Unsurprisingly, attention on the 2026 NFL Draft hasn’t stopped because free agency started.
Over the past couple months, we’ve tried to stay on top of the players mocked to Minnesota at No. 18 overall in our Mock Draft Tracker series (here’s Version 4.0), while also sharing the oft-changing rankings of prospects compiled by experts in the industry, such as NFL Media’s Daniel Jeremiah and The Athletic’s Dane Brugler. On Wednesday, the lead draft writer for NFL.com, Eric Edholm, announced his Top 100 list.
It’s the first compilation of prospects made by Edholm this year and a worthwhile one to explore because it’s interesting to see if they stack up differently based on the eyes of the beholder. Edholm noted, for what it’s worth, that the pecking order is not finalized and may be influenced by Pro Days.
Contrasting Jeremiah’s Top 50, which has been updated several times by now, Edholm’s ranking begins with Ohio State linebacker/edge Arvell Reese — and not Heisman Trophy-winning Indiana quarterback Fernando Mendoza. Edholm pegged Notre Dame running back Jeremiyah Love and Ohio State LB Sonny Styles, the latter described as a “cyborg LB prospect with elite physical traits and tantalizing upside,” at Nos. 2 and 3, before slotting in the decorated National Champion QB at 4. Furthermore, two other Ohio State products, safety Caleb Downs and receiver Carnell Tate, are penciled in at Nos. 7 and 9.
While there’s a wide range of players linked to Minnesota as potential fits in the first round, there are a half-dozen or so who’ve gained steam, so to speak, and frequently popped up in simulations we’ve seen.
Some of the recurring characters include Tennessee cornerback Jermod McCoy (Edholm’s 12th-ranked prospect), Clemson CB Avieon Terrell (No. 19), Oregon S Dillon Thieneman (22), Toledo S Emmanuel McNeil-Warren (26), Florida defensive tackle Caleb Banks (37) and South Carolina CB Brandon Cisse (41).
