Aaron Rodgers Signs and Top-30 Wide Receivers in the NFL

00:00:04
Speaker 1: Welcome to NFL almost daily, where we would never skip OTA's season.

00:00:11
Speaker 2: I'm Greg Rosenthal.

00:00:12
Speaker 1: I'm here in the Chris Wesleyan podcast studio, and I'm joined by my friend Patrick Claybon. Often here on Thursdays in the studio. It's one of my favorite things about the off season. Not as often here, but always bringing the funk. It's Matt Harmon and Matt, you are lucky enough to be on the show that is taping right after Aaron Rodgers is agreeing to sign with the Pittsburgh Steelers. Congratulations.

00:00:36
Speaker 3: Oh wow, what a treat. I couldn't I couldn't be more happy to talk about my what's become my least favorite subject. Oh, thank you guys for having me. No, I actually just literally had a rant on football three to oh one, which came out yesterday because we've had this. We've had this graphic on our show with all of our y'all who shows like the depth charts for every team and they've had Aaron Rodgers at quarterback with the parentheses like potentially for about two and a half months and they just flash it on the screen. It's like, I'm so sick of I'm so sick of seeing this. It was funny when I saw the first time two and a half months ago. Now now I'm tired of it. So hey, I said enough already, and look at that it happened the next day.

00:01:22
Speaker 1: I feel bad now, you know, you could sit out the first part of the show, Matt, and you could just come back.

00:01:27
Speaker 2: For what I'm really excited about.

00:01:30
Speaker 1: We're going to rank who are the best wide receivers in the NFL.

00:01:33
Speaker 2: Have a little draft.

00:01:34
Speaker 1: But I think news calls Patrick that we that we hit a route off the time.

00:01:38
Speaker 4: And in fact, the last time we were here, we were discussing that, you know, Matt can't always just.

00:01:42
Speaker 5: Be wide receiver.

00:01:43
Speaker 4: Yeah that's so now we get to talk Aaron and people, you know, the conspiracy theorists are out there, as two of his homeboys were very publicly beefing that this is a news dump.

00:01:51
Speaker 5: No, it's not a news dump.

00:01:53
Speaker 4: It just happened to Steelers finished OTA's as you said today and now it's like, okay, now I can say that I'm going to play football.

00:02:02
Speaker 1: To be fair, I didn't have a huge issue with this getting drawn out. We didn't have to talk about it that much, and I don't think we did that much on this show. Once it became obvious that this was the vague plan, ownerships spoke multiple times that they expected him to be there. So I'm not going to kill him for all the media attention over the last few weeks.

00:02:24
Speaker 5: Now, it's our fault.

00:02:25
Speaker 1: It is sort of our fault. That's what I'm saying now. The actual signing. To me, if you take a step back and almost pretend we didn't know that this was going to happen, it is fascinating, Matt that they wanted Justin Fields more than Aaron Rodgers. To me, it is really fascinating that the Jets and the Steelers swapped quarterbacks, but they both wanted Justin Fields, who also was benched by that Saint Pittsburgh Steelers team. It is crazy that he really is a marriage of convenience for this team. And yet I feel like this could end up working out. I don't think it will, but I do think it's either gonna be like eighty percent of Brett Favan Minnesota and actually be a help for this team, give them decent quarterback play. They're gonna be relevant. It's gonna be a big story. It's kind of fun. Or it's gonna be like Matt ryanan Indianapolis and just totally sad and like the worst moment of his career and Mike Tommlins career. It's nothing in between. But there's an argument that it could be the positive one because he is a year removed from that surgery.

00:03:30
Speaker 2: I think that should help.

00:03:32
Speaker 3: Yeah, it should definitely help, And I guess it working out is kind of what is your definition of it working out? Really is? Is it like.

00:03:40
Speaker 1: Eleven wins and just that you're maybe slightly better on offense than a year ago, Like decent, you're a decent team.

00:03:47
Speaker 3: You don't get wiped out by double digits in the play in the first round of the playoffs.

00:03:51
Speaker 1: No, you're either competitive or you win a game. Yeah, you're either competitive in that game or you like win a game. I think even making the playoffs to me would be a success.

00:03:58
Speaker 3: Yes, that's the bar in Pittsburgh at this point. It's like, just get the participation playoff trophy. But no, I think that I actually think that it's probably going to be closer to Matt Ryan in Indianapolis now that you say that, I just don't have a lot of faith in this ecosystem. I don't have a lot of faith in the pass catchers around Rogers, and I don't have faith in Rogers being flexible enough at this point with what he wants to do offensively to meet Arthur Smith in whatever the middle wants to be. I think it could look closer from like an offensive perspective to what Smith had in his first year with ironically Matt Ryan with the Atlanta Falcons, where they weren't so stringent in like the heavy personnel stuff. They were a little They were eighth in pass rate that year, which is a far cry from anything else that Arthur Smith has ever had in his offensive time as a play caller. So but to me, I do think it probably trends more towards the nightmare outcome than it does the rosy outlook.

00:04:57
Speaker 4: Yeah, because Arthur Smith has only kind of grown more powerful as as his career has gone on in the influence as to what the offense looks like. And so now we have the most influential Aaron. So what is meeting in the middle look like? And why why would I be excited about it? And even if we do go to the extremes of what one wants versus the other. I'm not excited about either one of those. Like, congratulations to Aaron Rodgers on being what I feel is an upgrade over Mason Rudolph and I'm sure they're going to get along great as well, but I don't see this Like if we're saying success is a significant improvement upon last year, I'm not seeing now.

00:05:39
Speaker 1: It's it's sometimes tough to dissect Claybond's sarcasm. Do you really think they're going to get along great and Rogers because I think you're saying that they that they will get along great, but I don't agree.

00:05:56
Speaker 4: I mean, ultimately, for Mason it doesn't it doesn't matter right facilitating that relationship, whether he wants to or not, it is not going to be important. All things are going to be to facilitate what Aaron wants, and the big conflict is ultimately going to be like is there like has author Arthur Smith been hiding quarterbacks or has this been the way he wants to operate an offense.

00:06:19
Speaker 2: It's fascinating.

00:06:21
Speaker 1: I'm glad it's happening because I think it makes the Steelers more interesting. It's still one of the greatest players that we've ever seen a four time MVP who was a shell of him his former self last year. And everyone keeps bringing up those games at the end of the season that they had, and I challenge anyone to go watch those games. They weren't great, like they were challenging they even the ones with better numbers. I get it. He takes so few chances that the completion percentage and the touchdown of interception ratio, like that's his superpower is not getting intercepted.

00:07:00
Speaker 2: It still is, but he plays.

00:07:02
Speaker 1: So safe now that it just allows nothing to develop. And even at the end of the season he seems so allergic and fearful of pressure. The one little thing that gives me a little bit of confidence, because I don't think the fit is great either Matt, is that he did move better at the end of the season. You could see it, and that, to me is like the only thing to plant your flag on with Rogers is that another offseason removed from achilles surgery, which is the toughest surgery to recover from, he was moving better by the end of last season. That that could help him, But I don't know how much better it's gonna be. Matt, and the weapons aren't very good. It's DK Metcalf, who to me doesn't exactly seem like an Aaron Rodgers type of guy at this point of his career. Not too precise and down the field, and a whole lot of I don't know, like in front of you know, a pretty good young offensive line.

00:07:52
Speaker 3: Yeah, there's some decent buzz about Roman Wilson, who ran I think a grand total of four routes last year amid an injury ruined rookies season, and I was kind of I thought he was more of like a fourth round pick than a third round pick. But you know that's that's like haggling there anyways. But it's interesting because with Metcalf, I think he actually fits well with what Arthur Smith typically wants in his X receivers, which is a guy who's gonna rotte like be really good on those inbreakers crossers digs off play action, but like that chunky intermediate middle of the field is the place that Rogers has been allergic to throwing to since like his last MVP campaign, which I just think he's been like a below average quarterback every time we've seen him since then, which is really only two seasons. So I just that like that that relationship, that connection is a questionable one to me, even if I do like the way that Metcalf theoretically from a route deployment perspective, fits in Arthur Smith's offense at good good points.

00:08:49
Speaker 1: You kind of proved me wrong that he could fit with Smith. But there's not like there's not much around there. It is amazing though that the schedule makers put Jets and Steelers week one. Now they didn't do it with their chest out because they did it at ten am Pacific, you know, one on the lesser coast, and so that's that's just like an early game. I would assume now that will be the national game on CBS at least in the early window.

00:09:16
Speaker 2: But that's opposite a lot of a lot of games.

00:09:19
Speaker 1: But for me, as just like a fan, he does make it more even if I find him obnoxious like as a personality, he does make the football more exciting. We have a game against the Packers also, which is cool. Aaron Rodgers the Packers, assuming he makes it to mid season when they play.

00:09:36
Speaker 4: Yeah, we're going to be watching the Steelers and seeing the Steelers anyway, right, And Aaron Rodgers, despite all of the Aaron rodgersness is more compelling than Mason Rudolph despite their similarities. I just I do wonder, like because it's it's about five hundred and seventy attempts, Like Aaron Rodgers playing on every game is going to be between five to seventy and six something attempts. What's the number on this team? Like what's the safe number?

00:10:02
Speaker 2: Like many?

00:10:02
Speaker 4: How many times do you want Aaron Rodgers dropping back in this offense? It just it doesn't It seems it's impossible for me to predict.

00:10:12
Speaker 1: Well, They've said they want to be a run first offense, but Aaron Rodgers does not run run first offenses. They have a good young offensive line, which I alluded to, which the Jets did too, And I thought the Jets offensive line was overall solid to good last year. Wasn't like he was there like a huge problem for Rogers. But you're right, just seeing all the potential clashes. He's got the Vikings, you know who he almost thought of signing with in Week four, he's at the Patriots. I don't know that there's no real to that, but I'm just.

00:10:40
Speaker 4: Being I thought about you know, me and Rihanna. It just it was gonna happen. It just didn't work out.

00:10:46
Speaker 1: Oh man, Aaron Rodgers, welcome back. I am glad. I am glad before we get to our rankings. And yes, that's why we have the incredible Matt Harmon, as he mentioned from Yahoo's sport Football three h one the Fantasy podcast there, but even more importantly Reception Perception, his own site where you can pay to get the real goodies and get all the analytics on these.

00:11:13
Speaker 2: Wide receivers we're going to talk about.

00:11:15
Speaker 1: Before we do that, I did just want to mention one other quick item of news, which is that Anthony Richardson is not going to be practicing for the rest of the offseason, at least until training camp, so not OTA's and then there's mandatory mini camp this week. He has a shoulder injury, and it supports this gnawing feeling I've had patrick this whole time that this is Danny Dimes's job to lose.

00:11:37
Speaker 4: And that's that's an unfortunate situation franchise to be in. It makes you think, I just hope that they manage this injury properly because it's ultimately what ended things for Andrew Luck is trying to come back and throw too early on this shoulder, And now like this offseason has been put in this position of hey, here's this quarterback in his third year going to make his twenty seventh start maybe, and it's like, hey, if he doesn't win this job, his career is over. And so now he's having to deal with that while dealing with this injury and the backup is Daniel Jones.

00:12:12
Speaker 5: It's just no thanks, I'm out.

00:12:15
Speaker 1: Right, And what are the odds Matt that like Daniel Jones stays healthy or it looks good like I guess either one of us do.

00:12:24
Speaker 3: Yeah. I was just talking about this with our mutual friend James co and like, Riley Leonard is probably gonna make starts for this team this year. I mean, I just think that's very much in the range of outcomes. Six round pick Riley Leonard. Yeah, to me, it's just all along. Ever since they signed Daniel Jones, my tone on it has not changed, which is tell me the scenario where both guys don't make starts this year and everybody gets cleaned out at the end of the season. I just feel like this Colds team is just very a drift at this point, which is a shame because I actually think this offense. I don't know if we're going to talk about any of these receivers today in our draft. It depends the deep we go. But I think this is a really good receiver room and like they've added to it over the years with a lot of like Day two draft picks, and I think they've some to varying degrees, found a lot of hits. Like Josh Downs to me, is a guy that is way underrated. Still like one of the best slot receivers in the league and awesome separator. Michael Pittman's not coming off his best year, but he did play through a back injury for most of the season. He's like a rock solid number two receiver. Alec Pierce is he can really only do a couple of things, but he's pretty good in those couple of things. Hey, great, damn good those couple of things. And Ady Mitchell definitely is a guy that I think needed a season of development. You saw that in his ability to beat zone coverage. But if you just look at him on like slants and goes and curl routes and against man coverage, really impressive separation ability there. So there's something there with him, even if he's not fully developed. And they took a first round tight end, so there's a lot of pass catchers here, and I just can't see how anybody gets maximized in a room with Danny Dimes, for you know, however many games he starts.

00:13:57
Speaker 1: There is a scenario I think of the Colts mattering because Anthony Richardson gets healthy in training camp and ultimately wins that job. Whether it's because Daniel Jones, you know, he's had a career threatening neck injury, he had the neat like, whatever it is that he ends up getting into the lineup because of what you said. I think there's decent talent around him. Obviously, Jonathan Taylor to the defense is a little frisky, you know. I think there is a path to it happening. But man, the way that they've been pushing Daniel Jones on social media from the Colt site, that's been my number one thing is like, Okay, I see, I see what you're doing. You're you're winning this job if everyone's healthy, which sucks.

00:14:37
Speaker 4: Scroll through, scroll through the Colts TikTok and Twitter like pull out the media media page if you see an Anthony Richardson highlight from camp.

00:14:44
Speaker 5: There's immediately a Daniel joke. It is. It is like that there has been an edict sent out to say.

00:14:52
Speaker 4: That, hey, if you show, if you showed Anthony Richardson, you have to show downe.

00:14:56
Speaker 2: Equal time, equal time.

00:14:57
Speaker 1: It's like it's like, you know, a big news editorial pages.

00:15:01
Speaker 2: Let's take a quick break.

00:15:03
Speaker 1: We're going to come back and we are going to rank at least the top twenty receivers in the league. We might even get to thirty if we go fast enough. Back on NFL daily drafting wide receivers, a controversial way to decide who are the best wide receivers in the league. We're not drafting them from any team. We're just taking turns picking guys off the board, and that will be the graphic top thirty wide receivers in the NFL that goes out no matter what.

00:15:42
Speaker 2: Wow, I'm excited for.

00:15:43
Speaker 5: We have no asterisk with a very very small.

00:15:45
Speaker 1: Note, no asterisk, no nothing. This is going to be representative. And I trust no one more than Patrick Claybon to make great pick.

00:15:56
Speaker 2: But Harmon is doesn't. That's so not true.

00:16:00
Speaker 1: I think you picking Terry Fontina with such great content number nine overall, right, Harmon? Sorry, wow, yeah, see it was aggressive, but that's what I That's what I like about it. That's what I like about it. Let's start the parameters here are just who do we think is the best? Right now, we're not talking about career, we're not talking about the future, but we are talking about twenty twenty five. So who would we want this season? Not fantasy numbers like reality. Who would you want on your team? And since you are mister reception perception, why don't we give Matt Harmon the honor of kicking off?

00:16:36
Speaker 5: Oh?

00:16:36
Speaker 3: Wow, that is that is beautiful. I think I've got a tier of six guys that I think are true Tier one wide receivers. But I'm gonna go ahead and give it Jamar Chase off the top here because he's coming off the best year. He's coming off the triple crown. I think he established himself as an elite tier wide receiver a couple of seasons ago. Nobody is better at mixing all aspects of the wide receiver position to get other into like a truly formed like. Not only is he a plus route runner and he's been a plus route runner since his collegiate days. He's also just a big play machine. Like, I don't know that there's anybody right now that I would trust to go from zero to sixty like a house a pass than Jamar Chase. So I'll take him top of the board here.

00:17:18
Speaker 1: See that's it just shows the kind of trust and belief I have in you guys, because that is different than who I would take at all one, but obviously a reasonable pick.

00:17:26
Speaker 2: We'll see where Patrick goes here at number two.

00:17:29
Speaker 4: Yeah, I'm interested in your number one pick because my number one pick was just taken by Matt Harmon. I will take Justin Jefferson as college teammate of Jamar Chase at number two, simply because.

00:17:44
Speaker 5: He's like in terms of execution in the.

00:17:48
Speaker 4: Game, and I recognize there are some moments where you compare the quarterback situations. I think they're drastically different. I think Justin Jefferson would put up insane numbers were he in Cincinnati. But I also feel that he has this ability of route running at the catch point as well as explosiveness where you're not getting that anywhere else.

00:18:11
Speaker 5: So I'll take Tustin Jefferson.

00:18:13
Speaker 1: Yeah, that would have been my pick and I think you're splitting hairs between the two. So I don't want to go negative talking about Jamar Chase. To me, just Justin Jefferson, it's year after year. You're right, the fact that he's done it with different quarterbacks matters to me, and to me, he's kind of the best at everything. Like he's put up a Hall of Fame career already. He does not need to do that much more like he's been first or a second team All Pro every year that he wasn't hurt and like voted for MVP, you know, got some votes offensive Ricar all that stuff, and just when I watch him and it's just it's splitting hairs. I just like can't imagine a scenario where Justin Jefferson isn't doing almost every asset in part of being a receiver at the highest of high levels. And he's done it like each and every year, no matter what's happening. That's my small split of the difference between those two. But it's hard to really argue, like what would you see as any differences between those two And what makes JJ like on the on the reception perception data like stand out the most.

00:19:14
Speaker 3: Oh yeah, I mean from a success rate versus man zone and press coverage standpoint, He's been an elite performer since he hit the NFL field. And I think if you're talking about differences between the two of them, I do think Chase is a guy that can, like I said, go from zero to sixty like house a screen pass, probably more so, like more reliably than justin Jefferson would. But I think Jefferson what makes him so quarterback friendly and what I mean why he just produces no matter who's out there. And I think Chase would produce fine with any of these other guys. But like the way that Jefferson is able to throttle down and then explode out of breaks, just create such like low margin for error for a quarterback, regardless of how accurate or not anticipatory that player is is, he just presents them with these wide open windows, and even if they aren't the most accurate pass, he tracks the ball and wins and contested situations almost better than any other receiver out there.

00:20:10
Speaker 1: Yeah, they're both so savvy. Jefferson just seems so smart. Four years already over fourteen hundred yards including that crazy eighteen hundred two. I mean, that's the same as like Randy Moss in his entire career. That's how great Jefferson's been in Chase is pretty close to that too, So hard to argue with those two one and two. I took number three because I did I did have someone I really wanted.

00:20:32
Speaker 5: To oka yet that pie all right, maybe greg controversial.

00:20:36
Speaker 2: No, I don't think a J. Brown at three is too controversial.

00:20:38
Speaker 1: I just wanted to give him the respect that he deserves, and you never know what could happen. I wanted to make sure he was right there because I just feel like the AJ Brown slant is the most unstoppable play in football. The go his go route is like not that far behind, and I just feel like he's like gotten more subtle.

00:20:59
Speaker 3: I love a.

00:21:00
Speaker 1: Physical receiver, I guess, I mean, who doesn't, But I love a physical receiver with like as much subtlety as him. So I really think watching him on a per game basis last year, I know he wasn't healthy like totally for the playoff run, that he had taken his game maybe even to like another level where he is really knocking on the door of JJ of Chase as like the very best.

00:21:18
Speaker 5: In the league. Yeah, he was in he was in the conversation for me.

00:21:21
Speaker 4: I mean, we we're in my exact order at this point, so it's not off the board or controversial. I think aj is such a big part of why the Eagles were able to do the things that they like to be able to flip a switch and go from a run team to like, hey we're gonna throw the ball spags and here's here's Aj Brown and there's there's really nothing you can do about it. And like I think about the fourth down conversion early against the Commanders in the playoffs, where it's it's aj On a go, uh give give Jalen the three step and he's gonna he's gonna box a guy out and make a catch over the shoulder like it's it looks he makes it look easy.

00:22:00
Speaker 1: I honestly think he has helped to raise the floor of these receiver contracts, as his contracts have been proof that like having a great receiver and giving him a quarterback like contract can lift the entire rest of the offense even if you don't have a top five quarterback. I have a feeling we have the same big six now that I look at my list, as you Harmon.

00:22:20
Speaker 2: Who do you have fourth?

00:22:23
Speaker 3: A fourth?

00:22:24
Speaker 2: Or who is next? I shouldn't assume a J. Brown, A J.

00:22:27
Speaker 3: Brown not snaking here. We're going back to no.

00:22:29
Speaker 2: No, we're going back to not staking.

00:22:33
Speaker 3: Oh number four. I kind of want to actually go off my board here because technically Ceedee Lamb would be next for me, But I think I'm going to just go with Nico Collins here to make a statement because I mean, look, it's not it's not. I don't think it's controversial. It shouldn't be. Nico Collins a top five wide receiver to me, but yeah, when this graphic goes out, I want my name attached to Nico Collins because I've been the biggest Nico Collins backer basically since he came into the league. Early in his twenty twenty one in season reception perception rookie report, I was like, this guy wins at an over seventy percent rate against man and press coverage, which like that means you're a bona fide, like good starting X receiver, But it just didn't show up in the box score because he's playing with Davis Mills and all the chaos there in Houston. And then we've seen over the last two years. He's a bonafide elite number one tier wide receiver, and I think what makes him different than any of the other guys that I have in my first tier is that he just pretty much exclusively lines up at X receiver like all these other guys get to move around the formation, and I think that I'm actually interested to see if Nico Collins can do a little bit more of that with Nick Kayley coming in as the offensive coordinator there. But he's been such a perfect fit on those like typical Shanahan X receiver concepts there that maybe you don't want to move him around, because again, he's a top five performer at the most difficult position to play within, the wide receiver position.

00:23:55
Speaker 1: Bold pick. I had him in my top six too. I love me some Nico. I just I'm always surprised when you see that he's two hundred and twenty five pounds or whatever, just because he's so good and nifty after the catch, it's just a great yack.

00:24:08
Speaker 4: It's the number. The number helps, is that it? Yeah, I feel like if you put Nico Collins in another number, he would look massive.

00:24:14
Speaker 2: I mean he but he does.

00:24:15
Speaker 1: He looked, but he looks lanky, he looks tall in thinner he's six or four. But maybe maybe it is the number What a come up for Nico Collins like cemented top five receiver?

00:24:25
Speaker 2: Who do you have?

00:24:27
Speaker 5: Fifth? Patrick? Boards looking great? It's looking like our board.

00:24:31
Speaker 4: I will take rams wide receiver, Puka Nakua and number five.

00:24:35
Speaker 5: It was.

00:24:36
Speaker 4: It was very dicey because I like Harmon was considering CD in the spot, but then I feel like Puka is still ascending where CD might have. It feels like the explosive vet explosiveness after the catch is coming back to reality where he was so excellent there, but Pucas still got it. That game in so far against the Bills was one of the better performances as I've seen from anybody in all of last season. And I know that if you're going volume and it's like, well, you know, Stafford loaded up Megatron and he loaded up Cooper Cup and he can load up Pooka, Like I'm not doing this on like a volume basis. I truly think explosiveness, like ability, at the catch point, separation, all these things. He's got all of it, and I'm happy to have him at this point in year three on my wide receiver hypothetical tea.

00:25:27
Speaker 1: Yeah, I had him fourth overall, right behind aj although it split the ars here top like yards per route run in the last twenty five years, only Steve Smith best season and Tyreek Hill two years ago was better than Puka last year. So Puka doesn't have the counting stats harmon a year ago, but it did. It did feel watching him, and you can tell me what you think like that, he did take a pretty big leap just as a player from his rookie season when he was among the greatest rookies, if not you know, the greatest they get put him behind Mass but naming number two or three like of all time in the NFL.

00:26:05
Speaker 2: So do you think he improved a lot in year two?

00:26:08
Speaker 3: Uh? Yeah, I think that Pukuakua actually talked to him after the Super Bowl followed up his rookie season. Yeah, thank you. Was also gonna mention I stood next to n Eco Collins at the Super Bowl this past year and Ken confirmed big guy. So I don't think we need a new number. That's just a big heal thing. But no, Yeah, with Puka, I think the one thing that he told me in that conversation is that he wanted to get better at the catch point because he felt like he lets some things go during his rookie season that he probably shouldn't have. And I think right away when he came back from injury, you saw that he was winning along the sideline a lot more like there was all the typical over the middle work, you know, the digs, the crossers, these dagger concepts, like you saw all of that, but he made an intentional effort to get better in terms of timing his jumps, like having late hands, getting his feet down in bounds. Those were all there and that's the stuff that you do if you're a true number one wide receiver. And just from a separation standpoint, his success rate vers zone coverage this year, because I just finished charting him, he'll be on the site next week eighty five point one percent. That's going to be among the league leaders and represented a big, big jump as well.

00:27:17
Speaker 2: Right now, he can he can win against any any type of that's Ray Walker. Thank you, Harmon.

00:27:24
Speaker 1: Do you when we have wide receiver opinions or back when you were here at the NFL and you guys were mixing it up with Patrick or now and people come at you with differing wide receiver opinions?

00:27:34
Speaker 2: Do you look down on them?

00:27:36
Speaker 1: Are you like the Aaron Rodgers to our Mason Rudolph in the room because you've ultimately done more work?

00:27:42
Speaker 3: You know, No, everybody is entitled to their own opinion.

00:27:45
Speaker 2: You just don't respect like as No, I know.

00:27:48
Speaker 3: I mean just maybe he saw something different than I did over the you know, hours and hours I poured it.

00:27:54
Speaker 2: Yeah, I feel bad.

00:27:55
Speaker 1: I feel bad for CD that that he falls to the bottom I guess of this big six. But I was with you though, that was like the sixth that needed to be at the top. He's another one I'm surprised by, like his listing of weight, Like is he really only two hundred pounds? Because he just seems so much more physical, Like he seems bigger than his listed weight. And you mentioned maybe the yak wasn't as great a year ago.

00:28:18
Speaker 2: Who knows if that was.

00:28:21
Speaker 1: I'm not going to say motivation, but just the general cowboys noess of it all that was like affecting everyone last season.

00:28:27
Speaker 2: I have no doubt.

00:28:28
Speaker 1: Certainly, I think he's going to be helped out by George Pickens being there. He's obviously so versatile, almost as versatile as anyone on this list, along with JJ and Jamar Chase. And that's that's why I think he's part of the Big Six. You know, the Cowboys always have one of them, dudes.

00:28:47
Speaker 2: I don't know. There's no word to argue there. I'm more curious it's got me next.

00:28:50
Speaker 3: The yards after catch stuff too, Like when this offense is like we've seen this in Dallas, when they don't have like a lid lifter to go along with him, even like a Michael Gallup lifted, the whole thing just gets very, very very condensed. So I think that that the George Pickens acquisition is huge for that. And yeah, I mean I wish I could have taken Ceedee Lamb higher than this because I have such a big respect for him as a player and people think he's like just this slot merchant. He actually led the league last year with five point three yards per route run against man coverage when lined up outside, Like he could just run out there and play X receiver every single snap. But he's weaponized by being a slot receiver, So he doesn't play there because he has to. He plays there because he makes the entire offense better when he lines up.

00:29:31
Speaker 1: I don't I don't want to make you feel awkward or anything harmon, but I just am impressed how you rip these stats off off the dome, especially when you knew the Falcons like pass rate on some Matt Ryan Arthur Smith season that it's impressive, just just giving you.

00:29:45
Speaker 2: Respect, all right.

00:29:46
Speaker 1: This is where we get past the first six and I feel like there's a next group of who knows, six seven guys. It could be anyone from that group. Who do you have up next, Matt?

00:29:59
Speaker 3: I'll go with Alan Ross Saint Brown here next too. I think is just firmly at the top of the second tier in the NFL. He is so good within the context of the Lions offense. But I don't think that that takes away anything from who he is as a player. He's somebody that's gotten better each and every season in the NFL. Like when he first hit the when he first hit the field, he was actually interestingly before, when Anthony Lynn was the offense coordinator in his rookie year, he was actually used more on these kind of like deeper patterns, not necessarily more a little bit more outside. They didn't quite know what to do with him. And then after a lot of injuries and then Lynn was pushed out. Dan Campbell took over the play calling duties. Ben Johnson was given more power in that building. That's when they put him in this big slot receiver role, and he's just continued to thrive every year, and each year he gets better and better against pressman coverage in like isolated routes. So I don't really think there's he's another guy that. Yeah, he plays in the slot, he's more slot first than Ceedee Lamb is, if that makes sense, even if Lamb leads the NFL in slot yards over the last two years. But I do think that he's probably the best pure slot receiver in the NFL right now. Is Saint Brown?

00:31:04
Speaker 1: Yeah, the numbers are inarguable. I think you're right. Maybe maybe this is my bias. I had him just like I feel like he gets a little underrated. But when you're comparing him to guys that you would want as like your number one guy who can do everything, and he's not necessarily that guy, and I am that person. Maybe under radium and just have him like a few spots lower, but either way, he's in that next group for sure.

00:31:26
Speaker 2: You're up with number eight.

00:31:28
Speaker 4: Patrick, Okay, I will get perhaps controversial. I'll take tyer Kill here at number eight. I understand that there's been a falloff and maybe we're at ninety two percent of Tyreek Kill. Ninety two percent of Tyree Kill is still very, very good. I feel like most of the falloff was related to the Miami Dolphins, like as an institution, this recent edition of him and perhaps devils are probably a part of the reason that he was trying to extract himself from that situation at the time to go get in the different one. But I still think like the speed numbers, if you go off, you were missing some of the explosive plays from offense in general. Jalen Waddles explosive numbers fell off last year as well. I know he was dealing with an injury, but I do think Tyreek Hill is still explosive, still very scary like, and I like him here to.

00:32:14
Speaker 2: Day five First team All Pros.

00:32:17
Speaker 1: By the way, another guy who has a pretty air tight Hall of Fame case. I had him much lower. I had him outside my top fifteen strictly just based on age and history that if you go from a career season and then it's like halved the following year and you start to have injury problems. The history of guys at thirty one then bouncing back to being close to what they were is not great. Now he is a guy, Harmon, I don't need to tell you like it was kind of broken, like every rule there is, Like you just would never have expected this guy at his size to be as strong as he isn't have the career that he is. So if someone's going to break that rule or that line of a guy improving that much at thirty one, he would be the guy to do it.

00:33:04
Speaker 3: Yeah. My buddy Scott Pianowski Yaho says that once the cheese goes bad, it usually doesn't get unbad. And I do think we're I do think we're We've begun the decline phase of Tyreek Hill, and I just wonder with you know, everything that's always happening off the field with him, like if we're going to get another one of those peak seasons. So yeah, I'm with you, Greg, And I didn't quite have him like that low, but I had him lower than here.

00:33:25
Speaker 1: I also have watched him talk this offseason, and I do fall for this stuff, especially the fact that he said he didn't prepare for last season as hard as he should have. I am kind of falling for that. It's a contract year for him and that he is going to make do everything possible that he can to make this season great. And I know Patrick does not approve that kind of a Now you're just in my head.

00:33:48
Speaker 5: It does look Tyreek Hill previously.

00:33:51
Speaker 4: Yeah, while you said on this Hall of Fame track, yes, previously not trying.

00:33:56
Speaker 1: My point is he said he didn't prepare, and you heard some talk that he was a little sloppy and his preparation going into last year and he was hurt all the time, and he was a little you know, he wasn't as explosive. So I'm trusting him as the source. I don't think I think he's ready.

00:34:10
Speaker 5: I think football is good for you.

00:34:12
Speaker 4: I think the more files play, you're probably not going to be doing it very well for very long.

00:34:17
Speaker 1: Okay, I will take Brian Thomas jun You're off the board in the top ten.

00:34:22
Speaker 2: Here. This guy first game in the NFL. I can remember.

00:34:27
Speaker 1: I could still see it that first touchdown he had. It's double coverage with Jalen Ramsey and Jordan Poyer, and he's doing a toe tap at the back of the goal line, and this was supposed to be some sort of one trick pony. He hits like a turbo button when they hit him on some of those slants.

00:34:44
Speaker 2: That is just rare. His ability to change speeds.

00:34:47
Speaker 1: I think there's a lot of conversation about this in the NBA, and I think it's obviously true in the NFL too. Your ability to decelerate is a skill like guys who can drive and decelerate, guys who can run and decelerate. Obviously that's great on like the stop routes and everything, but man, he mixes it up. I don't know if you see that, if the numbers reflect that harm into me, But I just don't think many people move like him. He's obviously got like the side, the strength, and he had the production last year. So to me, I'm already ready to just like stamp him top ten going into his second year.

00:35:18
Speaker 3: Well, see, Greg, you asked me if I look down on other people's opinions when they talk about wide receivers. Can't do that, because shout out to you when I came on around the NFL to talk about that draft class. I guess you said like, either you can't draft Brian Thomas too high, and I was like, well, I mean he's probably the fourth best guy in the class to me, So I mean, hey see, I can't. I can't turn my nose up at any opinion when you had when you had the best one potentially of that entire draft class. But yeah, no, I think that Brian Thomas Junior, he has a real rare skill set. You know, he's a guy that eighty point eight percent success rate versus press coverage in his rookie season in reception perception, so like he can again another guy that is built like a vertical freak show X receiver but also averaged over ten yards per target on screen passes, Like you can do whatever you want with him that. There aren't a lot of guys that are built to do that. So yeah, I mean, the sky's the limit for him. I had him eleventh on my list, so not far behind here.

00:36:13
Speaker 1: Okay, yeah, this whole group, and there's another rookie I feel like from a year ago at least it would be high. And he's going to be playing with Travis Hunter right there. Travis Hunter, another wide receiver who can take a screen a long way he is eligible. If anyone listening is curious, you know, rookies are eligible to be taken. Wow, And I feel like, yeah, he's at least in contention somewhere on this list. Let's go Matt Harmon, you are up finish out our top ten.

00:36:41
Speaker 3: Yeah, I'll go Malik Neighbors here. I'll stick with rookies from last year. Neighbors by the way, well, I won't in case I end up taking the guy, I won't say it.

00:36:50
Speaker 1: But yeah, I mean, you're not sneaking anyone past us.

00:36:53
Speaker 2: We know, like who you know the people are? You can talk about him, come on.

00:36:57
Speaker 3: You never know. Yeah, Molik Neighbors was awesome as a rookie. And another guy that I think he.

00:37:03
Speaker 1: Who is that you're your deep sleeper like Garrett Wilson or Ladd McConkie.

00:37:08
Speaker 2: I mean, these are these are big time names.

00:37:10
Speaker 3: I was just gonna say that I think Lad mccakie was the best rookie wide receiver on film last year. Yes, And I think that that doesn't mean that he's going to be the best over the course of the class, because I think Neighbors and Thomas both have a higher theoretical ceiling, and I think that Neighbors actually has the highest ceiling of any of these guys because of his complete skill set. He's a really good route runner, he's explosive. He's similar to Chasin that I think he could develop into one of those guys that you can put the ball in his hands and he can house it from any area. I actually think he was underutilized on post routes last year for obvious reasons, and I'm not one hundred percent sure than any of the guys under center for the New York Giants this year are going to be able to access him in that area. But he's somebody that is really good on stop routes. He's really good with the ball in his hands, and actually somebody that I'm so impressed with the detail in preparation he puts into being an after catch player, Because typically you ask these guys like, oh, hey, what goes into what goes into being a great after catch player? With Neighbors, he like will actually walk you through the details of how you watch certain defenders and how to set them up and things like that. So yeah, very impressed with him. I think he's another guy that is is already worth a top ten in this discussion.

00:38:24
Speaker 1: Something in that lsu Water who would you have had? And Ladd'll get taken at some point I would assume in the next you know, handful of picks, whatever it is, who would you have chosen between neighbors and Ladd Patrick?

00:38:36
Speaker 5: I would have had neighbors.

00:38:37
Speaker 2: Okay, yeah, interesting, But are you I'm crowning him too soon?

00:38:41
Speaker 4: Not to not to diminish Lad mccakey, who's who is six feet tall and ran a four to three. By the way, I feel like I need to say that every time I say Lad mccakey, so people don't act like he's this five to seven dude that ran like what barriers ran?

00:38:54
Speaker 5: Yeah, it's like he's out there trying hard. No, like LADDI mccaukey is an explosive apps a freak.

00:38:58
Speaker 1: Same height and weight and some similar numbers to neighbors. Actually, I don't think they're too different. Yeah no, and all right, well we'll save our lad talk.

00:39:07
Speaker 2: But eight neighbors getting left.

00:39:08
Speaker 1: I'm surprised, knowing some of your favorites out there Harmon, that you took him there.

00:39:14
Speaker 2: That shows how much you love neighbors. You have Number eleven Patrick.

00:39:16
Speaker 4: Well with the number eleven pick, I will take Terry McLaurin of the Washington Commanders. Kind of unlocked last season by you know, we might have missed what could have been with peak Terry, and not that he's significantly declining, but just the explosiveness, the ability to make those big catches like with with coverage right there, and he's just really good. And I'm really glad that we can see that on a statistical basis because we knew that he was carrying some pretty awful quarterbacks.

00:39:50
Speaker 5: For a long time.

00:39:51
Speaker 1: Yeah, I'm reporting today Pro Football Talk passed along. You know, he's unhappy with his contract situation. He's missing ots right now. Not a huge deal. Seems like a contract that will almost certainly get done by training camp. Wouldn't shock me if it gets done next week. They want to reward Terry McLaurin, who is mister Washington right now, and he'll be like parenially underrated. You know, we were hearing the Chris westleyan podcast studio. I always remember watching this game when Chris was recovering from cancer the first time around, and we were in like Keisha's very temporary apartment and I think her mom was there as well, helping out, and we watched Terry on Monday Night Football as a rookie, and West was just all over like this guy was just like the most underrated wide receiver in the league, and that has obviously born out to be true. I'm gonna take Drake London next, and I'm going off my board. I actually had a Lad ahead of him, but I just feel like I don't like seeing for some reason, Lad's a rookie, he can slide a tiny bit. I don't want Drake London to slide anymore because I had him, I think ninth on my list overall, especially seen him play with Michael Pennix at the end of the year. Like the reason why London's numbers for the whole season went up is just because he got those couple of weeks with Pennix. He finished seven for one oh six and then ten for one eighty seven against your Panthers in Week eighteen.

00:41:14
Speaker 2: I guess it was.

00:41:15
Speaker 1: And I went back and like just checked out some of those games and like, it's all outside the numbers. It's all these not that Kirk Cousins couldn't throw, but kind of he couldn't.

00:41:24
Speaker 5: Out to that, not like Mike Dude last year.

00:41:26
Speaker 1: No, and now you're getting to see like the full London, right harmon, And so I think when that's unlocked, I actually think for what it's worth, he's just like a safer pick than even some of these younger guys because we've seen it year after year and it wouldn't shock me at all if he goes and has like a first team All Pro type of season this year.

00:41:46
Speaker 3: Yeah. I had London ninth on my list as well. And I think the best part about his season last year is, like you said, you got to see all parts of his game expressed, because when it was Kirk Cousins under center, you notice that, oh yeah, they're moving Drake London around. And this was something I hoped happened when you know that Rams based coaching staff came over there to the to the Falcons, because I think Arthur Smith gets too much flak at times, especially from the fantasy community, but he was just again just isolated, kind of tethered at that static X receiver spot was Drake London in his offense, but this offense much more dynamic. They got him a lot of slot work and when he was in the slot. Kirk Cousins was just peppering him on over the middle targets, and that's really where you can get some great stuff out of Drake London, because yeah, he is huge, he's great at the catch point. He can win in those tight coverage ways, but he is so fluid and just an excellent underneath separator that he can be a high volume receiver in those ways. But yeah, then when Penix gets into the mix in the final three games, then you get to see the fireworks of him being on these deep, outbreaking routes in tight coverage. So yeah, I expect if that usage holds and Pennix can you know, maybe not be a consistently accurate quarterback, but can access Drake London in those ways, I think we will easily the best season of his career.

00:43:01
Speaker 1: Yeah, he's not like Peedicks, is not afraid of throwing that thing down there to London. So I even if he's not accurate, like I think, volume wise, it's going to be there. And it's funny you mentioned Arthur Smith gets you think, too much grief from the fantasy community, but he also gets a lot of grief from the Falcons Like Atlanta fans community and the Steelers fans community. I would say, I'm like tape heads aren't like huge Arthur Smith's fans.

00:43:23
Speaker 2: It's been a bad couple of years for Arthur Smith.

00:43:25
Speaker 1: Him and Aaron Rodgers now need to join forces that everything number thirteen you're at Harman.

00:43:35
Speaker 3: Yeah, I'll go and I'll go ahead and take lad mcconkeee here. There's a few big names that he's right there with. But man, he was so like he was special as a rookie. He wasn't like like Patrick said, he gets sort of type cast it as the Jim Ratt, small, scrappy white slot receiver. But he is a dominant separator. He was the best in terms of rookies last year in success rate versus press, coverage and reception perception. He is also a threat to break multiple tackles and stack big plays with the ball in his hands. And he's a monster in tight coverage like contested catch guy despite the size. So there's really nothing that you would ask of a wide receiver one that he can't do. So, like I said, I think he was better than Thomas, think he's better than neighbors on film last year. That doesn't mean that he will be best over the course of his career, but he is certainly with the right quarterback to do it and a guy that you saw right away. What I love about McConkey is that he when he's running these like dig routes or kind of coming back to the quarterback against his own coverage, he's always just worked. He's consistently working himself open. Even on digs where you know he could like go behind that defender, he always crosses the face. And Herbert just immediately loved that. So I think that's gonna be a great connection this year.

00:44:46
Speaker 1: Yeah, he smoked some really good cornerbacks on outside, you know, on the outside in single coverage. The only slight concern is at the end of these games, he was always like, no one played better limping off the field than Lad McConkie. He's almost struggled to get through the sixty minutes and then he would get back to the next game and it would be fine. And I did see a story this week his receivers coach Sanjay law is showing him Tyler Lockett and Julian Edelman tapes about how to avoid not only avoid hits a little bit because Lockett. You know, you don't want to be doing like the Lockett slide thing, but also like diving forward like Edelman had a good way of not taking big hits while also making plays and getting those extra couple of yards.

00:45:30
Speaker 4: Yeah, he's gonna have to learn to carry the load of the offense because he was used to being at George He's the explosive guy at Georgia. You come in and score and like his first career touchdown the money oh Ladd call, like he shakes three people down at the goal line and then dives and he's like he's always thinking end zone. But it's you know, seventeen games of that. When you're going to be the team's leading receiver, it's probably tougher to play like that. And so like that's that's what leads to it because he there were so many times where its lad was the only option.

00:46:01
Speaker 1: See we're trying to say though, like hey, he's not just the white slab receiver. He's clearly not. But then his coach is showing him Edelman tape. It's like, come on, help with the narrative. Tyler Lockett actually like a super charge better being a better Tyler Lockett would be like an truly incredible career.

00:46:18
Speaker 2: And I think he is already. He's already there was.

00:46:22
Speaker 3: That was my player comparison for him when I charged him in Tyler Lockett.

00:46:26
Speaker 5: That's awesome.

00:46:27
Speaker 1: He's already a better version of offense to Tyler Lockett, who was incredible at his peak. All right, number fourteen, and then I'll go and then we're going to take a quick break.

00:46:34
Speaker 4: Yeah, I'll go ahead and go and go age here, I'll go. Davante Adams at number fourteen, still contributing. I think the numbers, of course he's in the Stafford offense, things are going to go up. He got volumes of targets late on a bad offense from a quarterback who was playing middling last season. Where he's getting more targets, more touches and opportunities than Garrett Wilson, and he's not that much older than it was at the end of last season. I think this is a great spot and I'm very comfortable having DeVante.

00:47:02
Speaker 1: Yeah, I had him in this exact same spot, and frankly, I felt bad almost having him that low because he's someone that I think when you watched him on tape, you're like Oh yeah, it's still there. Like maybe it's ninety percent of Devonte Adams, but that's still awesome, and he could have had a monster season in a different scenario. So because it's so similar, I'm just going to go right into my next pick, which I'm going to take Mike Evans here, and we are at the point where, like, yes, it seems crazy. Year after year was Mike Evans like slightly worse maybe a year ago than he was in twenty three? Like maybe I don't know, what did you think, harmon, Like the production was essentially the same except he missed three games. But I saw everything that you've loved out of Mike Evans pretty much. So until he actually does fall off, it feels rude to rank him too much lower than this.

00:47:52
Speaker 3: Yeah, I think twenty twenty three was the best season of his career and he was right pretty much just the same player last year. So yeah, no argument here this is that would have been my next pick as well.

00:48:02
Speaker 1: So much agreement I did hear from someone on Blue Sky check us all out there. You know, we're we're having fun that they didn't like it when we agreed too much on these on these little rankings in the same games.

00:48:18
Speaker 5: Would you like us to lie and be disingenuous.

00:48:20
Speaker 1: Well, they just want some some pops, some disagreement, and uh yeah, I think you guys are doing a great job, except the Tyreek was a little bit of a reach.

00:48:28
Speaker 2: All right, let's say quick.

00:48:29
Speaker 6: Break back at NFL Daily.

00:48:42
Speaker 1: The problem with Blue Sky, though, was my fear of what I thought might happen when I first started, which is now I'm just like posting to two annoying twitters like annoying in different ways. Blue Sky I find much less annoying, but that that was like the worst case scenario.

00:48:59
Speaker 2: And I'm doing it because.

00:49:00
Speaker 1: I'm not a principled or disciplined man and just haven't given up Twitter cold turkey because I'm looking at it for information.

00:49:07
Speaker 4: If you're looking at me like I'm principled or disciplined for not tweeting, you know, elon limited my spread, my reach. I was getting no engagement, and so like all of the dopamine hits that I've been getting twelve years, like they went away, so like there's no point in me going back.

00:49:22
Speaker 1: I need those hits. That's why we do this, That's why we got into this game. Marmen, you're at sixteen. Overall, we're making pretty good pace. I think if we keep this pace, maybe pick it. I think we can go to thirty and then we'll send you on your way. Let's go number sixteen.

00:49:39
Speaker 3: Matt Harman, Yeah, I love it. Next to you. Guys in my list are two i'd love to kind of sort of buy low on, but I will go with Garrett Wilson here at this spot. Really good player that I think last year a lot of unfortunate circumstances for him. We already talked about the quarterback play, of course, also this whole discussion about oh Man. You know, he's just never where he's supposed to be as a route runner. I mean, give me a break. I don't know how like detailed we want this guy to be. But he's a separator. He's almost always open, and he can make plays and contest situations. Maybe a little he's been a little bit more consistent there to truly get into that first tier of NFL receivers. But he's somebody that if by the end of the year him and Justin Fields have a great connection, I think he's about to just get like a thirty to thirty three percent target share in this very run heavy offense. I think he could be kind of climbing the ranks by the end of the year.

00:50:30
Speaker 2: I feel like an idiot. This happened.

00:50:31
Speaker 1: This has happened in literally every one of these where I'm like, oh wait, I forgot Garrett Wilson. He was much higher on my list. I just like overlooked him. I had him tenth like three straight years. I just think the situation has been so bad. I'm with you, like to come into the league as a stamped one thousand yard receiver. Do it every single year in different offensive Corneria is like, you're absolutely right, no offense to Mike Evans. But actually I would have taken him over Evans if I could do it again. But I'm glad you took him. You're up with number seventeen.

00:50:57
Speaker 4: And maybe maybe I'll offend a couple of players here. I'll I'll take the number two. I'll take Davonte Smith here at number seventeen because I think he The perception of Davante is influenced by the Eagles and the offense, not just the run heavy nature of the way things go, but also the fact that he's sharing those targets with AJ Brown, And in every situation where DeVante Smith has been asked to produce, he has done so. When AJ is out, when the team is only throwing the ball twenty times a game, he's been producing. He's caught seventy percent of his targets in the regular season. He's caught seventy percent of his targets in the postseason. I'll take Davonte here.

00:51:36
Speaker 2: He's just so I almost feel bad.

00:51:39
Speaker 1: I'm going to take DK Metcalf next, but I just wanted to talk about them together, because like DeVonta Smith, DeVante Smith is he's better at like being a wide receiver than DK Metcalf, for instance. And he's as good or better at being a wide receiver as a lot of the people on this list that we've already mentioned. Like the size is like a small limitation. I guess if he was on his own team, I guess that'd be curious to see what would happen. Like he is better as a great number two, but wouldn't everyone be better as a great number two. He's just like so freaking good that, like, I don't think you can look at a lot of these guys we've already talked about even the ones inside the top ten and just at the pure art of like being a wide receiver, say, they're much better than DeVante Smith. So I don't think that's too high at all. That's exactly where I would have had him, and DK to me is a little bit of the opposite of that. I'm curious what you think Harmon. He hasn't totally improved like to be a complete wide receiver. Maybe as he's gone along, like I mentioned, like an Aj Brown has, like I think some other players have, and yet he is great at what he does and has improved to some degree and has expanded as routry. Where do you think he is at at this point in his career?

00:52:54
Speaker 3: Yeah, this is the biggest reach relative to my board, only because the tough part with Metcalf is he's coming off his worst season and at times I've been a really big, big defender of his game, and I actually think he was a little like misunderstood come into the league, where he was just viewed as this like one trick pony. He was stiff, uh, because he's always been really good against press coverage because he's so physical at like the hand combat portion of it. But uh, he's really taking a step back on contested catches the last couple of seasons, especially last year, and I just to me, there was just something missing from his game last year. He was like success rate vers zone coverage plummeted last year. Some of that was I don't think it was a very well designed offense. I am certainly willing to chalk that up to it. But I mean, he got out played by another receiver on his own team last year, like pretty convincingly, so I would not have taken him here.

00:53:41
Speaker 2: I'm hit with the harmony.

00:53:43
Speaker 5: How does that feel?

00:53:46
Speaker 3: Disagree?

00:53:47
Speaker 2: I hope whoever, whichever feels fine.

00:53:49
Speaker 1: I'll defend it because I I it wasn't a good year.

00:53:52
Speaker 2: You're right, and his in Geno's connection was not great.

00:53:57
Speaker 1: I got the sense that they did not see things the same way. Very often, Gino thought he would do one thing and he wouldn't do the other, And you don't want that as a receiver. Ultimately, that's a little bit of a knock on decay. Well, let's let's talk about how it's about to be now fair. I really I'll stand by it because this is exactly where I had him.

00:54:19
Speaker 2: I don't feel bad at all. We can all have different opinions.

00:54:21
Speaker 1: What kills me is that I messed up and forgot about JSN, So that is completely on me, and I hope that he gets taken next by Matt Harmon.

00:54:31
Speaker 3: He's not gonna be I'm gonna look I'm gonna look like an idiot because I just said, like, yeah, decay Did is not coming off his best year, so I'm not gonna I'm not gonna take him here. I'm gonna slam Greg for taking him. I'm actually gonna take Brandon Ayuke here, certainly not coming off his best year. But like, this guy was one of the best receivers in football in twenty twenty three. Like he was incredible. Any efficiency metric would tell you that, the eye test would tell you that he's developed into a truly elite route runner and set raider, great blocker, Like he is a number one wide receiver at least he was he was in that twenty twenty three season. Obviously, things went awry last year amid the whole contract. I'm sure clay By and I hope you agree with me on this. I've just been like rolling my eyes at the whole Oh how could I yuke like you he comes in here out of shape. Just sign him to a contract in the middle of this offseason, like give him the money then and he comes in dialed in. We're not having this conversation. So he is coming off a major injury. He didn't. I don't really care about the stats from last year because I think we can chalk that up to just the weirdness in the offseason. So if this guy gets right, I think he can be like a core pivot player for the San Francisco forty hits, because that's how he was playing prior to getting that contract extension.

00:55:43
Speaker 1: It's a fascinating, you know, sliding doors moment when he didn't go to the Steelers that he thought he was going to the Steelers, the Steelers thought he was going to the Steelers, and reportedly Kyle Shanahan stepped in at the last second and kind of made the forty nine ers keep him. Would that world be like dk Metcalf would not be on the Steelers, that's for sure.

00:56:03
Speaker 4: Step in two months before, man, Yeah, what what was the point of the whole fiasco?

00:56:09
Speaker 5: Like what was accomplished in that?

00:56:10
Speaker 4: Like did you save did you save the forty nine ers two million dollars? Like like, what I have, No, I have this protracted situation.

00:56:19
Speaker 1: My guess would be the front office and maybe ownership even felt differently about him than Shannan. But you're right, if Shannan has that much juiced to make it happen in the end, that he's the most important guy. I think we would all agree that that's the case. He's I think he has the hammer versus John looks like, why didn't it happen earlier?

00:56:38
Speaker 4: Would it all have happened if the forty nine ers had protected properly in the fourth quarter of the Super Bowl and Brandon Iuk, who absolutely pants to Trent McDuffie open open wide open to win the Super Bowl on a touchdown catch, and they don't protect correctly. Chris Jones sex the quarterback and it's all history and loss.

00:56:57
Speaker 5: There's only one team can win.

00:56:58
Speaker 3: And also the real sliding doors moment, Greg is actually when Ayuk was posting like Commanders practice film right, because Buddy Jade Daniel was that's funny, Well, what a moron? Why do you want to leave San Francisco and go play for the Commanders? Like imagine Terry McLaurin, Brandon Ayuk, Jayden Daniels. That's the real sliding doors moment.

00:57:18
Speaker 1: That would have been amazing because, yeah, the Commanders ended up with the wrong former forty nine er in my mind, Deebo Samuel. Yeah, and the Steelers KA was like a nice fallback, but it would have been nice to have him last year on that team, or or Brandon Ayuk on that team last year. That's a great call on the Ayuk in the Super Bowl because I feel like Emmanuel Sanders gliding down the field wide open and Jimmy g not hitting him, lives like so front of mine for me and gets more pub But Ayuk and the other one, well, yeah, there's more attention.

00:57:51
Speaker 5: Because we didn't. We didn't we saw that one, right.

00:57:55
Speaker 4: The camera's focus on this all the ball here are the protection's bad? Yeah, and party's getting sacked. But Brandon Ayuk was naked in the end. He had I can't even say the yards of separations because I believe it was McDuffie. If it's not U Trent, then I'm sorry. But the defenders on the ground, I'm.

00:58:11
Speaker 1: Not really like a forty nine Ers guy versus like contensus or anything. I definitely don't root for them, but man, they've had it pretty rough. I feel like they're almost not owed one. But you know, I would if they actually get it done at this point, after all the heartbreak, I would appreciate Patrick, you're Updex.

00:58:28
Speaker 5: I'm gonna take another number two.

00:58:29
Speaker 4: I'm gonna take t Higgins here at this point, I think back to those chaseless also burrowless eras a couple of years ago, where it was essentially the offense was T Higgins. He had the game winning touchdown, extending his arm from what felt like the five yard line to the pylon, and he plays with a receiver who's going to get a lot of a volume and a lot of attention, which he should.

00:58:51
Speaker 5: But I feel comfortable taking te Higgins.

00:58:53
Speaker 1: No, that's that's absolutely where I think he should go as well. I think if he had landed on a different team, he would have had an extremely like successful career. He's always been more than a two, which is why he got the money that he had, and I think Jackson Smith and Jigba was more than a two. Last year he was ultimately the best Seahawks receiver. So I'm doing a first in any of these drafts. I'm going to make a trade, actually, for the first time ever in these drafts, I'm trading to the guy who took DK eighteenth overall and forgot JSN was still on the board. I'm at twenty one and I'm going to take Jackson Smith and Gibber because ultimately, I think he's a more versatile player who's ascending and showed last year that I think he's even better than I expected he could be at the NFL level, that he can be like a true one. Like I'm not going to say that he's a Nico Collins, like he's obviously not that big and physical, but I just think in the different ways that he can win on different parts of the field, everything about him is awesome to me. I'm actually surprised, Harmon, you didn't take JSN higher, only because I feel like he is a little bit of a like both a tape head darling and an analytics darling. But maybe not you tell me wrong.

01:00:09
Speaker 3: No, I mean really good receiver. There's just a lot of really good receivers from the LAFE. Yeah, but yeah, no, I agree with you about Jaysn, like he's somebody that has been pigeonholed as a slot only player, but he was over seventy five percent success rate versus man last season and as a collegiate prospect in reception perception, and like, even if you don't buy what I'm selling with success rate verse man coverage, you put it in the put it in the box score. Last year too, he led all receivers from week ten on in yards per rout run against man covers. So I really don't have any hesitation with him playing more outside with Cooper Cup likely being more of the slot heavy player in Seattle this year.

01:00:42
Speaker 1: And honestly, I think I got great value in the straight It's just a straight up trade. I'm trading him from twenty one to eighteen. DK is moving back. We will put an asterisk on the Delix spankings.

01:00:52
Speaker 5: Now, how does he get away with the.

01:00:56
Speaker 2: Let's go to twenty two Matt Harmon?

01:01:00
Speaker 3: Yeah, I will take here, the guy who from weeks one to seven was producing like the best receiver in football. I'll take Chris Godwin here. I don't I love taking two injured guys with my last two picks. I don't totally know how I feel about that, but Look, Godwin is just such a badass. He's so useful in all phases of playing wide receiver, but he's probably one of, if not the best blocking receivers in the league, and he just adds a whole nother dimension because of that. He's like, he might be one of the best, if power slot receivers in the league. Again, he's up there with like the Saint Browns and those guys. So honestly, if he had finished out last season at the pace that he was producing, he would have gone a lot earlier than this.

01:01:43
Speaker 1: Yeah, he's a tough one because the injury depends on the parameters.

01:01:48
Speaker 2: I do like for posterity.

01:01:49
Speaker 1: This is something I want to look back on a year from now an NFL daily and like see how the rankings change. So I'm actually glad you did that because I was too focused on the injury and just thinking like, he's not ready for this season. But we know that receiver is in there and we saw it. It kind of landed somewhere in between you, right, he would have been higher. You're up next with twenty three.

01:02:09
Speaker 4: All right, at number twenty three, Speaking of injuries, I will take Chris O lave at this point a player that I think due to some organizational malfeasance, we haven't been able to see the best of. I hope he's safe. I feel like like the way that he came back last year kind of put him at risk.

01:02:29
Speaker 5: I don't want to see that.

01:02:30
Speaker 4: But when he's out there, I still think he's one of the better receivers in the games.

01:02:35
Speaker 5: I'll take herself.

01:02:36
Speaker 2: I don't know, Matt.

01:02:37
Speaker 1: If you have a stat for like percentage success rate on the like the you know, the comeback like or the ten yard like the stop routes of like when the ball is anywhere near Chris a lava on that route, I believe it's a one hundred percent success right. I've never seen that play not work with like a halfway decent thrower quarterback like timing wise, I've never seen in that work.

01:03:00
Speaker 3: Yeah, And frankly, I think that his connection with Derek Carr has been like abysmal just for whatever reason, they had never seen the game the same way. Like there's probably a larger conversation to have there, but they just never quite been on the same page. So even like we'll see if Shuck Tyler Schuck can be as good as Derek Carr, which is a tough thing to say, but it is probably the right thing to say in this situation. But even if he might not be quote that good or that productive or whatever, I think he could have a better connection with Chris All Obviously, I love Patrick taking him here. He was my next guy as well. I think you're really underrated at.

01:03:34
Speaker 1: This I had a question mark on him just because maybe because of the health. But I like that because I've always been a huge fan. Going into last year, I believe, you know, we had we had to have these strong takes and stand on a tiny table show and I believe one of mine was Chris Olave would get Offensive Player.

01:03:50
Speaker 2: Or the Year votes. So that did not work out for me or for Derek Carr.

01:03:55
Speaker 1: I am going and this is tough and choosing between like favorite babies, I think Jalen Wattles just earned a spot this high.

01:04:05
Speaker 2: We're now getting into like a part of the draft.

01:04:07
Speaker 1: I feel like it's a lot of similar ish guys, like two pluses, guys who have shown that they can win really regularly, like the speed you can't you can't teach that it's special and maybe isn't coming off his very best season and so that's why like he's a little lower than that. But like, what do you think, like a what do you think Jalen Waddle career should be like Patrick Clayband like the rest of it.

01:04:30
Speaker 4: I think the Jalen Waddle career like the progression of it where we saw the way things started again. He was coming off he was coming off that injury that occurred in his final season in Alabama, dealt with ankle problems early and it's all these very.

01:04:44
Speaker 5: Close to the line of scrimmage targets.

01:04:46
Speaker 4: He got loaded up by targets early on, and it's like, oh, well, you know, Jalen Waddle around the line of scrimmage. But that year too was where we saw how explosive he could be. And then last year again, the total the whole Dolphins took a comeback, like every everybody's speeding humbers felled down like were he.

01:05:04
Speaker 3: Moster except John new Smith. Yeah, John Smith comes in and sax plays for the Miami Dolphins last year where the John Smith play.

01:05:11
Speaker 2: John Smith trade talks are back on.

01:05:13
Speaker 1: One of the one of the funniest years news stories in the middle of is John new Smith's agent arguing with himself or should I say, like, whoever the sources, I shouldn't assume it's the age Adam Schefter's source arguing with himself over four different posts of like he's on the block, he's not on the block.

01:05:32
Speaker 2: He's on the block, he's not on the block. But uh, yes, Jalen Widow.

01:05:34
Speaker 4: Yeah, And I think the explosiveness is still there, the separation ability. He's one of the better players in the league with the ball in his hands in the secondary, and that explosion I think would have had him higher up on this list.

01:05:48
Speaker 5: If not the.

01:05:49
Speaker 4: Dolphins, Uh, just kind of cratering in the middle of the year last.

01:05:52
Speaker 1: Year, right, three thousand yard seasons to start a scare. Thirteen hundred yards is second season eighteen point one yards per catch, which led the NFL that great season for the Dolphins. So whenever it's a young player that's already established that level of production, I always assume that they absolutely can do it and will do it again if they're in the right situation. We have six picks left, we're gonna do. We're gonna do a speed round, cause thirty is a nice number. And just to put the cards on the table, Eric said, if we can get to thirty, that graphic's gonna look better that it looks perfect at p thirty. So we're gonna do six picks quickly, harming your up first.

01:06:31
Speaker 3: A lot of interesting options here. I typically want to be conservative with rookies, but I'm not going to be here. I'm gonna take Travis Hunter at this pick. Just loved him as a prospect. He will probably be the second fiddle on his team because Brian Thomas Junior is really really good. But that could be one of those duos in a couple years where we're like, oh, these guys are both top ten receivers in the NFL. So I think Travis Hunter is going to be that type of guy the NFL, and I think that he will primarily be a wide receiver for the Jacksonville Jaguars. By all their actions, all their statements have sort of indicated it that way. Yeah, so I just use a special player.

01:07:10
Speaker 1: I feel like an idiot because all I did was stick to my board. You know how they the GM's always brag, oh, we stuck to our board. Well, maybe sometimes sticking to your board you're being a dumb ass, Like, why did I I definitely would watch Travis Hunter, but more it's just more exciting, more higher see it like no offense to Jalen Wide. It's just a couple of spots that I had him too. But now I'm almost mad that that Matt got him in this fictional exercise.

01:07:32
Speaker 2: Patrick, you're up.

01:07:35
Speaker 4: Yeah, the training camp interception video was too tantalizing. I didn't have Travis hun her on m on my list because it's just like, Wow, this guy's incredible on defense.

01:07:43
Speaker 1: But I had him twenty two. I had him twenty two, so this is a steal.

01:07:46
Speaker 4: I will be a dumbass and stick with my board and take Courtland Sutton here. I think Courtland Sutton physically could have been higher up on this list, but there's some issues with his game, but not enough to not take him here.

01:07:59
Speaker 2: Yeah, I love that I had him right around there.

01:08:03
Speaker 1: Maybe he's not the most complete receiver in the league, but what he does well, like, it's just outrageous. I thought that Jordan Addison has been underrated since the minute he entered the league. He is only turning twenty three next year. He is my pick here. He's you know, he's racked up nineteen touchdowns so the yardage production hasn't been there as much, but just watching him obviously immature off the field in terms of the speeding arrests, very dangerous, all this stuff. Like he's coming into an important year for him, but man as as a route runner, as a number two, I love me some Jordan Addison, feel great about him. Here, last pick for you, Harmon is number twenty eight.

01:08:40
Speaker 3: I'll go Zay Flowers here, who was perfectly twenty eight on my board.

01:08:43
Speaker 5: Zoom.

01:08:44
Speaker 3: I think that makes sense. There was there was one guy I maybe wanted to consider ahead of him, rookie from last year, A couple of rookies from last year.

01:08:51
Speaker 1: Okay, just throw him out there, just give some love. It's extra Yeah, maybe.

01:08:55
Speaker 3: Ju I think I think about him, can still get in this discussion, and Romadunz by the end of the year, I think, wow, a lot higher than this. Yeah. I'm really, really really excited about Rome based on what you saw in isolation last year and what he's going to be probably as the X receiver in this Ben Johnson offense. But I feel like it's a little disrespectful to not have Zay Flowers taken even if he is the second best wide receiver on his team.

01:09:15
Speaker 5: That's fine.

01:09:16
Speaker 2: It's so funny.

01:09:16
Speaker 1: I have Harrison one spot below Flowers and yeah, breaking news, Rashad Baman got another contract. I go, what two people have supported Rashad Bateman more than Patrick and Matt enjoy us?

01:09:32
Speaker 5: Right, Yeah, it took us a while, but we got there. Shout out to Shot we got there.

01:09:36
Speaker 3: Is Yeah, he got his money. Thank thank god, because it's not going in a good spot.

01:09:41
Speaker 2: Yeah.

01:09:42
Speaker 1: But I want to give the Ravens a ton of credit here for recognizing what a talent he is and signed him to a three year extension when he still had a couple of years on his old deal. What they they surprise us signed him to last year. It was like a real belief in their own system and their player giving him that country. But then I realized it was all some bs CBA chakanery that they're kind of taking advantage that he was on the do not Report list so he was gonna have to wait nextra year and they sort of took advantage of that. So ultimately he's like on Rob Gronkowski's second contract, which was like the worst contract any player has ever signed. Uh, But Rashad Bateman. He's not a Hall of Famer. He can he can he can still you know, make plenty of that.

01:10:22
Speaker 3: That being said, like it was still all last year during training camp and the offseason is they were like, no, this is the year like Bateman, all this stuff and every you know, every knucklehead who doesn't watch the games, like, oh, we just talking up their for their first round bus. It's like, no, the Ravens have watched. They've not they've certainly not read reception perception, but they've watched the games and saw what reception perception said that. Yeah, that guy is when you just isolate him, he's such a good route runner, he's such a good separator. So yeah, he's I'm not going to say would have taken him next, but.

01:10:54
Speaker 2: No, I'm glad you got him into the show.

01:10:56
Speaker 1: Here. That contract now I think it was adding three for thirty six, but now it's like a total of five for almost fifty which is, Yeah, an incredible deal for the Ravens. But also they gave him a lot more guaranteed money and it's great to see him developing. He had I think he was on a very short list of guys with you maybe the only guy with sixteen yards per reception and nine touchdowns. Kind of a weird slice, but great job. I'm glad he got mentioned, even if he's not in the top thirty. Your final pick, and you can tell us who you're thinking about here too.

01:11:23
Speaker 4: Yeah, I've got I've got some guys in this range with Shee, Ryce Stebo, Samuel Jacoby Myers. But I'm gonna take Jamison Williams just for the sheer explosiveness like that. That's what we're watching for. Our guys that can run away from people, get in the paint, and I'll take Jmo Man.

01:11:39
Speaker 1: I was hoping you would choose between I had Jamison Williams right there at like thirty two as well, like right in that group. I was hoping you would choose between the Colts receivers because I'm thinking about Josh Downs, I'm thinking about Michael Pittman, I'm thinking about George Pickens. I really believe it. If it was my team, I would take Josh Downs. I do think he's let's go that good. I think valuing that a slot, you know, primary position matters, and that he could get to him aman ra type of level where he like gets an all pro nod like he has that sort of talent and has been in a different situation. So as as much as I like what Pickens does well and think he could have a monster year, I actually think Downs is even more valuab.

01:12:22
Speaker 2: I feel safer about Josh Downs.

01:12:24
Speaker 4: I'm glad you mentioned George Pickens because I forgot about George Pickens. I probably would have seen, probably would have taken it earlier. I know the situation was horrible.

01:12:30
Speaker 1: I feel I feel bad that Pittman Pickens. I thought about Khalil Shakir too. You know, love to the slot receivers, Love to you Harmon. Everyone should check out reception, perception and then obviously check out what Matt is doing over at Yahoo.

01:12:48
Speaker 2: What what's what's the summer of Harmon going to be? Like? Like you got anything planned here? This is time to get away almost.

01:12:56
Speaker 3: Yeah. My my entire family is going on a trip to Disney World next week. Okay, yeah, that'll be as as the my wife and I are the childless and non Disney adults of the family. You know, we'll see, we'll see what we we can mix it up with there.

01:13:11
Speaker 5: Yeah, in the dream, I can't imagine.

01:13:15
Speaker 2: Feelings like, I hope the Harmon family doesn't listen to this. We will be back.

01:13:19
Speaker 3: I think they know where I'm where I'm coming from. We will be charting.

01:13:25
Speaker 1: Yeah, charting, charting is fun. You got to get away from charting though for a little bit. I'm glad that you will. Patrick, You're not getting away at all. You're You're locked in for the next couple of weeks on NFL Daily, including a show next week. We're going to complete that secret weapons episode in I Cannot.

01:13:43
Speaker 6: That'll be your next show.

01:13:44
Speaker 1: Our next show in this feed will be on Monday morning, will be with my friend Nick Shook, will wrap up some news. Next week is almost the end of the off season. It's mini camps all over the league. And yeah, when we're finally giving Joshunds the love that only Drake May has given him before football's back.

01:14:09
Speaker 4: M