March 17, 2022 • 33 mins
It's episode seven of the Draft Preview Podcast as Host Ethan Greenberg and Dane Brugler go through the exercise of a New York Jets Mock Draft. In Round 1 with pick No. 4 Brugler selects Cincinnati CB Sauce Gardner (2:00) and with the 10th overall pick he selects Florida State Edge Jermaine Johnson (9:15). In the second round, Brugler selects Penn State WR Johan Dotson (14:10) and Georgia S Lewis Cine (17:20). On Day 3, Brugler goes with Wyoming LB Chad Muma in the third round (21:25), Central Michigan G Luke Goedeke (24:10) and Wisconsin TE Jake Ferguson (15:45). Lastly, in the fifth round Brugler selects Iowa State DL Eyioma Uwazurike (28:15) and Alabama Edge Christopher Allen (19:30).
See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
Mark as Played
Transcript
Episode Transcript
Available transcripts are automatically generated. Complete accuracy is not guaranteed.
Speaker 1 (00:00):
The New York Jet and are now on the board. Okay,
Jeff Fan Durrell read this in the New York has
been one of the greatest questions. Zack S Fifth Avenue
brand that one right now, the New York Jet Fleck.
Welcome to another episode NFL Draft Preview, Ethan Greenberg, Dame Bruegler.
(00:21):
We got a real special episode. We got a fun one.
We got our own mock draft. I would say seven rounds,
but right now the Jets only have picks up until
the fifth round to a five round mock draft. But
it's still a full Jet draft, presented to you by
Dame Brugler of the Athletic Dane. You ready to go?
You're feeling good about this mock Fans gonna like it
or fans gonna rip it? What's gonna happen here? Well,
(00:42):
there'll be a little bit of both, I'm sure. Um.
But you know we're in the Missi free agency, so
things could change by the minute. Um. But with where
we are right now, I think this is a pretty
uh realistic scenario, but also one that I think a
lot of fans to be in favor of. All right, well,
let's just set the table here because we do I
think we do have to date ourselves. So you know,
(01:04):
this is protecting you, right, This is like your insurance
policy here recording March fifteen, thirty nine in the morning,
which means that free agency technically hasn't even officially started yet,
so the negotiating windows open. The Jets have reportedly agreed
to terms with the number of players. Dane feels good
about the mock draft. So if you're ready, Dane, We're
just let's just start off right and we're gonna fire
(01:26):
them off at the time. You ready. Sounds good, and
it is important to say too, we didn't, you know,
no trades, We didn't do anything like that. So we're
we're you know, we're not doing any movement or anything.
It's just where the Jets are currently slated to pick.
That that's where we uh, that's where we're focused on
right now. All right, well said, well said, all right.
So this is where we would cue the music if
(01:47):
this were, you know, on television right now. It is not,
so we will we'll queue it in our minds, a
little draft jingle right with the fourth overall pick. The
New York Jets are on the clock, and you have
them selecting a mods sauce gardener at Cincinnati. Why is
that the right pick for the Jets? Here six three
one thirty three and a half inch arms and he
ran a four four one. Uh, that alone has got
(02:09):
your attention. Um. How about the fact that he had
over coverage snaps in college and did not allow a touchdown. Uh.
Productive had at least three interceptions each of the last
three years at Cincinnati. This guy was a lockdown corner. Uh.
He's a long bodied, athletic coverman, does a great job
staying on top of routes. Uh. He challenges the catch point,
(02:30):
very disruptive. I want to see him continue to get stronger.
But if you're looking for a sticky, bump and run corner,
he's got athletic instincts. He can smother different types of
route runners. It's not just vertical guys, not just possession guys. Uh.
Any type of route runner he can handle them. So
you know, Cincinnati, they have not had a first round
(02:51):
pick since nine. That's gonna change pretty soon, and it
could happen with that number four pick. And do you
think that that is you don't like long store shot?
Is you don't think that's too rich right, Sauce at four.
I feel like there are if we were to have
this conversation maybe a month ago, maybe it is a
little too Rich has the combine change that at all,
(03:11):
like in the way that evaluator's view, Sauce, I think
he helped himself by uh, you know, coming in this
there were you know, questions about just how fast was he?
Was he a four four nine four or five two guy?
Or was he going to be in the low four force?
And to be honest with you, that really shouldn't matter
that much. I mean it on tape, is he faster?
Is he not? But when you're trying to, uh, you know,
(03:34):
kind of boil it down, and you know, you're looking
at all these really talented players, the littlest things like
a four or four one in the forty year dash,
that could be a little bit of a difference. Um,
And I think that you know, we've talked about how
this draft class at the top doesn't necessarily get you
that excited, And so I think we're gonna see a
lot of teams focus on the premium positions offensive tackle,
(03:54):
pass rusher, corner and a month's out Sauce Gardener right
there in that mix as arguably the top corner this year.
And I think the Jets with two top ten picks,
that's the two directions that could be looking at, you know,
address those premium positions good good players, and I think
sauce Gardner definitely falls in that category because I don't
think he makes it to you at number ten if
(04:15):
you're thinking about maybe waiting on him. So for Sauce Gardner,
like what does he do best? Obviously he's had a
stellar collegiate career, but what's maybe one or two traits
that you're like, you know what those things really translating?
He does those things really well and the Jets should
be excited about that in particular. First off, you have
to talk about his confidence. Uh, this guy is does
(04:36):
not laugh for the name like sauce right like me,
and you know it's just talking him about like you
know what sauce means. He's like, I don't know, I
just I just got the sauce. And I mean there's
something about you know, maybe going to uh New York,
big the big Apple sauce. I don't know it just
it's right. So, Uh, this is a guy that the
confidence is just it it uses when you talk to him, uh,
(05:01):
and it rubs off on his teammates to uh. You know,
I talked to multiple of his teammates who have mentioned
how the way he carries himself, the confidence, Uh, it's
just it's something that makes them better. But also his
his natural cover instincts. He's a really twitchy guy. So
you know, he can turn and run, he can drive
on the football. The click and close is terrific. Uh,
(05:21):
really really combative without necessarily making a ton of penalties.
So the way he plays, the the attitude, the confidence, Uh,
that's as much of a factor as his athletic ability
in his size at length. So there's a lot of
things that you point to that says, Okay, this is
going to translate well to the NFL. Oh okay, Well,
first of all, I have multiple questions. First off, big
(05:43):
Apple sauce like the nickname. Second of all, um, like,
what is your favorite sauce? Like Barbie is barbecue sauce?
Is that you know? Uh, he's like Chick fil a sauce?
Like what what are we talking about here? Has anybody
asked this question in regard to sauce Gardner? Because I
feel like I feel like a lot of people would have.
But if I'm the first one, I would gladly be
that person. No, yeah, you're the first one. I think,
(06:05):
you know, maybe maybe Kane sauce. Um. I mean it's
what about like if it was like, you know, where
do you stand on ranch? See, I'm not I'm not
a big ranch guy. Um, Like barbecue, Like barbecue sauce
I think is overrated. I'm I'm a big you know,
if you're doing barbecue. If you're doing barbecue, right, you
don't need sauce. Um. But no, I mean there's you know, yeah,
(06:27):
there's some good dipping sauces out there. I'm a big
fit of you know, like like like a garlic parmer
gen sauce, you know, especially with LANs things like that.
So yeah, that that would probably be my vote. Okay.
And if you were to choose a sauce to best
describe sauce, what is it? Uh, let's see, let's go
(06:48):
with the let's go with with with go with the
cane sauce, because there's it's a little peppery and so
you know there that's how that's how he plays. It's
a little pepper to his game, you know, a little
bit of uh, just a hit to a tang and
a hint of you know, pepper, So you know he's
gonna use his hands pepper you, and he's gonna jam uh.
(07:08):
You know that it's not gonna, yeah, not gonna over
you know, it's not gonna ruin the meal. You know,
it's not gonna overwhelm you. But he's gonna get the
job done. Yeah, Okay, I like it. I like it.
And I also like that you said confidence because I
feel like corners kind of get the stigma that they're
that they're cocky. But you're saying he's confident, but he
(07:28):
doesn't quite go over that line in terms of cockiness.
So that's something to keep in mind. The other thing
I want to ask you is who else were you
considering at the fourth overall pick in this mock draft. Well,
I think there's a decent chance that one of Evan
Neil or Ikia Kwandu would be there at number four.
And I think, you know, that's two really good offensive linemen,
(07:51):
guys that have tackle guard ability, so you know, guys
that can come in and help you out right away,
whether that's a right tackle, whether that's on you know,
on the interior um, you know, the moves that they
potentially make a free agency. Maybe offensive line isn't as
much of a a clear need, but we'll have to
see on that. And but I think it's important that
(08:12):
you know you're you're not drafting just for two, you're
drafting for the future, and so offensive line should absolutely
be in that mix. And then pass rusher. You know,
I mentioned how tackle, pass rusher corner the premium positions,
that's what teams are going to focus on, and this
this draft has some of those premium positions early, especially
in pass rusher. Is Travon Walker still available at a
(08:35):
Georgia who you know, the trait ser off the charts,
this guy is gonna go early, I would be at
this point, I think he's a He's more likely he
goes top five, then goes in the six to ten range.
So there's a very good chance that he's maybe not
even there at for But if Travon Walker is, therefore
he's there in that mix. You do your due diligence
on Camon Tibodeaux to find out if he'd be a
(08:56):
fit in your building, on your roster with your culture. Uh.
And then Jermaine Johnson. Uh, you know, maybe you think
about him as well there at number four, if you're
maybe worried that he won't make it to you at
number ten. All right, so Sauce Gardener is the pick
for the Jets in your mock draft at four. Jermaine Johnson, though,
is your pick at ten. So in this scenario, you
(09:17):
think that it's it's one feasible that he makes it
to ten and two obviously is the right choice for
the Jets there because why feasible? I think that's a
good way to put it. I don't know that it's um,
you know, I definitely want to call it a lock.
I definitely wouldn't say that it's more than likely, but
certainly possible that Jermaine Johnson could be there at number ten,
six five, two hundred fifty four pounds thirty four inch arms. Uh.
(09:39):
This is uh, you know, a player that was kind
of lost a little bit, and at Georgia front seven,
he bets on himself transfers of Florida State, becomes the
alpha of that defensive line. Uh. And he had a
career year led the A C C and tackles for
loss eighteen led the A C C and sacks with twelve. Uh,
and you know you wondered, how would the uptick and snaps?
How would he respond? You responded in a pretty big way. Uh.
(10:02):
And so for Jamaine Johnson, he you start to run
out of reasons why he shouldn't be a top fifteen,
top ten pick when you watch the tape, when you
talk to him, when you just go over your notes
and you're like, Okay, yeah, why aren't we talking about
this guy as something that could go really high? You
love how long he is, you love, Uh, the fact
that he's a two way player. He's going to affect
the past, he's gonna affect the run. Uh. There's just
(10:24):
not many negatives to why you wouldn't want to add
Johnson to your roster, you know, Dane, When people say, well,
all right, just playing devil's advocate Jermaine Johnson, maybe he
couldn't do it at Georgia and then he needed to
go to the A C. C. And then he blows up, like,
what's your argue, what's your counterpoint to people who use
that as a knock against him. Yeah, I wouldn't say
(10:45):
that he couldn't do it. It's just he was part
of the rotation, because that's how Georgia operates. They have
so many guys on that roster, on that depth chart,
especially in the front seven. That's why you know they
they and it's smart if you're Georgia, why if you
have and you have all these guys wrote set him
in and now that's why you're keeping him fresh. You
know you're you're mixing things up and keeping the offense guessing.
So from a coaching standpoint, from a schematic standpoint, makes
(11:09):
it makes total sense for for Georgia to do that.
They just want a national title doing that. Uh. For
Jamine Johnson, I can understand from his point of view
why he wanted to see more consistent workload, why he
wanted to see more snaps. So he transfers bets on
himself and so that that was the big question. How
would he respond? And from the season opening game against
Notre Dame back in September, it was clear that, Okay, yeah,
(11:30):
Jamaine Johnson, this guy he uh, he is the real deal. Uh.
And so I think he showed that. You see, I
mean the motor it doesn't matter that the his uh
snaps almost tripled. The motor runs hot, no matter why
his ability versa runs really stands out natural instincts. Uh,
He's very quick with how he reacts. Uh. So there's
(11:50):
a lot to like about Jamaine Johnson and how he's
going to affect your your defense as a three down player.
So we know, or at least I know, you've talked
about it a lot, how much you like Travon Walker
as a prospect as a player. You think that potentially
he could be the best defensive player of this draft class.
I'm just curious seeing what Jermaine Johnson did in two
(12:12):
thousand twenty one when he wasn't part of a rotation,
when he was asked to rush the passer all the time?
Does that almost not I don't want to say factor in,
but does that make you think about like, Okay, like
this is kind of like what Travon Walker could be
when he's not a part of a rotation like that
and he's asked to rush the passer? Like, is there
anything that you can connect the paths between the two
(12:33):
of these guys even though one did it in college
and the other one you're hoping does in the NFL. Yeah, No,
I think that And you do this with all all
the all players that you evaluate, you look at their situation. Okay,
what were they asked to do? Uh? You know what
what in in different situations and a guy like Travon Walker,
he was asked to hold the point of attack. He
was asked to be head up over the tackle sometimes
(12:54):
on the inside shade uh and lockout, control the point
of attack, allow uh you know the linebackers to go
make plays, you know, not let the run spill to
or you know, and able to hold contain. So I
mean with Trayvon Walker, it's yes, there's projection involved because
you know, let's say Jermaine Johnson comes out athletic season.
(13:16):
You know, he's part of a rotation not proven um
as a guy that could you know, did it snap
and snap out and probably goes you know, second round
if he comes out last year. He instead he goes
back or he goes to Florida State and he's able
to prove that. Hey, yeah, I am a top ten,
top fifteen pick. Travon Walker. Yes there's a projection there,
but I think the traits are just too special for
(13:37):
him to fall too far. That's where we're talking about
him as a top ten guy, maybe a top five
guy because of what he was asked to do. But again,
they just don't make guys like this that have that
type of length, that type of athleticism, that's have a power. Uh,
They're just not walking down the street. And so I
think Travon Walker, someone's gonna bet on those traits and uh,
if they give him a chance to develop, it could
be something special. So a lot of my drafts right
(14:00):
now have the Jets selecting receiver at number ten. It's
a popular pick. You have the Jets going receiver with
pick number thirty five, with Penn Stage Johan Dotson one.
Why do you feel like it was you know, I
why do you feel like it was right almost in
a way to wait till thirty five? And to what
kind of player is Johan Dotson? What would he add
(14:20):
to this Jets offense? Yeah, and I'm not sure it
was so much about waiting on receiver as it is
making sure you're getting your two highest graded players in
the top ten, you know, And I think they did
that in this scenario with Sauce Gardener and Jermaine Johnson.
You're getting the corner, You're getting the pass rusher. Uh,
two key positions that you want to upgrade on your roster,
(14:42):
and you know, I think there are some talented receivers
they should consider it number ten, especially because there's a
good chance, uh, they'll have their option of probably any
of those guys as long as none of the receivers
are off the board in the first nine picks. But
if they do, wait, I think that there's a chance
that one of those top six receivers maybe followed the
early second and it could be John Dotson five eleven,
(15:02):
one eight, Uh, not the biggest guy, and so you
know that's something that you know, you maybe you think
about and how he fits with your current roster. And
you know you drafted Elijah More, uh, you know, early
second round last year. How does he You know he's
not a big guy? Does are you looking for more
size at that position? But the way John Dotson plays,
he plays so much bigger than he looks because he
(15:23):
has outstanding ball skills, maybe the best ball skills uh
in this entire draft. Uh. His ability, He's got twitchy speed,
so he can beat press, he can manipulate coverages up
and down the field. Uh. So even though again the
size is not maybe what you want ideally, his hands
are outstanding the body control is above average. Uh he
(15:44):
in this sounds hyperbolic. He might have the largest catch
radius of any five eleven receiver I've ever evaluated. So
even though he is a little under sized, he plays
much bigger than he looks. Is there any player that
dots In reminds you of in the pros or somebody
that you've scouted before that that you think is just
you know, I kind of see this in John Dotson,
(16:06):
and I think that will I think that's what he
is on the next level. I think he has a
much better hands. But I think in terms of the routes,
the movements, the way he plays Deonte Johnson from the Steelers, uh,
you know, you see the dynamic speed, you see the
route instincts. But again, I think John Donson has much
better ball skills than Johnson. So uh And I think
(16:26):
Dodson gives you a little bit more on special teams
as well. He could be a pump returner, he can,
he can do that for you. So, um, you know,
Deonte Johnson's become kind of the de facto number one
in Pittsburgh. Uh. And Dodson I think has at least
that ability to do that. Uh. In the NFL, who
for whoever drafts him. All right, So here's the other
thing you gotta keep in mind. I know you mentioned
(16:48):
in the height the Jets last year played with Jameis
and crowd or Elijah Moore, Braxton Barrios. None of those
guys are the tallest in the room. And it's not
a knock on any of those guys are all very
productive players for the Jets. Even though Jameson Crowder car
your free agent, so or a he has an expiring contract.
I guess as we technically start right now at ten
fifty five now in the morning, so it's not out
(17:10):
of the realm of possibilities. And so I just want
that to be clear. John Dotson very impressive player for
Penn State. Then you have the Jets three picks later,
going back to the defense, going to the safety, so
you got your corner with pick number four. Then you
get Louis Seene, right, who has a phenomenal backstory as
you discussed on a prior episode. But what does he
(17:31):
add as a player that this Jets defense is missing
right now? Yeah, I think he gives you range, she
gives the explosiveness. Uh, he's got an appetite for contact. Uh,
he's really a do everything safety Uh, and we saw
that on You know, we've talked about George's defense already
today and we're gonna do it again with Seed because uh,
(17:52):
at the back end. You know, we talked so much
about the front seven at Georgia, and deservedly so. But
louis scene what he did coming from the back. Uh.
You know, either he's playing downhill and making physical hits,
whether he's showing his range playing either sideline. Uh. There
are some some areas that needs a tidy up, you know,
tackling technique, things like that. But he's a physical run defender.
(18:13):
He runs the alley like a freight train and he'll
look to tune you up. So he's at enforcer verse
a run. But he also has the athleticism that he
can hold up in coverage. We saw him run on
four three seven at the combine you six pounds. So
I think he's an ascending talent and somebody that I
think could come in and play right away, and he's
gonna get better with the more action that he sees
(18:34):
in the field. You know, when you say appetite for
contact and aggressive player, how good is he moving backwards
because everything that you feel, like the stigma of everything
you said was coming downhill. So I'm just curious how
good is he encouraged? Yeah? And what so that he
played kind of a strong safety role in that Georgia defense,
(18:55):
kind of played that that money position that they have
uh in Dan Innings uh defense. So a lot of
his game was playing downhill because he would play either
split safety or single high or uh, you know, he'd
be working down towards the box, things like that. Um.
And so he wasn't necessarily asked to play over the
(19:16):
slot and and pedal and uh you know, go and
reverse all that often. But in terms of the range
where he can play both sidelines, uh, he has that.
You know, he has the speed and so in coverage,
there are some areas where he needs to prove himself.
But that's why we're talking about him here in the
early second. If he was necessarily proven in that area,
(19:36):
he'd be long gone in the top twenty picks because
that's how impressive of a player yet that he is.
But again, he has the athletic traits uh that I
think that you can project him getting better and coverage
the more he's has to do it, alright. So yeah, actually,
let me let me rewind real quickly. You said John
Dobson might be one of the top six receivers to
slip out into the second round, Like, who are some
(19:58):
of the other guys in that conversation and that could
be the one to slip out. Well, you know, I
think that you know, Garrett Wilson, he's the top guy
in my opinion. Then after that, uh, you know he
got Trailing Burkes from Arkansas, Drake London from USC Jamison
Williams Alabama, uh, and Crystal Lave from Ohio State. And
then thoughts and those six receivers, I think all six
(20:19):
belong in the first round, but could we see one
of them slip out of the top thirty two picks.
It's certainly possible. You know, six receivers in the first
round is a lot, and a couple of these guys
have a few question marks. You know. Drake London is
not the fastest receiver out there. I mean he probably
runs mid four fives, and even though he still belongs
in the first round, that's enough that could maybe have
(20:39):
himself a little bit. Jamison Williams coming off the A C. L. Injury.
Is that something that could drop him a little bit
John Dawtson, Because he is a sub eight pound receiver,
maybe that's something that would make him drop a little bit.
So you know, we talked a lot about Elijah Moore
last year being a late first round pick, and he was,
you know, slipped to the early second. So I don't
think it's impossible to see one of these wide receivers
(21:01):
and say, uh, you know, it's possible that one of
them would get to the second round. Possibly the Jets
picked there. All right, that's great answer. I just wanted.
I wanted. I wanted to make sure that you know
that we were covering on all our bases here. But
so far in our mock draft, we've covered every position
on the defense except for one, and that's a linebacker
and that's coming right now in the third round. Chad
(21:24):
Muma out of Wyoming, tackling machine. Not to mention, oh,
the Jets coached him in the Senior Bowl. So this
is where you really start to pay off the dividends.
So what do you think about Chad Muma and his
fit with the Jets. Yeah, And it's important to keep
in mind because we've seen every year. The teams that
coach in the Senior Bowl usually end up drafting one
or two or three of the guys that they coached
(21:45):
down there in Bobile because they know them better than
the other scenes. They understand what these guys are all about.
And Chad Muma six three two or thirty nine pounds
ran a four six in the forties seven h six
three cone UH two year starter at Wyoming, he backed
up Logan Wilson initially high school safety comes into Wyoming,
backs up Logan Wilson. Wilson was a third round pick
(22:07):
of the Bengals two years ago, and scouts think that
movement was better than Wilson. A lot of them UH
movement the last two years average eleven point three tackles
per game. So tackling machine, like you mentioned, I think
that when you watch his film, it's just it's capt
Nip for NFL scouts because you're looking at him. He
can run, he can fill up the stat sheet. The
(22:29):
intangibles are off the charts. At the very worst. You're
talking about a guy that's gonna have a big time
role on special teams and then help you out on
defense at the best. And this guy is gonna be
a longtime NFL starter. And we're talking about a third
round pick. So does he have any major deficiencies as
a prospect. I don't think so. I think that maybe
you know, his lateral lateral range is average, his take
(22:50):
on skills could be better, but he doesn't have that
one fatal flaw that I think is going to keep
him from being a good player in the NFL. So
a third round picks, like add Muma, You're you're giving
him a rave review. Could this be a day one
starter or do you think that his best scenario? Like
if he were to come to the Jets, the Jets
have c. J. Mosley, they have Quincy Williams. Maybe you
(23:12):
work in Chad movement and sub packages and then you
give him a year or two to really develop and
then you let him take off. Like is that the path? Yeah, no,
that makes sense. And I put him in the mix
right away and let the best man win, you know,
give a chance to earn the job. And I think
that he'll make some waves in training camp. He he's
that high energy tackling machine. The play speed jumps out
(23:34):
to compete, skills jump out, his awareness to always be
around the football, that's something that's not by accident. So absolutely,
I think that you add them to the mix and
just let's see how it shakes out. You know, don't
don't uh set you know right now after you draft them,
don't make a decision on who your starter is going
to be. Let that play out in training camp and
then you know, let the chips fall where they may Alright,
(23:56):
round four and round five, the Jets have two picks
a piece. Let starting round four, where are you going
with both of the picks here? Well, we we just
talked about a senior Bowl guy. Let's talk about two more.
Let's get better on offense and start on the offensive line.
Adding some depth with Luke Getticky from Central Michigan and
just a fascinating story. He had very few options out
(24:17):
of high school, but he bet on himself. He went
and played at Division three level playing tight end, and
then he's decided, you know what, I want to play
at a higher level. So he transfers up to the
MAC level at Central Michigan and instead of playing tight end,
they moved the offensive line. So he has not been
playing on the offensive line very long. But his film
Met in One this past year really really impressive at
(24:39):
right tackle, and most of the attention is on you know,
Raymond on the other side, the left tackle. But Geticki
is a really good player as well, and I think
he's gonna be an NFL starter. Maybe inside a guard
probably is better fit. I think he's a really good
finisher on the run game, does a great job staying
connected the blocks because his hands are so strong and
he stays bal him through contact um and I think
(25:02):
in past protection that's where you see a little bit
of uh, you know, where he needs to work on,
and that's why I think moving him inside the guard
probably his best fit. But with Luke getta Key, this
is a guy again only two years of planning experience
on the offensive line. But the strength, the lower body fluidity,
the way he stays centered on blocks, those things will translate.
And so I think you have a potential starter here
(25:22):
with Getticky. We didn't get the chance to see him
at the Senior Bowl because he got hurt. He was
dealing with a hamstring injury. Uh And you know I
was talking to him at the combine and he said
he was just in tears in the Senior Bowl locker
room that first practice when he couldn't go and he
knew it, and he was just in tears because he
he wanted to compete so badly, and you could bet
that something like that will you know the Jets coaches
took notice of uh down their mobile. Then the second player,
(25:45):
Jake Ferguson tight ended Wisconsin, three year starter. Uh. He
primarily an inline guy, but a guy that can do everything.
He can block. He's a reliable pass catcher, natural tracking skills,
can work in traffic. Not a guy that's to put
the ball in the ground. And you only one drop
this past year and sixty one targets, so uh, you know,
he's a guy that's maybe not gonna scare defenses with
(26:08):
his athleticism. He doesn't have a pool away gear, but
a guy that's just reliable, dependable, competitive in all aspects
of his game. So for getticky. Does he offer position
versatility or do you think that the Senior Bowl would
have showed that if you were able to practice and
maybe a stock wouldn't have been a fourth round pick,
maybe would have been a little higher if we were
(26:28):
able to compete. Yeah, talking to scouts, they believe that
he has three position versatility. Center guard tackle, and we've
only really seen him at tackle at right tackle. Unfortunately,
we didn't get a chance to see him move inside
during Senior Bowl practices. But I think that's probably where
he's best, and that's where you know teams like him.
And when you look at the way he's adapted from
(26:50):
tight end to offensive line and the adjustments that he
has made, I think it's in the realm of possibility
to think that he could possibly make that same move
to center, if that's what you're looking for, um, But
I think looking at him primarily as a guard and
a guy that could help you out in a pinch
at tackler center. Alright. Then one last thing on Ferguson
before we wrap up in the fifth round, Like, what's
the drop off between a guy like Jake Ferguson and
(27:12):
a guy like Jeremy Rutckert, who is also after Senior Bowl,
another guy the Jets coached up. I think that Rutgert
has a little bit higher ceiling because I think he's
a better athlete, UM, a guy that just brings a
little bit more to especially the passing game as a receiver. UM.
I think that he gives you something a little bit more.
But Jake Ferguson's no no slouch in that area. We
(27:33):
saw in the Senior Bowl game he had a touchdown.
Um so a guy that maybe not you know, he's
more of a one speed guy, not necessarily explosive. Uh
So you know the way, you know, kind of sum
it up. Not much style, but there's a lot of
substance there, ball, skills, competitiveness. UM, I think he could
be a uh you know, come in and compete to
be the number two tight end right away. All right, well,
(27:56):
let's wrap this baby up round five. The Jets also
have two picks in the fifth round. So where are
you going to round out your five round which is
really a seven round mock draft because the Jets don't
have picks in round six or round seven right now?
So where are we going to wrap this up? Well,
we went with offense with the two picks in the fourth,
(28:16):
so let's go to defense with the two picks in
the fifth. Uh And started off with the Iowa State
defense tackle who's really impressive. Ioma was Zurique Uh six
six three sixteen pounds over thirty five in arms. Uh
Detroit native who went to Iowa State and really got
better every single year, and he blossomed as a senior.
I think he ranked top three in school history and
(28:38):
tackles for a lost thirty four and a half. And
they played him up and down the line. You know,
you had a kind of make sure you're paying attention
because one snap he's on the edge, the next snap
he's playing kind of has a shaded nose. I mean,
he was up and down that defensive line for the
Cyclones did a little bit of everything with the hybrid
front that they run their names. Uh, but this is
a guy that, uh, the active hands really stands out
(29:00):
his ability to find the football. Um. I think that
he could get a little bit better with his engagement,
but uh, you know a guy that especially a pad
level as well. Uh, that's gonna help him stay connected
to blocks. But you look at at the length the
athletic feat. Uh, he could be disrupted from different alignments.
So it doesn't matter if you run even or odd fronts.
(29:20):
He's gonna he's gonna be a fit for you. You
can find a spot for this guy, uh and at
immediate uh immediate depth to your rotation on defensive line.
And then the other guy I wanted to talk about
Christopher Allen, the second pick in the fifth round, A
little bit of a forgotten player out of Alabama sixty
one missed this entire year with UH with an ankle injury,
(29:41):
foot injury that he suffered a season opener. He only
played ten snaps this year, ten snaps before he got hurt.
But you know what, those ten snaps were really really impressive.
He had three tackles and a strip sack against Miami
Hurricanes and the season openers. So this is a player
who is getting better and is has yet to play
his best football, and you're getting him at a big
discount because of that injury. So as long as the
(30:04):
doctors signed off on him, you're getting a guy with
play strength, with hand violence. Um, you know, needs to
get better schooled with just the overall art of the
pass rush, but he has natural twitch. He has the
upfield attack that you can uh, you know, develop a
little bit. So as long as the medicals are clean,
I think he's a guy that can be come in,
be a rotational pass rusher and maybe grow into more.
(30:27):
All Right, you gotta be honest with us, how much
did you want to put Eyoma Urique in the mock
just to be able to say his name. Honestly, no,
I didn't want to put him in the mark so
I could avoid saying his name. Uh you know, kind
of say it to myself a few times before we
hit record here, just to get it down because it's
it's not the easiest name out there to say. But
(30:49):
he's a good player, and that's why I wanted to
get him in there, because, uh, you know, defensive tackle
depth is something in this draft that is okay, but
it's not great. And so if you're able to get
a guy like this in the early fifth, I think
that'd be a great addition for a team like the
Jets that are always looking for more depth on the
defensive line. Absolutely, that's that's the mantra of Robert Salan
(31:10):
Joe Douglas. Essentially, it's all in the trenches. But I
will say insurance policy after uaz Rique put Christopher Allen.
So you know, we we can only do one difficult name.
The other one's very easy to pronounce. That's it. I
went with a guy with two first names. Uh you know,
don't don't don't worry about that. But he's also a
guy that I wanted to get in there because I think,
(31:31):
I mean, no one's talking about him because again he's
the forgotten guy. Which it's hard to do that when
you're coming from Alabama, but when you miss the entire
year and you don't have a you know, this big
robust resume at the college level. Uh, you know, it
could be easy, it could be easy to overlook you.
But Chris Fhrawlin's got talent and so he's he's a
player that I want, uh you know, fans to to
(31:53):
keep an eye on throughout the draft, especially on Day three.
So like fully healthy, Let's say he played a full
year and had a year somewhat on par with what
his ten snaps indicated. Like what round are we talking
about in terms of Christopher Alan compared to the fifth round? Second,
I mean, he'd probably, yeah, he would be we'll be
talking about him more as that type of player. Uh.
(32:14):
You know, he's a little bit of a tweener because
six four two forty, so you know, there's a little
bit of a tweener element there. But he's got some
pass rush juice and he could play the run. So
I you know, he played that sam linebacker role in
uh in in Sabans hybrid three four, so he would
stand up on early downs, put his hand to the
(32:35):
ground on third rounds. So he's got a little bit
of that versatility. But I mean he had a good season.
He led the SEC and tackles for a loss. So
coming off that season, uh, there there was some definitely
some buzz on Christopher Alan Alan, and then he got
hurt in the opener, which kind of, uh kind of
buried him and some some thought maybe he'd go back
to school try to get healthy again. But uh, I
(32:58):
understand why he came out now and you know, try
how to you know, really take advantage of what he
did in I thought he put enough on tape on
that film that says, hey, I'm a good player. And
as long as the medicals are good. Again, discount sticker
because of the medicals, but as long as your doctors
give you the two thumbs up, more than worth the
chance they're in the fifth round. I always love a
good discount sticker. I mean, you know, in term in
(33:20):
terms of off the field, in terms of non football
related items, right, well, why would I You know, football
is a little different because you want your athletes to
be healthy. But when you say discount sticker, my ears
perk up. Whatever, that's how we wrap up the mock draft.
This was a great exercise. I thought it a lot
of fun. I think Jets fans would like the mock draft.
But next week we're back to the position by position
previews and then as we interclosed to the draft. So Dane,
(33:42):
thanks a lot. We'll talk to you next week, all right,
Thanks Evan,
The New York Jet and are now on the board. Okay,
Jeff Fan Durrell read this in the New York has
been one of the greatest questions. Zack S Fifth Avenue
brand that one right now, the New York Jet Fleck.
Welcome to another episode NFL Draft Preview, Ethan Greenberg, Dame Bruegler.
(00:21):
We got a real special episode. We got a fun one.
We got our own mock draft. I would say seven rounds,
but right now the Jets only have picks up until
the fifth round to a five round mock draft. But
it's still a full Jet draft, presented to you by
Dame Brugler of the Athletic Dane. You ready to go?
You're feeling good about this mock Fans gonna like it
or fans gonna rip it? What's gonna happen here? Well,
(00:42):
there'll be a little bit of both, I'm sure. Um.
But you know we're in the Missi free agency, so
things could change by the minute. Um. But with where
we are right now, I think this is a pretty
uh realistic scenario, but also one that I think a
lot of fans to be in favor of. All right, well,
let's just set the table here because we do I
think we do have to date ourselves. So you know,
(01:04):
this is protecting you, right, This is like your insurance
policy here recording March fifteen, thirty nine in the morning,
which means that free agency technically hasn't even officially started yet,
so the negotiating windows open. The Jets have reportedly agreed
to terms with the number of players. Dane feels good
about the mock draft. So if you're ready, Dane, We're
just let's just start off right and we're gonna fire
(01:26):
them off at the time. You ready. Sounds good, and
it is important to say too, we didn't, you know,
no trades, We didn't do anything like that. So we're
we're you know, we're not doing any movement or anything.
It's just where the Jets are currently slated to pick.
That that's where we uh, that's where we're focused on
right now. All right, well said, well said, all right.
So this is where we would cue the music if
(01:47):
this were, you know, on television right now. It is not,
so we will we'll queue it in our minds, a
little draft jingle right with the fourth overall pick. The
New York Jets are on the clock, and you have
them selecting a mods sauce gardener at Cincinnati. Why is
that the right pick for the Jets? Here six three
one thirty three and a half inch arms and he
ran a four four one. Uh, that alone has got
(02:09):
your attention. Um. How about the fact that he had
over coverage snaps in college and did not allow a touchdown. Uh.
Productive had at least three interceptions each of the last
three years at Cincinnati. This guy was a lockdown corner. Uh.
He's a long bodied, athletic coverman, does a great job
staying on top of routes. Uh. He challenges the catch point,
(02:30):
very disruptive. I want to see him continue to get stronger.
But if you're looking for a sticky, bump and run corner,
he's got athletic instincts. He can smother different types of
route runners. It's not just vertical guys, not just possession guys. Uh.
Any type of route runner he can handle them. So
you know, Cincinnati, they have not had a first round
(02:51):
pick since nine. That's gonna change pretty soon, and it
could happen with that number four pick. And do you
think that that is you don't like long store shot?
Is you don't think that's too rich right, Sauce at four.
I feel like there are if we were to have
this conversation maybe a month ago, maybe it is a
little too Rich has the combine change that at all,
(03:11):
like in the way that evaluator's view, Sauce, I think
he helped himself by uh, you know, coming in this
there were you know, questions about just how fast was he?
Was he a four four nine four or five two guy?
Or was he going to be in the low four force?
And to be honest with you, that really shouldn't matter
that much. I mean it on tape, is he faster?
Is he not? But when you're trying to, uh, you know,
(03:34):
kind of boil it down, and you know, you're looking
at all these really talented players, the littlest things like
a four or four one in the forty year dash,
that could be a little bit of a difference. Um,
And I think that you know, we've talked about how
this draft class at the top doesn't necessarily get you
that excited, And so I think we're gonna see a
lot of teams focus on the premium positions offensive tackle,
(03:54):
pass rusher, corner and a month's out Sauce Gardener right
there in that mix as arguably the top corner this year.
And I think the Jets with two top ten picks,
that's the two directions that could be looking at, you know,
address those premium positions good good players, and I think
sauce Gardner definitely falls in that category because I don't
think he makes it to you at number ten if
(04:15):
you're thinking about maybe waiting on him. So for Sauce Gardner,
like what does he do best? Obviously he's had a
stellar collegiate career, but what's maybe one or two traits
that you're like, you know what those things really translating?
He does those things really well and the Jets should
be excited about that in particular. First off, you have
to talk about his confidence. Uh, this guy is does
(04:36):
not laugh for the name like sauce right like me,
and you know it's just talking him about like you
know what sauce means. He's like, I don't know, I
just I just got the sauce. And I mean there's
something about you know, maybe going to uh New York,
big the big Apple sauce. I don't know it just
it's right. So, Uh, this is a guy that the
confidence is just it it uses when you talk to him, uh,
(05:01):
and it rubs off on his teammates to uh. You know,
I talked to multiple of his teammates who have mentioned
how the way he carries himself, the confidence, Uh, it's
just it's something that makes them better. But also his
his natural cover instincts. He's a really twitchy guy. So
you know, he can turn and run, he can drive
on the football. The click and close is terrific. Uh,
(05:21):
really really combative without necessarily making a ton of penalties.
So the way he plays, the the attitude, the confidence, Uh,
that's as much of a factor as his athletic ability
in his size at length. So there's a lot of
things that you point to that says, Okay, this is
going to translate well to the NFL. Oh okay, Well,
first of all, I have multiple questions. First off, big
(05:43):
Apple sauce like the nickname. Second of all, um, like,
what is your favorite sauce? Like Barbie is barbecue sauce?
Is that you know? Uh, he's like Chick fil a sauce?
Like what what are we talking about here? Has anybody
asked this question in regard to sauce Gardner? Because I
feel like I feel like a lot of people would have.
But if I'm the first one, I would gladly be
that person. No, yeah, you're the first one. I think,
(06:05):
you know, maybe maybe Kane sauce. Um. I mean it's
what about like if it was like, you know, where
do you stand on ranch? See, I'm not I'm not
a big ranch guy. Um, Like barbecue, Like barbecue sauce
I think is overrated. I'm I'm a big you know,
if you're doing barbecue. If you're doing barbecue, right, you
don't need sauce. Um. But no, I mean there's you know, yeah,
(06:27):
there's some good dipping sauces out there. I'm a big
fit of you know, like like like a garlic parmer
gen sauce, you know, especially with LANs things like that.
So yeah, that that would probably be my vote. Okay.
And if you were to choose a sauce to best
describe sauce, what is it? Uh, let's see, let's go
(06:48):
with the let's go with with with go with the
cane sauce, because there's it's a little peppery and so
you know there that's how that's how he plays. It's
a little pepper to his game, you know, a little
bit of uh, just a hit to a tang and
a hint of you know, pepper, So you know he's
gonna use his hands pepper you, and he's gonna jam uh.
(07:08):
You know that it's not gonna, yeah, not gonna over
you know, it's not gonna ruin the meal. You know,
it's not gonna overwhelm you. But he's gonna get the
job done. Yeah, Okay, I like it. I like it.
And I also like that you said confidence because I
feel like corners kind of get the stigma that they're
that they're cocky. But you're saying he's confident, but he
(07:28):
doesn't quite go over that line in terms of cockiness.
So that's something to keep in mind. The other thing
I want to ask you is who else were you
considering at the fourth overall pick in this mock draft. Well,
I think there's a decent chance that one of Evan
Neil or Ikia Kwandu would be there at number four.
And I think, you know, that's two really good offensive linemen,
(07:51):
guys that have tackle guard ability, so you know, guys
that can come in and help you out right away,
whether that's a right tackle, whether that's on you know,
on the interior um, you know, the moves that they
potentially make a free agency. Maybe offensive line isn't as
much of a a clear need, but we'll have to
see on that. And but I think it's important that
(08:12):
you know you're you're not drafting just for two, you're
drafting for the future, and so offensive line should absolutely
be in that mix. And then pass rusher. You know,
I mentioned how tackle, pass rusher corner the premium positions,
that's what teams are going to focus on, and this
this draft has some of those premium positions early, especially
in pass rusher. Is Travon Walker still available at a
(08:35):
Georgia who you know, the trait ser off the charts,
this guy is gonna go early, I would be at
this point, I think he's a He's more likely he
goes top five, then goes in the six to ten range.
So there's a very good chance that he's maybe not
even there at for But if Travon Walker is, therefore
he's there in that mix. You do your due diligence
on Camon Tibodeaux to find out if he'd be a
(08:56):
fit in your building, on your roster with your culture. Uh.
And then Jermaine Johnson. Uh, you know, maybe you think
about him as well there at number four, if you're
maybe worried that he won't make it to you at
number ten. All right, so Sauce Gardener is the pick
for the Jets in your mock draft at four. Jermaine Johnson, though,
is your pick at ten. So in this scenario, you
(09:17):
think that it's it's one feasible that he makes it
to ten and two obviously is the right choice for
the Jets there because why feasible? I think that's a
good way to put it. I don't know that it's um,
you know, I definitely want to call it a lock.
I definitely wouldn't say that it's more than likely, but
certainly possible that Jermaine Johnson could be there at number ten,
six five, two hundred fifty four pounds thirty four inch arms. Uh.
(09:39):
This is uh, you know, a player that was kind
of lost a little bit, and at Georgia front seven,
he bets on himself transfers of Florida State, becomes the
alpha of that defensive line. Uh. And he had a
career year led the A C C and tackles for
loss eighteen led the A C C and sacks with twelve. Uh,
and you know you wondered, how would the uptick and snaps?
How would he respond? You responded in a pretty big way. Uh.
(10:02):
And so for Jamaine Johnson, he you start to run
out of reasons why he shouldn't be a top fifteen,
top ten pick when you watch the tape, when you
talk to him, when you just go over your notes
and you're like, Okay, yeah, why aren't we talking about
this guy as something that could go really high? You
love how long he is, you love, Uh, the fact
that he's a two way player. He's going to affect
the past, he's gonna affect the run. Uh. There's just
(10:24):
not many negatives to why you wouldn't want to add
Johnson to your roster, you know, Dane, When people say, well,
all right, just playing devil's advocate Jermaine Johnson, maybe he
couldn't do it at Georgia and then he needed to
go to the A C. C. And then he blows up, like,
what's your argue, what's your counterpoint to people who use
that as a knock against him. Yeah, I wouldn't say
(10:45):
that he couldn't do it. It's just he was part
of the rotation, because that's how Georgia operates. They have
so many guys on that roster, on that depth chart,
especially in the front seven. That's why you know they
they and it's smart if you're Georgia, why if you
have and you have all these guys wrote set him
in and now that's why you're keeping him fresh. You
know you're you're mixing things up and keeping the offense guessing.
So from a coaching standpoint, from a schematic standpoint, makes
(11:09):
it makes total sense for for Georgia to do that.
They just want a national title doing that. Uh. For
Jamine Johnson, I can understand from his point of view
why he wanted to see more consistent workload, why he
wanted to see more snaps. So he transfers bets on
himself and so that that was the big question. How
would he respond? And from the season opening game against
Notre Dame back in September, it was clear that, Okay, yeah,
(11:30):
Jamaine Johnson, this guy he uh, he is the real deal. Uh.
And so I think he showed that. You see, I
mean the motor it doesn't matter that the his uh
snaps almost tripled. The motor runs hot, no matter why
his ability versa runs really stands out natural instincts. Uh,
He's very quick with how he reacts. Uh. So there's
(11:50):
a lot to like about Jamaine Johnson and how he's
going to affect your your defense as a three down player.
So we know, or at least I know, you've talked
about it a lot, how much you like Travon Walker
as a prospect as a player. You think that potentially
he could be the best defensive player of this draft class.
I'm just curious seeing what Jermaine Johnson did in two
(12:12):
thousand twenty one when he wasn't part of a rotation,
when he was asked to rush the passer all the time?
Does that almost not I don't want to say factor in,
but does that make you think about like, Okay, like
this is kind of like what Travon Walker could be
when he's not a part of a rotation like that
and he's asked to rush the passer? Like, is there
anything that you can connect the paths between the two
(12:33):
of these guys even though one did it in college
and the other one you're hoping does in the NFL. Yeah, No,
I think that And you do this with all all
the all players that you evaluate, you look at their situation. Okay,
what were they asked to do? Uh? You know what
what in in different situations and a guy like Travon Walker,
he was asked to hold the point of attack. He
was asked to be head up over the tackle sometimes
(12:54):
on the inside shade uh and lockout, control the point
of attack, allow uh you know the linebackers to go
make plays, you know, not let the run spill to
or you know, and able to hold contain. So I
mean with Trayvon Walker, it's yes, there's projection involved because
you know, let's say Jermaine Johnson comes out athletic season.
(13:16):
You know, he's part of a rotation not proven um
as a guy that could you know, did it snap
and snap out and probably goes you know, second round
if he comes out last year. He instead he goes
back or he goes to Florida State and he's able
to prove that. Hey, yeah, I am a top ten,
top fifteen pick. Travon Walker. Yes there's a projection there,
but I think the traits are just too special for
(13:37):
him to fall too far. That's where we're talking about
him as a top ten guy, maybe a top five
guy because of what he was asked to do. But again,
they just don't make guys like this that have that
type of length, that type of athleticism, that's have a power. Uh,
They're just not walking down the street. And so I
think Travon Walker, someone's gonna bet on those traits and uh,
if they give him a chance to develop, it could
be something special. So a lot of my drafts right
(14:00):
now have the Jets selecting receiver at number ten. It's
a popular pick. You have the Jets going receiver with
pick number thirty five, with Penn Stage Johan Dotson one.
Why do you feel like it was you know, I
why do you feel like it was right almost in
a way to wait till thirty five? And to what
kind of player is Johan Dotson? What would he add
(14:20):
to this Jets offense? Yeah, and I'm not sure it
was so much about waiting on receiver as it is
making sure you're getting your two highest graded players in
the top ten, you know, And I think they did
that in this scenario with Sauce Gardener and Jermaine Johnson.
You're getting the corner, You're getting the pass rusher. Uh,
two key positions that you want to upgrade on your roster,
(14:42):
and you know, I think there are some talented receivers
they should consider it number ten, especially because there's a
good chance, uh, they'll have their option of probably any
of those guys as long as none of the receivers
are off the board in the first nine picks. But
if they do, wait, I think that there's a chance
that one of those top six receivers maybe followed the
early second and it could be John Dotson five eleven,
(15:02):
one eight, Uh, not the biggest guy, and so you
know that's something that you know, you maybe you think
about and how he fits with your current roster. And
you know you drafted Elijah More, uh, you know, early
second round last year. How does he You know he's
not a big guy? Does are you looking for more
size at that position? But the way John Dotson plays,
he plays so much bigger than he looks because he
(15:23):
has outstanding ball skills, maybe the best ball skills uh
in this entire draft. Uh. His ability, He's got twitchy speed,
so he can beat press, he can manipulate coverages up
and down the field. Uh. So even though again the
size is not maybe what you want ideally, his hands
are outstanding the body control is above average. Uh he
(15:44):
in this sounds hyperbolic. He might have the largest catch
radius of any five eleven receiver I've ever evaluated. So
even though he is a little under sized, he plays
much bigger than he looks. Is there any player that
dots In reminds you of in the pros or somebody
that you've scouted before that that you think is just
you know, I kind of see this in John Dotson,
(16:06):
and I think that will I think that's what he
is on the next level. I think he has a
much better hands. But I think in terms of the routes,
the movements, the way he plays Deonte Johnson from the Steelers, uh,
you know, you see the dynamic speed, you see the
route instincts. But again, I think John Donson has much
better ball skills than Johnson. So uh And I think
(16:26):
Dodson gives you a little bit more on special teams
as well. He could be a pump returner, he can,
he can do that for you. So, um, you know,
Deonte Johnson's become kind of the de facto number one
in Pittsburgh. Uh. And Dodson I think has at least
that ability to do that. Uh. In the NFL, who
for whoever drafts him. All right, So here's the other
thing you gotta keep in mind. I know you mentioned
(16:48):
in the height the Jets last year played with Jameis
and crowd or Elijah Moore, Braxton Barrios. None of those
guys are the tallest in the room. And it's not
a knock on any of those guys are all very
productive players for the Jets. Even though Jameson Crowder car
your free agent, so or a he has an expiring contract.
I guess as we technically start right now at ten
fifty five now in the morning, so it's not out
(17:10):
of the realm of possibilities. And so I just want
that to be clear. John Dotson very impressive player for
Penn State. Then you have the Jets three picks later,
going back to the defense, going to the safety, so
you got your corner with pick number four. Then you
get Louis Seene, right, who has a phenomenal backstory as
you discussed on a prior episode. But what does he
(17:31):
add as a player that this Jets defense is missing
right now? Yeah, I think he gives you range, she
gives the explosiveness. Uh, he's got an appetite for contact. Uh,
he's really a do everything safety Uh, and we saw
that on You know, we've talked about George's defense already
today and we're gonna do it again with Seed because uh,
(17:52):
at the back end. You know, we talked so much
about the front seven at Georgia, and deservedly so. But
louis scene what he did coming from the back. Uh.
You know, either he's playing downhill and making physical hits,
whether he's showing his range playing either sideline. Uh. There
are some some areas that needs a tidy up, you know,
tackling technique, things like that. But he's a physical run defender.
(18:13):
He runs the alley like a freight train and he'll
look to tune you up. So he's at enforcer verse
a run. But he also has the athleticism that he
can hold up in coverage. We saw him run on
four three seven at the combine you six pounds. So
I think he's an ascending talent and somebody that I
think could come in and play right away, and he's
gonna get better with the more action that he sees
(18:34):
in the field. You know, when you say appetite for
contact and aggressive player, how good is he moving backwards
because everything that you feel, like the stigma of everything
you said was coming downhill. So I'm just curious how
good is he encouraged? Yeah? And what so that he
played kind of a strong safety role in that Georgia defense,
(18:55):
kind of played that that money position that they have
uh in Dan Innings uh defense. So a lot of
his game was playing downhill because he would play either
split safety or single high or uh, you know, he'd
be working down towards the box, things like that. Um.
And so he wasn't necessarily asked to play over the
(19:16):
slot and and pedal and uh you know, go and
reverse all that often. But in terms of the range
where he can play both sidelines, uh, he has that.
You know, he has the speed and so in coverage,
there are some areas where he needs to prove himself.
But that's why we're talking about him here in the
early second. If he was necessarily proven in that area,
(19:36):
he'd be long gone in the top twenty picks because
that's how impressive of a player yet that he is.
But again, he has the athletic traits uh that I
think that you can project him getting better and coverage
the more he's has to do it, alright. So yeah, actually,
let me let me rewind real quickly. You said John
Dobson might be one of the top six receivers to
slip out into the second round, Like, who are some
(19:58):
of the other guys in that conversation and that could
be the one to slip out. Well, you know, I
think that you know, Garrett Wilson, he's the top guy
in my opinion. Then after that, uh, you know he
got Trailing Burkes from Arkansas, Drake London from USC Jamison
Williams Alabama, uh, and Crystal Lave from Ohio State. And
then thoughts and those six receivers, I think all six
(20:19):
belong in the first round, but could we see one
of them slip out of the top thirty two picks.
It's certainly possible. You know, six receivers in the first
round is a lot, and a couple of these guys
have a few question marks. You know. Drake London is
not the fastest receiver out there. I mean he probably
runs mid four fives, and even though he still belongs
in the first round, that's enough that could maybe have
(20:39):
himself a little bit. Jamison Williams coming off the A C. L. Injury.
Is that something that could drop him a little bit
John Dawtson, Because he is a sub eight pound receiver,
maybe that's something that would make him drop a little bit.
So you know, we talked a lot about Elijah Moore
last year being a late first round pick, and he was,
you know, slipped to the early second. So I don't
think it's impossible to see one of these wide receivers
(21:01):
and say, uh, you know, it's possible that one of
them would get to the second round. Possibly the Jets
picked there. All right, that's great answer. I just wanted.
I wanted. I wanted to make sure that you know
that we were covering on all our bases here. But
so far in our mock draft, we've covered every position
on the defense except for one, and that's a linebacker
and that's coming right now in the third round. Chad
(21:24):
Muma out of Wyoming, tackling machine. Not to mention, oh,
the Jets coached him in the Senior Bowl. So this
is where you really start to pay off the dividends.
So what do you think about Chad Muma and his
fit with the Jets. Yeah, And it's important to keep
in mind because we've seen every year. The teams that
coach in the Senior Bowl usually end up drafting one
or two or three of the guys that they coached
(21:45):
down there in Bobile because they know them better than
the other scenes. They understand what these guys are all about.
And Chad Muma six three two or thirty nine pounds
ran a four six in the forties seven h six
three cone UH two year starter at Wyoming, he backed
up Logan Wilson initially high school safety comes into Wyoming,
backs up Logan Wilson. Wilson was a third round pick
(22:07):
of the Bengals two years ago, and scouts think that
movement was better than Wilson. A lot of them UH
movement the last two years average eleven point three tackles
per game. So tackling machine, like you mentioned, I think
that when you watch his film, it's just it's capt
Nip for NFL scouts because you're looking at him. He
can run, he can fill up the stat sheet. The
(22:29):
intangibles are off the charts. At the very worst. You're
talking about a guy that's gonna have a big time
role on special teams and then help you out on
defense at the best. And this guy is gonna be
a longtime NFL starter. And we're talking about a third
round pick. So does he have any major deficiencies as
a prospect. I don't think so. I think that maybe
you know, his lateral lateral range is average, his take
(22:50):
on skills could be better, but he doesn't have that
one fatal flaw that I think is going to keep
him from being a good player in the NFL. So
a third round picks, like add Muma, You're you're giving
him a rave review. Could this be a day one
starter or do you think that his best scenario? Like
if he were to come to the Jets, the Jets
have c. J. Mosley, they have Quincy Williams. Maybe you
(23:12):
work in Chad movement and sub packages and then you
give him a year or two to really develop and
then you let him take off. Like is that the path? Yeah, no,
that makes sense. And I put him in the mix
right away and let the best man win, you know,
give a chance to earn the job. And I think
that he'll make some waves in training camp. He he's
that high energy tackling machine. The play speed jumps out
(23:34):
to compete, skills jump out, his awareness to always be
around the football, that's something that's not by accident. So absolutely,
I think that you add them to the mix and
just let's see how it shakes out. You know, don't
don't uh set you know right now after you draft them,
don't make a decision on who your starter is going
to be. Let that play out in training camp and
then you know, let the chips fall where they may Alright,
(23:56):
round four and round five, the Jets have two picks
a piece. Let starting round four, where are you going
with both of the picks here? Well, we we just
talked about a senior Bowl guy. Let's talk about two more.
Let's get better on offense and start on the offensive line.
Adding some depth with Luke Getticky from Central Michigan and
just a fascinating story. He had very few options out
(24:17):
of high school, but he bet on himself. He went
and played at Division three level playing tight end, and
then he's decided, you know what, I want to play
at a higher level. So he transfers up to the
MAC level at Central Michigan and instead of playing tight end,
they moved the offensive line. So he has not been
playing on the offensive line very long. But his film
Met in One this past year really really impressive at
(24:39):
right tackle, and most of the attention is on you know,
Raymond on the other side, the left tackle. But Geticki
is a really good player as well, and I think
he's gonna be an NFL starter. Maybe inside a guard
probably is better fit. I think he's a really good
finisher on the run game, does a great job staying
connected the blocks because his hands are so strong and
he stays bal him through contact um and I think
(25:02):
in past protection that's where you see a little bit
of uh, you know, where he needs to work on,
and that's why I think moving him inside the guard
probably his best fit. But with Luke getta Key, this
is a guy again only two years of planning experience
on the offensive line. But the strength, the lower body fluidity,
the way he stays centered on blocks, those things will translate.
And so I think you have a potential starter here
(25:22):
with Getticky. We didn't get the chance to see him
at the Senior Bowl because he got hurt. He was
dealing with a hamstring injury. Uh And you know I
was talking to him at the combine and he said
he was just in tears in the Senior Bowl locker
room that first practice when he couldn't go and he
knew it, and he was just in tears because he
he wanted to compete so badly, and you could bet
that something like that will you know the Jets coaches
took notice of uh down their mobile. Then the second player,
(25:45):
Jake Ferguson tight ended Wisconsin, three year starter. Uh. He
primarily an inline guy, but a guy that can do everything.
He can block. He's a reliable pass catcher, natural tracking skills,
can work in traffic. Not a guy that's to put
the ball in the ground. And you only one drop
this past year and sixty one targets, so uh, you know,
he's a guy that's maybe not gonna scare defenses with
(26:08):
his athleticism. He doesn't have a pool away gear, but
a guy that's just reliable, dependable, competitive in all aspects
of his game. So for getticky. Does he offer position
versatility or do you think that the Senior Bowl would
have showed that if you were able to practice and
maybe a stock wouldn't have been a fourth round pick,
maybe would have been a little higher if we were
(26:28):
able to compete. Yeah, talking to scouts, they believe that
he has three position versatility. Center guard tackle, and we've
only really seen him at tackle at right tackle. Unfortunately,
we didn't get a chance to see him move inside
during Senior Bowl practices. But I think that's probably where
he's best, and that's where you know teams like him.
And when you look at the way he's adapted from
(26:50):
tight end to offensive line and the adjustments that he
has made, I think it's in the realm of possibility
to think that he could possibly make that same move
to center, if that's what you're looking for, um, But
I think looking at him primarily as a guard and
a guy that could help you out in a pinch
at tackler center. Alright. Then one last thing on Ferguson
before we wrap up in the fifth round, Like, what's
the drop off between a guy like Jake Ferguson and
(27:12):
a guy like Jeremy Rutckert, who is also after Senior Bowl,
another guy the Jets coached up. I think that Rutgert
has a little bit higher ceiling because I think he's
a better athlete, UM, a guy that just brings a
little bit more to especially the passing game as a receiver. UM.
I think that he gives you something a little bit more.
But Jake Ferguson's no no slouch in that area. We
(27:33):
saw in the Senior Bowl game he had a touchdown.
Um so a guy that maybe not you know, he's
more of a one speed guy, not necessarily explosive. Uh
So you know the way, you know, kind of sum
it up. Not much style, but there's a lot of
substance there, ball, skills, competitiveness. UM, I think he could
be a uh you know, come in and compete to
be the number two tight end right away. All right, well,
(27:56):
let's wrap this baby up round five. The Jets also
have two picks in the fifth round. So where are
you going to round out your five round which is
really a seven round mock draft because the Jets don't
have picks in round six or round seven right now?
So where are we going to wrap this up? Well,
we went with offense with the two picks in the fourth,
(28:16):
so let's go to defense with the two picks in
the fifth. Uh And started off with the Iowa State
defense tackle who's really impressive. Ioma was Zurique Uh six
six three sixteen pounds over thirty five in arms. Uh
Detroit native who went to Iowa State and really got
better every single year, and he blossomed as a senior.
I think he ranked top three in school history and
(28:38):
tackles for a lost thirty four and a half. And
they played him up and down the line. You know,
you had a kind of make sure you're paying attention
because one snap he's on the edge, the next snap
he's playing kind of has a shaded nose. I mean,
he was up and down that defensive line for the
Cyclones did a little bit of everything with the hybrid
front that they run their names. Uh, but this is
a guy that, uh, the active hands really stands out
(29:00):
his ability to find the football. Um. I think that
he could get a little bit better with his engagement,
but uh, you know a guy that especially a pad
level as well. Uh, that's gonna help him stay connected
to blocks. But you look at at the length the
athletic feat. Uh, he could be disrupted from different alignments.
So it doesn't matter if you run even or odd fronts.
(29:20):
He's gonna he's gonna be a fit for you. You
can find a spot for this guy, uh and at
immediate uh immediate depth to your rotation on defensive line.
And then the other guy I wanted to talk about
Christopher Allen, the second pick in the fifth round, A
little bit of a forgotten player out of Alabama sixty
one missed this entire year with UH with an ankle injury,
(29:41):
foot injury that he suffered a season opener. He only
played ten snaps this year, ten snaps before he got hurt.
But you know what, those ten snaps were really really impressive.
He had three tackles and a strip sack against Miami
Hurricanes and the season openers. So this is a player
who is getting better and is has yet to play
his best football, and you're getting him at a big
discount because of that injury. So as long as the
(30:04):
doctors signed off on him, you're getting a guy with
play strength, with hand violence. Um, you know, needs to
get better schooled with just the overall art of the
pass rush, but he has natural twitch. He has the
upfield attack that you can uh, you know, develop a
little bit. So as long as the medicals are clean,
I think he's a guy that can be come in,
be a rotational pass rusher and maybe grow into more.
(30:27):
All Right, you gotta be honest with us, how much
did you want to put Eyoma Urique in the mock
just to be able to say his name. Honestly, no,
I didn't want to put him in the mark so
I could avoid saying his name. Uh you know, kind
of say it to myself a few times before we
hit record here, just to get it down because it's
it's not the easiest name out there to say. But
(30:49):
he's a good player, and that's why I wanted to
get him in there, because, uh, you know, defensive tackle
depth is something in this draft that is okay, but
it's not great. And so if you're able to get
a guy like this in the early fifth, I think
that'd be a great addition for a team like the
Jets that are always looking for more depth on the
defensive line. Absolutely, that's that's the mantra of Robert Salan
(31:10):
Joe Douglas. Essentially, it's all in the trenches. But I
will say insurance policy after uaz Rique put Christopher Allen.
So you know, we we can only do one difficult name.
The other one's very easy to pronounce. That's it. I
went with a guy with two first names. Uh you know,
don't don't don't worry about that. But he's also a
guy that I wanted to get in there because I think,
(31:31):
I mean, no one's talking about him because again he's
the forgotten guy. Which it's hard to do that when
you're coming from Alabama, but when you miss the entire
year and you don't have a you know, this big
robust resume at the college level. Uh, you know, it
could be easy, it could be easy to overlook you.
But Chris Fhrawlin's got talent and so he's he's a
player that I want, uh you know, fans to to
(31:53):
keep an eye on throughout the draft, especially on Day three.
So like fully healthy, Let's say he played a full
year and had a year somewhat on par with what
his ten snaps indicated. Like what round are we talking
about in terms of Christopher Alan compared to the fifth round? Second,
I mean, he'd probably, yeah, he would be we'll be
talking about him more as that type of player. Uh.
(32:14):
You know, he's a little bit of a tweener because
six four two forty, so you know, there's a little
bit of a tweener element there. But he's got some
pass rush juice and he could play the run. So
I you know, he played that sam linebacker role in
uh in in Sabans hybrid three four, so he would
stand up on early downs, put his hand to the
(32:35):
ground on third rounds. So he's got a little bit
of that versatility. But I mean he had a good season.
He led the SEC and tackles for a loss. So
coming off that season, uh, there there was some definitely
some buzz on Christopher Alan Alan, and then he got
hurt in the opener, which kind of, uh kind of
buried him and some some thought maybe he'd go back
to school try to get healthy again. But uh, I
(32:58):
understand why he came out now and you know, try
how to you know, really take advantage of what he
did in I thought he put enough on tape on
that film that says, hey, I'm a good player. And
as long as the medicals are good. Again, discount sticker
because of the medicals, but as long as your doctors
give you the two thumbs up, more than worth the
chance they're in the fifth round. I always love a
good discount sticker. I mean, you know, in term in
(33:20):
terms of off the field, in terms of non football
related items, right, well, why would I You know, football
is a little different because you want your athletes to
be healthy. But when you say discount sticker, my ears
perk up. Whatever, that's how we wrap up the mock draft.
This was a great exercise. I thought it a lot
of fun. I think Jets fans would like the mock draft.
But next week we're back to the position by position
previews and then as we interclosed to the draft. So Dane,
(33:42):
thanks a lot. We'll talk to you next week, all right,
Thanks Evan,
Popular Podcasts
My Favorite Murder with Karen Kilgariff and Georgia Hardstark
My Favorite Murder is a true crime comedy podcast hosted by Karen Kilgariff and Georgia Hardstark. Each week, Karen and Georgia share compelling true crimes and hometown stories from friends and listeners. Since MFM launched in January of 2016, Karen and Georgia have shared their lifelong interest in true crime and have covered stories of infamous serial killers like the Night Stalker, mysterious cold cases, captivating cults, incredible survivor stories and important events from history like the Tulsa race massacre of 1921. My Favorite Murder is part of the Exactly Right podcast network that provides a platform for bold, creative voices to bring to life provocative, entertaining and relatable stories for audiences everywhere. The Exactly Right roster of podcasts covers a variety of topics including historic true crime, comedic interviews and news, science, pop culture and more. Podcasts on the network include Buried Bones with Kate Winkler Dawson and Paul Holes, That's Messed Up: An SVU Podcast, This Podcast Will Kill You, Bananas and more.
24/7 News: The Latest
The latest news in 4 minutes updated every hour, every day.
Dateline NBC
Current and classic episodes, featuring compelling true-crime mysteries, powerful documentaries and in-depth investigations. Follow now to get the latest episodes of Dateline NBC completely free, or subscribe to Dateline Premium for ad-free listening and exclusive bonus content: DatelinePremium.com