00:00It's NFL Draft Week here on Sports Grid, and that means for Bill Bender, it's time to dive in over
00:05at Sporting News to make sure he's constantly changing his draft board based on what he's seeing in the ether,
00:11as they say out there.
00:12We got a lot going on right now, Bill. Thanks for coming on Newswire. Really appreciate it.
00:18Let's start off with the top three picks in the draft. We definitely know who's going number one.
00:23We're not so sure at number two or three, and that's really the story of a 2026 draft that seems
00:30like there's a lot of trades on deck.
00:31Do you think, Bill, that we could get a trade with a team moving up to two or a team
00:36even moving up to three?
00:38Well, you know, I think Fernando Mendoza is the open and shut pick at number one for the Raiders, unless
00:43there's something that drastic happens in the next 72 hours, and then Arbel Reese is a logical next pick.
00:49Now, if we get to Jeremiah Love at three, and the Cardinals really want to do this, and we have
00:56to sort out, you called it ether, it's the smokescreen week, right?
01:00Where we have to sort out the smog almost with how much that comes up this week.
01:04But if the Cardinals were able to go or were wanting to go Jeremiah number three, you're getting this electric
01:11running back.
01:12It's going to spark a lot of conversations.
01:14But they really have to believe that they're getting a Christian McCaffrey or a Jameer Gibbs type running back with
01:19that pick.
01:20I think he's really good, but I think in the right situation.
01:25Like, Love could go for 1,500 yards for the Chiefs next year, all purpose, but I don't know if
01:29he could do that for the Cardinals.
01:32And I think that's really the key here.
01:34And, you know, some teams are going to look at Ashton Gentry, who was drafted last year, didn't make a
01:37big impact with the Raiders.
01:39But I think just Love is generational type running back at that position.
01:43So it wouldn't surprise me if the Cardinals took him or even if somebody moved up to get him.
01:47Meanwhile, the story over the weekend with Dexter Lawrence leaving New York and going to Cincinnati is the Giants have
01:53the five pick,
01:53and they have the 10 pick in the draft.
01:56And, you know, certainly in the past, Bill, they've upgraded that offensive line.
01:58I know they want to take care of Jackson Dart next season, and he's probably got to take care of
02:03himself a little bit.
02:04What do you think the fifth pick and the 10th pick look like for New York?
02:07Well, it depends on how much of a splash they want to make.
02:10You look at some mocks this morning, and it's Jeremiah Love at 5 and Caleb Downs at 10.
02:14And if they do that, New York will be abuzz the entire draft week, right?
02:19Because you get that running back, then you get Caleb Downs, who I firmly believe is the safest pick in
02:25this draft.
02:25And you might say, well, he's a safety.
02:27What are you talking about?
02:28Well, John Harbaugh likes safeties, doesn't he?
02:31I mean, the Bravens had Ed Reed way back in the day, and then Kyle Hamilton.
02:35Then you get Caleb Downs, somebody who doesn't allow much in coverage.
02:39Sure, Tackler, one of the smartest players in the draft.
02:42And then on top of that, if they can't get Jeremiah Love, maybe they go Spencer Fano.
02:46I think he's another super safe pick in this draft.
02:49The Utah tackle that didn't allow a sack, dominant run blocker, complete player in every way.
02:56And I think those are the two guys that you would look at.
02:58And Downs, by the way, his draft position right now on FanDuel, nine and a half.
03:03And the under is minus 140.
03:06So it would appear that he ain't going to get outside that top 10, but certainly we'll see.
03:10Let's get to another wide receiver in the draft.
03:13Maybe the first one taken, Bill.
03:15That's Cardinal Tate, who you know very well from Ohio State.
03:17What a fit this would be for Cleveland if they brought this kid home, so to speak.
03:21His draft position is seven and a half.
03:24But FanDuel is telling us, Bill, that this is a wild card draft here.
03:27I mean, look at the numbers.
03:28Over minus 125, under minus 105.
03:31It could go either way.
03:33No, the only thing preventing the Browns from doing that is that for some reason they trade down.
03:38And like you said, this could be a first round where we see a lot of trades.
03:42So Cardinal Tate on the surface, yeah, that's the pick.
03:45The Browns last year, Jerry Judy had 50 receptions out of the receivers.
03:49He was their leading receiver in catches.
03:51You have to go all the way down.
03:53The next best guy had 21.
03:5521 on an NFL team.
03:57I think Cardinal Tate, he could have covered that in less than a month at Ohio State.
04:01He's an excellent route runner.
04:02Next off the pipeline that has produced Garrett Wilson, Chris Alave, Jackson Smith, and Jigba.
04:07You name it.
04:08And Jeremiah Smith next year, by the way.
04:10He might not be too bad.
04:12So I think Cardinal Tate's another, what I would say, safe pick.
04:15You get somebody that's going to produce at that position.
04:18And then the Browns with that second first round pick could probably look at offensive line later in the draft.
04:23All right.
04:24So finally, let's take a look at one of the quarterbacks in the draft.
04:27And it's not going to be the first one taken.
04:29That's going to be Fernando Mendoza.
04:31The odds are is that Ty Simpson may be the second quarterback picked in the draft.
04:35And he may be the second one.
04:36And then we got to wait a long time.
04:37That's potentially there, too.
04:39What do you make of FanDuel setting these odds for Arizona at minus 200?
04:44That seems a little too thick for me.
04:46Like, couldn't another team take him, let him sit for a year?
04:49I love this idea, by the way, that I've heard that you see there, plus 550, of the Rams taking
04:54him, letting him sit behind Stafford potentially for a year and then making him the quarterback of the future.
05:00I think this is wide open.
05:02Why is Arizona minus 200 here?
05:04Well, because they might go into the first round and get him.
05:06And we see this every year, Craig.
05:08Rather, it ranges from Will Levis to Lamar Jackson to everything in between, where Lamar shouldn't have been a conversation.
05:15He was an awesome quarterback in college.
05:18But, you know, Will Levis, teams will take him early in the second round, go into the first half or
05:23the back half of the first round and grab a quarterback like that.
05:26But, you know, I think Ty Simpson will end up in Arizona.
05:29I really do.
05:30It's just a matter of when they do it.
05:32And to your point about the Rams, it comes down to do they like Ty Simpson or do they like
05:37another potential day two guy in Garrett Nussmeyer?
05:41I like Garrett Nussmeyer if he's healthy to go to the Rams, and that's the type of quarterback you get
05:46into.
05:47Then you get into the run of Carson Beck.
05:49Where's he going to land?
05:50I think maybe Miami Dolphins in your neighborhood might be a good fit for him.
05:55He stays close to home and is able to develop as a backup.
05:58Now, whether they do that a year after taking Quinn Ewers, we'll see.
06:02Seems like they want to at least give Ewers a chance to be the backup there, Bill.
06:06But beyond those quarterbacks that you mentioned, who else should we be watching for?
06:09You know, and I'm not talking about round six and seven.
06:11It's sort of ridiculous at that point.
06:13Those guys generally don't make it or don't get a chance to play.
06:15Do you have it, like quarterback-wise, in that order where Mendoza goes first, Simpson is the second, and then
06:21Beck is the third.
06:22Or, I'm sorry, Nussmeyer the third, Beck the fourth.
06:24I feel like someone will go ahead of Beck, no?
06:26Am I wrong about that?
06:27Yeah, and if it is, it might be a guy like Luke Altmeyer.
06:30He's one of my favorite day three guys in this draft.
06:32He pitches well in that 10 to 19 intermediate range.
06:35He was great for Illinois, program record and two-year span of victories.
06:39And, you know, if not Beck, I think a guy like him or a sleeper like Cole Payton out of
06:44North Dakota State that a lot of people like here late.
06:46But it is a mix and match at that point.
06:49But I'm fairly confident Mendoza, Simpson, Nussmeyer, and I even think Diego Pavia may find a home in the sixth
06:56or seventh round.
06:56We have him going to the Panthers.
06:59I think that could be the next Taysom Hill in the NFL.
07:01Who knows?
07:02All right, Bill.
07:02It should be a fun night.
07:03Enjoy all of your coverage here on Sporting News and certainly here on Newswire.
07:07We'll catch up again after the draft to get your thoughts.
07:09Thanks again.
07:10I appreciate it, Craig.
07:11Thanks.
07:11We'll see you next time.
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