- A dominant force at Notre Dame: Kyngstonn Viliamu-Asa led all of college football with a 94.0 PFF run-defense grade last season while limiting opposing passers to a 55.0 rating in coverage.
- Texas features a versatile downhill threat: Rasheem Biles finished the year ranked in the top five among returning linebackers in both run-defense (89.3) and pass-rushing (82.9) PFF grades.
- Elite ball skills at Texas Tech: Ben Roberts saw a massive breakout, improving his PFF grade to 86.3 and recording four interceptions without surrendering a single touchdown in coverage.
The 2026 NFL Draft is complete, with 257 players selected who will now look to establish themselves at the next level.
But team building never stops. After securing this year’s incoming talent, teams will now turn their attention to the 2027 class and begin identifying prospects to monitor in the coming months. With that in mind, we’re taking an early look at that group with our first pass at position rankings.
Publishing a big board this early comes with obvious caveats — some players will break out next season, while others will regress, making any 12-month projection look misguided. Peter Woods, Garrett Nussmeier and Cade Klubnik were all discussed as potential top-10 draft picks at this time last year. A lot can and will change. Early rankings are less about prediction and more about a snapshot of where prospects stand today.
1. Kyngstonn Viliamu-Asa, Notre Dame
Big board rank: 22
Viliamu-Asa led college football in PFF run-defense grade (94.0) last season. He also tallied 23 pressures and four sacks as a pass rusher. In coverage, he allowed a passer rating of 55.0. The sample size may be small (435 snaps), but when he's on the field, he plays like the very best linebacker in the nation.
2. Rasheem Biles, Texas
Big board rank: 33
Biles is sensational when playing downhill toward the football. He finished 2025 ranked among the top five returning linebackers in both PFF run-defense grade (89.3) and pass-rushing grade (82.9). Biles is undersized for the NFL, but he plays one of the few positions where the league will often overlook size concerns.
3. Ben Roberts, Texas Tech
Big board rank: 49
Roberts' last two seasons with the Red Raiders could not have looked more different. He improved his PFF grade from 56.6 to 86.3 last year, including an elite coverage grade with four interceptions and no touchdowns allowed. The next step is seeing how Roberts fares without running mate Jacob Rodriguez next season.
4. Tony Rojas, Penn State
Big board rank: 72
Rojas is returning from a torn ACL that ended his 2025 season after just four games. Before the injury, he appeared to have improved from his somewhat disappointing play in 2024 and looked more like the promising freshman he was in 2023. There is buzz that if he is back to his best, Rojas could test well at the NFL combine. He has raw speed at linebacker that few others can match, while still maintaining respectable size.
5. Whit Weeks, LSU
Big board rank: 89
Wicks has been listed at 6-foot-3, 225 pounds and has produced consistent grades throughout his career, with 2025 highlighting his impact as a pass rusher. He generated 17 pressures on just 50 pass-rush snaps, including one sack, five hits and 11 hurries.
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