We are just over 48 hours away from the start of the 2026 NFL Draft. I don’t know how it’s already here – it feels like just yesterday we were watching the NFL Combine in Indianapolis – but we’re here.

This might be the most unpredictable first round in a long time. The only real lock in this draft is Fernando Mendoza going first overall to the Las Vegas Raiders. After that, anyone could go anywhere, and that’s what makes this draft so exciting.

Part of the reason it’s so unpredictable is that there are so many controversial prospects. The top eight guys are pretty solid, but after that, there seems to be a pretty big drop-off. Some guys have injury concerns, and others have play style or size concerns, so it all comes down to who wants to take the risk on each of these players.

Today, I’ve compiled a list of eight of the most controversial first-round draft prospects that could shake up this draft.

Rueben Bain Jr., EDGE, Miami

Rueben Bain Jr. has been one of the most talked-about prospects in this entire draft. Prior to the NFL Combine, Bain was virtually a lock to go in the top five and was the clear No. 1 edge rusher in this class. But once he got to Indianapolis and measured in with 30 7/8 inch arms, far below the standard 33-inch mark for edge rushers, his stock began to fall a bit. Still, many were waiting to see what he’d measure in at his pro day because combine measurements always seem to come in a bit short, but he opted not to measure in at his pro day, raising even more questions.

Then there are the legal issues. Bain was involved in a car crash back in 2024 that tragically killed one person. Bain was never charged with anything, and the family of the young lady who passed away wished him the best with his career, so it’s unclear whether this will affect his draft stock or not. It just comes down to how teams view the situation.

There’s a world where a team in the top-8 really likes Bain’s film and is willing to overlook his short arms and legal issue, but there’s also a chance he starts to tumble and could make it to Dallas at No. 12. There’s not knowing until we get to draft night.

Jermod McCoy, CB, Tennessee

If Jermod McCoy never tore his ACL in January of 2025, he’d probably be a top-10 pick this year. He put out some incredible tape in 2024 and was expected to be one of the top corners in 2025 before the injury. He’s recovered from the injury and had a really impressive pro day where he ran a 4.38-second 40-yard dash with a 38-inch vertical, but there are still concerns about his knee.

The concerns aren’t really about his torn ACL; he seems pretty much fully healed from that. The concerns are about potentially repairing a bone plug that was put into his knee during his initial ACL surgery, which could cause him to need yet another surgery. Some insiders are saying his situation is worse than Will Johnson’s, who fell all the way to round two, even though he was viewed as a top-10 talent in his draft class.

Some teams are going to clear him and be fine with him, but others take him off their board entirely. He could still be a top-12 pick if someone like Miami or Dallas is comfortable with his knee, but he could also slide into the second round, just like Johnson last year.

Makai Lemon, WR, USC

Maybe this is just because my colleague Daniel Rios and I have differing opinions on Makai Lemon, but I feel like he’s another pretty controversial prospect. Some people love him, and others aren’t very high on a 5-foot-11 guy that doesn’t run super fast, but I’m much higher on him than the average person.

To me, Lemon is the WR2 in this draft class. I understand the size and speed concerns, but all you have to do is turn on the tape to realize he’s a damn good football player. He may be a little small, but he is fearless running routes over the middle of the field and would be any quarterback’s best friend.

I know the league doesn’t value slot receivers as highly as outside guys, but I would absolutely take him over Carnell Tate. He can be a 100+ catch, 1,000+ yard receiver in the league for a long time.

Jordyn Tyson, WR, Arizona State

Jordyn Tyson is clearly the most talented wide receiver in this draft class, at least in my eyes. He’s a true outside receiver that can win down the field in contested catch situations, but he’s also a very fluid and clean route runner. He can really do basically anything you ask him to do, but there are a lot of health concerns.

Tyson has suffered a multitude of injuries during his college career. He had a major knee repair done in 2022, fixing a torn ACL, MCL, and PCL. Then, in 2024, Tyson broke his collarbone and missed the final two games of the year. Now, in 2025, he missed multiple games with a hamstring issue. The collarbone isn’t really a worry, but ligament and hamstring injuries are always a cause for concern.

As the draft gets closer, it seems more and more likely that Tyson will go in the top-10. After his workout last week, teams seem pretty comfortable with him, but that could all be smoke. We’ll see on draft night.

Kenyon Sadiq, TE, Oregon

I’ve seen a lot of people on social media saying they’re not a big fan of Kenyon Sadiq. To me, that doesn’t make a whole lot of sense. I believe he’s easily the best tight end in this draft class, and he’s a top-15 prospect, but there are a lot of people who are not on board with that sentiment.

Sadiq is 6-foot-3, 241 pounds, runs a 4.39-second 40-yard dash with a 43.5-inch vertical and an 11-foot, 1-inch broad jump. He’s probably the best athlete at the tight end position we’ve seen since Vernon Davis, and he has the production to match with 51 receptions, 560 yards, and eight touchdowns in 2025.

Sadiq has all the makings of a great NFL tight end. He’s athletic and a great pass catcher. There’s room for improvement as a blocker, but that’s the case with most tight end prospects. There’s no reason he shouldn’t be a top-15 pick come Thursday.

Keldric Faulk, EDGE, Auburn

Keldric Faulk might be the most controversial prospect in the entire draft. At the beginning of the process, some had Faulk as their top edge rusher, but I never saw it. Now, at best, he’s the third edge on most people’s boards, and he’s probably closer to the fourth or fifth.

On paper, Faulk is everything you’d want in an edge. He’s 6-foot-6, 276 pounds, and is a really good athlete, but it just doesn’t show up on tape. He had just two sacks in 2025 despite playing every game. He also had just one game with 5+ pressures, which came against Oklahoma. If you’re picking him in the first round, you’re betting on his athletic traits, and I’ve seen that go wrong too many times.

As a Saints fan, I watched them pick Marcus Davenport and Payton Turner in the first round because they fit the mold they liked in an edge rusher. Both of them were considered reaches, and both of them ended up busting. To me, Faulk is another version of those two, but at least Davenport and Turner had 17 and 10.5 sacks the year they entered the draft, respectively.

Akheem Mesidor, EDGE, Miami

There’s a lot to like about Akheem Mesidor. He’s coming off a terrific season where he logged 12.5 sacks for Miami and was one of the most impactful players on a National Championship defense. He’s also extremely experienced and has produced in the Big 12 and the ACC. On paper, he looks like a top-15 player in the class, but there’s one big thing fans are quick to mention any time he’s brought up, and that’s his age.

Mesidor spent six years in college and is 25 years old. A few years ago, that would’ve been a massive turnoff for most teams, but nowadays, players are coming out of college older than ever, and if he’s ready to be a difference maker day one, who really cares how old he is? If he steps into the league and has 10+ sacks as a rookie, I don’t care if he’s 25 years old, because a typical 21-year-old isn’t doing that in their rookie season.

Draft prospects are older than ever, with all these players fighting for extra years of eligibility, so I don’t think his age matters as much as you think it does. But we’ll see where he gets drafted on Thursday.

Denzel Boston, WR, Washington

A lot of people are low on Denzel Boston because he had a poor combine performance, and I was too for a little while, but once I started watching some of his tape from the past two years, I can see why he’s a first-rounder.

You’re not going to find many receivers with Boston’s size. He’s 6-foot-4, 212 pounds, and uses that frame to make tough catches in traffic, both down the field and in the intermediate passing game. Speed and separation are his two biggest weaknesses, but he’s great off the line of scrimmage, which has helped him still win down the field despite some speed limitations.

If you’re looking for a big-bodied, contested catch threat late in the first round, look no further than Denzel Boston. Just because he had a couple of drops at the combine doesn’t mean he’s a bad receiver. He was only credited with four drops in his college career on 189 targets.