NFL Insider's 2026 Draft stock watch: Risers and sliders after Week 6 games ft. Arch Manning, Drew Allar, Tyreak Sapp, and more

It was a bit of a wild weekend in college football as both Texas and Penn State lost to opponents with losing records. And both teams were behind from the start of the game. I step out of character this week and, from those two games, offer a pair of big-name quarterbacks sliding down draft boards. Here are the Week 6 Risers and Sliders.

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Risers after Week 6

1] - CJ Allen/LB/Georgia

The Bulldogs have placed at least one player in the first round of the NFL Draft in 10 of the past 11 years. That streak could be in danger, as Allen is the only draft-eligible player on the roster that projects as a top-32 pick next April. The junior is soaring up draft boards much the same way Jalon Walker did a year ago, and ironically, he’s similar in size and style to the former first-round pick. Allen is an explosive off-ball linebacker who creates havoc in the opponent’s backfield on the occasions he’s asked to blitz. He’s averaging seven tackles per game, and his athleticism allows him to make plays against the run or in coverage.

2] - Tyreak Sapp/Edge/Florida

The Gators’ pressure on Arch Manning was relentless Saturday, as the defense finished with six sacks. And while Sapp accounted for just one TFL, as well as six tackles, his impact could not be found on the stat sheet. Sapp constantly defeated his Longhorns opponents, penetrating the line of scrimmage and forcing Manning to move from the pocket and adjust his view of the field. Little regarded by scouts entering the season, Sapp is a legitimate pass-rush specialist for Sundays who can stand over tackle or come out of a three-point stance. He presently carries a third-round grade on my board.

3] - Lyndon Cooper/C/Pittsburgh

The Panthers offense has put up 30 or more points every game this season and dropped 48 points in the victory over Boston College on Saturday. And they did so with a freshman quarterback inserted into the starting lineup for the first time. The offense lacks star power and has relied on its line, where Cooper has been the most consistent blocker on the unit. Fundamentally sound, he’s smart, tough as nails and very productive. Cooper shows ability on the line of scrimmage and blocking in motion, but he’s a little short, measuring under 6-foot-2, the reason why scouts grade him as a PFA. Yet Cooper’s film, progress on the field and next-level potential scream Day 3 pick.

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Sleeper Prospect

1] - Chris Johnson/CB/San Diego State

One of the most underrated cornerbacks in the nation, Johnson has improved from last season and is watching his draft stock soar. Sized well at just under six feet tall and 190 pounds, he possesses next-level ball skills and puts them to good use every week. After five games, Johnson has two INTs and six PBUs while being credited with 29 tackles. Johnson is a physical corner with enough ball skills to line up as a dime back on Sundays.

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Small School Prospect

3] - A.J. Pena/LB/Rhode Island

Pena was close to transferring to Memphis after an outstanding junior season that included 22.5 TFLs and 12.5 sacks. He made a late decision in the middle of the summer to return to Rhode Island and is once again impacting the Rams defense as he did a year ago. After six games, Pena has recorded 33 tackles, 6.5 TFLs and 3.5 sacks as well as six hurries. He’s an undersized edge rusher with a terrific first step and the ability to play in space. If Pena tests well prior to the draft, he’ll end up as a Day 3 pick, yet whichever way you cut it, he has the skills to line up as a pass rush-specialist/special-teams player on Sundays.

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Sliders after Week 6

1] - Drew Allar/QB/Penn State

It was obvious late in the contest against Oregon last week, which Penn State ended up losing, that the Nittany Lions coaches took the ball out of Allar’s hands and didn’t trust him to win the game. They were correct, as Allar’s poor interception in overtime clinched the game for the Ducks. Penn State traveled west this weekend to face a UCLA team that had not won a game this season and fired their head coach in the first month, yet the Nittany Lions still lost. Allar’s inability to move the offense during the first half dug a deep hole the Nittany Lions were unable to get out of. His numbers were pedestrian, completing 19 of 26 passes for 200 yards, one TD and no interceptions. When Penn State needed a tying score late in the game, Allar completed a single screen pass and turned the ball over on downs.

Once heralded as a potential franchise quarterback after an outstanding freshman season, Allar has since looked lost and shows no confidence in his game. The comparisons to former Penn State quarterback Christian Hackenberg are inevitable. Hackenberg was highly thought-of early in his college career only to watch his game regress. He was eventually drafted by the New York Jets in the second round of the 2016 draft, yet he turned into a complete bust. Unlike Hackenberg, Allar may fall out of the draft’s top 100 picks, an opinion which was unfathomable little more than a year ago.

2] - Arch Manning/QB/Texas

In many ways it’s unfair to label Manning a slider considering the unreasonable expectations placed on him before the season, coupled with a leaky offensive line that cannot protect him. Yet Manning has fallen so far short of expectations that even the most conservative pundit has to admit his play has been near disastrous this season. He was significantly outplayed by Florida quarterback DJ Lagway during the Gators’ 29-21 victory over the Longhorns and, even worse, Manning looked like a deer in headlights much of the game.

He showed little in the way of poise, field vision or pocket presence. Manning missed wide-open receivers all game long, and while he made some magnificent throws, many of his passes left his targets hung out to dry. Not only is Manning nowhere near the level both his uncles Peyton and Eli were as sophomores in college, but he’s also well behind Quinn Ewers, the former Longhorns signal caller who was drafted in the seventh round last April, at similar points in their careers.