MOCK DRAFT 1.0 with Matt Miller | Fernando Mendoza Ceiling | Drafting Character

Summary

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Podcast Summary: See Ball Get Ball with David Pollack

Episode Title: MOCK DRAFT 1.0 with Matt Miller | Fernando Mendoza Ceiling | Drafting Character
Release Date: February 12, 2026
Host: David Pollack
Featured Guest: Matt Miller

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Episode Overview

In this episode, David Pollack welcomes NFL Draft analyst Matt Miller to discuss their first mock draft of the season, the importance of adversity and character in player evaluation, the NFL Combine process, and shifting power dynamics in college football talent. The episode blends practical, behind-the-scenes scouting philosophy with lively stories, sharp takes on recent Super Bowl performances, and a comprehensive breakdown of top draft prospects—especially focusing on quarterback Fernando Mendoza’s NFL ceiling and what teams are really looking for when they draft.

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Key Discussion Points & Insights

Super Bowl Reflections and Player Development

• Mike McDonald’s Coaching Journey (00:22)
  • The hosts reflect on McDonald’s surprising rise—from nearly leaving football for finance to climbing the coaching ladder via the Ravens and Michigan.
• Sam Darnold’s Career Resurgence (01:13)
  • Matt Miller celebrates Darnold’s perseverance and warns against "giving up on players too early":

    “Development matters, situation matters, experience matters... We want to toss guys out at the first sign of a little bit of a bump in the road.” (Matt Miller, 02:13)

The Value of Adversity and Drafting for Character

• Why Adversity Matters (03:24)
  • Miller describes his unique player evaluation column on adversity:

    “I prefer players, especially quarterbacks, that have gone through something… You have to experience adversity to be great in the NFL.” (Matt Miller, 04:16)

  • References to Joe Burrow and Cam Ward as examples of players who flourished after facing setbacks.

The Ceiling of Fernando Mendoza

• Mendoza’s Character and Untapped Potential (05:38)
  • Miller and Pollack agree Mendoza’s clean image, competitiveness, and processing speed set him apart.
  • His pro day, combine opting out, and draft status:

    “You’re gonna be the number one overall pick. All you have to do is stay clean for the next three months.” (Matt Miller, 07:05)

• Mendoza’s NFL Fit and the Raiders (07:06)
  • Teams may petition to trade up to five future draft picks for a chance to land Mendoza, reflecting his elite perceived value.

Shifting Draft Trade Strategies

• Comparisons to the NBA's “All-In” Mentality (07:56)
  • Miller and Pollack debate if NFL teams will follow NBA's strategy of leveraging future picks for short championship windows.

    “If you’re the Chiefs…why would you not say, 'alright, let’s go all in'?” (Matt Miller, 08:18)

Combine Insights & Fringe Prospects

• How Players Get Invited (12:46)
  • Insight into behind-the-scenes scouting and combine selection; positive mention for scouting standards but also focus on the few snubs like Ethan Burke and Noah Thomas, and why pro days still matter for overlooked players.

Depth in This Draft’s Receiver Class

• Wide Receiver Overview (14:28)
  • Exceptional depth but not one clear top star: top names include Cardinal Tate (Ohio State), Makai Lemon (USC), and Jordan Tyson (Arizona State).

    “This is a really deep wide receiver class. At some point you just run out of numbers.” (Matt Miller, 15:18)

Quarterback Class Analysis

• First Round QB Prospects (16:52)
  • Only Fernando Mendoza is a clear first rounder; Ty Simpson is a fringe candidate; teams may wait for a QB or gamble late first round.

The Underappreciated Importance of Combine Interviews

• Character & Medicals Over Measurables (18:45)
  • Most crucial combine elements are team interviews and medical evaluations, not the events broadcast on TV.

    “Anything that could be considered, you know, a character issue… that stuff’s going to get hammered so hard by these teams.” (Matt Miller, 19:41)

  • Both share stories about odd combine interview questions and how NFL teams probe for honesty and red flags.

Drafting Character vs. Talent

• Lessons from Players with “Red Flags” (21:18)

  • The story of James Pierce—talented but with major maturity questions.
  • Contrast to misconceptions about Jalen Carter’s “laziness”: distinguishing between “football character” and off-field issues.

    “You want an edge rusher that’s a little bit unhinged, but also is going to show up to practice.” (Matt Miller, 24:14)

• Anecdote about NFL Greats' "Edge" (25:10)

  • Pollack:

    “You’ve gotta be a little bit psycho slash egotistical…you either sink or swim. There is no in-between, man. You gotta be a psycho.” (David Pollack, 25:10)

Draft Power Shifts: Big Ten Takes Over

• Big Ten Talent Supremacy (28:34)
  • 2026 draft is unusually Big Ten heavy, with Ohio State dominating potential first round picks (e.g., Carnell Tate, Sonny Styles, Arvell Reese).
  • Indiana “will have a run” starting in rounds 3–5, and Miami, Texas, Georgia still strong in pure volume.
  • Ohio State could have three top-six picks (31:44).
  • SEC has depth, but not as many elite first round prospects this year.

Final Thoughts: The New Draft Paradigm

• Transfer Portal, NIL, and Evaluator Challenges (35:01)
  • Tracking talent is more complex with player movement, and knowing a player’s true hunger is easier when they’re already making money via NIL.

    “Now we know, okay, Fernando Mendoza wants to play football. That guy, I don’t think he cares about the money. He just wants to play football. That’s what we’re looking for ultimately.” (Matt Miller, 36:11)

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Notable Quotes & Memorable Moments

• On not giving up on prospects:

  “Development matters… We got to stop giving up on people too early.”
  (Matt Miller, 02:13)

• On adversity and QB evaluation:

  “I prefer players…that have gone through something. I would love for you to have been benched in college… I think that type of adversity is something you have to experience to be great in the NFL.”
  (Matt Miller, 04:16)

• On the combine process:

  “The two most important things that happen at the combine are the things that you don’t see on TV… the medicals and then the interviews.”
  (Matt Miller, 18:45)

• On evaluating edge rushers:

  “You want an edge rusher that's a little bit unhinged, but also is going to show up to practice.”
  (Matt Miller, 24:14)

• On football mentality:

  “You gotta have a little bit of crazy to you... you gotta be a psycho.”
  (David Pollack, 25:10)

• On shifting player motivations (NIL era):

  “Do you want to play football or be a football player? Now we know.”
  (Matt Miller, 36:11)

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Timestamps for Important Segments

• [00:22] – Mike McDonald’s Journey & Super Bowl reflections
• [02:13] – The lesson of Sam Darnold’s career
• [03:24] – Evaluating adversity in QB prospects
• [05:38] – Fernando Mendoza’s ceiling & character
• [07:56] – Teams trading future picks NBA style
• [12:46] – How the Combine invitations really work
• [14:28] – Wide receiver class depth discussion
• [16:52] – Quarterback class overview
• [18:45] – Why interviews and medicals trump 40 times
• [21:18] – James Pierce, Jalen Carter, and drafting character
• [25:10] – The “psycho” mindset needed for NFL success
• [28:34] – Big Ten’s dominance in the 2026 draft
• [35:01] – Transfer portal and NIL add complexity to scouting
• [36:11] – The new clarity about player motivation in the NIL era

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Conclusion

This episode delivers a lively, detail-packed look at the 2026 NFL Draft class, underscoring how player character, adversity, and adaptability are more important than ever. David Pollack and Matt Miller combine insider stories, concrete draft takes, and straight talk about scouting’s new challenges post-transfer portal and NIL, making it a can’t-miss for serious football fans following draft season.

Transcript

[Matt Miller]

And how about that Polack interception in the end zone? Well, it's David Pollack and I think people are going to learn what kind of ballplayer he is. He's got a heart of a lion. I'm really proud of that kid. This is Seaball Get Ball, college football's top show for football analysis, predictions and coach interviews. Now here's your host, three time All American, seven time Emmy award winner.

[Co-host]

All right, welcome on into C. Ball. Get Ball. Matt Miller joins us just like he does once a week, fresh off the Super Bowl. Mike McDonald, to me, man, was like the, the big story just to watch. Obviously he's from right down the road at Georgia, but just to watch his, his growth and his background and know his story like that dude, literally. So my trainer Matt, that I had it with the Georgia and went with me with the Cincinnati, with the Bengals. My trainer, he was looking into jobs for Mike because Mike was looking to go into the financial world and like, he was like, I think I need to, you know, so he's trying to get him a job and then obviously the Ravens call, then he goes to Ravens, assistant to D.C. to, you know, to Michigan to all these different ways. But like, what a story. And I mean, what do you think? Just super bowl thoughts?

[Matt Miller]

Yeah, I mean, I loved the story. It's not just for, for Mike, but Sam Darnold, you know, and we talked about this last week. Darnold was my number one quarterback in that 2018 class. And he was cast off so quickly and you know, we rightfully so, you know, Lamar Jackson's won some MVPs, Josh Allen's won an MVP, Baker's been really, really good player. Josh Rosen didn't work out. But it's like you look at those five quarterbacks and Sam was fourth. You know, he was the guy that was like, oh, and then, you know, I got drafted by the jets and he's bounced around a little bit. The turnaround the last two years for Sam Darnold has been remarkable. So that was one of those where, let's say it was like rooting for either team, you know, because you, you know how it is, like you end up with friends on, you know, every team in the NFL. You got, you got a buddy that's been there or a player that you really like is there, you root to be right? Absolutely. And I picked Seattle to win. So I was, I was there and I, you know, the full circle moment of, I think the moment is past to like plant your flag on. Darnold is QB1 in that class be like, oh, I was right. No, I mean, Josh Allen's pretty darn good. Lamar Jackson's pretty darn good. Baker's had a great career, but for him to be the first quarterback to win a Super bowl and to play as well as he has the last two years, I think it's one of those learning moments when it comes to our jobs, when it comes to being a fan of this sport of man, we got to stop giving up on people too early. Development matters, situation matters, experience matters. And instead, we want to toss guys out, you know, the first sign of a little bit of a bump in the road. So hopefully that begins to change now.

[Co-host]

Well, and I'm sure Drake May will get tossed aside a little bit because he played bad, but it wasn't like Sam Donald set the world on. But I, I think just the. Sam Darnold felt like a kid that had faced a lot of adversity, and he's not a kid anymore, but somebody that had just. That dude's been hit in the mouth and pinged around, and it was like, all right, like, I've been there, done that, and I like the way he responded. And he just continued to. To make plays. And he. He wasn't the catalyst by any stretch, but his offensive line was very ungood. It ain't like they were protecting him. Now we can debate whether it was. You know, actually, I know. You know, does. Does your. Does your left tackle prediction hold true, too? Because you had Will as a guard, right?

[Matt Miller]

Yep, I did. Yeah. And I mean, unfortunately, Will is the guy that, that the spotlight was put on him as a rookie left tackle going against a really good defense. So we talked about how great that defensive line was before the game last week. And so it's. I, I think, you know, I like the brable came out. I was like, no, we're going to keep him at left tackle. I think there's some really easy things to clean up. You know, I've never played left tackle in the NFL or even in peewee football, but I think from studying the position for the past 16 years, you know, there's some things with timing that could fix a lot of his problems. It's funny, though, dp, how much you and I have talked about things like arm length, how much it matters, you know, how counter moves. We've talked about that for the last month, and it plays out on Super Bowl Sunday night. I watched the game with all my friends. I was like, you got to go listen to the podcast I did with David Pollock about this, about arm length and when it matters versus when it doesn't matter. And the longer arms allow you more of a room for error. You can be a little bit later with your hands when you have longer arms. So I think Will Campbell's a hard working dude who got, you know, punched in the teeth a little bit in front of the biggest football audience you can have. And I bet it drives him to be even better. But you know, speaking of. So like with that, with Sam Darnold, I don't know if I've ever told you this before, when I evaluate players and you start to get into like the bio, you know, the background, who are they, where they from? I have a column about adversity and it's something that I, I prefer players, especially quarterbacks that have gone through something like I, I would love for you to have been benched, you know, in college or maybe you were a two star recruit, like Cam Ward last year was a great example of that, of like a no star recruit who bounces around, ends up being the number one overall pick. I think that type of adversity is something that you have to experience to be great in the NFL. You have to learn number one, how much do you love this game? Are you willing to keep playing and fighting when things aren't easy? Because for some of these dudes, it's easy. They're five star recruits. They go to, you know, blue blood programs and they're great, they're all Americans and they're drafted in the first round and then stuff gets hard. So I, I definitely look for those players where, you know, you kind of want that Joe Burrow, you know, the guy that got bounced and then dad's alma mater didn't want you and you go to LSU and you get rocked in that, the bowl game, your junior year, then senior year. You're unstoppable. Like those are, those are the types of players I look for.

[Co-host]

So I guess you're going to love some Mendoza then, because I do, I.

[Matt Miller]

Do, I do, I do.

[Co-host]

Yeah, I mean, that's right. And his pro day is coming up and what, what do you think about him? He's going to work out, right? Hey, did you see the video of, of Mendoza at the wedding this past week? No Mendoza at the wedding. I, I'll be honest, I was like, what are we going to see, you know, with Mendoza? Because he's done such a good job of staying clean cut and like above the fray and delayed gratification and all that stuff. But he Had a drink in his hand and I was like, I didn't even know if the dude would drink, to be honest, because he's so nerdy. But like, I bet, I bet, I bet that's something y' all all look at, right? Like you're trying to get your hands on everything you can, right?

[Matt Miller]

Absolutely. You know, remember a couple years ago when it became a thing for all these quarterbacks to shotgun beers? And then Tom Brady did it and it was like the fastest I've ever seen someone put down a glass of beer. That changed my perception of Tom Brady completely because it was the same. It's like there's no way this avocado eating dude who probably doesn't put any carbs in his body can shotgun a beer. And it disappeared. So, you know, you kind of. You kind of want that, right? You want a guy who can. Can hang with the teammates and be respected, but also knows his limits a little bit. But yeah, it absolutely all goes into trying to put together that picture of who the prospect is. But I. I love Mendoza. I know he said he's not going to throw up the combine. I don't care. It doesn't matter. It really doesn't matter for him. You know, he just put together a 16 game season.

[Co-host]

Is there anything we can improve?

[Matt Miller]

I don't think so. I mean, you're going to be the number one overall pick. All you have to do is stay clean for the next three months. And he stayed clean for, you know, 23 years as far as I can find out. So I don't think there's anything to worry about. Just date the Raiders for the next couple months. That's the goal. Date the Raiders, make Tom Brady and Mark Davis and Clint Kubiak fall in love with you. I'd probably go ahead and get Brock Bauer's phone number and see if he wants to throw a little bit this offseason. Because it's. I mean, it's. The number one pick is his to lose. And the only scenario I could see is someone giving the Raiders an unbelievable offer to move off that spot. And I don't know if you saw the news this week. Teams are petitioning to be able to trade five years worth of draft picks now, not just three. Five. We're talking about 20, 31 draft picks could now be on the market. So I think that is. I love it. I mean, why not, right? The NBA lets you trade for the next 10 years.

[Co-host]

He has built the NBA, maximizes their window with superstars by doing that. That's how LeBron's done all of his stuff. Like, every team he goes to, they mortgage the future. Right? Like, so that allows you now to say, like, heck, I can. If I got a dude that I think is my window is kind of short, like I imagine. Like, hey, I'm. I'm going to build this thing right now. Screw. Screw the future.

[Matt Miller]

Yeah, Yeah. I mean, so if you're the Chiefs and you've got the greatest quarterback in the league, aging head coach, hall of Fame tight end, probably come back for one more year, why would you not say, all right, let's, you know, who cares about 20, 29 right now? We need players today. Do you. Do you front load it? Do you say, all right, let's go all in? You know, we don't have a lot of veteran quarterbacks in the NFL right now outside of Matthew Stafford. It's very much a young quarterback league right now. But, you know, the Rams have two first round picks this year in a not great draft class. It makes you wonder how much would teams start to look down the road and be like, we'll figure that out. Then let's go win right now versus the teams that will do the opposite and say, we're going to take the, you know, the approach of we want a lot of draft picks spread out. You know, we'll just take picks after picks after picks. And I would probably be more of that mindset of if I have an older player and we start to see the downturn, I think I'd bill Belichick it and be like, I got to get rid of this player before I can't get anything for him. You know, you want to be a year early rather than a year late.

[Co-host]

Villacheck. Belichick would have 25 years worth of picks in the future the way he wanted to build.

[Matt Miller]

And they still draft Cole Strange in the first round, so.

[Co-host]

Holy. Yeah, we talked about that. Not good. Hey, Kubiak. I thought. I thought Kubiak. First of all, the way he managed the super bowl. If you didn't see Clint Kubiak and you didn't know who he is, he's the offensive coordinator for the Seahawks. Like, I thought the way he called plays was. Was fabulous. I love play callers that stack plays on top of plays and set up plays for down the road. Like, I just think that's a. That's an art. That is an art form to that and. And you have to. It takes a special thinker to be able to do that. But then I saw him interviewed as The Raiders head coach, too. And obviously he's making the pick with Mendoza. And immediately I'm like, he's going to fall in love with Mendoza, and him and Mendoza are going to work really well together.

[Matt Miller]

Oh, absolutely. And he's. Mendoza's processing speed is so good. His accuracy is great. Arm talent is, I think, underrated. I really don't think we're talking enough about his arm talent because he throws such a catchable ball. You don't see him just rip it a lot of the times because he understands, you know, how to throw the ball that's catchable so that his guys can make a play on it. But, I mean, the accuracy, the understanding of space, the understanding of angles is so good that I would think Kubiak would have a field day with him now. You know, the Raiders got to find a number one receiver. That's. That's the key. And I would think this is a receiver rich draft. Yeah, Bowers. Yeah, you get Bowers, you got John T. If Colton Miller's back healthy, you got a left tackle. There's pieces there. There really is. It's just getting those guys in the right scheme to where they can execute and make plays.

[Co-host]

I love how you just tried to sell me that there's pieces there. And that team has been abysmal for a long time.

[Matt Miller]

Like, it's silver lining. Yeah, it's good.

[Co-host]

Yeah. For the red and the silver and black. It's interesting. Man, that culture has just been so bad. And it's just been. And you got Brady, obviously, who knows what it takes, and obviously has done it at a high level and was built different and. And lived different and did that, all that stuff. But just, you know, last year was. Was bad. Like, that was bad to watch, I mean, because Geno Smith was a pretty good player for Seattle. He turned into an absolute bad player. Like, really bad player. And listen, they made a coaching change, but they've made a lot of coaching changes and not a lot has changed. When's the last time the Raiders were decent? I mean, it's been a lot.

[Matt Miller]

Yeah, they had a. They had like a Derek Carr year where they beat the Chiefs one time. Right. But it's been a long time since they were a threat and in that division. It's not going to be easy. It's no matter if. Even if you make the right coaching change, it's not going to be easy. When you have momes, you have. You know, B. Knicks looks really good in Denver scoring. Jim Harbaugh and Herbert together. It's it's going to be a tough road, no matter who you have in there.

[Co-host]

Tough division for sure. All right, combine thoughts, man. What's the big storylines coming into combines for the. For these guys coming up?

[Matt Miller]

Yeah, 319 players. That list got announced today on Wednesday, and I'm going through the list right now. You know, I haven't made it to the snubs yet. I'm at the point where I'm making sure the 319 that got invited are on my list. Right. It's like, is there anyone that somehow slipped through the cracks, basically? Because, you know, the way I do it is I get a list of players in the summer and start whittling it down so it's easier to take away players. You know, I'll start with like, 1200. You want to get to about 500. And so you check.

[Co-host]

All right.

[Matt Miller]

Senior Bowl, Shrine Game, Hula Bowl, American bowl, the early entry list. And then you get the combine list, and you use those to really whittle that list down. Like, okay, if a guy didn't play in an all star game or get invited to the combine, I could probably cut him from the list. Right. The deck is stacked against you at that point. So for me, I'm more cutting guys than adding guys at this point. But one that jumped off the page, Ethan Burke, the defensive end from Texas, was the biggest surprise that I've seen so far. They didn't get the invite, but the NFL does such a good job of finding these guys. The way it works is you basically have to have scouts vouch for you. So it's not. It's not folks like me building this combine list. It's scouts who are on the road and they turn in names. And as a player, you have to have so many scouts basically say, I want to see David Pollock at the combine. That's how you get your invite. So they do a really, really good job of getting the players there that the teams want to see. And sometimes there's guys who, you know, have had an injury, you know, like Jalen Daniels from Kansas, the quarterback got an invite. Is he a draftable player? Probably not. He's. He's probably going to get asked to work out in a couple different positions. But he's a guy who's had some back injuries in college. He's also had some amaz. Amazing plays in college. So that's the type of guy that the combine really matters for a lot more than a Fernando Mendoza, who's going to be the first overall pick. And you got 40 games of tape to watch on him and no injury questions really to speak of. I think the combine is more about the fringe guys than it is the, the known commodities.

[Co-host]

Well, like Noah Thomas, a guy from Georgia, that's a guy that is not on the list. Yeah. Not going to combines. Like, did that surprise you?

[Matt Miller]

Yeah, that one did. I also think, I think he would test really well. And so sometimes you're, you're looking forward to seeing those guys.

[Co-host]

Really big guy. I mean.

[Matt Miller]

Yeah. So I think, you know, sometimes it is that, like it's the guy you hope makes it just because of that. And Noah Thomas was right there. Like, he and Nick harbor were the two receivers where I was like, man, I. I want to see these guys go together because both are such phenomenal athletes. Phenomenal. You know, just big time movers. And so for him not to get that. But the good news for like a Georgia player is that pro day is going to be so heavily attended that it's, it's almost like the combine, right. You're going to have 32 NFL teams are going to be there, so you're going to be okay as far as that goes. But this receiver class is stacked. It really is. I mean, there's not the, you know, Ted Row McMillan type player. There's not the, you know, that guy Marvin Harrison Jr that we've been talking about forever. But this is a really deep wide receiver class and at some point you just run out of numbers and it does get to that, that cut list.

[Co-host]

Is there a clear, like, is there a clear one? Like, is there?

[Matt Miller]

I don't think there is.

[Co-host]

Okay. Yeah, that's so, so, so you're not looking. There's not a guy that you're going to go like Tetra last year that like, he's, you know, he's going to be a one go to start day one for, you know, for the Panthers, which, you know, obviously have struggled, but, like, there's not. So there's not a clear guy like that. But you're saying there's a ton of guys that are going to be guys that are going to be starting and be. And be impact players.

[Matt Miller]

Yeah. And we can still see guys go in the top 10 just because the nature of this class and where it's not strong. Cardinal tape from Ohio State could go top 10, 6, 3, 200 pounds. He's a great route runner. He's really instinctive. He's just polished coming out of Ohio State. And then you have makai lemon at USC who's in that Amanra Saint brown mold, you know, tough 511, 195, great yak player, wins with leverage and the way that he can separate, fearless in traffic. Those are the top two guys. And then you have Jordan Tyson at Arizona State who's had some injury issues, but we could see all three of those guys go to the top 15 and it wouldn't be a surprise just because of that. You know, it's a premium position, number one. But then also where the strengths in this class aren't, you know, we're not going to see a lot of offensive tackles go early. We're only going to see one quarterback most likely in the top 15 or 20 picks. So you, I think you start to then look at. All right, where would these guys be in last year's draft or the year before? Maybe not drafted as highly, but in this year's class, I mean, they're, they're look looked at as top 12 players.

[Co-host]

Well, Tate's contested catches, Lemons contested catches were actually really, really good. Even though he was small, like he made plays. That dude was good. That dude was a baller. So. So quarterbacks, we'll find out over the next couple. Like, what is, what is your guess? In the end, will you have another quarterback taken in the first round?

[Matt Miller]

I don't think so. I don't. Just because, like Ty Simpson, maybe we see a team go that Kenny Pickett Jackson dart route, where you're at the end around one, you're like, hey, let's, let's take a chance on a guy. I personally wouldn't do it, but I understand. I'm not, you know, I'm not sitting there as Mike McCarthy, the head coach of the Pittsburgh Steelers, saying, man, I don't have a quarterback right now. So a team could actually, you know, get the pressure to jump into that. This free agent market is going to be wild, though. You know, Malik Willis is sitting out there as a viable start. Kirk Cousins is going to be out there. We'll see what happens with Daniel Jones. Kyler Murray will potentially be traded. So things, things will get really interesting. You know, the middle of March when free agency opens is going to inform us a lot about how these teams do see this draft class. If they're going to go all in like last year, the jets make the move to get Justin Fields just because they knew they were going to be able to draft a quarterback, basically. So we'll see how Pittsburgh plays. And I think that's the key team to watch for a player like Ty Simpson.

[Co-host]

Well, Mike McCarthy did not feel like a Pittsburgh guy.

[Matt Miller]

No.

[Co-host]

Like that felt that, that, that hire made me feel like they did not have a clue that Tomlin was retiring.

[Matt Miller]

Yeah. Or that John Harbaugh was going to be available. That's. That's the move, you know, that, that's.

[Co-host]

Who you go get plug and play of a. Same type of a culture guy in a fit.

[Matt Miller]

Or McDermott, you know, like McDermott would be great in Pittsburgh. Yeah, it's.

[Co-host]

Yeah, that was a.

[Matt Miller]

You gotta have that intel. Right. You gotta be plugged in when you make these moves.

[Co-host]

Matt's. Matt's gotta be talking to more people. What else at the combines will be the big, the big storylines that we'll be watching. So we got wide receivers at the top. What else?

[Matt Miller]

You know, the combine. I always say the two most important things that happen at the combine are the things that you don't see on tv and they're the things that we really can't talk about. And that's the medicals and then the interviews. Because you're trying to figure out what these guys. And you've been through it. They're going to look at every scar on your body and say, what happened there? My good buddy Matt Bowen tells the story all the time. He had a bike wreck when he was like 8 years old and he got to the combine and they're looking at his knee being like, what did you have a secret surgery? Like, what is this scar here? And it's like, I wrecked my bike when I was a kid, you know, so they, they want to know everything that's ever happened medically to you and, and then find out about those, you know, who did the surgery, how was the rehab? You know, they're going to go full circle on that. But I, I maintain the most important thing are those 15 minute speed dating interviews that players get with teams because, you know, if you're a player that has any question marks on or off the field, you're getting grilled like, you're walking into that, that room at the hotel and you've got the lights are on you, there's 15 people sitting in the room and they're about to hit you with the biggest mistake you've ever made in your life and want to know why it happened and why it won't happen again. And to those of us who, you know, have had normal jobs, that seems incredulous to us that someone that, that's. You're going to get pressed like that. But there's so much at stake that Anything that could be considered, you know, a character issue, a work ethic issue, a personality issue. That stuff's going to get hammered so hard by these teams. And you know, to be honest, that's why a month from now, you're going to see rankings that look really different than the ones today. And it's not because of always, because how someone ran a 40 yard dash or how many bench reps. It's more about those interviews and the things that we start to hear from teams about the players.

[Co-host]

Well, and then they got to take that and figure out what's important to him. By the way, the only one, I fell when I was a junior and sliced my head and I had 32 staples in my head falling down my buddy's houseboat steps. Only one team asked me about it, Bill Belichick. He's like, what happened? Were you drinking? And I was like, no, I don't drink. But like, they were the one team that asked me about it specifically what happened that night. So, so, I mean, you get, you get the wild questions, you get the questions you can't really compare for, but you know, you know, it's interesting. You talk about character and, and there was a story literally this past week that all Falcons fans, which is close to us right here, they were like, all right. Because last year during the season, everybody was like, wait a minute, we kind of look good. Like we, we made a trade that made a big impact. This Pierce guy is way better than people thought. What was the knock on Pierce when he was coming out?

[Matt Miller]

No one ever thought he was a bad player. No. And, and I talked about this in the pre draft. Folks can go back and look, I'm not just saying that after the fact. My, my sources at Tennessee said that they wouldn't even let James Pierce talk to the media. It's like when, you know, when espn, when game day goes to do a Vols game, he was, he was off limits. He was not allowed to speak to the media because he was so volatile. And you talk to coaches there and they say, one of my favorite things to ask a coach is if you got hired to go run an NFL team today, which players would you not take with you? Are there any guys on your team that are no go's that if you got elevated, like who are you building, who you building around and who you not building around? He was the guy teams would say like, nah, he's not going. And so then you want to know why? Like what is it? What is about him? And it was, it was just like immaturity issues, you know, and that it happens. These guys are 21, 22 years old. You know, there's a lot of growing up to do. I'm very different than I was at 21 or 22. But it's the question of, all right, you know, in an unsupervised environment, with millions of dollars at. At your disposal, what do we have to do? How do we support you? Right? And Pierce was always one of those guys where, I mean, everyone I talked to was like, you know, it. He might be great, him, and he was a rookie, but how long will it last? And that's the, that's the, the tragic part, right? If when you have that much talent and you have those flashes, you. You're rooting for those issues that you heard about to like, oh, maybe they. Maybe they, you know, outgrew them. You know, there's been hundreds of players in my 16 years where you, you hear, oh, they've outgrown. I remember teams telling me, take Tyron Matthew off your list. Don't even put his name on your big board, because it's going to make you look bad. Tyrone Matthew is Borderland hall of Fame player. He overcame his issues, Right. And he grew up and he made, he made better choices. So that's what you hope for. But, you know, with the James Pierce, when that happened, I'm sure you got the same text I did to people being like, told you so. You know, we kind of thought that this, he could be a player that could have something pop up. And you hope that, you know, that it's something he can learn from because he's incredibly, incredibly talented.

[Co-host]

Yeah. Jalen Carter was one that was talked about.

[Matt Miller]

Yeah.

[Co-host]

You know, the thing that, that was actually the last draft I did on espn. The thing that really bothered me about that one, I really was bothered by the way people talked about his football character. Because when I watched that dude, like, I heard lazy and didn't compete, I'm like, I don't see that. Like, I didn't see lazy. I, I saw the guy that was super, super competitive. I saw the guy that had an array of pass rush moves. Now, did. Did he have other stuff off the field that were different differences that we can talk about? Yeah. But I was like, dude, so how do you distinguish to the, like, the laziness, the off, the, like, what, what. What do they, what do they say is the most important things that they like? Because you, you need some guys with some edge, too, man.

[Matt Miller]

Like, absolutely.

[Co-host]

Like, if there's a Fine line.

[Matt Miller]

Yeah. You want an edge rusher that's a little bit unhinged, but also is going to show up to practice, you know, and then those are things you're looking for, right? Like. Like, I, I maybe don't want you to be the nicest guy on the team, but I'd like you to be coachable, you know, and, and love the game. And so, you know, I heard a story at the Senior bowl about a player, and I, I won't name the player, but it was like, you know, he's kind of a weird guy. And I was like, well, weird how? Because, like, weird weird could be good in some ways. They're like, well, you know, he doesn't really hang out with the teammates a whole lot, but he's just in the weight room every morning at 4:00 and he's best friends with the, the student trainer. Like, they play Fortnite together and like, they hang out. It's like, okay, well, I'm okay with that. Like, if this dude just wants to go back to his apartment and play Fortnite, but he's showing up to practice two hours early. Yeah, I can live with that. You know, if he's, if he's dialed in when it comes to football and kind of a homebody, I think that's kind of the dream, you know, as long as you're. You're productive.

[Co-host]

Yeah, I think you, you definitely want people that. Most of the people, most of the folks that it takes the, the effort and the competitive drive that it takes to get to that level. You've got to have a little something different about you, and you've got to be a little bit psycho slash, egotistical slash. Like, Like, I'll never forget, Matt, I went against Jonathan Ogden as a rookie and I'll. And I'll never forget, like, he kicks back and I rush the passer. I'm like, gosh dang it, I missed with my hands. Like, dang it, I missed. I missed with my other hand. I missed with this. Like, I never thought Ogden should beat me. Like, that didn't enter my mind. I knew he was good. I know he's 6 foot 9, 6 foot 10, ballerina at 360. Like, I knew he had ridiculous feet and stuff, but, like, you gotta have a little bit of crazy to you. Like, because you're maniacal. You're in an atmosphere of all this testosterone with all this competitiveness, and, like, there's no. You either sink or swim. Like, there is no. There is no in between. Man, like, you gotta, you gotta be a psycho.

[Matt Miller]

Yeah. And that's what you're looking for, right? It's someone that, that has that cockiness slash confidence that they can go against one of the best offensive tackles of all time as a rookie and say, I'm gonna, you know, I'm faster than him. I have better leverage. You know, I saw a flaw that wasn't there. That's what you're looking for. Right. And someone that does have the toughness to get into a coordinated car crash 60 times a game. You know, these are. Yeah. Not always the most adjusted human beings that we're, that we're looking for out there, but it. And again, that's why the interviews matter so, so much. And you get 15 minutes and then you can have, you know, longer interviews down the road with, with private visits, pro days, things like that. But it's where those conversations with people at these universities is so important because you, you might only get those 15 minutes. And, you know, if you're a team that drafts a player that has a checkered pass and it comes out the day of the draft or a week after the draft or a year after the draft, you know, those are oftentimes some of the difference between keeping your job as a scout and general manager and not if you miss on a player with some of those issues.

[Co-host]

I remember Denny Green was. The car, was the Arizona Cardinals coach. And I never forget, like, he was showing me the new stadium and how we're going to roll the field out and it will get sunshine, then we'll roll it back in the stadium. He was like, I'm not interested in anybody that's not excited to be an Arizona Cardinal. And he was jacked. Like, he was full on Denny Green and excited, and he's like, are you, Are you. Would you be excited to be a Cardinal? And I'm like, the Cardinals suck. Like, I mean, you're like, I didn't say no, I didn't say that. I didn't have that on. But I'm like, golly, these guys ain't that good, bro. Like, I mean, so you're kind of like, yeah, like, I'm excited, but. But I bet they also can read that all over your face, too. I mean, they know. They, they, they know. They, they've been in all these meetings for all these years. They know when you're full of crap and when you're not. And then some of that stuff, though, you just got to kind of guess and take people's, you know, words for it. Who are the best? Let's do, let's do some of the best players from the, from the South. Let's go from the south, from the Southeastern Conference. Like who, who's going to be the, the top guys that you're debating with. Like the top period. The top period guys that you talk about, that you have on your list.

[Matt Miller]

Yeah, I mean, so oddly enough, this year it is a Big Ten heavy draft class, which is uncommon. We've seen the SEC dominate so much lately. Once again, I mean, Georgia and Texas dominate.

[Co-host]

The big Big Ten dominate recently is what we've seen.

[Matt Miller]

Right.

[Co-host]

Back to back to back champs, different champs and, and shows up in the mix.

[Matt Miller]

Yeah, it shows up in this draft class. So just guys in the Southeast, like, you know, Georgia, Georgia is going to have Monroe Freeling in the first round. That's probably it, right? You look at Alabama, Ty Simpson, maybe Kaden Proctor. This is not, you know, it's not the year for these guys. C.J. allen will be like an early round two pick from Georgia. Auburn's got Keldrick Falk, but it is, it's not an SEC draft. Tennessee's got the two corners, Colton Hood, Jermod McCoy, they'll be first round picks. But this is, you know, Miami will have a lot of guys with Francis Mountain, the office tackle, Ruben Bane, Akeem Mezador, the two rushers. They'll both be first rounders. But this is a, this is an up north draft. It's really, you know, speaks like you said, the dominance that we've seen from the Big Ten the last two years, especially, you know, Indiana. Notre Dame's got, got several players. Ohio State has a lot. Ohio State could legitimately have three players in the top six picks. I mean, it's just, it's crazy the, the amount of talent that they're continually turning out. Now I do think we'll get into like round two, you know, we'll start to see some Clemson guys, some Georgia guys like Zachariah Branch will be in there. Jeremy Bernard from Alabama will be in there in round two. But this, this will be a, a draft dominated by those folks up north for sure.

[Co-host]

And that's that. That is crazy, obviously, but the numbers have been trending that way like the Big Ten had. I think I want to say they were within seven picks of the SEC like a year ago. Like it was, it was really, really close. Like it was, it wasn't a blowout.

[Matt Miller]

And in volume, the SEC is probably still going to win out.

[Co-host]

Just.

[Matt Miller]

But it's not first round guys because again, like Georgia and Texas are going to put, you know, players into the NFL. They, over the last three years, no schools have more players invited to the combine than Georgia and Texas. That's going to, that's going to stick, right? Kirby and Sark are so good at what they do that we're going to continually to see probably nine to 10 players from both those schools drafted this year. But Ohio State is doing a dang good job. Indiana, all those guys lost eligibility. So it's not just Mendoza, it's the wide receivers, it's Cooper and Surratt, it's d' Angelo Pons, it's Roman Hemby, it's Carter Smith. Like Indiana, I mean, they should have the most players drafted this year because they got a bunch of 23 to 25 year olds who run out of eligibility and they've played great football over the last two years. But there's definitely been a shift that I think we'll shift back. I saw stat the other day that, you know, once again, you know, Georgia and Texas Both had top 10 recruiting classes and top 10 transfer portal classes. So they're going to continue to turn out tons of NFL talent. You know, A and M's got a lot of players, Tech's got a lot of players. But this, this will be a year where I think we'll, we'll focus a lot more on the Ohio states, Indiana's, and then we are the, the kind of traditional powers in the Southeast.

[Co-host]

How many first round picks will Ohio State have?

[Matt Miller]

Oh, my goodness. So I mean, we can run down the list. I mean, they'll have Carnell Tate at wide receiver. They'll have Kaden McDonald, McDaniel. Excuse me. The defensive tackle will be in there. You got the two backers, Arvell Reese and Sonny Styles. And then Caleb Downs.

[Co-host]

Styles be a first round pick.

[Matt Miller]

I think Styles would be a top 10 pick. He is, he is a stud and.

[Co-host]

He'Ll be over Reese.

[Matt Miller]

I think Reese will go earlier, but they'll both go early. It's tough for a true linebacker to get drafted in the top 10. But this draft class being a little bit weaker, when you're 6, 4, 2, 35 and you move like Sonny Styles does, you're going to be a first round pick. Yeah, it's just, and I know like you're, you're there in Georgia, CJ Allen has been a rock star for them. CJ Allen's limitations are length and speed and that's where Sonny Styles shines. I mean, it's Just, we're talking about two different, two different prototypes at the position, but styles, range, the fluidity that he plays with. I have a hard time seeing him get out of the top 10 or 12.

[Co-host]

Indiana, how many first round picks will they have?

[Matt Miller]

So Amandoza, I mean, that's the big one. He's probably their only first round pick. Omar Cooper, maybe the wide receiver that, the dude who had like the crazy catch against Penn State. He could be in there. Elijah Surratt will be a second round pick. Yeah, for Cooper, it absolutely does. I think Surratt will be a top 50. I think Daniel Pond should be a top 50. I know he's going to be small, but as far as nickel corners go, he is exactly what you want at that position. So he should go, he should go pretty early. But they're, they're a team that was built on great football play. Not great football players so much. So I think we'll see them load up like rounds three, four, five. We'll. That's where that run of Indiana players is going to go.

[Co-host]

All right, well, who else. Who else from the Big Ten will have a bunch of guys, their names called early?

[Matt Miller]

Yeah. I mean, so Michigan will, oddly enough, Utah will have two offensive tackles. Go Spencer fan. Okay. Will both go first round. But I mean, outside of Ohio State, goodness, that's. The Big Ten school is going to dominate. Yeah.

[Co-host]

That's crazy.

[Matt Miller]

It's so spread out this year.

[Co-host]

And Jeremiah Smith is a, is a top pick, a number one pick, probably like number one pick overall, saying obviously he's going to be highly drafted. Like, that's crazy. Chris Henry Jr. Who's coming in, by the way. He's going to be the next guy that's just going to fall in line with those guys. He's. He's going to be a freshman next year. Year. But that's not. I'm sure you. There's, I'm sure there's other guys on that roster that are younger guys, too, that you look at and you're just like, they're next freak up.

[Matt Miller]

Oh, without a doubt. That's where you start. Like we were talking about building out a list. You start with Georgia, Ohio State, Alabama, Texas, Miami, now Indiana, Texas Tech, you know, LSU especially now. I think LSU is a team that you have to look at and that's, that's where you start. Right. And then you work down from there and look at, you know, your conference, all Americans and things like that. But Ohio State is on a, they're on a heater. I Mean, Pen, Penn State's got players, you know, they'll be, they'll be well represented this year as well. And it's going to be fun to see how, you know, new regimes in these places, you know, turn things around.

[Co-host]

Yeah, it's crazy. It's been a crazy world because it's not. I bet your jobs have gotten, gotten even harder because the talent is spread out so much more than it used to be now.

[Matt Miller]

So, yeah, the crazy thing is when you start talking about a player like Zachariah Branch, and I'll go, you know Branch from usc? And you're, oh, dang it. Nope, he's in Georgia now. And people, you know, people hop on you about like, oh, he's not a usc. And it's like, I know, I know. But in my brain he has been there and I still have memories of him playing for usc. And it's keeping track of where these guys are now. You know, we used to talk a lot about that. You Deco, you know, Baker Mayfield transferred from Texas Tech to Oklahoma. That was a big thing that you talk about anymore is every player basically has transferred. So you just don't, you don't really bring it up. It's, it's crazy how much it's changed.

[Co-host]

Changed a lot. And then I think through the money, you know, with all the money these guys make, you always, one of the questions is always, what are you going to do when they get the money? Will they stay competitive? Will they stay hungry? Because, because there was a big. There's a big difference to me between guys that were chasing and guys that were chasing, right? Like guys that were hungry versus hungry. And, you know, you probably see that now too. Some of these guys, I mean, they've made so much money. They've been highly recruited. They've made a lot of money. And I mean, you kind of see that it's kind of worked itself out already.

[Matt Miller]

Yeah, you're right. That used to be my number one question was what happens when you give this 21 or 22 year old millions of dollars? Now we know, you know, and so one of my, one of my catchphrases is, do you want to play football or be a football player? Now we know, because if you just want to be a football player that gets the money and the girls and the headlines, you can have all that by the time you leave college. And, and, you know, be somewhat set if you're smart with your money. But now we know, okay, Fernando Mendoza wants to play football. That guy, I don't think he cares about the money. He just wants to play football. That's. That's what we're looking for ultimately.

[Co-host]

The great Matt Miller joining us again, like always, we're going to continue to put those sayings together, Matt. Like, we already got draft good football players on a sticky note, so now we just. We just keep adding the sayings to them that you've cultivated over, what, 20 plus years now of doing your job.

[Matt Miller]

Feels like it. Feels like it. Yeah.

[Co-host]

All right, man. Appreciate you. Thank you so much.

[Matt Miller]

Always, buddy. Thank you.

[Co-host]

Be good.