2026 NFL Draft: Inside the Superpower Driving Fernando Mendoza’s Ascent

INDIANAPOLIS — Fernando Mendoza has a plan. He’s the kind of person who has the answers to that confounding series of interview questions: Where do you see yourself in one year? In five years? And in 10? He is, after all, the guy who finished his business degree at Cal in just three years — before transferring to Indiana to win a national championship and the Heisman Trophy. He knows where he’s going. Because of that, as a quarterback, he also knows exactly where he’s going to place the football. When Mendoza joined the Hoosiers through the transfer portal, he got together with his pass-catchers last spring and summer. It wasn't exactly a meet and greet. Rather, Mendoza schooled them on what he wanted when it came to routes, timing and hand placement. "He always puts the ball exactly where he wants it to be," former Indiana tight end Riley Nowakowski said in Indianapolis last week. "You gotta get a little bit adjusted to that because you gotta figure out where he wants it to be and exactly where he wants you to be." Exactitude is crucial in a game determined by, as Mendoza says, "small margins." One-inch victories turn into one-point victories. And so it’s of the utmost importance for a quarterback to get on the same page with his pass-catchers — right away. "Chemistry is everything," Mendoza said at the podium at the NFL Combine. "Throughout the season, we were able to build better chemistry from game one all the way through game 16. I think that was really shown by the back-shoulder balls. … Most of the balls we threw, especially in the latter half of the season, were on time. They’re accurate. There’s good anticipation and the receivers all made great catches." Those throws were what made Mendoza so difficult to defend at the college level. They are what NFL evaluators might call his "superpower," a common scouting term used to identify a prospect’s most salient quality. At first, I’ll admit that it struck me as underwhelming that Mendoza’s superpower might be back-shoulder throws rather than his arm talent or creativity. But the truth is, based on chemistry and timing with his pass-catchers, the back-shoulder throw is impossible to defend when executed properly. And so … what better superpower is there for a QB than one that renders his throws indefensible? Mendoza became famous for the back-shoulder throw at Indiana. But even at Cal, he knew that type of throw would be valuable, even if it wasn’t a throw that came naturally to him. "He was OK at it," Jake Spavital, Mendoza's offensive coordinator in 2023, told us last week. "We would practice those daily at Cal. I showed thousands of clips of back-shoulder throws, because that’s really what you do in the NFL. He started studying it, practicing it. And if he didn’t like the throw, he would work and work and work and work and work until he became so great at it." That is more or less the story of Fernando Mendoza’s improbable rise. But there’s more. So much more. *** *** *** Mendoza had just one offer coming out of high school: Yale. That’s one heck of an offer, but it wasn’t the type he wanted from a power conference. "He was still going to all these camps and getting zero love. Nobody wanted this kid," Danny Hernandez, Mendoza’s private QB coach, told me. Hernandez kept in touch with veteran NFL coach Bill Musgrave, who was Cal's offensive coordinator in 2022. After striking out on a pair of top-end high school quarterbacks prospects, Musgrave finally showed up at Columbus High School in Miami to see Mendoza in person. Musgrave offered him a scholarship on the spot — despite Mendoza being the 140th-ranked QB prospect in the country. "That was a true ranking," Mendoza said. "I was a raw prospect. I was terrible." It should come as no surprise that Mendoza spent his first year in college sitting out. Then, in his redshirt freshman year, he was the team’s QB3. But not for long. As always, the dude had a plan. "[In 2023,] we would be up there scripting for practice and finalizing game plans, and he just wanted to be a fly on the wall. And that was really cool to see," Mike Bloesch, run-game coordinator at North Texas told me. "At that time, I was [Cal's] offensive line coach, and he'd come ask me about protections and run game. Then he'd walk into the tight end coach's office and ask, ‘How are we coaching the tight ends on this route?’ And then he walked down to the receivers coach's office. He just really did his due diligence, making the rounds." There’s the old adage that a backup should prepare as if he’s the starter. But at the time, Mendoza was a QB3. And he was spending more time around the coaching staff than the starter and the backup. I, for one, have never heard of that. "I know. I know. That’s just kind of the way Fernando is wired," Bloesch told me. "I don't know that I've been around a guy that truly loves every part of football the way that he does. And nowadays, that's a big deal." It’s a particularly big deal in the NIL age, when college players prioritize their earning potential. Who doesn’t like getting paid as much as they can for their work? But certainly, NIL has shifted the culture of college football, which wasn’t necessarily all about the love of the game beforehand — but it did have more of that element. Mendoza has preserved that love for the game (and the beauty of college football itself). Still, there were some issues in those early starts at Cal, namely that he turned over the football at a high clip, which included 10 interceptions in his first nine games. There was plenty to clean up between his final start of his redshirt freshman year and his first start of his redshirt sophomore season. In those times of transition, Mendoza often leaned on Hernandez, the private QB coach. They would stay in touch during the regular season, with Mendoza regularly texting Hernandez — sometimes in the middle of the night — to ask for his take on a throw that went awry. Hernandez would have an answer, and Mendoza would carry on. Then the offseasons were about bigger changes — and leaps in development. They’d run through their throwing sessions — often including other quarterbacks — and Hernandez would offer feedback. At the end of the session, as the other players left Mendoza would head to the sideline to get on his phone. But it wasn’t like he was scrolling social media. "What he'd be doing on his phone is basically taking notes while it was fresh in his mind, straight from the session," Hernandez told me. "So then he'd come up to me right after the session. He was like, ‘OK, these are things that I remember you telling me today. Of these four things that you were on me about today, what can I do when I get home?’ … He always had a game plan." Despite all the work Mendoza did and all the progress he made, the Golden Bears did not make the commitment to start him entering his sophomore season. He was in an open competition to start 2024 against transfer QB Chandler Rogers. Mendoza won that competition, but the team’s decision to bring in a competitor didn’t sit well with Hernandez or Fernando Mendoza Sr. They were already thinking about where else Mendoza might land in 2025 — perhaps before the QB gave it any thought. "I think no matter what kind of season happens here, he's gonna have to move on," Hernandez remembered thinking. "So then he has the really good season, and I just said, ‘Hey, man, his stock has just improved tremendously.’ I think the combination of the stock improving [in 2024] and kind of the disrespect that Cal had been giving him, it kind of made sense that he should probably move on." Mendoza was solid in 2024, finishing with 3,004 passing yards, 16 touchdowns and six interceptions. It wasn’t exactly the type of production that would land him in the first round of the NFL Draft — let alone the first-overall pick. But Indiana coach Curt Cignetti already had Alberto Mendoza, Fernando’s brother, on the team. When Cignetti dove into Fernando’s tape, the coach was one of many who offered him a scholarship. Spoiler alert: Mendoza chose Indiana. *** *** *** You know that conversation you have when you’re eating slow-burn spicy food? Somebody at the table got into the spicy dish, and they’re freaking out about it. So you try it. But it hasn’t quite hit you yet. So dive in for more. And you don’t know what the fuss is about — until you’re feeling that heat in the biggest way. That’s sort of what it’s like to watch Mendoza’s film at Indiana. The heat isn’t there right away. But as the season wears on, you start to understand what everyone is talking about. And at the end, you feel it. You understand the hype. First, you have to appreciate his progress as a prospect, even over the course of the year. Second, you have to appreciate his consistency and his relentless approach to doing things the right way, which showed up on Saturday for a perfect season. "I think he took a big jump, quite frankly, from the first game to the third and fourth game. He stepped up against Iowa. That was a hostile environment, and he made a couple wild throws," Cignetti said on the Week 7 edition of "Big Noon Kickoff." "He's come a long way, and as much as he's improved since he's been here, he's far from a finished product. His upside is unlimited." Mendoza got there by working endlessly with his pass-catchers, from Omar Cooper Jr. to Elijah Sarratt to Charlie Becker to Nowakowski. He did it by doing what he did at Cal — logging long hours with the coaching staff, including Cignetti and QBs coach Chandler Whitmer. One of Mendoza’s favorite parts of the year was his study of NFL quarterbacks. He talks endlessly about how much he appreciates Tom Brady’s game. And there are the other obvious QBs Mendoza could study: Patrick Mahomes, Josh Allen and the other game-wrecking talents. But Whitmer didn’t put any of those guys up in film study. Instead, he showed Baker Mayfield, Sam Darnold and Matthew Stafford. "It helped me learn a lot about the NFL game because you always see the highlights, but it was really interesting to see how they dealt with plays that didn't go their way, when they needed to throw the ball away, or they needed to check it down, and I think that really helped my efficiency this year," Mendoza said on "The Herd." Mendoza kept building out his plan for what should go right — and for what could go wrong. "If there were 25 hours in a day, he'd spend all 25 preparing," Cignetti said on the "Joel Klatt Show." "He wants to be great, and he does everything he can to be great, and teammates love him." Looking back at Mendoza’s 2025 season is staggering. He completed 91.3% of his passes and threw for five touchdowns against No. 9 Illinois in Week 4. He threw a key fourth-quarter touchdown to beat No. 3 Oregon on the road in Week 6. He led a last-minute touchdown drive against Penn State to preserve Indiana's perfect record in Week 10. He threw for 222 yards to take down No. 1 Ohio State in the Big Ten Championship Game. Then he led Indiana on a history-making three-game run in the College Football Playoff. Overall, he threw for 3,535 passing yards, 41 touchdowns and six interceptions. He rushed for seven more touchdowns on the ground — including his run that won the national championship for Indiana. Mendoza helped Miami go 16-0. He knocked off six teams with top-10 rankings. He won the Heisman. You’d think he would get cocky — or even just confident. But he sure seems to have stayed humble. At the NFL Combine, he got to talking about Cooper. "He helped make me this year," Mendoza said. By all estimations, Mendoza worked tirelessly to make himself. He planned. He grinded. He converted. But if you ask him, it was everyone else. That’s not a bad guy to have as a team leader. *** *** *** If Mendoza looked at the Heisman odds in the week leading up to the final tally, he could plainly see that he was going run away with the vote. Perhaps getting the sense that he’d win something significant, he made plans — while in New York — to give back. This was the one accomplishment that wasn’t listed on his Heisman Campaign. For all the work Mendoza did to change the trajectory of Indiana's football program, I’m not sure his accomplishments match a project that has spanned over the entirety of his college career. It’s his work with the National MS Society to fight Multiple Sclerosis. In Berkley, he’d partnered with La Burrita near the Cal campus to make the "Mendoza Burrito" to honor his mother and raise money for the National MS Society. Elsa Mendoza is a former University of Miami tennis player who has lived with MS for nearly two decades. Then in Bloomington, he and his brother, Alberto, did the same thing, working with BuffaLouie's and Gable's Bagels to create sandwiches to raise money and awareness for MS. "My mom means the world to me — she’s the most caring and positive person I know — and I’ll keep doing everything I can to support her and others living with MS," Mendoza wrote on the landing page for his fundraiser. He and his brother had raised $349,795 at the time of publication. One of the things that follows Mendoza wherever he goes is this idea that he’s "authentic." I’ll admit that capturing authenticity is difficult to do in the written word. His coaches and teammates will speak of his geeky-but-tough persona — his exuberant energy. On the football field. At practice. In the meeting room. It was most telling that Sarah Smith, the vice president of external relations at the National MS Society, kept coming back to Mendoza’s "authenticity." "The power of his and the family's authenticity is what has really blown us away internally here," she said. "We've been able to build this trust with the family to really make a difference for something that Fernando's really passionate about." So let’s go back to the morning of the Heisman Trophy ceremony, when Mendoza was at an Adidas-sponsored charity event. He had staged a shopping spree at the Adidas flagship store for four families impacted by MS. "Some of the conversations you heard — there were 5- and 6-year-old little kids whose moms have MS," Smith remembered. "And just talking to Fernando and him saying, ‘I know what you're going through. My mom has MS.’ And just these kids came away with just this sparkle in their eyes, right? … It goes again, back to that authenticity. I think it is pretty rare these days." After the end of the event, Smith was standing near a mother who had MS. "I've been feeling very lonely recently," the woman told Smith. And after she met Mendoza? "I finally felt seen, and I felt not alone," she said. *** *** *** The Las Vegas Raiders pick at No. 1 overall in the 2026 NFL Draft. Everyone knows who they’ll pick. Never mind that Brady, the team’s part-owner, has spoken highly of Mendoza. Never mind that Mendoza makes perfect sense to operate new head coach Klint Kubiak’s system. Never mind that Mendoza would be a sensational option to get a huge season out of star tight end Brock Bowers. Forget all that. Focus on this instead. This is what Raiders GM John Spytek said about what he’s looking for in a quarterback. "A leader. Tough as hell. Somebody that loves to play football. Maniacal preparer. Obviously, someone that can throw the ball well," Spytek said at the combine. "I think just somebody the loves the game and will give everything for their teammates. He added: "There’s a great humility and selflessness required to play that position at the highest level." I mean … come on. Fernando Mendoza has executed his plan to perfection. Now it's the Raiders' turn.

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Big Picture: Seahawks Insist It's Still 'Business as Usual' After Super Bowl Whirlwind, Sale

INDIANAPOLIS — Nearly three hours after his media availability in the Indiana Convention Center for the NFL Scouting Combine, I bumped into Seattle Seahawks general manager John Schneider, breathing a sigh of relief as he exited the facility. Everyone wanted a piece of Seattle’s top personnel man in Indianapolis. That comes with winning a Super Bowl, and that's why it’s so hard to repeat. Schneider got a chance to briefly exhale after his team’s Super Bowl victory parade a few weeks ago, but now he’s back on the grind, figuring out how he’s going to keep the foundation of his football team together with the start of free agency looming and the draft right after that. "It’s really going to be about my private time, the studying and getting caught up with that," Schneider said when I asked him at the podium about the shrinking timeline this offseason after the Seahawks won 17 games this year. "We had great free agency meetings during the season, so we’ll learn a lot about what’s going on down here this week. But yeah, the timeline part of that is real. … It’s like the discipline on the weekends to try to figure out how to get caught up. "We’ll get to it." Schneider also said he does not expect the sale of the Seahawks by owner Jody Allen to impact his team’s plan for this offseason. "It’s just business as usual for us," Schneider said. The Seahawks only have four draft picks this year. Schneider said part of the reason for that is Seattle anticipated last year’s draft class would be stronger than 2026 and wanted to take advantage of a deep draft talent pool in 2025. Schneider accomplished that by hitting on the team’s first-round selection in offensive guard Grey Zabel, one of the key pieces to Mike Macdonald’s defense in safety Nick Emmanwori, a pass-catching tight end in Elijah Arroyo and a developmental quarterback in Jalen Milroe. While everything fell into place for the Seahawks in 2025, Schneider has done a nice job building a roster that can compete for a Super Bowl for an extended period. Seattle’s average roster age of 25.8 was tied for the fourth-youngest roster in the league at the start of the regular season. Still, Schneider and the Seahawks have some work to do in free agency. Seattle has some money to keep many of its foundational pieces in the fold, including potentially offering new deals to young players eligible for extensions in wide receiver Jaxon Smith-Njigba and cornerback Devon Witherspoon. Seattle’s projected over $60 million in salary cap space is the sixth-most in the NFL. The top player set to hit the market is running back Kenneth Walker III, but return specialist Rashid Shaheed, edge rusher Boye Mafe, safety Coby Bryant and cornerbacks Josh Jobe and Riq Woolen also will command attention in free agency. Schneider said he’d like to have Walker back. However, a Memphis native who trains in Dallas in the offseason, will have a robust market after finishing as Super Bowl MVP, potentially pricing himself out of staying in Seattle. Along with that, new offensive coordinator Brian Fleury comes from a franchise in San Francisco that has done a nice job of finding productive runners as mid-round selections in the draft. And Seattle’s zone blocking scheme, which originated in Denver decades ago with Mike Shanahan, is known for producing at a high level with less talented running backs. "We’ll start talking to all the agents and we’ll have a better feel where we’re going here towards the end of the week," Schneider said, when asked about bringing back Walker. "Obviously, we’d love to have everybody. We want to have everybody back, you know, right? When you get done with something special like that, you're like, ‘Let’s run it back. Let’s run it back.’ It’s going to be an interesting process." Seahawks head coach Mike Macdonald said he still hasn’t watched a replay of the Super Bowl victory and doesn’t plan on doing that anytime soon. "I’m going to Hawaii next week, so I ain’t doing it there either," joked Macdonald at the podium last week. How Macdonald recreated the unique connectivity he established last season will be a priority once players return from a needed break this offseason. Macdonald emphasized the importance of evolving as a franchise, not being complacent about having won the Super Bowl and understanding the fragility of implementing a winning culture within a building. "The principle of how we are going to operate is we want to nail the daily goals — the daily standard of what we’re trying to achieve to become a championship team again," Macdonald said. "It’s really going to be that simple. How we build the offseason program and what we do on a daily basis, that’s going to look a little different for a variety of reasons. "But how we do our business, how we interact with each other and how we attack schematically and how we put things together, that will all stay the same." Macdonald also lost continuity with offensive coordinator Klint Kubiak leaving to take the head coaching job with the Las Vegas Raiders. However, he expects the core principles to remain the same on the side of the football with Fleury taking over. "We’re going to be the Seattle Seahawks," Macdonald said. "We’re going to have a different evolution of our offense. It’s going to be built on the same principles, but how it comes to life and the exact plays we’re going to run, I can’t answer that yet. But I know how Brian is going to operate and how our staff is going to operate, and I’m really excited to see this offense come to life." The bottom line is Schneider and Macdonald both understand the arduous task ahead in defending their Super Bowl title. But Schneider believes the Seahawks will be up for the challenge. "Even in the locker room, at the parade, they’re all talking about next year," Schneider said. "It’s just cool. There’s a great mix of veteran leadership — dogs, young dogs, athletes, speed – and then guys that are willing to buy into development and their coaches, and the people in the building that are supporting them." In the Big Picture, we contextualize key moves and moments so you can instantly understand why they matter.

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2026 NFL Draft Odds: Which Franchise Will Draft Jeremiyah Love?

The NFL will feel the love this upcoming season. Jeremiyah Love was arguably the best back in college football for the past two seasons, and now, the major leagues are next. Where will the Notre Dame superstar land? Let's check out the odds at DraftKings Sportsbook as of March 2. This page may contain affiliate links to legal sports betting partners. If you sign up or place a wager, FOX Sports may be compensated. Read more about Sports Betting on FOX Sports. Which team will Jeremiyah Love be drafted by? Commanders: +225 (bet $10 to win $32.50 total)Titans: +225 (bet $10 to win $32.50 total)Chiefs: +275 (bet $10 to win $37.50 total)Saints: +350 (bet $10 to win $45 total)Cardinals: +1200 (bet $10 to win $130 total)Giants: +1300 (bet $10 to win $140 total)Jets: +1400 (bet $10 to win $150 total)Vikings: +1500 (bet $10 to win $160 total)Cowboys: +2200 (bet $10 to win $230 total)Steelers: +2500 (bet $10 to win $260 total) Love was a lovely player for the Fighting Irish for the past two years. In that time, he tallied 2,497 rushing yards and 40 total touchdowns (35 rushing and five receiving). Talk about production. He finished third in Heisman voting this past season, won the Doak Walker Award and was unanimously named a first-team All-American. He also had six 100-yard rushing games last year. Topping the board are Washington and Tennessee. The Commanders own the seventh pick in the first round. After making an NFC title game appearance in 2024, they dealt with injuries to star quarterback Jayden Daniels for the majority of last season, finishing third in the NFC East and missing the postseason entirely. In terms of the rushing game, Washington was one of the best in the league, finishing fourth overall with 134.7 rushing yards per game. It's by committee, however, considering the Commanders have not had a running back accrue more than 900 rushing yards since Antonio Gibson tallied 1,037 in 2021. Daniels (a quarterback) rushed for 891 in 2024, and Jacory Croskey-Merritt rushed for 805 last season. Moving to Tennessee, it was not one of the better rushing attacks in the league, finishing third-to-last in yards per game last season (93.5). It was one of six teams that failed to rush for 100 yards per game. The Titans own the fourth pick in the draft. Rounding out the top three are the Chiefs, who will enter next season without Patrick Mahomes at the helm, as he recovers from a torn ACL. Kansas City had the 25th-best rushing attack in the league last season (106.6 yards per game). The Chiefs last had a 1,000-yard rusher in 2017, when Kareem Hunt put up 1,327 behind Alex Smith. No running back has rushed for 1,000 yards since Mahomes became the starting QB. Kansas City has the ninth pick.

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Texans Reportedly Land Lions RB David Montgomery After Trading RT Tytus Howard

David Montgomery is getting traded after all. The Detroit Lions are trading the running back to the Houston Texans, NFL Media reported Monday. In return for Montgomery, Detroit will reportedly receive offensive lineman Juice Scruggs, a fourth-round pick and a seventh-round pick. Montgomery's trade came a day after the standout running back seemingly questioned a report that he wanted to get moved this offseason. Detroit was assessing Montgomery's trade value around the league and was hoping to receive an early Day 3 pick for the running back, ESPN reported Sunday. While the Lions were able to get what they were seeking in a Montgomery trade, the Texans are also getting a major boost to their backfield. Houston ranked 22nd in rushing in 2025 as Pro Bowl running back Joe Mixon missed the entire season due to injury. Statistically, Montgomery had the worst season of his career in 2025, but he was still quite productive. He rushed for 716 yards, but he did it on a respectable 4.5 yards per carry. He also rushed for eight touchdowns, adding 192 receiving yards. In his first two seasons in Detroit, Montgomery rushed for 1,790 yards and 25 touchdowns in 28 games. He also had 458 yards receiving over that stretch. The emergence of Jahmyr Gibbs as a three-down running back also made Montgomery expendable. Gibbs was top-10 in all-purpose yards again this past season, and he's also up for a contract extension this offseason. A potential extension would likely make Gibbs one of the highest-paid running backs in football. The Texans' trade for Montgomery came hours after it was reported they traded starting right tackle Tytus Howard to the Cleveland Browns for a fifth-round pick. It's clear the Texans are reshaping their offense following another playoff shortcoming and some struggles on that side of the ball, largely relying on their defense for success. Both trades can't be finalized until the new league year begins on March 11.

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2026 NFL Draft: Top 50 Prospects After the Scouting Combine

It remains to be seen how many NFL stars the 2026 draft will produce, but the Scouting Combine proved at least one thing: this class offers plenty of speed. Arkansas quarterback Taylen Green, Oregon tight end Kenyon Sadiq and Ohio State safety Lorenzo Styles Jr. all turned in 40-yard dash times that ranked among the fastest at their respective positions in league history, while Mississippi State wideout Brenen Thompson topped all runners this past week with a blistering 4.26 mark. Still, many of the best prospects in this class play along the line of scrimmage, and I expect defensive and offensive linemen will make up much of the first round. With only Pro Days and private workouts remaining, here is how I currently rank the best 50 prospects of the 2026 NFL Draft. 50. Dani Dennis-Sutton, Edge, Penn State He is among the handful of prospects to surge on my latest board, proving at the Combine that his stellar production in college was due not only to refined technique but underrated athleticism. Consider Dennis-Sutton one of this year’s biggest winners at Lucas Oil Stadium. 49. Zachariah Branch, WR, Georgia Branch is likely going to generate some Tyreek Hill comparisons during the pre-draft process, powered by the 4.35 speed he demonstrated at the Combine. Like Hill, Branch is at his best as a vertical threat or in the quick game, offering the kind of instant spark to a passing attack that only elite speed can provide. 48. Mike Washington Jr., RB, Arkansas Few boosted their stock at the Combine more than the burly Washington, whose 4.33-second 40-yard dash time not only was the fastest among all running backs, it was the fastest among any player weighing over 220 pounds. In a relatively weak year for running backs, Washington’s elite size-speed combination warrants top-50 consideration. 47. Christen Miller, DT, Georgia Miller elected not to participate in the timed drills at the Combine, but he’s just too good of a player to not include on this list. I don’t see a flashy athlete, but he has prototypical size (6-foot-4, 321 pounds) for blue collar run-stuffing duties. Miller’s length, strength and grit suggest that he’ll stick around in the NFL for a decade or more. 46. D’Angelo Ponds, CB, Indiana I’m less confident that undersized defenders such as Ponds will be among the first 50 players drafted than I am about him ultimately proving he should’ve been. At just 5-foot-9, 173 pounds, Ponds has obvious limitations, but he’s pound-for-pound the most physical and instinctive DB in this class with 33 pass breakups — including seven interceptions — in three standout seasons at the collegiate level. 45. Kyle Louis, OLB, Pittsburgh At just 5-foot-11, 224 pounds, Louis won’t be a fit for everyone. But, frankly, I think that’s a mistake. Louis is highly instinctive with lightning-quick closing speed. He is a proven big-play magnet with 24 tackles for loss, 10 sacks and six interceptions over the past two seasons. 44. Chase Bisontis, OG, Texas A&M An athletic 6-foot-5, 315-pounder, Bisontis looks and moves like a tackle — he even earned freshman All-American honors at right tackle back in 2023. He played even better inside at left guard the past two years, showing the initial quickness and agility to fit best in a zone-blocking scheme. 43. Jacob Rodriguez, ILB, Texas Tech More decorated than a wedding cake after winning the Bronko Nagurski, Chuck Bednarik and Butkus Awards, Rodriguez arguably should’ve been on this list even before a terrific showing at the Combine. But I certainly won’t make the mistake of excluding him after he erased any doubts about his pure athleticism in Indy. 42. Jadarian Price, RB, Notre Dame As demonstrated with his 4.49 time in the 40-yard dash, Price isn’t the athletic phenom that will earn fellow Notre Dame product Jeremiyah Love a top 10 pick. But he’s actually the more fundamentally sound running back, showing a future NFL bell cow’s blend of vision, burst and contact balance. He’s also one of this year’s most dynamic returners, taking back three kickoffs for touchdowns in just 22 opportunities. 41. Blake Miller, OT, Clemson Miller isn’t as agile or powerful as some of the top-rated tackles higher on my board, but as a rare four-year starter who faced elite competition every day in practice, he’s as safe as a Subaru. Miller has a somewhat gangly frame and upright stance that isn’t always the most aesthetically pleasing, but he’s quick, smart and has excellent hands to steer and sustain. 40. T.J., Parker, Edge, Clemson Like several of his former Clemson teammates, Parker was the victim of his own success, struggling to live up to expectations in 2025 after a dominant 2024 campaign that included 19.5 tackles for loss, 11 sacks and an FBS-leading six forced fumbles. He’s a functional, rugged edge defender whose game is built more on torque than twitch. 39. Caleb Lomu, OT, Utah Quick and coordinated, it was Lomu — and not his more celebrated teammate Spencer Fano — who started the past two seasons at the critical left tackle position for the Utes. Just a redshirt sophomore still growing into his frame, Lomu is currently a better pass protector than run blocker, but he has a bright future if he commits to the weight room. 38. Akheem Mesidor, Edge, Miami As a sixth-year collegiate athlete, Mesidor (24) was literally a man amongst boys for Miami a year ago, leading the ACC with 10.5 sacks and forcing four fumbles. He wins in more ways than perhaps any rusher in this class, pairing impressive physical traits such as burst, bend and power with refined hand play and nuanced counter moves. 37. Zion Young, Edge, Missouri Young capped a terrific week of Senior Bowl practice by being named the National team’s Player of the Game. At a rocked-up 6-foot-5 and 262 pounds, Young isn’t as explosive off the ball as some of the undersized pass-rush specialists listed earlier, but he is a passionate and physical tone-setter at the line of scrimmage. 36. Emmanuel McNeil-Warren, S, Toledo The ability to create turnovers is like catnip to football scouts, and few in this class offer a more tantalizing track record of that than the lanky, hard-hitting McNeil-Warren, who enters the NFL with nine forced fumbles and five interceptions in his career. 35. Brandon Cisse, CB, South Carolina Cisse has all the traits to become a quality NFL starter — including a prototypical blend of size, speed and physicality in run support. His occasional mistakes on tape seemed coachable, and with Cisse not turning 21 until July, the expectation is that he’s just scratching the surface. 34. Max Iheanachor, OT, Arizona State A native Nigerian who grew up playing soccer and basketball, Iheanachor is a 6-foot-5, 325-pound investment for the future who seemingly just needs time to master the nuances of the position. His easy movement skills and natural power turned heads at both the Senior Bowl and the Combine. 33. Kayden McDonald, NG, Ohio State At 6-foot-3, 326 pounds, McDonald is every bit the run-plugger his frame suggests, complementing his dense, powerful frame with excellent balance and spatial awareness. He isn’t going to ever lead the NFL in sacks, but he’s no slug against the pass, either, showing effort, power and surprisingly quick feet to play all three downs. 32. Ty Simpson, QB, Alabama Simpson, a former 5-star recruit, torched the SEC for 28 touchdowns and a conference-leading 3,567 yards in his lone season as a starter in Tuscaloosa, showing the pro-caliber accuracy to project as a future NFL starter. The traits were obvious during the throwing session at the Combine, all but cementing his position as the No. 2 quarterback in this class. Simpson has a quick release, plenty of zip and excellent touch to make every NFL throw — but there were some "deer in the headlights" moments on his tape. Moreover, the track record of quarterbacks selected in the first round with 20 or fewer starts (Simpson has 15) is a bright red flag. 31. Chris Johnson, CB, San Diego State Johnson was named the Mountain West Conference’s Defensive Player of the Year in 2025, taking two of his four interceptions back for scores. A technician with excellent route awareness, he erased any doubts about his pure athleticism in precisely 4.40 seconds at the Combine. 30. Gabe Jacas, Edge, Illinois Using a blend of physicality and instincts that translates well to the pro game, Jacas led the Big Ten with 11 sacks and three forced fumbles in 2025 before delivering a stellar performance at the Senior Bowl. Jacas may lack the twitch of some of this year’s top pass-rushers, but I see shades of a young DeMarcus Lawrence in Jacas’ game. 29. CJ Allen, ILB, Georgia Many of the top off-ball linebackers in this class are hybrid-types with limited experience taking on and shedding blockers in the hole. Allen isn’t flashy, but he’s as close to a Day 1 starting middle linebacker as this class has to offer. He’s smart, stout and just scratching the surface of his potential at just 20 years old. 28. Denzel Boston, WR, Washington The whole point of playing receiver is to catch touchdowns, and with 20 TDs over the past two seasons, Boston is the most prolific scorer of this year’s top wideouts. He should be able to continue this red zone mastery in the NFL, using his 6-foot-4, 209-pound frame, timing, body control and strong hands to win above the rim. 27. Cassius Howell, Edge, Texas A&M Stubby (30 1/4-inch arms) and less explosive (32.5-inch vertical jump) than expected, Howell slips down my board a bit after a disappointing Combine. But he remains one of my favorite prospects in this class because of his slipperiness off the edge and ability to drop into coverage. If Howell falls to the latter portion of the first round, some playoff contending club is going get a steal. 26. Avieon Terrell, CB, Clemson Nickel cornerbacks have never been more in demand, and Terrell is my favorite among them in this class. The NFL legacy plays significantly above his weight class (180 pounds), averaging 50 tackles over the past two seasons and generating eight forced fumbles during that span, including an ACC-best five this past year. 25. Dillon Thieneman, S, Oregon Typecast as a highly instinctive player who played fast, Thieneman proved at the Combine that he possesses elite athleticism to go with his diagnostic skills and soft hands, running the 40-yard dash in 4.35 seconds (with a 1.52 10-yard split) and generating an explosive 41-inch vertical jump. Thieneman has the look of an "easy" first-round pick at this point and a decade-long NFL starter. 24. Anthony Hill Jr., ILB, Texas Hill was asked to play many roles during his three years at Texas, spanning from edge rusher to inside linebacker to even nickel cornerback. That fact speaks to Hill’s football IQ. The tape shows uncommon agility for a 6-foot-3, 240-pound linebacker, as well reliable open-field tackling skills. 23. Colton Hood, CB, Tennessee Hood travels as well in the hip pocket of receivers as he does in the transfer portal, bouncing from Auburn to Colorado to Tennessee over the past three years before entering the draft at just 20 years old. He is an easy mover with impressive awareness of the ball and in run support, as well as a legitimate playmaker with touchdowns scored via interception and fumble recoveries. 22. Peter Woods, DT, Clemson Similar in some ways to Auburn’s Keldric Faulk, Woods is young (he’ll turn 21 in March), powerful and athletic, with his best football still ahead of him. He pairs his hands and feet well for such a young player, offering more to affect the quarterback than his five sacks in 35 college games might suggest. 21. KC Concepcion, WR, Texas A&M With 28 combined rushing and receiving scores in 38 career games at Texas A&M and North Carolina State, Concepcion is easily the top point producer of this year’s standout receiver class. Concepcion’s given name is Kevin, but KC is his preferred nickname and it better describes the silky-smooth athleticism he uses to consistently create space. 20. Kadyn Proctor, OL, Alabama It isn’t often that a man listed at 366 pounds can be described as muscular, but Proctor boasts as power-packed of a frame as you’ll see. What you see is what you get with Proctor, a bar-room brawler whose girth and power could ultimately push him inside to guard. 19. Jordyn Tyson, WR, Arizona State Simply put, Tyson has the best tape of this year’s receiver crop. It isn’t often that receivers of his size, twitch and tracking skills come around. Tyson is a case of "buyer beware," however, as he has missed multiple games because of injuries in each of the past three seasons. 18. Kenyon Sadiq, TE, Oregon As demonstrated with one of the greatest workouts from a tight end in Combine history, Sadiq is cut from a different cloth than most players at his position, possessing a squatty 6-foot-3, 240-pound frame and a rare combination of explosive athleticism and physicality. There are bright flashes on his tape as a pass-catcher, but he’s already an NFL-caliber blocker, showing excellent leg drive and grip strength to control opponents. 17. Olaivavega Ioane, OG, Penn State At a dense 6-foot-4, 328 pounds, Ioane is perfectly built for the battles in the trenches, absorbing would-be rushers with his broad frame and heavy hands. While possible tackle converts could ultimately be drafted earlier, Ioane is the consensus top-rated "pure" interior offensive lineman of this class. 16. Jermod McCoy, CB, Tennessee McCoy’s first two college seasons (at Oregon State and Tennessee, respectively) were so impressive that he maintained a first-round grade on my board even after missing the entire 2025 season with an ACL injury. When healthy, McCoy is a smooth cover corner with terrific ball skills, breaking up 16 passes (with six interceptions) over that span. 15. Makai Lemon, WR, USC Lemon reminds me a lot of Golden Tate, a dynamic run-after-the-catch weapon who played 11 years in the NFL. Like the 5-foot-11, 197-pound Tate, Lemon is a difficult matchup for cornerbacks because of a compact, almost RB-like frame to go with dynamic speed and top-notch ball skills. 14. Caleb Banks, DT, Florida Pardon the pun, but Banks has made a lot of money in the past two months, dominating at the Senior Bowl after missing seven games this year due to a fractured foot that required surgery. Standing a massive 6-foot-6, 335 pounds, with 35-inch arms and 10 3/4-inch hands, Banks is simply bigger than most trying to block him, and he can simply rag-doll blockers at times. 13. Monroe Freeling, OT, Georgia With a steady stream of NFL blockers ahead of him on Georgia’s depth chart, Freeling had to wait his turn before seeing the field in Athens, starting just 16 games before heading early to the NFL. But there isn’t a blocker in this class who looks the part of an NFL left tackle more than the loose and long 6-foot-7, 315-pound Freeling. 12. Keldric Faulk, DL, Auburn If scouts were asked to draw up the ideal defensive lineman for today’s NFL, it might look a lot like the long-armed 6-foot-6, 285-pound ball of clay that is Faulk, whose size, strength and smooth athleticism offer great positional and schematic flexibility. As one of the youngest players in this class (he won’t turn 21 until September), Faulk is still growing into his frame and will need to get stronger to fulfill his potential, but he possesses the physical traits and intangibles to become one of the best players in this draft. 11. Carnell Tate, WR, Ohio State Receiver is one of the better positional groups of this year’s draft class, and Tate tops it because of his ability to win in multiple ways. The 6-foot-3, 195-pounder has excellent body control, hand-eye coordination and grit to pull in contested passes, and he’s surprisingly slippery as a route-runner with excellent tracking skills. 10. Mansoor Delane, CB, LSU Cornerback may just be the strongest positional group of this draft, and Delane tops it by a wide margin for me. He is a terrific man-to-man cover corner, showing easy change of direction and smooth acceleration to shadow receivers all over the field. He didn’t allow a single touchdown pass in 2025. 9. Spencer Fano, OT, Utah A dancing bear at 6-foot-6, 310 pounds, Fano looks and moves more like a tight end than a traditional offensive lineman, excelling in pass protection because of his initial quickness, lateral agility and balance. I thought his positional workout at the Combine was one of the best of any player, regardless of position. 8. Sonny Styles, OLB, Ohio State A former safety-turned-linebacker who might evolve into an edge rusher, Styles is the ultimate ball of clay from this draft class. He was arguably the biggest star of the Combine, posting a remarkable 43.5-inch vertical jump and 4.46-second time in the 40-yard dash at 6-foot-5, 246 pounds. His rare size and agility could allow his future defensive coordinator to move Styles around similarly to how the Seattle Seahawks employed star rookie Nick Emmanwori in their Super Bowl run. 7. Rueben Bain Jr., Edge, Miami It is appropriate that Bain rhymes with pain, as there isn’t a prospect in this class who plays with more violence than the three-year Miami standout. He enters the NFL with 33.5 tackles for loss generated in 38 collegiate games. Bain’s relatively stubby 6-foot-3, 270-pound frame will be a talking point in every NFL war room, but teams shouldn’t make the mistake of overthinking his fit. 6. Francis Mauigoa, OT, Miami Arguably the most powerful and pro-ready prospect in this draft class, Mauigoa simply engulfs opponents with his sheer size and iron grip, reminding me of another Mario Cristobal pupil, Detroit Lions All-Pro Penei Sewell. Facing a vaunted Miami pass rush every day in practice, Mauigoa has the look of a decade-long anchor at right tackle. 5. David Bailey, Edge, Texas Tech Simply put, Bailey is the best pass-rusher in this class, boasting a terrific blend of burst, lateral agility and core flexibility to force whiffs from would-be pass protectors. The concern some will have is that at 6-foot-3, 250 pounds, Bailey lacks the size and power to be as effective in the running game, but that shouldn’t keep one of the few true matchup nightmares in this class from earning a top-10 selection. 4. Fernando Mendoza, QB, Indiana Mendoza doesn’t possess the strongest arm of this class, nor is he the most dynamic running threat. He is, however, the consensus top quarterback, offering an exceptional blend of anticipation, accuracy and poise to project as a longtime, high-level NFL starter. 3. Jeremiyah Love, RB, Notre Dame With all due respect to Heisman Trophy winner and likely No. 1 pick Fernando Mendoza, Love is the best offensive prospect in this class — and frankly, I don’t think it's particularly close. Love isn’t just the best back in this class; he’s among a select handful of the elite runners to enter the NFL since I began scouting a quarter-century ago, offering a blend of size, quick feet and breakaway speed reminiscent of recent blue-chip backs Saquon Barkley and Bijan Robinson. 2. Arvell Reese, OLB, Ohio State A blue-chip talent who starred mostly as an off-ball linebacker at Ohio State but possesses the twitch to attack off the edge, Reese is arguably the best prospect in this class. In terms of sheer athleticism, versatility and career trajectory, I see an awful lot of similarities between Reese and another former Big Ten star you might have heard of: Micah Parsons. 1. Caleb Downs, S, Ohio State Sometimes scouting is easy. Whether at Alabama or Ohio State, Downs’ instincts, closing speed and reliable open-field tackling consistently shined, forecasting for years that his pathway to the NFL would come as a first-round pick. Downs won’t be the first player selected this year — safeties just aren’t valuable enough. But make no mistake, Downs comes with the highest floor, projecting as an immediate starter and foundational piece for one fortunate franchise.

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NFL Combine: 7 Most Telling Comments From the Week in Indianapolis

INDIANAPOLIS — The primary purpose of the NFL Scouting Combine is for teams to gather intel on the top prospects in the upcoming draft and scout them in simulated drills. However, the week in Indianapolis also gave us several tea leaves on what to expect in the NFL this offseason. Will Raiders edge rusher Maxx Crosby get traded? What does George Pickens' franchise tag mean for the Cowboys? Will the Patriots pursue Eagles wide receiver A.J. Brown? Those questions were asked this week, and while they weren't answered, we got comments that gave us plenty to read into. So, here are the seven most telling comments we heard at the combine, and how we interpreted them: Raiders GM John Spytek on a potential Maxx Crosby trade: ‘We’re always listening’ Henry McKenna: This situation feels a whole lot like an organization that is committing to their QB1 — "right now." When a team says something like that, they’re almost inevitably going to replace their QB. So when John Spytek said this about Crosby … "We're always listening," said Spytek, when asked if Crosby was untradeable. It meant that they were almost inevitably going to trade him. Of course, let’s make sure to honor everything Spytek said. Because he’d clearly like to keep the edge player. "Maxx [Crosby] is an elite player," he told reporters at the combine on Tuesday. "I've been very upfront from the start when I got here that we're in the business of having really good players on the team, and we need a lot more of them. And it's hard to build a great team without elite players." It’s understandable that the Raiders don’t want to trade Crosby. It’s also starting to feel unrealistic. He doesn’t want to be there, and when a player of Crosby’s caliber makes a decision like that, it forces the team’s hand. So at some point before the draft, there will likely be a blockbuster trade that sends Crosby to a new home. Brian Schottenheimer says he hopes the Cowboys can lock up George Pickens on a long-term deal McKenna: If George Pickens had made it to free agency without the franchise tag, he would’ve been the most sought-after player. Bar none. In fact, he was ranked No. 1 in our own Greg Auman's top 100 free agents list for this offseason. But as is often the case with pending free agents, the Cowboys are not letting Pickens onto the free market. They placed the non-exclusive franchise tag on him, which — for now — sets his 2026 earnings at almost $27.3 million. Prior to news of Pickens' franchise tag, Cowboys head coach Brian Schottenheimer addressed whether the team planned to lock up the receiver to a long-term deal. "I hope," he said. "Everything I've been around George from the time he got here, and I say this respectfully, I kicked his ass in shooting free throws in my office. He might not remember it that way. I knew this guy's a competitor and he loves football, so I hope so." With Jerry Jones running the operation, there is almost no margin for error in contract negotiations. But Pickens proved he can be among the league’s most dangerous threats. It’s a no-brainer. Lock him up and enjoy having two elite players at one position that everyone else covets. Mike Vrabel fueled trade rumors by explaining that he and A.J. Brown have a strong bond — years after working together McKenna: Mike Vrabel and A.J. Brown like each other. They have both made that abundantly clear. Earlier this offseason, Brown spoke on how much he appreciates Vrabel — even if the wide receiver didn’t initially love playing for the coach. But there’s a real chance Brown could play for the coach again. The Patriots are going to be in on Brown’s trade market, per MassLive.com. And Vrabel has openly spoken about his relationship with Brown. "I’ve watched him grow. I’ve watched him mature. I’m proud of him, proud of the father that he is. I’m proud of the husband that he is," Vrabel said. "That has nothing to do with where he plays or where he played. Those are the things that are important. "We reach out and text each other during the good things that happen to each other. Sometimes things don’t go so well for the people that you’re close with, and you text for those as well. It’s a two-way street of support and reminders of what got us to where we are here today." The question is whether trading for Brown could get the Patriots back into the playoffs for a second straight year. And if the answer is yes, then perhaps we’ll see them pull the trigger. Steelers GM Omar Khan: expecting answers ‘sooner than later’ on Aaron Rodgers Ben Arthur: The Steelers may be in a wait-and-see mode with Aaron Rodgers again, but it feels like they’re positioned in the best way possible given the challenging circumstances of a down quarterback market this offseason between the draft and free agency. First, the door is open for the 42-year-old Rodgers in a way that doesn’t seem like it would cripple their timetable to go after another viable veteran starter should he retire. "I don’t foresee this going like it did last year," general manager Omar Khan told CBS Sports. "I’m pretty certain we’ll have an answer sooner than later." And even if Rodgers returns, they can draft their potential quarterback of the future (Alabama’s Ty Simpson is an option with the 21st overall pick) to sit for a year. The franchise has gushed about rising second-year quarterback Will Howard, too, and he appears to be firmly in the future plans. So it could be Rodgers (or another veteran QB), a quarterback drafted this year, Howard and Mason Rudolph (who still has one year on his contract) in the QB mix. It’s not a great scenario, but it would give Pittsburgh some stability at the most important position in 2026 and something to look forward to in 2027. There are quarterback-needy teams across the league that have much worse outlooks. Nick Caserio called the C.J. Stroud trade speculation ‘moronic’ Arthur: Clearly, Texans general manager Nick Caserio isn’t a fan of the C.J. Stroud trade rumors. "Moronic," he said, in part. And honestly, he’s right. It’s clear to all league observers that C.J. Stroud hasn’t been the same player since his historic rookie season, and that his current trajectory is concerning. That needs to change. But his play shouldn’t warrant panic. Just because he’s now eligible for an extension doesn’t mean Houston has to give him one this offseason. Despite the narrative surrounding Stroud coming out of a disastrous playoff run, the most sensible move with him has long been to pick up the fifth-year option in his rookie contract by the May 1 deadline, which would give him $25.904 million guaranteed for 2027. That’s bottom-tier money for non-rookie contract starting quarterbacks, which is appropriate for his production over the last two years. "He’s our quarterback," Caserio said. "He isn’t going anywhere." Houston can push back talks about Stroud’s future to next offseason. One team told Fernando Mendoza to ‘get arrested’ so he’d slide to them Mendoza looks like the runaway favorite to go first overall. The Indiana quarterback said he had a "fantastic" interview with the Raiders. If they feel the same way, there’s really no reason why they wouldn’t pick him first overall. And that’s why, when he met with another team, they told him that he’d need to "get arrested" to land in their draft spot, the Indiana quarterback said in an interview with CBS Sports. So yeah, it would be stunning to see him slip past No. 1 at this point. It’s Mendoza mania from now until April 23, when the Raiders will turn in the first pick of the 2026 NFL Draft. John Harbaugh wants to … build a team like Mike Macdonald. And not the other way around Arthur: We’ve talked so much about what John Harbaugh means for the Giants. What if the Giants are making a profound impact on him as well, in terms of how he sees the game? Harbaugh this week acknowledged that he’s learning from Seahawks coach Mike MacDonald, his defensive coordinator in Baltimore from the 2022 and 2023 seasons, who just won a Super Bowl. "Mike's amazing, and to see that happen for them, the type of team they built — I guess probably more than anything — is really kind of studying the kind of team that they built," Harbaugh said this week. "He and [assistant head coach] Leslie Frazier, as partners in that process, Jay Harbaugh, a part of that too. Seeing the team that they’ve built is reflective, I would say, for sure of the team that we want to build in New York." So often we see older coaches stuck in their way and unwilling to change, especially if they’ve had success doing it their way. And Harbaugh won plenty with the Ravens, who he led to a Super Bowl victory and six division titles in his 18 seasons as head coach. But his remarks show a willingness to learn. Maybe it's the Giants and the fresh start they’ve afforded him that will warm him to fresh, modern ideas in his new chapter.

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Vikings Reportedly Considering Tagovailoa, Murray; Will Release Pair of Veterans

The Minnesota Vikings appear set to undergo a roster overhaul that could see them bring in a veteran quarterback to compete with J.J. McCarthy for the starting job in 2026. Tua Tagovailoa (Miami Dolphins), Kyler Murray (Arizona Cardinals), Geno Smith (Las Vegas Raiders) and Kirk Cousins (Atlanta Falcons) are all being considered by the Vikings as a possible addition to their quarterback room this offseason, ESPN reported Sunday. Minnesota is also planning to move on from running back Aaron Jones and defensive tackle Javon Hargrave this offseason, according to ESPN. Cousins is the only quarterback in that group that's set to become a free agent as of Sunday. The Falcons said last week that they will release Cousins when the new league year begins on March 11. Of course, Cousins previously played in Minnesota before signing with Atlanta in 2024. He enjoyed a decent amount of success in his six seasons with the Vikings, playing under Minnesota head coach Kevin O'Connell for two of those years. He helped the Vikings make the playoffs in 2022 before an Achilles tear ended his 2023 season early. Tagovailoa, Murray and Smith, meanwhile, are all candidates to be cut or traded in the coming weeks. Dolphins general manager Jon-Eric Sullivan suggested that the team was open to all options with Tagovailoa when he met with reporters at the combine this past week, including a release. If Tagovailoa is cut, the Dolphins could potentially take on a record $99.2 million dead cap hit, depending on when they release him. Murray is seeking to be cut by the Cardinals this offseason, a league source told FOX Sports' Ralph Vacchiano and Henry McKenna this past week. The Cardinals have also "grown frustrated" with Murray, a team source told Vacchiano and McKenna. Finally, Smith appears to be on the outs in Las Vegas with Klint Kubiak taking over as head coach and the team presumably taking Fernando Mendoza with the No. 1 pick in the 2026 NFL Draft. Of those four quarterbacks, Cousins might have the strongest season in 2025. He went 5-3 as a starter, throwing for 1,721 yards, 10 touchdowns and five interceptions. Tagovailoa threw for 2,660 yards, 20 touchdowns and 15 interceptions before getting benched for the final three games of the season. Murray threw for 951 yards, six touchdowns and three interceptions to go with 173 rushing yards and a rushing score in five games before suffering a foot injury. Smith led the league in interceptions (17) to go with 3,025 passing yards and 19 passing touchdowns in 15 games. As for Jones and Hargrave, Minnesota will save over $18 million by releasing the two veterans. They could still reportedly trade the two players, though. Jones rushed for 548 yards in 2025, which was the second-fewest he's had in his nine-year career. His 4.2 yards per attempt were also the second-fewest of his career. Jones also had two rushing touchdowns, 199 receiving yards and a receiving touchdown last season. Hargrave had 52 total tackles and 3.5 sacks this past season. He also had 31 total pressures, per Pro Football Focus, as he was in the first year of a two-year, $30 million deal.

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