00:00Fired up to jump on the Rude Guest Hotline.
00:02Talk to our friend, Mr. Logan Paulson.
00:05LP, how do you do, sir?
00:06How was Draft Weekend?
00:08Excellent, man.
00:09Draft Weekend is always a blast, man.
00:10It's very nostalgic for me going back because I used to watch the draft with my dad
00:14and get the old paper guides and all the prospects.
00:17So we've come a long way, and it's always fun to see these guys get their dreams,
00:22have their dreams come true.
00:23I love that, dude.
00:24You put all that work in for Fred to tell people you took his information.
00:31I'm glad somebody said it, B.
00:33I'm glad somebody said it.
00:35All right, here's my idea for our conversation, Logan,
00:39and you tell me if you're cool with it.
00:40I'd like to ask you about Styles.
00:42I'd like to ask you about Williams.
00:44And then I'd like to ask your favorite of the day three guys.
00:48Should we start with Sonny?
00:50Yeah, I mean, yeah, let's start with Sonny, man.
00:52I think, dude, so when I did my big board, right,
00:57you kind of say, oh, like top players, 1 to 100.
01:00He was my second-rated non-quarterback.
01:02And so when we got into the draft room, I was kind of like,
01:06or when we were watching the draft, you know, in the studio,
01:08I was like, there's no way he gets to seven.
01:10And Brian Weinstein's like, oh, he's going to get there.
01:12He's going to get there.
01:12So when he fell to seven, and I think about everything he can do for this defense,
01:17the flexibility, how he's improved, I just am so excited, man.
01:21Like, you know, he might be my favorite draft pick for any team this year.
01:25Like, he is just such a good fit.
01:27He's such a commander, the leadership, everything.
01:29Like, there couldn't be a more perfect prospect, I don't think,
01:32for this defense heading into 2026.
01:34Do you have a comp for him when you look at, like,
01:37guys that play the middle linebacker?
01:38Because I think people get to this point where they only look at a certain body
01:43style and think you can only play a certain position.
01:45But I look at him more like a Brian Urlacher.
01:48And they had the same route.
01:49They were both safeties that moved the linebacker.
01:54Yeah, I mean, like, I think Brian Urlacher is the closest you're going to get
01:58because of that.
01:58He kind of played, what do they call it, the low bow when he was at New Mexico
02:01State, Brian Urlacher.
02:02But, man, like, he is so unique.
02:06I'm talking about Sonny Stiles now, man.
02:08Like, the length, the height, the speed, the explosive power through the lower half.
02:13He does feel a little bit like he's one of one.
02:16Like, traditionally, like, that body type would be more of an edge rusher, right?
02:20And, like, the fact when you watch him cover, when you watch him in the seam,
02:23when you watch him drop, you know, like, there's a clip versus Indiana
02:26where he's dropping, like, to the flat.
02:28And, basically, you know, the college hash is really wide.
02:30So, they're on the left hash.
02:32And he's dropping all the way to the right, like, hook flat, I would say.
02:36And the amount of distance this man is able to cover, like, is unbelievable.
02:40Like, so, in terms of athletic profile, he is one of one, in my opinion.
02:45And, like, it's so funny comparing modern linebackers be, the guys that played,
02:49like, when I played and when you played and, like, even London Fletcher,
02:51because the skill set and the demand is so different.
02:54Like, these guys have to play in so much more space so much more often.
02:58And so, to see his, like, coverage background come to the forefront,
03:01it really feels like it's kind of uncharted territory.
03:04I guess you could say, like, Fred Warner, because, again,
03:07he played that star position in college.
03:09But it is so unique because, like, you don't see guys that are 6'5", 250,
03:14run the way he does.
03:15And it's not only running.
03:17It's just having the, like, being comfortable in all that grass, man.
03:20He is very unique in terms of prospect and profile, for sure.
03:24Talking with our friend Logan Paulson here.
03:26You can hear him on the Take Command Podcast, Command Center Podcast.
03:29Check him out on Instagram, at Logan underscore Paulson 82.
03:36One thing that both Adam Peters on draft night and Sonny Stiles told me in Pittsburgh,
03:42and I can't imagine the two of them had, like, talked about this together yet,
03:47was they both mentioned scratching the surface.
03:50Like, he's only played linebacker for two seasons.
03:52I imagine he might even put a little, like, bulk on his shoulders over time.
03:58Like, what do you think the ceiling is there?
04:00Like, we haven't seen him play his best linebacker probably yet.
04:05Well, I think that's 100% right.
04:07So, like, I watched almost every game of Ohio State this last year, so 2025.
04:11And then for our, like, B-roll stuff, the school sends you clips, right?
04:15So they send you clips from, they sent us clips from 2024.
04:18And he had just started playing linebacker.
04:20And watching those clips, I was like, this isn't even the same guy.
04:24And then, so, to build off of that, like, watching him week one versus Texas
04:29and watching him in their last game against Miami, it doesn't look like the same guy.
04:34And so, the fact that he's on kind of, like, this meteoric improvement curve
04:38is kind of crazy to think about, right?
04:41Because I do think he's just scratching the surface.
04:42I do think you see a guy who is just getting by on, like, just raw football instincts
04:47and using his length and kind of having this NFL pedigree, man.
04:51Because, like, the things you can do with him are going to be so special.
04:56Like, I'm sure you guys have heard the story.
04:58I think Fletch probably told you, B, like, he talked to Sonny's dad.
05:02And Sonny's dad and him kind of decided this was the best fit for him.
05:05And I don't think it's because they play conventional linebacker here.
05:08I think it's because you're going to be able to do a bunch of stuff with him.
05:11You can line up on the edge.
05:13He can play true Sam.
05:14He did that at Ohio State last year.
05:16He can play the nickel.
05:17He did that at Ohio State next year.
05:19He can blitz.
05:19He can drop in a coverage.
05:20We just talked about his range, like, moving in and around the line of scrimmage
05:24and then dropping to a spot.
05:25Like, those are all principles of Durante Jones' defense.
05:29And I think you're finally going to be able to see him kind of blossom
05:32and maximize the athleticism, the physicality.
05:36But also, like, thinking about Durante Jones and Dan Quinn as teachers here for him
05:40is a really special proposition because they're familiar with how to use
05:44kind of unconventional body types.
05:46So I think, yes.
05:47I think I don't want to be too high on the guy, but one of the reasons, like,
05:51he's a generational athlete.
05:53He's a good football player.
05:55The film is good.
05:55And he's only been doing it for such a short time.
05:58I just feel like there's so much positive upside for him.
06:01Do you see him, like, not trying to compare him because they play kind of
06:05different positions, but, hell, we look at Michael Parsons,
06:08he's all over the football field.
06:09You don't know what a position he's playing.
06:11And Sonny having that body style, like you said, he looks like more of an edge rusher.
06:15If he has that ability to learn how to, like, rush blitzes with him would be special.
06:21Do you see them trying to utilize him in multiple areas?
06:24I do.
06:24And I think I'm really glad you made that comp to Michael Parsons.
06:27Like, I always felt like Michael Parsons, Abdel Carter, were better going downhill.
06:31I think, again, Sonny is unique because I think he has it in the bag.
06:35But also, I think he's better moving away from the football, which is something we haven't
06:40really seen with some of these flex positions because of the safety background.
06:43So, I think that's the thing to me that really comes to the forefront in the analysis.
06:47It's, like, it's unique in that, like, we've seen guys transition from off-ball linebacker
06:51to defensive end.
06:52We haven't really seen this guy that's so, that is moving to linebacker but has a space
06:57player background but also has the requisite physicality to play linebacker and play on
07:02the ball.
07:03So, it is this really unique kind of paradigm because it gives you so much more flexibility.
07:08Like, I think about the Philadelphia Eagles, the Seattle Seahawks, like, the things that
07:12make those defenses go are obviously the defensive front, but it's really the middle-level hook
07:17players in that defense.
07:19You know, Zach Bond in Philly, Cooper DeGene in Philly, obviously those, like, the Witherspoons,
07:25the Nick Gammon Warriors up in Seattle.
07:27I think we're kind of getting into that pantheon of player, but unlike those other players,
07:32right, where they're kind of like, this guy's a coverage player, this guy's a run fit player
07:35with Zach Bond and Cooper DeGene.
07:37Like, you're starting to get a guy who can do both at a super high level and it's like,
07:40man, we could be in base defense and we've got a guy who could literally run with a number
07:45three wide receiver with speed and take him out of the picture, which is such a unique
07:49kind of chess piece for modern NFL defenses.
07:52Talking with our friend Logan Paulson here on the Rude Guest Hotline.
07:56If it ain't rude, it ain't right.
07:59Logan, let's go to Antonio Williams.
08:01Washington really had their pick of a number of receivers at No. 71.
08:05They kind of set off a run on receivers in that third round.
08:09What do you think of Williams?
08:11I mean, I think Williams is a guy that, like, is probably getting sucked on and there seems
08:15to be, like, a little bit of slander from, like, the commanders community.
08:19And I think if they're slandered toward them, you guys, like, they probably just haven't
08:23watched the tape because, like, when you look at the guys that went directly after him,
08:27you know, like your Ted Hurst, your Malachi Fields, your those kind of bigger body wide
08:33outs, like, when you look at the route runner that Antonio Williams is, it's, like, not even
08:37in the same zip code.
08:39Like, to me, he might be the second or third best route runner in this entire class.
08:43And, like, when you look at the skill sets, at skill sets they play in the NFL specifically
08:48receiver, it's not the big body guys anymore because defenses can't press the same way.
08:53It's the route running technicians.
08:55Like, look at your, you know, Justin Jeffersons, your Jackson Smith and Jigbos, your, you know,
09:00your, those guys up in, like, Cincinnati.
09:04Like, they are technical route runners.
09:06Spooka Nakua is another guy that comes to mind.
09:08Devontae Adams, right?
09:09Like, that's what this guy is.
09:12Like, a technician.
09:13He can accelerate.
09:14He can decelerate.
09:15He's got a great release package.
09:16He's got a great feel for, like, indicators.
09:19So, like, what does the defense see at five yards?
09:21What do they see at ten yards?
09:23How can I subvert expectations with my stem or my speed, my tempo of route?
09:28And so, I think here's a guy that's going to be a really nice addition to this room here
09:32in Washington because you've got vertical speed in the army bound.
09:35You've got a physical contested catch winner in trailing Burks.
09:38You've got kind of the vertical speed with Lane as well.
09:42You've got a bigger body slot guy with Luke McCaffrey.
09:45And now, all of a sudden, you bring a technician into that position, a guy who can win on third
09:49down, can win in the red zone, can run short to intermediate routes at a super high level.
09:54I think that's something that's really unique about him and something that I think is going
09:58to be really dangerous in this David Blau offense.
10:00As you look at the rest of the draft pick, Logan, who stands out to you the most?
10:05Oh, my gosh.
10:05It's probably Joshua Josephs from Tennessee, man.
10:09Like, that guy was a guy that I kind of circled as like a Dan Quinn guy, meaning like when
10:14I watched him, I was like, Dan Quinn would love to get his hands on a player like this
10:18because he's got 34 and a half inch, almost 35 inch arms.
10:21He's got a wicked, murderous first step.
10:25He plays the run like a lunatic, right?
10:27You feel his length.
10:28You see these big tackles from Oklahoma and Alabama.
10:32Like, he puts his hands on their chest and they're, like, those are big men and they
10:35can't touch them.
10:36And so, like, that is something that, like, mom, dad, and God can teach to couple that
10:41with the first step.
10:42I'm just like, Dan Quinn is going to love to get his hands on this player because right
10:46now he's predominantly like a high side rusher, speed rusher.
10:49But with that kind of length, he should have great power as well.
10:52So if he can cultivate some power to go with that great first step, like people, defenses
10:56are going to have a really hard time blocking a player with that skill set.
10:59And then the other thing, too, that I think people probably don't know about him is I
11:03think he's a really good dropper.
11:05So you talk about, you know, the Van Ginkels and how flexible he was in that defense.
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