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Tag: Draft

  • Top Draft Classes of the 2026 NFL Draft: Winners and Losers

    The 2026 NFL Draft is officially in the books.

    The city of Pittsburgh set a new record, with an attendance of over 805,000 people, over the 3-day event.

    257 players had their dreams come true, hearing their names called on stage.

    The 1st pick wasn’t a surprise as National Champion and Heisman Trophy Winning QB Fernando Mendoza went to the Las Vegas Raiders.

    The Raiders also ended the epic slide of CB Jermod McCoy, when they took him with the 101st pick, in the 4th round. The slide was due to medical reports on his knee, otherwise he’d been takin in the 1st round.

    There were 11 Ohio State Buckeyes taken, the most in this 2026 NFL Draft Class.

    There were 10 Quarterbacks drafted.

    There were a whopping 36 WRs drafted.

    The Naval Academy had 2 players selected this year. DT Landon Robinson with the 226th pick to the Cincinnati Bengals, and Eli Heidenreich with the 230th pick, to his hometown Pittsburgh Steelers. Both were taken in the 7th round.

    Mr. Irrelevant (the name for the player chosen last in the draft), is Red Murdock, LB, from the University of Buffalo.

    There were quite a few really good classes this year. Teams did really well at addressing needs and playing the board.

    There were also a few stinkers, as well.

    So, without further ado, here are a few of the best and worst team class this year.

    My Cleveland Browns had one of the best draft classes, however, I will be writing a stand-alone article on them, so they are not included here.

    BEST – Carolina Panthers.

    • Pick 19: T Monroe Freeling, Georgia Bulldogs
    • Pick 49: DL Lee Hunter, Texas Tech Red Raiders
    • Pick 83: WR Chris Brazzell II, Tennessee Volunteers
    • Pick 129: CB Will Lee lll, Texas A&M Aggies
    • Pick 144: C Sam Hecht, Kansas State Wildcats
    • Pick 151: S Zakee Wheatley, Penn State Nittany Lions
    • Pick 227: LB Jackson Kuwatch, Miami (OH) RedHawks

    Every single one of these picks, have the chance to be full-time starters, either this season or next season. Freeling might be starting Day 1, because LT Ikem Ekwonu is recovering from a major season ending injury late last season, and RT Taylor Morton is 31 years old and has only 2 years left on his contract.

    WORST – Jacksonville Jaguars

    • Pick 56: TE Nate Boerkircher, Texas A&M Aggies
    • Pick 81: DI Albert Regis, Texas A&M Aggies
    • Pick 88: G Emmanuel Pregnon, Oregon Ducks
    • Pick 100: S Jalen Huskey, Maryland Terrapins
    • Pick 119: ED Wesley Williams, Duke Blue Devils
    • Pick 164: TE Tanner Koziol, Houston Cougars
    • Pick 191: WR Josh Cameron, Baylor Bears
    • Pick 203: WR CJ Williams, Stanford Cardinal
    • Pick 233: ED Zach Durfee, Washington Huskies
    • Pick 240: LB Parker Hughes, Middle Tennessee Blue Raiders

    I’m not even going to pretend to know, what the hell the Jaguars were doing. I’m sure this all makes sense in their heads, not only myself, but some Jaguars fans that I spoke to, are completely baffled. I will say this though…. OG Emmanuel Pregnon is a D-A-W-G!!! He was one of my favorite offensive linemen in this entire class.

    WORST – San Francisco 49ers

    • Pick 33: WR De’Zhaun Stribling, Mississippi Rebels
    • Pick 70: ED Romello Height, Texas Tech Red Raiders
    • Pick 90: HB Kaelon Black, Indiana Hoosiers
    • Pick 107: DL Gracen Halton, Oklahoma Sooners
    • Pick 127: T Carver Willis, Washington Huskies
    • Pick 139: CB Ephesians Prysock, Washington Huskies
    • Pick 154: LB Jaden Dugger, Louisiana Ragin’ Cajuns
    • Pick 179: T Enrique Cruz Jr., Kansas Jayhawks

    At least with the 49ers, I knew what their gameplan was here. They’re wanting Stribling to be the replacement for Aiyuk…..OK, but there were better players on the board. I do like CB Prysock. He’s a big corner with long arms, and does a good job locating the ball when it’s in the air. LT Trent Williams is probably retiring after this season, and by taking 2 OTs in Willis and Cruz Jr, they’re hoping for a mid/late round steal. It ain’t happening.

    BEST – New York Jets

    • Pick 2: ED David Bailey, Texas Tech Red Raiders
    • Pick 16: TE Kenyon Sadiq, Oregon Ducks
    • Pick 30: WR Omar Cooper Jr, Indiana Hoosiers
    • Pick 50: CB D’Angelo Ponds, Indiana Hoosiers
    • Pick 103: DL Darrell Jackson Jr., Florida State Seminoles
    • Pick 110: QB Cade Klubnik, Clemson Tigers
    • Pick 188: G Anez Cooper, Miami (FL) Hurricanes
    • Pick 228: S VJ Payne, Kansas State Wildcats

    I ABSOLUTELY LOVE what the New York Jets did in this class.
    They got the #1 rated DE/EDGE rusher.
    They got the #1 rated TE.
    They got my #4 WR prospect.
    They got the #1 rated Slot CB, who CAN play outside as well.
    Let me tell you, when Darrell Jackson keeps his hands disciplined and in line with his hips and feet, he just dominates inside. So much potential.
    QB Cade Klubnik had a down season, but he has great timing and accuracy on all levels of the field, with a smooth throwing motion. Do NOT be surprised, if he easily beats out Brady Cook for the backup QB spot, and plays significant time if Geno Smith struggles as the starter.

    WORST – Dallas Cowboys

    • Pick 11: S Caleb Downs, Ohio State Buckeyes
    • Pick 23: ED Malachi Lawrence, UCF Knights
    • Pick 92: ED Jaishawn Barham, Michigan Wolverines
    • Pick 112: T Drew Shelton, Penn State Nittany Lions
    • Pick 114: CB Devin Moore, Florida Gators
    • Pick 137: ED LT Overton, Alabama Crimson Tide
    • Pick 218: WR Anthony Smith, East Carolina Pirates

    They had THE BEST pick in the 1st round, with the #1 overall player in the entire draft (safety Caleb Downs) just fall into their lap. After that, they completely tanked. They wanna get more pressure on opposing quarterbacks, that’s great, but there were far better options at 23, 92, and even 137. It’s like they just threw spaghetti on the wall, and hoping that something sticks. OT Drew Shelton struggles against good competition, and the NFC East is a tough place for linemen.

    BEST – Miami Dolphins

    • Pick 12: T Kadyn Proctor, Alabama Crimson Tide
    • Pick 27: CB Chris Johnson, San Diego State Aztecs
    • Pick 43: LB Jacob Rodriguez, Texas Tech Red Raiders
    • Pick 75: WR Caleb Douglas, Texas Tech Red Raiders
    • Pick 87: TE Will Kacmarek, Ohio State Buckeyes
    • Pick 94: WR Chris Bell, Louisville Cardinals
    • Pick 130: LB Trey Moore, Texas Longhorns
    • Pick 138: LB Kyle Louis, Pittsburgh Panthers
    • Pick 158: S Michael Taaffe, Texas Longhorns
    • Pick 177: WR Kevin Coleman Jr., Missouri Tigers
    • Pick 180: TE Seydou Traore, Mississippi State Bulldogs
    • Pick 200: G DJ Campbell, Texas Longhorns

    Other than their first pick (OT Kadyn Proctor), who is going to absolutely fail miserably, this is a GREAT draft by Miami. CB Chris Johnson is a Day 1 starting cornerback. LB Jacob Rodriguez is a turnover machine and is always around the football. WR Chris Bell was a LOCK to be a 1st Round WR before he tore his ACL late last season. He’s a great X WR and will be starting as soon as he is medically cleared. LB Kyle Louis is a tacking machine. S Michael Taaffe can do everything you need a safety to do.

    In summary, the 2026 Draft Class will go down as one of the strangest classes of all-time, certainly in my lifetime. Shocking picks, epic slides, a record-breaking number of trades, kept not just the teams on their toes, but fans on the edge of their seats or wondering….. “What the heck are they doing?”

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    – by Sean McKenzie

    Information courtesy of…..NFL, ESPN, and PFF.

    Pictures courtesy of…..wallpapercave, USAToday, and WTAE.

  • Winners and Losers from Day 3 of the NFL Scouting Combine.

    Logo for the NFL Scouting Combine featuring a football and star design in blue and white.

    Day 3 of the NFL Scouting Combine is officially in the books. The theme of S-P-E-E-D speed, continued!!! Absolutely nobody thought that this particular draft class, would be breaking all-time speed records.

    The first group of Day 3 was the Running Backs. As anyone who knows me, knows that I LOVE me some running backs. I’m a run-first guy.

    Notre Dame RB Jeremiyah Love only solidified his position as the #1 RB in this class. We all knew that he was fast, and he ran a 4.36 in the 40, with a 1.55 10 yd split. He showed his smooth footwork and ability to get skinny, during the on the field portion of the drills.

    His teammate Jadarian Price ran a 4.49 in the 40, with a slower than expected 1.61 10 yard split. His footwork isn’t as smooth as Love in the running drills, but he did EXCELLENT catching the ball during the on the field portion of the drills.

    My biggest winner was Alabama RB Jam Miller. He ran a 4.42 in the 40, with a 1.53 10 yard split. He was smooth with his footwork , kept his balancing cutting, and did a good job catching balls.

    Penn State RB Kaytron Allen did EXACTLY what I’ve been telling everyone he would during the on the field portion of the drills. Smooth footwork, quick feet, can catch the ball. I’ve always thought he was better than his Nittany Lions counterpart Nicholas Singleton.

    My biggest loser was Nebraska RB Emmett Johnson. He ran a 4.56 in the 40. He looked like a board, his feet looked sluggish, his reaction to the bags, on cut drills were slow.

    Outside of Love, there isn’t a first rounder here, but there is very quality depth, and varied abilities in this class.

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    For the best coffee and lattes in Van Wert County, stop into The Rebel Bean, in Convoy, Ohio. Their Honey Bun latte is SO DELCIOUS, that I actually drink it sometimes over their wonderful regular black coffee. Check out their Facebook page for store hours and drink menu.

    QB Group 1 ran the 40, and the news was Arkansas QB Taylen Green ran a 4.36 in the 40. Georgia Tech QB Haynes King ran a 4.46 in the 40.

    When it came to throwing, the biggest winner overall was Penn State QB Drew Allar. He had the best deep ball, by far. He was accurate with his ball placement on almost every drill.

    Georgia Tech QB Haynes King did quite well. He was great on all the underneath throws, but his lack of arm strength showed on the deep balls.

    The biggest loser for on the field drills, was EASILY Teylan Green. He completely airmailed throws on all the outroutes, both short and deep. His ball placement was high and low on slant routes. He has great arm strength though.

    Next up, was WR Group #1. Oklahoma Deion Burks (4.30), Cincinnati Jeff Caldwell (4.31), Georgia Zachariah Branch (4.35), Oregon Malik Benson (4.37), Tennessee Chris Brazzell (4.37), and Texas Tech Caleb Douglas (4.39), all ran under 4.40 in the 40.

    The big winner was Zachariah Branch. He was so smooth and really crisp on his breaks. Just snapping them off. He caught everything, including some horrible throws by QB Fagnano and Green. It was so fun to watch him today. He made himself some money and climbed many draft boards.

    Biggest loser was WR Malachi Fields from Notre Dame. He ran a slow 4.61 in the 40, with a 1.63 10-yard split. He couldn’t keep his feet and hips under control on his breaks, and had 3 drops on The Gauntlet Drill. The film is better than his performance Saturday afternoon, but it did cost him some spots.

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    The Daily Dose in Convoy, has all the sugar-free, protein packed teas, drinks, and snacks that you need to fuel your day. Check out their Facebook page for store hours, menu, and special drinks.

    Only 2 players from QB Group 2 ran the 40. North Dakota State’s Cole Payton (4.56) and Baylor Sawyer Robertson (4.65).

    When it came to the on the field drills, Alabama’s Ty Simpson was the winner of the group. Good accuracy on the out breaking routes. He had great ball placement and timing on the medium and deep routes.

    Clemson’s Cade Klubnik was a close 2nd place though.

    The loser of the group was the aforementioned Cole Payton. His best 2 passes didn’t come until the 2nd to last drill, on deep balls. It was a terrible night for him, after the 40-yard dash.

    WR Group 2 saw the fastest 40-yard dash of the weekend. Brenen Thompson from Mississippi State ran a 4.26, with a 1.54 10-yard split. North Dakota State’s Bryce Lance ran a 4.34 in the 40, with a 1.49 10-yard split, and Ole Miss’s De’Zhaun Stribling ran a 4.36, with a 1.53 10-yard split.

    When it came to the on the field drills, the winner was actually 2 this time. Makai Lemon from USC and Colbie Young from Georgia. Both of them were catching absolutely everything thrown their way. With some of the bad balls, both of them showed great body control and the ability to adjust mid-air to catch the bad throws.

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    Cheers and Gears Bar & Grille in Convoy, has all your daily lunch and dinner specials. I personally love their mozzarella sticks with marinara sauce. It’s my “go to” snack on my monthly “cheat day”. Check out their Facebook page for hours and menu.

    – by Sean McKenzie

    Picture courtesy of…..bleacherreport.

  • Shedeur Sanders NFL Draft Nightmare.

    Shedeur Sanders speaking at the NFL Scouting Combine, wearing a black hoodie and baseball cap, with a microphone in front of him.

    The NFL Draft is a culmination of many factors for players. The years of blood, sweat and tears on the field. The dog days of summer conditioning in August, where you can barely drag your feet as coach calls it to an end. The excitement and bonding on the bus rides. The sacrifices made by their moms and/or dads, to make every practice and game.

    For most the journey starts at the peewee level, then middle school, junior varsity, varsity, then onto college. Dreams of hearing their names called out by the commissioner, after getting that phone call from the teams’ head coach.

    Shedeur Sanders got privileged start. As everyone knows, his father is Pro Football Hall of Famer Deion Sanders. He grew up around the game his whole life. His father coached him his formative years. From high school, to Jackson State, to Colorado.

    Coming into the 2025 NFL Draft, almost all the media “experts” and pundits had him rated as the #2 ranked quarterback in the class, only behind Miami Hurricanes quarterback Cam Ward.

    Sanders finished his four years of college football completing 70.7% of his passes, for 14,347 yards, with 134 touchdowns, and 27 interceptions. He had an additional 17 rushing touchdowns.

    Those are great numbers, in a very down quarterback draft class. So why wouldn’t he be rated has high as he was? Why wouldn’t he or anyone expect him to go high or at least in the 1st round?

    The world watched as he not only fell out of the 1st round, but he also didn’t even go in the 2nd round. He didn’t go in the 3rd round. He didn’t go in the 4th round. It wasn’t until the 144th pick in the 5th round, for him to get that phone call and hear his name called.

    The Cleveland Browns took him. The team with the worst quarterback history in the league, traded up to get him.

    Digital display showcasing Shedeur Sanders' selection as quarterback by the Cleveland Browns, including details of his college team and draft pick information.

    Why did he fall so far?

    On Day 3 of the draft, word started leaking out about Sanders showing up to interviews unprepared and trying to dictate the teams. New York Giants head coach Brian Daboll “called him out about it, and Sanders didn’t like that” according to NFL insider Todd McShay.

    ESPN insider Adam Schefter even stated that “he might not be one of the first quarterbacks taken on day two.”

    As the picks and rounds went on, it was apparent to everyone that has common sense, that not only did the NFL scouts and coaches did not view Sanders as a Day 1 starting quarterback, but this was a product of media hype run amuck.

    Us fans had to sit back and listen to the insufferable whining of Mel Kiper Jr, Rich Eisen, and others, completely drown out and not report on the other players, whose dreams came true. Letting their personal relationships with his father Deion, get in the way of what truly makes the NFL Draft so special.

    There simply were not very many “quarterback needy teams” this draft cycle. Add into the fact that this was an extremely deep class at running back, wide receiver, defensive line, offensive line, and cornerback.

    In my own personal rankings, I had Shedeur as my #2 ranked quarterback. Certainly, ahead of Dillion Gabriel, who the Browns drafted in the 3rd round with the 94th pick.

    Yes, he does hold onto the football too long at times. Yes, he does take some incredibly dumb sacks. Yes, he does try to do too much. Yes, the “media circus” around him is annoying.

    What he is though, was the most accurate passer in college football last season, completing 74% of his passes. What he does do, is stay in the pocket and take a hit to deliver the football.

    What Shedeur and all the other “experts” and fans need to remember, is that the greatest quarterback of all-time is Tom Brady, and he was taken with the 199th pick.

    Hall of Fame quarterback Kurt Warner, did not even get drafted.

    As a lifelong Browns fan myself, I hope he goes out there and lights it up.

    I hope he goes out there and shows that he is a franchise quarterback.

    WELCOME TO THE DAWG POUND SHEDEUR!!!

    – by Sean McKenzie

    Stats and information courtesy of…..NCAA and ESPN.

    Photos courtesy of…..totalprosports and YouTube.