April 23, 2025 • 17 mins
Kelsey Conway from Cincinnati.com joined us on the eve of the NFL Draft to discuss her mock draft, some Bengals draft possibilities, Trey Hendrickson, and more.
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Transcript
Episode Transcript
Available transcripts are automatically generated. Complete accuracy is not guaranteed.
Speaker 1 (00:00):
Twenty after three. This is ESPN fifteen thirty moegor thank
you for listening. Today. Kelsey Conway covers the Bengals, and
which means she's very busy right now covering that team
for The Inquirer and Cincinnati dot Com. She has done
her mock draft. Go read it now at Cincinnati dot Com.
I've a tweeted out a link. I'm here for you.
(00:21):
Kelsey's on Twitter at Kelsey L. Conway and kind enough
to join us. Happy Draft Eve, Kelsey, How are you?
Speaker 2 (00:29):
Happy Draft Eve?
Speaker 3 (00:30):
Mo?
Speaker 2 (00:31):
I look forward to this chat with you every year,
and I'm looking forward to having it right now.
Speaker 1 (00:36):
Well, here we are. It's our annual Draft Eve conversation.
What I like about you is you only do one
mock draft, which is nice.
Speaker 2 (00:45):
You know. I just think that I'm fortunate, and this
is no disrespect to anybody that has to do multiple
of them. But I don't know. Sometimes I think that
when people start doing them in early March, at this
point they're just picking a random new person that's pick
them just to be different. So I try to wait.
And you know, I've spent a lot of time talking
(01:07):
to people who really know this draft class inside and out,
and I put a lot of weight into what they say,
and I could be completely wrong, but I had fun
putting it together. So I hope people read it.
Speaker 3 (01:20):
And if you don't like my picks or you do, I.
Speaker 2 (01:24):
You know, this is the fun part. We should be
able to have conversations and debate mock drafts. So I'm
just happy mock draft season's over.
Speaker 1 (01:31):
Yeah, you and me both. So I want to talk
about some of the players you have them taking. You've
got them with the seventeenth overall pick, taking Georgia Edge,
Mikel Williams, And when I see Edge in the first round,
I think of edge rusher Trey Hendrickson. If they take
Mikel Williams, what does that mean for Trey?
Speaker 2 (01:51):
So I was asked this earlier today, I don't think
it means anything other than the Bengals a glaring need
at this position. I checked in on the situation regarding
the Bengals and Trey Hendrickson yesterday, anticipating this would probably
be something you and others would ask about, and I was.
(02:13):
I asked if a trade was expected, and the response
I got from a source that I trust its close
to the situation responded and said, doubtful, but you never know,
and that that tracks is basically everything that I've learned
about the situation with the Bengals and Trey, and that
(02:35):
we heard from Duke Tobin this week. You can never
say never on draft weekend, just because these these weekends,
you know, never go how anybody expects. Last year, the
Bengals did receive calls about Trey, but that was a
different situation because they didn't have a three week period
where they could have shopped in like they did this year.
(02:56):
The Bengals had several teams call them about Trey Hendrickson
before free agency, right when the Bengals allowed him to
seek a trade. They didn't move him, then, I have
no reason to believe they would then be more inclined
to move him after they didn't really do anything to
address the position in free agency, and that's where I'll
(03:18):
leave it. I think that if the Bengals had plans
to move Trey, they would have moved him already because
the draft capital that they would have gotten I think
would have been more significant at that point, and I
think they probably would have had to sign at least
another one year type of contract with an edgebrusher.
Speaker 1 (03:36):
So everything you just said makes sense and it comes
from a place of information. But here's where my brain
sort of starts, I don't know, running wild. When I
watch Duke Tobin and he talks about it'd be great
to have extra picks, and he's asked about Trey Hendrickson
and he's very lukewarm, like he didn't he doesn't say definitively,
we want Trey. We're keeping Trey, We're not trading Trey.
(03:58):
And so I go, wait a minute, he wants more
picks and he's he's not exactly saying that he's not
going to trade Tray, so maybe to get extra picks,
he's going to trade him. So you're telling me that
maybe I should pipe down a little bit.
Speaker 2 (04:11):
I hear you, and your logic makes sense where I
think you should put this into your head. Also is
there's another side to it. So the Bengals I think
are airing on the side of they don't want to
say too much or too little about Trey, because you know,
Katie Blackburn's comments forced Trey to want to go on
(04:33):
Pat McAfee and express his frustration. So I think they're
just airing on a side of caution when it comes
to questions about Trey, which I understand, but in my
in my response to what you just talked about, they
need someone to give them picks. And everything I've read
about this drafts is that so many teams want to
(04:55):
trade back, and right now nobody's biting on it. So
while the Bengals sorely want to add picks, who is
giving them what they want for Trey Hendrickson if they
weren't giving that a month and a half ago. So
I just look at it as it's great that they
(05:17):
want more picks. But when push comes to shove, and
let's say, for example, their top two prospects they're on
the board, are they really willing to wait? And you're
talking about a franchise that you know, Mo, you've been
covering them along a lot longer than me, Like, they
don't move, And so I have a hard time believing
(05:37):
that they would just be willing to say, yeah, I
think we can wait this one out five picks just
because we want, you know, an extra third round pick.
The Bengals have made it clear they want a premiere
pick for Trey Hendrickson, and whether that's a first round
pick or a second round pick. We don't know yet,
(05:57):
but I just have a hard time believing that they
would get the capitol in return that they would want.
It doesn't mean that they don't want to move back
or to trade him or to acquire more picks. I
just don't think they're going to get it because this
draft is loaded at the edge position, So a team
could just, you know, get an edge rusher and just say, well,
(06:20):
you know, we tried portray, but you know, we feel
really good about this guy and we're just going to
roll with him.
Speaker 1 (06:26):
Kelsey Conway of the Cincinnati Inquirer and Cincinnati dot Com
is with us. When I read about your round two pick,
I felt like you were writing specifically to me because
you have them taking Xavier watch the safety from Notre Dame,
and in the first sentence of your explanation for the pick,
you right, I know you want to guard in the
second round if the team doesn't select an offensive lineman
(06:49):
in round one. In the first round, Like I read that,
I'm like what, Kelsey just could have sent me the text.
She just could have sent me an email. She just
could have called me and said that I felt like
you were writing at me, so that's fine, we're going
to say Xavier Watts. Obviously there's the al Golden connection.
I want to know this. If they take him in
round two forty nine overall, is he the Week one starter?
Speaker 3 (07:10):
Yes?
Speaker 2 (07:11):
Yes, So I went safety there only because of Zevir Watts.
So I checked in with a number of sources around
the league that have watched the offensive lineman in this
prospects class, and what I heard is it's not that deep.
So I know I'm taking a little bit of a
(07:31):
gamble with that being said and taking one in the
third round. But everything I heard about Dylan Fairchild, who
I picked in the third round, seems like an absolute
ideal fit for the Bengals, with his wrestling background, his
familiarity with a Marius Mims, who very much viewed league
wide as a player on the rise, so I know
(07:54):
people might not know his name and be unfamiliar with him.
I talked to a couple of people and they all
brought him up someone that they view in high regard.
So that allowed me to really be able to take
the best player on the board in the second round.
Speaker 3 (08:09):
And I had.
Speaker 2 (08:10):
Xavier watch because it's just you brought up the connection.
But it immediately upgrades your secondary And as I wrote
in my story, the Bengals when they were at their
best in twenty twenty one, they were an opportunistic defense.
It took the ball away. They weren't the best defense,
but they were opportunistic. They very much missed that aspect
of their game. And if there's one thing Watch does
(08:32):
is he forced his turnovers. He has the connection to Golden.
He's sitting right there for you. You know, you might
be able to get fair Child, or you know there's
a guard out of West Virginia that I'm hearing good
things about too. You might be able to wait it
out for the third round. So that's my just best
case scenario droft for the Bengals because they fit, you know,
(08:53):
probably three of their biggest needs. Will it happen? I
don't know, Probably not, but yeah, I just I went
with it.
Speaker 1 (09:00):
Did you consider Tate Ratledge?
Speaker 2 (09:04):
I did, But what I heard about Fairchild made me
think that he might be in the Bengals offense. And
you know, I specifically asked that the people that have
watched this class in an offense, it's going to drop
Burrow back forty to fifty times a game. Who is
best suited for this, and Fairchild came up more than Ratledge.
(09:30):
That's not to say that Ratledge isn't going to be
awesome if the Bengals take him. Fairchild was just more
common and more of the grades that I saw in
him were a third round grade. So that's why I
took him, all right.
Speaker 1 (09:43):
Makes The thing with Fairchild that's interesting to me is
is people talk about his lack of experience. He started
twenty four games in the SEC like that's not nothing, I.
Speaker 2 (09:52):
Know, be the whole inexperiencing is It's weird to me
because that's what you just said. A lot of time
games and the best conference in football, you could say,
And I think that also. The other thing people said
was he battled through some injuries, but he played every game.
(10:12):
And you know, I mean, you've talked about this a
number of times, like the Bengals need an offensive lineman
and a guard who like they can't wif on this one.
And I think he checks a lot of boxes in
football character. It's important to him. He's tough. So that's
why I think I went I went back to that
(10:33):
one and felt really good about that. And keep in
mind Dan Pitcher doesn't go to many pro days. He
was at Georgia Pro Day, so that's significant.
Speaker 1 (10:44):
You talked about character and off field stuff, and you
know that's been brought up as it relates to Mike
Green at Marshall. It's been brought up as it relates
to Walter Nolan for entirely different reasons. With Nolan, I
think there's a lot of folks who wonder, like, is
he really all about ball? So to speak? Do you
think those concerns could take those players off the board
(11:06):
for the Bengals if they're available at seventeen?
Speaker 2 (11:10):
No, because when I because Walter Nolan's been a very
interesting figure to me because when I first started really
digging into the draft of at the Senior Bowl, he
was the guy that I was like, Oh, this is
like no doubt, like totally going to be their pick.
When I asked about him specifically and his character stuff.
Speaker 3 (11:33):
It was a he if he goes to the right place,
the right support staff around him, I think it will
work because he has the talent to be a.
Speaker 2 (11:47):
Pro Bowl caliber player. So I asked, well, do you
think that the Bengals would have any fear in taking
a player with character they said, well, a lot of this,
A lot of the guys in this year's class defensive
linemen have some sort of character red flag. I mean,
you're looking at my green James Pearce junior, Walter Nolan.
(12:09):
You know a couple of these guys do have some
red flags. But the red flag concern with Nolan is
isn't to the level of Jermaine Burton from when I
gathered and talking to people, So if that makes anybody
feel any better, it's it's a different situation than Burton.
I'm not quite sure what exactly the concerns are other
(12:32):
than people just you know, want to know if he
really if it's really that important to him. Everything I've
heard about Nolan is if they get him in the
right situation and they support him off the field, they
think that they can get him, you know, going in
the right way. So where that leaves them, I don't know,
but I know that. I mean, I sound like Duke
(12:53):
Toben saying this, but I truly do think it's like
a case by case basis, and his character stuff is
different than Burton's was at this point because last year,
I mean I had I had talked to people that
were at other teams that said Burton wasn't even on
their draft board. So the Bengals definitely took a flyer
on Burton that a lot of teams had him, you know,
(13:15):
they were they were so uncomfortable with his character stuff
that they took him off their board, and the Bengals,
you know, took him. So that that leads you to
believe that they think that they have a great culture
and they can get these guys going when they get there.
Didn't quite work out that way last year, but we'll see.
But I think Nolan is is a little bit different.
Speaker 1 (13:35):
Makes sense? Uh, Well, I know you're going to be
very busy over the coming days. Can we call you
on Friday just to sort of take your thoughts on
round one and look ahead to rounds two and three.
Speaker 2 (13:47):
You can call me on Friday if I can leave
this conversation asking you, uh, who who you would be
the most happy with? You know you don't do moss dressed,
but who you would be the most happy with for
our when we talk? How about that I turn the
table on you.
Speaker 1 (14:04):
So you want me to tell you now?
Speaker 2 (14:07):
Yes? Sorry, give the people what they want.
Speaker 1 (14:09):
Though, I want Tate ratligid forty nine. That's what I want,
Tate rat Ledge at forty nine. I don't want to
wait till the third round to address guard. I know
it's deep, but I value that position and keeping Joe
Burrow upright and not playing with fire on the offensive
line that if he's there at forty nine, I know
I'm pushing safety lower in the draft. I know we're
(14:31):
pushing linebacker deeper in depending on what happens in round one.
That's what I want the most. I know that flies
in the face of what you've done, and the Xavier
watch thing makes total sense, and I'm the guy that
doesn't want to watch Geno Stone play anymore. But I
want I want ratlagd forty nine. You can steer me
in a thousand different directions in round one. I'm kind
(14:52):
of on the Derek Harmon train. But if you want
to fling it back to safety and go Malachi Starks
or Emon Worry from South Care Carolina, I'm good there.
Michael Williams, I understand that Mike Green kind of scares me.
There's the character stuff. I'm also a little scared by
the small school stigma. Maybe that's not fair because he
did play well against Ohio State. But my wish list
(15:17):
in terms of like player I want in a certain
spot really starts in round two with Tate Ratie.
Speaker 2 (15:22):
Okay, that's interesting. Well, I know of that you probably
have to get to commercial, but since you brought him up,
I will tell you because I think you'll find this interesting.
One of the sources that I spoke to said that
Malachi starts with their highest graded player of every single
player they graded last year. So I'll let you ponder that.
Speaker 1 (15:44):
I just like the fact because the guests never ask
me questions, so usually the guests can't wait to get
done with the conversation. It's like I've given you my
eight to ten minutes.
Speaker 2 (15:54):
Now.
Speaker 1 (15:54):
I like it when the guests asked me questions. So
we'll call you on Friday, and then we look forward
to that, and then you know, you get some some
free time, and you know, we'll perhaps see you at
some point during your your May and June where you're
not doing nearly as much. Maybe on a on a
on a weekday night somewhere. I don't know, we can discuss,
but I appreciate the time as always.
Speaker 2 (16:17):
All right, thanks so much for having me on.
Speaker 1 (16:19):
Though you're the best. Kelsey Conway, The Inquirer and Cincinnati
dot Com. Austin Wins is three for four. Austin Wins
is now batting five hundred on the season, and the
Reds are up five to two and the ninth. Brianna Jenko,
the women's golf coach at Xavier. Her program a sixth
consecutive Biggies title. She's going to join us in just
(16:40):
about ten minutes on ESPN fifteen thirty Cincinnati's ESPN fifteen thirty.
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(17:23):
Rapid Radio
Twenty after three. This is ESPN fifteen thirty moegor thank
you for listening. Today. Kelsey Conway covers the Bengals, and
which means she's very busy right now covering that team
for The Inquirer and Cincinnati dot Com. She has done
her mock draft. Go read it now at Cincinnati dot Com.
I've a tweeted out a link. I'm here for you.
(00:21):
Kelsey's on Twitter at Kelsey L. Conway and kind enough
to join us. Happy Draft Eve, Kelsey, How are you?
Speaker 2 (00:29):
Happy Draft Eve?
Speaker 3 (00:30):
Mo?
Speaker 2 (00:31):
I look forward to this chat with you every year,
and I'm looking forward to having it right now.
Speaker 1 (00:36):
Well, here we are. It's our annual Draft Eve conversation.
What I like about you is you only do one
mock draft, which is nice.
Speaker 2 (00:45):
You know. I just think that I'm fortunate, and this
is no disrespect to anybody that has to do multiple
of them. But I don't know. Sometimes I think that
when people start doing them in early March, at this
point they're just picking a random new person that's pick
them just to be different. So I try to wait.
And you know, I've spent a lot of time talking
(01:07):
to people who really know this draft class inside and out,
and I put a lot of weight into what they say,
and I could be completely wrong, but I had fun
putting it together. So I hope people read it.
Speaker 3 (01:20):
And if you don't like my picks or you do, I.
Speaker 2 (01:24):
You know, this is the fun part. We should be
able to have conversations and debate mock drafts. So I'm
just happy mock draft season's over.
Speaker 1 (01:31):
Yeah, you and me both. So I want to talk
about some of the players you have them taking. You've
got them with the seventeenth overall pick, taking Georgia Edge,
Mikel Williams, And when I see Edge in the first round,
I think of edge rusher Trey Hendrickson. If they take
Mikel Williams, what does that mean for Trey?
Speaker 2 (01:51):
So I was asked this earlier today, I don't think
it means anything other than the Bengals a glaring need
at this position. I checked in on the situation regarding
the Bengals and Trey Hendrickson yesterday, anticipating this would probably
be something you and others would ask about, and I was.
(02:13):
I asked if a trade was expected, and the response
I got from a source that I trust its close
to the situation responded and said, doubtful, but you never know,
and that that tracks is basically everything that I've learned
about the situation with the Bengals and Trey, and that
(02:35):
we heard from Duke Tobin this week. You can never
say never on draft weekend, just because these these weekends,
you know, never go how anybody expects. Last year, the
Bengals did receive calls about Trey, but that was a
different situation because they didn't have a three week period
where they could have shopped in like they did this year.
(02:56):
The Bengals had several teams call them about Trey Hendrickson
before free agency, right when the Bengals allowed him to
seek a trade. They didn't move him, then, I have
no reason to believe they would then be more inclined
to move him after they didn't really do anything to
address the position in free agency, and that's where I'll
(03:18):
leave it. I think that if the Bengals had plans
to move Trey, they would have moved him already because
the draft capital that they would have gotten I think
would have been more significant at that point, and I
think they probably would have had to sign at least
another one year type of contract with an edgebrusher.
Speaker 1 (03:36):
So everything you just said makes sense and it comes
from a place of information. But here's where my brain
sort of starts, I don't know, running wild. When I
watch Duke Tobin and he talks about it'd be great
to have extra picks, and he's asked about Trey Hendrickson
and he's very lukewarm, like he didn't he doesn't say definitively,
we want Trey. We're keeping Trey, We're not trading Trey.
(03:58):
And so I go, wait a minute, he wants more
picks and he's he's not exactly saying that he's not
going to trade Tray, so maybe to get extra picks,
he's going to trade him. So you're telling me that
maybe I should pipe down a little bit.
Speaker 2 (04:11):
I hear you, and your logic makes sense where I
think you should put this into your head. Also is
there's another side to it. So the Bengals I think
are airing on the side of they don't want to
say too much or too little about Trey, because you know,
Katie Blackburn's comments forced Trey to want to go on
(04:33):
Pat McAfee and express his frustration. So I think they're
just airing on a side of caution when it comes
to questions about Trey, which I understand, but in my
in my response to what you just talked about, they
need someone to give them picks. And everything I've read
about this drafts is that so many teams want to
(04:55):
trade back, and right now nobody's biting on it. So
while the Bengals sorely want to add picks, who is
giving them what they want for Trey Hendrickson if they
weren't giving that a month and a half ago. So
I just look at it as it's great that they
(05:17):
want more picks. But when push comes to shove, and
let's say, for example, their top two prospects they're on
the board, are they really willing to wait? And you're
talking about a franchise that you know, Mo, you've been
covering them along a lot longer than me, Like, they
don't move, And so I have a hard time believing
(05:37):
that they would just be willing to say, yeah, I
think we can wait this one out five picks just
because we want, you know, an extra third round pick.
The Bengals have made it clear they want a premiere
pick for Trey Hendrickson, and whether that's a first round
pick or a second round pick. We don't know yet,
(05:57):
but I just have a hard time believing that they
would get the capitol in return that they would want.
It doesn't mean that they don't want to move back
or to trade him or to acquire more picks. I
just don't think they're going to get it because this
draft is loaded at the edge position, So a team
could just, you know, get an edge rusher and just say, well,
(06:20):
you know, we tried portray, but you know, we feel
really good about this guy and we're just going to
roll with him.
Speaker 1 (06:26):
Kelsey Conway of the Cincinnati Inquirer and Cincinnati dot Com
is with us. When I read about your round two pick,
I felt like you were writing specifically to me because
you have them taking Xavier watch the safety from Notre Dame,
and in the first sentence of your explanation for the pick,
you right, I know you want to guard in the
second round if the team doesn't select an offensive lineman
(06:49):
in round one. In the first round, Like I read that,
I'm like what, Kelsey just could have sent me the text.
She just could have sent me an email. She just
could have called me and said that I felt like
you were writing at me, so that's fine, we're going
to say Xavier Watts. Obviously there's the al Golden connection.
I want to know this. If they take him in
round two forty nine overall, is he the Week one starter?
Speaker 3 (07:10):
Yes?
Speaker 2 (07:11):
Yes, So I went safety there only because of Zevir Watts.
So I checked in with a number of sources around
the league that have watched the offensive lineman in this
prospects class, and what I heard is it's not that deep.
So I know I'm taking a little bit of a
(07:31):
gamble with that being said and taking one in the
third round. But everything I heard about Dylan Fairchild, who
I picked in the third round, seems like an absolute
ideal fit for the Bengals, with his wrestling background, his
familiarity with a Marius Mims, who very much viewed league
wide as a player on the rise, so I know
(07:54):
people might not know his name and be unfamiliar with him.
I talked to a couple of people and they all
brought him up someone that they view in high regard.
So that allowed me to really be able to take
the best player on the board in the second round.
Speaker 3 (08:09):
And I had.
Speaker 2 (08:10):
Xavier watch because it's just you brought up the connection.
But it immediately upgrades your secondary And as I wrote
in my story, the Bengals when they were at their
best in twenty twenty one, they were an opportunistic defense.
It took the ball away. They weren't the best defense,
but they were opportunistic. They very much missed that aspect
of their game. And if there's one thing Watch does
(08:32):
is he forced his turnovers. He has the connection to Golden.
He's sitting right there for you. You know, you might
be able to get fair Child, or you know there's
a guard out of West Virginia that I'm hearing good
things about too. You might be able to wait it
out for the third round. So that's my just best
case scenario droft for the Bengals because they fit, you know,
(08:53):
probably three of their biggest needs. Will it happen? I
don't know, Probably not, but yeah, I just I went
with it.
Speaker 1 (09:00):
Did you consider Tate Ratledge?
Speaker 2 (09:04):
I did, But what I heard about Fairchild made me
think that he might be in the Bengals offense. And
you know, I specifically asked that the people that have
watched this class in an offense, it's going to drop
Burrow back forty to fifty times a game. Who is
best suited for this, and Fairchild came up more than Ratledge.
(09:30):
That's not to say that Ratledge isn't going to be
awesome if the Bengals take him. Fairchild was just more
common and more of the grades that I saw in
him were a third round grade. So that's why I
took him, all right.
Speaker 1 (09:43):
Makes The thing with Fairchild that's interesting to me is
is people talk about his lack of experience. He started
twenty four games in the SEC like that's not nothing, I.
Speaker 2 (09:52):
Know, be the whole inexperiencing is It's weird to me
because that's what you just said. A lot of time
games and the best conference in football, you could say,
And I think that also. The other thing people said
was he battled through some injuries, but he played every game.
(10:12):
And you know, I mean, you've talked about this a
number of times, like the Bengals need an offensive lineman
and a guard who like they can't wif on this one.
And I think he checks a lot of boxes in
football character. It's important to him. He's tough. So that's
why I think I went I went back to that
(10:33):
one and felt really good about that. And keep in
mind Dan Pitcher doesn't go to many pro days. He
was at Georgia Pro Day, so that's significant.
Speaker 1 (10:44):
You talked about character and off field stuff, and you
know that's been brought up as it relates to Mike
Green at Marshall. It's been brought up as it relates
to Walter Nolan for entirely different reasons. With Nolan, I
think there's a lot of folks who wonder, like, is
he really all about ball? So to speak? Do you
think those concerns could take those players off the board
(11:06):
for the Bengals if they're available at seventeen?
Speaker 2 (11:10):
No, because when I because Walter Nolan's been a very
interesting figure to me because when I first started really
digging into the draft of at the Senior Bowl, he
was the guy that I was like, Oh, this is
like no doubt, like totally going to be their pick.
When I asked about him specifically and his character stuff.
Speaker 3 (11:33):
It was a he if he goes to the right place,
the right support staff around him, I think it will
work because he has the talent to be a.
Speaker 2 (11:47):
Pro Bowl caliber player. So I asked, well, do you
think that the Bengals would have any fear in taking
a player with character they said, well, a lot of this,
A lot of the guys in this year's class defensive
linemen have some sort of character red flag. I mean,
you're looking at my green James Pearce junior, Walter Nolan.
(12:09):
You know a couple of these guys do have some
red flags. But the red flag concern with Nolan is
isn't to the level of Jermaine Burton from when I
gathered and talking to people, So if that makes anybody
feel any better, it's it's a different situation than Burton.
I'm not quite sure what exactly the concerns are other
(12:32):
than people just you know, want to know if he
really if it's really that important to him. Everything I've
heard about Nolan is if they get him in the
right situation and they support him off the field, they
think that they can get him, you know, going in
the right way. So where that leaves them, I don't know,
but I know that. I mean, I sound like Duke
(12:53):
Toben saying this, but I truly do think it's like
a case by case basis, and his character stuff is
different than Burton's was at this point because last year,
I mean I had I had talked to people that
were at other teams that said Burton wasn't even on
their draft board. So the Bengals definitely took a flyer
on Burton that a lot of teams had him, you know,
(13:15):
they were they were so uncomfortable with his character stuff
that they took him off their board, and the Bengals,
you know, took him. So that that leads you to
believe that they think that they have a great culture
and they can get these guys going when they get there.
Didn't quite work out that way last year, but we'll see.
But I think Nolan is is a little bit different.
Speaker 1 (13:35):
Makes sense? Uh, Well, I know you're going to be
very busy over the coming days. Can we call you
on Friday just to sort of take your thoughts on
round one and look ahead to rounds two and three.
Speaker 2 (13:47):
You can call me on Friday if I can leave
this conversation asking you, uh, who who you would be
the most happy with? You know you don't do moss dressed,
but who you would be the most happy with for
our when we talk? How about that I turn the
table on you.
Speaker 1 (14:04):
So you want me to tell you now?
Speaker 2 (14:07):
Yes? Sorry, give the people what they want.
Speaker 1 (14:09):
Though, I want Tate ratligid forty nine. That's what I want,
Tate rat Ledge at forty nine. I don't want to
wait till the third round to address guard. I know
it's deep, but I value that position and keeping Joe
Burrow upright and not playing with fire on the offensive
line that if he's there at forty nine, I know
I'm pushing safety lower in the draft. I know we're
(14:31):
pushing linebacker deeper in depending on what happens in round one.
That's what I want the most. I know that flies
in the face of what you've done, and the Xavier
watch thing makes total sense, and I'm the guy that
doesn't want to watch Geno Stone play anymore. But I
want I want ratlagd forty nine. You can steer me
in a thousand different directions in round one. I'm kind
(14:52):
of on the Derek Harmon train. But if you want
to fling it back to safety and go Malachi Starks
or Emon Worry from South Care Carolina, I'm good there.
Michael Williams, I understand that Mike Green kind of scares me.
There's the character stuff. I'm also a little scared by
the small school stigma. Maybe that's not fair because he
did play well against Ohio State. But my wish list
(15:17):
in terms of like player I want in a certain
spot really starts in round two with Tate Ratie.
Speaker 2 (15:22):
Okay, that's interesting. Well, I know of that you probably
have to get to commercial, but since you brought him up,
I will tell you because I think you'll find this interesting.
One of the sources that I spoke to said that
Malachi starts with their highest graded player of every single
player they graded last year. So I'll let you ponder that.
Speaker 1 (15:44):
I just like the fact because the guests never ask
me questions, so usually the guests can't wait to get
done with the conversation. It's like I've given you my
eight to ten minutes.
Speaker 2 (15:54):
Now.
Speaker 1 (15:54):
I like it when the guests asked me questions. So
we'll call you on Friday, and then we look forward
to that, and then you know, you get some some
free time, and you know, we'll perhaps see you at
some point during your your May and June where you're
not doing nearly as much. Maybe on a on a
on a weekday night somewhere. I don't know, we can discuss,
but I appreciate the time as always.
Speaker 2 (16:17):
All right, thanks so much for having me on.
Speaker 1 (16:19):
Though you're the best. Kelsey Conway, The Inquirer and Cincinnati
dot Com. Austin Wins is three for four. Austin Wins
is now batting five hundred on the season, and the
Reds are up five to two and the ninth. Brianna Jenko,
the women's golf coach at Xavier. Her program a sixth
consecutive Biggies title. She's going to join us in just
(16:40):
about ten minutes on ESPN fifteen thirty Cincinnati's ESPN fifteen thirty.
Traffic from the You See Health traffic CEA. At You
See Health, you'll find comprehensive care so personal it makes
your best tomorrow possible. That's boundless care for better. I'll
come expect more. You see Hell Health dot Com. Traffic
(17:02):
sewing on Ronald Reagan Highway at seventy five accident all
found the shoulder and we're seeing to lay seventy five
southbound Shepherd of Ronald Reagan Highway and from Western Avenue
to the Prince Spence Bridge, Fiffin at scrubled an accident
and traffic sewing seventy five north Mitchell de Paddock. I'm
Rick Shremp with traffic. This report is sponsored by Rapid Radios.
(17:23):
Rapid Radio
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