Our Favorite Picks From Every Round of the 2026 NFL Draft

Summary

The McShay Show – Our Favorite Picks From Every Round of the 2026 NFL Draft

Host: Todd McShay (with Steve Muench)
Date: May 7, 2026
Episode Theme:
This episode dives deep into the hosts’ favorite picks from each round of the 2026 NFL Draft, showcasing value, fit, future potential, and front office strategy. Todd and Steve go round by round, breaking down why they loved particular selections, highlighting under-the-radar steals, and sharing insider perspectives on how these picks came together.

---

Main Topics & Purpose

• Post-Draft Dissection: Ten days post-draft, Todd and Steve reflect with fresh eyes, moving beyond the immediate reactions and digging into front offices' draft strategies and trade maneuverings.
• Round-by-Round Favorites: Each host highlights their top pick from every round, providing scouting analysis and contextual team fit.
• Insider Insights: The discussion features anecdotes from inside war rooms, thoughts on player development, and philosophical takes on team-building.
• Hidden Value: Emphasis on draft-day steals, developmental prospects, and how late picks may become impactful contributors.

---

Detailed Round-by-Round Summary

---

Round 1: Favorite Pick

Caleb Downs to the Dallas Cowboys (#11 overall)

• Speaker: Steve Muench
• Timestamp: 03:18
• Rationale:
  • “I love Dallas getting Caleb Downs at 11. I think he’s a top five player in this draft. But because of positional value, he was going to fall. 11 is the perfect spot.”
  • New DC Christian Parker values nickelbacks highly: “He’s the first player you'd pick in schoolyard football. Because he has a natural feel for the game.”
  • Downs’ versatility and mental toughness stood out as huge assets for a defense in transition, especially after the Micah Parsons trade.
• Memorable Moment:
  • "He will always be in the right place, will always be lined up where he should be, will be a consistent tackler, will be a consistent playmaker." (03:55)

Spencer Fano to the Cleveland Browns (#9 after trade down)

• Speaker: Todd McShay
• Timestamp: 06:01
• Rationale:
  • Massive value for the Browns: turned down a big trade offer, got their top OT at #9, added Austin Barber as swing tackle, and netted two 2027 4th-rounders.
  • “Now we've got depth on the offensive line, which was the biggest weakness of this team... now becoming not only a strength, but with depth behind it.”
  • The Browns now have 10 picks for next year, giving them flexibility for future quarterback moves.
• Notable Quote:
  • “What they did in this draft and what they've done with their offensive line in the offseason, I've never felt in 26 years of doing this better about where the Cleveland Browns are headed from a personnel standpoint.” (10:54)

---

Round 2: Favorite Pick

Jeremy Bernard to the Pittsburgh Steelers

• Speaker: Steve Muench
• Timestamp: 11:22
• Rationale:
  • Steelers fill urgent need with a “low-floor” rookie slot WR, reliable and ready to contribute immediately.
  • “I just love the idea of hitting doubles in the second round... Bernard’s a perfect fit, will help them immediately.”
• Notable Insight:
  • “If Aaron Rodgers is back... I don’t know that there’s a receiver in this draft that I trust more than Jeremy Bernard.” (12:34)

Gabe Akis to the New England Patriots

• Speaker: Todd McShay
• Timestamp: 13:37
• Rationale:
  • Patriots traded up to select highly productive edge rusher with a wrestling background ("leverage, power, fighting through contact" - 15:06).
  • "Akis immediately steps in and becomes an impact player for this defense."
  • Seen as a huge addition for a team trying to restock both lines.

---

Round 3: Favorite Pick

Emmanuel Pregnon to Jacksonville Jaguars

• Speaker: Steve Muench
• Timestamp: 16:18
• Rationale:
  • “Top-50 player, comfortable taking him in the late first... he’ll find a way to work himself into the starting lineup.”
  • A physically and mentally tough “tone setter” who fits the Jaguars’ push for grit and discipline.

Jayshon Barham to the Dallas Cowboys

• Speaker: Todd McShay
• Timestamp: 18:11
• Rationale:
  • Off-ball linebacker with pass rush flexibility (“allows you to be multiple, allows you to be versatile”).
  • Cowboys have transformed their defense in eight months, stocking up on young versatile athletes at all three levels.

---

Round 4: Favorite Pick

Gerard McCoy (CB, Tennessee) to Las Vegas Raiders

• Speaker: Steve Muench
• Timestamp: 22:06
• Rationale:
  • “This is a place where you’re willing to take some chances.”
  • McCoy, once considered for CB1, carries injury risk but "could be an absolute steal" if he returns to pre-injury form.

Bryce Lance (WR, FCS) to New Orleans Saints

• Speaker: Todd McShay
• Timestamp: 23:54
• Rationale:
  • “I was shocked that he lasted that long. I thought he was a top 100 pick all day long.”
  • Freak athlete (4.34 40, 41.5” vert), brings vertical element to a WR room that needed explosiveness.
  • “If it’s three catches, but they’re for 74 yards—a good day.”

---

Round 5: Favorite Pick

Nicholas Singleton (RB, Penn State) to Tennessee Titans

• Speaker: Steve Muench
• Timestamp: 26:55
• Rationale:
  • Despite recent injury, his early college production signals possible NFL impact.
  • “You may have gotten your number two back on the cheap.”

Sam Heck (C, Kansas State) to Carolina Panthers

• Speaker: Todd McShay

• Timestamp: 28:46

• Rationale:

  • Top-100 grade for a durable, athletic center in Round 5.
  • “If you get a starter on your offensive line in round five—life’s good.”

• Honorable Mentions:

  • Cole Payton (QB, Eagles): “Going to wind up contributing for the Eagles.” (31:22)
  • Emmett Johnson (RB, Chiefs): “Could see him being an impact player for the Chiefs.” (32:00)

---

Round 6: Favorite Pick

Taylor Green (QB, Browns)

• Speaker: Steve Muench
• Timestamp: 32:23
• Rationale:
  • Enormous athletic upside (“6’6, 227 lbs, ran a 4.36 40!”).
  • “If you thought Jalen Milroe was worth a lottery ticket last year, this guy’s tape is better.”
  • “If you can unlock that, you potentially have hit a home run.”
• Notable Quote:
  • “It won’t shock me if he outlasts Dylan Gabriel...on that roster. Maybe even Shador [Sanders].” (34:42)

Micah Morris (G, Georgia) to Philadelphia Eagles

• Speaker: Todd McShay
• Timestamp: 35:00
• Rationale:
  • Under-discussed, but physically ready “oozing with talent” and ideal for Philly’s O-line culture.
  • “If the talent prevails...this guy could wind up being better than a handful of guards drafted before him.”

---

Round 7: Favorite Pick

Seth McGowan (RB, Kentucky) to Indianapolis Colts

• Speaker: Steve Muench
• Timestamp: 37:45
• Rationale:
  • Former Oklahoma RB, overcame legal trouble, now brings ideal size-speed combo (223 lbs, 4.49 40).
  • “He’s instinctive, patient, and built to hold up in pass protection.”
  • Colts need depth behind Jonathan Taylor.

Dion Burks (WR) to Colts

• Speaker: Todd McShay
• Timestamp: 39:09
• Rationale:
  • “Dion Burks is one of the 100 best football players in this draft.”
  • “Colts saw an opportunity…this was one of the most overlooked draft picks.”
  • Ultra-explosive playmaker, despite back injury concerns.

---

Notable Memorable Moments & Quotes

• “Now you have a much more complete football team.” (Cowboys after strong draft — 05:18, Jeremiah)
• “What they did in this draft and with their offensive line in the off season, I’ve never felt better about where the Cleveland Browns are headed from a personnel standpoint.” (10:54)
• “When you’re talking about that late in the draft, I think [McGowan] is a good value here.” (37:57, Muench)
• “There are always players and there are always finds in every single round.” (44:42, Jeremiah)
• On post-draft analysis: “It’s just enlightening to…have a free moment, peace, silence…you actually sit down and focus and look at the draft, and it’s amazing what you uncover after the fact.” (44:42)

---

Timestamps of Key Segments

• Intro & Explanation of Approach — 00:25–01:52
• Round 1 Picks — 03:00–11:18
• Round 2 Picks — 11:22–16:12
• Round 3 Picks — 16:16–20:37
• Round 4 Picks — 22:06–26:52
• Round 5 Picks & Honorable Mentions — 26:55–32:23
• Round 6 Picks — 32:23–37:45
• Round 7 Picks & Wrap-Up — 37:45–44:38
• Reflections on the Draft Exercise — 44:38–45:52

---

Episode Takeaways

• The smartest draft picks are often about long-term value, team fit, and risk/reward rather than flashy names.
• Both hosts agree that Dallas and Cleveland notably transformed their rosters, with in-depth praise for the Browns’ use of assets and Dallas’ defensive overhauls.
• Hidden gems and low-risk, high-upside players in the mid-to-late rounds (Taylor Green, Micah Morris, Dion Burks, Seth McGowan) drew the most excited analysis.
• Over and over, the guys emphasize the importance of sitting down post-draft when the dust settles to truly evaluate what teams accomplished.

---

For full scouting reports and detailed coverage, check The McShay NFL Draft Room and subscribe to The McShay Report newsletter.

Transcript

[Sponsor/Ad Reader]

Foreign

[Daniel Jeremiah]

257 picks mention. I go round by round to give you our favorite 14 selections of the 2026 NFL Draft. There's just 357 days until the NFL Draft. Man, you good?

[Steve Smith Sr.]

I'm good, man.

[Daniel Jeremiah]

Play our favorite beat Tuck. You know, when we're going through this thing, men live, it's interesting. Like a pick comes in, there's a selection. All right, let's talk about the player. Let's look at the roster from the team that drafted that player. Let's give some analysis. And then the next pick is in. Right. It. It, it's a, it's a format in which it's hard to like really stop down and really evaluate like what went into the pick. Was there a trade up, a trade down? What was the compensation? Who was still on the board? Where do we have. So there's just a lot of things where now you get 10 plus days post draft to sit down and really study the thing.

[Steve Smith Sr.]

Right.

[Daniel Jeremiah]

Every year when we do this, I, I get like a different opinion of the draft and which teams nailed it and which teams maybe gave up a lot to go get the guys that they wanted. And this year's no different. So I find this fascinating. I hope all of our audience does as well. A reminder on the ringer.com mcshay you can go as we go through all these picks and get a full scouting report on all these players. You know, team by team, round by round, however you want to do it and follow along.

[Sponsor/Ad Reader]

Experience a membership that backs what you're building with American Express Business platinum. Unlock over $3,500 in business and travel value annually with statement credits on select purchases from brands like Dell, Hilton and Adobe and other benefits. American Express Business Platinum there's nothing like it. Based on total potential value of statement credits on select purchases and other benefits, enrollments required monthly and other limits and terms apply. Learn [e-mail] Business Platinum ready to soundtrack your summer with Red Bull Summer All Day Play. You choose a playlist that fits your summer vibe the best. Are you a festival fanatic, a deep end dj, a road dog, or a trail mixer? Just add a song to your chosen playlist and put your summer on track. Red Bull Summer All Day Play. Red Bull gives you wings. Visit red bull.com brightsummer ahead to learn more. See you this summer.

[Daniel Jeremiah]

Let's start with you. This is the format. It's nice and easy. Today there's seven rounds, as I said, 257 picks. We're going to pick our favorite 14. And we're going to do so going round by round. So if I were to say to you, Steve, as you've had this time now to go to Vegas and watch Fish and come back and then really dive into this year's draft, of all the 32 picks in round one, which one was your favorite now that you've had this time to really look into it.

[Steve Smith Sr.]

I love Dallas getting Caleb Downs at 11. I mean, when you look at the value of the player, I think he's a top five player in this draft because of the positional value. He was going to fall. I think 11 is the perfect spot for him. But what's most fascinating about this to me is Christian Parker, the new defense coordinator for the Cowboys, a former defensive back coach from the Vic Fangio system, who's asked before, before the draft, how important is a nickelback to your system? And he said, very important. And he started talking about what he looked for in those defensive backs, those. Those nickelbacks, and he said, it's the kind of guy that you want to be the first pick when you're playing schoolyard football because he has a natural feel for the game. And I kid you not, the first press conference after the rookie minicamp, that's exactly how he described Caleb Downs. He's the first player you'd pick in schoolyard football. And because he has a natural feel for the game, look, I think he's going to want to throw a lot at offenses. I think he's going to mix coverages up. I think he's going to move downs around and use them in different ways. I think downs versatility is underrated. Yes, he's at his best playing close to the line of scrimmage, but he can do a lot of different things for you. But what you, when you're doing that, you really need a guy who can handle that workload mentally. And there are very few players who can handle that workload mentally like a Caleb Downs who will always be in the right place, will always be lined up where he should be, will be a consistent tackler, will be a consistent playmaker. I think they get a foundational piece at pick 11.

[Daniel Jeremiah]

Yeah, I mean, he's. I love what Dallas is doing and I'll get to that in a little bit, too. Another one of their picks, they recognize they have one major need area and that's the entire defense. And my gosh, in the last eight months, what they've done while losing Micah Parsons. But as part of that Parsons trade, what they were able to Recoup and bringing in Christian Parker, University of Richmond, by the way, He's a spider.

[Steve Smith Sr.]

Yeah.

[Daniel Jeremiah]

Over. Over my shoulder here. Yeah, it's exciting. It's exciting if you're a Cowboys fan because. Because now you feel like you have a much more complete football team. I'm gonna go. I know you get annoyed when we do this, by the way. You. I can still. I can't smell it from. From here to New Hampshire, but I can just hear Vegas on your voice.

[Steve Smith Sr.]

I know

[Daniel Jeremiah]

it kicked your ass, man.

[Steve Smith Sr.]

It did. It did the whole. I mean, two weeks travel. I mean, I just. Yeah. It wasn't the best plan, was it?

[Daniel Jeremiah]

The.

[Steve Smith Sr.]

The most well thought out plan.

[Daniel Jeremiah]

But I kind of respect it, man. Like, go hard or go home. Yeah.

[Steve Smith Sr.]

You gotta lick your wounds, get back at it. Right?

[Daniel Jeremiah]

That's it. And here you are today. Browns, that sixth pick. And I. The rest of these picks. I'll go. I'll go right. I'll just pick the player and here we go. Taken and all that. I know, but come follow me here, man. I. I remember when Detroit used all those picks in the first two rounds on a running back and a linebacker and a tight end, and everyone's like, what are they doing? And I planted my flag on that, and I was like, I get it. But I just. I love what Brad Holmes is doing as the GM for Detroit, and you watch the impact that those guys are going to make. I feel similar about this Browns draft, and I can't remember a time where I was like, the Browns absolutely nailed it. So follow me on this trail. Okay? The Browns have the 6 overall pick. They want Spencer Fano. They want him. He's an offensive tackle who started 12 games at left tackle in his first year. Kicked over to right when they had Caleb Lomo at left tackle and started. I think he was 24 the last two years. Okay. He's athletic. He's got shorter arms. He's been Steve Mench's number one offensive tackle on the board since I can remember. Starting to talk about this draft, right? And they saw it the same way. They also recognize we have an opportunity because so many teams are looking at the wide receivers and defensive players. And this tackle run might start a little bit later if we get a chance to move back a little bit. And have you seen some of the NFL films? You know, stuff where they've got Schefter on the phone and the NFL, the headquarters and teams calling in. They had a massive offer from. From Dallas to move back to 12 and. And also have their 20th pick in exchange for, I think it was 6 and 24. Refuse that, move back three spots. Here's what they got. They get the same player at nine that they wanted to get at six. So check. Right. Then they traded in exchange for that, they moved back to nine. They give up six. They also get picked 74 third round and 148, which I believe is the fifth round. It is early fifth round. Okay. Traded that 74th pick to the Giants for pick 105. 145 and a 2027 fourth round pick. By the way, an organization that could be, not necessarily will be, but could be and kind of expected quarterback market next year. So ammunition in case they need to move up to go get their quarterback. All right, so they do that. Then they packaged 105 and 145 from that deal to move up to get Austin Barber, who's going to become a swing tackle for them. Right. Florida offensive tackle. So now you got that. Then they traded 148, which was, remember, they traded back from six to nine for 74 and 148. They traded 148 for another 2027 fourth round pick. So net, net, that six overall pick got them the same offensive tackle they would have drafted at 6. They got Austin Barber to provide depth on an offensive line that, remember, Zion Johnson's brought in. Elgin Jenkins is brought in. Titus Howard is brought in. Now we got Spencer Fano, you know, to go in conjunction with, with Tevin Jenkins, Titus Howard. Yeah, all the. So now we've got depth on the offensive line which was the biggest weakness of this team is now becoming not only a strength, but with depth behind it. And so many teams also are running jumbo packages and doing different things with additional offensive linemen so that Austin Barber pick could wind up, if they develop them properly, being a really important pick. And they get two additional fourth round selections in 2027, again, potentially in the market for a quarterback. They now, as we sit here today in May, have 10 draft picks next year because they have an additional one from Houston and I believe the fifth round, 10 draft picks already in a draft that they may be trying to target their quarterback and go up and get their guy. Listen, Andrew Berry, the Flying J, the analytics, all the stuff that has been chipped away and attacked the Cleveland Browns in terms of their drafting and their overall personnel and management of, of their roster. I get it all and it's, it's deserved. But this, I said this after the draft and I. And honestly, looking at everything they did. And that's like forget the second round. Was maybe they the best second round of any team in the league? What they did in this draft and what they've done with their offensive line in the off season, I've never felt in 26 years of doing this better about where the Cleveland Browns are headed from a personnel standp.

[Steve Smith Sr.]

Did you see the clip of the Browns did something really cool with each pick, or at least they did it with this pick. I didn't see all the picks where Barry called out the area scout to give his report on Fano. Yeah, yeah.

[Daniel Jeremiah]

Best character I've seen in 10 years of doing this.

[Steve Smith Sr.]

Yeah. It was just a really cool thing to recognize the scout and to hear him talk about the player I thought it was. That was like a nice touch.

[Daniel Jeremiah]

Yep, agreed. All right, round two. What do you got?

[Steve Smith Sr.]

Round two. This one's easy. This one you should see coming the Steelers taking Jeremy Bernard. This is going to be like so short, it's not even funny. The Steelers had an upgraded receiver, right. It was DK Metcalf and. And I don't even know who else. So they trade for Michael Pittman earlier in the off season. Don't give up a lot to get him. And now they get Jeremy Bernard in the second round. And listen, I'm going to keep beating the drum here. He is a low floor. He does not, does not have the high ceiling of some of these other guys, but he's a low floor prospect. He's going to come in and be your starting number three receiver right away. He's going to make plays out of the slot. He's going to be reliable, he's going to be consistent, he's going to be efficient. I just love the idea of hitting doubles in the second round. You're not taking swings. You're looking to get players that are come coming in and you know what you have a role for, you can contribute. And Jeremy Bernard's a perfect fit for them and I think he'll help them immediately.

[Daniel Jeremiah]

Yeah, I mean you get those two

[Steve Smith Sr.]

big bodied guys on the outside, right. Those guys are both 220 plus. And then you have Bernard who has

[Daniel Jeremiah]

a little bit of flexibility.

[Steve Smith Sr.]

He can lay, he can line up on the outside too and all that stuff. But he's perfect working out of the slot. He just slides. It's a, it's a perfect, it's a great value and a perfect fit for what they need.

[Daniel Jeremiah]

And if Aaron Rodgers is back, I think we even said this pre draft. I don't I don't, I don't. Or maybe we said it right after he was drafted. Regardless, I don't know that there's a receiver in this draft that I trust more than Jeremy Bernard.

[Steve Smith Sr.]

Right.

[Daniel Jeremiah]

From the option routes to being where he needs to be. Scramble rules, all the little detailed things that drive Aaron crazy to the point where it affects his play. And was it Roman Wilson last year? He just like stopped throwing, you know, like, yeah, Jeremy for a rookie is as equipped as I can remember. Or, you know, he's, he's up in that top tier of guys coming in the league where I'm like, I, I think he, he will earn the trust of Aaron Rodgers early on. If yours wasn't a surprise, mine won't be either. And I do want to mention again, like, no team had a better second round than the Cleveland Browns. Like Denzel, Boston had a first round grade. There were points in time. We Talked about Emmanuel McNeil, Warren, where it was, it was mid to late. First, you just said you weren't going

[Steve Smith Sr.]

to do this, but.

[Daniel Jeremiah]

However, my favorite pick in round two, New England, Gabe Akis. It's just my guy.

[Steve Smith Sr.]

Yeah.

[Daniel Jeremiah]

And when you, when you plant a flag on a guy and then you see that he's not only drafted, but traded up for some organizations, trading up drives me crazy. It's like you have so many won't call me. I watched some of the Ram stuff. They call it opportunities, you know, like roster opportunities because they're the technically, you know, quote unquote needs. Right. Where they have so many opportunities on their roster that it doesn't make sense. Like let's, let's collect picks and, and knowing that we're going to miss on, on some of these. New England doesn't have as many holes. They traded up twice in the first two rounds. They got their offensive tackle and Caleb Lomo when the tackle, he was the, the end of the, the tackle run. And then also, and the second round, they trade up slightly to go get Gabe Akis.

[Steve Smith Sr.]

Right.

[Daniel Jeremiah]

Akis provides them. This is the 19th ranked pass rush win rate last year, the Patriots, and they lost K Lavon Chase and free agency. So Akis kind of pops into that, that third edge spot behind Harold Landry and Draymond Jones, who they brought in. And Jones is like, you know, power edge, all that stuff. And Harold Landry is obviously kind of undersized, athletic, but he's, he's starting to age now, right?

[Steve Smith Sr.]

Yep.

[Daniel Jeremiah]

Now they bring in a guy who's got 27 career sacks. High school background is Is wrestling like Florida state champion twice. I told you the Trey Hendrickson. I'm not saying they're the same player, but I love edge and defensive line guys with wrestling backgrounds because so much of it is about leverage. He's not going to. Akis is not going to beat you with speed and athleticism. But look at the sack guys in the league. So many of them are relentlessness, leverage, power, fighting through, extending their the rush through contact. Like all of those things. Akis. Akis immediately steps in and becomes an impact player for this defense. That's exactly what they needed and they were able to get that in the second round with the player that I told you, like if someone took him at 30, 32, 33, I was totally cool with. So I think this is going to wind up being a huge addition for the Patriots and the Patriots who make it to the the Super Bowl. But recognize still kind of a younger team have some holes, especially on both lines. They attack those two areas right away in the first two rounds.

[Steve Smith Sr.]

I couldn't agree with you more. I thought that was a great pick. All right, we're going to round three.

[Daniel Jeremiah]

Yes, sir.

[Steve Smith Sr.]

This one was. I hesitated here and I'll tell you who I went with. They went with Emmanuel pregnant, the offensive guard from Oregon going to Jacksonville. The reason I hesitated is it doesn't look like a pressing need. They have both guards back from last year. But this is a guy I just couldn't get away from the fact that I thought he was a top 50 player that I would have been comfortable going into first round. I still believe that I am that high on this player and I do believe that he will find a way to work himself into the starting lineup. He is a powerful run blocker. He's a guy that latches on, lifts and drives. He's a guy that, you know, first athletic deficiencies. He's really good in pass, bro. Because he's able to get his hands inside. He moves his feet as well. You know, he moves his feet, he's active, all that stuff. So to me, that value to get that kind of a player at 88, I think this was a great pick. Probably the best pick for Jacksonville in this draft. And another thing that they're really, if you're. If Liam Coleman the head coach and James Gladstone the general manager, really, really talking about improving the mental and physical toughness of this team over the last two years. And this is that kind of a player. This is a guy who is mentally and physically tough, who's going to be a Tone setter when you bring him in the locker room.

[Daniel Jeremiah]

Yeah, I, I wrote down a couple other additional players because I can't help myself. The honorable mentions in round three and that was first on my list. 88th pick to the Jaguars. Second on my list was Chris Bell, the wide receiver going to Miami. I just love his explosiveness after the catch. And to get a second round talent because of the INJ. When you're building for 20, 27 at 92 overall, an AJ Brown comp. It's pretty good. Stop giving me those looks. But the my favorite pick of the third round. Go back to the Cowboys again at 93 overall. They take Jayshon Barum.

[Steve Smith Sr.]

Yeah.

[Daniel Jeremiah]

Bar him. The off ball linebacker from Michigan who also kind of transitioned as we've seen like with Jalen Walker, obviously the, you know, Micah Parsons kind of. I don't want to say he started the trend, but we've seen a lot of guys now Arvell Reese this year, he's kind of the under the radar conversion guy who's off ball linebacker that can also rush the quarterback. Allows you to be multiple, allows you to be versatile. He's a player who had 193 tackles at Michigan, 23 for loss, 12 sacks, 82 pressures. He's undersized. I get it. He's six, three and a half, 240 pounds, ran a four, six four and

[Steve Smith Sr.]

it's undersized for, for an edge. He's not undersized for a linebacker. I mean that's exactly.

[Daniel Jeremiah]

And they're gonna, and they're gonna play him off the ball just like the Giants are gonna play Arvo Reese off ball.

[Steve Smith Sr.]

Right.

[Daniel Jeremiah]

But it allows some flexibility in NASCAR packages and different looks on, on obvious passing downs to send him as a blitzer. Rush him off the edge however you want to do it. Christian Parker, you talked about him and, and, and Caleb Downs and the utilization. Now you bring in Malachi Lawrence and then you bring in Jean Barum and now you've got this versatility on all three levels. Right. And I want to remind you we said earlier eight months what they've done. They added the Cowboys, Rashan, Gary Quinn and Williams, Kenny Clark, Tito Ogbania, D. Winters. Right. As part of that trade. Lawrence in the draft. I just mentioned Barum in the draft as I just mentioned LT Overton, another versatile front guy from Alabama in the draft. That's all in the front seven and hopefully they get Donovan Ezraku back healthy at some point, ready to go and improve on some of the flashes we saw last year. Then in the backfield, they had Caleb Downs and Devin Moore, one of your favorite corners in this draft, to go along with Jalen Thompson that they had in free agency and Kobe Durant. I just, I love the direction that Dallas is going with this defensive side of the football. That's it.

[Steve Smith Sr.]

Yeah, I agree. I mean, it's the Overton one's a sneaky one too. I'm glad you brought that up because where they, where they got him and what he can do, that's they're they seem to be doing all the right things. And honestly, if you're a Dallas fan, you're probably more excited than you have been in a long time because that defense has been tough to watch.

[Daniel Jeremiah]

This episode is brought to you by Men's Wearhouse on the Lookout for New Clothes it doesn't have to feel overwhelming. Just check out Men's Wearhouse. They've got you covered for every occasion with a huge variety of clothing and styles. If you've got a formal event, they've got tailored clothing like suits, sports coats, dress shirts and tuxes. Then for relaxing in front of the game, they've got your polos, shirts, shorts and jeans for everyday wear. And if you're not sure what your look is, the Men's Wearhouse experts can guide you while their on site tailors guarantee your clothes fit your body perfectly. Men's wearhouse has over 600 locations nationwide. They are here and nearby. When you're ready to love the way you look, it's time to bring on the blooms at the Home Depot with Spring Garden deals. Find savings on hanging baskets and flowers to brighten your backyard or any space that needs instant color. Then get everything you need to plant and protect them with low prices guaranteed on soil and mulch. Dig into Spring garden deals for four days at the Home Depot now through May 10th exclusion supply. See homedepot.com pricematch for details.

[Sponsor/Ad Reader]

Some Follow the noise. Bloomberg follows the money. Whether it's the funds fueling AI or Crypto's trillion dollar swings, there's a money side to every story. Get the money side of the story.

[Steve Smith Sr.]

Subscribe [e-mail] Fourth round I went. I was. I'm not going to shy away from it. I'm going Tennessee corner Gerard McCoy going to the Raiders with the first pick of the fourth round. My understanding from Reading is that they're going to have to make a decision. The organization and the player are going to have to make a decision about whether or not he has to undergo another knee surgery and what that recovery timeline looks like in and all that is, you know, is unknown. But so I get the risk here. I understand the risk here. We're talking about a player who was in the, in the mix to be the first corner drafted in this draft. I think that Monsour Delane is by far the best corner of this draft. But not everyone shared that opinion. I think when you get into the fourth round, this is a, this is a place where you're willing to take some chances. The Raiders have a desperate need a corner, they need corners they can get. A player who has the man to man skills to match up on the outside, I think has the potential to develop into a playmaker again. I understand the risk and it'll be interesting to see whether or not they decide to have the surgery or let him play through it. But man, this pick, if it pans out and he plays the way he did in 2024 and he just continues to develop or even build on that, people are going to look back on this and see it as an absolute steal.

[Daniel Jeremiah]

Yeah, yeah. I mean if he's anywhere close to that player at any point, even if it's for three years, that's what I'm,

[Steve Smith Sr.]

yeah, I'm glad you said it man because it's like I get that you want these guys to be for, for whatever but now you have a four year contract. If you're getting a three year corner like I, I, I, I agree with you. It just don't get caught up in, in the long term. You kind of have to let it, let it unfold the way it's going to unfold.

[Daniel Jeremiah]

I'm gonna, I went with skill position here and Bryce Lance to me at 136 overall after like Jacoby Lane after Skyler Bell. I just, I was shocked that he lasted that long. I thought he was a top 100 pick all day long. I get it. And you, you hammered this home and I don't think you're wrong. Like the FCS is not what the FCS used to be because of all the nil transfer portal plucking. But you, you can't argue the traits obviously.

[Steve Smith Sr.]

Oh no, I was arguing that with your guy, the quarterback there, not the receiver. I think I love the receiver.

[Daniel Jeremiah]

So Trey, Lance's younger brother, 126 catches, 2121 receiving yards, 25 touchdowns, 3.58 yards per route run. This guy is a dynamic difference maker. 6 foot 3, 204 pounds, long arms, ran a 4, 3 4, 40 yard dash. The saints need weapons, right? The Saints need difference makers. They feel like they've got their quarterback in Tyler Schuck. And now you're looking at Chris Olave and you're like, okay, what else do we got? Devon Vilay, I don't know. But now they range from a six foot Crystal Lave, who's a great route runner, right to Vilay, who's 6 foot 5, to Lance, who's 6 foot 3, right after they drafted Jordan Tyson in the first round. Now all of a sudden this wide receiver group that is a glaring position of opportunity becomes a position of like intrigue and explosiveness and some depth with it. I just. He's a 41 and a half inch vertical man. Eleven, one broad jump. You see on tape the exploit. Give him a crease and let him go. You know whose coordinator is now? Kellen Moore. You're telling me he's not going to scheme up opportunities for a young, young receiver who, I get it. Tall, lean, might have some trouble getting off a press, but I don't know that it's going to be that big of an issue. Now we can stretch the field vertically. I just, I think, I think the Saints did great by their, their, their second year quarterback and Tyler Schuck by bringing in Tyson, who's an immediate like route running dynamo, and lance in the fourth round who can stretch things out. And if it's three catches, but they're for 74 yards in the game or whatever it is, that's a good day. And I think that that's the kind of role that Lance is going to have.

[Steve Smith Sr.]

And if he's opening up space for all the route runners underneath, I mean, if he's creating space underneath, like look at the impact that the guy could have. That's not in the statistics. You could really open up things for that offense and make it harder to load up against the run, all of that stuff.

[Daniel Jeremiah]

All right, round five. What do you got for me?

[Steve Smith Sr.]

Nicholas Singleton, pick 165 to the Tennessee Titans. I get it, man, I get it. He's coming off a disappointing season. He broke his foot at the Senior Bowl. But let's, you know, let's be real about this. This is a guy that rushed for 3,461 yards and 45 touchdowns at Penn State. He was a highly productive player over the course of his career. And by all reports, this kid would have put on an absolute show if he was able to work out at the combine. I do have my concerns about the vision a little bit, but if you can get him right, and you can get him going in a more positive direction, getting back to the way he was playing earlier in his career. You've got a young, talented big back who can help share the load with Tony Pollard, and that is critical for what they want to do. They asked too much of Cam Ward last year as a rookie. They have got to run the ball more. They've got to show a greater commitment to the running game. And you had to bring in. I like Tajie Spears. I think he's more of a number three than a number two. I think you may have gotten your number two back on the cheap by. By drafting singles in there.

[Daniel Jeremiah]

Yeah, I mean, he's.

[Steve Smith Sr.]

You're.

[Daniel Jeremiah]

You're betting on the early career stuff. And, you know, it's interesting. If you go back and study the trends, running backs that had great production early in their college career, regardless of what it was late, tend to work out why the correlation. You can. You can, you know, raw talent or whatever it is, but there's a strong correlation between running backs that, like freshman sophomore year, that have massive production in college, wind up going up, going in the NFL and either outplaying their draft slot or outplaying a lot of other running backs that maybe finish their career stronger. I go figure, right?

[Steve Smith Sr.]

Yeah, but.

[Daniel Jeremiah]

But that would be the case for Singleton. If that turns out to be true. How did Sam Heck, the center from Kansas State, get to the fifth round?

[Steve Smith Sr.]

I don't know. I think maybe concerns about size, but that's weird because he's not that small for a center. It doesn't make sense to me because centers can play at that. That height and weight all the time.

[Daniel Jeremiah]

We had a. We had a top 100 grade on them. And I'm not saying, like, the whole league missed, but. But when you get that, at least in our opinion, that value of a player in round five, early round five, I thought Dan Morgan and the Carolina Panthers had another really strong draft, but this one stood out to me because, first of all, let's. Let's look at his career. 25 starts. Started 25 games at center consecutively. So durable, tough, smart. He's athletic, Right. I love watching him pull, right? And yeah, he gets.

[Steve Smith Sr.]

He can get out there, man.

[Daniel Jeremiah]

He can get out there. But also, like, the technique, like, when he gets out there, hands and. And leverage and angles and all those little things, right? And we've seen, like, Linderbaum, like, everyone was like, oh, he's overrated. He's not this. He's not that. But let's look at what he is and I'm not saying that Sam Hecht is Linder bomb. I'm just saying he's good enough to be a starter in this league. Now is it as a rookie? I'm not sure. And maybe it's a year of developing and adjusting and getting a little bit stronger and all sorts of things. But the Panthers signed Luke Fortner, right. Who started 44 games at center the last four years. I believe it is.

[Steve Smith Sr.]

And.

[Daniel Jeremiah]

But they signed him for 2.75 million.

[Steve Smith Sr.]

Right.

[Daniel Jeremiah]

That, that to me indicates it certainly is not something long term unless he comes in and it's a show me year and it doesn't have to be even short term.

[Steve Smith Sr.]

Right. Right.

[Daniel Jeremiah]

And so now we have heck coming in and can compete for that job. And if he, it proves that maybe he's not ready. He was a 5th round pick for a reason. At least you're developing him to be your starter down the road. And that to me like you get a starter on your offensive line in round five, life's good. So I, I just, I love this. But yeah, he's six four. He's 303 pounds, kind of average arms for a center third just under 32 inches. He can play, man, he can flat out play. And I think the Panthers got there whether it's in 2026 or 2027 beyond. I think they're going to get a starting center from this draft in the fifth round and that's awesome.

[Steve Smith Sr.]

Yeah, I agree. Another non surprise for you in round six.

[Daniel Jeremiah]

Hold on, I should mention in round five there are two other. There are two other. I know you're not feeling well and Vegas is seeping out of your pores. Cole Payton is going to wind up contributing for the Eagles.

[Steve Smith Sr.]

Cole Payton was the one. I was telling you that I had concerns about the FCS stuff, by the way, not Bryce. Yeah, but go ahead.

[Daniel Jeremiah]

Yeah, but in the fifth round you watch. You remember I said in December, remember I said in December wait for it when I mocked Ty Simpson to the Rams at 13. We'll wait for this.

[Steve Smith Sr.]

Did you have, did you have that happening? I didn't know you had that happening.

[Daniel Jeremiah]

And then Emmett Johnson's a sneaky one in the fifth round. I, I think he was drafted maybe around after. I didn't see like the, the second day stuff. But the Nebraska running back who exploded on the scene, you look at his background, you look at what his family's been through, you look at the work ethic on that guy. Some of the quickness and stuff. I could see him being an impact player for the Chiefs. All right, round six, what do you got?

[Steve Smith Sr.]

Taylor Green going to the Browns. Another great pick by the Browns. I mean, come on, man.

[Daniel Jeremiah]

What.

[Steve Smith Sr.]

I was pretty critical of what they did last year. Quarterback, and I kind of stand by that. I like Dylan Gabriel as a day three kind of a cerebral pocket bastard. I didn't understand taking him and Shador Sanders in the same draft because I think they're. There's similar players. I would have valued Chidor over. Over Gabriel. So I didn't really know what the plan was last year. This is not a cerebral pocket passer. This guy is 6 foot 6, 227 pounds and he ran a 43640. I mean, you're buying a lottery ticket here. I get this. But if you thought Jalen Milroe was worth a lottery ticket last year, this guy's tape. I will say this over and over again. This guy's tape is better than Jalen Milro's tape. And yes, there's a lot we got to work on. And like you said, he. He can miss the broad side of a barn sometimes, and there are times he's got to be more repetitive and consistent with his throwing technique and his motion and all of that stuff. But if you can unlock that, you potentially have hit a home run here. And even if even. Let's just say I know Browns fans are. Are pretty pissed off about the idea that the people are already saying they're going to draft a quarterback because I think a lot of them believe that Shador could be their guy. But let's say that Shador is not the. The guy. Browns fans. And let's say that you're picking earlier again next year and you end up taking an Arch Manning or a Dante Moore. You now have a backup who is 6 foot 6 and runs this 43640 that if you need him to play snaps, you can do some interesting things. It could probably steal a few games for you. I just love that pick at that point in the draft.

[Daniel Jeremiah]

I do, too. I told you I would. If a team drafted him in the top 100, I wouldn't have had a problem with it.

[Steve Smith Sr.]

Right.

[Daniel Jeremiah]

It's all. It's all about developing him and having a plan and also having time and. And the Browns have a. Have time. They've got Todd Monken there, by the way. Todd Monken also with Lamar Jackson. So there's. There's a very clear vision, right, of the utilization and the things that can bring out his, his strengths and his mobility and the long strides. I just, at that point in the draft, I think it's. I think it's brilliant. I really do.

[Steve Smith Sr.]

Yeah.

[Daniel Jeremiah]

And it won't shock me, Steve. It won't shock me if he outlasts Dylan Gabriel on that roster. Maybe, maybe Shador Sanders, maybe the trade or, you know, just picking a fight

[Steve Smith Sr.]

with the Cleveland people. I know you're doing it.

[Daniel Jeremiah]

I'm just saying as this backup who can come in and light a spark if he needs to, or, you know, come in for two or three games of injured starter from whoever they get in 2027, or maybe he becomes Shador's backup and Shador has an awesome year, however it plays out. I'm just saying, like, it won't shock me if Shador goes somewhere else. Dylan Gabriel is no longer on the team. Deshaun Watson's no longer on the team when we get to 2027 or, you know, I'm just saying. Yeah, yeah. I just. I. There's. There's stuff there. All right. For me, this one goes under, goes overlooked, and I almost blame myself. I do blame myself. Micah Morris was one of the least talked about players in this draft who, if the talent prevails and he gets his head on straight and, and gets with the, the kind of the right O line room and all of that, that was my thinking. This guy could wind up being better than a handful of guards drafted before. Michael Morris is, is a, is a Georgia guard that was drafted. Let me talk to you about him for a second. He's 6 foot 5, 334 pounds. He sat behind like there were a bunch of guys there. Like he was 17 when he came to Georgia five years ago and was scout team against like Jalen Carter and Jordan Davis. And those guys really struggled to get on the field. Comes with a little bit of baggage, let's just put it that way. Right finally replaces Dylan Fairchild at that left, left guard position, is a starter for the last year and a half. And the talent, he's oozing with talent. And so he goes to this Eagles organization where we're trying to figure out like, is it Stout? Is like, who's. How are they still developing offensive linemen, but they have a history of doing that. And so if they can get the most out of him with a veteran group. Right. I can't think of many better situations for him to walk into where it's like this kind of. He's five fifth year senior this past year, so he's not A pup, but a guy that needs some guidance and let's channel this energy. He's got almost 34 inch arms. He ran a 50940 yard dash. 20 with those longer. I'm 29 bench press reps. I'm telling you, talent wise, he's not just like an average. He's got a chance to be a good starting guard in the NFL and because of the risk, he falls to the sixth round. And we probably should have talked about him more in the pre draft process because this guy, it's boom or bust if you draft him in the first three rounds. It's just hey, taking a shot. Taking a shot on boom in the sixth round. I love this pick for the Eagles.

[Steve Smith Sr.]

Yep, I hear you. My last one. Round 7. Seth McGowan, running back from Kentucky going.

[Daniel Jeremiah]

He was on my honorable match. I like that pick a lot.

[Steve Smith Sr.]

He, I mean it's important to, to recognize what's happened in the past for him. He got into some trouble at Oklahoma. He actually spent three months in prison and a year on probation. I'm confident or I'm optimistic that those problems are behind him based on the fact that one, he was drafted and two, he was invited the combine and you hope that he's been able to do that. As far as the player is concerned, we're talking about a 223 pound back who runs a 449 who is instinctive, he is patient, he has a good feel for, for how to set up his blocks. And he's built to hold up in pass protection. He's willing to compete in pass protection. I look at the frame, I look at the speed. On the flip side, yeah, he's got he f. He's put the ball on the ground too much. He's got to show more as a receiver. But when you're talking about that late in the draft, I think he's a good value here. The Colts, did you know they got DJ Giddens, they got the human glitch last year and obviously they still have Jonathan Taylor. I, they are, they want to run the ball. I don't. They need depth at running back. And I think that this is, to get this kind of a player this late in the draft is a nice pickup for them.

[Daniel Jeremiah]

I'll. I'll go with their other seventh round pick, the Colts.

[Steve Smith Sr.]

Oh, nice.

[Daniel Jeremiah]

I, I mean you talk about potentially getting two impact players in the seventh round. That's why I said when we, when we met on Monday after the draft and went back and reviewed some of the teams that killed it from a value standpoint. I thought the Colts were as good as any, any organization in the league and Chris Ballard and that that staff did a phenomenal job. Excuse me. Dion Burks is one of the hundred best football players in this draft. Dion Burks had a back injury that was kind of quiet and but we knew about it but didn't think it was going to impact him the way it impacted him. We're talking about a top 100 receiver who yes, is undersized at 5, 9 and 3 quarters and 180 pounds. And yes, he does his best work on the outside as a vertical receiver. Okay. And so that combination you're thinking to yourself, well, he's more of a slot in the league. However it plays out. Dion Burke's I'm getting texts on day three from like Nagy and GMs are texting Nagy and other GMs are texting me trying to figure out I told you that. Sometimes what happens is a player falls beyond the point where you expect him to fall and so other teams get nervous. Is there more to it than we thought? Let's, let's steer clear. Well, the Colts saw opportunity. He went 254 overall. I told you to start this show. There are 257 picks, man. There's no, he's got no business being all the way down at 254 as a top 100 player. He's a guy I want. He never topped 1,000 yards in the season, but he never had a quarterback who throw him the football. When John Mattier was healthy against Michigan and early in the Auburn game when John Mattier had some time off with that thumb injury that he suffered and he miraculously came back against Oklahoma, I mean against Texas and the, the, the UT Oklahoma game, the rivalry game, we were all saying, oh this is amazing, he's like Superman. But we quickly figured out, oh, he's not. He's a shell of himself. He can't throw the ball down the field. Right. So now I've got this vertical receiver who with Jackson Arnold the year before, he's never had a quarterback who can throw in the ball vertically except for a couple games. And when he did, he went off against Michigan. Michigan. He went off against Alabama. 120, 130 plus. Both of those games he had a 4, 340 yard dash, he had a 1, 4, 9, 10 yard split. He had a 49 and a half inch vertical, a 10, 11 broad jump. This guy is a pint sized explosive like he's like lightning, like. And now the Colts get him in the seventh round, right? And you talk about trying to like, we got McGowan in the seventh round. We got Burks, a guy who can come in and I don't need a ton from him. I need him. Like you said earlier, Trey Lance, package differently at 63204. But now this guy can help spread the field and open some things up. And maybe we get one shot or two shots vertically down the field. I don't care if it's one 40 yard catch for a touchdown. That's a good day from a seventh round draft pick. The back injury, like let's monitor it. But that's a, that's a risk I'm going to take in the seventh round with this guy. Any day of the week, man. Like this was. This was one of the most unlike overlooked draft picks of the entire 257 selection process. All right, that's it. Let's look at the full screen. Right. You had Caleb downs in the first round with Jeremy Bernard in round two, pregnant to the Jaguars in round three. He's a starter, starter man. Jermod McCoy if he's healthy. What a steal at one on one overall for the Raiders. Nicholas Singleton, betting on early career success that last year was a fluke along with a lot of Penn State players and Clemson players. That was a theme throughout the draft. Taylor Green, hey, nothing comes from it in the sixth round.

[Steve Smith Sr.]

Fine.

[Daniel Jeremiah]

But what if we can utilize him in some kind of package? What if we develop him into a starter? Todd Monkin knows how to use mobile, mobile quarterbacks extremely well. Seth McGowan, we just talked about that pick. And Dion Burks. For me in the seventh round, the Colts could wind up with two impact players from round seven. I started with Spencer Fano and it wasn't just Fano, it was what they got with two fourth round picks and Austin Barber to move down three spots. Gabe Akis is my gem from this draft. Jayshawn Barum, pairing him up with your favorite pick for the first round. Downs and Malachi Lawrence. Bryce Lance is a fourth round selection. We had a top 100 grade on him. Vertical receiver along with Jordan Tyson for a depleted Saints wide receiver room for a second year starting quarterback. That's an awesome pick. Sam Heck is going to be a starter whether it's 2026 or 2027 at center for the Panthers. They got him at 144 overall and Micah Parsons was the player that just didn't come up a lot. Sorry. Micah Morris the guard from Georgia was the 207th pick in this draft to the Eagles, and he may wind up being a really damn good starting guard for the Eagles, who are trying to kind of get younger and remold that offensive line that's been a strength for, it feels like almost a decade now, man.

[Steve Smith Sr.]

You got players in this draft, though? No players in this draft, though, man.

[Daniel Jeremiah]

No players in this draft.

[Steve Smith Sr.]

None. I mean, you know, there's always players, man.

[Daniel Jeremiah]

There's always players and there's always fines in every single round. Yeah, I, I love this exercise, honestly. It's, it's just as, it's, like, enlightening to me to go back and have a free moment, peace, silence. There's not, like, a show to do here, and we're not racing over to David Chang show and, and Rich Eisen and this, like, you can actually sit down and focus for a few days and look at the draft, and it's amazing what you uncover after the fact, because there's so much that goes into the, the pick, whether it's moving around or just the value that a team got based off of where we, we evaluated them. So. All right, we're back next week. Hope everyone enjoyed this match. I, I, I'm gonna give you five stars because you're playing through pain, period. Let's, like, let's, let's nurse this thing up a little bit. Let's get some mic. I know I'm pounding the music. I mean, you, you went from 10 days of the draft, which is a grind. Yeah. And I guess I'm just old and older and not older than you, but, like, I went to, like, the coast of California and, like, got waited on for a few days and just. Yeah, you ramped it up.

[Steve Smith Sr.]

And I'm proud of you, man.

[Daniel Jeremiah]

I'm damn proud of you. That's my guy right there. I see your draft, and I'm gonna, I'm gonna raise you a trip to Vegas for Fish. There's going to be repercussions, and we hear it in your voice. It's seeping out of your pores, but I love you for it. And we'll be back on Monday with a healthier mensch, and we're fired up to do it. So, again, five stars to you, buddy.

[Steve Smith Sr.]

Thanks, man.

[Daniel Jeremiah]

Must be 21 plus and present in select states for Kansas in affiliation with Kansas Star Casino or 18 plus and present in DC, Kentucky or Wyoming. Gambling problem. Call 1-800-GAMBLER or 1-800-MY RESET call 1-888-789-7777 or visit ccpg.org chatincut or visit mdgamblinghelp.org In Maryland, Hope is here. Visit gamblinghelplinema.org or call 1-800-327-5050. For 24. 7 support in Massachusetts or call 1-877-8-HOPE NY or text Hopeny in New York. For Louisiana, call 1-877-770-7867.

[Sponsor/Ad Reader]

Your next chapter in healthcare starts at Carrington College's School of Nursing in Portland. Join us for our open house on Tuesday, January 13, from 4 to 7pm you'll tour our campus, see live demos, meet instructors, and learn about our associate Degree in nursing program that prepares you to become a registered nurse. Take the first step toward your nursing career. Save your spot [e-mail] events. For information on program outcomes, visit carrington.edu sci.

[Daniel Jeremiah]

You can't reason with the sun. Trust us, we've tried. This summer, it's time to put that angry ball of fire on mute. Columbia's Omnishade technology is engineered to protect you from the sun's harsh rays that can burn and damage your skin. The sun is relentless, but so is our gear. Level up your [e-mail] to spend more time outside and less time slathering on aloe lotion. You're welcome, Columbia. Engineered for whatever.