Boom or Bust? The Most Polarizing Prospects of the 2026 NFL Draft

The 2025 NFL season kicks off in just under a month. Fans, teams, and executives are all eager to see what new faces on their squads have in store, especially rookies. Finding these rookies does not start in April, despite that being the time when most mock drafts and predictions come out. In fact, front offices and scouts pay the same amount of attention to draft prospects in August that they do in April, maybe even more. Searching for who to watch and when to watch them is so important to the scouting process. Here are some players whose 2025 campaign is pivotal to where they are selected in April 2026.

Harold Perkins, LB - LSU

Harold Perkins Jr. is the Swiss-Army Knife of Death Valley. He enjoyed two seasons with 70+ tackles and five-and-a-half sacks in 2022 and 2023, but was sidelined last year due to injury. Perkins Jr’s game relies on speed, meaning in 2025, he needs to prove that his game hasn’t changed from the injury. He is utilized all over the field and provides exceptional athletic ability in every spot. As a pass-rusher, although undersized, he gets off the line quicker than nearly anybody in the country and wins with pure speed. If he is covering a tight end, his speed and aggressiveness force quarterbacks to look elsewhere. Perkins Jr. also shoots the gap on run plays as if he were shot out of a cannon. Perkins Jr. has all the tools to succeed in not only his redshirt junior year with the Tigers, but also in the NFL.

Gabe Jacas, EDGE - Illinois

Too many teams focus on upside at the edge rusher position, whether that be in free agency or the draft. Drafting a slim, yet fast pass-rusher could turn into a homerun, but it could also result in a player who is too skinny to play with his hand in the dirt or someone who is bullied by NFL tackles. Enter Illinois edge rusher, Gabe Jacas. Jacas can be used as a stand-up rusher, but he is best on the line. The thing that stands out when watching Jacas’ film is that he stops the run at an NFL level. He has a relentless motor; he does not stop. His power is evident; he is always battling with OTs, and when he is engaged with a blocker, he has the length and strength to tackle at the same time. He has a phenomenal sense of how to make plays in the run game, while still maintaining pass-rush upside.

Sam Leavitt, QB - Arizona St

Brock Purdy’s success in San Francisco has opened the door for smaller QBs across the country, including the country's favorite Sun Devil, Sam Leavitt. Leavitt is listed at six-foot-two, but he looks smaller than that on the field. That being said, he does not let his frame take away from his game. Leavitt is a phenomenal runner and extends plays very well. He also has the best wideout eligible for the 2026 NFL Draft in Jordyn Tyson, which means he has a true threat to throw to when all else fails.

Peter Woods, DL - Clemson

Peter Woods was able to produce at an extremely high level even though he was playing out of position for most of 2024. He is six-foot-three and 315 pounds, yet provides some serious burst. He is an elite pass-rusher and has shown flashes of guys like Quinnen Williams and Leonard Williams, guys who have hidden agility in their game, but also not A+ run defenders. Woods also was not an every-down player for the Tigers, further emphasizing how much he needs to work on stuffing the run. If Woods can up the stamina and keep himself on the field, he’s a sure bet to go in the top 10.

Joshua Josephs, EDGE - Tennessee

Tennessee had quite the rotation of edge rushers in 2024, including James Pearce Jr., the Falcons' first-round pick, and returning Volunteer Joshua Josephs. Last season, Josephs made the most of his 353 snaps. He led every single edge rusher in college football with a 91.4 run defense grade, per PFF, and he was also one of just three players at the position to record 85.0+ grades as a run defender and pass rusher. If he can keep up his great play while being on the field much more in 2025, he could catapult himself into top-10 talks; he is that good

Matayo Uiagalelei, EDGE - Oregon

Matayo Uiagalelei is a speed-rush technician. He has elite quickness and agility for a pass-rusher. The problem is that’s really all he can do. His initial contact with linemen needs work, and his hand placement is not ideal, but the way he can just duck under tackles’ arms is not often seen. This Duck could up his stock immensely with a double-digit sack campaign, and if he can bulk up, he might even enter top-15 conversations.