Rueben Bain Jr. and Mansoor Delane are two of the biggest early-season standouts who have boosted their 2026 NFL Draft stock.
John Mateer and Carson Beck have also helped their cause, though few other quarterbacks have joined them.
Arch Manning and Cade Klubnik received top billing as potential No. 1 picks, but both passers have a lot of work to do after sluggish starts.
From a quarterback class that lacks a clear pecking order to an apparent overall shortage of stars, the pool of potential talent for next year has plenty still left to be settled. But standouts inevitably rise over the course of the season, and this year is no exception. Meanwhile, a handful of players have stirred up questions that they’ll have to answer down the line.
With plenty of time for things to change, take this not as a set trajectory but rather a snapshot of where things stand at the moment relative to the preseason. That said, here are the players who have helped their NFL draft stock through the first few games, as well as those with ground to make up:
NFL draft stock up
Rueben Bain Jr., DE, Miami (Fla.)
A letdown of a sophomore season marred by injury left Bain with somewhat unsteady draft stock following his wildly successful debut as a freshman. Now, however, there shouldn’t be much question about where he stands. The 6-foot-3, 275-pound pass rusher has been college football’s most disruptive defensive force in the early portion of the season, consistently racking up pressures and creating havoc for opposing quarterbacks. He’s a force against the run as well and can detonate any plays in the backfield. As someone who might soon be known as your favorite lineman’s least favorite player to block, Bain has at least a little bit of Jared Verse to his game that traces back to his hyperphysical, relentless approach. With how valued that kind of rusher has become, Bain shouldn’t have to wait long in the first round to hear his name called if he keeps this pace up.
Mansoor Delane, CB, LSU
At Virginia Tech, Delane established himself as a smooth and instinctive coverage stalwart. Since jumping to LSU and facing a higher level of competition, however, the 6-foot, 190-pound cornerback has upped his game considerably. On 18 targets, he has as many passes defensed (four) as receptions allowed, with talented receivers from Clemson and Florida doing minimal damage against him. Delane doesn’t boast elite physical traits at the position, but in a class that lacks any surefire early picks at corner, he looks to be rocketing toward the first round.
Chris Brazzell II, WR, Tennessee
The Volunteers’ high-powered downfield passing attack has helped the likes of Jalin Hyatt and Dont’e Thornton Jr. showcase their ability as vertical threats. Brazzell, who transferred from Tulane prior to last season, is shaping up to be the next big-play wideout set to flourish in Year 2 in the offensive system after taking a backseat to Thornton in 2024. His 177-yard, three-touchdown performance against Georgia positioned him as one of just a handful of receivers capable of making some serious noise in what otherwise looks like a light draft class for top-tier talent at the position. The 6-foot-5, 200-pound target should continue to turn heads as a field stretcher, but he has the fluidity to run a more expansive route tree than the one he is utilizing at Tennessee.
John Mateer, QB, Oklahoma
Almost across the board, the top quarterback prospects for next year’s draft have disappointed in the first three weeks of the season. One of the lone exceptions has been Mateer, the Washington State transfer who has taken his scintillating style to the Southeastern Conference and delivered sterling results. The 6-foot-1, 224-pound signal-caller has been fearless as both a passer and runner, igniting plays many others might not dare attempt. But he’s also thrown an interception in each one of his games so far, and his reckless abandon when it comes to risky throws and subjecting his body to punishment might make teams uneasy. Still, the first round could be within reach if the good heavily outweighs the bad by the end of the season.
Germie Bernard, WR, Alabama
A season-opening loss to Florida State has stirred up plenty of unrest in Tuscaloosa, with star wideout Ryan Williams and the rest of the offense facing significant scrutiny for a slow start. But don’t let that diminish what Bernard has accomplished. A wideout renowned for his polish and reliability, the 6-foot-1, 204-pound target has helped prop up an offense that has otherwise been prone to mistakes, notching eight catches for 146 yards in the opener and four total touchdowns in the ensuing two games. He might lack a true pull-away gear both on deep routes and with the ball in his hands, but NFL teams won’t turn their nose up to a pass catcher who otherwise can be a stabilizing force with his steady hands, physical demeanor and savvy approach.
Carson Beck, QB, Miami (Fla.)
No one entered the fall with as much draft stock rehabilitation to do as Beck, who saw his status at Georgia sink from a staple of way-too-early mock drafts (including ours) to a signal-caller who sparked substantial concerns with a meltdown that included four multiple-interception games. So far, so good in Coral Gables. Beck has not only placed himself atop USA TODAY Sports’ ranking of college quarterbacks – which takes into account only their performance and not their pro projection – but also displayed better anticipation. But it’s still unclear whether he can consistently avoid short-circuiting under pressure, and reaching the first round could be difficult unless he’s able to assuage those concerns.
Hezekiah Masses, CB, Cal
In 2024, Cal cornerback Nohl Williams parlayed a Football Bowl Subdivision-best seven interceptions into becoming a third-round draft pick of the Kansas City Chiefs this April. Having transferred from Florida International after last season, Masses never played alongside Williams, but he could be on a similar trajectory. The 6-foot-1, 185-pounder has staked a claim as one of college football’s best ballhawks with three interceptions – tied for the FBS lead – and five passes defensed. While his ball skills might be his strongest selling point, Masses’ overall stickiness in coverage shouldn’t be overlooked, either.
NFL draft stock down
Arch Manning, QB, Texas
Manning easily seized the title of college football’s most compelling figure throughout the offseason. Now, he’s also the most confounding one after his pervasive woes through three starts. While his opening flop against Ohio State’s imposing defense could have been shaken off with signs of improvement, his streak of 10 consecutive incompletions – including a baffling red-zone interception thrown late and across his body – against UTEP has prompted questions about his mechanics and accuracy. Given his lack of experience and the track record of football’s royal family, many expected prior to the season that Manning would return for at least another year of school. It’s too early to definitively declare that a necessity, but he’s a far cry from the savior some envisioned for this quarterback class.
Cade Klubnik, QB, Clemson
Standing at 1-2 after entering the season at No. 6 in the US LBM Coaches Poll with a bevy of NFL-caliber talent, Clemson might be without competition as the biggest disappointment in the first few weeks of this campaign. And Klubnik has unquestionably played a significant role in widening the schism between expectations and production. The senior signal-caller was seen over the summer as someone potentially in the first-round mix, and perhaps even a candidate to go No. 1 overall. So far, however, he has completed just 59.1% of his passes for 633 yards with three touchdowns and three interceptions. The 6-foot-2, 210-pound passer already boasts modest physical traits for the position, so operating with poise and precision were essential steps for Klubnik to build confidence in his pro projection. He still has time to recapture the masterful form he displayed in last season’s College Football Playoff loss to Texas, but he and the rest of the offense have to pull up from this nosedive.
Kadyn Proctor, OT, Alabama
From a 6-foot-7, 360-pound frame to the spotlight that came with being a Day 1 starter at left tackle after arriving as a five-star recruit, everything about Proctor is outsized. But the variance in his play has also been too large for comfort. Proctor was out of sorts in the opener against Florida State, surrendering six pressures and a sack. When he locks on to a defender, he can eradicate them on any given play, as he did on a play against Wisconsin that delivered one of the early season’s highlight-reel blocks. But with offensive tackle looking like one of the deepest positions in the class and several of his highly-rated peers faring well to start out, Proctor will be under pressure to clean things up.
Nick Singleton, RB, Penn State
Notre Dame’s Jeremiyah Love is the clear front-runner to be the first running back selected, but Singleton entered the season as another legitimate threat to earn a place on Day 1 of the draft. Through three games, however, he’s averaging just 4.4 yards per carry – a good bit off the 6.4 clip he maintained as a junior. And though Singleton saw his workload bump up with a 20-carry, 84-yard effort against Villanova, backfield mate Kaytron Allen posted more yards (86) on half as many totes. Vision, patience and elusiveness have been the few areas where Singleton doesn’t measure up to some of his peers, and they appear to be even more pressing issues for the ball carrier in 2025. Stumbling out of the gates might not end up mattering much to the stock of the 6-foot, 224-pounder, as he can change the narrative in the meatier part of Penn State’s schedule and should also be a combine standout thanks to his superlative athleticism. But he’ll have to serve up some reminders of his big-play prowess as both a runner and receiver to offset some of the concerns about his ability to create for himself.
Makhi Hughes, RB, Oregon
No running back returning to college football had more rushing yards in 2024 than Hughes, who piled up 1,401 for Tulane. As one of the most notable transfer portal acquisitions of the offseason, the 5-foot-11, 210-pounder was widely seen as a potential top-five player at his position in this class, as well as someone who could take on a leading role for a backfield that lost fifth-round pick Jordan James. Instead, Hughes has logged just 11 carries for 37 yards as other options have been featured more prominently. Even with starter Noah Whittington still working his way back from injury, there’s no clear path to a much greater number of touches unless the Ducks opt to make a significant shift.
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