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April 25, 2025 • 12 mins

One of the most anticipated events in team sports is currently taking place. 

257 players will be selected in the 2025 NFL Draft, with each team eager to claim the best athletes they can. 

Leon Busby joined Jason Pine to break down the current standings and delve into the importance of the event. 

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Episode Transcript

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Speaker 1 (00:06):
You're listening to the Weekend Sport Podcast with Jason Vine
from News Talk ZB.

Speaker 2 (00:12):
Get your state side with our US sports expert Lyon Busby,
who joins us now Leon, Thanks for your time, Good afternoon,
Hey Finance.

Speaker 3 (00:22):
Great to be back. As always, We've got a lot
to cover today. So let's star straighting today.

Speaker 2 (00:26):
Yeah, why not, mate, Let's go with the NFL Draft.
I want to get to the NBA playoffs, but let's
start with the NFL Draft, which is basically ongoing as
we speak. Maybe to start with Liam, can you just
explain to us how the NFL draft actually works.

Speaker 3 (00:42):
Yes, so a bit of background for your listening audience.
So first hold of nineteen thirty six. It's in its
ninetieth year. The NFL's draft is the most highly anticipated
player recruitment event anywhere in team sports. Basically how it
works is each team is given a position in the
drafting order in reverse order relative to its records the
previous season, which means that the team with the worst

(01:04):
regular season record picks and the Super Bowl champion last.
From this position, the team can either select a player
or trade its position to another team for other draft positions,
a player or players or any combination thereof. The round
is compete when each team has either selected a player
or traded its position in the draft. Now, certain aspects

(01:26):
of the draft, including team positioning and the number of
rounds in the draft, have been revised since it's created,
but the fundamental method has remained the same. Currently, there
are seven rounds taking place in Wisconsin. This year homes
to the historical Green Bay Package, which I'm sure a
lot of people have heard of before. The twenty twenty
five draft will see two hundred and fifty seven players chosen.

(01:48):
The original rationale and creating a draft was to increase
the competitive parity between the teams, as the worst team
would ideally be able to choose the best player available.
One of the big factors today are the importance of
full time scouts who provide detailed, in depth reports on
prospective players entering the league.

Speaker 2 (02:07):
Yeah, the rationale is good, isn't it? It helps I guess
the teams. You know, the weaker teams get the better players.
Well that's the theory, anyway, Does it always work that way?
How important is getting your draft picks right? If you
are one of the one of the teams down the
bottom to try and get yourself back up.

Speaker 3 (02:24):
Yes, as I alluded to just previously, planing the drafters
intended to provide greater parity in terms of leveling out
the playing field. So in that respect, it's vitally important
for teams to get their picks right for their franchise
and to be more competitive all around, and it's a
better product for the viewing audience. It's also worth mentioning
pining that for the players themselves hoping to be drafted

(02:47):
this week, and if you're fortunate enough to be taken
by a team, it's literally a life changing moment as
a professional athlete, particularly in the NFL. You and your
family are set for life financially with generational wealth. So
it's almost the kin to winning the lottery.

Speaker 2 (03:01):
All right. So tell us about the top few picks
this year and if there were any surprises among them.

Speaker 3 (03:08):
Yes, the first round there were thirty two picks. As expected,
University of Miami quarterback Cameron Ward was the number one
overall pick, taken by the Titans. He's expected to make
a big difference to Tennessee's pass game, which has struggled
in recent years. Nickname of the board was Heisman Trophy
winner Travis Hunter, who is an exceptional counant on both

(03:29):
sides of the ball. The former Colorado Buffalo is a
two way athlete and very unique and that he plays
both offense and defense. He goes to the Jacksonville Jaguars,
and rounding out the top three, the Giants named Penn
State linebacker each Russia Abdul Carter to their roster. Like
the first two picks, he've you going to make a
huge difference to New York's defense up front of the trenches.

(03:52):
On a personal right for you, Pioneer, I know your
son's a Minnesota fan, and his team selected well, drafting
five star recruit and former Ohio State Buckeye guard Donovan Jackson.
The new Viking recruited fresh of the national total and
will add much needed to steal up front of an
already impressive offensive line. Now you mentioned they're surprises. Now

(04:12):
I'm glad you asked finally, because the biggest story coming
out of the draft this year so far is the
non selection of a certain individual player. Teammate to Travis
Hunter and former Colorado Buffalo star player should Do at
Sanders was expected by most of mock drafts to go
in the first round by teams that were looking for
depth a quarterback. Now, surprisingly, he was passed up by

(04:33):
no less than five teams and picked three, six, seven, nine,
and twenty one. Now there's a lot of speculation as
to why his stock fell so badly, but that aside,
he was expected to go early in round two earlier today,
Now as we speak, well into the third round, and
hard to believe he's still his name still on the
board as he was also our Heidsman Trophy financist there.

(04:56):
That's incredible that some of your lifting audience may be familiar,
but should do his last name his father, Pro Football
Hall of Fame man current Colorado head coach Dion Sanders.
If we consider past history, pineying just how unpredictable the
NFL draft is. Here are a few examples. In twenty
twenty two, San Francisco forty nine Ers quarterback brock Perty

(05:18):
was a final thicket number two sixty two, unfortunately being
tagged mister irrelevant. Now he led his team to the
Super Bowl the following year. In twenty eighteen, two time
regular season MVP and Ravens quarterback Lamar Jackson was passed
by multiple teams before Baltimore, who had earlier passed on him,
drafted them thirty second at the end of round one,

(05:39):
and by far the biggest election a non selection in
NFL draft history was in the two thousand NFL Draft. Now,
a lot of your listeners will definitely have heard of
this guy taken off the board in round six and
selected at number one, ninety nine by the New England Patriots,
a quarterback by the name of Tom Brady. As they say,
the rest is history. The unpredictability of a draft, as Weld,

(05:59):
makes it so compellion and a fascinating watch Piney, even
if he expected run into round three, and it's more
drama to follow over than couple of days. Pony really tvated.

Speaker 2 (06:09):
If you are absolutely I can hear it in your voice.
I can hear it in your voice better than any
Love Island already these other reality shows. The NFL Draft.
I know you've also had divided focus because the NBA
playoffs are on eight teams from the Eastern Conference, eight
from the West in the first round matchups best of seven.
We'll get through as many of these as we can.

(06:31):
Some of the games are ongoing at the moment. Let's
start in the East, the top seeds in the East,
the Caves up against the Heats, who must have gone
through the play and because they finished tenth in the
regular season, but tied up at one all after the
first two games, with game three tomorrow back in Miami.

Speaker 3 (06:51):
Okay, so I don't normally correct you, pony, but actually
the Cavaliers, the number one seed over an number eight
seed Heat, hold a two to no advantage and games
tomorrow gotcha?

Speaker 2 (07:02):
Okay, good, yeah, no, Roads, I'm happy to do that.

Speaker 3 (07:07):
Cleveland should easily wrap up the series in four or five.
So they've got the second best regular season record of the
bench road record of any other team in the league
this year.

Speaker 2 (07:16):
Let's go to the Celtics, who finished second in the
Eastern Conference. Are pretty sure that they were too nil
up although Game three has just finished in Orlando. They're
up against the Magic, and the Magic have won a
tight one ninety five ninety three, So that makes it
two one to the Celtics after three games. I think.

Speaker 3 (07:35):
Yeah. So the number two Celtics against number seven Magic,
both another defending champions. They should wrap the series up
in five, even though they dropped today's game. But that said,
their finals experience and a deeper bench should see them
overcome the inexperienced Orlando.

Speaker 2 (07:49):
From here on and all right, Bucks paces Paces were
two knill ahead going into Game three, which was in Milwaukee.
But I think again the Milwaukee Bucks, helped by the
home crowd, no doubt, have picked up or when there
you're still back the Paces over the Bucks or is
this one a bit harder to pick?

Speaker 3 (08:09):
Yes, So the number four Paces against the number five Bucks.
As you said, you know, the Bucks managed to pick
up the game today, but if you look at the
depth of the teams Indian they have them. They've been
the more consistent team throughout the regular season, and they
had the edge should they take the seats even though
they lost today. However, Pony, the biggest storyline from this
is that there are underlying rumors that superstar for the Bucks.

(08:31):
Gianna started the compound, always had a couple pronouncing his name,
unfictionately known as the Greek Freak. He may move on
at the end of the season. He's one of the
most dominant players in the association. But it's hungry for
another ring and unfortunately their Bucks aren't in the conversation
one now as a legitimate championship contender for him. So yeah,
there's a lot of rumors swelling that he may move

(08:53):
on to another team.

Speaker 2 (08:55):
All right, final game in the East or final matchups?
NIXT Pistons next to one ahead. They've had three games here.
Game four is on Monday back in Detroit. Next to
go through in five or six games here.

Speaker 3 (09:09):
Yes, so the third rank MIXT against the sixth rank
Piston in the Eastern Conference. This is probably the most
even series in the East. So it's a half on
the pick. But I'm going to give New York for
slight edges. They have home court advantage. Could it go
to a series deciding game seven?

Speaker 2 (09:25):
Let's go to the Western Conference Clippers Nuggets. Clippers lead
to one with game four tomorrow. This is the four
v five matchup, I guess, of all of them, when
four plays five, it's probably the hardest one to pick,
isn't it.

Speaker 3 (09:38):
Yes, you know, I'm a bit of a Nuggets fan.
But unfortunately for Denver, I've been through a bit of
change recently, the surprise fign of their head coach. They're
playing against the form team of the competition, and despite
him the best plan of the league, I don't see
the series going their way, so I expect the al
Clippers to wrap up the series sooner than later year.

Speaker 2 (10:00):
The other LA side, the Lakers. They're in action as
we speak. Actually, in Game three of their series against
the Minnesota Timberwolves. The series tied at one apiece, the
Lakers narrowly ahead in the second quarter. Lakers third seed,
Timberwolves sixth So Lakers eventually they go through.

Speaker 1 (10:17):
Do you think?

Speaker 3 (10:18):
Yeah? The series could go either way, Piney, even probably
to seven games. On paper, you'd have to lean towards
LA with Lebron and Luca, even though the Timberwolves do
have some star players. But if you look at the roster,
l A have the much deeper roster, and if it
does go to a designing game, I think I'll leave
with the Lakers here in a close series.

Speaker 2 (10:40):
All right, Grizzly Thunder, this is one way traffic, Oklahoma
City Thunder three nil ahead after three games. Game four
is in Memphis. But are the Thunder gonna sweep this,
aren't they? Yeah?

Speaker 3 (10:52):
I think it's time to get to brim up Piney. Okay,
he should wrap the series up tomorrow in a four
games three. Memphis had the worst regular season record coming
into the postseason, whereas the Thunder had the best regular
season record, and I'm looking ominous, I'd be ruth surprize
of Okay, see, don't come out of the Western Conference
and make the NBA Finals this.

Speaker 2 (11:10):
Year, all right? And the final matchup is the Golden
State Warriors against the Houston Rockets, tied at one apiece
after two games. Game three is tomorrow. Which way do
you see this one going?

Speaker 3 (11:25):
Yeah, finally, out of all the Round one series, this
will be the westkin cunning to watch in the closest.
You have championship pedigree and outside shooting and future Hall
of Famous Steph Curry and Golden State State up against
the physical inside game of Kiev Stephen Adams Houston. I
can certainly see this going to seven games at the
hardest series for the winner. However, I'm going to lean

(11:46):
in favor of Golden step because of their championship, DNA
pedigree and their finals experience.

Speaker 2 (11:51):
Great to get your expertise, leon covering off so much
basketball while you're also keeping your eyes on the NFL
draft at pronouncing names correctly and even correcting these, I
think we'll give you. We'll give you an a plus
for today, mate, thanks for joining us with your state
side segments as always so awesome.

Speaker 3 (12:08):
Thank you for having me on today, Pony. I want
to digest and I look forward to sharing my insights
with you and your audience a getting as soon. Have
a great day, mate.

Speaker 1 (12:15):
For more from Weekend Sport with Jason Fine, listen live
to news talks at B weekends from midday, or follow
the podcast on iHeartRadio
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