Scouting Report: Three College Football Prospects Reshaping Their Draft Positions for 2026

The 2026 NFL Draft class carries several prospects whose stock has shifted substantially during the 2025 college season. Three players in particular — Arch Manning of Texas, Jeremiah Smith of Ohio State, and Dylan Raiola of Georgia — have altered scouting projections enough to rewrite mock drafts ahead of the April combine in Indianapolis.

Scouting directors from three NFC teams, speaking anonymously to The Athletic last week, said the top 10 has been "more fluid than any year since 2018," with grades separated by single decimal points at positions of need. Below are three players whose tape has provoked the widest range of opinions.

Arch Manning — Quarterback, Texas

Manning, grandson of Archie and nephew of Peyton and Eli, threw for 3,612 yards with 31 touchdowns and eight interceptions in his first full season as Texas's starter, per ESPN. His completion rate of 68.4 percent ranked sixth nationally among qualified FBS quarterbacks. Pro Football Focus graded him as the 2025 college season's top quarterback on throws of 20-plus air yards, with a 124.8 adjusted passer rating.

Where Manning has split scouts is footwork. Former NFL scout Daniel Jeremiah, now of NFL Network, said on his podcast that Manning "has the best arm talent of any Manning" but "drifts backward in his dropback under pressure." Jeremiah grades him as the class's second-ranked quarterback behind Raiola, while ESPN's Mel Kiper has Manning first.

Jeremiah Smith — Wide Receiver, Ohio State

Smith, who declared for the draft January 12 after his sophomore year, posted 1,389 receiving yards and 17 touchdowns in 2025 — both Ohio State sophomore records. The 6-foot-3, 215-pound receiver ran a 4.35-second 40-yard dash at Ohio State's pro day in February, the fastest time recorded by a wide receiver weighing more than 210 pounds since Julio Jones in 2011.

Smith's contested-catch rate of 71 percent ranks first among all FBS receivers with at least 40 such targets, per Pro Football Focus. His route tree remains limited — 74 percent of his targets came on go routes, posts and slants — but scouts regard his ceiling as WR1 level. Four of seven mock drafts now place him in the top three, up from an average of No. 8 in September.

Dylan Raiola — Quarterback, Nebraska (via Georgia Transfer)

Raiola transferred from Nebraska to Georgia in January 2025 and is expected to start in 2026 following Carson Beck's NFL entry. His Nebraska tape from 2024 shows a classic pocket passer with elite arm strength but limited mobility. He completed 62.8 percent of passes for 2,819 yards and 13 touchdowns in a struggling Cornhusker offense.

Scouts expect Raiola's transfer to elevate his grade because of Georgia's NFL-caliber protection and receivers. Jeremiah ranked him second overall in his December mock draft, citing "the cleanest mechanics in the class." Raiola's father, Dominic, spent 14 seasons as center for the Detroit Lions, and Dylan worked throughout high school with quarterback coach Will Hewlett, who has trained Josh Allen and Joe Burrow.

Positional Depth Beyond the Top Tier

The offensive tackle class is considered the deepest since 2020, with five prospects — Alabama's Kadyn Proctor, Ohio State's Josh Simmons, Oregon's Ajani Cornelius, LSU's Will Campbell and Miami's Francis Mauigoa — carrying first-round grades from multiple teams. By contrast, the cornerback class has been described by two AFC directors as "the thinnest in a decade," with only two projected first-round players.

Pass-rusher depth sits somewhere in between. Penn State's Abdul Carter, Oklahoma's R. Mason Thomas and Georgia's Mykel Williams are locks for the opening round. Beyond them, scouts disagree sharply on whether any of the next five will emerge as Day 1 selections.

Combine and Pro Day Schedule

The NFL Combine runs March 31 through April 6 at Lucas Oil Stadium. Pro days follow through April 18. The draft itself is scheduled for April 23 through April 25 in Pittsburgh, with the Tennessee Titans currently holding the first overall pick based on their 3-14 record.

Tennessee general manager Mike Borgonzi told reporters at the NFL Combine media days that the franchise has "not made any decision" on whether to select a quarterback or trade back. Three teams — the Las Vegas Raiders, New York Giants and New Orleans Saints — have been linked to trade-up scenarios involving the top pick.