The Ringer NFL Draft Show — March 3, 2026

Episode Title: NFL Combine Winners and Losers, Lions Trade Montgomery, Tales From Indy, and Pie for Breakfast
Hosts: Danny Heifetz, Danny Kelly, Craig Horlbeck

Episode Overview

This episode of The Ringer NFL Draft Show, recorded just after the 2026 NFL Combine in Indianapolis, finds hosts Danny Heifetz, Danny Kelly, and Craig Horlbeck diving deep into the winners, losers, and record-breaking feats from the combine. They react to notable NFL news—including the Detroit Lions' trade of David Montgomery—debate trends shaping modern NFL prospects, and exchange stories from their week in Indy. In classic fashion, the trio’s rapport ranges from sharp football insight to comedic takes on pie for breakfast, “real mannequins,” and the existential point of lunch.

Key Discussion Points & Insights

1. NFL News: Lions Trade David Montgomery to Texans

[03:07–09:38]

• The Trade:
  • Detroit Lions send RB David Montgomery to the Houston Texans (in exchange for a 4th, 7th, and center Juice Scruggs).
  • "Scruggs. What a name, dude." — Craig [03:35]
• Fantasy & Team Impact:
  • Jahmyr Gibbs now has an astronomical ceiling as the lead back in Detroit [04:03].
  • Montgomery is expected to take on a prominent role for Houston, complementing 2nd-year RB Woody Marks, but concerns exist about Houston trading away offensive linemen, including starting center Juice Scruggs and tackle Titus Howard.
• Broader View:
  • The Lions' recent run recapped as possibly "one of the best offenses I've ever seen that never made the Super Bowl." — Danny Kelly [08:11]
  • The logic of trading for o-lineman (Houston) and trading them away, as well as the uncertainty surrounding Cleveland Browns' entire offensive line and Deshaun Watson’s return from consecutive Achilles injuries [11:17–14:26].

2. NFL Combine Winners, Losers & Trends

[17:57–71:24]

a) Historic Speed and Athleticism

• “The biggest winner of the combine is just speed.” — Danny Heifetz [18:15]
  • Nearly every positional group posted the fastest aggregate 40-yard dash times ever.
  • Notable stat: Defensive backs, wide receivers, running backs, linebackers, and even offensive linemen — all recorded historically fast group times [19:07].
  • Participation may skew this—more “fast guys” are testing, while slower players choose not to run [21:05].

b) Sonny Styles, LB (Ohio State): Combine Superstar

[23:08–32:13]

• Profile: 6'5", 240+ lbs, 43.5" vertical (higher than top NBA Combine numbers), outstanding tape, and emotional intensity — “nicknamed after Sonny from The Godfather because he had so many anger issues as a child that they just called him Sonny.” — Danny Heifetz [23:16]
• Draft buzz: “There's talk of people…coming out of the combine, people are saying top five is possible. I certainly think top ten is possible now.” — Craig [25:41]
• Why the Rise? Epitomizes the new archetype: big, fast, versatile defenders who can tackle, cover, blitz—true “do-it-all” modern defenders (see: Mike Macdonald defense discussion [26:46]).

c) Kenyon Sadiq, TE (Oregon): Shocking Athletic Profile

[34:09–43:32]

• Record Numbers: 6'3", 241 lbs, 4.39 40-yard dash (fastest ever for a TE), 43.5" vertical (2nd-best ever), elite broad jump [41:14].
• Upshot: “The ceiling is there for him to be a three down [tight end]…they’re not going to have to take him off the field when they want to block.” — Danny Kelly [43:18]
• Debate: Where is the right draft slot for a modern tight end with rare athleticism but less polished blocking/receiving?

d) Eli Stowers, TE (Vanderbilt): Jumps out of the Gym

[43:32–46:40]

• 6'4", 239 lbs. Ran 4.54, jumped 45.5" (combine record for vertical).
• Skepticism around fit: “What am I going to do with a way more athletic Evan Engram…If you can't block and you're not an elite receiver…what am I going to do with you?” — Danny Heifetz [45:20]
• Will need a creative, pass-focused system.

e) Jeremiah Love, RB (Notre Dame): Only Elite RB in the Class

[48:35–58:36]

• 6'0", 212 lbs. 4.36 40-yard dash (faster than prime Saquon, CMC, Taylor, Bijan).
• Consensus: Only "blue-chip" RB in class; fits new value model as a backfield receiver.
• Draft Range Debate: Will he slip due to positional value? KC at 9, Cowboys at 12 debated as plausible/likely.
  • “The idea that [Love] would be at worst your third highest graded player at some point…I hope boards mean something.” — Heifetz [53:18]

f) Other Combine Standouts

[63:53–75:39]

• Mike Washington Jr., RB (Arkansas): 4.33 at 221 lbs; emotional moment after run [59:13].
• Dylan Theaniman, S (Oregon): 4.35 40-yd, 41" vert, versatile safety; comped to M. Fitzpatrick [68:12–70:43].
• Jeff Caldwell, WR (Cincinnati): 6'5", 216 lbs, 4.31 40-yd; “third round from day three” [74:58].

3. Combine/Scouting Process—Human vs. Objective Data

[33:01–43:16, 84:30–88:39]

• The combine is as much an advertising campaign as a true test — “If he runs a fast 40 time now, you have something you can market.” — Danny Kelly [34:29]
• Teams vary on what numbers to trust: lasers, hand-timing, GPS data.
  • “Should we trust the lasers or your hand? This laser-timed thing is actually false.” [85:44]
• Boiling skepticism about the objectivity of measurements, especially when agents and evaluators “help” with information [86:08–87:10].

4. Personality & Podium Moments From Indy

[75:39–84:30]

• Makai Lemon (USC): Bizarre, viral interview behavior — “He was slightly sexual…nervous stoner, trying to alpha everybody.” — Panel [77:03, 78:13]
• Elijah Surratt (Indiana): Earnestness, unintentionally awkward Michael Vick “dog” quote [81:38].
• QB Diego Pavia (Vanderbilt): Defends wild off-field behavior by claiming, “Your frontal lobe isn’t fully developed until you're 25. I think I got like a year left till I'm fully baked.” [83:02]

5. Funniest/Most Memorable Combine Moments

[83:16–106:25]

• Aaron Glenn, Jets Coach — Caught Sleeping! Visual captures of Glenn napping and then abruptly waking up like Michael Cera in Superbad [83:16–83:42].
• “Objective Reality” as a Combine Loser: Teams and media leave with different “official” numbers—"In a post-truth era, and it’s extended to the NFL Combine." — Heifetz [84:30]
• Favorite celebrity sightings in Indy: “Big Dom” (Eagles security man) trailing Nick Sirianni, exuding pure mafioso energy [98:10].
• Tales From Shapiro’s Deli: Cake at lunch, the joy and judgment of eating dessert during the day, and a meditation on pie as breakfast [109:57–116:41].

Notable Quotes

• On Combine Speed:
  • “The combine was just…every single group had the fastest ever.” — Danny Heifetz [19:07]
• On Team-Building & Positional Trends:
  • “Defense is the same thing as the NBA…It’s more valuable to be a B in everything than have a D anywhere…” — Heifetz [28:09]
• On Jeremiah Love:
  • “The idea that a player that would be, at worst, your third highest graded player…then he falls to 12th, then what are we even doing?” — Heifetz [53:18]
• On Pie at Breakfast:
  • “If Mel Kiper can eat pumpkin pie for breakfast every day, why can’t we just have pie for breakfast?” — Kelly/Heifetz [116:01]
• On Real Life and POV at Indy:
  • “Now all the three, the seven footers can shoot threes because they're the only ones who survived. Football is very [much] the same.” — Danny Heifetz [30:48]
• On Combine Media Frenzy:
  • “You have all these podiums next to each other…it’s like 15 minutes of people yelling at you the whole time.” — Heifetz [79:17]

Timestamps — Key Segments

• 02:12 — Episode start; combine themes and context
• 03:07 — David Montgomery trade, fantasy impact & Houston linemen exodus
• 09:39 — Cleveland Browns’ QB and OL mess, Deshaun Watson double Achilles saga
• 17:57 — NFL Combine “winners and losers” unveil
• 23:08 — Sonny Styles combine dominance and draft fit
• 34:09 — Kenyon Sadiq’s TE stardom and combine records
• 43:32 — Eli Stowers TE debate—athleticism vs. utility
• 48:35 — Jeremiah Love: RB1 debate, draft range, "coolest destination"
• 59:11 — Mike Washington Jr. emotional 40 time, running back class depth
• 68:12 — Dylan Theaniman, versatile S and positional trends
• 75:39 — Makai Lemon’s viral podium, charisma as WR “plus”
• 83:16 — Combine “losers,” Aaron Glenn “asleep,” the absurdity of timing/measures
• 90:45 — Tales from Indy: combine experience over the years, steakhouse stories
• 109:57 — Dessert at lunch, Shapiro’s Deli, and pie at breakfast

Running Jokes & Cultural Moments

• The “Real Mannequin” department store for dads (“You should see a mannequin with a beer gut…should we open a store called Beer Gut?”) [62:13–63:16]
• Perpetual bit about DK’s daily quesadilla, Mel Kiper’s pumpkin pie breakfasts, and the existential cost/benefit of lunch [112:02–117:44]
• Mocking “objective reality” at the Combine—agents, hand-timed 40s, and arm lengths that magically grow at pro day [84:30–88:31]
• “Serpentine sexual serpent” Makai Lemon [82:22–82:34]

Conclusion

This episode showcases The Ringer crew’s best qualities: deep football analysis, instinct for big-picture trends, and warm, banter-filled chemistry. Their nuanced takes on elite NFL prospects, skepticism of combine “truths,” and lively tales from the trenches in Indy—whether about freak athleticism or pie for breakfast—combine for a can’t-miss conversation for any football fan.

For questions, pie-for-breakfast stories, or lunch takes, email: ringerfantasyfootball@gmail.com

Next up: Free agency analysis, combine follow-ups, and their signature offbeat NFL coverage.