Ranking All 32 NFL Skill Position Groups

The Around the NFL podcast knows how to pronounce gift or is it?

Jim?

Welcome to another edition of Around the NFL. My name is Dan HANSI heroes here, Mark Sessler, Greg Rosenthal. I don't care what your gift, Jiff take is.

Don't care what is?

What is your pronunciation?

Though, Tim, mine would be Giff.

That's what I'd say.

And if you say I'm wrong, I don't. I don't care.

Yeah, irrelevant what anyone else doesn't matter.

Can you accuse me of not caring about your big weather bit yesterday and then it took a fire? People are looking for more weather from the zeuser all week.

Well here's the thing. Here's the thing, and this is why I had to push back against your subtle mocking. Uh. This was historic weather in Texas and I take it as a public service announcement to anyone traveling here just to be ready. So in a lot of ways, I'm trying to help people, and you were trying to cloak the Republican darkness. So where do you align? I mean, what were you on January sixth?

I'd like to hear how many listeners are visiting this area of Texas this week? And it was just reminding me of a podcast I listened to which I enjoy, which Will Go Nameless, which always talks weather for the first thirty seconds, And I always think how much better that podcast would be if they just didn't do that every single show.

That's all.

And I believe a gentleman actually reached out to Dan thanking him for the information that he provided. Is that untrue?

I mean, there was just a whole movement, and I think there were people that were excited to learn about the various climates both here in North America and overseas and how they different, how they're similar. I got a tweet from someone who pointed out that we are here in Texas. Central Texas is south of Baghdad in terms of latitude, So you start to look at the Earth in a different way, and I think in a lot of ways. In addition greg to being safety minded, also

Well, we did win the Stitcher Award that was the same year, but the award mysteriously disappeared. And I've won some awards over the years. If you're watching on YouTube, I've got this Lock of the Week Championship trophy. So that's one.

Why did you need to lead Greg down that path?

I don't know. He found his way there on his own. Listen. This is the second podcast of the week as we edge into late June, and it's tough. It's tough to manufacture content that people will enjoy. So those that find us enjoyable this time of year, thank you, and for motivation to call back to another conversation from our earlier show this week, I want to thank Robert Griffin IID for reminding us what it's really all about. Some people

Thank you, Rob Well, what you didn't consider Dan is grind and fine rhyme.

So here's the history there. About eleven twelve years ago, I was so taken by that press conference. I was probably airing live on my little television on the desk in our old newsroom in Culver City that I recorded it off the TV, uploaded it onto a YouTube page, probably put it in some article at some point, and

The girl behind him, the female reporter behind him, did not seem impressed with the slogan. But Dan, how many hits does that YouTube video have in this you know, decades?

Since all right, let's see I want to blow this thing up. I also would like to put that on our Instagram page with no explanation, just say like hashtag weekend motivation and just leave it there. So that's my instruction.

It has over two thousand views. So let's see where we can get it up after today's episode and leave some comments as well, because we're sitting hard at zero right now in that department. Today's show. It's gonna be fun and it's going to be interesting to talk about because I found it to be a very sneaky, difficult assignment.

We came out of the earlier week episode saying, let's come up with something kind of fun and interesting.

But it's June's light.

And I spent the next I think I spent three hours on this on my list and got to the point where I started to change things entirely. I just got lost in a mental swamp. But in the end, I feel good about what I've done.

I love it.

It was very instructive because there are some teams you think of other their quarterbacks not that good of a situation. Then they're sneaky high up on the list. You're like, actually, that seems good, and then there's the vice versa. But you're absolutely right in terms of time management. Mark, we had the fortune of grabbing Hananosberger last night with our

It was great.

It wasn't panic in your eyes, Greg, but it was like a dawning of real realization that you had a lot of work to do suddenly late in the evening.

For some reason, I thought it would take ten minutes, and that was that was dead wrong.

I love this because two things here. Why me personally the old Zeuser is pumped about today is this is rife for a rife setup for Greg's second guessing himself repeatedly. Always love that. Think back to our running back draft a few weeks ago, and b I do like exercises. What that potentially put Mark alone on a take island and then Mark has to swim to shore or set up a fortress and defend it. Where will Mark go when he is on take island all alone with Wilson the volleyball?

Well, and you know, I took a peek at what we produced, and there are a couple take island scenarios for each of us.

Excellent, all right, So why don't we get into it. Hell, it's quiet news wise, there's a couple of nugs out there. We'll kind of bake into this. I think the best way to go through this is thirty two to one. Otherwise highly anticlimactic, you know, like if we're talking fifteen minutes on the Texans wide receiver room, that feels depressing.

I mean, I think number one. I'm interested to see what Bobby Slowick, the Shanahan disciple, has to do with this offense. I've always liked Damian Pierce. I almost considered them as a making the Leap candidate in our last show, and I know we've talked up Nico Collins before. Dan doesn't really buy into that situation. It's a light offense. There's not a lot to love. But I just think you've got a rookie quarterback, so they're gonna be more

Least they're young that you can get excited about. You got Robert Woods, it's a decent backfield. I like Devin Singletary as a backup running back. Like, the thing you realize is, first of all, teams are way deeper at the scale positions than they used to be because like and then for the most part, every team feels better about it going into this season than they did to end last season. Like, the Texans were awful last season at the skill positions for the most part, and they

Yeah, that was I had some a couple of bullets for myself, and one of them was, there's a lot of talent at this level of professional football. So most teams have at least one guy, I thought, and we're going to get to it at the top of list, But I thought, only one team though, has three true superstars in the skill positions, and most have maybe one big guy. A couple few teams have two. And then it's like some teams are deeper than others without as

Right, those two teams are a good example of how deep it is because Taylor and Pittman. That's a good one too. Titans have Henry who, yeah, I see declining, but two guys I could see making the leap in Oconqua who I love in Treylon Burke. So I don't think it was as bad as a rookie. So it's like it does say a lot that almost every team has younger players too behind them that they feel good

They're starting over at wide receiver. I in general in this exercise, I don't know how you guys did it. With one exception the rookie class. I'm just not going to get totally pumped up yet. They haven't played football at this level yet. But I like Hayden Hurst, I guess a little bit more than you. I do like Miles Sanders more than you as well.

I think I like them, But I think if you if you ranked them all, would they would either of them rank better than average? I don't think so.

Well, where do we have them Gregy?

I would if positions, yeah, I have him dead last because the receiver position.

Yeah.

I just I don't think there's a lot of variance between where I put the that team at twenty eighth versus thirty two.

Now that every other team has kind of like one or two guys though, that to me could be stars or like real plus starters, and on paper, to me, I don't really see any unless mingo super pops.

I have a question for you, because, like, look at the cults, all right, is there some prejudice based off how disastrous last year was versus what we're actually looking at? Like I'm not saying there's stars on this team. But and again, like we were not factoring in Anthony Richardson, but Jonathan Taylor, Michael Pittman.

Alec Pierce.

A year ago, we were talking about the Cults as like a top five team in the AFC and not a lot to change except that the offensive line was the offensive line was taken apart last season. But if that improves, I don't hate this team as much as where I put them. This is why I found this exercise a bit frustrating. It's like, I don't think these teams look that bad, they just are citty where they are because of these other teams.

Well, the Colts are interesting because I think you have there has to be recency buys in terms of looking at a guy like Jonathan Taylor, who had like a peak Jamal Charles season heading into last year and then dealt with injuries and the offensive line came down and all that factored in. So I guess I'm not as high on him coming off a totally lost season. But again, we have we're all kind of in the same boat. They're pretty low in this exercise.

Well, he was. He was a huge part of my spectacularly bad running back draft, so it's got to carry me there.

He could, he could bounce back. Their line needs a back bounce back. But we're not talking about the offensive line. I'm also not you mentioned an offensive coordinator Frank w. Reich or a head coach, and Frank Reich that is known as a play caller. I didn't factor in that either. YEA, All right, up next New England. So the Patriots that we have at twenty seven, and for Patriots fans that are out with the pitchforks or maybe thinking like Dan

Yeah, they It kind of goes on like what are you gonna rank these teams on? Like, let's say them versus the Rams. Like the Rams have Cooper Cup, the Giants, for instance, have Saquon in Waller. The Patriots don't really have that guy. They have Remandre, which could be that guy. But they do have a lot of players, so I think depth does matter. I think their fourth receiver and their second tight end you know they have Gasiki and Henry, are better than most teams. And that's probably why we

And this is I'm with you that I didn't try to factor in the coaching staff and Shane Steichen in Indianapolis or Bill O'Brien, but it's a little hard to I just I don't want to judge the Patriots off a last season for what we talked about in the last show because it was an absolute apocalypse. So I'm fine with where they are, but like I could see them being much better than twenty fourth if Bill O'Brien makes a big change.

Well, in a perfect world, they have like four number three receivers or four two slash three receivers. There's like no hope that any one of those guys is like a true one, which is a problem.

I DeAndre Hopkins ends up in Foxborough this year. They're probably moving up for me into maybe as high as the late teens or at least twenty twenty to two range. But you know, and like I said last week, don't let him out of the building. You let him out of the building. We'll see what happens with Hopkins. But he continues to linger on the market. All right, moving on,

I'm most on an island there. It gets thin there pretty quick after Saquon.

Well, yeah, you know, yeah, I mean I kind of want to see what happens with Wan Deal Robinson. I'm with you there. They're not weapons rich, but Darren Waller, if you get a healthy, good version of him, that improves that offense a lot. I mean, I think in general they were so well coached that last year they were tenth and past Dvoa and seventh and Rush DVA with a lesser cast than this. So it's like that says a lot about Brian Table. But again, I can't

I got bad. I like the trade at the time. In fact, I love the trade, especially when you factored in what they gave up. I'm getting the suspect vibes on Darren Waller on the Giants. That just doesn't doesn't feel right. There, Just a hunch, nothing based on nothing else other than I guess his recent production, injury issues, changing teams, whether he's really into it, how much he

I mean, but let's be honest, that's probably where ninety two percent of your take is coming from, because he did.

You guys overly engaged. I wasn't there. It's called broadcast boot camp. I mean, you were engaged enough to real we did a wonderful I do like pro players practicing for broadcasting.

At some point, I think broadcast boot camp was thought to be too edgy and name I think they gave it a new name this year, by the way, But I don't know. Yes, maybe he wasn't engaged at the boot camp, but I don't know is he engaged at all at this point. I know he got paid. We shall see the rams. This one's interesting. We have them collectively at twenty fifth when we averaged out where we had Mark you on him at twenty seven, Greg, you had him at twenty six. I had him at seventeen.

I think that's good logic. I guess, like you'd need to get the best version of cam Akers. They did sign and bring back Sony Michelle gives them some depth behind behind acres, like there's just not a lot going on at running back and beyond Cup. You're hoping that Van Jefferson coming off of an injury, is able to you know, form chemistry with Matthew Stafford. But I just this seems like just an unspecial collection of players to me.

Right, Yeah, it's not like the best skill position player. It's the skill position group. And you know, I tried to write.

The skill position players greg make up the skill position group.

So I know, and they only have one good player.

So one, No, they don't have one good player. They have one transcendent talent and Cup. That's what I'm saying.

Absolutely but I would say, if you include tight ends and running backs, you know our count less, but they count. You know, there's like eight to ten of those guys, and they do have one of those guys. But I tried to do I tried to write out, you know, their top five or six skill position players and almost like in some sort of order, and after Cup, my second choice was Tyler Higbee and so that I we'll talk about the bills later, because I disagreed with you

For sure, you gave him a cup bump, Greg, tell me more a cup Probably.

It could be thirty two. Otherwise, I mean they could be thirty two if it wasn't.

I agree, if Cooper Cup was not on the Rams offense, they probably would be at the very bottom. But he is.

Yeah, so I give him twenty six.

You know, m I understand. I'm not furious about it. I get it. I get your logic. All right, Chicago Bears, we have at twenty four, uh, and we were pretty much in lockstep on that. I think one of us was a little higher or a little lower. Mark and I both had him at twenty one. Greg, you had him twenty fifth, and then we could touch on any of these teams. At Green Bay, we were all on the same boat. Mark twenty three, Greg twenty one, Dan twenty. So they finish at twenty third, and then Tampa Bay,

You buried the Bucks, you know that?

For the Bucks and their duo dynamic duo at wide Receiver.

I can't get out of my memory the I felt like I watched twenty seven Bucks games a year ago, and you know, fighting off sleep whenever the offense was out there.

And that was with Tom Brady.

I see what you're saying about Mike Evans and Chris Godwin, but I just I'm not you're hoping that Rashad White is a capable three down back.

You got Chase Edmonds behind him.

Russell Gage is your third wie who I don't hate, but he didn't really make a different Slashers wasn't out there. Kate Otten is a tight end. I don't know. I'm pretty comfortable putting them at twenty six. And that's not fat.

This total quarterback chaos.

It's top heavy. It's basically two receivers. But I tried to think about, like what if this group was with like Andy Reid or Joe Burrow, Like what would I expect them to Like I think you could art I had them one spot ahead of the Chiefs, for instance, who were the world champs. Like they have two great receivers. I think Godwin will be healthier. Gauge is a good three better than most. You're right, it's a little thin. It's a little thin after that, but that's an average group.

I've decided I might have had them a little bit lower. But I've now decided, as we turned the calendar over to twenty twenty three, to be part of the solution, not the problem. When people overlook Mike Evans and what he's brought to our league nine straight years with a thousand yards, that is incredible durability production, you just don't see it. Has anybody ever done that? Did Jerry Rice even do that? Yes?

I believe so.

But I would you say that most of these teams chance to make Hall of fame what we're going to dig into from here, most of these teams start having their version of Mike Evans, whether it's on the ground or through the air. I mean, like these rosters are good. And I think that Tampa Bay on the whole is not a special group, right.

I think Godwin cut you know, a year removed from the Aco that mattered a lot to me. I see those both as top twenty five receivers and there's very few teams and receiver to me is the most important position here. And there's very few teams that have two top twenty five receivers. There's probably five in the in the Bucks are one of them. And so they got

Yeah, I think I'm with you on that. I was trying to figure out because I kind of broke it down when I was trying to make decisions. I had the three star tier, which is just one team. I had the two star tier, which I had a group of about six or seven, and then the one star

Well, I'm with you.

I love their backfield, Aaron Jones, AJ Dillon. I think Watson can be a star. Romeo is super intriguing to me. It's like there's not a lot not to like. It's a great I've moved the packers up and down in this exercise like probably fifteen times. That was sort of one of the teams that started to make me go mentally insane.

Yeah, I hear that. All right, let's get through to into the top twenty and then take a break. We had it number twenty one or number twenty, I should say, And this one surprised me a little bit. Twenty one the Detroit Lions, who we all love the Lions. But when you look at the breakdown once again, Mark a little bit on take island here he built a fort on Tampa Bay. Greg had them at twenty two out of thirty two. I had him at twenty three. Mark

Well, that's interesting on Williams because the way that I did this, when I looked at their roster, there is some projection because part of it is like I didn't really factor in the suspension because I'm looking just literally at the roster, so we did that a little differently.

I actually don't.

I'm not in love with David Montgomery, never have been, so to me, it's a projection of Jimar Gibbs and like Sam Laporta, who has been blowing up the offseason program. Those guys need to work out. But this is one where I did factor in the rookies a little bit, and I maybe factored in Ben Johnson a little bit. I guess I shouldn't have done that, but I think the Lions, to me, I almost thought I was going to come in with one of you guys having them higher than me. I thought, if anything, one of you

Yeah, they were one of the teams. I thought this was instructive that after doing it, I was like, oh, the Lions actually don't have a great, you know, weapons group compared to average. I mean a mon Ross. Saint Brown's a nice player, but he's your number one. And then's who's the guy you're totally counting on behind him. I believe Jamison Williams could be interesting. I didn't count the suspension, but I've never seen him do anything. And

Yeah, that's what I took out of the exercise too, is like, oh, good job by you, Ben Johnson, right right, It's not like, oh, it's not like with the Chiefs, for instance, Like, well, but then you have Patrick Mahomes, it's Jared Goff. Then who's making all this go? And maybe maybe we got to give Jared goff Moore respect because that offense was a top five offense last year in many many metrics.

I think it's tough because you can't factor in the fact that their offensive line is a dominant group that really turns the key on the whole thing GC mark g c G c uh.

But perhaps you did because they're very high in your rankings.

Yeah, you know, like I when I maybe maybe some improper procedures leaked into this exercise for me with some teams.

Uh oh, Wilson, the volleyballs floating over the tide on that one a little bit.

You know, he's not standing strong. You were saying, what do you what do you stand strong? On his takes?

Or he would yet I wouldn't move them. I wouldn't move them.

But I think it's just that we did it a little differently because you're saying you don't want to really almost factor in rookies, and with Detroit I did.

Got it? Okay? Uh finally before we take a break, this one was another very interesting one to me, and it's really how you how you choose to look at them. What do they call it the rors test? Is that how you pronounce it? Yeah? Yeah, the Atlanta Falcons kind of are that for our podcast and for this exercise pacifically, there's so much to like about it, but at the same time, how much is actually proven? So you look at the Falcons and again Mark take Island Part three.

I really ding them for what's happening behind Drake London at wide Receiver with Mac Hollins and Scottie Miller. An injury to London leaves them totally capsized through the air. Unless Kyle Pitts becomes what we need them to be this season. I trust they can run the ball. I think this is a team where like I think, I still am fascinated by the Falcons, and I think they're gonna be a punishing ground based team obviously, and I

Yeah, it's surprising. Dan Mark is the one that's way down on these Falcons guys. But I did notice Dan he I don't know if you heard this, he said, we need Kyle Pitts. That's what we need. He's already that's a WE team from Mark.

Yeah, this one, this would be the most stunning entry of anyone. Mark putting them in the bottom they're a bottom third offensive skill position and their quarterbacks Desmond Ritter.

That's fair. I'm probably projecting too much, especially with Pitts, because I still think of him as a top ten tight end and it hasn't happened. I'm thinking of bees On as a top and running back. You gotta see it. But I looked at it like when you write all the names out and this is where we like. Why we like the Falcons, I think, Mark, they're so different. They have five guys that I believe in Drake London, Kyle Pitts, Bijon Robinson, yeah boy, Tyler Rausier and Cordrell Patterson.

Compelling group, Yeah, unproven, but super compelling.

If you But if you said, if the exercise was, let's rank backfield potential, like they'd be top three or four for me.

If not, Sheven Hunt.

Just how about guys that you wouldn't want to mess with in the dark alley?

I think yeah, I feel that way about that.

Yep, sexy. All right, let's take a break. We'll be right back. All right, we're back. Let's move now into the top twenty, starting with the Denver Broncos. All right, we had a big difference in opinion here, Mark, you're off the hook. You had him at twenty. I had him at twenty four. This time it's Greg Rosenthal who has the Denver Broncos all the way at number twelve.

Jeez, why well could hell? I think I rewarded depth. But you're right, they don't have the superstars. But Judy Dulsi, who I like a lot, Courtland Sutton, Tim Patrick, kJ Hamler, you like a little Marvin Mims in the draft, Javonte Williams, samajp Ryan. So they overwhelmed me with just like NFL players who are good.

So many NFL players on the Broncos. What? So many NFL players on these Broncos.

I just mean, like, not many teams have that many, Like they could survive a lot of injuries. They're deep. They're like a much better version of the Patriots, where they have like a bunch of people, but their people are more talented. I think they're a little more talented in that talent. Wasn't you know able to flourish last year.

I feel like though this is the second, if not third year in a row that we're pumping up Denver's skill position group. And it's like they outside of samajip Ryan, who I like, like in a role, like they had all these guys last year and I know, I know that it was a coaching debacle and your quarterback fell off the side of the earth, But uh, when when are these players going to become what we're asking them to become.

When they're healthy? Like literally, and maybe I shouldn't, I shouldn't ding them more for health, but literally every single one has had a major injury. Williams Hamdler, Patrick Sutton, Dulsitch, Judy, I guess just missed a bunch of time one year. But he's been the healthiest. It's a it's been a banged up group, which is.

Now never for that group? Yeah now or never? All right, let's uh move on, all right. This one was a little different. I think this one. I was on Take Island a little bit of the Jacksonville Jaguars. Oh no, I wasn't, but I had him the highest, So I had him as the number eight offense in terms of skill players around their quarterback in the league. Mark, you were in the same boat as me. You had him at eleven, Greg, you had him down at twenty. I

Yeah, i'd say like because we were in the same place, so I won't belabor the point. But I actually had them a little bit higher for seventy five percent of the sexualized, then bumped them down a bit.

But I agree with you.

I I guess I'm just giving more credit to Doug Peterson, like I've seen Zay Jones and Christian Kirk elsewhere, and Evan ingram Etn's a nice running back to me. You know, he's not special to me. He's not a top ten guy, and so I was guess I was giving it more a little bit to the scheme was making these guys who are more like number three receivers look better than

So all right, fair enough, Moving on to number seventeen the Saints. This one was the most predictable one for me because I knew I would probably have him the lowest, and I knew Greg would have him the highest, and sure enough Mark HadAM right in between Greg and I and I have him at twenty six. Greg, you had him at eleven. I had him at twenty six because I'm not high in Alvin Kamara anymore. I think he's

I mean, I'm way higher on Kamara. I think it was better last year playing through an injury, someone that's a factor, but I could see a monster year. To me, him and a Lavi are two stars, So they're a two star team for me. And then the others are very high upside intriguing players, Juwan Johnson, Michael Thomas, Rashid Shaheed. So there's they're not all going to hit those three.

And I'm right between the two of you, So I vaguely agree with both of what you just said.

Nice, I think that I think you were the one that was right. I think that's where this comes in. Hey, speaking of disagreements. Now it's zeus Or truly on take island. Because the Washington football team, also known as the Commanders, are at sixteen on this list, right in the middle, and Greg, you mark, you had him at fourteen, Greg at thirteen. I had him down at twenty two. I guess I should defend my take here. I like Terry McLaurin. He's excellent. I think he's he's not a true superstar

Can I?

Well, I'd start with Johan Dotson. I'd really like him a lot. McLaurin. Dotson and Curtis Samuel are a high quality trio. I like the running backs more than you do. I think, especially what I think Brian Robinson can get. Logan Thomas has always fascinated me. I will say this with the same cast of characters they were last year twenty ninth and rushing DVOA in twenty six In past DVOA and they there was a lot of quarterback chaos, but it wasn't the worst quarterback play in the league.

Yeah, maybe we had them a little high mark, but I see them as average, like McLaurin is a true one. To me, I'm not going to fight that hard. I see that, and then the others. The other positions are all just like solid. You know, we're solidly average. Logan Thomas is a little bit of a question, but I think it's a good group overall. I don't think they have excuses at this point. They've been building this team for four years. I think they've done a decent job at it. It's like it's go time, and.

Yet they're starting a former fifth round pick with very little experience or proof of past success. But whatever, We'll see what happens. The Cleveland Brown is another one where I was higher on the group than you boys were. Seventeen for Mark, eighteen for Greg. I had him in the top ten. I had as a top ten group

You know, I struggled, like I was like going in. I thought the Browns would be higher in my list, and not for past fan connections, but just that they've done a nice job this offseason and I think you've got to project that. Yeah, there's been a lot of hype around Elijah Moore, but they've talked about how well he's fit in the attack. So if that worked, suddenly last year's really weak wide receiver group because I think Donovan Peoples Jones fits as a two to three type guy.

Harrison can I just also one thing, Mark, not to interrup him, sorry, but in Joko, I meant to bring him up. I love in Djoku, and I thought him and Watson showed a lot of potential as a pairing last year, even though Watson was so inconsistent. I could really see him blowing up if Watson gets back to being a high end starter, which I think is certainly in the position. So it really was for me Chubb Cooper and and then having a vibe that in Joku could be a Pro Bowl guy this year.

I just think nin Jokhu's a frustrating watch because when he's good, he looks great, and then there are some incredible drops. I think, I look up and down this roster, there's just some inconsistency. But you we can't factor in the offensive line and the quarterback playing all this other stuff.

I mean, come at him as average, Mark, I think it does show how deep skill position groups are that they're coming out as average. I thought they'd be higher too, but their best players are running back, so I do dig them for that. Cooper's not a one to me. We've kind of learned that, like when I said, like the Bucks have two top twenty to twenty five, or you know, I'd put Godwin and Evans both over Cooper. Uh, and then it I like more in people's jones, but

Oh, right, Number fourteen the New York Jets. This time it was Mark at sixteen, Greg at nineteen. I had him nine, sir as he is he drinking that green juice always?

That is not a stunning result.

But their number two receiver is who is their number two receiver? I would say Corey Davis is actually their second best receiver. I know they're not paying Blizard that way, but in terms of having a.

Nice, right real I mean, Corey Daves is your second best receiver. They like Alan Blizard a lot, and what he brings to the offense and what his past success or knowledge of the setup with Aaron Rodgers is. I think Garrett Wilson is going to be a superstar this year. I think Breese Hall that's the big question. Maybe if I could do it again, I would have dropped him a couple spots out of the top ten because I can't just assume he's going to be the guy he

Many a little bit in my exercise of like who's the second best skill position player in Breese Hall's is a second year player coming off of torn Aclso to me, it was just such a cliff fall. It's a little like the Bills. So I had even lower than then. We haven't gotten to but I had them lower where it's like you have one great player and that's about and then it's just okay, guys.

I feel like if Breesce Hall is healthy and he is who he was last year, I'd hate to shadow him with Dalvin Cook. I just wanted him to touch the ball as much as he can. I'm not in love with Alan Lazard and Mikole Hardman. I guess as much as you are, do.

Fair, I'm not in love with them. I just think they're depth pieces that give. They just have it's solid behind Wilson's But it's not like Yeah, it doesn't blow you away. I get that. Pittsburgh they come in at number thirteen on this exercise, and let's take a look at where they fell. Mark, you had Pittsburgh at nineteen. I had them at fifteen. Greg, you had them as a top ten unit at number ten. Tell us why?

Cause, like their top five positions are good? I mean, I guess that's what I really leaned on. Like, if you have above average starters at four positions, then you're good. Nowji Harris is good. Pickens and Johnson is a nice tandem. You have a very good tight end in Friar with your third is you know, Alan Robinson and gets a little thin after that, it's like not the worst thing. So they're they're plus at a lot of positions and

Surprised here, Mark, because I know you have we just talked about making the leap. You have Pickens as making the leap at wide receiver to being like a number one type guy. Why are they down at nineteen?

I think this is one team that I struggled with and I kind of want to I need to see it. I need to see this growth. I think there's a lot of there's good players here. There isn't a great player here. I'm not as big on Nause Harris as some people are, so I guess you know, when you do this, it's like, could you convince me they're more like fourteen or something?

Sure, it's how the chips fell a little bit.

But I just don't see one player that absolute I can trust to dominate defenses.

That's fair, fair, all right, Let's move on to oh next team Number one on the urgency meter field Zeuser, the Buffalo Bills. Have they built enough around Josh Allen? A big question? DeAndre Hopkins a team, a player that's been connected to this team. They certainly probably could use him, especially according to Greg Rosenthal, who has him as the twenty third ranked team just you know, almost a bottom third skill position group in the league. Mark and Dan

I do like their backfield that it's cheap, and you're right, maybe I didn't give enough value to true number one receivers like Diggs because I love Diggs. At first, I had them even lower, and I was like, I'm being too hard on the Bills. I had them at like twenty six to twenty seven. It's a pretty steep fall from Stefan Diggs to your second most explosive, slash reliable player that I'm excited about is probably Dalton Kincaid. I mean gave Davis is not a good two. The running

Yeah, I mean they were second in passing Dvoa with a thin cast last year. For me, a lot of it is Kincaid, But this is one where it's hard to look at the skill position group and say, well, nothing matters here if you don't have Josh Allen. Like the whole thing centers around the quarterback as much as with any quarterback in the entire league. So it's I think he elevates their play and I.

Know last year was a little bit tough, and maybe some of the digs drama where a lot of the digs drama is going back to the shift away from Brian Dable and maybe the offense not working as well last year, especially struggled in the red zone. Josh Allen wasn't as good. But I'm looking at that wide receiver room. I know most people have forgotten about it now, but

Gets could this be the team that goes and gets DeAndre Hopkins? Though that would change a lot, and I know the digs. There's reports that digs. You know, part of his frustration was that he really wanted them to go get DeAndre Hopkins.

I mean, my vote barely made a dent. I guess this is why it's good to balance it out. I had him twenty third and they still ended up twelve, and you guys had him tenth and eleven. So it's like it's like my vote didn't even matter.

Math baby all right now just outside the top ten. And this is perfect because they don't deserve to be in the top ten. But I don't just reactive Anti America's team takes. We don't do that either. So the Dallas Cowboys are at number eleven. Wow, Mark, you had him at number six in the league. Greg and Dan were in lockstep at fifteen and fourteen. You love yourself, some Tony Pollard and some CD lamb. What else do you like?

Brandon Cooks, Michael Gallup a year removed from physical chaos. You have to hope that Jake Ferguson can step in for Dalton Schultz. But you know, when this team is, when they're vibing, I think they're one of the better offenses around, and I think they figured out what happened like last year with wide receiver Brandon Cooks, to me, will be a plug and play, totally productive guy. And I don't see a real weakness with this group of players.

I think the Michael Gallop thing I'll push back against a little bit, just because, in a true Cescilarian way, you referred to it as a physical chaos of a year ago. But that was two years ago. Last year was the first season back from the ACL and.

Well that's what I mean, though I don't think we got that player last year, right.

But I for me, that puts me in a holding pattern on Galop because he came back from the injury. Wasn't the same guy, Kenny now two years removed. They're close to two years removed, be the guy where he looked like, oh he was maybe emerging number two or a star wide receiver maybe, But I think the jury's out on this. Some guys just aren't the same after they suffer a serious knee injury.

See like their ceiling is quite high. I could see why Mark you would put them at six. I think Dan and I had him in the middle because Cook's Pollard and Gallop are all a little bit distressed assets, you know, like Cooks is not the Cooks of five years ago. Good player will help, Pollard is coming off a serious injury now, and Gallop everything Dan said about him. So if they get the best versions of all three of those guys, like that is an incredible looking top four skilled guys.

Also, who's their tight end.

Ferguson maybe or the rookie schoon mocker.

I mean, so that's it doesn't seem right. There should be like a serviceable white guy like anchored there somewhere Ferguson play.

They played Ferguson and who is that other guy with a great.

Names they played them started eight games last career.

Yeah, he played a lot.

They do seem down a serviceable white though.

I think Ferguson kind of like is the definite Like if he if he pans out, he is your guy, Jake Ferguson.

Wait, fingers crossed, All right, let's move into the top ten please at number ten the Los Angeles Chargers. How did we do on this one? Eight? Nine eight for Mark, nine for Greg, sixteen for Dan. I think I'm a little bit coming out of my I love Mike Williams keenan Allen tandem era. Just because of injuries and the idea at this point where penciling them in in June to just be a stud combo. I just it doesn't fly for me anymore, because I know that's just not

To me, I depressed them to put them down to eight or nine, because if everyone's healthy there, Josh Palmer is your third or your fourth. I think Josh Palmer is a good player. Like that's a top three or four group, and so I'm trying to bake in a little injury concern because otherwise this is a fantastic group.

Yeah, I'm with you, and I guess I hadn't factoring that Quentin Johnson's going to be exactly what they need. I really think he's gonna fit with them, And to me, I just see depth all over the place.

We have at number nine the Kansas City Chiefs and Dan and had him at seven, Mark had him at nine. Greg, you had him down at seventeen. I was a little bit surprised that I had them as high as I

I mean, I don't need to just put on my ear muffs. How about how about Mike Dicka, how about how about Kellen Winslow Senior? How about Shannon Sharp?

Like?

Why why are these guys all just getting definitely passed up. They all racked up All pros, Tony Gonzales and Tonio Gates, Like he's in that conversation, that's all.

And is wait, are you saying he's behind all of those guys.

No, but I don't think he's like way ahead of them. I think the league's changed. And they were incredibly valuable in their eras because the game was different and they blocked and and that was a big part of some of their games. And they're like their first team All pros. Yeah, they they are all very similar.

Actually, Okay, great respect.

I feel like the year after years and in agreeing with me here.

As he as he racks up All pros, super Bowls, as he does unforgettable things in the playoffs, takes over game after game.

And but you said the greatest of all time, And I think I didn't say that.

I said he's really building the argument, and.

I think you're But first team All Pro is a great way to measure it. And all all of those guys are competitive or have more than him, So I think it's okay to say if we're saying all time, like they got to be in the in consideration, he is getting older though. He's turning thirty four this year, and their second best receiver is Valdez Scanting or Tony and the backfield is okay, And so to me, I think it's just a measure of Mahomes's greatness and Andy

I'm with you entirely, like it was almost impossible for me to not look back at last year with a hodgepodge cast of characters that come out first in offensive DVOA. It's you gotta separate Mahomes from this exercise, but I just kind of feel the way they all fit together. I just trust the results. And maybe that's a shaky way to do this, but I just I trust the results.

Kelsey has played basically nine seasons, and he's been either first or second team All Pro and seven of the nine seasons. His age thirty three season, one hundred and ten receptions, three hundred and thirty eight yards averaging twelve point two yards per catch, twelve touchdowns, and beyond that, beyond just the counting numbers, we've all watched a million Chiefs games in January and February now, and the guy

Yeah, love it guy. I think what Gronk did was more dominant while he played in terms of first team All Pros and stuff like Tony Gonzalez gets forgotten. He is a six time first team All Pro and a ton on the second team too, And that's all. It's like, you had these guys that were totally dominant in their era, and I just don't want to over overreact and just say like he's the best of all time because he plays in this era. That's all.

Well, you're a measured historian and we appreciate that.

Right, Yeah, you did. You were the same guy and that you weren't wrong though that you've been talking about Patrick Mahones is like the best ever since.

Is because I think you can use your own evaluation and you see it, and I.

Well you can. I can't. That's what you're saying, got it.

I mean you can. And that's why I disagree, like we were allowed to disagree. I to me, he's not as as special as Gronk was during his peak. I think Gonzales actually is a good comp for him. For his era. Gonzalez racked up more like first team All pros and stuff like that. But I think they're very similar.

All right, Mark, decide it, Bronk or Kelsey. Who do you want for one game?

Gronk?

All right, Greg, you win, go off to Japan. Now fly off. Not you don't even need a plane.

I got a bird to catch you. Gotta fly all right.

The Baltimore Ravens, this one wasn't surprising. Mark Hadham at twelve. I had him at thirteen. Seems sensible. Greg had him at number eight. Why Gregy, Why are they.

So high depth? I mean they have the one of the best three tight ends in the league. I love Jay and Andrews, I love Dobb and then yes there's projection at wide receiver, but Beckham, Bateman, Flowers, Aglar, you have a nice backup tight end. And Isaiah Likely. To me, you just have a lot of guys. I think that was where I guess differed from you guys, Like if you had seven guys that I kind of liked, you ended up pretty high on my rankings. And the Ravens were that team.

I mean they're high in our rankings too, right.

That's yeah.

I think we're Adam at twelve, like I almost I see like Isaiah Likely is like a fringe making the leap type guy. You've got Mark Andrews in front of you, but that is a really promising player. I guess for me, it was just like Rashan Bateman. Seen it in moments here and there, but can you do it for an entire season?

Who are you?

Zay Flowers were hoping on Odell Beckham. Where are you at this point? So I kind of ding them a little bit on a wide receiver group that looks better on paper than what reality may present.

Chargers above them.

Now in hindsight, this isn't a new take for me. But you know, I thought Becking got too much money. I don't think he's been an elite player for years now. I know he had a nice run in the playoffs a couple years ago, but they also blew out his knee in that Super Bowl game. Just expecting him to be a you know, four month playmaker is just asking a lot. I I just don't see it, but Baltimore obviously does because they gave him fifteen million dollars guaranteed.

I actually get a bonus when I put them at seven and they actually land at seven, or we all should because it took all our votes to do to do that.

But you know, it's like a bingo right there.

It's really nice.

I like Jordan Addison. Maybe I'm projecting too much, but I like him a lot as a two, in Osborne as a three, and Hockinson's a nice tight end. It's a nice group, all right.

The last team outside the top five is the And also they get for me the Justin Jefferson bump best wide receiver in the league. Even with Adam Fleeland now gone and dal McCook gone, you got Jefferson and he makes the entire team. What do you think the boat but the tie that lifts all boats got it nailed at Vegas at number six, thirteen for Mark but six for Greg, four for Dan. This is a great group

I don't know, I get you know, this is maybe some bias. I'm just well son well like because with Josh Jacobs, all right, I guess I'm in that camp of like I want to see it happen again. H. I wonder if Hunter Renfro will be on this roster. There's been trade whispers around him.

But he's now it's on and now you had to count them.

Sure, But like, I don't love the tight end group. H. Demante Adams is a true star. I don't know.

I don't really trust. This is one where I baked.

In the whole overall raiders like coaching staff mill you where I'm just like, I'm not sure I buy this.

That's why I like this exercise. I think if you separate him out from being the raiders, you're like, Wow, this is a really good group, especially if mayor Michael mayor the rookie tight end pans out. But Renfro is a great a Grete three Jacobs is a great running back. You have a great one.

It's a night if you The Myers, I think is a really good roster fits right number two behind Adams. It's just a lot. There's lots of light there, and it's you.

Know, like imagine if Josh I keep saying this, but imagine if Josh Allen or Patrick Mahomes or someone had this group would be like they would be going freaking b.

Freaking bananas, is right, Greg, you bring it back bananas.

You remember with them at thirteen that I was going to get be in a weird camp there.

Do you feel good about it?

Yeah? Because I still think they're gonna win like seven games.

I feel good because Raiders fans have something to be happy with us about, at least Danny and I. Yeah, it's like the one. It's like the nicest thing we've said about the Raiders in a while.

Okay, there's only one team in the entire exercise that what we all agreed on, and we're not getting to them yet. But there's one other team that we all virtually universally agreed on but not quite the Seattle Seahawks and Mark you had him at number five, Greg you had him at number four. Dan had him at number five. That is a really good set up around Geno Smith, perhaps you know, making up for the fact that the quarterback is actually average. But you know that's you know whatever,

I mean, part of it. Is there better this year than a year ago? Smith and Ja yes, yes, please, okay a healthy hopefully Kenneth Walker stays healthy. But then you add zak Sharbon ain't nice little rookie like even the tight ends like Phant and Disley, like that's a slide tight end group. Everything is solid and the receiver group ranks with anyone.

I feel like I like dk metcalf a little bit more than other people, like some people put him at like number ten. I think he's like a top five talented that at wide receiver in the league. I love me and Lockett is just I mean, name me a better like one two duo that you can count on to just put numbers up year after year.

These guys keep nailing the draft and altering and improving the roster. And I think that Jackson's number one there. But Zach charbon A, like he came out, he averaged seven yards of carry last year, had over the last two seasons twenty five hundred yards and twenty seven touchdowns. And they're talking about unless someone who literally is battling for the number one job. They've got a super deep backfield.

Also, I believe I saw Zach Sharboney at the Westwood in and out. It was during draft season, and I were they were obviously football players, and I thought it was him, and then I like googled it on my phone. I'm like, yeah, pretty sure that's him. So shout out to Zach. If you're listening, that was me.

In the old days. Greg, if you were working at the PFT, that might have been a post about it. Is sharbon A taking his training seriously at the fast food joints.

He got the lettuce, you know, the lettuce animals.

Though, all right, we're closing in now, on the end of it. Uh, the Miami Dolphins come in at number four. We're all feeling hot about the Dolphins. Uh, Mark at four, Greg at seven, Dan at three, I mean, Gregy, I mean, I know seven is not a bad Sunday, but you got Jalen Waddle and Tyreek Hill. Dolphins fans are raising their hands. No, we have the best one to two

It's awesome and in retrospect, maybe I shouldn't have the Vikings ahead of them. But you mentioned it. The third receiver and tight end. That's two positions that seem a little below average to me. So it didn't quite match up with these other teams.

Okay, that's fair. That's fair. I'm looking at it again. Maybe I should have toned that down. By the way, Tyreek Hill is involved with issues with the law once again, an altercation in which he's accused of, I think slapping somebody in the head. It's unclear if it's going to lead to any charges at this point, but the Dolphins are aware of it, the league's aware of it. Tyreek Hill, keep your damn nose clean, brother, Come on now, keep an eye on that situation if it becomes something bigger.

Well, I mean there's I think a couple things like the injury factor, the way that teams were no longer surprised by him on an level and had another offseason to plan for him. T Higgins becoming a genuine star. I hear what you're saying, but I think that we're going to get that player back where I almost I put them in number two. But I have to say that that's hoping that like the tight end position isn't a complete fail because there's just there's not a lot

Right, they're hoping Nerve Smith is the dude to tight end and we'll see. I thought, you know, pound for pound, I take them as the best three receiver group in the league. I think you made a really interesting point. We've never talked about that with Chase. He did have more yards per game, though, and I guess I look at it like they he found a way to be extremely productive. He was still like a top five or

Do you know how his yards per game is only higher because the targeting was relentless. I mean he played just twelve games and was still targeted more times than he was targeted in seventeen. Yeah, that's when he.

Takes what the defense gives you. They adjusted, You're right, it was shorter, and that's less exciting. But Higgins, I mean, Higgins to me is a top fifteen receiver. I just love Higgins. So the fact that two of them are on the same team and you have a great number three in Boyd, it was just too much. It overwhelmed everything else for me.

I guess I yeah, I just want to make a clear I'm not like down on Chase. I just thought like it was he felt more like Justin Jefferson in year one, and then year two just felt a little different. His yards per target also was down from eleven four to seven point eight, so it was just a little bit different. I'm curious to see what it looks like in year three for Jamar Chase. All right, now we're into the number two team and it is the Philadelphia Eagles.

The Bengals, I said, are the best three receiver group wide receiver, but the Eagles are the best three pass catcher group. Brown, Devanta godd Her to me are all you know God mode there, God are It's so underrated, Like he leads the league in yards after the catch per you know, per catch over the last couple of years, which which is crazy. And I love DeVante and the running back room has enough players between Swift and Game one penny they think, I think they'll be fine. So

Goes that number goes straight to like Elon Musk's burner phone for his side people.

So I don't know. I might be done that that might that account might be done. I've tried every troubleshooting thing possible. I'm logged out, and I don't know.

It's just I know we we work for a fifteen billion dollar company, Greg, we have the strong arm of the shield. You want to maybe get them on the case to try to help you.

I've had these issues before, and like our social team has actually jumped in and been great because.

A unique one and they're helping and I think they're going to get it done. But but yeah, I was looking at it. Maybe it's a sign I'm about to go to Japan. Would it be the worst thing in the world to have, like a five week break from Twitter? I haven't I haven't minded the last week and a half. It's been okay, it's been okay.

I'm missing a lot on Twitter right now. There's a lot of submarine stuff, a lot of Titanic stuff, a lot of heat waves stuff. Have I mentioned the.

Heat The thing I missed the most is live sports, like ten I follow a lot of tennis people. And then when the NBA Finals, the game the game five was on Great Game, and I was like, I believed I want to I want to see.

I'd set up a burner account, Greg and have a second account. I know you that was suggested to you last night when we were with Erica and Lakeisha, that you just, you know, don't worry about this one, just start over, start a new one. He's got like four hundred and seventy thousand followers, Like I don't think it's going to be that easy to start for New Resistence.

If we get to training camp, but and we haven't figured this thing out, that that is what I will do.

Finally, the number one offense in case you haven't been able to figure it out, is.

Yes, you know it.

The San Francisco forty nine ers mark deep all over the place and for me in my uh when I was going through it, the only team that has three true stars and Christian McCaffrey, the best all round running back in the league, Deebo Samuel, the best kind of do it all wide receiver in the league. George Kittle, who is a Hall of Fame level talent who showed last year he still had a Ton left in the tank and then Brandon Ayuku, I think is knocking on the door as like a star in his own right.

I'd throw Elijah Mitchell in there as a really productive packer. Absolutely, Kyle Yuscheck, I mean, the one of the only fullbacks matters any.

Jon Jennings has really developed into a nice Jenny's third receiver. They've settled on their third receiver.

Guy.

This was I mean, I'm sure for all of us, but I just like I put them at one and didn't never looked back. It was it was more about where to put the Bengals and the Eagles. But they've consistently they're star studded and these each of the players have perfect roles. They're perfectly used. And I mean, I just say to look at the what you saw the version. We got a Christian McCaffrey. If he stays healthy, I mean,

Right, You take this scroup and you put a great offensive line and gifted young play caller and Kyle Shanahan. You just need a serviceable quarterback that can make it all go. And that's you know, that's the way it's worked. And I wrote about this on NFL dot com this week about the forty nine ers and where they are right now. Doesn't it feel like the Niner should have a Lombardi Trophy or two? For the past dozen years, you had those great teams under Harbaugh and got so close,

Well, not only like six, you know, playoff appearances, they made the conference finals in all six, so they were in the final four six times.

Good call.

Yeah, that's painful. They got it. It's true. It's tough to be that team that gets keeps getting so close.

I'd say if you factor in Kyle Shanahan's Super Bowl loss to the Patriots with the Falcons the coach has been through a lot of January and February disappointment, Like I give him credit.

Don't forget about the Rams NFC title game loss two years ago as well.

And they keep, they keep.

It's you don't see a lot of football teams that go through things like that and keep returning year after year. And that says a lot about to me, a lot about him as a coach.

What that he can't close and he blows it all out.

Well, there's that side, But the other side of the coin is like, you know, way Abraham Lincoln lost an election like eighteen times before he won one, So yeah, he.

Lost at Ford's Theatre too, does that make him?

Yeah he did, and that was the ultimate loss. I don't know why you needed to take it in that direction.

When did Lincoln Ford's Theatre's jokes become not too soon? Like what was the year? What do you think, like nineteen oh seven.

Something like that, Yeah, like early nineteen times the.

Open season on the Ford Theater jokes like turn of the century maybe.

Just what like people are writing letters back and forth and it's like, you know, Gustavius is sending it. It's like too soon for that joke my friend.

So I've noticed it's been a real uptick in the last couple of years of like like nine to eleven bits and stuff, And it's like, is that was that only twenty years? Is that? Is that? What it is? Maybe it was eighteen sixty eighteen eighty five?

Are there a lot on the track like nine to eleven bits? Flip? Like there's a cropping up.

Surprising amount, surprising amount on the internet I find I'll throw I'll send you some memes and things of that.

Yes, send me some. I want to discover what you're looking at.

All right, inappropriate all of them? I say, good stuff, Greg, you got to catch a bird. You're heading to Tokyo. Any final thoughts before let's let's let's save our pop culture thoughts. The show went not surprisingly longer than we expected, so we're going to put those in our back pocket for now, but you could share your thoughts before you catch that bird.

You do get this feeling on days like you're about to take a little vacation or you're going overseas and stuff, and you just have that It's like a kid like feeling of excitement. I woke up excited today. You feel grateful for what you have to like this. We've had a tough offseason as a group, but there's there's no two guys that'd rather be doing this with. We're having fun and this is a nice time of year for us, so we better enjoy it.

It was nice, Greg, almost a great statement. I wish you luck in Japan.

Yeah.

I will be a couple of shows there, but it won't be for a week and a half.

I think the one one of the big things I took away from COVID in the lockdown year or so, how much not having something to look forward to affected me, you know, whether it was a meet up with friends or a vacation or this that when you were just locked in this like nothing else going on, that is what I missed the most. Like now you were looking forward to this trip to Japan and now you're off. And finally, last thought this coming from behind the virtual glass.

Good luck all right.

To everybody else. Have a great weekend. We'll see you on the other side. Mark you and me buddy with Connie Fox on Tuesday.

I'll see you then.

Heed the call.