Five prospects who improved their 2026 NFL Draft stock in Week 6

Among the strong performances of Week 6, a host of NFL Draft hopefuls helped their stock. From a pair of outstanding wide receivers to an under-the-radar QB, there are plenty of Week 6 performance to review. Here are five prospects who helped their NFL Draft situations.

Carnell Tate, Ohio State WR

That Jeremiah Smith was OSU's WR1 was known and certain. But Tate has emerged as an outstanding second option. At 6'3", Tate is long and athletic. He grabbed nine receptions for 183 yards and a score in Week 6, and with 435 receiving yards, his 18.1 yards per catch has even trumped Smith. He might not be quite as electric of a prospect as Smith, but Tate is making his name in NFL prospect circles.

Chris Bell, Louisville WR

Louisville's veteran target is a physical 220-pound target on the outside who can make big plays. He had 12 catches for 170 yards and two scores in a loss to Virginia. Bell is becoming one of the top pass-catching threats in college football and will likely be one of the second or third-day standouts in the NFL Draft.

Ty Simpson, Alabama QB

Simpson was human against Vanderbilt, throwing his first interception of the season. But he also passed for 340 yards and a pair of scores in a pivotal early game of the Tide's season. Entering the game, Pavia was the talk of college football, but coming out, the cool head and steady arm of Simpson will continue to be discussed. He's a legitimate Draft prospect and will likely continue his rise.

Nico Iamaleava, UCLA QB

It's been a miserable season for Iamaleava, not so long ago the No. 2 QB prospect in the 2023 recruiting class. But Week 6 was a ray of sunshine as his Bruins upset an underachieving Penn State program. Iamaleava was in the middle of that, throwing for 166 yards and a pair of scores and running for another 128 yards and three touchdowns. Iamaleava looked like his best self executing critical runs and making enough big throws to hold Penn State at bay. C

Cashius Howell, Texas A&M DE

Howell racked up three sacks in A&M's 31-9 win over Mississippi State, which jumps him to seven sacks on the season. To put that in perspective, that places Howell even with each Alabama and Georgia's team sack totals. Howell doesn't have crazy measurements, at 6'2" and 248 pounds, but the one-time Bowling Green Falcon is on his way to earning money on Sundays.