Omar Navarro

The2026 NFL Draftis inching closer with the NFL and collegiate football seasons in full swing.

The Athletic's Dane Brugler compiled hislatest top 50 Big Boardas the with the college football regular season having less than a month remaining.

And there has been a shift from his initial list back in August.

Brugler has 28 defensive players to 22 offensive players in his top 50 this time around, as initially it was 26 offense to 24 defense, with edge rushers leading the way with nine.

The draft analyst's top five rankings also defense, however, with Ohio State linebacker Arvell Reese as his new top player.

Behind him is Alabama quarterback Ty Simpson at No. 2, Ohio State safety Caleb Downs at No. 3, Auburn edge rusher Keldric Faulk at No. 4 and Notre Dame running back Jeremiyah Love at No. 5.

Brugler wrote:

However, there are also several reasons to be excited about this year's class. There are plenty of defensive linemen who will be able to upgrade NFL fronts. Optimism about the wide receivers and cornerbacks continues to grow. And this is a really fun linebacker group, starting with Ohio State's Arvell Reese, who has emerged as the top draft-eligible prospect.

As opposed to his initial rankings, offensive tackle prospects now have the third-most players in the top 50 at six after having 10 in his initial list.

Defensive tackles and wide receivers are tied for second with seven players each, the highest ranked being Arizona State wide receiver Jordyn Tyson at No. 8.

Brugler's colleague at The Athletic Nick Baumgardnerreleased a recent mock draft, where he had the Bolts taking defensive tackle A'Mauri Washington out of Oregon. Washington is the third-highest ranked at his position on Brugler's list and at No. 30 overall.

The remaining college football season and College Football Playoffs will surely bring some change ahead of the offseason, but the draft board is beginning to take some shape.