Tag: Fernando Mendoza

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?”

For the delicious breakfast bowls and bagels, as well as high protein snacks, and boba drinks, stop into The Daily Dose in Convoy. Located on the corner of US-49 and Tully Street. Check out their Facebook page for special drinks and menu items.

– by Sean McKenzie

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

Pictures courtesy of…..wallpapercave, USAToday, and WTAE.
April 25, 2026
Best and the Worst, from the 1st Round, of the 2026 NFL Draft.

The first round of the 2026 NFL Draft is in the books.

In front of a record crowd of 320,000 people, we got the chaos and surprises that come, when nobody knows exactly what’s going to happen after pick #1.

Indiana Hoosiers Heisman Trophy winning and National Championship QB, Fernando Mendoza went 1st to the Las Vegas Raiders.

We all knew that the New York Jets were going to take a pass rusher; we just didn’t know which one. Was it going to be David Bailey, Arvell Reese, or Rueben Bain. They decided on Bailey from Texas Tech.

The Arizona Cardinals decided to kick off the chaos by selecting HB Jeremiyah Love from Notre Dame with the 3rd pick. He was my #2 overall player in this class. The highest a running back had been taken since 2018 (Saquon Barkley to the New York Giants).

WR Carnell Tate from Ohio State, was the first WR to come off the draft board. But it wasn’t to the Cleveland Browns (my team), it was to the Tennessee Titans at #4.

For the best high protein breakfast, as well as boba teas, drinks and snacks, stop into The Daily Dose in Convoy. On the corner of US-49 and Tully Street

Rounding out the Top 5, the New York Giants took pass rushing LB/EDGE, Arvell Reese from Ohio State. Making it back-to-back Buckeyes.

For all 32 selections you can watch or visit ESPN or NFL Network.

Without further ado, here are the best and worst of the 1st Round.

Best overall pick – Dallas Cowboys – Caleb Downs – S – Ohio State.

The Cowboys trade up from #12 to #11 for the best overall player in the entire class in Caleb Downs. He’s an elite, versatile safety, with exceptional football IQ and excellent leadership. Dallas defensive coordinator Christian Parker loves safeties that can play in the box, and single high. Downs is the perfect fit. Parker had to be doing backflips in the war room.

Worst overall pick – Minnesota Vikings – Caleb Banks – DT – Florida.

As soon as I saw this pick, I KNEW my friend Nick was not going to be happy, and he did not disappoint me and my fellow LabRoomFam in our group chat.

He’s a big 6’6″, 327 lbs defensive lineman, that struggles in run stopping, and has had, not one, not two, but three, foot surgeries already. While he does a good job of splitting lineman, his pass rushing skills and moves are not polished, relying on his quick get off, which to be fair is quite good. They took the 4th best DT in the 1st round.

For the best artisan pizzas and homemade pies in Van Wert County, stop by The Local Slice in Convoy, Ohio.

Biggest surprise – Houston Texans – OG – Keylan Rutledge – Georgia Tech.

I swear, the Texans do not believe in offensive line positions other than center. They just draft offensive guards and stick them at the other 4 positions. Don’t get me wrong, I love Rutledge, he was my OG3, but they need tackles. Are they just gonna line up and play old school, downhill, pound the rock, smashmouth football? As everyone knows, that’s my favorite style, but it’s unrealistic in today’s game.

Rounds 2 and 3 of the NFL Draft are Friday Night, at 7:00 PM (EST) on ESPN, NFL Network, and ABC.

– by Sean McKenzie

Pictures courtesy of…..MSN and yahoosports.

April 24, 2026
Winners and Losers from Day 3 of the NFL Scouting Combine.

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.

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.

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.

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.

February 28, 2026
The Top 3 College Football Games to Watch for Week 7.

What a slate of college football games there is to choose from here in Week 7.

The week started last night, with Missouri State beating Middle Tennessee State 22-20, and Liberty beating UTEP 19-8.

We have big time ranked matchups in the Big Ten and SEC.

We have the annual Red River Shootout (I refuse to call it Red River Rivalry, PC can kiss my butt), between #6 Oklahoma Sooners (5-0) taking on the Texas Longhorns (3-2) at 3:30 PM on ABC. As history has shown, records mean nothing in this heated rivalry.

With so many games to choose from, here are the Top 3 games, that you SHOULD watch this weekend.

I am 10-5 in my predictions so far this season.

1) #7 Indiana Hoosiers (5-0) at #3 Oregon Ducks (5-0).
Game starts at 3:30 PM (EST) on CBS.

Yes, the Indiana Hoosiers are not just highly ranked, they’re a good FOOTBALL team. For those of us who are older, it’s been a long time since we could say that, and let’s be honest….it does feel good.

Curt Cignetti has come in and turned this program around. The Hoosiers are led by QB Fernando Mendoza, who’s completing 73% of his throws, for 1,208 yards with 16 TDs, to only 1 INT. He hasn’t made many mistakes, and goes through his progressions well. On defense, they get pressure off the line and are fairly gap sound. With 16 team sacks, they’ve forced 7 INTs this year.

Oregon head coach Dan Lanning continues to chug along and win ball games. The Ducks are led by QB Dante Moore. He’s completing 74.6% of his passes, for 1,210 yards, with 14 TDs to only 1 INT. He’s shown great poise and decision making as only a sophomore. This is a fast and fundamentally sound defense. They stay in their lanes don’t give up many YACs in the run or pass.

Prediction – We’re going to find out if Indiana is “for real – real”. I think they’re going to hang tough, but it’s hard for opponents to win in Autzen Stadium. Give me the Ducks to pull away late and win 42- 31.

2) #15 Michigan Wolverines (4-1) at USC Trojans (4-1).
Game starts at 7:30 PM (EST) on NBC.

This game isn’t getting talked about enough, by the “national pundits” This is a MUST WIN for the Trojans, after a tough road loss last week, and next week’s game is a very tough game.

The hype around Michigan freshman QB Bryce Underwood was extremely high. His performance on the field, thus far, has been extremely disappointing. The REAL leader of this offense is HB Justice Haynes. He has 85 carries, for 654 yards, with 8 TDs. He’s averaging 7.7 yards per carry. It’s a Wink Martindale defense, which means pressure and forcing turnovers. With 15 team sacks and 7 INTs, it’s the same old, same old. Fast, tough, and sound. I love defenses like this.

USC QB Jordan Maiava has come in and done better than almost everyone thought he would. He’s completing 70.5% of his passes, for 1,587 yards, with 11 TDs to only 1 INT. HB Waymond Jordan takes the pressure off with his ability vision and ability to hit the hole FAST. He has 537 yards, on 77 carries, with 5 TDs, and averaging 7.0 yards per carry. The defense has been MUCH improved. They have 17 team sacks, 6 INTs, and have forced 6 fumbles. Senior LB Eric Gentry is the guy to watch, as he has 30 tackles, 3 sacks, and 3 forced fumbles.

Prediction – As stated above, this is a must win for USC. It’s a home game, sandwiched between two tough road games. I’M CALLING THE UPSET HERE!!! The Trojans get it done in a close game 28-24.

3) #24 University of South Florida Bulls (4-1) at University of North Texas Mean Green (5-0).
Game is Friday Night, at 7:30 PM (EST) on ESPN 2.

The winner of this of this big time American Athletic Conference game, could very well end up getting the “G5 at large” spot in the College Football Playoffs.

The South Florida Bulls are battle tested, with wins over Boise State and Florida. They’re lone loss is to MY #1 team in the country, Miami Hurricanes. They’re led by dual-threat QB Byrum Brown. He’s thrown for 1,194 yards, with 10 TDs to 4 INTs. He’s also ran for 282 yards, on 64 carries, with 3 TDs. LB Mac Harris has been incredible so far this season. He has 42 tackles, 4 sacks, 3 forced fumbles, and 1 INT.

Freshman QB Drew Mestemaker has come in and shown great poise and decision making, so young. He’s thrown for 1,247 yards, with 11 TDs and 0 INTs. The Mean Green LBs are just dominate. Thier starting 3 have 119 of the 359 team tackles (33%). They also have 3 of the teams 6 INTs. The DL holds up well, so that these guys can fly all over and make plays.

Prediction – The Mean Green defense is for real. The Bulls are for real. It’s going to be a great, close, low scoring game. The big game experience that South Florida has this season, will be the difference. I’m taking the Bulls to win 24-17.

– by Sean McKenzie

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Pictures courtesy of…..wallpapercave, CBSSports, ESPN, and NYTimes.

Stats courtesy of…..NCAA.

October 9, 2025