One question that helps separate good evaluations from great ones: What happens when the pocket breaks down?

Our Corey March used the SIS DataHub Pro to find out — splitting every 2026 QB’s final college season into Clean Pocket and Under Pressure environments, then benchmarking them against 23 QBs selected in Rounds 1-5 from the last four draft classes.

From that he found that there’s a version of Fernando Mendoza’s scouting profile that makes him look like the best quarterback prospect in years, comparable to Joe Burrow circa 2019.

But under pressure, it’s a different story, as his on-target percentage and completion percentage crater, suggesting that throws are arriving late or in tighter windows rather than with the receiver in stride.

Ty Simpson has a clean pocket profile that justifies his projection as the second QB off the board. His Total Points per Play from a clean pocket ranks 4th across all 29 QBs, and his 0.6% INT rate is the 4th-lowest — he protects the football in a clean environment as well as anyone. Under pressure, that profile inverts: his IQR collapses 52.3 points and his Points Earned turns negative.

To see if there might be any QBs in this year’s Draft class who thrive under pressure and to learn more about Mendoza’s struggles, read Corey’s article.

We have all heard how drafting a running back in the first round is a low-value proposition, or how there is an abundance of interior linemen available in the later rounds who will provide just as much value as drafting one in the first round.

How accurate are these statements? Is there a way to crunch the numbers and compare positional value between the first and later rounds?

James Weaver from our R&D team crafted a study that did this. You can read the full details in that story. These are the primary takeaways.

1) As you would expect, there is a massive difference in production between Round 1 QBs and QBs taken in any other round.

2) Running Backs in Round 1 are more distinguishable from those taken in later rounds compared to other positions.

3) Left and Right Guards generally have the lowest drop-off in production between Round 1 and other rounds. That’s definitely pertinent to this year’s draft.

4) There is a bigger emphasis on prioritizing the left side of the line of scrimmage given the differences in rank between the left side and right side considering snap counts and retention.

Yes, positional value can be important on a draft by draft basis, but there are general tendencies on how value disperses across a draft. Whether drafting for want or having a few different positions of need, looking at the marginal value is imperative when deciding how to attack a draft plan.

The NFL Draft Website is your best friend and the perfect second screen during the Draft. We’ve got scouting reports on more than 400 of the top players, with many more to come. With that, we’ve got ratings and rankings. It’s basically everything a GM would want to know.

Our statistical information package includes Total Points, our proprietary metric that values everything that happens on the field, as well as position-specific performance data in the form of raw totals, averages, and percentile rankings. And we explain our stats in our glossary.

And check out our NFL Draft Matrix, where you can see all our rankings at a glance …

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Fernando Mendoza is Destined For Stardom With The Raiders Unless …

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On Off the Charts, members of the R&D team, and special guests dig into statistical insights, tactical analysis, and personal opinions, aimed at providing listeners with a comprehensive understanding of the week's key matchups and the intricacies of the sport. On The SIS Baseball Podcast, we interview current players and coaches about defensive excellence and review the latest baseball news.

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