The Around the NFL Podcast has too many red flags to be a first round pick.
From the Chris Westling Podcast studio. It's Around the NFL twenty twenty three NFL Draft.
Round one edition.
I'm Dan Hanses, Greg Rosenthal, Mark Sessler, who it is coming up on ten o'clock Pacific time as we record this, just finished a nearly four hour live stream shot up to the Chris Westling Podcast studio. Boys, and now we're going to go through it all Round one and all the excitement and surprises in that in there during that during those the picks, the thirty one.
Pick, we're a little uh nailed it or a little loopy potentially, but.
I say that's what I was looking for therein we.
We've never put out anywhere close to this out of content on day one of the drafts. And I had a great time with you guys.
It was a lot of fun. People can still if you're a true diehard, and if you're listening to this you may or may not be. It's up on our YouTube channel, the Around the NFL Podcast YouTube channel. I'll be there forever so you can see us lose our mind in the heat and you can see us react as history was being made, Anthony Richardson going to the sex but more importantly us doing a live stream together and Yessica being featured prominently.
Yeah, well, anytime you could do a live stream where you have Yessica future prominently, you have a huge personal announcement which go check out the stream. I won't even tell you what it was. And during that stream, you could turn the temperature up in the room to about one hundred and twenty degrees and watch us melt in real time.
I mean that a lot.
This podcast doesn't have sex appeal exactly, So check out the stream. We were happy. It was an experiment that we're happy with. And now we turn our attention to round one, and it was the big storylines boys, Bryce Young not a big story although it is the big pick, number one overall, the number two pick, and we have Sangwich props.
We'll get to that on Saturday.
But all to talk about the Houston Texans moving out of that spot, maybe not taking a quarterback, why don't we start there.
Let's start with some quarterback talk.
Going right through with the Colts then did at four, but let's start mark with CJ. Stroud going to the Texans the two. How surprised were you that that happened?
I was because I felt like there was this sort of impact, critical mass impact of like the Texans are going to go somewhere else with that number two pick, and there wasn't a lot linking then to CJ. Stroud.
You know, c J.
Stroud, I think took a lot of damaging pr over the last couple of weeks and.
He for what stupid. Now Now when we look back, I think.
I think, I think it's it's differently, it's different compared to what teams maybe think about these players. But but for all of us, it was this S two test and everything else about them. The Texans instead went and got their quarterback, and I mean, just watching CJ. Stroud's tape, I love the way he throws the football. I think it's it changes everything for the Texans too. Had they gone down the road with Davis Mills as their quarterback next season, it's like you didn't complete the test.
Like good job by Jeremiah sticking with Stroud on his mock and I think he even had the trade for Anderson right, which is crazy because it made too much sense. And that's what I when I say for what I mean all this honking for what I give the Texans credit. I think what happened was there was a draft information vacuum and just people just started filling in the vacuum of things that they were hearing and it was all
probably nonsense. And it's interesting, and I do think we should we should talk Young a little bit, and because we haven't talked specifically, that that that combination. But you're right, the draft fell like it starts too. And it's interesting to think of all that S two talk Dan because the offense that the Texans are gonna run Bobby Slowick, who they brought over from San Francisco. The one thing that Kyle Shanahan wants more than anything is just processing.
It's why he always wants these guys like Kirk Cousins and Brock Purdy that are kind of just like, I can answer the test one to two to three, So what if I don't make like huge game breaking play as an improvise on my own? And the S two tests in theory was supposed to be processing. So they didn't care about that. They cared about the tape, and what they saw on tape was a guy who was
extremely accurate, who takes coaching really well. And maybe he's not as exciting athletically as Bryce Young or Anthony Richardson, but he feels like a quarterback where his floor or where I see him as is like a Derek Carr Kirk Cousins type of quarterback at worse, and I think he's an even more talented thrower and he has a higher upside. So it's just interesting they didn't care about the S two Tests whatsoever.
That's the quarterback they they didn't care. But like brock Purty for instance, like led everyone in the S two Tests a year ago, and we saw what happened to him on the field. It is a case study to me though. And I know these late season meaningless games that win over the Colts allowed Carolina after their trade to go decide which quarterback they wanted. And the Texans are they took CJ. Stroud, But would they had would they have at number one? I don't think so we don't know c J.
Stroud could turn into a superstar. Rice Down can't play or can't stay in the shield. So it's it's so early and just like the Panthers are saying, we don't care about the S two tests. Well, if he's a terrible pro and part of the problem is the mental game is what he struggles with, then we'll see. So right now, this is why the draft is so fun and such a great fan event is because it's hope season. It's optimism. It's the idea that all these guys are
going to are going to hit. And you know, I have to say, like when you see going back to Bryce is the number one overall pick, And the same thing happened with the Jets when Bryce young when the trade goes down weeks ago, and it's like, oh man, the Panthers got fleeced.
I can't believe they gave up so much.
Well, what do you think about the trade now when you see this team as excited as it is, as this guy comes out on the stage and hugs rog and they and they hold up the jersey, and you know, the Panthers feel like they are now moving forward again. Same thing with Rogers and Jet Did the Jets give up too much? Well, go check out that building and the energy at Florin Parks as Rogers was introduced. It doesn't hurt as much, So I really do I think that both of these teams are loving the fresh start.
In a different world.
Should the Texans be drafting number one, Sure, but I think they have to process that. If they haven't already, I think they probably have us as football fans, we haven't maybe because they're so wild how that played out.
Well, even weeks ago they were desperately trying to draft Bryce Young, So that that is why you can at least question the process. In the end, it might work out better that they have Stroud and we'll get to Will Anderson. But the reporting that came out on Thursday from Jay Glazer specifically about how close the Texans were to making that deal happen and they got a little indecisive at the end. That initially Carolina thought that they
were going to trade up with Chicago at two. Chicago thought they were going to trade down from one to two. Presumably the Texans were ready to take Bryce Young and then Carolina was going to move up from nine to two. Who knows who they would have taken at too. We've heard some scottle but it would have been Anthony Richardson
actually at two. But Texans got a little undecisive, and they must have at some point decided it's okay, we love Stroud this much anyways, and maybe we can now use some of the picks that we didn't end up making in that trade and the number twelve pick, use that as a resource to get all the way back up to number three, and we'll see which works out. But it's just a reminder not to trust all these draft reports.
Young turns into a super duper star. Yes, it hurt giving up DJ Moore, but if that's what ended up getting them over the hump to get that pick and make this happen, it will be looked at as one of the great decisions in franchise history.
Yeah.
I mean it's not a you know, Peyton Manning Ryan Leaf scenario. It's just that I just think if you first of all, it's the Texans to turn around and get Will Anderson the way they did at number three makes the night extremely successful, because that's who I thought they were gonna go get and then be without a quarterback or have to get one down at twelve. They were very savvy in the way they pulled off this night,
and it's it's kind of a rarity. I mean, I don't think of the Texans that way and haven't for the past couple of years because they've been lost in their own wilderness.
They've been competitive organization for two years and now they have something where it's like, look, they think they're going to compete this year. I think they should. And Will Anderson was a great pick. I do just before we wrap on young because we haven't hit it too much. I think he's entering a better situation than most number one picks, partly because they weren't that bad a team
last year. They have a really good defense, I think, and they have a good coach and Frank Reich, who I think is perfect for a young quarterback, and they have a good offensive line. They don't have great weapons around him, and that's that's like the next thing. And they'll I'm sure add in the draft, and they had to give up some picks, so it's not perfect, but compared to most number one overall picks, like, I think
he's entering a nice situation. And our favorite Panthers fan in the building, David Ealy did release a statement on this draft pick.
Quote love For people that don't know David Eely will remember, Yes, Dave early Is was the number one Camstan he's a guy that he grew up.
In North Carolina.
He famously had a bottle of champagne that he was going to drink with his I believe his then girlfriend after a Super Bowl fifty win over the Broncos.
It's close enough to the story Mark Well.
I mean he brought it to work.
He ended up drinking the bottle alone in a hot tub. The girlfriend was out of the picture as well by that point.
I think she had been out of the picture for about half a decade. I mean I don't think that, but he was still thinking about it sure like mentally she was still in the pitch anyway.
The statement from Dave quote, we love our short king QB. Keep pounding so smart, short and simple. David like myself, not a large man. Yeah, we're looking to Bryce Young to really represent the short guys out there, although he's really not that short. I mean he's five ten and a half for NFL players, he's short.
And we had David Carr on our live stream and I asked him about like the Bryce Young height situation, just another quarterback, what he would think and he thought it came out really strongly saying in today's NFL not concerned about it that it's it's there's some misconceptions about what it would actually hold him back from doing.
I hear that a lot, and it's all good. Stay positive. Two four is his listed weight. He's got to be like aound.
He's really like one ninety. It is that's the bigger concern. But he did take pounding last year. It's a fair point to make that he got hit a lot in the SEC and he's okay, so pounding.
Yeah, it's well done.
Grand Digger one one.
I didn't hear anything.
Actually, now you have to do it and do the bid again, and that's figure.
Keep pounding.
There we go magical.
Wow, we got the same crew here for the chef. Everyone's doing double duty back there here. Eric's here. It's all happened.
We've all lost roughly individually six to seven pounds each because it was roughly the duplicate temperatures of Iraq in the.
Studio the week it was.
It was it was a live stream but also a fat farm, and it was really enjoyable to shake some of the weight.
Can I just read the uh the terms that UH that they gave up for will Anderson because it is worth noting that they traded a a first round pick next year. Now I lost it here a first and a third next year. So they gave gave up an incredible amount. They gave up the twelfth pick, you know, so that they gave up the thirty third pick. The Cardinals ended up moving back up from the twelve and then a first and the third rounder in twenty twenty four,
so they really gave up a quarterback type of haul. Like, even though it was from twelve to three and they didn't take a quarterback, they basically paid for a quarterback. They paid a lot for Will Anderson. It's just they were pointing out first and a third next.
But they got I think in another world you get one guy to build around. I know they had that twelfth pick too, but in theory it was going to be quarterback or Will Anderson. They got both, and you kind of did two years draft work in one if they both work out.
The Texans defense was not good last year, at least statistically, twenty seventh in points allowed, thirtieth in total defense, one of the worst run defenses ever statistically allowed the six most most rushing yards for a single season.
So this is an area of need Yep. Anderson great therey comes, great run stuff, upper, very tough. I'm glad he ended up going ahead of Tyry Wilson, although I did loose sandwiches on that, so I'm not that glad. But he just made more sense as a guy that was outrageously productive, and it would have been maybe outsmarting yourself to take someone else ahead of him, and so
he's also the type of guy. It kind of reminds me of when the Raiders took Cleveland Ferrell and that was a terrible pick and people were like, what is happening, But the whole thing was like, well, this is a guy who the way he is as a human, like that's always a guy. And that was Mayock's first pick, whereas now it's the Dimico Ryan's era. Everyone says this about Will Anderson, that he's like the best leader if
you want to be one type of person. But oh, by the way, he's also like the most productive pass wresher of the last five years.
Just as a side note an asterix here, this also essentially sealed my mock draft victory over our.
Producer Ob Grave Digger in the grave.
It's not I'm not trying to his body. I'm trying to drop a bom on you. But it was.
Justin's body range it like kind of moving. He's got some like post mortem like rigor mortis happening. Yeah, and you're just throwing the dirt on him. So you're it's ova baby. It wasn't. It wasn't a thing of beauty. I think you got six picks right, and he got five?
Is that correct?
It's something like that, or we both got five that he nailed the correct Yeah.
We had a score existed about twenty minutes into it. It looked like we were both totally on fire. And then it went about his cold cases.
The final score was thirteen twelve, and I believe it was thirteen twelve at about pick fifteen or sixteen, and then it just held.
It turned into a reel.
Rodrick Jones was the last correct pick.
It turned into a real defensive struggle down the stretch. But Mark, congratulations on getting back your your mock thrown crown.
Thank you, And we'll have a decisive third match next year barring what earth based disaster.
Let's move to the fourth pick and let's stick with a big You know, I was kind of a relieved I gotta be honest with you about Anthony Richardson coming off the border early, because you know how it is, and Greg that you were among the chorus.
But it's not a personal slight.
Certain players like football Twitter get so like excited that I could I could feel like the anger. If Anthony Richardson would have slid, people would have been furious because so many people had fallen in love with Richardson during this process. So when he went to the Colts at four, it was like, Okay, I don't have to deal with those takes.
It was a surprise at least, I mean it was to me. I really thought he wasn't gonna get past five with Seattle, maybe in maybe not six with Detroit, and there was some whispers that that was the case. There was a strong feeling he was gonna go high. But maybe it was the Colts all along. I give them credit for not giving that away in any way. A couple hours before the draft, Will Levis, who did not get drafted on Thursday, will have to wait till Friday.
Rough he was in the room too. The draft from the.
Biggest, biggest surprise, I would say of the night overall, was minus four hundred in betting parlance, he was four times more likely to go number four or overall than not, and yet he didn't even get taken in the first round. So for some reason, he was this heavy favorite to
go there. There was all this chatter all along that it was Levison Colts, Levison Colts, and Levis Coults, and this might have been a smoke screen that was intentional from the Colts to try to prevent anyone from trading ahead of them where Arizona was at three and maybe taking Richardson because apparently Richardson was their guy all along. And I think it's a great fit with Shane Steiken and after what he did with Jalen Hurts.
Yeah, I mean, I just think about where we were with Jalen Hurts a couple of years ago, and you know, now he's MVP level talent and the set the face of the Eagles franchise. It's like, I kind of love the coach player match with Stichen to develop some of
this with Anthony Richardson now limited college experience. I love what Bucky Bucky Brooks said that this is basically sort of like an NBA draft pick where You're not necessarily taking the most polished example from a college player, You're taking potential traits, and he brings all of that and he feels like the future of the position to me, and I think it's an incredibly exciting pick for a Colts team that has really flat lined with boring, awful,
unwatchable quarterback play for years on end.
Let me go through it since Andrew Luck's surprise retirement in twenty nineteen, Jake Briskett, Philip Rivers, Carson Wentz, Matt Ryan. So obviously this is a big turn now that for the first time they are investing in a young quarterback coming out of college.
In there that is like the least athletic group of quarterbacks he could come.
Up with since Luck and so Richardson is a total swing in the other direction. And there are you know, there were we talked about it leading in there are some concerns about whether he's polished enough to attack the game in a successful manner with a short game. But listen, we'll see it's worth. I think it's worth. I think we all graded it in real time on the stream
as a great move. And if the Colts, if he does develop the way they hope there's a good chance this looks this is one of those things like oh he went forward, but he was the best player in the draft.
Yeah, And he's an immediate headache to defensive coordinators. I mean it's like there aren't a lot of coumps of a quarterback like this, and how teams are gonna have to stop him. And it's like you talk about this like he's gonna take takes so long to develop, he's gonna start right away.
Well he's only started. He only started thirteen games.
Right, and so that two ways, Like he's inexperienced, no doubt, But I think there's a way to look at that and think, like he actually kind of needs to play, and I think playing will help him. I mean, he was a red shirt. He was a sophomore, red shirt sophomore, and so's he's a couple of years younger than like Will Levis, for instance, and I think he's got to
learn by playing. And when you have that running ability, that gives you like a baseline where I think you can have an offense that's capable enough as he gets I like.
That and Shane Steichen, of course helped turn Jalen hurts into a superstar in Philly, and yet I've seen it happen Zach Wilson. Sometimes rob a prospect gets thrown out on the field and then when it's not going well, you're like, oh, man, they maybe should have given this kid little time to learn the on the sidelines.
Or he's twenty years old.
He started thirteen games and he had a completion percentage south of fifty five percent in college. So there's is he going to be able to make be starting against the NFL money defenses in September?
Right? I mean, if he can.
He is an exciting player, no doubt, but it's a big it's a big ask for a kid that has not a lot of experience.
You know what, though, Like the same way you talked about Rogers and Bryce Young, it's like when we pick our games for week one, like I'm zooming towards the Cults if i have the chance, because it's like they're a must watch team and they have not felt that way about him for a long time and it was a bold move and.
I love that.
Right then, you've got a couple receivers Pierson, Pittman, You've got a good offensive coach Jim Bob Cooters back in the building. The offensive wrong is Okay, it's not good, but it's not terrible. Yeah, him and Minshew. You have Minshew there if it's if you really don't want to start him right away. But it's the pocket presence for me. I mean, we'll talk about it plenty in the coming days, but I love it and I love that it kept me from feeling mixed things about Seattle and Anthony Richardson
because I really think they would have taken him. I think it would have been a smart move because I do think you can compare him to two guys, Cam Newton and Josh Allen. We'll see if he gets there. I think he has better pocket presence than either one of them. He certainly has has a lot to learn though too, in terms of.
You actually said on the live stream that you if they picked Will Levis in that spot sea, which seems insane now because he didn't even ended up going in the first round.
You were never going to support the Seahawks.
Ever, I was going to renounce my Seahawks fandom if they took Levis.
I would have shaken the building.
Richard's taken the building Okay, if it was gonna be Levis and you're ruining my geno time, I would be unhappy. Instead, they just improve the team around.
Every time they yeah, we're gonna get to that. Every time they cut to Levis in the green room, Greg did the Nelson from The Simpsons laugh.
That's not true.
I was like, Bro, he's a human, he's a kid.
It was say on our Little Predict on our Previews show. I said, I think Levis is a good prospect. He's kind of like like an early second round type of like has a chance to be a pretty good starter prospect. That was it. You said it was like Ryan Tanner said it was like a Ryan Tannehill type of guy.
He did do that.
Yeah, I know.
Time we cut to.
It's two, that's two people that said it happened.
It's not true.
The Seattle Seahawks, they had that pick from Denver. They tacked. They took true, they took cornerback out of Illinois.
I'm gonna do a three here and then we can just talk it over and then we're gonna take a break and keep rolling. The Arizona Cardinals from Detroit via the Rams gets a little complicated sometimes with the drafting or the trading Paris Johnson Junior. The first tackle comes off the board to the Cardinals, and then the Raiders, a team that needs defensive help, take Tyree Wilson, defensive end out of Texas Tech.
Go ahead, boys, have at it.
I love Tyree Wilson. To the Raiders, I mean, they pair a with Max Crosby. If he works out, you've got a genuine like tornado there on the front of your defense.
Genuine tornado, I mean.
And part of the reason is the comp They know Chandler Jones is not long for Las Vegas. If it wasn't for the guaranteed money as contract, he probably wouldn't be on the team this year. He'll be there for one more year. So I think you have you know Jones. Tyree Wilson To me, Tyree Wilson is maybe the biggest boomer bust pick of the draft. Paris Johnson might be the other one, you know, just because they were both taken so high. They're both traits guys. Those two positions
get pushed up in the draft. We've seen a lot of edge players and tackles get overdrafted, and I know that's like the analytical thinking, take edge players, take tackles, but you also have to get it right and like you want, I know, you don't want to go for singles and doubles. But these two guys, Johnson and Wilson especially,
I feel like they're going for home runs. Where Seattle went with a guy and Devin Witherspoon, who feel felt like the clear best cornerback in this draft, very physical, just kind of the classic like got that dog in him. A little surprising Seattle took him because they haven't taken cornerbacks. I but you figure Pete Carroll will know what to do with him. And I think a player that Seahawks fans are really well.
They hit on Tariq Woollen in the draft last year as a late round pick, and now they go make a lottery selection.
That's a great cornerback tandem.
If who knows physical, I mean that is a physical Adams can come back healthy as another physical player in their secondary.
And I'm not.
Saying it's Lesion a Boon, but it could be a really good back end. And I'll always wonder with the Seattle Seahawks here if and it kind of speaks to Gino like we talked about in the old days the Geno coaster and how we would just be up and down, up and down. That's been a great I guess down is good for a roller coaster, so it's kind of a confusing thing. But Gino, it's just been a long down. Like celebration arms up even here because who knows the
way that great Seattle's gm. If Schneider and Carol had Richardson available, do they take him and how does that change the trajectory? Instead they take defense and then we'll get to it later. They go get help for Gino. So Gino's one of the big winners if.
You have Anthony Richardson behind Geno. The problem is, at about fourteen minutes into Week one, Seahawks fans are going to be wondering and clamoring for the concept of seeing Anthony Richardson replace any ups or down streak.
You know hat Gino really signed what amounted to a one year contract, very similar to what Derek Carr signed a year ago. A little different in terms of money, but very similar in terms of structure, where it's like one year. If it goes well, it'll keep going. If it doesn't go well, we'll take a little bit of pain and we'll say goodbye. I don't think that's gonna happen, especially after this night. Yeah, we'll get to it, I guess, but I'm ready to crown the Seahawks twenty twenty three
NFC West champions. Let's go, Dan.
Are you enthused about another campaign? Gino filled campaign? Along with our friend Greg here?
I mean, it's the Gino thing is kind of whatever for me, But the Seahawks fandom, it seems like it's gonna be coming on stronger than ever. Yeah, you can feel it just seems like a lot. All right, let's take a break and then we'll keep rolling. All right, we're back. All right, we're seven picks in. Let's keep rolling here. So the first running back is off the ward. In fact, why don't we bookend this eight, nine, ten, eleven, twelve.
I'm not even gonna get to the middle, but I just want to say at number eight overall, the Atlanta Falcons take Bijon Robinson the running back at a Texas and then the Detroit Lions from the Arizona Cardinals via Houston through Cleveland's.
That's how that that's a journey.
That's a lot they take Jamar Gibbs, the running back out of Alabama. So we have two running backs that come off the board in the top twelve. Let's start though with the Falcons Mark Sessler, a team that is, you know, in a very important year for the organization, year three under Arthur Smith. They add a dynamic running back. However, there's a year guy in the mix that's probably like, bruh, what else did I need to show you as a rookie and now you brought in.
This kid, Tyler Algier cannot be thrilled.
Algaere algae here he is officially, Uh, your guy the phone in the background.
I'm not backing off. I'm as my guy because I think that Arthur Smith there, this is something another team wouldn't have done because you had value at the position already. I think Bijon Robinson is just an absolutely beautiful fit for the Falcons. They were they punish people on the ground a year ago. This is a very much Arthur
Smith saying we're not going to veer away from that approach. Uh, you're in a way because I think there's still the concept that if the if the Titans ever took well levis in this in this later on in this draft probably won't happen, but that someone like Tannehill would become available and go to the Falcons. You've assentually built Titans two point zero, and I think Arthur Smith's like, I'm
going to continue to do what worked in Tennessee. And you know what, because I know a lot of people are like, what's the deal with Desmond ridd or how are we? Where's all this trust in him? But this takes so much heat off a quarterback. If you can dominate on the ground the way they did towards the end of last season.
Like the argument against it is they already had a great running game, so how much better can you get? You know, you have Quarterell Patterson there by the way too, like he's still around. You have a good uh run and Thomsons on line. That's That's what I was about to say. It He is Ladanian Thomlinson to me as
a prospect, like that's who he reminds me of. I've seen the edge comparison too, But to me, Bijon Robinson is just so smooth, Like part of the value of him is I don't think you ever have to take him off the field, he's just a haas and he's so good on third downs. His hands are so good. He can run routes, he can make you miss. He's
a power back. And when I'm talking about like Paris Johnson, who got taken sixth overall, the tackle who I think most people probably wouldn't have had him in that as a top fifteen to twenty most talented player. But he plays a position that pushes you up. Like if B John Robinson is a four time Pro bowler, not even the Danian Thomas, but a four time Pro bowler, that's a good pick. I don't care that he plays running back, and I just feel more confident in him than almost
any player in this draft. And it makes me more excited to watch the Falcons, So that alone makes it a good pick.
I've been pushing this. We might finally get our way.
They have a nice little roster.
The quarterback is wrong for two years and now maybe they've.
Been getting a little better. They've been getting a little better, all right.
I believe in Arthur Smith.
I think B John Robinson has to be the best running back in football, or be in that conversation after this season for this to be the right move in my opinion, although.
But like who else? Who else do you?
I'm just saying you could have Listen, this is this team's not a finished product. I think you could have looked in other positional groups that had a bigger need. Because I'm just saying, if Algier and Patterson already there, could they use another pass rusher, could they use somebody in their secondary?
Could they use a Webon wide receiver, another Webin on offense. I think they felt it was too rich for Smith and Jay.
Maybe he is Ladanian Tominson. I'm not saying you can't come back to me in October and be like, hey, you said b Jon Robinson wasn't gonna be good. He could be, but it's to me, he almost has to be uh that special for this to make sense. If he's just like a four time pro bowler and they move on after half a decade, that's the thing that's.
Sarah Henry or the equivalent of production.
It's like a Hall of Famer to.
Me, I could see that. I also think he can and should be the number one overall picking fantasy drafts, like as a rookie. I don't know if that's ever happened before, but to me.
Not worry about the time share there like as so.
I know they did that last year, but still no.
Like Ship Tyler Algier or else.
It was a fifth round pick last year, it was a great, great backup. You give them seventy five to one hundred touches like backups of your.
Sorry, but I you know, I thought it was really interesting now to tie it back to Jamior Gibbs, the
running back at Alabama who went to the Lions. How you had two running backs go in the top twelve and in both situations they were They're going to teams that eight didn't make the playoffs last year, which kind of flies in the face of the Jeremiah theory that I like, like, if you're gonna draft the running back, be a loaded team, a playoff team looking to finish off your offense, and b both teams had pretty good running back rooms, so that I don't hate either fit.
I was just surprised that these were the teams that grabbed these two very exciting young prospects.
When the Lions went out and got David Montgomery too, I mean, I feel like that is a backfield where we could see someone on the way out at some.
Point, DeAndre Swift seems to be maybe a little bit out of favor.
That BA was kind of shocking to me. Now, I think the Lions did a good job. They traded their first and a third with the Cardinals for the Cardinals first and second, so that the Lions have the what the fourth pick on Friday night, they have the thirty fourth overall pick, and they got that by moving down six spots from six to twelve. Gibbs is a really exciting looking player, great receiver. He compares himself to Jamal Charles stylistically. He could maybe see that, but he seems
dynamic as a receiver. But it makes it makes weird no sense to me that they gave David Montgomery all that money, Like, why are you spending that if you're gonna.
Maybe there is another shoe that drops here.
Well, yeah, Swift has got to be gone right now, DeAndre Swift is your third running back? It doesn't make sense.
Jalen Carter, I guess it's a fall. He goes at nine to the Eagles, who had seventy sacks last year, But we're very busy bulking up their front seven. Still, the bear is followed by taking Darnell Right, a tackle out of Tennessee, and then Grave Diggers Tennessee. Titans take Peter Skeronsky, the lineman at Northwestern could be a guard, could be a tackle. Let's start there with those with that trio Gravedigger. I know you were happy with this pick.
Scronsky was on many mock drafts, like the guy that was coming off the board first at the tackle spot or the line spot, and yet that's not the case and you end up getting him.
Yeah, I was pretty excited about this. I wanted the Titans say quarterback. They all kind of went like I wanted them to get C. J. Stroud or Anthony Richardson, and that was obviously not in the cards. So Skoransky, I mean, he's like, he was the best offensive lineman in college football last year and his only real concern is that he may not have long enough arms to play tackle. But if he comes in, the Titans don't have really a starting left guard on the roster right now.
Andre Dillard is slotted in as you're starting left tackle. If you know, you put Skoransky at left guard because you're looking for a long term you know, fix at left tackle great. If you put Scaransk he get left tackle, and Andre Dillard has played guard in his career, like they're going to figure it out. And I think it
also gets hurt like usually after that too. So I mean to me, it's like we're not exactly sure where all the pieces are going to fit on the line, but we have good pieces, especially like I think Scarnsky could be one of the best guards of versatility.
Is he's been compared to Elija Vera Tucker. If you've got to be oh we need a guard, lock him in there.
And I saw Zach Martin comparison to like, if he can be the best guard, kick.
Him out to tackle and he'll do a great job there. So I think that's a good one. It seems like about well.
That was what moved Zach Martin inside. I mean, he was a tackle at first and then he became a Hall of Fame t guard. I'd rather have a Hall of Fame car like a Soso tackle. That said, you told us Grave Digger you did a seven round mock Titans. That's a lot of a lot of round.
Well, we did, like one of those, you know, the draft simulators, was away pick for the Titans, my co host and I on on our podcast, how long.
Did that take? Get that plug in there? Bro?
How long did that takes?
About an hour long pod?
Okay, but you had Scaranski, yeah, going to the Titans on that on that pod. Yeah. And if you had just picked who do you pick for the Titans on our.
Crowd, I had them trading up for straudos, buying into all.
The credulous what No, I thought you like? What you literally went out over podcast seven rounds of picks on just the Titans.
Just the Titans.
Oh all right, I thought you. I thought you like it's like a white noise machine in the middle of the night.
So if you had, uh, if you had just picked Scaransky in this pod Grave Digger should have, you would have won the I have a.
Question about that so close, not that it matters anymore, losing losing, No, No.
You can't return your Harold Landry the third jersey. They're not taking returns on that. That's the answer to your question.
If Mark has thirteen points right now right.
What right now permanently?
What if the Titans pick Will Levis at forty one tomorrow?
We're not we're not engaging in like oh, then.
You get fifteen by three.
I don't know, because I picked you picked him, well, then maybe it would be applicable.
That magnificently.
I would say, like the scoring is locked down at this point, right yeah, I mean there's no like something happens in the third round. I do you want to see what would happened? What would happen though? If they did that, then I think the Artana Hill to Atlanta plan becomes much more tangible.
Now, Grave digger, we'll get to sandwiches on Saturday to recap them all. But you said there wouldn't be any top ten trade top seven, but yes, it was the top seven, and there was a couple here, the Detroit trade. There was the Arizona trade, so you got oh pretty.
It went pretty quiet from there though there was wasn't overly trade heavy.
Cool to short arms.
I'm cool with it if Rashawn Slater has fairly short arms too, right like, and he.
Was coming here in absolutely clean house.
Well, let's let's talk about the other the other top ten trade though, which was the Eagles trading up one spot.
Oh yeah, gave him very little.
What a night for Howie. I think we could talk about their two picks together because they're a combo platter to get Jalen Carter, the number one player on Daniel Jeremiah's board before the off field stuff really popped up, the guy who pops off the screen more than any player in this entire draft, where you just look at him and you're like, oh my god, that guy is just going to destroy in the NFL. He's one of
the best defensive tackle prospects in years. To get him at nine and all you gave up to move up was what a fourth round pick to move up that one spot. And then you get Nolan Smith late in the draft, who to me was like a top fifteen type of player who looks a lot like Hassan Reddick. You put those two guys and what's already a pretty good defensive line, and it's just the rich get richer and they know who they are. I really love the way the Eagles build their team.
How their defense is from Georgia. Uh, you're playing in a pretty weakened NFC right now, where the landscape feels very manly.
The top five quarterbacks in the ape here NFC right.
Now, well, you'd have to you'd be you'd be giggling the other time you got to number five.
I think it's dak.
Good luck from there.
Yeah, then it gets uh, it gets weird. You know, fields to make take a cousins in there.
Maybe that makes that that's an insult.
We're missing someone that are going to get people really mad. But well, that's imagine we didn't forget that.
It's a different exercise for a different stafford who we forget anybody in the NFC.
Rock Party, Gino Smith.
Gino Gina might be five, he might be in the telephone, Anneal Joe.
I guess from a talent perspective, Kyler Murray, but he's not even president.
That's fair, that's fair.
Uh talent from a talent angle, Kyler Jared Goff.
I mean it really uh depressing landscape, Like that pic of the Eagles was what the Saints pick last year, And it just goes to show when you're not when you're always thinking about the future, and I think the Eagles think about the future better than just about anyone. They do everything like a year in advance. Like that trade at the time was like, oh yeah, that was a good trade. They got it, picked up an extra
first Saints moved up for a love. But the Saints are happy now you look at it a year later because you weren't getting too antsy. You waited a year, you get maybe the best player in the draft, or just waiting a year.
Here, I think we tell you he pled no contest to misdemeanor charges of reckless driving and racing. And then this, according to ESPN, he was nine pounds heavier at his pro day than he was at the NFL combine two weeks earlier.
Couldn't finish his positional drills.
So listen, you could see that stuff and it affected It affected him most likely, and maybe and this is where you kind of trust the organization. This is why I'm not saying raving a red flag myself. I'm saying, Okay, if Philly felt like he checked out and they could get him on the straight and narrow, I buy it. Especially joining a veteran roster. Here you got veteran like Brandon Graham, Fletcher Cox, guys like that. This is this
is a perfect spot for Carter. I mean, Seattle is the one that a lot of people pointed to and that would have made sense to but Philly is great.
Lend yeah, you have you have a new defensive coordinator and Sean decide like, although there was a lot of stuff, they they'll do similar from last year on defense, and I mean they're just ultraloaded.
The Bears. That was a very a smart decision. They have to better protect justin field. So Darnell right there a clean prospect a tackle. There any thoughts beyond that right tackle?
You know they're happy with their left tackle, Braxton Jones. I think they hit on a fifth rounder a year ago who really looked quite good at left tackle, and so they took a guy and Wright who you know the way explained to me the more you watched him, it was like, why isn't this guy getting ranked higher on draft boards? And then eventually he did. He looks like the most ready kind of guy to go play Day one. He's just a right tackle only. But for the Bears, I don't think that's going to.
Be a similar situation to Seattle, where when they hit on a late round cornerback last year and now they come back and they get a big prospect and if they hit on this guy, now look out, and you did it in a without giving up two lottery type picks.
I keep clicking by mistake and I just sex it out. I'm Peter Schrager's mock draft and thinking those were the picks that actually happened, and it's blowing my brain. It's like, what what is it?
What? What? Hit it? Hit it? Let's go, let's fly. Give me a long one, give me a long Greggie? What? What?
What? What? What?
What?
What?
What? What?
What?
What? What?
What?
What? What? What? What? What? What? What?
All? Right?
Okay, you're gonna lose me.
So this, this part of the draft frustrates me a little bit. So the Packers, as a part of the Iron Rodgers trade, UH swapped number one picks this year. So they move into thirteen and they say, we want to get some help with our defense. They do it all, by.
The way, this is what they do all the time, the Packers. They take defensive players.
They didn't stick at to Aaron Rodgers in the first round and Lucas van Nests out.
Of Iowa goes there.
Well, so yeah, I mean I had a sandwich prop saying that they would take at least four wide receiver tight end combination. It's still gonna happen.
Yeah, but this is like you got eleven more picks.
This is where I thought it would happen, though, is like you go get the best wide receiver and you build around Jordan Love and I guess it is frustrating from that angle, except that Lucas van Nest to me along with Rashan gary Is, I just think he just strikes me as someone that's going to come right in and be ultra disruptive, and I just I've liked him a lot through this whole process. He's sort of an athletic freak, and it's something it's good for Green Bay.
I think from that angle, it's not like it's negative because he's not a wide receiver.
Well, he also is wearing the shirt. I think of any draft prospect that would have been most likely to be worn by Mark Sessler, Like it was a pretty wild, beautiful shirt that was really a change to what we mostly see in men's fashion. Mark is trying to be the change that he wants to see in men's fashion. He's been very frustrated.
I at least complain about it. I don't know what change for this shirt.
Look at this. I mean, people should check out the YouTube of this.
B I don't know what something Prince would wear in his estate, earthly flower maniagements or something.
I mean, I'm sure Vans will be good, but colored me less excited that we got like Preston Smith's replacement. I don't know, I just wanted something more poppy. But he fits very much with Gary and Preston Smith. He reminds me of Preston Smith. Kind of is a guy who's gonna get a lot of pressure. Is probably not a lot of sacks, good good sacks.
The guys from like Iowa, they don't care if it's like one degree out.
That's not the pick that annoyed me.
The next pick is what annoyed me because the Pittsburgh Steelers trade up with the New England Patriots, and you know, we talked about this leading into the draft.
It's time for Pittsburgh to shore up that.
Offensive line and get back to you know, dominating up front. We had Damashak on the live stream check that out, and he made a point of that as well.
They go and get Broderick Jones.
Which not only costs me a sangwige, it I think causes the next team, the Jets, to have to pivot and go in a different direction. So that was an area of need for Pittsburgh, they have a second year quarterback and Canny Pickett, a running game that I feel like, you know, they have a first round running back from a couple of years ago that Ay Harris, Yeah, Naje Harris that you feel like it hasn't ever really totally clicked. And I think a lot of that goes back to
QB line play. Maybe now everything's in line for Harris to truly take off and Picket to take the next step with a big time lineman. If if broderct Jones hit.
I think you started to see that run game come together. At the end of last season, the line got a little bit better after being an abject disaster early on. Damashek, who is pretty accurate with his Steelers' prognostications, called him an eleven win team in a rough and tumble AFC. They'd line I think for you know, growing up, the Steelers always maldy with the with the offensive line, and
it's been a real problem lately. And their offense now at this point feels so different from where they were a year a year and a half ago because you got all these young talented players on sort of the first contract and quarterback George Pickens. You're improving the line, Najor Harris. It's like you can really see something there.
There was a kind of a run on tackles here, So it's telling to me the Patriots traded out. I thought they might take a tackle, but they traded out. They picked up, you know, an extra I think it was a fourth to move down a few spots, and maybe they were just happy to extra. Stick it to the Jets. They somehow knew that the Steelers would take the Jets guy, although we don't really even know it was the Jets guy. It just seemed to make sense.
I think it was the Jets guy because the Jets they take Will McDonald out of Iowa State, who is known as Bendy or mister Bendy, and is despite not having ideal size as a very athletic, talented edge rusher you need. Jets are still looking for that consistency in their pass rush. And yet, yeah, I think they were kind of caught a little bit here because remember they have Carl Lawson. It's kind of a forgotten thing, but they had all those first round picks last year. They
took Jermaine Johnson last year as well. They have a ton ton of linemen, and I know Salah is going to try to keep all those guys in the mix, but I don't know. I was definitely it's it's all kind of there's still a lot of afterglow with the Rogers things, so I'm not really that down about it, but the offensive lineman felt like such the move and they just they ran out of the Big four.
Yeah, I thought you made a good point on our live stream, where like they are basically going into no, there's more picks to come, but you're going into the season with last year's line that that's fine if they can stay healthy and if Mackay Beckton, know who's had a good offseason. There's a lot of praise around what his effort and everything, but like you got to you got to stay intact, right, So this would have been a big It felt like a really right place for an offensive tackle.
I would assume they'll take one in this draft, but it might be like a fourth rounder that you're just crossing your fingers that you can develop. Will McDonald is a little bit different flavor than the guys they have. I mean, he's a different flavor than most of the league,
but we're seeing the league get lighter. I mean, he's like Nolan Smith in terms of his size, under two hundred and forty pounds as an edge rusher, is wild, but just a total like Tasmanian devil of just getting after the quarterback and just tough as hell and didn't like blow up the combine quite as much. So I think a lot of people thought Nolan Smith would go ahead of him, and Nolan'smith ended up going fifteen picks later. But an exciting player, a little different flavor than the other guys.
It's just not what I was expecting.
I even thought there was a chance they might go get one of the wide receivers or a tight end, but they take another pass rusher and he's going to eventually replace Carl Lawson. It just becomes a matter of is that happening next year?
Is lost?
And potentially is that something that can happen. Will he be moved or even released?
We shall see. Let's take a break.
It will always have your chant.
Yeah, well see, you can't hurt me. He can't hurt me right now, it's teflon baby. Let's take a break and we'll hit the back end of the first round. All right, here we go, Welcome back to the Podkis, the commanders meet and potatoes. Mark Emmanuel Forbes, cornerback out of Mississippi State. The New England Patriots traded back to take a cornerback as well, Christian Gonzalez, who dropped a little bit there. And then we'll move to the Detroit
lines and we'll hit all these three. Jack Campbell a little bit of a surprise inside linebacker out of Iowa, so they'd go running back and inside linebacker with their two first round picks.
Correct, And you've got to be thrilled if you're the Patriots to have Christian Gonzalez, who I don't know if that seemed like a top ten pick or the first corner back off the board potentially to fall to you at seventeen. It's the place where I really would want to be a cornerback and go play because I trust the development they're under Bill Belichick.
It is exciting for them to have and so rare to have a draft that worked out so well for them conventionally. I mean some it doesn't matter what the mock draft grades are, but they'll get a good one for once because Gonzales fits a need. They certainly could use a cornerback. They could certainly use a cornerback that's like taller than me. I mean, their cornerbacks is just a small group. Jonathan Jones, you got Jack Jones, you got Marcus Jones. All the Jones is. They're not terribly tall.
Neither's Miles Brian. It's just like one of the smallest groups of cornerbacks in the NFL. Maybe in NFL history. I guess they used to be small back in the day.
Can you check every cornerback group in the history of the league and see.
But now you're bringing a guy who's like smoothest I mean, this is the way he moves is nice, like a little Stefan Gilmore vibe.
Emmanuel Sanders said on NFL Network before the draft that the Christian Ganzell was exactly the type of corner as a smaller wide receiver, exactly the kind of cornerback you don't want to deal with.
So the Patriots very far excited and uh.
And Forbes is fun too. Under one hundred and seventy pounds is a six to one guy. But like just I was, Dick, I was in the middle of talking.
Sorry, it's Okay, Greg, I was just gonna say. Christian Gonzales was not overly excited, it seemed after you.
I think he was disappointed to fall to seventeen.
Yeah, how much money? How much money does it cost you to fall from seventeen? Like if you went top ten?
Is there? I know it's a it's a big difference, but how big are we talking?
Plus I don't have the exact number for you at this moment, but I can do some work on that, justin.
Once you get through every cornerbacks group in the history of the league. Just the exact money.
All right, Okay, I got it. I got it. An article number seven, let's say where a lot of people mock them to the Raiders twenty seven and a half twenty seven million, number seventeen guaranteed. Well, this is the whole contract which they almost always all get h sixteen million. So that's a seven million dollar difference.
Pretty big difference, And maybe I wouldn't be smiling as much either, But he's still first round pick in the NFL. Are we surprised about the Lions pick Greg after they take the running back going Jack Campbell. There not a lot of people had them there, but they do need to boost that defense.
Yeah, that was shocking. Jack Campbell, though, is a guy I think they kind of are living in an age that Dan Campbell played in. You know, they draft their running back, they draft an off ball linebacker like Jack Campbell is the type of guy who twenty years ago would have got taken in the top twenty and you wouldn't have blinked. He won the College Award for the
best linebacker. He's extremely athletic. He blew up the combine, just like you know, a nice corn fed boy from Idaho, Iowa that just made play after play, like racked up tackles. But he was not getting a lot of buzz in this draft because that positions is not valued and he wasn't like a total freak like a Devin White who was getting top ten in twenty two.
But Gus award corn fed corn fit.
I don't know why you always say that about I always say that or people say that like I usually, you know, typically.
Just mean they're out there work in the fields, they're farmers. Means you played his sons of farmers.
You're like a white guy.
Yeah, that's it's it's it's the crafty wide receiver, but for like a linebacker corn fed.
Yeah, it doesn't suggest a slight individual.
It's always like I always see them in mock drafts to be like this guy just like looks like he just seems like a patriot and it's just always a white fit.
Let's keep on moving. I like this next pick, all right, the next pick, go ahead, set.
Up Elijah CANTSI Tampa Bay Buccaneers. Todd Bowles gets uh, you know, baby Aaron Donald. I just I want to see him play because I mean there's like some of the Yeah, his arms are also a little little short, that's maybe an issue, but like he's explosive and they could use a little juice right there.
Yeah, just like a pure pass rusher. I always get a little worried about Todd Bowles just seems like all he cares about his defense. And so Canty is a fun pick. And he's not gonna be playing on running downs necessarily all the time right away, and that's fine, but he'll juice up the passers. I just you do need to play offense.
This is this is when I got a little or increasingly worried for Will Levis because this seems like a potential landing spot for him, I know, and.
The draft board plays out a certain way or whatever. But they're serious about this Baker thing.
I guess Tampa.
Yeah, I think they are, at least for this year. I mean, but there's not a surprise.
That's a little surprising.
I don't know.
He's been flailing for years. A couple of good games last year to be there. Like week one, they.
Keep talking about Coyle Trast whenever they talk about Baker Mayfield. But what's so excited about Coyle Trast?
They could be a Tannehill guy. I also think they're among the most likely Will Levis landing spots in round two. I thought they would take Levis there. That was the first spot where I was like, hmm.
I'm with you.
Uh, let's head into the twenties, all right. This is a great pick the Seattle Seahawks, after passing on a quarterback and instead of addressing their defense in the top five, they then take Jackson Smith and Jigba out of Ohio State, seen by many as the best wide receiver in this class. So they have Tyler Lockett, they have dk Metcalf, and now they have Smith and Jigba. A very nice trio, one of the best. Who is that damn if.
If he hits, Wait, that's Kevin Hart talking to Uh, who was it?
When do you found out somebody was old? It's an It's an actor. Don Cheatle, don cheedle oh.
And Cheatle got pissed, Cheatle got it pissed.
Every time I heart talk, I just think of him saying, you.
Know, damn anyway Smith and Jagba hits, that's a really and again everything broke Geno today.
They don't get Richardson.
They address defense in the first pick, and then they add another playmaker.
Very nice, very nice.
I think he's gonna be really productive for them out of the gate. Great route runner fits right in. And you know, I thought he could have gone to the Jets. I thought he could have gone to the Packers. It's a bit of a koude top for Seattle to get him here.
He's like the option route master and uh, we're just him and the quarterback have to be on the same page. He looks at the leverage and he picks which spot to go. Basically a better version of all those slot receivers, and the Seahawks have been desperately needing that for years. Like he's just good at setting up defenders in the open field, Like he's kind of got like a crossover in terms of how he gets past people vision, Like he's just a great runner. And man, the three of
them compliment each other very well. Those three receivers.
Yeah, a great pick.
And you know what, we were in the heat of the moment doing the live stream, I did not even process that this started a run of four straight wide receivers off the board. So, as we said, Smith and Jigba to Seattle, the Chargers take Quinton Johnston, adding another playmaker. That was a smart move out of TCU the Ravens that and by the way, we're gonna get to Lamar in a second, but let's start by talking about the draft.
Still Zay Flowers, the wide receiver out of BC who had been connected to Kansas City as a potential option. He goes to Baltimore, and then with a twenty third pick, another wide receiver, Jordan Addison out of USC goes to the Vikings, obviously replacing Adam Thielen Or that's the hope.
Wow, four in a row.
I'd start with the Ravens because it's a big win for I think Rashad Bateman too, who you know, he's been injured, he's had durability issues. I think it's a very good wide receiver. You know, Odell Beckham, Flowers, Rashod Bateman, Mark Andrews, a new offensive coordinator, and you have Lamar Jack's a good I mean just that, I I guess I should say that more that I don't want him to be your number one wide receiver. And now you've kind of put him probably where he's where he's teared.
It's not great for his production, but for the Ravens who have struggled for decades to draft anyone like I thought Zay Flowers was almost a home run to be chased after by the Chiefs who seems so interested in him, and it would have fit so well there. But this passing game has hope for the first time in a while.
Well, Steve Smith, you know, watched Flowers and thought he kind of reminds me of me. And now you put him in Baltimore and you can't help but think of Steve Smith's years there and and Kwon Bolden they've always had. I know, it's totally different staffs, it's not necessarily connected, but I can see Lamar throwing well over the middle of the field. That's where he's at his best. Two day flowers and now you have all sorts of different flavors between Rashad Bateman and Odell. It's just a much
different team. And oh, by the way, you can have a fully healthy JK. Dobbins, not like just coming back from injury halfway through the season. You've got Linderbaums now a year older, their first round pick. I mean, they still need to stay healthy. But on paper, it's a great day for Lamar Jackson and we might as well get to it. I mean, it's crazy that this is an afterthought. Lamar Jackson's new contract is an afterthought. But that's what happens to that.
Draft thingks the first night of the NFL Draft and Lamar signs, it comes to agreement on a five year, two hundred and sixty million dollar contract. Rap she'd had the reporting there. The deal includes one hundred and eighty five million in total guarantees, per Rapaport. The fifty two million per year annual salary makes Jackson the NFL's newest highest paid player. So Jalen Hurts had that title for all of a week, So there are different ways to
look at this. Of course, it's Deshaun Watson who has still has the strap for the most guaranteed money at two thirty.
That was what obviously Lamar was shooting for.
But he ends up in a very good place against five year deal, one hundred and eighty five million guarantee and he's not going anywhere. Do we have some of our sound making the announcement on social media as as the kids in sports do these days.
Yeah, this courtesy of the Baltimore Ravens.
All right.
You know, for the last few months, there's been a lot of he says, She says, a lot of nail biden, a lot of head scratching going on. Oh, for the next five years, it's a lot of flock going on.
Let's go, baby, A lot of flock.
Can't wait to get there. I can't wait to be there. I can't wait to light an M and T for the next five years.
Man, let's get it LEM and T the stadium right.
A lot of he said, she said, scenarios there.
I mean, there is gonna be a lot of flocking going on. We're gonna be flocking up a storm in Baltimore. Let's go who's way. I don't know. Just watching football, people are that are have this is over. You were right by the way to ask if the Hurts contract had an impact that. I was like, I don't know, No, I didn't think so football and he hands up signing essentially Jalen Hurts his contract plus ten percent. That's that's
why you don't need an agent. Apparently in the end, is you just like, oh, yeah, give me Jalen Hurts, But I like add like seven percent.
I really don't have a super strong feeling about to have an agent or not. But it made it a lot more tedious for all of us.
Yeah, that's kind of the most important thing. Yeah, at least for us.
Over it's over, and it's in a nice spot. I'm do we know?
Do we? Yeah? There is there anything about the contract? We don't know.
I don't I have no idea, But all we know is it's no longer a story. He is going there. And I said it about when Odell signed. The writing was on the wall there because Odell is a certain type of guy and he was not going to go play with Snoop Huntley Lamar was going back. It felt like it was going to happen. The only thing then was like, do the Ravens how far did they want
to take this? Did they want to do something like they did today by adding a playmaker and then have Lamar play on that franchise and see how he does with a better supporting cast.
Before they I kind of maybe would have thought about doing that.
But at the same time things had gotten so when the negotiation was so a grim that I don't think they even had that as an option. They almost had to make Lamar happy and keep it from being a circus, which is kind of what it was.
I think what was lost a little in this is how much the Ravens wanted Lamar Jackson to keep being their quarterback this whole time. Now, they had a certain way they approached the negotiation, but they did not want to be in any world where they were starting over at quarterback when they have this quarterback that they really love. That's why they offered him one hundred and thirty three million dollars guaranteed six months ago. The problem was that
price just wasn't enough. They get to the finish line, I'm glad it's over, and I'm glad like this is a good looking team overall. That's why this that eleven wins for the Steelers seems rich to me, because I think the Browns have a chance. They have a pretty good roster if watching as well. And then you have the Ravens and you have the Benk goes Man that it's just a loaded wit.
Damn Aschek said that that was before they had taken Save Flowers here too, not that that's the complete turning point. I mean, I think if we knew all this was going to happen, that that Lamar Jackson was essentially going to go to market months ago and someone said not a single other team would show any tangible interest in him, that's an upset. The Ravens really want him, but no one else did.
Well, they didn't want to give up Yeah, multiple first round picks and that.
I think there were probably aspects of it that were humbling for Jackson. But at the end of the day, things kind of worked out and.
It's already gotten lost in the shuffle Todd Monk and the new offensive coordinator. You know, it's going to be a totally different offense. We'll see what it looks like he was in college. You know he had been in the pros before, but uh, it's gonna it's not gonna be that weird, just crazy, run heavy Greg Roman thing.
Well, I think the Greg Roman thing, as it does, kind of ran its course, and probably the moving on from Greg Roman was a big boon for Lamar Jackson too.
I think we just I just wonder if, yea, they had a potential opportunity to to see if Lamar could stay healthy this upcoming season.
I just don't think he would.
Production was going to kind of get back to what he was a few years ago.
Do you think he would have played? I could have said, I don't think.
I don't think it would have I think.
It was it.
It was kind of the the well was poisoned from that perspective, So they they're rolling the dice a little bit, but you know that's how it works.
Yeah, if Kyler is getting that money, if Deshaun Watson's getting that money, like this is this is an MVP, He's getting that money.
Here we go the Giants, who, by the way, gave a lot of money to a quarterback that maybe you need to see more from. They take a cornerback, Deontay Banks out of Maryland that that is an area of need. The Bills, speaking of area of need. At twenty five, take Dalton Kincaid, so the first tight end comes off the board out of Utah, giving the team another offensive playmaker. Everyone was saying the same thing there they need to add players.
Now.
Is DeAndre Hopkins next? Maybe not through reports that came out today that the Cardinals now are more likely to hang on to Hopkins, but maybe that smoke still would like to see that. Get Kincaid and Hopkins in there and we're flying.
And then the.
Dallas Cowboys at twenty six overall, take the Wizard of mos Mazzie Smith defensive tackle out of Michigan. So they want to help out with their run stuffing game, and the Smith is he's good at that.
I love Kincaid for the Bills. I think that this would have been a wide receiver area too had they not been that run. The one thing about the Hopkins like just going to look at like over the cap. I think I mentioned this the other show, that the amount of dead money that the Cardinals are still stuck with. If they move them, I know they're in rebuilding. They're dead anyway, the dead anyway.
So you get something for trying to By all accounts, rap sheet said they were trying to include them in a deal that would have included the Titans potentially. The report te Football Talk rather that reported that I should say.
Well then why not Buffalo go get them? I mean, like that makes right. I believe about Stefan Dixon too, like he's not doing the off season like it seems to be something.
For what it's worth.
Cardinals general manager Monty austin Ford had this to say after Thursday night. I don't foresee that happening. Austin Ford said, after Paris Johnson Junior was taking at number six. I don't know what is going to happen here in the next couple of days right now. I don't see that foresee that happening now.
So that's not sure. Sure definitely. Oh.
He also added Deandre's a cardinal and we're moving forward.
Oh well, that's pretty strong. I would have led with that quote, but it's okay.
I do love that Concaid pick. They actually gave up a fourth round pick to move up to spots because I think they were worried Dallas would potentially take Dalton Kincaid, who knows if Dallas actually would have because I was sure they were going to take Michael Meyer. There the notreed amtile he fell out of the first round. The Jason Witten replacement if there ever was one. But man, I really love Kinkaid. I was totally with moved the sticks with Daniel Jeremiah. He had Kincaid as a top
ten player in this entire draft. I thought he was the most exciting pass catcher in this draft period, just as crazy hand.
Here's the test, good, this is the test, right.
Yeah, we talked about, Uh, it's time for a tight end to come into this league and ball out. You demanded it, I demanded it. If not stop taking him in the first round.
I mean, he's a twenty fifth pick, though he's saying.
First rounder and you're move.
You're putting him in Western New York with one of the great quarterbacks in the sport and a great they got Stephan Diggs in the building.
You have no excuse for this guy not to be a baller.
It's not too much for you to ask that.
He also just gave Dawson Knox a ton of money. But I think they're very different players. Knocks, you know, a little bit of a blocker, but still it's interesting give that much money to Dawson Knox and then take Kinkaid. I do want to mention, I just say the great Eric.
Roberts behind the glass, one of the people behind the scenes that make the show go and a diehard Bills fan, pointed out the exact contract specific So it was a thirteen million a year in that extension.
Yeah, fifty two million.
Or fifty two I think like there's a.
Lot of money. Yeah, and now you just brought in another tight end. Maybe they make it work and then knocks those different things.
I mean a lot of money.
It was an overpay for knocks. A lot of Money's fine, but that.
Was If there's any reason to check out our YouTube live stream, go to the last you know, ten minutes or so and check out Eric's billshirt.
It's just for yeah, just check out Eric in general. Yeah. No, I mean there's you could do that striking looking guy.
Yes, he's got dark hair, a lot of comments mustache, and then like he's got these cool piercings, nice torso area, and then a really nice fitted shirt.
This is getting everything.
Okay, Yeah, wait, are we cool?
Eric?
Okay, he's giving me a thumbs up.
Hr Is actually just walked in.
Hr Is at home, went home to days no rules sleep as well, Yeah, we're going home soon, but so that Chargers and Vikings fans don't complain.
Quintin Johnston nice little Mike Williams replacement. That's interesting though, I kind of think Mike Williams is not long for the Chargers one more year on his contract. And then Addison was my personal favorite wide receiver in this class, just because I feel like he is going to get open. That's what Questi Adopho Mensa said in his press comments. Just like this guy gets open coming off the bus. He just runs great routes. So good luck to cornerbacks
trying to Jefferson and Addison. Addison's your number two. You can't double that guy.
Yeah, And famously it was the Vikings a different brain trust obviously, so maybe it's not one to one, and it's not even close actually, but they laughed when it was who did the who the Eagles take ahead of Justin.
Jefferson, Jalen Rager, Jalen Rager.
So they're hoping now on the Viking history is gonna repeat itself and they end up getting the best wide receiver in this draft class. Even if he isn't the first off the boarding. You know who else could just in his heyday, he just always got open.
Randy Moss.
It's different, Okay, Adam Thieling, Oh that's what he did.
Well, I'm not. I'm correct about Randy Moss.
It's absolutely right that feeling.
Thank you, thank you, Greg Martin. You're muddling the process. I was, I was purpose for you, he was.
Okay, remember that game on Thanksgiving and he had three touchdown catches. That was only three catches he had in that whole game against the Cowboys. Just think about that, like, is Randy Muss truly elite?
Well, it wouldn't have happened if that Cowboys team had Mazzy Smith defensive tackle out of Michigan, So.
The Wizard of Mars. All right, let's finish it up here.
The Jags pick they got from Buffalo, take Anton Harrison, tackle Oklahoma. We should mention that Cam Robinson, their left tackle, apparently tested positive for PEDS and is facing a suspension. We don't know how long the suspension is unless something else was reported, but he's out for the beginning of the season. So here's Harrison potential six game suspension.
It appears to be.
Never a great sign when you're like taking a guy because your other guy just got to sign. I'm not sure that's.
Why they did that, but it feels a little little desperate.
The Bengals take defensive end Miles Murphy out of Clemson, so they add you know, we talked, we connected them to those running backs, but they were long gone those running backs by the time the Cincinnati Bengals got on the draft board. So yeah, they focus on defense there. The Saints from from San Francisco through Miami and Denver take Brian Breese Bressi of Clemson, the defensive.
John Payton pick.
Yeah.
The Philadelphia Eagles, as we talked about already, Nolan Smith out of Georgia. And the final it's got to be because it's the last pick, it's got to be the tough one. The Kansas City Chiefs take Felix on Adiki Ouzama, defensive end out of Kansas State.
Nice pop from the local crowd there. Good great job by Kansas City in general. Since we were on air, we weren't really hearing the broadcast as much as I expected. I guess I don't know to be having fun, but you're enjoyable. Just the visuals of it was wild. And then when they announced u and duque Uzama's name, they went crazy and I just was like, Wow, that's a lot of pop for him. But a Kansas State guy makes sense.
Kansas State, you know what.
Speaking of Eric Robertsy, we asked Eric to give some some breakdown of that. He said, you know, loyal to the soil. But Kansas State and Kansas City different states, right.
Yeah, but they're close in Missouri.
Yes, maybe a little disloyal to the soil.
Well, I mean I think it's it's a regional pick, right, I mean people get yes, Kansas City, Missouri.
I mean there is a Kansas City, Kansas. But that's beside the point. I guess in this conversation, I've.
Been pointing it out.
It's a fair thing to point out.
But I set loyal to the soil, perhaps disloyal two said soil.
You've just made things are with Eric, after so many nice compliments, just just met.
Okay, you know how long? Right now? It's currently one fifty six in the morning in Kansas City. If you get on I seventy. You're getting from Kansas State to downtown Kansas City. Yeah, in sixteen minutes. That's that's loyal.
The soil is the same. You got to get over the border.
Though you're very into the state line scenario.
I understand there could be a toll road.
Now, you could start stop at the supermart and el Toito. It's about halfway if you want.
I'm sure there's a rival supermarket for uh you see the state.
Yeah, exactly, read that.
Read that to us.
I wish I could pronounce his name Felix. That's why you said quote I got drafted by literally my favorite team growing up.
It's pretty good.
So your argument different state argument continues to crumble, though from a certain angle.
I some things are working against me in this argument, I would say, but the only thing I have on my side is the fact that it's a different state, and you can push back all you want, but that's not changing.
Well, we can discuss that later, can we.
He's a top ten football inside.
The only thing you have on your side is that we just wrapped it all up. Congratulations, Saints. He took another like toolsy defensive end that you're not in love with at least that your fans aren't in love with They always take these guys.
So who Yeah, obviously, let's see who is the best available players as we And by the way, the Steelers have the first pick of the second round, Steelers, Cardinals, Lions first three up.
Some of these tight ends.
Does Will Levis go to one of those teams? Hendon Hooker?
I don't Hendon Hooker.
I mean about the Rams picking fifth in the second round? Hmmm, interesting?
What do you project for that?
You know who didn't go? Joey Porter didn't go?
Yeah, Joey Porter.
Who I Oh?
And the Steelers are up first. Maybe that's the spot.
I think you've got to. I hate when teams don't.
Do this football though.
Connection give me.
A relative surprise that he fell out of the first round.
A lot of it, you know, Yeah, a physical guy that most analysts had in their top twenty.
It's like it's not an obligation though for.
Them they could use a cornerback, it's not. But I hate when teams don't do it. Like Joey Porter was the heart and soul and quite annoying if you were to do this, but if you, well, it is reminds me of when the Browns passed on the son of Clay Matthews and he becomes a or, it's like, oh, let's pass on TJ or on JJ Watt's brother, because there couldn't possibly be another Watt that's just as good as him.
So fair point. How did one get so over underdrafted after the other wat got out overdrafted? Taco Charleton went ahead of Tjing.
Here, Let's let's use that as a cautionary tale. Here.
Brian Branch, who the best safety in the draft, like can do a little bit of everything, not like crazy athleticism, but I thought he might go in the first half of the first round, is still out there, Michael Mayer. As we mentioned, those are kind of the the Mayor, your guy Darnel Washington. A lot of receivers. I can't wait. A lot of good second round receivers. I'm a big, a big fan of a few of them. Mingo is a big is a good one. I think Cedric Tillman's a good one.
T J.
Watt win thirtieth overall twenty seventeen. It's going to Hall of Fame.
Totally absurd, good chance.
So listen, you might have picked the first second third. But you can get a Hall of Famer in the back end of the round. You can get a Hall of Famer in the second round.
You can get a Hall of Famer at one ninety nine. Greg. Remember remember that Tom Brady can't wait.
So check out the Tom Brady pick Day three, always my favorite.
All right, that is it? So check out the stream. That's fun.
Check out well, you already check this podcast out if you're listening, but also check out our Saturday recap of the whole draft, including some winners and losers, and then.
Won't be doing that one at ten thirty at night.
Thank you to everybody behind the scenes for making this ship and go.
Thank you to the listeners, the viewers, even