It’s gotten to the point where it might be best to wait until the College Football Playoff before ranking the quarterback prospects in the draft. 

It hasn’t played out the way many expected before the season, with Texas’s Arch Manning and Oregon’s Dante Moore no longer being viewed as sure first-rounders, and Oklahoma State’s Drew Mestemaker coming out of nowhere to be the new No. 1 prospect at the position. 

After Mestemaker, it’s been difficult to get a read on the order. Ole Miss’s Trinidad Chambliss has cooled off since his hot September, and Miami’s Darian Mensah had some ups and downs in his first test of the season against Notre Dame last week. Notre Dame’s CJ Carr impressed in the win over Miami, but he doesn’t have enticing physical traits.   

The unpredictability won’t stop draft pundits from trying to decipher this quarterback class, and this is a good time to announce that my next QB rankings will come out next week. Expect to see South Carolina’s LaNorris Sellers move up because he’s entered Day 1 conversations with how well he’s played as of late. 

Sellers went from being nearly benched to putting together a dominant four-game winning streak. He might have the best physical traits (6'3", 238 pounds) of all the prospects at his position, and now he’s finally showing improvements with his accuracy—62.8% on the season. Traits and consistency are the best way to become a first-round quarterback. 

Scouts recently told me that they wouldn’t be surprised to see a team take a chance on Sellers in the first round. One declined to say whether he’s the next Cam Newton, but added that Sellers has everything you want in a quarterback.

For those who worry Sellers could be the next Anthony Richardson Sr.—the 2023 No. 4 pick who has struggled with the Colts—well, Richardson never completed 60% of his passes and appeared in only 24 games in three seasons at Florida. Sellers has done that in three seasons, with 36 games played, and probably has better mobility than Richardson, rushing for at least 600 yards in two of his four seasons. 

There’s also the possibility of Sellers returning for a fifth season, but after this rollercoaster 2026, he knows better than most how volatile draft stocks can be. If he keeps this up, it’ll be hard for him to pass on the NFL.

Mini mock for teams with multiple first-rounders

The Titans joined the Browns and the Jets on the list of teams with multiple first-round picks after sending Jeffery Simmons to Chicago last week. The Eagles did, too, after trading Jordan Davis to the Jaguars one day before the deadline. 

Here’s where teams stand with multiple picks heading into Week 10:

• Tennessee: No. 2, 30 (from Chicago)

• New York: No. 4 (from Indianapolis), 6, 13 (from Dallas)

• Philadelphia: No. 5, 25 (from Jacksonville)

• Cleveland: No. 16, 18 (from Rams) 

Obviously, the Titans have a glaring hole in the middle of their defensive line. But using the second pick on a defensive tackle is too rich, and prospects such as Ole Miss’s Will Echoles and Tennessee’s Xavier Gilliam likely won’t be available late. Tennessee could always trade down to get one of those interior prospects, but I don’t think they pass on Mestemaker unless Cam Ward shows drastic improvements in the final two months. But let’s say they pass on quarterback and don’t trade down, I think a good scenario would be Texas edge rusher Colin Simmons at No. 2, followed by Oregon defensive tackle A’Mauri Washington with their second pick.

For the Jets, they might need to trade up to land Mestemaker, but let’s assume the Chargers go with Ohio State wide receiver Jeremiah Smith at No. 1, Tennessee selects Simmons, and Mestemaker lands in Miami at No. 3. In this scenario, New York should go with Notre Dame cornerback Leonard Moore to solidify the back end of the defense, especially with rookie edge rusher David Bailey looking like the real deal. Let’s go with Indiana wide receiver Charlie Becker at No. 6, and who cares about the Jets already having quality skill players. Becker is a blue-chip prospect who shouldn't be passed on. 

The Jets’ final first-rounder would need to be a quarterback, and I’m having a hard time picking one, but let’s go with Chambliss. He’s an ultra confident playmaker built for the New York market. 

As for the Eagles, let’s give them South Carolina edge rusher Dylan Stewart at No. 5. He has endless potential, but some character concerns. Philly has a track record of rolling the dice and making it work with those types of prospects, with Jalen Carter being one. I’m going to be messy at No. 25 and give them Sellers, who could watch and learn from Jalen Hurts for a year or two if he’s cleared to play from the blood clots or doesn’t get traded in this scenario.   

And for the Browns, I’m giving them Missouri quarterback Austin Simmons at No. 16. His arm strength is more appealing than some of the safer prospects—and in case you’re wondering, I don’t see Carr falling past No. 9 to the Cardinals. And, finally, let’s send Georgia cornerback Ellis Robinson IV to Cleveland with the Rams’ pick at No. 18. 

WEEK 11 RISERS AND FALLERS

RISERS

Jackson Harris ended up as player 15 on my updated big board. Just love his combination of size, hands, and agility. pic.twitter.com/Zy959qlqSV

— Nate Tice (@Nate_Tice) November 7, 2026

Jackson Harris, WR, LSU

Harris was a lone positive during LSU’s ugly loss against Alabama last week. He’s a crafty playmaker who knows how to create space in traffic. Harris, who stands at 6'2", 202 pounds, recorded 11 catches for 166 yards against the Crimson Tide’s stout defense. For the season, he has 47 catches for 800 yards and seven touchdowns. 

Cooper Barkate, WR, Miami 

Barkate stepped up in Miami’s first game without star receiver Malachi Toney. He caught nine passes for 75 yards and two touchdowns in the loss against Notre Dame last week. The speedy wideout, who has 37 catches for 447 yards and six touchdowns this season, started his collegiate career at Harvard before playing with Mensah at Duke and later following him to Miami. The two will face their former team when the Hurricanes host the Blue Devils on Saturday.

Devan Thompkins overpowering the RT to force a sack. #Alabama pic.twitter.com/h1k05q0N2M

— Rob Gregson (@NFL_Rob) November 9, 2026

Devan Thompkins, DL, Alabama

I’m patting myself on the back for being early on Thompkins. A few weeks back, I mentioned that a few scouts told me that he was a better prospect than teammate Yhonzae Pierre, who had more attention heading into the season. Thompkins got more attention with two sacks against LSU last week. He’s a versatile defender who plays on the inside and out on the edge. He was my No. 24 prospect on my top 100. 

FALLERS

Jamari Johnson, TE, Oregon

I still haven’t wavered on Johnson’s upside, but he’s had a quiet season. I thought he would take off after his 119-yard performance against USC in September. But he hasn’t cracked 100 yards in a game ever since. However, it hasn’t helped that Oregon has had shaky quarterback play throughout the season. 

Jaylen McClain, S, Ohio State

It’s been a rough few weeks for the Buckeyes, but the secondary has been down for quite some time. The bulk of the blame shouldn’t fall on McClain. Still, it’s a bad look that USC freshman tight end Mark Bowman went wild on this secondary on Halloween and Oregon quarterback Dylan Raiola had success last week. 

Jordan Seaton, OT, LSU

Seaton did well at times in his individual matchups against Alabama’s talented pass rushers. But there were some struggles too against Pierre and Thompkins. You would have liked to see a little more in this spot for possibly the best tackle in this class. And it didn’t help that LSU was blown out. Still, this might be nitpicking. Seaton shouldn't worry about his draft stock. 

GAMES THAT COULD IMPACT THE DRAFT

Illinois at UCLA, 9 p.m. ET Friday

This is a good spot to check in on UCLA’s ferocious defense. Watch edge rusher Sahir West and linebacker Sammy Omosigho. And don’t overlook rugged running back Wayne Knight, who has 789 rushing yards and 13 touchdowns. 

Illinois wide receiver Collin Dixon continues to make noise. He had eight catches for 129 yards and two touchdowns against Nebraska last week. 

Houston at Colorado, 10:15 p.m. ET Friday

The Cougars have a few intriguing prospects, including quarterback Conner Weigman, who has 22 touchdowns and only two interceptions. There’s also wide receiver Amare Thomas and cornerback Jalen Mayo.

USC at Indiana, 3:30 p.m. ET Saturday

USC quarterback Jayden Maiava needs a big-time performance here to regain NFL evaluators’ attention. He’s a talented pocket passer, but he’s also a somewhat boring prospect with limited upside and athleticism. If he carves up the Hoosiers, that may be enough to move up draft boards again. 

And, of course, Indiana’s two talented wide receivers, Becker and Nick Marsh, will be in this game.  

Florida at Kentucky, 6:15 p.m. ET Saturday

Running back Jadan Baugh also needs a strong performance. He was held to under 40 rushing yards in back-to-back games against Georgia and Oklahoma. 

For Kentucky, offensive tackle Lance Heard and defensive tackle Tavion Gadson appear to be top 60 prospects. 

Texas Tech at Oklahoma State, 9:30 p.m. ET Saturday

This is a must-watch game for fans of quarterback-needy teams. Last week, Jets GM Darren Mougey attended to watch Mestemaker against Kansas State. 

Expect more GMs and scouts to be at Oklahoma State’s game this week. This could be Mestemaker’s toughest game of the season against a stout Texas Tech defense. It might also be his last true test of the year, with Oklahoma State ending the season against Arizona State and Kansas.