Smock Draft 2.0

This is The Drive with Josh Graham Podcast.

Tune into The Drive weekday afternoons 3 to 7 on Sports Hub Triad. Happy draft day to you and yours. I think tonight's gonna feel like a throwback because I believe Dave Gettleman is going to decide who the Panthers take in the first round. If he takes Simmons, Carolina will happily settle for Derek Brown at number seven. If he goes Hog Molly instead, the Panthers they're gonna race, I don't know, to unmute their Zoom chat to take the Clemson Tiger. Fun fact for you, in the 25-year history of the franchise, Carolina has never selected a Tiger in the first round. A Clemson Tiger.

I think that streak ends tonight and I'll go a step further. Isaiah Simmons, he's the best case scenario for the Panthers tonight. I put it out on a poll earlier today at Josh Graham Radio trying to get a feel from Panthers fans what they want at number seven. What they view to be the dream scenario and I listed Brown, Simmons, Tua, and an other category. About a hundred votes on this. Forty percent say Simmons and that is the front-runner there. Second would be Tua then other than Derek Brown. So it seems like most people agree with me here.

Here's my philosophy. When you're drafting in the top ten, you pick best player available. The only exception to that rule is when you need a quarterback. Carolina, they needed a quarterback in 2011. They had the number one pick, they picked Cam Newton. He wasn't the best player available that year. I mean you could go down the list at some of the guys who were there, just studs. And Cam, he turned out great for Carolina.

It was the right pick. But with the exception of quarterback, you do not reach in the top ten. Carolina does not need a quarterback. I think Marty Hurney understands this. Look at the picks he's made as Panthers GM when he's in the top ten. He's made four top ten picks. Those players. Julius Peppers, Jordan Gross, Cam Newton, Luke Kuechly.

I'd say that's a pretty good batting average. Kuechly, by the way, I think is a telling pick because it's just like the scenario Carolina's in right now. A lot of people on social media, they believe Carolina wants Brown because they saw a photo of Hurney at the Auburn Pro Day just gazing lovingly into the eyes of this hulking defensive lineman. It seemed like a love affair. Find someone who looks at you the way that Hurney was looking at Brown in that image.

But do you know what I remember? Circa 2012, Hurney was at the Tar Heel Pro Day watching a defensive lineman by the name of Quentin Copels. He was the guy who was gonna stuff the run. Top 15 pick. Carolina, hey this guy might be the next Julius Peppers coming from the Tar Heel football program. Carolina has a big need on the defensive line.

Julius Peppers isn't here anymore. They hadn't drafted Starla Tulalay at that point. Surely Carolina is not gonna go linebacker when they already have TD and John Beeson.

That wouldn't make much sense, would it? At number 9, they select Boston College middle linebacker Luke Kuechly. There's no question that was the right pick.

They went best player available over drafting need. Isaiah Simmons, he is the perfect fit for Matt Ruhle as well. So I think if Ruhle had his choice, he'd probably say I want Simmons. I think Hurney understands you need to go best player available and in terms of players I know to be better than Simmons in this draft, I think it's a short list. I think it's Burrow because he's just so solid in the position that he plays. It's Chase Young and maybe it's Jeff Okuda.

Maybe. I think that's razor-thin the margin between the Ohio State corner and Simmons. Simmons is a perfect fit for Ruhle because he fills multiple voids.

He said it himself yesterday. If you're drafting me, you're drafting a guy who's essentially playing three different positions for you. You're drafting three players. Ruhle's all about versatility. I'm a little biased because I've seen Simmons in person. I've seen how dominant he can be.

I stood next to him on the sideline. This guy, he's a freak. I'm not gonna say physical specimen because that would be something you could hear tonight to check off of the NFL draft bingo board I put together, but the player that most fits the category physical freak, it's Simmons.

I haven't seen anybody like that in person my career covering football since J'Davion Clowney. The guy's a monster and he can rush the passer, a need for Carolina. He could cover passes as a linebacker, which is something Carolina needs because Luke Keekley is one of the best we've ever seen do it at that position.

He just retired. They need Simmons. You can plug him in right now and he's guaranteed to be something. It's not gonna be a bust.

Lastly, we've seen this movie before, haven't we? I'm not just talking about what happened with Keekley in 2012. The Panthers, they had a top 15 pick in 2005 and it turned out to be Thomas Davis. Remember, when Herny drafted Davis, he was a safety. He was one of those tweeners. Is he gonna be a linebacker in the NFL because he's not fast enough to play safety or is he gonna grow into that spot, cut some weight? Of course, he ended up playing outside linebacker.

He did so beautifully. He's gonna be a future Hall of Honor inductee. He's one of the greatest ambassadors ever in Panthers football. We love TD. So I think Herny has seen enough to know Simmons is the right guy. He's the best case scenario for Carolina.

You can tweet the show at sportsubtriad 336-777-1600 is the phone number. It is a little concerning to see a national writer I respect a lot, Charles Robinson from Yahoo Sports, senior NFL writer, tweet this out earlier today. The tweet, Panthers are a little bit of a mystery inside the top seven. I doubt anyone is a hundred percent certain who is making the pick or how the new regime is finding a consensus so there's been a lot of unknowns.

The organization and how it's operated since the end of the season has been confusing. That brings up this question that I want to ask Joe Person, who's as close as anybody is in the media, has been in the media for the last decade, beat writer for The Athletic, he's joining us at 5.30. If there are conflicting voices on that conference call tonight, whose voice weighs heaviest?

I don't think Tepper is gonna be the guy to say I want this person. It's really Rule or Hearney, whose voice is going to be louder and carry the most weight. While I've spent all this time talking about Hearney and I believe he's gonna see Simmons to be the right pick, I think the most important person in that room is Matt Rule. That's why I made sure to talk about him being the perfect fit the best fit out of anybody for Carolina, fitting what Rule wants to do. Matt Rule, he's gonna have the final say because he's the one that has the most job security.

I don't care if you're talking about football or any business in life, the person who has the most power is going to have the final word and usually it's the one that's been given the most assurance by the one at the top, whoever's sitting at the very top. Matt Rule was just given a seven-year contract. Direct commitment from David Tepper. Meanwhile, Hearney, he only has one year left on his deal. He's a general manager that wasn't hired by Tepper, he's been a carryover. Kept him around, we didn't know if he was gonna be the second in command to a football COO the day that Rivera was let go, but it turns out through the draft Tepper has really valued Hearney's opinion on college evaluations. But all we've heard all along, everybody is on the same wavelength when it comes to evaluation.

Reporting is saying otherwise. So if it comes down to Rule wants one guy, Hearney wants another, I think Rule's gonna win out because he's been given more assurances and more commitment from Tepper. Rule, he also has a better read on this class, I think, of college players than Hearney does. He coached some of them, he's faced many of them, he's recruited even more of them. Joe Brady, who's on his staff, he coached many of these LSU guys, faced a lot of the SEC, ton of SEC guys expected to go in the first round. Derek Brown, he upended LSU quite a bit last year, very good game that was played.

Of course, faced Alabama, saw Tua, saw Jerry Judy, saw Henry Ruggs, saw Jedrick Wills. I think the coaching staff's gonna be leaned on here. Cliff Kingsbury had a great draft last year because he came from college to the NFL.

He had a better understanding, more contacts in the college game. I'd be stunned for that reason if it is a quarterback taken by Carolina. I don't care if Tua or Herbert falls. If either of them did, I think that's the best case scenario for Carolina to trade back. It's funny, when people say they want to trade back in the draft, they're always thinking that there's a team that wants to give up something in order to get to their spot.

Usually when that happens, there's a very valuable commodity that's available. I think Carolina has already given commitment from the coaching staff to Teddy Bridgewater. So if Tua or Herbert fell to number seven, I don't think Carolina would draft them. I think that's the situation they'd trade back. Trade back to the New England Patriots spot, trade back to the Las Vegas Raiders spot, trade back to the Jaguars spot, you name it. I think that is the scenario Carolina says we are going to trade back.

Because that's where you actually get the value. Who else would be there that Carolina would not want to draft themselves, but other teams would want to trade up in order to take? Maybe Jeff Okuda? If Carolina doesn't go corner, which they need by the way, maybe they could trade back in that spot, albeit I don't see it. I think there's only four players, make it three players, I could see Carolina taking it number seven tonight.

Three. I think it's Simmons, I think it's Brown, and I think it's Okuda. I think those are the only three players I could see Carolina taking at number seven.

Nobody else. But I will give you my full prediction for the top ten in tonight's draft. It's our smock draft that's gonna come up in about 15 minutes.

However, and wherever you were listening, we appreciate that. You could tweet the show at Sports Hub Triad 336-777-1600, the phone number. Robert Walsh, he's producing today's show.

Aaron Gabriel, he's in the control room as well. Got my NFL draft bingo board I mentioned a short while ago, and if you want to play along you can find it on my social media at Josh Graham Radio. It's also on Sports Hub Triad. We got many different versions of this, so if you want to play along at home, you got everything from Grinder on this to Trevor Lawrence, a draft pick crying, bandwidth being mentioned on the air, Henry Ruggs 40-time.

If there's a Mahomes love comparison, Kuiper just saying here's a guy. Pad level, high motor, Isaiah Simmons, someone saying he's three players in one. Cam Newton, hip surgery, Goodell getting booed, a Falcons making a trade, 49ers making a trade, Joe Brady, Trent Dilfer, a Wonderlic score being mentioned, Deceptively Fast being mentioned, Burrow's days at Ohio State, a pet appearing on screen, hacking being mentioned, high ceiling, intangibles, deep wide receiver draft. Those are the bingo board submissions here. Even though I like this text, football IQ should definitely be on the bingo board. I don't want to make this too easy now, like we're not naming any specific prospects there. Like it would be the easiest draft board ever if I made it Burrow, Chase Young, Jeff Okuda.

I think we all know that that draft board would get filled up a lot easier or that bingo board will. We're now the opposite of the front of sports talk because we're well we're we're back to it. Get it? Well that's not funny. Back to the drive.

That's moronic. With Josh Grab. Since we mostly cover the Carolina Panthers, we are not doing a mock draft, but instead we're doing a smock draft. Not picking the full 32. There are just gonna be too many trades, too much madness to dry and predict try to project 32 picks.

Plus that would take too much time if I'm being honest. So I'll go through the top 10, what I think is gonna happen, trades included. The first 10 picks tonight and then after that we're gonna chat with Joe Person, Panthers beat writer for a long time with the athletic.

He's gonna join us at 5.30. Since everybody seems to have a smock draft nowadays. With the first pick, second pick, third pick, fourth pick, start with the quarterback. Josh Graham wants a part of the action. Josh predicts the top ten picks of the 2020 NFL Draft. The pick is in.

Here we go. The Cincinnati Bengals are now on the clock. Do we have the draft noise fired up ready to go here?

I love that sound. The Cincinnati Bengals are gonna take Joe Burrow. Yesterday reports came out that they already told Burrow he's gonna be the number one pick. Cincinnati apparently has rebuffed that because they said they want whoever their number one pick, whoever they are going to pick there to have their moment where he receives the phone call and gets to accept being a Cincinnati Bengal number one.

It's gonna be Burrow. He is the safest pick at quarterback in this draft and he's an Ohio kid. Number two, the Washington Redskins. Chase Young, best overall player in this draft. Ron Rivera, defensive coach.

He loves his D linemen. Number three, we got a trade. It's gonna be the Miami Dolphins trading from number five to number three.

There are a lot of conflicting headlines out there. A lot of misinformation that's not new to this draft. Miami, here's what we know. They need a quarterback. They've already flirted publicly with the idea of trading to number three. They are the team with the most picks to try and move around to ensure they get what they want.

They're going to move there regardless. And I think they're going to take Justin Herbert. I think it's gonna be a mistake. That's not new with the Miami Dolphins. They did it with Drew Brees, passing on him in 2006 in favor of Dante Culpepper.

History is going to be relived for Miami. They're not gonna take a chance on Tua. They're gonna go Justin Herbert number three.

Number four pick. The New York Giants trying their damnedest to trade out of this spot to convince Miami or the Chargers they're the better team to trade up for. Maybe they're fielding calls from Atlanta, but I don't know if the Giants want to trade that far back.

I think at the end they're not gonna find a trade partner and they're just gonna go with a hog molly. Dave Gettleman loves his guys in the trenches. Tristan Wurfs is the best offensive lineman available and it addresses the Giants up front. It protects the investment they made last year picking Daniel Jones number six.

They got to protect him. So Tristan Wurfs first lineman off the board at number four. Number five it is the Detroit Lions. They go ahead and take Jeff Okuda. He is outside of Burrow, outside of Chase Young, probably the third safest player available, third best overall right there with Isaiah Simmons. The Lions and then in the end they need to pick up a corner and Okuda he's a sure thing so I think they go with the corner over a D lineman.

Number six it's the LA Chargers. Tua finds his home and I think Tua he's probably not gonna be ready to play this year. Off-season programs they're canceled you can't really get to know your offensive coordinator, your wide receivers.

OTA is very valuable to rookies. Tua also coming back from the injury you don't want to rush it. I think the coaches are honest when they say Tyrod Taylor is the guy right now. They're grooming a young quarterback the same way Cleveland groomed Baker Mayfield where it was Taylor initially and then Baker came on after the fact.

Tua it just makes too much sense. They picked up Trey Turner in the trade with Russell Okun, shirred up right guard and then picked up Brian Balaga the Packers right tackle. Why would they leave left tackle as something unaddressed versus shirring up the right side of the line? Maybe it's because they have a left-handed quarterback and that is the blind side for a left-hander. Tua to the Chargers it makes too much sense or too much sense to go with him at number six.

Yeah I really deserved that there. LA you need to have stars because right now you're not even the second most popular team in Los Angeles. It's the Rams it's USC football and then it's the LA Chargers maybe that changes if Tua's there. The Carolina Panthers they are now on the clock and the picks gonna be Isaiah Simmons. I think Matt Ruhle and I think Marty Hurney they can be in agreement on this.

My philosophy is this when you're drafting in the top ten you go best player available. Simmons is that he's the perfect fit for Matt Ruhle's defense. We've seen this movie before with Thomas Davis played safety out of Georgia ended up being an outside linebacker and he's gonna be inducted into the Panthers Hall of Honor one day.

He will be the first Clemson Tiger in Panthers history to go in the first round. I think Simmons is the guy for Carolina. Number eight it's the Arizona Cardinals Derek Brown is still on the board in this circumstance but I think they protect Kyler Murray. I think they go with an offensive tackle Andrew Thomas he's my favorite tackle in this draft.

I think Werffs is probably the most talented the the most athletic. Thomas he's a four-year starter in the SEC. Started as a freshman I think they protect Murray who needs time to throw to Fitzgerald and DeAndre Hopkins. They go offense they go Thomas number eight. Number nine it's the Jacksonville Jaguars. Will they trade out of this spot?

I don't think so since they have another first-round pick a little bit later on. I think they go CeeDee Lamb. Lamb's my favorite player at wide receiver. I love this guy best wide receiver who's come out since I'd say Julio Jones.

He's complete. He could do a lot of things. Also I think the Jags recent history drafting a Lincoln Riley wide receiver from Oklahoma paid off. Dede Westbrook pretty good year last year for Jacksonville. They go with CeeDee Lamb and the last pick in my smock draft number 10 it is the Cleveland Browns on the clock. They go Jedrick Wills.

One of the few changes I have in my top ten here is that Makai Becton falls outside the top ten and that's for a couple of reasons. You got to appease an owner when you make a pick and while maybe the teams knew about his negative drug test during the combine I think that's something that just came through the to the attention of many fans to the owners. I think that hurts him a bit. Also there's some reports out there about his knees as well not being great. When there's a very small margin between the tackles that can really knock you back so I think they go with the Alabama right tackle. Jedrick Wills he has this big build and they're gonna protect Baker Mayfield up front. Those are my top ten picks in my smock draft.

We'll talk to Joe Persin Panthers Beatrider from the Athletic Carolinas in a little over five minutes. For those who don't know we made a bet about a month ago that if the Panthers stay at number seven and don't pick Simmons, Brown or Kinlaw I will cut my hair into a mullet when it is safe to do so and barber shops and such open back up and I'll dress like Joe Exotic for a week. I think there's only one player Carolina could draft at seven to make me do this and it's Okuda.

If that happens I will happily cut my hair to look like Okuda. I think it would be a good pick. I wouldn't argue with the pick. I wouldn't be that surprised if Carolina went that route. I think it's the only hope. There's an outside chance for Herbert. Remember Herny he flew all the way across to Eugene to see him.

That matters. I would just be surprised if it happens. If Herbert's there and neither Okuda nor Simmons are on the board that might be a spot where Carolina drafts back or trades back excuse me.

I think the same case for Tua. If there's a quarterback on the board that's a spot where Carolina wouldn't mind trading back and you hope that Kinlaw is still available a little bit later on. I think they do the same thing if Derek Brown was available. If Okuda is off the board, if Simmons is off the board and there is either Tua or Herbert and Derek Brown I don't think Carolina goes ahead and takes Brown.

I think they trade back if they get the offer even if it means missing out on the Auburn defensive tackle. But these are some of the things I want to discuss with Joe because he knows the parties better than I do. I cover the Panthers but Joe covers them a lot closer and he's been covering the team a lot longer.

So I'm interested Derek Brown, Jeff Okuda, Isaiah Simmons, how do the Panthers rank those three in order in terms of best player available on their big board? Joe will give us his insight next on the Drive. You could try getting your sports news and talk somewhere else.

My life sucks quite enough already thank you. Best to leave it right here on the Drive with Josh Graham. We're gonna be talking to Panthers beat writer Joe Person in just a few minutes. Excited about the NFL Draft tonight in fact before we get to Joe I have a couple of bold predictions for later on tonight. I don't do a lot of bold predictions but I have a few here that I think possibly could happen later on and I think my Smock Draft might have given away a few of these here and it starts with I think Derek Brown is gonna fall outside the top ten later on. I just don't think if Carolina passes on him at seven Arizona I think is gonna want to protect their quarterback.

I think the Jags are thinking offense. Cleveland the same way they wanted to protect their investment in Baker and give him enough time to utilize this these receivers they've paid so much for in Jarvis and Odell so I think if Carolina passes which I expect them to if Simmons or Acuda are available if Brown drops past Carolina's pick he's not gonna go in the top ten so that's my first bold prediction. Secondly I've been trumpeting this one all week long New England is gonna take a quarterback in the first round they're not gonna have enough to take Tua in the top five so I think Tua is is gonna go to the Chargers at number six Herbert is a Miami Dolphin in my projection here but Jordan Love he strikes me as somebody if he's put into the right situation he can have a lot of success. He was great his sophomore season at Utah State he was surrounded by a really good coaching staff Matt Wells and many of those coaches went to Texas Tech after Cliff Kingsbury lost his job in the Big 12.

He was replaced by Gary Anderson it wasn't really as good of a spot there wasn't as much surrounding Love and that's why there was a down year if you will in the way that he performed. I think Love still has a lot of really good traits and if they're fostered in the right environment and the right culture if you will a la the Patriot system with Josh McDaniel still there as the OC Bill Belichick I think that is enough to think Love will have success. I love Tua I love Burrow but I think of Love as a Patriot that's that's the best quarterback situation regardless of what happens anywhere else so that's something to keep an eye on there and also there's a relationship New England they of course sent Jimmy Garoppolo to San Francisco a few years back for a second round pick reportedly Tom Brady was in conversation with San Francisco about going there so there's always been this this weird connection between New England and San Fran San Fran no second round third round or fourth round picks so that might be a spot to keep an eye on New England potentially moving up if they want to go after a quarterback. We're now being joined by Joe Person my buddy from the Athletic Carolinas nobody as close to the Panthers as an independent journalist the last 10 years of Joe so we're a few hours out from the draft. Rank these three players and how high you believe they are on the Panthers board Derek Brown, Jeff Okuda, Isaiah Simmons. I will go 1A Okuda, 1B Brown, 1B Simmons.

Why Okuda at the very top? Just the fact that he is and I know lately people the last day or so it's people sort of question his credentials but he is a complete corner he feels to me like the kind of kid you can stick in at that spot previously manned by James Bradbury and you've got your starting one of your starting corners for the next five years that he's on his rookie deal and maybe beyond that I don't know that'll be available that's that'd be interesting because most of the mocks I've done he's been going on and so I haven't even had this discussion much it's been more Brown versus Simmons which in and of itself is a hard decision and you throw Okuda in there you know I think I think if I'm Marty Hurney and I realize to take him. This is something that's being discussed a lot today Charles Robinson he had the tweet NFL reporter for Yahoo Sports that there's some confusion who the decision maker in Carolina is obviously David Tepper gets the last call on so many things but I doubt he's somebody who would overrule someone like Hurney or even Matt Ruhle if they really wanted somebody in their evaluation but if Ruhle wanted somebody and Hurney wanted another who do you believe does get the final call? David Tepper since it's his team and he paid three billion bucks for it or two point three billion whatever it was. How close do you believe he follows it like how close do you think he's looking at all these prospects? Probably not to be I don't think he felt the need of course this this was not an issue this year with the quarantine but like for instance last year I don't think he felt the need to shake every dude's hand that they were considering in the first round the way Jerry Richardson did I mean Richardson was an old school that way Richardson played the game at a high level of course we you know won a one a NFL championship with the Colts at any rate but but that doesn't mean Tepper's not involved in his own analytical way and you know what I mean that that's typically who the tiebreaker is and you know you would hope that Matt Ruhle and Marty Hurney are on the same page that doesn't come to that I saw that report by Charles Robinson you know that's fine I've heard some of that from around the league to inside the building not as much I don't I don't think it's quite as you know fractured or confusion or chaotic or whatever as maybe folks like to think but if you know it's obviously would not rule first round and it's a G you know and it's an TM who was retained from the Ron Rivera regime of course it's a question I just think I get the impression that both of them will have a you know a large saying this and seem to be for the most part on the same page here's what I think if David Tepper if it does come down to him he's just gonna look at the athletic Carolina's what Jordan Rodrik and Joe Person are saying the Panthers should take it seven that's what I think's happening I think David Tepper is doing that I think he's just looking at it saying hey let me let me see what Joe Person and Jordan Rodrik think Jordan's gonna be with us tomorrow you know you don't want to be too hands-on because you know I forget if I've been on since Jordan I wrote the story about how he was behind none of theirs moved to a three-four not that's a little too hands-on when you're when you're having the coach of the defense coordinator change your scheme at your strong suggestion on draft night you know I don't know what you know Martin Richardson he wants to make an appearance in the room you know it's funny and timely I do the story this week on the 2017 draft which was a lot like what you're describing Josh you had get Ron Rivera and Mike Sula and others pulling for Christian McCaffrey the other end of the room you have big gentlemen and a couple of several other scouts pulling from Leonard Fournette and I asked someone in researching that story this week I said what would have happened if the Jags had not taken Fournette and they're both sitting there at seven you know who breaks the tie and and I was told Richardson would have and by the way Richardson was in Christian McCaffrey's corner so you know again I don't know if that'll be the case tonight at you know it but we're gonna see Matt rules influence on it I mean I don't I don't know that that necessarily means that's like oh he went over Marty hurt his head you know I think there's been a lot you know two months three months of pre-draft discussions to lead to this point he's on Twitter at Joseph person read his stuff at the athletic Carolinas so a lot of people are talking about Carolina it might be best suited for them to trade back but I've always told those people in order to trade back there has to be somebody available that teams want to trade up for so when you look at scenarios Carolina trading back who's a guy that might be a valuable commodity available Carolina's willing to pass on but trades back in favor of a team that so wants to jump up into the seventh spot to it to is the guy and I do think he's gonna drop out now does anyone will will he drop farther than seven that's the thing like you know I and and maybe you don't even drop to seven but if ever there was a guy it feels like he did you know that it seems like every week we're peeling away another layer of whoa wrist surgery and you know well this ankle scene was a little more open than what we thought done me that not gonna be a good clear but it may cause his stock to drop some tonight that you know I think that helps the Panthers tremendously you know if a couple of those offensive if those on offensive tackles start flying off the board early which some predict they could that would help the Panthers because I do think then that rule wants to trade back and I think you know Marty Hurney's on board with that too I think Marty Hurney isn't going to go back and just to go get someone he's not really in love with so you know there's sort of that sweet spot you know dropping back maybe three or four spots and not certainly not going any farther back than like 15 because then you're starting then you're really treated yes you've got an extra pick or two common but you potentially traded a big-time impact impact player in the top ten for a guy who's like okay this guy should be a starter for this year maybe maybe not so gonna be interesting but I know no doubt about a rule with this rebuild and it makes sense and and I think it's worth pointing this out to Josh I don't think this is a big draft where you're gonna sit there and say oh check the box on a defensive tackle check the box on a linebacker check the box on a corner yeah that yes they have a couple positions like corner for instance they've got to address but because Matt rules in the rebuild he's got a seven-year you know the luxury of a seven-year contract they can say who are the best players regardless the position that we can build this around let's go get those guys and then we'll figure out the rest of it as we go along yet because we're probably not looking at being good until like 2022 well let me ask you this speaking of the best players who might be available Joe Person here with us we put out a poll at Josh Graham radio on Twitter who's the best case scenario for the Panthers at number seven and 40% of the poll says Isaiah Simmons who do you think is the best case dream scenario for Carolina staying it put it seven oh man I mean probably like I said I'd probably still stick with Okuda because I just you know you talk to scouts and and and you watch the tape of the kid and he's just like a complete corner I mean I've heard late as I said lately there's been kind of a buzz around CJ Henderson I think he's going to be and he'll probably go a lot higher than people think but I don't know I mean I when I took when I took over the feet way back when the Panthers still had a Ohio State corner that they've gotten in the first round by the name of Chris Campbell Chris Campbell was a quiet guy didn't go to a lot of Pro Bowls if he went to any Pro Bowls but he held down the starting corner spot for the Panthers for nine years and did so at a pretty damn high level and I just think Okuda is the kind of guy like that that you know maybe not flashy but man he's got the length you want he's certainly fast enough and he is a polished cover guy and he's a hell of a tackler and they're both guys who went to Ohio State with single digits numbers like gamble was number seven I mean I'm not sure if that factors in at all but just figured I'd throw that in there Joe stay safe at home continue the great work with the athletic and enjoy the all virtual NFL draft later on tonight you got it bud appreciate it Josh you stay safe as well you got it that's Joe person on Twitter at Joseph person kind enough to give us some insight and to terrify me because that's a lot of Jeff Okuda praise oh goodness that's the guy if he falls that's the guy where I'm in danger I think Carolina would trade back rather than going quarterback at number seven I think they would and I'd be out of this Josh exotic bet but Okuda that's the guy who scares me here Joe just telling me how good he is okay I'm not gonna say it's a bad pick I'm not gonna do it but it's it's gonna be a sad day for me and I partly feel like it's gonna happen now because I'm the same dude who said Aaron couldn't recreate the Trey Jones shot and then here he is banking it off the front of the iron and and recreating it I had to have Christmas lights on my car for two weeks in the month of February you're welcome it feels like that's gonna happen all over again here I'm nervous I'm shook we got take it to the house to do in about ten minutes so I was mentioning some bold predictions I have for the draft tonight a few of those I already noted New England they're gonna take Jordan love I think they're gonna trade up to number 13 to do so Derek Brown he's gonna fall outside the top ten because I think Carolina is gonna end up getting Isaiah Simmons how's this for a take let me know if you agree with this one Jerry Judy he's not gonna be the first wide receiver taken off the board he's not even gonna be the second wide receiver taken I think CD lambs gonna be a top ten pick I think he's the best wide receiver there and I think in the NFL or in any sport people are trying to recreate what the best teams are doing that's why I think Jordan loves gonna be someone that a team trades up for he's compared to Pat Mahomes while they're doing it right and Kansas City they traded up to get that Mahomes guy well let's try and recreate that one of the guys he throws to his Tyree kill and rugs is a four to seven guy played at Alabama we saw how it looked against guys who were gonna be drafted in the NFL AJ Terrell we saw how it looked for AJ Terrell we saw the way that it looked against Delpit we saw the way it looked against Christian Fulton we saw how it looked against Trayvon Diggs Henry rugs he he's somebody I think a team will snag just because of his speed more than they might take Jerry Judy so that's my last bold prediction Judy not gonna be taken first among wide receivers not gonna be taken second he's gonna be the third wide receiver off the board yes Robert oh I didn't have anything I agree with you I think that could potentially Aaron got really mad because he's wearing a Chiefs jacket and I compared two players to Chiefs no not mad I just it sounds good in theory but you know the Chiefs perfectly did that whole Pat Mahomes thing I'm just telling you this is how it works right agree right and culture matters if Pat Mahomes ended up going to the Houston Texans or to the Chicago Bears it wouldn't have turned out the way it turned out I don't think it did I don't think it would have you're under Andy Reid and that stuff matters yeah Alex Smith there Jordan love if he's if he's working with Josh McDaniels and Bill Belichick I buy that I buy that as something that can work the rugs thing if you're trying to recreate Tyreek Hill good luck with that I'm here to tell you that Judy is a better wide receiver than rugs and CD lambs better than both of them I just can't wait to see how it all shakes out because eventually all these rumors they get put by the wayside and then we finally see where these teams go you want a fun fact on rugs give me a fun fact he in his entire college career he only had 11 catches of a catch going more than 20 yards downfield that is the I think there are 13 wide receivers in this draft who have more deep catches than he does I think that has a lot more to do with the guys who are next to you I would agree with that I'm just just a fun little nugget to share it is fun welcome to the show that cloned the Loch Ness monster and got her drunk the drive with Josh Graham we are now sharing with Darren Vaught from USA baseball on Twitter at Darren Vaught I'll get to my NFL draft bingo board in about five minutes or so but since it is Thursday every week we have our throwback Thursday segment and since the Boston Red Sox got away scot-free essentially yesterday I figured we'd do the Imagine Dragons for the Boston Red Sox but before we do so very quickly Darren what was your biggest takeaway from the punishment handed down on your beloved Red Sox well I think it's fair to ask questions because comparatively it seems like they got away with a lot more than the Houston Astros did and it's just it's very possible look it's totally possible that the extent to which they went with the cheating was so much lesser than the Astros that this is the appropriate punishment but the questions in play to me are like you know Alex Cora was only punished according to those handed down by Major League Baseball for his involvement in the Astros cheating scandal and the brunt of this was put on the video guy the head video guy for the Red Sox whereas the guy for the Astros got away with it so I think it's entirely possible that Major League Baseball in in short wanted a scapegoat wanted to set an example but didn't want this to linger so they lessened the punishment and will continue to do so for further teams using the Astros as the hey don't mess with us all right hopefully we have baseball sometime soon in the next month and a half or so until then every Thursday we will be listing off the Imagine Dragons for many of your favorite teams we discovered who the Nickelbacks of Major League Baseball were Doug Mankiewicz Marcus Giles Johnny Estrada he might be a top five Nickelback of Major League Baseball now we're looking for the players who embody the last decade of baseball no not the best players this is the Imagine Dragons of 2010s baseball so yeah we're looking for the most memorable guys not necessarily the best here are some guys who don't apply I don't think Darren there are a lot of them Mookie Betts KD Martinez Ellsbury Buchholtz Bogarts Jackie Bradley Adrian Gonzalez Chris Sale Rick Porcello Dustin Pedroia David Ortiz John Lester John Lackey Jake Peavy that's the extent of the list do you disagree with any Josh Beckett's more of a Nickelback if you wanted to have the designation I think his time in the 2010s was more with the LA Dodgers than it was the Red Sox but I could throw him in there anyway sure yeah no I think he's off-limits there's that there's one in there that is it may be the first pitcher on my list that I'm gonna contend porcello no no no no I think clay buckles oh for an imagine dragon you know what I'm going to allow it I will allow that Julian big Red Sox fan writes in Brock Holt of course and he included a fun fact do you want me to share you the fun fact included absolutely Holt is the only player to ever hit for the cycle in a World Series game he was also the lone all-star and the lost 2015 season for Boston yep that is accurate and his name is Brock so he obviously was the first hitter on my list I'll tell you the first name on my list it's mr. Jenny Dell will Middlebrooks yeah third baseman will Middlebrooks there's a lot of interesting stories with that apparently she is the one that was once with Nessen who reported on the team and then dated a player right yes that is 100% correct so who do you got next that might as well be a first name of Brock I've got another one who fits the culture perfectly Jared Sauta Lamakia excellent Robert do you want to take a crack at spelling Jared Sauta Lamakia no but when you were naming players that were disqualified from being imagined dragons it just sounded like you were listing off of fireworks from Joe dirt there for a little bit can you give me some of those names from like vogue art yeah very sale porcello but draw ski I'll take two of those for George keys in a one Bogart please uh I'll throw in a Daniel Nava yes that's perfect I'm getting a lot of this on social media a lot of Koji Yui Hara oh you know you know I stand this the Japanese guys often too good too good to be an imagined dragon great closer got the final out in the World Series how about drew Palmer ants good one I like it who's next on your board catcher Ryan Lavarn way don't know who that is damn all right sure all right I got a I got a picture I got a picture I want to throw in here okay this might be the best picture I have here Felix du Brant all right give me I have time for one more here Darren give me the best one you have on your board this one will knock your socks off guaranteed Mike Napoli yeah someone writes in Johnny Gomes he's a Nickelback well he played in the early 20s he was lower on my list but I had yeah he's a Nickelback I remember I was at a game left field seats at Camden Yards and somebody was cursing out Gomes and he gave him the middle finger behind his back like like behind his glove behind his back so nobody else could see it sorry jobs California guy Brent tweets in Matt do you agree with either either of these two from Brent on Twitter Matt Albers or Quentin Barry too obscure those two obscure yeah absolutely right I'll let you throw in one more might be a really prominent player from the time that I think enough time has passed and he's now a match from Imagine Dragons dice came up through Zaka Wow sure that sounds like another fireworks stand name give me give me some dice game to tell me you ain't got no dice K no you don't got any matzah Zaka matzah Zaka do maka Zaka don't Darren it's good to hear from you man thanks for doing this likewise I'll see you guys later all right that's Darren every week we screw around talk about baseball you wanted to hear some great sports talk well here it is the drive with Josh Graham it's not ironic it's just coincidental on sports hub triad I've said it many times there's no introductory clause that will perk the ears of sports fans up more than Adam Schefter tweeted fill in the rest of the blank well he just posted on Twitter a Tua update where apparently an ESPN reporter spoke with dr. Thomas Byrd who's a hip specialist in Nashville he was the independent evaluator of Tua and his medical recheck and Stephanie Bell reports three three three things struck me in my conversation with Byrd number one his x-rays looked quote pristine to cat scan of right hip mirrors his left hip so both of those seem to be right and number three quote it looks as good as he's ever seen in the five-month out from a similar injury to this so you knew that there was gonna be some information being pushed out here right before the draft it always seems to happen and there it is on the Tua front it just seems like to me that the Miami Dolphins or somebody's gonna make a mistake here and pass all the guy for Justin Herbert but we're now being joined by Adam Gold our early afternoon host I know you've been spending a lot of time on the draft as well mistakes they happen every single year at the top of the draft when you look at this year what mistake do you think you could see coming from a hundred miles away that might happen in the top ten tonight drafting Justin Herbert today at any point at any point today what don't you like other than the fact that he doesn't really this of course is based on what I've read and I don't know if the tips are good or not I he's a good dancer as far as I could tell but and I'm not a professional evaluator of quarterback but nobody that everybody that I have talked to but basically said I mean he's got a big arm and he's tall and he's a good athlete but he's really not even as good as Josh Allen was and Allen was probably a reach just has physical gifts but he doesn't even have that kind of an arm I think people are this is what happens in every draft we reach for quarterbacks because oh if we don't have a quarterback here's what I will promise the team that drafts Justin Herbert and could I be wrong sure but I think numbers are on my side the odds are on my side the team that drafts Justin Herbert will draft a quarterback three years from now Adam gold with the series on Twitter that Twitter at a goal fan listen to the Adam Gold Show noon to three right here on sports up try it okay I have an NFL draft bingo board for people to fill out the night and it includes terms such as ceiling intangibles grinder high motor is a part of this and deceptively fast do you have a favorite draft terminology deceptively fast and white wide receiver are the same right gym rat I believes the best term well that white wide receiver that would be a coach on the field and deceptively fast are the same you from this in your professional opinion who's more deceptively fast Joe burrow or Justin Herbert burrow burrows burrows the total package I mean he can he processes things quickly that's the thing about Justin Herbert Justin Herbert's played in college college offenses which take take reads away from you they don't allow you to read defense which is one of the things that if you have you've noticed that a Baylor quarterback has never been anything other than a disaster in the NFL so they never have to read a court reader defense or even call the play because that's what college offenses do they eliminate one side of the field or they here's your this receiver will be open because there aren't enough good quarterback quarterbacks in college football so everybody's playing zone defense and here we know this guy's gonna be open so it's much easier but Herbert isn't even accurate with wide open receipts and that's the thing I mean can you improve accuracy Steve Logan former ECU coach and longtime offensive guru has told us you can only approve they improve accuracy by so much either have it or you don't so I cam Newton in terms of accuracy is essentially the same quarterback that he's always been you know when he's with his mechanics are really good he's pretty active and when his mechanics are bad which is too often he is wildly in act Aaron Rodgers I can't remain throw almost every pass Aaron Rodgers throws is exactly where it's supposed to be thrown he has that ability Justin Herbert doesn't have that I don't mean I don't know about two if two is healthy if two didn't hurt his hip he would have been the second pick in the draft maybe even the first pick depending on who you talk to but he would have been the second pick in the draft I know there's some people probably thinking oh a Baylor quarterback should never been good what about that one season that rg3 had but you mentioned something very important that he wasn't really asked to read defenses I was talking to somebody about mine who was very close to the Redskins that year and apparently about 1,300 of the 3,100 yards that rg3 had that season passing what came from one play where it would be some type of an RPO he'd look right and he would either throw the ball away or he would throw it to somebody on a drag on the right side so he wasn't rolling out to the wrong end like 1,300 it was charted of the 3,100 yards he had was on one play they weren't asking him to do a lot and still even then rg3 went up to Kyle Shanahan at that time and said hey I want to pick up more I want to do more and apparently the response was you don't know anything well that's the Baylor that was the Baylor office it was never no Baylor quarterback under Art Briles and that's who he said coach one they have met they were never asked to call a play the plays were called for them they knew which the open receiver was going to be and if that receiver wasn't open run that's essentially what they were told to do and that's fine college college offenses college coaches are not supposed to train quarterbacks for the NFL they're supposed to win games and that's I got no problem with that we have to understand that that's why you've seen a lot of NFL offenses go to RPOs and more college themed office is because this is what's coming in so you're you're almost moving away from guys calling plays and reading forget about calling plays no quarterback calls plays last one to do that was paid men but they're almost not even you know asked to read defenses anymore this is what was this is what we're gonna do and you know as as you get more advanced then you could take that next step it's one of the reasons we all thought Jamis Winston was going to be better as a quarterback because he played the pro style offense in college they were he was asked to read defenses and occasionally change the play at the line of scrimmage so he was advanced mentally he just wasn't advanced advanced emotionally to play in the NFL speaking of Baylor and a little over 30 minutes I will reveal my final smock draft that we have here my final smock draft and then Joe Person gonna join us from the athletic Panthers beat writer Adam Gold with us here on the way out though how concerned should I be tonight I mentioned on your show that I would dress like Joe Exotic I cut my hair into a mullet for a week if Carolina doesn't pick Simmons Ken law or who am I forgetting here Derek Brown number seven in the draft they'd have to remain at seven it has to be one of those three guys how worried should I be going into tonight if well Brown and Ken law will definitely be there Simmons might be there but I don't see Brown or Ken law going ahead of that but if those three players are sitting there at number seven and it very well could be because we know that three quarterbacks are going in the top six I mean that's just that's almost an absolute mortal lock you know that the second pick is going to be chase young and you're gonna start being tackled well the Giants take a tackle probably so if if those three players are all sitting there at seven if I were the Panthers I would trade back and my hair would be safe if that happened so they have to pick at seven so that's I mean I just got to make sure I just got to make sure I got to make sure that I don't look like a fool I already sound like one I got a I got to make sure I look somewhat okay here that is that is a you problem Adam we as we say in the in the trade enjoy the draft tonight what broadcast are you gonna watch I'm gonna watch game seven of the 2006 Stanley Cup final on Fox Sports Carolina it's not on ol in no no this is an NBC game I have I have the hurricane minus 165 tonight hmm I have a good feeling on that Justin Williams guy to get on the board later we'll see what happens Adam thanks for doing this my friend word that is Adam gold our early afternoon hosts noon to three you could listen to him right here on sports up giant coming up I I think there's a clear-cut best option for Carolina at number seven I really do and I'll tell you who that is next on the drive