What Changed with the Rookies Since the Draft + What to Look Forward to in 2026 (Fantasy Football Dynasty Podcast)

Summary

Podcast Summary: Fantasy Football Today Episode: What Changed with the Rookies Since the Draft + What to Look Forward to in 2026 (Fantasy Football Dynasty Podcast) Release Date: June 27, 2025

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Introduction

In this episode of Fantasy Football Today, host Heath Cummings welcomes guest Matthew Couch of Couch Scouts to discuss recent developments in rookie evaluations and forecasts for the 2026 draft class. The conversation revolves around the impact of rookies since the draft, adjustments in player rankings, and insights into future draft prospects.

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Rookie Class of 2025: Changes and Insights

Favorite Rookies and Most Drafted Players

Matthew Couch opens the discussion by highlighting his favorite rookies from the 2025 class:

• Travis Etienne: "I'm just going to bet on the talent that I saw... getting him in the fourth round pretty much every time" (03:44).
• Oran G. Gatson: "I pray that he bulks up enough and really refines more the nuances of the tight end position" (03:44).

Both players have gained significant attention and shares in leagues, with Etienne's talent outweighing his production concerns and Gatson's potential at tight end being a key factor in his rising draft stock.

Adjustments in Rankings

Ryan Reynolds notes updates in dynasty rankings, particularly for Gatson: "Gadson was probably the rookie tight end that had moved up the most for me" (04:46). This shift reflects increasing confidence in Gatson’s developmental trajectory.

Strength of the 2025 Running Back Class

Matthew emphasizes the depth of the 2025 running back class: "This appears to be a situation like I think it was 2017 running back class where we had CMC Kamara, Ornette, Dalvin Cook, Joe Mixon, Kareem Hunt" (05:47). He predicts that the 2025 class will provide stable running backs for dynasty leagues for the next several years, drawing parallels to the renowned 2017 cohort.

Ryan concurs, stating, "It is an interesting thing... if five or six of them are, then it's going to be hard to overlook this class as the best of the last three" (06:47).

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Quarterback Position Adjustments

Current Quarterbacks: Stability and Limited Changes

Ryan Reynolds discusses the quarterback landscape: "I didn't put a specific name here because as I go through my rankings, not much has changed for me at the quarterback position" (10:09). Key points include:

• Jackson Darts: Remains stable with minor positive buzz.
• Tyler Schuck: Uncertainty remains despite Derek Carr’s retirement.
• Shador Sanders vs. Dylan Gabriel: No significant changes in rankings.

Matthew Couch agrees, noting, "I haven't heard enough between him and Dylan Gabriel to really change my opinion there" (11:36). Both analysts maintain a steady outlook on quarterbacks, with limited movement in rankings.

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Running Back Position: JR Harvey and JK Dobbins Impact

Impact of New Additions

Ryan brings up the Denver Broncos' addition of JK Dobbins and its effect on JR Harvey’s value: "Does it change his dynasty value at all with the Dobbins signing in Denver?" (12:09).

Matthew responds, "I think slightly... he's going to be an electric running back" (13:11). While Dobbins adds competition, Harvey remains a valuable asset due to his speed and playmaking abilities, although his draft position may shift slightly downward.

Comparison with Other Wide Receivers

The discussion shifts to comparing Harvey with wide receivers like Matthew Golden, Mecca Abuka, and Luther Burden. Matthew evaluates Harvey as an "electric running back" who can thrive in Sean Payton’s offensive schemes, maintaining his status despite increased competition (13:24).

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Wide Receiver Assessments

Prospects: Abuka vs. Burden

Ryan contrasts Mecca Abuka and Luther Burden, highlighting concerns about Burden's missed OTAs and injuries: "I think probably the Burden missing matters more to me than the glowing Abuka stuff" (19:24).

Matthew concurs, expressing greater concern for Burden: "I'm definitely more worried about Burden with Loveland not having those kinds of concerns" (19:24). He notes that Abuka meets expectations as a polished receiver, while Burden faces uncertainty due to off-field issues and injuries.

Additional Wide Receiver Insights

Ryan also touches on Trey Harris and Jack Bash, questioning their potential roles and impact. Matthew maintains that both players are "appropriately priced" but unlikely to become early starters: "I think they're just solid prospects" (22:53).

Travis Hunter's Dual Role

The conversation briefly addresses Travis Hunter’s dual position as a wide receiver and cornerback, with Matthew emphasizing his offensive focus: "So to me, I think he's going to be offense first and defense second" (24:42).

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Tight End Position: Gadson’s Rise and Premium League Considerations

Gadson's Development

Matthew praises Gadson’s fluidity and potential as a developmental tight end: "He's just really fluid in and out of his breaks for a big guy" (25:21). Despite being more of a long-term investment, Gadson is seen as a valuable addition for future seasons.

Premium League Strategies

Ryan discusses the challenges of tight end premium leagues, where starting two tight ends is mandatory. He inquires about the value of Gadson in such formats: "Is he worth a third-round pick in that format?" (26:24). Matthew affirms, "Absolutely... in the third" (27:09), highlighting Gadson’s utility in double tight end scenarios.

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2026 Rookie Class Forecast

General Outlook

Matthew expresses uncertainty about the overall quality of the 2026 rookie class but identifies promising talents: "I'm going to be watching to see how this gamble of his plays out" (33:50). He anticipates improvements over the 2025 class, especially at quarterback.

Quarterbacks to Watch

• Cape Kick (Clemson): Viewed as the consensus QB1 with significant rushing upside.
• Sellers: Noted for his rushing ability and dual-threat potential.
• Garrett Nessmeyer (LSU): Although lacking elite physical traits, Nessmeyer is praised for his accuracy and anticipation, making him pro-ready: "he's a guy that's going to be pro ready and looks like a player that could really succeed" (31:43).

Running Backs to Monitor

• Jeremiah Love: Expected to be the RB1 with a standout performance.
• Nick Singleton (Penn State): Matthew remains intrigued by Singleton's blazing speed and potential despite positional competition: "I'm really intrigued to see how this gamble... plays out" (32:00).

Wide Receivers and Tight Ends

• Jordan Tyson (Arizona State) and Cornell Tate (Ohio State): Both identified as promising wide receivers with high potential.
• Eric Stoves (Vanderbilt) and Andrew Armstrong (Arkansas/Ole Miss): Noted as tight ends with elite athleticism and growth prospects under improved coaching environments.

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Rookie Draft Decisions and Trade-offs

Balancing Current Stars with Future Picks

Ryan raises a critical discussion on trade-offs in rookie drafts, such as giving up future 2026 first-round picks for established players like Christian McCaffrey: "I can, I'm willing to make... I have Christian McCaffrey at RB16" (38:24).

Matthew weighs in, expressing reluctance to trade first-round picks for veterans: "I don't think I would... Devonte Adams is probably my favorite contender buy, but I don't know if I could give up a first for him" (37:55). However, he remains open to trading for older assets like David Montgomery, recognizing their immediate value: "Yeah, I think I could because he's only 27, so he could still have a couple more years left in him" (38:24).

Strategic Considerations

The conversation underscores the importance of assessing team needs and league formats when making draft decisions. In tight end premium leagues, investing in developmental tight ends like Gadson becomes more valuable, whereas in standard formats, balancing immediate production with future potential is key.

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Conclusion and Final Thoughts

Matthew Couch concludes by directing listeners to Couch Scouts’ resources: "Our podcast is Couch Couch and our website is couchscouts.com" (39:32). Ryan Reynolds wraps up the episode by thanking Matthew and the production team, promising future discussions on rookie drafts and dynasty strategies.

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Notable Quotes:

• Matthew Couch at 03:44: "I'm just going to bet on the talent that I saw and especially at the price where I've been getting him in the fourth round pretty much every time."

• Ryan Reynolds at 11:36: "Has anything at all changed for you at the quarterback position since the draft?"

• Matthew Couch at 25:21: "He's just really fluid in and out of his breaks for a big guy, he needs to add more bulk."

• Ryan Reynolds at 38:24: "I can just throw some names out... Are you taking that deal?"

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Resources Mentioned:

• Couch Scouts Website: couchscouts.com
• Matthew Couch’s Podcast: Available on YouTube, Spotify, Apple Podcasts, and other platforms.

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This summary captures the key discussions and insights from the episode, providing listeners with a comprehensive overview of rookie evaluations and future draft strategies in fantasy football dynasty leagues.

Transcript

[Heath Cummings]

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[Ryan Reynolds]

Welcome to fantasy Football today Dynasty. I am your host Heath Cummings, joined today by Matthew Rupert Couch Scouts. Matthew, thank you for being here today. Just tell everybody real quick here at the top what you've been working on and where they can find your work.

[Matthew Couch]

Yeah, absolutely. Thanks for having having us again. Always love getting to come on. Yeah. So we've been working hard getting our members ready for draft season, helping them with drafts, rebuilds, whatever they may need. Couchscouts.com is our website. We have packages for as well as $5 a month and as high as $8 a month and you can cancel anytime. So if you just want to check out what we have, if you don't like it, feel free to cancel. No hard feelings. And so we have our rookie rookie guide which is kind of like our bread and butter. 172 pages I believe of rookie scouting, our scoring grades, all of our rankings for the rookies and tiers, and then we also have an all 22 film room where you can scout underclassmen so guys like Arch Manning, Jeremiah Smith, if you want to watch his all 22, even though we all know he's great already, so you can get ahead on scouting for future years. So you can kind of get an idea when you're starting to trade future picks to, you know, kind of know who you may be able to target in those drafts.

[Ryan Reynolds]

That that's a great introduction to today's show because the two things I really want to talk about are those rookies and we've talked about them since the draft, but I just kind of wanted to give a little overview of what, if anything, has changed for Matthew with the class of 2025 over the last couple of months. And I'll talk about a few things that I've maybe slightly adjusted, but also I want to dig into that class of 2026 because contenders or rebuilders alike may be thinking, okay, how much are these 2026 picks really worth? Dynasty Dave in the chat says a book a Hype train season. We will certainly talk about that as well in just a little bit. But let's start with three questions for our guest and let's just find out who your favorite rookie at cost has been so far. Who's your most drafted rookie this summer and why?

[Matthew Couch]

The first one wasn't a surprise to me, so it came out to be a tie. I have two guys where I got five shares each this off season. The first one is Travis Etienne. I just loved love loved his tape, right? I get that his production profile wasn't the best and then he went to a crowded backfield with the Panthers, but to me I'm just going to bet on the talent that I saw and especially at the price where I've been getting him in the fourth round pretty much every time or even late third. So I've come away with a ton of shares to him and then Oran G. Gatson is another guy that I really liked his tape when I watched it and I was just like I pray that he bulks up enough and really refines more the nuances of the the tight end position with run blocking and and everything like that to where he can really be a contributor. And it he ended in a great spot I thought so I've been getting a ton of shares of him in the fourth round and and even undrafted in a couple weeks for sure.

[Ryan Reynolds]

I wrote about him yesterday and I don't know if I've mentioned this yet this week, but I did update Dynasty rankings for all four positions. Those are all over on the site all of them are live now and Gadsden was probably the rookie tight end that had moved up the most for me. Now he was quite a ways down the tight end rankings and kind of the point that I made was this is a guy and I've already seen it happen in a couple of my leagues that was maybe, maybe still on the waiver wire in your dynasty league and certainly someone you want to add and probably put into a practice squad situation. There's a good chance he's behind Will Disley and Tyler Conklin this year, but that there was lots of positive buzz coming out on him from OTAs and it could be a very good situation for sure. Let's get to question number two. Five years from now, you got to look into the future. How are we viewing which class are we viewing as the best between the 2025, 2026 and 2027 rookie draft classes?

[Matthew Couch]

It's hard to discount the 2027 class, which is all those like super like free generational talents that's at the top of that draft with Ryan Williams, Jeremiah Smith, Raiola, potentially Arch Manning. But I, I just can't look past the 2025 draft. To me, and I, I said this a lot this off season that to me this appears to be a situation like I think it was 2017 running back class where we had CMC Kamara, Ornette, Dalvin Cook, Joe Mixon, Kareem Hunt, like just a plethora of running backs that were just stables on dynasty leagues for five years and some eight years now. And I think we're going to look back on the 2025 class in a similar way with just how deep the running back position was. Even if it may take time for, for some of them to get their opportunities just based on the landing spot.

[Ryan Reynolds]

It is an interesting thing and I've also almost kind of wondered if we're maybe entering a little bit of a drought period at the quarterback position. But the running back class looks so spectacular. It'll be interesting to look back five years from now and see how many of these guys are still starters in the NFL. And you're right, if five or six of them are, then it's going to be hard to to overlook this class as the best of the last three. Let's, let's. It can be one of the guys we're going to talk about later. We can just go ahead and have the conversation or it can be somebody that I didn't even put in the notes, but who is the biggest mover in your rookie rankings since the NFL draft.

[Matthew Couch]

Gadson is, is one. But I, I will list a name that, that isn't him since we'll, we'll talk about him later. Mason Taylor. For me, he's a guy that I thought he looks so fluid on film for such a big guy. He, he lacked a little bit of the refinement at the position. But looking at the WINS OF He's 20 years old as a tight end like it we know that it takes tight ends a while to develop. So being that young and showing that much promise at LSU and then getting a weed draft capital in second round and then going to a team that's just been desperate for a tight end since Dustin Keller, I believe since they've really had an impact player there and you know, I've seen a little bit of buzz, probably overhyping some, some practice quips but to me like the, it's hard to walk past the pedigree as well when you have this borderlines that he has. And then what he was able to do as a 20 year old I think was impressive. So I think he's a guy that has a ton of upside. So he moved up about 17 spots for me since the draft and he's a guy that I've gotten shares of late second round, early third round.

[Ryan Reynolds]

Yeah, I've actually got Taylor right now as my tight end, four in the class, just behind, I mean, well behind obviously Loveland and Warren and then it's Fanon for me and then it's Taylor. And I think one of the things that we talk a lot about in the context of redraft, maybe not so much in dynasty, is that the way that we find these undrafted or late drafted tight ends that matter for fantasy in a given year is because, oh well, they're second on their team and targets right now, the wide receiver two battle for the jets is between Josh Reynolds and Alan Lazard. So there's certainly some target opportunity there. It's just whether Taylor at his very young age is ready to make that contribution early or you're going to be waiting. I think you're probably going to be waiting. But he might splash just a little bit in his rookie campaign and give you some hope for the future. Let's take our first break and then we'll talk about some other rookies that may or may not have changed their value over the last couple of months.

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[Ryan Reynolds]

I'll say it again, I've said it before. Love, love, love that we're close enough to football season, to where we're advertising football games. It's not that far away. Can't wait. Let's get into the questions about the 2025 rookies. Let's start with the quarterback position. I didn't even put a specific name here because as I go through my rankings, not much has changed for me at the quarterback position. Jackson darts pretty much right where I thought he getting a little bit of positive buzz, but clearly behind Russell Wilson for as long as that team can even pretend like they're competitive. Tyler Schuck maybe had got the best news with the Derek Carr retirement, but I'm still not entirely sure that he's going to win that job outright as a rookie. We basically, I, I mean, other than the fact that Shador Sanders has had some problems with speeding and gotten a little bit of positive camp buzz, I haven't heard enough between him and Dylan Gabriel to really change my opinion there. So with saying all that, has anything at all changed for you at the quarterback position since the drift?

[Matthew Couch]

I think you hit the nail on the head. Not much has changed for me. Pretty much exactly what we expected and Chuck's the only one that's moved up because of cars retirement and then they didn't sign Aaron Rodgers or, you know, someone to come in there and like you said, act like they can compete. But to me, I, I liked Robert's film better so I think he's going to probably win the job. So I, I don't have any shares myself, but if I did have shares, I would say try and take this opportunity to sell them for, you know.

[Ryan Reynolds]

Right Somebody, if somebody thinks that he's all of a sudden become a rookie starter, it would be a good time to sell based on that news. I, I would agree with that. I didn't, I, I didn't even have him. I didn't even move him up after that news. He's still kind of sitting in the same spot. So I understand why some people gave him a little boost. If the boost was big, then I would certainly be selling. Let's, let's move to a position that's definitely had at least a little bit more news. And RJ Harvey's Broncos added JK JK Dobbins to the mix since we first started ranking him. And I, I know if you look at the redraft world, it's had a pretty significant impact on Harvey's adp. There were some people who thought that Harvey had a chance to come in and be a feature back for the Broncos right away. I, I wasn't really one of those people, so my adjustment wasn't quite as big. I changed some of the young other guys, the Audrey estimate, the Julio McLaughlin and gave those touches to Dobbins. But my expectations for Harvey are relatively the same. But does it change his dynasty value at all with the Dobbins signing in Denver?

[Matthew Couch]

I think slightly. It's hard to look past the fact that he's 24 years old as a rookie and then he's going to have some.

[Ryan Reynolds]

Some runs competition for touches. Yeah, yeah, yeah.

[Matthew Couch]

So I, I don't think it moves him that much. I think it moves them down to where I kind of had him because I, I had him more as the early second round pick and he was going, you know, 108, 109 and a bunch of drafts I was in. And I think it's moving him back just slightly to kind of where I already had him. I was able to get one share and that's because he felt like two or three or two or four in a draft. And that, that's kind of where I have him valued. I don't think he's going to be a bell cow. I think he's going to be an electric running back. I really love his tape. He's really good in space. So I have no doubt that Sean Payton is going to be a magician getting him the ball in space, kind of like Darren Sprolls or Pierre Thomas back in the day. So I, I think it moves him down slightly in most people's eyes, but kind of where I had him in mind. So I was clear consensus a little.

[Ryan Reynolds]

Bit clearly behind Genti, Hampton, Henderson, Judkins and Johnson for you.

[Matthew Couch]

Absolutely, yeah.

[Ryan Reynolds]

How do you compare Harvey to. There's a trio of wide receivers and we'll talk about him here in just a moment. But there's. There's three wide receivers that I've kind of kept attached but changed the order a few times. Matthew golden, the Mecca Abuka, and Luther Burden. How do you compare Harvey to those three?

[Matthew Couch]

I like a Mecca exponentially more Burden. I had them in the same area.

[Ryan Reynolds]

Okay.

[Matthew Couch]

And so yeah, I kind of view him in the middle there.

[Ryan Reynolds]

Okay. Now I see a comment in the chat from Melissa says Harvey went over Henderson and Judkins in my draft. I don't think that's abnormal. I saw that in a lot of my drafts. Song go 105 or 106 and a couple of 1 QB drafts. I don't think we would see that now. So, like maybe, maybe if you didn't. And one of the reasons I wanted to do this is I have a rookie draft that starts in less than 48 hours and I've been not taunting everyone in the chat, but like no one's talking about it or excited. And it might be because I have the first, the sixth and the eighth pick that I'm the only person that's excited in that league. But I'm, I'm really ready to go. But I've got that and I've got. We got three other rookie drafts that aren't scheduled yet and at least one of those leagues. I'm wondering if it's getting ready to just fall apart. But I know there are some people that really would prefer to do the rookie drafts in July or maybe even in August. And I already have those scheduled. And so I wanted to kind of give some updated thoughts on these rookies. There are a couple of low end round three, round four running backs Jacori Crosby, Merritt, Brashard Smith, who received some positive buzz at camp, the coaches and players saying nice things about them. Are these the types of things? Like, do they matter for either one of those guys or should we just be like, if you happen to draft them, great positive things are being said. I'm not changing where I rank them.

[Matthew Couch]

Yeah, Merit was a guy that I thought was okay. I, I don't think he's going to be like any kind of starter or cornerstone on your dynasty team. I think he's a guy that's just going to be like a solid pro. Probably a perennial backup, may have some weeks, you know, where he goes off, where he gets 20 plus carries. He was a little tight hipped, didn't have a weight, breakaway speed or anything like that. On the other hand, I'm pretty much all in on on Smith as like oh great.

[Ryan Reynolds]

Yes.

[Matthew Couch]

I really like this film. You, you could see the inexperience being a converted wide receiver to running back in between the tackles with being patient, letting his box develop. So I'm hoping that's something that he can refine in time. But my gosh, in space he is so electric. He had that breakaway speed and acceleration to eliminate angles. And then as a pass catching weapon, you see his wide receiver background like going up and getting balls like high pointing it running routes. And me like when he was paired up with Andy Reid, I was, that was just kind of a dream scenario. So I, I've gotten about four shares. So he's probably like my in the second tier of like most owned players for me.

[Ryan Reynolds]

And I think like anything good that gets said about him just highlights to me kind of what I'm expecting out of this chief's backfield, which is mayhem. Yeah, I, I really think they might have a guy in Pacheco who's the best, best rusher on most of the field and a guy like Smith who's the most electric. And then if you're in short yardage right now, I think most people would have to admit that giving the ball to Kareem Hunt might. Right answer. Because he's. If you need two yards, green Hunt gets you two yards. Now if you need five, he might still get you two. But he, he's, he's a little bit better at hitting that hole than Pacheco is on the short yarded situations which if that's the way it works out, it's just a complete disaster based on where Pacheco is being valued. But a real opportunity for Smith, as you say, if he can learn some of the early down stuff instead of between the tackle stuff, a little bit better. He certainly has a lot of upside if he's that pass catching back for Andy Reid. Let's move to the wide receivers and I want to, I want to contrast a couple of guys because you've, you've talked about how book has been well ahead for you anyway, but we've gotten nothing but glowing reports about him in Tampa and like it may not matter if Chris Godwin's healthy. Abuka may just have a big role in this offense. Regardless, they love him. I thought he was the most polished wide receiver coming into this draft and that's exactly What Tampa said he's ready to play right now. On the flip side of that, somebody who for a lot of people was in the same tier, Luther Burden is all upside and no floor and unfortunately missed otas with the soft tissue injury that no one's being very specific about. I think probably the Burden missing matters more to me than the glowing Abuka stuff, other than it just confirms my priors. So I like it. Is that. Do you. Do you have as much reservation as I do and even Colston Loveland about past catchers, missing OTAs, missing summer work?

[Matthew Couch]

Absolutely. I'm gonna lock step with you there. Exactly what we expected from Abuca. Like you said, so polished, a pros pro team, first guy, coach's dream like. And he's just doing exactly what we. We thought. Burden, on the other hand, you know, he had those character concerns that, you know, came out. Who knows exactly what all went into that, but it certainly seem to contribute to his drop in the draft. So that combined with, you know, an ambiguous soft tissue injury and Ben Johnson seemingly getting on to him a little bit, not happy about it. He's the guy that could get in the doghouse and, you know, basically have a borderline redshirt fresh rookie year. So I'm definitely more worried about Burden with Loveland not having those kind of concerns. I'm not as worried about him. And then also with Burden, you got two really good wide receivers ahead of you that you have to work to get in front of, whereas Loveland has Cole Comet, who's a solid tight end but not a lead and didn't write the same kind of investment from the team.

[Ryan Reynolds]

I. I felt like before the draft it was a mixed consensus, but Warren ahead of Loveland was the consensus. And then after the draft it was mixed, but it was Loveland ahead of Warren. And now it seems when I go and look at rankings, a lot of times it's Warren one spot ahead of Loveland. Which one do you prefer? And is the fact that Tyler Warren was involved in everything that colts did during OTAs and Colson Loveland wasn't there during OTAs enough to be a tiebreaker.

[Matthew Couch]

The tiebreaker to me was so I had in my film grade for them it was like 0.03 or something. Like it was just completely neck and neck with my film grade. So with Loveland going to the wizard of Ben Johnson, who knows how to use a tight end scheme, Guys open has a better or what looks like a better quarterback in Caleb Williams.

[Ryan Reynolds]

We hope so.

[Matthew Couch]

To me, that's the tiebreaker. So I I bumped I had worn slightly ahead pre draft and then with landing spot with the coach and quarterback, I bumped Loveland just slightly ahead. So the OTA stuff hasn't really been a tiebreaker for me. I have them back to back in my reg. It's just Loveland one spot ahead of Warren.

[Ryan Reynolds]

Okay. Yeah, I still have Loveland ahead of war and I think I've shrunk the gap a little bit because I was leveling above Warren before the draft. The gap got bigger because of the draft and now just a little bit of concern. There's some talk that Cole Comet's not completely going away this year and Loveland's not. Like maybe Cole Comet would go completely away if Loveland was fully acclimated for the offense for week one. But it's kind of hard to believe. I'm not even 100 sure he's going to be a full go at the start of training camp. That's kind of where the timetable points towards, but I do think we'll see Loveland fall even a little bit more if he misses a week or two of training camp and maybe even become a better value. Sticking with the wide receivers the buzz hasn't been as positive for Trey Harris and Jack Besh. Harris maybe more because the Chargers keep talking about Quentin Johnson's still a starter there and Jack Bash, it seems like, just isn't quite getting what the Raiders want him to do. And he maybe duplicitous with Jacoby Myers and just kind of behind him for as long as Myers is there. Have you felt any of that negativity on either one of those two players? Have you considered moving either one down?

[Matthew Couch]

I haven't really moved them down. I think they're they've been appropriately priced. I've been seeing them in the mid to late second round. I have seen Harris go early second, which is too rich for me. I I had them both a very similar film grade as well. I think they're like one point off. I have them more as a flex option. I don't think they're a plug and play starter. I don't think they probably ever will be. I I think they're just solid prospects. So I, I don't think it's a real opportunity to go buy them and expect them to, you know, anchor your wide receiver 2 spot on your dynasty roster. But if someone's freaking out enough, it's definitely worth putting out feelers to see if you can buy low on them. But I'm not too worried about both, because I didn't have the highest expectations. I expected them to be right. Second or third options on the team.

[Ryan Reynolds]

Yeah, I kind of had it as Jaden Higgins was that bridge between the Abuka Burden Golden Group and these two guys with Kyle Williams in there somewhere, it hasn't been a. I mean, it sounds like he's got some work to do to pass up Matt Collins on the depth charts. So it's not like it's been fantastic news for him either. I slightly preferred Besh just because I was more confident that he could do more things than NFL wide receiver is going to be asked to do. I think Trey Harris probably has a little bit more upside, but Besh is more likely to be able to get onto the field, whereas I. I just don't. I. I need more proof. I think proof of concept with Trey Harris. We had a couple more guys we wanted to talk about, and I don't. I'm hoping you have an answer to this, because I don't really. I'm almost frustrated by it. But if we learned anything at all about Travis Hunter's snap shares on offense.

[Matthew Couch]

And defense, I one, I think it's hilarious that the Jags trolled everyone by announcing his contract as a cornerback, but to me, I. I think what they've done reaffirms my feelings. They started them out in OTAs on offense and doing offense only, and then they slowly started to work them in on defense. So to me, I think that tells you he's going to be offense first and defense second. So to me, I'm not worried about it. If people are getting. They're freaking out. Take advantage, please, because I. I think he's just too elite of a wide receiver prospect in my eyes.

[Ryan Reynolds]

And you would draft him ahead of chat, right?

[Matthew Couch]

Yeah. Yeah.

[Ryan Reynolds]

Okay. Yeah. Wide receiver one in the class. I remember he was for you guys early on. So you. You already mentioned Gadsden, the Chargers tight end who's getting some positive buzz, but still is more of a developmental prospect, right?

[Matthew Couch]

Absolutely. I love this film and, you know, graded him out and ranked him based on him being a developmental guy. He's just really fluid in and out of his breaks for a big guy, he needs to add more bulk. So I'm not looking to get much from him this season. But what you've heard out of camp is exactly what I wanted to hear. The. The tight end coach, that coach Darren Waller comping him to. To Waller. And as another guy that converted from a wide receiver to a tight end, I think it's going to be more of a long play and he's priced appropriately for that. But he's a guy like you said earlier, grab him if you can. If he's still on waivers, get him asap, get him on your taxi squad and it hopefully reap the benefits a couple years from now.

[Ryan Reynolds]

I mentioned my rookie draft where I have three of the top eight picks and yeah, I'm going to talk about that a lot over the next couple weeks. Guys, sorry, but it is a tight end premium league, double double premium. So two catches per reception for tight end and you're required to start two tight ends. So tight ends go crazy in this league. I've got those three first and I have one third round pick and that format is the third too early for a Gadson or is that is that about where because I know he's probably a fourth or later in a normal, even probably a 1.5 tight end premium. But if you have double tight end premium, you start two tight ends. I'm being really selfish asking questions for myself. Yes, is, is that, is is he worth a third round pick in that format, you think?

[Matthew Couch]

Absolutely. I think so. Yeah. I had him wait third kind of after this news. So with starting two tight ends and two points per reception for a tight end, absolutely. Well, I would take them in the third.

[Ryan Reynolds]

Let's hope nobody else in the league is last listening to this show. Let's take our second break and then I want to dive into the 2026 draft class. Specifically guys, that you should watch this fall.

[Heath Cummings]

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[Ryan Reynolds]

Savor every last drop of summer with Starbucks. From bold refreshers to rich cold brews, the sunniest season only gets better with the handcrafted ice bag beverage in your hand, available for a limited time. Your summer favorites are ready at Starbucks, so I don't try to make any illusions about how much college football I watch during the NFL football season. I watch more film of college football in January, February and March than I do during the actual college football season. But there are times on a Saturday where I don't have stuff that I need to make up to My wife for the fact that I work too much the rest of the week, that I catch a game or two, and I definitely follow the news. So I wanted to. For people who are like me and are just kind of casually call it following college football, I'd kind of like to get into some of the names that we need to keep an eye on this year to determine because it seems like. And maybe let's just start with this question. When I asked you about the 25, 26, 27 class, you talked about how excited we are for 2027 and how good the running backs are in 2025 and you didn't mention 2026. And I don't know, I've heard two different things. One, that it's a down year. Two, that people who do this and follow this feel like they have no idea what to expect from rookie drafts a year from now.

[Matthew Couch]

Yeah, that's the exact same kind of feeling I get. I'm like you where I don't follow college football in the season. I'm in two developmental Debbie leagues where you draft guys that are underclassmen or high school. So I get into a little bit during the off season here and. But my two co hosts, Matt Jackson and Matt Cooper are like deep into this and my feeling is it's there's some really good guys at the top end, but it's really to be determined how, how good the draft is going to be overall.

[Ryan Reynolds]

Let's start with the quarterback position. Who. Who are you kind of paying attention to or hopeful for in 2026?

[Matthew Couch]

I'll name a couple of the top names and then one specific that I'm looking at. It looks like Cape Kick from Clemson is the consensus QB1 at this point. One or sellers is. Yeah, probably the highest upside guy for fantasy purposes with his rushing upside. I watched some of his film in our film room and I liked what I saw. I saw him going through progressions, which I wasn't expecting to, especially in the red zone, working from the right all the way back to his backside and, you know, finding guys open for a touchdown. He took off running quite a bit, but I did also see times where he would start to take off the run. He keeps his head up, sees a guy open, resets his feet and. And delivers a strike. So there's definitely some encouraging things to see there from Sellers. The guy I'm really interested to watch is. Is Garrett Nessmeyer, hopefully I'm pronouncing that correctly from lsu. The last two years I've watched a ton of wide receiver film obviously for lsu. And I've really liked like every time I've come away like impressed with Garrett. Does he have the greatest physical traits? No. He's six foot two, well over £200. Does he have a rifle of arm? No. But to me he's accurate, plays with anticipation. You see him at times making adjustments at the line of scrimmage, which is encouraging to me. His dad's an offensive coordinator, so I think he's going to be a guy that's going to be pro ready and looks like a a player that could really succeed in a like a West coast offense or a Shanahan style offense.

[Ryan Reynolds]

Do you have any Hope that the 2026 quarterback class is better than the 2025 quarterback class?

[Matthew Couch]

I think it will be for sure. 2025 was, yeah, 2025 was definitely a down year. So I think next year's class is going to be better and for sure.

[Ryan Reynolds]

Let's talk about a position where next year's class will definitely not be better and that's the running back position. Are there any running backs left in college that are any good? They just all come out this year.

[Matthew Couch]

Oh, such a good point. I, I think we need to set expectations. We're probably not going to see a running back class like this year for another 10 years or so.

[Ryan Reynolds]

Right.

[Matthew Couch]

Of just incredible depth. And the guy I'm going to be watching, like everyone knows, Jeremiah Love going to be the RB one probably pretty much locked and loaded. A guy that could have come out this year and went back. Nick Singleton of Penn State. I watched some of his tape before he decided to go back, which I was a little surprised by, but also get him looking at the class feel like it's so low down, may get buried down past the third round like another like a a lot of other really talented running backs. So I'm really intrigued to see how this gamble of his plays all plays out. He's six foot, almost £230 and he just has some blazing speed like just electric with the ball in his hands. But he also has another really good running back in Catron Allen to deal with at Penn State. So may he have a Trayvon Henderson situation where he loses all these touches to jump ins and isn't at the top of the consensus this year. So to me that was a gamble that's really going to be interesting to see if it pays off. But I really liked what I've seen from him.

[Ryan Reynolds]

Okay. And then at wide receiver this was kind of a down year. Although if Travis Hunter's as good as you and I think he's going to be then maybe not because Ted Roll McMillan could be really good, a book could be really good and maybe the wide receiver class was a little bit undersold this year. But what does 2026. I know 2027 is what we're all dreaming about at wide receiver. Is there anybody that's going to help us in 2026?

[Matthew Couch]

Yeah, I think there's definitely some guys. It's definitely disappointing after 2024 rookies and then what we had to look forward to in 2027. But there's some guys at the top that look really promising. Jordan Tyson from Arizona State kind of looks like Ted McMillan to me when I watch him. Another big guy that's that's fluid. Really knows how to high point the ball and box out. Athletic, has really good body control. A guy I'm going to be really watching is Cornell Tate from Ohio State. Had to sit behind Nabuka and Jeremiah Smith, right? He was highly recruited coming out. Really fluid athlete at 6 foot 3 but little on the the slender side at like 193 I think is what he's listed at. But he still had 700 yards last year with Mbuga and Jeremiah Smith on his team. So I'm really looking for him to break out and shoot up the wide receiver board this year.

[Ryan Reynolds]

That's kind of what we do at Ohio State, right Is we get really excited about the guy we got and then we say who's next? And there's always two or three guys that are neck are next at that school. Finally. Are there any tight ends that are excited to get excited about in 2026?

[Matthew Couch]

There's definitely some. Eric Stoves from Vanderbilt looks like an elite athlete. Seen some crazy comps the Brock Bowers which I think we should just never ever comp anybody hours. I think he's one of one as a prospect but so he looked like a guy that could be the the top tight end at the in in the draft next year. I don't know how to pronounce his last name. Haas from he was at Arkansas. Transferred to Ole Miss to be with Lane Kiffin and their their system. I saw him pop for me on tape scouting Andrew Armstrong from Arkansas last year and they just dealt with some rough quarterback play but he's the guy who, who flashed for me watching the their film. So I'm really interested to see how he shoots up this this year. Getting to play with the Lane Kiffin and some better quarterback play very Good stuff.

[Ryan Reynolds]

I got a little bit extra time here, so I'm going to ask you some questions that I didn't prepare you for. So don't feel bad if you don't have an easy answer. But I, I think one of the things people look at when they're going through their rookie dress is what? And I know a lot of you still have those to do. What, who's the worst or maybe what. At what point in your rookie draft or rookie rankings are you like, okay, I'll take a random 2026 first over this player.

[Matthew Couch]

I think by the point.

[Ryan Reynolds]

For me.

[Matthew Couch]

Probably Cam Scatter Boo, like in the mid second is okay. Like after him, I would take a random 2026 first.

[Ryan Reynolds]

So that's a little later than I usually hear. So that kind of indicates maybe the 2026 class not going to be as enticing as the 2025 class. A lot of times in, in given years, you get to pick 11, pick 12, and you're like, well, I'd rather see if maybe I can get a better pick in the future year. This year that extends into the, I assume Scatter boo is around 17, 16, 17, 18 for you.

[Matthew Couch]

Yep.

[Ryan Reynolds]

So it extends into the middle of round one. Looking at it the opposite direction and I don't know how you feel about this in Dynasty, I know there's mixed emotions. I'm generally a I'm going for it or I'm tanking kind of guy. And if I'm going for it, I'm constantly thinking, okay, who, who's, who's the vet that I can get for a 2026 first and that I don't feel bad giving up that 2026 first. So, so how far down in the rankings? Like when we're looking at guys, maybe some of these veteran running backs like Joe Mixon or Alvin Camara, that we may only have one the true win now players or Devonte Adams or David, those types of players. What type of range do you get in where you're like, I'm fine giving up a 2026 first for this guy.

[Matthew Couch]

Oh, good question.

[Ryan Reynolds]

And I can just throw some names out. Somebody you, somebody offers you. You're a true contender. Somebody offers you Joe Mixon for a 2026 first. Are you, are you taking that deal?

[Matthew Couch]

I don't think I would.

[Ryan Reynolds]

Okay.

[Matthew Couch]

Devonte Adams is probably my favorite contender buy, but I don't know if I could give up a first for him.

[Ryan Reynolds]

What about a David Montgomery? Might have another year left, but probably not as high end as those guys this year.

[Matthew Couch]

Yeah, I think I could because he's only 27, so he could still have a couple more years left in him.

[Ryan Reynolds]

Somebody in the chat says I gave up a 2026 first and Ramandre for Christian McCaffrey.

[Matthew Couch]

I love that personally, but I might be the, the biggest Christian McCaffrey fan here. I, I, I, he's just 30 points a game right when he's healthy. So take the chance if you're a contender, especially if there's someone that's rebuilding.

[Ryan Reynolds]

And I don't really care if I'm giving up from Andre Stevenson, to be honest. It's because I'm pretty high on Trevion Henderson and I realize Ramandre could have some value this year, but that's, that's just a throw in that I'm willing to make. And yeah, I've got Christian McCaffrey at RB16. He's higher than the other guys that I asked about. I'd be fine doing that, especially if I thought I was a contender. And I'm giving up picks 9 through 12 in A and it that makes it just a little bit easier. We have some people in the chat who don't like that as much. But Matthew, awesome, awesome stuff today, helping us out with the rookies and those 2026 prospects. Tell everybody one more time where they can find your work and what you got coming up.

[Matthew Couch]

Yeah, so our podcast is Couch Couch and our website is couchscouts.com so it should be real easy. You, you can go to our website, check us out. We have a free Discord links on there, links to our packages and things like that. We're on all the YouTube, Spotify, Apple Play or itunes and Android and anywhere.

[Ryan Reynolds]

You can get podcasts. Right. Thank you very much for joining us today, Matthew. Thank you to Harry as always for making everything work. Thank you to you guys who are active in the chat. We will talk about to you next Tuesday.

[Heath Cummings]

Paramount Podcasts.