Jim Harbaugh said at his end-of-the-year press conference that he wanted his next offensive coordinator to be the head coach of the offense. Harbaugh could soon get a former head coach as the Los Angeles Chargers’ offensive coordinator.

The Chargers are closing in on hiring former Miami Dolphins head coach Mike McDaniel as the team’s offensive coordinator, a person close to the situation confirmed to USA TODAY Sports.

ESPN and NFL Network were the first to report the news.

McDaniel is one of the hottest names during this year’s hiring cycle. He’s received interest from multiple teams that have head coach and offensive coordinator vacancies.

The Dolphins fired McDaniel in January after a 7-10 campaign. It was Miami’s second-consecutive losing season. McDaniel compiled a 35-33 record in four seasons as the Dolphins’ head coach. He made the playoffs in his first two seasons in Miami.

McDaniel is regarded as one of the best offensive minds in the NFL. Under McDaniel, the Dolphins led the NFL in total offense in 2023 and quarterback Tua Tagovailoa finished with an NFL-high 4,624 passing yards. Tagovailoa had the best years of his career under McDaniel’s tutelage, but the quarterback has struggled with injuries and inconsistent play. The Dolphins’ offense declined in the past two seasons.

Harbaugh’s decision to hire McDaniel as offensive coordinator is a change from his typical smash-mouth football philosophy. McDaniel comes from the West Coast offense and the Kyle Shanahan coaching tree, but the Chargers head coach said he wants to jump-start what had been an outdated offensive system under recently fired OC Greg Roman.

Follow USA TODAY Sports’ Tyler Dragon on X @TheTylerDragon.

For generations, Indiana football was associated with futility.

Before Curt Cignetti’s hiring after the 2023 season, the Hoosiers had just 13 winning seasons since the moon landing. They had only three bowl wins in their history, the last of which came in 1991. They hadn’t won more than eight games since 1967. Perhaps most notably (and infamously), they had more losses all-time than any other FBS program.

From virtually the moment Cignetti arrived from James Madison and implored everyone to Google him, things have quickly changed. Over the past two seasons, Indiana has gone 27-2, including a 16-0 2025 season that culminated with a 27-21 win against Miami in the College Football Playoff championship game that delivered the program its first national title.

Along the way, the Hoosiers were battling more than just their own woeful history.

College football’s not a sport that’s typically kind to upstarts, with a hardened top caste of elite programs that have the most resources and a disproportionate amount of championships. With its victory Monday, Jan. 19, Indiana became the first first-time champion at the FBS level since Florida in 1996, before everyone on the Hoosiers’ current roster (old as it may be) were born.

Indiana’s triumph is impressive by any measurement, but it also raises a question — who might be the next first-time champion?

Buy IU champoinship books, prints

Here are five potential options:

Who will be college football’s next first-time national champion?

Oregon

The first and only place this list could start is with the team Indiana wiped out in the semifinals on its way to the championship.

Oregon has been painfully and frustratingly close to the sport’s ultimate prize for the past quarter-century, with the plucky underdog from the Pacific Northwest morphing into one of college football’s modern-day juggernauts in that time. The Ducks have made the national championship game twice, losing to Auburn in 2010 and Ohio State in 2014. Under 39-year-old coach Dan Lanning, they’ve gone 48-8 and made the College Football Playoff in each of the past two seasons. With quarterback Dante Moore spurning the NFL draft, they’ll be among the preseason favorites to win the national title heading into next season.

Oregon has seemingly anything a program could desire — national cachet, major-conference membership (and the money that comes with it), a prodigious coach and vast NIL resources thanks in some part to their close connection to Nike and co-founder Phil Knight. Though nothing is ever a guarantee in college football, it seems to be a matter of when, not if, the Ducks win a title.

Texas Tech

Few, if any, schools have embraced the new NIL landscape in college sports quite as effectively as the Red Raiders, whether it’s in men’s basketball, softball or football. With the financial help of billionaire booster Cody Campbell, who was a lineman at the school under the late Mike Leach, Texas Tech brought in one of the best and most expensive transfer hauls last offseason. Thanks to dominant offensive and defensive lines, the Red Raiders won their first Big 12 title and earned a playoff bye.

They’re already running a similar playbook for next season, with top-rated transfer quarterback Brendan Sorsby coming aboard, and as long as Campbell is actively engaged with his alma mater, it’s hard to imagine Texas Tech falling too far off, especially in a wide-open and watered-down Big 12 that should provide a navigable annual path to the playoff.

SMU

Speaking of Texas schools with deep-pocketed boosters who made a fortune in energy, let’s take a look at the Mustangs. SMU has enjoyed a rapid rise going 63-26 over the past seven seasons and moving from the American Conference to the ACC, a jump that was made possible thanks to the university forgoing nine years of ACC television revenue to get an invitation to the league.

The Mustangs have a bright, offensively minded head coach in Rhett Lashlee, who is contractually tethered to the school through the 2032 season. They’ve shown they can make the playoff, having done so in 2024. They’re located in the middle of one of the most talent-rich metro areas in the country. And, of course, it helps to have people willing to dump some of their exorbitant wealth into your program.

Arizona State

The Sun Devils fit the mold of many of the programs on this list. They have a wunderkind coach in Kenny Dillingham, a 35-year-old offensive whiz who seems as well-equipped as any of his colleagues to navigate the sport in the age of NIL and the transfer portal. They’ve recently made the playoff, having done so as the Big 12 champion in 2024. There are demographic factors working in their favor, namely that they’re one of the country’s largest schools located in one of the nation’s largest metro areas.

The most glaring missing piece might be money, something Dillingham addressed last month when he put out a call for $20 million from a would-be donor he said he would make ‘the most famous person in the city.’ If he’s able to get something close to that, watch out, but even without it, he’s got Arizona State in an enviable position.

Wisconsin

The Badgers would have been right there with Oregon on a similar list as recently as five years ago, but they’ve mysteriously struggled under coach Luke Fickell, who was widely hailed a home-run hire four years ago before managing just a 17-21 record thus far.

Still, this is a Big Ten program that was, until recently, one of the sport’s most reliably successful outfits, with 22 consecutive bowl appearances and 10 10-win seasons from 2002-23. Fickell showed his mettle as a coach at Cincinnati, leading the Bearcats to the four-team playoff in 2021 when the program wasn’t in a power conference. It’s quite possible that with more NIL resources, he can get things turned around at Wisconsin.

After all, as Indiana just showed, nothing in this sport is ever out of the realm of possibility.

It’s not often you can take head coaching job in women’s college basketball without relocating, but that’s the ‘exciting’ reality for Arizona State’s Molly Miller.

‘It’s kind of unheard of to go up a level and not have to move homes,’ Miller, who was hired away from nearby Grand Canyon University, told USA TODAY Sports. ‘The fact that my kids could stay in the same school … that was just an amazing opportunity for me. And I feel like the timing was right. The place was right. Arizona State is exploding in athletics … this is the place to be.’

Miller is the latest head coach leading Sun Devils’ athletics to new heights. Kenny Dillingham led Arizona State to the College Football Playoff last season and JJ Van Niel took the women’s volleyball team to back-to-back Big 12 conference titles in 2024 and ’25. And in her first season as women’s basketball coach, Miller has transformed a losing program into a contender.

Arizona State opened the 2025-26 season with a program-best 15 consecutive wins, tying the school record. The Sun Devils beat Kansas last week to improve to 17-2 and 4-2 the Big 12, already better than last season’s 3-15 conference record.

‘I told ’em the other day, I’m like, ‘You’ve already flipped it now. The hard part is sustaining success,” Miller said of her squad’s turnaround. ‘When you’re facing a conference with such parody in any given night, a win or a loss can have March implications. The Big 12 isn’t going to reward potential, it’s going to reward night in, night out, daily grind

‘It is a hard league with a high standard. So you have to have that one-game-at-a-time mentality.’

Buy-in from transfers

Miller joined Arizona State in March 2025 after leading Grand Canyon University — less than 25 miles away — to a 32-3 record and an NCAA Tournament bid. She immediately turned to the transfer portal to rebuild the Sun Devils roster, which returned three players from last year.

From the outside, Arizona State might appear to be a tough sell. The Sun Devils had four consecutive losing seasons and an 11-53 conference record dating back to the 2021-22 season. The program’s last NCAA Tournament bid was in 2019. Yet, Miller had no problem getting players on board with her vision to create a winning culture.

‘There’s an authentic way to get buy-in, and it’s all rooted in leadership and clarity and culture,’ Miller said. ‘From Day 1, I explained my vision and my standard and the roles to people. And so I think when they know what to expect and they feel valued, then they can commit to a purpose. And so we built trust early.’

Miller added eight players through the portal, including her entire starting lineup — sophomore Heloisa Carrera (Ole Miss), junior McKinna Brakens (UNLV) and seniors Gabby Elliott (Penn State), Last-Tear Poa (LSU) and Marley Washenitz (Pitt). It’s an experienced group that combined for 213 starts at the D-I level heading into the season. Elliott leads the Sun Devils in scoring with a career-high 16.3 points in her fourth program in six years.

‘(Elliot) has experience at this level and she’s got poise,’ Miller said. ‘She raises the competitiveness in practice, because she is a good basketball player, but she also expects a lot out of herself. She leads by example in that she is really wanting to make this last year her best year, because she has had a few stops.

‘She’s a go-to player for us. She wants the ball in her hands and we want it in her hands.’ 

Miller’s Arizona State’s roster can be compares favorably to coach Mark Campbell’s TCU squad. He took the Horned Frogs to the Elite Eight for the first time in program history with transfer portal additions last season. Arizona State lost to TCU in early January, only one of two losses for the Sun Devils this season, but Campbell praised Miller’s effort and said her team has a ‘legit shot to be a NCAA Tournament team.’

‘It is so hard to take a program that’s at ground zero and you dive into the portal,’ Campbell said. ‘To get a team to play together and compete together and share the ball, is really, really hard to do. And their staff and Coach Miller is doing a phenomenal job. I don’t think people understand how impressive it is what they’re doing. … They are gong to continue to be a tough out.’

Defensive identity

Arizona State’s identity is rooted in ‘defensive consistency,’ Miller said, which has put a team picked to finish 11th out of 16 teams in the Big 12 preseason poll on everyone’s radar. The Sun Devils are holding opponents to 57.1 points a game and averaging 10.68 steals, which both rank fourth in the Big 12.

‘This team, out of any team I’ve ever coached, probably grew the closest, the quickest. So I’m really proud of, from an X’s and O’s, just the defensive consistency and buy-in, because I’m convicted to that side of the ball,’ Miller said. ‘The way this group has come together and bought into the defense, that’s been really special.’

Washenitz, who’s having an efficient season with a career-best 37.5 field goal percentage, said she was instantly attracted to Miller’s vision of building a program around relentless defensive pressure.

‘I’ve always been a defensive-minded person, and so to be able to play in Coach Molly’s system where she loves defense has been really awesome,’ Washenitz told USA TODAY Sports. ‘That was one of my things when I went into the portal. I want to go to a program that’s going to win.’

What’s ahead for Sun Devils

Arizona State is 11-0 at home this season at Desert Financial Arena. The Sun Devils’ ‘defense travels,’ which also makes them dangerous on the road.

‘We kind of have a saying that we always say before the game. It goes, ‘In order to win, you have to hate to lose a little bit more than everybody else,” Washenitz added. ‘So we definitely take that into every game with it.’

The Sun Devils will need that mentality as they gear up for a challenging road trip that includes games against No. 22 West Virginia (15-4, 5-2) and Cincinnati (7-12, 2-5), which beat Audi Crooks and No. 24 Iowa State (14-5, 2-5). A win against West Virginia would be huge for the Sun Devils’ resume. According to USA TODAY Sports’ latest bracketology, Arizona State is on bubble watch as one of the last four teams in.

‘We definitely want to get to the tournament,’ Washenitz said. ‘We want to keep building that resume. To end that drought would mean a lot, because I just wanted to come here and make it better and leave it better than how I found it. And I think if we did that, obviously that’d be a no-brainer of the impact that this team has had on the program.

‘We’ve had made so much history and so much growth from previous years that we haven’t been able to say that’s been done.’

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It takes plenty of skill to lead a team to the conference championships round of the NFL playoffs, but only one quarterback can be the best left in the postseason.

Two weeks ago, 14 NFL teams and their quarterbacks entered the race for the Super Bowl 60 Lombardi Trophy at the end of the regular season. Already, only four remain. Which of the starting quarterbacks left in the NFL playoffs ranks as the best of the bunch?

At the front of the pack are a couple of MVP hopefuls who have made it within one win of the Super Bowl after strong performances in the regular season. Behind them is an NFL veteran fresh off his first playoff win and a seventh-year quarterback readying for his first career postseason start.

Here’s how all four NFL quarterbacks left in the NFL playoffs stack up:

NFL quarterback rankings: Conference championship weekend

1. Matthew Stafford, Los Angeles Rams

Stafford finished the 2025 regular season as the betting favorite to win the NFL MVP award after leading the league with 4,707 passing yards and 46 touchdowns. If he does win the MVP award, it would be his first. Stafford is also the only quarterback still remaining in the playoffs to have won a Super Bowl before – he won his first Lombardi Trophy to end the 2021 season, his first year in L.A.

Through two playoff games, the Rams’ quarterback has a 52.4% completion rate, 562 passing yards, three touchdowns and one interception. Stafford also fumbled twice in the divisional round but did not lose either fumble.

2. Drake Maye, New England Patriots

Maye had the second-best odds to win the NFL MVP award by the end of the regular season. The second-year quarterback led the NFL with his 72% completion rate, 8.9 yards per attempt and 113.5 passer rating. Maye is the youngest gunslinger remaining in the NFL playoffs at 23 years old.

The Patriots’ quarterback currently leads all signal-callers to appear in these playoffs with four touchdown passes and 8.0 yards per pass attempt. However, Maye also leads postseason quarterbacks with 10 sacks taken and six fumbles. The second-year also threw one interception in each of his first two career playoff starts.

3. Sam Darnold, Seattle Seahawks

Darnold has played in only one playoff game this year, thanks to the Seahawks’ No. 1 seed and a bye through the wild-card round. Seattle’s win over the San Francisco 49ers in the divisional round was also Darnold’s first playoff win.

The Seahawks’ quarterback earned a second consecutive Pro Bowl nod in 2025 after a second consecutive year with more than 4,000 passing yards and 14 wins. In his first playoff win, Darnold did not have to do much. Seattle leaned on running back Kenneth Walker with his 116 yards and three touchdowns on 19 carries. The eighth-year quarterback did throw for 124 yards and a touchdown with only five incompletions on 17 pass attempts in the divisional round.

4. Jarrett Stidham, Denver Broncos

Stidham has not made an NFL start since 2023 and has never made a start or an appearance in the playoffs. The Broncos’ backup quarterback was thrust into the starting role in the AFC championship game after Denver’s starter, Bo Nix, broke his ankle in the final moments of the Broncos’ divisional round win over the Buffalo Bills.

Stidham played four snaps for Denver’s offense in 2025. He handed the ball off three times and kneeled once.

NFL playoffs schedule

All times Eastern.

NFL conference championship round

AFC championship

Matchup: No. 1 Denver Broncos vs. No. 2 New England Patriots
Date: Sunday, Jan. 25
Time: 3 p.m.
TV channel: CBS
Streaming: Paramount+; Fubo; NFL+

NFC championship

Matchup: No. 1 Seattle Seahawks vs. No. 5 Los Angeles Rams
Date: Sunday, Jan. 25
Time: 6:30 p.m.
TV channel: Fox
Streaming: Fubo; NFL+

Stream AFC, NFC championship games with Fubo

Super Bowl 60

Date: Feb. 8, 2026
Time: 6:30 p.m.
TV: NBC
Streaming: Peacock; NFL+
Location: Levi’s Stadium (Santa Clara, California)

A pair of very good baseball players earned election to the sport’s Hall of Fame Jan. 20, when Carlos Beltrán and Andruw Jones became just the seventh and eighth center fielders to win a spot in Cooperstown.

While neither are generational and the lone title won by either man in their collective 37 seasons was Beltrán’s 2017 title when he was a part-time 40-year-old DH and full-time illegal sign-stealing mastermind for the Houston Astros, their July inductions will be proof that gains can be made and early deficits overcome in voting.

Perhaps that will offer solace to those lurking a little further down the 2026 ballot. With that, a look at the winners and losers from 2026 Hall of Fame balloting:

Winners

Carlos Beltrán

Any notion that his role in the Astros’ sign-stealing scandal might ding his Hall candidacy was ludicrous, given the widespread Wild West atmosphere of high-tech cheating across the major leagues at that time.

No, Beltrán got in on his fourth try, a nice reward for a guy who broke in playing for some overmatched Kansas City Royals teams and finished it as a highly productive veteran bat in places like New York, St. Louis and Texas. Hopefully the Hall call will reopen the door to the manager’s office for a great baseball mind (and yes, one of its elite sign-stealers, legal or otherwise).

Andruw Jones

Proof that professional life can end at 30 and everything turns out all right.

A phenom in the truest sense of the word, Jones remains the lone two-time winner of USA TODAY Sports’ Minor League Player of the Year Award. At first glance, it might seem like the kind of honor you wouldn’t want to win twice, like a return invite to the Futures Game. Then you realize he was 18 and 19 years old when he got those nods, then hit two World Series Game 1 home runs in the latter year, and it makes a lot more sense.

He never really lost that glow throughout his 20s, but after an anomalous 51-homer year in 2005, it all went south for the lad, as he drifted from Atlanta to Los Angeles (the Dodgers eating the second year of his contract) to Texas, the White Sox and finally the Yankees, and he was out of the game by 35.

Perhaps that bad taste in the mouth lingered early on for voters as he was named on just 7.3% of ballots in his first year, narrowly clearing the 5% necessary to stick around. Eventually, the vision of the otherworldly kid prevailed in voters’ minds.

Andy Pettitte

The admitted user of PEDs has upped his vote share to 48.5%, which would be remarkable on its own. Then you realize his 3.85 career ERA would be the highest among pitchers elected by the BBWAA and second highest of any, better only than Jack Morris’s 3.90 mark.

Adjusted ERA treats Pettitte a little better, as his 117 mark puts him behind 87% of electees, in the Gaylord Perry-Phil Niekro compiler rent district.

Sometimes, timing is everything. Pettitte has stuck around long enough that younger voters were likely in their teens when the Mitchell Report was released, and grammar school when Pettitte was admittedly doping. Yet even older heads such as Bob Costas are succumbing to Pettitte lust, as he said during the Jan. 20 Hall broadcast, “He says he only took HGH, and for an injury, and I believe him.”

Goodness, never heard that line before.

Losers

Manny Ramírez

Speaking of steroid guys, Manny is now off the writers’ ballot after eliciting votes from 38.8% of electors. There’s a credible case to be made that Ramírez put together something of a Hall-worthy career before he was connected in any fashion to PEDs, but running afoul of MLB’s secret police tends to sour voters further.

If Barry Bonds is any indication, Ramírez – a man with 555 home runs, two World Series titles and a dozen All-Star nods – won’t fare any better with the Eras Committee codgers.

Batting average

The stat was probably always overrated and then took perhaps a harsher beating than it deserved, not unlike the public perception of Leonardo DiCaprio’s filmography, say.

And Jones’ election is another blow to the measure of whether a player can, you know, actually hit.

Jones’ career average was .254, placing him 217th among Hall of Famers and closer to many pitchers than the .302 mark for the average batting electee.

You say that’s not so bad, huh? Well, consider that Jones’ peak years played out in one of baseball’s most offensively aroused eras. In 2001, as Barry Bonds was hitting 73 home runs, Jones was batting .251 – or, 13 points below the .264 league average. That’d be like an All-Star ostensibly in his prime today hitting .231.

Sure, Jones’ power and defense and WAR and all the rest makes him plenty valuable and, as a narrow margin of voters determined, worthy of Hall of Fame induction. Eras evolve, standards vary and admission prices will change.

Still, it’d be nice to think that a Hall of Fame position player can, you know, hit a little.

Ryan Braun

A former MVP whose 47.7 WAR puts him in a Hall of Fame rent district with Jim Rice and Orlando Cepeda, Braun dropped off the ballot entirely, getting just 15 votes and 3.5%, shy of the 5% needed to stick around.

Alas, while Braun beat the rap when he tested positive during the 2011-12 off-season, his hectoring of a urine sample collector in his defense and ultimate ensaring in the Biogenesis game caught up to him. Once again, how voters will interpret the “integrity, sportsmanship and character” elements in balloting can be unpredictable.

They have blind faith that their team is taking a difference-maker, especially in the first round.

While analysts can provide scouting reports, one of the easiest and most effective ways to convey who a player is to their newest fans is to compare them with a familiar NHL player. 

NHL comparisons are almost never perfect. They are generalized and provide a stylistic comparison for how a given player plays the game. It’s a way to quickly give an example of how players use their skating, physicality and overall toolset. 

Let’s look at the top 10 players in the 2026 NHL Draft and some comparable players:

Top 10 NHL draft players

Frolunda (Sweden) left wing Ivar Stenberg

Comparable NHLer: Lucas Raymond

This comparison might be a little on the nose, as Raymond was once a highly intelligent, skilled right winger coming out of the Frolunda program, but Stenberg’s game is equal parts cerebral and tactical, just like Raymond’s. Stenberg might even have a bit higher ceiling than Raymond. With high-end tools and an elite hockey mind, it’s hard to see Stenberg not reaching at least similar heights to Raymond.

Boston University (NCAA) center Tynan Lawrence

Comparable NHLer: Dylan Larkin

There aren’t many players in the NHL who play with the kind of in-your-face speed that Lawrence plays with, but Red Wings captain Dylan Larkin is certainly an excellent example. He attacks downhill when at his best, looking to draw defenders in and make plays off of that. A true dual-threat center who plays hard at both ends of the ice, Lawrence has the potential to be a very good top-six center who can be relied upon in all situations. 

Penn State (NCAA) left wing Gavin McKenna

Comparable NHLer: Jonathan Huberdeau 

When the Florida Panthers traded Jonathan Huberdeau to the Calgary Flames in 2022, he was coming off the fifth-highest-scoring season ever for an NHL left winger, with 115 points. In the four years before the trade, Huberdeau averaged 1.21 points per game, which would be a 99-point pace. That’s the kind of offensive upside that McKenna has as a premier playmaker. Defensively, there are flaws, but when you’re putting up almost 100 points each season, it can be forgiven. 

Jukurit (Finland) defenseman Alberts Smits

Comparable NHLer: Moritz Seider

Similar to the way that Seider burst onto the scene in his draft year, Smits has been a massive riser throughout this season. Also like Seider, Smits comes from a somewhat unconventional hockey nation – Seider from Germany and Smits from Latvia. Both were big, mobile blueliners with all the tools you could want from a top-pair defender. If Smits can come close to the heights of Seider, whoever drafts him will be thrilled. 

Univ. of North Dakota (NCAA) defenseman Keaton Verhoeff

Comparable NHLer: Thomas Harley

Although he’s taken a bit of a step back this season, we’ve seen Thomas Harley blossom into one of the NHL’s most underrated and well-rounded blueliners. That’s the kind of game that Verhoeff also brings to the table. His skating, skill and willingness to get involved at both ends of the ice make him one of the most intriguing defensemen in the draft. Much like Harley, Verhoeff could make a Canadian national roster one day.

Djurgarden (Sweden) center Viggo Bjorck

Comparable NHLer: Nick Suzuki

There aren’t many centers in the NHL who can operate at under six-feet tall. That meant it was difficult to find a solid comparable NHL player for Bjorck, but landing on Nick Suzuki feels best for now. Bjorck has a bit more high-end playmaking skill than Suzuki, but his all-out effort, intelligence at both ends of the ice and general play style all resemble the Canadiens captain. Sebastian Aho and Marco Rossi were also considered here. 

Vancouver (WHL) right wing Mathis Preston

Comparable NHLer: Martin Necas

Mathis Preston is a high-octane forward who can rush from end to end with the puck and generate offense whether it’s on his stick or a teammate’s. Martin Necas has been a perfect fit with the Avalanche in the post-Mikko Rantanen Era because he’s brought back the speed to their attack that often fell on Nathan MacKinnon. Like Necas, Preston doesn’t necessarily fit in any system, but if he’s in the right spot, he could be an elite producer. 

Sault Ste. Marie (OHL) defenseman Chase Reid

Comparable NHLer: Cam Fowler

A comparable for Chase Reid needed to be a two-way defender who leaned offensively. Cam Fowler isn’t quite in his prime anymore, but his ability to play on the power play early in his career and his growth defensively later on look similar to the career arc that many envision for Reid. The Soo Greyhounds defender is still figuring out his game, and that’s something Fowler had to do after being drafted as well. 

Windsor (OHL) left wing Ethan Belchetz

Comparable NHLer: Jamie Benn

With size, skill and a great shot, Belchetz has many of the same traits that Benn brings to the table, right down to the physicality. Belchetz flashes the same kind of nasty streak that the longtime Dallas Stars captain has as well, just not to quite the same vicious level. Belchetz isn’t the fastest player out there, but he makes plays with his puck skill, which is quite high-end for a player of his stature. 

Tappara (Finland) center Oliver Suvanto

Comparable NHLer: Anton Lundell

Suvanto and Lundell have very similar profiles. They are big, Finnish centers who have impressive defensive habits and heavy shots. Just like Lundell in his draft year, Suvanto has some skating concerns, but his intelligence helps him get where he needs to go. Suvanto may not be a true No. 1 center, but he has the chance to be one of the most important pieces on a championship-caliber team.

The NFL divisional playoffs are in the books and four teams are heading home to watch the rest of the postseason with us. Buffalo, San Francisco, Houston and Chicago all saw their seasons come to an end a few weeks earlier than they would’ve hoped.

One of those four – Buffalo – is facing major changes this offseason. The Bills are searching for a new head coach for the first time since 2017. Reigning MVP Josh Allen and company fell short in the divisional round for the fourth time in the last six years.

Buffalo and the others can turn to the offseason to improve their rosters and ramp up for another run in 2026. Free agency is a good way to find a few good starters and depth pieces but the best way to find difference-makers is through the NFL Draft.

The 2026 NFL Draft lacks star power at quarterback but teams looking for help at defensive line, interior offensive line, wide receiver and even tight end could be in luck. This is an especially good year to need a linebacker too.

Now that another four first-round picks are locked in, how could the 2026 NFL Draft shake out? We’ve tapped the latest projections from experts at CBS Sports, Fox Sports, Pro Football Focus and FantasyPros to predict how the first round will go come April.

Here’s how they compare:

2026 mock draft roundup

1. Las Vegas Raiders

CBS Sports: QB Fernando Mendoza, Indiana

Fox Sports: QB Fernando Mendoza, Indiana

Pro Football Focus: QB Fernando Mendoza, Indiana

FantasyPros: QB Fernando Mendoza, Indiana

CBS Sports: ‘The 2026 NFL Draft is similar to 2025 in that there is only one quarterback worthy of No. 1 overall consideration. The Raiders are expected to take that player, but the real questions begin post-Fernando Mendoza selection. Las Vegas’ roster is not in a state to support a rookie quarterback. Tight ends Brock Bowers and Michael Mayer are good pieces, along with running back Ashton Jeanty, but they need another receiver and multiple offensive linemen.’

Pro Football Focus: ‘Heading into the College Football Playoff National Championship game, the Indiana quarterback has produced a 6.1% big-time throw rate and a 2.5% turnover-worthy play rate. Compare that to the 6.3% and 3.3% rates, respectively, that we saw from Tennessee Titans quarterback Cam Ward in his final college season, and it’s clear that Mendoza is worthy of being drafted first overall.’

2. New York Jets

CBS Sports: LB Arvell Reese, Ohio State

Fox Sports: LB Arvell Reese, Ohio State

Pro Football Focus: Edge David Bailey, Texas Tech

FantasyPros: LB Arvell Reese, Ohio State

Fox Sports: ‘New York will likely take the best player available here. A big riser on draft boards over the past few months, Reese has cemented himself as the clear-cut best linebacker in this draft. Due to his elite speed for his size, he can drop back into coverage as an off-ball backer or line up on the edge and rush the passer. Reese has 6.5 sacks and two passes defended on the year, and 112 total tackles in two seasons for the Buckeyes.’

Pro Football Focus: ‘The news that quarterback Dante Moore is staying at Oregon for another season is a blow to the Jets, who could have either selected him at No. 2 overall or traded the pick for serious draft capital… the most logical route would be to target one of the top defensive players in the draft. Bailey’s 81 quarterback pressures in 2025 led all FBS edge defenders, and while he’s not as refined a prospect as Penn State’s Abdul Carter was last year, he is more than good enough as a pass rusher to be worthy of a top-five selection.’

3. Arizona Cardinals

CBS Sports: OT Francis Mauigoa, Miami (FL)

Fox Sports: OT Francis Mauigoa, Miami (FL)

Pro Football Focus: S Caleb Downs, Ohio State

FantasyPros: OT Spencer Fano, Utah

CBS Sports: ‘The offensive line should be a point of emphasis for Arizona’s next football coach, and Jonah Williams is slated to hit free agency. Francis Mauigoa is a building block for a fresh start on offense, which likely does not include Kyler Murray.’

FantasyPros: ‘Ideally, the Cardinals would trade down a few spots, get some more capital and draft him a bit later, though. As for Fano as a prospect, he moves extremely well, but he’s a bit slender, build-wise, for an offensive lineman. Worst-case scenario, Fano is a “set-it-and-forget-it” guard for years to come.’

4. Tennessee Titans

CBS Sports: Edge Rueben Bain Jr., Miami (FL)

Fox Sports: S Caleb Downs, Ohio State

Pro Football Focus: Edge Rueben Bain Jr., Miami (FL)

FantasyPros: Edge Rueben Bain Jr., Miami (FL)

Fox Sports: ‘Downs might be the smartest football player in this draft, having lined up all over the field during his time at Alabama and Ohio State. This past season, he played 44 snaps on the defensive line, 241 in the box, 146 at slot corner, nine at wide corner, and 240 at free safety. For his career, he’s totaled 256 tackles, 163 solo tackles, 10 passes defended and six interceptions.’

Pro Football Focus: ‘Bain is likely to be a polarizing prospect if his measurements come in as expected, but it’s hard to ignore his dominance in his final college season… His size should allow him to kick inside in obvious passing situations, too, giving him the type of versatility that can maximize his impact.’

5. New York Giants

CBS Sports: WR Carnell Tate, Ohio State

Fox Sports: OT Spencer Fano, Utah

Pro Football Focus: WR Carnell Tate, Ohio State

FantasyPros: WR Jordyn Tyson, Arizona State

CBS Sports: ‘New York has bigger needs than receiver, but do not overthink the board. It is entirely possible Wan’Dale Robinson leaves in free agency, Darius Slayton has struggled to stay healthy, and Malik Nabers is coming off an injury. Carnell Tate would provide more confidence going into Year 2 with Jaxson Dart. Tate is a bigger body with great body control and a feel for playing in space.’

FantasyPros: ‘This spot, like the Cardinals, is another potential trade-down spot… but I’m taking the best receiver in the draft in Jordyn Tyson. Tyson does have the two injuries in 2022 and 2024 that ended his seasons, but if those medicals come back clean, Tyson will be a perfect No. 2 WR alongside Malik Nabers in an offense with Jaxson Dart, Cam Skattebo, under new head coach John Harbaugh.’

6. Cleveland Browns

CBS Sports: WR Jordyn Tyson, Arizona State

Fox Sports: WR Carnell Tate, Ohio State

Pro Football Focus: WR Jordyn Tyson, Arizona State

FantasyPros: WR Carnell Tate, Ohio State

CBS Sports: ‘Cleveland may use every pick in this draft on receivers and offensive linemen. (I’m only partially joking.) Jordyn Tyson is a big-time player with the ball in his hands; the only concern is that he battled injuries during his collegiate career.’

Fox Sports: ‘Tate is next in the long line of pro Buckeye receivers. At 6-3, 195 pounds, he’s a big receiver who can dominate in the red zone while also serving as a deep threat. This year, he’s one of 12 Power 4 receivers to have nine receiving touchdowns and over 800 receiving yards. He is the instant offensive boost the Browns have so desperately needed.’

7. Washington Commanders

CBS Sports: S Caleb Downs, Ohio State

Fox Sports: Edge Rueben Bain Jr., Miami (FL)

Pro Football Focus: Edge Cashius Howell, Texas A&M

FantasyPros: S Caleb Downs, Ohio State

Pro Football Focus: ‘The Commanders will dream that one of the top two edge defenders falls to them at No. 7 overall, but if not, Howell would be a solid consolation prize. The Texas A&M standout earned a 90.3 PFF pass-rush grade and produced a 19.8% PFF pass-rush win rate in 2025.’

FantasyPros: ‘While safety may not be the most alluring position to take in the top 10, Caleb Downs may very well be the best overall player from this class. The Commanders get an easy win here at pick No. 7.’

8. New Orleans Saints

CBS Sports: RB Jeremiyah Love, Notre Dame

Fox Sports: DL Peter Woods, Clemson

Pro Football Focus: WR Makai Lemon, USC

FantasyPros: WR Makai Lemon, USC

Fox Sports: ‘While Clemson had a down year, Woods has too many tools for any team looking for a dominant defensive lineman to pass on. At 6-3, 315 pounds, he’s reported to have a lean muscle mass percentage of 77%. He’s also another player who was a freshman All-American in 2023 and posted a dominant follow-up campaign in 2024 while playing both defensive end and tackle for the Tigers. Woods finished 2025 with a career-high 30 tackles along with two sacks.’

Pro Football Focus: ‘Rookie quarterback Tyler Shough showed enough in 2025 for the Saints to want to build around him with a playmaker like Lemon. The USC star logged an 81.0 PFF receiving grade against man coverage, caught 66.7% of contested targets and dropped just 2.5% of the catchable targets thrown his way this season.’

9. Kansas City Chiefs

CBS Sports: DL Peter Woods, Clemson

Fox Sports: RB Jeremiyah Love, Notre Dame

Pro Football Focus: RB Jeremiyah Love, Notre Dame

FantasyPros: RB Jeremiyah Love, Notre Dame

CBS Sports: ‘Kansas City appears to be a team in transition. It needs an infusion of young impact players on both sides of the ball as it works to return to glory. Peter Woods was overrated early in the draft process but is now undervalued. In theory, Woods is the heir apparent to Chris Jones, and the hope is Omarr Norman-Lott can still develop into a complementary piece.’

FantasyPros: ‘The Chiefs’ running game was borderline unwatchable in 2025. With quarterback Patrick Mahomes coming off a torn ACL, handing the ball or dumping it off to one of the best running back prospects in recent memory is a great move.’

10. Cincinnati Bengals

CBS Sports: CB Jermod McCoy, Tennessee

Fox Sports: Edge Keldric Faulk, Auburn

Pro Football Focus: DL Peter Woods, Clemson

FantasyPros: OT Francis Mauigoa, Miami (FL)

CBS Sports: ‘Jermod McCoy sat out the entire 2025 season, but his film resembled that of a top-10 overall pick in 2024. If the medical check comes back clean, Cincinnati would be getting a great player at a position of need. Defense is once again expected to be a point of emphasis for a franchise that has struggled to identify defensive contributors in the draft.’

Fox Sports: ‘Faulk is a monster at 6-6 and 288 pounds, and he displayed an incredible ability to blow past offensive tackles in the SEC over the past two seasons. He posted 11 tackles for loss, seven sacks and 45 total tackles for the Tigers in his true sophomore season in 2024.’

11. Miami Dolphins

CBS Sports: CB Mansoor Delane, LSU

Fox Sports: CB Mansoor Delane, LSU

Pro Football Focus: CB Mansoor Delane, LSU

FantasyPros: CB Jermod McCoy, Tennessee

Fox Sports: ‘No cornerback in Power 4 had a higher pass coverage grade on PFF than Delane at 90.9. In 357 coverage snaps, he gave up just 13 receptions for 147 yards and no touchdowns with opposing QBs sporting a 26.7 passer rating when targeting him. Miami needs immediate help at the position, with four cornerbacks on injured reserve at the end of the season. Delane should be an instant starter for them.‘

FantasyPros: ‘The Dolphins desperately need some answers in the secondary, and while Jermod McCoy didn’t play in 2025 due to a torn ACL, he may be healthy enough to compete at the NFL Scouting Combine, where, if healthy, he’ll show how excellent an athlete he is. In 2024, McCoy showed excellent ball skills, and the Dolphins could use someone like that.’

12. Dallas Cowboys

CBS Sports: Edge Keldric Faulk, Auburn

Fox Sports: LB CJ Allen, Georgia

Pro Football Focus: LB Arvell Reese, Ohio State

FantasyPros: Edge David Bailey, Texas Tech

CBS Sports: ‘Keldric Faulk is a long, powerful pass rusher who does not turn 21 until the beginning of the 2026 season. Dallas needs young, impactful players at all three levels of the defense. Donovan Ezeiruaku had some good moments as a rookie, so the two can develop together.’

Fox Sports: ‘The heartbeat of Georgia’s defense this year, Allen is a tenacious tackler who thrives in the run game and can also cover receivers in the slot. Dallas has bolstered its defensive line with Kenny Clark and Quinnen Williams, but it needs an off-ball backer with a high IQ to prevent explosive plays at the second level.’

13. Los Angeles Rams (from Atlanta)

CBS Sports: OT Spencer Fano, Utah

Fox Sports: OT Kadyn Proctor, Alabama

Pro Football Focus: CB Jermod McCoy, Tennessee

FantasyPros: CB Mansoor Delane, LSU

Fox Sports: ‘Matthew Stafford is the current MVP favorite with no signs of slowing down. At 37 years old, everything the Rams do from a roster construction standpoint should and will likely be with the intent of winning a Super Bowl immediately. Proctor is a specimen at 6-7, 366 pounds and has given up just five sacks in the last two seasons (according to PFF). Rob Havenstein is 33 years old and dealing with injuries, making this an ideal fit for Los Angeles.’

FantasyPros: ‘I’d like to see the Rams get a bigger cornerback to complement their current room. However, Mansoor Delane brings so much positional versatility that he’d be excellent under head coach Sean McVay in a defense that needs more defensive back talent.’

14. Baltimore Ravens

CBS Sports: WR Denzel Boston, Washington

Fox Sports: Edge David Bailey, Texas Tech

Pro Football Focus: OT Francis Mauigoa, Miami (FL)

FantasyPros: OT Kadyn Proctor, Alabama

CBS Sports: ‘Baltimore has the same decision-makers in place to make selections, so fans should not anticipate a shift in philosophy. The Ravens will continue to stockpile picks, but it will be interesting to learn whom the franchise tabs as the next head coach and the personnel that person will need to execute his schemes on each side of the ball. Denzel Boston is a big body with a skill set that complements Zay Flowers and Rashod Bateman.’

Pro Football Focus: ‘Mauigoa is listed as a tackle, but he would begin his NFL career at guard for the Ravens, where they are unlikely to re-sign right guard Daniel Faalele — who earned a 57.2 overall grade in 2025. Mauigoa is an excellent pass blocker who earned an 85.4 PFF pass blocking grade on true pass sets this past season. He was also no slouch in the run game, earning a PFF run-blocking grade above 74.0 on both gap and zone concepts.’

15. Tampa Bay Buccaneers

CBS Sports: LB Sonny Styles, Ohio State

Fox Sports: LB Sonny Styles, Ohio State

Pro Football Focus: LB Sonny Styles, Ohio State

FantasyPros: LB Sonny Styles, Ohio State

Fox Sports: ‘If it weren’t for Arvell Reese, Sonny Styles would be getting a lot more recognition as a Buckeye linebacker. In his past two seasons at Ohio State, he’s totaled 183 tackles, 95 solo tackles, eight passes defended, seven sacks, and two forced fumbles. He hits like a truck and can move well in space.’

FantasyPros: ‘With Lavonte David set to be a free agent and turning 36 later this month, the Buccaneers could look for a linebacker replacement in Sonny Styles… Styles started his career at Ohio State as a safety, so he’ll offer positional versatility and fit the modern game. I’d bring back David, so long as he wants to continue playing, and have him mentor Styles as he learns the position further.’

16. New York Jets (from Indianapolis)

CBS Sports: DL Kayden McDonald, Ohio State

Fox Sports: CB Jermod McCoy, Tennessee

Pro Football Focus: WR Denzel Boston, Washington

FantasyPros: DT Peter Woods, Clemson

CBS Sports: ‘New York traded away Quinnen Williams at the deadline, and the position had already been a need. The Jets could add a few bodies to the interior this offseason. Kayden McDonald has a high floor as a run defender, and teams will not feel comfortable taking him this early unless they are sold on his potential contributions as a pass rusher.’

FantasyPros: ‘After trading Quinnen Williams, the Jets reload with Peter Woods, a player who didn’t have the best season, but who has all the tools to help replace some of the production lost in the Williams trade.’

17. Detroit Lions

CBS Sports: Edge David Bailey, Texas Tech

Fox Sports: CB Avieon Terrell, Clemson

Pro Football Focus: OT Kadyn Proctor, Alabama

FantasyPros: Edge Keldric Faulk, Auburn

Fox Sports: ‘The brother of All-Pro corner A.J. Terrell, Avieon has had a ton of production in three seasons at Clemson, recording 25 passes defended, 125 total tackles, eight forced fumbles, four sacks, and three interceptions in 1,860 defensive snaps played in that span. Avieon will be a great compliment to a secondary already featuring Kerby Joseph, Brian Branch and Terrion Arnold.’

FantasyPros: ‘The Lions need a Robin to go with their Batman in Aidan Hutchinson. Keldrick Faulk can play in various spots along the defensive line. For a Lions team that needs more pass-rushing help, Faulk feels safe.’

18. Minnesota Vikings

CBS Sports: CB Avieon Terrell, Clemson

Fox Sports: WR Jordyn Tyson, Arizona State

Pro Football Focus: CB Avieon Terrell, Clemson

FantasyPros: CB Avieon Terrell, Clemson

Fox Sports: ‘Tyson could easily go top 10 or 15 in this draft, depending on how badly teams want a receiver. While it might seem like a surprise for the Vikings to draft him, Jordan Addison is on the last year of his deal and will likely command a big contract given his production as the second option over the past three seasons. Tyson is a big-bodied receiver at 6-2, 200 pounds, and he catches everything thrown at him. In two seasons with ASU, he’s caught 136 balls for 1,812 yards and a whopping 18 touchdowns.’

FantasyPros: ‘The Vikings have two cornerbacks ready to go for next season in Isaiah Rodgers and Byron Murphy Jr., but neither (more so Murphy) played exceptionally well this season. Avieon Terrell would be perfect in a Brian Flores-led defense due to his aggressive play style. He’d platoon as a rookie, but could take over an outside spot full-time with Rodgers a free agent in the 2026-27 season.’

19. Carolina Panthers

CBS Sports: WR Makai Lemon, USC

Fox Sports: TE Kenyon Sadiq, Oregon

Pro Football Focus: DT Kayden McDonald, Ohio State

FantasyPros: DT Kayden McDonald, Ohio State

CBS Sports: ‘Carolina has greater weaknesses than wide receiver and has invested significant draft capital into the position to little avail beyond Tetairoa McMillan. Makai Lemon is a smaller slot receiver who is grounded through the catch, a complement to McMillan’s skill set.’

Fox Sports: ‘Sadiq is the best tight end in the draft, and it’s not close. He can run, block well and has great hands. His eight receiving touchdowns were the most of any tight end in FBS, making him a big-time red zone threat, as well… Bryce Young has taken a huge step this year. A lot of that progress has to do with the addition of wide receiver Tetairoa McMillan in last year’s draft. Expect the Panthers to continue to give their young QB offensive weapons.’

20. Dallas Cowboys (from Green Bay)

CBS Sports: CB Colton Hood, Tennessee

Fox Sports: CB Brandon Cisse, South Carolina

Pro Football Focus: Edge Keldric Faulk, Auburn

FantasyPros: WR KC Concepcion, Texas A&M

Fox Sports:‘Trevon Diggs and DaRon Bland both dealt with injuries this season, and the Cowboys’ defense is giving up 251.5 passing yards per game, which is the worst mark in the league. Cisse is a tough corner who isn’t afraid to tackle and has 10 passes defended over the past two seasons, and he gave up just 18 receptions and one TD in 2025 (PFF).’

FantasyPros: ‘If the Cowboys are unable to retain George Pickens, KC Concepcion would be a fantastic backup plan to complement CeeDee Lamb. He had some drop issues in college, but if he works out those kinks, he’ll be incredible against man coverage and electric with the ball in his hands.’

21. Pittsburgh Steelers

CBS Sports: QB Ty Simpson, Alabama

Fox Sports: QB Ty Simpson, Alabama

Pro Football Focus: WR KC Concepcion, Texas A&M

FantasyPros: OT Caleb Lomu, Utah

CBS Sports: ‘Pittsburgh will have a new head coach for the first time in nearly two decades, so the direction at quarterback is fascinating. If the team wants to get off the hamster wheel of signing a veteran every year, it will either need to continue taking chances on prospects who may be available to it, like Ty Simpson, or tank and be in a position to draft one next year. The choice has been made in this exercise, but a very real one awaits the franchise.’

FantasyPros: ‘Broderick Jones just hasn’t worked out in Pittsburgh, and it’s time to take someone like Caleb Lomu, who may have a bit more development ahead of him. He’s an excellent athlete; however, and should shine as a pass protector under the right coaching. While Mike Tomlin may no longer be the Pittsburgh Steelers’ head coach, the organization has a long track record of bringing in strong coaching candidates, which will be great for Lomu.’

22. Los Angeles Chargers

CBS Sports: IOL Olaivavega Ioane, Penn State

Fox Sports: Edge R Mason Thomas, Oklahoma

Pro Football Focus: IOL Olaivavega Ioane, Penn State

FantasyPros: IOL Olaivavega Ioane, Penn State

Fox Sports: ‘Thomas is one of three SEC players to have recorded over 15 sacks and three forced fumbles in the last two seasons, and has demonstrated elite speed off the edge. While he’s a bit undersized at 6-2, he’s an ideal fit for a Chargers defense that needs a speed-rusher.’

Pro Football Focus: ‘Offensive line issues crippled the Chargers in the playoffs, and while tackles Rashawn Slater and Joe Alt will return from injuries in 2026, the team needs big improvements on the interior. Ioane is the best pure guard in this class, having logged an elite 90.9 PFF pass-blocking grade on true pass sets in 2025. He would immediately upgrade the unit and provide more protection for quarterback Justin Herbert.’

23. Philadelphia Eagles

CBS Sports: TE Kenyon Sadiq, Oregon

Fox Sports: OT Caleb Lomu, Utah

Pro Football Focus: TE Kenyon Sadiq, Oregon

FantasyPros: Edge T.J. Parker, Clemson

CBS Sports: ‘When Philadelphia felt Zach Ertz’s career was nearing the end, it made the decision to move on from a fan favorite in favor of first-round pick Dallas Goedert. Goedert is scheduled to become a free agent in March. Sadiq is an off-ramp much the same way Goedert had been for Ertz.’

FantasyPros: ‘The Eagles could bring back Jaelan Phillips, but in the event they don’t, T.J. Parker could be an option for them. That said, it’s also possible Parker goes much higher than this. Parker took a step back in production this season with five sacks compared to 11 in 2024, but he would thrive on an Eagles defensive line where multiple other players will demand attention. He has a skill set that should immediately translate to the NFL.’

24. Cleveland Browns (from Jacksonville)

CBS Sports: OT Caleb Lomu, Utah

Fox Sports: IOL Emmanuel Pregnon, Oregon

Pro Football Focus: OT Spencer Fano, Utah

FantasyPros: IOL Gennings Dunker, Iowa

Fox Sports: ‘The Browns desperately need an offensive lineman, having given up 51 sacks this season. But with the sixth pick, it’s hard to imagine that Mauigoa or Fano will be available at that point, hence our projection of Carnell Tate. Pregnon is arguably the best guard in the draft, recording a pass block grade of 88.2 on the year — the seventh highest of all FBS guards with at least 300 pass blocking snaps.’

Pro Football Focus: ‘If the Browns can come out of the first round of April’s draft with an upgraded offensive line and more skill-position talent, it will have been a successful first night. Fano took a step back in 2025 but still earned 80.0-plus PFF grades as a run blocker and in pass protection. His 2024 season was even better, though, headlined by a 92.6 PFF overall grade that made him one of the top players in this class coming into the season.’

25. Chicago Bears

CBS Sports: DT Caleb Banks, Florida

Fox Sports: Edge LT Overton, Alabama

Pro Football Focus: DT Christen Miller, Georgia

FantasyPros: DT Caleb Banks, Florida

Fox Sports: ‘Overton fits the mold of all the past Alabama defensive linemen over the past decade in that he’s incredibly athletic, nasty, physical and relentless. At 6-5, 283 pounds, he can play inside and can thrive in multiple schemes. Chicago can go with an offensive player here, but Overton has the potential to be a game-wrecker for it if he’s available.’

FantasyPros: ‘Andrew Billings and Chris Williams are free agents, and not only that, but Billings had a terrible season. Caleb Banks can line up anywhere along the defensive line, and his explosiveness should help the Bears’ interior.’

26. Buffalo Bills

CBS Sports: S Emmanuel McNeil-Warren, Toledo

Fox Sports: WR Makai Lemon, USC

Pro Football Focus: Edge T.J. Parker, Clemson

FantasyPros: WR Denzel Boston, Washington

CBS Sports: ‘Buffalo hardly addressed the safety room last offseason despite it being a need. The position remains a need entering this offseason. Emmanuel McNeil-Warren is a versatile player and represents a continued investment of team resources in the defense.’

Pro Football Focus: ‘The Bills fell short in the playoffs again, but the production they got from veteran edge defender Joey Bosa — who is now set to head to free agency — should reinforce their desire to invest in the position. Parker is coming off a season where he tallied a 15.5% PFF pass-rush win rate and proved capable as a run defender, earning a 77.5 PFF run-defense grade.’

27. San Francisco 49ers

CBS Sports: OT Monroe Freeling, Georgia

Fox Sports: DT Kayden McDonald, Ohio State

Pro Football Focus: OT Caleb Lomu, Utah

FantasyPros: Edge Cashius Howell, Texas A&M

CBS Sports: ‘Trent Williams’ time will eventually come to an end, considering he will be 38 prior to next season. The 2026 season is the final year of his contract. Even if Monroe Freeling does not start next season, the team would theoretically have an in-house replacement who benefited from learning under a Hall of Fame tackle for a year.’

Fox Sports: ‘McDonald was an absolute monster in the middle of Ohio State’s defensive line, which held opponents to 9.3 points per game and 89.4 rush yards per game. The 6-3, 326-pound defensive tackle has three sacks and two forced fumbles on the year, and would be a huge addition to a defense that won 12 games despite missing Nick Bosa, Mykel Williams and Fred Warner for most of the year.’

28. Houston Texans

CBS Sports: OT Kadyn Proctor, Alabama

Fox Sports: Edge Akheem Mesidor, Miami (FL)

Pro Football Focus: IOL Emmanuel Pregnon, Oregon

FantasyPros: DT Christen Miller, Georgia

Fox Sports: ‘Mesidor really bolstered his stock in his final year of eligibility, recording 10.5 sacks on the year and dominating offensive lines throughout Miami’s CFP run. The only edge rusher that’s played 400 pass rush snaps and has a higher PFF grade than him is Rueben Bain Jr., who we have going seventh overall. Mesidor also played in the interior last year, making him a versatile option for a Houston defensive line that features two 31-year-old players in Danielle Hunter and Sheldon Rankins.’

FantasyPros: ‘The Texans have numerous defensive linemen hitting free agency, such as Sheldon Rankins and Tim Settle. Adding Christen Miller helps replenish those losses. At the moment, though, he’s a limited pass-rusher. That said, Miller would be heading to a great spot to develop under head coach DeMeco Ryans.’

29. Los Angeles Rams

CBS Sports: WR KC Concepcion, Texas A&M

Fox Sports: DT Caleb Banks, Florida

Pro Football Focus: CB Chris Johnson, San Diego State

FantasyPros: CB Colton Hood, Tennessee

CBS Sports: ‘Davante Adams is aging more gracefully than some of his peers because he wins with his attention to detail as a route runner. KC Concepcion gives them depth at a position they have valued during the Sean McVay era while also providing an off-ramp to Adams’ time with the organization.’

Pro Football Focus: ‘Johnson is flying under the radar despite his sensational 2025 season. He earned an elite 92.4 PFF coverage grade in 2025 after allowing just 18 receptions and a 16.1 NFL passer rating on throws into his coverage.’

30. New England Patriots

CBS Sports: Edge Cashius Howell, Texas A&M

Fox Sports: Edge T.J. Parker, Clemson

Pro Football Focus: OL Gennings Dunker, Iowa

FantasyPros: Edge R Mason Thomas, Oklahoma

Pro Football Focus: ‘Although Morgan Moses has been solid for the Patriots this season, he’ll be 35 years old in March. New England should set out to find his long-term replacement in this draft. Dunker was better in 2024, logging an elite 90.2 PFF overall grade, but still put together a solid 2025 campaign with 75.0-plus PFF grades in pass protection and as a run blocker.’

FantasyPros: ‘The Patriots were middle of the pack in pressures this season, and K’Lavon Chaisson is set to hit the open market after having a career year. Assuming they’re unable to bring him back, Mason Thomas’ explosiveness could be a nice way to make up for it. That said, we’ll see if Thomas’ ankle injuries are cleared. It remains to be seen if his size will be a detriment to his draft stock.’

31. Denver Broncos

CBS Sports: DT Christen Miller, Georgia

Fox Sports: IOL Olaivavega Ioane, Penn State

Pro Football Focus: DT Caleb Banks, Florida

FantasyPros: TE Kenyon Sadiq, Oregon

CBS Sports: ‘The defensive line has been a unit of strength for Denver, which has been important for freeing up Jonathan Cooper and Nik Bonitto in pass-rush situations. The addition of Christen Miller ensures the defensive line remains atop the league while also providing depth.‘

Pro Football Focus: ‘The Broncos don’t have many needs at this point, but it’s never a bad idea to acquire more depth along the defensive line. Banks missed most of the 2025 season but flashed as a pass rusher toward the end of the 2024 campaign, with 17 pressures on 92 pass-rushing snaps in the final three games of the year.’

32. Seattle Seahawks

CBS Sports: Edge Akheem Mesidor, Miami (FL)

Fox Sports: Edge Cashius Howell, Texas A&M

Pro Football Focus: CB Keith Abney II, Arizona State

FantasyPros: WR Chris Bell, Louisville

Fox Sports: ‘Howell ranks fourth in FBS in sacks since 2022 with 27 to his name in that span, but he’s a bit undersized at 6-2, 248 pounds. Still, he has an incredible burst off the edge and would be a great supplement to 33-year-old DeMarcus Lawrence, who has two years left on his contract with Seattle.’

Pro Football Focus: ‘The Seahawks already have some high-profile players in their secondary — Devon Witherspoon and Nick Emmanwori — but cornerback Tariq Woolen is currently headed for free agency. Abney doesn’t bring Woolen’s size, but as his 77.9 PFF run-defense grade shows, he plays with the type of physicality on which the Seahawks’ defense thrives.’

There was no need for advanced analytics or algorithms.

No need for any public relations campaigns.

Simply, Carlos Beltrán and Andruw Jones were elected to the Baseball Hall of Fame on Tuesday night the old-fashioned way.

The Baseball Writers’ Association of America had elected only two center fielders the past 45 years – Kirby Puckett and Ken Griffey Jr. – but this pair born only a day apart, were voted in on the same night. Beltrán received 84.2% of the vote in his fourth year on the ballot while Jones received 78.4% in his ninth appearance.

Beltrán, who was a winner of the prestigious Roberto Clemente Award, becomes only the sixth player from Puerto Rico to be elected, while Jones is the first player from the island of Curaçao.

“There’s no doubt that today my life has really changed being named to the Hall of Fame and what this really means to me, to Puerto Rico, to our family …’ Beltrán said. “I’m humbled. Just look at my story, coming up as a Latino player, and coming from a humble family, and now I have a plaque in Cooperstown next to all of those great players.’

Jones thanked former slugger Hensley Meulens for inspiring future players from Curaçao to make the big leagues, and believes that closer Kenley Jansen will be the next player from the island to be elected to Cooperstown.

“We grew up playing baseball, and that’s all we did,” said Jones, who will manage Team Netherlands in the World Baseball Classic. “Hensley Meulens was the first guy to open the door for us, and gave guys after him to give us a chance. There were so many guys who helped me in so many ways.

“To be the first player to make it from Curaçao is a great honor.”

If you saw Beltrán and Jones play, you knew these two center fielders were Hall of Famers.

If you asked their former teammates, managers, coaches and opponents, you knew these two players were Hall of Famers.

All you had to do is watch. And listen.

Hall of Famer Willie Mays told Jones one day by the batting cage in San Francisco that he was the best center fielder he’s ever seen. Atlanta’s dynasty included six Hall of Famers and every single one said the Hall wouldn’t be complete until Jones joined them.

“I didn’t play this game to be a Hall of Famer, but to win,” Jones said. “We built teams to win championships. We won our division 14 years in a row. I was proud to be part of that.’

Jones was a meteor who burst onto the scene in the 1996 World Series, won 10 Gold Glove awards in his first 10 seasons, and was widely considered not only the greatest defensive outfielder of his era, but one of the greatest ever.

Mays and Roberto Clemente are the only outfielders in history to win more Gold Glove awards. If his career didn’t crater after 11 years with Atlanta – hitting just .210 with a .740 OPS and 66 homers his last five seasons covering 434 games – he might have been a first-ballot Hall of Famer.

Beltrán was a fabulous five-tool player and had some of the greatest baseball acumen of anyone in the game. A nine-time All-Star and three-time Gold Glove winner, Beltrán hit .279 with 435 homers and 1,587s RBI in 20 seasons. He also had one of the greatest resumes in postseason history (.307, 16 homers, 42 RBIs).

“To be linked to Roberto Clemente, Roberto Alomar, Pudge Rodriguez,’ Beltrán said, “really means a lot. I will continue to do what I love and that’s to promote the game and continue to help the kids here on the island. Hopefully, we can create more opportunities for the Latino players.’

If Beltrán had retired just one year earlier and didn’t play for the 2017 Houston Astros, who were later caught illegally stealing signs during the entire season, he likely would have been a first-ballot Hall of Famer.

“People share or people talk about what happened with the Astros,’ Beltrán said, “but I feel a lot of times there are agendas that are not positive. But when I look at my career, you’re going to go through ups and downs in life. You’re going to make good decisions and so-so decisions. You’re also going to make bad decisions. …

“Being back in the game of baseball, I still receive a lot of love from the players, the teammates that I had inside the clubhouse. They know the type of person that I am, but at the same time, understand that’s also a story I have to deal with.’’

After being fired as the Mets manager in 2020 without managing a single game in the wake of the Astros scandal, Beltrán says he’d be open again if someone gives him an opportunity. For now, he’s content working in player development for the Mets.

The election certainly took longer than each hoped, but the wait made the center fielders appreciate the honor even more on this day, with Beltrán even FaceTiming Jones after the results were announced.

Besides, once you’re in the Hall of Fame, all that matters is that you’re in baseball’s most prestigious club. There are no designations on your plaque for how many years it took for election. All that matters is that you’re hanging in the gallery alongside Babe Ruth and Bob Gibson.

“As a baseball player, we know how hard it is just to get into the Baseball of Fame, and once you do, it’s one of those things you’ll never forget,’ Jones said. “So to be in a class with all of those greats, all of those legends that you watch videos, the guys that you followed for a long time, to be on the same [stage] with them is such a great honor.’

Jones and Beltrán each had warts on their resumes, but really, it’s no different than anyone else in the Hall of Fame. Yankees closer Mariano Rivera remains the only player the baseball writers thought was perfect, giving him 100% of the vote.

Their inclusion may open the door for others behind them.

Now that Beltrán is the first player to be elected into the Hall of Fame from the Astros’ cheating scandal, how can All-Star second baseman Jose Altuve be blocked from the Hall when his time arrives, or anyone else from that team?

And now that Jones is in the Hall of Fame, could this assist Torii Hunter’s candidacy with his nine Gold Gloves, 353 homers and 2,452 hits ( 519 more than Jones)? Certainly, it has to be a boost for Kenny Lofton (six-time All-Star, four-time Gold Glove winner, 2,428 hits) who was off the BBWAA ballot after one year, but remains eligible for election on the contemporary era committee when it meets again in three years.

We’ll discover the ramifications of their inclusion in future Hall of Fame elections.

All that matters today is that Beltrán and Jones are Hall of Famers now and forever.

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