Every year, the NFL receives an influx of prospects who hail from South Florida.
In 2026, there is another draft class filled with players who developed their game at Miami-Dade, Broward and Palm Beach high schools.
But, on top of that, South Florida has produced the presumptive No. 1 pick in this draft.
After the foregone conclusion of quarterback Fernando Mendoza going to the Las Vegas Raiders with the top selection, there are several others who should hear their name called either later Thursday night in Round 1 or throughout the ensuing six rounds over the following two days.
Some were elite recruits out of high school who maintained that level of play through their college years. Others were passed over by top programs back then and had to rise in college to get to the doorstep of professional football.
Here are some high school football products who could be selected in 2026, as the NFL draft goes from Thursday to Saturday in Pittsburgh:
Watching him on the field, he’s easily a top-10 pick this year, but in the pre-draft process, many are playing up his 30 7/8-inch arm length. That’s a less-than-ideal measurable for his position at the NFL level, but it’s Bain’s brute strength, power and ability to use his hands to violently shed blocks that make him an elite prospect who had 9 1/2 sacks and 15 1/2 tackles for loss last season. If he does drop out of the top 10, it might be a welcome sight for the Dolphins, picking at 11, to keep him in his hometown.
Starting his college career at Rice, Bennett rushed for more than 700 yards last season at Kennesaw and has a shot to hear his name called in the late rounds.
Dave Hyde: Dolphins have articulated a good plan — now can it come alive in draft?
Sun Sentinel’s final NFL mock draft: How does Giants’ huge trade impact Dolphins?
How Dolphins will address each position in NFL draft
Dolphins Deep Dive: What to expect from third-day draft picks | VIDEO
Dolphins Deep Dive: Significance of Achane being ‘not available for trade’ | VIDEO
Bain’s teammate in both high school and college, they were both instrumental in helping get the Hurricanes back to the national title game last season. Bissainthe is a strong tackler who can diagnose plays, but he has physical limitations like being undersized for a linebacker at the next level at 225 pounds. He’s viewed as a Day 3 pick in the later rounds of the draft.
Starting off his college career with the Hurricanes, he followed former UM offensive coordinator Rhett Lashlee to SMU and finished his college career with 638 receiving yards for the Mustangs last season. He could be a late draft pick or a priority undrafted free agent.
Started off at Auburn after his time at STA but found playing time transferring to Georgia Southern last year. The big 6-3 target went off for 65 receptions, 1,079 receiving yards and an eye-popping 14 touchdowns last season, making him a viable late selection.
As a tall tackle prospect, Burke didn’t get the recruiting looks out of South Broward in the 2021 class. He filled into his frame and fine-tuned his technique over two seasons at Gardner-Webb, the next two at FIU, where he was the starting left tackle and then last year at Memphis, where he was first-team All-American Athletic Conference as the starting right tackle. At 6-8 and 325 pounds, he’s capable of driving defenders but is questioned for how well he gets out into space to block. Burke could get selected in the middle rounds of the draft.
A standout since he was a freshman in high school, he peaked in college with nearly 1,200 yards and 14 touchdowns between his 2023 and 2024 seasons with the Aggies before taking a backseat with his touches last year. At 5-8, 197 pounds, he has an outside shot of being drafted late.
A big, powerful back at 230 pounds, Donaldson led the Buckeyes with 10 rushing touchdowns last season after standing out at West Virginia the three seasons prior.
Four colleges in six college seasons (Marshall, Kent State, FIU and finally Louisville) lead him into a chance to find a professional team. He recorded 93 tackles in 2024 with FIU to arrive at Louisville.