10 Sleepers in the 2026 Draft Class
We’re just one day away from the 2026 NFL Draft, and the tension is palpable.
Every year, talented players slip through the cracks. Whether it’s overblown medical concerns, questions about level of competition, perceived flaws that may be overstated, or any number of other red flags, some teams are going to come away with steals.
Here are 10 prospects I believe are seriously undervalued. The number listed after each player’s college indicates where they rank on the consensus big board (via NFL Mock Draft Database).
At the end, I’ve also included a bonus section featuring first-round prospects I value more highly than the consensus.
Garrett Nussmeier
QB - LSU (#83)
As of now, Ty Simpson is the consensus QB2 in this class, but I’m giving that designation to Garrett Nussmeier. Nussmeier started the past two seasons for LSU, with his first career start coming in the 2024 ReliaQuest Bowl against Wisconsin, where he earned game MVP honors.
He put together an excellent 2024 season and was widely considered a “way too early” candidate for the No. 1 overall pick in 2026. Those expectations came crashing down in 2025, when he appeared to take a step back amid a host of injuries. An abdominal issue lingered throughout the season, LSU fielded one of the worst run games in the country, and the offensive line was wildly inconsistent.
While he’s smaller than preferred for the position, he doesn’t carry the Achilles’ heel that affects many undersized quarterbacks: an inability—or outright unwillingness—to attack the middle of the field.
Nussmeier excels at reading defenses and working the middle, something that can likely be traced in part to his upbringing with a quarterback coach and offensive coordinator as a father. His arm has more pop than you’d expect given his frame, and when you pair that with NFL-caliber intangibles, you get a player who could become the next quality non-first-round quarterback.
Ideal Landing Spot: Pittsburgh Steelers
Jaydn Ott
RB - Oklahoma (#225)
Ott is a fascinating prospect in this class because of his college football journey. As a freshman, he quickly established himself as the lead back at Cal. Over the next two seasons, he averaged 5.3 yards per carry while totaling more than 2,500 all-purpose yards and 25 touchdowns.
Scouts saw legitimate NFL talent in his game, but then 2024 happened. A string of injuries significantly impacted his efficiency. A transfer to Oklahoma was supposed to serve as his comeback, but he continued to be hampered by injuries and played only 75 snaps for the Sooners.
Despite all of that, he earned an invite to the Senior Bowl, where an eye-opening performance put him back on scouts’ radars.
Ott projects best in a one-cut scheme, and if he can return to the form he showed as an underclassman, he could be an excellent under-the-radar selection.
Ideal Landing Spot: Kansas City Chiefs
Eli Heidenreich
RB - Navy (#207)
Heidenreich was a player I selected in my Seahawks mock draft—and he’s not the last one from that group to appear on this list. At Navy, he played a hybrid wide receiver/running back role, with most of his production coming through the air, where he posted a ridiculous 4.90 yards per route run.
He’s one of the most intriguing prospects in this class because of the unique skill set he offers. He has good size for the position (6’0”, 200 pounds) and legitimate speed (4.44 in the 40-yard dash), but what truly sets him apart is his 6.55 three-cone time, which ranks in the 99.9th percentile.
His athletic comparisons are especially eye-opening. According to RAS, his three closest running back comps are Christian McCaffrey, Chris Johnson (CJ2K), and Jamaal Charles—an incredible group to be mentioned alongside.
That’s not to say he’ll become the next Christian McCaffrey, but I do think he has the potential to carve out a Danny Woodhead–type role at the NFL level.
Ideal Landing Spot: Carolina Panthers
Bryce Lance
WR - North Dakota State (#89)
If this combination of last name and school rings a bell, it should. Bryce is the younger brother of former No. 3 overall pick Trey Lance. Unlike his older brother, though, he plays wide receiver.
Lance has an almost ideal blend of size and speed for the position at 6’3”, 205 pounds, with 33-inch arms. My one concern with his profile is that his hands are a bit small at 9 1/4 inches.
He’s an older prospect—he’ll turn 24 in August—but that’s fairly typical for players from South Dakota State. He barely saw the field until his junior season, when he broke out with over 1,000 yards and 17 touchdowns while recording only two drops. He followed that up with another 1,000-yard season and eight touchdowns, averaging a ridiculous 21.2 yards per reception.
I think Lance could begin his career as a sacrificial X receiver (thanks, Matt Harmon), similar to Alec Pierce in his early years with the Colts. He has the speed, contested-catch ability, and tracking skills to be an effective deep threat right away. Then, much like Pierce, he can refine the rest of his game with experience and develop into a more complete receiver.
Ideal Landing Spot: New Orleans Saints
Kaden Wetjen
WR - Iowa (#236)
Wetjen is a fascinating player because he has just 23 catches in his FBS career despite being a sixth-year senior. What makes him truly special, though, is his return ability. Under the new kickoff rules, having a difference-making returner can have a major impact—just look at how Rashid Shaheed helped the Super Bowl champions.
The Jet Award is given to the top return specialist in college football, and Wetjen is the only player to win it twice. He’s both fearless and dynamic in the return game. His vision allows him to set up blocks and weave through traffic, and when you pair that with his burst, you get an ideal return man.
Offensively, he was used primarily as a gadget receiver, and I’m not sure that changes much at the NFL level. That said, there are offensive minds that can find ways to leverage his skill set for an explosive play or two per game—and sometimes that can be the difference between going home early and hoisting a Lombardi.
Ideal Landing Spot: Los Angeles Rams
Eli Raridon
TE - Notre Dame (#126)
Raridon is currently projected as a Day 3 pick, but I’d be stunned if his name isn’t called on Day 2.
He’s a massive athlete who profiles as an excellent Y-tight end at the next level. At 6’5”, 245 pounds, with 10 3/4-inch hands and 33-inch arms, he has the size teams look for at the position. Add in his strong testing numbers, including a 4.62 40-yard dash, and he has an athletic profile that should have teams paying close attention.
One of the biggest concerns surrounding Raridon is his injury history. He tore his ACL as a senior in high school and then tore it again as a freshman in college. While that sounds alarming, he hasn’t missed a game since, appearing in 35 games for Notre Dame.
Raridon offers strong blocking ability and natural hands, with a knack for plucking the ball out of the air—an increasingly rare trait. That skill set matters in a league that is becoming more tight end-centric. NFL teams ran their highest percentage of offensive plays out of 12 personnel since the 2007 season.
Big boys are back on the menu, and Raridon could be the next AJ Barner.
Ideal Landing Spot: Washington Commanders
Sam Roush
TE - Stanford (#108)
Like Eli Raridon, Roush is an absolute unit at the tight end position. And like Raridon, he spent four years at the same school—a rarity in modern college football.
Roush stands 6’6” and weighs a whopping 267 pounds. Despite being more than 20 pounds heavier than Raridon, he was only 0.09 seconds slower in the 40-yard dash (4.70). That athleticism shows up on tape, where he accelerates quickly and offers value as a yards-after-catch threat.
He also brings an extremely competitive mindset, evidenced by being one of only six players to participate in every drill at this year’s combine. Add in the fact that he graduated from Stanford with a degree in computer science and a 3.8 GPA, and he checks the kind of boxes teams love.
The two biggest concerns with Roush are one thing he can fix and one thing he can’t. He can clean up his drop issues, as many of them appear to be concentration-related rather than a lack of ball skills. What he can’t change is his short arms. At 30 3/4 inches, his arm length is a real outlier for the tight end position and does raise some concern.
That said, he’s already an excellent blocker and would be an effective addition to any offense.
Ideal Landing Spot: Philadelphia Eagles
Keyron Crawford
EDGE - Auburn (#85)
Crawford is a player I expect to come off the board in the second round, especially given the strength of this year’s edge class.
An athletic pass rusher with an explosive first step, Crawford has the size to hold up on the stunts teams like Seattle love to run. He reminds me a lot of Seahawks EDGE Derick Hall, another Auburn product. The technical aspects of his game still need refinement, but you can’t teach the motor, strength, and explosiveness he brings.
While he probably won’t start on Day 1, Crawford can provide value early as a rotational piece. Over time, I expect him to develop into the kind of every-down edge rusher every team is searching for.
Ideal Landing Spot: Seattle Seahawks
Taurean York
ILB - Texas A&M (#159)
If I had to bet on one player on this list to become a solid NFL contributor, it would be Taurean York.
By far the biggest knock against York is his size. At 5’10” and 226 pounds, he falls well outside the ideal range for an inside linebacker. That said, he has so many positive indicators as a player that I’m willing to overlook the size concerns.
Despite being undersized, York has a compact, well-built frame. His best trait by far is his intelligence. He’s an avid film watcher, and it shows on the field. He’s rarely surprised or displaced by what an offense presents, which feeds into the decisiveness he plays with when reading and reacting. He also has a strong feel as a zone defender and does an excellent job disrupting routes behind him.
York is a true leader and a strong locker room presence. He’s durable, too—the junior linebacker has started all 39 games for Texas A&M.
In my eyes, he’s a better version of Drake Thomas, who played an important role in Mike Macdonald’s defense and was rewarded by the Seahawks this offseason. Don’t count him out.
Ideal Landing Spot: Miami Dolphins
Tacario Davis
CB - Washington (#129)
Davis is a player with truly unique measurables for a cornerback—traits that alone would have made him a second-round pick back when teams were actively trying to recreate the Legion of Boom.
Standing 6’3” with 33 1/2-inch arms, Davis has the size and length to match up with virtually any receiver in the league. He’s the most boom-or-bust player on this list. There are plenty of habits he needs to clean up, but his traits and football intelligence make him a worthwhile bet.
He’s quick to diagnose route concepts, and once he identifies what’s developing, his aggression takes over, allowing him to make plays on the ball. Over three seasons as a starter, he recorded 28 pass breakups and three interceptions.
Davis can get overly grabby at the catch point. He was flagged for four pass interference penalties in just seven games in 2025, two of which negated potential interceptions. Durability concerns also surfaced during his senior year, with two separate absences—first a rib injury that sidelined him for three games in September, and later a “severe” hamstring strain in November.
How he develops at the next level will largely depend on the team that drafts him and how well they can refine his game.
Ideal Landing Spot: Baltimore Ravens
“My Guys”
Here is a list of players that I really like, but their projected draft capital doesn’t qualify them as a “sleeper”
Makai Lemon - WR - USC
KC Concepcion - WR - Texas A&M
Denzel Boston - WR - Washington
Max Iheanachor - OT - Arizona State
Chris Johnson - CB - San Diego State
Dillon Thieneman - S - Oregon
