Feb 28, 2026
NFLThe NotebookIndianapolis
Mendoza goes first overall and that part is settled. What happens after him — and what a GM said Thursday evening that stuck with me.
A few things I've been thinking about as the combine wraps up in Indianapolis this week. The quarterback class is thin. I don't mean thin in the way that draft analysts use as shorthand for "no generational talent at the top." I mean thin in a structural way — there are fewer quarterbacks who can step into a starting role in year one without significant protection around them than there have been in any class I can remember covering over the past decade. That has real implications for roughly a third of the league.
Continue reading →Feb 28, 2026
NFLFrom the TrenchesIndianapolis
The consensus top tackle has a lazy kick-slide that will get him killed at the next level. The center out of Iowa State is invisible and will be a ten-year starter.
Everyone is talking about the quarterbacks at this combine. Fine. Let them talk. I'm looking at the offensive linemen, and what I'm seeing is more interesting than anything happening at the quarterback podiums.
Continue reading →Feb 28, 2026
NFLFirst & TenIndianapolis
A 245-pound linebacker leaping out of the gym in Indianapolis. Stop what you're doing and understand what you just watched.
Here's the thing about watching Sonny Styles post a 43.5-inch vertical jump. You see a number, and then you think about what the number means, and then it takes a moment before it actually registers. That's the highest vertical jump by any player 6-foot-4 or taller since 2003. He is a linebacker. He weighs 245 pounds.
Continue reading →Feb 28, 2026
NFLIndianapolis
Mendoza goes first. The rest of the class is thinner than teams with quarterback questions would prefer. That gap will reshape the trade market.
The 2026 NFL Draft quarterback class is being described as thin — and thin at the top specifically — in ways that will have real consequences for organizations that enter April without a solution at the position. Indiana's Fernando Mendoza is the consensus top quarterback in the class after leading the Hoosiers to an undefeated season and a national championship. His combine week has been measured and professional — no splashy throwing session numbers, no moments that will be replayed on highlight reels — which is typically what you want from a player who already has consensus first-overall support. The Texans hold the first pick and have been publicly noncommittal, which is standard operating procedure for teams in their position. Mendoza goes first unless something unusual happens between now and April.
Continue reading →Feb 27, 2026
NFLIndianapolis
Ohio State's Sonny Styles posted the highest vertical by a 6-4+ player since 2003. Texas Tech's David Bailey confirmed his top-three standing. The defensive class is deep.
The 2026 NFL Scouting Combine in Indianapolis wrapped its defensive line and linebacker workout day Thursday, and a handful of prospects left Lucas Oil Stadium having answered every question scouts had brought with them. Ohio State linebacker Sonny Styles posted a 43.5-inch vertical jump — the highest recorded by any player standing 6-foot-4 or taller since 2003. That's not a number that gets dismissed. Styles entered the week already projected in the first round; he left it having removed whatever physical doubt remained. At 6-4, 245 pounds, he has the frame to match up against tight ends in coverage and the athleticism to blitz off the edge. Programs don't produce linebackers with this combination of size and explosion every cycle.
Continue reading →