NFL Draft Predictions (Hour 3)

We continue our number three of our radio program. That's right, it is the Zach Gelb show, coast to coast on CBS Sports Radio.

Let's head out to the guest line right now. Welcome in Daniel Jeremiah, who of course is an NFL Network analyst. And Daniel also hosts the Move the Sticks podcast along with Bucky Brooks. And if there's someone to talk to at the NFL Network about the NFL draft, it's of course Daniel Jeremiah. DJ, appreciate the time.

Thanks for doing this. How you been? I'm doing great.

Great to be with you. Well, I know you were sitting next to Thomas Davis the other day when he said that it's a surprising pick potentially for the Panthers and from what he knows, people upstairs are enamored with Anthony Richardson. How do you kind of process that one a day or two later? Yeah, that one shocked me for sure. So I don't think anybody knows exactly what's going to happen there. Obviously, Thomas has dialed in with his connections, you know, in that organization. So I always take what he says seriously, you know, especially talking about the Carolina Panthers, but that one would still, that would shock me if that's where we ended up after this whole time. You know, I think they're continuing to go through the paces here with all these quarterbacks at the pro days.

They're out full force today at C.J. Stroud's there at Ohio State, and they'll be at Alabama tomorrow for Bryce Young. So I still think to me it makes the most sense to end up being one of those two guys, and I'm still leaning towards Alabama and Bryce Young. But, you know, it's going to be a fascinating draft. We don't know who the first pick's going to be. No doubt about it, and it seemed like when the Panthers moved up to one, the intention was to draft C.J. Stroud.

I know you just mocked and you just said it. Bryce Young should be the number one overall pick. It does feel like the last week just from different reporters that maybe the tide is turning back to Young being the number one pick. Well, I just, I think he's the best player. So, you know, much has been made about the size and, you know, can he physically hold up. But just as the players on tape, you know, you look at all these top quarterbacks, I think Bryce has the best tape, and I think by a pretty significant margin. So I still think that's where it ultimately ends up. You land on that, who the best player is. But, you know, I think, again, let's see what he looks like tomorrow, and they get a chance to visit with him. You know, there's some intriguing options in this draft for sure, but that one I just keep coming back to is the one that makes the most sense.

Well, here's the way I look at it. I was more impressed with Bryce Young this year than C.J. Stroud. I thought Bryce Young did more with less, and then you look at C.J. Stroud, I know what he did up against Georgia was incredible and even said to me at the Heisman, he's more athletic than what people give him credit for, and he hopes to put that on display soon, and he did.

I just wonder with C.J. Stroud why it took that long to show off that athleticism throughout the season. Well, I think that's fair. I think that's 100 percent fair when you lob that criticism. I've had the same one where I just kind of wondered why didn't we see more of this throughout the process? Now, the old scouting adage is if you can do it once, we know you can do it.

So there is that. I would say the argument, though, of what he did in that game against Georgia should be enough to vault him over Bryce Young. I would counter that and say, when you pull up the numbers of Bryce Young, when he had his receivers healthy in the SEC championship game against the Georgia defense, that was much better than the one we saw last year, the one previously which had all those of the record number of draft picks, including the first overall pick, Trayvon Walker.

He was 26 to 44 for 421 yards, three touchdowns, no picks, and also had 40 yards on the ground and another touchdown on the ground against that Georgia defense. So that's why I think Bryce, I want to shortchange him there, no pun intended. And then the other thing I would say is the best receiver that Bryce Young got to play with in his time at Alabama was the receiver that had to leave Ohio State because he couldn't get off the field.

How about that? Daniel Jeremiah here with us, and you're not rolling on that. When you look at Bryce Young, people talk about the size or the lack of it. I've watched him play football for two years, never thought he was too small to play the position. I know his size isn't ideal, but he fought through that.

How big of a concern is the size from people you talk to? I don't think it's as big, you know, talking to people around the league. There's preferences, you know, if there was a player of similar ability and he was bigger, you would go with the other player. That would be the tiebreaker.

But I think that's exactly what it is. It's a tiebreaker. And I don't think, you know, most teams I talk to have him as the top guy and feel like there isn't, you know, it's not close enough where the size would be the deciding factor. He's just a better player, so we'll deal with that and, you know, with the risk that comes along with it.

But I haven't heard it as much of a critique in league circles as maybe you see in the media. Talking to Daniel Jeremiah, at their best, but what is the ceiling for Bryce Young and CJ Strad in the NFL? Well, I mean, I think with Bryce Young, he plays the game similarly to the way Joe Burrow plays the game.

He just doesn't have that size. So, I mean, that's lofty praise, but I don't think that's, you know, out of the question that he can play at that level. And with Strad, you know, I think CJ Strad's got a chance to be a really good, pure pocket passer.

So, you know, who that is, it's tougher to come up with one on that front. I would say, you know, you say this name and people think this is a bad thing, but if you look at the career that Kirk Cousins has had, I think Strad can, you know, plays the game similarly to Kirk Cousins. He's a better athlete, but he plays the game from the pocket and is very, very accurate and that's what you've seen from Cousins throughout his career. Talking to Daniel Jeremiah, you have the Colts right now mocking, taking Anthony Richardson in your latest mock draft. When you look at Richardson, I know at the combine, right, he blew the roof off the place at Lucas Oil Stadium. What are you hearing a few weeks removed from the combine about Anthony Richardson? Just a total wild card. Everybody loves him as a kid.

Everybody loves, you know, the traits that he has, off the charts, rare, rare, rare traits. And just know that you gotta, you gotta believe in your in your development plan with him. You know, if you have the right pieces in place and you have some patience, it could pay off bigger than anybody else in the draft. You've got the biggest upside.

So, I don't think that's really changed. It was obviously an incredible show that he put on there. It's, it's a kind of a risk-reward operation with him. You're going to take some risk here, but the reward is pretty incredible. So, I think he ends up going in the top 10. It's just a matter of how the other guys come off the board, but I definitely think he's, somebody's going to talk themselves into that just because it's so, so intriguing. Daniel Jeremiah, you had Will Levis going 19th right now in your latest mock draft. When do you think the earliest is that he could go, though, in the draft? Well, I mean, I wouldn't be surprised if he was, you know, the fourth pick. I think that, you know, Indianapolis is a real spot there that I would not sleep on with him. I think the Raiders are one that I point to, even with Jimmy Garoppolo, that he could be in their plans there. I think the Tennessee Titans picking 11.

I wouldn't be surprised at that. There's a, there's a lot of potential spots for him. I would say, you know, to me, the Colts make the most sense in terms of how high he could go, unless there's a team and maybe it's the Raiders that wants to move up a few spots to get ahead of the Colts at three. Now where Arizona is right now, maybe there ends up being a market there and he could, he could land in that spot. If Caleb Williams and Drake May were in this draft, they would be one and two?

Yeah. I mean, I look, I haven't done the same level of work on them as I have in this class, you know, trying to stay where my feet are here, but I've seen enough of them and doing crossover tape, doing other players to know that those are two really, really special talents that don't come around very often. And, and talking to folks around the league, there's that same, that same level of excitement about what's to come. So like we sit here and we go once young and Stroud are off the board. If you're a team that's looking at Richardson, or if you're a team that's looking at Levis, maybe you think, oh, next year we'll go get Williams or we'll go get Drake May. How realistic is that though, from a team thinking, because if you're thinking that way, then you think you're going to stink next year and why you'd be in that position to get one of those two guys. Yeah, no, you might be positioning the organization and whoever took your job to make that pick.

You know, that's not, that's usually not a great way to go. And it's, you know, it's one of those things where even when you see people trading for assets next year, you go, oh, we're going to have a war chest with pick. So, you know, next year we can trade up and get our guy. Well, when you get these players, like we've got next year, teams don't trade off that. The only teams that would trade off that are the teams that are going to win too many games to be up there. So there's no way you're going to get teams to trade off the first or second pick when you've got quarterbacks like that.

So I think that if you find one that you like right now, that's better than what you're playing with yet. You have to take them. You can't sit here and hope and wish and pray that somehow, you know, you have a way to navigate up to, to get one of those guys next year. There's just no guarantees.

Henson Hooker is the consummate professional. I did see you have him sneak it into the first round in at 23. How likely do you think it is though, that he goes in the first?

You know, I'm curious to see all the medical stuff, how it comes back. I have not heard that yet. But you know, as a player, I think he's a first round player. Do I wish he was a little younger? Do I wish he was coming off a healthy season?

Absolutely. But I think he's got NFL starter ability and I think he's got a chance to, you know, be an eight to 10 year starter in this league and that warrants first round consideration. And that's why I put him in there. And there are some teams picking, you know, when you look at those two teams, Tampa, Minnesota, those are, you know, quarterback teams. And those are teams that I think at that point in time, Henson Hooker has to be a serious consideration. I saw that you had four first round wide receivers go, Jackson Smith and Jigba, Zay Flowers, Addison out of USC, and then Quentin Johnson.

What is the, is the highest upside with Jackson Smith and Jigba? Because we've seen recently guys like Jamar Chase, Justin Jefferson come into the league and right away take the league by storm. Yeah, I know the numbers he put up at Ohio State. I wouldn't put him in their class. He's not, he's not nearly as dynamic or as explosive as those guys.

But a really, really good player. He's going to be in the slot. He's going to be a high volume guy. So I think he'll catch a ton of balls. I just don't think he's quite as electric as those players, but I think he's ready to go.

It's a, it's a good receiver group. It's not quite what we've had the last few years. I would take, you know, both of Smith and Jigba's teammates from last year over him. We saw the way those guys exploded on the scene with Garrett Wilson and Crystal Labe, but it's a, it's a good group this year, but man, we've just been on an unbelievable run, a wide out for the last few years, and it's not quite at that level. I never know how to predict running backs anymore. I know Bijan Robinson's going to go in the first round. Daniel Jeremiah, you had him going 14th to the Patriots. When do you think the earliest is that he could go? Cause I'm really lost now when it comes to predicting running backs in the NFL draft.

Yeah, you and me both, I have no clue. You know, I could, I could make up a team and say, okay, it could be here. I have no idea who's going to buck the trend here with running backs taking high in the draft, but guys like him don't come around every year. He is a rare talent. He is a special player in a league, in a draft year, I should say, where we have so much uncertainty and you know, and so much risk. I think this is a guy, you know exactly who he is and what he is, and he's going to be a real impact player. You know, the, the shelf life isn't long at this position, but I still think you get a premier player like this.

You've got the five years, you've got a franchise here and that you can be signed up for six years of elite play and anything you were to get after that would be gravy. I still think there's a lot of value with him. Do you see him making like a McCaffrey or a Zeke impact right away for a team? Yeah, that's the caliber back he is.

You know, you look at those guys that have gone up there, you know, it's, it's actually a really high hit rate for the most part of these backs that have gone in the top 10. And we can argue about longevity, durability, but even, you know, you look at a Todd Gurley, what he did in the first few years of his career, the real difference maker. Daniel Jeremiah does a great job at NFL network analysts.

He's also the host of the move the sticks podcast, along with Bucky Brooks, a few more with you before we let you run. I love Dalton Kincaid. I see you have him as the best tight end, the first tight end coming off the board. Why Kincaid over Mayer in your opinion?

Just more explosive. You know, he's, he's just more sudden, more, you know, kind of a playmaker more after the catch in terms of being able to run away from you as well as make you miss and run through a tackle. Mayer is a true inline tight end, a power player, you know, wall guys off and, you know, make contested catches, but I just think you get a little more juice with Kincaid. Who are your sleepers? Like who are guys right now that we should be talking more about that you're falling in love with that's not getting a lot of burn nationally? Well, there's some good players, man, all the way through. If you go guys that I have, you know, kind of just outside the top 50, who I think are really good players, I can give you a couple. I mean, there's a corner from Iowa Riley Moss, who I think is going to go on day two at some point in time, who's got a legit track background.

Just a really tough competitive physical player. I look at guys that don't run great at Indy as being bargain picks and Jair Brown from Penn State is a safety. I still think he's the best safety in the draft, but he didn't run particularly well, ran in the mid four sixes. I think he goes from somebody that might've, you know, could have snuck into the bottom of the first round to some point in time. Now you're going to get him in the middle of the late portion of the second round. That's just a tremendous value there with him.

So those are just a couple of BBs off the top of my head that I think are going to be real value picks. Is Will Anderson the best defensive player in this draft? I think that he's going to be the, I think he's going to be the safest, great defensive player in this draft. I still think Jalen Carter is a more dominant player.

But, you know, for the well-documented reasons, there's some risk involved there. You got to make sure that, you know, he's focused on the right things and taking care of business off the field. But on the field, I think he's the most talented player. And I saw he avoided jail time last week. Is he in danger of falling out of the top 10?

I don't think so. You know, you look at the 10th pick, the Philadelphia Eagles, his former teammates there, Nicobe Dean and Jordan Davis. I would think they'd have a very good feel for him and feel like that's an environment that they could look after him and take care of him and get him where he needs to be.

I just couldn't envision a scenario where they would pass on. And last thing I'll ask you, Daniel Jeremiah, let's just say we're talking five years from now. Who are the five players that are the best from this draft class? Well, I love Devin Witherspoon, the corner from Illinois, one of my favorite players to watch. We touched on Kincaid.

I feel great about him being a slam dunk type player. Bijan Robinson, we mentioned. I think these guys are all guys you know exactly what you're going to get. Peter Skowronski, whether he's playing guard or tackle from Northwestern, I'm buying him all day long. And then I'll give you one other offensive lineman here in Darnell Wright from Tennessee. He's a plug and play Wright tackle who was good on tape in the fall, great at the Senior Bowl, excellent combine. Usually when you pass all three of those tests, you end up being a really good player.

Isn't it funny how that works? You spend all this time talking about quarterbacks and then the quarterback's not in that five for you. Oh, it's the toughest thing to evaluate in all sports and it's the toughest thing to project and predict and you're dependent on what's around you and coaching you and playing in front of you and playing on the outside.

So many factors going to those guys being successful that I never feel like, you know, really, really comfortable saying that's a slam dunk. Always appreciate your insight, Daniel Jeremiah. Really appreciate you carving out the time for us today. Thank you. All right. Have a great day.

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You're listening to the Zach Gelb show. It's so tough to figure out where Bijan Robinson's going to go in this year's draft. So like, let's just use three mock draft guys, right? In let's go with Daniel Jeremiah who just joined us. He had Bijan Robinson going 14th.

I'm not even going to go Kuiper McShea because you probably have to use a paywall to get that info or find someone that just published it. So I'll use our guys here in Ryan Wilson and Chris Trapasso I think do a great job. Ryan Wilson has Bijan Robinson going 27th to the Buffalo Bills. And let's see, is Jameer Gibbs in his mock draft as well?

I'm just curious on that front. If you can really get two running backs go in the first round, like when you had Travis Etienne and Ajay Harris go in the first round recently, there is not Jameer Gibbs and Ryan Wilson's mock draft, but Jameer Gibbs is in Chris Trapasso's mock draft and he's at 29 to the Saints. But Bijan Robinson is 18th to the Lions.

So like Hickey, when we go through this, the first nine picks, no shot Robinson goes. We know the Panthers and Texas taking a quarterback. Cardinals ain't doing it at three.

Cults have Jonathan Taylor. Seahawks and Lions aren't doing it at five and six. Raiders have Josh Jacobs for another year, not doing so at seventh. Panthers and Bears not doing so at nine. The first team I could potentially see doing so is Philadelphia.

Remember, just lost Miles Sanders. They have a pretty complete team as it is. Not many holes on that roster. They're a team where if you think where you have a window to for like three to five years, maybe more than that, but you think you have a Super Bowl window. If you believe that offensive playmaker who would be so explosive Bijan Robinson go there, I would be fine with Philadelphia taking him at 10.

Especially when you pair him with Jalen Hurts, you have Ajay Brown, you have skinny Batman as they call him and Devante Smith. I think that's the earliest. I'm not saying he's going at 10, but that's the earliest I think he could go. And I don't think it's a reach whatsoever because you get a guy, think about it, six years really talented on a very cheap contract.

No one says you have to extend them. You have five years. Plus if you want a franchise second for one year because the running back franchise tag is still very manageable, you can have six legitimate years. Like I said, a three to five year window right now for the Eagles where they're trying to win right now with a very talented player that you could argue is maybe even better than Miles Sanders. So you get an upgrade possibly on a deal that's a lot cheaper. It sounds like a win all over the place. And you don't even have to go to the six years where I guess the six years that you would get it is the four in the regular deal in the fifth year option and one year of the franchise tag and then you potentially trade them after that?

Yeah. I would even say you could bring him in for three years. If you go win a Super Bowl and you don't want to give him the deal, you could then trade him on stocks at the highest three years into that contract.

If he's as good of a player as what people project him out to be. And if you want a Super Bowl in that time. Yes, that too. There's a lot of moving pieces.

Yes. But yeah, you have flexibility and it's absolutely not a reach. Take a running back in the top 10. Okay, let's go then outside the top 10. And I do think it's a reach for most teams take a running back in the top 10 now. I would not do it, but for a team like Philadelphia, they're a bizarre team that should not be picking in the top 10. The reason they are is because they have that pick from the Saints. So I would understand why they would do it there. Outside of the top 10, I don't think Tennessee will do it at 11.

I get it. You get the potential replacement for Derrick Henry, and then you could trade Derrick Henry. I think there's too many holes in that roster to justify taking a running back.

The Texans, I know we said that there's no shot at two. I don't think they would do it at 12 Hickey also because I like what you saw from Damian Pierce. And I think Nick Casario would draft another position of need at 12 to give you another foundational piece for the future moving forward. How about a wide receiver? Especially with Brandon Coach now gone, you would value receivers over running backs. And you may have the first wide receiver still available on the board there. I know last year we had what? It was the first three wide receivers, I think they went 10, 11, 12? Three in a row, bing, bang, boom.

Yep. And that was what? I don't remember the order, but it was Garrett Wilson. I think it was a Lave 11. And then I think, I'm not mistaken, the Lions traded up for Jamison Williams at 12. I may be wrong on this, so let me check. But I want to say Williams went two and then a Lave went three in that draft. I could be dead wrong on that.

I personally like a Lave the best out of that three. That was kind of my take going into that draft. Let me just pull it up here real quickly. Oh, nope.

You know what? Your memory is better than mine. Garrett, it was probably all that time you're writing down those names and keep in track of it at the draft with your master Excel sheet. I think the best version of Hickey, honestly, in terms of you being a producer is actually at the draft. You were locked into the draft last year.

A lot of moving pieces got to make sure everything is, you know, like you are informed or not missing any trades, which was a very active NFL draft as well. And we learned about the Hickey point that night. Hickey would be like, wait, wait, wait, just point up one finger, write down the trade details, then give them to us. Or there was a young child that kept on trying to interrupt our broadcast. And Hickey at one point was like a parent, do not go there. And you gave him the Hickey points and he ran away. It's like he was a scared, but I did not curse at him. You did it.

You do have a potty mouth. So I'm surprised by that. So Garrett Wilson, 10, a lot of 11 Jamison Williams did go 12. So you could, if you are the Texans, get the best receiver available there.

If that's Jackson Smith and Jigba, if you like quitting Johnson from TCU, Z Flowers at a BC has been a name that's been skyrocketing or Jordan Addison out of USC. Or you go defense, never hurts to go defense or line. I know they just locked up an extended Laramie Tunsil, but it never hurts to go line there in that spot.

Especially if it's Bryce Young. The Jets don't need it because they have Breece Hall coming back. I know he mocked Daniel Jeremiah, that is the Patriots taking Bichon Robinson. I know the Patriots just allowed Damien Harris to walk to Buffalo. I think Ramondre Stevenson is a good back. And I'm trying to think Belichick with running backs. He has taken some running backs in the first round. He took Sonya Michelle and Lawrence Maroney out of Minnesota with the Golden Gophers. One worked out well and one didn't.

Well, did either really work out all that well? Well, Sonya Michelle played well in the Super Bowl team, but did not last long in New England. Could argue he could have won the MVP that game. And the Super Bowl? Yeah. No, no, no. You're thinking James White.

Oh, is that it? Oh, sorry. They look exactly alike. Same stature. He was on the Super Bowl 53 team. Okay.

Sonya Michelle. So I don't think he would take a running back at 14. And I would be furious if they did actually, because I'd rather draft. I know they just signed Guseki and they still have Hunter Henry. I'd rather have in that spot Dalton Kincaid. I'd rather have a wide receiver if it's Jackson Smith and Jigba or Quidden Johnson still available. You know what?

Furious may be a stretch. I think that would be okay. I wouldn't love it, but I think I'd talk myself into it. I want to see Bill Bryan run the three tight end set back.

Let's go. Bring back old school 1940s football. Guseki, Hunter Henry, and Dalton Kincaid.

Although I think they call Michael Mayer the mini Gronk or baby Gronk, baby Gronk. So, yeah, maybe that would... If you're going back to multiple tight ends, just don't draft a murderer this time. Well, that would help. That would probably help.

That would do wonders. Green Bay don't need it. Washington, they just drafted Brian Robinson.

I don't think you go with Bijan Robinson there. Pittsburgh has Najee Harris. How about Detroit at 18? No more Jamal Williams. You still have DeAndre Swift. Would they go running back?

They brought in David Montgomery. Probably not, but is that a team at least under consideration? It would be fun with that offense. As long as they don't take a quarterback at six, which I think is now getting less likely by the day.

So as long as they kind of don't go like a project there and waste one in terms of win now, I think it's a possibility. And is there a quarterback at 18? Like if, I don't think Richardson's falling, but if Richardson falls, do they then move up from 18 to 12 to go get him? Or if they like Will Levis, do they draft a quarterback there at 18? I would say probably no with the quarterback there.

I would agree and probably no with the running back as well. Okay. But a team that's at least a possibility.

Yes. It's not an automatic no. So, so far Eagles at 10, you could talk me into the Patriots at 14, even though I wouldn't love it. You could talk me into the Lions at 18. Tampa Bay at 19, I think they have so many holes in that roster. I would say no.

Here's an interesting one. What about the Seahawks? Seahawks at 20? Just got Kenneth Walker.

Who would have won offense a rookie of the year if he didn't get hurt or was in the running for offense a rookie of the year. But do you kind of pair them up together? Yeah, that's kind of a waste. You're right. And he's a great name.

Canine. I don't want to see him on the bench. Yeah, that's true.

Kenneth, who was my favorite running back in the draft last year. I would say no. And now you're ready to throw him on the bench.

No, no. It'd be like a combo. It'd be like how the Chargers kind of envisioned Gordon and Austin Eckler together at the time. Till one held out and did not go well. And then Melvin Gordon came on this show and cried.

It was very emotional. Chargers at 21. Is it in play? If they can't get a deal done with Austin Eckler, boom, there's your replacement.

You kind of reset. I would agree. I would say the Chargers are in play.

Yes. Ravens at 22, I think are in play. Braves are just after running back every year.

Why not? Vikings at 23. There's been some rumors about Dalvin Cook maybe being on his way out.

I think they're in play. I think when you start, if it's not the Eagles at 10, I don't think the Pats do it. I don't think the Lions do it with Bijan Robinson. I think once you get into that 21 category with the Chargers, that's when it starts to get interesting here, Hickey. Because we just went through three teams. Chargers, Ravens, Vikings. Obviously, the Vikings have Cook. Obviously, the Chargers, they do have Austin Eckler, but we don't know how long they're going to be staying there. And now we're talking about playoff teams with, again, still holes, but now you're talking about really kind of going forward and giving a really good talent that could contribute right away. Jaguars, no, they won't do it because they have Travis Aten, even though that would be fun if you put Aten and Bijan Robinson the same backfield. Giants, let me ask you this. I would say no because you have Saquon Barkley, and that would be really, really, really, really awkward.

But if you feel like you can't extend them long term, would they at least consider it? I would say no, but is it under a possibility of a team that could do it? I would say no just because they need help a receiver bad. And if you have a receiver there, Jordan Addison, maybe Quentin Johnston drops, you got to take a receiver.

Yeah, you're probably right. It would be very Dallas-like to make this move. Now you have Tony Pollard. Zeke is out, but you don't have Tony Pollard on a long-term deal. It's a one-year deal.

And you have no one of real substance behind him that is going to push Bijan out. That would be a very Dallas move. If he's available at 27, Buffalo has to do it. I know they just dropped to James Cook, but I would definitely do that. And I know they just got Damian Harris as well.

What about the Bengals at 28? That wouldn't surprise me because you keep on hearing rumors about Joe Mixon as well. And you got to think of salary cap, you know, considerations for the future where Joe Burrow, we talked about Jamar Chase. If you want to keep T Higgins, can't have Joe Mixon his salary there. That's for sure.

So why not reset? Yeah, it's not a bad one. The Saints, if they want to move on from Kamara, he's also facing a potentially long suspension as well. I know they just brought in Jamal Williams, but the Saints, I think you have too many holes, but at 29, it could be really good value. And then how about at Philadelphia who doesn't take him at 10, then gets him at 30, uses that pick to move up to go get him. That would be the Howie Roseman reeling and dealing genius of Howie. Are you going to say the Chiefs are going to try again for another first round, end of the first round running back?

It would be fine. I know they drafted Clyde Edwards and it did not work out. Isaiah Pacheco did work out for them this year. I would be okay with it if I'm Kansas City, but I don't think you need to because you could just do what kind of the Patriots did for 20 years, just plug and play running backs.

It does help having 15 there. But value wise, I don't think he'll be there at 31, but if he had to move up to like 24, 25, that may be worth it. So he'll go in the first round. I'm going to say it probably doesn't pick up until pick 21 with the Chargers, unless Philly does it at 10, which I can't put it past them. But then if Jalen Carter starts to fall or someone like that, or someone else starts to fall that isn't a running back, then it may make it a little bit more intriguing. All right, this is that Gilb Show on CBS Sports Radio.

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You're listening to the Zach Gelb Show. Just real quickly, last year's draft, we saw Drake London wide receiver go eight, then Garrett Wilson go 10, Alave 11, Jamison Williams 12, Jahan Dotson 16, Traylon Burks did go 18, and then you did have, well that wasn't in the first round, but you had Christian Watson go 34. So last year, Hickey, we saw six wide receivers go in the first round. This year, I would think the number's gonna be four. Like maybe you could get a fifth in there, but I gotta think Jackson Smith and Jig was going in the first round, Quentin Johnson's going in the first round, Addison from USC, and then everyone keeps on mocking just depending on how high up the board you go, Zay Flowers going in the first round as well. Outside of that, Hickey, and I know you love this stuff, is there anyone else you could see go to the first round wide receiver-wise? No, not this year. It's not as deep of a class, and we kind of got spoiled a little bit the last two years. Oh, what about Jalen Hyatt?

No, I don't think so. I think it's a little bit of a funky offense. He's good, not just first round, I would say.

Yeah, that's probably it. I don't even know then like who we would think would be fifth to make a case for a first round. You know, outside of Hyatt, like outside of that, I just, there's not a lot of marquee names in this wide receiver, which it's been weird. We've been so accustomed the last few years. It's been receivers, receivers, receivers, receivers. You see what Justin Jefferson did, and he was the fifth wide, yeah, the fifth wide receiver off that, off that board.

And then you see the immediate impact of Jamar Chase as well when that debate was do you go Jamar Chase, you go Padee Sewell if you're the Cincinnati Bengals. So we've had a lot, and then last year we had six go in the first round, and now it's okay, probably four go, and it doesn't seem like any are gonna go in the top ten. Right, yeah, it's just one of those years where it's a little bit of a down year. Like I said, we've been spoiled three years in a row with prime time, game-changing receivers, and the amount now is increasing where you are kind of due for a little bit of a dry spell.

It resets a little bit next year. We have Marvin Harrison Jr. coming out, and that's going to probably be the number one receiver on the board, get real excited. I'd be surprised if anyone else emerges from that. So it will pick up by just one of those, you know, one of those classic down years, and still we're talking about a down year, four are going in the first 31 picks. And also, you could see a trade present itself where it takes a team out of the running for taking a wide receiver in the first round, because I would say the two names that are still available via trade, like Odell, there's interest in the Jets. I think that is going to happen if Odell Beckham and the Jets could get a deal done.

Well, you have to get the Rogers deal done first. Once I think Odell's just waiting for that to be official, then he'll go over to the Jets. That's what my thought is right now.

It seems like that will happen. But the two names that you keep on hearing in trade circles wide receiving wise, which we've also got accustomed to some pretty big wide receivers getting dealt over the last few years via trades, the Von Diggs, Tyreek Hill, you know, just to name a few that have been dealt the last few years in the NFL. But I would think that Hopkins and then also, I don't want to call this guy a big name because he's, he hasn't been that great in his first two years, but it feels like Jerry Judy is going to get traded. But the only holds up there, I guess the Broncos want a one. I read a report that the Patriots offered like a two and a four, and that didn't happen. And I could actually get why the Patriots would do it because the Mac Jones, I guess, relationship that he has with Jerry Judy. So if you want to go there and kind of make it like, and once again, this is very light in saying this, Joe Burrow, Jamar Chase, light, I guess that would be the thought process. But I don't know about you, the first two years, and I know we didn't have a quarterback two years ago and Russell Wilson was disaster this year.

I have not been blown away with what people told me Jerry Judy was going to be with seeing what Jerry Judy ended up being. I agree. Now injuries, right? Especially, I think it was year two, I believe, or his rookie year, we had that ankle injury and kind of held him out for a good amount of the year. I get it slowed him down, but even when he's been on the field, he's had issues catching the football.

It's definitely not been the impact we thought we would get considering what we saw at Alabama a few years ago. And also, and he's been in the league for three years and it was 2021 where he was bogged down with some injuries. But if they're ready to give up on him that quickly, even with Sean Payton coming in, and I know year one didn't work with Russell Wilson, I think that speaks to a lot about Jerry Judy.

How he's fine, he could be good, but I don't think he's going to be great. But for DeAndre Hopkins, I wonder what he's going to end up going for. And I saw one report that it could be similar to what Brandon Cooks ended up going for. Brandon Cooks went for a five and a six. I know that with how little he got traded for the first time, and he's now older, and he's coming off a suspension, but he's still a heck of a player when he gets on the field. I would have to think that Hopkins can go for a two, maybe it's a conditional two where it's a three, and then based off of how many games he plays, it turns into a two. But I would, if I'm the Patriots, I'd give up my second round pick for DeAndre Hopkins.

If you're one of those teams that are looking to get a wide receiver, a bonafide number one for your own quarterback. Bad news in that front, Albert Breer saying the Patriots are not interested. No, not interested. Not interested.

Who knows? You read something new each and every day. You know what I did see wasn't interested in one of the reports?

The Chiefs. Yeah. Which would be interesting. If, yeah, obviously be interesting. It'd be a home run. He'd be the best wide receiver on the roster, number one. You pair him up with Travis Kelce, and if I'm DeAndre Hopkins, this is what I would do. I walk into Arizona and say, you're trading me. Trade me to Kansas City.

That's the only place I want to go to. That's what I would do. You get to play with Patrick Mahomes. You become the number one option outside of Kelce. But wide receiver, number one option. And you're going to be on a Super Bowl contender and a team that, if you get DeAndre Hopkins, they may be the favorite now to win the Super Bowl again, but definitely the favorite if they go get DeAndre Hopkins. I think that would be great. And then Marcos Valdes-Scantling and Kadarius Toney dropped down.

I know Sky Moore was fine. You get them in that fold and you have Travis Kelce. I would absolutely do that if I'm Kansas City. And if I'm Hopkins, I would push for it.

Where else do you go? So if you're saying the Patriots are out and who knows, if it's not the Chiefs that I think it should be, who's the next team that you go to for DeAndre Hopkins? I think the Ravens should. If you're trying to win over Lamar and if you want to keep Lamar long-term, that would be a team. But who the heck, if I'm DeAndre Hopkins, I don't want to get traded to the Ravens right now. I don't even know if Lamar Jackson's going to be there.

And then I get stuck with who? Like what it was in Houston for all those years before they got to Sean Watson? So outside of Kansas City, and I'm looking at and thinking about realistic options, is there another team that jumps out to you, Hickey? How about reunited with his old pal, the Sean Watson, Cleveland? Now he just traded for Elijah Moore today and you got Lamar Cooper there. But DeAndre Hopkins is a lot better than both those receivers.

You're not wrong. The only thing is can Elijah Moore handle that? He was annoyed last year after his team won with his lack of targets in a victory at Lambeau Field up against the Packers. You get traded for, what is a second round pick in that deal? Did they also get a third round pick back in that deal? Yes, it was Elijah Moore and a third rounder for a second round pick. That doesn't make me think that they're going to be in on DeAndre Hopkins, but I liked the idea of it.

It would make sense. And if you're just Sean Watson, I'm sure you would push for that too. And you know, you have all the control that you need in that organization with what you were dealing with and they give you a fully guaranteed deal.

Bears. You got DJ Moore. You got all the cap space in the world. You got now a ton of draft resources.

And you would expedite that process a lot. And you have a nice combo of DeAndre Hopkins and DJ Moore. Not bad.

Not bad for Justin Fields. You know, there's not a ton of options that you jump out and say, okay, Denver, get rid of Jerry, Judy, bring in DeAndre Hopkins, Russell Wilson. Now we do it from them. Now I don't know if they have a salary room to do so, but if you can absolutely make it work, make it work.

And you know, you know who I actually would consider this for? I know they have a crowded wide receiver room and I don't know if they can make it work financially. What about Pittsburgh? You have Pickens. I know it'd be kind of out of the way that Pittsburgh does things with wide receivers. They usually do it through the draft, but you have Pickens. I think if you go trade for DeAndre Hopkins, you could then try to trade DeAndre Johnson and then just take back whatever you want and someone else pays his contract. That'd be a big upgrade for a young quarterback in Kenny Pickett in a tough division. If you can line up with Hopkins and then also you'll line up with George Pickens and you trade DeAndre Johnson with Najee Harris at running back and Kenny Pickett slinging the football and Friday at the tight end, that turns into a very good offense if you're Pittsburgh.

Not bad. You get some veteran leadership there too, which would be good for Kenny Pickett. So that's going to be fascinating to see. And then obviously when it comes to the draft, it's all about the quarterbacks. And today CJ Stroud had his pro day.

Tomorrow, it's going to be Bryce Young. The Panthers had 11 players or 11 people from their organization show up for the pro day of CJ Stroud and Frank Reich and Josh McCown looked very happy. It's bizarre to see Josh McCown as a coach after almost getting hired as a head coach to the Texans and refusing to really go be an assistant anywhere else on the College of Pro level. And now he's on an NFL sideline as the quarterback coach for the Carolina Panthers. Zach Gelb shows CBS Sports Radio. We'll head out to the NCAA tournament next Princeton assistant coach, Brett McConnell will join us. Tyler Palumba still to come 25 minutes from now, as we have to do a QB carousel featuring the Denver Broncos.