2026 NFL Draft Stock Up
Cashius Howell, DE, Texas A&M
Howell has been phenomenal this season and has been one of the most effective quarterback hunters. Against Florida last Saturday, Howell did not produce a prolific stat line, but he put a ton of pressure on D.J. Lagway. This season, he has eight sacks and 13 tackles with two passes batted. The 6-foot-2, 248-pound Howell is fast off the edge with a repertoire of pass-rushing moves. Howell’s size might make him an odd fit as a linebacker/defensive end, but his production of getting after the quarterback is going to make him an early-round pick next April.
L.T. Overton, DT, Alabama
Overton played well against Missouri as he was consistently causing disruption in the Tigers’ backfield. Early in the first half, Overton pushed the right guard back for shedding the block and tripping up the quarterback for a sack. In the fourth quarter, Overton chased down a scrambling quarterback for a sack outside of the pocket. A couple of plays later, Overton pushed off the right tackle and chased the quarterback out of the pocket. Overton is a bit of a tweener end/tackle for the NFL, but this tape will help him show pro evaluators his ability to beat guards or tackles as a pass rusher.
A’Mauri Washington, DT, Oregon
Washington has not produced a huge stat line for the Ducks, but he has been a big run-stuffing presence in the middle of the line. With massive size, Washington has shown impressive speed and athleticism for such a strong, big-bodied tackle. Against Indiana last Saturday, Washington had an incredible sack where he rolled the right guard back and used the guard to knock down quarterback Francisco Mendoza. The 6-foot-3, 330-pound Washington could be a sleeper nose tackle that ends up being a nice value.
2025 NFL Draft Stock Down
John Mateer, QB, Oklahoma
Mateer surprisingly played only 17 days after thumb surgery, and Mateer had a horrible game against Texas. He threw two first-half interceptions to help the Longhorns when their offense was struggling. He had another pick and a few near interceptions in the second half, while taking a bunch of drive-killing sacks to end any comeback hopes. Mateer finished completing 20-of-38 passes for 202 yards with three interceptions and took five sacks. This was an ugly tape for Mateer, and it will hurt him with NFL evaluators. Not only did Mateer have some bad interceptions, but he also had other turnover-worthy throws and decisions. Mateer has a good arm, mobility, and dangerous playmaking ability. But Mateer has a gunslinger style that leads to some gambling with poor decisions and ball security. Mateer needs to play better in the weeks to come.
Dante Moore, QB, Oregon
The Hoosiers played really well, and Moore struggled on third downs and took a lot of bad sacks in a loss to Indiana. Moore finished completing 21-of-34 passes for 186 yards with one touchdown and two interceptions. Overall, this tape will hurt Moore, but maybe not that significantly. Other top prospects have had much worse games during their final seasons. He showed his good skill set for the NFL with his arm talent and some mobility. Moore is an accurate passer who throws a very catchable ball with good location. He also has some mobility to move around and use his feet to make some plays. However, Moore needs to get faster at processing; he needs to get the ball out faster and needs to avoid negative plays by taking bad sacks. This tape will illustrate that Moore is talented, but he needs development for the next level.
Domani Jackson, CB, Alabama
Jackson has been underwhelming this season. While he has not been terrible, he has not been a shutdown corner and has given up some big plays. That was put on display against Missouri last Saturday as he was solid in coverage at times, but gave up some big plays that helped keep Missouri in the game. Jackson has good size and is physical, but he lacks twitch and could have issues with NFL speed receivers. Jackson might be a day-two prospect for the 2026 NFL Draft.
Drew Allar, QB, Penn State
Some in the media have said that Allar was a future first-round pick, but I have yet to hear that projection from team sources. Allar’s hopes of going in the first round were dealt a serious blow when he suffered a season-ending injury against Northwestern last Saturday. Allar was underwhelming in a loss to Oregon and has not shown improvement in his previous weaknesses. If Allar is eligible to return to Penn State next year, he should, and in the 2026 NFL Draft, he might be a day-two or mid-round pick.
