2026 NFL Draft Notebook: Notre Dame OT emerges as All-Pro prospect

Now that conferences are beginning to hold their media days, we're starting to get more insight on 2026 NFL Draft prospects. This past week, the Big 12 held its media day and named two highly regarded pro prospects as their preseason players of the year. In this week’s NFL Draft Notebook, we highlight those two standouts, spotlight a tackle who has shown All-Pro potential in limited playing time, examine a local draft target who fits the Carolina Panthers, and much more.

2026 NFL Draft latest news and notes

All-Pro potential

Despite playing just 182 snaps over the past two seasons, Notre Dame offensive lineman Charles Jagusah has shown enough to earn a first-round grade on my board and the potential to develop into an All-Pro left tackle in the NFL. His elite athleticism stands out on film, allowing him to slide smoothly in pass protection and execute tough reach blocks in the run game. He also brings ideal size at 6-foot-7 and 333 pounds, along with valuable versatility after seeing time at both guard and tackle. These traits have drawn high praise from Notre Dame’s offensive coordinator Mike Denbrock, who even compared Jagusah to Will Campbell, the No. 4 overall pick in the 2025 NFL Draft.

Carolina Panthers local NFL Draft prospect

A local prospect the Carolina Panthers will likely have interest in is Duke cornerback Chandler Rivers. Corner will likely be a need, as the team must add depth behind Jaycee Horn and Michael Jackson. Rivers enters the season with a third-round grade on my board. He was a second-team All-American last season after breaking up 11 passes and earning a 90.7 PFF grade, the second-highest among cornerbacks nationally. As a pro prospect, he shows strong ball skills, the versatility to play nickel or outside, and the fluid hips to stay with even the quickest slot receivers.

Big 12 Offensive Player of the Year

Arizona State quarterback Sam Leavitt was named the Big 12 Preseason Offensive Player of the Year, and it’s easy to see why. He’s one of the conference’s top NFL prospects and earned a spot on the Big 12 All-NFL Draft preseason team. Last season, Leavitt was the only Power Four QB to earn 80.0-plus PFF grades as both a passer and a runner. He plays with great poise and shows advanced touch, especially when throwing on the move. His pocket mobility and instincts bring to mind a young Joe Montana. I currently have a high second-round grade on him heading into the 2025 season.

Big 12 Defensive Player of the Year

Texas Tech linebacker Jacob Rodriguez was named the Big 12’s Preseason Defensive Player of the Year after a dominant 2024 season. He led the conference with 127 tackles and posted 10.5 tackles for loss, both of which jump off the stat sheet. On film, he’s consistently in the right place thanks to his high football IQ, which is also his best NFL trait. Rodriguez is also an underrated pass rusher, showing the ability to overpower blockers and disrupt plays in the backfield. I currently grade him as a fourth-round prospect, with a potential NFL fit in a team like the Tennessee Titans.

Sleeper

One sleeper to watch in the 2026 wide receiver class is UConn’s Skyler Bell. After transferring from Wisconsin, Bell made an immediate impact in his first season with the Huskies, averaging 17.2 yards per catch on 50 receptions. His quickness jumps off the tape, whether he’s stretching the field for a deep ball or turning a short throw into a big play. A good example came against Buffalo when he took a 16-yard pass and turned it into a 70-yard gain. To raise his stock even further, Bell will need to clean up his hands after recording eight drops last season.

Underrated Transfer

One overlooked transfer who could break out in 2025 is former Bowling Green running back Terion Stewart, now at Virginia Tech. While 247Sports ranked him as just the No. 31 RB in the portal, Stewart plays with real violence. He broke 64 tackles in 2024 and ranked fourth nationally with 78 broken tackles in 2023, despite missing the final four games. His physical running style is NFL-ready, but his receiving and pass protection need work. He caught just five total passes in his college career and struggled in blitz pickup. Still, he has draftable upside, and a team like the Denver Broncos could use him as a downhill complement to 2025 second-rounder RJ Harvey.

Can Will Pauling have a bounce-back year

Heading into the 2024 season, expectations were sky-high for Wisconsin wideout Will Pauling after he led all Big Ten slot receivers with 837 yards and posted a conference-best 27 first-down receptions in 2023, the most in the Big Ten since 2009. But neither Pauling nor the Badgers offense delivered. His production fell off a cliff: 32 fewer catches, 430 fewer yards, and his touchdowns were cut in half from six in 2023 to just three in 2024. Now at Notre Dame, Pauling is aiming to rebound, and he’s already earning praise from head coach Marcus Freeman for his work ethic in practice. As a prospect, Pauling’s quickness and ability to separate stand out, but if he wants a shot at the NFL, he must fix his drop issues. His 10 drops last season are a glaring red flag.

One of the top prospects in the MAC

Last season, the MAC conference saw two players—Darius Alexander and Harold Fannin Jr.—get drafted on day two. This year, Emmanuel McNeil-Warren is a prospect who could join them. What stands out about McNeil-Warren is his dominant play against the run. In 2023, he ranked first in the nation with a 95 PFF grade against the run. This season, he followed that up with 61 tackles in just eight games and demonstrated excellent open-field tackling, missing only six tackles. The biggest question surrounding McNeil-Warren is the shoulder injury that ended his 2023 season. However, if he’s able to stay healthy, his combination of physicality and playmaking ability could see him rise to day two in the draft.