2026 Draft Superthread And Draft Prospect Discussion

[beachcomber]

Xavier Nwankpa * Eyes were really good. Shaky hands, but can run.

Eye level is on it. Can’t catch a lick.

Had a stumble on the second W drill, but he’s FLYING, and eyes are on it.

Fantastic hip turn, but the hands are brutal. He drops literally everything.

VJ Payne * Ran fast. Some drifting. Play speed good. Bends well.

No drastic mistakes. Not perfect on the line, but just thriving otherwise.

Base is a bit narrow. Decelerates a tad slow, but solid B’s on the report card.

Solid in the Austin drill. Not freaky ,but he’s getting the job done.

Coach very happy with his box drill. Nice balance. Shifting his body around these cones well. Really nice day.

Genesis Smith * Base very narrow. Too upright. Not straight on the line at all. Probably the worst rep of the group.

Made him redo the back pedal transition. Play speed stinks. He looks way worse than everybody else. Not sure how else to say it.

W drill mediocre. Play speed meh.

Bad plants in the Austin. Going left to right, his plant foot couldn’t make up its mind and caused a way-late reaction.

Just not in control at all. Same with the box. Total mess.

Lorenzo Styles Jr. * Rocked the 40 holy hell. Easy money on the line drill. How it’s supposed to be done. Low. Eyes up. Plus speed going through it.

Minus the drop on the high point, he’s close to flawless.

Had a stumble on the first cone in the W, but I don’t even care. The way he gathers himself and reacts. It’s high level stuff. Dude has a gear to him, no doubt.

Acing the Austin drill. Dude zooms. Acing the box. The way he sticks his foot in the ground and goes is great.

Ridiculous gauntlet. Hammered it. I don’t feel like he’s reached what he can be. Still lump of clay mode here.

[beachcomber]

Michael Taafe * Ran better than I thought. Trying to guess the line drill. Definitely some drifting and not covering ground.

Changes directions fine when not guessing.

Not covering any ground in the W. Other guys in the group are way deeper in the drops by the time the coach wants them to break.

Just a limited athlete. You see it in the Austin. Giddy up lacks. Ran ok, but wouldn’t say he was great beyond that.

Dillon Thieneman * Fantastic line drill. Blazing time. No issues in the stop/starts. Rocking this, staying straight.

Dude is all over it. A’s on the report card in the transitions.

Looks incredible. Have zero complaints. His brain just clicks.

Lightning rod. Austin drill super speed and reacts. Kinda a stumble in the box, but he’s so damn good it’s hard to find anything to complain about. I’m borderline blown away. Dude rocks.

Zakee Wheatley * Did not run. Some drifting. Kinda hoping on the back pedal. Bit high but passable.

Stayed on the line way better on the second drill and tracked it well in the air.

Wouldn’t say he’s blowing it up, but he’s competing and doing a decent job.

Had to restart the Austin. Too lanky, out of control. Solid in the box. Would like to see him cover more ground with how lanky he is.

Gauntlet was pretty good, no drops.

[beachcomber]

Vendetta Sports Media Post 2025 NFL Scouting Combine Cornerback Rankings:

1: Caleb Downs (Ohio State)

2: Dillon Thieneman (Oregon)

3: Bud Clark (TCU)

4: AJ Haulcy (LSU)

5: Jalon Kilgore (South Carolina) *Probably a corner*

6: VJ Payne (Kansas State)

7: Lorenzo Styles Jr (Ohio State)

8: Zakee Wheatley (Penn State)

9: Jalen Huskey (Maryland) *Did not work out

10: Robert Spears-Jennings (Oklahoma)

[beachcomber]

Jadarian Price

ruptured achilles tendon in the '022, kick returner, burner, take it to the house/home run speed, questions as pass blocker, and w/ball security, within range @55, excellent complementary back, Melvin Gordonesque fumbles @goal line, early down rotational RB, best production has come in outside zone concepts, turns small creases into explosive plays, scored on 3/15 career receptions, has big play upside, CJ Spiller compare, would thrive in zone rushing scheme, one of every five carries goes for 15+ yards, question as to how much of his splash was due to ND scheme and blocking, personally would wait 'til day three/round four, and see if he is still there w/the likes of a Demond Claiborne, or one of the Penn St. backs

[beachcomber]

Joshua Josephs

situational pass rusher w/good closing speed, does not have desired production, not a bull rusher, tackling a ?/saw him bounce off RBs w/attempted tackle, question his ability as finisher, twentysomething percent missed tackle rate, Uchenna Nwosu compare, similar to Oweh in that don't think he (ever) sees the field on run downs, saw someone had him seven overall.... not seein' it, don't think he's a Harbaugh player, and unfortunately does not have the production nor the tackle rate to make him enviable as a future/potential Charger, pass

[Fleet 1]

I get it Caleb Banks has been a little inconsistent...and missed most of 2025....but when i watch his film there are shades of Chris Jones. With good coaching this guy could be a problem at the next level. Jones was taken in the early 2nd...i think Banks is probably in that range. But if a team thinks they can turn him into a Jones type he may go in the back of the 1st. His Senior Bowl practice tape is nice.

Looks like a very disruptive player. Or at least has the ability to be dominant. Just needs to put it all together. Clean up the run d. Nice bull rush. Nice use of hands. Gets skinny for a big guy.

Crazy hard jab. Good looking pass rushing DT who can force a QB to move.

[Riverwalk]

I get it Caleb Banks has been a little inconsistent...and missed most of 2025....but when i watch his film there are shades of Chris Jones. With good coaching this guy could be a problem at the next level. Jones was taken in the early 2nd...i think Banks is probably in that range. But if a team thinks they can turn him into a Jones type he may go in the back of the 1st. His Senior Bowl practice tape is nice.

Looks like a very disruptive player. Or at least has the ability to be dominant. Just needs to put it all together. Clean up the run d. Nice bull rush. Nice use of hands. Gets skinny for a big guy.

Crazy hard jab. Good looking pass rushing DT who can force a QB to move.

Banks models his game after Jones. He’s said publicly he studies his moves.

I’ve seen him projected to be 1st or early 2nd round so doubt he will be around for us late in 2nd unless they want to gamble our first on him.

Wouldn’t it be interesting if Chiefs drafted him so his idol could mentor him. Yikes!

[Boltinloudguy]

Vendetta Sports Media Post 2025 NFL Scouting Combine Cornerback Rankings:

1: Caleb Downs (Ohio State)

2: Dillon Thieneman (Oregon)

3: Bud Clark (TCU)

4: AJ Haulcy (LSU)

[B]5: Jalon Kilgore (South Carolina) *Probably a corner*[/B]

6: VJ Payne (Kansas State)

7: Lorenzo Styles Jr (Ohio State)

8: Zakee Wheatley (Penn State)

9: Jalen Huskey (Maryland) *Did not work out

10: Robert Spears-Jennings (Oklahoma)

I think Kilgore is that Derwin James and Kyle Hamilton type. Even though he is a couple inches shorter he is a big guy a 6’1” 210 lbs and good speed. He can play all over the field.

[Lone Bolt]

Monroe Freeling, the Tackle out of Georgia, is rocketing up boards...alot of buzz around him....which is perfect for us...he doesnt really fit us...I dont see him kicking inside...As a probable top 15 pick, and a tackle only, he is leap frogging, and pushing other prospects down the board who fit us...like Mauigoa and Fano...and with their G/T flexibility, that may also result in Vega sliding down some...much better chance ONE of those players reaches #22...

Hell, Freeling jumping from the late first, to the top 15, pushes several players down a notch...including Edge, if thats your flavor...

Anyway you look at it...benefits us!

[dmac_bolt]

i remember Hardwick losing weight down to 250 - 260 pounds at the end of the 2005 season .... that and the injury to Oben, along with the 4 games against teams coming off a bye, the opening game Gates missed against Dallas due to a contract issue, the home game against Miami with half the squad hit with the flu, and the 5 east coast trips, helped tank the season.

That was a super bowl worthy team.

Hardwick is a bit of an outlier extreme of the norm. I’d bet he’s around 200lb steady state now and I remember how fast he dropped weight after he retired. He must have been doing something creative to get that NFL weight on his frame.

[Topcat]

Hardwick is a bit of an outlier extreme of the norm. I’d bet he’s around 200lb steady state now and I remember how fast he dropped weight after he retired. He must have been doing something creative to get that NFL weight on his frame.

Yep...look at A-Rod before and after the roids:

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[sonorajim]

Hardwick is a bit of an outlier extreme of the norm. I’d bet he’s around 200lb steady state now and I remember how fast he dropped weight after he retired. He must have been doing something creative to get that NFL weight on his frame.

At the time he talked about how often and how many calories he had to eat to keep his weight up. Nick was 6-4 and a top wrestler before he decided to play football his last two years at Purdue after Brees won the Rose Bowl.
200lbs is pretty light for a 6-4 large frame man. Nick says he's kept it off, does yoga and watches his diet and is now 6-5. I'd guess @ 225. He doesn't look like a tall skinny guy.