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Steve and I are putting the finishing touches on our preseason evaluation list, built from a combination of last fall's notes, countless conversations with NFL teams, and fresh input from the BLESTO and National scouting services, which finalized their lists just over a week ago. This spring, we leaned on personnel executives more than ever to help ensure our board is as accurate and up-to-date as possible heading into the fall.
All of that has been happening while I was busy getting married to my Carolina girl before heading off to Italy for a couple of weeks to unplug and enjoy our honeymoon. So if parts of these write-ups seem like they were assembled from airports, hotel lobbies, and the Notes app on my phone—it's because they were.
Throughout these reports, I'll be highlighting the top 10-15 prospects at each position and sharing what people in the league have told me about the strength and depth of each group. The goal is to give you an early look at the players we'll be tracking closely throughout the college football season while also laying the groundwork for our Summer Scouting Series.
Yes, quarterbacks will dominate the conversation over the next 11 months—that’s simply the nature of the draft cycle. But before diving into position-by-position breakdowns, it’s worth noting that this class features a handful of truly elite non-quarterback prospects. In my opinion—and in the opinion of many NFL evaluators who have already spent significant time on the class—those players are WR Jeremiah Smith, CB Leonard Moore, edges Dylan Stewart and Colin Simmons, and LB Sammy Brown. They’re legitimate blue-chip talents. More names will undoubtedly emerge as the season unfolds, with WR Cam Coleman among the strongest candidates, but those are the headliners entering the 2026 season
Part 2 of this series—featuring the top defensive prospects to know for the 2027 NFL draft—will be released next Monday.
And after a brief hiatus, the podcast will return the following week, on June 15.
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