2026 NFL Draft: One prospect to watch at every position during the Panini Senior Bowl

• Garrett Nussmeier will look to build his stock back up: Once thought to be a potential day-two draft pick, Nussmeier has fallen down big boards after injuries and poor offensive line play in his final season at LSU.

• 2026 NFL Draft season is here: Try the best-in-class PFF Mock Draft Simulator and learn about 2026's top prospects while trading and drafting for your favorite NFL team.

Estimated Reading Time: 5minutes

The Senior Bowl gives players at every position the opportunity to showcase their skills with the hopes of raising their draft stock. Here is one participant at every position who can do so this week.

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Quarterback: Garrett Nussmeier, LSU

Nussmeier will be looking to prove that he is still worthy of a potential day-two selection. Injuries and poor offensive line play marred his final season at LSU, but he still managed a solid 76.4 PFF passing grade. Nussmeier should be able to show off his arm talent, as evidenced by a career 5.3% big-time throw rate, and prove that he is fully healed from an in-season oblique injury.

Running Back: Jaydn Ott, Oklahoma

Ott has one of the strangest prospect profiles in this year’s class. He was the star of California’s offense in 2022 and 2023, posting at least an 89.5 PFF rushing grade in both seasons. Things went downhill from there as he dealt with injuries and poor offensive line play in 2024 before transferring to Oklahoma and handling just 21 carries in 2025. There was a time when Ott was seen as a day-two prospect. His trip to Mobile could be his last chance to showcase that talent.

Wide Receiver: Ted Hurst, Georgia State

Hurst is one of the more intriguing Group of Five prospects in this year’s class. He tallied just under 1,000 receiving yards in each of the past two seasons at Georgia State, and his PFF receiving grade peaked at 82.1 in 2025. Hurst’s 6-foot-3 frame and straight-line speed give him a chance to prove himself as a capable vertical threat. His ability to separate in one-on-one situations in Mobile will be telling for his draft stock.

Tight End: Tanner Koziol, Houston

Koziol was among college football’s most productive tight ends over the past two seasons, one each at Ball State and Houston. He recorded a whopping 164 catches and 1,500-plus receiving yards in that span while posting at least an 87.2 PFF receiving grade in both seasons. Koziol’s athleticism, fluidity and contested-catch ability could shine in one-on-ones and red-zone drills.

Offensive Tackle: Gennings Dunker, Iowa

This will be a big week for Iowa’s star right tackle. He’s known to be an excellent zone run blocker, but length concerns could push him to the interior. He earned a solid 77.2 PFF pass-blocking grade in 2025 while allowing just two sacks, but he handled only 80 reps on true pass sets this season. Keep an eye out for Dunker’s performance in one-on-one drills, as well as his positional alignment in team drills.

Interior Offensive Line: Jake Slaughter, Florida

Slaughter has been one of the most fundamentally sound players in college football over the past three seasons, posting at least a 77.8 PFF overall grade in each. He allowed four sacks across his three seasons as Florida’s starting center. Slaughter is a bit on the lighter side, though, and it will be interesting to see how he handles more powerful interior rushers at the Senior Bowl.

Edge Defender: Romello Height, Texas Tech

Height is an interesting player who played at four different schools in his college career. He didn’t break into stardom until this past season while playing at Texas Tech, where he posted an elite 92.6 PFF pass-rush grade. His performance this week could be the difference between being thought of as a first-round talent or more of a mid-round designated pass rusher. He’ll need to perform well in the run game, where he never posted a 66.0 PFF grade in college, to raise his draft stock.

Interior Defensive Line: Caleb Banks, Florida

Banks is a talented pass rusher with the requisite measurables to succeed. However, he played fewer than 100 snaps in his final season at Florida and fewer than 1,000 over the past five years. Across 2023 and 2024, Banks racked up 53 pressures and six sacks. There is as much at stake regarding his draft stock as any player heading to Mobile this week.

Linebacker: Jacob Rodriguez, Texas Tech

Rodriguez was the face of arguably the best defense in college football in 2025. He also led all Power Four linebackers with a 94.8 PFF run-defense grade and a 92.3 PFF coverage grade. His instincts and effort are off the charts, but questions about his athleticism will make him a player to watch in one-on-one drills, particularly in coverage.

Cornerback: Chris Johnson, San Diego State

Johnson was the star of a quietly excellent San Diego State defense in 2025. The 6-foot, 195-pound cornerback posted a 92.4 PFF coverage grade this season, second best in the FBS. He owned the nation’s highest PFF coverage grade when playing zone this season, but the focus will be on his man-coverage ability during Senior Bowl practices. He posted a respectable 74.0 PFF coverage grade in man in 2025, but that came against weaker competition in the Mountain West.

Safety: Bud Clark, TCU

Clark spent six years at TCU, a rarity in college football nowadays, and proved himself a versatile player by logging more than 500 snaps in the box, at free safety and in the slot. He also earned PFF overall grades above 80.0 in each of the past two seasons with relatively balanced production in the run and pass games. Clark will get a chance to show off that versatility in Mobile this week.