4 ‘Sure Thing’ Players? O-Line Run? Jay Glazer Gives Latest 2026 NFL Draft Buzz

As Newman explained to Jerry, George and Kramer in “Seinfeld,” “the mail never stops!” And in the lead-up to the NFL Draft, the noise never stops. With that, FOX Sports NFL Insider Jay Glazer provided more insight on the 2026 NFL Draft on Wednesday night. Four “sure thing” NFL stars Glazer posted to X that the consensus among NFL teams is that there are four “sure thing” perennial Pro Bowlers in this year’s draft: Indiana Hoosiers quarterback Fernando Mendoza, Notre Dame Fighting Irish running back Jeremiyah Love, Ohio State Buckeyes defensive back Caleb Downs and Penn State Nittany Lions offensive lineman Vega Ioane. Mendoza — who, barring a draft night shock, will be selected by the Las Vegas Raiders with the No. 1 pick — won the 2025 Heisman Trophy en route to helping Indiana win its first national championship in program history. Across 16 games, Mendoza, who spent the previous three seasons with the California Golden Bears from 2022-24, totaled 3,535 passing yards, 41 passing touchdowns, six interceptions and a 182.9 passer rating, while completing 72.0% of his passes. He also rushed for 276 yards and seven touchdowns. [2026 NFL Draft: QB Carson Beck Headlines ‘Plant the Flag’ Prospects] Love finished third in 2025 Heisman Trophy Award voting after rushing for 1,372 yards and 18 touchdowns on 6.9 yards per carry. From 2024-25, Love rushed for 1,248.5 yards and 17.5 touchdowns per season on 6.9 yards per carry, while racking up 258.5 receiving yards per year for the Fighting Irish. Downs, who played his 2023 freshman season for the Alabama Crimson Tide, earned All-American honors in each of his two seasons at Ohio State (2024-25). Over his three combined seasons on the collegiate scene, Downs averaged two interceptions, 5.3 tackles for loss and 85.7 combined tackles per year. Downs led the SEC with 70 solo tackles in 2023, was part of Ohio State’s 2024 championship triumph and was named the 2025 Big Ten Defensive Player of the Year. Ioane, a 2025 All-American, was a primary starter at Penn State from 2024-25 and made five starts in 2023. The interior lineman made a combined 27 starts at left guard over his last two seasons with the Nittany Lions, earning second-team All-Big Ten honors in both years. Run on O-Lineman? Glazer posted to X that there’s “going to be a run” on offensive linemen in the first round of the draft, with potentially eight of them being selected on the opening night. The earlier mentioned Ioane, Miami Hurricanes tackle Francis Mauioga, Georgia Bulldogs tackle Monroe Freeling, Alabama tackle Kadyn Proctor and Utah Utes tackles Spencer Fano and Caleb Lomu are among the prime candidates to be selected in the first round. The 2026 NFL Draft begins on Thursday night at 8 p.m. ET.