How Many FCS Prospects Could Be Selected In The 2026 NFL Draft?

The 2026 NFL Draft begins tomorrow, and the anticipation of who will be picked and when will be settled by the end of the week.

For the FCS prospects, Day 2 and Day 3 of the draft are when they should hear their names called. There are some polarizing prospects, like Cole Payton and Bryce Lance, who have been mocked from as early as Day 2 to as late as the end of Day 3.

I have draftable grades on six FCS prospects, and based on their film, accolades, and testing, they are more than deserving of being drafted this week. I also have a player without a draftable grade who I believe will be drafted because of the value at their position.

Listed below are prospects I believe will be drafted, who should be drafted, and their ceiling for selection.

Locks To Be Drafted

Bryce Lance | WR | North Dakota State

Prospect Characteristic: High-End Rotational NFL Prospect
Round Projection: 3rd-4th Round
Ceiling Selection: Kansas City Chiefs (Round 3, Pick 74)

Lance is the vertical, big-bodied, field-stretcher that the Chiefs can use on vertical isolation routes and high volume on deep targets. Xavier Worthy and Tyquan Thornton are solid players for the Chiefs, but it should not prevent them from drafting Lance at pick 74 if he is available.

Charles Demmings | CB | Stephen F. Austin

Prospect Characteristic: Quality Rotational NFL Prospect
Round Projection: 4th-5th Round
Ceiling Selection: New Orleans Saints (Round 4, Pick 132 or 134)

Demmings would be a great value selection at 132 for the Saints, who currently have four outside corners listed on their depth chart. His athletic upside, along with the scheme fit under Brandon Staley’s defense, will maximize his length, competitiveness at the catch point, and off-coverage ability.

Kaleb Proctor | IDL | Southeastern Louisiana

Prospect Characteristic: Adequate Rotational NFL Prospect
Round Projection: 5th-6th Round
Ceiling Selection: Minnesota Vikings (Round 5, Pick 163)

Proctor is a prospect who needs to be placed in a system that will allow him to be a penetrator, be vertically disruptive, and win as a pass rusher. The Vikings fit the mold as they seek to get younger and more explosive along their defensive interior.

With the departures of Javon Hargrave and Johnathan Allen, it seems like there will be an open competition. A pairing for Proctor and Elijah Williams, the former Morgan State star, is a dream for FCS purists.

Southeastern Louisiana defensive lineman Kaleb Proctor (2) | Lindsey Rizzo (SLU Athletics)

Cole Payton | QB | North Dakota State

Prospect Characteristic: Fringe Rotational NFL Prospect
Round Projection: 5th-7th Round
Ceiling Selection: Buffalo Bills (Round 5, Pick 165 or 168)

Payton is the most polarizing NFL prospect due to the wide range of potential landing spots for him in this year’s draft. Though I had him projected as a UDFA, Payton is regarded as a draftable talent with upside if given the chance to develop.

The Bills may not need to draft a quarterback, but with their backups being Kyle Allen and Shane Buechele, taking a shot on a developmental prospect with physical tools similar to their franchise quarterback is worth considering.

North Dakota State Bison quarterback Cole Payton (9) | Samantha Laurey / Argus Leader / USA TODAY NETWORK via Imagn Images

Other Draftable Grades

Erick Hunter | LB | Morgan State

Prospect Characteristic: Adequate Rotational NFL Prospect
Round Projection: 5th-6th Round
Ceiling Selection: Dallas Cowboys (Round 5, Pick 177 or 180)

Hunter is a linebacker with high developmental upside, and in the right situation, he will be a core special teamer early while working his way into the linebacker rotation. The Cowboys currently have three linebackers on their roster going into the draft, and Hunter would be a good fit in a scheme that likes long and rangy linebackers.

Morgan State linebacker Erick Hunter (40) | Morgan State Athletics

Daniel Sobkowicz | WR | Illinois State

Prospect Characteristic: Adequate Rotational NFL Prospect
Round Projection: 5th-6th Round
Ceiling Selection: New England Patriots (Round 6, Pick 191)

Sobowicz is the best route runner in the 2026 draft, and he would be a great fit for a Patriots team that needs a consistent target that knows how to get open. Drafting Sobkowicz at 191 would be a steal, and there would be no shock if he finds himself getting significant snaps early in his career. His ability to play on the outside and in the slot makes him an even more intriguing Day 3 option.

Maximus Pulley | S | Wofford

Prospect Characteristic: Fringe Rotational NFL Prospect
Round Projection: 6th-7th Round
Ceiling Selection: Green Bay Packers (Round 7, Pick 236)

Pulley is not a hot name in the scouting community, but his tape and testing warranted a draftable grade as a nickel defender. In a league predicated on sub-packages and the value of nickel defenders growing, he would be a great value pick for the Packers at No. 236.

His ball skills, play strength, and ability to be a plus run defender make him a good fit for a Packers defense that could use some depth behind a talented Javon Bullard.

Five Wild Card Names To Know (UDFA Locks, Dark Horse Draft Picks)

Michael Wortham (Montana)
Delby Lemieux (Dartmouth)
Sam Hagen (South Dakota State)
Derek Robertson (Monmouth)
Jarod Washington (South Carolina State)

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