For some of us, personal finances aren't just personal. They include a lot more people than ourselves. Loved ones, neighbors, the communities we call home, and the causes we hold in our hearts. At SpryEvent, we help plan your financial picture with the bigger picture in mind. Because even though our business is helping guide your finances, our ambition is to make it mean so much more.
Thrive and where money means more. Connect with us at ThriveInt.com.
Now at McDonald's, a McDouble is $2.50.
So you can get your gym gains on or just get lunch for only $2.50. Get more value on the under $3 menu. Limit time only. Prices and participation may vary. Prices may be higher for delivery.
Bottom up bottom. This is The Rich Eisen Show. Hey, everybody. Can't get enough of The Rich Eisen Show? You're in luck.
You can find us everywhere. Watch us weekdays on Disney Plus from noon to 3 Eastern. Miss the show? We've got a podcast, so you can listen anytime. But here's the best part: our YouTube channel.
Subscribe at youtube.com/slash rich Eisen Show and you'll never miss a moment.
Now, on with the show. Oh my God, you guys are my favorite. This is The Rich Eisen Show. The one and only. Rich Eisen.
I know what I'm talking about. That's the headline. The Rich Eisen Show. With guest host, Brian Weber. I mean, honestly, he's brilliant.
Brian Weber. I've got a long resume. Google me. It saves time. From the Rich Eisen Show studio in Los Angeles.
And now, sitting in for Rich. It's Brian Weber. It is another hour of the program and it's great to have you with us coast to coast. Travel Day for Rich and the Fellows. Back with you tomorrow live from Pittsburgh.
Getting you set for the NFL draft and then Rich As the tradition continues, We'll take you through all the picks on NFL Network. Thursday. He'll do the show. Then he'll take a quick nap, I presume. Then he'll come back and handle all the action in prime time.
NFL draft eight Eastern. Of course you can catch it on ESPN, ABC. Rich with his team on NFL Network and here on ESPN Radio, Chris Carlwood, Max Starks, Mike Danenbaum. Ian Fitzpatrick, Jordan Reed and the gang. In twenty minutes, we will tackle more NFL draft conversation when we check in with Nick Baumgartner of The Athletic.
If you want to be a part of the show, you have a phone. It does work for phone calls. I know. This makes me sound like Andy Rooney. I still call people.
And yes, let's just talk about things you should not do in 2026. Apparently leaving a voicemail is now a crime against humanity. We'll pick up the phone. No need to leave a message. 844-204-Rich.
That is 844-204-7424. Or I appreciate the feedback. That is positive. I am deleting the negative thoughts on the X platform. Nothing toxic ever on social media.
We know that to be true. My handle is BW Weber, Weber with two B's. We're going to jump right in, talking Lakers, getting you set for. A much more interesting game two tonight. between LA and Houston, and I thought it would be heading into the weekend.
If you're in Minnesota saying, hey, loud radio guy, whoever you are. Why aren't you talking more about the timber wolves? We will address that. We're going to do it, come it up. Just over 45 minutes.
The reason I am not leading the hour, I'm taking you inside my own production meeting. The cast of thousands helping me in Bristol, but just a lonely man in a one bedroom apartment here in Southern California. The reason I'm not starting the second hour talking about The latest epic comeback. The T-Wolves have put together on the road in Denver after we saw a magnificent comeback last night by the Hawks down 14 at MSG to stun the Knicks. And that was a huge focal point of the first hour.
With a reminder, if you miss any portion of any program, you can catch it anytime on demand. The podcast drops $2. Just after the conclusion of the show. The reason I'm hitting the pause button on the Ant Man and company, evening things up and stealing home court advantage from the Nuggets last night, is I think that series is going seven games. Like it did a few years ago.
So there's going to be plenty of time to dissect. The nuances of what makes Minnesota such a tough matchup. And once more, I know this is boring. We never talk about defense just because it ain't sexy. But if you stayed up late, And so How Minnesota took Joker And Jamal Murray, out of that game of the fourth quarter, it's the latest reminder that they can lock you up defensively as Rudy Gobert.
Is not going to win another Defensive Player of the Year award so long as Wemby stays healthy, but still a premier one-on-one defender. Lakers and Rockets, I don't think, is going seven either way. But everything's contingent on the availability of Kevin Durant. Before we. Tackle what K D is up to.
It is worthy because there are a lot of rumblings here in SoCal. About the possibility that this could be LeBron's last postseason. I don't see it at all, but there was a long article. And I have a lot of respect for Damn Boicky. And Sam Amick of the Athletic that dropped on Friday with their.
Well-placed sources saying that LeBron still has Yet to make up his mind, does he want to play another year and does not necessarily need a farewell tour? But if you caught any of the game on Saturday... And you knew Once Durant was the late scratch after suffering the knee contusion in practice prior to game one. This was must-win for the Lakers, and they pounced on the opportunity. And LeBron What's more Fully embraced his role as a facilitator.
Nearly had the triple-double, 13 assists because that's what he's been doing when the Lakers were clicking as one of the hottest teams in all of basketball behind Donchich and Reeves. They both go out and you figure: okay, maybe this team wins a game, but it's going to be a quick and ugly first-round exit. And then everything changed because Houston looked lost without the ramp. The rant and load management are never in the same sentence.
However, you view him and his quirky habits on social media, the dude shows up. He played 78 games this year. You saw how much Houston missed. Him on the floor because they just looked like they were sleepwalking. They look a lot like the team.
That we saw last year. Remember, they were the two-seed against Golden State. And just did not show up at all in the postseason because that was their first venture as a young team. But if you're banging on, The Rockets for making that Durant trade. How did they look without him?
I think that validates everything Houston was looking for in getting the veteran who's still bowling out at a high level, especially in the outside. But game one, Setting the stage for tonight's game two. All about LeBron. And after the contest wrapped up, his head coach J.J. Reddick shared what he saw from the Kings' versatile game.
Yeah, I mean he displayed great leadership throughout. And I think we talked all week about being connected offensively and trusting the pass. And he led us there in the first half, getting ten assists and then was able to make some scoring plays down the stretch. Just a fantastic overall game from him. And he gave us all he had on the defensive end.
I mean, he really exerted himself on both ends, and that's what the playoffs are.
So, what happens tonight?
Well, first. Do we know if Kevin Durant is playing? And Keep it here at ESPN Radio, the ESPN family of networks. They will, because I'm just the film and host, keeping the chair warm, Brian Weber, Ain for Rich. Always appreciate the opportunity to interact with you, especially on the X platform.
That is BW Weber, Weber with Two B's in less than 15 minutes. NFL draft analysis from Nick Baumgartner of the Athletic. We don't know if Durant's going to go. I would be stunned if he's not out there. Then the question turns into this.
We're talking 75, 80 percent. How effective can he be? The other issue I saw from Houston, I didn't pick it up in real time, but social media means. Everyone now is a citizen journalist. Did you see the pregame video of Shangoon looking starstruck, trying to interact with LeBron?
Again. The NBA has proven Over the decades, a couple things. If you're not a top three seed, you're not winning the championship. I rattled off the four teams and the four teams only, I think, can win it all this year. And what's more, we're not talking much about OKC because We just don't.
And there's nothing to talk about now because they're going to continue to hammer the suns. You got them, you got the Spurs, who you'll recall if you care at all about the regular season, took four or five matchups head to head. Against the Thunder because they match up so well against them. And even though Chet Holmgren is an outstanding defender, he can't slow down the unicorn that is Wemby. I'll still ride with Denver.
Because even though they got the 13-game winning streak snap last night with a collapse for the ages again at home against Minnesota, this time kicking away a 19-point lead. Remember. This is a team that got destroyed by injuries. David Adelman had to use better than 30 different starting lineups this year, and they still won more than 50 games. for the fourth straight year.
And then in the east. This opinion becomes all the more strongly delivered. I think it's Boston and Boston only. And if we're just looking at how the brackets With the two seed. Hello, friends.
A line. in the history of the NBA. I used to be pretty good at being a human Google. We'll see if we can do that again here in 2026 in the final hour of the program. It's appointment audio coming up to wrap up the show.
We're playing the hits. We're going to log on to the World Wide Web. I'll bring in our producer, extraordinaire, James Steele, to go back and forth with topics I might have missed. In the history of the NBA, I looked it up this morning just to make sure I didn't need any prebigen as an old guy. Only two teams lower than the three seed of one at all: the improbable 95 Rockets.
And Don Nelson, the late, great Don Nelson, dined out on making that shot in game seven against the Lakers in 1969 as I continue to bury you with useless minutiae. What's going to happen tonight?
Well, Can you have any degree of conviction? As a Laker fan, that this team's going to shoot 60% again from the floor. And they shot 50% for three-point range. If you're a Laker fan. Are you telling me that Luke Kennard is going to be Magic Johnson again?
Wonderful story. I love dudes who show up out of nowhere. It reminded me of, because I do a lot of filming work during the NBA playoffs, whatever reason. 2023 Remember the Lonnie Walker IV. Not one, not two, not three.
Lonnie Walker, the fourth game against the Warriors. I don't blame you if you don't. It was. A complete meteor out of nowhere. Same thing with Kenard, who couldn't miss on Saturday night.
An absolutely insane performance. Do you believe any of those things are going to happen again? How about the fact that there was an actual DeAndre Aiton sighting? on Saturday night. You get the General vibe that I'm laying down here.
The Lakers did what they had to do. They seized the opportunity. But I think they're just postponing the inevitable.
Now, they win tonight, and we still don't know the availability of Kevin Durant. Then we're having a different conversation. Then we're talking about: okay, let's assume. Houston plays up to what we saw them do in the regular season. They won the same amount of games as last year, but the West certainly better with the.
Emergence of the Spurs. Let's say Houston then wakes up and we're talking about a six or seven game series.
Now are we brushing up against the possibility of a Luka return? Then things get spicy. But in terms of tonight, it's two prongs. You gotta tell me if Durant is playing, which I assume he will. And how much of KD are we getting?
Even if it's 75%. It's a calming influence for a young team. With Shangoon I'm at Thompson that just look overwhelmed. And I would be shocked if the Lakers can do anything similar to the magic they put together. on Saturday night, other than LeBron has dispelled The crowd that keeps chasing him.
I'm not LeBron, positive nor a basher. I appreciate the excellence. He does some things that mystify me. But for all the people trying to run him out of the NBA, did you watch him? On Saturday night, there's a team there.
Guy's 41 years old. He's played 23 seasons. Yeah, he missed a bunch of games this year because he was finally mortal. But in a role as a setup guy. who can still get his own buckets.
Absolutely transcendent. Put it this way: if you're looking for the hook for tonight's game. Will Bronnie James get on the floor?
Now, hopefully, if he gets back out there, because he did play four minutes, he does more than. The less than impactful showing we saw on Saturday night. But if we get to a situation where it's Brawny time, Lakers fans, You'll be riding the crest of momentum. I don't see it. And as someone looking for things to talk about, Series locked up, one win apiece, much more interesting, talking about how things could evolve moving forward, going back to Houston.
I'm Brian Weber in for Rich. You want to talk hoops? 844-204-7424 or You can tweet at me. I don't work for Elon. I still tweet.
You can post things on the X platform. BW Weber, Weber with 2Bs. Back to the NBA in just over a half hour. The fallout from what happened last night in Denver: another storied comeback by the T-Wolves on the road in the mile high. City straight ahead.
NFL draft talk. What exactly are the Raiders going to get when they select Fernando Mendoza with the number one overall pick? Looking forward to checking in with Nick Baumgardner, NFL draft analyst for the Athletic. I'm Brian Weber, always having a good time with you when I'm in for Rich. This is The Rich Eisen Show.
Rich Eisen here. I've traveled all over for some of the biggest NFL moments you can imagine: conference championships, Super Bowls, draft weekends, and everywhere I go, the city just feels different. It's buzzing, packed, electric.
Now, take that energy and multiply it by the entire world. That's what's coming this summer with the FIFA World Cup. Fans from every corner of the globe are gonna be traveling to experience it live. And when that many people come to town, they're all looking for a place to stay. And that got me thinking.
If you live in or near a host city, this is one of those rare moments. You already have a space. This summer, you could list your space on Airbnb while fans are in town for the FIFA World Cup, not as a full-time thing. not as some huge lifestyle change, just during an event when demand is naturally high. When I travel for big games, I just want a comfortable place in a real neighborhood, and that's exactly what so many visiting fans will be looking for.
If you've ever thought about listing your space, this summer is a great time as we welcome FIFA World Cup fans. Your home might be worth more than you think. Find out how much at airbnb.com slash host. Oh, oh, oh. O'Reilly!
Check engine, ABS, or maintenance light on? Take the guesswork out of your warning lights with O'Reilly Veriscan. The service is free and provides a report with solutions verified by ASE-certified master technicians. And if you need help, we can recommend a shop for you. Ask for O'Reilly Veriscan today.
Oh, oh, oh!
Alrighty. Auto parts. For some of us, personal finances aren't just personal. They include a lot more people than ourselves. Loved ones, neighbors, the communities we call home, and the causes we hold in our hearts.
At SpryEvent, we help plan your financial picture with the bigger picture in mind. Because even though our business is helping guide your finances, our ambition is to make it mean so much more. Thriveant, where money means more. Connect with us at Thrivent.com. The Rich Eisen Show Podcast.
Continue on this Tuesday edition of the Rich Odyssey Show here on ESPN Radio. Brian Weber back with you, Rich and the fellas. Return tomorrow. Live from Pittsburgh, getting you set for round one of the NFL draft on Thursday. Rich will hold it down as always on NFL Network.
Of course, you can see it with the coverage starting at 8 Eastern on ESPN ABC here on ESPN Radio with our talented crew, Chris Carwin, Max Starks, Mike Tanenbaum, Jordan Reed. and Ian Fitzsimmons no relation to Kevin Fitzpatrick, my best friend from high school. Let us talk, NFL. Pleased to be joined by Nick Baumgardner, draft analyst for the athletic. I am a subscriber.
You should consider that as well for outstanding content. And they did not require me to say that to have this conversation with Nick. Nick, I appreciate you taking the time. How are you? Very good.
How are you? I am doing well. Let's start at the top of the draft.
So, with the range of assessments of Fernando Mendoza in terms of pro potential, do you see him as a superstar, a franchise quarterback, reliable starter? Where would you slot him? Yeah, I think he's like somewhere in the middle of a franchise guy and a reliable starter. I think he's like. You know, I I've compared him a lot to Kirk Cousins, you know, a younger obviously version of Kirk Cousins, or Jared Goff is another good one too.
Um, you know, I don't want to call him like a mid-level guy, but I I'm n not an elite. tier starter, but a guy that I think is going to be able to play over multiple contracts and a guy that I think you can win with. I think that a guy that you can trust and a guy that if he's on a good roster with good people around him, I'm not sure that he's going to be able to like carry a team on his back alone or anything like this. He's not Patrick Mahomes or some one of these type of guys. I think he's a solid quarterback who's going to be a solid starter for a long time in the NFL.
Like I said, over multiple c contracts into his thirties, that type of guy. And, you know, also, most importantly, a guy who I think mentally is tough enough to handle the ups and downs of a rebuild, which is he's going to have plenty of those. Nick, I've also heard the comp of Matt Ryan. Do you buy that in terms of linkage to Mendoza? 100%.
I love that one because Matt Ryan got to a Super Bowl. Same with Goff, right?
So I think that any idea there is like. Yeah, right. And it's like the idea there is can you get to a Super Bowl and can you win a Super Bowl with a guy like this? And yes, I think that that's I think you can with a guy like Mendoza. And that's the most important thing.
And I think that that's why I think obviously for other reasons, but that's the number one reason why he's been pretty easily QB one in this draft. Talk and draft with Nick Baumgardner, NFL draft analyst. Check out his great work for the athletic. Of course, you also have to. Be mindful of the beast.
His colleague Dane Bruegler puts together the epic volume. Nick, how big is the beast this year? I got a physical copy right here. It's like several pounds. Like when they dropped it on the page.
Can we drop it? Can we have a little audio experience here? Like an old school yellow copy. Hang on, hang on. If I drop it, here we go.
Did you guys hear that one? I will play Theater of the Mind. It went thump like Junkyard Dog back in the day. This thing is exhaustive.
So I want your analysis. You can borrow from thank you. Old school wrestling references always get a pop. Or Dane's assessment. What's the general view within the athletic of how long Alabama's Ty Simpson is going to have to wait to hear his name called?
Did you give him a first-round evaluation? I did not, and neither did Dane. I think that the common thought is if he gets into the first round, it's at the end of the first round. Maybe somebody trades up, right? Or Houston maybe trades out or somebody else wants to go up and get him.
I've kind of targeted him as the top of the second round guy. I think there's a lot of teams at the top of the second round. Maybe somebody again might jump ahead or what have you, but I think a team like maybe Arizona could stag him there. In the second round, somebody else would have you. But he's just, we don't know what we don't know.
I think he's a talented player. I think it's very possible that he could be a Starting quarterback, about the same type of ceiling as what we just talked about with Mendoza. But he's only started the one season, and three quarters of it was good, one quarter of it was bad, and we really can't unsee that.
So for me, he's a second-round quarterback. uh as with uh Gerd Nussmeier as well. I'm Brian Weber and for Rich here with the Rich Eisen Show, we are getting you prepped for the NFL draft with Nick Baumgartner of the Athletics.
So if conventional wisdom says Mendoza followed by Simpson, wherever he goes, who do you see as the third quarterback coming off the board in Pittsburgh? Yeah, so for me, I think it's Garrett Nussmeier from LSU who had a Bit of a weird year. He was hurt. I don't think he talked much about it during the season, how bad he was hurt. I think it obviously had affected.
his year, obviously did not have a good year at LSU. But if you really look at Nutsmeier, I think he's a smart quarterback with a really live arm. He's small. I don't know if he'll ever be a full time starter in the NFL, but I do think he's a guy that can be a really good long term backup, who can come in and hold the fort down for a few weeks if a starter is out for a few weeks in the middle of the season or something like that.
So I think he's a guy that teams should probably start valuing as time goes on because the more NIL weighs Into these decisions of thinner these quarterback classes, I think they're going to be. Another guy to look for, though, I think, would be maybe a dark horse that would be Penn State Drew Aller. Who I think a lot of people have forgotten about. He got hurt. But if you rewind the clock, to last year, the year before this past season, at the end of that year, I think there were people talking about him as a first round quarterback.
Before he got hurt, the talent and the physical tools are all there. He was very inconsistent in college, and it would be a developmental prospect, but also a guy that maybe, maybe, if everything clicks right, could be a guy that outperforms his DraftStock.
So, Nick, what are you doing with Carson Beck? And if you don't have him in that third or fourth quarterback positioning, why not? I have him lower. I think for me, I've seen a lot of Carson Beck, and I think that that's the kind of the thing what you hear from a lot of people when you talk about him. You know, he was basically a three-year starter.
You know, if you take it out from two years at Georgia, the time he had at Miami, I know what he can do, I know what he can't do, right?
So, I mean, every time that his answers against pressure really never got better throughout his career, his accuracy was still hit or miss when it was downfield and against targeted receivers that couldn't get open to make him look good.
So to me, Carson Beck's a nice player. I think he's a guy that's, again, a solid backup. But I don't think he's ever going to be a starter. I think he's a better version of what Stephen Bennett ended up being coming out of Georgia, which is, I think Stepson Bennett might still be in the league hanging around, smart player. who can be on a team, but I just don't I don't see a future starter there, not to me.
Nick Baumgartner, NFL draft analyst for the Athletic, is our guest here on the Rich Islands Show.
So, Nick, if you enjoyed the junkyard dog reference, how about I dust off Eddie LeBaron? four people will get that illusion. We're talking diminutive quarterbacks. Can you refresh the memory of the audience if they weren't tracking the combine? How tall is Vanderbilt quarterback Diego Pavia actually?
And do you think he can play in the NFL?
So Diego Pavia is legitimately, I believe, 5'10 and 1/8 inch.
So he is over 5'9. Uh do I believe he can play in the NFL? Um Uh no, probably not as a starter. No, I do not. I think that he again is another one of these guys who if things break right, can be a guy who maybe helps back up, is in the backup mix or what have you, but I just he's too small.
I don't think the arm talent Is quite there. I think the offense was very college-y. A lot of point guard short stuff, right? When anytime it needed to go downfield and everything else, it was going to be a problem. Plus, he's Small and he likes to run, which is also scary in the NFL.
And the other thing, too, that is a concern, I think, a little bit. I don't know because he's a backup quarterback and I don't know how many NFL teams want their backup quarterback To be a guy who maybe is having a budding media career or all these other things. I think that might work against him to a degree. I think it works against Shadur Sanders. Last year to a degree, that was part of it that nobody really talked about.
I think that might be part of it with Diego here, too. But we'll see. We'll see.
Well, we know Diego's had a bet on himself and have all of that self-confidence to overcome the measurables, but that's an excellent point about being the QB2.
Okay, so let's go from a flyer in Pavia to more of the known knowns. Jets sitting at number two, expected to go defense. Which edge rusher do you like amongst the top three out there? If you think, in fact, that's the direction they're going to go. Yeah.
I do, and I like Arville Reese from Iowa State. I like him over David Bailey. I do think I wouldn't be mad if they took David Bailey. I think that that's he's a really good player. I think he should go number three right after him.
But for me, Rees is a guy who's got a little bit more Versatility, a little bit more long-term, you know, kind of superstar potential, possibly. He is the closest. Prospect, I think, we have seen to my since you know, the closest version of Micah Parsons we've seen since Micah Parsons. He's a kind of a spitting image of him in so many ways, and what he can do. And all those things.
I thought Jewel Carter was supposed to be Micah Parsons because they both want the best. Yes, yes, this guy's got it too. I think that that's kind of a thing that we're seeing now, is a lot of teams. And a lot of these colleges are starting to mold their best athletes on defense Exactly into the micro roll. Micah Parsons created his own position in so many ways.
As you have a guy that can bounce all over the place, play over the box, he can stand up. He's actually better than Parsons was. In the box. And he's one of the youngest players in the draft.
So I think Reese, long term, just got all kinds of potential. And if I were the Jets, I'd take him and just put him in there and say, we've got our edge of the future and away we go. Nick Baumgartner of The Athletic is our guest. I'm Brian Weber in for Rich. This is The Rich Hodgen Show.
So. I concur, it feels like Reese is a lock to be a major impactful player on the next level. And I think the same thing applies to Jeremiah Love with the caveat that You know the modern NFL. Running backs are viewed as largely interchangeable.
So what do you make of the rumor and innuendo the Cardinals could be interested in the Notre Dame running back as high as the number three pick that they currently hold? Yeah, that would not surprise me at all. Jeremiah Love is the number one player on my board. He is a special football player. I think that that's the thing that everyone needs to remember going into this.
I have him higher than I would have had Ashton Ginky last year. To me, he is Right there on the level of where B. John Robinson was, where Jameer Gibbs was. And probably within spitting distance of what Saquon Barkley was as a prospect, if we remember all the way back to that, he's a three-down player who can run the ball inside with power. He can get to the corner with no problem and outrun pretty much anybody to the edge, great receiver out of the backfield and a guy who can split out and run routes if you need him to do all that.
Phil Block, he's a great teammate. He does everything. Like, he's one of these guys who's just rare. He doesn't have a ton of uh mileage on his body. Jadarian Price, who is was his backup, is actually the second best running back in this class, believe it or not.
So they shared carries and he was great with that. And I think that he's just a guy who's just made to carry a load in a modern NFL offense. And depending on who gets him, He could have a big splasher. I mean, if he goes to a team like Arizona, it could be one of those things where he's asked to do a lot early, and I think he's capable, but at the same time, it could be interesting, right, if they don't protect him or have much upfront.
So I think he's really special. I think he's the best player in this class. I mean, I don't know if I would do that if I were Arizona. They got a lot of other things they need to Maybe address. I like him most for the Giants.
at five, especially now that they have the pick ten. But we'll see what happens there with Love. I I don't think he gets out of the top ten. I think he's too good too good for that. Nick, it's like you have ESPN or something.
You got me where I wanted to go, so now the Giants have picks number five and ten after the Dexter Lawrence deal. What do you think they do with them? Yeah, so for me, I've been going back and forth on two guys for the Giants since like Jan since they hired Hardball, really. And one was Jeremiah Love, and the other was Caleb Downs from Ohio State. And actually now I think they have a chance to get both because I do think that one of those guys, maybe Downs, could slide a little bit.
You know, because again, safety is another one of those positions, just like running back, where teams can get a little bit nervous, especially if they have a ton of needs. And when I look at the Giants, I don't see a team, I see a team with needs, obviously, but I don't see a team with a ton of them. They have a lot of answers with young players that they've done a nice job of drafting and bringing up here over the last few years. I think the job was attractive that John Harbaugh got. I think that that was lost in the shuffle there.
And if they can hit this draft right now, especially with the two top 10 picks, I think they could be. one of the teams that we're talking about as a surprise next year. I really like where they're at. Those are the two guys I would look at. But hey, if they want to go receiver somewhere too at ten, I mean, that could I could definitely see them doing that as well.
If Jordan Tyson is there or Cardinal Tate, one of the two, I could definitely see them going that direction as well. Final thought from the vantage point of the big picture. We know that the draft is subjective. It's art, not science. Are there a few players, you pick one or two if you like, that you've grown on in this process and you?
You moved them up after you may have had initial thought right around the combine. Yes, I think there's a couple. A lot of linebackers for me went up this year. Jacob Rodriguez from Texas Tech was the one I think maybe that went up the most. He just blew the combine away, was absolutely outstanding.
And when you compare all that to everything he did on the field for them this year. He was just elite. I think he could be a guy, it wouldn't s shock me if he slips into the first round. I think he is just a terrific, terrific player. And the other one that went up for me, receiver Omar Cooper from Indiana, who just every time I watched him, I liked him more.
Then he went to the combine and ran like a low four fours, I believe it was. Then you turn the tape back on and you just see, my goodness, he was everything for Fernando Mendoza there. He was terrific.
So he's a guy also that I think could slip in there into the twenties and maybe get into the first round. And well deserved from both those guys. A lot of talented players this year. Sharing your enthusiasm for Rodriguez because anybody who watched Texas Tech play this year saw that he was so disruptive, creating all of those turnovers on punchouts. And a defensive player who wound up going to New York City as the Heisman finalist, Nick.
Outstanding work, as always. As I mentioned, I read your stuff all the time on the Athletic. And thank you for being of the right age to get a very contemporary junkyard dog reference. Yeah, thump all the way. Let's go, J-Y-D.
Anyway, grab them cakes from the wrestling album back in the day. Thank you, Nick. You bet. I'm cracking Nick up. Thank you, Nick.
I appreciate not only the insights, but a guest who actually gets the joke. Hids, there used to be things called albums made of vinyl. I know vinyl's back. Even though I'm in my mid-50s, I'm living the Los Angeles cliché as a single guy trying to remain relevant. Hanging out of the Moeba records, but Years ago, you didn't have every song ever recorded on your phone.
So you would go to places called record stores and buy albums. Professional wrestling got hot. And yes, now I feel like I have full license to talk WWE after the comprehensive coverage of WrestleMania. It was on ESPN too. I felt like I was 12 years old, coming home after school, early 80s, flipping on old school ESPN after Australia rules football.
They had the AWA live every day from the showboat in Las Vegas, Playboy Bunny Rose, or Global Force Wrestling, the remnants of world classes.
Now I'm burying this program in its entirety, but. Coming up in the final hour of the program, if super producer James Steele is so inclined, because he knows more wrestling than I do. And if you caught the excellent pre-WrestleMania coverage here on ESPM Radio, James was behind that as the producer. We might talk a little bit more about wrestling coming off. WrestleMedia.
There was a thing called the Wrestling Album. Because Vince McMahon, for all his flaws, and we're going to move quickly here. was a genius of monetizing everything. And Junkyard Dog, after he was stolen financially away from Bill Watts in the Mid South Territory. Had his anthem, grab them cakes.
Okay. Rich Eisen, if he's listening on the plane right now, is telling the pilot to put the bird down. He's going to do the last hour of the program. I'm going to get us back on track. With a quick addendum on a big word Tuesday.
So I thought was outstanding analysis from Nick. Interesting that he parted company with Carson Beck. And again, this. Is what makes the NFL draft so interesting and so filled with fan engagement because we all have opinions, but. I have no life, and it's my job after all.
I've been scouring a ton of mock drafts in preparation for today. And the buzz that I'm seeing out there and again, a lot of this just could be misdirection. There is a degree of twelve dimensional chess when we get to draft week. Is that the perception, at least what's being leaked selectively, is that Carson Beck is perceived to be the third best quarterback in this draft, but. I thought the analysis that Nick provided was spot on.
When you hang around for six years in college, here's the negative. There's so much tape on you to dissect. and define negatives. The beauty of the draft, though, is that we penalize people for staying too long, and I'm beauty in a sarcastic way. We also punish people for not having enough experience.
And that's the The web of for Ty Simpson. But my larger issue with Beck is I don't think he was that important. In Miami's run to the national championship game, because I talk about what Bain. In the first hour, what Bain meant defensively, despite the short arms and their ground game, and The old trope will do it coming up with some MVP talk in the NBA. What if you take player X off a team?
Well, We saw it crystallize at Georgia. That goes down? Gunner Stockton fills in. Gutter stock that takes over last year, they win the SEC.
So I'm not burying, I was going to say the kid, but when you play six years in college, you're a grown adult. I am not burying Carson, but there is a general vibe out there. He's a little bit too me first. But if you're going to be a quarterback, you got to have that swagger as well. Fascinating to see who QB number three will be.
I'm leaning towards Nussmeyer, but Even though I do have an abundance of free time. You're not going to see me throwing out a mock draft anytime soon because I'm not delusional enough to think, A, I could do it, B, anyone would care. Coming up, we head back to the NBA. I was prepared. to have a passionate defense of the Joker to be the MVP.
Even though the ESPN straw poll says it's going to be SGA for the second straight year. And then I went to bed. And when I woke up, I saw the Timberwolves roared back to end the Nuggets thirteen game winning streak.
So we'll table MVP talk as the focal point. And we're going to get a little bit more into the details of what makes Minnesota such a tough matchup for Denver? And can the Joker dig deep to prevent another series loss To the Wolves, as was the case a few years ago. I'm Brian Weber, having an especially good time with you on this Tuesday. I appreciate you kicking it with us as we continue on the Rich Eisen Show.
Quick time out, some breakfast intel you want to know about. Kodiak frozen power waffles and flapjacks are built for busy mornings. Heat it, eat it, and you're out the door. No long prep, no complicated game plan. They're packed with 12 to 14 grams of protein per serving, a good source of fiber, and crafted with 100% whole grains, not refined white flour.
So you're getting something that actually fuels you. And there's depth on the roster. Buttermilk and vanilla, blueberry, chocolate chip, even gluten-free options. Breakfast that delivers, snack that delivers. Find Kodiak frozen waffles and flapjacks in the frozen aisle at your local grocery store.
They're the ones with the bear on the box. I like things my way, my coffee, my schedule, and my treatment.
So I talked to my doctor about self-injecting with the Vivgard Hytrulo Prefilled Syringe, which contains Fgardigamide Alpha and Hylaronidase QVFC. It's injected under your skin subcutaneously. It means I can inject in my space, on my time. It's my treatment, my way. Visit VivGuardMyWay.com.
That's V-Y-V-G-A-R-T MyWay.com. And talk to your doctor about Vivgard Hytrulo. Brought to you by Argenics. The Rich Eisen Show, the podcast. Continue on a jam-packed installment of The Rich Eisen Show.
I'm Brian Weber. I appreciate you hanging out with us. In advance of Rich's return tomorrow, but we still have a lot more business to attend to as we close in on the final hour of the program. Because rich is the face of NFL network. This is the football show of record we never get too far from the NFL.
We'll start the final hour of the program with more draft conversation. And we'll get into the curious case of Aaron Rodgers. Is he ever going to? make up his mind, well, at some point he will, but Remember all of the conversation coming out of the Steel City? Primarily from the owner, Art Rooney, saying.
This year we expect a decision from Aaron. Prior to the draft.
Well, tick tick tick tick. It is Tuesday. The draft is Thursday. We'll get there coming up. Let's head back to the NBA.
And if you went to bed early last night, depending on your time zone. You missed a epic comeback. Put together by the Minnesota Timberwolves. I try to be totally upfront with you. I'm probably too honest, but.
When you're a guest host, you gotta zig when the world zags. I said good night everybody midway through. The second quarter, and at that point, it felt like It was a done deal. Denver was up 14. They led by as many as 19.
Everything changed. Behind Anthony Edwards, who was spectacular once more, 30 points. And rather than your surely opining about what happened and how things changed so radically. Here is Anthony Edwards after the game on how the Timber Wolves came alive. Just coming together, staying poised within those moments.
I think they was up like what, fifteen, sixteen. Just trying to make runs, get defensive stops. We was on one accord, I feel like, on the defensive end tonight, especially once they went on those runs. And if you've been paying attention, this was not. A one-off.
This was not anything. Completely. Extraordinary because, and I realize, in a world in which Everything is in our hand. We got the whole world in our hand in our cell phone.
Now more than ever. If something happened three weeks ago, that's ancient history. If I'm asking you to go back a few years. I'm now the teacher. on Charlie Brown going wah wah wah wah wah But because This is The Rich Eisen Show, and I'm Brian Weber in for Rich.
I presume a degree of sophistication. This is an educated audience. We're not talking about 100 years ago. The Nuggets won it all in 2023. The following year was reigning champs.
It came down to a game seven between Denver and Minnesota. Looked like the Nuggets had it completely put to bed. Up by twenty. Then everything changed. An', one it done, Worm.
The reigning champs. Remember. The NBA has had seven consecutive different champions over the last seven seasons. Think that changes this year with OKC unless you believe and I understand Spurs mania is running wild that their ability, talking about San Antonio head to head against OKC, to dictate the terms because they match up so well with the Thunder, and they're the only team that can also replicate the depth of Oklahoma City. If you think That's foreshadowing of what's going to happen should they meet.
Coming up on the road to the NBA Finals.
Okay, but. The Nuggets seem like a team. that we're ready for a dynastic run. A lot of it, I think, came down to just the parity across the NBA. I understand there are many problems with this league, and I can't be a blind apologist trying to yada, yada, yada my way past the tanking crisis this year.
How many stars shut it down over the last week of the regular season? If you take a step back, since I'm trying to give you some context over the years. Talent has never been dispersed more evenly across the MBA, which is a positive development.
So Dynastic runs are going to be harder and harder to come by unless you do everything right, like Oklahoma City, and get the gift. That is still paying dividends of the worst trade in NBA history with the Clippers, the Paul George deal, because what do you know? OKC has another lottery pick, thanks to the ineptitude. That is the Clippers, but that's redundant to say that twice in the span of a few words.
So Denver, coming off that title in 2023, did not re-sign some glue guys, and they went cheap on the margins. Odd that Stan Cronke wouldn't write the big check with all that sweet Walmart money. in this offseason to their credit. They did load up on Players that have complementary Abilities and they need them because this team got ripped by injuries, not just the Joker. You think about key performers across that roster, even guys like Hush and Brown.
Who was In a marginal sense. A difference maker on their run to the title. And Aaron Gordon just was unable to stay healthy this year. But Denver had to go through 30 different lineups.
Now, everything changed when the Joker returned. And in my mind, he made his MVP case. I think it's interesting. I mentioned the straw poll for MVP. Courtesy of ESPN Tim Bonteps and And if you didn't catch that piece last week, it's a runaway win projected for SGA going back-to-back as MVP.
Sporting News had a different poll. reaching out to media members and current and former Team execs and scouts framed it this way: who's the best player in the NBA? Only three guys got votes, you can guess. The three finalists for the MBV. Wemby 15%, SGA 19%, 66%.
Wet Wid Joker. But as amazing a talent as he is. Everybody can be defended. And we saw it last night. I watched the highlights to make sure I didn't miss anything because I did not stay up.
For the conclusion of the game, Choker and Murray Disappeared in that fourth quarter, not to the extent that Carl Anthony Towns did in the Knicks debacle, but they were locked up defensively. Bye. Rudy Gobert and the other perimeter defenders on Minnesota. And I think We're looking at a mirror image of what happened just a few years ago. I think this is going seven again.
I think it's going to be filled with twists and turns. And Minnesota's the team we just don't talk nearly enough about from a national perspective. Remember, they made it to the conference finals in each of the last two years. And if they play with that kind of tenacity, And energy, and get something out of Julius Randle. It's a surprise if he shows up offensively the way he did last night.
I think it's going to be an epic seven-game series. Back to the NFL and the future of Aaron Rodgers to start the final hour of the Rich Eisen Show. The Rich Eisen Show Podcast. Mm-hmm.
