June 27-July 3

People around the game have pointed to 2027 almost as a magical year. Names like Manning, Sellers, Moore and Sayin have been bandied about as players who could turn teams around quickly if they’re part of the ’27 draft class. Meanwhile, names like Mestemaker, Lindsey, Carr, Mensah and Maiava have given the class even more intrigue based on last season’s exploits.

We’re a long way away from April, but that doesn’t mean we can’t see what draft analysts are saying about which players will make up Day 1 of the draft. Today, we take our first detailed survey of what’s ahead in nine months, even as one more talented passer officially became part of the 2027 class this week. Here are a few observations.

Traffic at the top: Two players showed up on all seven draft services’ boards and tied with a 1.86 average draft slot (ADS). They are Texas QB Arch Manning and Ohio State WO Jeremiah Smith. Five services called Manning No. 1 overall (Yahoo! Sports, CBS Sports, ESPN, The Athletic and Walter Football), with PFF seeing him at No. 6. Smith got two No. 1 votes (PFF and Tankathon). Rounding out the unanimous picks were Oregon QB Dante Moore (4.29 ADS); Notre Dame DC Leonard Moore (5.57 ADS); South Carolina DE Dylan Stewart (6.29); three Longhorns -- DE Colin Simmons (7.57), OT Trevor Goosby (7.86) and WO Cam Coleman (8.14); LSU OT Jordan Seaton (10.4); Oregon DT A’Mauri Washington (17.4); and Oklahoma DT David Stone (17.6).

Close, but no cigar: Another seven players made six boards each, but not all seven. They are Indiana WO Nick Marsh; Georgia DC Ellis Robinson; Miami (Fla.) DT Ahmad Moten; Oregon TE Jamari Johnson; Indiana WO Charlie Becker; Mississippi State DC Kelley Jones; and Alabama WO Ryan Williams. PFF snubbed Marsh, Moten and Becker, while Walter Football skipped Johnson and Jones.

Passing premium: Eleven QBs got at least one first-round vote compared to eight last year. In addition to Manning and Moore, South Carolina’s LaNorris Sellers, Minnesota’s Drake Lindsey, Ohio State’s Julian Sayin, Oklahoma State’s Drew Mestemaker, Notre Dame’s CJ Carr, Miami (Fla.)’s Darian Mensah, USC’s Jayden Maiava, Oklahoma’s John Mateer and UCLA’s Nico Iamaleava got at least one vote. 

Lone wolf: CBS Sports’ Mike Renner was the only one calling seven players first-rounders, more than any other draft analyst. Renner, and Renner alone, saw Minnesota OG Greg Johnson (15), Miami (Fla.) DT Justin Scott (20), USC OT Elijah Paige (24), Oklahoma State DE Jaleel Johnson (27), Iowa OC Kade Pieper (29), Notre Dame WO Jordan Faison (31) and Oklahoma State WO Wyatt Young (32) as worthy of Day 1 selections. 

Looking back at last year: It’s always interesting to see how the draftniks judged the previous draft class at the 2026 “way too early” stage. A few observations: 

• Last year, the top three QBs on the mocks were LSU’s Garrett Nussmeier, Penn State’s Drew Allar and Clemson’s Cade Klubnik. Nussmeier was on all seven boards to start the season (two services, CBS Sports and ESPN, had him at No. 7 overall). He was picked 7/249 by the Chiefs. Allar was on six boards (The Athletic had him at 5). He went 3/76 to the Steelers. Klubnik was on four boards, with two (The Draft Scout’s Matt Miller and ESPN) listing him as the top overall pick. He went 4/110 to the Jets. 
• Only CBS Sports (No. 11) and The Athletic (No. 27) had eventual No. 1 pick Fernando Mendoza of Indiana in their initial mock draft. 
• Six players return after gathering Day 1 nods from one or more draft services last year. They are Texas QB Arch Manning (five boards, projected No. 1 overall by CBS Sports, The Athletic and Walter Football); Oregon DE Matayo Uigalelei (six boards); South Carolina QB LaNorris Sellers (five boards and No. 2 overall by The Athletic); Missouri OT Cayden Green (two boards); LSU QB Sam Leavitt(then at Arizona State; one board); South Carolina WO Nyck Harbor (one board).
• Only four of the seven unanimous first-rounders went on Day 1. Clemson DE TJ Parker (average draft slot 4.4) went 2/35 to the Bills, while Texas OB Anthony Hill (ADS 9.7) went 2/60 to the Titans and Nussmeier (ADS 13.1) in the seventh round to the Chiefs. 
• Walter Football was the only service to correctly predict that LSU DC Mansoor Delane and Clemson OT Blake Miller would go in the first round. 
• There was a lot more diversity of thought at this time last year when 86 players made at least one board. This year, the total is 69. It’s the fewest since 2023, when just 67 players got at least one Day 1 vote. 

It’s always fun to talk about the draft, but there are more pressing matters taking place in mere days.

Let’s get it on: If you’re taking the NFL Agent Exam later this month, you don’t need us to remind you that the big day is just over two weeks away. That means there’s no more procrastinating – it’s time to get ready by any means necessary. Naturally, we’re here to help. Next week, the final push begins as we roll out our final three big Zoom sessions before July 20 (remember, all participants also get the video for the session immediately after the Zoom wraps up). Let’s run down each of them in detail. 

Tuesday, July 7, 9 pm EDT ($50 plus tax): We started our monthly Zoom sessions in February and we now have five recordings to show for it, each of them led by Chicago-based NFL agent Ian Greengross as he’s covered the key testable topics in painstaking detail. We wrap things up Tuesday with a detailed discussion of substances of abuse: testing, sampling, the program, dates, participation, stages, discipline; alcohol; non-alcoholic substances of abuse; computation of fines, suspensions, other related issues; performance-enhancing drugs; unknowing ingestion of drugs; levels of punishment per violation; Therapeutic Use Exemption (TUE); forfeitable salary allocations/forfeitable breach; and, finally, a benefits overview (benefits have become a major annual focus of the exam). 

Thursday, July 9, 8 pm EDT ($65 plus tax): It’s our annual Pressure Test, which has become one of the most popular sessions we offer at ITL. Here’s how it works. On Thursday afternoon, we’ll send you a link to a page on our website, Inside the League, which will provide 20 questions not found on our brand new practice exam application. Participants will work the problems for an hour, after which (at 9 pm EDT) Greengross will take to Zoom and answer all the problems, working them out or providing the correct responses for all 20. If you’re able to answer most (or even all) of the 20 questions in one hour, you can call yourself ready for the exam, which features 60 questions over a three-hour period. If not, you still have 10 days to sharpen your skills before the 20^th. We feel this regimen will do wonders for the confidence of prospective contract advisors; it’s a true “trial by fire” before the real bullets start flying. 

Saturday, July 18, 8 pm EDT ($80 plus tax): This is our two-hour review session, which has become a Saturday night tradition. Ian will cover not one, but two, previous exams. No, we won’t have the actual questions and answers, but we will have a detailed rundown of the topics covered and the subjects you need to know best. Ian will also answer questions of any stripe, so whatever topic has plagued you is fair game. We won’t get off the Zoom session until everyone has the tutoring needed for Monday’s examination. It’s the big finish to six months of painstaking preparation for the ITL new agent class, and we want to send everyone off with everything they need.

Speaking of needs – if you’ve been preparing for the test diligently over the past weeks and months, you might be running out of a basic need: money. We get it. That’s why, for the first time ever, we’re offering our final three critical Zoom sessions for one discounted price, $150 plus tax. That’s a savings of $45, or 25 percent. If we’re going to be serious about caring more about the success of our clients than about counting cash, we have to put our money where our mouth is. We figured the best way to do this was to create a discounted rate. 

Before we move on, we realize some people are still trying to get the basics down. For those people, maybe a rundown of our first five Zoom sessions (with topics covered and order links) is in order. Here goes: 

• February ($50 plus tax): Given a signing bonus and Year 4 cap number, calculate rookie salary; calculation of problems re: June 1 rule; and calculation of agent fees, including split between two agents after one has been terminated.
• March (($50 plus tax): Eligibility (accrued, credited for benefits, credited for salary) and free agency (Tenders, ROFR, exclusive rights free agency, restricted rights free agency, unrestricted free agency; transition tag, franchise/non-exclusive with terms, franchise/exclusive with terms); determining if a player has accrued a season, earned credit for benefits, earned credit for salary; deadline for payment (if cut on Tuesday, does he get paid?); split contracts; and termination pay.
• April ($50 plus tax): Veteran salary benefit (VSB); preseason split and in-season split, types of splits, definition, etc.; workman’s comp offsets; signals; Player Performance Escalator (PPE); and practice squad salaries. 
• May ($50 plus tax): Termination pay; injury grievance; injured reserve/designated for return; severance pay/calculation of retirement benefits.
• June ($50 plus tax): Fifth-year option; RFA tenders; reporting dates/calculating opening day of camp; offseason workout rules; five-day acclimation period.

One more thing. For more than 10 years, we’ve offered the finest resource on the market, our study guide, to test-takers. However, we’ve never really explained exactly what it is, what it provides, and how effective it is, based on the testimonials of people who’ve previously purchased it. That ends, however, with this week’s post at Succeed in Football. We not only have several tidbits about the guide, as well as the link to order it, but also comments from several users, past and present, on how comprehensive and effective it is.

At the end of the day, we are dedicated to helping our people pass the exam. Not finding what you need? Still not sure about what you can afford? Email nstratton@insidetheleague.com or just respond to the Wrap. We sincerely want to help and we’ll walk with you through our various materials and offerings. For 15 years, we’ve been devoted to our test-takers and we’re not stopping now. Please let us help. 

Now let’s check out the top stories in college and pro football this week, courtesy of Ric Serritella of All Access Football.

Storm clouds: It’s been a very difficult couple weeks for ESPN NFL Draft analyst Matt Miller. First, he was involved in a car crash that left his vehicle mangled and almost unrecognizable. Miller took to Twitter to thank authorities and medical staff that saved his life. He also broke the news that his left arm had been amputated as part of the resulting medical procedure. That was just the start of his troubles, however, as soon after there began a growing swell of draft fans alleging that Miller had scammed them as part of raffles, draft contests and fantasy leagues he hosted. ESPN has been mum so far on the allegations. In the meantime, the GoFundMe campaign started to help him pay for his medical care has been paused.

Offseason blotter: It was a week filled with shocking NFL news. It began on Monday, when Titans legend Chris Johnson, AKA ‘CJ2K,’ revealed that he has been diagnosed with MLS. Johnson is one of only nine players every to rush for 2,000 yards, a feat he achieved during the 2009 season. He also blazed a then-record 4.24 40 at the 2008 NFL Combine, going on to be the No. 24 pick in the first round by the Titans. He went to three Pro Bowls and finished with 9,651 yards rushing. . . Wednesday, the Lions released DC Terrion Arnold after he was arrested last week on felony charges of armed robbery and kidnapping. The Lions made Arnold the 24^th pick of the 2024 draft just over two years ago; he had started 22 of 24 games played since his arrival. Per this story, Arnold is weighing offers from other teams and could sign within 30 days. . .  The football world also learned that the mother of Ravens DE Calais Campbell was found dead Tuesday inside her Atlanta home; his brother, Ciarre, has been charged with murder . . . In other legal news, former Titans scout Blaise Taylor has been convicted of murder for killing his pregnant girlfriend with a lethal dose of cocaine . . . On the field, the Baltimore Ravens posted an inside look at the hiring process that ended in the hiring of head coach Jesse Minter this offseason . . . In this interview, former Eagles executive Jake Rosenberg details the inner workings of an NFL front office . . . Veteran NFL analytics executive Ryan Paganetti, who has worked for the Eagles, Jaguars and Raiders, announced that he is launching his own football research and strategy platform . . . Former Falcons scout Alex Brown has joined the East-West Shrine Bowl staff . . . The first round of bids for the Seahawks has been submitted; the NFL and its owners want the sale to be completed by the start of the 2026 season . . . Huntington Bank Field, the projected new home of the Browns, will feature 70% of its seats underground.

Sorsby stands down: Texas Tech quarterback Brendan Sorsby reached a settlement with the NFL and NFLPA, ending his legal disputes regarding the 2026 Supplemental Draft. Under the deal, Sorsby forfeited the 2026 season as a de facto suspension, but was granted draft eligibility in 2027. Additionally, Sorsby will be allowed to participate in all the normal pre-draft processes and competitions, such as the Senior Bowl, NFL Combine, pro day and team visits. Meanwhile in Lubbock, the beat goes on as the Red Raiders announced a partnership with Paramount to produce a four-part docuseries on the football program.

CFL, Week 5: The Canadian Football League features four games on four consecutive days for Canada Day/Fourth of July Weekend. On Thursday night, Calgary (2-2) defeated Toronto (2-2) at home 58-36 as Calgary QB Vernon Adams became the sixth CFL passer to throw for over 400 yards this season. Tonight, defending champion Saskatchewan (2-1) has an opportunity to shovel dirt onto the grave of Ottawa, which finds itself in an 0-3 hole. Saskatchewan received another valiant effort from QB Trevor Harris last week as he completed 34-of-43 passes for 409 yards and two TDs in a loss to Toronto. On Saturday, Edmonton (3-0) visits the BC Lions with the Elks continuing to ride red hot running back Justin Rankin, who exceeded the 100-yard barrier once again in Week 4 during the team’s win over Winnipeg. Finally, on Sunday, Winnipeg (1-2) and Hamilton (2-1) meet for the second time this season after Hamilton came away with a 37-27 win in Week 2. Veteran Blue Bombers pass rusher Willie Jefferson has been rejuvenated this season, applying nine QB pressures last week along with his 78th career sack.

NCAA noise: Ohio State is hiring veteran NFL scout Andy Howell as a college scout. He previously worked 14 seasons in the NFL, including the last 10 years with the Browns, Jets and Dolphins. Howell is the Buckeyes’ latest NFL import; the team added College Scouting Coordinator Billy Homer (49ers) in 2022 and Executive Director of Player Personnel Cole Spencer last year . . . Oklahoma has added Manaia Brown to its recruiting staff. The former BYU defensive tackle previously served as Assistant Director of Recruiting at Fresno State . . . Several college programs have officially changed apparel brands; view the schools here . . . UTEP has departed Conference USA after 21 years and is now an official member of the Mountain West Conference . . .  Get familiar with the schools in the newly formed United Athletic Conference here. The league brings together 10 FCS programs, spread mostly across Texas and the Southeast; West Florida will also compete in the circuit as a football-only member, filling in for Texas-Arlington, which has no football team. . . Applications are now open for the AFCA 35 Under 35 Coaches Leadership Institute.

Etc: Veteran NFL agent Bardia Ghahremani, who previously helmed International Sports Agency, has joined Young Money APAA Sports as Chief of Staff. Ghahremani was certified in 2001 and, per his former agency’s website, grew ISA to have a home office in Southern California and satellite offices in New Orleans and Houston . . . The 2027 Polynesian Bowl announced that former college head coaches Mack Brown and Pete Carroll would serve as head coaches . . . While the NCAA continues to implement regulations on NIL, the high school level remains the Wild West . . . The latest figures on high school recruiting deals have been published courtesy of On3, and the numbers are startling.

From the NFL to the NIL space in less than an hour: Dujuan Daniels has been highly decorated on and off the field, going from Indiana’s Mr. Football in 1997 in high school to helping win three rings in New England as a scout. As he transitions to his new role as co-owner and GM of Ascend Football, he joined Scouting the League co-hosts Rodrik David and Neil Stratton to discuss his years in the game and the lessons he’s learned. Here are a few highlights. 

• On getting his big break in scouting while coaching at Cathedra High School in his hometown of Indianapolis (6:32): “I’m sitting in my office one day, watching tape with players, and my phone rings, and it was one of my best friends from college, (Vikings defensive coordinator) Brian Flores. At the time, he was a Scouting Assistant with the Patriots, and he goes, ‘hey man, we have an opportunity here, potentially, as a scouting assistant role, opened up. . . Interviewed two days later, and two weeks later, pretty much, I was in Foxboro as a Scouting Assistant. All about relationships and working from the ground up. My relationship with Brian, and both playing at Boston College, kinda led to my first job in the NFL. . . Once he got on with the Patriots, I was blowing his phone up all the time. You know how that goes. ‘You got any opportunities? Let me know if something comes up.’”

• On why he preferred a career in scouting over coaching (10:45): “Once I got into scouting, it really elevated, I thought, my overall understanding of the entire organization . . . Early on, I thought I was gonna be a coach; everybody thought Brian Flores was gonna be a scout, just based off our personalities. It kinda completely flipped once we got into (doing) what we really wanted to do in our careers. Until you really do it, and you’re in it, I don’t think you really know, but I fell in love with scouting quickly once I got my feet wet in player personnel.”

• On scouting for the Patriots without the benefit of BLESTO or National Football Scouting (NFS) (13:02): “You better strap up your boots, put your hardhat on and get to it, because it’s not easy. You are your list, and you learn pretty quickly that when you’re a Scouting Assistant, and you think you know, you really don’t know. Because, you know what you’re doing? You’re inputting injuries, you’re doing background searches, you’re trying to get any kind of information (you can) get. Height, weight (and) speeds. You have to really hustle and get all the information. At the time, you had to input that manually, so you’re talking stats – I mean, this is pre-AI, man, so all that work, that’s on you. So when you actually get the privilege of going out on the road – actually thinking you know how to scout – you have a real respect for the BLESTO and National scouts. . . I hated it every time I’d go to a school and somebody would say, well, ‘this guy, why is he on the list?’ Or, ‘why isn’t this guy on the list?’ Make your own list. They’re not here to do your job.”

• On why the Patriots were able to replicate success over such a long period (17:26): “We always had a plug-and-play system in place. So, whether you were a coach, or you were a Scouting Assistant, or an Area Scout, the next person was already up, trained properly and ready to roll. So even though you lost somebody, we were able to sustain because the next person was in place, and if they weren’t able to take on more responsibilities, frankly, they just wouldn’t have been there.”

• On which scouting executive that he worked with probably hasn’t gotten the credit he deserves over his career (19:38): “I look at a guy that’s actually older, someone I actually was on the road with a lot when he wasn’t working with me . . . that was (Raiders Senior National Scout) Andy Dengler. . . He used to work with the Jacksonville Jaguars for a long time. Great scout, great person, great individual. Andy was always willing to lend a helping hand to young scouts when I first started. As I got older and more advanced, when I saw him, and it was me and him, we were gonna have a great time together and it was gonna be a great day.” 

These are just the start of the interesting insights and helpful tips offered by Dujuan in his 40 minutes on the podcast. Whether you’re a veteran of the business or just starting out, you’ll want to check it out. Do that here(on video) or anywhere you find podcasts (on audio).

Catching Up: Dave Caldwell, 52, spent 30 seasons in NFL scouting, starting out in Carolina before working with the Colts, Falcons, Jaguars and Eagles, with a consulting stint with the Ravens thrown in for good measure. In December of last year, he took on a new position at the University of Florida. We caught up with him this week.

• Where are you living now and what are you doing? “I’m general manager of the Florida Gators, living in Gainesville and helping Coach (Jon Sumrall) build a team in Gainesville and trying to take a run at the ol’ national championship.” 

• Do you miss the job? What do you miss most?: “I haven’t been gone long enough to miss it. This was the first draft I’ve missed, this past year. It was a little bit surreal to not be a part of that, but had a lot of evaluations in the system for the Eagles, so I knew quite a lot of the players. This will be the first fall season of scouting and player evaluations when I won’t be in the NFL, but we have our hands full doing it, just at a different level. The (NFL) job is a lot of the same as it is in college right now.” 

• Do you keep in touch with any of your former colleagues?: “Yeah, with a few, guys, especially ones still with the Eagles, still with the Falcons and especially the Jaguars, living so close to Jacksonville, and all the way through Indianapolis. I have a lot of friends there, too.” 

• Do you go to any live games (HS/college/pro)?: “I can go to probably any pro game I want to now, which is fun. College will just be our games.” 

• Do you find yourself rooting for the NFL team in your region, the one you grew up rooting for, or the one with the most people you’ve worked with?: “My wife asked me that during the playoffs this season. We’re still rooting for the Eagles. I still have a lot of ties there, and have a lot of friends that are still part of that team, and they were so good to me the last five years, so it’s hard not to root for them. Wife and I are both from up in Buffalo, so we might have to root for them now, but I have a lot of good friends around the league and I always root for them to do well.” 

Review the latest from other former NFL scouts and executives by accessing our Catching Up archive here. Want to hear from a former scout, or know someone who may be interested in being interviewed? Let us know.

Next week: Though it may seem that way, our focus won’t solely be on exam prep next week. Here’s a rundown of what’s ahead in the next seven days.

• We’ve been using our Rep Rumblings to spotlight all the scouting changes, obviously, but also to help our readers know which prospects for 2027 and beyond already have NIL relationships. Make sure you’re checking our daily reports to find out not only which players are already working with agencies, but also which NIL agencies are doing the most work these days. 
• Are scouting moves over for the 2026 offseason? Yeah, pretty much. Still, there have been a few that have snuck through, most of them chronicled in our Rumblings. For a quick look at who’s going where, just check our Scouting Changes Grid for all the action on NFL staffs. Also, keep one eye on our Twitter account for all the latest developments.
• This week, we covered Maryland, Massachusetts, Memphis, Miami (Fla.) and Miami (Ohio) in our Profile Reports. Next week, we’ll have Michigan State, Michigan, Middle Tennessee State, Minnesota and Ole Miss. Make sure to check them out. 
• As we enter the waning days before the exam, we will likely use the Succeed in Football blog to pass along last tips and preparation suggestions. 
• We’re still finalizing our guest for next week’s edition of the Scouting the League Podcast, but whoever it is, be assured that more insights on the game – especially as they relate to scouting and player evaluation -- are just ahead. 
• If we can find the time, we’ll finish up our breakdown of how all agents did in the 2026 draft, from who they signed to how many actually got to NFL camps in one way or another. We know, we keep promising. Thanks for your patience.

Whether you’re still hoping to find your place in the game, or if it’s been your livelihood for decades, we’d love to be your companion as you deal with the challenges of the game. Check us out.

Finally, happy Fourth! We hope you celebrate (safely) the birth of the greatest country in the history of mankind this weekend. We certainly will.