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Louis Riddick
Multiple Authors
I absolutely love the NFL draft. I love the tape. I love the evaluations. I love the projections and anticipation. And we’re nearly there — the 2026 draft kicks off with Round 1 on April 23. You can catch me on the ESPN set for all three days of the action.
The tape isn’t the entire truth on prospects. The real analysis comes from spending time with them and getting a sense of who they are; that’s why team interviews and visits are so important. But the tape also doesn’t lie, and after spending hours and hours watching this class, I wanted to pick a few prospects who really caught my eye. There are my guys in the class — the players I’d be standing on the table to draft.
The first five are first-rounders who will be stars. I can’t get enough of them and would be ecstatic to land any of them. The second five are sleepers I really like. I’d be targeting them on Day 2 if I were running an NFL team, and I think they could all easily outperform their projected draft slots.
This is Year 4 of making this list, and it begins with a star running back expected to go in the top 10 and ends with a Day 2 safety who has a ton of upside.
Jump to:
First-rounders that I love
Sleepers who could be stars
Five surefire stars in Round 1
Height: 6-0 | Weight: 212
Every NFL general manager and head coach is on a mission at this time of year to add offensive players who can win games on a single play. Love is that guy. He can break a huge play from anywhere on the field. He had 11 runs of 20 or more yards last season, and six of them went for touchdowns.
Love has the power, speed, open-field elusiveness and versatility to strike in the run game and pass game. His route running is as good as most NFL wide receivers. To that point, I thought he looked like a wideout stuck running routes with the running backs at the combine. He drops his weight and changes direction on a dime. Love hauled in 27 passes for 280 yards last season.
Don’t get caught up in the debate about whether running backs should be drafted in the top 10. This young man is not a running back. He is a game-changing playmaker who piled up 1,652 yards and 21 touchdowns from scrimmage last season. At the end of the day, that’s what every team wants.
Height: 6-5 | Weight: 244
There’s no such thing as a can’t-miss prospect in a sport that is so dependent on surroundings and the ability to physically persevere. But … Styles is a can’t-miss prospect.
With his blend of unique physical traits — size, speed and fluid athleticism — and diamond-level character, I would sleep very well at night knowing that I had drafted a player who could be the face of the franchise. He finished last season with 77 tackles, a sack, a forced fumble and an interception. And then, he showed off his explosion at the combine, with a 43½-inch vertical jump. He does it all.
Styles is only scratching the surface of his potential as a multitool defender. He can do so many things to make the defense better — the most important of which might be his ability to lead and make those around him better. Styles is made for big roles in big moments, and he’s an incredibly safe prospect in that he’s already a pro. He’s a foundational player.
Height: 6-4 | Weight: 320
At its core, football is about dominant, physical play along the lines of scrimmage. And there was nobody in college football last season who had more snaps of impose-your-will play along the offensive line than Ioane. He is an absolute tank at 320 pounds, and he has the versatility to line up anywhere on the line. Ioane plays with power, agility, speed and a level of nastiness when finishing blocks that is truly unique.
Any front office that believes in building from the inside out and staying strong down the middle — something I have talked about for the past decade — should see Ioane as a must-have foundational player.
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Olaivavega Ioane’s NFL draft profile
Check out some of the top highlights from Penn State’s Olaivavega Ioane.
Height: 6-2 | Weight: 203
Tyson is the best wide receiver in the 2026 draft. Full stop.
He has it all … size, explosive quickness, body control, strength and solid top-end speed. He can move between the X, Z and slot receiver positions seamlessly and can put lots of pressure on an opposing defense by exploiting matchups anywhere on the field. Tyson had 75 catches, 1,101 yards and 10 touchdowns in 2024 before posting 61 catches, 711 yards and eight TDs in nine games in 2025.
The main thing holding back Tyson from being widely considered as a surefire superstar is his significant injury history. He suffered a torn ACL/MCL/PCL in 2022, had a broken collarbone in 2024 and dealt with hamstring issues in 2025. The conversations among team medical staff members regarding Tyson’s future availability projection will be fascinating. But I believe that the risk is worth the reward. This guy will be special.
Height: 6-0 | Weight: 199
A very wise and accomplished wide receivers coach told me a long time ago that one of the most important differentiating characteristics that he looks for when evaluating wideouts — beyond consistently catching the ball — is how quickly and effectively they can transition after the catch. Do they get the ball upfield? Can they make defenders miss? Can they break tackles? And do they have the speed to turn a short pass into a long gain?
Cooper checks those boxes. He averaged 7.3 yards after the catch last season and showed no fear snagging the ball in traffic. He made the most difficult catch of the season in a got-to-have-it situation against Penn State. And Cooper, who had 937 yards and 13 touchdowns in 2025, can play in the slot or outside at the X or Z spot.
When he ripped off a 4.42 in the 40-yard dash at the combine, that sealed it for me. This guy will be a star at the NFL level.
Five sleepers outside Round 1
Height: 5-11 | Weight: 193
Turn on any tape of the Hurricanes in 2025, and I guarantee you if Scott was on the field, he was making plays. He had 67 tackles, 13 tackles for loss, five sacks, two interceptions, two forced fumbles and four pass breakups last season.
He is the ultimate competitor and plays the game with a passion for contact. He possesses next-level football IQ and the speed/quickness to be a three-down factor at the nickel position, and that has become critical for the best NFL defenses. I saw times in the 4.32-4.35 range for his pro day 40-yard dash. That’s outstanding. We should hear his name called early on Day 2, in my opinion.
Height: 6-0 | Weight: 220
I’ve talked about Louis a ton this spring, and not just because he played at Pitt.
Remember how impactful former Buccaneers linebacker Derrick Brooks was against the run and the pass during his great NFL career? I’m not saying Louis is Brooks, but the Hall of Famer’s style of play is exactly what I see when I watch Louis. He has the movement skills of a defensive back and the hands of a wide receiver. And I see the instincts, key-and-diagnose traits and overall toughness in the box against the run to be an elite-level playmaker in the pros the moment he steps onto the football field. He can get off blocks, defend the run and make tough tackles (77 of them last season, including 7.5 for loss).
“He just reminds me so much of Derrick Brooks.” @LRiddickESPN says @Pitt_FB‘s Kyle Louis has everything it takes to be a star in the NFL 📈 pic.twitter.com/y2g9EbcVRr
— ACC Network (@accnetwork) March 30, 2026
Day 1 starter with Pro Bowl upside. Louis is a true baller made for today’s game, and I love him as a quintessential Will linebacker for any defense.
Height: 6-4 | Weight: 316
Georgia Tech coach Brent Key has said that Rutledge has the potential to be the best offensive lineman he has coached, which is saying something. Rutledge is a block of granite, playing with leverage and leg drive. He has the athleticism to play in zone or man run-game blocking schemes, and you can sense his competitiveness and desire to put defenders on their backs.
Rutledge will need to refine his pass pro technique, but he has a strong punch and excellent anchor. Some believe he could be an All-Pro center at the NFL level. I don’t care what position he ends up playing; I’d want him on my team.
Height: 6-1 | Weight: 188
When a player finishes his college career with 15 interceptions, there is little doubt that he has the instincts to anticipate route combinations, get good breaks on the football and create turnovers. Clark is a big play waiting to happen, whether his alignment begins in the box as a nickel or dime LB, or in split-safety/single-high middle coverages in the back end, where he can really show off his 4.41 speed and range. Oh, and he will support the run and strike as a tackler, too. This all adds up to the kind of prospect that teams will covet next week.
Height: 6-1 | Weight: 190
He might be flying under the radar for the average football-viewing fan, but NFL teams know Stukes’ upside. He has good size and exceptional functional explosiveness. Stukes ran a 4.33-second 40 and posted a 38-inch vertical jump at the combine.
Stukes can play nickel, dime, free safety or strong safety because he is smart, instinctive and an alpha competitor who loves to hit. Additionally, he is a good blitzer. He is equally skilled as a man or zone defender, and he has exceptional range and ball skills as a deep-field safety. Stukes has seven career picks, including four last season. There is nothing not to like about Stukes … nothing at all.
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