NFL Combine Workout Drills Start

NFL Combine Workout Drills Start

Frank Coyle / Head scout

The NFL offseason Olympics begin today with the positional drills for defensive linemen and linebackers at the combine. The front seven defenders are a highly talented group and maybe the best of this entire class, except for probably the wide receivers. The off linebackers are also a deep group of prospects and will warrant many early selections. Player workouts will be critical evaluation from all aspects especially a prospects special teams value.

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NFL Combine Player Workouts Live
Date Time (ET) Group
Thursday – Feb. 26, 3 p.m. DL, LB, PK
Friday – Feb. 27, 3 p.m. TE, DB
Saturday – Feb. 28, 1 p.m. QB, WR, RB
Sunday – March 1, 1 p.m. OL

Thursday – Feb. 26, 3 p.m. DL, LB, PK
Defensive Linemen

Vincent Anthony Jr., Duke
David Bailey, Texas Tech
Rueben Bain Jr., Miami
Cameron Ball, Arkansas
Caleb Banks, Florida
Jaishawn Barham, Michigan
Nick Barrett, South Carolina
Rayshaun Benny, Michigan
DeMonte Capehart, Clemson
Brandon Cleveland, N.C. State
Dontay Corleone, Cincinnati
Keyron Crawford, Auburn
Caden Curry, Ohio State
Dani Dennis-Sutton, Penn State
Zane Durant, Penn State
Bryson Eason, Tennessee
Deven Eastern, Minnesota
Logan Fano, Utah
Keldric Faulk, Auburn
Skyler Gill-Howard, Texas Tech
George Gumbs Jr., Florida
David Gusta, Kentucky
Gracen Halton, Oklahoma
Zxavian Harris, Mississippi
Romello Height, Texas Tech
Cashius Howell, Texas A&M
Aidan Hubbard, Northwestern
Lee Hunter, Texas Tech
Quintayvious Hutchins, Boston College
Gabe Jacas, Illinois
Darrell Jackson Jr., Florida State
Bobby Jamison-Travis, Auburn
Marvin Jones Jr., Oklahoma
Joshua Josephs, Tennessee
Tim Keenan III, Alabama
Nyjalik Kelly, UCF
Malachi Lawrence, UCF
Max Llewellyn, Iowa
Anthony Lucas, USC
Jackie Marshall, Baylor
Chris McClellan, Missouri
Kayden McDonald, Ohio State
Akheem Mesidor, Miami
Christen Miller, Georgia
Derrick Moore, Michigan
Trey Moore, Texas
Tyler Onyedim, Texas A&M
Domonique Orange, Iowa State
LT Overton, Alabama
T.J. Parker, Clemson
Patrick Payton, LSU
Kaleb Proctor, Southeastern Louisiana
Jack Pyburn, LSU
Albert Regis, Texas A&M
Mason Reiger, Wisconsin
Tyreak Sapp, Florida
Gary Smith III, UCLA
R Mason Thomas, Oklahoma
Nadame Tucker, Western Michigan
Damonic Williams, Oklahoma
Wesley Williams, Duke
Peter Woods, Clemson
Zion Young, Missouri

Linebackers

CJ Allen, Georgia
Lander Barton, Utah
Wesley Bissainthe, Miami
Bryce Boettcher, Oregon
Kendal Daniels, Oklahoma
Kaleb Elarms-Orr, TCU
Keshaun Elliott, Arizona State
Aiden Fisher, Indiana
Eric Gentry, USC
Jake Golday, Cincinnati
Owen Heinecke, Oklahoma
Anthony Hill Jr., Texas
Justin Jefferson, Alabama
Jack Kelly, BYU
Deontae Lawson, Alabama
Kyle Louis, Pittsburgh
Red Murdock, Buffalo
Namdi Obiazor, TCU
Harold Perkins Jr., LSU
Arvell Reese, Ohio State
Jacob Rodriguez, Texas Tech
Jimmy Rolder, Michigan
Karson Sharar, Iowa
Xavian Sorey Jr., Arkansas
Sonny Styles, Ohio State
Josiah Trotter, Missouri
Scooby Williams, Texas A&M
Wade Woodaz, Clemson
Taurean York, Texas A&M

NFL Combine Drills

Frank Coyle / Head scout

Drills all the prospects invited to participate. Drills are underway with results posted on Thursday for early arrivals.

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40-yard dash (2 sprints allowed)

The 40-yard dash is the marquee event at the combine. It’s kind of like the 100-meters at the Olympics: It’s all about speed, explosion and watching skilled athletes run great times. These athletes are timed at 10, 20 and 40-yard intervals. What the scouts are looking for is an explosion from a static start.

Bench press

The bench press is a test of strength — 225 pounds, as many reps as the athlete can get. What the NFL scouts are also looking for is endurance. Anybody can do a max one time, but what the bench press tells the pro scouts is how often the athlete frequented his college weight room for the last 3-5 years.

Vertical jump

The vertical jump is all about lower-body explosion and power. The athlete stands flat-footed and they measure his reach. It is important to accurately measure the reach, because the differential between the reach and the flag the athlete touches is his vertical jump measurement.

Broad jump

The broad jump is like being in gym class back in junior high school. Basically, it is testing an athlete’s lower-body explosion and lower-body strength. The athlete starts out with a stance balanced and then he explodes out as far as he can. It tests explosion and balance, because he has to land without moving.

3 cone drill

The 3 cone drill tests an athlete’s ability to change directions at a high speed. Three cones in an L-shape. He starts from the starting line, goes 5 yards to the first cone and back. Then, he turns, runs around the second cone, runs a weave around the third cone, which is the high point of the L, changes directions, comes back around that second cone and finishes.

Shuttle run

The short shuttle is the first of the cone drills. It is known as the 5-10-5. What it tests is the athlete’s lateral quickness and explosion in short areas. The athlete starts in the three-point stance, explodes out 5 yards to his right, touches the line, goes back 10 yards to his left, left hand touches the line, pivot, and he turns 5 more yards and finishes.

Positional drills follow under the direction of NFL coaches

NFL Combine Schedule 2026

Dates: Sunday, Feb. 22 to Monday, March 2
Location: Lucas Oil Stadium in Indianapolis, Indiana

Here is the workout schedule for the 2026 NFL Combine.

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NFL Network will carry player workouts live
Date Time (ET)                       Group
Thursday – Feb. 26, 3 p.m.     DL, LB, PK
Friday – Feb. 27, 3 p.m.           TE, DB
Saturday – Feb. 28, 1 p.m.      QB, WR, RB
Sunday – March 1, 1 p.m.         OL

HBCU Legacy Bowl 2026

Staff @draftinsiders.com

The final All-Star game of the postseason is here. The Historically Black College and University Legacy Bowl will be played Saturday, Feb. 21st in New Orleans, La. at Yulman Stadium on the campus of Tulane University. The  HBCU Legacy Bowl is presented by the Black College Football Hall of Fame, is a postseason all-star game that showcases the top 100 NFL draft-eligible football players from Historically Black Colleges and Universities.

The HBCU schools have produced countless NFL players with many of the greatest stars in NFL history coming from the litany of schools like Grambling State, Jackson State, Mississippi Valley State, Hampton, South Carolina State, Texas Southern and  Morgan State to name a few. The NFL Hall of Fame features many small college stars from the HBCU who have become the core of the foundation of the game’s greatest players.

HBCU Legacy Bowl – Rosters

3:00 pm ct • Saturday, February 21, 2026
Yulman Stadium • New Orleans, LA

Team Gaither

#     Player               Position                  Ht/Wt     School

3 Walker Harris, QB                            6’1, 196, NCCU

8 Kelvin Durham, QB                           6’3, 211, Johnson C. Smith

15 William Atkins, QB                           6’1, 215, SC State

0 Curtis Allen, RB                                  6’2, 215, Virginia Union

1 Christian Mosley, RB                        5’11, 180, NCCU

25 JaQuan Kelly, RB                             5’11, 190, Winston-Salem

7 Deandre Proctor, WR                      6’3, 210, Johnson C. Smith

6 JJ Evans, WR                                    6’3, 203, Norfolk State

14 Malik Hunter, WR                         5’11, 160, Virginia State

17 Chauncey Spikes, WR                  6’2, 210, NCCU

18 Dre’Sean Kendrick, WR              5’9, 190, Norfolk State

23 Jordan Smith, WR                       5’11, 180, SC State

86 Kahlil Ashley-Diarrah, TE          6’5, 250, Fayetteville State

27 Caden Davis, TE                          6’4, 240, Fayetteville State

62 Noah McKinney, OL                  6’4, 300, NCCU

58 Jerrod Burell, OL                       6’4, 315, Morgan State

69 Trevyon Branch, OL                 6’3, 290, Morgan State

73 Roger Smith, OL                        6’4, 330, SC State

66 VincentByrd Jr., OL                6’3, 305, Norfolk State

59 Korion Sharpe, OL                  6’4, 315, NC A&T

74 Bruno Onwuazor, OL            6’8, 320, Virginia State

75 Cesar Reyes, OL                       6’7, 310, Howard

68 Daniel Bostic, OL                   6’3, 292, Kentucky State

67 Keith Chambless, OL           6’5, 301, Livingstone College

11 Michael Lunz, DL                   6’3, 245, SC State

4 Jamal Jones, DL                      6’2, 242, Bowie State

9 James Stewart, DL                6’3, 248, Tennessee State

24 Tim Alderman, DL              6’3, 215, NC A&T

56 Quincy Robinson, DL        6’3, 235, Delaware State

22 Shawn Robinson, DL        6’3, 246, Fayetteville State

91 Noah Miles, DL                    6’3, 255, Howard

92 Christian Smith, DL          6’2, 285, NCCU

40 Erick Hunter, LB               6’4, 220, Morgan State

5 Matthew Leach, LB              6’3, 220, Fayetteville State

10 Harold O’Neal III, LB       6’1, 215, Hampton

13 Jupe Alston, LB                   5’10, 225, Winston-Salem

33 Chris Calhoun III, LB       6’1, 225, Elizabeth City State

54 Max U’Ren, LB                     6’2, 240, NCCU

16 Aaron Harris, DB               5’11, 185, NC A&T

28 Jelani Vassell, DB              5’11, 180, NCCU

20 Jadon Carter, DB               5’11, 190, Morgan State

2 Samuel Graham, DB/LB    6’1, 208, Bowie State

19 TJ Taybron, DB                    6’1, 166, Johnson C. Smith

21 Jordan Williams, DB        6’1, 180, Bowie State

26 Brenyen Scott, DB             6’0, 204, SC State

32 Evan Powell, DB                 5’10, 180, Winston-Salem

29 Day’lan Long, DB               5’11, 190, Norfolk State

Jadarrius Perkins, DB           6ʻ0, 193, Delaware State

39 Andrew Brown IV, K        5’9, 185, NC A&T

37 Elliot Janish, P                    6’4, 205, SC State

Team Robinson

#     Player                    Position              Ht/Wt     School

2 Cam’Ron Ransom, QB                        6’3, 220, Bethune-Cookman

15 Cameron Peters, QB                          6’4, 207, Prairie View A&M

12 Noah Bodden, QB                               6’4, 220, Edward Waters

28 JaCorian Sewell, RB                        5’9, 195, Alcorn State

24 Jerodd Sims, RB                                 5’11, 215, Florida Memorial

26 Reggie Davis, RB                                 6’1, 205, Alcorn State

19 Donerio Davenport, RB                   6’1, 210, Jackson State

4 Jon McCall, WR                                    6’3, 200, Kentucky State

3 Armone Harris, WR                           5’9, 160, Clark Atlanta

11 Makai Lovett, WR                              6’1, 220, Edward Waters

18 Cameron Nelson, WR                      6’1, 190, Miss. Valley State

17 Ronnie West, WR                               6’0, 178, Clark Atlanta

81 Trenton Leary, WR                          5’11, 159, Texas Southern

5 Dupree Fuller, TE                               6’3, 225, Southern

13 Travunta Abner, TE                        6’2, 249, Alabama A&M

80 Covadis Knighten, TE                   6’2, 280, Grambling State

74 D’Andre Towns-Blue, OL             6’5, 334, Jackson State

71 Ashton Grable, OL                           6’4, 315, Florida A&M,

62 Charles Davis, OL                           6’5, 330, Florida A&M

75 Cameron Smith, OL                       6’7, 354, Alabama State

70 Desmond Daniels, OL                  6’5, 309, Alabama State

78 Jeremiah Frazier, OL                   6’2, 322, Alabama State

50 Christian Loving, OL                    6’3, 315, Bethune-Cookman

77 Tramel Brown, OL                         6’2, 320, Alcorn State

70 Darius Meeks, OL                          6’4, 330, Grambling State

66 Quentin Ross, OL                          6’4, 320, Grambling State

1 Ckelby Givens, DL                            6’2, 245, Southern

48 Israel Nwokocha, DL                   6’2, 250, Benedict

6 Quincy Ivory, DL                             6’3, 239, Jackson State

45 Bryce Cage, DL                              6’5, 269, Grambling State

10 Warren Robinson, DL               6’4, 250, Grambling State

96 Michael Akins, DL                       6’2, 255, Texas Southern

99 Jeremiah Williams, DL             6’2, 314, Jackson State

90 Tony Rountree, DL                     6’3, 330, Savannah State

34 Isaiah Stephens, LB                    6’2, 205, Benedict

0 Domonique Davis II, LB             5’11, 204, Central State

22 Darrian Bell, LB                           6’2, 230, Savannah State

33 Jalil Lenore, LB                            6’1, 225, Alabama State

20 Stemarion Edwards, LB           6’0, 220, Alcorn State

7 Reid Pulliam, LB                             6’3, 229, Jackson State

8 Carlos Dunovant Jr., DB            6’1, 192, Morehouse

16 Darnell Stephens, DB                6’1, 186, Fort Valley State

25 Mikael King, DB                           5’10, 175, Tuskegee

14 Markel Linzer, DB                       6’0, 185, Grambling State

31 Blake Davis, DB                             6’0, 184, Grambling State

9 Antwone Watts, DB                       6’1, 215, Bethune-Cookman

27 Travor Randle, DB                      5’10, 205, Prairie View A&M

21 Darius Stokes, DB                       6’0, 205, Florida Memorial

29 Deontre Morris, DB                   6’0, 185, Alabama State

Lule Rose, DB                                     6ʻ2, 188, Southern University

55 Marko Jovisic, K                         6’2, 215, Miss. Valley State

95 Johnny Schifano, P                   5’9, 180, Grambling State

Two Round Mock Draft – 3.0

Frank Coyle/ Head scout 

            February, 2026 – Underclassmen – Selection order after the Super Bowl

All underclassmen had until Jan. 14th to declare for the NFL Draft 2026. Players had three days to rescind their decision and return to school and still retain their college eligibility. No underclassmen rescinded their decision. After the Senior Bowl and East-West All-star weeks. Super Bowl LX winner will draft last in every round.

First Round

      Team             Rec       Player                    Pos    School 

1         Las Vegas        3-14       Fernando Mendoza       QB         Indiana

2         NY Jets             3-14       Rueben Bain                 Edge      Miami (Fl)

3         Arizona             3-14       Arvell Reese                 LB          Ohio St

4         Tennessee        3-14      Carnell Tate                 WR        Ohio State

5         NY Giants         4-13      Mansoor Delane           CB         LSU

6         Cleveland          5-12      Francis Mauigoa           OT        Miami (Fl)

7         Washington       5-12      Spencer Fano             OT         Utah

8         New Orleans     6-11      Caleb Downs                S            Ohio St

9         Kansas City      6-11      David Bailey                  Edge    Texas Tech

10         Cincinnati          6-11      Sonny Styles                  LB         Ohio State

11         Miami               7-10      T.J. Parker                    Edge      Clemson

12         Dallas               7-9-1     Keldric Faulk                 Edge      Auburn

13         LA Rams (Atl)   8-9        Caleb Lomu                   OT         Utah

14         Baltimore          8-9        Jermod McCoy              CB         Tennessee

15         Tampa Bay       8-9        Colton Hood                   CB         Tennessee

16         NY Jets (Indy)   8-9        Jordyn Tyson                 WR        Arizona St

17         Detroit              9-8        Akheem Mesidor           Edge      Miami (Fl)

18         Minnesota         9-8        Ty Simpson                   QB        Alabama

19         Carolina            8-9        C.J. Allen                       LB         Georgia

20         Dallas (GB)       9-7-1     Avieon Terrell                CB         Clemson

21         Pittsburgh         10-7      Jeremiyah Love             RB         Notre Dame

22         LA Chargers      11-6      Cashius Howell              Edge     Texas A&M

23         Philadelphia      11-6      Chris Brazzell                WR        Tennessee

24         Cleveland (Jax) 13-4      Denzel Boston               WR        Washington

25         Chicago            11-6      Makai Lemon                 WR        USC

26         Buffalo             12-5      Zachariah Branch          WR       Georgia

27         San Francisco   12-5      Kenyon Sadiq                TE         Oregon

28         Houston            12-5      Lee Hunter                    DT         Texas Tech

29         LA Rams           12-5      Chris Johnson               CB         San Diego State

30         Denver              14-3      Kayden McDonald         DT         Ohio State

31         New England    14-3      Kadyn Proctor               OT         Alabama

32         Seattle              14-3      KC Concepcion             WR       Texas A&M

We have an extensive review of the Senior Bowl & East-West weeks in our February Newsletter.
Three Round Mock Draft,  Top 150 Prospects

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Second Round

33        NY Jets                       Brandon Cisse              CB         South Carolina

34         Arizona                         Olaivavega Ioane          G           Penn St

35        Tennessee                     Zion Young                   Edge      Missouri

36         Las Vegas                    Caleb Banks                  DT         Florida

37         NY Giants                     Malachi Fields               WR        Notre Dame

38         Houston (Wash)            Eli Stowers                    TE         Vanderbilt

39         Cleveland                      Caleb Tiernan               OT         Northwestern

40         Kansas City                  Blake Miller                   RT        Clemson

41         Cincinnati                      Will Lee III                     CB         Texas A&M

42         New Orleans                 Jacob Rodriguez           LB         Texas Tech

43         Miami                           Malik Muhammad          CB         Texas

44         NY Jets (Dallas)            Garrett Nussmeier         QB         LSU

45         Baltimore                      Germie Bernard            WR        Alabama

46         Tampa Bay                   Derrick Moore               Edge     Michigan

47         Indianapolis                  Anthony Hill Jr.              LB         Texas

48         Atlanta                          Peter Woods                 DT         Clemson

49         Minnesota                     Dillon Thieneman          S           Oregon

50         Detroit                          Keith Abney II               CB         Arizona State

51         Carolina                        Isaiah World                  OT         Oregon

52         Green Bay                    Jake Golday                  LB         Cincinnati

53        Pittsburgh                    Emmanuel McNeil-Warren   S     Toledo

54         Philadelphia                  Max Ihenacher               OT        Arizona State

55         LA Chargers                  Chase Bisontis             OG       Texas A&M

56         Jacksonville                  Jalon Kilgore                  S         South Carolina

57         Chicago                        Aamil Wagner               OT         Notre Dame

58        San Francisco             Omar Cooper Jr.           WR       Indiana

59         Houston                        Antonio Williams            WR        Clemson

60         LA Rams                       Monroe Freeling            OT        Georgia

61         Buffalo                         Joshua Josephs            Edge     Tennessee

62         Denver                          Michael Trigg                TE         Baylor

63         New England                Nick Singleton               RB        Penn State

64         Seattle                          Julian Neal                    CB        Arkansas

Seahawks Win Super Bowl LX

Seattle Defense Dominates Patriots

Frank Coyle / Pro scout

The Seattle Seahawks completed their magical season with their 2nd Super Bowl title in history. Their dominant aggressive defense prevailed over the young Patriots offense 29-13.

The Seattle ground game shined behind runner Kenneth Walker who rushed for 135 yards on 27 carries and 2 receptions. He earned the game MVP award, the first time a running back has won the award since Terrell Davis in 1997. QB Sam Darnold had a solid if unspectacular performance throwing for 202 yards passing and 1 TD with no turnovers. He completed one of the greatest turnarounds in NFL history with three postseason games. He won 31 games over the past two seasons, a new NFL record. He was part of the 2018 NFL Draft class which produced 5 QBs chosen in the first round, Baker Mayfield (1), Darnold (3), Josh Allen ((7), Josh Rosen (10) and Lamar Jackson (32). Darnold is the first one to win a Super Bowl and also the first QB to win the NFL title with his 5th club.

The Patriots struggled to protect QB Drake Maye for 60 minutes and their ground game produced a paltry 79 yards. The Seahawks defense registered 6 sacks and applied constant pressure to disrupt the Patriots offense while Seattle punter Michael Dickson pinned them deep in their territory, averaging over 47 yards per kick including three inside the 20 yard line with two of them inside the 5 yard line.

NFL Salary Cap 2026 Per Team

 Frank Coye & Staff @draftinsiders.com

The NFL salary cap 2026 has been raised once again with the league projecting a range of over 301 – 305 million. The league informed clubs this week it is projecting a salary cap in the range of $301.2 million to $305.7 million for the upcoming 2026 season, reports at NFL Network.

This increase would represent a boost of more than $20 million from the 2025 mark of $279.2 million and reach nearly $100 million in additional space since the $208.2 million cap set for the 2022 season.

The projection follows the same pattern exhibited in recent increases. The cap jumped by $23.8 million from 2024 to 2025, creating excesses of space that exceeded $70 million for some teams. It increased some teams even more and the eventual 2025 AFC champion New England Patriots who were very active in the free agent market.

Over recent history, the salary cap continues to produce greater cap limits in future years. The projected number for 2026 more than doubles annual salary caps from mid 2015 seasons. It has been instrumental in the incredible growth and prosperity for the league. The TV market also reflects the amazing annual growth of the NFL industry.

March 3
Prior to 4:00 p.m. ET, deadline for clubs to designate Franchise or Transition Players.

March 9-11
During the period beginning at 12:00 noon ET, on March 9 and ending at 3:59:59 p.m. ET, on March 11, clubs are permitted to contact, and enter into contract negotiations with the certified agents of players who will become unrestricted free agents upon the expiration of their 2025 player contracts at 4:00 p.m. ET, on

March 11
During the two-day negotiation period prior to the start of the 2026 League Year, each club may conduct one video or phone call for no longer than one hour with no more than five (5) prospective unrestricted free agents. The player’s agent must be a participant of the call.
No prospective unrestricted free agent is permitted to execute a contract with a new club until 4:00 p.m. ET, on March 11.

March 11
The 2026 League Year and Free agency signing period begins at 4:00 p.m. ET.
Trading period for 2026 begins at 4:00 p.m. ET, after expiration of all 2025 contracts

Salary Cap 2026 Per Team – Feb, 3, 2026

Per Overthecap.com

Effective Cap Space: the cap space a team will have after signing at least 51 players and its projected rookie class to its roster.

Base Salary Cap: $303,500,000
Team              Cap Space   /  Effective Cap Space  /  Active Cap  /  Spending Dead Money

Titans              $104,769,062      $93,334,968         $220,791,308          $535,658
Raiders           $91,522,807         $76,991,010          $189,413,472           $34,812,266
Chargers         $88,677,941         $84,372,966         $217,963,367           $478,177
Jets                   $83,569,717        $67,685,209         $167,097,645           $75,621,438
Commanders  $76,041,469       $69,297,314          $255,706,956          $248,312
Seahawks         $73,284,461      $63,013,830         $243,166,022           $483,723
Bengals            $54,504,672      $47,378,106          $253,492,416           $4,748,222
Rams                $48,214,355      $40,769,897          $266,058,212           700,524
Steelers            $44,943,582     $39,307,535          $267,058,786           $7,934,338
49ers                $42,950,176      $38,552,959         $269,621,623            $21,863,741
Patriots            $42,735,263     $37,744,226          $290,735,831            $20,790,382
Cardinals         $42,187,426     $30,663,033         $274,012,155             $3,934,104
Colts                 $35,598,489     $33,584,759         $268,433,497           $2,093,644
Broncos           $28,885,734     $24,848,957         $276,377,391             $1,218,922
Falcons            $27,999,824     $25,290,856         $277,218,339            $2,235,354
Buccaneers      $23,828,710     $18,268,258        $293,252,073            $255,591
Ravens             $21,943,387      $13,270,416        $279,654,158             $12,262,715
Eagles              $20,557,388      $15,463,440       $250,816,635            $44,804,213
Panthers          $14,437,004      $9,552,110          $290,819,573            $9,341,094
Giants              $6,947,721         ($3,151,579)        $296,689,591           $216,804
Texans            ($1,403,295)      ($7,242,447)       $292,766,079           $20,922,780
Packers           ($1,436,657)      ($3,227,425)       $297,096,029           $17,165,048
Bears               ($5,300,354)     ($9,492,768)      $316,976,069            $542,993
Saints             ($6,037,060)     ($13,638,724)     $261,530,600            $65,798,682
Bills                ($7,449,001)      ($11,553,061)      $310,227,823            $432,166
Lions             ($8,531,146)      ($13,241,217)      $327,944,798              $4,358,290
Browns         ($10,286,279)     ($22,559,737)     $307,855,677            $31,763,848
Jaguars        ($11,433,472)     ($13,918,041)      $279,610,798             $43,863,713
Dolphins       ($16,223,613)    ($23,556,987)     $291,541,923             $35,500,637
Cowboys       ($28,936,140)   ($36,441,364)     $333,419,250             $24,344,177
Vikings         ($40,156,353)    ($45,185,362)     $351,724,552              $5,608,074
Chiefs           ($54,530,166)    ($61,925,065)     $358,196,941              $215,641

Senior Bowl 2026 – Defensive Battle Decides Outcome

Frank Coyle & Staff @ draftinsiders.com

The Senior Bowl 2026 was a defensive battle with the American Team defeating the National Team, 17-9 on Saturday at Hancock Whitney Stadium in Mobile, Alabama.

The defense shined on both teams with three takeaways at the 77th annual all-star contest instrumental in the outcome. The game featured 130+ top prospects for the 2026 NFL Draft, though many opt outs which effected the continuity of especially the offensive play.

QB Garrett Nussmeier of LSU earned game MVP honors, leading touchdown drives on the American team’s first two possessions while connecting on 5 of 8 passes for 57 yards. He had a rushing TD and a two-point-conversion throw to Notre Dame WR Malachi Fields. Nussmeier was limited by a few key drops by Stanford’s Sam Roush and Wyoming’s John Michael Gyllenborg for first downs. He did answer many questions related to his current health with good movement in the pocket, accuracy throwing and sound decision making.

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The running back group shined with several backs performing well. Indiana’s Kaelon Black had an impressive showing with a game-high 45 yards on eight carries. He delivered a few hard runs between the tackles and caught two passes for nine yards.

Oklahoma’s Jaydn Ott performed well in a critical opportunity after little playing time in 2025 for the Sooners last season. He ran for 42 yards and a TD on eight carries. He played fast in practices showing quickness to the hole plus the power to break tackles. Arkansas’ Mike Washington Jr. also stood out, running for 26 yards on five carries plus 1 reception.

The offensive lines also had a few standouts, including Arizona State OT Max Iheanachor, Georgia Tech OG Keylan Rutledge and Florida C Jake Slaughter. All improved his status significantly.

Defensive edge Nadame Tucker had a strong performance with 5 tackles, 2 sacks, 3 TFL and 1 FF. He raised his stock vs top competition and is a player to watch during the workout phase of the evaluation. LB Bryice Boettcher was outstanding combining keen instincts, strong tackling and excellent range. He totaled 10 tackles displaying the ability to fill the hole and the range to make stops outside the hashes.

NFL Salary Cap Increases Over 300M

Staff @ draftinsiders.com

The NFL salary cap 2026 has been raised once again with the league projecting a range of over 301 – 305 million.  The league informed clubs this week it is projecting a salary cap in the range of $301.2 million to $305.7 million for the upcoming 2026 season, reports at NFL Network.

This increase would represent a boost of more than $20 million from the 2025 mark of $279.2 million and reach nearly $100 million in additional space since the $208.2 million cap set for the 2022 season.

The projection follows the same pattern exhibited in recent increases. The cap jumped by $23.8 million from 2024 to 2025, creating excesses of space that exceeded $70 million for some teams. It increased some teams even more and the eventual 2025 AFC champion New England Patriots who were very active in the free agent market.

Over recent history, the salary cap continues to produce greater cap limits in future years. The projected number for 2026 more than doubles annual salary caps from mid 2015 seasons. It has been instrumental in the incredible growth and prosperity for the league. The TV market also reflects the amazing annual growth of the NFL industry.