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The 2026 rookie class is phenomenal – if you play in IDP leagues.

Defenses dominated the week's Senior Bowl practices, leaving offensive highlights fairly sparing by comparison. It meant for an underwhelming week, which may very well be par for the course in a draft cycle where people across the league believe that there is far more talent on defense than on offense, especially among skill-position players.

Last year there were 17 rookies taken within the first 12 rounds of redraft leagues according to CBS Sports Average Draft Position. Of the 17, five averaged a selection within the first six rounds.

Expect those numbers to slide a little bit with the 2026 class. Simply put, the talent pool isn't as deep, and it would be criminal to try and sell you on this year's rookie class as if it were as rich as last year's.

That being said, there were some skill-position players who differentiated themselves through the Senior Bowl practices. Don't think of them as rising to the point where they'll be first-rounders, but rather rising above the average-level prospects. They'll have a chance to be good for Fantasy if they can find the right spot – which is always the case but especially important this year given the lack of high-level talent.

Here's a look at the players who stood out during the week – strictly based on what I saw this week and not taking into account anything they or anyone else did during the college season.  

Quarterbacks

Cole Payton, North Dakota State: I thought Payton was the most accurate and anticipatory thrower all week who also made a handful of off-schedule plays. Not until the third practice did he start showing some flaws in his passing, and even then he still made some quality throws. He was known just as much for his rushing as his passing playing at the FCS level but really let his arm do the talking this week. That's a good thing since both factors can eventually make him a potential Fantasy option when and if he gets the chance to play.

Taylen Green, Arkansas: Green is tall, lanky and lean with a big arm and real good mobility. As project-QBs go he's great, but he doesn't have the consistency needed to be an NFL starter anytime soon. A team will draft him for his traits and put him on a pathway to be a starter in a year or so if he improves. Fantasy managers can hope for such a thing because if he does then his aggressive throwing and rushing combo will yield some nice stats.

Running backs

Mike Washington Jr., Arkansas: It was Washington's acceleration that separated him from the rest of a decent running back group. That quick speed will translate to the pro game, and his thicker-than-most frame will create problems for defenses that can't wrap him up at first contact. Washington's receiving skills were also on display throughout the week and even his pass protection wasn't bad (he told CBS Sports he was working on it for the combine). If there was a RB in Mobile who had a chance to be a three-down player at some point before the end of next season, it would be Washington.

Kaytron Allen, Penn State: I like Allen for his one-cut downhill running style and good speed. He can run with physicality, and he's not a finished product in pass protection but he's not bad at all. I wouldn't be surprised if he began his career getting around eight touches per game.

Wide receivers

Malachi Fields, Notre Dame: Tall and rangy with good footwork, Fields could compete for maybe a 50% route participation rate right away. His ball tracking skills were great and he had this nuance in his technique to know just how to separate from coverage at just the right time to make a catch. He won't win a lot of races with pure speed but that's to be expected from someone as big as he is.

Josh Cameron, Baylor: Cameron might have been the most versatile receiver at the Senior Bowl. He had the speed to blow past coverage, the quick feet to change directions and separate by a yard or two at will, the eyeballs to track downfield throws properly, the ability to adjust his body to off-target throws and the hands to reel them in. Built in the mold of A.J. Brown and Anquan Boldin, Cameron has the traits teams look for when they need a real good complementary receiver, but he might have just enough to become a No. 1 someday.

Caleb Douglas, Texas Tech: A little leaner than most would want from a 6-foot-3 receiver, but that lack of weight is what gives him a little more speed compared to other big men. I thought he had some real good hands and flashed some explosiveness in his breaks at times.

Tyren Montgomery, John Carroll: Not the biggest guy and certainly not the most experienced receiver considering he played in Division III, but Montgomery put himself on the radar with a solid week's worth of work. The top trait was his footwork, be it off the snap or at the top of his route to get himself open. He had the speed and route discipline to beat FBS-level cornerbacks on several occasions. And Montgomery still has more room to grow – he's only been playing football for two years!

Tight ends

Tanner Koziol, Houston: This is the only tight end who flashed over multiple practices. He leaped high for a pass in the back corner of the end zone and otherwise was that sweet combination of sure-handed and physical. You won't see big-time speed, but his size and hands make him a differentiator compared to the rest of the class.  

Nate Boerkircher, Texas A&M: Great size, good technique and really good concentration was always a part of his game at school, but it took the Senior Bowl for him to show it often enough in practice and prove he can be a good receiving threat.