Mike Band

NFL @NextGenStats Research & Analytics; @GatorsFB, @Vikings, @UChicago & @LanderAnalytics trained; data storyteller

[Mike Band @MBandNFL]

2026 NFL DRAFT CHEAT SHEET 📌

For the eighth consecutive year, here’s my final look at each team’s first-round big board, built from pre-draft intel, team needs and organizational tendencies.

See more: https://t.co/fNpYzeiCTU

[Mike Band @MBandNFL]

@dannyfunt @pablofindsout A feature (not a bug) of The Sporting Class 🍿

[Mike Band @MBandNFL]

@Mannixlaw @CassSunstein If you could measure everything at every moment, you can predict the outcome. But since these measurements are merely proxies and not possible to accurately measure (like the Heisenberg principle), the information is not enough to predict the ultimate outcome (i.e. random walks).

[Mike Band @MBandNFL]

Given that the quality of a draft class is volatile year-to-year (i.e. some classes are strong than others), wouldn’t it be appropriate to use a post-model ranking algorithm to estimate draft slot within a given year? In other words, if the highest predicted pick for a WR across the full population ~ pick No. 17, but there are considerably more actual top 10 picks, then don’t you need to take the outputs within a given year and re-rank to truly estimate pick number?

[Mike Band @MBandNFL]

@Kirsten_Tanis1 @NextGenStats @awscloud Noted and updated. Thanks for the insights, Bears fans.

[Next Gen Stats @NextGenStats]

Now that the 2026 NFL Draft is in the books, what did every team’s Round 1 short list really look like?

@MBandNFL uses post-draft reporting to project who teams may have been targeting, available on NFL IQ, powered by @awscloud.

https://t.co/KG7TomIZYW » NFL Draft » Cheat Sheet

[Mike Band @MBandNFL]

@NextGenStats @awscloud The post-draft projected big boards will continue to be a work in progress as more reporting comes out on teams’ first-round plans.

If you’re aware of any reports not reflected above, please share them in the replies.

[Next Gen Stats @NextGenStats]

Which NFL teams had the most athletic draft classes in the 2026 NFL Draft?

The @ChicagoBears, @BuffaloBills, @Raiders, @49ers and @Saints each averaged an 80+ NGS athleticism score across their first seven picks.

See the full list at https://t.co/KG7TomIZYW powered by @awscloud

[Next Gen Stats @NextGenStats]

The Next Gen Stats analytics team used the NGS Draft Model to identify the five best value picks in Day 2 of the 2026 NFL Draft.

🔗 https://t.co/06Uslo2vU9

Powered by @awscloud

[Next Gen Stats @NextGenStats]

The Next Gen Stats analytics team used the NGS Draft Model to identify the five best value picks in Round 1 of the 2026 NFL Draft, powered by @awscloud.

https://t.co/mMaMhoKPsb

[Mike Band @MBandNFL]

@stripe0112 @NextGenStats 👀

[Mike Band @MBandNFL]

2026 NFL DRAFT CHEAT SHEET 📌

For the eighth consecutive year, here’s my final look at each team’s first-round big board, built from pre-draft intel, team needs and organizational tendencies.

See more: https://t.co/fNpYzeiCTU

[The Huddle Report @TheHuddleReport]

Pick 4 - Titans: WR Carnell Tate.
@MBandNFL was the only #THRDraft Mock Drafter to mock Tate to Tennessee and is alone in 1st. #NFLDraft

[Next Gen Stats @NextGenStats]

Who could your team target in Round 1?

Here are the top 5 projected first-round big boards from https://t.co/KG7TomIZYW powered by @awscloud.

🧵

[Around The NFL @AroundTheNFL]

2026 NFL Draft sleepers (via @MBandNFL): Which prospects offer immense value on Day 2? Hidden gems for Day 3?

https://t.co/e7KAZfmhGw

[Mike Band @MBandNFL]

@DTLB58 @NextGenStats @RosterWatch No. 9 and 40 works out in Tennessee’s favor in all three public trade charts.

[Mike Band @MBandNFL]

My final 2026 NFL Mock Draft is live!

This is the 22nd straight year I’ve put together a first-round mock, and it’s still one of my favorite annual exercises. First-round cheat sheet drops tomorrow morning.

https://t.co/Nf5uX13gHz

[Mike Band @MBandNFL]

@IanM_81 In this projected trade between two former colleagues (Veach and Borgonzi):

Chiefs receive: No. 4
Titans receive: No. 9 and No. 40

[Next Gen Stats @NextGenStats]

NFL Draft Day 2 Standouts & Day 3 Gems 💎

The 2026 NFL Draft marks the seventh year we've used the Next Gen Stats Draft Model to identify sleepers using data and machine learning. @MBandNFL breaks down the top prospects to target AFTER Round 1.

https://t.co/DIt0EWzaSN

[Next Gen Stats @NextGenStats]

Team Central is now the Draft Room in NFL IQ.

See every team’s most-likely draft targets across all seven rounds of the 2026 NFL Draft with NFL IQ, powered by @awscloud and featuring insights from @MBandNFL, @GrindingMocks & @BigBoardLab.

https://t.co/AyvWVbUsv8

[Mike Band @MBandNFL]

@benj_robinson @jaredlander Unfortunately, they did not keep using it after 2015. Jared/Lander Analytics retained the rights to the code, while I was off to UChicago for grad school to learn how to do what he did myself.