Yahoo Sports NFL analyst Nate Tice runs through a few players who stood out on his preliminary big board for next year’s NFL draft – including Clemson’s Peter Woods, Indiana’s Fernando Mendoza, Texas’s Arch Manning and Ohio State’s Caleb Downs. Subscribe to “Football 301” on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, YouTube or wherever you listen.
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Video Transcript
Nate Ty here here from Yahoo Sports.
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I just put out my 2026 too early big board for the NFL draft.
Can talk about some of those favorite players and some of those players I wanted to highlight for this list.
Number one player overall, Peter Woods, defensive tackle from Clemson, just a Maher in the middle.
Reminds me a lot of Jets defensive tackle Quinnin Williams.
I, I just easy top 5, top 10 talent here on a very talented Clemson defense.
Definitively my number one player, just think he’s a game wrecker, can stop the run, stop the pass, big athletic, modern.
wrecker.
My number one quarterback, Fernando Mendoza, quarterback for Indiana, transfers from Cal reminds me a lot of Matt Ryan, longer, skinnier, long, long-armed quarterback, got really good arm, got some zip on the throws, really polished with his pocket movement, understands a lot pre-snap as well, has a good arm, is a good athlete, even if he’s not an exceptional one.
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He can pick up some yards as a scrambler.
You can really pull away from guys, just a really smart player with some tools, really excited to watch him.
Did not include Arch Manning on my big board because not sure if he’s coming out in 2026, but if he was, if right now you can guarantee me he’s coming out in 2026, Arch Manning would be in my top 10.
Very good player, very polished.
He’s only had 90 something pass attempts in his career.
Really excited to watch him under Sark this year at Texas with a full year starting.
Good polish for a young player, really good arm, really good athlete.
If he were coming out next year, he would be in my top 10.
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He’d be battling with Mendoza.
Right now, I kind of keep him on the, on the side burner to see where he ascends this year, but very excited to watch Manning.
And actually, I wanted to bring up one last player, that’s my #2 player, Caleb Downs, defensive back, safety for Ohio State, truly dynamic player, reminds me of Buddha Baker for the Arizona Cardinals.
Doesn’t really have a position.
He can line up anywhere in the defensive backfield, impacts the game as a run defender, as a pass coverage player, supremely athletic, good size.
His brother is also in the league for the Annapolis Colts, but make sure you check out Caleb Downs, and those are the players I want to highlight for my 2026 big board.