Jim Moorman | Fri, Apr 3rd 2026, 9:27am EDT

9 NFL Draft Risers & Fallers (2026 Fantasy Football)

Over the past few months, several notable names have made significant moves up and down NFL Draft boards. Today, I’m breaking down the biggest risers and fallers using draft projections from the NFL Mock Draft Database. These shifts can occur for many reasons, including combine and Senior Bowl performances, interviews with NFL teams and additional information gathered by scouts. I’ll also be sharing how I currently value each player from a fantasy football perspective. Let’s dive in.

NFL Draft Risers & Fallers

NFL Draft Risers

Mike Washington Jr. (RB – Arkansas)

Mike Washington Jr. was perhaps the biggest NFL Scouting Combine riser, posting an official 9.87 relative athletic score (RAS score). His 4.33 40-time at 223 pounds was especially impressive, pushing him up from a late Day 3 pick to a second-round pick on NFL Mock Draft Database.

Taking Washington this early would be a big mistake for an NFL organization, as his green flags stop after his athletic traits. Washington is not someone I’d target until the late-second round of Superflex rookie drafts, at the earliest.

Omar Cooper Jr. (WR – Indiana)

Back in January, Omar Cooper Jr. was valued as a late-third-round pick on NFL Mock Draft Database, firmly after teammate Elijah Sarratt. Since then, Cooper has seen his NFL Draft stock rise to the first round.

Cooper lacks the production profile of a typical first-round wide receiver, but does display some sticky hands, impressive ball skills and incredible yards-after-the-catch (YAC) ability. Depending on where he falls, I’d consider him in the latter part of the first round in Superflex rookie drafts.

De’Zhaun Stribling (WR – Ole Miss)

De’Zhaun Stribling has seen a late surge recently, following a surprising 9.90 RAS score. Over the past two months, he’s gone from a projected undrafted free agent (UDFA) to a round five pick.

Stribling’s size and speed scores suggest he’s more athletic than people have given him credit for. He’s been a reliable producer across multiple Power 4 programs in Oklahoma State and Ole Miss. Stribling is your jack of all trades, master of none. With tons of experience under his belt, an NFL team could trust him to run routes early on.

Ted Hurst (WR – Georgia State)

Another prospect who has seen his stock rise following noteworthy combine results is Ted Hurst out of Georgia State. Hurst weighed in at 206 pounds, which was significantly more than I anticipated, given his wiry frame.

Hurst was the focal point of this Georgia State passing attack, nearly racking up 2,000 receiving yards over the past two seasons. He’s a savvy boundary receiver with the route nuance and catch radius to win against skilled defensive backs, and he’s someone I’d target in the late-second or early-third round of Superflex rookie drafts.

Oscar Delp (TE – Georgia)

For anyone out there who plays in devy leagues, you probably had high hopes for Oscar Delp as the heir apparent to Brock Bowers at Georgia. However, he never panned out from a receiving perspective, failing to hit 300 yards in any season for the Bulldogs.

Delp has seen his draft projection climb from the fifth round to the third round over the past couple of weeks, but don’t get too excited. If he’s taken this high, it will be for his blocking abilities. I don’t foresee him ever being a fantasy-relevant asset.

NFL Draft Fallers

Jonah Coleman (RB – Washington)

Going into the offseason, many had Jonah Coleman as their RB2 of the rookie class. (I still do.) Unfortunately, his NFL Draft stock has fallen from round two to round three over the past month or so, and his market value in dynasty has fallen as a result.

Much of this was due to Coleman opting out of any testing drills at the combine. This doesn’t change my opinion of him much. We already knew Coleman’s game wasn’t built on acceleration and elite athleticism. He’s a grinder between the tackles, but he’s effective in this role. I’d take Coleman at the end of the first round in Superflex rookie drafts if he goes Day 2 to an excellent landing spot.

Elijah Sarratt (WR – Indiana)

We mentioned Elijah Sarratt earlier. His stock has dropped a full round, and he’s no longer a lock to go in Day 2. Like Jonah Coleman, Sarratt opted out of testing drills at the NFL Scouting Combine, and for good reason.

Sarratt doesn’t win with twitch, burst or acceleration. He wins with physicality, boundary awareness and strong hands. The problem is, I’m less confident in Sarratt’s game translating to the next level than I am of Coleman. Typically, receivers who struggle to separate at the college level don’t pan out in the NFL. Sarratt is an early-third-round target in rookie drafts.

Ja’Kobi Lane (WR – USC)

Ja’Kobi Lane has seen his NFL Draft stock drop a full two rounds since February. I’m not sure why he was ever considered a second-round talent. Lane is one of those players who doesn’t have any elite traits to feel confident about his NFL chances.

Lane is a savvy route runner but not a great separator, and he’s incredibly thin and lacks some physicality. Lane will likely be a fade for me in rookie drafts, but we’ll see what kind of landing spot and draft capital he gets before I make any final decisions.

Michael Trigg (TE – Baylor)

Michael Trigg was once valued as a round three prospect on NFL Mock Draft database, but has since fallen to the late portion of round four. I can tell you exactly why, too. He posted a 27.5-inch vertical at Baylor’s Pro Day, a shockingly low number. Who is his agent, and why would he advise Trigg to do the vertical jump if these were his numbers?

Even with this considered, I’m not out on Trigg as a prospect; I actually love what I see of him on film. Trigg has some concentration drops at times, but can post highlight reel plays and has a crazy catch radius. I think Trigg will be an interesting fourth-round dart throw in rookie drafts.

Thanks for checking out today’s article. If you have any dynasty, devy or C2C-related questions, I can be reached on X @jim_DFF.

NFL

MLB

NBA

NHL