Gene Clemons' Five Favorite Prospects In The 2026 NFL Draft: All-In On Big Citrus

The 2026 NFL Draft is almost upon us, and I have thoroughly enjoyed evaluating this draft class. While many would have you believe this is a down class, I believe that because the depth of immense talent is not at many of the glamorous positions, people throw the baby out with the bathwater and dismiss the entire class. I have found some extremely enjoyable players to watch in this class. Some have been fun to watch; the size and power overwhelm people.

For others, their skill and athleticism often make their opponents look foolish. I look forward to seeing where these guys land and discovering if the traits that made them so great in college will continue to serve them well in the NFL. Let's dive into my five favorite prospects ahead of the draft. For more draft coverage, be sure to check out our NFL Draft Guide.

My Top Five 2026 NFL Draft Prospects To Watch

Makai Lemon | WR | USC

Lemon is a slot monster, and he falls into the category of high-volume slot receivers that have become fantasy football gold. The Biletnikoff Award winner has an ability to shake defenders at every level, and that's because he is an elite route runner. He can get in and out of breaks without changing pad level, which means he doesn't indicate to defenders where he's going. He can maintain an optimal speed out of the breaks and then explode to create separation.

Many times, it's like watching Kyrie Irving on a basketball court: defenders don't know what he's doing, and you can never trust that the first move is going to be the last. That's why, like Kyrie, he breaks many defenders’ ankles. If you love watching a route-running technician, then Lemon is your guy. And don't let the size fool you, he's a fierce competitor who seems to want all the smoke from a defense.

He is the security blanket with home run-hitting ability. He was a walking first down at USC in 2025. The entire stadium knows where the football is going on the critical downs, and the defense still can not stop him. He just finds a way to get open. That's instant plug-and-play effectiveness.

RELATED: Makai Lemon Prospect Profile

Jonah Coleman | RB | Wasington

Jonah Coleman is a flaming hot meatball on wheels. At 5-foot-9 and nearly 230 pounds, he looks like he was genetically engineered to run over linebackers. The recipe that put him together was one that was built on violence. It's extremely fun to watch defenders try to get an angle to hit him where they can knock him off his equilibrium. He's so low to the ground that he deals with defender hits like a battle bot. He absorbs the energy, makes a correction and continues to move forward. He has surprising foot quickness for someone so big. When defenders are loading up to try to absorb his hit, he's able to sidestep them and keep moving forward.

But maybe the most fun thing to watch about Coleman is in pass protection. You'll see blitzers come from the second level and get absolutely stoned when they get to him; rushers can't get underneath his pads to knock him back, so he wins the "low man" award every time.

It's fun to watch him operate as a guy who has the ability to run tough, catch the ball out of the backfield and protect the quarterback. While Jeremiyah Love is undoubtedly the RB prospect with the highest ceiling in this draft, Coleman's floor rivals that of the best in the class.

RELATED: Jonah Coleman Prospect Profile

Mike Washington Jr. | RB | Arkansas

When Tecmo Bowl was released in 1989, the wildly popular football video game series featured running backs who, when they were good at running people over, defenders would bounce off them like popcorn off a hot plate. I get that same feeling when watching Mike Washington Jr. run.

His ability to turn speed to power is the best in this draft class. Not only is he big, but he's fast, and if you understand how the law of inertia works, it takes more than just an arm tackle to knock him off his route—to knock him off his course. That's why it's so fun to watch him run the ball.

I get to see defenders in real time make business decisions. Do they want to put their full body in front of Washington and take a chance that he runs them over and drives them two feet into the ground? Or, do they want to take an angle, try to grab him and see if they can corral him like a cowboy corralling a steer at a rodeo? Before they can come to a decision, this wild hog is either already by them or digging its tusks into them.

Domonique Orange | DT | Iowa State

At 6-foot-4 and 330 pounds, Orange is a throwback to the old school zero-techniques that we've seen throughout NFL history. He has surprising lateral quickness for a man his size. When you couple that with his ability to be violent off the ball, it gives interior offensive linemen a lot of heartache throughout the game. The man affectionately known as "Big Citrus" routinely takes on double and even triple teams and refuses to be walked off the line of scrimmage.

He's a space eater who really makes it hard for you to operate between the tackles. There's something extremely entertaining about watching two 300-pound offensive linemen cartoonishly move their arms and legs while they go nowhere, because this one mountain of a man won't allow them to gain any advantage. He is like detergent for linebackers; he keeps them clean, fresh and ready to get the job done.

Olaivavega Ioane | G | Penn State

Olaivavega Ioane is my No. 1-rated offensive lineman in this draft class. I call him "human whiteout" because he just erases defenders when he gets his hands on them. He routinely drives defenders 5-10 yards off the line of scrimmage with comical ease. Sometimes you look up, and he's at the second level, but he didn't just run to the second level: he took a defender with him, and they're both standing next to a linebacker who's trying to get around them to pursue the ball. As a puller, he instills terror in defenders as he pulls like a Kodiak bear running angrily through the wild.

At 6-foot-3 and 340 pounds, he absolutely dominates the line of scrimmage; if he gets his hands on you, that is the end of the rep for you as a defender. He's a wall in pass protection, protected by the guard and the tackle. He has the explosiveness to move laterally and get in front of blitzing linebackers or slanting defensive linemen. I can't even remember the last time he gave up a sack because those just don't happen.

RELATED: 2026 NFL Draft OL Rankings