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Yes, it’s Day 3 of the 2026 NFL Draft and the picks are flying off the board on what is the final day of the annual spectacle. That said, there are still plenty of collegiate star players taken on Day 3 who have a chance to start from the jump at the next level.
Here’s one thing to know about the top picks from Day 3 of the 2026 NFL Draft:
Tennessee CB Jermod McCoy (pick No. 101 by Las Vegas Raiders): Had four interceptions in 2024
If healthy, McCoy would have been a Day 2 pick, if not a Day 1 pick. Why? Well, that’s because he missed the entire 2025 college football season due to a torn ACL injury, with the former Volunteers and Oregon State Beavers (2023) defensive back potentially needing more surgery for the matter.
In 2024, McCoy hauled in four interceptions, logged nine passes defensed and tallied 44 combined tackles; the year before he had two interceptions.
Clemson QB Cade Klubnik (No. 110 pick by New York Jets): Was No. 1 QB recruit in Class of 2022
Klubnik was the consensus top quarterback prospect in the 2022 recruiting class, becoming the Tigers’ full-time quarterback for the 2023 season. During his three seasons as Clemson’s starting quarterback (2023-25), Klubnik averaged 3,142.0 passing yards, 23.7 passing touchdowns, seven interceptions and a passer rating of 138.1 per year while completing 64.2% of his passes.
Kubnik’s best season arguably came in 2024, when he threw for 3,639 yards and 36 touchdowns and rushed for 463 yards and seven scores, a season in which Clemson reached the College Football Playoff.
Indiana WR Elijah Sarratt (No. 115 pick by Baltimore Ravens): Played for head coach Curt Cignetti on two teams
Sarratt was among the many players who followed Cignetti from the James Madison Dukes — with whom he played for one season after spending the 2022 season with the Saint Francis Red Flash — to the Hoosiers for the 2024 season.
Last season (2025), Sarratt totaled 65 receptions for 830 yards and a Big Ten-high 15 touchdowns en route to Indiana winning its first national championship in program history.
Miami (Fla.) CB Keionte Scott (No. 116 pick by Tampa Bay Buccaneers): Had two pick-sixes in 2025
After two seasons at Snow College (2020-21) and three seasons with the Auburn Tigers (2022-24), Scott moved on to play for the Hurricanes in 2025, where Miami went on to reach the College Football Playoff National Championship.
In his lone season in Miami, Scott reeled in two interceptions and ran both of those picks back for touchdowns. He also tallied two forced fumbles and five passes defensed.
Penn State DE Dani Dennis-Sutton (No. 120 pick by Green Bay Packers): Had 23.5 sacks in college
Dennis-Sutton was among the more productive pass rushers in the Big Ten during his four years with the Nittany Lions (2022-25), notably totaling 8.5 sacks in each of the last two years. He finished his collegiate career with 23.5 sacks while forcing seven fumbles from 2023-25.
Oregon LB Bryce Boettcher (Pick No. 135 by Indianapolis Colts): Was selected in the MLB Draft
It’s not a typo. Boettcher played both football and baseball for the Ducks, with his performances in the latter sport resulting in Boettcher being selected by the Houston Astros in the 13th round of the 2024 MLB Draft.
While he played baseball at Oregon from 2021-24, Boettcher played football for the Ducks from 2022-25. Last season (2025), he led the Big Ten with 80 assists while also logging 136 combined tackles and two forced fumbles.
North Dakota State WR Bryce Lance (pick #136 by New Orleans Saints): Is the younger brother of QB Trey Lance
The Bison receiver is the younger brother of the former No. 3 pick in the 2021 NFL Draft, who also played at North Dakota State. As for the new Saints wideout, Lance, who spent six seasons at North Dakota State, averaged 63 receptions for 1,066 yards and 12.5 touchdowns per game. season from 2024-25.
Texas DB Michael Taaffe (pick No. 158 by Miami Dolphins): Three-year starter for the Longhorns
Taaffe was among the faces of the Longhorns’ defense, playing five seasons for the school starting from 2023-25, which included College Football Playoff appearances in 2023 and 2024. Over the aforementioned span (2023-25), Taaffe averaged 2.3 interceptions and 65.3 tackles per season.
Penn State RB Nicholas Singleton (pick #165 by Tennessee Titans): 1st in Penn State history in rushing touchdowns
During his four seasons with the Nittany Lions (2022-25), Singleton rushed for a combined 3,461 yards and 45 touchdowns, the first in program history; Singleton’s rushing yards rank fourth in Penn State history.
Ohio State S Lorenzo Styles Jr. (pick No. 172 by the New Orleans Saints): Brother of No. 7 pick Sonny Styles
After two seasons playing for the Notre Dame Fighting Irish (2021-22), Styles transferred to Ohio State, where he was teammates with his brother, Sonny Styles, from 2023-25; Styles was selected by the Washington Commanders with the number 7 pick.
Also, Lorenzo Styles was a wide receiver at Notre Dame before switching to a full-time defensive back in 2023.
North Dakota State QB Cole Payton (pick No. 178 overall): Dual-threat QB with potential positional versatility
Payton was a one-year starter at North Dakota State, but he showed enough on tape to be a fifth-round pick. Will he play quarterback at the next level though? You can read more about Payton here.
Arkansas QB Taylen Green (pick #182 by the Cleveland Browns): Arguably the best athlete at QB in this year’s class
The Browns have added another quarterback to their quarterback room, taking Green at the start of the sixth round. Green set records in the vertical jump (43.5 inches) and broad jump (11 feet, 2 inches) for a quarterback in Combine history, while also running a 4.36 40. Green threw for 2,714 yards, 19 touchdowns and 11 interceptions to go with 777 rushing yards and eight touchdowns this season.
