The McShay Show

Episode: The Inaugural All–McShay Show Team: Our Favorite 2026 NFL Draft Prospects

Host: Todd McShay (A), with cohost Mensch (B)
Date: December 22, 2025

Overview

In this special inaugural episode, Todd McShay and Mensch assemble the first-ever All-McShay Show Team—a curated list of their favorite NFL Draft prospects for the 2026 class, position-by-position. This exercise is about personal preference, upside, and value rather than just who is No. 1 on the consensus board. The duo dives deep, sharing in-depth thoughts, breakdowns, comparisons, and under-the-radar names, giving listeners the most intriguing storylines and tidbits ahead of draft season. The team selection is collaborative, feisty, and filled with draft nerd banter—a real treat for draft junkies and casual fans alike.

Show Structure

• Positions Covered:
  • QB, RB, 2 WRs, TE, OT, iOL
  • Edge, IDL, LB, CB, S
• At Each Position: Each host names their “favorite” player (not always consensus top-ranked), discuss, and agree on a “first team” selection, plus second team/honorable mentions.
• “Red Star” player: Their passionate pick, a prospect they’d pound the table for as a value outlier, regardless of ranking.

Key Discussion Points & Insights

How Favorites Are Chosen

• The “All-McShay Show Team” is not strictly the top prospect at each position.
• “Favorite” means a strong personal belief in a player's future, a “special connection,” or traits and value that might overcome a lower draft slot.
• Sometimes aligns with top prospects; sometimes highlights sleepers or “my guys” overlooked by consensus.

“Favorite is like I just love this guy. He might be a second rounder…but I just believe in him…It’s an opportunity for us to discuss a whole bunch of guys and share our initial thoughts before we get in the pre draft process.” — Todd (06:04)

Quarterback

Consensus 1st Team: Dante Moore (Oregon)

• Debate: It’s a “thin QB class”; Mendoza (Indiana), Ty Simpson also looming.
• Todd: “The guy who I think has the best upside is Dante Moore.” (11:09)
• Attributes: Poise, maturity, pocket passing, development curve. Some Herbert/Drake May physical comparisons but a touch lean; needs more consistency.
• Mensch: “He reminds me of Justin Herbert and Drake May. I see those things…if you’re talking about those two quarterbacks, I think that says a lot about what I think of him as a prospect.” (12:38)

Honorable Mention: Brendan Sorsby (Cincinnati)

• “Wild card” in this class if he comes out.
• Mensch: “Rush for 580 yards and nine touchdowns this year. Stumbled against Arizona and Utah…he’s going to be a very intriguing prospect for teams.” (07:37)

Running Back

Consensus 1st Team: Jeremiah Love (Notre Dame)

• Universally loved by both hosts for vision, toughness, and pro tools.
• Mensch: “It’s tough because we love him, too. It’s not like we’re just like, ‘oh, he’s the best player there.’ I love the way he runs.” (15:08)

Watch List:

• Justice Haynes (Michigan): “When he was on the field, he was awesome…he’s just a dude. I think he’s going to be an excellent NFL running back.” — Mensch (18:15)
• Nicholas Singleton (Penn State): Disappointing season, but don’t “write off” the talent. Elite traits, receiving skills. Todd draws comps to RB prospects whose final year underwhelmed, yet talent still emerged in the league. (15:45)

Wide Receiver

The Main Trio (First Team)

• Denzel Boston (Washington): “He’s coming down with it. 76.9% on contested catches…He’s a crafty route runner…he’s being overlooked right now.” — Mensch (21:07)
• Makai Lemon (USC): “My guy…route running, savvy…physicality, instincts, toughness, contested catches…he just translates immediately to the NFL.” — Todd (22:38)
• Carnell Tate (Ohio State): “The Ameka Egbuka of this class…he’s that Ohio State route runner. I love Carnell Tate.” — Mensch (26:35)

“Value/Second Team”/Watch

• Antonio Williams (Clemson): “You might start falling back in love with that dude…He plucks, he tracks well…he’s flown under the radar.” — Mensch (27:10)
• Chris Brazell II (SMU): “Tall, long, freaking fast. Dad’s an NFL player. I just think he’s going to get to the league and be a dude.” — Todd (28:54)

Tight End

Consensus 1st Team: Kenyon Sadiq (Oregon)

• “Run after catch is different. He’s just so explosive…great ball skills…the complete package at tight end.” — Mensch (32:53)
• Todd notes his progression after some early “practice” questions. Now “the high target guy, difference maker…been what you expect from a top-15 pick.” (34:04)

Honorable Mention/Watch:

• Jack Andrews (Texas): "Walk-on, loves the game, can stretch the seam, productive despite depth chart."
• Eli Stowers (Vanderbilt): Winner of “the Academic Heisman” (William V. Campbell Award), productive, smart.

Offensive Tackle

1st Team: Spencer Fano (Utah)

• Mensch’s “favorite player to watch in the entire class,” an Outland Award winner: “Moves different…just love him.” (39:27)

Honorable Mention: Kadyn Proctor (Alabama)

• Size/athleticism freak; “Traits rarely lose at offensive tackle…athleticism for the size, he’s not yet where he needs to be, but I see improvement.” — Todd (40:21)

Interior Offensive Line

1st Team: Francis Maui Noah (Miami)

• Moved from tackle to guard for this team; Todd resoundingly confident: “I don’t think there’s a better IOL in this class…I think he’s a lock as a starting guard and a great one in the NFL.” (42:27)

Honorable Mention: Emmanuel Pregnon (Oregon)

• “Scheme versatility…love the way he passes off guys with his hands…strong, base, four-year starter.” — Mensch (43:24)

“Red Star” Prospects

(Each host’s pound-the-table, underappreciated value pick—players not on the first/second team, whom they “believe in the most.”)

• Jacob Rodriguez (LB, Texas Tech): Force fumble/INT machine. Instincts, motor, intelligence. Mensch: “Find a way to get this dude on my team…don’t care what he tests. I want him in my building.” (47:42)
• R Mason Thomas (EDGE, Oklahoma): “Explosive first step, relentless motor…short area power…he’ll figure it out at the next level.” — Todd (49:12)

Edge Rusher

1st Team: Akeem Mesidor (Texas A&M)

• “Violence in his hands, the motor…they’ll use him inside and out in the league, like JPP. As a former interior OL, I want no part of him.” — Mensch (54:48)

Honorable Mention: Keldrick Falk (Auburn)

• “Length, power, pressures, motor…very young, lots of upside though sack production is low.” — Todd (57:37)

Interior Defensive Line

1st Team: Amari Washington (Oregon)

• “6-foot-3, 330…He can be a one-gap guy, disruptive…stout, tough to move, has more room to grow as a pass rusher.” — Mensch (58:04)
• “Of the top guys, had the best year in my opinion.” — Todd (59:36)

Honorable Mentions:

• Caleb Banks (Florida): “6-6, 330, 35+ inch arms (projected)…bullying players…Dexter Lawrence comp.” — Todd (59:47)
• Kane McDonald (Ohio State): “Moves better than I thought, has some juice.” — Mensch (60:30)

Linebacker

1st Team: Arvell Reese (Ohio State)

• “He’s a unicorn…6’4”, 240, length, edge rush ability, range. First-year starter, loads of upside.” — Todd (61:25)

Honorable Mention: Sonny Styles (Ohio State)

• “Also 6’4”, 240, freaky athlete, great range in coverage, big jump in instincts and leadership.” — Todd (61:54)

“This linebacker class is so good. You could go five or six deep…Deontae Lawson, C.J. Allen, Jake Goldey…” — Mensch (63:05)

Cornerback

1st Team: Mansur Delane (LSU)

• “Scheme versatile, so damn smart…can play man or zone…always in the right place, almost boring how technically sound he is.” — Todd (64:45)

Honorable Mention: Chris Johnson (San Diego State)

• “Four picks, two returned for TDs. Way more comfortable with his back to the ball than others. Special teams player of the year. Not enough people are talking about him. He’s my third corner right now.” — Mensch (66:36)

Safety

1st Team: Caleb Downs (Alabama) [Implied as the true #1]

• “Instincts, leadership, toughness, scheme versatility…He just kind of got overshadowed on what’s becoming one of those iconic defenses.” — Todd (74:20)

Watch List:

• Emmanuel McNeil-Warren (Toledo): “Not a first rounder but long, rangy, productive…deserves consideration.” — Todd (69:52)
• A.J. Halsey (LSU): “Aggressive, playmaker, 8 INTs in two years, tackling machine, loves physicality.” — Mensch (70:55)
• Bray Hubbard (Ole Miss), Michael Taft (Texas), Kyle Lewis (Pitt): Other names getting buzz as productive second/third-day picks.

Notable Quotes & Memorable Moments

• On QB evaluation philosophy:
  “If someone were to call me tomorrow and say, ‘Hey, walk away from the McShay Show. Come be the general manager…’ I would bet my first major decision on Dante Moore.” — Todd (11:14)

• On what ‘favorite’ means:
  “The beauty of this exercise is…an opportunity for us to discuss a whole bunch of guys and share our initial thoughts before we get in the pre draft process.” — Todd (06:04)

• On Nicholas Singleton’s rough year:
  “Everything was wrong in Happy Valley this year…but how many times have we learned our lesson that when things are bad as in their last year in college, talent always seems to prevail.” — Todd (15:50)

• On prospects who may get overlooked:
  “I can’t do a wide receivers my guy list or favorites without throwing in Chris Brazell II…He made Georgia’s secondary focus more in practice every day. They’re still having nightmares.” — Todd (28:54)

• On cornerback intelligence:
  “I love my cornerbacks to be smart…Smart trumps tough. He is just so damn smart, man…” — Todd on Delane (64:45)

• On evolutions in positional value:
  “It’s still a height-weight-speed league and in some ways it is at certain positions…it’s changing and I think you’re ahead of the curve there. Size isn’t as important at wide receiver as it used to be.” — Mensch (25:47)

• Red Star explanation:
  “Red Star player…just a guy that you believe in at this point, if you walked into the GM’s office and said, ‘I know we got a third round grade on him, but I’m going to put that red star next to his name…’” — Todd (46:45)

Timestamps for Key Segments

• [06:04] — Explanation of the All-McShay Show Team philosophy and format
• [08:23] — QB deep dive: Mendoza, Moore, Simpson, Sorsby
• [15:08] — RB debate: Love, Singleton, Haynes
• [21:07] — Wide receiver picks: Boston, Lemon, Tate, Antonio Williams, Brazell II
• [32:53] — Tight end segment: Kenyon Sadiq, Jack Andrews, Eli Stowers
• [39:27] — OT/IOL: Fano, Proctor, Maui Noah, Pregnon
• [47:42] — "Red Star" players: Jacob Rodriguez, R Mason Thomas
• [54:48] — Edge/IDL: Mesidor, Falk, Amari Washington, Banks, McDonald
• [61:25] — LB: Reese, Styles, others
• [64:45] — CB: Delane, Chris Johnson
• [69:52] — Safety: McNeil-Warren, Halsey, Downs, others
• [72:22] — Recap of first/second team and exercise rationale

Final Team (Top Picks by Position)

| Position | Player | Notables/Quotes | |--------------------|------------------------------|-------------------------------------------------------------| | QB | Dante Moore (Oregon) | “Best upside…would bet my first major decision on him.” | | RB | Jeremiah Love (Notre Dame) | “Favorite back of this class.” | | WR | Denzel Boston (Washington) | “He’s being overlooked right now. I love watching him play.”| | WR | Makai Lemon (USC) | “Just translates to the NFL…instincts, toughness.” | | WR | Carnell Tate (Ohio State) | “Ohio State route runner…goes up for the 50/50 ball.” | | TE | Kenyon Sadiq (Oregon) | “Run after catch is different…explosive.” | | OT | Spencer Fano (Utah) | “My favorite player to watch in the entire class.” | | IOL | Francis Maui Noah (Miami) | “Don’t think there’s a better IOL in this class.” | | EDGE | Akeem Mesidor (Texas A&M) | “Violence in his hands…motor…interior/out versatility.” | | IDL | Amari Washington (Oregon) | “Disruptive, tough to move, massive upside.” | | LB | Arvell Reese (Ohio State) | “He’s a unicorn…range and edge rush ability.” | | CB | Mansur Delane (LSU) | “Scheme versatile…always in the right place.” | | S | Caleb Downs (Alabama) | (Implied) “Instincts, leadership, ‘iconic defense.’” |

Honorable mentions and “red star” picks are summarized within the relevant sections above.

Tone & Takeaways

• Language & Vibe: Conversational, thoughtful, sometimes irreverent and playful (“Stop down, put the kitchen knife down…”, “You made Georgia’s secondary focus more in practice every day. They’re still having nightmares.”)
• Expertise: Deep-scout level, strong use of film study, analytics, inside scoops, and longitudinal perspective.
• Utility for Listeners: Offers a “shortcut” to the names you’ll want to know—and why—this spring. Great for draftniks and fans prepping for the 2026 NFL Draft.

For More Info

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Next up: Christmas Day episode – the second annual redraft of the previous NFL Draft.
Closing rating: “It’s another five stars from me!” — Todd