NFL Draft Scouting Notebook Week of May 12, 2025

Offense is the focus this week after defense got the attention last time. I discuss the tight end class, offensive linemen as clay, and the Fernando Mendoza fever that is catching the nation by storm.

Last week's scouting notebook was a blast to write, and I am excited to be getting another one out this week.

The first one focused on defense, as I was just dipping into the pool of 2026 potential talent. Now it is time for the offense. I've got eyes on a couple of players at every position across the offensive side of the ball. Like the defensive players I watched, I am impressed with the offense from my early viewings.

The 2025 NFL Draft had 13 first-round grades from me, which is under my usual for classes. Most tend to get 20-ish from me, and the 2026 class already looks like it will return to that normalcy.

Here are my takeaways from the last week of watching players and counting the 2026 class for the Summer.

Tight End Group could be just as Deep as it was in 2025

The 2025 NFL Draft saw 16 tight ends drafted. It was one of the deeper tight end classes in recent years, with one of the more talented players headlining it with Tyler Warren out of Penn State.

Based on my early viewings of the 2026 group, there is a long way to go, but it has a chance to match or perhaps even exceed it. I mentioned last week that I am watching 15 players at each position. Edge rushers were the tough ones to cut down on last week; this week, it was tight ends. I narrowed it down to 15, but I have a watchlist that is 21 players long.

Several players, like Eli Stowers, Oscar Delp, and R.J. Maryland, who are well established at their schools, returned for one final year. Other players, like Jack Endries, Max Klare, and Luke Hasz, transferred to new schools with tons of promise, following them to places where they have a chance to produce in new offenses.

Endless possibilities for a lot of players in a deep, tight end class.

The Offensive Tackle Class has some Big Pieces of Clay

The two positions people most often complain about being underdeveloped is quarterback and offensive line. The 2026 class is a chance to revamp both of those positions, but I want to highlight the offensive tackle group specifically.

This week, I watched a couple from this group, and while no one blew me away, I was encouraged by what I saw. One thing that is specific to this group is the size of several of these players. Unlike the rest of them, it is the one trait that cannot be taught or developed. Players like Isaiah World, Caleb Tiernan, Kadyn Proctor, Monroe Freeling, and Riley Mahlman are all 6-7 or taller. There are seven more players listed at 6-6 from there.

Size is in abundance with this class.

Now, apart from the size, a lot of these players have all shown promise on film and have either returned to school to develop more or to get in the right spot to take the next step they need. One of those players I watched was Isaiah World, who was the number one transfer player this year, who went from Nevada to Oregon. He is raw but has the tenacity of a junkyard dog that hasn’t been fed in a week.

Dan Lanning has something special with him. Here’s hoping he develops him properly.

Eugene Wilson III has a lot at stake in 2025

Eugene Wilson III came onto the scene as a freshman in Florida and had everyone believe they saw the ghost of Percy Harvin. The gadget play usage, the dynamic route running, and the ability to make defenders miss had fans buzzing.

Heading into the 2024 season, expectations were high, but a season-ending injury quickly doused them.

I went back and watched some 2024 film, then went back and watched the 2023 stuff. Wilson III is a bona fide NFL star in the making if he can prove he can be healthy in 2025. His footwork, vision, and body control is second to none. On top of all of that, he will have a chance to be on an offense that will have plenty of eyes on it thanks to the emergence of breakout Florida quarterback D.J. Lagway.

Wilson III won’t be talked about much in the Summer, maybe not even when the season starts. Let this be your reminder not to give up on him if he is healthy. He deserves your attention and then some.

The Fernando Mendoza Hype Train has left the Station

Summer scouting is all about projection and finding the good in a player who could see himself taking significant steps in the upcoming Fall. Each year, one player slowly gets picked up by fans and media; this year, it’s Indiana’s Fernando Mendoza.

The quarterback who transferred from California to replace Kurtis Rourke in Curt Cignetti’s offense already has high expectations. It started with Yahoo! Sports' Nate Tice having him fifth overall on his Summer Big Board. From there, it spread at a rate that would even make Anthony Fauci blush.

Mendoza boasts a physically gifted build—listed at 6-5, 225—and an offense that has shown its quarterback can be productive. Indiana also has Elijah Sarratt, who is returning as the team’s leading receiver to help Mendoza in his transition to the Big Ten.

With those things all going in his favor, he has a schedule that includes going on the road to Oregon and Penn State. If he checks all those boxes, then maybe everyone is early and the QB1 of the 2026 NFL Draft is playing in Bloomington, Indiana.