While it’s often challenging to anticipate how NFL draft hopefuls will perform in the professional ranks, we can attain a clearer understanding of their potential by drawing direct individual comparisons. Thus, we invited several of our NFL draft analysts and college football specialists to choose their top prospect-to-player parallels for the 2026 group.
These resemblances were crafted by evaluating their playing approach, physical attributes, statistical output, and adaptability — or a composite of these qualities. Furthermore, we allowed for the inclusion of former NFL athletes to be chosen.
Whom does Indiana’s signal-caller, Fernando Mendoza, evoke? What professional gridiron stars align well with elite defensive talents like Tennessee’s Jermod McCoy and Miami’s Rueben Bain Jr.? Let’s delve into our 15 most favored prospect-to-professional parallels for this current draft group.
A majority of the prospective edge rushers weigh 265 pounds (T.J. Parker and Rueben Bain Jr.) or under, however, Faulk stands 6 feet 6 inches tall and weighs 276 pounds. The talent from Auburn, with his capacity to perform both internally and externally, renders him comparable to Jordan, who weighs 287 pounds, an athlete who has seen action as a defensive end in both 3-4 and 4-3 formations. — Aaron Schatz, NFL analyst
Fano’s remarkable athletic prowess is immediately evident and could be utilized effectively whether he continues as a tackle or begins his career on the interior. The offensive lineman from Utah exhibited nearly identical combine statistics to Cross, though his arm length is less, potentially prompting a transition to guard. Both Cross and Fano demonstrate exceptional footwork and navigate smoothly to establish an advantageous position against opponents. — Adam Rittenberg, college football reporter
Hailing from Arizona State, Tyson employs his celerity to break free and exhibits the velocity and YAC proficiency to be an unguardable pass-catcher when facing man coverage. Much like Jeudy, his initial moves off the line can be overly elaborate, and he might contend with physical challenges during the route. Nevertheless, a sound Tyson could function as both an explosive playmaker and a high-reception wideout in the NFL. — Ben Solak, NFL analyst
Cooper experienced a standout season for Indiana during 2025, securing 13 touchdown receptions. In 2025, over half of his total receiving yards were accumulated post-catch, an element of his performance that strongly resembles Rice’s capabilities. Cooper demonstrates remarkable proficiency in preparing blocks. He exhibits patience, possesses keen insight, and displays comprehensive contact stability to accumulate significant yardage. — Field Yates, NFL draft analyst
We consider this from the perspective of Parsons as a prospective talent in 2021. Measuring 6’3″ and 246 pounds, Parsons recorded a 4.36-second 40-yard sprint at his pro day; he demonstrated superior pass-rushing aptitude (6.5 career sacks at Penn State) and the physical toughness to be effective away from the line of scrimmage. Reese, at 6’4″ and 241 pounds, posted a 4.46 time at the combine; he, too, has shown a dominant conclusion to his pass rush (seven career sacks) and perceptive play diagnosis when not directly engaged. As with Parsons, several clubs could intensely scrutinize both facets of Reese’s game, yet, the Ohio State stalwart will not turn 21 until August, making his prospects highly compelling. There is a strong possibility Reese stands as the premier unadulterated talent in this class. — Jeff Legwold, Broncos reporter
My apologies, I was unable to choose only one; therefore, I present a secondary comparison. Standing at 6 feet 7 inches and weighing 315 pounds, Freeling possesses a comparable physique to Jones, whose measurements at the 2023 combine were 6’5″ and 313 pounds. During his sole year as a primary starter for Georgia, Freeling exhibited a similar reach to Jones (both possessing 84-inch wingspans) and completed the 40-yard dash in under 5.0 seconds. Although Freeling won’t celebrate his 22nd birthday until July, his particular brand of promise is exceptionally desired in a left tackle candidate. — Legwold
Standing 6’6″ and tipping the scales at 329 pounds, Mauigoa has displayed unwavering reliability at right tackle since commencing his tenure at Miami. His performance is exceptional across all facets, operating as a robust run blocker at the line of scrimmage and a dependable pass protector capable of swiftly neutralizing defensive rushers. Analogous to Wright, there are discussions concerning Mauigoa’s possible shift to guard. However, my conviction is strong that Mauigoa holds the promise to become an elite right tackle starter. — Jordan Reid, NFL draft analyst
Coleman accompanied coach Jedd Fisch in his relocation from Arizona to Washington, spearheading the Huskies in carries (156), ground gains (758 yards), and rushing scores (15) during 2025. With a sturdy build, measuring 5 feet 8 inches and weighing 220 pounds, he proves to be a robust runner possessing outstanding
cut-back ability and substantial quickness. Though his passing work was limited to checkdowns in college, his hands remain reliable, making him a solid underneath option out of the backfield. He has the potential to immediately thrive in a backfield rotation, complementing a faster and more elusive running mate the way Montgomery did in Detroit. — Liz Loza, fantasy and sports betting writer
To start, their shared attributes in leadership, intelligence, and gridiron intuition are striking — I perceive a definite congruence. Subsequently, Louis offers the complete ensemble, featuring a potent lower half, an capacity for explosiveness, rapid directional shifts, commendable coverage proficiencies, considerable reach, effective blitzing capabilities, the qualities of a versatile space defender, and resilience. This standout from Pitt is destined to achieve All-Pro status eventually. — Louis Riddick, NFL analyst
Standing as a robust strider at 6 feet, 2 inches and 222 pounds, Bell (from Louisville) possesses the bodily makeup to endure contact across various areas of the field, generating dynamic plays with his powerful legs. In 2024, he maintained an average of 17.1 yards per reception and might be selected as early as the second round — mirroring Brown’s draft position in 2019. — Matt Bowen, NFL analyst
Styles stands out as an exceptional athlete, measuring 6 feet, 5 inches and 244 pounds, boasting 4.46 speed, impressive reach, and ample versatility to contribute significantly as a coverage linebacker. Similar to Warner, Styles exhibits remarkable prowess in shutting down coverage and exerting influence as a pass rusher (recording nine career sacks). Warner’s primary strengths lie in his breadth of coverage and innate intuition, and while Styles is still refining his diagnostic capabilities, the promise for the Ohio State prodigy is undeniably present. — Matt Miller, NFL draft analyst
The similarities extend far beyond their comparable physiques (Branch measures 5 feet, 9 inches, 177 pounds; Flowers is 5 feet, 9 inches, 183 pounds). Very much akin to Flowers, Branch possesses electrifying quickness and becomes nearly unstoppable once he enters open territory, exhibiting a potent burst and astonishing acceleration. This receiver from Georgia demonstrates an identical capacity to convert a short-yardage pass, whether on a slant or screen, into a substantial gain post-reception. I am a significant admirer of Branch, and I anticipate he could be chosen on Day 1, precisely as Flowers was in 2023. — Mel Kiper Jr., NFL draft analyst
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Zachariah Branch executes a stunning touchdown reception for Georgia
Georgia quarterback Gunner Stockton lobs the ball to Zachariah Branch, who secures a soaring catch in the end zone for a touchdown.
I view Mendoza in a very similar context to Ryan’s emergence from Boston College in 2008. Mendoza is a more capable athlete than generally acknowledged (refer to: touchdown scramble during the CFP championship game), and akin to Ryan, he demonstrates superb pocket footwork. Furthermore, their physiques and arm power are comparable. — Mike Tannenbaum, NFL analyst
Observing McCoy’s 2024 film (prior to his absence in the 2025 season due to an ACL rupture) reveals numerous attributes that established Gilmore as a premier man-coverage cornerback in New England: stature, on-line physicality, agile footwork, and recuperative pace. Only time will determine if his ball-hawking abilities are on par, yet the Tennessee luminary logged four interceptions that season and perpetually found himself in advantageous positions to execute plays. — Mina Kimes, NFL analyst
Bain presents as a dense, robust edge rusher, cast in a similar vein to Graham, and triumphs through sheer force and aggressive hand usage. Both athletes exhibit relentless effort and routinely generate disruptions in the backfield, encompassing the chase of ball carriers from behind. Comparable to Graham, Bain possesses the versatility to align as broadly as the wide 9 technique or alternatively serve as an inside pass-rushing alternative. — Turron Davenport, Titans reporter