As the 2026 NFL Draft approaches, Daniel Jeremiah believes one of the league’s clearest priorities is becoming impossible to ignore.

Speaking in pre-draft media availability, the NFL Network analyst repeatedly pointed to teams’ growing desire for defenders who can move seamlessly across roles, alignments and personnel groupings. Discussing Arizona defensive back Traden Stukes — one of the late risers in this year’s class — Jeremiah’s language was revealing.

“Guys are just trying to find these versatile chess pieces,” he said. “You’ve got a guy there that could play in the nickel. Some teams think he could play even outside. He could play in the post in the middle of the field.”

That demand for flexibility has become one of the defining themes of the modern NFL defensive landscape. As offenses increasingly stress defenses with motion, spread formations and matchup-based personnel, coordinators are placing more value on players who allow them to stay in the same package without sacrificing coverage integrity. Jeremiah believes Stukes exemplifies that shift.

“He plays fast, he’s got really good eyes and he’s a versatile chess piece,” he added. “He’s got some production [and] he’s tough.”

The same philosophy now stretches well beyond one individual prospect. Increasingly, teams are no longer drafting players simply to fill a traditional label such as cornerback, safety or nickel. Instead, the focus is moving toward defenders who can survive in multiple roles, with ‘versatility’ becoming this year’s draft watchword.

That emphasis on flexibility extends well beyond the secondary too. Along the defensive front, Jeremiah repeatedly pointed to prospects whose value lies in their ability to move across alignments rather than fit a single traditional role. Discussing potential fits for New Orleans, he highlighted Ruben Bane Jr as a player who can ‘set the edge on early downs’ before being moved inside as a pass-rush weapon.

The same thinking surfaced again when Jeremiah discussed edge options later in the first round, noting the growing appeal of rushers who can ‘kick inside and rush inside’ in a class not particularly rich in natural interior penetrators.

Interestingly, it is a theme that extends to offense as well. When asked about Eli Stowers, Jeremiah was quick to move beyond the positional label altogether.

“They can put TE next to him all they want, but he’s definitely a big slot receiver,” he insisted.

That willingness to ‘look past the label’ on the roster sheet and focus instead on how a player can be deployed is increasingly shaping draft boards. Whether it is a defensive back capable of surviving at nickel, outside corner and deep safety, an edge rusher who can reduce inside on passing downs, or an offensive weapon who creates mismatches from multiple alignments, versatility is becoming one of the most bankable traits in the class.

That flexibility may prove particularly valuable in the middle and back end of the first round, where front offices are often weighing positional value against scheme fit. For many clubs, the safer investment is no longer the more specialised player, but the one who gives the defensive staff the most options.

Jeremiah’s comments suggest that those ‘chess pieces’ may be among the biggest winners on Thursday night and, in a draft class rich in edge talent and receiver depth, it may be the hybrid defenders — the players who can do a little of everything — who continue to rise as team boards come into sharper focus.