00:01We are back here on Newswire. Adam Kaufman with you and Vinnie Iyer joins us here also from Sporting News
00:07on Twitter at Vinnie Iyer. Vinnie, it's good to see you. It's hard to believe that we are only a
00:12couple months and change away from the NFL draft. I mean, the season obviously just ended. If you're a Patriots
00:18fan, a Seahawks fan, you almost kind of, I don't know, like shake your head at how quickly some of
00:23this stuff moves here. But the draft is coming and I want to start with you. We'll get into obviously
00:29your big board and your top players across the board. But I want to start specifically at the quarterback position
00:36because most assume that Fernando Mendoza, the Heisman winner, the champion out of Indiana, it's a foregone conclusion. This guy
00:44is the number one pick going to the Raiders and replacing Geno Smith to become that team's franchise QB. Is
00:51it that clear for you? Is there any chance this team goes in a different direction?
00:57I think if they went in a different direction, it would have to involve a team being aggressive to trade
01:02up for that pick because it definitely could happen here because you don't have a lot of valuable quarterbacks near
01:11the top. Ty Simpson, immediately, the next guy on the board, you have a lot of question marks with the
01:15way things ended, the way he played, his overall upside for the NFL.
01:20So immediately there's a question at the next quarterback. It's not a very good class. Everyone is looking more at
01:26next year's class. So yeah, the Raiders could try to get a good offer and move down from there. But
01:32if they stay there, I don't think you can miss that shot at the potential franchise quarterback.
01:36This team has struggled quite a bit to find somebody they want since they had Derek Carr playing somewhat well.
01:43I mean, he was never the top top in the league, but it was a guy that they could at
01:47least pay a second contract to and keep around for a while and win some games with.
01:51So, look, you can't blow this. I mean, they've been cycling through Aiden O'Connell and Geno Smith. They can't
01:59go out there and say, we're just going to be happy with what we have a quarterback. But unless they
02:03get a good offer with multiple picks, and that's what it's going to take, as it always does with the
02:07number one overall pick, I think they have to stay there and take the quarterback. I think he's also a
02:11good fit for what they want to do in the new offense of Clint Kubiak.
02:15Yeah, and I'll take it a step further, Vinny. This is a terrible QB class. Again, you have Mendoza, number
02:21one, conceivably, and then you have Ty Simpson, who you mentioned, who is probably going to be on, you know,
02:28late anyway, into the 20s, potentially, in terms of his draft position. You scan the board. We're so used to,
02:34you know, five, six QBs potentially going in round one.
02:39I don't think anyone is overdrafting, you know, Garrett Nussmeyer or Trinidad Chambliss or Cade Klubnick, certainly not Carson Beck.
02:49You know, these are day two, day three, even guys, you know, maybe mostly day two, but even still, they're
02:55not day one. They're not going in round one, any of these dudes after Simpson, I wouldn't think.
02:59So, I don't know. Does desperation step into where you feel like, if you are in the Raiders position, or
03:06even a team that needs a QB that could strongly consider someone like Ty Simpson, do you have to act,
03:12or are you willing as a franchise to just take another position of need and take a step back and
03:18say, like you said, next year is just better for us?
03:22Yeah, you also have to look at where you are right now. I mean, you look at a classic example.
03:28We had a few years ago, the Bryce Young, Caleb Williams thing, right? If the Panthers had kind of not
03:33made that move, they'd probably have Caleb Williams. The Bears would have Bryce Young or something like that would have
03:37happened, right?
03:38And the Panthers would have had a better feeling going forward over the next 10 years. I know both teams
03:44are playoff teams, but I think you can safely say you'd rather have Caleb Williams. So, you got to be
03:49careful about what you do. You can't force it. The Steelers forced it a few years ago in the first
03:53round with Kenny Pickett, who was not a very good draft class with Malik Willis and all the options that
03:59they had in that class.
04:00So, again, forcing it puts you back more, I think. So, make sure you're confident that guy can be a
04:07big winner for your team. Look, it's worked out for most of the teams just a couple years ago with
04:11Williams and Daniels and Drake May and Bo Nix, but then you have J.J. McCarthy and Michael Penix Jr.
04:18who haven't worked out.
04:19So, look, I think you just have to be careful. Don't force the issue, but the Raiders so need a
04:24quarterback and if they pass in Mendoza, I think they have to get compensation, at least from the Jets picking
04:31behind them.
04:32They need something to make that move or they got to take the quarterback.
04:36If anyone who hasn't seen it, Vinny wrote a thorough, real deep dive into his top 120 in the upcoming
04:44draft available for you on the Sporting News website.
04:47Let's look at your top seven, however, which of course only features the one QB, but after that, sprinkling the
04:53board and a lot of defensive players, basically all defensive players, or at least a strong mix anyway.
04:58You have Reuben Bain Jr. at edge, Caleb Downs, the safety, Arvel Reese, linebacker, Jeremiah Love running back and, I
05:06mean, a running back at top five.
05:07You know, you're hoping for a transcendent talent at that point.
05:10Jordan Tyson is a wide receiver and, of course, back at edge, David Bailey.
05:15What's your process in terms of ranking these guys that way?
05:19Yeah, I think if you look at those positions, I think some of the impact is what we just saw
05:24on the field.
05:25I mean, there's no doubt Fernando Mendoza and Reuben Bain really gave us a lot to think about when they
05:31made those playoff runs with Indiana and Miami, respectively.
05:34You saw what kind of levels they were and playing as the biggest competition.
05:38That's kind of a nice little extra bonus you get in the scouting process right near the end of the
05:44career.
05:44How do they do well in those clutch moments of those biggest opponents and do it in multiple games?
05:50So I think you saw that with both those guys.
05:52Now, with Caleb Downs and Arvel Reese, take your pick.
05:55They slightly are different in terms of their position, but they can still make a lot of plays for defense.
06:01They're hybrid guys that the NFL really covets.
06:03You can just put them in different places, linebacker, safety, and get some big plays.
06:07So I think you start there.
06:09And the offensive tackle, I think it's another strong class for that.
06:12You're getting more and more guys that could fill into the back half.
06:15And then wide receiver is pretty deep as well.
06:17Jordan Tyson, look, it could be Cardinal Tate.
06:19It could be Makai Lemon, and it could be a few guys really emerging as that top wide receiver.
06:24But I think the interesting guy, of course, when we ever see a running back, they're my love.
06:29Where do we go?
06:29The Chiefs, for example, take a shot at him.
06:32So I'm really intrigued to see what team is ready to pull the trigger on running back because you can
06:37say, look, B. John Robinson, Jameer Gibbs,
06:40they've worked out pretty well for these teams picking early.
06:43And eventually he saw it with Saquon when he got on the right team.
06:46And Christian McCaffrey has been doing it throughout his career.
06:48So sometimes these special backs are hard to ignore, and they can have a big impact on your team.
06:53Yeah, we'll find out in due time if Ashton Gentry, for instance, is one of those guys.
06:58Not so much in his rookie year, but he's young.
07:00Now, in terms of who has the most to work with, however, the Jets, you're looking at a dozen total
07:06picks coming up here.
07:07Two in the top 16.
07:08The Raiders, we mentioned, have the number one pick, plus another maybe nine or ten.
07:12The Browns, a couple of first-rounders, ten picks gives them elite capital.
07:17Steelers, who still need to figure out their QB position, you would think Aaron Rodgers makes sense in a Mike
07:22McCarthy reunion.
07:23Five picks in the top 100.
07:25And the Patriots, again, coming off of an unlikely circle appearance, ten or eleven picks,
07:29depending on how everything shakes out with compensatory picks and whatnot.
07:33And so, is there a team that you think is positioned the best to really make an impact if it
07:38does draft well?
07:41Yeah, I think you just have to look at, are they okay at quarterback?
07:44And if they are, then that kind of opens things up, right?
07:47If you need a quarterback in this draft, we just talked about it.
07:50Unless you're picking number one, you're a little bit out of luck.
07:52So then you have to look elsewhere, what positions can be boosted around the quarterback.
07:57So I'm looking at the Titans.
07:58I know their draft capital is interesting here, but they do have Cam Ward.
08:03I think I like their coaching combination of hires.
08:05They can do things to help their offense and defense.
08:08So that's the team I'm looking at.
08:10The other team that you have to look at are the Giants, right?
08:12They kind of are a little bit flexible here with their needs.
08:15I know offensive line and wide receiver are some needs for them, but their defense has a good foundation.
08:22If they go after the secondary or get some offensive line help early, I don't think they have to force
08:27any position there.
08:28So they're in good shape.
08:30I don't think you necessarily have to have the two picks.
08:32I think with the Jets and Browns, I think the question is, do they take a shot on that second
08:37first round around Ty Simpson or Garrett Nussmeyer?
08:40Just take a flyer.
08:41Say, we need to take a shot at quarterback.
08:43So that's going to be interesting, but we know they can't miss the first player either because, look, the Jets
08:49and Browns have a variety of needs they've got to fill.
08:51And they've got to hit on those picks and can't afford to waste any.
08:55Vinny, we've got about 20 seconds.
08:57The it's again viewed as having had a fluky run to the Super Bowl, so they're not high on the
09:02odds board in terms of championship futures for next year.
09:05The defending champion, Seattle Seahawks, are at the top at plus 750, followed by the Rams, the Ravens, the Bills,
09:12Packers, Chargers, Eagles, in that order.
09:14Where would you sprinkle some cash?
09:17I would go off the board and go to Kansas City.
09:19That's all I'm going to say.
09:20You always look at the Chiefs and you can never have an eye on that Tyreek Hill reunion.
09:26I'm telling you, now that he's out, Vinny Iyer, Sporting News.
09:29Thank you, sir.
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