Ranking the 2026 NFL Draft: Quarterbacks, Running Backs and Tight Ends

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've got some picos.

00:00:05
Speaker 2: Welcome to NFL Daily, where we're finally going to talk about Fernando Mendoza.

00:00:10
Speaker 1: I'm Greg Rosenthal, I'm with Oli Connelly.

00:00:13
Speaker 2: It's the day where we go over quarterbacks, running backs, tight ends. I had a different intro lined up in my head, Ali, but our producer Eric reminds me right before the show. He's like, we haven't talked about Fernando Mendoza a lot. You just skip right past him. Say he's going to the Raiders. You talked about him about him on forties and free Agents. This isn't forties and free agents. This is the real deal show.

00:00:34
Speaker 3: This is the Sicco Show. So we can dig into some of Fernando Mendoza. We do have all off season, all preseason, the first six weeks of KK Cousins to discuss how fandom Mendoza fits with the Raiders.

00:00:45
Speaker 2: Yes, I've been waiting and trying to catch up watching all these guys, and this was a fun day to try to catch up and and look at all the different positions. And while we're talking about premier players we haven't given a ton of used to on the show. I'm actually gonna start with Jeremiah Love and running backs. We'll go running backs, quarterbacks, tight ends. I don't really have like a ranking, but we'll get into some of your tiers if you have them at this point. And I assume Jeremiah Love is all by himself at the top of those rankings, And I guess I'll start here, Like when you compare Love historically the Notre Dame running back five point nine, you know, yards per carrying each of the last two years, really good as a receiver, just big, strong, fast, everything that you could kind of want in a running back. How do you compare him historically against some of the good running backs that you've evaluated over the years.

00:01:41
Speaker 3: Yeah, he really is Reggie Bush with a little bit more weight, which I think immediately moves you into the comparison of, Okay, how close he to be Jean Robinson and Christy McCaffrey's kind of the three down everything you could have a hope for in a play type threat? Is he more in that Ezekil Elliott bandout is a bit of a split maybe between Zeke coming out to McCaffrey and Bejeon. I think he's right around that Ezekiel Elliott Strand, pushing as close as could be possible towards Bjeon and McCaffrey.

00:02:08
Speaker 2: Yeah, and that's why I feel, I mean, we're all just splitting hairs here. But you know, we talked with Mina earlier the week in the forties. I don't think she've viesed him quite as highly. And maybe that's because I don't know why I'm starting with the negative with him, because I love him. I mean, his feet for that size, his lateral cuts, his ability to receive, it's just it's all just bananas. And to me, it's very unique for almost any prospect that that's come out in the last twenty five years. I mean, I'm not going to compare them Meladanian Tomlinson either, but just in terms of the size and the feet, the movement, it's incredible. I guess if you were going to pick a knit, I'm curious what your answer is for this.

00:02:47
Speaker 1: How confident are.

00:02:48
Speaker 2: You about him at If he's got four yards blocked, it's an inside you know, Carrie.

00:02:55
Speaker 1: Is he gonna get those four yards?

00:02:57
Speaker 2: Is he going to turn four into five when I was trying to think about, like what am I missing when I just am completely in love with him and would break all my like, oh, don't take running backs early about him?

00:03:08
Speaker 1: Is that what I'm missing about him? Is there any question there? Uh?

00:03:12
Speaker 3: Not for me. I do want to come back to the idea of taking running backs s early. Though. The only single knit you could pick is some of the goal line carries. There's some stuffs or he tries to leap over the pile and gets knocked. I mean Beejeng gets taken off the field of the goal line. There's plenty of great backs to They'll summon much heavier back to just pound the ball between the middle half or forty three percent, I should say Jeremiah loves Kray. Yardage came on fifteen plus yard runs. He is just an explosive play waiting to happen. He plays all over the formation. There are some real receiving chops there. He's willing to stick his nose in pass protection. He's not the necessarily the technically greatest guy that but the willingness for play. Who knows, I got a chance to win the Heisman Trophy here and I'll still stam my nose against these Miami guys. If I have, that's me crosses off everything you could ever be concerned about. And I think you're getting someone where the benchmark is going to be top ten most productive play at his position. And then it's just what is the kind of all field threat? Can you really be a top end receiver like b Sean Robinson? Can he be a truly dynamic fifty out play waiting to happen like Jimie Gibbs. I think those kind of the conversations and the floor would be can he have a similar impact to Saquon where when he's in a great ecosystem he kind of tips it over the top or it's like this isn't his valuables for a bad team?

00:04:34
Speaker 2: If that makes sense, that does make sense because I always thought, you know, Saquon didn't quite answer the question I just asked you about if you have four yards blocked in the middle, is he gonna get those four?

00:04:47
Speaker 1: Does he turn four into six enough?

00:04:49
Speaker 2: I thought with the Giants, because it was a difficult situation, he always was hunting those big plays in a way that I think actually was a little bit of a negative for him as a pro.

00:04:59
Speaker 1: He still has that a little.

00:05:00
Speaker 2: I think he's gotten better, but it really helps to have an offensive line.

00:05:03
Speaker 1: To me, I don't see that as much.

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Speaker 2: And when you say, like Reggie Bush, except you know he's he's six foot what is he six feet to twelve?

00:05:11
Speaker 1: I mean that's incredible.

00:05:13
Speaker 2: I mean I can I can remember Reggie Bush one's coming up. We used to work with him at NFL Media. We were having some I think he just coincidentally drove up on a mechanized scooter into a beach bar that we were at, like with a with a backpack on and bought drinks for everyone, hung out all night.

00:05:32
Speaker 1: Cool guy.

00:05:33
Speaker 2: But I always remember thinking him coming on the scooter. I mean, like, of course he's bigger than me, but he's not that much bigger than me for.

00:05:39
Speaker 1: An NFL player, And it's just like shocking. And Jeremiah Love is not It's not that.

00:05:44
Speaker 2: I mean, he's he's such a freak physically that and to me, he's a very natural. It's like he has a good feel for the game that that combination is tough tough to look past.

00:05:55
Speaker 1: It really is.

00:05:56
Speaker 3: To me. The Bush comparison is the this spatial feel of being able to fit like six moves in where other normal humans just have one. And we just roll through the highlight reel there on YouTube and you see in the pit game Peringay stud a step into a jump cut into a spin move. Kyle Lewis, who's going to be a second or third round pick as a linebacker or safety, put on a poster with what Jeremiah Love can do to you. It's just so rad see someone cramp so many moves, whether it's a jump cut, the spins, the hurdles. He's just a different kind of athlete, and yet you still get I thought, from twenty four to twenty five answered the questions you're asking is, well, he just when we need to go get four, throw his nose into the fire to just pick up the dirty yards. And I thought he answered that in twenty five. In twenty four, it was a lot more of the creativity. Let's get him out in space, and he's the best athlete in the country. I thought he just became an all round better football player in twenty five.

00:06:49
Speaker 1: Yeah, it's a great shout. You said.

00:06:51
Speaker 2: Let's come back to the running back value decision, and it's going to be one that both Arizona and Tennessee are making right at the top of this draft, because I think Jeremiah Love is at the very least in consideration for those two teams. Where do you land specifically in this draft and specifically Love.

00:07:10
Speaker 3: The thing that I think is interesting about it is a league has done a pretty phenomenal job of recognizing who's worthy of those picks and who is not. It's pretty hard to find a recent history the busts who've gone that early. And I understand the question of value and how much they add to the winning of the team. But if you just go from twenty sixteen in the top fifteen picks, you've had Ezekiel Elliott, Leonard Fournette, McCaffrey, Barkley Bijon, Jamay Gibbs, and Ashton genty genty this one year. We'll wait and see on that one. But other than Leonard Fournette, and you can even make a fair argument for Lender Fournette, that's a pretty damn impressive hit rate for one position. The league really does recognize, oh, these guys are different, they're worthy of going high in the draft, and then it just becomes the question of value. But the volume of misses a project tackles and project edgit defenders. It's really in the middle to late man of the first when you still see all the whiffs and things go a bit skew with but at the top end that you know, you know you can almost guarantee the stage we're getting a great play. It's just a weird team who can maximize their greatness before kind of we use a bull of tread the tize.

00:08:14
Speaker 1: That that's it.

00:08:15
Speaker 2: And and Genty was a special player, but to me, he wasn't at that level necessarily. And that's what I thought about when I when I kept watching Love is just like the certainty of it. I am very much a guy who like when it comes to the draft, especially like to me, that has such incredible value. And maybe you could argue it's it's not certain, but it just feels like there's no way he misses, which is you know, you're you're you're balancing how you know a lot of things, you know, economics, the position, all that stuff, but I'm also balancing like how good I feel about just taking a bird in the hand. And to me, Jeremiah Love is very much a bird in the hand, Like that's why I get so excited. It's easy to evaluate. For of course he's amazing, like where I don't think it's as dependent as other positions. Obviously you're going to need a good offensive line to help you reach the highest of levels. But I think he's going to help any team. And with that in mind, like I am curious. We did a what teams should do mock draft on Thursday and I did take love for the Titans, which I wasn't like until I was even on the clock. I wasn't sure because I think Carnel Tate would be a really interesting pick just for the Titans, and I thought about it all day.

00:09:30
Speaker 1: Do you think I should feel good about that?

00:09:32
Speaker 3: Like?

00:09:32
Speaker 1: Where do you feel?

00:09:33
Speaker 3: I'm a count on it too. I'm a cowt on it too because I say all this about the league recognizes who the great ones are that if I'm pushed onto the clock at full oh, it's tough without having the ideal infrastructure to just take the running back, I think I would do what.

00:09:48
Speaker 1: I thought it.

00:09:49
Speaker 2: I was like, maybe I should have taken sunny styles there and I would have been happy to take love with Probably he would have fallen in the commanders in our draft.

00:09:58
Speaker 3: I think the back to linebacker conversation is almost mute, and this is coming from a guy's obsessed with about linebackers. I think if you'll get into the long term economics of having a B tier receiver, if that's what you project Cornell Tate to be in the league, that becomes a pretty fair conversation. So to me, that would be a good conversation. I love Sunny Styles. I think he's maybe the second or third best player of role in the class. But to try and put the right stuff around cam Ward, which should really be the name of the game they spend all the money in for agency Defensively, I think it should come down to do we take Cornell Tate, do we take Jeremiah Love, What do we think best fits in the operation of our offense, and what we'll get the most out of cam Ward going through year two and year three.

00:10:38
Speaker 1: It's fair.

00:10:40
Speaker 2: I love I love that pick. I love the Arizona pick is also interesting. There is more Jeremiah Love buzz. You do wonder if they're trying to make a team trade up. I don't think anyone's trading up for a running back, but I do think they're considering I'm guessing they.

00:10:53
Speaker 1: Won't take him in the end.

00:10:55
Speaker 2: Do you have obviously I would assume a tear break. What is it look like in your running back?

00:11:03
Speaker 1: Too tier? And is it like two tiers down to the next guy? How are you doing it?

00:11:08
Speaker 3: It's a pretty stark drop if I would say I do like Judarian Price, Jeremiah's love teammate. Note today, I understand and somewhat excited by Mike Washington Awkansas, the big, explosive, dynamic play threat. And then I am a big fan of Joanah Coleman, the kind of all gritty between the tackles running back out of Washington, who really has a Kyle Menungui like running style. And those guys just kind of appeal to me. Whether there's a clear separation between Judarium Price and the other two guys, I think is where the distinction would come.

00:11:40
Speaker 2: Well, Price, you know, was stuck behind Jeremiah Love, and because of that, he only has two hundred and fifty carries or something in college and fifteen catches, and you are thinking like, this guy's obviously not gonna be a one A. I mean, that's that's the value of love is there's there's only so many guys that are gonna be like that, Like, so he's gonna be in a tail and so you didn't really see him on passing downs a ton.

00:12:04
Speaker 1: You didn't see him carry the ball period a ton.

00:12:07
Speaker 2: Are you a little worried just like about like does he do enough special that you get excited to take him as like a second round pick in the limited sample size that you see.

00:12:17
Speaker 3: The only reason that conversation is tough, and I know again that sounds like a cop out, is the rest of the class really collapses off into that Day three where you're just kind of throwing Day three darts. So I think his value kind of gets artificially inflated in this draft. Specifically, if he was in last year's class with Scataboo and Sampson and all the players who are in last year's woe, I would probably have him around six or seventh I think in the class. But just given the needs of the position and people building their economic models, a franchise around will just draft these guys every single season, I think you'll get pushed up. I think it can work both ways. I have some concerns about what we haven't seen. I feel pretty good about what we have seen, which is he's more of a downhill player initially who then has real dynamism burst the second level. One couldn't go make a guy miss turn it into a big gain. I don't think he's got great feel as a readout player in the backfield. So those more wide zone based systems I think is traditionally where those players are slotted in, and I think he may struggle there. But in the downhill get after it. Maybe the Jags looking for an extra running back to pick up. I could see how he could work. And you can toll yourself into well, there's no tread on the tires. I mean he's not carried the ball moll in the fifteen times in the game in his career. That may be a concern in terms of what we haven't evaluated, but it's not a concern in terms from the long term health considerations.

00:13:35
Speaker 2: Yeah, he's a player to me also that just like he plays, looks bigger than he's listed at. You mentioned Joonah Coleman from Washington, who is the other player I definitely wanted to talk about because what I'm looking at players for certainty. Look, if he ended up in a terrible situation. Maybe it's not gonna work out for him, but he's got a little bit of wiggle, he's got a little bit of patience, he's got feel he's the guy that I'm talking about. Can turn three into five, can turn five into eight, can turn eight into twelve. And he had some big plays, I mean, including against Ohio State even but to me, he's more in that Kyne Williams mold of You know, he's not going to get you a lot of plus twenties, but he could get you a lout of ten to twelves. And in that system, specifically, in one of the McVeigh Shanahan type systems, I think he'd be a great fit. And he feels very certain to me as a wherever he's gonna be like, he's gonna be a good pro, which is massive to feel that certain sort of certainty.

00:14:31
Speaker 3: I agree with you. Seventy one percent of his yards came out to contact. That's what he is. He's a smaller back. He really competes his tail off in pass protection, so I think teams will feel comfortable about putting on the field on all three downs. He's forced into that as a rookie, but as you mentioned he's not going to rip off these twenty thirty yard big booming runs. He gets caught from behind consistently, even when he makes guys miss or he flattens someone at the second level. But he will be a churn and I think he's going to be a really tidy, complimentary back in year one, as I meant, which the manunga thing stands out to be with him where he actually winds up getting more of those third down reps even though the profile is more of a gritty, bruising kind of churn out yards type played just because of more of the trust and maybe you'll have more of a lightning quick type player on the field on first or second down. Then you put the more dependable guy on for short yardage and for paspor.

00:15:21
Speaker 2: It's tough to evaluate vision and feel. I mean, that's I think what made Frank Or a potential Hall of Famer. But you know, for a mid round guy, I feel like Jonah Coleman is going to have a really good feel of where the holes are opening up at the first and second level.

00:15:35
Speaker 1: He just might not be able to take it all the way. Let's go for a later running back.

00:15:39
Speaker 2: If you got one that you're betting on that you would like as a dart throw.

00:15:44
Speaker 3: Yeah, there's a few of them. Honestly, I think Klon blackout of Indiana is twenty five and slow, and so that's the knock of why he'll go like he and he has probably the funniest running style in the class. He really is like digested Isaiah Piccheco way that I think will frustrate the fan base immediately. The legs are moving an awful lot, but there's like no forward momentum. It's just kind of churning in place. But he is comfortably the best pass protector in the class, and he's had constant visits to teams throughout the process. He wasn't invited to the combine, so I think there's sum checking out the medical side of things, but teams I think will really appreciate how advance he is and that he'll probably be on the field more than other potential sixth round pick types. I would say DeMont Clairbone from Wake Forrest is the really explosive player that the smaller five nine one eighty eight player. He's the absolute guy in space that you want out of that later part of the class. That's the guy that Mike McDaniel probably has circled, like, get me a nowhere close to Devon hm. But can you squint and maybe say, hey, we could do some eight Channy stuff with Demon Clayborne. I think that that would be one of the Maybe he's probably gonna go in the fourth or fifth round. I would say the team's will id for just some some juice.

00:16:58
Speaker 2: I like that, And yes, fantasy heads are going to be looking for, like which running back does McDaniel get his team to take on Day three?

00:17:05
Speaker 1: Because he always takes one.

00:17:06
Speaker 2: There's not a there's not a draft where Mike McDaniel doesn't take one. Eric is behind the glass probably thinking like, Okay, you said you'd finally talk about Mendoza and then you just went through like day three running backs before even getting into him.

00:17:18
Speaker 1: Let's talk about him.

00:17:19
Speaker 2: Because the more I watched Fernando Mendoza, the more.

00:17:24
Speaker 1: I liked him.

00:17:24
Speaker 2: I think this is maybe a common trait in terms of like the experience of watching him kind of a grower, and I'm trying to think of a not a comp for him, because I think he's more physically impressive. The more you watch him, you realize like Oh, he is the prototype, like he's a massive dude, and he is I hate to say it, he kind of is sneaky athletic. I mean that's been that's been like banished, like you're not allowed to say that about people. But he's sneaky in how high level. Maybe his athleticism could be at the next level.

00:18:01
Speaker 3: Yes, it's more Daniel Jones athleticism. I think it's kind of like sometimes less he's falling over himself, but he's moving incredibly quickly.

00:18:09
Speaker 1: It's all large, moving really well though. Is impressive.

00:18:13
Speaker 3: Yes, yeah, and I think red zone threat doing some fun power read stuff, quarterback draw stuff. I think that's certainly a part of the arsenal the Raiders could tap into. I would say, some of the functional mobility. So how he navigates around the pocket. He's a little bit robotic, he's a little bit stagnant, But everything else to me is moving from an A to and A plus, whether it's throwing that anticipation, throwing to every level of the field, doing what he was asked to do. Within the offense. People will know by now all about the rpocentric nature of Indiana's offense. But it's tough for me to knock someone down for things they were not asked to do. I don't think that means that they're not capable of doing them.

00:18:50
Speaker 2: Well, that's why I meant a grower, because it almost took just more games to get to see all the different types of throws that would happen. And if you are watching us, you just saw an improv play, which you know he doesn't major in. But one thing I thought about with Kubiak drafting him that I think Kubiak is obviously gonna tap into. I thought he was a good thrower on the move, like just a very accurate ball placement quarterback, including when he's on the move, which is something I think Kubiak's gonna build into that offense.

00:19:22
Speaker 3: Yeah, and he really has some of the advanced figure out gene stuff that just the great players have. There's a little bit of cossom palm or of I'm gonna get drilled, does arms draped all over me, I've got a stand in and you just got to take the hit to let the thing go. Sometimes it's a no step throw. Sometimes we showed there in the highlights, it's just jumping. It's jumping to just find a throwing window to dump it down to the running back. It's not maybe in the full progression of the offense, it's not within the rhythm, but you just got to find a way to make a completion. So I do think he's operating at a really high level in terms of the mental altitude side of the game. The only real consum would be a guy who plays the way he's going to play, which is rhythm and structure. Can he really slide and navigate the pocket and avoid pressure and play under pressure. He is so tough that he is just willing to stand in and get rocked. And that is so fun and it's great, and he bounces back from big hits and just knives people over and over again. But he will have to find a way to stay on schedule by slipping and sliding and tapping into some of the Brady likes stuff, the Breeze like stuff, the cook Cousins like stuff. That is what those guys do to become pocket playmakers where they can really chase some explosive plays down the field in the league.

00:20:29
Speaker 2: Yeah, and he, I mean he took some hits. When I was saying going back and liking him more, I think it was partly watching the Cow tape, which showed a different side and it was just rough. But you also thought and shout out to to Nate Tice, who had a good eye on it before this year. He had Mendoza as his QB one in this class from the cowtape, and you could see a lot of that accuracy. You could certainly see the toughness. He did take a lot of sacks there. It was a disastrous situation. He took a relative lot of sacks and so so I guess that would maybe be a slight concern. And you're talking about him just standing in there taking hits. It's a little bit of a Ryan Tannehill Andrew Luck like. That's a good quality. They managed to hold up over it. But I don't know. It's a tough way to play football.

00:21:16
Speaker 3: It is. You got to really mass the stick, slide, climb throw. That's how these guys make, you know, forty million dollars in the league. And I think it's just getting quicker at everything he does. He's already operating at a rapid level by college speed, and so that's what gets you really excited. But there's just an extra gay you've got a crank to moving into the NFL. But the precision to every area of the field, the anticipation, it's just remarkable. And it's in a pretty slender offense. But these are big time, big time difficult throws under fire, both at calas you mentioned, then at Indiana in the biggest moments on the biggest stages, third down, fourth down. He's basically the most accurate passer to play in college football on third and fourth down in college football history. And he's doing it against elite competition in the playoffs with really talented receivers, but not an elite everyone's going in the top five type Ohio State receiving call. So the floor hit to me is just exceptionally high. And then it's just he masters some of the intricacies within the game. Is a good enough athlete to master those intricacies the way he needs to to push on him be maybe a top twelve to top eight starts.

00:22:19
Speaker 1: In the league.

00:22:20
Speaker 2: Yeah, me, Like, maybe the ceiling is slightly lower than some of the top prospects that have come out, certainly like a Caliber or a Drake may or Andrew Luck coming out, But I still think the ceiling is relatively high. You talked about the mental side and the intangibles, because I do get a little bit of dack from him, just in like stacking, like just good plays, I think, making good decisions. I don't know if you have I mean, I don't know if we even need a comp but like maybe and he could even occupy like a similar space in the NFL sphere if he really hands out.

00:22:58
Speaker 3: Yeah, probably more eight stage deck without the real juice and the creativity of the Dak who first came into the league, I would say, but that winning pre snap I think is is gonna be an essential component of his game, just as I mentioned, has to quicken everything up. That that's that's what it's gonna come down to.

00:23:14
Speaker 1: The well they need they could use.

00:23:16
Speaker 2: You know, he wins so much, and he had some pretty one of the throws that really convincing. Man, he has great like he does have a really good arm. Was you know, just he's hitting some like sixty yard you know, throws down the middle of the field of the posts. But for the most part he's winning with these outs and these back shoulder throws. And I don't really see the players. I mean, you could have Bowers do some of that, but I don't. I don't know if they got the people who who should. I feel like the Raiders need a round two wide receiver that would that would compliment him.

00:23:44
Speaker 3: Yeah, I mean, I mean banging this drum in the third round. Go and take Elijah Surat, Go get the teammate, maintain the chemistry, do the Jamal Chase thing, but do it in the third round where the value will be for the player. Well, I'll say, on those throws, those one against Oregon in the playoff game, that is the most absurd throw any of these guys recently have had. Not one that is the crazy move around and do something that's you know, absolutely insane. But a no step throw under complete fire, thirty five yards shot on a rope against pressman coverage where he throws Elijah Surat open along the sideline on a deep comeback. You could not walk down and hand it to Surat any better. That to me is just about one the goods to stand in to the knowledge that I have no time to take a step, the balls has to go and in the precision the placement, understanding what rev should be on the ball, that translates to everywhere in the field. That's why this thing of oh he doesn't throw it to the middle of the field the hole much like, well, that's just what the system he's asked to play in those tools that he has to make that throw on third down. And his argument in a playoff game, it's not it's going to vanish because all of a sudden the targets in the middle of the field.

00:24:46
Speaker 2: All right, we've gotten properly excited. I promised a friend of ours, friend of the show, Steven, who's been mentioned by Raiders general manager John Spytek a couple of times just trying to talk to the Raiders, that he's gonna do well for him.

00:25:01
Speaker 1: You know, he is my trainer also a friend.

00:25:04
Speaker 2: I have said, at least at this point, the NFL gives us it's the best perk. We have two tickets to the super Bowl if we're working at the Super Bowl. And I did say if ever, I was like, if the Raiders make it, you can have one of those tickets. You'll probably take my son. So you got you got to kind of quote unquote babysit.

00:25:21
Speaker 1: Him a little bit.

00:25:22
Speaker 2: I've never been worried about that actually happening to this point now you know, you add Fernando Mendoza. It'll take some years, but maybe maybe Fernando Mendoza can can get that ticket for Steven.

00:25:34
Speaker 1: We'll see.

00:25:35
Speaker 2: I don't think any other quarterback in this classes is gonna present a similar threat. But let's talk Ty Simpson. You know, his best throws to me were really great. You know, if you just looked, it reminds me a little bit of Bryce Young in the sense that, like the high level throws are better than people would think for his size and stature, but obviously way more in concis the Brycing not really a similar player in that way, But I just mean, like, the top end.

00:26:03
Speaker 1: Throws are pretty great.

00:26:05
Speaker 2: He's a huge outlier in terms of size, age, and you know, starts at the college level of guys that will have succeeded. Just on that front, how concerned would you be about taking him? Like, where would you start to feel comfortable taking him?

00:26:21
Speaker 3: Well, you're probably going to have to do it the top of the second round. Where would the comfort level be? It would probably be a third round player. He's a tricky one because he does really advance things. He comes out of a pro style offense. It's Ryan Grubbs offense from the Seahawks, take him back down to the college level, and so you get to see all these high level pro throws, and yet you do see some of the nitty gritty work of the lack of experience. You got to throw the ball with no laces. You gotta quicken your temper at certain points, even if the rhythm of the place says this, sometimes the ball's got to go the sending an all out pressure. You just got to find a solution. That's all the stuff that Mendoza has mastered that you just got to figure out on the fly some times down what the play says. With Simpson, he is kind of a stick to the script, stick to the play kind of play. And to learn that on the fly in the league, I think is pretty tricky and as well has undone a lot of those guys with minimal starts.

00:27:14
Speaker 2: Yeah, like he didn't have a chance to learn as he goes, and so that and the age, and I feel like there hasn't been a lot of talk about his size, and yet there really aren't that many quarterbacks at his size under six' two, under you, know probably a playing weight of two ten and that have, succeeded and the ones that have are guys who are taken at the very. Top so to, me a lot of alarm bells are ringing, That, like maybe the ceiling is a average to slightly better than average, starter but the floor is worrisome for me for a guy that might get pushed up this. DRAFT i don't know if you're going to need to take him at the Second i'm sort of in the camp that he might have A Malik willis, type you, know quote unquote fall where just teams feel like you comfortable with him maybe taking him in the third.

00:28:03
Speaker 3: ROUND i think the difficulty with playing in that size one is just the body. Armor and he's already got some injury, concerns and he is really. Tough he will stand in and rip it all over the, field but he is taking some mighty. Hits he's already dealt with some injury. Concerns it's, like can he just hold up physically for a seventeen game, season ideally twenty plus if we're really going to do the thing with a franchise. Quarterback SO i think that's a real. Concern and if you look at guys who've played it that size, before in the league that size of hype plus. Weight they all have an easy identifiable super. Skill With, breeze it's the brain and the. Accuracy With Michael viketts the, wheels and With Ty simpson it's really even the guys who really love. Him if you listen To, alofsky who's, like this is the number one, guy it's that you can see him make the throws that he has to make On sundays because he's already operating in a playbook that is A sunday playbook that to me is not really a super. SKILL i don't see him as a mental processor on the level of the really great guys who've come out. Recently in, fact the big dividing line Of week eight of the, season AND i know there's some health concerns, too but where the game started to you, know it started to get away from him and he kind of crumbled in terms of accuracy and decision. Making you can see the adjustments defensive coordinator has maked. Him they start changing the pre post nap picture a whole, bunch and he's not quite identifying things as. Quickly that is where you would like to, say, man if he just went back for another, season could he have maybe picked some more of this. Up and he's considered pro, Ready BUT i just think it'll be tough to throw him out there early in the rookie. SEASON i get he's got all the mental, acumen he's incredibly, smart he's diagnosed a whole bunch of pros for already at the college, Level but some of the under the hood work is just it's just not yet, READY i would say For.

00:29:43
Speaker 2: Sundays, YEAH i just feel like to make up for those red, flags you've got to have something really special about. You and he does have a good, arm he can make plus throws like they are. There he's, gutsy as you, Mentioned BUT i just don't know if there's an achery that special enough that SAID i.

00:30:01
Speaker 1: DID i did check out.

00:30:03
Speaker 2: My newsletter from the Read, optional it's not just the PODCAST i, subscribe and you did have your quarterback tears, posted and you you're relatively high On. Simpson you had you had him all by himself ahead of the next group pretty. Significantly so you do like a lot about, him and SO i JUST i just want to point that out because we're talking a lot of.

00:30:24
Speaker 3: Negatives the ceiling to me will be Brock, perdy and if you take the first six seven weeks of the, season and then it's a double edged sore because how much it is just the body breaking down because he can't take the pounding of playing a full schedule both in college and the. Pros but they're really great of him working at such a rapid rate in the, pocket the pocket, movement the, navigation the agility in the, pocket unbelievable throws on the. Move he's a really talented throw on the, move which is WHERE i think The cardinals make a ton of sense of. Him and then it's rip and throw out the throw to the middle of the field on, time in, rhythm with, anticipation all the stuff you see On, sundays just relentlessly over and over. Again SO i can see a path to being a solid style is WHERE i kind of have him right, now get into the next party. Level puddy was able to just do things early in his career That simpson doesn't have access to you right. Now but that would be the really high end up. Side what's the best possible outcome? HERE i would say it's brought.

00:31:18
Speaker 2: Putty everyone's chasing their own black, party you. KNOW i feel Like garrettnsmyer could also be this year's Brock.

00:31:24
Speaker 1: Party but let's take a.

00:31:25
Speaker 2: Break, actually let's finish out the quarterbacks and we'll talk tight.

00:31:30
Speaker 1: Ends to wrap it up after the break back ON Nfl, Daily.

00:31:43
Speaker 2: Quarterback like draft prospects go on such, crazy at least media driven like roller coasters in terms of their, value because there was a moment When saints fans we're, thinking, well we just got a tank so that we can Get Garrett nusmeyer as our quarterback this. Year pair him with dad who's on the offensive staff, there and that's going to be our guy in the. Future he moves FROM lsu to The saints and, here you, know you fast forward a.

00:32:12
Speaker 1: Year kind of a disastrous second.

00:32:15
Speaker 2: Year and it's one of the CRITICISMS i think of Ty simpson because you never got to see like more tape from.

00:32:20
Speaker 1: Him was it only going to get worse for?

00:32:22
Speaker 2: Him and it did get worse for Nus, meyer ALTHOUGH i got to say watching, HIM i get why PEOPLE i respect a, Lot Nate, Tye Derek, klassen they both had Nuss meyer ahead of Ty, simpson which is.

00:32:34
Speaker 1: INTERESTING i don't know IF i go that far or. NOT i don't. REALLY i didn't feel LIKE i watched enough to have a.

00:32:38
Speaker 2: Take BUT i do feel LIKE i feel that Nus meyer is going to have a. CAREER i think he'll be in THE nfl for a, while like maybe his floor is a little, while like a little. Longer he'll be a good, backup which is a valuable. Thing where did you land on where he is as a pro or a?

00:32:55
Speaker 3: POTENTIAL i agree with you And tally on, that AND i would, say, Look, nate, Friend Duffy, derek you mentioned these are all outstanding quarterback evaluators native for, certain it's like ten times the quarterback EVALUATOR i. Am they have nusmia second ten?

00:33:10
Speaker 1: TIMES i, mean come on Having.

00:33:13
Speaker 3: Mendoza a year. Before, yes this is pretty. Good just the PROBLEM i think with nusmyan where it Impacts migrator is he has similar health concerns To Tye, simpson but they're more long. Lasting and it makes it really tricky because do you just evaluate the twenty twenty four tape before he gets the core injury AND i think a succession of injuries to go with, that how much did that impact him being able to rotate and throw the football and things like, that and the twenty twenty five, tape lots of it is pretty gnarly in terms of decision, making, inaccuracy and then just the ball dying on him down the, field his ability to handle. Pressure you, know you're dealing with that level of, injuries you probably don't want to stand in there and get rocked the Way mendoza was. Doing if you just go to the twenty twenty four, TYPE i agree with. YOU i think you see a really high end back would start the potential not quite a kind of force multiplying franchise game change of type. Player but if that's who he really is and all the injuries are cleaned, up THEN i can absolutely see the case, saying, well the twenty twenty four version Of Nus maya is better more consistently Than Ty simpson in the games we got to see him.

00:34:16
Speaker 2: Stop, yeah he looks to, me AND i guess that the health is a, concern although, look if he's not going to be starting right, away so he just feels like a guy THAT i can imagine coming in for three, games whether it's year one or year, two and keeping your offense, going and that in this, class it's not a good quarterback class like that might be the second most valuable quarterback in some people's.

00:34:39
Speaker 1: Rooms AND i think he's.

00:34:41
Speaker 2: Intriguing if you could pick one guy that's Not Ty, SIMPSON i get. It maybe it is Nus, meyer or maybe you tell. Me if it's Nus meyer that's likely to start TWENTY nfl games in his entire. Career other Than mendoza in this, class who is?

00:34:57
Speaker 3: It probably nusmya what you, Say he's probably gonna be an all time great backup and just go from team to team as like doing doing The Jacob brassette. THING i will, say, Though Taylor green From arkansas has my attention six six two twenty seven most explosive quarterback in the. Class when you pull up the mock Draftable spider, charts it Is Leonard, Floyd Jamie, collins And Calvin. Johnson that's how great of a size speed athlete he. Is so there's some kind of Like Terrell prior stuff going. On he is, adamant he's not moving, positions and some of the film is outrageously, good particularly in twenty twenty. Four you watch me Against TEXAS a AND m he is just shredding people all over the, field unbelievable, wheels unbelievable, size and is super intelligent and understands pro style. OFFENSE i mean he played In Lamar jackson Offens lousvill which is a true pro style drop back, game and SO i could see. IT i would really Love mike McCarthy to get in a lab with him for two seasons and maybe eventually they convince. Him could you try being received because you kind of wagh and getting here Like Calvin johnson could be helpful to. Us BUT i would love a true quarterback savant who's obsessed about the details to get to what With Taylor. Green SO i would love The steels to try and do that in the full.

00:36:13
Speaker 1: ROUND i need to watch. More i've just seen the. Highlights they are.

00:36:16
Speaker 2: OUTRAGEOUS i Think i'm burned BECAUSE i went and re listened to our episode last year where we picked favorite players in the draft with WITH dj And Mina, kimes and you, Know Jalen milroe was one of.

00:36:27
Speaker 1: Mine AND i.

00:36:27
Speaker 2: Shouldn't feel burned because, like of course he didn't really play as a, rookie but Could green be a better version of? That and you're, saying you, know you're saying he's got it up here in pro style.

00:36:37
Speaker 1: Offense he could.

00:36:38
Speaker 2: Be a special, athlete so a fun player to. Watch On day, three all, right let's talk tight ends Where Kenyon sadik From oregon is one of the few players in this draft to me that just you watch and it's just an elite.

00:36:55
Speaker 1: Wow incredible.

00:36:57
Speaker 2: Athlete and like he's only quote unquote only but six feet to forty, one so that that's on the smaller side for a tight.

00:37:06
Speaker 1: End but he.

00:37:07
Speaker 2: POPS i think he would have been a consensus top ten pick almost in any class if he had. Production but he's really not that productive in, college did not do much the first two, years and even last. Year he has like A john New smith In tennessee type stat, line like fifty, catches five hundred and fifty yard that sort of.

00:37:25
Speaker 1: Thing so not crazy, production but a crazy.

00:37:28
Speaker 2: Athlete and in this CLASS i, think where there's just so few guys that pop so, MUCH i don't think he'll stay on the board too too.

00:37:35
Speaker 3: Long, no it feels like the range has come down slightly from Post. COMBINE i would say that maybe it's mole down in the teens the. Twenties Fair i'm still In. Shull you, know WHEN i feel.

00:37:47
Speaker 2: Like it's twelve to twenty five anywhere or ten to twenty five anywhere, there it's hard to.

00:37:52
Speaker 3: Tell will The ravens just say let's get the best athlete available still in the. Class so will they all pass and, say, hey he's kind Of Johnny? Smith how much are we interested in The Johnny? SMITH i just know when you watch, him as you, mentioned he just moves completely. Different you put on The rutgers game the first two plays LIKE i gotta go for a, WALK i gotta go for it. Now this is just absolutely. Insane he moves at a different speed to everyone. Else he is really up for the. Fight in the blocking, game he really gets after. It he's really. Tenacious he's a little all over the place, technically but just the willingness stands out so. Much and then the burst and speed he has is. Exceptional he's not quite as snappy out of the. Break there's a real refinement that needs to happen as a. Receiver but we've Seen Travis kelcey be a little, loosey, goosey make it up as he goes, along and win with athleticism and, Smarts AND i think that there's a there's a real path for him to be a complete game breaker early in his.

00:38:44
Speaker 2: Career, YEAH i mean that your conversation in The rutgers game is crazy about taking a, Walk Like, YEAH i think you can make the argument for pass catchers in this in this class like he's he's the one that inspires that the most Of just, like, wow.

00:38:59
Speaker 1: That that's, different that's.

00:39:01
Speaker 2: Special AND i love what you said about the blocking because this is WHERE i would like to hear what you think about how he would be used at the next, level because there's been some Like Vernon davis, comparisons but, Man Vernon davis was a beast blocking and a bigger. Player AND i think if sadiqu is giving you what you want out of AN nfl tight end in terms of the, versatility then the ceiling is like a level. Higher then he does fit as a guy who could be taken in the top fifteen of this draft and makes.

00:39:34
Speaker 3: Sense, YEAH i think the he's almost being pigeonhole because of just the athleticism that it would be like design touch, stuff and that is What oregon did with. Him it's a lot of like screens and creative ways to get the ball in his hands or dialing up shot plays with him along the. SIDELINE i think if you just drop him in right now and say you'll kind of like Sam La polta and it's a lot of crossing routes and runaway routes and we're gonna do some play action stuff and just get you into. Space he's gonna out. Everyone it's just that. Simple he's a better athlete than everyone on the, field and he's willing enough to stand in there and clang him bang with people that you can put a second tight end on the field and it can be a twelve personnel, situation but he gives you real receiver chops an actual breakaway speed as the second tight end on the. Field SO i don't think he needs to be gimmickified in a way some of those guys who you, Know Eli stows in this class for, example where it's the athletes who are really just receivers and they call them tight. ENDS i think he's just he can do some more of the classic dirty work that you would need to to be able to then weaponize the special elements of his.

00:40:36
Speaker 2: Game And i'm glad you mentioned that BECAUSE i also think LIKE i just made The Vernon davis, comment it really falls apart at a number of levels because he's a more, natural fluid pass, Catcher LIKE i, mean he can make some Grap i'm not saying like he would be like a wide receiver, one but he's not just a big guy that they're throwing the ball, To LIKE i, mean he makes some outrageous grabs AND i think it's pretty pretty. Natural i'm excited About Kenyon. CIDY i took him for The cowboys BECAUSE i panicked that they.

00:41:06
Speaker 1: The draft fell.

00:41:08
Speaker 2: EXACTLY i think how they wouldn't want it to essentially only like one lineman goes in front of, them the two cornerbacks are already.

00:41:15
Speaker 1: Gone is it that?

00:41:17
Speaker 2: CRAZY i Like Jake, ferguson but is that is that that crazy to just add another another weapon for The Dallas cowboy.

00:41:24
Speaker 3: Alleys whatever makes that happy makes me. HAPPY i think that would make that.

00:41:29
Speaker 1: HAPPY i mean it.

00:41:30
Speaker 2: WOULD i Just i'm, thinking LIKE i have this Feeling George pickens is not long For, dallas like it's maybe one more year and out or. SOMETHING i was just, LIKE i don't think it's that, Crazy, jake for it really wouldn't shock me, though if there were like a couple of teams in the league who graded, out you, know some of the team's great The titan to receive a class.

00:41:47
Speaker 3: Together, yeah so it wouldn't stumb me if someone said he's just on number two guy on the bullet we got any chance At connell take and wait is grading it as who's the best like offensive weapon out of this batch of plays and he's just the number two guy for?

00:42:00
Speaker 2: Them since he's the most interesting on, well we'll stick on him for a. Second why do you think his production wasn't higher At? Oregon because there's nothing that tipped off to me just watching his. Targets, basically why why he didn't get?

00:42:15
Speaker 3: More, yeah he was open more than he got the. Ball part of it is just a stroke to the. Offense it's really all one read base and he wasn't the primary. Read then there's a guy stood next to, him a second tight. End he's gonna come out next. Year it was really really. Special might be the most special Than Kenyon sidi has only so many touches to go.

00:42:31
Speaker 1: Around, okay that's a good.

00:42:33
Speaker 2: Answer you Mentioned Eli, stowers who is the projected tight end too in this. Class but it has some great plays, too like climbing the. Ladder he is a natural, receiver BUT I i do think If i'm picking up what you're you're saying that he might fit that tweener role of is he just like a big guy like a receiver playing tight, end which which makes it tricky to evaluate it in a class WHERE i think there's you, know you're a little wary of pushing these guys up because tight end two might be open open for grabs, basically, yeah.

00:43:10
Speaker 3: And those guys are usually more beloved by, CONSENSUS i would, say than where they wind up getting drafted by the. LEAGUE i think with, him where it's tricky is the between it is they're really going to have to make a call just kind of weight wise and what they view him, as because right now he is a zero in the wrong game in terms of the. Blocking he wasn't even on the field for a lot of that stuff For. Vandy so he's not a full time player in. College you're going to make him a full time every down tight end in THE. Nfl he's only played the position for two and a half. Years he's a former quarterback turned into a tight, end and there's a great history of a production of that of that line going from quarterback to tight. End but he really is to me more of just a really exciting receiver who makes, tough contested, catches who can grab the ball away from his. Frame there's highlight reel grabs all over the. Film there's really good after the catch. Work AND i just think a team's gonna have to make a call on do we just kind of slim him, down we just make him a, big power slot, receiver or do we kind of beef him up and see if we can work on some of the blocking side of the. Game but on college it's a lot of either running to grass and he's just better than everyone, else or it's smoking. LINEBACKERS i, wonder is he the kind of athlete if he's playing in a three point stance as a tight. End can he truly be AN nfl? Safety can he truly be these big nickel players like A Nicky. MUNWORI i think that's a pretty fair reservation to.

00:44:29
Speaker 2: Have, YEAH i can just imagine him as a. Rookie it depends where he, goes, certainly but just not being able to get on the field enough and you're manufacturing a couple of touches and he's almost, like you, know you're using him in like not an h, backroll but you're using him out of the backfield a little. Bit and, yeah that to me is more of a third fourth round type of. Player right, now the consensus is he's tight end. Two maybe late second we'll see who would be your your second tight. END i don't know if you've made a t year Behind Sadik.

00:45:01
Speaker 3: No this is Why i'm A bosone would get fired as A. Gm but my guy Is Oscar delt From georgia who called twenty passes last. Season, meanwhile Like stours is clowning people all over THE sec And i'm Saying i'm not drinking on the. Field there's pretty fair questions about you mentioned production before Of kenyon. SIDEG i, mean twenty grabs in a season is a pretty big knock On Oscar. Delt but as a do everything kind of. Player he came To georgia initially as the as the move type piece and more of the receiving type. Player over time they tried to make him more of a of an inline. Blocker that's why he was in the final year For. Georgia he's on a team With Donell washington and Brock. Bauers so it makes sense why they've had to kind of maneuver his.

00:45:46
Speaker 1: His, production how they've used.

00:45:48
Speaker 3: Him but he just has the, size the, athleticism the get after it in the wrong. Game he's got some real juice after the, catch and he gives me the kind of twinges Of Tucker craft And George, kittel two guys who really go after in the trenches in, college who was kind of traditional crossing route type plays in college and never really had that overwhelming. Production and yet that skill set does align so nicely of how the league really maximizes tight.

00:46:14
Speaker 1: Ends Now i'm with. YOU i watched.

00:46:16
Speaker 2: Them the MORE i watched the depth of this, CLASS i was, Like, oh this is actually a pretty good tight end. Class just they haven't gotten a lot of. Pop delp to, me has a lot of potential. Potential Eli reridan From Notre dame is probably not going to get anyone incredibly, excited but he just looks like a. Guy he has good, hands he was, smooth AND i was, like, oh, THERE i think that's AN nfl. PLAYER i don't know where he's gonna go. Exactly there was a couple guys like. That Max claire From Ohio state to, me looked like a professional tight, end AND i would Throw delp in that. Mix you, know Maybe delp you think has a little higher ceiling than those, Two BUT i think they all look like. Capable, okay wouldn't shock me if they have pretty good careers tight.

00:46:56
Speaker 3: Ends, No claire is another. ONE i would Have delpin class right next week to OTHER i Think delp is a more natural gifted. Blocker right, Now claire is really up for the. Fight he just whiffs, constantly but the tenasty and the willingness is, there and that when he was At purdue he was doing a lot more of that that grubby, work whereas At Ohio state they kind of move him around a lot. More but he's a really good. Athlete both of these guys are really good. Athletes both can shoe me shake people at the top of the, route and that kind of winning at ten to twelve, yards winning at fifteen yards and fall down is the name of the game for the guys who get into that beat. HERE i think in the league who want the complete game breakers as you maybe will project it with THE sidik so.

00:47:36
Speaker 1: You're not you're not feeling rared in.

00:47:37
Speaker 3: THERE i, MEAN i LIKE i Like rid and he's a little, lanky he's a little. Cumbersome he's only really had one year of a full time starting and the blocking stuff is pretty, MEDIOCRE i would, say BUT i would take him as a as a guy to have for year, two year.

00:47:55
Speaker 2: Three Maybe i'm just getting Like Anthony Fossano Notre dame. Flashbacks want to go way way back for a big lanky. Guy do you have ANY i know you love a blocking tight, end AND i think the league is coming. Around not like this is that bold of a, statement BUT i do feel like the blocking tight end capped off With Charlie kolder's contract with The chargers is on the upswing in terms of.

00:48:20
Speaker 1: Value people are looking for.

00:48:22
Speaker 2: Him so is there anyone in this class that stand out to you as a blocking tight?

00:48:26
Speaker 3: End Beloved Sam rousch that stem fots absolute mola will not stress anyone as a. Receiver But Charlie kohler is the kind of perfect comparison. There he has some after the. Catchability he also has some of the tiniest arms for a six to six man you'll ever. See so whether he can truly grab the ball away from his. Frame With Kyle, hamilton you, know drained on his back is probably a bit of a, concern but as a just in line with putting an extra tight end on the, field Then Sam rouse can really get after it and then will Cause Mary ohio stay is a very similar. Thing stir reliable crushes. People it's between those two for who's the best blocking type. PLAYER i would Say raush has a little bit more receiving potential Than, cameric but Because mark will probably make five six million dollars for eight years in the.

00:49:13
Speaker 2: League Will cosmeric From Ohio state consensus is one seventy. Nine but if you think he's one of the top two blocking tight, ends that feels like an early day. Three it's, like, okay let's get to day three and then someone someone in the room's, like let's take.

00:49:28
Speaker 1: That guy in the. Fourth, yes we're not going to mess.

00:49:31
Speaker 2: Around so if you can find any over unders for real sickos out there for The will Cous america over, Under we're taking the.

00:49:38
Speaker 1: Over that's.

00:49:39
Speaker 2: It we we went through the, Positions, ali we did our, defense we went through. Offense the next TIME i talk to, you it'll either be draft, week or the draft will already be. Over we might we might have you come back to do a little draft. Recap are you? Ready are you? Cramming what's going?

00:49:55
Speaker 3: On i'm not. Kramming all the work is. Done i'm looking through trying to find is there any day three Guys i've. Missed it's one of those classes where it just completely falls. UPOP i feel like the one hundredth. Guys so you got to go dig Through Ottawa. University presbyterian is a tight tend hanging out somewhere around that you can.

00:50:14
Speaker 2: Find, yeah you don't need to mention the, name but you told me one team gave you a name to look at like an undrafted priority free, Agent and what did you?

00:50:22
Speaker 1: Said he was the worst? Athlete come, No i'm not going to say who it.

00:50:27
Speaker 2: Is i'm just saying, like that's you, know you got to do the digging and sometimes you find.

00:50:30
Speaker 1: The worst athlete that you've ever.

00:50:32
Speaker 3: Seen sometimes you find.

00:50:33
Speaker 2: Gold, yeah like Like Fton chisholm when you're going through the mines last.

00:50:38
Speaker 1: Year all, right that's it for this. Week it was a really fun.

00:50:40
Speaker 2: WEEK i think we properly got our listeners ready for the.

00:50:45
Speaker 1: Draft but if you need any, more we're going to be back On.

00:50:48
Speaker 2: Monday it'll be me And Patrick claybahn in the studio talking about what we want to.

00:50:53
Speaker 1: See you got a mock draft final. One come.

00:50:55
Speaker 2: In Jordan rodrieg will be on the. Show we will see you, then