Top 2026 NFL Draft prospects reveal what teams will be getting if they call their name Thursday night

The agelong hold is over, arsenic the 2026 NFL Draft is acceptable to footwear disconnected connected Thursday nighttime successful downtown Pittsburgh with what's expected to beryllium rather the entertaining archetypal round.

It's a virtual fastener that the Las Vegas Raiders, owners of the No. 1 wide pick, prime Indiana backmost Fernando Mendoza to statesman the draught successful hopes helium tin beryllium their franchise antheral for years to come. From there, the mock drafts are each implicit the place, which is ever a motion for immoderate fun, and adjacent chaos, arsenic the draught rolls along.

However, determination are those who person cemented themselves arsenic first-round endowment entering Thursday night, whether it's done the NFL Combine and Pro Day workouts, top-30 visits to antithetic franchises, what they enactment connected portion during their assemblage careers, oregon each the above.

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Arvell Reese of Ohio State participates successful the 2026 NFL Scouting Combine astatine Lucas Oil Stadium successful Indianapolis, Ind., connected Feb. 26, 2026. (Cooper Neill/Getty Images)

Either way, the prospects person done each they tin bash -- present it's up to the teams to find if they acceptable what they request to succeed.

Fox News Digital had the privilege of speaking to immoderate of those imaginable first-round picks starring up to the commencement of the NFL Draft, and each of them was asked the aforesaid question: "What volition an NFL squad beryllium getting from you if they were to telephone your sanction connected draught night?"

Here are immoderate of their answers:

OHIO STATE OLB ARVELL REESE: "I deliberation an NFL squad is going to get idiosyncratic who loves the game, who loves football. Then, they’re going to get idiosyncratic who plays the crippled violently. ...On apical of that, you person to play with relentless effort. So, I deliberation an NFL squad is getting that retired of maine — idiosyncratic who plays with relentless effort, idiosyncratic who looks guardant to playing violently. You person to look guardant to playing it violently."

Reese is rather the carnal specimen, lasting moving a sub-4.5 40-yard dash astatine the NFL Combine astatine 6-foot-4, 241 pounds, and galore experts judge helium tin inactive turn into his assemblage and his crippled connected the field. He was named an All-American successful 2025, racking up 6.5 sacks and 10 tackles for nonaccomplishment for the Buckeyes, though their play ended by the hands of the Miami Hurricanes successful the archetypal circular of the College Football Playoff.

Now, Reese heads into the draught looking astatine a perchance abbreviated nighttime erstwhile the timepiece starts ticking. Some person him mocked to the New York Jets astatine No. 2 overall, and galore judge helium won't beryllium disposable erstwhile the apical 10 picks are made. Either way, the borderline rusher is viewed arsenic an contiguous interaction subordinate connected the antiaircraft enactment wherever helium lands.

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OHIO STATE S CALEB DOWNS: "I would picture [myself] arsenic a precise instinctual subordinate with a large caput for the game, but besides each the carnal attributes that you’re going to need. A subordinate that, wherever you consciousness similar the ball’s at, that’s wherever you privation him to be. Put him astatine the [point of attack] and he’s going to bash what helium does."

Caleb Downs of the Ohio State Buckeyes looks connected earlier the College Football Playoff quarterfinal crippled against the Miami Hurricanes astatine AT&T Stadium successful Arlington, Texas, connected Dec. 31, 2025. (CFP/Getty Images)

A antiaircraft Swiss Army knife, Downs has simply made plays each passim his assemblage career, which began astatine Alabama earlier transferring to the Buckeyes and helping them triumph the 2025 nationalist championship.

Like his Ohio State teammate successful Reese, Downs isn't expected to beryllium disposable aft the archetypal 10 picks, but wherever precisely helium lands remains to beryllium seen. The New York Giants astatine No. 5 has been a fashionable spot, particularly considering the examination to Kyle Hamilton, whom John Harbaugh coached with the Baltimore Ravens earlier moving connected to New York. But teams similar the Washington Commanders (No. 7), New Orleans Saints (No. 8) and Kansas City Chiefs (No. 9) are besides intriguing to watch, arsenic is simply a imaginable trade.

Downs had 164 solo tackles, 1.5 sacks, six interceptions and 12 passes defended passim 44 vocation assemblage games, earning himself 2 All-American nods successful the process during his clip astatine Ohio State. If a squad is looking for a versatile defender, who tin excel nary substance the assignment, Downs has positioned himself arsenic that antheral successful this draft.

ALABAMA QB TY SIMPSON: "I deliberation it starts with my property and however I tin instrumentality implicit a locker country and a franchise. Aa s quarterback, you privation to spell successful there, rally the troops, and beryllium an power to radical there. So, each 30 visits, each clip I talked to a team, each clip I Zoom’d with them, I hoped to amusement my personality, my leadership, but besides my shot cognition and shot IQ. The pat speaks for itself, but a feline who gets radical to elevate their play astir him is what you privation successful a quarterback. I afloat consciousness similar I tin bash that."

Simpson's assurance is what makes him who helium is connected the shot field, whether it's threading a walk done defenders to his intended target, oregon utilizing his legs to prime up important yardage. He told Fox News Digital that his Christian religion plays a ample portion successful playing assured and free, and helium afloat intends to bring that to whichever NFL franchise wants him.

Ty Simpson of the Alabama Crimson Tide runs with the shot against the Indiana Hoosiers successful the College Football Playoff quarterfinal astatine Rose Bowl Stadium successful Pasadena, Calif., connected Jan. 1, 2026. (Luke Hales/Getty Images)

Will that beryllium successful the archetypal round? While Simpson has maintained his presumption that helium has first-round talent, it volition beryllium absorbing to spot if an NFL squad thinks the aforesaid done the archetypal 32 picks. If helium doesn't get taken connected Thursday night, galore mock drafts judge helium volition beryllium taken rapidly connected Friday, possibly to the Arizona Cardinals, the squad with the No. 3 wide prime successful the archetypal round, but besides the 2nd wide prime successful the 2nd round. The Jets are besides intriguing with 4 picks successful the apical 44 (Nos. 2, 16, 33, 44).

Either way, Simpson is excited to deed the crushed moving and beryllium his worthy to whichever franchise takes him this week.

TEXAS TECH LB JACOB RODRIGUEZ: "I deliberation they’re astir to get idiosyncratic who’s consistent. Somebody who is of large quality and integrity, and idiosyncratic you privation to enactment successful a enactment position. I deliberation it’s somebody, particularly successful the mediate of the defense, tin occurrence guys up to get them acceptable to play and person idiosyncratic who’s going to beryllium steady. I’m truly excited to get to wherever I get the privilege of surviving and playing in, but much excited to conscionable the people, conscionable my teammates and each the radical I’m going to beryllium around."

Rodriguez wasn't ever the epitome of the modern time mediate linebacker -- helium wanted to beryllium a backmost coming retired of precocious schoolhouse successful North Texas. He initially went to the University of Virginia with that successful caput earlier the Red Raiders believed helium could marque the power to defense, arsenic they saw him arsenic a information oregon mediate linebacker.

The modulation was worthy the risk, arsenic Rodriguez rapidly developed into a antiaircraft anchor for Texas Tech, and helium genuinely elevated his game, and draught stock, during the 2025 season. Rodriguez won the Chuck Bednarik, Bronko Nagurski, Dick Butkus and Vince Lombardi Awards successful 2025, portion being named a unanimous All-American aft racked up a career-high 128 combined tackles (11 for loss), 4 interceptions, 1 sack, six passes defended and 2 fumble recoveries, 1 of which helium brought backmost for six points. His 7 forced fumbles led each of assemblage shot done 14 games.

Texas Tech antiaircraft backmost Jacob Rodriguez leaves the tract earlier the crippled against Oklahoma State astatine Jones AT&T Stadium connected Oct. 25, 2025. (Michael C. Johnson/Imagn Images)

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Rodriguez's portion has gotten amended by the season, and possibly he's not adjacent astatine his champion yet considering the presumption change. But there's nary questioning his speed, aggression, and precocious shot IQ should construe successful the NFL.

Will helium beryllium a first-round pick? That remains to beryllium seen, but helium shouldn't past agelong successful the 2nd circular arsenic idiosyncratic who has cemented himself a apical imaginable successful this year's draught class.

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