5 increasingly bold predictions for the 2026 NFL Draft originally appeared on The Sporting News. Add The Sporting News as a Preferred Source by clicking here.
It's draft week, and as the clock counts down to Thursday night, there's a peace in the finality of the cycle. We're writing our final mock drafts, putting the finishing touches on our big board, and preparing for three days of chaos.
And in all likelihood, it'll be for naught. There will be trades we can't see coming, falls we aren't privy to, and surprising selections that define each day. So let's set consensus aside for a moment and embrace what may -- or may not -- come to fruition this weekend.
Before the season began, I ran a similar column and proclaimed that the Clemson Tigers would be the first school to send four players to the top-10 picks of the same NFL Draft.
As Clemson crumbled, the Ohio State Buckeyes held firm, putting together a championship-contending defense before showing out in Indianapolis during the NFL Scouting Combine. Rather than Peter Woods, T.J. Parker, Cade Klubnik, and Avieon Terrell, Ohio State's quartet is set to take center stage.
Hybrid linebacker Arvell Reese is largely expected to be the No. 2 pick and wide receiver Carnell Tate might be the first pass-catcher off the board. Safety Caleb Downs and linebacker Sonny Styles will be fighting against positional-value precedent, but are far and away the best players at their respective spots.
It'll take some good luck. Makai Lemon and Jordyn Tyson going in the top 10 would take up critical real estate. A run on offensive linemen would have a similar effect, and buzz around Monroe Freeling and Kadyn Proctor makes that possible.
Even so, Ohio State has four top-10 prospects, and in a weak draft class, teams could push positional value to the side.
It feels like a guarantee that Mansoor Delane and Jermod McCoy will go in Round 1, and there's no shortage of options behind them.
Avieon Terrell is a personal draft crush, but a poor pre-draft circuit has dampened his stock. Colton Hood is a great straight-line athlete whose twitch could hold him back, and Chris Johnson has level of competition concerns to address.
Despite that surplus, an emphasis on trench play and a deep crop of wide receivers shrinks the landing spots late in Round 1.
While I don't necessarily agree with the process behind the picks, there are three safeties with strong chances of being drafted on Day 1. Downs is a lock -- it's just a matter of how high. Behind him, Dillon Thieneman is surging toward the top 16 and makes a good amount of sense for one of the Dallas Cowboys' two first-round picks.
The number to watch here is 2.5. If Terrell falls out of Round 1, a third safety needs to earn first-round capital to make this a hit. Emmanuel McNeil-Warren, this class's most comparable talent to Nick Emmanwori, is likely to be the third safety off the board. I personally wouldn't love it that early, but teams are falling in love with versatile, athletic playmakers on the back end.
Cooper seems fairly well-positioned to go in Round 1. He has a complete profile, combining strong athleticism, production, and film. There's a lot to like, and anything after the 15th pick feels reasonable.
And yet, despite the sizable gap between Cooper and Louisville's Chris Bell on consensus boards, we're likely overstating the difference in draft stocks. Bell had a real shot at being a mid-to-late first-round pick before an ACL tear, revealed after the season, headlined his pre-draft circuit.
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Bell is seeing promising returns on his recovery, and there's a case to be made that he has one of the best athletic profiles in the class. His burst stands out, he's impressive after the catch, and his size/speed combination makes him a threat downfield, too.
It only takes one team to fall in love, and Bell's upside will have a good amount of suitors.
Whether it be Cooper getting lost in the shuffle or Bell making a last-second rise, I don't want to discount the possibility of the Louisville star leaping into Round 1.
There's no point in sugarcoating things. This running back class stinks, especially compared to the incredible crops that have come before it.