With the 2026 NFL Draft still over two months away, ESPN's Mel Kiper Jr. has updated his rankings for the top prospects in the country.
Unsurprisingly, Kiper has Indiana quarterback Fernando Mendoza as his No. 1 ranked prospect heading into the NFL Combine. The Heisman Trophy winner had 3,535 passing yards and 48 total touchdowns during his 2025 season.
Where things get interesting is the No. 2 spot on Kiper's big board. The longtime ESPN analyst currently has Notre Dame running back Jeremiyah Love as the second-best prospect in the entire 2026 class.
"Love reminds me a lot of Reggie Bush. The 20-year-old has vision and burst between the tackles and to the outside, and he can break tackles with ease (60 forced missed tackles on the 2025 season)," Kiper wrote. "Once he gets into space, he can take it to the house with his breakaway speed too. But Love isn't only an outstanding runner. He also is a high-impact pass catcher. An NFL team will be able to flank him out wide and create a whole other dimension of the offense."
Although this isn't a quarterback-heavy draft class, Kiper listed several playmakers who could make an impact as early as Week 1.
Here are the top 10 prospects in this year's draft:
Indiana quarterback Fernando Mendoza
Notre Dame running back Jeremiyah Love
Ohio State linebacker Arvell Reese
Texas Tech outside linebacker David Bailey
Ohio State wide receiver Carnell Tate
Ohio State safety Caleb Downs
Ohio State linebacker Sonny Styles
Arizona State wide receiver Jordyn Tyson
Miami defensive end Rueben Bain Jr.
Miami offensive tackle Francis Mauigoa
The full top-25 rankings from Kiper can be found here.
All in on Fernando Mendoza.
During a recent appearance on ESPN's "Get Up," Kiper said the Las Vegas Raiders will have a bright future as long as they select Mendoza with the top pick.
"Think about the biggest games, the Big Ten Championship against Ohio State, the three playoff games. He had 10 touchdowns and only one pick with a 74% completion percentage. This kid is ready for the NFL because he benefitted from 35 starts," Kiper said. "He'll be 23 in October. Think about the Raiders and that division and the AFC in general with all those great quarterbacks. This is a heck of a place to start [for the Raiders]. The future with Mendoza would look bright for Raider Nation. I'd lock it in with pen, with exclamations points."
Barring a sudden change of heart, the Raiders are expected to make Mendoza the face of their franchise for the 2026 season.
Copyright The Arena Group, Inc. All Rights Reserved