NFL Rookies Inspired By Hollywood, Snoop Dog and a Seven-Time Super Bowl Winner

LOS ANGELES — Carnell Tate, in his new light blue Titans jersey, turned to his right and didn’t like the amount of red he saw from the opposite end of the 41 rookies who gathered on Saturday to take the annual class photo during the NFLPA Rookie Premiere.

“There’s too much red next to each other down there,” said Tate, who usually doesn’t have a problem with red jerseys, having recently played at Ohio State before the Titans made him the No. 4 pick in last month’s NFL draft. “I need to split it up down there in the middle.”

One of the staff members tasked with getting the early twentysomethings in line agreed with Tate and allowed him to squeeze in next to Chiefs running back Emmett Johnson and Commanders wideout Antonio Williams. Also on the heavy-red end stood Cardinals running back Jeremiyah Love and Falcons wide receiver Zachariah Branch, who said Tate was messing up the order.

Who has the best jersey from this group?

The 2026 rookies were in full uniform for the first time while at the @NFLPA Rookie Premiere pic.twitter.com/XkyfAaLeuV
— Gilberto Manzano (@GManzano24) May 16, 2026

Tate, however, solved one of many problems for the photographer who had been standing on top of a ladder for quite some time waiting for her demands to be met. Rows were reshuffled various times, with no more than 10 players per row. The rookies were told to ditch their helmets and their phones—some needed more reminders than others. Panthers receiver Chris Brazzell II nearly got away with keeping his hat on for the group photo.

Fernando Mendoza, the Raiders’ No. 1 pick, left his fellow quarterbacks to join the end that Tate abandoned to spread out the position groups. The photographer told the rookies they were supposed to make serious faces, but Mendoza was smiling from one of the back rows. And Ravens receiver Ja’Kobi Lane kept asking, “Can you see my [jersey] number?” until the photographer finally said yes before moving on to the next issue.

“I know it’s sunny right now,” the photographer shouted. “So, on the count of three … on three, you guys open your eyes.”

Photo day at the NFLPA Rookie Premiere is no joke. Some behind the scenes 🎥 ☀️ pic.twitter.com/tub2DMjW0D
— Gilberto Manzano (@GManzano24) May 16, 2026

It was complicated and chaotic at times, but that’s what tends to happen every year in May when the latest crop of marketable rookies gathers in Southern California to take one of the more popular group photos of the NFL offseason, one that rivals the always-viral coaches photo from the annual league meetings.

For the 2026 draftees, that was just one of many photos taken at the NFLPA Rookie Premiere, a three-day event designed to help players take advantage of business and marketing resources while creating connections with potential sponsors and expanding their own brands. It’s also when players get a special jersey reveal with loved ones in attendance, the night before actually putting on the full uniform for photo day. Additionally, the rookies had brunch with Tom Brady and hip-hop superstar Travis Scott to hear how each made their mark in their respective fields and beyond. Brady is a perfect example of an athlete who maximized his earnings from different avenues. (He recently found a new retirement side gig on the runway.)

To build a brand, content and networking need to be developed, and on Saturday the NFLPA put together an obstacle course of sorts to generate creative media with different content partners, including Fanatics, Topps and EA Sports. Sports Illustrated shadowed and spoke with the 2026 rookies and gained access to the dozen white tents on USC’s practice field, each hosted by a brand name. The 41 rookies broke into two groups to pump out content inside these tents, one in the morning and the other in the late afternoon, with both sides meeting at noon for the photo.

Fernando Mendoza made sure this fan got a second chance 🙌

(via @GManzano24) pic.twitter.com/ZWbQAb2CHk
— Sports Illustrated (@SInow) May 16, 2026

Mendoza made a stop at the Fanatics area in the far end of the field to play catch with a young Raiders fan, who dropped the first deep pass. Mendoza made sure the youngster got a shot at redemption, as the two connected on the second attempt, and a small crowd cheered. Love, the dynamic playmaker from Notre Dame, also drew cheers from members of Major Media Agency, the group of content creators who were running the NFLPA’s tent. There was a fiery backdrop and an extremely long lens that resembled a flamethrower, producing pictures intended to prevent Instagram users from scrolling.

“Let’s get hyped,” one creator could be heard shouting, pointing to the back of his jersey. “Let’s go. That’s fire. Yeah, adjust the helmet like that.”

While creating content can be draining—Eagles tight end Eli Stowers made sure to stop by the relaxation tent for a break—it also allows the rookies to discover new interests and hone other skills and hobbies.

“There are guys who show up and are so passionate about meeting with [EA Sports],” says Matt Curtin, president of NFL Players Inc. “They can tell from the beginning, the kid plays the game, he knows everything about it. And EA knows this is one player we could work with. They identify that here and that could be a potential partnership.”

The NFLPA Rookie Premiere is also an opportunity for union leaders to introduce themselves to their newest members and remind them about their benefits.

“It’s important to build trust, build connections, and make sure they know there’s somebody looking out for them, and that’s something they do not have in college,” says JC Tretter, the executive director of the NFLPA. “They do not have a union; they do not have somebody whose job it is to be there to make sure they are taken care of. I think that’s an important moment.”

We already knew plenty about these rookies from their football backgrounds, but here are the different sides SI got to see and learn from shadowing and speaking with players during the NFLPA Rookie Premiere.

Mendoza is not on LinkedIn as much these days

The No. 1 pick in the 2026 draft entered the league already as a savvy businessman, turning his viral LinkedIn bio into an endorsement deal from the professional networking platform.

But now that Mendoza is employed with the Silver & Black, his priorities have shifted from finding a job to being the best at his job, which means being less on LinkedIn these days. However, the signal-caller still encourages others to prioritize LinkedIn over other social media apps.

“Different types of social media platforms, they try to hook you and not for the right reasons,” Mendoza told SI. “With LinkedIn, there are so many business resources and connections you could make. It’s truly a platform that, when you’re on it, can net benefit you rather than sitting there for a couple of hours doomscrolling.”

Clearly, Mendoza doesn’t like wasting time, and he initially wasn’t happy about missing practice to attend the NFLPA Rookie Premiere until he saw the benefits firsthand.

“I’m going to be completely honest with you,” Mendoza says. “I’d rather be practicing right now, and I was really upset I had to actually miss practice for this. But it’s still been a great moment.

“I’m going to have a smile on my face and make the most of the present moment. Live and learn all the NFLPA benefits. Let me make all the connections with all different kinds of mentorship. Let me make sure I can maximize my time and try to create a positive impact and learn about my situations and surroundings.”

Johnson resonates with Brady’s words

Brady told the rookies stories about his iconic Super Bowl LI comeback victory vs. the Falcons, probably stories he’s told countless times. But as a fifth-round pick from Nebraska, Johnson connected with how Brady made the most from winning that Super Bowl with a roster filled with Day 3 picks and undrafted free agents.

“It didn’t matter that he had fourth-rounders, fifth-rounders, undrafted free agents; if you have passion, that stuff matters more,” Johnson says. “He said there was a dude that played lacrosse in college, but he was surrounded by winners.”

Johnson mentioned that he grew up thinking he would play baseball over football. But his other passion was acting, something he hopes to pursue in the near future. Perhaps he made some Hollywood connections while networking at the NFLPA Rookie Premiere.

“It’s something I feel like I can definitely do,” Johnson says. “I’m obviously going to focus on the game of football, but I definitely want an opportunity to act, whether it’s a show, movie or something. I feel like, at some point in my life, I want to do that. … Movie makers, I’m ready to work right now.”

Makai Lemon wants to follow in Snoop Dogg’s footsteps

Lemon, the Eagles’ first-round pick, has always admired Snoop Dogg’s entrepreneurial skills with all the endorsement deals he’s accumulated away from his music career.

“I definitely see what he does,” Lemon says. “Still, even at his age, I see him on TV and in commercials. It’s something that could take you a lot further than football because football is only going to last for so long, so just seeing what he does outside of his music and everything like that, I feel like that’s definitely inspiration, for sure.”

Lemon, who grew up near Snoop Dogg’s hometown of Long Beach, mentioned that he has an interest in music, but isn’t quite sure what he wants to do with that yet. It definitely won’t be in front of a microphone, though.

“Behind the scenes, for sure,” says the USC product. “In a studio or something like that.”

Jonah Coleman’s people skills are already paying off

Coleman said he learned quickly while at Washington the value of connecting with others. Those people skills helped him hit it off with the Broncos during the combine, and when he went to Denver for his visit, there was very little football discussed because the coaching staff just wanted those within the organization to be around his infectious personality.

“When I left the Denver Broncos, I called my dad and said, ‘Dad, I’m going to the Broncos, for sure. Get ready to be a Broncos fan,’” Coleman recalled.

With his outgoing personality, Coleman said he was recently told to have one of his new teammates on his YouTube channel to host a cooking episode. He’s an avid cook who prefers making salmon.

“I’m chefing it up,” says Coleman, the fourth-round selection. “I’ve been in my salmon bag for a couple of months now, just because it’s quick, easy, and takes 30 to 40 minutes. You can always switch up the sauce.”

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