- Arvell Reese is the biggest boom-or-bust player in the draft: The State of Ohio linebacker is the projected No. 2 overall pick, even though there are questions about what position he would play in the NFL.
- There are injury concerns with several projected first-round selections: Wide receiver Jordyn Tyson, cornerback Jermod McCoy and defensive tackle Caleb Banks all have injury histories that need to be monitored.
- The 2026 NFL Draft season is here: Try the best in class PFF Mock Draft Simulator and learn about the top prospects of 2026 as you trade and sign for your favorite NFL team.
Estimated reading time: 6 minutes
The 2026 NFL Draft is certainly not as top-heavy as previous drafts. There are few can’t-miss prospects in this class, and most top players have important questions in their scouting reports.
The following are the 10 biggest boom or bust prospects in this upcoming draft: players who have attractive upside but also major concerns that need to be addressed.
LB Arvell Reese, State of Ohio
Reese is currently projected as the second overall pick by the New York Jets, but there are still questions about how he will translate to the next level. For starters, will he be a linebacker, an edge defender, or a combination of both? Many believe he can make the transition from off-ball linebacker to edge defender, as Micah Parsons, Abdul Carter and Jalon Walker have done. However, Reese’s 13% pass-rush winning percentage this year was still significantly lower than all of them in their final collegiate seasons.
Pass-rush winning percentages in senior years of college
Granted, Carter played edge defender in his senior season Penn Statebut he had an even better pass-rush winning percentage of 24.8% when he played linebacker in 2023. Reese also only had a PFF coverage grade of 56.6 this year, which also clouded his future as an off-ball linebacker. He is a physically gifted player who could be a star at the next level, but drafting him will be based more on projection than production.
WR Jordyn Tyson, State of Arizona
Tyson has plenty of production to count on, posting a PFF grade of 89.5 over the past two seasons, which ranks him fifth in the Power Four. The problem with the projected top-10 pick is injuries.
He missed 15 games in the 2022 and 2023 seasons Colorado due to a torn ACL, MCL and PCL. Tyson missed both the Big 12 Championship Game and the 2024 College Football Playoff quarterfinals due to a collarbone injury. He was also out for three games last season due to a hamstring injury.
If Tyson can stay on the field, he could be a No. 1 wide receiver for a franchise. That’s a big ask, though, and his medical records will go a long way in determining how high he is selected in April.
CB Jermod McCoy, Tennessee
Like Tyson, McCoy has phenomenal tape that warrants a high draft selection. He ranked ninth in the FBS with a PFF coverage grade of 89.6 as just a true sophomore. But like Tyson, there are also some injury concerns.
McCoy missed the entire 2025 season with a torn ACL suffered during an offseason workout last January. He is expected to make a full recovery in time for the NFL Combine and a big week there, both on the field and during medical testing, could cement McCoy as a top 15 pick.
EDGE Keldric Faulk, Chestnut brown
Faulk is one of the best edge defenders against the run in this class, with a PFF run defense grade of 89.2 since 2024, which ranks fourth in the Power Four. However, there is a bit more projection as a pass rusher.
His pass-rush winning percentage of 11.6% last season was just 150th among all edge defenders in the country. Faulk also finished 150th in 2024 with an 11.5% winning percentage. For a projected top-15 pick, you’d like a little more polish as a pass rusher.
Faulk is a bit like the Shemar Stewart of this draft class: the tools and run defense are fantastic, but there isn’t much pass-rush production to rely on.
TE Kenyon Sadiq, Oregon
Sadiq appears poised to be the fifth tight end taken in the first round of the past four drafts, joining the likes of Dalton Kincaid, Brock Bowers, Colston Loveland and Tyler Warren. However, his career PFF grade is still nowhere near what those four players had.
Career PFF has been receiving grades among first-round tight ends since 2023
Sadiq is still an excellent separator who plays as a run blocker and is dangerous after the catch. He needs to fix his drop issues and expectations need to be set lower than the first round tight ends we’ve had in recent years.
OT Kadyn Proctor, Alabama
Proctor finally put his freakish tools together this past season, posting a PFF grade of 86.1, which ranked him fourth among all tackles in the country. However, he has a history of getting beat by speed rushers and often struggles in space, thanks to his gigantic 6-foot-4, 366-pound frame. These issues are leading some to wonder if the projected top-20 pick can remain in the NFL at tackle long-term or if he will have to kick inside to guard.
EDGE Cashius Howell, Texas A&M
Howell is a projected top-20 pick thanks to how productive he has been as a pass rusher over the past three years, one-on-one Bowling green and two at Texas A&M. He has posted over 90.0 PFF pass-rush grades in each of those seasons, and his 93.0 pass-rush grade since 2023 is fourth in America.
Howell is a bit undersized, standing at 6-foot-4 and 248 pounds, and it shows in the run game, where he has a career run-defense grade of 73.1. He also reportedly has arms under 31 inches, which would put him in the 0th percentile for edge defenders.
QB Ty Simpson Alabama
In most years, the second-best quarterback in the draft would still be a top-five pick. While Simpson appears to have a stranglehold on QB2 in this class, he could still fall out of the top 20. He was especially impressive in his lone season as Alabama’s starter, leading the FBS with 30 big throws.
Simpson is very good when defenses leave him alone, ranking 11th nationally in both PFF grades when kept clean and when not blitzed. However, he has much more trouble when defenses try to speed him up. Simpson was 87th in passing grade when pressed and 53rd against the blitz. Whoever drafts him would be wise to let him sit for a year while he adjusts to the speed of the NFL.
AT Caleb Banks, Florida
Banks has been a productive pass rusher throughout his career at Florida, which is why he is expected to be a top 25 pick. His 12% pressure rate since 2023 is sixth-most among Power Four defensive tackles during that stretch. However, he missed nine games last season due to a foot injury and only has a career PFF run defense grade of 69.4. Banks had a strong performance at the Senior Bowl, but there are still risks associated with a first-round pick.
WR Zachariah Branch, Georgia
Branch was a top five overall recruit out of high school and finally showed why after transferring to Georgia from USC. The projected top-50 pick’s 82.0 PFF grade led all SEC wide receivers, while his 634 yards after the catch were the second-highest in the Power Four.
However, there are questions about how Branch’s play will translate to the league. Of his 93 targets, 51 came behind the line of scrimmage (54.8%), and his average target depth of 3.6 yards was the fifth-lowest in the country. Is he just a gadget player, or can he use his elite agility and speed to become a more complete receiver in the NFL?
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