2026 NFL Draft: My top 10 players at each offensive position

• No surprises at quarterback: Indiana's Fernando Mendoza is the top option, followed by Alabama's Ty Simpson. Then, there is a collection of potential NFL backups.

• The top three wide receivers have separated themselves from the pack: Makai Lemon led the nation with a 91.4 PFF receiving grade in 2025. Jordyn Tyson comes with injury concerns but has proven that he can carry an offense when needed. And Carnell Tate is built in the George Pickens mold as a player who can dominate vertically and outside the numbers.

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NFL draft rankings are the talk of the town with the 2026 NFL Draft less than one month away, so there’s no better time to drop my personal top 10 rankings for each position.

Starting on offense, I’ll rank my top 10 prospects at quarterback, running back, wide receiver and tight end while grouping all offensive linemen.

Quarterback

1. Fernando Mendoza, Indiana
2. Ty Simpson, Alabama
3. Garrett Nussmeier, LSU
4. Cade Klubnik, Clemson
5. Carson Beck, Miami (FL)
6. Drew Allar, Penn State
7. Joey Aguilar, Tennessee
8. Luke Altmyer, Illinois
9. Diego Pavia, Vanderbilt
10. Taylen Green, Arkansas

The battle at the top of the quarterback rankings has suddenly come into focus, despite the fact that Fernando Mendoza has been the presumed first overall pick for quite some time. Mendoza produced at an elite rate in the biggest games and moments of his season, while Simpson struggled with pressure down the stretch in 2025.

Simpson did flash plenty of ability and led the nation with 30 big-time throws in his lone season as Alabama’s starter, but Mendoza’s consistency stood out for the duration of 2025. Among quarterbacks with at least 100 pass attempts, Mendoza’s 69% accurate throw rate ranked third in the FBS, per PFF’s quarterback charting. Simpson ranked 65th with a 58.7% mark.

The rest of the class offers a variety of backup options with different levels of intrigue. Nussmeier is a gunslinger who battled injuries behind a poor offensive line this past season. Beck is the consummate game manager who gets rid of the football quickly. Allar is blessed with tremendous arm talent, dragged down by poor footwork and accuracy. From my perspective, everyone beyond the top two players is a developmental prospect.

Running Back

1. Jeremiyah Love, Notre Dame
2. Emmett Johnson, Nebraska
3. Jonah Coleman, Washington
4. Le'Veon Moss, Texas A&M
5. Jadarian Price, Notre Dame
6. Kaytron Allen, Penn State
7. J'Mari Taylor, Virginia
8. Mike Washington Jr., Arkansas
9. Seth McGowan, Kentucky
10. Nicholas Singleton, Penn State

We were bound to see a drop-off in the depth of this year’s running back class after so many great players at the position graduated to the NFL last year. One player who would fit in with any class is Notre Dame’s Jeremiyah Love, who led the Power Four with a 93.7 PFF rushing grade en route to winning the Doak Walker Award as the nation’s best running back.

It’s entirely possible that we won’t see another running back selected within the first two rounds of the draft after Love. Johnson, Coleman, Allen and Taylor offer early-down efficiency and toughness but lack the breakaway speed to consistently threaten defenses. Price, Washington and Singleton have all the athletic ability in the world but are a bit raw and have never proven themselves as every-down workhorses.

Wide Receiver

1. Makai Lemon, USC
2. Jordyn Tyson, Arizona State
3. Carnell Tate, Ohio State
4. Denzel Boston, Washington
5. KC Concepcion, Texas A&M
6. Elijah Sarratt, Indiana
7. Omar Cooper Jr., Indiana
8. Chris Bell, Louisville
9. Germie Bernard, Alabama
10. Malachi Fields, Notre Dame

The top three wide receivers separate themselves from the rest of the pack. The Biletnikoff Award-winning Lemon led the nation with a 91.4 PFF receiving grade in 2025. Tyson comes with injury concerns but has proven over the past two seasons that he can carry an offense when needed. Tate is built in the George Pickens mold as a player who can dominate vertically and outside the numbers.

The next bucket of players includes Boston, Concepcion, Sarratt and Cooper. Boston brings a similar skill set to 2025 second-round pick Jayden Higgins as a 6-foot-4 weapon who can torch man coverage. Concepcion offers a dynamic after-the-catch threat, as well as elite punt return ability. Sarratt and Cooper were both extremely productive as part of Indiana’s extraordinary breakout over the past two seasons.

Tight End

1. Kenyon Sadiq, Oregon
2. Max Klare, Ohio State
3. Eli Stowers, Vanderbilt
4. Jack Endries, Texas
5. Justin Joly, North Carolina State
6. Michael Trigg, Baylor
7. Tanner Koziol, Houston
8. Eli Raridon, Notre Dame
9. Dallen Bentley, Utah
10. Sam Roush, Stanford

Sadiq stands at the top as an athletic freak with an angry play style, particularly when in space and on the move. His lack of consistent production doesn’t make him a sure bet like Brock Bowers or Colston Loveland, but he offers enough two-way ability to make a real impact in the NFL.

Klare and Stowers are the next two most intriguing players for me. Klare’s receiving production dropped after he transferred to Ohio State, but the Buckeyes simply didn’t use him the way Purdue did. He did gain valuable in-line experience and was a top-25 blocker at the position in 2025. Stowers is a dynamic receiver who has played the position for less than three full seasons. If he can add some weight and improve to the point where he is an average blocker, he can be a real matchup problem in the NFL.

Offensive Line

1. T Francis Mauigoa, Miami (FL)
2. G Olaivavega Ioane, Penn State
3. T Spencer Fano, Utah
4. T Kadyn Proctor, Alabama
5. G Emmanuel Pregnon, Oregon
6. T Monroe Freeling, Georgia
7. T Caleb Lomu, Utah
8. T Blake Miller, Clemson
9. T Max Iheanachor, Arizona State
10. G Chase Bisontis, Texas A&M

The offensive linemen in this class seem to be clustered closely at the top. In my opinion, Mauigoa and Ioane are the safest prospects who offer high-level pass protection and downhill power in the run game. Fano and Freeling are both incredibly athletic players who bring high ceilings.

One player I believe should merit consideration in the second half of the first round is Oregon guard Emmanuel Pregnon. He was the highest-graded and most-valuable guard in the Power Four this past season — and one of just two qualified offensive linemen in the nation to earn 85.0-plus PFF grades as a run blocker and a pass protector.