Transcript

2026 NFL DRAFT PREDICTIONS: Indiana's Mendoza, Jeremiyah Love, Ty Simpson | Colin Cowherd: THE HERD

From The Herd with Colin Cowherd · Episode page · Watch on YouTube

· 33 min · 6,705 words · 78 timestamped sections

This is the full, timestamped transcript of "2026 NFL DRAFT PREDICTIONS: Indiana's Mendoza, Jeremiyah Love, Ty Simpson | Colin Cowherd: THE HERD", an episode of The Herd with Colin Cowherd published February 12, 2026 (33 min, about 6,705 words). It mentions 32 people, works and ideas, including NFL, Colin Cowherd, Daniel Jeremiah, NFL Draft, Sam Darnold.

What this episode is about

The discussion focuses on the 2026 NFL Draft predictions, specifically highlighting quarterbacks Fernando Mendoza, Jeremiyah Love, and Ty Simpson. Colin Cowherd evaluates Mendoza's potential, expressing a more favorable view compared to the consensus from scouts, while providing insights on his winning record and accuracy in comparison to notable past quarterbacks.

Key takeaways

  • Scouts echo wisdom, but gut instinct often wins; trust your intuition before you trust the crowd.
  • Mendoza: A better Matt Ryan could revolutionize a franchise—if only teams knew how to build around him.
  • Athleticism is overrated; managing the game matters more. Just ask Sam Darnold, who scrambled, or rather, didn’t.
  • Arch Manning proves resilience trumps immediate success. Today’s QBs must survive the storm before they share the spoils.
  • Forget glamour; persistence in adversity shapes champions. Welcome to the NFL, where grit is as essential as talent.

Who speaks in this episode?

What is discussed, and when

  1. – 5:00: Super Bowl, Sam Darnold, Matt Ryan, Jaden Daniels
  2. – 10:00: Arch Manning, NFL, Sam Darnold, Drew Brees
  3. – 15:00: Sam Darnold, Matt Ryan, Tai Simpson, Heisman Trophy
  4. – 20:00: Cam Ward, Old Miss, Kenneth Walker
  5. – 25:00: Sam Darnold, Drake May, Max Crosby, Daniel Jeremiah
  6. – 30:00: Jaden Daniels, Max Crosby, Washington State
  7. – 33:25: Daniel Jeremiah, Super Bowl, Kenneth Walker

Notable quotes from "2026 NFL DRAFT PREDICTIONS: Indiana's Mendoza, Jeremiyah Love, Ty Simpson | Colin Cowherd: THE HERD"

  • Welcome to the Herds official YouTube channel. Make sure to like and subscribe. Don't forget to check out the Colin Coward podcast, all of our NFL instant reactions, and more…
    about Colin Cowherd · at
  • The consensus I've gotten is that he would have been the fourth of those quarterbacks. So, right in the middle. I think most teams like the makeup. They like how much he's won. They like the.
    about NFL Draft · at
  • Josh Allen is and they haven't gotten to a Super Bowl. The athletic thing we talk about Sam Darnold's athletic. How many times did he scramble in that game?
    about Sam Darnold · at
  • And I said, Drew, if you look at your career and you look at Super Bowl champion Sam Darnold's career and all the turbulence you both had early, does Sam's career remind you, Drew, a little of your early career?
    about Super Bowl · at
  • Drew said, Yeah, when I watched Darnold, I thought of my early years.
    about Drew Brees · at
  • The first sign of adversity in the NIL world. I am out of here. You do understand the NFL is adversity. God Bellich and Brady never had dinner for 20 years. it can be grumpy. It can be harsh. It can be punitive. It can be tough. You can be.
    about NFL · at
  • Those get me out of here guys did. And my guess is Arch Manning will be better than most. Daniel Jeremiah works at the NFL Network. He's got a podcast. It's a good one. Move…
    about Daniel Jeremiah · at
  • Attack, but like that we'll probably have more under center than we have in the past. We're going to try to feature every part of Jaden in the way that makes him unique and…
    about Jaden Daniels · at

Who and what is mentioned in this episode?

People

  • Colin Cowherd — Person · Host / main speaker · 1 mention · first at
    Leads the episode’s monologue and interviews, framing QB evaluations (Mendoza, Darnold) and broader NFL trends.
  • Daniel Jeremiah — Person · Main guest (draft analyst) · 3 mentions · first at
    Provides draft-market and player-evaluation analysis (QB scarcity, Tai Simpson grade, Mendoza evaluation).
  • Sam Darnold — Person · Case study (referenced NFL QB) · 10 mentions · first at
    Used as an example of development through adversity and as a lens for evaluating QB traits vs. athleticism narratives.
  • Matt Ryan — Person · Comparison benchmark (referenced NFL QB) · 5 mentions · first at
    Used as the main stylistic/ceiling comparison for Mendoza (size, arm, franchise QB archetype).
    Bigger, stronger, more athletic version of Matt Ryan. That's what he looks like.
  • Jaden Daniels — Person · Referenced QB (draft-class comparator / NFL storyline) · 5 mentions · first at
    Appears in two contexts: as a higher-graded QB vs Mendoza in a prior draft class, and as an NFL QB whose scheme may change (under center).
  • Arch Manning — Person · Referenced example (college QB resilience) · 5 mentions · first at
    Used as the counterexample to NIL/transfer-portal impatience—staying at Texas, sitting, struggling, then improving.
    But Arch Manning never left. He had to sit for two years at Texas. And then when he finally played, it was rough. He got crushed. He was bad. And he stayed there. He hung in. He was tough. And did.
  • Drew Brees — Person · Referenced guest / expert voice · 3 mentions · first at
    Cowherd cites Brees’ comments to frame adversity/development arcs, comparing Darnold’s early turbulence to Brees’ early career.
  • Tai Simpson — Person · Draft prospect under evaluation · 2 mentions · first at
    Jeremiah discusses his board slot, strengths/weaknesses, and potential team fit (e.g., Rams).
    Top of the second round guy. He went in the first and had a good year. I was wrong. I think Tai Simpson feels like a top of the second round guy, but I could see the Rams…
  • Drake May — Person · Draft comparator (referenced QB prospect) · 4 mentions · first at
    Serves as the athletic/grade benchmark; Jeremiah says Caleb/Drake/Jaden would grade higher than Mendoza.
    Two years ago when Caleb Williams went first, Jaden Daniels went second, Drake May went third, Pennix went eighth, McCarthy went 10th, and Nicks went 12th.
  • Max Crosby — Person · News subject (referenced NFL player) · 4 mentions · first at
    Discussed in a segment about trade/rumor dynamics and how public comments affect teams/locker rooms.
    Getting their butts kicked every year by everyone. I'm telling you right now, I love Max as a Raider, but if you could get two ones Oh, you do that from New England. I think you have to consider it.
  • Caleb Williams — Person · Draft comparator (referenced QB) · 3 mentions · first at
    Part of the prior draft-class hierarchy used to position Mendoza’s projected grade.
    Two years ago when Caleb Williams went first, Jaden Daniels went second, Drake May went third, Pennix went eighth, McCarthy went 10th, and Nicks went 12th.
  • Cam Ward — Person · Referenced QB prospect (transfer-portal example) · 3 mentions · first at
    Used as an example of a beneficial transfer (Washington State to Miami) and as a likely top draft pick in a weak QB class.
    Cam Ward at Washington State gets a Miami Hurricane offer. You take it. Trinidad Chamblas, great quarterback at Old Miss, came from Ferris State. You take that offer and go to the SEC.
  • Bo Nix — Person · Referenced example (transfer-portal evaluation) · 2 mentions · first at
    Used to illustrate how transfers can clarify scouting by comparing performance with different supporting casts (Auburn vs Oregon).
    With the transfer portal, what the transfer portal has done for the evaluation process, we've seen Bo Knicks with inferior players at Auburn, then go play with good players at…
  • Kenneth Walker — Person · Referenced example (running back value argument) · 2 mentions · first at
    Cited as evidence of RB importance (claimed as 'MVP of the Super Bowl' in the discussion) to support the run-game/under-center trend.
    Tight ends and running backs. stop. Isn't it amazing that the MVP of the Super Bowl, Kenneth Walker, like it was three years ago, everybody's Nobody wants to pay the running back.
  • Albert Brerier — Person · Referenced guest (NFL reporter) — likely misspelling · 1 mention · first at
    Cited as having shared a 'universal opinion' about QB draft ordering; name appears to refer to Albert Breer.
    Else just kind of likes him. Albert Brerier came on the show yesterday and this is kind of the universal opinion I hear about the who's your quarterback.
  • Josh Allen — Person · Referenced example (athletic QB counterpoint) · 1 mention · first at
    Paired with Lamar Jackson to argue that athletic traits alone don’t ensure championship outcomes.
    Should be noted Lamar Jackson is and Josh Allen is and they haven't gotten to a Super Bowl. The athletic thing we talk about Sam Darnold's athletic. How many times did he scramble in that game?
  • Lamar Jackson — Person · Referenced example (athletic QB counterpoint) · 1 mention · first at
    Used to argue that elite athleticism doesn’t guarantee Super Bowl appearances, tempering critiques of Mendoza’s athleticism.
    Should be noted Lamar Jackson is and Josh Allen is and they haven't gotten to a Super Bowl. The athletic thing we talk about Sam Darnold's athletic. How many times did he scramble in that game?

Companies & orgs

  • NFL Network — Company · Business focus · 1 mention · first at
    Mentioned as a source of NFL content and analysis, including Daniel Jeremiah's affiliation.
    Those get me out of here guys did. And my guess is Arch Manning will be better than most. Daniel Jeremiah works at the NFL Network. He's got a podcast. It's a good one. Move…

Concepts & topics

  • NFL — Concept · Core topic · 2 mentions · first at
    Central theme of the episode, discussing various aspects of the NFL including drafts, free agency, and player evaluations.
  • NIL — Concept · Framework · 1 mention · first at
    Discussed in the context of its impact on college football players' decisions to transfer.
    The first sign of adversity in the NIL world. I am out of here. You do understand the NFL is adversity. God Bellich and Brady never had dinner for 20 years. it can be.

Places & events

  • NFL Draft — Event · Strategy · 1 mention · first at
    Discussed extensively in terms of player evaluations and team strategies for building rosters.
  • Super Bowl — Event · Key argument · 6 mentions · first at
    Discussed in the context of player careers and team strategies, highlighting its importance in the NFL.
  • NFL Season — Event · Core topic · 1 mention · first at
    Discussed in the context of team strategies and player performances throughout the season.
    Good one. Move the sticks. His 24th NFL combine coming up. Somebody we rely on and trust as the NFL season ends. it's interesting, Daniel, you know this. A lot of times the…
  • NFL Free Agency — Event · Strategy · 2 mentions · first at
    Discussed in the context of team building and player acquisitions.
    On and trust as the NFL season ends. it's interesting, Daniel, you know this. A lot of times the free agent market can be initiated and propelled because there are weaknesses…
  • NFL Combine — Event · Strategy · 1 mention · first at
    Mentioned in the context of player evaluations and preparations for the NFL Draft.
    Than most. Daniel Jeremiah works at the NFL Network. He's got a podcast. It's a good one. Move the sticks. His 24th NFL combine coming up. Somebody we rely on and trust as the…
  • Washington State — Place · Setting · 3 mentions · first at
    Mentioned in the context of college football players transferring schools.
    Cam Ward at Washington State gets a Miami Hurricane offer. You take it. Trinidad Chamblas, great quarterback at Old Miss, came from Ferris State. You take that offer and go to the SEC.
  • Super Bowl Champion — Event · Key argument · 1 mention · first at
    Mentioned in the context of player careers and achievements.
    And I said, Drew, if you look at your career and you look at Super Bowl champion Sam Darnold's career and all the turbulence you both had early, does Sam's career remind you, Drew, a little of your early career?
  • Heisman Trophy — Event · Key argument · 1 mention · first at
    Mentioned as an achievement for college football players, highlighting their potential.
    Player at Cal but he gets a great coach and a great infrastructure and the guy goes undefeated, wins the Heisman Trophy and the National Championship.
  • Old Miss — Place · Setting · 3 mentions · first at
    Mentioned in the context of college football players transferring schools.
    Cam Ward at Washington State gets a Miami Hurricane offer. You take it. Trinidad Chamblas, great quarterback at Old Miss, came from Ferris State. You take that offer and go to the SEC.
  • Miami — Place · Setting · 1 mention · first at
    Mentioned in the context of college football players transferring schools.
    Cam Ward at Washington State gets a Miami Hurricane offer. You take it. Trinidad Chamblas, great quarterback at Old Miss, came from Ferris State. You take that offer and go to the SEC.
  • Texas — Place · Setting · 1 mention · first at
    Mentioned in the context of Arch Manning's college football career.
    But Arch Manning never left. He had to sit for two years at Texas. And then when he finally played, it was rough. He got crushed. He was bad. And he stayed there. He hung in. He was tough. And did.
  • Ferris State — Place · Setting · 2 mentions · first at
    Mentioned in the context of college football players transferring schools.
    Cam Ward at Washington State gets a Miami Hurricane offer. You take it. Trinidad Chamblas, great quarterback at Old Miss, came from Ferris State. You take that offer and go to the SEC.

Full transcript with timestamps

Welcome to the Herds official YouTube channel. Make sure to like and subscribe. Don't forget to check out the Colin Coward podcast, all of our NFL instant reactions, and more football content. So, I've been doing this about 30 years, 35 years, and I always felt kind of my responsibility is to form relationships in athletic departments, form relationships in professional league, scouting departments, so I have the most informed opinions. Now, I do three hours a day. Some of it's just my gut instinct or my eyes. But a lot of times if I have my strongest opinions, I remember when TBO was on a hot streak and I was like, "This isn't going to last." And I had somebody inside the Denver locker room saying, "Dude can't play. Not an NFL. Don't listen to all the nonsense." Uh whether it was Darnold over Baker, it was Herbert over Tua.

Through the years, I've relied on scouts often with my strongest opinions. They get backed by people in the league. So, my scouting guys, sometimes there's a problem when I like a player way more than my scouts do or I don't like a player as much as my scouts do. And that's with Fernando Mendoza. Like, I like Fernando Mendoza a lot. Everybody else just kind of likes him. Albert Brerier came on the show yesterday and this is kind of the universal opinion I hear about the who's your quarterback. two years ago when Caleb Williams went first, Jaden Daniels went second, Drake May went third, Pennix went eighth, McCarthy went 10th, and Nicks went 12th.

The consensus I've gotten is that he would have been the fourth of those quarterbacks. So, right in the middle. I think most teams like the makeup. They like how much he's won. They like the accuracy. But is he physically what you know, say Drake May was coming out of North Carolina or Jaden Daniels was coming out of LSU or Caleb Williams was coming out of USC? He's not that. Okay. When I watch him, here's what I see. Bigger, stronger, more athletic version of Matt Ryan. That's what he looks like. Well, Matt Ryan is ninth all time in passing yards and top 10 all time in touchdown passes. Got to a Super Bowl and led 28-3, has an MVP season behind him, 15 years, four Pro Bowls. So, add 30% to that cuz I think Mendoza is is got uh he's a little bigger, he moves a little better, and I think he's got a slightly stronger arm.

So, I I think Matt Ryan you can build a franchise around and get to Super Bowls with. In fact, I think largely the Falcons failed Matt Ryan. He didn't fail them. He was a very good quarterback. So, he and again, Matt Ryan plus I remember when CJ Strad came out and everybody said Jared Goff's comp. And I'm like, yeah, that's an accurate comp. Jared Guff gets to Super Bowls. He got to a Super Bowl. Jared Guff's top 10 12 quarterback in the league. That's what everybody's trying to get. So, it's interesting though. I I like him a lot.

Everybody kind of likes him. The knock on him is he's not super athletic. It should be noted Lamar Jackson is and Josh Allen is and they haven't gotten to a Super Bowl. The athletic thing we talk about Sam Darnold's athletic. How many times did he scramble in that game? How many times did Sam Darnold scrambled in the Super Bowl? Couple. What he mostly did, he commanded the game, managed the game, and didn't use his hyper athleticism. I I I'll admit Mendoza is not super athletic. But I mean, I think his athleticism I don't think he's Justin Herbert athletic, but he's big and strong like Herbert. So I I see a better version of Matt Ryan.

And Matt Ryan's was really good, was a really good quarterback. Drew Brees was on the show yesterday and um he was great. And I it was at the end of the show and I said, "Drew, if you look at your career and you look at Super Bowl champion Sam Darnold's career and all the turbulence you both had early, does Sam's career remind you, Drew, a little of your early career?" all the lessons that we hope to teach our kids through sports and through team athletics. And that is that you will face adversity. You will face failure and disappointment. And it's how you react to it that matters. And while it didn't work at the first couple teams that he went to, he continued to work.

He continued to recognize where he needed to get better and and and and learn. While it wasn't maybe the road that he would have envisioned when he first got in the league, it was meant to be and it's what has brought out the best in him and allowed him to play the way that he has, lead the way that he has, um, and also inspire others the way that he has.

Drew said, "Yeah, when I watched Darnold, I thought of my early years." And you know what Drew Brees's comments made me think of? Not Darnold, Arch Manning, all these college quarterbacks. Now, the minute they have a bad week or get bad news, I'm out of here. Give me a paycheck. I'm out of here. And there are times I think college quarterbacks should transfer. Cam Ward at Washington State gets a Miami Hurricane offer. You take it. Uh Trinidad Chamblas, great quarterback at Old Miss, came from Ferris State. You take that offer and go to the SEC.

But Arch Manning never left. He had to sit for two years at Texas. And then when he finally played, it was rough. He got crushed. He was bad. And he stayed there. He hung in. He was tough. And did you watch his last five or six games in the SEC? Five- one. Beat&M and Old Miss or excuse me, A&M and Vandy. 5-1. 20 touchdowns. two picks, 320 yards a game. He overcame. He endured. He had to sit. I watch these five-star quarterbacks. If they're not starting by their red shirt freshman year, I'm out of here. The the first sign of adversity in the NIL world. I am out of here. You do understand the NFL is adversity. I mean, God Bellich and Brady never had dinner for 20 years. Like, it it it can be grumpy. It can be harsh. It can be punitive. It can be tough. You can be injured. Every time we bring on an NFL player who's even 30 years old, he's on his ninth surgery.

So ar when I when I'm watching Drew Brees talk about Sam Darnold, it makes me think of Arch Manning. That is the one five-star quarterback that I can think of top of mind, who could have transferred multiple times, who had to sit behind a guy I'm absolutely convinced he's more talented than, got beat up when he played, was really bad, and just hung in head down, put in the work, didn't sulk, and at the end of this past year is really good. Too many young quarterbacks see adversity and they they scramble. They're just running and they don't know where they're running. They're just running. And I'm not saying you shouldn't transfer again. If you're at a small school and get an Oklahoma to call, you should go. I'm not saying that. That's opportunity. If you're at Fair State and the SEC calls or you're at Cal and Indiana's got money with Kurt Signetti, like go. I get it. Go. But there's a I'm telling you when people

were banging on Arch Manning and saying some article was like h biggest bust ever. I'm like about half these fivestar quarterbacks if they're not playing through one year they're out the door. Thanks for flying United. Get me where I can play. We're going to look back in about 10 years, 15 years at how many of those get me out of here guys did. And my guess is Arch Manning will be better than most. Daniel Jeremiah works at the NFL Network. He's got a podcast. It's a good one. Move the sticks. His 24th NFL combine coming up. Somebody we uh rely on and trust as the NFL season ends. You know, it's interesting, Daniel, you know this. A lot of times the free agent market can be initiated and propelled because there are weaknesses in the draft. So, it's it's obviously if you look I mean there's some really good edge rushers. It's a pretty good pretty good Dline draft. I think in the first round at least there's some nice

offensive tackles, a couple of Utah maybe. Where is the draft lacking in your opinion which will increase the activity in free agency in March?

Well, I I would give you two positions, Colin. First of all, the running back position. Um, draftwise, I think we have one first round caliber back and then I think there's a chance we don't see one even go in the second round and we'll see a flurry of them there uh after at that point. So, I think there's a really good crop of free agent running backs, which is going to, you know, inform maybe some franchise tag opportunities for teams or teams are going to be aggressive and going out and paying some of these young veterans that are on the market. And then the obvious elephant in the room is the quarterback. I mean, there's there's one for sure quarterback who everybody believes, myself included, goes 1-1 and then there's a conversation on Tai Simpson and where does he fit into this whole thing. Um, but that when you have one and a half first round caliber quarterbacks and there's a lot

of teams out there that have a need at the position, um, it's good to be the Malik Willis's. It's good to be the NerS holding on to M. Jones to see what what comes their way as well.

Yeah. So, um, let's get to two eval. Um, I like Fernando Minosza kind of more than everybody else does. Um, I I don't think he's Andrew Luck or Sam Darnold athleticism. Uh, but I think um um I we were the staff showed me something this morning. Tom Tlesco, our friend said, "Yeah,

Matt Ryan, I think he's bigger, stronger, and more athletic than Matt Ryan. Although I think that's a good comp.

I think he is a if he gets decent coaching, he is a plus player. He's a franchise guy. I'll make a couple Pro Bowls, maybe several, three or four. Is that I mean, I think he's big, accurate. He's been bloodied his lip multiple times. He's Some say the Indiana offense is too simplistic. Maybe they need What do you see?

Well, yeah. I talked to Tom and I actually I told him I was going to steal some of that with with Matt Ryan because I I do like that just in terms of kind of the grittiness, toughness, uh, you know, aspect of it. I look at quarterbacks almost in terms of families as opposed to just like that single comp. I think if you had kind of that Jared Goff, Matt Ryan family, he kind of fits into that family. Whether or not whether or not he's a brother or a cousin, I'll let everybody else figure that out. But that's kind of the uh the style of quarterback that he is. And for the evaluation part of it, look how when you go through and you watch third and seven plus throws, which weeds out all the RPOS's that everybody, you know, complains about. when you go look at him in the red zone, when you go look at him in big games, when you look at him on big moments, see the end of the Penn State game, see the national

championship game, this guy's stepped up and done it every single time. Um, so I I'm a huge believer in him. And I I would also say for as much grief as as everybody has all this uh this problem with the transfer portal, what the transfer portal has done for the evaluation process, we've seen Bo Knicks with inferior players at Auburn, then go play with good players at Oregon and look at the play and look what you get there. We saw Cam Ward who was an incarnate word to Washington State to all of a sudden he gets with Miami and look what he does with real players. Now we're seeing with Mendoza who was a good player at Cal but he gets a great coach and a great infrastructure and the guy goes undefeated, wins the Heisman Trophy and the National Championship.

So I thought Jackson Dart was more of a top of the second round guy. He went in the first and had a good year. I was wrong. I think Tai Simpson feels like a top of the second round guy, but I could see the Rams taking him. They got two first. How do you evaluate Tai Simpson at Bama?

Yeah, he's my 40th player, you know, as we are in the process right now, which I wouldn't look I if somebody wants to take him with the 25th pick, I that's not that out of realm of possibility. And I would think that's not really a reach based off how I evaluated him. I don't think he's one of those quarterbacks you drop into any of the 32 rooms and he's going to have success, you know, any system, any supporting cast. I do think you need to protect him. Um, he's mechanically sound. He throws a nice ball. He's got touch and accuracy, but when bodies get around him, I thought there's times he plays a little small. And then the guy's only started 15 games and he's been beat up.

So those are the the negative sides of it. That's why I kind of slot him outside my top 32. But if you're the Rams, you got a great offensive line. He doesn't have to step in and play right away. So that lack of experience, we can kind of give you some of that in our system before we needed you to play. I could I you know, I can understand that.

Yeah. Le let's go back. This is always fun. Uh Sam Darnold, go back online. Tell me what your evaluation was.

Well, I it it's it uh it used to be hidden underneath my bed for a couple years, Colin, when uh my my report. Now, it hangs up next to my diploma uh on the wall. I'm going to have it engraved. Uh but uh no, I look, he was my top quarterback in that draft class. I was actually talking about him the year before because he has that Rose Bowl game, you know, against Saquon Barkley and Penn State and that epic comeback where he makes some big-time throws in that game and I had mentioned at the combine before he was draft eligible.

Like this is the guy everybody's talking about is next year's quarterback, you know, and Sam Darnold because of, you know, just kind of the the natural way he plays the game. The ball explodes out of his hand. He's just a real He's just a real fluid, natural athlete who's got an explosive arm. and he went to a tough situation and you know I I I do you know look I I'm so happy for him because he's such a good dude and I I have always believed in the ability but I don't agree with the well you know the Jets they should have just stayed there eventually it would have happened I think he needed to get out of New York I think he needed to get somewhere else I think that was good for him um and I think being around Shanahan that time there was uh was an incredibly smart decision on his part knowing that look I'm going to soak up everything this guy has not not only is it going to help me learn football, but then there's also

the reality that this is the offensive system that half the league runs because they all come from underneath his tree. So, for him to have the maturity to take a step back and learn that, I thought that that that's one of the reasons why he is where he is.

You know how good John Snyder is, and I was just wondering, this popped into my head when you look at the Seahawks, he he's gone like eight for his last eight or nine for his last nine on first and second round guys. Like, not only doesn't miss, like they all become really good. some become incredibly special and I think that the safety from South Carolina people said right after the draft that's that guy's going to be a star that that's one of the easier second round guys.

Um does he have a theme? I mean why is he such a good drafter? You've been doing this. Is there something he does that other GMs don't do? I mean we're putting it up now. I'm sorry to the radio audience. We're putting it on television. It's like just no misses. uh like like you tell me what what's his secret to this stuff?

Well, he lets the draft fall to him, you know, for one. Like Eman Worry, I think was my 15th or 16th overall player. I'm not saying everybody has it the same, but this guy was a first round talent who just kind of fell to him. So, he he he took him there. But when you start looking at guys who when we when I was in Baltimore, we had a red star meeting where you would go through and each scout could put a red star on one player in the draft. didn't necessarily mean they were the best player, but they were the guy that was just the most competitive. We talked like he played like a raven. Like he fit us. And when you look through like JSN, ultra competitive, tough, physical. Gray Zel, you go to the Senior Bowl, took 9 million reps. Everybody was trying to go against him and he slaughtered everybody like super super competitive. On and on and on. Kenneth Walker uplifted that entire Michigan State program on his

shoulders. Like these guys are all guys are passionate, love football, and there's no turds. There's no jerks. There's no selfishness in that group. They're all good dudes, good competitive dudes. Um that that to me is the overall theme.

Um yeah, it it's uh I want I want to ask you about the Chargers because you work on their broadcast and I we said I said you lose Jesse Mter, your defense probably not quite as good. You gain Mike McDaniel, you'll be a much more effective passing offense. Plus, you get your tackles back. Um, plus the Chargers have cap space. I mean, this is conjecture and projecting, but J-Mack and I agree on one thing next year is that the Chargers will go from a team that was surviving on offense and flourishing on defense or the offense could be spectacular next year and the defense may I mean mentor was a really really good defensive coordinator. You tell me with the Chargers with that cap space and Mike McDaniel, what do you think they'll target in the draft and what will they look like next year? Because we both believe week one you're going to watch the Chargers and go, "Okay, this is the Harbaugh Herbert thing that we thought

we'd get this year." Well, Colin, I I think when you look at free agency, I could see them targeting interior offensive line. Uh when you look at the draft, I could see them targeting interior offensive line. When you look at the trademark it, we could also target the interior of the offensive line. When the draft's over and you want to bring in some extra bodies, we'll bring in some more interior offensive linemen. U so I mean that is that is that is priority A, B, and C. And it's providing overall depth of that offensive line, having investing in a third tackle that you really really like. Um so that you're not you're covered. I think if they if they have an offensive line that's healthy and deep because the tackles are two of the best in football. So, just healthy and deep along the interior, having a third tackle out there that can withstand some injuries. All these young guys, these

skilled guys on offense, these first and second year players that they've drafted with Joe Ortiz there are awesome. Like Maki, you I think you'll see him go to another level in this system. Quinton Johnson, you know, for all the abuse he caught for, you know, some of the drops early on is a functional solid player. Yes. Trey Harris, the rookie at Old Miss, made some big catches. Aronda Gatston is a talented rookie tight end. Omar and Hampton could be one of the top five backs in the league. These guys are all on rookie contracts. They cost you nothing. So to me, it's really about just getting this offensive line locked in. And then defensively, you've got young corners. Derwin's still playing at an elite level. You've got to sign, you know, you got some free agents on the edge with Oway and Mack, but they have plenty of space to do that. Maybe a defensive tackle, you know, or two and free agency or the draft, but I don't

know if I mentioned it, Colin. I would probably address the interior of the offensive line.

Absolutely. And finally, uh, just because somebody gets drafted number one doesn't mean they're the best player. It's usually a quarterback because it's a quarterback star of league. Is there a best player in the draft? Like, everybody talks Arville Reese and my take is, well,

the position he'll play in the NFL may not be quite what he's doing now. He's going to get bigger. It could be Edge. I look at Bane at Miami and I'm like, "Oh, that's fully formed. That guy's going to walk in and play." I think actually Miamiy's got an offensive lineman that feels like you could put him at guard tackle like that dude's going to start day one it I think the running back from Notre Dame looks like that like oh that guy's going to pop.

Is there a guy if you just said best player can't miss because all quarterbacks can miss even the good ones early. Who's the can't miss in the draft?

Well I mean I'd have love up there you know the running back for Notre Dame. I still you know normally I I am true to the grade. So even if you know I know Cam Ward's going to be the first pick, he might be my fourth or fifth player in the draft.

So that's you know it's it's rare that you kind of have the quarterback it just in this draft because you know there's flaws in all of these guys. You know Bane's not the prototypical you know you know arm length and all the other stuff that comes along with that. Um that you can poke holes in all of them. To me Mendoza I'm like he's one of the years where I think he is the best player in the draft in my opinion and I do think he is one of the safer picks in this year's draft. That's just kind of the way I look at it. I I don't know. I think you got to get really really nitpicky um to uh to poke holes in him.

I think he's got a chance to be a really good player and and that's why my number one guy.

Okay. So, is Fernando Mendoza Daniel, how does he compare to Drake May? Is he in that class? Drake May is more athletic. I mean, he's a better mover, but are they kind of close?

I I would have those three guys from that draft just grade-wise come into the process over him. So, I had it Caleb, Drake, Jaden Daniels. All three of those guys would carry a higher grade than Mendoza. Uh, but in this draft class, there's nobody else that I would put, you know, up there at other positions higher than the level that he's at. I I don't think he's as natural as Drake. Drake just was so athletic and I mean,

and just had just such a good feel for for movement and getting around things and making things happen. Um, I I don't think he's quite I think he's a little more robotic is the way I would describe Mendoza.

Yeah, that's fair. That's fair. Uh, great seeing you as always, my man. Good to see you, buddy. Hey, the Dodgers haven't spent any more money in the last five minutes, so there's that.

Listen, this is a this is a do pro Dodger show, I'll tell you. Oh, gross. It's gross. Daniel Jeremiah, you know, listen, the the scrappy upstart Dodgers, the grit, you see, the determination, the hard scrabble attitude is very endearing. Uh Jmack with the news.

Let's start with Max Crosby, Colin. He's making news. It's almost like, is it by design? Is he trying to pump up his IG followers? Anyways, Max Crosby's all over the news this last week, but he's now downplaying the rumors that he wants out and he doubled down in an appearance on the Let's Go podcast.

Everyone's hit me up. Did you say this? Did you? It's I can't control that. You earned that as a player. You know, if if I wasn't doing the right things and if I wasn't the person and player I was, you know, people wouldn't be talking about all the nonsense. But that's what comes with it. I I really don't care what everybody has to say. I used to a lot as a young guy. I really don't give a damn. People could have their own opinions. I know what's going on. I know my truth. And um I don't need to sit here and keep, you know, rehashing it to people that don't know what's going on. So I don't even I don't even waste time with it.

Okay. So Colin, if we put those words on the screen, what he just said, it's a gigantic word salad. He essentially said nothing. Revealed nothing about what he wants, which is good. He's a pro. And listen, I know people don't think I like Max Crosby. I've seen his basketball videos. He could play definitely play on my men's league team. We would recruit him. But I don't I just don't know why he's still talking about this, Colin.

You know, I know he's a veteran, but I think he is the missing piece for several top teams. I think Kansas City could use him. New England could use him. I I think Matt Crosby is one of the, you know, free agency and trade guy doesn't really equal Super Bowl. I mean, if you go look at the Seahawks, Sam Darnold was obviously an exception where you bring a guy in, a quarterback, important position, you're like, "Oh, he was such an upgrade from Gino." I mean, the roster in Seattle last year was good. It I mean, they How many rookies made an impact that John Snder drafted this year, too, a guard and a safety?

The the roster was great with Gino Smith. Obviously, Darnold's the big part of it that goes next level. JSN was already in the building with Darnold. Suddenly, he was great. with Gino. He was frustrating or frustrated. Uh so my point is Crosby may not be a quarterback. There is no question if you put him on New England next year with their interior defensive lineman that is a that's the best defensive line maybe in the sport.

So I mean I think Crosby ch I mean New England's defensive tackles are excellent. You put Crosby on that Dline in New England lights out.

Okay. So, so is there a world where Spyitech and the new coach Kubiaak go to Crosby and say, "Hey, bro. We get it. It sounds like you want out. How about this? Don't do any more podcasts. Leave social media commentary to us. Don't talk about it and we will get you where you want to go." And then, you know, you call up the Buffalo Bills and be like, "Oh, yeah. Is Keon Coleman for sale?" You know, the BS game that you play as a as an executive. Oh, well, yeah. So, Crosby, any interest? You're not calling about Max. you're calling about somebody else, but you work it in like call the contenders, just do it quietly. I I don't love this negativity when you've got

No, you got to remember Max Crosby is a star. He goes on podcast and they ask him about it. What is he supposed to say?

The problem is that that's we like authenticity. You and I love that. It gives us content.

Everybody loves that. But it's going to mess with the locker room. You got a new head coach. You first time head coach in Kubak, rookie number one pick likely in Mendoza. You got a Wigggon franchise in Vegas that can't win a damn thing. Like, why would you do this? You're messing with the fans heads. Like,

I don't think it's messing with anything. I think he's been the silver lining for the silver and black for about seven years. I think he's the only redeemable part of this franchise in the last seven years.

Are you sure it's silver and black or black and blue? I mean, these guys are getting their butts kicked every year by everyone. Like,

I'm telling you right now, I love Max as a Raider, but if you could get two ones

Oh, you do that from New England. I think you have to consider it. I would pedal him to the NFC first. I don't want to have to see that guy hoist the uh the trophy in my conference. Uh all right, let's go to the next story. That's Jaden Daniels. Do Dude, do you remember how much we talked about this guy last year as he guided Washington to the NFC Championship? Well, this past season, he did nothing cuz he was hurt. And now he's got a new OC in, wait for it, David Blau, former Detroit Lions practice squad guy. I think he took a couple snaps. Um, here's Dan Quinn talking about how Jaden is going to look a little different this season.

It'll look different some JP in some ways as we're still kind of building some of the things together, but this is going to be like an aggressive balanced attack, but like that we'll probably have more under center than we have in the past. We're going to try to feature every part of Jaden in the way that makes him unique and special. Jaden's a big part of our thinking and in all the things that we do. he wasn't a part of the staff selection, but like he drives a lot of the thinking and how we can feature him and where it goes. And so, um, having the ability to connect with him, um, that's certainly a big deal for us.

All right, so you pretty good stat here, Colin. Um, Warren Sharp, you know, he's a buddy. Sure. Sure.

So, um, he charted under center dropbacks last season where you're taking snaps from under center. Okay. Washington was dead last in the league. 17 snaps the whole season under center, sorry, dropping back. And it's like, dude, what are you doing? So maybe that's why they move off Kingsbury. They need to change it up. So now Jaden will be under center more. Guess who happened to be under center the most? As you can see on the chart here, Rams number one. Number two, by the way, uh, in snaps under center, Chicago Bears number two.

and all the teams at the top had a lot of success. Well, you know, this is why the NFL is great. It's constantly evolving. It was an under center league, then it was a shotgun league, and now the better teams are going back under center when you have a star quarterback. So, uh, and a lot of people like under center because a quarterback never takes his eyes off the defense. As defenses get more sophisticated, you know, in the shotgun, you look down for a half a second or a second to get the snap and the defense can shift at the snap of the ball. So like a lot of the guys in the league, the offensive coordinators like can like under center. So I one of the things that is really cool about the NFL, you and I, baseball went forever without making changes. And then Rob Manfred over like a three-year period made multiple changes. They all worked. And a baseball now is so much more watchable now than five years ago. If you go watch

a baseball game five years ago, go on YouTube. It's so slow. Yeah. It's like it's like a rotary phone. Like I I can't do it. NBA's got things it needs to solve. Bill Simmons was talking about that this week and they won't. They're like, "Well, we got paid. We made money from the networks. Like, your game's got like four major issues. I don't even think tanking is the biggest issue." The NFL is so cyclical. The rules Pats don't look like they look. Kickoffs don't look like they look. The catch rule got tweaked. And I think part of what I love about football is I mean, now suddenly it Seattle, by the way, was oh, you got to go for it in fourth down. You know who didn't go at Fort on fourth down this year? Denver, Seattle. Like, I just love the way the NFL is constantly shifting and changing and under center is coming back.

Well, it's it's I don't know that that's like a rule. That's more of like a coach thing. McVey and Ben Johnson are at the cutting edge. So, they realize the two high safety is taking away the big plays. How do you manipulate those guys? Put the quarterback under center.

We may run the football. So, what are the what are the DBs doing? And that I think is a big reason why we're seeing under center now because you have to respect the run game or they'll just metriculate down the field.

Three years ago, it may have been two. You and I were on the show. Everybody was like, "Running backs aren't being paid."

Yeah. Nobody wants a running back. You and I went on the air and said, "Slow down. Running backs, especially for young quarterbacks, are like a life preserver. Tight ends and running backs. Like, stop." Isn't it amazing that the MVP of the Super Bowl, Kenneth Walker, like it was three years ago, everybody's like, "Nobody wants to pay the running back." No, no, nobody wants to pay a running back that second huge contract. Everybody liked running back. You generally you didn't want to go a second big contract because it's the last position on offense. You can head hunt.

You can hit them from anywhere. They come through a line, you can hit them anywhere.

So, we were early on that. I I I will say this. I think McVey going to three tight ends at times this year and having ultra success a lot is going to make people be like, do we need to go after more tight ends in free agency and make sure to ask Jeremiah about this. He was just breaking down the tight ends. Uh it doesn't seem like there's a lot of high-end ones, but middle rounds there could be some tight end value. And you got to be able to be flexible whether three wides, three tight ends, two running backs. Um NFL just a smart league. Uh final story K. Let's go to NBA Allstar Weekend. I know you're fired up. Very excited. Well, Kevin Durant also very excited. I can't tell if he's being real here or he's trying to stir the pot, but he's taking shots at some of the European gentlemen. Here we go.

You should ask the the Europeans if the the world team if they going to compete. I mean, cuz we look at Luca Donage and and Nicole Yokic. Now, let's go back and look at what they do at the in the All-Star game. Is that competition? So, we haven't questioned what they've been doing, but we going to question oldheads and the Americans. But these two dudes out there, Luca and and Jokic, they don't care about the game at all. These dudes be laying on the floor. They shoot from half court, but you got to worry about the old heads playing hard. I can read between the lines bro.

You know, he's not wrong on that. I mean, Jokic has no interest. None. Kevin Durant, your buddy Kevin Durant can be very funny.

I like him now. He's he's on to something. I'll be real though, Colin. Luca, Giannis, Joic, these guys international. All-Star games are nothing. They don't mean a damn thing. They play for championships overseas. And that's what those guys are into here, not some fluffy All-Star game where there's no defense being played by guys who aren't great defenders anyway, you know. So KD's on to something. I don't know how you fix that when your best players in the league or international don't care about the All-Star game and don't play defense.

I could do a show on four to five things the NBA needs to change. Please don't.

I won't. Because the truth is when we get to late April, May, and June, the playoffs are going to be unbelievable. Every year in this space, when the football season ends and we start moving to the NBA and the Stars aren't playing because, you know, they're resting. Either you're tanking or they're resting for the playoffs, they you know, like people have like minutes maybe privately on what they want to play. We all go crazy on the NBA. The playoffs will show up in May and they'll be really, really good.

Yeah. By the way, 30, remember, college basketball, 33 games. NBA 82. So, yeah, college guys got to go hard. You got to make the tournament.

NBA 82. Hey, let's take a week off here, a week off there. Kind of like your summers when you're gallivanting globally uh with the other coastal.

Let me tell you something. I play less than LeBron in the summer. Oh god.

Questions about this episode

Who speaks in "2026 NFL DRAFT PREDICTIONS: Indiana's Mendoza, Jeremiyah Love, Ty Simpson | Colin Cowherd: THE HERD"?

Colin Cowherd (Host), Daniel Jeremiah (Guest).

What is "2026 NFL DRAFT PREDICTIONS: Indiana's Mendoza, Jeremiyah Love, Ty Simpson | Colin Cowherd: THE HERD" about?

The discussion focuses on the 2026 NFL Draft predictions, specifically highlighting quarterbacks Fernando Mendoza, Jeremiyah Love, and Ty Simpson. Colin Cowherd evaluates Mendoza's potential, expressing a more favorable view compared to the consensus from scouts, while providing insights on his winning record and accuracy in comparison to notable past quarterbacks.

What is mentioned in this The Herd with Colin Cowherd episode?

32 people, works and ideas are mentioned, including NFL, Colin Cowherd, Daniel Jeremiah, NFL Draft, Sam Darnold, Super Bowl. Each one on this page links to its own page with every episode that mentions it.

How long is "2026 NFL DRAFT PREDICTIONS: Indiana's Mendoza, Jeremiyah Love, Ty Simpson | Colin Cowherd: THE HERD"?

The episode runs 33 min; the transcript is about 6,705 words in 78 timestamped sections.

More from The Herd with Colin Cowherd

About this transcript: the episode's spoken words as captioned on YouTube, split into timestamped sections. Reclip.Me locates every person, work and idea in the text, keeps the time it is first named, and quotes the words around it verbatim. Last updated February 15, 2026.