🏈 Offseason Buzz
Although the primary focus of the week was watching the prospects showcase their athleticism, lots of news broke around the NFL. Here’s what you neeed to know:
The Dolphins are expected to release Tua Tagovailoa shortly after the new league year begins, eating a majority of the massive cap hit now, rather than later.
Geno Smith is expected to be released and the Raiders are expected to draft Fernando Mendoza.
The Falcons are going to release Kirk Cousins prior to the new league year beginning - and he is adamant that he wants to play in 2026.
The Cardinals are likely to pivot off Kyler Murray by releasing him, and then pursue Jimmy Garoppolo.
The Vikings are considering the aforementioned Tua Tagovailoa, Geno Smith, Kirk Cousins, and Kyler Murray as options to bring in and compete with J.J. McCarthy - indicating a severe lack of confidence in their young QB.
The Giants are heavy into the RB market, whether that’s Kenneth Walker, Travis Ettiene Jr., or Jeremiyah Love (among others)
The Bills are heavy into the WR market with reported interest in Rashid Shaheed and Romeo Doubs
Mike Evans is expected to test the free agency market, and wants to go to a contender that can promise him lots of touches. The Bucs are making a very strong push for him to stay but the status of this situation is very up in the air.
Rico Dowdle and Tyler Allgeier are expected to hit free agency - both expected to have active markets.
Malik Willis is going to have a competitive market, but it appears unlikely that he’ll receive a contract north of 30 million per year
Sources around the NFL believe that there’s a very real chance that A.J. Brown gets traded, but the compensation for him is going to be the biggest hurdle.
Alec Pierce and Daniel Jones are likely to stay on the Colts, with the expecting to place either a transition or franchise tag on one of them. The Colts want to get a long-term deal done with Jones.
David Montgomery was traded to the Texans - a move that indicates a lack in confidence in Woody Marks as the full-time RB. Jahmyr Gibbs now has an even stronger argument to go #1 in fantasy drafts
Jeremiyah Love
🏈 Combine Calculations
There were impressive, and not-so-impressive, displays at the Combine this year. Here's a breakdown of the best and worst performances, measurements, and a touch of pertinent prospect info, sorted by position.
Quarterbacks
Tallest: Taylen Green, Arkansas - 6’5 7/8
Shortest: Diego Pavia, Vanderbilt 5’10
Fastest 40-Yard Dash: Taylen Green, Arkansas - 4.36 seconds (second fastest time by a QB since 2003)
Slowest 40-Yard Dash: Joe Fagnano, UConn - 4.83 seconds
Additional Info: On top of Taylen Green being the tallest and fastest QB, he also recorded the best broad jump (11-2), and vertical jump (43 1/2) of any QB since 2003. I was left unimpressed by his performance during the throwing drills - but his stock rose more than any other QB after the Combine.
Taylen Green
Running Backs
Tallest: Adam Randall, Clemson - 6’3 3/8
Shortest: Desmond Reid, Pittsburgh - 5’6 (wow)
Fastest 40-Yard Dash: Mike Washington Jr., Arkansas - 4.33 seconds
Slowest 40-Yard Dash: Emmett Johnson, Nebraska - 4.56 seconds
Additional info: It’s worth noting that Jeremiyah Love (the top RB in the class), had a great showing in the two drills he performed in. He ran the second-fastest 40-Yard Dash (4.36 seconds), and almost certainly locked himself in as a top-12 pick in the draft.
Also - Mike Washington Jr. is going to be looked upon as the second-best RB in this class by many scouts after his excellent performance at the Combine.
Wide Receivers
Tallest: Malachi Fields, Notre Dame - 6’4 ½
Shortest: Zachariah Branch, Georgia - 5’8 5/8
Fastest 40-Yard Dash: Brenen Thompson, Mississippi State - 4.26 seconds (third-fastest WR time in Combine history!)
Slowest 40-Yard Dash: Chase Roberts, BYU - 4.64 seconds
Additional Info: Skyler Bell (UConn), Omar Cooper Jr. (Indiana), and Ted Hurst (Georgia State) all impressed me in various ways. Whether it was pass-catching drills, route running, or their measurements - they all have the potential to be taken earlier than originally anticipated on draft day.
Kenyon Sadiq
Tight Ends
Tallest: Tanner Koziol, Houston - 6’6 ½
Shortest: Jaren Kanak, Oklahoma - 6’2
Fastest 40-Yard Dash: Kenyon Sadiq, Oregon - 4.39 seconds (FASTEST TE EVER)
Slowest 40-Yard Dash: Miles Kitselman, Tennessee - 4.9 seconds
Additional info: Post-Combine, the two tight ends to keep a very close eye on are Kenyon Sadiq and Eli Stowers. They are clearly the two top dogs, and both broke Combine records at their position.
Fantasy Relevant First Round Picks
Carnell Tate
These players will be sorted by position and listed in order of how likely they are to go in the first round of the 2026 NFL Draft.
Quarterbacks:
Fernando Mendoza - Indiana
Ty Simpson - Alabama (not a lock for 1st round at all)
Running Backs:
Jeremiyah Love - Notre Dame
Wide Receivers:
Carnell Tate - Ohio State
Makai Lemon - USC
Jordyn Tyson - Arizona State
Denzel Boston - Washington
KC Concepcion - Texas A&M
Omar Cooper Jr. - Indiana
Tight Ends:
Kenyon Sadiq - Oregon
The WalterPicks Rookie Guide
I’m the primary author for the upcoming WalterPicks Rookie Guide, and the Combine is very likely to have sent shockwaves through many team’s draft boards.
Its initial release is scheduled for late March. The guide will be a living document that will be updated regularly, especially as the Draft approaches and concludes.
Make sure to have your notifications turned on for the WalterPicks app so you don’t miss any important information regarding the guide! I truly can’t express how eager I am for you to get your hands on it!
March Madness is almost here, and WalterPicks has betting insights for every player and game! Check out our @WalterPicks socials for March Madness content!
BTW: Our Bracket Builder and CBB Research Tools are out NOW… get a head start on your bracket pool!
