The 2026 NFL Draft may see top prospects slip due to red flags like injuries or character concerns. Historical examples, such as Shedeur Sanders, highlight the unpredictability of draft outcomes.
Key points
2026 NFL Draft prospects may slip due to various red flags.
Injuries and character concerns can significantly impact draft stock.
Shedeur Sanders' slide in 2025 serves as a cautionary tale.
Teams weigh risks against potential stardom of players.
More red flags increase the likelihood of falling in the draft.
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Since no two prospects are the same, NFL Draft slides come in all shapes and sizes. For edge rushers, shorter arms often mean greater likelihood of slipping out of the first round. For quarterbacks, a lack of starting experience could be the difference between a Day 1 selection and a tumble into the middle rounds. The 2026 draft class could see both of those worries result in projected first-rounders falling out of the first 32 picks.
The 2025 draft provided one of the most infamous slides in recent memory as Shedeur Sanders, once viewed as a surefire first-round quarterback, waited all the way until Day 3 to hear his name called at No. 144 overall. It would be a true shock if any of this year's top prospects experienced that kind of disappointment, but then again, nobody expected it to happen to Sanders, either.
Just because a prospect missed an entire season due to injury or has character concerns does not mean teams will pass on him in the first round. These players are in the discussion to be among the first 32 players selected in the draft for a reason. All of them are potential stars. Teams have to weigh the risks with the possible stardom, though, and in some cases, it simply is not worth the investment.
The more red flags a player raises during the evaluation period, the more likely he is to plummet down the board. Reporting throughout the pre-draft process highlighted concerns for a bevy of potential first-rounders and we rounded them up into one list.
Here are the players in the greatest danger of sliding in the 2026 NFL Draft.
Rueben Bain Jr., EDGE, Miami
No edge rusher with an arm measurement of 30 7/8 inches or shorter has gone in the first round of any draft since at least 1999, per ESPN. While most expect Rueben Bain Jr. to snap that trend, the precedent exists for him to not only tumble out of the top 10 but to even wait until Day 2 to hear his name called.
Multiple defensive line coaches said to The Athletic that Bain's lack of arm length will force him to rely on his speed when he matches up against opposing tackles. Fortunately, he is well suited to do so. But it could make for a lengthy adjustment period, thus capping his rookie ceiling, and then what happens later in his career when he loses some of his athleticism?
Q&A
What factors could cause NFL Draft prospects to slip in 2026?
Factors include injuries, character concerns, and lack of starting experience, which can lead to a player falling out of the first round.
Who is an example of a prospect that slipped in the NFL Draft?
Shedeur Sanders is a notable example, as he was expected to be a first-round pick but was selected on Day 3 at No. 144 overall in the 2025 draft.
How do red flags affect a player's draft stock?
The more red flags a player has during evaluations, the more likely they are to drop down the draft board, affecting their selection position.
What types of concerns are considered red flags for NFL Draft prospects?
Red flags can include physical attributes like arm length for edge rushers, injury history, and character issues that may impact a player's draft potential.
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Plus, while most teams consider the matter handled, Bain was cited in 2024 for careless driving in an incident that led to one passenger's eventual death. According to CBS Sports Lead NFL Insider Jonathan Jones, at least one team was not satisfied with Bain's explanation of the matter.
Cashius Howell, EDGE, Texas A&M
If Bain's arm length is an issue, then Cashius Howell is in an even more precarious position given that he measured out even shorter at 30 1/4 inches. He is more widely projected to be selected in the back end of the first round to begin with, so the risk of falling out of the top 32 is far greater than that of his Miami counterpart.
Howell developed into a standout after a year of development at both Bowling Green and Texas A&M, so while his measurables did not hold him back from elite production, he does have a history of needing time to get up to speed at various levels. That could be a deterrent for NFL teams that need starting-level contributions right away.
This week, Howell explained what he tells teams when they raise concerns about his size.
Texas A&M EDGE Cashius Howell's response to criticisms about his arm length?
An outstanding three-year Miami career, in which he earned Freshman All-American honors in 2023 and became a consensus All-American in 2025, suggests Francis Mauigoa has the upside to become the first offensive lineman selected.
At the same time, a back issue could scare teams away from making him a top-10 pick. Mauigoa was diagnosed with a herniated disc, per ESPN, and underwent a medical recheck two weeks ago.
While the injury is asymptomatic, it would require surgery if it gets worse. Plus, some teams think it is a matter of when, rather than if, he needs the procedure. These kinds of surgeries generally come with a three-month recovery timeline, so Mauigoa could have the procedure done this offseason and still be ready to go for Week 1. If he waits and the herniated disc worsens during the season, his rookie year could come off the rails.
Ty Simpson, QB, Alabama
This year's draft class lacks firepower at the quarterback position, which has left people searching for the next-best thing after Fernando Mendoza. While Ty Simpson has become the clear No. 2 passer behind the presumptive top overall pick, the gap between the two is arguably wide enough to keep him out of the first round. That would come as a surprise to some who think there are teams willing to trade up and grab him on Day 1.
Because the 2027 class projects as a loaded one at the signal-caller spot, teams have an incentive to wait another year before finding their franchise quarterback. That could spell a long wait for Simpson, Drew Allar, Garrett Nussmeier and the other quarterback prospects. Simpson having one year of starting experience at Alabama might be another deterrent, especially since he faded down the stretch of his 2025 campaign.
"I would not draft him in the first round, second round. I just don't know that he's going to be that good," one AFC executive said to NFL Media. "The longer you watch him, you feel a little man. What's he going to look like in our league? History's betting against us here. He gets thrown around. The kid's not very big, he's not very gifted. When he gets sacked, it looks like your dog swinging around their squeaky toy."
[Renner's 2026 NFL Draft notebook: Red flags, sleepers and biggest questions in a wildly unpredictable class
It doesn't take a whole lot of imagination to picture Jermod McCoy as an NFL standout, but it does take some. That's because he missed the entire college football season due to a torn ACL he sustained in January 2025.
What's more, NFL Media reports he could be headed toward another surgery. The ACL itself is reportedly in good shape, but a bone plug used to repair a cartilage defect in McCoy's knee may need to be replaced.
It has been well over a year since the Tennessee standout last played a snap, so even though he has participated in workouts and drills since then, there is no full guarantee that he is the same cornerback who flashed tons of potential in 2024.
McCoy was a terrific freshman at Oregon State and had a brilliant debut season in the SEC, and his tape screams "first-round pick." But now that he has an injury history and was limited to just two years of college ball, it would not be the biggest shock to see teams use their first-round capital elsewhere.
Jordyn Tyson, WR, Arizona State
Jordyn Tyson tore his ACL, MCL and PCL in 2022. He suffered a broken collarbone in 2024. A nagging hamstring injury limited him last season and caused him to sit out of the NFL combine and Arizona State's pro day. None of those injuries are directly related, but they paint a concerning picture that puts Tyson's durability in question.
Tyson held a personal workout for NFL teams on Friday, but was it enough to quell their concerns about his readiness for the pro level? The answer will come on Thursday when he either goes in the top half of the first round as expected or slips behind receivers with clearer outlooks.
ESPN reported Wednesday that the Cowboys like Tyson as a target with one of their two first-round picks, and longtime NFL team doctor David J. Chao explained why some teams are willing to overlook his string of injuries.
"We're not really that worried about Jordyn Tyson..
Only one prospect over the last 15 years weighed in at more than 350 pounds at the NFL combine and proceeded to go in the first round: Mekhi Becton in 2020. Kadyn Proctor projects to follow in his footsteps at 352 pounds.
This kind of size has its obvious benefits, and Proctor is immensely athletic for someone with his gigantic frame (he is also just under 6 feet, 7 inches). But it also has drawbacks, which were also apparent at Alabama -- where he was far from the most consistent blocker and saw his weight fluctuate -- and could lead to him moving inside to guard in the NFL.
That concern does not seem to faze front offices, as the draft week buzz suggests Proctor is in consideration to go in the top half of the first round. One AFC executive told ESPN that Proctor will go higher than people think.
Caleb Banks, DL, Florida
Recurring foot injuries are never ideal, but especially so for 327-pound linemen. Not only did Caleb Banks miss all but three games last season with a broken foot, but he also broke the fourth metatarsal in his left foot ahead of the NFL combine and underwent his second surgery in the span of six months.
According to ESPN, teams received a letter Wednesday concerning Banks' health. The defensive lineman underwent a CT scan on Tuesday, the letter states, which revealed enough healing to indicate he will be fully cleared for football activities in early June. While that is excellent news for his ability to play in 2026, it does not guarantee he will avoid further injuries.
Even with the foot issues, Banks commands hype as a first-round talent. He is a physical beast on the interior. The Florida product needs to stay on the field, though, because a lot of his allure revolves around his potential rather than what he put on the stat sheet in college. And there is plenty of room for teams to be concerned about his ability to do so.
