Matt Miller's Final Big Board
1. Jeremiyah Love, RB, Notre Dame
Height: 6-0 | Weight: 212 | Grade: 98
Comp: Reggie Bush
Love is an elite modern running back with true three-down skills. He has home run speed, with multiple 90-plus-yard runs in his college career. He's also a skilled receiver, hauling in 64 catches and six touchdown receptions in his three seasons. But Love isn't just a speed back. He can deliver violent hits at the point of attack and has the contact balance to bounce off tacklers and stay upright. With 4.36 speed and sweet open-field moves, Love is the closest thing to Reggie Bush as a prospect since he entered the NFL in 2006.
2. Fernando Mendoza, QB, Indiana
Height: 6-5 | Weight: 236 | Grade: 95
Comp: Joe Burrow
The top quarterback in the class, Mendoza is a prototypical pocket passer in the Burrow/Matt Ryan mold. He has good arm strength and quickly processes what he sees when scanning the field. After showing flashes at Cal, Mendoza dominated at Indiana last season, throwing 41 touchdown passes and six interceptions while rushing for six more scores. He has the frame to pick up short yardage on runs or scramble when the pocket breaks down, but Mendoza is at his best carving up defenses in the pocket. His timing, rhythm and field vision helped him complete 72% of his passes in 2025 and have him cemented atop the QB1 race.
3. Caleb Downs, S, Ohio State
Height: 6-0 | Weight: 206 | Grade: 95
Comp: Budda Baker
Regarded as a top pro prospect since his freshman season at Alabama in 2023, Downs has developed into a special safety. He has the closing speed and range to patrol the secondary in coverage and the power to play in the box as a nickel linebacker or at the Star position. His physicality, speed and ability to take away top offensive players made him critical to the Buckeyes' elite defense. Along with being similar to Baker, Downs has similarities to Hall of Famer Troy Polamalu when it comes to range and explosiveness.
4. Arvell Reese, LB/Edge, Ohio State
Height: 6-4 | Weight: 241 | Grade: 94
Comp: Abdul Carter
Reese wasn't on the NFL draft radar before last season but shot up the board as one of the nation's most productive and promising players. A hybrid defender who plays linebacker and edge rusher, there are obvious comparisons to Micah Parsons and Carter. Reese has the length, elite burst and power to be dangerous off the edge, as evidenced by his 6.5 sacks last season in a part-time edge role. His flexibility and athletic tools at a premium position could make Reese the first defender off the board.
5. Sonny Styles, LB, Ohio State
Height: 6-4 | Weight: 244 | Grade: 94
Comp: Fred Warner
Styles fits the mold of the long, fast versatile linebacker prospect who is regularly drafted in the first round. His speed, length, power in his hands and range jump off the tape. And as a former safety, Styles knows how to turn and move in coverage, too. Though Arvell Reese got much of the Ohio State defensive attention last season, Styles produced 83 tackles and one interception and has shown pass-rush ability (six sacks in 2024). An elite combine performance -- including a 43½-inch vertical jump and 4.46-second 40-yard dash -- has put him in the top-five conversation.
6. David Bailey, Edge, Texas Tech
Height: 6-3 | Weight: 250 | Grade: 93
Comp: Nik Bonitto
Bailey was the nation's most impactful defensive transfer, finishing last season with 14.5 sacks (tied for first in the FBS) after arriving from Stanford. He also had 71 pressures (tied for second in the FBS). Bailey's first step causes problems for offensive tackles, and he counters well with leverage and strong hands. He is also relentless in pursuing the ball, which helped him rack up 23 tackles for loss last season. Bailey's 4.5 40-yard dash and 33¾-inch arm length at the combine could tempt the Jets at No. 2.
7. Francis Mauigoa, OT, Miami
Height: 6-6 | Weight: 329 | Grade: 92
Comp: Darnell Wright
The top offensive lineman on my board, Mauigoa was a three-year starter at right tackle who played like a blue-chipper. He comes off the line of scrimmage with elite force and burst in the run game. His previous tape showed issues with inconsistent punch timing, but Mauigoa improved his technique last season, allowing only two sacks and six pressures. Some scouts see Mauigoa as a guard in the NFL due to his stocky frame, but his tape last season is that of a high-end tackle prospect with a grade similar to Wright, a top-10 pick by the Bears in 2023.
8. Makai Lemon, WR, USC
Height: 5-11 | Weight: 192 | Grade: 92
Comp: Amon-Ra St. Brown
Lemon's scouting report won't contain platitudes about size, length or great track speed. Instead, he stands out due to his production (79 catches for 1,156 yards and 11 touchdowns last season), polish in the slot and ability to create space and accumulate targets across the middle. He is agile and tough, knows how to vary his routes and wins with tempo over pure speed -- very similar to former Trojan St. Brown. Some teams will see him as a scheme-specific fit, but St. Brown and Jaxon Smith-Njigba give Lemon a template for NFL success.
9. Carnell Tate, WR, Ohio State
Height: 6-2 | Weight: 192 | Grade: 92
Comp: Cooper Kupp
Another year, another top-10 wide receiver prospect for the Buckeyes. Tate is a big receiver with elite contested-catch ability down the field, along with strong hands and body control that allow him to consistently win on 50-50 passes. Tate's penchant for sitting in space and picking up tough yards makes him a pro-ready WR1. He might not have elite top-end speed, but Tate's ability to box out defenders and create separation on routes makes him special.
10. Jermod McCoy, CB, Tennessee
Height: 6-1 | Weight: 188 | Grade: 92
Comp: Christian Gonzalez
McCoy didn't play in 2025 because of a torn ACL suffered while training in January, but scouts are sufficiently enamored with his traits and previous film to consider him a first-round talent. He has ideal size, explosive hips and click-and-close ability that reminds me of Derek Stingley Jr.'s tape at LSU. Given that McCoy hasn't played in over a year, there will be questions about his recovery timeline (which increased after he didn't work out at the combine), but if he were graded purely on his 2024 tape, he'd be in the running to be the first corner drafted and a top-10 pick.
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