Curry Crushes The Kings (Hour 1)

Live from the play show you're not overly ostentatious, studios of CBS Sports Radio here in beautiful New York City, sitting on top of the 10th floor of 345 Hudson Street. Welcome on in to a Monday edition of the Zach Gelb show across all the great local CBS Sports Radio affiliates, Sirius XM, Channel 158, and that free Odyssey app. 855-212-4CBS is the number if you want to hang. 855-212-4227.

You can always get at me on Instagram. We're on straight flexing or via the good ol' cesspool of Twitter at Zach Gelb. That's Z-A-C-H-G-E-L-B. Action packed show for you today coming up in 20 minutes. The owner of the Florida Panthers, Vinny Viola, will join us. What a hockey game that was last night where the Panthers tied things up against the Bruins in the final minute. Then get the game to overtime and Verhage does win it to knock out the team with the most wins and most points in every game. We're in NHL history going back to the regular season which was the Boston Bruins and you also had last night the defending Stanley Cup champions, the Colorado Avalanche. They go down in seven games to the Seattle Kraken and what a third period that was. They thought Colorado, they originally tied it up then offsides prevented the goal from going in but I thought for sure Colorado bare minimum was going to get that game to overtime.

That's not the case so Seattle in year number two of their franchise's existence, being the Kraken, they are now off to the second round of the Stanley Cup playoffs. So Florida Panthers owner Vinny Viola will join us 20 minutes from now. Frank Isola will join us at the top of the hour. Calvin Booth, the Nuggets general manager at 8.20pm Eastern, 5.20pm Pacific. And then in the final hour of the show at 9.00pm Eastern, 6.00pm Pacific, we will recap the 2023 NFL Draft with Eric Eager who does a great job for Sumer Sports.

But first up, producing the extravaganza for the next four hours. I have to start off the show with the best first round series that we got to witness in the NBA and that's the Golden State Warriors finding a way to prevail a buck 20 to 100 up against the Sacramento Kings. And I know for a lot of teams it feels like the NBA's regular season doesn't matter because that's just the nature of the sport. As much as they've done with this core, and there's been clearly some changing pieces with Kevin Durant no longer there, but to win two championships without KD and then two championships with KD, at this point it doesn't matter what Golden State does in the regular season, just as long as they are healthy, you always know that they're gonna be a tough out. And even in this series, where at times it looked like they were down and out, and I thought this baby was over after they did go down 2-0 to the Sacramento Kings because the Kings have had the best road record in the league in the Western Conference, second overall in the entire NBA. I thought that Sacramento was gonna be able to go to Golden State, at least grab games 3 or 4, then take a 3-1 lead and then you would only need one more win after that, but that wasn't the case. Really, momentum shifted, and where I went from at 2-0, this series is over, Sacramento's gonna win, to Golden State's gonna win the series, is in that game 4. Because in game 4, that was the time, the first time, that we saw the Sacramento Kings who had a remarkable season look young and look inexperienced. And you saw the experience of the Golden State Warriors take over, and ironically, that was the same game where it looked like the Warriors were pulling away, and then Steph takes that timeout that he doesn't have, and it's a technical foul and it changed the entire complexion of the game, where Harrison Barnes had a phenomenal look and just couldn't hit down that 3-point shot.

When that series got knotted up at 2-2, and tied up at two games apiece, that was the momentum shifter. And even with that being said, you then see Golden State win game 5, then lose game 6, and then in game 7 yesterday, you saw one of the great performances by one of the greatest players of all time in Steph Curry, and I didn't know this. I never knew that there hasn't been one player in NBA history that in a game 7 hasn't put up a 50-burger. And that's what Steph Curry did yesterday, putting up 50 points, having 8 rebounds, 6 assists, going 7 of 18 from 3, 20 of 38 from the field, and he literally carried the Golden State Warriors to that victory.

Because really, outside of Looney, that Warriors team didn't really show up yesterday, and that's why Steph Curry is the face of that franchise, that's why he's their best player, because he shows up in moments like that. And you look at Steph from a historical standpoint, where he falls in the top 10, you could have that debate. We all know he's a top 10 player of all time. Is he the greatest point guard of all time? I would still say it's Magic Johnson, but you look at Steph Curry, he's kind of like an in-betweener with how much he shoots. Is he a 1 or is he a 2?

Is he a 1.5? But it doesn't matter where you are, this is one of the greatest players I've ever seen. And he has totally changed the game with how many 3-point shots he hits from the ridiculous distances he does so. And really, you look at what he's been able to do post-KD, that just enhances his legacy so much more. Because if you look at the rollercoaster ride that the Warriors have been on, when they first entered the scene and got that first championship, they were beloved. And then that second title, they're up 3-1, they blow the game and they blow the series to LeBron. That was such a cool moment seeing LeBron, Cleveland this is for you, getting that championship for the Cavs.

And you were wondering what was going to happen next and when the story goes however it went down, Draymond, the phone call didn't happen, didn't happen in the parking lot, the crying, all that stuff. When Kevin Durant did go there, the Warriors became the villain. And they won two championships, but a lot of people, and I didn't really have a big problem with KD going there, I was kind of like on an island on that one. But when they did that, everyone just assumed they were going to win and it did kind of take away a little bit from what Golden State did build.

Even though they won two more championships, there were some people that, and a lot of people, that were not thrilled with the Golden State Warriors. But then, when you see KD leave, and you have Klay Thompson with all the injuries, Draymond Green, the realization, even though he'll be a Hall of Famer, that he's not a great player, he's just a good player. And to see what Steph's done the last few years, and to see Steph even battling his own injuries, win a championship last year, get that Finals MVP, and then this year, even though it's just the first round, be down 0-2. And then in Game 7, when this series is tied up at three games apiece, he goes off and carries that team to victory with 50 points. At this point, you're just adding chapters to the all-time great Top 10 career that we've seen from Steph Curry. But really, he has thrived the most in terms of impact and legacy since Kevin Durant has left. Because if KD would have stayed, eventually, people bitching about KD with the Warriors would have just had to wave the white flag and just accepted that he's giving you the sports middle finger and he doesn't care.

And that's the way that he wanted to win. And you would have to get over it because when you win that much, eventually you just have to respect it. But the fact that this team, with all the injuries that they've suffered, and getting older, has still remained elite is just remarkable. And you get that championship, that fourth championship last year, and then they're right in it again this year, not in the regular season. This was a team that only had 11 wins in the regular season on the road this year. And when they needed it the most, they go into Sacramento and they win games 5 and game 7. Think about that one for a second, what they've been able to do. But once again, it goes back to if they're just in the tournament and they're healthy, they're going to be such a tough out because that team, over any other team in the league, knows how to win the most. That's what they've done. That's what that dynasty has been.

And there could be times where it's ugly, there could be times when you think, okay, they're not going to win, and they just find a way to prevail. And what a phenomenal final four teams that we do have in the Western Conference. Clearly, this sets up LeBron up against Steph, Lakers up against Warriors. And you already have one game thrown, you have game 2 tonight between the Nuggets and Suns.

I know Hickey and I are on the same page here. I didn't like the way that the Suns looked in the first round. The Clippers with all those injuries, no Paul George, Kawhi going down with the Meniscus injury. And even though the Suns won in five games, it wasn't as if they were all that impressive.

And they had to play those players, their key players, a lot of minutes, and they didn't get those key players some rest. So we'll see what happens tonight between Suns and Nuggets. But right now, Denver's up 1-0, and I like Denver going into this series. We'll see if they can take a pivotal 2-0 series lead tonight.

But Hickey, what a unbelievable, great game yesterday. I didn't want to say from the Warriors, I'm just going to say from Steph Curry because that's what it is. And once again, I go back to what he's been able to do post-KD, as great as he's been in multiple stops right at Davidson, when he's all won us over, early on in the NBA. What he was able to still do with Kevin Durant, but what he's done post-KD is the most impressive part, in my opinion, of his career. And that's talking about a guy that changed the way the game is played with all the lengthy three-point shots, and every kid goes to a gym now in America thinking they could be the next Steph Curry when you see pickup basketball games played across this country. But to see what he's been able to do without Durant, and we already knew he was a great player, and he checked his ego at the door, and he doesn't really have much of an ego in Steph Curry when Durant got there. But to see what he's been able to do the last few years when KD goes to Brooklyn and now is with the Phoenix Suns to win that championship, and then to deliver that performance yesterday. At this point, you just continue to toss the flowers at Steph, tip your cap, and just give him standing ovation after standing ovation because no crap, right?

No bleep, Sherlock. This is a top 10 player of all time. Absolutely. Just what makes yesterday so impressive is the fact that really outside of Kavon Looney being a rebounding machine, there wasn't anyone else that was taking advantage of Steph heating up and taking all the attention away. It was basically him at 35 years old putting the Warriors on his back in a do-or-die game in round number one while Klay Thompson was terrible.

Andrew Wiggins did not contribute much offensively, and again, it was just Kavon Looney of all people grabbing rebound after rebound. It was just Steph Curry, especially in the fourth quarter in the second half, taking over and willing, more than anything else, this team to a victory. And I know people now look at it differently, but a few years ago when Kevin Durant left, and I'll raise my hand and say I was one of these people, and then also with the injuries to Klay Thompson too, I thought Steph was going to have to lead the Golden State Warriors to get another championship. And we know last year he already got one, and I'm not saying they're going to win it all this year, but there's a reason why when you asked me before the postseason started who were five teams that could win a championship this year, I said the Bucks, who are gone.

You're welcome. Then the Boston Celtics, the two teams at the Western Conference I like the most in Denver, and then the Suns, and the other team, there's a lot of different answers out there. Some said the Sixers, but I said the Golden State Warriors because until someone takes them out, they always have that dude number 30 on their team, and a team full of guys that just know how to win. And that's a part that sometimes gets lost in the conversation and just adds on to the legacy, Ryan, of Steph Curry is that people didn't think last year was going to happen, and now you just start to wonder how many more championships is he going to get? Like he's at four right now. I would be very surprised bare minimum when he hangs it up, and who knows, he's going to play for another seven, eight years. As crazy as that sounds, it wouldn't shock me if he does, you got to think he's going to win at least one more championship.

And you just start to wonder when you get into the championship conversation at this point, the more he adds on, the higher and higher he goes up that all time great list. In terms of winning, there's a great series and I think they will beat the Lakers here in the second round, but I still, they needed a lot to just get past the Kings here. I still think you can look at the Nuggets and or Suns, whoever wins that series, as a favorite in the West. And I still, for right now, do not see another championship coming for Steph and the Warriors. And by the way, I do think the Nuggets are going to the NBA Finals, but from a storyline perspective, you know 110% spineless silver, Adam Silver is imploring the sports gods. Now, I know you never want LeBron out of the picture, but if you look at all these potential matchups, do you think Silver would rather go LeBron KD in the next round or KD up against Steph? If he could put the Warriors through or the Lakers through to go up against Durant, which one do you think Adam Silver would rather pick?

Because at first, when I was saying employing the sports gods, you would think it would be Steph just because he left the Bay Area, but you're still looking at LeBron as the second greatest player of all time. That would be something if we ended up getting KD, LeBron, I know we've seen them before, right in the NBA Finals, OKC and the Heat, and then all those times Golden State did go up against Cleveland. But I kind of would love to see, even though I want Denver to win, a Warriors, Suns, Western Conference Finals, and I can guarantee you this, I would then be rooting big time for the Golden State Warriors. You think if you're Adam Silver, we're talking about the Suns advancing, you're licking your lips there and sitting there saying, either way we win. Like LeBron, KD, massive storyline, they will both probably guard each other and that's still a massive, massive thing everyone will watch. Or it's right, Steph versus KD, Steph, can he win another championship without Kevin Durant?

Can Kevin Durant get over the hump and show he can win without the help of the Warriors? Either way, if you're Adam Silver in the NBA, you are sitting back there, putting your feet up and saying, we are winners in the Western Conference Finals. Zach Gelb here with you on CBS Sports Radio, we gotta take a time out when we come on back, the owner of the Florida Panthers who are advancing to the second round, Vinny Viola will join us. That's the Florida Panthers Radio Network, this is the Zach Gelb show. What a night in hockey last night and the biggest storyline is the team with the most wins and most points in NHL history is out in the first round as the Florida Panthers come on back from down 3-1 in the series. We had a goal in the final minute of regulation and then Carter Verhage wins it in overtime and next up for the Panthers is the Tampa Bay Lightning coming up tomorrow evening.

Now let's head out to the guest line and welcome in the owner of the Florida Panthers and that's Vinny Viola, kind enough to join us right now. Vinny, first off, congratulations, just what a tremendous performance last night. The team just refused to give up on themselves, I have a big smile listening to the replay, the call, I gotta tell you my feet haven't touched the ground and I'm just so, so happy for our fans in South Florida because they rode this roller coaster for a long time with us.

I'm not saying that the roller coaster type ride isn't over but I'll tell you what, the highs are getting higher and the lows are getting higher so that's a good trend. Unbelievable game, unbelievable effort, the coaches, staff, they never wavered in their confidence and it's kind of infectious, you can just see it in the players and how they played. How did you process the goal in the final minute and the overtime winner because Vinny, I'm a huge hockey fan, I go nuts during this Rangers game that's going to happen tonight and I'm just a fan, you're the owner of the team, this is your squad and they did that last night. Yeah, so I'm a fan first, full stop fan, fan, Ranger fan my whole life, had the opportunity to buy this Florida Panther team which I always liked and really I knew I'd be relocating to Florida, perfect situation, I took off my Ranger jersey, put on my Panther jersey, never looked back, love the Rangers. Truthfully, I'm kind of rooting for my Rangers tonight to be told, probably completely inappropriate for an owner to say. How was I feeling as a fan? As a fan I was 51% like we're going to do this, I don't know how, but as an owner I was please, please let's do this for the fans. I wanted so badly for our fans to be able to distinguish something our team has accomplished that's really quite unique and I don't like to speak in terms of upsets but what they accomplished being down 3-1 winning two games in overtime to really, I think the standard of excellence in hockey organizations or the organization of hockey are the Boston Bears. I mean the Jacobs family and how that team is run by Cam Neely all the way through Donnie Sweeney to the coaches, just superb and watching, as a fan watching Patrice Bergeron and Brad Marchand hold each other so tightly and so emotionally, I got choked up for the sport, I really did for the sport. What does it say about your team that they were able to complete this 3-1 comeback up against a juggernaut of a team like we were talking about with the Boston Bruins? It really speaks everything to the process that Bill Zito put in place when he came in. It's a process about doing things right, simplifying the game, playing for each other, keeping the room very, very much focused on the fact that hey guys, you started to play this game at a very young age, you dreamt of these games and you loved the sport. Play the game like you loved the sport when you were a kid, your first junior championship, keep that spirit.

What does it say? It says that they have a real core character and a bunch of fortitude and quite frankly belief in each other. I mean, if you look at that last play, Kuchuk and Bennett, what they did, they were up against I don't know how many Bruins and you could see, you could almost feel the telepathy between the two of those players. They knew they would have come out with that puck. I just, as a hockey fan, Jackie said you're a fan, there's no sport like it. When Bennett had that puck on his stick, I'm like we're going to get a good shot out of this.

And if you notice, Kuchuk comes right around in front of Swamin, it was like magical, magical hockey. Owner of the Panthers, Vinny Viola here with us. After it was just a remarkable night for the sport and for the Florida Panthers last night. You know what it's like to win the president's trophy and then not get it done in the postseason. Last year, swept in the second round, made some changes and now here you are, you're playing the second round, just knocking off the team.

That was historical and won the president's trophy. What did your team learn about last year's shortcomings in that second round? I think they probably, when they looked at themselves at the end of the series, they realized it just weren't good enough. The style of play and the tempo of play after the play and the collective around their play.

Zach, by that I mean the collective dedication, the collective unity around where everybody was, what they wanted to do for each other, simplifying the game. I think they looked and said, we're not ready. We're not ready for this level of hockey.

I have to just make one slight correction. I know you meant to say Toronto, but you mentioned that we're going to play Tampa. That's another huge upset in my mind and I'm happy for Larry Tannenbaum and the Toronto Maple Leafs because we're going to Toronto, play the original six, Toronto Maple Leafs tomorrow and we couldn't be happier just for the honor of being up in Toronto playing them. You've got to pinch yourself because what I love the most is you said you grew up as a fan. I know you've now owned the Panthers for 10 years. To just be able to keep on advancing, this has got to be pretty surreal for you.

It's surreal, but it's become so much less. Listen, you have to have an ego, whether it's healthy or unhealthy, to take on owning a sports team. But at some point down the line, you get really humbled really fast and you realize that your mission, your duty is to create a team that the community can be super proud, super dedicated to. And quite frankly, makes their lives better. So for us, that win last night, for our fans who really quite frankly have stuck with us for a very long time without many great dividends, it was great winning the President's trophy last year.

Everybody loved it. It was not nice getting eliminated this second round. So it is surreal, but it's more surreal because I realized the impact on the average Panther fan will transcend this season. Does that make sense, Zach, what I'm saying?

No, I totally get it. Vinny Viola here with us, the owner of the Panthers. I got to ask you about this because it does annoy a lot of people, but teams do this in the playoffs. Restricting the home ticket sales to U.S. residents only, why did you guys end up doing that?

I know it's so you don't get a bunch of Maple Leafs fans in your building, but... I don't think we did. Did we do that? I'm shocked if we did.

No, what we did was we... No, here's what I think we did, and you can correct me if I'm wrong. We offered out, flat out, when you ask me a question, you just get unvarnished response. We offered out all of our season ticket holders to renew their tickets and they'd get basically flat pricing for rounds one and two. And then we put out 700 seats at a time to test the market, because our market's a fickle market, Zach. You know, most games we get a good...

It's a transient community. We get a good amount of visiting teams, but I don't think we restricted it by zip code. I'll ask my guys and Matt Colwell can get on the phone with you and tell you why. Because I tell you what, we had a hell of a lot of Bruins fans.

A huge amount of Bruins fans both games, and I expect even more Toronto fans. At the end of the day, I don't think that works. So if my guys are doing that, I would ask them why you're doing that. It really doesn't work. So anyway, that's my answer to that. I apologize for my ignorance about it.

I should know, but I don't. It's all right. By the way, did you put in a favor or ask for a favor with Gary Bettman? I know you have the favorite for the Derby too. I did.

I did. I'm like, Gary, if I could ask one favor, please, please not. I have some two favors. Please don't put us on at home the same night that the Heat's going to be playing at home, because South Florida is a great market, and those are two great teams. And I want all of the sport fans to have access to both teams. I'd like to go to a Heat game, right? And as far as the Kentucky Derby, I realize that the playoffs, Trump, their scheduling is important, but I did ask them if you could hold off and let us play Sunday. We'll see what happens. You'd rather win the Triple Crown or the Stanley Cup? Well, wow, you're really blessed to be right between the eyeballs. Man, I can't answer that right now, because you just split my emotional state in half.

I'm incapable of responding. If I had a select one, I honestly could not answer you. They're both super special. They both come around per team around the same statistical distribution, right? Most teams win it once every 25, 30 years or so, if you average it out. And we have a Triple Crown winner between 25 and 30 years. So they're both as rare statistically.

I'm just blessed that my family loves both sports. We all participate in it together. I know that's kind of a hedged answer, but you just blasted me right between the eyeballs. I did not expect that question. Great question.

Well, you know what? It's like asking a parent. It's like when I ask my parent, who's your favorite child? You know you're never going to get the answer on that one.

No, no. And you know in your heart they got to lean towards one of your siblings or you. It's just human nature, right?

But having said that, I really feel I love each of my three sons split down the middle equally. I'll answer the question this way. I think it is so important to the Florida communities to see this team fulfill its potential that I would just sort of kind of pull for that result because it impacts so many millions of people.

That's really what I would say. It's got to be infectious, right? Because you see the NCAA tournament at FAU in Miami. We know what the Heat have done. And now the Panthers in the second round. It's a pretty cool time to be a Florida sports fan. Big time.

And you know what? It's jumping down in South Florida. A bunch of people are coming down from all over the country and they're really engaging the communities. We're selling a lot of tickets to people who've just moved down. Whatever team they left behind, be it Minnesota, be it Colorado.

And I'm making those teams up randomly. But they're engaging the sports community in South Florida. And quite frankly, with guys like Bill Zito running the Florida Panthers and Pat Riley running the Miami Heat, we've got a great owner at the Miami Dolphins and Steve Ross. I mean, good stuff's happening. And Bruce Sherman is super, super committed to the Marlins.

And they're playing legitimate baseball. I mean, I can't wait to catch a game with him coming up soon. So it's a good time to be a South Florida sports fan.

It really is. And last thing I'll ask you, I'm sure, Vinny Viola, you'll be attending quite a few St. John's games, right? With your buddy Mike Repoli now.

Big time. Now, you know, I have to catch up to Mike because Mike had some strong opinions about St. John's previously. But now with Rick there. And, you know, Rick is a horseman. You know, Rick is a horse owner.

I don't know if you know that. So he, Mike and I spend a lot of time at the track together. I would say we're going to catch a lot of games and really try to help Rick bring back the countersecond era. I mean, who could beat the Redmond at St. John's Redmond? Fantastic. I know they're not called the Redmond anymore. I think they're called the Red Storm. But back in the day when they were called the Redmond, it was a magnificent, magnificent tradition that Cornicek could put in place there. And he's still going strong.

I think Louis is 95 or 96. So how about that? Well, Vinnie, once again, congratulations to your club. It was an awesome night, not only for Florida Panthers fans, but the entire sport also with the game between Seattle and Colorado.

Good luck coming up against Toronto. We'll do it again soon. Zach, thanks for having me, pal. You got it. There he is.

Vinnie Viola, the owner of the Florida Panthers. Let's take a break. We'll come on back with you. My 10 biggest takeaways from the NFL Draft when we return. Let's walk instead of drive. Talk instead of text. Stay out late and count the stars.

Let's get back to the things that matter. Welcome to Kinston, a new site of Sentara in Loveland, Colorado, for people seeking a new home in a new kind of place where homes are full of character, life is full of variety, and community means people spending time together. Models are open and new homes are selling. Join us at KinstonSantara.com. You're listening to the Zach Gelb Show. Alrighty, this is Zach Gelb Show on CBS Sports Radio. Good stuff right there with the owner of the Florida Panthers and Vinnie Viola for joining us. Get him back to the NFL Draft. I just want to give you my 10 takeaways from the draft from last week in Kansas City. First off, big thanks to everyone here for being a part of the draft show. Hickey did a great job out there in Kansas City, other than just eating barbecue, but helping us with the day-to-day stuff and following all the picks and all the big trades and all that.

JR was great, Andrew Perloff great as well, the on-site engineering team with guys like Bobby and JT and Frank were just absolutely sensational. So, appreciate everyone for their effort in providing us those three draft shows in Kansas City for the 2023 NFL Draft. When we get to the storylines from the actual draft, number one, on that Thursday, when you wake up and you find out the Lamar Jackson deal gets done, it's weird because for most of the offseason, I was under the assumption that Lamar was not going to get this extension done. And then the moment they got Odell Beckham Jr., not that it made me say that they were going to get the extension done, but it made me think, okay, Lamar bare minimum is going to be back with the Baltimore Ravens next year. Even though he didn't guarantee anything to Odell, I just don't think Odell, if he's being honest, would have actually gone to the Ravens.

I didn't know what the money was and it was crazy. I don't think he actually would have gone to the Ravens if he didn't have some feeling that it was likely that Lamar was going to be back. But when Lamar, I think it was two days before the draft, put out that SpongeBob SquarePants meme, that's when I'm like, okay, something's brewing here. And then he, I thought he believed he was going to take over the draft.

Don't get me wrong, it was a major storyline. But once the draft got underway, it didn't overtake the entire draft process, but good for Lamar. I know he didn't get the fully guaranteed contract.

He wasn't going to get that, but he gets $185 million guaranteed five-year deal with $52 million per season. And now the big question just becomes, can you go win a Super Bowl? Because I like Lamar, I believe in Lamar, but you're in an AFC that's absolutely loaded with guys like Joe Burrow, Patrick Mahomes clearly, Josh Allen, now Aaron Rodgers. You got Justin Herbert, Trevor Lawrence, Deshaun Watson, Russell Wilson, if they get back to form, the list just goes on and on and on and on.

My second draft takeaway, and these are in no order, just how I jotted them down when I was sitting on my couch today. I was stunned that Stenson Bennett ended up going in the fourth round. Like I know Stenson Bennett had a college career that you couldn't even write up in a movie script. With the two national championships that he won and how he goes from walk on to, as some would say, definitely the greatest Georgia quarterback of all time.

You've had some Georgia alum call him the greatest Georgia football player of all time. But I thought sixth, seventh round maybe, and sixth may have been a little benevolent on my part. The fact that he went in the fourth round to the Rams, that was just a head scratcher to me.

And then I forget who in the media said that Lesnead said that he believed he was the best quarterback in this draft class. That was a shocker to me. There was a few more shockers, too. But Stenson Bennett going fourth round would have never thought that in a million years. Next takeaway, Will Leviss falling out of the first round was the story of the first night.

And it just shows you, because I do believe that there were some genuine things out there about Will Leviss. Like I do think the Colts interest was legit. But one team that was highly interested in you, at least reported that they were highly interested in you, not getting, not selecting you, had him fall all the way out of the first round. And it was so bizarre where he was like the betting favorite at one point to be the second overall pick. Then, even potentially, his odds were crazy for the first overall pick. The fact that he didn't go in 32 picks this year, the first 31 picks, I couldn't believe that. And his landing spot, it's okay in Tennessee. It's like, yeah, they got Derrick Henry, but how much longer is he going to stay there?

You need to go get more weapons for him. I will root for Will Leviss, even though he kind of creeped me out with the eating of the banana with the peel on it and the mayo and the coffee. When you're in that green room and you don't go in the first round and you were supposed to go top 10, some cases people always go top five, that's absolutely devastating. Four, I do think the Texans and Cards are a great storyline. Because I like what the Texans did, but then I just as equally like what the Cardinals did when the Texans go get CJ Stroud and then also Will Anderson Jr. in picks two and three. But the Cardinals picking up the Texans true first round pick next year is enormous.

And now the Cardinals are going to be bad, the Texans probably going to be bad. They got two picks in the top five, two picks definitely in the top 10. Howie Roseman, the Georgia pipeline just continues to the Eagles. Last year, you had Jordan Davis and Nicobe Dean. This year, you go up to nine, you get Jalen Carter, you move up from 10. And at the end of the first round, you do get Nolan Smith and then also you trade for DeAndre Swift as well.

Howie Roseman just continues to be a stud. The Lions draft, that's my sixth takeaway. The Lions draft may be one of the more confusing drafts that I've ever seen. And the reason why I say that is their first three picks, I didn't really understand what the Detroit Lions were doing.

Now they traded DeAndre Swift sure afterwards and clearly they didn't trust him. But the fact that you take a running back at 12 and Jameer Gibbs, that just didn't make sense to me. And then after that, you take Jack Campbell at 18, Sam Laporta who wasn't even the best tight end on the board at that time. And with the 34th overall pick, but then I like taking the value of Brian Branch who's supposed to be a first round pick. And Henson Hooker in the third round is fine by me. But those first three picks were just major head scratchers when I looked at Detroit Lions. Seven, the Falcons going Bijan Robinson at eight.

Probably the best player available at the time. You could argue that maybe it was Jalen Carter too. But that team has so many holes. I know they'll look like a video game of some of the speed on offense. But I don't like taking a running back at eight when you have a lot of holes. The run on wide receivers was maybe my favorite part of this draft when you had them go four in a row. And you look at the way that they did go with Jackson Smith and Jigba going to the Seahawks. Quinton Johnson going to the Chargers, Zay Flowers going to the Ravens and then Jordan Addison going to the Vikings. You just wonder who's going to be the best wide receiver in that group. I personally like Jackson Smith and Jigba the best and then Quinton Johnson out of that. The order felt right though with then Zay Flowers and Jordan Addison following third and four off the board for wide receivers.

Hickey, I don't know about you on this one. Sean Clifford, your guy getting drafted? I didn't see that one in a million years. As stunned as I was with Stetson Bennett going in the fourth round to the LA Rams. To then see Sean Clifford go in the fifth round and have him go to the Green Bay Packers. That was stunning to me. I'm shocked.

Shocked. I thought at best case scenario he'll be a training camp invite, get some bodies on the roster. And there he goes in the fifth round. One Jordan Lavinger away from being the Green Bay Packers starter. And how many times you called for that guy to be bench this year? Even though he ended up going and winning a Rose Bowl this year, which really didn't mean much.

But that was crazy. Like if I were to tell you best case scenario, I know you said get an invite. But if I told you got drafted, you said, OK, seventh round. In the fifth round. Go Sean Clifford. Fav Rogers Clifford.

And then my final takeaway, by the way. My team. I like their their first two picks of Christian Gonzalez and Keyon White. But my team took a kicker and a punter. They took the kicker in the fourth round, the Maryland kicker, and they took the punter out of Michigan State in the sixth round. If you want to tell me you're going to take a kicker or punter, fine. But you can't be drafted in both a kicker and a punter with two picks in the NFL draft. Zach Gelb shows CBS Sports Radio. Frank Isola will join us next.