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Sports Illustrated Draft analyst Justin Melo joined GBAG Nation to break down the latest NFL draft rumors! Melo dove into the heavy buzz surrounding potential trades at the top of the board and the likelihood of them actually happening. He also broke down the overall strength of this year’s draft class, position groups that could surprise people, and more.
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00:00Joining us now here on the fan, Justin Mello, covers the NFL Draft at Sports Illustrated.
00:05And a good afternoon, Justin. How the heck are you?
00:08Doing well. You know, it's finally here.
00:11You know, after months of work and evaluation, I'm looking forward to seeing what actually happens, you know, tomorrow night.
00:18I think I might be looking forward more to taking a nap after it.
00:21But for now, you know, I'm counting down the minutes here until the Las Vegas Raiders are on the clock.
00:26Man, it looks like the draft could get really interesting early, as early as No. 3 with Arizona tomorrow with
00:33some of these insider reports.
00:35Do you have a handle on what people might be hinting towards with the Cardinals and a surprise?
00:40Yeah, what I'm expecting in all of the conversations I've had and being able to connect the dots, I think
00:46they're going to trade out.
00:48You know, that's really what I'm anticipating is going to happen.
00:51And with the Jeremiah Love smoke, with them, you know, potentially going Love at 3, it would be surprising because
00:58that's not typically how general manager Monty Offenford handles premium picks.
01:04If you look at his history, you know, he's taking a wide receiver, Marvin Harrison Jr., he's taking a pass
01:08rusher.
01:09Darius Roberts, he's taking a left tackle, right, in Paris Johnson.
01:12He believes on spending premium picks on premium positions.
01:16Now, the one caveat here is that owner is known to be a bit of a meddler, you know, and
01:23I'm approaching with caution here.
01:25But if you were to get involved and say, well, I want Jeremiah Love, you know, Monty Offenford answers to
01:31him, not the other way around.
01:32So, that's the one sort of saving grace, if you will, like, when it comes to, because they're not, like,
01:39they don't want to take a running back.
01:40You look at their roster, Kyler Algier, two-year contract in free agency.
01:45James Conner, restructure his contract and bring him back.
01:49Trey Benson, drafted a couple years ago, still with a very high pick.
01:53Like, they're settled at running back.
01:55That's not the, you know, the happenings of a GM who wants to draft a running back at number three.
02:01Now, if the owner calls out of nowhere and says, hey, this is what we're doing, and that happens in
02:06the NFL, and it happens more often than I think the general public realizes, I think they want to trade
02:11out.
02:11I think they're going to be successful in their attempt to trade out.
02:14I know there's been a lot of talk there about the Dallas Cowboys, you know, moving that high up.
02:18I believe Stephen Jones earlier this afternoon said that's not necessarily possible.
02:23I believe him.
02:24I'm looking at the Kansas City Chiefs.
02:26I think the Kansas City Chiefs are going to be the team that trades up to number three for one
02:30of those pass rushers.
02:31If a player were to slide that's unexpected, is there somebody that you have in mind that it's like, oh,
02:38even if the Cowboys are on the clock at 12, like, I didn't think this guy was going to be
02:41here.
02:43I think if you're the Cowboys, you're in a pretty good spot at number 12.
02:47I think they're in a better spot than maybe some people give them credit for.
02:51Mansoor Delaney, Caleb Downs, Reuben Bain.
02:55I feel one of those guys are going to be there for Dallas at number 12, and I think they'd
03:02be thrilled taking any of those guys, right?
03:06Ironically, I'll say this.
03:08Even though, you know, that trade, the New York Giants and the Cincinnati Bengals, ironically enough, I think that was,
03:14you know, pretty good for the Cowboys.
03:16I think it was good news because, yes, you know, the Giants get another pick.
03:20You don't love to see that within your division.
03:22But I don't think they're going to target someone at 10 that the Cowboys were going to target at 12.
03:28You get what I'm saying?
03:29You know, I think for the Giants, it could be a wide receiver or a guard, most likely for the
03:33Giants at 12.
03:35Whereas, you know, they might go Sonny Stiles or Caleb Downs at 5.
03:38The Cowboys wouldn't love that, but they were going to do that anyway, right, regardless of the deal they made
03:43with the Bengals.
03:44If the Bengals were in that 10 spot, who was it?
03:47So, Mansoor Delane, Caleb Downs, Reuben Bain, one of those prospects the Cowboys would love to get.
03:53Giants are going to take those guys.
03:55They're more than likely going to take an offensive lineman or a receiver, which the Cowboys have no interest in
03:59doing at number 12.
04:01So, Caleb Downs, Reuben Bain, Mansoor Delane, I think one of those three fall for the Cowboys at 12.
04:08If they're not there, do you like Jordan Tyson as a prospect?
04:11What kind of a career do you think he's going to have?
04:14Yeah, maybe I'm a little too cautious.
04:16My opinion on Jordan Tyson is let someone else find out.
04:20I don't think I'd be comfortable with being the guy that finds out.
04:23You know, this is a stat.
04:26I wish I had it exactly in front of me.
04:27He missed somewhere between 35% and 40% of the college football games he was eligible to play in
04:34throughout his career because he was sidelined with injury.
04:3835% to 40%.
04:40And some of them were serious, right?
04:41He had an ACL way back in Colorado.
04:44He had a collarbone thing that, you know, obviously was a fairly serious issue.
04:48He had a hamstring.
04:49He had an elbow.
04:50All kind of issues.
04:51I mean, the injury happened, you know, still in 2025 at Arizona State.
04:56Wasn't ready to go at the Combine.
04:58Wasn't ready to go at Pro Day.
05:00It was a hamstring, right?
05:01Multiple months sideline with that.
05:03He had the workout recently.
05:05Sure.
05:05You know, it sounded like he looked good.
05:07He waited as long as he could possibly wait.
05:09Didn't do any testing.
05:10Just kind of, you know, looked good running routes.
05:12I get it.
05:13I love to take a lead football player on the field.
05:16What's the old cheesy saying?
05:18Availability is your best ability.
05:20I've got serious concerns, serious questions about his ability to be available, if you will.
05:27And, listen, whoever gambles on him, if they win big, congratulations.
05:32I also wouldn't go to the casino and put my house up on black, right?
05:36So it's really, you know, up to you.
05:38But, hey, if black hits, you're laughing, right?
05:40You're retiring early.
05:42But for me, it's let someone else find out.
05:44It's Sports Illustrated.
05:45It's Justin Mello with us here in the G-Bag Nation.
05:47I feel the same way about Jordan Tysman.
05:49I think he's a great player.
05:51But it is the injury risk.
05:52And I've had Arizona State fans coming out, calling me the R-word and cussing me out.
05:56Hey, I hope he has a great career.
05:57But I'm going to let somebody else be the hero there.
06:00When you get to interview these players, and, you know, being like media scouts,
06:04we're not always able to get that type of one-on-one conversation.
06:08Who's really impressed you during the draft process?
06:11Maybe stood out in a positive way that you didn't expect?
06:15Oh, there's been a ton of guys.
06:16You know, most of them I did expect.
06:19But the running backs, Emmitt Johnson, so out of Nebraska, Jonah Coleman out of Washington,
06:25two outstanding kids, tough, very similar, you know, kind of ready to go, three-down potential,
06:30love playing in pass pro.
06:32You know, you don't see that all the time with a running back.
06:34They're tough, hard-nosed kids.
06:36I just dropped, literally minutes ago, a great conversation I had with D'Angelo Ponds, Indiana
06:41corner.
06:42I mean, you just, you see it, what you see on film is what you get.
06:45You know, smart, instinctive, terrific in coverage, versatile, fierce competitor.
06:50I had a lot of fun with him.
06:51One of my favorites in this pre-draft process was Charles Demings, the cornerback out of
06:55Stephen F. Austin.
06:56What an intense kid.
06:59And in 2021, he started a grass-cutting company with his dad.
07:03He told me that because he didn't think playing pro football was going to be in his future.
07:07He plays and carries himself with an intensity of a kid who's super hungry because he didn't
07:14think he was going to have a seat at the table.
07:16You know, now that he realizes he's got one, he's not going to mess it up.
07:19That's one heck of a kid.
07:20Keelan Rutledge out of Georgia Tech, every buzzword that you like about offensive linemen,
07:26he fits the description.
07:27Tough, physical, mean, nasty, plays through the whistle.
07:31I mean, scouts love this kid.
07:33That's why a couple weeks ago, we were starting to see some surprising first-round buzz for him.
07:37I don't know that that's actually going to happen, but let me tell you this.
07:40He's plug-and-play at guard, and the way that teams are insaturated with his personality
07:44and demeanor, it wouldn't be the most shocking thing in the world if he crept his way up there,
07:48especially that 28-32 range where there are a couple teams picking that need offensive linemen.
07:54Keontae Scott, Miami, impressed the heck out of me.
07:57I've got one dropping tomorrow morning I could not be more excited about.
08:01It might be the best one I've done.
08:02That's Monroe Freeling, the offensive tackle out of Georgia.
08:05He's going to be a really early pick.
08:07I saved that interview for tomorrow morning.
08:10He had some really interesting, confident things to say about himself.
08:14Basically said that he declared for the draft despite only having 18 starts
08:18because he knows he's the best tackle in the class.
08:20And he flat out says, I looked at a tackle clash that I know doesn't have a top guy
08:25and doesn't have a pure tackle clash.
08:27So I declared because I'm that guy.
08:29Heck of an interview with Monroe Freeling.
08:31I can't wait to unleash tomorrow morning.
08:33I mean, I can go on and on.
08:34Sam Roosh, tight end from Stanford.
08:36Heck of a conversation with him.
08:37Tough, hard-nosed kid.
08:38I did about three or four of these a day.
08:40I was very fortunate, very blessed to have all these gentlemen, you know,
08:43cut out some time for them in their day for me.
08:47And I've told some great stories.
08:49Truly honored.
08:50Justin, all right.
08:51Since you're studying this thing so extensively, though,
08:53who's the one player that everybody's talking about in the first round
08:56that you absolutely don't like in the first round?
09:00I think there are a couple guys who are not going to be first-round picks.
09:03I published a second-round mock this morning on NFL Draft on SI.
09:07And some people might have been surprised with some of the inclusions I had on there.
09:11Maybe we're close enough where it's not super surprising.
09:13But some of these guys were, like, considered top-ten picks a month ago.
09:17Sure.
09:17I don't think Peter Woods, you know, the Clemson D-tackle,
09:19I don't think he's going in the first round.
09:22Same goes for his pass-rushing partner, you know, T.J. Parker,
09:25the edge rusher out of Clemson.
09:26I don't think either of those guys are going in the first round.
09:30R. Mason Thomas, I've seen some buzz there.
09:32I don't fully get that.
09:33You know, he's undersized.
09:34He's got short arms, not a great run defender.
09:36I don't think he's a first-round pick.
09:39One of those receivers might slide.
09:41I don't know for sure that we're going to get six receivers in the first round.
09:44You know, we've talked a lot about, like, the Denzel Bostons
09:46and the Casey Concepcion's and the Omar Coopers.
09:50Maybe one of them, you know, doesn't go in those opening 32.
09:53It really depends on, you know, if we get eight or nine offensive linemen,
09:56which, by the way, I'm told is a possibility,
09:59I think at least one receiver probably slides.
10:02Same with corners.
10:03You know, a lot of fringe first-round corners,
10:05and I don't think they can all go.
10:06And I like a lot of these.
10:07I know the question.
10:09I like some of these corners right here quite a bit.
10:12Colin Hood, you know, Chris Johnson, Brandon Cissé.
10:15I don't think all those guys are going.
10:16I don't think there's enough room for all of them to go.
10:18Do we get three safeties?
10:19That's a lot of safeties.
10:21You know, a lot of talk about Dylan Tieneman,
10:23a lot of talk about Emmanuel McNeil-Warren.
10:25I don't know if there's room for both of them.
10:27So I think I look at T.J. Parker and Peter Woods first
10:30as the two guys that probably aren't going to go opening 32
10:34despite there being a lot of buzz for a couple years now, right?
10:36Those guys were high-star recruits and all that.
10:41But for me, you know, those pass rushers, the wide receivers, the corners,
10:44I don't know.
10:44Do we get a single D-tackle?
10:46We might not get a single D-tackle.
10:48This is one of the worst D-tackle classes I've seen over these last, you know,
10:52five, six years, surely.
10:53I don't know that we get one.
10:54I really like Caden McDonald out of Ohio State.
10:57Tough, big, physical, stopped the run at a high level.
11:00I don't know that he goes.
11:01Caleb Banks, let someone else find out.
11:04I'll use the same saying on him.
11:05He scares the crap out of me, in all honesty.
11:08He's had the injury.
11:09He's had a couple things.
11:10I don't think he goes either.
11:11So I don't know that we get a single D-tackle.
11:14What are your thoughts on Sonny Stiles and how good of a pro he's going to be?
11:18What kind of a rookie impact do you imagine for the Ohio State linebacker?
11:24Yeah, I think he's an elite prospect.
11:26I don't know what he can't do.
11:27You know, 100-something tackles this past year, outstanding in coverage.
11:31And if you see the way the game has been trending, you'll know this as well as I do,
11:36these linebackers that can clog up passing lanes, I think they're more important today
11:41than maybe they've ever been.
11:43And you look at his length, you look at his wingspan, the athleticism basically set new
11:48combined records in his position, vertical jump, broad jump.
11:52What can he do?
11:53He stops the run at a high level.
11:55He's tough.
11:55He's physical.
11:55He's fast, athletic.
11:57Range east, sideline to sideline.
11:59Can play in coverage, clog up those lanes, like I said, man coverage, zone coverage.
12:03I think he's an elite prospect.
12:05You know, I'm still kind of thinking it's number five to the New York Giants.
12:10Fair question to ask.
12:11You know, linebacker is a devalued position.
12:14There's no doubt about it.
12:15You don't have to listen to me.
12:17You don't have to believe me.
12:18Just look at what NFL teams pay them.
12:20Go look at the average top ten salaries of every position in the NFL.
12:24If linebacker is not at the bottom, it's certainly bottom two or three.
12:27It's one of those devalued positions.
12:28I think in this class, that's okay.
12:31It just so happens all the good prospects play devalued positions, right?
12:34We've got running backs.
12:35We've got linebackers.
12:36We've got safeties.
12:37That's what the football gods gave us this year.
12:39It is what it is.
12:40For me, I'm comfortable with the evaluation on Sonny Stiles.
12:44I think he should go early.
12:45I'm sure the Dallas Cowboys would be thrilled if he somehow falls in their laps.
12:48Yeah, the Cowboys need a ready-made linebacker who can step in and potentially be that green
12:53dot guy.
12:54Would that be Stiles for you, or is there another guy that you think year one is maybe more pro
12:58-ready?
13:00Well, I wrote an article this morning.
13:01I don't know if you're teeing me up on purpose.
13:03I love it.
13:03I wrote an article this morning that said, who are the most pro-ready prospects in the draft
13:08at every single position?
13:10And at linebacker, certainly no disrespect to Sonny Stiles.
13:13I think he's pretty much as pro-ready as it comes.
13:15It's kind of hard not to pick Jacob Rodriguez there, I think, right?
13:18When you talk about an off-ball linebacker who got himself into the Heisman conversation,
13:24260 tackles, give or take, these last two seasons, a bunch of interceptions, a ridiculous
13:29amount of forced fumbles, sacks, pass breakups, fumble recoveries.
13:34I mean, you name it.
13:35He's cerebral.
13:36Rare that anyone could be a green dot guy in year one.
13:39I don't know that any linebacker is actually going to do it.
13:41But I think Jacob Rodriguez can do it if the team that drafts him needs him to do it.
13:48And we've got a lot of talk about him going on day two.
13:51I mean, why not the Dallas Cowboys at number 20?
13:53Or why not the Cowboys trade down from 20 to 26, whatever it is, 28, wherever, and pick
13:59Jacob Rodriguez then?
14:00I think this guy is about as good of a linebacker prospect as you can get.
14:04They said he wasn't athletic.
14:06He went to the combine and put up some really athletic testing results.
14:09I don't really know what he can't do.
14:11I think he should be in the first-round conversation.
14:14And if the Cowboys can't get Sonny Stiles at 12, I don't think there's anything wrong
14:18with getting Jacob Rodriguez a bit later in that first round.
14:21How are you looking at Colton Hood?
14:24I love him.
14:25I got an interview publishing with him tomorrow.
14:27That's another one I'd say for tomorrow.
14:30Big, physical, tough.
14:32By the way, one thing I talked about him with, I didn't know that.
14:35Remember Roderick Hood?
14:36I don't know if I'm showing my age.
14:38Roderick Hood's his uncle.
14:39He was a long-time NFL DB, and he's his personal coach.
14:42Roderick Hood personally trained him at the DB.
14:45He told me some really fun stories about his relationship with Uncle Rod.
14:48And when I watch the tape, still scratching the surface of his potential.
14:51Remember, he's a one-year starter.
14:53This past year at Tennessee was the only year he started full-time.
14:56Prior to that, he was at Colorado.
14:58He played a lot, but it was more like rotational, sub-package stuff.
15:02And he made plays when he got opportunities.
15:04But he comes to Tennessee.
15:05He starts this year.
15:06He gets that much-needed experience.
15:07I wish he had another year of it.
15:09He's big.
15:10He's super athletic.
15:12He's physical.
15:13He's got good length.
15:14He loves playing press man.
15:15He jams them at the line.
15:16Sky's the limit.
15:17Now, he's still scratching the surface, right?
15:19Like, I think technique and instincts-wise, I think he's a little raw.
15:23That's probably going to show up a little bit as a rookie
15:26if you ask him to play a heavy role right away.
15:29But, listen, you bet on this kid.
15:31You bet on the traits.
15:31I love the tapes this past year.
15:33You've got to be a little bit patient with the development.
15:36Hell of a report, Justin.
15:38Thank you so much for your time.
15:40And we'll catch up with you soon, man.
15:42Enjoy the draft.
15:44Pleasure's all mine.
15:45You know where to find me.
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