NEWS AND NEAR NEWS

Pre-season 2027 draft preview: Cornerbacks … CB looks to be another interesting position for the upcoming draft. On the one hand and, at least at this time, CB does not look like it will be quite in the class of this year’s elite positions like QB, DE and WR; however, at the same time, it won’t necessarily be that far off with as many as a half dozen prospects with legitimate opening round potential. In fact, Notre Dame’s Leonard Moore, who has prototype length, speed/quickness, and agility, and ball skills, is starting to generate some top 10 buzz, while several other corners including Ellis Robinson of Georgia, Alabama’s Zabien Brown, Kelley Jones of Mississippi State and Moore’s Irish teammate Christian Gray. And they could ultimately be joined in the ranks of the very top prospects at the position by several others including Chris Peal of Syracuse, Ashton Hampton of Clemson, Texas Tech’s Bryce Pollock and OJ Frederique of Miami. Then there is a rather intriguing trio of veteran corners including AJ Harris, who transferred to Indiana from Penn State; DJ McKinney, the former Colorado star who has joined the talented secondary at Notre Dame; and Jyaire Hill of Michigan. Each of the three were thought of as likely first rounders at this last year, but for one reason or another ended up back at school this fall looking to rehab their reps. Here is our current listing of the top CBs for the upcoming draft.

Injured, embattled ESPN analyst on leave … The strange story of ESPN analyst Matt Miller, the network’s other primary draft analyst along with Mel Kiper, took another turn this weekend as he was placed on leave of absence. For those who have not followed the story, Miller was seriously injured in an automobile accident last month. So serious that his left arm had to be amputated. And while one would assume that Miller had top-of-the-line health insurance, the family established a GoFundMe page. That led to a number of people complaining of what they alleged were sketchy dealings by fantasy leagues and scouting clinics operated by Miller. In fact, the complaining got so loud that the Attorney General in Missouri has opened an investigation of consumer fraud.

Preliminary 2027 draft preview: Linebackers … There is something of an interesting juxtaposition regarding the LB class for the upcoming draft. On the one hand, it appears that it is a relatively talented, deep group; at the same time, though, none of the very top prospects at the position, including Sammy Brown of Clemson, Notre Dame’s Kyngston Vilianu-Asa, Ben Roberts of Texas Tech and Rasheem Biles of Texas, would appear to necessarily be locks to be first-round selections. The Irish’s Vilianu-Asa may have the most potential, but he’s coming off a late-season torn ACL, while Brown is freakish athlete with reported sub-4.5 speed, but just needs to make a few more real impact plays. As we noted, though, this also a deep class with as many as a dozen other LBs out there with at least some second-day potential including Raylen Wilson and Chris Cole of Georgia, Auburn’s Xavier Atkins, Suntarine Perkins of Mississippi, Whit Weeks of LSU, Arion Carter and Amare Campbell of Tennessee, Tony Rojas of Penn State, Drayk Bowen of Notre Dame, Kip Lewis of Oklahoma, Virginia’s Kam Robinson, and Myles Graham of Florida. For now, here’s an early ranking of the top LB prospects for the upcoming draft.

Happy 250th … A very happy and safe 250th to everyone out there. Wherever you are STAY COOL!

Preliminary 2027 draft preview: Defensive tackles … At least for now we’re putting this year’s DT draft crop firmly in the ‘to be determined’ category.  Certainly, this year’s DTs have the potential to have a more impactful draft than last year’s somewhat disappointing group that had only one player selected in the opening round – Peter Woods of Clemson – and that only with the 29th pick overall by Kansas City. That was down from 5 first rounders the previous year. Potential is the key word, though, as NFL scouts would like to see a little more productivity, especially rushing the passer. Oregon’s A’Mauri Washington and David Stone of Oklahoma, for example, are both being talked about as having top 10-15 prospects for 2027 as both have freakish athletic ability including 4.85 type speed at well over 300 pounds; however, while both are dominant run stuffers, both also had just one sack last fall and will need to show a little impact getting after the QB. On the other hand, Will Echoles of Mississippi did emerge as something of a pass-rushing force last fall when he posted 7 sacks, but lacks elite speed and quickness. Meanwhile, other top DT prospects who have generated at least some top 100 potential include Ahmad Moten of Miami, AJ Holmes of Texsa Tech, Indiana’s Tyrique Tucker and CJ Fite of Arizona State, but again at least for now, it doesn’t look as if DT will be all that deep this coming April. For now, here is a preliminary ranking of this year’s top DT prospects.

HAPPY CANADA DAY!! … A very happy and safe Canada Day to all our Canuckster compatriots. Stay cool if you can!!

QB Sorsby cleared to enter 2027 draft; won’t sue … The on-going soap opera involving QB Brendan Sorbsy may have finally been resolved, or at least as much as it is going to be, as the NFL has confirmed that he will be eligible for the 2027 draft. For his part, Sorsby, along with the NFLPA, have agreed not to sue the league after it refused to grant him eligibility for a supplemental draft earlier this month. In the meantime, Sorsby says he’ll focus on preparing for next year’s draft, while he also works on those gambling addiction issues that got him suspended from the NCAA in the first place. Which in the end, might very well be Sorsby’s best course of action.

NFL exec Grigson back with Browns … again … Cleveland officially confirmed earlier today that veteran NFL personnel executive Ryan Grigson is returning to the organization as a senior football advisor. It will in fact be Grigson’s third tenure with the Browns whom he worked for in a similar role 2017, while he was a senior football advisor in 2020-21. Grigson spent the past three seasons in Minnesota where he was senior vice president for player personnel from 2022-24, and assistant general manager last season. The Browns also announced that Chris Cooper was being promoted to Senior Vice President for Football Administration from ‘just’ VP of Football Administration.

Dates set for 2027 draft … The NFL announced earlier today that the 2027 draft will run from April 29th next April thru May 1st. For the record, the first picks will come off the board in ‘just’ 307 days. It had been announced earlier that next year’s draft will be held in Washington D.C.

QB Sorsby down another option as CFL rules its also a no-go … There had been some speculation that Texas Tech QB Brendan Sorsby might look north to the Canadian league as an option after he was effectively suspended for at least the upcoming season by both the NCAA and NFL. However, the CFL shut down that thinking earlier today when it announced that it would not be a landing spot Sorsby. According to the CFL announcement: “Upholding the integrity of the league and ensuring fair competition are paramount to the CFL. The allegations involving Brendan Sorsby are serious and concerning. At this time, the CFL will not register a contract for him, and no team will be permitted to add him to its negotiation list.” In the meantime, there has been other speculation that Sorsby could opt to drop way down and play at the NAIA level as it appears increasingly unlikely that he won’t try an sue the NFL. 

2027 positional preview: Interior offensive line … The OG position has had a nice little draft run going in recent years as at least one guard has been selected with a top 20 pick for 6 straight years. However, whether that streak continues this coming April could be determined largely whether the NFL looks at star Missouri LT Cayden Green as an OT or tackle. Green originally signed at Oklahoma in 2023 where he played OG for a year before transferring back home to Missouri where he stayed inside in 2024. Then just a couple of weeks before the start of the 2025 campaign he was moved outside to LT where he was named to several All-SEC teams. Green is a sturdy 325-pounder who is still light on his feet with textbook technique. Green, though, lacks the prototype length pro teams look for in a potential elite OT and that could push him inside where he would still have top 15-20 draft potential. At the same time, there are a number of other really solid, productive OGs in college football including Luke Montgomery of Ohio State, Miami’s Samson Okunlola, Greg Johnson of Minnesota, Iowa’s Kade Pieper and Evan Tengesdahl of Cincinnati, although they all look more like second-day prospects. On the other hand, there may not necessarily be a whole lot to get excited about at C, although Iapani Laloulu of Oregon has the tools to sneak into the latter part of the opening round. For the most part, though, the top collegiate centres like Drew Bobo of Georgia, Carson Hinzman of Ohio State and Nebraska’s Justin Evans appear to be more middle round candidates. For now, here is are preliminary lists of the top OGs and Cs looking ahead to the 2027 draft.

NCAA redraws college eligibility framework … And you thought you were having a tough time figuring out just where players stood in terms of eligibility for the next draft! The NCAA is set to completely revamp eligibility criteria for college sports by allowing/permitting athletes to compete for 5 seasons but only within a 5-year time span. The playing window for an athlete begins with their enrolment in college or the start of the academic year following their 19^th birthday, whichever occurs earlier. Among other things it means the end of red shirting and medical exemptions, although there are exceptions for pregnancy, religious missions and military service.  The changes, which were adopted on June 23, take effect this fall; however, there are exceptions for current athletes. Those that had completed 4 years in school this year will not be given a 5th year of eligibility, although they can still apply for a medical hardship year up until July 31st. Those with less than 4 years of college experience can choose either the old or new rules depending on their circumstances. That would mean, for example, that 3rd year junior Ohio State WR Jeremiah Smith, the consensus top player in college football, who would have one more year of eligibility after the current season under the old rules, would have a 5th season under the new regime should he opt to go that route. Otherwise, its pretty straight-forward!

No supp draft, no Sorsby in NFL this year … In a somewhat surprising development, the NFL has reportedly informed Texas Tech QB Brendan Sorsby, as well as 32 teams, that the league has denied his application to be eligible for a supplemental draft this summer. Sorsby’s team, though, has already indicated that they will be exploring their legal options. A player is deemed to be eligible for the supplemental draft when they were ineligible for the regular draft, but became eligible in the interim. In its ruling, the league seems to have implied that because Sorsby had already spent 4 years in college, he was technically eligible for this year’s regular draft and therefore lacked standing to enter any supp draft. No one here is a lawyer, but that seems like a rather unique interpretation of the concept of draft eligibility at least as it has been applied in the past. For the moment, Sorsby becomes a man without a sport as he doesn’t appear to have options at either the NFL or college levels.

We second that emotion … Former long-time NFL Network draft analyst and later Raiders’ GM Mike Mayock made a comment during a recent interview about the network’s draft coverage that we’ve been grousing about for years. According to Mayock it used to drive him crazy that the NFL Network would ‘bring in a guy for the draft that was a big-name guy that was going to talk about his position, but who in reality couldn’t name more than a handful of actual names in that draft. In fact, we complained for years about the fact that the NFL Network would fill the 4th seat on their main desk with a prominent college head coach who brought almost nothing to the analysis. What makes the whole thing frustrating is the fact that there is a bunch of really good draft analysts out there; guys who put in the hours in the tape room, know what they’re talking, and in no small way contribute to the popularity of the draft, but are just scraping by while the gig goes to somebody already making a seven figure salary who does none of those things. And it really hasn’t changed much since Mayock left to join the Raiders.

Supp draft application deadline on tap … The deadline for players to apply for this summer’s supplemental draft comes up later today as paperwork has to be filed with the NFL by the end of business this afternoon for those interested. So far, Texas Tech/Cincinnati QB Brendan Sorsby is the only player known to have filed a supp draft application, although the league has yet to confirm that the embattled QB has been approved. The league also has yet to indicate when the supp draft will actually be held, although it has ti be before July 16th.

2027 prospect preview: Talent, but questions at OT … The offensive tackle position likely won’t be the best or deepest grouping for the upcoming draft, but it still might be one of the most interesting as there is a lot of sorting out to do at the position. At least three OTs including Carter Smith of Indiana, Texas’ Trevor Goosby and Jordan Seaton, who transferred from Colorado to LSU this winter, come into the season carrying top 10-15 grades, but each has questions that still need to be answered. Smith, for example, anchored the Hoosiers offensive front during their somewhat improbable run to the national championship last fall, is a gifted pass blocker with the light feet to cut-off the edge and plant and change direction, but a little like Spencer Fano of Utah, the first OL off the board this past April (9th overall by Cleveland), lacks prototype size and length and isn’t most physical drive blocker.  On the other hand, the Longhorns’ Goosby has the kind of length NFL teams covet in a LT, plus he’s a freakish athlete who runs more like a TE, but he’s still very much a work in progress technique wise. For his part, Seaton, the top-ranked OL in his recruit class, is also a very accomplished pass protector, but despite being a full-sized 330-pounder, he’s not the most aggressive run blocker, plus he’s been a career RT to date.

What adds a little more intrigue to the position is that while its not overly deep, there is a very strong second tier group of OTs just about any of whom could ultimately end up in next year’s first-round discussion including Lance Heard of Kentucky, SMU’s PJ Williams, Austin Siereveld of Ohio State, Iowa’s Trevor Lauck, Drew Azzopardi of Washington, South Carolina’s Jacarrius Peak, and Elijah Paige of Southern Cal. The position would also get a huge boost if NFL teams decide to rate Caedan Green of Missouri as a tackle. Green, who plays LT for the Tigers, is arguably the top offensive line prospect for the 2027 draft, but is another OL who lacks that prototype length and may ultimately be thought as more of an OG. For now, here are the top OT prospects for the upcoming draft.

NFL teams at least appear to be checking out QB Sorsby … The NFL still has not set a date for this summer’s supplemental draft which will feature embattled Texas Tech QB Brendan Sorsby, but the early returns are that more than a few teams are at least going to kick the tires. There has been speculation that teams would shy away from Sorsby because of the baggage; for those who have been out of the universe, Sorsby admitted to gambling heavily on college football games, including those involving his own team. However, his agent – and who wouldn’t believe an agent – claims to have been contacted so far by as many 25 teams, while coaches at Texas Tech and Cincinnati, the latter where most of Sorsby’s transgressions appear to have taken place, have reportedly received more than a few calls from curious teams. Of course, none of that means that any team will ultimately take Sorsby, although it does suggest that, at least for now, he’s still on the board for numerous teams. Stay tuned!

Texas Tech QB Sorsby enters supp draft … And there you have it! Facing a potential year in which he wouldn’t be able to play at all (see below), TexasTech QB Brendan Sorsby has confirmed that he will in fact apply to the NFL for eligibility to the supplemental draft. The deadline for player’s to apply to the supp draft is June 22nd; however, a date for the actual supplemental draft has not been set. Needless to say, Sorsby is going to be a polarizing prospect. Clearly, he has at worst second day potential, but just as clearly he comes with a top of baggage and already some teams have said they will not take him period. The other side of the equation is that some teams that may actually be interested in Sorsby, and as we said he certainly has the tools, is that he could still be suspended by the NFL prior t be allowing to play. Stay tuned!

Sorsby case gets even more complicated … So you thought THE fight of the century was last night’s epic UFC/MMA or whatever brawl in Washington as nothing screams American Exceptionalism as the country celebrates its 25oth anniversary quite like a bunch of guys whaling on each other on the White House lawn. Personally if we wanted to watch a bunch of guys whale on each other we’d take in a hockey game! That said, the real battle royal these days is taking place out in Texas where they’re still trying to decide whether Texas Tech QB Brendan Sorsby will be eligible to play college football this fall. Last we left it, Sorsby had been granted an injunction to play this year, albeit with a 2-game suspension, while waiting for an appeals court to hear the full case. Since then, though, its been suit and countersuit with two state Attorney Generals getting into the act on different sides!

Earlier today, the Big XII filed an appeal with a district court requesting that the injunction be stayed; the conference also reportedly asked for an expedited ruling at least by the start of the season to give teams some clarity as to what they’ll be facing this fall.That comes in the wake of interjections in the case by both Texas AG Ken Paxton and Oklahoma’s Gentner Drummond. Paxton, who is also currently running for the U.S. senate this fall, had threatened legal action against the Big XII if the conference sanctioned Texas Tech for playing Sorsby. On the other hand, Drummond is calling on the conference to suspend Sorsby, in the process, rejecting Paxton’s threats as “meritless” and “facially absurd.”

Meanwhile, the clock is ticking on Sorsby as the deadline for players to apply for the supplemental draft is just a week away on June 22nd by which time he has to decide whether to continue his legal fight with the NCAA or throw in that towel and enter the NFL’s summer draft with no guarantees either way.

QBs Mendoza, Simpson last unsigned 2026 #1s … Just two players selected in the opening round of the 2026 draft remain unsigned: QBs Fernando Mendoza, the first-player picked overall by Las Vegas and Ty Simpson whom the LA Raiders chose with the 13th pick. However, they are not the only unsigned players selected at this year’s draft as 14 players taken outside the first round have yet to come to terms. And all the unsigned players were selected early in the 3rd and 4th rounds as the players’ union is encouraging them to hold out for contract guarantees similar to those signed by rookies in the previous round. Stay tuned!