ON TODAY'S SCORECARD
Mock It Up

All eyes are now on Super Bowl LX between the New England Patriots and Seattle Seahawks. With only two teams left playing, it’s the perfect time for fans of all the others to look forward to the 2026 NFL Draft this April.

Who should your team be targeting with its first-round pick? Let’s take a look at the 2025 NFL Mock Draft, courtesy of Yahoo Sports and Tankathon...

1. Las Vegas Raiders — Fernando Mendoza, QB, Indiana

This pick feels more of a sure thing than whoever the Raiders are going to be hiring as head coach. Mendoza is a clean operator whose sheer professionalism could lift the floor up for a franchise that’s been in the doldrums for oh so long. 

2. New York Jets — Rueben Bain Jr., Edge, Miami

The Jets would love a quarterback good enough to take here, but there isn’t one. So this is a smart time to go best player available, which very well could be Bain. 

3. Arizona Cardinals — Francis Mauigoa, OT/OG, Miami

The Cardinals have question marks at head coach and quarterback, and could feasibly draft just about any position here and it would make sense given the state of their roster. Other players in this class might rise as pure offensive tackles, but Mauigoa has earned the right for a chance at right tackle at the next level.

4. Tennessee Titans —  Arvell Reese, Edge/LB, Ohio State

Another best player available move, this time with the Titans drafting someone who could be considered the best player in the draft. Reese is a disruptive, explosive player who has upside as a pass rusher and run defender.

5. New York Giants — Caleb Downs, S, Ohio State

The Giants have oodles of talent on their defensive front and they could look to continue to boost their (underrated) offensive line, or even add another weapon to add to the passing game and build around Jaxson Dart and Malik Nabers when he returns from injury. Instead, the Giants tab Downs as the highest-drafted safety since Jamal Adams in 2017. 

6. Cleveland Browns — Spencer Fano, OT, Utah

Cleveland has to rebuild its offensive line as the Browns are getting a little old up front (and, frankly, bad) so it’s time to add talent at offensive tackle. Spencer Fano has the ability to start right away with long-term development upside that the Browns need.

7. Washington Commanders — David Bailey, Edge, Texas Tech

This one is a pretty easy pairing. The Commanders are starved for edge rushers, especially ones who can win one-on-one and get after the quarterback. That’s exactly what Bailey brings to the table.

8. New Orleans Saints — Carnell Tate, WR, Ohio State

Tyler Shough did enough to get another year as the starting quarterback in New Orleans, but the Saints’ wide receiver room could use a bit of juice. Tate would make a lot of sense as a strong starting wide receiver across from Chris Olave, who isn’t always the most available player. 

9. Kansas City Chiefs — Jeremiyah Love, RB, Notre Dame

The Chiefs could use another impact defensive player. But Kansas City needs speed, and not just timed speed but real game speed, at its skill player positions. Love is one of the best overall players in this draft class who can take any touch to the house. 

10. Cincinnati Bengals — Mansoor Delane, CB, LSU

The Bengals need defense, obviously. However, they’ve spent so many recent assets along the defensive line, maybe they try another position here and go cornerback, which they also need. 

11. Miami Dolphins — Jermod McCoy, CB, Tennessee

McCoy is still in the running to be the first cornerback selected despite not playing this season due to a knee injury. The Dolphins could draft any position and it would make sense, but they could use a young cornerback with some pedigree. 

12. Dallas Cowboys — Sonny Styles, LB, Ohio State

Dallas has an opportunity to really upgrade its defense here, and can shore up what has the potential to be a top front seven with the addition of Styles. He’s a fast, physical linebacker who has all the talent in the world to be an ace starter in short order in the NFL.

13. Los Angeles Rams — Avieon Terrell, CB, Clemson

The Rams use the Falcons’ first-round pick to take the brother of a Falcon. Terrell is undersized, which might be something the Rams want to move away from in their cornerback room, but his awareness, twitch and ball skills more than make up for his lack of bulk.

14. Baltimore Ravens — Keldric Faulk, Edge, Auburn

Jesse Minter was hired to help Baltimore get back to having a stalwart defense, but the Ravens will need a bit more talent up front to make that an easier job. Faulk is a high-upside project who can affect the run game right now with his size and power. 

15. Tampa Bay Buccaneers — CJ Allen, LB, Georgia

General manager Jason Licht has no qualms with taking a player who is not at a position of need, so anything is in play here. This is the year the Bucs finally draft the replacement for the unsinkable Lavonte David. 

16. New York Jets — Jordyn Tyson, WR, Arizona State

This could be a steal here for the Jets, who get to add another high-upside, high-floor prospect here in Tyson. Figuring out who will be throwing them the ball next season is a different story, but Tyson and Garrett Wilson is a good one-two punch for somebody.

The final 16 first round picks will appear on these pages in Monday’s edition of the Coffee Club.

Cleveland over PORTLAND by 11

Sunday, Feb 1

The baby Cavs had had this game circled ever since they tripped up as double-digit chalk at Portland in a 122-110 loss in early December. It was when Cleveland couldn’t find its way to the court that they opened the season on a 5-9 icy patch. They’ve since rebounded, currently riding a 24-11 skein. With it, the Blazers enter off a same-season avenger against the Knicks (1-6 ATS post NYK) with another on deck versus Phoenix (10-16 before the Suns). We wrap it up and put a bow around it with THE CLINCHER: Portland is 2-24 ATS in outright home losses against avenging non-division foes.

From the current Playbook Hoops Newsletter.

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TRENDING TODAY
The Dirty Dozen

Of the 32 NFL teams, only 12 haven’t experienced the exhilaration of winning it all. 

Surveying the league, the wealth has been hoarded by seven teams.

The include: The Patriots (6), Cowboys (5), 49ers (5), Steelers (6), Giants (4), Packers (4) and Chiefs (4) have won 34 of the 59 championships in the Super Bowl era, or 57.6%.

Conversely, of the dozen who have never won a Super Bowl, only the Browns, Texans, Lions and Jaguars have never graced the field on Super Bowl Sunday. 

So why is it a dozen teams have yet to taste victory in the Super Bowl? Take a look...

Arizona Cardinals

For a franchise that’s been around since the NFL’s founding in 1920, there haven’t been a ton of close calls for the Cardinals. Whether they’ve been in Chicago, St. Louis or Arizona, the Cardinals have primarily been an also-ran, with a winning percentage of .421 and only 11 playoff appearances and seven postseason wins. The Cardinals won a controversial championship in 1925, which is also claimed by the Pottsville Maroons, who believe they won the league title (the NFL didn’t play a title game until ’33). Since then, the Cardinals won a title in 1947 and reached Super Bowl XLIII in 2008, losing in the final seconds to Ben Roethlisberger, Santonio Holmes and the Steelers. 

Buffalo Bills

The Bills have a pair of titles to their name, but both came before the merger. Buffalo won the 1964 and ’65 American Football League championships, beating the Chargers in both title games. Of course, the Bills went to four consecutive Super Bowls from 1990 to ’93, the only team to make four consecutive appearances in the big game. Unfortunately for Buffalo, it lost to the Cowboys twice, along with the Giants and Washington. The Bills advanced to the AFC championship game in 2020 and ’24, losing to the Chiefs on both occasions.

Carolina Panthers

An expansion team in 1995, the Panthers immediately charged to the NFC championship game in ’96, where they lost to the Packers at Lambeau Field. In 2003, Carolina reached its first Super Bowl, losing 32–29 to the Patriots on a last-second field goal by Adam Vinatieri.  The Panthers had their best season in 2015. They began 14–0 before finishing with 15 wins. In the postseason, they handled the Seahawks and Cardinals to enter Super Bowl 50 as favorites over the Broncos. However, MVP Cam Newton and Carolina lost 24–10 and haven’t been back since. 

Cincinnati Bengals

The Bengals have been close to glory multiple times, only to be turned away at the last moment. In the 1980s, Cincinnati had a pair of very similar seasons. In ’81, quarterback Ken Anderson won the MVP award but the Bengals fell short, losing to Joe Montana and the 49ers. In ’88, quarterback Boomer Esiason won the MVP award, but the Bengals lost to Montana and the Niners in the Super Bowl once again. After 30 years of playoff abyss, Cincinnati made another run to the Super Bowl, this time in the 2021 season. Behind Joe Burrow, Ja’Marr Chase and Tee Higgins, the Bengals reached Super Bowl LVI but lost to the Rams at SoFi Stadium. 

Cleveland Browns

The Browns came into existence as a member of the All-America Football Conference (AAFC) in 1946 and won all four of that league’s titles before moving to the NFL in ’50. Cleveland then emphatically proved itself, advancing to six consecutive NFL title games and winning three to start the decade However, after winning another championship in 1964, the Browns have primarily disappointed. In the 1980s, Cleveland reached the AFC title game three times and lost each time to the Broncos. Since the ’89 season, the Browns have not won a division title or advanced past the divisional round.

Detroit Lions

Much like the Browns, the Lions were a powerhouse in the 1950s. They won three championships on staunch defense and the Hall of Fame talents of quarterback Bobby Layne, earning titles in 1952, ’53 and ’57. Since, however, it’s been ugly. The Lions went from 1957 to the ’91 campaign without a playoff victory and then endured another 32-year drought before their next. Detroit has been close recently, but lost a 24–7 lead in the NFC championship game to the 49ers in the 2023 season, keeping the Lions as the only NFC team without a Super Bowl appearance. 

Houston Texans

Joining the league as an expansion team in 2002, the Texans don’t have the long-term history of the other teams on this list. However, Houston has played 24 NFL seasons, and even for a young team, its lack of success is somewhat surprising. The Texans have made the postseason nine times but have never reached the AFC title game. They’ve come close in recent years, advancing to the divisional round in four of the past seven seasons, including each of the past three. Houston is the only team to never play on championship Sunday.

Jacksonville Jaguars

Like the Panthers, the Jaguars entered the league in 1995. And, like Carolina, Jacksonville went to its conference title game in ’96, losing to the Patriots at old Foxboro Stadium. Three years later, the Jaguars returned to that stage as a 14–2 juggernaut, but lost to the Titans, the only team to beat them all season. Since the 1999 campaign, Jacksonville has only returned to the AFC title game once (2018), doing so in Cinderella fashion with a great defense and Blake Bortles leading the offense. Unfortunately for Jags fans, they lost 24–20 to New England, thwarting their latest Super Bowl bid.

Los Angeles Chargers

The Chargers won an AFL championship in 1963 behind a high-powered offense that included Hall of Fame receiver Lance Alworth, quarterback John Hadl and running back Paul Lowe. Since the AFL-NFL merger in 1970, they have reached the AFC title game four times, winning only once. Their lone AFC championship came in 1994, when quarterback Stan Humphries and Hall of Fame linebacker Junior Seau led the Chargers past the Steelers at Three Rivers Stadium. However, San Diego then ran into a loaded 49ers team, creating one of the biggest mismatches in Super Bowl history. The Chargers were 18-point underdogs and lost 49–26, with San Francisco quarterback Steve Young throwing six touchdowns in an MVP performance

Minnesota Vikings

No team has been more tortured over the years than the Vikings. Coming into the NFL in 1961, Minnesota emerged as a powerhouse in ’69, reaching the first of its four Super Bowls over seven years. That first year, the Vikings lost as a 12-point favorite in Super Bowl IV to the AFL-champion Chiefs, and then fell to the Dolphins, Steelers and Raiders in the 1973, ’74 and ’76 seasons. In ’87, Minnesota had a magical run as an 8–7 team to the NFC title game but lost, and then fell in the same round 11 years later, but that time as a 15–1 squad and the overwhelming favorite. Since then, the Vikings have lost three NFC title games and have never returned to the Super Bowl.  

Tennessee Titans

Originally known as the Houston Oilers in the AFL, they won the first two league titles in 1960 and ’61 over the Chargers. Once in the NFL, Houston reached the AFC title game in 1978 and ’79, but both times fell to the eventual-champion Steelers. In 1999, the relocated Titans finally reached the Super Bowl but fell to the Greatest Show on Turf, losing 23–16 to the Rams when receiver Kevin Dyson was tackled at the 1-yard line when time ran out. Tennessee also reached the AFC championship game in 2019 but lost to Patrick Mahomes and the Chiefs.

SONG OF THE WEEKEND

No. 1 song this weekend in 1990.
Picking Up The Pieces.

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