The Athletic Football Show: A show about the NFL - What each team needs in the 2022 NFL Draft with Sheil Kapadia

Episode Date: April 26, 2022

What does a successful draft look like for all 32 teams in the league? From teams looking to make runs at a Super Bowl in 2022, to others resetting with new regimes or stockpiling assets for future years, there's no shortage of storylines to follow with what's on the line this season. Sheil and Robert bring their top priorities for each team and what they hope to see happen by the end of the weekend. How many of the hopes will come to fruition? Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

This is the athletic football show. Welcome to the athletic football show. Today's Tuesday, April 26th. I'm Robert Mays. Joining me today, to my good friend, Shia Kupati. How you doing, buddy? I'm doing well. I know we're flying through a bunch of teams today, so less is more for me.

I got to figure out a way to make everything brief, so I'm excited. Big challenge for me today. When I was younger, I can't remember when he said this to me, but an early lesson I got from a man named Bill Simmons when it came to covering the NFL was, 32 of anything is a lot. That's what he used to say. 32 of anything is a lot. So what we're going to do here today is we're going to run through every single team

and we're going to outline what a successful draft looks like for that team. Some of these are going to be very brief. We're talking one or two sentences because that's all you need to spend on it because that's how simple success looks like for them in this draft. Full disclosure to everyone, if I sound like garbage, it's because I was at Coachella for the last three days and my lungs are caked with dirt. So good thing for a professional podcaster to be spending his time doing the week of the draft.

But I'm alive. I'm fine. I feel great. I'm just, my voice might be a little bit shot. So if I trail off or if I start to sound gravelly by the end, that is the reason. So hopefully you guys can have a little bit of patience with me on a Monday morning here. All right.

Let's start at the top. Shield, what does a successful draft look like for the Jacksonville Jaguars? I think landing in all pro at number one and two to three quality. starters. I mean, if you look at it historically, three to four all pros in the first round, you know, is generally the average. You've got your pick. You want to go, you know, outside the box. And with that pick, you can. But man, they've just missed on so many players and decisions over the years that they've just got to nail that pick. It's pretty simple. It's not that exciting. But that's what it is to me. They need players. If you run through,

I'll do this very quickly. The first and second round picks for the Jags and the rookie wage scale era. Blaine Gabbert, Justin Blackman, André Branch, Luke Jockel, Jonathan Sipri, and Blake Bordels, Marquis Lee, Alan Robinson, Dante follower, T.J. Yeldon. They had one year where they got Jalen Ramsey and Miles Jack in the first two rounds. Then we get back to normal. Leonard Fournette, Cam Robinson, Josh Allen, Juan Taylor, C.J. Henderson, Kalavan Chason, Leviska, Shannalt. And then last year's class, Trevor Lawrence, Travis E.T.N., who hasn't played yet. Tyson Campbell, Walker Little, who isn't ready to play. And they had to franchise Cam Robinson because he's not. those are the players we're talking about. That's what they've done in the first two rounds over the last 10 years.

And at a certain point, development is part of the problem. You keep cycling through coaching staffs and front offices and a lack of continuity. It becomes a development issue. But at a certain point, you just need high-level players. When you're picking at the top of the draft, that's what you need. And they don't have any and haven't found any, despite picking in the top five consistently year in and year out for the past decade. They just need somebody at that spot that's going to be a guy who goes to eight probles. Like that's it's all, that's as simple as it gets.

And in the second round, they need starters. And we don't have to spend any more time on it or get into any more complexities than that. All right. The Detroit Lions, what does successful draft look like for the Lions? Yeah, a few of these top teams, it's really the same thing. You know, you look at the roster. I had the same thing for the Lions.

I mean, you want a centerpiece at number two, and then two to three quality starters. They have eight picks, but man, they have numbers two, 32 and 34. They've got five picks in the top 100. And so to me, it's the same thing. They re-signed a bunch of their own guys. They've got some talented players.

You know, their offensive line is not a disaster for sure. They've got a cornerback. And it looks like they're going to punt on quarterback maybe for this draft. So to me, it's just the same thing. Like, you don't have to overthink it. You just need some blue chip players in there. Yeah, I think they need a star on defense. And that's why I feel like it's so tempting to go back.

Just because, you know, you look at the offense. The offensive line's pretty solidified. We'll see what they do with a receiver. you know, they, obviously, DJ Chalk is there on a one-year deal. They have on the Ross St. Brown. I think they could use someone on the outside a little bit later, but I think two is a little rich for that. It just feels like you look at their defensive line.

They need a pass-rushing pop so desperately. And if we're trying to find cornerstone players on defense, pass-rushers is the easiest place to look. And that's why it's so tempting to connect them with a pass-rrrrrisher and so many people have in the process. I completely understand that when you look at the rest of the roster. At 32 and 34, I think there are two different doors you can go down. A successful draft in one way is finding your quarterback at 32 if you decide to do that. So if they

do, you find a franchise quarterback in a spot where teams very rarely do. I mean, Lamar Jackson is such an outwire when it comes to that. And like Derek Carr was found just outside of the top 32 in the second round early. Usually you don't find your guy there. But this is such a weird class. Maybe that does happen where they feel comfortable pulling the trigger there. If they don't go down that road, I think it's just again, two starters like you mentioned at 30. and 34. And I do keep coming back to somebody on the outside because it just feels like a Jahan Thadson or somebody in that range is going to be there.

And they don't really have any long-term answers at those outside receiving spots if they want to set up whoever that quarterback ends up being for success, whether that's next year, whatever the timeline happens to fall. All right. Houston Texans, what did you have here? Because it's so weird because we're two years into this, but they didn't have any picks last year. So the Texans haven't committed to pretty much any players. There's no outside free agents. We haven't seen them draft guys in the first two rounds. Really the only picks we've seen

make of any high level variety are Nico Collins and Davis Mills. That's it. So I just don't even know what to make of this team, which makes this a difficult exercise. Yes, I laughed when you asked me what I put down because what I put down is I have no idea. I mean, I was going to be mean and right, you know, avoid embarrassment for the Houston, Texas. They've got a lot to work with now. You know, now you're the Watson things over. You're in rebuild mode. They have the second most draft capital.

They've got 11 picks. I mean, they've got three and 13. They've got three in the top 50. What you said about the Lions and can you find a quarterback later in the first round that's worth taking a flyer on or do you just stick with Davis Mills, you know, for a year and figure it out next year. I mean, that obviously, if you're able to find a quarterback, that would be one way to make it successful.

Otherwise, it's just, I mean, there's a reason why these teams are picking in the top five. Just get some blue chip players. You have the resources if it means, you know, trading down from one of those picks and getting even more picks. I mean, a lot of times when teams have 11 picked, you'll be like, oh, well, you know, not all those guys can make the roster. They can all make the Texans roster. If you make the right picks, I know they signed a bunch of low level for agents. But, man, it's just like, I feel bad for their fan base because it just sort of feels hopeless. You're stuck right now.

And I have no idea what would be, like, if you ask the Texans, fan this question, I don't think they'd be able to come up with an answer either. This is the sentence that I had written down. The Texans need to start finding players who are going to be on the roster in 2025. That's it. That's really it. It's that simple to me. Just find guys that are going to be on cheap contracts and they're going to be part of your team building plan beyond the next 12 months because there just aren't that many of them. And I think they're rolling with Davis Mills, by the way. All signs point to them, why not? Like, what do you have to I believe is to see if Davis Mills works out.

They're not on any sort of urgent timeline down there in Houston. So let's see how that plays out. We'll go from there. All right. The New York Jets, this is where it starts to get a little bit interesting. What do you have for the Jets? I put down filling holes at premium positions. You know, when you have four and ten, like you just look at historically,

whether it's offensive tackle, cornerback, edge. Now even you can probably throw a wide receiver in there with the way those guys are getting paid. Like, you need to hit on two of those. at those premium positions as you continue to build up the roster. You don't need a quarterback. A lot of times you're picking four and ten. It's like, all right, well, one of those is going to be spent on a quarterback or you're moving up.

You don't have to do that until you really have an opportunity to kind of continue to put pieces around Zach Wilson and fill a couple of those big needs. You know, they took some swings or wanted to take some swings, whether it was Tyree Kill or some guys in free agency who they didn't hit on. Well, now you have your shot at these guys and they're going to be on rookie contracts. Continue is a good word. because I had this as a continuation of what started last year

where you start stockpiling those picks, start trying to rebuild this roster with the coaching staff that you really want in their long term. So that's how I feel the same way. Can you get a successful draft to me with them helps finish off like the transformation of the franchise over the last 18 months where it's like, all right, this is what we really want to be

with all of these resources. You go get AVT and Elijah Moore on top of getting a quarterback last year. Now you have four top 40 picks. can you come away with a pass rusher, a past catcher, a corner, and maybe more offensive line help? That's not a pie in the sky plan. They absolutely could get four starters out of this draft that sets them up for the future. And not only are you remaking just the fabric of your roster when you do something like that,

you're giving your quarterback every chance to succeed. That is what success looks like for me. You start remaking the DNA of who you are with these players that we feel really good about at high level positions and we've given our quarterback a real chance. You know what else this draft has a chance to do for me? It helps make up potentially for what the 2020 draft looks like. If they can go find a receiver, if they can maybe get an offensive tackle to plan for a post-Maskebacked in future if that doesn't work out.

Then that 2020 draft, which is starting to look like kind of a disaster under that old coaching staff, I hope by the end of next year, if you're a Jets fan, you don't even think about that 2020 draft again. It's just out of sight, out of mind. we've done enough to make up for it, which is kind of a reminder that this is a bites at the Apple type of process. If you just have a bunch of picks, it's easy to get over picks you missed on. And that's where the Jets are right now. No team has more on the line this weekend, in my opinion, than the Jets.

That's the second time I've heard you say that today, I think. You know, one was looking at the Jets Twitter account and now I get to see it live. I mean, this is really something. Listen, anybody wants to hire me for some voiceover work. I am available, and I'm pretty sure that does not fall into my contract with the athletic. So I'm around. Leif Schreiber wants to take a weekend off. I'm all set to pick up some of that work.

All right. The New York Giants, what do you have? I have the Giants in a similar spot to the Jets. I mean, Phil holds at premium positions. They've got five and seven. They've got five picked in the top 100. Their fourth in overall draft capital, and they have needs. I mean, you could really probably focus that if you wanted to on the offensive line.

a little bit and the defensive line, but really, you know, they have needs across the roster. They're obviously, they didn't have any choice other than to take a sort of patient rebuild here. We don't think they're going to do anything at quarterback. So, you know, this is a very rare spot where you have two picks that are that high. You can move around if you want to. You can try to move around if you want to. And you can fill some of those holes on your roster. To me, the difference, the major difference between those two teams is the urgency.

The Giants just don't have any urgency in the way that I see it right now. If you look at next year, they have $130 million tied up into players for 2023. They can save another $33 million if they move on from Leonard Williams, Adore Jackson, and Kenny Gallaudet. I'm not saying they should or they will, but they can completely blow this thing up in the next 12 months if they want to. So whoever they find with those two top 10 picks, those in my mind are the building blocks or whatever the next version of the franchise ends up looking like.

So can you get a corner and a tackle in the top 10? And if you can, not a bad place to start. Then when you keep going into next year, you got Andrew Thomas, another corner, another tackle, and you have three, four, five young players that you feel good about. And whatever like draft capital pittance you've gotten for trading Cadarius Tony, which a year after you could drive the guy in the first round, now you're going to, it's like when you drive a car off a lot. Like as soon as you drive it off the lot, it depreciates in a big, big way.

So now you're looking a year after drafting him with a first round pick, maybe you get a third for them, which is always good. It's a good process. You're really setting yourself up to succeed there. Yeah, I mean, Gettelman will probably say, hey, I left you with five and seven. Don't yell at me. The roster's not in good shape. You have two high picks. And it feels like tackle has just been an issue for them for, you know, it feels like so long.

And yeah, if you draft one here at five or seven with Andrew Thomas, you're in a nice spot there with two young, talented guys. All right, we're not going to talk about the fact that one of those picks is the bear's pick. I've managed to avoid that emotionally for a huge portion of this process, and we're going to stick with that right now. All right, the Carolina Panthers, this is go a lot of different ways here. I guess you can really only go two ways, but the two ways, whatever road you decide, I think says a lot. What did you have here? I mean, I think there's only one answer, and that's landing a franchise quarterback. I mean, they can, you know, we can talk about whether they should or not, but if you're Matt Rule and you're

looking at job security and, you know, I don't know if your family likes living in Charlotte or not, and you've won five games in each of the past two years, and every quarterback decision you've made has been a complete disaster and you've completely misread the market and you haven't been able to attract any of the big names that you've wanted to attract. I mean, all right, you know, you land a left tackle and then you acquire Baker Mayfield. Is any, you know, our Panthers fans thrown a parade for that? I don't think so. In timeline, like you mentioned, a great point with the timeline for Giants and Jets. I mean, what team has a more urgent timeline or specifically what person has a more

specific timeline than Matt Rule here with, I just can't imagine David Tepper is going to say, all right, cool, we got a left tackle. And now we're going into your third year with no planet quarterback with Baker Mayfield. And we're probably going to finish under 500 again. Sweet. Yeah, let's keep this thing rolling. So I don't know. That's how I see it with them.

The best case scenario. is that you find a franchise quarterback at six. That somehow Kenny Pickett or Malik Willis or whoever ends up being turns into Justin Herbert, who is a quarterback that also went six overall, was not a perfect prospect and is now a no-brainer top five, top seven guy in the entire league at the position. I just think that's so far away from reality that that's why I'm not giving it a ton of creedons. I think that that obviously, any world, anything on the table, that's the best case. if we're pulling ourselves back into this reality, I think that finding a left tackle at six,

trying to or even potentially trading back and recouping some of the draft capital you no longer have, and then going to find a quarterback just to fill a hole. I just think that those guys, based on everything that we know, they're just not the same level of prospects. You're probably not going to find a franchise quarterback at six in this draft. And if you can't do that, can you piece this thing together to be a more competitive version of your team heading into this seat? I think that's also some version of success. If they pick a left tackle at six, I can just see them trading 2023 draft capital.

They're like, we got to get back in the second and third round. Matt Rills like, I need to get some guys right now. I am not concerned about how our third round pick in 2023. I mean, they don't pick again until, what, the fourth round? 130 or something. I mean, it's crazy. Number six. And they don't pick until 137.

That's crazy. I mean, you don't have a lot of avenues to. you can find, find the left tackle. You don't have a lot of other avenues to really upgrade the roster. So, man, if I am another team and I have picks in the second or third round, I am calling Maddie Ruhl and saying, hey, you know, this guy could really help you right away. You want to give up some of that future draft capital. What's a 2024 first of that rule?

That's a problem for somebody else two years down the road. All right, Atlanta Falcons, we do not need to spend a ton of time on this. Yeah, they're in the same spot as like the top two or three teams. You know, they really don't have, I don't think, much interest in being very good next year. It really is all about their draft next year and they could be set up well. That's unless they fall in love with one of these quarterbacks. And who knows, we don't know until the draft actually happens. But I think all indications are it's just, hey, find some players.

You have nine picks. You have five in the top 100. You got some picks in the Matt Ryan trade. I mean, you have the worst roster probably. I'm saying that off the cuff here. I don't know if you disagree or not. One of the worst rosters, if we want to be safe in the NFL, you're among the favorites to have the number one overall pick in 2023.

Start scouting Bryce Young. You don't need to, you know, and the other quarterbacks you like there and just, man, just get some players in there. The Falcons need to draft some NFL players. Yes. It's the first line of my notes. Boom, done. End of conversation.

They have an extra second. They have an extra third. And they have nothing but holes on this roster. I mean, let's say, let's try to build the foundation of what this team is. Jake Matthews, Chris Lindstrom, AJ Terrell, Kyle Pitts, Grady Jarrett and Dion Jones, baby. It's very expensive. I mean, they're not, those guys aren't young anymore. I mean, there just isn't much to work with here. And that's okay. I mean, if you're going to go to that end of the spectrum, it's okay to be there as long as

you know you're there. And I think the Falcons truly do know that. So this is just about finding pieces to kind of start reconstructing this roster in some way. All right. Seattle Seahawks. Nate and I talked about this during our most at stake show with all the teams that have the most of stake in the draft. This question kind of depends on what the Seahawks want, and I have no idea what that is. What did you have for Seattle? Yeah, I mean, my line with the Seahawks is they're rebuilding, even if they don't know they're rebuilding. That's kind of how I see them going into this year. I think a successful draft for the Seahawks is maximizing bites at the apple, swings at bat, you know, however you want to phrase it.

I mean, if you look at, if you took every teams and you said, let's say, you know, your premium positions are offensive tackle, quarterback, cornerback, edge, and you just kind of wrote them down, I mean, they might have the worst group in the NFL. You're looking at Drew Locke right now. They have no left or right tackle. They're not good at cornerback. Their pass rush is not great. I mean, you just, you need to fill these premium positions.

Positional value has been, you know, obviously a big topic of conversation among Seahawks fans and rightfully so with the way they've spent their first round picks. But my gosh, you need to, you need players, tackle, edge, corner, all those positions. You need to find players. So they to me are a prime tradeback candidate. Number nine, that could be around the area where some of those other teams are saying, wow, you know, I didn't think a, maybe it's Derek Stingley. Maybe it's one of the wide receivers.

Hey, we didn't think those guys were still going to be available at nine. And they trade back, you know, they've got eight picks. They've got three in the first two rounds. I would want to come out of this draft with even more. I would want to come out of this draft with 2023 draft capital in case you're in the likely event that you're in the market for a quarterback next off season. Now, they could draft a quarterback this year.

And like the other teams we mentioned, that would be a win. If they found somebody they liked and they didn't have to trade up for him and he played well, that would be a win. But absent of that, I think you just have to maximize the picks you have kind of this year and next year to rebuild that thing. even if we want to have an optimistic reading of signing Shenanoosu guys like that where Daryl Taylor can eventually go they have the worst tackle situation in the league I don't even think it's close even if we want to explore an avenue where they bring back to Wayne Brown

on a short-term deal to kind of plug that left tackle spot they still need a right tackle so if they wanted to find a tackle at that ninth overall pick I mean they have two holes to fill there and corner is another option so I'm with you I mean they have three picks I believe in the top 42, you know, right in that exact range 41. They 40 and 41 in the second round because the pick from Denver. They just need to find some players at high level positions. And I think they could start at 9. If they don't end up trading back, there should be a tackle or a corner available at that

spot. And they just happen to have needs at both of those positions. All right. Let's get to Washington. I have not thought about Washington in this process at all. And I think they're in a weird spot, right? Because they're just outside the top 10. So we always spend so much time thinking about the top 10.

And there's also all of these teams around them that have multiple first round picks. Whenever I'm looking at the draft, I always skip from nine to like 13 because the Seahawks are at nine and then the second Texans pick is at 13. So it's just a very strange draft for that 11 and 12s in its own little twilight zone. So would you have for Washington at 11? I mean, I think they need to try to accumulate more draft capital. I mean, they've got two picks in the top 100 here after the Wents trade. You know, they're another team where they think they are and where I think they are probably differs. You know, they make the Wins trade and they want to be competitive right now and try to make the playoffs right away.

You know, the truth is, if you look at it realistically, they're just kind of stuck in the middle. I mean, could they win nine games next year? Yeah, you know, they could win nine games next year. I don't know where that really gets you. Maybe it's a fun season for their fans or making the playoffs given Dan Snyder's history. I guess, you know, there would be considered a massive accomplishment for them. So I just think if they can, you know, if they stay there and they draft somebody who can contribute right away, that's fine. But if I were them, I would also be looking to, hey, are there opportunities to just kind of get more picks in this draft given what we gave up to get wins?

That's not a bad idea. If they stay put, what I came back to was just some dynamic player that affects the passing game on either side of the ball. Yeah. You look at their outside receiver spots. I know they drafted Diami Brown last year. but let's say they want some real juice on the outside. Like Jameson Williams is there or Drake London is there as like a big body receiver that's very different than the guys they have right now. Just somebody like that.

Or if you go on the defensive side of the ball, does Kyle Hamilton make sense there? Because you look at their safety spots, Bobby McCain's on a two-year deal. Only half of that is guaranteed they could theoretically move on after this year. Cam Curle plays everywhere. He plays a decent amount in the slot. I mean, he's really a movable piece for them. So if they brought in another safety, it doesn't. necessarily cannibalize his snaps.

So just some guy that's a dynamic presence, either catching the ball or stopping people from catching the ball, it just feels like that's what this team needs. Yeah, Hamilton's a good one. I should have, if I could have been specific there, Kyle Hamilton falling to 11 and picking him, that feels like a great, you know, I don't know if it's best case scenario,

but that feels like a great scenario for them. The Vikings are another team in kind of a weird spot. I mean, they're because they're in this middle ground where they're not rebuilding. They didn't tear it down. It kind of feels like we're in a familiar area with them where it's like, all right, what are the little tiny needs they have?

Or it's like, all right, I'm picking this specific thing. And if we talk ourselves into it working out, what can this team end up being like? It just feels like such a story that we've told ourselves over and over and over again with Minnesota, which leads me to his place from it's like, ah, they need a corner and they need some interior defensive line help.

Like, that's what the Vikings need. And it's just, I don't know. I did not expect to be here again where we're nitpicking specific positions for Minnesota. But what did you have? Yeah, me. I mean, really one of the most surprising off-season in the NFL as far as I'm concerned. I think it probably speaks to ownership and what ownership wants the decision makers to do with the way they approach this thing, which is a lot how the previous regime approached. I mean, it's exact, like if Rick Spielman and Mike Zimmer were there, you would have just said the same thing. Corner and, yeah, interior offensive line. I mean,

it would be the exact same thing. They're trying to make a run here. And the next two, they're tied to Kirk Cousins. Next year he's got a no trade clause in 2023. I mean, they're just trying to make a run with the roster they have signings, Adairius Smith and Jordan Hicks. So, yeah, I mean, I guess if you're looking for need, you know, someone like Trent McDuffie finding a corner in the, you know, corner is a premium position.

So it's not like that has to be a short-term thing there. But, yeah, it does feel weird to still be talking about them as a team that's looking to plug some holes so that they can compete in the very near future. You know, that's not what I was expecting. I was expecting to at this point in the offseason for the Vikings saying, man, just take best available player, maximize draft capital, take some big swings, get ready for the next era of Vikings football with your new GM and your new coach.

And that's not really what it is. So, I mean, I wrote down no idea for them also because I don't know what direction they're going to go in or what a successful draft. The truth is, regardless of who they take, Vikings fans are going to be there going, we're watching Kirk Cousins for the next two years, and we didn't think we were going to be watching

Kirk Cousins for the next two years. If you're trying to read the T-Leaves specifically on the roster and just guys they've paid guys, they haven't, Patrick Peterson's on a one-year deal, and they still have needs of corner even with him on the roster. Sounds like Garrett Bradbury is not going to have his fifth-year option picked up. Jesse Davis, who they signed in free agency, is on a one-year deal.

So those feel like the most tenuous spots on the roster, but that's a level of specificity we're bringing to this conversation that I didn't necessarily anticipate if I could have projected this in January. All right. The Baltimore Ravens at 14. This is tough to do for Baltimore because with a lot of these teams, it's like the sexy version is the route we want to go down.

It's like, oh, look at this player on this roster. Like that was last year with them where they picked a receiver in the first round. My sense here is that we just get back to like Ravens bullshit where they pick a hard-nosed defensive lineman that plays a bunch of different roles. So I don't have a really fun answer for the Ravens. just kind of keep chipping away at whatever this Ravens team build is all of the time. It's exactly right. I wrote, continue to reload.

You know, I don't think they're going to do anything stupid. Eric DeCosta has now gone on record multiple times calling the draft a luck-driven process, which you do not hear from general managers. So I think that is a bit a sign of the time. So, yeah, I mean, listen, they're in good shape. Like, you're looking for the teams that you feel like could be pretty good and have a lot of draft capital. Like, that's a tough thing to swing. And they're right there.

They've got four top 100 picks. Their ninth and overall draft capital, they can just sit there. They can trade back if they want to. I mean, when you're just looking at prospect and team matches, like Jordan Davis in that defense that, you know, can you just see that? He just slips. He gets there. And all of a sudden, oh, the Ravens did it again.

And all of a sudden, he's blowing stuff up in the first month of next year. And the Ravens looks like a bounce back team because their defense is getting healthy once again. So, yeah, I don't think there's a specific position. I don't even think there's a specific position. specific side of the ball. You know, Marcus Peters is a free agent after next year. So even something like cornerback could make sense. Offensive line could make sense. Wide receiver could make sense. Defensive line could make sense. So they really don't need to force it. They're not, you know, they could play a game tomorrow if they needed to and they can just kind of take the best player

at the best position. Yeah, I feel the exact same way. You look at their defensive line. You know, Michael Pierce will be 30 before the end of the season. Derek Wolf is 32. Clayas Campbell is my age. I think they need a little bit of youth. They have Matabuque there on the interior, but I still think they could use a little bit more young, you know, pop on the interior of their defensive line. Corner is a spot that I just, when I was looking at this, I did not expect to come back to, but Marcus Peters is getting up there. They've lost a couple of the corners that they had. There were depth pieces in the past. I don't know schematically if they're going to lean on the same sort of stuff they have for the last several years, the amount of man and the amount of blitzing that

they've done. So it's just hard to pin down how they feel like corner fits into their plan compared to previous seasons where they're playing all that man coverage. But, But that's one spot. I just was more prominent as I was looking at this than I expected it to be. But they could go so many different directions. Do they pick a George Carloff, this is somebody that we talked about in connection to them as somebody that could be a little bit of a versatile piece on their defensive line? So a bunch of different directions. It's always a fun game, like you mentioned, to figure out where Baltimore's extra picks coming from in this draft?

It's truly insane. Like how many extra picks they always end up having. So you go into the third round this year, go to the end of the third round. They got a compensatory pick for David Cully, getting hired by the Texans. You go to the fourth round, they have two for getting Matthew Judon and Yanukkahe signed away. So they have two extra picks in the fourth round. They also have an extra pick from the Giants in the fourth round that was traded to them. The Cardinals traded a fourth round pick to them.

It's just unbelievable how often this happens. The pick from the Cardinals is just from the Cardinals trading up in last year's draft to go get Marco Wilson. And then the pick from the Giants, they traded Ben Bredesen to the Giants last year for 22, just to move up from the fifth round to the fourth round, essentially. Like, they're just doing this shit all of the time. And then you wake up every single year. And it's like, the Ravens have seven picks in the first four rounds. It's an annual thing. And it's because they absolutely understand that luck-driven aspect of the process.

All right. Yeah. Let's get to the Eagles. I'm going to let you have this one. What does a successful draft look like for the Philadelphia Eagles? You know, I think getting more athletic is what I wrote down. I look at their defense. Yeah, you know, you could swing it a few different ways.

I mean, I could say getting more picks for 2023. I don't think they're going to take a swing on a quarterback, but they've surprised me there before. But I look at their defense and I see like, you know, Josh Sweat is athletic and then I don't see a lot of other athletes on that side of the ball. Offensively, you have. some, but man, if you could add someone like Jameson Williams on the opposite side of Devante Smith, now all of a sudden you've got a lot more juice than you did previously.

So I kind of struggled with pinpointing just one thing. I think certainly not overthinking it. I think they have the ability to move around, whether it's move up for someone like Kyle Hamilton or Derek Stingley, if those guys fall down to 9, 10, 11, 12, and you can move up with one of your first round picks and then maybe you trade back out of 18. Like you have a lot of ability to maneuver. I still think you want to make a lot of picks in this year's draft. And I think if you can accumulate even more draft capital for 20, 23, I mean, it feels like that's going to be the year, you know, where they're going to have to take a big swing if they don't stick with Gell and Hertz beyond this season. You're not leaving a lot of room for the obligatory edge rusher that

they have to draft in the first round. So it really does feel like we're headed toward that again. Derek Barnett is back, but it's pretty much a one-year deal if they want it. to be. Brandon Graham is how over old Brandon Graham is. I know they signed a son Redican free agency, but I don't think that precludes them from adding more to the defensive line, especially with Fletcher Cox potentially moving on after this year. So obviously they have Josh Swidding as a long-term piece. So I'm mostly kidding. But it just feels like the defensive line is never off the table with this team, especially on the interior this year if they want to end up going that direction. But they do need a ton of help in the secondary. So you

speed a receiver, you know, it's potentially fun. Is there a Jason Kelsey succession plan? at some point? Do they feel like maybe later in the draft, they could find some offensive line depth and start working on that? I mean, it's nice to have a lot of picks and that is exactly the position that the Eagles have put themselves in.

All right, the New Orleans Saints. I have two different paths this can go out in my opinion, okay? If they trade up for a left tackle and they think a tackle was the most scarce resource that we do not have on our roster right now. Finding tackles is hard. We have two first round picks.

Do we go up into the top 10 and find one of those tackles because we can piece together receiver somewhere else. Because those, if you're looking at their roster, those are the two biggest needs that jump out to me. So they can either stay put and try to find a tackle and a receiver with those two first round picks or they can move up for a tackle, find one, and then try to piece together the receiver spots with whoever's left in a free agency. They also have a second round pick, which I forget because they traded future assets away to get that extra first round pick in this year's draft.

So those are the two kind of timelines I had in my mind for the Saints. I don't know what you had. See, I put hitting on a quarterback. I mean, I feel like if you make that trade, you know, are you really, maybe they are doing it for a left tackle. Again, this very well could be another one where the feeling inside the building is different than my feeling on the team and the roster. I mean, you know, they tried to get Deshawn Watson.

Then they go and they sign James Winston and get him this huge raise from what he had made previously, you know, that doesn't tell me that, oh, yeah, they love James Winston and want him to be the long-term answer at quarterback. When they mean that trade, I just kind of felt like, I don't know which of these quarterbacks they like, but it sort of felt to me like they're going to take a shot on one of them, whether that guy plays right away or not, maybe not. So I could be totally wrong here. They could just take a left tackle and a receiver and say, yeah, we want to win right now. I mean, that's what they've done for years. And they'll say, we'll surround James Winston with the right pieces and we'll go compete and try to make the playoffs next year.

to me, that would probably be a mistake long term, but that could be what they're thinking for sure. And with the pick they traded next year, I mean, they're probably thinking, well, we're going to be able to trade Sean Payton next off season anyway. And so we don't have to, you know, but otherwise, I mean, if you're not taking a quarterback this year and then you don't have your first round pick next year, you know, it's not a great spot to be in. When they made that move, my first thought was, oh, they're going to move out for a quarterback. And then I had to remind myself that that would be, thinking you would describe to any other NFL franchise. They operate unlike any other NFL franchise. And it's worked out okay for them. ESPN did a piece, I think last week, late last week,

about just the draft value teams have hit on over the last 10 years. And you look at teams near the top of that list. And Seahawks are up there, the Saints are up there. And you realize a lot of it is often comes from one draft. The Seahawks are up there because of the 2012 draft. The Saints are up there because of the 2017 draft. So it sustained them for so long that in our minds like, oh, this team drafts really well. They've done such a good job of building this team. And in reality, it's just as hit or miss as most teams are.

So they need this to go well. They've bet big on whatever this class ends up being because they feel like they're close. And at a certain point, it feels like it's going to go off the rails for them, but it just continues not to go off the rails. They continue to be fine. The Winston thing, it's $11 million. dead money left on his deal after this year.

And it really does feel like they might commit to him for two years and just kind of see how it goes. And listen, I think that's the right reaction. I just, it's a hard team to pin down because they're so aggressive that sometimes it's difficult to understand how it fits into the ways that we typically understand modern team building and thought processes and the way the teams go about this. So there are a tough one to pin down all the time because of that. All right. Los Angeles Chargers. What do you got for me?

This will probably be my answer for the next eight to 12 years. Get more help for Justin Herbert. You never can have enough. I don't care if you're another offensive lineman, someone with some versatility, a wide receiver. Oh my gosh, can you Jameson Williams to the Chargers at 17? That's one as I was just going through that got me pretty excited. Jameson Williams, Mike Williams, and Keenan Allen and Justin Herbert next year. That would be a lot of fun.

but I do feel like they addressed, I mean, big swings on the defense in free agency and trades. Khalil Mack, J.C. Jackson, Sebastian, Joseph. I mean, we can go on and on with what they added to the defense. So now just don't leave yourself short, you know, assume that there are going to be some injuries, assume that there are going to be some issues, and you don't want to be going into the end of next year saying, oh, man, you know, we should have built up our depth here. Obviously, you don't want to reach for a position, but if you're asking me what would be a successful draft, that would be it. getting somebody, it doesn't have to be somebody who starts week one, but getting somebody kind of reinforcements for that offense.

And they've only got, what, one pick in the top 50 there. So they're kind of middle of the pack in terms of draft capital. So does it make sense to try to move back and acquire some more picks? But, man, if one of those wide receivers is there at 17 and I was excited about them and it was someone like Williams, who I feel like would just be a beautiful fit for their other guys, I probably wouldn't hesitate and just go ahead and pick them. In my mind, a successful draft for them finishes off a potential championship roster, whatever that ends up looking like, right?

Like when you draft your guy and he's on that rookie deal, you've got a couple years to do this. And they are firmly in that window. So the perfect outcome to me is you find a tackle in round one, just because it's going to be hard to find a starting tackle in round three. So you find a tackle with that 17th pick and then you find some gas at receiver at some point in the draft. In round three, you can find speed. In round three, you can't find a starting tackle. So that would be the perfect outcome to me. The reason that I'm smiling is because you mentioned they only have one pick in the top 50.

In most scenarios, almost every scenario, if a team were to trade up from the third round back into the second round to go chase something, that's bad process. I would be like, that's not a good idea. You're not as close as you think you are. If the Chargers did it in this draft, I would immediately talk myself into it. Immediately. It would take 10 seconds for me to be like, you know what? The time is now.

You got to do it. So I'm wondering what draft night or draft nights end up looking for them. And if they do get a little aggressive just because they are in such a unique position, that is not Tom Telesco's MO. This is not a team that has made a lot of aggressive moves. But the Kalil-Mack trade isn't something they would have done in years past. So are we seeing a little bit of a different mentality and a different approach with this because they're in such a great spot?

when it comes to their quarterback, how much they're paying him, and how good they can be right now. So they're a fascinating team to me as we get a little bit closer to draft night. Speaking of fascinating teams, what did you have for the Pittsburgh Steelers? Nail the quarterback. I mean, I don't know 100% that they're going to go for one. I can just see Malik Willis in that uniform, in that helmet. It will get me excited to have him with a stable franchise with Mike Tomlin.

They will have a plan for him, how to develop him, when to play him, all those things. And so that's another one that's a really fun team player match to me. I'm not the first one who suggested it. But man, if he's still there at 20 and they believe in the upside, as we've, you know, our conversations here before, swing for the home runs at quarterback. You know, don't just settle for the competency. And so that's really what it would look like.

I mean, if you could go from the end of the Ben Rottelsberger era, which was really difficult to watch, to then Malik Willis and having the organization believe in him, even if he's not going to play right away, that would be really exciting to me if I were a Steelers fan. Yeah, that's it. They find their quarterback in the future in a range where you typically don't find one. Could this be a strange year where maybe they don't even have to move up to get their guy

that they can build around for the next 10 years? I have a feeling that they might be willing to move up just because they are such a logical quarterback destination. Do they feel like they got to get into the top 12 or so? A quarterback is justifiable. Moving up for a linebacker into the top 10 probably isn't. So if they were to do this for Malique Willis, whoever it ends up being, this is the kind of the last flourish of the Calvin Colbert era,

I could absolutely see that happening. So with theirs, it's pretty simple. This one is not simple. What did you have for the New England Patriots? I put adding some juice. I mean, like, guys, yeah, like whether it's at wide receiver or cornerback, I mean, if you're looking at how last season ended in the last two games you had against the bills and now you lost J.C. Jackson, like you got to get to.

some reinforcements there in your secondary to compete with the elite teams in the AFC. And the same thing on offense. I mean, I just felt like there were so many times watching last year where you're just like, man, they, you know, they don't have anybody who keeps the defensive coordinator up at night on a Tuesday when he's game planning for the Patriots. And I know they traded for Devante Parker, but, man, you could still use a lot of juice there on offense.

And so whether it's secondary, wide receiver, whatever, I just wrote adding some juice. Now they could very well. just like drafted guard, Zion Johnson or somebody there, and that would probably be a fine. I probably wouldn't have a problem with that pick, but I do feel like at some point you need some of those guys who, the other teams, you know, what is it, to get off the bus team or whatever where you see them walking in

and you're worried about it. They don't have a lot of those guys on the roster. They don't, but I still think it's probably going to be something like an interior offensive Wyman or safety depth in the first round. They're in a strange place because usually spots where we think the Patriots are pretty deep and pretty set up, is not the case right now. You know, their interior of the offensive line is now completely disintegrated.

You know, no Joe Tune, no Shaq Mason. Do they feel like they need to start building that back up again at some point in the draft? They don't typically do that in the first round. You know, Logan Mankins, I would want to say is the last interior offensive lineman they drafted in the first round. And that was a long, long time ago. So they feel like they can wait a little bit on those spots. But corner is another one where it just feels like they've had so many corners and so many guys in the secondary just bodies over the last few years. And now that's not really the case. Devin McCordy's getting old.

J.C. Jackson is gone. So safety and corner potentially. And so those are the spots, I think, if we're being honest with ourselves about what a Patriots type team might do, I keep coming back to. But I'm with you on the receivers. Even with going to get Devante Parker, he has no guaranteed money left on his deal after this year. Nelson Aguilar is a free agent after this year. They need something. They need some pop on offense.

Why Barnwell last week when he brought up the Patriots training for Devo Samuel, I was like that, I love that. Like so many of the other teams that theoretically could need him either have picks high in the draft where they could find a receiver or their timeline doesn't really make sense. And with them, they just need something where you're watching that offense and it gets you excited to watch them. And right now they just don't have a lot of that.

So I'm with you. I think that some juice on offense is an easy place to land when you're talking about New England. All right, what do you have for the Green Bay Packers? Finding wide receivers who can contribute? right away, you know, and I think this conversation... That's tough, and that is a tough needle to thread. Yeah, I mean, I got some numbers here.

Last 10 years, 36 wide receivers taken in the first round. Average rookie production, 49 catches for 659 yards. 605 yards is the median season. This is a first round rookie wide receiver. So we have... Do you feel a little better about that, though? Maybe it's recency bias, and the recent guys are skewing my understanding of this. Do you feel like we're in a position where it's easier now?

I do think it is. I don't think it's to the extent that we talk about it when we have conversations like, Hey, that's fair. Don't pay $22 million. You can just draft somebody. Man, it is not that easy. You know, 19% chance of a first round wide receiver producing a thousand-yard season as a rookie. And this is why, you know, I could, I justified.

I liked the Tyreek Hill trade for the Chiefs. I totally understood it. It made sense to me. The Devante Adams one is just a totally different situation. because your quarterback is 38 years old. You've been one of the best teams in the NFL the last two years. You've done it on the back of one of the most efficient offenses in the NFL. And now you're going into the drive.

I mean, I know at the time when they traded Devante Adams, it was like, well, maybe they'll sign somebody. Maybe they'll trade for somebody. I mean, Sammy Watkins is not doing it for them at wide receiver. So you have this gaping hole with what is the backbone of how you've won these games over the years. I know it's Aaron Rogers, but man, he needs help. And so, you know, you look, and you're right. You don't want to force that.

I mean, you don't want to take a lesser player because you feel like he can contribute right away because one, you're projecting and you don't know that for a fact. And two, it could burn you in the long run. But if you're a Packers fan, man, you would feel a lot better if it's a Chris Olavé or even a Jahan Dotson if you're drafting him later. Just one of these guys who looks refined, polished. You feel like week one, they can come in. They're going to put in the work with Aaron Rogers.

He's not going to be yelling at them about not being in the right place or not reading the coverage properly. So you're right. I mean, it is a tough needle to thread. It's not a gimmie regardless of who they take. But I do feel like, you know, this was an easy one for me. That is what a successful draft looks like for the packet. I don't care about lineback or a defense or anything like that.

I care about can you find someone to catch the football from the back-to-back MVP? Yeah, that's exactly right. I mean, their timeline and how their level of urgency is as high as it gets because of his age and what they need. And the Olaave thing, it's so tempting to put him there. because he feels more refined than the other guys in this class and he is so ready. But they just have such specific physical benchmarks that they have for these guys. And he's not going to hit them.

So do you compromise on some of that because you think we just need somebody that can do this right now for us? We don't need Jamar Chase or Justin Jefferson. We need somebody that can catch 70 balls for 900 yards. Like that's what we need. We don't need a superstar, but we need somebody who can give us something. then right now. And I'm just wondering if those guys who aren't as big, aren't as traditional, we're thinking about Packers-type receivers in those spots are the guys that actually

can give that to them. And watching that push and pull and how it ends up playing out is going to be really, really interesting. I think that's a really good answer. They have a ton of picks so they can go a bunch of different directions. But the receiver, it's hard not to keep coming back to that when you're thinking about this team in this specific moment. All right, Arizona Cardinals.

What do you got for me? I mean, this was a tough one. Yeah, it really is. Yeah, I have no idea. I mean, it's just like there's so much at play there with the drama with Kyler Murray and is Cliff Kingsbury able to put him in position to succeed and what's going on with his contract and some of the moves they've made the past two off-seasons. I mean, I don't know that they've had a very coherent plan.

And so, you know, ideally finding another piece on offense, not to say that, you know, they don't have enough, but whether it's offensive line, whether it's a pass catcher, like that's the part you need to figure out. But again, I'm not convinced. it's a personnel thing as much as it is, you know, coaching or those guys not being on the same page. But to me, until they figure out a way to be a top eight, top 10 offense, which they have not been now three years into the Kyler Murray era,

the rest of the stuff doesn't really matter that much. I mean, we could name a bunch of defensive positions where they absolutely could use help and just take best available player. But to me, if they don't get the offensive part of it figured out, it's probably not going to matter that much. Yeah, they need pass-fushing help after losing Chandler. the Jones, but that doesn't feel as important as whatever potential help they need on offense. You know, the offensive line, they signed Will Hernandez to a one year, $1.2 million deal.

That does not feel like any sort of long-term answer if they wanted to go into your offensive line at this spot, which there are going to be into your offensive line available in this range. You know, Kelvin Beecham is getting up there at right tackle. They need some offensive lineup. If you look at what their offensive line looks like late last season, I know Justin Pugh was hurt, which is something to take into consideration, but they look completely. the outman against a team like the Rams when you need to have those types of players in the

trenches at that stage in the season. They just didn't. I think offensively and defensively, those are considerations. So, and you know, we'll see what happens with AJ Green. He's obviously getting older, not going to be there for very long. They lost Christian Kirk in free agency. What does that mean for Rondale Moore's role within the offense? This was a tough one for me to pin down. So I'm glad that you felt the same way. All right, Dallas Cowboys. What do you got? plug an immediate hole on offense is what I had down. I mean, that could be offensive line. That could be a wide receiver.

But man, I think we're kind of downplay the fact that they lose Amory Cooper and Michael Gallops coming off of injury. And they lose Cedric Wilson. I mean, it's C.D. Lamb and, you know, Dalton Schultz and not a lot else there with their passing game going into next season. So whether it's a wide receiver or filling a hole on the offensive line, I just feel like, again, not to sound like a broken record, but offensive efficiency is key there. You know, they've got to be a top five offense, and then they can contend for a Super Bowl. I think they've got a lot of good pieces in place, but maybe they're a team that could really benefit from finding like an immediate starter at one of those spots. I 100% agree because for the last few years, we've just taken for granted that the Cowboys have one of the best offensive rosters in the league. And if you look at it right now, it's not at that level.

I mean, they have holes. They have a hole on the interior of the offensive line. They have a whole receiver. Can they fill one of those and get back to that level? because on defense, even though if they don't have guys on defense, you're like, oh, shit, that guy, they re-signed a lot of those guys they brought in on short-term deals last year. Jaron Curse is back, and Malie Cooker is back. Obviously, they missed out on Randy Gregory, and that's a concern, but they still have Michael Parsons.

They still have DeMarcus Lawrence. So offense, even though they have more stars on the offensive side of the ball, arguably, it still feels like those are where their immediate needs are. I just keep coming back to Trail on Berks. It's not, he's not the same type of players. that Amari Cooper is obviously, but I kind of don't want the same type of player that Amari Cooper is.

I want somebody that, let's just pitch him the ball and see what happens. And he has more down the field juice to him than I thought at first glance when people were talking about him, but just the dynamic playmaker on offense just dropped into that situation. And let's see if we can find an interior offensive lineman in the second round.

You know, that that's probably easier than finding that type of presence at past catcher. So we'll see what happens at those first two rounds, but interior offensive line, past catcher. Those seem to be the two that I keep coming back to. So I'm glad you feel the same way. All right, Buffalo Bills. What do you got for me?

Bills, I've got not drafting for need. You know, I feel like this is a team that has been like the best, you know, I thought they've been like the best front office. They've done the best rebuilding job. And they've obviously felt a sense of urgency this offseason with the, with the Von Miller move that they made, that they just are like, let's get over that freaking homieft. I don't want to see them taking a running back.

You know, not to be the running back so matter guy, but man, I don't want to see them taking a running back in the first round like the Chiefs did with Clyde Edwards Hilaire. You know, there are other areas of this roster that you can load up on, you know, Jordan Poir's a free agent after this upcoming season. Someone like Dax Hill, you know, at 25 or Lewis Seen, whoever you like there, you know, they don't have a deep cornerback group, you know. If there's a corner that you like, go that. that route. Every time we've talked about the bills losing a game, well, not every time,

but a lot of games we've talked about the bills losing a game over the last two years, it's been like their offensive line got manhandled a little bit. I know they're in pretty good shape right there, but you know, don't leave anything to chance. Go ahead, add depth, add versatility. And so I see a lot of areas where they can just add to their roster where they should not be looking at this as, hey, we're, you know, one running back away or one piece away. Like, you're set to compete for the Super Bowl this year, but you want to stay. success, don't feel kind of too much urgency here. I feel like they might be tested by that as much as any other team here in the first round. My answer is the exact opposite of that.

Really? Okay. I want them to be driven by need. Absolutely not at running back. Devin Singletary was fine last year. I don't need them to find another running back. Duke Johnson and Devin Singletary and Zach Moss, I'm good with that. Like, that is not a need for me. I think the most glaring need on their entire roster is a question. corner. They need another corner. And I want to see them go get a corner in the back half of the first round, drop that guy in to that opposite spot across from Tradavius White. And I look at this and it's like, that's the roster. Like that is, this is the Super Bowl team now that we have that second cornerback. They, like you mentioned, don't typically think like that. That's just not how they've approached

this in the past. They think that free agency is for filling needs and the draft is for picking the best players that you can't. That's how they've operated for the most part. But when I look at the roster, it's just so tempting to just throw Andrew Booth or whoever as that second corner in that spot and just say, all right, here we go. This is the last final flourish on a team that can win a championship. So I think drafting for need at that spot is fine if it's that one specific need that I have in my head. I like it. Yeah, that's one where I, you know, their hope is probably that the two things align. And someone like Andrew Booth, I mean, those two things very well could align, But yeah, let's, you know, I am curious to see what they do.

I do feel like there are a lot of spots they could go and get players that will help them in the near term and the long term. But obviously, yeah, if they don't get a corner and then it's all right. You got to go figure out who are you going to add after the draft there. But, you know, they still, they're what, 17th in draft capital. They still have a lot of their picks. And so they can take some swings on different positions throughout the draft. Yeah, they don't leverage themselves very often. I mean, you wrote about this.

You talked to Brandon Bean about it earlier this spring. the fact that the Von Miller move isn't out of character move for them. I mean, I think they do feel a little bit of the fire in ways they have and in the past, but I don't think they're going to leverage themselves a lot, even if they do feel a little bit more urgency than they have over the last couple of years. All right, Tennessee Titans. No second round pick for the Titans. So this one's a little bit tougher to pin down.

I didn't have a good answer for this one. I don't know about you. I feel like if you can upgrade the offensive line, you know, it feels like that. That's not a fun answer. It's not exciting. Yeah, we should just move on. it's boring. Everyone's falling asleep. But I mean, that's really what I looked at.

You know, you're hanging on AJ Brown. You've got Derek Henry. You traded for Robert Woods. Like you got to recapture that offensive efficiency that you had when Arthur Smith was there. And I think certainly on the offensive line, that scenario where they can get better. Yeah. Interior offensive line, I think in the first round, if they want to maximize the present and they want to maximize right now.

I think you could argue, though, that the best case scenario for them specifically is if they can find their quarterback in the first round of this year's draft and have a smooth transition to whatever the next phase of the franchise looks like. Because they went all in. They traded the second round pick for Julio Jones. They restructured all of these contracts to try to maximize their window last year. And they were a pretty good team. You know, then there will probably be a pretty good team again this year. I like the defense. I like a lot of the pieces that they have. But you look at next year, I mean, God, they've done some funny money nonsense with this, Ryan Tannahill. deal. If they move on to Tannenhill after this season, it's $18.8 million in dead money.

It's not great, but you can live with it theoretically if you're on a rookie quarterback contract. So if you kind of redo your financial timeline, you get onto a rookie quarterback deal next year, whether it's Desmond Ritter or whoever, it changes what the franchise can be and what your team can be. You can add some more pieces. You're not up against it financially anymore. It's just this version of it, I just kind of think they've run out of real estate. and I think they need to do something to change that. And drafting a quarterback in this draft would be surprising. But I do think it would be a way to reset this thing,

to kind of wipe the slate clean and be like, all right, now we're going to figure out what this version of it looks like starting next year. I like that. That's a spicy sleeper now. I'll be keeping my eye on them. That would be fun. That's based on no information that I have from anything.

I just, for whatever reason, it's like, I can't get that kernel out of my mind. All right, Tampa Bay Buccaneers. I mean, you look at their, like, they can play tomorrow and they'll be fine. I don't know. I put down, you know, landing a stud offensive lineman just because in case somebody gets injured or you do have some changes there at guard or you kind of already addressed that. So, again, they would be fine.

But, you know, I think if one of those, if there's an offensive lineman, maybe with a guard tackle versatility for them or something, that would be a big win because you just protect Brady and you signed about 7,000 wide receivers. You brought back everybody. Like, there's not really. a lot of other stuff to address there. So that's what I had down. I didn't feel great about it,

but I don't know what else is there for that. Best available. If you want to articulate what it's like to be a have and a have not in the NFL, okay? The buck signed Russell Gage to be their number three receiver. Okay? I, before Free Agency started, had Russell Gage circled and starred as the potential number one receiver on the Bears.

This is where we are. Yeah. This is what it's like to be in either. end of the spectrum with NFL rosters is that I was pining after Russell Gage and he's the number three receiver on the fucking bucks. It's terrible. I hate everything about my life. Yeah. During this exercise, I sort of forgot about him. I'm like, I know they added more widely. Oh, yeah, Russell Gale. Oh, Godwin. Oh, Rashad Parramon. Yeah, just sneak him in there. Okay. So you self, Tyler Johnson. Yeah, you know, they can, you know, withstand multiple injuries. It's kind of the same thing, like I said,

with the offensive line. You want to be able to withstand multiple injuries and still be okay. And it feels like they're there at wide receiver. Maybe you can get there with the offensive line if you add another guy. They sign Logan Ryan's. They have a little bit more versatility in depth on their defense. They sign Keanu Neal to a short term deal. It's got bodies everywhere. I mean, really the only thing is if they could upgrade over Aaron Stenny at left guard. And they're in the range to do that. Do they draft the Zion Johnson and kind of finish this thing off for one final run before Brady is the Dolphins quarterback next year. So those are just the things to keep in mind.

All right. Kansas City Chiefs. Nailing a wide receiver pick to me. I mean, that would get the fan base excited. That would justify. And this isn't, again, I don't think this is the same as the Packers where they need that guy to come in and be a monster right away. I think they can withstand it a little bit, although, you know, they are contending for a Super Bowl right now.

But I just think you want that long-term plan. I mean, this is to me the second iteration of the Patrick Mahomes led chiefs. You made the Tyree Kill move. All right, what's the next version of this going to look like? Your offensive line is in good shape. You sign some wide receivers where you feel like you're okay, but you could really want to add somebody who's that dangerous playmaker, the weapon, again, not to sound like a broken record again,

but that opposing defensive coordinators are looking at it going, all right, we know Mahomes, we know Kelsey and wide receiver X. we really got to be worried about this guy. So with their picks at 29 and 30, and man, they've got 12 overall picks tied for most in the NFL, three in the top 50, fifth in draft capital, if you take into account where those picks are.

They seem to me like a team that very well could be trading up there into the middle of the first round if a wide receiver they like is available. Yeah, I mean, the juju deal is a one-year deal. The MVS contract only has $4 million in dead money on it after this season. So I don't think there's anything they've done at receiver over the last couple months that would preclude them from taking a guy they think is a long-term difference maker. And also, again, you have to put yourself in the mindset of the teams. And when I'm looking at the Chiefs roster, I think defense is much more of a pressing immediate need than a receiver probably is.

They need help at corner. They need help at pass rush. They just need players on defense. And when you think about all that draft capital, that's a way to restock the cupboard with young, talent on the defensive side of the ball, in my opinion. But this team doesn't think that way. They want to be as good on offense as they can all the time. And I understand that. In the modern NFL, that's what gets you where you're going and trying to give your quarterback, who is still really, really, really, really good every single opportunity at every single turn. I get that.

So I think they probably need a pass catcher or probably should try to grab a pass catcher early. But I just see this as a way to stock up your roster for the next. phase of the Mahomes era. That's what this is. This is just a chance now that he's on that deal and, you know, there's financial certainty with his contract, but the certainty is that he's making a lot of money now. So in that world, you need to complement that build with cheap players elsewhere. And this is the chance for them to do that. And they have given themselves a really good opportunity with that Tyreekill trade. All right. Sometimes you get a vision of a player with the team and you can't get it out of your head. I was thinking about George Pickens on that.

on that Chiefs team earlier today. Because they don't have that guy. They have not had that guy. Like when you think about their team over the last few years, they've been cycling through that number two receiver. It's looked like a lot of different things. It's been Josh Gordon and Mikul Hardman at sometimes based on the ways that those guys have been used.

They have never landed on that guy. And I think somebody with the ball winning attributes of a George Pickens, the physicality, like that makes total sense to me. It's kind of a turn compared to what we've expected and watched with our offense in the past, but I think it does make a ton of sense. All right. Cincinnati Bengals. I had a tough time with this one.

I mean, they, you know, they don't need to force anything. If you wanted to add more offensive line enforcements, you know, go ahead and do that. I think their fans would be excited. Joe Burrow would be excited. I would be excited about that. You know, you sign veterans in free agency, but you still want to draft and develop. You want guys for the long term. You want ascending players.

And so that would make a lot of. of sense to me, but really it's just, you know, find a good player. It could be cornerback. It could be pass rusher. It could be safety with those guys' contract situation. So I don't have anything that specific for them. They've got three picks in the top 100. That's a good place to be. And so they're pretty well set up for this draft, I feel like. I've talked about this a bunch over the last few weeks. I want them to not get comfortable on defense. When you look at their defensive roster right now and how decent that group was. Don't sit there and say all those guys are back will be okay.

Corner is a need for them. The Eli Apple situation was tenuous by the end of last year, and that's beyond him coming back on a one year, pretty modest deal. Corner for me is a much bigger need for them than I think other people have been making it out to be. The idea of Tyler Lindervalm getting mocked there, I understand it to an extent,

but they drafted Jackson Carmen in the second round last season. They signed Ted Karras and Alex Kappa. I think offensive wine is way less of a need for them than something like cornerback is. And you mentioned the safety, Jesse Bates is on the franchise tag. I assume they'll try to work something out with him just because he's a homegrown guy. He's played well for them. But just finding little pieces to fortify the defense and protect yourself from really a nice

set of circumstances last year. You were fairly healthy on that side of the ball. It went about as well as you probably could have hoped. and you just can't bank on that again. It's going to go sideways in more ways than it did last year. So protect yourself from that. Interior defensive line juice and help now that you lost Larry Oogne, and you don't have as much depth in that spot.

Finding a true blue long-term starter at that other cornerback spot across from Jodobie. Those are the things that are in my mind when I'm thinking about Cincinnati and how they can be like, all right, look at what we did last year. Let's keep this thing going. That to me is how you keep this thing going. All right. let's get to the teams now without first round picks. There are several of them.

This is so weird. All right. Indianapolis. So the two teams we are not going to talk about. Just do you say it right now? We're not going to talk about the dolphins. We're not going to talk about the Raiders. Their drafts are over.

We always joke about what it would be like to be on the scouting staff for the Rams and how you have no work to do. And that's very overblown. Like the Rams always have their second round picks and they always have more picks in the third and fourth rounds. That's actually true for Miami. Miami has no picks. If you're in the front office for the dolphins,

you haven't had to watch like 150 players because they're going to be off the board by the time you end up doing this. I know that's not how it works. But it is a very weird situation for them. And the Raiders don't have a pick in the first two rounds. They've made their moves by going to get those two receivers. So we're not going to talk about either of those.

But there are plenty of teams that have a second round pick and do not have first round picks. Let's start with the Indianapolis Colts. What do you have for the Colts? They need to find help at premium positions. I mean, they're built in this. weird way where their best players are a guard, an offball linebacker, and a running back. And those are all three stud awesome players. But then you look at where they are at kind of what would be

considered premium positions, offensive tackle. They still need help. Cornerback, even with adding Gilmore, they still need help. They certainly still need help. And then Edge, even though you added Yannick and Gokwe, I still feel like you can add more, whether it's Edge or defensive line or whatever, you can still use help with your pass rush. So, yeah, they don't have a lot to work with one pick in the top 50, two in the top 100. Either they're going to have to nail those picks or they're going to have to maneuver to get more swings, but they could really benefit. And typically, you know, to be honest, like you mentioned earlier, outside the first

round is not generally where you're going to find a left tackle. So, you know, that is a little dicey there as well. But I do feel like if they could fill holes at, you know, some of those positions or ad competition or whatever, that would be a nice, nice outcome for them. My answer here is that I would try to find a tackle in a receiver. It's going to be tough to find a tackle. But right now, Matt Pryor would be their starting left tackle if the season started today. And I don't know if that's the right choice.

They're probably more comfortable with that than I am. But again, that's something that I think that needs to be addressed. And I do think they need help at receiver, even though they seem steadfast in saying we don't need help at receiver. So those are the two spots I would come back to. But it's tough to find a tackle in that range. So they might have to get creative the same way they did with Eric Fisher last year. And that didn't end up working out. But does Dwayne Brown make sense for this team as a stopgap starter if he doesn't end up back in Seattle?

Like can they find a temporary solution if they ultimately can't get a tackle out of the draft, which where they're picking is going to be difficult to do. But I just think at some point with one of those two second round picks, can you find more help at the past catching spots rather than rolling with T.Y. Hilton if he comes back and Ashton Doolin. and another year two of somebody like Hyland Granson and talking yourself into what impact that might have, just go get a number two receiver. And just let me sleep a little bit easier if I'm a Colts fan.

All right, Cleveland Browns, what do you got for me? Another, I think wide receiver help is the big one for them. I mean, they're sort of the opposite of the Colts in that their premium, you know, Miles Garrett, Denzel Ward, they've got the left tackle, Jaredrick Willes. They've got the quarterback, obviously, with DeShon Watson. And it's like they filled their premium positions.

I still think you need wide receiver help. The Amari Cooper thing is really a one-year commitment there. And so you're going to build the offense off your passing offense. Obviously, when you make a move like that for Watson, you want to surround him with enough talent. And so that to me is the biggest thing for them. Yeah, I think wide receiver makes a lot of sense. And then what does that other pass rushing spot look like for them? You know, do they go back and re-signed you Devi and Clowny on a short-term deal?

Or is that a little bit too pricey? now that they have that sort of quarterback contract off the books. But receiver and that other past rushing spot, those are the two things I kept coming back to with that second round pick. They have a decent amount of cap space this year, especially if they were to trade Baker Mayfield and get that contract off the books. I mean, that's a scenario where they're looking at like $45 million in space right now if they wanted to go get you, Davian County, and make a couple other moves,

just because Watson's cap hit this year is only $10 million. bucks. So there may be a couple things left for them to do on the free agent veteran market that could change the way we're talking about this positionally. But the fact that they still have that second round pick and they could still add a potential starting level player in this draft with all the talent that they already have is definitely a positive. All right, I don't even know what to do with the bears. I really don't even know what to do. If you had asked me this two months ago, I probably would have said they need to do everything they can to surround Justin Fields with help. That is what they need to do. And free agency and the draft,

they need a couple offensive linemen. They need a couple pass catchers. They need to rebuild those units in a pretty significant way. And they haven't done any of that. So the amount of urgency they have in that process is not what I thought it would be. So maybe they don't like him as much as I thought. They're not going to be pushed into making decisions based on him, whatever it ends up looking like. I still think with those two second round picks that they have, it would be fantastic to come away with one offensive lineman and one pass catcher, but I have resigned myself to them taking an interior defensive lineman somewhere in the second round in this draft. Yeah, no, I think it has to be finding help for Justin Fields. You're right. They didn't do it in

free agency. I mean, they spent money on defensive lineman. They had Lucas Patrick and Byron Pringle, are your big splashes on offense. Are you saying those aren't big splashes? Listen, I like both, I gave both those signings good grades. That's good value. I just don't know that you want those to be the headliners of your moves. But I get it. I mean, listen, they inherited a mess. And even if it is what you say, they don't love fields as much as the previous regime.

Like somebody's got to play. Every quarterback needs an offensive line and wide receivers. So regardless of kind of what you think of him, I think that's what it's got to be. It's got to be offensive line help. It's got to be past catching help. And it would be great if it could be guys who could come in and play right away and grow with your young quarterback. I don't even know if it's they don't love Fields. I think this is just the problem you run into

when you pair a new regime with a quarterback, they did not choose. They don't have to be hell-bent on surrounding Justin Fields with all of this talent because I don't think Justin Fields' success or failure ultimately dictates the long-term health and viability of this regime. You know, Justin Fields doesn't end up working out. Ryan Poles because he used to go to ownership and be like, listen, man, I tried my best. It just, he wasn't the guy. There is such a difference in the pressure you feel when you drafted the quarterback and when you didn't.

And this is the problem when you have a misalignment of timelines. And you have these arranged marriages between a coach and a GM or a GM and a coach or a coach and a quarterback. And that's where this team is again. You know, they brought in the coach and the GM at the same time. here, but some of this is already still put together. When you traded a future first round pick for a quarterback, that's a commitment. And it's a commitment that somebody else made. And now you're trying to figure it out after the fact without a lot of resources to work with and without

a lot of talent on the roster. It's a very awkward, precarious spot. And it's not easy to get out of. And that's where they are right now. All right, a couple more here. Denver Broncos. More reinforcements on the offensive line. I mean, every complaint that Seahawks fans had about what the Seahawks did with Russell Wilson, I want the Broncos to just do the opposite. So just load up on the offensive line. I'm not saying it's in terrible shape right now. It's okay.

But I don't want to get into a situation where it's week nine and we're saying, oh, man, he's got, you know, this offensive lines, there we had some injuries. Then it's just as bad as the one he had in Seattle. So to me, just continue to build the offensive side of the ball there. I mean, there's 17th in draft capital, which is unusual for a team. just made this big trade for a quarterback that Von Miller trade is looking nice for them. So they've got no picks in the top 50, but they've got three in the top 100. Offensive line, I think, is a priority, but really just, you know, they're in a best player

available type situation also. Yeah, Billy Turner is only making $2.5 million this year as their right tackle. That's not a long term or even starting level money. So can they find a right tackle, but they're not really in range to do that, you know, a starter that's immediate. it. So if he wants, if they had Turner as their week one starter and they had more of a project or depth piece on the offensive line that they found at the back half of the second round, I think that would make sense. And they just need help other places. Defensive line depth,

maybe some youth at safety with Kareem Jackson on a one-year deal. So just fortifying those types of areas of the roster, I think makes a lot of sense. All right, Los Angeles Rams, we don't have to spend a lot of time on this. I don't think they picked a 104, right? Yes, no picks in the top 100. I just said take a bunch of swings. It's to the point you alluded to earlier. I mean, last five years, they've made 45 picks. It's the same number as the Baltimore Ravens tied for fifth most in the NFL. So it is

F them first round picks, but make a lot of those middle round picks and hit on them and build your roster. I mean, that's kind of what goes unnoticed sometimes with them. So yeah, they can hang out in the Hollywood Hills there by their new house and their pool or whatever they're tweeting out. They can hang out for the first couple

days of the draft, and then they can just load up on volume on day three. I think a successful draft is they to sit there and stare at the Lombardi Trophy for the first three routes. So, like, that's fine with, that's fine with me. Yeah, just just sit back and enjoy yourself so you guys deserve it. All right, San Francisco 49ers. I think this is our last one.

Oh, line help. I mean, Alex Mack turns 37 in November. Yeah, it's a good one. Still not confirmed that he's coming back this season. They lost Lake and Tomlinson. Mike McClinty's coming back from a torn quad. So, you know, if you're moving on to Trey Lance, you want to be able to protect him there. And so I think that that's what makes the most sense.

Yeah, I mean, no Tomlinson. Aaron Banks didn't play last year. So that's definitely a bigger question mark than it has been over the last couple of years for them. So I could absolutely see that. And with picks in the second and third round, you'd think that potentially they could find an interior offensive line starter at some point in this draft. All right.

That's all we got. We hit all 32 teams in some capacity. We said the name of all 32 teams over the course of this podcast. And we still get out of here in under 90 minutes. Shield, thank you very much, my friend. That was a lot of fun. Thank you, guys. for joining us. It is draft week. We are here. We are doing this. We will be here on Thursday

night live. Me, Nate, Dane. A few of our other writers, Deante Lee will be joining us. Lindsay Jones will be joining us at some point on Thursday night. Please check in for our live draft show on the athletic football show. You can find it on YouTube. You can find it wherever you watch the athletic football show during the season. Very, very excited about that. I leave for Las Vegas here in about five hours. So I'm on my way to the airport very shortly. Really think that's going to be a good time. I hope you guys join us.

In the meantime, please rate and review the podcast on your podcast platform of choice. I would sincerely appreciate that. Please subscribe to The Athletic. Theathletic.com slash football show. Shio, what do you write in this week? I'm doing a, you know, I kind of do a mocking, mock draft for tomorrow where it's just a running diary of here's exactly what's going to happen in the first round. I make up stuff about what's happening in the different draft room.

So it's something I enjoy writing every year. So yeah, by the time this episode's up, you can check that out on The Athletic. Please go read that. Theathletic.com slash football show. It's where you can find all of our incredible draft coverage. Still have time to get the Beast, Dane's draft guide and just run through it. Read about as many of these guys as you can between now and Thursday night. You will learn a ton.

It is worth the price of a subscription all on its own. The Affletic.com slash football show. Please go check it out. We will be back tomorrow with our writer mock draft. We are doing a top 10 with writers from the athletic. We're going to let them make the picks. Just a really good way to understand the team's thinking when it comes to this process. I mean, these guys cover the teams every single day.

They spend all their time thinking about what their needs are, what the potential avenues could be. I really enjoyed doing the show last year. I am really excited to do it again. So we will be back with that tomorrow. In the meantime, appreciate you guys listening. We'll talk to you soon. This was the Athletic Football Show.