transcript

Speaker 1:
[00:04] We've got receivers, we've got edge rushers, we've got running backs. If you watch college football, you know this young man and know what he's about. He has done that all year long, and he does it again. I think the conversation starts at green corner.

Speaker 2:
[00:23] To the end zone, Kyle Tate. Ty Simpson just in a zone tonight.

Speaker 1:
[00:29] Funny styles with a takedown. Candle Downs picked it clean. Breaking the tackle is Lemon, Mikal Lemon.

Speaker 2:
[01:00] For the first time since 1948, the draft is back in Pittsburgh, or should I say, Pittsburgh, for this week. Hundreds of thousands of people will join the three-day extravaganza in person, and millions will watch around the world. The stage is set for the 2026 NFL Draft here in Pittsburgh, presented by American Express. This is Daniel Jeremiah's mock draft presented by American Express, and we can't wait for this event. The marquee event of the week, Daniel Jeremiah, the man with the mock right here, Charles Davis. I'm Colleen Wolfe, and I just want to start off by saying, DJ, do you want to make any last-minute changes?

Speaker 1:
[01:40] For those at home, I've made quite a few changes on this thing. It's all final. This is it. Pens down. It's time to go.

Speaker 2:
[01:45] Okay. All right. Cool. Final answer. Let's set the scene here in Pittsburgh. There are now six teams with multiple first-round picks in the draft. The Giants traded Dexter Lawrence to the Bengals for the 10th overall pick. So now Sexy Dexy is a jungle cat. As a result, the Bengals currently don't have a first-round pick along with the Colts, the Falcons, the Packers, the Jags, and the Broncos. I checked DJ's receipts from last year's mock. Twenty-eight of his 32 first-round picks were indeed drafted on night one of the 2025 NFL draft in Green Bay. So, I hope it triggered some type of incentive in your contract, DJ.

Speaker 3:
[02:27] Maybe, maybe not. You got skills.

Speaker 1:
[02:29] There was nothing in there about right player, right team. So, let's just pretend that was perfect.

Speaker 3:
[02:33] Just get them for the first round, brother.

Speaker 2:
[02:35] You're not supposed to say that. But, DJ, he got everything right, everyone, and he's going to get everything right tonight, too, on this mock. Let's go with the Raiders' first overall pick. So, where do they go in this one? Does it rhyme with Rendoza?

Speaker 1:
[02:49] There's a lot of intrigue in this draft, but not with this pick. This one you can write in pen. Fernando Mendoza, the Indiana Heisman winning quarterback, is going to go to the Las Vegas Raiders, get to be in the same building as his idol, and Tom Brady, and provide some stability at a position that has been much lacking over the last couple of decades for the Raiders. When you watch him, this is what I like about him, the ability to get that ball up and out down the field. He can attack vertically, and you see it throughout all of his tape. The ability to drive the ball. This ball is barely six feet off the ground. It is firm, and it is accurate on the sideline. Again, all three levels, the placement. These are not big windows you're looking at right here. Being able to accurately place that football. The toughness is his calling card. He will stand in there and take his medicine, deliver strikes, and here's the competitiveness in one play. Here he is at the end of the National Championship game, absorbing a hit and fighting his way into the end zone to get his team a national title. CD, it's the toughness, and to me, when you look at those last two things with Clutch and Matt Ryan, they kind of go together.

Speaker 3:
[03:48] Yeah, and we're talking about NFL MVP Matt Ryan, who took his team to a Super Bowl. Love that comparison there. The other part about all this, DJ, is you're getting an adult playing the position, and that still counts at the quarterback position. You're also getting adult playing that position with incredible drive to be great. That helps a lot, too. I love all of this. And let's face it, guys, it's a low bar when we're talking about whether he'll be better than Jamarcus Russell was when they picked him in 2007. I think that's pretty much in ink as well. I just love this kid's competitiveness, what he does. And the last thing, the Ascension Colleen and the DJ. These quarterbacks in recent years were not expected to be the number one overall pick going into their last year in college. Joe Burrow, Zach Wilson went number two overall, Cam Ward went number one overall. Now we got Fernando Mendoza. We may not have thought he was going to get there, but he's there and he deserves it.

Speaker 2:
[04:42] And Mendoza will end up being the third top 10 quarterback to be teammates with Kirk Cousins. So good for Kirk there. Let's go to the Jets here on the clock for the first of two picks. Which edge rusher do they end up going with, DJ?

Speaker 1:
[04:57] Yeah, it feels like this is a decision. It's David Bailey versus Arville Reese. I'm going to go with David Bailey out of Texas Tech as a more refined, polished pass rusher at this point in time. I'd also add he's got a big time get off. That is his calling card, his ability to get off the ball and you think about Darren Moujee, their general manager coming from Denver where you've got Benito coming off the edge. You've got Cooper coming off the edge. You add him to Will McDonald. They got two fastballs now for the Jets.

Speaker 3:
[05:21] When you're talking about those guys and traits and characteristics, you're going to see some of those traits and characteristics what David Bailey does because he's got the full arsenal of what you're talking about. Graduated Stanford in three years, so he's got a game plan. You mentioned Benito and those guys, what do they have? Explosive first step, getting to the quarterback. How about the move right there to get to the quarterback? He pulls out the full arsenal in his golf bag. And then when you get ready for all the flash in the dash, he'll show you the power and rock you, get underneath you and take you back to the quarterback. And how come no one understands you better put a body on number 31, even if you're running opposite, because from the back side, he will run you down.

Speaker 2:
[06:02] Bailey had 14 and a half sacks alone last year by himself. The Jets as a team had 26. So I think that that would be a pretty nice upgrade for them. Let's go to the third pick here. The Cardinals are on the clock. Ozzie Montenfort, you know that he loves to, Monty Ozenfort, wow, I don't know who the other guy is, but Monty loves to wheel and deal. What happens here at three? Do you have a little bit of Jeremiah love or what?

Speaker 1:
[06:32] Well, that's the overwhelming chatter is Jeremiah love here. But I'm just looking at it from an opportunity standpoint. I think they'll have a chance to get out of this pick. And I look at the New Orleans Saints as a team that makes sense, a Saints team that could pounce a chance to go up there trading next year's first round pick. Now you're going to say, that's crazy. Why would you, the 27th draft, we've been talking about it. They've got their quarterback already, and they also are a team that have done this three times for Mark Ingram, for Chris Olave, for Marcus Davenport, trading future picks. So I've got the Saints making a move to get up to Arvel Reiss here with this opportunity to put him in that defense with Brandon Staley at that spot for defenses he's had in the past. Think about Khalil Mack and how he plays the game. You could envision a similar role for him in this defense. And CD, also think about Jeff Ireland and that personnel department. Think about his history with Ware and Dallas. I could see him seeing some of that in Reiss as well.

Speaker 3:
[07:21] And what they're seeing is the conversion because what's the one name we haven't brought up yet that everyone's talking about?

Speaker 1:
[07:27] Parsons.

Speaker 3:
[07:27] Michael Parsons, who converted from Penn State, going now with Dallas and now with Green Bay. That's what we're talking about. That's why our Arvel Reiss is going to go number three, not just simply to play off the ball. He's going to go get the quarterback, but he has those skills where he can play off the ball, make those plays off the edge and look at the explosive pursuit that he's going to give you. Go out and get someone when they make a play. Anytime you go for the quarterback in the pocket, this guy coming off the edge and he does have that knockback power, plays with leverage. Notice he's underneath that offensive tackle, then exploding up through him before he knocks him down. And then all the things you can do as a defensive coordinator, if you're Brandon Staley, you're thinking to yourself, I can put him in a number of places and have me to go get the quarterback, spy the quarterback, go out in the coverage, you name it. He gets it done, DJ.

Speaker 1:
[08:16] Real quick, Mickey Loomis since 2008 has made 25 draft day trades. Do you know how many times those trades have been to go backwards? Oh, he is aggressive and this is an aggressive move.

Speaker 2:
[08:27] When was the last time the Saints traded into the top five?

Speaker 1:
[08:31] Oh, God. Ricky Williams? No, nice. Good job, DJ.

Speaker 3:
[08:35] Not only did they trade the top five, they traded everything into the top five.

Speaker 2:
[08:38] The entire hall. Okay, so we have a major blockbuster trade here, just three picks in. So where do the Titans go now at four? They've been linked to Jeremiah Love, but they could also go defense.

Speaker 1:
[08:48] Yeah, this is a tough decision. These are great options for them. I just, to me, when you talk to folks around the league that have been around Robert Sala, they say Sonny Stiles is his dream type of player. He loved Tremaine Edmonds when he was coming out. Think about how athletic and rangey and big he was when he was entering the draft process. Now you get one like that, who I think is an upgrade as a player. Length, speed, range. He's an alpha of alphas when you talk to the guys at Ohio State. This is a leader that they could establish in his first year as a head coach for the second time.

Speaker 3:
[09:18] And you're also talking about a guy who I believe, and we all think, best football ahead of him because position switch at Ohio State. Went from safety, moved forward, to end up playing linebacker and did it quite well. And my comp for him is Brian Erlacher. Why? Brian Erlacher in New Mexico was a safety who returned punts and affected the game that way before growing and moving forward and playing linebacker. Sonny Stiles began his career at Ohio State as a safety. Didn't return punts but has grown and is playing linebacker now. And he's not though totally the evasive sort, right? Not just slipping blocks, he's running through things, being physical, just like Erlacher did throughout his career. I can't wait to see Sonny Stiles go, see what he gets done there, see what Robert Sala does. Very quickly, though, explosive wide receiver, since they didn't get love. Is that a possibility?

Speaker 1:
[10:06] I would also not rule out Tate as a potential landing spot right here. But when you've got someone who reminds you a little bit of Fred Warner and Brian Erlacher, makes some sense.

Speaker 3:
[10:14] Oh, yeah. Who coached Fred Warner in San Francisco?

Speaker 1:
[10:16] Robert Sala.

Speaker 3:
[10:16] Who made the conversion from that.

Speaker 2:
[10:18] Good call. Good call. Also, I kind of think that this would be a nice way of the universe giving back to Tennessee after Sonny Stiles' dad beat them in the Super Bowl with the Rams. Full circle.

Speaker 3:
[10:28] Are they looking for that one yard? Yeah, that's it.

Speaker 2:
[10:30] Just one more. Let's recap DJ's first four picks. No surprises at the top with the Raiders taking Fernando Mendoza, would be the 11th Heisman winner to play for the Raiders. Then the Jets take Texas Tech edge rusher David Bailey at number two overall. He would actually be the highest player from Texas Tech in the program history to be drafted, which would be awesome for him. You have Arvel Reiss going next at three. It was the New Orleans Saints making a major move to trade up to three for Ohio States. Reiss, the last time the Saints traded into the top five, was in 99 when they sold the farm for Ricky Williams and then Sonny Styles. The run on defense continues here with the Robert Sala era in Tennessee as he grabs Reiss' Buckeye teammate Styles. Okay, so here we go, gang. We're sitting at number five now, DJ. John Harbaugh is the lead man in New York and they just traded away one of their top defensive players, Dexter Lawrence, even though he was coming off a down year. So do they go offense or defense here after losing him?

Speaker 1:
[11:41] Well, I think they want to help their young quarterback in Jackson Dart. And I think Jordan Tyson is a great option, but I don't think they imagine this scenario where Jeremiah Love just was gift-wrapped to them and fell right into their lap. You're going to get a chance to pair him up with your young quarterback. He's going to give you some easy completion CD. He's also going to take some pressure off your run of the ball. And think about how fun that would be with that combination with him and Scataboo. Talk about different style players.

Speaker 3:
[12:04] Absolutely. But I remember when Dave Gettleman was running the New York Giants and he took Saquon Barkley number two overall, and Coach Gettleman said, I took him because I saw Hall of Fame talent right there. You don't turn that down. I think we're talking about the same thing here with Jeremiah Love. You're talking about a guy that gives me Christian McCaffrey vibes with his ability to run the football, his ability to catch the football. He could be a receiver if he wanted to be or if they put him there. Everything you're talking about, he has and possesses, and this is something you pointed out, DJ. How about the balance to finish, the competitiveness for him to get into the end zone. This kid's got it all and it really, really works and it fits John Harbaugh. He had Derek Henry to end it. Remember, Gus Edwards, JK Dobbins, a guy running the football with authority is big for John Harbaugh.

Speaker 2:
[12:51] When John Brothers Jim got back into coaching in the NFL for the Chargers, his first draft, he had the fifth overall pick, and he also went with a Notre Dame guy in Joe Alt for the Chargers. Love that little connection. The Giants' first pick is off the board. Now, it's the Browns' turn, another team with two picks tomorrow. What do they do at number six, DJ?

Speaker 1:
[13:11] They have two things on their checklist. It's tackle and receiver. I do think they go tackle first. They could easily try and slide back a little bit, but if they're stuck at six, I got them going out to Utah and taking Spencer Fano, the tackle who played on the right side there. Early in his career, he was on the left side. That's where I believe they'll play him in Cleveland. They remade this offensive line in the off season, but they still have one more spot to fill. They do it here with the sixth overall pick. They'll get that receiver at pick number 24. Next up behind them, we have the Washington Commanders. They need another weapon. They need someone to put out there with Terry McLaurin. And here you've got Jordan Tyson. Both guys spent a little time at Arizona State. Jordan Tyson, everybody knows the story. The athleticism, the twitchiness, all that stuff off the charts. It's really just been durability. His inability to stay healthy is what's been a little bit of a concern, but it's worth the risk for the commanders as they try and get some more weapons around Jaden Daniels.

Speaker 3:
[14:05] Yeah, and it's not just helping out Jaden Daniels in terms of, you know, hey, we exploded a little bit more. It's their division. Dallas can explode and score a lot of points. Philadelphia can explode and score a lot of points. Sometimes you have to be in the track meet and have some people can run the race with you. Jordan Tyson gives them that opportunity because these are what things you're talking about, whether he's inside, outside, look at the play. How about the freeze in the defensive back, creating the separation, and now he stacks him. He's on top, easy pitching catches in the end zone. We always talk about hang time. Now, hang time really doesn't exist until you watch Jordan Tyson hang in the air and grab that one, and then the strong hands to take it away from a defensive back. He has what you're looking for. If he can stay healthy, pair with McLaurin, help Daniels out, but give Washington that explosiveness in their own division, that's a big deal.

Speaker 2:
[14:58] And he joins another sun devil in Jaden Daniels, who started his career at ASU before transferring to LSU, which brings us to the Arizona pick now on the clock after trading down from 3 to 8 in DJ's mock. So look, they picked up the first rounder in 2027 and a third rounder this year. But what do they do here at 8 in the first round?

Speaker 1:
[15:19] Well, they can get better value for taking an offensive lineman. And Francis Maui Noah out of Miami is a plug and play right tackle that you can pair up. You've got a good left tackle. Let's fill that right tackle spot and be secure for something that's coming. Spoiler alert a little later on in this mock draft. You got to set the table. Think about what the Saints did last year before they took Shuck. Remember, they went out and got Banks paired him with Fauga, took care of those tackles before they went and found their signal caller and their quarterback.

Speaker 3:
[15:45] I like your formula because you're talking about Parrish Johnson left tackle. Now they got Isaac Sayamalu in free agency. Yali Froholt has played well for them at center. Now you had the right tackle Maui Noah. You're almost there, right? You're trying your best to get there. And they think Isaiah Adams did a nice job for him last year at guard. So once you start putting those pieces in place, might want to think about adding a quarterback at some point. We'll talk about that later.

Speaker 1:
[16:08] Stay tuned.

Speaker 2:
[16:09] Where did Maui Noah win the Fiesta Bowl?

Speaker 3:
[16:13] Oh, right there, right there in that place.

Speaker 2:
[16:16] So kind of perfect.

Speaker 3:
[16:17] I see what you're doing there.

Speaker 2:
[16:19] When we come back, the Chiefs are picking in the top 10 for the first time since they took Mr. Holmes. So who does DJ think that they'll take it 9? And the Cowboys have their first of two first round picks up next. Don't go anywhere. And why would you? Well, it's official. Pittsburgh is the most underrated city in America. This place is beautiful and it's all dressed up for the NFL draft. How you doing tonight, huh?

Speaker 1:
[16:54] Beautiful.

Speaker 3:
[16:55] You're full on Yenzer.

Speaker 2:
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Speaker 1:
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Speaker 2:
[17:23] So to recap, DJ's mock draft so far. The Cardinals and Saints make a trade in the top 10 for New Orleans to draft Arvel Reese while Arizona gets a top tackle. The Commanders take Jordan Tyson over Cardinal Tate and the Giants take Jeremiah Love at 5 overall. No surprises in the AFC West though. The Raiders take Fernando Mendoza as Vegas tries to keep pace with the other quarterbacks in that division. That includes quarterbacks like Patrick Mahomes who on April 27th, 2017 was the apple of the Chiefs eye. They traded up with the Bills of all teams to draft Mahomes 10th overall, that was the last time they had a pick in the top 10. Look at them now until tomorrow, DJ. They are up at nine. So where do they go with their first of two first rounders?

Speaker 1:
[18:17] Yeah, it's weird. They're used to picking whether eating dessert, not when they're having the appetizers here. They could go pass rusher, but in this case, I have them go with the top corner in the draft and Mansoor Delain out of LSU. Three guys left that secondary in the off season. They've got a chance to fill one of those needs with the premier corner in this year's draft class. He's plug and play CD, no assembly required.

Speaker 3:
[18:38] No doubt about it. And what you know, he was good at Virginia Tech. He really elevated at LSU, didn't he? And it started with that season opener against Clemson. He announced that night, hey, I'm on a mission. I'm going to show everybody where I'm going to be at the end of the year, which is a top atop the cornerback board.

Speaker 2:
[18:55] And the Chiefs had some major losses this year at corner. So the DBs, they need to restock and reload on that defense. Speaking of defense, the Giants made major news on Saturday night when they traded Dexter Lawrence to the Bengals for the 10th overall pick. So they already selected Notre Dame running back Jeremiah Love at number five in DJ's box. So does that mean that now they're going to select a defensive player to make up for the trade of Dexter Lawrence?

Speaker 1:
[19:25] Well, this draft is not only sponsored by American Express, also sponsored by Jackson Dart, because I'm going to add to Jeremiah Love and I'm going to recommend Cardinal Tate, a big-time receiver, to add to that group. If they get neighbors back healthy, and then you can put Tate out there. Remember, Tate was the number two wide out at Ohio State with Jeremiah Smith. He's comfortable in that role. He excelled in that role. And now you're Jackson Dart. You got a chance to really, really get this offense rolling.

Speaker 3:
[19:49] So that tells you exactly how they feel about that youngster, right? They wanted Jackson Dart badly in the draft last year, traded back into the first round to get him. He ends up playing and flashing incredible potential. And now these are the building blocks that you were talking about, DJ. You get neighbors back healthy. Scataboo is a wrecking ball runner now. And if you add Jeremiah Love to that, your backfield is fully complete. You add Tate now to go with neighbors. You are on your way of saying, hey, this is how we're going to do it. But he'll be able to do it off of the run action. Jeremiah Love, Kim Scataboo. Now you can throw it over the top to neighbors and to Tate.

Speaker 2:
[20:25] And you mentioned Malik neighbors with along with Tate. That would be two of the only three top 10 wide receivers that the Giants have ever selected in the Common Draft era. Now they'd be playing on the same team, which would really be great for Jackson Dart, as you said. So that brings us to the 11th pick with the Dolphins and new GM, John Eric Sullivan, also has two first round picks to play with here. So how do they start the rebuild, DJ?

Speaker 1:
[20:49] Well, a lot of times you'll send that private plan to go pick up your player. They can send a car. It's just going to cost you a half a tank of gas. You'll get Reuben Bain from the University of Miami to shore up this edge rush position, put him opposite of Chop Robinson, hopefully you get him going. Bain can also kick inside and rush some over guards. And I'm going to go out in the limb and say that former Dolphin great Jason Taylor might give his pupil a little bit of a thumbs up to his former organization. Next up, we have the Dallas Cowboys. Look who just fell in their lap in this scenario. They go get one of the top players in downs. Caleb Downs was great at Alabama, went to Ohio State, took it to another level, very versatile. A Cowboys secondary that has a lot of holes to fill. He's going to be impactful and versatile for their new defensive coordinator, and Christian Parker. Some players just match with teams. And this one made sense to me. When you look at USC play football over the last couple of years, and you watch Mackay Lemon, this guy kind of looks like a ram. The way he plays the game, got a little puka nuka to him. Think about Cooper Cup and how they played it. There's a fearless nature as you see him taking a huge shot against Iowa. That's how he does it. And then we can keep it rolling here and get to the Baltimore Ravens. And CD, this is a team. You want a weapon for Lamar Jackson? Let's go get the fastest tight end there is. And Sadiq out of Oregon. Kenyon Sadiq not only will block, he's physical for his size, but man, he can stretch the field with that speed.

Speaker 3:
[22:13] And you mentioned sometimes players fit the team. How about sometimes players fit the player, meaning Lamar Jackson has really made his bones finding Mark Andrews in big situations, big plays. Kind of reminded me of Steve McNair and Frank Wycheck with the Tennessee Titans, Cam Newton and Greg Olsen with the Carolina Panthers. If you're gonna have Mark Andrews who's headed towards the end of his career, and you bring in Kenyon Sadiq, how perfect is that to fit your quarterback who loves to find the tight end in the middle of the field?

Speaker 1:
[22:44] I would also, Isaiah Likely, now with Harbaugh, and with the Giants, and I think back, look, that Ravens group under Ozzie Newsome and Eric Takasta have been there a long time. People might forget Shannon Sharp. Think about how he played the game, his body type. There's a style similarity there with Sadiq.

Speaker 3:
[22:58] You think they could try it up to Ozzie Newsome's office and get a few tips?

Speaker 1:
[23:00] Yeah, he might be able to help him a little bit. Only a little bit tight end spot.

Speaker 2:
[23:04] Man, they would have some speed on that roster too. Sadiq, he was even faster than Zay Flowers, who ran that 4-4-2, if we all remember back then. Happy Draft Eve, everybody. Make sure you get a good night's sleep because the start of the first round is live on NFL Network, ESPN, and ABC tomorrow night at 8 p.m. Eastern Sharp. You don't want to miss it. We're going to reset DJ's mock draft so far right now. The Giants, they take both Jeremiah Love and Carnell Tate with their first two first-round picks. Washington takes Jordan Tyson over Tate at 7, and the Cowboys take Caleb Downs to support their defense with their first of two picks. All three NFC East teams looking to keep up with the Birds about five hours east of here in Pennsylvania. And I say that because, DJ, the Bucks are on the clock now at 15, but uh-oh, the phone is ringing. Who's on the other line?

Speaker 1:
[24:05] Yeah, Howie Roseman's armed with a lot of picks. He can afford to be aggressive. And if you're looking for an offensive tackle, you need to get ahead of the Detroit Lions. And a hot name coming down the homestretch here has been Kaden Proctor, the big tackle out of Alabama. So if that's the guy you want, and you're trying to keep him from Detroit, you got to be aggressive and go get him. Tampa, I think, could easily move back and get a player that they're targeting back where Philly's located. So this is a trade that makes a lot of sense. As Philly gets their long-term answer for Lane Johnson's spot, but in the short-term, anything goes wrong at either the tackle spots, any injuries. You want to plug him in at guard, he can do that. This is very much about 2027, as it is about 2026.

Speaker 3:
[24:43] And you mentioned earlier about Mickey Loomis, the General Manager of New Orleans. He's been aggressive in his career. Obviously, Howie Roseman has done the same. And what do they do really well in Philadelphia? They address a need before it absolutely has to happen. You bring out, remember Cam Jergens, the pick of him out of Nebraska?

Speaker 1:
[25:00] They did it with your hot Campbell last year.

Speaker 3:
[25:01] The hot Campbell, right? But it brought in Jergens to play guard until Jason Kelsey retired, plugged him over. Now you can do the same thing with Proctor, whether he's playing tackle or guard until it's his time. And you're exactly right. Did Kaden Proctor not look exactly like a Detroit Lion? I mean, I've said Detroit Lions from day one, and here's Phil Duffy getting ahead of him.

Speaker 2:
[25:20] Yeah. And with that, I think the Alabama convention is finally surpassing the Georgia alums there on that roster.

Speaker 1:
[25:27] There's actually more Alabama players on that Eagles roster.

Speaker 2:
[25:30] Wow. Never thought I'd see the day.

Speaker 3:
[25:32] How is all about the SEC?

Speaker 2:
[25:33] I know it. I know it. All right. So almost halfway through the first round of this mock draft here, the Jets are back on the clock after taking Bailey second overall. So who do they pair with him?

Speaker 1:
[25:43] Well, you're looking at a wide receiver. They could easily move back up. They have the ability to do that. But if they stay here, Omar Cooper Jr. would be a nice compliment to what they have in Garrett Wilson. Think about what he does after the catch, what he can do in the middle of the field. He's allergic to tackling CD. He will not get tackled. He will not go on the ground. I think that toughness would be appreciated with the New York Jets.

Speaker 3:
[26:04] Not to mention he makes big catches at the right time, but not just a great catch, he may get spent state.

Speaker 1:
[26:10] All right, we get next up with the Detroit Lions at 17th pick. Okay, they don't get Proctor. That's fine. We'll take Monroe Freling, the big left tackle out of Georgia. Someone who got better as the year went along, doesn't have a lot of experience, but you could make a strong case. He's got the most in his body, the most talent of any of these offensive lines.

Speaker 3:
[26:26] Does that mean you could leave Penne Sewell at right tackle?

Speaker 1:
[26:28] Yeah, you could leave him at right tackle and he could play left. Or if you're dead set on wanting to move Penne, he could adjust and move right. But it gives you a very athletic prospect there at a position of need. Next up, the Minnesota Vikings, despite being contractually obligated to put Dylan Thienemann in the spot, I resisted the urge.

Speaker 3:
[26:43] How did you do it?

Speaker 1:
[26:44] Everybody who's ever done a mock draft has put Dylan. I couldn't do it anymore.

Speaker 3:
[26:48] It was central casting.

Speaker 1:
[26:49] I couldn't do it. So I went with Colton Hood, the corner out of Tennessee, your vol CD. Played great last year. And he is tough. He brings some toughness that I think will be appreciated by Brian Flores. Next up, pick number 19. Okay, Thienemann, let's not gonna get crazy.

Speaker 3:
[27:03] Well, you really resisted there, man.

Speaker 1:
[27:04] You didn't have to wait too long.

Speaker 2:
[27:05] Going out on the limb.

Speaker 1:
[27:06] He falls one spot behind it. He goes to the Carolina Panthers. We see the Oregon highlights here. I like them better when you go back and watch him. When he was at Purdue, playing that center fielder role, ranging, making picks, making plays.

Speaker 3:
[27:18] Instincts.

Speaker 1:
[27:18] You think about Jalen Phillips coming over there. Now we put him on that defense. We're cooking with gas in Carolina. And then we get to the Dallas Cowboys at pick number 20. We've already addressed some needs here with Caleb Downs. We got a chance to get another player that's really good. This one, I kind of want to build up some suspense here.

Speaker 2:
[27:35] Oh yeah? All right.

Speaker 1:
[27:37] Because people are going to go, what? But Malachi Lawrence.

Speaker 3:
[27:40] Hold it.

Speaker 2:
[27:40] What? What?

Speaker 1:
[27:41] Malachi Lawrence.

Speaker 3:
[27:43] From UCF. I thought you were going to see another Miami kid.

Speaker 1:
[27:46] No, I'm going to go to Central Florida. Malachi Lawrence, who's a great scheme fit and match. The way he gets off the ball, tested really, really well. But when you watch what he does as a rusher, when he gets to the top of his rush, his ability to close and finish is outstanding. Now, maybe in a perfect world, you trade back and take him. I've got him taking him right there at 20, and you think they might know him a little bit, CD., you think they might have some familiarity with him in that D-line room?

Speaker 3:
[28:08] Didn't his D-line coach go to Dallas now?

Speaker 1:
[28:10] His D-line coach at Central Florida is now the assistant D-line coach for the Dallas Cowboys.

Speaker 3:
[28:14] So he might be able to weigh in.

Speaker 1:
[28:15] Very well.

Speaker 3:
[28:16] And the thing about him, when you watch him, does he not look like a previous Lawrence that played at Dallas? Some guy named Tank Lawrence, body type, the way he plays. This kid has a great passion for the game, absolute film monster. You're going to love him. He went through coaching changes at UCF. No issues at all with that, just adapted to the coaching and played hard. Might be a surprise for people, but he's a heck of a prospect. He's been rising throughout the draft process.

Speaker 2:
[28:40] A late and fast riser in this draft process. All right, guys, up next, the host City Steelers, they are on the clock. So do they take a quarterback with both Ty Simpson and Aaron Rogers still not committed yet? Ooh, we're going to find out next. Well, bad news, everybody. You only have one more night to do your own mock drafts. But the good news is the real thing is tomorrow, live on NFL Network, ESPN and ABC, 8 p.m. Eastern. So make sure you lock in. We are 20 picks into DJ's mock draft. After Mendoza goes first, we see four straight defenders go off the board in that run. The Cowboys use their first two first-round picks on defensive playmakers and the Giants go offense with their two picks. So you can see the full list right there. And that brings us to next-gen stats powered by AWS.

Speaker 1:
[29:43] The new NFL IQ Dashboard powered by Amazon Quick is where the 2026 NFL Draft meets real-time data. Fans get a personalized view for all 32 teams with draft targets, trade scenarios, and team trends. The built-in AI Assistant lets you ask who your team should pick with answers backed by next-gen stats. Visit nfl.com/iq to follow every move.

Speaker 2:
[30:05] So guys, we're obviously in the Steel City, and the Steelers are still waiting right now on a decision from Aaron Rodgers and Ty Simpson is still waiting on a call as well because the draft isn't until tomorrow. So could this be a spot for him at 21?

Speaker 1:
[30:22] I think they'll consider the quarterbacks. I think it will be more likely on day two than here in the first round. I have them going back to the offensive line, something they've done a lot of, invest in the line of scrimmage, offensive line, defensive line. Blake Miller, the big tackle out of Clemson, 54 starts, has a little bit of that wrestling background. He's reliable, dependable. He got better every year in college CD. It feels like a Pittsburgh Steeler at right tackle.

Speaker 3:
[30:44] Absolutely. Over 3000 snaps in his college career. And you mentioned every word that you're talking about with him. Think Jake Matthews. Think Amphi Costanza. They may not be pro bowlers, but when you don't have them, you're hurt.

Speaker 1:
[30:58] No question. Let's get to the Chargers here. And people are going to say this is just wish casting. You call the Chargers games on the radio. You want one of the top players in the draft to fall in their lap. I like it. Here it is. Vengan Ioane from Penn State, who I think has got a chance to be a pro bowler year one. That's what I think about him as Justin Herbert already approved. Plug and play. He will be a fantastic fit for this revamped interior of the offensive line for the Chargers.

Speaker 2:
[31:21] All right. So then with that, we go to the Bucs, right?

Speaker 1:
[31:25] Yeah. Let me jump on them because they made the trade. And this is why I had them making that trade. It wasn't just Philly on that thing. To me, I thought Tampa, Akeem Mezador makes sense for them. And I had them trading back to be able to get someone a little more value. I don't think they need to take him at 15. They can slide back here to this spot and be able to scoop him up, plug him in, and he'll fit into that culture, the way they play defense there in Tampa. I like that fit for Jason Light. And I like the idea of getting some value with where they got him.

Speaker 2:
[31:51] Yeah, that instantly upgrades their pass rush. And he fits so well with Todd Bowles' system. So now at 24, the Cleveland Browns are back on the clock with the extra pick that they acquired last year for the Travis Hunter draft day trade. After selecting Spencer Fano at 6, what do they do at 24?

Speaker 1:
[32:08] We talked about receiver tackle. They got the tackle. Let's get the receiver, Casey Concepcion out of Texas A&M. Ultra, ultra explosive. The drops are the issue. That's what he's seen the last couple of years. But if he can clean that up, he can win at the line of scrimmage. He can win at the top of the route. He can hit home runs. I don't know who's playing quarterback for the MCD, but they'll like being able to throw to this guy.

Speaker 3:
[32:28] And he really worked on that and showed it at the combine that it was an area of emphasis for him cleaning up his hands.

Speaker 1:
[32:33] We get to the Chicago Bears calling around to defensive coaches around the league. Who would you plug in this Dennis Allen defense that makes a lot of sense? This was the name that came up. Keldrick Falk playing that six technique on the edge. They like that bigger body. He fits the bill, can kick inside and rush as well. We'll talk about Mezador being able to rush inside. He can rush inside as well.

Speaker 3:
[32:52] DJ, I know you've been kind of agonizing over the idea that you give the Chargers the team you call their games on radio, something they absolutely have to have. And a lot of talk about Vega, Yohane not getting down to 22. But if he does, this is a perfect pick for the Chargers because you're going to get all back, right? You're going to get Rochon Slater back. So we're people going to have to load up to try and get to Justin Herbert, the interior. And you get a guy now in Vega, Yohane, who wants to test your will to play football. He wants to know four quarters in, do you really want to do this? He's going to break you all along the way. That's exactly what the Chargers need. That's exactly what Jim Hardball is going to coach. And Mario Hampton and that crew will be thrilled to have him there. Not to mention, of course, Justin Herbert, who needs to get hit a lot less so he can continue to produce at a high rate.

Speaker 2:
[33:45] Yeah, no kidding. And also he has experience at both guard spots. So he could be a fixer like he might play both guard spots during a game.

Speaker 3:
[33:54] He might be that.

Speaker 1:
[33:55] So that was going early on. Hey, they keep their tackles healthy. Be honest at center. You had this kid. Justin Herbert is going to have a big year with Mike McDaniel calling plays.

Speaker 3:
[34:03] It is what he needs. We need to see all of Justin Herbert be able to play consistently. And this guy just takes too much abuse. This will reduce it.

Speaker 2:
[34:11] We're begging for this. OK, we need it. 25 picks now into DJ's mock draft and Alabama quarterback Ty Simpson. He's still hanging around Mr. Rogers' neighborhood. I guess his old neighborhood, maybe. I don't know. He's still here in Pittsburgh in this mock draft. This time, tomorrow night, we'll be rocking and rolling through the first round of the draft. Eight minutes per pick, everybody, live on NFL Network, ESPN, and ABC starting at 8 p.m. Eastern. So right now, we are through 25 picks of Daniel Jeremiah's mock draft, and only one quarterback has been taken so far. There's a handful of mock trades that DJ cooked up, the Saints moving up to three, the Eagles jumping up to 15, and the Giants, they take two of the top offensive playmakers in the draft to kick off the John Harbaugh era in New York. So now, at 26, it is Brandon Bean and the Bills on the clock. Are they a candidate to trade back with a team that's looking to get back into the first round?

Speaker 1:
[35:14] Yeah, I think this is when these conversations start to happen. I think the Buffalo Bills will gladly be the first one to cash that ticket and say, we're getting the heck out of here. So I have them trading out of the first round. Who's coming up? Not a shocker here, it's the Arizona Cardinals and it is Ty Simpson time. When you look at the picks there, one of those picks, pick 73, they got from the trade back at the early portion of the round. They got Maui Noah. Now they can get their quarterback of the future in Ty Simpson by only giving up that 34 overall pick. So to me, I think this makes a lot of sense for them as they try and build this offense out. New head coach, Mike LaFleur, he's gonna get somebody in Ty Simpson who fits that scheme extremely well.

Speaker 3:
[35:51] We've talked about Ty Simpson ad nauseam about where he could possibly go. Is he a first rounder? Is he a second rounder? But DJ, in our conversations, and I know you've had him with other people, it's much more about fit. Like, where is he going to go? What's the right team form? Where can I place him? Arizona was the one I think we all kind of landed on. We went so many different reasons with LaFleur, the environment that he's going to go in. And here's what I like the most about it, guys. He's gonna go at 26. The pressure to play him day one gets lessened the farther down you are, even though you're in the first round. 34 would have been perfect for him because then we're not having this conversation, but he's got that opportunity. Remember, just 15 starts in college. If he had another year of starts in college, Colleen, he's a lock first rounder. He's got everything you're looking for. Coach's kid throws the ball. Well, you name it. Bottom line, though, is I like this for the Cardinals and they don't have to play him right away.

Speaker 1:
[36:47] I feel like we've talked about him a lot in this free draft process. Let's look at him and we can go and show you what would get the Cardinals excited about his future. You mentioned the limited starts, but man, you can tell he's the son of a coach. Everything is real clean and fluid, clean delivery. His eyes and his feet are very connected to see him reset, deliver the ball accurately down the field. Player throws. That's where he excels. He can get the ball up and down. This is one of the best throws of any quarterback in this class, this Missouri throw here. Being able to squeeze that ball in the scene. And then again, I'm not going to use the term sneaky. He's just flat out athletic. He's a good athlete. He can get on the move and make some plays accurately on the move as well. You see him set up, deliver a strike here. So look, he hadn't played a lot of football. That comes with risk. There's no hiding from that. But I do think if he can get in the right scheme around the right people and some patience, let him learn this offense, become a master of this offense, and then he'll have a good shot to make it and be a starting quarterback.

Speaker 3:
[37:38] I think it's perfect. He didn't go to Pittsburgh. I think it's perfect. He didn't go to the Jets. Like Arizona, if that's the spot, is ideal for him.

Speaker 2:
[37:45] The stars, they do have to align a little bit, but if they do, that's the perfect scenario for him. Let's go to 27, where the Niners are on the clock.

Speaker 1:
[37:53] Yeah, let's get to the receiver position here. Denzel Boston out of the University of Washington. Big physical receiver, but someone who I think's got a little more route skill than people give him credit for. Put him on one side, Mike Evans on the other. When you get in the red zone, let's just play three flies up and go score some touchdowns. Next up at 28 with the Houston Texans. This is a team that looks along that offensive line. Swapped out a lot of those pieces. This is a versatile piece, one with upside. You gotta be patient. Max I. Nacho are from Arizona State, new to football, moved to this country at the age of 13, CD. No high school football, but it's got better. Every year they're at Arizona State. I think eventually is that right tackle for them going off into the future to pair up with Ursory. We keep it going here to the Kansas City Chiefs, their second first round pick. I just had them, let's just solve the secondary. We did it with Mansoor DeLane. Now we come back and get Trayden Stukes out of Arizona, who can play everywhere. He can play in the nickel. He can play free safety. If you want to play him outside, he can do that as well. He is a chess piece. Spagnola will have a lot of fun working with him.

Speaker 3:
[38:54] Last time Kensey rebuilt their secondary, they ended up going to Super Bowls.

Speaker 1:
[38:58] They drafted five DBs in one year. So they've been known to double up and even a little bit more than that. We get to the Miami Dolphins, Caleb Lomu. They can go any direction, but this is a value for them where he is the other tackle at Utah. We saw his teammate, Spencer Fano, go in the top 10 to the Cleveland Browns. He's someone that you look with Patrick Paul on that left side. He's got a chance to pair up with him going into the future. Next up, we have got the New England Patriots. This is Chris Johnson. Now, this might raise some eyebrows. Their secondary is excellent, but they're getting ready to pay Gonzalez a ton of money. Carlton Davis, I believe is at 15 million average per year. They need to get somebody young and cheap to put into this room as they go forward. And he is a stud. Some teams think he could start at safety. Could move him around, do some different things.

Speaker 3:
[39:41] And you've run out of tackles too. So this is perfect for them.

Speaker 1:
[39:44] Yeah. They get them in there. And then finally, let's do one more trade to finish this thing off here.

Speaker 3:
[39:49] Look at you, wheeling the deal.

Speaker 1:
[39:50] Let's just have a little fun at the end. Peter Woods is still out there. Very talented detackle from Clemson. The Baltimore Ravens, I know they came out. There was a report that BK is going to be just fine. I would be a little cautious with that. I don't think you want to rely on that. You get someone who can rush from the interior. You saw what happened when he was pulled out of that defense CD. They get Peter Woods. Let him rock inside.

Speaker 3:
[40:10] I'm with you. You can't count on Matt BK being 100% healthy, even though we certainly hope that he is. It's also a defensive interior front that needs an overhaul of these extra people because you just got Trey Hendrickson, who's now going to come off the edge for you, rebuild that interior defensive front, give Hendrickson some more one-on-ones outside. Peter Woods gives them that opportunity.

Speaker 2:
[40:30] This makes a lot of sense too for the Seahawks, who as the reigning Super Bowl champs, they entered the draft with a league low of only four picks, so they need to acquire some more. I like this move for everybody involved.

Speaker 3:
[40:43] How about our guy?

Speaker 2:
[40:44] Hey, you did a great job, DJ. We're all going to check your receipts tomorrow.

Speaker 1:
[40:49] We just had fun. We went with the fun approach this year. Exactly.

Speaker 2:
[40:53] That's all we want here in the NFL. We just want everybody to have fun.

Speaker 1:
[40:56] Chalk is boring, Colleen.

Speaker 2:
[40:58] I know it. We're going to have fun at this draft. That'll do it for us. Make sure you tune in tomorrow for round one of the 2026 NFL Draft.