Locked On Titans - Daily Podcast On The Tennessee Titans - Mock Draft Monday - Mock Draft Madness, Mock Draft Round-Up & Locked on NFL's Mock Draft Event

Episode Date: April 13, 2020

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Welcome to the Locked on Titans podcast. I'm your host, Tyler Rowland. Titans fans, it is time to start off the week with a Mock Draft Monday. And we have a little bit of a special event to go over in today's first segment of Mock Draft Monday. And our friends over at the Draft Network are doing a really awesome event called Mock Draft Madness right now. And of course, we missed out on the NCAA tournament, but that has led to a slew of bracket style competitions. And we are seeing that exact thing, but with a special twist, it is for mock drafts. So there are eight participants over at the Draft Network and what they did was made a creative mock drafts. So there are eight participants over at the draft network and what they did was made a creative mock draft. Now I went through every single one of them. None of them are silly

or unrealistic, but they all have a little different quirk. One takes a line from The Office, the television show The Office, and uses a line from that show to describe each prospect in the first round. There's a few with some different trades that realistically could take place. You never know what could happen during the draft. There's always something that takes everyone by surprise. So there are eight different mock drafts, and they are facing off in a bracket-style competition. So what we are going to do, rather than talking about one specific mock draft from their Mock Draft Monday tradition, we are going to go over all eight of the mock drafts and look at who they picked for the Titans

and see if we can find any kind of similarity or any kind of pattern here that could give us inside knowledge to what they could be hearing and the rumors in the wind of what the Titans may be looking at. It is pretty obvious what the pundits from the draft network think the Titans need to do with that first round pick. So we are going to jump into that with our first segment. And then, of course, we have a mock draft roundup. So we are going to go around the draftosphere, take a look at some of the other draft analysts at some of the other outlets around

the NFL, and see what they have to say as we sit less than two weeks away from the NFL draft. So we are going to jump into all of that. And then, of course, as I talked about in our Friday episode, on the Locked On NFL podcast, right now, they are doing an awesome mock draft event where each host of a team's Locked On podcast makes a selection in a mock draft. So, of course, I did the Titans pick at 29. There are trades in this mock draft. And you get a three-minute blurb from the host of that Locked On podcast telling you exactly why their team would select that player.

It's a really awesome event, and I would encourage you guys to go check that out. So I'm telling you this because I will be playing a special snippet that the guys over at the Locked On NFL podcast put together to show you guys exactly what you are in for if you choose to check that out. So make sure you're subscribing to the Locked on Titans podcast, but also subscribe to the Locked on NFL podcast and check out that mock draft event. They are doing six to seven picks per day throughout the entire week. It's going to be an awesome event.

So once again, a snippet for you guys at the end of today's show to give you a preview of that. But this is one of the longest intros in show history, a lot of housekeeping to go over, but we have a lot of Mock Draft Madness to get into. Let's get it. There were eight Mock Drafters who participated in the Draft Network's Mock Draft Madness bracket-style competition, and we will go through their picks one by one now, and let me know if you see any similarities or any pattern start to form.

The first pick comes from Carter Donick. He picked Yitur Gross Matos, defensive lineman from Penn State. Rob Juden picked A.J. Espinosa, defensive lineman out of Iowa. Kyle Krabs had Neville Gallimore, defensive lineman out of Oklahoma. Dre Harris had Zach Bond, linebacker and edge rusher out of Wisconsin. Harris had Zach Bond, linebacker and edge rusher out of Wisconsin. Joe Marino had A.J. Espinosa, defensive lineman out of Iowa. Trevor Sycamore had the Titans trading up to pick 21 and selecting Kevalon Chason, edge rusher and linebacker out of LSU.

Jordan Reed had the Titans selecting A.J. Espinosa, defensive lineman out of Iowa. And Benjamin Solak had the Titans selecting A.J. Espinosa, defensive lineman out of Iowa. So that is four selections out of the eight for A.J. Espinosa. And we've talked about Espinosa quite a bit on the Locked on Titans podcast. It would make sense to get a versatile, productive player.

He was productive in college. John Robinson, the general manager for the Tennessee Titans, really looks for production in college. It's been proven throughout his history with the draft. He also comes from, Espinosa comes from, a very highly decorated coaching staff for the college ranks with Kirk Ferentz, the head coach of the Iowa Hawkeyes, consistently pushing out NFL-ready talent. And Espinosa has versatility on the field, on the defensive line with the ability to play on the edge and rush from the outside,

but also be disruptive on the interior with good length and good hand technique when he's fighting with offensive linemen. So that pick does make a ton of sense, and a lot of different draft pundits are starting to make that connection because Espinosa does seem like a Mike Vrabel, hard-nosed kind of player on the defensive side of the football. And once again, General Manager John Robinson looks for that college production. So that does make a lot of sense. But from the other selections, other than Espinosa, you can see the pattern start to

form that the Titans will be looking to address the defensive line. So starting back at the top, Carter Donick had the Titans going with Yeter Gros Matos, another player similar to Espinosa. He's going to have the ability to play a 5 technique and a 3-4 base defense, and then in sub-package with only 4 down linemen in passing situations, have the ability to rush off the edge, also have the ability to rush from the interior. He has a little bit more burst and a little bit more athleticism than someone like Espinosa, and that's why Gross Matos is considered to most likely go

before the Titans are able to select, but if Grossmatos does fall to the Titans, he would make a lot of sense in the same way that Espinosa was. For Kyle Krabs, he had Neville Gallimore, more of an interior defensive lineman from Oklahoma who will have the ability to play three technique and be a penetrating interior rusher, but also play the one technique for the Titans on the center and have a little bit of a dual threat as a nose tackle and a defensive tackle. So that's a little bit high to see Gallimore in the first round that high, but if teams are high on him and the Titans think they have to get him and he won't be there at 61, it will make sense.

Zach Bond from Dre Harris. Zach Bond has more ability, I believe, as a stand-up linebacker than he does an edge rusher, but his versatility would make a lot of sense with what the Titans look for in a defensive player. And then Trevor Sycamore has the Titans trading up for Kevalon Chason. Kevalon Chason has the ability to defend the run, stand up as a linebacker, play zone coverage, and rush the passer. He's one of the younger prospects in the draft, and the Titans most likely would have to trade up to get him on this team. So all of the other selections out of the eight are for Espinosa, but as you can clearly see, the defensive line and rushing the passer is the number one concern for the Titans going into the

draft other than possibly cornerback. But either way, with cornerback in the back of our minds, defensive line will obviously be a primary target for the Titans in the draft. And with all of this draft talk, it's probably the perfect time to let you guys know that starting with tomorrow's show, we are going to kick off our draft preview. So basically every single show from now until the draft will be breaking down all of the possible targets for the Titans, not just on the defensive line, but at every position in the NFL draft. So we are going to hit our draft coverage hard starting tomorrow. It is a perfect time, like I already mentioned, to subscribe on Apple Podcasts, follow on Spotify,

check us out on Google Play or wherever you stream your podcast. So more Mock Draft Monday coming up next. We are going to do our Mock Draft Roundup. Go around the football community. Go around the draftosphere, and take a look at what some other pundits from some other outlets have to say about the Titans' selections in the draft. It is time for our mock draft roundup to continue our mock draft Monday.

Obviously, we heard a lot of Espinosa, a lot of defensive line with the mock draft madness bracket competition that we went over from the draft network in our first segment but luckily here we get a few other selections for the titans that we can talk about and the most interesting for me in my opinion taking a look at some of the bigger mock drafts of the past week comes from daniel jeremiah from the nfl network and quite frankly I value his information just a little bit more than some of the other regular pundits floating around the draftosphere because it seems that Daniel Jeremiah is one of those guys like Mike Mayock who's really really plugged in and his evaluations are going to match what the NFL is looking at most and his inside information is going to be as accurate as possible. Daniel Jeremiah is one of those guys who it won't surprise you if you look up in a few years and he is a high-ranking official

or possibly a GM in the NFL, similar to what we saw Mike Mayock do. Obviously, we see TV people transitioning into roles that you wouldn't expect all the time these days. So I wouldn't imagine that being any different in the NFL. These guys show their stuff while they're on TV, and they're very visible to the owners who make these decisions. So I really enjoy Jeremiah's content is basically what I'm getting at so his selection for the Titans in the first round is Brandon Ayuk the speedy wide receiver out of Arizona State so Ayuk makes sense for the Titans and it's a hole on the roster that I've talked about quite a bit the Titans tried to solve this with Tywon Taylor. It did not work out. They have Kalief Raymond. They brought in Cam Batson and seemed

like they favored him very highly for this reason. They need a wide receiver who can get down the field and open things up, take the top off the defense, I guess, as they would say. Basically, what you're trying to do is you're trying to lift the coverage up so you can come underneath, and that's what the Titans were best at last year. A.J. Brown over the middle on those play actions. Imagine if you had a wide receiver in the slot who could just burn downfield, and defenses were actually scared that they would get behind them. Well, that's going to open everything up underneath and over the middle, which is where Tannehill likes to operate anyway. So the Titans need that element in their offense. Quite frankly, the Titans need to get faster as a team in general. Look at the 49ers, look at the Chiefs, obviously, which is what everything has to be tailored to. I mean,

you even look at the Texans. The Texans have a ton of speed at their wide receiver unit. So the whole entire goal of the NFL right now is to get faster. The Titans need to do that at wide receiver. A.J. Brown's not a burner. He's a great wide receiver. I love A.J. Brown, but he's not a burner. Neither is Corey Davis, and I don't expect him to be around for much longer anyways. Adam Humphreys, clearly not a burner. So if you have Adam Humphreys in the slot, a great possession, number one wide receiver like A.J. Brown, and then a burner on the other side to stretch the field like Ayuk, that makes a lot of sense. It really does. And to me, I guess some people have said to me online that I'm a little crazy, but I would not be shocked

to see the Titans go with a wide receiver in the first round. I mean, I think at this point, getting one in the first three rounds makes a ton of sense. It can't really be argued, but I would not be surprised if the Titans, like one of these wide receivers, like a Jalen Rager, a T. Higgins, if Justin Jefferson were to fall, Denzel Mims were to fall, or an Ayuk, If Justin Jefferson were to fall, Denzel Mims were to fall, or an Ayuk, I think it makes complete sense that they would go after a big-time playmaker. I think it's defense unless they can get a big-time playmaker at wide receiver. So I would not be shocked to see somebody like Ayuk if he's healthy. But just one thing of note, my guy Jeff Gladney was on the board here for Daniel

Jeremiah's mock draft Jeff Gladney was still on the board and there are some people who think Gladney is the seventh eighth best cornerback in this draft so I wouldn't be shocked to see Gladney drop to the second round but I don't know how the Titans pass on Gladney there with the needed cornerback unless there's something that that we don't know yet or something that takes place, a signing of some kind at the position before the draft. So I would probably go with Gladney over Ayuk there considering the depth of the wide receiver group. But hey, if the Titans are sold and they think that speed element is necessary, they need somebody in there in that role, which I agree with, then I wouldn't be shocked to see it. So I wanted to go with this mock draft first. The next one, we have Kyle Yates from Fantasy Pros. We've used one of his before.

I think he does good work over at Fantasy Pros, and he has the Titans going with Isaiah Wilson, offensive tackle out of Georgia. So I wanted to take this time to talk about Wilson. I think this is the second most interesting selection, and Yates did a three-round mock draft, so I'm going to give you the next three picks as well, but I want to talk about Wilson. So I have said, and I think I talked about this last week, I don't think that the Titans will be going with offensive tackle in the first round. I think this is a situation like the tight end situation where teams were like, well, Delaney Walker's getting old, and Jonu Smith is there, and Ferkser is there, and they need a tight end. They need a tight end situation where teams were like, well, Delaney Walker's getting old and Jonu Smith is there

and Ferkser is there, but they need a tight end. They need a tight end. I think internally, the Titans believed in Jonu Smith, and now people don't mock the Titans a tight end, mostly. I've seen one or two, but people don't mock the Titans a tight end in the first three rounds anymore because they realize Jonu Smith is what the Titans were counting on, and it's not as big of a need as they thought well is that what is going on right now with

Dennis Kelly so Dennis Kelly when Mike Vrabel had his conference call when John Robinson had his conference call when Dennis Kelly had his conference call everybody talked like Dennis Kelly is the starter Dennis Kelly is the starter they gave him seven million dollars the average per year we talk about guarantees and all that but I'm just saying it seems like, I guess, let me put it this way. If the Titans go out and draft a tackle in the first round, you're going to expect that guy to start. I mean, the last time John Robinson took a tackle in the first round, it was Jack Conklin. He was a first team all pro. So if you take a first round tackle, the first round it was Jack Conklin he was a first team all pro so if you take a first round tackle that guy needs to start this is not a sit-em for a few years if you do that to Dennis Kelly where

he was talking in his conference call saying they trust me to be the starter I'm coming in to be the starter I was told I'll get the opportunity to be the starter those type of things are being said by the general manager by the coach by the player and then you go out and draft a first round offensive tackle who is expected to start, I guess I don't trust Dennis Kelly, quite frankly, to be the long-term starter, so I don't think the Titans need to neglect the tackle position, but there's no way that they fed Dennis Kelly all that and then are going to turn around and draft a tackle who could start over him and put him right back in the situation with Conklin. I'm sorry.

It just doesn't pass the sniff test for me. It just doesn't. It just doesn't. So I think the Titans will go offensive tackle, but not this early. I just don't see it. I think they'll take one of the developmental projects in the mid-rounds that you can let sit behind Kelly and give him a real opportunity, a real opportunity. So the second part of this conversation of why I think this is interesting is because the name

Isaiah Wilson. So let's talk about the tackles. You have the big four, uh, Wirfs, Wills, for Wirfs, Wills, Becton, and Thomas. And then mostly you see Josh Jones. And then you'll see Austin Jackson, USC. You're starting to hear Ezra Cleveland also as a first round possibility. Lucas Niang is looked at by some people as a high second round pick, which sometimes will be enough to get you into the first round so you start hearing about all these different names I mean even a even a birth birth is starting to be considered a riser and Isaiah Wilson is one of those as well we're starting to hear as a really

quick riser at the end of the process and Wilson is a mammoth of a man was offensive tackle right tackle at Georgia profiles basically as a right tackle there's not really a chance he's it's it's like Jack Conklin he's six foot six you know 320 plus pounds he is a huge guy with some athleticism as well so Isaiah Wilson is leaping up into the first round but once again that makes him to me not a player that the Titans would go for right now like that it just I'm not doubting that Isaiah Wilson is making a push up the board and I'm not doubting that the Titans need to take an offensive tackle early but just everything that my brain tells me logic tells me, is the Titans are not picking offensive tackle

in the first round unless one of those top four guys, maybe Josh Jones as the fifth guy, falls to them at 29. But Yates had them taking Isaiah Wilson, and with the second round, this is a good mock draft for the Titans though, with the second round pick, he has them taking Marlon Davidson out of Auburn, the defensive lineman who has a little bit of that versatility we talked about with Espinosa and Gross Matos where he can play inside primarily, but also maybe kick out on the edge if needed like Jarrell Casey was doing last year. So he can slot in that open vacancy. Marlon Davidson has gotten buzz as a late first rounder.

He's one of these guys, there's so many guys getting late first round buzz who are going to be there in the third round because it's that's just how it works there's only so many people that can go in the first round and in the second round and Marlon Davidson is one of those guys who got first round buzz early in the process but we could see fall down to pick 61 for the Titans in the second round and that would be a pretty good fit. And with the third round pick, Yates has the Titans going with edge rusher out of Utah, Bradley Anai. Anai has all the ability in the world, all the potential in the world, good athleticism, and was a productive player at Utah.

A little rough around the edges, needs some work with his technique, needs a little bit of coaching at the NFL level, needs to bulk up a little bit, but could be a great value pick for the Titans to continue adding to that edge group that although John Robinson and Mike Vrabel were happy with what they have right now, I don't see the Titans being done doing work at the edge. So that makes sense. The only thing about this mock draft that I'll say is no cornerback in the first three rounds. So once again, unless something happens with the Titans at cornerback in the next few weeks, I would expect them to lock themselves into a cornerback in the first three rounds so once again unless something happens with the titans at cornerback in the next few weeks i would expect them to lock themselves into a cornerback in the first three rounds and probably take two cornerbacks in the draft if possible evan silva is the next mock draft that

we're going to go over and i put him in because last year in a mock draft competition with some of the bigger names in the nfl and a judging system he was the number one ranked mock draft in the world for accuracy, so I like to put him in here when he has one available. He doesn't do a lot of them, but he has the Titans going with Espinosa, and we already talked about why A.J. Espinosa makes so much sense for the Titans along the defensive line in the first round, so I won't beat you guys over the head with more talk about that. And then in the last and final mock draft we have our fourth one it is Dr. Roto from Sports Illustrated has the Titans going with Austin Jackson offensive tackle

out of USC Austin Jackson would would come in and have the ability to start right away for the Titans that's why there's some appeal there but once again it feels like they've given Dennis Kelly a good faith promise that he's going to be that starter. So I just don't see that taking place. But it's only fair to mention that a lot of mock drafts still have the Titans going there. And someone like Matt Miller over at Bleacher Report had some buzz the other day that the Titans are looking heavily at offensive tackles. So I guess we will see in the next few weeks, and we are going to break down those offensive tackles here in the next coming days of the Locked on Titans podcast. So make sure that you are subscribed and following me on Twitter at Tick Titans to stay updated

with that. We are going to get into the preview, the snippet here. It is a long one. It's about 13, 14 minutes, but gives you a good idea of what they are doing this week over at the Locked On NFL podcast. It's really awesome. I really would advise that you guys check that out. And of course, I will be making my selection for the Titans when the time comes, but the

event will last throughout the week. The first episode was Friday. So go back, check that out, and get yourself ready for the Locked On NFL Podcast Mock Draft event. I am going to close out the show here and leave you guys with the snippet. I will be back with you guys tomorrow. As always, I am your host,

Tyler Rowland, and this was Locked On Titans. They've been playing the game their entire life. From the playground. I promise to act suicide and eat right. Don't forget 60 minutes of play a day, right? I'm playing the NFL. Yes, sir. I'm going to be drafted number one.

Maybe. To their high school. Let's hear it, gentlemen. Clear'm playing the NFL. Yes, sir. I'm going to be dressing number one. Maybe. To their high school. Let's hear it, gentlemen. Clear eyes. Full hearts. Let's go play some football. Let's go. To the university.

We have 95 players here. So accomplished as athletes in high school, we gave them full scholarships to the best football program in the country. Now, their lives are about to change forever. Become your mom's favorite player? Whoa. This is Locked On NFL, and this is the Locked On Podcast Network Mock Draft. Welcome to the 2020 Locked On NFL Mock Draft special. Brian Peacock here alongside former NFL scout Matt Williamson. We will take you through the first round plus in a network-wide mock draft.

All 32 teams represented, even those without first round picks. Hosts making picks for the teams they cover. Our friends from the college side of the network with profiles on each one of these prospects that get selected in the Locked On NFL Mock Draft Special, why they are considered worthy of first-round selections, and analysis from my co-host Matt Williamson, as well as draft dudes Kyle Krabs and Joe Marino, and the Locked On NFL Draft crew, Trevor Sykema and Ben Solak.

If you're listening to this kickoff episode on a team-specific podcast, you can follow along all week, every pick throughout round one on the Locked On NFL channel. Teams are talking trades, so you may not know exactly where your team ends up selecting. We'll conclude this draft next Friday, checking in with those teams in round two who didn't select in the opening stanza, some of which might jump into round one before it's all finished and recapping everything that went down all week long. Matt,

I'm pumped. Are you ready to do this thing? I'm very ready to do this thing. This is a very cool event. I think people will enjoy it. We've had so many new subscribers since last year that didn't get to enjoy it. So you're in for a treat. You're in for a wild ride and a really well put together whole situation here starting right now. Absolutely. Yeah. And it was one of

the most popular. It was the most popular show on the NFL side of the network last year. And I expected to be even bigger and better and the way things are right now in the world. And wherever you are listening to this podcast, I hope you are well, and I hope this is something fun for you to listen to all week long. Matt, as the Cincinnati Bengals go on the clock with the opening selection in the locked-on NFL mock draft, you've been through this.

What are teams doing in preparation, the final days and minutes leading up to the first pick for those specific teams well this year who the heck knows i mean i'm sure that there's things like you know the electronics or the it people are coming to everyone's homes to make sure everything works checking double checking doing all that kind of stuff we mentioned before you know maybe you could run mock drafts in terms of let's try to just do a whole walkthrough basically of how this thing's going to work if we're going to make a trade who's in charge of calling this team etc etc but honestly in old in the olden days

and the not 2020 draft most of the hay is in the barn really a day or two before the draft i mean you might be calling agents of your favorite people to make sure that prospects didn't fall down the stairs or that neither you're worried about isn't flaring up but for the most part things should be done a couple days before the draft let's check in with some of our analysts here on the network we have a pair of NFL draft shows draft dudes Kyle Krabs and Joe Marino it's Joe Marino and Kyle Krabs of the draft dudes podcast and let me just tell you as a couple of draft dudes we are really excited for this locked on podcast network draft simulation where each host is going to make the picks for their team. And I know it's not the real thing, but it's pretty damn close.

And this draft promises to be very exciting with all the dynamics between the teams with multiple first round picks and all the quarterbacks. So, Kyle, I'm sure you're just as excited as I am. Yeah, the big mystery here is from the quarterback perspective, how many can we get to go early? And then the other fascinating subplot is when does the offensive tackle run start and how fast does it go? Because there's generally considered to be four top offensive tackles. There's generally considered to be three top quarterbacks,

maybe a fourth with Jordan Love if he sneaks in there, remains to be seen. And the order of all seven of those players who are feasibly top 12 talents coming off the board is going to be a really interesting scenario to see how it actually plays out here. I think just as interesting as the offensive tackle discussion is the wide receiver. Everybody knows this is a really deep and talented crop of receivers, but there's really exciting guys at the top of the board. Could we see six, seven, eight guys go off the board in the first round? When does that run start? And who are those late first-round guys, teams like the Packers

or like the Saints and Eagles and Vikings. Who do they get if they are left kind of picking the later half of those top tier prospects? So offensive tackles, quarterbacks, wide receivers, the NFL is a passing league. And you can tell that this draft is going to really help these offenses be more dynamic. Yeah, it's a deep class. And we're going to have a lot of opportunities to see players that in a typical class are probably off the board by 20. They might be lingering here in the late first round, early second round.

So lots to look forward to, lots to get into. Looking forward to see how these teams start their drafts. Hey, everybody, Trevor Sykema and Benjamin Solak from the Locked On NFL Draft Podcast here with you. Excited to go on this journey of the Locked On NFL Mock Draft Special. Ben, this is going to be a lot of fun. There's so many things that could happen in this mock draft. What are you looking forward to most? Yeah, it's always nice when you're able to get 32 guys, each of whom knows their team as well as the host and the Locked On Podcast Network do, and they can control for their pick.

And then you have the freedom for things like trade negotiations as the pick comes off the board. You have the ability for surprises as each individual analyst focuses on their guys. I think number one, it's not going to be a typical mock.

It's not going to be like what we see when only one person controls all 32 teams. There's going to be a lot more aggressive moves. So I expect to see big trade-ups i expect to see surprising picks and that's that's the reality with these when you're controlling just that one team you go and get your guy that's what we see in the league i guess that's what we'll be seeing in this mock as well i'm really interested to see how the offensive tackles go here in the first round because it's just the possibilities are endless we saw that in our guest mock draft series that we're doing on our podcast but i mean what other positions are big

ones quarterback wide receiver probably right well i think yeah i think that when you're making these sorts of picks and it's it's catered to your audience for your podcast you're tempted sometimes to go for those sexier positions and the sexy position in this draft is undoubtedly wide receiver so to me i'm really interested to. We know the big three will come off the board, and Jerry Judy, CeeDee Lamb, and Henry Ruggs. Who's wide receiver four? Who's wide receiver five? And just how many can we fit in this first round?

Ooh, it's going to be a lot of fun. Ben and I are going to be back with you recapping a lot of these picks throughout the mock draft. I'm very excited, so let's get it started. Okay, Matt, we're here. The Cincinnati Bengals are on the clock. Is there any doubt what the Bengals should do here? They earned the right through their poor play in the 2019 season to be drafting number one overall on everybody's list. It seems to be the

same name, the same prospect that should go first overall. If their phone is ringing, should they even be answering it or do they know who the pick will be with the first overall selection in this draft? I mean, you answer it. And if someone offers you a godfather-like offer, you consider it. And you still might not even say yes. I mean, I think Burrow is the super prospect. He would go first in almost every draft, you know, nine out of ten years. That's a gift.

And the Bengals need it. He's an Ohio guy. They need to sell tickets. They need to sell jerseys. The offense that he falls into isn't in that bad a shape as first overall selections go. So I think it's kind of too good to be true. All right. With that, this draft is underway.

Let's go to the hosts of Locked on Bengals and get the pick for Cincinnati, Joe Goodberry and Jake Lisco. The first overall pick in the 2020 NFL Draft, the Cincinnati Bengals easily and without second thought select Joe Burrow. In fact, Joe, we received no calls in the war room for the number one pick. I guess everyone just knows not to ask. And I don't think we would have considered any offers anyway. So we make this pick. This pick has really been made since maybe late December when the Bengals lost to the

Miami Dolphins in week 16 of the regular season and clinched their first overall pick. Joe Burrow went on a tear in the playoffs after that, and the Bengals will finally get a franchise quarterback. First time they've drafted number one since 2003 when they drafted Carson Palmer out of USC. They're in that position again. The roster has been turned over on the defensive side through free agency, and I think they're looking at this squarely of saying our Super Bowl window opens again if we draft Joe Burrow number one in 2020. That's right. The Bengals don't just spend money to spend money.

This is a strategic injection of funds into the defense to make themselves competitive while they have Joe Burrow on his rookie deal for five years. He's, of course, expected to come in and be a day one starter in Cincinnati. he's of course expected to come in and be a day one starter in Cincinnati. Andy Dalton is still on the roster, but will not be on the roster by the time training camp comes around. He might not even be on the roster by the time the draft is finished. We are looking openly to trade Andy Dalton for whatever assets we can recover.

And if that doesn't work out, he'll be cut before Joe Burrow shows up for rookie camp or for the first offseason activity that we're allowed to hold with these rookies this summer. Joe how much better does Joe Burrow make this team? Well the quarterback is the most important position and I think we're looking at a guy coming off a historic college football season that many have said is the best passing performance throughout a whole season in the history of college football. What does he do better than Andy Dalton? Andy Dalton has been the Mendoza line for starting quarterbacks in the league for a long time. And I feel like all of the skills you look for typically when you look at college quarterbacks, usually they are the big guys with the strong arms going near the top.

And you say, can they function in the pocket? they have accuracy how's their iq how's their processing how do they do off script all the questions you normally go into tape asking with joe burrow those are all the answers you have with him based on tape and based on what he showed this past year all those things are not in question he has them in spades it's the arm strength right that's the only area you really question and i would say it's very similar to Andy Dalton. So it should be an upgrade in almost every area of quarterbacking other than that. And that's okay. Because when you look at the best quarterbacks in the league over the last 20, 25 years, whether it's Tom Brady or Peyton Manning or Drew Brees, they all had those other features in their game without having a cannon for an arm.

Simply put, Joe Burrow is the most influential recruit in LSU football history. In leading the Tigers to the 2019 National Championship, Burrow was fantastic, shattering school records and setting national marks that may not be touched. national marks that may not be touched. 5,671 yards and 60 touchdown passes for Burrow while completing 76% of his passes. His arm strength won't wow you, but Joe Burrow makes up for it everywhere else. His decision-making is elite, just six interceptions on the 2019 season. He's the son of a coach and a film room junkie. There's a story about LSU beating Alabama, getting back from Tuscaloosa to Baton Rouge, and when Joe Brady, the passing game coordinator, got to LSU football ops that night to go get the cut-ups of the film, Burrow had already beaten him there. Burrow has very underrated athleticism. Not only was he a high school

quarterback, he was also a high school basketball player, and his ability to move the chains with his feet is something that many have overlooked throughout this process. Burrow is a fierce competitor whose teammates love him, who rises in the biggest moments. Should Joe Burrow stay healthy, he will have a long, prosperous NFL career as a franchise quarterback. This is Matt Moscona of Locked on LSU, your source for LSU and SEC content every day. All right, Matt, there's the pick. Joe Burrow goes number one overall to the Cincinnati Bengals, and there's a lot to like about Joe Burrow. I think maybe if you're nitpicking, you can find some knocks here and there about arm strength, which in some cases is completely overrated.

And I like what was said by many smart NFL people in the past that the quarterback position isn't so much played with your arm once you get to the NFL level. It's played from the neck up, and I think that's where Joe Burrow really shines. Yeah, absolutely. And he is a good athlete. He has a remarkable head and poise and confidence for the game, processing, accuracy.

He does not have a power arm, and that worries me a little bit considering the area of the country he's going to when it's sleeting and windy and, you know, in the NFC North and late in the year. We'll see how he deals with that. But that by no means would slow me down from making such a pick. He's a tremendous prospect. More locked on NFL draft special coming up. The Washington Redskins are now on the clock with the second selection.