These prospects will be key to Week 6 upsets.
2026 NFL Draft prospects to watch in Week 6: Big tests between the numbers originally appeared on The Sporting News
As the college football season rolls along, championship aspirations are fluctuating and NFL Draft stocks are on the move. Last week, Dante Moore looked like a first-round pick while Penn State lost to another top-10 opponent. Ty Simpson passed the biggest test of his college career, but Taylen Green struggled against Notre Dame.
While Week 5 was defined by its quarterbacks, the biggest tests of this weekend will be between the hashmarks.
Boise State offensive linemen (at Notre Dame)
It's always easy for smaller schools to get up for ranked opponents, especially when there's only one on the docket. The best opponent on Boise State's schedule, by far, is the Fighting Irish. Stocked with NFL-level talents, virtually every position on the Broncos' depth chart will be tested.
As for April implications, this is most noteworthy along the offensive line. Boise State left tackle Kage Casey has legitimate mid-draft aspirations, boasting above-average size (6'5", 316 pounds) and athleticism. He has the unit's longest track record of production, dominating the non-Power Four schools on his schedule.
However, Casey struggled against Penn State in the College Football Playoff a season ago. Showing out against Notre Dame would go a long way in proving he can compete against Sunday players.
Much of the same can be said for center Mason Randolph. He has worse physical tools than Casey, although guard versatility is a boost to his stock. Looking the part on Saturday would pave the path to getting drafted.
Darius Taylor, RB, Minnesota (at Ohio State)
This one comes with the qualifier that Taylor may not play on Saturday. He's dealing with a hamstring injury (a bit of a recurring issue), and head coach P.J. Fleck wasn't very clear about his availability.
If he plays, though, he'll have a chance to prove himself worthy of Day 2 capital. Despite only being 215 pounds, Taylor has elite contact balance, helping him play bigger than his size would suggest. There's enough burst and agility in his profile to be an effective zone runner, and while he may be limited to zone-rushing schemes at the next level, I think he can be a quality starter.
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Taylor does enough to stay on the field on passing downs and has passable fundamentals, raising his floor. Flaunting those skills against an elite Ohio State defense, headlined by linebackers Arvell Reese and Sonny Styles, would help re-establish the hype that his injury dampened. Of course, getting the green light to go is paramount, and he is a central part of how Minnesota could make this contest close.
Eli Stowers, TE, Vanderbilt (at Alabama)
The Commodores feel like a Cinderella story waiting for a reality check against the Crimson Tide. If Diego Pavia is going to pull off another SEC upset, tight end Eli Stowers is going to play a big role.
Stowers's biggest flaw is his poor blocking, rendering him a slot-only threat who must win as a true receiver. So far, so good. He's posted 22 catches for 301 yards and two scores in the early going, tracking for the most productive season of his career. Keeping that up against an Alabama defense stocked with NFL talent would add credence to the notion that he can be an Evan Engram-like contributor at the next level.
The blocking development isn't coming, at least not at Vanderbilt. He must show his strengths as a pass catcher are enough to compensate for his inherently limited role.
Micah Pettus, OT, Florida State (vs. Miami)
Among the most important pieces of the trench-prospect puzzle is how one performs against NFL competition. Clemson edge rusher T.J. Parker struggled against first-round tackle Kelvin Banks a season ago and entered the year lower on my board because of it. Perhaps more than other positions, taking on one-on-one battles in the trenches with players that boast elite measurables, athleticism, and technique is as good an NFL preview as fans can get.
Pettus, a Mississippi transfer, is hoping to put out draftable film in his first season at Florida State. Against a Miami team contending for a championship, the stage is set. Rueben Bain Jr. has been -- at worst -- the second-best edge rusher in the country through September action.
Frankly, this isn't a fair fight for the Seminoles or their senior offensive tackle. It isn't supposed to be. Playing well in a disadvantageous spot would go a long way in proving that Pettus is worthy of being a Day 3 pick come April. Anything less would further Bain's case to be the class's first non-quarterback off the board.
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