So let's do some NFL draft.
One of our favorites Pro Football Focus, Trevor Sikima on a Wednesday afternoon.
Trevor, how you doing, man, Guys, I'm doing great. Appreciate you having me back on the show.
Appreciate the time.
So have you been able to get some sleep after what I'm sure was a chaotic week or so for you over at PFF.
You know, not quite yet. It's funny a lot of people go, oh, the draft is over for you, so like now you get a break. No, that's not exactly how it works, because now people want to hear what I think about what actually happened in the draft. So we'll save the sleep for next week in the week after, but for now, we got to analyze these draft clads.
That a guy, Well, we appreciate you joining us because I do want to get your thoughts on what happened, and of course I will not bury the lead, Trevor. And you know, shad Or Sanders is a player that we've seen play a lot around here as we're the home of the Youthes formerly Pac twelve and then obviously Big twelve Conference mates with Colorado, and so look, it's interesting to hear people break this down after the fact.
Some of the same people who last week claimed that they thought he would be a first round picker now claiming they're not surprised that he was not. Here's my question, what was your expectation leading into the draft as far as where he would go and what are your thoughts about the slide all the way to the fifth round.
So I go back to my thoughts right after the combine when we were in Indianapolis, and the Combine is great for a lot of things. Obviously we'd love to oo and ah the forty times in the vertical jumps and all that good stuff. But what the Combine is really there for for me is it's information gathering. I get to talk to a lot of people that I know around the country and people that cover teams very
very closely. And my main takeaway when I came out of the combine is I couldn't really find anybody or any source that confidently talked about shod Or Sanders as a first round quarterback. Now that's not to say that I didn't predict him as a first rounder. In my final mock, I had him at number twenty one to the Steelers. But at the end of the day, I'm not super surprised that he wasn't a first rounder because that's exactly the sentiment that I got in Indianapolis, and
it was the opposite with cam Ward. When I asked people about cam Ward, all I could hear was, oh my gosh, this team loves cam Ward. They'd love the trades to get him. I don't think the Titans are going to pass on him. But I didn't really hear that kind of stuff for shoe door standards, I didn't
really hear that kind of love. And I think that, you know, the way that Shodor was or you know, more appropriately, was not drafted, was a reminder that the league doesn't draft quarterbacks off of need as much as we think they do. Now. Obviously there are times when that is the case, but often these teams know that when you invest in a quarterback, you're investing in a lot. Yet you want to take swings at it if you
don't have a franchise quarterback on the team. But these organizations have to love the guys like they've got to be able to think that there is a legitimate future for them to be an all pro and to be somebody that can really save their team, especially as a first round pick. I'll put on top of that, I have always had a second to third round grade on Shudre Sanders. That's what I thought of him when I watched the film, and his physical talents and the arm
strength and everything like that. But I am floored that he lasted until the fifth round. So we can sit here and say that, oh, okay, Like I understand why he wasn't a first round pick, because I do, but for him to go in the fifth round, that's something
else entirely. That's the league, you know, not believing in who you can become as a quarterback in this league, whether that's physical talents, whether that's the interview portion of it, whether it's the work ethic whatever, that is something that I was shocked about with you door.
So now that we have had a couple of days to digest this, Trevor, because as you know, the takes are widespread, so on the scope of being as reductive as possible and simply saying, NFL talent evaluators did not evaluate him as high as we thought on one net of the spectrum all the way to the other, which is sandbagging interviews, the circus follows him around.
They don't want to deal with the chaos.
What have you landed on as exactly why he fell as far as he did.
I think it is actually a little bit more of the latter there. And you know, when you're a quarterback that NFL teams believe can be truly franchise caliber, like when you have the overall talent, like the arm talent, the mobility, it's just the production everything when you check all the boxes. NFL teams are certainly willing to take a chance on you because of what you be for
their franchise. But I think that it was a combination of the fact that most teams in the league didn't view him as a first round caliber talent, and then when you thought of that, well, okay, now we're drafting him outside of the first round. Now we've got to think about, okay, well, what if this guy ends up being our backup? What if he's in a quarterback competition. What if he gets in a quarterback competition with somebody,
we give the job to the other guy. Let's say he beats him Mountain training camp, and then the second that the other guy that we chose throws a bad pass, the fan base is going to be all over us, make it like telling us that we should start Shador, and then there's all sorts of questions and all that. So I think it is a little bit of a
combination of all of those things. But I'll tell you that that last part that you mentioned, the media circus that will be around him, the attention that he's gonna bring, And I feel bad for Shador in a little bit because, yeah, okay, part of its just the lifestyle and being Dion's kid, and that's just what comes with it. But some of that is not necessarily chosen on him. He could sit here and be like, no, like, I don't care about the cameras. I don't want to care about the cameras.
I'm just here to play football. But unfortunately that reality does not exist for him. Even if he were to sit here and say that out loud, that's no longer an option. And the reality of it is is that wherever he was going to go, you know, speaking of him being in Cleveland now, it's going to be the talk of the offseason. It's going to be the talking training camp, it's gonna be the talk of his entire
rookie year, whether he's a starter or not. And I think that NFL teams just hate dealing with that with a backup potent, with a potentially backup quarterback or QB two on the roster.
One more thing here.
I'm sure you're just so sick of dealing with these questions every day you do these hits. But I just wonder, Trevor, do you think his dad did him a bit of a disservice? You know, Dion was a little bit front facing initially about you know, maybe we'll get involved about where he plays, and even alluding to an Eli Manning type situation. And look, a lot of people have said, well, Dion used to sandbag interviews, so.
If she did it like, it's different.
Dion's the best cornerback, one of the that we've ever seen play like, They're just different talents, right, So throughout the process, do you think his dad may have done him a little bit of a disservice here?
Yeah? And you know, Schudor said this when he was at the Shrine Bowl, and I do agree with him
to a certain extent. Yeah, people were asking about his dad and it was a little bit of the same kind of question that you just asked here, and his dad being involved in decisions and being very front facing and famous and being a part of all of this, and you know, Chador kind of with a smile, he said, like, I know having a supportive parent was a bad thing, and you know part of me, you know, I chuckled when he said that, because I was like, all right,
that's actually, you know, that's a pretty good comeback for it. And I do understand that in ways. But I think the answer to your question has to be yes, because very clearly this is a reason why he dropped as far as he did. You know, again, not being a first round talent. Okay, I think that just overall physical ability or lack thereof, is why he might not have
been a first round talent. But then the reason why he dropped all the way to the fifth round on day three, I think is a lot of that notoriety and Dion's a big part of that of what has been how front facing the Sanders family has been. So I'm not gonna sit here and say that it's all bad again. I like the fact that Dion wants the best for his son and that he was very bold
and brash about that. But with him not being a first round talent, like you said, it's different if you were as talented as Dion Sanders was when when he was coming out, Chador very clearly was not viewed that same way, and so instead now it just looks a little bit more like a negative telling the NFL, well, we're gonna hijack the process for lack of a better term, and say, like you know, like the Mannings did, and say, all right, well, if you draft him, he's not gonna
play for you. The NFL hates that. The NFL hates when you try to try to push to put them in a corner and try to take any sort of power and decision making away from them. And we know that from other examples we have seen throughout the years. So unless you are incredibly talented, it's always a very dangerous card to play when you start doing stuff like that like Dion has done over the past year, year and a half.
All right, let's move off to Shador now.
And you know Jackson Dard played his high school football about twenty miles where the studio is South Corner Canyon, and he ends up being QB two and he goes to the Giants at twenty five, the trade back in the first round to get him. What do you make of that, Trevor, And what sort of future do you think Jackson Dart has with the Giants are just in pro football in general?
Yeah, so this is this is a pick that's made, you know, from arm talent, right. I mean like this is somebody who clearly, the Giants being one of those teams that thought he was worthy of a first round selection, a late first round selection. Now obviously they didn't take him at number three overall, but they feel like like it was worth it to go up and get him
at the back end of the first round. And look, look he you know, very high deep passing grade in our system over the last couple of years, not afraid to throw it deep down the field, not afraid to stretch it, and you know he will attempt the throws in my opinion, that you need to make to win
football games. Now I get a little bit concerned of what he is going to be outside of the Lane Kiffin system, because we have seen quarterbacks that Lane has coached throughout college and Lane's job is to win football games at the college level, not necessarily to coach them and make them the best prospects for the NFL. So Lane's trying to do his job, and he's trying to simplify the games for them to win college football games.
But you see at the end of games. You know that Florida game is a great example, you start to get away from the script. You start having to push the ball deep down the field. He's got to redefenses a little bit more, and he really struggled and he really put the ball in harm's way. So he is somebody who is young. He is talented, but he is still somebody that has a ways to go before he is a successful and I would say efficient NFL quarterback.
But I do like his landing spot with Brian Dable, a coach I really respect in this league.
Give me your thoughts on what the Browns decided to do it too by trading away the pick so Jacksonville could take Travis Hunter. I mean, I've read a lot and heard a lot of takes where people like both sides of the deal. It just it feels like Travis is such a unique prospect that the Browns are taking a risk, even though they got quite a bit in return. What do you make of the Browns Jacksonville Jacksonville deal?
Excuse me two?
Yeah, you know, I like Mason Graham a lot, one of my top five graded players that I had in the class, and so very high on my big board. I think he could be a successful pro w in.
Anytime you get to trade down, get an extra first round pick and get a player like that, it's hard to consider that a loss, And yet I kind of do not in a big way, obviously, because I think they still got a good player, and obviously getting an extra first round or is huge for next season, especially knowing that they weren't to invest in a quarterback in
this draft the way that you primarily do. I know they drafted Gabriel and Sanders a little bit later, but that wasn't until the back end of the top one hundred and then obviously in the fifth round. So instead I look at this situation and I go, man, Travis Hunter's been my wire to wire prospect, number one overall player in this entire class. And I think that we throw around the term generational way too much. It gets way overused. It does not have the meaning that it
used to. But all that being said, if there was a guy from this class that you would bet on being generational, it'd be the guy that's been a incredible two way starter in Travis Hunter. And I don't know if he's gonna play both sides of the ball full time in the NFL. It doesn't seem like it. It feels like Jacksonville is going to use him just more as a wide receiver. But the guy's got the ability
to do both. That's generational. That's what we're talking about when we talk about once in a generation type of talent. I think he's an unbelievable player. I think he's so natural for this game, and it's hard for me to even with trading back getting extra first and drafting Mason Graham, who I like, I still think Jacksonville actually got the better side of that trade with the player that they acquired.
The answer to this question might be simple.
It could be Travis Hunter, But in ten years, Trevor, who's the one prospect at any position that will stand out above the rest from this draft?
I do think that it's Travis Hunter. I've got to stay true to my board there, and I think the reason why is it's not just the natural gifts that he has physically as an athlete, how quick he is, how explosive he is. He is a football player, not to demean any other part of who he is as a person, but like the raise, you were born to be a football player. I mean that is Travis Hunter. He's been the most talented player and basically every single
field he's ever laced up and touched. And I think that that's even going to be the case in the NFL in a couple of years with how good this guy is. So I just watch him and it's not just the athletic gifts that he has, it's the way that he approaches the game, It's the natural instincts, it's such high football IQ. This guy is just He's been so much fun to watch over the last couple of years, and so I have to say him for those reasons.
We didn't have a ton of local players off the board, which is rare with the evolution of Utah football and BYU typically with players drafted. The highest local player off the board was Jalen Royals from Utah State to the Chiefs.
What do you make of that selection?
I mean, he should have been drafted two rounds higher. Honestly, I think the Jalen Royals is awesome. He was a top ten wide receiver for being this class. The reason why he dropped so low, I guess is because teams don't believe in the play speed. I mean, he's kind of one of those wide receivers that unless you really watch some of his best plays and appreciate what he can do, sometimes his tape is a little boring. And
I mean that in the best way. He kind of just does everything well and you're waiting for a little bit of pop moments from him, and I think this past season you didn't see a ton of that, but you know what you saw all the way in between. It's damn good wide receiver, a really good football player, somebody who I think the Chiefs got an absolute steal in.
So he is somebody who I think, yeah, I should have been drafted at least around maybe two earlier than where he was picked for Kansas City because I just think that he is a rock solid player.
Since we are the home of the youth, so I'll ask you about the only youth drafted, and I'll understand if you haven't seen a ton of tape, because there's not a lot.
Of tape on Caleb Blana the football player.
There's a lot of tape on Caleb Loana the basketball player. But he goes to the Broncos in the seventh round. Trevoren, you know as well as anybody the history of basketball players translating into football as tight ends, and there's a lot of good ones. So you make some space for what the Broncos can do to kind of develop Caleb Loaner.
Yeah, not just the history of doing it, but this exact coach doing it right. I mean, Sean Payton. Look at what he did with Jimmy Graham. And I'm not saying that Caleb Loaner is the next to Jimmy Graham quite yet, but this is a coach who, if Loaner was going to go anywhere, this is the this is the place I would want him to go. This is somebody who understands, you know, the transition that it takes
from being a hardwood star on onto the gridiron. And I just I think so highly of Sean Payton and how creative he is, how open minded he is, how constantly willing he is to lean into his players strengths and put them in positions to succeed. And so you're right, Loaner is not a player who I watched much of. I really watched the highlights kind of after he got drafted, because I, you know, was learning about him and his basketball background and all of that. But it is somebody
who can be a red zone weapon for you. Has a big catcher radius, athletic guy who go above the rim, full pun intended when he gets to the NFL. So I think that it's a great spot where he landed.
A couple of minutes left, I'm going to ask you about some teams that seem to draw a lot of interest around here, and I will be selfish as a lifelong New York Jets fan and ask you about your take on what my Jets were able to do or maybe not able to do during the draft process.
I think that their first street selections were rock solid. I think that armand Membu gives him a very solid starting five up front, which he loved, whether it's for Justin Fields this upcoming season or whoever's going to be the quarterback for them in the long term. I like Mason Taylor obviously attacking a big area of need. There was talk of them making a splash a tight end
at number seven. They end up going with him in the second round, so I think that that is a very solid pick there, kind of a funny pick with his dad being such a hated player rival with the Jets and the Dolphins, but now he's with the New York Jets. There, I think gari A Thomas, the corner from Florida State, is somebody who is just going to be an Aeron Glenn disciple. I think that he his preferred play style is that pressman coverage, and Aaron Glenn
knows it very well. I think he's going to take his Aria Thomas under his wing and he's going to expect a lot of things from him. Outside of that, didn't really like their draft after that. I thought it was a lot of reaches. I thought it was a lot of guys that were okay that maybe they're just leaning on them because they love something in particular about him. But I felt as though the rest of the draft
was a lot of reaches. It wasn't my favorite, but hey, if you nail those first three picks, that's really what matters most. To my opinion.
A lot of Niners fans are out here the second time in Niners history that they used their first five picks on the defensive side of the ball.
What do you make of what?
John Lynch, did you know this was my least favorite draft. I have to admit it. I am not the biggest Michel Williams fan. I understand why they went that direction on defensive line. They're trying to get better in run defense, and Mikel Williams is the heck of a run defender, but I had him ranked thirty eighth on my board. I thought he was more of a fringe late first
early second round pick. Not sure he's going to do up into the pass rusher that you want him to be, but a solid run defender, so that pick wasn't the worst. I like the Alfred Collins pick right after that, and I like the CJ. West pick in the fourth round as well. That certainly helps out and makes their run defense a lot better. But outside of those guys, Nicholas Martin was a massive reach in my opinion, as was
up and Stout, as was Jordan Watkins. Marcus Siegel is the same way they draft Jordan James, who I think is a good football player. They're running back out of Oregon. But you're sitting there at that point in the draft, you haven't even touched offensive line yet. And so I do not love the fact that they did not prioritizer get ahead of their offensive line needs at all whatsoever.
They almost exclusively drafted defense. And then not just that, they drafted guys that I think they could have gotten at least two rounds lower in up and stout in Nicholas Martin, who are major size out liars for their positions at the NFL level, John Lynch and Kyle Shanahan. They're kind of unique. They marched to the bat of their own drum. I don't want to say that they think they can outsmart everybody, but they just have their guys that they get fixated on that they really like.
But part of the draft is, yes, acquiring the players that you want to acquire, but it's also about intel. It's also about going about the draft the right way. And I just think there were way too many reaches in this draft class and way too many guys that have big time question marks whether or not they can live up to where they were drafted. In San Francisco.
Last one, Trevor as the Crow flies the closest team US now resides in Las Vegas, and of course Utah State fans know who Ashton gent is and the whole world does quite frankly, what do you make of the Raiders draft?
This was one of my favorite drafts. I absolutely loved it. It's one that I think was a great start for the John spy Tech era with him as general manager and Pete Carroll as his head coach. Ashton Genty, his production and who he is sort of speaks for himself.
I dout Jack bash is an excellent picker. Get another weapon over the middle with Brock Bauers there I like in the fourth round draft, and Deontay Thorton to give them a vertical threat now in the passing game as well, a couple of good offensive linemen to take a chance on in Caleb Rodgers and Charles Grant. Then I love a lot of the athletes that they brought in Darian Porter at corner. He is a Pete Carroll Cover three corner if I've ever seen one. I think that's an
excellent scheme fit. And then taking chances on guys late on Day three, Tonka Hemingway, JJ Pegeez, Tommy malot like those are just some athlete, versatile football players that you'll love to take a bet on on Day three. So I love the Raiders. I gave this one an A in my draft grade.
Trevor, great stuff and good job throughout the entire process. We use your content as a north star for us, So keep up the good work and we'll get you back soon. Okay, I appreciate it, guys, anytime, Trevor sikhim up pff