2026 Senior Bowl Underrated Players To Watch: Unexpected draft prospects who will catch everyone’s attention this year

The 2026 Senior Bowl will be the chance of a lifetime for these underrated prospects to become quick risers in the NFL Draft.

Josh Taylor — Washington Commanders News Writer
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It’s officially time to kick off draft season, and everyone knows the draft starts in Mobile, Alabama, at the Panini Senior Bowl.

Every year, top prospects from the NFL Draft come from around the world to compete against each other in front of all 32 NFL teams to make an impression. There will be the usual headliners who are projected to go high in the draft, but there are always underdogs with something to prove that make a lot of noise and skyrocket draft boards.

Here’s a look at the most underrated 2026 NFL Draft prospects at the Senior Bowl who will be talked about all week long.

Most underrated players at the 2026 Panini Senior Bowl

Chandler Rivers, CB, Duke

Chandler Rivers is projected to go in the third round of the draft, but this is a player who will be talked about more as we get closer to the draft. He’s a smaller prospect at 5-10, 185 pounds, but he doesn’t play like it as a physical defender. He’s sticky in coverage and competitive at the catch point. His ability to change direction and react on a play stands out, and baits quarterbacks to throw it in his direction. Rivers has inside and outside versatility and can plug into many different schemes with a starting role.

Tanner Koziol, TE, Houston

There are always a few tight ends who make highlight plays at the Senior Bowl, and Tanner Koziol is my pick this year. He’s a 6-7, 250-pound receiving threat on offense who was very productive in college. Koziol led all tight ends in the country with 74 receptions and 20 contested catches. He can play in-line and in the slot, and he’s a true receiving threat who can improve his blocking abilities. Houston would even put him in motion and scheme him open. The possibilities are endless with him on the field.

J’Mari Taylor, RB, Virginia

As a Virginia native, I had to include J’Mari Taylor, who is one of the most underrated running backs in the draft with a fifth-round projection. At 5-9, 205 pounds, Taylor isn’t afraid of contact, and he shrugs defenders off with ease in the most congested spaces, with only two fumbles in 680 touches. He finished with 753 yards after contact in 2025, with 55 missed tackles to go with it. Taylor has been a very productive back in the ACC with 2,192 yards on the ground and 29 touchdowns in the last two seasons. He can also show his receiving and pass protection abilities at the Senior Bowl this week and become a riser heading into the draft.

Gabe Jacas, DE, Illinois

The Senior Bowl has a ton of top EDGE prospects, even without Rueben Bain Jr. and David Bailey, and Gabe Jacas will rise as one of the standouts. Jacas hasn’t been talked about enough yet, but he will after he dominates at the Senior Bowl. He was the Big Ten sack leader in 2025 with 11 sacks, and he plays with a high motor. Jacas can convert speed to power in his pass rushes, and he shreds blocks in the run game as well. He’s a former wrestler, and it shows with his hand placement, leverage, and ability to finish at the point of attack. This is a player you want on your defense to set the tone.

Other underrated players to watch at the Senior Bowl

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