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Versatility has become one of the most valuable traits in modern NFL roster construction. With offenses constantly shifting personnel groupings and defenses relying more heavily on disguised coverages and sub-packages, players who can comfortably handle multiple roles are increasingly attractive to teams on draft weekend.
The 2026 NFL Draft class features several prospects whose value extends beyond a single position or assignment. Whether it’s offensive weapons who can line up all over the formation or defenders capable of filling multiple roles within a scheme, these players offer coordinators the flexibility to adapt without substituting personnel.
Here are five of the most versatile prospects in the 2026 class.
RB Emmett Johnson, Nebraska
PFF Big Board Rank: 131 (RB6)
Johnson was much more than just a pure rushing threat during his three years in Nebraska. His upside as a receiving back will appeal to NFL teams seeking greater diversity in their backfield.
Johnson led all Power Four draft-eligible running backs in receptions and receiving yards in 2025. He also played the second most snaps in the slot and out wide among this group.
Johnson caught five touchdown passes over the past two seasons as Nebraska’s starter. Johnson’s production wasn’t just the result of screen passes and dump-offs; head coach Matt Rhule drew up diverse routes for his starting running back, including some plays where Johnson was the primary read out of the backfield for quarterback Dylan Raiola.
Johnson dropped just one of his 36 catchable targets last season, and his elusiveness shone in open space — he led all FBS running backs with 21 missed tackles forced after the catch.
Paired with his quick feet, sufficient speed and buckets of competitive toughness, Johnson is one of a handful of day three running back prospects who could easily grow into an every-down starting role at the next level in a similar vein to Aaron Jones or Alvin Kamara.
TE Kenyon Sadiq, Oregon
PFF Big Board Rank: 14 (TE1)
It won’t come as a surprise to anyone to see Sadiq on a list of versatile prospects. Despite growing into the focal point of Oregon’s receiving game in 2025, Sadiq’s versatility stood out even more in his final season of college football.
Make no mistake, Sadiq isn’t just a glorified big-bodied slot receiver carrying the tight end moniker; he’s also an entirely capable in-line tight end in the traditional sense.
It might come as a surprise to learn that Sadiq spent over 10% of his overall passing snaps involved in some form of pass protection for his quarterback this past season. He didn’t surrender any pressures in the process.
While the brunt of Sadiq’s workload came from the slot, he has more than enough experience in-line (30.5% of his total snaps) and out wide on the perimeter (12.8% of his total snaps).
Only recently turned 21 years old, Sadiq is one of the most athletic tight ends we’ve ever seen. No tight end has ever run a faster 40-yard dash at the combine. Meanwhile, only one has ever jumped higher. The speed and explosion packed into his 241-pound frame are truly otherworldly.
Sadiq’s former offensive coordinator, Will Stein, used his athletic tight end in a multitude of roles, from stretching the field to running across the formation at the snap and everything in between. While some detractors rightfully question Sadiq’s functional strength against front-seven defenders and lack of dynamic playmaking after the catch, he can be deployed in just about any role an offensive playcaller wishes.
OL Trey Zuhn III, Texas A&M
PFF Big Board Rank: 136 (OT14)
This year is not a banner draft for versatile offensive line prospects. While I’m sure many of the top linemen in the upcoming class would feel confident playing in a variety of positions, the truth is that we haven’t exactly seen any of the top prospects taken out of their home position.
Trey Zuhn III is an intriguing Day 2 or 3 prospect who some teams view as an offensive tackle, while others believe his home is at center. The numbers suggest he can do both. Zuhn played 13 games in 2025, playing at left tackle in all of them, but he also took snaps at center for a drive or two in 10 of his 13 games.
His pass protection numbers are mouth-watering. Zuhn finished with the highest single-season PFF pass-blocking grade in collegiate history (96.8). He allowed just ten pressures and two sacks on his 435 pass blocking snaps.
Various NFL teams have flagged Zuhn’s 32.5-inch arms as a reason why he doesn’t project as an offensive tackle at the next level, but Zuhn’s 3,000-plus reps protecting the Texas A&M quarterbacks’ blind side begs to differ.
Zuhn committed just one penalty on 776 snaps last season, highlighting that despite sometimes being outmatched from a reach perspective, he rarely ever panics.
Bear in mind that Texas A&M faced an onslaught of high-quality pass-rushers in 2025 from Miami’s Rueben Bain Jr. and Akheem Mesidor to Auburn’s Keldric Faulk and Missouri’s Zion Young. Not to mention facing off against Cashius Howell every day in practice.
CB Avieon Terrell, Clemson
PFF Big Board Rank: 24 (CB3)
The younger brother of Atlanta Falcons cornerback A.J. Terrell, Avieon may be a little smaller, but his play style is strikingly similar. What Avieon lacks in size, he makes up for in positional versatility.
Unlike A.J., who was essentially left on an island throughout his entire Clemson career, Avieon has dabbled inside, tallying 187 snaps this past season across the slot, box and defensive line. He was an incredibly effective pass rusher on a limited sample size, finishing with six pressures and three sacks on merely 13 pass-rush snaps.
Terrell has versatility within his coverage roles too. Among the top-10 cornerbacks on PFF’s big board, he played the most man coverage snaps in 2025, faring respectably.
Given his ability to line up inside or outside, play man or zone, and even get after the quarterback when called upon, Terrell is truly a scheme-proof cornerback who can be molded to meet the needs of any defense.
S Caleb Downs, Ohio State
PFF Big Board Rank: 8 (S1)
For a safety to warrant a top-10 selection, they generally have the flexibility to just about anything on defense. As arguably the most foolproof defensive player in the draft, Downs checks every box.
Among PFF’s 15 highest-ranked safeties in the upcoming draft, Downs is the only player to align as a deep free safety, in the slot and in the box for over 100 snaps each in 2025. His 44 snaps right down at the line of scrimmage beside the defensive line is also the most of this group.
Downs did everything from pressuring and sacking opposing quarterbacks as a blitzer to breaking up passes 30 yards downfield and forcing multiple fumbles in run support.
Downs has tallied 2,800 snaps of collegiate football in three seasons, including a diverse array of special teams reps. He’s not only the most talented pure safety we’ve seen in some time, but he’s also likely the most pro-ready, having played for elite teams, against elite opposition, making the college football playoffs every year of his career.
Versatility goes beyond just positional flexibility — Downs has the versatility to come in and learn even more under the tutelage of veteran players and experienced coaches (as he did under Nick Saban), or he can join a young defense and immediately take on the same leadership role he thrived in at Ohio State.