Fantasy Football Daily - 2024 QBs, RBs, and Malik Nabers with Mike Renner | On the Clock! NFL Draft Podcast

Episode Date: February 20, 2024

In the first 2024 edition of his NFL Draft discussion series, Brett Whitefield (@BGWhitefield) welcomes in Mike Renner (@MikeRenner_) to discuss the top quarterbacks and running backs in the 2024 NFL Draft, including Brett's JJ McCarthy love. The guys also do a bonus breakdown of LSU WR Malik Nabers, one of the top projected pass-catchers in the class. SIGN UP FOR FANTASY POINTS IN 2024 AT OUR EARLY-BIRD RATE, INCLUDING OUR NEW ALL-IN PACKAGE. ALL NFL SUBSCRIBERS WILL GET BRETT'S NFL DRAFT PROSPECT GUIDE: ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠https://www.fantasypoints.com/plans#/ --- Support this podcast: https://podcasters.spotify.com/pod/show/fantasy-points-podcast/support Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

I'm your host, Brett Whitefield. I'm joined by Mike Renner of free agency right now. Mike, no, he has a podcast on Lockdown called Renner's Ranks. You guys got to check it out. But Mike, thank you so much for joining the show today. What's up, my man? For sure, Brett. Thanks for having me on, brother.

Yeah. This is an honor to you because we have, this is our second season of the show. And this is the first episode. So you are the guest for season for episode one. Yeah, season premiere. It's like I'm the guy that gets teased. Like you see, T's the premiere. for like a month's before.

I'm to get you, you get the whole lead up to it. All the B-roll footage is of just me and Mike sitting there talking. So, yeah. No, cool. Well, yeah, man, I had to have you on. You were on last year.

You did a great job. I've always appreciated and loved your draft takes. I think you're one of the best in the business at doing it. So I figured I'd have you come on. It's early in the process for my listeners. So, you know, we're going to set the stage with just a brand new,

clean draft board. And I figured we get into some position groups today, Mike. I want to talk about your favorite position group and your least favorite position group. group of the draft. Why don't we start with the bad news and go running backs? Yeah, running back class this year is, that's bad, man. It's just there's no, if you told me there's not a single starter from this class next year, it wouldn't surprise me. It's just no one,

it's not only like that I don't think like any of them have like high end rushing talent. Like there's just, there's not like that. There's nothing close like a Bejan, right? But there's also, there's also not a lot of like complete three down backs who are even like fringe oh that could be you know it could be a guy if he goes the right situation where they have no running backs he could be a three down backs like now like both of the top guys are kind of like one trick runners like between the like power guys a lot of power guys in this draft class who are not necessarily dynamic or multifaceted in their skill sets and then there's also like receiving backs but then they're not between the tackles. There's just so there's, there's one, not a lot of high-end runners and then two, not a lot of complete running back. So it's just, it's a tough class.

And I already don't like scouting running backs to begin with as a foreign PFF employee. Yeah, same. I mean, same there. So, well, let's get into your top five then. I know you've got my Michigan guy here, Blake Corum, number one. What do you, what do you love or not love about Blake Corum? I just think he has an easily NFL translatable game from what I saw on tape. And you've seen a lot of tape from obviously he's a senior.

He has a great build. I love the compact guys, the 5-8, but 210 plus pounds. You know, the Maurice Jones drew sort of guys, they're just, they're tough to bring down. And they're, you know, when you see contact balance from guys like that, you can, like, trust that it's going to happen in the NFL too. Because that's just they have a lower center of gravity. They can cut easier at that size. It's just a lot of advantages to being shorter at the running back position. So, and then at the Michigan in that scheme, obviously NFL sort of run concepts.

NFL sort of gaps that he's asked to run between not a lot for as much as they, you know, were good rushing offense. It wasn't because there were these gaping holes that he had to run through. He was still, you know, having to turn out tough yard. So that's always good to see. And so all that combines, he's number one back, but it's like, he's number one back that I still wouldn't touch until the end of the third round at earliest, right? So that's what we're talking about here in terms of this running back class. You know someone will earlier than that, though, and that's just the way the NFL. True, true. There will be running back after earlier than that. but I just not not this year for me.

There's just there's not a big spread between even running back one and running back like six, seven in this class. Yeah, I feel you there. I'm right there with you. With Blake specifically, I kind of felt like his 2023 tape was not nearly as good as 2022. There's been rumors he was dealing with like an injury all season long, but I feel like the burst that you're used to seeing just was not there.

And he could spread those rumors too after that season. Yeah, that's actually a really good point. How much is that as agent speak? how much of that is actually truth. But he couldn't really make guys miss at the same level. He was making guys miss before that. But man, his sophomore junior tape, I thought was absolutely fantastic. I agree.

And that's kind of what I lean more onto. It's like you saw it now, obviously, you know, I'm not going to get medical information. You'll get that at the combine, maybe some leaks on it. But like, if you can tell him he's cleaned to the health back to the guy we saw his junior, I think he's still running back one. Yep. Your next guy, Trey Benson, Florida State. This seems to be the popular choice between him and John.

Jonathan Brooks for that number one spot. Benson kind of feels like a do-it-all guy. He's got a unique running style, though. Break down Benson for me. So he's taller back, right? 6-1. Any time you're over 6' foot, it's like unique in the NFL landscape.

There's just not a lot of those guys. But I love his ability to break tackles. I love how strong he is. I mean, he's 6-1, but he's also like 225 plus. Like he's a big back. And then you mentioned the unique run style. Like he's 6-1, but also runs tall. So all the thing.

things that said about quorum and his NFL translatable running style. Like there's questions there about Benson, but he breaks a lot of tackles by kind of like giving a leg and then taking it away. And he's very light on his feet for a guy that size and very laterally agile. So I just, I think there's still a lot to like. And if it like you said, I think there's of all the guys who could be real three down potential. He's probably the closest there in my eyes. Whereas Brooks, Brooks is my next. Brooks is running back three. Jonathan Brooks, Texas running back. but he's coming off an ACL, right? And as much as I loved his tape,

and probably if he didn't have the ACL, I'd put him in the RB1. I'd put him probably at that spot. It's like that could release his entire rookie season. And with how much, you know, running back is athletically driven, you don't know how well he's going to fully recover from that. And also it's like with rookie contracts,

you need to maximize running back's value on those cheap four years. And if you're just throwing, one out the window, that's just going to push him down the board a little bit. Yep. I think he would be my far and away RB1 if it wasn't for the injury. And people think that's petty, but it's the reality of the running back position in the NFL. Jalen Wright, number four, this is like the most explosive back in the class probably. Is that your read on him as well?

Yeah. So Tennessee running back, Jailen Wright, he just, he's got juice, man. He's coming from an offensive at Tennessee where they didn't seem like, I wasn't say they didn't teach him. like how to like read blocks. But it's like he could freestyle all he wanted. It was basically they, they told him to go create big plays. And that's, you know,

like guys like same scheme, like Lachy C's drunk or whatever. Like it's, it's an offense that's created a big place for running backs because he's dealing with spread formation, six, seven man boxes at most. And if he can find daylight, he goes to it,

irregardless of what the concept is. Because usually that's, you know, when that explosive, that's a good thing. So that's just not going to work in the NFL. So I wish we could have seen him at the senior bowl. I wish we could have seen him in a different offense,

but running back still so trades driven. That's why guys, like I say, Pacheco can succeed as seventh rounders and routinely do. So that's like, that's kind of who he is in this class. It's just like a guy who's so gifted athletically that you kind of take that chance to see what he can be. Pacheko was the name I was going to invoke there as well

because Pacheco often gets referred to as being blind, you know? So, Jayla, I wouldn't say he's blind, but I do think you're right. The freelance is too much. I'd kind of like to see him land in a team that runs a lot of gap scheme where you're just giving him a gap. Just go hit this gap, you know, and hopefully we create some daylight for you and we can maximize that explosiveness. But right on. So Kimani Vidal, number five, this is one of my senior bowl faves. You know, he had an okay week there, but I loved him going into the week.

Tell me about him. He's real wound up for a guy. So he's like probably same size as Blake Corum about. But I think he's a little more explosive, a little better top speed than even Corum. Now, not much as a receiver. I think he struggled at senior ball in the receiving one-on-ones. But that's, he can catch a ball out of the backfield, though. And like in space, he's dynamic.

Like he can as some make you miss ability. And then again, that frame, I just trend towards guys like that who are in that body type. I just think it's one that's proven. successful at the NFL level. So I'm saying I like them, but also it's like, man, we're talking about end of the fourth, fifth round type of guys at this point in my opinion. For you fantasy listeners out there, one thing I love about Vidal too is he's excellent in pass pro. I'm really, really going to pass pro. And for whatever reason, you know, NFL values that you have to be good at it to get on the field usually as a rookie. So if he lands in the right

spot, who knows what could happen. He might get some playing time as a rookie there. So fantasy note. One other guy I'd like to ask you about because he's one of my faves. didn't make your top five Kentucky running back Ray Davis. I see him as one of the few complete backs in this draft. He can bang between the tackles, but he's also a really good pass catcher. Yeah, I'm very excited to actually see him at the combine and what he kind of runs because like he's just solid all around.

Like there's not a lot of weaknesses to his game. You mentioned his past catching ability. His hands were awesome at the scene. Like he has some of the like most natural ability to haul in the past like passes. Just seems second nature to him. That's always a good thing. But to me he's more like, is he closer to C.J. Anderson

where it's like he's really just a five yards in a clouded dust sort of guy or is there another gear there where maybe he could create a little more explosive place the next level. I feel like he looks a lot faster running vertical routes than he did ever with the ball on his hands.

So that's slightly concerning for sure. I'll give you that. He's what, 58-225 or something? Yeah, another guy who has that just ideal RV build. Just a Maurice Jones-Drew kind of build there. So, all right, sweet.

Let's jump into quarterbacks. This is like, I mean, we're going to be debating these guys from now until literally the night of the draft or he probably even after that as these guys, their career starts to develop. But you have one of the more unique top fives I've seen the order of it. I can't say I've seen anyone else with a top five like this. Why don't you kick it off with your top guy in the class? A top guy is Drake May in this class, the North Carolina quarterback. I just think you saw more NFL. things from him at a younger age than any other quarterback. And he's not only as a high floor

because of that, like his ability to work the middle of the football field, his ability to manipulate defenders, kind of throw guys open, kind of the creativity he plays with. And then just like the high end athleticism. Like, he's just a very natural athlete, a guy who, you know, if you wanted to play him at tight ends, like, I think he could just tomorrow put on 20 more pounds and you could be like a high level tie in the NFL. If you want to play baseball, like this guy probably could have played baseball at a high level. He just is very easy with everything he does. So I think there's also some like developmental potential with him in that he's not consistent with his footwork and with his base from the pocket. And it's like if you can get that guy more consistent and that's obviously

something that you know, you talk about like Anthony Richardson last year. So he's already like fairly accurate. It's obviously like not a high end strength of his, but he's fairly accurate with that inconsistency. If you get a more consistent, I think there's some meat on the the bone there to where it's not only has a fairly high floor from what I've seen, but also I think its ceiling's pretty high as well. So for all those reasons, I have QB1, but it's also Caleb Williams, QB2, they're both just elite prospects. They are, I see them as special sort of top of the draft guys that just not every class

has. So it's, it's really no knock to Williams, in my opinion. It's just, I think May's also special. Yeah, so May is admittedly my QB4, but this is a rare class. I like my top four, like a lot. I like all four guys. I think they're all worth high first round picks. With May, something I, a positive I think needs to be talked about,

especially May and Caleb Williams for that matter, is when you're comparing to guys like Bo Nix and Jaden Daniels, they're what, 24 years old there. They've got that, they've already gone through kind of that developmental curve where, you know, when we left Jaden Daniels age 21 season and Bo Nix's age 21 season, nobody on planet Earth thought those guys were first round picks. So for Drake being where he's at, as a 21-year-old, I think does speak to how special he is.

So even though he is my QB4, I definitely think that's working in his favor for sure. Oh, we also kind of buried the lead. Like the reason we're talking QB is because you think the QB class is exceptional in one of your favorite groups in this draft. Yes. So like you said, the top four, we actually have different top fours. But I see the top four also all worth top 10 picks. I do think it's that good of a quarterback class. and all like kind of all like different guys in a way like I think there's distinctly different

strengths and weaknesses for each to where there will be a top five every top five will be just distinctly different there's no easy hierarchy of these dudes it's like man what do you want in a quarterback one of these guys probably has it and then if you if that's like what you value then you're going to have that guy higher could even have them give you one you know any of the like the top five in this class. Yeah, so jump it right in. Then to your number three, I don't know that I've seen anybody else with him in your top three,

and that's Bo Nix, Oregon QB, Bo Nix, formerly of Auburn. Tell me what you like about Bo because maybe you can change my mind a little bit. I like that he just, he didn't make mistakes with the football this past year, you know, on a throw-for-throw basis. And now a lot of that's,

Oregon offense did have a lot of underneath stuff. And even if you, you know, take out the 100 or whatever screen passes that he had in that office. offense. He still didn't make like, both throw, like tacking down the football field. I think the PFF turnover where he placed at was still on 10 plus yard throws. He was still like half the turnover worthy play rate of anyone else in this class as quarterback. So it's still like even when he did take chances, they were not bad chances.

So like the guy we saw at Auburn is like completely gone in that regard. And also I think that that almost is working in his favor just in terms of what we've seen as a quarterback position, guys like Jalen Hertz, um, guys. like even, you know, Brock Purdy, the guys who start for that long in college, who play early, get better every single year, get to the NFL, they have that experience. And like, no one's going to question Bo Nex's work ethic. And like every year he's improved on something. And then the tools are like pretty high end. He's a pretty good athlete with a pretty darn good arm. So I also think he's the best, pure like speed processor in this draft class in terms of like getting a defense right away, knowing where that football is supposed to be. to be making that decision. If he does that, I'd be like question,

can he get to a second read? Because he just did it, was so efficient at getting to his first read accurately on time in that Oregon offense and didn't like have to get to the second rate. Yeah, he does throw in rhythm, you know,

very well. That's, that's a strength of his. You do think his arm is good? I think it's a plus arm. I don't think it's, I mean, I think I'd put McCarthy's probably slightly ahead of them.

I put Williams is definitely ahead of them. And I think May right about that tier. but I think Daniels, I think he has a stronger arm that actually even Jane Daniels does. But that one's, I don't think any of them have weak arms by any means, but those two are probably like still just like solid NFL arms, nothing special. Yeah, I could buy that Knicks has a better arm than Daniels. Let's jump in to Daniels too. This is a guy, everything you just talked about with Nick's, a lot of experience, developing.

That's Jane Daniels. What, a five-year starter? One of those years who's injured, obviously. But, I mean, there's a lot of experience there. Yeah, and he's, you know, the guy's going to run. and he's probably not going to run the combine, but he would run like a low 4-4, right? And that's, I think, the biggest selling point in my eyes is that, man, if you forget about him, there's a home run waiting to happen with how just much that guy can fly.

And so while I'm not sure he's going to be, you know, featured the way Jalen Hertz is in a rushing offense, Justin Fields can be because he's skinny. Like, I do worry about him taking hits. And he doesn't protect himself the way Lamar Jackson does for a skinny quarterback. Lamar Jackson is like the goat avoiding big hits. Jane Daniels not so much. So there is that worry with him about featuring him too much, but it's still such a weapon.

And accuracy-wise, downfield this year, he was this great guy in college football, man. There were games, I mean, the Ole Miss game I remember watching, I was just like, wow, he made like six throws down the field where it was just like, you couldn't place it any better. So that combo is just such a winning combo where it's like, what do you have to do when the guys runs a four for the quarterback? Well, you have to put more guys in the box. you have to bring more guys into the mix to stop the run.

Well, then what's he the best at? Taking it over the top of that. So it's really a winning combo when you get to the NFL. I do think there's probably a little more issues with him as a pure pastor than any of these other guys that I worry about in terms of like pocket presidents, working in the middle of the football field. But man, he's just such a talented dude. And it's just another guy who's improved every single year to that. It's easy to buy him.

Yeah, I tweeted last night, actually. I was finished all my Jay and Daniels table. last night and I tweeted between his running ability and his deep ball accuracy that basically makes him the Terminator. Like what are we going to do to stop this guy? I mean, it's insane. The cop I've been going to is RG3. And like that RG3 back, that was what he did this first year of Washington, right?

Before, obviously he wanted to become a completely different quarterback than who he was, right? Before he wanted to. Injuries, two injuries messed up. Yeah, injuries as well. But like, that was deadly, that combination. He just like went for over and him. hundred yards of rusher had so many big plays

to the passing game because he was accurate down the football field. You can win with that and any semblance of a creative offense coordinator with you. I think as the season went on, he got better attack in the middle of the field. I tweeted also that he's got every club in the golf bag, so to speak.

I think that wasn't true in 2022 and even early last year that wasn't true. But he added a couple clubs at his bag by the end of the season where he was able to attack the middle of the field a little bit more confidently. that's also a good sign. He's still continuing to find ways to get better, even though he's been, you know, has so much experience.

So I do think he goes really high because the running ability plus, plus his depotagrecy is just, it's just too much. It's too much to pass on. So, all right, number five, and this is going to be the most polarizing for you and I, because your fifth is my number one. And that is Michigan quarterback, the national champion, J.J. McCarthy. Yes, he's, I mean, he is a. awesome athlete.

I know like this is what I'm talking about this class is all five guys and why I'm really high on it. They're all guys who didn't necessarily have to be quarterbacks, right? That's not true. I don't think every year where all these guys were like just natural whatever it would have been. And they decided to play quarterback. To me, that's not always the case in a quarterback class. But with this one, it is why I really like this quarterback class. He's just so fluid.

He's so good in the pocket. He's probably the best. in the pocket in terms of like moving, operating tight quarters, getting himself free when it's ugly. He's awesome at that. And like in that offense, Michigan, he didn't have to deal with there were no RPAs. There were no screens, wide screens. There were no pop passes. He wasn't doing you know, so I didn't have a ton of attempts. It was all NFL concepts, NFL translatable stuff that he was doing. So anything you did, it's like, okay, that's going to immediately work in the next level. the one worry the biggest worry i have i guess there's two big worries i have two big worries

one the one like actual on field worry though is you just throws lasers man he really does not throw a touch like he doesn't even like attempt to throw a touch you're gonna missing clubs yeah so like what does that look like can you develop that i that one i'm not sure but he i mean he has a nice arm like a guy has a plus plus arm he shows it off with every throw so that's the worry like on the football field that actually And like some of those, or not like more than I'd like, probably more than the other guys in this class ended like in linebackers chest. He put lasers into linebackers. Like it actually showed up as an issue on tape and throws that he probably could have, should have layered that actually ended up being bad throws.

But the other one is, and I know they won the national championship and I know they didn't need him to be the guy. But there were times throughout the season where it's like, man, running game wasn't necessarily working and they never really turned the keys over to him. And it's like, you have one of the best coaches in college football, one of the best coaches in NFL and Jim Harbaugh. If you really were that dude who's, you know, deserving of top 510 pick and you really saw that in you, you would think he would probably, and you have guys like Roman Wilson, Cornelius Johnson there, you have like legit receivers. You would have thought that at some point they kind of would have turned the keys over them

and say, like, let's win some games now. Again, they won the next championship. It's like that's a small knock by for sure. But I think it was like his last six games, he went for over 150 yards passing once or something. That's just, that's a little worrisome to me that they just didn't ever feel like, let's put it on JJ's arm.

He'll go win us again. I'll push back on both those critiques a little bit. The first one, I'd like to hear, I would love to hear. Yeah. The first one, I think you are mostly correct. I do think he needs to develop, add some clubs at the bag.

The only pushback is I think outside the numbers, he figured out how to layer the ball. specifically against cover two when he's got to fit the ball between corner safety. He wasn't always ripping it sometimes. Like he throws sail routes and flat seven concepts better than any quarterback in this class. Like I felt like he really did get a grasp on that, knowing when to put touch on the ball, knowing when to rip it. Over the middle of the field, though, I do concede to your point.

I don't think he, I think he's got line drives and that's it. He's going to have to figure out how to put the ball over linebackers' heads, drop it in over those second level defenders. If he doesn't, that could be a steep learning care for him. the end of the year when they weren't really throwing the ball there's two things going on he was he was actually hurt that was that happened in the maryland game he got hurt he played terrible in that game as well and then their right tackle situation this year was not good yeah it was turn on the Penn State tape i think jaded nine times in the first half he got hit on almost all nine of them i mean it was and i think they just shimar more just said we are not throwing the ball the rest of this game um just can't do it the one time they really did say, hey, JJ, we're down. You got to go win us a game, was against TCU,

and he almost did it. I think, he did have a couple really bad turnovers in that game, so I'm not saying it was a perfect game by any means, but when they put the ball in his hands to go out there and do it, he made some of his best plays of his career. So, again, I don't think he's a perfect prospect, though. I've never claimed that. I just, I think

what you said earlier, the stuff he does in the pocket, the accuracy, the pro-style offense, some of those intangibles, that's what kind of makes. I think he's got a really, really, high floor and that's what makes him my QB1. The meditation, well, is what they keep harping on in the national championship game, his, uh, his peace of mind or what they kept saying, he was like his, he kept doing like meditating before the game or whatever.

And he had the coach on the sideline giving him mental, whatever advice. He's the most at peace quarterback in this class. That's, yeah, there we go. Zen. We'd be remiss if we didn't mention Michael Pennix Jr's name because he isn't a lot of people's top five. He's not in my top five, but he would be my QB6 in this class. What do you see in on Pennix?

Why don't you have him in your top six? If we did go six quarterbacks, would we talk about him? I think he's, I think he's my six. I think he's like a guy that could start in the NFL. I could very well see him being a top 32 QB when all of a sudden done. I think there's a lot to like about him. I think he has a pretty big arm even if it looks funky. And it's not even like, it's funky and it's not even like a long release though,

which is unique. A lot of funky releases are like long. This one's just like a short but funky. It's like the lefty Phillip Rivers kind of. So he still gets it to where it's going, like quickly. So I don't have like too many questions about it, but it's also he's inaccurate. And when you have a funky release and you're inaccurate,

there's no, let's give you a more traditional release and make it accurate. It's like that's not going to happen. He's not going to go to a normal, you know, quote unquote traditional throwing motion. That's just too far away. So there's no like no way to fix. that sort of an accuracy. So I think he was going to have to live with that. And there's no, he was not a guy who created it on his own. He was a guy who had to win from the pocket and relied

a lot on kind of just like giving it to his three wide receivers that are going to be top hundred picks. Like he was just facilitating downfield by throwing kind of Hail Mary's at times just like some jump balls to these guys who were just nasty wide receivers. So yeah, all that together. It's like, I like them. I just don't think there's necessarily. a next level to his development that we're missing here after six years his college team with how much you value quarterbacks because I know you do because you're a former PFF guy round two or round three grade for for PNX I depends on the situation I could see taking him at the back end around two

okay so but that but more likely than not I would take him in this I'd want to take him in the third round I can dig it yeah one thing that's funny with Pinnock's too is when you see him try to throw on the run he like he physically can't do it it's kind of funny it's a little it's a little jared doffish actually except i think golf's an accurate thrower but but like golf physically has a really hard time throwing the ball on yes he does uh yeah anyway so i know you got to get out of here i have one more bonus question i want to ask you about a prospect that i have concerns on where everybody's just enamored and one of the things i've always appreciated about you mike is you know how to take

and apply context to things that you see um that's probably your pff background because you can look at a dataset and kind of discern what's you're That's what. Malik Neighbors, I think he's a very good prospect. But I don't see him as a guy who's pushing for the number one slot or even number two for me. I really like Rome still. My big issue with neighbors is at the college level, you see a ton of two high looks. You see a ton of quarters.

He played mostly in the slot. And a lot of, most of his big plays, those plays everyone's throwing out on Twitter, they came in those situations where he's isolated one-on-one with a lot of, deep safety in quarters look that has literally no chance of stopping a two-way to go from Malik neighbors or he's got a slot corner and cover three playing 10 yards off the ball. There's not a lot of reps of him winning one-on-one against good corners on the outside or whatnot. And I know we have to scout trades and not production, but anyways, give me your two cents on this.

So my take has been to start. It's like if you want an ex-wide receiver, you'll draft a Dunzee or Marvin-Hare. is a junior, right? If you want a guy who just is going to run that route to your offense, they're not close in my opinion. There's a big difference, big gap between those two and neighbors in that regard. But the NFL's moving away from that, right? That's not like, you can find a role, which is, you know, basically what, you know, Tyree Kill does in Miami, what Zay Flowers did in Baltimore this past year where it's like, you just move that guy, he's the guy that's going in motion and he give him play. He's getting a free release vertical

to your safety. And then when that's the case, he's too dynamic to, like when he's the guy who is that player in your offense, he's uncomfortable, right? You give him a free head of steam going up the football field with his traits and it's just lights out. So that's my take on is that,

yeah, he's, you almost just have to know what you're getting with him. And it's not a traditional wide receiver. It's just an offensive weapon that you have to kind of scheme stuff up for. But when you do, it's like there may not be three or four guys better in the NFL

even right now at doing what he could do in those situations. Yeah, so I guess where I see a little pause is like NFL, even linebackers are much better at match, carry, deliver, like in zone concepts than college defenders are. So I just wish we had more reps of him

winning with route running and technique. I know he's insanely explosive. And listen, I'm not out on him. I still mocked him 15th of my mock draft. I see like an explosive Amun Ra, which they, you know, Ammanra is used similarly to what you're talking about, a lot of motion. They don't put them at one spot. They move them all around trying to get the matchups they want. So if he ended up on an Amunra arc, nobody would care that he was the 15th overall pick.

So, I mean, it's it is what it is. Just traditionally, though, we've seen those guys get drafted a little bit later. Think of like Elijah Moore and Wondell Robinson. They won very similarly at the college level. And they both went, what, second round? And I think I'm on route in the fourth round and yeah, yada, yada. So but yeah, so where do you, do you have obviously a firm first round grade on him? Where do you, where do you, where do you see him going?

Neighbors. Top five, dude. I think he's. Really? You think he'll go top five in the draft. I still do. Yeah. Okay.

I see Harrison goes top five. Oh, yeah. I think Marvin Harrison's either three or four. And then I think neighbors, the chargers. It's just that would make too much sense, in my opinion, what they need. So that's a spot where I actually. would like it because they have outside receivers covered. So that would be sweet.

That'd be sweet. I don't know that the, the chargers will, like, do you think Harbaugh values passing the ball enough to like go, Quentin Johnson? He didn't draft Quentin Johnson, but he's going to look at that roster. Yeah, it's hard to say. I don't know. I mean, he's been out the NFL now so long. Obviously, back when he was with San Fran, what they had?

They had Crabtree. Who was their number two? I'm even trying to think back then. But it was, I mean, that was an O-line dominant team. right that was how they won they had some good number two though i swear who was the number two for the four nineers way back then like that was that team that went to the super bowl so it's a year 2012 right yeah i want to say that one more guy who was like not bad but i mean it was like it was a run first team so i mainly was that it that it definitely wasn't who i was thinking of if that was

their second best first year in 2012 i'm looking they had manningham they had tedgan junior that AJ Jenkins Definitely was not AJ Jones They had Randy Moss Actually Maybe they didn't Maybe they won't draft a water shear

Yeah I guess it was just It was Crabtree and Vernon Davis heavy I've heard yeah Yeah There you go Well damn But that's what I'm saying Like that was

That was 12 years ago They were talking about So I don't know if Harbaugh is going to be Philosophically Necessarily the same guy I mean, to a degree he will be, but like, will he want more different than his offense? Especially when you have Justin Herbert, right? You didn't have Justin Herbert back then, you had Colin Kaepernick, a little different skill set.

Yeah, it's interesting. I've been pounding the table for Hollywood Brown to go reunite with Greg Roman. I know he didn't like Greg Roman, but I like the pair. So I think that'd be a really nice fit in that offense. And that's, you know, they do similar things, neighbors in Hollywood Brown there. So that would be fun. Well, Mike, thank you so much for joining the show. We're going to get out of here.

For the listeners, make sure you check out fantasy points.com for the prospect guide. It will be coming soon. 250 writeups. I'm doing it all. And go check Mike out on Locked On for, what is the name of your podcast again? It's renter ranks. Render ranks on the Lockdown Network. It's an absolute banger.

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