Scout's Honor Podcast: NFL Draft DEEP Dive
The latest edition of the Scout's Honor Podcast highlights some of the Day 3 prospects to be aware of in the upcoming 2026 NFL Draft.
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In today’s newsletter, we examine some of the Day 3 draft gems to be aware, as we are just six weeks away from ‘Destination Pittsburgh.’ Plus, up close with one of the most well-accomplished NFL scouts of all-time and some notes on the free agency frenzy, along with an inside look at how the defending champion Seattle Seahawks conduct combine interviews.
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SCOUT’S HONOR: NFL DRAFT DEEP DIVE — DAY 3 TARGETS
We welcome back to the Scout's Honor Podcast, as host Dave Del Col is joined by All Access Football founder Ric Serritella. The dynamic draft duo dives into some of the Day 3 and UDFA prospects worth getting to know for the upcoming 2026 NFL Draft. As always, a special shoutout to the late, great Dave Te Thomas - we wouldn’t be together, or where we’re at if it weren’t for him. Get tuned up and tune in!
INSIDE THE LEAGUE FRIDAY WRAP: NFL FREE AGENT SYNOPSIS
The following news items were originally produced for Inside The League. For more industry news on the scouting and agent community, be sure to subscribe to the ITL Friday Wrap, a free newsletter sent weekly. Here’s a look at some of the items discussed in the report scheduled to be sent out later today. You can signup for it here.
Free Agent Frenzy Reaction. To call NFL free agency a frenzy might be an understatement. After a wild week of signings and trades, we attempt to get a lay of the land with a recent article by FOX Sports, which surveyed NFL executives, agents and scouts from around the league to gauge this year’s ‘winners’ and ‘losers’ in free agency. Opinions vary and some might surprise. Two of the biggest spenders on the open market were the Las Vegas Raiders and New York Jets. Many times, overspending in free agency can lead to fool’s gold. However, the general feel was that both teams vastly upgraded their overall talent. “I’m not saying either one of them will be good,” an assistant general manager told FOX. “But I liked their approach (to free agency). They didn’t do anything stupid.” With the Jets adding players such as Minkah Fitzpatrick and Demario Davis, another scout said they “completely rebuilt their defense.” Winning the Super Bowl can sometimes be costly. Just ask the defending champion Seattle Seahawks, who were raided in free agency this year. Seattle lost Kenneth Walker (Chiefs), Boye Mafe (Bengals), Tariq Woolen (Eagles) and Coby Bryant (Bears) all within the first few days. “It’s the price of winning a championship,” an NFL executive said. “Everyone suddenly thinks they’re the best player at their position and everyone thinks they’re worth more than you do.” One deal that was scrutinized was the four-year, $100M ($88M guaranteed) contract that the Commanders gave to defensive end Odafe Oweh. “There’s a reason Baltimore traded him to the Chargers last season,” one agent commented. “Moreover, I’m not sure that his one year of production in Los Angeles [relative to his lack of production in Baltimore] equates to $25 million a year to me.” Other winners included the Rams and Steelers. For the full results, check out the column here.
Inside The War Room. So what’s it like to be a fly on the wall inside the Seattle Seahawks combine room? Team reporter Ari Horton was allowed to sit in on a day of combine interviews to provide perspective. Winning the Super Bowl does come with one disadvantage in regards to the combine, as the turnaround time from regular season, to offseason, happens in the blink of an eye. Upon their title win over the Patriots in San Francisco, the Seahawks flew back home the following day, where they had about 10 days to meet and prepare a gameoplan for the NFL Scouting Combine. The interview process is one of the most vital elements of the event. Seattle assistant director of scouting Jason Barnes shed some light on some of the aspects they look for during their meetings. “Just how the kid comes across, his personality,” Seahawkssaid. “How well he picks up what the coaches are trying to relay to them. If our coach is installing one of our plays, see how his recall is, after the fact. And then just listening to, the personality, how confident they are, or if they’re not confident. Of course, in some of those settings, you can’t really get a true read on the kid all the way. But you can get some indicators.” The article also spends an elaborate time on specific traits for certain positions. Overall, Barnes said they want all their players to be “fast, tough, smart and reliable.” As more players continue to opt-out of the workout portion of the combine, NFL organizations must learn how to adapt. The most recent trend sounds like it has been accepted as par for the course protocol for this franchise. “You know, [the combine], yes, we want to see the workout but it’s becoming more the norm where guys aren’t going to work out,” Barnes stated. “So, these interviews, with the coaches getting in front of these kids, and us too, because we haven’t got our hands on everybody. So, it’s very important for us, especially for how we build our team, to get to know the person. John (Schneider) really is big on that, getting to know the person. So, therefore, it translates.”
SCOUT’S HONOR: INTERVIEW WITH NFL SCOUT MARK GORSCAK
Few current or former NFL scouts are more well-known than Mark Gorscak. A winner of the ITL 2022 C.O. Brocato Award, Gorscak spent over three decades as a member of the Pittsburgh Steelers organization but might best be known as the ‘start-man’ for the forty-yard dash each year at the NFL Combine, a job he has held down for the past 23 years. Few individuals can share the lifetime of experiences that Gorscak has endured throughout his career. Which is why the latest edition of the Scout’s Honor Podcast (In memory of Dave Te’ Thomas), is a must listen for anyone who works in football, or aspires to be a scout. Be advised that that the interview lasts nearly two-and-a-half hours long but wirth every minute, as Gorscak reminisces about his early days with the Steelers organiztion, how he got his start, tales from the scouting trails with backstories on legends of the game such as Gil Brandt, Al Davis and Bill Parcells, favorite combine memories, life lessons and so much more. It’s the perfect listen for anyone with a long car drive on tap for the weekend, enjoy!