00:00It's almost NFL draft time.
00:02We've got Vinny Iyer back from Sporting News.
00:03Haven't caught up with Vinny in a bit.
00:05Feels like it's about that time.
00:07We do it again here as Vinny's getting ready to update his mock drafts as we go.
00:12And yeah, Thursday night, next week, we'll have the first round of the NFL draft.
00:15Vinny, thanks for coming back here on Newswire.
00:17Great to see you again.
00:19Okay, so there isn't a lot of drama with the first pick in the draft.
00:23But then after that, I don't think that anybody really knows which way this draft is going to go.
00:28So let's get a quick overview from you.
00:31After Fernando Mendoza, it feels like the top 10 is as much in flux as any top 10 we've seen
00:37in years.
00:38Yeah, and the first thing you look at is number two overall to the Jets.
00:42I mean, they're now rumored, and he's actually a betting favorite in the minus section, David Bailey, the pass rusher
00:50from Texas Tech,
00:51where we didn't know if Ruben Bain was the second guy off the board.
00:55We didn't know at some point if Arbel Reese was going to be up there.
00:59We didn't know where else they could go, right?
01:02The Jets have two picks in the first round.
01:04They got a lot of options here in the top 33 picks.
01:08So I just look at this and say the Jets need a lot of defensive help.
01:13And this is making a lot of sense.
01:16They got to go for who they think is the best defensive player available.
01:19I think the problem is I think different teams have different people as that best defensive player available.
01:25I think Sonny Stiles is high on a lot of teams, including the Giants list.
01:30I think Arbel Reese and Caleb Downs are on a lot of lists as the best defensive player available.
01:35So it's really hard to tell.
01:37I think in the end, does a team feel more enamored with one player over the other?
01:42David Bailey, if you watch him, he's very exciting.
01:45He is very explosive.
01:47He's a really good, actually, lateral cover guy as well.
01:52So you get a complete player as well.
01:54So I think it's going to come down for the Jets between Reese and Bailey, who they think can do
02:00a little bit more for their defense.
02:01Because again, quite frankly, they need anyone who can do a lot for their defense at one position.
02:07So Aaron Glenn is going to be thinking that way for sure.
02:10Yeah, you would think that Glenn would want a defensive player too.
02:13But not all his decision, as we know, in that organization.
02:16All right, let's take a look at wide receiver here.
02:18I think that this brings up an interesting question.
02:21Between Jordan Tyson and Makai Lemon, both of these players getting steam as we head into the draft.
02:28Lemon may be a little bit more steam as of late.
02:30But really, even odds here, plus 170 to be the second wide receiver drafted, I'm assuming, after Tate.
02:36If I have my numbers correct here, you'll correct me if I'm wrong on that.
02:39Tyson or Lemon?
02:41Yeah, Cardinal Tate looks like he's trending toward the Browns pick.
02:45So that would leave one of these guys going probably just outside the top 10.
02:50I do like Makai Lemon a little bit more.
02:52I think he's steadier.
02:53He has a better history of consistency and production.
02:57I know what I'm going to get from him a little bit more.
03:00I think Jordan Tyson might be the better ceiling prospect.
03:03He can give you a little bit more big playability that you may not get with Makai Lemon.
03:07But with Makai Lemon, you're going to get a steady guy that's going to work the slot.
03:11He's going to get open.
03:12He's going to handle a high volume of targets and come through.
03:15Or Jordan Tyson may only need like eight or nine targets.
03:18You're just hoping that some of that is a big play or two.
03:21So I think it's just the comfort level of what you need.
03:24Now, right now, Makai Lemon, speaking of the Jets, going in their second pick, number 16,
03:30because they desperately need a guy opposite Gary Wilson.
03:33But another team that you may not think would go wide receiver in the first round after doing it last
03:37year
03:37with Terrell McMillan, the Panthers, they need a number two that they can trust as well.
03:42And I think it would be a little bit more comfortable to take either of these guys as a number
03:46two
03:47behind an established ex-receiver that you have on your team
03:51versus like trying to force them into the go-to role.
03:54So that's why I like those teams in particular.
03:57And you have the Buccaneers as well.
03:59They went first round with Mecca Bucca, but they need help as well.
04:02Chris Godwin's getting old.
04:03They lost Mike Evans.
04:04So you can see a lot of scenarios where these teams that went wide receiver last year
04:09do it again this year.
04:10All right, fair enough.
04:11Let's get to running backs here.
04:12Jeremiah Love will be the first running back off the board.
04:15Something tells me, Vinny, and I don't know who it is, if it's the Cowboys or the Vikings or someone
04:20else,
04:21something tells me someone's going to draft up to get Love.
04:24I know the Titans are the favorite here, and they're the easy spot.
04:27I just did a dynasty draft, and nobody wanted Pollard.
04:30I'm like, I wonder why, because everybody's thinking that Love is going to end up there.
04:34I have a sneaky suspicion that it's going to be a surprise team on Love.
04:38I don't know.
04:38Just a gut feeling here.
04:40Yeah, I think this is based on if they stay put,
04:42but you see Tennessee would have the first entry point at number four,
04:45and then we go down to the Commanders at seven, right?
04:48These are the two spots that make the most sense at this point,
04:53because you have the Chiefs there with Travis Etienne with their two picks.
04:57Then you have now the Saints.
05:00I'm sorry, the Saints with Travis Etienne, the Chiefs with Kenneth Walker.
05:04So all these moving parts here saying, hey, you invest in a running back and free agency,
05:09you're not necessarily going to pick one, but I don't think that's going to be the case at all.
05:13So I look at this and say, yeah, the Cowboys would be a strong team to go and trade up
05:21for him
05:21if you would fall behind Tennessee or Washington and think Kansas City would be a team
05:26that would sit there and strike for the services of Love despite having Kenneth Walker.
05:32Yeah, I think so, too.
05:33Lastly, let's get to Ty Simpson and the quarterbacks here, Vinny.
05:36Very unusual draft here where we're sitting here a week away with no steam on the quarterbacks.
05:41It just looks like Mendoza and that's it?
05:43Is that basically the first round?
05:46Yeah, right now Ty Simpson is favored to go to the Cardinals at 34 or the Jets at 33.
05:52So that would say, yep, I think you're going to get Mendoza.
05:55And I think top of the second round is where I would look for Ty Simpson to go right away.
05:59All right, Vinny.
05:59Great stuff as always.
06:00We'll see you next week for the draft.
06:02Thanks again.
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