The way these guys are playing and flying up draft boards is awesome.
https://www.nytimes.com/athletic/6794398/2025/11/11/nfl-draft-2026-ranki...
#1 Arvell Reese
Want to play him as a full-time edge rusher? Reese can do that. Prefer to keep him off the ball? He can do that, too.
At 6 feet 4 and 240 pounds with long arms, Reese is just as comfortable setting the edge with violence as he is dropping in space to cover ground or using burst to capture the corner and close on the quarterback.
I don’t know how realistic it is that Reese actually will be the first player (or first non-quarterback) drafted, but he is the best draft-eligible prospect I have studied in 2025.
#3 Caleb Downs
Like Arvell Reese, I don’t think Downs will be drafted as highly as I have him ranked, because of positional value. Given how the NFL has drafted safeties in recent years, we can’t even call Downs a top-10 lock.
But the Ohio State All-American is one of the best pure football players in this draft class. NFL coaches are going to love how he marries his athletic ability, field vision and toughness.
#10 Carnell Tate
The wide receiver factory in Columbus, Ohio, has another stud ready to upgrade an NFL offense.
For a taller receiver, Tate is incredibly meticulous in his routes and at his best on vertical stems, where he can use pacing and acceleration to win downfield. He has been dominant at the catch point this season — zero drops and a 92.3 percent contested-catch rate (12 catches on 13 contested targets).
#23 Kayden McDonald
Although you'd like to see more of a pass-rush impact on his tape, McDonald has been a dominant run defender as a first-year starter for the Buckeyes.
At 330 pounds, he plays with the power and hip snap to reset the line of scrimmage and the range to make plays in multiple gaps.
#26 Sonny Styles
It is rare to find 6-foot-4, 240-pound linebackers who are freak athletes. Ohio State has two of them: Styles and Arvell Reese.
A senior captain, Styles is still just 20 years old. He uses his range and speed to quickly react to what he sees, and he isn’t close to reaching his ceiling.
