2026 NFL Draft: Mel Kiper releases first Top-25 Big Board after Week 7 in college football

College football reached the halfway point of its season coming out of this weekend. With that, ESPN’s Mel Kiper Jr. debuted the Top-25 on a Big Board of prospects for the 2026 NFL Draft.

Kiper released that big board on Tuesday morning, with a Top-25 overall and fourteen sets of Top-10s for positional rankings. Nine positions were represented on the list as well as fifteen programs having players on it, including three schools with three prospects and four with two apiece. That’s with just over six months still, though, for this board, not a mock draft or a prediction by him yet, to see several more updates going into the NFL Draft, which this year will be held in Pittsburgh.

Here is the initial ranking of the Top-25 players for the 2026 NFL Draft per Kiper:

1. Oregon QB Dante Moore

Moore has played like one of the very best quarterbacks in the country this season, with him in contention as a candidate for the Heisman Trophy, at 72% completion for 232.7 passing yards per game with 15 touchdowns and three interceptions. Now, with “impressive traits” and “a lot of confidence” in how he plays, Kiper also has him atop his big board to start for the 2026 NFL Draft.

“His accuracy has been solid all season, and he shows good touch on his deep ball. Moore can throw from different arm angles with precision and delivers strikes while rolling either left or right out of the pocket. He can scramble a bit too,” wrote Kiper. “Moore is still developing and will be only 20 years old at draft time. But the toolbox is loaded, and he plays with true command of the Ducks’ offense.”

2. Notre Dame RB Jeremiyah Love

Love is the top running back on the board for Kiper, with him comparing him to Reggie Bush. That’s with a skill set, both physically, with speed, and as a pass-catcher out of the backfield, that will be very much of use in a pro offense, and which currently has him up to 690 scrimmage yards, or 115 per game, and 11 total touchdowns this season for the Fighting Irish.

“(Love) has vision and burst between the tackles and to the outside, and he can break tackles with ease (29 forced missed tackles on the season). Once he gets into space, he can take it to the house with his breakaway speed too. But Love isn’t only an outstanding runner. He also is a high-impact pass catcher,” Kiper wrote. “An NFL team will be able to flank him out wide and create a whole other dimension of the offense.”

3. Indiana QB Fernando Mendoza

Mendoza improved over two seasons at California, but has hit another level this year as he is completing 71.2% of his passes for 237.2 yards per game with 17 touchdowns and two interceptions. He now has since emerged as a legitimate prospect with all the skills, namely from within the pocket, to now possibly be one of the first quarterbacks off the board in 2026.

“His game has taken off,” wrote Kiper. “The key? He has cut down on sacks, with only six so far this season after taking 41 in 2024. Mendoza is getting the ball out quicker. And while he doesn’t have a huge arm, he can make all the necessary NFL-level throws. His ball placement is fantastic. I wouldn’t consider him a dual threat, but Mendoza also has enough mobility to pick up first downs as a scrambler.”

4. Ohio State LB Arvell Reese

Of all the top defensive players, let alone the ones just on the Buckeyes’ defense, Reese is the one that’s first listed for Kiper, with him having posted 38 tackles, 4.5 sacks, and two deflections as he’s first or second on the unit in all of those categories. He was evaluated here as “a complete football player” who has really taken off this year to be top-five here at the release of the big board

“Reese jumps off the Ohio State tape, playing the game like a veteran. I see natural instincts at the linebacker position that allow him to make plays most guys just can’t make, and he has the burst to get home when turned loose as a pass rusher,” Kiper wrote. “Reese has been a big riser in this class.”

5. Clemson DT Peter Woods

Woods, much like his team, has not been as successful this season, having just 18 tackles, 0.5 sacks, and a deflection for the Tigers. Still, based on what he has show in his seasons prior as far as traits and skills on the defensive line, and how he can finish off as this fall, he still has a spot in the top-five here for Kiper.

“Woods hasn’t been elite in 2025, but the skill set is exactly what NFL teams covet. He just needs to finish strong over the second half of the season,” wrote Kiper. “In the pros, Woods would fit nicely at 3-technique, though he has the versatility to move around on a defensive front. He plays on the inside the majority of the time, but he also can be disruptive off the edge. His strength will intrigue a lot of NFL teams no matter where he lines up.”

6. USC WR Makai Lemon

Lemon is one of the leading receivers in all of college football, being one of two in his receiving corps on this board, at 44 catches for 682 yards, posting 113.7 per game and 15.5 per reception, and six touchdowns, with the yardage and receiving scores each being top-three in the country. That has Kiper all in on this pass-catcher for the Trojans when it comes to next year’s draft class.

“This kid is a warrior who plays with passion. I’d want Lemon on my roster,” Kiper wrote. “He snatches the ball away from his body in an attacking manner then runs with a fierce approach after the catch. He is one of my favorite players in the class.”

7. Ohio State S Caleb Downs

Downs has long been viewed as a top draft prospect based on his stops at Alabama and Ohio State, currently being at 28 tackles and an interception for the nation’s best defense right now with the Buckeyes. That should translate immediately to the next level with him continuing to be the quarterback of someone’s defensive unit in the NFL.

“Downs is basically an extension of the defensive coordinator. His football knowledge shows in his play; it’s obvious when you watch him in the Ohio State defense. But what really impressed me is how well he picked up Nick Saban’s system as a 2023 freshman at Alabama before transferring,” wrote Kiper. “He diagnoses quickly thanks to excellent pre-snap instincts, and that allows him to play faster than his straight-line speed might suggest. Plus, Downs is solid in coverage, and he is a very reliable open-field tackler.”

8. Arizona State WR Jordyn Tyson

Tyson is again the top target out in Tempe, catching 122 passes for 1,624 yards and 17 touchdowns so far over the past two seasons, and at 47 receptions for 523 yards and seven touchdowns this year, for the Sun Devils. That’s as he’s being more physical than the coverage on him to win out over and over again for ASU, which is another trait that has him near the top of the board here for Kiper.

“Tyson’s superpower is being open even when it looks like he’s completely blanketed. It makes him essentially uncoverable in the red zone. He wins on 50-50 balls and outmuscles defensive backs,” Kiper wrote. “His 116 receiving yards after first contact rank inside the top 20 nationwide.”

9. Miami DE Rueben Bain Jr.

Bain Jr. has been a menace this season at The ‘U, as he has 26 tackles, 2.0 sacks, and an interception, forced fumble, and deflection apiece for the Hurricanes. He should be able to wreak similar havoc at the next level, namely just in how hard he plays each snap, with all that he brings to the table in Kiper’s evaluation of him for the draft.

“Bain is powerful and has really strong hands. He routinely gets the best of some very good offensive tackles, often with his dominant rip move, and he knows every trick in the book in getting home to the QB. Bain also shows speed and bend off the edge, and he takes good angles. Plus, he can hold the edge against the run and get off blocks to chase down ball carriers. His tape is just filled with disruption,” wrote Kiper. “Even with all those A-level traits, it’s actually Bain’s hustle that really stands out to me. He never takes a play off and fires at the ball on every play. His arms are shorter than most scouts prefer, but there’s so much to like with his game. Opponents have to account for him in their game plans, and he can keep them guessing even then with his inside-outside flexibility.”

10. Utah OT Spencer Fano

Wrapping up the top-ten, Fano is an experienced tackle on both sides of the line, with a dozen starts at left and seventeen at right since, for the Utes. That versatility, and his ability regardless of where he’s positioned, is what has him as the top offensive lineman here for Kiper.

“Fano does a great job of keeping his big frame between the pass rusher and his QB,” Kiper wrote. “He is technically sound and shows good punch to compensate for his lack of ideal arm length.”

11. Auburn DE Keldrick Faulk
12. Ohio State WR Carnell Tate
13. Tennessee CB Jermod McCoy
14. Oregon TE Kenyon Sadiq
15. Clemson DE T.J. Parker
16. Alabama QB Ty Simpson
17. Clemson CB Avieon Terrell
18. Miami OT Francis Mauigoa
19. Oregon DT A’Mauri Washington
20. Texas Tech LB David Bailey
21. South Carolina QB LaNorris Sellers
22. Georgia WR Zachariah Branch
23. Georgia LB CJ Allen
24. USC WR Ja’Kobi Lane
25. Alabama OT Kadyn Proctor