Anonymous NFL Draft intel: Fernando Mendoza better prospect than Cam Ward, Drake Maye?

The 2026 NFL Draft is not a stacked one. After two months of talks with more than two dozen NFL coaches and scouts, granted anonymity for their candor, the consensus is that we’ve got a bad draft for quarterbacks, a “not great” one for receivers and the worst draft for defensive tackles in at least a decade. The good news? For teams that need a safety, this is a terrific group. a.showcase-link-container { display: flex; gap: 20px; flex-direction: column; align-items: center; padding: 20px 0px; border-top: 1px solid rgba(150, 150, 147, 0.4); border-bottom: 1px solid rgba(150, 150, 147, 0.4); text-decoration: none; color: #121212; cursor: pointer; .showcase-link { font-family: nyt-franklin; font-size: 14px; font-style: normal; font-weight: 700; line-height: 13.8px; letter-spacing: 1.1px; text-transform: uppercase; } .showcase-link-image { border-radius: 8px; object-fit: cover; width: 200px; height: 150px; margin: 0px; @media (max-width: 600px) { width: 120px; height: 120px; } } .showcase-link-inner-content { display: flex; flex-direction: row; gap: 16px; width: 100%; } .showcase-link-text-content { display: flex; flex-direction: column; gap: 20px; justify-content: center; @media (max-width: 600px) { gap: 8px; } } .showcase-link-title { font-family: nyt-cheltenham; font-size: 24px; font-style: normal; font-weight: 500; line-height: 120%; /* 24px */ letter-spacing: 0.01px; text-overflow: ellipsis; overflow: hidden; display: -webkit-box; -webkit-box-orient: vertical; -webkit-line-clamp: 3; @media (max-width: 600px) { font-size: 16px; } } .showcase-link-excerpt { font-family: nyt-imperial; font-size: 16px; font-style: normal; font-weight: 400; line-height: 139%; /* 19.46px */ color: #323232; text-overflow: ellipsis; overflow: hidden; display: -webkit-box; -webkit-box-orient: vertical; -webkit-line-clamp: 4; @media (max-width: 600px) { font-size: 12px; line-height: 121%; } } } .showcase-link-inputs { .showcase-link-input { width: 100%; font-size: 1rem; background-color: wh...