The Too Deep 96

Welcome to the master file of the Too Deep 96.

If you have been reading along with this year’s draft capsules, then you have read just about everything in this document. Also, thank you for reading all of that. I’m sorry that this draft class was not more interesting. It’s not my fault.

If you have only been dipping in and out of this year’s draft capsules, this document is a handy index for finding players who might interest you. It’s also my official “draft board” for 2026. Keep it open during the draft, and you will always be one click away from my thoughts about whichever prospect your favorite team, their archrival or the Jets just selected!

If the prospects appear in a different order here than among their position group, it means I changed my mind. If they appeared in their position group but not here, it means they did not crack the top 96. There are about 130 total draft capsules in the position-by-position features!

Stay tuned to the end of the document for a note about this week’s draft coverage at Too Deep Zone.

Prospects I Really, Really Like:

1. Mansoor Delane, CB, LSU: He may be a notch below former LSU standout Derek Stingley as a prospect, but it’s a tiny notch.

2. Jeremiyah Love, RB, Notre Dame: In the Saquon Barkley/Bijan Robinson/Ashton Jeanty class, with broadly similar strengths and few weaknesses.

3. Arvell Reese, LB/Edge, Ohio State: Awesome. But not really an edge rusher.

4. Sonny Styles, LB, Ohio State: A Fred Warner-caliber linebacker prospect and one of the safest picks in this draft class.

5. David Bailey, Edge, Texas: Will quickly develop into a defender who can provide double-digit sacks, plus hustle.

6. Kenyon Sadiq, TE, Oregon: More of a Tyler Warren than a Kyle Pitts.

7. Caleb Downs, S, Ohio State: The best safety prospect since at least Kyle Hamilton.

8. Jermod McCoy, CB, Tennessee: McCoy ran a 4.38 forty at his Pro Day, ending the tempest in the teapot and reassuring some evaluators who would rank a healthy McCoy almost neck-and-neck with Mansoor Delane.

Prospects I Really Like:

9. Fernando Mendoza, QB, Indiana: Bigger Baker Mayfield.

10. Rueben Bain, Edge, Miami: First-step explosiveness, some dip/swim moves that work because he’s on his blocker’s body so suddenly, power, physicality and orneriness, plus a motor that seems to rev higher on critical situations.

11. Francis Mauigoa, Tackle, Miami: A safe pick who should be an NFL starter for years.

12. Carnell Tate, WR, Ohio State: A Michael Pittman or Jakobi Meyers type in a draft class that lacks a true WR1.

13. Chris Johnson, CB, San Diego State: Even if he has downfield coverage deficiencies that weren’t evident at the midmajor level, he could be an effective enforcer in the slot or in a scheme that runs a lot of Cover-2.

14. Vega Ioane, G, Penn State: Arrives at the draft with the typical “three-year B1G starter at left guard” dossier.

15. Jacob Rodriguez, LB, Texas Tech: Ends up in the frame at the end of every single play from scrimmage.

16. Dillon Thieneman, S, Oregon: He’s so fast that it can seem like he’s everywhere on the field.

17. Makai Lemon, WR, USC: The trouble with searching for JSN/Amon-Ra-type prospects is that you can end up with dozens of not-big/not-blazing guys who need all the grit and craftsmanship they have to be WR4s at the NFL level,

18. Avieon Terrell, CB, Clemson: Plays cornerback like a 186-pound linebacker.

19. Kayden McDonald, DT, Ohio State: A 326-pound massive mound of major-program man meat.

20. Caleb Lomu, OT, Utah: Edge rushers who try to beat him to the outside often end up getting kicked out of the back door of the nightclub.

21. Emmanuel McNeil-Warren, S, Toledo: Plays safety like the boss at the end of a video game level.

22. Chris Brazzell, WR, Tennessee: He can do Mossy things on jump balls

23. Caleb Banks, DT, Florida: An almost Jeffery Simmons-caliber enforcer when healthy. But we’re talking about a 327-pound man with a chronic foot injury that has required multiple surgeries and now flares up during relatively routine activities.

24. Colton Hood, CB, Tennessee: Hood may still be improving. He just turned 21 in February, and he wasn’t a full-time starter until last year.

25. Cashius Howell, Edge, Texas A&M: There haven’t been many college players in the last decade who have put together a more entertaining/impressive greatest hits montage.

Prospects I Like:

26. Zion Young, Edge, Missou: Could be a difference maker for a team like the Lions that needs an ornery brawler who does the dirty work.

27. Sam Hecht, Center, Kansas State: Has the potential to grow into a starter in a system that values a quick-footed center.

28. Jordyn Tyson, WR, Arizona State: I love Tyson’s quickness and moxie but fear he could be a frustrating NFL player.

29. Kadyn Proctor, OT, Alabama: Defenders who enter his gravitational field are never seen again.

30. Zachariah Branch, WR, Georgia: This is the slot-motion speedster you are looking for.

31. Peter Woods, DT, Clemson: He’s a unique athlete. Moldable, as the cool draftniks used to say in the late 2010s.

32. Akheem Mesidor, Edge, Miami: I don’t trust the tape when it comes to the 25-year old Mesidor.

33. Jalon Kilgore, S, South Carolina: An updated version of an old-fashioned strong safety.

34. Denzel Boston, WR, Washington: Worthy of a Day Two pick based on 50-50 ball capability and return skills.

35. Monroe Freeling, OT, Georgia: Sheer size, strength and quickness, plus what looks like a hard-nosed demeanor, can take a prospect with Freeling’s tools a long way.

36. Lee Hunter, DT, Texas Tech: A 330-pound human rectangle with Doc Ock arms that he uses to rip, pull, slug and swat blockers away.

37. Michael Trigg, TE, Baylor: Could be a Harold Fannin-type who proves to be a handful every time he catches a short pass.

38. Brandon Cisse, CB, South Carolina: If there’s a tall, speedy cornerback who SEC quarterbacks don’t want to throw to in the draft, and the first dozen picks or so are off the board, a team should take him.

39. Genesis Smith, S, Arizona: His scouting reports may be nerfed by playing through a 2025 injury. He has the traits of a quality NFL starter.

40. KC Concepcion, WR, Texas A&M: A Chimere Dike-type who could be an instant-impact returner.

41. Malachi Lawrence, Edge, UCF: Possesses every single tool in Hank Hill’s garage.

42. Derrick Moore, Edge, Michigan: A stand-up edge rusher who wins with his first three steps. That’s it. That’s the scouting report.

43. VJ Payne, S, Kansas State: 6-foot-3, long-armed, leggy and fast as hell.

44. Chris Bell, WR, Louisville: “Don’t let this injury fool you,” he told reporters. “I’m still that dawg.”

45. Trey Zuhn, OT/C, Texas A&M: Performed well during Senior Bowl practices, taking some reps at both center and tackle.

46. Keith Abney, CB, Arizona State: Abney is a smallish 5-foot-10 and more quick than fast, and he has a leadership reputation.

47. Bud Clark, S, TCU: You don’t want to run a slow-developing little slot-flat route with Clark in coverage.

48. R Thomas Mason, Edge, Oklahoma: Has enough quickness and juice to be scary on the right team and in the right role.

49. Omar Cooper, WR, Indiana: A well-built, rumbling slot receiver who rose to stardom when Fernando Mendoza arrived in Indiana and began force-feeding him RPOs.

50. Chris McClellan, DT, Mizzou: Has the tools of an NFL starter who generates more sacks than the typical nose tackle.

Prospects That Are Fine, Mostly:

51. Mike Washington, RB, Arkansas: The sort of back Kyle Shanahan and his imitators draft in the hopes of making the most of their breakaway speed.

52. Spencer Fano, OT, Utah: He’s rugged, he avoids mistakes, and he can shove defenders from the second level into the parking lot.

53. T.J. Parker, Edge, Clemson: Parker’s 2024 production placed him in the first-round picture before the 2025 season began. I fear he may still be higher on media draft boards than real draft boards based on reputation.

54. Treydan Stukes, S, Arizona: The best turn-and-run defender against deep passes of any safety in this class except Caleb Downs, but turns 25 in September.

55. Skyler Bell, WR, UConn: Watching Bell’s tape was like watching Justin Jefferson when Max Brosmer was quarterbacking the Vikings.

56. Gracen Halton, DT, Oklahoma: A Senior Bowl standout with an impressive mix of sheer bulk, the pass-rush moves of a smaller dude, and competitiveness.

57. Max Iheanachor, OT, Arizona State: Looks like an adequate starting right tackle or multi-position sub on tape, but there may be more to him than meets the eye.

58. Max Klare, TE, Ohio State: A Daniel Bellinger-type who could contribute some splash plays.

59. Daylen Everette, CB, Georgia: Traits, highlights and pedigree suggest that he is a first-round pick. Stats and tape say he’s more of a third-rounder.

60. Keionte Scott, CB, Miami: Scott’s film is fun. But he was a 24-year old playing a specialized role at either his third or fourth college stop, depending on how you count.

61. Kyle Louis, LB, Pitt: A compact, 224-pound guided missile of an off-ball linebacker.

62. Kamari Ramsey, S, USC: About what you would expect from a nickel safety.

63. Blake Miller, OT, Clemson: A rugged finisher who loves to smush his defender at the whistle.

64. Anthony Hill, LB, Texas: He backpedals. He shuffles. He strafes. He flips his hips to turn upfield. He does it all with remarkable fluidity for a 6-foot-4 240-pounder. Sometimes he does it all on the same routine play-action pass.

65. Emmett Johnson, RB, Nebraska: A perennial All-B1G Academic selection with an elite-character reputation, rugged rushing style, good hands and receiving chops.

66. Ty Simpson, QB, Alabama: My search for a comp led me back to Jarrett Stidham.

67. Eli Stowers, TE, Vanderbilt: An athlete playing quarterback playing slot receiver playing tight end.

68. De’Zhaun Stribling, WR, Ole Miss: He’s an older prospect who may never develop into a high-level starter, but I like his story, personality, measurables and uncle.

69. CJ Allen, LB, Georgia: Turned 21 on March 1st, yet he was one of the leaders on a defense that’s never short on grown-ass, essentially-professional alphas.

70. Joshua Josephs, Edge, Tennessee: He could develop into a real sack monster in a system that allows him to stand up in a wide-9 alignment and just chase quarterbacks 20 times per game.

71. Josh Cameron, WR, Baylor: A former walk-on with a hard-nosed personality who shined at the Senior Bowl.

72. Malik Muhammad, CB, Texas: The biggest star of the Red River Shootout since John Wayne and Montgomery Clift.

73. Gennings Dunker, OT/OG, Iowa: I love Dunker’s mustache, mullet and mentality. But I hate Dunker’s backpedal.

74. Connor Lew, Center, Auburn: Lew took over as Auburn’s starting center midway through the 2023 season, played well in 2024 and was off to a fine start before tearing an ACL in October of 2025.

75. A.J. Haulcy, S, LSU: May love to lower his shoulder and deliver a thud a little too much.

76. Keylan Rutledge, OG, Georgia Tech: A storyline guy who looks like he would have been a star in the heyday of the counter trey.

77. D’Angelo Ponds, CB, Indiana: Ponds’ film is so splashy that it’s hard not to love him. But he remains a smol defender who gave up many catches to top-tier receivers.

78. Christen Miller, DT, Georgia: A standard-issue meaty, ornery Georgia defender who plays nose tackle like a bear swatting salmon out of a stream.

79. Brenen Thompson, WR, Mississippi State: In the Land of the Pokey, the prospect with a 4.26-second forty may not be king, but he’s definitely worth drafting.

80. Chandler Rivers, CB, Duke: He made a bunch of flashy plays around the line of scrimmage as a run defender, pass rusher or when spotting slot screens and swatting them away.

81. Romello Height, Edge, Texas Tech: If Jack Skellington were a standup edge rusher, he’d look a lot like Height: a lanky, leggy, twitchy rubber-band man whose pass-rush moves operate according to cartoon physics.

82. Keldric Faulk, Edge, Auburn: A 276-pound Renaissance statue of a defender with an A++ character reputation and just 2.0 sacks in 2025.

83. Josiah Trotter, LB, Mizzou: Jeremiah Trotter had another kid! And wouldn’t you know it, he’s an ultra-rugged linebacker!

I Promised You 96, So You Get 96:

84. Ja’Kobi Lane, WR, USC: He may have benefitted from drawing the opponent’s second-best cornerback for his entire college career and winning with pure verticality.

85. Emmanuel Pregnon, Guard, Oregon: So wide that the 7 and 5 on his jersey don’t even have to like each other.

86. Ephesians Prysock, CB, Washington: 6-foot-3 with 33+ inch arms. Has three years of major-program starting experience. Ran a 4.45-second Combine forty.

87. Zane Durant, DT, Penn State: A Combine rock star who also had a solid Senior Bowl week.

88. Kaleb Proctor, DT, Southeastern Louisiana: A small-school standout who lined up everywhere from nose tackle to the edge in search of mismatches, and often found them.

89. Gabe Jacas, Edge, Illinois: Has Day Two tools but Day Three stats and film.

90. Jack Endries, TE, Texas: The sort of player who clings to rosters for years by doing the stuff that backup tight ends are supposed to do.

91. Charles Demmings, CB, Stephen F. Austin: A 6-foot-1 defender who held his own against Houston (the only FBS opponent on the Lumberjacks’ schedule in 2025) and smothered receivers from Incarnate Word and something called Sul Ross State.

92. Ted Hurst, WR, Georgia State: Hurst has lots of NFL traits and some good tape. But I feel like I have spent half my adult life writing about tall, fast receivers from small programs who generate Senior Bowl buzz.

93. J’Mari Taylor, RB, Virginia: Shifts gears and changes lanes like he’s trying to escape a bottleneck on the freeway.

94. Elijah Sarratt, WR, Indiana: Fernando Mendoza’s binkie during the 2025 championship run

95. Jake Golday, LB, Cincinnati: Earns a B or C-plus in just about every linebacker trait.

96. Jonah Coleman, RB, Washington: Runs a little like a pickup truck with a three-cylinder engine.

Draft Week at the Too Deep Zone

Here’s what is in store at the Too Deep Zone over the next week or so:

• Friday, April 24th, Early Morning: a first-round recap.
• Friday, April 24th, During the Draft: Hang out with me on a chat thread for the second-third rounds. Matt Lombardo of Between the Hashmarks will probably be there as well.
• Monday and Tuesday, April 27th/28th: A tradition like no other: draft performance assessments for all 32 teams!

Lombardo plans to host a chat thread at Between the Hashmarks on Thursday night, during the first round. I should be dipping in and out. But I prefer to concentrate on writing the first round feature and being a social media gadfly during the first round.

There may be a little quiet time in early May as I make a few tweaks on the business/technical side of the site, and my eldest finishes grad school, plus Mother’s Day, jury duty and such. But there will not be any major interruptions in coverage, and the Signature Moments series will resume with … where did I leave off … the NFC South? Eh, maybe the Signature Moments series will resume with the AFC East, then work backwards.

See you at the draft!