Liam MacKenzie
The date is April 7, 2026, and the NFL Draft is a couple of weeks away as all kinds of storylines across the league are starting to heat up, with many questions to be answered. Like many NFL Drafts, this year is no different as it will have some unpredictability with players going higher than people thought they would go on a later day, teams trading up, in which people would think that one first-round pick would not be given up, and some players, along with a superstar player potentially being traded to another team.
First Big Question: Where will the Elite Defensive Players Go? – For anyone who has followed the NFL for quite some time, one thing that is mostly guaranteed is that the first overall pick, which is held by the Las Vegas Raiders, will have Indiana Quarterback Fernando Mendoza be taken because almost every number one overall pick has a Quarterback being taken. So the question that comes into play is where will elite defensive players like Miami Edge Rusher Rueben Bain Jr., Ohio State Linebacker Arvell Reese, Ohio State Defensive Back/Safety Caleb Downs, Ohio State Linebacker Sonny Styles, and Texas Tech Edge Rusher David Bailey all go?
As the saying goes, “defense wins championships,” and these players are what could be the starting point towards a bright future for whatever franchise picks them up. To get an understanding of what these players will bring to the table, here are some breakdowns for each of the defensive players that were mentioned.
Arvell Reese Breakdown – First, there is Linebacker Arvell Reese from Ohio State University, who stands at 6’4” and 240 pounds, as he is a projected top 3 pick who is a hybrid type of player, where he plays as an off-ball linebacker, along with playing as a standup edge rusher, which brings versatility to schemes. Some other attributes that are worth mentioning is that he is an elite run defender by shedding off blockers very well with his power, he is a threat as a pass rusher by posting 6.5 sacks in 2025 which shows he can disrupt quarterbacks that play in high competition, he ran 4.47-second 40-yard dash with very long arms that is almost close to 34 inches which is why he could have a chance to make sheds occur, and then he also has a high motor which shows he will make a relentless effort towards disrupting plays.
Rueben Bain Jr. Breakdown – Next up is Edge Rusher Rueben Bain Jr. from the University of Miami (Florida), who stands at 6’2” and 263 pounds, as he is an elite defender on the edge of the line. Some attributes that he carries includes elite power and leverage where he establishes the ability to bull-rush which causes the pocket for a quarterback to collapse, he is a violent rusher as he mainly uses the chop and swim moves which helps him get past blockers extremely well, he is also a versatile player as his strength is also able to put him on the inside of the defensive line, he is terrific when it comes to stopping the run as he prevents yards from being picked up, and he also contains a great motor in which he shows high-effort on plays.
Caleb Downs Breakdown – Shifting away from the front-line defense for a bit, this next breakdown focuses on a 6-foot, 205-pound safety, Caleb Downs, from Ohio State University, who is an elite and highly versatile player at his position. When it comes to his attributes, the reason for him being a top prospect in the secondary is his elite instincts that are displayed on his tape, his versatile alignment with playing high safety along with the strong (lower) safety position and nickel (corner) position, he efficiently brings aggressive tackling along with causing forced fumbles, his coverage on plays with zone coverage being the one coverage that stands out shows he can limit passing yards, and he displays a high football IQ which goes to show how he is playing multiple positions.
Sonny Styles Breakdown – Going back to the linebacker position, the next breakdown that is on the table is another Ohio State University Linebacker, whose name is Sonny Styles. This is a name that experts and fans of the NFL will tell people to get to know, as he will be a huge pickup for whatever team gets him, as he is an “athletic freak,” as people who have evaluated his game say.
Him having elite physical traits with his height being 6’5” and weighing 244 pounds, putting up a great combine performance by recording 43.5-inch vertical jump along with a 4.46-second 40 yard dash, and containing explosive power with big time closing speed back up the reason for him being an “athletic freak” along with one of the attributes that makes him a top projected pick in the 2026 NFL Draft. Some other attributes that he possesses with him are versatility and positional flexibility where he played safety earlier in college before moving to linebacker along with showing that not only he can be coverage type of player as many evaluators know, but he is capable of displaying effective pass rushing, Styles also has great intelligence with his football IQ being pretty high by being able dissect offenses well along with improved tackling and great run support, and the last attribute is that he brings great leadership where he was a “Block O” Recipient which points out the leadership and character that he brought to the Ohio State football program.
David Bailey Breakdown – The final player that will be broken down is Edge Rusher David Bailey from Texas Tech University, who stands at 6’4” with a weight of 250 pounds. Some of the attributes that this guy carries who was apart of a standout Texas Tech defense that won a Big 12 Conference Championship are an Elite Pass Rush Ability that has big time speed combined with effective counter moves, he is a versatile guy when it comes to putting him in schemes as a 4-tech defensive edge rusher or a 3-4 linebacker, his combine numbers were terrific for the measurements that he possesses as he posted a 35-inch vertical jump along with running in the 4.5-second range for his 40 yard dash time, and he has a high motor along with big time quickness with that high-effort playstyle that was on display in his college film.
Where Each Player Will Most Likely Go – After breaking down each of the top 5 defensive prospects in the 2026 NFL Draft, there is no doubt that these guys will be selected in the top 10, but the question is, where will they go? The first one to most likely be taken is Arvell Reese to the New York Jets at pick 2 which is a team in need of a big time edge rusher, the second guy that will most likely be taken off the board is Sonny Styles at pick 5 which is held by the New York Giants who are in need of that “do-it-all” linebacker, the third guy to most likely be drafted is David Bailey at pick 7 which is held by the Washington Commanders as they are a team who needs to improve on their defense after a season that saw the unit lay a foundation for future growth, the fourth guy that will be taken is Rueben Bain Jr. at pick 8 which is held by the New Orleans Saints as they are a team entering a new phase defensive following the departure of guys like Demario Davis and Cameron Jordan just to name a few, which opens the door for a need at the defensive line spot, and for the fifth and final guy who is apart of the top 5 defensive players on the board that will most likely be taken is Caleb Downs as all signs point to him going to the Kansas City Chiefs at pick 9 which is a team people did not expect to be at this spot in the draft, but they are a team who needs help in the Secondary big time after losing a key player in Bryan Cook who signed a three-year deal in free agency with the Cincinnati Bengals.
Second Big Question: Who Should Be the WR1? – For any NFL draft, the real fun starts when the first Wide Receiver is taken off the board. This year’s class definitely will not disappoint as it contains of Carnell Tate from Ohio State University who is a Reliable Technician at the receiver spot, there is also Arizona State Wide Receiver Jordyn Tyson who is the Explosive Playmaker in this year’s class, and last but certainly not least is Makai Lemon from the University of Southern California who is a Versatile Slot Threat.
As time has gone on, NFL Mock Drafts have been shaken up with some players dropping along with some jumping up the boards. For Carnell Tate, he will most likely be the WR1 in this year’s drafting by going to the Miami Dolphins at pick 11 as they are a team in desperate need of a receiver after losing guys like Tyreek Hill and Jaylen Waddle, the next receiver to be taken off the board at pick 16 will most likely be Makai Lemon to the New York Jets as they look to complement Garrett Wilson, and that leaves Jordyn Tyson to be the last receiver in the first round as he most likely will land at pick 24 to the Cleveland Browns which is a team that needs a true wide receiver 1.
Third Big Question: Who is the Quarterback 2? – After the first quarterback is taken, it opens the question as to where the next one will go. With a quarterback class that is not considered to be the strongest, it still opens the door for guys to find themselves on an NFL roster later in the draft.
Two guys that are up for being picked as the second quarterback in the 2026 NFL Draft consist of University of Alabama prospect, Ty Simpson who is an athletic pocket-passing quarterback that has a strong arm along with a quick release and can create plays with his legs, while the other quarterback prospect is Garrett Nussmeier from Louisiana State University who is a high-IQ “gunslinger” that is known for his valiant downfield passing, quick release, and can operate from the pocket. The answer to who will most likely be the second quarterback taken in the draft is Ty Simpson, as he is projected to be taken by the Arizona Cardinals, who look for the successor to Kyler Murray. At the same time, that leaves Garrett Nussmeier as the third quarterback to be taken, in which he is projected to land in Pittsburgh with the Steelers, as they are a team potentially looking for the successor to Aaron Rodgers.
Fourth Big Question: What Trades Will Go Down – The reason for the NFL Draft being a time of chaos has to do with the trades that could potentially happen. In this draft, there will be teams like the New England Patriots at pick 31 who could trade up along with a team with a top 10 or 5 pick that could somehow trade up for a pick while for teams that could trade down, it will most likely include the Dallas Cowboys at pick 12 along with a team who also has a top 10 or 5 pick.
For teams that will trade up in the draft, it will most likely be the New England Patriots, Buffalo Bills, Pittsburgh Steelers, and Houston Texans, just to name a few. For the teams that will most likely trade down, those include the Dallas Cowboys, Minnesota Vikings, Arizona Cardinals, and Washington Commanders, as they are a few other teams to name.
Last Big Question: Who Are The Potential Steals – The NFL Draft consists of 7 rounds, which allows teams to not only get other position needs, but find that hidden gem that other teams will miss out on. Some of these prospects that are potential steals in this year’s draft include University of Louisville wide receiver Chris Bell who is a physical receiver that is considered a day 1 talent that will be drafted on day 2 due to a torn ACL suffered on November 22nd, another potential steal consists of Offensive Tackle from Arizona State in Max Iheanachor as he is projected to be a late first-round or early second-round pick as he possesses elite athleticism along with quick development, Omar Cooper Jr. is another potential steal as he is a wide receiver from Indiana University who happened to be a reliable target for Fernando Mendoza along with being an open field playmaker, Zachariah Branch happens to be yet another wide receiver prospect that could be a potential steal who played at the University of Georgia as he is an elite undersized slot receiver that can be an instant playmaker, and then there is Peter Woods who is a Defensive Lineman from Clemson University that is this dominant “pocket disrupter” where he was projected to be near the top 10, but is now projected to be a late first-rounder or potentially slip to day 2 due to a dip in his production during the 2025 season.
These are just some players that will be picked up by teams who will be looking to make a mark and hopefully play a vital role in helping the team succeed. When it comes to where these guys will most likely go, the first guy to be taken will most likely be Peter Woods as he is projected to be taken at pick 19 by the Carolina Panthers which is a team that is continuing to bolster their defensive line, Omar Cooper Jr. looks to be next as he is projected to go to pick 36 by the Las Vegas Raiders which is where Mendoza will in all likelihood go as he could use help from his college teammate with playmaking production, then there is Max Iheanachor two picks later at pick 38 to the Houston Texans which is a team in need to bolster their line, although the Patriots could potentially go after him after a video of him at his pro day with Patriots Head Coach Mike Vrabel surfaced, Zachariah Branch is the next prospect in line as he is projected to be drafted at pick 66 to the Tennessee Titans which is a team that needs to get playmakers to support Quarterback Cam Ward going into his second year, and last but not least is Chris Bell who is projected to go to pick 79 which is held by the Atlanta Falcons as they are a team who needs a reliable wide receiver 2 to complement Drake London.
Final Thoughts With Plenty of Uncertainty – Like every year, the NFL Draft is a time in which so much unpredictability will occur within the three days. Despite all the months of scouting, mock drafts, and analysis, surprises are inescapable as guys who are projected to be in the top 10 drop while others will make dramatic leaps based on the needs of the team, along with some late evaluations.
As Draft Night approaches, it is clear to everyone who has followed this league that the stars of tomorrow will soon emerge, franchises will hopefully be transformed, and the future for the NFL will begin to take shape. Catch all the action on either ABC, ESPN, or NFL Network as it kicks off on Thursday, April 23rd, at 8 P.M. Eastern Time.
