From Thirty for Thirty Podcasts. Brian Patter, senior defensive lineman from Miami. Gun down. The key to this case, it's Brian. An hour before he died, he was on the phone arguing with Tabaki.
This might be a hit. You want the truth. They just want a conviction. Being placed under arrest. We had to kill our monsters.
Murderer. This is The Rich Eisen Show. Hey, everybody! Can't get enough of The Rich Eisen Show? You're in luck.
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Now, on with the show. This is the Rich Eisen Show. And I'm living my best life right now. Rich Eisen. Michigan makes the final floor by curb stomp in Tennessee.
From the Rich Eisen Show studio in Los Angeles. Duke gets latenered in front of the whole country. Today's guests. ESPN NFL draft analyst Matt Miller. NFL network reporter Mike Garifolo.
NBC Sports Bay Area 49ers reporter Matt Mayoko. And now, it's Rich Eisen. It's the Tuesday of the final week of March. It is the last day of March here on Disney Plus, the ESPN app, ESPN Radio Series XM, Channel 80. We've got a lot of football on the brain and why not?
We're waiting for more March Madness to be played. The women's final four is set in South Carolina. And also Texas join UConn and UCLA with emphatic Well Elite Eight wins on Monday night. The men's final four is set. We've got ourselves a big day in the NFL neighborhood with the NFL annual league meetings hitting their biggest day of all their work.
Rules, proposals, rules, changes to be voted on. Lots of meetings. There is a coach's photo that we love to break down every single year. We've been doing that for almost a decade. We have a lot of fun with that.
That's coming up on this program. Matt Miller of ESPN has. Come up with a mock draft of all seven rounds. It's not a game for me.
Well, it's definitely not a game. But uh We are wondering what he does for spare time. And he's going to join us in about 18 minutes' time for that conversation. Also on this show, Matt Mayoko is going to be joining us from the league meeting to talk about. Jed York saying that he still would like Brandon Ayuk back, and John Lynch saying that George Kittle could be back for week one, and the head coach talking about how.
Ayuk eventually is going to work itself out.
So we always love talking about the Niners. That's in hour number three. Mike Garifolo, my colleague at NFL Network, who along with the rest of NFL Network will become Disney employees by the end of tonight. He will be joining us in hour number two because we'll also make fun of his photography. We took that first look at the coach's photo, and we thought we'd be able to use it and break it down and have fun right on the spot.
There was, you know, a poll right in the middle. Yeah, very far away. Breaking up the Harbaughs who were sitting together.
So, anyway, Mike's going to join us in hour number two. Hello, Chris Bergman. Good to see you. Jason Feller. Hey, Chris Spotted.
Good to see you. TJ Jefferson, candle is lit over there. Good to see you. Candle is lit.
Okay, so candle's lit and. as I mentioned, when the league meets at the owners' meeting, the coaches get broken up by conferences. One day, they're all having breakfast at a table and the media sits around them. And then the other conference has the next day. The media sits around them and asks them questions.
And it's the first time we've seen them or got a chance to speak with them or hear from them since the Combine. They used to literally have breakfast. Back in the day, they used to have breakfast, and the coaches would be sitting there and their eggs would be getting cold, and we're asking them questions. And it was really weird and awkward. And I don't think there's breakfast anymore, but the tables still exist.
I don't get it. But, you know, there are just ways for the NFL to just keep things the same, but then switch things up.
Now it's probably egg whites. I don't know. Maybe we eat no egg whites, bro. I bet not. I thought Braybo was drinking the orange juice like Bill did.
Yeah, I guess back in the day. Yeah, I think Andy is probably a breakfast meat guy. Yes. You know? No doubt.
He was a meat lover right there. But Andy was at this owner's meeting. He was not at the Combine because he was having surgery on his knee. He stayed put. And probably watched the broadcast that Daniel, Jeremiah, and yours truly were.
We're anchoring. Who didn't? I appreciate that. But Bob Costas wasn't. He hates the comedy with the fury of a thousand sons.
And long story short, this is now Andy Reid's first time meeting with the media since probably week 18 and right after. uh the exit interview that he was doing via zoom from his office And this took place. Just a week or so after Patrick Mahomes decided to post a snippet of him working out. And fading back, and looking like he was bouncing around on that surgically repaired leg. with the ACL and um MCL having been torn in week 15.
Andy Reid, is your quarterback going to be ready for the season? Hit it. He's doing good. It's hard to measure: are you ahead of schedule or not? I mean who makes the schedule, right?
So every and every player is different. I will tell you though Um I would never bet against him. He's always going to put in the time and effort.
So and always push it Yeah. but within reason, so he doesn't. take steps back.
So far it's all been positive. He's starting week one. Man, hi, hi. He's starting week one. Justin Fields is looking like Brock Osweiler in the background.
Come on. I finally get to Kansas City, and I've got this guy. Yeah, that guy. I think he knew that going in, though. Why else would, again, we said at the time, why else would Mahomes put that video out?
Right, exactly. Other than to say, I'm working hard and I'll be back week one. Remember me? Don't forget? Don't forget.
I don't think he's got that sort of. You know, don't forget about me, Gene, because how could we forget about him? The greatest quarterback. Ever Before turning thirty. All of those metrics that Brady set, he has matched and surpassed.
That's a fact. And then that is the question about The next iteration, though. of the Kansas City Chiefs. Dynastic run. Last year it came to a crashing close, the it being.
making the playoffs, making the AFC Championship game at the very least. Lasting as long as Overtime in the AFC Championship game without making a Super Bowl. That's the earliest Mahomes that had been eliminated until last year. Isn't that incredible?
Okay.
So why else would he do such a thing? Post it. And at the end of the day, Yeah. Come back and lead the Chiefs to who knows where? That's the question.
And one of the things we'll be asking Matt Miller When the Kansas City Chiefs were on the clock twice, what do they do? Do they hit that defense? Did they give a new piece to Mahomes? Kelsey's coming back. That three-year deal is basically like a a A once a one-year deal to go as long as uh Kelsey wants to keep playing.
We'll see what they do. They added Kenneth Walker for the run game, which is fascinating. Mahomes has not had a thousand-yard rusher since Kareem Hunt's. First year in the league. That's how long it's been since the Chiefs have had a thousand-yard rusher in support.
of Mahomes. That's one way to welcome him back. Don't throw it as much? Don't have to rely on him as much, certainly not running himself. But an encouraging result.
From Andy Reid Today.
Meanwhile, uh we had not heard from Clint Kubiak. Since Max Crosby left and came back. Went to Baltimore for a hot minute. And then returned. We'd heard from John Spytek, who appeared on a Raiders Team podcast.
about Max Crosby. This is what the New head coach of the Las Vegas Raiders had to say about Crosby's deal and then no deal. Yeah, I think anytime there's a trade, you always know that it could go down that way.
So, I mean. Yeah. Once it happened, I was really excited. When Spy came and talked to me about it, we sat down, and my first thing was a smile. Like, oh, we got Max back.
You kidding me? That's great. I sent him a text because I'm sure he was getting enough people calling him. And then he was back in our building the next day, doing his rehab, kind of like nothing. Like nothing ever happened, so Oh.
I see I see Max. You know, all the time at the facility, he's one of the first guys there every day. You know, I've said that, John said that.
So it's been really good in this time before the players all get there to get to know him a little bit better. What's more likely Tuesday? More likely that Max Crosby. is just there and this is all one big Cover. to get his trade value back up.
In time for the draft or in time for a trade eventually. Or we'll be looking back on that trade as like the best thing to happen to Clint Kubiak and the Raiders because he is such a crucial part of their. Come back. And this team has taken a turn with Clint Kobiak. Has figured it out, and Max Crosby will be a massive part of it.
What is more likely? T.J. Jefferson, I go to you first. But it's more likely he'll be there. And that he will lead the he will this will be the greatest thing that happened.
I kind of feel like we all kind of poo-pooed the Raiders, but low-key. I think something could be going on there that might be a little special, so Chris? Yeah, it's the first one. I mean you think he's gone? Yeah, for sure.
How can all the toothpaste and Easily. Get put back in the bottle. Easily. Yeah. Because he didn't burn a bridge.
Yeah. He went on his pod. And said a Fond farewell, always be a raider type of thing. Other raid things. He may have not burned the bridge.
But the raiders didn't burn the bridge either. They traded him. I know. It was a done deal on their end. Like, we're broken up.
It's over, bro. Correct. Because don't get to move back at his behest. Get all your stuff. You know, you can still stay here while you find a new place to live.
Yeah, you know how many times that people take people back after they've booted them and broken up with them? Happens, what, millions of times?
Now for two first-round picks. What's the Raider fans say? Here, Coach. Yeah, he's staying. Stay hope.
You wanted him to stay. Yeah. You as a Raider fan couldn't believe that this was actually happening. How could you not? Or you did believe it because it was a very Raider.
Like result. Of the football gods continuing to kick you and the Nards as well. Exactly. I think it worked out in a mysterious way, and it's going to be great for us. I hope.
That's kind of how I feel. The hierarchy. Yeah, you something. You didn't go back. Again, I kind of think, again, I haven't.
Reached out. Maybe I should do that. You think he's staying right?
Well, or no. I think that the Trauma And I understand there's real life trauma in the world. I'm talking about sports world first-class problem, athlete trauma. The So let me come up with a better word for it. The emotional Swing Of the trade not occurring and him being back in Vegas.
I think potentially supersedes the emotions that he had about asking to go. That's what I think. I could see that happening. I could him see him saying, I tried it. Clearly wasn't meant to be.
Clearly, I'm in the right place. Clearly in the same way that the Ravens saw Who left their team. and the holes that was required of them to fill. In the first 24 hours of free agency, the window being open during which they Had some independent doctors take a look at MRIs and things of that nature that they had already had access to and decided, let's trade for them anyway. that at the same time Maxall, who's coming?
And he saw some smart moves. Potentially. In Linderbaum. In Nicole B. Dean.
Who Chose the Raiders over the Cowboys. Um and others And he sits there and goes, Okay, I see you. And the Raiders had enough cap space to absorb this. Reversal. That's entirely possible and feasible.
And maybe Whatever caused him to say, I want out of here. He's now figuring out I am seeing What's happening? And the football gods have also saw fit to Put me back here.
So I'll stay. And there won't be anything from him to say, yeah. The request to to get out hasn't changed at all. What's just changed is the way that it's going to happen. I don't know.
What's more likely? I think the other way is more likely. Certainly, if he's there every day seeing the guys, liking the guys, enjoying the guys. Then June hits, then he gets feeling better. Mendoza shows up, digs the kid, sees the kid getting ready.
They also get a veteran that might be able to back him up or. Keep him sat. You know, sort of like Drake May. Don't hit the kid. Don't hit the kid.
Don't hit the kid. Right. Put him in the red jersey, right? I mean, that was that article that our friend Mike Silver wrote for the athletics saying that Gruden kept telling him not to hit. the quarterback in the red jersey so much that he threatened to, what, Benjamin cut him or what have you.
And it ended up that article prior to the trade that Crosby had such hard feelings about what had gone down there in Vegas and you know To the point where They might have to get him out of there to keep Fernando Mendoza safe. Like he Thoroughly intimated that at the end of his article. That might be removed now. That was the last sentence, if I'm not mistaken. Correct, it was.
It was quite an emphatic thud to the end of his. His um His article in column.
So an opinion on it.
So maybe the mood swing from Baltimore has changed that. And that's what the coach is echoing. But in this day and age of Cynicism. for good reason, and I'm pointing to Chief Cynic of The Rich Eisen Show, That there are many things that are said publicly. Just to throw sand in your face and not pay attention to what's going on.
Hey, it's raining. No, it's not. No, cry. All right, let's take a break. Matt Miller is going to join us next.
I could just tell you this: of his seven-draft, seven-round mock draft. Fernando Mendoza is number one. Oh, okay. Can't confirm. But after that, there's lots of interest to say the least.
And Matt Miller's going to join us next right here on the Rich Eisen Show. Don't you dare go anywhere. Mm-hmm. The Rich Eisen Show Podcast. O'Reilly Auto Parts can help take the guesswork out of your check engine ABS or maintenance light with O'Reilly Veriscan.
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Here on the Rich Eisen Show, everybody, ESPN NFL draft analyst, everybody check it out on ESPN.com and all of Matt's channels and pages, the 2026 seven-round NFL mock draft. Again, it's not real, it's a mock draft. Just in case you're like, wait a minute, we just saw this on ESPN.com. The real draft go down?
So. Interesting, let's start off at the very top, Matt, because we know it's Fernando Mendoza 1. And The pro day for R. Vell Rees, there was a lot of negative coverage on that actually. that I saw that people were Um poo-pooing a little bit the kid and his m uh his uh real pro day uh at the Ohio State.
You still think the Jets choose him second overall, Matt? Yeah, I do. And I think the draft process is probably a little bit too long because we really start to over evaluate things. You know, when we're talking about shin angle, yeah, that stuff, there's a reason to measure it and to pay attention to it. But, you know, I keep this sticky note on my desk that says draft good football players.
And I do think like it ultimately has to go back to what did we see from August through Christmas? Who stood out? And then what we're supposed to do from then until now is to see, is there anything, any type of outliers from a measurement standpoint or a medical standpoint, a statistical standpoint? You start to maybe weigh those things against the tape. For Arvel Reesek, we know what he is.
He is an upside. He's an ascending player. He only had 97 pass rush reps last year.
So, no, he's not going to have the same toolkit that someone that's played defensive in for four or five years is going to have. That's just the nature of what we're getting with that prospect.
So unfortunately, I think there's a little bit of over evaluation that happens with guys like him at the top of the class. I think you can get some people that are either bored or some people that know that they will make a name for themselves by some degree by being a critic of a player that's widely known to be a top prospect, but I still think the Jets. Have that decision between R. Vill Rees and David Bailey from Texas Tech. Which pass rusher do they want?
Do you want the proven commodity of Bailey or the upside of Reese? I don't know that there's a wrong answer there, but I think that's where they're at right now. And then that happens. The Cardinals do go with Francis Maunoa. From Miami, you think that that is going to be Arizona's choice at the end of the day?
Yeah, I think given what Arizona has, where they're at right now, there's not a quarterback that they should take here. And I know a lot of people who are maybe just now coming into the draft process say, well, hey, they need a quarterback. Yes, they absolutely do, but there's not one that is valued in the top. 10, 15 for me, not even in the top 32 picks this year, other than Mendoza.
So Arizona would be wise to build that infrastructure for the quarterback that they can bring in next year in a very talent-rich quarterback crop that's expected.
So I think setting the table, you have Paris Johnson Jr., you have Francis Maninoa.
Now you have those bookends that can protect for whomever that guy is next year. And you have some offensive weapons there. Trey McBride is a blue chip tight end. Michael Wilson's a very good receiver. We hope that Marvon Harrison Jr.
explodes and becomes the player that he was expected to be coming out of Ohio State now that they have a new scheme and eventually a new quarterback there. Matt Miller here on The Rich Eisen Show. You have Jeremiah Love going to Tennessee fourth overall.
Now, Matt. Um Um Long before Adam Schefter showed up on Pat McAfee's show four times a week. And is everywhere else on ESPN after that? Um He was born into television on NFL Network. And he and I talked a lot.
And I knew him back in college.
So I'm conversant in Schefter. as well as his body language. And him saying that there is no Tennessee Titan interest. In Jeremiah Love, fourth overall, doesn't see it. And the way that he kind of looks at the moment.
And his face. Speaks volumes. You still think Jeremiah Love is going to go fourth overall to the Tennessee Titans at the end of the day? over Schefter's knowledge and facial expressions. Matt.
I love Shefty. And I begged him. The five years I've been at ESPN, I begged him to do a mock draft, right? Let's put that info out. Let's see what happens.
But I do also think that this is the time of year where things change. I can remember the year when it was, hey, San Francisco is going to take Mac Jones at three. And everyone was adamant about that until about this time, three and a half weeks before the draft. That's when things started to change.
So I trust Chefty. I mean, I trust him with. all the information. I would probably trust his weather forecast over my local weather guy. I don't know about that.
I do think that might be a little bit more. Adam has reception, but maybe not Doppler. You know what I mean? Like that's not the radar he has. But there's time for decisions to change, and especially with free agency.
Tennessee was active in free agency. They trade for Jermaine Johnson. They trade Tavondre Sweat, a very good nose tackle for Jermaine Johnson. They get John Franklin Meyer.
So they've checked off those needs. That you would think at the top of this draft, they would be in a position to get an edge rusher.
Well, they went and got two of those guys. And so you look at where they're at at four. If it's not Jeremiah Love, is it a little bit early on one of the wide receivers like Carnell Tate from Ohio State or Makai Lemon from USC? Do they see something in their offensive line that we don't? To where maybe they would say, okay, let's go with a Spencer Fano from Utah or a Monroe Freeling or Caden Proctor.
Maybe they think they need to go that route, but they have. JC Latham and they have some other guys up front that they've invested in.
So it really also gets to that point of like logically, you're either quote-unquote reaching for Jeremiah Love because he's a running back, or you're looking at other non-premium positions like Sonny Styles, who's a linebacker from Ohio State, or Caleb Downs, a safety from Ohio State.
So I go back to Love as the best player in this class, in my opinion. And they have a need there. They absolutely have a need with Tony Plard and Ty J. Sparks. Why not help out your guy in Cam Ward and give him this dynamic, rare running back prospect that can help put that offense over the top?
Makes sense. I mean, everybody talks about how he's Bijan. Like, right? And so, why wouldn't you want to have that dynamic person right next to Cam Ward? in his second year.
In the same way that we've seen some mocks that love somehow drops to Washington. Um seventh overall. And you can place him next to Jaden Daniels in his second full year. uh health um obviously being uh good to him As the quarterback of the Washington Commanders.
So let's say love goes to Tennessee as you have in your mock. That leaves every other Ohio State player available for the Giants, and you think they go downs. Why do you think that would be their choice, fifth overall? Yeah, and I think I said on your show at the comment race that I could see New York being in on Jeremiah Love if he happened to fall past 10 ST.
So that would be something worth watching. But I look at Caleb Downs and we have John Harbaugh, the head coach of the New York Giants now. Historically, he's had some great safeties, Ed Reed, Kyle Hamilton. I think he values having that quarterback on the back end. Also, a culture setter.
Caleb Downs won at Alabama and Ohio State. He's played under Nick Sabin. He's played under Matt Patricia. Maybe he doesn't have those elite physical Derwin James type measurables, but he does have elite football character, IQ instincts. He's versatile.
He can play anywhere across the defense. And I've talked to offensive coaches of the college who said, we taught our quarterbacks, find number two before the snap. Just identify number two, and we're probably going to go away from him. And so I think for Harbaugh, where they would be at in this draft with this, the board falling this way, they no longer really need a middle linebacker because they went and got Shemaine Edmonds, but they do need a safety. And Downs could be that quarterback on the back end for them.
Okay.
And then Tate would be available. For the Browns, do you think that would be Todd Monkin's first draft choice? I do. I think you don't have a quarterback, so you better get somebody that can catch the ball when it comes at them.
So, again, don't reach for a quarterback in this draft. If you don't love Ty Simpson from Alabama, don't draft him this early. Carnell Tate had one drop last year. He has great hands, great route running ability, and he kind of fits the mold of where the NFL is going with these wide receivers like Puka Nakua and Jackson Smith and Jigba. Guys who aren't elite in terms of speed.
But their route running is professional. Like they're just ready to come in and run a full route tree, and they're able to separate because of that. That's what Tate is. He's never going to, what was it, 4-5-3 at the combine, kind of in that range for the 40-yard dash? It doesn't matter because he's able to get open with timing and great footwork.
And he uses his 6-1, 200-pound frame really well to high-point the ball and also to box guys out.
So then you got the final four of your first top 10 here: Mansour Delane going to Washington, and then Bailey, Bain, and Styles going to the Saints. Chiefs And Bengals, I mean, you could have done a mock draft where Bailey, Bain, and Styles were in your top five, and that wouldn't have made people bad and I. And that would be some great value for those teams if this is the way it falls, right, Matt? Oh, without a doubt. And like you said, it could be Bailey at two, Bain at three, Styles at four.
Those guys could go very, very early. And that's the fun thing about a mock draft is. Who's going to slip through? Because it happens every year. We will be sitting there in Pittsburgh Thursday night being like, how is this guy still on the board?
It happens every year. And for me, this year it would be Sonny Styles at 10. And I think there are a lot of teams starting at five that could take Sonny Styles. He is an elite athlete, a converted safety who's playing linebacker, who also has shown he can rush the quarterback if needed.
So there's a lot. of upside there, but also the proven production. He was the guy we were talking about in August, September. We weren't talking about R. Bel Reese yet.
We were talking about Sonny Styles and Caleb Downs.
So he would be an absolute steal at 10 for the Bengals, a team that, you know, they've got to get faster and more explosive on defense. They've missed on a lot of former first-round picks on defense.
So hopefully this would be kind of the turning of the page for them and getting an explosive physical playmaker in the middle of the field. Yeah, man. I mean, that Ravens, I mean, pardon me, that Bengals sort of Venn diagram of one circle of Bengals fans, another circle being Ohio State fans, that would be a very. Um, exciting pick for those that would be in the middle right there. Moving to your second 10 of the first round, we're entering sort of the sharpie.
Portion of the draft. Whoever is the best receiver available for the Dolphins, that's going to be 11. Makai Lemon is a very popular choice there for sure. You're also seeing Dylan Thieneman being a sharpie pick for the Vikings since he's got, you know. Harrison Smith written all over him.
And then it's whoever the top two defensive backs are available for the Cowboys at 12 and 20 on their draft board. You sharpie them in there. Right. Interesting, you got Kenyon Sadiq. It would be the second straight year, an incredibly athletic tight end goes 14th overall.
Last year was Tyler Warren. To the Colts. He was the second tight end off the draft board because of Colston Loveland. You got Kenyon Sadiq going to Baltimore. I'll give you the floor on what you.
You make of this second tenth of your mock. Yeah, no, you're right. I think there's a lot of these picks are going to start to become popular. And maybe not the player, but the position. Sure.
And I think when you evaluate a mock draft, you look at: okay, do you, how many times do you hit the player to the team? How many times do you hit the position to the team? You know, especially with Dallas, they could completely remake their secondary with these two picks. And this is a team that's set on offense. They have an offense that can make a run, but they couldn't stop anyone last year.
So we've seen them make those improvements in the front four.
Now's the time to find those young players on the back end. And young and also cost-controlled is the key here because they were paying elite money to corners. And now Trevon Diggs is gone. Deron Bland has a huge contract, getting McCoy in there, a player who I think would have been the number one corner in last year's draft had he been eligible. He tears the ACL in January, misses this season.
His pro day is actually this afternoon.
So hopefully we get to see him do some on-field drills, maybe a 40-yard dash. But I think he is the potential steal of the first round. And some of the, we could be talking about like a Devin Witherspoon, Christian Gonzalez. Type talent. I mean, he's that good in coverage.
He was a true shutdown player in the SEC. He's just been forgotten about a little bit because of that missed season this past year. Yeah. I mean, listen, they weren't both first-round picks, but. Quinnyon Mitchell and Cooper Dejine bang bang in the same draft, and how he's like, okay.
The secondary, we're kind of thumbs up. I think the Cowboys have that in mind with 12 and 20. Going into this year's draft. Like that would be part of their plan, and I believe in that regard. And then in any mock draft now, From 21 on down, I'm looking for Ty Simpson's name.
You don't have it here. Um, you do have the uh Steelers going tackle. Um, at 21 and Caden Proctor.
Some other names that jump out at you. The Bills going Omar Cooper Jr., the receiver out of Indiana for a nice nuther with DJ Moore toy. For Josh Allen and Joe Brady to play around with. I think Avion Terrell, that might be another Sharpie pick, right, with the Chiefs having flipped. Um Flipped uh You know, McDuffie to the Rams.
I'll give you the floor on your final first round here. Yeah, Avion Terrell, I mean, another play, he got hurt, popped a hamstring yesterday during his pro day, so that's going to limit him. But I think he's someone really similar to McDuffie, who started his career as a slot corner, was an all-pro, moved to the outside, was elite, and then got shipped off for this pick to the Rams. Avion's brother, AJ, plays for the Falcons. He is a Pro Bowl blue chip corner.
And you see a lot of the same traits from him. He's tough. He's very, very physical. You talk to people at Clemson and they rave about what he brings to the table from a toughness standpoint, from a football character standpoint. And despite being a little bit shorter-armed, right around 30 inches, I still think he would be a fit for what Kansas City does.
I mean, it's a team that develops. Corners very well. They just don't keep them. It's every four years. They're recycling their corner position basically.
So, this would be the start of that for Kansas City. You know, going offense at nine is a possibility. I think going offense here could be a possibility. But in this mock, getting Ruben Bain and Avian Terrell gives them weapons on defense. Let's not forget.
Two years ago when they won the Super Bowl, it was the defense they carried that team for most of the year. And in the playoffs, they were not that explosive offensive juggernaut. We got used to seeing when Tyreek Hill was there.
So building back the defense as you kind of get into this next iteration of what this team will be. We got probably another year of Travis Kelsey. Who knows what's going to happen at wide receiver with Rashi Rice?
So having that strong defense to rely on, I think, is a key for them.
Okay.
And then you do have Ty Simpson going first. On the second night.
So it wouldn't be a long wait for him. Why do you peg him for the Jets? You know, I think that's a team that the Jets and Cardinals are both in the same spot. And despite what Aaron Glenn says about Geno Smith taking them to the promised land this year, I do think this is a team that needs a quarterback, needs a young quarterback. Simpson only started 15 games in college.
That's the hard conversation that you have to have with him: he's at a minimum 10 games below the threshold of where NFL teams want a quarterback to be. He's 6'1. He's got good mobility. He's got an okay arm, but he's inexperienced. And it showed down the stretch last year.
I think the game against Indiana is a very good example of that. The game against Georgia, a good example of that. He has some growing up to do on the field in terms of processing speed, making better decisions, getting himself out of sacks by getting the ball out faster. But there's lots of talent here. The first nine games last year for Alabama, you would have thought he was going to be a top 10 pick.
And then the final six games happened. He got banged up a little bit. The Alabama offensive couldn't run the ball. But some of that also goes to him. And when you talk about a guy who got banged up, you go back to the size, all right?
6'1, 210 pounds. He holds onto the ball too long. How's that going to play in the NFL where the game is even faster, the defenders are even stronger?
So that's really the key for him. But I think the Jets put. Could be in that market, but if not. I said this yesterday. You don't have to marry yourself to a quarterback this year to the Jets or the Cardinals.
You can date one. You draft a guy in the second round because those expectations aren't there. You can move on from a second round pick if it doesn't work out. You draft a quarterback in the first, even if it's picked 32 instead of 33, the narrative's completely changed, and that player is now expected to be your future. Whereas second round, third round, cool, that's a developmental quarterback.
We'll see what happens. Yeah. And then you'd throw where Denzel Boston. To the Raiders and Casey Concepcion to the Giants. I think the fans of those teams would be happy about that.
How about this one? 43rd overall. You've got Eli Stowers, who we had on the program last week, going to Miami, which means Miami would go Makai Lemon. You have them Colton Hood, a corner and 30th overall pick from the trade of Jalen Waddell to Denver. And then Eli Stowers, that's not a bad first three-pick haul for the new regime there.
Matt, that would be pretty bad. Yeah. This is a team that has a ton of draft picks. That's the one that you go into this exercise and you write down Miami, okay, wide receiver, Miami corner, tight end. It's like, my goodness, they have, they have like 12 picks in this draft.
So this is a franchise-defining draft. They need to get this right with the new regime in there. And Stowers is someone I'm in love with as a player. I think what Harold Fannin meant to Cleveland last year, Stowers could mean to Miami, giving Malik Willis that easy option over the middle, but someone who has. record-setting explosiveness when it comes to vertical jump, broad jump, and then he has speed in the open field, also a former quarterback.
So he understands, I think, the position, understands how to be open to help his quarterback. If you could get him in Miami at this spot, I think that's a potential Pro Bowl player. The production would be there. The upside is there from an athletic standpoint and someone who's still really new to that position. And I'd like this pick for Minnesota Jadarian Price.
I hate to say it. I'm sorry with Jeremiah Love. The other Notre Dame running back in this draft, he's more than just the other. He's really good. And putting him in that offense.
with you know Aaron Jones and the rest of that running back room. would be a really nice Draft choice with Dylan Thienam in first round, second round. That's the beauty of these mock drafts. When you go deeper, Matt, than just the first round, you start building what it would look like for a team. Um, and then moving on, uh, in your last part of the second round, this is why I want to bring it up.
You have uh two more quarterbacks going, none of them named Carson Beck. You would have Garrett Nussmeyer being the choice to adding uh to Will Howard. In the quarterback room, most likely with Aaron Rodgers for the Steelers 53rd overall. And then you have the Rams using a second-round choice. On Drew Aller of Penn State, I'll give you the floor on both of those choices and why you think those would be fits.
Yeah, Carson Beck was tough. And I think he starts off the third round for me, going to the Arizona Cardinals. But I think it comes down to preference a little bit with these quarterbacks because we have these three players who have all dealt with injury. And first-round expectations. Beck, when he was at Georgia, we thought, hey, he'll be a future first-round pick.
His play dropped off in 2025. Then he tore his UCL, excuse me, 2024. Then he tore his UCL. And then I had a great bounce back here for Miami last year. But the question is, can he elevate a team?
He's been carried by some good teams. I think there's times in the pocket, he gets really, really careless when the pocket gets muddy. He gets a little bit frenetic. He wants to leave the pocket too early. With Nussmeyer and Aller, I think it's more of the conversation of they haven't had that opportunity to fail.
And some of that's because of injury. This past year, Nussmeyer gets hurt in fall camp, tries to push through the season, and you can tell it wasn't there. The zip was gone. He looked tight throwing the ball. He's also trying to work in a new casting character as a receiver.
I think that hurt his accuracy a little bit, but I still love the traits and the upside. We saw him at the senior bowl. We saw him at the combine. He looked really good in both those environments.
So taking him somewhere like Pittsburgh, where you can sit behind probably Aaron Rodgers for a year, acclimate, get a little bit healthier, and then maybe you're the quarterback of the future there. And with All. To the Rams. There's a lot of conversation about the Rams and Ty Simpson or the Rams and other quarterbacks. I go back to when they traded Jared Goff for Matthew Stafford.
They wanted someone in a quarterback that could open up the offense, that could hit all areas of the field with arm strength. That's why they got Stafford, who has elite, you know, historical arm strength. Drew Aller has that big arm. He has the mobility, 6'5, 225. He could see the whole field.
Now, the problem is, he really didn't have a lot of opportunity at Penn State. They were a run-heavy team in 2024. 2025, they come out. He looks okay. They struggle.
He gets hurt. And so it's that idea of. You know, did we see a player's season get cut short before he was going to take that jump? And that's, I think, where we're at with Aller, who is about potential. It's about upside.
I've long said I don't think the NFL really develops quarterbacks anymore. But these are the examples of players in the right spots, in the right systems that could be the exception to those rules. Great stuff, Matt. Really appreciate your time, your thoughts, and food for thought, and conversation starters. Greatly appreciate it.
We'll have you back on whenever you're willing. You got it anytime. Thanks, yes. You got it. The pennywise of NFL raft Matt Miller right here on the editor.
I'm not calling him a clown.
Okay, good. I'm just calling him like he's fearsome. And he likes Pounds. Stephen King, I mean, who doesn't? I kind of like what he had us doing there.
I know you do. You heard what he said about Jermaud McCoy, and you're like, okay, we'll take one of them. I even had my mic muted in. I know. I saw what you were doing.
I saw your reaction. 844-204-Rich, number to Donald. I have some reactions about what he just did about three second-round quarterbacks. Three. That's a large number.
That is a large number, certainly with the teams that are taking. Shout out to Drowler, man.
Okay, we take a break. That was fun with Matt Miller. You're next, 844-204-Rich. And the conversation started: The Rich Eisen Show, the podcast. As you know, managing maintenance, repair, and operations is never easy.
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So Matt Miller made reference to Aaron Glenn talking about Geno Smith leading the Jets to the Promised Land. Wouldn't that be something? If the guy that they drafted in the second round all those years ago comes back after never writing back. Right. After being written off to be the guy.
Hit it. It's something about A quarterback, and I'm gonna say a quarterback with a chip on his shoulder. Um And listen, he's proven a lot in this league of what he's done, especially when you take those times when he was in Seattle. Um Listen, he fits exactly what we're trying to do.
So, obviously, we've created an identity. The foundation of our offense is pretty good now. Like, I just feel like he's the guy that's going to lead us to the promised land. He's the guy that's going to touch the ball more than anybody else on offense. Listen, I love a coach's confidence and sunny disposition and optimism and glass half full.
That's what you need. You have to have that. Certainly if you're changing a culture, certainly if last year's first year was such a disaster. And Geno Smith is exactly, as I mentioned, when they signed him. And Jet fans were losing it, thinking that they were going to find their quarterback of the future, find their Mahomes, find their.
Alan, find, you know, fill in the blank now in free agency or this year's draft. They're not. And they know they're not, which is why, again, they've put all the draft capital possible From their mortgaging of their young Turks of previous drafts and Quentin Williams and and um sauce gardener. In next year's draft, they could have taken the Cowboys pick this year. They could have had 1 and 12 and 16 or 1 and 16 and 20.
And said, no, we will take one in 16 this year, the 16 from the Colts, and we'll take something from the Cowboys next year. Even though that could be in the bottom third, most likely, of the draft. If not the, you know, for what you would like. TJ, the last pick of the first round in next year's draft. Wouldn't that be something to celebrate that in Washington, D.C., of all places where the draft is next year?
But.
So, the Jets clearly looking into next year's draft, which is why, if they draft Ty Simpson, as Matt Miller said, with the first pick of the second round, rather than getting another young player. on a four-year contract. And getting a quarterback on a four-year contract rather than trading up one spot with the Seattle Seahawks to try and get a fifth year on Ty Simpson and put the pressure on the kid and like saying, all right. Yeah. Go show us something in practice when Gino's not.
Taking every snap.
So we won't take a quarterback with one of the many first-round draft choices we got in next year's draft just to choose a quarterback. That would put a lot of pressure on this Ty Simpson kid. That is for sure. In New York City. Certainly, if Geno has a lot of pick problems because there's some sort of an issue with the offense other than just Garrett Wilson and whoever they do draft, 16th overall, probably from the wide receiver position.
So I appreciate Aaron Glenn saying what he said. But what the Jets are trying to do right now is not lose a poop ton of games like they did last year. And Geno is a really good veteran quarterback when protected. And a really good guy to have in the locker room being an avatar for what Aaron Glenn is trying to sell. Totally.
But In the year, Jets fans being upset. I can't believe we're taking a retread. We're going back to Geno Smith again. Yeah, you are. Because who the hell else was going to come on their own volition?
Notice again, they traded for Gino. 'Cause if Geno was just cut by the Raiders, would he have chosen the Jets? I don't know. But now he is the Jets quarterback, and the coach is talking him up, which is a great thing to do. Love your quarterback like Jim Harbaugh loves his.
That would be my mantra as a coach. And that's a guy in Justin Herbert who doesn't need to have all that breathed into him, but Jim does exactly that good choice. The Rich Eisen Show Podcast. Mm-hmm.
