Draft Watch Show: 2026 NFL Draft Recap Edition
All Access Football Draft Watch Show concludes the 2026 cycle with a recap of the NFL Draft in Pittsburgh.
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Welcome to the May 2, 2026 edition of the All Access Football Newsletter.
A jam-packed episode of the AAF Draft Watch Show is on tap, as we examine the 2026 NFL Draft results and put a ribbon on the draft cycle. Don’t worry, the Draft Watch Show isn’t going anywhere! Next week, we begin our 2027 Draft Watch Show series, as we count you down each week leading up to the 2027 NFL Draft in Washington DC.
To head straight to the show, keep scrolling below (we have also included some draft-related stories at the bottom of today’s post). First, a few items to catch you up on from this past week. Our 2027 NFL Draft coverage has already begun here on the website and we are excited to bring you independent draft analysis for our 25th consecutive year. Each draft cycle lives as its own journey, we enjoy bringing you inside the process every step of the way and greatly appreciate your support throughout the past quarter century!
The names you need to know —» AAF unveiled the NFL Draft Bible Hot 100 Prospect List for the 2027 NFL Draft and featured a 2027 NFL Mock Draft, from special guest contributor Anthony Russo. In case you missed it, our AAF 2026 NFL Draft Impact, examines top value picks, overall impact and undrafted free agent players to watch.
DRAFT WATCH SHOW: 2026 NFL DRAFT RECAP
AAF Draft Watch Show — Saturday, May 2, 2026 — LIVE — 9:00am ET [Please Note: Early Start Time This Week]
All Access Football Draft Watch Show recaps the 2026 NFL Draft. Tune-in, as hosts Ric Serritella and Russ Lande discuss which teams stand to benefit most from their incoming rookie class, plus a look at some of the biggest surprises from the draft weekend, along with top value picks and overall impact. In addition, special bonus segments include fantasy football rookie draft rankings and highlights from the CFL Draft.
*Programming Alert: Watch — AAF founder Ric Serritella talks Eagles on Birds 365.
BAD GAMBLE GOES UP IN FLAMES FOR TOP PROSPECT
Texas Tech quarterback Brendan Sorsby, thought to be a potential first round pick for the upcoming 2027 NFL Draft, suddenly finds his football career in jeopardy. The school announced on Monday that Sorsby, who signed a $5M NIL to play at Texas Tech for the upcoming season, has entered a residential treatment program for a gambling addiction. According to NCAA guidelines released in 2023, players who “wager on their own games or on other sports at their own schools” will “potentially face permanent loss of collegiate eligibility in all sports.” The gambling addiction reportedly spreads over several years, dating back to his time at Cincinnati and then at Indiana, where he placed wagers while a member of the team. In total, Sorsby placed over 10,000 bets, many on college football games over the past four years, sometimes averaging over 20 bets per day. Texas Tech has currently suspended NIL payments to Sorsby during the investigation and his future is now clouded in controversy. A temporary or permamnet suspension by the NCAA is certainly possible, should he choose to remain in school. Another option could be the NFL Supplemental Draft. Surely, NFL teams will have major reservations about selecting a player who compromises the integrity of the game. We will continue to monitor this story and update here at ITL as it unfolds, stay tuned.
FUTURE NFL DRAFT SITES UNDER CONSIDERATION
The NFL Draft has become a lucrative traveling show that brings with it a magnificent boost to the economy for it’s host city. Since it’s departure from long running host New York City in 20215, the NFL has hosted the event in locations such as Chicago, Philadelphia, Dallas, Nashville, Cleveland and Las Vegas. It has also included smaller markets such as Kansas City, Detroit, Green Bay and most recently Pittsburgh. Over the past decade, the league has seen the popularity of the draft grown significantly from 200,000 fans who attended the first relocated draft in Chicago, to over 800,000 fans in Pittsburgh, setting a new all-time record. Much like the NFL awards host Super Bowl cities years in advance, the league is getting prepared to announce the site of future NFL Draft sites. Thus far, Washington D.C. has been named the host for the 2027 NFL Draft. A report this week by Sports Business Journal, indicates that Minneapolis-St. Paul is considered the clear frontrunner to host the 2028 NFL Draft. The NFL event committee is scheduled to meet on the topic next week, as ownership vote is expected to occur at their May 19-20 meeting in Orlando. An approval would make U.S. Bank Stadium the center of draft weekend. Meanwhile, Cincinnati has emerged as the favorite to host the 2029 NFL Draft, per the article. Other cities in contention, according to commissioner Rodger Goodell, include Baltimore, Buffalo, Charlotte, Houston Jacksonville, Indianapolis and Seattle.
[EDITOR’S NOTE]: The above stories were originally produced for Inside The League Friday Wrap, a free newsletter dedicated to the scouting and agent community delivered direct to your inbox every Friday night. You can register for it here.