December 10, 2025 • 47 mins
Matt and Wes take a look at a recent mock draft from Field Yates and go through each pick one by one to give their thoughts. The guys are later joined by Chris Halicke to discuss various headlines surrounding the Steelers.
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Episode Transcript
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Speaker 1 (00:00):
Your tuned about Drive on your twenty four to seven
home of the Black and Goal Steelers Nation Radio.
Speaker 2 (00:17):
Good afternoon, Steelers Nation, It's the Drive on the Steelers
Audio Network. Quest Shooler and Matt Williamson with you here
for the next two hours on a Wednesday, as we
have got plenty to get into here today and Matt
right off the top. Full disclosure, Okay, now, I know
real quick. Yeah, when we do this, when we pause
(00:39):
for like thirty seconds to talk about personal life or whatever, yeah,
I think ninety percent of people enjoy it.
Speaker 3 (00:45):
Right.
Speaker 2 (00:46):
Ten percent of people go, we don't care, just talk
about the footballs.
Speaker 3 (00:49):
Right.
Speaker 2 (00:50):
But I think when you listen to a show like this,
like you mentioned all the time, thirty segments a week or.
Speaker 3 (00:54):
Say this week two hours day, right, I.
Speaker 2 (00:57):
Like to think that the majority of the people listening
don't just look at you and I as robots, and
they kind of enjoy us and our personality in some
of our quirks. If you're if you're rocking and rolling
with us that much in a week, I'm sure you've
gotten this.
Speaker 3 (01:08):
But I've gotten it a ton and I take it
as the biggest compliment ever, is like I live in Arizona,
and I listen to you guys, and I just it
feels like you and it used to be you and
Dale sitting at Sharky's having a beer, and I'm like,
that's exactly what we talk about. A Sharky is having
a beer. Like feels like we're sitting there with you guys,
like great, And maybe once in a while we go
off topic and be like, hey, my kid did this,
and I kid took a half court shot at Kentucky,
(01:30):
Like that's got a goal, you know.
Speaker 2 (01:31):
Right, exactly right, And we've had some of those moments.
You're right, it's Sharky's in places like that where people
will see us and they'll chat with us for a
minute and they'll be like, this is hilarious. It's just
like listening to you guys on the.
Speaker 3 (01:42):
Show, right, right, that's the playing right.
Speaker 2 (01:43):
And so if you want robots, I don't know, watch
the evening News where they only talk for two minutes
at a time and everything is straight business. Thirty seconds
of peeling back the curtain for you here to get started.
I am not very prepared for this show today. I've
got a sick child at home and a child who
kept me up like crazy last night and I only
got about two hours of sleep, so I didn't do
(02:05):
my youth. This morning's been a little chaotic, you know,
how to take care of her and get my mom
over to the house, shout out the Grandma as always,
where would we all be without Grandma? Because of that,
I didn't have the usual time that I do to
pour into Best of the West and around campus and
all those different things. So we're gonna audible it a
little bit today.
Speaker 3 (02:23):
That definitely works. That's why I did a lot of
audible one before you showed up. That's why a lot
of scrip.
Speaker 2 (02:29):
Call, a lot of plays, a lot of a lot
of what key are we in here? B? Minor? All right?
Speaker 3 (02:34):
Hit it?
Speaker 2 (02:34):
Here comes the free form jazz instead of our traditional
around campus. And we haven't done this yet, so I
think it's okay. I wanted to look with you a
little bit. Field Yates actually just drop a mock draft and.
Speaker 3 (02:49):
Fields good dude, him and I. He was just starting
at ESPN when I was leaving ESPN. Yes, so I
interacted with him quite a bit. Seems combine every year
he'll pribace sit down with those one of these combines.
Speaker 2 (03:00):
Absolutely, Yeah, absolutely, and yeah, and he's one of the
guys who there's a couple of these mock drafters that
we tend to pay attention to.
Speaker 3 (03:06):
M hm.
Speaker 2 (03:07):
He's one of them. And I like how this starts.
I want to talk about the quarterback conversation, how it
relates to the Steelers all that stuff.
Speaker 3 (03:14):
There's a lot of teams that I just think are
their past are becoming clear of, you know, while the
O they're going to attack the off season things like
that too.
Speaker 2 (03:21):
And I think during the bye week way back in
early October when we had some more time, you and
I did some of that, like Okay, who needs a quarterback?
Who doesn't? Yeah, yeah, it's changed, but as you mentioned,
it's changed, it's.
Speaker 3 (03:32):
Becoming Carolina does. I don't know if the Dolph the
Dolphins of Carolina were too. I was on the fence.
I think it's going to be two and young next year. Yeah,
at least for one more year.
Speaker 2 (03:40):
Yes, right, and maybe the Saints and the Browns teams
like that.
Speaker 3 (03:45):
Yeah, he could at least potentially consider, depending where the
draft order falls. And totally I love Mendoza or you
know that kind of thing.
Speaker 2 (03:52):
And then maybe some teams that we had talked about,
like Minnesota, like Arizona who might be going back into
the court order back market. Uh, so that picture is
getting a little bit clearer. The draft orders getting a
little bit clearer here as well. And so let's jump
into this box.
Speaker 3 (04:08):
And also, like the around camp and stuff you put together,
which is great, there was only really two games of
or a couple of games of now that have changed
since last week.
Speaker 2 (04:16):
I mean, we could talk about Mendoza and Saying and
ty Simpson, but it's not like that.
Speaker 3 (04:20):
And I definitely maybe even next week, want to really
pick your brain about the playoffs and matchups, absolutely too, Absolutely,
I don't want to ignore college football at.
Speaker 2 (04:28):
All, totally, and that those start next weekend.
Speaker 3 (04:30):
Yeah, maybe this weekend, that's right. So there's nothing like
the watch for quarterbacks or anything like that too.
Speaker 2 (04:35):
Well, hold on, you mean one of these triple option
guys is going to lead the New York Jets.
Speaker 3 (04:39):
And sure in this first round Marck Field probably doesn't
have any midshipman in there either.
Speaker 2 (04:44):
You know, you're much like Alejandro Villanueva once said, the
easiest part of his day was football practice when he
was When he was an army.
Speaker 3 (04:53):
Hey, my uncle of this weekend, he's going to the game.
Couldn't be more excited, Like, I would love it.
Speaker 2 (04:57):
Would bucket list stuff. We we do need to do that.
One of these years. Maybe we can get a drive
sponsored trip. You know, we'll do a show, we'll do
some content pursuit. Has been a couple of times he
could show us the ropes and give us the and
give us the Yeah, I would I would love to
do that. That's one of those like I don't really
care what it costs, just yeah, just get there, Just
get there once and figure out the rest afterwards. Matt,
(05:20):
I like this mock draft from field Yates because I
think like two weeks ago we did kind of a
mini mock draft conversation. It was from someone on NFL
dot com. I don't it might have been from Dane
Brugler actually, now that I'm remembering. And he had the
Browns trading up the number one. Okay, he had the
Browns trading up the number one of the draft Fernanda Mendoza.
He had them packaging their two first round picks their
(05:40):
own and the Jags to move up to number one,
when at the time it was the Titans sitting in
that chick. Titans don't need a quarterback. They're riding with
cam Ward. Why not trade down a few spots pick
up an extra first round pick made a ton of sense. Well,
in this regard, Field Yates has the Giants finishing with
the first overall pick.
Speaker 3 (05:59):
Which is how I mean real quick. I think a
lot of the people know this, But Field didn't pick
the order right. Like, if the Steelers lost, they would
not be from twenty year later. If they won, they're
gonna be twenty year later because they're currently a playoff.
Speaker 2 (06:12):
Last week in these mocks, the Steelers were picking fourteen,
yeah right now they're now they're picking twenty.
Speaker 3 (06:17):
Yeah, you know. Yeah. So the Giants sitting home are
now in the driver's seat with the first overall pick,
exactly lose out, They're gonna the first overall.
Speaker 2 (06:24):
Pick, exactly right, and so with that the Giants first
overall pick, much like this exercise a couple of weeks ago,
a team that believes they have their quarterback of the future.
Speaker 3 (06:33):
Yeah, I have mixed feelings about Dart, but you're definitely
rolling with him this year.
Speaker 2 (06:37):
We both have mixed feelings about Dark but you're right.
The next head coach that they hire, that's gonna be
question number one in the interview. How are you going
to maximize Jackson Dart?
Speaker 3 (06:44):
Yeah, not well, we're moving away from dark Yeah, exactly.
That's not happened.
Speaker 2 (06:48):
If Matt Williamson walks into the offices and Easter Rutherford
to interview for the job and is like, I don't
like Dart, they're gonna be like, well, thanks for your time. Yeah,
we'll see you later.
Speaker 3 (06:56):
You wasted a plane for that's right, much.
Speaker 2 (06:59):
Like Aaron Roddy. We brought you across the country for nothing.
Although that was the Jets, not the Giants. Field has
the MetLife swap shall we call it? Okay, he has
the Jets trading up to the Giants a few spots.
Let's see here from seven to one, the Jets trading
up with the Giants. The draft. Fernando Meno Mendoza, quarterback
(07:21):
and Big Ten champion out of Indiana.
Speaker 3 (07:24):
Yeah, I assume you watched that game. I mean you
were in baldimolreh.
Speaker 2 (07:29):
I thought he he doesn't blow me away either, but I.
Speaker 3 (07:35):
Think I'm talking about his first overall picks.
Speaker 2 (07:38):
Go as first overall picks. He does not blow me away.
But there's also this weird like, I think his worst
case scenario is Kirk Cousins.
Speaker 3 (07:47):
Yes, you know, and there's something he said for that,
and there's something to be said for that, like because
this draft doesn't look load at the top. It's not
like Giants straight away from Miles Garrett exactly right.
Speaker 2 (07:55):
That's another great point by you, you know, and you know,
even someone like cam Ward next year, who I really
liked and I think has a very high ceiling, I
think Mendoza has a higher floor, like I think, yes,
I think worst case scenario, Mendoza is a good NFL
starter for ten to twelve years. He took He's Kirk
Cousins for ten to twelve years. So win you some
division titles, so win you some playoff games, super Bowl.
(08:16):
Who knows. If you get him in the right situation,
sure he's not going to completely elevate your organization, but
it's not going to be it's not going to be
a swing and a miss with a first round pick.
Completely at the same.
Speaker 3 (08:28):
Time, I see him exact same way. It's funny because
we haven't had this conversation, like if everything hits maybe
he's Matt Ryan. Yes, Matt Ryan won an MVP with
Julio Jones and probably should have won a Super Bowl
pretty darn closed coaching.
Speaker 2 (08:42):
Mal practice where for whatever reason they ran the ball
three times with a twenty eight to three lead.
Speaker 3 (08:46):
They're not going to win four out of six Super Bowls,
but he might get you there when all the planets
aligned properly. Absolutely, And that's a good football player. And frankly,
if like Trevor Lawrence or Kyler Murray, I'm gon saying
my first overall picks had that career, that's a success.
Speaker 2 (09:02):
It's better than what they've been. Doesn't have to be Elway,
even someone like Baker Mayfield, who's been very upright the
first pick.
Speaker 3 (09:08):
Yeah, I mean, frankly, if they have a Cousin's career,
you'd probably go Fish. But if you have a Ryan career,
you definitely take it, especially for your team. I know
they're not in this instance, but like the Jets.
Speaker 2 (09:18):
The Jets might want a high floor, right, Okay, you
give us, you give us Matt Ryan or Kirk Cousins
for the next twelve years, and we'll take you.
Speaker 3 (09:25):
Right, James, the Browns have gone through and left and right.
Speaker 2 (09:28):
You know, imagine if you could put Mendoza with the
Niners right now, right right right right right, you know, like, yeah,
a situation overall, pick a situation like that, and if
the Jets could build to something like that.
Speaker 3 (09:39):
With all a capital, they have a line and you know, right.
Speaker 2 (09:42):
Right they do, I think have started building the nest.
So yeah, I I think he's accurate. I think he's
got some power in his arm. Throughout the season, his
pocket presence, his pocket awareness has much improved. Like the
first first couple of weeks of the season, there were
some times where he got the happy feet a little bit. Yeah,
and especially last year at Cal, if you go back,
(10:02):
I've seen so many people like Pitt fans. And I
don't mean this as an insult as much as I
prefer it was, as much as I'd prefer it was, Yes,
exactly a lot of people who just watched their college
football team.
Speaker 3 (10:13):
Yeah yeah, yeah, Like that.
Speaker 2 (10:15):
Mendoza guy who we beat when he was at Cal
last year, he's going to be the first overall pick.
Speaker 3 (10:19):
My favorite instance is much last player. All the Penn
State fans were like genty, who would take him high?
Speaker 2 (10:26):
Yeah, yeah, exactly.
Speaker 3 (10:27):
They put like eleven guys in the box and stop
genty and he still had like one hundred and ten
yards or something like. That guy's gonna be a first
round pick.
Speaker 2 (10:34):
That guy's gonna be a top ten pick.
Speaker 3 (10:35):
One game, and everyone around him was totally overmatch against.
Speaker 2 (10:39):
Mendoz, a guy who couldn't lead Cal on a scoring
drive to beat Pitt. He's he's much better twelve months later.
Speaker 3 (10:45):
Watch every snap, Watch every.
Speaker 2 (10:47):
Snap, watch him this year in Indiana. I think he's
gotten better throughout the year. Man. I really liked how
that first, very first play of the game he took
a massive shot.
Speaker 3 (10:56):
Oh. I like his toughness and one play right back
in there. Yeah yeah. I like the way he throws
the ball. I don't love it. I mean, we we're
to talk about first overall picks here, you.
Speaker 2 (11:05):
Know, Yes, I like the way he throws the ball.
I don't love it. I like how he's continued to
improve with his pocket presence and his pocket awareness. I
think the arrows pointed up for him. Oh yeah, yeah,
And so that's here Field Yates has Mendoza going first
overall to the Jets.
Speaker 3 (11:21):
We're not spend this much time on every pick, but
just because he is recent. We just saw a game
of him, and he's the first overall pick, which I
think he's favored to be at.
Speaker 2 (11:27):
This He's the big topic at this point too.
Speaker 3 (11:31):
I will say again subject to change, because as everyone knows,
I have not These aren't my final answers with draft.
I'm in the NFL and pro stuff obviously now more
than anything. I don't think most years he comes out,
he'd be the first overall pick, and even like a
cam Ward last year, I would rather take I'd rather
roll the dice on Ward.
Speaker 2 (11:51):
Yeah, yeah, I get what I was gonna ask you, like, and.
Speaker 3 (11:56):
This is gonna be very Steeler related, like if if,
and when the Steelers are ready for that first round quarterback,
would you rather go the Ward high ceiling, low floor
route or the Mendoza route? Especially for the Steelers, I'm
going the Ward route.
Speaker 2 (12:10):
And I imagine Caleb Williams over Mendoza, Jayden Daniels over Mendoza,
and may Drake may over Mendoza, and that that's.
Speaker 3 (12:18):
Not it's pretending I've never even watched them in the
NFL what I thought of them at the time.
Speaker 2 (12:22):
But like, what about Michael PENNOCKX and J J. McCart No, okay, okay,
right right, okay, I'm with you on that. Then number
two the Raiders, Dante More that would make I think
a lot of sense.
Speaker 3 (12:33):
Absolutely. My worry with the Raiders is if they go
quarterback the Nest thinks.
Speaker 2 (12:39):
It does it's I mean, and that's funny to say
when you have Brock Bowers in Ashton genty that's that
part's good. But the Nests still kind of I mean,
the offensive line might be the worst in the NFL.
Speaker 3 (12:48):
Their rosters are really bad, and the defense is gonna
help you at all. That's We'll get to the Browns
here in a minute too. But like their offensive nests,
I was doing some homework on just overnight. They might
need nine starters on offense. Oh yeah, which might mean
let's just roll shador back for a year in draft lineman,
you know, but we'll get them wait, Raiders, I was
(13:11):
talking about the Browns one okay, sorry, yeah, okay, sorry, Yeah,
defense is great, but you might need nine offensive starters.
Speaker 2 (13:17):
Yeah, sorry, I get what you're saying. Absolutely, and the
Raiders they probably feel good about quinch On Jenkins and
you know.
Speaker 3 (13:22):
And a fan and that's about it.
Speaker 2 (13:24):
Yeah, Raiders similar, that'd be an interesting one, like could
they punt on a quarterback? We're just going to take
the best player available here at pick two, or we're
going to trade down and get a bunch of assets.
Speaker 3 (13:33):
That's that's the best move. Is the team that the
Steelers type. I mean, let's say the Steelers are twelve
and okay, we'll give you a lot to get to
two and take more and he'll sit behind Rogers for
a year. That makes a lot of sense for both
teams to.
Speaker 2 (13:48):
If Gino Smith were playing average football even then, then
you'd be like, okay, we'll draft Onte More and eventually
in Week nine he takes over for Gino Smith.
Speaker 3 (13:57):
That's not bad.
Speaker 2 (13:57):
That's the only question. If you're the Raiders and you
don't go the quarter back route is like, we're not
running it back with Gino. Kenny Pickett's not a solution.
He's a backup guy. So I don't know, maybe you
go and get a Kyler Murray or something like that doesn't,
you know, move the needle that much. But interesting, interesting
off season.
Speaker 3 (14:15):
For the Raiders, And I would totally understand Jets Raiders
going quarterback quarterback.
Speaker 2 (14:18):
Yeah, yeah, totally. I mean you need them.
Speaker 3 (14:20):
And again, there's not a Joe alt or Chase or
a Garrett, you know, a non position, a non quarterback.
Speaker 2 (14:28):
That's like at a premium position.
Speaker 3 (14:29):
Yeah. Smith, the receiver from Ohio State. Like if he
was in this draft, if you're the Giants, You're like,
I'm not traded now, I'm.
Speaker 2 (14:36):
Taking Jeremiah Smith. Three, the Titans take r Vel Reese,
who might be the best player in this draft. Yeah,
I think for them at pick three, that would make
a ton of sense.
Speaker 3 (14:47):
Love it for them.
Speaker 2 (14:48):
He could be he could do Michael Parsons type things
for your for your defense.
Speaker 3 (14:53):
You tackles already. Now, I was going to say he'd.
Speaker 2 (14:55):
Be a very good pairing with Jeffrey Simmons exactly.
Speaker 3 (14:57):
I feel exactly sweating those guys too. That's a nice start.
Speaker 2 (15:00):
Maybe his rookie year, you move him around and he
eventually settles as an edge once he gets a little
bit more of that NFL body. But he could be
the best player in this draft. Yeah, if you get
him at pick three, I think that's really smart.
Speaker 3 (15:11):
Maybe you go wide receiver and force the offensive line
with the next round, you.
Speaker 2 (15:15):
Know, Sure Browns at four they take Cardel Tait, the
wide receiver from Ohio State, Wow, who I think is
very good.
Speaker 3 (15:23):
I'm just say, what do you think of him? I mean,
he doesn't he doesn't blow me away as the clear
wide receiver one.
Speaker 2 (15:28):
But this is a similar conversation to last year. Yeah,
I'm gonna probably really like the top two or three picks,
and then pick four to seven, eight, nine might underwhelm me.
Speaker 3 (15:41):
Last year was very heavy that way.
Speaker 2 (15:42):
Last year was very heavy that way, where it was
like Cam Woard, Travis Hunter, what's his face from Penn State,
Abdul Carter, Oh yeah yeah, and then it was like
there's a I like the middle class after those guys.
But I don't really like that second wave of what's
supposed to be elite where you get the Joe Alts
a lot of times, where you get the shut down corners.
Speaker 3 (16:01):
At Mason Graham that went to the Browns exactly right,
should be the twelfth pick in the draft, and you're
taking exactly right, you know what I mean, just because
there's no one else to take, Like I could see
this draft leading like that a lot.
Speaker 2 (16:11):
That's where I'm at.
Speaker 3 (16:12):
So I don't and there's not even a clear number
from what I've seen. Wide receiver one isn't locked up
for Tait either.
Speaker 2 (16:19):
Like I prefer Jordan Tyson. I think they're both first
round picks, like, without a doubt, they're both top fifteen picks,
good players.
Speaker 3 (16:27):
Like as of like a month ago, I looked at
tight at Tate is like maybe that's a Steelers first rounder.
Speaker 2 (16:32):
In he was getting locked there. Yeah, like in the
team and he's been. He was very good down the
stretch for Ohio State. I give him the Mecca Abuka
benefit of the doubt too, Yeah, because last year at
this time a lot of people were saying, yeah, Mecca
Buk is good, but he's not a real high ceiling.
He's playing off of Jeremiah Smith, you know. And I
(16:53):
think maybe there's some but but I still think Carnel
Tait is, like I said, first round lock, top fifty
team pick four just might be a little rich for
my blood.
Speaker 3 (17:03):
He seems like a T. Higgins, not a Chase Yes,
you know what I mean, which is again, if that's
all you got to pick from this draft, it's from Bacon,
right right right, Yeah, But.
Speaker 2 (17:12):
That would be back to back years of a top
five pick for the Browns that would kind of underwhelm me. Yes,
good player. I'm not saying that these guys stink are
gonna bust. I just don't think there's any chance they're
gonna wear gold jackets one day either, which is what
you want for that drafting area. Saints A five Francis Moyaga.
I believe that's how he pronounces his last name, The
(17:33):
very very good tackle from Miami. I prefer Fannu from Utah,
who he has going eighth to Arizona. But I think
those are the clear best two offensive tackles in the league.
You get him and you run it back with Shuck
for another year.
Speaker 3 (17:48):
Yeah. And So I haven't looked at this at all,
but I imagine he took the Miami kid instead of the
Utah dude because they've gone back to back tackles in
the last two years in New Orleans. So I know
some are looking at him like a big time guard,
big time right, yeah, road greater sure, So I assume
that's why he didn't take a pure tackle or it's
(18:10):
someone that could at least bump.
Speaker 2 (18:12):
In Yeah and and he talks actually about how they
could bump in Fuaga from right tackle to right guard
next next season.
Speaker 3 (18:19):
So I think there's a real good chance Shuck is
the opening day starter there.
Speaker 2 (18:24):
I I think if it continues down the down the
line here, that's going to be the case.
Speaker 3 (18:29):
Especially if they're not picking the top five ish, you know.
Speaker 2 (18:33):
Number six Washington Commander is a guy that I just
saw with my own two eyes about ten days ago,
Matt Williamson, who really looked the part. David Bailey, edge
rusher from Texas Tech, and.
Speaker 3 (18:42):
I really hope they go defense. I mean, the offense
to me is pretty darn set.
Speaker 2 (18:47):
It is, but they're just their defense is so old
like Von Miller and Bobby Wagner.
Speaker 3 (18:50):
Yeah, I mean it's old and it's bad, and they
have to really enforce that defense.
Speaker 2 (18:56):
He's got thirteen and a half sacks, David Bailey, He's
just been a rigging wrecking ball. I really like him.
He's not more of like a three four outside, He's
more of a three like. He His ceiling is like
a TJ. Watt, you know. But he has that same
knack for not necessarily the physical intimidation of a of
a Bosa or a Miles Garrett right like the stout
(19:19):
hand in the ground on the edge. But the dude
just makes place. He knows how to get after quarterbacks.
He knows how to force force fumbles, eight of them.
Speaker 3 (19:26):
Like he just I've heard a lot of Benito comparison.
Speaker 2 (19:31):
It's a good one. Yeah, could do a lot of
different things for you. And man, he like he started
his career at Stanford and really took I mean, had
like four sacks as a true freshman at Stanford and
then transferred to Texas Tech. And yeah, probably smart to
school there. I like that pick for the Commanders.
Speaker 3 (19:49):
Yeah, me too. Defense available and he could be the best.
Speaker 2 (19:53):
He could be the best defensive player in this draft.
I think it's r VL Reese, but it wouldn't surprise me.
Of five years from now, it's David Bailey.
Speaker 3 (20:00):
Downs is the other one, but he's a safety, and
what are you paying for a safety?
Speaker 4 (20:03):
You know?
Speaker 2 (20:03):
Right? I really like Caleb Downs. You're right, and he
goes in the top ten here, but that's also do
you want to take a safety at Yeah?
Speaker 3 (20:09):
Six overall solves all your problems with the Commander.
Speaker 2 (20:12):
Let's do a couple more here then we'll take a break.
Pick this up on the other side, Like Giants at seven,
Matt of course because of that trade with the With
the Jets, they take Jordan Tyson, the Arizona state wide receiver, who.
Speaker 3 (20:23):
Pair him with neighbors. I mean, you're setting things up
for dark then.
Speaker 2 (20:26):
I think that that would be a good move by
the Giants. They've got some nice pieces on defense. I
don't think the offensive line is a disaster.
Speaker 3 (20:34):
No, I don't think it's trendous.
Speaker 2 (20:35):
If you can give Jackson Dart now what could end
up being two number one wide receivers, right, you're really
setting him up, really setting him up for success.
Speaker 3 (20:43):
Like the wandel Robinson's and Slaton's are your threes and
like that.
Speaker 2 (20:46):
You're in a good spot. Right, You're in a very
good spot. And I think I think Jordan Tyson might
be the best playmaker in this draft. He's been banged
up the last couple of weeks, which has caused him
to fall down these draft boards, but his tape is impressive.
He's got some tech McMillan, that's trade Millon traits about him.
Number eight, the Arizona Cardinals. They take Spencer Fanu, the
tackle from Utah, who I think is the best tackle
(21:07):
in this draft.
Speaker 3 (21:09):
I'm a big Paris Johnson fan. But that's only one
that you need someone on the other side.
Speaker 2 (21:13):
You need someone on the other I think this dude
is nasty, this dude is violent. He's that. He's that
Utah Samoan, you know what I mean, Utah guys in
the trenches that they pump out every couple of years
that are just brick houses in there. Caleb Downs goes
ninth to the Rams. That's the Rams pick. That a
(21:35):
thanks for Caleb Downs here.
Speaker 3 (21:36):
Maybe the best defensive player in the draft.
Speaker 2 (21:38):
Maybe the best defensive player in the draft. They could
really do some branch type stuff with him, some like
when Jamal Adams was at his prime stuff with him.
I think that would be for a team that's really
stinking good already, that would be a heck of a steal.
And then another guy who I think could end up
being the best defensive player in this this draft is
(21:58):
Ruben Bain Junior, the edge rusher from Miami. He goes
tenth to the Bengals.
Speaker 3 (22:03):
Henderson is not going to be back. Well, they might franchise.
Speaker 2 (22:06):
I'm who the heck knows, And I mean that would
be to go from taking Shamar Stewart. What I think
twelfth overall last year to going back to an edge
rusher at tenth. I don't know if that's the best
use of resources.
Speaker 3 (22:16):
Miles Murphy two years ago too. I mean, like they
just keep going.
Speaker 2 (22:18):
But but I also think he's the clear cut best
player on the board here at ten, and that would
be a good He's a guy who could go five
and you get him at ten.
Speaker 3 (22:26):
And how could you really criticize the Bengals for just
taking best defensive player available, no matter what it is,
what position is.
Speaker 2 (22:31):
Yes, I'm with you on that. So let's continue this
exercise on the other side, specifically, any more quarterbacks. Where
do the Steelers go? We'll get to that when we
return West Shouler, Matt Williamson. It's the Drive on the
Steelers Nation Radio on the Steelers Audio Network.
Speaker 1 (22:47):
Your tune's about Drive on your twenty four to seven
home of the Black and Goals Steelers Nation Radio.
Speaker 2 (23:00):
Back on the Drive here is we continue to do
some around campus, some NFL draft talk. We've repurposed around
campus for the first two segments of the show. Here today,
we're going to talk to our buddy Chris Hallick in
about ten to fifteen minutes. But before we do that, Matt,
I want to continue this and see where some of
these quarterbacks fall and what happened. Yeah, we'll go faster
in this one. And that's always the case the top
(23:22):
ten picks. There's always more meat on the bone to
chew on. Vikings at eleven and they select Mansord Delaney,
who I think has the coolest name is. I mean,
he sounds like he should be like a noble lord
from you know, from the UK and the seventeen hundreds
or something, Mensol Delaney. But the corner out of LSU.
(23:43):
Man he's versatile. He started at Virginia Tech for most
of his career, transferred this past season to LSU. He's
got size, He's like, I'm trying to think of a
good example, but he's so violent. He's so disruptive in
combat catches.
Speaker 1 (24:00):
Yeah.
Speaker 2 (24:00):
Yeah, Like he is not bashful at all. He's not bashful.
He to me, has the full gambit of the skill
set that you want from a number one corner. He's
got the size, he's got the physicality, he's got the frame,
he's got the athleticism.
Speaker 1 (24:13):
Uh.
Speaker 2 (24:13):
First corner off the board at pick eleven, I think
is a very worthy pick for him.
Speaker 3 (24:17):
There from what I gather, there's not a Ramsey or
a Peterson coming out. That's a you know, Sauce or Stingley.
That's like, that's a top five pick all day long.
Speaker 2 (24:25):
Christian Gonzalez, although he might have been drafted right he
was ten eleven range.
Speaker 3 (24:30):
But yes, but I think that there is still some
battling to do, like the receiver position of who's going
to be corner one? Agreed, And there's a chance that
Steelers could go corner around one.
Speaker 2 (24:38):
Absolutely, yeah, absolutely, And again you know how all these
things fall, and we'll do plenty of those exercises. Time
we get to the you know, pick one, if you're
the Steelers, who are you taking? And then a pick two?
Who are you taking? Twelve is the Miami Dolphins. Oh
my goodness. I mean they were at one point they
were picking two. Now they're not back into twelve. They
(24:58):
take Keldric Falk, the edge rusher for the Auburn.
Speaker 3 (25:01):
Their edge guys aren't bad though they took Chop recently and.
Speaker 2 (25:05):
They still have Bradley Chubb. They did trade Jalen Phillips
to the Eagles, but.
Speaker 3 (25:09):
They're another one maybe best defensive player available, wouldn't be
a terrible idea. Rubb is kind of expensive and old.
He could not be back.
Speaker 2 (25:16):
I was gonna he's getting to that point too where he.
Speaker 3 (25:19):
Will talk about him in the next couple of days. But
there their edge guys aren't bad.
Speaker 2 (25:22):
No, they're not. And that's even with you know, sending
Jalen Phillips to the other side of the Commonwealth. Here
thirteen the Baltimore Ravens Peter Woods defensive tackle from Clemson,
Travis Jones is going to be a free agent. Matt a.
Bouquet has that neck injury.
Speaker 3 (25:38):
He may never be the same.
Speaker 2 (25:39):
He may never be the same.
Speaker 3 (25:40):
Their the tackles are not great at the moment. I
think that's a real good chance they go d tackling
wrong one.
Speaker 2 (25:46):
I think so too. He would be the first one
off the board, and he'll.
Speaker 3 (25:50):
Talk about him maybe being the first overall pick before
the season started. They don't think he's been disappointing, but
he hasn't like taken an up to a level or anything.
Speaker 2 (25:57):
And he's one of those almost you know, let's do
the let's do the Casey Hampton example. He's not huge.
He's listed at six to two. I think it might
be more like he might be six foot and a half.
You know, he's got thirty two inch arms, thirty one
and a half inch arms. But he is that guy
that if you can put him in the middle of
your defense, he can. He can a gap and just
(26:19):
hold and let everybody, let Rocon Smith and everybody else
do their job.
Speaker 3 (26:23):
They've always had those type of dudes. Yes, yeah, right,
Matta Bouquet is. It's not a one for one Matta
Bouquet comp but it is. Yeah, they need a force
in the middle back.
Speaker 2 (26:32):
He could be one of those a little undersized, but
just you know, wrecking ball types in the middle of
the defensive line that's impossible to move. Fourteen. I would hate,
capital h ate hate this, but Field has the Kansas
City Chiefs drafting Jeremiah Love the running back. He's another
one who he's on that short list of like RVL Reeves,
(26:52):
of the guys that I think could be the best
player in this draft.
Speaker 3 (26:55):
I take Lover. I'd take tight end.
Speaker 2 (26:58):
That would be such a that would be a steel
for them. They did take Clyde Edwards Hilaire the last
pick of the first round in twenty twenty, but they
have a couple of.
Speaker 3 (27:07):
Picks ahead of Jonathan Taylor.
Speaker 2 (27:08):
A couple of picks.
Speaker 3 (27:09):
They should make a joke all the time, like I
bet Andy Reid goes out to practice every day and goes,
I wish you were Jonathan.
Speaker 2 (27:14):
Could you imagine? Could you imagine if you were Jonathan Daye? Right,
So the Heisman Trophy finalist goes fourteenth overall to case
another Buckeye off the board. At fifteen, the Dallas Cowboys
select Sony Styles, off ball linebacker from Ohio State, which, hey,
taking an off ball linebacker at fifteen, that dude better
(27:35):
end up being pretty stinking good. But also, if you're
looking at Dallas's defense, that might be the one kind
of you know, final puzzle piece to complement that side
of the ball.
Speaker 3 (27:43):
Yeah, And assuming they get something done with pickings, either
franchise or whatever, all those picks that they've accumulated, I
think they're all going to defense, and Dallas could be
in a really good spot next year.
Speaker 2 (27:54):
They really could, which sounds crazy. They could have a
dangerous offense and a legit defense. Number sixteen, the Carolina
Panthers take seat Jay Allen back to back off ball linebackers.
Allen from Georgia.
Speaker 3 (28:08):
He there does look like there could be a couple
of first round off the ball guys.
Speaker 2 (28:12):
He's he's part of that kind of those Georgia off
ball linebackers. There's a nice lineage there of these teams
in the Ropewan Smiths and he's a missile back there.
Speaker 4 (28:23):
He is.
Speaker 2 (28:25):
He's what you want from an off ball linebacker. Again,
is sixteen a little too rich for that in the
modern NFL That's a different conversation. But I think there's
a high floor with a guy like c. J.
Speaker 3 (28:34):
Allen. Yeah, I mean, I'm saying he's the next Keith Lee,
but they they haven't really had an identifiable, you know,
leader of the defense type guy in Carolina.
Speaker 2 (28:42):
Matt I told you about how I saw David Bailey,
the edge rusher from Texas Tech. A couple of weeks ago.
I missed FANU from Utah came to Morgantown because you
and I were in Dublin. I think that's the only
time in my life that I was alright with missing
missing a w football home game to be frolicking around
with my buddies in Double and the Lions that picked seventeen.
Go to the other outstanding tackle on that Utah football team.
(29:05):
Caleb Lomu goes seventeenth. He's the right tackle for Utah there,
so I don't know what they would do.
Speaker 3 (29:12):
I'm sure they wouldn't move Sol. I don't think they
would move, staying there, and he's gonna go the Hall
of Fame's right tackle. Deckers up in.
Speaker 2 (29:18):
Age he is. He is thirty one years old Decker,
so not you know, thirty five, but up in age.
Speaker 3 (29:24):
But he could be a guard for a year or
something like that too. And the great Docker moves on
because their interior is not what it used to be
after the rag now, you know.
Speaker 2 (29:31):
According to Pro Football Focus, Lomu did not allow a
single sack this season and only gave up six pressures
in twelve games that Utah had the number I mean
they ran for like two hundred some yards a game. Yeah,
I think number one or number two rushing attack in
all of power power four football. Two first round tackles
will do that for you.
Speaker 3 (29:52):
That's a lion type of move, though. We're not going
to ever get weak on the.
Speaker 2 (29:54):
O line exactly right. Another corner goes off the board
eighteenth to the Giants. A Terrell at a Clemson very
good player. He's another one who could who could easily
end up being the first corner off of the board.
Speaker 4 (30:07):
Uh.
Speaker 2 (30:07):
He is the younger brother of Falcons cornerback AJ Terrell. Yes,
this is his younger brother.
Speaker 3 (30:13):
The Giants would have got a receiver in a corner
both to be are he's in need. Not too bad
at all on a trade down.
Speaker 2 (30:19):
He's a little smaller, but he is so quick and
he has that kind of like just knack for closing
speed right time, reads the game well. They also use
him in the slot a little bit at Clemson. He
had three sacks and five forced fumbles this season.
Speaker 3 (30:33):
Yeah, I think he'll mix it up.
Speaker 2 (30:35):
I think he'd be a good player for that defense.
Nineteen Tampa Bay takes Kenyon Sidik. We talked about him
a little bit a week or two ago, and we
talked about Dante Moore. Yeah, he's the tight end from Moregan.
I think he's great. I think there's some some Tyler
Warren Colson Loveland type ceiling there.
Speaker 4 (30:52):
Man.
Speaker 2 (30:52):
You put that type of weapon in that Tampa Bay offense,
that would be.
Speaker 3 (30:55):
Beca last year and then him this year and just
in terms of pas catching and.
Speaker 2 (30:58):
Evans is getting a little bit old, Godwin's getting a
little bit older. You you know, you replenish that that
that that there.
Speaker 3 (31:05):
They're a big best player available type team too, which
he probably is at this point.
Speaker 2 (31:10):
It's worked out well for them as far at number twenty,
your Pittsburgh Steelers. I've seen this mocked a lot lately,
and I definitely think it could happen and I wouldn't
be against it. Malachai Lemon, wide receiver from usc OH.
Speaker 3 (31:23):
I think he'd fit in in a big way here.
I mean I get some Saint Brown type vibes from
him too, thicker slot, but also outside physical, you know,
aggressive type dude, a lot different than DK. I have
no qualms with that at all.
Speaker 2 (31:40):
I've seen this since August in September, and my only
worry is, if you ask me right now, Malachi Lemon,
is he going to go before pick twenty or after
pick twenty? I would guess before.
Speaker 3 (31:52):
Yeah, Like, I think.
Speaker 2 (31:53):
He's only going to be one of those guys that
his stock is going to continue to rise. I could
see that, But if that's the pick a pick twenty
for the Steelers, I would not be against it. No,
I think he's nice to.
Speaker 3 (32:03):
Solve the number two. He'd be a.
Speaker 2 (32:05):
Very nice piece next. And he's a different type of
body type. He's a little under six foot, you know,
one hundred and ninety five pounds, has some speed to burn,
and you can line him up anywhere as you mentioned,
which I think would fit very nicely in this offense.
Speaker 3 (32:18):
I imagine Fields isn't going to have a quarterback go twenty one,
twenty two, Like, yeah, that's.
Speaker 2 (32:23):
Exactly what I was looking for, just to see before
we get out of here and get get to Chris Hallick.
I don't see any other quarterbacks mocked in his first round.
Ty Simpson thirty first overall to the Rams.
Speaker 3 (32:36):
That'd be a great landing spot for Simps.
Speaker 2 (32:38):
It would be a great landing spot for head for
a year, sit for a year behind Stafford. It's a
worthy risk to take for the Rams when you already
got Caleb Downs at pick nine.
Speaker 3 (32:48):
Like, if you told me Rogers was here, I would
strongly consider Simpson at twenty. Yes, yeah, but if it's
Rudolph's going to start for a week or two and
then throw right in, then I or yeah.
Speaker 2 (33:00):
I'm even kind of close to this point with Dante Moore,
who I really like. Yeah, Fernando Mendoza is the only
quarterback in this class that I'm gonna draft, and I'm
gonna start him right away. There'll be some growing pains there,
but as we talked about, I think he at least
has a high enough floor to do that.
Speaker 3 (33:16):
To operate that part.
Speaker 2 (33:17):
Tye Simpson or Dante More, I think they're gonna need
some time, a ton of upside there. They could both
end up being better pros than Mendoza, but they could
also both end up being Josh Rosen out of the
league in.
Speaker 3 (33:28):
A few years, that type of same.
Speaker 2 (33:32):
But I want to have that. You've gotta have the
nest to land a man, and the Rams do with
with with as long as Stafford ends up coming back. Yeah,
the Rams win the Super Bowl this year, Stafford, could
you know, maybe pull a pull a John Elway, pull
a Jerome Bettis and say this is it. I want
a Super Bowl that I'm out of here, but plung
the chew one. As we get closer and closer to
(33:52):
combine season, the playoff, all these things will have only
more and more on the twenty twenty six NFL Draft.
But when we return, we got to talk to our
Chris Halleck about all the moving and shaking down on
the South Side as we get ready for the Dolphins
on Monday Night football. We'll do that when we return
here on the Drive on Steelers Nation Radio on the
Steelers Audio Network.
Speaker 1 (34:11):
Your tunes about Drive on your twenty four to seven
home of the Black and Goal. Steelers Nation Radio.
Speaker 2 (34:28):
Back on the Drive here on the Steelers Audio Network.
Joining us now, it's our buddy from dk Pittsburgh Sports,
Chris Hallick, a regular here on this program. Chris, thank
you for taking the time as always, partner. And before
we get into us some stuff from that win in Baltimore.
Looking ahead to the Dolphins a little bit. How you
feeling about Derek Harmon. We've had so much conversation around
(34:49):
his importance to this team and particularly that run defense.
I think that was on full display Sunday at M
and T Banks Stadium. Are you optimistic or pessimistic for
his status for Monday at football?
Speaker 4 (35:02):
Definitely more optimistic than I was in the past couple
of weeks because Mike Tomlin didn't rule him out. I mean,
the fact that Tomlin left the door open for him
to possibly return. They get an extra day of rest today.
Actually is that day of rest. It's a victory Wednesday
instead of a victory Monday, so they get the day
(35:24):
off today before they start practicing tomorrow. I'm optimistic right now,
but let's let's see at least what his participation looks
like on Thursday and Friday, and then I'll probably get
a better gauge because you know, we don't know the
nature of the knee injury. It's not the same knee
(35:45):
injury he had in the preseason that kept him out
for the first couple of games of the season. So
I don't want to kind of say, yes, he's definitely
going to be back, or it's leaning that way right now,
but there's he's definitely trending in the right place. So
you'd love to have him back against the Dolphins having
to go again day Shane. But you know, either way
(36:06):
you are closer to getting him back on the field,
and yeah.
Speaker 3 (36:10):
They need him back.
Speaker 4 (36:11):
He's become a big part of them stopping the run.
Speaker 3 (36:15):
Chris, I know you watch a lot of All twenty
two and really dig into some of the x's and
o's of this stuff too. But the Steeler run defense
the last couple of weeks, to me, almost just comes
down to defensive linemen going backwards. I mean it almost
doesn't matter what scheme they faced, it's just they're not
winning one on one blocks or not getting off blocks.
(36:35):
Other than Cam Hayward, I see a lot of defensive
linemen go in the wrong direction.
Speaker 4 (36:40):
No, that's absolutely what I see more than anything. And
I there are a couple of narratives that fans have
clung to this season, and the two players that consistently
get under fire the most from fans or Patrick Queen
and Joey Porter Junior. Yeah, and I think that's completely.
Speaker 3 (37:03):
Little misguided.
Speaker 4 (37:04):
It's off base. Yeah, it's just it's really hard to
play linebacker when you consistently have offensive lineman in your
lap and.
Speaker 3 (37:14):
That or your teammate in your lap and you know
the defensive lineman.
Speaker 4 (37:18):
Yeah, yeah, absolutely, Now they they definitely need to get better.
I think that's one of the reasons why when you
know Harmon has done such a good job, is he
in like the prototypical space eater in the middle. No,
But what Harmon does so well is number one, he
does get off blocks and he his gap integrity is
(37:40):
really really good for being a rookie first round or not.
He he holds up his gap very very well. He
doesn't get pushed around a whole bunch. Meanwhile, you know
why Black will have some good reps and then there's
some times where he's pushed around Keanu Beent. It's the
same thing's there's not as much consistency there.
Speaker 3 (38:03):
So Christ real quick on Harmon kind of like what
you're saying. I think he has a really good knowledge
of the game and blocking angles and how they're trying
to how they're trying to attack him. As rookies go.
I think above the neck, he's a plus.
Speaker 4 (38:20):
One thousand percent of It. Was one of the things
that the Steelers loved about him coming out of Oregon
that not only does he have a lot of great
tools and have like at length and a lot of hits.
It checks a lot of boxers in that way, but
they really thought that he was a really smart football
player at the same time and was interested in things
(38:40):
more than just what the defensive line is doing. He
und he understands what like his role within what all
eleven guys are trying to do, and that shows up
on film, because again, you seldom find him out of place.
You know, his gaptag, his holding where he needs to be.
(39:03):
He does a really good job of that, and so
I don't think it's you know, I asked Tomlin about
that on this press conference on Tuesday, you know, like,
what does Harmon do so well? He said, well, he's
the first rounder. We're like, yeah, that's that's a great answer.
But you look at the film you see why. He's
just a really smart player. He understands where.
Speaker 3 (39:21):
He needs to be.
Speaker 4 (39:22):
And it's not a coincidence that there's a ninety five
yard per game difference in what they give up on
the ground whenever he's in the lineup versus when he's
not in the lineup.
Speaker 3 (39:31):
Yeah.
Speaker 2 (39:32):
No, well said, And we have certainly seen that play
out on a more optimistic tone here, Chris. Was that
past was this past Sunday in Baltimore? Was that Aaron Rodgers'
finest performance so far this season in the Black and Goal?
Speaker 4 (39:48):
Absolutely? When you talk about I mean, there have been
opportunities to throw downfield in previous games, and we've seen
him connect on some here and there, but it was
like every single word of the as fast as downfield
was right on the money. I mean right on the money.
It didn't matter if it was the first one of
the game where it was like fifty yards downfield, or
(40:09):
if it was the one that Calvin ausin where it
was literally catching the snap plant and throw like immediately
and it was so didn't go as far, or the
one where he scrambled out to his left and found
Metcalf who found the open grass and then he flips
his hips around, throws off platform and it's just right
on the money to Metcalf who was running you know,
(40:32):
the parallel to the line of scrimmage that that's that
play right there. Was probably the closest you're going to
get to vintage Rogers. No, it was definitely, I thought,
like in Cincinnati was like the closest we've seen to
like vintage Rogers. And he definitely up that involves themore
(40:53):
for sure. Now still wasn't perfect. He still wanted to
see a little bit more. But man, if you can
get fat and of Rogers every game the rest of
the way, you actually have some firepower. You have the
ability to have your quarterback put on the Superman cape
every now and then to be able to make plays
like that. No, I thought. I thought he had a
(41:13):
great performance at Baltimore.
Speaker 3 (41:15):
Totally agree. Now I want to shift to his receivers though,
I mean there's been some change in that room for sure.
What's your best educated guess on short term wide receiver
distribution and usage.
Speaker 4 (41:32):
I think it's probably gonna be pretty similar to what
we saw in Baltimore. I met Tavis obviously your one, yeah,
and out of Feeling came right in. Now, he didn't
have the same type of impact and like Kyle Dugger
did when he came in and hit the ground running
and started and but Feeling was second on the team
in terms of the receivers. He was second on the
team of snaps. He comes in, he learns the offense
(41:56):
enough to be able to play that many snaps right away,
and now he's gonna get a whole another week, Uh,
starting from like literally at the beginning of the week,
and they get an extra k I think Feeling is
gonna be the guy they're gonna lean on the most
opposite of Metcalf and then they're.
Speaker 3 (42:11):
Gonna be two receiver sets. You think he's most likely
to be out there?
Speaker 4 (42:18):
Correct?
Speaker 3 (42:19):
Okay?
Speaker 4 (42:20):
Uh, there could be times where it's MBS if they
want to really you know, if you if it's like
a defensive likes to play single high like the like
the Ravens do, you can put out Metcalf and nbs
on on the outside and say, all right, well you
only got one stafety need, but we've got two guys
who can go downfield, you know, good luck. But then
again you can also if you play more teams that
(42:42):
run too high, then you can go out there with those,
you know, two receiver sets of Metcalf is Ceeling or
throw in. You know, if Metcalf needs needs to snap off,
you can Feeling and Calvin, or Feeling and Scottie or
shoot Benchkronic will be out there every now and then
just because of these little things you can do too.
So but I think Feeling steps in as I had
(43:04):
us already stepped in to become your facto WR two
that we've been talking about pretty much for years now.
Speaker 3 (43:12):
So that's I think that's what you want.
Speaker 2 (43:16):
Yeah, absolutely, Chris, last one I've got for you, buddy.
And you know, at I feel like now, for the
last couple of weeks, i've felt like, you know, sounding
like a broken record here, but once again, the Steelers
run game leaving plenty to be desired this past week.
Is it just as simple as a commitment to it?
Is there more needed from the offensive line? I mean,
(43:38):
how how do they get some level of consistency in
that run game? Because hey, it's great that you got
out rushed by one hundred and seventy yards by Baltimore,
one hundred and eighty yards by Baltimore. I'm well able
to win on the road despite that, but eventually that's
going to catch up and bite you if you don't
at least find some level footing there. I'm not saying
they have to run for one hundred and fifty yards
(43:58):
every game, but it can't be thirty four again and
expect to get out of a stadium with a win.
Speaker 3 (44:03):
And how about this real quick, guys, there's been two
games this year in the NFL where a team has
rushed for under forty yards, and one Steelers both they're
both Steelers.
Speaker 4 (44:14):
Yeah, yeah, it's it's definitely got to improve that, There's
no doubt about it. And I don't think there's usually
when when they're when the struggles are are that obvious
and there's that apparent, it's not just one thing. It's
not like, hey, the running backs sucks, or hey the
offensive line isn't creating any lanes. I think it's a
(44:37):
combination of everything. I think the offensive line kids can
improve with the running, with their run blogging. I think
running backs could do a little bit better in terms
of when they running the wide stone stuff, in terms
of reading a match or putting up with the ground
and going. You got to make a decision. You've got
to be decisive, you got to go. But then I.
Speaker 3 (44:53):
Also think that real quick, Chris, I keep interrupting you,
but I thought this past week was not the best
day for the running backs.
Speaker 4 (45:00):
No, no, I don't.
Speaker 3 (45:04):
No.
Speaker 4 (45:04):
I didn't think they did either. And that's why that's
why I'm saying, like the standing in this way, like
I think Arthur Smith can get a little bit more
creative with his run concepts than he calls because I
think just I think when all of Phils is like,
all right, let's run wine zone, it's like, okay, but
everybody knows what's coming, So want try try and mixing
(45:25):
it up a little bit, try to run some inside zone,
some duo, so something that's a little bit different. I
think the problem and this is like my issue with
wind zone in today's the NFL is I think with
the way the Steelers run and running through that type
(45:46):
of concept as like your your home base is it's
two hit or this. When you hit on it, it's great,
it's gonna get you eight yards or twelve yards or
you know something. Because when Morgan and game will, we've
seen when they make those cuts and they get up field,
when they run the wide zone stuff, it hits, but
(46:07):
it's either eight yards or no yards. Yeah, and I'd
like to see some more run concept.
Speaker 3 (46:14):
Yeah, we were letting them go.
Speaker 2 (46:16):
Anyways, I still gotcha. Sorry buddy, you just dropped there
for a second.
Speaker 4 (46:20):
Sorry about that guy. But I'm saying, like, maybe call
some rush concepts that maybe don't get as many chunks,
but get shipped four yards here and three yards there
and five yards here.
Speaker 3 (46:31):
And a lead off walk wouldn't be so bad once
in a while, you know exactly.
Speaker 4 (46:36):
My point is, that's that's what I'm talking about. I
think that's what some offenses that's gone to. You know,
I look at Sean mcday, what he's done with the rams.
He went away from all the wide zone stuff on
some more duo and they've become a more well oiled
machine along with what Matthew Stafford can obviously do in
the passing game. And you know, I think when you
(46:57):
look at that, maybe maybe it requires a little bit
of a change up there. I don't know, but I
think it's a combination of everything. I don't think the
running backs played very well on Baltimore. I don't think
the offensive line has really been consistently good at run blocking.
And I also don't think that Arthur Smith has always been,
you know, one step ahead of the defense in terms
(47:17):
of what type of runs he wants to run. But
the defense kind of knows what's coming and every now
and then. So yeah, I think it can get better,
but it can get better across the board.
Speaker 2 (47:27):
Good stuff as always with our buddy Chris Hallick. Chris,
thank you for taking the time on the Wednesday Partner
and we will talk to you soon.
Speaker 4 (47:34):
Thanks for having me, guys, I appreciate it.
Speaker 2 (47:36):
There he goes the great Chris Hallick. Always a good
perspective from him. Love chatting with that guy, and thanks
to him for taking the time for us today. That's
an hour in the books. Another hour to go on
the other side West Shuler, Matt Williamson halfway home here
on the Drive on Steelers Nation Radio on the Steelers
Audio Net
Your tuned about Drive on your twenty four to seven
home of the Black and Goal Steelers Nation Radio.
Speaker 2 (00:17):
Good afternoon, Steelers Nation, It's the Drive on the Steelers
Audio Network. Quest Shooler and Matt Williamson with you here
for the next two hours on a Wednesday, as we
have got plenty to get into here today and Matt
right off the top. Full disclosure, Okay, now, I know
real quick. Yeah, when we do this, when we pause
(00:39):
for like thirty seconds to talk about personal life or whatever, yeah,
I think ninety percent of people enjoy it.
Speaker 3 (00:45):
Right.
Speaker 2 (00:46):
Ten percent of people go, we don't care, just talk
about the footballs.
Speaker 3 (00:49):
Right.
Speaker 2 (00:50):
But I think when you listen to a show like this,
like you mentioned all the time, thirty segments a week or.
Speaker 3 (00:54):
Say this week two hours day, right, I.
Speaker 2 (00:57):
Like to think that the majority of the people listening
don't just look at you and I as robots, and
they kind of enjoy us and our personality in some
of our quirks. If you're if you're rocking and rolling
with us that much in a week, I'm sure you've
gotten this.
Speaker 3 (01:08):
But I've gotten it a ton and I take it
as the biggest compliment ever, is like I live in Arizona,
and I listen to you guys, and I just it
feels like you and it used to be you and
Dale sitting at Sharky's having a beer, and I'm like,
that's exactly what we talk about. A Sharky is having
a beer. Like feels like we're sitting there with you guys,
like great, And maybe once in a while we go
off topic and be like, hey, my kid did this,
and I kid took a half court shot at Kentucky,
(01:30):
Like that's got a goal, you know.
Speaker 2 (01:31):
Right, exactly right, And we've had some of those moments.
You're right, it's Sharky's in places like that where people
will see us and they'll chat with us for a
minute and they'll be like, this is hilarious. It's just
like listening to you guys on the.
Speaker 3 (01:42):
Show, right, right, that's the playing right.
Speaker 2 (01:43):
And so if you want robots, I don't know, watch
the evening News where they only talk for two minutes
at a time and everything is straight business. Thirty seconds
of peeling back the curtain for you here to get started.
I am not very prepared for this show today. I've
got a sick child at home and a child who
kept me up like crazy last night and I only
got about two hours of sleep, so I didn't do
(02:05):
my youth. This morning's been a little chaotic, you know,
how to take care of her and get my mom
over to the house, shout out the Grandma as always,
where would we all be without Grandma? Because of that,
I didn't have the usual time that I do to
pour into Best of the West and around campus and
all those different things. So we're gonna audible it a
little bit today.
Speaker 3 (02:23):
That definitely works. That's why I did a lot of
audible one before you showed up. That's why a lot
of scrip.
Speaker 2 (02:29):
Call, a lot of plays, a lot of a lot
of what key are we in here? B? Minor? All right?
Speaker 3 (02:34):
Hit it?
Speaker 2 (02:34):
Here comes the free form jazz instead of our traditional
around campus. And we haven't done this yet, so I
think it's okay. I wanted to look with you a
little bit. Field Yates actually just drop a mock draft and.
Speaker 3 (02:49):
Fields good dude, him and I. He was just starting
at ESPN when I was leaving ESPN. Yes, so I
interacted with him quite a bit. Seems combine every year
he'll pribace sit down with those one of these combines.
Speaker 2 (03:00):
Absolutely, Yeah, absolutely, and yeah, and he's one of the
guys who there's a couple of these mock drafters that
we tend to pay attention to.
Speaker 3 (03:06):
M hm.
Speaker 2 (03:07):
He's one of them. And I like how this starts.
I want to talk about the quarterback conversation, how it
relates to the Steelers all that stuff.
Speaker 3 (03:14):
There's a lot of teams that I just think are
their past are becoming clear of, you know, while the
O they're going to attack the off season things like
that too.
Speaker 2 (03:21):
And I think during the bye week way back in
early October when we had some more time, you and
I did some of that, like Okay, who needs a quarterback?
Who doesn't? Yeah, yeah, it's changed, but as you mentioned,
it's changed, it's.
Speaker 3 (03:32):
Becoming Carolina does. I don't know if the Dolph the
Dolphins of Carolina were too. I was on the fence.
I think it's going to be two and young next year. Yeah,
at least for one more year.
Speaker 2 (03:40):
Yes, right, and maybe the Saints and the Browns teams
like that.
Speaker 3 (03:45):
Yeah, he could at least potentially consider, depending where the
draft order falls. And totally I love Mendoza or you
know that kind of thing.
Speaker 2 (03:52):
And then maybe some teams that we had talked about,
like Minnesota, like Arizona who might be going back into
the court order back market. Uh, so that picture is
getting a little bit clearer. The draft orders getting a
little bit clearer here as well. And so let's jump
into this box.
Speaker 3 (04:08):
And also, like the around camp and stuff you put together,
which is great, there was only really two games of
or a couple of games of now that have changed
since last week.
Speaker 2 (04:16):
I mean, we could talk about Mendoza and Saying and
ty Simpson, but it's not like that.
Speaker 3 (04:20):
And I definitely maybe even next week, want to really
pick your brain about the playoffs and matchups, absolutely too, Absolutely,
I don't want to ignore college football at.
Speaker 2 (04:28):
All, totally, and that those start next weekend.
Speaker 3 (04:30):
Yeah, maybe this weekend, that's right. So there's nothing like
the watch for quarterbacks or anything like that too.
Speaker 2 (04:35):
Well, hold on, you mean one of these triple option
guys is going to lead the New York Jets.
Speaker 3 (04:39):
And sure in this first round Marck Field probably doesn't
have any midshipman in there either.
Speaker 2 (04:44):
You know, you're much like Alejandro Villanueva once said, the
easiest part of his day was football practice when he
was When he was an army.
Speaker 3 (04:53):
Hey, my uncle of this weekend, he's going to the game.
Couldn't be more excited, Like, I would love it.
Speaker 2 (04:57):
Would bucket list stuff. We we do need to do that.
One of these years. Maybe we can get a drive
sponsored trip. You know, we'll do a show, we'll do
some content pursuit. Has been a couple of times he
could show us the ropes and give us the and
give us the Yeah, I would I would love to
do that. That's one of those like I don't really
care what it costs, just yeah, just get there, Just
get there once and figure out the rest afterwards. Matt,
(05:20):
I like this mock draft from field Yates because I
think like two weeks ago we did kind of a
mini mock draft conversation. It was from someone on NFL
dot com. I don't it might have been from Dane
Brugler actually, now that I'm remembering. And he had the
Browns trading up the number one. Okay, he had the
Browns trading up the number one of the draft Fernanda Mendoza.
He had them packaging their two first round picks their
(05:40):
own and the Jags to move up to number one,
when at the time it was the Titans sitting in
that chick. Titans don't need a quarterback. They're riding with
cam Ward. Why not trade down a few spots pick
up an extra first round pick made a ton of sense. Well,
in this regard, Field Yates has the Giants finishing with
the first overall pick.
Speaker 3 (05:59):
Which is how I mean real quick. I think a
lot of the people know this, But Field didn't pick
the order right. Like, if the Steelers lost, they would
not be from twenty year later. If they won, they're
gonna be twenty year later because they're currently a playoff.
Speaker 2 (06:12):
Last week in these mocks, the Steelers were picking fourteen,
yeah right now they're now they're picking twenty.
Speaker 3 (06:17):
Yeah, you know. Yeah. So the Giants sitting home are
now in the driver's seat with the first overall pick,
exactly lose out, They're gonna the first overall.
Speaker 2 (06:24):
Pick, exactly right, and so with that the Giants first
overall pick, much like this exercise a couple of weeks ago,
a team that believes they have their quarterback of the future.
Speaker 3 (06:33):
Yeah, I have mixed feelings about Dart, but you're definitely
rolling with him this year.
Speaker 2 (06:37):
We both have mixed feelings about Dark but you're right.
The next head coach that they hire, that's gonna be
question number one in the interview. How are you going
to maximize Jackson Dart?
Speaker 3 (06:44):
Yeah, not well, we're moving away from dark Yeah, exactly.
That's not happened.
Speaker 2 (06:48):
If Matt Williamson walks into the offices and Easter Rutherford
to interview for the job and is like, I don't
like Dart, they're gonna be like, well, thanks for your time. Yeah,
we'll see you later.
Speaker 3 (06:56):
You wasted a plane for that's right, much.
Speaker 2 (06:59):
Like Aaron Roddy. We brought you across the country for nothing.
Although that was the Jets, not the Giants. Field has
the MetLife swap shall we call it? Okay, he has
the Jets trading up to the Giants a few spots.
Let's see here from seven to one, the Jets trading
up with the Giants. The draft. Fernando Meno Mendoza, quarterback
(07:21):
and Big Ten champion out of Indiana.
Speaker 3 (07:24):
Yeah, I assume you watched that game. I mean you
were in baldimolreh.
Speaker 2 (07:29):
I thought he he doesn't blow me away either, but I.
Speaker 3 (07:35):
Think I'm talking about his first overall picks.
Speaker 2 (07:38):
Go as first overall picks. He does not blow me away.
But there's also this weird like, I think his worst
case scenario is Kirk Cousins.
Speaker 3 (07:47):
Yes, you know, and there's something he said for that,
and there's something to be said for that, like because
this draft doesn't look load at the top. It's not
like Giants straight away from Miles Garrett exactly right.
Speaker 2 (07:55):
That's another great point by you, you know, and you know,
even someone like cam Ward next year, who I really
liked and I think has a very high ceiling, I
think Mendoza has a higher floor, like I think, yes,
I think worst case scenario, Mendoza is a good NFL
starter for ten to twelve years. He took He's Kirk
Cousins for ten to twelve years. So win you some
division titles, so win you some playoff games, super Bowl.
(08:16):
Who knows. If you get him in the right situation,
sure he's not going to completely elevate your organization, but
it's not going to be it's not going to be
a swing and a miss with a first round pick.
Completely at the same.
Speaker 3 (08:28):
Time, I see him exact same way. It's funny because
we haven't had this conversation, like if everything hits maybe
he's Matt Ryan. Yes, Matt Ryan won an MVP with
Julio Jones and probably should have won a Super Bowl
pretty darn closed coaching.
Speaker 2 (08:42):
Mal practice where for whatever reason they ran the ball
three times with a twenty eight to three lead.
Speaker 3 (08:46):
They're not going to win four out of six Super Bowls,
but he might get you there when all the planets
aligned properly. Absolutely, And that's a good football player. And frankly,
if like Trevor Lawrence or Kyler Murray, I'm gon saying
my first overall picks had that career, that's a success.
Speaker 2 (09:02):
It's better than what they've been. Doesn't have to be Elway,
even someone like Baker Mayfield, who's been very upright the
first pick.
Speaker 3 (09:08):
Yeah, I mean, frankly, if they have a Cousin's career,
you'd probably go Fish. But if you have a Ryan career,
you definitely take it, especially for your team. I know
they're not in this instance, but like the Jets.
Speaker 2 (09:18):
The Jets might want a high floor, right, Okay, you
give us, you give us Matt Ryan or Kirk Cousins
for the next twelve years, and we'll take you.
Speaker 3 (09:25):
Right, James, the Browns have gone through and left and right.
Speaker 2 (09:28):
You know, imagine if you could put Mendoza with the
Niners right now, right right right right right, you know, like, yeah,
a situation overall, pick a situation like that, and if
the Jets could build to something like that.
Speaker 3 (09:39):
With all a capital, they have a line and you know, right.
Speaker 2 (09:42):
Right they do, I think have started building the nest.
So yeah, I I think he's accurate. I think he's
got some power in his arm. Throughout the season, his
pocket presence, his pocket awareness has much improved. Like the
first first couple of weeks of the season, there were
some times where he got the happy feet a little bit. Yeah,
and especially last year at Cal, if you go back,
(10:02):
I've seen so many people like Pitt fans. And I
don't mean this as an insult as much as I
prefer it was, as much as I'd prefer it was, Yes,
exactly a lot of people who just watched their college
football team.
Speaker 3 (10:13):
Yeah yeah, yeah, Like that.
Speaker 2 (10:15):
Mendoza guy who we beat when he was at Cal
last year, he's going to be the first overall pick.
Speaker 3 (10:19):
My favorite instance is much last player. All the Penn
State fans were like genty, who would take him high?
Speaker 2 (10:26):
Yeah, yeah, exactly.
Speaker 3 (10:27):
They put like eleven guys in the box and stop
genty and he still had like one hundred and ten
yards or something like. That guy's gonna be a first
round pick.
Speaker 2 (10:34):
That guy's gonna be a top ten pick.
Speaker 3 (10:35):
One game, and everyone around him was totally overmatch against.
Speaker 2 (10:39):
Mendoz, a guy who couldn't lead Cal on a scoring
drive to beat Pitt. He's he's much better twelve months later.
Speaker 3 (10:45):
Watch every snap, Watch every.
Speaker 2 (10:47):
Snap, watch him this year in Indiana. I think he's
gotten better throughout the year. Man. I really liked how
that first, very first play of the game he took
a massive shot.
Speaker 3 (10:56):
Oh. I like his toughness and one play right back
in there. Yeah yeah. I like the way he throws
the ball. I don't love it. I mean, we we're
to talk about first overall picks here, you.
Speaker 2 (11:05):
Know, Yes, I like the way he throws the ball.
I don't love it. I like how he's continued to
improve with his pocket presence and his pocket awareness. I
think the arrows pointed up for him. Oh yeah, yeah,
And so that's here Field Yates has Mendoza going first
overall to the Jets.
Speaker 3 (11:21):
We're not spend this much time on every pick, but
just because he is recent. We just saw a game
of him, and he's the first overall pick, which I
think he's favored to be at.
Speaker 2 (11:27):
This He's the big topic at this point too.
Speaker 3 (11:31):
I will say again subject to change, because as everyone knows,
I have not These aren't my final answers with draft.
I'm in the NFL and pro stuff obviously now more
than anything. I don't think most years he comes out,
he'd be the first overall pick, and even like a
cam Ward last year, I would rather take I'd rather
roll the dice on Ward.
Speaker 2 (11:51):
Yeah, yeah, I get what I was gonna ask you, like, and.
Speaker 3 (11:56):
This is gonna be very Steeler related, like if if,
and when the Steelers are ready for that first round quarterback,
would you rather go the Ward high ceiling, low floor
route or the Mendoza route? Especially for the Steelers, I'm
going the Ward route.
Speaker 2 (12:10):
And I imagine Caleb Williams over Mendoza, Jayden Daniels over Mendoza,
and may Drake may over Mendoza, and that that's.
Speaker 3 (12:18):
Not it's pretending I've never even watched them in the
NFL what I thought of them at the time.
Speaker 2 (12:22):
But like, what about Michael PENNOCKX and J J. McCart No, okay, okay,
right right, okay, I'm with you on that. Then number
two the Raiders, Dante More that would make I think
a lot of sense.
Speaker 3 (12:33):
Absolutely. My worry with the Raiders is if they go
quarterback the Nest thinks.
Speaker 2 (12:39):
It does it's I mean, and that's funny to say
when you have Brock Bowers in Ashton genty that's that
part's good. But the Nests still kind of I mean,
the offensive line might be the worst in the NFL.
Speaker 3 (12:48):
Their rosters are really bad, and the defense is gonna
help you at all. That's We'll get to the Browns
here in a minute too. But like their offensive nests,
I was doing some homework on just overnight. They might
need nine starters on offense. Oh yeah, which might mean
let's just roll shador back for a year in draft lineman,
you know, but we'll get them wait, Raiders, I was
(13:11):
talking about the Browns one okay, sorry, yeah, okay, sorry, Yeah,
defense is great, but you might need nine offensive starters.
Speaker 2 (13:17):
Yeah, sorry, I get what you're saying. Absolutely, and the
Raiders they probably feel good about quinch On Jenkins and
you know.
Speaker 3 (13:22):
And a fan and that's about it.
Speaker 2 (13:24):
Yeah, Raiders similar, that'd be an interesting one, like could
they punt on a quarterback? We're just going to take
the best player available here at pick two, or we're
going to trade down and get a bunch of assets.
Speaker 3 (13:33):
That's that's the best move. Is the team that the
Steelers type. I mean, let's say the Steelers are twelve
and okay, we'll give you a lot to get to
two and take more and he'll sit behind Rogers for
a year. That makes a lot of sense for both
teams to.
Speaker 2 (13:48):
If Gino Smith were playing average football even then, then
you'd be like, okay, we'll draft Onte More and eventually
in Week nine he takes over for Gino Smith.
Speaker 3 (13:57):
That's not bad.
Speaker 2 (13:57):
That's the only question. If you're the Raiders and you
don't go the quarter back route is like, we're not
running it back with Gino. Kenny Pickett's not a solution.
He's a backup guy. So I don't know, maybe you
go and get a Kyler Murray or something like that doesn't,
you know, move the needle that much. But interesting, interesting
off season.
Speaker 3 (14:15):
For the Raiders, And I would totally understand Jets Raiders
going quarterback quarterback.
Speaker 2 (14:18):
Yeah, yeah, totally. I mean you need them.
Speaker 3 (14:20):
And again, there's not a Joe alt or Chase or
a Garrett, you know, a non position, a non quarterback.
Speaker 2 (14:28):
That's like at a premium position.
Speaker 3 (14:29):
Yeah. Smith, the receiver from Ohio State. Like if he
was in this draft, if you're the Giants, You're like,
I'm not traded now, I'm.
Speaker 2 (14:36):
Taking Jeremiah Smith. Three, the Titans take r Vel Reese,
who might be the best player in this draft. Yeah,
I think for them at pick three, that would make
a ton of sense.
Speaker 3 (14:47):
Love it for them.
Speaker 2 (14:48):
He could be he could do Michael Parsons type things
for your for your defense.
Speaker 3 (14:53):
You tackles already. Now, I was going to say he'd.
Speaker 2 (14:55):
Be a very good pairing with Jeffrey Simmons exactly.
Speaker 3 (14:57):
I feel exactly sweating those guys too. That's a nice start.
Speaker 2 (15:00):
Maybe his rookie year, you move him around and he
eventually settles as an edge once he gets a little
bit more of that NFL body. But he could be
the best player in this draft. Yeah, if you get
him at pick three, I think that's really smart.
Speaker 3 (15:11):
Maybe you go wide receiver and force the offensive line
with the next round, you.
Speaker 2 (15:15):
Know, Sure Browns at four they take Cardel Tait, the
wide receiver from Ohio State, Wow, who I think is
very good.
Speaker 3 (15:23):
I'm just say, what do you think of him? I mean,
he doesn't he doesn't blow me away as the clear
wide receiver one.
Speaker 2 (15:28):
But this is a similar conversation to last year. Yeah,
I'm gonna probably really like the top two or three picks,
and then pick four to seven, eight, nine might underwhelm me.
Speaker 3 (15:41):
Last year was very heavy that way.
Speaker 2 (15:42):
Last year was very heavy that way, where it was
like Cam Woard, Travis Hunter, what's his face from Penn State,
Abdul Carter, Oh yeah yeah, and then it was like
there's a I like the middle class after those guys.
But I don't really like that second wave of what's
supposed to be elite where you get the Joe Alts
a lot of times, where you get the shut down corners.
Speaker 3 (16:01):
At Mason Graham that went to the Browns exactly right,
should be the twelfth pick in the draft, and you're
taking exactly right, you know what I mean, just because
there's no one else to take, Like I could see
this draft leading like that a lot.
Speaker 2 (16:11):
That's where I'm at.
Speaker 3 (16:12):
So I don't and there's not even a clear number
from what I've seen. Wide receiver one isn't locked up
for Tait either.
Speaker 2 (16:19):
Like I prefer Jordan Tyson. I think they're both first
round picks, like, without a doubt, they're both top fifteen picks,
good players.
Speaker 3 (16:27):
Like as of like a month ago, I looked at
tight at Tate is like maybe that's a Steelers first rounder.
Speaker 2 (16:32):
In he was getting locked there. Yeah, like in the
team and he's been. He was very good down the
stretch for Ohio State. I give him the Mecca Abuka
benefit of the doubt too, Yeah, because last year at
this time a lot of people were saying, yeah, Mecca
Buk is good, but he's not a real high ceiling.
He's playing off of Jeremiah Smith, you know. And I
(16:53):
think maybe there's some but but I still think Carnel
Tait is, like I said, first round lock, top fifty
team pick four just might be a little rich for
my blood.
Speaker 3 (17:03):
He seems like a T. Higgins, not a Chase Yes,
you know what I mean, which is again, if that's
all you got to pick from this draft, it's from Bacon,
right right right, Yeah, But.
Speaker 2 (17:12):
That would be back to back years of a top
five pick for the Browns that would kind of underwhelm me. Yes,
good player. I'm not saying that these guys stink are
gonna bust. I just don't think there's any chance they're
gonna wear gold jackets one day either, which is what
you want for that drafting area. Saints A five Francis Moyaga.
I believe that's how he pronounces his last name, The
(17:33):
very very good tackle from Miami. I prefer Fannu from Utah,
who he has going eighth to Arizona. But I think
those are the clear best two offensive tackles in the league.
You get him and you run it back with Shuck
for another year.
Speaker 3 (17:48):
Yeah. And So I haven't looked at this at all,
but I imagine he took the Miami kid instead of the
Utah dude because they've gone back to back tackles in
the last two years in New Orleans. So I know
some are looking at him like a big time guard,
big time right, yeah, road greater sure, So I assume
that's why he didn't take a pure tackle or it's
(18:10):
someone that could at least bump.
Speaker 2 (18:12):
In Yeah and and he talks actually about how they
could bump in Fuaga from right tackle to right guard
next next season.
Speaker 3 (18:19):
So I think there's a real good chance Shuck is
the opening day starter there.
Speaker 2 (18:24):
I I think if it continues down the down the
line here, that's going to be the case.
Speaker 3 (18:29):
Especially if they're not picking the top five ish, you know.
Speaker 2 (18:33):
Number six Washington Commander is a guy that I just
saw with my own two eyes about ten days ago,
Matt Williamson, who really looked the part. David Bailey, edge
rusher from Texas Tech, and.
Speaker 3 (18:42):
I really hope they go defense. I mean, the offense
to me is pretty darn set.
Speaker 2 (18:47):
It is, but they're just their defense is so old
like Von Miller and Bobby Wagner.
Speaker 3 (18:50):
Yeah, I mean it's old and it's bad, and they
have to really enforce that defense.
Speaker 2 (18:56):
He's got thirteen and a half sacks, David Bailey, He's
just been a rigging wrecking ball. I really like him.
He's not more of like a three four outside, He's
more of a three like. He His ceiling is like
a TJ. Watt, you know. But he has that same
knack for not necessarily the physical intimidation of a of
a Bosa or a Miles Garrett right like the stout
(19:19):
hand in the ground on the edge. But the dude
just makes place. He knows how to get after quarterbacks.
He knows how to force force fumbles, eight of them.
Speaker 3 (19:26):
Like he just I've heard a lot of Benito comparison.
Speaker 2 (19:31):
It's a good one. Yeah, could do a lot of
different things for you. And man, he like he started
his career at Stanford and really took I mean, had
like four sacks as a true freshman at Stanford and
then transferred to Texas Tech. And yeah, probably smart to
school there. I like that pick for the Commanders.
Speaker 3 (19:49):
Yeah, me too. Defense available and he could be the best.
Speaker 2 (19:53):
He could be the best defensive player in this draft.
I think it's r VL Reese, but it wouldn't surprise me.
Of five years from now, it's David Bailey.
Speaker 3 (20:00):
Downs is the other one, but he's a safety, and
what are you paying for a safety?
Speaker 4 (20:03):
You know?
Speaker 2 (20:03):
Right? I really like Caleb Downs. You're right, and he
goes in the top ten here, but that's also do
you want to take a safety at Yeah?
Speaker 3 (20:09):
Six overall solves all your problems with the Commander.
Speaker 2 (20:12):
Let's do a couple more here then we'll take a break.
Pick this up on the other side, Like Giants at seven,
Matt of course because of that trade with the With
the Jets, they take Jordan Tyson, the Arizona state wide receiver, who.
Speaker 3 (20:23):
Pair him with neighbors. I mean, you're setting things up
for dark then.
Speaker 2 (20:26):
I think that that would be a good move by
the Giants. They've got some nice pieces on defense. I
don't think the offensive line is a disaster.
Speaker 3 (20:34):
No, I don't think it's trendous.
Speaker 2 (20:35):
If you can give Jackson Dart now what could end
up being two number one wide receivers, right, you're really
setting him up, really setting him up for success.
Speaker 3 (20:43):
Like the wandel Robinson's and Slaton's are your threes and
like that.
Speaker 2 (20:46):
You're in a good spot. Right, You're in a very
good spot. And I think I think Jordan Tyson might
be the best playmaker in this draft. He's been banged
up the last couple of weeks, which has caused him
to fall down these draft boards, but his tape is impressive.
He's got some tech McMillan, that's trade Millon traits about him.
Number eight, the Arizona Cardinals. They take Spencer Fanu, the
tackle from Utah, who I think is the best tackle
(21:07):
in this draft.
Speaker 3 (21:09):
I'm a big Paris Johnson fan. But that's only one
that you need someone on the other side.
Speaker 2 (21:13):
You need someone on the other I think this dude
is nasty, this dude is violent. He's that. He's that
Utah Samoan, you know what I mean, Utah guys in
the trenches that they pump out every couple of years
that are just brick houses in there. Caleb Downs goes
ninth to the Rams. That's the Rams pick. That a
(21:35):
thanks for Caleb Downs here.
Speaker 3 (21:36):
Maybe the best defensive player in the draft.
Speaker 2 (21:38):
Maybe the best defensive player in the draft. They could
really do some branch type stuff with him, some like
when Jamal Adams was at his prime stuff with him.
I think that would be for a team that's really
stinking good already, that would be a heck of a steal.
And then another guy who I think could end up
being the best defensive player in this this draft is
(21:58):
Ruben Bain Junior, the edge rusher from Miami. He goes
tenth to the Bengals.
Speaker 3 (22:03):
Henderson is not going to be back. Well, they might franchise.
Speaker 2 (22:06):
I'm who the heck knows, And I mean that would
be to go from taking Shamar Stewart. What I think
twelfth overall last year to going back to an edge
rusher at tenth. I don't know if that's the best
use of resources.
Speaker 3 (22:16):
Miles Murphy two years ago too. I mean, like they
just keep going.
Speaker 2 (22:18):
But but I also think he's the clear cut best
player on the board here at ten, and that would
be a good He's a guy who could go five
and you get him at ten.
Speaker 3 (22:26):
And how could you really criticize the Bengals for just
taking best defensive player available, no matter what it is,
what position is.
Speaker 2 (22:31):
Yes, I'm with you on that. So let's continue this
exercise on the other side, specifically, any more quarterbacks. Where
do the Steelers go? We'll get to that when we
return West Shouler, Matt Williamson. It's the Drive on the
Steelers Nation Radio on the Steelers Audio Network.
Speaker 1 (22:47):
Your tune's about Drive on your twenty four to seven
home of the Black and Goals Steelers Nation Radio.
Speaker 2 (23:00):
Back on the Drive here is we continue to do
some around campus, some NFL draft talk. We've repurposed around
campus for the first two segments of the show. Here today,
we're going to talk to our buddy Chris Hallick in
about ten to fifteen minutes. But before we do that, Matt,
I want to continue this and see where some of
these quarterbacks fall and what happened. Yeah, we'll go faster
in this one. And that's always the case the top
(23:22):
ten picks. There's always more meat on the bone to
chew on. Vikings at eleven and they select Mansord Delaney,
who I think has the coolest name is. I mean,
he sounds like he should be like a noble lord
from you know, from the UK and the seventeen hundreds
or something, Mensol Delaney. But the corner out of LSU.
(23:43):
Man he's versatile. He started at Virginia Tech for most
of his career, transferred this past season to LSU. He's
got size, He's like, I'm trying to think of a
good example, but he's so violent. He's so disruptive in
combat catches.
Speaker 1 (24:00):
Yeah.
Speaker 2 (24:00):
Yeah, Like he is not bashful at all. He's not bashful.
He to me, has the full gambit of the skill
set that you want from a number one corner. He's
got the size, he's got the physicality, he's got the frame,
he's got the athleticism.
Speaker 1 (24:13):
Uh.
Speaker 2 (24:13):
First corner off the board at pick eleven, I think
is a very worthy pick for him.
Speaker 3 (24:17):
There from what I gather, there's not a Ramsey or
a Peterson coming out. That's a you know, Sauce or Stingley.
That's like, that's a top five pick all day long.
Speaker 2 (24:25):
Christian Gonzalez, although he might have been drafted right he
was ten eleven range.
Speaker 3 (24:30):
But yes, but I think that there is still some
battling to do, like the receiver position of who's going
to be corner one? Agreed, And there's a chance that
Steelers could go corner around one.
Speaker 2 (24:38):
Absolutely, yeah, absolutely, And again you know how all these
things fall, and we'll do plenty of those exercises. Time
we get to the you know, pick one, if you're
the Steelers, who are you taking? And then a pick two?
Who are you taking? Twelve is the Miami Dolphins. Oh
my goodness. I mean they were at one point they
were picking two. Now they're not back into twelve. They
(24:58):
take Keldric Falk, the edge rusher for the Auburn.
Speaker 3 (25:01):
Their edge guys aren't bad though they took Chop recently and.
Speaker 2 (25:05):
They still have Bradley Chubb. They did trade Jalen Phillips
to the Eagles, but.
Speaker 3 (25:09):
They're another one maybe best defensive player available, wouldn't be
a terrible idea. Rubb is kind of expensive and old.
He could not be back.
Speaker 2 (25:16):
I was gonna he's getting to that point too where he.
Speaker 3 (25:19):
Will talk about him in the next couple of days. But
there their edge guys aren't bad.
Speaker 2 (25:22):
No, they're not. And that's even with you know, sending
Jalen Phillips to the other side of the Commonwealth. Here
thirteen the Baltimore Ravens Peter Woods defensive tackle from Clemson,
Travis Jones is going to be a free agent. Matt a.
Bouquet has that neck injury.
Speaker 3 (25:38):
He may never be the same.
Speaker 2 (25:39):
He may never be the same.
Speaker 3 (25:40):
Their the tackles are not great at the moment. I
think that's a real good chance they go d tackling
wrong one.
Speaker 2 (25:46):
I think so too. He would be the first one
off the board, and he'll.
Speaker 3 (25:50):
Talk about him maybe being the first overall pick before
the season started. They don't think he's been disappointing, but
he hasn't like taken an up to a level or anything.
Speaker 2 (25:57):
And he's one of those almost you know, let's do
the let's do the Casey Hampton example. He's not huge.
He's listed at six to two. I think it might
be more like he might be six foot and a half.
You know, he's got thirty two inch arms, thirty one
and a half inch arms. But he is that guy
that if you can put him in the middle of
your defense, he can. He can a gap and just
(26:19):
hold and let everybody, let Rocon Smith and everybody else
do their job.
Speaker 3 (26:23):
They've always had those type of dudes. Yes, yeah, right,
Matta Bouquet is. It's not a one for one Matta
Bouquet comp but it is. Yeah, they need a force
in the middle back.
Speaker 2 (26:32):
He could be one of those a little undersized, but
just you know, wrecking ball types in the middle of
the defensive line that's impossible to move. Fourteen. I would hate,
capital h ate hate this, but Field has the Kansas
City Chiefs drafting Jeremiah Love the running back. He's another
one who he's on that short list of like RVL Reeves,
(26:52):
of the guys that I think could be the best
player in this draft.
Speaker 3 (26:55):
I take Lover. I'd take tight end.
Speaker 2 (26:58):
That would be such a that would be a steel
for them. They did take Clyde Edwards Hilaire the last
pick of the first round in twenty twenty, but they
have a couple of.
Speaker 3 (27:07):
Picks ahead of Jonathan Taylor.
Speaker 2 (27:08):
A couple of picks.
Speaker 3 (27:09):
They should make a joke all the time, like I
bet Andy Reid goes out to practice every day and goes,
I wish you were Jonathan.
Speaker 2 (27:14):
Could you imagine? Could you imagine if you were Jonathan Daye? Right,
So the Heisman Trophy finalist goes fourteenth overall to case
another Buckeye off the board. At fifteen, the Dallas Cowboys
select Sony Styles, off ball linebacker from Ohio State, which, hey,
taking an off ball linebacker at fifteen, that dude better
(27:35):
end up being pretty stinking good. But also, if you're
looking at Dallas's defense, that might be the one kind
of you know, final puzzle piece to complement that side
of the ball.
Speaker 3 (27:43):
Yeah, And assuming they get something done with pickings, either
franchise or whatever, all those picks that they've accumulated, I
think they're all going to defense, and Dallas could be
in a really good spot next year.
Speaker 2 (27:54):
They really could, which sounds crazy. They could have a
dangerous offense and a legit defense. Number sixteen, the Carolina
Panthers take seat Jay Allen back to back off ball linebackers.
Allen from Georgia.
Speaker 3 (28:08):
He there does look like there could be a couple
of first round off the ball guys.
Speaker 2 (28:12):
He's he's part of that kind of those Georgia off
ball linebackers. There's a nice lineage there of these teams
in the Ropewan Smiths and he's a missile back there.
Speaker 4 (28:23):
He is.
Speaker 2 (28:25):
He's what you want from an off ball linebacker. Again,
is sixteen a little too rich for that in the
modern NFL That's a different conversation. But I think there's
a high floor with a guy like c. J.
Speaker 3 (28:34):
Allen. Yeah, I mean, I'm saying he's the next Keith Lee,
but they they haven't really had an identifiable, you know,
leader of the defense type guy in Carolina.
Speaker 2 (28:42):
Matt I told you about how I saw David Bailey,
the edge rusher from Texas Tech. A couple of weeks ago.
I missed FANU from Utah came to Morgantown because you
and I were in Dublin. I think that's the only
time in my life that I was alright with missing
missing a w football home game to be frolicking around
with my buddies in Double and the Lions that picked seventeen.
Go to the other outstanding tackle on that Utah football team.
(29:05):
Caleb Lomu goes seventeenth. He's the right tackle for Utah there,
so I don't know what they would do.
Speaker 3 (29:12):
I'm sure they wouldn't move Sol. I don't think they
would move, staying there, and he's gonna go the Hall
of Fame's right tackle. Deckers up in.
Speaker 2 (29:18):
Age he is. He is thirty one years old Decker,
so not you know, thirty five, but up in age.
Speaker 3 (29:24):
But he could be a guard for a year or
something like that too. And the great Docker moves on
because their interior is not what it used to be
after the rag now, you know.
Speaker 2 (29:31):
According to Pro Football Focus, Lomu did not allow a
single sack this season and only gave up six pressures
in twelve games that Utah had the number I mean
they ran for like two hundred some yards a game. Yeah,
I think number one or number two rushing attack in
all of power power four football. Two first round tackles
will do that for you.
Speaker 3 (29:52):
That's a lion type of move, though. We're not going
to ever get weak on the.
Speaker 2 (29:54):
O line exactly right. Another corner goes off the board
eighteenth to the Giants. A Terrell at a Clemson very
good player. He's another one who could who could easily
end up being the first corner off of the board.
Speaker 4 (30:07):
Uh.
Speaker 2 (30:07):
He is the younger brother of Falcons cornerback AJ Terrell. Yes,
this is his younger brother.
Speaker 3 (30:13):
The Giants would have got a receiver in a corner
both to be are he's in need. Not too bad
at all on a trade down.
Speaker 2 (30:19):
He's a little smaller, but he is so quick and
he has that kind of like just knack for closing
speed right time, reads the game well. They also use
him in the slot a little bit at Clemson. He
had three sacks and five forced fumbles this season.
Speaker 3 (30:33):
Yeah, I think he'll mix it up.
Speaker 2 (30:35):
I think he'd be a good player for that defense.
Nineteen Tampa Bay takes Kenyon Sidik. We talked about him
a little bit a week or two ago, and we
talked about Dante Moore. Yeah, he's the tight end from Moregan.
I think he's great. I think there's some some Tyler
Warren Colson Loveland type ceiling there.
Speaker 4 (30:52):
Man.
Speaker 2 (30:52):
You put that type of weapon in that Tampa Bay offense,
that would be.
Speaker 3 (30:55):
Beca last year and then him this year and just
in terms of pas catching and.
Speaker 2 (30:58):
Evans is getting a little bit old, Godwin's getting a
little bit older. You you know, you replenish that that
that that there.
Speaker 3 (31:05):
They're a big best player available type team too, which
he probably is at this point.
Speaker 2 (31:10):
It's worked out well for them as far at number twenty,
your Pittsburgh Steelers. I've seen this mocked a lot lately,
and I definitely think it could happen and I wouldn't
be against it. Malachai Lemon, wide receiver from usc OH.
Speaker 3 (31:23):
I think he'd fit in in a big way here.
I mean I get some Saint Brown type vibes from
him too, thicker slot, but also outside physical, you know,
aggressive type dude, a lot different than DK. I have
no qualms with that at all.
Speaker 2 (31:40):
I've seen this since August in September, and my only
worry is, if you ask me right now, Malachi Lemon,
is he going to go before pick twenty or after
pick twenty? I would guess before.
Speaker 3 (31:52):
Yeah, Like, I think.
Speaker 2 (31:53):
He's only going to be one of those guys that
his stock is going to continue to rise. I could
see that, But if that's the pick a pick twenty
for the Steelers, I would not be against it. No,
I think he's nice to.
Speaker 3 (32:03):
Solve the number two. He'd be a.
Speaker 2 (32:05):
Very nice piece next. And he's a different type of
body type. He's a little under six foot, you know,
one hundred and ninety five pounds, has some speed to burn,
and you can line him up anywhere as you mentioned,
which I think would fit very nicely in this offense.
Speaker 3 (32:18):
I imagine Fields isn't going to have a quarterback go twenty one,
twenty two, Like, yeah, that's.
Speaker 2 (32:23):
Exactly what I was looking for, just to see before
we get out of here and get get to Chris Hallick.
I don't see any other quarterbacks mocked in his first round.
Ty Simpson thirty first overall to the Rams.
Speaker 3 (32:36):
That'd be a great landing spot for Simps.
Speaker 2 (32:38):
It would be a great landing spot for head for
a year, sit for a year behind Stafford. It's a
worthy risk to take for the Rams when you already
got Caleb Downs at pick nine.
Speaker 3 (32:48):
Like, if you told me Rogers was here, I would
strongly consider Simpson at twenty. Yes, yeah, but if it's
Rudolph's going to start for a week or two and
then throw right in, then I or yeah.
Speaker 2 (33:00):
I'm even kind of close to this point with Dante Moore,
who I really like. Yeah, Fernando Mendoza is the only
quarterback in this class that I'm gonna draft, and I'm
gonna start him right away. There'll be some growing pains there,
but as we talked about, I think he at least
has a high enough floor to do that.
Speaker 3 (33:16):
To operate that part.
Speaker 2 (33:17):
Tye Simpson or Dante More, I think they're gonna need
some time, a ton of upside there. They could both
end up being better pros than Mendoza, but they could
also both end up being Josh Rosen out of the
league in.
Speaker 3 (33:28):
A few years, that type of same.
Speaker 2 (33:32):
But I want to have that. You've gotta have the
nest to land a man, and the Rams do with
with with as long as Stafford ends up coming back. Yeah,
the Rams win the Super Bowl this year, Stafford, could
you know, maybe pull a pull a John Elway, pull
a Jerome Bettis and say this is it. I want
a Super Bowl that I'm out of here, but plung
the chew one. As we get closer and closer to
(33:52):
combine season, the playoff, all these things will have only
more and more on the twenty twenty six NFL Draft.
But when we return, we got to talk to our
Chris Halleck about all the moving and shaking down on
the South Side as we get ready for the Dolphins
on Monday Night football. We'll do that when we return
here on the Drive on Steelers Nation Radio on the
Steelers Audio Network.
Speaker 1 (34:11):
Your tunes about Drive on your twenty four to seven
home of the Black and Goal. Steelers Nation Radio.
Speaker 2 (34:28):
Back on the Drive here on the Steelers Audio Network.
Joining us now, it's our buddy from dk Pittsburgh Sports,
Chris Hallick, a regular here on this program. Chris, thank
you for taking the time as always, partner. And before
we get into us some stuff from that win in Baltimore.
Looking ahead to the Dolphins a little bit. How you
feeling about Derek Harmon. We've had so much conversation around
(34:49):
his importance to this team and particularly that run defense.
I think that was on full display Sunday at M
and T Banks Stadium. Are you optimistic or pessimistic for
his status for Monday at football?
Speaker 4 (35:02):
Definitely more optimistic than I was in the past couple
of weeks because Mike Tomlin didn't rule him out. I mean,
the fact that Tomlin left the door open for him
to possibly return. They get an extra day of rest today.
Actually is that day of rest. It's a victory Wednesday
instead of a victory Monday, so they get the day
(35:24):
off today before they start practicing tomorrow. I'm optimistic right now,
but let's let's see at least what his participation looks
like on Thursday and Friday, and then I'll probably get
a better gauge because you know, we don't know the
nature of the knee injury. It's not the same knee
(35:45):
injury he had in the preseason that kept him out
for the first couple of games of the season. So
I don't want to kind of say, yes, he's definitely
going to be back, or it's leaning that way right now,
but there's he's definitely trending in the right place. So
you'd love to have him back against the Dolphins having
to go again day Shane. But you know, either way
(36:06):
you are closer to getting him back on the field,
and yeah.
Speaker 3 (36:10):
They need him back.
Speaker 4 (36:11):
He's become a big part of them stopping the run.
Speaker 3 (36:15):
Chris, I know you watch a lot of All twenty
two and really dig into some of the x's and
o's of this stuff too. But the Steeler run defense
the last couple of weeks, to me, almost just comes
down to defensive linemen going backwards. I mean it almost
doesn't matter what scheme they faced, it's just they're not
winning one on one blocks or not getting off blocks.
(36:35):
Other than Cam Hayward, I see a lot of defensive
linemen go in the wrong direction.
Speaker 4 (36:40):
No, that's absolutely what I see more than anything. And
I there are a couple of narratives that fans have
clung to this season, and the two players that consistently
get under fire the most from fans or Patrick Queen
and Joey Porter Junior. Yeah, and I think that's completely.
Speaker 3 (37:03):
Little misguided.
Speaker 4 (37:04):
It's off base. Yeah, it's just it's really hard to
play linebacker when you consistently have offensive lineman in your
lap and.
Speaker 3 (37:14):
That or your teammate in your lap and you know
the defensive lineman.
Speaker 4 (37:18):
Yeah, yeah, absolutely, Now they they definitely need to get better.
I think that's one of the reasons why when you
know Harmon has done such a good job, is he
in like the prototypical space eater in the middle. No,
But what Harmon does so well is number one, he
does get off blocks and he his gap integrity is
(37:40):
really really good for being a rookie first round or not.
He he holds up his gap very very well. He
doesn't get pushed around a whole bunch. Meanwhile, you know
why Black will have some good reps and then there's
some times where he's pushed around Keanu Beent. It's the
same thing's there's not as much consistency there.
Speaker 3 (38:03):
So Christ real quick on Harmon kind of like what
you're saying. I think he has a really good knowledge
of the game and blocking angles and how they're trying
to how they're trying to attack him. As rookies go.
I think above the neck, he's a plus.
Speaker 4 (38:20):
One thousand percent of It. Was one of the things
that the Steelers loved about him coming out of Oregon
that not only does he have a lot of great
tools and have like at length and a lot of hits.
It checks a lot of boxers in that way, but
they really thought that he was a really smart football
player at the same time and was interested in things
(38:40):
more than just what the defensive line is doing. He
und he understands what like his role within what all
eleven guys are trying to do, and that shows up
on film, because again, you seldom find him out of place.
You know, his gaptag, his holding where he needs to be.
(39:03):
He does a really good job of that, and so
I don't think it's you know, I asked Tomlin about
that on this press conference on Tuesday, you know, like,
what does Harmon do so well? He said, well, he's
the first rounder. We're like, yeah, that's that's a great answer.
But you look at the film you see why. He's
just a really smart player. He understands where.
Speaker 3 (39:21):
He needs to be.
Speaker 4 (39:22):
And it's not a coincidence that there's a ninety five
yard per game difference in what they give up on
the ground whenever he's in the lineup versus when he's
not in the lineup.
Speaker 3 (39:31):
Yeah.
Speaker 2 (39:32):
No, well said, And we have certainly seen that play
out on a more optimistic tone here, Chris. Was that
past was this past Sunday in Baltimore? Was that Aaron Rodgers'
finest performance so far this season in the Black and Goal?
Speaker 4 (39:48):
Absolutely? When you talk about I mean, there have been
opportunities to throw downfield in previous games, and we've seen
him connect on some here and there, but it was
like every single word of the as fast as downfield
was right on the money. I mean right on the money.
It didn't matter if it was the first one of
the game where it was like fifty yards downfield, or
(40:09):
if it was the one that Calvin ausin where it
was literally catching the snap plant and throw like immediately
and it was so didn't go as far, or the
one where he scrambled out to his left and found
Metcalf who found the open grass and then he flips
his hips around, throws off platform and it's just right
on the money to Metcalf who was running you know,
(40:32):
the parallel to the line of scrimmage that that's that
play right there. Was probably the closest you're going to
get to vintage Rogers. No, it was definitely, I thought,
like in Cincinnati was like the closest we've seen to
like vintage Rogers. And he definitely up that involves themore
(40:53):
for sure. Now still wasn't perfect. He still wanted to
see a little bit more. But man, if you can
get fat and of Rogers every game the rest of
the way, you actually have some firepower. You have the
ability to have your quarterback put on the Superman cape
every now and then to be able to make plays
like that. No, I thought. I thought he had a
(41:13):
great performance at Baltimore.
Speaker 3 (41:15):
Totally agree. Now I want to shift to his receivers though,
I mean there's been some change in that room for sure.
What's your best educated guess on short term wide receiver
distribution and usage.
Speaker 4 (41:32):
I think it's probably gonna be pretty similar to what
we saw in Baltimore. I met Tavis obviously your one, yeah,
and out of Feeling came right in. Now, he didn't
have the same type of impact and like Kyle Dugger
did when he came in and hit the ground running
and started and but Feeling was second on the team
in terms of the receivers. He was second on the
team of snaps. He comes in, he learns the offense
(41:56):
enough to be able to play that many snaps right away,
and now he's gonna get a whole another week, Uh,
starting from like literally at the beginning of the week,
and they get an extra k I think Feeling is
gonna be the guy they're gonna lean on the most
opposite of Metcalf and then they're.
Speaker 3 (42:11):
Gonna be two receiver sets. You think he's most likely
to be out there?
Speaker 4 (42:18):
Correct?
Speaker 3 (42:19):
Okay?
Speaker 4 (42:20):
Uh, there could be times where it's MBS if they
want to really you know, if you if it's like
a defensive likes to play single high like the like
the Ravens do, you can put out Metcalf and nbs
on on the outside and say, all right, well you
only got one stafety need, but we've got two guys
who can go downfield, you know, good luck. But then
again you can also if you play more teams that
(42:42):
run too high, then you can go out there with those,
you know, two receiver sets of Metcalf is Ceeling or
throw in. You know, if Metcalf needs needs to snap off,
you can Feeling and Calvin, or Feeling and Scottie or
shoot Benchkronic will be out there every now and then
just because of these little things you can do too.
So but I think Feeling steps in as I had
(43:04):
us already stepped in to become your facto WR two
that we've been talking about pretty much for years now.
Speaker 3 (43:12):
So that's I think that's what you want.
Speaker 2 (43:16):
Yeah, absolutely, Chris, last one I've got for you, buddy.
And you know, at I feel like now, for the
last couple of weeks, i've felt like, you know, sounding
like a broken record here, but once again, the Steelers
run game leaving plenty to be desired this past week.
Is it just as simple as a commitment to it?
Is there more needed from the offensive line? I mean,
(43:38):
how how do they get some level of consistency in
that run game? Because hey, it's great that you got
out rushed by one hundred and seventy yards by Baltimore,
one hundred and eighty yards by Baltimore. I'm well able
to win on the road despite that, but eventually that's
going to catch up and bite you if you don't
at least find some level footing there. I'm not saying
they have to run for one hundred and fifty yards
(43:58):
every game, but it can't be thirty four again and
expect to get out of a stadium with a win.
Speaker 3 (44:03):
And how about this real quick, guys, there's been two
games this year in the NFL where a team has
rushed for under forty yards, and one Steelers both they're
both Steelers.
Speaker 4 (44:14):
Yeah, yeah, it's it's definitely got to improve that, There's
no doubt about it. And I don't think there's usually
when when they're when the struggles are are that obvious
and there's that apparent, it's not just one thing. It's
not like, hey, the running backs sucks, or hey the
offensive line isn't creating any lanes. I think it's a
(44:37):
combination of everything. I think the offensive line kids can
improve with the running, with their run blogging. I think
running backs could do a little bit better in terms
of when they running the wide stone stuff, in terms
of reading a match or putting up with the ground
and going. You got to make a decision. You've got
to be decisive, you got to go. But then I.
Speaker 3 (44:53):
Also think that real quick, Chris, I keep interrupting you,
but I thought this past week was not the best
day for the running backs.
Speaker 4 (45:00):
No, no, I don't.
Speaker 3 (45:04):
No.
Speaker 4 (45:04):
I didn't think they did either. And that's why that's
why I'm saying, like the standing in this way, like
I think Arthur Smith can get a little bit more
creative with his run concepts than he calls because I
think just I think when all of Phils is like,
all right, let's run wine zone, it's like, okay, but
everybody knows what's coming, So want try try and mixing
(45:25):
it up a little bit, try to run some inside zone,
some duo, so something that's a little bit different. I
think the problem and this is like my issue with
wind zone in today's the NFL is I think with
the way the Steelers run and running through that type
(45:46):
of concept as like your your home base is it's
two hit or this. When you hit on it, it's great,
it's gonna get you eight yards or twelve yards or
you know something. Because when Morgan and game will, we've
seen when they make those cuts and they get up field,
when they run the wide zone stuff, it hits, but
(46:07):
it's either eight yards or no yards. Yeah, and I'd
like to see some more run concept.
Speaker 3 (46:14):
Yeah, we were letting them go.
Speaker 2 (46:16):
Anyways, I still gotcha. Sorry buddy, you just dropped there
for a second.
Speaker 4 (46:20):
Sorry about that guy. But I'm saying, like, maybe call
some rush concepts that maybe don't get as many chunks,
but get shipped four yards here and three yards there
and five yards here.
Speaker 3 (46:31):
And a lead off walk wouldn't be so bad once
in a while, you know exactly.
Speaker 4 (46:36):
My point is, that's that's what I'm talking about. I
think that's what some offenses that's gone to. You know,
I look at Sean mcday, what he's done with the rams.
He went away from all the wide zone stuff on
some more duo and they've become a more well oiled
machine along with what Matthew Stafford can obviously do in
the passing game. And you know, I think when you
(46:57):
look at that, maybe maybe it requires a little bit
of a change up there. I don't know, but I
think it's a combination of everything. I don't think the
running backs played very well on Baltimore. I don't think
the offensive line has really been consistently good at run blocking.
And I also don't think that Arthur Smith has always been,
you know, one step ahead of the defense in terms
(47:17):
of what type of runs he wants to run. But
the defense kind of knows what's coming and every now
and then. So yeah, I think it can get better,
but it can get better across the board.
Speaker 2 (47:27):
Good stuff as always with our buddy Chris Hallick. Chris,
thank you for taking the time on the Wednesday Partner
and we will talk to you soon.
Speaker 4 (47:34):
Thanks for having me, guys, I appreciate it.
Speaker 2 (47:36):
There he goes the great Chris Hallick. Always a good
perspective from him. Love chatting with that guy, and thanks
to him for taking the time for us today. That's
an hour in the books. Another hour to go on
the other side West Shuler, Matt Williamson halfway home here
on the Drive on Steelers Nation Radio on the Steelers
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