Notre Dame is set to take on the Purdue Boilermakers this weekend, for what should be a very interesting contest. This Purdue squad needed some serious rebuilding when head coach Ryan Walters took over, and the talent is certainly beginning to get developed. That is especially true on the defensive side of the football, which isn’t overly surprising.
That talent will also begin to come apparent in the NFL Draft landscape. We could see it start in the 2025 NFL Draft class, but future classes could be even more prominent. Here are the top overall prospects currently on the Purdue team, which have a chance to continue to rise moving forward.
Purdue linebacker Kydran Jenkins was not included. At 6'0 1/4" and 254 pounds, Jenkins is a tweener. He may get a chance as a priority free agent, but his overall profile may be tough to stick.
The former Texas signal caller brings a pretty intriguing skill set to develop on the next level. Card is a good athlete, possesses a quick release and is a sound overall decision maker. He is perfect in the modern RPO system, bringing the threat of his feet, as well as getting the ball out of his hand quickly. The biggest negative to Card’s game is his arm strength, which is below average for the NFL level. You can see the deficiencies in the deep passing game, where he has trouble pushing the ball down the field. This will more than likely limit Card to a priority free agent after the draft.
OL Marcus Mbow - 6050e, 300e
This might be the top draft prospect on the Purdue team, for now anyway. The 6-5 listing is very generous, and Mbow lacks the overall length to stay on the outside on the next level. That will more than likely push him inside to guard, which could fit his skill set very nicely. Mbow is a very clean athlete who does great work both moving laterally and to the next level. He also has strong hands, which you see when he makes initial contact on opposing defenders. Mbow will have to improve his pad level, and be a little more urgent early in reps, but he possesses starter talent on the next level. There’s a world where he’s a top 100 selection when April comes around.
If Mbow is the best draft prospect now, Heldt will more than likely be when he’s eligible for the 2026 NFL Draft. Long and with a tremendous frame at 6-6 and 265 pounds, Heldt still has room to put even more weight on his frame. There is natural power to his game, although that part of his profile is still developing. For a player his size, Heldt has some impressive closing speed. The amount of ground he can cover is impressive to watch. The Indiana native is off to a strong start, and could be one of the breakout stars in college football this season. If he is developed properly, Heldt is a player who has a chance to go very early in the 2026 class, and could be special.
IDL Jeffrey M’Ba - 6060v, 304v
A former top JUCO recruit, M’Ba was previously a member of the Auburn program. His career did not quite pan out for the Tigers, ending up with the Boilermakers. From a physical perspective, there is a lot to like with M’Ba. His body has continued to physically mature and we have seen the power profile begin to take a nice step forward. His body type and length should allow him to play between both even and odd man fronts on the next level. M’Ba isn’t an overly consistent player, which makes him a player who probably won’t hear his name called until late day three. A team has a chance to get a tremendous developmental prospect, who is just beginning to figure it out.
S Dillon Thieneman - 6000e, 207e
The battle between Heldt and Thieneman as the top Purdue draft prospect for 2026 is going to be a fun one. When you see Thieneman, you would expect him to be a tone setter in the run game, and he certainly is that. He’s coming off of a freshman campaign in 2023, where he collected 106 total tackles and two tackles for loss. Thieneman, however, is a lot more than that. His range can take you by surprise at times, and combines that with a tremendous IQ. Thieneman’s biggest impact actually comes as a pass coverage player, where he makes a lot of plays. The top 100 feels like a safe conversion, and Thieneman could maybe go even higher.
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