Say it with me: We will not overreact to Week 1.<\/p>\n
Easier said than done.<\/p>\n
Ultimately, players will be graded and drafted based on their body of work. But if opening weekend was any indication, the five players below have boosted their profiles in the eyes of NFL teams.<\/p>\n
Arvell Reese, LB, Ohio State<\/p>\n
Most know about Ohio State\u2019s Sonny Styles \u2014 you can find him on my preseason top-50 draft board<\/a> or Bruce Feldman\u2019s \u201cFreaks List.\u201d<\/a><\/p>\n But he isn\u2019t the only 6-foot-4, 240-pound freak of an athlete on the Buckeyes\u2019 linebacker depth chart. Reese created a buzz in Columbus the last few years with his promising talent, and it felt like a matter of time before he erupted on the national scene.<\/p>\n \u201cI bet he\u2019ll be in your final top 50 in April\u201d\u00a0 was the feedback I got about Reese from an NFL scout when discussing my board a few weeks ago.<\/p>\n Reese filled in as a starter for a few games last year and played well, but new Ohio State defensive coordinator Matt Patricia was able to weaponize Reese\u2019s skill set against Texas and showcase his unique versatility. Thinking back to Patricia\u2019s time in the NFL, it was similar to what he did with linebackers such as Dont\u2019a Hightower, Kyle Van Noy and several others.<\/p>\n Reese was at his best against the Longhorns as a blitzer on simulated pressures (mostly in \u201cpenny\u201d packages), where he could use his length, burst and power to disrupt the backfield. He finished with five pressures against Texas after logging only seven pressures all of last season. With his loose athleticism, Reese also showed his ability to mirror in coverage and be a magnet to the ball in the run game.<\/p>\n Having a duo like Styles and Reese at linebacker is a rare thing. It will be interesting to see how Patricia finds ways to weaponize their talents the rest of the season.<\/p>\n Mansoor Delane, CB, LSU<\/p>\n I first got eyes on Delane last summer when he was at Virginia Tech and really liked what I saw \u2014 enough so that he made my preseason top 50\u00a0last August with a second-round grade (No. 31 overall). After a solid 2024 season in Blacksburg, though, he opted for the transfer portal over the NFL. Numerous FBS programs courted Delane, but LSU made him its top priority, and that investment paid immediate dividends in the opener at Clemson.<\/p>\n With physical traits that are more good than great, Delane isn\u2019t going to blow evaluators away \u2014 he is 5-11, 191 with 30-inch arms and a 40-yard dash time estimated in the 4.46- to 4.49-second range. However, Delane plays with the alpha personality needed at the position to match up in man or read routes from zone.<\/p>\n Clemson targeted him eight times, resulting in only one completion, two pass breakups and one interception. His alert, no-panic cover style was on display with his press-man coverage and also in zone on his interception.<\/p>\n Based on early feedback, Delane also has made an impact off the field in Baton Rouge (NFL scout: \u201cThe building loves him already because of the energy he brings every day. \u2026 The coaches say he\u2019s been great for all the young guys.\u201d)<\/p>\n I put a Day 2 \u201cstarter-level\u201d draft grade on Delane coming into the season, but he is making a strong early case that he belongs in the top 50.<\/p>\n A\u2019Mauri Washington, DT, Oregon<\/p>\n Talking with Feldman this summer, he brought up Washington a few times as a player he was really excited to see, based on his testing numbers and feedback from Oregon\u2019s coaching staff. And after Week 1, I have also submitted my application for the Washington fan club.<\/p>\n After being stuck last season behind a pair of top-100 draft picks (Derrick Harmon and Jamaree Caldwell), Washington made his first career start on Saturday and lived up to hype. His burst off the ball and lateral twitch are absurd for a player listed at 320 pounds.<\/p>\n The asterisk, obviously, is the opponent he faced \u2014 Montana State is a very good FCS program, but an FCS program nonetheless.<\/p>\n However, Washington showed first-round traits. If he continues to play at this high of a level, he will quickly put himself in the early-round discussion.<\/p>\n Oregon had several of my favorite prospects in last year\u2019s draft class (Harmon, Caldwell, Terrance Ferguson, Jordan James). With Washington and Kenyon Sadiq, the Ducks have a couple of my early draft crushes for the 2026 draft class, too.<\/p>\n Rueben Bain Jr., edge, Miami<\/p>\n Evaluating Bain was the bain of my summer, because of the contrast in his first two seasons. He burst onto the scene as a freshman in 2023 and put himself on the NFL radar, but his 2024 tape wasn\u2019t nearly as promising as he battled injuries. He struggled to bend, and work up and down the line of scrimmage. It was difficult to confidently rank a player with that inconsistency.<\/p>\n However, those uncertain feelings dissipated while watching Bain in the 2025 season opener against Notre Dame. The explosive, power-packed player was back, and the Irish had a tough time slowing him down over four quarters.<\/p>\n The box score says Bain finished with only a half-sack, but the tape shows a player who consistently affected the pocket. He also was elite defending the run and added a crucial fourth-quarter interception that was a result of his effort.<\/p>\n Because of his uneven 2024 tape, Bain started the season No. 39 in my preseason top 50. If the player we saw in the opener is who we get the rest of this season, however, then he\u2019ll be a shoo-in first-round prospect.<\/p>\n Harold Perkins Jr., LB, LSU<\/p>\n Going back to his freshman season, Perkins has been the ultimate flash prospect due to his explosive athleticism. But the scouting elephant in the room has always been: What will his position and role be in the NFL? Add in the torn ACL he suffered last fall, and Perkins has been an enigmatic prospect in league circles.<\/p>\n But he quieted those concerns \u2014 at least temporarily \u2014 with his performance in a season-opening win. Playing a weakside\/STAR type of role, he was impactful with run\/pass blitzes, using his athletic twitch to give blockers the slip and close on the ball.<\/p>\n There are times when Perkins gets completely engulfed by blockers, but his pursuit speed and range can shut down big plays in the run game \u2014 and the first play from the clips below is a great example of that. Instead of an explosive chunk play for the Clemson offense, Perkins\u2019 speed limits it to a 5-yard gain.<\/p>\n Are all the questions answered based off this one game? Of course not. Perkins still has plenty to prove, especially when he\u2019s asked to drop in coverage or sift through crowded spaces. But the role he played in the opener will help give NFL scouts an idea of how to best use him.<\/p>\n (Top photo of Mansoor Delane: John Byrum \/ Icon Sportswire via Getty Images)<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"Say it with me: We will not overreact to Week 1. Easier said than done. 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