The Herd with Colin Cowherd - Colin Cowherd’s Instant Reaction  - NFL Draft 1st Round w/ John Middlekauff

Episode Date: April 28, 2023

First, (3:00) Colin explains how the Packers first post-Aaron Rodgers draft followed a familiar pattern from the Rodgers era, why taking personnel decisions out of Pete Carroll’s hands continues to pay off for the Seahawks, and why NFL front offices passed on Kentucky QB Will Levis in the first. Then, Colin and 3 and Out podcast Host John Middlekauff give their instant reaction to a surprising 1st Round of the NFL Draft, including the Eagles the consensus #1 rated prospect in Georgia DL Jalen Carter, if the Texans should have taken Ohio State QB C.J. Stroud with the 2nd overall pick, the message the Bears sent to Justin Fields by taking Tennessee OT Darnell Wright, why the Seahawks look to be putting together another stellar class, if the Lions should be considered the NFC North favorite, why Will Levis went undrafted, and what picks they have their eye on in Round 2.   Follow Colin and The Volume on Twitter for the latest content and updates, and check out FanDuel for the best wagering and daily fantasy action! #Herd #Volume #3andOut  See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

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Within probably 10 days, I'd put on 10 pounds. I was having trouble stopping the muscle growth. Listen to Superhuman on the IHard Radio app, Apple Podcasts, or wherever you get your podcasts. The Volume. Hi, everybody. Welcome in. John Middilkoff is going to stop by in about 8 to 10 minutes. We're going to do, he's got some great insight on the Philadelphia Eagles getting Nolan Smith and Jalen Carter. So they load up on the defensive front after having some free agent losses and the theory behind why the Eagles draft who they do.

A couple of takeaways for me in the first. first round. The Packers continue over the last 20 years, 25 years with Farrv and Aaron Rogers to have great offenses, but they don't draft offense in the first round. They have such confidence in their quarterback play, their offensive coaching, and they're drafting and developing that they draft offensive players in later round. So they go get the Iowa rush end, Lucas Van Ness, even though people speculated they needed a wide receiver. They certainly could have gotten the Ohio state wide receiver. Jackson Smith Najigba.

They passed. He would have been a great get. Seattle got him later. So teams tend to do what they do. And John Middilkoff will talk a lot about why the Eagles draft the way they do. But the Packers go in the first round. I mean, look at Green Bay. They've had offensive coaches, star quarterbacks, excellent offensive lines for most of the last 25 years.

It's what they do. They do offense really well. The Patriots, they do the secondary and linebackers very, very well. What does Belichick get? A corner. Oregon drops to him. So people go back to what they do well. And my takeaway on Green Bay, it's a deep tight-in draft.

The tight-ins did not get gobbled up in the first round. So they're going to go get a tight end and a wide receiver. They have two picks in the second round. So Green Bay does what they often do. They needed an edge rusher. They get a big 10 kid. It's in their geographical footprint. That's what the Packers do.

You know, you know I'm a Northwest kid, right? I thought Seattle did really, really well. First of all, Devon Witherspoon, many believed he was the best corner in the draft. Now, Seattle nailed their draft last year. They got a starting corner in the fifth and the sixth. But very much in the building, it was understood Seattle wanted to get another wide receiver, and they wanted to get another corner and another edge rusher. Well, by getting Witherspoon with their first pick and then going get the wide receiver,

the dynamic receiver that can play slot or outside with their second pick. Seattle has two seconds, a third, two fourths, the fifth, a sixth, to sixth, to seventh. They already have answered two of the three or four questions in the first round. I suspect they'll go interior offensive line and edge with their two second round picks. But I thought Seattle, if you go back to last year's first six picks and this year's first two picks, The Seahawks, I think, are now relying more on their GM and their scouting department. I did feel that Pete Carroll had a little bit too much say for years in their picks. I don't like my coaches having a huge say in picks.

It's hard enough to be a great coach. Andy Reid stays away from it. Sean Payton largely stayed away from it. You let a really smart GM do the work. I think Seattle leans now back into their scouting department, John Snyder, and they have had great picks. I banged on the Seahawks for years with their picks. I think they nailed their first two picks.

The other story, obviously, is Will Levis not getting picked. I did a mock draft a couple days ago on Fox Sports One. I did not have Will Levis getting picked. I think two things. He tests very well. He's a smart kid, but throws a ton of interceptions. And both the executives in the league I talked to that didn't like him said the same thing. He's falling in love with his arm.

The gun show at the combine. the tight t-shirts, the bathroom selfie. A kid that smart should make much better decisions in the pocket. When he has time, he throws into traffic. He's got a little bit of a weird delivery, the position of the football. But I think the sense is with Will Levis is Will Levis likes Will Levis. He loves his arm. He's undisciplined.

He makes bad decisions. And it's a pretty bad sign when teams that need a quarterback have offensive coaches. and they're not interested. I talked to one NFO coach on a team that was in the group of four or five teams that needed a quarterback. And kind of the takeaway was you can clean him up, but there's some things you may never get to stain out. You can't clean everything up. And I think when you had Bryce Young, he was easily the best quarterback. C.J. Stroud was arguably the most accurate quarterback. Anthony Richardson is the most dynamic athletic quarterback and a really humble kid. kid. And Will Levis came off as a little cocky in love with his arm, in love with his body, and you'll pay the price for that. You will pay the price for that. I'm surprised he didn't get drafted.

I think he's a better prospect probably than Hendon Hooker. You know, the Tennessee offense scares people. It's a really collegiate offense. It doesn't ask you to do things. Greg Gosell talked about this on my show yesterday, Thursday. The Tennessee offense is really a college offense. And so the as hookers already old to begin with, it would probably take him a year of development to start in the NFL. He's going to go obviously in the second round. Will Levis will too.

But listen, there's a lot of teams at the top of that second that need receivers and tight ends and do not need quarterbacks. So Will Levis may fall even further. You know, I feel bad anytime I sit and watch a kid, sit in the green room and not get picked. But by the time your season ends,

to the draft weekend. You can absolutely elevate yourself, not just by a pro day and a combine. I don't think Will Levis did himself any favors with the bathroom selfie. I mean, ask yourself this. Every time you see a guy in a bathroom selfie, do you not think the same thing? Really, bro? That's your picture? Kind of lack self-awareness?

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others say it's unleashing human potential. Either way, the podcast's Superhuman documented it all, embedded in the games and with the athletes for a full year. Within probably 10 days, I'd put on 10 pounds. I was having trouble stopping the muscle growth. Listen to Superhuman on the IHeart Radio app, Apple Podcasts, or wherever you get your podcasts. All right, let's bring on John Middilkoff.

You know him. You love him. He's part of the volume. Podcasting Digital Network. We love having him, former NFL scout. Okay, let's start. I thought the first thing that jumped out to me is good teams and good GMs get value. The Belichick gets Christian Gonzalez, right? Middle of the first, a very good corner.

And the Eagles got to me the best player I watched in college football. At the number nine pick, they moved up a spot. I mean, to me, Philadelphia, again, they've got the culture. They think they have the coach, you know, Fletcher Cox age. I thought Philadelphia got the best player. You know the organization well. What were your thoughts on that? Well, I think first and foremost,

if you remember several years ago, they drafted Jalen Rager instead of Justin Jefferson, and it really kind of bit him in the ass, right? I mean, Justin Jefferson went on to be one of the best players in the league, and Jalen Rager's not even on their team. I think, I mean, I know that they kind of got together as an organization and said, why are we out thinking of the room here? Take the best players from the best programs.

What have they done the last couple of years? Devante Smith. Alabama Heisman Trophy. Jordan Davis starting defensive tackle at Georgia National Championship. Trade for AJ Brown, an SEC blue chip guy who's dominating. Nikobi Dean, they draft from Georgia

in the second round. They also, I think one thing, Howie, and obviously Jeffrey Lurie, they know well from the Andy years and they carried it over into their good teams with Doug Peterson in this last couple years. His culture is really big. And when you have these veteran guys, like, why do you re-sign Fletcher Cox and Brandon Graham?

They're done. because they bring a lot to the table. Yep. And then when you get a situation like this, what's this guy going to do? Act like an idiot around those two guys? I mean, Brandon Graham stripped Tom Brady to win a Super Bowl.

He's been in the league for 12, 13 years. Fletcher Cox, you know, is an all-time great eagle. And while he's, you know, on the other side of his career is just an SEC guy. The other thing they have now, to me and I, in football is different than like AAU, right? If you meet a kid from L.A. or New York, AAU, they all play together in basketball. they've all played. In football, if I'm from L.A., I don't know the guy from New York or Seattle or Florida, right, besides in college, if I play them. Well, the SEC guys all know each other. Right. And they all kind of roll together. Well, think about their team, Colin. DeVante Smith,

Alabama, Nacobo Dean, Jordan Davis, the New Georgia guys, Fletcher Cox, SEC guy, A.J. Brown, SEC guy. Jalen Hertz, well, I think we think Oklahoma, three years, Alabama, SEC guy. So their core, they all kind of speak to. same language in terms of that southern football culture. Obviously, they all come from elite program, especially the Bama and Georgia guys. It's a risky pick. I mean, this guy, I think, scared a ton of teams you could see him going to nine. Like, that's pretty telling. But I think how he feels very good about their infrastructure, not what their coach is, with their players, to kind of operate, a lot like Belichick used to do for years with Tom and some of their core guys,

where they, as it went on, they started taking some flyers because they felt really good about their main guys. You can't act like an idiot when the top guys you look up to and are kind of like, you know, you have a lot in common with. So I think that was, I mean, an easy pick for that, obviously. Yeah. And by the way, for those of you uninitiated, John's a former scout. This is the kind of insight you get, which I've never heard anybody talk about that. But I think you're right on the money. And the other thing that jumped out to me is I've said with C.J. Stroud, he is a first round quarterback. I don't see a. ton of juice. He's accurate. Jared Goff is a very accurate comp. I think he's a little better

runner than Jared. But, you know, there was a lot of speculation. I kind of fell for it that they would get Jalen Carter or Will Anderson. What did you make of the Texans getting Stroud? What did it tell you? One thing I was stunned in the sense that they just got a brand new coach who's young and I'm a big believer in D'Amico. When I was with the Eagles, we traded for him as a player because of his character. and I've lived in the bear for a long time, went to the practices. Kyle Shanahan swears by the guy. I think he's going to be a stud head coach.

I mean, he's been good at everything he's ever done in his entire life. I don't know why it's going to stop. Little, I mean, obviously I understand why the GM and the front office and the owner and needs to get a quarterback, you look at there. But if you're Domeco, why rush into this? You know, I think a lot of people in the NFL, he throws a beautiful ball. Yes.

But when you look at Ohio State these last couple years, a lot like Tua when he was Alabama. I mean, Colin, you're talking about three or four, top 15 wide receivers on their team. Not like a couple guys that play in the NFL, right? These are top 15 picks. Well, technically in Jigba, 20, but you know what I mean. I mean, this is, and the speed difference in the Big Ten relative to even two in the SEC that the advantage Ohio State has. I do think that Georgia game, though, because the Jared Goughcom was definitely something that kind of stayed with you.

But that Georgia game, he was running around. he looked like kind of a different player. Yeah. Now, I don't know what your take was, but the take of like when he responded to the test, I'm not a test taker. I'm a football player. I didn't love that. Quarterbacks get held to a higher standard, man.

You know, I mean, you're not playing slot receiver DB. So, I mean, Peyton Manning, Tom Brady, Lamar. Those guys don't, they don't get defensive over stuff like that. But risky move. I actually thought their move trading back up to get Will Anderson, who I like liked a lot, but holy moly, they gave up a lot to go back from 12 to 3, especially, but I guess when you're in the, when you've drafted the quarterback and they got all these picks coming from Deshawn Watson, maybe they're, they're not thinking about Caleb

Williams and Drake May anymore, obviously. You know, I think it's interesting. The Bears picked Darnell Wright. So he engulfed the Tennessee tackle, engulfed Will Anderson when they played. Will Anderson was totally ineffective. And I think Mel Kuyper said. that you could be looking at the best player on the draft. It's very interesting because last year the Bears went into the offensive line

and they got a tackle from southern Utah who started at left tackle for them. I thought they might go Skoronski and go on the inside. But, you know, these days, John, people look at tackles is you got to play both left or right. So my takeaway, I thought they would go with a defensive coach, they went and got a corner and a safety last year. and they really spent some money on offense in the offseason. So, you know, they went and got another tight end with Cole Comet. They went and got, you know, another receiver, DJ Moore.

So my takeaway was, wow, they're going to go on defense with a defensive coach. And they go and get Darnell right the tackle. And my takeaway is they're taking away the excuses for Justin Fields. Like the feeling is now like, hey, man, by the way, Atlanta's doing. this with Bijon Robinson. They're like, okay, what they're saying is Desmond, offensive coach, top six offensive line, we got you Drake London, Kyle Pitts, and Bijon. Desmond, if you can play, this is good enough to move the sticks.

So I kind of, I mean, my takeaway on the Bears was this tackle is, hey, we're going to make sure if Justin Fields doesn't make it, it's not because we didn't help him. Am I reaching on that? I actually thought coming into the draft that the Bears were a sneaky destination for or Bijon Robinson has the same mindset, right? We got you DJ Moore. We got you Mooney. We got you commit.

We got you now Bejohn Robinson. Let's see what you got. Claypool. Yeah, same thing. The Bejohn to Atlanta, and I'm with you, I think Chicago is definitely just going to be pretty open-minded this year. If it doesn't work, they'll pivot next year. That's not their guy.

And if it does, let's keep on rocking and rolling. And they got a bunch of picks right coming from Carolina. The Bejohn, Atlanta. I remember watching Atlanta last year play the Niners before Jimmy got hurt. And they kicked their ass and they ran the ball right down their throat. They got multiple running backs, multiple offensive weapons. Bejohn Robinson, you can't talk to anyone in the NFL that's like this is, you could argue if he was a defensive end or a right tackle, he would have been the number one player

in the draft. He's literally, I had two GMs tell me he's the cleanest player in the draft. Yeah, character, the whole thing. So I'm not against high character, great players. But that position when you already got running backs and your coach became a star by coaching a second round guy and Derek Henry, when your defense is hideous. And like you said, they already have, they've invested in London last year, who was a much better pro than I envision.

I liked him at USC, but he looked really interesting last year. And obviously, Kyle Pitts, like they got some weapons and their guy can scheme the run game. And their O line, John, PFF had it top five. I didn't quite understand that pick. Now, that's been out there. It wasn't shocking because people are saying, like, keep an eye on Atlanta with Bejan Robinson and it came true, unlike some of these other earlier picks. But that one's a little bit of head scratcher, not because the guy can't dominate,

just because their defense is terrible. I think statistically, I mean, they were as bad as any defense in the league in a lot of different categories. Imagine an Olympics where doping is not only legal, but encouraged. It's the enhanced games. Some call it grotesque. Others say it's unleashing human potential. Either way, the podcast's Superhuman documented it all, embedded in the games and

with the athletes for a full year. Within probably 10 days, I'd put on 10 pounds. I was having trouble stopping the muscle growth. Listen to Superhuman on the I-Hard Radio app, Apple Podcasts, or wherever you get your podcasts. A win is a win. A win is a win. I don't care what you're saying. Yep, that's me, Cliver Taylor the 4th.

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It's a space for honest conversations, stories that don't always get told and for people who are chasing something bigger. So if you've ever supported me or you're just chasing down a dream, this is right where you need to be. Listen to the Clifford show on the IHeart radio app, Apple Podcasts, or wherever you get your podcast. And for more behind the scenes, follow at Clifford and at TikTok podcast network on TikTok. So one of the things that's interesting is that Michael Mayer the tight end for Notre Dame, Dalton Kincaid was the first tight end taken at 25. So I was told good edge rusher draft, good tight end draft.

You know, Cowboys end up going with Mazzie Smith, the defensive tackle Michigan, which is not a stunner because it's been a position of need for them. And they have, by getting Gilmore and Trayvon Diggs, they're good at corner. They've got a great athlete in Micah, DeMarcus Lawrence on the edge. So that pick for the Cowboys didn't bother me. I saw him on two mock drafts as the first pick and the second. So that didn't bother me with Dallas because my takeaway is they're just going to get a tight end later. There are good tight ends in the third, fourth, and fifth round. And they clearly got pushed down in this draft, right?

I think a lot of us thought they were going to go in the top 20. I also think if you're the Cowboys, you look at this, I think the NFC has a clear tier, right? I mean, there are three teams. You would rank them Philly, Niners, Dallas. But Dallas gave the Niners everything they could. handle in that playoff game and you go, we know Kyle Shanahan likes to run the ball and he'll run it right down our throat. So we need a big body. And Philly ultimately like the run game with their quarterback at any moment and the New York Giants with Saquoan Barclay.

This is a real, yeah. I mean, if you look at the way to beat Philadelphia, that offensive line with Kelsey, you've got to win the point of attack. I think that's a great point is that I think Dallas looked at this. You're probably right. And they just said, we got to play Philadelphia twice. we have to figure out a way. They can't just, Kelsey is one of the top three centers, maybe of my lifetime. Yeah, he's done. You can't be totally manipulated at the point of attack. So I, you know, when you were with the Eagles, do you sometimes look in your division and go, okay, this is a left tackle?

I mean, he's literally engulfing our people. Do you look at personnel and division? One thing how he did, and this was a long time ago, and I know he still does this is now his team is now on that level, but the four teams that are in the final four, you know, the two NFC teams and the two AFC teams, he keeps those rosters in his, in his room. And, you know, they follow. You can't help it in the NFL. Your division is just your direct competition.

You view it much. You know, if you're a Dallas Cowboys, you view the Eagles, not as much over the last, you know, 20 years, the football team like you do, you know, the Eagles and the Giants, right? If you're the 49er or Seattle and the Rams, I mean, you're just watching everything they do because it just, it impacts you exponentially more because you play them twice every year no matter what while the other divisions rotate. And speaking of, I thought Seattle, you know, I just think Pete, you know, a lot of people thought Jalen Carter, he takes some swings.

They did not mess around with that, which I understand. Everyone I know and teams that had no shot of getting this guy, they loved Witherspoon. Kind of a throwback to, you know, some of those teams they had with Russell Wilson, those LLB teams. Absolute just MF. stud. I mean, big time tackler can play inside, outside. You can move them around, can tackle.

And then they get... John, think about Seattle. Seattle's got two twos, a three and two fours. So of their three needs, one was Lockett D.K. They needed another receiver. They needed...

They wanted another... And they got one. I mean, he's good. He's awesome. When healthy. Yep. And then they got a wide receiver. And then they get, you know, Jackson Smith, Nick Nijima. so they end up getting two of their three needs. I think they need a guard now.

And then later an edge rusher. But I mean, if you look at last year's pick on ESPN, they put up the last six or seven like great young players. I mean, they are, they had a run, John, where I think Pete Carroll and Paul Allen passed, they had a run where Pete had too much control in the draft. And it feels like they've given it back to John Snyder.

scouting department. They have not missed on a pick. We got the tackles. They got Kenneth Walker. I mean, they got a good young nucleus. I mean, they won nine games where I'm guilty.

I thought they were going to be terrible. And they were really good. And I think they're going to be even better. I mean, because they got so many young pieces that they're building around. Okay. So I think we both agree Seattle did well. So Jamir Gibbs,

the running back. So people are going to bang on Detroit's picks. Now, Gibbs is a very dynamic. And again, Alabama, big school. You see them run over guys and run past guys in the SEC. So, you know, my takeaway on Detroit is the last two drafts with this front office, John, I've really liked them.

And so part of me thinks to myself with Swift and Gibbs as they're trying to take, they love their O line. Okay. They solve their corner issue a little bit, right? Are they basically saying is we want to take the pressure? off Jared Goff or I mean I was watching them high five in the room like this was not a pick they had trepidation over these guys were high fiving what did it say to get a running back when they have swift um because their old line can control I think can control out of the defensive fronts in that division is that what they're saying I think in most most drafts when you see a guy that you go you know I think it's fair to say going into the any draft a guy like him him is like an early second, you know, somewhere in like 32 to 40 pick. This draft was viewed as pretty terrible.

Like the difference between pick eight and 25, you know, you might not be able to tell the difference. Like Kincaid going 25 to the bills might be no different than the six pick, you know. So it's just time we'll tell people were not that comp. This was not Jamar Chase and the wattles and the Penae Sewells and the Michael Parsons. That wasn't this draft. So when you go, well, they got to a Super Bowl with Jared Gough when he had a great running game, right?

with Sean McVeigh and with L.A. And last year, Jared Gough, statistically was excellent. Well, they had another pick and they got a linebacker.

Their defense, I mean, I think Aidan Hutchson is going to be a really, really good player. To me, he's got some whiffs of Joey Bosa. I mean, he's got a chance

to be a 12, 15 sack guy next year immediately. So if their defense is just incrementally better, their offense, I mean, the USC wide receiver they have is a stud.

Like you said, their offensive lines of stud. Their coach, while he's an offensive because he's a tight end, is really wired more like a defensive tackle. I mean, he wants to be a tough physical guy. I'm with you. If you love this guy and I'm going to give them the benefit of the doubt, because I watched them last year and they were

an impressive operation. So I think they know the wiring. The other thing is Dan Campbell came from Sean Payton, you know, over that five or six year run when he got fired from Miami and went there, became his assistant head coach. They had really good drafts during that time when the Saints were really good at the end of the 2000, you know, the teams, right, the 17, 18, 19. So I think he knows the wiring of the guys. Remember, sometimes the Saints, you'd be like, well, they did that, and then it would work out. Right. So I'm with you. It's, it was a little eye-opening because you see the second running back come off at 12, but I'm going to give them the benefit of the doubt because I know their play style and I know what they want to do. The other thing is, once the last time a running back from

Alabama beside Trent Richardson hasn't worked in the NFL? You watch them all over the league. They're all successful players. Well, and Jared Goff's history is, when Gurley was healthy, He's been a really good quarterback. When Jared gets in trouble, it's third and long. Okay. So is Detroit saying, we love our OC. We just don't want to get in third and long. You and I know, I saw Goff out Duhma Holmes.

When they had Gurley and they could run, Jared was getting you to the Super Bowl. It's when the O-line aged and they didn't have a consistent run game. Now you lean on Jared Goff and it's not pretty. Right. So I look at Detroit and I think they love their OC. They have good young receivers. Excellent O line. Swift got banged up and maybe they're just saying, listen, we're just going to do a one-two punch.

And by the way, in that division, the D-line for the Vikings, the D-line for the Packers, the D-line for the Bears. Are you going to pick them to win the division? You picked Minnesota last year. To me, obviously, injuries can happen. But Detroit would be my pick as of recording this today to win the North. And again, I think is Detroit looking at that division and thinking our O-line is significantly better in those six games? against the D-lines in our division. Can we go five and one in that division?

For sure. And in a weird way, because they haven't even made the playoffs, right? But if you assume that they're going to be in the mix, the three teams that are at the top of the conference, the Eagles, the Niders, and Cowboys are all physical teams. So this is not a lightweight fight. You're getting in the ring to fight heavyweights. So you have to be willing to play like that.

And Dan Campbell is now building a team who they draft their second pick in the first round, a linebacker from Iowa. Right. I mean, they have a type of guy that they're looking for to build their team. And honestly, that should translate to playing the Cowboys, the Eagles, and just give them a chance, if not in 23, the next couple years. Obviously, you know, Jared Goff is going to be the guy we talk about the most. But he's proven if you can do it around him. And their roster, I like what the Lions have going on a lot. So, I mean, the Will Levis situation, I talk to people that I really trust.

And their big concern with him was, listen, the kid is smart. We know his mom went to an Ivy League school Yale. We know he's a four-point student. Why is his judgment so bad? And what I heard was Jay Cutler, is that Jay Cutler was arrogant and obstinate. And if Jay wanted, Jay had a rope. Jay had an arm. And if Jay wanted to sling it, he didn't give a shit what the coach said.

and Jay, I'll argue it forever, Jay had one of the best arms in the league when he played. He had an absolute hose, but Jay was stubborn, rigid, difficult. And people worried, we'll love us with the selfies, the gun show, look at me, the Combining, wore a muscle shirt. I had a head coach and a GM told me they hated that. I mean, I listen, Brady Quinn works at Fox and I like Brady, but that was one of the knocks. heard. He can't be jacked. As a quarterback, you have to be fluid and

you don't see biceps on Aaron Rogers or Peyton Manning. Your take on Will Levis dropping. Yeah, I mean, I think that he was a fascinating player coming into the season. And then the season was a disaster. And I had people that really like them that aren't necessarily quote unquote decision makers

but are high in their organization and said if coming out his junior season or whatever, two years ago, when Liam Cohen, right, the Rams guy was his offensive coordinator, he would have been a lock top five pick. Then he goes to Rich Skangarello, who a lot of people are down on, disastrous season. And then like you said, kind of has a bad off season. The lifting things, you're not playing offensive tackle or

lineback. No one cares. It's about pliability. It's about fluidity. And that's a big knock on his game. It's fluidity, touch. And we've seen so many guys, Brady Quinn, Kaepernick got really big. whether you can throw it 120 miles an hour, if you can't throw a strike, who cares? You're not going to make the big leagues, right? So touch is a big issue with them. I also think that like Anthony Richardson, who this raw guy was viewed as very moldable. One thing I have heard, like, when he went and met with people, they were just like, you know what? This guy means well. Like, I would love to be around this guy. There was a lot of positive vibes around him. Very grateful. Like Anthony Richardson wrote a Penda letter. He was like humble and

And it's like, John, you look at that and you think, okay, this kid wants to learn. Yeah. And whether it works out, only time will tell. And more than the history would show us, it probably won't. But I know that a lot of people were down on him and during the process came away the opposite. Like, I'm rooting for this guy. I think this guy not crazy to go on the top five is the ceiling is sky high. And I think Will Levis started getting more negative and negative.

Not like you said, anything malicious. Right. But the buff stuff, the lifting the pictures on Instagram within the last month, like, what are we doing? You know, it's just, I mean, he didn't, I mean, he tumbled. I mean, this was a guy that I think after last season, 21 when Kentucky had the really good year, I don't see how he wouldn't have been a top five pick, not with those measurables, right? But then, yeah, I mean, I clearly the league is very, I mean, this is a quarterback star of the league for no one to touch them. Right.

That's crazy. Okay, so we get to the first round. So I was told about the people I trust that people felt there was about 12. Usually there's 18, about 12 first round players. And then from about 13 until about the 12th pick and the second round, they're all about the same. So Will Levis is probably going to go at my guess top of the second. You know, Rams have a lot of picks, a second, two, third. three-fifths, three-six.

When I looked at the Rams, I thought to myself, if you're the Rams and you have, you got to get an edge, you got to get another receiver, I think they want to back, interior offensive linemen, corner, tight end. And you had 11 picks, no first.

Would you be willing to forego if you're less need, four or five of those picks to just go, get a second, second, have two-thirds, get rid of your seventh, your sixth, and two of your fifths, and just say, we need about six guys with Stafford and Cooper Cup coming back, wildly productive guys,

we're going to go and get about six players. Do you think teams would consider doing that giving up like they have two sevens, three six, three fives? For them specifically, I talked to a buddy. I think most people acknowledge the Arizona Cardinals right now are viewed as the worst team in the league, right? Just roster-wise, just a disaster. And a buddy in mind was like in the league on a really good team was going. Well, look at the ramps. I mean, their roster is very questionable at best for a team that tries to win it every year and be in the mix.

So, yeah, I mean, they'd never live in the short term. Now, the only thing would be, and they're not really built like this, assuming Stafford is healthy, would they want to just take it on the chin and go for one of the guys next year? And you'd go, well, based on McVeigh's history, could he take a season at two or three wins? I would highly doubt that. So, yeah, I mean, I would be shocked if they, don't get super aggressive tomorrow, you know, in the second and third round because they are not, a lot of businesses are thinking not just about 23, but about 25, 26 in any industry, that has

not been their history. And especially with Sean, right, who at any moment, you know, or any given year for them could get $15 million to go call games. So we are doing this at the very tail end of the first. So not only did the Eagles get Jalen Carter, they got Nolan Smith as an edge with the 30th pick. They go blue chip guys from the best conference. That's an edict in the organization, and it pops on television, right, when you watch them play. The 49ers don't necessarily have that. You don't need to be from the SEC, but they have a clear your playing personality.

If you don't play like a certain personality, they're not messing with you. They want a specific guy. Yeah, I mean, the Niners really draft physical players. you become what you draft, right? Like it's, it's, you know, you become what you eat, what you watch, what you draft. Like if you look at the, if you look at the Eagles and the Niners, they are just wildly physical teams. It's one of, you know, Hinden Hooker or Will Levis, who goes first? I think Will Levis still goes first just based on two years ago, you know, it's weird in these draft rooms.

You still talk about what they were in high school, what they were maybe early on in their career. if it turned a negative corner and the guy struggled. So Henan Hooker had one year. He's also the same age as Sam Darnold. Sam Darnold just played on his fifth year option last year. So I mean, and he's got a torn ACL. I think, you know, if you were going to be in the business of taking a, to me, it's a no-brainer. You would take Will.

The other thing, Will Levis has played now. One year, he struggled the other year in NFL offense for two years. The Tennessee offense, while wildly successful in college, is not viewed by most NFL people as, you know, transferable immediately to the field. So back to the Eagles, I think they have really just stayed so true to this. The SEC guys, the big picture guys. Think about the trade how they ended up here. Two years ago, they traded Carson Went to the Colts, which ended up being a first round. So they had all those first round picks.

And then they didn't need them all. So they traded to the saints who were desperate to live in the moment. led him to get the Saints pick this year, which led them to Jalen Carter. And then just their own pick led them to Nolan Smith, who, let's face it, the only reason he's there that late is he was banged up this season. I mean, he's a, in a draft like this year, a guy like that healthy at that program with those measurables and that speed, no way he's there. You know, I guess technically it's 31, but because Miami gets their pick taken, it's the 30th

pick. Yeah, the Eagles are just, there's a reason when you watch and play, their speed, their talent at every position. I mean, they're not taking guys from random schools anymore. I mean, look at their top talent. Look at the programs they play in. All right. John Middilkoff,

three and out, volume podcast, does his golf as well. A good 30 minutes with John. We appreciate everybody stopping by. John, we will talk soon. Thanks, buddy. Volume. Make sure to check out the Dremon Green show. I brought Dremon Green

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