And now Move the Sticks with Daniel Jeremiah and Bucky Brooks.
What's up, everybody?
Welcome to move the Sticks, DJ and Rhett with you. Bucky is uh, he is out. He is at the HBCU Bowl, So he's doing some good work there and checking out some of those players. And we'll have an update for him when we get him back on the show. But today, Rhett, I mean, it's a pretty simple one. We've got a new mock draft that's out, which I will say I am excited because I thought the reaction to the first one somewhat team timid.
Yeah, so much so that. I mean, you send out a post last night where you had a member of the household, you know, kind of wondering like that, are we gonna up the ante here a little bit? We're gonna we're gonna put in some rage bait into this. I never heard that.
I guess that's a term I had never heard. It struck me as so funny. Yeah, my son is he's he's seventeen years old, and I've this is what happens. So give you a little peek behind the curtain. I mean, is incredibly long days trying to get all these players watched to get ready for the combine, and so to keep from going crazy, I can't just sit in my office and watch the video. I end up having to
move around. So one day I'll just go out to the family room and I'll just set everything up out there and sit in the chair and then do it there. And then but then we have another kind of a living room area, which is where he plays the xbox. So I was like, I just got to get a new I got to get a different view for the day. So I went and sat in there. So he's just playing, he's playing college football with his friend online or whatever, and I go, oh, well, I just just knocked out
the mock draft. Got that one's done. He goes, you put some good rage bait in there, like, wait, what do you need to start marketing for me? I was like, no, I don't think I did on purpose at least.
Well, I mean, surely as we get closer and as more people get to consume this mock draft, which of course is out now on NFL dot com, I yeah, I mean, like that's kind of what you know. Social media is one of the one of the things that's known for these days is rage.
So I was on the lookout for rage. My rage radar was up.
Yeah.
I look at some of the comments. I saw some rage. I was like, apparently there was a rage bit in there. I didn't even know it. You ready to rip into it?
Yeah, yeah, yeah, yeah.
I'll give you the first five with a quick thought on the first five, and then I'll open it up to you to give me some some feedback here. First off, Tennessee Titans, first pick. I was talking to some folks around the league and trying to canvas just like your opinions, guys who know people in the decision making process there and not with direct information. But the same theme kept coming up over and over and over again, which was
this is new. You know a lot of times we hear new regime accompanied with a new quarterback, but this was the feedback. I was like, look, we're not completely sold slamm dunk quarterbacks here in this draft, which has been pretty universal across the board. They're going to have time. They're going to get time to eventually get their quarterback.
And with a plethora of needs, like do you really want to look back and say your first pick you had to replace a year later or two years later like, let's just park one in the fairway here, Let's just get the best player available and then they can you know, hunt for a quarterback in the next couple of years. But they're where they are in their process. That was the feedback. So boom, I pump in Abdul Carter and I'll kind of give you the lowdown on these first
five revenue you can, yeah, come back in so next Cleveland. Now, this was again mock drafts doing it from talking to people using my ears was Okay, they need a cheap quarterback. Deshaun Watson is dead things, he's not playing. That whole thing's a mess and all the money committed there. I had previously put them without a quarterback because the kirk Cousins connection was Tofanski, and then okay, that could make sense,
they wouldn't have to pay kirk Cousins much. But this was more like, you know, their roster with where it is, and if they're not going to trade Miles Garrett, there's no guarantees they're going to be up here. Again, this was a playoff team two years ago. They just need to get they need an upgraded quarterback. Can they get somebody?
This was the phrase it was used. Can they get you know, bow Knicks, you know, style upside with the player, and you know what, I think absolutely cam Ward can eventually get to, you know where bo Nicks has already gotten to with the Denver Broncos. So it's a cheap
quarterback makes sense. The Giants, this was a simple You just watched a Super Bowl with an electric player that used to wear your uniform, you know, playing for your rival, and this feels like trying to right or wrong to some degree of like, hey, while we're still trying to win and we need to win, we go go get Matt Stafford in a trade, which I'm not saying that's going to happen, but that that rumor is definitely floating around as a possibility around the league. You go get
Matt Stafford. Now you get Travis Hunter to provide some excitement wherever you want to play him offense, defense. He's an electric player. The Patriots, I could see them as a trade down candidate. Again, a team that needs a lot, a team that has to upgrade the offensive line. I think there's a there's kind of maybe you could even slide back a few picks and still get an off defensive lineman. I just don't do trades this early on
in the process, so didn't want to do that. And then Jacksonville kicked around a lot of different ideas for them. I just ended up settling on Mason Gramm. It just again, new new regime coming in there, and it just feels like a fair way pick. So those are my first five Brett.
I love it, and I think the more that we look at the Tennessee Titans and where they are, the more that abdual Carter makes complete sense. Right here, go get a win right now. I mean, like, this is a surefire impactful player that you're going to get with the number one pick. You're going to team him up. There's probably gonna make Harold Landry better. On the other side, you've got the two beasts on the interior and Simmons
and Defandre Sweat and played really well last year. Like you've now all of a sudden, like you've got a unit like you you could probably win some games with right there up front. With that group that that feels like, all right, we're going to continue to throw some resources even though we've got some good players up there. Let's continue to make that and build that pozzosition of strength again similar to the way that the reigning Super Bowl champions have done. Makes a ton of sense. Cam Ward,
I totally get it. So I guess he's only going to be mad at the Titans then, since.
Yeah, he came out there and said he's going to have it against everybody who doesn't pick them.
So that does make a lot of sense. We're one for limiting anger in the world, and that feels like you've done that right there. He's only going to be upset at the Titans, you know.
You know what's hilarious, by the way, is that, Yeah, you'll watch games, you watch NFL games during the season, and you'll see, you know, Aman Ross Saint Brown, who can tell you the names of all the receivers that's right ahead of him, and he was disrespected. And then you hear other people talk about, you know, the Brady the group was the Brady six or however many quarterbacks.
You know what you don't hear about the every year when you're in the combine and fifty players you end up talking to, you say, anybody that passes on me, you're gonna grete it. And those guys that don't end up being any good that have promised the league that they would be scorn. Don't hear those stories any Yeah, as if it's the only time that that's ever happened, is those plays that hit it big.
Yeah, for sure. And then quickly on Travis Hunter, I totally understand that selection there, but I would also say, like, look at you know, you've had cam Ward and Shador Sanders attached in your top fifty, right. I believe at ten and eleven would certainly understand if that's the way the Giants choose to go is to go get a quarterback there, you know, especially as it like you look further and look, we've all heard the Matthew Stafford rumors. Certainly we also like, look back at how dang close
the Rams word playing a Super Bowl? They are really close? Do they want to really start over a quarterback? I feel like is a is a legitimate They could have nip.
That in the bud though. Yeah, they could have nipped that conversation right in the bud right right when they at the end of the season, when they were given the opportunity to say he's not going anywhere. Never heard those words.
And as it stands now, would certainly love to see Travis Hunter at times with Malik Neighbors. I would certainly love to see him.
Think about that, if you're a Giants fan and and the pain and anguish you just had watching the Eagles, and now you're you get to come and you got your first mini camp and it's Matthew Stafford throwing the ball to a little bit to Travis Hunter and a lot to Malik Neighbors, and all of a sudden, it's like, whoa, we were back.
Well, I mean, the fan apathy certainly set in there, and and apathy quickly turned to anger, you know with the Saquon Barkley things. So you're right, you know what at number four, like, don't even mess around with the trades. It's like the most sensible pick in the entire draft.
They need they need offensive line. And again it's like you can look at I kind of come back to the charge Messing last year, the Chargers member last year. It's like, yeah, they could tie end, they could take your receiver, they could do it. It's like we're going to take the best offensive line, go make that unit better.
Just take they got to have it. Love love Mason Graham there as well, just an impactful player that I don't know that we've really seen, you know, in the interior. They tried it with Eric Armstead, you know, Kalaias Campbell before that, and this feels like a nice, homegrown way to not spend one hundred million dollars on a free agent defense.
Can I give him. I put my my thought on Mason though, is that he is one of my candidates, and again I have him highly high rateed in my top fifty. He is one of the candidates keep an eye on in the spring who can take on some water in the spring. Because he's not going to be long, He's going to get measured. You're going to see he's got short arms. He doesn't have a great body compared to some of these other guys you're going to look at in this class. He doesn't really pass the eye test.
And I trust me, I know a firsthand because I went and saw him play live and I watched warm ups and I went, oh, my gosh, I am way too high on this kid. Yeah, I did not know. I thought it was something and then then I then I watched the game and I was like, no, no, no, he's good. He's fine, but it's not going to be He's not made for the spring.
No. No, that's a good point. That's a good way to put it. We have those every year.
And by the way, I almost feel like this is where the fun starts. And that's why it's time for the lead block presented by T Mobile for Business. Football needs a network willing to go the extra yard. So do you go further with T Mobile for Business? And this is where we get to the Raiders where I think now, it's like it's like a it's like being in Los Angeles and the freeways can go in like you know, eight different directions, and it kind of changes
what happens from here going forward. I did the same thing I did in the first one. I put Shudoor Sanders there, Chip Kelly coming in there. You think about Chip Kelly. You know the offense they ran kind of a run heavy offense at Ohio State, which people don't think of because of all the receivers they ran the football. Well there, they are committed to it. They're going to
play with tight ends. It's not and ship even there was an article about this where Chip Even talked about this is not his first iteration of offense that he introduced when he was in the NFL. So it's a little more physical approach, but then an emphasis on decision making at quarterback. And I think Shadoor accurate, you know, good decision maker. They're going to be out there and playing twelve personnel. I think he you know, I for someone who played in like a spread set up at Colorado,
I think Shador he fits that that style. Just let's get work on a little bit quicker.
But that's why I have a six and look and that is the SEC. That is a sexy pick right there. I mean, it feels like there's just like there's a marriage of philosophy and like style Allen like edge, and it all kind of fits right there. With the Raiders, I could certainly see that. I could certainly see them, you know, wanting to again kind of follow suit with the Patriots and continue to stack on the offensive line.
I could see that. I don't know if there's a player that fits that, Bill Kelvin Banks probably the next one. Probably a little high for an interior player like Memboo. But will or Or from Alabama Booker right, yeah, but I yeah, I mean that's that's a fun one. That's the one we're going to see a lot over the course of the next couple of weeks. I do feel like the one thing that we could we feel pretty good about is that they're not going to go get Tyler Warren at number six.
Or or or are they Let's let's go thirteen personnel. Let's cook, let's cook.
All right.
Next I had speaking of Tyler Warren, Tyler Warren again, I think the second time in a row going to the Jets. When I was looking at the Jets stuff, I know, I'm just looking at them and from last year. I was pulling up their numbers here, so thirty first rushing and yards per game last year offensively tie for
twenty fourth points per game. And I'm looking at what they have and you're going to have to make over the receiver room a little bit, because you know you're gonna have all the Rogers friends, friends of friends of Aaron are going to be gone, so you and but I'm sitting there going, Okay, well you need a receiver and you need to help the run game. Well, the backs aren't the issue. I think they've got three quality NFL backs. Oh yeah, so and the offensive line, I
think They've made some improvements there. They need to stay healthy obviously, but I'm like, who helps both, Like, who's a guy that can come in here and help the run game as well as give you another weapon in the passing game. And I'm like, that's that's Tyler Warren Man. He helped both the run game and the pass game.
And look, they have not had major production at the tight end spot in a while, right, and it just and look at look at what you know, you go back to where Aaron Glenn comes from Detroit. Look what Sam Laporta did for that offense in Detroit too. You know, a little bit different players here, but you know, laport I can't do everything that that Warren does.
But it's a bit, it's a it's a bite your knee caps type pick too.
Oh with that question, you know, Yeah, if you're trying to instill some culture and some and some toughness and some edge and some you know, like foundational type building there in that in that franchise, that's a winner. Pick at seven.
Yeah, So that's why I went there, Carolina. I even mentioned this in the blurb. They're a prime trade trade candidate as well.
You know.
The nice thing you know, it sucks when you have a lot of needs on, you know, on your team. The nice thing is you can afford to slide around and move around a little bit because you're STI gonna get somebody that's gonna help you out right, You're.
Trying to drop in a championship team player too.
Yeah, but I think with with them, I think trying to again find guys that have won. I think when you've had a team that hasn't won a lot lately, I do think there is something to that. You know, Bryce has been through the fire a little bit, but he came out of it stronger. He's got a winning background, winning pedigree. Now we go get somebody on the other side of the ball here in Jalen Walker, who's won a bunch, who's dynamic and explosive, a versatile piece there.
I think it kind of gives him a chess piece, you know, for that group. And get Derek Brown back healthy, this defense could take a major step forward next year.
Yeah. And I look at the defense that lost Frankie Luvu, right, I mean, and longs for the days of Luke, Keithley and Jack Thompson, you know, at the second level and that John Beeson, let's go Yeah, sure, let's go line it up. That would certainly make sense. Your next one, though, is the one that that really caught you know, raised my eyebrows a little bit and got me excited. Yep.
So the next one probably the earliest you've seen Mike Green from Marshall go uh and the tape is really good, the production is excellent. Goes down to the Senior Bowl, had a really really good week down there before he got his Senior Bowl diploma and graduated in the middle of the week. But I I, you know, Kellen Moore being the being the coach there, My my thought was, well, what did he just witness up close in person? Yeah, he witnessed defensive destruction based off of defensive line play.
So it feels like D line's a way they could go there. Now, mikel Williams is a is an interesting one. I wouldn't sleep on that pick there, but this gives him a proven pass rusher with production.
Yeah, I like that. And again that also feels like a play where again with Kellen's influence and with his background again seeing you know, seeing what worked and what won. It wasn't just D line, right, it was O line two. And do you feel good enough about Trevor Penning at right tackle or do you feel like there's somebody in that range that could upgrade where you're at right there, knowing the issues that Ryan Ramcheck has had, and so
I could I could see that being a piece. I'm also kind of curious DJ, you know, because and I know your top fifty is how you grade these players? How do you evaluate them if you're watching the tape, your mock drafts are often things you're hearing, right, and so let's just go back to your top fifty. You've got Mike Green, I believe a twenty twenty three, so yet James Pierce from Tennessee a little bit ahead and
Derek Harmon from Oregon obviously different player interior player. Don't know if the values there, but when you when you look at Green and Pierce, let's say, what kind of rings differently about Green?
Well that was that was pre seniorble too. That's so that's the first iteration. So we've had a chance to see Green go up against good competition and be pretty dominant.
So he's up.
He got he got a little bump, he got a little bump, coming out of the Senior Bowl. That's kind of what that was. And we'll see what happens with Pierce. You know, teams get a chance to visit with him and you know see how they are with him. But he's somebody that's definitely a dynamic talent. So yeah, that's uh that that's all going to shake out in the wash. But the Mike Green bump, really we see it every year.
We saw it last year, quiny and Mitchell was the guy last year who made that, who got the bump. So I think you'll see a nice bump there.
Teaser another Toledo defensive player. And how about that, I know we'll get there. How about let's get to number ten Chicago Kelvin Banks. Offensive line wise, I know interiors to focus and I know Banks played tackle. He could play inside if you needed him to, no problem. And I think he's personally an upgrade form at tackle. But you know, I kind of again, I don't want to mention the Eagles five million times here, but it's hard not to win with what we just.
Saw and and how many how many of those guys on that offensive line. Beckton was a tackle who moved to guard Dickerson played center. He can play guard. He's played, he can play anywhere along the offensive line. Jurgen's started at guard while he had to wait to get his I mean, like this whole like we got to be locked in. He is this and only this. Get five talented versatile offensive lineman and then.
Get away if you get tired of mentioning the Eagles just mentioned the Bucks in the COVID year. Very similar situation. Yeah, although not all draft picks, but I mean it's all it's all there for you. Offensive line, defensive line.
Yeah, no question. All right, let's do five more and then we'll take a break here. So eleven Will Johnson to the Niners like that. I'm curious on him because he is a tough one.
That's the first corner off the board, I guess.
But he's not. Yeah, with Travis Hunter, he's not. I actually have baron over him as a player on my top fifty. I think you're going to see some splits on Will Johnson and the challenges. The tape was good in twenty three to go along with all the traits and you know, production, all that stuff. This year, the tape was not good.
Man.
There was very very up and downed too. Yes, I mean so, and then I'm you know, maybe he'll maybe he'll surprise me. I'm curious to see what he runs. I do have some concerns about him deep speed wise, so couple with not having a lot of tape and not having a lot of great tape this year. Yeah, some tackling concerns and questioning the deep speed, and maybe he goes out and surprises me, and he he runs four fours in in India and he's gonna go good.
He's gonna go all the way up there. Nonetheless, that was a fit to me with how they play in San France.
But that's also a great way to look at the forty two, right, I mean, it's look a lot of it is entertainment value for us when we get there. We're and we're watching it and we're going through the simulcams and all that stuff on NFL Network. But for a player like that, it actually can be a real positive metric depending on where we see that long speed.
It's the corners, and I'll say this is the comment every year, corners the forty matters more than any other position. And now the overall importance of the forty has diminished greatly because the GPS information that we have, but it's still at that position. It carries weight, so we'll see there.
But I had him going to the Niners. Walter Nolan a little bit higher than I had him, But this is ODIGAZOOA is a free agent, and so I'm like, Okay, well, who's an upfield disruptor and that's that's Walter Nolan from Old miss thirteen. Miami's got to get better along the offensive line, especially in the interior. Tyler Booker, I love him as a player. I think he's one of the safest guys out of Alabama. Membo from Missouri going to
the Colts. He could start it right tackle when Braden Smith's days are done, he can start at guard until that's.
A great versattle piece there.
Yeah, really really good player. And then fifteen the Falcons, I just why not pass rusher? Got to throw a pass there? Every year they never take one, but why not not going to be deterred RTT Gonna keep trying until they eventually do.
At some point, we're gonna make that thing work. And it does feel like this is a really good draft to find that match and look at fifteen to feel like you got a good one. I mean, look at where the Rams got versed last year, right, I mean, like this is you're gonna You're gonna be in a good spot right there to get a really good, impactful player off the edge to make that work for Rhem Morris.
And by the way, on the Rams, I was talking with somebody this morning and brought up a great point on the Rams, which will you know what, I'll put a pin in that because I'll we'll get them. I'll do that when we get to the Rams. But there's a nugget on them that I love. But I told you that was the interesting part of the draft, and that was where the thing really got going, was there at six with the Raiders. So that's that's kind of
the top part there. That's the wrap for the lead Black presented by T Mobile for Business Football Needs and network willing to go the extra yard? So do you go further with T Mobile for Business quick break, we come back. We'll get to the second half of this mock draft right for this all right, right, let's keep it rolling here. Sixteen through twenty sixteen Arizona Cardinals Kenneth Grant it just to me, it's like the talent is there and then having somebody that you can just plug
right into that defense. I got some other interesting pieces there, but overall, defensively for Arizona they were twenty eighth third down defense, twenty fifth in yards per carry, twenty eighth or twenty sixth the pressure rate. So defensively is where you focus, and I think you get a lot of help there with Kenneth Grant.
How do you view knowing the way that Jonathan the Ganannon runs, you know, runs that defense and how they want to run it in Arizona, Like, how do you view Grant? Like can you play him as a nose? Can you play him out? Can you move him out a little bit? You know and play him over the guard? Like how do you see where he fits in there?
Well, when I look at him, you know, one of the comps, it's kind of interesting of what he can be. I know, Dexter Lawrence is the name that I've mentioned before. That's what you're hoping, you know, he could somehow get to that level. Would be incredible, would be insane. But you got somebody that I think can play the nose, can handle that. But I also think someone who you can move around on pass downs, Like if you go back to the Albert Hainsworth years when he was with
Tennessee and Vandenbosch and they used to flip them. They used to let Van den Bosch rush over the guard and they would let him Hainesworth rush out over the edge where I'm just envisioning you could have some fun if you gave him a runway at three hundred and forty pounds. I think right now he helps the run game. Right now, he's your nose, he's stacked, and he can take on doubles all that stuff.
Darius, I think it starts to show up a little bit too there.
With Darius Robinson plays off him, you know who can really get upfield. So I think it would be a fun piece there for them to play with. We get keep it going here at seventeen one of my favorite players in the draft and Jaday I got to get it, Jaday Jedi. I'm going to figure that out before we get there. Baron from Texas had a fun discussion with a buddy in the league the other day about him because he was like, well, I just don't know if
he could hold up outside at outside, at corner. I have my concerns there and I said, well, he is a dominant, dominant nickel, like he is outstanding in coverage. He makes a ton of plays on the football and oh, by the way, he does not miss tackles. So then start thinking about it, and we're going to do something on this at the combine. Think about some of the teams in the in the tournament, some of the teams that were some of the last teams in the tournament.
Let's go with.
And I know they used him differently this year, but McDuffie is at his best when he's in that nickels spot, in the nickels on a great defense. Cooper dejen on the team that just won the Super Bowl, dominant nickel the Ravens when they put Hamilton and moved him down there, Look how that changed their their defense. He can play back at safety, he can do everything. He actually went from front to back and their defense even got better. But to me, he's someone who has that skill set
to be an impact player down low. I look at Irwin James for the Charters, a playoff team, dominant player in that big nickel role. Whether the size, you know, big Nickel, Reagannickel, whatever you have it. Almost every defense has had an impact player that can play in that spot. So I told him this was the point that I made is I was like, look, the rest of the league, the rest of the league blew it on Branch and on Degene and allowed those guys to fall in the
draft and watch them take off. I can't imagine the league is going to be this dumb. Three years, you know, three years in a row doing this.
Yeah, it's too good. Yep. Yeah, Now this is a team. This kind of reminds me a little bit of where Tampa was before they went to the Super Bowl. They've spent some resources now on the defensive backfield in recent drafts. Right second rounder on Dj Turner, second rounder on Cam Taylor Britt, the third rounder on Jordan Battle. But the point is like, you keep swinging right until you find that impactful.
Dude and their Nickels gone, He'll Mike Hill. So that's kind of the thing that makes a lot. But again, and the other thing is defensive tackle needs to be addressed. But I think they I think their next pick is forty two. I have that right here. Their next pick for Cincinnati is forty nine. They can get ad tackle at forty nine this draft is.
In this draft yet.
Yeah, so that's where I had them going. Uh, Seattle dressed the interior of the offensive line. I wish Gray is able could clone himself, but he takes care of one of those positions somewhere. Yeah, it's a big one for him. Uh. And then I've got McMillan, Ted McMillan from Arizona, the big wide receiver.
Baby. Look, he could go.
He could go in the top ten easy. But I also think there's so many teams looking to address Biggs early in this draft that I think there's a chance he could slip a little bit. And that's the scenario that I ran through here.
Uh.
And with Tampa with Chris Godwin, a free agent Mike Mike Evans there with a bigger frame. Yeah, you get somebody that that Baker likes playing with this style of receiver. And then with Denver, I gave him the joker that they appear are wanting there, and that's that's a very talented tight end Coulston Levin. I almost flipped it and went Colston levelin to the Jets up there, Like if you told me Colston Lovelan went in the top ten,
I wouldn't be surprised. I think he's one of the ten best players in the draft.
Wow, that's interesting to me. So like that could actually end up being closer with Warren and Loveland. Obviously still giving the nod to Warren and number at the first tight end all I.
Gave him the same grade. Right, they're totally They're totally different stylistically, right. But that's why I did that whole tweet the other day about you've got the Gronk tree and the Kelsey Tree, and there's some hybrids, but you know, you try and say which one of these guys is it? And with Warren you get the seam runner. Keep him on the move. He's a rolling billboard down the seam. He obviously does his stuff in the run game. He's going to be more physicality after the catch than make
a miss. And then the Gronk tree, and then you get leveland from the Kelsey tree, you want to run option routes, choice routes, whip routes, get in and out. You can split him out wide, let him run routes out there, and he's going to make you miss after
the catch. So think he's got realistically too, like oh yeah, yeah, but they're there stylistically as how you will use them in terms of route running are polar opposite, but I do think they both have an edge to them to your point, yes, yeah, so, uh that's what I had there.
That was like that. I mean the elevation for Zabel, I just again speaks to opportunity and and you know, taking advantage of it at the Senior Bowl, like I just if not, if not for the Senior Bowl. Do you think we're still talking about Gray Zabel as the eighteenth player off the board here?
No, because I think you just wonder how he would have done against the competition. You don't have won anymore.
Bottom of the first maybe top of the site. But yeah, there there he goes at eighteen. Good for him and the Seahawks are going to be very happy to be able to have a player like that.
All right, right, it's time for Hot or Not, brought to you by with Sabi Hot Cloud Storage, because this one got a little hot hot on the on the internet streets. When I put this one out there a lot of reactions on this next pick. The Pittsburgh Steelers taking Ashton Genty running back from Boise and State.
I love it. I love it. I think we've seen enough of what this offense looks like with Najee Harris and it's not a needle mover. And I think this this moves the needle. I'm actually getting a chance. And we've talked to Spencer Danielson, his head coach, you know
here on Move the Sticks a couple of times. I remember, you know, listening to him as a defensive coach, right before he was elevated to the intermad coach and like understanding, all right, as a defensive guy, like when did you notice Ashton Genty, Like when he got to camp, when he was like, oh I noticed it in the spring.
You know, they're ripped off an eighty yard run against the number one defense and it wasn't particularly close and it was like no, okay, yeah, still, like you know, you know, for a guy who rushes for you know, twenty six hundred yards, you know, including the playoffs in college football, Like I think you're you're forecasting a guy who can be a bell cow type and just to me,
fits perfectly with what Pittsburgh want. Major work ethic, major toughness, incredible dude, and a really talented player in the backfield. That's going to make a lot of sense.
Yeah, you get all the toughness in the physicality, but then you get the home run ability. To me, it's like if the two backs that they had had a baby's it gives you the Jalen Warrang juice, and it gives you the power that you had with Najie Harris all on one guy, and I just think he matches
Pittsburgh beautifully. A little many many run here on running backs at a maryin Hampton going next to the Chargers and again thinking playmakers not positions and just saying, Okay, they need speed, they need dynamic players offensively to surround with. Lad McConkey in that to me, when I stack him up and like he's the most dynamic skill player that's there at this time.
I loved watching him against Florida State, Like, I mean the way he's got some vision now too to get through there, and then when he gets when he busts out, like not only does he have that kind of like game breaking, playmaking type of skill, but he's got some shock absorbers too, Like those guys coming to take kill shots on him from the side and just kind of,
you know, just kind of absorbs and continues on. That's how you you know, that's what you're talking about when you go from twelve to thirty two in term, twelve yards to thirty two to fifty two yards in a run, when you can get past that third level.
He's going to be at the combine around two hundred and twenty five pounds. He's going to run in the mid four fours, and he's going to have six percent body fat. Come on, come on, you're going to start hearing a lot more. You're going to start hearing a lot more about a mari and Hampton. Is the point I'm making here, all right, let's keep it rolling here. The Green Bay Packers Josh Simmons, who if he's clean and healthy and finishes out the years, no chance he's
there at this point in time. But he's someone I think can be or he can be or left tackle of the future. But he can also you know, play any of the other spots. He's really really good feet, he can bend, so I had him go to Green Bay. Feels like their style of guy. The next one I do want to spend a little time on here, and this is going to kind of wrap up our little hot or not section here because this is another one that got a little bit of buzz on the streets here.
Trayvon Henderson go into the Minnesota Vikings.
Wow. I mean it's like Dalvin Cook comes back in the form of an absolute home run hitter at the running back spot. And that's I think what we all saw in the college football playoff each was this. This dude absolutely gets after it and I would love to see what he could do. That's a pretty dang good offensive line when healthy now too, so like he's going to have some opportunities like that almost feels like that almost feels like in like an Eagles light type of
running game with what Trayveon could do. Like he's not Saquon, we get it, but that offensive line maybe not quite as good as Philly, But like again, if you're trying to find some similarities and some pathways to success, like that feels like a great way to support whoever your quarterback is. They're in Minnesota this year. I really like that pairing of Trayveon to Minnesota and in the style in which they run again in which they want to, you know, execute run game like that makes a lot.
Of sense to him who took the division away from him last year at the end of the year.
Away from the Vikings. Yeah, the Detroit Lions.
Yeah, what do the Detroit Lions have a running back when we have an up close view to see in that one? Yeah, they saw what that? And and by the way, back when when you had Randy Moss and Chris Carter and that dynamic passing, who did they run back? He can run a little bit, little jeez. So this is a blast to the past here. So I just I love that fit. That's what got a little spicy there. But you laid down the case as well as as I could have right there. I'm a big fan of that.
That was this week's Hot or Not segment, brought to you by with Sabi Hot Cloud Storage, store more and do more with your data. Try them for free at with Sabi dot Com. Running Backs who knew running backs would create a little bit, Let's let's finish this up here a Mecca Buka. He gets reunited with his college quarterback C J. Stroud Houston. I wrote down in there
like to me, you have a cerebral quarterback. Now you have someone who's a cerebral receiver who he has history with, who's just a pros pro.
He just what did they hit?
What did they hit on?
They hit on?
Will Anderson pro like, just a pro c. J. Stroud is a pro like. You're starting to build that culture. It's the image of Demico Ryans. That's what Demiko Ryans was, just professional in every which way, is a player and as a coach. So I love that match there with the Texans. All right, this is the one you tease this a little earlier about the Rams. Darius Alexander, big,
long rangey athletic. You watch if you want to have some fun, just go watch some of his cutups and watch some of the plays that he makes incredible, including a pick six. But the Rams best young defensive line in the NFL. I feel confident saying that just in terms of the young guys that they have so many of them. And I had some people say, well, they already are good at defensive line, why would they take another one? Well, my answer is, again reference a team
that just won it. You can't have enough. He just keeps stacking them. And this was the point that was brought up to me by a mutual friend of ours. This is the rams nug, which was, uh, where is it? Hare, let me find it? Pull it up. It is right here, okay. Uh. If you look at a lot of their front seven picks from the last few years, they have something in common. They were small school transfers and players who were doubted. Think about Kobe, was it Richmond? You know? First Fisk
Byron Young. Byron Young came Georgia Military. I mean like he worked at the you know, he was just doing blue collar work. And these guys have and that's how they kind of play. So let's go to the Mac and let's go get another one of these angry dudes that didn't get treated properly.
I love that. I love that. That's that makes a lot of sense to me. And we saw this dude at the Senior Bowl as well and did not disappoint he is. He is a guy that fits right in with like the havoc that that group reeks on the off on the defensive front for Chris Shula and Sean McVay, and like that is they would I mean, you'd be sick. I do not want to be sitting around in the NFC West, having to deal with that group twice a year. Let's just be yeah.
But now, one thing I did, I have to confirm his age because I was told that he's a little bit older.
So I'll, uh, yeah, he got in. I mean his first year at college was twenty nineteen.
Yeah, so he's going to be a little bit older, which that could end up some teams have issues with that, that could slight him down. But as a player, I think he's he's in that border line there.
But as an alternate, you're you. You would not be shocked to see an offensive lineman come off the board here for the Rams right.
A left tackle. But I just here's my thing, and I've got the Chiefs taking one here in a minute. But usually the tackles you get at the bottom of the first round, you'll leave your wanting a little bit more because it's such a premium position. It's so hard to find. They all go real high, and so you almost in some ways, if you don't get one at the top of the first round, you almost better off just taking a flyer maybe on someone on Day two at some point in time. It's just a that's a
theory and a thought that's out there. The Ravens Shamar Stewart, Hey, what do you know, have we ever seen them take an explosive ed rusher who for years we always talked about. The Ravens were obsessed with production at pass with pass rushers. That was Ozzy's thing. The Jason Oway they went, they went away from that. Jason Oway has been a good player for him. Shamar Stewart again, just big, long, physical, fast, He kind of plays hard. Reminded me of a Raven
type player. Detroit Donovan Jackson who can slide right in and replace Zeidler who's a free agent. And then Washington Jahad Campbell. I'm curious we see at the combine. I know he's you know, he's played off the ball primarily, but they let him rush a little bit. And I was really intrigued by watching him rush and then I do the background on him to figure out, oh, this
guy was an edge rusher in high school. They moved him off the ball at Alabama because they had two first round ed rush Dallas Carter and uh yeah, Dallas Dallas, yeah yeah, and Will Anderson. So I mean that Wash that was kind of a no brainer there in terms of just I think it's a chess piece, an explosive, dynamic player for for dan Quinn, Matthew Golden, one of my favorites in the draft or sever out of Texas.
He goes to Buffalo. Again, they have a lot of defensive needs there in Buffalo that would lead you to believe they could go in that direction. But this one was just this one was too fun, you know, for a team last year that defensively, I mean again, you can go through all the different holes, but you got a Mark Cooper is a free agent. I figured this is a nice one to plug in there.
If if Derek Harmon were to get into the first round, could you see that as a spot for him.
Oh yeah, absolutely, yeah, absolutely. Again, when I look at their defensive stuff, they were twenty ninth and third downs last year, so getting better, and that department twenty fourth and passing yards per game.
Defensive much longer. Does Von Miller want to play? I don't think.
I don't know how much. If we see him this year, it would be a question. I mentioned it teased that Josh Connor and the tackle goes to the Kansas City Chiefs. Everybody's going to focus on the one bad rep against Mike Green at the Senior Bowl where he got flat backed. It wasn't that bad the whole week.
I don't.
I'm not quite as high on him as some other people are. But if you're if you're desperate in watching that, that Super Bowl would lead you to believe they're pretty desperate to upgrade the left tackle position. Josh Connor to me, connorly to me a much better player than Sue Mattia coming out of b YU.
Who they Yeah, you've got to win there.
You got an upgrade. And then finally the Philadelphia Eagles, after all this talk and bluster from yours truly about offensive line and defensive line, I'm taking a safety, uh.
But from Georgia.
So yeah, Malachi starks Is is an interesting one. He's he's someone that is still you know, he's a young player. He's played a lot of football, and he's impactful right when he got on the field there at Georgia. Oh, by the way, another Georgia Bulldog for Howie Roseman. Yeah, but I think he's gonna be even better as we as we go along here in his career. I think the Eagles have the luxury of drafting for two years from now and not having year one.
That's a great way to put it too. And you know, I think as you put like a he kind of put this whole thing into context, Like this simulation that you've put together here speaks to the identity of this draft. Like it's a little bit of a gritty draft. Right. You've got you've got four interior defensive linemen going here, You've got two off the ball backers. You've got three running backs and two tight ends. Right, I mean this
fee feels like a big, physical draft. And you know, we're not going to see an incredible run on receivers and and maybe not even you know, on corners. I think there's only three dbs when we I mean four depending on how we're going to classify Travis Hunter. So I think it's it's a really good kind of lesson to learn about where this draft class sits.
Yeah, I mean three of my top seven players are two tight ends and a running back. Yeah, I know, in the draft like on the top fifty. So that's that's kind of where we are, all right, there you have it, right, this was a fun one man kind of jumped in.
Great. Yeah, great, great food for thought with that, with that mock draft, and obviously it's it's a little more than food for thought. I know there's some there's some buzz in there, and there's some there's some talk around the league in there too, which is all it's interesting to see how it works.
Yeah, no doubt. We'll hope you guys have enjoyed this. Later this week we'll have the conference call. So I do a conference call a bunch of media folks, so we'll answer a lot of draft questions on.
Have you watched the Canadian players yet?
I have a list of Canadian Well, I've usually I've already seen them. I've seen elers online guys. Yes, And then what happens is I just have Jack give me the actual names of the Canadian guys, and then I've put them all my notes to the side. So this is inside a look inside my process. I watch everything. I've already got my top fifty reports written. Everything else is in a notebook, you know, in terms of taking notes. So now over the next couple days, I've got to
finish up some corners and linebackers. That's all I got left, and then I've got to take all these notes from there and I got to pump them into the Excel sheet and condense it, condense it down. So it's like being in college. Man, it's like having a final. You know, you got your term paper that's due here, coming up on Thursday. But it's fun. They pay us for this, believe.
It, they do. It's awesome.
All right, that was fun again. We'll have Buck back with us. I guess we'll circle back with Bucky next week when you get him back in the mix out there at the combine. So appreciate you guys, and we'll see you next time. Right here upon, move the sticks