Like anything else really, it's wise to consume information from a range of sources when it comes to the NFL Draft, and specifically the process of formulating an opinion on a prospect and his potential as a pro.
It's also imperative to grind the tape, weed out falsities and find evidence of certain traits and abilities.
That's what every NFL scouting department does, in a nutshell, as do certain members of the media.
For example, Dane Brugler of The Athletic is soon releasing "The Beast," an annual draft guide that lives up to its name. Daniel Jeremiah and Bucky Brooks are former scouts who extensively rank and talk about the top players in the draft. And Lance Zierlein of NFL.com profiles and puts grades on hundreds of 'em.
That's just a sampling of the people in the NFL Draft space who do their homework to provide analysis about the prospects to know and the possible teams they fit with at the next level. Each has their own style, different backgrounds and levels of experience evaluating the league's future difference-makers.
One guide that does a good job blending data, notes and entertainment is supplied by The Ringer's Danny Kelly. On Wednesday, Kelly updated his ranking of the Top 80 players available in the 2026 event.
And honestly, it's a lot of fun to look through. It's aesthetic and insightful.
Putting the actual hierarchy aside — Kelly, too, has Indiana QB Fernando Mendoza as his No. 1 player — an aspect of the exercise that caught our eye is Kelly's player comps. Many are straightforward, such as his No. 4 player, Jeremiyah Love; the Notre Dame RB is likened to new Saints RB Travis Etienne, Jr. There are active comparisons like that one, as well as some harkening back to former players, like USC's Makai Lemon's game having shades of long-time Seahawks WR Doug Baldwin. And then, there are unique ones.
Consider Ohio State WR Carnell Tate as Tony Hawk's Pro Skater video game. Kelly described Tate, who is his No. 5 prospect, as a "wiry, somewhat gangly pass catcher with weirdly incredible body control," and shared the Buckeyes star "goes up high to snag passes in traffic — then somehow ends up on his feet."
All of a sudden, you start to see the correlation to Tony Hawk's Pro Skater!
Another one we love is Miami edge Akheem Mesidor, who apparently is like Jim Carrey in The Cable Guy. Kelly wrote that Mesidor, who is 25 and yielded an ACC-high 12.5 sacks, plus 17.5 TFLs during his sixth college season, is a "super-tenacious, tone-setting defender with some Chip Douglas [Carrey's character in the 1996 film] in him on the field; his power and physicality make him a nightmare to line up against."
For what it's worth, two current Vikings popped up in Kelly's breakdown. San Diego State CB Chris Johnson (No. 28) was compared to Byron Murphy, Jr., and UCF edge Malachi Lawrence (45) to Jonathan Greenard. You can peep Kelly's complete Big Board — and all his creative comparisons — right here.
'Game Recognize Game'
Justin Jefferson has a knack for making football look easy.
On the pitch, however, with Real Madrid winger Vinícius Júnior across from him, fútbol is tougher.
The players at the top of their respective sports were pitted against each other in a skills contest in Brazil that aired on NFL.com this week. It was packed with highlights and lowlights, plus plenty of good banter.
Jefferson introduced the segment and called his opponent "the best soccer player alive."
The Vikings phenom then gained a quick upperhand, jumping out to a 1-0 lead in the first drill — a crossbar challenge that involved the athletes throwing (Jefferson) and kicking (Júnior) their sport's balls toward the top of the soccer net. Though Júnior promptly responded, Jefferson wound up prevailing 2-1.
Afterward, to show off, Júnior booted the football at the crossbar for some multi-sport clout.
Next, Jefferson and Júnior had three shots each to score in a shootout. The latter made his first two attempts while "Jets" played goalie; it was more than enough before Jefferson was rejected on all three.
But when they switched lanes, the record-setting wide receiver made up for his misses. With his older brother and former LSU quarterback Jordan Jefferson as the designated passer, Jefferson beat Júnior in back-to-back 1-on-1s and then almost hauled in a one-handed catch on his final try but ran out of room.
When it was Júnior's turn to play receiver and Jefferson lined up at defensive back, the toughness level was raised. In order to get a proper feel for the difficulty of Jefferson's job, Júnior threw on a purple No. 18 jersey and shoulder pads, along with a Vikings helmet. True to form, "Jets" didn't baby his opponent.
Given five opportunities to make a reception, Júnior was quickly denied on his first target; Jefferson nabbed a one-handed interception on the second; the third flew past Júnior's outstretched hands; and then the soccer icon finally grabbed the fourth, and he hit Jefferson's trademark celebration in response.
While their talents might not be exactly interchangeable, Jefferson and Júnior flaunted comparable competitiveness, as well as flashy smiles and constant laughter as they battled with one another.
"I tried to tell him," a smiling Jefferson said into the camera, "I could be a quarterback, I could be a receiver, I could be a corner. Whatever you need, Jets is gonna do it for you!"
The challenges concluded with a game of foot-volley on a sand volleyball court that took Jets and "Vini Jr." out of their normal elements. You'll have to watch the full-length video below to see how they fared.
Other installments of the cross-sport content series produced by NFL Media includes Bengals WR Ja'Marr Chase dueling with American superstar Christian Pulisic in supersized — and miniature — games, Packers OLB Micah Parsons facing Team India cricket sensation Jasprit Bumrah, and Bills OL Dion Dawkins going head-to-head with pro lacrosse player Challen Rogers and two-time NHL All-Star Mitch Marner.
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