Gaffney's Way Too Early 2026 NFL Draft Watch List

It's never a bad time to forecast a future draft class in any sport, and with the 2025 NFL Draft more than a week in the rearview, why not now to get an early look at some names you could be looking at for 2026? If you're a fan of a team in need of help at quarterback, I have good news for you because you're in luck, because there are some pretty good options, even with a pair of them potentially taking an extra year, but more on them in a few moments.

In the penultimate draft before we get both of Ohio State's Jeremiah Smith and Alabama's Ryan Williams, there's a handful of recieving prospects that interest me as of a year out, and much like this year, there's seemingly some solid options up front on both sides of the ball; Clemson specifically having two elite prospects on the defensive line in T.J. Parker and Peter Woods (more on the latter later). That all said, in addition to an early Round 1 Mock we have here at the end, I wanted to highlight some players who've jumped out to me in early light research, and in the case of a pair, some who jumped out to me in 2024 who did not declare for the NFL, both to give people an idea on who is worth keeping an eye on, and to see how these players progress/regress in the upcoming college season.

Quarterback - Arch Manning (Texas) and LaNorris Sellers (South Carolina)

This is a peculiar quarterback class in that my two favorite QB options could very well not declare for 2026. Let's start with Arch Manning, son of Cooper Manning, who's yet to complete a full season as a starter at Texas, but was one of the more highly sought-after high school QB options in a few decades. In some spot starts and relief appearances last season, he showed off Manning-level arm strength with some borderline effortless deep balls, but the key thing with Arch is that he can move. Not in a"he's sneaky athletic" kind of way, but move, move, both to create outside of the pocket and gain yards as a runner. Texas has even brought him in in certain packages to give him rushing opportunities with Quinn Ewers as the established starter these last two years.

The reality, though, is that while there's a lot to like, Manning has appeared in only 12 games—not starts, but appearances—and has attempted passes in just seven of those. There isn't much quality tape of him available, and another dozen or so games may not be sufficient to evaluate him. Even if he performs well this year, it shouldn't be surprising if he chooses to stay in Austin for what would be his redshirt junior campaign.

Now we get to SC's LaNorris Sellers, who just wrapped up his first season as a starter for the Gamecocks with a 2,534-yard, 17 TD (plus seven scores on the ground) campaign. If you like QBs who are superhuman-level athletes and might not be quite there yet as passers but are more or less far enough along for where they're at, oh buddy, do I have the guy for you. You don't find 235 lb quarterbacks that move like Sellers does every day, and there are some sack avoids that he put out there that are as preposterous as anything you'll ever see. This is the kind of stuff you'd expect to see on Cam Newton's high school mixtape, and he's doing it vs. P4 schools.

By no means is he guaranteed to leave the SEC this year either, considering he will turn 20 next month and that there is only a limited amount of tape on him. However, there are teams out there that would kill to get a guy like Sellers, who has already demonstrated elite traits as both an outstanding athlete and quarterback, with just one full season in arguably college football's premier conference. Todd McShay seems to be a big fan right now, anyway, and I'm right there with him.

As for locks to keep an eye out for in 2026: Clemson's Cade Klubnik, who was spectacular for the Tigers after a brutal season-opening loss against Georgia a year ago, and then LSU's Garrett Nussmeier, whose father Doug is the new OC for the New Orleans Saints. Do with that information what you will. Additionally, I would like to mention Penn State's Drew Allar, although I prefer the former two more. I saw him a few times last year before the college playoffs, but I wasn't particularly moved in either direction.

Running Back - Jeremiyah Love (Notre Dame)

The early consensus No. 1 rusher in next year's draft would be none other than ND's Jeremiyah Love, and I'd find it hard to say it would be anyone else as of May. What stands out about him, having seen him more than a handful of times this year as a Notre Dame hate watcher, is the long speed and contact balance he possesses. He's also a reliable pass catcher and has spent this, as well as last offseason, training as a receiver, although there's a zero percent chance he's making any kind of position switch. This is a guy who might not be at that tier one level of RB prospect (Saq,uon, CMC, Jeanty, Bijan, etc), but if he isn't, I don't believe it will be by much based on his 2024 production. I would expect Love to be a legit Heisman contender in that ND offense this year.

Wide Receiver - Aaron Anderson (LSU)

About two months ago, while I was scouting Will Campbell, I came across LSU's 2024 matchup with South Carolina, where a smaller wide receiver consistently stood out on the screen. That would be Aaron Anderson, who led the Tigers in receptions and yards last season, along with five touchdowns. Although he is on the smaller side at 5'8" and just under 190 lbs, he maximized his opportunities in a prominent role after transferring from Alabama in 2022, despite being buried on the LSU depth chart in 2023 for reasons that should be clear.

Anderson possesses legitimate track speed, exceeding 20 mph on a long catch-and-run touchdown last year against Texas A&M. He has the capability to be highly productive after the catch, can elevate despite his size, and can separate effectively going both north-south and east-west. Most likely a pure slot receiver in the NFL, he slightly resembles Zay Flowers. In a draft expected to feature notable large X/X-Adjacent players like Carnell Tate (OSU), Denzel Boston (Washington), and Nyck Harbor (South Carolina), this could help him stand out even more. Could say the same for 6'1 ASU pass catcher Jordan Tyson.

Tight End - Eli Stowers (Vanderbilt)

Most of the top early-consensus tight ends for next year lean on the smaller size, particularly true for Vanderbilt's Eli Stowers, who'll be a fifth-year, multi-time transfer tight end coming off a First-Team All-SEC bid a year ago after a standout performance in their upset of then No. 1 Alabama last fall. Initially recruited to Texas A&M as a quarterback, he moved to New Mexico State for 2023 and then transferred to Vandy alongside QB Diego Pavia and head coach Jerry Kill a year later. Although there weren't many clips available, he moves quite well for someone on the lighter side, and it speaks volumes that he transitioned from a Conference USA tight end to First-Team All-SEC.

Stowers' size, however, is not just a minor concern; it’s a legitimate one considering its historical significance. According to the MockDraftable Database, if Stowers weighs in at next year's combine at his current size (225 lbs), it would be the second-lowest recorded weight since 1999 for a tight end. Some tight ends have weighed in below the 240 mark and were productive in the NFL, like Jordan Reed, Jacob Tamme, Chig Okonkwo, and Ladarius Green, but 225 is exceptionally light. I can't imagine that being the case this season, especially to ensure NFL teams see tape of him playing with more weight for blocking reps at minimum.

Offensive Tackle - Spencer Fano and Caleb Lomu (Utah)

If you look at some too-early big boards right now, the odds are that Alabama's left tackle, Kayden Proctor, will be the top tackle for 2026. However, after doing some light research on these two players, I felt like highlighting the bookend pieces for Utah's line: right tackle Spencer Fano and left tackle Caleb Lomu. PFF has Fano at No. 10 on their big board, noting that he only trailed current Saint Kelvin Banks in their Wins Above Average metric among all Power-Four tackles a season ago. Much like current Patriot Will Campbell, some arm length concerns will likely lead to "kick him inside" takes. Without knowing the numbers, though, I don't have a strong opinion there either way yet. What I've seen, however, shows that Fano moves around great, which makes sense since he's just clearing the 300 lb mark, and his handwork is really solid. He also has some experience at left tackle, and if Campbell performs well enough in New England, that could hopefully make teams more open to the idea of keeping Fano on the outside.

As for Lomu, a lot of the same things are being said about him as Fano: great mover, power, and just a quick glance on my end suggests he's the better of the two Utes. The real scary thing is that he's only 19 years old and is already an excellent college left tackle, even if he isn't close to being a complete product. I wouldn't blame him for sticking around in the Big 12 for one more year since he's as young as he is, but I'm excited to see how Lomu progresses in 2025.

Interior Offensive Line - Jake Slaughter (Florida)

I'm a simple man. I see someone named Jake Slaughter, and my attention is grabbed in a matter of microseconds. Aside from instantly making First-Team All-Name for 2026, the Florida native returns to the Gators after an All-American campaign in just his first season as a full-time starter, hoping to create a second consecutive season of good tape for NFL teams to evaluate.

Slaughter isn't what you'd typically expect from a center prospect in terms of size, standing at 6'5" and 308 lbs, close enough to Lions center Frank Ragnow. Granted, we have seen some bigger center prospects as of late, and some have gone in the top 50. Think Joe Tippmann, Landon Dickerson (now one of the highest-paid guards in football), and we'll throw Creed Humphrey and Tanor Bortonili into the mix as well, seeing as they both just clear the 6'4" mark despite being outside the top 50 in their respective drafts. I wouldn't bet on Slaughter being a first-rounder just based on the lack of round one centers in the last decade, but the size profile is certainly enticing, and he's got a great season to build on coming into 2025. Wouldn't be shocked if a team like Cleveland would be interested with Ethan Pocic going into the last year of his deal, and with an extra first rounder to play with.

Interior Defensive Line - Peter Woods (Clemson)

Clemson has had a strong track record of producing front-seven defenders in the league over the last ten years, with Dexter Lawrence and Christian Wilkins standing out amongst all others. However, I am simply enthralled by their extraordinary defensive lineman, Peter Woods, at first glance. He stands 6'3" and weighs 315 lbs, yet he is an absolute freakshow who can line up \all over the defensive front from 0-5 tech, wins with both finesse and power, and is a remarkable mover for his size and was a major playmaker with eight tackles for loss (TFLs) and three sacks last year. Those three sacks are also his career total, so you'd hope he can finish as a pass rusher a little more effectively in his junior season. Nonetheless, this kid is awesome and possesses elite potential as a prospect.

EDGE - Matayo Uiagalelei (Oregon)

Just to get this out of the way immediately: Yes, this is the younger brother of ex-Clemson/Oregon State/Florida State quarterback DJ Uiagalelei. Make no mistake about it, though. Matayo is his own man. He was a game wrecker for the Ducks last year; his 10.5 sacks led the Big Ten. This is the kind of prototype NFL teams are hoping for regarding EDGE prospects, with plus height, weight, and wingspan, and 10.5 sacks as a non-starter is impressive (PFF also has him down for 18 hurries, but 1.5 fewer sacks). He also has really good maneuverability and pursuit ability for a guy who's likely north of 270.

Linebacker - Harold Perkins (LSU)

Harold Perkins isn't a name you see at the top of these early 2026 mocks, but he had legitimate round one hype a year ago before a knee injury ended his junior season. Now returning to LSU, he has the chance to rebuild his draft stock and hopefully remind people of the game-wrecking ability he showcased in his first two years in Baton Rouge.

Although he's listed as a linebacker, the working plan for 2025 is for him to play the STAR role for LSU. It's definitely a bit odd to essentially make him a slot defender in what's almost certainly his last collegiate season, but LSU DC Blake Baker asked him where he feels the most comfortable playing, and Perkins said the STAR. My concern is that they've moved him around a ton positionally, and now he's coming off a serious knee injury, but he's undeniably explosive and was an absolute menace as a true freshman. His closing speed on ball carriers speciffically jumps out a lot when you watch him, and he's somewhat in the same size ballpark as Dre Greenlaw, just to give you an idea. Certainly one of the more interesting prospect cases this year.

Defensive Back - Caleb Downs (Ohio State)

I feel more than confident in saying that Caleb Downs is the single best player in the 2026 Draft Class, with the event being just about a full year out. He wasn't used as a single high much in C1 looks during his first year at Ohio State, with now-Buffalo Bill Jordan Hancock assuming that responsibility. However, the Alabama transfer can conceivably do just about anything you ask him to, including returning punts. Downs possesses an absolutely spectacular downhill trigger pull, elite movement skills that translate well against the run and pass, and the physicality and tone-setting ability you'd be looking for. This kid has been nothing short of spectacular in his first two years of college ball and is worthy of all the accolades and praise that have come his way.

Despite being my (way too early) best guy in this class, we haven't seen a safety go top 10 since Jamal Adams, so I'm not exactly holding my breath for Downs to buck that trend. He should, though, because he has generational prospect upside in my book if he can produce another year of good tape out there.

WTE 2026 Round 1 Mock Draft

*—Just to make things interesting, we'll assume that Arch Manning declares and LaNorris Sellers does not. The Cowboys trade for George Pickens happened a matter of hours after this was completed, so really appreciate that Dallas.

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