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Speaker 3: Hey, everyone. Jefferson here with the Daily DLP, And we have a special one today, and we're just gonna get ready. So I wanna bring him in. We have a guest, good old friend of mine, Luke Easterling from Athlon Sports, one of the OG draft Knicks. He and I have known each other for a very long time, and we're gonna talk some NFL draft. Luke, welcome to the Daily DLP. Thanks for joining me, buddy.

Speaker 4: Hey. It's always a blast, buddy. We're, we're, older than we wish we were, but probably younger than we think still. But, yeah, it's it's like we said off the air, man, we, we wouldn't wanna be doing anything else, especially this time of year. It's a blast. And, it's not it's not the beer garden in, in Mobile, but, this this will do second best if we're gonna chop up some tape. It'll work.

Speaker 3: No Sugar Rush Burger for me today, unfortunately. That's too bad. No. So let's get into it. You so just to give you a background a little bit, you are a Tampa Bay guy, but you now live in the Seahawks realm, but But you have been a draft guy through and through, and I one of the things that I have always loved about you is that you can see things impartially. You don't project like, everything has to be through the prism of this or that. You're very good at at identifying things very organically. So just from the outside, looking in at the Detroit Lions, what do you see as the primary needs going into this draft?

Speaker 4: Yeah. Well, I appreciate that. That's definitely what I'm shooting for. So, if I'm if I'm hitting it, from from your perspective, I I think I'm probably doing alright. So, you know, I I think that my my perception matches, and this is something that I've really tried to do over the years is is I I really do

Speaker 1: have people like yourself. I mean, you you know, how many times have I DM'd you in the middle of a

Speaker 4: mock draft and been, like, yourself. I mean, you you know how many times have I DM'd you in the middle of a mock draft and been like, hey. What would they do this, or would they do that? Because I I've told people, man, like, I know the Bucks in and out. Like, that has been my team since I was a kid, and so I understand the ins and outs of the franchise and the decision makers and and the history and the body types and the scheme and all this to a different level. There's absolutely no way for me to have that same level of knowledge about all 32 teams. It's just not possible. Maybe it is for somebody, but it sure as hell ain't for me. So Not for me either. What I have tried to do over the years is is always have at least one or two people in every fan base, every every team sphere that I can reach out to and with those types of questions because it's not as simple for at least for me when I'm putting things together. You know, if I get to pick 50 and it's the lines, it's not just, oh, they went tackle in the first. They need a edge. I'll pick the next edge guy on my board and put him there. I wanna know the scheme. I wanna know the history. I wanna know the types of guys they already have. I wanna know the types of failures they've had in recent drafts and and all those types of things. Those are the reasons I reach out to people like you when it's the lines on the clock and say, hey. I'm splitting hairs between these two guys, or is there a positional need that I'm overvaluing and one that I'm undervaluing that I'm ignoring here that I shouldn't be? And so that's always what I try to to to do to make by the time I get the mock draft out to the public, hopefully, that's influenced by, you know, perspectives and and insight that goes far beyond what what I could bring to the table myself. And so all that to say, from my perspective, I I think that the needs that most of the the the Lions people that I know have expressed are are along the offensive line and and finding that other edge guy, right, to balance out the defensive front and make sure that you're either giving Hutch more one on ones or you have somebody who can take full advantage of the fact that he's always gonna get them because everything is sliding Hutch's way. They're chipping and and doing everything on that side and always leaving the guy on the other side with the one on ones. You want somebody who can constantly take advantage of that. The offensive line, it's obviously, you know, age and attrition and injuries and, you know, you're you're hoping the right side of things, I think, is locked down with with Ratlidge and and and Sewell at this point. But everything to the left of those two guys is a bit iffy at best. And so whether it's I think in my last mock last week, I had them left tackle at 17 and, you know, guard at 50. And so, you know, just we're not gonna have issues in the trenches. We're not gonna have a problem. We're gonna we're gonna double dip in that in that way with two with two very different players, and and that's you know? But, again, it's do you go that route? Do you pass up a really, really deep edge class that I think is gonna give them a lot of options at 50? And, you know, again, every year, right, we did this with the Bucks last year, right, where all the pre draft stuff is on defense. Everything, you know, we go into the draft and they just draft the Mecca Abuka because they can and they want to and because he's the better player. Good. Because he's just a damn good football player. So, you know, it's we spend all this time trying to match need one with player one, need two with player two, and that's just not the reality of how it goes down on draft weekend. It's just not. I mean, some teams, it lines up that way, but, you know, who what is the position where they're gonna be like, this player is just too good to pass up regardless of what it looks like at that position on our roster? That's always the wild card to it. But if if we're just talking pure needs, I I really do think it's it's obvious. You know? Could could an injury in the secondary make that a need very quickly? Obviously, they've seen that. You know? They've seen that happen very quickly. Same thing along the interior of the defensive front. You know? You lost Anzalone in free agency. Maybe it's linebacker that you need to to to beef up the depth, but, you know, you're never gonna fill every need in in one draft class. That's why you try to do the best you can in free agency to to minimize those glaring needs as much as possible. You try to raise the floor of every position where there's a need. Right? So you don't go into the draft forced to to reach especially early. But, yeah, I think it really comes down to those two spots along the offensive line, and and finding that other edge guy that can really bring some some some trouble if you continue to focus everything on Hutch's side.

Speaker 3: Alright. So you brought up you did a mock draft. I assume it was at Athlon where you, do fantastic work. And, by the way, check out his stuff. It's it's fantastic. Luke Luke is someone that I consider a kindred spirit in that he is a writer who chooses football as his medium more than he's a football guy trying to write. And that's, that's always something that I've look. We bonded over that quite a bit. That's true. We tend to be attracted to those two. So who did you have at 17 and 50 in your last mock?

Speaker 4: If I'm not mistaken, I do one a week, and they're all four rounders at this point. So I'm I if I remember correctly, it was Caleb Lomu at 17. And and here's something, like, especially as we get, like I don't I don't know how many people or how much people use simulators or even generative AI now to to to manufacture these things. I'm an old man. I'm an old school guy, and I do it by hand with a with my spreadsheets to track everything and make sure I don't miss anything. And I just I I I feel like it's more fun to do it organically and to and to generate them all. Does it take longer? Sure. But this I love it. Like, I love the process. I love the work. I love putting in, you know and I think it it helps develop a level of knowledge and a level of comfort with the source material that you just don't get if you kinda mail it in and and use those other sorts of things. So, again, that's my soapbox for for the moment, but that's why I love doing it. It's just so much fun to me. So, Lomu, I think, at 17, and then I I did. I double dipped that offensive line, and I gave him Emmanuel Pregnan who just feels feels like a guy that's boring to most people, but he's just gonna he's just gonna you plug him in, he kicks your ass, and he goes home. Like, that's just I think again, he's 24. He's a little bit of an older guy. I get it. But he's he's a I don't know. When it came up in the lines on the clock and he's still there, which I I don't know if he will be, he's just a kneecap biter type of guy, I feel like. So I just it it made sense to me. Again, I know getting out of both those two picks without an edge rusher would kinda suck. But I don't know. I I feel like fortifying your offensive line is never a bad idea. And so when I when when they ended up with that pair, I was I was pretty happy with that for them.

Speaker 3: I I I certainly won't argue with Lomu. So let let's talk about Lomu for a second. He, in my opinion, is a left tackle only Yes. Which does a couple things in Detroit. First off, his direct replacement for Taylor Decker with that is my perceived biggest need on the team right now. And secondly, it keeps Benazul at right tackle where he's the best guy in football now, if not ever. And that that that's a plus for me. Sell me a little bit on Lango even though you obviously don't have to because he would probably be one of my two or three most preferred fits at 17 as well.

Speaker 4: Yeah. Again, I think part of the fit isn't necessarily about him as a player as much as it is that that positional fit and the and the fit within the class. Right? Because this is this is a very interesting tackle class in that you have there is depth to a point, but then there's a cliff to me. And I think all of those guys are gone by 50 easily. Like, all like that top tier where, like, once you get to 50, the guy that you would take there versus the guy you would take in the fourth rounder, very, very similar to me. Maybe Caleb Tiernan is the only guy that maybe is in that late second where I'm okay with that. But, like, the difference between him and literally, like, the next four or five guys just isn't much to me. I think there's, like, eight or nine tackles that will go top 40 and all pretty deservedly. So, and so at 17 and again, a lot of those guys again, we talk about the fit. A lot of the guys I really like are very right tackle only. And so for the lions, it's about that spot at 17 where, I mean, even, you know, Fanos probably got to stay at right tackle. That's where, you know, Maui Noah has been dominant. So you're talking about Monroe Freeling, who I don't think gets to 17 anymore. And you're talking about Lomu who may not either because if you've seen a lot of mocks now that I'm doing trades and stuff like that, the lions are one of those teams at 17 that other teams behind them are gonna try to get ahead of to get those last couple guys. Right? And again, if you're searching for a a left tackle only, it's it's free ling and Lomu, and then it's it's kind of a wait, I think. I I think it's really you're you're gonna have a tough time finding a a a guy that you can plug and play. I think again, much like Frieling, like, there's some with Lomu, there's, you know, he's a little bit light. He's he's athletic and he can jump around and and he's got some movement to him, but the technique is kinda inconsistent. There's some things that need to be cleaned up there. And so it's not gonna be it's not gonna be without its hiccups early on. Right? And again, it's, you know, you're picking at 17. You're not you're not expecting necessarily to get a a fully refined player. You're usually either banking on traits that you have to clean up some technique or a a polished technician that maybe doesn't have the high end traits. And so I think most teams tend to prefer to spend their earlier picks on the higher upside guys, not everybody. The Lomu again, it's it's as much about the player as it is. Man, if we need to come out of this with a left tackle that we think can start at some point soon, if we don't get him at 17, we're probably not getting him in in in this draft.

Speaker 3: I'm with you on that. I will ask you, just to flush out some of the other guys. I'm gonna assume that you're putting, Aheenacker in there, Caleb Proctor in that that first grouping. Blake Miller belongs in there too, I would guess, and that's probably about it, isn't it?

Speaker 4: Yeah. I'm let me let me jump to my sheet here and make sure I'm not leaving anybody out. So that that tier, again, Fano, Maui, Noah, Lomu, Procter, who again is is it his own, like, what what is that gonna be? Like, is he is he gonna be a a dominant tackle? Is he gonna be a dominant guard? Is he gonna be a dominant anything at any point if he can't, you know, get the technique at least in the somewhere in the same stratosphere as the the the physical traits he has. But, but, yeah, the two that you mentioned, Henikor, and Blake Miller, 54 starts at right tackle for for Clemson. Who you wanna you wanna talk about a plug and play guy? If you need a right tackle, like, that's the guy. Yeah. And I I think Jennings Dunker is the interesting one on that on that cusp right where depending on the scheme, I think he can probably stay at right tackle. And again, it's it's not as simple. We always talk about this, right?

Speaker 3: Like, oh, if

Speaker 1: he can't

Speaker 4: say a tackle, just slide him into guard. It's not that simple. You you definitely wanna try that if if you don't feel like that guy can survive on an island in your scheme. But it's not as simple as going into Madden and flipping the, the the position to a different one and just getting the same rating. It's a very different position to play. So I I like his style of play, and I think that he he kinda barely sneaks into that that tier where I think he could go top 50. Again, it's gotta be the right spot. It's gotta be the right scheme and and and the right position. Again, I don't even know if he sticks a tackle, but even as an inside guy, I think he he could probably be worth the top 50 pick. But, yeah, that's that's the end of it, man. And like I said, the difference between a guy like Tiernan or, you know, Cronover or or Isaiah World, if you're banking on upside and traits. Right? Even though he's coming off that injury, Austin Barber from Florida, maybe. Those are all dime a dozen type guys in that rate. That's yeah. If you told me you got one of those guys at 50 or you got one at one twenty, I'd be like, man, that's the same guy.

Speaker 3: You know? Yeah. I I'm totally with you on that. Let let's talk first let's go back to just the simp like, Dunker is a guy that I think has to play guard, and I think Procter is as well just because I I can't fathom his technique cleaning up enough that he can stay in tackle. But I I could be wrong on that. But you you talked about how it's such a different position. I'm of the opinion I don't think Dunker's game translates real well to the inside because what what does he struggle with on the outside? His feet are too slow. His punch is too high. He tends to rise up and and lose engagement and lose functional strength because he plays too high. That's actually worse at guard than than than outside in my opinion.

Speaker 4: Good point. Yeah. Yeah. That's the thing. Like, it's it's it's again, like, it's one of those things where it's like when you see flashes on tape of things that that do work and you see the moments where it does all come together, you're like, that's where I have to, like, remind myself that NFL coaches get paid for a living. And so

Speaker 1: it's it's

Speaker 4: one of those, like, if you can go to a staff that can develop you, which again is not everybody. It's, you know, you don't have again, I'm a I'm a Tampa guy. So, like, everybody there's there's two factions of fandom in Tampa where it's like Jason Light can't draft edge guys. He sucks at identifying talent edge guys. Maybe Todd Bowles staff sucks at developing edge guys. Like, like, I don't that's a that's a chicken or the egg kind of thing that you'd have to really get into the minutia and and have a a more inside knowledge of things than most of us get. Right? But it's like Yeah. Yeah. Sure. The track record can say, hey. We're bad at identifying talent at that position. But, also, I mean, look at the guys they've drafted. Joe Trojanschoyenka, Chris Braswell, you know, trait c type guys that that you would think you hand to a defensive guru and say, hey. Here's a six five two seventy guy that can that is a great athlete. He needs to learn how to be a football player. If he doesn't become that guy, it's like, well, did we make a bad draft pick or is our coaching staff not good at at developing these these players at these positions? So I I don't know the answer to that. All that to say a guy like Dunker, again, when you see the the the ability to do things well on film, you would hope that again, and maybe that's not worth the top 50 pick for somebody where you're like, I don't think you could survive at tackle. I think your your issues would actually be more exposed at guard. And I don't here's the thing. Like, as we as we get, like, the current era of of NFL decision making is, if you're gonna spend those first two picks, those first round, the second round pick, third round, you can finally probably start to be a little more risky. Teams and franchises just do not have the patience anymore. Like they just don't. And so if you're drafting, if you're using two top 50 picks in the Lions case on developmental type prospects at any rate, there's a there's always a risk that you're drafting him for either the next guy or for nobody, you know, and and certainly not for you if it's gonna take that much time to develop them. So I I think that is the risk where you've gotta, you don't just have to have a plan. You have to have a high level of confidence and trust and faith in your coaching staff to actually execute it and get that player to that point. Because if you don't, you've gotta give them It's like to use Bill Parcells' old, you know, let me shop for the groceries if I'm gonna do the cooking kind of thing. It's like, well

Speaker 1: Yeah.

Speaker 4: Some teams can afford to to make everything from scratch, and some teams need some frozen dinners. You know? Some teams need to to be able to microwave this thing and eat quick. And and so it just depends on where your franchise is at.

Speaker 3: Yeah. Talk about Luke Easterling from Athlon Sports talking about Lions Draft. Let's flip the defense. Alright. Edge 17. I am of the, very strong opinion that if Kendrick Falk is there, the lions are gonna find him absolutely freaking irresistible and run to the podium no matter who else at any position is on the board. But is he the only potential option at 17? Are there other guys that would interest you or you that you think would interest the Lions, at 17? Or if even if they were to slide back to, like, 20 or something like that?

Speaker 4: This is what's always fun about these conversations, especially with somebody like you. And you talked about kinda how we we have have bonded over our processes earlier, but it's like, I love talking to you about this because you and I can talk as evaluators and say, hey. This is how I feel about this player. But But then I'll ask you, like, yeah. But what are the lines actually gonna do? Like, what are they like? What do they want? And this there's people with different teams where I I like that I can be like, hey. Do you feel this way about this player? But also, like, oh, that team is gonna like, I do this with the Bengals. I've got guys with the Bengals where it's just like, man, if I if I see a I see Kendrick Faulk and I'm like, the Bengals are just gonna draft him because that's what they do. They draft that guy at that position.

Speaker 3: I could I could absolutely see the Bengals taking Kendrick Faulk a 100%.

Speaker 4: That's what they do.

Speaker 3: Like don't need him.

Speaker 4: Exactly. Exactly. So it's it's one of those things where, like, I I like to hear that from you. I haven't that's not a a pairing I've seen very often. Part of that is because I think that more more people tend to go tackle or or offensive line for them earlier in the first round. And, also, I'm probably a little lower on Falk than than some people might be. And it and again, it's it's less about Falk and more about that next tier of edge guys. Like, I like so many guys in that next tier that it's like, if if you tell me I have to spend a top 20 pick on Keldrick Falk, or I can get, like, any number of five different guys at 50 that tend to be there, whether it's our Mason Thomas or Gabe Yakis or or any like, any so many of these guys Lawrence,

Speaker 3: Derek Moore.

Speaker 4: Don't get me started on Malachi Lawrence. Malachi Lawrence is a first round player in this draft to me. So, I'm a big, big fan. He's I told somebody a couple days ago, like, I'm having a a Malachi Lawrence or a Kendrick fault conversation at edge four right now. Like Wow. That's that's how much I think of his upside as a pass rusher and his kinda room to grow, maybe bulk up a little bit and get tougher against the run. But, like, if that dude gets after the passer at the same rate he did it at UCF, it's and I tell people too, I'm a USF alum. So if you know I'm hyping a UCF guy, I'm not doing it because I because I want to. Like, I'm doing it because I have to. Okay? So, but now you wanna talk about trade back guys, like Malachi Lawrence is the guy, again, as a Bucks guy. And again, the the the in terms of Edge guys, the Lions are in a very similar bucket to the bucks at 15 where I I don't like any edge guy at 15 for the bucks. So I really don't like any edge guy at 17 for the lions just because I I don't again, Falk is the guy that you know, you could convince me on the on the traits and the upside and the versatility at at his size. I really like all those tools. I just where's the production? Where is and and and with a lot of guys, it was take a guy like Peter Woods. I know he's a a fully interior guy, but, like, look at his usage at Clemson and where they lined him up. They were hell, they played him at nose tackle and on the edge more than they played him as a three tech. And I'm just like, guys, what like so you look at his lack of production, you're like, I understand it. Faulk is a little more concerning because it's like, man, I feel like they kinda moved you around and used you pretty well to to where your your size and your skill set kinda projects to the next level, and it still didn't materialize. And that's that kinda concerns me. I love that he's really tough against the run and and probably I don't know. Guys like JPP and and and Tank Lawrence over the years that have that have really been really good pass rushers, but damn good run defenders to the point where you just don't take them off the field. Like, that's worth a lot to me at this point in the process. But I don't know. I just I worry that he'll that that it'll kinda be inverse where it's just like he's he's a a really good early down run defender, and you can move him around, but he just never gets above, like, seven sacks, eight sacks to the point where you're you're like, man, I feel really good about using a top 20 pick on him.

Speaker 3: Yeah. So, you brought up the Bucks. Who are the Bucks taking at 15 if you had to the what what Hopefully nobody.

Speaker 1: From the

Speaker 4: line and

Speaker 3: talk for a second. Who do you have as your ideal pick for the the Buccaneers and most realistic pick for the Buccaneers at 15? Because we have a lot of people that are gonna be listening who obsess over mock drafts, and they wanna be as accurate as possible. So help help them be accurate about Tampa Bay, please.

Speaker 4: The the answer to who are the Bucks taking at fifteen is hopefully nobody because I hope they're not picking there.

Speaker 3: I want the cop out, Luke. It's fantastic.

Speaker 4: And I mean and I mean this, and I'm gonna get into some players and names and scenarios in a minute, like but the the the scenario for me is twofold. Right? It's obviously the always the preference is if you're stuck at a pick you don't like, you wanna move back, you wanna do that. And and to the Bucks advantage here, and we talked about this earlier, that's a spot where teams will be trying to move up to get something they don't need. That's the thing, right? When you, whenever I'm putting these mock scenarios together, I'm like, oh, this team would love to trade down. Yeah. But a, who wants to give up what it takes to get up there and who's available that they would feel motivated to need to go get because of who they're trading ahead of. Right? And so all of those factors come into into play when I'm trying to put these these mock trades together. But for the Bucks, I think they're in a great spot because, again, just behind them is the Jets at 16. If somebody who loves Ty Simpson and wants to get ahead of them, 15 is right there. If you wanna get ahead of the lions for a tackle, 15 is a great spot to go do it if the bucks are motivated to move out. So all of those things, I hope kinda or, or, and again, how patient are the bucks in this make or break should have been already broken year for Todd Bowles and GM Jason Light? Are they the team that's motivated to say, I'm gonna trade up for Ruben Bayne Junior. I'm gonna trade up for David Bailey. I'm gonna trade up for an edge guy that can be I'm gonna trade up for Sonny Styles, like, get my next, you know, succession of Hardy Nickerson to Derrick Brooks to Levante David to now Sonny Styles at linebacker. Like, do we have time to wait around for whoever? Also, the Bucks, again, I love Jason Light. I got a great relationship with him. He'll be the first to tell you his second round picks have sucked for a lot of so like, if it's, I give up a two to get into the top 10 and get an, a high a high level pass rusher that will make an immediate impact right away. That's something that I don't see very often that I think could happen just because they're one of those franchises that probably thinks they're closer than a lot of teams that are usually picking at 15, and maybe they go up and and get that that edge guy that actually makes a difference. If if they're forced to stay at 15, the only guy I actually really like is is Yoane. I I I want you to take a guard. Just stay at 15. You know, Ben Bredesen has been solid, but banged up, and he's only got one more year left on his deal. Cody Mauch is going into a career or into a contract year coming off a season ending injury. And so if you tell me I know. That's how old we are. Like, Cody Mauch already needs a new job.

Speaker 3: Like I just saw him in movie.

Speaker 4: Ten minutes ago. It was ten minutes ago. Oh, man. But that's you know, so if if you're telling me again, it goes back to what I said earlier. Like, fortifying the offensive line. If if you're telling me the worst I can do at 15 is to put, you know, Vega Joanne next to Tristan Wirfs for the next god knows how long at left guard, I'm super, super fine with that and not really happy with much else. Again, I know Akim Mesador is a popular pick for them at 15. I'm not spending a top 15 pick on 25 year old. I I I Same. And not not only that, like, a lot of his wins come inside on third downs, and I don't know how sustainable that is at the next level. And again, I just a top 15 pick for a guy that's gonna be 30 when he needs a new con like, his second contract is just, I just can't age is not everything, but it's definitely something. And I've actually talked to Jason Lide about this specific thing because the Bucks have a a very long track record under his, regime of taking 20 year olds. Like, taking really young. Mike was 20. You know, Jordan Whitehead was 20, I think. Ronald Jones was 20. And, again, you can talk about whether or not those guys panned out. But I I think it's something that isn't the most important thing, but matters enough to them to wear Mesador at at 15 just makes absolutely no sense to me. So if if you're talking trade backs, obviously, I said, you know, I love Malachi Lawrence. If they're trading way back to, like, the end of the first round, that's where I start to be a little more comfortable with the CJ Allen or even Jacob Rodriguez if they want a linebacker. Those two guys really aren't far apart to me. But I I just think if they're able to move back, get it, you know, a two or a three and a four or something to where they can they can really rebuild the depth at at multiple positions, particularly in the trenches on either side of the ball. But, that's that's my happiest pick. If they have to stay at 15, please just take value and and take the the best guard in the draft and continue to fortify that offensive line. Because, again, go back and look at at the Bucks' struggles. They started when those offensive linemen started getting hurt. You know, they they had they came back with the entire starting lineup intact on offense. They never played a game with all those guys. Like, they Trisha Wirth was hurt in week one. Like, they never played a game with that whole unit intact. So they could be a completely different team if they're able to stay healthy in the trenches. And so that's take a guard at fifteen if you can't move back.

Speaker 3: We have these same conversations in Detroit, Luke. Like, god. If our secondary stayed healthy, we're a really, really good secondary. Yeah. But all four of them got hurt, like, in successive weeks, and then the defense went to hell. So let let's let's stick on that thing for a second. Let's say you're gonna take a safety or a corner or a hybrid. And I'd I'd spotlighted, earlier this week, I spotlighted the the safeties. One of the guys that I was really keen on was Jalen Kilgore. And there's a lot of fans that are interested in the guy like AJ Halsey. Bud Clark comes up a lot. Genesis Smith comes up a lot. I love, like, the date perceived day two safety class. It Yeah. Bleeding into maybe even early day three. Are are you there on that, or are you are you do you see corners? I think this is not a very good cornerback class myself. You can slap me across the face and tell me I'm crazy on that one if you want, but I I really like that value. The lines have two fourth round picks. I would love to see one of them on a safety.

Speaker 4: Yeah. I think I think the corner class is decent. I I think it's it's definitely, once I get to day three, there's a lot of Jags, you know, there's a lot of guys that I think will be okay, but not, you know, earth shattering. The safety class, I really love. Like, I again, those top eight or 10 guys, I really, really like. The top three, I think are all going in the first round. And then like you said, that that next tier that I think is all coming off the board on day two is really, really solid. And it it gives everybody something different. Like there's a body type and a skill set for everybody. Right? There's 100%. Allsy is fun because it's like, you don't really see two hundred and twenty pound guys with his kind of fluidity and his ability to match and man and things like that, his ability to go out into the slot. So he can kind of be like that that star, you know, nickel linebacker type, but he can get out there. And and what that does like, it just allows you to do so much formationally and post snap where you can line up a guy who's basically a a light linebacker anywhere you want him to be on the field, and you don't know if he's coming. You don't know if he's in man. You don't know if he's, you know, playing that linebacker slot. So Halsey is a lot of fun. Kamari Ramsey is a guy that's played single high. He's played in the slot. He's played, you know, plenty of nickel and and can do all those things at a high level. I like Zaki Wheatley. Again, Kilgore is fun because he's he's really tough. He's really physical. He's got experience kinda all over the secondary. And you you like a guy that if you're gonna ask him to do something, it's not the first time. Right? It's it's something that he's least got some experience doing and and done it in the SEC. Bud Clark is the one that really gets me excited if if you really need that turnover guy, the splash play type of guy. He's he's definitely the the taller, leaner guy, that maybe doesn't give you as much in the box, but man, he's, you know, in the right spot. And I point to a guy last year. This is why, like, when we evaluate these guys, it's so much about, like, as long as you don't ask him to do the thing he's not, like, great at, he could be a really, really great player. And the guy that stood out to me in last year's safety class about that was Caleb Bullock. Right? Where it was just like, you know, there's there's oh, he he's terrible in run support. I don't care. I don't like, this Tommy Lee Jones in the fugitive. I don't care. Like, I'd put him in center field and let him take the ball away. Like, that's what he does.

Speaker 3: And look what he did for the Texas. You're fantastic.

Speaker 4: Cook, and that's what they did. Like, so that's Bud Bud Clark is that guy for me this year where it's just like, man, just park park his ass in center field and tell quarterbacks to, I dare you. Like, that's you know, he I think I just saw something this morning where he's got more interceptions than any other safety in in college football over the last three seasons. And so, yeah, I I think great great week, of senior bowl action for him too. Just like I said, no matter what type of safety you need, if you need a traditional box guy, you need a a a traditional single high guy, you need somebody that can move out and play in the slot or play the star backer, somebody's there to fill any of those roles. And so I really like that depth in that range.

Speaker 3: Alright. I will get you out of here on one question that I am of the belief, and I think most people who are Lions fans are are agreeing with with this. The Lions aren't gonna have any interest in taking a quarterback in this draft. But because because it look. Everybody cares about the quarterbacks. Mendoza's won. I'm gonna assume that Ty because I know you. I think Ty Simpson's two for you. Yep. Go give me your next couple of guys and where you think what range of the draft you think they might come off.

Speaker 4: Yeah. So this is gonna be one of those things where, like, me and the league are gonna be way off on this next team.

Speaker 3: I I like that.

Speaker 4: So I like it. Like, somebody's gonna take Drew Allor way before I would. Like, somebody's gonna take Garrett Nussmeyer way before I would and they'll be the meme where it's like, but it could work for us, you know, like, it hasn't yet, but we will be the fix. And again, maybe they will. You know me, I'm a pretty I'm a pretty rose colored glasses guy when it comes to allowing the opportunity for for players to be better than I I think they can be depending on any number of variables. And so I I'm definitely not the guy to to I I hate absolutes. I hate, you know, this guy will never do this. This guy will won't won't be able to do this. I I don't know. We none of us know. It's it's it's dependent on so many factors that we can't know on this side of things. I can tell you where I would feel comfortable taking them. And I think I think I think Nussmeier and Aller are both probably late day two guys, and I'm just not there. I I don't I get I get it. I understand why it will happen from a trait sort of like a a bloodline type of thing with Nussmeier. Like, I get it. I know because, again, when you do this for twenty five plus years, I've been doing this since I was a teenager. Like, you you understand the league has a a type and the league has a a process, especially at this position where they're just never gonna, like, I feel like they're never gonna evolve past convincing themselves that they that it's, you know, that it's gonna work for one of these guys and they can be the guy to unlock it specifically at this position. I know what's gonna happen. But for me, if you're asking me just how I I stack these guys, three for me is Talen Green. Because if again, this is my this is my Lamar Jackson rule. Like, going back to Okay. 2018, when I really changed the way I evaluated quarterbacks and how comfortable I felt taking them where it was. I think I started to understand that if I'm a general manager, head coach, combo, whatever, I am just as likely to get fired if I take the quarterback who just busts, like, doesn't live up, like, he's got the arm talent, he's got the athleticism, he's got all these high end traits, but needs to develop. If I take that guy high and he busts, I'm getting fired and I know that. But I figured out that I'm just as likely to get fired if I take the quote unquote high floor guy who just ends up being pretty boring and average and we don't win enough. I'm still getting fired on the same timeline. I really am. And so Kenny Pickett. Go on, Gabriel. If that's the case, I'm gonna swing on the guy that can be a star. Right? I'm gonna swing on Lamar. And instead of Josh Rosen or even Baker or Sam Darnold or the other guys in that class, Josh Allen is Lamar is my win from that class. Josh Allen with a third round grade is my loss from that class. But it was the same like, I just see a structure. Lamar Lamar's Louisville tape and and and Josh's Wyoming tape are not on the same stratosphere. If you ever wanna have some fun, go back and look at those two guys in college. But I just you know, it was that's my Talon Green kinda conversation. It's it's less about their specific skill set comparisons and more about the fact that, like, tell me who the guy could be that in the right spot could be special. And I tell you it's the six six two thirty guy who can run four three and throw the ball a mile. Like, that's just, you know does are the most important things about playing quarterback not included on that list? Yes. They are. So there's a lot to to to develop there. But, again, if if I'm not taking any of these guys until day three anyway. So Yeah. Day three is where I would say, hey. If I take I think I had Talen Green in that last mock going to Philly at the end of the fourth. Right? Where it's like, I've got some I got a comp pick.

Speaker 3: That makes sense. Put this

Speaker 4: guy behind behind Jalen and and see what happens. Right? And and put him in an offense where I think he could thrive. So, you know, it's that's where I start to have the conversation. Cole Payton from North Dakota State, same type of guy, right, where it's just like, I think he's he's probably Taysom Hill, and I hate pro comps because they just at least for me, I I don't think they they're they're terribly valuable, for my process. But, like, I think that type of skill set and that type of, you know, role could fit him very, very well. You if you think he can be a, you know, a everyday, you know, successful long term starter at the at the league, I think it's gonna take every planet imaginable aligning for that to happen. And so I don't know, man. I you know, Club Nick and Sawyer Robertson and and any of these other guys, Carson Beck. Yeah. Again, it's a very solid backups in the right scenario for me and maybe, again, with enough stars aligned, they can be, you know, decent starters in in the right system eventually, but that's when you get into that type of conversation, again, if if I'm spending a day three guy on a backup quarterback, like, I just I don't I don't know. I I probably will spend that pick on a on a a better player at another position.

Speaker 3: I'm with you on that. And I feel I and I hope most people who are watching, listening to this feel better now about the lion signing Teddy Bridgewater and punting on this draft glass.

Speaker 4: You can't talk to me about Teddy Bridgewater because he almost killed Jaylen McMillan last year, and that makes me sad. But I like Teddy as a person. I really enjoy Teddy as a person. He's a grade a human being, so he's a good he's

Speaker 3: a great

Speaker 4: person to have in your locker room. Don't don't ever be sad about that.

Speaker 3: A 100%. Well, Luke, thanks for joining me. First off, tell people where they can find your work and what they can expect from you in the coming days.

Speaker 4: Yeah, man. Always a pleasure. Athlonsports.com for everything. If you're an old man like me and love physical media, and please go out and buy our magazine that came out a couple weeks ago. It's it's my favorite thing to do every year because when I was 12 and first understanding this wonderful, lovely process, I I just look forward to getting that magazine every year and to to see to see my work in it now as a grown up is literally like a a teenager, like, you pinch me moment. I love making it. I still love reading it just like I did then. It's such a fun process, and we have such a great team that puts a ton of ton of work into to making that magazine. And I'm I'm proud and happy that we get to continue making them and grateful for the, you know, investment that Athlon keeps continuing to make in that medium. So please support it. Go out and buy one. We have two covers, so go out and buy two if you want. We got, Fernando on one cover, and then, our good buddy, Doug Farrar, got to sit down with Caleb Downs for a one on one that's absolutely fantastic feature story in there, with Caleb Downs. So definitely check that out. And then athlonsports.com for all the updated stuff. Again, it's I'm updating rankings all the time based on pro day results and and combines and injuries and all those things. And like I said, every Thursday morning from here on out, we've got a four round mock with comp picks, with trades projected every single week, that like I said, I rely on people like Jeff. When I'm when I'm stuck in the fourth round and I wanna know where the lines would go, I reach out to people like Jeff and and say, hey. Tell me what they would do here. I'll tell you who's on the board and and we go from there. So it's it's, it's again, I I love this time of year. It's a lot of time. It's a lot of effort, but like we said earlier, we would not wanna be doing anything else. It's a lot of fun for me. The scouting reports that you see in the magazine are starting to be published, you know, a handful at a time on the website, and those are linked to the players in the mock draft. So at least the top 50 or so and counting players, if you're if you're looking at the mock, you'll be able to click on that name and get all my thoughts on that player. So that's a lot of fun. But, but, yeah, man, from here on out, you know how it is. It'll be tweaking things here and there. A lot of the hay is in the barn. And then, obviously, when the draft gets here, I'll be I'll be live grading every pick in the first round. As it happens, we'll have, you know, all the best available and and all the analysis in the, in the aftermath that you need.

Speaker 3: My man. Thanks so much for joining me, Luke. It's good to see you again. I haven't seen you in a little bit. I I missed a trip to Mobile this this year, so I I missed out on that. I I'm glad we were able to connect with us. So thanks so much.

Speaker 4: Yeah. Mobile's Mobile's gonna be a pipe dream from now on. It was not it was one thing to drive up from, to rent a car and drive up from Tampa, but coming, coming from, SeaTac down to Mobile is, probably gonna be a rare occurrence.

Speaker 3: That's a long,

Speaker 4: long time. A different conversation, but, nah, man. It's it's so great, man. So many great memories and, always good to always good to see your face and, appreciate hang out with somebody who appreciates, the good old rock music that, that continues to fuel our lives. I'm standing about two feet from my drum kit that, thankfully, my neighbors don't mind. But, Yeah, man. It's it's always great to see you. Always great to talk ball. Let's do it anytime.

Speaker 3: Alright. Thanks. Look east willing, ladies and gentlemen. And with that, we will close today's daily deal. Hey. Thanks for joining. Thanks for liking and subscribing. You know, we'll we'll just end it on that. Jeff Friston signing out. Be good to one another, everybody. I have the