The 2025 NFL draft is in the rearview mirror, so let’s take an early look at next year’s potential selections. The Mountain West had six players picked in 2025, tied for fifth among the 10 FBS conferences. The MW’s 2026 crop doesn’t look as strong on paper, although the league could produce back-to-back seasons with a first-round draft pick. Here are my 10 best MW prospects for the 2026 draft entering this season. Last year, five of our top eight prospects were selected, so we’ll look to repeat that success (our lone miss in the top 10 was Nevada’s Kitan Crawford, a seventh-round NFL draft pick last month).

1. Boise State LT Kage Casey, jr.: Boise State has never had back-to-back seasons with first-round draft picks, but that could change next year. RB Ashton Jeanty was the No. 6 pick in this year’s draft and Casey was in the first round of The Athletic’s first 2026 mock draft. The 6-foot-5, 316-pounder was one of the highest-rated pass-blocking tackles last season when he was a second-team All-American. He’s started all 28 games the last two seasons and will be an early-round pick.

2. Boise State DE Jayden Virgin-Morgan, jr.: Virgin-Morgan is a good-sized edge rusher who had a breakout 2024 season, recording 40 tackles, 16 tackles for loss, 10 sacks, one forced fumble and one fumble recovery. The former four-star recruit has more upside than his 2024 Boise State teammate, Ahmed Hassanein, a sixth-round pick of the Lions last month. Virgin-Morgan has two more years of eligibility but is an early-entry candidate if his 2024 form carries over to 2025.

3. San Diego State DE Trey White, jr.: The first three players on our list are juniors, so each could return to school (or cash in out of the portal in 2026). But there aren’t a ton of high-level senior pro prospects in the MW. White led the conference last season with 12.5 sacks and 19 tackles for loss and stuck with the Aztecs while many of his teammates transferred. He’s got the speed and high motor to make it in the NFL, although his length is not ideal for an edge rusher.

4. Boise State TE Matt Lauter, sr.: Lauter was one of FBS’ most productive tight ends last season, catching 47 passes for 619 yards and seven touchdowns in 2024. Boise State has put six tight ends in the NFL since 2000, so the Broncos might not quite be Tight End U, but it’s done a good job at that position. If Lauter gets drafted, it will be because of his pass-catching skills because at 6-foot-4 and 230 pounds, he doesn’t have the size to be a block-first tight end at the next level.

5. Utah State S Ike Larsen, sr.: There haven’t been many more productive safeties in the FBS the last three seasons than Larsen, who will enter his fourth year as a starter for the Aggies in 2025. He has 217 tackles, 10 tackles for loss, two sacks, nine interceptions, 17 pass breakups, one forced fumble and two defensive touchdowns in his career. Last year was a bit of a down season, but he’ll now be playing for a defensive-minded head coach in Bronco Mendenhall.

6. San Jose State LB Jordan Pollard, sr.: San Jose State lost some potential next-level defensive backs to transfer this offseason, but its top defender, Pollard, returned to school. The athletic 6-foot-1, 207-pounder set career highs with 115 tackles and 14 tackles for loss last season. While middle linebacker has become a devalued position in the NFL, Pollard was one of the better ones at the college level in 2024 and should be on draft radars.

7. Wyoming OG Jack Walsh, sr.: Walsh is a veteran offensive lineman for Wyoming who enters his third year as a starter. The 6-foot-3, 315-pound interior lineman is a strong run blocker who was a first-team All-MW pick in 2024.

8. UNLV RB Jai’Den Thomas, jr.: UNLV lost 10 of its 11 All-MW players this offseason, the lone returner being Thomas. He doesn’t have ideal size (5-foot-9, 180 pounds) but has been a big-play option (5.2 yards per carry, 20 TDs in 27 career games).

9. Boise State WR Latrell Caples, sr.: Caples’ production has just been OK at Boise State (93 catches for 1,078 yards and nine touchdowns in 34 games), but he will be the featured wideout for the Broncos in 2025 and could see his profile rise.

10. Fresno State DB Al’zillion Hamilton, sr.: Hamilton is a sleeper pick coming off a solid season (53 tackles, 13 pass breakups, two interceptions) who could break out even further as a senior. He’s got a NFL-caliber name — Al’zillion!

Columnist Chris Murray provides insight on Northern Nevada sports. Contact him at crmurray@sbgtv.com or follow him on Twitter @ByChrisMurray.