Super Bowl LX is on the horizon -- and so is the 2026 NFL Draft, with this week's Senior Bowl and East-West Shrine Bowl being the latest reminders that another wave of talent will be hitting the league in a few months. Executives, coaches and scouts will be turning their attention to the next crop of prospects, in an effort to determine which blue-chip prospects and hidden gems have the potential to make an immediate impact.
As the NFL Scouting Combine and pro days draw nearer on the calendar, here are six burning questions to tangle with about this year's draft class.
1) Who are the QBs to know beyond Fernando Mendoza?
Presuming the Heisman Trophy winner out of Indiana -- whom I have going to the Raiders first overall in my first mock draft of the year -- comes off the board immediately, the teams still seeking a franchise quarterback will have to determine which of the remaining prospects have the tools to develop into QB1s in the right system. And to me, the top three guys to evaluate in that sense are: Ty Simpson (Alabama), Carson Beck (Miami) and Garrett Nussmeier (LSU).
Simpson (who went to the Rams in my mock) looked the part for much of 2025 (3,567 passing yards, 28:5 TD-to-INT ratio) but only has one season of full-time starting experience on his ledger. Beck has topped 3,800 passing yards in two of his past three seasons and completed 72.4 percent of his passes last season, but he's also been picked off 24 times since 2024 (12 with Georgia that year and 12 in '25), including the interception that clinched the Hurricanes' loss to Mendoza and Indiana in the College Football Playoff National Championship Game. Nussmeier threw for more than 4,000 yards in 2024 but failed to clear 2,000 in an injury-limited final campaign.
The pre-draft workout circuit will no doubt provide some answers for QB-needy squads, but given the inconsistent performance and production from the trio, there will surely be plenty of interest in the fate of Ole Miss' Trinidad Chambliss, who is suing the NCAA as part of his push for another year of eligibility. If he ends up entering the draft, Chambliss would do so as a wild-card prospect with an intriguing game.
There is plenty of uncertainty surrounding this year's quarterback crop -- and teams will have to weigh the pros and cons of gambling on a developmental prospect vs. waiting for a stud in a potentially loaded 2027 class.
2) How high could RB Jeremiyah Love go?
The most explosive running back in the draft is a top-five talent who likely comes off the board within one of the first 10 selections. The Notre Dame standout has shown the competitive stamina to handle a heavy workload as a runner and receiver out of the backfield, making him the perfect complement to an elite quarterback or an emerging starter. As a classic RB1 with speed, explosiveness and the playmaking ability to score from anywhere on the field, Love should pique the interest of the Washington Commanders (who hold the seventh overall pick), New Orleans Saints (eighth overall), Kansas City Chiefs (ninth overall) and Cincinnati Bengals (10th).
The list of running backs chosen with a top-10 draft pick since 2015 is not long, consisting of Ashton Jeanty (No. 6 by the Raiders in 2025), Bijan Robinson(No. 8 by the Falcons in 2023), Saquon Barkley (No. 2 by the Giants in 2017), Leonard Fournette (No. 4 by the Jaguars in 2017), Christian McCaffrey (No. 8 by the Panthers in 2017), Ezekiel Elliott (No. 4 by the Cowboys in 2016) and Todd Gurley (No. 10 by the Rams in 2015). But after dazzling evaluators with back-to-back seasons of 1,000-plus yards while piling up 40 total touchdowns, Love is a lock to join this group.
3) What is the deepest position in this draft class?
The proliferation of spread offenses and dynamic passing games at the lower levels has helped produce an impressive collection of pass-catchers in the 2026 class. Teams seeking blue-chip playmakers will debate whether Carnell Tate (Ohio State), Jordyn Tyson (Arizona State) or Makai Lemon (USC) should be the WR1 of the group. Zachariah Branch (Georgia), KC Concepcion (Texas A&M), Denzel Boston (Washington) and Chris Brazzell II (Tennessee) might not be considered top-10 picks, but they are likely to come off the board in the first round.
Toss in possible fringe Day 1 prospects Chris Bell (Louisville) and Elijah Sarratt (Indiana), and it's clear that the 2026 class is loaded with pass-catchers and playmakers boasting immediate-impact potential.
4) Who is the top offensive lineman?
The battle for the top spot among offensive linemen comes down to Spencer Fano (Utah), Francis Mauigoa (Miami) and Kadyn Proctor (Alabama), with Caleb Lomu (Utah) viewed as a wild card. Teams debating the quartet will need to determine if they want a franchise-caliber left tackle prospect (Proctor and Lomu) or a standout brawler (Mauigoa and Fano) ideally suited to play on the right side as a pro.
Each prospect has strengths (including A+ size, athleticism and agility for Fano, a mauler with outstanding technique; athleticism and movement skills for Lomu, a natural left tackle; Mauigoa's heavy hands and violent finish; and the A+ size and strength of Proctor, a nimble athlete) and weaknesses (finish for Fano; run-blocking, sustain and finish for Lomu; pad level and struggles vs. speed and quickness for Mauigoa; and inconsistent balance, technique and body control for Proctor). While the tape will show the pros and cons of investing in them, the pre-draft workout performances could ultimately determine rankings on various draft boards around the league.
5) Is Kenyon Sadiq the next instant-impact tight end?
With more teams using heavy personnel packages with multiple tight ends on the field, evaluators are salivating over Sadiq's potential as a playmaking specialist on the perimeter. The Oregon standout dazzles as a flex tight end with explosive athletic traits that make him nearly impossible to defend between the hashes. Though his pass-catching skills make it easy to envision him playing as a jumbo slot receiver in spread sets, Sadiq's strength and blocking prowess could enable him to thrive as a traditional "Y" in some systems. Given his versatility and big play potential, the 6-foot-3, 245-pounder is a unique weapon who should carry a top-15 grade on most draft boards.
6) Which prospect has the most raw potential?
Teams looking for a developmental prospect with All-Pro traits should pay close attention to Auburn defensive end Keldric Faulk throughout the pre-draft process. The 6-6, 285-pounder is a run-stopping machine with the explosive strength and power that evaluators covet in edge defenders. Although his raw pass-rushing skills and sub-par production will lead some coaches to pause, it is hard to find a high-motor athlete with the tools to dominate the game as a run stuffer with pass-rush potential.