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FantasyPros - Fantasy Football Podcast
2026 NFL Draft Special: 5 Biggest Risers & Fallers (Ep. 1972)
01:02:52
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- [00:00]
A
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- [00:44]
B
All right, and welcome into the Fantasy Pros NFL Draft Show. Another chapter of the process has come to a close, which means it's time to recap all the action from Indy with our top risers and followers for the 2026 NFL Combine. I'm your host, Seth Wilcock. Coming off a rather disappointing gambling weekend with a handful of prospects, I was wagering on deciding to opt out of the 40 completely. And back with me is a man who stayed on top of it all. He's Detective Derrick Brown. Dbro, how are you? Is yet another clue of this mystery that is the NFL draft was revealed this past weekend.
- [01:19]
A
It was good, man. It was a good weekend. I felt like for us on the show and stuff, very validating. A lot of guys that we talked about and we've discussed all the way back since before Senior bowl had very, very good combines. We'll get into them because they're rising up draft boards and people are putting a lot more respect on some names. But it was also a good betting weekend. And but to your point, I will also say it's not only the bets that I hit, it's the bets that I didn't get to hit because so many players opted and yeah, and. And I know you've seen this probably circling as well and I just want to like talk about this very quickly before we hop in. All these players that are going up the boards and down boards after the combine. But have you seen the graphic or the talk, heard the talking point about this is the fastest combine and blah blah, blah this year.
- [02:08]
B
Yeah. Can we also talk about the context?
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A
Can we. Exactly. Can we talk about the context of that it's the fastest combine because guys that are running slow are just choosing not to run instead of running in previous years and Being like, oh, there's a disappointing time. There's so many guys that are opting out of the combine this year. So that's why you're seeing this. Guys that know they're going to run fast or test well are like, sure, let's put it on display. And other players are like, except for Malachi Fields are like, no, we're not going to test, we're not doing it. So let's also talk about the context of that before we just put out things about like, oh my gosh, everybody's so freaking fast. Like, dude, we gotta give context. That. That, that also comes with a certain level of bs. I mean, am I wrong there?
- [02:56]
B
No, absolutely. You and I have both talked about the pressure point that a lot of these agents are under, where sometimes it is better to advise your player not to test, not to run, etc, and there is something to, I think as modern sports continues to innovate, whether that's in equipment, whether that's in medicals, that players are getting faster, they are getting freakier, but not to the degree that, you know, we're sharing some of these, hey, this is the fastest running back class of all time. This is the fastest wide receiver class of all time. There are caveats to that that, as you mentioned, are not being exposed.
- [03:29]
A
Yes, they're, they're very, very intricate details that are being glossed over in the name of posting something on social media and being like, hey, look at this.
- [03:40]
B
Yeah. Yes. Yeah. Hey, that's how it goes, though. And just great to have this other piece of the puzzle, as I mentioned, coming into focus. I know you just dropped your, I think it was the first mock draft of the process for you on fantasypros.com today. I just dropped mine on Sunday as well. Fitz had one last week so, you know, really starting to put these pieces together. Excited to see how it's all going to shake out. Today's program does look like this, folks. We're going to break down the biggest risers and followers from each skill position group. That's right. Quarterbacks, running backs, wide receivers, and those tight ends as well. Also, a quick shout out to everyone who's tuning in, either on the brand new Fantasy Pros Dynasty YouTube channel or the audio feed. We are trying to get to 10,000 subscribers by the time the Las Vegas Raiders are on the clock at the NFL draft. So we can only do that with your help. Please give this video a quick thumbs up if you enjoy this type of content. Also, make sure you're subscribing here to the Fantasy Bros. Dynasty channel and the main channel as well. We'd really appreciate that because when you do, you can win a chance at a signed Colston Loveland Bears mini helmet for free. That's right, courtesy of our friends over@pristine auction.com. all you have to do is subscribe to the Fancy Pros Dynasty YouTube channel right now. Drop a comment below on any of our videos and that's it. We will announce a winner right here on the program. So make sure you turn on those notifications so you can be alert. We have new shows up and claim your prize if you are that lucky winner. And you know, I've been seeing in the comments, Derek, that people are wanting some Dynasty giveaways and. And what a big one, maybe arguably some people's tight end one in Dynasty that we're giving away a signed helmet for. What? What about starting out with a bang for that here?
- [05:14]
A
I mean, absolutely, man. We're basically the, the giveaway hydra here. You know, when one goes away, two, two shall take its place. So.
- [05:22]
B
Absolutely, Derek. Let's jump right into the quarterbacks where we had a couple of risers. One being a player that you had on your freak list coming into the process, specifically out here in Indianapolis. That's Taylin Green, quarterback for Arkansas, 6, 6 2, 27. So we knew the height and weight was likely going to be there, but I don't think anyone expected him to break Anthony Richardson's best broad and vertical jump record. Also the second fastest quarterback ever at the combine to only Mike Vicks 4.33 time in 2001 with the time that he had there of a 4.38 seconds. So 9.99 relative athletic score. We're also going to call that raz. Those of you unfamiliar with it, you can find that over at Math Bomb. They do a great job putting that out every single season, but second best raz since 1987. So Derek, a lot of people were very high on Anthony Richardson a couple years ago because of his athletic testing. What does Taylor Green's performance do to him and how far do you think he does rise in. In NFL draft circles after this news?
- [06:26]
A
I mean, I think it rises substantially only because I think the NFL does. And I've heard the, you know, the, the talking points circulated as well. We're just debunking rumors and BS here, but that like teams don't draft for hope, dude. Come on. They do every year. They double count 40s, they double count speed. They draft for upside and traits and stuff. Like that. And I get it. And that's where you're looking at with Taylor Green. I'm like the stuff with Taylor Green, I'm gonna say that he's rising up the board because testing in the proof of concept and again the NFL double counting speed, does this take Taylor Green from maybe UDFA territory, maybe like last round territory to where maybe, maybe Seth, like a team falls in love with him and takes a shot on him if they've got some extra equity in like maybe the fourth round. It's possible. Do I think that he's most likely gonna go in the third or fourth round? Probably not. But if he goes in the fourth round, I'm not going to be surprised, man, because the testing's fantastic. But my big thing with Taylor Green and saying that with caps is ceiling in all this. And the difference between him and Anthony Richardson and similar athletic quarterbacks is he's not going to get first round draft capital. He's not going to get second round draft capital. The fact that he's super athletic doesn't change the fact that we go back to, you know, a previous episode and people can go check that out of, of statistics that matter is athletic as he is and all the rushing upside and all the, the problems that that that athleticism can help solve, it still goes back to the fact that he has drawbacks as a passer. And we're going to discuss this next week. You know, friend of the show Thor Nisham's gonna stop by. We're gonna discuss all of our quarterbacks in the quarterback preview episode. But Taylor Green, the problem is is that over the last two years, yeah, he's super athletic and the rushing upside is massive. But he's also a, a passer that is ranked 96th and 87th. And adjusted completion rate, he's ranked 96th and 27th. So a little bit of hope there in big time throw rate and 58th and 63rd in clean pocket passer rating. So the athleticism. Okay, cool. That's great. We stamped approved it. He's super athletic. Ridiculous athlete could jump out the gym, but can he throw a football and hit where he needs to go with it? That's still a big question mark.
- [08:37]
B
Yeah, it absolutely is. The one thing kind of going in his favor I would say is like as compared to someone like Malik Willis who's playing against G5 competition. Taylor Green has been playing against SEC level defenses for a couple of seasons now. So I think that does go to his strengths. But at the same time, like he hasn't been good. Right? Like this is an Arkansas team that, you know, outside of, you know, they gave Tennessee a run a year ago. They have not been competitive in this conference whatsoever. Taylor Green was not someone who put them over the top. So it's hard to get overly excited. You're still thinking probably a day three NFL draft guy. Yeah. And turn in terms of fantasy though, Derek, like once we get past the, you know, the, the top quarterback here in Fernando Mendoza, like, like where do you think Taylor Green's going to shake out in your rankings? And did this move him up a little bit for you? Because it did for me. Like honestly I think when we get past the Fernando Mendozas, the Ty Simpsons of the world, like I think Taylor Green starts to get up, up in that conversation pretty dang quick for me.
- [09:35]
A
So I've got Taylor Green right now and, and full transparency this week. It's on my list to watch Carson Beck, Drew Aller and Kate Club Nick. Okay, so if you, if I were to fast forward this, I don't think that Taylor Green is going to get any higher for me than QB5 of this class. But after that process and when people are tuning into the quarterback episode, I might be telling you he is QB5 for me in this process just based off the athletic intangibles and what have you. And I think like for me the best way that I can bring this up, man, and, and I am going to be updating my comp with the fact of his athleticism. The fever dream for Taylor Green is you see what happened to Jalen Milroe last year. Big school SEC guy, hyper athletic pet questions as a passer and he goes in the third round of the NFL draft. That to me that's the fever dream for Taylor Green, that He is a 3rd round NFL Draft selection. I don't see him getting into the second round. I just, I just don't.
- [10:29]
B
Yeah, yeah, not enough needy teams out there. We have this just slew of veterans out there whether they're available during free agency or on the trade market that are really going to push the market down a little bit. One quarterback I know you're very high on though, North Dakota State QB Cole Payton. He was someone who, you know, credit to you, Derek came out and really had a nice combine here. He weighs in 6, 3, 232 pounds. So you'd like to see that he is the typical size. You know, he's not, he's not a short king like our D Pavias of the world, but elite composite Speed grade here with a 4.58 second 40 time elite elite explosion grade as well. 9.97 raz, 4th best since 1987. This guy's a freak. This guy's a certified freak. And I think we just figured it out. But does he like Taylor Green also suffer from the past? Can this guy hit the broadside of a barn?
- [11:23]
A
He absolutely can, man. And if people go watch the film session that Joe and I did on Twitch, you're going to tune in for the QB episode that we talked about. We're going to be, you know, recording next week. I've discussed this before and I'll, I'll add it here. Again, it's not only the athletic upside, it's his precision as a passer. Man, like amongst all FBS and FCS quarterbacks last year this guy was 18th in adjusted completion rate. He was first in yards per tip, first in big time throw rate, and he was top five in adjusted completion rate. Deep and with a clean pocket pass rating that ranked 4th best amongst all those quarterbacks. And again we talked about in previous episodes of the concerns about the, the competition jump and stuff like that, but like what Cole Payton needed to do. And right now, again, I have a few quarterbacks I have to watch right now. Cole Payton is my QB2 in this process over Ty Simpson. People can miss me with Ty Simpson. I am not a Ty Simpson believer and we'll again, we'll dive into that on a future date. But Cole Payton's my QB2 of this class. He's got the athletic upside, he's got the arm, it's the competition stuff that, but that really has to get answered and stuff like that. But again, we've also seen some hype and stuff about like maybe he goes in the second round in the NFL draft. I, I, I don't know if that happened, Seth. I mean, look, just being honest here, I think he's probably more of a third round NFL draft selection. But if you were to tell me in the process that he has private workouts, the team loves him. They're willing to take a flyer on some veteran and Cole Payton and let both them come in to compete in camp and stuff like that, I wouldn't be shocked either. Like I think he's the real deal, man.
- [13:00]
B
Yeah, it was definitely a gut check for me. And I've had Cole Payton embarrassing.
- [13:05]
A
I was texting you as soon as the tester went off. Yeah, I was like, don't ignore your phone, Seth.
- [13:10]
B
Where I'm at right now. I had him QB13. I've moved him up inside my top 10 right now. I know. And, and now I'm at another inflection point because there's quarterbacks that I have loved above him like the Haynes kings of the world, who also had a pretty nice combine. The Diego Pavias that I'm trying to just wrestle with. Your boy, but you know, Barb. Yeah. Hey. Easy easy your boy. Easy your boy. Easy your boy Diego Pavia. I don't know about that. Regardless, it'll be nice next year that we can have a little bit more of a clear picture when we're talking about North Dakota State players because they are moving to the Mountain West. Right. So it's gonna remove some of the FCS uncertainty and take out some of these inflated numbers that we often get coming from that, that, that group there. So, but love the discussion there on the quarterbacks. Two guys that I think are very much becoming real picks in Dynasty Rookie draft, whether that's a super flex or a one quarterback format. And if you're listening to the audio version, a real quick reminder that we just launched the brand new Fantasy Pros Dynasty YouTube channel. We're going to bring you rookie rankings, super flex strategy, startup draft and trade advice all year long. So if you're building for the future, this is the channel designed specifically for you. Just search Fantasy Pros Dynasty channel on YouTube and hit that subscribe button. We'd really appreciate it. And Derek, let's go ahead and get to the star of the weekend, Mike Washington Jr. Running back for Arkansas. You texted me as soon as he laid down the 40. I texted back words I can't say on air. Unbelievable. Simply unbelievable performance for the kid. Checks in at 6, 3, 2, 21. So he's got the size 4.33 second 40 time, the fastest among all running backs in this position group. Nobody had this projected 10 foot 8 inch broad jump, 939 inch vertical as well. So Derek, this is a guy perfect 10.0 raz. The best running back in combine testing history since 1987. Where does this push Mike Washington Jr. For you both from a fantasy and an NFL draft standpoint, he might be
- [15:17]
A
my RB2 of this class. I'm still sifting through all of that but like okay, there's a conversation. I mean look guys that we're going to get to later here, that fall down the board that either didn't do great in testing or didn't test at all. I mean he plus like you want to stack him up against Jadarian Price, I think, like, Mike Washington Jr. Has more of an accomplished track record as far as, like being utilized as a pass catcher. Similar, I mean, whether it's volume, what have you. But, dude, we talked about him entering the combine. I went out there and I told people and the receipts are out there, go check them on YouTube, that I was like, he is the most underrated running back of this entire freaking class. And now since the guy goes out there and he tests like a damn mutant. And no, I didn't see him running a 4, 4, 3, 3. I thought the pot. The combine props of him having a 4, 5, 40 line was laughable. I bet they under on that, like, so fast it made people's head spin. But with Mike Washington Jr. Now, people are going to fall over themselves to put respect on his name when they should have been doing it from the hop. Seth. Yeah, so. So, yes, like, this is a guy that, like, could he go at the back end of the second round and be the RB2 off the board over Jadarian Price? It's possible, dude. If not, like, I. I think his floor right now is round three of the NFL draft. Am I wrong with that?
- [16:40]
B
No, I don't. I don't think so at all. Because when you have a player at that size and that speed combination, that. That's the thing, Derek. You don't see many specimens like him. You usually you, as a running back, you get the size or you get the speed, right? And he seemingly has both of them. Again, I would have loved to see what Nicholas Singleton could have put down out there, because I think he would have also been someone we're talking about as a riser in the combine, but he wasn't healthy. Mike Washington Jr. Has been healthy not only here, but he was also healthy in Mobile, where he was a riser as well. And, you know, some of that. We saw some of the tape from down there, and it's hard to contextualize all that with some of the linebackers he's routing up with. We just saw this guy is a bit of a freak, and I think he absolutely deserves movement in everyone's rookie rankings. I'm gonna be taking a look. I mean, I've been the low guy on Price really for a while, and Price isn't someone who is a big faller for us, but he wasn't impressive at the combine by any means. So I think the. The conversation of Mike Washington Jr. Over Jadarian Price is a very interesting one and one I'm certainly relooking at. In my rookie rankings, the, the physical int.
- [17:45]
A
The, the physical acumen that he put on on the field there pushes in my comp. The entirety of this process has been Chris Ivory for Mike Washington Jr. But you look at this athleticism, those type of testing numbers, it does move the comp from maybe from Chris Ivory to more of the demarco Murray territory.
- [18:07]
B
Dude, wow.
- [18:09]
A
Wow.
- [18:10]
B
Yeah. Demarco Murray, he was a fun watch when he was first breaking on the scene with the Cowboys. Derek, another running back. One of my favorite sleepers coming into the process here, Seth McGowan out of Kentucky. This is a guy who goes from spending time behind bars to absolutely shredding times in the NFL combine here. Came in at 6 foot 223 pounds. So you like the size? Best vertical we saw here on the weekend for the running back position, 42.5 inches over broad jump. Also best in this class, 10ft 11 inches. Mix that in with a 4.48 second 40 time, that's going to give you a 9.42. Raz. Third best running back among this class, 123rd best of all time. Seth McGowan. He's a guy that I thought would, you know, potentially garner some mid to late day three draft capital. I think he has firmly supplanted himself there with this performance. What do you think, Derek?
- [19:01]
A
Oh, I agree. I think he's gonna be a day three pick. I've, I haven't shared this publicly but dude, my entire, my calm for him and this again, going back to validating moments and the testing and stuff like that. My comp for him throughout the entirety this process. I, I told you like the first time I turned on his film, I think I texted you this was. He runs ticked off. He runs like he's mad at the ground. You, you, you team the running style with this type of athleticism. He's Isaiah Pacheco 2.0, dude. That's, that's who he is like. And yes, the 2025 numbers weren't amazing on a per touch basis, but again, we can be kind and rewind. In 2024, Seth McGowan was 40th in yards of the contact per attempt and top 24 in both PFF, elusive rating and yards per route run. So the numbers are there to back it up. And I, I'll just wrap this up here, man. Like, can we also put a bow on this like that? The combine was a wonderful validation for something we've both been talking about before all of this was that this draft class has gotten so much crap in the process of. It's terrible. Sell your Dynasty picks. Don't worry about it. It's garbage. And yet the combine happens. And now people are like, oh, well, this class might not be terrible after all. Who knew, Seth? Who knew?
- [20:25]
B
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- [23:05]
B
Yes, some of honestly the social media posts I've seen from reporters and analysts who were at the event saying they were, you know, they are leaving after the first couple of days saying this is the worst draft class I've ever covered. Take a look back. Come on, let's do the homework. Let's dive in. Does it have the flashiest, sexiest names? No, not at all. But there are some good players here, including Seth McGowan who we're going to be doing a rookie mock draft later this week with our boy Adam and I'm really excited to hopefully be able to snipe someone like Seth McGowan because a couple weeks ago he was only on my radar and now he I know he's going to be on your radar. Adam's a sharp guy. He's going to be on his radar as well. So hopefully I can snake one out there for you. A faller here at the running back position though, Derek Very disappointing weekend for Nebraska running back emt. Johnson felt like he'd been getting a ton of steam in recent weeks, like really pushing him up inside that first round conversation in dynasty rookie drafts and it feels like it kind of came to a screeching halt here in Indianapolis. Was an inch shorter at 510 than we are expecting from what the Cornhuskers had listed him as and also only got 16 reps in on the bench 4.56 second 40 times. So you know, nothing that's like going to disqualify him and take him off my board. But a 35.5 inch vertical, 4th worst in the class, 10 inch broad jump, 3rd worst altogether this game of 5.78. Raz the worst among this running back class with enough testing to give him that grade. So it was great to see him out there doing all the tests but maybe like from an agent standpoint he probably should not have been doing all these tests and and Derek, I think it's going to creep back into fantasy managers minds as we get around that first second round turn. Like do you take a guy who is maybe not the most athletic guy in your rookie drafts but he had some of the best production numbers we've seen from a running back in terms of skill set with pass catching and running down capability.
- [24:58]
A
Yeah. So I mean we're framing this like it's definitely. I will say this, it wasn't good things for Emma Johnson, like with the testing and everything he put up there. Like, and I think the big glaring hole that, that, that, that's crushing his rascore, that is the 7.323 cone, which is only 29th percentile. That's just absolutely dragging everything else down.
- [25:19]
B
Okay.
- [25:20]
A
For me, with Emma Johnson, I wasn't surprised by any of this, dude. Okay, so the three cone I was probably surprised by because I think that like just raw athleticism is not how Emma Johnson wins. So I wasn't surprised. Like, I was actually happy. Like, I was happy he got into the four fives of this 40. Like so, like he, the first one he runs is a 4 6. And I was like, oh, that's not gonna do it, man. Like you, you've gotta uptick that. And then he gets into the four fives of the four five, six. And I was like, okay, that's passable. That's basically what I saw on film from him. Like, yeah, I would have been honestly shocked if he ran in the four fours. So the four five wasn't anything big to me. And the fact that like he was 73rd and 71st percentile in the vert and the broad weren't damning outcomes for him, I'm saying it's an arrow down because again, talking about how teams will double count this stuff with speed, does this take Emma Johnson, like, I don't think there's any way he goes in the second round of the NFL draft. Now maybe he didn't do any of this testing. Maybe a team falls in love with him. Maybe, maybe that happens. That's off the board now. I think you're looking at the best case for him is okay, does he go anywhere in the third round? He's probably a fourth round pick. So that hurting as draft stock. It does. Smart and to your point, it's like, dude, like that can't be the first time he did a three cone. So again, like if he's gonna go out there and do a lot of these different things, like, it's not like these are the first times that any of these players are performing in this type of setting and you don't know what you're going to get. So why did they let him do the freaking three cone knowing he was gonna have a God awful time. So for me it's like, yeah, like this definitely didn't help his stock, but I'm not going to coffin nail him and bury him in ranks.
- [27:11]
B
Yeah.
- [27:12]
A
Based off of what we saw, it does, you know, point in fact, it does make him where, okay, draft capital. And having that lane and that, you know, that investment from a team, obviously it buys you chances, it buys you second chances. And now it's like, okay, Emma Johnson's probably a guy that is not going to be looked at by an NFL team to walk into week one as a starter. He's going to have to fight his way up a depth chart. Can that happen? Could he have a Woody Marks or Michael Carter type of run out where, you know, we just saw Woody Marks, you know, again, get Coffin by the trade for David Montgomery. So like. But could he be a guy that does have relevance based off of winning out a spot or, you know, the fever dream now is like, and this is going to get brought up now is that now he's going to have to do something like Bucky Irving did. That's what's going to happen. He's going to have to dramatically outplay somebody in practice in the preseason on the NFL field to earn a starting spot. Does that mean that that can't happen? No. So I, I'm not going to like absolutely just crush him based off combine because a lot of these testing metrics, dude, I wasn't surprised by anything that he put up, be honest.
- [28:23]
B
Yeah, no, no, that's totally understandable. And honestly his path to success from a fantasy standpoint, Derek reminds me of lot of another former Big Ten running back who had a ton of volume in college, did not test that well at the combine, pushed himself down into day three the NFL draft, Chase Brown, and then absolutely found a home in Cincinnati. It took him a year or two to really get sea legs under him. But that's kind of the situation here for EMT Johnson that I think there is still hope, but it certainly raises some more questions and concerns than we had before. And speaking of that, someone that I was really disappointed we just didn't see much of this weekend. Jonah Coleman, running back for Washington, a guy who's been in this RB2 conversation for this class with Mike Washington Jr. With Jadarian Price, with the Penn State backs. And this guy did not test at all aside from doing some bench reps. So the issue I had with it as well Derek, is that the height was actually an inch below what he was listed at as well. He came in at 5 foot 8, was supposed to be 5 foot 9 and he was also 8 pounds lighter than what he was listed at at Washington as well. Coming in at 220 rather than a 228 pounds. So like, to me it's like, why didn't you especially like if you weren't doing any of the explosive or speed testing, why did you not just focus on bulking up? Like, why did you not come in here at 2:30 and if you're only going to do the bench and save the rest for your pro day, why were you not just hitting. Hitting the, the eggs and the steak and the protein and, and getting some gains going on? Like, I'm just a little flabbergasted by this from someone who's in that conversation to be the running back too. And now it feels like any separation he had for that, it's gone.
- [30:01]
A
Yeah. I don't disagree with you. Like, I. And this could be very strategic by Jonah Coleman and his camp and stuff like that. Coming in, like that might not be his real playing weight. Like he could be in the process of trying to cut weight to make his 40 the best it can be at his pro day.
- [30:18]
B
Yeah.
- [30:18]
A
So it's like we're in the process and obviously like we talk about like these players know their times and they're testing stuff. So is it damning that he didn't do the, the testing at the combine? Is that a good look for him? No, it's not. Does that help his draft stock? No, it doesn't. But if he goes out at his pro day and he surprises people because they're not going to weigh and measure him at his pro day. So like between now and his pro day, if he drops into five to ten pounds and that 40 becomes low four sixes where I think he's like, he probably usually would run in that game speed and he could turn in like a mid four, five or a high four or five. Absolutely understand it, dude. And I'm with it because the players have to do the best things they can to help themselves in this type of forum. So I understand it. So like to me, is any of this good for Jonah Coleman coming out of the combine? No. Because now he's gonna have to fight tooth and nail with somebody like Mike Washington Jr. For the RB2 spot in this class. We're going into this. A lot of people already had Jonah Coleman as the locked in RB2 on their board and now they're having to revisit this. Is it good for him?
- [31:32]
B
No.
- [31:33]
A
Can he revive some of the hope and hype if he does? Wow. Some people with maybe some of the testing metrics at his pro day? Yes. So it's still serviceable and I understand the 4D chess that some of these players are playing or have to play.
- [31:49]
B
Yeah, it's going to be a very interesting conversation, man. Because I am almost more than any other recent NFL draft season having a really tough time ranking from RB2 all the way to RB6. Like that feels very interchangeable. I know landing spot always going to impact that. But in the pre draft process it is very difficult to be distinguish from Drona Coleman in my rankings to K Tron all the way down to someone like Price in Washington. So very interested to see how kind of the top of the running back landscape shakes out. Someone kind of towards the the middle or bottom of that position was Jamari Taylor running back for Virginia. Someone I had as a big faller, Derek, just because this was a player I had ranked inside the top 10 coming into Indy. And like first off there was the weight issue, right. He was supposed to be over £200. Comes in at just 199. And when you're, if you're 199 back, like it is what it is. Like the opportunities might be a little more limited, but if you have enough speed it's going to be fine. But he didn't run the 40 so that doesn't tell me he's the fastest guy out of the gate. So he only does the vertical 34.5 inches. Second worst in the class. Broad jump 9ft 7 inches worse in this class. Like he doesn't look like a guy who is super athletic. He doesn't look like a player who has the size to really compete at the next level. The reason I like someone like Jamari Taylor is like missed tackles force. This guy's right up there with the best of them. He's really shifty and he was a really good running back for Virginia. It's just maybe someone who's a better college running back than a pro running back. D bro.
- [33:22]
A
Yeah, and I, I will definitely say that I was never in the Jamari Taylor hive. So you were. You weren't.
- [33:28]
B
Yeah, that's fair.
- [33:29]
A
I wasn't. And, and so a lot of this wasn't, you know, timing and stuff like because on paper like we're also discussing a running back that last year amongst all running backs in the FBS at least 100 carries. He also did rank 81st in yards of contact per attempt, 89th and breakaway run rate. He was 49th and elusive rating. And I just. So I was never really in. But definitely like, like you're talking about it was just. He was checking boxes, but not in a good way. It was like, okay, you're not as big as we thought. Okay, check. Not good. You're not explosive at the smaller size. Okay, not great. And then you turn in a 40th percentile, broad jump in the process, too, and you don't run the 40, which is also, again, like, dude, when you don't do certain testing metrics and the ones you actually do, you bomb. Like, yeah, that's even a worse look than not testing at all.
- [34:23]
B
Like, yeah, exactly.
- [34:25]
A
Again, going back to the point, Jabari Taylor, you would have been better served if you would have Jonah Coleman this thing.
- [34:31]
B
Yeah, exactly. Like, you'd have been better served if
- [34:34]
A
you would have said, nah, not doing anything. Gonna meet with teams, gonna do whiteboard stuff. We can talk. I'm not running. I'm not doing anything I might do on field agility stuff. So you can get a look at me. That's it. Why? Why, why? Why, if, you know your times are bad, are you going to go out there and perform horribly on the biggest stage to help yourself? That's the one thing that, like, I cannot understand or cannot fathom. Like, because, you know, his representation has to be like, I don't know, man. Like, you shouldn't probably do this. And if they're not, then you need to fire the agent.
- [35:10]
B
Oh, man. Virginia did this to me a lot during the college football season, Derek. I. I bet on them in week two, and they got upset by NC State, and. And I had a future ACC championship ticket on them from the preseason at a long number. And then they backdoored their way into the championship game just to lose to Duke. And here I get. Get again. Rug pulled by a Virginia player. So uva. Can't do it. Can't do it anymore.
- [35:35]
A
You got to learn your lessons, man. You gotta learn your lessons.
- [35:38]
B
The state of Virginia, a lot like Cookout, their favorite fast food restaurant down there. Overrated is what I would say. You ever have Cookout, Derek?
- [35:45]
A
I have not. But since we're tossing hot takes on restaurants, in N Out is the most overrated restaurant. Overrated burgers. I've only ever once.
- [35:54]
B
And it was. It was pretty good.
- [35:55]
A
It was pretty good. Island dressing is vomit. It is horrible. Don't use it. I'm sorry. Y' all can all come for me.
- [36:03]
B
And mayo and pickles. That's all I do.
- [36:07]
A
It is garbage.
- [36:09]
B
Don't eat it. Wow. Wow. All right, well, there's already the only time I. I've had in and out was in Las Vegas. And you know you're consuming a lot of things out there in Vegas, so you know any calories are good calories for me. But yeah.
- [36:24]
A
So unless they go in and out of you very quickly and before we
- [36:29]
B
keep it moving, a real quick reminder that today's show is brought to you by our presenting sponsor, Hard Rock bet. Florida Sportsbook March is officially here, which means college basketball is taking center stage. The stakes are rising, the shots are falling, and now's the time to hit the hardwood with Hard Rock Bet. With hoops on every single night. Every night is a shot to build a same game parlay and score a major bucket in your betting cards. And if you missed tip off for the big games, don't worry, Hard Rock Bet has you covered with all the live bets that you need from the first bucket to the final buzzer. So you're never too late to find a winner and to grab a player propped that you had circled and sign up today and double your winnings on your first 10 bets. Max of $50. That's right. If you had won a hundred bucks on your same game parlay, we'll go and double that. Make it 200 bucks. The hard Rock Bet Sportsbook app is the only legal book for whenever you're in the great state of Florida. It's also live in Arizona, Ohio, New Jersey, Indiana, Tennessee, Virginia. There's Virginia again, Illinois, Colorado and Michigan coming to more states very soon. Plus, Hard Rock Bet offers new promos every single day for so whenever you're listening, just fire up the app, see what they've got going on and make sure you download the Hard Rock Bet app today and make your first deposit,
- [37:43]
A
paybill and bonus bets. Not a cash offer offered by the Seminole Tribe of Florida in Florida offered by Seminole Hard Rock Digital LLC and other states must be 21 plus in physically present in Arizona, Colorado, Florida, Illinois, Indiana, Michigan, New Jersey, Ohio, Tennessee or Virginia. Play terms and conditions apply. Concern about gambling in Florida, call 1833, playwise in Indiana. If you or someone you know has a gambling problem wants help, call 1809 with it gambling problem call 1-800- gambler in Arizona, Colorado, Illinois, Michigan, New Jersey, Ohio, Tennessee, Virginia Derek, let's go ahead
- [38:13]
B
and get into the wide receiver risers and fallers from the combine. And I don't think there's a bigger riser than Jeff Caldwell, wide receiver for Cincinnati. This was an FCS guy to FBS this last season, but he actually put up pretty modest numbers for the Cincinnati Bearcats in the Big 12, 32 receptions, 478 yards, six touchdowns. We haven't talked about this guy really all in the process, Derek. And from my standpoint, I. I have to admit I overlooked him because Cincinnati had one of the best quarterbacks in all of college football, at least from a standpoint that when the portal open, their qb, their signal caller, Brendan Sorsby. This was the first guy Lane Kiffin's calling. Everyone in the SEC is calling this guy. He ends up going and signing with the Texas Tech Red Raiders for a ton of money. Brendan Soresby. But I just didn't see Jeff Caldwell coming out and posting an absolutely electric combine performance like he did. Blew it away here. Came in at 652 18. So you love the size 4.31 second 40 time. Fourth best in this class. Second best vertical at 42 inches and broad jump as well with 11ft 2 inches that resulted in a 10.0 raz. Yes, a perfect relative athletic score. The best in this class. Second best of the 38 plus 100 wide receivers who have tested since 1987. His Raz comps just to throw them out there. Julio Jones, Christian Watts and Megatron. That's what we're looking at. Just from an athletic standpoint. Derrick Brown, what did you think of Mr. Jeff Caldwell?
- [39:44]
A
So again, full transparency. I have not gotten to his film yet, the full breakdown of him, but let's put some respect on his name. Bruce Feldman. Freak Lister.
- [39:53]
B
Yes.
- [39:53]
A
Jeff Caldware. And and the other thing about Caldwell is he even improved on the numbers in Feldman's article where it was like, oh well, his vertical jump is probably 36 and a half. He jumped 42 inches, dude. Like that's a 99th percentile outcome. You talked about the broad and then he blazed the freaking 40. Yes, there are going to be a lot of people in this process, including myself, that are now going to pull up his film and go back to and if you just look at it on paper, there are some reasons to be hopeful, if not very intrigued. Like I know the counting stats aren't there Seth, in this last year and also respect for a guy that came out of fcs. I, I was not aware of where and and shout out to any of our listeners if you know where Lindenwood University is because California is that California is actually in St. Charles, Missouri. Okay, we're not even aware of that. I was not aware of that either, Seth. But goes from there to Cincinnati and then this final season puts up 2.16 yards per route run. Has a 15A dot even forced 11 missed tackles in the with the limited volume. So like I don't know man. I'll be very curious where I come out on him as far as after I get to the film. But the testing metrics, all of this stuff takes Caldwell which like if he doesn't test like what are we talking about? Probably a UDFA camp guy. Something like that, considering coming from FCS final year, doesn't put up big like monster numbers in the process. Maybe an area scout would have loved him and got him in the UDFA process. He's gonna hear his name called in the NFL draft straight up again, like the NFL double counts athleticism and speed. They're gonna do it with Caldwell. I'm not gonna say that it's wrong right now, but I will say this is what this is the type of combine performance that takes you from being an undrafted player.
- [41:43]
B
Yep.
- [41:44]
A
To we get to day three and stuff and teams are like yeah, okay, let's take a shot.
- [41:49]
B
Let's go. Yeah. It's just unbelievable, honestly, because watched a good amount of sense of all and like Cyrus Allen was kind of their, their main wide receiver, a guy who had I think 12, 13 touchdowns this past season with Sorsby. So I just figured, you know, he was really the playmaker in this offense. They had some really good running backs who kind of got banged up here and there. But yeah, just did not see Jeff Caldwell putting down this type performance. So congrats to him for putting himself on the map this weekend as well as Dejan Stribling as well. Coming out of Ole Miss, this guy had a ton of production across five years of college ball, whether that was at wazoo in the Pac 12 or then coming to Oklahoma State and then Ole Miss and Stud down the stretch. It felt like whenever Trinidad Shambliss needed a big play, he was looking Stribling's way. 55 receptions, 811 yards, 60 touchdowns and yet kind of an afterthought in this class until we got to Indianapolis. Derek where he came in 62, 207 pounds, 7 pounds heavier than his playing weight at Ole miss. Ran a 4.36 second 40 time which eight best at his size is pretty dang good in my opinion and had a good enough vertical and broad to be scored as elite in the composite explosion. Grade rating as well. Finished with a 9.9 raz fifth best in this class, 41st best all time. Your thoughts here on Stribling.
- [43:08]
A
I'm very interested man. And he might again I haven't this is Another player that I haven't gotten to his film yet, but he might hop. A guy that I liked in this process, coming from the exact same school was Harrison Wallace. He might hop Harrison Wallace like after this because again, I haven't gotten to his film yet. But on paper we're talking about all the testing metrics and stuff. On paper, I mean he stands up too, man. 2.15, 2.44 yards per route running over the last two years while playing 80% of his snaps out wide. So I'll be very interested where I come down on him. And I'm leaving the light on that he might actually hop Harrison Wallace in my prospect rankings after all of this.
- [43:48]
B
Motel 8, baby. Leave the light on there for stribling. Derek. Someone that I know we are now contractually obligated to talk about because you are an official North Dakota State booster these days. It is Bryce Lance there. This is Trey Lance's brother. He posted Back to back 1000 yard seasons with the Bison here. 27 combined touchdowns in that span as well. Size checked out here. 63204. We'll take that. Speed was off the charts here. 4.34 second 40 time, fourth best vert in this class. 41.5 inches and broad jump as well at 11ft 1 inch totaled in here at 9.5 on the razor. Third best in this class, 20th best all time. So Bryce Lance, someone that I'll admit, again I was not familiar with your game. Bryce lands absolutely. Great performance from him. D, bro, what do you think it does from an NFL and fantasy standpoint?
- [44:45]
A
By the way, shout out to his brother Trey Lance, who is out on the social media right now puffing up his brother as he should be like retweeting his Raz score. He was liking all my tweets that I put about. Put out about Bryce Lance last week, last night. And dude I like after I saw the testing and stuff, I had to go watch his film before we did this show. Yeah, I love this kid. We're gonna get to the wide receivers and talk about, you know, the, the extent of his game and I'll, I'll share my comp them and stuff. But it's gonna be slightly scandalous it the film matches up with the testing. Man. Like he, he's a freaking stud. And just for some numbers to back this up. And again talking about the jumping competition from FCS to FBS and things like that. Amongst all wide receivers at least 50 targets last year including the FBS and FCS. Bryce Lance, 8th and receiving grade, 8th in yards per reception, 6th in yards per route run. This dude is a freaking stud. And I'm not going to be surprised. Like, again, like, I'm not throwing cold water. And I feel like everybody's talking about this entire class. And the thing that it's funny is I feel like it kind of gets lost in the conversation as people discuss certain players and they keep throwing out. Oh, this guy could go in round two. This guy can go in round two. Yeah. And in the process of listening to like an hour long show, if you're sitting at home and you're like, you're trying to add this all up and you're like, this dude just talked about 50 players that could all go in round two. Does he not realize there's only 32 teams? Not everybody can go in.
- [46:20]
B
No compository picks there.
- [46:21]
A
Yeah, but Bryce Lance could find himself going in round two of the NFL draft. And it's not. We don't have a precedent of guys testing super fast. We don't have a precedent of other North Dakota State wide receivers going in round two of the NFL draft. I. Dude, I mean we could lump him and some of the next guy we're going to talk. I mean, honestly, like him and some other FCS wide receivers together in the sense of like, I'm going to be above consensus on Bryce Lance and Ted Hurst in this entire process. Man, it's just a validation seeing both of their testing metrics and based off of what they did. And you, you marry that with the film. They're really freaking good at football, dude. Very good.
- [47:08]
B
Yeah, I was very, very impressed. And Derek, another wide receiver that you were impressed with. And I honestly have to ask the question because I wasn't overly excited with what we saw in his limited reps at the combine. Chris Brazil out of Tennessee, this was someone that like we kind of knew he's big and fast, right? And he kind of proved that. 4.37 second 40 time. He's been listed all over the place. Like Tennessee had listed him at 6 5, closer to 205. He comes in at 64190, so about an inch shorter, you know, 5 to 10 pounds lighter than we expected. But he didn't do a ton of testing. So what for you really stuck out about Brazel that you think made him a riser over the weekend here?
- [47:50]
A
Because I've said it before and I'll say it again, the NFL double count speed. So we're talking about a player that is coming out of the sec that is big and he's super freaking fast and he just ran a 4, 3, 7. You're just checking boxes of the ways that NFL teams talk themselves into players. And I'm not saying that it's wrong, sure, but this is. You're building the. The perfect stew of, of intangibles or just circumstance of going to a bigger college and stuff like that. This is how teams talk themselves and double count speed. And again, I'm. I'm not saying that it's wrong with Brazel. I like the kid. I think he's honestly like. I think that he bucks the trend of all the. The previous Tennessee wide receivers I was not in on, on Jalen Hyatt and a lot of these other guys that have come come out of that program and where it's fluky offensive design and it's stacked formations and it's free releases and it's all this gimmicky crap that doesn't translate itself to the NFL field. That's not the case with Brazil. I want to be very clear about that. Like, I've already gotten through his film and stuff and that is not the case. I have my worries and some shortcomings of his game that we'll discuss on the wide receiver episode. But I think that like any kind of hype that he's warranted or grabbing and stuff, I think to a certain extent it is worthwhile. And I think if anybody comes out with the narrative of, oh, he comes out of Tennessee, don't draft him, blah, blah, blah, blah, blah, Then again, it's just crappy narrative echo chamber BS talking points because he doesn't fit the mold of what has happened at that college and in that offense in previous years.
- [49:37]
B
Yeah, I think the biggest thing you have to kind of look yourself in the mirror when it comes to Chris Brazil is, hey, are you okay with someone who really had one year of borderline elite production at the collegiate level? Right. Because he wasn't this player who was at the explosive and honestly at one point was in the Balinticoff award hunt. So great season for him. He at least goes out there and puts down a good 40 time. Would have liked to see a little bit more from a testing standpoint, but I'm sure we'll get that complete picture filled at his pro day. Arguably one of the biggest risers at wide receiver as well. A man that we have come to known on this particular program as Theodore Roosevelt Hurst. Huge winner here. Six four, 206 pounds. Coming out of Georgia State. Actually one inch taller and 11 pounds heavier than he was listed at GSU. So Georgia State can't win football games. Can't hype up their players the right way either. Even on their website. Derek, you called in potential the biggest riser heading into Indianapolis and it seemed to be the correct call. Right? 4.42 second 40 yard dash. Love to see it. Vert wasn't amazing at 36.5 inches, but the broad was best in this class at 11ft and 3 inches. And this all resulted in a 9.92 raz. Fourth best in this class, 33rd best all time. What'd you think of what you saw out of there from Mr. Theodore Roosevelt Hurst?
- [50:55]
A
I love that you use government name
- [50:59]
B
also not his real name. I'm just.
- [51:01]
A
I think it's hilarious, dude. I think it's hilarious. And Ted Hurst, I mean dude, you turn on the film. He's a baller man. I, I loved him prior to Senior Bowl, I love him now. And for me this was just confirmation. And again we talked about the pre combine stuff and it was like laser time. 4514. He, he crushes that comes in. Not only does he crush that, he comes in heavier than what we kind of expected and that shows up in his play strength. Crushes in the raz. And again a player that. Was he going to be a fourth or fifth round selection in the NFL draft?
- [51:35]
B
I.
- [51:36]
A
He's going, he's not going to be on the board. So any, any teams that they thought about. Okay, we could just, I mean look, if we got wide receiver needs, we can maybe address that in the fourth round and just pencil in Ted Hurst. I, I think he can go in the third round of the NFL draft. Wow. Like okay, he, he's got legit route running chops. You look at this athleticism and st that he's gonna vault o against like other guys. I'm just telling you right now, dude, he's gonna be like I've got Ted Hurst over some other big names in this class that people like. Like Chris Bell, like Kevin Coleman Jr. Like Jacobe Lane, like Malachi Fields, like Zakaria Branch who ran really fast or Brennan Thompson. I'm going to have Ted Hurst ranked over all of those guys.
- [52:24]
B
All of them.
- [52:25]
A
An NFL team should as well. So this definitely going out giving proof of concept. Small school guy that just shows up and he had some really impressive catches in the on field stuff too. I don't know if you saw any of that stuff but like again just emphatically checking boxes when you're on the biggest stage and in the biggest job interview of your freaking career. Ted Hurst just crushing it, man.
- [52:50]
B
Yeah, yeah. Congrats to Ted Hurst with just the big time performance and someone I definitely like. I have him right in that range with the Brazils and the branches and it's a real conversation now, right? I think it is absolutely a real conversation. There's some other wide receivers I had above him. Kevin Coleman Jr. Who We're not going to talk about but also a bit of a faller here that I think I am going to have to definitely move him above. So Derek, one faller at the wide receiver position that we can't ignore though you do have guys like Kevin Coleman who you know, kind of disappointed a little bit I'd say I think same with like the, you know, the Chris Bells of the world who a bit underperforming but maybe no one more than Malachi Fields. Why does he ever out of Notre Dame who the steam had gotten arguably like unreasonable for this guy.
- [53:37]
A
Ridiculous.
- [53:38]
B
4.61 second 40 times second to last among the wide receivers who did run 38 inch vertical, 10.10 foot 4 inch broad jump as well. 7.5 raz. It just feels very mediocre for a guy who was the billing for him that he was a freak. And I don't think he's a freak at all.
- [53:59]
A
No. And yeah man, like that, that's the part where like some, sometimes the media and people can kind of get out of their skis on players and stuff where it's like look like I, I know that he had a really strong week in Mobile. Unfortunately neither one of able to be there because of weather circumstances. So maybe, you know, if we're down there and we watch Malachi Fields, maybe we come out of that with a little bit of, you know, a different perspective on him but not attending that. And like I had already done my, my, my film eval and my, and done all my work on fields like prior to the combine. I was going to be lower than consensus on him and nothing he did at the combine. Again, I talk about the over emphasis of the 40 yard dash for certain players or just in general how the NFL double counts that massively.
- [54:48]
B
Yeah.
- [54:49]
A
And again, it's not a damning thing to go out there. And again, another player we're not talking about here. You can miss me if you're starting off any carnal Tate conversation and you're saying his 40.
- [55:01]
B
Yeah.
- [55:02]
A
Takes him out of the top 10 or blah blah blah, whatever you want to attach it and you're trying to bump Carnell Tate down. You could just miss me with that entire conversation because it's just BS and it's talking points and you're just trying to create a narrative. But with a player like Malachi Fields is 4, 6, 1 damning. It's not great considering, like, his the archetype of wide receiver that he is. If you also marry that with a player that over the last two years in college, he was 80th and 116th in yards per route run. And you go to the film and it's not impressive either. What are you really glomming on to of, like, why you love Malachi Fields in this process? And again, talking about this stew of players at that size. And if teams had. And this is what we talk about, like, the splitting of hairs. If a team had. Let's just play this out, Seth. Say a team on their board had a tier of players. It was Malachi Fields, it was Ted Hurst, and it's Bryce Lance. And they say all three of these players are basically in the same tier for us when we're on the clock in the NFL draft post combine. If Fields was at the top of that tier, where do you think he's at now?
- [56:19]
B
Whatever the opposite of the top is.
- [56:20]
A
He's got to be at the bottom of it, though. Yeah, but that can make the difference in a player going in round three versus round four. Like, yeah, that's basically what we're talking about here. He. Nothing he did out there helped him. So it's like, again, at your size, if you know you're gonna run a freaking 4, 6, why did you run it, dude?
- [56:44]
B
Yeah, like.
- [56:46]
A
Like, because the testing met the vertical and the broad weren't bad. Like, he had an 88th percentile vert and a 79th percentile broad. Those wouldn't have been bad. And you could have maintained the hype that you had coming out of Mobile, but he chose to run. Not good, man. Not good.
- [57:04]
B
And you already kind of looking over the lack of production for Fields throughout his career. Right? Like, he was never the main man for Notre Dame, except at various points during this season when they had players like Jane Greathouse on the shelf that he really kind of took a step forward. So not only are you now looking past the lack of production, but now you're looking past the lack of athleticism as well. So it's kind of a double ding for me. Someone I don't want to be invested with from a dynasty standpoint. And, like, there have been a lot of good studies over the years. JJ Zachary have done them. Our friend Scott Barrett from over at Fantasy Points has done too. Like getting into day two does mean a lot for Fantasy. I mean it can really, really help you. Like you can make it as a Day three prospect. But the hill to climb is much taller and I think any hope that Malachi Fields had a smaller hill to climb and was going to be on that Day two board? I don't think so Derek let's go ahead. We're going to round out the show though with the tight ends who were risers this past weekend. But first, a real quick reminder to please join our Fancy Pros Discord community. If you want to chat with other fans and get access to exclusive AMA is actually wind up on our podcast feed, our current schedule looks like this Worm and Fitz at 5 Eastern on the first Tuesday of each month and then Fits and Boggs at 5 Eastern on the third Tuesday of each month. Taking your questions, helping out with any questions you have, whether that's Redraft, Dynasty Keeper, anything that we can be of service to come get your questions answered and be on the show@fancyprose.com chat Derek Brown let's go ahead and round out this discussion. I think it's a twofold one and I think we can discuss both of these players where we have Kenyan Sadiq, the you know, consensus tight end one for most people I was kind of in the other camp, but he comes out here and I honestly did not see it on film that he would be someone who would be as speedy as he was. Broke Vernon Davis's record for the fastest 40 time among tight ends and in the combine history at 4.39 seconds, had the second best vert and broad jump as well in this class behind only Eli Sowers, 9.58 Raz only the size really bringing him down. And that's the same for Eli Stowers, right? This was another player that we knew. These were both kind of tweeners, right? We didn't know if they could, you know, either one of them play all three downs at the NFL level right away. And Stowers, you know, had a really elite score when it came to his composite speed, 4.51 second 40 time and then also best in the class as mentioned in the vert 45.5 inches and then also in the broad at 11ft 3 inches 9.46 raz. So I know Derek, that like this was really no surprise to me as far as where Stowers came in and is testing. But Sadiq, I was surprised with how quick he was. I think there's a conversation that both these guys should be in the first round. You don't see that you put out your mock draft today. I don't think many people see that. What do you think this performance tells us though? That we saw an indie from both Eli Stowers and Kenyon Sadiq.
- [60:04]
A
Well so just some clarification there. I. I did see Sadiq or I do think that he's a. He's a plug and play three down starter in the NFL just because of his blocking. So for me in that that's where I was splitting hairs between him and Stowers versus tight end one and tight end two. And then you have Sadiq go out and just melt the combine dude. Like and to your point. No, I didn't see like I and just full transparency. I bet the over on his 40 times because I thought he was going to be like a 4 or 5 high 45 guy because you look at just the context of one the all 22 film that I that I was able to access and get and see and some of this is also the context of the offense and the role that he played in it. He wasn't sent down down the seam a ton of and really so it's like proof of concept. Like other times in the games when are you seeing guys like really truly just open the throttle up and really being able to see the breadth of like their raw speed. So for Sadiq I didn't see that coming. Now it's absolutely amazing. And he's going to be a locked in first round pick.
- [61:08]
B
Yeah.
- [61:08]
A
That's not literally like blowing anybody away but I think Kenyan Sadiq is now where he goes being like a back half of the first round guy. He's gonna be gone by the middle of the first round dude.
- [61:18]
B
Wow. He.
- [61:19]
A
He will be. I think he could go as high as number nine to Kansas City. I think it's in play. I won't be surprised at all because again we're talking about he tested like a mutant. He has the blocking chops. When you bury all of that stuff together this is how you get a guy that goes that high in the NFL draft. And I'm not saying that like he does. He definitely deserves it, man. And some of these players like the, the counting stats and people like well then why didn't he have more receptions? Dude, you're. You're talking about the assumption of rational coaching and the assumption that always the best Players are the most talented players on a team, are the ones that are featured. And that's just simply not the case. We see that year and year in class after class after player after player after player. And that's just the cave case for Kenyan Sadiq. Now with Stowers, I don't put him in the first round and it's not because to me like what he did at the combine is the proof that he had to show to teams that I am this athletic.
- [62:20]
B
Yes.
- [62:21]
A
Because if not, he can't block. He's a receiving weapon only. A team that drafts him has to draft him with the idea of he is athletic enough, he has the upside enough to be a big slot, a pass game weapon. And for all the rest of the stuff, we're just gonna figure it out. Now the problem for Stowers is we're not living in this version of the NFL where we're seeing less and less 11 personnel and you're seeing less and less alignments that really kind of cater to a player like Stowers were. If we were going back like three to five years and you had a player like this that would come in with this type of archetype and we're talking about, okay, you know, teams are living in 11 personnel at 80, 90% of their snaps. Okay, now that number is more like in the high 60s, maybe 70%. So it's some way we're talking about it is going to cap his usage. Unless a team is like, look, I don't give a crap at the blocking. We're going to play in line, you're going to be a full time player. He had to go out and test for a team to buy into that level. I still have some concern because the blocking is a big issue. He still has to be able to learn how to do that in this version of the NFL. So for me, unless you are a fully like pot committed team and you look at him and you say, look, we can get mismatch potential for days on the outside in the slot, all these types of things and whatever he does as a block, as a block or doesn't do as a blocker will live with that. If he can be a past game weapon and a mismatch just like a total chess piece, I have a hard time seeing in this version of the NFL that that type of player goes in round one. Now is he going to be selected in round two? Absolutely. Fully believe that. Think he'll go off in round two with this type of testing metrics where walking into This I was like, if he tests like I was a really good athlete but not maybe an elite athlete, then we're talking maybe he slips to, to round three and he gets Harold Fannin and he goes down the board a little bit and stuff like that. But to your point, could we walk away from this and in three years say, okay, who is the best draft? Who is the best tied into this draft class? Would I be shocked if we, if we all said sour's name? No. Hell no. He has that type of upside and you see it in his film and the testing and the, and the analytics and all that stuff. He has that type of upside. Yeah.
- [64:54]
B
He just, in my opinion, an underrated asset. Whether that's in Dynasty rookie drafts, whether that comes to the NFL gambling markets for the NFL draft as well. Like, I don't mind springing a little bit of a long shot ticket on him to go in the first round or even just see what that line is when we get an over under on his position prop as well. Because I'm sure, you know, like you, you said, I think it's probably going to be in that 45 to 50 range.
- [65:15]
A
I was gonna say mid-40s. Mid-40s feels about right, huh?
- [65:18]
B
Yeah. And I'll take, I'll take the under on it. I'll take the under that because I do think there will be a team like the Philadelphia Eagles, like the Denver Broncos in that first round and get a bit desperate and want to fill that position. So Derek, great stuff from you from all your observations out there at the NFL Combine. As always, that is going to do it for us on this episode of the Fantasy Pros NFL Draft show. Please do us a quick favor. Smash that like button if you enjoyed this episode. Also, don't forget to subscribe both on the famous Bros. Dynasty YouTube channel and the audio feed for downtown Derrick Brown, I'm Seth Wilcock. Take care, y'.
- [65:49]
A
All.
- [65:49]
B
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- [65:56]
A
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- [65:59]
B
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