FCS Prospects to Watch for the 2026 NFL Draft, Ranked by Fit

The FCS has done a better job producing NFL-caliber players in recent years, and roughly 10 prospects from the subdivision are potential draft picks in 2026, with a handful possibly threatening for top-100 status. The transfer portal has complicated the pipeline: players like Jaden Craig, Jared Richardson, and Chris Corbo entered the portal and moved up to the FBS, thinning a class that was already relying on a tight group of standouts. What remains is a lean but compelling collection of prospects, ranked here by their fit and realistic role at the next level.

1. Bryce Lance, WR, North Dakota State

The top small-school prospect on multiple NFL Draft big boards, Lance has the best chance to get selected on Day 2 of any player on this list. Trey Lance's younger brother produced back-to-back 1,000-yard seasons at North Dakota State and could make a huge impression after vertical jumping 40 inches last offseason, according to Bruce Feldman's Freaks List. The 6-foot-3, 210-pound wideout scored an unfathomable 18 touchdowns in 2024. Lance has the size you want in an outside receiver at 6-foot-3, can use his speed as a vertical threat, and can hold on through contact across the middle. His fit is versatile: he profiles as a long, athletic X-receiver with strong hands, explosiveness, and route-running ability who projects as an adequate NFL starter prospect.

2. Daniel Sobkowicz, WR, Illinois State

The 6-foot-3, 205-pound wide receiver became Illinois State's program all-time leader with 41 receiving touchdowns and 262 career receptions, and broke the single-season record with 19 scores in 2025. Sobkowicz is a wide receiver with very good size in a smooth athletic frame, outstanding body control, and route-running ability. His twitchy release and quickness are immediately evident when running routes. He mixes release packages, sets up corners, and stems and stacks to win leverage, with an advanced route tree that allows him to run any pattern. He excels on short and intermediate routes, using body control to decelerate, sink into his frame, and redirect with ease. He projects as a rotational NFL prospect with potential to be a starting possession receiver, fitting into multiple offensive schemes thanks to his route-running and reliable hands. His upside is highlighted by being a reliable third-down option and red-zone winner with quality contested-catch ability.

3. Cole Payton, QB, North Dakota State

Payton finished the 2025 season as the highest-graded FCS quarterback with a 95.8 PFF offense grade. Though he started for just one season at North Dakota State, he capitalized on that opportunity, delivering elite production as both a passer (94.5) and runner (90.0). In 13 games, Payton completed 161 of 224 passes, totaling 2,719 yards passing, 16 passing touchdowns, four interceptions, 777 yards rushing, and 13 rushing touchdowns. His deep ball is particularly strong; beyond 20 air yards, he posted a 133.2 passer rating to his left, 125.6 up the middle, and 151.0 to the right. His NFL fit is as a developmental dual-threat backup: he's the latest North Dakota State quarterback to emerge as a potential draft riser, and NDSU has had four quarterbacks selected in the last 10 drafts.

Stephen F. Austin cornerback Charles Demmings became the first Lumberjacks player in program history to earn an invite to the Senior Bowl. Demmings posted back-to-back PFF coverage grades above 80.0 (81.6 in 2024 and 80.4 in 2025), and this past season recorded four interceptions and six pass breakups while allowing an NFL passer rating of just 39.8 into his coverage. He is a physical cornerback with good long speed, ideal ball skills, and good length for his position, showing improvement as a tackler in 2025. His lateral explosiveness is currently average, but continued growth in that area should give him a legitimate NFL career. Demmings is widely regarded as the top defensive prospect in the FCS for the 2026 draft.

5. Kaleb Proctor, DT, Southeastern Louisiana

Proctor finished 2025 as the Southland Conference Player of the Year with nine sacks and 13 tackles for loss, earning first-team FCS All-American recognition. He totaled 43 tackles, 13 for loss, nine sacks, and 41 pressures in 13 games. The size question is real: Proctor measured at 291 pounds at the NFL Combine, a good 20 or so pounds lighter than you'd really want in a starting defensive tackle, but a big part of why he succeeds is his ability to get going quickly, anticipating the snap well and using his quick first step to beat opposing guards. His best NFL fit is as a rotational interior pass rusher on a defense that values quickness over bulk.

6. Erick Hunter, LB, Morgan State

Erick Hunter from Morgan State has been a top defender in the FCS for multiple years. After missing most of 2024 due to injury, he bounced back to log 102 tackles, 14 for loss, four sacks, one interception, three forced fumbles, and four pass breakups. His career resume covers 45 games, 298 total tackles, 35 tackles for loss, 10.5 sacks, 3 interceptions, 12 passes defended, and 7 forced fumbles. NFL Network analyst Brian Baldinger praised Hunter at the American Bowl: at 6-foot-4 and 235 pounds, he projects edge-rush qualities with the hands, ability to rip and bend, and turn the corner. Hunter fits best in a 4-2-5 Match Zone/Big Nickel Hybrid defensive scheme, where he can utilize his length, range, and versatility as a blitzer, dime backer, and core special teamer early in his career.

7. Jalen Walthall, WR, Incarnate Word

In just two seasons with the Cardinals, Walthall totaled over 2,000 receiving yards and 22 touchdowns, earning consensus All-American honors in 2024. Across his career he accumulated 192 receptions, 2,595 receiving yards, and 24 receiving touchdowns in 40 games, earning First-Team All-Southland honors in both 2024 and 2025 and a Walter Payton Award finalist nod in 2024. He projects as a vertical, field-stretching X or Z in a Spread or Air Coryell scheme and fits as a fringe NFL roster prospect, capable of working off play-action or isolated matchups in the boundary and contributing as a rotational receiver in the deep-ball and screen game.

8. Delby Lemieux, OL, Dartmouth

Lemieux was a Senior Bowl invite from the FCS. The Duxbury, Massachusetts native primarily played offensive tackle at Dartmouth, but NFL scouts are anticipating a move inside to guard due to size and length deficiencies. He became a unanimous Ivy League All-American in 2025 and accepted his Senior Bowl invitation. Lemieux plays with physicality as a run blocker and understands how to position his body to take advantage of angles. The transition to guard is the make-or-break variable: his punch timing and latch strength are legitimate positives that could make him a late-round target for a run-first offensive line.

9. Jarod Washington, CB, South Carolina State

After following head coach Chennis Berry from Benedict to South Carolina State, Washington put together back-to-back All-MEAC seasons for the Bulldogs and helped lead the program to back-to-back Celebration Bowl appearances, winning the HBCU National Championship in 2025. His career at the FCS level covers 75 tackles, 4 interceptions, 3 interception touchdowns, and 33 pass breakups in 25 games, with accolades including the Aeneas Williams Award for the nation's top cornerback and First-Team FCS All-American honors in 2025. Washington projects as a fringe NFL roster cornerback who fits best in a zone-heavy scheme with match elements. His instincts and trigger make him an intriguing late-round or post-draft priority pickup with upside to develop into a quality rotational cornerback.

10. Rodney Hammond, RB, Sacramento State

An FBS transfer running back, Hammond transferred in from Pittsburgh and was instantly productive for the Hornets, totaling 1,216 yards rushing, 13 rushing touchdowns, 147 yards receiving, 455 kick return yards, and one return touchdown. Hammond's dual value as a runner and return specialist gives him a realistic path to a roster spot on a team that needs depth at the position. Hammond rounds out the top ten alongside interior lineman Langston Jones as the key offensive pieces from outside the FCS's top skill-position group.

The transfer portal era has narrowed this class but concentrated its quality. Draft numbers have declined for the FCS this decade as player transfers to upper-tier FBS programs have occurred more frequently, and the depth will dwindle further in 2027 after 10-time FCS national champion North Dakota State departs for the Mountain West Conference. The players on this list are competing not just for draft slots but for the chance to sustain one of college football's most underrated pipelines to the professional game.