Way-Too-Early 2026 NFL Mock Draft: Nussmeier Goes No. 1, Rams Trade Up for Their QB of the Future

Summary

Podcast Summary: The McShay Show – "Way-Too-Early 2026 NFL Mock Draft: Nussmeier Goes No. 1, Rams Trade Up for Their QB of the Future"

Introduction

In this engaging episode of The McShay Show, NFL Draft Analyst Todd McShay dives into a "way-too-early" mock draft for the 2026 NFL Draft. Joined by co-host Steve Mensch, Todd presents his predictions, analyses key prospects, and explores potential trades that could shape the future of the league. The episode, released on May 1, 2025, offers a comprehensive look into Todd's unique perspective as an NFL talent evaluator.

Mock Draft Overview

Todd begins by setting the stage for the mock draft, emphasizing its early nature and the challenges associated with projecting a draft set three years in advance.

[02:00] Todd McShay: "It's two and a half hours of reviewing the 2025 NFL Draft, I went back to the hotel here in LA and sat down and did a mock draft. It was grueling, it was punishing. It wasn't fair. I didn't like doing it. But when I got into it, it was kind of fun."

Top Pick: Garrett Nussmeier at No. 1

The centerpiece of the mock draft is Garrett Nussmeier, the LSU quarterback, whom Todd projects as the first overall pick by the New York Jets. He justifies this choice by highlighting Nussmeier's anticipation, throwing mechanics, and leadership qualities.

[12:24] Todd McShay: "I went with Garrett Nussmeier, LSU quarterback. I flipped through a couple way too early mock drafts last night just to get a pulse of what I think people are a lot lower on Nussmeier than I am. I like this guy, man. I like his anticipation. I like the way he throws."

Steve Mensch supports Todd's selection but adds a note of caution, reminding listeners that this is a mock draft and actual draft outcomes may vary.

[14:52] Steve Mensch: "He's in the mix to be QB1. If he's not one or if he's not the first quarterback off the board, he's in the mix, man."

Notable Player Evaluations

1. Caleb Downs – Safety to the New Orleans Saints

   • Todd praises Downs for his mental sharpness and physical prowess, making him a unique talent at the safety position.

     [16:10] Todd McShay: "Caleb Downs is as mentally sharp as he is physically gifted. I love how quickly he reacts and fills the alley."

   • Steve Mensch echoes Todd's sentiments, emphasizing Downs' versatility and impact on the field.

     [16:37] Steve Mensch: "He's versatile, man. He can do everything that you want him to do."

2. Lenore Sellers – Cornerback for the Rams

   • Highlighted for his physical attributes and playmaking abilities, Todd forecasts Sellers as a top defensive pick.

     [46:07] Todd McShay: "He’s built well. He seems to get down the field. I'm excited to see Tate."

3. Jeremiah Love – Running Back for the Chicago Bears

   • Todd underscores Love's explosiveness and potential as a key asset in the Bears' running game.

     [48:08] Todd McShay: "He's going to fight for yards after contact, break tackles, and find seams. I think Jeremiah is special."

Trade Analysis: Rams and Titans

A significant portion of the discussion revolves around potential trades, particularly the Rams trading up to secure their future quarterback. Todd analyzes the Rams' strategic moves and the implications for the Titans, who receive additional first-round picks in return.

[20:08] Todd McShay: "The Rams are trading up to get their guy. This means the Titans get two first-round picks, allowing them flexibility."

Steve Mensch highlights the strategic depth of this move, suggesting it positions the Rams for sustained success.

[20:38] Steve Mensch: "The Rams made a statement with that trade. They’re positioning themselves well for the future."

Team-Specific Picks and Strategies

1. Cleveland Browns

   • Todd anticipates the Browns selecting Cade Clubnick, a promising quarterback from Clemson, to bolster their roster.

     [25:37] Todd McShay: "Cade Clubnick represents one of those guys who could wind up in the third round. He's competitive and a true baller."

   • Steve Mensch discusses the potential impact of combining Clubnick with the Browns' existing talent.

     [27:05] Steve Mensch: "He's got talented wide receivers like Williams, Wesco Jr., and TJ Moore, which creates a dynamic offensive line."

2. Carolina Panthers

   • The Panthers are projected to draft Mario Crystal Ball, an offensive tackle from the University of Miami, addressing their offensive line needs.

     [34:28] Todd McShay: "Mario Crystal Ball needs to take the next step. Protecting Bryce Young better than last year is crucial."

3. Seattle Seahawks

   • Despite recent draft decisions, Todd suggests the Seahawks might focus on wide receivers, selecting players like Evan Stewart.

     [43:36] Todd McShay: "Evan Stewart is explosive and a great fit for the Seahawks' offense. He was a late-round pick but has high potential."

4. Green Bay Packers

   • The Packers are expected to focus on defensive needs, drafting Deontay Lawson from Florida as a key linebacker.

     [46:06] Todd McShay: "Deontay Lawson has 76 tackles and six sacks last season. He’s a strong candidate for the Packers' linebacker needs."

Future Plans and Audience Engagement

Towards the end of the episode, Todd emphasizes the importance of audience feedback and outlines plans for future shows. He encourages listeners to submit their ideas and preferences to tailor upcoming content to their interests.

[56:12] Todd McShay: "We want your feedback. Tell us what you want to hear, and we'll incorporate that into our future shows."

Steve Mensch adds excitement about the collaborative efforts moving forward.

[56:15] Steve Mensch: "Listen, we're going to talk about it. It's going to happen."

Closing Remarks

In his heartfelt closing, Todd reflects on the journey of the show, expressing gratitude for the support and enthusiasm from listeners. He underscores the commitment to delivering insightful and passionate analysis while balancing professional rigor with personal camaraderie.

[62:00] Todd McShay: "This has been the most rewarding year of my entire career. I'm so grateful for the support and excited to keep rolling with you all."

Notable Quotes with Timestamps

• Todd McShay [02:00]: "It's two and a half hours of reviewing the 2025 NFL Draft... it was kind of fun."

• Steve Mensch [14:52]: "He's in the mix to be QB1. If he's not one or if he's not the first quarterback off the board, he's in the mix, man."

• Todd McShay [16:10]: "Caleb Downs is as mentally sharp as he is physically gifted."

• Steve Mensch [16:37]: "He's versatile, man. He can do everything that you want him to do."

• Todd McShay [20:08]: "The Rams are trading up to get their guy. This means the Titans get two first-round picks."

• Todd McShay [25:37]: "Cade Clubnick represents one of those guys who could wind up in the third round. He's competitive and a true baller."

• Steve Mensch [27:05]: "He's got talented wide receivers like Williams, Wesco Jr., and TJ Moore, which creates a dynamic offensive line."

• Todd McShay [56:12]: "We want your feedback. Tell us what you want to hear, and we'll incorporate that into our future shows."

• Todd McShay [62:00]: "This has been the most rewarding year of my entire career. I'm so grateful for the support and excited to keep rolling with you all."

Conclusion

This episode of The McShay Show offers a detailed and enthusiastic exploration of the upcoming 2026 NFL Draft, blending expert analysis with interactive audience engagement. Todd McShay and Steve Mensch provide insightful projections, highlight emerging talents, and discuss strategic trades that could redefine team rosters. As the listeners await further developments, the hosts invite continuous feedback to enhance the show's content, ensuring it remains a valuable resource for football enthusiasts.

Transcript

[Todd McShay]

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[Steve Mensch]

It's way too early.

[Todd McShay]

We gotta reset the clock. Here we go. Just 357 days until the NFL draft. Mensch. You good?

[Steve Mensch]

I'm good, man.

[Todd McShay]

Tucker, wherever you are, play me that sweet beat. All right? I promise full transparency. And that's exactly what you're going to get. It is Monday morning and I'm wearing a hat because I was up doing a mock draft. A way too early mock draft. Late last night, after two and a half hours, two and a half hours of reviewing the 2025 NFL Draft, I went back to the hotel here in LA and sat down and did a mock draft. It was grueling, it was punishing. It wasn't fair. I didn't like doing it. But when I got into it, it was kind of fun.

[Steve Mensch]

Nice.

[Todd McShay]

And so I'm wearing a hat today because I'm exhausted and I just threw one on this morning because let's knock this out and let's have some fun. And you're going to see this a little bit later in the week, but that's fine too. Mensch is wearing a hat because he was out jam banding with Fish in the Holiday he was noodling with Fish in the Holiday bowl last night, man.

[Steve Mensch]

Trey and the boys are tearing it up.

[Todd McShay]

We went to bed at the same late time just for different reasons. But he's here and he's a trooper. Fresh faced Santa, beer beard, going mafia. Folks love this guy for a whole bunch of reasons and one of them is because you're playing guitar Rosillo's jam band last night and it brings a little balance to this show. A couple things I want to get to quickly before we get in this mock draft. First of all, the McShay report if you it's out now. The way to early mock draft. We're going to go through all. We're not hiding picks, we're not trying to get you to go spend $4 or doubling down, but we'd love for you to. And we're going to have content all throughout the summer. We're going to have content all throughout this, this month of May coming up. And we're, we're excited to like really do some deep dives into, into all, all the players that were just drafted, the rosters. We're going to really break it down before we kind of switch the page over to the 2026 draft and all of that. So I am seeking your input. We, Steve and I are seeking your input. Next week we can decide what shows to do, but send in your thoughts. I guess you're watching the show right now. I want you to think like what, what do I want to hear? Maybe it's about a specific team. Maybe it's something about the process. Maybe it's about like certain players, where they went. Whatever it is, we're going to take a list of those. We're going to compile it. Dan's back there. He knows to look through all the comments. We will too. And kind of figure out what if there's a trend of certain things you guys want to hear, we'll figure it out. If there are certain questions that are like, oh, that's awesome, that's like, that's creative, that's fun, that's new, we've never thought of that.

[Steve Mensch]

Let's do it.

[Todd McShay]

So the next week's gonna be all about you guys. We've Come up with all these show ideas. We broke down every angle of the draft. It's two and a half hours of reviews. We did yesterday, we get the mock. The way too early mock. Today we had four and a half hours of live show. On the Thursday night, we had another three and a half hours of live shows. Friday night, we did two hours at Rosillo's house. Now we want to hear from you. So. So that's my. My push to all of you who have been unbelievable, the support, like the numbers that we're getting, and people are starting to figure out we're not. We're the not fucking around crew. I told you. And I think you know what I'm talking about. The information you've gotten here got you actually prepared whether it was back to the combine with Shador, whether it was the. The, you know, some of the different positions and where we thought Tyler Shuck. The rise of Tyler Shuck going 40 and maybe the. The Saints. I feel. I feel really good about all the hard work. Sometimes it doesn't pay off in life and certainly in this job this year. It did. You guys have witnessed it, and we appreciate all of your support along the way. Okay, last bit of housekeeping. The way too early mock draft. Let's just address it off the top, please. I get it. And the funny part, Mench, is for all the, like, the draft buzzes, the rankings, the mock drafts throughout the year, all the stuff that I used to write my former place of employment. Okay. As if that's a big surprise, right?

[Steve Mensch]

Big secret.

[Todd McShay]

This would be the most viewed article that I would write for.

[Steve Mensch]

For.

[Todd McShay]

For dot com. Okay.

[Steve Mensch]

Yeah.

[Todd McShay]

And so I. And I love that, like, we're already. Let's flip the page. I told you. I get yelled at my house all the time. It's always like, next play. Next. I was always as a quarterback, like, next play. Like, that play's done. We can't do anything about next play. So you guys have the same mentality, and I love that. And this is a good jumping off point. And to be totally honest with you, it's a fun exercise in this. I. We watch so much tape and we see other players. That's the. That's the starting point. Talk to a lot of different scouts kind of throughout the process. And guys, you're always next year. I mean, we already know those wide receivers in 2027. Man. Arch. Arch Manning in 2027. I should mention Arch Manning is not in this. Nico I. Amaliava is not in this. I fully believe they Both will be in the 2027 draft. If will adjust with would have been.

[Steve Mensch]

Easy for you to put them in there, you know what I mean? So I'm glad, I'm glad you took that approach. You thought about it? Yes.

[Todd McShay]

You thought about something? I, I did. And I didn't want to think last night, but I did. It was the last thinking I want to do for about a week. Okay. So there's no, no deep dive tape breakdowns. I, I, I caution you, I warn you, and I ask for you just calm down, like be, be rational. If you're not, that's fine too. I'm used to that. And, and listen, like last year, for example, it NFL general managers, there's only 32 of them that sit in those seats in the entire world. And their scouting staff that they hand pick that grind all year long. If you pulled NFL general managers a year ago, it would have been Quinn Ewers, right? Shador Sanders for top quarterbacks. Sanders goes in the 5th, yours goes in the 7th. Different reasonings. But, and, and, and the, remember the reports that, that Cam Ward got were when he put in to the advisory committee. It was, you only get three things. This advisor advisory committee that the league put together, people evaluate the tape, talk to people in the league. Where would you go as an underclassman? You ask where would I go? Should I leave school or should I come back? And when he put out that, when he put out in the request to the NFL advisory committee, you only get one of three answers. You're going first round, projected second round, or go back to school. He got to go back to school. And NFL, NFL scouts you talked to was like, yeah, like fifth, fifth round, great. He was the number one overall pick. So I'm not sitting here copping out and saying like, don't hold me to this. I'm so, I'm not worried. I haven't done the tape. And what I promise you is when we're done in la, which is very soon, I'm going to take a few days off. Men, she's going to take a few days off. We're going to enjoy our family. I think we've earned that. And then come next week, we're going to do shows tailored to you and what you're asking us for. But as we start those, we're going to start our tape study. We do this, take a week, then right back into the tape for 2026. We need time to prepare, to give you the best info. Nobody else will actually give you the right information. By the end of the summer on who these players are and what is what the tape is speaking to us. But even the tape on Cam Ward a year ago, even if we deep dive, in we go, we grind it, and we will, we're still going to come back like Cam Ward. Yeah, he's day three right now, but that doesn't mean he's not going to be first overall pick next year. But once we're comfortable with our. With our grades and our evaluations and we start to put together rankings, we'll revisit this in August. It's the first time I'm ever doing this. Okay. And I know it's the first time you've. We've put out a book for ourselves to prepare for the college season and to get started on our process for next year. But this year, for the first time ever, 25 years of doing this mention I are going to come back because we have this platform and we're excited to share. All right, We're. Let's call it August because I don't, I don't like to do much in July because no one in the league does not like. It's 11 months of grind. So we'll, we'll tape some shows, we'll do some pop ins here and there's. But in August, we come back probably, and I'll let you know the dates, exactly when, when we're starting to put together our boards and when we feel good about the tape. And we'll come back later in the summer and we'll say now we're comfortable. Hopefully these guys who are in fifth, sixth round, they elevate to first second.

[Steve Mensch]

Right.

[Todd McShay]

Hopefully the guys in the first second stay and have a great year, but at that point, we'll get into a deep dive on the rankings and who knows, maybe I'll. Maybe we'll just do another mock draft before the college football season as we turn the page and get ready for the season. So that's all the housekeep. I want you to enjoy this for what it is. It's a. I did look at some of the contracts for NFL teams to see whose contract was coming up. I tried to place guys where I thought it could be. Oh, very important. My last bit, it's a disclaimer. In the past, I've used power rankings from places of employment and just flip the order, the order of this, and you're not going to like it. I didn't like it. Like, I looked at it and I'm like, there's no way they're going to be drafting there. But if I looked at it last year, I would have been like, there's no way they're going to be drafting there again or they're going to be drafting way later. It is what it is. We went off of the odds. We, we asked fanduel, we made sure that we got the odds right now. And so we took the, the odds to, to win the super bowl basically and reversed them, flipped them upside down and we accounted for the two trades already. Right. The Rams with the trade with the Falcons, they've got an additional first round pick. And, and also the. The Cleveland Browns moving down the two spots with Jacksonville. They've got two first round picks. So with all that said, we're off the 2026, way too early NFL mock draft. And yes, jets fans, it's depressing. I didn't plan on it.

[Steve Mensch]

Oh, that's how you dropped it.

[Todd McShay]

I have nothing. That's how you dropped it. I had nothing to do. J E T S I mean, I can't imagine the jets are picking one overall, but as I wrote in here, jets fans like you got to admit, if you are picking one overall, the Justin Fields experiment did not go well. Right. That you have to work off of some assumptions.

[Steve Mensch]

Right. Yeah.

[Todd McShay]

And so if the jets are in this position, I have to assume Justin Fields did not plan play out the way that they expected them to. So I went with Garrett Nussmeier, LSU quarterback. I flipped through a couple way too early mock drafts last night just to get a pulse of what I think people are a lot lower on Nussmeier than I am. I like this guy, man. I like his anticipation. I like the way he throws. I think he's got to be channeled and bottled up a little bit. Son of an NFL coach, I, I fully expect last year for Nussmeyer was showing the world the flashes and the instincts and kind of the creativity in the pocket, the way he's able to make some throws down the field into tight windows. But it also was an experience of highs and lows.

[Steve Mensch]

Right.

[Todd McShay]

Young starter, right.

[Steve Mensch]

A little bit of a roller coaster.

[Todd McShay]

Yeah, absolutely. That text.

[Steve Mensch]

The highs are great, though. The highs are high.

[Todd McShay]

The highs are so high.

[Steve Mensch]

Right.

[Todd McShay]

The A and M game was a perfect example. He was rolling, man. Tale of two hats, as Connor Nevins, who's our executive producer here, said. Like in real time. Remember that throw? He was rolling out to the left. They're winning in that game. And it was like three straight games. He was, he was playing Lights out, he's rolling to his left and you just kind of threw it back over the middle. Like the number one mistake you don't make. Especially when your dad's coaching quarterback over the middle man in the National Football League.

[Steve Mensch]

Can't do it.

[Todd McShay]

Sure, his dad wanted to throw the clicker. Yes. But as, as Connor said, he was feeling himself. Well, that moment of feeling himself turned into an avalanche. And then Texas A and M changes quarterbacks and like, and it fell apart. From that point on, LSU was never the same. But it wasn't all nothing. It wasn't at all. Like. I put him low on the totem pole of the reason.

[Steve Mensch]

No running offense, all of it.

[Todd McShay]

But my point is, I like the trajectory for Garrett Nussmire and I think he'll be in the mix to be QB1. Okay. Any thoughts?

[Steve Mensch]

Just keep in mind, I think this is important, too. I think you've done a really good job of explaining this whole exercise. It's not going to matter. People are going to hate you. Just letting you know.

[Todd McShay]

Oh, I'm well aware.

[Steve Mensch]

I'm glad it's you, not me. Just keep in mind, these are, are. This is a mock draft, not rankings. So Garrett Nussmire probably wouldn't be number one in your rankings. I think pick number two would probably be number one on your rankings and we'll get into that in a second. But I like Nuss Meer. I don't. Listen, he's in the mix. If he's not one or if he's not the first quarterback off the board, he's in the mix, man.

[Todd McShay]

You mentioned it. Saints are picking it, too. That frustrated me because it's like I, I believe in Tyler Schuck. Hopefully they didn't play him because they're still developing them. But if the Saints are picking it too, I just had to go best player in the draft. And it is, it is rare, it's rare for a safety to be best player in the draft. I. If he's out there, I didn't see him. I didn't see a player who was just a better football player and better prospect than Caleb Downs last year. Now, I understand safeties typically don't go this high. We thought Kyle Hamilton was. He was going to go top three. Probably should have, right? But he didn't run well. Caleb Downs, I went. I put at number two to the New Orleans Saints. And like, he's. The fun part with Caleb is he's as mentally sharp as he is physically gifted. Like, I love, I love watching how quick he got jumps on the football, how quickly he reacted to run and filled the alley, how, how quickly he was able to diagnose a combination, like a pattern combination and hand off and pick up the receivers on combo routes. I loved watching hit like him, free safety sometimes. Then they moved him in that three safety.

[Steve Mensch]

That's the one I want to make. He's versatile, man. He's versatile. You talk about multi, you're drinking a multiple, multiple multi. He can do everything that you want him to do. Yeah. Watch a matchup against Tyler Warren.

[Todd McShay]

Yes.

[Steve Mensch]

Oh, that was awesome. Awesome battle between those two.

[Todd McShay]

So yeah, maybe, maybe a safety doesn't go too overall, but this guy ain't gonna fall far. And, and so like as, as physically gifted as he is, the mental part is a lot of fun to watch too. And the tough part for him will.

[Steve Mensch]

Be there's no wiggle room when you're a safety. He's got a test super. Well, he's got to have another great year.

[Todd McShay]

Right?

[Steve Mensch]

But it's going to be, I feel like it's going to be one of those things, like I don't think he'll go as late as Malachi Starks, but it'll be one of those things where I can't take a safety there and then someone will draft him in the top 10, maybe just outside of it and just get this hell of a player.

[Todd McShay]

When Saints fans are probably asking, well, if we're, if the jets are one and they had a failed, failed experiment, didn't Tyler Shuck, wouldn't that be a fail? Yeah, I considered it. Like I'm just not ready before he's ever even like put on a helmet and shoulder pads to call the career for Tyler Shuck a failure. So I just, and, and again, I don't think the Saints will be picking this high, but we'll see.

[Steve Mensch]

Yeah, there's a difference.

[Todd McShay]

And, and, and this is a, this is a best player available. Plus that their safety situation is tenuous. I looked through that as well. Giants at three. Again, you can make the argument, well, Jackson Dart didn't work. Well, Jackson Dart probably isn't playing a ton.

[Steve Mensch]

Should we give a rookie more than a year? I mean, Justin Fields has been around for a little while. Can we give the rookies more than.

[Todd McShay]

A year, especially top 40 picks, but that's where they have the Giants this year. Again, I don't like how, how are they picking third overall? I don't know. When you have Russell Wilson upgrading the quarterback spot and Jameis Winston and also Jackson Dart just in case. How about Abdul Carter and. And most. I was gonna say most importantly Abdul Carter with Brian Burns, Kayvon Thibodeau, some of the free agency acquisitions. Not, not like overwhelming but like this is a better, it's a much better football team. But I went with Peter woods here and, and like I get it, Giants fans. You got Dexter Lawrence and they just drafted Darius Alexander in the second round. But from talking to guys in the league, man, like this could be the dude.

[Steve Mensch]

Yeah.

[Todd McShay]

And I've seen him and he's a good player. But like the traits and the expectation for. By the way, college football fans, check out how many Clemson guys. Check out how many guys from the state of South Carolina. This is going to be an interesting year for the, for dabo squad. Yeah, there's got some talent. Really interesting. Well, you just make a note of how many South Carolina guys and especially Clemson guys are on this list in the first round. But Peter Woods. Yeah. Talking to guys in the league, it's like he might be one of those can't pass defensive tackles and we'll see. We'll see a year. I mean Mikel Williams and James Pierce last year were top five dudes. Mikel went early. Pierce got traded up for a first round pick for the next year. And it wasn't about play on the field. It was about some of the character stuff that led to him falling into the 20s. But. So maybe it's not three. But I'm telling you there's a lot of buzz and scouting circles on Peter Woods. And by the way, Dexter Lawrence will be entering his after this season. He'll be entering I believe his final year of his contract, a four year deal. Okay. And there's no telling how Darius Alexander plays and, and you can't have enough of like dudes, you know, So I just thought that was an intriguing spot. Okay, here's where it gets interesting. Trade. Trade.

[Steve Mensch]

You did it. I didn't even realize you did a trade.

[Todd McShay]

I did. You were out Noodles. Noodling with you, man. And I was out here making trades. Well, here's the deal, man.

[Steve Mensch]

They have to have the picks. I get it.

[Todd McShay]

Yeah. The ramp. The Rams are sitting there. The Titans had the fourth pick. So the Cam Ward year was bumpy. But the Titans, the Rams, because of the trade that they made right with. With the Falcons. Fleece. Fleece the Falcons compensation wise. Love. Love what the Falcons got in the aggressiveness but. But less need. Great job. Let's look forward. Matthew Stafford can't play forever. It's already been talked like Wednesday.

[Steve Mensch]

Yeah I thought they would maybe consider one.

[Todd McShay]

So they passed.

[Steve Mensch]

They almost did right? The rumor was they almost did.

[Todd McShay]

Yes they the rumor was they almost took they were going to take Jackson Dart Don't. We'll probably never know for sure. I don't think that anyone would ever admit. Yeah we wanted to take somebody else we so we wanted to take in this right. But I had the Rams trading up to that number four spot. Okay and this would mean the Titans would have the number four spot and they wound up I had them trade down to 11 and I gave them also the later first round pick. So the Rams get one pick in the first Titans don't pick as high as they would based off of the odds but they get two picks in the first round. So Titans fans will come right back to you. The Rams very clearly made a statement when they made that trade and they didn't in Jackson Dart wasn't there that were all right after Jackson in their minds if Jackson darted that that speculation is accurate. There was a two quarterback draft for them. They Cam Ward was going one if we could get Jackson Dart where at 26 without having to trade up and giving away other compensation. We love we love what he has and Sean McVeigh would love to work with him. If not we're passing on 2025 at the quarterback position and in 2026 we like what what we're seeing already. And one of those guys that here's another guy I'm. Why aren't people talking about Lenora Sellers?

[Steve Mensch]

You know I love him.

[Todd McShay]

You know tell people about Lenore Sellers.

[Steve Mensch]

I listen he's got to get more consistent like a lot of these guys. It's going to be a big year for him. But what was the I forget the end of which game it was but I called him Superman.

[Todd McShay]

Missouri.

[Steve Mensch]

Missouri.

[Todd McShay]

Missouri.

[Steve Mensch]

He was when you see him at his best he's unstoppable. I mean he's a great runner when he takes off. Strong arm built well to ha can handle the physical beating. He's going to take a quarterback and shake off some sacks. Moves around really well. Again inconsistent. Some decision making needs to be better. He misses on some throws. I thought there were some drops that hurt him last year too though.

[Todd McShay]

Yeah.

[Steve Mensch]

Good player. I mean again a guy I think is got a really good chance to be in the mix.

[Todd McShay]

I I'm keeping a close eye on this guy this year. Yeah because his his best tape is better than everybody else's best tape and that that includes Garrett Nussmeier and Garrett Nussmeyer's best tape is pretty damn good. That includes Drew Aller, who I'm not quite as high on as everybody else seems to be. Yeah, it's better than Cade Club. Next, who I like. I love the Ascension. I'm hopeful that it's going to continue and we'll get to Kaden a little bit. But this guy's best tape is better than everybody else's. I love when things break down. Bullets are flying, Bill. Yes, the decision making sometimes can be erratic. Footwork's got to improve and be more consistent. But when things break down and get crazy, that's when some of his special comes out.

[Steve Mensch]

Yeah.

[Todd McShay]

So I had the Rams taking, which would be perfect, and maybe have one more year with Stafford, develop him behind him, and all of a sudden now McVeigh's got his guy to work with moving forward. Because, like, I get it. McVay wants a partnership, not a mentorship at quarterback, but, like, good luck finding a partnership like Matthew Stafford.

[Steve Mensch]

Right. That's a very unique situation. I don't know who you could trade for or, you know.

[Todd McShay]

Yes. All right, so let's keep it moving. Browns, you're up, Browns fans. I mean, here's the deal. If you're picking at five, it's time to scrap the four quarterback deal. You know, like. And it's actually five.

[Steve Mensch]

Technically, I was gonna say it's five.

[Todd McShay]

Deshaun Watson still on the roster. Right. Joe Flacco is going to be the day one, the week one starter. Kenny Pickett was brought in as a reclamation project. I appreciate what Cleveland's doing. And you know what? Kevin Stefanski is on the short list of guys who could actually, of these four, quote, he can make it work with Joe Flacco. He's done that before. They can win more games this year. He's actually capable. Stefanski is. And there's not a ton of people in the league that I would actually. Just a handful maybe, that I would. I would put up that list of guys that can get them. Maybe could bring it out of Kenny Pickett, maybe could bring it out of Dylan Gable. Gabriel, Absolutely. I've said from day one Stefanski is the guy I need to see Shador Sanders with. But after a year, you're picking at five. My assumption is it's not going well. Flat goes done. Pickett maybe has to move on. You decide between one of those two rookies, but they're still viewed as a backup. We're going starter here hopefully for. For Cleveland and It would be Kate Clubnik. It's a good news, bad news deal. Browns fans, if you're picking at five, the good news is you may not have to package that second pick. You know, that you traded up for. Are you traded back for with Jacksonville? You may not have to utilize that Jacksonville first round pick to go bump up a little bit and. Or maybe you do because you want to get up to number one or number two. But in this situation, Cade Club Nick, the quarterback from Clemson, all of a sudden.

[Steve Mensch]

Let's go Clemson.

[Todd McShay]

All of a sudden. Mensch is a Clemson guy.

[Steve Mensch]

I think I've always been a Clemson fan. I was just disappointed with where we were.

[Todd McShay]

Okay, please.

[Steve Mensch]

I bleed orange with the talent around.

[Todd McShay]

Club Nick, with the ascension we saw from him last year, I love his. I love his competitiveness. I love the pace that he plays the game with. I love the urgency. I like the way he creates and extends. I love when he takes off and runs. There's a lot of things there. He could have a Jackson dart kind of rise. He's that kind of baller, a competitor. Yeah, I think there's. I don't think. I know there's going to have to be improvement in terms of like footwork in the pocket, that catalog. He's got to show a lot of improvement in order to be drafted this high. But club I wanted to represent in this thing where the quarterbacks, the four quarterbacks that I thought had a chance. Arch Manning, I told you, not like the Mannings have a plan. And I believe that plan includes Arch being in the 2027 draft. Nico, I am Alva Emaliava transferring to Tennessee to UCLA and he's so far away, but I think he's 2027. So this is three quarterbacks now I have coming off the board and Kate is one of them who may wind up in the third round. Shoot. Shador Sanders went in the fifth. Quinn Neighers just went in the seventh. So I'm not. I'm not saying he's. He's my guy in the first. I'm just saying Cade's one of those guys that we'll be talking about and we'll see how he progresses.

[Steve Mensch]

Think about the town he has wide receiver. He's poised.

[Todd McShay]

Yes.

[Steve Mensch]

He's got dudes at wide receiver between Williams, Wesco Jr, TJ Moore, like all these young, talented receivers who are now, I mean, kind of got their feet wet last year, started to explode at the end of the year. He's in a. And don't tell me it doesn't matter when you start putting up numbers and you have a great year and you get momentum going. And I think it's important if you enter the league with momentum like a Jaden Daniels, I think had a ton of momentum when that helps you. And I just think the club makes it in a great spot to have a great year and kind of just get things rolling.

[Todd McShay]

Okay. Panthers at six. Francis, Maui, Noah, offensive tackle. That's where I went with this one. Listen, I watched a little bit of tape. I actually watched a little tape last night to see and he's, he's still developing a little bit. He's still kind of a pup, but 6, 6, 3, 15 offensive tackle, probably outside of cornerback. Like I don't know what any position is more about traits. He's got the traits. Need him to kind of take that next step this year. Mario crystal ball. Like I just, I've got a sense that this is a guy who's going to start to pop this year. Okay. Started every game last year. Every, every single game at right tackle for the Canes. I don't know is he a kick over to left tackle guy or not. I look at Carolina's situation, they're 30th last year in a pass block win rate. Okay. Really good run blocking group. Pass protection wasn't great. Got better as the season went on as Bryce was starting to get the ball out. I understand that you got, you got icky at left tackle Equanu just like the rest of the line. Really good run blocker. Pass protection's not been great. So I don't know if this is a plug left tackle. Kick icky outside to guard or bump him in the. Or bump him in the guard or kick him the right tackle. I don't know if this is. He becomes a starting right tackle opposite icky at Taylor Moten spot. I'm not sure. But I do know protecting Bryce Young better than they protected him last year is a, is a matter of importance. And they, they, they didn't spend a lot, if I recall. Carolina, I don't think spent a lot on the offensive line. I know his wide receiver one.

[Steve Mensch]

You know, I don't remember. Tell me. Look it up.

[Todd McShay]

You know, I'm look, I'm looking it up. We'll do it on the fly. But I just like offensive tackles go. We saw it this year. Offensive tackles go even to places you didn't expect them to go. And we talked about like Kelvin Banks, how high he went. We talked about Will Campbell at 4. We item at 12, a lot of teams had him like 10, 10 to 13 range. Maybe he's a guard. Offensive tackles fly off the board and yeah, that's right, it was. I knew they didn't draft an offensive lineman period. It was wide receiver Tela McMillan, two edges, running back Trevor Utn, safety, defensive lineman and tight end.

[Steve Mensch]

Yep.

[Todd McShay]

So this made sense to me when I was looking at it last night.

[Steve Mensch]

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[Todd McShay]

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[Steve Mensch]

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[Todd McShay]

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[Steve Mensch]

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[Todd McShay]

Because if your business is on the.

[Steve Mensch]

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[Todd McShay]

Enterprise Mobility moving you moves the world.

[Steve Mensch]

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[Todd McShay]

The Raiders this is.

[Steve Mensch]

Where it gets good for me.

[Todd McShay]

7Th pick Drew Aller I said before man. And and again if the Raiders are picking at 7, you have to assume that Geno because they're trying to win. Now you saw it with the draft, you've seen it with a little bit of the off season, you know, with the head coach. This is not a long term deal. Okay. That signals to me if this is the case that the Genos and Geno's 35 going on 36 next season it would be a good time. We don't expect to be picking in the top 10 again so let's make sure we get our quarterback. Drew Aller. I'm interested to see your take on it. Drew Hours got a big arm. Drew Aller is a competitive Son of a gun. And I like that about him and I like the mobility and I like how. But I just haven't seen a first round quarterback in terms of ball placement, anticipation, accuracy, timing yet. I hope this is the year and I'm glad he came back to school for another year.

[Steve Mensch]

This is, you know, that always leaving, wanting more is not necessarily a good thing when it comes to a draft prospect. And that's what I get with Drew Aller. And I thought there were flashes in the Big Ten championship game against Oregon where I was like, this is. He's. He's coming into his own. This is going to be it. You know, this. Finally we're seeing the Drew Aller that we thought we're going to see all along. And it just, it just hasn't, it just hasn't come together consistently. And I think we've seen enough. You could say that Lenore Sellers has to, has to develop too. They all, absolutely. They all have to make strides. Right. But I feel like I've seen maybe, maybe it's prospect fatigue too. I've watched a lot of Drew Aller at this point, so maybe it's. Maybe I'm being a little unfair because I've seen him so much and he.

[Todd McShay]

Was awesome last year, but I.

[Steve Mensch]

He needs to take a jump.

[Todd McShay]

He made a. He made, you are right, jump from 23 to 24. He made. I was like day three then last year I was like, okay, maybe like maybe day two, climbing right. But not there yet in my mind. So this is based off of. And I think that's fair. I think that this is based off of art. If he made that jump 20, 23 to 24, similar jump 24 to 25 could land him somewhere in round one.

[Steve Mensch]

Yeah, I just, I think back, I don't think he played super well in the Notre Dame game. I know he was coming out when that Oregon game, man, even though they lost that game, he made some plays in that game where I was thinking to myself, this is it. Here we go. This is a big game. He showed up in a big game. And then I, I didn't see it the rest of the way.

[Todd McShay]

All right, Colts today. Offensive tackle. I went here, Blake Miller from Clemson. I, I just, I looked at the Colts situation. I think they could be in the, the market for a starting offensive tackle next year. Okay. They didn't use a pick in the first three rounds on an offensive tackle and I had that one as one of the top. Like three needs three, four or like four would be the stretch Needs for the Colts coming in. They obviously got their tight end. They didn't draft a. They got their tight end in. In Tyler Warren, which was awesome pick. Colts fans have to love that.

[Steve Mensch]

Yes.

[Todd McShay]

And. And yes. Colts fan. You're looking at this and saying, well, when we go quarterback and I'm like, I just. I don't. Like I've got one, actually. I don't. There wasn't a quarterback here. We had four already off the board. That was a deal there. I. I couldn't. Here's the problem I have is that like there's a lot of coaches then they call me and then. And I'm trying this. This tightrope. Okay. That you walk with these things of trying to project and with positivity like Drew Aller and Cole Clubnick. I don't see first round right now, but I'm trying to glass half full positivity projected the positive. This is what it could be if it all works out. But then like that, then you start to balance. You know, you're going that side and then what happens is I, I recognize the importance of this drill, unfortunately, and the impact it can have. I've had too many calls from Nick Saban's office and Urban Meyer calling my cell phone. And, and I understand that this can plant a seed in a young man's mind. And I'm not trying to do that. And I, and I look, this is a public service announcement psa and I'm being. This is like the most serious I will be all day is right here.

[Steve Mensch]

The more you know, if you are.

[Todd McShay]

A draft prospect and you're watching this or reading this, and I will write this as my first paragraph in. In this mock draft. Please do not go off this. I have not studied enough tape. We're still working through the process. Do not say, well, I'm going to be a first round or maybe I. I got to protect myself. Please do not. This is an exercise for fun. Just trying to get a feel for next year's class. Some frustrated NFL teams, fans of NFL teams. What could we do next year to make it up? I don't feel like we got enough this year in the draft. That's what this is for. This is not an indicator. If you want a better indicator, first of all, go to your coaches. Go to, you know, you have the advisory committed to lean on. Go to people who actually know and I don't know at this point, come back in August, I'll have a much better feel. It didn't steer a lot of people Wrong this year, but not right now. All right. With that out, I didn't have another quarterback that I felt like I pushed it with those four. I didn't. There was nobody else. I felt great about that later. Okay. I went Blake Miller from Clemson. They didn't. The Colts fourth round, 127 overall was the first time as a player I didn't even love. In Jalen Travis going that early, that didn't solve anything in terms, in my mind in terms of long term starting tackle league, you know. So I went with Blake Miller, who's an interesting prospect because he's getting a lot of love from certain circles and not a love from some people. And I think men, you're, you're kind of.

[Steve Mensch]

I want to see him get stronger. He needs to get stronger. He's an athletic kid. He's an athletic kid and he's tough. He fights. I need to see a little more, more strength in both the run game and the passing game. I want to see him anchor better. I want to see him get. Move some guys off the ball so.

[Todd McShay]

Just like the quarterbacks like these guys make, make that next step. A lot of guys he moves well. A lot of guys in this first round this year that, that weren't there a year ago. So Blake Miller could be one of those in your mind that it maybe isn't there right now but full off season. Think about when you're 21 and like what a full off season, nutrition and weight room and all. Like it's amazing how quickly things can change for you and hopefully that's the arc for. For Blake Miller. Sticking with Clemson, man, this is the fourth Clemson Tiger in the top nine. My guys, TJ Parker, don't let him make him earn it a little bit more. You could maybe put him earlier. I know, I know you know, I mean four quarterbacks. Yeah, but trust me, he was sitting there for a little bit. TJ Parker, he's a problem again. Good news, bad news. Browns fans. You know you didn't have to use this pick to go up for a quarterback but. But you had to take a quarterback and you were picking with your original pick at 5. But now you get the Jags pick and you're at nine and now is the payoff right for. For moving back, not getting Shohei Otani, not getting Travis Hunter. And so you combine Mason Graham with TJ Parker and plus still have that first pick if you need it on a quarterback or another position at the time. That trade is going to be huge. And TJ Parker 6, 3, 2, 65 powerful bull rushing dude. And he also, if I remember correctly, like he had what was like seven or eight sacks last year. He, he was a. I was, I was impressed with the limited amount that I've seen of him. Really impressed and excited to see what he can do this season.

[Steve Mensch]

Yeah, he's a problem. He's a problem coming off the edge and he had 11 sacks last year.

[Todd McShay]

Yeah, he's. He turned. Oh, it was 11 jump.

[Steve Mensch]

I don't know what his pressure number is, but I will say this. When you throw on the tape, he's pack a lunch. If you're an offensive tackle going up against this kid because I love it. He is a problem.

[Todd McShay]

All right, we'll start to car wash this a little bit.

[Steve Mensch]

Yep.

[Todd McShay]

Patriots attend. Coming off a great draft, great off season, a lot of excitement. Still picking at 10. That's fine. Part of the developmental 2026 is going to be the year. Pats fans. I went with Ruben Bane here. Edge defensive lineman, Miami. I'm counting on a bounce back. Nicked up a little bit last year. Wasn't the same guy his freshman year though. I remember watching him two years ago and being like, that guy's a true freshman. When he was fully healthy, he was something and he was tracking the top 10. I'm, I'm working off of like Miami's defense is going to bounce back this year and Bain's going to be a big part of it. I think Reuben Bain is one of the more intriguing guys to watch. Titans. You made the trade, remember? So now we get two picks in the first round. Titans fans, this is, this, this would be at 11, a trade from the Rams via the Falcons. Okay. Nick Harbor. Another state of South Carolina is. It's a fertile ground. South Carolina, fertile ground. He's wrong with you, man. She. I had a lot of things. He's 6 5, 240 pounds. You were in a 10 1, 200 meter. I'm not a big 100 meter guy, but like I know that's fast. Yeah. Drawing some DK Metcalf.

[Steve Mensch]

I get that.

[Todd McShay]

Production has not been there, but he finished pretty strong. 19 catches, 325, three touchdowns in the final seven games last year. This would be an interesting weapon for Cam Ward.

[Steve Mensch]

This is fascinating because I just, I was like, well, his numbers aren't great. He Unbelievable talent.

[Todd McShay]

Unbelievable.

[Steve Mensch]

This is on. This is like a really DK. Really DK.

[Todd McShay]

Yeah.

[Steve Mensch]

Really built like DK. Really runs like DK. We're not kidding. It's DK. Someone was like, oh, but DK must have put up bigger numbers. 2018, DK Metcalfe and Ole Miss had 26 catches.

[Todd McShay]

Yeah, he ran nine rows.

[Steve Mensch]

That's it.

[Todd McShay]

I know.

[Steve Mensch]

I mean, he averaged 22 years.

[Todd McShay]

I wouldn't say his name if I remembered, but I. I actually did two Ole Miss games that year, and the quarterback play just wasn't what it needed to be.

[Steve Mensch]

So maybe. Maybe I'm crazy. I mean, maybe I'm not. Maybe you're not that far off. Like, I just. I assume that Metcalf put up bigger numbers.

[Todd McShay]

Yeah, he didn't.

[Steve Mensch]

He didn't.

[Todd McShay]

His. His yards per catch were outrageous.

[Steve Mensch]

But yes, when you watch harbor run, man, it's fun.

[Todd McShay]

It is fun. Seahawks back at 12. I would be really disappointed Seahawks fans after that draft. But again, they reset the clock. So maybe this is just part of the 12. I know. Part of the drill. Don't yell at me. Yell at. I'm already mad at you. Yell at fanduel. Where's my helmet? Yell at fanduel. No, I'm kidding. But, like, we just. We got to go off of something. And, and, and this is what we're talking.

[Steve Mensch]

Take advantage of the odds. You know, FanDuel is kind of up. Take advantage of the odds.

[Todd McShay]

Make a pay. Yeah, make them pay. Stick it to him. Hawks fans, jets fans, give them the business. I went with. There's a lot of wide receivers. It's gonna be cares. And. And I did. I did try to trend.

[Steve Mensch]

I'm excited after this year's class, I want more wide receivers.

[Todd McShay]

I know. And not all these guys are gonna be the first round. Maybe there will be one or two who aren't here that will elevate. We see that every single year. But Jeremy Bernard, I'm excited to watch at Alabama. They think that they got some. Their offense rolling. The passing game is going to get rolling again this year. I think Jeremy's going to have a lot more opportunities. Thing about Jeremy that I liked, he showed up like big moments. He would find a way to uncover, get open. 50 catches. They didn't throw the ball great last year. 50 catches, 15.9 yards per catch. He's obviously got a superstar true freshman opposite that they're. They're targeting. And so now Bernard still though, 50 catches, 15.9 per catch. Physical guy. And the Seahawks didn't drive. The Seahawks wide receiver was like one like top two, maybe top two need right their first draft pick. And I like Tory Horton where you got him in the fifth round. But it wasn't until the fifth round.

[Steve Mensch]

Right. And Cooper cup will see where he's at.

[Todd McShay]

Jermad McCoy. Lot of buzz for this guy. Tennessee corner. We saw two. You know, they'll go down with the ship in man to man coverage, and they went down with the ship in Columbus, Ohio, that cold night and. But Jermad McCoy is supposed to be the next guy longer. Man to man, cover Corner, aggressive scheme. 6 foot 1, 93, 4 picks last year. Okay. First corner off the board and first cornerback off the board. Could have gone higher, to be honest. Okay. Because this is. This is like a top five, top seven guy as it stands right now in a lot of people's minds. We'll see how it plays out.

[Steve Mensch]

I'm glad you're saying that because some people might read behind the line, read between the lines and say, oh, McShailey thinks he's the middle of the first round guy. Gotcha.

[Todd McShay]

And remember, Jalen Ramsey's heading out of town. Cornerback was a big need. They didn't. They. The Dolphins didn't address cornerback until round five. So keep an eye on that. Another wide receiver here, 14. We thought it was going to be wide receiver at 12. They went with the big guy, Kenneth Grant. Michigan Cowboys did, and in part, I believe, because Teteroa McMillan wasn't on the. Wasn't on the board. He was taking it. Eight to Carolina. Dolphins. Sorry, Cowboys. Evan Stewart is the receiver I went with. Evan's tricky man is lean. He's 6 foot 1, 75. He's the Texas A and M transfer. He is so explosive. I remember talking to scouts last year about Tez and how Ted was on a roll. And we're like, yeah, let's see how he. Let's see how it works out. Let's see what he weighs. But, yeah, he's been awesome. Tez wound up in, like, late seventh round. Okay. Because of all those things. But every scout I talked to and like, I saw it on tape, too, but I wasn't because we kind of knew Evan was going back to school. Like, Stewart's the guy.

[Steve Mensch]

Yeah, he was on the board for long stretches of time because I assumed that he was going to come out. I thought he was going to come out.

[Todd McShay]

Yes.

[Steve Mensch]

And I had Tez ranked higher than him. And you called me. I remember you calling, saying, hey, man.

[Todd McShay]

Don'T Stewart's the guy. Yeah, flip. Flip him. Even though Tez is playing better. Right, Stuart, like there's some maturing that has to go on. I'm not going to lie to you. He's got some like. But this is the year. You got one more year. Get ready. Cowboys would really, I mean a weapon like this opposite CD Lamb is kind of like the next step. Cardinals. I just like Deontay Lawson.

[Steve Mensch]

He's one of my favorite players.

[Todd McShay]

Sue me. Yeah, I get it. Off ball linebacker. Cardinals didn't really address it. I, I like Cody Simon. They drafted him in the fourth round. We'll see how that plays out. But I could see the Cardinals being in the in in the mood to draft a an off ball linebacker, someone as impactful as loss. Lawson had 76 tackles, six and a half for loss, two sacks, four PB PBUs past breakups and an interception last year. And he didn't play in the last two games. Okay, so he comes back fully healthy, ready to go. The guy without Jihad Campbell there, I.

[Steve Mensch]

Just not as talent naturally talented as Campbell, I'll say that.

[Todd McShay]

But the tape, the tape is so.

[Steve Mensch]

Watching him fly around is so I, I had him as a potential first round pick. If he came out this year, that's how much I liked him.

[Todd McShay]

Right. So we'll see how that plays out. Steelers, Steelers fans, Steelers fans, who knows what's going to happen. But if you're picking it 16, it means you had a middle of the road year. It's. It would be frustrating. I probably go the veteran route again. You're not getting it 16 unless you as I wrote in here, package picks move up, go get your guy. Maybe next year's the year. But if you're picking at 16, I don't know that you're going to have your. Your answer. Just like picking at 21 this year. So I went with cornerback Damani Jackson from Alabama. Kind of a big like A thickly built six 1201 pound cornerback. Seven breakups last year, two interceptions. I think, I think he's going to ascend and be the guy. Like it's like every year Alabama, it feels like Alabama and Michigan got a cornerback every year and so Darius slay brought in one year, 35 years old. This would be a good time to draft a corner.

[Steve Mensch]

I feel like agree I want to get to the next guy.

[Todd McShay]

Take it. Take the whole he's your guy. I take the whole pick. I know Bears fans.

[Steve Mensch]

They didn't get their running back this year, right? That's. They definitely didn't get Ash and Genti. Did they draft one?

[Todd McShay]

No, they did not draft a single running back.

[Steve Mensch]

They did not draft.

[Todd McShay]

They're going off the top of my head.

[Steve Mensch]

They did. They drafted the Rutgers kid late.

[Todd McShay]

Oh, seventh round.

[Steve Mensch]

I thought that was in the back of my head.

[Todd McShay]

Yes, yes.

[Steve Mensch]

Like I said, definitely a Genti. Anyways, they took the Ruckers kid really late. Jeremiah Love, Notre Dame running back.

[Todd McShay]

Yes.

[Steve Mensch]

I mean just watching him in the that Notre Dame team, there's a lot of reasons why they made that run. Riley Leonard put it together. Great leader, great head coach, great defense. Jeremiah Love is a big a part of it as anyone. So tough and then add the explosiveness. I mean he's a I, he's just a. He's gonna fight for yards after contact, he's gonna break tackles and then he's gonna break loose when he gets a seam.

[Todd McShay]

I love love man. It's been told that my whole life.

[Steve Mensch]

Fun to watch and to get him. It's get him at 17. I think it's pretty good. I know running backs. We'll see what this running back class is. You don't always take one in the first round. I think he's a kid. You got to keep an eye on the first round.

[Todd McShay]

I loved love when a certain quarterback was coming out of Nevada, but no coming out of where did love come out of for the Green Bay Packers? I love love now that there's certain running backs coming out of Notre Dame. I, I just, I think I, I, I think Jeremiah is special. Yeah, I think I think Jeremiah is special. 18 bucks. Keldrick Falk, Auburn. I'm excited to see more of this guy. The flashes I've seen, it's impressive. And again, we're, we're now towards middle late first round and, and, and still developing. He's an underclassman. If you notice in this I, I leaned upperclassmen, guys that could be going to the Senior bowl, guys who have more experience. I'd rather not plant it in people's in players heads that, oh, you're ready, you know, if you're not. But this guy's got a lot of talent. You look at two. Here's the thing. Six, six two eight eight. You don't find many guys at six six two eight eight with nine sacks and 45 pressures. So in the SEC, I think, I think Fox got a chance if he continues to take that next step. And the Bucks failed to address their needed edge. They went wide receiver, cornerback, cornerback first three rounds. So it would make sense that they'd be in the market a year from now. Broncos. I went linebacker. There are two linebackers. And again off the ball. Linebackers fall. So maybe it's not as high. Maybe only one of these two guys. But I'm entering the season. I meant forget the season. I'm entering our tape study in the next couple months with two players. When we get to linebackers, it's going to be. And by the way, this year instead of doing by school, I'm just going by position.

[Steve Mensch]

Yeah.

[Todd McShay]

Because we. The biggest. The PFF ultimate with catapult.

[Steve Mensch]

I agree.

[Todd McShay]

Awesome. For us. We're just. I'm going to do it. I think it'd be a huge help. We won't lose time that way. So I'm excited. When I get to off ball linebackers, it's going to be right away Deontay Lawson and then Anthony Hill from Texas. Anthony Hill is a trip to watch on tape.

[Steve Mensch]

Yes.

[Todd McShay]

From what I've seen so far flying around everywhere, he had a 63235. So he's tall, he's long, solid build for an off the ball linebacker. But they use him everywhere. 113 tackles. Get this. 16 and a half tackles for loss, eight sacks, had an interception. He's going to be fun to watch.

[Steve Mensch]

I'd like to see him beef up a little bit and turn into a true edge. But he, but this looking at him right now, he's the closest thing to Campbell in this next year's class.

[Todd McShay]

Yeah. Why don't you take the Texans? I know this is one of your favorite names in the draft. It's.

[Steve Mensch]

I got to watch. I do again. This is a. A talented kid. He's Nevada transfer. His name's Isaiah World.

[Todd McShay]

Yep.

[Steve Mensch]

He's going to Oregon all world team again. Gotta watch some more tape on him. But he's got all the talent in the world to develop into a guy that's going to be in the first as a first round offensive tackle.

[Todd McShay]

Yeah, I. He's. He's a big dude and.

[Steve Mensch]

And I mean his name's World.

[Todd McShay]

Well, he trans. He transfers in. Right. He transfers in from Nevada as you said, to Oregon. And. And I look at that like the opportunity. I mean Cornelius has gone to right tackle Josh Connerly. A first round pick is gone. So. So obviously he was brought in to fill that void. And. And when I look at. When I look at it like you don't get brought in from Nevada unless you're a dude going to or.

[Steve Mensch]

Yes.

[Todd McShay]

You know what I mean? And I just. I don't know. I'm awfully intrigued. I'm awfully intrigued by. By his potential. And I think that like they just know what they're doing now. Like they'll. Can they drafted Ursary. The Texans did in round two. Okay. And, and I love, I think Ursary is going to wind up being like, I think he can develop into a starting left tackle. They have what Cam Robinson, Cam Robertson is going to be short term. This is a chance. It's kind of a pursuit of excellence in this offensive line group. It started with Ursary, really started in free agency. A lot of moving parts. They got to get that right because now they're bringing in weapons. Yeah, that draft was about weapons, right, C.J. stroud. Okay. That draft was about bringing in guys that can get down the field and can do different things. That draft was about 2 Iowa state wide receivers that can flat out frickin play. Jaden Higgins and Jalen Noel. They, they sandwiched that in the middle with Ursary. But then they also brought in Woody Marks who had over 80 catches Mississippi State early in his career. He can catch the ball. That was about bringing in dudes to catch the football for CJ Stroud. But now we got to continue to beef up that offensive line. Vikings at 21. I mentioned, I mentioned Jordan Love before and I said Nevada. I was going to Utah State, Cap. Utah State. Kaepernick. Yes. Kaepernick was Nevada, right.

[Steve Mensch]

The piss.

[Todd McShay]

Jordan Love was Utah State, right. Hill. Jair Hill from Michigan. Oh, I said earlier it feels like every year Alabama's got a corner. Feels like every year Michigan's got a corner. Yeah, right. It's not. Not Sandra still, it's, it's, it's Will Johnson. It's not Will Johnson, it's J Air Hill. And that, that, that's what I'm hearing out of Ann Arbor, folks, is that Hill is the next guy I've seen just a little bit. I'm excited to watch him. He's tall, he's long, A little bit lean, 185 at 6 foot 2, instinctive corner, excels at knocking the ball away at a lot of past breakups. Eight pass breakups a year ago, one interception. I thought like the Vikings put, have put themselves in position with their roster, building their free agency moves where they didn't have to address a need. But I thought if they were going to try to target one the first couple days, it would be cornerback. They didn't do that. So I could see round one being a spot where next year where maybe they go and get their guy. And I'm excited to see Hill if he develops. All right, one more pick and then we're going to bring out a graphic and we're going to rip through. I'm going to let Mensch make some comments and then we're done. We're out of here. We've done it. I think this is our 15th show in LA.

[Steve Mensch]

Might be.

[Todd McShay]

I'm going to go take a nap. I know, I know. Dan and Connor want like, Danny, Danny.

[Steve Mensch]

Some sleep.

[Todd McShay]

They can't get us out of their hair fast enough. They're like, hey, great having you.

[Steve Mensch]

Yeah, it was great.

[Todd McShay]

Yeah. The 10 to the 110 to the 405. Get go. So we'll, we'll rip through the graphic. One more pick. Rip through the graphic. I'm going to remind everyone right now and I'll do it again in a minute. We want your feedback. Want your feedback. Tell us what you want us to do. A couple shows on next week. It's not being lazy. Like, I can come up with a bunch of stuff. It's pretty, you know, at this point in time we can go through every single NFL team, we can go handpick certain picks and all this stuff. But tell us what you want to hear and if there's a consensus or a couple great ideas, something creative, fun, maybe dress him up as a. I don't know what. Don't be selling me off the swami. That's, that's.

[Steve Mensch]

Listen, that's off, off air. We're going to talk about it. It's going to happen.

[Todd McShay]

Send your comments, send your thoughts, send your requests and we'll, we'll, we'll play all the hits next week. Chargers. Harbaugh is very clearly, with the help of Joe Ortiz, his general manager, who we, we absolutely like, just think the world of there. This is becoming the Niners. This is becoming Michigan football. This is becoming Stanford, you know, and I think the next step in that evolution is tight ends, right?

[Steve Mensch]

Yeah.

[Todd McShay]

Getting bigger on the offensive line, pounding the running.

[Steve Mensch]

Those Stanford teams had like 45 tight ends in.

[Todd McShay]

Michigan had a bunch too. They weren't as good as the Stanford ones, but they had a bunch of them. Okay, so Max Claire, okay, Purdue transfer. I don't know if he's gonna be a first round pick. And Claire family, don't go off of this yet. Let's go watch the tape and find out. But there's a lot of excitement for Max Claire transfers from Purdue to Ohio State. Just like with the Oregon deal, Ohio State gets to choose. They got a pretty good salary cap there. And, and they're, if they're handpicking Claire to come in, there's talent there. I think, like they Drafted Gadsden, the Chargers did last year. He's a big wide receiver, king of the hitch.

[Steve Mensch]

He. He's got some talent. We'll see what happens. But in that Syracuse offense, he just ran round pick.

[Todd McShay]

We're not banking on him being the guy moving forward. So I could see Claire as a. As I could see them addressing tight end early. Not sure if it's going to be Claire. I had another tight end go coming. Joe Royer from Cincinnati. Yeah, good player, but that's it. We went 22 deep for you today. I'm not hiding any picks. I'm not trying to upsell you and get you if you want the final 10 picks. We're not doing that. We're here to show it all. Let's throw up the graphic. Okay, here's the final 10 picks from 23 to 32. We got the 49ers with Kaden Proctor, offensive tackle. Guard, I think is how he projects from Alabama. Gabe. Gabe Jackis from Illinois. Edge rusher. Really exciting prospect. Let's see how he develops this year. Carnell Tate's one of my favorite. Not just because I named my son Tate. I. He just. As the season progressed in the Mecca, Buca was awesome and Jeremiah Smith was awesome.

[Steve Mensch]

Yeah.

[Todd McShay]

But Carnell Tate was like, oh, there's Tate again.

[Steve Mensch]

Right, right.

[Todd McShay]

And he was making plays. And yes, I get it. A lot of attention going to those other guys, but he's built well. He seems to get down the field. I'm excited to see Tate. Sun Tureen Perkins is a tiny edge rusher, but my goal. Have you seen that flash come off the edge?

[Steve Mensch]

Yes.

[Todd McShay]

Avion Terrell, the cornerback, going to the. Sorry, Perkins went to Bengals. The Bengals. The Titans with that second pick in the trade, go with Avion Terrell, the cornerback from Clemson. Clemson's another team. Seems like they always have a corner. Right. My guys, speaking of Clemson, keep the Tiger train rolling. Dabo. We got Antonio Williams at wide receiver. You're right. They got some dudes at receiver. Then Makai Lemon from USC going to the Lions. That was after Williams going to the Chiefs. I think both those teams could be in the market for wide receiver, another receiver. Let's keep it rocking. Texas's DeAndre Moore Jr. Going to the Buffalo Bills. So Chiefs, Lions, Bills, all wide receiver. Then Caleb Banks, Florida. He's a. He's a veteran guy. I could see him maybe in day two, but he's a really good football player. So I'm leaning veteran football players. Guys that I like more know than. Than projecting But Banks is one of them. And then I mentioned Joe Roy or tight end to the Eagles. They didn't address that need with any significance. And, and I remember, I expect like maybe Mason Taylor early on they. Yeah, I looked it up last night. They did not draft a tight end at all. And there's some talk about Dallas Goddard. So look at those 10 picks. Give me a. Give me a thought or two on what. What stands out.

[Steve Mensch]

I'm not even. I'm gonna talk about a player that was left out. Okay, I'm gonna give you a player resume. See if you can remember. See if you can pick out this player.

[Todd McShay]

I like this.

[Steve Mensch]

Completed 64.5% of his passes last year for 3,139 yards, 29 touchdowns compared to seven interceptions.

[Todd McShay]

Give me the beginning again.

[Steve Mensch]

64.6.

[Todd McShay]

Okay.

[Steve Mensch]

Percent of his passes, not great. 3,139 yards.

[Todd McShay]

So good. Okay.

[Steve Mensch]

29 touchdowns, seven interceptions. He rushed for 826 yards at 15 touchdowns. You're gonna be kicking yourself for this one. And honestly, like it's a. The fact you didn't even throw him a bone or mention him even if you didn't include it, but you didn't mention him is a direct shot to Connor.

[Todd McShay]

Connor Nevins.

[Steve Mensch]

Yep.

[Todd McShay]

Oh, the Washington State Lunatic.

[Steve Mensch]

The Oklahoma lunatic.

[Todd McShay]

Now, now. Oklahoma.

[Steve Mensch]

John Matiere, baby.

[Todd McShay]

Keep an eye. I'm on.

[Steve Mensch]

I'm already on. John Material.

[Todd McShay]

Such a kiss ass.

[Steve Mensch]

Such a kiss ass. I have no shame.

[Todd McShay]

You're already Connor's favorite.

[Steve Mensch]

It's.

[Todd McShay]

It's whatever day it is.

[Steve Mensch]

I don't even know when the show comes out.

[Todd McShay]

You're the class John Matier watch star.

[Steve Mensch]

Starts now. It starts now.

[Todd McShay]

You're the teacher's pet and now you're doing the Matier thing for Connor. Don't tell me he can't play a little bit us. Can I say we'll see this. Can I say this about Mater? He is a wild ride. Yes but we said a lot of.

[Steve Mensch]

Guys that end up going was right.

[Todd McShay]

Like if you're. If especially living out here, like we're on the east coast. Like we finished the show. It's. I. I gotta go to bed. It's like one in the morning. But like out here it's like kind of. Yeah. We get a text.

[Steve Mensch]

You see material last night.

[Todd McShay]

It is wild. It's a great way to end the night if you don't want to get a great night's sleep. Is to watch. Is to watch Mater. And that's like an 11 o'clock kickoff. This was awesome. This was fun. It's been an amazing ride. I am so grateful for the people that we're working with here at the Ringer and Spotify. I am so grateful that I get to work with my guy Mensch. I'm so grateful for. For what life has thrown at us. When it looked like it was a sharp, cutting curveball that we had no chance of hitting and I didn't know what to do next, it turned out to be a fastball in our sweet spot. And this has been the most rewarding year of my entire career. It's been one of the most rewarding years personally. And I have absolutely loved sharing it with all of you and see the growing support and the comments and the fun that people are having with this show. I'm starting to feel like you guys are getting the show. You're getting how crazy passionate we are about what we do, how much pride we take in it. We've been kind of the group in the corner for a long time that, like, why do they do all that tape study? Who cares? Let's talk about the top five quarterbacks and top 10 players. Like, it's ridiculous. They've got a book this thick and it like, no one ever cared. Now we get to do what we love and we get to do it here. We get to do it with you. Not for you, but with you. And you also get kind of the lunacy that we are too. Like, you've gotta. You gotta have some balance. And I think Saturday show with Rosillo.

[Steve Mensch]

Showed you also get resillo shorts.

[Todd McShay]

We also started this thing in October. We got a late jump on it. Like, we're hectic and we're trying to catch up and there's a lot of business stuff and then what is even.

[Steve Mensch]

Going to look like?

[Todd McShay]

And then when we finally started to get our feet on the ground, it was like, oh, heading the mobile and the combine and the draft. And so I feel like now we can kind of settle in, start the process with you, show you what it takes to get to where we were and why we were ahead of so many people and so many things and why we have the connection, all that stuff. And I'm proud of it. I'm not going to hide it from it anymore. And we're not going to be perfect. And we missed. Shoot. I Shador was going second round. Then he went like, we're not going to be perfect, but we are going to give you the information that we're getting and share it with you because you know what? Like just seeing this year, you're starting to get it and you're starting to appreciate it and more people are coming and we're just going to keep doing this thing together. So I just wanted to share that with everyone for a minute and I can't wait to talk to you next week. I am going to go enjoy a few days and relax and Mensch might find a couple bands in the LA area tonight and enjoy that too. And he'll get back to his family, who has been wonderfully patient with him as my my children and my family have been. And now we get to enjoy a little bit of that. But we're excited. Send your questions, your your creative ideas and let's let's do a show together next week. We'll do a couple of them and starting on Monday, I guess. But until then, hope you enjoyed the mock draft. Thankful and grateful for everything that you have done to help support this thing. And let's keep it rolling. See it must be 21 + and present in select states for Kansas in affiliation with Kansas Star Casino or 18 + and present in D.C. gambling problem. Call 1-800- gambler or visit rg-help.com, call 1-888-789 7777 or visit ccpg.org chat in Connecticut or visit MD gambling help.org in Maryland. Hope is here. Visit Gambling Helpline ma.org or call 1-800-327-5050 for 24. 7 support in Massachusetts or call 1-877-8-HOPE NY or text HOPE NY in New York SA.