Each week, Yardbarker monitors the 2026 NFL Draft, scheduled April 23-25 in Pittsburgh.
From an LSU quarterback to a Cincinnati defensive lineman, here are five players we’re tracking:
LSU QB Garrett Nussmeier
Nussmeier’s play can best be described as a roller coaster.
“When he’s on, he can be [former LSU star/Cincinnati Bengals QB] Joe Burrow. When he’s off, he can be [San Francisco 49ers] QB Mac Jones,” CBS Sports’ Ryan Wilson said of Nussmeier on Tuesday on “With the First Pick.” “You just don’t know which guy you’re gonna get.”
Nussmeier (6-foot-1, 205 pounds) tossed 29 touchdown passes in 13 games last season but also threw 12 interceptions. Eight of these picks came against top-25 opponents, per ESPN.
If Nussmeier plays better against elite competition, he should be in the QB1 race in the draft.
“There’s a lot to like about Nussmeier’s game,” wrote NFL Media’s Daniel Jeremiah in his June scouting report. “It’s easy to notice how in command he is by the way he orchestrates the offense at the line of scrimmage.”
Texas LB Anthony Hill Jr.
Texas QB Arch Manning (6-foot-4, 219 pounds) will get more attention, but Hill should be another Longhorn for scouts to eye closely.
Hill’s pass-rushing skills separate him from other off-ball LBs. The 6-foot-3, 238-pounder had a career-high eight sacks in 16 games last season. He wasn’t just getting lucky.
“This is legit pass-rushing upside. This isn’t just a guy who fell into some sacks after someone else did the dirty work,” ESPN’s Field Yates said Wednesday on “First Draft.” “To me, he’s a guy who looks like he could end up going in the first round.”
Expect Hill to keep playing a pivotal role for one of the country’s top defenses. The Longhorns allowed the FBS’ third-fewest points last season (15.3 PPG).
Miami EDGE Rueben Bain Jr.
Bain (6-foot-3, 275 pounds) was slowed by a soft tissue injury in a Week 1 win over Florida last season. The pass-rusher had 3.5 sacks in nine games after logging 7.5 in 13 games in 2023.
The Ringer’s Todd McShay is banking on Bain rebounding in 2025. He ranked him as the No. 5 defensive prospect heading into the season.
“Bain is a power-based edge who lacks elite speed/suddenness/redirect quickness but has a lot of snap in his hands, power in his core and bend in his torso to drive back OTs back to the QB and advance his rush while engaged,” wrote McShay in a story published Tuesday.
Bain may be coming off an underwhelming season, but he’s still considered one of the nation’s better edge-rushers. On Tuesday, he was named to the 2025 Bronko Nagurski Trophy preseason watch list, awarded to college football’s top defender.
Ohio State LB Sonny Styles
The Athletic’s Dane Brugler tabbed Styles as his No. 2 LB in preseason rankings. The 6-foot-4, 235-pounder looks the part of an NFL LB.
“Styles is built differently,” Brugler wrote in a story published Tuesday. “He immediately passes the eye test with his tall, well-defined frame and long arms (the strength staff at Ohio State raves about him), and he moves like an athlete who is 30 pounds lighter. Styles has outstanding range to open and react to what he sees.”
Styles’ physical gifts have put him in the preseason awards conversation. On Wednesday, he was named to the 2025 watch list for the Butkus Award, which recognizes college football’s best LB.
Styles had a career-high 100 tackles in 16 games last season, helping the Buckeyes capture their ninth national championship. Winning another title would raise his draft stock. In Tankathon’s latest mock draft, the Arizona Cardinals take the 20-year-old with pick No. 46 in the second round.
Cincinnati D-lineman Dontay Corleone
Corleone (6-foot-1, 320 pounds) battled a major medical issue during the 2024 season. Diagnosed with blood clots in his lungs in June 2024, he wasn’t cleared to play until after Week 1.
The D-lineman still finished with five tackles for loss in 11 games last season. Now healthy, Corleone, nicknamed the “Godfather,” could have a more productive year. CBS Sports’ Mike Renner rates him as his No. 4 DT.
“When he’s on his game, no one in college is overleveraging him at the point of attack one-on-one,” wrote Renner. “Hopefully, we get to see that guy again in 2025.”
Corleone’s medical history is concerning, but he could still be a Day 2 selection. Tankathon has the Atlanta Falcons grabbing him with pick No. 76 in the third round.
