The 2026 Draft Class is filled with talented players, giving plenty of NFL franchises the opportunity to add to their rosters. Defense has the edge over Offense in the Round 1 and Round 1-2 Graded players, with 23/39 players lining up on that side of the line. They are led by 3 fantastic prospects, the Buckeye pair of Arvell Reese and Caleb Downs (Colts Wide Receiver Josh Downs’ younger brother and Downs 2 Business podcast co-host) as well as Miami’s Reuben Bain Jr.
For Colts fans waiting until mid/back
half of Round 2 to see their team on the board, there is some good news. The Round 2 Graded players of the Draft have a lot of depth at potential need positions for the Colts. The 28 Player tier has:
- 2 QBs (both may go back to College with remaining eligibility, though there are more QBs in the next tier that could provide some possible starting options/competition)
- 3 Defensive Tackles (all of whom are Nose Tackles to provide depth/succession plan to Grover Stewart)
- 3 Linebackers (Succession plans for older LBs Zaire Franklin & Germaine Pratt, potential WLB starters for more coverage ability)
- 3 Tackles (in case Braden Smith isn’t re-signed/retires, though with the dearth of quality Tackle play he should be a priority)
- 3 RBs (Jonathan Taylor depth/succession plan as he enters his last year of his contract due for a big pay day)
- 4 Safeties (in case Nick Cross isn’t re-signed, valuable depth for a 3 Safety rotation)
- 4 Wide Receivers (in case Alec Pierce isn’t re-signed, but he should be a top priority)
- 4 Defensive Ends (3 Free Agent DEs: Samson Ebukam, Kwity Paye, Tyquan Lewis. DE needs upgrades anyways)
The Colts should feel confident that there will be several players at need (or potential need) positions still available who will be values when they pick in Round 2.
Jay Robins Top 100 Players Big Board 1.0
*BOLD and Italics = Round 1 Grade
**Italics = Round 1-2 Grade
***Bold = Round 2 Grade
****Normal = Round 3 or Lower Grade
- Arvell Reese | LB/DE | Ohio State
- Reuben Bain Jr. | DE | Miami
- Caleb Downs | S | Ohio State
- Jeremiyah Love | RB | Notre Dame
- Fernando Mendoza | QB | Indiana
- Dante Moore Jr. | QB | Oregon
- Jordan Tyson | WR | Arizona State
- Mansoor Delane | CB | LSU
- Francis Mauigoa | T | Miami
- Sonny Styles | LB | Ohio State
- Carnell Tate | WR | Ohio State
- Peter Woods | DT | Clemson
- David Bailey | DE | Texas Tech
- Cashius Howell | DE | Texas A&M
- Makai Lemon | WR |USC
- Jermod McCoy | CB | Tennessee
- Spencer Fano | T | Utah
- Kenyon Sadiq | TE | Oregon
- Caleb Banks | DT | Florida
- Caleb Lomu | T | Utah
- TJ Parker | DE | Clemson
- Keldrick Faulk | DE | Auburn
- Brandon Cisse | CB | South Carolina
- Romello Height | DE | Texas Tech
- KC Concepcion | WR | Texas A&M
- AJ Harris | CB | Penn State
- Denzel Boston | WR | Washington
- Olaivavega Ioane | G | Penn State
- Mason Thomas | DE | Oklahoma
- Colton Hood | CB | Tennessee
- Gennings Dunker | T | Iowa
- Connor Lew | C | Auburn
- Kayden McDonald | DT | Ohio State
- Keith Abney II | CB | Arizona State
- Christen Miller | DT | Georgia
- Chris Bell | WR | Louisville
- Zion Young | DE | Missouri
- Chris Johnson | CB | San Diego State
- CJ Allen | LB | Georgia
- Kadyn Proctor | T | Alabama
- A’Mauri Washington | DT | Oregon
- Emmanuel McNeil Warren | S | Toledo
- LT Overton | DE | Alabama
- AJ Haulcy | S | LSU
- Matayo Uiagalelei | DE | Oregon
- Chris Brazzell II | WR | Tennessee
- Austin Siereveld | T | Ohio State
- Elijah Sarratt | WR | Indiana
- Jake Golday | LB | Cincinnati
- Joshua Josephs | DE | Tennessee
- Dillon Thieneman | S | Oregon
- Emmett Johnson | RB | Nebraska
- Ty Simpson | QB | Alabama
- Max Klare | TE | Ohio State
- Anthony Hill Jr | LB | Texas
- Caleb Tiernan | T | Northwestern
- Gabe Jacas | DE | Illinois
- Ian Strong | WR | Rutgers
- Dontay Corleone | DT | Cincinnati
- Kamari Ramsay | S | USC
- Jadarian Price | RB | Notre Dame
- Jayden Maiava | QB | USC
- Domonique Orange | DT | Iowa State
- JaKobi Lane | WR | USC
- Jonah Coleman | RB | Washington
- Chandler Rivers | CB | Duke
- Emmanuel Pregnon | G | Oregon
- Taurean York | LB | Texas A&M
- D’Angelo Ponds | CB | Indiana
- Deonte Lawson | LB | Alabama
- Jake Slaughter | C | Florida
- Rod Moore | S | Michigan
- Omar Cooper Jr. | WR | Indiana
- Daylen Everette | CB | Georgia
- Eli Stowers | TE | Vanderbilt
- Carter Smith | T | Indiana
- Germie Bernard | WR | Alabama
- Derrick Moore | DE | Michigan
- Blake Miller | T | Clemson
- Julian Neal | CB | Arkansas
- LaNorris Sellers | QB | South Carolina
- Trevor Goosby | T | Texas
- Zachariah Branch | WR | Georgia
- Anthony Lucas | DE | USC
- Skyler Bell | WR | UConn
- Niki Prongos | T | Stanford
- Jack Endries | TE | Texas
- CJ Daniels | WR | Miami
- Darrell Jackson Jr | DT | Florida State
- Akheem Mesidor | DE | Miami
- Jaishawn Barham | DE | Michigan
- Zakee Wheatley | S | Penn State
- Jacob Rodriguez | LB | Texas Tech
- CJ Fite | DT | Arizona State
- Mikhail Kamara | DE |Indiana
- Chase Bistosis | G | Texas A&M
- Boubacar Traore | DE | Notre Dame
- Dani Dennis-Sutton | DE | Penn State
- Bear Alexander | DT | Oregon
- Antonio Williams | WR | Clemson
Positional Rankings
Quarterback
- Fernando Mendoza | Indiana
- Dante Moore | Oregon
- Ty Simpson | Alabama
- Jayden Maiava | USC
- LaNorris Sellers | South Carolina
Running Back
- Jeremiyah Love | Notre Dame
- Emmett Johnson | Nebraska
- Jadarian Price | Notre Dame
- Jonah Coleman | Washington
- Kaytron Allen | Penn State
Wide Receiver
- Jordan Tyson | Arizona State
- Carnell Tate | Ohio State
- Makai Lemon | USC
- KC Concepcion | Texas A&M
- Denzel Boston | Washington
- Chris Bell | Louisville
- Chris Brazell II | Tennesee
- Elijah Sarratt | Indiana
- Ian Strong | Rutgers
- JaKobi Lane | USC
- Omar Cooper Jr | Indiana
- Germie Bernard | Alabama
- Zachariah Branch | Georgia
- Skyler Bell | UConn
- CJ Daniels | Miami
- Antonio Williams | Clemson
Tight End
- Kenyon Sadiq | Oregon
- Max Klare | Ohio State
- Eli Stowers | Vanderbilt
- Jack Endries | Texas
- Michael Trigg | Baylor
Tackle
- Francis Mauigoa | Miami
- Spencer Fano | Utah
- Caleb Lomu | Utah
- Gennings Dunker | Iowa
- Kadyn Proctor | Alabama
- Austin Siereveld | Ohio State
- Caleb Tiernan | Northwestern
- Carter Smith | Indiana
- Blake Miller | Clemson
- Trevor Goosby | Texas
- Niki Prongos | Stanford
Guard
- Olaivavega Ioane | Penn State
- Emmanuel Pregnon | Oregon
- Chase Bistosis | Texas A&M
- Charles Jagusah | Notre Dame
- Keylan Rutledge | Georgia Tech
Center
- Connor Lew | Auburn
- Jake Slaughter | Florida
- Logan Jones | Iowa
- Iapani Laloulu | Oregon
- Pat Coogan | Indiana
Defensive End
- Reuben Bain Jr. | Miami
- David Bailey | Texas Tech
- Cashius Howell | Texas A&M
- TJ Parker | Clemson
- Keldrick Faulk | Auburn
- Romello Height | Texas Tech
- Mason Thomas | Oklahoma
- Zion Young | Missouri
- LT Overton | Alabama
- Matayo Uiagalelei | Oregon
- Joshua Josephs | Tennessee
- Gabe Jacas | Illinois
- Derrick Moore | Michigan
- Anthony Lucas | USC
- Akheem Mesidor | Miami
- Jaishawn Barham | Michigan
- Mikhail Kamara | Indiana
- Boubacar Traore | Notre Dame
- Dani Dennis-Sutton | Penn State
Defensive Tackle
- Peter Woods | Clemson
- Caleb Banks | Florida
- Kayden McDonald | Ohio State
- Christen Miller | Georgia
- Au’Mari Washington | Oregon
- Dontay Corleone | Cincinnati
- Domonique Orange | Iowa State
- Darrell Jackson Jr | Florida State
- CJ Fite | Arizona State
- Bear Alexander | Oregon
Linebacker
- Arvell Reese | Ohio State
- Sonny Styles | Ohio State
- CJ Allen | Georgia
- Jake Golday | Cincinnati
- Anthony Hill Jr | Texas
- Taurean York | Texas A&M
- Deonte Lawson | Alabama
- Jacob Rodriguez | Texas Tech
Cornerback
- Mansoor Delane | LSU
- Jermod McCoy | Tennessee
- Brandon Cisse | South Carolina
- AJ Harris | Penn State
- Colton Hood | Tennessee
- Keith Abney II | Arizona State
- Chris Johnson | San Diego State
- Chandler Rivers | Duke
- D’Angelo Ponds | Indiana
- Daylen Everette | Georgia
- Julian Neal | Arkansas
Safety
- Caleb Downs | Ohio State
- Emmanuel McNeil Warren | Toledo
- AJ Haulcy | LSU
- Dillion Thienemann | Oregon
- Kamari Ramsey | USC
- Rod Moore | Michigan
- Zakee Wheatley | Penn State
