And now move the sticks with Daniel Jeremiah and Bucky Brooks. What's up, everybody? Welcome to move the sticks. DJ, Buck with you Buck. We are we're closing in.
Dude, I mean we hear DJ.
The conversations and stuff are coming fast and furious. Uh is lying season, so you're trying to kind of figure out what's real and what's fade. But it's an exciting time because we got less than a week. Well, we got a week before the draft, and we'll kind of have all of it put to bed soon.
In we've got we've got a bunch of ground of cover day, We've got Bucks Top five, so we're gonna jump into that. But before we get there, let's kick things off here. It's time for Hot or Not, brought to you by with Sabby Hot Cloud Storage. You mentioned kind of the the rumors and the information that's floating around. I joked that during this time of the year, I start my day every day with a cup of coffee and three lives. You know, like what you're hearing from teams, like,
that's that's kind of where we are. But uh, you know, but to me, it is interesting, you know, making phone calls around the league, and you know, the main conversation that I have with teams is who's going to be there when we pick, Like that's that's all they want to know. That's what they're looking to get from us
during this time of the year. And then in return, like I get some you know, medical character stuff on guys that could fall could drops, which is helpful as we get towards the draft, and you kind of get a sense of teams that are picking in different areas of the draft, where they think guys outside of their range are going, and how they have them stacked, how their coaches viewed them. And one one, I don't say it's a rumor. I think it's a fact. Buck in
talking to teams. It's somewhat like this in years where teams have quarterbacks that those teams tend to kind of pooh pooh the class. But man, I don't remember it like this, Like there's a lot of teams out there who think cam Ward is the only first round quarterback. Like there's a lot of teams and those aren't the quarterback teams. So take them for what it is.
So let's let's be real because I think sometimes DJ we've been doing the media part of it for so long that sometimes it's easy when we're on TV to get away from the true ideals and the true values that we have as scouts. And I'll be honest when I go through and I look at my grades on cam Ward Shoulder all those guys, what that would rate in a in a draft meeting room. Bottom of the
first round grades, That's what it would be. Now, we've talked about in recent years, like guys get pushed up whatever, which is more of a media thing or whatever. But if your team in need of a quarterback and cam Ward is the best quarterback on your board, you have to take him whenever you're picking.
That's just what it is. But in terms of how.
These guys stack up, how they stack up traditionally over those guys, I'm gonna say it.
I don't believe anybody in this class is a transcendent quarterback.
There's no one that I would have that would that I would suggest has the wild factor that the elite of the elite quarterback prospects that we've drafted half.
That's just a fact.
But every year is a year that you have to evaluate, and these are the quarterbacks in this class. And so you have to figure out who's the best of the class. And if I need one and I haven't gotten one in free agency, I got to take one, and I got to make it. I got to make the best out of what I get, meaning I get them, I got to surround them with the other stuff to allow him to be successful.
And that's just how it goes.
But yeah, like I wouldn't say that this is a class that they hail like the nineteen eighty three class with you know, Jim Kelly and Elwick.
It's not a class. So that's that's what it is.
Yeah, And though in regards to that the sentiment we're a little over week out, this is the where we are. This is everybody that I've talked to, and kind of looking at the situation, I would feel comfortable saying this. I believe that cam Ward at this point in time, is the only quarterback who will be a team's first pick in this draft, if that makes sense. In other words, Jackson, dart Shade, or Sanders I think will be a team second pick. Now that doesn't mean they don't go in
the first round. They could easily teams come back up and take them. But they're gonna hold up the jersey and have the press conference with another player first, and then they're gonna introduce the quarterback they took with their next pick. Like, that's that's where it looks now a week out. If that, if that, if you're if you're tracking with me there.
I'm tracking with you because I think here's the other thing. And I'm gonna ask you this, DJ, who are the elites in the draft?
Like?
How many guys do you think are the elite prospects in this draft class? I said they were five, but I said they were five and in whatever order you want to list them. I had Travis Hunter, Abdua Carter, I think Aston Genty is there, Tyler Warren, and then I put Jalen Walker.
Now, and I had Love the only one I had in that mix with Love one I had.
Okay, So that's six. So so that's that's a reasonable expectation. So just think about it. In most years we talked about eight maybe ten being elite. We talked about eighteen to twenty two first rounders. What that says is this is a draft that doesn't have like a's and a plus. It's more of an anus Beef's draft and depending upon what you need and how it fits. That's how it
works when it comes to the quarterbacks. If we were doing the vertical board where we're ranking them, so your top fifty is what we would call a vertical board where you draft, you just ranking them from one to fifty based on grade, not worrying about position. Where those guys listed. Where's kemboard listed on your board?
Hey like, well, to me when this draft, he's like my eighth or ninth guy. But I mean he, I mean, that's what this draft say. He's got the same grade. He's got the same grade. Like to me, if I'm pulling up, pulled up right now, so like full transparency, he was, I think I gave him a sixty four. Yeah, so I gave him a sixty four. And then I have like put it in perspective, Quinn Shawn Judkins. This is how like this is the this is the kind of the parody of the draft. Quinn Shawn Judkins. I
gave a sixty four as a running back. Quin Shawn Judkins is my thirty eighth player.
So that's what it is.
So to me, like that, to me, it's not like I'm not elevating him over higher rated players. I'm saying, all of these players in this clump are all graded with the same grade, which is just like solid starters solid starters.
And so what that does is we talked about beauty being the eye of the beholder, and so you talked about guys saying, hey, they are the second guy. They're not the first person that you can present out with the jersey. They're the compliment to hey, we took this guy.
Oh and were there? Yeah. So, but but that's what it is.
And for me, Look, I had in my notebook, I had the same grade Camboard Shoulder Sandus.
I just have him flipped.
And the only reason I have flipped because the controversy in my top five is like shoulder over cam Ward. And the only reason why shoulder standards carries that that grade is I just have these voices of these quarterback coaches in my ear that have said for years the only two things I care about when it comes to quarterback play accuracy.
And decision making.
And so when I look at it, I'm like, well, man, he's the most accurate, and his decision making on time is look excellent. And then when you throw toughness in I was like, Okay, I can rock with him or whatever. Now, the draft part of it is a beauty patch where you want all the other things. But in terms of playing, I think he plays it in a professional manner that has worked it for years and years on end, which is why he's first. And we'll see what it plays out. But that's just why I have should.
Do her first.
Cam Ward has superior traits and tools when it comes to arm tell and whatever. But I'm gonna lie dj. He scares me sometimes with the lucy goosey stuff, like he's so loosey goosey that I'm like, man like, can he rein it together? So that's the difference is that's where it is. But when we talk about the draft and landing spots, Shader saying this could be in.
For a long day. If cam Ward goes one.
If the Giants take best player available at three, the Saints take best.
Player available at nine, there is a long drop.
Then you have the Pittsburgh still is at twenty one where they go back and do the quarterback thing again. When they did Kenny Pickett at twenty a couple of years ago and it didn't work. Out, so you move them there. The la Rams are at twenty six. Do they want to take a quarterback of the future with Matthew Stafford. If they don't, DJ, that's the end of the first round.
YEP.
So I mean that's just what it is. So we named Giants are won Saints. Still, there's four landing spots.
That's it.
All the stuff that we talked about the first round. There are four landing spots for quarterbacks. And when we talk about the landing spots, the spot has to match up with the talent and the grade. And if the spot is here and the talent is down here, you're not pulling the trigger because now you're going against all the philosophies and theories that you had in the draft room. So that is the dilemma when it comes to Shador Sanders in company in this draft.
To me, totally honest, this feels exactly like and they're different players. I'm not comparing them as players. This feels exactly like with should the right the week before the Will Levis draft, where Will Levis was if you remember it was Colts who were four I believe they were. They were supposed to be the Levis team so if not Colts, you couldn't you couldn't connect him to anybody else. So it was like it sounds weird to say this guy is going to go four. He could fall out
of the first round. And that's like the Giants with Shadur. The Giants are the last to me almost like the kind of the last hope there and if they don't do it, I don't know where he goes.
Man there's not a spot.
There's not a spot, And I love him and his dad, but part of it is being real. There's not a spot because it's not only the grade is who's available. It's like catching a cab in New York. The light has to be on. There are a lot of people that are buzzing around Manhattan, but the light's not on, and so if the light's that on, you're not going.
And you can hope that someone wants to move into the bottom of the first round and all that stuff, but DJ is still the top of the second round looks like the first round.
Who is going to move in?
There's a the limit And the thing that I hate because like this is what we do, particularly on our side, and because it impacts the people. The draft picks and their families. We'll talk these guys up like, hey, you know, Jackson Dark could go and maybe but maybe not. And I don't want people to get caught up because we did this years ago with Malik Willis and that class, and we tried to put all these guys in the first round. And when draft they came, the league was like, yeah, no,
we're not we don't see them as that. We don't see because Kenny Pickett was the Melik Willis draft right, Ah, yeah, yeah, he was the only one. And they were like, yeah, we don't see them as that. And I think Desmond Ridder was.
In that class too.
So now when we go to it and Desmon Ridder gets his chance and all this other stuff like, it doesn't end up working out because the talent is the talent and ultimately you have to create the talent because that's how it turned That's how it turns out. And that's also why we're having this thing little sneak peak. On the path to the draft, we're talking about, hey, is it worth taking a quarterback in the second round?
And my thing was how many of those guys have worked out?
Yeah, it sounds great when we're theorizing like, oh, you know, we can go and get this guy in the second round. DJ, it's a first round quarterback league. The guys that play quarterback in this league are first rounders. That's what it is. I mean, Brock Freddy is an outlier. Jalen Hurst, Dak Prescott, they're outliers.
They're not the norm.
This league is a first round quarterback lead because when we great quarterbacks first round grade, they check off enough boxes when it comes to the redeeming qualities to play the position at a high.
Level in the pros.
And if you don't have those skills to I suggest that you're not going to play quarterback at a high level.
That's just what it is.
You know, it'd be interesting to go back and look at those guys who have been successful, non first round picks. Most of them were afforded some patients right, didn't come in with fanfare. Had another quarterback there. I think a Jalen Hurts is a great example, Like he didn't have to step right in, you know, like that was kind of a process. Carson Wentz. Thing kind of happened and
and then he you know, off he goes. But there's there's less pressure with those guys, and you're you to me, like if we're talking about you're taking a quarterback in the second round and you're hoping he's going to be your answer like in the near future, Like to me, that's and when you're talking about a coaches on hot seats need a guy to come in and play right away, then you either take one in the first round, or you probably should wait. You know that's you should wait.
Ye time. If you got time and you're the Eagles, you can take a flyer on Jalen Hurts. It might hit it, you know.
Yeah.
But also they come in with less expectations. They also come in on a different plan in the building. So the plan in the building for Jalen Hurts when he stepped into Eagles wasn't to get him ready to start. It was simply to make him a better play. And then you look up on the practice field and then you and I on the side like, hey, you know what, Hey,
Jalen Chance looks pretty good. He's kind of given the defense some work, Like, oh, maybe it surprises us that he developed the way that he developed, But it wasn't the expectation that he was going to come in and those expectations drive everything inside and outside, because if you take him and they're saying, oh, we got to get him ready to play, well, now the fans are like, hey, we got to get the second round pick on the field, and you're like, we.
Took him in the second round pick.
Yeah, because he's a developmental guy, not because he's a finished product. So the expectations and all that other stuff it can get, it can get out of whack if you take someone at the wrong position.
Yeah, no doubt. All right, Well, there's a little idea of kind of what's cooking on the on the hot stove there. That was this week's Hot or Not segment. Brought to you by with Sabby Hot Cloud Storage, Store more and do more with your data. Try them for free at withsabby dot com quick Break and we'll be right back. All right, buck, let's jam through your top fives. I want to know your toughest decision in these positions,
so I will give you the floor. Is this your final Is this the final addition?
I don't know it's the final edition until I wait the day befront of drivers, say hey, can I put one more up there? To make sure I get it right, Look, we had the toughest conversation. So the toughest conversation for me is one DJ These things run a typical to how.
We operate in the real world, right, the real scouting world.
We're not going to continue to keep doing these updates on updates on updates when it comes to rankings because there aren't any more games to watch, there's no more film to so like, what are we doing but to play along? For this, the toughest thing for me was one standing firm with the quarterback. Which look, I'm the outlier in the situation putting Travis Hunter in at wide receiver officially because my heart of hearts, I believe that
he is better served to be a dB. But I've come around to the fact that a he wants to play wide receiver, and two when I rate him as a wide receiver compared to the other guys, he's the most intriguing prospect because of what he brings to the table. So that part is everything. And the more I listen to him tomorrow fall in love with like how committed he is to the game. Like I heard you say on TV yesterday, Man, you just love him. The more that you hear him talk. He's all about the right stuff,
which is why I'm a big believer. Moving Mason Graham up to that third spot and saying that he could be the third tied end to go in the first.
Round to me, taylorson Taylor, Mason Taylor.
Yeah, Mason Taylor. Moving him up to the third spot.
To me, he's intriguing because I gave him the look over and I was like, man, he's really good. But now I'm like, okay, at the bottom of the first round, there's a lot of stuff there. I think he's a really safe bet to be really productive, and there's some teams that are gonna be in need of a tight end in the twenties, so he fits so early on on offense.
Those are the biggest debate that I had.
Yeah, And you know, it's funny. I was talking to a team. I'm talking to two teams, and we were talking about who's your, who's your? We got wiped out? Pick You've been in there, you know how that is.
It's like, hey, you know, gosh, we're hoping we get two of these guys, but like, man, if we get wiped out, like all the guys that we had up there and they're gone, Like you know who the two guys are that to me make the most sense, as like, Okay, we got cleaned out, so I'm comfortable taking this guy, Mason Taylor this one double off the wall every day of the week, and tray Von Henderson's the other one. Oh good character, production, intelligence, all that stuff, like both
I mean and Treyvon Henderson. You might even both these guys you could hit big. I trust me. I've seen Ed Reid was viewed as a double and he's get it right again. So I've seen those guys be more than that. But to me, like high floor guys, I think like Mason Taylor Trayvon Henderson, like, hey, we got wiped out, you can do a lot worse. Those guys are gonna start for you and be impact players.
And I'm with you on that.
And there's something too that when we're going through the process and making sure that we have the right guys and doing those things like.
That's a part of it. DJ.
One of the conversations that I've had is I'm on membun like coming out of the combine looking at the tabe like just fell in love with him.
But I don't get that same sentiment.
And when I talk to people in the league, I don't get the same sentiment that he is viewed maybe with the same adoration that we that I may have on this side or whatever. And it's funny because when you look at someone three hundred and thirty pounds run what he runs at the combine and you look at the tape and he's moving, he's his zone buster all day. He can do all those things.
There's a lot to like. But man, the feedback I get.
From some of my buddies, they're like, I don't know this and that I don't know if he's what you think buck.
So it it's a challenge.
Yeah, you know, the there's always guys that I have that There's always one guy that I'm like, I'm too low on this guy late in the process, right, And I've heard it, and I you know, I trust what I saw. I did not I can't unsee it. So I'm gonna I'm gonna move this player up a little bit because I've gone back and done more work on him. But the one player I would say that I'm probably at the outlier of most odds with people, and I don't have enough conviction to just completely hold my ground
on this particular player. Is Banks is the is the tackle from Texas. There's a lot of teams have him as the top tackle in the draft. Now they might necessarily be taking one, but he's he's viewed higher than where I have him. And I've had other people looked I've had from agents to you know, scouts to is say gosh, we like him better than you do. Uh, And I'm like, I get it, but I didn't, you know, this is what I didn't see it and see a
strain to finish that. I couldn't get the Georgia game out of my head, and guys got on his edges and blah blah blah. But at the end of the day, he's clean character wise, he's big, he's got good feet. You know, he's young. He's a really young kid. So he's one of those guys every year there's always like late in the process where you're like, sometimes you got to fall on the sword a little bit and be like, Okay, yeah, you know, I miss you.
So here's the thing, because I have him fourth, but DJ I have all these guys kind of rate it similar, right, So I him Josh Simmons and Banks, they all are right there, right, and Simmons has the kne issue, but like the talent is crazy, you know. But then when you look at Banks, like Banks is super talented and athletic and all that, and I hear you with the strain to finish and and all of that other stuff.
But then you look at typically man, guys that are that big, that can move around like that, that have like the shadow boxing skills or whatever, Like it's intriguing. And when you start factoring in the character, because we've talked about this, like, man, this being a year where there's kind of been more character things on some of.
The old linemen then we're used to seeing.
Normally, those are the safe guys that you know, you talk about, hey we get wiped out.
Take this guy.
It's a little different in this class. I can understand why people would skew towards Banks because he is so clean when it comes to the character and stuff.
Yeah, I mean, I'll be honest with you, like I'm I wouldn't be shocked if Banks was the sixth pick to the Raiders, just based off of you know, talking to the people around the league and you know, different things, so you know, that's not where I have him, But he'll move up, he'll be in I'll probably get him up into the low low twenties on my on my final one, which is still going to go higher than that.
But that's why, you know, it's always it's just at the end of the process, you kind of get a sense of where people are and I'm I'm gonna you know, I'm gonna stick to my guns on the guys that I have firm conviction on, and you know, I'm fine, Like to me, Baron, like, okay, Baron could go much later than where I have. I'm a barren guy. I believe in it. I've seen I feel like I've seen this player multiple times over the last few years, and it translates I'm not I'm not I'm not bumping like
that's fine, you guys take him later. I'll be the high guy on them what have you. But then there's other guys where you're like, you know what kind of you know, it just kind of I either way, and I'm like, I'm not going to have enough arrogance and ego to say that I got it right, and the whole rest of the league got it wrong. This is what I'm getting.
Yeah, No, I'm with you and that.
And sometimes you pick and choose your battles when to fight to good fight or not. And I understand that. And you talk about today Barron. I like him as a player. I liked it now we've created this new position. Also love the fact that DJ Nickel corners are getting paid because it's now, finally, after all these years, it's justification for putting that twelve position, that twelfth position on
the board before it was kind of a throwaway. Well, now we have a true nickel position that you can and say, no, this guy is a nickel, not because he's too short, not because he's slow, but no, he has the skill set to play it. Jday Baron kind of fits the bill in that regard. One of the things that I have is like the Will Johnson conversation.
I think with Will Johnson, I've been I guess I would say lenient, and I'm lenient on his grade because of the Derek Stingly thing, meaning I remember seeing Derek Stingly as a freshman and seeing like later the one on ones against the crew from LSU Jefferson and chasing those things. But he didn't finish it off with the bang.
I still go back to looking at Will Johnson at his best and being like, man, he is so good when he's right and he's healthy and he's on the field, and I know he has a ton of injuries and little nicks and knacks and stuff, but when he plays and he's right, he is as good as it gets at the position, which is why I still hang on to him with a high grade that I put on.
Yeah, no, it's and feel free to do that. I think, to me, scheme fit is going to be big for him. You know everything, And yeah, I don't think you want to press him up leath him alone. But there's a lot of teams, you know. The best thing for him.
The best thing for him is that they won the National Championship with a dominant defense, and their defense in terms of coaches has scattered around the NFL, and there's a lot of people with proof of concept of like not only they know the kid individually, but they're like, I know how this guy.
Will, I know how to use them, I know how to use them, I know where we play. To me, and I'm saying like, in terms of the great in terms of how I expect them to play. But DJ in a perfect world, him going to the package at twenty three to me is like the right fit. It's the right fit in terms of how you played. But more importantly, you know, we used to do those segments on TV with instructions. Give them instructures on how to
use them. You put him in Green Bay's defense, which is a C ball get ball defense, vision and break playoff look at the quarterback all day. He's an all day sucker. Play at a high level and a lot of that. I wish for these guys we could play matchmaker, like, oh no, let's put him with this team and that team, and so you can see the best of Will Johnson for a team like that that that wants to play
off man, he would be great. He also be obviously would be great, Uh at your team with the Charges, because not only do they know him, but sitting there playing the style that they play works.
I think that.
I think the Chargers that when I looked it up, were thirtieth and man coverage percentage last year, So I mean obviously they play. He's played in that defense, plays top down with vision and then just go make plays.
So I did not know. Like, here's the trick.
I did not know that they really didn't play man the man at all. That they're playing that much zone and keeping it in front and keeping the score down and and and all of that that is that is amazing because remember, for some long we quarterback plays too good. You gotta lock up and take away the easy throwers and the charges like no, we don't, we don't, We can't keep them from we rally.
Yeah, you can't keep.
Digging and dunking the ball down the field. At some point you're gonna throw us a bad one, So.
I gup, you will mess it up, all right. Any other interesting dilemmas you had on the defensive side of the ball in your top five?
No, I mean, I think it's the usual suspects.
I think the linebackers and stuff were pretty clean, the pass rushers and those things.
I think the d tackles right Like.
I don't think people give enough love to Darius Alexander. I know you brought him up very very early in the process, but he is one that I've stuck with. I dropped Kenneth Grant down a little bit because I feel like every year doing this process early we value run stuffers. But then when we get to the draft, they all come down a little bit because we value pass rushers over run stoppers.
And that's why I kind of moved him down before.
But yeah, Darius Alexander to me, like there's ones where I'm like, I'm probably leaning a little hot or maybe I'm a little cold, Like I don't like he's my No, he's my forty seventh player, buck And that's like one guy telling me that he looks like the forty seventh pick, Like I like, that's his value.
I don't know. I have him as the fifty tackle. I look at him on tape and I'm like, maybe I'm.
Off, like because I see him moving, I see all the athletic.
Stuff, super hot, and I'm like, man, like why can't he go? Like why can't he a little older?
But I don't know that anybody cares anymore, like why why.
Can't he why can't he go? Or whatever?
And then I'm pulling up. I wanted to see when Chris Jones was drafted because I remember watching Chris Jones early too.
He was thirty seventh, he.
Was thirty seventh overall, but DJ, I remember watching him in Mississippi.
State, and he has some other stuff, but like, I'm like, look.
Man, this dude is over here. You don't see big guys that can move like that. And his movement as a bigger guy is different at de tackle then Ken Grant even a little different than Mason Graham in terms of movement. And I just think we've seen time and time again they will look at the three.
And be like, man, how did he How was he a second round pick? Yeah?
Yeah, no, he's a He is a good football player. I squeezed him into the back end of a couple of mock drafts. I think I had him with the run early.
Because and but I know DJ well enough to know me, like, hold on, hold on, where's this name come from?
This name?
This name is out the blue. It's one of the first and second mock drafts. I was like, okay, all right, a little birdie's tipped them off. Let me go in there and find him.
Yeah, well, he just looks different when you're watching the Toledo tape and you're kind of jamming through all the dts and you're like, Okay, that looks a little different than the rest of these dudes. I've been watching. So now I'm I'm excited for this thing to get here. Dude, we've we've kind of made it down to the end. I keep saying the same thing that everybody. My message to teams is very is very simple. Get you three. Just go get your three starters in this draft wherever
you can find them. Don't worry about the positions. This year. You come out of this thing where a starting tight end running back in DT. You're gravy like they're out there. Go find them, Go get them.
And then get out because next year is going to be I'll say.
You want to know something crazy, yep, I was looking this up. I gotta confirm it, but I believe Philadelphia has twelve picks next year.
Twelve.
All those guys they lost in free agency, they got paid. You know, the DT got big money with the Patriots. Milton Williams, you've got a sweat who got good money. Beckton got a little bit of money, you know. On and on and on. They lost, they lost some guys, and so of course Howie Roseman's already locked and loaded for next year.
But of course he is.
Of course he's locked and loaded and wants to put it in So Anyways, all right, we got to run.
This has been a fun one. We appreciate you guys hanging with us. We are almost there. I've got my press conference, a conference call thing coming up, so that'll be released I think sometime Friday. Maybe it leads into Saturday, but that's coming up. So that's I don't think this one's is longbock. The other ones man the first one we went over three hours, so I'm hoping that's not the case here.
It's a lot of a lot of info, a lot of questions, a lot of random.
Hey DJ, hey, hey, tell me about the dB at Cataba.
Oh yeah, yeah.
Watched a lot of Monmouth tape over the last couple of weeks.
By the way, I do love.
The fact that the Montana State quarterbacks getting some love because when I did watch him, he is fun. He ran four three, He's like he's fun.
Oh yeah.
The conversation about him kind of being an at h at athlete, kind of moving around, being an offensive weapon. I will say this, he dominated for them at that level. I mean, they were a fun offense to watch. He was all over the place. Yeah, good player.
All right, that's gonna do it for its appreciate you hanging. We'll see you next time. Right here, I'll move the sticks