LAS VEGAS — It was after his third year at California — having already graduated with a business degree — when Fernando Mendoza transferred to Indiana.

When the quarterback heeded the advice of his mother, Elsa.

“She always saw more in me than I saw in myself,” Mendoza said. “At the time, she (challenged) me to take a swing at ...Read more

PITTSBURGH — Cory DeSanti had a basketball player in his program. That player had a fellow Nigerian friend he brought to practice one day. That kid was a 6-foot-6 monster named Max Iheanachor who had quick feet, a broad frame and not an ounce of knowledge about football.

Unless that “football” was soccer.

“He didn’t even know what a ...Read more

DENVER — The Denver Broncos will go farther with a Waddle than they ever would by hangin’ with Mr. Cooper.

The first-round pick that belonged to the Broncos in February — No. 30, the third-from-last in the pecking order this past Thursday night — wound up going through three teams’ hands before it turned into a good-hands guy in ...Read more

BALTIMORE — The unranked Graham-Kapowsin High School football team had just pulled up to Bishop Gorman in Las Vegas for a marquee matchup against Collins Hill — the No. 12 team in the country, led by future No. 2 overall NFL draft pick Travis Hunter — when fans from the Georgia powerhouse surrounded the bus and began to rock it.

“They ...Read more

For three days this past week, Pittsburgh closed public school classrooms to make way for the National Football League draft.

School buses and carpools gave way to gridlock, fans and security perimeters, pushing students into remote learning. This is becoming routine. Green Bay shuttered classrooms for the 2025 draft; in 2023, Kansas City ...Read more

Before the first round of the NFL draft, Mike Vrabel said he would communicate with the Patriots’ front-office leaders if necessary while he was away with his family during Saturday’s final rounds.

Turns out, the two sides never spoke about the draft.

Patriots executive vice president of player personnel Eliot Wolf told reporters Saturday ...Read more

KANSAS CITY, Mo. — The Chiefs’ draft class began with a surprise trade.

It concluded with a surprise position.

The Chiefs made seven picks over three days in the 2026 NFL Draft, including the highest draft selection they’ve had in more than a decade.

The class:

— No. 6 overall: Mansoor Delane, cornerback, LSU

— No. 29: Peter Woods...Read more

CHICAGO — There was all sorts of hand-wringing going on a year ago when the Chicago Bears waited until the seventh round to choose a running back in a draft that was loaded with options.

What in the world were they thinking? Why not take advantage at a position where there was need?

Kyle Monangai was the 22nd running back selected and went ...Read more

Well, that was educational. Day after day, pick by pick, you learned plenty about this new Miami Dolphins regime over this NFL draft, if you watched closely enough.

So, put down the popcorn with the draft wrapped up and go down a list of what you saw:

1. General manager Jon-Eric Sullivan follows convictions, even unpopular ones. How else to ...Read more

LOS ANGELES — If Ty Simpson develops into a top NFL quarterback who leads them to a Super Bowl title, the Los Angeles Rams will look back at the 2026 draft as one of their shrewdest and best in history.

Until then, it will be remembered for a news conference.

Yeah, that one.

The post-Day 1 session on Thursday night when coach Sean McVay and...Read more

NEW YORK — Some teams pick players in the NFL draft like they’re throwing darts. The Giants have been one of them under GMs Dave Gettleman and Joe Schoen.

But John Harbaugh refreshingly brought a defined roster philosophy to this weekend’s process that guided the Giants in a specific direction toward a clear identity of being a bigger, ...Read more

Despite stepping away to be with his family, Patriots coach Mike Vrabel said he would be available to the front office as it finished assembling the team’s 2026 draft class Saturday.

According to ESPN, the team had “constant communication” with Vrabel during the draft’s final rounds. But speaking at the start of the seventh round ...Read more

PITTSBURGH — Late Friday evening, I received a text from an old friend who was born and raised in the greater Cleveland area.

“Did we switch franchises?” he asked.

I genuinely didn’t know how to respond.

For years, I remember watching Browns fans obsess over NFL draft weekend. Heck, they made an entire movie about the city’s ...Read more

NEW YORK — The Jets addressed their run defense to begin Day 3 of the NFL draft as Gang Green selected Florida State defensive tackle Darrell Jackson Jr. on Saturday afternoon.

The Jets also picked Clemson quarterback Cade Klubnik at 110th overall after trading 128th and 140th picks to the Bengals to move up. They also received the 199th pick...Read more

LAS VEGAS — The Tyree Wilson era is officially over in Las Vegas.

In a surprising draft day move, the Raiders dealt the former first-round pick to New Orleans along with a seventh-round pick in exchange for the 150th pick on Saturday. The Raiders selected Arizona safety Dalton Johnson with the pick.

Wilson was never able to find a sustained ...Read more

LOS ANGELES — Daniel Jeremiah traces his rise as an NFL draft analyst to two seemingly unrelated events: a prominent football reporter showing up in his living room to visit a televangelist, and randomly bumping into a college roommate of his brother in a press box.

First, understand that Jeremiah is not just one in a sea of people evaluating...Read more

FORT WORTH, Texas — Few cities in the world have repeatedly proven to love professional sports teams more than Arlington, Texas, which does not justify what its elected officials did to its citizens in a recent announcement with the Dallas Cowboys.

Rather than give Arlington’s voting citizens the chance to say “yes” or “no” to a ...Read more

PITTSBURGH — It took 12 years, but the Dallas Cowboys finally got some payback for a draft-day heist with the Pittsburgh Steelers.

And they even partnered with their hated division rival to do so.

In 2014, the Cowboys were on the phone with Ryan Shazier and were prepared to take the highly regarded Ohio State linebacker with the 16th overall...Read more

BALTIMORE — The NFL announced Friday night that the Baltimore Ravens and Dallas Cowboys will play in Rio de Janeiro this season, as The Baltimore Sun previously reported earlier this month.

The Sept. 27 game will take place in Week 3 at Maracanã Stadium, site of the 2016 Olympic Games.

It is one of nine international games slated for this ...Read more

PHILADELPHIA — The Philadelphia Eagles are strengthening their edge rusher corps via a draft-day trade, acquiring veteran outside linebacker Jonathan Greenard from the Minnesota Vikings, the team announced on Friday.

In exchange for Greenard and a 2026 seventh-rounder (No. 244 overall), the Eagles are sending their third-round, No. 98 overall...Read more