Re-Assessing The Rookies For 2026
STACKED extracted the fantasy-relevant player signal from this podcast and kept the full transcript here for context.
1 hr 8 min
Duration
Estimated from transcript
Aug 17, 2026
Published
Mon, August 17, 2026
29
Player insights
26
Players mentioned
Topics
Jeremiyah LoveJonah ColemanJordyn TysonAlec PierceBreece HallCaleb DouglasCarnell TateChristian McCaffreyDe'Von AchaneDemond ClaiborneEmmett JohnsonGeorge HolaniJ.K. DobbinsJadarian Price
Player analysis
Player insights
Alec Pierce
NegativeInjury5:39
Alec Pierce is not practicing and will miss all of training camp. The source suspects he will lose the race to be ready for Week 1, though he remains draftable if he falls far enough in drafts.
Insight pageBreece Hall
NegativeInjury5:28
Breece Hall left practice with a potential non-contact groin injury. The situation is currently being monitored for further information.
Insight pageCaleb Douglas
NegativeRole57:22
Caleb Douglas is expected to start for Miami, but his usage is primarily in soft zones where he can use his size rather than high-proficiency route running. Waldman views him as a late-round option for those looking to ride momentum, though he is not a standard league priority.
Insight pageCarnell Tate
PositiveBreakout35:30
The source is very high on Carnell Tate, projecting him as a potential 900-1100 yard receiver in his rookie season. He is praised for his route-running versatility and ability to play the Z position, with the source comparing his skill set favorably to Justin Jefferson.
Insight pageChristian McCaffrey
NegativeInjury5:07
Christian McCaffrey is not currently practicing, though there is no indication he is in danger of missing regular-season time.
Insight pageDe'Von Achane
NegativeUsage60:00
The source warns that Devon Achane may be overvalued due to the Dolphins' offensive scheme, which relies on play-action and rolling the quarterback, often leaving running backs out of the primary progression. He expects Achane's reception total to be significantly lower than last year.
Insight pageDemond Claiborne
PositiveSleeper32:45
The source identifies DeMond Claiborne as the most exciting back in his class pound-for-pound, comparing his profile to James Cook and Aaron Jones. While he may be a long-term dynasty play, the source recommends drafting him as a late-round dart throw in redraft leagues due to Aaron Jones's injury history.
Insight pageEmmett Johnson
PositiveSleeper27:31
The source is high on Emmitt Johnson, describing him as a smart, creative runner with excellent footwork and better contact balance than scouts realize. Despite being in a crowded Chiefs backfield, the source believes Johnson could flip a team's fortunes if injuries occur, making him a high-upside stash.
Insight pageGeorge Holani
PositiveBreakout29:14
George Helani has impressed in camp as one of the top two backs. Waldman describes him as a well-rounded player with quickness, power, and the ability to catch the football and pass protect.
Insight pageJ.K. Dobbins
PositiveValue24:02
The source views J.K. Dobbins as a strong value in the 7th-9th round range, noting his grit and successful recovery from catastrophic injuries. Despite the injury history, the source is comfortable drafting him as a RB3 or flex option, expecting him to maintain the primary role in the backfield.
Insight pageJadarian Price
NegativeValue28:26
Matt Waldman likes Jadarian Price as a dynasty prospect but notes his pass protection needs work and his footwork can be inconsistent. He expects a committee backfield in Seattle and suggests only drafting Price if he falls to the mid-to-late rounds.
Insight pageJames Conner
NegativeInjury1:51
James Connor is dealing with an ankle injury that has kept him out of practice, with speculation suggesting he may be nowhere close to returning and potentially done for the season.
Insight pageJeremiyah Love
NegativeInjury0:52
Jeremiah Love has suffered a high ankle sprain, ruling him out for the remainder of August and into September, putting his Week 1 availability in jeopardy. The source has lowered his rank as a result.
Insight pagePositiveProjection25:14
Matt Waldman compares Jeremiah Love to elite prospects like Bijan Robinson and Jameer Gibbs. Despite the injury, Waldman projects a potential role split with Tyler Algier, where Love could eventually earn more volume, similar to the Alvin Kamara/Mark Ingram dynamic.
Insight pageJonah Coleman
NegativeRole22:36
The source expresses skepticism regarding Jonah Coleman's fantasy outlook, noting a lack of elite burst, acceleration, and long speed. While he can pass protect and find creases, he is not viewed as a high-end tackle breaker. The source expects J.K. Dobbins to remain the primary back, with Coleman likely relegated to a limited short-yardage or red-zone role.
Insight pageNegativeBust37:16
Matt Waldman is skeptical of Jonah Coleman, noting he was not a favorite of his during the scouting process and questioning the hype surrounding him.
Insight pageJordyn Tyson
NegativeInjury2:10
Jordan Tyson pulled a hamstring and is seeking out specialists, leading the source to lower his rank.
Insight pageNegativeBust40:12
The source labels Jordan Tyson a 'landmine' due to his injury history and an aggressive movement style that leads to frequent health issues. While he shows flashes of elite talent, his inconsistency as a route runner and inability to stay on the field make him a risky fantasy asset.
Insight pageKyle Monangai
NegativeInjury5:23
Kyle Monongai suffered a knee injury in practice on Sunday, which the Bears have characterized as minor.
Insight pageMalachi Fields
PositiveSleeper53:56
Waldman identifies Malachi Fields as a superior route runner compared to other rookies discussed, highlighting his short-area quickness and ability to win after the catch. While his fantasy value is tied to the uncertainty of quarterback Jackson Dart, Fields is a strong dynasty add and a potential waiver wire target if the quarterback situation stabilizes.
Insight pageNajee Harris
NegativeValue20:21
Matt Waldman notes that Najee Harris is still a fine player in the top tier of running backs, though he notes diminishing athletic ability at his current stage in his career.
Insight pageOmar Cooper Jr.
NegativeProjection43:56
The source expresses disappointment in Omar Cooper's prospects, noting that he is not expected to start. The source is adopting a 'prove me wrong' stance regarding Cooper and A.D. Mitchell, citing the team's overall offensive uncertainty.
Insight pageRashod Bateman
PositiveUsage50:52
Waldman notes that the Ravens are moving Rashad Bateman all over the formation, which is a positive sign for his potential to be the number two receiver in the offense. He is considered a safe late-round dart throw.
Insight pageRobert Henry
PositiveSleeper62:06
Robert Henry is identified as the best rookie running back on the Commanders' roster, despite being a UDFA. Waldman compares his style to Aaron Jones and suggests keeping him on the radar for waiver wire additions.
Insight pageSeth McGowan
PositiveDepth Chart31:18
Reports from joint practices suggest Seth McGowan has impressed the Colts, potentially threatening DJ Giddens for the backup role behind Jonathan Taylor. The source notes McGowan is a hard runner who fits the team's gap scheme and could share a backfield with Ulysses Bentley if Taylor misses time.
Insight pageTed Hurst
NegativeProjection52:11
Ted Hurst is a big, fast receiver with a limited role due to his lack of advanced route running. Waldman projects him as a 'go up and win it' type player similar to T Higgins or Mike Williams, but notes that Tampa Bay's crowded receiver room limits his immediate breakout potential.
Insight pageTrey Benson
NegativeInjury1:51
Trey Benson has been sidelined from practice due to injury, contributing to the Cardinals' current backfield uncertainty.
Insight pageTucker Kraft
NegativeRole2:24
Tucker Craft has been moved down in the source's tight end ranks due to his mid-season ACL tear last year and his own admission that he expects to be on a limited snap count for at least half the season. He remains draftable if he falls far enough in drafts.
Insight pageZach Charbonnet
NegativeInjury28:33
Matt Waldman does not believe Zach Charbonnet will be ready to contribute significantly due to his recovery from an ACL tear.
Insight pageFull transcript
Episode Transcript
0:00It's the Harris Football Podcast with your host, Christopher Harris.
0:03Hey everybody, welcome in. My name is Chris and this is a show about flora and fauna.
0:09Hello there. Thank you so much for listening. Welcome to another week of getting you ready for fantasy drafts.
0:16It's a big week. We certainly have fantasy leagues that will be drafting this week or this weekend.
0:22La Liga Lebowski Original Recipe has its auction for veterans that are not owned on Thursday night.
0:27It's time to start thinking about the market and about value.
0:31And that will begin this week. We have ADP surprises on Tuesday.
0:35We have flag players on Thursday and Friday. Cousin Josh with the frag players.
0:40A lot of stuff going on. And that includes a lot of NFL news.
0:45The biggest that we know about as of my recording this, that we have any parameters on I guess, is the rookie
0:52stud running back Jeremiah Love suffering a high ankle sprain.
0:55Was it in an exhibition game? I kind of think so, but I don't know.
1:00Maybe they're not saying. But Love is now certainly done for the rest of August and into September.
1:07And will be in a race to be ready for week one.
1:11And meanwhile, the Cardinals haven't had James Connor, the squirminator, or Trey Benson because of injury.
1:16There has been speculation that Connor and his ankle nowhere close and potentially just might be done.
1:22We will talk about the ramifications of Love's injury later in the show.
1:26He certainly got lower in my ranks as a result.
1:30Jordan Tyson, another rookie, the receiver for the Saints.
1:33He pulled a hamstring, which kind of his move.
1:36He's now seeking out specialists, which sounds amazing. He's lower in my ranks as well.
1:41He will also come up later in the show.
1:44Tucker Craft, I lowered in the tight end ranks.
1:47I originally had him third among tight ends. Because when he was great last year, he was really great.
1:53But he's coming off that torn ACL. It happened mid-season.
1:57So I was proceeding carefully with the hope that things would be normal.
2:01What do we always say? It's the negative stuff they can't stop from leaking out that we should pay the most attention to.
2:09And Craft himself evidently called himself on a limited snap count for at least half the season when he talked to reporters this weekend.
2:17And it's not like my rank change for him changes his overall rank that much.
2:22I still left him in the same group of tight ends in my combined ranks.
2:27But he's at the bottom of that group now rather than the top.
2:31I would still take him if he falls far enough.
2:35As you know, I'm usually not the person who's going to take a tight end early.
2:40So my preference definitely is to wait. And if Craft is the one who falls way to me later in a draft, great.
2:48Emeka Abuka has a toe injury that the Buccaneers have waved away to this point.
2:53But he's not apparently going to play in any preseason games.
2:57They're still saying he'll be available week one. I didn't move his rank, but I'm listening for more news.
3:03The 49ers can't keep any running backs healthy ever, it seems.
3:07Christian McCaffrey still isn't practicing. I think none of the three guys behind him on the depth chart are healthy either.
3:14So far, we don't have any indication that Tiny Bones, CMC, is in danger of missing real time.
3:20But we'll keep watching. Kyle Monongai hurt a knee in practice on Sunday.
3:24The Bears are saying minor injury as of my recording this.
3:28Brees Hall left practice this morning, Monday morning, with maybe a groin injury.
3:33They're speculating, but it was a non-contact injury. I don't have any additional information about that right now.
3:39That would obviously be a big one. Alec Pierce did not get the second PRP injection, apparently, but still not going to practice this week at all.
3:48So he will have missed all of training camp proper and will be in a race against time for week one that I suspect he's going to lose.
3:57But he is still draftable if he falls far enough.
4:01He's got to fall far, you know. He's pretty low on the receiver ranks right now, but he's not unranked because I
4:08don't think at this point we suspect that he's missing the entire season.
4:12A lot of stuff. The ranks are updated as well as I can make them at harrisfootball.com.
4:18And then just a little reminder, I don't keep half PPR ranks explicitly because, frankly, there's not that much difference between standard and PPR ranks these days.
4:27But you can go to harrishalfppr.com and there's kind of an average.
4:31It's a representative of an average of my two sets of ranks.
4:35If you just need an approximation, there you have it.
4:39Now, for the rest of the intro on today's show, I wanted to talk to you for just a moment about rejection, but not in a discouraging way.
4:48I am going through it right now with this new novel of mine, Pound Foolish.
4:53Available for pre-order now. Get bribed. Go to harrisfootball.com.
4:56You'll find more info and you can take a screenshot of your pre-order.
5:01And we're going to do a drawing late in today's show for another Zoom session with me and lots more prizes to
5:08come throughout the rest of the month. But that's not really what I want to talk about.
5:14Rejection. We all go through it in all corners of life.
5:18It's a bad feeling. Sometimes really bad feeling. If you listening out there are what they call a creative person, you are
5:25familiar with what it's like to hear no a million times.
5:29And even if you're not, come on. We all know rejection in various forms.
5:34At work, in the job market, romantic partners, friends, relatives.
5:37It's on my mind a lot right now for a specific reason.
5:41But I was thinking that talking about it more generally might be helpful for someone out there to hear.
5:47In the case, this particular case of putting out a novel, I mean, obviously, duh, rejection.
5:53In the case of Pound Foolish, I'm not even talking about the book getting rejected because I didn't even send it out this time.
6:01Because I just felt so beaten down from the last time I sent out a book.
6:06I kind of just decided I'm not going to do it.
6:10This time I'm just going to, from the beginning, well, I'm going to start Cumulative Press.
6:15You, you're loud, yeah. It's a hard word for Harris to say, yeah.
6:20And hence, the publishing empire was something, something. Cumulative Press, my massive publishing wing of my stuff.
6:26But even skipping the biggest source of writing rejection, which is the agents and the publishers.
6:31And I've had agents and I've had publishers. You know, like I've had them.
6:36I've been accepted, but I've also been rejected way more times than I've been accepted.
6:41Even skipping all that, it's hilarious how much no there is in the world.
6:45All these inquiries. Hey, would you be interested in having me on your show to talk about the NFL?
6:52Why we love it. Why sometimes it very much does not love us back.
6:57No answer. Hey, would you like a copy? You know, I can see from your social media posts you like to read fiction.
7:04I got this new book. Would you like to have a look at it?
7:09That would be great. And then you get, like they always say, sure, sounds good.
7:14Here's my address. And then three months go by.
7:17Hey, I wonder if you had a chance to look.
7:21Crickets. That's happened with like a dozen people probably.
7:24Getting anybody to respond to emails. Ha ha ha.
7:27No. Even to some small degree, mentioning it on this podcast.
7:30You know, some of you have pre-ordered. Thank you so much.
7:34Most people don't. Even when you're offered a free copy.
7:38Which, you know, that's different. That is different. But if you're not careful, you can lump it all together into one thing.
7:45You know, geez, the world is not into this book.
7:48And I worked really hard on it. So the world is not into me.
7:53And that is going to work. That's where my complaining ends.
7:57It is really tough. Yes. But the way I'm trying to think about this stuff is for all of us.
8:04No matter what kind of rejection we get in the world.
8:07It's okay. It's not the judgment of an unfeeling world.
8:11It's just that it's hard to get people's attention.
8:14You need a harmonic convergence for things to work out.
8:17And in fact, the number of rejections we get, whether it's for something creative or if it's for like applying for jobs
8:24or applying to college, swiping for love, we should wear that number of rejections like a badge.
8:30We shouldn't take it personally because mostly these people who are rejecting us, they aren't even really giving us a chance.
8:37They themselves are like hanging on by a thread.
8:40And they almost certainly don't mean it personally. And we should take it as incentive to just apply ourselves harder, try harder, send more emails.
8:49I think this is partly probably me trying to psych myself up out loud in a public forum, which is a little embarrassing, but it's okay.
8:58Because I was having this conversation with myself a lot this weekend and I thought a little embarrassment, I can deal with
9:05it because I bet some of the yacht possums feel the same way sometimes and might like to know what's going on
9:12with me and that someone else feels something like what they do.
9:17So I'm not saying all this out of despair, but out of hope.
9:21It's not amazing to feel rejected. And there's certainly a lot of it going around.
9:26I wanted you to know that even I, a yacht captain, feel that way as well.
9:31And it does stink. Like disappointments, the definition of the word stinks.
9:35But when we can muster the strength to keep going, we should keep going.
9:40I sit and I write these books for months and for years.
9:44And when I was younger, did I imagine that I would have like a big five publisher?
9:50I sure did. Did I imagine I'd be reviewed in New York times?
9:54I sure did. Did I imagine I would get more publicity for a book?
9:59Definitely. But I still think the books I'm writing are really good and I'm really proud of Pound Foolish.
10:06I am. I think it's the best novel about what football means in America that you'll ever read, to be honest.
10:13Maybe I'm delusional, but a little delusion, that's okay.
10:16And to spread it out to other things, whatever's going on in your life where you're hoping for a better outcome, I wish it for you too.
10:25And it's probably mostly not personal. And if we can, we should try when we can to wear rejections like a badge.
10:32And if we can go on, you know, I believe in you.
10:36I hope you'll go on. Today's kickoff. Okay. On today's show, it's a rookie day.
10:41We're going to sort through what we think of the rookies so far because we're halfway through August and who else would
10:49you rather have to talk to you about rookies than the great Matt Waldman from the Rookie Scouting Portfolio.
10:55I will throw a bunch of names at Matt and he'll give us some background and some analysis of the news that
11:03we've heard so far about these kids. And I think you'll have fun.
11:07And I thank you again so much for listening today.
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12:18Today's guest. Remind us, refresh us, your evaluation of Harris.
12:21Harris, Harris, Harris, Harris, Harris. Harris is a guy.
12:24I think he's fine. Um. He's in the top tier, of course.
12:28Just in the middle of the top tier. Interesting.
12:31I think he's good. In theory. Oh. Nothing extraordinary.
12:34Wow. Diminishing athletic ability at his ripe old age.
12:37Hey, wait a minute. Wait a minute. Wait a minute.
12:41He's my friend. Truly good dude. Matt Waldman. Hi, Matt.
12:44Hey, Chris. He wasn't talking about me. He was talking about cousin Najee.
12:48We've been doing this so long that now Najee Harris is like not on a team.
12:54And that, or if he is, I don't know it.
12:57And that means we're old, but that's okay, Matt.
13:00That's all right. It's okay that we've been, you've been coming to my show long enough to have spanned of a very dramatic running backs entire pro career.
13:10Well, look. Well, here's to us being able to span Matthew Stafford or Tom Brady's career.
13:15How about that? Yeah. Here's to that. I completely agree.
13:18Of course, you are incredibly kind to have been coming on the show for as many years as you have.
13:25You're wonderful. I know that the audience listening to this show loves you desperately and can't wait to have you on.
13:32If anybody doesn't know Matt's work, I really recommend just mattwalbunrsp.com.
13:36That's the rookie scouting portfolio. And it's just my Bible for rookies.
13:40I don't really pay attention to anything anybody else says.
13:43If people look at my ranks, my blended ranks, it's always like, why is that guy so high?
13:50He's not done anything in the league yet. And I'm like, because Matt said so.
13:55I don't know. Well, these guys from a hole in the ground.
13:59It's because Matt convinced me. And he does the work.
14:02He's incredible. So mattwaldmanrsp.com is the place to go.
14:05And so this is kind of a rookie catch-up show where you've been on and we've talked our way through the running backs.
14:13We did the running backs with you, I'm pretty sure.
14:16I believe so. And then I've read much of your stuff on the receivers.
14:21I have more receiver names, frankly, than running backs.
14:24Probably a better receiver class. Some names will go into depth because they've got some news associated and some will kind of
14:31just like, you know, give the quick gloss over.
14:34I started the show today mentioning Jeremiah Love's injury.
14:38It's been confirmed as of, I don't know, Sunday night anyway, that it's a high ankle sprain and that is certainly going
14:45to put a damper on his redraft stock. But I just know that from having talked to you about Love, he's a
14:52prospect you're willing to call, you know, the joke we have is that a generational prospect comes along every year and you're
15:00not calling Love generational necessarily, but you definitely have him standing out above several years worth of running back prospects.
15:07Yeah, he's up there with the guys that we've looked at over the years who are at the top of the list.
15:14I mean, certainly you could look at Jameer Gibbs and Bijan Robinson and you would say Love probably is in that tier,
15:21maybe in the bottom part of the tier, but he's probably in it.
15:26And I think that what we've seen in camp is that you have some old school veteran coaches.
15:32They signed Tyler Algier to a pretty decent free agent contract for what a backup would be or a guy who would be a committee player.
15:41And they're playing that game of let's hook the carrot and like, you know, put it on a string and get Love
15:48to work for it, you know, in terms of the starting role.
15:52And I think that we could see a world where Love, once he heals up, that he will have, you know, a
16:00split with Tyler Algier and then an opportunity to really build that role and add more volume at Algier's expense.
16:06But Algier's a good screen player. He's a decent pass protector.
16:10He's certainly a physical inside runner and can handle a large volume if need be.
16:15And Love's going to have more of a, you know, if you look at it, it could be kind of like an
16:23Alvin Kamara, Mark Ingram role from way back in the day where, you know, Algier plays the Ingram role and Love plays the Kamara role.
16:31I'm just not to the level of production probably that we saw from those Saints players back in their heyday.
16:38Right. Yeah. I mean, the price is simply going to come down.
16:42It should come down. Now people will be screaming, oh, what value you'll be getting with Jermail.
16:48Okay, cool. I mean, I'm rarely going to be where the market is on rookie redraft, the top, the number one guy.
16:55I mean, it's not Ashton Gentty going five overall or over was last year.
17:00That's nice. But maybe the market learned its lesson a little bit.
17:04Jadarian Price has also been banged up some in Seahawks training camp.
17:08You know, any threat of Zach Charbonnet making some kind of miracle recovery seems unlikely.
17:13And I would say my recollection is that you like Jadarian Price.
17:17I would say you're definitely in like with him, but probably not in love.
17:22Exactly. I was in like with him. And Charbonnet, I just don't believe is going to be ready.
17:28And if I'm on a one, if I have one year left and I'm going to be a free agent and I'm
17:35recovering from an ACL tear, no, I'm not going to be quite right.
17:40I don't think he's going to be playing much or going to get a lot of time.
17:45Now, on the other hand, a guy I liked a lot relative to his draft position, which was he had no draft position, was George Helani.
17:54And Helani has started off in camp as one of the top two backs and getting that opportunity to see enough time.
18:02And I think part of that is that he's a well-rounded player who can pass protect.
18:07He's a good inside runner. He's got quickness. He's got some power.
18:11And he can catch the football. So with Price, you're looking at a rookie who his pass protection needs work.
18:18When things at the line of scrimmage get a little bit dicey and don't go as planned, he can kind of stifle
18:25himself with his reactions, with his footwork, that kind of put him in a position where he can't really accelerate off to
18:33either side because he's got a little bit of wonkiness.
18:36He's got to straighten out. But, I mean, overall, he's a nice dynasty prospect as someone that could be a lead back
18:44in a committee if not an every down back at some point.
18:48It's just that I think he was a little overpriced as well heading into this.
18:53And I think that we're probably going to see a two or three-headed backfield in that Seattle offense.
18:59And, you know, it's probably not going to be – he's probably going to have to compete with time with the former
19:06Packer, Wilson, Emmanuel Wilson, and George Helani. And I know that doesn't sound like much when you look at his draft capital.
19:14So if he can fall enough that you feel like it's worth taking a risk in the mid to – you know,
19:21if he can be in like after round seven, round eight, if he could fall that far, then I think that's worthwhile
19:28for you to consider as long as you're limiting your risk to him.
19:33But I think there's other guys I would rather take the risk on than a running back who might be a part of a three-headed committee.
19:42Yeah, they're all part of committees. But he's just not a superstar waiting to happen.
19:47I think that's the biggest thing. All right. Those are the two big names.
19:51And then we get to some names that have made headlines for various reasons.
19:56We got Kalen Black who when I talked to you on the show back in February or maybe even March, we did
20:04not know his draft destiny at that point. And the 49ers, much to the chagrin of many draft Knicks, were – the
20:11draft Knicks were mad by the Kalen Black selection.
20:14Pre him being taken by the Niners, you were RB17 on him and you comped him somewhere along the lines of maybe he could be Sean Tucker.
20:23Maybe he could actually be – you comped him to Jordan James on the same team.
20:29The issue we have right now is there's no healthy – Khalil Herbert is the healthy 49ers running.
20:35There's no healthy – McCaffrey mentioned earlier not playing.
20:38Black himself has an abductor strain, has barely done anything.
20:41Jordan James has a broken rib, not doing anything.
20:44Holy moly. How do the Niners keep doing this to themselves?
20:48It's that power plant, I guess, huh? I guess.
20:51Drew Davenport of football guys actually made an X handle called the – I think the electrical substation.
20:57And he tweets from – Got another one. Yeah, exactly.
21:00Exactly. He gets to play the villain. But, I mean, Kalen Black, I mean, you know, like you said, I comped him
21:08to Jordan, you know, so Jordan James. So when you look at that, hard runner, can catch the ball, good on screen,
21:15certainly someone that, you know, can pick up some tough yards.
21:19He attacks at the end of his runs, which a lot of bigger backs don't do well.
21:25He's versatile enough. And he's just a smart running back who may not have top-end speed.
21:30But you look at guys like Kyron Williams, and you could see how that maybe in a really strong offense, if Kalen
21:38Black can distinguish himself, maybe he can grab a hold of the job if there's an injury to Christian McCaffrey that turns
21:45out to be long-term or McCaffrey retires at some point.
21:48But right now, yeah, Herbert's probably the camp body, and they know that he's going to run things effectively because he's always been a smart interior runner.
21:57He's just not a great passing down back. So you're kind of getting a comparable player.
22:03He constantly gets hurt. Yeah, that too. We loved him around here, but yeah.
22:08Yeah, yeah, exactly. So it's, you know, it's dicey.
22:11You're probably going to see a running back two-by committee for this team, and that just means that – And he's always
22:18been this way, even with his daddy. It's like, well, let's throw three up against the wall and see which one sticks, you know?
22:26Yeah, but when one sticks, it can be pretty valuable.
22:30And I mean, McCaffrey obviously is one – we're all one play away, but McCaffrey's really one play away.
22:36Jonah Coleman, I don't believe a favorite of yours back when we talked.
22:40No. And, boy, the same people that told me R.J.
22:44Harvey was great last year are telling me Jonah Coleman's great this year.
22:48It's kind of, you know, it's kind of like, when are we going to learn?
22:53I mean, maybe it's me that's going to have to learn, and Jonah Coleman turns out to be fantastic.
23:00But, you know, when the Broncos talk about players, people get overly excited because Sean Payton likes to use archetypes, and then
23:07he names players that he had, and people get a little too excited with it.
23:12And then they realize, oh, Sean Payton uses committees and uses pretty, like, distinct, like, three-back committees, often with a lot of
23:20players, and, you know, Coleman can run – Coleman can run where the crease is open.
23:25He's going to be able to find the open crease.
23:28He'll be able to set up some open creases pretty well.
23:32I did not see great burst out of this guy.
23:35He certainly has the size to run through reaches and wraps.
23:39He should be a harder runner than what I saw.
23:43He can pass protect, and he can catch. But the lack of acceleration and long speed and the lack of ability to
23:50truly be, like, a high-end tackle breaker contact balance back that you would see from even, say, oh, I don't know, Ramondre
23:57Stevenson's a good example of a guy who's slower, who runs with terrific contact balance and can plow through people.
24:04I don't think Jonah Coleman's as good as that.
24:07And I think that we're going to see J.K.
24:10Dobbins continue to be the main guy. Coleman will probably get some sort of short yardage roll early or red zone roll
24:18early and see what he can do with it.
24:21But I don't think he's going to get, like, the red zone roll.
24:25I think you're going to still see J.K. Dobbins collect his in that area.
24:30Well, Harvey will just catch 500 five-yard touchdowns and drive me crazy.
24:34That's right. Maybe. You know, I just – I mean, to me, I mean, like, I'm going with the passing game and J.K.
24:42Dobbins in seventh, eighth, ninth round, wherever he is right now, if I can recall.
24:47If I can get him as my running back four in a league where, you know, I'd be really happy with that.
24:54Even as a flex, I'm okay. I'm with you.
24:57Yeah. That's really good. Yeah. These guys are healthy, obviously.
25:01Yes. But he remade his game. Like, my buddy Brandon Angelo, who's a trainer of NFL guys, I mean, said he's the
25:08gold standard for a guy that got hurt and had to remake his game because, I mean, you remember him at Ohio State and he had electric acceleration.
25:18And to me, he was one-two with Jonathan Taylor in that draft class.
25:22Like, they were the top two backs. And, you know, the injuries he went through, he never got hurt at Ohio State.
25:29And then he's had to go through two catastrophic injuries.
25:33And, you know, we'll see what happens. But I admire his grit.
25:37And, yeah, as a running back three, sure. I'll take the chance.
25:41So, Nick Singleton, I recall you as being, I would characterize it when we talked as intrigued by because clearly there's a lot of raw material.
25:50You know, he was awesome as a freshman and recruited, you know, to be the next Saquon, to be the next Adrian
25:57Peterson, to be, you know, to look amazing in the uniform.
26:01And then I think you think maybe he got unfairly dinged for stuff that happened around him at Penn State.
26:08Yeah, I mean, I don't think, I think Penn State's program was going through some troubles in terms of their coaching staff and how they executed.
26:16And certainly players can have a big part in that.
26:20And they had a quarterback in Drew Aller who's, you know, at least week one's preseason hero.
26:25You can put him in there with, you know, Skylar Thompson and, you know, who's a, you know, Bruce Grakowski.
26:32Or even, I can't remember the name, Huntley. Ryan Huntley, I think that was his name.
26:38You know, and say they're, you know, they're preseason all-stars.
26:41But they don't amount to much. And I think Drew Aller's got a long way to go.
26:47But when you look at Singleton in that offense of Drew Aller, they had to simplify a lot of things.
26:53I think that they also made very static roles for a lot of their skill talent.
26:59And defenses kind of were able to predict that.
27:02I think Singleton's a better back than maybe how people portray him to be.
27:07And I think, you know, he's in a good backfield overall as a first-year guy that I don't think he's going to
27:14get a lot of time this year. But he's certainly worth holding on to in a dynasty format.
27:20Or if injuries mount, that you take a waiver wire dart and throw on him.
27:25Love it. You had, before they got drafted, you had Emmett Johnson as your number two back in this class.
27:32Acknowledging that it was kind of like horses for courses, which were whatever flavor you wanted.
27:37Putting Nick Singleton and Emmett Johnson in the same, they're not the same kind of running back.
27:43Emmett Johnson's a smaller guy, a quicker guy, likely to be a receiving type guy.
27:48And then he has the good slash bad fortune of going to the Chiefs, where he's not allowed to just develop in peace.
27:56Suddenly he needs to, like, be the running back who was promised, you know.
28:01And I know Ken Walker also wound up there, but I think Johnson might get drafted in some leagues.
28:07I think he might, too, because I think everybody knows that it's hard to imagine a world where Ken Walker stays healthy the entire season.
28:16So that's part of it. Now, Amar DiMarcato is certainly a fine journeyman backup who can give an offense some, you know,
28:23decent opportunity, you know, decent production in a role where, you know, he's not the every down back all year.
28:30But he can certainly do the job as a receiver.
28:33He's got some speed. But Johnson, I think, long-term and maybe even short-term because I think he'll be a quick learner, excellent footwork.
28:41I think he's a lot quicker than people realize.
28:44He has better contact balance than people realize. He's a very smart runner who's creative.
28:49And I think that we could see a world where if injuries mount and they're, like, half-season, full-season type of injuries, Emmitt
28:56Johnson could be that guy who basically flips the fortunes of a team.
29:01He has that kind of skill to him. He had a nice preseason game I heard this weekend, you know, and he had some nice gains.
29:10But, I mean, I would say more than anything, you just look at his tape at Nebraska and you see, you know,
29:17the type of runner who, if the NFL team that drafted him doesn't get too hung up on 40 times in measurables
29:25and actually looks at the film a little bit more often, you know, like the people who overrule the scouts pretty often
29:32in the NFL, those type of guys, if they can, like, get past their 40-ism, I think that we'll see Emmitt Johnson shine.
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30:54Okay, we're back with Matt, and I have a couple more running back names to run by, then we'll get to a list of wide receivers.
31:03It's not like, you know, I'm a Patriots fan.
31:06I'm not watching preseason games, exhibition games, because I think they're useless.
31:10But I did hear from a little bird that when they did the joint practice with the Colts, they were kind of gobsmacked by Seth McGowan.
31:19They said they did not expect him to be as good as he was.
31:24Very late round draft pick. It sounds like DJ Giddens could be in trouble for the backup job behind Jonathan Taylor.
31:31Not that we're drafting Seth McGowan, but I wondered just, is that gratifying to you at all to hear?
31:37Honestly, not really. I mean, I just thought he was a hard runner.
31:42He's good in a gap scheme. That fits what the Colts like to do.
31:46I mean, he's got good speed. And I think that with DJ Giddens, I mean, I feel sad for him, but DJ
31:54Giddens last year, I was like, this is a talented guy who every play you watch on tape, there's something that needs to be fixed.
32:02Like, it's just like he never ties it all together.
32:06And he should be able to. And I can see how McGowan's going to have a good shot of overtaking him as a result of that.
32:15And I would say that if Jonathan Taylor gets hurt for a long period of time this year, you're going to see
32:22Seth McGowan and Ulysses Bentley as a kind of a cohort backfield, with Bentley being the scat back who can catch out of the backfield.
32:30And McGowan would be the guy that occasionally get a screen or a swing pass, but he's going to be the two-down
32:38back with Bentley being the passing-down guy. And then the Vikings took DeMond Claiborne, another dude you like, really small.
32:45A hard demographic to be good in fantasy. Running backs are that small.
32:49But, you know, sometimes it works out. They have a couple of guys, but Aaron Jones gets hurt all the time.
32:56And Jordan Mason, for as much as I think most of the guests that have come on the show, have been kind
33:04of like, why is Jordan Mason going so low in redraft leagues?
33:08He still has spit the bit a couple of times.
33:11So there could be some waiver appeal of DeMond Claiborne somewhere down the road this year.
33:16Yeah, in 20-round leagues, I'm drafting him just as a dart throw because I think pound for pound he's the most exciting back that's in this class.
33:25Pound for pound he is. And that's, you know, he doesn't weigh that much different than what we saw from James Cook
33:33or Aaron Jones when they were rookies and came out of school.
33:37And those were the two backs I compared them to.
33:40So for me, I think my biggest concern is that is Kyler Murray going to play a level of football that he's
33:48capable of but never has, which is, you know, step up in the pocket and hit the convenient second or third read
33:55or throw the ball away rather than, you know, tire out his offensive line, tire out his receivers, and then basically tire
34:03out his coaches and wind up somewhere else this time as a for-sure backup.
34:07You know, because if he plays like he's capable, then I think the running game could really benefit from that.
34:14But if he doesn't, you know, you're probably going to be looking at your one lead back, you know, whoever your number
34:22one back is, and if that's Mason, great. And then you're going to see occasional play from Claiborne that will be promising,
34:29but you may have to wait till next year.
34:32Or I think, you know, TJ Hawkinson's going to be really happy, but Justin Jefferson's going to be seen on the sidelines
34:39getting suspended for beating up his quarterback and then Jordan Mason running across the field to help him.
34:46You know, because that's kind of, if you read the headlines from the Cardinals, I mean, even Trey McBride was like, you
34:53know, I should have gotten even more targets, but he was skipping Marvin Harrison Jr.
34:58to get to me. Yeah, I'm very like, or like he was skipping, you know.
35:03So, you know, it's one of those deals that I'm not confident about the Vikings in any way, shape, or form unless I'm Justin Jefferson.
35:12That would be about the only guy I'm picking on that offense.
35:16But DeMond Claiborne is a dynasty, I would take him.
35:19Okay. Speaking of whom, we're going to go to wide receiver.
35:23We have Justin Jefferson Jr., Carnell Tate. Yes. You love Carnell Tate, and I'm going to guess that you find his ADP appealing.
35:30I do because I can get guys like Parker Washington and Michael Wilson after I get Carnell Tate.
35:37So if I'm going to take a chance on a wide receiver who really doesn't have a track record in the NFL,
35:44it's going to be Carnell Tate because he can run all the routes.
35:48They're putting him at Z, which means that he's going to get his share of short and intermediate routes too.
35:55And he's a better runner after the catch than people think.
35:59And like I joked in my scouting report, I think Justin Jefferson was moonlighting as Carnell Tate at Ohio State.
36:06I think that that's like, I mean, obviously I'm being facetious, but Tate is someone that is skilled enough that I think
36:13that he can be a 900 to 1100 yard receiver out of the gate.
36:18And so if I can get that and I'm picking him as say my wide receiver too, but I know I'm getting
36:25two receivers that I believe are going to be as good or better than him in, you know, in Wilson and the seventh, eighth, ninth round.
36:34And then Parker Washington, who I might take a little bit earlier than other people take him at the fourth or fifth round.
36:42I still feel like I have a good receiving core out of that, even if they're not an established name core.
36:49Right. Because you think you're, I mean, he's, he's probably, I think I'm right.
36:54Right. He's probably a sixth round pick Tate is, and that's about where I have him ranked.
36:59And, and I never am like that, but I am like that because of you, because I read the RSP.
37:06And, and the reason to, the reason that you're saying you're phrasing it that way, which is to say, I can take
37:14Parker Washington, who's going to be better after Carnell Tate.
37:17You don't take, if Tate hits his ceiling, he could be 1700 yards.
37:21Like Parker Washington is probably not going to do 1700 yards, which is why you would be willing to spend the slightly earlier pick on Tate.
37:30So that's exactly right. Cause I see Tate having, I mean, to me, maybe not that high of a ceiling, but I get your point.
37:39And that's definitely high end receiver to low end wide receiver one value out of him that I see as a legitimate
37:46ceiling as a guy that's going to be catching a lot of targets from.
37:51Good. I mean, I think we're going to, I think we're going to be in on Tate on this show.
37:57The next two guys I don't really think we need to spend too much time on because they're hurt.
38:04Mekhi Lemon and Jordan Tyson. I have to imagine that as this injury news gets sort of, you know, filters out through
38:11ADP out there, they have to come down. They'll get drafted.
38:15But I mean, Mekhi Lemon hasn't been on the practice field for a while.
38:20As far as I know, maybe he's just back.
38:23And then Jordan Tyson is going to see hamstring specialists.
38:26Yeah. I think, I think the, the, the dream of those guys being like, oh, who else is there?
38:33No doubt wide receiver twos on their own team.
38:36So they're, they're fantasy starters. Like I think that has to be out the window to start this year.
38:42Absolutely. Cause you still have Dallas Goddard. You still got the Vonta Smith and Philly, and then they've got, you know, Hollywood Brown and Don Tavian Wicks.
38:51This guy's a thing. There's always someone else. They got guys.
38:55Exactly. And I like Lemon, but none of those guys are replacing AJ Brown and that's who they lost.
39:01And, and then you see who they picked up.
39:04So when you have multiple wide receiver twos and threes, you don't really have a wide receiver two and three.
39:11And I expect that the only, I think that Philadelphia is going to struggle this year.
39:17I think even though the offense has changed and they're saying, well, our coordinator was awful.
39:22And there was some truth to that. I think that this is going to be another adjustment year.
39:28And he, a lot of heat's going to be on Jalen hurts.
39:32Yeah. And so like both of those guys, both Tyson and Lemon, I, you know, like the Lemon injury has filtered through ADP.
39:40So he's really almost not a top 100 player anymore, which is correct.
39:44He shouldn't be because we don't know what he can do because he hasn't done anything in camp and Tyson isn't down
39:52there yet, but I assume he will be because this injury just happened.
39:56So they're well worth drafting, but I don't know that you're going to wind up being the most aggressive drafter in your, in your league.
40:05Yeah. Tyson to me is a landmine. And he's unbelievably talented, but the way he moves, it's very dynamic, but in an
40:12aggressive movement style that has gotten him hurt a lot.
40:15And it also makes him a little unpredictable with the processes he needs to execute as a route runner and pass catcher.
40:23So he has some plays you look at and you go, wow, this might be the best receiver in this draft.
40:30And then there's plays you go, wow, he better fix this stuff or he's never going to be on the field.
40:37So we have the two Browns and I've been, I've been hiking them up a little by little because they've proven to some degree.
40:45It's, it feels like, you know, there's enough. I mean, it's Jerry Judy, for God's sake.
40:50You know, it just, I've been making a lot of money doubting Jerry Judy for a long time.
40:57Concepcion has, has seems like staked his claim to be the slot receiver.
41:01And so in a PPR, he gets still outside the top hundred for me, but like, you know, like he's draftable and
41:08Boston as that, as that outside receiver that we could never keep Cedric Tillman healthy.
41:13They, they both should be drafted. They're going to have rough times with the quarterback potentially, but you know, maybe they, the
41:21new coach and they figure things out, whatever. Like I'm not going to damn a situation that makes me not indulge in
41:28two talented players in, in the double digit rounds.
41:31Yeah, they're both talented guys for sure. And if the Browns can get a quarterback, um, then I think they both have,
41:39you know, why, you know, starting wide receiver potential in fantasy leagues for years to come.
41:44If, if I had to choose one that I'm going to take a chance on, it's probably going to be Concepcion just
41:52mainly because Todd Munkin's offense ran through Zay Flowers last year.
41:55It ran through Ladd McConkie when he was at Georgia.
41:59Um, and Casey Concepcion is more of the archetype of that type of receiver and the role that they're going to use.
42:06Whereas Boston may be making exciting plays along the boundary, which is catnip for media.
42:11Um, but I think that once they start, you know, once they start facing defenses that we're reading the field is going
42:19to have to be, um, you know, a high priority as the defenses are changing, you know, between pre-snap and post-snap.
42:26But the outside receiver in that look, I mean, that's going to be a little bit more difficult for Boston.
42:33It's going to be a little bit more difficult for his quarterback.
42:37So Concepcion to me is the safe play, even if Boston may be having a lower ADP, but that might change just
42:44because so many people are talking about how good of a camp Boston is having and that he looks like the best receiver on the field.
42:53If that happens, then you definitely want Concepcion as the bargain.
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43:51We are back with Matt and we got more receivers to talk about.
43:56I wish I had a lot to talk about with Omar Cooper, the remaining first round receiver, but I think we've kind
44:03of already been told that he's not going to start, which feels not amazing for his prospects this year.
44:10I, you know, I kind of wanted to believe because the Indiana story is so awesome and like, you know, you kind
44:17of like a bunch of winners and somehow figure it out.
44:21And he apparently didn't figure it out too fast.
44:24That happens, you know, and some guys need a couple of years and they, they figure it out and get together.
44:31And also maybe, maybe A.D. Mitchell finally does play to a level of promise that a lot of people felt he had to be that number two.
44:40Um, I just know that, you know, the jets be Jetson.
44:44So it's, uh, I'm, uh, you know, I, I, I would, I'm, I'm more in the mode of prove me, prove me wrong.
44:51Okay. With those guys. Yeah. All right. So then I'm going to hit on some names that are jumbled up from anybody's
44:59pre draft order because they've just landed in camps where they were given opportunities and, or taken advantage.
45:05It seems like they've been taken advantage of those opportunities and let's get deeper scouting reports on them.
45:11So Dijon Stribling did not talk about him when we did receivers on the show back in April, had no conception that
45:18he would be the 33rd overall pick. And again, I'll say it that when the, when Mel Kuyper is mad, it makes me laugh.
45:27And I root for those prospects. I'm thrilled because as if, as if, I mean, you know better than me and anybody
45:34else, like as if there's a right way to draft as if there's a right order.
45:39And if you deviate from that order, you're a fool, you're a fool.
45:44I tell you, you know, the Niners just don't know what they're doing.
45:48Okay, man. But, but it has seemed so far, granted, it's easy to be positive in camp, but it seems so far
45:56that in a position of need where everybody seems to be getting hurt on the entire offense to John Stribling is showing out pretty well.
46:04What did you think about him as a prospect before all this happened?
46:08Yeah. I mean, I didn't have a massively strong grade on him because I think as a route runner, he didn't show
46:16as much as I'd like to see, but you know, big, fast, strong, someone who can run after the catch, someone who can win contested plays.
46:25And Brock Purdy already says that he already trusts him as a route runner, which is a really great sign because Purdy is a conceptually strong quarterback.
46:34And after, you know, looking at him and thinking about post draft with him, I thought, well, if there's a player that
46:41I would bet on being wrong about in, and I'm going to be wrong about plenty of players, but the ones that
46:49the one that I would put at the top of the list would be Stribling.
46:54Um, so when you look at him, they wanted originally to put him in the, the Juwan Jennings role as really a
47:01third receiver, a big slot type who can work the, I call them the Kenny Galladay chase clay pool routes where you can just be tall.
47:10You can go up and get it and they're going to create matchups for you because they're the opposing defenses is scared
47:17is really scared of the other players. And that way they, they make big, they make earlier priorities with rolling over their
47:25coverage or playing tight against those other defenders, uh, against those others receivers.
47:29That's what happened with chase clay pool. That's what happened with Galladay early on in their careers.
47:35Um, so I think that's what they wanted to do, but if everybody continues to stay hurt and they, and they actually
47:42need Stribling to be in say Mike Evans role, I mean, he might be able to give you 800 to 900 yards,
47:50maybe even more than that if he plays all season, but it's not going to be good for the 49ers.
47:57If he's their number one receiver right off the bat, because he's still going to be limited in reading the field.
48:04And I think that Stribling is the best of the, of the guys we're going to talk about in terms of opportunity
48:11that he has, um, to, to put up good numbers.
48:14And all the guys we're going to talk about, I think are all what I would joke as they're, they are catnip
48:22for mini camp because it's all big, tall, long, fast can go up and win fade routes at the boundary.
48:29And suddenly, you know, you get the, you know, you get the fetishization of basically, um, you know, acrobatic catches rather than did they read the coverage?
48:38Right. Can they run, can they release, can they run good routes against man coverage?
48:43Can they discern zone in a smart way? And that's the part that by like late August, the quarterbacks then saying to
48:50them, well, he's got to learn the offense better for us to get them on the field after we get weeks of
48:58like oohing and aahing because they're making highlight plays.
49:01That's a wonderful characterization. I, and yet Stribling goes so late in redraft leagues that I'm taking them.
49:07Yeah. And the 14th round, I get them every time.
49:10Like, I'm just like, whatever, I'll take the lottery ticket.
49:14That's a mess. And Ricky Pearson ain't coming back.
49:17And Mike Evans looked kind of bad last year.
49:20And you know, like there's, yeah, anyway, if he's good enough, they need him.
49:24But it's a great point that you're, you're making.
49:27And it's being impressed upon me that he's not a technician and that most of these guys aren't going to be technicians like Jacoby Lane.
49:36You know, to me, the person who's stupid, I thought Jacoby Lane and Elijah Surratt were, were the same person.
49:43They just were hyphenated. Because they were both taken in the mid rounds by the Ravens and like, who knows?
49:49I don't know. I can't. And it's pretty obvious that what has stood out so far to anybody watching these practices and
49:57scrimmages and stuff is that Lane is, is well ahead of Surratt and potentially like threatening Rashad Bateman.
50:03What's your evaluation on Jacoby Lane? Um, he certainly could be the college entry for the, um, for the Pacific region in
50:10the Matt Waldman RSP Brandon Lloyd acrobatic catch invitational, you know?
50:14Um, so he definitely, you know, one handed catch his body control.
50:18It's all there. The, the thing that wasn't there at Cal at, um, USC was, um, you know, flat breaks being where
50:26he was supposed to be in a zone. So that his quarterback wasn't throwing interceptions or putting his quarterbacks target in harm's
50:33way because he cut off his route too early or didn't know when to cut off his route.
50:39Things that Traylon Burks had problems with at Arkansas, um, to a lot, large degree, but people loved his size and his
50:47ability to go up and get a ball. Um, so I think Rashad Bateman's kind of safe.
50:52I've been taking him in the 18th, 19th round.
50:55Cause he's saying they're moving him around all over the formation, which I also kind of like and go, well, I know
51:03everybody's down on him and like, say, forget it, but it's a dart throw for a guy who could wind up number two in a new offense.
51:12Why not? But, um, yeah, lane to me is lane to me is let's wait and see a year or two before we get too excited about him.
51:21Kind of another athlete and not needing to chase.
51:24I mean, when you're, when, when the, the spectrum you're comparing him to on is George Pickens, Chris Henry, Justin Hunter.
51:31I go, Oh, there's something in common there. Yes, exactly.
51:35Yeah. There's some, there's a knucklehead factor, not necessarily that lanes and knucklehead, but just like wildcard factor.
51:41Like, uh, yeah. And not, can you, can you be sure when they're going to be?
51:46Yeah. And that's right. That's exactly it. I mean, Jaden blew the running back was a knucklehead factor last year and by
51:54all accounts in Dallas are saying he's figured out how not to be a knucklehead and it's all, it's not just off the field, dumb stuff.
52:03It's more, do you know how to work? Do you know how to be a professional?
52:08And some guys don't know too. Yeah. Yeah. Yeah.
52:11Yeah. Um, how about Ted Hurst? Another one we're saying, I mean, I guess Jalen McMillan has been battling a bad knee throughout training camp.
52:19And so Ted Hurst, another, another big fast guy, uh, people are saying he's got a chance.
52:25Does he have a chance? He does. I mean, but again, it's going to be a limited role for him because he's not unbelievably advanced.
52:34I would say that his, if he were to get his act together in the next two to three years and really
52:41become a fantastic worker, like a Tom Brady, like worker who just like, or Stefan digs like worker and really figures out how to accelerate fast.
52:50He could maybe have a little bit of AJ green type of skill in him.
52:55Um, but I think that if he just progresses as he naturally could, and he's good enough that he's more T Higgins,
53:02it's like the same, it's the same team that I'm comparing them to, but, um, different ends of the spectrum of receiver.
53:10He's probably more of a go up and win it guy.
53:14Um, who's never going to be a great timing route runner, but you can use them on the outside kind of in
53:21that Mike Williams, you know, the big Mike Williams, the, um, the medium sized Mike Williams and the, uh, you know, T Higgins type of role.
53:30So it might happen from this year that they have to go with some of that, but there's enough weapons in Tampa
53:37Bay that I don't see Hurst suddenly become an 800, 900 yard receiver out of the gate.
53:43All right. Now we're going to hit a guy.
53:46I know you like, all right. A bunch of names.
53:49You don't, you're, you're, you're, you're lukewarm on, and I wish I could get Malachi fields higher in the receiver ranks.
53:56It's almost not his fault because, uh, I Jackson dart.
54:00I just, yeah, something you're not, not going to be able to convince me of.
54:05Um, but Hey, like he scored a touchdown in an exhibition game and by all accounts has not spit the bit in camp.
54:13Tell us why you like Malachi fields. He's a much better route runner than all these other guys that we just have been talking about.
54:21He actually can run intermediate timing routes with flat breaks and good technique.
54:26He's someone that has excellent short area quickness and initial acceleration.
54:29And then once he gets position on you early in the route, he can use his size to win downfield and win the ball in the air.
54:38So he's got that flashy part of him. And then after the catch that he makes multiple people miss and he can run through you.
54:47So it's not surprising to me that he's actually in contention for legitimate playing time as a rookie, but I'm totally with you.
54:55Like he's a, he's a good dynasty ad and he's a dynasty ad that I've said that is underrated, but that's because
55:02I'm counting on Jackson dart to go the way of will Levis.
55:06Um, basically I just, to me, Jackson dart has kind of a Kyler Murray it is with his game in the sense
55:13that he also tries to bounce everything outside rather than stay in a pocket.
55:18And unlike Kyler Murray, he, Kyler Murray can actually throw the ball more than 25 yards downfield with accuracy, um, and good footwork.
55:26Whereas that's why I'm so frustrated with Kyler. Like everybody who listens to my shows each week, I probably pick on Kyler
55:33Murray more than anybody by probably two or three times more.
55:37And it's just cause I think he could be such a better player than he is.
55:43Whereas with Jackson dart, I'm just like, okay, he runs.
55:46That's great. Teams are going to finally go. That's I'm glad we saw what we needed to see last year.
55:53Let's shut some stuff down. And, um, that's probably what's going to happen.
55:57So fields to me, I would rather have somebody drop them out of frustration from what Jackson dart did.
56:04And then, you know, Jameis Williams comes on and then Malachi fields can, you know, you can pick them up off the waiver wire.
56:12And suddenly, you know, Jameis is treating them like he was treating Mike Thomas back in new Orleans, you know, when Thomas
56:19was healthy for a game and a half and, you know, peppering him with everything he got.
56:25And I could see fields in that position with, with famous Jameis.
56:29Um, all right. Brass tacks here. I currently wasn't able to get Malachi fields in my top 80 redraft risk, uh, receivers.
56:36Yeah. I, but I haven't been the eight. I haven't been in the eighties.
56:41I'm like 87 or something. Should I like I have, but I, but I, but I have Jacoby lane in my top 80.
56:49I have Ted Hearst in my top 80. I've, I would jump still.
56:53I would jump him over all those guys. Yeah.
56:56Boom. I would do that. You know, he should be 72 or something, but as far as I know, but like, yeah, but I would do it.
57:05Yeah. All right. I'm going to do it. He's going to get a profile in the update of the almanac because of Matt say so.
57:14And because I mean, let's face it, he's kind of paid off to this point.
57:19Uh, another big fast guy. I guess he's pretty fast.
57:22Caleb Douglas. Uh, all, you know, as much as we want to say, uh, these teams are going to fall out of
57:30love with these rookies as soon as they really need precision out of them.
57:34All anybody seems to be able to say is that the only things are sure is that Caleb Douglas and Lake Washington
57:42are the two receivers that are going to start from Miami and everybody else need not apply.
57:48I, I know, I know that shouldn't be worth something to me.
57:52It kind of is. It could be. I mean, I certainly, and it can't hurt at the place that you're going to draft.
57:59I mean, you're counting on using, you're probably going to look at churn and pick somebody else up off the waiver wire.
58:07So if you want to, why not? Because they might even, the way I saw them use Caleb Douglas in the preseason
58:14was in really soft windows of zone and where they put them in the inside in that, you know, like I said,
58:22the Galladay chase role, where it's like running inside, uh, inside route or start inside and break outside.
58:28And use your size to win. It's not, um, you know, high proficiency route running that they're asking him to do.
58:35So if he can catch the ball and he's fast enough, sure.
58:39That might work out just fine. I would just say this.
58:43Okay. Malik Willis. That's that's probably all I need to say, but I'll, I'll add one little quick thing is he had some good numbers in green Bay.
58:52Just remember that green Bay basically what mashed the offense up in a way where it was like, let him read one
59:00side of the field, two reads and run at best.
59:03And I don't think I, I don't think Malik Willis is going to turn out to be the guy that finds his second and third read.
59:12And the second and third read is probably going to be Greg Dulcich and then Caleb Douglas.
59:17So if I'm going to, you know, if it's not, or it's going to be Mount, you know, Washington or Dulcich at that point, if it's not.
59:27And it's, and I would just warn other people.
59:30I'm just going to say this just public service announcement.
59:33I know people love the Devon HN and he's a terrific player, but think about this offense is probably going to run
59:40a lot of play action, rolling their quarterback to one side.
59:44And when you do that, your running backs usually lost in the mix or going to the other side of the field.
59:52And they're only going to throw these throwbacks like, you know, once again, seven times in a, in a season before, you
59:59know, and he might get two of them. He's going to, I don't think he's going to get more than half of
60:06the receptions that he, that he got last year.
60:09And then he's just overvalued, not because of his ability, but because of the offense and the, and the personnel.
60:16So yeah, I mean, I would rather take a shot on Washington and like the late rounds or, or even if you
60:24want to go with Douglas because you want to ride the momentum.
60:28Sure. Why not? Right. Yeah. I mean, these guys are all ranked outside my top 150 overall.
60:33They're not really standard league guys, but, but their names, everybody's getting tattooed with all day long every day.
60:40And so just getting some context for, for, all right, don't get crazy, but these are the ones Matt likes and the
60:47ones he doesn't last name on my list. Because once again, there's a lot of talk.
60:53It's the third receiver job, not the second, like Caleb Douglas might have, but it's a much better quarterback.
60:59Colby Young seems to be, has a potential over Andre Yoshivas.
61:03What's your Colby Young impression? Um, well, I mean, look, Miami, Georgia big certainly can go up and win the ball.
61:10Um, he's got some skill after the catch because of his power, but he's not like the sudden twitchy athlete that Malachi Fields is.
61:18And I think he's kind of more of, um, the wide receiver for, I think Yoshivas is going to nail that roll down.
61:26I think that you're seeing just some nice catches in camp and that's all that really is.
61:32So yeah, I mean, and I'll just add a, I'll add a player who I think is better than a running back.
61:39We didn't talk about, um, we talked about, we talked about, we didn't talk about the Washington commanders.
61:45There's Robert Henry is someone that I would keep an eye on for your waiver wire, just because I think he's actually
61:53the best rookie back that they drafted. Um, and they didn't draft him.
61:57They signed him to a UDFA contract, but he's, he's the, I think he's the, the best back on there and does
62:04a pretty mean Aaron Jones imitation himself. All right.
62:07Robert Henry, uh, we're sticking that on the bottom of the list.
62:11All these names are in today's show notes. Um, we didn't talk about Katron Allen, who obviously you almost said his name because you like it.
62:20Robert Henry Moore on the same team. Um, and yes, I know everybody out there.
62:25You're groaning because we didn't get to the rookie.
62:28You wanted to hear us talk about. There was no Jeremy Bernard.
62:32Oh no, it's a disaster. Well, all you have to do Matt Waldman, RSP.com for all your Matt Waldman needs, because his
62:40opinions will all appear in the various products and shows that he produces for you with his hard earned brain.
62:47So don't you worry at all. You get all of Matt's takes on all the rookies.
62:52We didn't talk about Cyrus Allen. Oh no. Yeah.
62:55Kind of the Mouse Morrison of, uh, of wide receiver prospects right there.
62:59That's a deep cut. That's a deep cut. Everybody out there.
63:03Matt's, Matt's almost done with pound foolish. So just, uh, just hold on your, hold on your butts.
63:09Um, well you, so anyway, Matt Waldman, RSP.com is where I'm urging everybody to go.
63:14And thank you so much for wonderful insights on all of these young men.
63:19And, uh, most of them we're not drafting, but we have a good sense of them and maybe some we are.
63:26And Carnell Tate might be one of them. Uh, thank you.
63:30Thank you so much for doing this once again.
63:33And, uh, we'll talk to you very soon. Always a pleasure.
63:37And thank you so much for listening. Let's thank the three sponsors that made today's show possible.
63:42We had Ridge for the Ridge wallet, the 2.0 that I have.
63:46That's lovely. And other Ridge stuff. Remember to go to Ridge.com, enter.
63:50You can win a car. Don't have to buy anything.
63:54We also had Quo for a great phone system to help retain customers and make them happier.
64:00And Dose, if you're worried about your cholesterol levels, you can find information about today's sponsors in the show notes.
64:06You can find all the current sponsors at HarrisFootball.com.
64:09I thought it was pretty amazing. And maybe an example of like karma or something that I start the show talking about
64:17rejection and feeling positive, trying to feel positive about opportunities and things like that.
64:22And then someone as amazing as Matt says a little nice thing about Pound Foolish that he's reading right now.
64:28And it just all melts away. It's just so lovely.
64:32And, uh, thank you to Matt for that. And thank you to all of you.
64:37I have some winners to announce here. Let's actually, winners plural, let's do two winners.
64:42First, uh, so this is people who have pre-ordered Pound Foolish and sent me a screen cap to Harris at HarrisFootball.com.
64:49If you want to win a Zoom with me, that's how you're going to do it.
64:54Because that's, we've done three of them so far.
64:57And one more announced right now. A long time listener, Jason McComb.
65:01This is all random number generated. Jason, uh, we may have done Zooms in the past or maybe not.
65:08But I certainly know Jason and, uh, looking forward to that.
65:12And so look for an email from me. We'll set that up.
65:16And then, uh, how about like a hat? A yacht possum hat or a shirt.
65:21Uh, and the winner of that drawing was Kyle Lanzit.
65:24And so I've emailed both Jason and Kyle. And, uh, congratulations.
65:28I mean, what an honor. Uh, if you would like to be entered, to be bribed.
65:33HarrisFootball.com. Look up Pound Foolish. You'll find all the instructions that you need.
65:38And by the way, I am absolutely burying the lead.
65:41And I need to lead tomorrow's show off with this.
65:44Because next week, I am on tour. I am doing meetups in the western part of the United States.
65:51And I would really love it if you would come hang out with me.
65:56Because I have no idea how many people are going to show up.
66:00Uh, you can find all the dates, all the times, all the places at HarrisFootball.com.
66:05There's a tour graphic on there. But suffice it to say, Tacoma, Washington on Sunday.
66:10All these are going to be at 7 p.m.
66:13local time. Uh, Portland on Tuesday. Vegas on Wednesday.
66:16And Scottsdale, Arizona on Thursday. 7 p.m. next week.
66:19Oh man, I got six flights in five days.
66:22And, uh, I'm going to make a podcast from the hotel rooms each morning.
66:27Before I go do a flight in a new city.
66:30Uh, so it's going to be quite a week.
66:33So if you have a chance to show up.
66:36If you think you might be able to show up.
66:40I would love it if you'd show up. I'm going to do a reading from the book.
66:46It'll be, you know, 20 minutes max, I would say.
66:49And then just a regular meetup. Like we've done many, many times.
66:53Just not in these cities. So if you've always wished that I would come to your city.
66:59And you're near those places. I sure do hope that you'll join.
67:03We'll mingle. I'll meet everybody for sure. Uh, and look forward to.
67:07Meeting a bunch of people. So please do check out that tour graphic.
67:11That's going to do it for this Monday episode.
67:14It was quite fun to hear Matt talk about all those rookies.
67:18And now it's time to talk about ADP. Coming up on Tuesday.
67:22Dave Kluge is going to join. And Dave and I are each going to count down.
67:28Our five biggest surprises when it comes to ADP.
67:31I will have finally cracked it wide open. And taken a look at ADP such as it is.
67:37Because it is wildly varied depending on your site.
67:40But we're going to do our best to give you the players who are most surprising to us when it comes to ADP.
67:48Looking forward to that on Tuesday. Until then. Thanks again so much for listening.
67:52Your hat is awesome. You're awesome for wearing it.
67:55I will talk to you tomorrow. The Harris Football Podcast's opening theme is Under the Gun by Apex Manor.
68:02The closing theme is Say Yes by The Wellspring.
68:05Subscribe to the podcast on iTunes and never miss an episode.
68:09The Harris Football Podcast.
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