The 2026 NFL Draft is coming into focus, and for the second year in a row, things are looking pretty grim.
That starts with a one-man quarterback class that has left the desperate teams drafting after the Las Vegas Raiders rather hopeless under center. There isn’t much in the name of consolation prizes, either. This class has little consensus at the top, and with multiple positions falling short of preseason expectations, the burden has moved onto later-round prospects to carry the load.
Oftentimes, that starts in Mobile at the Senior Bowl. After a week of practices, interviews, and an exhibition game, a handful of prospects can say the arrow is pointed up on their stock.
Lee Hunter, DT, Texas Tech
Hunter ended his season on good terms, dominating on college football’s best defensive line and showcasing movement skills that could see his role expand at the next level.
He measured in at 6’3″ and 320 pounds, boasting adequate size for a nose tackle. Throughout the week, his athleticism exceeded expectations, even with a high bar set from his platform year. Hunter’s violence could make him an asset as a pass rusher. There’s always limited sack utility with nose tackles, but Hunter flashed the burst, length, and technique to push the pocket and make the most of his opportunities.
If he can stay on the field for passing downs, Hunter could flirt with the first round. After his week in Mobile, a top-50 selection feels increasingly likely.
Malachi Fields, WR, Notre Dame
Fields wasn’t going to make himself a top-50 pick in Mobile. What he could do, though, was put himself on the map for Indianapolis, where a friendly track could give his stock some helium.
MORE: Texas Tech linebacker taking full advantage of Senior Bowl opportunity
Fields is a good mover for 6’4″ and 218 pounds, and he was one of the better receivers in Mobile. Poor age-adjusted production hurts his case, and he logged only 630 yards in his redshirt senior season. Still, Fields flashed enough to further his case and stay afloat in a receiver class that is bound to fluctuate as the pre-draft process continued.
Max Iheanachor, OT, Arizona State
No tackle gained as much in Mobile as Iheanachor, who now looks like a lock to be an early-round selection.
His stock was pointed in the right direction after a productive 2025 campaign. Checking the measurable boxes was a given, too. Iheanachor then looked like the best tackle at the event, quieting a promising group of edge rushers. His polish as a pass protector exceeds his experience as a two-year starter.
That alone could make him a first-round pick, especially in a tackle class that has seen basically everyone but Francis Mauigoa take a step back.
Ted Hurst, WR, Georgia State
Hurst doesn’t have the same stock as the Senior Bowl headliners, but in terms of putting himself on the map, the week was an undeniable success.
Hurst, like Fields, is a big-bodied receiver. He’s a tick shorter at 6’3″, 207 pounds, but has bigger hands and longer arms. That showed up in his ball skills. Hurst’s best plays came from winning vertically at the catch point, playing above the rim, and showcasing above-average physicality and athleticism.
He’ll hope to sustain this momentum into a top-100 selection, which certainly wasn’t in the cards immediately after his 1,000-yard campaign.
Garrett Nussmeier, QB, Louisiana State
Part of the reason the 2026 class let fans down was turbulence under center. For Nussmeier, who entered the year with first-round hype, those troubles were front and center.
An oblique injury ruined Nussmeier’s 2025 season. Without his normal rotational efficiency, Nussmeier’s fringe-average tools were left out to dry, and compensating for those mistakes led to an uptick in uncharacteristic mistakes.
The Senior Bowl afforded Nussmeier two crucial opportunities: telling his side of the story and showing out in front of scouts. Being healthy allowed Nussmeier to look more natural as a passer, and that showed up when he won the exhibition’s MVP. While a relatively unimportant achievement, Nussmeier did what was necessary to make his case as the second passer off the board.
