Evaluating prospects in the NFL draft is never an easy task for an NFL front office, and plenty of players end up as major draft busts. There are always a handful of pro-ready prospects who enter the NFL as near-locks to become valuable contributors, but most fall into the bucket of boom-or-bust.
With the 2026 NFL Draft approaching, here are 5 prospects who fit that mold and could cost teams greatly if things don't work out.
NFL Draft risers who could become nightmare picks in 2026
QB Ty Simpson, Alabama
Quarterbacks of Simpson's caliber are always tricky to evaluate, and his case becomes even muddier when considering the expected wealth of available signal callers in the 2027 class. He's a pro-style QB who has a legitimate arm and natural instincts and is the clear No. 2 quarterback behind soon-to-be No. 1 overall pick Fernando Mendoza.
On top of next year's favorable draft outlook for QB-needy teams, taking Simpson would be betting on a player with limited experience, injury concerns, and questionable adjustment skills to blitzes and throwing over the middle. He's closer to being field-ready than most true projects, but if he takes too long to translate to NFL competition, whatever team takes him could find themselves having made the crucial mistake of investing a premium pick on football's most important position a year too early.
WR Denzel Boston, Washington
I've discussed my concerns with Boston's game at length, and I feel it's worth doubling down on. Let's start with the good: his contested catch ability, especially in the red zone, is flat-out phenomenal, and he's a willing blocker who can open up greater holes in the ground game. The problems arise when looking at where many receivers with a similar archetype fail, that being inconsistencies creating separation and a lack of after-the-catch skills.
The Washington wideout doesn't have impressive straight-line speed, flashes some twitchiness but isn't particularly fluid with his routes, and, even at his size, gets taken apart by corners who get physical with him at the line. If a team is drafting him to be a rotational WR3-type piece, then I think he can succeed in the NFL. If he's selected with the hope of being a WR1 or even a high-end WR2, he may fall considerably short of expectations.
OT Kayden Proctor, Alabama
Projectability and upside often carry prospects to high draft positions, and Proctor has both. Based purely on potential, he might be the best tackle in the class. He's a physical specimen with movement skills that make you laugh with how well he roams at 6'7", 352 pounds. When he has everything clicking, it just looks like he's playing a different level than the defenders he's going up against.
The biggest concern lies in his technical consistency. Too often, he plays high in his base, showcases sloppy footwork and hand usage, and his balance and athletic tools deteriorate as games progress. Proctor has physical skills that can't be taught, but he will need plenty of coaching to be trusted against the NFL's top defensive linemen. There's no question about the player he can become, but his actually getting there is where things get messy.
DL Caleb Banks, Florida
Turning on Banks' highlights will show a player frequently disrupting the pocket with quickness off the line that even the most athletic linemen will struggle to contain. The problem is that those are just highlights. His full body of work, already marred by a lengthy injury history (limited to just 3 games in 2025 and missed the NFL Combine), tends to fall apart when his first move doesn't win him the rep.
His build causes him, like Proctor on the offensive side, to attack with a pad level that doesn't allow him to work through his lower half. Banks puts himself into unfavorable positions by failing to strike ideal spots with his hands, and is undisciplined in space and against the run. His best moments are something to behold, but he could easily be relegated to a rotational role at best if the rest of his game doesn't come around.
CB Jermod McCoy, Tennessee
If McCoy falls flat in the NFL, it won't be because of a lack of talent. He has the athleticism to match up with anyone, and his film in 2024 might be the best of any cornerback in the class. The Tennessee defender has everything teams could want in a starting boundary corner, but then the medicals come into play. A torn ACL kept him out of the entire 2025 season, and while he was able to participate in and impress at his pro day, the worries are far from gone.
NFL Draft analyst Dane Brugler reported that some teams have taken him off their draft board entirely, with Essentially Sports journalist Tony Pauline revealing that some teams found his knee to be in a degenerative condition. McCoy could still be drafted highly, and it's realistic that he ends up having a long NFL career. With that being said, if his health catches up to him, he could join a long list of gifted prospects becoming "What Ifs".
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