What NFL Draft lurkers need to know: 11 potential 2026 tackles include Kaytron Allen, Chris Johnson originally appeared on The Sporting News. Click here to add Sports News as your go-to source.
Four of our top players in the 2026 NFL Draft played in last season’s College Football Playoff Championship Game, and three of those players are transfers.
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This is the college football landscape of 2026. Indiana cornerback DeAngelo Pounds and center Pat Coogan are the Hoosiers’ top players, while Jacob Thomas and Markelle Bell are the standouts for the Hurricanes. None of these players are projected to be first-round picks, but that makes them ideal options for the 2026 NFL Draft.
Sleepers and steals are always well-documented during the draft process, but situations vary. Penn State’s Kaytron Allen is the school’s all-time leading rusher. San Diego State’s Chris Johnson is having a strong season in the Mountain West Conference.
Will their next level production match draft day value? It’s an accidental science, and we stumbled upon RJ Harvey and Harrold Fannin Jr. last year.
Sporting News took a look at our favorite sleeper players across each position group ahead of the 2026 NFL Draft, including a number of players from the Power 4, Group of 6 and FCS who we believe will make their mark in the NFL:
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More 2026 NFL Draft picks:
2026 NFL Draft Lurkers
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Quarterback: Luke Altmaier, Illinois
Altmire (6-2, 210) is our favorite Day 3 quarterback. Over the past two seasons at Illinois, he completed 61.1 percent of his passes of 10-19 yards with 14 touchdowns and one interception, showing he can work in the range that an NFL quarterback needs to be on the field. Altmaier has a 147.7 QB rating against ranked teams and is 19-7 as a starter for the Illini. He will develop into a high-end backup with a chance to start.
ALSO NOTE: North Dakota State’s Cole Payton. Payton (6-3, 232) is a dual-threat talent with a 72% completion rate. He led the Bison to 777 yards rushing and 13 touchdowns. Payton isn’t a high-volume passer, but he’s connected on 35 of 56 passes (62.5 percent) of 20 yards or more, according to Pro Football Focus. This caught our attention.
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Running back: Kaytron Allen, Penn State
Allen (5-11, 216) broke Penn State’s career rushing record with 4,180 yards and was the highlight of a tough 2025 season. He averaged 3.77 yards after contact, which ranked eighth among running backs with at least 200 carries, according to PFF. He averaged a career-high 6.2 yards per carry last season and scored 15 touchdowns. He also had 70 receptions at Penn State.
Watch also: Jonah Coleman, Washington. Coleman (5-8, 220). Coleman received more attention than Allen on draft day — No. 3 in The Sporting News’ RB rankings behind Jeremiyah Love and Jadarian Price. Coleman is a compact back who scored 15 touchdowns last season. He averaged 5.5 yards per carry between Arizona and Washington State.
2026 NFL Draft rankings:QB | WR | TE | Edge | RB
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Wide receiver: Cyrus Allen, Cincinnati
Allen (5-11, 180) played at Louisiana Tech and Texas A&M before joining the Bearcats – where he caught 51 passes for 674 yards and 13 touchdowns. He struggled late last season — there’s a boom-or-bust feel to this pick — but he had seven touchdowns in the red zone. Performances like this keep the young receiver on the field.
ALSO NOTE: Skyler Bell, UConn. Bell (6-0, 192) brought great performance as a possession receiver. He averaged 17.2 yards per catch as a junior in 2024 and led the FBS with 101 catches in 2025. Bell had seven games with at least 100 yards receiving. He ran a 4.40 40-yard dash at the NFL Scouting Combine, making him a solid option at the start of the second day of catch-and-run play.
Tight end: Tanner Koziol, Houston
Koziol (6-6, 247) is a big target, as he led all FBS tight ends with 74 catches last season. He also played at Wisconsin. He had 94 catches last season at Ball State. He is the prototype of the ball-catching tight end. Koziol ran a 4.7 40-yard dash at the NFL Scouting Combine, which was similar to Fanning’s 4.71 40-yard dash time last year.
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ALSO NOTE: Dan Villari, Syracuse. Villari (6-4, 245) is one of the most versatile athletes in the draft. Last season he caught 39 passes for 412 yards and a catch rate of 70.9%. He’s a converted quarterback who can get short yards out of the Wildcats. He’s a sleeper who probably won’t be drafted, but will keep the name in the preseason.
Iowa offensive tackle Gennings Dunker
September 13, 2025; Iowa City, Iowa, USA; Iowa Hawkeyes offensive lineman Gennings Dunker (67) watches before the game against the Massachusetts Minutemen at Kinnick Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Jeffrey Becker-Imagn Images
Offensive Tackle: Gennings Dunker, Iowa State
Dunk (6-5, 315) was notorious for his hair, but that was quickly overshadowed by his performance at the NFL Scouting Combine. He’s one of three reliable Iowa offensive linemen in this draft, joining Remington Trophy winner Logan Jones and linebacker Bo Stephens. All three will have an impact at the next level. Dunk played left tackle last season, but also has the ability to slip down defensively.
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ALSO NOTE: Markle Bell, Miami. Bell (6-9, 346) is a good tackle who doesn’t play as well as teammate Francis Mauigoa but still displays some advantageous traits at tackle. Bell was not fired last season and has improved each season under head coach Mario Cristobal. He will continue to develop and has upside as a Day 3 pick.
Guard/Center: Jake Slaughter, Florida State
Slaughter (6-4, 303) has been one of the top centers in college football the past two seasons. He has only two sacks in two seasons and has the ability to play linebacker in the NFL. He’s a Day 2 pick and should have a chance to start right away given the right situation.
ALSO NOTE: Pat Coogan, Indiana. Coogan (6-5, 311) took just six free throws in back-to-back CFP championship games with Notre Dame and Indiana. He’s a good runner who should become a late-round steal and develop into a starter.
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Defensive Tackle: Chris McClellan, Missouri
McClellan (6-3, 313 points) has four sacks in the Tigers’ last four games — a late breakout as a pass rusher. McClellan is one of five players in the FBS with at least five sacks and 25 sacks. He had the second-lowest 10-yard yardage at the NFL Scouting Combine (1.80) — which lowered our expectations — but we like his ability to flash inside against the run and pass.
ALSO NOTE: Darrell Jackson, Florida State. Jackson (6-5, 315) totaled 77 tackles and seven tackles for loss over the past two seasons for the Seminoles. After the NFL Scouting Combine, he lost 20 pounds so he could advance to day two.
Clemson Tigers defensive end TJ Parker
November 29, 2025; Columbia, SC, USA; South Carolina Gamecocks quarterback LaNorris Sellers (16) passes under pressure from Clemson Tigers defensive end TJ Parker (3) in the first quarter at Williams-Brice Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Jeff Blake-Imagn Images
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Edge rusher: TJ Parker, Clemson
Parker (6-3, 263) starts the 2026 NFL Draft process at No. 3 on our big board. He had five sacks in 2025, including four in the regular-season finale against South Carolina. That’s down 11 sacks and 19.5 tackles for loss from last season. He averaged 26 carries on 11 carries per game over the past two seasons with the Tigers, and his 10-yard rushing time (1.61) was on par with first-round pass rushers in this draft. Can NFL teams take talent to the next level?
ALSO NOTE: Nadame Tucker, Western Michigan. Tucker (6-2, 247) transferred to Western Michigan from Houston – he leads the FBS with 14.5 sacks. He ranks eighth in the FBS with 61 pressures, according to PFF. As a rookie, he could break out as a situational pass rusher.
Linebackers: Kyle Lewis, Pitt
Lewis (6-0, 220) averaged 91 tackles, five sacks and three interceptions over the past two seasons for the Panthers — a mark that rivals Ohio State’s Sonny Styles and Texas’ Anthony Hill Jr. Lewis doesn’t have the size of his counterpart, but his ability to create negative play (25.5 tackles for loss the past two seasons) and defensive ability stand out among a group of linebackers.
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ALSO NOTE: Karson Sharar, Iowa. Shalal (6-1, 231), a five-year veteran with the Hawkeyes, totaled 83 tackles, four sacks and 12 tackles for a loss last season. He shined in the ReliaQuest Bowl with five tackles and two sacks.
Cornerback: Chris Johnson, San Diego State
Johnson (6-0, 193) had a good workout at the NFL Scouting Combine. He ran a 4.4 40-yard dash (third among cornerbacks) and had a 1.54 grade differential. We’re more interested in live production. Johnson has four interceptions and two pick-sixes in 2025. He also had four fumbles the past two years for the Aztecs. Johnson is a Day 2 pick with first-round value.
Also Watch: D’Angelo Ponds, Indiana. Ponds (5-9, 182) is a strong competitor who helped the Indians win the CFP title. He had a 50% catch rate on 64 targets, according to PFF. He also missed just two tackles.
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Safety: Jakobe Thomas, Miami
Thomas (6-1, 211) improved his play in the College Football Playoff, especially in the quarterfinal win over Ohio State. Thomas is averaging seven tackles and one interception per game in those four games and has five interceptions this season. Thomas is a tough safety whose coverage improved in the second half of the season for the Hurricanes. He was a Day 3 value pick.
ALSO NOTE: Michael Taaffe, Texas. Taff (5-11, 190) won the Wuerffel Trophy as a senior. He averaged 65 tackles per game over the past three seasons with the Longhorns and had seven interceptions total. Taaffe ran for 4.5 yards per 40 yards at the NFL Scouting Combine and can play multiple positions and add value on special teams.
