Fantasy Football Daily - Peter Schrager Mock Draft Analysis with Chris Wecht | On the Clock! NFL Draft Podcast

Episode Date: April 18, 2023

NFL Network's Peter Schrager is one of the more plugged-in draft analysts, so his mock draft is always a fascinating read shortly before the NFL Draft. Brett Whitefield (@BGWhitefield) and Chris Wecht (@ChrisWechtFF) go through it pick-by-pick with their own spin on each selection! Schrager's Mock: https://www.nfl.com/news/peter-schrager-2023-nfl-mock-draft-1-0-texans-trade-out-of-no-2-two-rbs-picked-i BRETT WHITEFIELD'S 2023 NFL DRAFT PROSPECT GUIDE IS FREE TO READ WITH A NO-CHARGE LOGIN AT FANTASY POINTS. Interested in playing Best Ball in 2023? There's no better place than Underdog Fantasy. Use our code FANTASYPTS to sign up for a new account at Underdog, and not only will you get a 100% deposit match up to $100... but you'll get a Fantasy Points Standard subscription for only $5! https://www.fantasypoints.com/underdog --- Support this podcast: https://podcasters.spotify.com/pod/show/fantasy-points-podcast/support Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

It's time to the Fantasy Points podcast brought to you by FantasyPoint.com. Top level fantasy football and NFL betting analysis from every perspective and angle, from numbers to the film room, with a single goal to help you score more fantasy points. Welcome in to another episode of On the Clock. I am your host, Brett Whitefield. Today we are joined by The Robin to My Batman. And that's correct. Chris, welcome to this girl again.

What's going on? I've come up with new creative ways to introduce you because of all the times you're on. It seems like you made that decision right then and there. You weren't ready for it. It just popped into my head as I was starting my sentence. So there we go. There we go. That might be, you know, you know what, the listeners might consider that little demeaning to you.

So maybe we won't go Robin. We'll go, you're the Iron Man to my Bruce Banner. How about that? You go with Bruce Banner? I'm the Hulk. You're Iron Man. Yeah, that's fair. That works.

We were more like on an equal playing field there. Yeah, yeah. You know? And I think that actually fits our personalities pretty well. You're the muscle and I'll be the brains. Yeah, there we go. Although Bruce Banner's a pretty smart guy too. I'm more permanently locked in Hulk than Bruce Bair.

Yes. Yeah. All right. So we're at the time. We're at the point of the draft process where, you know, all the evaluations are pretty much done. We've talked about a lot of prospects and we'll continue talking prospects, but it's kind of getting down to the nitty gritty where there's a lot of rumors starting to happen. You're starting to get a clearer picture of what's going to go down in the first round.

And we've been waiting for Peter Schrager's first mock draft. And so we're going to do a lot of reacting to mock draft probably from here until the draft. But Schrager's was important because I don't know, he's got a really interesting track record of predicting chaos. He's not the most accurate mock draft or by any means, but he does have a knack for predicting crazy scenarios and crazy trades. His second one, his second mocks are usually much more accurate than the first ones, whereas the first ones are the crazy scenario stuff. Yes.

And he, I think the year Goff and Wentz went, he predicted both of those trades, which was, I mean, so did Chris Collins with the PFF, but like only two guys in the business that did that. That was, like, think about how crazy it was to predict that. Both those teams came out of nowhere to get to one and two to pick quarterback. So to actually predict that as crazy. So I know a couple of years ago, he didn't have as much success, but Shrager,

people wait for his mocks because they do have the crazy element to it and he's really good at predicting it. So figure we will break some of this down, kind of give our thoughts. So let's get started. Right out of the gate, pick one. He's got the, he's not doing anything. crazy with pick one. I think everyone's kind of feeling Bryce Young as the first overall pick at this point. Does that surprise you all, Chris? Nope. It is crazy a week ago. We were discussing how it seemed like

no one other than Stroud was going to be mocked as the first QB. And now we've totally flipped a week ago. Yeah, with all of the posturing and smoke from both Houston and Indianapolis, this makes sense, actually. Yeah. You know, maybe we should have interpreted that as they realize Bryce isn't going to be there at two. So that's why it is all. this, you know, the shroud around those picks. So, but now that Bryce is the clear, seems like the clear guy at one. Now, granted, there's still time. You know, I think that kind of allows us to start to build out the rest of the board here. And right at pick two, he does the first crazy thing. And I'm having a hard time wrapping my mind around this. He has the Colts trading inner division

with the Houston Texans to grab C.J. Stroud. On one hand, this makes a lot of sense to me, because I think everyone in the world knows Stroud is not going to be Houston Texan because of the agent situation. David Mulligeta also represents Deshawn Watson. I think there's a mutual disinterest there in those parties joining forces. So that makes sense. The Texans don't want to draft Stroud so they'll trade out. But to do it with the Colts is the part that's got me scratched in my head.

Like, I don't know. Have we ever seen that before? An interdivision trade that leads to a team getting their franchise quarterback? That just seems crazy to me. I can't think of one off the top of my head. Although, I mean, if they're not sold on Stroud being a guy, wouldn't you want your division rival to take a QB that you don't think is a smash pick? Well, see, that's the trouble with the Mulligeta situation is we don't actually know how the Texans feel about Stroud. They might like Stroud.

I think Lance Surline, I'm pretty sure it was him, has said that they're split on Stroud inside the organization. and owner and GM head coach, et cetera. It is convenient, though, to say that you're split on a guy when you're probably not drafting him. Right. But I don't know. I'm not saying they are, aren't. So I don't know. In this mock, he's got what, DeForest Buckner and the fourth overall pick going to Texans, the Texans for number two.

I actually like that trade for the Colts. I like not giving up future capital. Yeah, it's not even. And that's not enough for the Texans. Yeah. Yeah, Buckner's a very high price player, and he's probably played his best football already. So, not that he's still a great player, but it's just, you know. All right, we'll move on.

Pick three Arizona Cardinals going Will Anderson, Jr. There's no shot. There's no shot the Cardinals are staying at three. I don't think they're picking as three. Well, does that trade up to two, though, like affect them? No, because I think we've known this. We had the order flipped, Stroud and Young, for a while. But there's just no reason for the Cardinals to pick at three.

They have so many holes, particularly on defense. If you look at the starting death chart for the Cardinals defense, I'd be surprised if most people can name more than two guys outside of Buda Baker and Isaiah Simmons. Yeah. Yeah, no, I agree. They need to trade out. They have no business making this pick here. Yeah.

The interesting thing about Willie Anderson specifically is I've heard from a lot of teams that they don't have him as edge one. And he's kind of been billed as this blue chip guy, which he never scored as a blue chip player for me. So that doesn't surprise me. But, you know, he's been billed in the community as this guy. He's like, I can't miss edge prospect. He's the best edge guy in a long time. I just flat out think that's not true. I think he's closer at Aidan Hutchinson than he is, say,

Joey Bosa or Chase Young as a prospect, if that makes sense. So, yeah. So I mean, I'm interested that they took him instead of like a Tyree or a Christian Gonzalez. They have so many needs, you know. Yeah, I can see the, like you've mocked it a couple times, the lines trading up to there. The, you know, the Raiders, the Seattle probably not. Tennessee. Like there's multiple, you're, I'd be surprised if one of those, they don't even need to get like,

win the draft trade value chart, just trade back and fill some more holes. Because you don't need to make that pick there. Yep. All right. Then pick four, he is the Texans taking edge defender Tyree Wilson. Now,

I know for... Actually, I can't say that on this podcast. Well, anyways, there's a rumor out there that the Texans are one of the teams that has Wilson ahead of Anderson. so for them to pass Anderson at two, drop two spots and take Wilson, makes perfect sense to me. So again, this is a situation where the Colts, Texas trade makes sense on paper. I just don't see it happening because the inner division stuff.

Like, why would you give your rival a layup at quarterback like that? Yeah. But so far in this scenario, the Texans have added Tyree Wilson and DeForest Bunkner to the defensive line. That's a pretty good way to kickstart that. Yes, it is. Yeah, I mean, if in this scenario, where they get more capital, if I'm the Texans, whoever it is, they do like Levis, Richardson, whatever, they got to be looking to move back up from 12 if they think they need to to get some QB. Which is the thought process I've been playing with in my, I've started working on my predictive mock for next week. And I have, as of right now, I have the Texans trading up, back up from 12 to get Levis.

but if they're trading back to four, that seems like a perfect chance to take Levis, right? So if they're two guys were Bryce Young and Will Levis and then someone in a stroud, then it makes perfect sense at pick four and just take Will Levis and not risk losing him. Yeah, if you're comfortable taking him at 12, might as well just take him at 4

or trading up to 7, 8, 9, whatever. Yep. Just take him at 4 and make sure you get your guy. So here's the next big thing in this draft is pick 5, the Seahawks are going Anthony Richardson quarterback Florida. Now, obviously, Gino got the extension.

I don't think that takes them out of the QB discussion. No one's really mocking QB there, but I for sure think they could go quarterback at 5 or 20, for that matter. Richardson, though, going at 5 tells me that the Texans don't like him. Like Shrigger doesn't think the Texans like Richardson, or the Seahawks feeling like they can stand pat at 5

and get him is interesting. the lion sitting at six and letting him go one pick earlier is also interesting and then he's got he doesn't have the titans coming up for him which has been rumored to be a thing for a minute so and he does have the titans taking a quarterback though so we're going to get pretty interesting discussion here in a second but yeah i just find this really fascinating that the seahawks stand pat and get ridgerton at five yeah i could see the ceacques moving back here they they are their team that feels like they trade back every year in the first round or almost every year so would not shock me if some team wants a QB here more than they do Richardson. But it's not the worst fit in the

world either because they do have Gino in place and Richardson can continue to grow, get more experience, whatever he needs to do to reach his next level. Yeah. Pick six, Detroit lines selecting Georgia defensive tackle Jalen Carter. Obviously, this is a slam dunk for them. He's my number one player in the draft. They're getting him here at six. I want to talk too much about it because this has been mocked endlessly for the last months. But one thing I'll say is I think Detroit is a good barometer for how teams will end up feeling about Carter because they probably have one of these strictest front offices

when it comes to off-field stuff. So if the Lions actually do make this pick, that gives me a lot of confidence that Carter is probably going to pan out because at least off the field-wise, because they simply do not take risks in that department. Like they just don't do it. So if the Lions pass, on him at six, it goes the other way.

If they pass him in at six, that tells me, because he's defensive tackles by far their biggest need on the roster. So to have a talent, you know, player match and then you pass on the guy, that tells me that there's some stuff there that's pretty bad. And I think I would bet on Carter not painting out in the NFL if the lines passed on him. So then for you, the lines are kind of the lynchpin to the whole how far Carter could go. because he's been pretty adamant in his agent, too. They're not taking meetings with teams outside the top 10.

I mean, if they pass through six, I mean, that's only a few more picks before they're outside the window that they're pretty sure he's going. So the linchpin from the standpoint of whether I'm willing to bet on his success or not. There's teams that are way more flimsy or risky than the lions. Like, for example, the Raiders, the next pick. The Bears at nine have made some interesting selections over the years. Even the Eagles, they have the, you know, culture.

and the winning track record to suggest that maybe he wouldn't be like they could probably foster that if there was some stuff so i do know like it sounds like the bear both the bears and the eagles have told carter he's not making it past them so i do think that's probably not for yeah but if the lines passing him at six i would say that there's enough in the background there that's scary to not that i i probably wouldn't bet on him working out um los vegas at seven peter scuronsky this is obviously an easy I mean this is the most Patriots pick ever so

it is what it was in the Patriots West I mean even the short arms thing like the Patriots drafted Isaiah win in the first round a couple years ago he was like six foot two tackle you know like yeah it's it's it's even resembles that from afar so

pick eight Nolan Smith Edge this is what I've been hearing from my sources which I would say are pretty good sources there in Atlanta But yeah, I think I think Eight to ten is probably Smith's floor at this point And I've been feeling that way since the combine I'm not a big Nolan Smith guy

He doesn't have a first round grade for me But I think You know, when you're trying to find an explosive edge rusher He's probably the most explosive guy in the class Is there another edge that's even close to the Anderson Tyree Wilson's here for you Or is it a clear separation from that point? I have Miles Murphy at like 12 or 13 on my board.

This is pretty close. Yeah, pretty close. He's notably more raw than those two, though. Right. He's got a bigger developmental curve ahead of him, but the physical traits are just as good. So, yeah, but after that, yeah, there's probably a pretty big gap. Pick nine, Chicago, Christian Gonzalez. I actually don't think I've seen the Bears Mockta Corner.

so far. Me neither. I love Gonzales. I love Witherspint, too. I don't know if I like this, though, for the Bears. I feel like tackle or wide receivers got to be the, I mean, I've been saying this the entire process. Yeah, this almost feels to me like the disaster scenario for the Bears,

the way that this has played out. Because, I mean, I've seen Skoronski mocked to them. I think that's a good pick for them. I've seen Jalen Carter mocked to them. I think that's a good pick for them. But while Gonzalez is a very good player, it doesn't feel like a spot that they really need to worry about filling right away. Yeah.

If I'm looking at my predictive that I'm working with right now, I have them taking as of right now, which it's not out on the site yet. It will be out next Thursday. But I have them going with Darnell right at the moment. Yeah. The offensive tackle. So, yeah, I agree.

This is the nightmare scenario. I think they should go tackle, though. Tackle or wide receiver. JSN would be a good pick here. Sometimes when you're doing a mock and you're doing a predictive mock, even Shrager, who's more plugged in than me, obviously, you end up not knowing where to slot a guy, but you know he's going to go high.

So it's like, oh, shoot, Gonzalez probably isn't going to go much higher than here, but I really like what I got at 10, 11, 12, not sure, not sure how to move this around to make it work. so you just throw him in a spot knowing he's probably going to go somewhere in that range. And if you hit the team player fit, then you do. I'm not saying that's what Shriguer did, but that does happen when you're building out of mock. All right, pick 10, Chris. You've promised me this won't happen, but it's everybody saying.

We can move on. The Eagles are not drafting Bejan Robinson at 10. I don't know if there are listeners know about Joel Dolan's commitment that if the Eagles do take Bejohn and Ted. he said he's jumping off his roof. And it's not happening. Jumping off his roof into what? Into a pool or into the ground? I don't know,

but I'm confident that Joe would not put his life at risk if he wasn't sure. Oh, man. This is not happening. I guarantee you Schrager's next mock will not have the Eagles taking Bejohn at 10. It's just not happening. I mean, I tend to agree with you. Nothing in Howie Roseman's resume of the last, what, 15 years, you know, even before he was GM suggests that this is a pick they were right. So at 10, 31, I could see Roseman scoop it up the value there.

Yeah. Oh, this is the top 10 player. Yeah, sure. We'll take him at 31. Sure. Yeah, that's fine. They just paid Hertz 255 million. They're not going to lock in a top.

He would immediately be like, what, a top five highest paid running back? I think at pick 10, that's where the break truly happens. I think it'd be closer like 7, 8 probably. But still, let me hear. Yeah. Yeah, it's not happening. Pick 11. This is where things are getting wild, Chris.

Yes. Tennessee Titans who have been rumored to be in on Anthony Richardson are standing pad at 11 in selecting quarterback from the SEC next to the state of Kentucky. Tennessee quarterback. Hendon Hooker goes before Will Levis in this mock to the Tennessee Titans. Wow. Yeah, I mean.

Is this just Shregor shooting from the hip here? Do you think he's got something on this? I mean, this feel like if Tennessee does want Hooker, like they have to trade back and take, I mean, I guess if you like him enough, you just take him at 11 and make sure you get him. but I think we kind of got to talk about the next pick 12 with pick 11 because he's got Will Levis going to Texans at 12.

There is no way the Texans take the chance that Will Levis makes it past Tennessee at 11. I agree with that. Like even if it's a one spot swap. Real quick. Last thing on Hooker before we get to the breakdown of the two, Shrager threw a line in this mock that really perked my ears up. He ends the blurb on Hooker by saying, this might shock

the world or by the time the draft arrives, it might not be that big of a shock at all. He's implying something there, Chris. Yeah, he's definitely heard something. Yeah, and now I was the first guy in the entire space to mock Hooker in the first round, but this, we're talking top ten-ish, that's getting crazy to me.

I love Hendon Hooker, but that's like, come on. this is get wild i mean the the fit and everything is fine i mean he doesn't they don't have to worry about him playing right away it makes sense it's just yeah why why would they take him at 11 is the is definitely the question yep so you know with that he goes before levis i i agree with your take that the texans won't sit there and just pray pray to god levis is there at 12 they would take him at four in a scenario. But here's the thing I'll point out though. My predictive mock I'm working on now, I have Houston taking Anderson at two. And then I have them taking Levis at 12. But the reason for that is I just don't predict trades in my mocks. So I'm because this mock gets entered to the contest this year.

The what's it called? The Hutto report. The Hutto report. Yeah. Accuracy. Yeah. So I'm not I'm not going to waste my time predicting the trades. I'm just going to predict team player landing spots. I think Levin the Texans some way somehow. I'm just assuming it will not be at 12. Right. Yeah. I don't, I think Levis could get picked at 12. I just don't think that with all the other QBs off the board and Hooker going at 11,

I mean, they'd have to have some really good intel on their division, another division rival for that matter. And if I'm Tennessee, I am making Houston think this is Levis all the way and get them to trade something for the one spot swap. right that that is that's a great point too if this scenario did actually play out exactly like this Tennessee would for sure move back to 12 they they would figure that out all right so five quarterbacks in the top 12 in peter shragher's mock that's the first I think first I believe correct um real quickly jets like Broderick drones obviously player tackle seems like a lock at Tackle Jets at this point. Literally everyone is mocking the muffins a tackle.

Pick 14, the Patriots go in Devin Witherspoon. Look, if the Lions don't draft Witherspoon, I think Patriots are probably the next best spot for him. From a scheme perspective, they're going to play a lot of press man, but they're going to play some zone too. And Belichick likes those high instinct corners. So pick 15, this is an interesting one.

Jackson Smith and Jigwood of the Green Bay Packers. If this happens, Chris, I will be freaking furious. as a guy who's going to pull for the Lions, I do not want JSN landing on Green Bay in making life easy for Jordan Love there. This seems like an awesome pick, yeah. Yes. For the Packers.

I get from a Lions perspective, this is bad. Oh, a great pick for the Packers. And like, when you talk about Romeo Dubs and Christian Watson, like these are more big play, like Dubs is more of like a back shoulder,

downfield possession type guy, and Christian Watson's like your explosive playmaker, neither one of Watson or dubs are probably high volume guys. You get in JSN, now you have a high volume dude who can dominate all three levels of the field. Man. That receiving core went from nothing to really, really freaking good quickly.

Yeah, it's probably the best receiving core they've had since, like what, Jordy Nelson? Prime Nelson, Prime Cobb. Was Adams or was it James? Yeah, yeah, Rickie Adams. No, it was Rick.

Yeah, young Adams with Prime. Nelson Prime Cobb. Yeah. That's, or you could go the other way with Young, Nelson, Young Cobb, and Prime Jennings. Those three played together too, but. With some James Jones sprinkled in.

Some James Jones, yes. Yeah, probably the best fourth receiver in the league when he was like, honestly. But yeah, this is ridiculous. I'll be furious if this actually happens. I don't think Green Bay will do it, though. I think they'll do something stupid and go like Lucas Van Nass or something. Pick 16, the Washington commanders go Daltese.

Kincaid. We also mock this in the staff mock, Graham Barfield. Now, I like the fit. I like the past catching unit they would have. I just think this is a gross decision for the commanders. They have so many needs. Corner, offensive line. I just, a linebacker even, not that there's a linebacker here worth taking, but this would be a disgusting decision for them, though, in my opinion. Yeah, it feels like a luxury pick for a team that doesn't really deserve to be a in a luxury pick situation. Like, yeah, like you said, it's a good fit. I do think it does seem like Kincaid is pretty much going to be the first

titan off the board at this point. I don't think it's a lock, but I feel like he's definitely mocked over mayor much more often. But yeah, I mean, it's not the worst spot in the world. It's just, yeah, I'd rather than fill other spots. Yeah, and the thing is people are getting lazy with it because they're like, oh, Eric Bien of me had Travis Kelsey. He's going to want that sweet.

tight end. Dude, Eric Bienemy is going to be in Washington for all of five minutes. Let's be honest. They're not allowing Eric Bienemy to make a pick. Like head coaches don't even get to make some picks. Yeah. Yeah. Ron Rivera is going to get what he wants. I'm sure over what the enemy wants. Yes, unless maybe there's some backdoor Bienemies, the Ron Rivera succession plan. I don't know. You know, but. Even then, Ron's not putting up with what are they going to tell Ron, hey, you know, you know, you've coached a very successful career. We got you to come back to coach for us.

We just need you to sit here and pretend to be head coach while we let this other guy make the picks over here. Probably not happening. Steelers go Paris Johnson Jr., Ohio State tackle at 17. Everyone's mock and tackle to them at this point to tackle or corner. I am surprised in this mock Joey Porter Jr. was available to them at 17 and they passed. Everyone's been, you know, kind of tackling that low-hanging fruit

pretty easily. I'm surprised they have Paris Johnson all the way at 17 for him. I feel like he's usually gone by this point. Especially with no Darnell Wright. I've seen Wright jumping ahead of him. That's what's causing him to fall in some mocks, but here they just have Jones and Skoronsky.

I guess the five QBs though in the top 12 probably messing things up. Yes. And Bejan. That's another one can go anywhere. And Kincaid. Five QBs are a tight end and a running back. That's definitely not the typical mock model. So Pick 18, you got Joy Porter Jr. going to the Lions.

We've talked cornerbacks of the Lions at Nauseum. Porter's a great fit, obviously. I like the pedigree he comes with. I don't really want to discuss that a whole lot, though. Pick 19, the Tampa Bay Bucks go Deonte Banks. Another super talented corner. Banks, I think, was my last guy out as far as first round grades go. So I think he's like 23 in my board.

But we talk about ceiling players, Chris. He probably has the highest ceiling of the corners in this class. I think he's the most physically talented, physically gifted player at corner. It's a team that needs to take some swings and hit some ceiling with a pretty aging roster. They kind of do have to do a reset. So I think it's a fine pick. Yeah. And ironically, my player comp for him was Jamal Dean.

Yeah. And they have Jamal Dean already. Boom. Seattle Seahawks at Pick 20 taking Lucas Van Ness at Edge. This is probably the best landing spot. I can imagine for Van Ness, other than the Packers, maybe, but I like that it's pick 20 because I don't, I'm not a Van Ness guy.

I think he's in the late 30s on my board. So seeing him go like 20 makes a lot more sense than say 10. Yeah. Yeah, I, I, Van Ness is a guy I've been surprised how often he is mocked in the top 10 or near the top 10. He feels like a round 20 or later pick in the first round. Yep.

21 Chargers go in Michael Mayer. This is super fantasy relevant, right? I mean, I absolutely love the fit, though. I'm a little lower on Mayer from a stealing perspective, but man, I love the idea of getting Herbert a weapon. And I think they've desperately needed a consistent presence at tight end since Herbert was there, basically. With pretty much every receiver on the board outside of JSN, I would prefer they go with a receiver that can give them a little more explosiveness than a tight end. They do need a tight end though, so I mean, it's not terrible. But we've just seen that off and struggle to to really take off at times and be explosive.

So I think they could have done better with a receiver if they're going with a receiving option. Yeah, that's fair. Pick 22, Darnell Wright to the Ravens. Good God. This is like the most Ravens like right. There's probably three teams. He makes a ton of sense for it from like a culture skis. game fit, maybe four teams.

Tennessee, Detroit, Pittsburgh, Baltimore. So seeing Baltimore get him at 22. This seems like a steal to me. Wright is my OT2 in the class. And if you consider Skoronsky a guard, then he's my number one tackle in the class. So I love Wright. I love the tenacity he brings. He's nasty.

And he's going to fit that run heavy offense perfectly. Yeah, it's value-based drafting that we see from the Ravens. Yep. Unless they take a safety. I did say Like Brian Branch wouldn't shock me here either Well no I mean last year they took a safety I know and I was and I'm saying like they

I mean Branch is a guy that usually does go later in drafts But a lot of people think he's a much better player than where he's usually mocked And I would not be shocked if they said we'll figure it out even though it Well they basically did make Hamilton a quarterback by the right Yeah And dude could you imagine him and Branch together all the things you could do I'm trying to talk to they love the road to doing this I actually love that

that go branch at 22 that would be disgusting dude oh it would but it would also do nothing for them really it would be such a low impact move it would be cool to see but it would be cool to see football nerd perspective it'd be freaking awesome um but yeah uh 23 i love this wide receiver jordan addison from USC going to the vikings uh in so i went on john hanson's serious xm show last week. He brought me on to talk best player team fits for fantasy. And the Vikings were my landing spot for Jordan Addison. So I think Addison has the capability of being a super high volume guy.

But ultimately it's about protecting Justin Jefferson for me. It's like, let's get another guy in here. You can run routes and get open. We can also manufacture and scheme touches too. So now you're giving that offense, Hawkinson, Addison, Jefferson. If they're not going quarterback, which in this scenario, they don't get the opportunity to, then I think you got to prepare Kirk for his last or I guess hurrah with the Vikings and I think Addison's a great way to do that.

So here's my one fear with this pick is they like to use Jefferson in the slot a lot. Hawkinson gets split out a lot in the slot. Addison's a smaller guy and maybe not the quite fastest either if he also wants to play in the slot. And then your other option is KJ. Osborne, who is probably best in the slot as well, is that is that a lot of guy like like would a quentin johnson fit a little bit better just because you know he can play on the outside i don't think quinton johnson and kirk would excel together but if you're thinking like long term that might not matter if kirk's not going to be there past this year i think addison can play just fine on

the outside as can jefferson yeah jefferson definitely can ultimately what you're doing is just collecting a lot of guys that have a lot of alignment versatility i don't think that's a bad thing you know if like any one of those guys was slot only, that would be a problem, obviously. They also did drop a lot of money on a number two tight end in Josh Oliver, right? So presumably they're going to play a lot more 12 personnel. So I think you're taking Osborne off the field, which kind of reduces your, I guess, pain there because you're not going to have a true slot receiver necessarily on those plays. But, yeah, I think Edison fits good.

Yeah, I'm kind of thinking it through. Yeah, I still think I like Addison there. Pick 24, Brian Branch, the Jaguars. At this point, it's just about value. Like Branch is a really, really good player. Jacksonville probably wants to get marginally better, and there's probably not a guy left on the board who gives them the impact that Brian Branch does as a rookie.

Yeah, I can see a guard maybe, like Osirons, Torrance. Torrance is getting mocked to them at like a 90% clip right now. Yeah. Do you see, I forget whose mock it was now. I want to say it might have been Dane Brugos. He had Joe Tipman going to them. And I've seen John Michael Schmidt getting mocked there too because he can play center guard. I like any of those players.

So they're all the same, yeah. Yeah, I mean, they don't necessarily score as first round picks for me, but you're at the point where that doesn't really matter. So pick 25, New York Giants, Zay Flowers. You know, I had this, I mocked this myself. early in the process. I just, I hate the fit. I hate it. Like we just, we've got, this is so redundant to Wondell. It's redundant to Paris Campbell. It's redundant to Sterling Shepard. I just, I need, I need more dynamic there. I want, I'd rather have like Quentin Johnston here. If you have Johnson's

on the board and the Giants pass on him and take another receiver instead of Johnson, I, that feels like a miss on their part. If the only guy you could justify probably is Addison, because he's such a good route runner. He's he's going to make life for Daniel Jones really easy with the amount of separation he generates. Zay Flowers is not really that guy yet. He's got to develop that route running game. So, uh, Dallas Cowboys Jemir Gibbs. Now this is interesting because everyone mocks them, Bijon. Jemir Gibbs comes in. He's so redundant to Tony Pollard. He's like a, he's like a better version of Pollard. Like if you gave Pollard Captain America's super soldier serum, he comes out as Jemir Gibbs. but I don't know

I think this is just a terrible pick for them I was expecting a lot more energy from you saying that I haven't seen Gibbs mocked in the first round yet and to the Cowboys no less with what you said like Pollard is yeah is pretty redundant I yeah this doesn't feel I mean who would you

I'd rather them take both tight ends are gone a detackle Mazzie Smith Colaja Cancy I'd like either of those times here Yep. I take a tight end still, Darnall Washington, I'd rather have than Jemir Gibbs. Luke Musgrave. You know, I'm a big Musgrave guy.

He's not necessarily a first round guy, but neither's Jemir Gibbs. So what about wide receiver? Yeah, Quinn, they trade for Brandon Cooks. You got C.D. and Gallup there, they're probably, I'd rather them use the capital elsewhere, but I'm never opposed to adding more receivers. Osiris Torrance. DeWan Jones. They haven't really invested heavily

in offensive line in a while. I mean, Zach Martin's still there. Who was playing? Tyler Smith was moving it. So you play Tyler Smith a tackle and then you play Osirons Torrance or whatever guard at guard. Yep.

Yeah, it gives them some options. 27 Miles Murphy, Edge Clemson to the bills. This is like, Murphy is exactly the kind of edge defender they like. Boogie bash him. is very similar.

Who's the other one? AJ Epinessa, very similar to Miles Murphy, except Murphy's more twitched up than both those guys by a lot. Who's the other one? They drafted another one. Yeah, Russo.

Gregory Russo. All these guys are big, powerful, long, edge defenders. And Murphy is that, except he's also a freak athlete. So this is probably the best pick of Schragers' mock as far as a value standpoint.

He's like a top 12 player for me. They're getting him at 27. So yep. Chase down those, you know, Mahomes and Burrow for AFC championships for the next while. Yep. Pick 28, the Cincinnati Bengals are going, Darnell Washington here. Yeah, I've done this myself.

Yeah, I mean, you can get them an elite tight end, especially in run blocking and a guy that can grow into a passing weapon. when you don't really need the targets. You've got Boyd, Chase, and Higgins. So we don't really need a tight end that can, is going to, like a Kincaid that, you know, makes sense to get five, five, eight targets a game. Yeah, that's, that's exactly right. Like, Washington isn't really probably going to be a high volume guy ever.

Mm-hmm. I do think he's got probably some untapped receiving potential if he's going to play at that 270 weight or even under, slightly under. What do you wait at the combine, 265 or something? Yep. Yeah, or even under that. So, like, yeah, I mean, he played, he was playing above 280 in college. So if he's going to be at that weight, I think he does have some untapped receiving potential.

But either way, he doesn't need to be a high volume guy. You like that stretch zone and he can be your, your in-line point of attack, tight end on those stretch zone plays. You know, easily can reach edge defenders, get to the second level, do some work there. I think he's probably the best, like, combo tight end to go in the first round because he lands in Cincinnati. They'll get the most out of him for sure. Then Red Zone prowess as well is going to help Burrow. Yep. So, all right, pick 29.

This is the what pick of the first round. And I understand why Shreger did it. I'll get to that in a second, but they go with Ole Miss wide receiver Jonathan Mingo. He is notably a guy that I absolutely love. I've been pounding the table for him for him for a couple weeks now. I even, like, I was on Ross Tucker's podcast last week discussing wide receivers at the end. we went through my top five at the end he's like all right throw me one guy is not in your top five that

you think is going to make a splash right away and i immediately brought up john mingo so huge mingo guy have not seen him mocked in the first round yet this is the first what's your immediate reaction i mean i mean quitting johnson's still on the board it's hard to it's hard to i like i don't i don't know i don't think you can like mingo enough and feel that that that is a good pick with johnson still on the board. That's probably my biggest hold of. I don't have a problem, especially at the back of the first round,

taking a shot at a receiver that you feel you really like, especially because I don't know, do the Saints even have their second round? Yeah, they do have their second round pick this year, but it's late, obviously. So maybe they don't think he's going to be there when they come back around. No, they pick at 40.

It's not that late, actually. Oh, that's right, yeah. That's right, because this is not their original pick because the Eagles have the original one. I don't know. It feels, it just feels like you're a lot. You're asking Mingo to do it to be a lot by taking him here. So I've mocked Rishi Rice at the spot in a mock.

I've mocked, I've mocked Ced Tilderman here. So I think Schrager's uncovering an obvious truth. And that's that New Orleans wants to add to the receiver room. The problem is, is like you said, Quinton Johnson's on the board. In both my mocks, he was not on the board where I put a receiver here. So this is crazy. I love Mingo, but there's no world you can sell me as him as a better player than Quentin Johnson or is a better prospect. Right.

Maybe in five years it pans out that Mingo is a better player, but as of right now, I'm betting on Quentin Johnson for sure. I just, I don't know. That part makes, it doesn't make any sense. It makes me wonder if Kansas City, like if maybe Shrigan knows the chiefs want Johnston. So he's just like, I'm not putting him somewhere else because I think they're going to make it happen no matter what. Yeah, trade up, whatever. Yeah. So, but I do, I do see Shragers, like, him and I clearly have the same thought process here,

trying to find a receiver to go at 29. I think the league's going to be lower on guys like Josh Downs and people think. I think they're going to- Hyatt is also still on the board in this scenario. Yeah, I think the league could, I think the league will be split on Hyatt because you have to justify the inflated production. And if you don't feel comfortable with that, then you're going to be lower on him. And so then you're into that tier.

You're in like, you know, Cedric Tillman, Rishi, John Mingo, A. T. Perry. So really, it's just a pick your preference. But I think there is a chance

we get a weird receiver at the end of the first round. Yeah, no, I don't hate that. Take it all. It's, yeah,

it's just the way that this board is falling is where it's like, I just don't know. Yeah. Have to remember, like, recent drafts, Jalen Rager was a first round pick.

He was pretty projected to be first round pick by the time, draft time. I don't remember that. Yeah. He was not by me. I'll just say that. I think that I've thrown green on him. No, he was he was not a shocker by the time draft time came around. He was not a shocker pick. Okay. Well, I remember being blown away. Like what in the, what he went above Justin Jefferson.

That may have been what it was that, yeah. The 10th player on my board. Yeah. I was just like, what is happening right now? But this is just like that, really. Mingo going ahead of Johnston. Yep. Although I think Mingo's a better prospect than Rager was. The last year, John Dotson went, what, 16th? He was not in the first round. Sometimes he was.

Sometimes. Yeah, not consistently, though. But all I'm saying is there's a track record for a receiver to surprise people. Dotson also went after every major receiver besides Barks, or was Barks off the board? Bers went after Dotson. Yes. Yeah. So every other receiver that was off the board.

But Garrett Wilson, Alove. London, Wilson, JMO, Alave. They were all gone. Then Dodson. Yeah. Wild. All right. Philadelphia Eagles select Will McDonald's

the fourth. I'm curious your take on this. I have a pretty firm take, but I want to hear yours first. I've seen this mocked a couple times. I doesn't really surprise me. I'd be shocked if the Eagles don't come out of the first. round with one without one o-line d-line probably the d-line particularly guy with one of these two

picks yeah i mean i i think i think he's a good they're always going to add edge rushers and mcdonald seems to be creeping up into the first round more and more in these mock drafts do you like nolan smith uh i don't know if i love him at 10 but i like him uh you know as a player ding ding ding all right you just you just it's exactly where my head is i'm head is at. So Smith and McDonald, they're very similar players. They both resemble one Hassan Reddick's game. Smith is for sure a carbon copy of Reddick. I think McDonald is a little more, I think he uses length a little bit more in his pastures game. But point being, they're very similar players. And I don't have first round grades in either of them, but I would much rather take Will McDonald at

30 than Nolan Smith at 10. I think it's a huge win. So a top 10, you don't get top 10 picks very often, especially of coming off of Super Bowl runs, you need a top 10 pick to be, you know, very little red flags. Yes. Yep. 31, the Chiefs go with TCEW wide receiver Quentin Johnson. He finally comes off the board as the last pick of the first round. I've mocked.

This was my selection at Pick 31 and mock draft 3.0. It makes perfect sense. Obviously, if he's there, I feel like a trade-up scenario where, you know, Quentin Johnson is falling into, you know, the 20s, the late 20s, and they leap the Saints or something like that. Yeah, I tend to agree with that. Like, they could probably jump to the Bengals. The Bengals could easily still draft Darnell Washington at 31.

Yes. You think, ooh, you like Washington to the Chiefs? No, no, no. I'm saying, like how this could work out. The Chiefs trade with the Bengals. at 28. Draft Johnson. Bengals can then still take Washington at 31.

Yes, I agree with you there. Or even like New Orleans. Like they could get Mingo at 31. Yeah, if they're like out on Johnson and they say, you know, let's get some value and then and then we'll add the receiver we like at 31. Yeah. But yeah, Johnson, from a skill set standpoint, I love what he brings to Kansas City, big time playmaking, downfield threat plus the yak.

stuff and we know with the way teams have been playing Patrick Mahomes they need receivers that can produce after the catch because they are trying to keep everything in front with the too high stuff I mean yeah streams of it too so like I think it would go a long way look what they did when Tyree kill was there I mean Hill was was a deep threat but he also was they loved to just get him the ball on shallow drag routes and whatnot and let him do work after the catch they tried to do that with Tony last year and he just couldn't get on the field Michael Hardman is gone. I mean, yeah, they're desperate for guys

that can do stuff after the catch right now. Also, Johnson brings the added element of scramble drill. He's used to playing with Max Duggan, who was knocked red and held the ball a lot and ran around like a crazy man. Yes, and just throw it up. Yeah, and Johnson's really good on scramble drill. So Mahomes kind of does a little bit of the same thing.

Sometimes I think him and Johnson could get out like a really good rapport early on on that scrambled drill type stuff. So I think it would be exciting. Johnson's like an upgraded version of MVS in that offense to me. So all right. That's it. Any closing thoughts, Chris? Any anyone excluded that surprises you?

So yeah, we had Hyatt not in. He's definitely the main one that sticks out. No guards. That feels unusual to me. I just feel like offensive line he tends to be valued pretty highly by teams, especially in the late picks for guards. No guards and a couple good tackles left.

DeWan Jones, Anton Harrison. So no Osiris Torrance, no Anton Harrison, no DeWan Jones, no John Michael Schmidt, no Joe Titman. There's a lot of good offensive line on the board. Yeah, and two running backs, three tight ends. Three tight ends. Five quarterbacks.

And five receivers. And yeah, that's, I mean, yeah, this is, this is one of a kind so far in terms of mock draft. Sure, for a draft, everyone's been saying there's not, like, skill players, there's not those dogs outside of Bijan. It's crazy to have that many of them go. Yes. All right. That's going to do it. Thank you guys for listening.

I will be back tomorrow, hopefully with a guest that's had to reschedule on me four different times. But if not, you know, I will figure. something else out that is very cool. Anyways, thanks for checking us out. Talk to you guys soon. Bye. Thanks for tuning in to this edition of the Fantasy Points podcast. Remember to subscribe, rate, and review on your favorite platform.

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