2025 All-Pro Teams with Ollie Connolly

00:00:00
Speaker 1: It's a tough sports not for everybody. You gotta be a little sick to love this game. And we got some picos.

00:00:05
Speaker 2: Welcome to NFL Daily, where we love a year and best of list. I'm Greg Rosenthal here with Ali Connolly. We are the Saturday Sickos. But it's not Saturday. It is a holiday though. Happy New Year's to everyone, and yeah, we didn't want to delay this show any longer with the games on Saturday. Let's put it out, Ali, and let's talk about our all pro teams for this year. I'm asking you, in your words, to be my Joe House to my Bill Simmons as I try to construct an end of the year All Pro team list. Before you know, we're onto coach firings and playoff previews and we forget all about all that stuff.

00:00:48
Speaker 1: Sadly, not a drunk house episode. I wish I was. The takes would really be flying if I was a label to have a couple of couple of bits doing the show.

00:00:55
Speaker 2: No, I do find that sometimes we just get lost in that like day to day shuffle, and so much is gonna start happening next week fast, and we are gonna do a quick final Awards talk. I'll do that with Jordan and Colleen next week, but I did want to go through position by position. I love listening to that as as a podcast listener, and I love me some year end lists of albums and books and everything I start diving in, and so I know I would like it as content, and so you can help me go through position by position, and I'll just bounce some ideas off you, and we'll try to come up with our All Pro team. And we'll start at quarterback, because you know, we've probably talked about Drake May versus Matthew Stafford enough this week. I haven't really planted my flag of which way I would go. First thing I would ask you, though, did you consider, you know, for your team, anyone else other than those two in terms of first and second team.

00:01:53
Speaker 1: No, over the Read Optional because we all weigh oh's on the Read Optional podcast. We do a third team, which always gives me a free, out, competitive, real true all Pro team. So the only the guy I would have in that mix I think would be Justin Herbert. I would consider that, but I think there's such a clear distinction between Stafford and May that he wouldn't get into this conversation.

00:02:12
Speaker 2: Yeah, ultimately I'm leaning May, and I don't like to just lean on the numbers, but when I'm struggling to separate them, I think that's a data point that I will use, and just for the listeners out there, for what it's worth, using the numbers that I was using on QB Island. In terms of QBR, May's first EPA for play, second success rate, second, first in completion percentage over expected by a lot, first in completion percentage if you care about that too. PFF had him fourth. Now Stafford's numbers across the board there are all still outstanding. Fourth, QBR, fifth EPA, third success he actually is first in PFF. So the kind of subjective you know, play by playing, that's one advantage that he had. He's down at fourteenth in terms of completion percentage over expected, so maybe not quite as consistently accurate, and all of that makes sense to me. And ultimately I do it more off of just what I watched and who I think played better. And I just I think you're splitting here is I don't have like a big difference between the two of them. I'm giving Drake May the slight edge and yes, I grew up a Patriots fans, and maybe I'm a little biased, not just because the numbers ultimately like back up what I'm seeing, But I do think a lot of the things that he's done with the pressure around him and the types of throws that he's making have been just like more consistently excellent and difficult. And he maybe doesn't carry as much a load as a veteran quarterback like Matthew Stafford does, but it's not that far off, and on a play to play basis, I just give him like the the smallest edge, but it's very small.

00:04:02
Speaker 1: See, I think he does carry just as much a load. The complexity of their system is actually shape shifted, more week tweak than what the Rams have actually laid down for Stafford. To me, I found this really difficult. I really do both value in the fact, they called the Most Valuable Player award for MVP, so I do think about the value side rather than just most outstanding quarterback. And so I do the cowards way out thing of saying, well, I think may is more valuable that you couldn't just drop Stafford on the Patriots and get the same results. You could probably get the Stafford results dropping May onto the Rams. But I'll give Stafford just down to down excellent to the position. I'll butt Stafford is the first team quarterback in mazes.

00:04:38
Speaker 2: M Okay, So Ali Ali is that is? That is kind of cheating though, I mean, so you are one of the three voters or whoever who gave Josh Allen the MVP last year, because essentially the reason that Lamar Jackson won is as there were a couple Ali Connolly's out there that split the difference.

00:04:58
Speaker 1: And no, I'm not doing it as a fairness thing, which I think some voters do do. I'm doing it strictly by the definition of the award versus the other award, which is just who was the best of operating this position. I would have picked Lamar Jackson last season, which was the correct pick, the most exhilarating, exceptional anyone's ever played the position in human history, and yet didn't come away with the award. I think it's so tight this season that May's value to a team that is just in a worse ecosystem, worse situation is more valuable than what Staffords done with the Rams. I think you could drop four or five of the guys on that team get similar levels of production as Stafford has done. But you cannot not just the consistency he's played with throughout the season for who has just been the best all around quarterback.

00:05:37
Speaker 2: So we're confusing our producer Eric Roberts here, who yeah, check us out on YouTube, and he's putting up the graphics. You know, ultimately I'm getting the final vote here, Eric, we're making one team on this show. Ali's got his own show. Check out the read optional. And I do want to hear Ali's picks for a lot of these, but it's more than I'm bouncing off of him. And the fact that he tried to split the baby tells me that that either way is fine. I didn't need to be told that anyways. I think you got to go m VP and all team all you know, first pro, you know, all pro, first team the same, and so I'm giving Drake May the little bit of an edge. So Drake May is the official NFL Daily All Pro. But it's fine either way. We'll talk about that enough and we'll we'll hit Jordan and Colleen where they go for MVP. Running back was as difficult. It's crazy that eight Chan and Jonathan Taylor probably can't even get serious consideration, Not like I have a hard time putting a Chan over Jamir Gibbs if Jamir Gibbs is going to be third in this competition. But my god, eight Chan had an incredible season and it's has reached levels where he's just a player that's gotten better. I think. Tell me if I'm wrong, like, where have you seen his development? And yet he's not on the top two podium for me? But I do just want to give a Chan a little bit of love before we move on.

00:07:01
Speaker 1: Yeah, between the tackles running it used to be with him. If you just get him in space as a clear runaway, he's clearly one of the most explosive plays the league. Now he actually do just thumb between the tackles, will square up to people and knocked him in the hole. That just gives him more of like a three sixty degree ability to attack a defense terrifies everyone. You get one little crease and then he's just gone.

00:07:18
Speaker 2: So yeah, tell me if I'm forgetting anyone. But yeah, Jonathan Taylor outstanding season, especially in the first half. But to me, it then comes down to bajon CMC and Gibbs, Even though Gibbs might be the guy that I would hand the ball to if I if I just had to have one run to save my life, like if you need eight yards. Even though he might be that guy, I think the way the season ended, obviously he's impacted by what's around him, but the way the season ended it and just how stupendous that Bajon and CMC are he does not make it into the top two teams for me? Is he your solid third? To me, the toughest decision is going who is one who is two?

00:08:02
Speaker 1: I think it's tighter between McCaffrey and James Cook than it is between McCaffrey and Jimmy Gibbs.

00:08:09
Speaker 2: Ooh interesting, Okay, And that's a fair point that I didn't even mention the league leader in rushing yards, James Cook, who does everything that is absolutely asked for him. Did you ultimately go with CMC or Cook? And does that give it away that Baijon is your first team guy.

00:08:28
Speaker 1: I think Bijan is the first team guy. I ultimately went with McCaffrey. Again, I'm able to cow it out with the third team on my own show, But this is the Tights I think those four you can just throw it up and come down in edi order and feel pretty comfortable. It's a stack, as I think a position has probably ever been where you just kind of pick him favorite to that point, Cook I love. I think he's the most esthetically pleasing running back to watch, and he gets into this one off shot. I think with Jonathan Taylor where it's just straight running back and you remove some of the receiving side of the game and then it's just Cook versus Taylor, and I would just edge it to Cook in that department, whereas with McCaffrey and beije On you bring in all the receiving side the game. Swy mccaffrett has a pretty clear edge.

00:09:05
Speaker 2: Well, this is where the Joe House comparison really falls apart because he doesn't have some separate podcasts where he's actually going deeper and longer. But yeah, my official choice, I think, because I don't think you're going to talk me out of it, is going to be Beajon over CMC. Just in terms of raw numbers, John Robinson has twenty two hundred and forty nine yards from scrimmage. A little under the radar, he is only one hundred and seventy four yards off of second all time, and he's only quote unquote two hundred and fifty four yards off of Chris Johnson's all time record, which is like, okay, that's crazy. Two hundred and fifty nine years, four years. I mean, he got within fifteen yards of that last week. So it's possible that he could break a great mark, and obviously he's getting an extra game to do it. You know, it's the receiving and we'll get into why CMC is so incredible, but it's probably the receiving efficiency, not that like maybe he's you can talk to me about the route running and the types of things they're asking to do, but just the efficiency that when John Robinson has touched the ball as a receiver this year, like he's averaging more yards per catch than brock Bauers and Fannin and Khalil Shakir and Trey McBride, Like he is getting almost eleven yards per catch on the season, on top of you know, the efficiency that he has running the ball, and you saw it on Monday night, turning all those potential negative games into five, six and seven. So to me, he's kind of checking all those boxes of crazy efficiency along with the crazy explosiveness, and it's also just trusting your eyes. As awesome as CMC is, Jon has the advantage of youth and that I think he is in his absolute super duper prime on a snap to snap basis, and that just gives him a little bit of an edge over an epic Christian McCaffrey season.

00:11:02
Speaker 1: And I would say degree difficulty both in what's asked of him within the offense as a rout run away, he plays a true receiver flexed outside the formation. No one else is doing that. All these guys catch stuff from the backfield, maybe they wiggle to the slot or something like that. He plays all over the formation as a true receiver. Then the rung game, he's playing in the most predictable offense in around six years. By formation, emotion, you know exactly where the ball is going. It's why he's hitted the line of scrimmage so consistently, and yet it doesn't matter. He just turns. He he always makes one guy miss, and if you make one guy miss against him, it's gonna be a you know, everyone's hairs on fire for at least eight nine yards and it could even go to the house. So the degree of difficulty and what's asked of him in the passing game coupled with the predictability of the rung game and everyone knows what he's going to be. To me, it's just extraordinary what he's done this season.

00:11:45
Speaker 2: Yeah, we're watching him every week, so it really isn't Troy Aikman talking about him on Monday Night during a great performance. But it does help, you know, make me even feel a little better that, you know, when Troy is like talking about Barry Sanders and he is loath to go too crazy on the compliments and is comparing Bajon to him, that I do think he's he's the right choice. What was the often six years ago that was more predictable than Zach Robinson.

00:12:12
Speaker 1: Any of the Office Smith ones? Turn around one?

00:12:16
Speaker 2: Well, you know there was one that Bajon was in a few years ago. I guess that's less than six But okay, so let's talk about CMC's season. Just raw numbers, three hundred and ninety nine touches right now, which is just crazy, and I thought it would start breaking down maybe by the end of this season, but I think he's actually cutting sharper and looking more explosive right now than he at than he has all season long too, so it hasn't seemed to wear on him at all. And his receiving numbers, he has ninety six catches for eight hundred and seventy yards and seven touchdowns just as a receiver, So that's it's like in the ballpark, depending on how how much you you know value yards per catcher touchdowns, It's like he's basically production wise around Justin Jefferson as a receiver while still having more than Saquon or Gibbs as a rusher. It's not like his rushing numbers have been low obviously on a per rush basis, it's not as crazy, but just the intelligence and the way that you can build essentially the best offense in the league around this one guy is what gets him solidly on the second team for me, even if he's not going to go over Baijon.

00:13:24
Speaker 1: Yeah, I agree with you. I mean, it's one where the event's metrics are oddly unkind to him and it almost makes no sense to me some of the rush Shotover expectation. I don't know if the expectation facts in like rotating the offensive line, guys taking massivel's up front again, predictability that they have in the run game this season compared to previous year, is trying to deal with all the constraints and concerns at quarterback and then obviously the old line. So I think he's in kind of his own booket with some of the events metrics, and it's a straight eye test thing that without him, that would not have been functional for probably ten weeks this season, and for at least six of those weeks. Seven of those weeks it was purely we just got to find a way to get him in a matchup, and that's how we move the ball down the field. Then when eyes go to him through emotional movement, we can finally funnel the ball somewhere else in the field to keep us whole for the entire game. So him carrying that kind of loan through mac Jones to Perdy's return when Perdy was not at his best when he first came back, is is just as good as it gets.

00:14:14
Speaker 2: Yeah, and he's over two thousand yards from scrimmage for a third time in his career. And I don't think he was a law Hall of Famer before this year. If he had never fully come back from this last injury, which felt on the table, it would have been an interesting case because he really had just popped up for four seasons in his whole career, three outrageous, one which was pretty close to outrageous, but then this one puts it over the top. Just carrying a team to me, that is as good and I like what you say about aesthetically pleasing. It's crazy though, because about James Cook going back to him because he just looks like Dalvin Cook.

00:14:48
Speaker 1: I mean.

00:14:50
Speaker 2: We've just had the same, right, I mean, looks the exact same as Dalvin Cook. To me, I don't know if I'm just never I've never seen anything quite like that. All right, let's go to a receiver. Pooka and Jackson Smith and Jigba. Sometimes in these exercises we just skip past the guys who are obvious, and they seem like the two obvious first teamers. Now they do three guys on the first team, so we will too. But what stands out to you most between these Pooka? This Pooka and JSN season And I'm relieved we don't have to choose between him wide. It doesn't really matter.

00:15:22
Speaker 1: It's very helpful. JSN just becoming an all around threat at all three levels. Quick in breaker, the intermediate, moll time based stuff, and obviously he can just rip it down the field on the deep ball. I never thought that would become his game. I thought he would max out as kind of a b TI guy slightly overstated because he flashes on red zone every week with the deep shots. Him being a cha mover as well as the explosive threat guy. Just did not think we'd see that in his career. And so it's to his credit where it's press, coverage, zone stuff, whatever is demanded of him. In the route path, he just gets himself wide open and then you can't touch him once he's deep in the stem.

00:15:54
Speaker 2: Yeah, and Pooka, I mean you could say a lot about this season in the contested catches, in his ability to continue to add elements to his game where he is just more explosive than ever, that he is doing everything in that offense, like he has added something to his game each and every season. But the biggest compliment I would have is I will go to my grave believing he did catch that ball on the sideline, and I know there's a freaking screen shot where the ball is away from his body, but I feel like there is because we're slowing down everything so much. He caught that thing, Like he caught that thing, and you can have control of something and that's for a split second, Like there was no way he was never not catching that ball because he's freaking pukinakua and he did have firm grasps with that and he does have the toe and just his body control and everything that he does. I just think receivers and every position is like that, like the next generation is always better. And for a fifth round pick, for me to be taking the position to like new heights is just outrageous from pokin Auquoa this year.

00:17:02
Speaker 1: I mean, this is the same stuff going through all these years now, same with Tyreek, who obviously fellow the draft for different reasons, but year after Yeah, you can just find like Hall of Fame callable place seemingly in the full fifth round at this position. It's crazy.

00:17:13
Speaker 2: Yeah, I think it's harder to find the third pick here. So I did a social video a few weeks ago or they clipped one where I had Nico Collins maybe as my third All Pro, and I love me some neo Collins, Like if I'm just starting the team with a wide receiver, it doesn't take long to get to Nico Collins. For me, it's justin Jefferson, it's Chase, and you got to put the two guys we just talked about right there, obviously, But like, I'm thinking Nico Collins in that category and he's probably next for me. And at the time, you know, Jamar Chase hadn't put up quite as big numbers and I didn't notice, but this I checked it yesterday because I was looking at something else, and suddenly I have about seven hundred comments telling me I'm the biggest dumbass ever, and it's been viewed by like one hundred and thirty thousand people I didn't even realize of just people thinking this is an outrageous take. I am leaning Jamar Chase now as my first team because I don't want to punish him ultimately for having to not play with Joe Burrow for a chunk of the season. And he still is Jamar Chase, so I give him a slight edge over Nico, who's gonna be on my second team. But I am curious just what you saw out of Nico and how you tried to divide up this third spot on the first team because they're obviously not the only two candidates here.

00:18:34
Speaker 1: Are you positive those comments will relate to that video?

00:18:38
Speaker 2: I mean no, they're just like going, why why are you saying? What else would they becuse me taking general shots at you? And you know, no, it was a lot. It was a lot of people going back and forth against each other, but it was a lot of just like Nico, disrespect that they.

00:18:54
Speaker 1: Didn't absolutely asinate. I cannot tell you how constanpated that passing game is because they trusap nothing going on with the general operation of the offense, and so much of his production is tied to the formation. Skinny post, you are going to get your head rocked. That is just the design of the system. Is you gotta climb over a linebacker, a safety is going to hit you square in the chess? Are you willing to do that? Five, six, seven, eight times a game? And hold onto the ball? And there's every now and again there's a play against Jackson where he can grab it and make something happen after the catch. But for the most part, he's like a catch and impact type player where it's this big body, go up and get it and make the team look right, even though it's not open by design. So to me, he is when you're listing, how who would he start a team with you named Jefferson and Chase, he would clearly be the third guy. I think there's a compelling argument for him to be on the third guy on this team over Jamar Chase, just because of the degree of difficulty.

00:19:43
Speaker 2: Well, okay, this is what this show is going to be about. Let's go through the other potential guys on the second team because we're gonna award six guys here. So Pooka and jsent are locked in, Chase and Nico. My other first team is probably going to be between the two of them. Who are what are the other options? We got a mon Ros Saint Brown, we have you know, we got to mention the Cowboys guys. George Pickens, by the numbers is right there. I have a I have a hard time with him, maybe at this high, but maybe Cede Lamb certainly justin Jefferson, I can't I can't ignore him despite just not having the production this year. That's that's probably where my short list ends. Where did you think about, like, how are you sorting these guys? Help influence me because I now I might go Nico first team now that you're making me feel better about it.

00:20:34
Speaker 1: I went with Pickens on my first team because I think he's had the most games this season of all these guys, including Puka, where it's just straight ungoddable. It was just five games this season where it's like no one can get to him. He's living in his own space for the entire game, and I can't think of anyone else he's being quite at that level. Some people have better production in individual games, but just full on, we have no one on one not to deal with this guy. We can't double the guy because we're afraid of CD line, but he just roast people for five games. So that's where I put Picking slightly above everyone else. I think a mom Rod numbers wise gets the chase you mentioned. I would have ted McMillan in that. I think DeVonta Smith has been unbelievable this season. He's lost in the shuffle because the Eagles passing game is such a national nightmare for everyone, and then there's all the AJ Brown stuff that we just forget how dominant Vonta smith is, so that was kind of my short list.

00:21:20
Speaker 2: Ooh, I like that choice, and you're sneaky giving a Rookie of the Year. Take maybe with with t mac in terms of what he meant to that offense because suddenly it's Tyler Shuck.

00:21:31
Speaker 1: Which is laughable. Laughable by the way, because Shuk has been really, really good and it is really exciting for the future. It's a full season award, just deciding this thing the final three weeks of the season. Same with MVP. I know Claybourne is on this island with me, but to strip away thirteen weeks to just decide the final few weeks of the season. Here, the offensive Rookie of the Year is a joke.

00:21:51
Speaker 2: I'm with you when it comes to Shuck because when we're talking, I know what Patrick is talking about and in terms of the MVP, and that is unfair. But Drake May and Matthew Stafford have been outdiding, like Drake May has been outstanding the whole year. I do think games played matters here for a quarterback to win an award, for any player to win an award in those nine games, he's got to be one of the greatest of all time. Like one of the greatest rookie seasons we've ever seen. He'd have to be like Dan Marino rookie season but only over nine games or whatever. And it Chuck isn't even close to that. Like you, you could still make the argument if you want like Jackson Dart versus like Chuck for the season. It's not crazy to me. There's not an obvious choice. I'm I'm leaning McMillan for Rookie of the Year. We'll talk about that. That that is interesting what you say, Like, look, Harold Fan and Junior's like got a top ten tight end, you know, receiving yards in the history of the game. Right now, Loveland like there's a lot of guys Loveland and Warren. I guess has fallen off. But I have a hard time with that too. Okay, you with your input, I will put George Pickens on my second team. I had him there just he was right on the border line. But I'm at least gonna put him on my second team. I am going Nico Collins on my first team. He made me feel better about it. So I'm gonna go Puka, Jackson Smith and Jig but and Nico Collins with my first team, and then I'm going Jamar Chase a'mon ra Saint Brown, who at this point I don't think it's fair to even say he's like underrated, but he's not just a Lions like like slot scheme merchant. He is a very unique player. And so he's on the second team. And that's where I put George Pickens too. So there's our first and second team wide receivers. What did you think about this a mon Ra season other than kind of ruining the mini Lions dynasty by doing the Trump dance. Yes, it hasn't been the same since that at least takes about a first team consideration for.

00:23:51
Speaker 1: The season employed from that and then don gamble a guy I love. I know I f one lost, but kind of disgrace himself down the stretch this season. I turned the lines into this vertical passing attack while having knowing tier offensive line and rotating his center is one of the silliest things any coach, and this is the coach of one of those shop is brains in all of football. To try and pivot the offense that way, which limits what a momro can do, was just laughable. So Amonge the circumstances. I think we can only really go off the pre Trump Dance portion of the season when the offense was designed differently and was featuring a Monramo and was you know, played to his strengths and he fried everyone in front of him.

00:24:23
Speaker 2: Okay, so we give him his love and he gets the second team. I like the DeVante Smith shoutout as like a third team type of guy in this season. All right, let's do a tight end and then we'll take a break. Trey McBride has the numbers. He broke the all time receptions record four tight ends. He was the offense. Statistically, he is far and away the choice, and then I think of what they ask him to do as a complete player blocker. It seems like it's one of the more obvious consensus first team picks at any position. Do you agree? I agree.

00:25:01
Speaker 1: I don't think it's all that close.

00:25:03
Speaker 2: Okay, then who who's your second team? This is one where I was like, oh, I'm not I don't really know where to go here. You could you could make the case for about five different guys. So who was on your short list? And where did you go in the end?

00:25:19
Speaker 1: Yeah, we've been cleaned out by injuries I feel in this category, which makes it really difficult. I ultimately went with George Kittel, who I know hasn't played as many games of the guys, which kind of, you know, dg some of my other arguments about what you should do with the Wolves over the close of season. But when he has played, he's just been a tear above everyone, including McBride. He's a significantly better block of than McBride too. He does make them complete the hole in the rum pass conflict for everyone and makes that offense seeing it a completely different clip when it's him on McCaffrey and you stick together. So I just went with kill over everyone else.

00:25:47
Speaker 2: Yeah, because the other guys would be like I mean, Brenton Strange missed a lot of time. If you had played the whole season, I don't think he would be out of the mix. Darnold Washington would be in the mix. I think just for second team. If Kittle hadn't played all season, then you get to the rookies, Like you know, Loveland wouldn't be that crazy of a pick. But ultimately, I think it's all of a stretch. I was like you, I thought Kittle ultimately is so much better than everyone else. It's kind of like I was saying with Tyler Shuck that, like you would have to be so much better than everyone else for your your games. And Kittles did still play ten games. It's not like he didn't play for much of the season. It's interesting to me you would say that you would have taken him over McBride if he had stayed healthy for the season. It's kind of crazy that we've gotten two like vintage total peak Kittle seasons right now at this stage of his career. Like guys, guys, I mean, considering how much they've put on him over the years. This is usually when tight ends would start declining, and he really hasn't, at least when he's been on the field.

00:26:53
Speaker 1: Yeah, the decline with him is just izzy on the field on not he's on the field. He's one of the five six most valuable offensive plays in the league. It's just whether he stays healthy, all know.

00:27:01
Speaker 2: And it's been awesome to see McBride like kind of sustain his gains and continue to improve that. It's one of the hardest things to do as a pro and it's what puts you in Canton right now. And it's crazy to think about, but Fay McBride is very young, but he this is this is what Hall of Fame tight end careers look like early in their careers. That's the type of start that McBride has had. Let's take a break. We're going to come back. We're going to talk line play, We're going to talk defense, and we're going to talk linebackers, which are just Ali Connolly's favorite people on here. Thing back on NFL daily the new year. Think about what you've learned over the last year and maybe in a career, Ali, and you've got to know your strength and your weaknesses. And I'm sick of pretending I have super hot takes on defensive line at this point, I really do want to dive more into the All twenty two and like going back over this season when we get to the offseason. But with this blur of the season and I watch all the games as quickly as I can and stuff, it's like, I have general feelings about who's played well on the offensive line, but I'm going to lean on you in your picksause I'm curious. These will be fresh to me. And it is a lot of the same names that you would think at tackle, I think would pop up like Trent Williams started off the season poor, but by the end of the season he just seemed like Trent Williams again, which is hard to ever leave off. Same thing with Tristan Wurfs after an early start, like you know, wasn't healthy, but then he was very much Tristan Worth. Garrett Bowles is a guy maybe that stood out to me that had a really good year. But I'm curious where you went for tackle.

00:28:52
Speaker 1: I appreciate your humility. You could do a traditional vote to thing of just pull up PFF and treated as gospel and file your ballot, which I think is what most people do. I went with Bowls and Tristan Worth as my starting time.

00:29:03
Speaker 2: H well, so then I didn't Hey, who needs you anyways? I nailed it. Oh wait, so that's over this year? And why okay, why would that be?

00:29:12
Speaker 1: Seoul has had now back to back seasons away in pass Pro. He just isn't the caliber play. He leaps off the screen so much in the wrong game, particular when they feature him when he's a puller and a mover in space. He's so clearly a head and shoals above everyone else in the league is a mover in space, but he just has so many major l's in past pro. When it's straight one on one, the other guys get caught up. When there's some kind of two on one conflict, you put two guys over and they got to figure it out. It becomes more about the protection planning. Just those guys are straight up pass pro plays. Sul just has more losses in straight one on one past pro than the other top guys in the league.

00:29:41
Speaker 2: No, if I actually had a vote, and not that voters are listening to this show, maybe a few, you know, I would that's those are the positions where and I would try to do this with all the positions to some degree, but where I would just talk to people inside the teams who have been game planning and preparing and watching and who's giving you the most like all that sort of stuff versus yeah, checking PFF or asking see that.

00:30:05
Speaker 1: That is difficult though, because Penny sullis when you have to gain fun fall whereas I don't think you go in worried about Garrett Bowles. You just can't get past the guy for the entire season he's gotten.

00:30:16
Speaker 2: Yeah, what has stood out to you about him as he's gotten older in his career, because he does seem like someone who his development arc has been really fascinating. But now he's at the point where, yeah, he might be the best pass protector in the entire league.

00:30:31
Speaker 1: Yeah, and he's not as flash as the guys. Trent is obviously more flashier, and you know, has more of a size speed combination doing the Garrett Boles was even at his size. That what he has going for him is he's in the best protection based unit in the entire league. Showan Payton is just the best at divis and protection plans, the tiers outstanding. But he gets gets isolated a one on one on his own to one side the formation, and he's just never wrong. And that is the job ultimately the end of the day, is just stay in front of the blocker. Doesn't have to be as flash as everyone else. When you've got to be aggressive and engaged against someone, he does that. So when you got to sit back and play more patient football, he can do that too. So he can just play in a varied number of ways and he just doesn't let guys past him, which is ultimately the job.

00:31:10
Speaker 2: Yeah, he's been that dude too when you when you hear from people that are around the Denver Broncos like he is maybe the biggest leader on that team. He has kind of mister Denver Broncos certainly for the offense. So yes, Garrett Bolls, Denver Broncos. Tristan Wurf's of course a left tackle now of the Tampa Bay Buccaneers, and he's just someone that I don't think you need to have as great an I for offensive line play when it comes to him. When I watch Tristan Wurst, I just think like, oh, yeah, that's exactly what you want, like in a left tackle. That's that's kind of teach tape, that's athleticism, It's it's everything that you want. And I know he just missed Week seventeen for the Bucks. He missed a couple games early, but ultimately he hasn't missed that much of the season. It sounds like he will be back on Saturday for the Buccaneers for what could be Geene Deckerhoff's final game. But we won't know. Big news breaking on what was it Wednesday here, But yeah, what stands out for you for Tristan Worfs.

00:32:12
Speaker 1: Worfs is just the combination of intellect and size and speed. It just should not be allowed to be in one package. You just have to take one of those out to make it a fair fight for everyone else. In the ring game, everything is on the menu. He can kill people on the backside to have people pull around him, you can pull into space himself, opens up the screen game for them entirely. So he's truly like in that booket of Penny Seol where it's he's a weapon offensive line, which is so right to find at a tackle spot because you just so worried about passpro to hod to make that guy be a featured weapon. He can do that stuff, and then he just also doesn't make any errors or mental mistakes in passpro wears with Suli, you get more of those breakdowns.

00:32:44
Speaker 2: Yeah, and like it's one thing when they're missing their guards, it's another thing. Like last week, you could really see it when they're missing Tristan Worst. I think that was a big reason why they lost that game against the Dolphins. All right, who are your choices? Give me the players and the team tams for the interior offensive line. I'm handing this one over to Ali Connolly.

00:33:06
Speaker 1: Okay, we'll start at God. We'll go with Joe Toney from the Bears at God, and we'll go with Quinn Minutes the God from the den Broncos.

00:33:12
Speaker 2: Okay, so you think that Quinn Minors, who I know you have loved his development, has kind of kept up his run blocking more than anything as like the definitive run blocker in the NFL.

00:33:26
Speaker 1: Right now he is definitely the definitive from blocking NFL, just one on head of Manta man football. In the trenches, he controls big human beings better than anyone else in the league. And I actually think the separation with him to every of the line position the season is the biggest gap we have the biggest goal. If you can make a case for different right tackles, different left tackles. He is like streaks ahead I think of every of the god in the league because now he's added so much more balance and fleet footedness in passpro, where he used to not lose the initial phase of the rep, but this guys would throw moves that he would kind of get lost and confused. Now he just doesn't let anyone by him for entire stretches. And then he is an absolute mola in the game, He moves the pile individually, mouldenny of the player in the league. So when you combine those two things together, you get the all around god that you need. Not quite the overall skills that maybe the most explosive gods in the league, but what he's asked to do, he's doing a complete, you know, maximum capacity, and there's no one else I see in the league doing it quite at that level is consistently week to week.

00:34:18
Speaker 2: And you got to give Ryan Poles or maybe it's Ben Johnson really pulling the strings, but ultimately the Bears executing that trade for Joe Toney, and you think about all the different reasons why the Chiefs, like you know, fell apart this year, like trading Joe Toney and giving Tray Smith all that money. I'd have been part of it, Like I get it in terms of age, but it's interesting to me that you think he ultimately, even though there's a gulf between miners and the rest of the Guards, deserves that spot, as you know, kind of the guy who helped ignite a running game and really a transformation on that offensive line which really came especially after the bye week, Joe Toney getting it done. Possibly gotta make speaking of the Hall of Fame like him doing it now for another team. I think is gonna be a big feather in his cap one day when they're talking about him for Canton too.

00:35:11
Speaker 1: Yeah, and a bit of a mere culpa pick for me. I like to do that with these teams. When I just get takes wrong to open the season, I reward the people for myself being wrong. I thought that was a reasonable trade. I thought he was really backslid last season, was kind of getting through on some of the name brand value. Looking at how he's played this season, I wonder if he was fully healthy at the end there with the Chiefs, not just when he was forced to play out a tackle which he couldn't play in space like that. He just has such a beautiful, like old man Vets savvy game in passport particularly, he gets away with all kinds of dirty deeds inside. Just end the rep as quickly as possible. Then you mentioned the wrong game stuff. No one is more sound than assignment based than Joe tuning the rung game, and he has I would say, an easier assignment down to down this one like Quenton Nelson. It's so double team base he's getting an awful lot of help, but he's just been as clean as anything throughout the season.

00:35:56
Speaker 2: I love also that you're going so hard on the paint for Miners because I don't think his his PFF grade is incredible because they knock him for Pass Pro.

00:36:07
Speaker 1: And so.

00:36:09
Speaker 2: We're playing our flag here, All Pro first team, Quinn Miners by a lot. Who's your center for the All Pro team?

00:36:16
Speaker 1: Aaron Brewer from the Dolphins. Yes, has to be.

00:36:19
Speaker 2: We've given him a lot of pop this year. He was on our All Underrated team, and I do think that one has sort of caught fire in terms of the cognizant He not necessarily from here, but I do think people are recognizing Aaron Brewer, Miami Dolphins. A lot went wrong for the Miami Dolphins this year, but the development not just of Aaron Brewer becoming an All Pro type player at center, but the development of Patrick Paul at left tackle was definitely a positive. Although I feel like he's had some up and down games lately, but overall he's been good at left tackle. Not in All Pro, though Aaron Brewer is We got to get to defense. We spent a lot of time on offense. Let's go to edge annual is the deepest position. Feels unfair that there's only two edge players. It's like you almost want to find a spot for everyone else. I guess we got to go top down because in the end, as deep as it is. Maybe I'm wrong, but I actually didn't have that hard a time with my first team. I think it is Miles Garrett and Will Anderson. Am I crazy?

00:37:23
Speaker 1: Oh well, you say, well, Lendison, I think Miles Garrett and Michah Pauson's I think.

00:37:26
Speaker 2: See okay. I mean he was my solid number three, and so that was my thing was I figured, if Micah had stayed throughout, and maybe I'm knocking him too much for the injury, that it's it's Garrett and Micah and Will's a nice like kind of third. But because of the injury, I just bumped up Will and moved Micah Parsons down. I guess make the case for why missing how many games is it now for Michah Parsons, Uh isn't that big of a deal because yeah, when he was on the field, I think it's pretty clear one and two him and Garrett.

00:38:02
Speaker 1: I think it's perfectly valid to have Will Anderson ahead of him, I would say that they've been comparable production wise. There's a slight added benefit of the defense one plays on versus the defense the other plays for where mikeris was the entire engine that made the thing run when he comes off the field to see what that really looks like. When Jeff Hafley's left to his own devices without maybe the most dominant pas rusher in all of football. I just think with Garrett and Parson, it's these are the two Hall of famers at the peak of their powers, and everything else is kind of overthinking it. I adore well Anderson. I love him so much. He is as technically sound as any edge defender we have in all of football. He is a dominant one on one pass rusher. He is as good at run defending as any player in the league. So putting him there is would be no shame, And if he's played more games, I think it's entirely justified. I just think Parsons and Garrett have been as good as you could ever hope a pass rusher to be that. I just put them there.

00:38:51
Speaker 2: Yeah, And I hate and I do kind of like putting Parsons in some way on the first team because it pushes back against you know, just some of the like light grumbling over the year, you know, during the season was like was he worth the trade or Cowboys fans or even Bears fans trying to say, like, you know, because the sack production wasn't there earlythough got there in the end anyways, that he somehow wasn't Michael Parsons, and that he didn't make a massive impact on their run defense, which I think you've seen over the last couple of weeks. So ultimately, he plays fourteen games and Anderson will play seventeen, and it's not that huge a difference. Parsons was a little limited on his snapcount early. I don't know, I kind of like rewarding just total greatness. You maybe have convinced me to just go Miles Garrett and Michael Parsons still as a first team because you know, years from now, I'll just want to see the extra all team All Pro first team, not that my vote actually counts. All right, Let's put Micah and Miles Garrett as the first team, and anyone listening will know that I have Will Anderson as a very solid you know one B number three the hard part, I guess is going number four. I'll throw out some names. Nick Benino is certainly in there. One of the things I like about him, which I mean like a lot of things about him, but like his time to pressure just stands out compared to the rest of the league, Like where that matches what your eyes are that when he gets the pressures, it's not the same as the other pressures because he's there, and like the play is just ruined, even compared to Miles Garrett in Parsons, like when he gets there, it's there right of the way. Aiden Hutchinson I think fell off a little bit down the stretch, but still an outstanding season. I think Josh Heinz, Allen had a great season and closed very strong. Daniel Hunter and Byron Young. If you're going to like a third team our players worth mentioning at least, is there anyone I'm forgetting there? And where are you leaning for that last spot?

00:40:55
Speaker 1: Jared Verse, I would throw in the Okay, well, I think that it came down to me. It really difficult to pick between all those guys. It came down between Benito, Josh Heines, Allen Hutchinson, which is again as a three month shoallest for one spot. It's just really difficult to pick those guys apart. I would maybe lean Hutchinson, but I think the impulse of Benita is probably, as I think about it, more, the right one.

00:41:17
Speaker 2: He was my you know, and that was my list in order, Benito, hutch Heinz Allen as the next three. It sucks because this is where I wish there was. And you have a third team, so you can give a third team, but I just wish there was an extra spot for edge. I just feel like they deserve it more than like a second safety or off ball linebacker.

00:41:36
Speaker 1: It is difficult because you want to reward the players who you feel don't get enough publicity for being Yes, Excellen Josh Heines Allen is so unbelievably dominant, and I don't think many people even know who he is at this stage of his career. But it just so happens that milesgar and Mike Buddon's all famous because they are just the best of what they do. So what about that?

00:41:52
Speaker 2: And Benito this year from you know, he's had a couple of quieter games in December, but overall, that is where I'm lean, even though Hutchinson first half of the season would have been on my second team. I'm going Nick Benito also because I'm afraid of him because he tweeted negative things about me. Defensive tackle. Maybe you said guard was the biggest gap from one to two. Could I argue that Jeffrey Simmons the gap at defensive tackle maybe from one to two. Maybe not an overall play, but just in terms of I feel like he obviously to me, has to go on the All Pro team. And then the other spot I wasn't really sure about is there. Do you think there is that big of a gap? Or is Jeffrey Simmons, for all the big play like he sometimes is not a big play merchant, but like his great snap, his twenty best snaps are the best twenty snaps getting defensive linemen, whereas down totown consistency. Maybe you can convince me that other defensive tackles are in the mix there too.

00:42:53
Speaker 1: No, I still think it's down to down consistency is outstanding. Frankly, his average time to pressure the season is two point five eight seconds. That is by far the biggest gap of any interior defensive lineman. It's almost half a second quicker than everyone else in the league, over than Christian Barber who plays real snaps. So it just shows how quick and dominant he is off the ball. The other guy I had in the first team who I think is just having one of the most underrated seasons we've had in a long time is Cam Hayward with the Steelers. Yeah. For him to still be doing it at the level he is at this stage of his career, playing hundreds of snaps more than the other guys in the list who are ten, twelve, thirteen years younger than him, is one of the wildest things I've ever seen. He is still the full crem of the defense. Without him, the entire thing collapses. You watch the Steels against the Browns and it's just him and high Smith trying to make up for everyone else losing their mind every of the play and being in the wrong spot. I think he has been so so dominant, and to do it at this stage of his career, I think it's pretty close with him and Simmons, then maybe a slight gap to the second team.

00:43:47
Speaker 2: So that I had Simmons kind of by himself, and then yeah, I had Hayward, and it was just a list, but this was the order of rough order. Hayward, our guy, Kobe Turner, and they all are underrated team. We could give him even more love had him in the mix. Leonard Williams is still Leonard Williams and playing well, having the good season. Zach Allen has like the Splash production, give a little love to Jordan Davis in videvea maybe if you're getting further down, but ultimately I think we parked their car in the same garage, which is Cam Hayward. I don't know if there's anyone on a long list that you just want to give love, or if any of those names stood out to you, but just the fact they even wrote down Jordan Davis on a long list was funny.

00:44:30
Speaker 1: I think on that second team for me, it was the two Seattle guys. I think Leonard Williams and Bira Murphia comfortably the number two. You guys think Murphy's intelligence is one of the most jarring things I've seen in a young play commen's league at that position. When he has all the physical capabilities off someone like a Jalen Cots, the size, weight, speed, feed on that's all in the he is just so far ahead of guys where he's at in his career in terms of his development, addressing blocks, taking on blocks, double team, single stuff. It's just freaky to watch him play at the moment. So that could maybe something web by the end of next season. It's like, oh, this is the guy we were looking for, Jalen Cotts to be a down to down absolute destroyer. It's actually Bira Murphy. But that has happened over the course of the final ten weeks of the season.

00:45:12
Speaker 2: And Leonard Williams, if you think of his career playing, you know, for those two New York teams, and he still is getting a little lost in the shuffle in Seattle, just because there's so many good players there. There's still like another world where I just feel like he would have been more recognized consistently throughout his career and will would have a better Canton case in the end, where right now, I just knowing how these things go, I don't think he's gonna get seriously, you know, considered, because he's always like the fourth best interior defensive line, which is an incredible thing to do for ten straight years. It is probably worthy of that.

00:45:51
Speaker 1: And now he's fallen into this spot where you get with like the march Madness told him where it's like the coach and them boys is like how people describe teams and much maddness. It's like, well, Mike McDonald is the so the defense is good because Mike McDonald is there, and you right a lot maybe five six plays and maybe he's the fourth all fifth player in the list. If that thing does not roll without Lendon Williams, in my mind, he would need, I know, like a Super Bowl MVP with a strip sack fumble, I think, to actually wind up, you know, getting the case that is not off the off the table this season, I guess. But he's unfulishit in the sense that I think that by next season he won't even be the best interior defensive line on his own team. Even though he's won the five best in the league.

00:46:27
Speaker 2: He's never made All Pro. That's crazy. I thought he did last year because there was like a little bit of like Leonard Williams Defensive Player of the Year buzz, but and he did get fourteenth place in Defensive Player of the Year, so not a lot of buzz, but only only a couple of pro bols like was almost defensive Rookie of the Year. Uh, just the guy that yes is not created by Mike McDonald because he's been the same guy basically his whole career. Let's go to the linebackers. This is your favorite position? I don't I don't know if it was obvious. I feel like, who's at the met to most this year when he's on the field. It was Devin Lloyd, so I'm not gonna knock him for his injured weeks. And then I think it's running back Zach Bond for me. Do you want to make a case for anyone else on the first team?

00:47:14
Speaker 1: No, those two I think are the correct and you get more of the splash plays with Devin Lloyd boor and gives you some splash plays. He's the best all around linebacker in the league. When Fred warn is not healthy and playing, so Bown is the obvious one. Then I think it's Lloyd, But it's a pretty small madge. I for me to the second team, where I had as is al Shaye, who I still think is understated for how good of just a play he is because he's more of like a brand as being like this absolute freaks oid on the field, trying to decapitate everyone in his line of sight. Then my other second team guy was Devin Bush, who we've all recognicent to you mentioned told it's about Castle Sweastry throughout the season. Who's added a sensational rookie season. I think is the defensive rookie of the year. But overlook just how excellent down to down Devin Bush beside him?

00:47:53
Speaker 2: Yeah, wow, what a what a career arc And I was afraid. I mean, he he shows up every we including that he was great in that Steelers game last week. I first of all, we agree too much. I purposely didn't listen to your show just to you know, have my own things. But I guess that's good that we're agreeing a lot I had. I had Lloyd and Bond and then I had Jordan Brooks and Alsie year. Jordan Brooks to me, just he is from that position. What I want is someone I see every single week like making a real impact and is consistent. So maybe I'm over radium slightly, but I have had him in Alshai year and uh that was that was my second team. But a nice season for Jordan Brooks too, coming from Seattle and going to Miami.

00:48:36
Speaker 1: I think a little bit of inflate to production with Jordan Brooks. When the when the defensive line is getting bench prest into a lot, you really do rack up the tackle numbers makes people inflate. Actually, how well you play Devin Bush hasn't been fortunate with that because defensive line is completely dominant. You kind of kind of play siftem find football. So I would have Bush pretty comfortably out of Jordan Brooks. But ye has that a good season?

00:48:56
Speaker 2: Yeah, and Jordan, you know, Devin Bush with the Browns we should point out. I mean, he was basically viewed as a first round bust has been bouncing around the NFL since then, so it's cool to see him develop like this. But yeah, Bond and I feel like I'm forgetting one other person at linebacker.

00:49:15
Speaker 1: But I don't know who you could throw into. Mario Davis, who was being unbelievable at this phase of his great You could throw in Edge Koopa, you could throw in Nate Lemon, Divine Diablo. That would be on the long list. But I think it's a pretty close separation just because of the impact and production with load, with the past deflections, hold interceptions obviously He's had game breaking plays and has been good enough down to down where the other guys would being probably just as good down to down, but han't quite had the game breaking place.

00:49:38
Speaker 2: Okay, we're to the secondary, and you set me a video of Kamari Lassiter before we started upon the threat of like physical harm that if I did not put Kamari Lassiter on the first team, you would get on a plane and come after me, And so I guess we got to do it. So yeah, if you're watching and you could YouTube, you can you can put together or watch a video that Ali lovingly put together. And I felt good about putting him on the first team. Let's just start with him before we get to maybe who else would be there? Why? Why is lassed or your guy?

00:50:15
Speaker 1: He just looks everything like an all pro corner shot like in twenty twenty five, which is in out versatility, the tied to the formation, playing on the boundary, all the run defense stuff. He is by far the best perimitter run defender in the league now, and in a league that includes Quinnon, Mitchell and some really good attack the run type cornerbacks, he's just leaps and bounds ahead of everyone else. Then, in coverage. He does every single thing you want to textbook technique, where it's bumping, run, picking guys up on the fly, play more off coverage. And he's doing this in a defense with no bells and whistles. They are declaring what they're gonna run before the snap every single time. He's opposite Derek Stingley, so you know he's gonna get targeted more. He's like, well, in the top ten in targets this season. People know they got to go after him. Stingly, freelances a whole bunch last placed as a simon, and his perfect basically every single snap, and you see the impact and he goes off the field with the knee injury against the Charges the first and the Charges do say we've got to go hunt the new fish. Luster is off the field. They hit a sixty y odds shot right down the field because they know the Lust is no longer. That's just to me, he is, by technique, the best all around corner in the league this season. Because Pat Sitana's dealt with some hell stuff, he's not moved quite as fluidly for stretch of the season, whereas Lust has been able to do that. I just think he is as like coaching goes on what do I want a cornerback to look like? Both attacking the wrong game of playing and coverage. He's had the best all around season of everyone.

00:51:30
Speaker 2: I love that, and I love I love a complete physical corner who also just moves as fluidly as he does. He is an awesome player, so he is part of our first team. So you mentioned Sertan, who has had great moments this year, had the injury and it seemed to affect him for a little bit. The All Pro team does give three cornerbacks because they kind of reserves a spot for a slot, which I don't think you have to make it into a slot and less one is obvious. But Cooper Dejene is certainly a good option to put there if you wanted to. You mentioned Mitchell, you mentioned Stingly. I think those are some of the best options there for the first team. I was leaning I was probably leaning Quinyon and Dejene, but I don't know where are you looking.

00:52:27
Speaker 1: I think Degene. If you're just having a set Nickel spot, go with Degene, and that is really tight because then you can bring in Petrie, you can bring in Brian Bryant. He gets pretty squarely.

00:52:36
Speaker 2: If you think Prie on either my second team or is it safety, it gets a little confusing.

00:52:41
Speaker 1: Yes, yeah, so, but I would go with Degene at Nicol the second cornerback spot. If you're just saying primitive outside boundary corner that is really tight. I went with Stingly. I like the playmaking upside with Stingley. I like rewarding the Texans for having I think the best back seven in recent times. They are the best defense in the NFL playing as I said, head up, straight up, you know what we're doing football. Everyone else ring all these confusing systems and schemes, and they say, no, we run exactly what we run every the down. You know what's happening, and we want people down because Colinas are so duminant, and so I wanted to build luster and Stingly on the team together.

00:53:12
Speaker 2: And some of Stingley's coverage numbers in terms of just you know, people not throwing at them, and when they do throw at them, they are just absolutely outrageous. I do like making a statement that it's this epic like historic secondary and like Caden Bullock, isn't that crazy of a guy to think about for like a first or second team at safety. But there is a world where we put Stingley on the first team and then we put Petrie at safety, and you have three Texans defensive backs on the first team All Pro. Are you comfortable with that, because I think Petrie is where I would go as my safety if that was the case. Then taking care of, you know, the cornerbacks. I think I'm putting Quinyon on the second team. Let's wrap the the cornerback discussion, because I think that's where I'm ready to go along with you there that I would put Quinyon on the second team. And then there's you know, some other interesting names. DJ Turner is not a crazy name. I don't think Christian Bedford is not a crazy name. Jamel Dean had his moments this year. Maybe he doesn't get across the finish line here. I love me some Jordan Lewis, I don't like if I'm making a third I don't know if he quite makes uh this second team here. But if we're if we're allowed to reward six cornerbacks, basically we'd have the two Texans and Dejene on the first team. I think, man, I guess then you've got to go Tan and Quinnan tell me your thought process going through the second team.

00:54:45
Speaker 1: Yah, So ten has to be on the best colon I've since devel Reebis And as long as he's alive and healthy, he's making my team every single year. I just pencil him in there. And he's had a good season, it's not exactly like he's been surpassed. I think this year. Right, of the guys, the one that is difficult to leave off if you take it down to three, I think is Christian Benford then kind of changing mid stream and saying we have no pass rushing, no way to stop the room. The only thing we can do is five Christian Benfin into the line of scrimmage as often as possible to fix everything for us. And it actually worked for a time. People will see the false full molliainst Joe Borrow in the game against the Bengals. Whey, he made a whole bunch of plays. But that was just their recipe down the stretch of the seasons. Like the only thing that can save us is moul Benford. And so if I see a defensive staff, decide to do that with a defensive head coach tells me they believe the guys won the best.

00:55:30
Speaker 2: In the league, all right, And I think he was right on the border, And so that means the second team for me, I'm not putting Petrie there at cornerback would be Quinnon, Mitchell, Christian Benford and Pat Tritan, which is an outrageous second team at cornerback. And so that's our second team. And then I'm bumping Petrie back to safety because I wasn't sure where else to go at safety other than him and Kyle Hamilton. There's certainly other options like Caden Bullock. Who else stands out? Are you okay with Petrie and Hamilton as your safeties?

00:56:07
Speaker 1: I'm okay with all things. I would have Peatris the MVP if the you know, the league would allow it, if it wasn't just a quarte about it. If I don't have children. If I had children, I'd have a hard time loving them more than I love Jalen Petrie. I just think he's I.

00:56:17
Speaker 2: Mean, he's similarly age. You're a young man, so maybe maybe a brother it would make more sense.

00:56:23
Speaker 1: Yes, go and look at the on off splits, which is tricky with football compared to the NBS something like that. But the on off splits of Jalen Petrie are so profound for a team we know is loaded with talent. You just put two corners on the first team All Pro. You talked about Bud and Will Anderson the first team All Pro. It is dramatic night and day difference from being historically one of the greatest defenses in the history of the league. Too, really really good when Jalen Peatre is on the field or off field, and every single face at the game, rung, game, pass, game everything. So I think it's difficult to not have Jalen Petrie on that. If you don't put him at nickel, you've got to put him back there at safety. Other people are doing James. I think it's been unbelievable this season in a redefined role playm all of a blitz, a close line of scrimmage that Bell so he's the other tight one. But if you're util one off head to head, I calim book doing James ahead of Kyle Hamilton.

00:57:09
Speaker 2: Yeah, that's he was the next guy I wrote down Derwin. I mean, it's really picking knits because he's been incredible. There was like a three week stretch where that defense didn't seem like they knew what they were doing, and he was a part of it. But the rest of the season he's been like a new I wouldn't even say Peekee Derwin James because it's like a new Derwin James. An incredible career. He's gonna have an interesting case for Caton someday. So if we're doing a second team, he can go there. But let's go Hamilton and Petrie on the first team. And then Quinton Lake was having a great season. David McKinney still a good player and is in the mix. Antoine Winfield I think rebounded this year. Kevin Byrd's still making plays at his age, but I feel good about her.

00:57:50
Speaker 1: The other guy I would throw in there is Telenoa Hafanga, who okay, again, another meal Coop won from me when I thought he was completely cooked in San Francisco and had gone from underrated the roastly overrated because he flies around and has the hair. People could just see him on the field and thought he was outstanding, and I just thought his legs had gone by the time they got into Denver, and Denver hired Jim Lend from Wisconsin this offseason, to get more of the safety involved in attacking the line of scrimmage, and he has returned and played at a level I think even better than he was in San Francisco. You go and look at some of the run stop numbers, the run stuff numbers. He's just all over the field all times. And they've changed their entire pass for a structure over a couple of seasons from the all out, crazy wonky blitz stuff to more of a four down rush because they've got Nick Benito and this season a five man pass rush because they typed Tolenowa Hafanga into the thing. And he's played at a crazy level. So I think him and Derwin for me is pretty tight.

00:58:39
Speaker 2: We need to write these downs, etch them in Stone. I want to get it on to the PFF site that URL Pro team also gets there, and I want them to recognize Kayami Fairbairn too as my All Pro kicker. I don't know if you went All Pro kicker, but I love me some Kaymi. You can go in a few spots. The kicker position has never been better, but I'm going Kayami Fair Why not?

00:59:00
Speaker 1: And and Mary DK for All Pro returner getting a rookie to do that.

00:59:05
Speaker 2: Yeah, the I it kind of snuck up on me that he set the all purpose record, which is like a weird stat but because he was, you know, punt returner, kick returner, and uh also getting it done as a as a receiver. Yes, he would be the All Pro returner this year. What a sneaky good rookie class by the Titans. They just gotta they just got to build on that and find a coach other than Mike McCoy. We got to the end of the season, I was like, what was the point of hiring I mean of firing uh Callahan and Dable so early, Like, yeah, I guess they were worth getting fit, but there was no point to it.

00:59:46
Speaker 1: Whenever you can get a head start on interview Mattinagi, it's gotta be done. You just gotta do it.

00:59:51
Speaker 2: Like at the time, I wasn't questioning it, and then and I get it. You just feel like you need to get like some some satisfaction and and make the fans happy. But then the rest of the season was pointless and your quarterbacks probably were worse offware But that's another podcast. We did it. We went longer than I expected, but I'm really glad we got our All Pro team in and like I mentioned, we'll do some awards talk next week, but we got big games to talk about this weekend and then the playoffs. You're going to be along for the ride, are you? Are you scouting these college football playoff games over there in the UK? I'm excited.

01:00:27
Speaker 1: I'm deep into them. The most loaded linebacker class we've had in a long long time. On one team, we got two first round is It's very very exciting. Oh, I'm going to put you on the spot.

01:00:36
Speaker 2: Then give me, like a non quarterback, give me a defensive player or two to watch this week specifically that's playing in these college football games that you like.

01:00:47
Speaker 1: You go to just watch the Ohio State defense, My boy, Matt Patricia cooking everyone alive in college football. You watch all of el recent Sonny Styles, the linebackers from Ohio State, allvel Reese the most dominant player in the count. We should be the second overall pick in the draft. Probably won't be by the time the draft rolls around. Sonny Style should be a top ten pick in the draft. CJ. Allen with Georgia another dominant linebacker. We all we are truly rolling about six seven eight linebackers deep. You should be worthy of first round consideration and a pretty i would say weakish mediocre top into the first round this year.

01:01:19
Speaker 2: All right, get you, Get you an analyst that can do both. We're gonna be hitting the draft heavier than ever on NFL daily this offseason with the help of Ali Connelly and then on forties and free agents with Daniel Jeremiah, which will be back weekly pretty soon before that, though, we will have our pick show in this feed on Friday. Cynthia and I. Unfortunately my twelve straight winning week streak came to an end because of the Atlanta freaking Falcons, but we're gonna get back on the winning side this week, so that'll be on Friday before all the games this weekend, we will see them