transcript

Speaker 1:
[00:04] Walk up to NFL Daily where the Rams left up us no choice but to start the show with them up Draft night. I'm Greg Rosenthal. I'm in a studio with no name upstairs in the NFL Inglewood offices with my friend Jordan Rodrieg. Yes, it is Round one recap time. We're going to go through all thirty two picks, Jordan, including the biggest story, which includes your Los Angeles Rams. I apologize for them making us talk about them right off the bat.

Speaker 2:
[00:35] The team that as we speak has has their draft operations and a draft block party right down the street. And yet somehow we're not hearing a ton of excitement oh around this one.

Speaker 1:
[00:45] Well, I'm sure Ty Simpson's excited. I'm excited because it gave us something juicy to talk about. But we're going to go through all the picks. Look, the Titans surprising everyone with Carnel Tate, all the teams trading around. You wanted a bunch of first round trades. It took a minute, but man, it got really active at the end. All the teams who really made statements of intent, like the Dolphins, the New Regimes, the Giants with their double picks. But I wanted to start with the biggest takeaways of the night, And yes, I think the Rams taking Ty Simpson thirteenth overall has to be the start. And this is no bias. This is a perennial Super Bowl contender with the MVP on their roster taking a first round quarterback number thirteen overall. That literally no one was mocking to them at thirteen overall. Some people thought the Rams were interested, especially early in the process. You heard about that. You started to hear a little more Ty Simpson first round talk as we got closer to the draft. But let's be real. If a different team took Ty Simpson. Let's say the Atlanta Falcons, who were supposed to have this pick, took Ty Simpson this early, needing a quarterback, it reminds me a lot of the Michael Pennox pick, and people would be killing them. I don't think an MVP has ever had a first round quarterback in terms of a ragning MVP just sitting right behind him. What did you think when you saw that pick?

Speaker 2:
[02:09] I think I would have really loved to be somehow on that phone call when Sean McVay reportedly calls Matthew Stafford the morning of the first round Thursday morning, and tells him that they're going to pick ty Simpson in the first round, a pick that could have turned into several other picks for a team that typically really likes to build for the future in the second round and onward, a team that historically the head coach has had a significant amount of say in the first pick that the Rams do use, whether it's been in the first round or not. The second time a quarterback has been taken in the first round, one not in the Sean McVay era, one in the Sean McVay era. Just two first round picks in the Sean McVay era, and less Snead and his connections with with ty Simpson's father, who's a coach. This all was really surprising this early. I would say, and I know we're gonna get into it. Where do you even want to start with?

Speaker 1:
[03:06] Wells, greg First of all, vindication for dan Orloski. I mean there's one person that values ty Simpson as much as dan Orloski, and that's Sean McVay. I mean, maybe he didn't have him as the number one quarterback in the class. Maybe Sean McVay would have picked for Nando Mendoza if he had the chance, or Latsky famously started a whole news cycle saying how much he likes Simpson. And they're really putting it on the table because this is a team that needs as many pieces as possible. They're not a perfect team. They're trying to get over the top. Instead, they take a guy that McVeigh says, quote, we'll compete with Stetson Bennett for the backup job.

Speaker 3:
[03:43] Yeah.

Speaker 2:
[03:43] Stetson Bennett, a former fourth round pick who missed his first season with the Rams, came back to join the team and has been developing specifically to be the backup quarterback for this football team sets and Bennett was never drafted to be the heir to the starting position on this team. This is there's so many layers to this, Greg because the Rams are a win now team. And you can argue that they already have used one of their draft picks they had two in this round, in this first round in twenty twenty six, you can already argue they used that pick on a player at a premium position. They traded for him and then extended him as they are wont to do, especially with corners and edge rushers and with quarterbacks. You can also argue that this is a team that, even though they don't have a lot of glaring holes on their roster, has always looked at where the next couple of years are that they will have needs. They in recent years have made a reinvestment in their offensive line that I thought they were going to potentially do here. There were certainly options for them at thirteen that it's trading back was likely an option to stockpile more picks to continue building for the future. This is a team that did not necessarily draft well last year after two incredible draft classes in twenty twenty three twenty twenty four. This is a team that no does not have a lot of glaring right now needs because they are built to compete for a championship this year in part because of their trades for players that positions of need, especially corner, but they have tackle questions on both sides after this season. They do have a quarterback question, but the entire line out of that organization has been Matthew Stafford will and can play for US as long as he wants. Now it seems like they're putting a timer on him. Well.

Speaker 1:
[05:28] The reporting from Ian Rappaport was he told Matthew Stafford, you can be the quarterback as long as you want, but we got a plan for the future, and I just read that as yet he'll be the quarterback as long as he's a top ten quarterback. It's not that that different. Obviously, he's older than Aaron Rodgers was when they drafted Jordan Love. But yeah, if he goes out and keeps winning MVPs like Aaron Rodgers did when they drafted Jordan, Matthew Stafford will continue to be the quarterback. But it just it just adds a little bit of stress. I feel like for everyone in that building. Your old friend Gary Klein, who's covered this team for a while, said, of all the draft pressers with Stephen McVeigh, whether involved first or second round pick, this one lacked their trademark embulence and sense of humor. And he shows a picture of them and saying that's the mood because I think they go in front of the media and they're immediately on the defensive and that's the negative of this pick is I'm not gonna say a pick is a distraction, but it's just going to be a talking point. It's confident, I guess would be the best way to say it is over confident.

Speaker 2:
[06:28] I think I've said this many times on the record saying this. I've said this two people in the organization. I think this team is about as hubristic as it possibly gets. Overall, I don't mean that as an insult. They have built a reputation because they have job security and continuity. They've built a reputation of going and trying things, of shooting their shot. And in this case, I'm just gonna be honest, Greg, I don't have any proof from this organization that this is going to work out.

Speaker 4:
[06:55] It might. That would be great, you know.

Speaker 2:
[06:57] I think a lot of people would like to see him succeed and would like to be wrong about the initial eyebrow raise of this pick. But Sean McVay has actually never developed a quarterback from his rookie season. Sean mcvay's coaching staff loses offensive coordinators and quarterbacks coach coaches every single year, creating an environment that has a lot of turnover that a rookie quarterback absolutely needs. Continuity in those spaces, Sean McVay has pivoted with impatience from quarterbacks before when they don't match his pace, not necessarily ability or potential, but when they don't match the pace at which he coaches. It's why him and Matthew Stafford were an absolutely perfect fit for each other, because this is a veteran who's seen so much football, matching the pace of a coach who is often ahead of league trends and everything the league wants to do. This is also a head coach who has had a significant say in every single pick that the Rams have initially used in every draft that I would be really surprised if he didn't also have a significant say here, even though it seems like Lesneede had a deep connection with this prospect.

Speaker 1:
[08:03] I mean, it has to be you take a quarterback in the first round, Sean McVay has to be leading the way. It'd be insane if he wasn't. That it's his offense. Hubristic though you know that is in a bad way that would be defined. He looked it up while you're talking. We got the dictionary excessive pride. I was gonna say, how could hubrist not be bad? Extreme arrogance or over the top self confidence. So we'll find out if that that's the case. Here's the thing about ty Simpson. I think he was a little miscast as I don't know, like a safe but not that exciting pick. If you take the best five throws from ty Simpson's games every week, it's awesome. He might reminds me a little bit in a way of Bryce Young as a pro. Not really in style, but that like, despite his size, the great throws are great. You can see why they would love him a little Jared Gofflke in that way. But he is a total outlier in many ways. If he succeeds at his size, and Rice Young was an outlier for size as well, at his age and at his lack of experience for college playing, like he would be totally out of the norm. And there are some exceptions here and there of each one of those, but when you stack all three together, it's a really extreme swing for the fences. We'll see another team swinging for the fences. Yes, the New York Giants two picks in the first round. We are going to go in order one through thirty two. But we just thought we would hit like the two most fascinating stories of the night off the bat, and you chose the New York Giants.

Speaker 2:
[09:32] Yeah, because everyone was waiting with baited breath to see what they were going to do with two top ten picks for.

Speaker 4:
[09:37] A second time in Joe Shane's tenure.

Speaker 2:
[09:40] And what was really interesting was like you could see some of the maybe potential strategy that was involved here because we'll go through this more in depth, but you know, Jeremiah Love goes at three, right, and so you have to think our Ian O'Connor at the Athletic had this. He has an inside track to John Harbaugh and he report tonight that John Harbaugh really really liked him. But he goes, and then Carnel Tait goes, and so you think maybe these best player available type players on offense cause a little bit potentially of a pivot. But it's not like it's a pivot from an A plan to a B plan at all. A lot of times when teams game theory out the possibility of the draft, especially one that everybody knew, all these teams knew would be hinged this much on whether the Jets picked David Bailey or Arvel Reese and whether the Cardinals actually picked Jeremiah Love at number three. Everything you had to have multiple plans multiple lateral directions which you can take your own picks.

Speaker 1:
[10:35] And yeah, so Joe Shane said, of all the scenarios that they had, there was no scenario that they played out a million times where they had a chance to take rvel Reese and Francis. Now, you know, and now maybe that's just one of those things that you say, but that's kind of amazing that in all their scenarios it never got to that point.

Speaker 2:
[10:51] But to my point, to instead do the John Harbaugh thing, the ultimate we're going to try to get better on either side of our defensive line slash our seven. That is absolutely a John Harbaugh like I can see that to a t. So, No, maybe the players specifically when they gamed them out, it was a really long shot that this happen could happen. But going up front investing in a difference maker with high potential, high upside on defense in Rvelle Reese with their fifth pick, and then investing upfront in the trenches a player who has a lot of position flexibility which they'll need so he's not an extraneous player for them in Francis Maui Noah, a massive human being. Altogether, this this feels very like. Even if it was a lateral plan, it's a good one in my opinion.

Speaker 1:
[11:33] So let's listen to John Harbaugh and Joe Shane on the podium after landing their two guys in the top ten km's names. Does this give you a festility to potentially move on from them?

Speaker 3:
[11:45] You play.

Speaker 2:
[11:48] Well.

Speaker 5:
[11:48] We cheep all the good players as much as we can have, right, Yep.

Speaker 1:
[11:52] Yeah, I just like that. Joe Shane's new role, yep, is to say yep to John Harbaugh and to go on last second scouting trips to meet with Jordan Tyson as a potential smoke screen, although in fairness, we don't know Jordan Tyson was not on the board for ten. Maybe they would have take I.

Speaker 2:
[12:10] Just had a flashback that exactly if anyone ever wanted to know what it looks like when me and Greg are in meetings over here, that's exactly. Greg says something and I go, yep.

Speaker 1:
[12:18] That is not me. Although I'm starting to look a little older like John Harvard there, I don't know. The short hair doesn't doesn't make him look younger. I don't know why we all age. He said he doesn't intend to trade Kevon Tibodeaux. This is a second straight draft where after the draft they said that, and I think that speaks to rvel Reese's fit here. And to me, rvel Ree was the most exciting player in this entire draft, I thought, and Ollie Connelly, who we had on, thought this too that just as a linebacker prospect, he was about as exciting as it gets. And the projection to edge and him being kind of a versatile player that does both. Maybe he's more of a Zach Bond to start out where you're using him obviously as part of your rush plan, but he's more of a linebacker. Most downs would be more comfortable for him. And he landed in a spot. And I saw that Malik Neighbors was on Bleacher Report Live with our friend Adam Lefko during the draft and he was like, where's he going to play? And I think the answer is linebacker, Yeah, And I think that makes sense adding rvel Reese to that group while he works on his pass rush a lah Michael Parsons in his rookie seasons, But I think Reese is a little bit more of a true linebacker and then you have this great pass rush. I think it's a really good situation for him, for Dinard Wilson, the defensive coordinator, and for John Harbaugh, who's kind of the quiet closet defensive coordinator. At least that's what he was in Baltimore, very involved on that side of the ball.

Speaker 2:
[13:45] Do you know what I think is really interesting too about this is there was a drum beat coming out of that market, out of that organization, kind of carried also by the beat writers who are very plugged in over there about Abdul Carter's playing more linebacker playing, But it never really unfolded, It never really manifested. To me, this screams of we already had a plan for a guy we want to play in that type of a role, and especially being sort of adamant or having it be known through Adam Schefter that that they're not going to be trading Kevon Thibodeau. They're going to keep that three man pass rush rotation and rvel Reese can be used on a lot of subpackaged things. They can use him on some white like extra wide nine type of things. They can use him as a as a blitzing linebacker. They can do a lot of things with him. That was kind of a role that it was coveted by certain members of the organization for a player last year that never really manifested with Abdul Carter.

Speaker 1:
[14:37] I love Reese. I think if you're taking that high, try to get a guy who could have a gold jacket. And he was one of the few guys in this draft where you watched them and you thought that is special. They said afterwards that Reese and Mauiinoa were two of their top five picks on their entire board, that Reese was their number one overall player that wasn't a quarterback. So that's Mendoza. You never know. I know teams say this after the drivet. This is one where I actually believe it because Mawinoa was projected to go to the Giants by a lot of people who were in the know. Some people thought he might go as early as five to them, but once we heard he might fall. He was a very popular among the Daniel Jeremiah's picked to them. At number ten. He probably moves inside to right guard or left guard, but that's where a lot of people believe with his footwork and his agility, his power, actually he'd be used best. And so I think he's in another good spot. Maybe I'll like Tyler Smith with the Cowboys a couple of years ago, where because you have Jermaine Iluminor on the right side and Thomas on the left side, he starts out at guard and then you have a good injury protection plan. And I think the Giants got a lot better. I'm excited that was a good pick.

Speaker 4:
[15:52] He's a massive person.

Speaker 2:
[15:54] I once was on a plane with the guy and I had to make a connector and I was like trying to get by people sort of standing in the in the aisle, and I was starting to panic because I didn't think as you'd make my connector, and all of a sudden in front of me, is this one of the largest human beings I've ever seen? And no way does that guy fit on like a standard aircraft.

Speaker 1:
[16:15] If you are drafting people to not be in your way getting off of a plane. Now he knows no.

Speaker 4:
[16:21] Super nice about it. Thank you.

Speaker 2:
[16:23] There's no way he remembers this, but they you're super nice about it. I was freaking out. He was very kind about it, and I made my connector as well. Good but yes, he the massive, massive human being.

Speaker 1:
[16:33] He pulled a Will Campbell on the stage I guess this is just going to be a thing that first round tackles do each and every year. Let's listen to the Miami Prospect.

Speaker 4:
[16:45] Ceec, what do you want to tell Jackson Dart about how you'll help protect him on this giant soul line.

Speaker 1:
[16:50] I'll die about this, man. Man, I'm ready to die for you.

Speaker 2:
[16:54] Man.

Speaker 6:
[16:55] I know a lot of things that's happened, bro, but I'm ready.

Speaker 1:
[16:58] To die for you. Both love that. What are the things that have happened? Oh, I think he means like the concussion. Don't bring that rule number one of giants fandom, Jackson Dart fandom. Don't bring all that up. But I love the get up. I love MAUIOA. Now what we're gonna do, Let's go through all the picks. Well, at the end, we'll we'll talk about some trends, our favorite picks. We'll speed it up here, but we want to get every single team that picked covered. And look, a lot of teams didn't pick, including our producer, Eric Roberts' bills, who traded out I think three times at the end of the first round. So there were a lot of trades. But we knew going into it there wouldn't be a trade at number one. Let's listen to Roger Goodell start the night off.

Speaker 3:
[17:40] With the first pick in the twenty twenty six NFL Draft, the Las Vegas Raiders select Fernando Minoza, quarterback Indiana.

Speaker 1:
[17:53] Love the reaction from Mendoza and his family. Love that he reportedly got a call and some pressure from Peyton Manning, who was asked by the NFL to maybe subtly encourage Mendoza to go go to the draft for the good of the league, and he said, no, I'm staying home. That's a man of faith and conviction. I mean, he talks about his faith a lot. I watched him on ESPN today and he was wearing a free shirt that the Rose Bull had given him. I love that out of Fernanda Mendoza. Everything he says is so genuine and like just forthright, but he means it like in another if if you just heard the words, you were just like this is this is too much? Is this a real guy? But it seems very genuine and I think for Raiders fans it's a great start to a new era. Are you buying Ian Rapaport's report during the draft A couple of times he said this that the Raiders hope and plan for Kirk Cousins to start Week one.

Speaker 2:
[18:48] I believe it because Clint Kubiak doubled down on this multiple times. He's done so through the off season about not wanting to rush a young quarterback into a situation and wanting to give him patients time to develop. He saw firsthand last season with Sam Darnald what can happen when you take a step back and actually give a quarterback time and patience in a good situation. He also saw, because he got he inherited Sam Darnald, what also happens on the converse when a really high level prospect goes into an organization that doesn't necessarily have the tools around him and to help him function and to really protect him in the right way. I think the Raiders saw what happened with their offensive line last season, and yes, some of that is going to be coaching, but other pieces of that is going to be just getting better players all around it.

Speaker 1:
[19:38] It all makes sense. I'm sure they do, quote unquote hope that Kirk Cousins is the starter, but even better it would be for Dano. Mendoza just looks so good in training camp that he's the starter Week one. Kirk Cousins will be on the shortest of short leashes if he has a bad first half. You don't think that Allegiance Stadium is just going to be asking for Mendoza. So we'll see. I put the over under on Mendoza starting before the season. I think I think it's probably weak one. April, Yes, it is April. Congrats. Though it is exciting. We've talked about him a lot on the show. But those back shoulders throws that he makes as good as anyone, and even though it wasn't really a pro style offense when he did just rip those steamballs great arms. Keep an eye on if who they add for him the next couple of days, including you know, his receiver Elijah Suratt, who you just saw catch a pass like. I think that would be a great combination for him. Maybe at the top of the third round. But we'll see.

Speaker 2:
[20:31] Klik Kubiak came up to in a system that it doesn't necessarily matter what system the quarterback played in college.

Speaker 4:
[20:38] It's going to be a yards after the catch heavy Hello.

Speaker 2:
[20:41] They have a player who can really thrive in that already and brock Bowers, it's going to be it's going to ask the quarterback to probably play under center more to get the play action game going. But they also can use the pistol they did back in some of those Kubiak Shanahan systems, and you could also ask a quarterback to do that if he's not as comfortable seeing without seeing the entire defense in front of him. And you can do all sorts of things that help set up the quarterback, ease him into a system that you want him to play in versus making him do it right now.

Speaker 1:
[21:08] I asked Nate Tye. We brought it up. If you listened to our last NFL Daily Show, how Mendoza had asked Nate Tice for advice what should he work on? And I asked Nate Tye, what did you tell him? And he told him under center. You know that's just just over and over under center stuff. Let's talk about the Jets three picks, Yes, they made three picks, so second overall, this is where the draft the first hinge point. Reportedly they decided on David Bailey the Texas Tech Edge by way of Stanford late last week. The insiders were right about this. The public was wrong, which is interesting as the draft you know, started to happen, Rvel Reese was the betting public favorite. And I always think that reporting that stuff as news, as if you actually they actually know anything is is worrisome and upsets happened. The public was wrong, the insiders were right. It was David Bailey at least from late in the process on he goes two overall. That starts a domino effect, But I want to stick with the Jets' three picks. They take Kenyan Sadik the tight end sixteenth overall. A lot of people thought that would be Makai Lemon. There, maybe Casey concepts you and maybe they trade up for a receiver. Instead, they get the weapon Kenyon Sadiq at tight End from Oregon, and then just for a little extra spice, they trade back up into the first round to take Omar Cooper Junior thirtieth overall. Wow, like first as a Gino lover, like thank you, like a what a great day. I know it's not all about Gino, but I think Cooper specifically. We talked about on the show how I thought Mackay Lemon would be a really nice compliment for Gino because he loves He loves a smart receiver. He wants them to be on the same page. He loves to just read the coverage and have the receiver be on the same page. Loves to throw over the middle of the field. That could have been my McKay lemon. Instead they go with Sidik, who is more explosive as a tight end. But then they get a similar ish type of player in Omar Cooper, maybe a little more after the catchability in Omar Cooper. You know, Mendoza's teammate. I'm sure Vegas was watching that and yeah, if he would slip to the third round or the second round, and that might be one reason why the Jets traded up. But some big swings. When I think about the day overall, there's a few teams that they just went for it. And to me, especially Bailey and Sidik, these are big swings with some risk to him, but big swings. Well.

Speaker 2:
[23:32] I think it's really interesting because I see these two players Kenyon Sidek and Omar Cooper specifically as guys who like travel well. And what I mean by travel well is they will be really friendly to Gino Smith and they will be really friendly to whatever quarterback comes after Geno Smith.

Speaker 1:
[23:50] They're just that type of Actually, Geno's going to be their starter for like the next six years. That's that's your plan.

Speaker 4:
[23:55] I just think these are guys.

Speaker 2:
[23:57] It's also like going to be such a yards after the catch heavy offense now, and I'm like, ooh, exciting. And then I went and I remember that it's Frank Reich who's the offensive coordinator there now, which is not necessarily a bad thing. I just don't think of like one of these scheme heavy yards after the catch offenses when I do think of Frank Reich. However, these two players, these young playmakers, are going to be so good with or without the ball in their hands. The blocking is outstanding too for both of these players. And so all of those skill sets combined to me, means that these are two guys who you expect and hope will carry this offense and carry you from one quarterback era into another, which is what the Jets have to be planning for.

Speaker 1:
[24:39] So you're watching, if you're checking us out on YouTube, by the way, thank you to everyone who is joining us live, and thank you to everyone who's listening to us in your ears. And you can check out the footage if you want on YouTube the next day whenever it is. Cooper is great after the catch, but he's not like a create plays for him, like a Debo Amuel type. I think he's just more of a really rock solid receiver which in some years might go middle of the second round whatever it is, but a high floor, intelligent gamer that type. Sidiq. I love the swing because and I thought the Ravens might take it at fourteen, but you want to ended up being on the board for them at guard. Yeah, Sidiq just moves crazy. Look at this steamball here against usc. It's electric. His production was not that crazy, but he was next to a tight end who might get taken in the first round in next year's draft class, and I think that impacted his production. He could be special. I don't want to go gold jacket, but I want to say, like, if you're taking a guy in the first round, you want to have the hope he could be an all pro. And in terms of the ceiling, I think it's right there with any of the receivers in this class, including Carnel Tape. And I think what's important with him compared to some of the Titans in this class is the effort is there with the blocking. He is not going to be an inline guy, but you can keep him on the field as your why tight end and I think you're gonna teach him how to block and you're gonna have him there every down, so he is an every down player. I'm really excited about him.

Speaker 2:
[26:10] Yeah, I probably I probably watched every Organ game this year randomly. I just I every time he touched the ball, something exciting was gonna happen. And it's interesting you talked about Geno Smith, and yes, I think obviously these are players for the president and the future. With Gino specifically, this is whenever brock Bauers was on the field and not injured, which was a very small sample size for Gino, that was the electric connection. And I'm not saying it's one to one at all between brock Bauers and ken Yon Sadika.

Speaker 4:
[26:40] I don't want to do the player comp thing like.

Speaker 2:
[26:42] That, but in terms of having that like really physical, massive presence that can just roll through a seam like that and be a friendly target for a quarterback who does like to take risky throws and a quarterback who probably would want some zone defense breakers as ken Yon Sadiq would be. I think that this is an outstanding match.

Speaker 1:
[27:05] I love those picks. I'd up taking David Bailey was a mistake. I think the quote unquote CV on him was all wrong, which was, well, if you want someone to step in day one and be like help you in the past rush, he's more ready to do that than Rvel rees I think he's a boomer bus player. I mean, I think his comp is Nick Benito.

Speaker 4:
[27:25] You know, and did you see Nick Benito's post?

Speaker 1:
[27:27] By the way, what did he say?

Speaker 2:
[27:28] This was from not today, but he said something about how some of these player comps you guys do are not even close. I don't know if this was a subtweet. I just when you said Nick Benito.

Speaker 1:
[27:40] Else, was there another Benito comp that's just like this first step demon? I mean, his first step is so special that it was going to get him taken in the top fifteen of any draft. But I think there's a scenario where his run defense is a problem, where it just doesn't translate as easily. I think rvel Reese what actually had a higher floor and a higher I think that was a mistake to take him there. But he fits Aaron Glenn's system. They kind of knew who he was going to be versus r Vo Reese, where they maybe weren't really sure how he was gonna fit. They just want someone who can get up the field and go, and that's gonna be David Bailey. We'll see if I'm right or if they're right. Jeremiah Love goes next. Shout out to our guy. He's got to be joining us on Friday evening. We're gonna be going live. By the way, I don't know if our producers know this. After round three, Nick Shook and I how about a couple of weeks ago when no one was talking about Jeremiah left to the Cardinals. I promise you when Nick Shook put it out there on his mock, he got a lot of blowback. Let's listen to Shooky.

Speaker 6:
[28:40] I go, Love and I got a lot of hate from Cardinals fans and just critics online, as is the case with anything that you write. Because the Cardinals have already bolstered their running back room this offseason, right, they have James Connor coming back from injury. You go and you signed Tyler Algeer. You also have Trey Benson back there. None of that makes me feel super excited about this offense though, and that's no disrespect to any of those guys.

Speaker 1:
[29:04] Well, it is disrespectful to say that you're not excited about the players that are there. But I never bought the fact that, oh, Tyler Algiers there, how could you possibly sign a running back? That's not the reason to not sign them. There could be some reasons to not take them three overall? Do you think there were legitimate reasons to not take them three overall? What do you think about this pick?

Speaker 2:
[29:22] Well, I mean, he is one of, if not the best offensive prospect in this draft class. He's one of three, So if you're really going to argue best player available, sure, At the same time, it sort of makes my inside shrivel just a little just thinking about running backs taken super high. Now they can work out. Jeremiah Love sounds and looks like a player who will be a franchise cornerstone for them. That's exactly what this era, this new Cardinals sort of half era needs many auesome for It kind of felt like he needed to make a splash with one of these picks. The Cardinals have kind of gone from or fallen into the slump of being the fourth most talked about team in their own division, and how about on the back foot in a lot of ways. And you know, combined with Mike laflor MICHAELA. Floor, A lot of people don't know that when he came back to Los Angeles, the reason he did was because the Rams wanted to install what he knew about Kyle Shanahan's run game into their own offense and also some of the gap and counter and some of the inside stuff that that the Rams then started running to great success across the league. So it does make a lot of sense to me to see Mike Lafloor specifically pick up a running back of a player who does give them this electricity in their offense. Now, they could have gone a lot of different directions, and Greg talking to some league sources, nobody really knew. I think the chatter kind of got out there a little bit late in the in the down here, but nobody really knew what the Cardinals were going to do, and a lot of possibilities hinging.

Speaker 1:
[31:04] They were going to trade down. There, so much talk about them possibly trading down, and they took the pick pretty early while they were on the clock. Now they might just have had no calls. But normally if you want to trade, you wait the now eight minutes on the clock. It didn't seem like there was as much interest maybe as we thought. Maybe the teams like the Chiefs who wound up trading up, we're thinking more trading up just a few spots. My issue with the pick are the reports and the suggestions of the process right that our Ali Connolly suggested, you know, maybe ownership is getting involved. I reading between the lines of other reporters. Hey, there's someone with some real say in that building who kind of late in the process went and put their finger on the scale. And so you're talking about Monty Asen for it, who's a GM who just got to hire his second coach despite the first one not going well, And like who's making the picks here? That part of it worries me. And when you're hearing some insiders and some of the conversation almost buoying this pick before it even happens, that hey, this team doesn't have a lot of juice or attention and they need to like sell seats and get the fans excited. That's not good process. I think Jeremiah Love is Cardinals proof. I think he's gonna like go in the Cardinals Ring of Honor someday. So in the end even process, I think he's gonna be great. He's that good. And yet I don't know if this coach and GMR are gonna be the ones who like enjoy his best days because they might not survive.

Speaker 2:
[32:34] Yeah, here's the layer that uh you know this is This is of course cannot and could not be a legitimate reason why Michael Floor would be interested in picking him at three, knowing the Titans led by Robert Salad, the guy who fired him in New York, who is very close with his brother Matt Lafleur, but who did fire Micha Lafloor when things were starting, He took him from Really, it is interesting the way the picks fall here where I think Titans fans really wanted Jeremiah Love and instead they go in a different direction and Arizona gets Jeremiah Love.

Speaker 4:
[33:11] Arizona needs Listen, the buzz is what it is.

Speaker 2:
[33:14] I think there's real accuracy in what you're saying about that. However, man, the Cardinals need someone, They need someone to hang the franchise hat on they've had.

Speaker 1:
[33:25] Well, you know who they passed the legendary players, wouldn't be surprised. I forget so much, and I'm I'm surprised. I remember this that they passed on Adrian Peterson for Levi Brown back in the day, and I remember that, Yeah maybe, well, yeah, you grew up in Arizona. Maybe that was haunting the ownership group there. Ian Rappaport also reported it was a relief for Jeremiah Love, who got a report at the CAP combine of an abnormal EKG on his heart. But it ended up being something that was checked out obviously by the teams, and everything looked great. And I'm talking a little lot of sides of my mouth because when Shook brought up that number three overall pick, and I swear he was the first one to say I think the job could happen, and then it became almost consensus by the end of the process. I said, I don't think that's that crazy, because I think he's such a safe, explosive pick. He is so good, it's so obvious. It's just this is a team that has so many other massive needs and he's now the highest paid running back in the league, and you have to at least consider that. So with Love off the board, the Titans surprise everyone and go Carnel Tate, Ohio state wide receiver at fourth over all. Very interesting because if the reports were right that Love was the apple of their eye, and we won't ever really know. It's interesting that they pivoted not to Rvel Reese or Sonny Styles, who I thought might go to Tennessee, would be a good fit for Robert stal but instead to another offensive player. What does that tell you?

Speaker 4:
[34:55] What it tells me they were going to go offense the whole time. That's what it seems like to me.

Speaker 2:
[35:00] And certainly you can look at these two players, I mean, Carnal Tate is receiver one in this class, and you can look at those two players as to impact playmakers. We're going to talk about what the rest of the Titans did when they came back into the first round. At the very end, it seemed like they got a player for Brian Dable and a player for Robert Salah.

Speaker 1:
[35:22] Keldrick Fauk the thirty first overall pick from Auburn. Yes, they trained it up just a few spots.

Speaker 2:
[35:27] It's a nice little compromise between two guys, two former head coaches who are now in their respective roles here doing it again, trying to get this right the second time around. I really think that there's some good bookending picks here.

Speaker 4:
[35:41] Carneal Tate's an awesome pick for cam.

Speaker 1:
[35:43] Ward as much as I love Jeremiah Love and again, in terms of pure power and footwork and explosive ability, there aren't many prospects since Adrian Peterson with that kind of ability of just like big playability, and he's a great third down guy. And yeah, I think Carnal Tate is a better pick for Tennessee, not just because they have an Oka backfield. It's not about you know, Tony Pollard. It's about the fact that they need receiver badly. And I think it was a little undersold because, yeah, they took a couple of mid round guys who looked okay last year, and they kept Calvin Ridley and they signed Wander Rods.

Speaker 4:
[36:18] They had the drops of the of the year.

Speaker 2:
[36:22] I remember we were having a coronary here in the middle of the season watching cam Ward throw to these receivers and they were just dropping passes.

Speaker 1:
[36:29] You know what, Wandell Robinson looks better as your number two slash three receiver and that's what he'll be now. And we'll see if Ridley stays on the team. But either way, I like the energy from Carnel Tate the suit he had on my suit but with like kind of the undershirt underneath. It was just that's the kind of energy I want out of my first round pick, out of my number one wide receiver. He might have won the night for me, just in terms of like vibes. On that alone, I feel more confident about him at the next level.

Speaker 4:
[36:56] Yeah, he clearly.

Speaker 2:
[36:58] I really liked the It was a crop suit jacket, but he went with like a textured layers underneath.

Speaker 5:
[37:04] Like it.

Speaker 2:
[37:04] It was good Titans fantasy.

Speaker 1:
[37:06] Yeah, Titans. Fin's got excited because I think you just needed to do everything. And obviously they're not done to help cam Ward out this offseason as you possibly could. We'll see what they do with their offensive line. We'll see what they do in terms of other weapons. I wasn't a big Keldric Falk guy. I did mock him to San Francisco thinking that's their type of guy, although they drafted one kind of like him last year. And then it turns into Robert Sala's type of guy, more of a run stopper, more of a rotational guy, with I think the hope in the long run some pass rush upside at thirty one. All right, we've gone through those four. We talked about the Giants who went five and ten. Let's now go up to the Chiefs who make the first big trade of the night. They send a third round pick and a fifth round pick, number seventy four and one forty eight to jump over the Saints in commanders. I thought when they did it, I was like for ruben Bain, No, ruben Bain ends up falling all the way to fifteen, So that was way off for mansor Delayne, the number one cornerback in this class. Really interesting couple things with this trade. Do you think they knew for sure Rvelle Reese was gone when they made the trade? Like, was it possible that they were hoping Reese was there? Because just the timing of how it played out in the broadcast and what was announced, it seemed like I don't think the number five pick was made, So that's interesting.

Speaker 2:
[38:33] But this all happens, This all happens several minutes before the broadcast picks right, but.

Speaker 1:
[38:38] I even mean like in terms of the pick was in, it's sort of beside the point. They would only make the trade if they want to make the trade for either Reese or Delaye. Really interesting that they thought the Commanders or the Saints could take Delane and that they valued a cornerback that highly. The whole mo is like, oh, SPACs can find corners in the third round, maybe they won't even take one, and with either of their first round picks instead they trade up for the number one cornerback in this class.

Speaker 2:
[39:03] Yeah, I think it just took what we already know to be true about them, which was that this was going to be a position they absolutely certainly would draft and then also depend on Steve Spagnolo to help develop these players and to scheme them up for success, and just amplified it, magnified it to where it was a greater need, probably internally than even it looks like watch looking at their roster on paper, and certainly a position that was a priority. And then if you fall in love with the player, you know, if you're a team and you really want a player and you understand that like he's also going to excel in your system and your maybe your defensive coordinator is pounding the table for him, and your scouts are pounding the table for him. And then also it just so happens that he could be a great addition to two other teams that are ahead of you. Then yeah, I would say that you could. You could leave.

Speaker 1:
[39:52] Frogy, don't. I don't think the Saints would have taken him. That would have really surprised me, although they need cornerback, you know LSU. Yeah, it's possible.

Speaker 2:
[40:00] I think they were in his history, good history with the Saints in an LSU corner.

Speaker 1:
[40:04] That's absolutely right. And look, Delayne, the more I got into this process, I think was a higher ceiling player than he was originally given credit for a true number one corner. And when we found out that teams were not valuing Jermond McCoy, who maybe his tape at LSU the year before was even better than Delaane. In some people's eyes, maybe he would have been the top corner, but that his injury concerns knocked him all the way out of the first round. That means the drop from Delaine to whoever was cornerback two in this class was so great. I think maybe that informs it a little bit too. Now the Chiefs they become very chief see late in the round and they take who did they take Peter Woods from Clemson, which is just very much a Andy Reid pick, total boomer bust, incredibly you know, physically dominant and yet not a lot of people's favorite players. His twenty four tape was really exciting. His twenty five tape was not great. Some people question just like the motor every single play, like where is the playmaking for a guy that should be the talented And that's just Andy Reid's type. We'll see if in Steve Spegnola's type. We'll see if they can make that work. So that's their twenty ninth overall pick. Let's move on to the seventh pick. That's the Commanders. At this point, Sonny Styles had fallen a little further. I was beginning to think he might be the story of the first round because if he got past this pick, just because of the teams that were drafting after him, and I thought that Cowboys were more likely to take downs, and that is what happened. We'll get to Caleb Downs. I was like, who's going to take Sonny Styles? I didn't see a fit. But dan Quinn, he made the fit happen, which is good. I like it when the best players get taken at the beginning like they should. And that was Sunny Styles, Ohio State linebacker.

Speaker 2:
[41:45] Yeah, he's getting a little worried because Sonny Styles would be a value to any team basically above these teams that picked in front of the in front of the commanders. I like this because his comp was Fred Warner, right, his comp in terms of the physical skill and his football li q and his captain material and all of these things. And it's Adam Peters who's making the pick, who used to be one of the executives in San Francisco. It's a player that a lot of people matched potentially with Robert Sala a few picks higher because of that reminder of Fred Warner because of that player comp. But then also dan Quinn was Robert Sala's mentor. Dan Quinn had some really really good linebackers on his old Seattle teams that he was a defensive coordinator for. And also he he had a really good some really good hybrid linebacker safeties that really started some of these trends in the NFL. To cycle around again, that's what I'm saying. He's like, you know, I'm not making this comp but when I think of Dan Quinn saying this, it's like, Okay, yeah, I see Fred Warner, but also what a little Camp Chancellor in there too?

Speaker 1:
[42:48] And Cap Chancellor be like in twenty twenty six, Nick will probably be a little closer to like a line linebacker than he would be a safety. There was some immediate criticism. I saw that man for this team a quote unquote non premium position. You added Leo's Chanel in free agency, although he's you know, not in every down player. You have Frankie Luvu, who is gonna play.

Speaker 4:
[43:12] Really out of position. It seemed like last.

Speaker 1:
[43:14] Year I would push back on that. To me, Jordan Tyson was probably the other pick here, or you know, you think about offensive line, I think these are picks. You think about Caleb Downs, I think that's a fair guy to think about there. But you don't want to be picking this high so far. If you're Adam Peters, you have to assume you're there in three years. You take like guys that can be with your franchise for eight nine years. And Sony Style is just a really special.

Speaker 2:
[43:40] Best player available, best player available, and you know a good team that a regime that deserves to be there, will find a way to use a really good player, and if they can't, that tells you everything you need to know.

Speaker 1:
[43:53] It's kind of like Jeremiah Love. The player is so good it's hard to criticize the pick too much, especially here at seven for the Commanders. I like that pick. Jordan Tyson, Arizona State wide receiver, eighth overall, your alma mater. You mentioned to.

Speaker 2:
[44:07] Me he has ever gone wrong when you pick an Arizona State receiver, never in the history.

Speaker 4:
[44:13] No, Jordan Tyson's an awesome player. He's awesome.

Speaker 1:
[44:16] I love this risky though. I love it.

Speaker 4:
[44:19] I love it.

Speaker 2:
[44:19] He's immediately one two with Crystal Lave and he's got Tyler Shuck, your favorite quarterback in the entire NFL.

Speaker 1:
[44:26] I mean, you keep saying how I don't like Tyler Shuck. My draft analysis of him was wrong at this point, totally out the window. That second that you see him playing in the NFL and do the things that I didn't think he was gonna do, then you just own the l and you move on, like, we'll see if he can stay healthy. I hope he can, but he is an exciting young quarterback. And I did think Jordan Tyson's emotion going up to the stage he takes the knee, He's crying on stage. I thought the most emotional thing of the night was his spittle actually flying. Come on, ye just a little saliva.

Speaker 4:
[45:03] I can imagine.

Speaker 2:
[45:05] The thing that people are knocking him forth through the entire pre draft process is something he really had no control over, and it was just the injury history and just having I mean, it can be a really freak thing.

Speaker 4:
[45:16] And so I think that's where you heard.

Speaker 2:
[45:18] About a lot of a lot of people, a lot of teams that had interest, whether that was agent driven conversation or team driven conversation or smokestream or whatever you did hear a lot of teams were interested in him as a top twelve, top fifteen player, and this just happened to be a team that can really Kellen Moore really really wants as many receivers to add dimension to this offense as possible.

Speaker 4:
[45:43] And it's year two.

Speaker 2:
[45:44] Of Kellen Moore kind of figuring out who he is as a head coach and what he wants his offense to be. And he has a quarterback, So now he wants to get players for that quarterback. And this makes a lot of sense to me.

Speaker 1:
[45:55] Maybe I just missed on him and I think he's a guy. It depends which game you watched. I think what with a hamstring injury is that it affected his play so much he played through it. Yeah, and he just didn't look like that and explosive of a player. It wasn't an effort thing. It was just more of a health thing. But a soft isssue injury makes you worried. Patrick yelled at me about this. I should get more excited for Jordan Tyson. But look, the Saints have two wide receivers who can do everything and at their very best, that's an electric one too. I think the ceiling is very high for that receiver group and the floor is low just because of the injury history for both players. But they don't go offensive line and they don't trade up, and I think for long time Saints fans, both of those feel good. You know, sure, Micky Loomis, every single trade he's ever made in the draft, twenty five of them. All twenty five are trades up. My favorite stat not one trade back. The Browns, who have traded back a million times in the Andrew Berry era were on the other side of that Chiefs trade, and they go back to nine overall, and they take Spencer Fano from Utah. A lot of people thought that Chiefs with the Andy Reid connection, was gonna take him, He's supposedly personally close with Fano. Instead, it's the Browns. He ends up being the first tackle off the board, but the latest tackle to be drafted first since twenty nineteen, which somehow had no first round tackles, which is just a wild thing to think about. It started a run, like we thought, the tackles were gonna come off fast. None in the first eight and then six of the next thirteen, and then the Browns they get to basically have their their pick of the litter at nine. They come back around late stick and pick for my guy, Casey Concepcion. What do you think about what the Browns did? Holistically?

Speaker 2:
[47:44] I like it, and I also appreciated that Jimmy Haslam wisely got himself out of the out of the camera shot this time around, instead of the camera shot heard around the world last time around of him sort of standing over the shoulder of Andrew Berry and Kevin Stefanski. I think that this is a great pick. There's some reporting out there that the Browns would have picked him at six and then saw the board falling to where he.

Speaker 4:
[48:08] Would be available to them if.

Speaker 1:
[48:10] They turn.

Speaker 4:
[48:11] Buy it too. He could play left tackle or right tackle.

Speaker 2:
[48:16] Uh. He really fills in. This is a Browns team that let all of their offensive linemen essentially their contracts expire and did not draft to replenish any of them last offseason, and so really I really hoped that they would start drafting guys who can compete immediately for them and then also play a part in the future. I love the idea of him blocking downfield on like screens and some of these sweeps for Harold Fannin. I just I'm excited about that. I'm gonna avert my eyes at whoever's throwing the ball. We'll see who it is. I hope that it works out for them at the position, because I'd like to see this offense reach its potential.

Speaker 1:
[48:52] First snap team drives.

Speaker 4:
[48:54] I love that for him, that's awesome.

Speaker 2:
[48:56] And I feel like this is this is a great pick. And they also added another layer to their passing game because they needed to they had to add another receiver who could do the things that Casey concepts Young condemned.

Speaker 1:
[49:07] So the question with them at six and twenty four was always okay, they're going to go receiver tackle. Everyone said that throughout if they cover the Browns. They said that if they don't cover the Browns, they said that, it's exactly what happened. I think you have to look at the board. They were there at six. Carnal Tate's already off the board. It might be a different decision if Cardinal Tate is available. Once he's off the board, they essentially are choosing whatever wide receiver is behind door number two, and we get to pick any tackle that we want in the draft and get an extra selection by moving Luxury Wealth. It's it's a really good process by the Browns. I have to give them credit. And I've said Casey Conceptsion is my favorite player in the draft. I've been asked for an official statement for Concepcion Nation if we are worried about this situation. The answer is the Nations, like Gino Nation, we stand strong. He's probably gonna lead that team in targets. He's gonna be wide open. I think he is gonna be brownsproof, just like our guy Jeremiah Love is gonna be Cardinals proof. And it might not be this year with the quarterbacks, but ultimately he's gonna get open. I think it was a great choice, and look, they had their choice between him and Omar Cooper and Denzel Boston, so I think it was an idea of knowing the board, and I think they did a really good job with their first two picks. So I'm giving the Browns a lot of love here. Let's talk about the Dallas Cowboys. So if we're going in order here, we just passed the tenth pick with the Giants already spoke about them, they moved down or they move up rather to the eleventh overall pick and trade a couple what was it, late fifth rounders compensatory picks to the Dolphins to get to eleven, and they take the Ohio state safety Caleb Downs. Doesn't matter what the year is. If you hear that some guy is going to be a future all pro safety, he goes later than he should in drafts, and Caleb Downs he ultimately went earlier than Kyle Hamilton, and he went earlier than Derwin James. But this draft I don't think is as strong, so it's kind of like the trend basically kept up. And I think the Cowboys did a great job. You gotta love it.

Speaker 4:
[51:18] I absolutely love this.

Speaker 2:
[51:19] I turned to Greg in the middle of this as they were picking, and we were really trying hard not to tip picks here in our studio.

Speaker 1:
[51:26] Topay gave up about halfway through on that pat and.

Speaker 2:
[51:28] I said, I just turned to Greg without saying anything else, and and I said, I'm turning into a person I never thought i would become, and that is I think I'm gonna ride with the Cowboys this year because really I already liked what they did on offense.

Speaker 4:
[51:41] Last year.

Speaker 2:
[51:41] I thought they were really fun to watch on that side of the ball. Their defense was a disaster until the end of the season improved a lot, especially with Quinn Williams coming over. And now Christian Parker has a player who is absolutely the most perfect fit you could possibly think of for the vic Fangio hybrid subset offense that he is going to run a coach who just spent the last couple of years of his career coaching Quinyon Mitchell Cooper, De Jean Zach bond all of these guys in the back half of that defense and in their secondary as well, devising development plans and getting these guys mathematically situated to really attack offenses versus the other way around.

Speaker 4:
[52:23] I absolutely love this fit.

Speaker 2:
[52:25] If anyone is going to pick up this defense incredibly well immediately, it usually takes a couple of years, it's going to be Caleb Downs.

Speaker 1:
[52:35] Got to be. It's got to be on everyone's just favorite picks list. We're going to do it.

Speaker 4:
[52:39] I love it so much, I won't even hide it.

Speaker 2:
[52:42] I hate myself a little for becoming this person, but I absolutely I love this pick.

Speaker 1:
[52:47] The Cowboys have either made the best picks of the last fifteen years, some of the best picks well McClay man for him, or some of the biggest groaners to be honest and like some of the bigger surprises the last two years of Tyler's We'll see, but so far it hasn't been great with Tyler guiyt in til Yeah.

Speaker 4:
[53:03] There wasn't like a Tyler at this pick, right, Yeah.

Speaker 1:
[53:06] But what I love is Okay, they move up. They were obviously a little worried that Miami could take him at eleven if you're going to move up one pick or you're worried some other team is trading into that spot potentially and you just want to make sure. And they trade a couple of late fifths. But what do they do later in the draft, Jordan, They actually back up three picks to go from twenty to twenty three, knowing that Malachi Lawrence was still gonna be there. I wouldn't say a shocking pick. Once we actually got to draft days, some people were connecting both the Cowboys and the Bears to Malachi Lawrence, ECF prospect who got talked about a lot on NFL Daily late in the process, but initially a lot of people had him outside like the top fifty overall players, really talented edge rusher. They figured he's going to be available, and they pick up one fourteen and one thirty seven, so they actually.

Speaker 4:
[53:54] Get better, better picks than they gave.

Speaker 1:
[53:56] Right to move back, and they get a really exciting player that was kind of one of Daniel Jeremiah and Ali Connolly, two of my favorite analysts. Favorite players in this draft was Malachi Lawrence. I think a lot of people looked at Malachi Lawrence and looked at David Bailey and said, like, you know, they're that big of a difference between these two players in terms of profile, in terms of pass rush juice, that's what they're looking for.

Speaker 4:
[54:21] Well, I love it too.

Speaker 2:
[54:22] He's versatile, you know, and I think that he just really they're piecing together following the loss of one of the best pure pass rushers we've seen in a very very long time, perhaps ever, voluntary loss and a voluntary yes, a voluntary loss. And I said this earlier this offseason, Greg that it's basically them being self aware without actually admitting to their mistake or that they even made potentially made a mistake, and building rebuilding this pass rush plan in the aggregate right, and that includes shoring up the interior as well. I really like that they went defense with of these picks they had to. Honestly, I don't think it would have been acceptable for them to do anything different. They also got good George Pickens news about this year at least that probably helps them not veer toward a skill player.

Speaker 1:
[55:12] He signed his franchise tag, which Adam Schefter immediately followed up with that means they can trade him at any time. Felt a little bit like, hey, anyone wanna trade for him now. Our guy, I Rapaport said, the plan is to keep George Pickens. Yeah, but I think him signing that deal locking him in maybe at least gave some flexibility, which I have a feeling George Pickens and his agent would not mind. Ian Rappaport said they had a conversation his agent. He's represented by the same agent, David Mullagallott. David Mullagedo.

Speaker 2:
[55:46] Yeah, who Jerry Jones very much insulted last off season because Michael Parker didn't know his name, didn't talk to him.

Speaker 1:
[55:54] And also didn't want to speak to him during the Michael Parsons because negotiations. He wanted to speak to Micah directly, and Ian described that conversation as cordial. I was like, man, that does not sound great cordial. So if you're if you're George Pickens, the Cowboys are already on record saying they are not going to give George Pickens a long term contract. He is playing under the franchise tag this year. If he's on the Cowboys, okay, sign us because we would We would love a trade because a new team will give us a new contract. And so I don't think the Hey is totally out of the barn.

Speaker 5:
[56:27] There.

Speaker 1:
[56:27] If you told me that tomorrow the Cowboys draft a wide receiver and George Pickens is part of some blockbuster Like, I'm not gonna be stunned. I'm giving the odds on that at one in four point five. What do you think?

Speaker 4:
[56:40] Wow, that's very specific.

Speaker 1:
[56:41] Just that was that was what I wanted to do. By the way, they also added Rashaun Gary this offseason, and so Rashaan Gary Donovan as a Roku, Malachi Lawrence, Okay, Quinn Williams, Sam Williams is still there. He brought them back. Not bad. I'm I'm loving this new world that we're in that the Cowboys are making us fans. So the Dolphins move back, uh one spot. Nice trade for them, good order of business. Who is going to be the statement of intent pick for the new Miami Dolphins. I would even say the statement of intent picks because they have two in the first round and they move around the board and move up for their second pick. Who winds up being Chris Johnson from San Diego State at cornerback. I'm leading with that one because I like it just a little bit more then tackle Cayden Proctor with the twelfth overall pick from Alabama. The only thing I'm a little concerned about is this is your statement, first pick of the draft, and what do you do? Do you do do a very Packers?

Speaker 2:
[57:42] I would say it's so Packers, right, John Eric Sullivan, you remember where you came from, Man.

Speaker 1:
[57:48] But they, the Packers always had a history of taking these massive guys who sometimes were knocked a little bit for like, you know, the you didn't see it on tape. Every single snap it kind of went up and down hidden Proctor's weight kind of went up and down in his career. Nick Saban on the broadcast for ESPN Today, who had him, you know as his player, was like, great player, works really hard when he's there with you. Sometimes you got to be a little worried about him. I know he's a college player.

Speaker 2:
[58:16] I did see some added contexts shared that that was Nick Saban talking about him when he was like an eighteen year old who first came into.

Speaker 1:
[58:24] That absolutely fair big player might be moved inside to guard. I can see it kind of similar to Malioa. They'll probably try him at right tackle where they have Austin Jackson, but he might not be long for the Dolphins.

Speaker 2:
[58:36] Well, maybe Mo flip Austin Jackson flip him somewhere. You know, he could he has position flex because remember he was their left tackle.

Speaker 1:
[58:42] He could play inside. They have their left tackle in Patrick Paul.

Speaker 2:
[58:45] Yeah, and he and he's played inside in the past as well, So I could see a lot of movement on that.

Speaker 1:
[58:49] Just like a little risky, which is why I like why they came back and moved around a little bit. Came up for one of your favorite connections and players, one of Mina Kimes's favorite players too in the draft, Chris Johnson, who just looks like a twenty twenty six cornerback, if that makes sense. Just a guy who fits in today's NFL.

Speaker 4:
[59:06] I just love it, and I love the fit in Miami.

Speaker 2:
[59:09] You know, we joked that one of the other first picks the Packers ever made of the Brian gutikinst era of which John Eric Sullivan was one of the executives also in that building, was a corner. Now, they traded around a lot to get there, but offensive line corner position for the short term and the long term, and a premier position. And also a player who I think is great, one of my family you mentioned one of my favorite players in this draft class in Chris Johnson, and it just makes sense to me it just because again we've seen the Packers do stuff like this and be successful with it, and it just makes sense that it's being reapplied. I also really, absolutely think that building around an Aaron Brewer, for example, at center, is a really good idea to build guys that compliment which you are, a force that you already have anchoring the middle of that offensive line. I wouldn't be surprised if they dipped in again it's the right player.

Speaker 1:
[60:01] Yeah, they got five more picks in the next two rounds.

Speaker 2:
[60:03] But I also think that, as we have noted the Sprint rebuild that they're in, they're going to have to pay incredible amount of attention to the defensive side, especially with some of those premier players, and picking up a corner one of the better corners in this class is great in my opinion.

Speaker 1:
[60:17] I love that, and that two pick combo actually reminds me of one of my favorite nuggets from the night. I forgot to say. You mentioned how Joe Shane Yes got to take two players in the top ten for the second time in his career. Which is absolutely insane. And he took the exact same positions in the same order as he did, because what was it five years ago he takes or four years ago Cavon Thibodeau and ave Evan Neil and then this year, you know, he takes the pass rusher hybrid rvel Reese and then Mauinoa. At ten, let's go to the Ravens, who made all the mock drafters happy. One of the only picks that everyone had seemed to be Venga Yuana, the guard, everyone's top guard on the market. Fourteenth overall thought they could consider Kenyan Sadik there and they chose not to, and they kind of take the meat and potatoes Lignemen. They really needed that and for their running game and for their passing game. Very exciting. They also picked up the fifth year option for Za Flowers, just maybe just a get back in the flow pick there by the Ravens.

Speaker 2:
[61:23] I like it, Yeah, kind of surprised he even lasted this long. I understand though, that the board kind of shook out in a very interesting way once you know two and three happens.

Speaker 1:
[61:32] I would have liked him for the Dolphins better. So if I'm going to be a little critical about the Dolphins, I should say who I would have traded I would have taken you on a Personally.

Speaker 2:
[61:40] I love this for a couple of reasons. One, he can absolutely grade the road for Derrick Henry and Lamar Jackson. He is just an outstanding run blocker. He is tough, he is you know, nasty parentheses complimentary, and he also can just he's a player who There's actually been some chatter about bumping him to center as well. Now that's a that is a huge, huge thing to ask a guard to do. Obviously, playing center is one of the most difficult positions on the field. But the football IQ and the way that he can just play in the interior and just shore up the interior, I mean you have to at least talk about it. They have a gaping hole at center now minus Tyler Linderbom.

Speaker 1:
[62:20] Yeah, I love I love the pick and I don't think you need to get too cute when you're the Baltimore Ravens. Right now, you are, you are in your window. And if I think somewhere you know, Jim Harbaugh was was not happy because I would I could have imagined where where the Chargers traded up like could have traded up for Yuana if if he fell a little further down the border. At least hoped he felt all the way to them, like he did in Daniel Jeremiah's mock draft, where I was really surprised he fell all the way to twenty two. So yu Wanta goes there. The Buccaneers select Ruben Bain Junior. We haven't mentioned ruben Bain's name yet because he hasn't gotten taken, but of all the you know, projected top ten picks, he had the longest slide. You know, Jermald McCoy was in a lot of people's top tens for a while, but not going into the draft. In the any only falls to fifteen. And it's ironic. I guess that Hakeem messidor his teammate, was projected by just about everyone to the point where I'm pretty sure the insiders knew that the Bucks really liked Hakeem messidor the Miami Edge, who was kind of the Robin to Ruben Bain's Batman, as their fifteenth overall pick, and I think they were pretty confident he was going to be on the board and that was going to be the pick, maybe they'd even trade back for him. Instead, they get his teammate, Ruben Bain Junior, who just by the tape is right there with David Bailey as the best pass rusher in this class. I don't even think it's like that much of a question. I know, the arm length thing, he's a little different dimensions. You know, he had the incident that our colleague Ali Connolly reported at about and I don't know if that, you know, caused teams to think differently of him. To be clear, they were aware of, you know, the citation that he had had he was involved in an accident where a young woman died a year and a half ago, and then another citation. All the teams were aware of that. So it wasn't Ali's reporting that I think would have changed how teams viewed They already viewed him that way. But whatever the case may be, Bain is an incredible player and exactly what the Buccaneers need. And this seems to happen to Jason light like the right player just falls into his lap.

Speaker 4:
[64:31] Got to be good to be Jason light Man.

Speaker 2:
[64:33] Just draft and develop these guys, pay him early and keep churning them out like that's that's the thing.

Speaker 4:
[64:38] It was like the worst kept.

Speaker 2:
[64:40] Secret in the NFL draft process that like the Bucks were going to pick an edge Yes, you know, it was just like, all right, well, which one, Like you just knew that they were going to go after it. First of all, it's position of need. But then the pickpoint that they're at, absolutely you knew at least one of these guys, right.

Speaker 1:
[64:58] They weren't. They weren't going to be a tackle team, going to be a wide receiver team. That was kind of who was there. And he's been really good, Jason Light of doing the thing that seems like the obvious thing to do, but not all dms do that.

Speaker 2:
[65:10] It still just gets likes. Everyone just like forgets it. Oh yeah, Jason Light's coming up.

Speaker 4:
[65:13] Oh wow, Yeah, that's definitely the player he's going to pick.

Speaker 1:
[65:16] It's it's early. I really like Baye as a player. I think he could turn out to be one of the best players in this class. And it's early, but I have a feeling whatever the Bucks win total is, I'm going to be over. I think I'm just I'm going back to big on the Bucks.

Speaker 4:
[65:31] Welcome.

Speaker 1:
[65:31] Yes, last year did not work out, did not work out well for people believing in the Bucks. I want to believe in the Lions. We'll see they take Blake Miller seventeenth. Overall, you had that as the pick in your what we should do mock draft, which you it wasn't supposed to be predictive, but you wiped the floor with me. These teams were watching are what you should do mock draft, and they were, well, if Jordan says we should do that, we're gonna do that. Clemson tackle one of many of your picks that they they agreed they should do it. Just a dirt dog.

Speaker 2:
[66:11] You kind of that's what you call you, kind I said, dirt bagka parentheses complimentary. You know, there there's a lot of things that the Lions could have done.

Speaker 4:
[66:20] They did the thing that makes sense, yes.

Speaker 2:
[66:22] Which in years past maybe they haven't always done the thing that just makes total sense. And that's you know, that can be fine if those players go and contribute at a high level, which many of them have. But this just made sense. His personality, the way he plays the position of need. It was like their favorite player fell to them on the board in the correct way, and exactly it just really fell right into their hands.

Speaker 4:
[66:46] They didn't.

Speaker 2:
[66:46] To me, this is not one you overthink. They didn't have to overthink this at all.

Speaker 1:
[66:50] And teams apparently were higher on Blake Miller than I think. The mock draft consensus was teams loved him. I think he was getting taken in the next couple picks if they had not taken him, and there was a very real possibility that they would have to trade up to get the tackle that they wanted, maybe Procter going twelfth overall, which a lot of reportings said was maybe their their top choice, and that it might have been a two tackle class for them, that they really love those two, maybe Ihannachor from Arizona State. But they got the guy that they wanted. And I just love when they showed the Daniel Jeremiah comps. One of my favorite things in the draft and the comp which he wrote, you know months ago, is Taylor Decker, and it just how about that way?

Speaker 4:
[67:36] How about that?

Speaker 3:
[67:36] Now?

Speaker 1:
[67:37] Unfortunately, Taylor Decker is like doing interviews where he's not happy with how the Lions have treated him and he still wants to play football. I hate for that to be the way his Lion's career ends. If that is how it ends. Because it seems like they don't need him back when you got his comp love that pick for them. Minnesota makes one of the most surprising picks of the entire draft, Caleb Banks, defensive tackle from Florida. When I thought about teams that were just going for in this draft, the Jets came to mind, and then the Vikings came to mind, because look, he was the fifty first player on Daniel Jeremiah's board. If you watch man, what was the tape? Was it the LSU tape? I forget there's one tape from twenty four where I mean he looks like the number one overall player. Yeah, goraft he is that special for someone that big to move like that. And you saw it at the combine too. It was just freaky. I'm like, how is this guy not going to be taken early? Well, it's because of a foot injury that's going to be a problem. And even when he was on the field this year, like he didn't look like himself. So it's even was up and down on the field like in twenty twenty four, was probably affected by the foot. But they're just going for it. They're like, we might have a top five player or it might be a bust kind of seems like what QUESTI did.

Speaker 2:
[68:50] Yeah, back of the day and the team brass, which includes obviously Kevin O'Connell and then interim general manager Robert Zinski, they said that they really trusted the medical staff clearance of Caleb Banks. They did a lot of medical research on him and that foot specifically. I almost wonder, you know, because of the way that he was moving at times last college season and then into a really physical training program, you need to do a lot of things to specifically train for the types of drills that they want to do at the Combine. I almost wonder if we don't find out, like maybe a few days from now, as the teams start to talk to their beat reporters, that maybe the medical staff found something that had been hindering him a little bit that caused him to drop down some of these bores that was beyond maybe this foot injury at the combine. That stuff just tends to me to get up to I think they had they cleared him big time.

Speaker 1:
[69:39] Yeah.

Speaker 2:
[69:40] Yeah.

Speaker 1:
[69:40] The report for me and rappaport that there was an extra some sort of medical clearance that Caleb Banks's agents and people sent to him that he passed. I forget the details now, like this week, within the last two days, that actually did make teams feel better about a recent checkup, and maybe that gave them the confidence to do it, so they went for it. The Panthers take Georgia tackle Monroe Freeling nineteenth. Overall, I do like that they showed his draft parties from South Carolina. It's a little bit of a local connection. You're celebrating you well, you're a big freeling girl.

Speaker 2:
[70:15] I love this for the Panthers. The Panthers did something that was smart and made sense.

Speaker 1:
[70:19] I wanted them to take Concepts Young because I'm a simple person who's like, oh, well, they've already got Rashid Walker there, and Ekan Wu will get healthy at some point. I'm just a dummy who was like, get a weapon for Bryce Young. But obviously out of line is a weapon.

Speaker 2:
[70:33] I wondered, Now here's some interesting like uh, just first round and teams trying to figure out what other teams are doing machinations, right, So the Eagles trade up right after this pick to go get MacKaye Lemon.

Speaker 4:
[70:46] We'll get to that in a minute.

Speaker 2:
[70:48] I do wonder if everybody I wonder if Philadelphia thought that the Panthers were actually going to take mckaye Lemon and saw and learned that he wasn't love him. I do know they love that he goes love mackay Lemon, you know, as a pick, trade up for him and see and see that the Panthers are taking Freeling, who, by the way, is a great pick for the Panthers because not only is left tackle. I know they signed Rashid Walker, but there is no guarantee yeah, and there's no guarantee that he was even gonna be their full time starter in the coming season. So Monroe Freeling can obviously play on the left side. He is a player that needs more development. He's got great traits, He's got great length, and he's really a good mover and has good balance and just the way that he can manipulate space and find leverage is really solid. There's a lot of upside there. And he can also play on the right side. He has played both through his college career. And Taylor Moton is there the Panthers iron man, but has played there.

Speaker 4:
[71:47] My gosh, he came in when Christian McCaffrey came in.

Speaker 1:
[71:49] Can't forever can't.

Speaker 2:
[71:50] Play forever, and so I feel like this is just a really really solid pick for the Panthers for the short term and the long term, and once again goes back to what we've been saying is they are building everything around trying to make absolutely sure on their quarterback before it's too late, right.

Speaker 1:
[72:07] I think the strength of the draft at that point was tackle or receiver. Take one. They'll both help, and obviously tackles are harder to find, especially in this draft, like there's only a couple more on the board, and then it was gonna be a big waight. So you mentioned the Eagles. They trade up with the Cowboys. We mentioned that trade earlier. Mackay Lemon, according to our NFL network reporters, was on the phone with the Pittsburgh Steelers, was going to become a Pittsburgh Steeler. Now. Steelers Eagles as a rivalry is pretty overstated. You'll you'll hear from their fans. It's like, yeah, they're six hours apart and they're in a different conference. It's not really like a thing. But to know that Philadelphia, who's been a lot better than Pittsburgh for a while now in the NFL, you know, want a couple titles that they end up taking mackay Lemon, who can't they can't get through to MacKaye Lemon because he's talking to the Steelers. But no, it's them who get him at twentieth. Overall, Howie I believe has been chasing the mistake of drafting Jalen Rager over Justin Jefferson ever since it happened. This draft was giving me flashbacks because kayle Lemons like an interior player, slot player who people think, oh, maybe the ceiling's not that high on him. And I swear if you go back to the draft coverage of the Justin Jefferson year, even though everyone thought that was a bad pick even at the time, Rager over Jefferson, the logic was, well, Rager's more of a playmaker, Jefferson's more of a low ceiling guy Who's probably gonna have to play inside mostly as a pro. One of the worst evaluations that the consensus has ever made. Maybe the mckaye Lemon will make up for it. Either way, A very solid pick for Jalen Hurts.

Speaker 4:
[73:43] I I just love this. I absolutely love this.

Speaker 2:
[73:46] Mckaye Lemon was one of my favorite players and certainly one of my favorite offensive players in this draft class because he just he's so friendly for the quarterback and especially coming out of the slot.

Speaker 4:
[73:56] He creates space.

Speaker 2:
[73:57] Even though yes, I know everyone talks about the four time and all these things.

Speaker 4:
[74:01] Play speed, is there, getting open? Is there? Strong at the catch point? Is there? Does not drop the ball? Is there?

Speaker 2:
[74:07] And he obviously he opens up to me. Having somebody who can work that space on the inside can really open up the perimeter. Jalen Hurts loves to throw to the perimeter.

Speaker 1:
[74:18] Problem is they've added a bunch of guys over the middle of the field for a quarterback that you know doesn't really throw that well over the middle of the field.

Speaker 2:
[74:27] But I hear you're but it all opens up if we if we are to believe all of this reporting and all of the you know, watch what happens after June first, and the reports the talks are Yeah, that that talks are going to resume right like like that we it's going.

Speaker 4:
[74:41] To happen at the.

Speaker 1:
[74:44] Ks are going to resume just before yea.

Speaker 2:
[74:46] Yeah, So okay, with all of that in line, you're thinking about Davante Smith now is the one obviously in this offense, and you're thinking about all the ways that Davante Smith can can truly affect the perimeter and will be the volume target in this offen. Well, you can't have him bracketed or doubled every time. You have to have multiple of these other guys, especially in Sean Mannion's offense. He is taking the twenty seventeen, twenty eighteen eleven personnel rams, some of the Packers stuff that they did, and he's basically saying, you need two sifting receivers in the middle of the field and then a guy you can get shots to on the perimeter. That's exactly the math, as simple as that as what this is.

Speaker 1:
[75:26] Steelers then quote unquote Settle, I'm quoting myself for another Arizona State guy, Max ihanatchor twenty first overall, I know it was settling, but it could turn out to be a great pick, a really high ceiling tackle that a lot of teams were really interested in. I think the last really high ceiling tackle wouldn't have surprised me if the Patriots, Ali Connolly reported was really interested in maybe a guy. I don't know if they were going to trade up for him, but certainly their dream would have been to take him has only played the position for a few years. Again, I go back to I'm not scouting nine tapes of this guy, but when you watch him move, he looks like an NFL left tackle in a way that almost no one in this class does.

Speaker 4:
[76:15] He's just massive, massive, good fea.

Speaker 1:
[76:18] Agile, and has a lot of room to grow, and so you got to be confident in your development plan. I think this could work out that he ends up being an even more important player than Makaya Lemon would have been. So either way, it's it's a nice consolation prize for the Steelers.

Speaker 2:
[76:33] Man, knowing what we know about the Steelers pulling in some of these yards after the catch players to recoup for the loss of Kenny g and then watching just now that escort block that he just hid to launch of yards after the catch play like it's just it's yeah, it's good.

Speaker 1:
[76:50] There are some teams that are just don't outsmart themselves and they take big guys. Yeah, the Eagles are usually one of those teams. They take big guys or receivers. The Steelers are often one of those teams, and again big guys are receivers. And then the Chargers are one of those teams, and they quietly had an edge need this offseason because look, Khalil Mack can't play forever. Tou Lei Pelot is going to be around, but you know, Joey Bosa is long gone a key. Messidor comes in as kind of a youthful guy that they can bring in the Bucks. Seeing Ruben bayin fall to them. Actually, I think works out well for the Chargers because otherwise I think he would have been off the board. And I think this is a premium position of need for the Chargers. I think they would have loved you Wana, but I think Messidor is a really good position. I don't know, like it was right at the cutoff where I'm starting to get a little less excited about the edges, Malachi Lawrence goes next to the cowboy.

Speaker 2:
[77:43] He's super physical and he's super high effort. So okay, Jim Harbaugh, right, Jim Harbo is going to be out on the field like slapping his hands against his pads and all that. The other thing is they did extend Khalil Mack. You know that on the contract. They adjusted the contract extension for him, and so it it does not surprise me at all that they want to go cost control here. They told you that they wanted to go cost control when they did not retain it off a OA. So the combination of this three man rush that worked really well for them last year, they still have that. It's just more cost controlled now because they didn't extend Oway and then now they brought in Messadora three.

Speaker 1:
[78:18] I forgot to mention the OA factor of it all, And I think like Mesador could be a more complete player than Oway, who for most of his career with the Ravens was not like thought of as much of a run stopper. Messador also only one year younger than tu Li Pelow two, Like he is more of a finished product, even though he just converted from nose tackle. What a weird uh.

Speaker 4:
[78:42] I know you were telling me about it.

Speaker 1:
[78:43] He weighed so much more. I don't know what he weighed exactly, but the fact that he was playing nose tackle and then was this good edge makes you really excited. But yes, a twenty five year old prospect, another guy who was well traveled. We're into the twenties. Now we're passing the Browns since they took conception on the Bears take Dylan Theeneman with the twenty fifth overall pick. This was a popular mock pick to the Vikings, who surprised everyone earlier with that Caleb Banks pick. They do not take a Harrison Smith replacement. Instead, Dennis Allen takes the Kevin Byern slash John C. Gardner Johnson replacement.

Speaker 2:
[79:19] Has to replace multiple players, obviously because of the departures they had and in free agency if they were going to address the secondary.

Speaker 4:
[79:26] This just fits to me.

Speaker 2:
[79:28] This is, you know, he's a player who can do a lot of things, sees the field really well and will contribute with them, probably will start for them immediately, and the dennissance being on as we've established, it'll be interesting to see what he does with him in the season.

Speaker 1:
[79:43] There is something just funny to me.

Speaker 4:
[79:45] He just feels very late. All will be very happy about this.

Speaker 1:
[79:48] Like ever present in our NFL. He didn't go, he left New Orleans and yet here he is just affecting, you know, one of the most popular prospects in this class. Like they're taking him for Dennis and he had a great year last year as a coach. The Texans end up moving up in the draft a couple spots with the Bills to take Keelan Rutledge at Georgia Tech Senior, who late in the process it was thought, you know, could be a first round pick. The second guard off the board, Chase Basantis is still out there, and so they decide they need to move up. Apparently they thought maybe San Francisco was going to take him. That's the only reason you would move up to pick. San Francisco did trade out of their pick after this trade, so maybe they had some good intel.

Speaker 2:
[80:33] A table get launched or something, you know, and he does because it's Dominico from the Shanahan. You know.

Speaker 1:
[80:40] He seems like a brawler Shanahan type of guard and they definitely need a guard. He seems like a Nick Casario. Okay, let's take the Georgia Tech Senior that just like we he loves like the five year captains and every year he loves the off the field stuff in the positive way, Nick Cassario. And they take these wild guys, whether in New England and here in Kaylen rutchett Ledge, they have attacked this offensive line with aggression. Gotta love it if you're CJ.

Speaker 2:
[81:09] Stroud, there was they had everyone in the first half. There was a little panic and the first half is free agency agency that maybe this was not going to be a priority for this team, but I think they've turned it into something really interesting, and there is some chatter that he could play a Kayln Rutledge could pop into center if needed.

Speaker 1:
[81:26] I think right now he's probably their center, but I don't know if they've talked about that. Wyatt Teller is at guard ursery at left tackle. They signed Brayden Smith, they brought back Trent Brown, they brought back ed Ingram Like I like the vision there for the Texans. So we mentioned Chris Johnson at twenty seven. Here is where the Patriots took the final tackle. It's funny how predictable the tackles ended up going off the board. They went in roughly the consensus order, and kind of the one question was, Okay, will there'll be seven tackles or six? Caleb Lomo is probably gonna be the seventh, and he's probably going to be right at the end of the first round if he goes. That's exactly what happened. One of the reasons, you know, he was a red shirt sophomore, so he's a young prospect and they don't necessarily need him to replace Will Campbell right away at left tackle. That'll be next year. No, that's a mean joke.

Speaker 4:
[82:20] That is what Greg four seas and hopes will happen.

Speaker 1:
[82:23] He could have position flexibility, Morgan Moses was talking about retirement, so at most one more year with the Patriots, so it could be at right tackle. He's someone who could play at different positions, and look, they need, they need lineman. I think they were maybe a little disappointed with how the board fell, but happy to get Lomu. Not not too shocking.

Speaker 4:
[82:42] He's someone I thought.

Speaker 2:
[82:43] We talked about him as maybe a possible forty nine ers guy who could fit with them for the short term and long term understanding he could slot in at a couple different places early on as needed, but then also could develop into an eventual left tackle replacement.

Speaker 1:
[82:57] So we got to talk about the Mike Rabel press conference and while we're at New England, what a wild day for Mike Rabel. More reporting comes out related to Diana Rossini and Mike Rabel, More pictures come out, But the bigger thing from a football perspective, we had already learned the night. As the draft is starting East Coast time it's already Draft day. The Patriots announced that Mike Rabel will not be with the team for Day three of the draft to undergo counseling and focus on his family. On Day three of the draft, he's gonna be with his family. Of course, he spoke just two days ago about that he needs to make things right with his family and with his team. The surprising part of all this first that announcement was obviously surprising, but then that he decided to call a press conference right before the draft started. Let's listen to Mike Rabel.

Speaker 7:
[83:58] However, just the last two and a half weeks, we go from the original statement about any situation, the quotus or anything other than this, I was flappable to your comments Tuesday and now deciding to go to counselor what is that process?

Speaker 5:
[84:09] Well, that's a private and personal matter. I don't think that those comments. I think that that was, you know, always in an attempt to protect your family, and I would never be dismissive. But I think my family and this football team and the most important thing, and that's that's what I plan to do. And I'm excited about the challenge with both of those things.

Speaker 1:
[84:35] I'm excited about the challenge with both of those things. When he's referring to his family and his team. That was the fourth question that he took from the media. Initially, I didn't think he was going to be taking questions just make a statement before he came out. I was the only think the only reason for him to come out and make a statement. I was just speculating to myself was maybe a leave of absence, like what else would this be and then kind of exit stage right. Maybe it was just that he wasn't going to be speaking to the media again for the rest of the draft, and he just wanted to own it as much as possible. Again, a very apologetic tone, again talking about how much he needs to make it up to his family specifically again speaking with Regret, I included that question because it was the toughest question, and it was the question that got to the heart of the matter. Is basically, what change between your first statement that you made to the New York Post and the last two times you have spoken to us in a more apologetic tone. And he said that initial statement was his way to try to deflect attention away from his family, which based on everything we've learned since checks out. Just a wild couple of days there for the Patriots, but you know, he went out of his way. He even spoke to fans to just say, look, Elliott Wolf's got this draft on lockdown. In general, it is Elliott Wolf and the personnel's staff's draft and they're going to be continuing on and they'll continue without Mike Rabel for the third day. He also made it clear he will be communicating with the team for the third day. Didn't say if he'd be away from the team any longer than that, but didn't indicate any particular that he would. All Right, so we mentioned the Chiefs and the Titans. I'm just gonna move on to our final pick of the first round. We did it, Eric, I know we've been honking a lot, and that pick was another one that you did. You nail this one. Jenerarium Price, No, you had him with the Jaguars. You did nail a lot of these picks, and this actually was one of the buzzed about picks. And I didn't think it was gonna happen because John Schneider told us he was going to trade out of the first round. Why didn't you trade out of the first round.

Speaker 4:
[86:32] John Jaden, nobody didn't.

Speaker 2:
[86:34] Maybe nobody had a price that he was willing to take.

Speaker 1:
[86:37] Well, the Titans traded back into the first round. The Jets traded back into the first round. I guess that was it.

Speaker 2:
[86:43] The sometimes when you win the Super Bowl, teams do not want to trade with you.

Speaker 1:
[86:47] Fair and Geneerium price is in exciting. I wouldn't say he's similar to Zach Charbonnay, but in the way that I think he does everything at a high level, like BB plus level, and it's going to good on passing downs. It's kind of a good compliment.

Speaker 2:
[87:03] And he was behind Jeremiah Love at Notre Dame and has less tread on his tires in that regard.

Speaker 1:
[87:09] Like he very few touches.

Speaker 2:
[87:10] He is a really exciting player. In fact, I know of a couple of teams that were kind of eyeing him at the top of the second potentially trying to maneuver even into the bottom of the first to see if they could potentially target him. And the price is just maybe not there, And you have to make those decisions in accordance with what you have and what you're offering and all of those things. And he was a player on Day two that really was to me somebody who was like getting a lot of buzz to the point where I think it was Daniel Jeremiah may may have mentioned this that would not have been surprised to see him pop back up into the bottom of the full.

Speaker 1:
[87:46] You wouldn't have been surprised if he would have gotten up into the first round, if someone traded up for him, which is which is really.

Speaker 4:
[87:51] I thought it was going to happen. I really did, and look.

Speaker 1:
[87:53] He went in the first round.

Speaker 4:
[87:54] I love it.

Speaker 2:
[87:56] I this is a he is to me. He is our for a reason. He's an awesome player. I think he fits them really for the.

Speaker 1:
[88:04] Super Bowl freaking champions. He's RB one. Yeah, I mean they Zach Charbony is coming off. I'm just saying it's crazy that that he is immediately going to step right in the rich get richer to a big role. I think he's going to be a guy a lot of Fantasy leaguers are into and.

Speaker 4:
[88:20] The heat's already off him.

Speaker 2:
[88:21] Somebody took a running back way higher so they can't get heat for drafting running back in the first round.

Speaker 1:
[88:26] We're wrapping up here. I mentioned I thought the Vikings the Jets were two teams that took some huge swings. We had that tackle run. I think the Carnell Tate pick is going to really stand out to me as one that kind of changed the draft. I love what the Giants did. Do you have any just favorite picks? I mean, we've talked about him, but what are your like favorites?

Speaker 4:
[88:49] Yeah?

Speaker 2:
[88:50] Absolutely, I loved Makay Lemon to the Eagles pick for all the reasons that I said when we were talking about it. Caleb Downs with the Cowboys, to me, is has magical potential. Honestly, I can't wait to see he is. He gives you a mathematical advantage anywhere you put him, and that is all about what Vic Fangio's defense is with which Christian Park will be running in terms of creating leverage advantages and breaking tendencies, breaking rules quote unquote from an offense. That is what he's going to be able to do. Blake Miller to the Lions. It just was one of those where it's like I would really love Dan to like just get like listen in with him and Dan Campbell just having a conversation.

Speaker 1:
[89:26] He can't bier if I ever see what are you calling him?

Speaker 4:
[89:30] A dirt dog?

Speaker 1:
[89:31] Dirt dog? That was what they called the two thousand and four Boston Red Sox, I believe, I mean when they won the World Series.

Speaker 4:
[89:38] Shout out to I was too young to remember that.

Speaker 1:
[89:40] Yeah you really are? I like the Yuana picked by the Ravens. Yeah, in part because I can imagine him being an important part of a team that wins the Super Bowl, contends for the Super Bowl. There's only so many of those picks. Like a guy who could be one of the best starting players on a team that's winning twelve thirteen games, like that's special Sunny Styles. I think is gonna be a great fit with those two linebackers. I'm just going to be like, for me, really fun to watch. And then I'm gonna give the Browns just some love for their their two pack of players, player concepts. You and I'm gonna I'm gonna like you. My least favorite was probably Simpson. I think Kelvin I think Caleb Banks was a huge swing. I just hope it. I hope it goes well for them. It's interesting with Kevin O'Connell as the guy that if you think about Questia Doopha Mensa's first draft, it was a fiasco because he took two players in the secondary that were big risk players. Both of them were kind of injury plague. Both of them state injury plague did not worked out.

Speaker 2:
[90:35] What people keep forgetting is that the Quasiadopho Mensa brought over very few support staff with him. It was all the same people contributing to making those picks that are still in the building now. So it doesn't actually super surprise me to see them go in this direction.

Speaker 4:
[90:53] I hope it works out for them.

Speaker 2:
[90:54] I would love to see a successful uh Caleb Banks in this defense truly, because at his at his best, it actually could be really really exciting.

Speaker 4:
[91:03] However, I just people really are forgetting that.

Speaker 1:
[91:06] Yes, but then again you just said in this defense, and I thought, man, with every favorite defensive player I had in this draft, all I thought was, I hope he lands on the Vikings like c. J. Allen if he goes to the Vikings.

Speaker 4:
[91:16] In round Yeah, I really I would love that.

Speaker 1:
[91:18] If Feneman went to the Vikings, I was like, Oh, they'll really know how to use him. If Casius Howell goes to the Viking like that, It's like Okay, well make it work with cable banks, Like Flores will have a vision for him and I trust that vision, all right, And yeah, Ty Simpson, if nothing else, it's gonna just if Sean McVay was losing any motivation, all the hate that he's going to get for Tysimonson, having to prove himself right for the next five to ten years with Ty Simpson will be plenty of motivation. Let's talk about any just favorite off the screen moments or just anything else as we say goodbye, I'll start. How about seeing Daniel Jeremiah and mel Kiper on the was together?

Speaker 4:
[91:56] That was cool?

Speaker 1:
[91:57] Before the draft, there was a moment where on my computer I thought I was about to watch Mike Rabel like take a leave of absence from the Patriots on one screen, while I saw Daniel Jeremiah and Kuiper on ESPN on the other. And I'm like, what is twenty twenty six? This is a strange time we're living in. But yeah, seeing on NFL network all like the ESPN mic flags because they're sharing you know, the sideline reporters in this case, and just interesting times.

Speaker 2:
[92:22] I mine are you know, it's always prospects with their families and their moms especially. I think it was Messidor who had a really nice moment with his mom that.

Speaker 4:
[92:31] Was really really sweet.

Speaker 2:
[92:33] I also love just like the just like the the in the moment interviews that Laura Rutlich was doing tonight, Like she always does such a great job with those, and it always really gets right to the right to the meat of the of the moment that they're trying to communicate, and you could tell whether a player is really really excited or.

Speaker 4:
[92:52] Overcome with emotion.

Speaker 2:
[92:53] I like how all the prospects who haven't been picked yet high five and celebrate the ones who are walking down on the tunnel or out of the green room in order to succeed it.

Speaker 4:
[93:03] And Greg, I really liked watching the draft in here with you, oh and kicking your ass.

Speaker 1:
[93:09] I hope that's true. Yeah you did. Wait well, first of all, we said that was a should draft. But here's the we didn't let me do a mock. Here's the sad and worse the predictive drafts. It was all bad. I'm retiring with an oh and two record in mock draft. No, it's funny with the ESPN thing. I saw their their pr put out a tweet of Ian Rappaport just smiling into the camera day one of in the books, I'm just like, what is this? This weird world? Peter Woods had the best what's the word for it, aura, but just like scene design, I mean set design, his outfit and his family's outfit and him like sitting among it. Just find the picture on Twitter. It was absolutely we need room Raider to step in. Incredible. I don't know, I like the Manswer Delayane that was just more of a pick that that really stands out to me. Of like the Chiefs just making it happen all right? Who didn't get taken? And yes, we'll be covering everything on day two after the draft, me and Nick shook. Jermond McCoy projected to go in the top ten for a lot of this cycle because of his injuries, Emmanuel McNeil Warren talented safety that Daniel Jeremiah had in his top twenty, Colton Hood the cornerback from Tennessee, Denzel Boston, good receiver from Washington. Not many crazy guys that like fell though McCoy was probably the most noteworthy. The guy I'm most curious about because I thought the Patriots might take him I thought the Seahawks might take them. Just teams that feel like, yeah, we don't. We could just take a swing on like a top eight talent.

Speaker 4:
[94:48] Yeah. Kind of reminding me of Will Johnson.

Speaker 1:
[94:51] Very last year. Yes, and look, Will Johnson ended up playing a decent amount in his rookie year. It was up and down, but also had injuries, to be honest, in his rookiear too. T J Parker, Caten McDonald, good nose tackle, but yeah, not a lot of crazy names. Avian Terrell, great first draft with you. Yeah, we've been doing it in this room now for a minute here and off the Rams beat, this would have been a doozy to be man.

Speaker 4:
[95:17] Can you imagine if I had to write a column tonight.

Speaker 1:
[95:19] Holy cow, this is easier. Just honking Thank you to everyone who watched us live on YouTube. Thank you to Sam, to Sean, to Eric, the Chris Babona, behind the scenes, everyone who helped us out. We will see you on Friday night. Good job by Pittsburgh, by the way, showing up in full force, underrated city. We'll see a Friday