Draft Prep with Daniel Jeremiah and ATN Mailbag

In a room full of heroes - Gregg Rosenthal and Marc Sessler are joined by Daniel Jeremiah for some final insight into the 2024 NFL Draft. The guys get right to it with DJ (01:00) before opening the ATN Mailbag to answer draft related questions submitted by the listeners (31:49).

Note: time codes approximate. 

See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Episode Transcript

Speaker 1 (00:00):
The Around the NFL Podcast, Worldwide Football.

Speaker 2 (00:07):
Pants, Welcome to another edition of the Around the NFL Podcast.
I'm Greg Roosevelt stepping in for one day in the
host chair for Dan Hansas in a room filled with
one hero, Mark Sessler. That room being at Chris Westling's
podcast studio.

Speaker 3 (00:26):
But Mark, yeah, it's uh, you know, it's it's always
tough not to have Dan with us, but it's like,
I think the toughest part is again I get put
in this seat where I'm like, my body feels awkward.
I don't know what to do, but I'm.

Speaker 1 (00:37):
Body looks good. Your body looks good.

Speaker 2 (00:38):
All of our bodies, considering we're getting older, is looking good.
I can say the same about our guests, and it's rare.
We just go right into it. But this is an
important man at our company. He's so important. Actually, he
insisted that Dan and him not do the show together,
and I thought, we thought, like, that's that's like a
lot to ask, that's kind of diva behavior. But he's

(01:02):
that important at draft time that we're gonna welcome in
Daniel Jeremiah move the sticks.

Speaker 1 (01:06):
Thank you Daniel for joining us.

Speaker 4 (01:08):
Well, first of all, this is Jariffolo Colin call him
back later. Two things. Number one. I had two conditions
for me to come on this show. One, Dan's not there,
that's a given, right he's there, I'm out. That's done.

Speaker 3 (01:23):
Yeah.

Speaker 4 (01:24):
The other condition was, I said, here's the thing, I'll
do it. First of all, I love Sessler, so I'm
happy to do it for Cessler if I'm gonna If
I'm gonna work with Greg, though, I need him to
dress up like Fonzie. If he dresses like Phonsie.

Speaker 1 (01:37):
It's funny, then I'll come on.

Speaker 2 (01:39):
I just like kind of took off my jacket was
a little hot in here, and I thought, what are
the odds that Jeremiah doesn't mention this almost right away?
So you've made me self conscious? And this is why
we're getting such big numbers on YouTube.

Speaker 1 (01:54):
Is action like this? You can actually watch me now, says.

Speaker 4 (01:57):
Anybody watching you even know who FANSI.

Speaker 3 (01:59):
Is not at this point, not at this point. And
I feel like I've escaped your eyre for a decade plus.
And I appreciate that it feels sincere. But you have
incredible power to remove Dan from the seat and also
alter Greg's wardrobe. That these things are not easily done.

Speaker 4 (02:15):
Yeah, I just lost money on the fact that that's
not a leather jacket that he draped over his white shirt,
So I lost that bet.

Speaker 1 (02:21):
It's d Day's time of year.

Speaker 2 (02:23):
I'm sure you're thrilled because we're taping this Thursday, exactly
one week away from the NFL Draft. It's a long
process here for Jeremi. I mean no, no, it's crying
for you here. But you switched straight from the Chargers
into cranking these players out, and now you're only one
week away. What do you what is your post draft plan?

(02:44):
You have to work for one more week and then
what happened.

Speaker 4 (02:47):
I've shortened it down. I used to the draft would
end and then literally would work the next day and
work that entire week. We would do Path to the Draft,
very ironically named after the draft for a week for
a week afterwards, and then over the years that got
shortened till okay, just you can just work till Thursday.
We'll give you that Friday off and then you're free

(03:10):
to the point now where I only have to do
that first day, So I think I do the Monday
show and then that's it, so I get a little
bit of a break, but it's kind of weird, and
you guys know with kids, like I still have two
in the house and then they you know, they're still
in school. So everybody's like, oh, do you go on vacation?
What do you do after? I'm like nothing, I'm just

(03:30):
sitting at home, like looking at baseball box scores and
trying to figure out if I'm gonna run on the
treadmill or ride the bike. Like that's that's the that's
what's going on.

Speaker 3 (03:38):
I think what you should tell us at least cook
up some sort of misadventure that makes us think. You know,
Daniel jeremis at the forefront of a Personal Experience post.

Speaker 2 (03:47):
He's listening to eighties R and B. He's watching the
padres nothing that could make him happier. I'm going to
start my questions here, DJ by putting you in the
minds of all thirty two gms. So this is a
world where you're actually running every team, but you can't
make trades because you'd be trading with yourself. This is
it's a scary world to think about. But if you
were the GM of every team, who is the first

(04:10):
team you would take brock Bauers for because the closer
we get to this draft, like the more I'm just
fascinated by him as a player and his discussion and
value and all that. Like, which is the first team
if it was your team? And we know ya look, yeah,
some of these teams, you know, they they sprinkle around interest.
Maybe someday when the kids are older, DJ Willy will
be working for a team.

Speaker 1 (04:30):
Which team are you taking Bowers with?

Speaker 4 (04:36):
This is gonna mean, this is saying this as somebody
who hasn't rated very highly, like maybe seven or eight.
I think on my list somewhere around there. The first
team where I would personally take him with my team
would be fifteen with Indian Rose Coults. So and that's
for you know, different reasons. There's not needs for some

(04:56):
of these teams at that position. Then there's teams that
have you know, you know, golly you've got if you're
if you're picking right before them. The New Orleans Saints
have to take a tackle. Like they've painted themselves into
a corner here. They can't do this penning. They can't
do penning anymore. They can't try that.

Speaker 2 (05:13):
I mean they are they're not even trying to do
it now. They they they'd rather play like their fourth
string tackle than him.

Speaker 4 (05:17):
And then ram check is gonna be done. So like
they have no they have to they have to take
a tackle. So and then you look at you know,
I see the I see the Broncos twice a year.
You know, uh, they they have functional tight ends. They
have other needs.

Speaker 3 (05:33):
That they can ye Jets, I thought, so I I to.

Speaker 4 (05:38):
Me, with the Jets, I go, I go a couple
different ways. I to me, Romaduonday is a home run pick.
Like I never thought in a million years in that
draft that Garrett Wilson would get to them with their
second pick. I thought it was going to be a decision.
And I had them touching each other on my list,
which was Sauce Gardner, Garrett Wilson, can't go wrong. You're
gonna get one, no way you get both. And then
somehow it happened with Garrett Wilson following a lap. So

(06:01):
I won't rule it out that somehow, after everything went
against them last year in terms of good fortune, that
maybe they get that good fortune that they had that draft,
and somehow Roma dunsays there I would take Rome over Bowers.
And then it comes down to, well, if it's Bowers
versus the tackles I've been saying I have and I
would have a higher grade on Bowers than the second

(06:24):
rated tackle, but I you know, and having some conversations
over the last twenty four hours, one of the things
that was brought to my mind was if you don't
look at him as a tackle, like if you look
at Fuaga or Fatanu as guys who can play different
spots for a team that has been so you know,
so hit with injuries. To have them, I think either

(06:46):
one of those guys, in my opinion, at least they
beat out John Simpson right away and they start at guard.
And then if Tyron Smith, some might say, when he
gets hurt, you have one of these guys as it
can you know now he can kick out and play tackle.
So when I stop looking at him strictly as just
a tackle, but saying okay, I can still get him

(07:06):
on the field right now, while also gives me a
little bit of insurance for these two thirty three year
old tackles. That's why I bypassed Bowers there as the.

Speaker 3 (07:14):
Jets interesting, you know, I found it enjoyable and intriguing
to watch you and Mel Kuiper in you know, headshots
next to each other talking about these picks. I mean,
I grew up Mel Kuiper, we all did, like, so
it was kind of fasting.

Speaker 4 (07:30):
So he's the guy.

Speaker 3 (07:30):
Yeah, and it's just like, I mean, at this point,
I think people turned him into almost a caricature, and
it's like he's still grinding and doing all this. So
I when I watch only one player, because you guys
brought up Michael Pennox Junior, and I believe you had
him at about thirteen, going around thirteen, and Kuiper has
him all the way down at thirty seven. We had
Chad Rider in here yesterday who had him the Raiders

(07:51):
trading up for him, but in the second round taking
Carolina's pick. So it's like, this is a quarterback. I
know those the top four, but this guy seems to
be all over the map. Why is there beyond the
injury history? And what is the disparity between you Kuiper
and person X and Y and Z.

Speaker 4 (08:05):
So here's the here's the fascinating part about that. And
first of all, I'm glad you brought that up about
Mel because I think you know he's got the voice,
He's got the hair, he's got the iconic moment, you know,
the flashback, the mailman, the whole, the whole thing, right,
I think people need to put a little bit more
respect on the work that he does. Like he puts
in a ton of work, and you can't fake it.

(08:27):
It's one thing that I've learned, you know, obviously from
the scouting side, but then to this side of it.
You can't fake it.

Speaker 3 (08:33):
Listen, listen to people.

Speaker 4 (08:34):
When they're talking about players, and when you hear people
reference when I watched him against Notre Dame, when when
I saw that, Like they're referencing moments of the work
that they've done versus some pluralities and generalities that can
get tossed around that I can pick up a you know,
the stats and look at him and I can give
you that like he the guy works hard.

Speaker 2 (08:55):
He we we do fake it, Daniel, It's fine, but
the show is doing.

Speaker 4 (09:02):
The people won't know.

Speaker 1 (09:03):
Yeah, it's the whole.

Speaker 2 (09:03):
Like, oh, what is the huge difference between Fashanu Fuaga
and Fatanu Like we'll get back to you on that
next time.

Speaker 4 (09:14):
But I did want to make that point about mel
because I love him and he is literally like he
is a sweetheart of a man, like he is such
a nice guy who treats people really really well. So anyways,
outside of that, did Pennix So Mark, I have Penix
as I think my thirty fourth rated player, but I
had him going thirteenth, and I think that confuses people,

(09:34):
and so I try to explain it the best of
the way that I can. There's taking players where you
have him rated, but then there's also like, let's have
some common sense here and this if we're going to
all agree, is we I'm sure we do. The quarterback
is the most important position on your team and it's
going to be the biggest indicator whether or not you're
going to be successful or not if you're the Raiders.

(09:55):
I couldn't get by this point of saying, yes, he's
my thirty fourth player. Some of that's injuries, you know,
factoring into that. But I have Gardner Minshew and I
have Aidan O'Connell. Sure is he better than what I
have at the most important position. Yes, he is infinitely
more talented. Like that's not debatable, it's not even close.

(10:17):
So if I man, I can say, well I have
this player rated that higher, that player rated higher, well,
me upgrading a tackle or me upgrading you know, a corner.
Is that the same as me I can upgrade the
quarterback position here, like, don't you have to consider that?
And that's why I have the thirty fourth player on
my board. Going with the thirteenth pick makes sense.

Speaker 2 (10:39):
It does make sense, and you can see. Look, I
don't think it's crazy to imagine him slipping into the
second or late first. No, no, and then they get in
the mix forum there or they just stick with their
two picks and they get him in the second.

Speaker 1 (10:51):
We've just seen that very often.

Speaker 2 (10:53):
And if he's the fifth quarterback, let's say, or the sixth,
those guys do fall far farther than people think. I
want to get more to the top quarterbacks because I
want to ask you. I have my takes, I have
a theory on this, but I want to hear yours,
yours first, because I know how you like to steal
my takes.

Speaker 3 (11:11):
Dade topping here, DJ, I'm so, I'm so sorry.

Speaker 4 (11:15):
No, I know, Mark, Look you your place is secure
on my on my board. Okay, you don't need to
even chime in on that.

Speaker 2 (11:20):
Jayde and Daniels or Drake may just which evaluation is harder.

Speaker 4 (11:27):
That's a good point. They're they're they're they're equal because
you're trying to evaluate one guy for what he doesn't
have and evaluate the other guy for an excess of
riches in terms of what they're playing with. And you know,
so the thing that's that I look at is I've
seen I've seen Drake May you know, with a lesser

(11:50):
cast last year than what Jaden Daniels had this year
played a really high level with just a with a
with a solid B level supporting cast. I've seen him
play at a really high level. Now, his supporting cast
this year was terrible, and his play, you know, took
a dip, and it wasn't all their fault. He got
some mechanical things out of whack, his delivery got a

(12:11):
little bit long, he wasn't quite as firm with his feet,
like there was things that he he let go a
little bit. With Jaden Daniels, I have, you know, all
these other years of him playing at kind of just
a huole hum mediocre level and then this year skyrockets
with you know, a unbelievable supporting cast. But I also

(12:34):
look at it and say, I saw, even though he
had more playing experience than Burrow. I saw Burrow take
off like a rocket ship when it just all clicked,
when they put an offense in place that matched his abilities,
he exploded and took off. So I'm not dismissing what
Jayden did by any stretch, but I am more forgiving
of Drake. And I think you always look in the
past to try and help predict the future, and at

(12:56):
least at least from a theory standpoint. And when I
look at, you know, Josh Allen from his second to
last year to his final year and the regression that
took place as the erosion of the supporting cast, it
was awful. I looked at Jordan Love the exact same
situation the year before at UTAs State. I watched him
and I was like, Hey, this guy's gonna be great.
Can't wait to watch him the next year. The next year,

(13:18):
they were terrible and he was terrible. So I've seen
those guys. In other words, I've seen Drake may do it.
I know he can do it right. It's a bigger guy,
he's more physical. I've seen him throw with anticipation. I've
seen him work in the in the mud in the
middle of the field. I've seen him create things when
pressure comes, like, so I don't get beholden to what's

(13:38):
the last thing I saw in the last year. It's
more of a body of work. And that's why I
ended up with Drake May over jayde and Daniels. Sorry
it's a word salad there, but it is kind of
tricky too.

Speaker 2 (13:46):
I think it's the most fascinating thing in the draft,
especially for basics like us on some level that like I,
my theory is May is the easier because you've seen
him be in a tough spot and you've seen him
do such high level stuff. When I went and I
went back, and yeah, the quarterbacks are the most exciting
thing for me to watch certainly, and it's like.

Speaker 3 (14:06):
You see it all and even this year.

Speaker 2 (14:08):
When you watch this stuff this year, it's like, did
he take that biggest step back? I I hear you
that he's like misses, he misses throws more than.

Speaker 3 (14:16):
More than more than you would want.

Speaker 2 (14:18):
But he also has a consistency where every single game,
even this year, he's doing stuff that wows you. You
can see him as a red zone beast. I love
the guys that you mentioned, Alan and love because that's
the same sort of type of prospect he reminds me of,
just that he's just physically just who.

Speaker 1 (14:34):
Wouldn't want to work with that? And you love him
both you have five and six.

Speaker 2 (14:37):
But to me, Daniels is extremely hard to evaluate because
people get on McCarthy that he never you know, he
didn't have to do much, didn't have to throw the
It's like Jane Daniels threw the ball three hundred and
twenty five times this year. He wasn't that highly thought
of a prospect till his last like half season of
five seasons, and he's surrounded by great players. I think

(14:57):
it was you or it was Mina. It was you
and Mina that mentioned the RG three comp and that's
really stuck in my head since, and not as like
a negative because RG three was extremely accurate. You saw
how well he fit with Shanahan and look, he outplayed
Andrew Luck as a rookie. It wasn't like he was
a bad prospect. But he reminded Jane Natals reminds me
of him, which I find it kind of hard that

(15:18):
he gets pressure on him and then he just he
just goes, which is not necessarily what you want. Right
at the NFL that like he doesn't stick stick there
and throw a lot under pressure.

Speaker 4 (15:29):
Yeah, that's it's kind of one or the other, you know.
And to me, even as a runner, he reminded me
of RG three and that he's kind of a narrow
frame guy who's extremely fast but is not super elusive
and who takes shots.

Speaker 1 (15:42):
Right.

Speaker 4 (15:42):
I think was was a Holodi that broke his leg.
I think it was Helodi who hit him at RG
three and.

Speaker 2 (15:48):
Right, it may take shots too, to be fair, but
he's bigger, but he's just sturdier dude.

Speaker 4 (15:55):
So you know, that's that's what I struggle with a
little bit. But he is. He is a really good thrower,
like I've I was texting with a Ben Kurd about it.
Who's you know. I love the fact we have so
many people that are like watching these guys and putting
their opinions out there. I think it's great. I think
it's fun discussion. But you know, I try to communicate
with as many people as I can. And we were

(16:16):
having a little chat about it and I said, you know, mechanically,
he looks like he looks like a really skinny CJ. Stroud,
just in terms of posture, feet in the ground, throwing
the ball accurately, you know, touch, drive, you can do
all those things. But Stroud and we saw it in
in samples in college and then saw it in bulk
with the Texans has he is more. He's just more

(16:39):
creative and more natural in terms of when things when
he's getting moved around and making things happen. And I
just didn't see Jayden quite like that.

Speaker 3 (16:48):
I mean, this draft has it's every draft has their
own characteristics, and it's like very quarterback heavy and the
wide receiver class it may be possibly unprecedented. But then
on the flip side, I was driving down from my
place today listening to you and Bucky do your all
defensive mock draft where you've got to pick thirty two
defensive players and ignore all those guys. It was almost

(17:10):
comical because you got to about pick nine and it's
like you were doing it live.

Speaker 2 (17:14):
And I listened to that weeks ago DD because I'm
more of just like a real you know, this is
why this is why we need Greg in the host
chair kno Man, because we get that kind of duck
kind of l that's self.

Speaker 4 (17:25):
When he's out there working on the motorbike. He likes
to throw on this shah. I'm just saying I didn't
at the last.

Speaker 3 (17:30):
You know, I was, well, I like to I like
to get crash, but I just I do find it
interesting is I can't remember a draft like this where,
like you basically said, it's going to be an s
show when you get you get down to the mid
twenties and you guys are really struggling even try to
find fits for what the team needs were. And it's like,
have you seen a defensive draft like this where the
first round talent maybe withers away as quick as it does.

Speaker 4 (17:52):
No, And that's why, uh, I was curious on that
exercise how it would go because offensively, I mean, we
finished the first round with thirty two offensive players, and
I'm like, dude, I got six more receivers. I could
I can justify taking you know here if we were
to extend this out into the second round. And then defensively,
it's like, holy crud, like what are we doing here?

(18:14):
Like this is not a first round player. So that's
it was. It was a healthy exercise, which to me
can inform some decisions and could push up some of
these defensive players like I've I've been saying over the
last couple of days, like Byron Murphy to me from Texas,
the defensive tackle, who is the best interior disruptor and
pass rusher in this draft? I think is going to

(18:35):
go higher than people think. I think there's a premium
on that. I was talking to a general manager two
days ago and we were having this discussion and he
posed an interesting question, which was, right down, if you
write down on a sheet of paper, you know how
many dominant edge rushers are there in the NFL. You
go pretty deep on that of really impactful dominant edge rushers,

(18:56):
and now write the impactful dominant defensive tackles and you'll
come up with seven or eight and then that's that's
about it. So if you've got a chance to get
one who you think can be one of those guys, hey,
there's value. Look at the Look what these guys are making.
Look what Christian Wilkins, look at all these guys that
got paid in the off season. The value of that
position for those types of guys. And it was his
argument was like, why would Byron Murphy not go ahead

(19:18):
of these edge rushers like they're similar type players? And
he's a heck of a lot harder to find.

Speaker 3 (19:23):
I guess, like from an esoteric ang why like is
this just a one year type thing? Like why is
there such a dearth of defensive talent? It feels like
that there'd be a similar amount.

Speaker 4 (19:33):
Each yeir nah, just ebbs and flows. I mean like
last year's tight end class was the best that I'd
seen twenty years. I mean, I'd never seen anything like that.
This year it's not very good. So it's just, you know,
it's how you hit it. It's just how it falls.
The one thing that we're going to see consistently is
they'll be you know, they'll be receivers every year, no
matter what, They'll always be receivers.

Speaker 2 (19:53):
All right, what if I took you your Byron Murphy take,
but I replaced it with Johnny Newton.

Speaker 1 (20:00):
Donny Newton's my guy.

Speaker 2 (20:01):
I mean, okay, I don't know, I'm not. I guess
explain to me why he's not like a potential top
ten pick, because he is a guy that I that
you watch and it's like he wins every snap, it
seems like, and the more the more, the more you watch,
it's just like he wins and wins and wins and
wins and wins, and you can just see that working.
Like he seemed next level and he seemed like a

(20:23):
guy that I was like, is this one of those
guys teams aren't talking about because they all want to
take him because they love him? Probably, but probably I
don't know if that really happens. Why Why wouldn't he
be higher? Because he seems like a really exciting guy
along with Murphy.

Speaker 1 (20:35):
Murphy's great too.

Speaker 4 (20:36):
Yeah, he's a really good player, right to me, Like,
if you told me that he was going to be
a top fifteen pick, I wouldn't I wouldn't bat an
eye on at that at all. And he's part of
that discussion and rightfully so to bring him up that
I think you'll see him get raised up now in
terms of like what I thought of him, like the
concerns I had. I thought he was unbelievable with his hands,

(20:57):
like he has like it's like a car bomb goes
off when he hits guys.

Speaker 1 (21:00):
He has got violent jolting that translated.

Speaker 3 (21:03):
That's awesome, it's really good.

Speaker 4 (21:05):
But you if you're not a force generator from the ground,
that's a little more difficult against NFL players. So In
other words, if you're generating, if you're if you're twisting
guys and torking guys and turning guys in college, you
can do that a lot easier than it is to
do that against a twenty eight year old man up here.
If you're gonna beat, if you're gonna beat really good

(21:25):
NFL offensive lineman, you have to beat him with leverage
and roll your hips and have your legs underneath you
and win from kind of the floor up, not just
the hands. So that to me is, you know, one
of the reasons why there was a separation there with
him and Murphy.

Speaker 3 (21:39):
I know it comes as no surprise to you that
Greg and I we've kind of cornered the market when
it comes to studying offensive lineman, what they should be
doing on the field, how they react, the physical nature
of it. But I found it interesting, he said that executives
kept mentioning to you over and over Graham Barton, for
his versatility, plays all like that. This guy sounds like
he could go anywhere and be of a meet at service.

Speaker 4 (22:01):
Well, he's played He's played center as a seventeen year
old freshman at Duke and played it well. And then
he's played left tackle. If you can play center and
left tackle, you can play left and right guard, so
you're a five position flex guy. And he's incredibly intelligent.
So it's he's one of those guys who he's good
on tape at tackle, but you're like, he's not. That's

(22:22):
not probably his best position. He's going to be better
served to get inside at center. But the tape is good,
so you get good tape. Then the testing was outstanding.
He had a great workout, and then, as you can imagine,
when you have those two things going for you and
your Duke level smart you get in and meet with
these teams so many of which which I think is

(22:43):
a big theme in this draft, and I think you
know something to keep an eye on going forward, is
this league is so full of young starting quarterbacks and
we're going to add a handful more this year, so
teams are trying to do everything they can to serve
those young quarterbacks. Having a freaking genius center that he
can play with for a long extended period of time

(23:05):
is a nice quality to have.

Speaker 2 (23:07):
That almost sounds like uh landon Dickerson coming out. Other
than I know people were concerned with the injuries but
just like that was when you were you were very
high on they'll give you your props coming in and
that was absolutely right. He's turned into a bargain. They
just gave him a ton of ton of money. That
actually makes me think, do you have some what are
some picks or maybe just one like one one uh

(23:31):
selection over the years. Take one of your guys that
you're like at that you're proud of that, yet you
want to stick your chest out, and then to balance
it out one that you wish you had.

Speaker 4 (23:42):
Bounce a wish fifty whiffs the hits because.

Speaker 1 (23:47):
You could you remember him better? You mean, yeah, yeah.

Speaker 4 (23:50):
Because you're just like, oh gosh, but I mean the
the hits never make their way to the front of
your brain. Those were always like lodge somewhere in the
in the back of your brain. I always just did
a fallback with Kelsey because that wasn't you know, that
was a fun one. But I mean, that's like the
greatest example of scouting to me of what scouting is
is that you're going to come out, Okay, you really

(24:12):
want to come out to the front of the stage.
As one of the people who evaluated Jason Kelcey and
we took him, what was he the sixth round and
he's going to go into the Hall of Fame and
you know, one of the best centers of all time.
You want to beat your chest on that, or do
you want to remind everybody that we took Danny Watkins
in the first round of that same draft.

Speaker 2 (24:29):
Well that's like I think, Scott piol you got to
keep keeping his on his office.

Speaker 1 (24:34):
There were some guys from tight End Stakowski.

Speaker 2 (24:36):
I believe they took a round in front of Tom Brady,
so he always kept that framed on his desk as
a reminder of like, you're not as smart as you think.

Speaker 4 (24:44):
Yeah no, but like you know, the fun ones like
Geno Stone, I could not want. He was watching him
coming out and I went back and I was watching
some of the old draft stuff and that was my
kind when it got picked him, Like I didn't, I
don't understand it. Like I I him like a he
was like a third round grade. And I would talk.
All I do is talk to gms and buddies around

(25:05):
the league, and I'm like, nobody liked the guy, and
I'm like, what am I missing? Like he's just a
good player, gets his hands on the football. He's super instinctive, smart, tough.
And then the Ravens I think took him in like
the sixth or seventh round, and I think he just
got paid a nice chunk of money in free agency.
He's been a really, really good player. So those are
the those are kind of the fun ones. But then
for every one of those, there's ten where you're like, oh, man, like,

(25:30):
I mean, look like, I didn't trailing Burks. I thought
was a really good player. I didn't necessarily think, you know,
he was going to be an All Pro, but I
thought he'd be doing more than he's doing.

Speaker 3 (25:38):
Now, we'll let you go in a minute. Here. There's
so much wide receiver talk, but there's one guy, and
I know that he had like concerns with whether it's
off the field or what happened on the field after
a game. But yeah, Jermaine Burton from Alabama. Like watching him.
I know, because of all that other stuff, maybe some
teams don't even have him on their board, but I
loved what I saw, Like, is it is this person

(25:59):
like draftable or is it gonna be what happens? What's
the destiny here?

Speaker 4 (26:05):
There's a lot of ability there. Yeah, No. I mean, look,
everybody's it's all different, right, everybody has their things. I
don't ever jump into that stuff. There's no win for
me and doing that, So I just say he's he's
got to have a lot of ability. But that's why
there's a little bit of a challenge in terms of
the stuff you learn, you know, talking to everybody and

(26:25):
doing all the homework versus the pure Like in some ways, Mark,
like what you're doing is just a pure scouting, you know,
like this would be an example of that because you
did it. Remember you asked me about George Pickens, the
George Pickens yere Greg did.

Speaker 3 (26:40):
Yeah.

Speaker 4 (26:40):
Greg's like, what am I missing? This guy's a freak.
I'm like, I know, it's not that the tape is great,
but everybody's got to figure out all the other stuff.

Speaker 1 (26:50):
And it's sort of what Pickens is.

Speaker 2 (26:52):
He's kind of born out on both sides of like, yeah,
the talent is the charts, but there's there's some headache there.

Speaker 1 (27:00):
What's up?

Speaker 4 (27:00):
So I mean that's what I'm getting to Mark, And
that's why, like when you're in the draft room, this
is the discussion that takes place where the area scout
who went into the school, got all the information. He
might have a lower grade on a player, and then
they'll give cross check assignments and the guy in in
the southeast or you know, other part of the country
is going to watch the same player, and he's like
this area scout's an idiot, Like this guy's much better

(27:21):
than that. And it's like, yeah, well you're just doing
the pure football evaluation and he's doing the whole the
whole picture, you know, So then you have to have
that discussion.

Speaker 1 (27:29):
It makes sense.

Speaker 2 (27:30):
Who's uh? And yeah, I know, I know. You got
mina times later and Move the Sticks. Everyone should check
that out. You've probably got a million things.

Speaker 4 (27:39):
We did a home and home. We did a little
uh one on her podcast's coming on Move the Sticks.
That's nice trade.

Speaker 3 (27:45):
Everyone wins.

Speaker 1 (27:46):
It's the ESPN crossover.

Speaker 4 (27:47):
Does she also have the same role that she doesn't
come on unless Dan's not on your show?

Speaker 1 (27:52):
She has engaged with Dan on the show many times,
many times.

Speaker 4 (27:55):
Really yeah, so he wasn't supposed to be there and
showed up any She.

Speaker 3 (27:58):
Doesn't have a ten year grudge Matt, whether it's real
or fake with I.

Speaker 1 (28:02):
Think it really is.

Speaker 4 (28:03):
It might really be I think it is, it is,
it is. Do you remember what the first iteration.

Speaker 3 (28:08):
Of that being, No, it goes back to like ancient Greece.
It's like, it's it's deep ancestry, do you.

Speaker 1 (28:14):
Yeah, it's the wholesome fun of.

Speaker 4 (28:16):
Him for dressing like an uber driver, a Lemo driver
or something on the very first episode.

Speaker 2 (28:22):
That's the wholesome assassins. And now I'm now I'm Fonz.

Speaker 1 (28:27):
All right.

Speaker 2 (28:27):
Last last football one for you is we just haven't
talked running backs, Like, who do you like? Who's your
favorite running back in this class? He thinks gonna step
in and do some fantasy damage.

Speaker 4 (28:38):
Maybe Yeah, I like Marshall Lloyd from SC He's like
got the perfect running back bodies five a's two hundred
and twenty pounds. He catched the ball out of the backfield.
He's not bad as a past protector, so to me,
I'm a fan of his. I like Ray Davis from
Kentucky another one who's like two fifteen sturdy guy. And
then just in terms of like two guys, I think

(28:59):
they're going to have a roll and catch balls next year,
Bucky Irving can really catch it out of the backfield
from Oregon, who like kind of gives me a little
Devin Singletary vibes coming out of college, so that would
be one. And then Dylan Lowby, who might he might
not even get drafted, he'd be a six to seventh
round pick, maybe even a free agent. But the kid
out of New Hampshire, he caught a bazillion balls. So like,

(29:19):
to me, I don't think it's a great running back year,
but you got a couple interesting guys who can kind
of be more feature backs, and then after that those
are a couple guys will be kind of third down
guys catch the ball a little bit.

Speaker 2 (29:29):
That's why I like DJ, even though sort of on
some level, you're and you know this, your prospects list
set the tone in some ways for the rest of
the draftnick industrial complex out there, Like your your prospect
list has real impact. But you ask him about the
running backs, like that's way off a lot of those

(29:49):
consensus boards, and I like that.

Speaker 1 (29:51):
DJ's thinking, yeah, you know, I was talking.

Speaker 4 (29:53):
I talked to someone last night and we just got
the running backs, and it's like his top three running
back would be like my eleventh, twelfth, and thirteenth rundbacks.
Like it's just a weird year with that group.

Speaker 2 (30:05):
All right, Daniel Deremia, it's your week, it's your time
of year. I'm looking forward to uh watching you round one.

Speaker 1 (30:14):
You know, be nice.

Speaker 2 (30:15):
To to the rest of the guys, like, don't don't
flex so much more, you know than all them.

Speaker 4 (30:20):
No, I'll tell you what, Mark, It's been great to
be with you as always. As always, you're absolutely the best.
I don't know anybody who has endured more. We talk
about players like can you overcome adversity? And then like
whatever's next for you in life? What you've endured, what
you've been through. Yeah, I think it just bodes well
for your success. There's a there's a grittiness, there's a callousness,

(30:40):
there's a just having been literally refined through the fire
aspect to you and what your future holds. And I
couldn't be more excited. Greg. We'll see next time.

Speaker 3 (30:50):
Yeah, this is why your scouting abilities tower above any
other humans that I can think of. Yeah.

Speaker 1 (30:55):
A lot of misses though, too, DJ, thank you, We'll
see you next time.

Speaker 4 (30:59):
Thanks for hit me with Herbert.

Speaker 2 (31:01):
No, No, I've kind of put a little I'm waiting
till we actually have just I want to have justin
Herbert on the pod and ask him about that at
some point.

Speaker 1 (31:09):
That's my dream question.

Speaker 4 (31:11):
All right, well let me know, thanks, thanks d J,
Thank you you guys.

Speaker 2 (31:15):
Bye, and yeah, as Daniel mentioned back in the day,
he was a little lower on Herbert then contensus, I'd
like to give him the business of it because well,
you know, call in every game guy changed the franchise.
We're going to take a quick break a little different
schedule than normal that we just like start right off

(31:36):
the meet with you know, a plus guests Daniel, Jeremiah.
We will be back and we're going to actually bring
in the audience, the listeners, and we're going to get
some mail bag questions.

Speaker 1 (31:48):
The first tick quick break.

Speaker 4 (31:51):
All right, welcome back.

Speaker 2 (31:56):
You know, can't beat the master exciting times here. Draft
is only one week away. We'll have you covered all
next week. We got the Mark Sessler mock draft coming up.
It's going to be like the sixth or seventh annual.

Speaker 3 (32:11):
I think it is the sixth or seventh. And then,
like I know, the gist in the past was I
just you know, thrown a couple darts at a wall. It's
like I've been grinding the tape this time, Greg, No, Mark's.

Speaker 2 (32:19):
Been He's been doing it, and we're we're working on
some extra motivation, some extra spells and whistles. We're adding
to the Mark draft, so that'll be exciting. And then
on Thursday, of course we'll recap round one. We'll we'll
have another preview show as well. We'll do some sandwiches.
But for now, we thought we would open up the

(32:39):
mail bag and get your draft questions to just try
to hit as many as we can before we go Mark.
So if you're watching on YouTube, we'll fly the questions up.
But the first one is from Daniel Hall and he asks,
had the Panthers given the Bears the third overall pick
instead of the first overall pick, do you think Justin

(33:01):
Fields would be their starter for twenty twenty four. I
find this interesting because it is a good reminder that
the Bears great moves last year, they did get lucky,
how bad the Panthers truly were, and you need luck
to build a dynasty along the way. It's like, you know,
the Chiefs needed Patrick Mahomes to fall that far to
make the smart move to go to go get them,

(33:22):
and they're lucky. I don't think Fields would be their starter,
no matter what. If they had a top three pick,
you chose the right number, number three. If they were
further back then, I think it becomes more of a discussion.
I tend to think they did not really see Justin
Fields as a true difference maker, and that Drake Maye

(33:43):
Jaden Daniels would also, you know, provide a window into
a new field.

Speaker 3 (33:48):
I wrote down the same thing. I think they made
their evaluation on Justin Fields and in top three, I
think they would have found something to like in each
one of those guys to move on from Fields, right.
It seems clear to me every teams different.

Speaker 2 (34:00):
It really sounds like, based on everything we're hearing, more
teams have Daniels two than May, and that there are
some teams out there, and who knows if the Bears
would have been one of these teams that agree with
the Chris Simms and the JT. O.

Speaker 1 (34:14):
Sullivan's of the world. And like some people just aren't
in on May.

Speaker 2 (34:16):
They're just like nah, right, And I'm surprised by that
because to me, he's as exciting and maybe as good
as any prospect I can remember watching since like Andrew
Luck along with Calla Williams is even better. So it's
crazy there's two of these guys, but just in terms
of pure excitement level and talent, he seems to be
at that level. But some teams aren't into it. There

(34:38):
are three really good quarterbacks in this class, though, so yeah,
I think they would not be keeping fields. The next
question is from Patty seven to ten on Twitter. Could
you pass on to Mark Sessler that I was watching
Winnie the Pooh with my daughters and Rabbit uses the
phrase heavens to Betsy, so he is in good company.
More of a comment than a question, but I liked it.

Speaker 3 (34:59):
Yeah, I think I've I've mentioned before multiple times that
it was my grandmother that used to say this in
various situations when flustered or something was surprising. Yeah, so
maybe she caught it from Winning the Pooh's Friend Rabbit.
I'm not sure.

Speaker 2 (35:11):
It's always just a trip back in time on the
Around the NFL podcast, whenever that comes up. Next one
is from Tom Marsh, A longtime listener recognized Tom a
serious question, could Justin Jefferson be traded at the draft?
He also says, unserious question, is Mahomes really nowhere near
goats status? Let's start unserious. First, we didn't say that
he's nowhere.

Speaker 3 (35:32):
Who would have said that?

Speaker 1 (35:33):
Yeah, I think he's responding to our conversation.

Speaker 2 (35:35):
On Wednesday that it was like his start his We
were saying, like, it's just hard to compare someone who's
had an entire career, like if Mahomes' career ended this moment. Yeah,
his his peak was brilliant, But how do you compare
that to guys like Montana or Brady or especially Manny
that played so long. I don't know, it's hard guys

(35:56):
who won three or four.

Speaker 3 (35:57):
It's like a goat farm. There's a couple, So it's not.

Speaker 1 (36:00):
He's nowhere near.

Speaker 2 (36:00):
It's just like he's got to keep plaining and he'll
get there. There's almost no question the Jefferson question. I
was glad someone asked this. I do think there's like
a greater chance that Justin Jefferson is traded than probably
public perception is out there. I would still be shocked,
but you do have the recipes here for at least

(36:22):
it being possible, which is really great quarterback prospects, and
the Vikings being this motivated to try to go up,
like I would only trade Justin Jefferson, and if I'm
going up to one, then I would maybe think about it,
But I wouldn't think about it if I'm the Vikings,
but he is not as valuable making thirty million dollars

(36:46):
a year or whatever. It's going to cost one hundred
million dollars guaranteed as he is this moment on this
rookie deal, and that's what it's going to cost. But
I still think like it would be crazy for them
to do it.

Speaker 3 (36:56):
I think it's like there's this assumption because they've got
the two number ones, that they have everything they need
to move up. But if teams aren't going to play
ball with those those picks and they want if it's you,
we need Justin Jefferson to get up to two or
three or whatever. Like I think the trend is you
move on from some of these like massively starry wide
receivers when the contracts become insane and you find, like

(37:17):
DJ said before, like these players will not Justin Jefferson,
but great wide receivers will be available in every draft
from now until the end of time.

Speaker 1 (37:23):
Hmm.

Speaker 2 (37:24):
But yeah, Jefferson's so unique that quessi adopomenta that their
GM's comment that like, we're ready to make them the
highest paid player in the league. To me, that just
said they know what they have and I don't think
there's almost any chance. But if you if I'm individually
looking at Ayuk and Jefferson and you want to throw
some surprise T Higgins and some surprise names out there,

(37:46):
like a like an AJ Brown or divide like individually,
I don't think any of them are close to likely,
but odds, you know, the history would say, like there'll
be one surprise out I.

Speaker 3 (37:56):
Think I uke to the Steelers. There's little buzz and
whispers around that, so we'll see.

Speaker 2 (38:01):
Next one is from Eric Blazel, who would be your
dream non NFL figure to announce a draft pick for
your favorite or any franchise?

Speaker 4 (38:11):
You go ahead.

Speaker 3 (38:12):
I came up with a quick list. Oh I like this,
Brad and Leo. This is from Myle's just like from
my pick, Like this is who I like. It's my team,
your guys, So they would be one.

Speaker 2 (38:21):
But what about Leo potentially playing Frank Sinatra in an
upcoming Biac biopic?

Speaker 1 (38:27):
Did he see that?

Speaker 3 (38:28):
I did?

Speaker 1 (38:28):
I don't.

Speaker 3 (38:29):
I don't see the resemblance, but I don't know. But
why not, Well, you don't have to look exactly like No, No,
I mean I like I liked I like him in
any for the most part. Yeah, I think he could
pull it off. So I have them.

Speaker 2 (38:41):
I have Chelsea Clint Jennifer Lawrence would play his his
second wife. I believe in that movie she's too old
for tough luck for the first one in real life.

Speaker 3 (38:48):
Yeah, I have Chelsea Clinton dressed in a suit in
medieval armor. King Kong Bundy. Although King Kong Bundy that
was this would make news because King Kong Bundy died
in twenty nineteen, so we'd be back from the dead.
Dana Harvey announcing the pick is ross pro that would
be nice an AI version of Julius Caesar or Raggedy
ann Andy.

Speaker 1 (39:06):
Those are all amazing.

Speaker 3 (39:07):
I can't top that. When you get to day three, though,
they had they have animals announcing the picks.

Speaker 2 (39:11):
And sure my and my just first instinct was Nicholas Cage.
I just love him and I just feel like I
don't know what he's gonna do. That's the whole beauty
of Nick Cage. I just feel like he will own
the moment. Our next one is from our friend Matt
Tanton had some barbecue with him in Austin. He's a
big time Bears fan. He addresses this directly to tug Bot.

(39:35):
I'm gonna take that as a slight, but you know,
Dan did send out the prompt. Is the world prepared
for the Bears to have an actual legit QB If
Caleb Williams is as generational as US Bears fans, hope, pray,
believe he'll be.

Speaker 3 (39:48):
My answer to this is are the Bears prepared? Hmmm?

Speaker 2 (39:52):
The world's prepared the world. The world's not thinking about
the Bears. We're excited about new quarterbacks coming into the league.
I think he's gonna be fantastic. Not I guess I
needed to do this, but just watch it's just like
I just can't see how it's not gonna work. I
just can't see how he's not gonna be. And now,
generational is one thing, but if like Trevor Lawrence level,
like you're in the top ten quarterbacks in the league

(40:14):
is the floor and I'd be surprised if he's you know,
like long term. I just can't imagine him not being
higher in that. Like we're ready. It's fine, it's another
great quarterback. We love quarterbacks. Are the Bears ready because
they have been a somewhat unserious franchise for a long
time in terms of their offense, and people are like, oh,
they're in great position now. It's like, I guess, like

(40:36):
it's a new offensive system that bringing in. I like
Shane Waldron, fine it I like Keenan Allen, but they
don't really have a number three and you know, he's
had his injuries and stuff the offensive line. It's like, Okay,
it's a new offensive system. Are they ready?

Speaker 4 (40:49):
Well?

Speaker 2 (40:49):
Is Matt Eberflus ready? Is the GM and ownership already?
I'm not that I'm moment, I'd say.

Speaker 3 (40:56):
Especially if at number nine they get one of these
like top white outs. I I've talked to Tanton dating
back like a decade plus in our newsroom about the Bears,
and he's frustrated from the top of the heap all
the way down with how the whole place is run.
And I get it. But even under Levy Smith and
even previously that they always had these like thirteen and
three seasons with no quarterback where it was like there's
always defense in the same you know erlocker and like

(41:18):
a great secondary and stuff. It's like if they were
quarterback led and the Bears had like a top two
or three guy. I think from a fan angle, having
watched football for like forty years, that is something that
I'm not totally prepared for in the sense they have
been sort of the same thing forever and if not
milk toe's sort of the weird, wrong type of good team.
When they've been gone to the playoffs, this is this

(41:38):
would be different, right?

Speaker 2 (41:39):
And are we ready for the fans because they are
among the best fans in the league. It would be
great for the NFL. They have been irrationally optimistic about
their team on an annual basis. Adam rank here at
the NFL I think represents that well and been so
wrong so many times that when they actually have a
real quarterback and a good team, I mean, They're going to.

Speaker 1 (42:00):
Get wild and I love it. It's a great sports down.

Speaker 2 (42:02):
Was reminded of that watching the nine to ten playoff
playing game. I don't know if you were in on
Bulls Hawks, it wasn't much of a game, but then that.

Speaker 3 (42:10):
Crowd was insane for a night.

Speaker 2 (42:13):
Like the Bulls fans, it makes sense they they just
want a winner and this team's been sub mediocre forever.
They're ten games under five hundred, but they're going freaking
crazy because they you know, they want a winner and.

Speaker 3 (42:23):
That ball is completely different than basketball. True, and in
this case, I think it's it is the same, great,
it's similar, similar, and.

Speaker 2 (42:29):
Yet it's a Bearstown for all those titles. Everyone in
Chicago will tell you it's still Bears and everything.

Speaker 3 (42:35):
I thought Bulls would have put that to the test
for a while.

Speaker 1 (42:40):
I had a question. This was the most common question.

Speaker 2 (42:43):
This one's from Mode Design Things, but we got about
seven or eight times asked, will there be an ATM
draft show?

Speaker 1 (42:49):
Quite enjoyed last year.

Speaker 2 (42:51):
Unfortunately there won't be, so we we had to mention
it at some point where.

Speaker 3 (42:55):
Advice rewatch last year's that's still that would be great.

Speaker 2 (42:58):
It's got two million views on you, which is wild,
but don't have enough resources to do it. So we're
very disappointed and would love to bring it back. Not
happening this year. All right, we're gonna take a quick break.
We'll hit more of the mail bag after this. Okay,
we are back. Next question is what do the heroes
think is the most Chris Wesseling type prospect of the

(43:22):
draft and look, I just want any reason to uh
to mention Chris on the show. And it got me thinking, actually,
what is that even? What what is a Chris Wesseling
type podcat prospect.

Speaker 3 (43:32):
I came up with. I remember how much Westling loved
the physical nature of Steve Smith, and I'm not saying
that the same player, but Roman, don't say, to me,
was like someone that I think Chris would have been.
Like I I get Marvin Harris and all said, it's
like no one's looking past that. But like Rome, to me,
is this kind of guy that's going to come in

(43:52):
and be a nasty, physical player. And I think Wes
always appreciated.

Speaker 2 (43:56):
That that is a perfect pick. You're absolutely right, that
was his style. Well, uh an ankwon bold and type
of who I asked too. But Wes was unpredictable on
some level in that like he liked what he liked
and that was what quarterbacks he could be.

Speaker 1 (44:10):
All.

Speaker 2 (44:11):
You know, he loved Mariota, but he also loved like
big physical guys like Herbert. So I thought Drake Drake
made to me popped up. I felt like, you know,
that's when I think we would have like agreed on
that just watching someone do things, and I think May
could be like this in terms of the throws that
he makes, do things that you just haven't seen guys

(44:33):
do before. That he loved. He loved a running back
that could just pop a big play. When I was
thinking about what what is he like running back like?
He likes ones that are physical. Certainly I don't know
this class well enough, but Trey Benson is that guy
who can just pop the big play like Wes was
early on on Jonathan Taylor really thought he'd be great
and loved Chris Johnson. Right, So that's the thing, different

(44:54):
types of players. He likes the physical type, but he
likes the big playmakers. It's about me, it always is.
And uh yeah, if you want to check my Twitter
account this week, I sent out randomly this what West
saw as his football syllabus. It was just a Excel
spreadsheet essentially of all the books that he believes would

(45:17):
be a great And I know you're not active right
now on Twitter, so you well, I have a copy
of this though, right yeah, right, And he had sent
it out. We have copies, so it but just randomly
I clicked on it this week and I and I thought, oh,
that would be cool to send it out and people
really like seeing it. And got all the best football
books of all time, category categories and million wains long

(45:38):
his best long forms. He really spent a lot of
the time the first time he was sick going through
all these long forms. I was like a project form
those sports long forms, nonsports.

Speaker 1 (45:46):
It's really great.

Speaker 2 (45:47):
Check check that out on my Twitter account if you want.
This week next one is from Bradley Sadler, who says
who has a better chance of drafting a first round
qb Rams, Jets or Seahawks.

Speaker 3 (46:00):
Uh. You know, it's interesting because I was going to
bring this up with DJ, and you know, we moved on,
but he and Bucky had a conversation about the fact
that the Seahawks could be a very good destination for
Michael Pennox junior. That they are you know, they've got
people in the building, they're the guy running their offense
is a Penix. He's a he's a tutor of Pennix.
They're up in the Northwest, like no Pennix knows how

(46:22):
to play in that in that world, in that weather,
and it's someone that you could kind of nestle behind
Geno Smith and Sam Howell for a season, which makes
sense for him. But it's like the arm talent and
what they have, It's like, I think they should look
forward to the quarterback. The thing is this, though, because
they have a they've got their first round pick, but
they don't have a second, I believe, and so they

(46:43):
have to like figure out if they even wanted to
package picks now right.

Speaker 1 (46:46):
Up, I thought they I think they do not. They
maybe sold.

Speaker 2 (46:49):
I think they got rid of one of theirs, but
they had they got rid of the they lost one
in the Leonard Williams trade, but I think they had
one from the Broncos, So I think it even even.

Speaker 3 (46:59):
I'm looking at Seahawks dot com and it's round one,
round three, two fourths, two sixth and a seventh. Uh So,
I mean, I guess it would be it would be
that's kind of your draft right there, and it would
be not their number one need at the moment. But
I'd say that over the Jets. To me, it's like,
why are we first round Jets? Like they Aaron Rodgers
just telling to me wants to play multiple years. Rams

(47:20):
that's a little spicy. Depends who would fall to over
or what they would do. Yeah, I thought, and you're right,
there isn't a second round pick. That was a brain
part by me.

Speaker 2 (47:28):
I thought it was an interesting question because we haven't
heard quarterbacks associated really with any of these teams, and
yet they're all strong surprise teams. The Rams have to
start thinking about the post Matthew Stafford world. First round
would be a surprise, but if the right guy fell
to them or second round. I kind of opened this
up in my head as like, okay, but mate, what

(47:49):
about a surprise second round pick if the right guy fell,
like if Penix falls the Jets.

Speaker 1 (47:54):
It's not crazy to think about that.

Speaker 2 (47:56):
And we had another question that was first round though
not first round probably and someone said, well, so the
that would just be Jets to the Jets do.

Speaker 1 (48:04):
The Jordan love thing.

Speaker 2 (48:05):
It did motivate Aaron Rodgers to win into uh MVP Awards,
and then the Seahawks. It's almost weird how little connection
there has been made that, like the Washington offensive coordinator
is their offensive coordinator. Pennix picked the right year to
come out with that, so he's there, and then he
also has a close relationship and I think you know,

(48:26):
played with played for Antonio Pierce, and those are two
teams that might be drafting quarterbacks. I don't think it's
going to be a priority for Seattle in round one,
but round round two maybe.

Speaker 3 (48:36):
Never know, and I hope not.

Speaker 1 (48:40):
I'll just be like a lot of drama. Next question
is really for you. It's from Sam Brown.

Speaker 2 (48:47):
He says, please, can you just give Mark three minutes
uninterrupted to talk about what he was.

Speaker 1 (48:52):
Doing in the year nineteen ninety seven. I'm excited.

Speaker 3 (48:55):
Well, I don't think. I hope this won't take three minutes.
But I came up with a bulleted list. I had
to go through the memory banks on this one, and
here it goes. Completed an internship at Baseball Weekly in Washington,
d C. Top of the year, bypassed a low level
newspaper job, moved to New York City and lived in
a West one Oaight department with my friend and a
female painter. My room had a mattress, three changes of clothing,

(49:18):
and a typewriter. Dated girl for a month who was
very severe, wore librarians glasses and gave me pink eye.
Worked as this as an assistant at a private investigator's office.
I was asked to investigate copyright infringement, mainly like little
companies calling themselves things like Costco two. On these calls,
I used an aka Drew Corbette and would compile a
case to bust their asses. Then left New York City

(49:40):
to take a job at Camp Jewel That camp Happiness
place is what you guys call it. Along with a
female counselor named Amy, took a gaggle of youths on
a week long hike through the woods, where it rained
on us for three days. When summer camp ended, I
stayed at the camp and went on a twenty one
day waterfast where on days eighteen and nineteen tapeworms came
out of my body. Moved to Boston and for a

(50:00):
month and did it. It is gross. Moved to Boston,
but it was helpful. Moved to Boston for a month
and did a ten day sleep study for nine hundred dollars.
You'd stay awake for seventy two hours in a row
as an example, had a spiritual had spiritual visions by
the end, got on the Greyhound bus and moved to Boulder, Colorado.
Found a farmhouse for twelve hundred dollars a month with
my friend Kristen bowls and waited for five friends and

(50:21):
housemates to come west, watched football for nine plus hours
on Sundays at a bar called Barrelhouse two. Brett Favre
was the center of my world. No Browns. Back then
worked at a string of ten to twelve temp jobs,
including putting together miniature flashlights at a flashlight factory. I
was fired And.

Speaker 1 (50:37):
Did you fit that all in one year?

Speaker 3 (50:39):
Yeah? Well it was a transitory year, though I don't
know how that person knew to pick that year. Other
years would have been less movement oriented, so.

Speaker 2 (50:52):
That was a perfect year to pick. Yeah to what that,
you must have been just out of college, so that
was a yes.

Speaker 3 (50:56):
Yeah, with no uh no money.

Speaker 1 (50:58):
I was a lot of different.

Speaker 3 (51:00):
I mean yeah, like I I when I was trying
to get a real job. I had a friend, like
some sort of industry expert look in my resume and said, like,
you look like someone who's just sort of on the
run from the law.

Speaker 1 (51:11):
So tape worms not what you want.

Speaker 2 (51:15):
Walker had some like they literally like see him look
like worms is poop?

Speaker 3 (51:22):
Yeah, that's that's where they appear.

Speaker 1 (51:24):
Discussed the outside of the body. Next question is and
I love that that that is our social clip.

Speaker 2 (51:29):
Brandy Dan of The Avenue asked, can you ask Greg
which order would he draft the three members of Boy
Genius in, Well, I'm not gonna do it for football
because that just gets weird. But Julie, it's it's a
clear one two three here with big tiers in between.
So it's Julian Baker first, Lucy Dakis second, Phoebe Bridges third.

Speaker 1 (51:51):
Next one is from polled Alpha. It's just obvious.

Speaker 2 (51:55):
Any words of advice for a very near future first
time that my immediate thought was would be like don't worry,
and I guess this would apply to you Eric as well,
is don't stress or plan too much before they get there.
Seems like a waste of time that like, enjoy that,

(52:16):
not like you have to like desert your your lovely wife.
You should be supporting her and helping her in any
way obviously while she's pregnant. But like I see a
lot of times people like, well I got to plan this,
I gotta do this, I gotta.

Speaker 1 (52:30):
Come up because it's like.

Speaker 2 (52:33):
It's all got to be meaningless anyway, So you might
as well just like enjoy enjoy the time before it's a.

Speaker 1 (52:38):
Little bit of a calm before the storm.

Speaker 3 (52:39):
Yeah, I really agree with that. I think in general
for a dad, one on one time is very valuable
no matter what you're doing. But the second thing I
thought it was like the child with a child. Yeah,
with our first born, Luke, like I had I was
home four days a week, like during because I was
working in NFL, but it was only three days a week,

(52:59):
and like I literally was like taking care of him
as a newborn for like hours a day, and it
formed this incredible bond. So I know a lot sometimes
dad's like out on all that until like until the
baby can talk or the child can like interact. It's
like get in there early and like be part of
that because it really creates something that I never expected.
So there you go.

Speaker 5 (53:20):
Eric, Right, I'm actually pretty excited. I don't know, I mean,
obviously I'm pretty excited I'm having a son, but I'm
really like gung ho. I've had weird radio hours before,
so I feel like I've been primed and nurtured to
have be up at two am every two hours through
the night. So like I'm actually kind of excited about
like being my wife has done enough, Like I'm gonna
be like ready to go and take take over whenever needed.

Speaker 3 (53:41):
So good messaging five wakes out.

Speaker 1 (53:43):
That's exciting.

Speaker 2 (53:44):
And although I do find it, I feel like this
happens for a lot of couples that they realized with
the second kid.

Speaker 1 (53:50):
It's like, well, we don't both have to get up
every time.

Speaker 5 (53:54):
Second, my wife just made that clear that there will
be a period of time where I am the guys.

Speaker 3 (54:01):
But the key being like.

Speaker 2 (54:04):
Either she's the overnight woman that night or in general
that week or whatever it is.

Speaker 1 (54:10):
And you know, it doesn't have to be the same
person every day.

Speaker 3 (54:12):
Lug each other.

Speaker 2 (54:13):
You don't need to be like, oh, come, you know
you're again. It's like do one or the other? You
want the other stronger in the day. Also, people don't
know this, but every human child is dramatically different, and
so these like base sort of like recommendations for what
to do and how to think, Like, you know, it
doesn't exactly work because every child reacts completely different. Look

(54:35):
at the Westling Brothers, right, my even my two children,
one advice for one would have been terrible advice for
the other, and vice versus.

Speaker 5 (54:42):
Right, well, we'll get through this first one. Before I
got to worry about trends. I'm just you know, just.

Speaker 1 (54:46):
Saying you're all different.

Speaker 3 (54:47):
It seems like a fair plan.

Speaker 2 (54:48):
Jeff Yates, what would, in your mind be the most
polarizing pick your team of fandom could make this year? Oh,
I didn't read this right the first time. Well, for me,
it would be the Patriots trading down and just doing
that like that, no matter who's on the board, whether
it's May or Daniels. And I would be personally more

(55:09):
into it if it was if May is gone and
Daniels is on the board and they traded down to
like the Giants and they still get one of the receivers.
To me, I'm gonna I'm gonna ride with that and
just see what happens. But that would be the most polarizing.
Everyone wants the QB, I think.

Speaker 3 (55:24):
So if I'm coming from a Browns angle, like, don't
they don't pick till the fifty fourth pick? And so
I kind of was like, I mean, quarterbacks stupid just
because they're not going to take a quarterback at ninety four.
But like I thought, the one thought like this, the heart,
the beating heart of the Browns is Nick Chubb. But
there's questions about his health still and where will be
and like his future to some degree in terms of

(55:45):
like what is this player post injury? Like if they
went and picked at fifty four, it could work like
a starting type running back. I think that would yeah,
cause some problems with certain Browns fins.

Speaker 1 (55:55):
Yeah, that wouldn't makes it.

Speaker 2 (55:57):
The thing is, like everyone loves all these offensive players
and like none of the tackles are are going to
be polarizing. It's always a team that just looks at
their board differently than the rest of the league. It's
often been the Seahawks lately, used to be the Patriots
often where it's just like they take a guy who's
on the consensus board at like forty three, except they

(56:18):
take them at sixteen and everyone goes crazy. But it's like,
you don't know anything. Finlay McClure, which you know sounds suspicious.
Is that a made up name, Finlay McClure. I think
it possibly is from overseas, I don't know, or it's
a character from like Ducktails. If you are Sean Payton
and the Broncos, which scenarios do you pick trade up

(56:38):
to four, give up three first to get MacArthur or
may Stan Patt twelve and take Pennix or take best
player available non quarterback at twelve and build the team
up first. Of those three, I would go for the
third option, but I I like to take a quarterback. Yeah,
I just think reaching at twelve seems so and I don't.

Speaker 1 (57:01):
I wouldn't. I wouldn't give up all those.

Speaker 2 (57:02):
Picks for for the third quarterback in this CLUBB even
though I love me, I think, uh, you stay at twelve,
and I think there's a real chance that Bo Nicks
is available at your second round pick, or Michael Pennix
is available, Like all these guys aren't gonna go like,
don't force it.

Speaker 3 (57:17):
I I'm with the don't force it, but don't ignore
quarterback just because like this concept of we're going to
build a team and wait for a quarterly if they
go four and thirteen, you don't have time for that,
Like no one has time for that.

Speaker 1 (57:29):
I'm Layton might of anyone, but yeah, I hear it.
I don't know.

Speaker 3 (57:32):
I feel like the Peyton thing like needs to work
for like this invincibility shield around him to continue to
be accurate. And there's it's like the quarterback draft is
going to allow someone to come down there. I but
I I would do it. But if you're saying, may
is this potentially player that we've never seen before and
he's sitting there at three, it's like, then you then
why would you not trade? Sure, get your first or

(57:53):
three first round picks. Sure, but if he's that if
he's that guy you know who knows that's it'll look genius.

Speaker 1 (57:58):
But that's fair.

Speaker 3 (57:59):
I don't know if you.

Speaker 2 (57:59):
Paid your it's also or whoever it would be, would
have to take that pick. So you need to two
teams to tangle there. Other Elliott Wolf, the GM in
practice not in name for the Patriots, said on Thursday,
we're open for business. We're open for business on pick
three and everything else. But we're open for business, so

(58:19):
I think they'll be listening. What's your favorite draft memory,
as Brandon Smith, what draft pick are your favorite team?
Were you most excited about at the time of the pick?
A player most surprised by turning into a bust?

Speaker 1 (58:35):
What do you got?

Speaker 3 (58:36):
I mean, I know mine happened on this show, and
like there's a clip that I wish wasn't out there
to some degree when the Browns did this with.

Speaker 1 (58:44):
The twenty second pick in the twenty fourteen NFL Draft,
the Cleveland Brown select Johnny Manzelle quarter. That was Dave Damashek.

Speaker 2 (59:08):
Will you be saying that Bryan shayze Er kills him
Maury's one now?

Speaker 3 (59:13):
Anyway, it's a boy on Christmas? The Christmas is coln.
I mean we were shoved into those Radio City musical
seats which were made for people in the nineteen tens,
and h you know, I had walked around like Manhattan
for days kind of wishing this would happen, and when
it happened, it felt like Cleveland is the most exciting
thing in the National Football League and then it went completely, completely,

(59:36):
totally south into hell.

Speaker 1 (59:38):
It's pretty rough. I mean, you look younger there, but
I think you look better now. So that was nice.
Everyone should check that out on YouTube. Thanks that.

Speaker 2 (59:46):
Uh, it was Dave Danishek's voice, and just like you
can't really put words to Mark's expression there, I read
this question wrong and just thought, like general draft moments,
I'm trying to think.

Speaker 1 (59:57):
Of the Patriots player I was most excited about it.

Speaker 2 (01:00:00):
Weirdly, will Fork fell so far to them and seemed
like such a Patriots guy, and that was about the
peak of like Patriots always make the right picks fandom
for me that I just remember being so pumped when
Vince Wilfork fell to them at the time. But otherwise,
you know, when when the Vikings didn't take their pick
and the other two like ran up to take it

(01:00:21):
in three, that was just like an incredible draft.

Speaker 1 (01:00:24):
We're like, what am I watching the four draft?

Speaker 2 (01:00:27):
To me, nothing will top Rivers, Big Ben, Eli Manning.

Speaker 1 (01:00:32):
There was a lot of stuff going into their aft.

Speaker 2 (01:00:34):
But literally as it happened, we all thought they were
gonna trade and make the trade ultimately that they did make,
but no one knew for sure. And then the Chargers
take Eli and he has to hold it up, and
there's there's not Twitter at that point, and so it's
just like you're living in this total netherworld.

Speaker 1 (01:00:54):
It was like, Wow, they really took them.

Speaker 2 (01:00:55):
They're putting the giant's feet to the fire, Like, what
the hell is gonna happen? I guess they're just gonna
keep them, and and he's holding it up and he's
like not happy about it, and so that like twenty
thirty minutes, it was fifteen picks minutes per pick. Then
before Rivers and the Eli trade actually happened, and that
was just so ballsy by their GM. Who it's escaping me.

(01:01:15):
Who that was was? Aj Heg Smith, I believe was
his name, who just sat there, took Eli and just
waited until the best offer came in and they got
a great one and then they ended up getting Rivers.

Speaker 1 (01:01:27):
So they were both I.

Speaker 3 (01:01:27):
Think both those things you mentioned, the best pick by
the Vikings and in that scenario right there, like they've
never that's never really happened since that way at all.

Speaker 2 (01:01:35):
So yeah, that was incredible. The Ricky Williams I was
in New Orleans.

Speaker 3 (01:01:38):
That was crazy.

Speaker 2 (01:01:39):
I was in New Orleans for that draft. That was
that was when I was in college.

Speaker 3 (01:01:43):
That that hasn't happened again either.

Speaker 2 (01:01:44):
So now that was a wild thing and that that
was a rare I think I just wanted the weekend off.
Right in the postgame, the press conference where he came
and showed up in Ricky's dread, wearing Ricky's dreads, it
was just it was a different time. All Right, We're
gonna take one last break and wrap up the mail bag. Next,
let's go to our next tweet. Oh yeah, you know,

(01:02:08):
I brought this one up last year's Greg hit on
Sam Laporta, who is Greg's only fantasy sleeper superstar that
Dynasty Keeper managers need to keep their eye. I still
want to watch some of these running backs. I can't
pretend that I have a hot take, and that's usually
the fantasy thing. But for me, it's Brian Thomas Jr.

(01:02:31):
I just I just love me some Brian Thomas Jr.

Speaker 1 (01:02:34):
Love him like.

Speaker 2 (01:02:34):
I just think that he could be up there with
those three guys in the end as just this crazy
explosive year after year, big time wide receiver.

Speaker 3 (01:02:41):
Yeah. And Chad Ryder, who had on yesterday had him
falling all the way down to the Bengals.

Speaker 2 (01:02:46):
Yeah, there's a lot of disagreement with him that he
could that would be on any incredible landing spot that
would be if he landed there, he would be big
time players sooner than later. Where on the peace scale?
Our next, sweet ass? I think this is the last one.
How about that? Cranked? Is Greg Rosenthal in terms of
the peace scale? In regards to the Delaware tapes being released,

(01:03:08):
I have an update on this situation.

Speaker 1 (01:03:10):
I was, I been. I'm gonna go poop now, that's
not the update.

Speaker 2 (01:03:16):
I've been ready all week for this update, but Dan
just hasn't brought it up. I don't feel like it'd
be right to do without Dan here, So we'll save it.

Speaker 1 (01:03:23):
We'll, we'll just we'll just.

Speaker 3 (01:03:25):
You don't seem too unnerved by the whole situation. Fine, Okay, Fine,
I'm proud. That's it, Mark, what a week of shows.
Next week we're onto the draft. That will be a
bigger week than this week, by leaps and bounds.

Speaker 1 (01:03:40):
It will.

Speaker 2 (01:03:40):
But it's just the adrenaline. The excitement carries you through.
We'll be back on Monday, Eric, right, and then uh,
we'll also have the Mark Sessler mock draft will be
there on Draft night. We'll wrap up the draft with
winners and losers over the weekend. So I'm excited. The
adrenaline kind of carries you through draft week. I'm a
think for the pre draft process to be Let's go

(01:04:03):
from Mark Sessler, Randy Chavez, Daniel Jeremiah.

Speaker 1 (01:04:08):
Thanks for coming on, Eric, We miss you.

Speaker 3 (01:04:11):
Dan Heed.

Speaker 1 (01:04:12):
The call