The Shrine Bowl and Senior Bowl are in the books, and Tony Pauline is back on DraftCast with ES NFL Editor-in-Chief Tim Wood to break down which 2026 NFL Draft prospects really moved the needle — and which ones quietly scared scouts off.

In this episode, we cover:

• Why Texas Tech EDGE David Bailey could be a perfect fit for Robert Saleh’s Titans at No. 4 — and a bad scheme fit for the Jets at No. 2.
• The wild rise of John Carroll WR Tyren Montgomery, who cooked a potential first‑round SEC corner after just 2.5 years of real football.
• Senior Bowl standouts Kyle Louis, Cole Payton, Lee Hunter, Darrell Jackson and more defenders who turned Mobile and Frisco into money weeks.
• Why Shrine/Senior one‑on‑ones often matter more than the games — and how some prospects get exposed when everyone’s watching.
• Emmanuel McNeil‑Warren’s decision to pull out of the Senior Bowl and what it might say about his speed and draft stock.
• Garrett Nussmeier: Senior Bowl MVP in the game, but “loser” on the week — plus a Pat White cautionary tale on overreacting to all‑star game box scores.
• Cole Payton as the next “Dakota QB” traits swing and how landing spot and coaching will define his ceiling.
• Ty Simpson, the transfer portal and “legacy”: does staying put really protect a QB’s brand in the NIL era?
• Why player lobbying (Cam Skattebo on Jordan Tyson, vets begging for certain teammates) has essentially zero weight in draft rooms.
• The latest on Fernando Mendoza’s grip on QB1 and how his rise is reshaping how teams think about QB value at the very top of the draft.

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About the show: EssentiallySports DraftCast brings you insider NFL Draft conversations with veteran analyst Tony Pauline and NFL Editor-in-Chief Tim Wood, pairing league intel with honest scouting takes for fans who live in mock drafts and big boards.

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