The 2026 Draft

Share this page

Lazar likes this guy for the Pats. I don't like him nearly so much as Lazar does.
Raising his shoulders tells the defender he's about to make a break. He actually raises too much on both routes.
He sinks well on these reps but that's because he's going 75% speed. Too many drops for the Patriots, imo.


View: https://x.com/RouteUniverse9/status/2038998878905565445
 
Last edited:
This year's Tarzan. wow


View: https://x.com/BruceFeldmanCFB/status/2040047739581735030


HE_MxI_bQAAeZBn


free article
www.nytimes.com

Uar Bernard, the NFL Draft’s most explosive prospect, grew up in a Nigerian village

Uar Bernard went from sleeping in the gym to being a potential NFL Draft pick.
www.nytimes.com www.nytimes.com
 
In a recent Phil Perry podcast, he promoted going against group think. He had draft expert Fran Duffy on, he has his own draft publication. He seemed to need his higher picks to have an exceptional trait. Can't be just a good football player in his eyes.

For example,,
OT Miller from Clemson=>pick 168, can get an equivalent player in mid rounds.

DE Howell. Young =>picks 138,140

DE Parker from Clemson =>pick 16

Interesting just to hear a different version.
 
Carlos A. Lopez on X:

"The #Patriots “spent an extensive amount of time” with S Robert Spears-Jennings at Oklahoma’s Pro Day, per @TonyPauline.

The 6’2, 205-pound, 22-year-old is a plus tackler who plays with violence all over the field.
🔹40-Yard: 4.32s
🔹Vertical: 38”
🔹Broad: 10’5”
🔹3-Cone: 7.12s

https://t.co/QT0MSI2Xxj" / X https://share.google/rcix6qsXs2Un118ZY
 
Aaron Schatz uses ESPN's Scouts, Inc stats to predict Playmaker Scores to rank the WRs.
note: Playmaker Rating = Playmaker Score but doesn't take draft position into account. Rating is therefore better to use for ranking, imo.

Playmaker's primary output (Playmaker Score) projects the average total of regular-season receiving yards that the wide receiver will gain per year over the course of his first five NFL seasons.
Click to expand...
The secondary output (Playmaker Rating) reflects how well the receiver does compared to historical benchmarks without considering projected draft position.
Click to expand...

www.espn.com

2026 NFL draft wide receiver projections: Rankings, comps

Which receivers in the 2026 draft class will have the most success in the pros? We have projections for the top prospects.
www.espn.com www.espn.com

My comments:
I agree that Makai Lemon is the best and most versatile WR in the draft.
I'm ok with his order for the next 2, Omar Cooper, then Jordyn Tyson because the team drafting them determines their fit.

But next he has Denzel Boston as his 4th ranked WR and a 1st round prospect. I don't agree with that even with teams overinflating the WRs this year because of the premium position.
Then he has Carnell Tate at 5. Tate belongs up there at 2, 3 or 4 and some have Tate as the first WR off the board which could happen, taking team fit and scheme into consideration.

He has 8 WRs being drafted in the 1st round which includes Zacharia Branch (lol,lol) and Brazell (lol). I'm not saying it won't happen but it's crazy to think overinflating the position could cause teams to justify reaching that much. I can see 4, maybe 5, being drafted in the first round. Of those, only 2 or 3 are likely to reach 1000 yds in a season. 1 might reach 1000 yds multiple times and All Pro at least once. There's no superstar WR like OBJ, Jamarr Chase or Garrett Wilson/Olave/Jameson Williams, etc. in this draft. Scheme and team fit are everything.

He and I both have Sarratt as the day 2 sleeper pick. 15 TDs in one season is crazy good. Fast. Shared the field with Omar Cooper that cut down on his targets.

He has Germie Bernard as his day 3 sleeper pick. Mine is Ted Hurst. Bernard doesn't do anything badly but the only thing he does well is blocking.

I've had Sarratt as my day 2 sleeper for a month and Ted Hurst as day 3 for 2-3 weeks, ftr. I'll have posts on them soon.
 
Vrabel has said they want a young QB to develop .
Who is your pick?

I am in favor of Altmyer(sp) from Illinois I think. Might be the only name that comes to mind.
 
De'Zhaun Stribling had a top 30 visit with the Pats. 20th ranked WR who has size and speed. 6'3", 207, 4.36, 40. 10" hands but 32" arms.
Day 3 pick. Maybe late mid 5th to mid 6th round. Good hands.
Needs to improve releases from the LOS, hip sink and body control at point of contact. He gets knocked off his route too easily by press CBs.


Scouting Report: Strengths

Eats cushion in a hurry off the line; corners playing off cannot recover once he gets vertical.
Plucks the ball away from his frame with natural hand extension on downfield throws.
Sold a beautiful double move against Tulsa in 2024 that set up a 63-yard score on pure route craft.
Tracks deep balls over his shoulder well and adjusts his angle without losing speed.
Spins away from contact after the catch with good spatial feel for where the next defender is.
Pacing on curls, hitches, and comebacks is controlled; settles into soft spots against zone with timing.
Willing to get his nose in there as a blocker and fit up on safeties in the run game.
Noticeably better player on 2024-2025 tape than the 2021-2022 version; the growth is real and visible.

Scouting Report: Weaknesses

Leggy in his breaks; hips stay high on in-cuts and digs, giving DBs time to close.
Patient corners who mirror his release can ride him off his stem at the line of scrimmage.
Gets displaced at the catch point; physical DBs knock him off balance through contact on 50/50 balls.
Build-up speed profile means he takes a beat longer to threaten the top of a route.
Release repertoire is narrow; relies mainly on feet and a swipe, needs more counters against press.
Age and three school changes will raise questions in draft rooms about long-term trajectory.

Scouting Report: Summary
Stribling's best reps are the ones where he gets vertical in a hurry and makes corners pay for giving him space. When defensive backs play off or bail at the snap, he closes that cushion fast with his long stride and forces them into a recovery they cannot win. The 75-yard reception against Georgia in the Sugar Bowl was textbook: he stacked the corner cleanly, tracked the deep ball over his shoulder, and hit top gear without breaking stride. On intermediate crossers and deep comebacks, he shows real feel for settling into the right depth against zone, and his hands are trustworthy when the ball arrives in traffic. Those are starter-level traits that translate early. The short-area game still needs refinement, and his hips stay too high on underneath breaks, but the things he does well he does at a high level.

The strongest argument for Stribling is the improvement arc across his college career. His 2025 tape at Ole Miss looks nothing like his early Washington State film. The routes are crisper, the drops nearly vanished, and he showed he could handle the speed of SEC competition without his production dipping. Seven catches for 122 yards against Georgia in the regular season, then 199 combined yards across two CFP games against Georgia and Miami. When the stage got bigger, he played bigger. That kind of competitive reliability, paired with five seasons of visible growth at three different programs, tells you this is a player still trending upward. He has not hit his ceiling yet, and that should excite evaluators more than his age concerns them.

Stribling should step into a WR3 or WR4 role from the start and has a genuine path to becoming a starter within his first couple of seasons. His speed forces defensive coordinators to account for the deep ball on every snap he is on the field, his hands give a quarterback real trust on downfield throws, and he competes willingly as a run blocker. The release package against press and the contested-catch consistency are the two areas that will determine whether he tops out as a reliable complementary piece or develops into something more. In a play-action-heavy offense that values stretching the field, Stribling brings the kind of vertical threat and dependable ball skills that are hard to find this deep in the draft.
==========================
He's tough, I'll say that. He runs like a RB - he'll run people over without fear.
Against Georgia, Stribling made some outstanding catches to keep Ole Miss in the game. (8:30 and 9:30 of the video).

 
Last edited:
Concise, organized and all in one place. Realizing Jordan Tyson is falling not only because of injuries but also because of questionable love for the game.
This list does not take into account intangibles, medicals and character which fans have little to no knowledge of.

HFOx-AdbMAAXJ_i
 
Last edited:
You must log in or register to reply here.
Back
Top