The 2026 NFL Draft features standout players like Carnell Tate and Jonah Coleman, who credit their success to supportive teammates. Four potential first-round picks share insights about their teammates' strengths and contributions.
Key points
2026 NFL Draft features talented players
Carnell Tate and Jonah Coleman are standout prospects
Teammates play a crucial role in players' success
Insights shared by Jeremiyah Love and others
Teams include Notre Dame, Ohio State, and Washington
Great football doesn't happen in a vacuum. No first round draft pick is a star disconnected from a galaxy of support.
The 2026 NFL Draft is loaded with talented players pushed to another level by their peers. With the chance to interview four likely first round picks, an opportunity arose. Who better to scout their draft-eligible, highly rated teammates than the guys who sweat with them every day in practice for the past year or more?
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Nov 29, 2025; Stanford, California, USA; Notre Dame Fighting Irish running back Jadarian Price (24) runs with the football against Stanford Cardinal safety Darrius Davis (29) during the first quarter at Stanford Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Stan Szeto-Imagn Images
Nov 29, 2025; Stanford, California, USA; Notre Dame Fighting Irish running back Jadarian Price (24) runs with the football against Stanford Cardinal safety Darrius Davis (29) during the first quarter at Stanford Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Stan Szeto-Imagn Images
"JD can do pretty much everything I can do, if not more. JD is a guy that can play special teams. He's a great kick returner. He is a great running back. He can receive, he can block. So I mean, JD can pretty much do everything you need him to do.
"I feel like whenever he gets his name called, he's going to go into the league and he's going to take over for whatever team he gets drafted to. He's a guy that's going to come in as an immediate starter. I feel like a lot of guys slept on JD in college, but JD had the opportunity to go to any other college in the country and he would've started, guaranteed.
"He chose to stay at Notre Dame because it's Notre Dame, why not stay and be a part of something bigger than yourself? But JD and everybody else that's coming out of Notre Dame and going to the draft, they're going to have an immediate impact on whatever team they go to and they're going to do great things. They're going to shine. They mean we Notre Dame guys, we're smart guys. We're going to do what we got to do to take advantage of our opportunities and that's what JD is going to do as well."
Washington CB Ephesians Prysock, by Denzel Boston:
"Ephesians Prysock. One, he plays his size. He's a six-foot-four corner. Lengthy. He's got speed. He's very patient. He knows how to sit on routes and not only that, he can move.
"He has great recovery speed if he is beat, he's always around the ball and he's always around the ball. That's one thing about Effy as well. He's a ball magnet. That's why I think a team should bet on him."
Ohio State S Caleb Downs, by Carnell Tate:
"Caleb doesn't really miss tackles. His play recognition is off the chart. His IQ is unbelievable. The overall game speed is remarkable."
[On whether he's better against the pass or the run]
"Both. He's gone out there and caught picks and then he's also gone out there and hit people to cause multiple fumbles. So I think he's just as effective at both."
Ohio State WR Carnell Tate, by Caleb Downs:
"Very silky, smooth route runner great hands, understands the games, understands the concepts. I feel like he also can be your dirty work blocker. If you watch this film from Texas this year, he did a lot of that for our team and it was a big thing.
"We actually came back after the game and the whole team watched it. Everybody was like 'okay, he's really doing that.' So I would just say really well-rounded player who can get open versus man, get open versus zone, and find those windows and zones. I feel like he's a really high level receiver."
"Malachi is going to bring a lot of explosive plays wherever he's blessed to go. Malachi is a guy that's always working. He's never complacent. Just being able to be around him for a year as letting me know a little bit more about his character.
"He's a man of God. He has a wife, so he's committed, he's loyal, he's faith driven, so he's going to bring all that to the team. Whatever team he's blessed to go to, he's going to be a guy that's ready to work, do whatever he needs to do for the team to, has success, and he's going to make plays at the end of the day.
"That guy, he's very special. He's a very special receiver. As long as he's got a quarterback that can throw it up to him or throw him in the right direction Malachi's going to make some plays. So yeah, man, a lot of guys are going to the draft and Notre Dame are going to do great things. They're great players and great people. Whatever team gets him is going to be excited and they have a weapon on their hands."
Feb 27, 2026; Indianapolis, IN, USA; Washington defensive back Tacario Davis (DB05) during the NFL Scouting Combine at Lucas Oil Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Kirby Lee-Imagn Images
Feb 27, 2026; Indianapolis, IN, USA; Washington defensive back Tacario Davis (DB05) during the NFL Scouting Combine at Lucas Oil Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Kirby Lee-Imagn Images
"Him and Effy [Ephesians Prysock] are like twins, you know what I mean? So they're kind of like the same guy but Bobo man that off man that he has it is a good one. And the way he plays is very just methodical. He understands, he understands his body and he understands his presence. He has a good way of almost kind of trying to manipulate a receiver into making them do what he wants them to do.
"So that's what I would say about Bobo and he's very highly competitive guy, never running away to compete. He's always there for, hey, if you beat him, he's going to be right back there with you. The next play, ready to compete."
Ohio State EDGE/LB Arvell Reese, by Carnell Tate:
"He's a game changer. He's gone out there and rushed the quarterback at an unbelievable rate. He's done a great thing. He's flying around the ball. He's like a "see ball, go get ball" [player]. He's done an unbelievable job for us in our defense this past year."
"I would say [he's a] high level route runner who can be definitely be your extra receiver and also a really good blocker on the edge and screens. Then, in the core does what he does [blocking] as well. So I would say he's definitely your extra receiver and can win versus man and can also find [holes in] zones as well."
"Jonah Coleman: one, he's a great leader. He's a guy in the room who's going to always make sure everything's running right. He's always going to make sure that what's not done right is going to be addressed. And he's a guy who has high energy.
"He's always at practice running around, jumping around. You could tell he just loves to be around the game of football. He's a tough runner. We call him a bowling ball, at least I call him the bowling ball, always bouncing off and he always finishes his runs. He is always trying to finish with running through somebody. And then also his pass protection, he can pass, protect, and as a receiver, I appreciate that. That opens up big place for us on the back end."
Ohio State LB Sonny Styles, by Carnell Tate:
Ohio State Buckeyes safety Sonny Styles (6) tackles Indiana Hoosiers wide receiver Ke'Shawn Williams (5) during the NCAA football game at Ohio Stadium in Columbus on Monday, Nov. 25, 2024. Ohio State won 38-15.
Ohio State Buckeyes safety Sonny Styles (6) tackles Indiana Hoosiers wide receiver Ke'Shawn Williams (5) during the NCAA football game at Ohio Stadium in Columbus on Monday, Nov. 25, 2024. Ohio State won 38-15.
"Sonny brings everything. He is the voice of the defense, so he is making sure everyone's in the correct spot and then he's also making sure the people are correct. He's fixing everyone's problem and then he also can cover, but then he also can fit the run, so he brings tools to the table."
"I feel like he's a do-it-all player. If you want to run him back to go out and catch the ball out of the backfield, if you want an extra H back to go block to be your lead blocker or just to hand the ball off to, he can do a lot of different things. He was great for us on short yarders this year, but he also has great hands in the pass game. So whether that's protection or just slipping out the backfield, I think he does that at a high level.
"He's a culture changer. When he came to Ohio State, he changed the culture. He's very physical, he is very loud. He talks his crap and he also goes out there and back it up. He plays with a lot of passion on the field, so that only continues to spread throughout the locker room and other guys will play just like him."
