by Zak Drapeau Sportz Nation - 5/15/2026 Quarterback Fernando Mendoza - LV This one's easy, Mendoza may not get the start until a few weeks into the season but either way he'll easily be the #1 Quarterback in the class' first year and possibly the only one that sees actual playing time HM: Carson Beck - ARI Running Backs Jeremiyah Love - ARI Jadarian Price - SEA Photo by Mark J. Rebilas via Imagn Images Another group that was easy for me, Love is the only Day 1 starter I see

by Zak Drapeau Sportz Nation - 5/5/2026 Photo Credits to NBA via NBA.com staff When is the Draft Lottery? The NBA Draft Lottery will begin at 3:00 pm EST on Sunday, May 10th. The NBA Playoffs will be in full swing as Game 4 between the New York Knicks and Philadelphia 76ers will start just 30 minutes after Lottery coverage starts. With the NBA Draft's First Round set to start on June 23rd, the Lottery begins NBA Draft season. The Lottery will also be a prelude to the NBA Draf

by Zak Drapeau Sportz Nation - 4/27/2026 Photo by WJ/ Icon Sportswire via Getty Images Caleb Lomu Tackle Utah Pick: #28 Lomu is an athletic Tackle with good size and room to grow even more muscle on his frame. As Utah's Left Tackle for the past two seasons, Lomu was a better pass blocker than run blocker and was also named to the 2024 Academic All-Big 12 team as well. As the Patriots depth chart stands, Campbell and Moses are better off at Tackle in 2026. Lomu is athletic and

by Zak Drapeau Sportz Nation - 4/27/2026 Photo by Sue Ogrocki/ Associated Press 1. New York Jets The Jets and the Giants had the best classes of all to me but I think the Jets just topped their cross-town rivals. With 4 picks in the Top-50, the Jets hit home runs with all of them including filling the 3 biggest needs of the team. David Bailey will be a force on the Edge for years to come. D'Angelo Ponds is a feisty leader on the outside or at slot corner. Then you get two dyn

by Zak Drapeau Sportz Nation - 4/23/2026 Graphic by The Sporting News 1. Miami Dolphins Jeremiah Smith - WR Ohio State Jeremiah Smith is the best wide receiver prospect I've ever seen and the best player in this class. Seeing as Malik Willis just got a contract before the 2026 season, the Dolphins should get him a #1 weapon rather than enter the Quarterback sweepstakes which means this pick will likely be traded for come next April for a team trying to get... 2. New York Jets

by Zak Drapeau Sportz Nation - 4/24/2026 Photo by Kirby Lee/ Imagn Imgaes via CNN 1. Fernando Mendoza - LV Grade: A- The right pick. Mendoza isn't the perfect QB prospect but he's very good and the best of the class. He'll be under no pressure to start until he's ready with Kirk Cousins on the roster and is already surrounded by Jeanty and Bowers. 2. David Bailey - NYJ Grade: A I had Bailey as the 2nd pick all along and a much better fit for the Jets than Reese so I love the

by Zak Drapeau Sportz Nation - 4/23/2026 My Final Mock of the year will come with no trades. While I expect there to be more than a few trades going down today, today's exercise is all about rumors I've heard, team expectations and player evaluations. While I wouldn't make all of these picks myself, this is the full mock draft I expect to actually happen tonight. You can also check out: my What I Would Do Mock Draft here and my Top-150 Prospect Big Board. Happy Draft Day! -Z.

by Zak Drapeau Sportz Nation - 4/21/2026 Photo by Kirby Lee/ Imagn Images *Click For Final Top-150 Big Board *Click For Final Positional Rankings _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ 1. Fernando Mendoza QB Las Vegas Raiders The Raiders need a Quarterback and Mendoza is the easy pick. Mendoza will get to sit behind Cousins for a few games before taking the reigns and becoming their Franchise guy for the next decade. 2. Arvell Reese Edge New York Jets The Jets have been linked to Bailey a

by Zak Drapeau Sportz Nation - 4/21/2026 Graphic by NFL For Full Top-150 Prospect Big Board click Here, Quarterback 1. Fernando Mendoza 2. Ty Simpson 3. Drew Allar 4. Carson Beck 5. Garrett Nussmeier Running Back 1. Jeremiyah Love 2. Mike Washington Jr. 3. Jadarian Price 4. Jonah Coleman 5. Roman Hemby 6. Emmett Johnson 7. Seth McGowan 8. Nicholas Singleton 9. Jadyn Ott 10. Le'Veon Moss 11. Kaytron Allen 12. Kaelon Black Wide Receiver 1. Jordyn Tyson 2. Makai Lemon 3. Carnell

by Zak Drapeau Sportz Nation - 4/21/2026 Graphic by ESPN Click here for Full Positional Rankings 1. Caleb Downs Safety Ohio St Best Safety Prospect I've scouted either in the box or in deep zone. The only knock on him is that he's not 6'4" like Kyle Hamilton but to me, his instincts and fearlessness are even better. 2. Jeremiyah Love Running Back Notre Dame The biggest home run hitter in the class both on the ground or through the air. Love may not be the biggest back like

by Zak Drapeau Sportz Nation - 4/14/2026 Photo by Ryan Kang/ Getty Images 1. Caleb Downs 6'0" - 206 lbs. Ohio State Big Board Rank: 1 Pro Comparison: Ed Reed Look, there are a few cant miss prospects in draft every year and I am more than comfortable saying Caleb Downs is the ONLY prospect in the 2026 NFL Draft that has zero chance in not becoming a Pro Bowler in this year's class. An extremely intelligent and fearless Safety, Downs is brilliant in coverage in a generational

by Zak Drapeau Sportz Nation - 4/14/2026 Photo by Kate Luffman/ Tennessee Athletics 1. Jermod McCoy 6'1" - 188 lbs Tennessee Big Board Rank: 10 Pro Comparison: Stephon Gilmore McCoy is a very elite ball hawking corner with intense man coverage WHEN HEALTHY. And that's really the only knock on him is that he hasn't played real football since January of 2025 after tearing his ACL in an offseason workout. After his Tennessee Pro Day where he got back on the field and had good mo

by Zak Drapeau Sportz Nation - 4/8/2026 Graphic by NFL For the first time in the 2026 Draft season I will be putting out a Mock Draft with trades. This exercise helps with 2 things, the first being it gives everyone an idea of the most likely candidates to move picks when it comes to the First Round on April 24 and also shakes up the normal routine of draft picks we see selected just about at the same selection just about every time. I will probably make a separate list just

by Zak Drapeau Sportz Nation - 4/7/2026 Photo by Samantha Madar/ Columbus Dispatch/ USA Today Network via Imagn Images 1. Sonny Styles 6'5" - 244 lbs Ohio State Big Board Rank: 5 Pro Comparison: Kyle Hamilton Sonny Styles may be the best off-ball Linebacker I've ever scouted and that comes mainly down to his background as a Safety. At 6'5" and 244 pounds, Styles blew away EVERYONE at the NFL Combine and declared himself the biggest "freak" of his class by a longshot. Styles

by Zak Drapeau Sportz Nation - 4/2/2026 Photo by Mark J. Rebilas/ Imagn Images 1. David Bailey 6'4" - 251 lbs Texas Tech Big Board Rank: 3 Pro Comparison: Souped-Up Jared Verse Bailey checks off all of my boxes for an NFL rusher and is the most ready prospect for the next level at current day. Bailey doesn't have elite strength but his twitch, explosiveness, hands and agility are already at an NFL-level. Bailey has fallen out with some teams in the NFL and may go as low as 1

by Zak Drapeau Sportz Nation - 3/31/2026 Photo by Matt Pendleton/ Gainesville Sun 1. Caleb Banks 6'6" - 327 lbs Florida Big Board Rank: 18 Player Comparison: Jordan Davis It took me a long time to say that Banks is the better prospetc than Woods in this class but I'm confident now. Banks has the ability to be a brick wall in the middle of the line with his size and strength but his athletic upside is what rose him up my board. Like Peter Woods and most of this group, Banks d

by Zak Drapeau Sportz Nation - 3/30/2026 Positions of Need : Tackle Wide Receiver Edge Rusher Defensive Tackle Draft Picks : Round 1 (31) Round 2 (63) Round 3 (95) Round 4 (125) Round 4 (131) _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ Pick #31 Photo by Jerome Miron/ Imagn Images (What They Should Do) - Draft Best Player Available of WR, OT, Edge or DT (What They Will Probably Do) - Draft Edge or DT (Prospects That Make Sense) - T.J. Parker, Edge, Clemson - Denzel Boston, WR, Washing

by Zak Drapeau Sportz Nation - 3/26/2026 Photo by Ericka Apolskis/ Onward State 1. Olaivavega Ioane 6'4" - 320 lbs Penn State Big Board Rank: 16 Pro Comparison: Robert Hunt "Vega" Ioane is the best run blocker of the class while also having the technical ability and physical traits to be a future All-Pro. At 6'4" and 320+ pounds, Vega is a bit rigid and it will show sometime when having to battle more finesse rushers, but his pass blocking is still solid if not very good. Ve

by Zak Drapeau Sportz Nation - 3/24/2026 Photo by Lauren Sopourn/ Getty Images 1. Francis Mauigoa 6'6" - 329 lbs Miami Big Board Rank: 12 Pro Comparison: Tailese Fuaga Mauigoa is a Right Tackle in the league and while I don't think he's the best player in this ranking, he is the best player that will stay at Tackle for sure. A strong and consistent pass blocker, Mauigoa was a 3-year starter at Miami and measured and tested very well at the Combine. _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _

by Zak Drapeau Sportz Nation - 3/19/2026 Photo by Brian Murphy/ Icon Sportswire via Getty Images 1. Kenyon Sadiq 6'3" - 245 lbs Oregon Big Board Rank: 6 Pro Comparison: Trey McBride The last two years have seen Tyler Warren, Brock Bowers and Colston Loveland go in the first round and I'm not too sure Kenyon Sadiq isn't the best of the bunch. Certainly the best athlete, Sadiq put up one of the bets Combines of any Tight End in history and has shown to be a good enough athlete