Nowakowski will enter a tight end room with Darnell Washington and Pat Freiermuth. He’s unlikely to see consistent playing time behind the veterans. Nowakowski (6’2/250) spent six years in the Big 10, with the first five coming at Wisconsin. He transferred to eventual national champion Indiana for 2025, where he proceeded to nearly double his previous career receptions total. He enters the pros with just 50 grabs across 50 college appearances, though the 32 he posted in 2025 provide hope he could eventually be more than just a blocker. But “just a blocker” is what he is at the moment, and not a particularly big one at that. Built much more like a fullback than tight end, Nowakowski will have to learn to ply his trade on special teams before getting a shot on offense.
Prunty is a former five-year college player. He spent his first season at Kansas in 2020 before transferring to North Carolina A&T. After three seasons there, he transferred to Wake Forest for his final college season. He measured 6’1/190 at Wake Forest’s Pro Day before running a 4.45-second 40 and a 6.82 three-cone drill. PFF credits Prunty with eight forced incompletions, one interception, 38 solo tackles, one TFL, three quarterback pressures and one sack last year. He graded out well in run defense in four-of-five seasons, notably earning a 70.9 PFF run-defense grade in 2025. He also garnered third-team All-ACC honors last year, and each of the past two seasons, plus third-team All-CAA honors in 2023 and 2024.
Styles Jr. (6’0"/194) is a traits-driven projection after converting from wide receiver, pairing a near-perfect 9.99 RAS with rare verified speed (4.27s, 100th percentile) and explosiveness that immediately pops in transition reps and recovery situations. Over 334 career coverage snaps, he allowed 31 receptions on 51 targets (60.8 percentile) for 340 yards with a 66.0 coverage grade in 2025, showing incremental growth after a 48.2 mark the year prior. Styles’ 11.0 yards per reception allowed and 67-yard long reception underscore the current gap in route recognition and deep-phase tracking. He does flash improving ball skills underneath, smoother short-area transitions and special teams value, backed by 13 stops and 31 tackles despite a 15.9 percent missed tackle rate. Styles remains an upside bet as a developmental outside corner whose elite athletic ceiling will intrigue teams, but his lack of instincts and route anticipation likely caps his upside.
Cuevas (6’3/245) worked his way up the college football ladder, spending two seasons at FCS Cal Poly before a one-year layover in Washington. He arrived at Alabama in 2024 and proceeded to catch 53 passes in 25 games. Good, if not great, production for a size ‘tweener. A potential future H-back or fullback, Cuevas is lauded for his blocking work. Throwing haymakers out in front of the running back could end up Cuevas’ NFL calling, though NFL.com’s Lance Zierlein has praised his receiving upside, saying he “pairs burst/route knowledge to compete against man coverage over the first two levels and is a reliable target in traffic.” Cuevas is a Day 3 talent with some long-term upside.
Randall could be the next big-bodied WR-to-RB convert to earn an NFL roster spot. He suffered a torn ACL during a 2022 spring practice and recovered in time to resume playing in Week 3 that year. Randall’s splash plays in the run game and return game late in 2024 inspired coach Dabo Swinney to move Randall from WR to RB for the 2025 season. Built to handle a three-down workload, Randall, 21, measured 6’3/232 at the NFL Scouting Combine. In his lone season at running back, Randall produced a 168/814/10 rushing line and a 36/254/3 receiving line. Randall is still learning how to play running back, so he comes with a very low floor, but his frame and dual-threat profile make him a name to know for fantasy purposes. He will likely get a crack at replacing Keaton Mitchell’s part-time role as a rookie.
Masses is a wiry cornerback, standing 6’1/179. He spent three seasons at Florida International before transferring to Cal last year. Pro Football Focus credits him with nine pass breakups in 2025, tying for fifth among P4 cornerbacks. Masses made the CUSA All-Freshman team in 2022 and earned second-team All-American honors in 2025. His slenderness could be an issue at the pro level, but he has the frame to add weight. Masses joins a Raiders secondary that allowed the league’s ninth highest drop back EPA in 2025.
Allen (5’11/180) played for three schools in four years, finishing his college career with 51 receptions for 674 yards and 13 touchdowns in 2025 at Cincinnati, adding seven carries for 20 yards. He began at Louisiana Tech, tallying his college career-best 778 receiving yards with the Bulldogs as a sophomore. After a junior year stint at Texas A&M saw low usage, he transferred to Cincinnati and led the Bearcats in receiving. Though Allen has a smaller frame, he is quick at getting open and is shifty in open space. His draft stock rose further after a crisp route-running display at the Senior Bowl. Allen can compete for a wide receiver depth spot as a later-round pick.
Coleman (5’10/179) spent his college career with four teams in four seasons, starting at Jackson State with Travis Hunter and Deion Sanders. After Hunter and Sanders left for Colorado, he hopped to Louisville and Mississippi State before finishing at Missouri. Coleman spent much of his college career as a slot receiver with some punt return ability mixed in. He is undersized but has acceleration and agility to make him an effective ball-carrier in space. Coleman is limited in his route tree with shallow receptions littered across his college production. Despite the lack of vertical receptions and touchdown production, Coleman got the ball a combined 153 times on offense between Mississippi State and Missouri in his final two seasons. He has a chance to stick on an NFL roster as a gadget slot receiver and special teams return man.
The latest North Dakota State QB prospect is perhaps the program’s most athletic. Payton (6’3”/232) ran a 4.56 40-yard dash at the combine and earned an impressive 9.86 RAS to elevate an already intriguing draft stock. Payton is a fifth-year prospect who only saw one season as a starter, but his big-play ability was undeniable. The lefty rushed for 136-777-13 in his final season with the Bison while throwing for 2,719-16-4. His deep ball completion percent numbers look like something out of a video game, as Payton’s 61.9 percent deep completion rate ranks the highest of any QB prospect since 2015, but there’s still plenty of work to be done here. Scouts are quick to criticize Payton’s throwing mechanics, but his profile also has concerning sack-avoiding totals and scramble rates. His career pressure-to-sack rate of 20.6 percent is a general red flag, and his 17.6 percent scramble rate is the highest of any QB prospect since 2018. North Dakota State has offered up several intriguing QB prospects in recent years, with Carson Wentz turning in the most successful pro career to date. Payton will have some work to do if he hopes to get a chance to shine at the NFL level, but even if he doesn’t fully develop as a pro-style QB, he has enough athleticism to possibly contribute as a gadget player in the right scheme. He’ll now have a chance to develop behind Jalen Hurts and could push Tanner McKee for the QB2 job in camp.
Cruz Jr. (6’5/313) possesses rare athleticism, posting a near-perfect 9.99 RAS backed by a blazing 4.94 40 (98th percentile) and an explosive 35” vertical (99th percentile). Cruz logged over 1,800 career snaps with experience at both tackle and guard, turning in an adequate 2025 campaign with a 70.3 overall grade and 67.3 pass-block grade, allowing two sacks and 16 pressures on 354 pass-blocking snaps. He flashes heavy hands and upper-body power, capable of jolting defenders off-balance when he lands cleanly while using his length to control rushers once engaged. Despite the elite testing profile, Cruz’s functional athleticism is more linear than twitchy, as tight hips and average redirection ability show up against inside counters and movement-heavy fronts. With size, length and rare athletic upside, Cruz profiles as a ‘tweener outside/interior lineman with traits worth betting on in a zone-based system, though refinement is needed for him to stick long-term.
Virgil (6’3/187) spent his first three seasons at Miami (Ohio) before transferring to Texas Tech in 2025. He earned second-eam All-MAC honors in 2024, posting a 41/816/9 receiving line and leading his team in receiving touchdowns. He posted a 57/705/6 receiving line after transferring, leading the Red Raiders in receptions. Virgil notably took both of his 2025 season rushing attempts for touchdowns. He recorded seven special teams tackles at Miami, a skill that could help him earn a spot on the active roster as a rookie.
Kansas State OC Sam Hecht is a technically polished interior lineman whose combination of efficiency and functional athleticism fits today’s zone-heavy NFL offenses. Hecht delivered a relatively clean 2025 campaign, posting a 78.1 PFF pass-block grade and 77.7 run-block grade, while allowing just 8 total pressures and zero sacks across the season. He fires off the ball with urgency, consistently reaching landmarks and sealing defenders with quick feet, body control and strong hand placement, traits that showed up during an impressive Senior Bowl week. Athletically, Hecht brings a solid profile with a 7.76 RAS, highlighted by a 1.73 ten-yard split and good short-area quickness, translating to effectiveness on pulls, climbs and blocks in space. His 303-pound frame and average play strength can show up against powerful nose tackles, where he can struggle to anchor against bull rushes and generate knock-back at the point of attack. With clean pass-protection production, positional intelligence and scheme versatility, Hecht projects as an eventual NFL starter in a zone-based system.
Barrett took a redshirt season in 2024, and the 6-foot-2, 313-pound defender was able to make an impact — albeit for a not-so-good Gamecocks’ defense — with 42 tackles, two sacks and a pass breakup in his final year in Columbia. Barrett also tested relatively well in the NFL Combine, finishing with the 12th best athletic score thanks in large part to a 31.5-inch vertical and solid — if unspectacular — results in the shuttle drills. There’s some concern his hand quickness won’t play at the highest level, but he drives through blocks and is athletic enough to get off blocks. Barrett someday could develop into a starter, but he likely begins career as a rotational piece in LA.
Brailsford (6’2/289) is a high-motor, zone-scheme specialist whose elite movement skills and technical polish make him one of the more unique center projections in the 2026 class. Brailsford has logged over 2,600 career snaps between Washington and Alabama, posting a 75.6 PFF pass-block grade in 2025 with a 98.6% pass-block efficiency, allowing just 1 sack and 14 pressures on 575 pass-blocking snaps. His game is built on quickness, timing and angles, consistently reaching landmarks, climbing to the second level and executing pulls with rare fluidity for the position. He tested as a premium athlete with an 8.66 RAS, highlighted by elite speed and explosion metrics (4.95 forty, 1.70 10-yard split, 32.5” vertical, 9’10” broad), traits that show up when he’s working in space. Brailsford compensates for his smaller frame with tenacity, active hands and excellent leverage, but he can be overpowered by bigger nose tackles and might lack the mass to consistently anchor against NFL interior power. His shorter build and limited width can also show up when asked to sustain blocks against length. With elite zone mobility but clear size constraints, Brailsford projects as a scheme-dependent, center-only prospect whose ceiling hinges on landing in a movement-based offense.
Josephs (6’3/242) is a long-levered (34 ¼” arms) edge presence who posted 26 pressures on 160 pass-rush snaps with a laudable 16.3 percent pressure rate, while generating four sacks and three sacks created. He paired elevated pass-rush production with 10 havoc plays, 6.0 TFL and three forced fumbles, flashing impactful run defense acumen. Josephs’ 2.52 time-to-first-pressure and strong 25.9 percent third-down pressure rate highlight his ability to win early in the rep and convert speed into consistent pocket stress. Josephs wins with explosive get-off, linear burst and length, showing the ability to bend the edge or chase from the backside, but his rush plan can be disjointed and overly reliant on first-contact wins. His lack of anchor and developing hand usage limits his ability to stack and shed versus stronger tackles, leaving him susceptible to getting washed out when he doesn’t win early. He projects as a designated pass-rush specialist early in his NFL career with developmental upside, offering situational juice while he refines counters and builds functional strength to handle a full-time workload.
The Raiders get back a 2026 fifth (No. 105 overall) while dealing Wilson and a 2026 seventh (No. 219 overall). The former first-round defensive end will play the 2026 season on an expiring rookie contract after ranking fourth on the team in snaps at defensive end a season ago. Wilson has not yet lived up to the lofty expectations that made him a first-round pick in 2023, with the suddenly surging Saints happy to take on that risk for any potential untapped upside still present in his game.
Jefferson (6’0/223) is a rangy, twitchy WILL linebacker whose 79 tackles, 14 havoc plays and 5.5 TFLs reflect his ability to impact games in space rather than as a true box thumper. He added 3 sacks and generated 5 pressures on just 30 rushes (16.7 percent pressure rate), highlighting his burst and timing as a situational blitzer. Jefferson’s 9.23 RAS is driven by elite agility (6.81 three-cone, 97th percentil) and explosion (38.5” vertical, 95th percentile), allowing him to mirror backs and close quickly from depth. That said, his 223-pound frame shows up against size, as his 82.3 percent tackle rate and limited run-stop total (two) underscore struggles stacking and shedding in tight quarters. Jefferson projects as a sub-package WILL and core special teamer whose coverage range and pressure upside can carve out a role if he improves play strength and block deconstruction.
Stephens (6’6"/315) is a technically polished, zone-scheme interior lineman whose consistency and production give him a reasonably high floor. Stephens delivered an outstanding 2025 campaign with a 91.6 PFF pass-block grade, 83.0 run-block grade, and 99.3 percent pass-block efficiency, allowing just 4 pressures and 0 sacks on 304 pass-blocking snaps. He wins with timing, balance, and hand placement, showing quickness out of his stance and an advanced feel for angles while consistently locating targets on pulls and combo blocks. Stephens has logged extensive experience at both guard spots and plays with a steady, assignment-sound approach, committing just two penalties over the last two seasons, reinforcing his clean, dependable profile. His athletic profile (7.74 RAS) is solid but not elite, and his 31 3/4” arms and average play strength can show up when asked to sustain blocks or handle longer interior defenders. With advanced pass-pro skills and a veteran work ethic, Stephens projects as a zone scheme guard with early rotational value and a path to starting snaps in the right system.
Johnson (5'10/192) turned heads at the Combine with a blistering 4.41 40-yard dash, highlighting elite straight-line speed. His willingness to play above his height and weight down low led to 86 or more tackles in each of his final three collegiate seasons, ultimately racking up 277 tackles since 2023. Johnson earned First-Team All Big-12 honors in 2025 while notching 97 tackles, four interceptions, and seven PBUs. His biggest shortcoming shouldn’t come as a surprise as he struggles to shed blocks as an undersized player, something that could also be an issue at the NFL level when he finds himself in tight end or big-slot coverage underneath. Johnson can immediately contribute to special teams after earning his spot on the roster via those means as a Freshman, with the added potential to play in dime packages early on in his career.
He will join a Carolina coverage unit that gave up the league’s 11th highest drop back success rate and the tenth lowest adjusted yards per attempt in 2025. Wheatley (6’3/203) brings a long, linear frame with adequate athleticism (7.68 RAS) highlighted by strong agility testing (4.11s shuttle, 91st%) despite just average long speed (4.62s, 48th%). He produced 74 tackles with a 74.0% run-stop share and 83.1% tackle rate, operating as a high-volume box/overhang defender who consistently triggered downhill in Penn State’s split-safety structure. In coverage, Wheatley was targeted on just 3.5% of his 309 snaps, but allowed 8-of-11 completions (72.7%) for 72 yards with 2 TDs and a 99.1 QB rating, reflecting limited playmaking (1 INT, 1 PBU) and passive disruption (0.0% forced incompletion rate). His 0.23 yards per coverage snap and ability to limit explosives (one 20+ allowed) speak to disciplined zone spacing and range within structure, even if he rarely challenged at the catch point.
Joly (6’4/241) spent two years at UConn, breaking out in the second with a 52/578/2 receiving line. He then transferred to NC State and upped the ante again with 661 yards and four scores on 43 catches as a junior. Joly’s efficiency plummeted in 2025 and he turned six extra catches into 172 fewer yards, though he did score a career-high seven times. Joly doesn’t have one trait that sticks out as elite, but he can do a lot of things well. He navigates traffic after the catch well but is also aggressive at the catch point, having brought down 66 percent of his career contested targets. The Broncos add Joly as a potential long-term starter in a busy tight end room.
Burton (6’4/312) is a grizzled multi-position interior lineman who finally found his footing at center in 2025, posting a career-best 71.3 overall PFF grade with a strong 79.5 pass-blocking mark while not allowing a single sack across 426 pass-blocking snaps. Burton’s experience shows up in his efficiency, surrendering just 12 total pressures in 2025 (98.6 pass-blocking efficiency) while demonstrating improved poise handling interior movement and late pressure looks. His 9.88 RAS underscores a high-end athletic profile for the position, pairing elite speed (4.94s forty, 98th percentile) with excellent short-area agility (90th percentile shuttle) that translates to reach blocks, pulls, and second-level range in zone-heavy schemes. Burton wins with quickness off the ball, fluid lateral movement, and the ability to refit his hands versus power, though his average core strength limits his ability to consistently anchor against NFL-caliber nose tackles. In the run game, he’s more of a positional wall-off blocker than a true people-mover, relying on angles and footwork rather than displacement power, which can cap his effectiveness in gap-heavy systems. While consistency in mental processing and sustain still needs refinement, Burton projects as a versatile interior option whose athletic profile and positional flexibility give him a pathway to develop into a starting-caliber zone-scheme center.
Dugger (6'4"/240) is a fourth-year prospect who started his career at Georgetown before transferring to Louisiana in 2024. Duggar earned First-team All-Sun Belt Conference honors last season, tallying 125 tackles, 13 TFLs, and four sacks while also forcing one interception. Duggar is a good athlete, but is still learning the position after switching from safety to linebacker after transferring to Louisiana. He’s a developmental project who will likely get his start on special teams with hopes of eventually working his way into a key defensive role in a few seasons.
Abney (5’10/187) is a feisty, undersized cover man whose production and ball skills outpace his modest athletic profile (6.51 RAS, 36th% 3-cone). Across 427 coverage snaps, Abney limited opposing quarterbacks to a 35.4% completion rate (23-of-65) for 255 yards, zero touchdowns and an elite 11.2 NFL passer rating against. His 12 total ball disruptions (2 INTs, 10 PBUs) paired with an 18.5% forced incompletion rate highlight a corner who consistently plays through the hands at the catch point. Abney’s 3.9 yards per target and 0.60 yards per coverage snap underscore efficient coverage that squeezes throwing windows, particularly in off-zone where his route feel and click-and-close ability shine. He adds value in run support with 42 tackles, a strong 91.3% tackle rate and 15.0 havoc plays, though his 17.5% run-tackle involvement reflects limited size and block-shedding range.