Where Did B/R NFL Scouting Dept.'s Top 100 Players Land in 2026 NFL Draft?

The 2026 NFL draft began as everyone predicted it would with Fernando Mendoza going No. 1 overall but it wasn't long before things veered into unexpected territory.

Teams began reaching for prospects well ahead of where their pre-draft grades suggested they should be taken, opening the door for other clubs to pounce on value when they got on the clock.

With that in mind, let's highlight where each of the top 100 prospects on the Bleacher Report Scouting Department's final big board landed, pointing out some of the biggest steals, reaches and other insights gleaned from the 2026 NFL draft results.

B/R Scouting Department Top 100 Draft Results

B/R	Player	Pick	Drafted By
1	S Caleb Downs, Ohio State	11	Dallas Cowboys
2	RB Jeremiyah Love, Notre Dame	3	Arizona Cardinals
3	QB Fernando Mendoza, Indiana	1	Las Vegas Raiders
4	LB Arvell Reese, Ohio State	5	New York Giants
5	Edge Rueben Bain Jr., Miami	15	Tampa Bay Buccaneers
6	LB Sonny Styles, Ohio State	7	Washington Commanders
7	Edge David Bailey, Texas Tech	2	New York Jets
8	CB Mansoor Delane, LSU	6	Kansas City Chiefs
9	WR Jordyn Tyson, Arizona State	8	New Orleans Saints
10	WR Carnell Tate, Ohio State	4	Tennessee Titans
11	CB Jermod McCoy, Tennessee	101	Las Vegas Raiders
12	WR KC Concepcion, Texas A&M	24	Cleveland Browns
13	IOL Olaivavega Ioane, Penn State	14	Baltimore Ravens
14	WR Makai Lemon, USC	20	Philadelphia Eagles
15	OT Spencer Fano, Utah	9	Cleveland Browns
16	IOL Francis Mauigoa, Miami	10	New York Giants
17	TE Kenyon Sadiq, Oregon	16	New York Jets
18	S Dillon Thieneman, Oregon	25	Chicago Bears
19	DL Keldric Faulk, Auburn	31	Tennessee Titans
20	S Emmanuel McNeil-Warren, Toledo	58	Cleveland Browns
21	CB Avieon Terrell, Clemson	48	Atlanta Falcons
22	WR Omar Cooper Jr., Indiana	30	New York Jets
23	Edge T.J. Parker, Clemson	35	Buffalo Bills
24	DL Kayden McDonald, Ohio State	36	Houston Texans
25	Edge Akheem Mesidor, Miami	22	Los Angeles Chargers
26	LB CJ Allen, Georgia	53	Indianapolis Colts
27	CB D'Angelo Ponds, Indiana	50	New York Jets
28	WR Denzel Boston, Washington	39	Cleveland Browns
29	Edge Cashius Howell, Texas A&M	41	Cincinnati Bengals
30	CB Chris Johnson, San Diego State	27	Miami Dolphins
31	DL Peter Woods, Clemson	29	Kansas City Chiefs
32	RB Jadarian Price, Notre Dame	32	Seattle Seahawks
33	OT Kadyn Proctor, Alabama	12	Miami Dolphins
34	CB Chandler Rivers, Duke	162	Baltimore Ravens
35	OT Blake Miller, Clemson	17	Detroit Lions
36	Edge Zion Young, Missouri	45	Baltimore Ravens
37	LB Jake Golday, Cincinnati	51	Minnesota Vikings
38	WR Chris Bell, Louisville	94	Miami Dolphins
39	DL Lee Hunter, Texas Tech	49	Carolina Panthers
40	CB Malik Muhammad, Texas	124	Chicago Bears
41	S Zakee Wheatley, Penn State	151	Carolina Panthers
42	WR Chris Brazzell II, Tennessee	83	Carolina Panthers
43	TE Max Klare, Ohio State	61	Los Angeles Rams
44	QB Ty Simpson, Alabama	13	Los Angeles Rams
45	OT Monroe Freeling, Georgia	19	Carolina Panthers
46	Edge Malachi Lawrence, UCF	23	Dallas Cowboys
47	WR Ted Hurst, Georgia State	84	Tampa Bay Buccaneers
48	DL Christen Miller, Georgia	42	New Orleans Saints
49	WR Skyler Bell, UConn	125	Buffalo Bills
50	Edge Gabe Jacas, Illinois	55	New England Patriots
51	WR Malachi Fields, Notre Dame	74	New York Giants
52	IOL Keylan Rutledge, Georgia Tech	26	Houston Texans
53	S A.J. Haulcy, LSU	78	Indianapolis Colts
54	CB Colton Hood, Tennessee	37	New York Giants
55	WR Germie Bernard, Alabama	47	Pittsburgh Steelers
56	IOL Chase Bisontis, Texas A&M	34	Arizona Cardinals
57	OT Caleb Lomu, Utah	28	New England Patriots
58	S Jalon Kilgore, South Carolina	167	Buffalo Bills
59	Edge R Mason Thomas, Oklahoma	40	Kansas City Chiefs
60	DL Caleb Banks, Florida	18	Minnesota Vikings
61	WR Deion Burks, Oklahoma	254	Indianapolis Colts
62	IOL Emmanuel Pregnon, Oregon	88	Jacksonville Jaguars
63	CB Davison Igbinosun, Ohio State	62	Buffalo Bills
64	LB Josiah Trotter, Missouri	46	Tampa Bay Buccaneers
65	WR Zachariah Branch, Georgia	79	Atlanta Falcons
66	RB Mike Washington Jr., Arkansas	122	Las Vegas Raiders
67	OT Max Iheanachor, Arizona State	21	Pittsburgh Steelers
68	WR De'Zhaun Stribling, Ole Miss	33	San Francisco 49ers
69	CB Brandon Cisse, South Carolina	52	Green Bay Packers
70	S Bud Clark, TCU	64	Seattle Seahawks
71	Edge Derrick Moore, Michigan	44	Detroit Lions
72	WR Antonio Williams, Clemson	71	Washington Commanders
73	LB Anthony Hill Jr., Texas	60	Tennessee Titans
74	CB Treydan Stukes, Arizona	38	Las Vegas Raiders
75	WR Elijah Sarratt, Indiana	115	Baltimore Ravens
76	S Kamari Ramsey, USC	141	Houston Texans
77	TE Michael Trigg, Baylor	—	UNDRAFTED
78	LB Jacob Rodriguez, Texas Tech	43	Miami Dolphins
79	OT Markel Bell, Miami	68	Philadelphia Eagles
80	DL Domonique Orange, Iowa State	82	Minnesota Vikings
81	Edge Dani Dennis-Sutton, Penn State	120	Green Bay Packers
82	S Genesis Smith, Arizona	131	Los Angeles Chargers
83	CB Daylen Everette, Georgia	85	Pittsburgh Steelers
84	S Jakobe Thomas, Miami	98	Minnesota Vikings
85	WR Josh Cameron, Baylor	191	Jacksonville Jaguars
86	TE Eli Raridon, Notre Dame	95	New England Patriots
87	CB Julian Neal, Arkansas	99	Seattle Seahawks
88	WR Cyrus Allen, Cincinnati	176	Kansas City Chiefs
89	IOL Sam Hecht, Kansas State	144	Carolina Panthers
90	DL Darrell Jackson Jr., Florida State	103	New York Jets
91	TE Sam Roush, Stanford	69	Chicago Bears
92	Edge Romello Height, Texas Tech	70	San Francisco 49ers
93	TE Eli Stowers, Vanderbilt	54	Philadelphia Eagles
94	IOL Gennings Dunker, Iowa	96	Pittsburgh Steelers
95	CB Keith Abney II, Arizona State	157	Detroit Lions
96	TE Oscar Delp, Georgia	73	New Orleans Saints
97	CB Ephesians Prysock, Washington	139	San Francisco 49ers
98	TE Justin Joly, NC State	152	Denver Broncos
99	OT Caleb Tiernan, Northwestern	97	Minnesota Vikings
100	DL LT Overton, Alabama	137	Dallas Cowboys

Biggest Reaches

One could argue that teams began reaching for prospects when the New York Jets took David Bailey—the No. 7 overall prospect and No. 2 pure edge-rusher in the class on B/R's board—with the second pick.

The Tennessee Titans may have also been a touch impatient with Carnell Tate (B/R's No. 2 receiver and No. 10 overall player) at No. 4.

While those were modest reaches at best, the biggest swing of the 2026 draft came near the midpoint of the first round. That is when the Los Angeles Rams raised eyebrows with their selection of Ty Simpson at No. 13, tossing value to the wind for a quarterback who ranked No. 44 overall on the Scouting Department's board.

Although L.A. finally has a proper heir for Matt Stafford, Simpson had a Day 2 grade at best from most draft experts and wasn't being selected until that range in many mocks.

The Rams could have traded back and still come away with the Alabama passer, although the loss of draft value won't amount to much if Simpson ultimately keeps L.A. in contention after Stafford rides off into the sunset.

Another massive discrepancy between draft slot and pre-draft ranking occurred five picks later when the Minnesota Vikings took Caleb Banks at No. 18. He was the No. 60 overall prospect on B/R's board with a grade indicative of a fringe second-rounder at best.

While Banks has massive upside due to his huge frame, elite athleticism and impressive explosiveness, the defensive tackle is also a raw, unproven prospect with high bust potential.

The last big reach of Day 1 came at No. 21, a spot where the Pittsburgh Steelers tapped Max Iheanachor.

The Arizona State product has the potential to be Broderick Jones' replacement at left tackle, but B/R's No. 67 prospect lacks the experience—having not picked up football until college—and polish needed for a seamless transition.

Top Steals

The top prospect on the Bleacher Report Scouting Department's big board did not hear his name called in the top 10 on draft night. That shocking development resulted in the biggest steal of the event.

Caleb Downs, the highest-graded player in the class who was largely expected to get taken at No. 5 overall, wound up waiting for the Dallas Cowboys to stop his fall at No. 11.

The Cowboys pounced as soon as Downs slipped past the rival New York Giants—a team that was thought to be both the safety's ceiling at No. 5 and floor at No. 10—a second time, trading up a slot to secure the Ohio State product.

Downs wasn't the only prospect B/R was high on who dropped. Rueben Bain Jr., the No. 5 overall prospect on the Scouting Department's board, wasn't picked until the Tampa Bay Buccaneers swooped in at No. 15.

Bain has the upside to become the best edge-rusher in the class and could quickly make nearly half the league regret passing him over.

The most shocking fall belonged to Jermod McCoy, B/R's No. 11-ranked talent. The Tennessee standout wasn't drafted until Day 3, making him one of several highly-rated cornerbacks who dropped into Day 2 and 3.

Best Positional Value

Wide receiver was one of the main strengths of the 2026 NFL draft class and this excess of pass-catching talent helped many teams unearth a large amount of value on Days 2 and 3. Several WR prospects ranked in the top 50 tumbled well past where their grade suggested they should land.

KC Concepcion rated as the No. 12 overall player on the B/R Scouting Department's board but didn't get drafted until No. 24 by the Cleveland Browns.

Cleveland also got another receiver steal in the second round, landing Denzel Boston—the No. 28 player on B/R's big board—with the No. 39 pick.

Other notable value pickups at the position include Chris Bell (No. 38 on B/R's list) at No. 94 to the Miami Dolphins, Skyler Bell (B/R No. 49) to the Buffalo Bills at No. 125 and Deion Burks (B/R No. 61) to the Indianapolis Colts near the very end of the draft at No. 254.

As mentioned, corner was the other position where clubs could shop value in the 2026 draft. The Raiders selection of McCoy at No. 101—90 spots below his B/R ranking—was perhaps the top value pickup of the entire event.

Teams were clearly deterred by McCoy's injury history—he missed the entire 2025 college football season—but his immense talent and sky-high upside make him a can't-miss pick for a rebuilding franchise that needs help all over the field.

More big CB value scores include Avieon Terrell (B/R No. 21) going to the Atlanta Falcons at No. 48, D'Angelo Ponds (B/R No. 27) to the New York Jets at No. 50 and Chandler Rivers (B/R No. 34) falling to the Baltimore Ravens at No. 162.

Worst Positional Value

Linemen of all types were at a premium in the 2026 NFL draft. An early run on the top talent forced teams to make some questionable reaches if they wanted to load up the trenches.

Iheachanor and Banks were already mentioned as some of the event's biggest reaches, but those weren't the only linemen to go far earlier than their grade suggested they would.

While Dallas pulled off the event's best heist by snagging Caleb Downs at No. 11, the club didn't find any value with its second selection on opening night. Despite having plenty of highly-touted prospects to choose from when they were on the clock at No. 23, the Cowboys decided to reach for edge defender Malachi Lawrence—an early spot to take the No. 46 overall player on the B/R Scouting Department's big board.

There was a rather large gap between where the New England Patriots picked OT Caleb Lomu at No. 28 and his B/R ranking of No. 57 overall.

New England was clearly desperate to bolster Drake Maye's protection after the Seattle Seahawks exposed it in Super Bowl LX, but the franchise could have gotten far more value going a different direction with this pick.

The Miami Dolphins, Detroit Lions and Carolina Panthers all made some notable additions to beef up their respective O-lines, but none of these clubs hunted value with those selections.

The 'Phins went for Kadyn Proctor—the No. 33 overall player on B/R's board—at No. 12, while the Lions took Blake Miller (B/R No. 35) at No. 17 and the Panthers came away with Monroe Freeling (B/R No. 45) at No. 19.

Lone Undrafted Prospect

All but one of the top 100 prospects on the B/R Scouting Department's big board would be selected at some point during the 2026 NFL draft. The only exception was tight end Michael Trigg, who trended on social media throughout his plummet down through the rounds and ultimately out of the draft entirely.  

While Trigg put some impressive tape together at Baylor and impressed with his measurements, his poor athletic profile and miserable pro day performance—his 27½-inch vertical would have represented the worst showing at his position at the combine, 16 inches below what top-drafted TE Kenyon Sadiq posted—scared teams off from drafting him.

The Cowboys wasted little time snapping up the homegrown product, adding Trigg as an undrafted free agent shortly after the draft's conclusion.

Dallas already had one of the better incoming draft classes and could have another major steal on its hands if Trigg finds a way to overcome his athletic limitations at the professional level.