Mock Draft: Jeremiyah Love at No. 3? Caleb Downs Goes Early and WRs Fall

00:00:04
Speaker 1: Welcome to NFL Daily, where it is officially mock draft season. I'm Greg Rosenthal. I'm in the garage. I'm back on the show. I'm with my friend Nick Shook, and yes, we're gonna be talking about his mock draft today. We don't like doing our mockx too early, Shook, but they're going to be hot and heavy because we are only two weeks away from the NFL Draft.

00:00:25
Speaker 2: We might do three mocks in that time. Let's go.

00:00:28
Speaker 3: It just hit me. I looked out at the dat and I was like four to nine. The draft is the twenty Oh my god. We really are only two weeks away. We are right in the prime window for mock drafts.

00:00:36
Speaker 1: Yes, we're we're not messing around with any other shows other than draft coverage at this point. Next week we're doubling up with our friend Ali Connolly.

00:00:45
Speaker 2: We've got a great forties in free.

00:00:46
Speaker 1: Agents with Mina Kimes and Daniel Jeremiah. Uh. Like I said, I'm gonna be working on a mock. Shook's gonna be helping me out, maybe talking some offensive linemen. It's all draft, all the time. And yeah, that's a good note that the draft is the twenty third, And what that means is, like the clock, the calendar is changing. This year, the NFL season, I did notice, is starting like five or five days later than last season.

00:01:10
Speaker 2: It would have been six if not for the Weds.

00:01:11
Speaker 1: Again, so we're getting a little extra in the back end, but this front end is shorter the draft seeds.

00:01:16
Speaker 3: Yeah, yeah, because typically the draft is like the absolute last week of April. It's like twenty eight, twenty ninth, sometimes creeping into May. Now we get a week earlier for all the draft heads. They don't have to wait one more week, so good for them, and the schedule just continues to expand for us.

00:01:29
Speaker 1: Nothing like schedule talk right off the top. You know, the news isn't really popping when we're doing that, But you and Jordan did a great job going over a pretty meaty chunk of news. I was a little jealous, not as much today. So let's put a clock on this news. I'm gonna I'm gonna limit myself to seven minutes max on this news because I want to get to your mock draft, and they'll give us a chance to really talk about motivations and some of these players in a way that we haven't before. But before that a little bit of news. There was a lot of Falcons news, So we'll just start there. Caleb McGarry, who's been their starting rate tackle for over half a decade, surprisingly retired after six seasons. To help replace him, they signed Jwan Taylor, who was with the Chiefs for one year. And I also did want to mention James Pierce's is not with the team as they are getting together for It's not OTA's yet. I've seen people call it ots. It's not OTA's, it's just the workout program. But he is not with the team right now as he faces three felony charges. So just a trio there of Falcons news, but the biggest one really is that they had a potential starter in McGarry that will no longer be playing for them. Continue a little bit of a trend of some surprising, relatively early retirements this offseason, and.

00:02:40
Speaker 3: This retirement only makes sense if you consider how his season ended last year, which was in August and during practice he suffered an injury that required a car to exit the field and he did not play the rest of the season. This is the guy who played in double digit games in every other season that he played, and despite only playing six seasons in the NFL, he had a longer college career. He's already thirty one years old, so he's at that age where as an offensive line and you start to think about the wear and tear on your body and you come off of a major injury like that, and some guys are just like, you know what, it's really not worth it anymore. But I did find it kind of funny when recapping his career and running up the quick little retirement post for NFL dot Com. I ran through the quarterbacks he blocked for, and I thought President of Football Matt Ryan was one of the guys he protected in the early days of his career. Very funny that you know Matt Ryan's now giving a statement as president of football and Caleb Garry's retirement.

00:03:27
Speaker 1: Yeah, he had two contract extensions, which doesn't happen too often in the NFL, so he got some long term money. But they're going to have to fill that spot, and you just think about their team overall. I kind of grouped the Pierce news with it just a couple absences that they didn't necessarily expect, although they do have really good continuity otherwise on the offensive line. They're a team that is a total mystery box to meet, and Pierce's status will be a big part of that. I think Joan Taylor has actually a good sign. It's probably not going to be for a lot of money. He was overpaid in Kansas City, but he can play a little bit. Let's get to the Dexter Lawrence conversation. You guys talked about him requesting a trade. Let's listen to John Harbaugh, the Giants coach. Uh, the players are in the building in New York lifting weights, and Dexter Lawrence isn't there.

00:04:15
Speaker 4: We'll find out, you know. I think the prospects are going to be high because the Giants, speaking for the Giants, we want Dexter here, and I believe Dexter wants to be here. You know, that's that's a good that's a good formula. But there's business involved. It's a business proposition. We know it's pro football, and these things happen every year pretty much on every team. So not surprised by it. Saw it coming a few weeks back, probably in good conversations with Dexter's agent Joel Siegel, and understood what they were thinking, and this is where we're at, so we'll just try to work through it and see where we can get done.

00:04:49
Speaker 1: How Bob, They're reacting and responding to a question, what are the chances that Dexter Lawrence remains on the team, So he's somewhat confident. The thing I would throw at you that I think hasn't been brought up too much in this conversation Giants fans and I think the Giants in general weren't that happy with Dexter Lawrence's play last year, Like that's been a little lost in the shuffle. That was not He was certainly not the defensive player of the Year candidate that he was previously. I'd have to dive into the tape a little closer, but not as big of a factor in the running game from the people who really pay attention to it.

00:05:25
Speaker 2: Maybe it got better later in the season.

00:05:26
Speaker 1: He was coming off a big injury, but that complicates things a little bit when you want more money, you're not happy with the team, and you're an aging player who's maybe not coming off his best season.

00:05:35
Speaker 3: Yeah, and I think that the condensed way of reviewing his season from a fan perspective is just looking at his numbers, and anytime a guy goes from having nine sacks the previous year to a half sack in seventeen games, you're going to draw some criticism. I also think about their defensive performance as a whole. They finished twenty eighth in the league in yards per game allowed, So this was just not a good unit. And of course he's going to attract some criticism because he is one of the faces of it of a unit that underperformed. But I don't know if I mean, you're right, I kind of have to dive into the tap more to really kind of understand exactly what happened there. It's not a good time necessarily for him to demand a trade, and he's already gotten an extension once, so there's a little bit of like a leverage play on both sides. But I have to think that with the new regime at least a new coach in town, same general manager, that they're going to try to find a way to figure this out, just because if he can bounce back, he's still going to be a key part of this defense, even as you know he gets later into his career.

00:06:29
Speaker 1: For what it's worth, and a lot of people don't really buy into the PFF grades in general. A lot of people are in biden into PFF right now after what's happening to this offseason. But for what it's worth, you know, his breakout season was twenty twenty two. In the three seasons starting with twenty to two, his rush run defense grade was eighty one, eighty nine and a half, and eighty four. Last year they had him at fifty seven.

00:06:54
Speaker 3: Yep.

00:06:54
Speaker 1: Just throwing that out and that kind of tells you right there, they're throwing that out there, at least from that perspective. Also, while we're talking Giants, I really wish Patrick Claybond could be on the show today to just say rest in peace to the Daniel Fallele Raven's tenure. He is officially a member of the Giants and John Harbaugh is bringing over every former Raven, so Fallele, who was enemy of the state number one in Baltimore last year is no longer in Baltimore. All right, it's time for the offseason ride along presented by Toyota. There's a fifth year option spree going on right now. No surprise that C. J. Stroud and Will Anderson got it for the Texan c J. Stroud will be paid twenty five million dollars in twenty twenty six. It's just a reminder how much the quarterback money has changed, because like that fifth year option was kind of locked in of like what that number was going to be, And now I look at twenty five million dollars, which seems like a lot. He's the number three overall pick for on a one year card. I'm thinking, like, that's not backup money, but it's not even starter money anymore. So act it makes it even easier if anyone was thinking about CJ. St Out in his future. It really the fifth year option made it easier for them to not really get into long term contract negotiations.

00:08:07
Speaker 2: And twenty five million.

00:08:08
Speaker 1: Dollars, like, even if this year went horribly wrong, is actually not that much money in today's quarterback you know salary structure.

00:08:15
Speaker 3: Do you know where twenty five million puts him in the current APY rankings among quarterbacks? Just off the top of your head, I'm going to guess seventeenth. Well, unfortunately, over the cap doesn't number their list, but it's right between Baker Mayfield and Milik Willis. In terms of Milik wills at twenty two and a half Baker at thirty three point three, So a pretty big gap there, and it feels about right, and you're right, that's cheap, and he buys them another year to figure out whether they want to keep him because after that just amazing rookie season, he has not proven that he is that guy consistently. Now you can blame some of it on the offensive line and everything else, but this is kind of approved year for him, especially with the way last season ended in that playoff loss at New England.

00:08:54
Speaker 1: Brian Bersi got a fifth year option from the Saints. He's had an up and down career for the Saints, but they did pick up the pass rusher there. I should have mentioned with the Texans, by the way, Marte Mapu, a Patriots player, was traded to them this week after it was announced that Mapu was going to be cut. A guy who really didn't make much of a big impact for the Patriots. But yeah, but you know what, he'll try to help out in the back end.

00:09:18
Speaker 2: He had a player. Yeah, I like the idea. I like the idea.

00:09:21
Speaker 3: In Demiko's defense, keep an eye on him, I like it.

00:09:23
Speaker 1: Okay, keep an eye on him and that was the off season ride along presented by Toyota because when people are the destination, your ride is important. Learn more at Toyota dot com and find the vehicle that fits your people. Jordan Tyson, who's a divisive I would say wide receiver prospect coming out, has had some injuries. Hasn't been able to get off his hamstring injury. Will have a workout for teams next week. So that's just something to keep an eye on for next week. With teams back in the building this week. You know, people made a little too big of a deal that Lamar Jackson was there lifting weights. He's been there lifting weights in the past sometime. It's just whether he stays the whole off season or not. But he was there on day one. You're you're looking, you're looking quizzically that, uh hey, now he's all in.

00:10:10
Speaker 2: No.

00:10:11
Speaker 3: I don't question this at all because I think there's a vibe coming from Baltimore that new coach everybody needs to get their butts in the building and get to work. It seems like that was the sentiment that was expressed by guys like Kyle Hamilton yesterday when talking with reporters. Is that the standard we have a standard of set and we failed to reach or you know, get above that standard over the last few years, and now it's time to correct that. So I'm not surprised at all. This is one of those like resets where jesse men or new coach, everybody get in here. Let's start working now because we want, you know, to be a better team than we were last year.

00:10:39
Speaker 1: And there are nine teams working out. These are all teams with new head coaches. Everyone else doesn't work out for two more weeks. I don't know why the gap is is so big, but it really bothers me. I've seen a lot of like, oh, people reporting for ots, not ots, they're just they're just they're just lifting weights. But we got nine teams in the building. It almost makes me think football.

00:10:59
Speaker 3: Is bat Did you just get a premature Football is back? I don't know.

00:11:04
Speaker 1: April ninth, nine teams in the You know, guys are like talking at a podium in their own building. That's a sign it's getting One of those people, by the way, is Kyle Pitts, who signed his franchise tag and is working out.

00:11:17
Speaker 2: Devin h Chan is not.

00:11:19
Speaker 1: He's staying away looking for a new contract most likely. But at this point of the offseason, I'm not really too concerned about who's there and who's that. I'm more concerned about, shuck, who's here. Let's just get right into this mock. We waste enough time, too much time.

00:11:34
Speaker 2: You didn't have to worry about number one.

00:11:35
Speaker 1: The mock's been out for a minute here, but I just thought it'd be a fun exercise. We haven't done any mocks on this show, and now that you're you're breaking out as a mock Draft live star.

00:11:45
Speaker 2: We got to do it here. And uh, there.

00:11:48
Speaker 1: Wasn't much to talk about with the number one overall pick. Yeah, from Nando Mendoza going to the Raiders, and we're gonna go more in depth with him next week. We're gonna have a quarterback show. So I'm just gonna skip right past that because no one is even considering him not being there. The draft really starts at number two, and I have noticed a little bit of a trend, and now you're part of it. Maybe you kick started it at number two to the Jets.

00:12:12
Speaker 2: Where did you go and why we went.

00:12:14
Speaker 3: With Texas Tech edge rusher David Bailey and I think about the history of the Jets when I made this selection. Obviously they've spent a lot of resources on improving that defense. It's Aaron Glenn's you know Forte, you got Tofandre Sweat, David On Yumana, Demrio, Davis, Joseph Aside. You can continue to go down the list. Couple of additions in the back end too, including Mika Fitzpatrick. Right. So that's been a focus. But when I think about the history of the Jets and where they draft from the first round, I always come back to edge rushers and Vernon Golston who came from Ohio State and was a bust. And so obviously that was a long time ago, that was a different regime, but Jets fans will also remember that when thinking about drafting and edge rusher in the first round. So I pivot toward the guy with the most production coming out of college football, and that is David Bailey, who had a phenomenal final season at Texas Tech. And he's just he's a guy who is a speed rusher. He sets up a lot of his moves off of his athleticism, and when you're playing tackle and you face the guy with that type of speed, first thing in your mind is I have to retreat and win the race to that spot. But when you often focus on that, you also expose yourself to moves back inside. He's got an array of moves that have powered him in his collegiate career, and I've seen him mocked it two for a while now. Basically since the combine, a lot of people thought that that's where he might go. It was a debate between him and Rville Reese. I don't think Reese is purely an edge rusher, And if the Jets are looking for an edge rusher with production behind him and expectation to immediately produce at the NFL level, it's David Bailey.

00:13:32
Speaker 1: They have edge rushers though, But you know who agrees with you. Daniel Jeremiah and Peter Schrager both put him recently as their projection to the Jets at number two. They think he's a little more polished from the get go. I think he's a little more boom or bust. You know, he had a lot of production against some lesser competition, and he has an incredible first step. But to me, Rvel Reese is more special. But maybe he's a guy who is going to develop a little slower and you have to figure out how you're going to use him. But it does feel like that that he is becoming the consensus pick. You did not go consensus at number three. You went wild Jeremiah Love to the Cardinals at three. The Notre Dame running back really interesting And if this does happen on draft day, I think it's going to make the rest of the first round much more interesting. The boring pick here is taking a tackle. Why did you go Love at three?

00:14:31
Speaker 3: First off, I don't think there's a tackle that's worth taking it three. And I know I follow the logic of well, if he's your guy, go get your guy. But I do think that there's some merit to avoiding overdrafting a guy. I just don't think that there's that, you know, generational Joe Thomas type that's available at three, so that should be deserving of going to three. And then you think, well they could use a linebacker, and you think, well, maybe Rville Reese is where you fit him in because he's a guy that you can move around as a chess piece. He's an excellent off ball linebacker. Maybe it's sunny styles. I go Love, and I've got a lot of hate from Cardinals fans and just critics online, as is the case with anything that you write, because the Cardinals have already bolstered their running back room this offseason, right they have James Connor coming back from injury. You go and you sign Tyler Aljeer. You also have Trey Benson back there. None of that makes me feel super excited about this offense, though, and that's no disrespect to any of those guys. The way the Cardinals have operated over the last couple of years has been did James Connor run well? They may have won. Did James kind of run poorly? They definitely lost. Like their whole offense has been predicated on whether Connor succeeded or not. I'm not going to put all my chips in the center of a table on a guy coming back who's probably in the back nine of his career in James Connor. I'm not gonna say Tyler Algiers is suddenly going to fix that, even though I love Tyler Algiers as a change of paceback, nor, am I going to say that about trade Benson. This is a home run hitting, arguably best player in the draft type of prospect, and Jeremiah love. You don't know what you're doing at quarterback right now. Jacoby Brissette Gardner Minshew neither long term answers. So why not go get a really good running back who is a three down back who can be just as effective in the passing game as he is in the running game. Answer that, give yourself a weapon and then figure out everything else you know later in the drafted in future years.

00:16:09
Speaker 1: Todd McShay of The Ringer says that someone with power inside the Cardinals front office, or at least decision making group. He said, I could always be an owner or coach is a huge love fan and is kind of pushing for love. So there's some actual reporting that backs you up. I'm fine with it because to me, in a draft without many super duper stars, you just take the difference maker.

00:16:35
Speaker 2: You don't think about it.

00:16:36
Speaker 1: You have the example literally with Tyler Elsier that Bajon was worth having. Yep, with Tyler Elzier. James Connor is not making like even three million dollars this year. They cut his salary. It was I'm not sure he's a lot to make the team. We'll see if he's healthy. Trey Benson is not a long term consideration. The logic to it, I like, and I think it makes sense if they fell in love with him now. I like our I think our Reese could be that big of a super duper star and that big of a difference maker. And they have a massive need there too, So I think you go either way, but I don't. I don't mind the thought process. And to me, it doesn't make sense for love to fall further and you don't have Reese falling any farther.

00:17:18
Speaker 2: You have them going to the Titans.

00:17:21
Speaker 1: The question I would pose to you, and that's at number four, so your Reese falls to them. I think they would love to have the choice between Reese and Sonny Styles. I just think of Sunny Styles as such a clean fit there in Tennessee in that you know, who's the comp for him? Maybe maybe he's like a more rocked up Fred Warner. Obviously you're not assuming he's going to be as good as Fred Warner, but like the athletic profile, Yeah, you know, he he could be that sort of player. And you have Robert Salad there. Why Reese over Styles? You know it's for the Titan specifically, Yeah, for the Titans.

00:17:54
Speaker 3: At four, This is we ended this range three, four, five, where I'm going to say the same thing about each of these picks is that you can't let this guy pass you, Like he's just too good of an athlete and too high of a ceiling to let him fall past you and take somebody else. It starts with love at three, he continues with recent four the conversation between recent styles. Styles is a converted safety right and was a key part of Ohio State's defense over the last two years, one of the best defenses in the country. But when you watched Ohio State this past season, Reese was the better player. Reese was the guy that was all over the field, making more of an impact on a per down basis. And I think he's just scratching the surface. Previous seasons, he was not really a notable name, and then he blows up this past season. And I think it's the combination that we saw in the testing profile of the combine of athleticism, but it's also his dynamic abilities. He is really good as an off ball linebacker, like really really good. He's also a talented edge rusher who is just getting started. Doesn't really have a lot of polished to his edge rushing game, which is why I want to keep him within the hole. You could play him off ball, you can move him around like early my co Cam Parsons, before Micah Parsons became just the edge rusher that he is now, and I think that would help this defense. With Robert Sala also being another coach who directed a big investment in the defense in the off season, going and getting his guys in the Jets like Jermaine Johnson, John Franklin Myers. I don't know how he feels about Cody Barton or Cedric Gray, and that would be kind of a good player, but you need to yeah, and then that would kind of make more sense with the styles pick if they didn't like one of those two guys, right, Whereas with Reese you can use them all over the place. You can brush him alongside Jermaine Johnson and just make you know offensive lines that you're facing, just enter nightmare scenarios with both those guys coming off the edge. So I just like the potential in the ceiling more, which is why in the choice between these two guys, you take the guy with the higher ceiling. Maybe not as high of a floor, but a higher ceiling.

00:19:38
Speaker 1: Yeah, I think in just terms of like who's been the best players, who are the most who's the best talent, right, I think rvel Reese, Jeremiah Love, and Caleb Downs have an argument to be the top three players in this class. Now you have styles going to the Giants, which is so good.

00:19:52
Speaker 2: I love this.

00:19:53
Speaker 1: They need linebackers, they they don't need to force a tackle. I think they're in a nice spot compared to these their teams that they're they're good at tackle, and so I think adding styles helps us answer the question like is Denard Wilson the defensive coordinator like a good coordinator? He had a lot of excuses in Tennessee. He comes from Baltimore. Like no, I'm just saying like he didn't really have the players to show it, but he was creative. But I think, look, if you have sunny styles and you have this front, is John Harbaugh a good defensive coach? Because everything you know, our friend Alli says is that Harbaugh essentially was like a co defensive coordinator the last handful of years. Like he's in the defensive meetings, like he's it's not evenly offense defense, and he has he's had a big hand in their defense throughout the years, and so they just would be loaded and they they will have an opportunity at five to add to that defense. And I think it's kind of perfect for them actually if they don't if basically if Styles falls to them instead of like let's say one of the edges.

00:21:01
Speaker 3: Yeah, And I don't care that they signed Tremaine Admits because I think that's an insurance signing that you make in March before you get to the draft and you hope that a guy like Styles is there. Doesn't matter to me, and I think that the fan reception to mock drafts is often like, well, we just they just added these guys. Why would they add another guy at the position that doesn't matter to me. You're going for blue chip talent, and Sonny Styles has plenty of blue chip talent. He's a guy that also is going to be able to play on three downs for you. He's just as good as a coverage man as he as a tackler and a run stopper. He can basically do it all. And it fits the athletic profile the testing that we saw from the combine. You know, good amount of production at Ohio State he was the heart of that defense over the last couple of years. I mean, you look at the personnel that was on this team. You think about Downs and Reese also being there, crazy unit, but Styles was the face of it. I think he can quickly become the face of a Giants defense that, oh, by the way, includes Brian Burns Dexter Lawrence if he has the bounce back year that we hope he has. Admiral Carter, your first round pick last year, You've invested a little bit in your secondary. Like I like the way that this defense is starting to shape up. But maybe I'm been higher on the Giants defense than most people because the stats don't back it up. A guy like Styles to it, I would be even higher on them.

00:22:03
Speaker 1: I think there's a greater chance that Dexter Lawrence gets traded, by the way then seems to be getting put out there.

00:22:08
Speaker 2: I don't care what I don't care what Arba said. I just think there would be a market for him.

00:22:13
Speaker 1: He fits the profile of a guy who would get traded because two years left, he's already making a lot of money. He seemed like a like a pain for the team last year A little bit. I know it's a new team. He's a good player. I'm not saying that he just fits the profile. He was on Bill Barnwall and I's list of guys who could get traded this offsene. It was talked about in trade. So that's just a random aside that I never got to. Let's let's do your top seven and then we'll take a break. Carnell Tate, you have going to the Browns and the Ohio state wide receiver, first receiver off the board. You know, is there is there anything that gets in your way of thinking? You know, Tate is worthy of a selection this high. Everyone is saying they're going to take a tackle and a receiver. In this case, they get to take whatever receiver they want.

00:23:02
Speaker 3: Yeah, And if you're gonna take a tackle in a receiver and that's your plan, I think if you're going to try to maximize your picks, you go receiver first. And I chose Tate because I know the forty time is not great. The forty time is very similar to what Devanta Adams ran coming out of Presdent State. They have a lot of similarities in their style of play. Let's think about like even this past season, where did Matthew Stafford turn in the red zone. He went to Devanta Adams. Why because he knows DeVonta Adams is going to make the contested catch and score the touchdown. And Tate is kind of the same guy. That's his greatest strength that he displayed at Ohio State and especially this last season. There's that highlight of him catching that touchdown pass between two guys against Wisconsin at Camp Randall and when I saw that play happen in real time ago, that's who that player is right there, and that's why he's worthy of the sixth overall pick in this draft. Now, is he a number one? Not really? But do I need him to be a number one right now? No? The Browns just need talented pass catchers, especially with their uncertainty at quarterbacks. So I'm very much on board with this. I don't care, you know, what anybody else says about needing an offensive lineman, because you can get offensive linemen that are quality with your second first round pick, because there's a pool of them that are probably still going to be available. Maybe some guys that sneak up into the first round that you take. But you can't let this guy pass up because this guy has his main talent being a contested catchmaker will immediately translate to the next level no matter who's throwing you to the football.

00:24:17
Speaker 1: Well, and the thing was that he was a vertical receiver. That reminds me of the Vonta Adams too. It's like, yeah, Devantia Adams didn't have a fast forty time you know what. He was in the NFL A lot open down the field, Like, yeah, he was always making big plays, and so is Tate.

00:24:29
Speaker 2: I mean Tate.

00:24:30
Speaker 1: Tate is a big play merchant. So it's a great combination. And he we said it about Abuka and JSN a little bit that they weren't like the classic number one profile, and yeah, especially JSN pretty awesome. Yeahs fit that. And Abuca is a big play guy too, So yeah, I'm with you. I think that makes sense. You keep the Ohio State train going at number seven. It's Caleb Downs. Let's just review your top seven.

00:24:56
Speaker 2: By the way.

00:24:57
Speaker 1: We have Mendoza to the Raiders. We have David Bailey from Texas Tech to the Jets. We have Jeremiah Love from Notre Dame going to the Cardinals. Rvel Reese to the Titans, Sunny styles to the Giants, Carnel Tate the receiver go into the Browns, and then the Commanders going with Caleb Downs. That is spicy. Others he's interesting Caleb Downs Like some people think he's right there as one of the best players in the draft. I also did hear a little bit of buzz of like I think there's some teams that won't see him that high. It's the positional is he that big of a difference like? And actually think he could follow a decent amount because we've seen it with safeties in the past. Why Washington, why would you have him a little earlier than people say? I'm guessing if you went to the sports books that you do the over under on where he gets taken. If he gets taken here, you're gonna win if you took the over.

00:25:56
Speaker 3: Yeah. Well, first off, he's not going to slide past ten because Cincinnati's not going to let him go and Washington's not going to let him go because their defense was the worst in the NFL last year. That's dan Quinn's calling card. That's an embarrassment that they were the worst in the NFL last year. They're another team that has invested heavily in the defense this year. Odafe Oway, Kaylebon Chaison, Leoshanal Nick Cross, Amic Robertson five new projected starters that they've added this offseason. But I don't care that they've added those many guys, because Downs is a three level safety who I very much believe is one of the best players in this draft. He, like Reese, like Styles like Love, are the type of player that you just can't let slide past you. And especially for a team that has this big of a need, I'm not really worried about fit. We live in sub packages so much. We see teams go three safeties all the time. This is just a playmaker who is not afraid to get his nose dirty. He was one of the best tackling defenders I've seen in college football this past season. I couldn't tell you how many times he'd find he'd wind up at the line of scrimmage on a short pass and just blow you know, smoke screens up for example. He's a player that I just think the world of and he can come in and be an instant difference maker for Washington defense that certainly needs one.

00:27:01
Speaker 1: Yeah, And I think like Styles with the Giants. Downs with the Commanders would be a bit of a culture tone setter for the entire group. I know it's not a new head coach, but it is a new defensive coordinator in deroonte Jones, who could use Downs.

00:27:16
Speaker 2: They're fairly deep at safety.

00:27:17
Speaker 1: They signed Nick Cross, you know, Mike Sanders still has played on the outside and in the slot. A Meek Robertson was signed to maybe play the slot. They have will Harris Kwan Martin at safety. I think having more guys is a good thing. The question there would be do you leave Ruben Bain on the table? You know when you absolutely need an edge. That's a tough decision right there between Baye and Downs.

00:27:41
Speaker 3: Yeah, what did von Miller have with Washington last year? Seven and a half sacks or something like that, Like von Miller at his advanced age still making a difference. That kind of shows that you can get production out of edge rusher, and you also need an edge rusher. But I do not want them to go edge rusher now because again I think Downs is just that talented of a player. Bain ends up going the next pick. And you want to talk about a device polarizing player, it's Ruben Bain because of his short arms. Now, a lot of people have worried about his short arms and dinged him for it and seen him falling into the teens and mock drafts because of it. But New Orleans still hasn't resigned Cam Jordan. He's near the end of his career anyway. You need that presence off of the edge. They have Chase Young under contract for two more years. I love the idea of Ruben Bain on one side Chase Young on the other. Does it go against the whole build the offense with the offensive Mine to Kellen Moore, Yes, doesn't matter to me because you need a long term replacement there, and I think Bain is explosive and powerful enough to come in there and be that type of guy answer that void for you for many years to come. And honestly, I'm not too worried about his arm length because it doesn't really fit his play style anyway. There's some weaknesses in it, but he's a very instinctive player, and I just think he's a guy that's going to make the leap to the next level and be able to give you quality snaps right away.

00:28:47
Speaker 2: I think there's eight.

00:28:50
Speaker 1: Really standout players in this draft, and you took him in the top eight in a row.

00:28:56
Speaker 2: Yes, Like Bain is such a saint.

00:28:59
Speaker 1: They love big, physical, run stopping, tough edges that you know aren't necessarily bendy, guys who are gonna win around the edge. Whether it's Cam Jordan or Granderson or Marcus Davenport when he was there. Even Chase Young kind of fits that profile, and Baine absolutely fits. I think they'll be really happy with that selection. I can see Mickey Loomas doing it. Those are the eight guys that to me stand out the most in this class.

00:29:25
Speaker 2: We got the rest of the first round to go.

00:29:26
Speaker 1: Let's take a break and we're gonna come back with the Chiefs on the clock at number nine. Back on NFL Daily. Feels good to be back in the chair. Will be in the studio on Monday. Patrick Clayband back on the show on Monday.

00:29:49
Speaker 2: Looking forward to that. Jordan, of course, big week leading to the draft.

00:29:52
Speaker 1: I had a good time seeing my parents in freezing Massachusetts, and Shook at a good time on NFL Network this week. Who cares about ESPN Here Shook is wearing suits on Mock Draft livee how come, Shook, you are looking so sporty if you're watching us on YouTube, He's got a very cris Chris Westling coated shirt and a nice looking suit. Why do you clean up so much for Mock Draft Live when you don't for us?

00:30:23
Speaker 3: I was told by the producer hythem that we do it fancy on the show, and I honestly I pushed back because as a private school kid, I always wore a tie to school for many, many years. The idea of wearing a dress shirt without a tie is still foreign to me. So let me just tell you, I overcame some uncomfortableness just to wear that without the tie.

00:30:42
Speaker 2: It's tough.

00:30:42
Speaker 1: I mean, you can't, Shook can't just be buying things off the rack he's got. He's got to get especially suited for the Chiefs. Go cornerback and swords Elane from LSU. This is not what they've done in the past. Did you think about them taking the first offensive linemen instead?

00:31:01
Speaker 3: Yeah, because you think about their needed right tackle and how Juwan Taylor obviously wasn't worth the money that he made last year and was he was okay for them, but he wasn't You know what you really want out of a right tackle. But I also think about the fact that they invested in Jalen Moore the previous offseason before Josh Simmons rose to be their starting left tackle. I think they need death of the positions, both tackles, interior line too. But at this point, I think about who left this teeth this defense this past year. I think about what the identity of the Chiefs has been since they won the Super Bowl. What was that fifty eight in Vegas? That was a defensive minded Chiefs team. They are not that team anymore. They were not last year. They need to get back to that. They lost both starting corners in Jalen Watson and Trent McDuffie. They go and get Cater Cooho to play the nickel, but no offense to Noel Williams and even Christian Fulton. I think that they could use another addition. So they get the best corner in the draft in Mansor Delaine, a guy who I think is just very pro ready after a strong season at LSU.

00:31:55
Speaker 1: He might be the guy that is the clear number one at his position. Of any of the positions remaining, it's clearly a position to need, and yes, they've developed well in the middle rounds. They did take Trent McDuffie at the end of the first round and that obviously worked out really well for them, and so I could see it happening. It is a nightmare scenario, I think for the Bengals to have the draft go this way, to have neither of the Ohio State players, including Caleb Downs, to not.

00:32:23
Speaker 2: Have Reuben Bain fall to them. They don't really.

00:32:25
Speaker 1: Need tackles, so the tackles not getting taken at all in the top nine really hurts them. By the way, I mentioned the over under for Caleb Downs. It is nine and a half right now in Vegas, So that basically says, well, he get taken before the Bengals or after, because we assume he's getting taken by the Bengals if he makes it there. Instead you have him taking a cornerback Jermad McCoy from Tennessee, and yeah, they'd be in a tough spot. I think if the draft fell this way, why did you go with McCoy?

00:32:56
Speaker 3: So two minor regrets and mistakes. This is the only pick that I really feel that about with this mock draft is I never considered the prospect of trading just because this is my first mock.

00:33:05
Speaker 2: Draft, Oh forget it.

00:33:06
Speaker 3: But I mean, if any team were to trade out after watching the first nine picks fall this way, it would be the Bengals, and maybe try to get you some help or you know, get some capital back before spending your pick. And I also think about their roster and it's like DJ Turner really became a very good corner last year, and they like what they saw from Dax Hill, who finished strong in the twenty twenty five seasons, So why would you go a corner? And the only logic I have for that is your defense still needs help everywhere. They need a linebacker. There's just no linebacker worth taking at this point. They could use an edge rusher because yes they got Boymafe, but Miles Murphy hasn't quite produced at the rate they expected him to. Write, they just need help everywhere, so why not take the next best corner that's available and try to bolster your secondary that way? Because people love McCoy and what they love about him is how physical he is. He didn't play college football in twenty twenty five because he was recovering from an ACL injury, but he looked great at his pro day and the twenty twenty four tape, just to just this is a corner who's not afraid to get physical at all. They need that kind of identity in their secondary and really in their defense as a whole. So that's why I go in that direction. But I would not be surprised if this pick, more than any is not the one that actually lands what they're tea well.

00:34:12
Speaker 1: I mean, you know, you gotta get used to the mock game. You can't be too surprised if any of them don't end up being right. It's a tough It's a tough world out there. That's why we're gonna nail ours. But yeah, I think this is a tough one. If they do have that ten pick, I wouldn't be surprised if they end up taking who's on your board at number twelve, So we'll fly through vega IONI to the Dolphins. That would be a statement of an intent type of pick. Penn State guard, big athlete. You can't worry about what the last group did. Taking Savon Al last year in the second round. He is a He would be the first offensive lineman off the board in your draft, and a guard and one of Brandon Thorne's absolute favorites who I really respect to the work that he does. He's his favorite first round pick, so that would be interesting. I wouldn't have been surprised though, if you had put Dylan Theeneman to the Bengals at twelve. At ten instead he goes to the Cowboys. Any defensive back help is great. Do you think you though you're just almost playing to stereotype and giving their new defensive coordinator, Christian Parker just another white safety.

00:35:17
Speaker 2: I just saw the white safety.

00:35:19
Speaker 3: So glad somebody finally called me out on that, because as soon as I wrote it, and like after I had put the two together, I was like, oh God, I'm totally gonna get pinned for giving him another white safety. This is a guy who coached Read Blankenship. He coached Cooper Degen in Philly. In Cooper Dejan's first year year and a half, he wasn't just a corner. He was playing all over the place, and I kind of see something similar for Theneman in his secondary that needs it Beienaman is a guy that will be able to play in the box, not afraid to get dirty, but can also erase advantages downfield. You know, he's good at dropping back and taking away passing lanes as a coverage safety over the top, and I think that that's just what the Cowboys have lacked now if you try to fit their depth chart in there. Moved on from Donovan Wilson right, still have Malie Hooker back there, and also made an addition in Jalen Thompson. But this is best player available in the secondary. I think now there's there would have been some debate I think a couple of weeks ago if it should have been Themeamean or if it should have been a Manuel McNeil Warren from Toledo. I'm going theenem in because of that connection you just pointed out with the history of defensive coordinator Christian Parker.

00:36:18
Speaker 1: Well and he gets well, he gets the versatility's He's much more Cooper Degene than he is re read Blankenship. I don't think as natural, maybe a mover, but very still, very athletic and plenty versatile. Seems like a safe player to me, and they need help in the secondary so that it makes a lot of sense. You have the Rams up next at thirteen, taking Francis Mauiinoa from Miami. So they get the first tackle off the board. Excellent value, excellent need. They didn't have to reach for it. They'll have their option in your you know draft of tackles. The Ravens, you know, start what's going to be a run of tackles with Spencer Fano from you, And did you think about going wide receiver? They aren't going to be this high often. Did you think about Kenyan Sadik the tight end perhaps for Baltimore. I know they need a tackle, but I also think they need some weapons.

00:37:16
Speaker 3: Those are actually all great questions, and I don't think he could have gone on a number of different directions. But I have retired from putting the Ravens, you know, pairing them with the receiver, because they've they've done this over recent years, you've had mixed results.

00:37:26
Speaker 2: They basically flowers Bateman. Those are those are first round guys.

00:37:29
Speaker 3: They do flower flowers pay it off Bateman, Yeah, not quite as much, right, And I'm done trying to address the receiving corps as all they need is Lamar needs more receivers to make it work. That's not their problem. And they also wasted DeAndre Hopkins after leaning on him early in the season, So no, I'm not going to spend capital on a receiver at this point in the draft with them, and I go with Fannel because he's a tackle who might play guard in the NFL and is open to playing guard. And I think about, all right, what needs do you have in that offensive line? You lost your center Tyler Linderbaum. You may like what you have in Corey Bullock, but if you get a guy who is versal enough to shift from tackle to guard, you might also be versaal enough to shift from guard to center, so you get the versatility to plug and play him where you need it most. And they need offensive linemen. So that's why I go in that direction.

00:38:13
Speaker 1: The Bucks are up next at fifteen, and you haven't taken a key messador from Miami. There's health concerns here. He is a fascinating prospect. We're gonna talk about him a little more at length next week when we do our Edge show. But I like that it's they got to get if they make this pick, though, they got to get it right. If they go edge, they got to get it right. Let's go to the Jets though, next. Who you have taking Makai Lemon out of usc they basically get their choice over of wide receiver twos.

00:38:41
Speaker 2: So you had a couple of trends that I'll mention.

00:38:44
Speaker 1: The receivers fell a little bit, a lot of tackles in your first round. But for the Jets, I think they'd be thrilled to basically have the choice of wide receiver too. Why Lemon for them over let's say, Jordan Tyson or any other of the other options.

00:38:58
Speaker 3: Yeah, it's a Jets team. Two first round picks and the second one they spend on Lemon because I felt Lemon was the next best receiver in this class. Now, we could talk about Tyson and his ceiling, but we also have the injury concerns that have made him a polarizing player. You know, you're not polarized by Lemon. The only thing that I'm worried about is maybe a little bit of effort, and that only comes from watching his combine workout. Seemed like he didn't really turn on until the second half of that workout. I wasn't as impressed as I wanted to be or thought I was going to be by him in Indianapolis. But ultimately that doesn't really matter that much.

00:39:25
Speaker 2: I think tape I think effort is the last thing you're questioning.

00:39:29
Speaker 3: Yes, exactly when he's on the field exactly. So when you pair him with Garrett Wilson, you suddenly give yourself two, you know, high ceiling guys, and for Gino Smith that'll help, but really the next quarterback that'll help as well. And it looks a lot better than that cobble together receiving core of Ady Mitchell and John Mitchi and whoever else that they had in the middle of the season last year.

00:39:47
Speaker 1: Don't don't don't dismiss Adie Mitchell. I kind of liked that. I'm not that was a cobble together group.

00:39:53
Speaker 2: It was Lemon.

00:39:55
Speaker 1: I think is going to win in part with toughness and smarts, and I think he'd be a good pair for Gina Smith, who loves to throw over the middle of the field. I think wants a receiver that can read coverages like him. It's a lot to ask of a rookie, but he's always had a good connection with guys who can play really well from the neck up, so.

00:40:15
Speaker 2: I think that's a good pick.

00:40:17
Speaker 1: The Casius Howell pick to the Lions at seventeen was the first one when I'm going through your picks that I was just like, whoa surprise boom or buss pure pass rush. Detroit is a team that is known to not really worry about what the consensus board is taking, and I think this would raise some eyebrows. Cashus how defend it?

00:40:37
Speaker 3: Shook, Yeah, that's precisely what I had in mind. Brad Holmes is a general manager, probably more than any other general manager in the NFL, who will take his guy and doesn't care what everybody else says. Cashus Hall to the knock on him. Short arms, like first percentile short arms at the edge rushing position. But he proved himself at Texas A and M and I thought it was kind of funny when we did mock Draft Live that we picked, like, with the game on the line, who are you taking from this ed rushing group? And Bucky went with cash as hell, And I was like, Yes, that's why, and that's what that's what Brad Holmes is gonna look at too. You need the compliment edg rusher. We need to finally answer this question of who are they putting opposite Aiden Hutchinson on that defensive front. I think he finally answered that right now and you just look past the fact that his you know, measurables, his arm length doesn't fit the architect that you necessarily want.

00:41:20
Speaker 1: Yeah, I just don't know if he can play on running downs or just because you don't know what and running down is, if whether he can survive as a run defender. I think in terms of pure pass rush juice, he's got a crazy ceiling.

00:41:35
Speaker 2: He's a really unique player. It'd be a fun one.

00:41:38
Speaker 1: And you're right, I mean, ultimately guys get drafted off. Answering that question that Bucky went with Howell, like who do you trust on a third down? And how on that fast track in Detroit would be really interesting. Also interesting in the same division Minnesota taking Emmanuel McNeil warren the safety from Toledo. I would just love that for him. I would love that for Brian Flores. I think he could maximize what McNeil warren likes to do. Big hitter, rangy guy, just a fun player to watch. You have the Panthers up next, Lee Hunter going to Texas Tech. This was another one. I was like, huh, okay, my question for you is did you hear from Panthers fans that weren't happy about this position.

00:42:19
Speaker 3: Well, a little bit of both. Some liked him. A lot of people were like, I don't even want him in the first round at all, And I understand that. I think I'm the first person to put him in the first round. But I was thinking about compliment here, and we know what Derek Brown brings to the table. Derek Brown were of the most underrated defensive linemen in the NFL, and partially because he plays for Carolina. But he's a really good pass rusher at that position, which is relatively rare. Let's compliment him with a really good run stopper and Lee Hunter arguably the best run stopping defensive tackle in this class. Yes, it's high, it's higher than anybody else's projected him. Maybe it's not where it happens, But for me, I'm going to make this pick out of preference, and I want to build a bit of a wall in the interior with Jalen Phillips out there on the outside. If he could stay healthy, suddenly, look at a little beef up front. Look a little exciting in Carolina.

00:43:01
Speaker 1: I like that your mock was different. There there were some trends with a lot of tackles. You know Hunter was surprising, Cassius Howell was surprising. I think there's too much of a consensus of picks eleven through thirty two and that the actual draft's going to be way more unpredictable.

00:43:18
Speaker 2: So if we're if we're.

00:43:20
Speaker 1: Recapping the sixteenth to twenty picks, you had Lemon to the Jets, Cashius Howell to the Lions from Texas A and m I mean Emmanuel McNeil, Warren from Toledo the safety going to the Vikings, Lee Hunter from Texas Tech going to the Panthers, and then Avian Terrell, AJ's brother, the Clemson cornerback, going to the Cowboys. So you have them going back to back defensive back picks. You had them taking Deniman from the Cowboy I mean from Oregon earlier, and he does just seem like a cowboy. Aviancereaux, I don't know how to describe that, but he just does seem like a cowboy.

00:43:56
Speaker 3: Yeah, he does. And basically I felt really convincing this pick once I went and checked out some of Brian Schottheimer's recent comments, which included the fact that they wanted to keep Deron Bland on the outside. They need a nickel corner. This is the best nickel corner in the class. I think Ave Andrell is just scratching the surface of his pattack. Like the way that he worked out Indianapolis is like, Oh, that guy's gonna be a baller. Like that, you compare it with his tape, that guy's going to be a baller. He's just starting to figure it out. I think it's a perfect like value added twenty to this secondary for the Cowboys who continued to try to repair that unit and try to fill out their secondary with a guy who I think is gonna be really good in the slot.

00:44:29
Speaker 1: He just moves like an NFL player. He might be the type of guy who never is an All Pro or Pro bowler, but just plays a lot of years in the league and like has one or two seasons where he pops up. I'd basically just described his brother a J.

00:44:42
Speaker 2: Turell.

00:44:42
Speaker 1: So maybe that's maybe that's why the Steelers. You have another tackle off the board, Monroe Freeling. He would be replacing projerc Drones in theory at left tackle who's had injuries and a bit of a problem.

00:44:55
Speaker 2: The Chargers are up next.

00:44:57
Speaker 1: You have them taking another wide receiver Omar Cooper, I think breaking the hearts of some fans behind them, Like if the Browns need a wide receiver, he could be an option later the Bills, the forty nine ers, I think could be looking at Omar Cooper and yet this guy just feels like a harbad guy. Can't you imagine Omar Cooper catching passes from Alex Smith on the two thousand, yes eleven forty nine Ers.

00:45:23
Speaker 2: It just makes sense to me somehow.

00:45:25
Speaker 3: And I know they didn't pair up in San Francisco. That was Kyle Shanahan forty nine Ers when Deebo Samuel showed up as a rookie, but that's the comp and it makes a lot of sense. I also think it fills the need they had at the position that they lacked in previous years. Like Lad McCaughey owns the slot, but they also do move him outside sometimes. Cooper's kind of the same thing. You can play him outside, you can play him inside, good run after catch guy, rugged receiver, the type that fits the identity of the Chargers, who, even with their offseason moves, are clearly still focused on being a run first team. But if they can finally protect Justin Herbert And I know when I say that, folks are like, well, why don't they invest in the offensive line. Well, they couldn't protet him last ye because they lost both of their starting tackles. They have invested in the offensive line this offseason. Tyler Biadash at center, Cole Strange at guard. Let's go to a receiver. Let's give you an option to pick up somebody who can get open, because what did you say about them, Greg, especially when they lost in the playoffs the Patriots Last year, Chargers' receivers couldn't get open. Their offense was uninspiring in terms of you know, route design. Mike McDaniel's there, Now, let's build this thing out. Let's give them a guy who's able to make big plays and is going to be very durable.

00:46:23
Speaker 1: And I know he's getting the debo comp I hear that. I think he's more of a receiver receiver than in Deebo and not as special as a as a mover and just like a yack type of guy. But I think of how they use Keenan Allen and mconkey together last year, and you could see him doing that with Cooper, two guys who just get open. He just seems like an NFL player I personally think, I mean, I gotta go back even more. I think he might be safer quote unquote than Lemon or Jordan Tyson. Like I just I like him fitting in at the NFL level and being a player.

00:47:00
Speaker 3: That's why it fits here, I think at twenty two.

00:47:02
Speaker 1: Yeah, and I like him with Herbert more tackles off the board. Blake Miller from Clemson. You know the Eagles, they love big guys. They could you know, find their replacement potentially for Lane Johnson here, although you're not going to be replacing, you know, a Hall of Famer, and you keep the tackle run going. With Max Ianachra from Arizona State, I do worry about the consensus that they're just taking wide receiver tackle, Like, when there's that big of consensus, does it happen? And then another tackle off the board. Next, Caden Proctor from Alabama to the Bears.

00:47:33
Speaker 2: Give me between these.

00:47:35
Speaker 1: Three guys kind of what stands out to you the most in the way that they play and they could fit with these teams.

00:47:40
Speaker 3: I can quickly summarize all three. We could start with Miller because he's a guy with fifty four games of experience at Clemson, so he's played a lot of football. You know what he is, and he's slots in it right tackle as your future replacement for Lane Johnson. You give him a year at least to learn from the future Hall of famer, and then you have your immediate answer. That's how he rosmen drafts. He drafts for the future. He doesn't draft for right now. So it makes way too much sense. I was the He's pick to make it this entire first round Ianacher with the Browns. I think you're going for the upside there. You're going for a guy who played right tackle at Arizona State. Incredibly Big Long wins more with his hips than his feet, which is kind of rare, but it's also why I really loved him. I'm sitting in Indy watching him work out, and I'm like, God, he's got like the loosest, most oily hips I've ever seen. From attacking.

00:48:20
Speaker 2: What you mean, how do you win with your hips.

00:48:23
Speaker 3: When you engage in position? Usually it's about feet, But watch some of these clips here if you're watching on YouTube. Oftentimes he's swiveling in his hips and not with his footwork, and he's so long. He's able to do that because he can still stay engaged. I think he's a guy who's going to sneak into the first round and could project to be much better than a lot of people expect him to be. And it's going to take a savvy front office to make that pick. And it's a team with two picks in the first round who might feel like they're willing to make their take that risk. And then Proctor Ozi Trapilo is coming back from a ruptured PTEL attendant. You can't necessarily depend on that. You got high expectations in Chicago. You could always use another lineman, and I think at twenty five that's really good value on Proctor, who is a super athletic, massive lineman and could eventually just be your long term left tackle.

00:49:03
Speaker 2: Just so many tackles.

00:49:05
Speaker 1: Jeremiah loves Proctor in terms of this second kind of group of guys.

00:49:09
Speaker 2: He really likes the Alabama tackle.

00:49:11
Speaker 1: You have Jordan Tyson, the Arizona state wide receiver, falling all the way to twenty six, which I could absolutely see. I think I think he could go anywhere from twelve to out.

00:49:21
Speaker 2: Of the first round. It's not that crazy.

00:49:23
Speaker 1: I agree and I could see this because they just feel like the team that's gonna overcorrect for the thing that everyone got on them for. So you take another receiver in Jordan Tyson. Are you Are you a Jordan Tyson guy?

00:49:39
Speaker 3: If he's healthy, yes. If I could predict that he's gonna be healthy for the next five years, yes, But I can't predict that, and history tells me that he may not be. But I think the Bills are at a point now where they need to answer that receiver one question. And yes, they got DJ Moore. Keon Coleman didn't work out. I know they have needs on the defensive side that they could address here, but I just feel like with Josh Allen in his prime, you can't afford to go another season when we get to the playoff and we're talking about Brandon Cooks and Khalil Shakir and random appearances from Gabe Davis who didn't play very much with them before his season ended, you can't afford that. If you have Super Bowl aspirations, you need to invest in a talent and you can't just do it on the cheap. So if Tyson falls to this point for them in the draft, I think they have a really hard time looking at him and passing him up for somebody else.

00:50:20
Speaker 2: Fun player.

00:50:22
Speaker 1: I think the effort sometimes looked like it was going up and down, but it might have just been whether he was one hundred percent or not. And considering the injury history. That's just concerning the forty nine ers you have. Taking Keldrick Falk kind of a divisive prospect. On one hand, it's a great mock pick because he absolutely seems like a forty nine ERD. On the other hand, it's just like they got a lot of defensive linemen that can't really rust the passer, and Keldrick Falk feels like another one of those guys.

00:50:48
Speaker 3: That's true, but they also had a lot of injuries up front last year. I mean, you lost Nick Bosa from that equation, you had some turnover in the offseasons. You're working with younger defensive tackles, guys like CJ. West. You get Falk, a guy who's lined up up and down the line for Auburn, just gives you the versatility and the depth you need. And you think, why would you spend a first round pick on a guy you see as a depth guy. Well, that's how important You're front four is going to be to your chances of building on what you did last year. So you get this type of guy who, yes, is divisive. But there have been some forty nine ers fans who are very excited, very happy with the pick once they read this mock, and I'm like, good, you kind of see the vision. You understand that you need more bodies and quality playmakers on the defensive front.

00:51:23
Speaker 1: I'm looking forward to talking about him a little more in depth next week as we get into the position. Previously, you had Caleb Lomu the tackle going to the Texans at twenty eight. Did you consider taking Kenyan Sadik the tight end for the Texans at twenty eight instead he goes to the Chiefs or did you just want the big metric scrab of having a Travis Kelcey replacement.

00:51:50
Speaker 3: I didn't want the metric scrab. I just wanted to work out for the Chiefs and have a Travis Kelcey replacement because I think Sadik just makes too much sense fitting in that offense. And I also think that there's no offense in the NFL that will capital on his athletic abilities at a greater rate than the Kansas City Chiefs with the Indy Reid in charge. It's just what they've been in this Mahomes era. You got Mahomes coming off of injury, you got Kelsey probably playing his last season of NFL football. You get the successor you get one year with both of them as you try to get back to the playoffs. It just makes a lot of sense. And you know, I've gotten a lot of pushback on the Loanu pick to the Texans, and all I see it is is keep adding offensive lineman, keep giving yourself options up front, because this offensive line, well it was better last year, is still not as good as it needs to be. And that's a good pick for a tackle At that point in this round.

00:52:30
Speaker 1: It's like everyone's just so offensive line desperate. It's so impossible to get them.

00:52:34
Speaker 3: They don't grow on trees. They don't really, they're not available. You get got Titus Howard gets traded to the Browns, got overpaid. We can admit that he got overpaid. Maybe it'll work out, but like that's the state of offensive line play right now in the NFL.

00:52:46
Speaker 1: He's a big fellow six to six the utah Ute and Sadik. I think he could go much earlier in this draft. I think he's a pretty unique prospect. I think the forty nine ers would think about him at twenty s I just think he would be an interesting guy, kind of as the long term Kittle replacement. But either way, this is nice for the Chiefs. They would love a playmaker like that this deep, and I think they're a candidate to take to take a pass catcher again, whether it's a tight end or not. The Dolphins take Colton Hood, the Tennessee cornerback, at thirty Patriots at thirty one, take Clemson edge TJ.

00:53:24
Speaker 2: Parker, and then you.

00:53:26
Speaker 1: Wrap up the draft at thirty two with Brandon Sisay, the South Carolina cornerback who I don't know a ton about. I check the pronunciation guide. Fun player you think. Do you think he's like the type of player that fits in that secondary specifically?

00:53:45
Speaker 2: Yeah.

00:53:45
Speaker 3: I mean, they just lost Reek Woollan to free agency, and I don't think they were too upset to see him go, given how his last year and a half went with this team. But this is an athletic profile that kind of mirrors Wolan in some ways. And we know the strength of the Seahawks defense has been in their depth and the different type of players they've had, both up front and in the secondary. So I think it's a natural like replacement there. They love Josh Job, you know, he played more down the back half of last season. Really started from like Week one or two that they were going to play him more. Adding another corner with the guy who kind of sneaks into the first round makes sense. But honestly, they could go in a number of different directions. I saw Lanzer line. He also mocked them with Jedari and Price from Notre Dame as another rugged running back back there, that makes sense too. I'm going to lean defense because that's their calling card.

00:54:26
Speaker 2: Yeah, so to recap, Yeah, t J.

00:54:29
Speaker 1: Parker differing views on him, but I could see the Patriots taking an edge, certainly at thirty one. I don't think the draft fell that well for them. It's interesting to think about who didn't get taken here. So no Ty Simpson in your first round m hm. I tend to agree right now. No Denzel Boston Washington corner. I mean that wide receiver. No Casey concepts you on. That's where I disagree the most. I think he could go as high as top fifteen. I don't think he's going to fall that far in this class. He just he's to me, he fits the profile, maybe even more than Jordan Tyson of a guy NFL teams just look at and be like, I want that. So I don't think he's getting past a lot of receiver needy teams in the late twenties.

00:55:13
Speaker 2: No, CJ.

00:55:13
Speaker 1: Allen, the linebacker. You know you mentioned like, is there a linebacker worth taking for Cincinnati? Could they go as crazy as CJ? Like he has a high ceiling, he's an interesting player. No, Caleb Banks. After that, we get to guys who kind of expected to fall out of the first round, but just those are some of the guys who fell as you kind of push some of those tackles up a little higher.

00:55:32
Speaker 3: Yeah, I'm concerned that the Browns are gonna take ty Simpson with their second first round pick because they just seem to be infatuated with him. And I also know that we're getting the late cycle, random quarterback push into the first round effort that we always get, and this year the apple of their eye is ty Simpson and we'll see how that plays out. Boston. I just feel like, you know, he's a bigger receiver, but I feel like he's not quite a first round prospect and what was like, who's the lie guy that list that you just listened there?

00:56:02
Speaker 2: But in terms of the like the big.

00:56:05
Speaker 3: I could totally see that with concept, TJ. Allen at ten is too high. But the Bengals they have been a team that that does you know zig with others zag.

00:56:13
Speaker 1: He fits their profile. He just like a big school, big defense.

00:56:17
Speaker 3: Love athletic guys, measurable guys. I like c J.

00:56:21
Speaker 2: Allen too.

00:56:21
Speaker 1: So we've got a couple weeks now to really get ready. But we will be back on Monday. Thank you, Shook, and we're going to be in the studio. I'm looking forward to that. It's myself, It's Patrick Claybahn. I got a call later today. I'm working on obtaining the rights to Jordan Rodrieg for Monday's show.

00:56:42
Speaker 2: So we're we're hoping to do that too.

00:56:46
Speaker 1: All draft all the time, we have hit the home stretch. It is good to be back at NFL. Dailien football seems a little back with the lifted weights