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- [00:00]
Podcast Announcer
This is an iHeart podcast. Guaranteed Human.
- [00:04]
Seth Wilcock
We've all been there. You hold onto a coupon, but forget about it and suddenly it's expired.
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Derrick Brown
Expired in 2012.
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Seth Wilcock
Dang it. Fortunately, by switching to Geico, you could save about $900 on car insurance without ever touching a coupon.
- [00:17]
Derrick Brown
It feels good to save big. It feels good to Geico.
- [00:21]
Seth Wilcock
All right, and welcome into the Fantasy Pros NFL draft show. With the general public still catching up on some of the biggest names in this class. The Fernando Mendozas. The Jeremiah. Love the world. We're diving deep into the top five rookie prospects that you're too low on. I'm your host, Seth Wilcock. Back rocking and rolling with a man who puts nearly every single bald man across this beautiful nation to shame. He's somewhere between the Rock and the Vin Diesel. That's where you get Dar Dbro. How fired up are you to jump into the rookies today, my friend?
- [00:53]
Derrick Brown
Very fired up. That's very extremely high praise. I was expecting somewhere between Robert Sala and, I don't know, Butterbean, considering based off the day or the year.
- [01:08]
Seth Wilcock
I'm in the giving mood. So, you know, nothing like inflating ego a little bit coming into the sleepers episode.
- [01:14]
Derrick Brown
I'm just getting buttered up like a biscuit here. This isn't real.
- [01:18]
Seth Wilcock
You'd fit on. You'd fit in very nicely on the Tennessee Titans coaching staff. I don't know if you've seen their. I have.
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Derrick Brown
I have. I said there are they Actually, it's funny, a friend of the show, Alfredo Brown, put out the something about that and I said, oh. Sponsored by Manscape.
- [01:35]
Seth Wilcock
As noted on today's program, we're going to be giving you our top five rookie prospects from the 2026 NFL Draft class that the world needs to know about. This is a list of some of Derek's favorite prospects. I also put him on to one of these guys as of late as well. And before we drop in like those Olympic skiers do down the hill, shout out to everyone who watching us either on the brand new Fancy Pros Dynasty YouTube channel or the audio feed, the easiest freeways for us. Please give this video a thumbs up and make sure to subscribe to that new channel as well. If you haven't already. This is the new home base for all the Dynasty content, so we need your help to grow it. And word on the street is that when we get to 1,000 subscribers, we're going to be dropping a video with Derek Brown attempting to ski downhill and giving you some sleepers along the way. So a little rookies rising up and down the slope. Dbro, what do you say, man?
- [02:25]
Derrick Brown
Can I change that? Okay, so changing this on the fly. First of all, we're at 700 about. We're touching almost 700 subscribers right now. And second of all, I will happily do that if I can only have one condition met. If it's not skiing instead, can I snowboard? If I could snowboard, I will go down the black slopes and I will do it.
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Seth Wilcock
The black diamonds. Okay.
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Derrick Brown
Yes.
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Seth Wilcock
Are you much of a winter sports guy there, growing up in the south, low key?
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Derrick Brown
I. I got snowboarding skills, dude. I skateboarded a lot when I was growing up. I could go hop on a snowboard and get some things done these days.
- [03:02]
Seth Wilcock
Okay, well, I'm glad to hear that. There's always a fantasy pros company ski trip every single season. It's usually right kind of in the smack dab of the rookie content starting. But maybe one of these years we'll even do a little content ski trip and get out there. I'm also heading up to the slopes here in the next week or so, so I'm looking forward to that very, very much so.
- [03:20]
Derrick Brown
Nobody's beating me on the snowboarding, man. I got it.
- [03:24]
Seth Wilcock
Yeah, too, too much, too difficult for me on snow. I need two skis. Can't do skiing, man.
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Derrick Brown
It's too many moving parts. Like I'm figuring out what I'm doing my own.
- [03:33]
Seth Wilcock
That's all you need? That's all you need. Pizza, French fries, brother.
- [03:36]
Derrick Brown
How about now?
- [03:37]
Seth Wilcock
Nah, let's. Let's go ahead though. Let's jump into Derek's five favorite underrated prospects. And it starts with Jacobe Lane, the wide receiver out of usc, because everyone's talking about Mai Lemon, right? Linda Coff award winner. But Jacoby Lane actually might be a player who can translate just as well, if not better to the NFL. He's already been a steady piece in that Lincoln Riley offense. Has produced a ton of good wide receivers over the years. For the last two seasons here, and as a sophomore, he had 12 receiving touchdowns, top five nationally. That should tell you the type of impact this guy can make from a playmaking standpoint. And then as a junior, he certainly had the touchdowns dip down to four, but the overall production jumped up. Actually 49 catches, 745 yards. And we saw him really take a bigger role between the twenties, more of a move the chains type of player as well. And when USC needed conversion, it felt like Lane was there consistently. He's 6 foot 4, 200 pounds, former four star recruit, long arms, massive catch radius. But can he win off the line? Derrick Brown, is the release package good enough? That's what I and I think a lot of the people out there want to know about Jacoby Lane.
- [04:44]
Derrick Brown
It is good enough, dude. And looking at a player that over the last year he was 52nd in yards per route run. And I know again, we talk about, you know, per route metrics versus counting stats and stuff, 2.42 yards per route run checks a box for me. And if you turn on the film and as well, I mean, my comp for him was Kenny Golladay and I look at Jacoby Lane as being a player that's not getting nearly enough love. Especially when you compare, you know, how much people love and just fall over themselves. I'm not saying it's not warranted for Makai Lemon, but Jacoby Lane gets lost in the conversation, dude. And it's like he's a big perimeter wide receiver, can get downfield. The thing that stands out for me is are there some physical limitations with as far as like deceleration his hips and stuff like that? Sure. Okay. There's a ceiling with the player we're talking about here, but I think he has the upside to if we turned over the cards in three years and we said, okay, Jacoby Lane has been a guy that's had anywhere from eight hundred and fifty to a thousand yards in multiple seasons. He's sniffing anywhere from like six to eight touchdowns per year. Would I be surprised by that? No, not at all. And as a wide receiver too, in an NFL offense? Absolutely not, man. And I think the thing that kind of gets lost in the sauce with him is the route running man. Like, he does have the ability and he adds all those intricacies into his route running where he. He's inviting indecision in a cornerback's head. And that's how you create separation outside of just raw athleticism and footwork. And to me, the guys that go to the NFL and they are better tech technicians than maybe some other players. Like, sure, we could have a conversation of floor and ceiling and maybe Lane is more of a cat player in that aspect, but nobody could tell me that he doesn't also have the bells and whistles and he does the small things that. Where we talk about, you know, artistry and playing the wide receiver position. Yeah, this dude can paint the.
- [06:44]
Seth Wilcock
The thing I love about Jacoby Lane is it felt like when he was going up against High, high level competition. It wasn't too much for him. I mean, I can remember specifically back to that Oregon game that, I mean huge college football playoff implications in that one, Derek. And when Jade Ma needed an out, Notre Dame too. Yeah. And it was Jacoby Lane was the guy who's finding right 6 for 108 in that game in Oregon they have a bunch of young, very good, rangy cornerbacks that have given teams very, very much trouble this season. We're going to probably actually talk about one of their prospects, I would imagine in the next year or two because they just have a great secondary in Jacobe Lane. It didn't matter where the ball was. He was someone who's just going to go get it right. Like he's not afraid to put his body in harm's way. I think he's better over the middle than people are giving him credit for as well. So Jacobe Lane, like right now, Derek, I think you can get him for an easy second round price tag in Dynasty rookie drafts, a late second and.
- [07:42]
Derrick Brown
Go in the third in a lot of spots. I think too.
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Seth Wilcock
And I think it's too late. I think it's too. Yeah, I absolutely think it's too late. So I'm here with you on Jacobe Lane. Derrick Brown, let's move forward to another wide receiver that you think the world needs to know about. And it's Ted Hurst, a wide receiver out of Georgia State. And the reason you might not have heard of Ted Hurst much or even Georgia State as a program is because they were one of the absolute worst FBS programs in the country this past season. Like there was Sam Houston State and there was Georgia State. Like that's really the type of level they were on here. They went 111 in 2025, cycled through five different quarterbacks in the past two seasons. It's been absolute chaos down there. And yet Hurst, 127, catches nearly 2,000 yards, 15 touchdowns across that space. Fan 6, 3, 185. So he's a long, lean, ex receiver type of role. Made that Bruce Feldman freak list. Bintikov watch list, first team all Sun Belt. For all those JMU fans out there, they know what I'm talking about there. And he's really been known for the contested catch, his ability to separate on these deep or breaking routes. The major concern though, Derek, the play strength at that weight. Is that something that scares you off, Ted Hurst?
- [08:53]
Derrick Brown
Hell no. I love this kid. I absolutely love him, man. Like, I watched this film and I was texting with friend of the show Brett Whitefield. And he goes, is this gonna be your. This year's Jalen Coker? And I was like, he might be, ma'.
- [09:04]
Seth Wilcock
Am.
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Derrick Brown
He's freaking. And it's just. It's effortless speed. It's the play strength at that frame. And I know he weighed in a little bit higher than I was. I thought he was going to be at the Senior bowl to Mobile and. But you see the. The play strength in his routes and at this frame, and you marry that with the speed dude. Like, he. He's going to get drafted higher than people think. I really believe that, man. Like, I think he's going to be a player that, like, when we come out of the combine and stuff and we go into the process, he's going to inject himself higher into these conversations. Especially if he goes and he balls like I think he can at the combine because the talent is there for days on film, man. It's not only the fact that he plays. His play strength is better than you would think for a player of his frame. It's also the immediate in fluid speed. This dude can fly. I won't be surprised if he runs in the four threes now. Am I projecting that he's probably more.
- [09:58]
Seth Wilcock
Of a 4, 4 guy?
- [09:59]
Derrick Brown
And depending on, you know, we saw last year in Indy, a lot of guys ran a little bit slower than we were expecting and stuff. They changed out the turf. How that looks for this year. Does he run there? Does he run as a pro at his pro day? But Hurst is a guy that could be rising up boards magically throughout the process and where a lot of people that are in the knower have already watched this kid previously are like, y' all say he's a riser man, but I've had him high in this class from the very beginning. And for everything we talk about with context and metrics and stuff like that. Yeah, like, dude, the other thing about this is we talk about at his. The way that he was utilized at Georgia State and looking at a player that had a 12.6 ADOT. So he's getting more of his targets downfield. It's incredibly impressive that also you marry with that downfield role with also. Also a wide receiver that amongst all FBS wide receivers last year at least 50 targets. This dude was 24th in missed tackles. 4. So the play strength also shows up in the analytics. He's a baller on film. I again that I think he's gonna go. I won't be surprised if he goes like, because of the small school aspect is going to bump him down a peg as far as draft circles and stuff to an extent. Just because if he would, if he gone somewhere like a Georgia, an SEC school or bigger program, like, he would get more, you know, respect put on his name. I won't be surprised if you hear his name called in the third round and everybody's like, who the heck is this guy? And again, everybody that's already watched him and in the know is like, huh, you better believe it. He deserves that.
- [11:37]
Seth Wilcock
Well, an interesting thing about ted Hurst is five, 10 years ago, before the transfer portal, Derek, it was pretty common to see elite wide receivers come from these small schools, right? Everyone remembers devonte Adams at Fresno State. We've seen Tyreek Hill, Western Alabama, even going back like Antonio Brown, Matt Guy, Deontay Johnson, Matt Guy. Right. Like, we've seen good wide receivers. Exactly. Even, yeah. D2. And nowadays it's even harder to find that though, because usually what happens with these top G5 performers is they break out as a freshman or a sophomore, they get a huge deal to go to a Power 4 conference, and then the rest is history. Right? Ted Hurst is one of those interesting ones, kind of like a junior Vander Cross, who, who will potentially come out next year, who just transferred from Toledo that, you know, is just putting up really, really good numbers and doing it in historic fashion at a small school like Georgia State. So I think that's the interesting dilemma people are going to have with someone like Ted Hurst. But look, if Jalen Coger can make it in this league and he came out of Holy Cross, which is a Division 2 program, you look at Tyson Bagent for the Bears. My, my college IUP Division 2 program played them regularly in the college football national title game and Final Four. So, so you're, you're going to, you're going to get those rights, but it's just something you kind of have to take with a grain of salt and it is what it is. Again, all FBS football to me is still good football. It, it really is. And even like some of the top FCS programs are playing at a high level these days, so.
- [13:09]
Derrick Brown
Agreed.
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Seth Wilcock
Just because, like, you know, it's a reminder that like back in the day, Derek, you could really have like Georgia and Alabama, they could stack their roster with four or five star guys all the way through the depth chart. Now they can't do that because these players want to play. And whether it's at Georgia State and going there and having good production rather than just sitting on the bench at Georgia let like Ted Hurst did. I think it's a good move.
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Derrick Brown
I, I'm, I'm grinning ear to ear because in that entire soliloquy, I also did catch that you gave some love to the fcs, which dramatic foreshadowing. We're going to talk about an FCS player here in a little bit. So I, I do appreciate the fact that you are giving some love to the fcs, Seth.
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Seth Wilcock
A little bit, a little bit there. There's still 136 plus programs. Actually North Dakota State will be.
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Derrick Brown
Here we go, here we go. Here we go. Now, now you gotta walk it back. Got back for a reason.
- [14:02]
Seth Wilcock
They're going, they're moving on up.
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Derrick Brown
See, see for everybody at home, this is the walking back process of, you know, he didn't, he didn't mean to say the good things. So I guess we'll just keep the program moving. It's okay. It's okay.
- [14:14]
Seth Wilcock
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- [15:45]
Derrick Brown
Make your first deposit payable and bonus bets.
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- [17:16]
Seth Wilcock
Next we're going to a state where Hard Rock Bet is legal. Indiana hooers Omar Cooper Jr. The wide receiver coming out of there, he's been with Indiana really his full run there, three yards, three year starter, been with the team for four years. Was really that deep ball threat early in his career when we saw Curtis Rourke, former Ohio, another Mac guy, transfer there and have real success with Kurt signetti in his first year. Pulled in 28 receptions, nearly 600 yards, seven touchdowns with Curtis Rorick. And then really Derek became just such a more complete player playing with Fernando Mendoza. The Heisman Trophy winning quarterback grabbed 61 balls, 849 yards, 12 touchdowns, third in the country and he was an absolute weapon down the stretch. Man, there was some big time catches in that national championship game, specifically in the beginning when things Were a little dicey. So undersized a bit, right? Six foot, £200. Nothing crazy there. The athletic profile definitely in question and I think like Jacoby Lane, people are wondering if can this guy get off press at the next level? Does he have that Chris route tree that can really get him open? What do you think, Derek Brown, on your time that you've spent with Mr. Omar Cooper Jr.
- [18:26]
Derrick Brown
Very impressed with this film. Very impressed. One of the best catches you will see in all of college football. You already know where I'm going.
- [18:33]
Seth Wilcock
Oh, come on.
- [18:36]
Derrick Brown
State Lions, baby. One of the best catches you will see in all of college. Just go out there, get on the YouTubes and Google or Google search Omar Cooper, Penn State and you will see one of the best catches you've ever seen in your life. The toe tapper, the back of the end zone, that body control that plays. Dude, for days I, I, I had to just rub the salt in the wound. Seth.
- [18:59]
Seth Wilcock
I had the whole family over. We are all watching the game. It was my brother's birthday. We were going to the surprise party in a couple hours and that's how we start off the day. Derek.
- [19:07]
Derrick Brown
Dude, that's one of those catches where you're, you're honestly like, holy crap, did he catch it? Did he come down? He got both feet in. No, there's no way. And then they show the replay and you're like, he did, he did it like that.
- [19:23]
Seth Wilcock
How he was not. How he did not put the front of his foot down first. Like I, I just, it was crazy.
- [19:27]
Derrick Brown
It is crazy. But this all goes back to the talent is real for Omar Cooper, man. And, and I know the counting stats haven't been there over the last few years and stuff, but again we go back to the per route metrics and the fact that like, fine, okay, he's never had a thousand yard receiving season in college. I don't care about that. I also don't care about the fact that, okay, like you go back 937, 594, 267 on a per route basis, Omar Cooper, 2.55, 2.52 and 2.14 yards per route run. And the reason that I bring these things up is because the counting stats, they're not always it, dude, like amongst all FBS wide receivers over the last two years, that would put him 37th and 38th in yards per route run. And we're also discussing a player that has played multiple roles like you discussed in that offense where over the two previous years prior to 2025, 83, 90% of his snaps as an out wide wide receiver and then he turns into a power slot for Indiana in the final year. So he's showing you versatility with the skill set. He's showing you per route efficiency. Oh, and by the way, amongst all FBS wide receivers years last year, Seth, fourth and missed tackles forced. So again you're seeing all of these different parts or pieces with the skill set and making up a well rounded wide receiver. That dude, if he goes into the NFL and much like his counterpart who did play on the outside last year, Elijah Surrat, if he is going to be a power slot in the NFL, sign me up, dude, because he's got the route running, he can break tackles with it with like his, his play strength and he does have a thick lower half to like he can break arm tackles. He can produce after the catch. Is he a wowing player like athletically on a per route basis where he's doing all these things and he's burning corners with like 4, 3 speed? No. Can he still get open? Is he a good route runner? Is, does he have fluid hips? Can he break tackles? Is he a red zone threat based off of the body control and the size? Yes. So I'm workshopping this take. I'm not there yet because I still need to finish my, my tape evaluation for Omar Cooper.
- [21:37]
Seth Wilcock
Okay.
- [21:38]
Derrick Brown
But if anybody wants to stand in front of me today and say I fully believe Omar Cooper is a better prospect than Elijah Surat, I'm not going to fight with. I'm not, honestly not going to fight you. And at the end of this process, I'm probably going to be standing with you. Wow.
- [21:55]
Seth Wilcock
There you have it folks. Super interesting discussion on Cooper because as you mentioned, Derek, he really was playing the outside and like you go back to Illinois game earlier this season and it's just like deep shot to Cooper, deep shot to Cooper and that's what he was known for. And then they really started using this young buck, Charlie Becker, who is Fernando Mendoza's roommate in college. They're great friends and they had this chemistry they developed very early on and they started to make him the deep shot guy and put Cooper into the slot and then we really saw him excel. So I'm excited for him. We'll see what he can do in Indy. I think it will be a big, big mile marker for him. Next up, let's get out the box and gloves because there's no more polarizing prospect in this class than North Dakota State quarterback Cole Payton. Dull threat FCS product with one year of full time starting experience in 2025. The numbers are 2700 passing touchdowns, 16 touchdowns, nearly 800 rushing yards, 13 scores on the ground as well. Two seasons prior he was used more as a Wildcat option totaling over 600 yards, 13 touchdowns. So I'm not going to debate that the athletic profile is not there because it absolutely is. Here's where I struggle with it folks is he has one year of starting experience and historically FCS quarterbacks have not translated re recently unless they had elite passing traits. And if we're taking shots on like former FCS quarterbacks. I said this online the other day. Give me Iowa quarterback Mark Gronowski, who four years of a starter at South Dakota State. He won two national championships, then transfers to Iowa. Sixteen rushing touchdowns played against Big Ten competition. So I actually thought Gronowski was pretty good, but apparently not even good enough to get to get a dang invite to the combine. So Derek, please tell me why someone like Cole Payton deserves a spot in Indianapolis while someone like Mark Kranowski. And I hate Iowa fans. I hate Iowa as a program, but I still think he deserves a spot there. Why do you think it's Peyton over someone like Granowski who similar background, similar track records.
- [24:01]
Derrick Brown
Why do you hate tight end use so much? We've had so much, so many great prospects coming out of Iowa. Like personal bias is just, it's just, I mean, flooding the show right now. Seth, I need a life jacket for this, bro.
- [24:14]
Seth Wilcock
Listen, when beat Penn State and you go online, say it's the biggest win in franchise or program history and you beat us with an interim head coach and a backup quarterback in his first start. Yeah, that's why I hate Iowa. You also take out Sean Clifford a couple years ago when we're In a top 10 battle in Iowa and we're just blatantly taking out our starting quarterback shots to the dome. I can't. Can't be here for it. Sorry. Sorry. Hawkeye fans.
- [24:39]
Derrick Brown
I mean you can honestly make a better case to they might have been better off without Sean Clifford under center. That's a fight for a different day. Inaccurate quarterbacks, you know, revolt and rejoice all over social media. But anyway. Yeah, yeah, but anyway, dude, I, I think in a down quarterback class we are not giving enough love to Cole freaking Payton. And you talked about. Yes. Are there concerns here both in the jumping competition from from FCs to the NFL? Absolutely. Sure. There is all of the parts or pieces that you want to see from an NFL quarterback are there in Cole Payton's film? It's there. He has the arm talent, he has the easy arm strength. Like this dude's ripping 40 yard outs like it's nobody's business. He's dropping balls in the bucket on perimeter, go routes. He's showing you reps. And everybody was like, okay, well, it's a gimmicky offense. Yeah. There are parts of of that offense that were. Sure, they used a lot of rpo. They booted him out a crap ton to utilize his legs. There are also a lot of spots where he is in shotgun. He's reading the field, he's going through progressions, he's throwing with anticipation. Joey and I broke down some of those moments on the film session on Twitch and it's like you talked about it. Is the arm talent there for Cole Payton? Absolutely. And I will punch back against anybody that says otherwise. Dude. And for everything. Like, people want to talk about quarterback prospects and stuff in this class, I'm like, oh, it's a down class. It's down class. Oh, the competition. I didn't hear anybody having a problem. When we discussed Trey Lance in previous years, we discussed Carson Wentz, we discussed Josh Allen, we discussed all the other quarterbacks that have gone immensely high in the NFL draft. And it feels like for an NFL landscape that that cares so much about size, athleticism and traits and coveting those things in players. Why in the everlove in hell is Cole Payton not being talked about enough? Now we're putting this out and we're ahead of the curve here because I fully believe after the combine and if Cole Payton goes out there and does what I think he can do at the combine and he runs in the 4, 6 range, he gets out there on the field and he laces a few of these deep throws and he looks really good. I think the consensus is going to come around to call Peyton. I think he's going to be talked about in a very different light. Are there concerns because of the competition he faced and the and where he's coming from? Yes. Do I want to see Cole Payton drafted in the first round and dropped into a situation where he's asked to start? No.
- [27:24]
Seth Wilcock
Yeah.
- [27:24]
Derrick Brown
I want Cole Payton to be able to sit for at least a year and get acclimated to the NFL, go through an NFL playbook, get up to speed with the NFL game? I want him to learn and grow as a player in the background before he is possibly shoved into the limelight. But dude, this guy has everything that an NFL team would Want and I've said this before and I'll say it again right here. There is no way in hell. If I was an NFL gm, I would be drafting freaking Diego Pavia over Cole Payton 10 times out of 10, 10ft down, 10 toes down. I would absolutely be drafting this kid over Diego Pavia. I don't know why Cole Payton didn't get the nil money, didn't get the money to go transfer and go to another program. Considering what he did his one year as a starter and everything and all the parts and pieces to his game. It didn't happen.
- [28:18]
Seth Wilcock
Dude.
- [28:18]
Derrick Brown
He can play in the NFL and I think he's going to surprise people and I think the conversation is massively going to shift in a down quarterback class after the NFL combine.
- [28:29]
Seth Wilcock
I just worry about the one year starter because I, I, it's a concern.
- [28:35]
Derrick Brown
It's a concern. Especially when you talk about the jumping competition. It is a concern. I'm not going to say that it's not.
- [28:42]
Seth Wilcock
That's why like, like to me I just don't get why someone like Gronowski is just being super overlooked. Derek. Because like, look, I'm, I stupid dude.
- [28:51]
Derrick Brown
They do this every year with not inviting kids and not, and not allowing players from different backgrounds and programs and what have you to shine and compete and show what they can do. I fully agree with you. Like I think the combine list should be larger than what it even is. And to not extend invites to some of these kids is absolutely criminal. I, I don't disagree with you at all.
- [29:16]
Seth Wilcock
Yeah, I guess it's more just a shift in my philosophy now because I've been the guy on Trey Lance, I've been the guy on Anthony and Richardson and I've been the one who's been hesitant to click the button and draft someone like Tyler Shuck or draft someone like Bonick who's been around for a long time. I guess so I guess these days like love it or hate it. I know sometimes, you know, we think these college quarterbacks are just hiding in, in the collegiate levels because they don't want to compete at the NFL level. Well, hey, they're making so much money now, man. It's a smarter play. You and I talked about this when discussing Trinidad Shambliss to stay in college. Right? So. Yes. Yeah. So I just kind of starting to prefer that a little more.
- [29:56]
Derrick Brown
No, and the other thing about this and, and I preach this yearly is just that the echo chamber of the NFL draft consortium gets really, really loud and they, they take things and they run with it. And whether that's crapping on certain prospects or trying to hoist other guys up the podium, it gets very loud and it gets very ridiculous. And to just point this out with a guy you mentioned last year we entered the NFL draft process and people go pull the receipts. I thought I was going to be above consensus on freaking Tyler Shuck last year. I liked him. I really liked him a lot, man, people. And again, this is not me pulling or making up bs. Go back and watch last year's QB episode for the NFL draft. I like this kid and I caped up for him. And then the conversation around him went absolutely ridiculous, where people are like, oh, he's the qb, one of this class. He's better than Jackson Dart. And I'm like, okay, I don't care if y' all are blackout drunk. You're just getting ridiculous now. Like, this is just making takes to make takes. But again, going back to the echo chamber, everybody clowned on Tyler Shuck last year because of his age and because of all these parts or pieces. And while there was a large consortium of people trying to pump him up the board and being the most in on Tyler Shuck of anybody out there, there was also the equally loud people on the other side of the aisle saying, oh, he's old Justin Herbert tweets and we're going to make fun of this and da, da, da, da, and trying to knock him down the board when the reality of it was somewhere in the middle. If not, you should have been higher on him than consensus. So just, this is all just about do your own homework or listen to voices that you trust out there that are putting out content for the NFL draft and prospects and stuff like that. Because the echo chamber gets loud and the takes get stupid and people to be the loudest person in the room when the reality is a lot of times the smartest person in the room isn't the person kicked up to 11 and it's not the person with the biggest microphone.
- [31:59]
Seth Wilcock
And where you can find those voices that you trust is on The New Dynasty YouTube channel for fantasy pros. That's right, Fantasy pros Dynasty is here. So if you're listening on the audio version, we're bringing you rookie ranking, Super Flex strategy, startup draft and trade advice all year long. So if you're building for the future, this is the channel for you. Just search fancy Pros Dynasty channel on YouTube and hit subscribe. We really appreciate all your guys help and make sure you're checking out everything we're doing on the original Dynasty podcast with Fitz with Worm and Bogman of course. And then everything we're doing here at the Fantasy Pros NFL draft show. Derrick Brown, we have one more sleeper for you and it's Arkansas running back Mike Washington Jr. 6 foot 2, 223, built exactly how the NFL teams want their early down running backs. This dude was a two star recruit from New Northern New York. No hype, no spotlight whatsoever. Starts at Buffalo. Another Maxton type of guy. Transferred to New Mexico State, then finishes at Arkansas and is one season in the SEC. He finished fifth in rushing with over a thousand yards. Averaged 6.4 yards per carry, second best in the conference. And he also very good at generating explosive runs at one of the highest clips in the conference. And he did that behind Arkansas line that ranked near the bottom of the SEC in run block win rate. So to me I was really excited to see him at Mobile. We didn't get that opportunity Derek, but we did see a lot of clips of him. Round up some linebackers. You showed me one of those when we were in New Orleans. I was like okay, that linebacker didn't look like he was trying to. So, so where are you. What have you taken from someone like Mike Washington's game so far? What did you make out of what you were seeing on the all 22 from mobile and what can we really expect from in the rest of the process and maybe even potential day two, day three pick. What are you kind of seeing from.
- [33:56]
Derrick Brown
Dude, I love this kid and everybody. And to your point about the, the line that he, he ran behind amongst. Oh let's look see here 136collegiate programs, Arkansas's line and I know this, you know they are not the end all be all. But to give a small smidge of context here, 75th and run blocking PFF grade which grades say what you will, but just trying to get a little bit of context around this.
- [34:22]
Seth Wilcock
Well that's in the SEC when you're going against some of the best defensive fronts too. Like you can't. Like you were very, very underclassed at that point.
- [34:32]
Derrick Brown
Like it's just a true mismatch behind that offensive line. Mike Washington 33rd amongst all FBS running backs in yards after contact per attempt, 17th in breakaway percentage. And it all shows up on the freaking film. Like you want to talk about size, speed, tackle breaking ability and the ability to at his size Seth to hit home runs. You don't see that all the time man. Like you don't see that and there's all these other guys in this class that people are going to talk about, you know, the Adam Randalls of the world and stuff like that where they're just like, oh, the size and the speed and it doesn't translate to the film into the field and they don't convert the athleticism to power and speed and plays and Washington does for days. And the reason that he makes my top spot on this show is because he's not being given enough freaking love. Dude. He's the most underrated guy in the running back class. Because you hear the people are hyping up, they'll talk about obviously Jeremiah Love. There is a high for Jadarian Price, there's a high for Jonah Coleman. There's a high for Emmett freaking Johnson. Where's the Mike Washington junior High?
- [35:40]
Seth Wilcock
Where's that?
- [35:41]
Derrick Brown
I mean, I guess it's here, baby, because we're buzzing about it. Because it should be. And this guy deserves love because at his size and the speed and the testing numbers that I think he can put up now, is he going to test really well in the short area agility stuff? Like his hips are a little bit stiff, but they're not terrible. Sure, but at his size, what are you expecting? He's not going to have the same type of short area agility as a running back. That's 5, 9, 5 10, 5, 11. It's not going to be the case because of the build that he has. But the thing that that is awesome about him is that he is not being discussed in the same conversation as the top four running backs of this class. You won't hear him discussed even in the same conversation as somebody like a Nick Singleton. And I think it's blasphemy. I think it's honestly just straight up ridiculous. You want to talk about, everybody wants to talk about. And I know I'm giving some shade to your guy Singleton and this isn't so much shade, but everybody, all the things and parts of pieces that people talk about with Singleton and they talk about the big playability, the ability as a pass game weapon and to be a three down back in the NFL. Transpose all those pros in the conversation for Singleton. And when it's. The reality of it is, is that Mike Washington Jr. Should be getting all of those talking points and all of that love that people direct in the, in the the way of Singleton. It should be going to Mike Washington Jr. As a player that he is firmly in the same talent air as the other four running backs that are in the conversation at the top of this freaking class. Now, is there a giant divide between him and Jeremy? Sure. You can make a case for Mike Washington as high as the RB2 of this class. Is that where he's going to end up in my final rankings? I don't know. I'm still sifting through these guys. You can make a case for all of these guys. But I think the fact that he is not firmly in that conversation and mentioned in the same breath as the other three guys above him, whether you want to talk about in general ADP on NFL mock draft database and stuff, it's an honest travesty that he's not in that same conversation because the dude freaking deserves it. Seth.
- [37:53]
Seth Wilcock
Yeah, and that's pretty much exactly what we're seeing, right? You're seeing on mock draft database, Jeremiah Love, projected top 10 pick. Then you're seeing kind of this late half of round two type of players, the Jadarian Prices, the Jonah Coleman's, Emmett Johnson, they've kind of separated themselves. And then in like a late round three pick, you're seeing Mike Washington now he has actually leaped guys like Nick Singleton with the injury and Catron Allen, but still kind of very much a gap between him, Emmett Johnson, Jonah Coleman, Jadarian Price, kind of that three pack of players. Does that sound about right to you, Derek, that he could be a third round pick? Maybe he sneaks into round two, maybe a little RJ Harvey type upside, and that was one of your boys last year as well.
- [38:35]
Derrick Brown
I think he'll go in round three. I think that's, that's a good spot. I think that's where he should go. I think he's going to get clustered in all these guys. But, but I think that you're seeing the consensus come around to there. There's. There is no way on this planet that Mike Washington Jr. Should be in the same conversation as freaking Katron Allen. He is a tear above him, man. And I, I think the way that I'm looking at this class right now, Jeremiah Love stands alone in a tier by himself. And the tier two guys are Jadarian Price, Jonah Coleman, Emma Johnson and Mike Washington. And order them however the hell you want, but that's tier two for me.
- [39:13]
Seth Wilcock
Okay, you know what we need to have you do, have you ever seen, do you remember like maybe three or four years ago there was that trend around like high school seniors who would say what school they're going to, especially in the south, they'd be like, Derek Brown, Arkansas. Woo.
- [39:26]
Derrick Brown
Pig zoo. Yeah, turn around the hat they're like.
- [39:30]
Seth Wilcock
Yeah, we need that. We need you. You're doing one for your favorite prospects, Mike Washington Jr. Arkansas. Woo pig suey, baby. I don't know what that means. Woo Pig Suey, but I do.
- [39:41]
Derrick Brown
I. I don't either. Some of the Arkansas fans are gonna have to hop, hop in our missions and let us know.
- [39:48]
Seth Wilcock
I like it. It has give us a lineage, give.
- [39:51]
Derrick Brown
Us a history here. Because, dude, I'm from Louisiana and it's right next door to Arkansas and I don't freaking know, man. Let's go Tigers.
- [39:57]
Seth Wilcock
Well, there you have it, folks. Go Tigers. As Derrick Brown says, that's gonna do it for us on this episode of the Fancy Pros NFL Draft Show. Please do us a quick like button if you enjoyed it. And don't forget, subscribe both to the Fantasy Pros Dynasty YouTube channel, the Fantasy Pros YouTube channel and the audio feed. Don't forget to check out fantasypros.com for some dope written content. We also have great tools, everything you need to become a better dynasty and redraft fans. Football manager for Derrick Brown, I'm Seth Wilcock. Take care, y'. All. Thanks for listening to the Fantasy Pros Dynasty Football podcast. If you love the show, the best free way to support us is by leaving a positive review on Apple Podcasts or Spotify. Follow us on x Instagram and TikTok antasypros and subscribe to our YouTube channel at YouTube.com fantasypros.
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