Twelve months ago, quarterback Cameron Ward was No. 24 on my top 50 big board . By late April, he was the first-overall pick. It was the seventh time in the last eight drafts (and nine of the last 11) that a quarterback has been selected No. 1.

The lesson: there's a lot we don't know as the college football season gets underway, and much will change between now and the 2026 NFL Draft . Ward, for example, was considered an early Day 3 prospect during his 2023 season. He then transferred from Washington State to Miami , had a fantastic 2024 campaign and ended up going first overall to the Titans .

This is my annual preseason top 50 Big Board. I like to think of it more as a starting point on a road map that ends 239 days from now in Pittsburgh at the 2026 NFL Draft . An

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