With less than a month until the 2026 NFL draft, teams are working on their prospect boards. It’s tough for each of them to come to a consensus because there are always a lot of opinions across front offices, coaching staffs and scouting departments. Everyone has their guys — the players they’re standing on the table for and arguing must be in the team’s plans.
These spirited debates were always fun when I was the general manager and executive vice president of the Jets (2006-12) and then executive vice president of football operations for the Dolphins (2015-18). I remember a lot of back-and-forth in predraft meetings in my first year running the Jets about what to do at pick No. 4. We talked about defensive end Mario Williams before it was clear he was going to Houston at No. 1. Running back Reggie Bush had some fans in the room, and a lot of folks wanted tight end Vernon Davis.
I was one of the people pounding the table for offensive tackle D’Brickashaw Ferguson. Our pass protection needed to improve, and Ferguson had the size and traits to be a foundational player. With Williams and Bush off the board quickly (along with Vince Young), we went with Ferguson over Davis.
Those kinds of discussions will play out in team facilities around the league in the coming weeks. And it goes beyond Round 1; when teams are about 15-20 picks away from their Day 2 and Day 3 selections, everyone starts to look at who is still on the board and outline a handful of players they believe could be available at the slot, before zeroing in on the final target.
With all that in mind, I decided to do a similar exercise, going back to my GM roots and picking out my guys for this 2026 class. But rather than cater to any particular team, I built a mini board across all seven rounds for a hypothetical Team X. No specific roster needs in mind. No championship or rebuilding windows to consider. No schemes or personnel preferences to factor into decision-making. Just the players I’d want in my lineup. I outlined a few names in Rounds 1-4 and then picked out one sleeper in each of the final three rounds. (I went outside the top 10 in Round 1 to avoid the obvious prospects.)
Let’s get up on the table and start arguing for some future stars.
Jump to a round:
1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | 5 | 6 | 7
First-rounders I’d target outside the top 10
Makai Lemon, WR, USC
I love his style of play — he’s relentless and physical. Sure, Lemon might start off in the slot, where he played most of the time for USC. But I think he’s big enough at 5-foot-11 and 192 pounds to play outside in the pros. Lemon thrived in contested-catch situations in college, with 11 of them in 12 games last season. He finished with 11 touchdowns and was third in the nation in receiving yards per game at 96.3. With Ohio State’s Carnell Tate and/or Arizona State’s Jordyn Tyson leading most WR rankings, Lemon should be there outside the top 10.
Dillon Thieneman, S, Oregon
His athleticism is terrific, as he ran 4.35 in the 40-yard dash and had a 41-inch vertical jump at the combine. His 6-foot, 201-pound size is great. And I love his versatility; he lines up in the slot, deep and close to the line of scrimmage. Thieneman is the epitome of a modern NFL safety, and he can come in and start right away. The Purdue transfer has great film, and that great combine workout should be the extra push to make him a top-20 pick. He had 86 tackles and two interceptions last season. Sign me up.
Kenyon Sadiq, TE, Oregon
If I’m the general manager of a team in that middle part of Round 1, I’m making the case to my creative playcaller that Sadiq could open things up for the offense. He is explosive, with a blazing 4.39-second run in the 40 and incredible jumps of 43½ inches (vertical) and 11-foot-1 (broad). The production also matched the skill set. Sadiq caught 51 passes for 560 yards and eight touchdowns last season. At 6-foot-3 and 241 pounds, he can be flexed out to create mismatches one-on-one with safeties.
The players I’d be targeting in Round 2
Peter Woods, DT, Clemson
There is a definite chance that Woods goes in Round 1. He was getting early-pick buzz last summer, but a lack of big-time production (only 33 tackles and two sacks last season) caused a lot of evaluators to cool on him. If there’s any shot I can get him in Round 2, I’m making it happen. Woods has explosive traits and could make a real difference on the interior. He might be a little undersized at 6-foot-3 and 298 pounds (with sub-32-inch arms), but I’m banking on the potential, upside and value on Day 2. Now, I’m just crossing my fingers that he’s still there.
Chris Johnson, CB, San Diego State
I like this player a lot. I think Johnson will start in the NFL and could be an effective man-to-man corner on the outside at 6-foot and 193 pounds. He played in 48 games at the same school, which is a rarity in this transfer-heavy era of college football. And he has good production. Over the past two seasons, he had five interceptions, 13 pass breakups and two forced fumbles. Toss in 4.4 speed, and I see him as a day one starter.
D’Angelo Ponds, CB, Indiana
Though I’d be pushing to get Johnson to play on the outside, I’d be equally persistent in landing Ponds to play in the slot. Even though he’s 5-foot-9 and 182 pounds, Indiana often had him on the outside. In the pros, he’s an ideal nickel. And given that most NFL teams play a lot of 11 personnel (three wide receivers), he probably will get on the field for more than 80% of defensive snaps. Ponds is tenacious, and his skill set should translate well to the next level. He had a tremendous pick-six on the first play of the CFP game against Oregon — one of seven career picks.
0:51
Indiana starts off Peach Bowl with an electric pick-six
Oregon QB Dante Moore goes to pass but is picked off by Indiana’s D’Angelo Ponds, who takes it to the crib for a touchdown.
The players I’d be targeting in Round 3
Malachi Lawrence, Edge, UCF
A four-year player at UCF, Lawrence has a really good motor and posted solid production with 20 career sacks. Plus, he had a fantastic workout in Indianapolis, running a 4.52-second 40-yard dash at 6-foot-4 and 253 pounds. Anytime I can add a productive, high-motor pass rusher with production, I’m in.
Eli Stowers, TE, Vanderbilt
Quarterbacks love a tight end with a big catch radius, and that’s exactly what Stowers brings to the table. We have to get this guy. He’s 6-foot-4 and 239 pounds, and he jumped 45½ inches in the vertical. That’s wild. I know Stowers has to improve as a blocker, but he caught 146 balls and hauled in 11 touchdowns over the past three seasons (one of which was at New Mexico State). He can get down the seam and make big plays.
Jacob Rodriguez, LB, Texas Tech
Rodriguez reminds me so much of Hall of Famer Zach Thomas. He has an incredible knack for forcing fumbles (seven last season, 13 over his career), and he picked off four passes in 2025. Typically when someone is that productive and instinctive, it carries over to the next level. I’d want him on my team, even though he’s slightly undersized at 6-foot-1 and 231 pounds. It’s sort of impossible to think he won’t make it as a starter in the NFL.
The players I’d be trying to steal in Round 4
Taylen Green, QB, Arkansas
I’m highlighting two quarterbacks in the Round 4 range, and I’d be happy getting either of them. I just can’t miss out on both of them. The first is Green, who of course dominated the combine. At 6-foot-6 and 227 pounds, Green had a 4.36 in the 40, 43½ inches in the vertical and 11-foot-2 in the broad jump. But he actually started to get my attention weeks earlier at the Senior Bowl. The accuracy needs to improve, but getting him in the building and working with him could pay off in a big way because of all those plus traits.
Drew Allar, QB, Penn State
The other quarteback is Allar, who started 35 games in college before a season-ending ankle injury last year against Northwestern. There’s a tremendous amount of intrigue with Allar because of his resiliency, and he’s the kind of player I’d love to bring in and chase that potential. At 6-foot-5 and 228 pounds, he completed nearly 65% of his passes over his career. There is enough of a foundation to work from and to try to develop for the future.
The player I’d be trying to steal in Round 5
Marlin Klein, TE, Michigan
There’s something special about Klein, who grew up playing mainly soccer in Germany, went to a boarding school in Georgia to play high school football and eventually became a captain his senior year at Michigan. I see great physical attributes at 6-foot-6 and 248 pounds. Even with 248 yards and one score last season, I believe Klein can make it over the long term. He’s the kind of developmental prospect I’d be looking for in this range.
The player I’d be trying to steal in Round 6
Bryce Boettcher, LB, Oregon
I guess I watched a lot of Oregon football last season — here’s my third Ducks player on the list. An undersized linebacker at 6-foot-1 and 233 pounds, Boettcher had a good week at the Senior Bowl, where he showed toughness and instincts. Over the past two seasons, he had 12 tackles for a loss, but I’m thinking he could be a core special teams player (at a minimum).
The player I’d be trying to steal in Round 7
Jaffer Murphy, K, UTSA
OK, I’m closing it out with an interesting kicker prospect. Murphy transferred to UTSA from Lake Erie College, where he hit 13 field goals in 2024 — including a 60-yarder. But he handled only kickoffs for the Roadrunners last season, with one extra-point attempt outside of those duties (which he made). At his pro day earlier this week, he booted a 70-yard field goal. Why not take a flier?
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