On paper, the 2026 draft is strong. There is depth in the college and prep ranks, with the best players playing premium up the middle positions. While comparing draft classes can be an exercise in futility, there are some interesting conclusions to be drawn between this year's group and past years. Maybe after reviewing former classes and comparing them to this year, we'll have a better conclusion if it actually stacks up, or whether we have a recency bias.
Let’s talk about some rules and trends the previous four years have established in the modern draft.
Rule One: Between one-third and one-half of the first 30 picks will come from the prep ranks
This rule isn’t super exciting, but it’s important to note. While college development continues to get better, prep draft picks become riskier and riskier. 2024 saw only ten prep players selected in the first 30 picks, with …