WEST LAFAYETTE, IN – SEPTEMBER 14: Notre Dame Fighting Irish Running Back Jeremiyah Love (4) carries the ball on his way to scoring a touchdown during the college football game between the Notre Dame Fighting Irish and the Purdue Boilermakers on September 14, 2024, at Ross-Ade Stadium in West Lafayette, Indiana. (Photo by Michael Allio/Icon Sportswire via Getty Images)
Icon Sportswire via Getty Images
The final seven weeks of the 2025 NFL season is here, and for some fan bases, it’s already time to look towards the future. Specifically, it’s time to look towards the 2026 NFL Draft and the top prospects available.
The upcoming class is expected to be stronger at positions like wide receiver, edge rusher, and, to some, linebacker in terms of overall depth. For quarterbacks, while there are plenty of names, there isn’t that one signal caller that separates himself from the rest of the group. Sure, they’re likely to go high as needy teams will take a chance on a player, but there’s no generational talent available this time around. At least on paper.
That said, who are the potential game changers and franchise makers of the upcoming draft class? These are the top five players, right now, for the 2026 NFL Draft.
Top Prospects In The 2026 NFL Draft
1. Jeremiyah Love, RB, Notre Dame
A running back as the top prospect? What year is it? Well, much like Bijan Robinson was in 2023 and Saquon Barkley was before him, Jeremiyah Love is a true game changer at the running back position.
He doesn’t have the best stats out of Football Bowl Subdivision (FBS) running backs, but his impact on the Notre Dame offense can’t be understated. He has a burst out of the backfield and breakaway speed that makes it impossible for most players to catch him. That’ll certainly change when he gets to the NFL, but not by too much. What some might not notice about Love is his ability to cut. For someone at 6 feet, 214 pounds (lbs.), his movement and agility are something that is a sight to behold. Oh, and he’s one of the better pass-catching running backs to come out in recent years, giving any team that takes him another offensive weapon in the passing game.
Right now, he’s looking likely to be picked somewhere in the top seven to 12 range, but, depending on how the rest of the year and offseason play out, he could be in the Top 5 conversation.
NFL Comparable: Jahmyr Gibbs
2. Arvell Reese, Edge, Ohio State
At this point, it feels like Arvell Reese is quickly becoming the top defensive prospect in the class. Lately, he’s gotten comparisons to Green Bay star Micah Parsons with his ability to make game-changing plays without even racking up the sacks. As of publishing, Reese has six and a half sacks this season for the Buckeyes, but looking beyond the box score shows the full story.
At 6-foot-4, Reese has incredible length to go with an explosive first step off the ball that makes any tackle slow to get going at a disadvantage. Where Reese really stands out is his ability to drop back if need be. He can move like a linebacker and has the potential to be a player that you trust not only to get to the quarterback but stay with a running back out of the backfield on screens and wheel routes.
It wouldn’t be a surprise if, at this point, Reese becomes the number one overall pick. Especially if the Tennessee Titans hold the selection.
NFL Comparable: Micah Parsons
SEATTLE, WASHINGTON – SEPTEMBER 27: Caleb Downs #2 of the Ohio State Buckeyes runs on the field against the Washington Huskiesat Husky Stadium on September 27, 2025 in Seattle, Washington. (Photo by Tom Hauck/Getty Images)
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3. Caleb Downs, Safety, Ohio State
Don’t be surprised to see another Buckeye at the top of this list. The best defensive back in the class, Caleb Downs is a unicorn at the safety position. He has an elite IQ and play recognition ability that allows him to see how a play will develop before it even has a chance to.
He can cover deep against almost any receiver and is great when matched up against tight ends. Downs also shows an ability to help in the run game with a closing speed that helped him get seven and a half tackles for loss last season and four this year. His numbers are down from a year ago, but that’s only because the Ohio State defense is so good, he hasn’t needed to make the tackles or the big plays he did a year ago.
Safety may not be a premiere position in terms of NFL draft positioning, but Downs is worthy of making it one.
NFL Comparables: Troy Polamalu
4. Rueben Bain Jr., Edge, Miami (FL)
Coming back from the calf injury he suffered in 2024, Rueben Bain Jr. has silenced anyone who doubted whether he could be as explosive as he was before the injury happened. He has the best first step out of anyone in the 2026 NFL Draft class and uses that explosiveness to wreak havoc on opposing offenses.
He may have just three sacks on the season in 10 games, but his presence is felt on almost every play. He currently sits at the top of the FBS with 33 hurries and fourth in total pressures with 39. And while he only has two, he’s still tied for second in the country in forced fumbles. What makes it more impressive is that speed comes from someone who’s 270 lbs.
In most mock drafts, Bain is finding himself in the top five, and it feels like whoever is taking him might still get themselves a steal.
NFL Comparables: Cameron Jordan
5. Peter Woods, DL, Clemson
Despite his, and his team’s, down season, many believe Peter Woods has elite potential along the defensive line. He’s a versatile player who can play on the edge or in the middle, making him a good option against either the run or the pass.
At 315, Woods moves in ways that most people of his size usually don’t. He can finesse and force his way in gaps, leaving offensive lines struggling to stop him from getting to the backfield. Against the run, he’s near elite in play recognition and has shown the ability to stay in his gap. Like others on this list, he has a quick first-step that gives him an advantage over other players of his size in this year’s class. He can be a little one-dimensional with his pass-rush moves, but with the strength that he has, he often powers through it.
In the NFL, he’s likely to find himself as a 3 technique more often, but with the option to move him around there, he’s going to be a premiere weapon on any defense.
NFL Comparables: Quinnen Williams
Source: https://www.forbes.com/sites/mikestraw/2025/11/18/top-2026-nfl-draft-prospects-jeremiyah-love-arvell-reese-stand-out/
