2026 NFL Draft: Jeremiyah Love Heads NFL 16 prospects Attending Event

Frank Coyle/ Publisher 
     draftinsiders.com

Sixteen prospects have accepted invitations to attend the 2026 NFL Draft in Pittsburgh, which begins at 8 p.m. ET on April 23.

Notre Dame’s jeremiyah Love heads the event after an incredible final season. He is arguably the highest rated player and a probable top five selection.  He is the most NFL ready prospect in this talented draft class.

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Ohio State will have the most attendees with five, followed by Alabama and Miami with two apiece. Ohio State could produce 4 of the top 10 selections with Sonny Styles, Arvell Reese , Caleb Downs and Carnell Tate all considered blue chip prospects.

Player confirmed to attend Position College
David Bailey LB Texas Tech
Rueben Bain Jr. DE Miami
Mansoor Delane DB LSU
Caleb Downs DB Ohio State
Keldric Faulk DE Auburn
Colton Hood DB Tennessee
Makai Lemon WR USC
Jeremiyah Love RB Notre Dame
Francis Mauigoa OL Miami
Kayden McDonald DT Ohio State
Kadyn Proctor T Alabama
Arvell Reese LB Ohio State
Ty Simpson QB Alabama
Sonny Styles LB Ohio State
Carnell Tate WR Ohio State
Jordyn Tyson WR Arizona State

Alabama’s Ty Simpson accepted an invitation to the draft and could be the second QB off the board after Indiana’s Fernando Mendoza. Mendoza is expected to be picked first overall.

Defensive prospects make up 9 of the 16 attendees, reflecting the strength of the draft on that side of the ball. Four highly touted playmakers — USC WR Makai Lemon, Notre Dame RB Jeremiyah Love, Ohio State WR Carnell Tate and Arizona State WR Jordyn Tyson — are confirmed to attend.

The pass-rush talent in this year’s class is very impressive, as is the collection of rushers attending the draft, led by Arvell Reese (Ohio State), David Bailey (Texas Tech), Rueben Bain Jr. (Miami) and Keldric Faulk (Auburn). The one true off-ball linebacker expected in Pittsburgh is Ohio State’s Sonny Styles, an NFL Scouting Combine standout. He is a highly developed prospect who is expected to be a rookie three down starter. He should be select in the top five picks.

The secondary also will be well-represented at the draft. Ohio State’s Caleb Downs, widely viewed as the top safety, along with two top corners, LSU’s Mansoor Delane and Tennessee’s Colton Hood. Downs and Delane are probable top 10 selections off impressive 2025 seasons.

The draft will begin with Round 1 on April 23, followed by Rounds 2-3 on April 24 (7 p.m. ET) and Rounds 4-7 on April 25 (12 p.m. ET).

  NFL Draft 2026 – Yearbook Scouting Report
Sonny Styles – Ohio State

Draft Insiders’ Yearbook – Scouting Reports – over 250 Reports – available now

Sonny Styles #6 – 6-5, 244     Ohio State – Sp. 4.46
    NFL Comparison: Fred Warner         Rating 93

Elite athlete completed his career with an incredible performance at the NFL Combine. Earned All-American and Big Ten first team honors in 2025 showcasing well-developed and well-rounded talent in the process. Former safety is the complete off linebacker with rare size, speed and change of directions skills for the position. More than 40 starts in 53 games outgrew the safety role and moved closer to the line. Ripped frame with quickness and speed for a fulltime defender. Rangy athlete with keen instincts to diagnose quickly with the powerful burst to the ball to finish. Plays an aggressive game with the Mike mentality to line up a defense along with the physical skills to be an early three down starter. Good blitzer with savvy timing and the burst to contribute there, though still raw in that role. In coverage, shows very good COD and route recognition to use his length, speed and quickness. Made 9 sacks, 1 interception and 9 PBUs over his career, matching up with backs and tight ends. Well-rounded and prepared prospect with skill set to line up at a several positions and scheme diverse. Best suited for an off-backer role where his quick diagnostic skills and burst allow him to consistently run to the ball. NFL ready defender and early starting grade with sideline-to-sideline speed and diagnostic skills. Throwback defender and team leader to become a core piece on a unit. Needs to recognize the inside runs quicker to defeat blocking angles. Versatile to play inside in either scheme, and also outside in the 4-3 set at both Will and Sam. Ideal for sub packages. At the NFL Combine, he came in at 6050, 244 lbs., with 32 7/8” arms and 10” hands. Ran a blazing 4.45 time with a 1.56 ten yard split and added a 43.5” VL, an 11’2” BJ and a 7.08 three cone drill. It was an amazing workout which separated him from other prospects. Plays up to that speed with the quick initial burst to beat blocking angles and flow to the ball. Maxes out at 245 lbs. should be his ideal weight. Savvy and well prepared to adjust quickly to the NFL game. Brings fire to a unit and early full-time starter. Top 5 prospect and future Pro Bowler.
Draft Projection: 1st Round – Top 5

NFL Draft 2026 – Yearbook Scouting Report

Jeremiyah Love  – Notre Dame

Draft Insiders’ Yearbook – Scouting Reports – over 250 Reports – available now

Running Back

1 Jeremiyah Love #4             6-0, 212            Notre Dame – Sp. 4.39              Rating 93
           NFL Comparison: Bjorn Robinson

Shifty quick well-built true junior put together an amazing 2025 season which led him to declare for the NFL Draft. Dominant final season where is rushed for over 1300 yards on just 199 carries in 12 games and a potent 6.5-yard average. He coupled with Jadarian Price in the traditionally deep Irish backfield. Explosive and capable of taking any play the distance. Slashing style with definite breakaway ability. Fine combination of short area quickness and long speed. Capable of starting and stopping on a dime with the ability to string multiple moves together. Tough running to bring down when defenders are able to get their hands on him. His cutback ability is outstanding and he can jump cut in the hole to create space and run to daylight. When running wide, he can cut instantly, plant his foot, and explode back against the grain. Shows the uncanny ability to juke a potential tackler and create space. Weaves through traffic with good field speed when he sees a crease. Shows great ball security with no fumbles. His lean strong physique should hold up as well in the NFL. Very tough in short yardage situations where he can run inside and has the quickness to make the edge and score. Shows nice determination as a runner, finishes his runs and usually falls forward getting extra yards after contact. Shows fine vision and balance to read blocks and explode through to the 2nd level. As a receiver, he shows natural talent with sure hands, good routes and the speed to turn the reception into a big play. Currently, he is only marginal in pass protection with raw technique and adequate strength. Needs clear development there to challenge for a feature back role. Overall, very consistent runner due to his natural ability to read blocks, find cutbacks lanes and avoid tacklers. Able to carry the load as a complete back as a workhorse type. At the NFL Combine, he came in 6’ and 212 lbs. and ran a 4.36 time with a 1.55 ten-yard split. Similar to Bjorn Robinson in size, speed, style and versatility. Also, a bigger version of the Lions’ Jahmyr Gibbs in natural abilities. Natural playmaker as a receiver with big play ability. Elusive hard charging runner with developed skills to be a high quality. Proven playmaker with the quickness and long speed to change games. Ability to shift gears and follow blockers with the burst to get outside and make the corner and break plays. Initially, a starting feature back with playmaking talent to give a club an immediate boost. Top blue-chip prospect and early Pro Bowler to be a difference maker with well-rounded talent.
                                                                                               Draft Projection: 1st Round – Top 3-6

Key Pro Days

Frank Coyle / Publisher
         DraftInsiders.com

This week will be a critical part of the final weeks of the Pro day schedule at major universities.  LSU and Miami kick off the week today with multiple prospects in attendance. Whether prospects workout depends on their performance at the NFL Combine and their overall health.  Many prospects sat out or did particle workouts at the NFL Combine. Several top prospects will most likely do positional drills assuming they are healthy. Notre Dame and Texas are scheduled for Tuesday while Ohio State, Texas A&M and Alabama are set for Wednesday. Draft Insiders Yearbook will have detailed scouting evaluation reports related to final workouts and health updates.

Pro Day Schedule – updated

March 23
Alabama State
Boston College
Bowling Green
Duke
LSU
Miami (Fl)
New Mexico
North Carolina,
Rhode Island
SE Louisiana
Toledo

March 24
Auburn
Boise State
Central Connecticut State
Cincinnati
Iowa State
Louisville
North Carolina State
Notre Dame
South Dakota
Texas
UConn
William & Mary

March 25
Alabama
Arizona
Massachusetts
Nebraska
Ohio State
Sam Houston State
Texas A&M
UCF
UNLV
Wake Forest

March 26
Alcorn State
Florida
Grambling State
Jackson State
Pittsburgh
Stony Brook
TCU
Texas Tech
UAB

March 27
Arizona State
Florida State
Houston
Kent State
Maryland
Mississippi State
South Dakota State

March 30
Tennessee State

March 31
Buffalo
Colorado
Northern Colorado
Tennessee

April 1
Indiana
Nevada

April 3
Montana

April 10
Towson

Dolphins Trade WR Jaylen Waddle to Broncos for 2026 1st-round

Frank Coyle/ Head scout

The Denver Broncos made a huge trade today acquiring Dolphin wideout Jaylen Waddle + 4th round pick for the Broncos #1, #3 and #4 selection in the 2026 NFL Draft.

Miami receives Denver’s first-round pick (#30 overall) in April’s draft as well as the Broncos’ 3rd- and 4th-round picks, while the Dolphins are sending their own 4th-round pick to Denver along with Waddle.

The major deal represents the culmination of negotiations that began near last fall at the trade deadline. New Dolphin general manager Jon-Eric Sullivan continues to purge the Miami roster of high priced veterans. The Dolphins now have two #1 picks – #12 and #30 in the first round.

The Broncos have stayed interest in Waddle since the deadline passed on Nov 1st and were finally able to close the deal.  Waddle leaves Miami for a Broncos team which believes it is only a few players from taking the next step to the Super Bowl. Denver won 14 games last season, earned the top seed in the conference and narrowly missed out on reaching Super Bowl LX after Bo Nix fractured his ankle at the end of their Divisional Round win.

It was a significant deal for Denver’s under coach Sean Payton and general manager George Paton to take gambles in 2026. With Nix still under a rookie contract and the team’s talented offensive line and key defenders, the brain trust felt it was the time for Denver to bring in an impact weapon to get this offense a huge boost.

Waddle joins two-time Pro Bowler Courtland Sutton, and an assortment of other weapons to give this attack a critical addition.

Waddle was selected sixth overall in the 2021 draft and has lived up to the high expectations. His five-year career in Miami, he caught 373 passes for 5,039 yards and 26 TDs over 78 career regular-season games. His presence places the Broncos among the highest clubs in the AFC for the 2026 season.

NFL Awards 33 Compensatory Picks to 15 Teams

The NFL announced it has awarded 33 compensatory picks to 15 teams for the 2026 NFL Draft, which will be held April 23-25 in Pittsburgh.

The 33 compensatory picks include one special selection that was awarded at the end of the third round to the Lions for the hiring of former defensive coordinator Aaron Glenn as Jets head coach in 2025. Detroit has traded that pick to the Jaguars. Teams that have had a minority employee hired as a head coach or primary football executive by another club receive special compensatory picks, which were instituted as an amendment to the 2020 Collective Bargaining Agreement in an effort to promote equal employment opportunities.

Separate from the special compensatory picks, a team that suffers a net loss of compensatory free agents (CFAs) during the previous free-agent signing period (2025 March) is eligible to receive compensatory draft picks. Also, a team that lost the same number of CFAs that it gained could be eligible for a selection at the end of Round 7 if the value of the CFAs it lost exceeds that of the CFAs it gained.

The compensatory picks are positioned at the end of Round 3 thru Round 7, with no team allowed to receive more than four. The formula that determines compensatory free agents is based on salary, playing time and postseason honors.

List of compensatory picks awarded to teams for the NFL Draft 2026

Round 3
97. Minnesota Vikings
98. Philadelphia Eagles
99. Pittsburgh Steelers
100. Jacksonville Jaguars (from Lions)*

Round 4
133. San Francisco 49ers
134. Las Vegas Raiders
135. Pittsburgh Steelers
136. New Orleans Saints
137. Philadelphia Eagles
138. San Francisco 49ers
139. San Francisco 49ers
140. New York Jets

Round 5
173. Baltimore Ravens
174. Baltimore Ravens
175. Las Vegas Raiders
176. Kansas City Chiefs
177. Dallas Cowboys
178. Philadelphia Eagles
179. New York Jets
180. Dallas Cowboys
181. Detroit Lions

Round 6
214. Pittsburgh Steelers
215. Philadelphia Eagles
216. Pittsburgh Steelers

Round 7
249. Indianapolis Colts
250. Baltimore Ravens
251. Los Angeles Rams
252. Los Angeles Rams
253. Baltimore Ravens
254. Indianapolis Colts
255. Green Bay Packers
256. Denver Broncos
257. Denver Broncos

Here’s a breakdown of the number of compensatory picks allotted by team 

Team Total compensatory picks
Baltimore Ravens 4
Philadelphia Eagles 4
Pittsburgh Steelers 4
San Francisco 49ers 3
Dallas Cowboys 2
Denver Broncos 2
Detroit Lions 2
Indianapolis Colts 2
Las Vegas Raiders 2
Los Angeles Rams 2
New York Jets 2
Green Bay Packers 1
Kansas City Chiefs 1
Minnesota Vikings 1
New Orleans Saints 1

First Round Mock Draft 4.0

Post NFL Combine

Frank Coyle / Head scout

Team                        Rec    Player    Pos    School

First Round
1 Las Vegas            3-14   Fernando Mendoza  QB   Indiana
2 NY Jets               3-14   David Bailey    Edge    Texas Tech
3 Arizona                3-14   Arvell Reese              LB   Ohio St
4 Tennessee           3-14   Mansoor Delane      CB   LSU
5 NY Giants           4-13    Sonny Styles             LB   Ohio St
6 Cleveland            5-12     Francis Mauigoa     OT  Miami (Fl)
7 Washington                       5-12     Carnell Tate                  WR Ohio State
8 New Orleans                     6-11     Jeremiyah Love            RB Notre Dame
9 Kansas City                       6-11     Rueben Bain                 Edge Miami (Fl)
10 Cincinnati                       6-11     Olaivavega Ioane          G Penn St
11 Miami                               7-10     Keldric Faulk               Edge Auburn
12 Dallas                               7-9-1   Jermod McCoy             CB Tennessee
13 LA Rams (Atl)                 8-9      Makai Lemon               WR USC
14 Baltimore                        8-9       Caleb Downs                 S Ohio St
15 Tampa Bay                      8-9      Kenyon Sadiq               TE Oregon
16 NY Jets (Indy)                8-9      Ty Simpson                   QB Alabama
17 Detroit                             9-8       T.J. Parker                   Edge Clemson
18 Minnesota                       9-8      Dillon Thieneman         S Oregon
19 Carolina                           8-9      Spencer Fano                 OT Utah
20 Dallas (GB)                    9-7-1    Akeem Mesidor            Edge Miami (Fl)
21 Pittsburgh                      10-7      KC Concepcion             WR Texas A&M
22 LA Chargers                  11-6      Chris Johnson               CB San Diego State
23 Philadelphia                  11-6     Jordyn Tyson                 WR Arizona St
24 Cleveland (Jax)            13-4     Brandon Cisse               CB South Carolina
25 Chicago                          11-6      Caleb Banks                  DT Florida
26 Buffalo                           12-5     Chris Brazzell               WR Tennessee
27 San Francisco              12-5      Denzel Boston             WR Washington
28 Houston                       12-5       Monroe Freeling         OT Georgia
29 Kansas City (LAR)      12-5       Colton Hood                CB Tennessee
30 Denver                         14-3       Eli Stowers                   TE Vanderbilt
31 New England               14-3      Caleb Lomu                  OT Utah
32 Seattle                          14-3      Avieon Terrell              CB Clemson

Colts Transition Tag QB Daniel Jones
Cards Release QB Kyler Murray
Jets Franchise Tag RB Breece Hall

Frank Coyle/ Publisher 

The deadline for the Free agency tags ended today at 4 pm. Four players were tagged, three as non-exclusive Franchise players and one transitional tag. Daniel Jones received the Transitional tag after negoiations failed to close a new deal. Jones and the Colts hope to close a deal prior to the start of Free agency on March 11th. The new NFL salary cap of $301.2M will be in place, an increase of over $20M per team for the new open market.

Jones receiving the transitional tag means Colts wideout Alec Pierce will enter free agency on the open market. He is expected to be one of the premier FAs on the market and the highest rated wide receiver. Also, Super Bowl MVP runner Kenneth Walker was not tagged and will test the market. Edge defender, Trey Hendrickson was not tagged after failing to get an agreement done over the past year. He will be highly coveted on the open market and a huge loss for the defense hungry Bengals.

Franchise Tag Players and figures 

WR George Pickens – Dallas – $28.298M

TE Kyle Pitts – Atlanta – $15.045M

RB Breece Hall – NY Jets –  $14.293M

Transition Tag Player and figure

QB Daniel Jones – Colts – $37.833M

Positional Non-exclusive Franchise Tag figures

• Quarterback: $43.895M
• Running back: $14.293M
• Wide receiver: $28.298M
• Tight end: $15.045M
• Offensive line: $25.773M
• Defensive end: $24.434M
• Defensive tackle: $27.127M
• Linebacker: $26.865M
• Cornerback: $21.161M
• Safety: $20.149M
• Kicker/punter: $6.649M

The exclusive tag is often seen as prohibitively expensive, since the team must account for the entire amount on their salary cap that year. Instead, ‘franchise tag’ typically refers to the non-exclusive tag, which allows tagged players to negotiate with other teams. If they agree to an offer sheet, the original team gets a chance to match. If they decline, the player signs with a new team, who must send the original team two first-round picks.

That required compensation often makes negotiating with non-exclusive franchise-tagged players a non-starter. Instead, players on the non-exclusive tag often sign extensions with their original teams with the tag number serving as a key point of reference on a long-term AAV.

Positional figures for Transition tag

• Quarterback: $37.833M
• Running back: $11.323M
• Wide receiver: $23.852M
• Tight end: $12.687M
• Offensive line: $23.392M
• Defensive end: $21.512M
• Defensive tackle: $22.521M
• Linebacker: $21.925M
• Cornerback: $18.119M
• Safety: $16.012M
• Kicker/punter: $6.005M

 Pro Day Schedule

Staff @ draftinsiders.com

The 2026 NFL Scouting Combine has finished and the next step in the NFL Draft process has begun. School Pro Days are scheduled to start following the NFL Combine. Below you’ll see the schedule for college pro days leading up to the NFL Draft 2026.

The schedule date and times are subject to change. Schools can host two pro days to give their players more time to prepare and recover from prior workouts.

 Check back here for updates of the pro day schedule

Upcoming Pro Day Schedule:

March 2
Ball State

March 5
Illinois State
Navy

March 6
Wisconsin

March 9
Lehigh

March 10
Colorado State
Monmouth
Norfolk State
San Diego State

March 11
Kansas

March 12
Clemson
Delaware State
Oklahoma
Oklahoma State

March 16
Abilene Christian
South Carolina
Syracuse
Washington

March 17
Northwestern

March 18
Central Michigan
Georgia
Minnesota
Penn State
Stanford
UTSA

March 19
California
Kennesaw State
Memphis
Michigan State
North Dakota State
Stephen F. Austin
Western Michigan

March 20
Michigan
Vanderbilt

March 23
Alabama State
Bowling Green
LSU
Miami (FL)
New Mexico
Rhode Island
Toledo

March 24
Boise State
Central Connecticut State
Cincinnati
Louisville
North Carolina State
Notre Dame
South Dakota
William & Mary

March 25
Arizona
Massachusetts
Ohio State
Sam Houston State
UCF
UNLV

March 26
Alcorn State
Florida
Grambling State
Jackson State
Pittsburgh
Stony Brook
UAB

March 27
Houston
Kent State
Mississippi State
South Dakota State

March 30
Tennessee State

March 31
Colorado
Northern Colorado
Tennessee

April 1
Indiana
Nevada

April 3
Montana

April 10
Towson

NFL Combine Workout Drills

 Friday – Feb. 27, 3 pm 
   Tight Ends
   Defensive Backs

 Frank Coyle / Head scout

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 NFL Combine News
Sonny Styles had an amazing workout on Thursday. He put up record setting numbers with a 43.5″ VL , 11.2″ BJ , 4.46 time in forty with a 1.56 ten yard split. They are generational numbers for a defender who has been a two-time Big Ten first team performer. His versatility makes him a unique piece for a pro defense and actually makes him attractive to all 32 NFL teams. His 4.46 time was duplicated by his Ohio State teammate linebacker Arvell Reese.

Players to Watch – Friday – Feb 27th

Tight Ends
 
Justin Joly, N.C. State
Expected to shine in passing drills.
 
Max Klare, Ohio State
Polished receiver with precise routes and great hands.
 
Marlin Klein, Michigan
Sleeper prospect looks to impress in drills to move up the charts.
 
Tanner Koziol, Houston
Savvy receiver looks to show high development in passing drills.
 
Joe Royer, Cincinnati
Well-rounded prospect hopes to push into the early rounds.
 
Kenyon Sadiq, Oregon
Talented playmaker can excel in drills and claim a first round grade.
 
Eli Stowers, Vanderbilt
Developed playmaker looks to impress in drills.
 
Michael Trigg, Baylor
Fast playmaker can excel in passing drills.
 
Dae’Quan Wright, Mississippi
Unheralded playmaker can be the big surprise in this class.
 
Cornerbacks
 
Brandon Cisse, South Carolina
Long underclassman can shine here in all drills.
 
Mansoor Delane, LSU
Savvy cover man hopes to claim the #1 corner spot.
 
Chris Johnson, San Diego State
Talented cover man can move up the charts off a strong performance.
 
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