Do on the move, going deep speedways, Peas do Peas From the Baptist Health Studios inside the Baptist Health Training Complex.
This is Drivetime with Travis Wingfield.
He's my hands in the playoffs.
What is up, Dolph fans, and welcome to the Draft Time Podcast. I am your host, Travis wing Photo. On today's episode, the last of the positional previews for the twenty twenty four NFL Draft, Ryan Roberts and Ryan Fowler to Ryan's two positions, joining us to take us through the tight ends and linebackers. Here for our final edition of Draft positional Previews from the Baptist Health Studios inside the Baptist Health Training Complex.
This is.
The Draft Time Podcast.
Bye daff Is.
First, let's get.
To my first guest today, Ryan Roberts. Joined today by a man who wears many many hats, but I feel like the best way to introduce you to him is by his Twitter handle at Rise and Draft From Rise and Draft Scouting and the NFL Prospects Podcast, Ryan Roberts, Ryan, what is up?
Man?
I now much draft? It's not much man, We're I mean, what do we nine days away from the draft or something like that. When we're recording, so it's a fun time of the year, man, all the rumor mail and everyone freaking out, and just kind of get to sit back and kind of decipher the landscape a little bit.
Yeah again, and see how the sausage just made behind the scenes a little bit. We record this podcast well ahead of when it comes out. The draft is actually this week when you hear the podcast. But today Peter Schrager's mock draft came out.
That's bat host.
You know, I should have told you that ahead of the podcast, but not a big deal the fans know. But Peter Schrager's podcast mock Draft drop today and that was pretty interesting to get a look at that because he is usually pretty accurate with that stuff because he doesn't really he goes off what he hears, not what he thinks.
Right, So good stuff there.
But we have Ryan on today to talk about this linebacker class, and before you do that, we have to get to the kind of the snapshot of the room as it is in Miami right now, and it's it's kind of undergone a remake. Here gone is longtime veteran Jerome Baker, I mean, twenty eighteen, doesn't something like that long ago, but it's a long time in football years. That's when he got drafted and now he's in Seattle.
And in from Seattle is Jordan Brooks, who I just his tape has been some of my favorite to watch the entire offseason. You also get Anthony Walker junior to a room that already had David Long and Duke Riley.
And Duke played a.
Lot on defense last year but mostly has been a special team's ace in his career. So before we assess the class, let's assess the room here. What do you think of this Dolphins really over two years entirely remade linebacker room.
Ryan, I mean, it's been a I mean, it feels like forever ago now that we had to watch the Landon Roberts and those types of kind of work in the middle right, and it was obviously a very hit or miss group, you know, a couple of years ago specifically, but I really liked the pulse of the room honestly, you know, I mean it's getting at Jordan Brooks because I mean I was just thinking back to Jordan Brooks when he came out of Texas Tech, and he.
Was such a such a.
Weird prospect at the time, right because Texas Tech held kind of used kind of him in a very niche role, and then he comes to Seattle and they utilize kind of the diverse skill set that he has. You know, he has ranged from the middle. He's a guy that can be an attack style downhill player. He kind of has that body type where he can play, you know, true inside linebacker. He can play, you know, coming up on the edge at times if you need him to,
and like some underfronts, like he's very versatile weapon. I think, going along with a guy that's a bit undersized and David Long obviously, but then you also have Anthony Walker and you mentioned Duke Riley that are you know, that depth of this linebacker room I think is the biggest difference that we saw from a couple of years ago
in quality depth more than anything. Right, Like, this room I think is really you said it yourself, it's been remade the last couple of years and under Anthony Weaver. I'm really interested to see how the middle of this defense really functions because it's it's a position that definitely needed an upgrade the last couple of years.
Yeah, it's been a common theme in these these draft preview podcasts have done where it's like, let's talk about Anthonyvers defense, but we don't really know what to expect. There's there's ideas and more souls of like little evidence you have along the way, but you don't truly know what it's going to look like until he gets a year or two under his belt. Call on the Defense, and you mentioned something there about the undersized nature of the rum.
I've been wanting to ask.
I like to ask all my guests, you know, kind of their process behind scouting, how things have changed, just the landscape of the industry. And that's one of the biggest ones to me is this changing of the guard. You mentioned the land the Roberts a two hundred and fifty five pound thumper, right, you know, Vontes Burfick. Those days are gone, man. Now it's two hundred and thirty pounds.
Is kind of your average linebacker. And I remember those two hundred and sixty pound guys, even Donta high towers a big dude in the middle there. I'm curious what you think of the value of the small backer.
This changing of the guard.
But also it makes me wonder the follow up question to that, is there like a reckoning coming in the NFL where someone's going to just load up a thirteen personnel offense, maybe twenty three personnel offense and just say, Okay, put your two hundred and thirty.
Pound guys out there. That's cute.
We're gonna go ahead and play bully ballock. Do you do you see that happening, and just kind of tell me about the evolution of this position and what it could.
Mean for the future of the NFL.
I mean, I'm sure that's the change up that's coming a little bit soon, right, I mean, there's it. I feel like it's a very cyclical game, right. You know, we went from a very run heavy approach some years ago and it's turned into obviously a passing league, and I feel like we're seeing a little bit of a researcher to the run game, specifically last year.
Right.
So I'm sure that they were going to come to the situation where we are going to see a little bit more of the heavy personnel offensively to take advantage of the size that the size, the size, you know, the the advantage that you have pertinence to the size on the second level that teams are putting out there now. So I'm sure that it's going to change a little bit at time, you know, within the next few years,
within some time. I would say that for me, I used to be a big stickler when I first started scouting of the body types at different positions, right, So you would always think about Mike, Will Sam, you know, what did their body types look like? You know, Sam, obviously you want a little bit more size guys that can come up on the line of scrimmage set an
edge middle linebacker. You're talking about those two hundred and fifty five pound thumpers, which used to be the additional sense and then it used to be more of the sleek, lightly built backers that would work in pursuit a ton, you know, as the will linebacker. Well, it's kind of changed, you know, over the last couple of years. The archetype is now fast expel sideline, the sideline on the inside
at both Mike and Will. So I think there's still a requisite amount of you need to be able to fill an inside gap, and you need to be able to have gap integrity, and you need to be smart, and you need to be able to decide quickly. But I think there's still a requisite amount especially the mic position, but overall it's definitely changed. I was because I'm a purist when it comes to film. You know, I'm not a huge analytics guy. I use analytics mostly to just
kind of verify what my I see. But I had talked to an analytics heavy guy like two years ago, and he had kind of showed me the changing of the linebacker position over the last couple of years. And it was a comparison of like Pro Bowls or All Pros. I forget what it was, but it had showed that
the linebacker position is getting smaller. I mean, and I think you knew it by watching the game over the last few years, but just kind of seeing the data in front of you a little bit, it is it is pretty eye opening, you know what I mean, It really is. So I think for now it has changed as far as I think that the inside linebacker position has become a little bit more interchangeable. You need mics now that when you're gonna get out leverage, when there's gonna be a trade or a mote, you need guys
that can work in pursuit. They're just not a b gap to be gap players anymore. They get the gap you know, see gap the sea up. They are guys that you need to play off the tackle then you do need to range the sideline. So I think more than anything, the I think the line between Mike linebacker will linebacker has gotten blurred a whole lot more, and the same linebacker is kind of gone obsolete thing. Yeah, I mean like that we're seeing now, you know, teams
play so much heavy in the sub package. It's like the same linebercker doesn't really have a big pertinence in NFL defenses anymore. You know, it's a very part time player at this point. So I think it's just a line that's been blurred a little bit and the position has obviously gotten smaller last few years.
Yeah, it kind of seems like that new line of demarcation, if you will, is like between edge and linebacker, Like you're either edge or your linebacker that plays Bowl spots there.
And when you mentioned like the days of all the Sam will Mike like it brings you back to like my early Madden days to age myself a little bit, and like my first thought for a Dolphins fan out there was like CoA Mesi, the former second round pick out of Utah who was like a two hundred and sixty five pounds banger off that sam backer spot versus like what we had Jerome Baker Isbrookie year. He was a Will linebacker who was like forty pounds ler than that.
So that's a kind of I guess, a way to put all of that into a Dolphins lens for you fans out there. And with that in mind, let's go ahead and pivot now to this year's draft class, because and Ryan, some of these groups required me to phrase these questions this way. I've done it with the safety class. I believe that the tight end class might fall the same way. Maybe the interior offensive line. I don't think we'll see a linebacker go off the board before twenty one.
I imagine you feel the same way if you do. Though, who do you have as the top off ball linebacker and where do you think his range begins in that kind of first round second round window?
Yeah, I don't think it's a first round window on the second level today, because I really think that this twenty twenty four class is one that has some high upside players, right, Like, there's a lot of athletic traits that gets super excited about between like seven to eight of these guys, I would even say, but it's just that the floor you know that these guys are bringing to the table. Each one of them has something that
kind of makes you have pause for a second. Know whether it is a Peyton Wilson with the injury background or a couple guys that haven't played a ton of football, or the eye discipline on the second level, you know the impact that they have in traditional coverage and on those reps. So I think that there was a little bit of just kind of some things that are just kind of holding some guys back as far as being
premiere Day one players. But for me right now, like I have Junior Colson as my top guy out of Michigan, I'm in love with the guy's film. I really am. I mean quietly was the leading tackler for a Michigan defense that was stellar the last two years. Obviously won a national championship this year, but he is that guy Travis for me, Like you want to about blurring lines. This kid, if we were still playing the traditional four to three base all the time, he could play Mike,
he can play Will, he could play Sam. He's got enough length to play Sam, enough physicality, he's got the MIC traits, and then he's got the pursuit speed as well. I know he ended up not testing at the Combine, but he was a guy that coming out of high school was a verified like four or five something in the forties. So, like, this is a really athletic kid, very explosive, been tight areas. I think for me, his range starts probably early second rounds, Like, I wouldn't be
shocked if he goes thirty three. It wouldn't be shocked to be. I think he ends up being a top forty five player in this class though, because I think that he really brings those traits where when we're talking about lines getting blurred on the second level doesn't really it doesn't really matter how you label this kid, right Like, you can call him a Mic, you can call him a William, you can call him a Sam even if you want at times, but either way, this kid is
a dynamic SICCT level defender. I think that athleticism, that physicality, and the experience playing at a place like Michigan that has had a lot of great defensive minds controlling that defense last couple of years. I think all those things lead to Junior Colson being a pretty good plus starter pretty early on in his career.
He's the kind of guy that I agree with you. I love his tape, I love his game. I just don't think he's in the Dolphins cards.
Well.
I mean, I've been saying this every podcast, Like the minute you say something for sure, you're going to be wrong about it. That's how the draft goes. So I will never ever one percent rubber stamp something. But given David Long's production a year ago, and if they think of him in the building, given Jordan Brooks in a multi year contract, Anthony Walker, I just don't see it happening in that first forty picks. And it sounds like that's where you think Junior Colson goes. So I imagine
that's not in the cards. I almost felt like it picked fifty five, it's almost not in the cards as well. But again, never say for certain. So whether it's at that fifty fifth pick, tell me about a couple of guys that you think could be in play there. But also if you can, just for the sake of the fact that, like like I'm talking about, I just don't
think it happens. But we'll see beyond that, if the Dolphins were a trade back because they don't have a pick between fifty five and one fifty eight, if they move back and get an extra pick, give me some guys in that kind of third fourth round range like there in addition to who could be there at fifty five if you don't.
Mind, Yeah, absolutely, I think for fifty five there's a couple names that I think will at least be in play for a team, you know, if they were linebacker centric, good team that would need that position. One's Peyton Wilson out of Vanci State, who full transparency. He is probably my favorite linebacker in this class, just strictly what he
puts on the fields. He's got a very unique body type. Tall, little bit lanky right now, but he's continue to put on good weight, but he's got a little bit of shorter arm length, which is kind of an interesting body. Just overall. He reminds me a lot of like for a just player comp though, he reminds me of Kiko Alonso, And I say, like the good Kiko Alonso, right though, because I think we remember the bad Kiko the last couple of years of his career. But like early Kiko
before the injuries started taking its toll. He was a good player man, and he again had that length and that ability in the passing game that made him a really valuable commodity. I mean, this kid's an even more gift to that athlete than what Kiko was coming out of Oregon. I mean, Peyton ran four four to three at the combine at six foot four plus at two hundred and thirty seven pounds. He is a very impressive
athlete on the second level. Could play sideline, the sideline, He has a really good range on the second level if we're talking about a guy that's just gonna work inside out to the sideline, like he can track some guys down working to the edge. I really like Peyton a lot. The biggest question about Peyton and why even fifty five might be a little bit early for him, is the injuries that we have to kind of get through, right. I mean, he's had multiple ACL tears in the past.
He's had multiple season ending shoulder injuries in the past as well. A linebacker would badge is a pretty scary thing even in the modern day, you know, if how teams play defense. So but I really like him a lot. I think that his film is tremendous. I think that he has upside. It's just going to be about the medicals. What's the shelf life of him?
Right?
Can he potentially get to a second contract? Those questions I don't have the answer to because we don't have the full medical breakdown of just what his shoulders look like, you know, what the lower body looks like. But on film, fantastic player and the other guy that I think the NFL is a little bit higher on than a lot of the media and even myself, to be honest, right,
this is a little bit more predictive nature. Cedric Gray from North Carolina is a guy that I know a lot of people in around the league, like a lot. He kind of fit's a modern mold that I was talking about, right, Like, he's a pretty densely built kid, but he's athletic, really good film in coverage. On the second level, I think his eyes are pretty dang inconsistent, right Like, I don't think he consistently sees the game at a high level and just at a high speed.
But if we're just on about physical traits and athleticism, Cedric Gray has a lot to bring to the table. A couple of later round guys that I really like a lot, and there's actually three guys. I don't know if I can ramble through these as quick as I can, but just to give you guys as many names as possible. My favorite watch, probably other than Peyton Wilson, A guy that I was not expecting to be a guy that I love was Tyrese Knight out of U Tip, who I think third to fifth round range is kind of
what I'm hearing right now. I think he can go as early as late day two, probably more of an early day three football player. This kid is the modern linebacker that you were talking about. He saw it off just a hair over six foot. He's about two hundred two hundred thirty two undred thirty five pounds. But the kid can run very explosive short area, and I think that is he's a little bit of a guesser on the second level at times, which gives you pause. But
I do think he sees the game well. I just think it's about just being consistently with his landmarks and his eyes in the run game. So Tyree Knight's a really interesting player. The U Tip that was at the Senior Bowl, Jordan McGee out of Temple. This is like a day three dart throw man. I don't like this kid's vision all the time at all. I think he's guesses a whole lot on the second level, but length
athleticism can run for days at worst. Getting a special teamer here, right, like a guy that I think could be a core teamer, which has value. And then the last guy that I have covered very closely the last couple of years but is the most maddening player probably in this draft is Marris Loi Foul out of Notre Dame. Now he is talking about the blurred line again. Six foot two and a half, two hundred and thirty seven
pounds two hundred and thirty nine pounds. He's been kind of fluctuated through the draft process, thirty four inch arms Notre Dame. They asked him to play on the edge a lot, and he was a subpackaged rusher, so inconsistent with what he's seeing. But the athleticism and the highs or about as high as anybody in this class. So I think if you get him in around five, round six, somewhere in that ballpark, you kind of stash him on
the end of the roster. Year two, year three, you might start to get a little something out of him. Year four, he could be a starting level type of player. But I think at worse again, if we're talking about six to two plus or a little UNDERD two forty with thirty four in charms that can run, that guy's gonna at least be a special team R and at dep piece for.
You, I'm glad you mentioned That's my last question for
you here is about the special teams. But first, I think it's funny you mentioned that because you know, we talked a little bit off the air about athleticism versus instincts, and I just it's almost like quarterback play a lot of the time, where like, yeah, he might not move the best or have the biggest arm, but when a guy can see it and play it and feel it and just go like, I love a player like that because I feel like it just expands not just his role,
but what his teammates around him can do because of that ability to see the game that quickly. So that's kind of where you get into the idea of like, well, let's take an athlete here on day three who maybe he doesn't have the reps or doesn't have the reps we like to see in terms of how he anticipates and feels things, So you kind of have that delicate balance.
But you touched on.
Something there and that answer that I think is perfect for My final question for you here is as a scout, when you plug on defensive tape because sometimes these guys in college, they don't play special teams, right, and that's going to be their lifeblood in the NFL for at least a couple of years, especially if they're a Day three pick when you watch, because you know, linebacker play seems to always translate to special teams, like your backup
linebackers better be core teamers for the most part. When you watch them on defense and you see that tape, is it just speed like what translates from defensive tape to I think he could be pretty on special teams even though I haven't really seen him do it yet.
It's a great question. I think it's gonna change a little bit now with the kickoff role change and right like more in a fitted position then just run down and run through someone's face. At this point, right Like, it's a little bit of a different layer. But I think there's three things that you look at if you're projecting the guy on special teams that hasn't played a ton. One is length, right Like, length is a big thing, and that's arm length. Obviously it improves range, you know,
the tackle radiance that a guy has. Number two is just pure athleticism, the speed, the acceleration like those things I think project very favorably. And the last one is quite simple, Well, the guy is the guy physical, right Like, will he hits you know at the end of the day. Because there's a lot of guys that looked apart. They can run down on the kickoff, they can get off a block with the length they have, but then they miss tackles. They're just not a physical guy at that
point of contact. So again I think, like at Maris Woifel that I just mentioned out a Notre Dame, that kid has bad vision on the second level at times and he's very inconsistent, but the one thing he'll do is he'll run and hit at the end of the day.
Right.
So I think physicality, ability to hit, I think length, and I think explosiveness and athleticism. Those things translate to being a good special teamer on the next level.
It's a little bit of psychopath in there as well. I want to see for my special teamers, guys just run down with.
Their hair on fire.
Like we signed Sir Ran Neil and I'm watching his Special Teams tap. He is just a monster getting down there like he runs with reckless abandon for his own on well being. That's what you want to see on Special teams Rise and Draft Scouting, Our MP Data, College Great Arn Showcase Scout, NFL Draft Prospects Pod, and Irish Breakdown dot Com. I told you guys, you wore as many many hats, Ryan Roberts, Ryan, really appreciate your time today, man, And what are some things you're working on here? What
can some folks expect from you this week? Is the draft is just a few days away now.
Yeah, No, I really appreciate it, Travis. It's been great to be on. I would say for me at College Sports Wire on USA today, I'll have the last mock draft that I'm putting out, probably just a two round or just to get you guys you know a couple more names that just might sneak on too early. Day
two type of conversation that'll have trades included. I've been doing team specific mocks last couple of weeks, i'one try to get to L teams, you know, kind of down the stretch of just some guys that in a full seven round mock draft perspective should be on your radar.
And then at first team NFL Draft of the College Football podcast on Believe podcast Network, we'll be doing a bunch of instant breakdowns and analysis on the YouTube channel obviously on the podcast platform, so make sure you're subscribed over there, and then you'll have some inst analysis on draft day when it's finally here.
Great stuff, man, I see your girl dad as well and during the draft season getting no sleep at all, so go get some sleep, man, and I appreciate your time today, man, Thank you, Thanks Travis, and away he goes. One more group to go. One more guest, Ryan Fowler on the tight Ends. That's next Draft Time podcast, your host Travis Wingfield, brought to you by Auto Nation. Bringing us home here on the twenty twenty four draft positional preview pods is Ryan Fowler talking about tight Ends today.
And Ryan, first of all, thanks for joining us and how you doing man.
Absolutely thanks having me on, Travis. It's a busy time of year, but ready get this thing rolling, me.
Too, man, And I keep looking at all these different Dolphins acquisitions this offseason and trying to inform myself on what that might mean for the draft.
And quite frankly, the.
Dolphins have done a good job of kind of filling out the needs on the roster and put themselves in position to kind of just take what the best player available to.
Them is at that point in the draft.
And so I want to go ahead and start at this tight end group here and talk about John hu Smith because I felt that last year Miami really needed a third receiving option. And when you have a guy that can do that but also be a plus block or four you part of the screen game. I feel like it's a big acquisition for the Dolphins offense. What say you about how John new Smith changes the way the Dolphins tight end room kind of shapes up this year?
Yeah, I'm right there with you. I think when you look at this Dolphins offense as far as what Mike mcganna wants to do as far as expanding team's pre snap right east west, and you see a lot of cheat of motion pre snap motion, getting three releases and mismatches at the end of the day is what you've seen from this Kyle Shanahan tree enforcing matchups, and I
think that's what JOHNU. Smith is going to do extremely well for this offense, to where not only going to be able to be a friendly face right for two on those early downs or a third and five, third and six, and be able to create after the catch as well as a big bodied edition, but also be able to stretch the scene a little bit so where you're also taking eyes off of potentially you know, Tyreek
Hill and Jaleen Waddle on the outside. So I really like the addition as well as you know Durham smythe is still there as that veteran understands the offense type of addition. So if you want to deploy twelve personnel and offer some unique looks in the run game as well, but also use John who potentially into the screen game or further extension of the run game. His presence is going to expand the playbook. And if you're Mike McDaniel with already the weapons that you have, you couldn't go
wrong in the audition. Like John HU Smith as an experienced veteran athletic piece of the.
Tight end position.
You guys, see what we got Ryan on the podcast here, you just got a lot smarter about Dolphins football and the tight end position in joint. If that was some good stuff from Ryan, I want to go ahead and pivot now to the draft portion of the podcast. And yeah,
you mentioned Durham Smith real quick, by the way. I just want to go ahead and mention that I wasn't trying to say, like, oh, now we have John who, like Durham, was a very productive receiver for last year and does a lot of stuff in the blocking game as well. So a big fan of what he brings to the offense. And now, like you talk about that twelve personnel package a little bit more experienced, a little bit more veteran presence there with John, Hu and Durham together.
But we start in the draft class with the Georgia kid, right, where the heck else do you go? I'm so curious to hear a real Draftnicks take on him because I keep seeing, you know, social media, my own perception of what he is and the fact that he didn't work out is causing all this ruckus this last couple of weeks here heading up to the draft, which man the last week before the draft can be pretty brutal. Ryan, But my first question is where do you think he
winds up? And I'm just really curious, I guess what do you make of his draft cycle season, Like, hasn't done the official testing. I'm curious how you think that could impact his market and just overall the discourse around Brock Bauers right now as we tap this podcast one week ahead of the draft.
Yeah, I think there's absolutely some prospect fatigue going on with Brock Powers. I raised them as well with with Joell of course from ered Aime, and even there's some with Drake May in my opinion from North Carolina. But I think when you look at Brock Bauers and microscope his skill set as far as what he's going to immediately offer for an offense. Now, for me, he's the
top ten player in this class. I really don't have any prospect fatigue on him as far as what he is going to be as a flex weapon in today's day and age at the tight end position to where teams prioritize it. You look at Kyle Pitts and we're still waiting for Kyle Pitts to break out in Atlanta. Maybe he does it this year and had Zach Robinson offense there in Atlanta with Kirk Cousins slinging the ball.
But what Brock Bauers is going to do is he's not going to be that atypical y tight end that we saw with Darnell Washington coming out to where he's going to blow people off the ball as a blocker, but he is going to force teams to live consistently and sub and live lighter in the box, which is ultimately going to help you run game out as well. And then he's going to be able to outrun smaller linebackers, slower linebackers and outrun safeties as well and just force
attention elsewhere. And I just think his ability, his hands, the athletic profile, I think he's a sensational player. And again maybe this was ten to fifteen years ago. He's a guy that maybe goes in the second round, third round. But the way in which offenses Travis continue to evolve, you need a player like Brock to continue to expand that playbook, both as a multi phase contributor, as a blocker in the run game and in space. And if
you watch that Auburn tape. I don't know if you've seen that, Travis or anybody out there has seen that tape. I'm not sure there's a prospect in this class that has better tape in one game than I saw from brock Bauers against Auburn. He was dominant in all phases.
I mean, you got my attention with that, for sure.
I do wonder though, I kind of get the sense he's not going to be there at twenty one.
Would you agree with that?
I completely agree with that, Yes, yes, pretty.
I mean ten seems kind of like the breaking point there for brock Bauer. So maybe maybe getting out of your mind Dolphins fans, who the heck knows. But it is really interesting because I think the one position in this offense hasn't really seen kind of evolve into that.
You know, George Kittle portion of what the Niners were there with Mike McDaniel when he was previously with Kyle Shanahan or even the last year at the Packers and a couple of times I took in the draft last year and seeing them kind of evolve in the matt lafora offense, we haven't really seen the Dolphins tight end position take off, and I would my first argument against that would be like, why would.
You when you have Tyreek and Jalen? But I digress on that.
So if we can add to that, if we can't have our cake and eat it too with the receivers and the tight end, I'm curious about who's next. Who do you think is that next tight end? Maybe a group of guys where do you think that run begins? And I'm just going to go ahead and put my own flavor on this. The Kansas State kid?
Is it him? Because I quite like his tape a lot.
I did two Travis. I'm right there with you, man. And this tight end two where they're going to come off the board?
Is it JT.
Sanders?
Right? Jadavian Sanders from Texas? Is it Ben Senate from Kansas State? Is Eric All from Iowa? Is it Theo Johnson from Penn State? I think those names Travis in that second tier, I think is a good bet if you want to bet on the tight end two. For me, tight end two in this class is going to be Ben Sennet, the sixth sport athlete out of high school. Now you see some guys six sports, right, we played football, and basketball and football, baseball. But this guy's playing hockey,
he's doing tennis, he did everything in high school. And that shows me the versatility to be a guy that can compete not only along the line of scrimmage. Is his hand in the dirt flexed out in space. Also that Kyle uscheck role that we've seen in San Francisco over the years, or what we've seen even in Miami with a guy like alec Ingold over this last few years. So I think Benson is somebody that is going to.
Go high in this draft.
He is not the sexiest most athletic prospect in this class. He's not, but what he does well, he does the little things well. And also I think he's just scratching the surface as a pass catcher in space to threaten the scene and create after the catch where he really turns into a two hundred and thirty pound running back in space to be able to run through guys, around guys, and go over guys if he has to.
So I'm with you.
I like Benson a ton, but it's really going to be interesting to where the beauty is going to be in the eye of the beholder for this tight end class. To where do you want that bigger, more physical traits type of body with THEO Johnson or Eric All or do you want that throwback type of why with a tip ryeman from Illinois at two hundred and seventy pounds
that tested really well. So it's gonna be really interesting, Travis, to see where these teams go, how they value the tight end spot to where there's not a lot of guys in this class. You could say that is gonna be my tight end one. I'm maybe looking for a tight end two in this class. I think a lot of people are gonna find a lot of value here, specifically in that third round early fourth round bucket.
I mean that's the Dolphins are gonna have to find a draft pick going back to to accumulate more picks, I should say, by a trade back to get into that range, because they currently don't pick between fifty five.
And one fifty eight.
But Man, that the Ben Sennett stuff you talked about there really intrigues me because I watched with the Senior Bowl and I thought his ability to ten and stack was pretty good. And then just the way the ball
kind of like vacuums into his hands. He has those big old mits that just puts around the football and it gets it gets put away and secured in tight contested areas, which I think is a big thing for those guys to be able to control the middle of the football field from that position and additionally, you know,
be the inline blockers you want them to be. But I am I'm curious to ask you a Dolphins specific question because you know you talk about durham smythe I think kind of checks the box in terms of a guy that can play a little bit of both receiver and in the running game and pass protection as well. I'm just curious if you, if you have had a chance to in your draft process studying, identify a tight end who kind of fits.
That mold as far as the Dolphins want to be.
A guy that can get out in space and know escort de von a Chian around the corner, and a guy that can also maybe stretch that scene a little bit and makes some big plays in the passing game. Is there one guy that you would come out of this draft and it can't be a brock Bowers, sorry to burscher bubble, you would say that guy looks like a Miami dolphin and would be a good pick for them round two, three, four, whatever it might be.
I'll say this, I've fallen in love in the process with jahem Bell out of Florida State.
Could come love we have.
I think he's someone that at six two forty five is what he'll play at. He's a strong, physical kid. I really enjoyed watching him at the Senior Bowl as well. I mean his one on ones against the safeties down there, specifically with cam Kinchins, who did have a rough session there and Mobile unfortunately for him. I loved what I saw from Jaheem just the short area equipments, his ability
along eat that's tried run past secondary defenders. I mean the acc there's talent everywhere that you're facing, and he's facing talent every single day at practice down there at Florida State and as he did as well in the
SEC before he transferred. I really like Jaheen Bell in this class and I think he's versatile and I think what I when I look at Mike McDaniel's offense and the versatility he wants in the explode this fundamentally at the position to where yes, John Husmith is there, yes Terurham Smith is there, those guys are going to play.
But if you need another weapon in the offense to potentially a line in the backfield, do some really unique things for you and take I specifically at the second level and move them on a guy like to him, Jeem Bell again Florida state six two two forty, a really athletic kid, really good pre draft process. I would really like in Miami. Potentially adds him in the middle rounds. Absolutely.
Yeah.
Going back to mobile man, I thought he really popped there as well, that he ran like a wheel route from an offset ie formation, which those don't exist anymore except for in Miami and San Francisco and Green Bay they do. But he ran that route and I was like, okay, yeah, you've got my attention now, mister Bell. So a great call there, a great minds thinking alike. I always like to end the podcast that's way on these previews, I'm
telling the scout and that's you, Ryan. You can make your money here on day three or UDFA priorities, because that's where the area of scouts really shy man. They bring their suggestions to the GM, to the scouting department and try to get those guys across the goal line for their team to bring them in. Who is a late round sleeper, UDFA priority guy you're a rubber stamping and bringing to the table saying we got to sign this guy.
Yeah, I'll go with one that really pops out Travis, and that's Elijah Jones, the corner from Boston College. He was also down at the Senior Bowl and he wasn't supposed to be there, and he got an invite late from Jim Naggy and his staff and he showed up and he was excellent in my opinion, and I think
he's someone that's got a lot of buzz. I'm not sure he's even gonna be there in the fifth, sixth, seventh round, but I think he's someone that has risen in this process that I've just really enjoyed watching him play. But also a guy that's gotten a ton of buzz from NFL circles here these last two weeks. That's Omar Brown, nickel safety corner hybrid from Nebraska. Nebraska hasn't had a ton of attention with the NFL prospects in this preseason
or excuse me, this pre draft process. And Omar's a guy, big, strong, fast kid, being a multi phase contributor playing special teams as well, and the athletic traits you know as you work towards the sixth seventh round UDFA bucket teams want to pull guys with that are projectable but have some traits, and you're taking flyers on guys as your boards begin to find so Omar Brown from Nebraska along with Elijah Jones Corner from Boston College or my two guys in.
A lot of portions of this that I really like at Underscore, Ryan Fowler, Underscore, Commanding the Huddle Podcast, Pleach Report, and the Draft Network. Ryan, appreciate your time today, man, you really helped us get to know this tight end class at bit better. Happy Draft Week, man, enjoy the week of festivities and thank you again for your time, sir.
Absolutely, thanks so much. Drevs And we did it.
We made it.
It is the end of Draft Positional Preview podcast. We'll get a Dolphin selection at some point this week, hopefully on Thursday night, maybe not, maybe the trade down and it's not until Friday night, but either way, the rest of the week it's going to be Kyle Krabs back to back episodes Tomorrow morning and Wednesday morning, Tuesday and Wednesday, two part episode reviewing the entire offseason so far, taking a look at the Dolphins Draft from our own lens
obviously with the great Kyle Krabs. And then Draft Night April twenty fifth, eight o'clock at the Bayside Market on bisc Game Boulevard. Peer five myself with Seth and Juice be doing our postgame show Draft edition from that spot. We'll also have me and OJ on the panel for the Dolphins Draft party hosted by Mike Kuno, Gil and Phillips is gonna be there. We're gonna have some more Dolphins alumnis, Juice and I help them break down your twenty twenty four Miami Dolphins drafts.
Don't miss any of that coming out if you are a South Florida local.
In the meantime, though, that's gonna be my time you all, please be sure subscribe, rate review, follow on social at Winkle NFL. The team at Miami Dolphins. Check out the fish Tank podcast was set the Jews. Check out the YouTube channel for media availabilities Dolphins Today, Draft time, interviews, drafted players, free agents, all of that and much much more, and last but not least, Miami Dolphins dot Com Until next time.
Fin's Up.
Caroline and Cameron Daddy's coming home.