Bunkercast XXVII: Gronk Traded, 2nd Annual Marc Sessler Mock Draft

in the NFL, but not with his former team. The New England Patriots said goodbye to Tom Brady. Tom Brady went to Tampa, and now Gronk has followed tom Brady to Tampa. The trade is official. It happened very quickly. The Bucks acquired the tight end from the Patriots in exchange for a fourth round pick. Unbelievable turn of events here as Gronk ends his year long retirement and teams with the quarterback who we went to the Super Bowl with seemingly four years in the row. Uh Dan hansis

joined by Mark Sessler, Chris Westing, and Greg Rosenthal. Greg your thoughts when the news went down? I mean, am I gonna have to root for the bucks. I guess I am a little bit. I know that's uh heretical to say in New England, but watching Tom Brady throw to grab Gronkowski sounds like fun to me. It was shocking.

It was shocking that it happened so quickly and quietly, that the physical was already taken as we're taping this like it's official, you know, just to pull behind the peak, behind the curtain at the end of this show with the mock draft, you know, we were just hearing that it's possible Rob Gronkowski would be coming back, and you know, within a half hour it it had already happened. Like every insider in the business did not know this was

happening until basically it was already over. And it's a killer for Patriots fans, who, um are gonna be sad watching them in a different uniform. But Ricky is dying and we'll get to her. But it's it's such a great um, I don't know, it's just like chance for Gronk and Brady to try something totally different, and I think it could totally blow up in their face and it could be a disappointment. The expectations are gonna be

so high. They're they're both high risk players right now, but it's also like a high reward like if they make it to the playoffs that win a game, that's just gonna be fun and weird and different, and it makes this season UM all the more UM important in my mind to get started on time, and hopefully it will.

It became one of the tropes on our podcast that last year Bruce arians might not have the same love for the game UM that he had in Arizona, and he might just be playing out the string here and the opposite has happened his lifetime football philosophy, no risk it, no biscuit is exactly how the Buccaneers have played this offseason, going full boar after Tom Brady and then to bring

in Gronk, the two greatest to ever to play their positions. UH. To me, the question is whether two thousand and twenty Gronk is an upgrade on on O. J. Howard, because the last time we saw these two guys in two thousand eighteen, O. G. Howard played a lot better than Gronk, and Gronk was running on fumes for most of the season he had the high ankle sprain. But we didn't know if a lot of that was the accumulation of

age and injuries. And to his credit, he came up big in the FC Title game in the super Bowl, but that Super Bowl offense was not impressive from the Patriots at all. I I think it's a player that the year off UM could help immensely. And you know, on our our live Twitter show we played an over under game of what his line might be if he

played six team games. I think it's convincingly um statistically not going to be anything close to what you might expect from Grunk that would be my guests, but UM canny be a huge difference and help them if you get a one rejuvenated, healthy version of Rob Wronkowski. I think so. And then it it meant in a in a weird again and in an offseason that could be

completely um tilted. You've got Brady teamed with someone who the two of them know their movements, there, their reaction time, the way they see defense is so they're so in sync that it's a it's a great signing for the great trade for the Bucks. Uh. I mean, I just my caution in general is this happens to us every year. One of these teams looks like they're just gonna zoom right into the super Bowl. And and you know, you're all these tweets. No teams played a super Bowl in

their home stadium, but this Bucks team might. Well, there's a long, long way ago, and there's a lot of variables. Are the Bucks though? I mean, what are the Bucks? Who have been hidden away, um in the nether world for so long? Are they suddenly fascinating? Absolutely? And I'm with Greg in the sense that it palpably ups the interest in the season because it's such a weird team to suddenly be at the absolute core of everything that's happening.

I think everyone is on the same page there. The Bucks are a huge subplot to the season because of Brady, and now Gronk adds to it. Yeah, I think there is some enthusiasm that should be tempered a little bit, and because I think a lot of fantasy drafters and just in general, like a lot of football fans are gonna say, oh, look out, Gronks back and he's got a year off, his body is gonna be back to normal.

He was his last season in the league in New England, you know, playing with what looked like a stick fork forks sticking out of his back. And he showed up in the playoffs, and Pete Gronk was back, and I wonder, if you know, the bye week going into the divisional playoffs, then the bye week going into the super Bowl, if he's a guy that could still be an impact player,

but he needs to be managed snaps even weeks. If that's where he is now that he's a player in his thirties, so I think that at some point you've got to not expect him to be the gron However, for a fourth round pick and the fact that the potential that it brings, in the excitement that it brings, it's a no brainer, Ricky. It's a no brainer for Gronk to want to come out of retirement. He was sick of playing for Bill Belichick. He was his body

was beat up. And now Tom goes to Tampa, a beautiful place to live, a fun coach to play for. You gotta be happy for Gronk, who, let's face it, and I was saying it on this podcast for months the day he retired, there's no way this guy was gonna stay out of football. He came back, and I guess the only surprises that he didn't come back to New England, he went to a new team. Yeah, it's it's really really kind of tough, Like I'm excited for

him that he's back. It does like hurt that it feels like the Patriots were home for these guys forever they were. Can you put violins under what you're saying? Yeah, And it's just like it really does sting to watch what you loved so deeply about your team, your hometown team that you've you know, lived and died on the hills with with just you know, you talk about sports, make you forget about dying, and it is like they're these incredible, incredible dynasty moments with this team, and now

what sort of made that dynasty is gone. And it's not just gone, it's it's flirting around in a convertible down in South Learning, it's going all the way. Yeah, I mean it's it's it's like seeing your X with someone like way better looking. It just it just hurts. You want them to just be gone. I want them one of them to retire. Let's come down on the pirate ship and Bruce arians in his third act being

way better looking. Here the thing though the Patriots. You can't take away what Rob Gronkowski gave you as a fan, and gave any Patriots fan. You can't take away that for the Patriots. The Bucks are getting Rob Gronkowski at the wrong time and and maybe it'll pay off, Like this deal is a no brainer for them. It was a no brainer for the Patriots too. They really didn't have much choice because his money would have put them way over the cap. They had to take what they

could get. Guys coming out of retirement aren't just just not gonna get much. It's what Brett Farve got was a fourth round pick. Tom Brady's at the very tail end of his career, Bruce Arians is at the very tail enderscore. And maybe it works, um, but maybe it's just like my point is like, like, what what are you gonna do? Like it, I get that, but that doesn't mean I can just be like, well, you know, for the cap and everything, good job by the Patriots

like they did. It's not a good jobs he was retired, but so like if they go six and ten, is that gonna like make you happier? Oh, I don't know what it's going to make me happy? More like Dynasty d I e am. I right. Your quarterback had Mono Dan, he had motto he's recovered. It reminds me they had the Redskins, what was it, the George Allen teams, the over the Hill gang that they had back in the seventies, which you know that that's kind of what this is

and it makes it fun. And Mike Evans and Godwin are there and they have a young, fun defense. So on paper, they are a really interesting team. I think that's what makes them interesting. That you can't compare them to the Overhead Gang because you're just talking about Brady and Gronk and the rest of the team is young. You have the young receivers, you have a really young defense. I mean you've got j pp and and Dominican Sue who are still playing at a pretty high level and

they're over thirty. But that's a young defense there in the front step. I mean, Greg, I will say that you have I know, I know, and I at this point fully almost almost entirely believe your patriots stance um and where you're coming from. Oh that's great, almost believe that. I almost believe it. But I just would say that you have to acknowledge that you are in complete discord with like huge chunks of Patriots fans everywhere who don't.

They don't. It's not their responsibility. Sports is is combative. It's not their responsibility to you know, roll into the sports bar and be so excited to see Brady throwing four touchdowns to Gronk and week one and say this is just perfect, Like they're gonna be I rate and sports fans. Part of it is suspending uh, you know, the West, the rest of the world around you, but also common sense, and you lose yourself to emotion and

everything else. And like I kind of get where Ricky is coming from more so than I do from the Euroro Bucks fan now. And I'm not a football guy. I like I like football more than than I like the Patriots, for sure, but I am there is part of me that that likes the idea of the Patriots with jared'stid um, you know, being kind of a team that's under the radar. That's that's how they started. And the Gronk part of it, to me, he didn't want

to play for Belichick. I think if you listen to Jeff Darlington's reporting, that was pretty clear his body was gone and it's found money, and it's like, what do what do we like as sports fans? Is there any gratitude or any appreciation for like the players and the humans themselves or are we just cheering laundry? To me, it's more about the It's more about those players, like

don't you think. Yeah? But I think the appreciating Gronk and Brady thing might come a few years from now when they go back to foxbor or a Beautiful Nights ceremony. It's not going to be at this day. Well, he's a little chronic back injury. I guess that's the part of it too. It's like he has chronic back problems and it's worth the shot if you're the Bucks. But it's not like you're thinking these guys are gonna suddenly

take over the league. These are the same two guys that we were saying we're absolutely done, like more than a year ago. But if you're game planning for a team that has Gronkowski on the field, regardless if he's gonna show up or not, all of a sudden, your headspace is going to that he is automatically And this greg to your point, Yes, I imagine as a Patriots

and especially Patriots fan like you. There's a little bit of uh excitement to the idea of the Patriots has a true underdog with a fourth round pick as their starter. But you know, get back to me seven years from now, when when this stuff is still going on there under the radar, Like the being under the radar is maybe fun for a couple of months, and then it stinks, and I think that that's that's this new this new

world of the Patriots. There is a lot of unknowns about are they going to be able to put this thing back together quickly or are we going into a long hibernation where this team that mattered more than anyone else doesn't matter. And just seeing Gronk and Brady on different teams and seeing this team in the state, this flux and this general unknown that that to me is like just crazy to think that it's finally happening. And although we knew Gronk wasn't playing with the Patriots this year,

just another reminder that time has moved on. What do the Patriots do next? That's one of the great intrigues in the league going forward, it is, and and it puts so much into this draft for the Patriots and we'll get to Mark Mark's mock draft soon. I mean, one of the big losers here. If we didn't mention it would be that Mark. But but he's not a loser.

He's a big time winner. Because it happened. Mark predicts that Gronkowski has got to be a member of the Bucks by the end of May during the mock draft, and then and then it happens by the end of the day. Forget the end of May. Well, I'm slightly annoyed that my standalone mock draft episode has been utterly upended by Gronkowski in the Bucks in general, and believe me, it changes how I feel about the Bucks. I do have one last thing. You mentioned that Gronk and Brady

of practice together before. I do think we've almost underplayed or not known what to say about the whole fact that this season either may not happen, may not happen on time, there may not be any practices, you know, or the the same normal amount of practice. To me, that is a huge X factor, and it is something that I'm thinking about with every transaction, including this trade. It's like you're trading you're getting a draft pick, and

you're trading a guy. We don't know if this seasons, We don't know what's going to happen in anything, like why why give out signing bonuses? Why give out a lot of things when you don't know if the season is going to be happening. It feels like a worthwhile question. YEP, I'll leave it with Game of Thrones. The North remembers it's not scared of Jared's Didham and all the bitter Patriots fans up there that want to see these guys

failed down South. The hope is that this is the NFL version of Paul Pierce and Kevin Garnett going to the Nets that you know, well, the Celtics got a bounty from the next Yeah, they're not getting Jayson Tatum and Jalen Brown and return unfortunately, But a similar situation where Nets fans got fired up, they had these legends and then the guys couldn't really play anymore. The Bucks are hoping that doesn't happen, and I don't think it does. But you can't rule it out that these guys don't

fall on their face. Right. The long line of NFL build a teams that simply just don't seem to work the way it does in other sports to some degree. I mean, he's go against that, against that trend entirely. We're more to the point for Patriots fans that everything that we've been saying about Bill Belichick the last two decades wasn't total b s because if he has the team building and the expertise and the defense and everything that we've said he had, it's like they're gonna be competitive.

Nothing changed because they picked up a fourth round pick for Rob Gronkowski. We're about to find out. Yeah, all right, good stuff. We'll probably talk more about this on tomorrow's episode of Around the NFL Podcast, but for now, let's now spend back in time Mark Sessler. The stage is finally yours the second Annual Mock Draft. Take it away us. Hey, everybody, welcome to the second annual Mark Sessler NFL Mock Draft,

presented by the Around the NFL Podcast. My name is Dan Hansus, and I am joined by two of the most esteemed colleagues in the NFL world. It is Greg Don't call me Rosie Rosenthal and Chris the Mailman Westling. What's up, fellas? Hey, Nan, unbelievable, We're back all right, that's enough. I mean, if that doesn't get you in the mood from mock draft, what will it is? It is so amazing the time flies, folks, even in a pandemic.

You cannot stop the Mark Sessler mock draft. And why don't we welcome in the man of the hour, the man who he's screaming for respect in the business. Not sure if you're one of the mock draft in it, but you know, if you keep doing it, if you keep showing up, something is gonna stick. Mark Seessler, Hey, buddy, how you doing? I think it's a um, I'm not sure last year did it? I would start there, but I can't get my employer to put this on our website.

So that's hell. Whatever. They people who don't even work for the NFL on there mock Draft Central. It is an interesting strategy. You're thinking, Okay, how can I get respect? How can I stand out in the NFL industry. I'll do a mock draft. How do we get paid? That'll set me apart? Yeah, it's not setting me apart. It's

not original and I'm not getting paid for it. And famously, one of the Shadowy League figures, John Marvel said last year when asked if this mock draft or the two nineteen mock draft would go on the website, he said, are you insane? And that's that's what we're up against here at the Mark Sesler mock draft, that type of

stigma that this shouldn't be taken seriously. But I'm gonna tell you something, for the second consecutive year, Mark Sessler has put in the work, and he's plugged in, and he's been in the industry for a decade now, and it's time for you to hear this man. Listen to him. No, No, the quiet storm roars tonight or today, it's unfathomable to put Mark's mock draft. And with a bunch of others the average for right answers, I like my odds here.

Come on, did you did you put in the necessary work to get this level of support from your friends and colleagues? I mean when I when I promised to do this project and take this on UM as a new wrinkle in my career. UM, you know I I I vowed that I would spend no less than two hours on this and UM came close to that time limit. A little bit more than that, but not a lot more. Um,

but I did. I. I will say this, Um, it caused me some consternation because my initial idea was to go do things that no one else would do, and um in I would say, adding some in total insanity into it. And I kind of checked myself at the door because I take this exercise um seriously, and I'm looking to come out of here with some accurate bulls eyes and nothing less than that unbelievable accurate bull size. Everybody that is that is something uh to respect. That's

the goal, concise right. I could not have said that any more concisely. Erica. Are you excited for the second annual? Mark Sessler? Oh my god, I could not be more excited this. This is the greatest day of this week for sure. More like, Mark Sessler, did you even know this was happening today? Erica? I did, Mark? I did. Okay, Dan sent me a text about an hour ago asking for some applause and stuff like that. So okay, Well, let's not pull back the curtain, Erica. All right, So

this is how we're gonna go. We're gonna go through round one. We will track these pits. We will go through round one, tracking each of Mark's selections and uh, come Thursday day night. Maybe Saturday actually might be the better time to do it. We'll circle back and see how the kid did. See how the kid did? That reminds me of when Uh Schreeger was on the show last week and Schreeger's younger than Mark and called market kid. He said, you know, this kid writes some of the

best stuff on the internet. I think he's sort of viewing me as someone a bit of a naife in the industry, Um, a child in the football industry. Well child, no more more, child becomes man. Starting with the first overall pick, and how many of you get before we get going, Mark, how many of these are you guaranteeing? You know how it's good people in the industry and the gambling industry, which we don't condone that, but they'll say, uh, we guarantee you'll get a winner if you call our

hotline and give us your credit card number. How many guaranteed winners are you gonna give the listeners here to to know that your brand is legit and stands above all the rest. The new Mayok guaranteeing five picks, guaranteeing five out of thirty two ladies and gentlemen. How about that? All right, let's get into it. Mark Sessler with the first overall pick, the Cincinnati Bengals. Are they trading out? They are not. They're gonna do the uh, the smart

thing this time. All right, let's hear it. They are taking quarterback Joe Burrow out of out of l s U. Alright, Joe Burrow, the quarterback, the number one passing prospect on the board, no question, right, Well, this is the first opportunity to try to be different than everyone else. But um, all my sources and all the information that I have, uh tell me that the Bengals um have made this pick. And you know, like with all number one picks, that the NFL doesn't want you to say anything. And we

get that dog and pony show part of it. But this is where the Bengals are going, no questions asked, all right. Number two. There's some speculation around the number two pick in the draft of Washington Redskins. Hold it. Are they going to stay where they are and make a selection or they're moving out? Well, based on hearing West's opinions about the Redskins fielding calls pre show, I'm very glad that I stayed right at home here and had Washington take Chase Young or we would lose West.

Very early in this broadcast, um Chase Young the edge dynamo out of Ohio State West. It's not it's not so much the idea that the Redskins shouldn't move out of the pick. It's just the idea was that people

even speculating about such thing. That's what really annoys you. Right, I'm surprised that they haven't preempted CNN, MSNBC, and Fox News for this news that the Redskins, the team holding the number two pick in a football draft, are fielding phone calls about their pick, breaking news as a and now as a special surprise for West. Ian Rappaport has been listening this whole time, and it's coming onto this

right in, come on in defend your news. Ian, Alright, the number three pick, Mark Selo, So so far chalk? And you know what if you're guaranteeing five out of thirty two and you're going chalk, I mean there's not what are I'm just I'm a fairly low number that I I would say I'm not and I would say that, you know, with one and two I knew that was not the dramatic starts some people would be looking for. But UM is the point to be totally insane with this? Or do I want to make it very clear to

the football fan that I am extremely plugged in. UM says that this year more than any other. No one has any idea because no one's been talking that, the DJs and all this group think out there. Without these mockslet they might look sillier than ever. Not Mark, all right, the third pick in the draft. Third pick is where our first trade occurs, and the Lions, instead of staying home, trade the pick to the Atlanta Falcons, who aggressively are

looking to move up. According to uh, not only my sources, but general news reports out there, and uh, the Falcons looking for a cornerback. They're gonna go Jeff Acuda cornerback Ohio State. And I think they feel very good about it. They feel very good. M Well, it makes sense. They just they just traded away Darius Slay, their best cornerback. I guess they gotta fill the void and they get a cheaper, younger alternative West Falcons. This is the Falcons.

Excuse me, Oh, silly me. I I apologize for that, but the Falcons obviously needed the cornerback help. Makes a lot of sense. Trough would be making a stand here. He made his name with the Julio Jones trade. He feels like he's about as on the edge maybe in terms of job security, as he as he's ever been, and this would be a bold move by Thomas. Demit Demotrof or Dimitroff is how he does it, I believe. Okay, you almost think about going to Metro just because it's

it rolls off the top, it sounds better. But but he's sort of started people correct. He's corrected him. So not only trading out of that spot, but a team trading up from sixteen, they don't have to give up a windfall. They would and the and the Falcons gave up a lot when they traded up to take Julio Jones. Also, um, it's not normally in their m O for the most part, but I have a feeling they're gonna do something, and

that would be a surprise. If you spoke to people a month ago and you said I'm from the future. The Lions will trade out of that pick, and the team that trades in won't take a quarterback. But things have changed, at least some how. The draft insiders are painting things as we get closer the draft. All right, thank you, good comment. Pick four. Uh the Giants, you know, give me this nonsense about their you know, face timing with with Justin Herbert. I just I don't care what

they're doing. Uh. Tom Brady was face timing with the Tennessee Titans and their staff. What does that mean in a basketball game? So I'm going right here. The Giants stay home and go Tristan Worth's offensive tackle, Iowa, the fields that go very I don't know heads or tails, what to make these? What teams think about these tackles? But um, worse is where I'm going. That's the that's the worst pick on the board. Oh, West, speak on it. No, I said it's the worst pick on Yeah, I mean

I think this is a good little line. Does that mean it was the worst or just okay, a little miscommunication there. Let's play on words. There's a plan words. I thought it had a double meeting that it also is a bad pick. Alright, No, I'm not gonna bury gentleman. Alright, the fifth overall pick in the draft. All right, and you know this is this to me is the first major turning point in the road. What are the Dolphins

gonna do at number five? There's whispers that they might just go defense or offensive tackle here and try to

get a quarterback later on. I don't buy that. I think that they after all of this business, um, they're gonna go with to uh our guy to out of Alabama and I and I flip flopped this in another pick, but going to a if I, if I did a mock, I I'd ignore all this noise that's happened, and I'd I'd imagine a scenario where Steven Ross and the Dolphins are patting themselves on the back for making everyone think

they wouldn't take too when they really did. Yeah, I agree, I'm totally because we've heard forever they were connected to two. You know, this whole thing with the organic tank was to go get the quarterback. Are they really gonna pass on a QB in the top five. I just don't see it. And to it feels like a risky pick, but a lot of upside there. Uh. Good good job there, Mark. I like your your draft picks so far. You're flying

right now. You've got one tackle off the board. You got a two qbs and edge rusher in a cornerback. And now that brings up the Chargers, another team that it makes sense that they would target a quarterback. Do they do it? They do? I I kind of got confused and what to do with this one a little bit, or I should say more just I was entranced by

the idea of some of Justin Herbert falling. But I think the charge is gonna go Justin Herbert quarterback out of Oregon Um simply because if there's a narrative I do not buy, and if I'm proven wrong, I'll take it into note. But this idea that they're gonna sell Tyrod Taylor to the l A fan base while they're trying to sell tickets in a massive news stadium, not buying it. I think they're absolutely gonna have to find

another answer at quarterback. And if it's not gonna be a Can Newton or something like that, and there's no buzz around that, I think you go with the less expensive rookie guy that you can, in theory play behind Tyrod for eight or nine hours until he takes over. Let's play the positive quote negative quote Bob McGinn game for Justin Herbert. Here here's a positive quote. If the Oregon kid had Alabama's receivers or Oklahoma's receivers or l s Us receivers, he'd be the best, one said a scout.

And now here's the negative because we talked about it when McGinn was on the show, and uh, you know he likes to do the salt with the pepper, the oil with the vinegar. I like him to a degree. I don't think he's an elite player. He's kind of robotic and mechanical accuracies off. He has the classic looks of an NFL quarterback. That's the guy that has burned a lot of people in the past. Big tall, good looking interviews, well, smart, throws the ball a mile, all

that stuff. Gabbert Jared Goff, not a lot of vision, not a really good playmaker. Mark kind of a shot across your bow in a way. Why it is. But I'm comfortable with the scouting work that I've done on this player. And you know, you it's at that time a year where you just gotta dig in on your own beliefs. How would you like to be a Rams fan? And you hear Goff and blame gabrit mentioned in the same sentence as the same type of quarterback. Right that

didn't that that scout the bad job. I mean, Jared Goff, if nothing else, does not have a big art and ant and it doesn't make sense. They're just saying like he's tall and white is basically what he's saying. All right, let's go seven eight nine, Mark, give us three picks. Alright, seven eight nine. The Panthers take Isaiah Simmons linebacker Clempson ideas one of the teams that people sort of feel like he could fit there where he's not a fit

for everyone. Cardinals, um, you know, you think they're gonna go electrifying offense. They go Derek Brown, defensive tackle out of Auburn, who I think is going to be a plug and play Week one starter about that plug and play and what method And he is a big body, disruptor. He causes enormous problems for quarterback types. And if you're trying to run the ball, good luck on Derek Brown. That's not gonna be happening with I mean, it's it's

all there. It's everything that you can go watch five minutes of his tape and just it's a I'll go I'll follow my own instruction at some point um alright, and number nine Jaguars Jedrick Wills offensive Alabama. Alright. So another tackles off the board to the Jags, and then we have another trade to close out the top ten. Who saucy and it involves your favorite team, mark the team you love more than anything else in the whole

wide world. I think, yes, the Browns are I think there's DNA in that front office again to want to value trading down and thinking that if they need to tackle, there's a lot of tackles that will be left over. They trade with the Bronchos, who I think are another team like the Falcons, that have been openly just honest about the fact that they might move up and they want one of these wide receivers. They're gonna jump into

ten and take Jerry Judy wide receiver Alabama. Big need filled, right, that Judy the first off the board of the wide receivers. It's very John Elway to trade up in a you know, really deep receiver draft, uh for a receiver just like go all out, But that Jerry Judy and Cortland Sutton also sounds like a lot of fun, So I'm in it. I would say one thing on that, like I hear you that why do that? But the bottom line is there's gotta be two or three of these guys that

are way better than the rest. Judy seems like the safest. Why would the Broncos telegraph their move for weeks that? I don't know. I I agree they're probably doing it. I just wonder why they're doing it. That's a good question. I mean, maybe to have people call them in reverse and say, we're in a fix. We don't like the player. Here, here's an option for you. H alright, alright, picking up picking at number eleven, my New York Jets, what do

we got? Well, I you know Jet, I know that if they go offensive tackle it might annoy a lot of Jets fans, and it was tempting to it will not annoy Jets fans. Well they need one. But I think ceedee Lamb to the Jets and what it becomes a little bit of a wide receiver run after losing Robby Anderson. Um, I think that's something that you they It fills a need. But also this is this could be a really special player and the Jets don't have

a lot to market around right now. All right, I have Ceedee Lamb going to the Jets in the NFL Network mock draft we did last week. It makes a lot of sense. Um, But yeah, I wonder if they're gonna if they could actually when it comes down to it, pass on alignment. Um, that's gonna be a tough thing for Douglas to do. But wide receiver is obviously a huge hole for that team. So all right, Mark can't can't go wrong there with either pick. I don't have

Joe Douglas necessarily done with his handiwork today either. That's all right, Let's keep moving. Let's all right. So the Raiders finished that little trio of receiver picks by taking Henry Ruggs three wide receiver out of Alabama, And that leaves the Niners in a fix because they they were someone I thought definitely would have gone wide receiver, thinking they'd be available there. And they just stay at home

on defensive go Javon kin Law defensive tackle South Carolina. Uh, that is for them something that I think they feel good about. And then the Browns were sitting in that dent Denver's previous spot. Um, they get the tackle that they wanted to get Andrew Thomas to tackle out of Georgia, thoughts, Mark greg I mean Henry Ruggs on the radio. Sounds like a lot of fun, just like pure speed. You

know that that team needs it or than others. The kind Law pick, Yeah, maybe maybe a little bit of a reach there by Mark oh Man, I love the alright, we got a scientist, a little scientists cook off here. Why do you love it? Was? I think Ken Law is going to be a stud. And I'm not out here grinding tape. I've seen quite a bit. I saw tape from the Senior Bowl where he was man handling people. This guy has a higher ceiling than Derek Brown, I think.

So the Niners continue to beef up that defensive line after trading away one of their best players. And where does that take us next, Mark Sela. That takes us to the Lions, who sit where Atlanta's pick was initially. And you know, had they been up at three, they definitely we're gonna go cornerback, I thought with Jeff Okuda. But they're gonna take what many think is the second best or right up there cornerback in the draft C J. Henderson out of Florida. Um, you mentioned did Dan Darius

slay out the door? Uh? The Lions like to move on from big talent and then fill it in with the same position. So this feels like a nice Detroit move right here at number sixteen. So that was a shot. It's a little bit of a shot, A little bit. I mean, it's sort of how I feel about them,

but they it's they definitely need cornerback. In your scenario, the Browns and Lions would both trade down and then take a player at least that conventional wisdom says is a pretty steep drop off from the tier at their position ahead of him. Well, I don't know. I mean, if actually reading a little bit about Andrew Thomas, there are people that think Andrew Thomas is the best tackle in the draft. You can't get any consensus on the Lineman rap sheet had that today people think that Thomas

is the best swinging to miss by rap sheet. What is Dan attempting to cook up over there? Please? Hey, a reminder that the second annual marccesslor Mock Draft is presented by Rocket Oga Oh my God, joint Rocket Morgan and saying thank you to essential workers by posting a video to everyone knows a Hero dot com. All right, let's get back to it mark. Where are all right? We're a pick number seventeen. I'm not sure Rocket Mortgage. Let's through. Okay, here we go. Cowboys take Clavon chasing

the edge out of L s U Dolphins. They get their tackle at eighteen, Austin Jackson offensive tackle out of UFC. Then at nineteen the Packers aggressively move up because they need to add speed, they need to add a wide receiver,

and they like Justin Jefferson. They trade up where the Raiders were into nineteen, take Jefferson out of L s U. And then at twenty the Jaguars, with that pick from the Rams, take a j. Terrell cornerback out of Clemson, and the Eagles take Kenneth Murray, linebacker Oklahoma, who we were reading reports today that it is one player that Rappaport says he has not heard a single negative word about from anyone who evaluated him. Wired to wire, So I well liked individual. What do you guys think with

what we're talking to? Bob McGinn, who covered the Packers forever and He said, Aaron Rodgers physically, he's as good as he's ever ever been, so he hasn't slumped off there in any way. That the coaching staff has never been the problem. It's actually built to make him successful. It's built around the quarterback. Said that the surrounding skill players.

It's been overstated how much help he really needs because he has one of the best wide receivers in the league, he has a great running back, he's got an offensive line. McGinn wouldn't really get into and Greg you pointed out that he has history with Rogers and it wasn't always a great relationship. Um, what do you think he was really saying? Because I had a theory that it was a little bit McGinn wouldn't say it because obviously he's a nice Midwestern man. But maybe that Aaron Rodgers has

lost the eye of the tiger. What else is there? I don't well, I don't think anything he said is controversial. I think anyone would would say would agree with all that. The only thing that I guess would be different is that he's he says the coaching hasn't been the problem at all, which I guess would be a little different but everything us is sort of obvious. I mean, it's

decision making. I think with Aaron Rodgers, he's played so safe and maybe it's I of the tiger you're talking about, and he's leaving that on said because he wouldn't say that. But to me, it's just been decision making. It's obvious that is his physical abilities there. Yeah, I got the sense he's just about as mystified as everyone else, and

that does come down to decision making. Um, Like Greg said, he plays it so safe a lot of the times, but in situations where he should be safe, like on third downs, he's going for big plays down the field. It's situational football. And what I got out is Bob McGinn just saying it's all there. He just has to actually do it. And where he did it early in his career, he's failed too many times recently. All right, let's move twenty two to including another quarterback joining the

National Football League. Al Right, at number twenty two, the Vikings, who just traded away Stefon digs Um to the Bills, have that Bill's pick and they take Tee Higgins wide receiver out Clemson. Uh, they can't just ignore that position. For too long. At number twenty three, where the Patriots are sitting, some people thinking would New England go quarterback instead? John Gruden and Mike Mayock of the Raiders trade into number twenty three and take Jordan's Love, quarterback out of

Utah State. And I think that that we for years have felt like Gruden might have eyes for another and I think that plays out potentially in this draft. Uh. Then we move on to the next keep saying until he actually takes somebody. So yeah, right, at some point will be proven correct, and it maybe in a few days from now we will find out. And Erica is saying, what about Mary Ota, you idiot? She just texted that to us. Well, I don't know what to say to Erica. Um,

number it is? Well it is uh. Number twenty four. The Saints take Patrick Queen, the linebacker at of L s U. And at twenty five the Vikings. They've got another pick, Jalen Johnson, quarterback out of Utah. I think they've lost four three cornerbacks in a safety this offseason, so they can they have to address that. Raiders pick is why Mark is making the big money with this. It's two teams you can see trading with each other.

You know, Mayock and the Patriots and all that and it, and it totally seems like a guy that John Gruden and Mayak might just fall in love with. He Jordan's Love is like maybe the most fascinating guy in this draft because, like the the talent he has just sort of ooze is off the screen. I mean, he's like an uber I don't know, like Josh Allen type that you can just see the arms, strength and the athleticism is like wild. But he's just he's been wild, and

his decision making has been terrible. But some team is probably going to see him and think, like, oh, this guy's enough of him a homes type to just go for it. Here's another juicy McGinn quote, this one connected to Jordan's Love. He's the only quarterback I ever scouted who will throw into bigger windows as a pro than he did in college. Those guys did not get open for him. If he ends up outside the top ten, we could be saying, how the heck did Jordan's Love

asked that long? Hubble hubba, hubba. It seems like a nice little flyer pick. In the later reaches of the first round in the first round. I don't know, you've got Henry Ruggs for him to throw to as well, so the Raiders would look quite different. It's also like a very Patriots move. Everyone. You know, this is the highest pick they've had in a little while, and Patriots fans will be all excited, who did they take a quarterback?

And now they just like trade down and take like some tiny cornerback that's out of the league in three years. Uh yeah that later? That rang true? Alright, So the Dolphins now are back on the board. I like this one a lot mark because they address a serious need. They do. The Dolphins take DeAndre Swift, running back out of George. I think heads and tails meant to be seen as the best running back in this draft and worthy of a first round pick, and the Dolphins need it.

And you suddenly got a new quarterback and a new running back to pair together Aikman and Emmett style for the next four plus years. Then the Jets trade back into the first round. Joe Douglass is not done, and the Seahawks love trading out of that first round pick. I think They've done it eight times or something under John Schneider. The Jets get in there and they take your tour, Gross Meadows. I love the name edge at a Penn State. Do the Jets needed edge rusher? Yes,

they have for how long? For about a decade plus. You know what Jersey to get me for my birthday, Gross Meadows. Grossmadows will pair nicely with Van Rotten, Yes he will. And yes, this is the point mark where if you're a true mock draft and plugged in, you make a John Abraham reference. Go ahead, I I do not choose to do that. You've made the reference right there. The New York Jets have not had a pure edge pass rusher since John Abraham in two thousand six. Maybe

your tour, Gross Matos. That's the bill, all right, We're getting near the end of it now, Mark, keep going, all right. Number twenty eight the Ravens. I just think this is a Ravens type of player. I could be totally wrong about that, but Zach bond line background in Wisconsin. Um, he'll probably win Defensive Rookie of the Year with the way things seemed to go for Baltimore. So nice job by them. The Titans are looking for a little wide receiver help. They take Brandon i UK wide receiver out

of Arizona State. Um. I couldn't tell you five things about him, um even five words, but he sounds like a nice player. Uh. We go from there the Patriots. Now, why would you sort of my fatal flaws, Like in the middle of a big moment, I'll explain why I shouldn't be doing this to begin with. But Patriots, Okay, yeah, just kill all that Patriots. They're sitting in that Raiders spot number thirty and they take a very I think Patriots s type of guy. J A. J Epenize, a

defensive end out of Iowa. You know Belichick if you go back, he loves his Iowa players. Kirk for Rentz was there for years. Those guys are buds. Um, there's some connecting, some dots here. I'm meant to be connected. But you like that, that's one of the ones. That's one of the that's one of the picks. I almost guarantee I feel that good about it. All right, can we do a sandwich on that now? Just you know, let's see how that plays out. But to the Patriots

is almost guarantee. Let's get my sponsored Ricky. Uh, because I'm looking for stuff to really build around this mock draft, ways to monetize it, ways to promote it. So this is your lock of the draft. Uh, I mean a j Empanada out of Island. Why not let's make that the lock. I feel good about it to the Patriots at thirty? Is that what it is? Thirty? That is correct? Bills are loving this draft for the Patriots, like, oh yeah, go help your defense some more and leave your offense

the way it is. There's been seventeen tackles taken to what is going on? Wait a second, the Jets trade into the first round again. I thought they were trying to That was a spoiler alert. Yeah, the number thirty one. The Jets trade back in they need a tackle, and they're basically saying are they going to be at a draft picks after this? Because I think they're here's we're thinking,

let's get three or four players we love. Let's not do this thing where you draft eighteen players from round five for seven and none of them are employed by your team two years later. Get the guys we like. They take Joshua Jones, offensive tackle out of Houston, and I would say this thorm mock drafts out there with more tackles taken than I've suggested. It's interesting because Daniel

Jeremiah good friend of Joe Douglas. He was just quoted as saying that Joe Douglas he can't wait till the middle rounds and late rounds of the draft because that's when he does his his favorite work. But you're saying he's just gonna like throw all that out and he's just gonna focus on Thursday night. Well and Mark, and Mark, he took a mid round tackle. He just took him in the first round. He is not a mid round tackle. He is not a mid round tackle. He's got a

first round grade on them by many. And uh, I mean this, if anything, Dan, I was trying to win you over with like what would be a Titanic Jets draft. And it's not judging. I'm not judging or saying anything negative. I just it feels a little desperate to trade twice into the first round. But Jets are a little sprint. If he wants it. If that's what he wants, that's

what he gets. But I mean that the back pages of the you know, the sports tabloids, would go nuts at the Jets wound up with the first they had Joshua Jones in the Yeah, people would be going insane, all right, and the final pick and I, you know, I couldn't. I moved. I had this in and out, like the Chiefs doing all sorts of stuff here, they stay right at home. And they picked that center that they need, Lloyd Cushion Berrier. That is not a real person.

I I did not believe it it was either, But the more research I did, he does appear to exist. Sounds like character from the eighties. Lord Cushion better good pick for those Chiefs. Not a lot of first round grades on him. Old cush not a good interior line draft. And then you know Mark in your notes and this is now separate from this is just this, Yeah, this is more like now we're getting to you know, fantastical

Sessler realm. So have fun with this, everybody, but be aware that the brand that we're cultivating here, which is the mock draft, is separate from Mark Sessler fun land, which begins now with items. Yeah, this is these are in draft items that will occur and some fallout um that will occur after the draft. But of this, this is just having fun, everybody, Do not stak Mark's reputation unless they unless they go well, and one of them, I mean, is a tease here, he's ahead of the curve.

Go ahead, all right. I think that number one we're gonna look at David Najoku traded to the Patriots. We all know why New England needs a tight end. The Browns just picked up Austin Hooper. Um, Yannick Dockway exactly. Gronk is not in the picture for Bell Belichick. He's he's annointed him. You know, Yannick Nogackway traded to the Seahawks for for two second rounders, um, which is really you know, John Schneider is gonna trade down with the Jets.

I've already told you that, and they'll have another presence in the second round, and then they'll have two other they have two other second rounders which they will use to get in a Gockway out of Jacksonville. Everyone's happy. Leonard Fournette will be cut. No one's trading for that guy, but he will wind up on the bills to complement Devin Singletary, so he essentially replaces Frank. Yeah. I think it's just like not a not a workhorse guy. He's

on the team there. No, I'm saying he's gonna replace Frank or yeah, by some definitions, that would be replacing. He was on the team last year. Now he's no longer. I would expect what we'll see. He's gonna fill Frank Gore's role that he had in the right him in leadership, the inconvenan truth, maybe hanging him up hit of a leadership boid. One of the great tropes of sports. What are they going to do in that locker room without Frank Gore's leadership? Gonna replace it with Leonard Fournette. A

few more items here before we get out of here. Uh, markis Goodwin traded to the Redskins. Kevin Coleman traded to the Titans. Well, you know what, when he's become true, I just exactly O. J. Howard trade it to the to the Texans. Um Rob Gronkowski joins the Bucks by the end of May. He might be by the end of April. I mean a little breaking news here, Erica Tampos, let's do it. Ian Rappaport is reporting that Rob Gronkowski has already requested to Bill Belichick to be traded to

the Tampa Bay Buck how about that. We'll see how see if they do it? But um, why not? Well that explains the O J. Howard. Tampa Bay could draft an all offensive line and defensive players and win the Super Bowl. I think there's a chance grond comes back, and he's very gronky and the year away was great for him. I could totally see that. There's a chance that you know, he gets hurt within a few minutes and he's hobbling around like he was in two thousand twenty.

There's also a che is Bill Belichick's is no freaking way. So this is early in this story, but it is a juicy one. It makes sense. It was probably part of the conversations with Brady. When is a free agent that Gronk wants back in he wants in the league, they put Howard on the block. But interesting, Yeah, this will be Bean says it could happen within twenty four hours, which indicates to me that the Patriots are very open

to it. Which also makes a lot of sense to me because I think Belichick would be happy to just get a pick for him versus like trying you know what you would expect would be a decent pick instead of like hoping that Rob Gronkowski can stay healthy again. It feels like a Belichick thing to do if they could get a decent pick for him. I'm not sure Ian broke this, just to be clear, but I understand how the industry works. Did well, we're the little on

the shows. It's like, you know, you broke it. Well, you didn't report that he's talked to the Buccaneers, and now I just simply saw the future. You said the end of May, it's April. Well, I don't think it's gonna be back for since the day he retired. I don't try to upstage me. Don't try to upstage me. So it turned out that he will come back and wants to play Tom Brady, but it just so happens to Tom Brady is now on a different team, getting caught in a park trying to work out by himself.

Is that, well, that's the information that we have. What what are you suggesting? Yeah? What what is? What do you think he was up to? I don't know, all right, it's like I got nothing. No, I think you know where you know you could read between these lines, No, I can't. It's like an empty park in the middle of the pandemic. What is he doing? It's empty, He's got some privacy. All right, Now, Mark, you've done it. The second Annual mock Draft is in the books, and

I'm feeling good. I still think you said it. Five out of thirty two. You want to move that up just a little bit, potentially, just so he can market a little bit better, because it's hard to really get behind the guy as a drafts are when he's guaranteeing, like, alright, nine is great. Nine is more than a quarter of them right now, now we're cooking with fire. Nine if I can include gronkowskis, which is factual accuracy. Um, are

you a little concerned? Mark, You've already within minutes been upstaged on the mock Draft episode by news bigger than anything in the mock Draft. Yeah. I mean when we call about the second Annual, it's always the also possibly the final version of the episodes. So I you know, the fact that this got made feels like a win coup. Alright, Well, thanks Mark for all your work, and we'll be certainly tracking all of your selections very closely and seeing how

close they are. We're looking for nine out of thirty two, which is what about percent clip we're looking at what do we what is the success right there, it's in range nine out of thirty two would be yes between Well, that would have, by the way, be owing away um everyone at NFL dot com and they might consider publishing

this next year if that happens. I'm not saying that they're they're thinking is sound about not putting it up to begin with, um, And the only thing the matter is is that you beat Jeremiah, and that's what I'll be going head to head. I need a w over quote unquote move the sticks, Dan speaking to move the sticks. I just texted him and I said, this can't be real. Gronk right, tell me it's not real. DJ, my poor patriot, broken heart can't take it. And he said a couple

of things that I can't. He cut me and DJ text were buds and he said, your health, heart is a worthy price for a good talking point. I'd agree with that. Else it's definitely helping, UM, it's definitely helping the top of our Twitter show, which is coming up in a little Thanks all right, Mark, thank you very much, and thank you everybody at home for following along the Mark Sessler Mock Draft, the second annual. Excellent work, buddy, and yes, don't forget the two thousand, twenty NFL Draft

Thursday Night. It's virtual baby until next year.