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Transcript
Fernando Mendoza is a 6'5, 236 pound quarterback, spent his 1st 3 collegiate seasons at Cal, two of them as a starter before transferring to Indiana, where he won the Heisman Trophy and a national title in 2025.
Now, he's not Patrick Mahomes or Josh Allen physically, but he has enough arm strength and athleticism to draw comparisons to Jared Goff and Matt Ryan in an ideal frame for the position.
The biggest questions he's facing now concern the RPO heavy system he played in at IU and whether or not he's got the physical ceiling to be an elite pro.
But in this year's class with the quarterback needy Raiders picking first, he's plenty good enough to go first overall.
Notre Dame's Jeremiah Love is up there with the top running back prospects in recent memory and is a near lock to become the 8th back to go top.
10 over the last 14 draft cycles, joining Ashton Genty, Bejon Robinson, Saquon Barkley, Christian McCaffrey, Leonard Fournett, Zeke Elliott, and Todd Gurley.
Like most of those guys, he has the duality to grind out tough yards between the tackles and catch the ball like a 3rd down back.
Elite in most areas, love's ability to explode, hit home runs, and make defenders miss stands out, and have led the comparisons to the Falcons star Robinson.
He also fumbled just once over his 3-year college career.
If there's one area where he could use some improvement, it's probably in pass protection, but that can be worked on and it's a small part of the larger picture with a guy who's clearly the best back and maybe even the best player in his class.
David Bailey is a 251 pound demon of a pass rusher from Texas Tech by way of Stanford.
He's explosive, he's active, he's a problem off the edge, but he's not without questions.
And One question regards his lack of length for a guy that's seen as a lock to go within the top 5 picks.
And another is how at times he can disappear in the run game.
The hope would be that he gets stronger physically, which would make him better in that area.
And with the premium trade he carries, that ability to get home on the quarterback in a game that some compared to Denver star Nick Bonito's, he's seen as worthy of going as high as 7.
2nd overall.
Ohio State's breakout star on defense this year was Arvell Reese, and there's a reason why many evaluators view him as the best prospect in a crew of 5 prospective Buckeye first-rounders.
He may be the most physically gifted prospect in the entire draft class with speed and explosion to go with the football IQ and toughness Matt Patricia required him during his junior year at Ohio State.
He played both off and on the ball as a collegiate, and because of his draft status, many assume, as happened with Micah Parsons, he'll eventually develop into a full-time edge rusher.
For the time being though, it'd be best if he landed with a creative coordinator because he's a player that you need to have a plan for.
Ohio State's Downs may well be the draft class's best bet to become a perennial Pro Bowler and the prospect with the highest floor.
The Thorpe Award winner started as a true freshman at safety for Nick Saban at Alabama, then transferred to Ohio State and was a unanimous All-American twice while winning a national title and becoming a captain.
His football IQ and instincts are widely seen as very, very rare.
The questions relate back to his ceiling and whether or not as a guy who's not freakish athletically, or as big as NFL stars at his position like Kyle Hamilton or Derwin James, he simply is what he is, which might be even still the very best football player in the draft, albeit at a non-premium position.
Miami edge rusher Ruben Bains a handful for offensive linemen to deal with, but his projection.
Into the NFL is one that's created a lot of debate, mostly because of the question of arm length.
One that makes it hard to find a great comp for him at the NFL level.
Bain finished his 3-year career with 20.5 sacks, with an incredible motor and relentless style.
His power, playing strength, initial quickness and ability to win the leverage battle are all top-notch and have allowed him to succeed despite his unusual build for the position, which has led some to compare him to Brandon Graham.
He's also been excellent against the run and can rush on the interior as well as out on the edge.
How teams view the arm length issue will likely boil down to defensive scheme and how flexible a coordinator is in moving his rushers around.
Ohio State receiver Carnell Tate is just the latest in a Buckeye wideout heater, set to become the 6th player in his position from OSU in the last.
drafts to go inside the first round.
Tate's 40 time did raise some questions, but he plays fast, is an easy mover, and has the football smarts to adapt quickly to the pros, like many of the other Buckeye alums in his position have.
The biggest questions really concern unknowns.
He was never the number 1 guy in college, so how he'd adapt to being the focal point of an offense is a question.
As is how he'll handle facing more press coverage in the pros, something he probably needs to add some strength to do.
But all the potential to be a real number one in the NFL is there.
Miami offensive tackle Francis Mauinoa is a big, strong, rugged lineman, one who became a more well-rounded player and prospect as a junior.
In total, Maui Noah started every Miami game, all 42 of them, since enrolling as an early entry true freshman in 2023.
He has a bit of a different type of personality, and his length isn't ideal, but he's got great core strength, can anchor, move guys off the ball and play in space.
He's probably not a left tackle in the NFL but was excellent on the right side for three years and looks like he'd have the flexibility to move inside if need be.
And he's still just 20, indicating there's more room to grow.
Ohio State linebacker Sonny Stiles is a converted safety who doesn't turn 22 until November, yet played 4 college seasons and has virtually every trait you'd look for in a guy at his position.
That much was apparent in the freak show he put on in Indy, running a 4.
4640 and posting a 43.5 inch vertical and 11'2 broad jump at 6'5 and 244 pounds.
He's been compared to Fred Warner and Tremaine Edmunds as a guy with a football IQ who can run your defense, playoff blocks in space and cover.
If there are questions, they're small ones.
One scout said due to his height, he can play a little high on the 2nd level, and some feel stronger than others on his potential to grow as a pass rusher.
But if you're comfortable taking an off-ball linebacker in the top 10 picks, there's not much to pick at with Stiles.
USC's Belitnikov Award winner Mikay Lemon doesn't profile like a top half of the first round pick.
He's 5'11 and 192 pounds with a 40 time in the high 44s, the low 45s.
So there are questions, but what's been unanimous among scouts is that the edgy, ultra-competitive Lemon is a much better football player than he is an athlete, with an ability to win on all levels of the field and route defenders up.
His ball skills, playing strength, production after the catch, and hands are all top shelf.
And because he's such a natural football player, there's a feeling among teams that you know what you're getting in Lemon.
Really, the biggest question would be whether or not you see him strictly as a slot receiver, or a guy with the flexibility to line up outside as well, which will affect how teams value him.
