Superlatives are generally reserved for the aftermath of something, like a school year or season.

They're a fun exercise whenever, though, and they can help set the stage for an event as gargantuan as the NFL Draft. That's why we were excited to dive into the draft class superlatives ESPN shared Monday.

Draft analyst Matt Bowen organized his impressions into 100 categories across all positions. They range from the fastest back to the best quarterback field vision to the best hands and the best bend/flexibility.

And so on and so forth, we won't dare mention each one. But we do want to highlight some favorites, and we want to spread the love around, so we'll settle on five superlatives (three offense, two defense).

First up, QB. Bowen analyzed 15 traits and brought to light eight players. Expected No. 1 overall pick, Indiana's Fernando Mendoza, was the main character, clinching five nominations, while Alabama's Ty Simpson, LSU's Garrett Nussmeier and Georgia Tech's Haynes King each got two nods. Players with one were Miami's Carson Beck, Penn State's Drew Allar, Vanderbilt's Diego Pavia and Arkansas' Taylen Green.

Let's explore the quickest throw release won by Nussmeier. Bowen wrote the following:

Nussmeier can alter his arm angles, and he gets the ball out with speed. He's a high-rpm thrower with an aggressive mentality. His 2.58-second average time to throw was in the top 25 nationally last season.

Nussmeier is the son of Saints Offensive Coordinator Doug Nussmeier, and he passed for 7,699 yards and 52 touchdowns in his college career, including 4,052 and 29 at a 64.2 percent clip (337-for-525) in 2024.

Moving on to running back, Bowen assessed a dozen traits and named nine different runners, with consensus RB1 Jeremiyah Love taking home four superlatives: most explosive rusher, most sudden rusher, best receiving back and best pass-protecting back. The takeaway? Love's game is well-rounded.

Love's teammate Jadarian Price, generally considered the No. 2 ball carrier, was mentioned too, with Arkansas' Mike Washington, Jr., Wake Forest's Demond Claiborne, Clemson's Adam Randall, Virginia's J'Mari Taylor, Nebraska's Emmett Johnson, Indiana's Roman Hemby and Washington's Jonah Coleman.

Randall was touted as the most powerful rusher, which is neat because he converted to running back in 2025 after playing receiver. Bowen explained he does a good job of generating power in his pads when he gets on a north-south track, and he possesses considerable upside for being so new to the position. In his lone season lined up in the backfield, Randall rushed for 814 yards and 10 touchdowns and posted a single-season high 254 receiving yards via another personal-best 36 catches with three going for scores.

Bowen combined wideouts and tight ends to evaluate 19 traits that are important for pass-catchers, including body control/ball tracking, winning 50-50 chances, blocking on the perimeter and getting open.

In total, 17 players were awarded a superlative, and Indiana's Omar Cooper, Jr., and USC's Makai Lemon earned a couple. The one we're rolling with here is best hands; Illinois' Hank Beatty is a surprise winner.

Beatty was pegged by Miller as the 459^th prospect in his overall rankings. Bowen, however, gave Beatty a bouquet after he brought in 70 receptions without a single drop in 2025. Beatty emerged last season as the Fighting Illini's leading receiver — the go-to target for Luke Altmyer, Miller's No. 9 QB — after entering the campaign with only 35 catches for 384 yards over his first three seasons. Beyond reliable hands, Bowen noted that Beatty will offer an NFL club special teams upside as a returner. He handled 38 punt returns in 50 college games and recorded a rock solid 14.0 yards per return with a house call in '25.

Switching to the defense, let's begin with some elite traits Bowen discerned in the trenches.

Thirteen players collected recognition for 15 superlatives pertaining to the defensive line, which includes edge rushers. Two of the top ones, Miami's Rueben Bain, Jr., and Texas Tech's David Bailey, got two nods.

One prospect who we have noticed is gaining some steam in the draft community as of late — Michigan edge Jaishawn Barham — was nominated for the best pursuit range. Here's the explanation from Bowen:

Barham has range as both a rusher and run defender. He can slice through creases of daylight to make stops, plus he can track the ball carrier from the backside. Barham is a sudden mover who had four sacks and seven tackles at or behind the line of scrimmage in 2025.

Lastly, let's review one of the flurry of dynamic attributes Bowen outlined in the secondary.

San Diego State cornerback Chris Johnson was mentioned twice, including for the best DB technique. The one that we liked the most because it gets in the weeds a little bit is the best backpedal transition.

Bowen explained that Johnson's fluidity and little-to-no wasted movement coming out of his pedal helps him drive on the football and be disruptive. It resulted in him intercepting four passes in 2025 and taking two to the crib. Regarding his overall technique, Bowen said Johnson can cover outside or in the slot and is sticky throughout repetitions. His 6.8 QBR allowed as the primary defender was 10^th lowest in the FBS.

Bowen gauged 19 traits and spotlighted 14 prospects in the secondary overall.

You can read Bowen's complete article and get excited for the 2026 draft class, here.

A potential pivot to media

Last month, the Vikings organization celebrated the amazing careers of C.J. Ham and Adam Thielen.

This month, Thielen took a baby step toward what could wind up being a focus in his life after football.

Thielen was one of 24 players who got "suited and booted" for the NFL's annual broadcasting and media workshop in Los Angeles last week. Thielen was picked from a pool of 90 applicants, and he participated alongside the likes of LB Demario Davis and WR Brandin Cooks.

Their efforts — and interest — over a three-day boot camp where they met with network executives, attended workshops and trained for a possible post-playing career in the booth or studio was chronicled by The Athletic's Vic Tafur. While Thielen was not quoted in the story, it offers a good look at what he did.

Here's an excerpt from Tafur that illuminates the selection process:

It's tough to get a spot at the workshop, which was first held in 2007. There were 90 applicants for 24 spots in this year's program. Each player was asked to answer questions to make sure this is something he is serious about and then asked to submit reels.

"The reels are really important because we have a blue-ribbon panel of about 10 people who sit down, read every application and view every reel — of podcasts and social and on sets and anything else they've done," said Tracy Perlman, Senior Vice President of NFL Player Operations.

Some players sent in old interviews at their lockers. They were told this was their chance to be their own content creator and their reels should reflect what they want to do in the space. After the reels were screened, players were ranked 1-90, with no clear-cut criteria.

"We pick some people just because of the energy that they have," Perlman said. "We pick some guys because their analysis is great. We pick other guys who seem to be a natural."

Alumni of the workshop include All-Pro Maurice Jones-Drew, as well as Super Bowl Champions Jason McCourty and Jason Kelce. Thielen sounded hesitant about a career in media during his retirement ceremony, alluding to the frequent traveling, but he stated his desire to be involved with the game in whatever is next.

We also can advise to be on the lookout for Thielen to participate in a pre-draft show for Vikings Entertainment Network.

Check out Tafur's story on players getting an introduction to another side of football, here.

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