The 2026 Senior Bowl takes place Saturday, Jan. 31 at 1:30 p.m. CST and airs live on the NFL Network. Though the game gets a lot of attention, it’s the practices that generate most of the interest from NFL teams. Often times, media members will stay in Mobile for the three days of practice, only to fly home before the game itself.
With practices starting on Tuesday, Jan. 27, it’s a new-look Senior Bowl this time around. Longtime NFL scout Drew Fabianich has taken over as the Executive Director, and
Panini is the new sponsor (side note: I’ll miss the Reese’s Cups they used to dump on the winning coach at the end of the game). It’s only fitting, then that this year’s class is one of the most talented in recent memory.
I have eight players from the Senior Bowl ranked within the top 40 of my current board for the 2026 NFL Draft. As you’ll soon see, this year’s class of defensive linemen is incredibly stacked, though there are a few other positions with deep classes. This bodes particularly well for the Bears, who figure to have a defensive-heavy approach to the 2026 offseason.
In this article, I’ll be ranking all 137 players who accepted invitations to the Senior Bowl and were announced in the official roster reveal. In addition to that, I’ll do quick positional breakdowns on a few positions that stand out as needs for the Bears in the 2026 offseason.
Note: The Senior Bowl announced ten new participants a few days before the start of practice. Due to time restraints, I will not be able to get to them before practices kick off on Tuesday. I have an existing grade on one of these players and will indicate as such. I will only be ranking the players who were announced in the official roster reveal, though I will watch these players before the 2026 NFL Draft comes around. However, the last-minute additions are as follows:
- James Brockermeyer, C, Miami (FL)
- Devin Voisin, WR, South Alabama
- Markel Bell, T, Miami (FL)
- Keionte Scott, CB, Miami (FL)
- Kaelon Black, RB, Indiana
- Alan Herron, OT, Maryland
- Cyrus Allen, WR, Cincinnati
- Tyren Montgomery, WR, John Carroll
- Matt Hibner, TE, SMU
- Jalen Stroman, S, Notre Dame (Round 7-UDFA)
These are my breakdowns of a few notable positions of need for the Bears, followed by my ranking of all 137 players in the 2026 Panini Senior Bowl.
Edge rusher
Even with Rueben Bain Jr. being at the Senior Bowl but not partaking in practices, the game’s class of edge rushers runs incredibly deep in 2026. Of my top 12 edge rushers — all of whom being in my top 80 — six of them will be at the Senior Bowl, including four in my top 50.
The peak of the class for me is Texas Tech’s David Bailey, who’s overcome his smaller frame for the position to become an elite pass-rushing specialist. His acceleration, flexibility, and deep pass-rushing arsenal allows him to beat offensive tackles in a variety of ways and consistently make plays off the edge. Clemson’s T.J. Parker is a tad lower for me but carries a pro-ready game against the run thanks to his anchor strength and spatial awareness setting the edge. He’s shown more than enough burst rushing the passer over the years, too. The biggest riser for me is Miami’s Akheem Mesidor. I had him as a Day 3 pick going into the season, and he’s far surpassed those preseason expectations. His speed-to-power and strength setting the edge are NFL-ready, and he’s a ferocious pass rusher with solid quickness and a sharp understanding of how to string moves together.
There’s plenty of talent to talk about outside of first-round consideration, too. Of the Senior Bowl edge rushers, I’ll pick out a few who would fit Dennis Allen’s prototype to a T. The first name that comes to mind is Mizzou’s Zion Young; he’s a three-year Power 4 starter with refined hand usage, tremendous size and length, and a strong lower half that can push the pocket and stand his ground in run support. Dani Dennis-Sutton from Penn State is a little more inconsistent, but he has those freakish measurements, power, and flashes of raw athleticism that teams will love. I also like Auburn’s Keyron Crawford as a developmental option. He’s a little light in the pants, but he’s an explosive edge rusher with good length who can bend and turn the corner at a high level.
Defensive tackle
Of my top ten defensive tackles in the 2026 draft, five of them will be attending the Senior Bowl. Of my top 14 defensive tackles, eight of them will be down in Mobile this week. It’s a class that’s deep on Day 2 talent, which bodes incredibly well for the Bears if they pass on an interior defender in Round 1.
Caleb Banks missed most of this year due to injury, but the Florida defender has the length, speed, and pass-rushing acumen to project him as a future impact player. A little further down the board, you have two intriguing nose tackles in Texas Tech’s Lee Hunter and Iowa State’s Domonique Orange. I think Hunter is a little more explosive — thus giving him the slight edge in my rankings — but both are powerful, pro-ready run defenders who can plug the A-gap efficiently.
Gracen Halton from Oklahoma has been a favorite of mine since way early in my 2026 NFL Draft preparations, seeing as though I’m a sucker for an undersized yet insanely athletic defensive tackle. Alabama’s Tim Keenan III is among those joining him in Mobile, and he’s a player I don’t think gets enough buzz; he missed time due to injury this season but is a strong, intelligent run defender who knows how to stack and shed blocks to make tackles. Finally, I’d be remiss if I didn’t mention Mizzou’s Chris McClellan, who’s a thickly built 3-technique with clear power in the run game and raw short-area burst for a 323-pounder. If he becomes more consistent in his weight distribution and hand usage, he has long-term starting upside.
Safety
Outside of Caleb Downs, I don’t think this 2026 draft’s group of safeties is particularly top-heavy. That said, there’s a lot of strong Day 2 value in the class, and the Senior Bowl snagged a lot of those players up this year.
LSU’s AJ Haulcy is currently my top-rated of the bunch, as he’s a hard-hitting defensive back at 222 pounds with quick processing skills in coverage, impressive ball skills, and a high motor. Not too far behind is Emmanuel McNeil-Warren from Toledo, whose size, speed, and intelligence could see him sneak into late Round 1. USC’s Kamari Ramsey might not have the same top-end speed, but his instincts in zone coverage, fluidity in two-high shells, and ability to make plays on the ball make him a starting-caliber prospect.
A little further down Day 2, there are some prospects with serious potential. Genesis Smith from Arizona reminds me of Grant Delpit coming out, being a tall, rangy safety capable of thriving in single-high shells. Penn State’s Zakee Wheatley is more of a downhill defender, showcasing box versatility, good instincts, and impressive physicality. The biggest question mark is South Carolina’s Jalon Kilgore, who’s been primarily a slot defender in college. He’s the most raw of the bunch but is a physical specimen with an impressive 6’1”, 211-pound frame with very good downhill speed.
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