Full NFL Draft Analysis & Reaction: Bears, Chiefs, Raiders, 49ers, Cowboys
The Colin Cowherd Podcast
iHeartPodcasts and The Volume
4.4 • 1.1K Ratings
🗓️ 27 April 2026
⏱️ 56 minutes
🧾️ Download transcript
Summary
Colin is joined by John Middlekauff, host of “3 and Out” to break down the NFL Draft.
Colin begins by arguing that GM Brett Veach of the Chiefs drafts predictably & he can’t figure out 49ers GM John Lynch, and John explains that Lynch doesn’t run the 49ers draft… head coach Kyle Shanahan does (3:00).
They discuss the backlash to the Bears taking speedster Zayvian Johnson and Colin explains that if any coach picked him, it may not be a great pick…but with Ben Johnson as coach it can work (9:00).
They move to the Rams & Colin argues that while their draft won’t grade well… outside of Ty Simpson, the Rams are drafting for the near term while they still have Matt Stafford and John believes Simpson wasn’t talented enough to justify the 13th pick (15:00).
Colin believes the Raiders crushed the draft and Fernando Mendoza could change the trajectory of the franchise (25:00), and they discuss the impact of NIL creating less seasoned, older prospects with multiple years of high-end college football experience in the later rounds (28:30).
They break down the Chiefs draft and why it made total sense for them to draft 3 defensive players with their three Top 40 picks (31:30), and Colin lauds the Cowboys for focusing on improving their defense as well by getting the steal of the draft in Caleb Downs (37:00).
They debate whether Carson Beck will see the field for the Cardinals in his first season (45:00), and they each predict four teams that didn’t make the playoffs last season that will make the playoffs in 2026 (48:00).
Finally, they react to the Steelers choosing Penn State quarterback Drew Allar (54:00).
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Transcript
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| 0:00.0 | This is an I-Heart podcast. |
| 0:02.6 | Guaranteed Human. |
| 0:05.4 | The volume. |
| 0:07.7 | Today's show is brought to you by our presenting sponsor American beverage. |
| 0:12.0 | If you think about some of the most iconic drinks in the country, the ones you grab at a barbecue, |
| 0:16.9 | the ones you raise to celebrate your team that have been part of your story for decades, |
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| 0:28.8 | about bringing manufacturing back, America's beverage companies never left. They're American |
| 0:33.0 | companies making American products with American workers in America's hometown. So 275,000 men and women across |
| 0:39.1 | all 50 states, real jobs, good paying jobs, the kind of jobs you can raise a family on. So more than |
| 0:44.4 | 100 years, those brands have been part of everyday lives and they're still here, still investing, |
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| 1:05.9 | All right, John Middlekopf, former NFL Scout, you know him from the volume. Let's chop it up for about 45 |
| 1:13.2 | minutes on the NFL draft. I'm going to start with the one thing that generally, like I think |
| 1:20.7 | when I watch Brett Veach of Kansas City, I can see his game plan. I know what he's trying to do. |
| 1:26.3 | Same with John Snyder. John Lynch, |
| 1:29.7 | to me, is a mystery. I don't really get his draft patterns. They tend to overdraft wide receivers. |
| 1:36.5 | And I think what's fair to say is that if you look at the Rams and the Seahawks rosters, |
| 1:40.7 | they just have more good, young, cheap, deep athletic talent. And I think that's because |
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