10 Latino NFL Players To Watch Out for This 2026 Season

The 2026 NFL season is almost here—and that, as always, means not only new games, but also new Latino players to root for.

Our communities remain underrepresented in the NFL, but with each passing year, the number of Latino players continues to grow. A report by the Institute of Diversity and Ethics in Sport found that only 12 NFL players identified as Latino in 2021. In 2026, however, 55 Latinos are on NFL teams, with 38 on 53-man rosters and 17 on practice squads or reserve lists.

Some of those names are already familiar, like 2025 Pro Bowlers Nik Bonitto and Christian Gonzalez. There are also exciting rookies joining the league this year, including Fernando Mendoza, KC Concepcion, and Jacob Rodriguez, plus veterans like Fred Warner and Isiah Pachecho. We also have a player who entered the league through the NFL International Player Pathway: Isaac Alarcon.

In 2026, 20.5% of the U.S. population identifies as Latino, so there’s still work to do. But with the numbers steadily rising—and with the NFL playing two regular-season games in Latin America this year, one in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil, and one in Mexico City, Mexico—this is the perfect time to start investing in the sport.

We’ve put together a list of 10 Latino NFL players to watch out for this season, in case you want to enjoy the game while supporting our communities. These aren’t the names you usually hear—and that’s what will make this season so fun.

Fernando Mendoza – QB, Las Vegas Raiders – Cuban Heritage

Any list of players to watch has to start with the No. 1 pick in the 2026 NFL Draft: Fernando Mendoza. All eyes are on him after a fantastic college career in which he won the Heisman Trophy and led Indiana to a national championship before the Las Vegas Raiders selected him.

Mendoza completed 55.6% of his passes with one touchdown and two interceptions during his first NFL preseason. And though he will begin the season behind veteran Kirk Cousins in Las Vegas, the future is bright for Mendoza, and the entire Raiders organization is counting on him.

Bryce Young – QB, Carolina Panthers – Mexican Heritage

Perhaps the most established name on this list, Bryce Young is still very much at the beginning of his career. Like Mendoza, he was the No. 1 pick in the draft—though in 2023. Like Mendoza, he also won a Heisman Trophy. And while he had a tough start to his career, as most rookies do when they have to step in right away, he improved markedly in 2025. Young set career highs with 3,011 passing yards and 23 touchdowns while completing 63.6% of his passes.

Now entering his fourth NFL season, Young is looking for his breakout year. And he’ll get to try for just that while playing for the only Latino head coach in the NFL, Dave Canales—quite a team.

Cam Skattebo – RB, New York Giants – Mexican Heritage

Skattebo was a rookie last year, but he was fun to watch. His numbers in his final college season were strong enough (1,711 rushing yards and 21 touchdowns) to suggest he had a bright future in the NFL—and we were right. In just eight games, he rushed for 410 yards and five touchdowns, while adding 24 catches for 207 yards and two more scores.

An ankle injury cut down his season, but Skattebo enters 2026 looking to prove that, if healthy, he belongs in the conversation with the league’s best running backs. He’s the starter for the New York Giants, so he’ll get plenty of chances.

KC Concepcion – WR, Cleveland Browns – Puerto Rican Heritage

We’ve yet to see KC Concepcion in the NFL, but there’s no doubt they’re one of the most exciting players coming out of the 2026 NFL Draft. The receiver, selected in the first round by the Browns, is expected to be the spark the team needs to become a contender. And if there’s a player ready to contribute right away, it’s Concepcion.

They had a very strong training camp and were outstanding in their one preseason game, totaling 72 all-purpose yards and a touchdown. Now, let’s see what happens when the games count.

Jacob Rodriguez – LB, Miami Dolphins – Mexican Heritage

Another rookie—and one of the most decorated defensive players in the 2026 class. In their final college season, they registered 123 tackles, four interceptions, and seven forced fumbles. Those are Pro Bowl numbers. They also earned unanimous All-America honors while winning the Butkus Award, Chuck Bednarik Award, Bronko Nagurski Trophy, and Lombardi Award.

Now, the Dolphins are hoping they can translate all of that to the NFL and make a difference from Day 1.

Jaylinn Hawkins – S, Baltimore Ravens – Panamanian Heritage

Hawkins, a 2020 draft pick, could be considered a veteran at this point. Still, it’s fair to say people really started paying attention after their 2025 season with New England, where they recorded four interceptions, 84 tackles, six pass deflections, and a forced fumble over 16 games.

Now, they’re headed to Baltimore, ready to prove 2025 wasn’t a fluke—and that they belong in any conversation about the league’s best defenders.

Levi Drake Rodriguez – DL, Minnesota Vikings – Mexican Heritage

Levi Drake Rodriguez has quite a story. They were a seventh-round pick in the 2024 NFL Draft—and anyone who follows the sport knows that seventh-round picks don’t usually make it to the NFL. But after playing just two games as a rookie, Rodriguez broke through in 2025, appearing in 16 games and recording 43 tackles, eight tackles for loss, two sacks, and five quarterback hits.

Now they have experience and enters the season as a starter. Can their numbers get better? The Vikings certainly hope so.

Andres Borregales – Kicker, New England Patriots – Venezuelan Heritage

One of the top kickers in the 2025 NFL Draft, Borregales won the starting job as a rookie and connected on 27 of 32 field goals last year, including all four attempts from 50 yards or longer. They also made 53 of 55 extra points, scored 134 points, and earned AFC Special Teams Player of the Week honors during the season.

They’re only in their second year—and bound to get better. That’s a scary thought for other teams.

Elijah Arroyo – Tight End, Seattle Seahawks – Mexican Heritage

A second-round draft pick in 2025, Arroyo saw action in 13 games as a rookie, catching 15 passes for 179 yards and a touchdown while averaging 11.9 yards per reception. Modest numbers, but they ended the season with a Super Bowl ring.

Now, with a year of experience, they’ll look to become even more of a threat for the defending champions.

Fernando Carmona Jr.  – OL, Tennessee Titans – Mexican Heritage

Carmona isn’t your typical prospect. In fact, they didn’t start playing tackle football until their junior year of high school, and they began as a tight end. But they were selected in the fifth round with the 142nd overall pick in this year’s draft and played guard during the preseason.

They’re physical and can play multiple positions, so expect Carmona Jr. to become a valuable piece of the Titans’ offensive line sooner rather than later.