One prospect the Denver Broncos could select in the 4th round of the 2026 NFL Draft is Oregon linebacker Bryce Boettcher. He is a 6-1, 230-pound linebacker prospect who is viewed as a potential day 3 option for the Broncos. The Athletic’s lead draft analyst, Dane Brugler, has Boettcher graded as his 10th-best linebacker in the 2026 NFL Draft and projects him as a 4th-round selection.

Boettcher had a unique road to the NFL. He started his college career at Oregon, playing baseball. He played football in high school, but decided to give it up and focus on baseball in college. However, in 2022, Oregon was having walk-on tryouts for its football team, and Boettcher impressed and earned an invite to work out with the team during summer and fall camp, and he would eventually make the team. He would play both sports during his college career and was even drafted by the Houston Astros in the 13th round of the 2024 MLB Draft. He would continue playing football and in 2025, had a career year, and earned himself an invite to the Senior Bowl. Now, he’s considered one of the better linebackers in the 2026 NFL Draft and could be in play for the Broncos in the 4th round of the draft.

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Boettcher played a total of four seasons at Oregon and is coming off a breakout career year for the Ducks. During his four seasons, he played in 55 games and totaled 269 tackles, 16 tackles for a loss, 4 sacks, 2 interceptions, and 4 forced fumbles. This past year, he played in 15 games and totaled 136 tackles, 5.5 tackles for a loss, 1 sack, 1 interception, 6 pass deflections, and 2 forced fumbles.

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The 2026 MLB Draft is approaching, and Baseball America is providing a comprehensive, state-by-state look at the talent across the country with our rankings of the the top 2026 high school baseball players by state.

Our state lists collectively include rankings for more than 1,000 players from across the United States, Puerto Rico and Canada, offering an in-depth look at the 2026 high school class. Players are listed in the state where they attend high school, with the depth of each list varying depending on the level of talent in each state.

More MLB Draft Rankings

These rankings are based on Baseball America’s extensive scouting coverage, combining first-hand evaluations and industry feedback to line up players based on their projected future talent. The rankings reflect the full spectrum of talent in the 2026 class. The players who project to be the best major league players—and thus will likely end up being high draft picks—are at the top of our rankings.

In addition to elite draft prospects, these lists include high-end college recruits, many of whom project to be impact college players who could raise their MLB prospect profiles after getting to campus. They also include other players who have the potential to be quality Division I regulars.

The players at the top of the lists stand out right now with the highest long-term major league projection, but there are future major leaguers throughout these lists. Player further down the rankings have a greater chance of getting to college, where they have the potential to emerge after more development at that level.

These lists offer a resource for tracking the best 2026 high school baseball prospects who could shape the 2026 MLB Draft and make an impact on college baseball programs in the years ahead. For college programs, major league teams and fans, these lists provide a deeper look into the pipeline of talent that will shape the 2026 MLB Draft class, future draft classes and the next half decade of college baseball.