The volume. Hi, everybody, welcome in. John Middlekoff is going to stop mind about eight to ten minutes we're going to do. He's got some great insight on the Philadelphia Eagles getting Nolan Smith and Jalen Carter, so they load up on the defensive front after having some free agent losses, and the theory behind why the Eagles draft who they do a couple of takeaways for me. In the first round.
The Packers continue over the last twenty years twenty five years with Farv and Aaron Rodgers to have great offenses, but they don't draft offense in the first round. They have such confidence in their quarterback play, their offensive coaching, and they're drafting and developing that they draft offensive players in later rounds. So they go get the Iowa rush end Lucas van Ness. Even though people speculated they needed a wide run receiver, they certainly could have gotten the
Ohio state wide receiver Jackson Smith Nijigba. They passed. He would have been a great get. Seattle got him later. So teams tend to do what they do. And John Middlkoff will talk a lot about why the Eagles draft the way they do. But the Packers go in the first round. I mean, look at green Bay. They've had offensive coaches, star quarterbacks, excellent offensive lines for most of the last twenty five years. It's what they do. They do offense really well. The Patriots they do the secondary
and linebackers very very well. What does Belichick get a corner? Oregon drops to him. So people go back to what they do well. And my takeaway on green Bay it's a deep tight end draft. The tight ends did not get gobbled up in the first round. So they're going to go get a tight end and a wide receiver. They have two picks in the second round. So green Bay does what they often do. They needed an edge rusher. They get a big ten kid. It's in their geographical footprint. That's what the Packers do.
You know.
You know, I'm a Northwest kid, right. I thought Seattle did really, really well. First of all, Devon Witherspoon. Many believed he was the best corner in the draft. Now,
Seattle nailed their draft last year. They got a starting corner in the fifth and the sixth, but very much in the building, it was understood Seattle wanted to get another wide receiver and they wanted to get another corner and another edge rusher well by getting Witherspoon with their first pick and then going get the wide receiver, the dynamic receiver that can play slotter or outside with their second pick, Seattle has two seconds, a third, two fourths,
a fifth, to sixth to seventh. They already have answered two of the three or four questions in the first round. I suspect they'll go interior, offensive line, and edge with their two second round picks. But I thought Seattle, if you go back to last year's first six picks and this shear's first two picks, the Seahawks I think are now relying more on their GM and their scouting department. I did feel that Pete Carroll had a little bit too much say for years in their picks. I don't
like my coaches having a huge saying picks. It's hard enough to be a great coach. Andy Reid stays away from it. Sean Payton largely stayed away from it. You let a really smart GM do the work. I think Seattle lean's now back into their scouting department, John Snyder, and they have had great picks. I banged on the Seahawks for years with their picks. I think they nailed their first two picks. The other story, obviously, is Will Levis not getting picked. I did a mock draft a
couple days ago on Fox Sports One. I did not have Will Levis getting picked. I think two things. He tests very well. He's a smart kid, but throws a ton of interceptions. And both the executives in the league I talked to that didn't like him said the same thing. He's falling in love with his arm. The gun show at the combine, lin, the tight T shirts, the bathroom selfie. A kid that's smart should make much better decisions in the pocket when he has time. He throws into traffic.
He's got a little bit of a weird delivery, the position of the football. But I think the senses with Will Levis is Will Levis likes Will Levis. He loves his arm. He's undisciplined, he makes bad decisions. And it's a pretty bad sign when teams that need a quarterback
have offensive coaches and they're not interested. I talked to one NFO coach on a team that was in the group of four or five teams that needed a quarterback, and kind of the takeaway was you can clean him up, but there's some things you may never get to stay out, like, you can't clean everything up. And I think when you had Bryce Young, he was easily the best quarterback. C J.
Stroud was arguably the most accurate quarterback. Anthony Richardson is the most dynamic athletic quarterback and a really humble kid. And Will Levis came off as a little cocky, in love with his arm, in love with his body, and you'll pay the price for that. You will pay the price for that. I'm surprised he didn't get drafted. I think he's a better prospect, probably than Henden Hooker. You know, the Tennessee offense scares people. It's a really collegiate offense.
It doesn't ask you to do things. Greg Gosell talked about this on my show yesterday Thursday. The Tennessee offense is really a college offense. And so the feeling is Hooker's already old to begin with. It would probably take him a year of development to start in the NFL. He's going to go obviously in the second round. Will Levis will too. But listen, there's a lot of teams at the top of that second that need receivers and tight ends and do not need quarterbacks, so will Levis
may fall even further. You know, I feel bad anytime I sit and watch a kid sit in a green room and not get picked. But by the time your season ends to the draft weekend, you can absolutely elevate yourself, not just by a PRODA and a combine. I don't think will Levis did himself any favors with the bathroom selfie. Let me ask yourself this, every time you see a guy in a bathroom selfie, do you not think the same thing? Really bro that that's your picture kind of
lacks self awareness. If you're a franchise quarterback, you gotta know better. You gotta do better. The NBA playoffs are upon us. Twenty teams get in all trying to get that one crown. For last minute amazing deals to watch your favorite NBA team. It can be the Warriors, it could be the Kings, it could be the Sixers, it could be the Bucks. To get great last minute deals on amazing tickets. Check out game Time, the fastest growing ticketing app in the United States. It's called game Time
doesn't stop. By the way, with the NBA, they've got NHL tickets, Major League Baseball tickets. They've also got concerts and comedy shows. Game Time. Download the game Time app and the redeem code is Colin Coli in twenty dollars off your first purchase. Terms apply. Download the game Time app, enter the code colin col i in for twenty dollars off. NBA playoffs. Baseball season just starting here in April, NHL as well. No matter where you live, get out have
some fun this week and this year. Download the game Time app. Last minute ticket deals, lowest prices guaranteed. All right, let's bring on John Middlecoff. You know him, you love him. He's part of the ball Podcasting digital network. We love having him. Former NFL scout. Okay, let's start. I thought. The first thing that jumped out to me is good
teams and good gms get value. The Belichick gets Christian Gonzales right middle of the first a very good corner, and the Eagles got, to me the best player I watched in college football at the number nine pick. They moved up a spot. I mean to me, Philadelphia again. They've got the culture, they think they have, the coach, you know, Fletcher cox Age. I thought, Philadelphia got the best player, you know the organization, Well, what were your thoughts on that?
Well, I think, first and foremost, if you remember, several years ago, they drafted Jalen Rager instead of Justin Jefferson, and it really kind of bit him in the ass, right, I mean, Justin Jefferson went on to be one of the best players in the league and Jalen Rager's not even on their team. I think, I mean, I know that they kind of got together as an organization and said, why are we out thinking the room here? Take the best players from the best programs. What have they done
the last couple of years? DeVante Smith Alabama Heisman Trophy, Jordan Davis starting defensive tackle at Georgia National Championship, trade for aj Brown, an SEC blue chip guy who's dominating Nakobe Dean, they draft, you know, from Georgia in the second round. They also, I think one thing, Howie and obviously Jeffrey Lewie they know well from the Andy years and they've carried it over into their good teams. With
Doug Peterson in this last couple of years. His culture is really big and when you have these veteran guys like why do you resign. Fletcher Cox and Brandon Graham, they're done because they bring a lot to the table. And then when you get a situation like this, what's this guy going to do? I act like an idiot around those two guys. I mean, Brandon Graham stripped Tom Brady to win a Super Bowl. He's been in the
league for twelve thirteen years. Fletcher Cox, you know, is an all time great Eagle and while he's you know, on the other side of his career, is just an SEC guy. The other thing they have now to me, and in football, it is different than like AAU, right, if you meet a kid from LA or New York AAU, they all play together in basketball, they've all played in football. If I'm from LA, I don't know the guy from
New York or Seattle or Florida. Right. Besides in college if I play him, Well, the SEC guys all know each other, right, and they all kind of rolled together. Well, think about their team, Colin DeVante Smith, Alabama, Nakobe Dean, Jordan Davis, the New Georgia guys, Fletcher Cox, SEC guy AJ Brown, SEC guy Jalen Hurts. Well, I think we think Oklahoma three years Alabama SEC guy, so their core they all kind of speak the same language in terms
of that Southern football culture. Obviously they all come from elite program, especially the Baman Georgia guys. It's a risky pick. I mean, this guy, I think scared a ton of teams as you could see him going to nine like
that's pretty telling. But I think how he feels very good about their infrastructure now with their coaches, with their players to kind of operate a lot like Belichick used to do for years with Tom and some of their core guys, where they as it went on, they started taking some flyers because they felt really good about their main guys. You can't act like an idiot when that when the top guys you look up to and are kind of like, you know, you have a lot in
common with. So I think that was I mean an easy pick for that obviously.
Yeah, and by the way, for those of you uninitiated, John's a former scout. This is the kind of insight you get, which I've never heard anybody talk about that, but I think you're right on the money. And the other thing that jumped out to me is I've said with c. J. Stroud, he is a first round quarterback. I don't see a ton of juice. He's accurate. Jared Goff is a very accurate comp I think he's a little better runner than Jared. But you know, there was a lot of speculation. I kind of fell for it
that they would get Jalen Carter or Will Anderson. What did you make of the Texans getting Stroud? What did it tell you?
One thing? I was stunned in the sense that they just got a brand new coach who's young. And I'm a big believer in Demiko. When I was with the Eagles, we traded for him as a player because of his character and I've you know, lived in the bear for a long time, went to the practices. Kyle Shanahan swears by the I think he's going to be a stud head coach. I mean, he's just he's been good at everything he's ever done in his entire life. I don't
know why it's gonna stop little. I mean, obviously I understand why the GM in the front office and the owner and needs to get a quarterback. You look at there, But if you're Demiko, why rush into this? You know, I think a lot of people in the NFL he throws a beautiful ball. But when you look at Ohio State these last couple of years, a lot like Tua when he was Alabama. I mean, Colin, you're talking about three or four top fifteen wide receivers on their team,
not like a couple guys that play in the NFL. Right, these are top fifteen picks. Well technically in JIGBA twenty, but you know what I mean. I mean this is and the speed difference in the Big ten relative to even two in the SEC that the advantage Ohio State has. I do think that Georgia game though, because the Jared gofkomp was definitely something that kind of kicks stayed with it. But that Georgia game, he was run around. He looked
like kind of a different player. Now, I don't know what your take was, but the take of like when he was bonded to the test. I'm not a test taker. I'm a football player. I didn't love that quarterbacks get held to a higher standard. Man, you know, I mean you're not playing slot receiver dB, so I mean Peyton Manning, Tom Brady Lamar, those guys don't. They don't get defensive over stuff like that. But risky move. I actually thought they're moved trading back up to get will Anderson, who
I liked a lot. But holy moly, they gave up a lot to go back from twelve to three. Especially, But I guess when you're in the court, when you've drafted the quarterback and they got all these picks coming from Deshaun Watson, maybe they're not thinking about Caleb Williams and Drake May anymore obviously.
You know, I think it's interesting the Bears picked Darnell right, so he engulfed the Tennessee tackle engulfed Will Anderson when they played will Anderson was totally ineffective. And I think mel Kuiper said it that you could be looking at the best player on the draft. It's very interesting because last year the Bears went into the offensive line and they got a tackle from Southern Utah who started at
left tackle for him. I thought they might go Scarronsky and go on the inside, But you know these days, John people look at tackles is you got to play both left or right. So my takeaway I thought they would go with a defensive coach. They went and got a corner in a safety last year, and they really spent some money on offense in the off season, so you know, they went and got another tight end with Cole Kmet. They went and got you know, another receiver,
Dj Moore. So my takeaway was, Wow, they're going to go on defense with the defensive coach and they go and get Darnell right the tackle, and my takeaway is they're taking away the excuses for Justin Fields. Like the feeling is now like, hey, man, by the way, Atlanta is doing this with Bijon Robinson. They're like, Okay, what they're saying is Desmond offensive coach, top six offensive line, we got your Drake London, k Pits and Bijon Desmond. If you can play, this is good enough to move
the sticks. So I kind of, I mean, my takeaway on the Bears was this tackle is, hey, we're gonna make sure if Justin Fields doesn't make it, it's not because we didn't help him. I am I reaching on that.
I actually thought coming into the draft that the Bears were a sneaky destination for Bjon Robinson because the same mindset, right, we got you Dj Moore, we got you Mooney, we got you Commet, we got you now Bjon Robinson. Let's see what you got. Yeah, same thing. The Bejon two Atlanta, and I'm with you. I think Chicago is definitely just going to be pretty open minded this year. If it doesn't work, they'll pivot next year. He's out there, guy, and if it does, let's keep on rocking and rolling.
And they got a bunch of picks right coming from Carolina, the Bejon Atlanta. I remember watching Atlanta last year play the Niners before Jimmy got hurt, and they kicked their ass and they ran the ball right down their throat. They had multiple running backs, multiple offensive weapons. Bijon Robinson. You can't talk to anyone in the NFL that's like this. You could argue if if he was a defensive end or a right tackle, he would have been the number one player in the draft.
He's literally I had two GMS tell me he's the cleanest player in the draft.
Yeah. Character the whole thing. So I'm not against high character, great players, but that position, when you already got running backs and your coach became a star by coaching a second round guy and Derrick Henry, when your defense is hideous, and like you said, they already have they've invested in London last year, who was a much better pro than I envision. I liked him at USC, but he looked
really interesting last year. And obviously Kyle Pitts like they got some weapons and their guy can scheme the run game and their O line.
John pff had it top five.
I didn't quite understand that pick. Now that's been out there. It wasn't shocking because people are saying, like, keep an eye on a Landa with John Robinson, and it came true, unlike some of these other earlier picks, But that one's a little bit of head scratcher, not because the guy can't dominate, just because their defense is terrible I think statistically. I mean, they were as bad as any defense in the league in a lot of different categories.
So one of the things that interesting is that Michael Mayor, the tight end for Notre Dame Dalton Kincaid, was the first tight end taken at twenty five. So I was told, good edge rusher draft, good tight end draft. You know, Cowboys end up going with Mazzy Smith, a defensive tackle Michigan, which is which is not a stunner because it's been a position of need for them. And they have by
getting Gilmour and Trayvon Diggs. They're good at corner. They've got a great athlete in Micah DeMarcus Lawrence on the edge. So that pick for the Cowboys didn't bother me. He was I saw him on two mock drafts as the first pick in the second So that didn't bother me with Dallas because my takeaway is they're just going to get a tight end later. There's there are good tight ends in the third, fourth, and fifth round, and.
They clearly got pushed down in this draft, right. I think a lot of us thought they were going to go in the top twenty. I also think if you're the Cowboys, you look at this. I think the NFC has a clear tier, right. I mean there are three teams you would rank them, Philly, Niners, Dallas. But Dallas gave the Niners everything they could handle in that playoff game, and you go, we know Kyle Shanahan likes to run the ball, and he'll run it right down our throat,
So we need a big body. And Philly ultimately like the run game with their quarterback at any moment, and the New York Giants was sakuon Barkley.
This is a really yeah. I mean, if you look at the way to beat Philadelphia that offensive line with Kelsey, you've got to win the point of attack. I think that's a great point, is that I think Dallas looked at this. You're probably right, and they just said, we got to play Philadelphia twice. We have to figure out a way. They can't just Kelsey is one of the top three centers maybe of my lifetime. Yeah, you can't
be totally manipulated at the point of attack. So I you know, when you were with the Eagles, do you sometimes look in your division and go, Okay, this is a left tackle. I mean he's literally engulfing our people. Do you look at personnel and division?
One thing? How he did and this was a long time ago, and I know he still does. This is now his teams now on that level. But the four teams that are in the final four, you know, the two NFC teams and the two AFC teams, he keeps those rosters in his in his room, and you know they follow. You can't help it. In the NFL, your division is just your direct competition. You view it much to you know, if you're a Dallas Cowboys. You view the Eagles not as much over the last you know,
twenty years that the football team like you do. You know the Eagles and the Giants, right if you're the forty nine or Seattle in the Rams, I mean, you're just watching everything they do because it just it impacts you exponentially more because you play them twice every year no matter what, while all the other divisions rotate. And speaking of I mean I thought Seattle, you know, I just think Pete. You know, a lot of people thought Jalen Carter, he takes some swings. They did not mess
around with that, which I understand everyone I know. And teams that had no shot of getting this guy. They loved Witherspoon kind of a throwback to you know some of those teams they had with Russell Wilson. Those LOV teams absolutely just m effort stud I mean, big time tackler, can play inside, outside, you can move them around, can tackle.
And then they got John Seattle's got two two's, a three and two fours. So of their three needs, one was lock at DK. They needed another receiver, they needed they wanted another They got one.
I mean, he's good, he's awesome when healthy yep.
And then they got a wide receiver and then they get you know, Jackson Smith Jigba. So they end up getting two of their three needs. I think they need a guard now and then a later an edge rusher. But I mean, if you look at last year's pick on ESPN, they put up the last six or seven like great young players. I mean they are. They had a run John where I think Pete Carroll and Paul
Allen passed. They had a run where Pete had too much control in the draft, and it feels like they've given it back to John Snyder and the scouting department. They have not missed on a pick.
Were with tackles, They got Kenneth Walker. I mean, they got a good young nucleus. I mean they won nine games where I'm guilty. I thought they were going to be terrible and they were really good. And I think they're going to be even better. I mean because they got so many young pieces that they're building around.
Okay, so I think we both agree Seattle did well. So Jamiir Gibbs the running back. So people are going to bang on Detroit's picks now. Gibbs is a very dynamic and again Alabama Big school. You see them run over guys and run past guys in the SEC. So, you know, my takeaway on Detroit is the last two drafts with his front office, John, I've really liked them, and so part of me thinks to myself with Swift and Gibbs as they're trying to take they love their
own line. Okay, they solved their corner issue a little bit, right, are they basically saying is we want to take the pressure off Jared goff or? I mean I was watching them high five in the room like this was not a pick they had trepidation over. These guys were high fiven. What did it say to get a running back when they have Swift? Because their O line can control I think can control a lot of the defensive fronts in that division. Is that what they're saying.
I think in most drafts, when you see a guy that you go, you know, I think it's fair to say going into the any draft, a guy like him is like an early second, you know, somewhere in like thirty two to forty pick. This draft was viewed as pretty terrible, Like the difference between pick eight and twenty five.
You know, you might not be able to tell the difference, like Ken Kaid going twenty five to the Bills might be no different than the sixth pick, you know, So it's just time will tell people were not that cop. This was not Jamar Chase and the Waddles and the
Pinasoles and the Michael Parsons. That wasn't this draft. So when you go, well, they got to a super Bowl with Jared Goff when he had a great running game, right with Sean McVay with LA and last year Jared Goff statistically was excellent, Well they had another pick and they got a linebackers their defense, I mean, I think Aiden Hutchinson is going to be a really really good player. To me, he's got some whiffs of Joey Bosa. I mean, he's got a chance to be a twelve fifteen sack
guy next year immediately. So if their defense is just incrementally better their offense. I mean, the USC wide receiver they have as a stud, like you said, their offensive lines of stud. Their coach, while he's an offensive because he's a tight end, is really wired more like a defensive tackle. I mean, he wants to be a tough, physical guy. I'm with you. If you love this guy, and I'm going to give them the benefit out because I watched them last year and they were an expressive operation,
so I think they know the wiring. The other thing is Dan Campbell came from Sean Payton, you know, over that five or six year run when he got fired from Miami and went there became an assistant head coach. They had really good drafts during that time when the Saints were really good at the end of the two thousand. You know the teams right the seventeen eighteen nineteen, So
I think he knows the wiring of the guys. I remember sometimes the Saints hed be like, well they did that, and then it would work out right, So I'm with you. It was a little eye opening because you see the second running back come off at twelve. But I'm going to give them the benefit of the doubt because I know their play style and I know what they want to do. The other thing is when's the last time a running back from Alabama beside Trent Richardson hasn't worked
in the NFL. You watch them all over the league. They're all successful players well, and Jared Goff's history is when Gurley was healthy, He's been a really good quarterback. When Jared gets in trouble is third and long. Okay, So is Detroit saying we love our OC, we just don't want to get in third and long. You and I know I saw Goff out duel Mahomes when they had Gurley and naked run. Jared was getting you to the super Bowl. It's when the O line aged and
they didn't have a consistent run game. Now you' leene on Jared Goff and it's not pretty right. So I look at Detroit and I think they love their OC. They have good young receivers, excellent O line, Swift got banged up, and maybe they're just saying, listen, we're just going to do a one to two punch and we're going to go. And by the way, in that division, the D line for the Vikings, the D line for the Packers, the D line for the Bears. Are you going to pick them to win the division? You pick
Minnesota last year? To me, obviously, injuries can happen, but Detroit would be my pick as of recording this today to win in the North.
And again, I think is Detroit looking at that division and thinking our line is significantly better in those six games against the d lines in our division. Can we go five and one in that division?
For sure? And in a weird way because they haven't even made them playoffs? Right, But if you assume that they're going to be in the mix, the three teams that are at the top of the conference, the Eagles, the Niners, and Cowboys are all physical teams. So you're getting this is not a lightweight fight. You're getting in the ring to fight heavyweights, So you have to be willing to play like that. And Dan Campbell is now building a team. Who do they draft their second pick
in the first round a linebacker from Iowa? Right? I mean they have a type of guy that they're looking for to build their Honestly, that should translate to playing the Cowboys the Eagles and just give them a chance. If not in twenty three, the next couple of years. Obviously, you know Jared Goff is going to be the guy we talk about the most, but he's proven if you can do it around him and their roster.
I liked a lot with the Lions. I have going on a lot, so I mean the Will Levice situation. I talked to people that I really trust and their big concern with them was, listen, the kid is smart. We know his mom went to an IV league school, Yale. We know he's a four point student. Why is his judgment so bad? And what I heard was Jay Cutler is that Jay Cutler was arrogant and obstinate, and if Jay had a rope, Jay had an arm, and if Jay wanted to sling it, he didn't give a shit
what the coach said. And Jay, I'll argue it forever. Jay had one of the best arms in the league when he played. He had an absolute host. But Jay was stubborn, rigid, difficult, and people worried Will Levis with the selfies the gun show, look at me the combine. He wore a muscle shirt I had. I had a head coach and a GM told me they hated that. I mean, I listen, Brady Quinn works at Fox, and I like Brady. But that was one of the knocks I heard is that an he can't be jacked as
a quarterback. You have to be fluid, and you don't see biceps on Aaron Rodgers or Peyton Manning. Your take on Will Levis dropping.
Yeah, I mean I think that he was a fascinating player coming into the season, and then the season was a disaster, and I had people that really like him. They aren't necessarily quote unquote decision makers, but are you know, high in their organization. Said if coming out his junior season or whatever, two years ago, when Liam Cohen, right, the Rams guy, was his offensive coordinator, he would have
been a lock top five pick. Then he goes to Rich Skangarello, who a lot of people are down on disastrous season, and then, like you said, kind of has a bad offseason. The lifting things, you're not playing offensive tackle or lineback, No one cares. It's about pliability. It's about fluidity. And that's a big knock on his game is fluidity touch. And we've seen so many guys Brady Quinn Kaepernick got really big. Whether you can throw at one hundred and twenty miles an hour, If you can't
throw a strike, who cares? You're not going to make the big leagues, right, So touch is a big issue with him. I also think that like Anthony Richardson, who this raw guy was viewed as very mouldable. One thing I have heard like when he went and met with people, they were just like you know what this guy means? Well, like I would love to be around this guy. There was a lot of positive vibes around him. Very grateful, Like Anthony Richardson wrote a Penda letter. He was like
humble and grateful. And it's like, John, you look at that and you think, Okay, this kid wants to learn. Yeah, and whether it works out, only time will tell, and more than the history would show us it probably won't. But I know that a lot of people were down on him and during the process came away the opposite,
like I'm rooting for this guy. I think this guy not crazy to go in the top five is the ceiling is sky high, and I think will Levis started getting more negative and negative, not like you said anything malicious, right, but the buff stuff to the lifting the pictures on Instagram within the last month, like what are we doing? You know, it's just I mean, he didn't I mean
he tumbled. I mean this was a guy that I think after last season twenty one, when Kentucky had the really good year, I don't see how he wouldn't have been a top five pick, not with those measurables, right, But then yeah, I mean I clearly the league is very I mean, this is a quarterback star of the Leak. For no one to touch him, right, it's crazy.
Okay, So we get through the first round. So I was told by the people I trust that the people felt there was about twelve Usually there's eighteen, about twelve first round players, and then from about thirteen until about the twelfth pick in the second round, they're all about the same. So Will Levis is probably going to go at my guest top of the second. You know, Rams have a lot of picks, a second, two thirds, three fifths,
three six. When I looked at the Rams, I thought to myself, if you're the Rams and you have you got to get an edge. You got to get another receiver. I think they want to back interior, offensive lineman, corner,
tight end. And you had eleven picks no first would you be willing to forego if you're less sneed four or five of those picks to just go get a second second, have two thirds, get rid of your seventh, your sixth, and two of your fifths, and just say we need about six got with Stafford and Cooper cup coming back wildly productive guys, We're going to go and get about six players. Do you think teams would consider doing that, giving up like they have two sevens, three six, three fives?
What for them specifically? I talk to a buddy. I think most people acknowledge the Arizona Cardinals right now are viewed as the worst team in the league right just roster wise, just a disaster. And a buddy of mine was like, in the league on a really good team was going, well, look at the Rams. I mean their their roster is very questionable at best for a team that tries to win it every year and be in the mix. So yeah, I mean they never live in
the short term now. The only thing would be and they're not really built like this, assuming Stafford is healthy, would they want to just take it on the chin and go for one of the guys next year? And you'd go, well, based on mcveigh's history, could he take a season at two or three wins? I would highly doubt that. So yeah, I mean I would be shocked if they don't get super aggressive tomorrow, you know, in the second and third round, because they are not you know,
a lot of businesses. I think not just about twenty three, but about twenty five, twenty six in any industry that has not been their history, and especially with Sean Right, who at any moment, you know, in any given year for them could get fifteen million dollars to go call games.
So we are doing this at the very tail end of the first So not only did the Eagles get Jalen Carter, they got Nolan Smith as an edge with the thirtieth pick.
They go blue chip guys from the best conference. That's an edict in the organization and it pops on television right when you watch them play. The forty nine Ers don't necessarily have that, like you don't need to be from the SEC, but they have a clear you're playing personality. If you don't play like a certain personality, they're not messing with you. They specific guy.
Yeah, I mean the Niners really draft physical players. You become what you draft, right Like It's it's that you know, you become what you eat, what you watch, what you draft. Like if you look at the if you look at the Eagles and the Niners, they are just wildly physical teams. It's one of you know, Hendon Hooker or Will level Us who goes first.
I think Will Levis still goes first, just based on two years ago. You know, it's weird in these draft rooms you still talk about what they were in high school, what they were maybe early on in their career if it turned, you know, turned a negative corner and the guy struggled. So Hennon Hooker had one year. He's also the same age as Sam Darnold. Sam Donald just played on his fifth year option last year, so I mean,
and he's got a torn ACL. I think, you know, if you were going to be in the in the business of taking a question to me, it's a no brainer. You would take Will the other thing. Will Levis has played now one year, he struggled the other year in NFL offense for two years. The Tennessee offense, while wildly successful in college, is not viewed by both and most NFL people, as you know, transferable immediately to right to the field. So I back to the Eagles, I think
they have really just stayed so true to this. The SEC guys, the big picture guys, think about the trade, how they ended up here. Two years ago. They traded Carson Wentz to the Colts, which ended up being a first round so they had all those first round picks
and then they didn't need them. All, so they traded to the Saints, who were desperate to live in the moment, and that led them to get the Saints pick this year, which led them to Jalen Carter, and then just their own pick led them to Nolan Smith, who, let's face it, the only reason he's there that late is he was banged up this season. I mean, he's a in a draft like this year, a guy like that healthy at that program, with those measurables and that speed, No way
he's there, you know. I guess technically it's thirty one, but because Miami gets their pick, take and it's the thirtieth pick. Yeah, the Eagles just there's a reason when you watch him play, their speed, their talent at every position. I mean, they're not taking guys from from random schools anymore. I mean, look at look at their top talent, look at look at the programs they play in.
All right, John Middlecoff three and Out a volume podcast, does his golf as well. A good thirty minutes with John. We appreciate everybody stopping by. John. We will talk soon. Thanks Buddy the volume. Make sure to check out the Draymon Green Show. I brought Draymond Green into the Volume because one of the more entertaining voices in sports, unique perspective understands behind the rope also chops up with guests
like Gary Payton, Zach Levine, Tracy McGrady. Make sure download The Draymond Green Show wherever you get your podcasts, only on the Volume podcast network