PodcastFrom Fantasy Focus Football
You NEED to Listen to This Mock Draft Ahead of Your Own | ESPN Fantasy
STACKED extracted the fantasy-relevant player signal from this podcast and kept the full transcript here for context.
37 min
Duration
Estimated from transcript
Sep 3, 2026
Published
Thu, September 3, 2026
29
Player insights
26
Players mentioned
Topics
George KittleMatthew GoldenMichael PittmanAlec PierceAmon-Ra St. BrownAshton JeantyBijan RobinsonBrock PurdyChristian McCaffreyChristian WatsonD'Andre SwiftDavid MontgomeryDe'Von AchaneDerrick Henry
Player analysis
Player insights
Alec Pierce
PositiveValue24:43
Alec Pierce is a strategic late-round target who can be immediately placed in an IR slot, allowing managers to maximize roster flexibility and gain extra value from waiver wire pickups.
Insight pageAmon-Ra St. Brown
PositiveValue4:03
Daniel Dopp prefers Amon-Ra St. Brown over Christian McCaffrey due to St. Brown's super steady floor.
Insight pageAshton Jeanty
NegativeInjury9:52
Ashton Jeanty is noted as another running back dealing with injury concerns, causing him to be drafted in the middle of the second round.
Insight pageBijan Robinson
NegativeValue2:23
Bijan Robinson was selected with the first overall pick in the mock draft, consistent with his current high draft capital.
Insight pageBrock Purdy
PositiveProjection31:32
Brock Purdy is an underrated quarterback who has consistently performed as a top-10 fantasy option for three consecutive years.
Insight pageChristian McCaffrey
NegativeBust3:46
Liz Loza and Daniel Dopp express skepticism about Christian McCaffrey and Jonathan Taylor finishing the season, leading them to prefer safer options.
Insight pageChristian Watson
NegativeBust20:40
Christian Watson is viewed as a volatile player with recurring soft-tissue injury concerns, leading to a preference for Matthew Golden over him in draft scenarios.
Insight pageD'Andre Swift
PositiveRole20:13
Liz Loza is targeting D'Andre Swift, citing positive coach speak from Ben Johnson and a favorable Week 1 matchup against the Panthers' run defense.
Insight pageDavid Montgomery
PositiveValue23:36
Liz Loza values David Montgomery for the consistent floor he provides, making him a reliable flex option.
Insight pageDe'Von Achane
PositiveUsage6:52
Liz Loza highlights De'Von Achane's breakaway talent, noting he averaged six yards per touch last season despite facing loaded boxes on 23% of his carries.
Insight pageDerrick Henry
PositiveProjection8:44
Liz Loza is warming up to Derrick Henry in the Ravens' new offense, anticipating a bounce-back season for Lamar Jackson that will support Henry's high floor.
Insight pageGeorge Kittle
PositiveValue30:08
Daniel Dopp ranks George Kittle as his TE5, ahead of Kyle Pitts and Sam LaPorta, believing he will feast in the offense when healthy.
Insight pagePositiveValue34:41
George Kittle is a favorite late-round tight end pick, providing high-end production at the position.
Insight pageJames Cook
PositiveValue3:32
Liz Loza and Daniel Dopp rank James Cook as their RB3, noting he is being drafted ahead of Christian McCaffrey and Jonathan Taylor in this mock.
Insight pageJameson Williams
NegativeProjection25:26
Daniel Dopp and Liz Loza discuss the potential for Jameson Williams to emerge as a consistent producer, though they note he historically performs best when other Lions starters are injured.
Insight pageJeremiyah Love
NegativeInjury7:17
Jeremiah Love is falling in drafts due to a high ankle sprain, which Daniel Dopp notes is a lingering injury that causes concern for running backs.
Insight pageJonathon Brooks
PositiveValue34:01
Jonathan Brooks was a preferred target over Aaron Jones Sr. and would have been selected if he hadn't been sniped earlier in the draft.
Insight pageJosh Jacobs
NegativeBust28:19
Josh Jacobs is a player to avoid drafting because he cannot be placed on IR, meaning he would occupy a valuable bench spot for a long-term hold while waiting for potential role changes.
Insight pageJustin Herbert
PositiveProjection26:28
Justin Herbert is a preferred quarterback target who has been highly valued throughout the season, offering a strong connection with wide receivers.
Insight pageJuwan Johnson
PositiveSleeper34:58
Juwan Johnson is a recommended backup tight end target, especially for managers who draft George Kittle, due to the Saints' favorable matchup against a depleted Lions secondary.
Insight pageLadd McConkey
PositiveValue13:31
Daniel Dopp ranks Ladd McConkey as his WR12, expressing high confidence in his role within the Chargers' offense.
Insight pageMatthew Golden
PositiveBreakout20:22
Matthew Golden has a massive opportunity with over 130 vacated targets in the offense; he possesses a more well-rounded skill set than Christian Watson and is a strong target for upside in the middle rounds.
Insight pagePositiveBreakout33:42
Liz Loza is targeting Matthew Golden for his massive upside, noting over 130 vacated targets in the offense and his all-around skill set.
Insight pageMichael Pittman
NegativeBust32:16
Michael Pittman is not viewed as a paragon of health or explosiveness, making him a questionable choice as a primary wide receiver two.
Insight pagePositiveUsage32:17
Liz Loza drafted Michael Pittman Jr. as a volume-based wide receiver in a one-point PPR league, comparing his post-catch ability to a running back.
Insight pageSaquon Barkley
PositiveValue5:23
Liz Loza is more willing to draft Saquon Barkley, citing a potential shift toward the ground game in Philadelphia's offense and his top-15 finish last season.
Insight pageTravis Etienne
PositiveUsage14:52
Daniel Dopp believes Travis Etienne will see increased pass-catching opportunities due to Alvin Kamara's injury and Jordan Tyson's injury, making him a strong RB2.
Insight pageTrey McBride
PositiveValue11:37
Liz Loza selected Trey McBride in the third round, opting to lock up the tight end position early rather than waiting for later-round targets.
Insight pageTyler Allgeier
PositiveDepth Chart7:22
Liz Loza suggests that Jeremiah Love's injury could raise the fantasy stock of Tyler Allgeier.
Insight pageFull transcript
Episode Transcript
0:00Propel Fitness Water with Gatorade Electrolytes, Zero Sugar, and Vitamins.
0:03Propel Hydrates Better Than Water to help you get the most out of your workout and get back to your best self.
0:10What propels you? Propel with Gatorade Electrolytes. I'm Liz Loza.
0:13This is Fantasy Focus Football. And today's fact is that it's never too late to try something new.
0:18Daniel Dopp, that hot sauce episode went so well that the powers that be put us both back in tiny boxes.
0:25What do you think about that? I think we either did so well that they were like, we can't ever do that again.
0:32Or they're like, we need to find something else to help recapture what they did.
0:36Which is why you're in a little box. I'm in a little box.
0:40And I think we're here to do a mock in a box.
0:44We are doing a mock in a box. It is a 12-team, one-point PPR.
0:48We're only drafting three bench spots because we want to keep things moving and feel like that gives folks enough of an idea of depth.
0:56But last time you guys liked the mocks, so we brought it back.
1:00And because you called the voicemail line with such aplomb, we got so many voicemails.
1:05We're going to do a special bonus episode where we answer a ton of your voicemails.
1:10That'll be out later. But right now we wanted to just focus on the mock and make sure you keep an eye
1:16out for the bonus mailbag episode, which was totally inspired and produced just for our listeners.
1:21Absolutely. Cannot wait for that episode, Liz. It's going to be a very good one.
1:26Excited about that. But let's get into our mock draft here today.
1:30Who are we kicking off with in this mock draft?
1:33Do we know who's in this thing, Liz? We do know there's 12 people.
1:37In fact, Kyle Soppe is going to kick us off.
1:40And he did indeed do that with, who is it?
1:43Bijan Robinson. Bijan Robinson. Yeah. Yeah, Bijan, Jameer, Jamar Chase.
1:46And then you're on the clock here with the fourth overall pick.
1:50Literally chalked this is the way that every draft has gone so far.
1:54Which direction are you going? I went with Jackson Smith and Jigba.
1:57I would have taken Jamar Chase, but our guy, focus chat expert, Eric Moody, picked Jamar Chase.
2:03And you and I have both talked about how we have JSN just a little bit above Puka because we don't know
2:09if any disciplinary action is going to come Puka's way.
2:12Very interested to see. Wow. James Cook comes off the board before Jonathan Taylor and Christian McCaffrey, which is actually where I have him ranked as RB3.
2:21Are you in on that, Liz? Absolutely. You and I have him in the same spot.
2:26We've both talked about it. I don't think that CMC or Jonathan Taylor is going to finish the season.
2:31If James Cook gets hurt, maybe some bad luck.
2:34But if CMC or Jonathan Taylor were to miss time, well, I should have seen that coming.
2:39I think the same thing. I'm on the clock right now.
2:43And I've got Christian McCaffrey and Amon Ross St.
2:46Brown staring me in the face. And I have been preaching it all season.
2:50I'm going to continue to pass on CMC and go with the super steady floor of Amon Ross St.
2:56Brown Brown. That's right, girl. So now we got three picks until we get to the end of the turn.
3:02CeeDee Lamb comes off the board to our buddy Kevin Pulsifer.
3:05And now I'm going to be in a spot after taking Amon Ross St.
3:09Brown. Liz, where I'm probably going to look at going with a running back here.
3:14Has anything changed with the way that you've been approaching your mock drafts over the last little bit as we get to the final push of draft season?
3:23I have found myself more willing to draft Saquon Barkley.
3:26I think in a year that the Eagles are dealing with a passing game transition, there might be more emphasis on the ground game.
3:33And even though Barkley disappointed based on his ADP in 2025, he did still finish inside the top 15 overall fantasy producers at the position.
3:41So I think that he offers a nice floor.
3:44Yeah, I'm with you on that. All right, Liz, we're through the first round.
3:48I'm going to read it off. Let me know if there's anything here that stands out to you.
3:53Bijan Robinson, Jameer Gibbs, Jamar Chase, JSN, Puka, James Cook, Jonathan Taylor, Amon Ross St.
3:58Brown, CeeDee Lamb, Christian McCaffrey, Justin Jefferson, and Chase Brown at the 12 spot.
4:02That is your first round. Anything stand out to you about that?
4:06Will I make my pick here in the second?
4:09I think it's interesting that Chase Brown is going above Saquon Barkley, whose floor I just talked about, above Devon Achan, who
4:15does not have the most optimal situation. As we've talked about all summer in Miami, but does have such breakaway talent that it's hard to completely ignore him.
4:24I might have said this previously, but it just bears reiterating.
4:27Last season, 23% of Achan's carries came against loaded boxes, and he still averaged six yards per touch.
4:33So obviously a dynamic weapon, both via the ground and through the air.
4:37And then Jeremiah Love, that high ankle sprain issue is causing him to fall a little bit.
4:42And I hope, we'll see if this becomes a spoiler, raising the stock of Tyler Algier.
4:47Yeah, we'll see what happens with that one. Definitely something to monitor, though, as we keep getting closer to week one.
4:53Second round, Saquon Barkley, Devon Achan, Jeremiah Love, as you just stated.
4:57I then, excuse me, we had Ashton Gentry after that, and I took my guy, Omari Hampton.
5:02I have been pounding the table for him as the RB1 in this Mike McDaniel offense.
5:07Love him to be able to pair with Amon Ross St.
5:11Brown, who gives me a really safe floor at the wide receiver spot.
5:15And after that, A.J. Brown, Kenneth Walker III, Brock Bowers, the first tight end, comes off the board to our producer, Zach.
5:21In the second, Derek Henry goes to you, Liz Loza.
5:24You went with the old king. I did. I really do like the Ravens schedule here.
5:29I am warming up to the idea of this new offense.
5:33Declan Doyle is saying all of the right things.
5:35I'm anticipating a bounce-back season for Lamar, so there's no reason to believe that Henry won't continue to hold the incredibly high
5:42floor that he has for so many seasons. Quick other note, you know, we talked about Jeremiah Love and how his ankle
5:49issue was causing him to slip a little. Interesting that the very next pick who went to Pulsifer was Ashton Gentty, the other potentially banged up running back.
5:57Both of those guys going in like, what, the middle-ish of the second round.
6:02Yeah. High ankle sprains is one of those things that does give me a little bit of pause on running backs because
6:09it feels like one of those things you just sort of have to deal with all season.
6:14I'm not sure how quickly it gets healthy when you listen to people talk about the length of the injury of a high ankle sprain.
6:21I'm not a scientist or a doctor or any of those things, but it gives me a little bit more pause.
6:28But you are experienced, and I like to think of the high ankle sprains as a cranberry injury in that they linger.
6:35Girl. Girl! Oh, I love you. You're so great.
6:37That was good. That was good. Yes. Did you have to?
6:41Thanks. Okay. Did you have to? Okay. Can you pick, now that we're at this point, I love you.
6:47All right. We finish out the second round. Derrick Henry, Brees Hall, Drake London, Nico Collins.
6:51Third round. Javante Williams, Chris Olave, Kyron Williams. What are you doing here in the third, Liz?
6:57I decided to do something I haven't done all draft season, and that's select Trey McBride.
7:02I've usually been waiting for Tyler Warren or Colston Loveland, who I've talked endlessly about.
7:06But I feel really good with Derrick Henry and Jackson Smith and Jigba that I decided to lock up that island position early.
7:13I didn't love the rest of the running backs that were presenting to me, and I feel like I can get something of value on the turn.
7:21So no need to reach past who I think will dominate the position once again in 26.
7:27I like that. I like that call, Liz, being able to grab someone.
7:31Also, this is part of why we do mock drafts.
7:34Maybe do something a little bit different. See if you like the way the strategy plays out before you get into the real draft.
7:41After you had Trey McBride, it was Rishi Rice, Garrett Wilson, and then Josh Allen, first quarterback off the board.
7:47I'm on the clock with George Pickens, Malik Nabors, Travis Achan, Devontae Smith.
7:51I'm going to go down the board a little bit and get my guy that I have as wide receiver 12 this
7:58year, because if I do believe in this offense, ooh, no, but do I want to do that?
8:03Hold on. Hold on. Ooh, I love the real-time thinking.
8:07Oh, shoot. I took Omari and Hampton, right? I love Ladd McConkie this year.
8:11I have him as wide receiver 12. I would take him over all of the guys that are on this list right now.
8:18But already having Omari and Hampton, do I want two of my first three picks to be from the same offense?
8:24Can you talk about what your strategy would be while I think about it?
8:29Yeah, some might call that a battery, in fact.
8:31I don't know if you know that term. Apparently it's a baseball term.
8:35I've heard it. But I would say I agree that I want to diversify a little bit, especially unless you were also going to stack Justin Herbert.
8:44But right here, you're in a bit of a pickle.
8:47And the clock is ticking. So you went with a guy I had in my queue, Travis Achan.
8:52And let me also say that I think this is a fantastic pick.
8:56I'm surprised that Achan hasn't gone up draft boards a little bit more with the news that Alvin Kamara's a bit banged up.
9:03And so there should be more space, at least at the top of the season, for Travis Achan to perform in a pass-catching capacity.
9:11We know he has that ability. So I think I might actually see if I feel compelled to move him up in my overall rankings as well.
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10:35I will say one of the few things that has changed with me over the last little bit in draft season when
10:41the players have been gravitating more towards is Travis HN with where he's at.
10:46Jordan Tyson unfortunately getting hurt. So that's fewer targets going to the wide receiving position at that point.
10:51Alvin Kamara, who you just mentioned, now also dealing with something.
10:55So it just feels like that target tree and that offense is going to run through, in theory, three people.
11:01Chris Olave, Travis HN, and then the tight end, Jawan Johnson.
11:04So being able to get him as my running back to here, especially with how quickly the running back position dries up.
11:11I don't mind being able to do that. And then I'm going to do something else that's just a little bit different
11:18than what I've done in the past. I'm going to grab a third running back and go with Cam Skadaboo, a guy
11:24that I think has top 10 upside if he can stay healthy, especially with what this Giants offense can be.
11:30But a little bit of an injury concern. At least he's my RB3, not my RB2.
11:35I think that that is solid moves that you are making.
11:39I'm looking at the board and I had Skadaboo.
11:41So I was thinking about putting him in my queue, but I just don't really like pairing him with Derek Henry.
11:48I feel like that might be a little too volatile, not in terms of Henry's floor and weekly production, but the fact
11:55that he is coming off of a 300 plus carry season.
11:58So we know that Skadaboo's had trouble staying on the field.
12:01I just didn't know if I wanted to pair those two.
12:05And now I don't have to. I am on the clock, though, and I am going to also do something I haven't done in many drafts.
12:13And that's select DeAndre Swift. Now, I know we're supposed to take coach speak with a grain of salt, but Ben Johnson
12:19has just recently, like earlier this week, talked about what a great season he expects Swift to have.
12:25And obviously, with Kyle Monongai, week to week, he's banged up.
12:28There is an opportunity for DeAndre Swift to make a real statement.
12:32And I believe he gets the Panthers in week one.
12:35And that run defense, certainly there was money invested in improving it this offseason.
12:39But last year was super generous to the position.
12:42So I like what I'm building here. Me too.
12:45Two running backs, a wide receiver. You've locked up potentially the best tight end in the game.
12:50It's pretty easy to be able to find wide receivers and quarterbacks late.
12:54We have been preaching that, Liz. So I like the way you have started this build as well.
13:00It's going to be a minute before you are back on the clock here.
13:04Let's recap really quickly the third round. Ameka Abuka.
13:07Excuse me. We started with Javante Williams, Chris Olave, Kyron Williams, Trey McBride, Rashi Rice, Garrett Wilson, Josh Allen, and then I took Travis Achan.
13:14Polson Loveland came off the board. Then Malik Neighbors, Quinchan Judkins, and Ameka Abuka.
13:19Lad McConkie, Devonta Smith, George Pickens, and Zay Flowers before I took Cam Scadaboo.
13:23And then we find our way finishing out the fourth.
13:26Teddero McMillan, Jalen Waddell, Devonta Adams, Liz taking DeAndre Swift, Tyler Warren, Bucky Irving, and Tee Higgins.
13:31Now in the fifth, Terry McLaurin, Lamar Jackson, and Liz, you are one pick away from being back on the clock.
13:38What are you thinking about doing here with what you've built so far?
13:42Well, I don't mind taking a third running back just for depth and then not having to worry about it.
13:48Because honestly, after round five, you're really just throwing darts at backups that could have a larger role down the stretch.
13:54Bejal Tootin is on the board. I don't know.
13:57I think we're going to talk about this in our mailbag episode, so I don't want to get into it right here.
14:04But I'm a little bit nervous about the steam that Chris Rodriguez has been building.
14:08He's been looking extra great as a power back.
14:11So maybe I'm overthinking it, but it has me pushing away from Tootin a little bit.
14:16You know I love David Montgomery. I love the floor he presents.
14:20And then your guy, Jadarian Price, is right here as well.
14:23So I'm going to take a running back. The idea is which one.
14:27And I do think I'm going to end up with David Montgomery because he's who I've had at my flex at the position, I don't know, since May.
14:36So I'm going to stick with it. Yeah. I like it.
14:39So you've got three running backs, Derek Henry, DeAndre Swift, and David Montgomery.
14:43I'm looking at a spot with three running backs as well.
14:46Omarine Hampton, Travis Achan, and Cam Skadaboo lives in a 12-team league.
14:50Being able to secure that running back spot early, as long as you don't feel like you're reaching out the position, makes
14:57me feel a lot better when I look back at my team at the end of the draft.
15:02Right now, I feel like I'm missing out on a lot of wide receivers, but there are still a lot of those
15:09guys available as we get into the later rounds.
15:12I've liked these three running back builds that you and I have.
15:15All right. I really do. Right now, we're looking at...
15:19I have to ask you a question. Oh. Yeah.
15:21Because if I'm looking at the board, you and I both need wide receivers.
15:26And, well, he just went off. I was going to say Jamison Williams is a player that you and I were both
15:32pretty high on heading into last year, and then he underwhelmed.
15:36But now, again, if you read Dan Graziano's bold predictions article, he thinks Jamison Williams, and again, it's a bold prediction, so
15:42there's a bit of an asterisk there, could end the season as the Lions' leading receiver.
15:47He pointed out, obviously, that Sam Laporta is banged up, and there are other issues going on.
15:53But do you think, as a Lions fan and a fantasy analyst, that Jamo could actually be a consistent producer?
15:59That's a great question, Liz. Last year, when we looked at Jamison Williams' production, a good majority of it came when Sam
16:05Laporta was dealing with the back injury that he was dealing with.
16:09And so, while we've seen Jamo be able to do it on the field for sure, his biggest games are usually without
16:16Amun Ra or Sam Laporta, and when the three of them have been healthy, it's been a little bit harder to be
16:23able to get him the football because they also have Jameer Gibbs that they want to have touch the ball quite a bit in that backfield.
16:31Now, with the new offensive coordinator in Drew Petsing, it's just a little bit of prognostication on how we think they're going
16:37to deploy all of the targets within this offense.
16:40Do I think that he can? Yes. I think more and more the way that I have started this offseason, I was
16:47hiring him as a potential low-end wide receiver two.
16:50I've moved more into that flex radar or high-end wide receiver three on Jamison Williams because I think there are just enough pieces in that offense.
16:58It makes me a little bit nervous that he's going to be able to do more.
17:02Not that he doesn't have the skill set, but if everyone stays healthy, I just think there are too many mouths to feed, if that makes sense.
17:11I do think it makes sense. And now I'm back on the clock.
17:15I was very... Yeah, you are, so I'll keep talking.
17:18I was very intrigued. I totally respect Graz, and he obviously travels around.
17:22He talked about how the Lions training camp is actually...
17:25He said this to me personally last week, that the Lions training camp is one of his most favorites.
17:31So I believed that this take was coming from a sincere place.
17:34So it's just something to alert people to, that maybe if you're not a JMO believer or you got bird by him
17:41last year, you're not just automatically looking at the player underneath him when drafting.
17:45But considering some extra data that was recently uncovered, we love that.
17:49Things are always evolving. Things are always changing. Has to keep us on our toes, and hopefully those are tiptoes of excitement.
17:56All right. What are you thinking here now, Daniel?
17:59Daniel, did you pick? I think you did, no?
18:01I sure did. Speaking of getting burned by a player, my guy, in case you did not watch the Hot Takes episode,
18:08that I absolutely lost it during was George Kittle.
18:11And I drafted him as my tight end here.
18:14He is my guy. I mean, it was fun.
18:16Make sure you go back and watch it in case you haven't.
18:20And by fun, I mean it was cool to be able to watch my pain in hindsight.
18:25When I lived it in real time, it was a little bit less fun.
18:30But it was a great time. And George Kittle was my guy, who I loved.
18:34And I still love him now, even after all of this.
18:38He has moved up to my tight end five right now.
18:41Ahead of Kyle Pitts. Ahead of Sam Laporta. Ahead of Harold Fannin Jr.
18:45I'm just nervous about what that Cleveland Brown passing game is going to look like.
18:49I'm nervous about Sam Laporta's back and being healthy as much as I think he's going to be.
18:55When George Kittle is healthy, and that is still an F.
18:58He has been an unbelievably dominant tight end. And given what the rest of that receiving core looks like, I still feel
19:05like he's going to feast in this offense. If they had gone out and gotten other players, no offense to Mike Evans
19:12in my estimation, he's just an older version of himself.
19:15He's not the Mike Evans that we used to know in Tampa.
19:19Maybe I would think that George Kittle wouldn't be utilized as much.
19:22But right now, I think Kittle's going to feast in this offense.
19:26So I'm grabbing him at the tight end spot, Liz.
19:29And let's catch up to where we're at. Because then it was Ramondre Stevenson, Joe Burrow, Tony Pollard.
19:35And then who did you go with, my friend?
19:37I went with Michael Pittman. We have made this comp throughout the season about Pittman being the Kenny Gainwell of 2026.
19:44Gainwell obviously cleared 70 catches and managed nearly 500 receiving yards as a running back, not as a wide receiver.
19:50Interestingly enough, though, Michael Pittman has NFL bloodlines. His father played in the NFL and was a running back.
19:56And I think you see some of that, actually, at least at the top of his career after the catch when you're looking at Michael Pittman Jr.
20:04So this is a, since it's a one-point PPR league, this was a volume play.
20:09And, you know, is it the sexiest wide receiver too?
20:12No, but I feel so secure at running back that I don't mind making the pick.
20:17Now I'm on the clock again, and I'm looking for a little bit more upside to even things out.
20:22And Matthew Golden is staring me straight in the face.
20:25Now I would have to bypass Wondell Robinson, but I already have high floor.
20:30I would have to bypass Stephon Diggs and maybe Brian Thomas Jr.
20:33or Alec Pierce. But to me, Golden has such a massive opportunity in this offense with over 130 targets vacated.
20:40And Christian Watson, who is a more volatile player, let's leave it at that.
20:44I don't want to talk about the hamstring factory that, you know, maybe didn't install his, as you said, soft tissue properly when he was born.
20:52I just think Golden has a more all-around skill set and could really eat in this offense.
20:57So if I'm looking for upside at this point in the draft, I don't mind doing it with Golden.
21:03Yeah, I'm with you on that. After Matthew Golden, actually, since you took Michael Pittman, it was Kenny Gainwell, Mike Evans, Christian
21:10Watson, Jalen Warren, Michael Wilson, Cortland Sutton. And then you got Matthew Golden.
21:14I would have taken Matthew Golden ahead of Christian Watson in that scenario had it been there.
21:19Rico Dowdle, then Marshawn Lloyd. Liz, we get the running back that we think is going to be the starter for the
21:26Packers in week one, although there's still a lot of question marks and fluidity around that situation.
21:31We'll continue to monitor that. Kyle Pitts seems off the board, and then I'm back on the clock.
21:36And I've got an entire starting lineup without a quarterback.
21:39So I could either go with a little bit more depth here, either at the wide receiver spot if I want some floor plays.
21:47Wondell Robinson, who you mentioned, is a great floor play in my estimation.
21:51Or I could go with a little bit more upside if I wanted, and maybe someone like Alec Pierce or Brian Thomas, who you also talked about.
21:59Or if I wanted to just make sure, because I want to get one of these quarterbacks here, I need to make sure I take a look.
22:07Let's see. Kevin's team at 81 doesn't have a quarterback.
22:10Pick 82 does have a quarterback. Pick 83 does have a quarterback.
22:14Pick 84 doesn't have a quarterback. So that means that there's going to be four chances for a team that doesn't have
22:21a quarterback to take one before it gets back to me.
22:24And do I need to take it now? Or do I like waiting?
22:28There's enough here that I can wait. OK, I'm going to go with Wondell Robinson.
22:33Sorry to make you go through that whole process, but I needed to walk through it to make sure I knew what I was doing there, Liz.
22:41How do you feel about that? I think I love listening to people talk through their process.
22:46And the fact that you do, like sometimes I watch these people do mock drafts and they're like, look at me, I'm such an expert.
22:54And here's a smart pick. Here's a smart pick.
22:57And I'm like, OK, but like show your work.
22:59Like if my if my fourth grader has to show her work in math class, you as a professional getting paid a
23:06decent amount of money should also have to show your work.
23:09And I love that you just did that. I like to hold myself to the same standard.
23:15And I also think that using the calculus of other people's teams and their rosters is something that we don't talk about enough.
23:22It is super important when you're drafting not to just follow your rankings, but to make sure other people are following theirs.
23:28And if they are not or if they are going off script or stockpiling a position, then you have to factor that
23:35into your picks as well, into your roster building.
23:38So I thought that was an excellent example of both showing your work and showing how other teams matter while building yours.
23:45And it also started a bit of a well, they did start a bit of a quarterback run because then Kevin Pulsifer immediately after you took Robinson.
23:53Ideally, Liz, I do that whole thing in my head, not while the people also in the draft are listening to me talk about it as well.
24:01But still, that's the thought process of where we're at.
24:04And by the way, quarterback is deep this year.
24:07If I want to keep waiting at the position, I can keep waiting at the position.
24:12Right now, back on the clock. And since I took Wondell Robinson, Jalen Hurts, Tucker Craft, Sam Laporta, Jackson Dart, Isaiah Likely.
24:19Ooh, that was a stack right there. Jackson Dart, Isaiah Likely.
24:22With Jonathan Brooks, Jordan Addison, and Chuba Hubbard. Two quarterbacks that I like the most there.
24:27It would have been Jackson Dart and then Jalen Hurts.
24:30I'm going to keep waiting now that I'm at this spot.
24:33If one of them had made it, I would have taken him here.
24:37But instead, I'm going to go with the upside wide receiver play and follow some of the money.
24:43Normally, in my leagues where I draft Tyler Warren, I don't go after this player.
24:48But in this situation, I don't have him at the tight end spot.
24:52So Alec Pierce and all the things that he maybe could be in this Colts offense, especially because as of right now,
24:58I can just put him right onto my IR slot after this draft is over.
25:03Which, again, is one of those things, if you think about it, you can maybe plan ahead a little bit in these drafts.
25:10Liz. I love the idea of utilizing that IR spot off the jump.
25:14Like George Helani should not be on waivers if you're using your IR spot correctly in week one.
25:19You know, like put Alec Pierce on the IR spot and then go ahead and grab someone off of waivers that has a very short window of value.
25:28I'm with you on that. And I think being able to find that, especially early on, that doesn't mean I have to keep him there forever.
25:36But ideally, I'm able to find a little bit of extra value because I got four more games out of a player
25:43than anyone else in the league does. All right.
25:46We had Harold Fannin, Dallas Goddard, Brian Thomas Jr.
25:48And then you're on the clock, Liz. Where did you end up going here?
25:53I decided to go through the list of quarterbacks as well because I hadn't selected one.
25:57And since you went through your calculus, I believe two more quarterbacks, both Jalen Hurts and Jackson Dart, came off the board.
26:04I was looking at who was left, Kyle Soppy and Eric Moody.
26:08And I believe Zach have yet to draft a quarterback.
26:11I don't really like the options after. Like, I don't really want to draft Caleb Williams.
26:16I think his schedule is a bit tough. I'm not quite sure he could be consistent.
26:21Trevor Lawrence starts the season a bit difficultly. Difficultly?
26:24Difficultly? And I have loved Justin Herbert since the beginning of the season.
26:28But I'm in so many dang mocks and regular drafts with Field Yates that he always ends up sniping him.
26:34So I figured I would finally get my guy here since Yates was not in any of these little tiny boxes or the draft room.
26:41That was sort of where I was at when I was thinking about the quarterback I wanted last time because having the
26:48running back, Omari and Hampton, even though I could build a running back quarterback battery of that offense, I would rather have the quarterback and wide receiver.
26:56So I decided to pass there. I think you get really great value here in the eighth round with that.
27:02After you took Justin Herbert, it was Jacoby Myers, then Travis Kelsey, Dak Prescott, and Jordan Mason with J.K.
27:08Dobbins coming off the board. And you got one more pick.
27:12You are currently on deck, Liz. Chris Godwin Jr.
27:14comes off. And now you're back on the clock.
27:17Which direction you think you're going to go? I do.
27:20I think I am going to draft Aaron Jones Sr.
27:23I have drafted him quite a bit for a bench stash.
27:27Now, Jordan Mason, that last year didn't pan out.
27:29This year again is garnering a good amount of hype.
27:33We do expect this to be a split backfield.
27:35But again, because it's one point PPR and because I am not totally convinced that Kyler Murray's downfield accuracy will be back the way it was in 2020.
27:44I don't mind Aaron Jones as a safety valve.
27:47And, you know, there is Kyler Murray maybe doesn't check down as much because he has his wheels.
27:52But I just feel like Jones is a solid floor option here.
27:56He's not going away as much as people would like to wish him away and, like, speak the Jordan Mason time into existence.
28:03I am with you on that. He is still going to be a part of this offense.
28:08After Aaron Jones, we had Trevor Lawrence, Xavier Worthy, and Stefan Diggs.
28:12Liz, I think I know which direction I'm going to go, but I want to ask you before I make a pick.
28:19Josh Jacobs still hasn't been selected. At this point, if I was doing a draft from here on out until I hear
28:25any additional news, I think I've made the decision for myself.
28:29I won't be drafting Josh Jacobs. Where are you at right now as of Wednesday, September 2nd, which is the day that
28:35we're recording this, on your Josh Jacobs take? I think that we are in, what, round nine if he fell to me in the double-digit round.
28:43So beginning next round, I would probably take him and stash him.
28:47You'd be okay with it. The tricky thing about him, though, is that you cannot put him on the IR.
28:53Yes, that is the part about Josh Jacobs. If you draft him, and part of why, a major part of the calculus,
29:00that's why I don't want to do it. I would rather have someone like Alec Pierce, who I just talked about, who
29:07I can put on IR, whereas I'm burning a bench spot with Josh Jacobs if you draft him.
29:12And if you draft him, it feels like I need to hold on to him at least for a handful of weeks,
29:19you know, a month, six weeks plus, because I'm expecting some sort of thing to happen.
29:24So this is going to be a long-term hold if I do decide to draft him.
29:29Now that I'm back on the clock, we've got two rounds left, Liz Loza.
29:33The four teams after me already have a quarterback, which means I can wait at the quarterback spot, grab him with my
29:40last pick, which means I will go instead with a running back that I really like this year from your Chicago Bears,
29:47who are going to score the most points ever in the history of the NFL.
29:51That's what your friend, Ben Johnson, has told us.
29:54Kyle Monungay as the backup running back here. So my running backs are Omari and Hampton, Travis A.
29:59Chan, and Kyle Manungay with Cam Skadaboo. All four of those guys love that team.
30:04Plus Aminra, Carnell Tate, and Wandel Robinson with Alec Pierce, who, I mean, my bench has a really high floor guy, and
30:11I think a really high ceiling guy, and no one I can utilize that IR spot.
30:16I like the way I put this together. Now we just wait and see which quarterback I get when we come back around the turn here.
30:24And look, Josh Jacobs did go off the board here just a couple of picks after you mentioned him to producer Quentin.
30:30So 10th round availability. I think that makes sense.
30:33Also, part of the reason I don't mind him, and I don't know if this is going to make complete fluid sense,
30:40is because Marshawn Lloyd has had such trouble staying healthy that it would not surprise me that if Marshawn Lloyd were to
30:47become injured, there might be some sway and all of a sudden rule changes to see Jacobs on the field.
30:53The guys behind Josh Jacobs do not inspire a ton of confidence.
30:56Marshawn Lloyd has not been able to stay healthy within his young career.
31:00Chris Brooks hasn't really done anything yet, more of a special teams guy.
31:04They just traded for Caleb Johnson, who was a healthy scratch basically every game after a really rough start to his rookie
31:11year, even though he was a third-round pick last year at the running back spot from Pittsburgh.
31:16It would be interesting to see how that one plays out.
31:20All right, I have my last pick here. Rashad White, Tyler Algier, Khalil Shakir, Blake Corum, Josh Jacobs.
31:25And then Caleb Williams came off the board with Mike Washington Jr., Chris Rodriguez, and I'm going to go with Brock Purdy.
31:32Build a little battery with my tight end, George Kittle.
31:35Brock Purdy is surprisingly not a super sexy quarterback, but he has been a top 10 guy for three consecutive years.
31:41I think because he looks like he's 15 years old, he just doesn't get as much respect as he should, but he
31:48is going to command my locker room. So, welcome to the team, Brock Purdy.
31:53Liz, what are you thinking about doing here with your last pick of this draft?
31:57Well, I mean, I don't want to say it out loud, but I will tell you the first player in my queue
32:04is Deshaun Stripling, and that ding means that it is my time to draft, and I will be able to round out my wide receivers.
32:12Because, again, I don't love the Michael Pittman as my wide receiver, too.
32:16He's not exactly the paragon of health or explosiveness at this point in his career.
32:20But knowing that I have Matthew Golden and or Stripling on the bench in case something were to happen or in case
32:27I needed to chase points, I feel pretty good about that.
32:30Propel Fitness Water with Gatorade Electrolytes, Zero Sugar, and Vitamins.
32:33Propel Hydrates Better Than Water to help you get the most out of your workout and get back to your best self.
32:40What propels you? Propel with Gatorade Electrolytes. Liz Loza, Mock Draft is over.
32:44You and I are going to go through a couple of things here.
32:48We got three questions I want to answer before we get out of here.
32:52And also, don't forget, we have a big mailbag episode coming up at the end of the week.
32:58Keep an eye out for that one. But coming out of this draft, I want you to give me your favorite pick,
33:05a thing you would have done differently, and a little bit of suggestion on draft strategy now that you've gone through a
33:11mock draft for all the people at home heading into the busiest draft weekend of the year.
33:17Absolutely. Well, I don't know if it was just one favorite pick or the way the board fell, but I loved that
33:23there was so much running back value available in the fifth round.
33:27We had David Montgomery, Jadarian Price, and Bejal Tootin all available there.
33:31I thought that was a wonderful thing, and I was particularly personally pleased since I did decide to go with Trey McBride early.
33:38So that was my favorite moment of the draft, a pick that I would have changed for myself.
33:43I didn't really love the Aaron Jones pick. I mean, you could hear me talking myself into it.
33:49I have done it quite a bit, and I do buy the floor argument there.
33:53But had Jonathan Brooks still been on the board, had I not been sniped, I would have been much happier selecting Brooks over Jones.
34:01And then last minute draft advice heading into this week slash holiday weekend.
34:05You know I love two running backs and a wide receiver in the first three rounds, but I also want to remind
34:11people to keep scrolling because a lot of the players who are rising, a lot of these drumbeat players like Mike Washington,
34:18Tyler Algier, Marshawn Lloyd, Deshawn Stribbling, they are still buried in ADP.
34:22That's not accurate. If you are getting stuck and you don't like the players in front of you, do scroll because I
34:29bet one of those guys will be a pleasant surprise for you, and you'll be able to roster them.
34:34I love that, Liz Loza. As far as mine, my favorite pick of the draft for me, and I hate to pick
34:41my own pick, but I love being able to grab my tight end George Kittle at the very end of the draft.
34:48It felt like starting tight end, I am in on that.
34:51And as a part of it, my second favorite pick of the draft is what my guy Kyle Soppe did with literally
34:58the last pick, which was grab Juwan Johnson. If I'm going to grab George Kittle, I would love to grab him as
35:05my tight end too in case George Kittle doesn't play week one because they draw my Detroit Lions, who are going to
35:11be without both of their starting safeties and their number two cornerback.
35:15They should be throwing the ball a lot in that Saints offense, so I like both of those picks.
35:21As far as something I wouldn't do or a pick that I would change, I was talking to you about Travis Achan,
35:28and I was saying, hey, you know what? I'd like to draft either Lad McConkie or Travis Achan here, and then someone
35:34else in the draft drafted Lad McConkie. I should have kept my mouth shut because I would have loved to get him
35:41rather than Cam Scadaboo in the following round. I was talking through the process, nothing wrong with that, but that would have
35:48been something that I would have changed. If I could have gotten Lad McConkie rather than Cam Scadaboo, I'd have felt a
35:55lot better about my squad and that wide receiver position that I've got.
35:59And the last piece, draft advice for the season.
36:01If there's one little bit of draft advice I could give every single person heading into the busiest draft weekend of the
36:08year, it is to follow at Liz Loza underscore FF on social media.
36:12Thank you very much, Daniel. I adore you. Last call!
36:15Today we learned that thinking out loud helps everyone but yourself, that the fifth round of fantasy drafts can surprise with running
36:22back value, and that it's never too late to try something new.
36:26Be sure to check out my preseason edition of Facts Versus Feelings, the column, which just went live on the dot com.
36:32And remember, you can leave us a voicemail. The number to call is 323-391-4855.
36:37Until next time, may your facts be solid, your feelings be right, and your bus be someone else's problem.
36:43And everybody else, don't forget to... Never mind.