← The Athletic Football Show: A show about the NFL
The Athletic Football Show: A show about the NFL
On the Clock, 2026 NFL Draft picks one through six: Certainty at the very top, and then...
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Podcast Host (likely Robert Mays)
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Podcast Host (likely Robert Mays)
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Pablo Torre
Torre from Pablo Torre finds out and today I want to talk to you about Boost Mobile because we spend a lot of time analyzing inefficiencies in sports, overvalued contracts, money tied up in the wrong places, and so on. But those inefficiencies aren't just on a roster. Sometimes they're in your own monthly expenses. Boost Mobile says switching to their $25 Unlimited Forever plan can unlock up to $600 in savings a year. That's $25 a month for unlimited data, talk and text when you bring your own phone. If that money is trapped in a pricey phone bill, it might be worth a second look. Visit boostmobile.com to learn more. After 30 gigabytes, customers may experience slower speeds. Customers pay $25 per month as long as they remain active on the Boost Mobile Unlimited Plan savings claim. Based on a January 2026 Boost Mobile survey of 1,000Americans with single line unlimited plans, comparing average annual payments of major carriers to 12 months on the Boost Mobile Unlimited Plan. For full offer details, visit boostmobile.com hi,
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Trevor Sikuma
this is Ben Mandelker and Ronnie Karam,
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Podcast Host (likely Robert Mays)
hosts of the Watch Watch Croppins podcast here, to tell you that the HBO original comedy series the Comeback is back for its final season on the Official Comeback Podcast. Join host Evan Ross Katz along with
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Trevor Sikuma
Lisa Kudrow and Michael Patrick King to
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Podcast Host (likely Robert Mays)
unpack each episode, hear about the show's origins, real life parallels and why it still resonates with fans after more than two decades. Stream the Comeback on HBO Max and watch the Comeback pod on HBO Max or listen wherever you get your podcasts. Welcome to the Athletic Football Show. I'm Robert Mays. Very excited to be bringing back our on the clock series this year. We did this last year, broke it up into five different shows. I had five different draft analysts on over the course of the month leading up to the draft and I presented them with three different options for every pick in the first round. And and they got to pick what they would do if they were on the clock. So this isn't necessarily what they think these teams will do or what they think these teams should do. It's if they were on in the seat. If you're Trevor Sikima, who is our guest today from the NFL Stock exchange npff, and you are John Spy Tech with the number one overall pick. If you're the Raiders, who are you picking when you were on the clock in that scenario? So that's going to lead to some surprises here and maybe some wrinkles thrown into what a traditional mock draft white look like. But the entire point here is to talk about what these teams should be looking for and the thought process they might be going through when it is their time to pick in the first round. So very excited to have Trevor joining us to kick off this series yet again this year. Let's get to it right now. Kicking off our on the clock series for the 2026 NFL Draft. We had. I had a blast doing these last year. I think it's just a really fun exercise that helps us both talk about the prospects in the draft and the teams in the draft in a slightly different way. And because we had such a good time, we are running it back this year. Trev's moving up in the world. I want to say last year you were like picks 19 through 26 or something like that. So this year you graduated to the top five. Congratulations, my friend.
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Trevor Sikuma
I'm batting leadoff, baby. We're getting base hits, we're getting on base, we're stealing bases, runs batted in, every word you could think of for a baseball analogy here on a football show. But dude, I appreciate you having me back. I had a lot of fun with this last year, so I appreciate it, man. It's exciting.
- [04:29]
Podcast Host (likely Robert Mays)
I talked about it in the intro, but just kind of laying it out one more time for people watching, maybe on the YouTube version of this. Here's how the exercise works. Okay, I'm going To give our guests, all draft analysts that think about this stuff all the time, three different options while this NFL team is on the clock. And then they will make the decision based on what they would do. This isn't necessarily what they think the NFL team should do or what they think the NFL team will do. This is, if you had these options presented to you while you were on the clock, who is the player or choice that you would make? Obviously, the top of the draft is very easy because everyone is available to everyone. And so we're not going to be pigeonholed here into. Well, you know, the guy I would have taken isn't left on the board here. This is one of those moments where this might be the purest expression of what these teams might be able to do, because every single player is going to be available to you. Even like when the jets are on the clock here or two.
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Trevor Sikuma
And it's. And it's fun, right? Because this is after free agency. So you look, I love covering the draft year round, but I get really sick of saying the phrase, well, you know, they need this guy right now, but maybe free agency will change. Like, I just, I hate the, you know, the phrase of just throwing that in there is the ultimate caveat every single time. So it's really great that we're doing this after free agency. We have a much more solidified view of what the team needs are where this team can get better. And a lot of times it's not just about the additions of certain players. The way the teams go about free agency sort of tells you where they think they are in their winning window. So are they more aggressive? Do they want to take a player who can hit right way for them? Are they in more of a long term plan? So all that leads to this exercise being at the right time. And I'm excited to do it with you.
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Podcast Host (likely Robert Mays)
There are a couple teams in here where I think the answers would have been completely different if we had done this before free agency, just based on the holes that were there. You know, kind of what we had heard whispers about what positions they might be interested in. You know, we'll get to a couple of those. But the Titans and the Giants, I mean, the Giants are one of those teams that. Are they a Kenneth Walker team? The fact that they're not, I think, changes the discussion a little bit. And so a lot of different elements to weigh here. But let's get into the teams and let's start with the team picking number one overall, the Las Vegas Raiders. Here are your Three options with the Raiders, even though I think this one is a slightly different kind of consideration than the other ones are going to be. Option number one is Jack. Draft Fernando Mendoza, the quarterback from Indiana. Option number two, trade that pick to the jets for number two, number 44 and a 2027 second round pick. Okay.
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Trevor Sikuma
Okay.
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Podcast Host (likely Robert Mays)
Now option three is draft arvo Reese. So that's really just. I had to pick a player and I think he's number two on Dane's board. I'm pretty sure he's number two on the PFF draft big board. And so that was the next guy in line. If it was not going to be
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Trevor Sikuma
Fernando Mendoza, I'm actually surprised that the three options here weren't Fernando Mendoza. Mendoza comma Fernando. And then also the Indiana Heisman Trophy winning quarterback. I'm surprised that those weren't the three options. The trade scenario is obviously interesting, right, because it kind of depends on how you view this quarterback class overall. But everything that I feel like the Raiders have done this off season with all of the resources that they have thrown into the defensive side of the ball, that not even kind of taking into sort of what was and then what wasn't the Max Crosby trade, but specifically signing a veteran center, one of the best in the NFL entire Linderbaum, it all sets them up perfectly to draft Fernando Mendoza at number one. That's going to be the choice I'm going to make. I'm not going to overthink this one here because it's not like, ooh, let me trade with the jets and, and then maybe we'll get Fernando A two. You're not getting Fernando A two. If the jets are trading up to number one, they're taking him. So then you'd just be in a situation where especially after the Geno Smith trade, they just have Aiden o' Connell right now. I mean they have, they have no quarterback options to be seen. And so I just think every move that they have made, and I agree with the moves that Spytech has made has led them to this point to take Mendoza at number one overall. And that's what I would do as well.
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Podcast Host (likely Robert Mays)
And even on the other side of that deal, if you're the Raiders, do you think, okay, you know, we're probably going to be bad again next year if Aiden o' Connell and Kirk Cousins is our quarterback room, right? If we have a couple more extra picks, are we far enough away? I've gotten to a point now where it'll depend on the quality of the quarterback prospect. But if you're in a position to draft a guy that you think clears a certain bar in this specific draft. It's a bird in a hand thing. I don't want to say, oh, I can accumulate picks and next year maybe I'll be in a position to draft a guy at a better quarterback class. I'm already so excited that we're having the, it's such a great quarterback class in 2027 and there's going to be one guy again. Like, I can't wait until that happens. And there's always that cloud of uncertainty. If you're in a position like the Raiders and you're talking about a quarterback prospect in Fernando Mendoza and we'll talk more about this, that is worth taking number one overall, I think you just do it. You don't even think about it and you just start whatever the next chapter of your franchise looks like.
- [09:20]
Trevor Sikuma
On top of what you were saying, like I take Mendoza over Cam Ward
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Podcast Host (likely Robert Mays)
last year, I was going to ask you, like, what level of quarterback prospect in a vacuum do you think Mendoza is? And in your mind he is worthy of the number one pick in most drafts, not just one that we think is a little bit watered down at both quarterback, quarterback and overall.
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Trevor Sikuma
Right. I, I, I feel as though. And this always happens, this always happens with every draft. If there's a guy that you know is going to go number one overall, like even Burrow a little bit. Right? Remember the combine was like, oh, Burrow's got small hands. It's like, okay, brother, watch. Just do not talk to me again until the end of April, please. And it's sort of, I'm not saying that Fernando Mendoza is Joe Burrow. I'm not quite saying that. But I do believe that what was asked of Fernando Mendoza, the way that he got better from what he was at Cal to this year at Indiana, I mean, he had more turnover worthy big time throws last year at Cal, not this past year, obviously the year before at Cal this year it was so different. And the ratio of big time throws to turnover where he plays was so different this year. And what I noticed though is that a lot of times that can happen when quarterbacks dial it back, when they go, okay, okay, I don't want to push the ball deep down the field. Let me make my numbers good. Let's increase the, you know, completion percentage, let's limit the turnover where he plays. But they're not pushing the ball. That was not Fernando Mendoza. Fernando Mendoza still looked at every game and said there are a number of difficult Throws that I have to make in order for us to win this game. And I think that's the important part of you evaluating guys who have high completion percentages and low average depth of targets. You could still be a west coast style efficient quarterback if you are willing to throw it down the field when the opportunity presents itself. It's those quarterbacks that aren't willing to do so that you get really worried about. So for Mendoza, I like him more than I liked Cam Ward. I have less worries about Mendoza than I did Ward. They're similar when it comes to, you know, the arm talent. Obviously Ward's a little bit more of a magician who can make crazy stuff happen outside of structure. Like Ward obviously clears him in that department. But playing from the pocket, the arm strength, really, really being able to unlock the entire field with the arm strength that you have, I think all of that is there for them. And I just think that Mendoza has been more consistent throughout his career, specifically this past season. And Ward, the turnover worthy plays were something was an issue for him throughout his college career. Miami a little bit less. He was certainly more comfortable in Miami and there were more good than there was bad. But man, you think about the fumble problems that he had at Miami. Those followed him immediately to the NFL. So turnovers aren't just about bad throws. It's truly putting the ball in harm's way. Mendoza just doesn't do that a lot. And instead this past year we saw so much of the good from him. He attacks the middle of the field, he attacks deep down the field. He has more, I know this is, you know, circulated around social media a lot. He has more opposite hash sideline throws than any quarterback in this class. That's NFL level stuff and I just don't see that a lot of times with a lot of quarterbacks that are coming out because college coaches normally just don't ask him to do it. Mendoza's coach and Kurt Signetti did and I think he is a worthwhile investment to make at number one overall.
- [12:27]
Podcast Host (likely Robert Mays)
So you would take him ahead of Cam Ward, which I think is totally reasonable based on everything I've looked at so far. And I've yet to really study him and plan on doing, doing that in the next week or so. But I don't think that's completely out of line based on everything I understand about this. The, the draft before that we have those three guys go at the top. I assume you have him, Fernando Mendoza, like a step down as a prospect compared to like what Drake may would have been in your eyes.
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Trevor Sikuma
Yes. So I feel as though it would have been like Caleb and Drake were right there in my top three last year. I'm trying to think of who would have been next for Jane Daniels. Jaden Daniels was in that class as well. But, like, yeah, I mean, I was worried about, like, I had my worries about Jaden. But when you think about the overall talent ceiling, yeah, I think that Jaden would have been ahead of Fernando Mendoza. And then you sort of get into the conversation of like, Penix and Bo Nix and. And J.J. mcCarthy and like, I think he's. He's much more in that tier than he was the. The tier of guys of Drake, May and Caleb Williams and Jaden Daniels. Even as somebody who is a little bit lower on Jaden Daniels, I can totally see that from him being a. In that first tier instead of being where Mendoza would be with that next crop of guys.
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Podcast Host (likely Robert Mays)
What about the 2023 draft? Like, how would you compare Mendoza as a prospect to somebody like C.J. stroud?
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Trevor Sikuma
So I would have had Stroud ahead of Mendoza.
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Podcast Host (likely Robert Mays)
Okay.
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Trevor Sikuma
I would. I. I can't. I can't go to revisionist history on this one. I had Bryce Young as my number one overall player. So as prospects, I would have had Bryce Young above Fernando Mendoza as well. And then who? 2023, wasn't there somebody. It was somebody else. Right. It was those two. And then Andrew. Oh, that was Will. Will Elvis and Anthony Richardson. I would have. I would have very clearly had Fernando Mendoza above Will Levis and Anthony Richardson in that draft. Yeah. So. But I wouldn't have had him above Young. It's draft.
- [14:10]
Podcast Host (likely Robert Mays)
This is mostly just for context. And again, I think that it's important when we have drafts like this where Mendoza, I think in a lot of ways has been painted kind of as a by default number one pick and a by default number one quarterback. And so using previous drafts to actually measure him as a prospect, because we can't really measure him as a prospect in this draft specifically, I think is a useful exercise. And so I think that's context that people would appreciate when it comes to actually figuring out, okay, what is Fernando Mendoza as a prospect? How should I view him? Yep, let's get to the New York jets at number two overall. So we got everybody else on the board right now. I didn't really know which way to go with this. I think a lot of people have mocked a lot of the edge rushers and defensive players to the jets simply because those are the next best prospects in the draft. And So I pigeonhole these choices on one side of the ball specifically, but that has more to do with the way a lot of big boards look. So your three options for the New York jets currently on the clock. Option one, draft Arvo Reese from Ohio State. Option two, draft Ruben Bane from Miami. Option three, draft Sonny Stiles from Ohio State. I'll say with Bain, that could include if you prefer David Bailey in that spot draft, your favorite pure edge rusher in the draft could be that second option. I don't want to kind of box you in too much there, but Reese, your favorite edge rusher or Sonny Styles are probably the three names that I would throw out to you.
- [15:33]
Trevor Sikuma
Yeah, I think when it comes to what I feel like will happen, feels as though the Ohio State boys have a little bit more momentum. Just feels as though the NFL looks at Arvo Reese sort of as this apex predator ball of clay can kind of just this elite athlete at the second level. But I'm going to be honest, you know, when I watch him, I like Arville Reese a lot more as an off ball linebacker than I do a true edge rusher. He said at the combine he wants to play as an edge rusher, which well done by his agent doing that because edge rushers get paid a lot more money. But when it comes to what he is kind of going into the NFL, he didn't have a lot of true experience as an edge rusher. But I think his off ball linebacker stuff is really good. Sonny Styles, I think his resume speaks for itself in how great of an off ball linebacker he is. I think he is a do it all change the math type of a player for your defense. All of that to say I would go Reuben Bain Jr. Here, this would be the player that I would pick here at number two overall. And the reason why is because what's not to like about him other than the arms are a little short which hey, you know, at this point I think, I think big combine measurement might be a conspiracy theory. I don't know what this, you know, like hey, we're getting, we're getting different measurements of the all star games, a little different at the pro day. So look, I'm not too worried about it because I've seen the tape of him be able to dominate with the arm length that he has. And I here's the thing that I would say about Ruben Bane who by the way, elite Pass rush grade above 23% pass rush win percentage. An absolute monster when it comes to strength. Built the way that you want somebody who is truly versatile on the defensive line to be built elite run defender as well. He has been coached by Jason Taylor, the Hall of Famer down in Miami for the last three seasons. And because of that, there's no fat on his pass rush reps to trim. I mean the first step, explosiveness, the way he uses his hands, the timing, the plan, the counters, the effort, it's all there for him. The thing with Ruben Bane is the arm length. Right where people go, ah, he's got, he's got shorter arms. What I would say is this, if Bane used arm length as a main weapon of choice, then I'd be concerned because I go, okay, well you're not going to be able to do this as well at the NFL level. He doesn't. That's not what I mean. He'll give you a long arm. If you're not, if you're not protecting the chest, he'll throw his hand into your chest and he'll give you a one arm bull rush or whatever it is like he'll do that, no question about it. But it's much less of a this is how guy wins. And instead I look at him being a little bit shorter, a little bit stockier, so much weight and strength in the lower half that when a lot of, a lot of times when a lot of these longer offensive tackles actually get their hands on him early, he'll give you a little bit of that like Reggie White hump move to get you off of him. And honestly, having shorter arms and lower leverage helps to be able to do that. So when we talk about measurables and sort of disadvantages when you go to the pro, obviously being bigger is better when it comes to dominating at the pro level. However, when you really watch a guy and how he wins and where he might be strong or deficient, I'm not really worried about Reuben Bain Jr. And instead I just think he's one of the best players overall in this class.
- [18:36]
Podcast Host (likely Robert Mays)
So in your mind it's the quality of the player. But it's also, if you have questions about Arvell Reese as an actual pass rusher, then we're talking about positional value to an extent here too, right? Like, even if Arvo Reese and Sonny Styles are really good prospects, if you consider both of them off ball linebackers, then drafting them at 2, not only are we talking about the gap between the value of an edge rusher and off ball linebacker, drafting an off ball linebacker second overall, if that's what you think Garvel Reese is Devin White is the most, is the highly, most highly drafted off ball linebacker in the last however long. He was a fourth overall pick, correct?
- [19:08]
Trevor Sikuma
Fifth, right? Fourth, yeah.
- [19:09]
Podcast Host (likely Robert Mays)
Fourth, yeah, it's the fourth overall pick. And so the idea of drafting an off ball linebacker second, I can't even remember the last time that would have happened.
- [19:17]
Trevor Sikuma
When was that, by the way? It was fifth. I said fourth out. It came out of my mouth and I was like, wait a second, I should know this. No, no, this is fifth. That didn't sound right. So you're right, you were right. It was fifth overall. When was the last time there was. I actually went back and I looked at it of who was the highest drafted off ball linebacker and I believe there were two that were drafted at number two overall. But you got to go back to like when football was a different game. Exactly when that happened, like turn of the century, like around the year 2000, I think we might have had one. I think Levar Arrington I think, I believe went number two overall.
- [19:52]
Podcast Host (likely Robert Mays)
Kind of a hybrid pass rusher a little bit.
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Trevor Sikuma
Yeah. And then the other one, I cannot remember his name, it was somebody in the 90s. But again, this is, that's a, that's a different game. Like that is a different game of football for guys to be drafted that high. Now I, I, I'll be honest with you. Sonny Styles would have been my number two choice here. Like if I wasn't going Reuben Bain, I would have actually gone Sonny Styles because I think that what he does as an off ball linebacker gives you more of that home base. And plus ve, the issue that I have with Arvl Reese is not that he is not an incredible football player. It's not that he's not athletic. It's not that the potential isn't all there for him. It's sometimes we have these situations where you look at guys who are praised for being so versatile and you go, okay, are you versatile? Are you homeless? Do you have a home based position that when things start to struggle for you as a rookie, can we lean back on putting you in this spot to give you confidence to make you better? And with Reece that is, I'm not saying that it's impossible. I'm not saying that at all. It's, it, it, it's more cloudy than it is for a guy like Styles who I go, okay, I know you're a damn good Mike linebacker and now sometimes I can rush you off the edge. I could drop you back into coverage. You play a good pseudo nickel defender sometimes with how athletic you are. So I just like that scenario with him as a prospect a little bit more than Reese.
- [21:13]
Podcast Host (likely Robert Mays)
And I think the development curve at off ball linebacker also plays into that line of thinking. Right, because very few guys are comfortable playing off ball linebacker as rookies, period. Even if that's where they come from. And so the fact that even if you like him more as an off ball linebacker, that's not a place where the water would be warm for him as a young player, I think that only adds to the discussion. The only thing I'd push back on just a tiny bit and more so just I'm curious if this clouds your thinking at all is what the jets did in free agency, right? So they go give Joseph Osai $11 million a year, they bring in Kingsley Anik Barre on a one year deal. And so now you look at the depth chart as it currently stands. You have Joseph Osai, you still have Will McDonald there and you have an Igbarre. But in mind, that collection of signings, just the way they approach free agency, that wouldn't push you off someone you like as much as Reuben Bain.
- [22:00]
Trevor Sikuma
No, it wouldn't. And, and I think that what you're saying leans more toward. If I were doing a predictive mock draft, I think Arville Reese might have been the selection here because it makes the most sense of sort of where and how they're building, especially in an odd front defense. But Reuben Bain Jr. To me is the most talented front seven player on the jets when he gets drafted. And anytime you have the ability to say that about someone, I don't really let how the rest of the rost currently in the short term constructed get in the way of me taking a player who I think could be a long term major difference maker for you. I think that Ruben man has shown throughout the last three years of his career. He can line up as a 3 technique, he can line up as a 4i, a 5 tech, he can even stand up as a wide 6 or 7 outside linebacker type. He truly does it all. And I think he's very much a change the math type of a player. I mean I watched Miami do this, I've talked about this on our show a little bit. Where Miami would align itself in an underfront where you've got three defensive linemen let's to the left of the center and then Reuben Bain's the only one on the right side of the center sort of in that 4i5 technique, wherever you want to necessarily put him. They'd put Keonte Scott, the slot defender who was also an incredible run defender on Ruben Bane's side as well. And they'd essentially dare offenses to go, hey, you got numbers to the right, go ahead, see what happens. And a lot of times it wouldn't go very well for him. I think Ohio State learned that the hard way in the College Football Playoff. And so, no, to answer your question, a long way around your question, I wouldn't let some shorter term free agency moves get in the way of me drafting the player who I think is the most talented.
- [23:33]
Podcast Host (likely Robert Mays)
And just if you look at, I mean I don't want to be too reactionary to what the Seahawks were this year, but if you just look at the construction of that room, DeMarcus Lawrence last year in free agency, $10.8 million a year, there's the 35th highest AAV among all edge rushers to be, I say their fourth edge rusher, one of four, right? Let's say it that way. One of four guys on the edge. The contract that Joseph Usai just signed is 11 and a half million. That's 30th and that's three spots behind Oceano Nwosu. And so they had two guys the Seahawks did on top of the two guys they drafted in the second round in that edge room. And so I don't think paying Joseph Asai $11 million a year and having Kingsley Ankbarre on a one year deal should prevent you from drafting Reuben Bain for a four man rotation on your 2026 team, let alone what this looks like moving forward for a team that is as close to square one as the jets happen to be.
- [24:22]
Trevor Sikuma
Yep, I agree.
- [24:23]
Podcast Host (likely Robert Mays)
All right, before we get to the Cardinals at 3, let's take our first quick break.
- [24:28]
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- [26:06]
TurboTax Spokesperson
it's that time of year again for Texas. We all know the stress of the
- [26:09]
Podcast Host (likely Robert Mays)
old way of filing.
- [26:10]
TurboTax Spokesperson
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- [27:55]
Trevor Sikuma
O unhistorial Persona lo familiar de Cancer.
- [28:11]
Podcast Host (likely Robert Mays)
Let's get to the Arizona Cardinals here, picking third overall. We have Reuben Bain off the board here, so I I was going to say draft. He was going to be one of the options along with a couple of the other edge rushers. He's gone now, so I'd say option one you're picking between Arvell Reese and David Bailey. Okay, just. I wanted to give you just another edge guy. Partic in particular, especially if you think their Reese is not necessarily an edge rusher.
- [28:33]
Trevor Sikuma
Right.
- [28:33]
Podcast Host (likely Robert Mays)
Number two, draft Francis Mawanea, the offensive tackle from Miami. Number three is draft off ball linebacker Sonny Styles from which one are you doing if you're the Arizona Cardinals?
- [28:48]
Trevor Sikuma
The reason why I have that reaction is because is I, I think the Cardinals would love to go offensive tackle. Right. When you look at the way that their offensive line is currently constructed, you have Paris Johnson Jr. At the left tackle spot. You signed Isaac Suomelo to play that left guard. You're okay with y' all defraud hold at center. Isaiah Adams was the better of him and Evan Brown at that right guard spot. So at least you've got him. You sign Matt Pryor as well. Right tackle is completely open. Like right tackle. You need somebody in there. And I've said before, as a team building strategy type of approach, if you can tell me that I got Paris Johnson Jr on one side and I've got Francis, Maui Noah at right, it's a lot easier to upgrade the interior offensive line. You could do that every single offseason, whether drafting one or signing one in free agents. But you gotta be able to get the tackles that you want. So I think that, oh my gosh, the general manager of the Arizona Cardinal for money, Austin for y, he's already done this wheeling and dealing. That's how they got Paris Johnson, right? They were at number three and then they moved to outside of the top ten and they popped back up. Ideally, I think he'd love to run that back and get an offensive tackle. However, you putting Sonny Styles on the board, me picking here at number three. I'm going to take Sonny Styles, I'm going to take Sonny Styles here because I think he's going to be one of my top three players when it's all said and done. Funny enough, I think there's a good chance that the top three players on my big board are all players of non premium positions in Caleb Downs, Jeremiah Love and Sonny Styles. But I already talked a little bit about Styles and how I feel like he changes things. You watched how Caleb Downs was able to play free safety and strong safety and nickel defender and sometimes a pseudo linebacker. Yes, it' talent that gives him the ability to do that. But I also think that you have that sort of freedom because you have number zero in the middle of your defense to be able to clean it up. If something doesn't work and if he's freelancing in a way where he sees something, all right, all of a sudden this gap, it gets vacated or this coverage spot gets vacated, Sonny Styles is right there. I think the same thing with Arville Reese. Arville Reese gets to be this on off ball type of hybrid player. And the reason why you're able to do that, because you know that number 0 is in the middle and he's going to fit the gap the way that he needs to. It means his instincts in the run game are unbelievable. And I think that when you look at the Cardinal, yes, they've devoted a lot of draft picks and a lot of salary cap on the defensive side of the ball and of course they would love to get better at quarterback long term and offensive line. But if you are sticking at number three and you can't find a dance partner to trade out, him in the middle of this defense, to me truly unlocks the potential of what the Cardinals can be moving forward. And if you're going to talk about, hey, we're going to get our franchise quarterback eventually, you know, you already have Marvin Harrison Jr. Trey McBride and Michael Wilson. For him to be able to throw the ball, to give him an elite defense as well, make him think that he doesn't have to score, you know, 40 points a game, 30 points a game, whatever it is to win, let him know that he might have one of the most talented defenses in the NFL, which Cardinals have a potential to be in a couple of years. And the way that you do that is you get better at inside linebacker. With Sonny Styles counterpoint.
- [31:43]
Podcast Host (likely Robert Mays)
I understand where having an elite defense might be a calming presence for a quarterback who's not trying to do too much. I think a better calming presence might be having a right tackle that he doesn't think is going to get him killed. That's, that's just my view on it for sure.
- [31:57]
Trevor Sikuma
It's a good view. It's a good view. It is a good view to have. But I will say this as well. The reason why I have so much confidence in being able to draft Sonny Styles and number three, if I can't trade down is because I like the idea of still being able to get an offensive tackle in this class at 34 at the top of the second round where they pick or even getting aggressive to trade back up into the first round, right? Because you guys got, you've got guys like Maxi Oniture from Arizona State, the offensive tackle there, Blake Miller, the right tackle who started 54 games of right tackle for Clemson, who you could probably put in right away and feel pretty decent about, right. Cale Lomu as well, the offensive tackle from Utah. There are more offensive tackle options that I like to when I think about overall draft strategies. Get the elite defensive player at three, whether it's Reese, whether it's Sonny Styles or whoever it is, David Bailey, and then you can still have the flexibility to either wait at 34 or get aggressive from 34 and still get a right tackle that in my opinion you're going to feel pretty good about. So that would sort of be my counter to the counter, if you will. Is when you look at draft strateg, I think that it behooves them to go the elite defensive player at three and wait a little bit on offensive line, which I almost never say just out of principle, but I think Arizona's got that situation for them.
- [33:14]
Podcast Host (likely Robert Mays)
What do you think of Maui Noah as a prospect? I mean, do you think that he is somebody that would be typically worth the third overall pick? Do you feel like that's more about the options available at offensive tackle in this class? Like if they were to do that, if they were to walk away from the top five with Maui Noah, the Cardinals, how would you feel about that? Just in terms of optimization?
- [33:33]
Trevor Sikuma
I get it, I get it in this class specifically. But you know I gave Maui Noah second round grade, right? I think it was sort of teetering close to like a late first, early second or just a solidified second round grade. I think he's a really solid offensive tackle prospect and I want to be clear that's also sort of a film grade. And offensive tackles, not quite as much as quarterbacks, but they play a premium position so you pay a little bit of a tax. You're going to okay, if this guy's got a second round grade, you're probably going to have to take him at the back end of the first round, right? If he's got a late first round grade, you're probably going to have to take him a little closer to the top 10. That's just how the league operates when it comes to the scarcities of offensive tackles. But now we know he's battle tested. He started at right tackle for the last three years, which would be a really good fit. Obviously in Arizona with them needing a right tackle, he's more of that powerful sort of like man and gap scheme, run blocking concept type of a player. So if you want to lean a little bit more into that, he's definitely your guy. To be able to do that. The foot speed forums a little bit slower and he doesn't have the longest arms in the world, but he makes it work. I think this is a second contract type of an offensive tackle. And with that, again, if Arizona can trade a little bit down from three, I'd be okay with it. They take him at number three. I'd understand, especially in this class, wanting to get better on the offensive line, but independently, I would be much more comfortable drafting Francis, Maui Noah, you know, just out, around or outside of the top 10 than I would at number three overall in a vacuum.
- [34:55]
Podcast Host (likely Robert Mays)
Well, now I regret not giving you a trade option for the Cardinals at three, but that ship has sailed and we've already moved on.
- [35:00]
Trevor Sikuma
We might have been here for three hours if that's the case. That's the problem.
- [35:03]
Podcast Host (likely Robert Mays)
I would have been in the trades. Then it's like things just get completely off the rails. I understand there are trades and drafts, but like, this can't be like a 12 hour process.
- [35:12]
Trevor Sikuma
So it's like, it's, it's the, it's always sunny meme where I'm just, I start just like drawing on a whiteboard behind me of like, you know, value this chart, you know.
- [35:20]
Podcast Host (likely Robert Mays)
So I'm curious though. Let, let's just play this out, the hypothetical, just briefly here. If there was a team and a player that you think, let's say we're watching the draft on night one, Cardinals are on the clock, trade is in. We're waiting for that logo to pop up at number three. Who do you think is the team that you'd have an your eye on up to number three? And why might they be doing that?
- [35:42]
Trevor Sikuma
Yeah, I feel like Washington is the easy answer here when it comes to being able to trade up and get Jeremiah Love, if that's what they really want. Because they're jumping the Titans and the Giants, who have both. You know, it's been rumored that they're kind of in on him there, but the problem with Washington is they don't have any picks. They pick at 7, then they pick at 71 in the third round, and then they pick at 1:47 in the fifth. So they're sort of. Maybe my answer there, you know, would the Rams get insanely aggressive as well to move up all the way up there? But obviously, you know, you're trading individual division as well. It's kind of murky in that regard, but to me it'd be Washington. But that, that's why I, I, I think we'd see so many more trade scenarios for the cardinals at 3. If there was an obvious team for them to be able to move up and go get this player, you know, like may, maybe the chiefs think packaging nine and 29 and getting three and maybe something back. I don't know the value off the top, maybe something crazy like that happens, but there's just, there's not an easy fit for that. But Washington's obviously where my mind goes first if they want Jeremiah Love. Cause that's the player I think has the highest risk of going over the next couple of picks.
- [36:50]
Podcast Host (likely Robert Mays)
All right, let me, let me lay something out for you that maybe was a little bit less likely a couple weeks ago before they got a little bit more ammunition. The Cowboys now have the 92nd pick because of the Oso Doogie Zoo trademark. They were a team that I was like, I don't know about them trading up. There's light on draft capital in the middle rounds, but they have a pick in every round now they have an extra 5th round pick and it would obviously take more than that. But if we think that there is like a real drop off between guys like Sonny Stiles, Reuben Bain at the top, Caleb Downs, if he's not going to be there at 12, and the Cowboys are sitting there looking at what they did in free agency and thinking, man, if we can get one like true defensive difference maker out of this group and we don't think Sonny Stiles is get to us.
- [37:37]
Trevor Sikuma
Right.
- [37:37]
Podcast Host (likely Robert Mays)
Are they a team that actually might benefit from thinking about a move like this?
- [37:41]
Trevor Sikuma
I think so, yeah. I think that that's a really good call out with them getting that extra third round pick for osa because I think you look at this team, they desperately need safety, they desperately need linebacker. And you look at having the opportunity to go up and get Caleb Downs or Sunny Styles. If they were to make this move, I feel like it would be for Sunny Styles because I think think if they're honing in on safety, Dylan Cinnamon is also somebody who I think is so talented that you probably sit here and you go, okay, we're gonna wait until one of them goes off the board and then we'll start calling teams to trade up to make sure that, you know, maybe we can get one of. Because the Dallas picks at 12, you know, Kansas City could use a safety, Cincinnati could use a safety. Right. Miami, depending on how they want to build, I think they're going to go trenches. But like those team do anything, do anything.
- [38:36]
Podcast Host (likely Robert Mays)
They have no players on the roster.
- [38:37]
Trevor Sikuma
That is, boy, that's the worst roster on paper going into next year. That is the worst roster on paper going into next season. And I think that they're, they'll have the opportunity obviously, to reset their franchise in a big way in the 2027 draft, but that might be ugly for him and Jeff Halfley's first year.
- [38:55]
Podcast Host (likely Robert Mays)
Yeah, that's, that's the team. And I'm sure we'll talk a lot more about this as we get a little bit closer. But Dallas being a little bit of a wild card now with having that full cache of picks when they just have that clear blinking linebacker, that's the one that I'd be thinking about. All right, let's get to the Jeremiah Love corridor here. The Tennessee Titans picking fourth overall. Here are your three options for the Tennessee Titans. Okay, option one. Draft Arvl Reese, who is still on the board. Titans still need defensive help even with some of the things they did in free agency. 2. Draft Jeremiah Love, running back from Notre Dame.
- [39:28]
Trevor Sikuma
3.
- [39:28]
Podcast Host (likely Robert Mays)
I didn't really know where to go with this. Like, the Titans did so much work in free agency. Calvin Ridley just took a pay cut. I don't know how much longer he'll be there. Wando Robinson is a very specific type of receiver. Like, did I.O. manor do enough to where you want to see more from him, or do we still think receiver is in need? And so I had draft Carnell Tate as my third option here, but I, because I didn't really, couldn't really think of a better one. If, if Arvo Reese is an option number one, Jeremiah Love is option number two. Is there a player you'd want as option number three to, like, really make this a difficult choice? I'll give that to, to you.
- [40:03]
Trevor Sikuma
I mean, I think about Caleb Downs because, I mean, he might, he, I mean, he might be my number one overall player, but I just do that then I, I, I don't think the Titans are going to do it, but he probably would be the third player option. Just from a talent perspective, this is tough. This is really tough because Jeremiah Love's going to be higher on my board and I think it's a really good fit. But, but from a positional value standpoint, do you pass up on Reese? I'll have, I'll have Reese go here at 4. I'll, I'll, I'll take Arville Reese for, I think the positional value sake of conversation because they do have family Femoladejo who, you know, you could slot into maybe one of these edge spots. But this is also not the coaching staff that drafted Femi. It's. It's the front office that drafted him, but it's not the coaching staff. And I think the way that they want to run things is a little different. And even when you take a further step back, if Arville Reese is sort of this on ball, off ball, hybrid defender, he has so much more juice and athleticism than both Cedric Gray and Cody Barton. Even if you feel okay about those guys at the inside linebacker spots, Reese gives you more juice than either of those guys and you're not even really having the same conversation. So I, I'll go with Reese. Reese, who is, is going to be lower on my board just because of what we talked about, some sort of, some of the clouded uncertainty with, you know exactly where his home base position is. He's going to be lower on my board than Jeremiah Love is. But I just, I love Jeremiah Love. I really do. There's so many years where you can get a good running back prospect. There, there really is. And, and next year's running back class, I hate being the guy to do this, but like next year's running back class also looks sick and it looks deep and there's a chance that you could get a really good starter even if you're not in the top eight, which I'm sure the Titans don't want to be. I, I'm going to go with Arvl Reese here at number four for the Titans.
- [42:06]
Podcast Host (likely Robert Mays)
I think there's so many different considerations with this one. The guys you just talked about on defense, I think Femi Odejo absolutely was driven by what that staff in particular was looking for defensively and even talk about hybrid players. He was a hybrid player in college and could play a little bit off ball. And so there is like a little bit of redundancy there. But I do think that is again, driven by what the previous staff wanted. I think you say the same thing about coach. I think both Ola Dejo and Cody Barton are moves that were made with the previous staff's interests in mind. And so I wouldn't necessarily be overly attached to those players just because they were drafted by the previous, drafted by this front office. So I think that's a good way of thinking about it. The running back part of this. And we'll have this discussion a million different times between now and the draft and we've talked about the positional value aspects of this a lot over the last several years. The contract part of this, I think is absolutely worth mentioning over and over and over again like this. Obviously we're not picking between running backs and receivers, but when you think about premium positions versus non premium positions and you look at Kenneth Walker getting $14 million a year in free agency and JSN just getting $42 million a year, that's why you want to draft premium positions high in the draft. Like there is so much value that can come along with that. And I know we, we hit beat that to death, but it's, it's worth bringing up consistently because it is a very real thing thing. I, I haven't done the deep dive on the actual historical data on this yet, but I will start chipping away at it as we again, we, we're going to zero in on this in a couple specific shows that we're doing. I, I would love to look back at the last 10 years. So let's just say, let's say 15 years, let's say since the modern CBA was kind of put into place and look at how quickly and how efficiently drafting a running back in the top 10 or top 15 in the draft dramatically changed the quality of the offense that he was being dropped into. And part of why I keep coming back to this is that if you're drafting in the top 10, and especially if you're drafting in the top five, it is almost a guarantee that your team is shitty, that you don't have a lot of other things where you're dropping that guy into a really good situation. And I just think that running backs are such an accelerant for good situations, but often can't overcome bad situations that if you're putting a good running back onto a bad team, how often is that going to move the needle in making you significantly better team? I mean, Ashton Denty got drafted in the top 10 last year and his team is picking number one overall. It has nothing to do with the quality of prospect that Ashton Genti or Jeremiah Love are. I just think it speaks to the sequencing of how that position should fit into your team building plan and what history, especially recent history, would tell us. And I assume that it's not that good of a recent history.
- [44:53]
Trevor Sikuma
Yeah, no, I think that you're totally right because in order to have a running back that can really hit the ground running, and I love the way that you said that running backs can be an accelerator for teams that are already going in the right direction, but they're not really a team. They're not really a position to like stop the skid or to take teams that would be A net negative, below average of what the league is and really bring them up and be able to carry the anchor, that just doesn't really happen. And I can't remember who I, who first said this phrase to me, but they're like, you know what NFL teams? Because I heard this when it was around this time of year and there's like, oh, you know, they're thinking about, you know, picking this guy or this guy or whatever. And I. And they'll go, NFL teams will lie with their, with their words all the time. They will not lie with their money. Right? Like that's. They won't. They, they're not going to sign somebody to a big deal to get you off the trail, right? Like that's not what they're doing. So when you look at the gap of how much these guys are getting paid per year at the top of both markets, running back in edge rusher, it tells you exactly what these teams think of these positions. And if all things are equal, if you're really having a debate between one of these two guys, it's probably going to be the premium position in the edge rusher that wins out. And for this specific six situation, you know, it's interesting because I think the main driver of Jeremiah Love to the Tennessee Titans comes from the fact that they want to give Cam Ward as much help as possible. Right. They want to try to make sure that their investment in the franchise quarterback, they are building upon that. But the counterpoint that I would have is you still don't have a good offensive line.
- [46:24]
Podcast Host (likely Robert Mays)
That's the issue here, is that there are two spots on the interior that they just haven't. I mean, they've addressed them, they've, they've signed guys, but they're not guys that you want as starters. Right.
- [46:32]
Trevor Sikuma
Right now. And even beyond that, what's the answer to the JC Latham conversation? Is he a tackle or is he a guard? The only position, the only player right now on the Titans roster at offensive line that I can guarantee you is playing that spot three years from now is Peter Skaroski. That's it. You don't have a long term answer at left tackle. You have JC Latham, but is he your long term answer at right tackle? I think Latham's a starting caliber guard, if not a tackle. So it's not like I'm saying he won't be on the team. But you got to answer that conversation. And I didn't think, I did not think that we were talking about the Titans offensive line situation enough. And I guess Still, I don't think that we're talking about the Titans offensive line situation enough going into next season. It's much more of an issue than people are given a credit for. And to be honest with you, I like the idea of them drafting, you know, depending on, you know, what style of offense they want to run, like Spencer Fano or Francis mowing o it for over some of these other choices that I think, you know, people of course sort of talked about as mock draft options for them. So yeah, that's kind of where I'm at with the Titans.
- [47:35]
Podcast Host (likely Robert Mays)
I was going to ask you if, if you were going to slot JC Latham inside is there a world where they draft Maui Noah for or if you think Spencer Fano is a guard, do you is there a war? Where would they draft him at 4?
- [47:46]
Trevor Sikuma
It doesn't feel like they would do it. But again, like I think it's a conversation that is so much more worth having than we are having right now for the Titans. It just feels like it's this foregone conclusion that everybody goes nope, not taking off and not thinking about offensive line. Not talking about offensive line at all whatsoever. When throughout the course of this offseason since the non playoff draft order has been solidified. We've talked about offensive line for the Cardinals at 3. We've talked about offensive line for the New York Giants at 5. We talk about offensive line still for the Cleveland Browns at 6. But for some reason the Titans at 4 completely avoid that conversation when their offensive lines really much more skeptical than I think that conversation gives a credit for.
- [48:27]
Podcast Host (likely Robert Mays)
All right, before we get to the Giants pick at five, let's take another quick break.
- [48:34]
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Podcast Host (likely Robert Mays)
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- [48:57]
Podcast Host (likely Robert Mays)
That way I can get back to
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Podcast Host (likely Robert Mays)
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Pablo Torre
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- [50:51]
Podcast Host (likely Robert Mays)
All right, let's move on to the New York giants at number five. Your three options for the New York Giants option one draft Jeremiah Love option two draft Carnell Tate okay, Donald Mooney's on a one year deal. $3 million in dead money on Darius Slayton's deal if they moved on after this year. And so I don't think their wide receiver is even with the Mooney contract and Mooney edition solved Giants by any stretch. Option 3 Draft Spencer Fano or Francie Mount. Francis Molyneux, one of the two. You could put them at guard for one year with Jer. With Jermaine Aluminor you could keep them at guard. But I still think offensive line, especially interior offensive line, is a need for this team. Still, they brought in Aaron Stinney on like a one year, $1.5 million deal. So those are your three options. Draft Jeremiah Love Draft Carnell Tate. Draft offensive lineman. And I think we could probably have a Caleb Downs conversation here as well if you wanted to at least. Cause I know you love him.
- [51:49]
Trevor Sikuma
I do love him. I wonder if they. I. I wonder if they would go that direction at 5. I think he'd be a great man. It kind of depends on what this staff thinks of Tyler Newman and Javon Holland overall. Like, if they think that they're all right and they could win with him, I don't think they'd think about Caleb Downs here. The O line proposition is the one that's given me the most hang up right now because I really do wonder if that's the best situation for them because again, this is another team where the offensive line has areas where it can absolutely address, even right now. I mean, they brought Evan Neal back. Who Evan Neal was a failure for them, and they still brought him back. I think that that goes to show you sort of what they think about the offensive line and the depth as is like they, they needed bodies still on that offensive line. So I do think the O line is a little bit more of an issue than people are willing to admit. I will go Maui Noah. Let's get Maui Noah off the board. Let me, let me, let, let me take him here at number five. It was between him and Tate because I think that Tate is the perfect player for the Giants because he wins consistently vertically. He's great in contested catch situations. He's got the nuance of being able to get open deep. He's exactly what Jackson Dart wants. And he's such an ideal 1, 2 combination with Malik neighbors who Malik can do it all, but he can do a lot of the intermed and short stuff where, you know, Carnell Tate can be a vertical threat at all times for you. And that's exactly what Jackson Dar wants. When he was at his best when he was at Ole Miss, he always had those vertical threats. That's Elaine Kiffin offense type of a staple, being able to stretch the ball deep down the field. And he just doesn't have those options at a high level right now in New York. But all that to say, yeah, I mean, this is a situation where I don't think that we're talking about offensive line enough. And sure, we could sit here in free agency and say, oh, they brought back Jermaine Aluminum, or they signed Aaron Stinney. Like, they made moves there, but just to make moves in a spot doesn't mean that you can't get better at a really premium position like offensive line. And I think for Francis Malinoa, you start him at right guard immediately, and then Jermaine Luminor signed a two year deal with them.
- [53:57]
Podcast Host (likely Robert Mays)
It's a three year deal. It's a, it's a three year deal. But I think, I believe this is his age. 32 season.
- [54:02]
Trevor Sikuma
Okay. Okay. So I, I bet if we pull up the contract details, it's essentially like almost even like a one and a half. I would think for a guy who's
- [54:10]
Podcast Host (likely Robert Mays)
32 years old, it's $26 million guaranteed. So it's guarantees. Yeah. So it's, if you look at it right now, $12 million of his $12.4 million base salary in 2027 is guaranteed. So the first two years are pretty much guaranteed on the Illumina deal.
- [54:25]
Trevor Sikuma
Right. So, so that's, that's pretty much like what I figured it would be is like, hey, this is effectively a two year deal where you're starting Maui Noah at guard next season and then you're, there's a good chance you're starting him at right tackle the following year and you've got a guy who's already, you know, experienced NFL life. He gets it, he's played on the line before. Now you're just kicking him back out to tackle. And, and like I said, once you have tackles figured out, the way that we talked about this with Arizona, it's so much easier to upgrade the interior offensive line. So to me, I do think the offensive line, long term and short term even, is more of an issue for the Giants. And you know, when you have that young quarterback, sort of like what we talked about with previous teams, it's, it's pretty good when you can keep them upright. And I do think that Francis Mo is a good, I think he's a good player, but he'll probably be around the same area on the big board that Carnell Tate and anytime again, anytime it's like a trench need or this, I just lean much more towards the trench needs. So I'll go Maui Noah here.
- [55:22]
Podcast Host (likely Robert Mays)
Any thought about Jeremiah Love or in your mind, is it just the gap, the positional value gap is enough where you'd rather pick the trench player even if you love Love as a prospect.
- [55:31]
Trevor Sikuma
Yeah, I love Love as a prospect. But like I'm, I'm the wrong guy to ask. Cause I had scatter boo, RB3 last year. Like I, I, I fully believed that Scatter Boo was going to be a starting running back in the NFL. Like I just, when I watched him at Arizona State and people were like, oh, you know, he's too slow. He's not going to break off the Big runs for you. How often do you have to break a 40, 50, 60 yard run in the NFL anyways? Like four times a season. Like it's just, it never happens. I'd much rather have the player that's turned a two and a half yard run into a four yard run, a four and a half yard run into a six yard run, a six yard run into a nine, ten yard because of what they can do making you miss in a phone booth and specifically yards after contact per attempt averages things that Cam Scatter Boo was both really good at when he was at Arizona State and obviously we saw that from him at the NFL level as well. So yeah, of course like his injury last year sort of goes into play here, but I'd much rather figure out what I have in Scatter Boo and then address running back heavily next year if I need to than than over like overdrafting. Jeremiah Love for my situation is probably the way the that I would say it.
- [56:34]
Podcast Host (likely Robert Mays)
That's the other thing I'd mentioned about the Titans. Like Tony Pollard's not a great player and he's definitely getting older. But like Tony Pollard's still on the roster. Like it's not like they don't have somebody they can turn around and hand the ball to this year if they need to. And so I think that's the other thing I throw out about Tennessee. When you think about them being a love destination, like if they had cut Pollard and you're sitting there and it's Taj Spears and nothing, maybe it's a little bit clearer of a marriage. But Pollard is still there and he did fine last year in a pretty horrific situation. Situation. All right, Cleveland Browns at 6 okay, this is interesting because Francis Maui Noah if available was one of my notes and the answer is he's not. So okay, our three options for the Cleveland Browns 1. Draft Carnell Tate 2. Draft Monroe Freeling 3. Draft Caleb Downs Freely. Obviously you know that's he accelerates here because left tackle is such a need. As you're sitting here and looking at this Cleveland situation really as they even if as they've added to their off offensive line picking as high as they are, finding a left tackle or receiver feels like a priority for them. And this is one of those weird teams where a lot of the other teams picking in the top 10 edge rusher is going to be at or near the top of their needs. Other than the Giants, the Browns, that's one spot where they do have a lot of bodies on the roster. So Tate Freeling Downs are the three guys that I would throw out between those three, which direction you going?
- [57:55]
Trevor Sikuma
So with the offensive line thought there, I think a lot of people are looking at pencil and Monroe Freeling here at number six. I'm a little bit lower on Freeling. Think his tape is more inconsistent than people are willing to admit with it. Now I see the athleticism, right? I mean, like, I see the great stuff from him. I mean, this guy can really get out of his stance and run. Great athlete, younger player as well. Still growing into his body. Sometimes I feel like, you know, he doesn't handle power and anchor as well as I would like for him to. Again, I think he plays off balance a lot more than I want my offensive tackle on an island to play. But there's reason to believe that, you know, he is absolutely not a finished product and that he's going to. To get better. Francis Malinoa would have been a really, really strong candidate here for me, specifically because Todd Monkin, he's been all over the spectrum when it comes to zone blocking versus, like power scheme blocking. Right? Because three years ago when he was the offensive coordinator for his first year with the Ravens, they were 27th in the NFL in outside zone run percentage. The next year they were 17th and then this past year they were seventh. So he just fully formed into an outside zone type of rushing team. But, but the offensive tackles that they've acquired, Zion Johnson, Elton Jenkins, Titus Howard, that tells me they're going much more towards a power run scheme. So Maui Noah would have fit that better than Fano, who I would have thought about here. Freeling, to me is maybe a little bit more of that. Okay. He could play a little bit more power as well.
- [59:21]
Podcast Host (likely Robert Mays)
All of that out as well. Let's. If Freeling's not your guy and you think the Fano is. Can play tackle or you think Titus Howard might play guard for them. Let's. Let's throw Fano out just as an option as well. We could skip Freeling and if that's. If that think that's fair.
- [59:34]
Trevor Sikuma
All that to say I. I'm. I'm going to take Carnell Tate. Okay. I am going to take Carnell Tate here at number six. A little bit towards the conversation of kind of what we had for the Cardinals when we talked about taking the top defensive player three and then waiting to 34 for offensive line. It's even easier for Cleveland, right? You get to address offensive playmaker and really just take the best player available at 6. The guy that you think really is a difference maker for you there. And you can, you could basically get offensive lineman at 24 where they're picking, you know, again, like some of the guys that I talked about, you know, Caleb Lomu, Maxi Oniture, Kaden, Proctor, Miller, like these guys, you're going to have options at 24 that I think that you'll be decently happy with. So if Maui know was here, I really would have thought about him because I think he fits that power run game where Cleveland seems to be going. But instead they need a wide receiver one, and Carnell Tate, I think is immediately the most talented wide receiver on this team and probably the most reliable receiver on this team. So quarterback obviously is still a massive question mark for them in the short term, but they have to, have to, have to, have to get better at wide receiver this, this, this draft. And, and I think the Carnell Tate's a way to do that.
- [60:37]
Podcast Host (likely Robert Mays)
Let's play the same game we did with Carnell Tate that we did with Fernando Mendoza a little bit earlier. So if you're looking at last year's draft class, for example, and you're stacking up Carnell tate to Tel McMillan and then one step down from that, the guys Matthew golden, the other ones kind of bunched in the back half of the first round, where would you slot in Carnell Tate? And between those two guys, would you say he's close if it's behind McMillan, would you say he's closer to McMillan or closer to Golden? Just in terms of the quality of
- [61:03]
Trevor Sikuma
prospect that we're talking about, he would be behind McMillan. McMillan would be my wide receiver one. McMillan was my wide receiver one last year, and he would have been this year over all of these guys. Travis Hunter's sort of the wild card there because I was just so enamored with who he was as a football player. I probably would have had Travis Hunter over Carnell Tate, to be honest with you, even at wide receiver. But then, yeah, I think Tate, Tyson Lemon, like those guys are next in sort of that next tier that Matthew golden would have been in. So I think I would have have had. Yeah, well, no, actually I. I definitely would have had Carnell Tate above Matthew Golden. I think I would have had Tyson above Golden as well, and I think I would have had Lemon above of golden too. So to me, those big three that we talk about at the receiver spots this year, Tet would have been the only one that I would have for sure had above those three that we have this year.
- [61:57]
Podcast Host (likely Robert Mays)
It's funny, I. I was trying to think back on this just like the last five, six drafts and where the receivers have typically gone because there haven't been that many receivers taken. I think broc, Brian Thomas Jr. Was really the only one that was taken in the teens because for the most part, guys are either pushed up toward the top 10. Sure. Or they're going in the 20s like that. That's been the two clusters that we've seen because two years ago you had the Odunze, Malik, Neighbors, Marvin Harrison draft where all three of those guys go in the top 10. Before that, the, the last really receiver heavy top half of the first round that we saw, I think Olave won 11. Right. It was, it was London Wilson and then Olave and then. So they were all gone by like the 11th or 12th pick. And then the, the draft before that, that's when all those guys went in the 20s. And so for the most part, there just haven't been a ton of receivers in the first round drafted between like pick 10 and pick 20 in the last five or so years. And it feels like this year there might be several of those guys drafted in that range.
- [62:58]
Trevor Sikuma
Yeah. To your point, that draft in 2022 was really the big draft where that was the case because London goes 8
- [63:06]
Podcast Host (likely Robert Mays)
and Burks was in the teens.
- [63:09]
Trevor Sikuma
G. Wilson goes 10, Olave goes 11, Jameson Williams went 12 that year.
- [63:13]
Podcast Host (likely Robert Mays)
That's right.
- [63:14]
Trevor Sikuma
And then, and then the. John Doson went 16 and Traylon Burks then went 18 after that.
- [63:21]
Podcast Host (likely Robert Mays)
You think it's telling that I forgot about Johan Dotson and Trailer Burks and how these guys ended up playing out.
- [63:26]
Trevor Sikuma
I'm telling you off the top, my head.
- [63:28]
Podcast Host (likely Robert Mays)
But yes, I, I forgot that those guys went in the team. So that was really the last time that happened.
- [63:31]
Trevor Sikuma
Right. And I, and I do agree with sort of the sentiment of what you're saying here. When you're a wide receiver, if, if you, if a team believes that you are, no question about it, like a wide receiver one, they have no reservations about taking you in the top 10. But after that, like, if it sort of becomes this, like. Yeah, I mean, maybe he's a one, you know, maybe he's a two kind of a guy. You see, teams wait or they're less compelled to make those selections.
- [63:56]
Podcast Host (likely Robert Mays)
It might just be, at this point, I'm not sure we have enough data to make any, like, sweeping generalizations about it. But I do think it's interesting that there's having that many over the last five years guys drafted in the teens at that position Specifically. But Carnell Tate for you is the sixth overall pick going to the Cleveland Browns. So yes. Just to quickly recap here, Las Vegas Raiders in your mind draft or for you drafting Fernando Mendoza, number one overall, New York jets taking Reuben Baines second in a little bit of a surprise and an even bigger surprise. Sonny Stiles going to the Arizona Cardinals with the third overall pick. Tennessee Titans drafting Arvell Reese, fourth overall. The Giants drafting Francis Maui Noah, fifth overall, moving him to guard for our purposes here, at least in the short term. And then Carnell Tate going to the Cleveland Browns, sixth overall.
- [64:45]
Trevor Sikuma
Yep.
- [64:46]
Podcast Host (likely Robert Mays)
Let me ask you this. For all these six teams, do you think so? I think we can start even this at 2, but I think 3 and 5 are probably the ones that I'm most interested in here. We assume that if you're Monty Austin for you're drafting Francis Maui. No. With a third overall pick. So your prediction for what is going to happen is not what you would have done at three.
- [65:10]
Trevor Sikuma
Yeah. Correct.
- [65:11]
Podcast Host (likely Robert Mays)
And then at five, would you say the same thing when it comes to Jeremiah Love versus a guy like Francis Maui Noah, or are you less confident in what the Giants might do?
- [65:19]
Trevor Sikuma
No, I. Well, obviously, obviously a lot of changes in New York. Right, with so Joe Shane remains as the general manager, but I mean, let's face it, you know, John Harbaugh is calling the shots there. And so you don't really have a great beat on exactly what's going to happen there because Harbaugh has been so much as a window. Win now, win now with Lamar and the Ravens for so many years. It's a little bit different for him. But I, I much like the Titans conversation. I don't think people are talking about the offensive line situation with the Giants enough. And so, yes, I feel less confident. Confident that what I would do at three and then at five is actually going to happen. It just. I haven't heard a lot of that. Not that those would be bad selections, obviously. I don't think that they would because I made them. But it's, it's one of those where, like, I just haven't heard a lot of buzz for specifically the Giants one. Sonny Styles at three, a little bit more just because of how good he was in the crazy combine performance that he had. But yeah, for the Giants, I just don't hear a lot about offensive line at number five still, and I think that it should be on the top table for them.
- [66:18]
Podcast Host (likely Robert Mays)
All right, who do you feel best about here? Like, which pick is your. You like if you're making it in the moment for one of these teams. Do you feel the best about walking away from the draft?
- [66:26]
Trevor Sikuma
Yeah, I think the answer to that is. Is Reuben Ban. I think that. I know that that was a sort of a shocker at this point because nobody really talks about him going number two overall. But to be honest with you, man, like, since the national championship ended and since that run that Miami had, and just watching him just continue to dominate as well as he had at the beginning of the year throughout the entire long college football season, I mean, I just. This guy's an absolute stud. Like, if the jets draft him, he's the most talented player on their defense. That's. That's what I believe about that. And I love that he's joining a room that's got more veterans involved. Right. Like, for the jets, very clearly last year, like, they didn't have. They didn't even have the veteran leadership that they needed to. Now they've got make a Fitzpatrick, they've got Demario Davis. Right. They've got, like, they've got these guys that have been around and had success in this league and have played at a really high level. And I just love the idea of adding a player as talented as Reuben Bane to a roster like that with guys like that in his locker room. And I think this dude's destined to be an All Pro. I really do.
- [67:24]
Podcast Host (likely Robert Mays)
All right, those are our first six picks of our 2026 version of on the Clock. Trevor Sikuma, please tell the people where they can check out all of the wonderful work that you were doing when you're not donating your time to this podcast.
- [67:37]
Trevor Sikuma
Yes, covering the draft365 with my good friend Connor Rogers over at the NFL Stock Exchange YouTube channel. Doing all the player rankings, the mock drafts, the big boards, all that good stuff, and of course, on my big board, the MDs, everything over@pff.com as well.
- [67:53]
Podcast Host (likely Robert Mays)
Awesome. Appreciate the time, sir. Always great to chat with you. We will do it again very soon.
- [67:57]
Trevor Sikuma
Appreciate it, brother. Anytime.
- [67:59]
Podcast Host (likely Robert Mays)
All right, guys, that's all we got for today. Thank you so much to Trevor. If it wasn't clear, we're going to be doing one of these a week, all the way through the draft. We're going to be doing them in five different chunks. We're going to five different shows, so I think it's 6, 6, 6, 7, 7. That's what we did last year. Really enjoyed the exercise. Excited to be bringing it back again. Got some fun guests on tap for on the Clock. Series. We will be back tomorrow with another edition of Building the Beast with Dave and Dane. Please be on the lookout for that. For now, that's all we got. Appreciate you guys. Listen, we'll talk to you very soon.
- [68:46]
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- [69:48]
Trevor Sikuma
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- [69:53]
Podcast Host (likely Robert Mays)
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- [69:55]
Trevor Sikuma
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