It didn’t pan out the way many hoped before the season, with Texas’ Arch Manning and Oregon’s Dante Moore no longer considered safe first-rounders, and Oklahoma State’s Drew Mestemaker coming out of nowhere to be the new No. 1 prospect at the position.
After Mestemaker it was difficult to get a feel for the order. Ole Miss’ Trinidad Chambliss has cooled off since his hot September, and Miami’s Darian Mensah had his ups and downs in his first test of the season against Notre Dame last week. Notre Dame’s CJ Carr impressed in the win over Miami, but he doesn’t have any enticing physical attributes.
Unpredictability won’t stop draft experts from trying to decipher this quarterback class, and it’s a good time to announce that my next QB rankings will be released next week. Expect to see South Carolina’s LaNorris Sellers progress as he has entered the opening day conversations about how he has been playing lately.
Sellers went from almost benching to a dominant four-game winning streak. He has perhaps the best physical attributes (6’3″, 238 pounds) of any prospect at his position, and now he’s finally showing improvement with his accuracy: 62.8% on the season. Characteristics and consistency are the best way to become a first-round quarterback.
Scouts recently told me they wouldn’t be surprised to see a team take a chance on Sellers in the first round. One declined to say if he’s the next Cam Newton, but added that Sellers has everything you want in a quarterback.
For those worried that Sellers could be the next Anthony Richardson Sr. — the 2023 No. 4 pick who struggled with the Colts — well, Richardson never completed 60 percent of his passes and only appeared in 24 games in three seasons at Florida. Sellers has done it in three seasons, with 36 games played, and probably has better mobility than Richardson, rushing for at least 600 yards in two of his four seasons.
There’s also the possibility that Sellers returns for a fifth season, but after this rollercoaster 2026, he knows better than anyone how volatile draft stocks can be. If he continues like this, it will be difficult for him to let go of the NFL.
Mini simulation for teams composed of several first players
The Titans joined the Browns and Jets on the list of teams with multiple first-round picks after sending Jeffery Simmons in Chicago last week. The Eagles did it too after trading Jordan Davis to the Jaguars one day before the deadline.
Here’s where teams with multiple picks stand heading into Week 10:
- Tennessee: No. 2, 30 (from Chicago)
- New York: No. 4 (from Indianapolis), 6, 13 (from Dallas)
- Philadelphia: No. 5, 25 (from Jacksonville)
- Cleveland: No. 16, 18 (from the Rams)
Obviously, the Titans have a glaring hole in the middle of their defensive line. But using the second pick on a defensive tackle is too rich, and prospects such as Ole Miss’ Will Echoles and Tennessee’s Xavier Gilliam likely won’t be available late. Tennessee could always trade to get one of these interior prospects, but I don’t think they’ll give up on Mestemaker unless Cam Ward shows drastic improvement over the last couple of months. But let’s say they pass the quarterback and don’t trade up, I think a good scenario would be Texas Colin Simmons at No. 2, followed by Oregon defensive tackle A’Mauri Washington with their second pick.
For the Jets, they may have to trade up to land Mestemaker, but let’s assume the Chargers select Ohio State receiver Jeremiah Smith at No. 1, Tennessee selects Simmons and Mestemaker lands in Miami at No. 3. In that scenario, New York should go for Notre Dame cornerback Leonard Moore to solidify the back end of the defense, especially with rookie edge rusher David Bailey looking like the real deal. Let’s go with Indiana receiver Charlie Becker at No. 6, and who cares if the Jets already have quality players. Becker is a blue-chip prospect who shouldn’t be passed over.
The Jets’ final first-round pick should be a quarterback, and I’m having a hard time picking one, but let’s go with Chambliss. He’s an ultra-confident playmaker, built for the New York market.
As for the Eagles, let’s give them South Carolina’s Dylan Stewart at No. 5. He has endless potential, but some character issues. Philly has a history of rolling the dice and making it work with these types of prospects, of which Jalen Carter is one. I’m going to be a mess at No. 25 and give them sellers, who could watch and learn from Jalen Hurts for a year or two if he is allowed to play because of the blood clots or if he isn’t traded in this scenario.
And for the Browns, I give them Missouri quarterback Austin Simmons at #16. His arm strength is more appealing than that of some of the safer prospects – and in case you’re wondering, I don’t see Carr going above No. 9 against the Cardinals. And finally, let’s send Georgia cornerback Ellis Robinson IV to Cleveland with the Rams’ pick at 18th overall.
WEEK 11 RISERS AND FALLERS
CONTROLLERS
Jackson Harris found himself player 15 on my updated big board. I love his combination of size, hands and agility. pic.twitter.com/Zy959qlqSV
— Nate Tice (@Nate_Tice) November 7, 2026
Jackson Harris, WR, LSU
Harris was the only positive in LSU’s ugly loss to Alabama last week. He is a crafty playmaker who knows how to create space in traffic. Harris, who stands 6’2″, 202 pounds, recorded 11 catches for 166 yards against the Crimson Tide’s stout defense. For the season, he has 47 catches for 800 yards and seven touchdowns.
Cooper Barkate, WR, Miami
Barkate stepped in in Miami’s first game without star wide receiver Malachi Toney. He caught nine passes for 75 yards and two touchdowns in last week’s loss to Notre Dame. The speedy, who has 37 catches for 447 yards and six touchdowns this season, began his college career at Harvard before playing with Mensah at Duke and later following him to Miami. Both will face their former team when the Hurricanes host the Blue Devils on Saturday.
Devan Thompkins overpowering the RT to force a sack. #Alabama pic.twitter.com/h1k05q0N2M
— Rob Gregson (@NFL_Rob) November 9, 2026
Devan Thompkins, DL, Alabama
I’m glad I was ahead of Thompkins. A few weeks ago, I mentioned that a few scouts told me he was a better prospect than teammate Yhonzae Pierre, who had more attention before the season. Thompkins drew more attention with two sacks against LSU last week. He is a versatile defender who plays inside and outside. He was my hope number 24 in my top 100.
FALLERS
Jamari Johnson, TE, Oregon
I’m still on the fence about Johnson’s upside, but he’s had a quiet season. I thought he would take off after his 119-yard performance against USC in September. But since then, he has not managed to pass 100 yards in a game. However, it didn’t help that Oregon had shaky quarterback play throughout the season.
Jaylen McClain, S, Ohio State
It’s been a rough few weeks for the Buckeyes, but the secondary has been down for some time. Most of the blame should not fall on McClain. Still, it’s a bad idea that USC freshman tight end Mark Bowman went on a rampage in that secondary on Halloween and Oregon quarterback Dylan Raiola had success last week.
Jordan Seaton, OT, LSU
Seaton did well at times in his individual matchups against Alabama’s talented passers. But there were also some struggles against Pierre and Thompkins. You would have liked to see a little more at this spot for perhaps the best tackle in this class. And it didn’t help that LSU blew out. Still, this might be nitpicking. Seaton shouldn’t worry about his draft stock.
GAMES THAT COULD IMPACT ON THE PROJECT
Illinois at UCLA, 9 p.m. ET Friday
This is a good place to check out UCLA’s fierce defense. Look at edge rusher Sahir West and linebacker Sammy Omosigho. And don’t overlook rugged running back Wayne Knight, who has 789 rushing yards and 13 touchdowns.
Illinois wide receiver Collin Dixon continues to make noise. He had eight catches for 129 yards and two touchdowns against Nebraska last week.
Houston, Colorado, 10:15 p.m. ET Friday
The Cougars have some intriguing prospects, including quarterback Conner Weigman, who has 22 touchdowns and just two interceptions. There’s also receiver Amare Thomas and cornerback Jalen Mayo.
USC at Indiana, 3:30 p.m. ET Saturday
USC quarterback Jayden Maiava needs a big performance here to regain the attention of NFL evaluators. He’s a talented pocket passer, but he’s also a somewhat boring prospect with limited potential and athleticism. If he carves up the Hoosiers, that could be enough to move up the rankings.
And, of course, Indiana’s two talented receivers, Becker and Nick Marsh, will be there.
Florida at Kentucky, 6:15 p.m. ET Saturday
Running back Jadan Baugh also needs a strong performance. He was held to fewer than 40 rushing yards in back-to-back games against Georgia and Oklahoma.
For Kentucky, offensive tackle Lance Heard and defensive tackle Tavion Gadson appear to be top-60 prospects.
Texas Tech at Oklahoma State, 9:30 p.m. ET Saturday
This is a must-see game for fans of the teams who need it. Last week, Jets general manager Darren Mougey was on hand to watch Mestemaker against Kansas State.
Expect more general managers and scouts to be at the Oklahoma State game this week. This could be Mestemaker’s toughest game of the season against a strong Texas Tech defense. This could also be its last real test of the year, with Oklahoma State finishing the season against Arizona State and Kansas.
Follow
Gn sports

