(Photo: USA TODAY Sports)
One of the first 2026 NFL Draft way-too-early first-round projections is out via USA Today and the expectation is quarterback-heavy at the top. After only two quarterbacks — Cam Ward at No. 1 overall and Jaxson Dart at No. 25 — were taken on Day 1 this year, that number could at least double next spring with an elite class at the position.
Among the signal-callers expected to jockey for first-round positioning include Penn State's Drew Allar, Garrett Nussmeier from LSU and potentially Miami's Carson Beck, who transferred this offseason from Georgia in hopes of generating a Ward-like resurgence of his own at the ACC program. South Carolina quarterback LaNorris Sellers is another name to watch. He helped the Gamecocks win six straight to end the regular season last fall and is picking up steam.
There are a number of elite defensive players who will go high, too, including Ohio State safety Caleb Downs. The draft order is a projection of how teams will finish during the NFL's 2025 season.
Here's a look at an early mock draft for 2026 from USA Today:
1. Drew Allar, QB, Penn State (Cleveland Browns)
(Photo: Getty)
Drew Allar drew the attention of NFL scouts with his series of dimes thrown in Penn State's College Football Playoff win over Boise State, so the arm talent is there to have a big senior season in 2025. That said, the Nittany Lions' wideout room will be brand-new and Allar's not going to have All-American tight end Tyler Warren on third down, either. Although Allar's numbers could dip, Penn State's strength as an elite team should not. The Nittany Lions should be on the shortlist of national contenders.
2. Garrett Nussmeier, QB, LSU (New Orleans Saints)
(Photo: Getty)
When he's on, Garrett Nussmeier has No. 1 overall pick potential. When he's off, the quarterback who once backed up Heisman winner and reigning NFL Offensive Rookie of the Year Jayden Daniels can be turnover-prone. Consistency trumps all with Nussmeier, who was elite in the fourth quarter in wins over Ole Miss and South Carolina last season, but struggled in losses to Alabama and Texas A&M. He's a super-talented passer with incredible arm strength and plays with extreme confidence. Brian Kelly and LSU quarterbacks coach Joe Sloan hope he's Heisman-level in 2025 and the Tigers have done all they can to ensure the weaponry around him is top-notch.
3. Caleb Downs, S, Ohio State (New York Jets)
(Photo: Mark J. Rebilas, USA TODAY Sports)
There's not a player in college football as cerebral as Caleb Downs in terms of diagnosing a play pre-snap then destroying the opposing team's next snap. He made play after play for the Buckeyes down the stretch last season, from coming up big in crunch time during the national semifinal against Texas to helping Ohio State shut down the Tennessee offense in December. Downs is the best defensive player in transfer portal history after originally starring for Alabama in 2023 before racking up 82 tackles and a pair of interceptions for the Buckeyes last season.
4. Kadyn Proctor, OT, Alabama (New York Giants)
(Photo: Stuart McNair, 247Sports)
Kadyn Proctor missed the first two weeks of the 2024 regular season with a shoulder injury but returned in Week 3 and started the final 11 games of the season at left tackle. It was an up-and-down sophomore season, featuring a near-perfect pass-blocking performance in the upset win over Georgia at home in Week 5 but low-lighted by a couple of tough performances to end the year. Proctor allowed just six pressures in his first eight games of the season before surrendering eight in his final three.
5. T.J. Parker, Edge, Clemson (Tennessee Titans)
(Photo: Cory Fravel, 247Sports)
Clemson is loaded on both side of the football ahead of the 2025 season. T.J. Parker should be the preseason favorite to win ACC Defensive Player of the Year given his prowess off the edge for the Tigers. A former four-star recruit from Alabama, Parker set a new program record with six forced fumbles last fall and enters his junior season with 105 tackles (32 for loss), 16.5 sacks, three fumble recoveries and three pass breakups in 1,085 snaps over 27 career games.
6. Keldric Faulk, Edge, Auburn (Carolina Panthers)
(Photo: David Gray / Auburn Athletics)
Keldric Faulk had a massive jump from his freshman to sophomore year and if the 6-foot-6, 270-pounder improves at a comparable level once again in Year 3 with the program, he could be one of the best defensive linemen in the SEC.
"Faulk's blend of size and athleticism to play both as a pass rusher and kick inside makes him a valuable NFL prospect. It still feels like Faulk's best football is ahead of him as a former elite recruit, and yet he's the leader of this Auburn defense moving into next season. That ceiling, plus his experience level with two strong seasons of work already, put him in position to be a highly touted player in NFL circles," Auburn Undercover's Nathan King wrote.
7. Francis Mauigoa, OT, Miami (Browns from Jaguars)
(Photo: 247Sports)
Jacksonville traded a ton to get Travis Hunter this week and this is one of those picks Cleveland received from the Jaguars. Francis Mauigoa is a former five-star recruit who could be the first offensive tackle taken next cycle unless Proctor goes before him. He'll be the blindside protector this fall for Beck after helping Cam Ward to Heisman finalist honors last season. He's a monster in the run game, too, and the Hurricanes often run behind his side of the line.
8. Peter Woods, DL, Clemson (Las Vegas Raiders)
(Photo: Cory Fravel, 247Sports)
One of two Clemson pass rushers expected to go inside the top 10, Peter Woods can play inside or out and it's that versatility that makes him one of the 2026 draft cycle's most unique prospects. Ironically, Woods moving to defensive tackle last November helped fellow first-round projected pick T.J. Parker earn a four-sack game against Pittsburgh. Clemson's defensive line is the nation's best entering the 2025 season and we haven't even mentioned Demonte Capehart yet.
9. Suntarine Perkins, LB, Ole Miss (Indianapolis Colts)
(Photo: Ole Miss Athletics )
Suntarine Perkins is a former five-star signee for the Rebels who has been one of the SEC's most violent tacklers his first two seasons in Oxford. He'll likely be used as a pass rusher of sorts at the next level and has the speed to cover across the middle or fill the hole in run support. Should the Colts have a top-10 pick this time next spring, Indianapolis could use the selection on a starting defender since there's an immediate need. Once again, recruiting rankings matter here for this former blue-chipper.
10. Rueben Bain Jr., DE, Miami (New England Patriots)
(Photo: 247Sports)
Rueben Bain Jr. is working on his body this offseason to try and return to 2023 form when he was a breakout freshman for the Hurricanes. With 28 pressures and 3.5 sacks as a sophomore, those numbers paled in comparison to his value as a first-year player and mimicking that production is the goal. The Patriots have a need for a pass rusher and Bain is a versatile threat along the defensive front whose best football is ahead of him.
(Photo: Jordan Scruggs, 247Sports)
12. Anthony Hill Jr., LB, Texas — Dallas Cowboys
13. Isaiah World, OT, Oregon — San Francisco 49ers
15. Matayo Uiagalelei, DE, Oregon — Seattle Seahawks
Hill has 22 starts over his first two seasons with the Longhorns and is a heat-seeking missile when it comes to getting after opposing quarterbacks and tracking down ballcarriers. Offenses must account for where No. 0 is on the field at all times. The former Freshman All-American and Co-Big 12 Defensive Freshman of the Year was terrific as one of the leaders of the Texas defense last season in the SEC, notching 107 tackles, a team-best 16 stops behind the line of scrimmage and eight sacks.
(Photo: USA TODAY Sports)
19. Domani Jackson, CB, Alabama — Pittsburgh Steelers
One of the game's most powerful ballcarriers, Love galloped his way to five 100-yard games as a sophomore and was one of the options in Notre Dame's run-heavy backfield, which included quarterback Riley Leonard. Notre Dame's Sugar Bowl win over Georgia marked the first time all season he failed to reach the end zone as the team's leader in touchdowns (17). We're expecting Love to transform into more of a high-volume back this fall prior to his expected entry into the NFL.
Keon Sabb and Zabien Brown
Keon Sabb and Zabien Brown
23. Darrell Jackson Jr., DT, Florida State — Minnesota Vikings
24. Malik Muhammad, CB, Texas — Green Bay Packers
Sabb, who suffered a season-ending foot injury in October, was a redshirt sophomore in 2024 who was eligible for this year's draft but decided to return to Tuscaloosa for another campaign. He's one of two expected first-rounders in the Alabama secondary for this season. Sabb recorded 39 tackles this past season along with two interceptions, which both came in the first quarter of the season opener.
(Photo: Oregon Athletics)
A multi-year starter in the secondary at Purdue, Thieneman comes to Oregon as the Ducks' new face of the defense alongside Uiagalalei. He's a tackling machine and ballhawks of sorts whose ability will now be seen on the biggest stage for the defending Big Ten champions. Thieneman is one of the finest additions this portal cycle for the elite program out West.
(Photo: Ryan Bethea, 247Sports)
31. Nyck Harbor, WR, South Carolina — Kansas City Chiefs
32. Antonio Williams, WR, Clemson — Philadelphia Eagles
Entering his second season as South Carolina's starting quarterback, Sellers is a dual-threat to the highest extent and nearly eclipsed 1,000 yards on the ground last fall. If the Gamecocks can get anything out of Harbor this fall as an ascending WR1, this offense should explode under new offensive coordinator Mike Shula. Harbor is a former five-star recruit with first-round potential while Sellers was an underrated signee who has since blossomed into one of the SEC's top young players.
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