The Athletic Football Show: A show about the NFL - Prospects to Pros: Dane Brugler’s 7-Round mock draft, the 2023 CB class & more

Episode Date: April 19, 2023

Dane Brugler sits down with Andy Staples to discuss his mega 7-round mock draft. They talk about the QBs, the best day 2 and 3 fits and much more. Then, they examine the 2023 CB class and what you need to know about the position heading into draft weekend. Follow Andy on Twitter: @Andy_StaplesFollow Dane on Twitter: @dpbruglerSubscribe to The Athletic Football Show...AppleSpotifyYouTube0:43 Will the Texans take a QB?4:40 7-round mock draft30:43 2023 CB classThis episode is brought to you by Betterhelp. Visit betterhelp.com/mays to get 10% off your first month Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

This is the athletic football show. Welcome to Prospects to Pros. I'm Andy Staples. He's Dan Bruegler, and it's almost here. It is almost time. We are barely a week away from the NFL draft. Dane has gone into overdrive. He wrote you a book already, The Beast.

This week, it's a seven-round mock draft. And, Dane, it took you until pick number two to introduce some real drama to the proceedings. I will read, a dramatic reading from the works of Dane Bruegler. As I grow more and more confident about the pick of number one, I feel less sure about what the Texans will do at number two. I'm told there isn't a unanimous belief among the Houston coaches that available quarterbacks will be worthy of the pick.

Holy crap, Dane. This is what Lance Erline told us last week in our mock. He's like, I'm going to be the Texans, and I'm not going to pick a quarterback. Is that real? Let's give Lance a lot of credit because he was out in front of this a couple weeks ago. And you heard it here on Prospects of Pros. He's been talking about it.

That's exactly what I was told. Is it the offensive coaching staff, which we know, you know, it's a new regime there in Houston. They are not, if Brice Young is the number one pick, which I think feels more and more like it's going to happen as we get closer to the draft. Assuming Breischen goes Warren, Carolina, the offensive coaches, there's just not a universal belief, a collective belief among those coaches that there is a quarterback worthy of the number two pick. Now, at the end of the day, Nick Casario, D'Amico Ryans could say, you know what? We're not 100% sold, but we need a quarterback and we feel good enough about CJ Straub. Could that still happen? Absolutely, it's possible.

but it's becoming more and more possible that we see them either trade out of number two. You know, the Colts, I just have a hard time believing the Colts and Texans would do a deal for a quarterback like that. You know, two division throws. Yeah, like that's a little tough to swallow. But you know what? Maybe you never know. I mean, last year, or two years ago, the Eagles and the Cowboys, One of the biggest rivalries in the NFL, they did a deal where allowed the Cowboys to go up and get Michael Parsons.

You know, last year we saw the Vikings and the Lions do a deal so the Lions could go up and get James and Williams. So, you know, it's not something. It's not like we've never seen it before, but this isn't a top five of the draft, top three, to go get a quarterback. And that's where it gets a little dicey. But if that does happen, man, it gets interesting quick. because if the Texans can't trade out of two, and they're not going to take a quarterback, then they're probably going to take either Will Anderson or Tyree Wilson.

I don't think we have a great feel for which one of those guys is going to be. And then what are the next quarterback dominoes? Does someone trade up to three for shroud? If I'm the Cardinals, I'm Wheeling. If the Texans pick a position other than quarterback, if I'm the Cardinals, I'm wheeling and dealing. I don't even, I want whatever I can get for number three. put me wherever you want me in the first round

and just give me stuff. I mean, I'm telling the Colts, hey, listen, I've got the Raiders on one line, the Titans on the other. We're ready to make a deal. You're ready to move up one spot and give us a couple of day two picks. You know, the Colts are going to be

in a really interesting position if it turns out that Stroud is maybe at the top of their board. It's a really interesting dynamic with these quarterbacks. And we've talked about, you know, back to the fall, been talking about Anthony Richardson and Stroud and Will Levis and Bryce Young.

So I feel like we've talked the quarterbacks to death. But now figuring out their exact fits, it's going to be a lot of fun to see how it plays out. Yeah, there's going to be a lot of drama, I think, in the coming weeks. I mean, again, the Aaron Rogers thing isn't done. Yeah, the Aaron Rogers thing isn't done yet. Lamar Jackson still remains an issue for the Ravens and whoever else. this is this is a very fluid situation so i i am fascinated by what happens here in the next few few few i guess eight days going into the draft but let's talk this seven round mock because you

you go as deep as humanly possible uh every single pick down to mr irrelevant you seem to think mr irrelevant your mr irrelevant has a chance to be somewhat relevant too just like last year's yeah exactly uh various owens from uh he Houston, stays in Houston, becomes a Texan. You know, why not? He's one of those bigger safeties that can play a nickel hybrid role. But, you know, with an exercise like this, you know, it's obviously, it's all about the content, right? But at the same time, this is helpful for me because it really, it forces me to buckle down on, all right, these are the needs.

This is what team, you know, each specific team usually does in the first round. Or if they have certain thresholds that they look for, certain teams, will not draft a receiver under 200 pounds. Whatever it may be, it really makes you focus on those to make it all fit. And I didn't include any trades. It's hard enough to do just 259 picks that make sense. Or, you know, I can at least explain every pick. You know, every single pick I can at least explain.

Paying attention to 30 visits, paying attention to what, you know, there are a lot of times where, you know, I'm talking with a scout. And, you know, he's just leaving the Northwestern Pro Day. and, you know, we're just talking about a player and be like, oh, yeah, by the way, 49ers took them out to dinner the night before. It just heads up. And it's okay, file that away. And maybe that'll pop up here in a seven-round mock.

And, you know, it's, there's so many connections you can make that you start to overthink it. And, you know, it's all guesswork at this point. But this seven-round mock is more educated guesswork than just strictly guesswork. Well, and I like that you can see the personality of teams and where a guy might fit. You have Alex Fourth site at the center from Oregon going to Patriots. That feels like a great fit right there. He feels like a Patriot. Well, and who's the New England's offensive line coach?

Adrian Clem, who just came from Oregon. So he's got some inside information on the guy like Forsyth. So, yeah, trying to find those connections where, you know, you can draw, connect, make the, connect the dots and, you know, like the 30 visits. Those are really interesting because you, obviously some guys go to the 30 visits and just start, I won't say the team, but one team, this is a couple years ago, three, four years ago, one team brought in Chonsie Gardner Johnson for a 30 visit.

And after he left, they cross him off the draft board. Not interested. And so sometimes that's what the 30 visits are for, is guys that they like, but they're not sure of, and just not sure if it's going to mesh with the culture and exactly what you want to do. and sometimes guys end up not being a fit, and you can go ahead and cross them off the board based on the 30 visits. So just because a team and a player are getting together

doesn't necessarily mean that they're going to end up targeting that type of player at some point in the draft. Yeah, that's the part I think people forget is a lot of times they are eliminating, or it's one of those that you've had situations where they're job interviews, and we see this in sports all the time with head coaches, but we've all seen it in our own lives too.

where the interview is we're trying to see if you don't fit. And we, you know, everything else works, but you may come in here and we completely cross you off the list. That is another reason why you would bring somebody in and get that extra information. It's important to remember, too, that draft boards for teams are 150 names. You know, the bigger draft boards around the league or maybe 180 names. then you got a team like the Patriots that are 115, 120, you know, it lowered numbers. So it really just, you know, every, like obviously, like my draft guide, if I don't like a player, which are certainly players that I've just not fans of, I'm not, I can't just not include him.

You know, he's still going to be in the draft guide, still going to put a general grade on him. You know, there are some players that I would not draft until, you know, the second round. But we're normal, in normal years, but in this draft, this specific draft, it's one thing to put a second run grade on a player, and it's another to when you start to stack them and say, oh, I wouldn't draft them until a pick 35, 40. But, you know, when you start to stack them, you realize there's not 35, 40 players in front of him.

So he ends up being the pick number 23 or whatever. So every draft has its own identity, its own type of, you know, you can't go in with a, you know, those on the outside can't go in with a strict sense of, okay, this is what we want for our schemes, that we want for our culture. It's very, very generalized where teams, they're obviously focused a lot more specialized with what they want, what fits them specifically. And, you know, that does make things a little interesting. So you proposed a little exercise that I really like. We're going to pick the guys in the seven round mock and the fits that we really like. A day one, a day two, and a day three.

three. And I've got a couple day two and day three guys just because it's a, it's a bigger pool. But, Dane, I'm curious, what do you really like? Where you put somebody in there and you're like, wow, this is even better than I thought as a fit. Yeah, I think there's a couple of those guys. You know, even on day two, you know, you look at, I really like Jemir Gibbs of the Cardinals. you think about that offense and, you know, James Conner's, the Belkow, but you add a Jamir Gibbs into that mix and what that could, you know, if it's Kyler, a quarterback, or until he gets, until he's healthy,

that offense is going to need something, anything. And Jamir Gibbs can be maybe that spark plug that they could use. So I like that fit quite a bit. Luke Musgrave to the Packers. You know, maybe they, Packers could go tight in the first round. They could go Michael Mayer. They could go Dalton Kincair. or you wait till a second, you pick up a Luke Musgrave.

Love that fit right there. Both the Lions picks. I mean, I loved what the Lions did in my mock, really from rounds one through seven. The Lions currently have two second round picks. I don't take Darnel, Washington, the tight end from Georgia. And then Jack Campbell, the linebacker from Iowa. I mean, you think about their identity. Jack Campbell and Rodrigo together?

That'd be fun. You think about grit and would they value a stand-up? off ball linebacker in the second round. I don't, you know, maybe, maybe not, but the value I think is tremendous at that point. Plus with, you think about the way they want to run the ball, you add a Darna, Washington, who is, you know, has that past catching potential,

but he's going to be a smash map blocker for you from day one, help the run game. So really like what the Lions did as well. So, yeah, I think there are a couple fits in that second round that make a ton of sense. So one in the first round that I really like is Brian Brissy from Clemson, the defensive title to the Jaguars at number 24. The Jaguars, they got Trouin Walker with the number one overall pick last year.

Josh Allen's still there. They just need somebody else who's dynamic on that defensive line. And all of a sudden, everything else gets easier on defense. And offensively, they're there. They're where they need to be. This is a team that got into the second round of the playoffs. last year that lost the Chiefs and was actually in the game with the Chiefs. So you add that piece and they become a Super Bowl contender.

Like that's really, they do need some help in a couple of other places. But think about how much closer they are than going into the draft a couple of years ago and they picked up Trevor Lawrence and Travis Eton in the first round. Oh yeah, no doubt. And obviously they're accustomed to drafting Clemson players. do it again here. Brisee, I think, is an interesting sample because what we saw from him as a freshman was off the charts.

I mean, he lived up to being the five-star, the number one recruit in the country. Then the last two years, injuries and personal tragedy going on in his life, I don't think we really have seen the real Brian Brzee for long stretches at all. So I think he's, I mean, you're getting tremendous value, I think, at 24. to be able to get him, add him to your mix.

He can play three technique. He can play a four-eye. He can play head-up over the tackle. You could be really creative with how you use him, and he can get you disruption. So I like the Jaguars have shown interest in him, so I think it's a fit that potentially makes sense. Yeah, this is going to be a good one if that comes to pass,

because it's something they really need, and they don't need that much. Well, it was interesting. Doing this mock, I was. surprised how many teams really need defensive tackle help. There's just a lot of teams that need big men. And this draft is, it's not a great defensive tackle class, but it's solid. And that's why Brazzi Smith, like, these guys are going to go first round. I mean, Mazi Smith, you look at the, just look at the final five picks of the first round. Buffalo, Cincinnati, the Saints, the Eagles, the Chiefs. All five of those could be possible landing spots for Mazi Smith,

a guy that is very unsexy, but you plug him in there. My comp for him was Brandon Meebane. You think about all the years in Seattle. We talked about the Legion of Boom and the secondary and the guys they had at linebacker. Meanwhile, Brandon Meebane up front, what he meant to that defensive line, which allowed everything else to click, that's what Mazzie Smith can be for a lot of these teams. You know, not a guy that's going to sell a ton of jerseys and hear his name called a ton on the telecast. But, you know, what he does up front and helps everybody else behind him, that's a big deal.

And I think that's a lot of teams will have a first round value on that type of guy. Well, and another guy in that mold that you have going late in the first round, Tommy out of a warrior out of Northwestern, you have him going to the Bengals and Gap shooting three technique. I mean, this guy's, this guy is quick, quick, quick. And, well, he's fast and quick, which are two different things. and they're both important for a defensive tackle. And he just fits that. He fits what they want. It does.

And he's long. He's for a shorter guy, a guy that's not your typical size, he's a really long player. So that, and we saw that at the Senior Bowl with his ability to win those one-on-ones. Totally blew up the combine,

had a good pro day. So, yeah, I think he's played his way into that late first-round mix and a team like the Bengals that want to get better on the interior of that defensive line. He checks a lot of those boxes.

Steve Avila going to the Seahawks. Abila is a guard from TCU. Very important piece of that team that played for the national title last year. Without him, they're not in the national title game. They're not doing what they're doing. He was the leader of that offensive line. He was just, I mean, solid, reliable, everything you want. And he just doesn't play a glamour position or a position that is,

particularly valued in the draft. He is as good at guard as some of these guys are at their positions that are going to get drafted the first round. It's just he's a guard. And I think he fits perfectly what Seattle wants on the interior. They like those wide-bodied guys. They give you a little bit of versatility. Avila actually has more career starts at center than he does at guard in college.

So he gives great. Right. And he starts at four different positions. So it gives you a little bit of that position flex. His countering footworks a little mess. but he gets into position, he's strong. There's a lot, and he's really smart too. You can tell, by the way, he plays, understands angles,

understands where he needs to be, and he executes. So, I mean, honestly, maybe the most unrealistic part of it is, does he last at 52? There's a good chance he could go, you know, 10, 15 picks earlier because of the value that he brings. In that same vein, Cody Mock going a couple of picks earlier, 41 of the Titans. Titans need to get better on the offensive line

in a lot of different spots. Cody Mock, his ability to plug in at different spots, that could be a potential fit. I know I heard from Titans fans that were not fans of Dylan Radens, the former North Dakota State tackle who hasn't been great. Not the same thing, though. Different players. And, you know, sometimes it's easy to be down on a player from the same school, same position when he doesn't pan out.

But these are different players and, you know, can't hold the sins. of one guy against another. Ask the Titans fans, because I realize that Isaiah Wilson from Georgia didn't work out for you, but would you take Andrew Thomas as one of your tackles? I think you would. He played at Georgia. Not the same thing. My drop Broderick Jones at 11.

Exactly. So, but we'll still hear it, though, I'm sure. Oh, yeah. The cynics. Well, I have a, I have a feature on Cody Mock that I'm working on, the athletic. And I was actually this morning going through some old stuff on him. when he committed to walk on at North Dakota State.

And there are photos of him playing nine-man tight end at 6-5-2-25. And he looks, because it's funny, we've all seen the meme of him where he looks, you know, scrawny and goofy. But a full body shot of him in high school, he looks like a really great athlete, which is what he is. He played every sport. He was a tight end, a linebacker and a kicker for the. for his nine-man high school football team.

Like he is, he's a very good athlete who happened to get up over 300 pounds. And so that's what makes it interesting because I thought at the Senior Bowl, it was very clear he was obviously most comfortable playing tackle because that's where he's played, but was very willing to play guard. He mentioned that he snapped every day at practice at North Dakota State, even though he never snapped with the team, but he would snap before or after practice every day. because his thing was initially, if a couple guys go down, I want to be able to go in and play center for us.

And then as he got better and better, okay, maybe somebody in the NFL is going to want me to try to snap too. So he was doing that at the Senior Bowl too. And that's, I mean, that's the kind of person you're looking for in your offensive line. Another guy who will do just about anything because he was the emergency wildcat quarterback for his team in his bowl game. Sam Leporta from Iowa You've got him going to the Raiders

I think number 70 is the pick I love this guy He You know how I feel Dane about guys who are Kind of the only person Who can do much of anything in their offense And yet they still put up numbers That was reported

There was everybody knew He was their only legitimate Receiving threat this year And he still put up numbers He did And maybe not on the level of Noah fan and T.J. Hawkinson. But this is one of the worst college offenses you've ever seen.

Let's not forget that. No doubt. And even the catches that he was forced to make, I mean, there were defenders draped all over them because they know, hey, let's just, let's make sure we stop, you know, number 84. And then everything else, if they beat us with the receivers, okay, so be it. You know, we're not worried about that. Let's cover 84 and, you know, see what happens. His toughness, he, like, some guys,

have to learn to be pros, he's already a pro. He's ready, from day one, he's going to step in, be a program guy, you know, the grit, the toughness, competitiveness, you know, whatever cliche you want to come up with, he's already there. He has that in him. And, you know, he's a quality target. He's just maybe not in, he's not elite in anyone trait. Size, athleticism, power, you know, he's good enough across the board. And so the value of where he should be drafted will be a little bit different from team to team. He could end up going a second round, but if he ends up going early third round,

which I think is what I heard the most from teams, early third, the Raiders, man, that is a really good fit for him. And exactly what they need at this point in time with no more Foster Moreau on that roster. No more. Darren So, you know,

they brought in Austin Hooper, I believe, but, you know, adding another guy like this who can really be the future of that position for whoever's a quarterback, makes a lot of sense. Another guy, I just loved watching this guy playing college. I don't think it matters which team you put him with because I think he's going to produce for somebody. Maybe not immediately as a starter, but he will be a special team's guy on every special

team. He will have a role and he will eventually be a starter. Jamie Robinson from Florida State. Nickel guy, just kind of jack of all trades. You can play him. you could play him as a hybrid safety linebacker, even though he's too small. He'll do it and he'll do exactly what you needed him do,

and he'll understand exactly what he's supposed to be doing in the defense and what everybody else is supposed to be doing around. I'm like, that's the thing. He's just one of those guys that everybody sort of looked to on that defensive floor estate. Hey, what are we doing here? What do we need to do? How do we do this? And when they needed somebody to kind of force action,

Adam Fuller, the defensive coordinator, that's who he looked at. Right. And this might be the third, fourth round version of Brian Branch. You know, like, you look at Jamie Robinson, not very big. Another one of my favorite players, by the way. Oh, yeah. He has like a universal approval rating.

I mean, the five. He's the Scott Van Pelt of draft prospects. Here you go. I mean, the 458 worries you, the 190 where is you? But the tape, you trust the tape. And it's same thing with Robinson. He was 191, he was 191 pounds at the combine. He ran a 4-5-9 at the combine.

So it's not what you want, ideally, no matter what position you're playing him at. But again, you watch the tape and you just can't help but be encouraged by the quick reaction. That's what a ball ball from a, especially from a nickel or a safety, I want a quick reaction player. So he reads it and it doesn't take very long a process. He is, you know, click and close, go get the football. that's what Jamie Robinson is. He does not waste time trying to think about what his next move is going to be. It's all instinct with him.

And you see the quickness that he plays with. You see the awareness. The size might knock him into day three like it happened in my mock. But yeah, he's a guy that if he ended up going in third round, I don't think anybody would blink an eye. So another guy day three you have, the Seahawks cornering the market on K-State dudes, the defense is focused on and still couldn't stop.

There you go. To Seward-Lauke-Lawin already on the team. But taking Deuce Vaughn, who I love, I realize the size is all wrong. But the other thing about Deuce Vaughn to consider is football IQ. His dad's a scout. Right. You know, he grew up around the game. He is.

Long-time college assistant coach. So, yeah, he grew up in a coaching atmosphere in those meeting rooms and things like that. So yeah, no, that's a great point. So I just, and I love Deuce Fawn's versatility. He's going to, he can return kicks for you. He can catch the ball out of the backfield. He's just, he's just a fun player to watch. And I realize his measurables aren't what you're looking for, but it doesn't seem to matter when he gets the ball on his hands. But for the Seahawks, you know, Kenneth Walker's your starter. He's your bell cow. So you add a gadget type guy like this, a space player. That's what Deuce Fawn is. He's a space player. Get him the ball in space where he can go create.

And then just, you know, I really want to see that first Twitter picture we get of D.K. Metcalf and Dufon next to each other in the huddle. Just the disparity between the two guys. I mean, hey, line them up. Stack them. It's going to look like a Pop Warner player wandered into an NFL game. It will. It's like somebody brought their little brother to play. But stack them.

Seriously, put Deuce off the line of scrimmage behind D.K. You can hide him behind D.K. Exactly. And that's him. Deuce line is so good at that when you watch his, and this is where, you know, you watch the end zone, whenever you scout running backs,

you watch the end zone view in the tape. And he is so good at hiding behind the big blockers in front of him. He has such a great feel for it. I mean, he's always been shorter and smaller. His patience is incredible. That's the most fun thing to watch on that end zone view is, you're right,

he slips in behind a blocker. And he's willing to wait for, for that block to develop, even though a defender might be getting pretty close to him. He has a sense of when the hole opens and he can go. No doubt. And that's part of his superpowers is that he is in a rush, but he doesn't hurry. You know, he was very instinctive with, okay, I know the hole's about the hole open here. He anticipates it and he hits it with timing.

So even though the lack of run power is a, you know, It's really going to hurt him when he can't just blow through some of those smaller holes in the NFL. But that's why he's a space player. And I think in Seattle, with the way they're running back depth chart is set up, he'd be a nice addition to drop in. That's exactly right. Another guy who's kind of a borderline day three guy. And you've mentioned that you think teams like Aidan O'Connell, probably the best of the quarterbacks, below the Hendon Hooker tier. The guy I love, and I think will become a below.

loved backup who gets into a game and just torches somebody is Jake Hainer. You got him going to the rounds at number 111. Yeah. I mean, he is, Jake Hainer, after the five guys, you know, with Bryce Young, C.J. Stroud, Richardson, Levis, and then Hooker. Hainer is my sixth guy, and he's the one that I would seriously consider, even in a third round, start, you know, because I want him in my quarterback room. And, you know, I think people need to understand where, if we're going to just list all the positions, you know, from the most important to least important, I think most would put quarterback two, you know, or any backup position they put lower on the list.

Quarterback two is higher than some of the starting positions. So I, and I think when you look at what Jay Caner can be to the Browns, what, you know, I heard from Chiefs fans who did not appreciate me giving them. Jaron Hall from BYU in the fourth round. But when you... You get back up for Mahomes. But you need that, especially, you know, guys get banged up, guys get hurt. You have to be able to trust the guy coming in that they don't have to be world beaters. They don't have to, you know, a Brock Purdy is not exactly...

Chad Hennie had to play in the playoffs. Exactly. Exactly. And so Chad Hennie's retired. You know, no offense to Shane Bouchel. and I can't remember who else is right now the Chiefs backups. But Jaron Hall, I know the Chiefs like him. You know, the BYU connection is nice between him and Andy Reed.

And I think the play style with Mahomes and Jaron Hall makes some sense. And he's the type of presence you want in your quarterback room. So I had the hater going to the Browns, which Browns fans didn't like that at all either. But you know what, Deshaun Watson goes down. You need somebody. Jacobi Bresset's not in town anymore. And, you know, no offense to Josh Doug.

Kell and Mond. Jake Hainer's an upgrade. And I think he gives you legitimate depth at quarterback where you feel like you can still win the game if Deshaun Watson's not out there. Same thing with Aiden O'Connell, going to the Raiders, and then Jaron Hall to the Chiefs there in the fourth round. So that fourth round is kind of the sweet spot for teams looking to upgrade their backup quarterback position. And there's other teams that I know are looking at the Cowboys. The Cowboys are going to draft a quarterback this year. And I don't think they do it in the third, but as early as the fourth round, round, don't be surprised. I know they like Aiden O'Connell quite a bit. It's just a matter of can they,

will he last to them in the fourth round, which I don't think he will. Yeah, there's some good options out there. And because the first round prospects below Bryce Young and C.J. Strow, I don't even C.J. Stroud, you might throw into the boomer bust list. Bryce Young is the only one that doesn't feel boom or bust. But again, he's got the, the measurables anomaly that makes him. unusual. So that's why that second tier of quarterbacks, there may be an NFL starter in that bunch. Sure. They really might. A consistent NFL starter. Like, you know, it's going to the Dak Prescott draft. I said he might be the best quarterback in that class. He had a horrific pre-draft a few months. It looked bad for him. And that's how the Cowboys want to get when they did.

So there are some guys here who they don't obviously flash first round talent, but you put them in the right system, you put them with the right coach, they might be starters. Dane, let's do some synergy with our fellow folks on the athletic football show feed. Robertsman going position by position through the draft. They have not hit corners yet, so we will be hitting corners for them. today. And the cornerback draft, this is, it's interesting to me because there's two guys who I feel are kind of right up at the top, maybe three.

But the two that we hear most often that as potential top ten picks are Christian Gonzalez from Oregon and Devin Weatherspenter's been from Illinois. And I'm curious, can you explain to the listeners what's different about these guys, you know, who, why would one fit better with one team and the other fit better with another? I think you're dealing with two players that are obviously very talented in their own ways. And with Gonzalez, he gives you more of the toolsie. If you want to bet on the traits, this is the guy I'm going with. Six one and a half, 200 pounds.

Ran in the four threes. He's got the bloodlines. His dad was a six seven or six nine former semi-pro basketball player. Both his sisters are very accomplished track athletes. You know, it's no wonder, you know, the bloodlines and all that. that. But this guy, you know, for a lot of teams, they start with size. Can you run? And, you know, can you match up man to man? And that's what Christian Gonzalez does. You know, he has, he's tall, he's long, he can run. He accelerates well. I thought he did a much better job this year,

finding the football. And this goes back to watching him in Colorado, where, you know, he was making these types of plays, and then he transfers to Oregon, does the same type of thing. So can he play zone? Yes, but I think this is a true man-to-man type of corner, especially for a team that values the size speed aspect of the position, which a lot of teams do. It's a stop-wash position. Devin Witherspoon, on the other hand, not quite as big. You worry about the 181, the weight, not ideal for that position.

But he did run well, which was a nice, you know, there were some concerns. Would he be a 4-4-8-451 type of guy? He ran a 4-4-3 at the Pro Day, which was awesome to see. The aggressive nature that he plays with is just, I don't know how you don't appreciate Witherspoon as a player. The tenacity that he plays with. He is not afraid to come up and hit you. He's very aggressive when the ball's in the air. And sometimes, you know, to his detriment, he will get some penalties, get some flags.

So he needs to do a better job of walking that fine line. But, you know, this guy, I think, has scheme versatility. Maybe, you know, a little bit more so than Gonzalez, where it doesn't matter what you're running. I feel like he's going to be able to plug him in. The instincts are still going to be there, still going to play with the same determination and toughness. So I think Devin Weathers has got a little more scheme versatility to him where Christian Gonzalez is a little more of the toolsy, you know, high end, high potential type of corner that a lot of teams go for. So the other corner that seems to be a fairly consensus first round pick is Joey Porter

junior out of Penn State. Dad, much bigger NFL defender for the Steelers. But what does Joey Porter Jr. bring that maybe is a little bit different from these other two that we're looking at in the first round? I mean, he will park his nose right up against you and press and jam you and look to make things uncomfortable from the start. He has 34-inch arms. I mean, that's that Peter Skronski is jealous of that type of arm.

length because that's a, he will mall receivers off the line of scrimmage. And he, he can run pretty well. He ran a 4-4-640, which is, you know, certainly good enough. But there's a reason he didn't do the three cone. There's a reason he didn't do the short shuttle. At the combine or his pro day, that's not his strength as a player. It is the change of direction. The quick twitch, you know, turn and run. That's not really what he does best. He wants to use his physicality, you know, use the sideline his advantage. He's going to escort you out of bounds. You know, he's not afraid to use that physical part of the game. He plays like dad. He's just small. Yeah. Right. And so, you know, he's,

that disruptive nature to his game is, it really sets the tone for how he plays. And he is very excited to get involved at the catch point. So things alike, but he won't be a fit for every team. I think he's a guy that for certain teams that run a ton of, and we have to point out that teams run a variation of man and zone. Some teams are run more man than zone and vice versa.

But for the most part, teams run both man and zone. Joey Porter Jr. is a classic bump and run corner. That's what he is. And he can play off coverage, but you know, you want him using that length, using that physicality up close with receivers

as an outside outside player. You don't want him inside. You want him outside. So, you know, he just won't be for everybody, but you can understand certain fits there in the first round. So another guy that he's been mentioned in the first round, but maybe not because of one measurable red flag that is very, we don't see somebody this light very often. Mississippi State's Emmanuel Forbes. He's six feet tall, he's 166 pounds. Now, he's a pick six machine in college. Like he's, he's great at it, find the ball, and when he catches it, he's gone. Even, I mean, go back to high school. The last six seasons, he has had 30 interceptions. So the final three seasons in high school, and then the first

three seasons at Mississippi State, you take all of those together, and it's 30 interceptions, 16 in high school, 14 in college. And of those 14, he housed six of them. Mississippi State, which a new record there. This is a guy that, yeah, when you save 166 pounds, that's like, ooh, that's a little bit of a worry. What is he? Five-nine, five-nine, five-ten. No, he's almost six-one.

Yeah, he's six-foot three-quarters, which is just, it's an outlier, complete outlier. We don't see guys that light, that skinny, that rail thin at the position. but you know what he doesn't really play like it he is not afraid to get physical he he won't run and hide in the run game he will come up and try to hit you um i he's a little bit of a freelancer and that's why i was a little uh like my first time i watched this tape in the fall i liked it didn't love it because he tends to freelance a little bit which you know it helps him get some of those picks but the more you watch him the more you realize he's doing it responsibly um you know do you wish he was maybe a little bit more tight with some of the footwork and movements and it maybe

didn't take as many chances. At times, yes. But I think he does it responsibly enough that you, obviously, you live with the good and you're okay with the bad because you understand his thought process. You understand what he's trying to do on certain routes and the way that his eyes are, if he's playing off coverage, he's working through what the route is doing, what the quarterback is doing. And so it just really comes down to that size that you worry about. And that might not him into the second round, but if he goes first round, it won't be a mystery why. This guy gets his hands on the football, and he can be really disruptive. Well, if you've watched Devante Smith play, get an, I mean, different positions, obviously,

but if you want to get an idea of his frame, Devante Smith's a good comp. He's six feet tall. The Eagles list him at 170. Smith got up to 175 for the combine. Here's the thing about light guys at the combine. that's them getting as heavy as they can get. So Emmanuel Forbes got to 166. Yeah, most times.

But Emmanuel Forbes got to 166 for the combine. It means he's walking around less than that. Well, and he got up to 170 at his pro day, which is good to see. But he didn't run. You know, so he was at a lower weight when he was running the 40, and then he added a few pounds for the pro day, but he didn't run the 40. But coming out of high school, he was 165 pounds. So, I mean, basically he didn't put on any weight.

in college. And so, you know, you need to talk with the strength and conditioning staff there and make sure that, you know, it's not a situation where he's, you know, skipping workouts and things like that. It's just a, it's more of Kenny, and this is, I've been told by scouts, it's more just he has trouble keeping weight on. It's more so that than he's not trying to do it. Yeah.

And it's interesting. So Devante Smith, when Alabama measured future prospects at that they're, at their pro day a couple years ago, he was 166 and six feet tall. So that's, that's the frame. If you're comfortable with Devante Smith at receiver, you're probably comfortable with Emmanuel Forbes at corner. And so that, but he's a very interesting prospect because of that, because we just don't see that that often. I do want to go a little bit deeper in the draft, the two guys from South Carolina maybe, but before we hit on them, one more guy who who just really interest me because there's a number that just pops off the screen.

Like, if you're reading the beast, and if you're not reading the beast, what are you even doing? But you get to DJ Turner from Michigan. And you're like 40-yard dash time. 4.26! Yeah, that's pretty good. And maybe even more impressive is a 10-yard split. It's a 1-4-2, which is... I mean, that's just...

Talk about suddenness. Talk about that quick-twitch first movement. 14-2 is unreal. And, you know, he, you can see why he ran 140 and he was like, all right, I'm done. I'm good. Didn't run again. I would never run a 40 again in my life. No. And his name is Juan Drago. I mean, that's kind of cool. You know, it goes by DJ like his dad. But this is a, you know, a little undersized, 511, 180 pounds. Talking to scouts, they think he's going to go somewhere top 50. When you talk about a stopwatch position like Corner, you have this.

type of speed. He's a really aggressive player with the way he will ball search and go after the football, go after the catch point. His reaction quickness, we know, we talked about it with safeties, corners obviously, the ability to react real time with routes. It's a mental thing, but also a quickness thing. And he certainly has that speed and quickness. Not the biggest guy, but the toughness is there. So somewhere top 50, I think you can bet DJ Turner is going to come off the board. So the South Carolina guys, Cam Smith was the one getting all the pub going into the season. It feels like Darius Rush through the pre-draft process has helped himself probably more than his teammate did. Yeah. And I think it started at the senior ball, really, whereas like, okay,

we need to pay more attention to Darius Rush. I mean, he was a big fish in a small pond in high school. He was starting on varsity as a freshman playing really as a wildcat quarterback. Let his team do their first ever state championship game as a sophomore. And so this guy was like, you know, big man on campus. He goes to South Carolina. It was mostly an offensive player in high school, changes and moves to corner full time when he gets to South Carolina. Maybe he even tried him at wide receiver a little bit.

So, you know, he's still learning things at wide receiver or at corner, but he's 6-2, 198 pounds. Speed, not a question, ran a 4-36 at that size, which is outstanding. had the fastest GPS data at the Senior Bowl this year. So he has the length. He has a speed. And I think he has a short area of quickness as well.

So with Cam Smith, I understand why a lot of people like Cam Smith. And maybe this is just, it is a preference thing. I like Cam Smith. The penalties really bug me with him. He had double digit penalties this year, really handsy, really hands-on. It just doesn't have a great feel for time.

timing when he's going to attack the catchpoint and not going through receivers. You know, it's just, it's something that he needs to get better at. You don't want to lose that aggressiveness. By the same time, you have to be just more responsible with how you're going to attack the catch point. And that's what really bothered me with Cam Smith. But he's a really athletic player. Can play zone. Can play inside.

Can play outside. You know, it just needs to become a more disciplined player. And if he does that, that he can be a long time starter in this league. But when it comes to corner, it's one of those positions where you cannot afford to be undisciplined. Because if you do, it could mean six for the other team. So you have to be buttoned up. You can't, you know, those mistakes can end up being glaring mistakes that, you know, forget getting chewed out in the meeting room the next week. You're going to help your team lose football games if you make too many undisciplined mistakes.

So with Cam Smith, I like him, you know, somewhere that late two early third round range, I certainly like him there. But until it becomes more disciplined, I'm still going to be concerned with him. It feels like there's quite a bit to be had on day two at corner. But the two guys we just talked about, Clark Phillips from Utah, Juju Brent's from K State, Corey Trice from Purdue, Kiyubu Kelly from Stanford, maybe, maybe he goes to day three. Tyrake Stevenson, Miami. Yeah, it does feel like there's quite a bit.

If you need a corner, you're probably going to be able to find what you need. And yeah, do you want an outside guy with size? Do you want a nickel? I mean, Clark Phillips is a perfect example of a, like, not really impressive from a size speed standpoint. But you plug him in in the nickel and I think he's going to be an impact type of player. I mean, 5-9, 184 pounds, ran a 451 40-yard dash and did not rerun at his pro day. So 451, he was comfortable with that, which tells you all you need to know it. And you see that at times. I mean, I had it in my, in my notes that, you know, not, did not have elite speed on tape. But really quick, really smart, really aggressive. The ball skills are outstanding. Had six picks this year. Almost as many passes defended as he did. Games played.

So, you know, he's a really, he's physical. He's tough. 18 reps on the bench press tells you how much he works at it and off the field. But the confidence really shines with him as well. So Clark Phillips, I think, is one of those nickel defenders that teams going to look at somewhere, second, third round, and he's going to immediately compete for starting reps with what he can do as an inside player.

So of the guys you've got projected for day three, who do you think brings the most value? Who has that ceiling where you grab him, you might just luck into a starter for five or six years? Two guys really stand out for me. Trey Tomlinson, who if he were two inches bigger, taller. He's so small. We'd be talking about him as a top 60, top 75 guy. But he's 5.7 and a half, 178 pounds.

And I just got done digging Cam Smith for all the penalties. That was an issue with him as well this year. And that's why the fourth round is as high as I could go. But a physical nickel, exceptional speed. he's got explosiveness. He just comes in a smaller package. Not afraid of anybody. No. He's fun to watch. It helps that he's been training with his uncle.

Maybe you've heard of him. Ladenian. He's been training with him since he was little. So this has been a goal of his, like football matters to this player. And if anybody's able to overcome that lack of size, I think it'll be Trey Tomlinson, who, by the way, no longer going by Trey Vos Hodges Tomlinson, it's Trey Tomlinson. That's what he wants to be known as now. Alliteration is better for marketing purposes.

There you go. I like it. A little shorter. You got the T.C. That makes sense. The other corner I wanted to mention Riley Moss from Iowa. Six, just a hair under 6-1, 195 pounds. Really, the hurdles champion in high school,

and you saw that with this 40-yard dash. The hurdles are really interesting. OG3, baby. Yeah, exactly. Because not only the speed, but you know, you have to have some jumps in there as well. You have to- Slosiveness, balance. Right.

The timing, everything. It's all part of that. And he did that at a high level in high school. And I think that has helped translate to the football field where, you know, he, I think he's best in zone. That's where I like him the most because he does a really nice job reading through receivers and understanding what route concepts are, the route combinations and the concepts that they're trying to pull off. But he can play man.

He can play off. He can do all these things. He's a really good player. And in my mock, I had him going to the Giants in the fourth round. Kind of Seahorn lives in Giants. We got to give the white guy the JCCHawords. Come on. No, no, I'm not saying the comp.

I'm saying we haven't seen a white corner in a long time. Shout out to Seahorn with the Giants. So I had Moss going to the Giants there. My mock in the fourth round. So, I mean, it's just, hey, we don't see it very often. And so some will tell you it needs to play safety. Let's let him play corner. Let's see what he can do.

It will be very interesting to see where he goes because he is very fast, very explosive. And, yeah, there's value to be had on day three among the corners. But Dane's going to be telling you about the value. on days one, two, and three. So, Dane, get rested up because next week is going to be very, very busy for you. I cannot wait. I cannot wait. It's going to be fun.

I mean, it's a, uh, we're, yeah, we're just over a week away. We still have no idea what's going to happen in the top 10. And honestly, I am perfectly okay with that. I would rather it be unpredictable and fun the night of the draft where we're all reacting in real time. Um, so it's, it's going to be, no, do you, you, you, you, think we see any trades before, say, an hour before the draft? Or do you think it's all going to happen pretty close to when the picks are being made?

I just, will the Rogers thing happen before the draft? Because, you know, obviously the Packers want the Jets first rounder. We'll see if that happens or not. Because you would have to do it before the draft. And the Jets aren't going to do it. No. And they feel like they've got the leverage. So you got that.

Does something happen with Lamar Jackson? Does somebody who's quarterback needy? go ahead and bite and say, you know what, I will give Lamar the amount of money he wants. And that means they're trading to the Ravens and then do the Ravens draft a quarterback. So that's tricky. Yeah. So I can't wait. It's going to be awesome.

Again, the thing we top the show with, if the Texans don't go quarterback, that's like chumming the water. Yeah. Then it's a frenzy after that. The domino effect of, okay, what does that mean for Will Levis? What does that mean? And remember, the Texans have pick number 12. If they want to play around a little bit and maybe move up and go get Will Levis at pick number six, pick number seven, they can do that.

They can, and now, I don't think you should get cute. If you like Will Levis that much, take him with the second pick, you know? Like, I mean, get your quarterback. Make sure you're doing it the right way. But you don't pull a Mike Mayock. What? I realize he's a quarterback. but the Cleland Furl way high.

Well, no, but Alex Leatherwood. Quarterbacks are a little different. If you're willing to draft Will Levis at pick, trade up and get them at pick seven, then take them a two, you know? It's just a matter of, because obviously you want value, but let's make sure we get the quarterback part right. And so now I think in a perfect world they're able to trade back a little bit, still get whoever it is they want and, you know, get extra value for it.

But, yeah, I mean, watch this. It all be a moot point, and they take C.J. Stroud, which honestly, again, Nix Casario is the one making the picks. If at the end of the day, they come to the conclusion that, you know, yes, we could wait, we could be more patient, but we feel good enough about C.J. Stroud. Then, you know, let's make sure everyone's on board, and let's just run up the pick and we'll feel good about it. It's going to be absolutely fascinating, entertaining, entertaining.

Yes. It's a great. Cannot wait to see what happens. We'll be right here for you here at the Athletic Football Show. This was the Athletic Football Show.