12th Man 2025 Draft Coverage: Round 1, Hour 3 - Hawks Draft Zabel, First Interview

In the third hour of KJR's 12th Man Draft Coverage, Ian Furness, Rob Rang, and Hugh Millen react to the Seahawks selecting Grey Zabel with the 18th pick in the draft then listen and react to Zabel's first interview with the media.

Episode Transcript

Speaker 1 (00:00):
Welcome to the NFL Draft, coming to you live from
the Virginia Mason Athletics Center. This is the twenty twenty
five and NFL Draft and brought to you by Coors Light,
by R and R Foundation specialist but Queen Anne bear
Ho and by Fox thirteen on Sports Radio ninety three
point three kJ R FM.

Speaker 2 (00:21):
All right, welcome back to the Virginia Mason Athletic Center.
In front, that's with you taking over for Softy and
I'm here with Hugh Milling. Rob Rang Jess is here
helping coordinate everything as we are moments away from the
Seahawks pick. We think they're on the clock right now
waiting for the Bengals pick to be announced, which we'll
get to in just a couple of seconds. And here
we are, round one, seven pm on a Thursday nights.

(00:42):
Hugh Millan, how are you my finding well ian? Yeah,
what do you think you got any energy left? You've had,
you know, four hours of soft you know after the technic.
The draft is so cool that you know you just
rideing on adrenaline. Yeah, even if you're a little tired,
but this is this is awesome. H And we got
Rob Rang with us as we all. Roger Goodell's making
his way to the podium. This is the pick before Seattle,

(01:03):
the Cincinnati Bengals at number seventeen. As he dances around,
Is he do this all night? Hugh, I'm wondering, is that?
Is that how the Goodell's doing it? Just get your
ass up there and make the announce play right. Stop
dancing around. Let's let's we don't need this. You know
what he's waiting for? How to just get to the
top of the hour. It's ten o'clock on the East
coast right now, Let's go to the podium. Rodger Goodell
with the Cincinnati Bengals pick draft.

Speaker 3 (01:24):
The Cincinnati Bengals select Chamar Stewart defensive end Texas.

Speaker 2 (01:29):
A and m Lamar Stewart defensive end from Texas A.
And m uh you want to react to that, Hugh, Well,
he's yeah, Well he's a guy on the clock.

Speaker 4 (01:39):
By I think every personnel guy says, we're we've got
a scale, a linear scale with production on one end
and potential on the other. And I think Shamar Stewart
exemplifies about as extreme as you could bet get on
the potential. Just a freak athlete at his size, his speed,
all the all the measures I'll get and I'll get

(02:01):
those here in a second. But he was he had
He had four and a half sacks his entire career,
and so you just look and you say, where where's
the production. He had one and a half in each
year and and in no year did he ever have
a sack in the last seven games of the season.
So so you're just really drafting on potential rob you know,

(02:21):
in terms of I'm in his his forty time at
four five nine was ninety fourth percent. His vertical here's
a here's an edge guy that verts forty inches. I'd
love to see him in a in a amateur dunk contest.
That's ninety eighth percentile. Uh, you know, his his wingspan
ninety first percentile, ten yard shuttle eighty ninth percentile. Just

(02:46):
a freak athlete. But but there's those numbers and you
just go, Okay, you need to be more productive. You
gotta be more of a disrupt You gotta be a disruptor,
but you also got to be a finisher.

Speaker 5 (02:55):
Yeah, there's no question about.

Speaker 6 (02:57):
I mean, Shamar Stewart might just be the freakiest after
fleet in this draft class. At the same time, and
I apologize for a bad cliche here, but im he
couldn't find a football and a sporting good store. I mean,
that's the problem with Shamar Stewart is that you have
all of these traits that are just so exciting. But
as you said here, four and a half sacks over
his entire college career. I mean I remember watching the

(03:18):
combine and the comparison that Buddy Daniel Jeremiah gave was
to Miles Garrett. I mean Miles Garrett, Mike Goodness, he
gets four and a half sacks in a game in
the NFL, you know, So it with Shamar Stewart, it's
it's a isn't this just a kind of a classic
Cincinnati Bengals selection. It's all based on upside and this
is a club that you know has Trey Hendrickson possibly

(03:40):
on the you know, on the on the trade market,
so it makes some sense. But at the same time,
this is the being Boomer Best selection.

Speaker 7 (03:47):
All right. So Seattle's on the clock right now.

Speaker 2 (03:48):
There's a million things going on out there in the
world of rumors and social media that the Seahawks are
trying to trade out of that pick. It still says,
they're on the clock on our site here, so we're
kind of waiting to see so quick before we see
anything else happen. Hugh, what do you want to see
him do?

Speaker 8 (04:03):
Well?

Speaker 4 (04:03):
I'd like to see him get I'd like to see
him move back and still get an offensive lineman. I
you know, Gray's Abels a possibility, But there's just something
if I had to predict, I just feel like they
would take Will Johnson. I think I think quarterback, and
I'll will admit here I suck at predicting Seahawks drafts.

Speaker 5 (04:24):
I've rarely been right.

Speaker 4 (04:26):
I think the only time that I can really remember
is Jackson Smith and Jigbell.

Speaker 7 (04:29):
I think I'll study the hell out you've got Russell.

Speaker 5 (04:33):
Oh I did? Okay, Well, I probably got some that
I can't remember.

Speaker 4 (04:37):
But but I mean, it's hard, it's hard pinning these
guys down.

Speaker 5 (04:40):
They're hard to pin down in terms of.

Speaker 4 (04:42):
But but I I feel like that would be the
pick I would predict.

Speaker 5 (04:47):
But I'm just I still feel like the biggest need
is into your line.

Speaker 2 (04:50):
Okay, pick is in So it doesn't appear that even
though there's a being round board, just like forty eight
seconds ago, says, the Seahawks are trying to move down,
hoping someone wants to go up and get a quarterback.
Does look like it's happened. It looks like they're gonna
have the pick. We'll get to in a second Roger
Goodell when he goes to the podium, We'll get to
Rob thoughts here.

Speaker 6 (05:05):
Yeah, I have to agree. I think that Will Johnson
will make an awful lot of sense. There another corner
Zade Baron from Texas. I mean, he's the He's the
reigning Thorpe Award winner. Obviously, cornerback is not the hugest
area of concern, at least not in comparison to offensive line.
But at the same time, when you look at Tarik
Woollen is in the final year of his deal and
was in and out of the doghouse with the Seahawks

(05:26):
over each of the past two seasons, then depth at
that spot would make some sense if they did want
to go with an offensive lineman again, Gray's able to
me would be a really intriguing one. And and as
I mentioned before, Donovan Jackson Josh Connery from Oregon and
the tackle would make some sense as well.

Speaker 7 (05:44):
All Right, waiting for Roger Goodell or go ahead of you.

Speaker 4 (05:47):
Yeah, and I think Giodd Campbell. If you're talking about
like who's like a top level player that's still available,
where you could still like legitimately say this guy the
wide actor, you know, like instantly comes in and is
a Pro Bowl.

Speaker 8 (06:02):
Now.

Speaker 4 (06:02):
I don't think it's a huge position need, but if
you just say, Okay, this guy has a real chance
to be a Pro Bowl level player, that would.

Speaker 5 (06:09):
Be a consideration too.

Speaker 2 (06:10):
All Right, waiting for roder go the pick is in.
We just saw a shot from the Seahawks draft room.
Mike McDonald was extremely happy.

Speaker 7 (06:17):
Let's go. Let's go to the podium and check in
with Roger Goodell.

Speaker 3 (06:24):
Good the eighteenth pick in the twenty twenty five NFL
Draft the Seattle Seahawks. Like Gray Zabel guard North Dakota.

Speaker 2 (06:35):
State, there's your guy, all right, Gray's Abel, the guard
out of North Dakota State. If there was one position
of need that just jumped out, sure you could use
a corner. You could use a lot of different things. Linebacker.
If you want to go with somebody instead of Tyreese Knight,
you could go Edge Russia. You go a lot of
different places. But they address something that has been plaguing
this team for a long time.

Speaker 4 (06:55):
Yeah, and uh, I think it's a very versatile here.
I threw on the tape to start studying him, and
I and I see him at left tackle.

Speaker 8 (07:05):
Uh.

Speaker 4 (07:05):
The problem is he's playing in North Dakota State, so
the competition for much of his competition is against guys
where you look and you say they look like wide
receivers who he's blocking.

Speaker 8 (07:15):
Now.

Speaker 4 (07:15):
They played the games against Colorado, he played in the
Senior Bowl, so you have to really harp on those
games where he's got elevated competition. But he was a
left tackle nine and sixty one snaps is a left
tackle last year he done. He has a few hundred
snaps at at both guard positions combined, but he's had
more right tackle and left tackle snaps. So there's a

(07:36):
little bit of a convert I don't believe he's an
NFL tackle, okay, but what he does have, he's a
very good athlete.

Speaker 5 (07:44):
He's got a quick first step.

Speaker 4 (07:46):
And and this is a signify signifies to me that
when they're talking about transitioning to an outside zone scheme,
this guy. His ability to get that first step in
the ground and to reach the blockers. That's a specialty
for him. He tests well and the tape shows Rob

(08:06):
that this guy has has the athleticism. So the concerns
would be the level of play, sure, but you love
the versatility, you love the athleticism.

Speaker 5 (08:16):
And certainly fill the primary position to need.

Speaker 6 (08:20):
Yeah, I think this guy's a plug and play left
guard for the Seahawks. His athletic ability really is very exciting.
I mean, it is exceptional. As you said, he I mean,
we were talking about a guy who plays at the
FCS level and that's hard to translate to the NFL.
In fact, that was one of the reasons why I
was kind of scoffing at the idea that the Seahawks

(08:41):
might actually make this selection because in the fifteen years
that John Scheider has been heading up the Seahawks draft,
they have never invested a top one hundred selection in
an FCS player. When you look at Gray Zabel in person,
he has a little bit more of a tackle kind
of a frame. He's a little bit slim shouldered, slim
in the hips. That's the kind of the frame that

(09:01):
John Scheider is generally preferred at a tackle or even
a tight hand frankly rather than the interior. But in
terms of the agility that the initial quickness, I mean,
this guy is just off the charts with his explosiveness.
And here you mentioned a couple of moments ago we
were talking about Shamar Stewart to the edge rusher that
you know this insane Bengals took a pick earlier in

(09:22):
the his forty plus inch vertical. I mean this guy
at three pounds thirty six and a half. Yeah, yeah, suordinarily.
So that's the thing is that we know, again the
Seahawks have always prioritized guys that have started the Senior Bowl.
In my opinion, Grey's Abel was the best blocker at
the Senior Bowl. Then he goes to combine again is

(09:43):
terrific there as well. So again I think that this
is a is a selection that is an acknowledgment of
the seahawks struggles in protection, you know for years now.
It also is very much a tip of the cap.
I think to John Benton, to Rick Dennison to Clint
Kubiak is a new style of offense. It's going to
be played by the Seahawks, and grays Abel can get

(10:04):
out and and block on the move.

Speaker 5 (10:06):
Exactly what the Seahawks needed.

Speaker 8 (10:07):
You.

Speaker 7 (10:07):
Let me, let me, let me get just again.

Speaker 2 (10:09):
If people see tackle as opposed to guard, he's coming
in here as a guard.

Speaker 7 (10:13):
Yes, give the folks just a good.

Speaker 2 (10:15):
Feel again as to what that position looks like under
the Clint Kubiak offense and different blocking scheme and what
they're looking for in this particular player.

Speaker 4 (10:23):
Well, they they have been doing zone blocking. There's there's
basically three types of running styles most of the time
in the NFL. You've got zone blocking, which is inside zone,
mid zone, or outside zone. And you've got what's called
gap skiing blocking, which is power encounter, and then there's
a due power counter as you're blocking down. Let's let's
just say you're gonna go off of right tackle. If

(10:45):
you go, if you go zone blocking, everybody's stepping in
unison towards the right, all five linemen. And now that
when they're taking uh, when they're going wide zone, they're
gonna take wider steps.

Speaker 5 (10:56):
And I'll get back to that zone.

Speaker 8 (10:58):
Okay.

Speaker 4 (10:58):
I just want to summarize for people, if you're going
off right tackle in the gap scheme, the right side
of the line is gonna go blocked down inward towards
the football, and then you're gonna have at least a
guard on the backside, sometimes accompanied by a tackle, sometimes
accompanied by a tight end. But there's gonna lead be
at least one polar from the backside. And so you've

(11:19):
got that scheme. And then duo is double teams at
the on the front side. It's always to the tight end,
but you don't have a polar, so it's it's kind
of like gap scheme without the pollar. And so in
every one of those schemes, you at some point you
get on a whiteboard. The guard is going to have
to have agility playing at the second level. But now

(11:39):
let's get back to the uh, the outside zone. I
was in Denver when Alex Gibbs was there, and he
would teach the whole offense and Rick Dennison, to Rob's point,
Rick Dennison, the current twenty twenty five run game coordinator,
was on the Broncos staff as the assistant line coach
underneath Alex Gibbs. So a lot of the pilos fies

(12:00):
are there, and and of course, as I'm describing.

Speaker 5 (12:03):
I'm familiar with it.

Speaker 4 (12:04):
So what what you wanted to do on the wide
zone is you're trying to hook and get to the
outside shoulder. So there's a certain quickness that you want
agility with your feet because once you reach that outside shoulder,
now you want to kind of swolve your hips and
you and it just takes more agile as opposed to
just like think of sumo wrestling where you're just going

(12:24):
straight ahead, trying to make ahead. You know, this has
more finesse to it, where you're trying to reach the
outside shoulder and and then just create running lanes and
you don't have to you don't have necessarily have to
mow down a guy. You seal them off. Now you're
gonna tell Kenneth Walker, you're gonna say, hey, you line
up behind Sam Darnold. You're gonna go to the right

(12:45):
and on outside zone. If there's a tight end there,
you're you're going in at the tight end the as
it was described by A Gibbs the as crack.

Speaker 5 (12:52):
Of the tight end.

Speaker 4 (12:52):
If there's no tight end, you go to the ghost
of the tight end. You're gonna you're gonna you're gonna
go make your decision on the third step and by
the fifth step.

Speaker 5 (13:01):
You're going to make that cut off your outside legan.
If you're going to go up the field, that's when
you make your cut. At that point, you got great Zabel.
He's been trying to reach.

Speaker 4 (13:10):
That that uh, let's say the defensive tack. He's trying
to reach that three technique and he's trying to just
seal him off. He's not trying to pancake him and
just you know, and and and and just.

Speaker 5 (13:21):
Maul him in a phone booth. There's there's more finesse there.

Speaker 4 (13:24):
So when we talk about the athleticism, now that's where
you say, okay, we need a guy was a little
bit quicker on his feet.

Speaker 5 (13:31):
Gray Zabel fits that.

Speaker 2 (13:32):
Profile probably just going back to what he did in
senior bowlt and you say he was the best blocker.
Does that include past blocking here?

Speaker 5 (13:39):
Well, it did.

Speaker 6 (13:40):
And that's the thing is that so much of the
what you see in the senior Bowl are going to
be these one on one matchups. You know where I
caught the pit where basically everybody kind of huddles around
and they see offensive and defensive linemen basically just match
up against each other. And that's one of the things
that Grey's Abel did very very well. It's in pass protection.
I mean, he's just he's so light on his feet,

(14:01):
he's just so agile. He just moves left and right
very nicely. He plays with his knees, bend his button down.
Just good technique. North Dakota State. For you know, while
I was kind of scoffing again at the idea of
an FCS prospect being the number eighteen overall selection, here,
you think about some of the players that North Dakota
State has produced, and Cody Mak is the you know,

(14:23):
one of the guys that everybody talks about here. He's
been become a very good player for the Denver Broncos.
But you know, the Seahawks, Jalen Sindel, you know, this
is going to be a reunion of sorts for the Seahawks.
Just because Sundell of course played in North Dkota State.
He is going to be well versed in the in
the same type of blocking scheme that that Zabel played in.
So again, I think that that Zabel has the agility

(14:45):
as well as the football IQ to be able to
handle this transition. And then when again going back to
the Senior Bowl, that to me is really where he
stamped his first round grades because he did excel in
both past and run block.

Speaker 2 (14:58):
That's Rob Rank from Fox Worts Stock, Hugh Millen from
all Things KGr and our football brainiac here that is
with us, I should mention a mecca Abuka uh just
went to it from from Uh just went to the
Tampa Bay buccaneer. So a local product just comes off
and board from Ohio State. So he's going to Tampa Bay.
We'll well, we may get to some picks later, but
I think right now it's best to just react with

(15:19):
the Seattle Seahawks did. That's why we're here. We're in Seattle,
That's why we're here the Virginia based Netflix Center. We
will keep an eye. He will call in in a second.
When he does, we'll hear from him. So Jackson, we're
gonna kind of keep it here because usually we're five
ten minutes after the pick has made. We'll hear from
the draft pickup at the podium here in a second,
so we'll wait to hear from that as well.

Speaker 4 (15:36):
I won't be surprised if they they use their term
center here in the assessment. I don't think he's gonna
be the Seahawks center, but I think it's worth discussing
for a minute here because why do you say that
he played He's played center at the Senior Bowl.

Speaker 5 (15:51):
Okay, and it's possible that they.

Speaker 4 (15:53):
Bring him in kind of look at him in both way,
you know, take a look at Olua, Timmy, see what
they're what's happened in that center. I just think that
for me, as a Seahack fan in an analyst this
Gray Zabel, I don't I don't think the door is
totally shut on the idea that he would be a center.
I'd be shocked. If he's a tackle. I don't think
he he has I mean, he's thirty two inch arms.

(16:16):
You know, you just kind of look at his his frame.
I don't think he's an NFL tackle unless it's in
a pitch just to get you by right and and
and maybe he could get by for a half or
a game or something that you know, but but the
versatility is important. I feel like it's he's a guard.
But I think center rob would be you know, something
that it's not gonna shuck me. If they come up

(16:38):
and say, hey, we're gonna really kind of try him
at a few positions and and then go from there.

Speaker 5 (16:43):
No and I one hundred percent agree with you.

Speaker 6 (16:44):
I actually great him as a center that I thought
that guys that are this smart, I like to kind
of plug in as a center. I just think that
for this team, specifically at the Seahawks, I could just
think that his agility is one of the things that
really stand out of why he could be that kind
of again plug and play left guard. But I do

(17:06):
believe that he absolutely can play center. Now he did
not play center.

Speaker 2 (17:10):
Because that's interesting thing. I was gonna ask both of
you guys. So if he's they give him a run
at center. I mean, the great thing is you got
rookie Minnie camp Ota, He's got all these things to
go through before you even get to training camp. You've
got an experienced offensive line staff, as you mentioned a
moment ago. They maybe he'll get a look at center,
but left guard is where you see him. If he's
not playing center on the left side next to it,
next left guard, right guard doesn't matter I have. I mean,

(17:32):
he's played them both in college.

Speaker 4 (17:34):
I I'm gonna do more film study, but by tomorrow
to give you a better answer on that, I would
just say I think he's gonna be a guard and
and I'll say this, I know Alex Gibbs had had
this and and and again I'm bringing up Alex Gibbs
because Rick Dennison, that's how he cut his teeth, that's
how he learned the game. He's he's an offensive line coach,

(17:57):
but he was originally an ass an offensive line coach
under Alex Gibbs with with the Broncos and Kubiak and
what have you.

Speaker 5 (18:05):
So there's a lineage there. I'm talking about Gary Kubiak.

Speaker 4 (18:07):
Now he's with and he was hired before before Clinton
Kubiak was the offensive coordinator.

Speaker 5 (18:13):
I believe and I know this about Alex Gibbs.

Speaker 4 (18:18):
He's like, never please, never hit me, give me a
dummy plane guard. I mean, just hit me on a
on a head with a pan before you get me
a dummy playing guard. He wants guys to communicate and
things happen to the difference between guard and tackle tackle.
You got to be longer, and you got to be
a better athlete inside a guard garden center. You gotta

(18:42):
be stronger, and you've got to be smarter because things
happen faster twists and and blitzes and.

Speaker 5 (18:50):
What have you.

Speaker 4 (18:50):
There's just more coming at you mentally inside than there
is outside. And I'm not saying you don't have to
be strong outside. I'm not saying there's not challenges outside.
And I'm not saying you don't have to be a
good athlete. I'm just saying, on a relative scale, when
you're talking about traits and attributes, that's what's happening inside.
And this guy is noted to be a dog in

(19:11):
terms of his competitiveness in his nastiness, but he's smart
in that regard.

Speaker 5 (19:17):
He's a lot like Steve Hutchinson. Steve Harts.

Speaker 4 (19:19):
Hutchinson has this nastiness like he's just a meathead, but
he's actually a really really intelligent human being and intelligent
football player.

Speaker 5 (19:28):
So he has the combination of you know that you know.

Speaker 4 (19:33):
I'm using this for instance, Rob, you know, a meatball,
freaking grinder, want to kill you in a ring type
of guy with the ability to think his way through
all the problems that come up in terms of stunts,
blitz his line checks, you know, line shifts and.

Speaker 5 (19:48):
What have you.

Speaker 2 (19:49):
Were you not talking to Steve Hutchinsons, Yeah, do you
think this? Do you think he had some influence on
this pick in that room.

Speaker 5 (19:54):
Oh well, there's no question.

Speaker 4 (19:56):
I mean he's hit because I mean he's he's a consultant,
he's a he's he was here.

Speaker 2 (20:00):
I know you and Holdrid and him were talking about
earlier that like if they're watching this guy going hey,
if you utch what do you think about this guy?

Speaker 7 (20:07):
I'm sure he had to give a stand up.

Speaker 4 (20:09):
I don't know how much they're relying on it. I
do know that his his opinion is very valued. And uh,
I think that there's a lot of traits about uh
Gray's Abel that that are similar to us, to Steve Hutchinson.

Speaker 6 (20:28):
I definitely think the just the toughness, uh you know,
I mean it's it's it's hard to compare anybody Steve Hutchinson.
I mean he you know, I'm dating myself here, but
I I remember watching Steve Hutchinson at the Senior Bowl
and he was terrific. I I told him as much.
I think it was last year when I last saw
him here at the at the vMac. You know, just

(20:49):
kind of talking about some of the memories I have.
If he's listening right now, he's going to remember the
name Zeke Marino. He was a USC linebacker and the
Steve Hutchinson lifted up and I think threw him around,
you know the it. I mean, it was just one
of the most athletic and powerful feats.

Speaker 2 (21:04):
I remember that dude he was that was not a
guy you'd want to I would think about tossing around lightly.

Speaker 6 (21:09):
So yeah, and that's what was so cool about it,
just watching Hutchinson do that with Gray's Abel. One of
the things kind of going back again to the Senior
Bowl is that, uh, you know, I remember watching Zabel
in these one on one competitions there in the pit.
And what's interesting to me is oftentimes it's the offensive
line coaches and defensive line coaches that are basically just

(21:29):
kind of grabbing a guy by the helmet and saying, okay,
you got the next rep. Zabel was volunteering. It felt
like on every other rep. I mean, he just had
more reps than just about anybody else. And part of
it was because, again he was playing multiple positions, but
this was a guy that was, you know, seeking contact,
seeking opportunities. And again, that is exactly what I think

(21:50):
that the Seahawks are looking for in terms of the competitiveness. Uh,
that the physicality that just the sheer desire and want
to that again that as here articulated that that's that
Steve Hutchinson brought to the Seahawks all those years ago.

Speaker 2 (22:01):
All right, Jday, baron cornerback from Texas just went to
the Denver Broncs with pick number twenty. If you missed
a Mecca Abuka from here Stilicum right yep, as had
span away earlier. My apologies are the folks of Silicon
from Stillicom via Ohio State University went to Tampa Bay
right after stay out to a Gray Zabel Guard out
of North Dakota State at number eighteen. All right, Jackson,

(22:21):
I think I'm gonna I'm gonna take a flyer here. Yeah,
let's get a break in. Let's get a quick break
in and we'll hear I'm assuming from Graysabel very soon
up at the podium. We'll continue our draft coverage right
here on your home for the twenty twenty five NFL
Draft and the twelfth man of course. Nine three point
three KTERFM.

Speaker 5 (22:37):
Welcome to the NFL Draft.

Speaker 1 (22:39):
Now back to the Virginia Mason Athletics Center and the
twenty twenty five NFL Draft and brought to you by
Coors Life by R and R Foundation specialists, the Queen
Anne beer Ho and by Fox thirteen on Sports Radio
ninety three point three kJ R FL.

Speaker 2 (22:57):
And Black or DNA Mason Athletic Center. You get for
nas with Hugh Millen and Rob rang and tradition like
none other. As they would say in the Masters, we've
been doing the like the three of us been doing
these late night shows for a long I say late night.

Speaker 7 (23:10):
He would sunny outside. It's still bright outside.

Speaker 2 (23:12):
But we've been doing these Thursday and Friday shows, the
three of us for a long time. We'll put Rob
to work before we're done at nine o'clock today and
start going through what day two will look like for
the Seahawks, because it will be, at least right now
on paper, a very busy day two with four picks
coming up in rounds two and three. Remember they had
five picks in the first ninety two. But if you're
just joining us right now, the Seahawks did take really

(23:35):
a position of need. There's no doubt about a gray'sabel
at number eighteen overall north to go to State Guard
that got selected by the Seattle Seahawks.

Speaker 7 (23:42):
Let's just a couple of notes.

Speaker 2 (23:43):
Here and Heugh will let you start. The Pittsburgh Steelers
at twenty one just took Derek Harmon, defensive tackle from Oregon.
That's significant, not because it's Derek Harmon from Oregon, not
because it has anything to do with the Pittsburgh steel
other than we start looking at who's left in this
first round and I'm gonna go through this and just

(24:05):
I'll let Hugh connect the dots for me. Yeah, Chargers,
Herbert Packers, Love Vikings, McCarthy, Texans, Stroud. You get the point.
As I go down the list, Commanders, Bill's, Chiefs, Eagles.

Speaker 4 (24:19):
Everybody has a quarterback. And so this was thought to
be the last spot for Seedur Sanders in the first round,
provided there's no trades. Now at the end of the
first round, there's gonna be teams if they want Sanders
compelled to move up into the first round because you

(24:41):
get a five year contract instead.

Speaker 5 (24:43):
Of a four.

Speaker 4 (24:44):
And so just because there's no teams that appear to
be options for Sanders or that would want Sanders or
any quarterback for that matter, of course, there is the trade.
I mean, Lamar Jack the Ravens traded into the last
pick of the of the first round at thirty two

(25:06):
to take Lamar Jackson. So those type of trades are
still on the table. But I think the uh the
saga of Sidur Sanders has been the most discussed of
this draft, and the stories aren't gonna stop being told
that this is very intriguing.

Speaker 2 (25:22):
I'm gonna Rob rang with Fox sports dot Com but
also with the BC lines of the Canadian Football League
and works in their scouting department, And I always point
this out. I know with Rob he does his own
evaluations but also is well connected with scouts all around football.
What do you hear from scouts, Senior Bowl guys, other
guys that you've talked to about Shadoor Sanders.

Speaker 6 (25:44):
Similar to what he was kind of talking about just
a moment ago, both on and off the air, in
that Shadoor Sanders is not perceived to be the leader
that the NFL team Zerk are.

Speaker 5 (25:55):
Looking for at the quarterback position.

Speaker 6 (25:57):
I like Shador Sanders game in that I think that
he is a very accurate passer and I think that
he throws the ball with timing and anticipation. At the
same time, he does not have a big arm, he
does not have great size. He certainly isn't an athlete,
and that's one of the things I think when you win, you.

Speaker 4 (26:17):
Don't like his footwork, right, I know that I don't
like his footwork, and I think there are definitely plays
where he plays with anticipation and timing. Like I'm shocked
at how much of it's the quick game, yep. I
mean he had one hundred and sixty eight attempts behind
the line of scrimmage. That was number one in FBS.

(26:38):
If you take, if you go. These are now a
pro football focus. They provide a service that all NFL
teams subscribe to, all thirty two. And they have not
just completion percentage because a lot of people talk about
Suitor centers completion percentage seventy four leading the nation, but
they have an on target rating as well. I'm gonna
give it from zero to five yards from the line

(26:58):
of scrimmage, and was ranked ninth in the country in
on target percent from five to ten yards from the
line scammers.

Speaker 5 (27:05):
He was twenty fourth. From ten to fifteen yards.

Speaker 4 (27:07):
From the line screams, He was twenty first from fifteen
to twenty yards from.

Speaker 5 (27:11):
The lion scrimmage.

Speaker 4 (27:12):
He ranked twenty fifth from twenty to thirty yards from
the line of scrimmage he was thirty ninth and thirty
to forty he was thirtieth. So so I don't care
what a guy can do on multiple bubble screens. I
just I feel like there just wasn't enough of timing
and anticipation throws, certainly compared to Camra.

Speaker 2 (27:33):
And he's the guy that is more than like right now,
looks like I might drop out of the first round. Grays
Aables calling it in just a couple of seconds. We're
waiting to hear from them. We've got a great technology.

Speaker 7 (27:42):
Just is up there.

Speaker 2 (27:42):
She's giving me the hand signals yes no, yes, no.
So when she does that, all right, I'll smoke signals
your MIC's. I know you want to run up there
because that's what you do and go up there and
fire with fire.

Speaker 4 (27:51):
Well, I just I'm not eager. There's not any one
question I want to ask, but but I want to
just hear what the other questions are and if something.

Speaker 2 (27:58):
Comes to me, yeah it's And so we're waiting for
him to call in right now. But the position of
need Rob twenty ninth offensive lineman that John John Schneider
has drafted since he's been here.

Speaker 5 (28:07):
Yeah.

Speaker 6 (28:08):
I mean, that's the thing. It kind of defies the
national narrative that Josh Iron and the Seahawks don't invest
in the offensive line. I mean, that was one of
the arguments I've been making here is that in the
last three years, the Seahawks have invested seven that picks
on offensive lineman. That's that leads the NFC. Now it's eight.
So again, this is a team that does invest on
offensive lineman.

Speaker 2 (28:28):
All right, let's set up well, Gray Zabels calling in
right now. Let's take a listen.

Speaker 8 (28:31):
Doing great? How are you doing tonight? Doing well? Gray?

Speaker 7 (28:34):
We've got our media here ready to go. They're gonna
fire us some questions for you.

Speaker 8 (28:38):
Absolutely great, congrats.

Speaker 9 (28:41):
Just what was your reaction to getting that call from
the Seahawks?

Speaker 8 (28:45):
Man, it was it was a roller coaster emotion. I mean,
it's just so unbelievable to one be drafted to an
organization like the Seahawks, and two to get that call
with friends and family all around me, and man, it's
a lifelong dream playing in the NFL, and I'm super
excited to get to work.

Speaker 5 (29:03):
Great.

Speaker 2 (29:03):
Great, How exciting is it to now have the chance
to play with Jalen Sundell again in Seattle.

Speaker 8 (29:10):
So cool. I mean, Jalen he was two years older
than me. He mentored me in North Dakota State. He's
an unbelievable football player, and to have a familiar faith
in the locker room in the city, it's gonna be awesome.
I'm lean on him heavily. Uh, He's an unbelievable person,
unbelievable player. I'm super excited to be reunited with him. Great.

Speaker 10 (29:32):
Was there any teams ahead of the Seahawks that you
were thinking might be calling your name before your name
actually got caught?

Speaker 8 (29:39):
Now, really there was a few teams that, uh, there
was the possibility, But in the moment, you're just you're
just kind of holding your breath. Tell that phone rings,
and unbelievably grateful. I was a Seahawks calling.

Speaker 11 (29:53):
Have they Have they talked to you about which position
you're going to?

Speaker 8 (29:56):
What you play? I'm assuming it's gonna be somewhere on
the interior. I'm not sure yet. We'll have to wait
till I get to Seattle and kind of talk with
the coaches. But wherever I play, whatever I do, I'm
super excited.

Speaker 7 (30:11):
Oh, you have a preference.

Speaker 8 (30:14):
Not really. At the end of the day, you're an
offensive lineman. You got to block somebody and you got
to protect the quarterback and move the line of scrimmage.
So whatever position that is, that's where I want to
go compete and play my best football at. But I'm
excited to do it. We're in Seahawks logo.

Speaker 11 (30:30):
When you when did you first play guard?

Speaker 8 (30:32):
Gray?

Speaker 11 (30:33):
Who moved you there? What coaches? And how does that
fit your game?

Speaker 8 (30:37):
Yeah? I first played it my true freshman year North
Kota State. I played right guard and Coach Larson was
crazy enough to throw a true freshman in there, and
uh started a few games and played there for him,
and I think it's gonna turn out pretty well that
I got some experience there.

Speaker 11 (30:54):
How does that fit your game?

Speaker 8 (30:55):
Guard? Yeah, I think guard just the type of style
that I play is quick, try and try and use
my athletic ability and my benefits and basically, at the
end of the day, it's all mentality playing offensive line.
So those three things are kind of something I kind

(31:16):
of hang my hat on at the end of the day. Uh,
super exciting.

Speaker 10 (31:20):
You Ben said that football, family and farming are the
best ways to describe you can you share a little
bit about all those.

Speaker 8 (31:27):
Yeah, I mean, starting I should have probably said family, football,
and farming. But starting off, I've unbelievable support system. My
family's my my rock. They've been in my corner since
day one and the unwavering support. And then football is
just a passion that I've had since I've grow up,
grown up. I mean, if it was a living room
football with those old plastic football helmets, all the way

(31:49):
to a middle school football into college football was a
true passion of mine. I loved every single second of it.
And then farming, man, it's just set in one of
those deals where it is growing up, working at the
farm and kind of understanding that farming and football have
a lot in common. I mean, you play a seat
in the dirt in the spring and tend to it

(32:11):
and try and give it as much as you can
to grow a great crop in the fall. And football
is the thing exactly you work all off season to
get your body strong, healthy, and then you go reap
the benefits in the fall. So those three things are
kind of what describes me and I hold them pretty
close to my heart.

Speaker 9 (32:28):
Great, do you have any unique workouts that you took
from the farming angle to the football field, like say
putting a bails or anything like that.

Speaker 8 (32:39):
No, I mean the only one I could possibly think
of was picking rocks. I mean, from a young age,
wherever we got in trouble or did something stupid in
the house or something, we're up at the farm picking rocks.
And that's one job I don't wish upon it my
worst enemy. It's to have to pick rocks. It's something
that kind of toughened us up, and I'm grateful for it.

(33:00):
But hopefully I never have to make my kids say
that some day.

Speaker 7 (33:03):
You played left guard some left guard in college?

Speaker 8 (33:06):
Is that right right guard? Left guard?

Speaker 2 (33:10):
Okay, so the first time you played center, was that
at the Senior Bowl or did you also do some
of that in college?

Speaker 8 (33:16):
Yeah, I was the emergency center the first couple of years,
so I took snaps in practice, and then I think
back in twenty twenty one or twenty twenty two, I
played a little bit of center. I think this is
probably a dozen or so snaps in a game. So
other than that, it was just kind of like riding
a bike down at the Senior Bowl having a snapping football.

(33:36):
So it was fun and it was a blast.

Speaker 4 (33:38):
And don't go into the Senior Bowl and playing the
way you did as an FCS guy.

Speaker 8 (33:42):
What do you think that did for you? I think
it just showed teams the versatility and just showed teams.
At the end of the day, you're playing football. Everyone
puts on the shoulder pads the same way everyone wears
a helmet, and so being able to show people that

(34:02):
doesn't matter what level you come from, if you're good enough,
they're going to find you. And I was super super
excited to go down and get invited to a Senior
Bowl to be able to show off my skills.

Speaker 9 (34:12):
Did you had you had some significant operations sounded like
to play above at the North and Coota state level
last year, right, and you kind of wanted to stay
and fish it out there?

Speaker 8 (34:22):
Absolutely? Absolutely. I'm a firm believer with North Dakota State
can take you anywhere you want to go, and I'm
true to that word. I think it's it's really powerful
in this day and age with with guys kind of
transferring out or getting bought by nil. It's it shows
something that if you stay true to who you are

(34:42):
and who believes in you and who poured into you.
You're going to read the benefits Gray.

Speaker 4 (34:48):
I want you to imagine you're in the huddle or
you're at the line and the play comes in, whether
signal or the quarterback says it right in that exact moment.

Speaker 11 (34:57):
What is your favorite play.

Speaker 7 (34:59):
That comes in?

Speaker 5 (35:00):
What do you just say, Oh, I can't wait to
line up and do this play?

Speaker 8 (35:03):
And why A gap power? A gap power?

Speaker 4 (35:07):
Okay, all right, so so so walk us through that,
walk us through that.

Speaker 5 (35:11):
Why do you love that play?

Speaker 8 (35:13):
It's a mentality play, It's a it's a program, an
organization play. And understanding that that everyone in the entire
stadium knows you're going to try and run in between
the guards and having a kind of the mentality that
you had to move the dude from forty at a
point B is huge. So we are saying we we
do a lot of r p O s up at

(35:34):
North Daota State and that means they run power often.
So that's a normal RPO that everyone out there football
gurus talk about. So definitely get power for sure.

Speaker 11 (35:44):
Is there a story behind your first name?

Speaker 8 (35:49):
Nope, I think my mom just named me that. Growing up.
She used to tell me I was named after a
Gray's anatomy. But uh, I soon found out when I
was kind of a teen. That great anatomy came out
in like two thousand and five or six, so I'm
born away before that. But yeah, you were sorry.

Speaker 7 (36:09):
You were a pitcher in high school? Can you tell
us about that?

Speaker 8 (36:12):
Yep? Yep. I used to throw around the baseball out
on the diamond a little bit, and I was a
little intimidating off the mountain, being bigger than most of
my guys, but super excited.

Speaker 7 (36:26):
Well, what kind of velocity are we talking?

Speaker 8 (36:30):
I was. I was slow enough to where I wasn't
getting much love, but I was fast enough to where
I was. I was doing all right work on the mound,
so I was kind of in that low nineties range.
But I throw a baseball left handed, so it was
a little bit of love.

Speaker 9 (36:47):
Did you were you guys having a draft party tonight
or where where were you in the hospital game?

Speaker 8 (36:52):
Yep, we're in our basement having a draft party with
a ton of family and friends and enjoying the hell
out of this one, right, was it in Pierre? Yep? Great?

Speaker 11 (37:03):
When you're at the Senior Bowl.

Speaker 7 (37:04):
The rumor was that one by wonders.

Speaker 10 (37:06):
The defensive players kept calling for you, wanting to go
against you, and you took a bunch of snaps at
every position.

Speaker 8 (37:12):
Uh.

Speaker 10 (37:12):
Can you talk about that experience and that that circle
of all the scouts and coaches watching that as one.

Speaker 8 (37:17):
Of the ones. Yeah, it was just competition in the
truest form in that in that manner down at the
Senior Bowl. And it's one of those deals where my
three pillars that I talked about is compete, improve, and tough.
And if somebody wants to go up against you got
to go up and compete, and you got to improve
every single rep and you got to be tough. And
I think having coach Paul Said, Coach Larson, and Coach

(37:40):
Roll is kind of instilling me that throughout my college career.
Really helped me Down at Mobile.

Speaker 9 (37:46):
You were a pretty popular player for people to block
to the Seahawks. Did you have a lot of contact
with them through this process or didn't ken?

Speaker 8 (37:52):
Were you kind of aware of that? Yeah, yep, I was.
I got the got the privilege to do an interview
with uh Steve Outchinson down in Mobile, Alabama, And what
an honor it was being able to talk to him
and kind of through that process. Was super cool to
experience that. So I interviewed with him at the combine

(38:14):
and I knew this was maybe a possibility, and I
was just kind of holding my breath. I'll pick eighteen.

Speaker 11 (38:21):
What what offers did you turn down? Ni L or transfer?

Speaker 8 (38:26):
They they were up there. They there were some offers
that kind of made me scratch my head and my
head coach always calls me stupid for not taking the
mind But at the end of the day, I think
it paid off pretty well.

Speaker 11 (38:39):
We're talking six figures. Oh yeah, yeah, some some power
flied schools.

Speaker 4 (38:47):
Yeah, Gray, you gave a great breakdown of a gap
power in your mentality. The new offensive coordinator here, Clint Kubiak,
He's he's in his past been.

Speaker 8 (38:59):
Very fond of out side zone.

Speaker 4 (39:00):
So so now just tell us on the time, on
the occasions you blocked outside zone, what's your mentality and
the thought process on that, and how much experience do
you have in that.

Speaker 8 (39:12):
Yeah, I love the outside zone. Gonna be a big
athlete and go run out in space and really show
your athleticism along the line of scrimmage. So we started
running a little bit more outside zone at North Dakota
State this year with our head coach coming in and
he's an Iowa guy, and we just talked about the
importance of understanding the defense and and and stop beating

(39:34):
your head against the wall trying to run a gap
power in their stacks in the box. Let's go get
to the edge's let's use our athleticism, and let's go
play balling that our running backs make us right. So
I think outside zone is a really fun scheam to run,
and I'm super excited that the Seahawks are kind of
diving into that.

Speaker 10 (39:52):
Hey, Greg, both your parents are athletes. Your dad was
a defensive lineman. You guys ever had any conversations about
if you went up against each other, who would win?

Speaker 8 (40:03):
Yeah, there was in a back alley in Fargo. There
may have been a one on one red with the
majority of the Fargo media reporters watching us late that
night after a big semi final win here a few
months ago. But let's just say I was able to
handle him. But he's gonna be sixty here in July.
So I don't know if that's very impressive, if I

(40:23):
should be bragging about that or not, but yeah, unbelievable.
Parents and competition in the truest form for sure.

Speaker 4 (40:32):
The connection you had in Stevens, I can you talk
a little bit more about that?

Speaker 8 (40:36):
What was that like?

Speaker 12 (40:37):
What were the similarities that made you hope and hold
your breadth for eighteen of the season.

Speaker 8 (40:43):
Yeah, I mean Steve was just an unbelievable football player.
The mentality that he played with was off the charts.
I mean, he's unbelievable person, super connected with kind of
offensive lineman and understanding their passion for the game of football.
So being able to with him was a surreal experience.
I remember mine after my interview with him down a

(41:04):
senior ball I immediately called my dad to tell him that.
So I'm super excited and hopefully I have more conversations
with him. Great. What do you know about the Seahawks?

Speaker 10 (41:14):
Like, not necessarily the current roster to do that's fine,
but just growing up, what did you know? What'd you
think of the Seahawks? What is your pression of the Seahawks?
That's been fucking.

Speaker 8 (41:22):
Yeah, the twelve loudest stadium in the entire National Football League.
They had an unbelievable defense growing up, and I love
the mentality that their defense played with. And then just
kind of moving over right now in their current roster.
I know we got was fortunate enough to train with
Abe Lucas a little bit this offseason at our training facility. Obviously,

(41:47):
really good buddy of mine, Jalen Sondell's out there right now.
So I'm super excited to get out of Seattle, Washington
and start getting to work with those guys.

Speaker 11 (41:56):
Where was that that you trained with Abe.

Speaker 8 (41:58):
Lucas Excel Sports Management in Irvine, California.

Speaker 4 (42:03):
Gray, you said that you assume that you'll be an
interior offensive lineman.

Speaker 11 (42:08):
That doesn't specify.

Speaker 4 (42:09):
You had the experience at the Senior Bowl and you
had some reps at North Dakota State at Center. What's
your thoughts about Center? Do you think that they're gonna
have they conveyed you, are they going to try you
at Center? Just kind of explain your thoughts between guard
and Center as you move forward.

Speaker 8 (42:26):
Man, I'm not sure whether they're going to kind of
test me out at or kind of let me try,
I should say. But a great thing about Center is
technically you can't get a fall start, so we're starting
positively there and I think it's super cool that Center's
kind of the QB of the offensive line, you're either
all right or you're all wrong. But being able to

(42:48):
communicate with the five guys up front is super important.
So I think that's going to be a unique experience
if I have the opportunity to go there and then
at guard. It's a lot of times the first guy
into a double team and and here the firm up
front guy to give the quarterback depth in the pocket.
So wherever I play, super excited and excited to protect

(43:09):
the QB.

Speaker 9 (43:09):
Did you did you get to know Jalen's sister at all?
Obviously she just got drafted here by the Seattle Storm as.

Speaker 8 (43:14):
Well, round three, pick twenty six. It's gonna be a
thumbel reunion out in Seattle. What unbelievable family to I
got to know Serena a little bit just through the
years of her coming up towash jaling here and there.
But I'm super excited for that family and to kind
of get both their kids in the same city. So
hopefully it's get to see that crew quite a bit

(43:37):
here in the next few years.

Speaker 11 (43:41):
What's next? What do you do tonight?

Speaker 8 (43:43):
What do you do tomorrow?

Speaker 11 (43:44):
Before the Seahawks send.

Speaker 8 (43:45):
You out here? Yeah, I'm probably gonna start diving into
these bush lights and have a twelve hour rule. We
get to celebrated for twelve hours when we get back
for him. So, I got an unbelievable crew here, my
head coach, my offensive line coach, they're all down here

(44:06):
and a lot of friends and family. So high alert
for Pierce, South Dakota. We're gonna we're gonna have some
fun and we're gonna enjoy this tonight.

Speaker 2 (44:15):
Thanks Gray, don't hang there, you go. That is a
Gray's abel. A couple of things that jumped out there.
We gotta take a break real quick. First of all,
he's a he was an egg business major in North
Dakota State. I can relate going to a land Grand
school and living with about fifty guys that were agged
something major.

Speaker 7 (44:33):
That's what he did.

Speaker 2 (44:34):
Uh So when he fired off the whole thing about
the bush light, one hundred percent, yeah I could. I
could relate to the bush light. Tonight is the twenty
four hour rule.

Speaker 7 (44:42):
You go have fun.

Speaker 8 (44:43):
Great.

Speaker 2 (44:43):
He's also got this little Seattle connection. Now, he's a
big Cuttering Buck guy. He's actually North Dakota State does stuff.
Cuttering Buck's a local company. Based here that does great
like golf apparel and things a bunch of and I
guess he's all decked out and cuttering buck tonight. So
next time you see him, he's gonna look like he's
already northwest through and through, Yes, bush light, that's northwest,
but covering buckets.

Speaker 7 (45:04):
Yeah, which is a good But he came across.

Speaker 5 (45:06):
What a great impression.

Speaker 4 (45:07):
I feel like he's gonna be a fan favorite, and
and I know, I know it's gonna be my replacement,
uh at kg R when when I mean he's a
glib guy, great wonderful personality, but I think you know,
there's little hints of that dog in him, that nasty
you know, a a a gap power.

Speaker 5 (45:26):
He wants to come in.

Speaker 7 (45:27):
And hold that.

Speaker 5 (45:27):
Fuck.

Speaker 2 (45:28):
Yeah, yeah, we gott get to break because I want
to get to that. It was a great question. We'll
get to that. Gray is able to pick by Seattle.
By the way, it Rob helped me out here, just
real quick. Jackson still knows shud Or Sanders, so I
think pretty much looking at Shador Sanders moving into round
number two, so that looks like that's gonna happen as well.
Matthew Golden by the way. The Packers just took him
wide receiver out of Texas at number twenty three. Vikings
are on the clock. Our draft coverage continues until at

(45:51):
least nine o'clock tonight. Right here on ninety three point
three KJR FM.

Speaker 5 (45:54):
Welcome to the NFL Draft.

Speaker 1 (45:56):
Now back to the Virginia Mason Athletic Center and then
twenty twenty five NFL Draft and brought to you by Gorslight,
by R and R Foundation specialists, the Queen Anne beer
Ho and by Fox thirteen on Sports Radio ninety three
point three kjr FL.

Speaker 8 (46:14):
It was a roller coaster of emotion. I mean, it's
just so unbelievable to one be drafted to an organization
like the Seahawks, and two to get that call with
friends and family all around me, and man, it's a
lifelong dream to play in the NFL, and I'm super
excited to get to work.

Speaker 5 (46:31):
All right.

Speaker 2 (46:32):
That is Grazabel moments ago, meeting with the media. Here's
the Virginia Mason Athletics Center infronesced with you, Rob Rang
and Hugh Millen. We are here at the Virginia Mason
Athletics Center, day one at the NFL Draft.

Speaker 7 (46:42):
All right, Jackson.

Speaker 2 (46:43):
Get us caught up on what just happened as far
as the trade is concerned, before we get some more
of grays abel reaction.

Speaker 12 (46:48):
It's very early on these reports, but there are the
reports that the New York Giants are trading up with
the Houston Texans up to twenty five Lots of murmuring
on social media that it's for Shara Sanders.

Speaker 2 (47:00):
Okay, so or a quarterback, so let's shut down down,
run Jackson Dart. That'd be something well, okay, Like you're
in the Giants room, Hugh, and they're saying, all right,
QB one, we need a quarterback. We're just traded up
to get one.

Speaker 4 (47:14):
Which when you tell I would not take suld Sanders,
like like, I'm not taking su I don't want them
in the building.

Speaker 5 (47:19):
I don't want that leadership.

Speaker 4 (47:22):
Look, I can I close my eyes and see should
Sanders having a successful career? Yes, but that's like saying
you know you have you're in line to buy a stock.
Can I see it, you know, going up twenty five percent? Yeah,
I could see that happening, but the risk is too great,
And so I sleep well at night passing on Sanders.

(47:43):
So I expect it if if if the Giants Giants
are on the clock now, would if, assuming they're doing
it for for quarterback, if I had to get a
quarterback and I would take Jackson Dart over sure centers,
what would you drum?

Speaker 6 (47:59):
Well, I'm I certainly understand the thought of of of
Jackson Dart, just because I think that his upside is immense.
Where as Shad Sanders, I don't feel like he has
that upside, especially with the New York Giants when you
consider they got Russell Wilson, I got Jameis Winston here.

Speaker 5 (48:14):
You don't need.

Speaker 6 (48:15):
Jackson's Dart to start immediately. Uh, you know, just because
you know, again you have two veteran quarterbacks. That said,
I am a schud door Sanders guy. I do like
his accuracy and his anticipation. I do think that he
can be successful. And I know for a fact that
the New York Giants have done an awful lot of
research on Shadr Sanders. I've been fortunate enough, as you

(48:35):
mentioned before, Ian was at the as a scout for
the BC Lions have been able to go to an
awful lot of football games over the last couple of
years and see the scouts that the New York Giants
have brought in to uh, you know, to investigate Colorado
and some of the other PAC twelve former PAC twelve teams.
But uh, there's been an awful lot of buzz about

(48:55):
Shudar Sanders as well as Jackson Dart. Frankly, I wouldn't
be surprised by either of these elections. Clearly the New
York Giants need help the quarterback position. Uh, you know,
I to your point before, Hugh about Shador Sanders and
some of the questions about the leadership skills and things
like that. I just think that the idea of Shador Sanders,
Russell Wilson, Jameis Winston, and Brian Dable would be fascinating.

Speaker 2 (49:21):
Uh you know, yeah, we you know, I'm not gonna
wait for the drama, the drama of Roder Goodell.

Speaker 7 (49:26):
What would you just tell me? Jackson it is Jackson Darkling.

Speaker 5 (49:31):
There you go.

Speaker 2 (49:31):
And we were just we were just watching and we
got like multiple feeds here at the Virginia Mason Athletic Center,
and we saw Jackson Dart being congratulated by some family
and friends.

Speaker 7 (49:40):
So it appears that they they traded.

Speaker 5 (49:41):
It appears, and he didn't look that excited. I mean
the Giants.

Speaker 4 (49:45):
The guy played it, he went to USC then to
Ole miss h You know, look, I think it's hard
to play for the Giants in any era. And Jets
I respect, I respect Giants and Jets quarterback. I mean
that that stadium that I've played in there many times,
it's sneaky, windy, the media is brutal, the.

Speaker 5 (50:06):
Fans can be brewed. I mean it's hard.

Speaker 4 (50:09):
You gotta be you gotta be a uh uh you know,
you gotta be a metally tough dude to play there.
And and the way the Giants that the Giants the
offensive line, which is for the last four years, the
Seahawks have the second worst UH as an aggregate year
by year percentage of ranking by PFF, the Giants in

(50:31):
the last four years are worse, and that they're the
dead last. And they until they got Molik Neighbors, they
haven't had receivers, they haven't had tight ends. I mean,
they they let go of Saquon Barkie. I mean, it
is hard to be the Giant quarterback in my opinion, and.

Speaker 5 (50:47):
Uh but anyways, that's not really the story.

Speaker 4 (50:49):
The story is, guys, the Giants just made a trade
up and it wasn't sure to where Sanders, it was
Jackson Dart.

Speaker 7 (50:56):
That this there's another part of the story.

Speaker 8 (50:59):
You do.

Speaker 2 (50:59):
Who their quarterback is right now? Yeah, Russell Wilson, Yeah, and.

Speaker 7 (51:03):
The backups Jamis Winston think two guys he acquired the offseason. Yeah.

Speaker 5 (51:07):
Yeah, And they just traded up into the draft to
go get Jackson Dart yep. I mean, well they they're
obviously thinking long term.

Speaker 2 (51:15):
And uh say what Team Russ ain't gonna be happy
to tell you right now? Team Russ ain't gonna be
happy for all true that Mark Rodgers is on the
phone as we speak, is he's trying to get He's
trying to get another front office fired right now, is.

Speaker 7 (51:28):
What he's gonna do. Holy swell. I mean that's you
know the beautiful thing about the NFL Draft. It never disappoints.

Speaker 2 (51:35):
Like like just when we think, hey, there's no trades, boom,
then we see the trade at the top of Cleveland
and Jacksonville.

Speaker 7 (51:40):
All hell breaks loose there.

Speaker 2 (51:42):
Then you see Tyler Warren doesn't isn't the first tight
end taking off the board and said it's Loveland. And
now the Giants apparently have traded up in the draft
to go get Jackson Dart to be joined by Jameis Winston.
I don't know what his contract is, if they can
get out of that or not.

Speaker 5 (51:57):
Yeah. I think it's a one year deal for like
two three million.

Speaker 2 (52:00):
For coming you're done and then Russ is there? Wow,
something else Seahawks Again. We'll take a break here just
before the top of the our Seahawks draft Grey's abel
offensive lineman out of North Dakota State. We hope to
get him on the show here before we're sett all
just said and done at nine o'clock today. We'll get
more from him because he came across beautifully in his
first chance with to meet with the media here. If

(52:20):
you miss that, we'll talk about that as well. Hugh
fired off some questions. Interesting, I mean, really well spoken guy.
You talked about the intelligence of an interior offensive lineman.

Speaker 7 (52:29):
Yeah.

Speaker 2 (52:29):
If one conference call is any indication, Wow, he shined brightly.
We'll take a quick break, come back to the top
of the hour. You're home for the NFL Draft nine
three point three k DFM