NFL Draft Round 1 Reaction: Ty Simpson selected by Rams + Favorite landing spots

Summary

Fantasy Football Happy Hour with Matthew Berry

Episode: NFL Draft Round 1 Reaction: Ty Simpson selected by Rams + Favorite landing spots
Date: April 24, 2026

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Episode Overview

This special episode aired immediately after Round 1 of the 2026 NFL Draft. Host Matthew Berry, joined by Lawrence Jackson and Jay Croucher, dives into the immediate fantasy football implications of Round 1’s biggest moves—including the surprise selection of Ty Simpson by the Rams, key offensive skill players’ landing spots, and the ripple effect on veteran fantasy values. The trio delivers expert insights, trade rumors, bold reactions, and plenty of laughs, all in their signature blend of analysis and banter.

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Key Discussion Points & Insights

1. Opening Thoughts & Anticipations

Timestamps: 00:08 – 02:00

• Biggest Storylines:
  • Jeremiah Love—where will this consensus top-10 fantasy running back land?
    • “Finding out where Jeremiah Love, who’s going to be a top 10 fantasy running back wherever he lands, to me, that’s the most interesting storyline for us tonight.” (Matthew Berry, 00:27)
  • Veteran-Driven Trades:
    • Lawrence wants a blockbuster, referencing the AJ Brown/Eagles trade from previous drafts.
  • Draft Order Intrigues:
    • Cardinals and Commanders as major wild cards; mysteries around potential early O-line picks and possible trade-ups.

2. Football Movie Detour

Timestamps: 02:31 – 06:24

• The hosts share a comedic tangent on the accuracy (or lack thereof) in football movies like Draft Day, Any Given Sunday, and television’s All American.
  • “It is both a terrible movie and wildly entertaining.” (Matthew Berry on Draft Day, 03:19)

3. Rams & Ravens Offense Outlook

Timestamps: 06:24 – 09:24

• Rams and Ravens back-to-back picks at 13 and 14 are highlighted as pivotal for fantasy weaponry.
  • Jay notes the Rams as Super Bowl favorites; optimism if Ravens grab a playmaker for Lamar.
  • Rumors that the Rams might not stay at 13 (08:07)—they could trade up, down, or out, with an eye to post-Stafford era draft capital.

4. Deep-Dive: D'Angelo Ponce’s Draft Rise

Timestamps: 09:24 – 09:35

• Lawrence highlights D’Angelo Ponce (Indiana CB) as a late riser, showing how rapidly odds can change (150:1 to +600).

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Prospect Reactions & Immediate Fantasy Impact

Fernando Mendoza to the Raiders (#1 overall)

Timestamps: 09:28 – 12:40

• “I can’t imagine drafting him even—he would be a QB3 in two quarterback or super flex leagues.” (Matthew Berry, 12:21)
• Unlikely to start with Kirk Cousins in the building.
• Positive for Brock Bowers and Raiders’ skill players, but Mendoza not draft-worthy in standard leagues.

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Jeremiah Love to the Cardinals (#3 overall)

Timestamps: 12:41 – 15:01; 43:16 – 44:08

• “I think he could have Alvin Kamara type usage in the second half...” (Matthew Berry, 13:18)
• Berry and Lawrence agree: Top-10 RB upside, although fantasy managers will need early patience.
• Love offers receiving threat: “he could be efficient on his touches and that’s where he’ll make his hay.” (Lawrence, 14:19)
• Cardinals instantly gain an offensive identity.

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Carnell Tate to the Titans (#4 overall)

Timestamps: 15:01 – 16:54; 44:08 – 45:08

• A surprise first WR off the board. Smooth route runner, great fit for Cam Ward.
• Dynasty darling; immediate redraft value likely as a WR4/5 (borderline top 40).
• Tate’s arrival boosts entire Titans passing game: “All of a sudden you feel like the pass catchers here … you feel good about Carnel Tate’s long term prospects.” (Berry, 15:58)

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Jordan Tyson to the Saints

Timestamps: 16:54 – 19:55; 45:08 – 46:18

• “He immediately slots in as the number two opposite for Chris Olave.” (Berry, 17:13)
• Provides needed depth; expected to have splash weeks but some volatility.
• Lawrence: “Jordan Tyson will be a great fit … you feel better about the Saints offense as a whole because they’re in a division that’s up for grabs.” (18:12)
• Both hosts tout upside, provided health issues don’t linger.

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Ty Simpson to the Rams (#13 overall)

Timestamps: 19:55 – 23:56

• One of the night’s biggest shocks as a QB drafted by a title contender.
  • “This is going to be the most divisive, talked about draft selection of the night.” (Jay Croucher, 19:56)
• Simpson not expected to play unless Stafford is injured—a pure dynasty stash.
• Lawrence: “I don’t even think Ty Simpson was a first round talent… Who are we to even question McVay up until this point?” (Lawrence, 21:12)
• Real-life implications: Trusting the Rams’ front office process given track record.

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Kenyon Sadiq to the Jets (#16 overall)

Timestamps: 23:56 – 25:46

• Unconventional: Jets go TE over WR, but Sadiq projects as H-back/flex option.
  • “He’s someone that you’d use as a mid-tier TE2, and as he gets more into that offense … he’s suddenly starting to get some, some love.” (Berry, 24:53)
• Not a priority redraft fantasy pick, but positive for Geno Smith’s streamer potential.

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Makai Lemon to the Eagles (#20 overall)

Timestamps: 27:39 – 29:59; 46:18 – 47:15

• Eagles likely preparing to move on from A.J. Brown; Lemon fine in slot, but not likely a major fantasy option year one.
• Big winner: Devonta Smith.
  • “Devonta Smith is going to be a receiver I’ll talk about all summer. I think he’s a 1,500 yard receiver.” (Lawrence, 28:48)

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KC Concepcion to the Browns (#24 overall)

Timestamps: 31:10 – 33:44; 47:15 – 48:28

• “At least in year one, is going to be a better NFL player than maybe fantasy prospect.” (Berry, 31:31)
• Immediate WR1 opportunity; Browns have a crowded skill room and shaky QB situation.

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Omar Cooper to the Jets (#30 overall)

Timestamps: 34:23 – 38:18

• Adds a slot presence, complementing Garrett Wilson and Kenyon Sadiq.
• “I think their offense will now be more efficient … this is an offense that should be able to put up points.” (Berry, 35:31)
• Deep-league flyer, but overall offense moving toward “loaded adjacent” status (Jay, 36:29).

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Jadarian Price to the Seahawks (#32 overall)

Timestamps: 38:18 – 42:53; 48:28 – 49:32

• Steps into post-Kenneth Walker void; early fantasy relevance depends on Zach Charbonnet’s recovery.
• “There’s a scenario where Price … is getting 15, 17 touches a game as kind of the lead back for the Seahawks.” (Berry, 41:29)
• Comparable to fellow ND back Jeremiah Love and could be top-2 rookie RB pick in dynasty/rookie drafts.

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Notable Quotes & Memorable Moments

• “The only thing I know for sure is Vonte Mack no matter what, right? … It is both a terrible movie and wildly entertaining.”
  — Matthew Berry riffing on Draft Day (02:41/03:19)
• “All you need is Love. The Cardinals ticket marketing people are very excited.” — Matthew Berry, punning after the Jeremiah Love pick (12:59)
• “Who are we to even question McVay up until this point?” — Lawrence Jackson (21:12)
• “You feel better about Jalen Hurts. You feel better about the entire Eagles offense.” — Matthew Berry, after the Lemon pick (30:45)
• “KC congratulations. You’re the best wide receiver on the Cleveland Browns.” — Lawrence Jackson (33:58)

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Key Fantasy Winners & Losers (Round 1)

Winners:

• Jeremiah Love (Arizona): RB1/2 value, especially in PPR
• Carnell Tate (Tennessee): Dynasty WR, high potential as Cam Ward’s go-to
• Cam Ward, Tyler Shuck (Titans/Saints QBs): Receivers to work with
• Devonta Smith (Eagles): Likely to see massive target increase
• Jadarian Price (Seahawks): Huge opportunity, especially early in the season

Losers:

• Ty Simpson (2026 Redraft): Stuck behind Stafford, no immediate fantasy value
• Seahawks’ RBBC Potential: Price’s upside capped if/when Charbonnet returns
• Colts Fans: No Round 1 pick after trading for Sauce Gardner (08:23)

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Next Day Draft Watches

Timestamps: 49:41 – 51:37

• Mike Washington (RB): “Has a chance to find himself in a very fantasy relevant situation…” — Berry
• Emmett Johnson (RB): Hometown feel, tons of passing game upside if drafted by Vikings
• Denzel Boston (WR): Potential fit for Raiders, Dolphins, Commanders, or Ravens.
• “Day two and day three are going to have some more fantasy relevant players. They always do.” — Berry (51:37)

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Closing Tone

True to Fantasy Football Happy Hour’s trademark, the episode offers equal parts insightful analysis and lively banter, capped with Berry’s signature sign-off:

"For Lawrence and Jay, I’m Matthew Vonte Mack no matter what. Peace out." (51:37)

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Episode Roadmap (Selected Timestamps)

• 00:08 – Draft anticipation: what to watch
• 02:31–06:24 – Football movie humor detour
• 09:28 – First pick reactions: Mendoza to Raiders
• 12:41 – Jeremiah Love shocker; Cardinals fantasy impact
• 15:01 – Carnell Tate to Titans
• 16:54 – Jordan Tyson to Saints
• 19:55 – Ty Simpson surprise to Rams
• 23:56 – Kenyon Sadiq to Jets
• 27:39 – Makai Lemon to Eagles, A.J. Brown fallout
• 31:10 – KC Concepcion to Browns
• 34:23 – Omar Cooper to Jets
• 38:18 – Jadarian Price to Seahawks
• 43:16 – Rapid fire: major rookie fantasy impacts

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For Fantasy Drafters (Summary Table)

| Player | Team | Immediate Fantasy Take | |--------------------|----------------|---------------------------------------------| | Jeremiah Love | Cardinals | RB1/2 potential, heavy PPR upside | | Carnell Tate | Titans | Dynasty WR, nice fit, WR4/5 redraft | | Jordan Tyson | Saints | High-upside WR4/5, health is key | | Ty Simpson | Rams | Dynasty only, out of 2026 redraft | | Kenyon Sadiq | Jets | TE2 range; watch for usage in camp | | Makai Lemon | Eagles | Slot WR, Devonta Smith big winner | | KC Concepcion | Browns | Possible WR1, but crowded offense | | Omar Cooper | Jets | Slot presence, improves team’s weapons | | Jadarian Price | Seahawks | Top-2 rookie RB, early season workhorse? |

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For more expert reactions and up-to-the-minute draft coverage, subscribe or join on Peacock or YouTube.

Transcript

[Lawrence Jackson]

Foreign.

[Matthew Berry]

Happy Hour with Matthew Berry.

[Jay Croucher]

Welcome to Fantasy Football Happy Hour. I'm Jay Croucher here with Lawrence Jackson. Matthew Barry decided to give Connor Rogers the day off. He's not a big draft guy, so I think he's doing something else. Watching the Mets try and lose again to the Twins, but looking forward to a big evening, round one of the draft. Matthew, what are you most excited for?

[Matthew Berry]

I'm excited for Tooth. I mean, where does Jeremiah Love go, right, like we thought, the Titans. No, I said after my draft column, my combine rumors come. I said, I'm here on the Titans at Ford and everyone's like, that's crazy. He's going to the Chiefs or the Saints. Free agency happens. Then it's like, oh, he's definitely going to the Titans. Now there's rumors about the Cardinals. Just a couple minutes ago there's a rumor tweet coming out that Brian Baldwinger says he thinks the commanders are going to trade up for Jeremiah Love. So finding out where Jeremiah Love, who's going to be a top 10 fantasy running back wherever he lands, to me, that's the most interesting storyline for us tonight.

[Lawrence Jackson]

For me it's, you know, the possibility of, you know, what type of trade happens in the first round that maybe involves a veteran, maybe it doesn't. But those first round picks moving up, moving back to get more. I just want to see what's going to be that, you know, that big trade of the draft. A couple years ago we had A.J. brown go to the Eagles in the middle of the draft. So for me it's just like the possibility of that, of that one big draft trade.

[Jay Croucher]

Yep. For me, I'm most excited about who my Colts are going to take. Oh, I don't have a first round pick trader for source Gardner to go all in to win the super bowl and didn't make the playoffs.

[Matthew Berry]

Do you have a, do you have a bet, do you have a favorite prop bet that you're drafting for that you have for this that you're rooting for?

[Jay Croucher]

Yeah. Well, as we look at the draft order for the first round, I'm not 100% convinced that anyone knows what the Cardinals are doing it 3. I know there's been some Jeremiah Love buzz, but I think that there's a chance that they might just go offensive line at three and that's certainly an underdog in the market. People expecting that they will go edge Rush or potentially Jeremiah Love, but I think they might just go o line at three. Matthew mentioned Love and your commanders, the commanders at seven now, not expecting Love will fall there, but he may. They may trade up. L. Would you, I mean, obviously be excited if Jeremiah Love is on your team? Would you feel good about the commanders trading up for running back with where they are?

[Matthew Berry]

I would not. I think I. As a fan, look, I'll trust in Adam Peters, so I'm going to trust, trust the process.

[Jay Croucher]

Sure.

[Matthew Berry]

But, you know, one of the scenarios that's been floated, which I actually like, is instead of trading up for Jeremiah Love, do they trade down for a wide receiver? You know, the Jets. The jets at 16, I think is one of the ones that have been

[Jay Croucher]

talked about a lot.

[Matthew Berry]

As if now Jordan Tyson's been gaining some steam. So there's thoughts that Tyson's not going to get out of the top 10. So we'll see that. That's another thing I'm looking forward to is where does Tyson and Carnell Tate, where do those two guys land specifically? The only thing I know for sure, Jay Croucher is Vonte Mack no matter what, right? It is once again, Vonte Mack no matter what. As you know from the great, great movie Draft Day.

[Lawrence Jackson]

Ohio State.

[Matthew Berry]

Ohio State. Vonte Mack no matter what. Remember, no one went to Bo Callahan's birthday party. Yeah, it is. It is one of those movies that I will just say, Jay, and you're a movie aficionado as well. I think. It is. It is both a terrible movie and wildly entertaining.

[Jay Croucher]

Like the Devil's Advocate.

[Matthew Berry]

Yes.

[Jay Croucher]

And Al Pacino.

[Matthew Berry]

Yeah. Objectively bad movie.

[Lawrence Jackson]

Non Draft Day.

[Matthew Berry]

It's a terrible movie.

[Jay Croucher]

That's pretty bad.

[Matthew Berry]

And yet I enjoy. I just. I don't know if it's hate watching that I enjoy, but I just like it is.

[Jay Croucher]

To be fair, a lot of football movies are like that. Yes. Like the Replacements is not really a good movie, but it's phenomenal to watch. But Any Given Sunday is not a really good movie but also quite fun to watch.

[Matthew Berry]

Any Given Sunday. The one positive about Any Given Sunday, though, is that I feel like the football action actually looked real.

[Jay Croucher]

Sure.

[Matthew Berry]

You know what I mean? Like why?

[Lawrence Jackson]

Because they had. They had some dudes that play so it looked like regular football players. If you watch All American, the routes are terrible. Like that's. No, like that's the weirdest football show I ever see.

[Jay Croucher]

But remember the Times is pretty bad on that front, too. Ryan Gosling trying to play cornerback.

[Matthew Berry]

What he was wearing number 48.

[Lawrence Jackson]

No corners. Choosing to wear number 48.

[Matthew Berry]

Anyway. But draft Day again. And I'm probably ruining this for people. But like Draft I mean there's so many things wrong with it in terms of like all the process is all wrong. Right. The quarterback, he's just like, you know, you forget the quarterback was 8 and 2 before the knee injury or whatever. Like, like the quarterback went to the stat and oh, by the way, they haven't thought about this. It's only until the actual day of the draft that they're like, you know, maybe we should stick with our quarterback. None whatsoever. Maybe we should talk about it. Meanwhile, like the general manager is having an affair with his. With. I forget what Jennifer Garner's character does. She's like a contract lawyer or something like that. But it's like it's, you know, clearly from a different era. Like the whole thing is. And then the mom shows up because he wants to have a funeral. Like the day of the draft and they gotta walk the grass. The whole thing is awful.

[Lawrence Jackson]

They tried. I think that's what they thought is like awful.

[Matthew Berry]

And I highly recommend you watching it.

[Jay Croucher]

Yeah. All right, well, I'll bring us back. But before I bring us back, I just want to mention one thing. The best ever draft related college football related thing in any movie is in Point Break where Keanu Reeves character was the quarterback at Ohio State.

[Matthew Berry]

Yeah.

[Jay Croucher]

And then is now an undercover FBI agent. But no one knows. But it's like, hold on. The undercover FBI agent was the quarterback at Ohio. It's just the most ridiculous.

[Lawrence Jackson]

I got to raise you one man. Hines Ward in Dark Knights.

[Matthew Berry]

Ward returns a kickoff and doesn't realize he don't care.

[Lawrence Jackson]

He's like, I'm getting there.

[Matthew Berry]

Have you ever seen. There's a. Have you ever seen. And we'll get to the draft in a second. We're shooting this before the draft. So for anyone watching this, the show, I promise we're going to get to the draft here in one minute. But there was a guy that. And I just. It was really, really funny guy. Did a video of like fantasy manager watching Hines Ward. That's my guy. That's my guy. That's my guy.

[Jay Croucher]

Oh, no.

[Matthew Berry]

And then he's just like. And then he's watching the buddy and the buddy's like, oh no, that's not going to count.

[Jay Croucher]

He crossed the goal line.

[Matthew Berry]

Dude, the stadium blew up. That was a phenomenal social media. And they're just doing it. And then the guy Matthew Barry told

[Jay Croucher]

you got name dropped.

[Matthew Berry]

Yeah, I got name dropped in there.

[Jay Croucher]

All right, all right, I'll bring us back. I'll bring us back. All right. Okay. Real talk about the draft. One thing I'm excited for Lawrence is what the Rams and the Ravens do back to back at 13, 14, particularly if it is going offense, drafting a pass catcher because you know, the Rams are Super bowl favorites. The Ravens were the Super bowl favorites 3/4 into week one against the Bills last season. These are two absolutely loaded teams in terms of talent and particularly if they're able to get Lamar Jackson a weapon like a Kenyan Sadiq type. That would be very right.

[Lawrence Jackson]

When we're talking about the Ravens. If it's a receiver going there, you'll have to be extremely patient in that situation because they're going to groom him to be like their future, you know, big bodied wide receiver. However, if it is a tight end and that said being Kenyon Sadiq, then we got some legs on that. Right. Because we know the Ravens tight ends well. Mark Andrews has had a lot of success with Lamar Jackson.

[Jay Croucher]

It's so funny saying The Steelers drafting 21st feel like they've drafted 21st 10 years in a row. Yeah, exactly.

[Lawrence Jackson]

Always in the 20s.

[Jay Croucher]

So it happens when you go 9 and 7, 10 and 7 every year

[Matthew Berry]

for whatever it's worth. And we will see if this plays out. But I was having dinner the other night with a RAM source.

[Jay Croucher]

Okay.

[Matthew Berry]

Somebody very well.

[Jay Croucher]

Matthew Stafford.

[Matthew Berry]

Yes. So Matthew Stafford and I. Matthew Kelly. Matthew and Kelly Stafford and I and Beth were. The four of us were out to dinner on a double date and no. So this is somebody who doesn't work with the Rams but is very well sourced within the Rams. And my friend said, I don't know if they trade up or they trade down, but I can tell you this. The Rams are not picking. I think it's 13. The Rams are not. They're not staying there. Either they will either trade up or they will trade down or they'll trade out. Maybe they'll trade for a one. They'll trade. They'll trade for a number one pick next year. So they have two picks next year when Stafford is likely retired. As you know, it's very tradition for me to always retire Matthew Stafford. One of these years I'm gonna be right.

[Jay Croucher]

Sure. Yeah. Keep rolling.

[Lawrence Jackson]

You do it to LeBron too.

[Jay Croucher]

It's interesting that Aaron Donald would tell you that. Yes.

[Matthew Berry]

Andrew Wentworth. Yeah.

[Jay Croucher]

Any bold prediction?

[Matthew Berry]

Me and Puka. Me and Puka.

[Lawrence Jackson]

I actually got a little something on D'. Angelo. Puns. First round. First round Indiana cornerback. That's actually. That's at plus 600. You know, I like my plus money. Think about this though. About five or six days ago this was one hundred and fifty to one odds for him to go in the first round. So I saw it today at plus 600. I think he's one of the top five to seven talents in this whole NFL draft. The problem is he's just five, nine and 180 pounds but he's competed with the Carnell Tates and held his own and the Jeremiah Smiths from Ohio State. So he's really like that. And for his size, he makes up for that with strength and leaping ability, explosiveness. So I think d' Angelo Ponce could sneak into the first round.

[Matthew Berry]

Said a lot about me. I make up for my deficiencies with the explosives. Yeah, exactly.

[Jay Croucher]

Okay, well, looking forward to all of it. We will be reacting to everything on offense, not so much on defense, but looking forward to a big night for everyone in the NFL except the Indianapolis Colts. And we will be reacting to to it as it unfolds. Okay, Fernando Mendoza first off the board as expected to the Las Vegas Raiders. Matthew, will he be a top 20 quarterback in fantasy for you?

[Matthew Berry]

I don't believe so. Look, look, I think this is the obvious pick for for a reason here given all the Raiders needs. But you have to think about this, right that offense wants to be run heavy. Mendoza himself doesn't run a lot and while he's got some nice weapons around him, obviously starting starting with Brock Bowers, the the fact is is that Sam Darnold with JSN and a very highly functioning offense under Clint Kubiak last year in Seattle QB 24 on a points per game basis. Darnold played awesome Super Bowl MVP and yet still he couldn't crack the top 20 in points per game. And now you've got Mendoza coming to a Raiders situation which isn't nearly as solid as Seattle's in that same system. I think Kubiak is a very good coach, especially for Mendoza who is accurate. But I don't see any fantasy value in the near future especially because Lawrence he might not start right.

[Lawrence Jackson]

And that's the biggest thing they have Kirk Cousins. We don't know when and if Fernando Mendoza is going to start and so but it's when he does get in for the rest of the offense. I do like it for a player like Brock Bowers. Like you could still feel confident he'll be one of the top two or three tight ends in fantasy just based off the offense that they ran in Kaj a lot of rpo. So Fernando Mendoza more of a point guard type of quarterback at this point. That's what you want when you got a back that could catch it out the backfield. You got a tight end who could catch it and run. You're still developing your wide receiver room so. But we, we don't know when he's going to play. We know at some point he will, but we can't say He's a top 20 quarterback off the bat.

[Jay Croucher]

Yep.

[Matthew Berry]

Jay, could you see the Raiders win total changing at all if we knew for sure Mendoza was starting versus Cousins?

[Jay Croucher]

I don't think it changes a great deal. But two things. One, I like that you were so upset about Ken Walker not hitting the receptions prop that he handed his Super Bowl MVP to Sam Darnold.

[Matthew Berry]

That's right.

[Jay Croucher]

Ye but he's upset that I have.

[Matthew Berry]

I've wiped that from my memory. Sam Dong should have been a Super Bowl MVP the way he handed the ball to Ken Walker three times. Got the ball right in the basket.

[Jay Croucher]

And secondly with Mendoza, I do think one underrated thing is that the Raiders offensive line last year was horrific. Two years ago it was pretty good or at least it was fine. So I do think that it just will be improved with more competent coaching with Clint Kubiak there. But ultimately no. Between Mendoza and Cousins I don't think it affects the wind till too much because everyone's going to expect Mendoza to get in there at some point and Kirk is I think will be a very good backup if he does take the starting role. But ultimately expect that it's going to be Fernando Mendoza's shots.

[Matthew Berry]

Yeah. So I think this is a smart pick for the Raiders. They needed a franchise quarterback. They get one in Fernando Mendoza. I think this is good for the skilled players on the Raiders. We care about starting with Bowers and Ash and Genty. But in terms of fantasy value, standalone fantasy value for Fernando Mendoza this year, it's hard to see. I can't imagine drafting him even he would be a QB3 in two quarterback or super flex leagues.

[Jay Croucher]

Yeah. Okay, first real shocker or semi shocker of the draft. Jeremiah Love goes three to the Cardinals. Perhaps not the landing spot that would be ideal for running back. Cardinals have a win Total of 4 and a half but Jeremiah Love, he can. He offers plenty in the passing game as well. Will he be a top 10 running back for you? Matthew?

[Matthew Berry]

He will be. I think he'll be, you know, borderline top 10. When we heard the rumors we thought ah, the Cardinals just throw in smoke. But apparently despite the fact that they have Trey Benson, Tyler Algier and James Connor on the Roster, all you need is love. The Cardinals ticket marketing people are very excited about, you know, that's going to be all you need is love. Here's what I would say.

[Jay Croucher]

All they have is love.

[Matthew Berry]

All they have is love.

[Lawrence Jackson]

All they have is love.

[Matthew Berry]

It's basically very true. It's a city of city of Jeremiah love, not necessarily brotherly love. What I will say about this is that while you might think, well, boy, you know, the Cardinals not a great offensive line, the fact of the matter is the defense was not good last year. We think under LaFleur, this offense should be as good, if not better than next year. Again with Brissette, with Harrison McBride, Michael Wilson, they can move the ball. And so love, who's a good pass catcher. I mean, Algiers doesn't catch passes. Like, we don't even know if we'll see Conner this year playing as well. So I think Jeremiah loves, even though he's a different kind of running back, I think he could have Alvin Kamara type usage in the second half, especially as they continue to trail. Look, he's not going to get 25 carries immediately. Lawrence. Like, I think fantasy managers will be a little frustrated with the start, the way they were with Ashton Genty last year, maybe Jameer Gibbs. But I'm going to bank on talent and I'm going to bank on the coaching of LaFleur to ultimately get the most out of Jeremiah Levincan in Arizona.

[Lawrence Jackson]

Right. And the thing about that, Matthew, is he didn't have 25 carries a lot of times in college. Like he split time with Jada Darien Price, so he's used to that. And when me and Connor interviewed him at the combine, he said, I don't mind coming into the league and sharing the backfield. Like that's what's going. That's what makes him go. He stays, he stays healthy. He keeps his energy. The good thing about it is we know he could take him to the house. And when we talk about a running back who can catch, it's not just swing passes out the backfield. He could go downfield, catch the deep ball. You could line him up as a receiver. He could get the ball that way. So he could be efficient on his touches and that's where he'll make his hay.

[Jay Croucher]

Yep. Arizona Cardinals were perhaps the most anonymous team in the league before now. Now they have an identity with Jeremiah Love. Okay, first wide receiver off the board, Carnell Tate out of Ohio State to The Titans at 4 represents something of a surprise. Been some momentum for Jordan Tyson to be the first receiver taken, but it's not Connel Tate. And no one really expected him to go to Tennessee. What kind of player are the Titans getting?

[Lawrence Jackson]

Lawrence? Look, they Talked about his 4, 5, 3 at the combine and how at his. At his. At the combine. Yeah. And how it was slower. But this the thing. His thing is route running. He runs smooth routes. He goes up and gets the ball. He kind of glides when he runs the routes. And this is the kind of guy that Cam Ward needed with all the injuries that Calvin Ridley had last year. He's older. Get a new guy that you could build up with Cam Ward and they got that. And Carnell Tate, like you said, it was close between him and Jordan Tyson, but this is the guy that we could see grow with Cam Ward.

[Matthew Berry]

And you feel better about Cam Ward now, right? You think about the offseason addition of Wandell Robinson, the offseason addition of Brian Dabel as the new play caller there in Tennessee. And now you add Carnell Tate, who I think they're hoping will be what they hoped Calvin Ridley was going to be when they signed him. Right. They got some nice production out of DK last year as well. So you think about Wando Robinson, Carnell Tate and then dk. They will see if they have anything left from Calvin Ridley. I kind of like Gunnar Helm as a tight end now with Chigaconko in Washington. So all of a sudden you feel like the pass catchers here, the pass catchers here in Tennessee again, under day ball, second year of Cam Ward. Look, I think in redraft, Carnell Tate's, you know, probably borderline top 40 wide receiver, you know, maybe not even top 40 again, because I think Wondell's going to lead that team in targets. But still Ohio State wide receiver in the pros, long track record, good offensive mind. I think ultimately, if you're a dynasty manager, you feel good about Carnel Tate's long term prospects.

[Jay Croucher]

Yep. And stock goes up for Camp Ward as well. Just giving him his first legitimate weapon that he's had in the NFL. Jalen Tyson, currently in foul trouble against the Raptors at Scotiabank arena, but no such issues for his brother. Jordan Tyson has been drafted to the Saints. Matthew, what do you think of his fit with Tyler Schock next to Chris Olavo, who that.

[Matthew Berry]

I think it's. I think it's great. Especially when you think about sort of what they needed. Right. I mean, so after Rashid, he goes to Seattle. Like, all due respect to the Mason Tipton and Vaughn valleys of the world. But they needed someone opposite Chris Olave again. We love Joanne Johnson here, but they needed a second, a second pass catcher here for this Kellen Moore offense. And so I think this is a great landing spot for Jordan Tyson, who immediately slots in as the number two opposite for Chris Olave. We like Tyler Schuck, who very quietly was a top 20 fantasy quarterback last year, should improve even more in the second year in the system. Now with these weapons around him, think about Travis Etienne now in the back all of a sudden, like the Saints have kind of a. Kind of a sneaky good offense here for fantasy guys. Good O line as well. It's not a division that scares you. Lawrence as well. I think redraft, he's probably like borderline top 40 ish. Him and Carnell Tate, I think people are going to go back and forth. I think Tyson probably has more weekly upside. Tate is probably safer given the injury histories here. But I think this is probably a pretty good landing spot for Jordan Tyson.

[Lawrence Jackson]

Yeah, I mean, the person I like it for the most is Tyler Schuck. Right. You got a number two receiver now and now you got a guy who could kind of win those routes over the middle. He's not scared to go over the middle and catch that football. You just really needed a solid number two. And like y' all said, the offense as a whole is now coming together. Jordan Tyson himself, you said it, Matthew. Probably in the wide receiver 40ish range. That means a lot of up and down rookie weeks as a receiver. We'll see the same kind of things with Jordan Tyson as we will with Cardinal Tate. But at this current time, you feel better about the Saints offense as a whole because they're in a division that's up for grabs. The Saints see that and they're going to get it. That's why they're putting everything around their quarterback. And Jordan Tyson will be a great fit.

[Jay Croucher]

Yeah. And the other thing too is that obviously hope Chris Olave stays healthy, but he's dealt with a lot of injuries in his career and there are worlds where Olive could get hurt. And then Jordan Tyson becomes the number one wide receiver with a very competent quarterback with Tyler Schuck there. And I think that what Shock showed towards the end of the season was real. The underlying stuff, you just watch him on tape as well. He was excellent. So I think that this bodes very well for the Saints, for their offense going forward.

[Matthew Berry]

It does. It's sort of interesting though that the Saints would take this shot again because the only knock On Jordan Tayson, who some people have compared to Jackson, Smith and Jigba, like that kind of level talent is the injury history with him in college. So you've got Chris Olavi, who's dealt with that throughout his pro career. You've got Jordan Tyson, who's coming in with some injury red flags. But if both guys can stay healthy, both guys, insanely talented wide receivers with a good play caller, a good run game, good offensive line, as you said, an improving quarterback.

[Jay Croucher]

Okay, we've got some shocking news for Stetson Bennett. He's got some competition. Ty Simpson, drafted 13 to the Rams. This is going to be the most divisive, talked about draft selection of the night. Almost certainly the Rams, who are the super bowl favorites, who are a win now team who just traded for Trent McDuffie, who have Matthew Stafford coming off an MVP season and they have taken a quarterback. Matthew, your quarterback.

[Matthew Berry]

Roll Tide. Roll Tide indeed. With Ty Simpson, you know, we talked about at the top of the show how, like I had a friend tell me there was no way the Rams were picking at 13. They were going to trade up or trade down. They do in fact pick it because they didn't like anyone in this range. But you know, listen, they picked Ty Simpson, who is clearly quarterback of the future. There's no fantasy value this year unless Matthew Stafford gets hurt. Like he's going to sit and learn. But I think if you are in a dynasty league, I was literally in a dynasty draft last week where Ty Simpson went in the first round. It's not looking like a great pick because you think about Simpson who has the skills. There's, there's some flaws to his game, Lawrence. But getting to go and, and learn from Matthew Stafford being a Sean McVay offense, he's going to get to play with Pukinakua for the next 10 years when Stafford retires, whether it's next year or two years, he's going to sit and learn. I think for the dynasty value of Ty Simpson, you couldn't have asked for a better landing spot if you don't need him this year.

[Lawrence Jackson]

Yeah, even just from a regular football standpoint, I don't think many thought Ty Simpson was going to play this year regardless, wherever he went. But now we know that for a fact when you're behind the MVP quarterback. So the thing with Ty Simpson is like you said in the Dynasty, it's like, hey, you take him when you get him and you just kind of sit and wait on it. And I will say this to like, I think the Pick is crazy. First off, I don't even think Ty Simpson was a first round talent. However, like when the Rams was trading away all those first round picks to get these players, we was like, what are they doing? Then the Rams just like F them picks. F them picks. They once traded away Jared Goff, who they literally went to the super bowl with. Well, you know what they said we wouldn't actually win the Super Bowl. That's what they did. So, hey, up until. I don't know who we are to even question McVay up until this point.

[Matthew Berry]

Well, listen, McVay and Les need, right, because to your point, Lawrence Day, they've made a lot of moves that at the moment you're like, I'm not sure

[Lawrence Jackson]

this is the most questionable.

[Matthew Berry]

And then it has, but had it's worked out. This is a team that, that found Jared Verse, that found Pukinakua. They have, they have managed to. To your point, like they have in years where you thought they were going to rebuild. They have competed.

[Jay Croucher]

Yeah. So I think, I think you have

[Matthew Berry]

to trust the process a little bit here.

[Jay Croucher]

A little bit. But the process, the issue is not so much this individual decision, it's this individual decision within the context of the others. Like why all in with Trent McDuffie and trading, making that trade and then drafting Ty Simpson, who's not going to, you know, he's not going to contribute to them winning the super bowl this year.

[Lawrence Jackson]

Right.

[Jay Croucher]

If Ty Simpson is playing quarterback, that's bad news because that means Matthew Stafford got hurt. I do think what this speaks to though is the fact that and we forget about it because he ended up winning MVP and was, you know, one or two plays away from making the Super Bowl. But like, Matthew Stafford came into the year with a back issue.

[Matthew Berry]

He did it.

[Jay Croucher]

Really thought like he's going to miss the start of the season. But we're going to see Matthew Stafford play this year and there are real concerns there. And then obviously he overcame that and had a career season. But yeah, I think, I mean, to me this is even. This is different than like the Jordan Love, Aaron Rodgers things. They took Jordan Love in like the mid to late 20s. They use pick 13 on a quarterback.

[Lawrence Jackson]

They could have had a player. It's like, all right, so you take the quarterback. Like you said, he's not going to help you. You already have a good defensive line. They could have taken Ruben Bane and that would have helped them more than the quarterback. But hey, what they're saying is our roster is good so we could use Our pick to get our quarterback of the future.

[Matthew Berry]

There will be a lot of debate about this pick on all the NFL talk shows, I'm sure, including Pro Football Talk on Monday. But what I will tell you is that from a Dynasty perspective, Ty Simpson lands in an absolute awesome spot.

[Jay Croucher]

Okay, another semi shocker of sorts where Kenyon Sadiq, tight end out of Oregon, gets drafted to the New York jets to play with Geno Smith. What do you think of the player on the pick?

[Lawrence Jackson]

Lawrence would have thought they would have went receiver here. So now we're in the conundrum. Like we, we got a little dilemma here when it comes to fantasy. You got Mason Taylor last year in the second, third round when now you get Kenyon Sadiq in the first round here. I will say this, they play two different tight end positions. Mason Taylor, more of your traditional tight end Kenya Sadiq will be used like a H back flex type of player. But I think he'll come in just added, they just added another playmaker to get around Garrett Wilson. Someone to kind take the load off here. But from a fantasy perspective in Redraft, I can't see him being someone that you'd even use as a streamer right off the bat.

[Matthew Berry]

I could see him as a mid tier tight end too. I mean like from a fantasy perspective, he goes to a veteran quarterback in Geno Smith who we have seen can get the ball to Brock Bowers, has been able to, you know, we think Geno's going to be better than he was in Las Vegas last year. And then you also think about the fact to your point, like speaking of somebody who has Mason Taylor and dynasty tier. But the fact of the matter is that other than Garrett Wilson and Breece hall out of the backfield, there's not a lot of target competition. And you use a 16th overall pick on Kenyon Sadiq, he's going to get the ball, Lawrence. So while it's not somebody that I think you're going to target in Redraft As a top 12 fantasy tight end, I could see him as a mid tier tight end too. And as he gets more into that offense and we see Geno looking like Seattle Geno, you could see, I could see us talking about him on a Tuesday in a waiver wire saying like hey, Kenyon Siddiq is suddenly starting to get some, some love. Ultimately I think it's a, it's a good long term landing spot for him.

[Lawrence Jackson]

I think the, like, I think the plan would be to have both of them on the field together a Lot of the time.

[Matthew Berry]

Sadiq and Taylor, right?

[Lawrence Jackson]

Yes. Yeah. You want both of the tight ends on the field at the same time. Especially when you don't have like a true solidified wide receiver too in the building. And to your point, and I even mentioned it a couple weeks ago when we talked about Sadiq is like if you're taking them in the first round you should have plans for him. They're just going to have to work it out. And it's not like we're he's going to some high flying offense to be the second or 1A 1B tight end. That will be a different story. We're talking about the jets right here.

[Jay Croucher]

Well the thing is, and that's the point is that I think we all have such a this anchoring about the jets because they've been bad for 45 years and that we think that it's going to be bad because it's always bad if you just kind of take a step back. They have a really good offensive line. That's the strength of the team. They have Garrett Wilson who's the legit number one wide receiver. They have Bruce hall who's the legit number one running back and they have Geno Smith who was bad last year but everyone liked that trade or at least they thought that the Raiders were you know, potentially getting a better quarterback than who was going to Seattle and Sam Donald at the time. So Gino, if he can become the guy again that he was in Seattle then all of a sudden I think that Sadiq goes into a situation that is actually not that bad and it might be a good balance and a happy medium between good enough things around him but they're not too many good things to take away target share. So I think that it could be interesting. I think there is still some upside.

[Matthew Berry]

Well and by the way it, it suddenly makes Geno Smith potentially streamer worthy. Right. Because like while we all wanted a wide receiver here for the jets, the fact is Sadiq is a talented pass catcher and it's just another weapon for Gino. Again you're not going to in a season but like in a bi week or deep tube quarterback league suddenly Gino I think potentially viable Philadelphia Eagles going

[Jay Croucher]

to look a fair bit different on offense this year. It looks like Mikhail Lemon is the pick after they trade up with the Cowboys. This probably means the end of the A.J. brown era.

[Matthew Berry]

It certainly points to that. Right. Because they as we've talked about they, they have, they traded for Don Tavian Wicks. They've got Hollywood Brown there as well. They brought back Dallas Goddard. Obviously they have Devontae Smith. And so when you trade up to get Makai Lemon also, they never throw the ball. I mean, right. I mean they also, you know, they have a guy named Saquon Barkley in the backfield. So I think, look, the obvious thing is it feels like AJ Brown is probably moving on from the Eagles. And as we've talked about, the Eagles believe that Devonte Smith, if he got the kind of target share that Jackson Smith and Jigba got last year, he has that kind of upside. They think there's yet another gear to Devonta Smith. So this gives them some more depth here. Makai Lemon. And look, Howie Roseman is a great drafter. It drives me crazy as a Commanders fan that he's in my division as well here. But fantasy wise, you could see a scenario, Lawrence, where Makai Lemon is the number two, that he beats out Wicks and Brown in training camp. Assuming Brown moves, AJ Brown moves on.

[Lawrence Jackson]

Yeah, and I think it's going to be all about the roles. I think Don Tavian Wicks will have a spot there as one of the outside receivers. And you got Devontae Smith and Makai Lemon who play outside in the college, but he'll settle in in the slot here. Tough player, great in the zone coverages in the middle of the field. And that's the part where the Eagles offense tended to struggle. They were good on the deep balls, but Makai Lemon will be a guy who could come in there and solidify that. But man, Devontae Smith, man, if AJ Goes, moves on like we expect him to. I mean it, it got to be a foregone conclusion right now. Devonta Smith is going to be a receiver I'll talk about all summer. I think he's a 1500 yard receiver. I think he's a true number one receiver in this league. That's what he was drafted as coming out. People look at the size, but this guy didn't win the Heisman for no reason. He's got he stacked up a thousand yards multiple thousand yard seasons being the wide receiver too. And we know the Eagles don't throw it a lot, but they've still had two 1,000 yard receivers for three straight years. So I'm all in on Devonta Smith.

[Jay Croucher]

Yeah, I think that makes a lot of sense. He's obviously got the talent. And now to your point, going from being a number two in a very run heavy offense, there just wasn't a lot of room for him to Breathe. And now he's going to, you know, very likely be the number one in an offense that may throw the ball a little bit more. To me, the reason why this is most interesting with Lemon is that as you mentioned, the knock on Jalen hurts and this Eagles passing offense has been that they don't use the middle of the field. Right now he has a weapon who is specifically designed for the middle of the field. And Devontae Smith still, you know, he's not just the deep threat, but he gives that deep element, as does Hollywood Brown. Dontavian Wicks is another ingredient. So. So overall, think there should be enough for Makai Lemon? He's not going to be a super attractive fantasy option, but I do think that he makes this Eagles offense make a little bit more sense. Yeah.

[Matthew Berry]

You feel better about Jalen Hurts. You feel better about the entire Eagles offense? My only question here in Philadelphia fans, when they throw lemons, will it be because he did a good play or a bad play? Because it could go either way. You could see like they're upset or they're happy and they're throwing the lemons, but either way, both.

[Lawrence Jackson]

Yeah, if it's Eagle fans, it'll be both.

[Matthew Berry]

Yeah, exactly. But anyway, buy stock and lemons in the Philadelphia area.

[Jay Croucher]

Pick 24 to the Browns. KC Concepcion, wide receiver, Texas A and M. Who are one of your four college teams that you support.

[Matthew Berry]

Gigam, Aggies, Jay Gig Emaggies.

[Jay Croucher]

Yeah. So very confusing situation. Now, this Todd Monken Browns offense, they have a lot of receivers, but there's a chance that Casey Concepcion is the number one receiver for the Browns. Just what does that mean? To be the number one receiver?

[Matthew Berry]

Yeah, I mean, that's the problem. I think fantasy wise, probably not much. I think Casey's Concepcion, at least in year one, is going to be a better NFL player than maybe fantasy prospect. Like he immediately becomes, I think, the best wide receiver on the team. But they still have Jerry Jeudy there. They still have Cedric Tillman, who you guys know, club said always open. But you think about those guys along with Harold Fannin, who's probably going to be the number one pass catcher drafted in fantasy drafts from the Browns. So they have a lot of guys to spread around. And you think about what Lunken did in Baltimore. That's what they did. They spread the ball around. They also want to be run heavy with Quinshon Judkins as well. And so I think this is a good pick for Cleveland's offense, whoever their quarterback is. Lawrence, we're not even sure who that quarterback's going to be, but I just, I don't see Concepcion being drafted in leagues redraft leagues of normal size. He's probably somebody that as we understand the role a little bit more, we're picking up as a, as a waiver pickup in the season.

[Lawrence Jackson]

Yeah. And to what you said about Todd Muck and spreading the ball around, he even did that if you go back to what he did at University of Georgia. But KC Concepcion, somebod that the Browns offense desperately needed, they didn't have any type of burst or explosiveness. Now they have that. You got a guy who can make cuts and change directions without losing speed. He's not a big receiver, but he could still go up and get the ball. And like you said, Jay, I think he's. I think he's their best receiver today. We just got to figure out like who's going to be getting him the ball. We know what Todd Monken's offense looks like. We don't know what it looks like with this particular team. Like you had University of Georgia and you had Lamar Jackson. So that's a little bit different than the Cleveland Browns offense. But things are looking up for their offense as a whole. They retooled the whole offensive line. Now you get a receiver that they need now like you said, Matthew, we got to see what's going on.

[Matthew Berry]

I do think because he has such explosive big playability and he's somebody that anytime he touches the ball can take it to the house. And I do think he becomes an interesting best ball pick later late in best ball drafts because again, he's going to have those spike weeks because they will get him the ball. It's just will it be consistent given they probably want to be a little bit more run heavy and they do have a lot of mouths to feed in Cleveland with a questionable quarterback situation.

[Lawrence Jackson]

Who do you think is better for him? Fantasy wise? Desean Watson? Shedeur? Sanders?

[Matthew Berry]

I'll say Shador Sanders.

[Jay Croucher]

Sanders. I've watched the Sean Watson.

[Matthew Berry]

I have not seen Deshaun Watson in a Browns uniform.

[Jay Croucher]

Look.

[Lawrence Jackson]

Yeah, there was little parts but so like Shador to like there's four receivers in the NFL right now that came the same year as Shador. So that you know there's some hope there. But again, you got a lot of new players. You gotta gel together and do all that stuff. But KC congratulations. You're the best wide receiver on the Cleveland Browns.

[Jay Croucher]

Yeah. To your point about the best ball element. Matthew concepcion does have 70 career rush attempts. So they Might try to use him as a gadget player. Suspect they are going to have to manufacture touches and offense for him too. But very uncertain situation overall in Cleveland but certainly some upside for KC Concepcion. Pick 30 to the new York Jets. Omar Cooper, wide receiver out of Indiana. We can scrap all the positive things that we said about Kenyon Sadiq a little while ago. But Lawrence, how do you think that Cooper fits into this offense?

[Lawrence Jackson]

I think they what they're doing first off is just getting played, getting as many playmakers as they could get. They got a guy, Sadiq early who can like I said earlier, he's an H back type of player. Now you get Cooper who's he'll fit into that slot role for them with Garrett Wilson on the outside. Other side, Adonai Mitchell, a guy who can is not scared to go over the middle. Probably not the most explosive guy but a smart player in those zones. And as far as how this works out for fantasy. Well, Matthew, you said earlier like how about Geno Smith? They keep on collecting weapons. So I'm liking this for him.

[Matthew Berry]

Yeah, I do. And you know, it's interesting like you know some of the draft profiles I read about. Omar Cooper is like profiles is a number two wide receiver in the NFL. And so here you go to a spot where it's perfectly suited to be a number two wide receiver to the alpha in Garrett Wilson. And so in terms of fantasy value, again, let's sort of see how this offense rolls out. I don't think that Cooper is somebody that you're drafting in redraft this year in normal sized leagues. But. But I do think ultimately this helps. This helps the players we do care about on the jets, right, Because I think their offense will now be more efficient. They now have between Cooper, Sadiq, Breece hall and Garrett Wilson with a competent quarterback and Geno Smith. All of a sudden you're like, you know what, this is an offense that should be able to put up points. And so for the Breece hall will be in scoring position more often. Garrett Wilson will be in scoring position more often. You know again shedding two tears now from Mason Taylor. My dynasty shares of Mason Taylor. But yeah, I think a really good landing spot for the getting Cooper here. Jets.

[Jay Croucher]

I mean the jets mean loaded is a strong term but the offense is like loaded adjacent now.

[Matthew Berry]

It's like it's now competent. And now you, you see a vision there.

[Jay Croucher]

Yeah, you have a legit number one wide receiver in Garrett Wilson. You have a legit number one tight end clearly in Kenny And Sadiq and then Omar Cooper, who, I mean, where he was mocked kind of varied wildly. He was linked to the Jets a little bit at 16, and they were able to get him at 30. But also Breece hall is one of the most dynamic weapons in the league when he's healthy. And it's all behind a very good offensive line. Now we'll have to see about the scheme. We'll have to see if Gino. Gino might just be done. That is possible, but he may have something left in the tank as well. How do you think, Lawrence, that he specifically Cooper. This is kind of complements Garrett Wilson's skill set.

[Lawrence Jackson]

Well, yeah, so we know Garrett Wilson, he could do. He could run all the routes. He's the deep guy, the intermediate guy. This will kind of let. This will kind of let him take a break from going over the mill and trying to do everything we want to keep him healthy. Omar Cooper, tough receiver over the middle. He'll slide in there. And when you look at Cooper and Sadiq, like taking these two guys in the first round, like you want them to perform in the training camps, in the OTAs, like you want them to be able to play early to contribute. So if we get to the middle of training camp and you see that like one of these guys are like a little bit lower on the depth chart, then that doesn't bowl well for the jets offense because you're literally taking players that are. That should be better than what you already have on the roster. So I would expect Omar Cooper to be at least the wide receiver, too. I don't know that he'll be the second in targets on that team, but as far as receivers go, he should be second and receiver targets.

[Jay Croucher]

Okay. One of the big unanswered questions going into the season from a fantasy perspective, from a real life perspective, is what are the Seahawks going to do at running back after Super Bowl MVP Kenneth Walker leaves for the Chiefs? Well, now we have our answer. Pick 32, last pick of the first round, Matthew Jadarian. Price, running back out of Notre dame. He becomes RB1 in Seattle.

[Matthew Berry]

Yeah, I mean, I think this is a really good pick for Seattle and a really frustrating pick for fantasy football because he's going to split time with Zac Charbonnet when Charbonnet comes back. Obviously, until that time, and we don't know when Charbonne is going to be ready this season, but long term, you expect kind of more of the same, like that he's going to take the Ken Walker role like he's Got the big playability the same that Ken Walker does. Obviously, slightly different players, but, you know, between him and Charbonnet, that's what they'll do for now, at least for the start of the year. Lawrence, it's going to be a combination of Jadarian Price, George Holani, who they'll use on third down, and of course, Emmanuel Wilson. I think that this much is clear, though, if you're in a rookie draft after Jeremiah Love, his former college teammate, Price is the number two running back off the board.

[Lawrence Jackson]

Yeah, I'm not so sure I wouldn't take him before. A lot of those wide receivers that we saw get drafted earlier in the first round. Now that we know he has first round capital of Price, if he didn't go in the first, he was certainly going to go in the second. But now that we know he's winning the first, that makes it all that more important from that standpoint. But I'll say this to your point about Zach Charbonnet, I think with Jadarian Price will finally get a chance to see what, at some point, at least, what he does look like as a lead running back. We know he played alongside Jeremiah Love, and it's been proven now that if Jeremiah Love never existed, well, then Jadarian Price would be the top back in this class. And so we know he's versatile. We know he's got great acceleration. He was a kick returner, so, you know, you want to get him the ball in some capacity. And that's what they did at Notre Dame. Like, hey, we got Jeremiah Love, but you're so good. Like, we still got to get you the ball, too. Hey, return kick. You know, he can catch the ball out of the backfield. It's just something he didn't really get the opportunity to do at Notre Dame. And I think he's in a great spot now to kind of show like that. He can evolve as that type of bat.

[Jay Croucher]

Yeah, I think the talent is not in any doubt whatsoever. But the talent wasn't in any doubt for Ken Walker either. I think that perhaps our perception of this run game and of Ken Walker is a little skewed because of how hot he closed the season after Charbonnet got hurt where, like, he won the super bowl mvp, he went off in the playoffs. That wasn't the case throughout the regular season. Like, we had shows in the middle of the year where we're talking about, like, Zach Charbonnet is actually the back you kind of want in Seattle because he's getting more of the Goal line work, getting more of the receiving work. And so we'll see new OC Clint Kubiak's not going to be there anymore. And so maybe the roles and the divisional responsibilities are different in that backfield. But to your point, Matthew, this could be a headache. Fantasy wise.

[Matthew Berry]

Us. Yeah, eventually. But I actually weirdly think Price, again, we'll know more as we get closer to August and we have a better sense of Charbonnet's timeline. But there's a scenario where Charbonnet doesn't come and come back until late in the season. Remember, he got injured very late in last year. And so you could see a scenario where Price, you know, sort of distance himself and is a, you know, is getting 15, 17 touches a game as kind of the lead back for the Seahawks with, you know, you're not really that scared of Wilson or Hawani and everything like that. So Price suddenly, actually, I think, has more redraft value this year than potentially he might further down because again, I think he'll be the lead guy for the first 12, 14 weeks of the season. As we sit here today in terms of the timelines that I've heard about

[Lawrence Jackson]

Charbonnet, and that's a whole fantasy season. We play 14 regular season weeks in fantasy. Right. But the 15.

[Matthew Berry]

And by that time, if he's established himself. Yeah, I mean, right. I mean, Charbonnet is not going to go away, but like he'll have carved out a role for himself.

[Lawrence Jackson]

Yeah. And if you, you mentioned 15 to 17 touches, that's kind of, I mean, we talked about it about Jeremiah Love too. He's not love, but 15 to 17 touches, you're, you're, you're good. Like for Auto Zero running back drafters, this is a guy you'll be targeting.

[Jay Croucher]

Okay. First round, the NFL draft is in the books as we take a look at picks 1 through 16 the first half of the first round. Fantasy wise, a lot of names that are going to be very relevant. We've talked plenty about Fernando Mendoza, Jeremiah Love, Carnell Tate, Jordan, Tyson, so forth. But Lawrence, Jeremiah Love, the first shocker of sorts. What did you think of his landing spot in Arizona?

[Lawrence Jackson]

It's funny because we're shocked, but we're not shocked. We're not shocked because we're, we know he's that good. We just didn't think the Cardinals would do it because they needed so much. But I think out the gate he's a guy who could catch 60 to 70 passes. He won't have to play 80% of the running back snaps to do that. In fact, there's a chance that he doesn't do that. The fact is they just needed the best player on their board and he was probably the best player on everybody's board or close to it. So I think Jeremiah Love is somebody you should feel good about on your fantasy team, especially if he's your RB2 out of the gate. So he'll be able to be efficient with his touches. Won't need the 20 carries. Don't expect that or you'll be, you'll be disappointed. Just know that he could take them to the house at any time. Love the Pit.

[Jay Croucher]

Yep. One spot after Jeremiah Love. Carnell Tate out of Ohio State going to the Titans. I think that that the most important thing here, Matthew is just giving Cam Ward a chance to succeed where he did not have a chance. How many we spent so much time last year talking about Elikayo Manor. Yeah, we don't now we don't have to. We don't have to talk about Ellicott, man. Now we get to talk about Carnell Tate using a top four pick on a wide receiver. And so obviously Tate's talent is undeniable. But the thing with Cam Waters, yeah, he didn't have a great rookie year. He held onto the ball for a long time. But there were flashes, I think about the drive that he had with the deep throw to Chig Conquer against the Texans defense to before they eventually lost the game. But to tie that one up like he had flashes and now he gets a real weapon. I think he'll have a better scheme overall so his Titan's offense becomes a bit more exciting overall and should be more productive with Tate there. But the next wide receiver taking Matthew was Jordan Tyson, who goes into a very appetite situation in New Orleans.

[Matthew Berry]

Yeah, a lot of people thought Jordan Tyson was the best wide receiver in this draft. You know, somebody who I've heard many scouts compared to Jackson Smith and Jigba, like he's got that kind of ability. And so now he goes to a role that where there's a wide open opportunity. After Chris Olavi, there's not much there in terms of target competition. He's going to get to play indoors in a dome in a division that doesn't really scare you with a good offensive mind and Kellen Moore. And then you think about the draft capital here. I think again we're going to say this a lot about Jordan Tyson throughout his NFL career, but assuming he can stay healthy, Sky's the limit in terms of fantasy value.

[Jay Croucher]

Yeah. Thing with Tyson, too, is that it's not just that he has, you know, a very promising quarterback. He has a number one wide receiver who can really take the heat off of him in Chris Olave. But the offensive line has been a strength in New Orleans. They've invested a lot of resources in that O line, so expecting that if he can stay healthy, that Jordan Tyson should be a game changer straight away. Let's take a look at the second half of the first round. There was a little bit of a run of sorts on offensive linemen and then we got going with wide receivers with Makai Lemon at number 20, Lawrence.

[Lawrence Jackson]

Yeah. And so the thing with Makai Lemon here, right. We know he's probably going to go there. He's going to play the slot. Right. The thing with the Eagles draft and Makai limit, it gives us a whole lot of other things to think about, more so than just how Makai Lemon will fit in the Eagles offense. It's like now it's okay. Now we really feel like A.J. brown is gone. Now. If you didn't think that before, it's does he go to the Patriots? Where does he go and how will he be effective in fantasy there? When you take it back to the Eagles, it's like, oh, Devontae Smith, like what, what can he do now as the wide receiver one? Because now you have other solid receivers around him, but not that top tier receiver like A.J. brown has been. So it's like Makai Lemon. You kind of have to get in where you fit in, get your role. We don't expect much from him fantasy wise, but it's more about the other aspects of it.

[Jay Croucher]

Yep. Matthew, you've long had the well chronicled infatuation with Cleveland pass catches doppelganger David and Joku obsession with Cedric Tillman. What do you think of KC Concepcion in that room?

[Matthew Berry]

Well, again, you know, I grew up in College Station, Texas, so I watched Texas A and M, Giga Maggie's. They're one of my many college teams that I actively root for. So I've watched a lot of Casey Concepcion just as a fan before even start getting the breakdown tape. Super talented, big playability yards after the catch. I think it's exciting for Todd Monkin as he reshapes this offense. Look, we know Cleveland's got a brilliant defense, so they're trying to figure out what can they do on offense. And so look, I think it's probably a better NFL pick than fantasy wise just because the fact that they're going to have Some mouths to feed. But you know, Lawrence, we talked about this earlier in the show and we talked about this just off camera when the pick was made. Like he's the only rookie wide receiver that you say immediately clearly is the best wide receiver on his team from day one. And that's what Casey Concepcion. And so you've got Todd Monkin, who uses a first round pick on this wide receiver and you expect him to obviously get a bunch of packages specifically in place for Concepcion, who also can run the ball. I think, you know, you could see some gadget places we've talked about.

[Jay Croucher]

Yep, definitely. Concepcion had 70. He's had 70 career rush attempts. And so they may try to manufacture some touches for him there. Lots of touches are going to come the way of Jadarian Price. Sure. I thought it was, you know, fitting that we have two Notre Dame running backs bookending the first round and Price, perhaps there's still some upside Lawrence in his game that we didn't see because he was behind Jeremiah Love. But when he got out there, it was always stunning to see how little Notre Dame lost despite having, you know, generational talent. And Jeremiah Love off the field.

[Lawrence Jackson]

Jeremiah Love told me and Connor Rogers at the combine, he said this dude, Jadarian Price could do, do everything I could do. And he was happy to play with him because he felt like it took the load off of him sometimes to have a guy who is similarly talented as him. So, I mean, you get that endorsement from the top running back in the draft. I mean, they're teammates, so he's going to talk them up. But it's true, like he, he has that breakaway speed, he has that playmaking ability. So he'll get a chance to finally be the guy.

[Jay Croucher]

Yep. All right, well, before we sign off, let's take a quick look ahead to tomorrow. Matthew, who is someone that you're looking forward to seeing where they go?

[Matthew Berry]

Well, Mike Washington. Right. I mean, like so much of the mock drafts leading up to the last, before the last couple days, no one had the Cardinals taking a running back. So all the teams that were in the mix for Jeremiah Love, you think about Tennessee, you think about the Giants, you think about my commanders. Suddenly Mike Washington becomes pretty interesting. Had a great confidence. I think he's most people's consensus number three running back here. And so with Love and Price off the board, I think Mike Washington has a chance to find himself in a very fantasy relevant situation with one of the teams that missed out on Love or just, you know, is running back hungry and needy. You know, think about Minnesota later in the draft as well.

[Lawrence Jackson]

Yeah, speaking of Minnesota, I'm going to stick with the running back position. I'm going to go with Nebraska running back Emmett Johnson, who's actually from Minnesota and has said I would love, I would love to play for the hometown team Vikings. And you get a guy in Emmett Johnson, you got an aging Aaron Jones there. The thing about Emmett Johnson is he could catch the ball out of backfield and we say that so many times, right? This dude led his team, not running backs. He led his whole Nebraska football team in receptions last year. He's a quick guy at the first level when he gets the ball. So if he could get to a team like the Vikings, we'll see his dynasty stock soar as well. Like we saw Jadarian Price.

[Jay Croucher]

Yep. All throughout Denzel Boston, the number one receiver left on the board. There's some, you know, potential landing spots early on. You could see him go to the Raiders. Be another weapon, new weapon for Fernando Mendoza at 36. Go to Miami who are in desperate need of wide receivers or my commanders. Your commanders. That's another vibe one my favorite one though, the Baltimore Ravens of 4 5. I don't want to do like the Devin DuVernay style mixtapes again with the Ravens receiver as well. Again, let's get Denzel Boston there and give Lamar Jackson another weapon to compliment Zay Flowers.

[Matthew Berry]

This much is clear. Day two and day three are going to have some more fantasy reveling players. They always do as well. We're going to be doing a bunch of social videos again around Friday night in rounds two and three, so be sure to follow also us on social media. We're back on Monday for a full show but it's closing time. You don't have to go home, but you can't stay here. For Lawrence and Jay, I'm Matthew Vonte Mack no matter what. Peace out.