On this episode of Twentyman in the Huddle presented by Microsoft, Tim Twentyman previews the 2024 NFL Draft, beginning Thursday, April 25 in downtown Detroit! To start things off, Tim sits down with Lions linebackers coach Kelvin Sheppard to discuss his pre-draft process as a linebacker in the 2011 draft class and how those experiences have helped him with the pre-draft process as a coach. Next, NFL Network producer Alex Maloney calls in to share what to expect from the NFL Draft broadcast while the show is in Detroit, including how the broadcasts prepare to mix and match talent from ESPN and NFL Network. Lastly, NFL Network’s draft expert Daniel Jeremiah chats with Tim about the positions of depth in this year’s class, what the Lions could look for in the event of a trade off of No. 29 overall and what he's looking forward to about being in Detroit for the week. Stay tuned for more coverage as the NFL descends on Detroit for the 2024 NFL Draft!
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Speaker 1 (00:00):
Mahomes back throws.
Speaker 2 (00:01):
It is equal.
Speaker 3 (00:02):
Please pick off picked off by the Lions by Branch
with the left side. He's going, baby, He's going to
the house.
Speaker 4 (00:08):
Touch down to Tod Lions, deflected in the air.
Speaker 1 (00:12):
Branch ran under it and he took it all the
way back.
Speaker 3 (00:25):
Welcome to the twenty Huddle Podcast, and this is the
pre draft edition of the podcast. And I am very
happy to welcome a guy who knows all about the draft,
both from a player and a coach, which is why
I'm excited. Calvin Shephard, a linebackers coach. Here twenty eleven
third round pick the Miami or the Buffalo Bills.
Speaker 1 (00:44):
Excuse me, let's start with this.
Speaker 4 (00:47):
How is the off season a little bit shorter?
Speaker 2 (00:49):
Yeah? But you like that? Right?
Speaker 5 (00:50):
Oh?
Speaker 2 (00:50):
Absolutely.
Speaker 6 (00:52):
I wish it could have been two weeks even shorter,
but you know it doesn't either here nor there. But yeah,
kind of getting adjusted this being our first year being
in the playoff, kind of getting this month, kind of
month late start behind other teams, which, like we said,
is a good thing.
Speaker 2 (01:05):
But yeah, it's different than years before.
Speaker 3 (01:08):
All Right, we're coming up to draft week now. In
twenty eleven, you were coming out of LSU.
Speaker 1 (01:13):
What was that week?
Speaker 2 (01:15):
Like?
Speaker 1 (01:15):
What was Was it nervous? Was it tense? When are
you getting last second calls? Did you not know what
was going on?
Speaker 3 (01:23):
Just maybe take me back to that draft week in
twenty eleven.
Speaker 6 (01:27):
Well, that year in general, I don't know if you remember, Tim,
but that year in general was unique because that was
actually the lockout year. So that whole thing in general
was different because I knew no matter where I got drafted, like,
I wasn't going to the team. So in that standpoint,
obviously that's more unique than any other year in the drafts.
(01:49):
But from a nerve standpoint, absolutely, because early on you
obviously got the hype train, everybody telling you going first round,
this your dad sec. And then like the closer I
don't know about everybody else, but it seemed for me,
the closer I got to the draft, the lower they
started to tell me I was going. So I'm like,
I don't like this, dude, like I like where I
was after my last game. But you know that's neither
(02:12):
here nor like as he says, she say, I even
give advice to guys.
Speaker 2 (02:15):
Now, Man, I wish I could have known this.
Speaker 6 (02:18):
Mentally, it truly doesn't matter where you get drafted, Like
I really believe that, Like, like that's that's just unique
on that day. It's all about what you do after
you get drafted. And I think that's that's what mess
a lot of guys up in this process. Is obviously
your end goal, you know, when you're growing up as
(02:40):
a kid, is to get drafted. But I think that's
also the downfall to a lot of people because in
my opinion, a lot of times I'm obviously talking about
the higher end guys, you see their work ethic slip
and things like that, because in their mind they made it,
They've achieved the ultimate goal of getting drafted.
Speaker 1 (02:57):
You're to your point.
Speaker 3 (02:58):
We talked to brock right, you know, last week, and
what a great story, right, undrafted free agent came in,
put his head down, worked his butt off, got a
twelve million dollars, three year, you know, restricted offer, and
he made the point that I think a third of
the league ends up being undrafted.
Speaker 1 (03:12):
Free agent guys.
Speaker 3 (03:13):
And so if you're not one of those guys, it's
not the end of the world, right, You still get
your opportunity and just come take care of your own business.
Speaker 6 (03:22):
Absolutely, Like, if you really look at the lay of
the land in the league. The league, I tell people,
is majority made up of those guys, the blue collar
you kind of say, sort of guys who got to
put the hard hat on and make it year in
and year out. Everybody gets kind of confluted with these
one hundred million dollar deals, but that's a one percent
of the league.
Speaker 2 (03:41):
The reality is guys got to go.
Speaker 6 (03:43):
Earn a job every year, and that's kind of like
credit to Brock, Right, he's done that and he's earned
that country.
Speaker 3 (03:49):
What were the pre draft is It's like, do you
remember how many you took and what was it like
back then when when when you went and visited team?
Speaker 6 (03:56):
Yeah, I remember too specifically one being a Buffalo obviously
because they drafted me. I spent a lot of time
with them that year because they were obviously. They also
were with me at the Senior Bowl. They coached me
at the Senior Bowl, and then they brought me up
for a top thirty.
Speaker 2 (04:11):
So I'm like, these guys like me. And then the
other was Dallas. And I would say Dallas.
Speaker 6 (04:17):
Just from the standpoint, you know, you see the figurehead
of Jerry Jones and all this from Afar, but actually
being able to go sit in a room with him
and to talk with him. He really has a high
football IQ and you learn that why he's so involved
with the game, because he's so hands on. So that
was pretty cool. And I just remember being nervous as hell,
(04:39):
like I'm like, man, I don't know how yeah, and
then like this could be the design factory. You know,
you never know what could be. But now this team
is bringing me in. I'm one of thirty. Obviously I'm
one of their guys, and you just don't want to
say the wrong thing, do the wrong thing, act the
wrong way. But like I said, going in hindsight, I'm
(05:01):
not sure if you're gonna ask me, But like I
would have told myself to be yourself, like because that's
another mistake guys make. You try to put on this
image of something that you're not to get drafted, but
then when you get drafted and you show them who
you really are and they're turned off, and then you
got to the door in a year or two.
Speaker 1 (05:17):
So just be yourself a couple of days before the draft.
Is it nerves? Is it?
Speaker 3 (05:23):
At that point you've been through the you know, the
shorts Olympics, right, you've been through the visits, you've been
through everything else.
Speaker 2 (05:32):
Is it nerves?
Speaker 1 (05:33):
Are you excited? Do you just want it to be over?
Know where you're going and for that part of you've done?
What are those couple of days leading up to the.
Speaker 6 (05:40):
Draft as a player, it's for sure the butterflies in
the stomach. And like I said, the top ten guys
and things like that, I'm not talking about those guys.
I'm talking about guys like myself, who got a grade
told I could go anywhere from round two to round five. Well, man,
that's a big difference for not only me, but my family.
Fly a round two all right, round five. I gotta
(06:03):
put the hard hat on, you know. And that's that's
the reality of your mindset going in and just the
uncertainty what city am I moving to?
Speaker 2 (06:12):
Like those are.
Speaker 6 (06:12):
Things people don't kind of think about. They just look
at these guys as football players. But these guys are
uprooting their lives and going to cities where they have
no family and things like that. So I'm like, I
was all over the place with emotions. I wanted my
family to be proud of me, like I wanted.
Speaker 2 (06:28):
To go as high as possible.
Speaker 6 (06:29):
Personally, I was competing with other guys I'm gonna go
hired and you So it's just a bunch of build
up emotions that leads up.
Speaker 3 (06:35):
To that you turn that process into a third round
draft selection, into a seven year NFL career that I
think twenty fifteen you're a one hundred tackle guy. Great career,
and then after you're playing days you decide to go
into coaching. It's is it an interesting perspective now going
through this process over the last couple of months of
(06:55):
months evaluating these guys and then going through the visits
and everything else. Now from the other side of it,
knowing your personal experience having done it, how much do
you think that helps you having gone through it as
a player and now evaluating it on the other side.
Speaker 6 (07:11):
Honestly, the biggest thing for me, I think it helps
me be able to relate to the player, and the
player kind of take off the uniform or masks they
have on or because you get I mean, these guys
go through all types of prep with their agents, speech people,
they go through prep interviews, and I think what I
offer these guys is is whether it's a fifteen minute
(07:33):
meeting or our meeting depending on the time I get
with these guys. I think it is kind of a
safe space for these guys because I let them know
I've been there, man, and I know it is. This
isn't that I've had people sit in on my interviews.
They're like, man, that's unique the way you do those,
And I'm like, what do you mean? And they're like,
just the way you're able to allow the guys to relax.
Speaker 2 (07:54):
And I said, like, these guys are going through everything.
Speaker 1 (07:57):
Right now, how you get to know the real guy
right exactly?
Speaker 6 (08:00):
Tim The worst thing, in my opinion, you could do
is try to stump a player in these things. I'm
all about uplifting these guys because they've gone through enough. Like,
I want to see the guy that's gonna be sitting
in my meeting room. So what's the best way for
me to do that? Kind of let's pull off all
the fake stuff. I tell them, don yes, sir no,
talk to me like you talk every day. Talk to
(08:20):
me like you're gonna talk at my meeting.
Speaker 2 (08:22):
And I think you get.
Speaker 6 (08:23):
To reveal the true person in that space versus you
come in and sit across from me. Yes, sir no,
sir Oh, you lied to me two questions ago. Come on, like,
because I've had guys do that to me, to be honest,
and I don't think the combine process is as rigorous
as it used to be. There's a lot more new rules.
I told you I used to go in the train
(08:45):
cart for my interviews. These guys go in sweets and
get off of snacks, so it's a bit different. But
like I would say, my combined interviews is a safe
space for these players to come in and open up.
Speaker 1 (08:58):
How important is that for you too?
Speaker 3 (08:59):
Because Dan has preached culture here so much, and it's
not just finding a guy that could run a fast forty.
It's not find a guy that can make plays. It's
also finding a guy that's a culture fit and fits
what you guys are building and doing here. And how
does that process that you take in peeling off those
layers and allowing you to see the guy maybe help
find guys that are true culture fits and not just
(09:22):
maybe good players on the football field, because I think
there's a.
Speaker 2 (09:24):
Difference one hundred percent.
Speaker 6 (09:27):
And just once I see their shoulders drop, you see
them relax, I'm like, I got it, I got them,
and this is who I'm gonna get because you can
see it.
Speaker 2 (09:38):
You can only fake it for so long.
Speaker 6 (09:39):
And I tell these guys that you never want to
go into something, whether that's the relationship, a job, interview,
or anything and be something you're not going to be
after you sign that dotted line, because that's the fastest
way to get out of that position. So it falls
in line with and I mean this is coupled with
the studies that Brad ray all these scouts do for
two three years on these guys. We kind of just
(10:01):
go in and seal the deal for Brad like, yeah, Brad,
it's what you said, or sometimes it's different and he's like, well,
how did you get that perspective? And all this stuff
is recorded so he gets to see it from a
different perspective.
Speaker 2 (10:13):
As well, not as because if Brad.
Speaker 6 (10:15):
Holmes walks into a room with a player, he's going
to put on a show.
Speaker 2 (10:19):
Right If little low Kelvin shefferd walks in.
Speaker 6 (10:22):
A room with a player, I'm gonna get the real guy.
So it's good to attack these guys from different angles.
Speaker 2 (10:27):
In Brad.
Speaker 6 (10:28):
He takes that holistic approach with the draft, and I
think that's why we've had so much success with it.
Speaker 3 (10:34):
How do you like working for you know, Dan and
Brad in this process and how do they incorporate you
guys as assistant coaches into this process? And just from
the outside looking at Brad seems like a guy that
is gonna you know, dot every iye, cross every tea
and take every evaluation. Every person's opinion is at a
fair assessment. And what do you like about being under
(10:56):
Brad and Dan in this process?
Speaker 1 (10:57):
In particular?
Speaker 6 (10:58):
Absolutely, the biggest thing I like is it's all objective.
Speaker 2 (11:01):
It's all what do you think.
Speaker 6 (11:03):
I don't want to hear something you repeating what I said,
what Dan said, what Ag said. I want to hear
how you feel about the playership.
Speaker 2 (11:12):
And you may be right. That's the thing.
Speaker 6 (11:13):
A lot of times, like we had like two guys
this year I know in my stack personally where Brad
double backed and he's like, hey, that, Like, how'd you
get that? And I tell him He's like, hey, I
really appreciate that because that's not what I heard over here.
He's like, so that's another perspective. And just to see
and I'm not talking about high pit guys. I'm talking
about the lower tier players that's going to have to
(11:35):
put on those hard hats and to just see, like,
you know, I don't know how anyone else does it.
I've been fortunate to only be here so far on
my NFL journey with Brad and Dan and just to
see the detail in it and to know I'm not
wasting my time, you know, because it's a lot of
time that goes into this stuff to feel a part
of it. And once it thrives, we all are thriving.
(11:57):
It's not just Brad he wants Executive of the Year,
but he's one of the first ones to come in
and say we want that. And just to feel a
part of a process and to see it kind of
thrive and two three years later see players like Puttnaha
and all this and they hear what we said about
them in the draft room, which.
Speaker 3 (12:14):
Is pretty cool it having gone through this as a
player and now going through it as a coach.
Speaker 1 (12:19):
Is there anything you change in the process or.
Speaker 4 (12:22):
Do you like the set up?
Speaker 6 (12:24):
If there's anything that I would change going back as
a player, yeah, I would. I would say to tell
myself to relax and and to I'm gonna be honest,
to be myself because I was one of those guys.
I mean, you go through all these big agencies CIA,
all these people put you through all these courses and
things to really train you to be something that you're
not like. And that's just something my whole life. Like
(12:47):
being in the space I'm in now, the skin I'm
in now, something I would tell everybody, like, if you
do nothing else, be yourself and if that person accepts you.
Some people are going to accept you something not but
at least they know what they're getting. You know what
you're getting. Uh, And that's probably the biggest thing I
would tell myself.
Speaker 1 (13:05):
You ever caught yourself lobbying for a guy on this
side of it?
Speaker 6 (13:08):
Oh yeah, absolutely, Like Brad and Dan, I tell you
that right now.
Speaker 2 (13:14):
Oh yeah, I see him getting coffee.
Speaker 6 (13:17):
I'm getting my tea. I'm like, Brad, you saw that guy.
He'll look good in the Lion's uniform.
Speaker 3 (13:25):
Brad has a really unique process. I know he's kind
of changed this the after the draft process. We talked
about Brock right in the importance of getting some of
these undrafted free agents and and how the.
Speaker 1 (13:35):
Third of the league is set up there.
Speaker 3 (13:37):
What is that process like for you guys, as you know,
Assistant coach, and I want you to give any.
Speaker 4 (13:42):
You know how secrets, but can you just take people
maybe the.
Speaker 3 (13:46):
Drafts done, mister irrelevant, It has been selected, and now
what's that process for you right after in the hours
after that draft.
Speaker 6 (13:56):
I think the reason we've had so much success is
with our undrafted guys is because of the detail that
goes into it. We don't view those guys as undrafted guys.
We watch these guys the same way we do a
top five pick. We take these guys in even we
bring in some of these guys. Here is something that's
unique on top thirty visits, Like for the most part,
(14:18):
guys use that on quarterbacks, these top high end picks.
But we'll bring in tier four, tier five guys that
we deem our later round guys because we feel like
that is where you build your culture, You build the
heartbeat of the team party. Yes, and these guys are
the guys that's gonna be out there laying online on
special teams. Like if you get a nick here and there,
(14:40):
understanding you don't want a drop off the cliff from
starter to back up. And I think the detail and
the urgency that we go about as soon as that
last pick is in in the seventh round. The urgency
of attacking the phone, the scouts here, attacking the agents
and them understanding, we don't care where you're from, we
don't care where you were drafted, and we do not
(15:02):
care how much money you made. And that's something over
three years I can stand on the table and sell
to somebody because I have three years of tape to
back it up.
Speaker 3 (15:10):
It doesn't matter where you come from, you can play.
The NFL find you, and the Detroit Lions have proven
if you're an undrafted guy you.
Speaker 1 (15:16):
Can You'll play here too.
Speaker 2 (15:17):
Absolutely, I'd be a little.
Speaker 3 (15:18):
Bit remiss now that the players are back in the
building if I didn't ask you just about the excitement
level of this kicking back off again. I know we
talked about off the top. Just the shortness of the
off season's just come by quick. It is kind of crazy.
The players are already here. I know you guys have
been harder in the free agency, in the draft process.
Now you turn the corner and guys are running around
(15:39):
on the field.
Speaker 1 (15:39):
It feels real.
Speaker 2 (15:40):
Absolutely, and you walk downstairs.
Speaker 6 (15:42):
Down the hallways and able I saw my man Sam
Laporta today and just give him some dap and hug
him and just the field, you feel the energy back
in the building, and of course these first two weeks
is just the acclimation them downstairs with strength and conditioning,
but within passing just the excitement to know. I think
right now, to have the majority of our team here
(16:05):
for Phase one on the first day in the fourth
year of a regime this isn't a first year regime,
just shows you the urgency not only upstairs but downstairs
in the locker room. These guys are ready to get
to it.
Speaker 3 (16:17):
And with how well last year went, how long that
season went, I think there's a new standard.
Speaker 2 (16:21):
Oh absolutely.
Speaker 3 (16:22):
And I think you could sense it from the first
week just talking with some players I know in their
media availability to it that there's a new standard. There's
some fire in those guys from losing that game.
Speaker 6 (16:31):
And oh absolutely, it's like I said, we're not going
to dive into like in house stuff. But the standard
always has continued to raise here since the first day
I got here.
Speaker 2 (16:41):
Each year we raised the bar. But now we're at
a point.
Speaker 6 (16:45):
Where where we just won't tolerate or accept certain things.
And if you're not about that, and there's the doors
thirty one other doors you could go walk in, but
it won't be here.
Speaker 1 (16:55):
In Detroit, free agency had some additions on.
Speaker 3 (16:58):
The defensive side of the ball. I see you're smiling already.
Maybe that's because a guy named DJ readers here. I
know your linebackers are probably really happy with that. But
you got that room back, and.
Speaker 1 (17:07):
That's a room that really grew last year.
Speaker 3 (17:09):
When you talk about guys like Derek Barnes taking the
next step forward and Alex really, you know, really taking
that next step, Malcolm accepting his role and being a
team guy, it.
Speaker 1 (17:20):
Looks like a really terrific room.
Speaker 3 (17:22):
You've got all those guys back and some additions on
defense you I'd be really excited about where that's at.
Speaker 6 (17:27):
Absolutely, we kind of talked pre show about my man.
I lost my man Noawowski Bud he is on a
fifty three man active roster in Arizona, and I lost
my man pitt Pitt's been with me since day one here.
But I understand is what I understand. These guys want opportunity,
and that's what happens when you develop a room and
you get it to a point where a guy like
(17:49):
Anthony Pittman is like Hey, you know what for me
to get through Jayleen res Maven, Jack Campbell, Malcolm Rodriguez,
Alex let me go take my shot over here. It's
just a credit to his teammates and the lay of
the land, the healthy competition. Like I'll never forget this.
After the year, we know that Derek Bournes went down
(18:10):
in the San franc game. Malcolm goes in and he
plays lights out. And after the year I called him
in one by one.
Speaker 2 (18:16):
I was talking to.
Speaker 6 (18:17):
Malcolm because you go from being a rookie sensation to
a true backup, and I asked him how that affected him,
and he was like, I just always rooted for my teammates.
Speaker 2 (18:27):
And and when.
Speaker 6 (18:27):
You talk culture, that's the culture you want, and that's
true healthy.
Speaker 2 (18:32):
Do you think Malcolm want to start absolutely?
Speaker 6 (18:34):
Do you think Malcolm is going to be scratching and
playing absolutely going to make.
Speaker 4 (18:40):
Derek and that everybody else ahead of them?
Speaker 2 (18:42):
And that is the ripple effect.
Speaker 6 (18:44):
And that's culture to me, is when everybody's elevating their game,
not out of envy, but but but out of Yeah,
I want to see you do good, but I want
to do better like that, That to me is when
you see players elevate, and I've been very fortunate and
blessed the coach, the players I have.
Speaker 3 (19:03):
And you talk about the players, but you deserve a
lot of credit for the culture that's built in that
room and how much better those linebackers have been over
the last few years. You've got a really good room there.
It's an exciting time. It's draft weed. You just you
have such a unique perspective having been through it. I'm
sure you get flashbacks probably sometimes this week of that
and I'm.
Speaker 2 (19:23):
Trying not to remind myself how long ago that was,
but yeah, I do.
Speaker 6 (19:27):
Man, it's like surreal sometimes sitting back and still some
of my teammates still playing here. Jalen Reeves maybe and
Jerream thinks he's part time player, part time GM. So
he's already he's been upstairs. He will walk through the
cafeteria because he's been rehabbing. He's like, hey, have we
seen a linebackers replace up pitt in Nawawski.
Speaker 2 (19:48):
I said, don't worry about it. I'll bring competition for you,
so don't you worry.
Speaker 6 (19:52):
But no, dude, A very fortunate, bless to be a
part of this process on both sides, and now to
see it. Like I said, the biggest thing I'll try
to tell these draftees, these potential draft eligible players is
to relax, enjoyed the moment and do not let your
story in on Draft day is just beginning.
Speaker 3 (20:12):
It's a fun time because you know by this time,
in a couple of weeks, you will be a much
better football team.
Speaker 1 (20:17):
That's got to be exciting for a coach like you.
Speaker 2 (20:19):
Can't wait as long as Brad give me a kope Morelamba.
Speaker 4 (20:23):
Appreciate you, chef as always, thanks for taking the time.
Speaker 2 (20:25):
All right, I appreciate you. Team.
Speaker 4 (20:35):
Welcome back to the twenty in the Huddle podcast.
Speaker 3 (20:37):
I'm very happy to welcome in Alex Maloney, who is
the coordinating producer of the NFL Draft coverage for the
NFL Network.
Speaker 4 (20:45):
That's a full year job, Alex.
Speaker 3 (20:46):
But you also do some of the international games, some
of the exclusive games for the NFL Network, So you
are a busy man.
Speaker 4 (20:52):
But it is draft time and so now that is
obviously the focus. Alex.
Speaker 3 (20:56):
When does this process start for you in terms of
core and getting everything ready for the draft. Is it
literally when the previous draft ends.
Speaker 7 (21:06):
You know, on the on the plane back from Kansas
City last year. You instantly think, how did this draft go?
What can we do different?
Speaker 8 (21:13):
What can we do better Detroit next year? And then
I think I took my first.
Speaker 7 (21:17):
Official draft trip to Detroit late May, early June. So
once you're there, once you see the site, once you
kind of picture where all the pieces can go, you
really take off at that point. So it's a it's
a ten month process to get us from you know,
point A to point z.
Speaker 3 (21:33):
So so to speak, well, you teased it. What was that
official visit? Like, what do you like of the setup
in Detroit? Obviously the first time the city is hosting
the NFL Draft, There's a lot of excitement here for it.
It's going to be a crowded and ruckous atmosphere. What
were the first impressions landing in Detroit and seeing this
thing start unfold?
Speaker 7 (21:53):
Well, I think first and foremost everyone was ready for
it eleven ten eleven months out like, oh, why are
you here? Oh we're here for the draft coming next
to oh we know all about it, Like we're ready
for it. So the fact that people were already talking
about it made it kind of feel like, Okay, this
is this is going to be a special draft. This
isn't just going to be a oh hey, the draft
(22:13):
is here for a week and you pick up and
you go and then. You know, one thing that has
made these drafts so special is it's kind of moved
from city to city. I really think is the people
right it's seeing it's going to be seeing all the
Honolulu Blue kind of takeover downtown around the theater, and
I think the site for this year's draft and kind
(22:34):
of the avenues and the way people can kind of
be there to see it is going to be really special,
unlike many other cities that we've kind of had.
Speaker 3 (22:42):
You know, this event is unique and probably for somebody
from your perspective, is just the unpredictability of it, right
of being outside we saw in Nashville a couple of
years ago with the weather and the rain and everything else.
Speaker 4 (22:55):
Do you like that part of it? Does that part
of it make you a little.
Speaker 3 (22:58):
Nervous on settling or you know, how do you approach
kind of just the unpre predictability of a different city
every year outside elements and who knows what's gonna happen.
Speaker 7 (23:09):
It's funny that you say that because literally, like right
before we started talking. My like weather app started to
give me what next Thursday is going.
Speaker 8 (23:18):
To look like.
Speaker 7 (23:19):
So like right before we started talking, I like looked, okay,
it's partly it's partly sunny, partly cloudy, and it'll be
high of seventy.
Speaker 8 (23:26):
So it's like great.
Speaker 7 (23:27):
All of these like weather contingency meetings that we've had,
like maybe they don't matter.
Speaker 4 (23:32):
I'm part of meteorologists here for the for the couple
of weeks.
Speaker 7 (23:36):
Leading Yeah, all the time, Like Doppler is like a
favorite on my computer, like checking it all the time.
Speaker 8 (23:41):
What's the wind speed?
Speaker 7 (23:42):
Like you know, if the win is this much, we
have to move off our set all that sort of
stuff which I don't want to have to think about.
Speaker 8 (23:47):
But it's part of the job, you know.
Speaker 7 (23:51):
It's it's a price of doing business, right, you know,
all of that time that we spend to worry about
weather contingencies, it's worth it because we want to have
the special outdoor event and thankfully we haven't had anything
that has you know, knocked us around too much. So
if that's the price we have to pay to be
able to put on the best, the best event we.
Speaker 8 (24:14):
Can, it's it's worth it. It's it's fine.
Speaker 4 (24:17):
It's funny just what this event has become.
Speaker 3 (24:20):
And obviously you're a big part of that bringing it
into everybody's living room. But when you look at the
old days and they're all in a hotel room and
the old school phones, and just how this has evolved
over the years, it's pretty amazing, isn't that. I mean,
this has become really one of the biggest events in
the football calendar. I look at it right there with
(24:42):
the Super Bowl, just in terms of the resources put
to it and the time spent and just everything that
goes along with it.
Speaker 7 (24:49):
It's it's a traveling circus, and I mean then every
positive way possible. And I think what's special about it is,
you know, as you go from city to city, every
NFL city is a little bit different, so every that
makes every draft a little bit different, which is which
is great. So you know, New York was awesome. I
(25:10):
did a couple of drafts there. It was really fun.
You know, Jets and Giants fans doing their thing. But
to a certain extent, it was the same thing every year.
Speaker 8 (25:19):
This is different.
Speaker 7 (25:20):
Again, Like I said, every city provides something unique to us.
So being able to incorporate that into the show the spectacle,
because that's really what it is.
Speaker 8 (25:31):
Uh, you know, makes this event one of my favorite
ones of the year.
Speaker 2 (25:35):
So can you.
Speaker 3 (25:35):
Tease anything special for for for Lions fans here?
Speaker 1 (25:38):
What kind of.
Speaker 3 (25:39):
Maybe Detroit related stuff are you gonna try?
Speaker 4 (25:43):
Are you gonna highlight? Do we have to wait and
see or is there any teas allowed?
Speaker 8 (25:47):
Look?
Speaker 7 (25:47):
All all I will say is that surprises for this
year's draft I think are better than any draft we've
had before. And if I say anymore, I'm gonna get
in trouble, so I'll leave I'll leave it at that.
Speaker 3 (26:02):
You know, I did see something interesting that the cross
promotion that that I saw you guys release. I think
it was last week where some ESPN guys are going
to come over to the NFL network. The NFL network
guys are going to go over to ESPN. I think
that's a really unique idea. I think it's really cool
personally from from kind of just being in the business
of a former newspaper guy, that that kind of cross promotion.
(26:24):
What what came what was the reason that came about?
And are you excited about that part? Maybe getting some
a little fresh talent little new perspective into into each network.
Speaker 8 (26:33):
Yeah, we call it the crossover, you know.
Speaker 7 (26:35):
For all these draft calls and site surveys like we've
talked about, which we've had for months, we're really working
in partnership with ABC and ESPN, Right, we're not.
Speaker 8 (26:45):
It's not We're not as.
Speaker 7 (26:46):
Big of rivals as you think we are. We have
to work together in order for this event to go
the way we wanted to go.
Speaker 8 (26:53):
If we are.
Speaker 7 (26:53):
Butting heads on stage literally with cameras or anything else,
this this event doesn't go. We share assets, we share ideas,
all that sort of stuff. So this was just kind
of a logical transition for us, Like it makes our
shoulder programming better if they have some fresh voices on
our air and vice versa. So the collaboration has been
(27:17):
one of the best parts of this experience. It would
be a lot harder if they were trying to backstop
us and we are fighting with them or whatever. But
instead we kind of really work as three networks together
and it's a rewarding part of what we do.
Speaker 3 (27:32):
So are you in Detroit currently or when do you
get to troup? When does it become real for you? Like, Okay,
this is this is this is happening.
Speaker 1 (27:40):
It's common.
Speaker 7 (27:41):
I am wheels up on Sunday, so wheels up on Sunday.
I'll be at the theater come Monday. And that's when
it will hit me because I've looked at this space
where the like theoretical theater is going to be built.
Like we've kind of stood in the distance and there's
basically been like this elevated which has been showing us
(28:01):
in the distance, here's where this theater will be. And
it'll be great to have that cone go away, that
orange cone, and have the theater be there and say like, okay,
this is where the prospects walk, this is where the
commissioner announced their names.
Speaker 2 (28:14):
Like that.
Speaker 8 (28:15):
That's when it will finally hit me.
Speaker 7 (28:17):
And then you know, it feels like a Super Bowl
in the sense where every day, as you get closer,
more and more people are there, the energy starts to build.
So you know, waking up Thursday morning feels like it
has like a Super Bowl Sunday type of vibe to it.
Speaker 3 (28:32):
Well, hopefully it'll have a Super Bowl vibe just in
the sense that obviously there's a lot of excitement surrounding
the Lions. I know fans are gonna have to wait
a little bit for that selection.
Speaker 4 (28:41):
Now twenty nine.
Speaker 3 (28:42):
They've been used to picking a lot earlier than that,
but the success of last year obviously is gonna be
a lot later. So there could be some Detroit fans
that have a few pops late into the night staying
up there. You wheels up on Sunday. What's the first
thing you do when you get into Detroit? What's priority
Number one?
Speaker 8 (28:58):
Well, I'm gonna eat first and foremost.
Speaker 7 (29:00):
I've been there enough, I've scheduled my flight in a
way or I can like get to Detroit in time.
I know there are a few restaurants I like, so
I'll hit some of the favorites and then Monday it's
going to be taking them the site. Right, it's walking
the whole thing, knowing where everything is. I'm one of
the first people from our production team to get there,
so as people start to trickle in, quite frankly, I
(29:22):
have to have answers for a lot of people. So
it's making sure I can provide those answers and having
the right way of the land as best I could,
and then figure out how the site, you know, interacts
with what we want the production to be.
Speaker 3 (29:35):
You guys do such a great job, you know, bringing
the draft in into the living room.
Speaker 4 (29:39):
I love the coverage.
Speaker 3 (29:41):
You guys have done great in all these cities. I
love it being in a different spot every year. I
think that was a great idea by the NFL.
Speaker 4 (29:49):
Good luck.
Speaker 3 (29:50):
I think it's gonna be an exciting week in Detroit.
There's gonna be a lot of fans down there. It
should be a great atmosphere. Let's hope the weather stays good.
Speaker 1 (29:59):
I don't my.
Speaker 8 (30:00):
Apple Weather says we're going to be fine here. I'm
not got it.
Speaker 4 (30:03):
I know you're on top of that.
Speaker 3 (30:05):
Alex Maloney does such a great job the coordinating producer
of the NFL Draft coverage, bringing this thing into our
living room every single year.
Speaker 4 (30:13):
Great job. Have so much fun in Detroit. I think
it's going to be a great environment. I know you
guys are gonna put on quite the show. Thanks for
joining me, Olex, I appreciate it.
Speaker 8 (30:21):
Happy to talk with you.
Speaker 3 (30:32):
Welcome back to the twenty in the Huddle podcast, and
I am very excited to welcome in. Daniel Jeremiah, NFL
media analyst for the NFL Network. He is one of
my go to guys in the pre draft process.
Speaker 4 (30:44):
Daniel, thanks for joining me. I appreciate you taking the time.
Speaker 3 (30:46):
I know you are very very busy man these days.
Speaker 9 (30:48):
Oh it's great to see you.
Speaker 7 (30:50):
Man.
Speaker 5 (30:50):
I cannot wait to get out to Detroit, get this
thing fired up, and let's get it going.
Speaker 3 (30:55):
Well, I know you've got some commitments lined up here,
so let's get right into it. Different of a draft
for Detroit and Brad Holmes. You know, the last three
cycles he's had a top ten pick. The last two years,
he's had two picks in the first round. Now, because
of the success of last year, you've got to go
all the way down to twenty nine. I know Detroit
fans are in for a long you're okay with that.
Speaker 9 (31:16):
I think you're okay with that trade.
Speaker 4 (31:18):
Right, Yeah.
Speaker 3 (31:19):
I'm just curious when you look at this draft class
as a whole, where do you see the biggest strengths.
Where could maybe you know, best available line up for
the Lions at the end down at twenty nine.
Speaker 9 (31:33):
Well, it's a great question to me.
Speaker 5 (31:35):
It's an offensive draft, so you've got you start with
the you know, we've got a bunch of quarterbacks.
Speaker 9 (31:40):
When you when you're talking about potentially six going now.
Speaker 5 (31:43):
I don't know that we'll get to six, but you know,
even five is a huge number. So you start with those,
you know, the top end quarterbacks. That's a story. You
look at the To me, the receivers and the tackles
are are very loaded positions, stack positions. I think those
three positions are going to make up a big chunk
of the round. So and in how that impacts the
teams at the bottom of round one, it's like, well.
Speaker 9 (32:05):
Okay, we could look at it as maybe we could get.
Speaker 5 (32:07):
One, you know, a guy at the at the tackle position.
If we wanted one, that would be you know, would
have been a top fifteen pick in other years. It
just so happens there's so many guys this year that
it pushes one of those down or what you can
look at it and say, well, you know what, we
could actually get to the near the front of the
line of some of these other positions that teams have
avoided because they've they've really honed in on those other spots.
(32:30):
So I look at it in terms of what they
need and what's going to be there and how the
draft falls, and I think, you know, to me, corner
is one that I'd be you know, keeping a close
eye on.
Speaker 3 (32:42):
You know, to that point, because of all the quarterbacks
the offensive draft, Like you said, those teams that maybe
are looking to improve on defense that are in the
second half of the draft, towards the end of the draft,
they're probably gonna see some really good defensive players that
normally wouldn't be there be pushed back that way, right.
Speaker 9 (32:59):
Yeah, I think that's the that's it, you know.
Speaker 5 (33:01):
And I think, look, it's not the it's not the
best defensive draft we've seen. You know, it's not super
deep at some of these positions, but I do think
there is some talent there, especially towards the top. And
I think those guys, because we have so many teams
in two camps, they are going to get their young
quarterback in this draft or they're trying to help the
(33:21):
young quarterback they already have in this draft. And the
Detroit Lions obviously now with Jared established and all the
investments they've made on that side of the ball, they're
in a different camp completely, so they can look at
some you know, targeted needs defensively and what they want
to get accomplished there. And I think you're looking at,
(33:42):
you know, a chance to get the fourth corner, you know,
the fourth fifth corner in this draft class, which is
still a really, really good player, and I think there
is a drop off after that top handful of corners
then when you get into that next wave. So that's
one of the examples of how it could kind of
fault to them. Even like defensive tackle. You know, in
this draft class that you've got Byron Murphy is probably
(34:03):
going to go up there somewhere in the top fifteen
when it's all said and done. But there's you know,
two three other really intriguing guys. Johnny Newton would be
would be amongst that group as somebody that hey, you know,
we've got other areas we can look to address, but
this is a premier position and one of these guys
kind of falls to us, go ahead and take them.
Speaker 4 (34:22):
You know.
Speaker 3 (34:22):
One of the things that's been a core here in
Detroit with Brad Holmes and Dan Campbell is the offensive
line and keeping that a strength is something that Brad
talked about in his pre draft press conference. I'm just curious,
when you're looking at the end of the first round,
who are maybe a couple of those tackles Taylor Deckers
in the final year of his contract, or maybe some
(34:42):
of those interior guys, because usually, as you know, we
see those interior guys start to go in the twenties,
that's about where they're at. Maybe a couple tackles, a
couple interior guys that if Detroit wants to continue having
that offensive line of strength and add depth there, who
are maybe a few guys? Is that that you like
right there in the twenties?
Speaker 5 (35:02):
Yeah, I mean, I think there's a chance that one
of the guid and Mims get there. Right So you've
got Guide in at Oklahoma and you've got Mems at Georgia.
Speaker 9 (35:12):
Neither guys played a ton of football.
Speaker 5 (35:14):
They're both physical freaks, and I mean they're like legitimately
physical freaks. So they're a little bit of a project.
You know, there's some work to be done there. It
could time up. Well you talk about Decker, you get through,
you know, it gives these guys time. They don't have
to throw them right out there. But you've got tremendous
upside and could you know, could book in with Penne
for for a long time. So those two guys, I
don't think they're both there. You know, it might not
(35:36):
either be there, but I think there's an outside hope
that one of those guys is there after that. To me,
there's a drop off at the position. I don't know
that I have one that's worthy of taking there. Jordan
Morgan's one that some people like that I'm not as
high on him, so that would be a little bit
rich for me in that in that department.
Speaker 9 (35:53):
When you look at the.
Speaker 5 (35:53):
Interior guys, look, it's the it's the centers you know
that have some versatility.
Speaker 9 (35:59):
Uh, you knows.
Speaker 5 (36:00):
Johnson out of Oregon is three hundred and almost three
hundred and thirty pounds. I think he can play any
of those three interior spots. He can move people. Not
quite as athletic as maybe you'd you'd want there, but
he's a good player. Graham Barton's gone, he's gonna be
He'll be picked by then from Duke. So then you're
looking at Zach Fraser, who if you were asking me,
we might even had this conversation previously, but the like,
(36:22):
who's the Detroit Lion type player? I would the Fraser
like Zach Fraser would be the he'd be the pick
there A four time wrestling champ, like absolutely, you know
it refuses to come off the field, you know when
he's hurt.
Speaker 9 (36:34):
Yeah, Like that's a that's a lion.
Speaker 3 (36:36):
That sounds like a Dan Campbell type of guy. Look,
Brad has shown a willingness to move up in the draft.
I think he's moved up four times in his previous
three drafts. If he decides there's a guy there, who
Daniel might that be? If it's either a guy or
a position wise, that would maybe tempt Brad to move
(36:58):
up from twenty nine.
Speaker 1 (36:59):
If he's chooses.
Speaker 5 (37:01):
I think if one of the to me that I
you know, you look at that top corner group and
for me it would be you know, Terry and Arnold
and quenya On Mitchell. If one of those guys started
to drift a little bit, I kind of identify the
The Jaguars is kind of an obvious corner team and
they're picking seventeen, so you know that I think that's
Seattle right that's picking right ahead of them at sixteen.
(37:24):
You know, that could be a you know, that could
be a trade partner if they thought, man, we can
get up here and get one of these top two corners.
You know, for a team that has a need there
and those are ready made guys, I think that would
be kind of something that would be at least it's
at least worth kicking around the draft room a little
bit and having that discussion.
Speaker 4 (37:40):
How do you think the new kickoff rules affect the draft?
Speaker 3 (37:43):
And I know you talked about this on your national
conference call this week, and I thought you made some
really interesting points.
Speaker 4 (37:49):
I actually had asked Brad Holmes.
Speaker 3 (37:50):
About it too, and he said they're still kind of
going through it, not just from the return aspect, but
what kind of body types are now going to be
in the cover in the return areas? And you know
they have confidence they'll figure it out, but it's still
something they're kind of working through. I'm just curious from
your perspective, how do you think maybe that the new
rules change how teams evaluate it. Maybe some players that
(38:13):
are taking that potentially wouldn't be in other years.
Speaker 5 (38:15):
Yeah, I know, I think it does matter, and I
think there's the unknown this year, which I think will
help some people because maybe there's even a chance that
teams are overvaluing what you know impact this will make.
But I know teams are looking for every edge they
can get and they've identified this as an area where
they think they can they can kind of cut the
line here and really find value. So I think in
(38:37):
terms of the body types, like you're going to see
bigger guys out there, it's more of an offensive play
now almost than you know, than a coverage play. So
to me, you know, having I think it helps more
of the linebacker tight end group maybe than the corner
receiver group in terms of coverage value like how you
cover kicks and how you can you know, block and
(38:58):
do those things, whereas I think the returner there's a
little more value in some some being a little bit
more sturdy, like a running back.
Speaker 9 (39:05):
Can you break it? You have vision? Can you break
a tackle? And then can you can you go from there?
Speaker 5 (39:10):
So you know, like Cooper Dejean's names come up when
I'm talking to teams the last couple of days, and
that's one of the things that they literally have. You know,
it's close with him and another player, and they've bumped
him up because they feel like we're gonna he might
he could win us a game. You know, we put
him back there as a returner, you know, you have
one you return a kick for a touchdown, your odds
of winning that game or freaking sky high. So you know,
(39:32):
having having a guy like that, it breaks.
Speaker 4 (39:35):
Ties a couple quick ones for you. Here, this is
the best.
Speaker 3 (39:39):
This is the best roster the Lions have had heading
into the draft in Brad Holmes's ten year.
Speaker 4 (39:44):
You look at it.
Speaker 3 (39:45):
You mentioned cornerback obviously could use some depth there. But
when you go into a draft like that, can you
just really trust your board at that point? And is
that really the best strategy when it's all said and done,
Daniel is just trusting your board picking guys. Don't take
a lesser player to maybe fill a need. It just
get good football players. And you think to Tray, can
(40:07):
head into this draft doing that because of where this
roster is at and what.
Speaker 1 (40:11):
Brad and Dan have done the last three years.
Speaker 5 (40:13):
Yeah, some ways, it's it's like it's not a detriment.
It's almost a benefit to be picking down here for
a couple of reasons. Number One, you don't force anything,
You just kind of it false to you. And then
you're gonna you have a roster without that. You know,
we can't line up and play tomorrow need so you
can afford to just take what falls. You know, you
don't have to be locked in on one position to
the other. The other part of it is it doesn't
(40:34):
cost as much, so you're getting the same five years
of control for less money, and you're letting the draft
come to you and take the best available player. So
you're getting value in the player you get because you
don't have a glaring need and you're getting literally financial
value not.
Speaker 9 (40:48):
Having to pay the guy as much money.
Speaker 5 (40:50):
So there are benefits obviously to winning, and this is
one that's not often discussed, but I think, yeah, look,
it's you're getting a cheaper player and you're not having
to force it.
Speaker 3 (41:01):
How much you're looking forward to get into Detroit and
just the setup in Detroit, first time city hosting it.
Speaker 4 (41:06):
You're looking forward to it. Wheels up Sunday out here.
Speaker 5 (41:09):
I cannot wait. Yeah, I will be out there Sunday
in one of those deals. This will tell you my
level of excitement. Monday is when my week kicks off
with all the responsibilities that I have with NFL network.
So you need to book your flight when or you
need to book your flight Sunday for a Monday start
of the week. My flight on Sunday morning is at
six am out of San Diego. So I am itching
(41:31):
to get out there and looking forward to a great week.
Speaker 4 (41:33):
It's going to be a great week in Detroit.
Speaker 3 (41:37):
We will be following you in the weeks of and
obviously the weekend one of the best in the business.
Daniel Jeremiah, thank you so much for joining the Twin
lovel podcast.
Speaker 4 (41:45):
I appreciate you as always, You're the best.
Speaker 5 (41:47):
I need you to text me a recommendation, give me
a meal recommendation, because I don't trust rap sheet like
wrapping for I don't trust his taste, so I need to.
Speaker 4 (41:56):
No, no, no, I got you, I got you.
Speaker 1 (41:58):
Text coming your way.
Speaker 9 (41:59):
Okay, You're the best.
Speaker 4 (42:00):
Thanks brother, Hi, Daniel, appreciate you.
Speaker 9 (42:02):
See you man,
Mahomes back throws.
Speaker 2 (00:01):
It is equal.
Speaker 3 (00:02):
Please pick off picked off by the Lions by Branch
with the left side. He's going, baby, He's going to
the house.
Speaker 4 (00:08):
Touch down to Tod Lions, deflected in the air.
Speaker 1 (00:12):
Branch ran under it and he took it all the
way back.
Speaker 3 (00:25):
Welcome to the twenty Huddle Podcast, and this is the
pre draft edition of the podcast. And I am very
happy to welcome a guy who knows all about the draft,
both from a player and a coach, which is why
I'm excited. Calvin Shephard, a linebackers coach. Here twenty eleven
third round pick the Miami or the Buffalo Bills.
Speaker 1 (00:44):
Excuse me, let's start with this.
Speaker 4 (00:47):
How is the off season a little bit shorter?
Speaker 2 (00:49):
Yeah? But you like that? Right?
Speaker 5 (00:50):
Oh?
Speaker 2 (00:50):
Absolutely.
Speaker 6 (00:52):
I wish it could have been two weeks even shorter,
but you know it doesn't either here nor there. But yeah,
kind of getting adjusted this being our first year being
in the playoff, kind of getting this month, kind of
month late start behind other teams, which, like we said,
is a good thing.
Speaker 2 (01:05):
But yeah, it's different than years before.
Speaker 3 (01:08):
All Right, we're coming up to draft week now. In
twenty eleven, you were coming out of LSU.
Speaker 1 (01:13):
What was that week?
Speaker 2 (01:15):
Like?
Speaker 1 (01:15):
What was Was it nervous? Was it tense? When are
you getting last second calls? Did you not know what
was going on?
Speaker 3 (01:23):
Just maybe take me back to that draft week in
twenty eleven.
Speaker 6 (01:27):
Well, that year in general, I don't know if you remember, Tim,
but that year in general was unique because that was
actually the lockout year. So that whole thing in general
was different because I knew no matter where I got drafted, like,
I wasn't going to the team. So in that standpoint,
obviously that's more unique than any other year in the drafts.
(01:49):
But from a nerve standpoint, absolutely, because early on you
obviously got the hype train, everybody telling you going first round,
this your dad sec. And then like the closer I
don't know about everybody else, but it seemed for me,
the closer I got to the draft, the lower they
started to tell me I was going. So I'm like,
I don't like this, dude, like I like where I
was after my last game. But you know that's neither
(02:12):
here nor like as he says, she say, I even
give advice to guys.
Speaker 2 (02:15):
Now, Man, I wish I could have known this.
Speaker 6 (02:18):
Mentally, it truly doesn't matter where you get drafted, Like
I really believe that, Like, like that's that's just unique
on that day. It's all about what you do after
you get drafted. And I think that's that's what mess
a lot of guys up in this process. Is obviously
your end goal, you know, when you're growing up as
(02:40):
a kid, is to get drafted. But I think that's
also the downfall to a lot of people because in
my opinion, a lot of times I'm obviously talking about
the higher end guys, you see their work ethic slip
and things like that, because in their mind they made it,
They've achieved the ultimate goal of getting drafted.
Speaker 1 (02:57):
You're to your point.
Speaker 3 (02:58):
We talked to brock right, you know, last week, and
what a great story, right, undrafted free agent came in,
put his head down, worked his butt off, got a
twelve million dollars, three year, you know, restricted offer, and
he made the point that I think a third of
the league ends up being undrafted.
Speaker 1 (03:12):
Free agent guys.
Speaker 3 (03:13):
And so if you're not one of those guys, it's
not the end of the world, right, You still get
your opportunity and just come take care of your own business.
Speaker 6 (03:22):
Absolutely, Like, if you really look at the lay of
the land in the league. The league, I tell people,
is majority made up of those guys, the blue collar
you kind of say, sort of guys who got to
put the hard hat on and make it year in
and year out. Everybody gets kind of confluted with these
one hundred million dollar deals, but that's a one percent
of the league.
Speaker 2 (03:41):
The reality is guys got to go.
Speaker 6 (03:43):
Earn a job every year, and that's kind of like
credit to Brock, Right, he's done that and he's earned
that country.
Speaker 3 (03:49):
What were the pre draft is It's like, do you
remember how many you took and what was it like
back then when when when you went and visited team?
Speaker 6 (03:56):
Yeah, I remember too specifically one being a Buffalo obviously
because they drafted me. I spent a lot of time
with them that year because they were obviously. They also
were with me at the Senior Bowl. They coached me
at the Senior Bowl, and then they brought me up
for a top thirty.
Speaker 2 (04:11):
So I'm like, these guys like me. And then the
other was Dallas. And I would say Dallas.
Speaker 6 (04:17):
Just from the standpoint, you know, you see the figurehead
of Jerry Jones and all this from Afar, but actually
being able to go sit in a room with him
and to talk with him. He really has a high
football IQ and you learn that why he's so involved
with the game, because he's so hands on. So that
was pretty cool. And I just remember being nervous as hell,
(04:39):
like I'm like, man, I don't know how yeah, and
then like this could be the design factory. You know,
you never know what could be. But now this team
is bringing me in. I'm one of thirty. Obviously I'm
one of their guys, and you just don't want to
say the wrong thing, do the wrong thing, act the
wrong way. But like I said, going in hindsight, I'm
(05:01):
not sure if you're gonna ask me, But like I
would have told myself to be yourself, like because that's
another mistake guys make. You try to put on this
image of something that you're not to get drafted, but
then when you get drafted and you show them who
you really are and they're turned off, and then you
got to the door in a year or two.
Speaker 1 (05:17):
So just be yourself a couple of days before the draft.
Is it nerves? Is it?
Speaker 3 (05:23):
At that point you've been through the you know, the
shorts Olympics, right, you've been through the visits, you've been
through everything else.
Speaker 2 (05:32):
Is it nerves?
Speaker 1 (05:33):
Are you excited? Do you just want it to be over?
Know where you're going and for that part of you've done?
What are those couple of days leading up to the.
Speaker 6 (05:40):
Draft as a player, it's for sure the butterflies in
the stomach. And like I said, the top ten guys
and things like that, I'm not talking about those guys.
I'm talking about guys like myself, who got a grade
told I could go anywhere from round two to round five. Well, man,
that's a big difference for not only me, but my family.
Fly a round two all right, round five. I gotta
(06:03):
put the hard hat on, you know. And that's that's
the reality of your mindset going in and just the
uncertainty what city am I moving to?
Speaker 2 (06:12):
Like those are.
Speaker 6 (06:12):
Things people don't kind of think about. They just look
at these guys as football players. But these guys are
uprooting their lives and going to cities where they have
no family and things like that. So I'm like, I
was all over the place with emotions. I wanted my
family to be proud of me, like I wanted.
Speaker 2 (06:28):
To go as high as possible.
Speaker 6 (06:29):
Personally, I was competing with other guys I'm gonna go
hired and you So it's just a bunch of build
up emotions that leads up.
Speaker 3 (06:35):
To that you turn that process into a third round
draft selection, into a seven year NFL career that I
think twenty fifteen you're a one hundred tackle guy. Great career,
and then after you're playing days you decide to go
into coaching. It's is it an interesting perspective now going
through this process over the last couple of months of
(06:55):
months evaluating these guys and then going through the visits
and everything else. Now from the other side of it,
knowing your personal experience having done it, how much do
you think that helps you having gone through it as
a player and now evaluating it on the other side.
Speaker 6 (07:11):
Honestly, the biggest thing for me, I think it helps
me be able to relate to the player, and the
player kind of take off the uniform or masks they
have on or because you get I mean, these guys
go through all types of prep with their agents, speech people,
they go through prep interviews, and I think what I
offer these guys is is whether it's a fifteen minute
(07:33):
meeting or our meeting depending on the time I get
with these guys. I think it is kind of a
safe space for these guys because I let them know
I've been there, man, and I know it is. This
isn't that I've had people sit in on my interviews.
They're like, man, that's unique the way you do those,
And I'm like, what do you mean? And they're like,
just the way you're able to allow the guys to relax.
Speaker 2 (07:54):
And I said, like, these guys are going through everything.
Speaker 1 (07:57):
Right now, how you get to know the real guy
right exactly?
Speaker 6 (08:00):
Tim The worst thing, in my opinion, you could do
is try to stump a player in these things. I'm
all about uplifting these guys because they've gone through enough. Like,
I want to see the guy that's gonna be sitting
in my meeting room. So what's the best way for
me to do that? Kind of let's pull off all
the fake stuff. I tell them, don yes, sir no,
talk to me like you talk every day. Talk to
(08:20):
me like you're gonna talk at my meeting.
Speaker 2 (08:22):
And I think you get.
Speaker 6 (08:23):
To reveal the true person in that space versus you
come in and sit across from me. Yes, sir no,
sir Oh, you lied to me two questions ago. Come on, like,
because I've had guys do that to me, to be honest,
and I don't think the combine process is as rigorous
as it used to be. There's a lot more new rules.
I told you I used to go in the train
(08:45):
cart for my interviews. These guys go in sweets and
get off of snacks, so it's a bit different. But
like I would say, my combined interviews is a safe
space for these players to come in and open up.
Speaker 1 (08:58):
How important is that for you too?
Speaker 3 (08:59):
Because Dan has preached culture here so much, and it's
not just finding a guy that could run a fast forty.
It's not find a guy that can make plays. It's
also finding a guy that's a culture fit and fits
what you guys are building and doing here. And how
does that process that you take in peeling off those
layers and allowing you to see the guy maybe help
find guys that are true culture fits and not just
(09:22):
maybe good players on the football field, because I think
there's a.
Speaker 2 (09:24):
Difference one hundred percent.
Speaker 6 (09:27):
And just once I see their shoulders drop, you see
them relax, I'm like, I got it, I got them,
and this is who I'm gonna get because you can
see it.
Speaker 2 (09:38):
You can only fake it for so long.
Speaker 6 (09:39):
And I tell these guys that you never want to
go into something, whether that's the relationship, a job, interview,
or anything and be something you're not going to be
after you sign that dotted line, because that's the fastest
way to get out of that position. So it falls
in line with and I mean this is coupled with
the studies that Brad ray all these scouts do for
two three years on these guys. We kind of just
(10:01):
go in and seal the deal for Brad like, yeah, Brad,
it's what you said, or sometimes it's different and he's like, well,
how did you get that perspective? And all this stuff
is recorded so he gets to see it from a
different perspective.
Speaker 2 (10:13):
As well, not as because if Brad.
Speaker 6 (10:15):
Holmes walks into a room with a player, he's going
to put on a show.
Speaker 2 (10:19):
Right If little low Kelvin shefferd walks in.
Speaker 6 (10:22):
A room with a player, I'm gonna get the real guy.
So it's good to attack these guys from different angles.
Speaker 2 (10:27):
In Brad.
Speaker 6 (10:28):
He takes that holistic approach with the draft, and I
think that's why we've had so much success with it.
Speaker 3 (10:34):
How do you like working for you know, Dan and
Brad in this process and how do they incorporate you
guys as assistant coaches into this process? And just from
the outside looking at Brad seems like a guy that
is gonna you know, dot every iye, cross every tea
and take every evaluation. Every person's opinion is at a
fair assessment. And what do you like about being under
(10:56):
Brad and Dan in this process?
Speaker 1 (10:57):
In particular?
Speaker 6 (10:58):
Absolutely, the biggest thing I like is it's all objective.
Speaker 2 (11:01):
It's all what do you think.
Speaker 6 (11:03):
I don't want to hear something you repeating what I said,
what Dan said, what Ag said. I want to hear
how you feel about the playership.
Speaker 2 (11:12):
And you may be right. That's the thing.
Speaker 6 (11:13):
A lot of times, like we had like two guys
this year I know in my stack personally where Brad
double backed and he's like, hey, that, Like, how'd you
get that? And I tell him He's like, hey, I
really appreciate that because that's not what I heard over here.
He's like, so that's another perspective. And just to see
and I'm not talking about high pit guys. I'm talking
about the lower tier players that's going to have to
(11:35):
put on those hard hats and to just see, like,
you know, I don't know how anyone else does it.
I've been fortunate to only be here so far on
my NFL journey with Brad and Dan and just to
see the detail in it and to know I'm not
wasting my time, you know, because it's a lot of
time that goes into this stuff to feel a part
of it. And once it thrives, we all are thriving.
(11:57):
It's not just Brad he wants Executive of the Year,
but he's one of the first ones to come in
and say we want that. And just to feel a
part of a process and to see it kind of
thrive and two three years later see players like Puttnaha
and all this and they hear what we said about
them in the draft room, which.
Speaker 3 (12:14):
Is pretty cool it having gone through this as a
player and now going through it as a coach.
Speaker 1 (12:19):
Is there anything you change in the process or.
Speaker 4 (12:22):
Do you like the set up?
Speaker 6 (12:24):
If there's anything that I would change going back as
a player, yeah, I would. I would say to tell
myself to relax and and to I'm gonna be honest,
to be myself because I was one of those guys.
I mean, you go through all these big agencies CIA,
all these people put you through all these courses and
things to really train you to be something that you're
not like. And that's just something my whole life. Like
(12:47):
being in the space I'm in now, the skin I'm
in now, something I would tell everybody, like, if you
do nothing else, be yourself and if that person accepts you.
Some people are going to accept you something not but
at least they know what they're getting. You know what
you're getting. Uh, And that's probably the biggest thing I
would tell myself.
Speaker 1 (13:05):
You ever caught yourself lobbying for a guy on this
side of it?
Speaker 6 (13:08):
Oh yeah, absolutely, Like Brad and Dan, I tell you
that right now.
Speaker 2 (13:14):
Oh yeah, I see him getting coffee.
Speaker 6 (13:17):
I'm getting my tea. I'm like, Brad, you saw that guy.
He'll look good in the Lion's uniform.
Speaker 3 (13:25):
Brad has a really unique process. I know he's kind
of changed this the after the draft process. We talked
about Brock right in the importance of getting some of
these undrafted free agents and and how the.
Speaker 1 (13:35):
Third of the league is set up there.
Speaker 3 (13:37):
What is that process like for you guys, as you know,
Assistant coach, and I want you to give any.
Speaker 4 (13:42):
You know how secrets, but can you just take people
maybe the.
Speaker 3 (13:46):
Drafts done, mister irrelevant, It has been selected, and now
what's that process for you right after in the hours
after that draft.
Speaker 6 (13:56):
I think the reason we've had so much success is
with our undrafted guys is because of the detail that
goes into it. We don't view those guys as undrafted guys.
We watch these guys the same way we do a
top five pick. We take these guys in even we
bring in some of these guys. Here is something that's
unique on top thirty visits, Like for the most part,
(14:18):
guys use that on quarterbacks, these top high end picks.
But we'll bring in tier four, tier five guys that
we deem our later round guys because we feel like
that is where you build your culture, You build the
heartbeat of the team party. Yes, and these guys are
the guys that's gonna be out there laying online on
special teams. Like if you get a nick here and there,
(14:40):
understanding you don't want a drop off the cliff from
starter to back up. And I think the detail and
the urgency that we go about as soon as that
last pick is in in the seventh round. The urgency
of attacking the phone, the scouts here, attacking the agents
and them understanding, we don't care where you're from, we
don't care where you were drafted, and we do not
(15:02):
care how much money you made. And that's something over
three years I can stand on the table and sell
to somebody because I have three years of tape to
back it up.
Speaker 3 (15:10):
It doesn't matter where you come from, you can play.
The NFL find you, and the Detroit Lions have proven
if you're an undrafted guy you.
Speaker 1 (15:16):
Can You'll play here too.
Speaker 2 (15:17):
Absolutely, I'd be a little.
Speaker 3 (15:18):
Bit remiss now that the players are back in the
building if I didn't ask you just about the excitement
level of this kicking back off again. I know we
talked about off the top. Just the shortness of the
off season's just come by quick. It is kind of crazy.
The players are already here. I know you guys have
been harder in the free agency, in the draft process.
Now you turn the corner and guys are running around
(15:39):
on the field.
Speaker 1 (15:39):
It feels real.
Speaker 2 (15:40):
Absolutely, and you walk downstairs.
Speaker 6 (15:42):
Down the hallways and able I saw my man Sam
Laporta today and just give him some dap and hug
him and just the field, you feel the energy back
in the building, and of course these first two weeks
is just the acclimation them downstairs with strength and conditioning,
but within passing just the excitement to know. I think
right now, to have the majority of our team here
(16:05):
for Phase one on the first day in the fourth
year of a regime this isn't a first year regime,
just shows you the urgency not only upstairs but downstairs
in the locker room. These guys are ready to get
to it.
Speaker 3 (16:17):
And with how well last year went, how long that
season went, I think there's a new standard.
Speaker 2 (16:21):
Oh absolutely.
Speaker 3 (16:22):
And I think you could sense it from the first
week just talking with some players I know in their
media availability to it that there's a new standard. There's
some fire in those guys from losing that game.
Speaker 6 (16:31):
And oh absolutely, it's like I said, we're not going
to dive into like in house stuff. But the standard
always has continued to raise here since the first day
I got here.
Speaker 2 (16:41):
Each year we raised the bar. But now we're at
a point.
Speaker 6 (16:45):
Where where we just won't tolerate or accept certain things.
And if you're not about that, and there's the doors
thirty one other doors you could go walk in, but
it won't be here.
Speaker 1 (16:55):
In Detroit, free agency had some additions on.
Speaker 3 (16:58):
The defensive side of the ball. I see you're smiling already.
Maybe that's because a guy named DJ readers here. I
know your linebackers are probably really happy with that. But
you got that room back, and.
Speaker 1 (17:07):
That's a room that really grew last year.
Speaker 3 (17:09):
When you talk about guys like Derek Barnes taking the
next step forward and Alex really, you know, really taking
that next step, Malcolm accepting his role and being a
team guy, it.
Speaker 1 (17:20):
Looks like a really terrific room.
Speaker 3 (17:22):
You've got all those guys back and some additions on
defense you I'd be really excited about where that's at.
Speaker 6 (17:27):
Absolutely, we kind of talked pre show about my man.
I lost my man Noawowski Bud he is on a
fifty three man active roster in Arizona, and I lost
my man pitt Pitt's been with me since day one here.
But I understand is what I understand. These guys want opportunity,
and that's what happens when you develop a room and
you get it to a point where a guy like
(17:49):
Anthony Pittman is like Hey, you know what for me
to get through Jayleen res Maven, Jack Campbell, Malcolm Rodriguez,
Alex let me go take my shot over here. It's
just a credit to his teammates and the lay of
the land, the healthy competition. Like I'll never forget this.
After the year, we know that Derek Bournes went down
(18:10):
in the San franc game. Malcolm goes in and he
plays lights out. And after the year I called him
in one by one.
Speaker 2 (18:16):
I was talking to.
Speaker 6 (18:17):
Malcolm because you go from being a rookie sensation to
a true backup, and I asked him how that affected him,
and he was like, I just always rooted for my teammates.
Speaker 2 (18:27):
And and when.
Speaker 6 (18:27):
You talk culture, that's the culture you want, and that's
true healthy.
Speaker 2 (18:32):
Do you think Malcolm want to start absolutely?
Speaker 6 (18:34):
Do you think Malcolm is going to be scratching and
playing absolutely going to make.
Speaker 4 (18:40):
Derek and that everybody else ahead of them?
Speaker 2 (18:42):
And that is the ripple effect.
Speaker 6 (18:44):
And that's culture to me, is when everybody's elevating their game,
not out of envy, but but but out of Yeah,
I want to see you do good, but I want
to do better like that, That to me is when
you see players elevate, and I've been very fortunate and
blessed the coach, the players I have.
Speaker 3 (19:03):
And you talk about the players, but you deserve a
lot of credit for the culture that's built in that
room and how much better those linebackers have been over
the last few years. You've got a really good room there.
It's an exciting time. It's draft weed. You just you
have such a unique perspective having been through it. I'm
sure you get flashbacks probably sometimes this week of that
and I'm.
Speaker 2 (19:23):
Trying not to remind myself how long ago that was,
but yeah, I do.
Speaker 6 (19:27):
Man, it's like surreal sometimes sitting back and still some
of my teammates still playing here. Jalen Reeves maybe and
Jerream thinks he's part time player, part time GM. So
he's already he's been upstairs. He will walk through the
cafeteria because he's been rehabbing. He's like, hey, have we
seen a linebackers replace up pitt in Nawawski.
Speaker 2 (19:48):
I said, don't worry about it. I'll bring competition for you,
so don't you worry.
Speaker 6 (19:52):
But no, dude, A very fortunate, bless to be a
part of this process on both sides, and now to
see it. Like I said, the biggest thing I'll try
to tell these draftees, these potential draft eligible players is
to relax, enjoyed the moment and do not let your
story in on Draft day is just beginning.
Speaker 3 (20:12):
It's a fun time because you know by this time,
in a couple of weeks, you will be a much
better football team.
Speaker 1 (20:17):
That's got to be exciting for a coach like you.
Speaker 2 (20:19):
Can't wait as long as Brad give me a kope Morelamba.
Speaker 4 (20:23):
Appreciate you, chef as always, thanks for taking the time.
Speaker 2 (20:25):
All right, I appreciate you. Team.
Speaker 4 (20:35):
Welcome back to the twenty in the Huddle podcast.
Speaker 3 (20:37):
I'm very happy to welcome in Alex Maloney, who is
the coordinating producer of the NFL Draft coverage for the
NFL Network.
Speaker 4 (20:45):
That's a full year job, Alex.
Speaker 3 (20:46):
But you also do some of the international games, some
of the exclusive games for the NFL Network, So you
are a busy man.
Speaker 4 (20:52):
But it is draft time and so now that is
obviously the focus. Alex.
Speaker 3 (20:56):
When does this process start for you in terms of
core and getting everything ready for the draft. Is it
literally when the previous draft ends.
Speaker 7 (21:06):
You know, on the on the plane back from Kansas
City last year. You instantly think, how did this draft go?
What can we do different?
Speaker 8 (21:13):
What can we do better Detroit next year? And then
I think I took my first.
Speaker 7 (21:17):
Official draft trip to Detroit late May, early June. So
once you're there, once you see the site, once you
kind of picture where all the pieces can go, you
really take off at that point. So it's a it's
a ten month process to get us from you know,
point A to point z.
Speaker 3 (21:33):
So so to speak, well, you teased it. What was that
official visit? Like, what do you like of the setup
in Detroit? Obviously the first time the city is hosting
the NFL Draft, There's a lot of excitement here for it.
It's going to be a crowded and ruckous atmosphere. What
were the first impressions landing in Detroit and seeing this
thing start unfold?
Speaker 7 (21:53):
Well, I think first and foremost everyone was ready for
it eleven ten eleven months out like, oh, why are
you here? Oh we're here for the draft coming next
to oh we know all about it, Like we're ready
for it. So the fact that people were already talking
about it made it kind of feel like, Okay, this
is this is going to be a special draft. This
isn't just going to be a oh hey, the draft
(22:13):
is here for a week and you pick up and
you go and then. You know, one thing that has
made these drafts so special is it's kind of moved
from city to city. I really think is the people
right it's seeing it's going to be seeing all the
Honolulu Blue kind of takeover downtown around the theater, and
I think the site for this year's draft and kind
(22:34):
of the avenues and the way people can kind of
be there to see it is going to be really special,
unlike many other cities that we've kind of had.
Speaker 3 (22:42):
You know, this event is unique and probably for somebody
from your perspective, is just the unpredictability of it, right
of being outside we saw in Nashville a couple of
years ago with the weather and the rain and everything else.
Speaker 4 (22:55):
Do you like that part of it? Does that part
of it make you a little.
Speaker 3 (22:58):
Nervous on settling or you know, how do you approach
kind of just the unpre predictability of a different city
every year outside elements and who knows what's gonna happen.
Speaker 7 (23:09):
It's funny that you say that because literally, like right
before we started talking. My like weather app started to
give me what next Thursday is going.
Speaker 8 (23:18):
To look like.
Speaker 7 (23:19):
So like right before we started talking, I like looked, okay,
it's partly it's partly sunny, partly cloudy, and it'll be
high of seventy.
Speaker 8 (23:26):
So it's like great.
Speaker 7 (23:27):
All of these like weather contingency meetings that we've had,
like maybe they don't matter.
Speaker 4 (23:32):
I'm part of meteorologists here for the for the couple
of weeks.
Speaker 7 (23:36):
Leading Yeah, all the time, Like Doppler is like a
favorite on my computer, like checking it all the time.
Speaker 8 (23:41):
What's the wind speed?
Speaker 7 (23:42):
Like you know, if the win is this much, we
have to move off our set all that sort of
stuff which I don't want to have to think about.
Speaker 8 (23:47):
But it's part of the job, you know.
Speaker 7 (23:51):
It's it's a price of doing business, right, you know,
all of that time that we spend to worry about
weather contingencies, it's worth it because we want to have
the special outdoor event and thankfully we haven't had anything
that has you know, knocked us around too much. So
if that's the price we have to pay to be
able to put on the best, the best event we.
Speaker 8 (24:14):
Can, it's it's worth it. It's it's fine.
Speaker 4 (24:17):
It's funny just what this event has become.
Speaker 3 (24:20):
And obviously you're a big part of that bringing it
into everybody's living room. But when you look at the
old days and they're all in a hotel room and
the old school phones, and just how this has evolved
over the years, it's pretty amazing, isn't that. I mean,
this has become really one of the biggest events in
the football calendar. I look at it right there with
(24:42):
the Super Bowl, just in terms of the resources put
to it and the time spent and just everything that
goes along with it.
Speaker 7 (24:49):
It's it's a traveling circus, and I mean then every
positive way possible. And I think what's special about it is,
you know, as you go from city to city, every
NFL city is a little bit different, so every that
makes every draft a little bit different, which is which
is great. So you know, New York was awesome. I
(25:10):
did a couple of drafts there. It was really fun.
You know, Jets and Giants fans doing their thing. But
to a certain extent, it was the same thing every year.
Speaker 8 (25:19):
This is different.
Speaker 7 (25:20):
Again, Like I said, every city provides something unique to us.
So being able to incorporate that into the show the spectacle,
because that's really what it is.
Speaker 8 (25:31):
Uh, you know, makes this event one of my favorite
ones of the year.
Speaker 2 (25:35):
So can you.
Speaker 3 (25:35):
Tease anything special for for for Lions fans here?
Speaker 1 (25:38):
What kind of.
Speaker 3 (25:39):
Maybe Detroit related stuff are you gonna try?
Speaker 4 (25:43):
Are you gonna highlight? Do we have to wait and
see or is there any teas allowed?
Speaker 8 (25:47):
Look?
Speaker 7 (25:47):
All all I will say is that surprises for this
year's draft I think are better than any draft we've
had before. And if I say anymore, I'm gonna get
in trouble, so I'll leave I'll leave it at that.
Speaker 3 (26:02):
You know, I did see something interesting that the cross
promotion that that I saw you guys release. I think
it was last week where some ESPN guys are going
to come over to the NFL network. The NFL network
guys are going to go over to ESPN. I think
that's a really unique idea. I think it's really cool
personally from from kind of just being in the business
of a former newspaper guy, that that kind of cross promotion.
(26:24):
What what came what was the reason that came about?
And are you excited about that part? Maybe getting some
a little fresh talent little new perspective into into each network.
Speaker 8 (26:33):
Yeah, we call it the crossover, you know.
Speaker 7 (26:35):
For all these draft calls and site surveys like we've
talked about, which we've had for months, we're really working
in partnership with ABC and ESPN, Right, we're not.
Speaker 8 (26:45):
It's not We're not as.
Speaker 7 (26:46):
Big of rivals as you think we are. We have
to work together in order for this event to go
the way we wanted to go.
Speaker 8 (26:53):
If we are.
Speaker 7 (26:53):
Butting heads on stage literally with cameras or anything else,
this this event doesn't go. We share assets, we share ideas,
all that sort of stuff. So this was just kind
of a logical transition for us, Like it makes our
shoulder programming better if they have some fresh voices on
our air and vice versa. So the collaboration has been
(27:17):
one of the best parts of this experience. It would
be a lot harder if they were trying to backstop
us and we are fighting with them or whatever. But
instead we kind of really work as three networks together
and it's a rewarding part of what we do.
Speaker 3 (27:32):
So are you in Detroit currently or when do you
get to troup? When does it become real for you? Like, Okay,
this is this is this is happening.
Speaker 1 (27:40):
It's common.
Speaker 7 (27:41):
I am wheels up on Sunday, so wheels up on Sunday.
I'll be at the theater come Monday. And that's when
it will hit me because I've looked at this space
where the like theoretical theater is going to be built.
Like we've kind of stood in the distance and there's
basically been like this elevated which has been showing us
(28:01):
in the distance, here's where this theater will be. And
it'll be great to have that cone go away, that
orange cone, and have the theater be there and say like, okay,
this is where the prospects walk, this is where the
commissioner announced their names.
Speaker 2 (28:14):
Like that.
Speaker 8 (28:15):
That's when it will finally hit me.
Speaker 7 (28:17):
And then you know, it feels like a Super Bowl
in the sense where every day, as you get closer,
more and more people are there, the energy starts to build.
So you know, waking up Thursday morning feels like it
has like a Super Bowl Sunday type of vibe to it.
Speaker 3 (28:32):
Well, hopefully it'll have a Super Bowl vibe just in
the sense that obviously there's a lot of excitement surrounding
the Lions. I know fans are gonna have to wait
a little bit for that selection.
Speaker 4 (28:41):
Now twenty nine.
Speaker 3 (28:42):
They've been used to picking a lot earlier than that,
but the success of last year obviously is gonna be
a lot later. So there could be some Detroit fans
that have a few pops late into the night staying
up there. You wheels up on Sunday. What's the first
thing you do when you get into Detroit? What's priority
Number one?
Speaker 8 (28:58):
Well, I'm gonna eat first and foremost.
Speaker 7 (29:00):
I've been there enough, I've scheduled my flight in a
way or I can like get to Detroit in time.
I know there are a few restaurants I like, so
I'll hit some of the favorites and then Monday it's
going to be taking them the site. Right, it's walking
the whole thing, knowing where everything is. I'm one of
the first people from our production team to get there,
so as people start to trickle in, quite frankly, I
(29:22):
have to have answers for a lot of people. So
it's making sure I can provide those answers and having
the right way of the land as best I could,
and then figure out how the site, you know, interacts
with what we want the production to be.
Speaker 3 (29:35):
You guys do such a great job, you know, bringing
the draft in into the living room.
Speaker 4 (29:39):
I love the coverage.
Speaker 3 (29:41):
You guys have done great in all these cities. I
love it being in a different spot every year. I
think that was a great idea by the NFL.
Speaker 4 (29:49):
Good luck.
Speaker 3 (29:50):
I think it's gonna be an exciting week in Detroit.
There's gonna be a lot of fans down there. It
should be a great atmosphere. Let's hope the weather stays good.
Speaker 1 (29:59):
I don't my.
Speaker 8 (30:00):
Apple Weather says we're going to be fine here. I'm
not got it.
Speaker 4 (30:03):
I know you're on top of that.
Speaker 3 (30:05):
Alex Maloney does such a great job the coordinating producer
of the NFL Draft coverage, bringing this thing into our
living room every single year.
Speaker 4 (30:13):
Great job. Have so much fun in Detroit. I think
it's going to be a great environment. I know you
guys are gonna put on quite the show. Thanks for
joining me, Olex, I appreciate it.
Speaker 8 (30:21):
Happy to talk with you.
Speaker 3 (30:32):
Welcome back to the twenty in the Huddle podcast, and
I am very excited to welcome in. Daniel Jeremiah, NFL
media analyst for the NFL Network. He is one of
my go to guys in the pre draft process.
Speaker 4 (30:44):
Daniel, thanks for joining me. I appreciate you taking the time.
Speaker 3 (30:46):
I know you are very very busy man these days.
Speaker 9 (30:48):
Oh it's great to see you.
Speaker 7 (30:50):
Man.
Speaker 5 (30:50):
I cannot wait to get out to Detroit, get this
thing fired up, and let's get it going.
Speaker 3 (30:55):
Well, I know you've got some commitments lined up here,
so let's get right into it. Different of a draft
for Detroit and Brad Holmes. You know, the last three
cycles he's had a top ten pick. The last two years,
he's had two picks in the first round. Now, because
of the success of last year, you've got to go
all the way down to twenty nine. I know Detroit
fans are in for a long you're okay with that.
Speaker 9 (31:16):
I think you're okay with that trade.
Speaker 4 (31:18):
Right, Yeah.
Speaker 3 (31:19):
I'm just curious when you look at this draft class
as a whole, where do you see the biggest strengths.
Where could maybe you know, best available line up for
the Lions at the end down at twenty nine.
Speaker 9 (31:33):
Well, it's a great question to me.
Speaker 5 (31:35):
It's an offensive draft, so you've got you start with
the you know, we've got a bunch of quarterbacks.
Speaker 9 (31:40):
When you when you're talking about potentially six going now.
Speaker 5 (31:43):
I don't know that we'll get to six, but you know,
even five is a huge number. So you start with those,
you know, the top end quarterbacks. That's a story. You
look at the To me, the receivers and the tackles
are are very loaded positions, stack positions. I think those
three positions are going to make up a big chunk
of the round. So and in how that impacts the
teams at the bottom of round one, it's like, well.
Speaker 9 (32:05):
Okay, we could look at it as maybe we could get.
Speaker 5 (32:07):
One, you know, a guy at the at the tackle position.
If we wanted one, that would be you know, would
have been a top fifteen pick in other years. It
just so happens there's so many guys this year that
it pushes one of those down or what you can
look at it and say, well, you know what, we
could actually get to the near the front of the
line of some of these other positions that teams have
avoided because they've they've really honed in on those other spots.
(32:30):
So I look at it in terms of what they
need and what's going to be there and how the
draft falls, and I think, you know, to me, corner
is one that I'd be you know, keeping a close
eye on.
Speaker 3 (32:42):
You know, to that point, because of all the quarterbacks
the offensive draft, Like you said, those teams that maybe
are looking to improve on defense that are in the
second half of the draft, towards the end of the draft,
they're probably gonna see some really good defensive players that
normally wouldn't be there be pushed back that way, right.
Speaker 9 (32:59):
Yeah, I think that's the that's it, you know.
Speaker 5 (33:01):
And I think, look, it's not the it's not the
best defensive draft we've seen. You know, it's not super
deep at some of these positions, but I do think
there is some talent there, especially towards the top. And
I think those guys, because we have so many teams
in two camps, they are going to get their young
quarterback in this draft or they're trying to help the
(33:21):
young quarterback they already have in this draft. And the
Detroit Lions obviously now with Jared established and all the
investments they've made on that side of the ball, they're
in a different camp completely, so they can look at
some you know, targeted needs defensively and what they want
to get accomplished there. And I think you're looking at,
(33:42):
you know, a chance to get the fourth corner, you know,
the fourth fifth corner in this draft class, which is
still a really, really good player, and I think there
is a drop off after that top handful of corners
then when you get into that next wave. So that's
one of the examples of how it could kind of
fault to them. Even like defensive tackle. You know, in
this draft class that you've got Byron Murphy is probably
(34:03):
going to go up there somewhere in the top fifteen
when it's all said and done. But there's you know,
two three other really intriguing guys. Johnny Newton would be
would be amongst that group as somebody that hey, you know,
we've got other areas we can look to address, but
this is a premier position and one of these guys
kind of falls to us, go ahead and take them.
Speaker 4 (34:22):
You know.
Speaker 3 (34:22):
One of the things that's been a core here in
Detroit with Brad Holmes and Dan Campbell is the offensive
line and keeping that a strength is something that Brad
talked about in his pre draft press conference. I'm just curious,
when you're looking at the end of the first round,
who are maybe a couple of those tackles Taylor Deckers
in the final year of his contract, or maybe some
(34:42):
of those interior guys, because usually, as you know, we
see those interior guys start to go in the twenties,
that's about where they're at. Maybe a couple tackles, a
couple interior guys that if Detroit wants to continue having
that offensive line of strength and add depth there, who
are maybe a few guys? Is that that you like
right there in the twenties?
Speaker 5 (35:02):
Yeah, I mean, I think there's a chance that one
of the guid and Mims get there. Right So you've
got Guide in at Oklahoma and you've got Mems at Georgia.
Speaker 9 (35:12):
Neither guys played a ton of football.
Speaker 5 (35:14):
They're both physical freaks, and I mean they're like legitimately
physical freaks. So they're a little bit of a project.
You know, there's some work to be done there. It
could time up. Well you talk about Decker, you get through,
you know, it gives these guys time. They don't have
to throw them right out there. But you've got tremendous
upside and could you know, could book in with Penne
for for a long time. So those two guys, I
don't think they're both there. You know, it might not
(35:36):
either be there, but I think there's an outside hope
that one of those guys is there after that. To me,
there's a drop off at the position. I don't know
that I have one that's worthy of taking there. Jordan
Morgan's one that some people like that I'm not as
high on him, so that would be a little bit
rich for me in that in that department.
Speaker 9 (35:53):
When you look at the.
Speaker 5 (35:53):
Interior guys, look, it's the it's the centers you know
that have some versatility.
Speaker 9 (35:59):
Uh, you knows.
Speaker 5 (36:00):
Johnson out of Oregon is three hundred and almost three
hundred and thirty pounds. I think he can play any
of those three interior spots. He can move people. Not
quite as athletic as maybe you'd you'd want there, but
he's a good player. Graham Barton's gone, he's gonna be
He'll be picked by then from Duke. So then you're
looking at Zach Fraser, who if you were asking me,
we might even had this conversation previously, but the like,
(36:22):
who's the Detroit Lion type player? I would the Fraser
like Zach Fraser would be the he'd be the pick
there A four time wrestling champ, like absolutely, you know
it refuses to come off the field, you know when
he's hurt.
Speaker 9 (36:34):
Yeah, Like that's a that's a lion.
Speaker 3 (36:36):
That sounds like a Dan Campbell type of guy. Look,
Brad has shown a willingness to move up in the draft.
I think he's moved up four times in his previous
three drafts. If he decides there's a guy there, who
Daniel might that be? If it's either a guy or
a position wise, that would maybe tempt Brad to move
(36:58):
up from twenty nine.
Speaker 1 (36:59):
If he's chooses.
Speaker 5 (37:01):
I think if one of the to me that I
you know, you look at that top corner group and
for me it would be you know, Terry and Arnold
and quenya On Mitchell. If one of those guys started
to drift a little bit, I kind of identify the
The Jaguars is kind of an obvious corner team and
they're picking seventeen, so you know that I think that's
Seattle right that's picking right ahead of them at sixteen.
(37:24):
You know, that could be a you know, that could
be a trade partner if they thought, man, we can
get up here and get one of these top two corners.
You know, for a team that has a need there
and those are ready made guys, I think that would
be kind of something that would be at least it's
at least worth kicking around the draft room a little
bit and having that discussion.
Speaker 4 (37:40):
How do you think the new kickoff rules affect the draft?
Speaker 3 (37:43):
And I know you talked about this on your national
conference call this week, and I thought you made some
really interesting points.
Speaker 4 (37:49):
I actually had asked Brad Holmes.
Speaker 3 (37:50):
About it too, and he said they're still kind of
going through it, not just from the return aspect, but
what kind of body types are now going to be
in the cover in the return areas? And you know
they have confidence they'll figure it out, but it's still
something they're kind of working through. I'm just curious from
your perspective, how do you think maybe that the new
rules change how teams evaluate it. Maybe some players that
(38:13):
are taking that potentially wouldn't be in other years.
Speaker 5 (38:15):
Yeah, I know, I think it does matter, and I
think there's the unknown this year, which I think will
help some people because maybe there's even a chance that
teams are overvaluing what you know impact this will make.
But I know teams are looking for every edge they
can get and they've identified this as an area where
they think they can they can kind of cut the
line here and really find value. So I think in
(38:37):
terms of the body types, like you're going to see
bigger guys out there, it's more of an offensive play
now almost than you know, than a coverage play. So
to me, you know, having I think it helps more
of the linebacker tight end group maybe than the corner
receiver group in terms of coverage value like how you
cover kicks and how you can you know, block and
(38:58):
do those things, whereas I think the returner there's a
little more value in some some being a little bit
more sturdy, like a running back.
Speaker 9 (39:05):
Can you break it? You have vision? Can you break
a tackle? And then can you can you go from there?
Speaker 5 (39:10):
So you know, like Cooper Dejean's names come up when
I'm talking to teams the last couple of days, and
that's one of the things that they literally have. You know,
it's close with him and another player, and they've bumped
him up because they feel like we're gonna he might
he could win us a game. You know, we put
him back there as a returner, you know, you have
one you return a kick for a touchdown, your odds
of winning that game or freaking sky high. So you know,
(39:32):
having having a guy like that, it breaks.
Speaker 4 (39:35):
Ties a couple quick ones for you. Here, this is
the best.
Speaker 3 (39:39):
This is the best roster the Lions have had heading
into the draft in Brad Holmes's ten year.
Speaker 4 (39:44):
You look at it.
Speaker 3 (39:45):
You mentioned cornerback obviously could use some depth there. But
when you go into a draft like that, can you
just really trust your board at that point? And is
that really the best strategy when it's all said and done,
Daniel is just trusting your board picking guys. Don't take
a lesser player to maybe fill a need. It just
get good football players. And you think to Tray, can
(40:07):
head into this draft doing that because of where this
roster is at and what.
Speaker 1 (40:11):
Brad and Dan have done the last three years.
Speaker 5 (40:13):
Yeah, some ways, it's it's like it's not a detriment.
It's almost a benefit to be picking down here for
a couple of reasons. Number One, you don't force anything,
You just kind of it false to you. And then
you're gonna you have a roster without that. You know,
we can't line up and play tomorrow need so you
can afford to just take what falls. You know, you
don't have to be locked in on one position to
the other. The other part of it is it doesn't
(40:34):
cost as much, so you're getting the same five years
of control for less money, and you're letting the draft
come to you and take the best available player. So
you're getting value in the player you get because you
don't have a glaring need and you're getting literally financial
value not.
Speaker 9 (40:48):
Having to pay the guy as much money.
Speaker 5 (40:50):
So there are benefits obviously to winning, and this is
one that's not often discussed, but I think, yeah, look,
it's you're getting a cheaper player and you're not having
to force it.
Speaker 3 (41:01):
How much you're looking forward to get into Detroit and
just the setup in Detroit, first time city hosting it.
Speaker 4 (41:06):
You're looking forward to it. Wheels up Sunday out here.
Speaker 5 (41:09):
I cannot wait. Yeah, I will be out there Sunday
in one of those deals. This will tell you my
level of excitement. Monday is when my week kicks off
with all the responsibilities that I have with NFL network.
So you need to book your flight when or you
need to book your flight Sunday for a Monday start
of the week. My flight on Sunday morning is at
six am out of San Diego. So I am itching
(41:31):
to get out there and looking forward to a great week.
Speaker 4 (41:33):
It's going to be a great week in Detroit.
Speaker 3 (41:37):
We will be following you in the weeks of and
obviously the weekend one of the best in the business.
Daniel Jeremiah, thank you so much for joining the Twin
lovel podcast.
Speaker 4 (41:45):
I appreciate you as always, You're the best.
Speaker 5 (41:47):
I need you to text me a recommendation, give me
a meal recommendation, because I don't trust rap sheet like
wrapping for I don't trust his taste, so I need to.
Speaker 4 (41:56):
No, no, no, I got you, I got you.
Speaker 1 (41:58):
Text coming your way.
Speaker 9 (41:59):
Okay, You're the best.
Speaker 4 (42:00):
Thanks brother, Hi, Daniel, appreciate you.
Speaker 9 (42:02):
See you man,
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