Jordan Reid of The Draft Network

one of the very best in the business today. Jordan Reed of the Draft Network joins us will get his biggest risers from Indianapolis. We'll talk some quarterbacks, and of course talk about his updated top two hundred big board. All of that and more here on this Wednesday marks the fourth edition of the Drivetime Podcast Dolphins, and I'm very pleased to be joined today by the senior draft analysts for the Draft Network, the host of Locked On

College Football and former North Carolina Central quarterback. He is Jordan Read. Jordan, thanks for joining me, man, thank you for having me on. Travis. Yeah, it's good to meet you down in Indianapolis. Your first combine, my first combine and with that, that's kind of the theme of the week here on the Drivetime podcast and across all kinds

of podcast out there in the podcast universe. And so I wanted to first ask you which players out there that really did well for themselves, whether it was the interviews or the on field workouts or the measurements, who really made the biggest strides last week in Indianapolis on your big board. Um, there was quite a few guys

that really did bump themselves up. Um. You know, it's just different getting to see these guys in person, just because you can watch all the film in the world and you can read all about these guys, but it's just different being in front of him actually talking to him. But one guy that really did imprence me was claib and Song, the defensive end from L s U. And

would impress me so much about him? Is that actually got the first question into him and I just said, man, just go and said, like, addressed the run defensive issues that everybody has with you and he was just said he just said that, you know, whenever you're hiring somebody, do you want to hire somebody that speaks one language or three languages? And he said, I'm the guy that can speak three languages. And he said he can rest the pastor he can drop in coverage, and also he

can play the run. So I thought that was a really impressive answer. And then I thought the tackle class. I thought it definitely lived up to the hype. We saw what Tristan Works did with his forty times and his vertical running four eight five, which is incredible, and then jumping thirty six and the offenses at six ft

four three twenty pounds just remarkable. McKay Beckton was unbelievable, and Andrew Thomas and Jigrick Wills performed really well, but they were a bit overshadowed by what Tristan Worst and back and did. So I thought the top tier the offensive tackle class really lived up to the hype. Well, I want to kind of go around our rundown we have here that are prepared with you, Jordan, because you

made a good point there about this tackle class. But first, real quick, you mentioned the three languages of Calaban Chason, and I saw a stat that in the Alabama game he had twenty one apps going backwards and coverage and only eighteen as a rusher. So that speaks to his

versatility very very well in that regard. But to get back to the tackle class you mentioned, the Dolphins traded Laramie tons Al last year for two first round picks and a second round pick, and the next season, in my opinion, Jordan's this draft class is pretty much loaded at the top of the offensive tackle position as well. So where do you kind of place the value of that Laramie Tonsil trade And do you think the draft classes we have the next two years really make it

even more impressive for the Dolphins. Yeah, definitely. Anytime you can get a treasure trove with picks, I think it's always a good thing. Now, the hard part for Chris Greer and Brian floor is is just turning those speaks into actual players. And it's always easy getting rid of these guys, are you know, trading them for something, But turning them into actual players that's really where the hard part really comes for them. So it's gonna be really challenging,

and I'm really excited to see what they do. But I mean, I'm really I don't want to say I'm glad that they made the trade for Tunsil, but I thought it really made sense for them, just because especially to that's going through a rebuild and a guy that was really going to be asking for a contract here soon by the time he really was hitting his stride and in this prime, it really didn't make sense to keep him here in Miami. So I thought they did

a really good job of getting value for Tunseil. Now, if they do want to take a tackle, whether that's at five, eighteen or twenty six, we'll see what does happen with that, or if they want to wait till I haven't actually dug into the offensive tackle class in one, of course, just because it's a year away. We know when they sewed from Oregon is one name that's already out there. But we'll see what does happen with Miami how they decide to attack the offensive tackle position going forward.

And Chris Career has gone on a record on the Move the Sticks podcast and otherwise saying that they do view this as kind of a two year approach, a two year snapshot. Is that common for you in terms of scouting circles to kind of have an idea about what you might be looking at next season? You mentioned you haven't looked at the offensive tackle class, but is

that kind of rare to do that. Well, sometimes you get teams that really look ahead, and I think a lot of fans get caught up in doing that, like Drevor Lawrence and just to feel is everybody's already looking

forward to that quarterback class for next year. But I think fans kind of get a little bit caught on the hype a little bit more than what teams do, just because teams take a year by year approach, and I think the Dolphins are just fixated on exactly what they're gonna do with this treasure travel picks that they have this year, and they have to understand exactly how they're gonna attack. They have to treat these things because that you to your operation. And I think that's exactly

what Chris Greers taking. That's the approach that he's taken. And we talked about your risers up the board for the combine. You just updated your two hundred big board on the Draft Network again. Jordan Reed here joining me on the Drivetime podcast, and I just want to kind of get your general consensus from that two hundred big board, like what stands out from Jordan Reads big board compared to some other pundits out there and just kind of talk about the activity of your big board the last

couple of weeks. Um. I think what really stands out about it is just the guys at the top, and there's a little bit of shuffling going on just because you're seeing guys really makes stand out performances, whether that's at the combine or you know, some of the other things they that did down the back stretch of the year.

And I mean, Chase Young is a guy that's been at the top for me since the summertime, but Jeffer Coute and Isett Simmons, the guys that have skyrocketed up the board just because the Kudo was basically a one year starter coming into the year. He's i should say, only started three games coming into the year. This is his first year in two thousand nineteen where he was a full time starter, and I mean he's just been phenomenal.

As Simmons, we know what he's done and how well he performed at the combine, and then it means you get the quarterbacks that have skyrocketed up the board. Joe Burrow is a guy that was basically relatively unknown coming into the year. He was seen as a midground pick, but he went out and probably had arguably the best football season that we've seen from a college quarterback and quite some time, and possibly ever, and then the offensive tackles.

A lot of people didn't know about a whole bunch of these guys coming into the year outside of Andrew Thomas. But I think they've done a really good job of performing up to part and really competing with the excuse me, competing with each other. And you mentioned that quarterback class.

We of course have you know, four or five, maybe even six quarterbacks value in that first round based upon what the draft network says, and always that bump you get from the quarterback class in terms of teams going up after the quarterback sooner than expected because of the value they offer your team. So can you kind of sort this quarterback class for us? How do you rank them? And also what does each guy do at top of the class that separates that player from the rest of

his peers in this year's class. Yes, so I'll just start with Joe Burrow. He's pretty much seen as the consistent top guy, and I mean he's probably gonna end up being if all signs point to exactly what is expected to happen with him being a number one overall big, him being an understenter and Cincinnati, and I mean the production speaks to herself. He was phenomenal. Sixty touchdowns over five thousand yards passing this year. He had a season

quite like anything we've ever seen before. And you know, they had to plit the real weapons down there and he was able to use them properly. So Burrow was

just fantastic. But I think the thing that makes him stand out it's just his pocket movability, maneuverability, I should say, it's just his improvisation and accuracy and just awareness of where to go with the ball at all times, no matter which platform he has to throw phone, whether that's within the pocket or being able to create and play a little bit of sandlot football outside of the pocket.

I think that's where he does thrive. So, uh, Cincinnati is gonna get a really good player with him if they do elect to take him at the top of the draft. And then this guy we have to attack

of by lower. I don't want to say he's the consensus second guy, but amongst the most boards, he's the second quarterback to right now, it should take QP two amongst most boards right now, But durability, that's the one thing that is always going to be circled on his resume and the big question mark that he has to answer. On April ninth, that is the pro day that he's gonna have. He's gonna have a separate workout from everybody else to where he's just gonna have a throwing session.

I'm sure that is an event that pretty much every team in the league is gonna want to be at just because they want to see how healthy too. It is going into the draft before a team ultimately has to make a decision on where to draft him. And I know there has been a popular name of being linked to the Dolphins, so I'm sure Chris Career and Brian floor Is will definitely have some interest in what's going on April ninth. Then after that, I think you get into a lot of guys that really have some

question marks. And Justin Herbert, I'll just start with him, a guy that came back for a senior year and a lot of people were expecting a little bit more from him, but I thought he played really well down the backstretch of the year and the big thing that Herbert has done this year, I think that had separated himself from some of these other guys is that he went down to the Senior Bowl. He was fantastic, he competed. Then he went down at the Comboy and he did

exactly what he needed to do. So I thought the competition aspect is showing that he can be a leader. I thought he I think he checked two big question marks with two big boxes, I should say, going into the pre drift process for him. So he's done a really good job of answering some questions out there that

we're out there about him. And then Jordan loved a guy that that opinions are kind of all over the place a little bit about him, just because he had a very productive eighteen season thirty two touchdowns, six interceptions, and he comes back he has a precipitous drop off in his production twenty touchdowns to seventeen ye interceptions, But there was a lot of changing variables around him, had a new head coach, new offensive coordinator, and he lost

his top three weapons as well. So that's something that he does have to his disposal. And outside of that, you're getting into some other guys Jalen Hurts from Oklahoma, another guy that a lot of teams are kind of mixed on right now, just because uh he I showed some progression as a pastor, but a lot of teams

still thinking they're some for growth there. And he's a guy you really have to invest all in on, similar to Lamar Jackson situation, with the type of offense that you're gonna run with him, and then you're getting into some third and fourth to your guys like Jacob Bison from Washington and then some other guys along the lines of that as well. Anthony Gordon from Washington State. There's another late round name to have a lot of teams

excited as well. And I always have to put an obligatory go Coog's and they're talking about the Washington State players because I of course went to Washington State and you mentioned some of the later round draft picks there at the quarterback position. I do want to get your thoughts here, Jordan's on who are some good value buys kind of by round, because this Dolphins Draft, you're gonna see that logo up on the TV pretty much every

five or ten minutes. It seems like with all these draft picks they have, and I know we talked about Sleepers being a Day three pick, maybe late on Day two even, but I want to get your feelings for who could be some good value picks by round, and it doesn't have to be the second round, like it could be picked eighteen or pick twenty six. Who are some of the best value guys you might be able to get along each step of the way in this year's class. Uh So, I think one guy really liked that.

What that I think really fits with Brian Flores wants to do as far as defensively and just having an ultimate chess piece on the back end. Antoine Winfield Jr. The safety from Minnesota. I think he's one guy that really fits with Brian Flores wants to do as far as a guy that can really move all over the place. And I know position this prospect has been a very common phrase for a lot of prospects around this time of year. I know Isaiah Simmons, that has been commonly

pigged as a phrase used to describe him. But I think you definitely can use that phrase also with antoinain Field Junior. Just because he's not just the safety, you can use him as a blitcher. He can play in nicole corner. He's even had some some players where he's played outside corner. Now, he's not gonna be able to survive consistently out there just because he's not a super big guy, but that just goes to show you just the type of type of versatility that he does bring

to the table. And that's exactly what Brian Flores talks about all the time that he just wants these guys to be interchangeable, and he wants to be able to use some guys in certain areas and he's he's a very creative mind. So getting a guy like an Antoine Winfield junior, he can move him all over the place. And one sleeper name that I think really fits what Miami wants to do, and he's probably gonna be a

third or fourth round pick. His name is Kali Kareem from Notre Dame and he's more of a four eye or four technique, meaning that he's probably gonna be head up over the tackles for the most part, and that's a common position and Brian floor as his defense. Now, he's not a speedy edge dresser or anything like that, but if you're looking for a player that can two gap and really hold at the point of attack. I think he's a player that definitely could sit and what

Brian Flores wants to do in his defensive scheme. And they had plenty of guys running multiple possitions across the defensive line last year. Davon Gadha and Christian Wilkins pretty much played anywhere from the nose of the zero tech all the way out to the five like you mentioned there. So that versatility always goes along with with this football team, both on the field and on the sideline with the

coaching staff. And I just wanted to get your thoughts on just some more Dolphins targets here late in this draft, because again, they're gonna have so many draft picks beyond just those top three rounds, maybe into that third round, some of the smaller school guys, some of the sleepers in the back half of the draft. You got any of those guys for me here? Jordan's um, some small school guys. Maybe they're looking for an interior offensive lineman. Now he's not gonna be a late round guy. Maybe

Day two, late day two, early day three. Robert Hunt from Louisiana Lafayette and also his teammate given Dots, and I think either one of those guys definitely can be a value pick, whether that's in the third or even the fourth round. I definitely think either one of those

guys definitely will be really good pickups. And then we also have a quarterback said situation coming into the off season, but we do know that Ryan Fitzpatrick is the quarterback currently holding down the starting position heading into and I put a piece up on Miami Dolphins dot Com kind of talking about how he's aged better at the back end of his career now in year fifteen and really statistically speaking on the film analytics, everywhere you look, he's

improved late in his career. What are your thoughts on Ryan Fitzpatrick as the quarterback next season for the Miami Dolphins.

I love him. Whenever you're thinking about a guy that is an ideal bridge gap type of quarterback, Ryan Fitzpatrick is definitely one of the top names that comes to mind, just because what I love about Fitzpatrick is that he always understands his role when he never complains about it, and he's gonna give you a ten percent every time he's out on the field, and he also generates some

excitement while doing it. And he's the ultimate leader, I like to say, just because guys are gonna play hard for him, just because they see the effort that he's given.

And I mean, he was the team's leading rusher last year, So that just goes to show you, like how well he played last year and just how much he lays it all out on the line and team and teams are seeing that, and guy, his teammates are seeing that that he lays it all out on the line every time he's after on the field, and he welcomes competition and he embraces it and he runs with it. So that's something I've always enjoyed with this Patrick, no matter

where he's been throughout his career. Yeah, I can always talk about the ability for the Dolphins offensive score points late in the season. They had a hundred and twenty five first downs in December last year. Just to make a reference point to that, the Baltimore Ravens in the month of December, the number one offense in the NFL,

only had a hundred and twelve first down. So Ryan Fitzpatrick definitely got that offense cranking towards the end of the year, Jordan read the Draft Network Lockdown College Football podcast. You guys can find him on Twitter at Jay Reid NFL. He is not Jordan Reid of the Washington Redskins the Draft Network Jordan, We appreciate your time so much, man, thanks a lot for doing this. Thank you as always, Dravis,

the pleasure being here. And one of the things Jordan did so brilliantly there for me and probably unintentionally, was he teamed me up to get into my next segments here talking about a couple of pieces on Miami Dolphins dot Com. And I want to parlay this right into the Ryan Fitzpatrick peace talking about how he has improved with age, and we actually heard him talk about that last year and his first mini camp way back in April, just a month after he signed with the Miami Dolphins.

And there are some age perceptions that are out there in the NFL and football world in general, and obviously being old and football is much different than being old in real life, but typically right around the thirty mark, that's kind of when conventional wisdom says, maybe the clock

starts on this player. And I've always made the argument that for quarterbacks, the more they see the game with their mind, and especially as we get further and further into this modern day era of the National Football League, that quarterbacks get sharper upstairs, and maybe even if the physical skills are not what they were at age twenty five, that they can play even better football, because playing quarterback is all about how you beat teams with your mind.

And that's why you see guys like Tom Brady winning super Bowls post forty birthday or Drew Brees throwing for a billion yards every year in his thirty eight, thirty nine, age forty seasons. And Ryan Fitzpatrick's career is basically on a similar trajectory as that, and he mentioned it last year at the Minicamps, saying, quote, I think in the last four or five years, I've really gotten better every year. And I think, as funny as it sounds, I think

my best football is still ahead of me. And although the box score is not the end all be all, the data does agree with Ryan Fitzpatrick that he's trending

upwards in his career. If you go back over the past six seasons, his numbers have improved from the first nine years of his career post thirty second birthday, a sixty point eight completion percentage that's up by a full point a seven point four yards per attempt average that's up almost a full yard point nine points better than what it was the first nine years of his career.

A four point eight touchdown percent compared to four point one in the first stanza of his career, a three point one interception rate compared to three point six, and an eighty six point three passer rating compared to seventy seven point five. Now, if you narrow that focus even more, just the last two seasons with Tampa Bay and Miami respectively, it's been the best two year stretch of Fitzpatrick's fifteen

year career. Sixty three point five completion percentage, seven point nine yards per pass, four point nine percent touchdown rate, three point three interception rate, and a ninety point four passer rating. And the most recent sample size. To even narrow that focus more and take a look at the final twelve games of the season, when he came back into the lineup off the bench in the fourth quarter of the Washington game. Since that time, he threw nineteen

touchdowns compared to nine picks. He completed sixty three point one percent of his passes, and he rushed for two hundred and twenty nine yards and four touchdowns on fifty two carries. That twelve games stretch right there. With twenty three total touchdowns nineteen passing four rushing, that gives him a rate of one point nine two touchdowns per game produced. That's the franchise's highest single season rate since Dan Marino in nine, who was at one point nine three, so

one of a touchdown per game better. And Ryan Fitzpatrick this last season? What about advanced metrics and Ryan Fitzpatrick. From Week six on, he was the tenth highest graded passer on Pro Football Focus. He was the twelfth overall quarterback on PFF. He ranked second and first downs over

that stretch and eleventh in touchdowns. Cumulatively, he was Pro Football focuses sixteenth grade quarterback on the nineteen season, and among quarterbacks with at least twenty throws downfield that's twenty yards or more, he ranked ninth in passer rating and on throws in which the ball came out in less than two and a half seconds, Fitzpatrick's fourteen touchdown passes on that particular instance was sixth best in the National

Football League, And how about player profile dot Com. They have the Dolphins quarterback as the seventh most completed air yards in football last year and thirteen in completion percentage when throwing under pressure. He finished eighth among all quarterbacks in rushing yards per game and fourth among quarterbacks and touchdowns via the ground game. And one thing I never want to do is just to use stats to tell

the whole story. I think they need context. And when you look at the tape of Ryan Fitzpatrick, there is context littered all the way out throughout his tape that shows you that he has clinical, teaching level tape that he's putting out there every single Sunday. There was a play in the Washington game again to go back to that, where they're operating from eleven personnel, which is one back,

one tight end, three receivers and emotions. Mike get Sicky into the backfield to aligne next to him along with the tailback, and Devonte Parker runs a post against press man with one of the two split safeties. It was Landing Collins in this instance hanging out over the top, and Fitzpatrick's job, He's the one that has to move that safety. So what does he do. He shoots his hips and his feet and his eyes over to the flat and that makes Landing Collins bite on that route.

It displaces the safety and creates a throwing window, and then Parker wins off the line of scrimmage, beats his man and press coverage, and Fitzpatrick throws a shot for a touchdown to put the Dolphins within one point with ten seconds to go in that game. You go way later in the season into December, the week fifteen game at the meadow Lands, he drills us gorgeous seam route a touchdown again to Devanta Parker once again and eleven

personnel a two by two alignment. You have Isaiah Ford come across the formation to even up the alignment, and the Giants are in a hybrid coverage, which is zone on one side, man on the other, with a single high safety reading Fitzpatrick's eyes and once again with a favorable matchup with Devanta Parker in that slot, Fitzpatrick had

to move the safety, which again he does. He locks on the one side of the field, taking a look at a corner route to Mike Gasiki, which gets that safety to turn his hips just for a beat of a second, and that one false step into the boundary opens up the field and Fitzpatrick throws a frozen rope twenty five yards right on the button for a touchdown to Devanta Parker. So stats data, the film, it all adds up to what Jordan Reid said, the perfect quarterback

for this team right now, and Brian Flores imitates those thoughts. Quote. I think Ryan is a great leader. He's shown that already. He's been in the league for a long time. He's smart, he works hard, he embodies a lot of the qualities that we're looking for in our players, not even our players, everyone in the organization. That leadership is something that I

think this team needs. We need that from not just one player, but we need that from everyone on the roster end quote alright, that will about do it for us. On this Wednesday, March the fourth edition of the Drive Time podcast, you all please be sure to subscribe, rate, and review the show wherever you get your podcast from. Go ahead and follow me on Twitter at Wingfield NFL.

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