NFL Announces 16 Prospects Attending NFL Draft
There will be 16 players waiting in the green room when the NFL Draft kicks off later this month. The NFL announced the following attendees for the first night of the draft (via NFL Network’s Ian Rapoport):
- LB David Bailey, Texas Tech
- DE Rueben Bain Jr., Miami (Fla.)
- DB Mansoor Delane, LSU
- DB Caleb Downs, Ohio State
- DE Keldric Faulk, Auburn
- DB Colton Hood, Tennessee
- WR Makai Lemon, USC
- RB Jeremiyah Love, Notre Dame
- OL Francis Mauigoa, Miami (Fla.)
- DT Kayden McDonald, Ohio State
- OT Kadyn Proctor, Alabama
- LB Arvell Reese, Ohio State
- QB Ty Simpson, Alabama
- LB Sonny Styles, Ohio State
- WR Carnell Tate, Ohio State
- WR Jordyn Tyson, Arizona State
Of the 16 prospects invited to Day 1 of the draft, a whopping five of them are from one school: Ohio State. For comparison’s sake, the leader during last year’s draft was Alabama, who sent three prospects ot the green room. The Big Ten is the leading conference, with six prospects attending the first night of the draft.
Notably, expected first-overall pick Fernando Mendoza won’t be attending the draft, as the Indiana quarterback revealed that he’ll instead be celebrating with friends and family in Atlanta. That only leaves one signal-caller attending the event in Alabama’s Ty Simpson. There’s no guarantee that Simpson will even be selected on the first night of the draft, a situation we saw most recently when green-room attendee Jalen Milroe fell to the third round last year.
Jets, Cardinals Could Have Similar Approach To Top Of Draft
Crowded together at the top of the 2026 NFL Draft, the Jets and Cardinals find themselves in a bittersweet situation. With the second and third overall picks in the first round, each franchise has a great opportunity to add an elite talent, but while both squads have a need at the sport’s most important position, this year’s draft is not lining up to reward them with one to select with their top draft picks.
Alabama quarterback Ty Simpson is widely considered the consensus QB2 of the draft class behind Indiana’s Fernando Mendoza, who is expected to go No.1 overall to the Raiders. Unfortunately for Simpson and both teams, taking the Crimson Tide passer at Nos. 2 or 3 overall would be seen as a huge reach, so if either team were interested in landing the second-best quarterback prospect, it might require some maneuvering for another slot in the first round.
The Jets currently hold pick Nos. 2, 16, 33, and according to Ian Rapoport of NFL Network, there’s belief New York will exit the second round of the draft with a pass rusher and a quarterback, but that could happen in several different ways. Per Rapoport, the Jets are widely expected to select a pass rusher with the second overall pick. Versatile Ohio State linebacker Arvell Reese has been a popular projection for New York there, but Texas Tech’s David Bailey also recently met with the team.
Rapoport also expects them to do their homework on all the possible options available at No. 2. They recently hosted Reese’s running mate in the Buckeyes’ linebacking corps, Sonny Styles, for a top 30 visit. Per Rapoport, Styles, also an expected top 10 pick, has plans to visit the Bengals, as well, though his trip to Cincinnati will be a considered a local visit, not a top 30.
To address the quarterback position, a lot rides on where exactly the Jets value Simpson. If they value him enough, they could chance him being around for their 16th overall pick in the first round. If things are trending in a direction that feels as if Simpson won’t make it that far, they could utilize their first overall pick of the second round to potentially try to trade up and land the quarterback. Alternatively, if using the 16th pick still feels like a stretch for Simpson, New York may explore increasing their collection of draft picks with a move further back in the first round.
As for the Cardinals, Rapoport claims it would surprise him if they drafted Simpson third overall, but at the same time, he acknowledges that we’ve seen the precedent for it in the past. He asserts that Arizona could simply fall in love with Simpson enough to select him that early. More likely, though, the Cardinals may look back just a year to an example set by the Giants. Following the approach New York used to add an elite pass rusher before trading back into the first round for a quarterback, the Cardinals may opt to do the same.
Where Simpson could fall in the first round (or later) has been a huge topic of debate. Early conjecture speculated that it might be prudent to move up past the Steelers at 21 to land Simpson, while further evaluation suggested trading into the back end of the first round, just ahead of the Dolphins at 30, would be the likely move. In recent weeks, Simpson’s chances of landing with either team in the first round have gone way down. In a mid-March episode of The McShay Show podcast, Todd McShay of The Ringer guaranteed that Simpson would “for a fact” not be the Steelers’ pick at No. 21, suggesting the team has more of a third-round value on the Crimson Tide quarterback.
Though Simpson recently visited Miami, ESPN’s Adam Schefter (via Barry Jackson of the Miami Herald) did “not believe (the) Dolphins are in the mix for him.” Additionally, all four teams have done homework on other passers in the draft. Notably, since March 21, Miami quarterback Carson Beck has met with each team. Beck and the other projected mid-round quarterbacks offer secondary options for the teams that don’t land Simpson and may end up being preferred options if their draft slot more appropriately fits their value.
These represent just a few of several possibilities that could play out at the end of the month. There is no shortage of quarterback needs in the NFL, but seeing the Giants land their potential franchise passer later on in the first round a year ago has opened the door for a number of mind games to play out. We’ll see how well these draft day decision makers can play poker down the stretch as we await the final weekend in April.
Cowboys Meet With Arvell Reese, Schedule Visits With Caleb Downs, Sonny Styles
Ohio State is expected to be the most represented school in the first half of this month’s first round. As many as four Buckeyes are squarely on the radar to become top-10 picks. The Cowboys are meeting with three of them.
Dallas completed a “30” visit with hybrid linebacker Arvell Reese, according to All DLLS’ Clarence Hill, who adds the team has scheduled pre-draft meetings with safety Caleb Downs and linebacker Sonny Styles.
All three Ohio State defenders reside in the top nine of Daniel Jeremiah’s latest NFL.com big board, which slots Styles third, Reese fifth and Downs ninth. This would make it unlikely any member of the trio reaches the Cowboys at No. 12, but that is not a certainty. Both Styles and Downs play non-premium positions, while Reese is considered a high-ceiling project who has drawn some Micah Parsons comparisons due to his potential as an edge rusher and experience as an off-ball LB.
Styles, though, may be the cleanest of these prospects. As our Adam La Rose noted this week, Styles spent two seasons as a safety in Columbus. He moved to linebacker in 2024 and combined for 182 tackles and seven sacks over the past two seasons. The all-around talent drew a Jeremiah comp to All-Pro Fred Warner; Styles’ Combine work gives him a chance to become the first off-ball linebacker selected in the top five since Devin White in 2019. One GM and a separate longtime evaluator told SportsBoom.com’s Jason La Canfora that Styles is the best overall talent in this year’s draft.
As other positional markets have soared in recent years, ILB has not climbed much. Warner and Shaquille Leonard secured deals reaching or exceeding $19MM per year in 2021; the market is now topped by Warner’s $21MM-per-year 49ers extension. Neither Devin Lloyd nor Quay Walker required a top-five ILB deal to sign last month; the position is not viewed similarly to edge rusher, where Reese is hoping to campaign. White (for the most part), Isaiah Simmons, Rolando McClain and Aaron Curry underwhelmed as top-10 picks. Though, Luke Kuechly and Roquan Smith delivered as top-10 options in that span.
Downs also plays a position that teams regularly devalue, though the safety market has changed more than the ILB landscape in recent years. The Giants (No. 5) have been linked to both Styles and Downs, while the Commanders (No. 7) have also met with Styles. Only two safeties — Jamal Adams (No. 6, 2017) and Eric Berry (No. 5, 2010) — have been drafted in the top 10 over the past 18 years. Downs will be a good bet to join them, but if he slips, a Cowboys team in dire need of defensive help could be lurking.
Considering how clean Styles and Downs are viewed as prospects, these visits are interesting. This is prime smokescreen season, but teams seeing the Cowboys meeting with this duo could influence another club to trade up to outflank Dallas in the event one is still on the board as No. 12 nears.
Reese has been mocked frequently to the Jets at No. 2, but he played fewer than 100 EDGE snaps in 2025. Reese wants to play that position as a pro; that makes sense given the tremendous value gap between ILBs and OLBs. A GM informed La Canfora Reese should be viewed as a 3-4 OLB in the pros. The Cowboys are installing that defense under new DC Christian Parker, but Reese will not be expected to be available by the time Dallas’ first pick comes around.
LB Sonny Styles Well Regarded By Cardinals, Giants
Ohio State figures to be well represented early in the first round of April’s draft. Linebacker Sonny Styles is among the prospects who will not need to wait long to hear their name called on Day 1. 
Styles spent his first two seasons as a safety, and he was a productive presence in that capacity for the Buckeyes. Starting with his junior campaign, he transitioned to linebacker. While operating in the front seven, Styles racked up 182 tackles, seven sacks and 17 tackles for loss. That production has led to interest from the Commanders, but he may not be on the board when Washington selects seventh overall.
The Cardinals “love” Styles, SportsBoom’s Jason La Canfora writes. Arizona is set to draft third overall. A defensive addition could prove to be highly beneficial, although many have pointed to the offensive line as a unit which the Cardinals should prioritize. La Canfora predicts Miami offensive tackle Francis Mauigoa will be the pick, matching a number of projections in that respect. He adds, however, that if general manager Monti Ossenfort elects to focus on a defensive prospect, Styles will likely be the choice.
Elsewhere in the top five, La Canfora notes new Giants head coach John Harbaugh “has a thing for” Styles. New York has been linked on more than one occasion to fellow Ohio State start Caleb Downs, who is widely expected to be the first safety taken in the draft. More recently, Notre Dame running back Jeremiyah Love has emerged as a potential target for the Giants. Both of those prospects could be available when New York is on the clock at No. 5, but adding Styles to the fold would be expected to yield a considerable upgrade to the second level of the team’s defense.
NFL Network’s Daniel Jeremiah ranks Styles third overall. Positional value will no doubt be a talking point as teams contemplate when to select him, but it comes as no surprise the Cardinals and Giants can be counted among his suitors.
Commanders Arrange Visits With LB Sonny Styles, WR Denzel Boston
Set to select seventh overall in next month’s draft, the Commanders find themselves in an interesting position. A wide range of options could present itself by the time Washington is on the clock.
The team has already been linked to a number of prospects as top 30 visits take place around the league. USC receiver Makai Lemon, Ohio State defensive tackle Kayden McDonald, Miami cornerback Keionte Scott and Buckeyes wideout Carnell Tate have each been linked to the Commanders so far. Two more Day 1 candidates are on Washington’s radar.
Per veteran Commanders reporter Ben Standig, top 30 visits with Ohio State linebacker Sonny Styles and Washington receiver Denzel Boston have been arranged. This marks the first known link between Styles and an interested NFL team in terms of a formal visit. It will certainly not be the last.
Styles is one of several Buckeyes who are considered a lock to hear their names called in the first round. He transitioned from safety to linebacker midway through his Ohio State career, a move which proved fruitful. Styles racked up 182 tackles, seven sacks and 17 tackles for loss across the 2024 and ’25 seasons. He sits third overall in the latest rankings from NFL Network’s Daniel Jeremiah. A selection somewhere in the opening half of the first round is expected in this case.
Lemon and Tate are likewise in position to come off the board early on Day 1. Boston, on the other hand, is expected to be available toward the end of the round. A trade down the order would thus be feasible if the Commanders were to target the red zone target. Boston has been linked to the Browns, 49ers and Steelers in recent days and his list of suitors will no doubt continue to grow over the coming weeks.
Washington owns pick No. 7 but the team is not scheduled to select again until the third round. Both Styles and Boston will no doubt be well off the board by the Commanders’ second selection, but each will receive a look as they consider their options near the top of the order.