up very well against higher competition.

JB: Welcome to the board, UConn receiver Skyler Bell. Bell is phenomenal after the catch and projects as a modern slot guy who can be a volume-based receiver for an offense at the next level. Bell is a likely day two pick and speaks to the depth of the receiver class as a whole. And while he didn’t quite make the cut for our board — he didn’t make Ryan or Ryland’s ranks — I have to mention Navy’s Eli Heidenreich. He is listed as a fullback in PFF’s mock draft simulator; however, it is impossible to nail Heidenreich down to one position. He played running back and even slot receiver this past season, and reminds me of Taysom Hill in that regard. However, Heidenreich is much more athletic than Hill, but does not give you as much upside throwing the football. Someone is going to take a shot on Heidenreich, and I am excited to see where an NFL team wants to use him.

RP: The 2026 draft has more off-ball linebacker/edge hybrid players than I can remember in a single class in recent memory. One of the players I’ll highlight was also a selection for my Draft Gems list: Michigan’s Jaishawn Barham. Barham excels at slipping blocks at either position, shows promising bend around the edge, and had a 16% pressure rate the past two seasons on 257 pass rush snaps. Kentucky’s Jalen Farmer is a guard who continues to become a favorite of mine should the Steelers pass up on the consensus top four of Ioane, Pregnon, Bisontis, and Rutledge. Farmer is a road grader who would give Pittsburgh one of the nastier interior groups in the league when paired with Zach Frazier and Mason McCormick.

Which player are you least confident in how you ranked them, and why?

JB: As weird as this may sound, it’s the number one player on my board. Fernando Mendoza is a lock for the number one overall pick and obviously had one of the best college seasons we have seen from a quarterback in recent years. However, I think I have him at one because he feels like the safest and most complete player at a premium position in this draft. If you don’t know by now, this draft has a lot of high-caliber players at non-premium positions such as Jeremiyah Love and Caleb Downs. I worry that I may be leaning on the positional value of quarterback too much.

RP: Clemson wide receiver Antonio Williams. I liked him much more coming into 2025 than I do now. The more I watched his tape and how Clemson used him, I kept having flashbacks to another former Tiger receiver whom I liked but ultimately overrated: Amari Rodgers. The two had similar career production and usage at Clemson, though Williams is a better route runner. A handful of voices I respect in the draft community are higher on him than I am, which has me doubting my ranking of him, but I could easily see him underproducing as a pro if the fit with his NFL coaching staff isn’t just right.

RB: I’m a lot lower on Kyle Louis than the consensus, but I’m still unsure how right I am — even after writing an entire draft profile on him. I’m just legitimately worried about how he’ll hold up as a linebacker at the NFL level, and I’m not sure if his coverage chops will remain on a standout level if he switches to defensive back. As a hybrid/overhang defender? That makes more sense, but I’m not sure if such a rotational player is worth a top 100 pick at that point.

Which ranking are you standing by most despite the gap in our opinions?

RB: I’m not even the highest on Antonio Williams in the general NFL mediasphere, but I have him ranked highly on this board compared to Ryan and Joey. I get the concerns, but to me, Williams stands out as a readymade NFL slot receiver. His testing numbers were better than expected, but he’s an incredibly savvy route runner, tough with great hands, and has been consistently productive against good competition. The upside isn’t through the roof, but he should be able to contribute immediately and play in the NFL for a while.

RP: Our ranks are starting to come closer together with time, but Gabe Jacas is a player whose game I’ve grown increasingly fond of as the draft cycle has worn on. Neither Joey nor Ryland is dramatically lower on him than me, but he’s entered my top-40 as a guy who I think will show up to the NFL and be useful right away, and potentially have one of the longer careers, health willing. Speed kills, but fades with time. Power, like Jacas has in spades, translates to the NFL and stays useful even as players enter the twilight of their careers. Jacas has never met an offensive player he didn’t like to hit, and there’s just an infectious nature about the legal violence he brings to the football field. I’m all in.

JB: I have Alabama quarterback Ty Simpson ranked as the 23rd-best player on my board. I was honestly shocked to see that Ryan had him all the way up at 24. I have warmed up to Simpson as a prospect quite a bit. His arm talent, matched with his production of over 20 touchdowns, makes me think that someone will take a shot on him night one. I am not in the camp of people who think Simpson should be viewed just as highly as Mendoza, but he certainly deserves more respect than most are willing to give him right now.

Who’s a prospect with a chance at joining/rising in your ranking who you still want to watch more?

RP: I’ve seen clips, but really would like to dive more into the tape of Stephen F. Austin cornerback Charles Demmings. Demmings stands 6’1, and 193 pounds with 32″ arms. He had an impressive combine running 4.41 in the 40-yard dash, and jumped out of the gym with a 42″ vertical and 11-foot broad jump. Demmings had 9 career interceptions and reduced his missed tackle rate to just 5.0% for the 2025 season. I have him near the bottom of my top-150 right now, but I could see him climbing once I’ve had more time to watch some full games from him.

JB: I got a chance to see him in Mobile at the Senior Bowl a few months ago, but Jaydn Ott is an incredibly intriguing player to me. During his time at Cal, Ott was phenomenal with the ball in his hands both as a pass catcher and between the tackles. However, we never really got to see him at Oklahoma due to injuries that have unfortunately become one of his biggest red flags. Ott may very well have been the best skill position player during the Senior Bowl game. Health will be the reason Ott is being looked at like a day three guy by most draft analysts, but if he can stay healthy, I really do believe that he can become a late-round gem.

RB: I was the only one to include Cal’s Hezekiah Masses on my top 150. He’s a player I watched in a few games in college, but I haven’t done a deep dive on his specific reps yet. He’s an uber-productive ballhawk, and Cal has turned into DBU as of late — there’s a lot to love, and I’m excited to watch more of his tape.