INDIANAPOLIS – Presumptive No. 1 overall pick Fernando Mendoza and the quarterbacks headlined Friday’s media sessions at the 2026 NFL Scouting Combine. And on the field, the tight ends and defensive back prospects went through drills on the second day of workouts.
Here are our takeaways from Day 4 of the combine:
1. Mendoza continues to be a no-surprises kind of guy
Henry McKenna: When Mendoza spoke to the media, he continued his streak of authenticity. The likely No. 1 pick seems to be as honest and earnest as NFL prospects come.
He admitted to the media that he was a “terrible” high school prospect and said he felt like he deserved to be ranked the 140th best QB in his high school class. And when asked about his viral LinkedIn account, he reminded everyone that he’s still “unemployed” and looking forward to updating his profile on April 23rd — when he’ll be the No. 1 draft pick.
Mendoza doesn’t seem like he’ll make many headlines this weekend, if only because he’s not working out and he’s not going to shock anyone with what he said.
His meeting with the Raiders?
“Fantastic,” he said at the podium in Indianapolis.
Getting mentored by Tom Brady?
“Fantastic.”
His year at Indiana?
“Fantastic.”
His enthusiasm isn’t the type that grates on people. It’s the kind that will be infectious. He isn’t exactly a game-wrecking presence on the field. But he’ll be a positive and dedicated force as the Raiders continue their ongoing rebuild. And maybe he’ll get them ahead of schedule.
2. Notre Dame’s Jeremiyah Love going in the top five isn’t crazy
Ben Arthur: To the Titans at No. 4?! Love said Friday that he met with Tennessee at the combine.
Of course, the Titans need all the help they can get around quarterback Cam Ward, last year’s No. 1 overall pick. Love projects as a game-changing back — he had 2,497 rushing yards and 40 total touchdowns over the last two seasons at Notre Dame — so he could take a lot of pressure off Tennessee’s passing game. The lack of consensus blue-chip prospects at premium positions bodes heavily in Love’s favor as well.
“I feel great about being an every-down back. I can do it all,” Love told reporters. “I can receive. I can block. I can run. You name it, I’m willing to do anything for any team to have success.”
What also helps Love’s case as a potential top-five pick, beating how the Lions’ Jahmyr Gibbs (No. 12, 2023) and Falcons’ Bijan Robinson (No. 8, 2023) fared a couple years ago, is the current renaissance at the position.
Just a few years ago, the perception of running backs was low. There was a spirited debate about the devaluing of the position over several years. Back in 2023, top running backs like Derrick Henry, Christian McCaffrey and Saquon Barkley hopped on a Zoom call to discuss the financial future of their position.
But a shift happened in 2024.
Barkley, who helped lead the Eagles to the Super Bowl, and Henry both had over 1,900 rushing yards that season (Barkley became the ninth player in league history to surpass 2,000 rushing yards). Gibbs and Robinson, dangerous as both rushers and pass catchers, are the future of the position. This past year, McCaffrey won AP Comeback Player of the Year and Jonathan Taylor was an early-season favorite for MVP.
“Running backs are very valuable,” Love said. “I think that’s being more and more recognized as of today. We had Kenneth Walker III in the Super Bowl. I mean, running backs like him are continuing to pave the way for guys that are just coming into the league or are already in the league. Just making a bigger name for running backs.”
And helping Love’s draft positioning in the process.
3. There’s a serious impediment surrounding how Garrett Nussmeier is evaluated
McKenna: Mendoza seemed to 100% be a player who did not keep receipts. His motivation was intrinsic.
Nussmeier? I’m not so sure. In fact, it sure seems like he has a mountainous chip on his shoulder.
“I just want to prove that I am who I say I am and I belong in this league,” Nussmeier said.
There was a period where people saw the prospect trending into Round 1. That was before an injury that hindered his throwing motion and ultimately landed him on the bench a few times. The difficulty in evaluating Nussemeier is making sense of how much that injury impacted his performance.
“I won’t get into the specifics of what it was, but now being able to attack the actual injury and rehabbing, I’m feeling a lot better,” Nussmeier said in Indy Friday. “I’m at 100%, if not close to it, and starting to feel like myself again, it’s been awesome.”
It might be a long shot for him to land in the first round, but he could end up a Day 2 selection. And that would be because teams think he’s a smart, tenacious prospect with good arm strength. He’s the type of low-risk prospect that might appeal to the Rams or Steelers — a team with good infrastructure for supporting a young QB.
Garrett Nussmeier speaks to reporters at the NFL Combine. (Zach Bolinger/Icon Sportswire via Getty Images)
4. There don’t seem to be athletic concerns with Indiana’s D’Angelo Ponds
Arthur: The defensive MVP of both the Rose Bowl and Peach Bowl in the Hoosiers run to the national title, Ponds didn’t run the 40-yard dash in Friday’s workouts — he’s saving that for his Pro Day. But he recorded a 43.5-inch vertical. That’s the fourth-best mark by a cornerback in combine history.
At 5-foot-8, Ponds faces legitimate size concerns as an NFL outside cornerback (he played 85.3% of his snaps out wide in 2025, per PFF). He may be pigeon-holed as a slot defender. Ponds, though, sees no drawbacks to his size and said he’s comfortable playing inside or out. He prides himself on his physicality.
Ponds mentioned Colts standout Kenny Moore II and Jaire Alexander, who was a two-time Pro Bowler in seven years with the Packers, as players he’s looked up to.
“I haven’t really got a lot of questions about my height,” Ponds said Thursday. “Obviously, it’s about my mindset. … What is my mindset about tackling and things like that, being that I’m undersized.
“Something I can’t control,” he continued. “I just tell (teams) it’s been (the case) my whole life. It’s kind of been instilled in me at four years old. Something I always carry myself with.”
Apparently, he carries elite athleticism, too.
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