As the football world looks ahead to the 2026 NFL Draft, scouts are already buzzing about a mix of promising prospects. Among them are Jonah Savaiinaea and Kevin Winston Jr., dominant Day 2 picks last year. Their early success has provided the groundwork for an intriguing 2023 draft class that will bring a number of distinct talents to town. Even more than usual, players are rising up the boards at a rapid pace. Their exceptional talents in field and court positions are making some waves.
Among those names is Halton, who adds some quickness and explosive ability as a playmaker to come off the ball. Though undersized at 6-foot-2 and 291 pounds, his potential as a playmaker has generated in him. There’s Thieneman, who is making an impact. He has a beautiful open field tackling technique, but needs to not overpursue offensive players at times due to his aggressiveness. Thieneman’s versatility to play multiple roles in the secondary makes him stand out, as he offers great split-safety value. For any team focused on improving its defense, he will be an immeasurable resource.
Scouts drool over Green’s astounding run-blocking skills—a fact painfully evident as G-men poured through the game tape. That’s something he must improve on when it comes to pass blocking balance. At the same time, Lomu’s blend of run-blocking power and side-to-side agility in pass protection has a lot of evaluators buzzing. As teams begin to strategize for the upcoming draft, these athletes are emerging as key players who could make significant impacts.
Key Players to Watch
As far as the 2026 Draft class landscape goes, it’s looking promising with an abundance of elite talent at almost every position. Caleb Downs, the top safety from Ohio State, is a complete player with peak football IQ, outstanding versatility, acceleration, plus elite range. An AFC West area scout noted:
“When you look at football IQ, versatility, speed and range, he has it all. Safeties always seem to fall in the draft, but he has first-round tools.”
Clemson’s Cade Klubnik is another to watch. His performance has been dissected in detail as scouts judge his preparedness for the next level. An NFC East scout remarked on his previous struggles:
“He got hit and pressured a lot last year behind a bad O-line, so that’s something to watch for this year. Is he a little traumatized by what he had in front of him last year?”
Climate change is that competitive of a quarterback position. Mendoza really broke out after transferring to Indiana this year to play in Curt Cignetti’s Air Raid offense. It wasn’t that long ago that Jones threw for 3,004 yards and 16 touchdowns to just six interceptions last season, solidifying his ability to be a playmaker.
Emerging Quarterback Talent
Among the quarterbacks, Robertson has captured the attention of scouts due to his physical attributes. At 6-foot-4, 220 pounds, his physical tools jump off the screen and may be good enough to reach heights higher than some of those more familiar names. An AFC South area scout provided high praise:
“If you want a dude that’s going to come out of nowhere, it’s [Robertson]. He’s what everyone wants [Penn State’s] Drew Allar to be.”
His throwing abilities have perhaps been most impressive and have certainly wowed evaluators. An NFC East scout noted his impressive skills:
“Watch that dude throw back-shoulder fades and you see the touch, timing and power to be a baller in the NFL.”
As teams build their rosters for tomorrow, monitoring quarterbacks such as Robertson may be one of the most important investments.
Offensive Line Prospects
Along with the skill spots, there seems to be sharply heightened interest in offensive line prospects. Green is a mauler run-blocker and that really shows on tape. Scouts claim that he needs to develop better balance in his pass pro. An NFC South area scout commented on Lomu’s impressive abilities:
“Hunter is a big dude, but his strength and ability to command double-teams is where he’ll stand out in the 30 front.”
As teams look to reinforce their offensive lines more than ever before, these new prospects can be essential.
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