2026 NFL Draft Biggest Risers and Fallers Ahead of the Scouting Combine

The reason why the NFL draft fascinates so many and remains compelling throughout the yearly cycle is due to the Forrest Gump effect. No one knows what they're going to get.

Talent evaluation is an inexact science. Everyone from NFL decision-makers to the prospects themselves to fans can't predict exactly what will happen between August, when the most recent college football season begins, to the point when professional organizations are on the clock ready to select their next superstar in April's draft.

To understand how much this process can shift, Bleacher Report identified four prospects on opposite sides of the ledger, who either came out of nowhere to be potential first-round picks, or preseason projected first-rounders, who plummeted throughout the evaluation process. These selections are based on the B/R Scouting Department's preseason rankings and summer scouting.

With the NFL combine set to commence this week, no individuals have done more to help or hurt their draft status before the entire league descends upon Indianapolis.

Riser: LB Arvell Reese, Ohio State

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B/R Ranking: sixth overall

Everyone knew the Ohio State Buckeyes had a first-round linebacker on their roster entering the 2025 campaign. The surprise came when Arvell Reese outplayed Sonny Styles, thus giving the program two linebackers with the potential to be top-15 selections. Reese's performance has been enough to possible warrant a top-five pick.

The reigning Big Ten Linebacker of the Year is currently graded as the sixth overall prospect for the '26 draft class among Bleacher Report's rankings.

"Reese is the most physically impressive linebacker in the 2026 draft class," B/R scout Matt Holder wrote. "Whether he falls into a hybrid role or converts to being a full-time edge defender, the former Buckeye has a bright future as an impact defender in the NFL.

"With elite strength at the point of attack, he can be a very effective run defender and, at just 20 years old—he turns 21 in late August—the 6'4", 243-pound 'backer has a bright future and can be a quality player at the next level."

The reigning Super Bowl champions, the Seattle Seahawks, provided the blueprint of how to confuse and frustrate opposing quarterbacks with disguised overload blitzes. But the right talent needs to be in place for this approach to work. Reese has the ability to change a unit's approach.

The consensus All-American is a capable and comfortable off-ball linebacker, with potential to competently produce as an edge-defender. A creative coordinator will see Reese's skill set and use him all over the defensive front seven.

His upside, athleticism and versatility took Reese from a rotation piece during the Buckeyes' national championship run to possibly becoming the first defensive prospect off the board in the 2026 draft class.

Riser: WR Makai Lemon, USC

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B/R Ranking: 12th overall

Much like Arvell Reese, USC wide receiver Makai Lemon wasn't the most lauded prospect among his own position group entering the 2025 campaign. Ja'Kobi Lane didn't see a significant uptick in performance and just missed the other half of this article after failing to impress. Instead, his running mate became the nation's best wide receiver.

Lemon blossomed with 1,156 receiving yards and 11 touchdown catches on his way to winning the Fred Biletnikoff Award. The true junior managed only 852 yards and three scores through his first two seasons.

The 5'11", 190-pound target may not be a typical X-receiver to warrant WR1 status in most draft classes. However, he's in the conversation alongside Arizona State's Jordyn Tyson and Ohio State's Carnell Tate to be the first off the board in April, because his next team already knows exactly where he can win.

"Lemon is pound-for-pound the toughest receiver in the nation and terrorizes defenses after the catch," B/R scout Dame Parson wrote.

"Lemon plays both in the slot and outside as the Z-receiver but projects best as a predominant slot target. His toughness, spatial awareness, and tackle-breaking prowess enable him to consistently gain yards after the catch."

The reigning Polynesian College Football Player of the Year has the skill set to serve as a security blanket in an NFL offense, while doing the little things to make a unit ultra-successful.

Riser: S Emmanuel McNeil-Warren, Toledo

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B/R Ranking: 19th overall

Any small-school prospect has an uphill climb throughout the draft evaluation process, even if they come from a program that recently developed top talent.

Quinyon Mitchell is already one of the NFL's best cornerbacks. He needed to prove himself every step of the way during the 2024 cycle after playing at Toledo. Safety Emmanuel McNeil-Warren may benefit somewhat from Mitchell's success, though he's worthy of first-round consideration unto himself.

"Something must be in Toledo's water," B/R scout Daniel Harms wrote, "because the Rockets have another hard-hitting, multi-talented defensive back who is going to make an NFL impact in McNeil-Warren. The safety is a physical tone-setter, who understands how to put his stamp on a football game."

McNeil-Warren wasn't a complete unknown while playing in the MAC. He started three seasons. However, his junior campaign ended early because of injury. As a result, he had to show what he was capable of during his final season on campus and did so. The safety stuffed the stat sheet with 77 total tackles, 5.5 tackles for loss, two interceptions, five defended passes and three forced fumbles.

The first-team All-MAC defender is an excellent box safety with good coverage skills against opposing tight ends. He clearly has the ability to create an impact in Year 1, even if former teammate Mitchell set a extremely high bar.

Riser: DL Kayden McDonald, Ohio State

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B/R Ranking: 24th overall

Ohio State is a blueblood, collegiate program that doesn't rebuild. The Buckeyes reload.

Case in point, starting defensive tackles Tyleik Williams and Ty Hamilton were both drafted a year ago, yet their backup at the time, Kayden McDonald, should be selected higher than both. The Detroit Lions set the bar when they chose Williams with the 28th overall pick.

McDonald is a pure nose tackle, who made life much easier on the team's future first-round linebackers, Arvell Reese and Sonny Styles.

"While McDonald's technique is a work in progress, he displays a unique ability to get himself out of bad positions and dominate against the run thanks to his rare combination of size (6'3", 326 lbs), strength and athleticism," Holder wrote. "Also, his fundamentals improved down the stretch of this past season."

As a true junior, the 20-year-old McDonald more-than-doubled his reps from one season to the next and flourished. He has an immediate NFL role as a run defender, with the upside to potentially grow as an interior pass-rusher.

"The projected first-round pick led all Power Four interior defenders in PFF grade (86.5), while his 91.2 run-defense grade led the nation. McDonald recorded 34 defensive stops, which ranked second among Power Four interior defenders," Max Chadwick noted.

Faller: QB Cade Klubnik, Clemson

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B/R Ranking: 124rd overall

"Wait until next year's quarterback class" became the common sentiment prior to the 2025 NFL draft. This latest group of signal-callers is exactly why an NFL team shouldn't look ahead and build a plan around waiting for something that may never come to fruition.

For example, Cade Klubnik was widely considered a first-round projection prior to the start of the '25 campaign. During the prior season, Klubnik threw for 3,639 yards, ran for 463 more and contributed 43 total total touchdowns, while leading the Tigers to the College Football Playoff.

Klubnik was counted among a group of quarterbacks, potentially a half-dozen or so, that could all find their way into the opening frame. Six months later, only one quarterback, Indiana's Fernando Mendoza, is considered first-round lock, while Klubnik is now considered a Day 3 option by the B/R Scouting Department and barely squeezed into the site's latest Top 125.

In Klubnik's case, he labors to read the field and make proper decisions. He became too reliant on simple reads or relied on his athleticism to make plays. As such, the 22-year-old didn't progress as expected this fall.

"He struggles with post-snap reads," Parson wrote. "Too often, Klubnik believes what the defense is showing pre-snap, and the transition post-snap after the picture changes creates delayed reads and confusion.

"Klubnik's processing of information also needs to speed up. He teeters between being early and being late. When he throws late, the ball enters vulnerable windows, giving the defenders an opportunity to make a play."

Clemson's three-year starter should be viewed as a project with significant upside more than a polished product ready to step in after being a high-round selection.

Faller: WR Antonio Williams, Clemson

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B/R Ranking: 142nd overall

The intention is not to piled onto Clemson prospects after including Cade Klubnik a second ago. Clearly, the entire program disappointing in 2025, which bled into individual performances from many of the Tigers' top names, including defensive tackle Peter Woods and edge-defender T.J. Parker, who are still considered first-round talents but nowhere near as highly regarded as when the campaign began.

Wide receiver Antonio Williams also had his issues. Obviously, Klubnik's issues certainly made life more difficult on the quarterback's top target. Williams' also experience a serious downturn in production, going from75 receptions, 904 receiving yards and 11 touchdowns to 55/604/4 a season later.

The team's difficulties exposed individual concerns. In Williams' case, his problems are a byproduct of being a smaller receiver without dynamic qualities.

According to Parson, Williams, "lacks the explosiveness to produce big plays out of the slot." His "routes will need refining, emphasizing attention to detail. [He] freelances mid-stem and does not produce sharp cuts at the break point." The Clemson product "possesses average acceleration/burst out of his breaks to generate great amounts of space." Finally, he's "inexperienced versus press coverage and needs to showcase he has the releases and ability to defeat it."

The 5'11", 190-pound target's game is predicated on short-area quickness, a level of toughness working over the middle of the field, understanding where to exploit zone coverage and creating after the catch. He clearly has a role in the NFL as a slot option yet fails to provide much more.

Faller: RB Nicholas Singleton, Penn State

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B/R Ranking: 171st overall

Nicholas Singleton went from potentially earning RB1 status in the 2026 class to not even being the top-rated running back prospect from his own collegiate team. Kaytron Allen had a significantly better final season for Penn State, which is why he is currently viewed as a Day 2 NFL draft prospect.

Singleton, meanwhile, looked like a future star in 2022 when he ran for over 1,000 yards and was named the Big Ten Freshman of the Year. As a true sophomore, Singleton became a more well-rounded back and contributed over 1,000 yards from scrimmage. He and Allen continued to share the backfield in 2023. Both ran for over 1,000 yards. While the two have been inextricably linked throughout their collegiate careers, Singleton took a significant step back this past season and didn't look like the same ball-carrier from earlier.

His explosiveness is still present, though Singleton is now seen as more of a complementary option than a potential workhorse.

"Singleton is a straight-line and downhill runner who lacks the wiggle to create for himself," Parson wrote. "He isn't elusive to make defenders miss in a phone booth and relies on power to get through traffic.

"[His] reading and processing information on zone runs is hit or miss. Penn State's dynamic back does not have a natural feel for zone concepts. There is hip tightness when he needs to rotate and become a one-cut runner. The inability to string together quick lateral cuts hampers his ability to negotiate quick backfield penetration."

To make matters worse, Singleton suffered a broken foot during Senior Bowl practices.

Professional backfields are often made up of two or three options. Singleton will fit right in after years of a similar workload at Penn State. Nonetheless, the former 5-star recruit didn't quite live up to expectations with the NFL draft now on the horizon.

Faller: OT Isaiah World, Oregon

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B/R Ranking: 189th overall

No prospect plummeted throughout the current draft cycle more than offensive tackle Isaiah World. Expectations were sky high after the three-year starter at Nevada transferred to Oregon, but they were contingent on three factors.

World has the physical makeup of a future first-round pick. After all, he's massive human being at a listed 6'8" and 318. Second, he brought experience playing right and left tackle. Finally, Oregon is one of the nation's programs known as an offensive line factory to help in World's development as a technician.

Unfortunately, the transfer project was exposed against top competition, particularly during the College Football Playoff. He was regularly beaten by that level's best edge-defenders. World failed to use his size and length to his advantage and found himself in his quarterback's lap all too often when the games mattered the most.

To be fair, an expectation of improvement was baked into World's preseason projection. The opportunity to play for the Ducks should have been a launching pad toward elite status. Instead, a lack of refinement became glaringly obvious and an impossible obstacle to overlook.

"World is a tools-y, loose mover with an explosive first step and jarring hands," B/R scout Brandon Thorn wrote. "Those traits are overshadowed by too many quick, glaring losses due to an unrefined skill-set. World's combination of physical tools and flashes warrant a Day 3 draft pick, and he can work toward a role over the course of his rookie contract."

The offensive tackle's draft journey became even more difficult to navigate when he suffered a torn ACL during the Ducks' loss to the Indiana Hoosiers.

NFL organization's are always searching for offensive linemen with the traits to become a professional blindside protector. World has the physical ability, but he's a mess technically and his current injury status should push him all the way into late Day 3.