“YOU’RE NOT HIGH ENOUGH ON…” 2026 DRAFT PROSPECTS
APRIL 7th, 2026
Post-combine, post-hype, we’re stuck in the dead zone right now. We’re in the slog waiting for the Draft and starting to see how much moving away from actual games being played shifts people’s perception of players. Track times and running around in shorts pushes guys up and others down and adjusts focus. But my rankings come from watching the games and I stand by what I see.
The following are the players I think are much better than the coalescing groupthink regards them as.
JORDAN HUDSON, WR, SMU - 6’1 191lbs
Sometimes you watch an unheralded guy and start to lean closer to the monitor and lock in. They move better than you thought they would, work a DB effortlessly at the top of a route, snatch the ball so easily you barely notice. They’re tough, they have attitude and presence. That’s Hudson. Some guys just look like natural receivers out there, like they were born to fill the role. Hudson is at his best manipulating off-coverage and zone where he can use his sharp short-area movement ability and body control to snap off routes and work to space. He has great immediate moves when he secures the ball to setup room to run and the lateral quicks to juke. If you watch him vs Miami you’ll want him on your team immediately as a high-potential WR2.
DE’ZHAUN STRIBLING, OLE MISS - 6’2 207Lbs
Two Wide Receivers have unexpectedly caught my eye this offseason — one is Hudson above, and the second is Stribling. Hudson is a complete package whereas Stribling currently is a bit more niche. He has a long and fast stride that chews up vertical cushion which lets him attack off-man and set up DBs and flip their hips. He has the footwork to break off routes although he needs to be sharper with his gearing and moves when he’s at speed. He has a flexible body and long limbs and the coordination to work the catch point but catching is passive at times and you’d like to see his hands attack the ball in the air and pluck more. He also needs coaching on how to deal with press coverage. But his frame, athleticism, length and control combine for an extremely high-ceiling player that could just be scratching the surface.
JOE ROYER, TE, CINCINNATTI - 6’5 247lbs
My controversial TE1 in this class is Joe Royer (although I absolutely see the ceiling of Sadiq and will most likely look foolish for this). I’m enamored with his combination of finesse movement and body control for his size and also his physicality at the catch point and after contact. He’s fluid with good balance and control which is rare for full-framed Tight Ends. I immediately jotted down ‘Tucker Kraft’ for a comparison and like Kraft I think he will build momentum going into year two as he develops and adjusts. While freakish athleticism is on the table and excites everyone year after year, Royer feels like the type of Tight End that is often overlooked and yet succeeds continuously in the NFL. There’s a reason guys like Tucker Kraft, Jake Ferguson and Hunter Henry are perennially producing and I could see Royer being in that group in a few years.
EMMETT JOHNSON, RB, NEBRASKA - 5’10 202lbs
I don’t think you’re high enough on Emmett Johnson because to me he’s the RB2 of the class. Coming in to his draft James Cook was seen as more of a COP back and receiving back but over time he’s learned more and more how to slash through traffic, minimize exposure to tacklers and dive forward through shoulders. Emmett Johnson already shows some of the same traits to run through traffic and with some growth can also command a backfield like Cook despite a less traditional workhorse build. Johnson has aggressiveness and fearlessness attacking the line and hunting creases and his tempo and short area quicks shock defenses who can’t close holes or get angles. Johnson has good dancers feet that remain composed and stab the ground rapidly without getting too loose, although his mind can move faster than his body and he gets bogged a bit stop-starting. He doesn’t have the same composure and smoothness on big lateral moves as a LeSean McCoy but he works defenders in open space in a similar manner, with stop-start jump cuts, hesitations and burst. His attitude is tremendous as he runs with a ferocity and “you can’t contain me” mindset.
SAWYER ROBERTSON, QB, BAYLOR - 6’4 216lbs
Another sad Quarterback class means looking extra hard for any diamond in the rough. And, chances are there are none to find at all. But if I had to bet on a back-up Quarterback to have to start a game in the future and throw for 300 yards, 3 TDs and 3 INTs it’d be Robertson. He’s a high-volume gunslinger Quarterback that can hit every area of the field and tries to constantly. His mechanics are messy and thanks to the offensive system in Baylor he wasn’t working in composed and developing play environments. He lacked footwork as well as post-snap timing, and his ball placement and trajectories/velocity suffered because of it. But he has a ton of confidence in his talented arm and has good height and lots of experience ripping the ball all over the field. You’re taking Robertson for his poise and willingness to drive the ball when called upon, and there could be a starter here with cleaned up footwork and simple outlet throws sprinkled in.
