Matt Lombardo

Matt Lombardo has covered the NFL for over 15 seasons, leveraging a rolodex of coaches, executives, agents, and players, to deliver in-depth analysis to the latest breaking news and top storylines across the league.

NFL

+13

'Look Out for the Cowboys': What a Scout Told Me About the NFL's Best Playoff Bounce-Back Candidates | NFL Mailbag

May 8, 2026

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9 min read

'Look Out for the Cowboys': What a Scout Told Me About the NFL's Best Playoff Bounce-Back Candidates | NFL Mailbag

Plus, why the 2027 NFL Draft may be the most important in decades, and a tectonic offensive shift could be on the horizon

Matt Lombardo

2026 NFL Free Agency

+12

Disciplined or Stagnant? Grading the Detroit Lions' Offseason as the NFC North Arms Race Intensifies

May 6, 2026

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5 min read

Disciplined or Stagnant? Grading the Detroit Lions' Offseason as the NFC North Arms Race Intensifies

Will the Lions' targeted reload be enough to keep pace in a competitive division?

Matt Lombardo

Wyatt Teller

+12

Erasing the Foxboro Ghost: The Strategy Behind a Surgical Overhaul | Grading the Houston Texans' Offseason

May 5, 2026

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4 min read

Erasing the Foxboro Ghost: The Strategy Behind a Surgical Overhaul | Grading the Houston Texans' Offseason

How Nick Caserio built a wall for C.J. Stroud, in a pivotal year for the Texans' quarterback.

Matt Lombardo

Cade Klubnik

+25

Why NFL Executives say the New York Jets won the NFL Draft | 4 Downs

May 4, 2026

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11 min read

Why NFL Executives say the New York Jets won the NFL Draft | 4 Downs

League insiders sound off on their favorite picks, and the teams whose draft hauls moved the needle the most.

Matt Lombardo

2026 NFL Free Agency

+12

Resetting the Culture, Reloading the Defense | Tampa Bay Buccaneers' Offseason Grade

Apr 29, 2026

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4 min read

Resetting the Culture, Reloading the Defense | Tampa Bay Buccaneers' Offseason Grade

Jason Licht continues to bet big on homegrown talent ...

Matt Lombardo

Cade Klubnik

+23

'That's About a Full Round That Vanished' Inside the 2026 NFL Draft's Biggest Winners, Losers, and Lessons | 4 Downs

Apr 27, 2026

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11 min read

'That's About a Full Round That Vanished' Inside the 2026 NFL Draft's Biggest Winners, Losers, and Lessons | 4 Downs

Ty Simpson, Howie Roseman's aggressiveness, and the NIL Economy That's Reshaping How NFL Teams Build Roster

Matt Lombardo

Dani Dennis-Sutton

+15

Saturday Sleepers: The 2026 NFL Draft Prospects You Need to Know on Day 3

Apr 24, 2026

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4 min read

Saturday Sleepers: The 2026 NFL Draft Prospects You Need to Know on Day 3

From McCoy to Dennis-Sutton: The Best Value Plays Remaining as Day 3 of the NFL Draft Gets Underway

Matt Lombardo

Arizona Cardinals

+19

Stunners, Smokescreens, and a QB Nobody Saw Coming | Instant Analysis of Every 2026 NFL Draft First-Round Pick

Apr 24, 2026

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17 min read

Stunners, Smokescreens, and a QB Nobody Saw Coming | Instant Analysis of Every 2026 NFL Draft First-Round Pick

32 Picks. 32 Reactions. One Draft Night That Nobody Predicted

Matt Lombardo

Omar Cooper

+13

Cowboys Blockbuster Trade Brewing? Pass Rusher Surging? Everything I'm hearing from League Sources | 2026 NFL Draft Notebook

Apr 21, 2026

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7 min read

Cowboys Blockbuster Trade Brewing? Pass Rusher Surging? Everything I'm hearing from League Sources | 2026 NFL Draft Notebook

Inside the 2026 Draft's Final Hours

Matt Lombardo

2026 NFL Mock Draft

+15

Apr 20, 2026

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20 min read

Matt Lombardo's 2026 NFL Mock Draft | 4 Downs

Our only mock draft of the year, jammed with insight from NFL executives and league sources.

Matt Lombardo

Miami Dolphins

+18

'They Are High On Him' What NFL Executives Are Really Saying About Jeremiyah Love and the Titans at No. 4 | NFL Mailbag

Apr 17, 2026

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7 min read

'They Are High On Him' What NFL Executives Are Really Saying About Jeremiyah Love and the Titans at No. 4 | NFL Mailbag

Smokescreens, Shough, and Achane: The Football Friday Mailbag Breaks Down the NFL's Biggest Pre-Draft Questions

Matt Lombardo

Emmanuel McNeil-Warren

+13

NFL Draft 2026 Big Board: The Top-10 Defensive Prospects

Apr 13, 2026

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6 min read

NFL Draft 2026 Big Board: The Top-10 Defensive Prospects

The 2026 NFL Draft is a lot of things, but maybe most obviously is how top-heavy it is with defensive talent.

Matt Lombardo

NFL

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'Ho-Hum, Below-Average': What NFL Execs Are Really Saying About the 2026 NFL Draft | Mailbag

Apr 10, 2026

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7 min read

'Ho-Hum, Below-Average': What NFL Execs Are Really Saying About the 2026 NFL Draft | Mailbag

Inside the Draft's Trade Market, the Jets' Blueprint, and Jerry Jones' Legacy

Matt Lombardo

NFL

+12

Inside the Dexter Lawrence Trade Request: 4 Blockbuster Fits According to NFL Personnel

Apr 8, 2026

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5 min read

Inside the Dexter Lawrence Trade Request: 4 Blockbuster Fits According to NFL Personnel

The Giants boast a top-heavy roster, but one of New York’s most talented players may be on his way out.

Matt Lombardo

Carnell Tate

+10

NFL Draft 2026 Big Board: Top-10 Offensive Prospects

Apr 6, 2026

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6 min read

NFL Draft 2026 Big Board: Top-10 Offensive Prospects

Ranking the top prospects in this year's class, with insight from NFL Executives, and Scouts

Matt Lombardo

Brian Gutekunst

+17

No Margin For Error: The General Managers Whose Jobs Could Hinge on the 2026 NFL Draft

Apr 1, 2026

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6 min read

No Margin For Error: The General Managers Whose Jobs Could Hinge on the 2026 NFL Draft

There is pressure mounting on some GMs, some of whom may surprise you ...

Matt Lombardo

Cleveland Browns

+13

Can One Player Change Everything? The Chiefs, the Browns, and the Packers' 'Missing Piece' | 4 Downs

Mar 30, 2026

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12 min read

Can One Player Change Everything? The Chiefs, the Browns, and the Packers' 'Missing Piece' | 4 Downs

Mahomes Returns, Garrett's Future, Franklin's Mission, and the Draft's Hidden Gems

Matt Lombardo

Buffalo Bills

+12

The Supply and Demand Problem Driving This Year's QB Draft Class | NFL Mailbag

Mar 27, 2026

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11 min read

The Supply and Demand Problem Driving This Year's QB Draft Class | NFL Mailbag

League executives open up on how this QB class is taking shape, plus an inside look at the market for one of free agency's top remaining bargains

Matt Lombardo

Brian Gutekunst

+23

'I Love Moving People Against Their Will' Meet the Offensive Guard Who's Turning Heads Without a Combine Invite. | 4 Downs

Mar 23, 2026

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14 min read

'I Love Moving People Against Their Will' Meet the Offensive Guard Who's Turning Heads Without a Combine Invite. | 4 Downs

Josh Gesky's Combine snub, the Dolphins' deliberate rebuild, and the trade-up triggers that could make draft night explosive.

Matt Lombardo

Cleveland Browns

+23

Carson Wentz Has the Jolt of an Empty Nitro Cold Brew | NFL Mailbag

Mar 20, 2026

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9 min read

Carson Wentz Has the Jolt of an Empty Nitro Cold Brew | NFL Mailbag

On draft sleepers worth betting on, the Browns' uncertain future, and why the Jets should spend a draft pick on a quarterback next month.

Matt Lombardo

Zakee Wheatley

+13

Drew Allar Takes Control at Penn State Pro Day | Takeaways, Visit News

Mar 18, 2026

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4 min read

Drew Allar Takes Control at Penn State Pro Day | Takeaways, Visit News

Drew Allar's final audition, Dani Dennis-Sutton's rising stock, and what NFL scouts were watching in Happy Valley.

Matt Lombardo

Montez Sweat

+15

Mar 17, 2026

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6 min read

The Josh Sweat Sweepstakes: His Best Fits May Surprise You, and Why a Deal Before March 20th is Unlikely

Josh Sweat requested a trade, but those inside the league are skeptical a deal is imminent

Matt Lombardo

2026 NFL Free Agency

+19

The NFL's Biggest Free Agency Winners, According to the Executives Who Know | 4 Downs

Mar 16, 2026

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13 min read

The NFL's Biggest Free Agency Winners, According to the Executives Who Know | 4 Downs

The Raiders and Panthers spend big, PLUS a farewell to a Forgotten Super Bowl legend

Matt Lombardo

Montez Sweat

+19

Do the Jets Know What They're Doing? NFL Executive on Kyler Murray's Real Motivation, PLUS a Ravens' Credibility Crisis | NFL Mailbag

Mar 13, 2026

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11 min read

Do the Jets Know What They're Doing? NFL Executive on Kyler Murray's Real Motivation, PLUS a Ravens' Credibility Crisis | NFL Mailbag

Inside the biggest storylines that shaped the first week of NFL free agency.

Matt Lombardo

Maxx Crosby

+18

Crosby Chaos and the Best Value Signings of the NFL Legal Tampering Period

Mar 11, 2026

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6 min read

Crosby Chaos and the Best Value Signings of the NFL Legal Tampering Period

Finding the NFL's Diamonds in The Rough Amid a Billion Dollar Spending Frenzy

Matt Lombardo