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Logan Paulsen joins the show to preview his favorite fits for the Commanders in the first round of the NFL draft.
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00:00It seems to be a growing consensus Jeremiah Love doesn't make it to seven for the Commanders.
00:06Knowing how you believe in building a football team, does that upset you that Love might not happen in Washington?
00:16I mean, I like good football players, and if he goes higher, that means a good football player is going
00:20to fall.
00:20I just was looking at Todd McShay's mock draft this morning, and they have David Bailey fall into seven for
00:25the Washington Commanders.
00:26They have Sonny Stiles fall into the Washington Commanders at seven, and Sonny Stiles is one of my probably top
00:31three players in this draft.
00:32And I think David Bailey is definitively the best pure pass rusher in this draft.
00:37And so, you know, for Dan Quinn, a guy who wants to go fast and make plays, like, David Bailey
00:42fits that mold, in my opinion.
00:43So, yes, does Jeremiah Love a good player?
00:45But there's other good players to be available, and I think that's the thing that I kind of keep trying
00:49to remind people that listen to our content, like, you know, be aware of this too.
00:53Like, there's good people at every position, and you just got to kind of say, hey, don't get fixated by
00:59this one shiny object, even though that shiny object in Jeremiah Love is extremely special.
01:04Yeah, it's a lot of athletes in this draft that I think you can get and you can be thoroughly
01:09happy with.
01:10But, you know, fans don't think logically.
01:14They think, like, if I don't get that person, it's a loss.
01:17No, it's not like that.
01:19Fantasy football and player props have made the average fan so focused on offensive skill position players.
01:25That's a good point.
01:26I truly believe that.
01:28The best way to win games is stop people.
01:31But regardless, it's a 53-man, it's a 70-man roster.
01:35Like, you need whatever the good player you could get.
01:37What would your dream scenario be, Logan?
01:40Is it Stiles at seven?
01:42I think it's probably Stiles or David Bailey.
01:44Like, I think, though, like, Stiles, I think just, I mean, people are aware of him at this point.
01:48Obviously, like, his conversion from safety to linebacker, the linebacker from Ohio State, his ability to play the run.
01:53He's an efficient tackler.
01:54Like, watching him drop into zones, like, the amount of grass he's able to cover and, like, get from, like,
02:00literally the far hash to the far numbers on a snap with his, like, excellent footwork and dexterity.
02:05Like, he can play an edge.
02:07Like, I think about, you know, one of the things that Durante Jones talked about in terms of flexibility.
02:12Like, he would bring so much flexibility to this defense.
02:15Like, I started thinking about him more, like, in the Kyle Hamilton role.
02:18Like, yeah, could he play linebacker?
02:20Sure.
02:20Could he play big nickel?
02:22Sure.
02:22Could he play on-ball stand linebacker in certain situations?
02:24Sure.
02:25And just how it's challenging that would make it for offenses to prep.
02:28And then, obviously, David Bailey is a guy that I think is an absolute stud.
02:31Like, just watch his tape, man.
02:32Watch the Oregon game from last year.
02:34And he looks dominant, man.
02:36Like, he has 15 sacks last year.
02:38He has 77 pressures.
02:39Like, that is a crazy number for college football.
02:43And his games were, like, he is just dominant.
02:46People are trying to chip him.
02:47They're trying to jump set in.
02:48They're setting the slide his way.
02:49And he's still creating pressures and being productive.
02:51So, I just think about him and this Durante Jones defense and that pressure, that skill of creating and finishing
02:56pressures, man.
02:57Both those guys get me extremely excited.
03:00One thing, I've liked Bailey throughout.
03:02I can't imagine he lasts until seven.
03:06I guess if Love and Tate go early and then one or two of those offensive linemen go early, then
03:11maybe Bailey gets to seven.
03:13But one of the most absurd comments I've heard in the draft discourse surrounding David Bailey is,
03:20Oh, but he's only good at one thing.
03:23If the one thing you're good at is rushing the passer, that's a really big, big gain.
03:29Yeah.
03:30Yeah.
03:31No, and I think that is a perception around him.
03:34But I also think, like, he's got this explosive first step.
03:38And he's got good explosive strength.
03:40So, there are times where you'll see him, like, fit a pulling guard and absolutely chin that guy, right?
03:44Or a tackle trying to base block him.
03:46And he's just got good snap in his hips and his hands.
03:48There are plays that aren't good.
03:50But, like, you can go through Ruben Bain's film, who I think is an excellent run defender, and find bad
03:55clips.
03:55It just depends on kind of what you're going to ask him to do.
03:58It's the same kind of conversation and dialogue, in my opinion, about Chigakonkwo, to be honest with you.
04:02Like, Chig, like, when you go back and watch his run stuff, you're like, man, this is pretty competitive.
04:06Like, he's not going to win every matchup versus defensive end because he's 6'2 1⁄2", right?
04:10He's not a big man.
04:11But you put him on a safety, you put him on a linebacker, you put him on the move.
04:14Like, he's going to pop somebody now, right?
04:15And I kind of feel that same way about David Bailey.
04:17Like, you've got to think about matchup situation and how you're going to deploy him.
04:21And if those things are, and we have a smart defensive staff, if you use him correctly,
04:24like, I don't think you'll feel that lack of super-efficient defensive run-stopping necessarily
04:30because, again, role is very important.
04:32You know, one thing I agree with, I say is, I don't care where you draft him at,
04:38first pick or 57 or 157, no guy that comes get drafted is a finished product.
04:46So, if he's damn good at pass rushing, it's the coaching staff's job to make him better at run-stopping.
04:53So, if he comes into it like that, and he's run-stopping in year two, year three,
05:00he took a step forward, and he's a better football player.
05:03So, just because he might be there now don't mean he's going to be there for the rest of his
05:06damn life.
05:08I mean, I totally agree.
05:09I think you look at Vaughn Miller early in his career.
05:11Like, Vaughn Miller was not a killer in the run game, but he figured it out, right?
05:15Man, he understood, like, how, like, when to take his shots, when to set edges,
05:19like, when to kind of burst inside and make it hard on the tight end.
05:22Like, I remember, I have a vivid memory of him in Denver playing against him.
05:25Vaughn Miller I'm talking about now, obviously.
05:27Where, like, me and D.Y., we wore him out on a, you know, tight end fullback double team.
05:31And I was like, man, this guy, he, you know, he's nothing, we're going to get after him.
05:35And then, like, the next play, he, like, stunted inside on his own.
05:38He read my stance, stunted inside.
05:40I fell on my face, and the intographer lost.
05:42So, like, it's just, like, how are you deployed, and what is your football IQ look like?
05:47And, again, like, you can, coaching has a big role in that.
05:51Yeah, absolutely.
05:52Talking with our friend Logan Paulson here on the Rude Guest Hotline.
05:56Rude makes the most reliable HVAC equipment in the DMV.
05:59Of course, Logan played five years here in Washington.
06:03Do I have that right?
06:04Sometimes I get it wrong.
06:05That's what pro football reference.
06:07Did you have an IR season?
06:08One of them, I was injured for one year, so I don't know if it counts that year or what.
06:11It counts.
06:12If they kept you around the page, it counts.
06:14That's what I thought.
06:15Yeah, it was 2015.
06:17Yeah.
06:18I'd like to briefly have a conversation with you about the receiver position.
06:21Because I think big-picture roster construction, a stud receiver would help a lot if you're thinking big-picture.
06:31Like, two years down the road, four years down the road.
06:33Getting that position on a rookie deal.
06:36What do you think of kind of the top three receivers in this class?
06:40Tate, Tyson, Lemon.
06:42What do you think of one of those guys at seven?
06:45Yeah, so, I mean, I think I agree.
06:47I think that position specifically is becoming more and more appetizing at seven because of the current roster construction for
06:54the Washington Commanders.
06:55And so, again, like, of those three guys, like, I'm going to be perfectly candid.
06:59Like, Jordan Tyson is my favorite receiver of the group, but he's hurt all the time, right?
07:04Like, if you want just a receiver, 6'2", 210 pounds, can run every route, like, just the body control,
07:10the contested catch stuff, it's all there for you.
07:12Like, granted through contact, all the stuff you want to see, or granted through the catch point, excuse me, like,
07:17he's got it, but he's hurt all the time, right?
07:18But Kyle Lemon is a fun player to watch.
07:20He's physical, he's competitive, he's tough.
07:22I just worry about the size a little bit, right?
07:25And, like, Carnell Tate is kind of the opposite of those two guys.
07:27Like, he's rarely hurt.
07:29He's tall.
07:30He's 6'2".
07:33He's 195 pounds.
07:34Like, he's got great contested catch ability.
07:37Like, does he have that super short area quickness?
07:39No.
07:40But is he kind of a down-the-field explosive playmaker?
07:42Yeah.
07:42And so he just is kind of a little bit, he feels a little bit safer.
07:45And so I keep having to negotiate this kind of conversation with myself every single day.
07:51It's like, am I valuing receivers more because of the current landscape of the Washington Commanders receiver room?
07:56And if I'm being honest with myself, I have to say yes.
07:58But to kind of take the next step of this question, I don't necessarily think you need to take a
08:03receiver at 7.
08:04I think you could easily take a receiver at 71.
08:06And I just look at, like, this receiver class specifically, man, it is deep.
08:10And there are some really talented people.
08:11Like, Makai Fields from Notre Dame, very talented.
08:14Antonio Williams, very talented, especially in the short area.
08:17Eliza Sherratt, you know, is like that true X body type.
08:20Ted Hurst, small school guy, developmental, I think, long runway for him.
08:25But, you know, 6'3", 205 pounds can absolutely scoot.
08:28Bryce Lance, small school guy, North Dakota State.
08:31I mean, he ran a 4'3 at the combine, he's 6'3 and a half.
08:34Like, there are some really interesting players down the board that kind of get me excited.
08:38So, like, let's say, for example, you have a higher grade on a different person at 7.
08:42Take that player, and I would bet a lot of money there's going to be a really excellent receiver there
08:46at 71.
08:47I mean, Terry was a third-round pick, just as an example, right?
08:51So, you're leaning more defense with the seventh pick, Logan?
08:55I think it's just, like, I'm trying to balance out my grade.
08:58Like, that's the thing that's really right about this.
09:00You're an offensive player, and you understand what, like, I know every fan, I can say 9 out of 10
09:06fans that call here are always talking about a running back or a receiver.
09:11I'm always on the defensive side of the ball.
09:13I know what changes the game.
09:15Defensive player that can stop you from doing what you want to do, that's how you stop football.
09:20Yeah, and I think, like, that's the thing about, like, grading across positions.
09:24Like, I have a higher grade on Arbel Reese.
09:26I have a higher grade on David Bailey.
09:27I have a higher grade on Sonny Stiles.
09:29I have a higher grade on Caleb Downs.
09:31But, like, that's where, like, team need and drafting best player of available kind of mix in this weird vortex,
09:38right?
09:38Like, we, the commanders, Adam Peters, did a great job addressing a lot of those positions in free agency.
09:43I don't think it precludes you from drafting one of those guys.
09:46But I also look at the receiver room, like you're talking about, JP, and kind of say to myself, like,
09:50man, like, two years out, like, they need young, cost-controlled assets there.
09:54And I look at the receiver market currently, man.
09:56JSN making $42 million a year.
09:59You know, Alex Pierce making the $30 million in free agency.
10:02Like, Drake Lemon's probably going to make $35 next year.
10:04Like, you need to cost-control that piece.
10:06And so, that's another, all of those extracurricular factors are kind of weighing into this evaluation.
10:13And I'm having a hard time at the moment kind of weighing the dollars and cents of the league, the
10:17way the league's valuing the position, and the way that I currently think it's valued in this draft.
10:21And on some level, backburner of your brain or not, Jaden's going to get paid, right?
10:28Absolutely, man.
10:29That changes the math on everything.
10:31They're going to really get paid.
10:31I couldn't help but notice the names that I jotted down that you mentioned, and forgive me if I missed
10:36one.
10:36You said Malachi Fields, Notre Dame, he's at 6'4".
10:40Elijah Surratt from Indiana is at 6'2".
10:43And then the young man you mentioned from Georgia State, I believe, was Ted Hurst, 6'3".
10:48Yep.
10:48But does it also, do you also want a big guy?
10:51It seems like you want somebody with height in this receiver room.
10:56I mean, so those guys just kind of pop in terms of, I think, good, like they're good receivers.
11:02You know what I mean?
11:02And they are big guys.
11:03I think Antonio Williams is on the smaller side.
11:05I think he's about 6'0".
11:06But excellent in the short area.
11:08Skylar Bell from UConn.
11:10Who's the other guy from Georgia?
11:13Zachariah Branch is kind of that Tyreek Hill, hyper-quick.
11:16Brandon Thompson is the fastest man at the Combine this year for Mississippi State.
11:19Can absolutely scoot and can track the football well down the field.
11:23You know, Deshaun Schribling from Ole Miss is a bigger guy too, but one of my favorite players in the
11:27draft.
11:28Like, just kind of down the board, 6'2", 210, blocks.
11:32He plays a little bit of F move in that Ole Miss offense, like blocking on linebackers.
11:36And he runs a 4-3-7 at the Combine, right?
11:38So, like, there are good football, good receivers, guys that I think can develop into starting caliber players here, size
11:44independent.
11:45You know what I mean?
11:45I think just in that kind of third-round range, at least on kind of some of these, like, big
11:50boards that I'm looking at, they carry a lot of those bigger receivers there.
11:53But I just think there's a lot of good receivers, man.
11:56Kind of your flavor, your style, what you're looking for there, it's going to be there at 71.
11:59That guy coming from Mississippi State comes with – we've got to really, really vet him because we've got one
12:05guy from Mississippi State.
12:06So, we don't know if we want to deal with that.
12:10Bulldog.
12:12If you talk as much as the other guy, no.
12:15You know, we're going to be in trouble.
12:17There's not enough words in the English language.
12:19There's not enough oxygen in the room.
12:22Logan, have you watched the kid Chris Bell from Louisville?
12:25He's dealt with a lot of injuries, but he had a really good last senior season at Louisville.
12:31Yeah, so I think the thing is, man, he – like, I cut the tape on, I watched two games
12:34of him, and I was like, this dude is A.J. Brown, man.
12:36He is big.
12:37He's 60.
12:37I think he's, like, 220.
12:39Like, he is a well-placed together young man, right?
12:42And there's – I forget what game it was, but he catches a slant and just outruns the whole defense
12:46for a touchdown at that size.
12:48He's a little bit raw.
12:49He's kind of, like, got this kind of brawler mentality to how he runs routes.
12:53I think he separates okay for his size, but the problem with him is he's just coming off an ACL
12:58tear.
12:58I think he tore his ACL week seven of the college football season, so, like, late in the year.
13:04And I think he's still rehabbing, so he kind of needs, like, a redshirt year.
13:08But in terms of talent, man, like, he is uber-talented.
13:11Like, I think we'd be talking about him as a potential first-round pick had he not been injured so
13:16late in the season.
13:17Yeah, that's a bummer.
13:18And what I'm seeing is he played into November, dude.
13:23So, I don't know.
13:24Yeah, it was late, man.
13:25It was late.
13:25Yeah.
13:26I mean, he played week 11.
13:28Louisville went down to SMU.
13:29So, yeah.
13:30So, that was – I think that's when he tore his ACL.
13:32I said week seven, but maybe I was off.
13:33It was, like, the last game of his season, he tore his ACL.
13:37Yeah, that's too bad.
13:38But maybe, you know, that's a tricky evaluation, but maybe it lets you get some value if you believe the
13:47medicals are right and you come back clean.
13:49Do you have, like, a favorite prospect in this draft?
13:53I call it a draft crush.
13:54Is there anybody, when you watch, that you're really excited by?
13:58Yeah, I mean, there's a couple guys.
13:59You know, I get really fired up about offensive linemen.
14:02So, like, Caden Proctor from Alabama, just, like, you know, guys who are 6'7", 360 pounds, like, should move
14:08the way he does.
14:09Like, Markel Bell is another one from Miami who's got these, like, go-go gadget, like, 36-and-a-half
14:15-inch arms.
14:15And he's just kind of, like, made in the lab for an offensive lineman.
14:19Like, when it comes to running backs, like, I'm just kind of starting to fall in love with Mike Washington.
14:23The more I watch him, the kid from Arkansas, you know, had a really good combine.
14:26But prior to that, man, he's this big kind of upright runner, reminds you a little bit of, like, you
14:31know, kind of Derrick Henry light, you know, or DeMarco Murray, kind of this upright downhill running style that can
14:38just run through your face.
14:39And I get romantic about that kind of stuff.
14:42And then when it comes to receivers, man, like, I really like Denzel Boston quite a bit.
14:46You know, like, he's just tall.
14:47He's physical.
14:48He plays the game with the requisite amount of physical violence, which I enjoy.
14:52Okay, Jeremiah Trotter, not Jeremiah Trotter, it's Josiah Trotter, the linebacker from Missouri, whose dad obviously from Philadelphia, man, he
15:01just is a fun linebacker to watch.
15:04He's got some athletic limitations, but God bless.
15:06He just, his anticipation is great.
15:08He loves just putting his face on people.
15:10Reminds me a little bit of, like, Fletch, you know what I mean?
15:13Kind of a little bit undersized, like, but just great anticipation and great physical violence.
15:18And those are the things I, honestly, I get romantic about when I see people that are just willing to
15:23put people's face in the dirt.
15:24Like, those are my kind of guys.
15:27I love it, man.
15:28Logan, thank you for making time for us, dude.
15:29We appreciate it.
15:31Don't get too romantic about this stuff, Logan.
15:39See you, dude.
15:40That's our friend Logan Paulson joining us.
15:42Ever the romantic Logan Paulson.
15:44Oh, Lord.
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