As Super Bowl LX now in the rearview, NFL Draft prospects are grinding away. They’re working to showcase their talents for franchise front offices, coaching staffs and scouts. While prospects like Fernando Mendoza, Carnell Tate, Jeremiyah Love are already locked in, many are still hoping to boost their stock in April. Or get on a draft board at all.

At the end of January, we spent time at the Panini Senior Bowl in Mobile, Alabama, watching the prospects hoping to make a name for themselves ahead of the Combine and NFL Draft. While some took steps forward and separated themselves from the field, others proved they are who we thought they were. You’ve heard all of the instant reactions and hot takes. With the NFL Combine only a few weeks away, it’s time to dive into these prospects and help you understand how the Senior Bowl impacted your Dynasty rookie draft boards.

After three full days of practice, interviews, film study, notes, and conversations among friends, I’ve got the details on the top prospects at every position coming out of Mobile, Alabama. From the over-hyped to the underrated, the disappointing to the face-melting, I’ve got everything you need to know coming out of Mobile in our 2026 Senior Bowl Impact, part 1 (WRs and QBs). Part 2 will be coming soon, featuring RBs and TEs. 

2026 Senior Bowl Analysis: Barion Brown Rises, Top QBs Struggle

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Senior Bowl 2026 QB Report: A Disappointing Class?

Notable Quarterback Prospects

Diego Pavia, Vanderbilt

If we’re being honest, Diego Pavia was exactly what we expected him to be this week. The 2025 Heisman finalist has a big arm as advertised, but lacks the quick decision-making skills he’ll need to overcome his small frame. Pavia came in at 5-foot-9 and 198 pounds at the Monday weigh-in at the NFL level. We repeatedly saw him throwing into traffic and putting receivers in bad situations. As heard from one coach, “If you make that throw in the NFL, you’re gonna get a TV timeout because your receiver is gonna be dead!”

Pavia’s pocket and pressure awareness were also a concern. With high-level defensive play all week, Pavia consistently sat in the pocket too long and either took unnecessary hits or made a bad throw downfield. This was evident at the game on Saturday, when Pavia took four bad sacks in two quarters. 

pic.twitter.com/EYmLT8lQYi

Diego Pavia: F*** the Heisman voters

The Heisman voters:

— The Goal Line Grind (@theGLgrind) January 31, 2026

The long and short of it is that Pavia has talent, but it’s too raw at this point for a franchise to look at him as anything but a project. Additionally, there are concerns about character, including behaviour at New Mexico State and reports of other behaviour circulating in Mobile this week. It’s a long shot he’ll go before Day Three of the draft in April, and an even longer shot he’ll be fantasy-relevant come September, or at any point in the near future.

Garrett Nussmeier, LSU

Once considered a top NFL QB prospect, you can confidently put Garrett Nussmeier in the “unlikely to be fantasy-relevant” bin pretty confidently. I can’t really say anything bad about the LSU signal-caller’s performance in Mobile, but there wasn’t anything that made anyone say “wow,” either. Nussmeier is an average QB with average talent.

While not flashy, he does well with pre-snap reads, identifying blitzes, and adjusting through calling for motion. He isn’t someone who makes many mistakes out of carelessness, but he tends to get off target when pressured or on the move, leading to poor throws and turnovers. We also saw some issues with ball security this week, with him losing the ball in a collapsing pocket and a handful of mishandled snaps. 

Nussmeier will likely fall to the back of Day Two of the draft and is unlikely to start any time soon. There is a chance we could see him in the field in 2026 if an injury necessitates it, but his path to fantasy football relevancy is a long and winding road that might not have a final destination.

The Rest of the Pack

Cole Payton, NDSU

While he’s a fun story, Cole Payton is a project at best. The south paw uses weird off-center arm angles to throw, and his footwork in and out of the pocket is unstable and choppy. However, he runs the ball with passion and power, and moves well through traffic as a ball carrier. The biggest question here is whether he can find a way to get a team to take a shot on him in the last two rounds of the draft.

Taylen Green, Arkansas

Taylen Green is an athletic Adonis, folks. Unfortunately, at his size – 6-foot-6 and 229 pounds – his throwing motion is more of a slingshot than anything else. He has a big arm and can unleash the ball deep with unsettled feet, but lacks any touch on short to intermediate throws. His career path is likely to go in the direction of project QBs like Joe Milton and Jalen Milroe. Depending on where he lands, he could be worth a taxi squad flier in dynasty leagues, but keep your expectations low. 

Sawyer Robertson, Baylor

When you think of Sawyer Robertson, you wouldn’t be off-base to call him a discount Garrett Nussmeier. The Baylor signal-caller has similar traits, albeit slightly more mobile than the LSU QB and without the SEC-school hype. Robertson will get drafted, but likely as a prospect who will be competing for a backup or practice squad spot on a team.

Luke Altmyer, Illinois

Luke Altmyer had a good week in Mobile, but it was apparent early on that he isn’t built to play QB in the NFL. He’s very mobile, which leads to him bailing early and taking off downfield rather than progressing through his reads, which we saw consistently this week. He has an inconsistently accurate arm as well, which won’t fly at the next level. If he finds footing in the NFL, it will be a team that needs a mobile backup in case of emergency.

Senior Bowl 2026 WR Standouts & Sleepers

The Notable

Barion Brown, LSU

If we’re being honest, the completeness of Barion Brown’s game was a surprise to most in attendance last week. While a noted elite-level kick returner, he seemed to be limited as a receiver. That, friends, is not the case. 

Over the course of three days, we saw Brown do it all. His routes were crisp, with excellent footwork and quick cuts. He wasn’t solely relying on his speed for separation, as we had seen at LSU. He was excellent at the catch point, as well, getting physical with defenders to establish separation and getting into difficult positions to make catches. He also showed an ability to win contested catches on the sideline and end zone, something we didn’t see from many receivers who attended.

A huge LSU connection just happened in RZ 1 on 1 drills! Garrett Nussmeier to Barion Brown!

The Senior Bowl game can be seen live on NFL Network on Saturday, Jan. 31, 2026, at 1:30 p.m. CT

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— Optimus Fantasy Football (@optimusfantasy.com) January 29, 2026 at 6:11 PM

It wasn’t just what we saw as a receiver, either. Brown engaged as a blocker on run plays, consistently setting the edge and getting extremely physical with defenders. We also saw him featured in a handful of jet sweeps throughout the week, showcasing his next-level speed. 

Not only does Brown have the highly sought-after LSU receiver pedigree, but he also lives it. While he worked primarily out wide the last two seasons, he got a significant amount of slot work in 2022 and 2023 while at Kentucky. We saw it on display this past week as well, with coaches returning him to that role in certain schemes, and he excelled. Brown will be flying up draft boards for teams in need of a versatile, dynamic receiving threat as the draft gets closer, and could be an impactful fantasy asset at the jump in 2026.

Tyren Montgomery, John Carroll University

If the first thing that came to mind when you saw the name Tyren Montgomery was “who?’, you’re not alone. Prior to this past week, few had a clue that John Carroll University existed, let alone had a football team, let alone a WR who might have a shot at making it to the NFL.

Despite the small school pedigree and a lack of experience – Montgomery first picked up a football his freshman year of college after failing to make the LSU basketball team as a walk-on – the small school no-name was the talk of Mobile. The combination of speed, excellent hands, the ability to chase the ball vertically, and the willingness to throw his smaller frame at blocks had heads turning all week. 

Tyren Montgomery Film Drop!

I thought Tyren Montgomery performed just as well as and sometimes better than the other WRs going through footwork drills who’ve played WR their whole careers.

📢Interviews hitting socials this week!

1/3🎞️🧵

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— Cameron White (@whiteheatff.bsky.social) February 9, 2026 at 5:42 PM

To be fair, Montgomery is going to need a solid landing spot to realize his potential. While his route running was good, he left something to be desired with footwork clearly developed on the hardwood. He also has a lot to learn about scheme and situational football. That said, he could end up as a second or third receiving option if his landing spot affords a chance to learn with a quality coaching staff. 

Keep your eye on Montgomery as we get through the Combine and pro days. His name is likely to start becoming more commonplace in draft conversations and could become a late-round rookie draft target for your taxi squads.

Reggie Virgil & Caleb Douglas, Texas Tech

Media Day had some fun and informative moments this past week, but my biggest takeaway was a statement from Caleb Douglas during a pool interview. When asked what the difference between teammate Reggie Virgil and himself was, he simply stated, “Who do you want to throw it to? We have the same game.” After three days of practice, I can confirm he wasn’t wrong. 

In typical Big 12 style, both Virgil and Douglas are physical receivers who excel at the catch point. They both have great hands and adjust to the ball well to get in position to make catches look easier than they should. 

Where they differ is how they get there. Douglas is a very fluid route runner who lacks top-end speed, but makes up for it in physicality and footwork. Virgil is a burner who blows by defensive backs with minimal cuts, other than slight hitches inside or out on go routes. Despite that difference, both can run a full route tree, which we saw on display all week. 

WR Reggie Virgil with an incredible catch in red zone 1on1s!

He uses that large catch radius to pluck this one out of the air.

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— Cameron White (@whiteheatff.bsky.social) February 9, 2026 at 6:00 PM

Both Douglas and Virgil are trending towards mid-Day Two picks. Douglas is poised to make an immediate impact wherever he lands. His physical nature lends itself to the NFL, and teams salivate over wideouts willing to get dirty. Virgil is a playmaker, and while not as physical as Douglas, he has big-play upside that NFL teams can’t ignore. You’d be wise to keep both on your radar as the NFL Draft approaches.

The Rest 

Lewis Bond, Boston College

I was hyped on Lewis Bond heading into the week, and I wasn’t disappointed. He runs crisp routes, isn’t afraid of contact and has deceptive speed. He’s a very physical player at the catch point and doesn’t shy away from contact in routes. However, Bond was slighter than expected, which could be a concern for NFL front offices. If he can add 10 to 15 pounds ahead of the Combine, he’ll be in good shape.

Josh Cameron, Baylor

In a week of very physical play, Josh Cameron was among the most willing to throw his body around. He thrives over the middle and isn’t shy about taking hits and retaining possession to the ground. He excels at run blocking as well, which could lend a hand in keeping him on the field more often than not. Don’t be surprised to see Cameron getting higher snap counts early on, but don’t expect it to be fantasy relevant out of the gate.

WR Josh Cameron with the difficult catch on a high throw from Sawyer Robertson.

Cameron has a pair of vices for hands. The chemistry between Robertson & Cameron was on display in Mobile.

Josh Cameron is a riser 📈!

This catch made @natepolvogt.optimusfantasy.com go “Whoa! Tell me you got that.”

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— Cameron White (@whiteheatff.bsky.social) February 9, 2026 at 6:08 PM

Malachi Fields, Notre Dame

Standing at 6-foot-4 and 218 pounds, Malachi Fields was one of the more physically imposing receivers we saw last week in Mobile. He uses his size to win contested catches, and his footwork at the snap is surprisingly efficient and nimble. He’s also not afraid to block, though results varied over the three days of practice. He isn’t especially quick either, which will limit his yards-after-catch ability. Fields is likely a late Day Two pick who will profile as a possession receiver at the next level.

Kevin Coleman, Mizzou

If sneaky fast, underrated slot receivers are your thing, you’re in luck. Mizzou’s Kevin Coleman came into the week somewhat under the radar, but quickly showed he is someone to pay attention to approaching the NFL Draft. He possesses a combination of speed, slipperiness and speed that make him difficult to cover, and allows him to create separation at the catch point despite his smaller size. He might take a year to develop into a truly relevant fantasy football asset, but it will be worth the wait. 

Kevin Coleman is a big riser. I wasn’t in love with his tape going in. After watching him in Mobile I’m having a tough time deciding where he’ll land in my post-Senior Bowl WR rankings. He’s currently right after Douglas and Virgil.

He attacks defenses on all three levels.

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— Cameron White (@whiteheatff.bsky.social) February 9, 2026 at 6:22 PM

Ja’Kobi Lane, USC

I’d be remiss if I didn’t mention USC wideout Ja’Kobi Lane making a last-minute appearance in Mobile. While not expected, it was a pleasant surprise to see the lanky 6-foot-4, 200-pound pass catcher in action. He is as advertised: an elite jump ball receiver who can stretch the field and beat defenders with his height and speed. While he profiles as a deep ball threat who will see minimal volume, he’s worth following to see where he lands in the NFL Draft.

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