Ranking Every Virginia Player Expected To Be Picked In The 2026 NFL Draft

Who are the best Virginia players expected to be selected in the NFL draft

Feb 27, 2026; Indianapolis, IN, USA; Virginia running back J'Mari Taylor (RB19) speaks to members of the media during the NFL Combine at the Indiana Convention Center. Mandatory Credit: Jacob Musselman-Imagn Images | Jacob Musselman-Imagn Images

Virginia has a couple of players that are expected to be selected in the NFL draft this upcoming weekend. Let's take a look at who that should be and rank them in order.

1. RB J’Mari Taylor 

Taylor has been talked about all offseason and leading up to the NFL draft. He had a stellar season for Virginia and put together back-to-back 1,000-yard rushing seasons. What was more impressive was what he was able to do at the combine. 

“At the combine, he only participated in the vertical jump, broad jump, and bench press. He recorded a 34.5 vertical jump, a 9’7 broad jump, and 20 reps on the bench press. According to Next Gen Stats, Taylor finished with a 69 production score, which ranked 7th among running backs. Taylor has continued to rise up draft boards and, in ESPN’s latest NFL Mock Draft, is slated to go to the Detroit Lions in the fifth round with the No.157 pick.” 

Detroit is a team very interested in Taylor, and it makes a lot of sense for his running style and what he can do catching the ball out of the backfield. 

“Now, Detroit could make a lot of sense for Taylor. This past offseason, the Lions traded RB2 David Montgomery to the Houston Texans. The Lions will need another running back and perhaps even a stable of backs to complement their star running back, Jahmyr Gibbs. Taylor could be the perfect complement, and he would be a young, inexpensive option for Detroit, which has a lot of experience and can catch the ball out of the backfield.” 

In all likelihood, Taylor will be the first Virginia player selected. 

2. DE Mitchell Melton 

Melton is a strong defensive edge rusher and had one of the best years of his career, finishing with 45 tackles, five sacks, three forced fumbles, three passes defensed, and a fumble recovery. Melton also graded extremely well according to Pro Football Focus (PFF). He posted an 85.8 defensive grade, 77.9 run defense grade, and an 80.4 pass rush grade. Melton is one who can definitely make an impact in year one on an NFL roster, and he should be the second Cavalier off the board in the NFL draft. 

3. TE Sage Ennis 

This may be an underrated guy, and some don’t have Ennis getting selected, but he can easily get selected in the NFL Draft. He’s a durable tight end and has really good receiving skills that would make a difference. Ennis does a lot of his damage in the red zone and could be a threat in the toughest part of the field. Ennis had five touchdowns a season ago. Ennis just needs the right team to give him a chance and an opportunity, and he should be able to make some noise on his professional journey.