Tag: San Francisco 49ers

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
The Top 5 Running Backs in the NFL.

After the “devaluation” of the running back position swept the NFL for the better part of the last decade, teams are starting to see why the position is so valuable.

It’s becoming “trendy” again, to hand the ball off 25 to 30 times a game.

Us fans have known this all along though.

A running back affects the game in so many ways. It’s far from simply taking a handoff.

Running routes out of the backfield, they have to know protection details, when is the right time to leave and go into the flat as a dump off option for the quarterback.

I could go on and on, because everyone knows that I LOVE the running back position.

So, without further ado, here are the Top 5 running backs in the NFL today.

Saquon Barkley – Philadelphia Eagles.

Not only on Barkley lead the entire league in rushing last season (2,005 yards), but he also led the league in carries with 345. That’s a heavy workload, and he played 16 games last season.

You have to account for him coming out of the backfield as well, with 33 catches. He’s a true three-down back, who does a serviceable job in pass blocking.

Any time he touches the football, he can take it for a touchdown. He has the speed to break long runs, and the power to bulldoze his way between the tackles.

No running back had a bigger impact on his team last season than Saquon Barkley did.

Without Barkley, the Philadelphia Eagles aren’t winning the Super Bowl, they probably don’t even win their division.

Christian McCaffrey – San Francisco 49ers.

Absolutely no fan, coach, GM, player, or anybody, can deny the fact the McCaffrey is arguably the best running back in the league, when he’s healthy.

That’s always been the problem with him. His durability is an issue not just season to season, but game to game.

He has sneaky speed. He doesn’t look like he’s running fast, but he’ll take a 3-yard run and turn it into long touchdown before you realize what’s happening.

He’s a far better receiver out of the backfield than Barkley, and maybe the best in the league.

You simply cannot move him out of the Top 5 or even 3, no matter what.

Josh Jacobs – Green Bay Packers.

Josh Jacobs was the real engine that pulled the train in Green Bay last season, it wasn’t quarterback Jordan Love.

His first season as a Packer, erased whatever “stain” people had on him from his final season as a Raider.

The Packers leaned heavily on Jacobs in all situations, enroute to their Wildcard Playoff berth.

Running for 1,329 yards (6th) on 301 carries (6th) and 15 TDs (4th), proved that he’s a bellcow back with the speed and power to do it all.

He had 36 catches out of the backfield and did a great job in pass protection for the Packers.

Derrick Henry – Baltimore Ravens.

Derrick Henry is a throwback running back to the good ole days of football.

Just hand him the football and watch him completely steamroll people.

He’s proven that he can handle a heavy workload throughout his whole career, and showed it again last season.

Rushing for 1,921 yards (2nd), on 325 carries (2nd), he tied for first in the league with 16 TDs.

He’s not going to give you receiving yards out of the backfield or do much of anything in terms of pass protection, but he’s going to break a defense and wear them out throughout the entire game.

Aaron Jones Sr. – Minnesota Vikings.

Jones is your classic slasher type running back. He’s quick with his feet, and once he sees the hole in the line, he’s off and going.

He’s got the speed to break off long runs, and the power to get into the endzone in goalline situations.

He does have durability issues and is quite similar to McCaffrey (see above). He did play all 17 games last season though.

He had 1,138 yards (9th) on 255 carries (9th) to go along with a whooping 51 catches out of the backfield.

He’ll stick his nose in on pass protection, and does a serviceable job in that regard.

With JJ McCarthy (basically a rookie, though it’s officially his 2nd year in the league) now starting at QB, they’ll lean on him even more this season, as he gets his feet wet to the NFL game.

I expect a great start for Jones in 2025.

– Sean McKenzie

Follow me on X (Twitter) at JoeAmerican6771 and allsportsfancom.

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

Pictures courtesy of…..wallpapercave, clutchpoints, bvmsports, sportskeeda, and cbssports.

July 9, 2025
Shedeur Sanders Signs Rookie Contract, LB Warner Signs Big Contract, NHL Referee Gets Stitches, and more.

NFL NEWS.

Cleveland Browns 5th round quarterback Shedeur Sanders has signed his rookie contract.

It is a 4-year, $4.6 million dollar deal. with a $447,380 signing bonus.

I’m not going to talk about his “slide” in the draft. I’ve already done an article on that, plus we all know that story, it’s been beaten to death.

I’m “on the record” with my prediction that Sanders will be QB2 when the season starts.

The San Francisco 49ers have made LB Fred Warner the highest paid “off ball” linebacker in the NFL.

They came to terms on a 3-year, $63 million dollar contract extension, with $56 million dollars guaranteed. This new deal keeps Warner the red and gold through the 2029 season.

The linebacker had 131 total tackles, 1 sack, 4 forced fumbles, and 2 INTs last season, all of which earned him his 4th All-Pro appearance and 3rd straight.

NHL NEWS.

Veteran NHL referee Chris Rooney received stitches Sunday night after taking a high stick to the face by Panthers Defenseman Niko Mikkola, during the 2nd period of the Maple Leafs/Panthers pivotal Game 7.

Medical personnel from both teams attended to him, and a stretcher was brought out; however, he refused and skated off the rink under his own power.

Rooney hopes to return to resume duties during these Stanley Cup Playoffs.

MLB SCORES.

Guardians\Twins game was suspended in the 4th inning due to rain. Twins were up 2-1. Game resumes tonight at 6:10 PM (EST).

Marlins beat the Cubs 8-7.

Reds win 7-1 over the Pirates.

Red Sox beat the Mets 3-1.

Diamondbacks get the win over the Dodgers 9-5.

The Cardinals beat the surging Tigers 11-4.

Question of the day – What is your favorite sport to watch?

– by Sean McKenzie

Stats and information courtesy of…..ESPN, NFL, NHL, MLB.

Photos courtesy of…..wallpapercave, profootballnetwork, PFF, and SI.

May 20, 2025
NFL News, NBA and NHL Conference Finals Set, MLB Pitcher Test Positive, Scores, and more.

NFL NEWS.

The San Francisco 49ers have signed their starting quarterback Brock Purdy to a 5-year $265 million dollar contract extension, including $181 million dollars guaranteed. The new contract runs through the 2030 season.

Purdy made a total of $2.6 million in his first three seasons combined, now he’ll have an average salary of $53 million dollars, which is $2.9 million per week.

The old saying “He who laughs last, laughs the hardest”. Well, Purdy who is known as “Mr. Irrelvant” for being the final pick in the 2022 NFL Draft, is laughing all the way to the bank.

In his career, Purdy has completed 67.5% of his passes, for 9,518 yards, with 64 TDs and 27 INTs.

NBA PLAYOFFS.

The NBA Conference Finals are now set.

The #1 seeded Oklahoma City Thunder will take on the #6 seeded Minnesota Timberwolves in the West.

The Thunder and Wolves split the season series 2-2.

Game 1 is Tuesday night, in Oklahoma City, at 8:30 PM (EST) on ESPN.

The #3 seeded New York Knicks will take on the #4 seeded Indiana Pacers in the East.

The Knicks got the season series 2-1.

This is a great nostalgia feel for me. Brings back memories of the Knicks-Pacers rivalry games in the 90’s.

Game 1 is Wednesday night, in New York, at 8:00 PM (EST) on TNT, truTV, and Max.

NHL STANLEY CUP PLAYOFFS.

The Conference Finals for the Stanley Cup are now finally set.

In the West, the C2 Dallas Stars will take on the P3 Edmonton Oilers.

Game 1 is Wednesday night, in Dallas, at 8:00 PM (EST) on ESPN.

In the East, the A3 Florida Panthers will take on the very rested M2 Carolina Hurricanes.

Game 1 is Tuesday night, in Charlotte, at 8:00 PM (EST), on TNT, truTV, and Max.

MLB SCORES AND NEWS.

Philadelphia Phillies P Joe Alvarado has been suspended by Major League Baseball for the next 80 games, after testing positive exogenous testosterone, which is a performance-enhacing drug.

The suspension is effective immediately and also disqualifies him from being eligible to play in the postseason, if the Phillies make the playoffs.

Alvarado will not appeal the suspension.

My Aunt Chris’ teams continue to beat mine in 2025, as her Cincinnati Reds complete the weekend sweep against my Cleveland Guardians with a 3-1 win yesterday afternoon.

The Milwaukee Brewers ended the Minnesota Twins 13-game winning streak with a 5-2 win.

The Cubs sweep the White Sox with a 6-2 win.

The Yankees take two out of three from the Mets in the Subway Series, as they get the 8-2 victory last night.

OTHER NEWS.

The PWHL’s (Professional Women’s Hockey League) Walter Cup Finals are set.

The Ottawa Charge will take on the defending champion Minnesota Frost.

I’m very much looking forward to this series. Both teams have good goalie tandems and strong forward lines.

Women’s hockey doesn’t get enough love or credit.

Game 1 is Tuesday night, at TD Place in Ottawa, at 7:00 PM (EST), on TSN and RDS for Canada, and on FanDuel Sports Newtwork North and YouTube for America.

Prediction – I love that Ottawa has made it here, it’s good for the city and the fans, but Minnesota has been here before.

Frost forwards Kendall Coyne-Schofield (12G-12A-24P) and Taylor Heise (8G-14A-22P) just always seem to be around the puck in the big moments this season. The Frost also have a big edge on the Powerplay and Penalty Kill.

I’m taking Minnesota to repeat as Walter Cup Champions winning in 4 games.

– by Sean McKenzie

Stats and information courtesy of…..ESPN, NBA, NHL, MLB, NWHL, NFL.

Pictures courtesy of…..wallpapercave, bleacherreport, totalprosports, kare11, chicagotribune.

May 19, 2025