Draft Season | Ryan Wilson & Defensive Risers and Sliders

The guys talk about the biggest defensive risers and sliders in the college football recently and discuss this past weekend’s college games.

:00 - Indiana vs Penn State

8:00 - Texas A&M vs Missouri

11:40 - Top QBs from the week

14:25 - Defensive risers and sliders

See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Episode Transcript

Speaker 1 (00:03):
It's now officially open.

Speaker 2 (00:08):
This is Draft Season, presented by Moody's, a proud sponsor
to the New York Giants. I am John Schmilck, as always,
Tony Pauline, my coast is with us, and we welcome
in Ryan Wilson front of the program, who does a
great job covering the draft for CBS.

Speaker 1 (00:22):
Ryan good to talk to man.

Speaker 3 (00:23):
How are you hey, guys? Good to good to see again, John,
Good to meet you, Tony. It's funny you call it
draft season, John. I checked my calendar, so November eleventh.
I guess if you're a Giants fan, given the way
the week went, it's never too early to look ahead.

Speaker 2 (00:36):
Well, luckily, we do the show all around, Tony, so
every season is technically Draft season, you know how. That's
how that works around here, absolutely right. So we're gonna
have a part two of our Rises and Sliders.

Speaker 1 (00:48):
Folks.

Speaker 2 (00:48):
Last week, if you didn't tune in, we did offense
last week. Tony and I had that great conversation. We
were joined by Chad Ryder from NFL dot Com to
do that, and Ryan will join us and do that
today on the defensive side of the ball. But let's
start with a review of last week in college football,
and Tony, you want the start with Indiana and Penn State.
Probably a little bit closer than Kurtz Signetti would have wanted,

(01:09):
but they managed to pull it out with some late
heroics by a wide receiver and a quarterback.

Speaker 1 (01:13):
We've talked about a lot on the show.

Speaker 4 (01:15):
First of all, it was a great game. I mean,
if you watch that game, it wasn't even edgy for
your seat. I mean, I had no rooting interest in
the last two minutes. I was up on my feet pacing.
That's how good of a game it was. I mean,
it was an old fashioned game. Penn State went for broke.
And you know that this was Penn State, with all
the disappointment they've had the season. This was their bowl game,
this was their national championship to try and knock Indiana

(01:38):
from the perch of the unbeaten. And you know Fernando Mendoza.
The stats weren't great, he didn't carry any team, but
in my opinion, this was his most NFL type of performance.
His offensive line was banged up, our Penn State was
sending some five sometimes six guys, or they put six
guys on a lot of scrimmage and then dropped some

(01:59):
guys off into coverage to disguise their blitzes. And he
was getting beaten up because, like I said, the Indiana
offensive line was struggling with injuries. But he stood in
there and he made play after play after play. He
was smart. Even that one interception, it wasn't really a
bad throw in my opinion, it was more of a
better play by the Penn State defensive back. But again,

(02:20):
I mean, especially that last drive, it looked like, starting
in the middle of the third quarter on Penn State
won the line of scrimmage and it looked like Indiana
was doomed. But Mendoza found the way to you to
bring that team who's your team back, scored the winning touchdown.
Didn't have Elijah Sarrat, not his big play receiver, but

(02:41):
his most dependable possession receiver. And what happens. Charlie Barker,
guy unknown comes in has seven career catches in college
seven passes for one hundred and eighteen yards. I mean
it was. If Mendoza can keep this momentum going, he
may justify the fact that if he enters the draft,
he's going to be a top of five pick. Because again,

(03:04):
in my opinion, this was his most NFL type of performance,
even though the numbers weren't that great.

Speaker 1 (03:10):
Ryan, what do you think of Mendoza and what do
you think about his performance?

Speaker 3 (03:14):
I like Mendoz a lot, and I liked him the
summer a lot, and I wanted to see what the
transition looked like coming from cal and to Tony's point.
A couple of quarterbacks made some big time throws, because
a lot of times you can go through the course
of a game and see some things that maybe give
you pause even though you still liked the player. But
Dante Moore made a big throw down down the stretch
to get that win at Oregon as well in some

(03:34):
rainy conditions. And then Mendoza in that game that we're
talking about at Penn State. Yeah, the IEWA game. Thank you.

Speaker 1 (03:41):
That throw at the end.

Speaker 3 (03:42):
Shout out to Omar Cooper Junior for making a play
as well.

Speaker 1 (03:45):
That is what a job getting his foot in. Oh
my goodness, that is a big boy play.

Speaker 3 (03:49):
I saw it live, and I like to think that
I'm pretty good at sort of eyeballing things live. I
thought his other foot was out of bounds first, it
wasn't Omar Jr. Omark Cooper Junior knew what he was doing,
and it's don't even mentioned.

Speaker 1 (03:58):
No elijahs Hrott.

Speaker 3 (03:59):
So you don't have your number one go to guy
in possession situations. And the other thing when you go
back and look at guys like Will Levis for example,
and even Lenora still Is this year, you have to
sort of squint to see next level plays. There was
no squinting involved in that last drive for Mendoza. It's like, Okay,
this guy can handle it. I knew you could handle
playing behind a bad offensive line, buts that's what he

(04:20):
did at Cal And if you're gonna get drafted top five,
you're probably gonna go to a bad team. So thumbs
up from me on his performance. I had little concerns
going in. I had fewer concerns coming out. I will
say this, I'm sort of interested in what you guys think.
I was just talking to a couple buddies about Mendoza
is a kind of a goofy kid. I don't know

(04:41):
if we're in the process in the stretch of history
where a lot of people eighteen to twenty three goopy
at this point, maybe doesn't matter. He doesn't come across
as Joe Burrow, for example. It comes across more as
you know, just a high school kid having a good
time out there. I don't think that's even close to disqualifying,
but I'm just putting out there because he is more happy,
lucky labrador achiever that he is, say German Shepherd.

Speaker 4 (05:04):
I mean, I think it'll have if he enters a draft,
then I think that's a big if. We'll have to
see what happens during those interviews, because you know, if
that comes across, if what you say comes across in
those interviews where teams want the guy to be the
face of the franchise and carry and carry the franchise,
that could hurt him. Especially if a guy like Ty
Simpson enters a draft and he's different in those interviews.

(05:28):
I think it'll be a wait and see towards sort
of situation. I understand what you're saying, and you make
a good point. You know, you want your quarterback to
basically be a CEO type, you know, not a guy
who's you know, playing hopscotch and having a good time
out there.

Speaker 1 (05:43):
They playing a hopscotch toty.

Speaker 2 (05:45):
I like something that's pretty good no, I think I
think that's a propos Tody, who else of this game
kind of jumped out you. I know you're you're still
a big fan of uh Peds defensive tackle kind of
three tag Zan Durant, Well, I don't know that.

Speaker 4 (05:58):
I'm a big fan, but I think finally we saw
what we saw a lot from some of the Penn
State players in the game against the huge Hoosiers that
we expected from week one. You know that we expect
against the Oregon and I think Zaane Durant, you know,
he's a one, one gap type of defensive tackle. He's
a three technique type. He's a little bit limited, but
he was relentless on Saturday. Three tackles, one tackle for

(06:20):
the lost one sack, but he's constantly behind the wana scrimmage,
shows the ability to change direction and get out in
pursuit to make plays in space. I think what we
saw from Durant, and I was never really high on him.
I think he's more Day two type of a second
half Day two type of player because of the fact
that he's got size limitations and he's really been limited
this year like a lot of those other players. But

(06:42):
he kind of broke out last year, last week against
or last Saturday, should say against Indiana. Like I said,
it seemed to me like Penn State was going for Broke.
I mean, this was their ball game. If they make
a ball game, it's gonna be some secondary, secondary contest
which they may not even show up at. And I
think it won forbrook And we saw things from Zane
Durant that we expected to see from him since the

(07:06):
beginning of September.

Speaker 2 (07:07):
Ryan, your thoughts on Durant and anyone else from this
game that jumped out at you.

Speaker 3 (07:10):
Yeah, I haven't actually got a chance to watch Durant
Durant yet. I have on my list. But one guy
do want to mention is Zachi Wheeley, the safety. They
actually move him all over the place, number six. He
is a ton of fun. He's verified six two and
a half and he plays that big. He's really good
coming down hill against the run. He is good in space.
He could play too high safety. Look if that's what
you want him to do to the next level, he

(07:31):
can play in the slot. He was in coverage on
that Omar Cooper junior touchdown.

Speaker 1 (07:36):
Covers couldn't have been any better.

Speaker 3 (07:37):
Sometimes, as dickla bo to say, sometimes you get the bear,
sometimes the bear gets you.

Speaker 1 (07:41):
The bear got him on that one.

Speaker 3 (07:43):
But through no fault of his own, He's played at
a pretty high level this season. I've been impressed with him.

Speaker 1 (07:48):
He feels like a Day two pick to me.

Speaker 3 (07:50):
We'll see as we get through the process, but he's
been a bright spot on that defense. You know, Tony
talked about some guys have underachieved. We want to see
a little bit more from a J. Harris playing and
play out. I liked him over the summer, but ZACKI
Watley was a fun little watch and sort of a
surprise because I didn't know what to expect when I
flipped on the old tape there.

Speaker 2 (08:08):
All right, let's jump to the SEC here, Tony Texas
A and M Missouri, and you want to start with
the pass rusher but also a wide receiver as Texas
A and M continues to kind of make their case
for being not only the best team in the SEC,
but maybe the best team in the country.

Speaker 4 (08:21):
I mean, the big match up here. From an NFL
prospect point of view, there were a couple of them,
but as far as I was concerned, was Cashus Howel
the edge rusher, from Texas A and M versus Kayden Green,
the left, tacky tackle from Missouri who seems to be
everyone's favorite offensive lineman these days. And it wasn't even
a competition. I mean, cashus Howell just shows he's a
terrific pass rusher. He's very athletic, he can stand up

(08:43):
over tackle. He could rush the edge out of a
three point stance. He moves around with explosiveness and speed
and quickness. Easily changed the direction. I think watching this game,
one thing is for certain. There's no way Cayden's Green
it's going to be a left tackle in the NFL.
Most of us thought he's going to push inside the guard.
I think this game affirmed the fact that you know

(09:06):
he is an interior offensive lineman, especially the way Howl
and some of the other Texas A and M edg
rushers were able to get around get around him. The
one thing I don't like about Green, I'd be interested
to see if Ryan thinks the same if he's watched him.
Plays very tall, He's not a knee bend. He doesn't
sink his rear end, doesn't block with leverage. That kind
of concerns me because he gets his pads way too

(09:28):
high when he blocks in pass protection. It shows the
decent footwork and mobility, but he was getting pounded around
the edge by Howell. And then, you know we talked
about on the show for months now, there's no number
one receiver. It's kind of open at the top. I
don't think Casey concepts you on the wide receiver from
Texas A and M will be the top receiver in

(09:50):
this draft. But he's slowly, just basically quietly having an
explosive year. Four receptions for eighty four yards and one
TV again during another big time game, he shows himself
to be really a game breaking home run hitting threat
at both receiver and as a return specialist, which in

(10:11):
a year where it's wide open to the position, if
he enters the draft, I think it worst. You're looking
at a day two selection.

Speaker 1 (10:19):
Yeah, I'm with you on Conceptcion.

Speaker 3 (10:20):
I didn't. I haven't watched Green yet, so I'm interested
to do that. Cash is hell I like, and it
feels like this Edgeorge class is pretty wide open as well,
after you get through maybe a couple of guys at
the top. I don't know if I'm in love with
him yet, but I check in my notes just a
double check. I said, he's eleven out of ten in
terms of the motor with which he plays, like, no
one is going to play harder than cash is hole
from play in to play out, and I think that'll

(10:43):
get you a long way if you have the tools
to sort of make it at the next level as
an edge rusher. So I'll go back and watch more
of him. But I did like him. I just wasn't
in love with him quite yet. Casey Conceptsion was pretty
easy to love early on, and I remember watching him
over the summer at NC State thinking well, ansy Se
could certainly use this guy. And he has made his
way to Texas a and m reliable hands catcher and

(11:07):
a lot of times to Tony's point, when you watch
these wide receivers, they do four out of five things well,
and sometimes the focus drops will get him or the
contested catch drops will get him. Casey concepts you wins
at all three levels consistently, and he has a little
after the catch juice that I like as well. And
it does feel like he's sort of flown under the
radar because there's spent a lot of time talking about
Jordan Tyson Carnell Tait has come on of late and

(11:30):
he's having a fantastic season. I'm a Denzel Boston fan,
a little higher on him than some other people, but
Antonio and Williams was my guy coming into the summer.
He's battled with injuries and inconsistent quarterback play.

Speaker 1 (11:42):
Casey concepts.

Speaker 3 (11:43):
You is certainly making this case to be in my mind,
a top fifty guy.

Speaker 1 (11:48):
That's interesting.

Speaker 2 (11:49):
Anybody else from that game or any other games Ryan
from the weekend that kind of jumped out as you,
I know you mentioned more in that Oregon you know
last second week against Iowa, ty Simpson had another nice game.

Speaker 1 (11:59):
Anything else jumped out at you from the week of
college football?

Speaker 3 (12:01):
You know, I'll mention this and I do the podcast
with the first pick with a former tight and GM
ran kart On and he shot me this note this
morning and we were going back and forth on it,
and I didn't realize it because I think ty Simpson
is playing out of his mind. He's playing at some
pretty so do we pretty high level football? But dot
dot his deep ball accuracy in completion percentage is among
the worst when you look at the guys that are

(12:24):
likely to come out or maybe the next few years
come out. And I went and looked real quick. It's
only the top of the list, complete ball, start more
area arts down the field, drew allers at the top,
he's only three of five, but I never would have
guessed that.

Speaker 1 (12:38):
Jade Maiavas number two, and I like Jayden.

Speaker 3 (12:40):
I think he's going to come back, but he does
some things well and we're not talking a lot about him.
Carson bec Dante More at the top, Fernanda Medoz as well,
but at the bottom, the very last two guys in
terms of completion percentage down the field, Ty Simpson and
Garrett Nusmeyer. And yeah, these are guys at ten ten
or so quarterbacks that could come out or we've talked
about at some point, is being interesting prospects in twenty six,
maybe twenty seven. So I went back and looked at

(13:02):
those throws and I would say eighty percent of them
are off target. Ryan Williamson had a couple drops and
we know about that, but just something to monitor because
first and second level throws. Ty Simpson is wearing out defenses,
throwing with anticipation, playing on time, making good decisions with
the football. But I do want to see what this
looks like, you know, twenty plus yards down the field.
If this can get better over the next half of

(13:22):
this season, if he comes back, what that looks like,
or if you draft him, what does that look like?
And what you're playing in place to put him to
settle up for success, because again, Ty Simpson is, you know,
one of the three best quarterbacks in this class as
we sit here.

Speaker 4 (13:35):
I think with Ni Mayer, it's just that he doesn't
have the armstrang to drive the ball downfield. I watch Simpson,
I absolutely agree to me. It could be more of
a trajectory sort of situation. He seems to put too
much air under those deep passes and then the receivers
downfield are slowing up and waiting and waiting for the
ball to arrive. It's not a situation where he can't
make those passes. I think is he's got to get

(13:56):
the trajectory right. A lot of times it has to
do with footwork other things. But listen, you know we
talk is he gonnaenter the draft. We've talked about this before.
He's what started eight or nine games in his college career,
so obviously there's gonna be things that need to be worked.

Speaker 2 (14:11):
On and that's one offul And apparently he already graduated
before the season started, so he can really pretty much
do whatever he wants Simpson, And in terms of deciding
what he wants to do, it be interesting to track
that once the season's over. Some tells me if someone's
gonna open the check book at Alabama to try to
get him to stay, and we'll see how that ends
up going if he decides to stick or or head
to the Pros. Draft season is presented by Moody's, a

(14:33):
proud sponsor of the New York Giants. Decode versus Unlock Opportunity.
Learn more at moodies dot com. All right, guys, let's
go to our defensive riders and sliders.

Speaker 1 (14:42):
Tony, I'll let you go.

Speaker 2 (14:43):
You go through the list first, then Ryan you can
either comment on his guys, you can add some of
your own, and we'll go position by group by position group. Here, Tony,
let's start with your interior defensive lineman.

Speaker 1 (14:52):
What do you got?

Speaker 4 (14:53):
I mean, three guys that really weren't talked about before
the season started. I guess that's what a riser is.
Someone I've mentioned on this show before. Anthony Smith of
Minnesota he could maybe make it. He's a defensive end
in Minnesota's three man line. Eleven and a half tackles lost,
eight sacks, five quarterback Hurriyes, he's an athletic guy. He
plays with good fundamentals. He's explosive, He's got a lot

(15:17):
of upside. Oregon Amari Washington, I mean a guy who
basically played behind Derek Harmon and Jamari Cardwell last year.
Cardwollve's having a great year with the Chargers, has really
taken to that first team well. Just very explosive guy.
It's tough to stop on the inside. Love for his
ability to beat upponents off with the first step. He

(15:38):
shows some strength in his game. And Kate McDonald of
Ohio State, who we've mentioned on this game, you know,
a big interior guy who you know white. Washington was
the rotational guy that saw the field on occasion last year,
playing behind first round pick Tyler Williams at Ty Hamilton
who was a late round pick. Forty one tackles and
seven tackles for loss for a I don't want say

(16:01):
he's short of, but a sort of a wide body
guy who shows the ability to change direction and make
plays all over the field. I think he's really stepped
it up in Ohio state. That defensive line has not
missed the beat, despite the fact that all four guys
from last last year's National championship team graduated to the
NFL and the four guys we see on the field
now also look like NFL prospects.

Speaker 3 (16:24):
Ryan go Ahead. It helps to have r Roll Reese
decide to play like a future Hall of Famer, Sonny
Sykes defind himself, and oh Caleb as He's hanging out
in the backfield as well.

Speaker 1 (16:34):
Doing is saying. I start with Kate McDonald.

Speaker 3 (16:36):
He might be one of the best, if not the
best run defenders in tier defensive lineman in this draft class.
Given the way he plays, I think he has some
room to grow as a pass rusher, but it depends
on how you want to use him. But he has
certainly been a revelation on the interior that defensive line.

Speaker 1 (16:48):
A Maury Washington was interesting. He is a true junior.

Speaker 3 (16:51):
He was a freshman in twenty.

Speaker 1 (16:52):
Twenty three, so the room for growth is.

Speaker 3 (16:55):
Almost unlimited with him. But the athleticism is so freakish
that you have to to project a little bit what
that's gonna look like because there are times where he
he looks not lost, but he's not as a polished
as Derek Harmon or Jamari Colwall Caldwell were last season,
and that's to be expected. But athletically he's probably better
than both. You know, Jamary Callwell, if you put him

(17:17):
in Derek Harmon's body, he's probably the first overall pick.
I think we sleep on the fact that Jamary Callwell
looks like me, you know, rolling out of bed or
coming home. But he can get after it, as Tony
mentioned for the charters this year for sure, But I
think AMRII. Washington his best footballs ahead of him, and
it's gonna be a situation where you're having that conversation
in the draft room. So defensive line coach is gonna say,
if you want to see this dude, you know, play
with it, like play light himself on fire in terms

(17:39):
of the way he plays. Let me get my hands
on him, because I do think he's such an untapped
potential at this point, just because he's so relatively new
to college football and that he's a true junior.

Speaker 2 (17:48):
Any players not on Tony's less Ryan that have caught
your attention this year that you think have really helped
themselves throughout the season.

Speaker 1 (17:53):
On the defensive tackle front.

Speaker 3 (17:55):
I think Sonny Sonny styles is. I watched him over
the summer and he looked like a guy that had
pre he played safety. He looked like he was playing
off ball, like he was playing through a straw. This year,
he looks much more comfortable, much more free in terms
of the way he's playing, much more loose coming downhill.
And the only thing that's holding the back is that
he's playing alongside rbl Reeves, who when you compare them,

(18:16):
it's it's probably unfair to Sonny, but Sonny is playing
in my mind like a top fifty, maybe higher than
that talent. Let me see what else I have.

Speaker 1 (18:24):
Just anyone on the defensive line.

Speaker 3 (18:27):
Let's see what we got here. When you're old, you
have to write this stuff down.

Speaker 1 (18:32):
Trust me, I feel you.

Speaker 3 (18:37):
I have a guy that I bare Alexander next to
Amari has been a fun watch.

Speaker 1 (18:43):
I think he's gotten better this year.

Speaker 3 (18:44):
I hesitated because there's a guy that I was expecting
a lot from and I'll mention him in a second,
who hasn't quite lives of expectations along the defensive line.
I think Peter will has been good for Clemson, but
that team is in such disarray that it, you know,
sometimes unfairly, perhaps we like to ding these guys even
though they're not solely responsible for what's going on. But
I'll get to my other guy in a second. Dominic

(19:05):
Orange is a guy that ha's got a lot of
pub I like him, I don't love him. I don't
know if I would take him on Day two right now,
but I know people like him perhaps in the first
round when you look around the media landscape. But I'm
not quite there yet, all right, totally haven't.

Speaker 4 (19:17):
I mean, Dom Orange of Iowa State is the exact
opposite of Saint Durant. Sain Durance is your one gap
from Penn State, who we talked about before. He's your
one gap, three technique tackle, where Dom Orange is basically
your zero tech technique nose tackle. So he's not gonna
make a lot of plays, but he's going to occupy
the guys on the inside and allow his teammates to
make plays. Two guys at the defensive tackle position who

(19:39):
I think have slid down boards. You know you mentioned
Peter Woods in the disappointment of Clemson. I'm gonna go
with his teammate ma demonte k Park. And this is
really a two year slot because coming into the twenty
twenty four season, Kate Park, who is a big, powerful guy,
was graded as a potential late day two pick early

(20:00):
fourth round selection by NFL scouts. He was nowhere to
be found. Last year he made the right decision to
come back and playing another year at Clemson, and he's
been slightly better. So you're talking about a guy in
kpe Park who entering the twenty twenty four season a
potential top one hundred pick. Now you're looking at he's
basically holding on to be a very late round selection.

(20:23):
Team's gonna like his size, like his power. You know,
if he gets a real loot in the rear end,
maybe he'd get to that point where scouts thought he
should be. And you know you talked about Dom Orange
getting some first round love. Outside, I see a lot
of people who love Kristen Miller of Georgia. I like Miller.
I just he plays in spurts. I mean, he's We've

(20:45):
seen this come out of Georgia before you get those
big interior guys who were so much bigger, so much
more powerful than everyone else, and then they'll make one
or two plays and they disappear for a lengths at
a time. And that's what I see for Miller. I
think he should be a much a much better and
much more productive player than he is.

Speaker 2 (21:02):
Try to remember who was the nose tackle out of
Georgia last year, the really big guy that came out.

Speaker 1 (21:07):
He was a prospect. Yeah, it was a prospect for
a couple of years.

Speaker 2 (21:10):
I forget his name, but he's one of those guys
I think Toldy that you're kind of talking about.

Speaker 3 (21:13):
There, go ahead, Ryan, Yeah, I agree on on Miller
in general, and sometimes, you know, we have conversations about
is the quarterback a function of the offense? Mac Jones
at Alabama with all those receivers. That's also the case
with Georgia defenders. Every single year you have to sort
of figure out how much of that is team teammates
doing the heavy lifting or how much is that you
doing your thing? And talking about guys that are you know,

(21:34):
not even built in lab because he wouldn't fit in
the lab and having quite mad expectations. I was intrigued
by Xavid Harris, the enormous old miss defitsive lineman he's
verified six seven three thirty and the first thing that
came to my mind was, Okay, is this gonna be
a Deon Walker Kentucky situation or something completely different? And
it turns out something completely different. Dion Walker has first

(21:55):
round talent. He had a back injury last year, and
he's actually played pretty well in spurts for the Buffalo
Bills as a Day three pick. Xamin Harris, I don't
know if it would be possible for him to play
higher than he plays at six seven three point thirty.
He could be ragged alling offensive lineman and it's just
he's not put it together yet. And I don't know
if you will. But the measurables are so insane when

(22:16):
you see him in the huddle standing next to the
other guys who are six or five and making them
look like they're you know, school kids, but that it
just hasn't come together in the field for him. And
again it'll be a situation where I'm sure defenive blind
coaches thinks they can get the most out of them.
I just don't know when you're this far down the
road and you don't play with low pads if that
can suddenly change. But man, he he has some reps

(22:36):
where you're like, Okay, this guy can take over games.
It's just you see it about once or twice a
game instead of seeing it once or twice a series.

Speaker 2 (22:43):
All right, Tony, let's uh he right. Already mentioned a
couple inside linebackers. Why don't we go there next? And
then we'll hit edge after that. So why don't we
go to off ball linebackers. You guys both have Sonny
styles on your risers. Let's what else do you have
in that mix?

Speaker 4 (22:55):
Well, obviously Alvra reached. Who's really kicking his game to
the next level line I mean, we knew he was
a good space linebacker, off ball linebacker a year ago.
The blitzing ability he's shown, the ability to rush the
passer off the edge and create mayhem. I mean, he's
displayed himself to be a complete three down linebacker in
all facets of the position. Is going to be a
very early pick. Looks like he's NFL ready, you know,

(23:18):
not just the playmaking, not just the athleticism, but the smarts,
the instincts. He plays discipline football as well as productive football.
Ryan talked about Sonny styles. Listen, I'm gonna go I'm
gonna go out on a cliff on this one until
Draft Day or until somebody tells me otherwise. I still
love Howard Perkins. I mean forty three tackles for pass defenses.

(23:38):
I know he's a little bit dundersized, but coming back
from an injury last year, he looks like he hasn't
missed a beat since freshman season, where he was all world.
He's crazy, He's explosive in any direction. He's great in pursuit.
He can get depth on his pass drops. You know
he can rush the passer, although that may be a
problem to the next level due to his size. He's

(23:58):
gonna have to do it on on the skis blitzes
on occasion. But I mean, this guy would Everybody loved
this guy as a freshman. He got injured in twenty
twenty four. It seems people have fallen off. I don't
know why, because you watch the film at number sevens
all over the place. Caleb elms Or we talked about
to him with the Mike Renner a couple of weeks ago.
Here's a guy who came into the season with a

(24:21):
prior a free agent grade from NFL scouts. He's playing
lights out ninety two tackles with three games left this season.
You're a pure off ball linebacker. He's not a big guy.
He's a pursuit linebacker who goes sideline to sideline, flies
to the action, constantly around the ball, making positive plays.
I mean, you're looking at a guy coming into the
season great as a free agent. He's probably now in

(24:45):
the fourth fifth round area, could go even higher depending
on how he works out. Daniel Wingate, a guy from Maryland,
not a lot of people talk about. Again, another pursuit linebacker.
He's a little bit bigger. He goes about six three,
two hundred and thirty pounds. He's fast moving in every direction.
Eighty three tackles this season. And finally, Aiden Fisher of
Indiana struggling with a knee injury now, but if you

(25:07):
saw last week against Penn State, he's still making a
lot of plays. I mean, a guy who on third
and five can play in space and coverage, can run
down the wall handler and backside pursuit and stats well
against the run on the short yardages. But Aiden Fisher
of Indiana I think has really helped himself. Has called

(25:28):
from a potential late round pick, probably into the middle
part of Day three, if not earlier.

Speaker 3 (25:33):
It feels like we're coming around on these off ball
linebackers because they've been undervalued as Day two picks historically
last time on five, six, seven years and it feels
like if you get good players in good position to
to o kay to take him in the first round.
Same thing with center to.

Speaker 1 (25:47):
A degree, and this is sort of a layout.

Speaker 3 (25:49):
But I was excited to go back and watch him play,
and he's playing better than he did last season. C
J Allen, Georgia. He gets after it. He can do
everything you wanted to do. He can come downhill, he
can play in space, He's not gonna miss tackles. I
think he has a chance to be a first round pick.
Jayshaun Barham out of Michigan. I absolutely love he is
a hair on fire guy as well. Played off ball.

(26:10):
Not even move him to edge because they need him there.
He's incredibly disruptive. He's not six five, two fifty, but
he doesn't know that. He plays like he's, you know,
sixty five two sixty five. I love the motor which
he plays. I did want to ask you guys something
talking about rvil Reese and the versatility he brings because
he can play off the edge, he can play off ball,
can play in the slot. If you want him to
compare him and I might have this conversation with myself.

(26:32):
I haven't answered myself yet. Him and Jalen Walker from
last year do a lot of the similar things.

Speaker 1 (26:37):
I think I'm leaning towards.

Speaker 3 (26:38):
Rvell as the better football player coming out.

Speaker 1 (26:40):
I don't know if I'm there yet.

Speaker 2 (26:42):
Well, I think especially since Reese is the better body, right,
I mean, he's just longer, he's broad, he can't I
think he can survive on the edge, Tony, and I'm
sorry for jumping on you there, but I think he
just has the physical traits that jump out more as
an edge player than Walker, combined with just his abilities
of foot player.

Speaker 4 (27:00):
Right, he's bigger, he's taller, which means he's got more
growth potential. I mean Jellen Walker was what six one
and a half, So he's only he's he only has
limited He's got limited growth potential. He's not gonna be
able to put on a much weight and basically keep
that speed quickness, where I think Reese is has got
the body to get bigger. I mean, I like guys

(27:22):
I lean towards guys that show the ability to play
in space and then develop their pass rush moves, because
I think it's much easier to make plays moving forwards
than in reverse. Walker did that to an extent last year.
Reese has really done it to an extent, really taken
to a next level this year.

Speaker 2 (27:37):
Well, Ryan, I want to throw the question back at
yous Daan Brugo just released his top fifty. He had
Reese as a number one player, So I think the
question would be, do you think the team will just
convert him to a straight up edge like Parsons eventually?
He remember Parson's the first part of that first year
in Dallas, he actually played off ball linebacker for them.
He wasn't an edge player. They eventually moved there when
a couple guys got hurt.

Speaker 1 (27:57):
How do you think Reesa is going to.

Speaker 2 (27:59):
Be drafted as a linebacker that could do both or
is the team just gonna say no. I like him
as an edge player that's gonna rush the passer, that's
all I'm gonna draft him.

Speaker 1 (28:07):
I think he's gonna be drafted.

Speaker 3 (28:08):
Travis Hunter Kama athlete because what they do with Mica
now is put Mike over the center and third down,
it just let him recavoc inside. So I mean, you're
not gonna limit Rvel And I think we did a
mock draft last week, I think on the show, and
I think I had r Bill going fifth or sixth
to the Titans or whatever they traded down at the moment,
So that that feels right to me taking him that
high because of the versatility the growth he's made. He's
still a young player, and I don't think you cap

(28:30):
him on where you play him.

Speaker 1 (28:31):
You play him if he's best.

Speaker 3 (28:33):
Playing free safety, you put him in free safety and
say get after it, Tony.

Speaker 4 (28:38):
I know if we could play free safety, but I'm
sure he could play strump safety and come to the
tight ends and running back, so for you know, twenty
yards downfield.

Speaker 1 (28:44):
All right, Tony, who are some of your guys?

Speaker 2 (28:46):
And this is a short list because this is one
of the few good like off ball linebacker drafts we've
had in like ten years. I feel like not many
guys on your sliders listed inside linebacker.

Speaker 4 (28:55):
Yeah, it's gonna be a recurring theme as it was
last week when we talked on the offense win with
Dad as a clems and I mean, here's a guy
who a year ago I absolutely loved him. Eighty six tackles,
ten tackles for the lost, six pass defenses, all over
the field, making positive plays. He's not going to come
close to those numbers this year. Like many of his
teammates on clumbson on both sides of the ball, he's
been very disappointing. He came into the season from Scouts

(29:18):
with late round grades. I liked him more. I liked
him as a middle round choice. But Scouts's gonna be
proven to be right because I mean, he's not playing
like a middle round choice this year. He's played like
the late rounder that they expected him to be.

Speaker 3 (29:31):
I'll mention Jake Golde out of Sensei. I like him,
I do have some concerns about his ability to change direction.
He's a little stiff at times in space. It's not
the end of the world. He's going to be a
good player the next level. He's a nuts rusher who
transferred to Sensei and is having a pretty good season,
no doubt about it. But I do wonder if he's
going to sneak his way into this top fifty conversation

(29:53):
because he doesn't feel like a top fifty player to me,
and going back to Tony's conversation about Harrol Perkins Junior,
I'm with you. I think the things that harl Perkins
Junior are doing are somehow flying under the radar unless
he has other issues to contend with. But Harrol Perkins
Junior isn't one of them, especially when you compare, like
if you're ask me who my taking him or Golday
Perkins is smaller, but I know he can do more

(30:13):
and I feel much more comfort with him in space.
Goldie is a great player. I just don't know if
he's going to go as high as some people in
the medium might think.

Speaker 4 (30:20):
I'm gonna agree with you on Guladay because you know
there's some people who love him. And when I watch Cincinnati,
you know he racks up all these tackles. There's no
wow factor to his game, Y, you know, I mean,
he's very workmanlike, he's very disciplined, but it doesn't jump
off the film. Arvor Reese is not a fair comparison.
But even you know Caleb elms Or of TCU, you
see him all over the place making plays Gola days.

(30:43):
He's nice. There's no wow factor to his game. As
far as I'm concerned.

Speaker 1 (30:48):
All right, Tony, let's go to the edge here.

Speaker 2 (30:49):
Who are your guys that have we mentioned rvel rees
so you don't have to mention him here, but who
else has helped themselves on the edge.

Speaker 1 (30:55):
This is a rather long list obviously, and.

Speaker 4 (30:57):
As Ryan said, I mean it's open, but there's a
lot of players at this position. Now. Ruben Bain, a
lot of people think he's going to be a top
three pick. The stats aren't great. I think he's helped
by his teammate Keen Mezzidorf, who's also helped himself. But listen,
two hundred and seventy pounds. You see that athleticism, the
speed up the field, the ability to change direction, get
out in space, the ability of recavioc. He's going to

(31:18):
be a very early pick. David Bailey of Texas Tech
by way of Stamford. We talked about guys who are
great making plays up the field. That's Bailey. Fifteen tackles
for loss, eleven and a half sacks, has been credited
with eleven. Quarterback Hurryes six foot three, two forty six
pounds a junior timing day last year, but he plays big.

(31:39):
I mean He's not a guy that gets not whacked
around by a bigger offensive lineman. He will hold his
ground against blocks and it shows the ability to get
off those blocks and make plays. He's also athletic. He's
not just a guy that can make plays up the field.
They use him that way because he's so effective in
that realm. But if you watch the Stanford film, he
can go silent too, silin he can drop in the coverage.

(32:01):
So he's more than just an edge rusher, although everyone's
gonna paint him as an edge rusher. We talked about
Casius Howell before Josh josephs of Tennessee. I don't know why
I put him here. His orgon Josh Joseph of Tennessee
six tackles, w lost four sacks. Another one of those
undersized pass rushers that you can use occasionally coming out

(32:22):
of a three point stance or standing over tackle. Kenyteda
Jackson of Ohio State. Yet another guy who I think
is really stepping up, someone who is used as a
rotational player. Last year when they had Tua Maloa and
they had Jack Sawyer showed flashes last year starting to
put it together as a consistent disruptor, guy who could
stop the run, who can also rush the passer, makes

(32:43):
plays in every direction of the field. And then Quincy
Rose of Arkansas, who gets no pub A lot of
things have gone wrong in Arkansas this year. Quincy Roase
is one of the few things that has gone right.
Thirty seven tackles, fourteen tackles for lost, eight sacks. He's
more of your Ruben Bain Anthony Smith of Minnesota type

(33:04):
in the sense that he's a bigger, taller, athletic edge
rusher who in time could be used in a two
gap system as a defensive end, may even grow into
that defensive tackle position. But he's showed a lot of
ability at Arkansas this year.

Speaker 1 (33:19):
Hey, Ryan wed this edge class is filled with bigger
edges this year. Yeah, it's nuts.

Speaker 3 (33:24):
It's like we went from average two fifty five sixty
four to two fifty five to six six two seventy
five plus. I'm so glad you put Quincy Roase Junior
in this list. I am one of his biggest fans
outside of his immediate family. I would imagine I've had
him go in the first round. Sometimes I love the
way this young man plays. He's unofficially sixty six, so
we'll see. But two seventy five feels about real and

(33:45):
just the things he's able to do most humans are
incapable of doing. I think Ruben Bain Junior has had
a fantastic season, especially compared to last year. But I've
talked to some folks that say his arms are going
to be sub thirty one, and we'll find out together.
But you know, I just don't know how you overcome that.

(34:07):
And but I say this too, and I'm interested what
you guys think. We overthink a lot of things because
we have so much time between September and late April.
And sometimes guys are just good football players. Brian Branch,
Kyle Hamilton. They all ran slow. Those are first round talents.
One went late in the first round. One win the
second round for reasons that defy comprehension.

Speaker 1 (34:26):
And I do wonder.

Speaker 3 (34:27):
If we talk ourselves out of really good football players,
because historically.

Speaker 1 (34:32):
It hasn't worked.

Speaker 3 (34:33):
And I get that part of it, but it's hard
to argue with the way Ruben being junior is playing.
To Tony's other point, how much of that is him
dominating and we see it a lot one on one reption.
How much of that is his counterpart a key mesidor
helping out on the other side to keep off the
double teams. One other name I'll mentioned in terms of
guys that I absolutely love, and I think I have
a soft spot for undersized guys David Bailey's buddy Romelo height.

(34:56):
He's two twenty eight. All day long, he does not
know that, and he plays with so much juice He's
probably gonna end up going on day three because of that.
He's an older player as well. He's transferred a couple times,
but my goodness, the motor with which that young man
plays is inspirational at times. So I love watching those
two guys come off the edge. And the Utah game

(35:17):
was a great game because they win nip against two
tackles are probably the first round picks. He's got a
true measure of what it looked like for both sides
of the ball in that Utah Texas Tech game.

Speaker 2 (35:26):
All right, Tony, how about your guys that maybe have
not lived up the expectations.

Speaker 1 (35:30):
On the edge.

Speaker 4 (35:31):
Let's go back to Clemson. I mean TJ. Parker two
sacks this year. Coming into the season, I think most
people thought that TJ. Parker was a potential top twenty pick,
maybe a top fifteen pick. He hasn't come close to
playing it this year. I mean he's getting washed at
the point by average offensive tackles. Really has not had
a good season, as that entire Clemson program has failed.
I put Keldrick Falk of Auburn on this list only

(35:54):
because if we're gonna we had this discussion back in
August beginning September. I looked at Keldrick Falk as a
potential top five, maybe even a top three pick. I
thought he was that dominant. I thought he was that explosive.
He's incredibly athletic. He's not played like it this year,
and that's gonna be a topic of conversation. You know,
in those Combine interviews, Why didn't you play as well

(36:15):
as everyone thought you should have played this year. I
like Keldrick Falk, I just expected more from him this year.
And then Danny Denniston of Penn State played well against Indiana,
but he's got three sacks this year, does have three
force fumbles. I mean, here's a guy who six or five,
two hundred and seventy pounds. It's probably gonna run under

(36:35):
four eight in the forty in pre drafted testing. Came
through last year when I got in the playoffs for
Penn State, when I duel Carter hurt his shoulder and
Dannis sent was tough to stop. I mean, he's you know,
he makes a sack, he's flexing, and you know it's like,
you know, he stopped the entire world. Meanwhile the team stinks.

(36:56):
I just you know it's it's I expected, like the Parker,
like Keldrick Falk, I just expected so much more from
Dennis Sutton this year and he is not produced.

Speaker 1 (37:08):
Tony's The funny thing is, Tony's not angry. He's just disappointed.

Speaker 3 (37:15):
No disappointments worse though. I mean, you know your kids
will tell you that, but I I'm win you. In
a sudden he would probably admit, in his hard of
hearts that he has not played as well as he
he has wanted to. And you know, you watch you
guys over the summer, and you have an idea of
what you want that progress to look like. And sometimes
the progress exceeds expectations in rvel recent a lot of
times it doesn't. And the Keldric Faulk thing is is

(37:37):
one that I had concerns about he may be a
situation where he doesn't reach max potential until four four
years from now. You just don't know because he hasn't
played a ton of football and I would throw And
I don't think this is a knocking as Coultric falk
of this next name. It's just that they're young, and
while they're you know they you know, baby Jesus blessed
them with a lot of physical traits, they have yet
to realize them. Matteo uncle lay Out of Oregon is

(37:59):
a guy who sweet Mercy alive. If you get him
and couch Falk off the bus first, you're sending the
message to the other team. I would like to see
it translate more consistently on the field, and I think
it will. It just if your expectations are in year
one as rookies they're going to dominate. You're setting yourself
up to be disappointed another player that I didn't get
last year and I get less this year, and to

(38:20):
the point that I'm beyond disappointed.

Speaker 1 (38:22):
I'm frustrated.

Speaker 3 (38:24):
Patrick Payton at LSU transfer from Florida State, and again,
dude looks the part. I just don't know what the
disconnect is between the whistle blowing to start to play
and the whistle blowing to end the play because it's
it's just not there. And he went from a possible
top fifty guy a summer ago to is he going
to get drafted? Is he gonna have to be a
special team or to make a roster once he gets

(38:45):
into the NFL.

Speaker 4 (38:47):
He's another demonte kpe Park. Like I mentioned the defensive
tackle from Placat, it's been a two year foll for Peyton,
and I agree with you. I mean, coming off of
that twenty twenty three season at Flarbarda State, You're like, wow,
watch this guy didn't produce in twenty twenty four. It
was a disastrous season at Floria State. He got transfers

(39:07):
to LSU. Your figure, it's going to be a big year.
I mean, he's more mixed that he's hit and miss
and he's more missed than he is hit. So right
on with a guy like that, and what's gonna happen
is again go to combine interviews. Scout's gonna say, you
know what's going on, what's happening here, and that's why
he'll fall deep into the draft. Could potentially be on

(39:28):
the could potentially go and not get selected.

Speaker 2 (39:32):
All right, Tony gets get to the defensive bats, corners
in safeties together here.

Speaker 3 (39:36):
Yeah.

Speaker 4 (39:36):
A couple of guys that have really exceeded expectations. Monsieur Delaine,
who we've talked about at length from LSU the Virginia
Tech transfer eight pass defenses and one interception this year
eight pass breakups and one interception has really turned it around.
Show a lot of ability as a sophomore in Virginia
Tech in twenty twenty three, struggled a bit last year,

(39:58):
has elevated his game. Brandon Sissy of South Carolina. You
know you come into the season if you didn't your
film work over the summer. You're looking at Jalen Kilgore
and Judge Collier as the top corners at South Carolina.
It's been Sissy who's played incredibly well this year. Five
pass breakups, one interception. He's a toiller guy. May not
hit that six foot mark, but he's still going to

(40:19):
be about five or eleven excellent ball skills. And again,
another guy that came out of nowhere. The talk was
all about Jermad McCoy at Tennessee coming into the season,
and he hasn't played because of an offseason injury. Coultonhood
has stepped in, basically taking the spot and stole them
the spotlight from him. Coultonhood, who's on his third team,

(40:40):
started at Auburn, went to Colorado, now has basically fixed
firmed himself at Tennessee. He's playing like a Day two selection.
I happened to like judge of mel Johnson the safety
out of TCU sixty nine tackles, but also four He's
not just a downhill run defending safety. He shows this
terrific ball skills. Genesis Smith, who we talked about when

(41:02):
Mike Redan was on the show. Fifty three tackles, one interception,
seven pass breakups. Again true free safety that can go
sideline to sideline and make plays when the ball is
in a ball cap, when the football is in the
ballcarricer's hands, or it's in the air. And D'Angelo Pounds
of Indiana, who again had a good game against Penn State.
He's a smaller guy, gonna be a nickel or dining

(41:24):
back on Sunday, but man, he can play. He can
play up at the line of scrimmage, he can play
in zone. You can play backed off the football, and
a guy just seems to get better and better and
better that no one talks about.

Speaker 3 (41:36):
Yeah, it's funny. I've seen all these guys except CC,
and they are all risers for me. This safety class,
you know, we usually talk about Klee downs. This safety
class can be pretty deep. I think there'd be a
lot of guys that go on Day two, maybe early
day three, that have a chance to contribute right away.
Another name i'll mention it safety and aj Halsey out
of LSU.

Speaker 1 (41:54):
For as bad as LSU is, they do have some dudes.

Speaker 3 (41:56):
I mean, he's done a lot for himself this season,
I feel in terms of helping his draft stock. I
mentioned Zakey wheat Lee out of Penn State and two
of their names I'll mention Dangel Pond is one of
my favorite players. Someone else in that mold is Duke
Chandler Rivers, who I liked to light over the summer.
He's a verified five eight and change, So again, his
future is going to be in the slot as well.
Even though he and D'Angelo play a lot outside, they're

(42:19):
gonna have to play inside. But they think they have
the physicality, the ability to tackle in space and surprising
ball skills for that height to be competitive at the
next level. And one other name I mentioned, I'll mention
and this, This dude has been so much fun to watch.
Chris Johnson, the cornerback out of Sant Diego State. He's
six feet but he's about oneint eighty. He plays bigger
than that. He will tackle and come up and run

(42:40):
support and he is a wrap up tackler. He is
legit in terms of staying in phase on down to
a vertical routes, get himself in position for PBUs and
turnover opportunities. And he does it in an era where
you know college football, you can basically tackle people and
they won't throw a flag. He is playing the type
of defensive football that will not get you flagged to
the next level, which is an easier transition. And I

(43:01):
say that as a Steelers fan who has to watch
Joey Porter Junior every week make fifteen tackles down the
field to keep drivers alive for the offense.

Speaker 4 (43:10):
About Johnson, especially when when you get those dbs out
of the out of the Mountain West, who have huge stats,
they're often they're opportunistic players. Johnson's got excellent ball skills.
I mean it's not he creates his own opportunities as
opposed to making plays because the opposing quarterbacks just made
a bad throw.

Speaker 1 (43:29):
All right, How about your sliders in the defensive backfield?

Speaker 4 (43:31):
Tony Ryan talked about one of them earlier, AJ Harris,
the cornerback from Penn State. When I sold watch them over,
someone like wow, this guy is big, he's explosively strong,
and he's getting beaten like a drum this year. I mean,
he's can't make plays with his back to the ball.
I'm starting to wonder is he going to be a
cornerback or is he going to be a safety. Has
been a major disappointment for me and Demioni Jackson of

(43:53):
Alabama coming into the season. Scouts great him anywhere from
a second round pick to the later rounds. I mean
he's been two years ago. You watched him and you're like, wow,
this guy can be the next big time corner to
come out come out of Alabama. He may end up
going undrafted because he's been so streaky and so inconsistent.

Speaker 3 (44:13):
I agree. I agree bout Demani and I watched him
of the summer and I want to see a little
bit more and we haven't gotten to that point yet.
A couple of names I'll mention Christian Graant a Notre Dame.
I had a high hopes for him this season and he,
you know, he played along as that Leonardmore doesn't help
if Lennarmore is gonna play the level he's playing at,
and I don't know if he's injured, and sometimes we
don't know, especially in college, but he hasn't quite lived
up to the expectations. And a guy that played like

(44:37):
his life depended on in Week one in that win
over Alabama for Florida State or a little junior the
safety is a firecracker, human missile coming downhill. But I
went back and watch the rest of his couple more
games a couple of days ago. He's a little stiff
in space, he's better closer to the line of scrimmage.
And this is no knock on him.

Speaker 1 (44:57):
He is what he is.

Speaker 3 (44:58):
But given the way he played in Week one game,
I thought he had an opportunity to make some moves.
I think now he's probably gonna be locked in as
a Day three guy. Again, that's okay, But if he
had played the rest of the season like he played
in the Alabama game. You know he'd have been the
first overall pick because that was some of the craziest
football I'd ever seen.

Speaker 2 (45:15):
All Right, guys, we got about eight minutes to go.
Let's take a look at this week in college football, Tony.
A couple of matchups. In some of these games, you're
really excited about. Clemson and Louisville. A big wide receiver, cornerback.
One on one.

Speaker 4 (45:25):
Yeah, Louisville, very important game from them for them in
the ACC standings. Clemson, we've talked about Avion Terrell, who
hasn't been bad. I don't think he's failed expectations. Like TJ.
Park and some of the other players on Clemson. He
saw going up against Chris Bell. I mean, Chris Bell
is playing lights out this year. We've talked about him
a couple of times on this podcast. He's a definite

(45:49):
Day two pick. I don't know that he's going to
be a first rounder. Six pounds, he's fast, he's explosive
and just makes cat schifter catch after catch. He was
good in twenty twenty four. He's been better this season.
He's got a size advantage over Terrell, who plays to
football that is going to be a matchup to watch,
a definite next level matchup between Cleinson and Louisville.

Speaker 3 (46:13):
I'll say this about Chris Bell. I may be the
only person that's not high on him. I wasn't high
on Rushie Rice coming out either, and I've since been
proven wrong. I don't know about his long speed, and
I know he catches a lot of balls near the
line of scrimmage and strides out. I understand that I
want to see this matchup in particular, see how it unfolds,
because that hopefully that'll clue me into the direction I
need to go. But I'm on an island this one.

(46:34):
We'll see what happens. Another name a guy that I
actually just watched and he was a lot of fun.
Clev Lubin number fifty, the edge rusher for Louisville. This
guy can set the edge and the run. He is
incredibly active as a pass rusher. Blake Miller the right
tacklet of Clemson. I was very happy you went back
to school last year. I haven't watched him closely this year,
but that's a matchup I can keep my eye on
as we get through this game here. But yeah, Chris Bell,

(46:58):
I don't know what it is. But whatever the blind
spot is, hopefully I can I can see you know.

Speaker 1 (47:03):
Ryan, I'm kind of with you, like there's nothing. He's
not sudden in the way he runs his routes.

Speaker 2 (47:07):
I know he's rolling that regard a little bit, and
I know he does a lot of acceleration once he
has the ball in his hands. But I'm with you,
I'm not totally sold on that. All Right, We'll see, Yeah,
we'll say both of us gonna end up being wrong.
I kind of thought the same thing about aj Brown too,
and and how that one.

Speaker 1 (47:20):
Work out, Tony. Another match up Minnesota and Oregon.

Speaker 2 (47:23):
We talked about Anthony Smith already, but he's going up
against the guard that you really like.

Speaker 1 (47:27):
Maybe he's gonna be a tackle to Isaiah World.

Speaker 4 (47:30):
Yeah, I know he's gonna be a guard. I think
it's gonna be a left tackle and to proven otherwise.
I mean, Isaiah World has been playing basically the whole
world football. We saw it early in the in the
year against Penn State. He's got those long arms transferred
from Nevada, has elevated his game really seamless in the
jump step up the competition into the Big Ten. Showed

(47:52):
a lot of outstanding traits. Very athletic as well. Not
a guy who's just a line of scrimmage type of
offensive tackle can get out to the second level lock
in motion. Love the way he uses his hands. Like
I said, he's got those long arms. He's gonna be
up against it against Minnesota. Now, Minnesota plays a three
man line, so we'll have to wait and see if
that matchup basically comes to fruition where he's lined up

(48:14):
over Isaiah World. But if he does, it's gonna be
a terrific matchup between two guys that are absolutely right.
Now Day two picks next.

Speaker 3 (48:24):
To April, I'm gonna go with Isaiah World's buddy left guard,
Emmanuel Pregnantity transfer for USC and he is He sends
a message from the left car position. He is incredibly
effective as a run blocker. He was listed at three
twenty this summer. He combo blocks and gets to the

(48:45):
second level. Like he weighs one hundred and eighty five pounds,
He's an elite pass protector. On the interior, he does
very few things that give you pause. I love the
way he plays, and that left side of the line
is solidified with both him and and Isaiah World's there
and I've enjoyed watching him play. See what happens with
Dante Moore. I'm curious to see if he comes back
to school because that's been a talking point as well.

(49:06):
He's not been asked to do as much as Mendoza
or ty Simpson from game in the game out when
he has been for the most part, he's been good,
but I want to continue to see him to progress,
so just to have a fuller picture of who he's
gonna be once he decides to make his way to
the NFL.

Speaker 2 (49:22):
All right, Tony, let's jump over to Oklahoma and Alabama,
big SEC matchup.

Speaker 4 (49:27):
Obviously, you're gonna watch Ty Simpson every week, and this
is gonna be another big battle not only for ty Simpson,
but Cayden Proctor, a left tackle as well. A lot
of people, I mean, there's a lot of mixed reactions
and opinions on Kayden Proctor. I happen to like him.
A lot of people don't like him. I think he's
better off on the right side. Some people think he's
gonna be an offensive guard. But they go up against Oklahoma,
who's got the number two defense in the SEC. They're

(49:50):
number two in the sacks, number two in sacks in
the SEC. So this is gonna be a big test,
not only for Procter. Kenny kind of kind of slow
down that the Sooner, but Ty Simpson as well. It
broked a cancelo down the pass rush or they're coming
off the right side. How does he react to that
rusher on that Oklahoma from that Oklahoma defense that's proven

(50:12):
themselves to be really good this season.

Speaker 3 (50:14):
Yeah, totally agree, And I'm with you on Proctor. I
think he's a really good football player.

Speaker 1 (50:18):
I do I want him.

Speaker 3 (50:20):
I think the weight is going to be a concern
for NFL teams, and much the same way it was
with Dwan Jones. Dewane Jones probably should have been a
top fifty pick, but you know, refuse to get weigh
to his pro day, and here we are. The other
thing is he weighs twenty pounds more than jac Latham,
which doesn't seem like that should be possible. So you know,
draw fifteen to twenty pounds, take it seriously, and you
can dominate because we've seen him athletically. There are a

(50:42):
few people better athletes on planet Earth. We've seen him
in space, which is a crazy thing to say about
an offensive tackle as a receiver and is running back
and the blocker. You can do all those things, So
there's that the other player in that offense. It's really
really good. I don't know if you guys have talked
about him frequently, but I need to talk more about
a Parker Broiles for the center. He is quote unquote undersized,
but he plays incredibly strong for his two ninetish frame.

(51:04):
Whatever happens to be. Jeremy Bernard is another really good
player and wide receiver that probably deserves more pub And
I think John Mattier post thumb injury, should come back,
But man, is he exciting. I in talking to scouts
over the summer, you know, you talk to him and
they've started jaded Becausey've done this forever. I've never heard

(51:25):
so much excitement about a player as I had about
Johnmetier and what that was going to look like at Oklahoma,
and it got off to a rollicking start before the injury.
But that also informs you that he has to play
smarter and he can't sort of play that freewheeland style
at the next level because he ended up like Jackson
dart to some degree. It can be fun but can
also lead to you being on the sidelines. But this
is gonna be a fun game and I'm looking forward

(51:46):
to it.

Speaker 1 (51:47):
Guys, this was fun.

Speaker 2 (51:49):
Ryan, really appreciate you joining us folks where they can
find your podcast or your work and everything like that.

Speaker 3 (51:54):
Yeah, with the first pick where we get your podcast
on YouTube of course, and I do it with a
former Times GM, Ran Carton, so he has a lot
of insight and that I don't have, and it makes
a show even better. So check that out if you
don't mind.

Speaker 1 (52:06):
And Tony, what anything coming out that people should keep
an eye on.

Speaker 4 (52:09):
No a free agent. Well, hopefully we'll have some more.
Uh maybe in a couple of days.

Speaker 2 (52:13):
I'm sure that the agent is burning up the phone
lines right now. For Tony, everybody, thanks for being with
us here on Draft season. It was brought to you
by Moody's, a proud sponsor of the New York Football Giants,
uniting the brightest minds to turn today's risk into tomorrow's opportunities.
Learn Moro Moodies dot com for Ryan for Tony. Really
fun show today. Thanks for being with us, everybody. We'll
see you next time.