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Ben Solak
A number of Authors
Belief the tape.
It is simpler stated than accomplished. The NFL draft course of, lengthy and arduous, is a winnowing course of. A dense record of tons of of prospects should be thinned into a listing of life like targets by means of quite a lot of filters. A staff’s teaching workers is in search of scheme matches and tradition matches. The medical workers will flag dozens of gamers as untenable damage dangers, and the analytics arm will flag the (lack of) manufacturing, athletic testing or high quality competitors of dozens extra. Tick, tick, tick. Names get scratched off the record.
On this course of, the tape typically will get simply misplaced. However I’m not an NFL scouting division, and I haven’t got entry to medical information and projection fashions and locker room rumors. I’ve the tape — and the tape tells me which prospects I like.
Final yr, I put collectively my All-Movie staff for the 2025 NFL draft, and regardless of the very fact I purposely did not embody a bunch of first-rounders, early returns had been good. It had undersized gamers like Andrew Mukuba, older gamers like Tyler Shough, positional converts like Carson Schwesinger, tweeners like Ashton Gillotte and less-than-perfect athletic testers like Azareye’h Thomas. Some had thrilling rookie seasons to construct on, and one even received Rookie of the Yr.
This yr’s record could have the identical: imperfect gamers who will go later than the tape suggests given the warts on their profiles. However I am in on every of them as a result of the movie particulars gamers who, nonetheless, succeed — and can accomplish that once more within the league.
That is my All-Movie staff for 2026.
Soar to a place:
QB | RB | WR | TE | OT | IOL
DT | Edge | LB | CB | S
Scouts Inc. rating: No. 82
It is powerful to belief the tape on any quarterback on this class after Indiana’s Fernando Mendoza. Whereas I agree Alabama’s Ty Simpson is that this yr’s QB2 , I’ve severe film-born questions on his decision-making beneath stress, accuracy and arm expertise. He is a superb however incomplete participant.
I’ve received severe film-born questions on Nussmeier, too. He is not the most important (6-foot-2, 203 kilos) and is coming off an injury-shortened season by which a lingering core problem dramatically affected his capacity to push the ball (6.4 air yards per try in 2025 relative to eight.4 the season earlier). He took twice as many sacks, too (4.8% relative to 2.9%). The movie reveals a jumpy participant who did not belief himself or his O-line.
However the 2024 movie on Nussmeier? That’ll get your blood pumping somewhat bit.
Nussmeier is an uber-aggressive pocket passer who thinks he can clear up any downside or beat any protection with the right throw. It is not that he is consistently launching go balls. He assaults intermediate home windows towards all coverages, making earnest post-snap reads and buzzing by means of his choices shortly. His immunity to pressure is at occasions spectacular — he’ll climb the pocket and rip a deep bottom route with our bodies flying round him; different occasions, it is regarding — he’ll take some brutal photographs.
— Good Clips (@MeshSitWheel) March 31, 2026
Nussmeier’s 2024 movie is kind of harking back to Simpson’s 2025 movie. Each are sons of coaches and have the polished play you’d anticipate from that lineage. Each are sufficient movers who know the way to keep away from sacks. However Nussmeier could be out there two, even three rounds later than Simpson, relying on how early the QB-needy groups draft Simpson. After all, the Day 3 developmental quarterback is true subsequent to Bigfoot and the Loch Ness monster on the massive board of issues that do not really exist, regardless of all of our looking. If Nussmeier goes in Spherical 4, it will be to struggle for a backup job … after which perhaps luck into a number of begins as his rookie season goes on.
Scouts Inc. rating: No. 71
For the primary time in NFL draft historical past, an RB2 is the RB2. Value is projected as a Spherical 2 decide, and if he’s certainly the second operating again chosen after Combating Irish teammate Jeremiyah Love, it should mark the primary time teammates have been the primary two operating backs taken off the board.
Although Value was unquestionably the second fiddle behind Love, he nonetheless had 233 carries over the previous two seasons to Love’s 362, thanks largely to the excessive quantity at which Notre Dame ran the soccer. That 233-carry pattern is greater than sufficient on which to base an analysis. Payments operating again James Prepare dinner III had solely 230 profession carries over 4 seasons earlier than he was drafted within the second spherical out of Georgia, and new Commanders again Rachaad White had 224 carries on the Energy 5 degree earlier than he went to the Bucs within the third spherical out of Arizona State.
And Value’s 233 carries are good. A unfastened athlete at 5-11 and 203 kilos, he is a extra artistic runner with faster eyes and decision-making than Love. Value reliably places the primary would-be tackler in dangerous positions by manipulating tempo and activating his off hand, making a ton of yardage after first contact. Love is the superior prospect for his receiving capacity and explosive open-field velocity, whereas Value is extra of a tough projection to the NFL. He is not a high-impact move protector or move catcher, so he must discover a residence as an early-down, high-volume, ground-and-pound ball service. These roles do not open up usually.
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Jadarian Value muscle groups in a TD for the Irish
Jadarian Value scores a 1-yard dashing landing for Notre Dame vs. Stanford.
However groups that have already got a receiving again that they need to defend from 300-plus carries over the course of a season ought to prioritize Value. He’d be an ideal operating mate for, say, Bucky Irving in Tampa Bay or Tony Pollard in Tennessee, however the dream touchdown spot is alongside Jahmyr Gibbs in Detroit. Value, who ran for 674 yards and 11 touchdowns final season, is a dependable singles and doubles hitter, and pairing him with a house run risk like Gibbs would deliver out the most effective in him.
Scouts Inc. rating: No. 33
Contemplate the record of ridiculous athletes at broad receiver to graduate from Alabama. Cross over the classics (Julio Jones, Amari Cooper, and so on.) and simply have a look at current historical past: Jaylen Waddle, DeVonta Smith, Jerry Jeudy and Jameson Williams. Bernard is … not in that group.
That is not to say Bernard is a foul athlete. He is strong all throughout the board, with a 4.48-second 40-yard sprint, 10-foot-5 broad bounce, 32½-inch vertical bounce and 6.71-second three-cone drill, all at 6-1 and 206 kilos. However Bernard’s athleticism doesn’t bounce off the movie. He is not leaving corners within the mud or dropping highlight-reel jukes.
However he does every part effectively — and I imply every part. Bernard will dig out a linebacker to spring a handoff on one play, stretch a security to open one other route on the following play, grind out some powerful YAC on an RPO on one other play, after which lower up a imply path to separate downfield on the following play. Have a look at the stopping power and upfield displacement he will get on this block towards Oklahoma within the Faculty Soccer Playoff. This issues for gentle personnel groups that want their broad receivers to contribute within the operating sport.
— Good Clips (@MeshSitWheel) March 31, 2026
Bernard is unlikely to grow to be a volume-dominant WR1 on the NFL degree, nor will he fill the ever vital WR2/WR3 position of big-play service provider. However for these groups that need to subject three receivers, Bernard’s soiled work will maximize the wideouts who’re in these roles. As a result of he has good fingers and runs good routes, he nonetheless can punish defenses who neglect about him. Bernard led the Tide in receptions in every of the previous two seasons — his solely two with the staff after transferring in from Washington — which speaks to his reliability and QB friendliness.
Take into consideration what Jauan Jennings has been for the 49ers over the previous few seasons. That is the kind of position Bernard can fill instantly, with the potential to grow to be a Jakobi Meyers-esque stick mover over time. Bernard to the Bears or Vikings on Day 2? Excellent matches.
Tight finish: Eli Raridon, Notre Dame
Scouts Inc. rating: No. 66
In final yr’s version of the All-Movie staff, I implored you to take a staggering leap of religion and belief a decent finish prospect out of Notre Dame. Mitchell Evans, who went within the fifth spherical, ended up breaking into the Panthers’ rotation on the place properly, taking part in 424 snaps by season’s finish.
I am again to the Combating Irish effectively with Raridon, although by means of a special lens. Evans was a productive receiver in a small pattern; with Raridon, it looks like the sunshine bulb went on as a blocker final season. Raridon tore his proper ACL twice (as soon as in 2021 earlier than he received on campus, then once more within the fall of 2022 as a freshman). His improvement was impeded and taking part in time restricted, particularly on a dense depth chart of Notre Dame tight ends, together with Evans. However over his one yr because the unquestioned TE1 in South Bend, Raridon improved dramatically.
Liable to falling off blocks with an upright posture earlier within the season, Raridon realized the way to use his size, flexibility and core power to uproot defensive linemen and steer them out of gaps. He grew to become an impactful participant on pulls that Notre Dame featured in short-yardage and goal-line conditions. The staff needed to run behind the man.
At 6-6 and 245 kilos, Raridon has sufficient lengthy velocity and size to be a seam runner on the NFL degree, however his major worth will come as a movable blocker with the ceiling of a real hand-in-the-dirt Y tight finish ought to he add one other 10 kilos. That makes him a developmental prospect — extra of an early Day 3 decide than a Day 2 choice in a thick tight finish class. However it’s not arduous to see a Josh Oliver-esque arc for him on the place.
Offensive sort out: Kage Casey, Boise State
The precise tape to belief on Casey is the Notre Dame sport from 2025 and the Oregon sport from 2024. These had been two of Casey’s largest exams, and he rose to the extent of each opponents. An adaptive and affected person participant, he’s completely satisfied to let rushers check his velocity, handwork and power earlier than calmly taking them the place they need to go. He is not often caught leaning and is troublesome to uproot. Some NFL coaches would possibly ask him to grow to be extra proactive stylistically, however for Boise State’s fast passing sport, Casey’s consistency and well-roundedness had been extremely invaluable. It is arduous to construct a rush plan and win quick towards a man with no main weaknesses.
Casey did have a tough outing towards Penn State within the 2024 Faculty Soccer Playoff, the place the athleticism of Abdul Carter and Dani Dennis-Sutton did certainly result in fast penetration. Casey would not have outstanding size or quickness for a sort out and would possibly find yourself as a greater match at guard, the place he spent a while taking reps on the Senior Bowl this yr. He additionally snapped for groups at his professional day, although I would be shocked if he ended up at middle at 6-6 and 310 kilos.
However Casey is a legit needle mover as a run blocker. He has nice hip sink and leg drive for a taller lineman and may actually churn double-teams and combo blocks when he hits them with good timing. He is good on the hoof, too, and groups that like to drag their linemen to get to the boundary will bump him up their board accordingly. It would not shock me if he sneaks into the tip of Spherical 2, however Spherical 3 is extra possible.
— Good Clips (@MeshSitWheel) March 31, 2026
Casey could be very harking back to Braden Smith, who appeared destined to kick to protect within the league however held his water at sort out for the Colts. He’ll have a protracted NFL profession.
Inside offensive line: Sam Hecht, Kansas State
Scouts Inc. rating: No. 84
It is a loaded class for skilled facilities. We’ve got Logan Jones out of Iowa, Connor Lew out of Auburn, Pat Coogan out of Indiana and Jake Slaughter from Florida. For my cash, the most effective of the lot is Hecht. He is not the heaviest middle at 303 kilos, however he carries a ton of mass in his decrease half and may alternate energy for energy with nostril tackles 30 kilos his superior. He gave extra bother to my inside defensive lineman decide for the All-Movie staff than anybody else final season. (See beneath.)
Hecht would not have the size to be late on blocks, so he is an pressing and springy mover with scheme versatility. His toes by no means die on contact, and he has clearly poured hours into the technical facet of the place. Hecht has teach-tape footwork when getting out on pulls and climbs, and the number of punches and hand placements he makes use of to bait out rush strikes or create torque within the operating sport is spectacular. He not often must reset his fingers, as his first strike is so reliably sound — the hallmark of a technician.
In construct and in play type, Hecht is lower from the material of Creed Humphrey. However he lacks Humphrey’s uncooked energy and ridiculous explosiveness, so he takes a variety of performs to stalemates as a substitute of emphatic wins. Nonetheless, on a shotgun- or RPO-heavy staff that asks its middle to put on a variety of hats, Hecht is usually a plus starter, particularly if he is insulated by supersize guards.
Hecht is a fringe Day 2 prospect in all probability extra prone to go on Day 3, however I would take him comfortably within the third spherical, and I would place a variety of marbles on him outplaying a number of facilities who finally get chosen above him.
Scouts Inc. rating: No. 112
Orange — affectionately known as “Massive Citrus” for his identify and, effectively, bigness — had an attention-grabbing path to and thru Iowa State. As Orange himself recalled: “I received up over 400 kilos in highschool. … I had top-10 groups within the nation knocking at my door, however after they came upon I had received to 400 kilos, I misplaced these.”
Orange received right down to 325 kilos with the Cyclones (he was 322 on the mix), and at that decrease weight, his agility started to shine. As a two-gapping nostril sort out, Orange is not usually requested to play with upfield quickness, however his capacity to cross face and win the nook on a lot smaller facilities is eye-popping.
Extra ceaselessly, Orange merely walks opposing facilities again into the quarterback’s lap. He has that nice mix of explosive upper-body energy to shock an opponent off his base and rolling lower-body energy to stop the blocker from recovering. Like all huge gamers, Orange’s leverage will wane, however in a rotational position that retains his legs contemporary and his pads low, he’ll create splash plays on the NFL degree.
Iowa State DT Domonique Orange. Massive Citrus. Massive ol’ Citrus. I like him. pic.twitter.com/Git9fykQwu
— Benjamin Solak (@BenjaminSolak) February 25, 2026
Iowa State religiously performed a three-man entrance that requested Orange to eat house and do little else. As such, he has worryingly low manufacturing for a multiyear starter: seven profession tackles for loss and one profession sack over 50 video games performed. In an ideal defensive sort out class for heavier, run-defending our bodies, Orange is prone to go later in Spherical 3 and even in Spherical 4. Regardless of; his position within the NFL can be a lot completely different than his position at Iowa State, because the league not often performs with 0-technique nostril tackles like that. I am taking the chance on his motion expertise at his dimension. Belief the tape.
Scouts Inc. rating: No. 141
For those who can watch Barham movie with out getting up out of your seat and whooping, you and I are made of various stuff (in all probability excellent news for you).
Barham is among the most bodily gamers on this class, bar none. At solely 240 kilos, he is among the lightest edge rushers within the class. However he is the scariest 240 kilos I’ve ever seen. At his finest moments (go watch the Wisconsin sport), Barham is a game-wrecking upfield pressure with a depraved first step, glorious pressure and steadiness by means of blocks, violent pop in his fingers and a motor that by no means runs chilly.
Barham persistently produces TFLs (each for himself and for his teammates) by beating blocks on the level of assault. He is not notably sound but as a move rusher — he transformed to the sting from off-ball linebacker after transferring from Maryland — however he’ll collapse the pocket with a powerful speed-to-power conversion behind his 34-inch arms. At 6-3 and 240 kilos, these lengthy arms are important in permitting Barham to win blocks and end tackles on the fringe of his radius. Do not belief the field rating (4 sacks and eight tackles for loss in 2025). He is an elite disrupter.
Barham performs together with his hair on hearth, so at occasions he runs himself out of performs. However any protection seeking to base out of wierd fronts that worries about its run protection off the sting ought to dash, not stroll, to show the cardboard in for him. Coordinators who care much less for construction and extra for blitzing and confusion can even search his companies. Followers of Jalon Walker’s talent set in final yr’s draft class will recognize Barham’s sport, however I believe he is extra of a Frankie Luvu kind on the subsequent degree.
As a result of Barham is an off-ball linebacker for some groups and an on-ball rush linebacker for others, it is arduous to determine the place he’ll get drafted. My guess is someplace within the 90s, however do not take that to the financial institution.
Linebacker: Kyle Louis, Pittsburgh
Scouts Inc. rating: No. 111
You must belief the tape on Louis, who tipped the scales in Indianapolis at 220 kilos. Solely 11 linebackers have been lighter on the NFL mix since 1999.
That isn’t linebacker weight within the NFL, as the one guys taking part in at that dimension are security converts, like Ronnie Harrison Jr. and Jamien Sherwood. To that time, Louis was usually utilized by Pitt as an overhang defender — an alignment stuffed within the league by quite a lot of slot corners or field safeties. This allowed Louis to chase performs into the boundary unblocked or chase down runs from the bottom unimpeded. It examined him in protection, however Louis responded effectively to that ask, with the explosive change-of-direction expertise of a real defensive again.
Watch him right here towards a misdirection shot play from Stanford. He stays residence towards the run motion and the reverse, finds the late-releasing tight finish, closes the gap to remove a fast goal to the flat, then flips and runs downfield, knocking the receiver off his line and simply profitable the catch level.
— Good Clips (@MeshSitWheel) March 31, 2026
Louis seems to be and performs and strikes and acts like a supersize field security. I believe he is usually a Joshua Metellus-like participant — a “security” who spends most of his time lined up on the sting, taking up tight ends in each the operating and passing sport. However that is provided that he lands in a Brian Flores-esque protection, which has that important third security position for him. In a Jim Schwartz-style system, he’d must grow to be Jeremiah Owusu-Koramoah, the speedy pursuit ‘backer whose sport is constructed on penetration.
Louis is a real tweener, and his touchdown spot will decide what place he performs within the NFL. He has the velocity, open-field tackling and disposition to stay on particular groups for a very long time, which is able to assist him develop into no matter distinctive NFL job awaits him. I am prepared to guess on the honed instincts and actually elite change-of-direction expertise within the center rounds, and determine the remainder as soon as I get him within the constructing.
Cornerback: Chris Johnson, San Diego State
Scouts Inc. rating: No. 47
The highest of the 2026 cornerback class is effectively established: Mansoor Delane, Jermod McCoy, Colton Hood, Avieon Terrell. However there’s somewhat intrusive voice behind my head that tells me Johnson ought to be squarely in that group of names.
He’s a traditional small-school research. A simple mover with pleasant persistence and approach, Johnson (6-0, 193 kilos) outclasses a lot of his opponents and performs with out concern accordingly. He by no means bites on route fakes or overexerted releases. He by no means panics when the ball is within the air and would not draw flags when he is pressured out of part. With 4 INTs and 9 move breakups final season, he seems to be like a 10-year NFL vet who sneaked an Aztecs jersey on simply to get some reps in earlier than his sport on Sunday. I’ve zero doubt that Johnson can be a first-round decide if he did this in a jersey with a Massive Ten or SEC patch on it.
However he did not. Johnson’s lone Energy 4 opponent final season was Cal (and never for nothing, he was lights out in that sport, housing a 97-yard pick-six). His hardest matchup over the previous two seasons was Washington State WR Kyle Williams, who would go within the third spherical of the 2025 draft to the Patriots. Williams caught a number of passes on him, together with a downfield back-shoulder ball that particulars Johnson’s largest problem: He is not notably lengthy or bodily, so he’ll lose contested conditions. However he was step for step with Williams for a lot of the sport.
Drafting Johnson early will take some perception in his capacity to ratchet up his play velocity and depth on the NFL degree — he can’t be as affected person within the league as he was at a decrease degree. However I would lie if I stated he did not remind me, at occasions, of watching Quinyon Mitchell at Toledo. The payoff was huge for the Eagles, and Johnson will possible come at a spherical’s low cost. Of all of the gamers I’ve listed right here, Johnson has the best ceiling.
Scouts Inc. rating: No. 77
The crimson flags on Stukes’ profile are the acquainted ones: age and damage historical past. Stukes is 24 years previous and can flip 25 throughout his rookie season, making him older than present and established NFL defensive backs like Nate Wiggins, Calen Bullock, Kamari Lassiter, Christian Gonzalez and Cooper DeJean. Stukes is leaving school so late largely due to a 2024 ACL tear that shortened his would-be senior season and saved him out of the primary few video games of the 2025 season as well.
That is the dangerous information. This is the nice: Stukes had a profession yr off that ACL tear. He snagged 4 picks in 10 video games in 2025, exceeding his profession whole (three) as much as that time. He dominated the mix as effectively, with a 38-inch vertical bounce, a 10-foot-10 broad bounce and a 4.33-second 40-yard sprint earlier than he known as it a day. Whereas the knee warrants long-term concern, there is no doubt that Stukes labored his approach again into kind off that damage.
And Stukes is a grinder as a former walk-on who grew to become a four-year starter and staff captain. Over his total profession in Tucson, he performed 815 snaps at exterior nook (principally in his youthful years), 1,333 within the slot and one other 199 at security (155 of which got here final season).
I can’t consider how pure he seems to be in safetylike roles regardless of the dearth of true expertise he has on the place. When pressured to sink off the road of scrimmage and play routes from depth, Stukes demonstrates super footwork, angles and ball monitoring. Given his longer and leaner body (6-1, 190 kilos), I like the thought of taking him out of the field and taking part in him from depth. He is a hand-in-glove match for quarters defenses that want their safeties to play quasi-man protection over slot receivers and tight ends.
— Good Clips (@MeshSitWheel) March 31, 2026
I believe Stukes can grow to be a Bullock-esque policeman within the deep center of the sector — rangy with ball expertise and prepared toughness. If he would not find yourself having that particular degree of vary, then the profession arc of Tremendous Bowl champion Coby Bryant, who began with the Seahawks as a nook earlier than flipping to security and blossoming there, is one other potential end result.