VideoFrom Matt Waldman
Prospect Debates, Don't Draft, & Draft Strategies: Going Deep w/Brandon Angelo & Matt Waldman
STACKED extracted the fantasy-relevant player signal from this video and kept the full transcript here for context.
1 hr 11 min
Duration
Estimated from transcript
May 7, 2026
Published
Thu, May 7, 2026
23
Player insights
22
Players mentioned
Topics
Chris ConleyAntonio WilliamsCarnell TateCarson BeckChristian McCaffreyCole PaytonDarnell MooneyDiego PaviaFernando MendozaGarrett NussmeierGeorge KittleJ.K. DobbinsJadarian PriceJonah Coleman
Player analysis
Player insights
Antonio Williams
PositiveProjection48:18
Williams is identified as a standout prospect in the 2026 rookie draft class, noted as a player Mendoza likes 'pretty heavily' and potentially even earlier in some draft spots; represents one of the few consensus tier breaks in an otherwise 'hodgepodge' draft class.
Insight pageCarnell Tate
PositiveProjection45:45
Tate is identified as one of the first seven draftable players in the 2026 rookie draft class, positioned as a tier-one prospect alongside Love, Tyson, Lemon, Mendoza, Conception, and Price; represents a significant talent tier gap versus later prospects in the 8-10 pick range like Star Wars, Sadiq, and Cooper Jr.
Insight pageCarson Beck
NegativeBust43:03
Fernando Mendoza explicitly rejects Carson Beck as a draft option in the context of evaluating 2026 quarterback prospects, offering a firm do-not-draft stance with no further commentary.
Insight pageChris Conley
NegativeProjection53:33
Connley is a very good athlete who performed well at the combine and played at a big-time program with some big moments on tape, but projects as a very good reserve cornerback who can contribute and start if needed without being a productive fantasy player; Fernando Mendoza expresses concern about drafting him as he would clog a roster for three to four years.
Insight pageNegativeProjection54:09
Waldman uses Chris Conley as a cautionary comp for mid-tier wide receiver prospects in his 'big middle' cohort. Conley was a very good athlete who performed well at the combine, played at a big-time program, and had some big moments on tape, but ended up as a very good reserve receiver who can contribute and start if needed but not be a productive fantasy player. Fernando Mendoza expresses concern about drafting similar prospects, noting they would clog a roster for three to four years without providing fantasy value.
Insight pageChristian McCaffrey
NegativeProjection10:20
Christian McCaffrey posted strong fantasy numbers in 2023, but the 49ers' rushing offense was inefficient overall; improving run-game efficiency will be a priority for the team, which may affect McCaffrey's role and the offensive scheme around him, particularly regarding perimeter blocking and fullback usage. The team's focus on run-game efficiency could reshape personnel deployment and personnel groupings.
Insight pageCole Payton
NegativeBust41:48
Fernando Mendoza does not understand why people draft Cole Payton at the end of drafts. While he acknowledges Payton's athletic ability, he criticizes his arm talent and accuracy as suspect, making him an unattractive late-round option. Payton is explicitly rejected as a quarterback prospect, with his appeal solely based on being on the Eagles; Mendoza expresses skepticism that this team context alone justifies drafting him.
Insight pageDarnell Mooney
NegativeMatchup25:43
Intermediate and vertical timing route specialist facing significant QB accuracy mismatch with Jackson Dart. Fernando Mendoza projects Mooney catching short timing passes as a 'nice look,' but expresses concern about Dart's intermediate and deep accuracy limitations. Dart struggles beyond 20-25 yards from the throwing point, and Mooney excels at intermediate and vertical timing routes—a skill set Dart has not demonstrated. This QB-receiver archetype mismatch creates downside risk for Mooney's typical production profile despite his route-running excellence.
Insight pageDiego Pavia
PositiveValue42:10
Fernando Mendoza recommends Diego Pavia as the preferred late-round or waiver-wire quarterback alternative to Cole Payton. Pavia has a three-year deal with the Ravens with no guaranteed money, signaling the team views him as a potential QB2 with upside. Mendoza calls Pavia the last draftable quarterback on his board, even in deep leagues, and prefers him over Payton due to his ability to run, move, throw, and create.
Insight pageFernando Mendoza
PositiveProjection45:45
Mendoza is identified as one of the first seven draftable players in the 2026 rookie draft class, positioned as a tier-one prospect alongside Love, Tyson, Tate, Lemon, Conception, and Price; represents a clear talent tier gap versus later prospects in the 8-10 pick range like Star Wars, Sadiq, and Cooper Jr.
Insight pageGarrett Nussmeier
NegativeBust43:13
Fernando Mendoza explicitly rejects Garrett Nussmeier as a draft option, offering a firm do-not-draft stance with no further commentary.
Insight pageGeorge Kittle
NegativeInjury5:29
George Kittle's return timeline and availability remain uncertain post-Achilles injury at age 33; the durability concern is significant for fantasy planning. The 49ers have a big vacancy at productive over-the-middle target now that Jauan Jennings is likely gone, but Kittle's health status makes him unreliable for filling that role. His availability on the mend may affect whether the team can strengthen 11 personnel (one tight end) or must rely more heavily on two-tight-end sets and fullback blocking schemes to improve rushing efficiency.
Insight pageJ.K. Dobbins
NegativeInjury15:09
Post-Achilles tendon injury, JK Dobbins' explosiveness has declined significantly; he is getting run down by linebackers at a much higher rate than pre-injury, indicating the catastrophic nature of tendon injuries, especially for running backs who depend on burst and evasion. Despite solid overall play, the loss of explosiveness illustrates the long-term impact of Achilles injuries on players with high wear and tear.
Insight pageJadarian Price
PositiveProjection45:45
Price is identified as one of the first seven draftable players in the 2026 rookie draft class, positioned as a tier-one prospect alongside Love, Tyson, Tate, Lemon, Mendoza, and Conception; represents a significant talent tier gap versus later prospects in the 8-10 pick range.
Insight pageJonah Coleman
NegativeValue29:04
Fernando Mendoza rates Jonah Coleman overvalued by approximately one to one-and-a-half rounds, placing him at the end of the third round (pick 36) rather than his current draft position. Coleman lacks the power and quickness of elite backs; Mendoza watched him against Weber State and better teams and did not see him running through many hits. His pass protection is merely 'get in the way' rather than technical, which Mendoza views as a recipe for disaster. Coleman's draft value is further challenged by his inability to separate in crowded offensive rooms and lack of system fit; he couldn't start in the correct system and won't stand out in a crowded backfield. Given Sean Payton's historical struggles drafting running backs after the fourth round, Mendoza sees Coleman as a situational committee member similar to Audrey Estime, with the combination of contact balance and explosion falling short.
Insight pageJordan Love
PositiveProjection45:45
Love is identified as one of the first seven draftable players in the 2026 rookie draft class, positioned as a tier-one prospect alongside Tyson, Tate, Lemon, Mendoza, Conception, and Price; represents a clear talent tier gap versus later prospects in the 8-10 pick range.
Insight pageKyle Juszczyk
PositiveUsage11:20
Kyle Juszczyk's increased field time and deployment in two-tight-end and 22 personnel sets would signal a major shift in 49ers offensive strategy; his role is expected to expand as the team prioritizes run-game efficiency and perimeter blocking, making him a key piece in the rushing attack. Increased Juszczyk usage would indicate the team is committing to heavy personnel and fullback-centric blocking schemes.
Insight pageMalachi Fields
PositiveProjection23:23
Ranked ninth overall by Fernando Mendoza despite skepticism of QB Jackson Dart. Fields projects for significant usage inside and in shallow ranges, with expected early-season volume as Malik Neighbors (ACL recovery) may be limited to straight-line routes. Fields' combination of quickness and power enables strong after-the-catch production and ability to make people miss or run through them. Critically, Fields can 'erase some of the inaccuracies that you see from Jackson Dart' on intermediate to deep throws where Dart struggles. With Neighbors, Cam Scatabo, and Tyrone Tracy occupying defensive attention, Fields should draw advantageous matchups and mismatches.
Insight pageNicholas Singleton
NegativeProjection46:06
Singleton is explicitly identified as a player to avoid in the 2026 rookie draft, with the speaker cautioning against going 'rogue' to draft him in the 8-10 range despite his likely popularity.
Insight pageOmar Cooper Jr.
NegativeValue38:28
Fernando Mendoza prefers Omar Cooper Jr. over Sadi Strickland but still places him on the do-not-draft list due to steep ADP (108–109) and Jets uncertainty. The risk of new coaching staff (Aaron Glenn may not retain his job) potentially drafting a high-end receiver talent in 2027 (Jeremiah Smith or Cam Coleman) could render Cooper Jr. a tertiary option, making his current draft cost unjustifiable.
Insight pageRicky Pearsall
NegativeRole5:00
Brandon Angelo projects Ricky Pearsall to move into a slot role with reduced field time in the 49ers offense. Angelo believes Pearsall cannot handle the rigors of the blocking role expected in 12 personnel and heavier sets, positioning him below Jean Stribbling in the receiving hierarchy. From a durability standpoint, less field time may help him, but the role limitation and blocking deficiency reduce his fantasy relevance and offensive opportunity.
Insight pageSkyler Bell
PositiveSleeper47:52
Bell is identified as a dart-throw prospect available in the late second or early third round of the 2026 rookie draft, representing value with long-term upside despite being a speculative pick.
Insight pageTed Hurst
NegativeProjection50:22
Matt Waldman places Ted Hurst in the midsecond to third tier of wide receivers on his board; he's part of a cohort where improved route-running technique knowledge masks declining execution nuance and coverage-reading ability due to frequent school transfers and reduced time with teammates. Hurst represents the 'big middle' of the bell curve where grades would have been more promising seven to eight years ago but now carry more uncertainty about translating to productive fantasy contributions.
Insight pageFull transcript
Episode Transcript
0:00All right, welcome to Going D. Brandon Angelo, Matt Waldman. Brandon is done with his draft guide. Brandon, tell everybody about your draft guide.
0:08Everybody can find it. It is cool, man.
0:10>> I know. I I I appreciate it. Um, lot went into it. I mean, been a lot of fun trying to create something a little
0:16different. Each year I try to do something a little bit different in terms of, you know, how I tier, grade, what I add. But this year, I wanted to
0:22make it a little more bookish where we have chapters. Chapters are different.
0:28Um, and then kind of adding chapters as the draft season goes on, letting the people who listen and read everything that I do vote on the chapters. That's a
0:39unique one where you can kind of vote on things that are going to go into the next iteration, the next chapter. And I
0:45think the next chapter has been voted on. I mean, at least it's leading in votes. It's going to be, you know, the
0:51top eight players in the 2027 draft. Um, which is going to be a lot of fun.
0:55already have dove into that class a bit.
0:59So, it'll be a little bit of fun to do.
1:01But, but yeah, you can find everything on angelanalysis.com, man. I mean, it's been a lot of fun creating that. Have an offensive
1:08environment index, and Matt and I were just talking about that before the show.
1:12Essentially, just a fantasy lens of what an offense looks like and how many playmakers they can actually produce
1:22from a fantasy perspective. Um, and then what that looks like going forward. Like there are some offenses that are just absolutely putrid like the Raiders and
1:30the Jets.
1:32Are they gonna get better? The Raiders look to improve. Will they be, you know, a middle tier team? Probably not next
1:38year, but they'll be creeping up there with Fernando Mendoza and Kubak and all the sweeping changes. The Jets more so.
1:45Well, they're they're in trouble in the near term. Um, but that was a lot of fun to put together and in and to do for
1:52sure.
1:53>> Fantastic. Well, you know, folks definitely want to check it out. That offensive um environment index is going to be very cool. Um and we're going to
2:02talk a little bit more about that probably um as we get into some of the topics today because we're going to talk
2:07about players we disagree on and make cases for each. Um also players that are on our do not draft lists for 2026.
2:17And then we're going to talk about, you know, some viable strategies um for drafts this rookie drafts this year. And
2:25then maybe um tiers in terms of like how we rank players. What tiers in terms of the range of of picks are overrated or
2:36underrated in rookie drafts right now?
2:39So, a little strategy, a little player evaluation should be fun. So, all right, let's start off with players we disagree on. I
2:48think the one that was mentioned the most as an example to us on X was the Jean Stribbling. Yeah.
2:56>> So, you know, Stribbling um Stribbling I have lower than Brandon. I have Stribbling at 32, which is at the, you
3:05know, mid to end of the third round depending on how many people you you're drafting. Brandon, you have them at the
3:13beginning of the second round. Is that correct?
3:14>> Yeah. 20 203 is where I have dribbling.
3:17Yep.
3:17>> Well, let's make your case, you know.
3:19>> Yeah. No, for me, I think he just kind of fits what Kyle wants to do offensively. And you kind of look what
3:27at what Brandon Ike did well, especially from an inbreaker standpoint and being able to to win the ball through contact.
3:36That's what strippling can provide. And also the postcatch stuff, right? I think he's a pretty linear driven mover, but he's a really tough out post catch. I
3:45mean, we're talking physical, combative as a blocker and as a playmaker with the ball in his hands. And that makes a big
3:52difference. And that's the one thing, too, from a durability perspective that Kyle hasn't had. I mean, they really haven't had a thousand yard receiver
4:01since I right. I mean, they've had KD obviously he's KD's approaching 33 and coming off an Achilles. Mike Evans is a
4:12great secondary piece at this stage in his career. But besides Evans in McCaffrey, really, I don't know where they're going to get true tertiary
4:24production to start.
4:27Jawan Jennings is likely going to find another team. I think it's highly likely at this point even though it's a free
4:32agent, but Stribbling is going to provide a lot in 12 personnel. And that's the one thing I think it's important is rookies that are going to
4:40see the field immediately have a have a better long-term shot than rookies that sit for six, seven, eight weeks, right?
4:49Stribbling's ability to be a really profound piece in the run game is can be really important. if he catches on quickly to what they're asking him to do
4:58in that regard, I think he can be have some pretty good staying power, especially over Ricky Pieraw, which I think Ricky Paw is gonna move more into
5:05a slot role. Um, and be on the field less. I think a from a durability standpoint that might help him. And B, I
5:14I don't think he is going to be able to handle the rigors of the blocking role that's that could be expected of him in
5:21in 12 personnel and especially in heavier sets. So, I think that's interesting. I mean, the 49ers didn't have a single receiver over 650 yards. I
5:29mean, they have a big vacancy in terms of a productive over-the-middle target now that Jennings is is likely gone. And and KD, we don't know when or if he's
5:41going to be back. And if he does come back, how how much of George KD are we getting at 33 coming off an Achilles?
5:48So, I think Stribbling collegiately played really well when you look at the tape of what he did in the college football playoff. Go watch the game
5:58against Georgia if you if you're not familiar.
6:02Fairly dominant. I think he's a little bit raw in terms of running a fuller tree, but he's great on inbreakers and
6:09he has a better than you think release skill set on vertical patterns and he can get on top of defensive backs pretty
6:16quickly. He's a good accelerator, great long speed. Um, but I think he's someone that, you know, the NFL was a lot higher
6:23on than the draft community. And I think that was telling from, you know, Albert Brier and a lot of the others, um, the
6:30draft Nicks kind of coming out and saying, "Yeah, the Niners weren't moving that pick because that was that that has been their guy." Um, but also a lot of
6:37teams thought that way, too. So when you ever when you kind of get those tea leaves coming through, you can kind of
6:42tell a lot of teams had a role for Stribbling. And I think that's a big sign of, hey, like this guy can actually
6:50be something. Good offensive mind, good quarterback play, um, and some staying power there in the NFC.
6:58>> Well, it's a I think it's a good argument. So, let's let me try and poke a couple holes in it just to see, you
7:05know, just the seaorthiness of this a little bit cuz I think you made a really good point to talk about the role that
7:11he plays and that what he does well. I would agree with you. He's the I thought he was the best blocker of the wide
7:18receivers in this class. Um, so that makes total sense that he would be an asset in 12 and that he'd also be an
7:26asset in 12 due to 12 personnel. I'm gonna do to inbreakers and and what he can also do in the vertical game. But my
7:33question and you you were you made a great argument to bring up also what where he's still got to learn which is
7:41the fuller route tree he's still got to do. So, you know, we bring up Brandon Iayuk and I remember it took Brandon
7:47Iayuk a couple years to get rolling because he needed to learn the route tree. And back in those days with a
7:55number of the wide receivers that they had in San Francisco, >> it seemed like that Kyle Shanahan wanted the receivers to run all three roles or
8:04to do Yeah. be able to do that. And it seems like everybody's had a little bit of a slower time doing that. Even Jawan
8:11Jennings needed year three to actually get to speed with that. So my question for you is, is there because there's more 12
8:22personnel, is that the reason why you're a little more optimistic because you think maybe they're changing their mind on how much these guys need to run from
8:31a route perspective or what's where what's your thoughts on the prospect of Kyle going, "Yeah, I mean, we really like him, but I got to put him through
8:41his uh paces with the education that I gave everybody else and does that slow him down?
8:47>> Yeah. No, it's a great question. I I think it's a little different in terms of like kind of the cloth he's cut from
8:54in a way, right? When you look at Brandon Aayuk, Brandon Aayuk was always a raw prospect from a both like how
9:02Aayuk saw the game and how he played. um a lot of passion obviously but there was always even early in his career remember
9:09his first camp like Kyle kicked him out of camp like and because he refused to listen and there's been multiple in instances
9:18in the 49ers 49ers media where they're like yeah like he's not coming along because he and Kyle aren't seeing eye to
9:26eye >> maybe he should have kicked Dante Pettis out of camp >> oh my gosh former bear by the way >> um but yeah I I mean, it's that's the
9:35thing. I think there's going to be an immediate role for dribbling.
9:40What Kyle does in terms of having these guys learn roles in terms of multiples?
9:47That's the interesting part because are you going to have Mike Evans learn all three, right? Ricky Paw, are you going to put him where he's comfortable and
9:55let him fly or are you going to have him learn multiples as well? And that's the thing is are you going to play more out of 12 and
10:0313?
10:04Well, what does that look like with George KD now? Like like and so that's the thing too is you're you might be
10:12stronger in 11 in some ways if George KD's on the mend but also maybe not because if you want to run the
10:20ball with greater efficiency which they didn't do well last year. I know Christian McCaffrey put up some crazy fantasy numbers, but they were a really
10:28inefficient rushing offense. So, in order to get that back, then they're going to need better blocking on the perimeter as well. And that's going to
10:36be something that enders Kyle to dribbling and wanting him on the field. That's I mean, there's a massive difference between sibling blocking and
10:46Ricky Persaw, right?
10:47>> Yeah.
10:47>> So, I think that's a huge one. But yeah, I think to answer your question, I think it's going to be the first thing is
10:54what's gonna make the rushing offense more efficient. I think that's the first question Kyle's gonna want to answer, okay?
10:59>> Is what's going to help us run the ball better because if we want to win games in the NFC, like we're gonna have to run
11:04the ball like that's a no-brainer and Christian's going to have to get going.
11:09So, that's a big one. So, I think that's the first thing that the question that's going to be asked is how can we help the
11:17run game? And I think strippling's a big part of that.
11:20>> I would agree. And I think that if if but though if we need a sign of the apocalypse that it's not going to
11:25happen, it's Kyle use check being on the field a lot more and out of and in two tight end sets and making it a,
11:33>> you know, a 22 personnel set as opposed to, you know, a 12 personnel set. That would be the sign of the apocalypse for
11:40year one. You know, >> it definitely would be. That'll be it'll be interesting to see how they utilize you this year as well because
11:48>> I think you you're going to see I mean he's such a bright guy. I mean you you can see a lot of that rotational tight
11:55end play in there as well. Yeah, right.
11:57Where you have Tongas too who's not >> Yeah, he showed up pretty good.
12:02>> Yeah, he's not a bad player in his own right. I mean, you can run a lot with usek and, you know, splitting him out
12:08and getting, you know, getting really creative in terms of how he is used in the run game and and getting your best
12:14players in the field um at all times.
12:17And that's something I think Kyle's going to do now more than ever um with KD reaching his AJ apex and injury and
12:25then all that stuff. So, yeah, for sure.
12:27So, so, um, final question on the 49ers and just away from stribbling, but you brought it up >> KD's injury. You know, I was I read, you
12:37know, we read recently that the injury was higher up >> um, you know, on the tendon and so the higher up supposedly that that it heals
12:47faster or it's a little bit of a better easier healing opportunity. Um, what's your experience with like those those types of injuries, helping to rehab
12:58somebody who's had a had one up high as opposed closer to the ankle?
13:02>> That's a really good question. Um, in my experience in working athletes back from Achilles rehabs, it's an extremely tricky process. It's extremely tricky.
13:13You know, I I've had athletes who are like high-end power four athletes do it and then, you know, I'm tasked with
13:21helping them come back from it like a return to performance standpoint. And it's really tricky because tendons in general are a really tricky endeavor
13:32because, you know, tendons get inflamed, they hold water, you need to squeeze water out, but when the tendon completely ruptures, that's a totally
13:39different ballgame. Like if a tendon is, you know, just essentially overworked, right, you get tendonitis or in some cases tendonopathy.
13:49Different ballgame, right? That's long-term chronic. But when a tendon is completely severed and ruptures, you're taking
13:58so much neurologic language that the tendon has and just severing the connection completely. And you have to your body has to relearn the coding
14:09aspect of what it looks like to hit the ground with X force. That's where it's really tricky. Having a 150 lb man tear
14:18his rupture his Achilles is much different than a [clears throat] 33y old 6'3 250 pound NFL tight end. That is so so
14:29so tricky. And yeah, it's the recovery is a little bit cleaner. I would say the higher up the closer to you know gastro
14:38solius like the closer to the calf it gets that insertion point it's a little bit cleaner um less debris to deal with
14:47when you get towards the ankles the joint and the bone and all that um but still from a like force and rate coding perspective it's
14:58still super complicated everybody look I I've I've known athletes that it took until the third year to feel comfortable after the Achilles rupture. Like Jordan
15:09Kill doesn't have that much time. Um even you look at JK Dobbins, right? Like >> yeah, >> he's getting run down by backers. I mean
15:18he played some damn good ball.
15:20>> Yeah.
15:21>> Tell you what, >> but the explosiveness is nowhere near the same level.
15:25>> Yeah.
15:26>> So, and that's the thing. It's like in my personal experience it it is a catastrophic injury and especially if
15:38you are and you're if you played a lot of ball and have a lot of wear and tear it's even more catastrophic.
15:45>> So So to add to that fact too um just just a little bit of humor with this and but some reality too. I heard that like
15:54that, you know, you probably don't want to eat a bunch of Hershey bars while you're rehabbing from any type of tendon
16:01um thing like you like sugar and tendons I heard are really bad like a bad combination sugar intake and tendons.
16:08>> Is that true?
16:09>> Sure.
16:10I'll be honest. I think when you talk about sugar in general, espec especially like highly processed like non-natural sugars like ones you're not getting from
16:18>> you know like fruit, honey, right?
16:21um like high grade honey at that. I mean, no, sugar is terrible. This is not a nutrition podcast, but sugar is
16:30one of the worst things you can put in your body because your body has no idea what the heck to do with it. And so, the
16:36more time your body spends on figuring out how to filter sugar, the less time it's spending on repairing cells and, you know, musculature, right?
16:47and helping repair tendons and, you know, restoring, you know, neurologic connection. So, yeah, I mean, I eat sugar. I I try to limit my sugar intake
16:58like most people, right?
16:59>> But like, >> yeah, if you're trying to recover from an injury, any injury, >> do not eat sugar.
17:07>> Like, you'll recover exponentially faster if you don't eat sugar. Like, it's just it's proven. Like, it's a huge deal. Um,
17:18that's talk about like cancer cells and things of that nature where like eat on sugar, right? Um, and that's a huge one.
17:26But like when you're talking about repairing tissue, um, especially at a high level like tendons and like tissue that's been ruptured,
17:37sugar definitely does not help.
17:40>> Okay, good. All right, so let's move on.
17:44We got Jeremy Bernard. Now, I have him >> I also am lower on him than you. I have him early third round.
17:52>> Um, and I'll just give a quick synopsis of my thoughts. I like it. I don't hate don't don't hate the player. Um, but I
18:00know that I have him, >> you know, the the ADP on him in the leagues I looked at, he's around 20, the
18:07pick 20. Um, and I >> I look at DK and and Michael Pitman and I and I think about maybe Mike McCarthy
18:17does put Bernard in and you have more 11 personnel this year, but they also do have an investment in tight ends. That
18:24seems to be they like to run the ball the way they do. Um, you know, is this going to be a situation where Jeremy
18:31gets enough touches early on? Now longterm I could see how we look at that and go well DK isn't a great route
18:39runner. Um you know and he's getting older and you know Pitman's a nice compliment so they probably need somebody else and Bernard has that
18:48opportunity to become a Robert Woods like type of player you know and this is a team where they could use that. So
18:56>> sure >> what you know what are your thoughts?
18:59And then I just look at the quarterback situation and I go, "All right, maybe Aaron Rodgers, but if Aaron Rogers shows
19:05up this year, how late is that going to be before he shows up? And how much is Jeremy going to get into the good graces
19:14of Aaron? Let me, you know, let me change the offense around every two seconds, you know, you know, two seconds before the the ball snapped, you know,
19:24type of thing." And then when that's Yeah. And then when it's over, okay, so now you've got Will Howard and and uh
19:33Drew Hower.
19:34>> Goodness [laughter] for me.
19:35>> So it's like, oh, and Mason Rudolph, so you know, kind of thing.
19:42>> Talk about playing roulette.
19:43>> Yeah. So that's where I'm concerned about Jeremy like as like I think he's a good player, but I don't know if I love
19:48the situation. So, sure.
19:50>> What what changed what what had you with a different thought viewpoint with all of that as a starter as a
19:58>> Yeah, that's a great question. I think the biggest one for me is how heavy historically the slot usage has been for
20:04McCarthy receivers.
20:07Biggest one, right? Because when you're looking at players that are not drafted in the first round, the number one thing I look at is role. What role are they
20:15going to play? And historically, how heavy usage has that role been? Over the last 10 seasons, Mike McCarthy's had two
20:23slot receivers, CD Lamb and Randle Cobb.
20:27They've averaged averaged 136 annual targets.
20:33Crazy. Lowest targets were Cobin Cobb in I think 2017, 109.
20:41And that was the year Ann Rogers only played 11 games. He broke his right collar bone.
20:47Bernard is not on the same spectrum as CD Lamb. Obviously closer to Randall Cobb probably in terms of physical talent might not even be that. But the
20:56average slot targets comes out to 136. He was reaching 180 almost with CD Lamb.
21:07I think Bernard's the easy button receiver of the offense. Hands down. I think he's the easiest one to get the ball to. He can play the Robert Woods
21:16role in a way where, you know, you're motioning across, jet motion, extension of the run game, which is not a I mean,
21:23it's not a really good run game either way, too. So, that's that's a bonus for for Bernard, but he's the easy button
21:28player of the offense. Um, I don't think DK Metaf is going to offer you more at this stage in his career. He kind of is
21:36what he is. Michael Pitman Jr.
21:39after the back injury. Not really the same player. He was a 1,200 yard receiver a couple years ago almost. He was a pretty good player.
21:49So that kind of leave Jimmy Bernard like Pat Fry is what he is too. Like he's fine. He's more of a blocking tight end
21:55than a receiver at this stage. Same with Darnell Washington.
21:59But the historic heavy usage of a slot receiver being the primary in McCarthy's system will be one to watch with the
22:08shift to 12 and 13 personnel and them drafting Bernard as a day two pick.
22:16That's a huge one for me. If they were looking in another direction, they wouldn't have tried to draft Mai Lemon in the early 20s.
22:26>> Good point.
22:27>> That's a big one for me. That's another huge signal where Khan was on the phone with Mai Lemon when
22:36Howie traded up before them to go draft Lemon. So that tells you where that organization's head is in terms of what
22:46archetype of receiver that they want.
22:48Whereas Mai Lemon profile the play primarily inside during Bernard inside. And so that archetype of receiver, tough, over
22:58the middle, combative, run after catch, that's what they want. And very obviously their second tier of that in this draft
23:08was Jordan Bernard.
23:11>> Nice. Love it. It's great argument. You know, how about uh how about uh Malachi Fields? I've got him higher than you.
23:20So, >> well, where do you have Malachi Fields?
23:23I've got him ninth overall. So, >> and now I and I'll make I'll make my argument. So, >> you know, I'm not the biggest Jackson
23:33Dart fan. So, for me to have him ninth means that I feel like that Fields is going to have an opportunity to be used
23:42a fair bit inside and in the shallow ranges of the field. And I think that we'll see some of that early on with
23:50Neighbors actually being the the guy who goes deep. I think they'll switch it off. I mean, I you know, we're going to
23:57get Neighbors the ball early and often, but he's also a guy that's coming off ACL tear. So, how often are they going
24:04to want to run him on some of those short routes with the the yards after the catch? Maybe they want him to clear
24:11out a little bit early on, a little more often and let him run in a straight line a little bit more. That might be, you
24:18know, that means that Fields might get more crossers, might get more digs, and he's good on those routes. Um, and he's
24:25also very skilled after the catch because he has that combination of quickness and power. Um, so he can make people miss, he can run through them.
24:34Um, and then also he gives you a big target that if Jackson Dart, you know, it doesn't improve that intermediate to
24:44deep accuracy that he hasn't been good at, you know, Malachi Fields can kind of erase some of the inaccuracies that you see from Jackson Dart. Um, and
24:56because Neighbors is so good and he's going to be they're going to be occupied with him, they're going to be occupied
25:02with Cam Scatabo coming out of the back field or Tyrone Tracy. Um, I could see where Fields winds up being a guy who
25:11just either draws mismatches or finds himself being the um, you know, getting more advantageous looks within the scope of the offense. So, um, sure. And if
25:22Dart >> Dart doesn't get better, well, there's a lot of good quarterbacks coming down the pike supposedly next year, so he could
25:31still get a chance to grow with a a good young quarterback.
25:37>> I love that. Where do you see Darno Mooney? Where do you see him shaking out in that system?
25:43>> Um, I see him catching a lot of short timing passes, which could make him a nice look there. I know he's he's better
25:52he's very good as a intermediate and vertical timing route specialist. He he's he excels at that. But I also
26:01remember Desmond Ritter and and and I think about and I think about Jackson Dart and some of his struggles and his
26:10struggles are beyond 20 yards basically 25 yards and beyond. Sure. And I and that's from the line of scrimmage, not necessarily I mean from the throwing
26:19point, not the line of scrimmage. So a lot of these intermediate timing routes that Darnell Mooney is very good at, I'm
26:26just not sure Jackson Dart's good at it.
26:29Um and that's my concern.
26:32>> I agree 100%. Yeah, it's an it's gonna be interesting to see because I also don't know how the Matt Naggie pairing
26:38works.
26:39>> Yeah. Like, and we've talked about this before, like Matt Naggie, he has to change his schematic style a ton to fit into
26:49what today's NFL is becoming.
26:52And he didn't in Kansas City the last couple seasons, and it really has burned him in my opinion. Um, but that'll be
26:58really interesting to see how it all shakes out. But also too, Malik Neighbor's return, I don't think it's going to be as crisp
27:06as people are thinking. Yeah. I've been in some drafts and he's been drafted like in the second early second round for some of them. Like I don't think he
27:15returns to form until 27.
27:18>> I agree.
27:18>> Like that was a bad injury. It wasn't just like okay ACL. No ACL plus he's still from what I understand not
27:27sprinting like full speed like multipetitions.
27:31So, if you can't stack on like actual training volume and work towards cutting at high speeds, like
27:42>> at this point of this season, yeah, >> it's not ready yet.
27:46>> It's kind It's tough. Like you're six, seven months, right? Like it's >> like seven months post. Like we should, you know, we should be doing that stuff
27:55in even like a smaller sided capacity. M >> um but I don't think he's going to be fully ready to rock at Malik Neighbor's
28:06level until 27 because he knew he was ascending to be a top five receiver in the league in my opinion. He was playing
28:13some great ball.
28:15>> Yeah.
28:15>> Um but yeah, it's going to be interesting to see what happens there.
28:18But if let's say he's not ready and they, you know, they basically, you know, red shirt his first quarter of the
28:25season, yeah, there's a lot of targets to go around because there's no one really there to absorb. But Isaiah likely is
28:32someone that too can Yes.
28:33>> work, you know, work in the middle of the field and and be someone an easy button target. Um, so it'll be
28:40interesting to see how he works in. But yeah, I definitely think that you you kind of have to nail on the head with
28:45Fields. like he could he can come in there and definitely make some money for sure, >> but you can also see where it gets
28:51cloudy. So, it's a Yeah.
28:53>> All right, so final one of this segment is is Jonah Coleman. Jonah Coleman, running back for the Denver Broncos. And
29:04>> I have him overrated by basically a round and a round and a half almost. Um >> I have him at the end of the third round
29:13at big 36.
29:16My basic argument is this. Um, >> Shawn Payeyton hasn't picked a running back who has been worthwhile inside the
29:25fourth round or I mean after the fourth round ever. Now, you could add Chris Ivory as an undrafted guy, >> and you could, you know, say that that
29:37is certainly um a consideration, but I would say, you know, looking at hold on for a minute. So, I mean, you can count
29:48Chris Ivory as someone that, you know, undrafted, but fourth round or later, he hasn't really hit on anybody. Um he the
29:58the the running back that he drafted the earliest was Reggie Bush. You had Mark Ingram in the second round and the back
30:06that he really didn't like and like reamed out the kid early on and then the kid basically in most unprecedented fashion the light turned on for him in
30:18the next practice was Alvin Chimera. Um >> he thought Alvin Chimera was soft. I mean, that's what I heard from people um
30:28who were close to the situation. Ran out, you know, bounced everything outside, hated that he did that, went after him about it, and the next the
30:36next practice it was like he turned into a different player and never looked back, which just and you can see how
30:42special Kamar was. So then you look at him in Denver and you've got Audrey Estime, you know, as you know, kind of
30:51slow, big, slow, good feet, you know, but he's part of a committee. Um Harvey part of a committee, you know, the the
31:02best back he got is the one that he, you know, signed in free agency last year, JK Dobbins. Um, and so when I look at
31:12Jonah Coleman, a fourth round pick, who I don't think is um I think he's like, um, you know, if you know, I would call
31:24him Slowden Howard, you know, kind of type of player or, you know, or uh, you know, Molasses White, you know, just
31:33kind of just not very quick, not very fast. um gets caught by linebackers a lot, but then JK did too and had a good
31:42season. Um and then when I hear about power, yes, he runs through linebacker reaches from what I've tracked pretty
31:50well, but he's not as powerful as the Billing if you ask me. Like I watch him against Weber State. I watch him, you
32:01know, against better teams and I don't see him running through a ton of hits and and he'll run through some wraps,
32:09but he's not, >> you know, the the combination of of contact, balance, and and and explosion just isn't quite there. And I thought
32:20that his pass protection is more get in the way. Good job. you know, that's how, you know, a lot of NFL types who grade
32:29go, well, as long as he gets in the way, I feel like he's making the effort, it's going to come. And I'm thinking, no,
32:35that's that's a recipe for disaster.
32:38Like, I I need to see some technique. So there's a lot of little leaky things with his game for me that I look at and
32:45go I don't I see him as a situational committee member kind of like Audrey Estame where he may have some good games
32:54but here we go again Shawn Payeyton not uh not you know being a part of a regime that's >> just could have picked somebody better
33:03you know and could have p and I think that the the yardage and the production that that Coleman had was a product of
33:11very strong offensive line play and I'm so I'm suspect of him being a you know a
33:20an early round pick for a team that likes to commitify everything and Shawn I mean I've fallen for Shawn McVey Shawn
33:29um Payton's bit you know one too many times you know where he's like this is this is he's a very Kamarl like option
33:37for our team he's a He's he reminds me of Mark Ingram. He reminds me that and it's like no, he reminds you of the role
33:44you gave them for that, but not the quality of player. And Sean's kind of in love with his his scheme.
33:52>> You know, he's a scheme oriented guy, which means these guys, he just named the widgets and gave them personal healized the widgets with past players.
34:02He's very Sprrolls like, you know, he fits what we see a lot of what Sprrolls did there, you know, and and you're
34:09like, "Okay, shut up." Okay. Like, you know, that's kind of how I feel. It's like, "Shut up. I don't want to hear you
34:15talk about Darren Sprouls if you're going to you're going to undervalue him as much as you just did by comparing the
34:22the player and the outcome, you know?"
34:24So, I'm I'm kind of worried about that.
34:27That's why I have him blow.
34:29>> Yeah. No, I don't disagree with that whatsoever.
34:33I like the player in terms of if he went to a high volume rushing offense that's good in the low red zone that needs that
34:40player. He could be a Jamal Williams Tyler Algier type player for sure 100%.
34:48But he doesn't go to that spot where JK Dobbins is going to be a Bronco as long as he has the sea legs to be a
34:56Bronco.
34:56>> Yeah. Um, R.J. Harvey is growing into a role, a deeper one, but I don't I agree with you in that it's gonna be tough
35:07sledding for people who love Jonah Coleman. Um, I wasn't high on him. I wasn't low on him. that was kind of
35:14valued him kind of where the NFL kind of did is like, hey, this guy couldn't start in a the correct system, but like
35:22if he goes to a crowded room, he's not going to set himself apart, so to speak.
35:27>> Yeah.
35:27>> And I Yeah, I think that's kind of where he is.
35:30>> He's kind of Royce Freeman part two, but >> Sure. Yeah. I mean, yeah, it's actually a really good one.
35:37Probably pretty close. I mean, here goes this. What's the difference between Royce Freeman, Tyler Algier, and Jamal Williams?
35:44>> Tyler is Yeah, Tyler is r more rugged.
35:47>> Um Royce >> Royce uh catches the ball and has and has better feet, but >> but not so much so,
35:57>> you know. Yeah. So, I mean, I'm I'm with you. They're they're pretty close together. Just Tyler's Tyler's a little bit uh I I'm a little more partial to
36:05Tyler now that we've seen him, but but I'm with you. But yeah, all similar caliber.
36:10>> Yeah. All right. So, that was a fun exercise. So, so we appreciate the suggestions from folks because they got tired of us agreeing all the time about
36:17players. [laughter] >> No, it's funny because you go down the we go down players like you know people like who are listening like we go down
36:25players like before the show, sometimes after the show and then it's like we just have similar thoughts. Yeah.
36:32Players. It's just I don't know.
36:34>> It just is what it is, you know. But um all right, so what about um who's who's on your do not draft list for 2026?
36:46>> Okay, first one's definitely Kenyan Sadi. I had him pretty I had him below Max Claire. Um in in my initial evals,
36:53too. I mean, I I just first thing is if you're in a tier four offensive environment where your team is bottom
37:00five in points per game, red zone efficiency, plays run per game, and you don't see the light at the end of the tunnel offensively. Like, the
37:11Jets are going to be a bottom five offense this year. I don't think anyone can really dispute that. They haven't shown signs to improve structurally,
37:20organizationally. Woody Johnson does not run a good ship as an owner.
37:26Unless they blow it all up, I don't see how the Jets can support more than Wilson and Paul from a fantasy
37:34perspective. And I don't think Sadi was the talent that people, you know, led him to be. I think he's probably, honestly, I think he's closer to Chika
37:44Conquo um than he is, you know, the Vernon Davis hype, right? I mean, the ceiling if he figures it all out and
37:52masters his athletic traits, sure, but that's a that's tough. I mean, it's that's a difficult one to do. I mean, he's probably closer to Chick and
38:01Chick's fine. He's a second contract tight end. He's good player, but he's not worth the 108 107 I've seen in some places. 106 if
38:12you're in Titan Premium. I've seen him drafted there. He's definitely not worth that in rookie draft. So, he's firmly on
38:20my do not draft list. Um, him and Omar Cooper Jr. for the similar reason.
38:28>> Oh, wow. Okay.
38:30>> I like Omar Cooper Jr. more than I like Sadique. But you're gonna have to draft Omar Cooper Jr. at 108.
38:35>> Yeah.
38:36>> 109. Like, that's just really steep for someone that, you know, who knows Aaron Glenn might have a job next year at this
38:45time.
38:46True.
38:47>> So, you know, you get another you get another coach who comes in who's offensive minded that just wants to kind
38:52of clean a house in terms of, hey, let's get another perimeter playmaker on the field here. It's tight end. They draft
38:58one in the first round. Could very well happen, right?
39:00>> Yeah. And these aren't my guys. I don't know.
39:03>> Right. Like what if they're what if they're in the Jeremiah Smith sweep stakes?
39:07>> Yeah.
39:07>> And they land him. What do you think happens? Right. I mean, that's that's a very real possibility. power washer basically across the depth chart. Yeah,
39:17>> 100%. And like Cam Coleman's another great name in the next class at receiver that's an early first round talent.
39:24He would go there and shake everything up too. And then then there goes Sadique and there goes Cooper Jr. So that's kind
39:30of my thought is we have two really high-end receiver talents at the 2027 juncture here. And this might
39:42be a cleanhouse situation in Jetland.
39:46I don't see how Cooper Jr. hangs on to value with Wilson there. I don't see how Sadique hangs on the value of
39:54potentially being a tertiary option long term in Jetland. So, I think that's a that's the big one for me. Just staying
40:00away from the Jets is is first and foremost.
40:04>> I can imagine the conversation. And I can see, you know, Brick calling up Woody. You know, grandpa, you know, I've
40:12got another one. I got a banger for you.
40:14And this is a this is this guy is so high up on the Madden board. Now, we have to trace back and you know he did
40:22this before, but he is also doing this out of spite because you can imagine him having an argument with one of the
40:28scouts about Mason Taylor and he was probably motivated because the the scout probably said, "Can you go back and play with action figures or play Madden and
40:40just please leave me alone and let me do my job?" um you know, you're not even you're you're not even old enough, you
40:48know, to be doing, you know, whatever it is, you know, just go go away. And then he probably got mad and said, I'll show
40:54him cuz he was the one that wanted Mason Taylor, so I'm going to draft a better one, you know, [laughter] and so I'm going to call Grandpa and
41:02tell him I want the better one here. But I'm with you on Sadi. It's just like Taylor's better than him in every
41:08respect other than straight line speed.
41:11It's not even close. So, you're really going to bench Sadique over Mason Taylor and then or pair him with Jeremy Ruckard
41:19who can block. Um, but now you don't have a guy who runs reliable routes, who doesn't read zone defenses fast enough
41:26to play to his speed. And then he c makes some highlight level catches, but he also has some issues with drops a
41:33little bit here and there that, you know, can kind of get the better of him. So, I'm with you. you know, Jonah
41:39Coleman I already talked about. So, there's that. If I was going to go with anybody else on this board, I mean, I
41:48don't understand why people are taking Cole Payton um at the end of drafts.
41:53Like, I mean, look, I love the athletic ability, but his arm is suspect from what I've seen.
42:02His accuracy definitely is suspect on that level. you if you want to take a guy who might be able to run and move
42:10and throw and create, take Diego Pavia at the end of the draft or better yet as a free agent off the waiver wire. He's
42:19got a three-year deal. There's no guarantees. So, the Ravens see him clearly, which is we know you have talent. You might end up being our QB2.
42:27We might also decide that we're done with you after six months um based on your off-field behavior. we're going to give you we're going to give you a
42:36chance. So, to me, Pave is the last draftable player. Um, and I would even call him draftable in a deep deep
42:45league. He is, but he's the last quarterback on my list that I'd actually want.
42:51>> It's ugly. I mean, it's just like, you know, after >> after Mendoza, yeah, Simpson is in a good spot to sit and wait like a Jordan
43:00Love. That's perfect for him. Um, but then it's like Carson Beck, no thank you. Garrett Nasmire, no thank you. Cole Payton.
43:11>> Yeah, it's >> What are we doing? Like >> Eagles. Eagles. That's all it is is it's that he's on the Eagles,
43:17>> dude.
43:17>> Yeah. No, no, no.
43:19>> It's not going to happen.
43:20>> Then then there's Drew Aller who >> Oh, don't Yeah. [laughter] We don't We're not talking about Drew.
43:27>> Can I just say one thing about him?
43:29Sure. Okay. Just the one thing I've seen the counterargument that well they say that the that Penn
43:38State, you know, really limited him and they didn't let him be what he's capable of being. And I'm thinking then that's even more of an argument why
43:50you don't really want to invest highly in him because he hasn't had a chance to develop doing what he's supposed to be
43:58able to do.
44:00in the college game to even make the next step in the pro game. And I'm glad, you know, so for me, I mean, I'm I'm
44:07just like I I don't I I don't get that one at all. to me the using the argument that he that the it's not like he played
44:17at Miami or played at Georgia or Texas and or played in a pro style offense at Cal and then they moved him over here
44:26and they just made him run RPOS's and misdirection with one read and you know lots of mirrored concepts and that's it.
44:35You know, he's been doing it his entire career in Penn State. So yeah.
44:40>> No, I agree. Okay. All right. So, we're good with that. So, a little strategic stuff. We'll we'll we'll move forward
44:46with that. is who what are some viable rookie draft strategies with people who you know who they find themselves in a
44:56situation cuz it's it's a pretty easy one to to hypothesize which is everybody who wanted 2027 picks they saw Jeremiah
45:06Smith and Cam Coleman and all those quarterbacks in September and said I better get me as many of these picks as
45:13possible and I'm hearing that this 2026 draft is is wonky or weird at best with the NIL >> and I'm not coming off 2027 for that
45:23matter. I'm not even coming off 2028.
45:26>> You're stuck with your 2026s. Um yeah, >> and you're in that situation.
45:31>> What are you suggesting to people on a what's perceived to be a weak board with nobody coming off of later picks or I
45:40mean next year's picks?
45:42>> Yeah. I think the one thing that I think is fairly viable is after you get to 107, when you're in that 110 to
45:52108 to 110 range, the first seven picks are are pretty easy in some order.
45:58Love, Tyson, Tate, Lemon, Mendoza, Conception, Price. Okay, that's your
46:06seven. At 8 to 10, you don't want Star Wars.
46:12You don't want Sadiq. You don't want Cooper Jr. Those are probably the three players that are most likely to be drafted. You don't want to go rogue and
46:20get Eric, not Eric Singleton, Nicholas Singleton, right? You don't want to do that either. So, what I would probably do, and I've
46:28thought about this because I'm in leagues where I've been trying to finagle my way into doing it, is grabbing a 20 27 second
46:39and just getting a 2026 second as well for someone to move into that spot. Um, if that doesn't do it,
46:48just, you know, taking the 2026 third, right? The 2027 second round really is two things. It can be a trade
46:59chip to move up into the middle of, let's say you're a championship type contender, the middle of the first round
47:09in 27, right? Like if you have a 109, if you have a 109 209 and you have okay a 204 from the
47:18trade, you can trade the 204 and trade the 109 for maybe going and getting 104 or who your tier break is. That's what you want
47:28to use it to, right? It's like this year the difference between Jadarian Price and Carnell Tate or Jordan Tyson, right? or
47:37Mai Lemon like pretty big gap in terms of talent in my opinion. So that's kind of where I'm using it to is to jump a
47:44talent tier next year. But then also too, maybe I can acquire a late second, early third
47:52to go get a Deon's tripling to go get a Skyler Bell or in the third, okay, a De Man Clayborn or Max Claire or someone
48:02like that where I'm getting more of a dart throw in terms of long-term value, but there's still value with that pick
48:09in terms of tiers because really this besides really 2011, which is I think Antonio Williams for me pretty heavily, maybe
48:18even earlier in some spots.
48:21You can draft any player anywhere. Like it's just a complete hodgepodge. So there's no consensus really there. So you can really just play around with it
48:31how you want. But that being said, you don't want to be drafting in that spot if you can if you can help it. So I
48:36think that's something that I'm trying to do. Um, but also too, you can leverage it and say, "Hey, you know, I'll take a 2028 first or you know, if
48:44you like that class with um Jiren and some of the other quarterbacks and and those guys coming out, but next year's
48:51class is really good. I mean, there's some really really talented talented dudes. Running back class is really strong. There's three backs that I
48:58really like. Um, Hardy, Lacy, and Brown are all, you know, Hardy's really freaking good." Um, but then besides Hardy, Lacy, and Brown
49:10are other one. Ba is good, too. Jaden Ba, Florida, uh, it's like four deep next year. And for the running backs,
49:17um, and those are [clears throat] all guys you could probably you will be tri drafting in the first round. Receivers really good, too. Obviously the big two,
49:25Smith and Coleman, but then you have Ryan Williams and and some of the other guys that are, you know, TJ Moore. Um,
49:33some of those other dudes, Mario Craver, who are good good pieces there.
49:37Quarterback's interesting. Um, I'm not a huge Arch Manning fan. Um, uh, I really like Drew Masttomaker out of Oklahoma State.
49:46um him and Dante Moore, my my first two quarterbacks I would take, but I think in most drafts, the first quarterback's going to be Arch
49:54Manning because he's might go the highest, but that's typically how I'm seeing it right now.
49:59>> Great. Yeah. So, I'm going to go a little different track and say, what if you can't get 2027 or 2028?
50:07And, you know, I I agree with the top tier that you mentioned. I mean, I think that's a con that's the closest
50:13consensus most everybody has is those top six to eight players. Um, and then after that is where it gets wonky. So,
50:22for me, it's kind of like I have Chris Brazzle the second 12th on my board. Um,
50:32and I would say once you get to around Denzel Boston, Chris Brazzle, um, there's a point where you or if
50:44you're not interested in holding and waiting on Tai Simpson, you know, which is understandable.
50:51I look at the receivers that people are going to be looking at and these are like that midsec midsecond tier through
50:59the third tier of wide receivers on my board and they're like the Ted Hursts, the Jacobe Lanes, the Elijah Serats. Um, you
51:11know, there's some players you can pick and choose from that are intriguing, like Deion Burksen, Kevin Coleman, but then you've still got guys like Brennan
51:22Thompson and and yeah, >> you [clears throat] know, Bryce Lance, who I I like more than others, but still, I mean, like, there's all these
51:30guys that >> if we've we've talked a lot about on this show and other shows, I've talked a lot about how over the past five to
51:39seven years, the minimum bar of competency for wide receiver in college in terms of technique has gone up. It's kind of like
51:51SE average SAT scores have gone up. But but also what I've learned in business schools or I've been the business school
52:00I was at is that there are a lot of people who professors and counselors who said while the minimum competencies on
52:08paper have gone up significantly and the bar is higher the people skills the ability to work in teams the ability to
52:17like the the soft skills that actually matter has gone way down. Um, and when I equate that to wide receiver, I feel
52:26like what we're seeing is that route running techniques have gone up in terms of knowing them, but the execution of them with a level of nuance that's
52:37required for the NFL, the ability to read coverages, the ability to make adjustments has gotten worse because there the because they don't have as
52:48much time with one another one another they're jumping schools all the time.
52:55>> Defenses are um a little bit ahead of offenses schematically even though the the level of athlete of on offense is
53:04still has an advantage at the very top.
53:07But so when I think of all that, >> I'm going, well, who are the players at this range where the bell the middle of
53:15the the of the bell curve that that big middle? Where are those guys that have moved up? And these are the guys that I
53:23look at like the Coopers, the Bells, the Lances, the Zachariah Branches, the Jeremy Bernards.
53:33though I see the argument for him he might be an exception but like Ted Hurst or you know guys like that where you
53:41look at them and go all right there's a big middle here and they all have decent grades that would make them more
53:48promising >> right >> seven to eight years ago but now there's you know now they're uh >> Chris uh Connley types you know that you
53:59look at it and go >> all right could that guy wind up Chris Connley cuz very good athlete, performed very well at the combine, played at a
54:08big-time program, had some big moments on tape. And what he is is a very good reserve con receiver who can contribute
54:17and start if you need to, but not really be a a productive fantasy player. And and so with that in mind,
54:26>> I'm like, why do I want to draft a guy who's gonna clog my roster for three to four years and be Josh Palmer?
54:33>> Like, [laughter] you're absolutely right. I mean, so I think the the great comment you made about the talent level and skill level
54:44rising. It's getting so much so much higher. I think part of it is too like the seven on seven culture we have in
54:50North America where >> everybody wants to play offense because that's where the glory is. You're getting a lot of really unique athletes
54:59offensively.
55:00>> However, having knowledge and executing that knowledge creatively are very different ends of the spectrum and we have a lot
55:11of really smart people. There's a lot more and it's a lot easier to get information in terms of offensive structure, play design, all that now
55:20than it was 15 years ago.
55:22>> Yeah.
55:23>> So, all that stuff is great. There's a lot of really smart offensive minds out there now. However, getting the player to execute that at a
55:33high level and at high speeds are very difficult to do. Yes.
55:36>> And so, we have a lot of players who physically can do it. However, they can't execute it when the bullets are
55:46flying.
55:46>> That's right.
55:46>> And so, that's the tougher thing is you don't have players with a high-end cognitive skill set that can make those
55:53requisite adjustments and the correct adjustments in game because you have these really big, fast, strong dudes who can't slow the game down.
56:05>> Yeah. to make those to make those high degree of difficulty maneuvers when you have a cornerback on the other side of
56:12you that's just as talented as you.
56:14Yeah.
56:14>> And so that's the stuff that's really difficult because now I think you're going to see now more than ever.
56:20>> The slower receivers are going to be the ones that really start to make their hey. And we're starting to see it.
56:27Jackson Smith and Jigba is not that fast, right? Like you're going to see guys like that pop up. Cooper Cup was
56:34kind of the the start of that, right?
56:37Yeah.
56:37>> You know, Puka Nakua kind of in a similar vein, right? Not super athletically gifted, but >> really gifted player, >> right? Jackson, Jigba, you all these
56:47guys. Um, the list goes on of like guys that are more tactical and technical rather than specimen in terms of
56:58>> their traits. For sure. And it's it's interesting.
57:00>> And who comes out in the third round?
57:03The speces guys, you know, the third >> Chris Bell. Yeah, you're right. They're all Brazzles, your hearse.
57:11>> Yep. The big, tall, fast, strong. We just got to fill them with nuance. Yeah.
57:17>> Can we fix them? Can Can we >> Can we put different tires in the Ferrari? Like that's the thing. It's
57:23like >> Yeah.
57:24>> But that's the thought of like there's always those guys. Yeah. And like you go down the you go down the list and look
57:31at like you know I was I talked a lot about Chris Bell because I got so many questions on my draft guide about Chris
57:37Bell like well why is Chris Bell not highly you know rated like where why do you have him so low? I'm like the
57:46biggest thing is this archetypically from a physical standpoint his type of playmaker does not play the game at a high level. 220 pound
57:57receivers drafted who are under 63 since 2019. Here's the list.
58:03AJ Brown starting hot. JJ Arsega Whiteside, Leiscus Chanel Jr., Joe Reed, Trayon Burks, Dariq Young, Jonathan
58:13Mingo, and Xavier Legette.
58:16All those receivers are either out of the league, >> hurt, >> or >> just not very good >> reserve level players who are never
58:25going to contribute.
58:26>> Yeah.
58:27>> One of those players has contributed.
58:30>> I think one of those players has contributed more than a 500 yard receiver receiving season. That's AJ Brown.
58:35>> Yeah.
58:36>> So, it's really hard to teach guys that big with that much mass to drop their weight and outmaneuver
58:46the F1 racers at cornerback. That's what you're looking at.
58:50>> And you have such good athletes at corner now, too.
58:53>> Yeah. And then on top of it, even if they're not those guys, they're the they're the light gazels, the Henry Rugs
59:00type of players, >> who some of them are guys like, do you really know how to alter pace? Do you know how to use the correct release
59:09versus the different type of coverage?
59:11Can you really bait defenders with the movements that you use? Or are you just executing it like you've read it out
59:18loud? Like you're reading poetry in a lit class, but you've never studied any acting and you've never understood how to vary pace and tone and emphasis and
59:28all of that. And that's what you see with these guys. So for me, the solution is this. If you're you don't have or you
59:35don't have 2027 picks to get, no one's giving them up. No one's giving up 2028.
59:42Then when you're in the late second round and say Brazelle Brazzle's gone, you don't want to take a chance on Bell
59:51necessarily with that pick, you know, maybe you look at this and go maybe you, you know, and you feel like at least I would say at least consider
60:03trading away your third round pick for an extra fourth round pick this year.
60:07Trade away. you maybe even trade away your third and fourth round picks for some fifth and extra fifth and sixth round picks and just take chances on
60:18undrafted running backs or late round running backs or some tight ends that like you know if you just do one pick
60:27and say I'm going to trade away my third round pick and I can get a fourth round pick >> maybe you take a chance that Sam Roush
60:34is going to be the Rob Growskyesque player to Coulson Lovelin's um Aaron Hernandez. Just that Hernandez is the more productive of the two in this
60:45particular case and both are more well adjusted. Um you know, you could see where the Bears might want to go that
60:52route and be multiple and Rous winds up a low-end tight end one in fantasy and and Lovelin winds up a low-end wide
61:02receiver one um you know playing a tight end role. Michael Trigg, you know, who who's, you know, as as one scout said,
61:12the reason consensus boards don't have um nuance or context is that is Michael Trigg, we all know he's good. This this
61:22current scout supposedly Twitter says, but we all know he's an [ __ ] Um that was [laughter] >> so so funny,
61:33>> you know. So it's like, you know, so you look at a guy like Michael Trigg or you look at, you know, someone like that or
61:42maybe you trade your fourth round pick and keep your third round pick and you say, "Yeah, I'm going to get De Man
61:47Clayborn in the third round. Maybe EMTT Johnson falls to me." um at that point maybe I can you know or I and I skip the
61:58third round and the fourth round I take my chances on a Kalin Black or if you know possibly or a Robert Henry and then
62:06in the fifth sixth round you got guys like Robert Henry Jamari Taylor did LeShawn Williams get an opportunity to sign with the Bears after his mini camp
62:16try out I don't know yet but like Jamal Haynes is with Cincinnati you Oh, you know, Roman Henby, there's like a lot of
62:24guys where I look at this and go, you're going to know right away within like for the majority of these guys, you're going
62:32to know by the end of training camp whether you just ditch them and then you make waiverwire calls and no one's
62:39clogging your roster and you can go hard to the hole with with with other selections or >> they do well enough that you say, "Okay,
62:49I can be selective about who I hold on to and if they hit at least from the standpoint of having a couple of good
62:56games and he's going to play for another three to four weeks, well, you're you're you can profit in the trade, >> you know, cuz you still what? Oh, so you
63:04used a fourth or fifth or sixth seventh round pick on this guy and now now people are now people are also like I
63:12need to win right now and I need this guy. Sure, I'll give up a 2028. Sure, I'll give up a mid round 2027. Now
63:20you've now you've gotten some more of what you wanted in the first place.
63:25>> 100%. There's a value.
63:27>> All right. So, I I just kind of we'll end it this way. I mean, I I just mentioned to me I think this I think the
63:36third tier of the the late second to third and early fourth tier of the wide receiver class is just I they're they're
63:45interesting players and you can choose, you know, pick and choose some of these guys if you want. Um, like I like Deion
63:51Burks's landing spot in terms of like the depth chart. I certainly see where Ted Hurst could have value eventually.
63:58Kevin Coleman, if they're running if they're running 12, as you mentioned, you you you really like him and you have him higher than most. you know, if he's
64:07running 12 and he's the flanker um by any chance or used in that capacity, they're going to run a lot of, you know,
64:18over routes and crossing routes and get Malik Willis outside and moving the pocket. And if they run 12 a lot, that
64:26could be good. Though, our guy Malik Washington looks like he's in a a great position to finally get I think he
64:33starts I think he's Yeah. I I think Kevin Coleman >> I think backs him up initially.
64:39>> Yeah.
64:39>> But I think the big issue is like you know your your most accomplished receiver in that roster is 22 Atwell.
64:46>> Yeah.
64:47>> That ain't good.
64:47>> No. Oh, >> and and Mike McDaniel, I mean, I'm glad that they sent him back to school with Shawn McVey, cuz I have a feeling what
64:56we're going to learn is that from what we've seen in interviews, Mike McDaniel is literally like, "This is my offense, and I don't I have roles for my players.
65:06I What's wrong with not forming a role specific to what the player does well?"
65:12And I'd say, "Well, um, I can give you about four or five examples from your teams."
65:17>> Sure. And one of them would be Malik Washington as a as a screen player, you know, is just like that's a bad example
65:25of a misusing a player.
65:28>> No, it's Bobby Slowick. So, it's like, >> you know, it's >> Yeah.
65:32>> Yeah.
65:33>> It's Bobby Slowick. Okay. You know who their past game coordinator is? You're going to laugh.
65:38>> Who?
65:38>> Kevin Patulo.
65:40>> Oh. Oh my gosh. Yeah.
65:42>> So, you got Bobby Slowick and Kevin Patulo. Oh.
65:46>> Oh my gosh. I mean, so this is Yeah, I love the Kevin Coleman. I have him really high. I'm in the low 80s. I think
65:54he could be Z Flowers at the, you know, the very peak if he gets into a good ecosystem and everything, but he's not.
66:00He's in a terrible, terrible, terrible place.
66:02>> So, so yeah. So, for me, these are overrated.
66:06>> These are overrated spots. Whereas, I think running back is actually underrated. Even though people say it's a bad class, >> I agree. But I think it's like it's
66:16underrated because of what it's relative to what the situation is since you can't trade your second round pick more often than not for next year or the year
66:25after. Now the second round pick is no longer as valuable this year as it was in previous years. So take a Kalin Black or you know who could
66:36give you 800 to,200 yards if Christian McAffrey gets hurt early and he wins the job. take a, you know, consider Robert
66:46Henry who maybe they get one look at him versus Kron Allen >> and they in a, you know, in training camp and go, "Oh, we want the quicker
66:55guy >> and maybe, you know, >> Krosky Merritt doesn't quite ascend to the level that they thought or right, you you know, or you go with undrafted
67:06dudes like Jamari Taylor or Levian Moss or Lehan Williams or all those guys I mentioned and you can pick up a number
67:14of them. So, I mean, I think those guys there there are a lot of guys that I graded that I thought these guys could
67:21have gotten drafted, but >> sure, >> but they don't fit the NFL's idea of draftable player and and they fit where
67:31the NFL is often wrong about running backs >> Yeah. No, I agree with you. Yeah, I think it's a there's a lot of places
67:40where you look and say, "Hey, if if something happens and shakes right, this guy could be, you know, a starter and
67:49then be fighting to hang on to a job in the near future, right? I think you hit the nail on the head with Washington,
67:57right? That I think Cross Mir had a good a good really good rookie year for a seventh round if cry out loud. But does
68:04he stay as a long-term starter? Probably not. Is Kron Allen that good to hang on to a long-term role? Maybe not. Justin
68:12Jolly in Denver.
68:14>> Yeah, >> that's a huge one because who do they have next year? Evan Ingram's contract's up in 27. He's turned what? 33.
68:24>> Yeah.
68:25>> Trumpman has two years left on his contract. He's turning 30. He has hasn't even hit 200 yards with Shawn Peyton. I
68:33mean, Jolly is pretty similar to Isaiah Likely. I mean, if he if he hits the ground running in terms of becoming a
68:42tertiary target in Bronco land, because he very well could. I mean, there's not that much on that roster outside of Wadd
68:52and Sutton.
68:53>> Yeah.
68:54>> Pat Bryan's a nice piece, right? You you have the two others that are good good pieces, but are they is Mims going to
69:05really Mims and Franklin going to really be, you know, 600, 700 yard guys?
69:10Probably not. Like, so you have a vacancy there in the tertiary role. So like Justin Jolly is a perfect example of that. Eli Raridan in New England like
69:19tight end is something interesting this year too. But no, yeah, I I 100% agree with you. I think there are some
69:24definite spots where you can see value there and you know looking in the future too of how we can look at future
69:31valuations of the offensive infrastructure and say hey this guy's not going to be here in 27 right so they gota you got to force the offense to
69:39make a decision. Um but that's a big one for me when you're looking at the running back class here because you have
69:44some guys that can definitely play. It's just you know Kron Allen goes to a really good spot. So does you know so
69:51does Henry Jr. So, it's interesting.
69:53>> Yeah. Well, listen, we had a fun show and you definitely need to check out Brandon's draft guide at Angelo's Analysis. Definitely go get it. Um, and
70:05we we'll be back in a couple of weeks.
70:07We're going to, you know, we'll we'll talk more about these players. May we'll get into maybe some 2027 picks in the
70:14coming weeks. If not, we'll be talking about, you know, what's ahead for the fantasy, you know, for the fantasy hobby in terms
70:22of, you know, 2026 and with that season and and uh, you know, should be a lot of fun. And, uh, you know, thanks for all
70:29that you guys do and the support and, uh, you know, on behalf of Brandon, myself, thanks and we'll talk to you a
70:36couple weeks.
70:37>> Absolutely.
