Five FCS Defensive Stars Ready to Make Impact in 2026 NFL Draft

Forty-one pressures. Nine sacks. A 4.41 forty-yard dash. A Relative Athletic Score that ranks among the ten best cornerbacks tested since 1987. The numbers coming out of pro days and the 2026 NFL Scouting Combine tell a compelling story about a group of FCS defenders who have earned their seat at the table as the draft approaches Pittsburgh from April 23-25. "The 2026 class may be considered a 'down' year for FCS prospects, but these defenders have a strong case not only to make a roster but also to hear their names called at the NFL Draft in April." The context matters: defenders from this group have participated in the FCS Showcase, Shrine Bowl, Senior Bowl, American Bowl, HBCU Legacy Bowl, and NFL Combine, with each appearance another audition in front of the personnel evaluators who matter most. The top FCS defensive prospects are a mix of prototypical builds and quality athletes, as already on display at the NFL Combine by Charles Demmings and Kaleb Proctor.

Charles Demmings, CB, Stephen F. Austin

Demmings is currently the No. 3 overall FCS prospect in the 2026 NFL Draft, according to FCS Football Central. That ranking is the product of a career that quietly rewrote the Stephen F. Austin record books. He finished his career with 63 tackles, nine interceptions, and 35 passes defended across 42 games, setting the Stephen F. Austin program record for career passes defended. In his final season alone, he totaled 18 tackles, four interceptions, and nine pass breakups in 12 games for the Lumberjacks, earning First-Team All-Southland and First-Team AFCA FCS All-American recognition along the way.

What Demmings did at the NFL Combine in Indianapolis, however, is what accelerated his stock into conversations well beyond the FCS pipeline. Demmings established himself as a top performer among cornerbacks, finishing top five in every athletic testing drill he participated in, turning heads with his fluidity and quickness in on-field testing, and posting the second-best vertical and broad jump among cornerbacks while finishing with the fifth-fastest 40-yard dash at 4.41 seconds. Demmings earned an estimated athleticism score of 88, ranking first among cornerbacks at the NFL Combine. His unofficial RAS of 9.97 out of a possible 10.00 ranked 10th out of 2,779 cornerbacks evaluated from 1987 to 2026. His testing numbers, coupled with his performance during the Senior Bowl, place him as a corner that teams should take a shot on early Day 3, possibly even late Day 2. He is looking to be the first Lumberjack selected in the NFL Draft since 2023, and the first defensive back since Terrance Shaw in 1995.

Kaleb Proctor, DL, Southeastern Louisiana

If Demmings won the secondary workouts, Proctor stole the show on the defensive line day. Proctor had one of the best performances of Day 1 at the combine, ranking among the top defensive tackle performers in almost every athletic measure, posting the second-fastest 40-yard dash at 4.79 seconds and the second-fastest 20-yard shuttle at 4.71 seconds. According to NFL Next Gen Stats, Proctor reached a top speed of 20.95 mph in the 40-yard dash, tied for the second-fastest top speed for a defensive tackle since 2023. The speed those numbers reflect isn't a combine anomaly; it tracks directly with what Proctor did on film in 2025. He totaled 43 tackles, thirteen for loss, nine sacks, and 41 pressures in 13 games for Southeastern Louisiana, earning Southland Conference Defensive Player of the Year honors in the process. According to SLU Sports Info, all 32 NFL franchises visited the Southeastern Louisiana campus during the fall to evaluate Proctor.

The size question is real, and evaluators are not ignoring it. As one scouting piece noted, Proctor has the skill to be an NFL defensive lineman, but he is also a prime example of why a talented player ends up at the FCS level, as he lacks ideal size for the position. Proctor projects as a fringe NFL rotational prospect who fits best as a penetrating three-technique in an even front, with flexibility in odd fronts, with movement-based schemes maximizing his first-step quickness and hand usage as a penetrator, giving him immediate pass-rush value as a rotational piece. He is looking to become the first Southeastern Louisiana player to be drafted since Harlan Miller in 2016.

Christian Thomas, LB, Maine

The production Thomas put together in 2025 for Maine is the kind of stat line that forces linebackers coaches to queue up the tape: 120 tackles, 12 for loss, five sacks, three passes defended, one forced fumble, and one fumble recovery. It was his best collegiate season by any measure, and it positions him as the most statistically productive linebacker in this FCS draft class. Yet the market has been slow to catch up. "Thomas is an underrated prospect who isn't a hot commodity in the draft community, but his film is worthy of consideration as a top FCS prospect."

Thomas did not take the traditional route through the all-star circuit, which may explain the relative lack of buzz. His pro day, scheduled for March 27, gives NFL personnel a direct look at the athletic traits his film has been promising. "His film indicates that he should test very well in front of NFL personnel." The projection that follows from that film is specific: "His build and versatility at the linebacker position should be an intriguing option as a Day 3 or priority free agent after the draft. A team that likes long, agile linebackers with pass-rush versatility will love him as a rotational piece." SI's FCS Football Central noted that Thomas and fellow LB Erick Hunter fit the profile of the new-age linebacker, a description that speaks directly to what modern defensive coordinators are hunting for in coverage-capable, sideline-to-sideline players.

Erick Hunter, LB, Morgan State

Hunter's path to this moment is defined as much by perseverance as production. After missing most of the 2024 season due to injury, the Morgan State linebacker returned in 2025 to log 102 tackles, 14 for loss, four sacks, one interception, three forced fumbles, and four pass breakups. That bounce-back performance cemented his standing as the top HBCU defensive prospect in this draft class. Defenders from the FCS had opportunities to participate in events including the HBCU Legacy Bowl, and Hunter made full use of the all-star circuit available to him. As Yardbarker noted, Hunter has played in multiple all-star games to continue building his case as the premier HBCU prospect in 2026.

The combination of Hunter's HBCU pipeline significance and his raw production numbers gives him a profile that carries weight beyond a simple draft projection. Morgan State has produced a legitimate first-round HBCU discussion candidate in this cycle, and Hunter's presence on multiple all-star rosters has kept that conversation alive through the pre-draft process. SI's FCS Football Central highlighted him as the top HBCU player on its overall FCS prospect list, a distinction that reflects both the quality of his tape and the broader cultural significance of HBCU football continuing to produce NFL-caliber talent.

Maximus Pulley, SAF, Wofford

Pulley arrived at his pro day without the combine cachet of Demmings or the all-star circuit visibility of Hunter, but the numbers he posted made the case his film had been building. During his pro day, he posted a 4.45 forty-yard dash, 41.5-inch vertical jump, 10-foot-3 broad jump, and a 4.25 short shuttle. Those are not fringe numbers. A sub-4.25 short shuttle in particular signals the change-of-direction quickness that NFL personnel value at safety, and the vertical jump puts him in company with players who have made rosters based on athleticism alone. "He profiles best as a nickel defender, with strong robber and intermediate middle coverage."

Pulley is characterized accurately as a fringe NFL rotational prospect, but fringe does not mean invisible. "His athleticism will make him an early contributor on special teams, and it wouldn't surprise me to see him get significant reps throughout the season." For teams that build rosters with an eye on special teams versatility and developmental defensive backs, Pulley checks the boxes that matter most at the back end of a draft or as a priority free agent target.

The Broader Picture

The FCS-to-NFL pipeline remains healthy despite headwinds. Fifteen FCS players were selected in the 2025 NFL Draft, the most since 2022 and the second-most since 2018. That number carries weight in evaluating how seriously NFL front offices treat FCS talent, and it sets a benchmark the 2026 class is chasing. The challenge going forward is structural: transfer portal movement continues to pull FCS talent into FBS programs, thinning the prospect pool. The pending departure of ten-time FCS national champion North Dakota State to the Mountain West Conference in 2027 will deepen that gap considerably, as NDSU still anchors the FCS draft pipeline in 2026 with Bryce Lance ranked as the top overall FCS prospect by multiple outlets.

For this defensive group, though, the bigger picture is secondary. Demmings' 9.97 RAS at the combine, Proctor's 20.95-mph sprint speed, Thomas' 120 tackles on film, Hunter's resilient return from injury, and Pulley's pro day metrics all point toward the same conclusion: "Quality floors with high-end upside rightfully describe these top defensive prospects." Come late April in Pittsburgh, at least some of these names will be called.