THE MODERATOR: Thank you for joining us today for the 2025 NFL Draft conference call with NFL Network lead analyst Daniel Jeremiah. Before I turn it over to DJ for some opening remarks, I want to highlight NFL Network coverage plans for the 2025 NFL Draft in Green Bay.
NFL Network provides on-location coverage of the NFL Draft for the 19th time with first-round coverage on Thursday at 8:00 p.m. Eastern Time with DJ, Rich Eisen, Charles Davis, Joel Klatt, Ian Rapoport, Kurt Warner, and Jamie Erdahl.
Coverage continues Friday at 7:00 p.m. Eastern Time with Rounds 2 and 3 hosted by Rich, DJ, Charles, Joel, and Ian. Coverage concludes Saturday at noon Eastern Time with Rounds 4 through 7, hosted by Rich, DJ, and Charles, and Ian.
DJ reveals his final mock draft of 2025 on Wednesday at 8:00 p.m. Eastern Time on NFL Network.
Finally, for media who will be onsite in Green Bay next week, DJ, Charles, and Joel will be available for interviews on Wednesday at 11:00 a.m. Central Time at the Draft Experience Play Football Field located at 1065 Lombardi Avenue following prospect availability.
I will now turn it over to DJ for some brief opening remarks.
DANIEL JEREMIAH: I appreciate you guys coming and hanging out today and talking about this draft. I think it's -- I just got muted.
Anyways. I appreciate you guys coming on. It feels like it takes forever to get to draft. We finally made it. Excited to get it going. It feels like there's still a good bit of intrigue at the top of the draft. It looks like kind of know where things might be headed with the first pick, and then it starts to get fun.
Looking forward to it. Looking forward to hanging with you guys today, and fire away.
THE MODERATOR: Thank you. We'll open it up to questions.
Q. When you look at some of the decisions made by the guys -- the draft decisions by the guys with college eligibility remaining, and especially the quarterbacks, you know, just who decided to enter, who decided not to enter, how much do you think that the new economics of college football affect the draft now and the depth of the draft class, in particular at quarterback?
DANIEL JEREMIAH: Yeah, I think it has a big impact, and I wouldn't say it's even specific to quarterback. I think other positions it's had a bigger impact.
I think in years past the easiest sell for an agent was to a running back, even if he had middling production, which was to say, Hey, you've got to start getting paid for these carries you have in your body as soon as possible.
So I thought you saw a lot of guys come out when maybe they weren't quite ready yet. And now those kids are getting paid either by their school or somebody else. And so they have opportunities, and it's kept a lot of those kids in school.
I think for the quarterback situation, again, it's more guys that are -- you know, I think for the most part it's guys who would have been middle-, late-round picks, that they're easier to sell: You're going to make more money coming back to school than you will being a fifth-round pick, sixth-round pick.
I think that's a factor. I don't think like -- the guy that I think people would look at with this example would be Drew Allar. But I don't think that was really a financial decision. I think that was just more so him feeling like he wanted to go back to Penn State and see if they could finish off what they got close to last year.
So I think the quarterback class this year, while it's not as star-studded, it's just that's the roller coaster. We had six last year. Like, there's no way you keep up that pace. There's just going to be big years, and there's going to be lean years. I don't know if that's quite as related to the money aspect of it. It's just that's the way it's always been.
Q. Just wanted you to weigh in on two prospects, if you could. First on Ezeiruaku. Is he a one-trick pony? How do you see him developing as a run defender, maybe becoming a more complete edge player down the road? And then, second, how good is Josh Simmons? Where would he go if he were healthy?
DANIEL JEREMIAH: Sure. Ezeiruaku, it's funny when you said a one-trick pony because one of the knocks on him is as a pass rusher that he has too much of an arsenal. Like, you would almost like to see him be a little bit more focused on just his get-off with speed, developing a little more power.
He has all the tricks in his bag. Like, he's got a million different moves, and it's why he was so dang productive this year. When you get to the NFL, incorporating more power into his game is going to be a big part of his development.
In the run game, I thought he was fine. You know, I didn't think he was just a rugged, knock-back, violent run defender, but he's got really, really long arms, and he can set the edge. He can lock out. He can extend. He is definitely a better pass rusher at this point in time than he is a run defender, but I didn't view him as a liability in the run game at all.
Then with Simmons, yeah, talent-wise, if you just watch his tape and put his pure talent up there against everybody in this class, he stacks up really well. I think he'll be a ten-year starter.
It's just to me you're going through the injury that he had and trying to navigate that. I wish -- it would have been great to have him healthy the whole year, to see him play against the caliber of competition that they ended up going through. And I think he would have been -- we probably would be talking about him more as a lock as a top-15 pick if that were the case.
Talent-wise, yeah, no question. This guy has the ability to start in the NFL for a long time.
Q. This is apparently such a deep draft on tight ends. How do you assess the top, I don't know, three or four guys? What is your differentiating between Tyler Warren and Loveland, and is there a gap between those two and the rest of the group?
DANIEL JEREMIAH: I think there is a gap between those two and the rest of the group. I think those two guys are two of the top seven players in the draft class. And it's just -- with them specifically, I think it's just a flavor thing, you know, what do you value, what do you prefer.
Loveland, a little more quickness off the line, a little more quickness at the top of routes, can really create separation. Warren is just a big, massive bully who is going to wall guys off down the field. I think he's better on the move. Whereas Loveland, if you are talking about gearing down and working back to the quarterback, he's going to be a little more comfortable there. Whereas I think Warren, you run him down the seam, you're running on overs, doing those types of things. And he's just a bully when the ball is up in the air, and he's a pain to get on the ground.
Stylistically different. I would give Warren the edge in the run game, but Loveland competes in that department as well. I have them touching each other on the list, not just in the tight end position but overall. Warren is at six, and Loveland is at seven.
So then to me there's a little bit of a drop-off, and then there are some real interesting guys. I talked to a bunch of teams over the last couple of weeks, and the longer we go through the process and guys start getting weeded out with medical, character, different things that kind of happen this time of year.
Mason Taylor to me is an emerging player in that everybody is comfortable with him. He's a safe player. He's rock solid. He had a nice week at the Senior Bowl. Obviously everybody knows about his dad and uncle with Jason Taylor and Zach Thomas. The kid has been around football his whole life.
He's one of those guys when you are talking to teams, if you got wiped out, who would be your guy? If we get wiped out, we would just take Mason Taylor. He's going to start the next eight, ten years. Just a steady, solid player. I think he goes in the back half at one. At worst, he goes early 2.
And then you get a traitsy player in Elijah Arroyo from Miami who can really fly, who has had some injuries you've had to work around. And then Harold Fannin from Bowling Green, who has a ton of production and stepped up in big games against A&M and Penn State. And then I would say Terrance Ferguson.
I would do the tier with Warren and Loveland. I would say then you get to the Taylor/Arroyo/Fannin group, and Ferguson is right there right behind those guys for me.
Q. I guess how certain are you about what's going to happen at one? And then what makes sense for the Titans at two if you think that's kind of a slam dunk?
DANIEL JEREMIAH: It sure feels like a slam dunk. I would be pretty shocked if they didn't go with Cam Ward there with the first overall pick. Then it comes to them, what's the intrigue when they get to pick number 35? You know, I think there's a lot of different directions they could look to go there.
Usually when you invest in a young quarterback, there's a commitment to try and really support him and help him on that side of the ball. You could look at the wide receiver position there at pick No. 35. I look at a guy like Higgins from Iowa State would be a fun player to drop into that mix to give him a nice weapon to play with.
I know they have other areas they could go potentially on the defensive side of the ball, but man, when you invest that first overall pick, you want that pick to make you look smart. It tends to lead you to staying on that side of the ball once you get to the next round.
Q. Kind of a multi-layered question here. Knowing how the top 100 of this draft sets up, how do you kind of characterize the opportunity the Bears have next week to mix and match those top 75 picks, four of them, and create kind of a gift basket that they feel good with? Then, I guess, along with that, which position would you feel most hesitant to wait on for day two?
DANIEL JEREMIAH: That's a good one. They are in a fantastic position. When you're picking 10, 39, 41, 72, they get four instant-impact players with the way this draft shakes out.
I'm as excited for them. We did a thing the other day on teams that have the most opportunity in this draft, and they would be near the top of the list.
In terms of positions that you probably don't want to wait on, if you are dead set on getting an offensive tackle and you want to get your long-term left tackle, you're going to want to do that with your first pick. I just don't love the possibilities of you seeing someone that's going to be an upgrade over what you have once you get into the second round of this particular draft.
So that would be kind of the thought process there. If it's close with some of the other players, I could see them leaning in that direction and checking a tackle off the list. There are backs. There are tight ends. There's a good bit of depth there.
If they want to reinforce a defensive line, get an edge rusher, to me, like a sweet spot for them, pick 39 for an edge rusher. That's a great area to find that guy.
I think they can premier shop. If you want to take one of the top two tight ends, I think they're more than worth going up there. Ashton Jeanty falls in your lap, run the card up there. They're in a great spot where they can kind of -- they don't have to be aggressive with the first pick.
Somebody is going to go to them there that they're going to love and is going to start for them day one and be an impact. I'm almost more excited to see what happens with their next picks because that's going to be a fun combination of players they put together.
Again, to kind of reiterate what I was saying about the Titans, these teams with young quarterbacks, yeah, we can look at the defensive side of the ball, and you can find holes, but at the end of next year, if Caleb Williams has taken a massive leap with Ben Johnson, I think Bears fans will be feeling pretty darn good about the direction. That's why if it's close, I look to that side of the ball.
Q. Have you gotten any sense that the Giants are not going to take Abdul Carter at No. 3? Where do you see the Patriots going at 4? If not Will Campbell, is there a pass rusher or someone you think they might target there?
DANIEL JEREMIAH: Yeah, look, I feel pretty confident that they would take Abdul Carter. I've heard nothing that would sway me away from that.
The last time I talked to people in that building was before they did some of these quarterback workouts. So I'll check back in with them at the early part of next week and see if -- let's be honest, they probably aren't telling me anything anyways. But I can at least try and see what you can learn from that experience. But it feels like Hunter, 2; and then Abdul Carter, 3.
And then with the Patriots, I just have continually heard that offensive tackle was going to be addressed, and I have continually heard that that's Will Campbell's spot.
Teams are not universal in the slotting of these tackles. In fact, I've talked to -- in the last 24 hours, I've talked to three teams who aren't in the range to take tackles so they can give me an honest answer of how they stack these guys. And I had one team that was a Will Campbell at the top, I had one team that was Armand Membou at the top, and I had one team that was Kelvin Banks at the top.
So it's not universal around the league, but the feeling in talking to folks is that Will Campbell is really well-liked inside that building in New England.
Q. Question for you regard to the Titans and maybe wide receiver. I know you mentioned Higgins earlier. Who are some of the guys, wide receivers, that might be available at 35? And how much of a drop-off do you think there is at wide receiver sort of around that area? And then maybe last, just Luther Burden, I wonder if you could talk about the production decline this year and maybe what the reasons are there.
DANIEL JEREMIAH: Yeah, it's interesting you say that because that was the first name I was going to tick off. I mentioned Higgins the last time this came up, and to me I have Luther Burden just ahead of him.
Luther Burden, I think there's a real chance he could be there at that point in time. The production did dip and due somewhat to the quarterback play that was a little bit up and down. The offense just wasn't what it had been previously.
I didn't see any decline in his skills. As a player he reminded me a lot of Stef Diggs coming out of Maryland. And Stefon Diggs was just so quick at just getting away from people, separating from people, and then with the ball in his hands, could make some things happen.
He's outstanding. One of the best run-after-catch receivers in this draft, if not the best run-after-catch receivers in this draft.
I think that would make a lot of sense. I think that would be a value pick for them there and somebody who with Cam Ward, two things: Let them grow together, which I love, and also get a chance to give him some easy completions and pile up some yards after the catch.
So that one I would think would be an outstanding value find if he were to be there at that point.
Q. Just want to ask you a little bit about Jalen Milroe at Alabama. What are the areas of improvement do you think he needs to make, and do you see him as a good candidate for a guy for fit for a year as a rookie given the turnovers that he had at Alabama? Lastly, do you have a comp for him?
DANIEL JEREMIAH: Yeah, it's hard to find a comp for him. I can start there. He is an elite, elite, elite runner. If you just did a cut-up and just with the ball in your arm and running and you stacked him up with a really, really good running back class, just looking at him just as a runner, he would not look out of place at all. He is dynamic. He can make you miss. He can break tackles. There is zero question that he's going to have an impact with the ball under his arm.
In terms of the things to work on with him, he's not consistently connected between his eyes and his feet. That impacts his accuracy. The decision-making, you referenced the turnovers, to me that comes with playing, that comes with learning. You know, being in a little different system this year, that didn't go quite as smoothly as you would have hoped. I do think he needs time. I do think he requires patience.
Talking to teams, though, if you were to use the word -- the phrase with him that's used more than any other of all the quarterbacks in this draft, that's the lottery ticket. If you want to just take a lottery ticket that you could hit huge on if it all works out and all comes together, he's got the highest upside of anybody in this draft, and that goes all the way up to Cam Ward at No. 1.
But he is a long way from getting there. So to me it's a classic second-round pick. You get your first pick in the bag. You feel comfortable about it. It's a double-off-the-wall. Now you can stop choking up and swing for the fences with Jalen Milroe. That's how just about everybody universally views him. We'll see where he ends up going.
In terms of a comparison, the only thing I can say is as a runner, he's as impressive as Lamar Jackson was as a runner coming out. Lamar was light years ahead of him in terms of the passing game at that point in time, and Lamar has continued to just improve each and every year in that department as well.
Q. I'm writing a story about this being such a consequential draft for the 49ers given the way the offseason went, and they might really need rookies to actually play. Just based on Lynch and Shanahan's draft history, should the fan base feel good about that? Because you can look at Solomon Thomas and Rueben Foster and Javon Kinlaw and Trey Lance and say, oh, they don't know how to do this. And then you could look at George Kittle and Fred Warner and Dre Greenlaw and Brock Purdy and say they're brilliant. I guess what I'm asking is how would you kind of assess their draft history and what's at stake here?
DANIEL JEREMIAH: Yeah, look, it's an interesting case. They have done as well as anybody outside the first round of finding not just starters, but All-Pro, impact-caliber players. To me it seems like a pretty simple formula where you want more shots at it than less given their track record and their history.
I haven't pulled the exact numbers, but they have a boatload of picks in next year's draft because of the guys that they lost. When you add up the comp picks, they're going to have a lot of shots at it next year. They're armed with a good number of picks this year.
I would not be surprised at all where they're picking. They're sitting there picking at No. 11. If anybody wants to call and come up, I would think they would be more than willing to slide back and get more picks and take more shots at it.
To your point, they are going to need these young guys to get on the field and play. The one thing I would mention as well is there's two sides of it. There's the evaluating and projecting talent, which you can say has been a little bit up and down with them, but the other side of it is developing them once they get there.
I think they're outstanding at doing that. To me, having Robert Saleh back there is going to be big for him to work with some of the young guys they'll bring in on the defensive side of the ball to get them prepared and ready to go.
Yeah, the history -- or the future of their organization, they're going to -- I'm sure they'll end up getting the Brock Purdy thing done here before too long, and then it's going to come down to the importance of them hitting on their draft picks, just as the Rams have done inside their own division where they've been stellar and really kind of flipped their roster from old to young really, really fast.
Q. When teams look back and self-evaluate their drafts three to five years later, what are some of the benchmarks that they're hoping to hit? What constitutes a good draft?
DANIEL JEREMIAH: I always use it as the number of starters you can pull from a draft, and I think three would be kind of the target. You get three starters in a draft and a couple of other contributors, that's a really good draft. You get four starters, you know, that's outstanding. To me that's a little bit of the benchmark.
We always used to look at guys that were still in the league. We would do studies on that. So guys you took in the sixth, seventh round. Maybe where your roster is, they didn't -- they weren't able to stick. But you evaluated the talent correctly that those guys have made it on other teams, and they found a way to survive in the NFL for a while. That's usually a pretty good sign that you're doing the right process and doing it the right way.
Q. Everybody loves the first round, but a lot of teams win or lose on day two. Can you talk about the valuableness of day two? What do you like at 47 and 78 for the Cards?
DANIEL JEREMIAH: Yeah, I love the second round. Second day really to me is the best bang for your buck because the cost is significantly less, and I don't know that the odds are that much worse in terms of finding guys that can start for you and can have an impact. So it's literally a value.
In a draft like this, I would love to be maintaining a lot of shots there in the second and third round. I think you're going to find steady guys. I don't know there's that much difference in those numbers to what you're looking at there in the teens in this year's draft.
So if we're looking at the Cardinals and they're picking 47 and 78, you know, I don't think you're going to find a tackle to your suiting there that you're going to love. I do think you could find an interior offensive lineman that's a good player. Savaiinaea from Arizona at 47, he might go a little bit before that. But that's a possibility, kind of in that range would give you an interior offensive lineman.
If you wanted to go with an edge rusher at pick No. 78, I think you've got a lot of interesting options at that point in time. You've got Swinson from LSU. He could go a little bit before then, but he's around that range. Look at a guy like Jordan Burch who is kind of polarizing out of Oregon. I think that's a round where he would go. Oladejo from UCLA.
There's some interesting edge guys there if you want to find one of those in the third round. I wouldn't mind them going in the trenches and finding an offensive lineman in Round 2 and then go see if you can find one of these edge rushers where there's some depth there in Round No. 3.
Q. Kind of a big-picture question. Jeff Ireland and his staff down here, kind of polarizing right now with the fans. I'm trying to get a gauge on how they've done over the years. One thing that stands out -- I mean, they had a lot of early success in '16 and '17, then kind of went through a dry spell there for a few years and kind of rebounded last year. I'm curious, how do you explain disparate results from drafts from year to year when it's the same evaluators and staff basically conducting the same evaluation process? Then, also, I'm curious, in your opinion, can evaluators and scouts go through, quote/unquote, slumps in the draft? I would like to get your thoughts.
DANIEL JEREMIAH: Yeah, 100%. I mean, there's a lot of teams that you think about it -- you go back. We used to do these studies and go back and look at teams that had been on runs, a team that had been on a five- or six-year run of success. We could almost always pin it to one draft. You could go back and find one draft where they just knocked it out of the park.
Seattle in their run, they had that one draft where they got all of those guys and kind of crushed it off of that. I remember, going back to the early 2000s, Chargers team had like a two-year run where they just loaded up their roster. Think about the Drew Brees and LaDainian Tomlinson and that group of guys they had come through there, and that set them on a run.
It's so hard to maintain it. New Orleans, that draft that they had, when you look at, what was it, Ramczyk and Kamara and all those guys that they were able to haul in, shoot, that sets you up. It's impossible to do it year after year after year.
The Ravens are probably one of the best at it. They've been pretty consistent. They've also had a lot -- I think they've had the most comp picks of anybody, so they've had more picks, so you get more cracks at it. It's so hard to do this consistently. It's inexact. So, yeah, I think that's natural that you are going to have some ups and downs.
I would also say when you have the elite, elite, elite Hall of Fame quarterback, it makes a lot of those picks play above their level as well. They've been navigating waters without that the last couple of years.
Q. It's my annual question.
DANIEL JEREMIAH: Pass rusher?
Q. Pass rusher, yes. I'm figuring Abdul Carter and Jalon Walker are gone, what does it look like after that? And then how do they square Green and Pearce's off-the-field issues?
DANIEL JEREMIAH: Yeah, they've got to do their homework on those guys and get comfortable with it. I don't get all the information that these teams get. So they've got to bring them in, be around them, talk to everyone around them and figure out if they're comfortable with those situations.
As a player -- and I look at guys that would fit them and I think would be -- as football players would be really, really productive. Mike Green to me is a skilled, gifted pass rusher who can win with speed and with power. Between him and Pearce, I would lean towards Green in that conversation.
I'm curious to see with Shemar Stewart from Texas A&M is easily the most polarizing edge rusher in this draft. I mean, he is the ultimate example of traits versus production. He has all kinds of twitch. He's explosive. He's disruptive. He just hasn't been able to finish, to compile sacks.
More and more teams don't really -- they aren't focusing quite as much on the sack number as they are on win percentage, pressure percentage, where he's more than functional there. He plays really, really hard. He would be an interesting one I would keep an eye on. I would not rule out.
There are teams with wildly different grades on him. Top ten grades, second-round grades. That type of a range. I would think he would definitely be in that conversation.
Q. A little bit of an out-of-the-box one, but I'm curious if mock drafts have become more popular during your time doing this, and what is your process like to put together your final one?
DANIEL JEREMIAH: Yeah, that's a great question. There's a billion of them. Yeah, it's become a heck of a lot more popular. From when I started scouting in Baltimore in 2003, I mean, there was, like -- you would wait. You would wait. You would get one mock draft every couple of weeks. They didn't exist. It was very few. It was Mel and I think Todd was probably doing one back then, but nothing like there is now. There's a million of them.
I always look at it like the first -- all the mock drafts until the last one, you're going off a little bit of what you hear. I always go off what I hear, not what I would do. I should preface that.
To me the accuracy and what information you're getting a month before the draft, there's not much there. You're just looking at different scenarios: Oh, what if this were to happen? How would that impact the rest of it?
Whereas you get to the last one, and at that point in time I've talked to a lot of folks and gathered a lot of information. And I'm trying to just go off of what I hear and then looking at the historical stuff that they've done, marrying that with their needs, what's been said publicly by coaches and general managers.
I put all that into it, and then at the end of the day you get, like, seven out of 32, and you just go, okay, well, what was that all for? It's all part of that exercise.
I think it's fun. Teams, you would be shocked how many teams call and want to know who you think certain people are taking. So I enjoy it. It's a fun game, but it's darn near impossible.
Q. You talked about Abdul Carter at 3 for the Giants. So much talk with New York about quarterbacks. Who do you see as fits for Brian Daboll and the Giants at quarterback later in the draft? Who would be the guys you would favor for them?
DANIEL JEREMIAH: Yeah, I've been saying the same thing with them and that to me a draft I would love for the Giants is if they were to put Abdul Carter, select him, get him on board. And then after that you try and find somebody who fits you without having to give away the farm to go get them.
I have Shedeur as my No. 2. I wouldn't have a problem if they tried to move up a little bit to get him. But parting with massive resources to vault way back up there, I don't know that I would love that.
Jaxson Dart to me just from a fit, a little more physical, a little bit more arm -- he doesn't have a huge arm, but a little bit more arm playing in that stadium, in that division and the weather you might encounter. I thought that one would not necessarily require a huge cost to move up.
For instance, if they just wanted to get up in front of Pittsburgh and get to 20, the cost would be a 2, one of their 3s this year, and a 5. They still have another three left.
You could conceivably come out of your first three picks with Abdul Carter, you know, arguably the best player in the draft, everybody would say one of the two best players in the draft; a quarterback of the future in Jaxson Dart, who you don't necessarily have to start right away; and then whoever you would find there in the third round. That to me is a really nice haul for the Giants.
Q. Most of today's NFL quarterbacks did not play high school football running the Wing-T, but Cam Ward did just that. Do you have a sense of how rare the Wing-T to first-round-pick journey is for today's quarterbacks, and how do you think that high school background influences Cam's play style?
DANIEL JEREMIAH: Oh, that's a great question. I would have to go back, but I want to say Josh Allen did a little bit of that in high school as well. I think he ran the ball quite a bit.
I have heard of it before of other guys who have been stuck, and it used to happen a lot more in the past. It's a different era now, and everybody is in 7-on-7. Everybody is spreading people out and throwing it in high school. It's definitely happened in the past, but I do think it does inform some of your toughness.
I always like it when you get quarterbacks that maybe didn't go to the powerhouse high school and they got to play both sides of the ball. Maybe they're playing safety or some of them are big enough and were even playing linebacker, but yeah, you're more comfortable with contact.
He's someone when I go through and watch his tape, one of the things I love most about him was his ability to pull through tackles. Like, you get guys that will get free runs at him, and he's able to just kind of shrug them off and pull through tackles. For a guy that's not 6'5", 240 pounds, he's really, really strong.
Yeah, I think that's a great point. When you play in that type of an offense, you're going to be a little bit more rough and tumble, a little more rugged. There's absolutely no fear in what he's doing out there.
Q. Sean Payton and George Paton have talked a lot about the different types of running backs in this class and have sort of talked about looking for a guy that can play on third downs and manage all three downs. For you, whether it's a 20, 51, or in your trade-back scenario a little bit in between, who is a guy, if it's not Jeanty or Hampton, who do you like there, or maybe it is as simple as Omarion Hampton?
DANIEL JEREMIAH: Yeah, Omarion Hampton can do all of those things. To me, TreVeyon Henderson would be a heck of a weapon. And we've seen Sean with running backs like that. To me, I think he would be a fun one.
The other one who I would look at for them and kind of that -- I don't want to say Sproles-ish role, but someone who would just be a nightmare out of the back field if they wanted to throw the ball to the backs, which he loves to do, Jaydon Blue from Texas. Big-time, big-time speed, and he is an excellent route runner. Rashad Smith is another one.
That's two guys that are basically receivers that you line up at running back, and you can get them out in the route, split them out. They're a nightmare. Like, you can watch Jaydon Blue just on angle routes. He just tears people up. He has big-time, big-time home run speed.
Those guys could be kind of like the committee fits. But if you are looking for the guys just first through third down, don't come off the field, can do everything, to me I would look at Hampton and I would look at TreVeyon Henderson to be the captains on that team.
Q. I wanted to ask you about the Rams options at pick 26. Seems like they left the door open to really any possibility with the way they approached free agency. What do you make of that slot now, and how might they approach it given the way that, again, they went about free agency?
DANIEL JEREMIAH: Yeah, to me I look at the corner as being an option for them there. That one would make some sense. I wouldn't sleep on a guy like Mason Taylor if that was someone that they really loved and were comfortable with. They could go that route as a tight end.
Trey Amos to me is a guy that just for some reason struck me as a less need type of player. He's just so consistent and so solid. He can do a lot of different things.
I would say what the Rams have done, they've got a lot of guys who were just ready-made, like just polished, good football players. Not getting enamored or carried away with other things and just laser-focused on getting guys that, when you watch them on grass with pads on, are really, really good and not getting too carried away or enamored with everything else.
To me, those are two guys in Trey Amos and Mason Taylor who I feel like I know 100% who they are and what they're all about.
Q. All roads have led to Ashton Jeanty being the Raiders' pick at No. 6. One, what's the chances that he might get selected before they get that opportunity? How much do you think that Pete Carroll and even Tom Brady in particular may be intrigued by Shedeur if he happens to slide to 6 as well?
DANIEL JEREMIAH: Yeah, that's a good one. Yeah, I would think -- I would think with Geno that he's got a little more runway there and knowing the affinity that Pete has for him. I think both things can be true. I think they could like Shedeur but then also feel like that's not the right time to already make that move.
To me I would have said a month ago Ashton Jeanty will be there, and he would be a great option for them. As we come down the homestretch -- and maybe I'm reading too much into it, but when I listen to the guys in Jacksonville talk, and you listen to the head coach and the general manager discuss what they're looking for in a player and they talk about a statement pick and the first pick of their new regime there and valuing the things that they're valuing in terms of the character, the competitiveness, all those things, I'm like, golly, that sounds like two players to me. That sounds like Ashton Jeanty, and that sounds like Jalon Walker.
I would not rule out the possibility that Jeanty went ahead of that pick, and then he's off the board. When I talk to folks that are tight with those inside the Raiders organization, they've talked about the line of scrimmage has been a big focus.
Man, they are in a really good spot on that defensive line if they can stay healthy. I'm like, man, what if you added a Mason Graham to that group, and he's playing next to Wilkins and Maxx and Koonce. That's pretty fun to see what that could look like. Or you look at, if Jalon Walker there is, adding just a fastball and a versatile chess piece that you could move around. Those would be fun.
On the offensive side of the ball, again, I'm always looking trying to find connections and what it could look like. And when I was talking about offensive linemen and maybe someone who could be eventual your long-term starter at a tackle spot, but if you wanted to you could play them at a guard, Kelvin Banks. It's not hard to draw the line between Pete Carroll, Steve Sarkisian, and Kelvin Banks. That's another one I was thinking about.
Q. The Jets need a tight end help. They also need right tackle help. If you could just analyze the bait there at 7 and if the Jets were to take a tight end at 7, just some of the options at right tackle later on in day two?
DANIEL JEREMIAH: Look, I think you're going to be in a good spot there to get somebody that comes right in and makes an impact and starts. They could kind of put the finishing piece on the offensive line with someone like Membou, who he'd be comfortable just plugging right in at right tackle. He would be comfortable there. All of a sudden now what was an endless journey to fix the offensive line, you could almost say is pretty complete with him.
To me as a player, just simply how you grade him, I would have both those tight ends over him. If they want to stay best available and stay true to the board, I would take Tyler Warren, and I wouldn't hesitate to take Colston Loveland either. I think both those guys are worthy of being selected there.
If they did go with a tight end there and took the highest available player, you start looking at the tackles once you get to the next rounds -- let's see. Where were they picking here? They are picking 42. Man, it's going to be -- I don't think you're going to love the tackle options that are going to be there at that point in time at pick 42.
I think Simmons is gone. I think Conerly is gone. Now you start getting into like Ozzie Trapilo is maybe a starting right tackle. That's probably a little bit early for him. Emery Jones is a possibility from LSU. You've got a big upside play and raw player in Charles Grant from William & Mary, but I think he is more of a third-round guy who is going to take some time.
If you are looking at trying to package the two together, I would like the tight ends I would be looking at in the second round more than I would like the tackles. That could inform their decision that they say, hey, let's just solve the offensive line once and for all and be done with it, and you take Armand Membou, or if you take Banks, one of those guys, now we've solved the offensive line. Now you're looking at an Arroyo from Miami in the second round, which would be an upgrade over anybody they have in that position at tight end.
Q. Just a quick question about the Ole Miss prospects. I know a lot of talk about Walter Nolen and Trey Amos and those guys. What impresses you most about the group of prospects coming out from Ole Miss, and do you think Nolen is the first off the board?
DANIEL JEREMIAH: Yeah, I think it's going to be interesting between Nolen and Dart. I would lean towards Nolen being the first one to go. He's probably the twitchiest D-tackle in this draft. So if you are looking for a pass rusher three technique, he's the one that I think you're going to get fired up on.
I think he'll more than likely hear his name called in the teens, in the early 20s probably at the latest.
Jaxson Dart I think to me it probably starts at 20. I guess there's some thought out there maybe the Saints could take him at 9. That would surprise me. I would think more maybe it's a trade-up in front of Pittsburgh. That would be where the ride could start. Then I think the ride would end in the early part of the second round once the Browns and the Giants have made their next picks. That's the range for Jaxson Dart.
Trey Amos has a really good shot going in the bottom half of the first round. He's had a good process. He ran well, which was kind of the only question mark on him. He answered that.
Then you've got all these defensive linemen that come into the mix. JJ Pegues is real versatile. Does everything, on the offensive side of the ball, defensive side of the ball. He's kind of in that third-round range.
You've got Umanmielen probably in that same type of range. Tre Harris, the wideout, could sneak into two. I think most teams have him more in the third round. You got "Pooh" Paul probably in that third, fourth round range.
They've got a ton of guys, man. A ton of players. They're going to be -- I think the sweet spot for the Ole Miss players, you'll see a couple of those guys go early, and then they're going to be littered all throughout the third and fourth round.
Q. With the 19th pick in the draft, who should the Tampa Bay Buccaneers select and why?
DANIEL JEREMIAH: Okay, I like that one. I'm going to go with an edge rusher for Tampa. I'm going to say they lean towards a productive guy and someone that I think could kind of fit and grow with that team. That's a good team. I saw them last year, and I thought that was one of the most physical teams in the NFL.
I think to me adding another edge piece makes a lot of sense. I'll go with Ezeiruaku from Boston College. I think all the production. I think Jason Licht values that. I think he would appreciate that.
When you get the center from Duke who comes in and is just -- I mean, he's so polished and so smart and so tough. Obviously the talent is there with Graham Barton, but all those intangible things I think were what led to him having such immediate success once he got on the field there.
I think with Ezeiruaku, there's a very similar wiring with him. He's a really smart kid. He's someone I think is going to pick up what they're doing defensively really fast and could have an impact.
Q. So last time we did this conference call, it was right before the NFL combine, and Seahawks still had DK Metcalf and Tyler Lockett on the roster, and they also had Geno Smith. But all of them are gone. Sam Darnold is in free agency, and for the wide receiver standpoint, they assigned Cooper Kupp and Marquez Valdes-Scantling in free agency. My question to you, Seattle's only receivers under contract through 2026 are Kupp and Jaxon Smith-Njigba. Are there any receivers from this class, specifically in the day-one, day-two projected range, who stand out to you as potential fits and draft targets for Seattle's offense? Or alternatively, could you see Seattle making a play for a major receiving tight end like Colston Loveland or Arroyo or Taylor?
DANIEL JEREMIAH: With where they're picking, if one of those tight ends, one of those top two tight ends were to get there, I think I would have a hard time passing on them just for the value they represent.
But, you know, to me, if I was building out this team, where would you feel that they need to go? To me, interior offensive line early would be more of a focus. If I'm just looking at it and I want to feel comfortable, I look at a couple of guys.
Grey Zabel, if he was there, would be a great fit. Not only can he come in and start right away, he's going to allow you to get your best five guys on the field because of his versatility. So you get injuries throughout a season, that would be a valuable chess piece for them.
If you are going to look at a receiver for them, when you are looking at 50 and 52, that would be more the range I would be looking to address that room. I think there will be good value there with some really solid options.
Jack Bech, the people have compared him to Cooper Kupp because of just the toughness and all that. I think that's the competitive side of the comparison, I get, someone who could play over the top as well and go get the ball. I think he would be a fun way to add to their mix.
I'm looking more for guys that are going to play on the outside. So Jack Bech would be one. Tory Horton from Colorado State would be another one who can get down the field and is a home run hitter who also has some big-time punt return value. Just you have to go back to '23 to watch him. He wasn't healthy at all this year. Kyle Williams from Washington State, that would not be a long drive and would be a big impact. He's a really, really good player.
This is why I love doing this call because you start thinking about teams outside of the first round and who could match their needs, and I think the Seattle receiver need marries up really well with where they're located in the second round.
Q. I think earlier you laid out a scenario in which if the Giants wanted to get to 20 where Denver is, 34, 65, and then the fifth-rounder as well, do you see the Browns as a potential for that same sort of move? Sean Payton typically hasn't moved back in the first round. I don't know if he ever has. But what in this particular scenario would you like about that move for Denver based on their needs and what that package would give them where they're selecting?
DANIEL JEREMIAH: Yeah, that's an interesting point on Sean. To be honest, the fascinating thing is with Cleveland and the Giants, if they don't take quarterbacks at 2 and 3, not only would they both potentially be looking to move up, they both have darn near identical draft capital. They each have an extra third-round pick.
You find out and it's almost a game of chicken of who is willing to pay the biggest price and how much do they love one of these quarterbacks. I don't even know that they like the same quarterback. That's kind of an interesting thing.
But if you can't get to Denver from those teams, I would be calling up ahead of them and see if you can't get a spot or two in front of them as well. In terms of what would be there if Denver were to slide back, I think you're looking at, to me, like, a guy like Quinshon Judkins would come into play.
To me there's not much difference between Quinshon Judkins' grade and where I have him in the early 30s on my list versus the 13th player on the list. There's not tremendous drop-off there. I think you could find a big-time running back at that time and get a lot of value.
I also wouldn't rule out in these trades, if they do happen, if these teams are looking to the future and looking to acquire picks in the future years. So if I'm Denver, say you're looking at TreVeyon Henderson or trade back, and I love TreVeyon Henderson. But if they don't take TreVeyon Henderson and they trade back, you get his teammate in Quinshon Judkins, who is a really good player, and I get a future pick next year, maybe it's a 2, I would have to think long and hard about that.
Q. Question about the New York Giants at pick 3. With the dilemma of either going BPA or quarterback there with Shedeur Sanders, I'm wondering, although you did say Abdul Carter seems to be the pick, do you think that the Giants might be leaning towards any preference of the best player available there with Travis Hunter and Abdul Carter? And do you think if the workout yesterday with Shedeur Sanders insinuates maybe there's a little bit of a divide in the front office with the Giants?
DANIEL JEREMIAH: Yeah, I'll start at the end there. I talked to somebody in their front office over a week ago, and he had told me about this workout that was coming up. I think some people maybe misunderstood that a little bit of like, oh, this is a last minute, like let's get out there and work this guy out.
With the calendar and these kids taking visits to other schools and having workouts, I think this is where it landed on the calendar, but I think it had been planned for quite some time.
I don't know. I couldn't tell you with any certainty that they're going to take Abdul Carter or take a quarterback or what their mindset is there other than the fact that they said at the press conference the other day they're comfortable lining up and playing with what they have with Russell and with Jameis.
There's no reason to kind of hide it. I don't see Cleveland trading out to get away from somebody coming up in front of you to take somebody. I think Cleveland is going to take Travis Hunter. It feels, at this point in time, pretty locked in with 1 and 2. I wouldn't see the need to address it that way.
I'm leaning towards them taking a non-quarterback there, and Abdul Carter seems to be the obvious pick. But I think they would like to come out of this draft with a quarterback at some point in time. It's just a matter of how aggressive they want to be.
Q. I'm going to ask you the Canadian question. I wonder if I could just get you to go through what your thoughts are on Elic Ayomanor, Kurtis Rourke, and Taylor Elgersma, the kid from Laurier who went to the Senior Bowl. What are your thoughts on them and where I might be looking on working on the draft on Friday or Saturday regarding those three?
DANIEL JEREMIAH: There you go. Elgersma, to me, let's start there, I think most teams have him as an undrafted free agent. He did flash a little bit at the Senior Bowl. So I think that created some intrigue that maybe he could hear his name called in the sixth, seventh round.
But I think the more likely scenario is that he's going to end up being a free agent, somebody that teams would love to work with and have some practice squad opportunities there.
Ayomanor to me is most teams -- and I have him -- let me pull up where I got him here. Yeah, to me he's like in my fourth-round range. I think there's a chance with other teams he could end up sneaking into the third round, but I think that's probably his range of where he'll end up going.
Fun player to watch. I think we've talked about it before, but of all the receivers, the '23 game against Colorado is probably one of the best tapes of any of these wide receivers. He has a ton of burst and speed. He has size, has some contested drops, some contact drops, which is an area that you like to see him improve on, but I think that's probably the range for him.
Then let's get to Rourke. Let's see. Most teams that I've talked to on him have the same similar grades to what we discussed earlier. He's coming off the injury. You're look at a sixth, seventh, priority free agency type grade. Somebody who is all-day tough, obviously playing what he played through. Good in the RPO game. There's just not a ton of life on the ball, and that's probably a little bit of the combination of the age, durability, and not having a huge, huge arm. I think he's probably towards the end in terms of the draft or as a priority free agent.
Q. For the Miami Dolphins with this latest development that they're looking to trade Jalen Ramsey, do you think finding a quality starting corner for years to come now becomes the utmost priority for them in this draft? Like, do they have to snag either Will Johnson or Jahdae Barron, and if it doesn't go that way in round one, how much do you like those corners who figure to go in the second? If you could maybe break down the different possibilities there.
DANIEL JEREMIAH: I don't think they're a one position, one player away in terms of we have to draft a corner, and that's the last piece of our puzzle here. I think they can be a little bit more best player available with where they're looking at that point in time.
I would be curious to see how they would have the corners versus the safeties stacked because there's two really, really good safeties in this draft. That could be an area that they look. Is it Emmanwori? Is it Malaki Starks? How do those guys stack up?
Will Johnson has a wide range. He could be gone. He could slide into the early 20s. So if he's there, how do they view him as a fit? I don't think he's a press man, leave-him-alone corner. So it would be interesting to see how they value that with the safeties versus the corners.
If you are looking at corners in the second round, they're picking 48th. So if I go and look at the guys who I think have a chance to be there who could be some impact players, Ben Morrison would never be there in a million years if he was healthy, but hurt his knee in October. So he's not been healthy through the process, but the corner out of Notre Dame would be a heck of a value at that point in time.
You start getting into Revel from East Carolina, another one coming off of a torn ACL. Those are two guys that you might get some value on because of them dropping a little bit because they didn't have a healthy process. Those are a couple of options there if you are looking at pick 48.
Then just for fun, if you are looking at pick 98, I still think there's quality players. Nohl Williams from Cal I love. Darien Porter could be in around that range, who is a height-weight speed corner from Iowa State. Jacob Parish from Kansas State. I think there's a good group.
I would not feel at all when you go through that little exercise that you have to take a corner to replace Jalen Ramsey in the first round. I think you can find other guys that you can plug in there on day two.
Q. What is your perception about how much teams value the fifth-year option? You mentioned teams like the Giants, Browns, others potentially moving up from Round 2 into Round 1 for a quarterback. What do you think the likelihood is of that? For some of the second-tier quarterbacks in this class and if you are one of the playoff teams at the back of Round 1, should you expect to be paid a premium to give up that fifth-year option?
DANIEL JEREMIAH: That's an interesting way of looking at it. Yeah, I've never thought of it from that standpoint of having to pay a premium, but yeah, it's a good point. It makes sense.
I try and reverse-engineer it. When you talk to agents and none of them want to go with a 31st or 32nd pick, so that's usually a sign that there is a pretty good advantage in the fifth-year option in terms of the team side.
So, yeah, with a quarterback specifically, just wanting some cost control there. I think it makes a lot of sense. I mean, I don't think you're paying a steep premium, but if that goes from one of the secondary picks being a fifth-round pick instead of a sixth-round pick, I think you could probably pull that off if you are one of the teams in the 30s of asking for that because of the value of the extra year.
So I don't know that at other positions it's quite as important, but I think the quarterback numbers have just gotten so astronomical that if you are able to actually hit on the guy, that extra year is pretty important. So, yeah, I think that's fair.
I've never thought about the premium side. That's a great point. Yeah, if I was Howie Roseman, I might ask for a little extra sugar on top.
Q. Following up on the question that you got about mock drafts earlier, with all the information that's out there, some of it good, some of it bad, how much does that kind of factor into how teams make their big boards of where they decide to actually take certain guys relative to where maybe they have them on their own board, and I guess what kind of separates the good process from bad process in that whole consideration?
DANIEL JEREMIAH: Yeah, to me I always tell people during this time of the year I wake up, I have coffee, I field three phone calls, and try and decipher the nine lies I was just told. There's so much information.
I think the main goal of teams -- when I talk to general managers, they kind of want to know where you think ranges of where players are going. They're not going to adjust how they rank their own players, but what happens is everybody has a different board. So if you are picking 25 and your eighth player might not be -- they want to know what the rest of the league thinks of their guys. If you are kind of going through everybody and their eighth player is not loved around the league and everybody thinks he's a second-round player or what have you, then they're more patient to wait and see if they could get their eighth-ranked player at pick No. 25. Once they start realizing, man, the rest of the league has very similar feel on our players, we don't want to get wiped out.
I've been on teams where we've picked at, like, say we've picked 22, and we've taken our ninth best player at 22. I've been on teams where we've picked in that same range, say the same number, 22, and we've got our 21st player. We just got wiped out. Like, wiped out completely.
You're just trying to find out, man, if we could get our eighth player at 14 or 15, okay, we'll go get him. Who are you willing to travel for? That's a meeting that teams have at the end of the process. You got your entire staff in there, and the teams I was on, we would go through and say, Okay, here's our list of players, guys. We have them all stacked up. They're ranked. Who are the guys you guys would be willing to be aggressive on? Who do we have complete conviction in? If he got in range, let's do it, let's go get him. That's what that is.
They're not adjusting their ranking. They're just trying to figure out if there's a chance they could get one of their premier, premier players and move up.
Q. Following up on the Broncos and Omarion Hampton from earlier, given where that team is, playoff team, young quarterback, good defensive, is Hampton that much better a fit to where he's worth them considering a trade up, or would the running back class -- is it better to let the board fall as it may because of the depth and quality of the elbow this year?
DANIEL JEREMIAH: Yeah, you know, before free agency I would have told you if the Denver Broncos were going to be ultra-aggressive and trade up for somebody, it would have been Colston Loveland. He's a great fit for what Sean Payton does and just seemed like an obvious one.
Now, they won out and picked up Evan Ingram and gave him some decent money. That might take that off the table, but I've still got that in the back of my mind of, man, that's still such a good fit. I know that's not the position you're referencing, but that's one that it still has my ears perked up to see what happens there.
On the running back side of it, man, I love TreVeyon Henderson as well. So Omarion Hampton would be an unbelievable pick there, but I think there's enough guys and there's enough depth at this position that I don't know that you would necessarily have to do that. I think you can kind of let and see how it falls at that specific position, but I don't know why. I just keep coming back to the Loveland thing thinking that was a Sean Payton fit.
Q. Talking about Howie at 32, you mentioned Walter Nolen a little bit earlier. What do you think the range is, though? Is he somebody who could -- if one or two teams decide to go in a different direction, can he fall that low?
DANIEL JEREMIAH: I would say it's unlikely that he falls that low. He's just too explosive and in a passing league I can't see him getting there, but if you asked me if Nolan Smith was going to get there, I would have said no. If you would have asked me if Cooper DeJean was going to be there in the second round, I would have said no.
Look, you always prepare for it, and you always be pleasantly surprised of who falls. I would not anticipate that he would drop that far.
I think he could end up going -- if he went in the top 15, I wouldn't be shocked. Yeah, that one would surprise me if he made it all the way down. In terms of the Eagles and where they could look, I just imagine in Howie's office that you just gather the offensive staff and the defensive staff, and they are just lobbying for which offensive or defensive lineman they would love to have at that point in time.
I would also say with where they are as a team and the roster and you go through and look at it, they're in pretty good shape. They have a ton of picks. I think they have 12 picks next year. So they could be a team -- you are always looking at teams looking to move back. They could be a team that, say it's him, say it's Walter Nolen is there. Maybe that's someone they would be aggressive to move up. I wouldn't sleep on Shemar Stewart as an explosive player that they could use and fit. If he starts to drop, they could go up and get him.
I think there's a lot of teams this draft that would like to go in reverse, and the Eagles might be one of the few teams that would really be willing to put their foot on the gas and go get somebody.
Q. I wanted to ask about monthly Malachi Moore from Alabama. What kind of player do you view him as? What round do you think he will go in? Do you have a certain team that would be a great fit for him?
DANIEL JEREMIAH: Yeah, he's a good football player. He didn't have elite size or anything like that, but he can cover in the slot. He can play in the middle of the field. He flashes some range there in the back half.
To me the question is just how much pure make-up speed does he have? For me the range that I have him in is kind of in that fourth-, fifth-round range. There's a good bit of safeties in that kind of clump in there, but that's about the range where I see him coming off of the board.
In terms of teams, to me I view him more as a third safety, third or fourth safety, who is going to be a part of your sub packages and play on special teams and try and earn his way up the depth chart. I mean, every team could use someone like him, but that's fourth, fifth round is about the range where I specifically have him.
Q. Just kind of looking at the mid-round tight ends, how do teams feel about Harold Fannin Jr., and are they divided on his athleticism and his movement skills? What separates him? How much of a gap is there between him and the guy like Mason Taylor there?
DANIEL JEREMIAH: Yeah, there's teams that have Fannin over Taylor. He's a tight end darling. It's kind of like a running joke amongst scouts. We always laugh about it because these position coaches go to work out players. If you are the tight end coaches that will all hop around go to the pro days of the top tight ends, and they're around each other a lot. We would always joke that it's like the poster child for group think where everybody kind of gets together and they all kind of have their guys that they like and then the guys that they don't like.
The take, the consensus, was that Harold Fannin was the coaching favorite of the tight end coaches. They all really liked him. I like him too. He's a really good player. I think he's going to go in the second round when it's all said and done. Maybe the middle to the back portion of the second round.
When you go up against Penn State and do what he did and then you show against Texas A&M when you are running away from everybody. It looks a little different watching him run. He ran 4.7 once. He didn't blow it out, but he's faster than you think, and he just has a knack for getting open, separating, and it's kind of a different looking kind of a waddle that he uses as a runner. He covers ground. He can make people miss. He's just excellent with the ball in his hands.
To me I think he's, at the worst case scenario, top of three, but I think he has a good shot of going in the middle of the back portion of two.
Q. You made a comment at the combine about when you commit to Georgia, you get an invite to the combine. I want to take it to the draft now. What do you make of the number of players that have been selected the last several years from Georgia? What is it about a player under Kirby Smart and his staff that has them ready for the next level that may be specific to what they do in that program?
DANIEL JEREMIAH: I think it's the practice, honestly. I do. I just think you're seeing great players every single day in practice, and if you're not competing and focused and getting better every day, there's ten guys behind you that are going to take your job. So that creates some urgency there.
Then on top of that, you've got a staff of good teachers. Everybody listens to Kirby, and he gets clipped off for yelling and screaming and how intense he is, but when you listen to him and you see it and you are around him, he's an excellent teacher.
So these guys come prepared. They've played in NFL schemes. It's just like the minor leagues. It's just like the minor leagues for the NFL. It's pretty incredible what they've built there, and we've seen it before. Alabama, you know, has done that for a long time where guys just kind of arrived. Sometimes they could be a little bit beat up because of the intensity and the physicality, but man, I feel like you're getting real dudes when you go shopping at Georgia.
I was saying they get an invite when they get to Georgia, and it's not just because of the school. They're legit dudes, and that's been reflected in how their players have been selected over the last handful of years. Yeah, I'm a big fan of their guys.
Q. I want to talk about the Dallas Cowboys. In my opinion this is the most interesting team also in the draft. As you know, they made a lot of offseason moves. I've got to ask you, what do you think they'll do because there's Jeanty rumors going on and wide receiver rumors, but if Jeanty goes before them, I have them taking a receiver like Matthew Golden or McMillan. What do you think the Dallas Cowboys should do with all the offseason moves and with the new regime now with the first-time head coach, and this is a big year for them too?
DANIEL JEREMIAH: Yeah, I think in my last mock draft I had them taking Matthew Golden as well. I see the fit with you there.
I think they need to upgrade that receiver room for sure. The expectation, though, in talking to folks around the league in regards to the Cowboys is they've done a lot of work on the interior offensive linemen. I think they said the other day at the press conference they would be more likely -- I don't know if it was Stephen, but somebody in their press conference said they would be more likely to trade back than to trade up, which when I hear they've done a lot of work on interior offensive linemen, I'm hearing they want to trade back.
That matches because you probably don't love the value of taking an interior offensive lineman at 12. If you can slide back a bit and still come away with a Grey Zabel, who is a plug-and-play starter to replace Zack Martin, that makes sense.
I was kind of tongue-in-cheek the other day on television, but just talking about the Cowboys. I do miss the days when they were fun and aggressive. They've done some smart -- they've drafted well obviously and been smart, but for a team that hasn't been able to get over the hump, it feels like at some point in time, whether that's trading a pick for a player, a veteran, whether that's moving up in the draft, whether that's trying to amass a bunch of picks in a future draft, they've been kind of by the book, playing it by the book, and they haven't been able to get over the hump.
At some point in time I would like to see a risk, whether that's in free agency, whether that's in trading for a player, whether that's trading up. Just it feels like they need to be a little bit more aggressive. That's probably more so holistically on the calendar than specifically on the draft.
Philly has got a couple of Super Bowls by being very, very aggressive trading picks for players, getting an international player and developing him into a premier left tackle, going out and getting Saquon Barkley when everybody says the running backs are not valued. They've gone outside the box and been aggressive, and I feel like the Cowboys at some point in time are going to have to swing. You're going to have to take some swings.
Q. I have a Montana State question for you. Tommy Mellott, quarterback now switched to wide receiver at his pro day, kind of utility guy. He proved how much of a phenomenal athlete he was at his pro day, and he has a lot of post-pro day private workouts. What do you think of his Julian Edelman comparisons and his skill level, and what would be a great fit for Tommy?
DANIEL JEREMIAH: I want to be the president of the fan club. I don't know it if that honor has been bestowed on anybody, but I would like to carry that flag. I was sending some video out to GMs a couple of weeks ago on him just because he was so fun to watch run the ball. He's going to be a process as someone to develop as a receiver. You can't test better. When he ran 4.39 and jumped 41 inches at his pro day, you know he's super, super explosive. As a runner he's elusive, competitive. He's tough.
To me I think his immediate impact might just be as a returner as you are trying to buy some time for him to develop as a receiver project. He's going to get picked. There's too much buzz and too much heat on him for him to slip through the draft.
I think you could see him in that -- probably that fifth-, sixth-round range is where someone is going to take him. Everything I've got on the background stuff as a kid is off the charts. Like, great kid. They love him there. They won a lot of football games.
The Edelman thing, that's the north star. You hit it out of the ballpark. I don't know if he's going to get to that point, but it allows you something to dream on. At that point in time in the draft, I think he's a fun flier to take.
Q. What you just described, you very well may have said the same thing a year ago about Jalyx Hunt. I remember Howie laughing and joking with us in the media after. So really two questions: One, you guys patched things up. I'm assuming you have because you had him ranked so high when he really wanted him. Then, two, more seriously, you know, we talk so much about players getting better due to reps. Does the same exist with GMs? How much have reps helped Howie in this heater that he's pretty much on?
DANIEL JEREMIAH: Yeah, he's been on a nice run, man. I think the things I'll say about Howie, I worked with Ozzie Newsome, and I worked with Howie Roseman. I don't know if people would say, Okay, those guys are identical on how they approach things, but the thing that they have in common is they are both outstanding listeners. They bring in a lot of smart people. They take in the information. They listen to it.
Look, the proof is in the pudding in what Howie has done there. I think the other thing is they have a really good scouting staff, and they've also -- you know, with a guy like Stout, when you have Jeff Stoutland, who is an excellent evaluator on the offensive side of the ball in the trenches, Jeremiah Washburn, who I worked with and have known forever on the defensive side that's looked at pass rushers and been in scouting as well as on the coaching side, they've got coaches that know how to evaluate as well, and they know what fits what they do and how they play.
Look, I said it earlier. It's impossible to knock this thing out of the park every year. They've been on a nice run here. I think it's unrealistic to expect you're going to continue to just get year after year of this type of performance. So there will probably be some ebbs and flows along the way.
To me, the combination of Howie being really smart, understanding the value of the board, of understanding where guys are going to fall and when to be aggressive, I think that's a key strength of his. He listens. He surrounds himself with great people, and they know what they're shopping for. That's a recipe for success.
Q. I wanted to ask about Derrick Harmon, local kid here in Detroit. Is there any scenario by which he is available for the Lions at 28? If so, or even if they're compelled to make a move for him, how do you think his play style potentially suits theirs?
DANIEL JEREMIAH: I think there's a legit shot he's there. I think he could be in their range. I've looked at him as kind of like the floor for him, I've looked at the Lions at 28, I've looked at the Bills at 30. There's potential glass line there for him to fall. I wouldn't completely rule that out at this point in time.
I think he fits. He's someone who can get up the field. He plays really, really hard. He's got good instincts. That's one thing the Lions have knocked out of the park. You look at all the guys they've added on both sides of the ball. They have majored in really instinctive, smart, aware players. That's how Harmon plays. Ultra, ultra competitive. Can get up the field. Plays smart.
He flashes some bull rush power. I would like to see a little bit more of that going forward, but this is a guy who has worked hard to change his body over the last year, 18 months and coming off a monster year.
Yeah, I think he would be an outstanding pick at that point in time.
Q. I know you were on with Russillo and Todd earlier this week, and you were talking about how defensive ends, they don't always pan out for a couple of years. It takes them a couple of years to get there. Obviously the Lions are in this win-now mode. With that 28th pick, is there anything that they can do that would grant them a starter or someone that could be very impactful that would end up helping them immensely at the end of the day?
DANIEL JEREMIAH: That's a good one. Look, there are so many intriguing options and good players there, but in terms of the stamp of immediate big-time impact, it's hard to do that at that portion of the draft in this draft. I think there's a lot of really intriguing options and good players, but I can go through the list of guys that can conceivably be there.
You know, James Pearce of all of them would probably -- like, he has that one dominant pitch with his speed. I think that would translate really quickly. That would be maybe the one if you are looking for year-one impact. I would say Pearce would probably have the biggest chance to have a first-year impact.
Donovan Ezeiruaku I love as a player. He has to work more and develop more of his power. Shemar Stewart has all the twitch in the world, but he has to get better at locating and finding the football and finishing players. Nic Scourton is kind of a wild card because he's almost like two different players. He played at 280 this year. He's 257 now, which mirrors more what he was at Purdue in '23. He might not have the highest ceiling, but if I'm looking at your question, he would be another one who I would think would come in. You're probably going to get the best of Nic Scourton as soon as he gets there and someone who I don't think would be a 13, 15 sack guy eventually, but someone who I think could be a steady 7 to 10 sack performer who is going to be physical and set the edge. Kind of the rugged nature he plays with matches there, so that could be an option.
Q. I cover the Miami Hurricanes. We had, like, 20 people, 20 guys work out for us. With that said, I want to talk about Xavier Restrepo and Ward's top receiver. Where do you think he's going to end up going in the draft? I have a kicker, Andres Borregales, who is pretty good. Please answer the Restrepo question, and do you see a lot of other Hurricanes being on NFL rosters as time goes on, because we have a lot of talent down here with Mario Cristobal?
DANIEL JEREMIAH: Yeah, Mario has done a great job. Everything I've heard -- and I've talked to Mario and everybody I've talked to that is around him on a day-to-day basis says, you will not find a guy who works harder, is more intense, and especially with recruiting and how he goes about it. Like, he's done a great job of getting that program going.
With Restrepo, he's a tough evaluation. It's hard to hide. I know he wasn't right, feeling great with the 4.85 on the pro day. That was tough, but someone who is really, really -- he's quicker than fast when you watch him play. Really instinctive settling zones. He's slippery with the ball in his hands. He's got excellent, excellent ball skills. It's just a matter of, okay, he's not going to play outside. He has to play inside, and how well is that going to translate when you don't have that big-time speed?
He's someone I think is going to be a day three pick at this point in time in the process. We'll see how high up in that range he could go. I would say, man, the fifth round would probably be about where I would guess he comes off the board in that range. There's other really good players there, though.
One guy who had an excellent workout who I would say has helped himself the most from All-Star games through the process of the combine, Tyler Baron probably went from a fifth- or sixth-round pick to a third- or fourth-round pick as an edge rusher.
When you are almost 6'5", you are darn near 260 and you run the low 4.6s, and you flash, which is what he is, he flashes with a shake bull rush, power, he can dip at the top of his rush. He does a good job of just shooting gaps and making plays against the run.
He's helped himself a ton. You know, Damien Martinez ran better than a lot of people anticipated. As a big back, he ran 4.51 at 217 pounds. He's been productive throughout his career at Oregon State and over to Miami.
Jalen Rivers is an intriguing inside-outside, can play guard, can play tackle. He's just a massive human being. He's going to be a mid-round pick. There's a bunch of other ones.
They've done a good job. They've got a bunch of guys that are going to hear their name called, and it sounds like that's kind of just the beginning there. You know, any time you have the first overall pick in a draft, which we assume they will and Elijah Arroyo will go in the top 50 picks, I can imagine the social media accounts will have that blasted out to all their recruits in a quick manner.
Q. Last year we broke records at the NFL Draft with over almost 800,000 fans attending draft. I wanted to ask you, what is your expectations for the draft being in Wisconsin now? What is it going to mean to the fans of Green Bay and everybody that's in the city over there preparing for all the festivities and everything going on in less than a week now?
DANIEL JEREMIAH: I can't wait to get out there. I'm excited to spend the week out there and see how it all comes together.
I've been in Green Bay numerous times for games. It's always an incredible game atmosphere obviously when you are selling out every single game. They love football there.
I think it's going to be bigger than just Green Bay. I think you're going to see people from all around the Midwest. They're going to be pouring in there. I think you'll see people flying in from all over the country.
To have Lambeau Field as the backdrop there and to kind of fill up the streets, and it's such a cool environment when you go there, for those that haven't been there. It feels like you're in the middle of a neighborhood, and they just dropped the stadium down in there. It's really cool.
I'm fascinated to see how it all looks and comes together. It's going to be football weather. A little brisk, which I kind of like. It's my favorite week of the year. It's Christmas on draft day. And every city has knocked it out of the park. Detroit set the bar really high with what they did last year. I know Green Bay and Detroit, they're competitive, so we'll see what Green Bay does here to see if they can top it.
Q. With the Lions, do you see them as potentially being players to trade up from that 28th overall spot? If so, is there a prospect in maybe your 15 to 25 range that you could see being a home run fit for Detroit?
DANIEL JEREMIAH: Yeah, to me, you look at the interior of the offensive line, if they just wanted to kind of fortify that. It's unusual to trade up for an interior offensive lineman. I don't know if that would be something they would do. I would think they would be patient. Maybe that's a baby move. Maybe that's up just a few spots to do something like that.
If you're looking at other directions that they could try and go, I think pass rusher would be a spot. It's just they would have to be in love with one of these edge rushers to do that. To me it would be just with the sheer number of guys in this draft, I think you maybe would be a little bit more patient.
Hey, I'll give you the dream scenario. Jalon Walker, everybody freaks out because he's kind of a tweener, and he starts to drop a little bit, and he gets outside the top 10. Man, if I'm the Lions at that point in time, I might be willing to be ultra, ultra aggressive and throw him into our defensive mix. That would be kind of the one scenario I could see, if you saw kind of a star that started to drop, that they would be inclined to be ultra aggressive and go get him.
Q. You talked about Harmon a couple of minutes ago. If he got to the Ravens at 27, could you talk about what maybe he could do playing next to a guy like Madubuike for the offensive line? And also Starks has been a guy mocking him a lot. If they don't take Starks or Harmon, just a couple of guys that they may take at 27 if it's not Starks or Harmon?
DANIEL JEREMIAH: Look, I think Starks would be their home run pick with kind of what they need and how he's used and how that would free up Hamilton. We can start there.
But yeah, I think when you look at the defensive tackle position, Harmon, they've always kind of had big guys in there. So he checks the box in terms of being 313 pounds, and he's almost 6'5", 6'4 1/2". He's a big guy that can get up the field.
Madubuike would be an awesome person for him to learn from. Just as a pass rusher, Madubuike is so outstanding. That would be a cool thing to take a guy like Harmon under your wing who has some great tools, but isn't quite as polished as a rusher, as obviously what Madubuike has become. That would be a good learning opportunity for him there. I like that option.
In terms of other players outside of that group, I look at Max Hairston from Kentucky as a corner. He would be back-to-back years you get corners who ran 4.28. They would have the fastest pair of corners in the NFL if that were to be the case. SEC-tested. He's fluid and fast. He makes plays on the ball. He was awesome in '23 with five picks.
If that was his year, this year he's going to be a top-15 pick. That could be one of those kind of Raven value finds if they decide to go in that direction and update that secondary.
They have to get better on defense, and they've got to get better in the secondary. If you give me the two names you gave me of Harmon was there and Starks were there, I would think they would end up going Starks just to try and clean up some stuff on the back end.
Q. A couple of players or some things from a Bengals perspective. Number one, Jihaad Campbell, where you kind of see him going given some of the stuff going on and potential fit with the Bengals there. Then maybe some day two safeties that you think would be good fits for the Bengals as they try and rebuild that defense.
DANIEL JEREMIAH: Yeah, to me it's all defensive draft. You have to go on that side of the ball heavy, heavy, heavy. I would be shocked if they don't do that.
Jihaad Campbell I love. I know he's been a little -- he's physically beat up coming into the process, so you have to have your medical group be comfortable there that he's going to be fine and once we get to the season.
To me he's dynamic. He's versatile off the ball, on the ball. Big-time speed. For a team that's going to be playing against Baltimore and trying to climb that mountain every year, I think he matches up well with them, when you think about somebody who can come downhill and get Derrick Henry on the ground. You could spy him against Lamar. And he can close down and try and suck him up on the perimeter. And then if you want to, you can let him rush off the edge. So he can do a lot of different things. I think he would be a heck of a pick there if he were to get to pick No. 17.
In terms of safeties on day two, a couple of interesting guys. Kevin Winston from Penn State I like. I think there's value because he missed time with only playing two games this year, but you get a nice package of height, weight, speed. He's aggressive. He's good versus the run. You go back to the '23 tape, there's a lot to like about him. That would be one.
One of my personal favorites is -- I have him kind of in that third-round range. Maybe teams maybe more so in that four, five range. I'm a Craig Woodson guy from Cal. I love him. I think he's a day one starter. He's 6-foot, 200 pounds, ran 4.45. He's smart, a great leader. He's a little older. He's played a ton of football, though. Smooth mover. He's an excellent tackler. He gets his hands on the football.
Cal has also been a sneaky safety factory. That's one that I kind of like down a little bit below that tier. Then Mukuba from Texas is another good one who takes the ball away. Not the biggest guy in the world, but really, really good ball skills and takes it away.
Q. It feels like all the momentum is pointing towards the Browns selecting Travis Hunter with the second overall selection. What do you believe the Browns' plan for Hunter should be to maximize his skill set and the impact he's going to be able to make as a rookie?
DANIEL JEREMIAH: I would start offense. You know, I'm kind of saying that through this process. It's different. First of all, we haven't seen something like this, someone who wants to do everything on both sides. I don't think I would do that initially.
I think you have to major and minor. Historically if you have a player that has value there, he's been a full-time defensive player with a package of plays on offense, that's just been the way it's always been. We haven't really seen it the other way around with the exception of maybe Troy Brown on a couple of snaps for the Patriots.
But to me, I think he's more valuable to your team on offense right now. I think he's further developed on offense. I think he touches the ball more. He just makes more of an impact. I'm going to have him as a full-time starter at receiver.
We'll start there for a while, and then we can start maybe incorporating him into some defensive packages, if that's your dime, your nickel, whatever, but giving him an opportunity to get on the field and make some plays on some third downs defensively, and maybe that grows and evolves into more than that over time. That's where I would start with it.
I think you can get really excited if you are a Browns fan and you start thinking about what Jerry Jeudy did last year, and now we get a chance to throw Travis Hunter out there on offense as a really, really talented, explosive player who is outstanding with the ball in his hands. That would make the Browns really, really fun to watch. I can tell you that.
Q. This might be a silly question, but it's a draft philosophy sort of question. In a given year, there's nearly 300 players that could be drafted, 30 NFL front offices and all these sort of scouts throughout the year. How does the league come up with a consensus of these are the top-20 players versus individual scouts thinking maybe a guy that's ranked in the third round, like, this is our -- we feel this guy is the best player in the draft? Why don't we ever see these sort of reaches, quote/unquote? And these players are always sort of basically by the league sort of grouped in as these are the top first-round picks versus these shots five teams taking guys that might not be ranked in the first couple rounds, thinking they might be the best players? And we've seen undrafted guys become Hall of Famers too.
DANIEL JEREMIAH: I think there's natural -- it's just natural if you are making that selection, you have a lot of love for a player who doesn't have any love around the league, and you sit there and go, Well, we have him valued here, but if we take him when the league does not value him there and his reputation does not put him there and we miss, we're the bumbling idiots. We took the guy that everybody said wasn't any good, and we stepped outside the box, and you'll get crucified.
Whereas you take the guy that's universally valued there around the league and publicly, and you miss on him, and you don't get quite as much grief. You say, Well, it just didn't work out, but man, we all thought he was going to be good, and it didn't work out.
I think some is the fear of the reaction, and it's just human nature. You know, you kind of understand that, but there's sometimes where you have a guy who is higher on your board and you say, Gosh, guys, I know we love him in our room, but I don't think he's loved like this everywhere else, so we're not taking him in the third round. We're going to take this other player who won't be there when we pick again in the fourth round, knowing that the guy that we have higher we're the Lone Ranger on.
And I've been in rooms where we've done that. That guy has still been there, and we've taken him in the fourth round and bring the guys in, and one is introduced as your third-round pick, one is introduced as your fourth-round pick, and the irony is we had the fourth-round pick with a higher grade than the third-round pick.
Some of it is just trying to find value on the board and knowing what the consensus is, but I also think, especially in regards to the first round, outside the box when they don't work out, it's not a good look, and it doesn't end well.
Q. Pittsburgh at it 21 obviously could be a landing spot for a quarterback. There's a big need on the defensive line. How would you kind of evaluate taking a swing on a quarterback if it meant passing on someone like Derrick Harmon or Kenneth Grant if they were still on the board?
DANIEL JEREMIAH: It's just going to come down to how comfortable they are. Is there some PTSD from going the Kenny Pickett route in this range of the draft and it not working out?
I would just say if you have conviction on one of those quarterbacks, if Shedeur Sanders got down there, if you have a lot of love in the building for Jaxson Dart, if you have conviction, take the quarterback. If it's at all close, you have a screaming need there long-term.
So if you have similar grades, you would definitely -- the tie would go to the quarterback if you have some conviction. That's something I don't know. I don't know how those guys are viewed within that building, and I don't know how much trauma is left from the Kenny Pickett mistake. That's the quarterback side of it.
I do think when you look at those defensive tackles, Kenneth Grant, they've been in that division. Mike Tomlin has been in that division. He's had a Casey Hampton, a big, powerful guy. Obviously Cam Heyward, big, powerful, athletic guy. You look at Haloti Ngata who he saw for years and years. It's hard to find guys like that. Kenneth Grant to me kind of matches that division and could make some good sense for them there.
I like Harmon. He's a good player as well. That's decision by Pittsburgh has got to come down to like or love. If you like the quarterbacks, don't do it there. If you love them, you have to do it there. That's going to come down to their evaluation of those guys.
Q. Our friend Greg asked me to ask -- if I have a question for you further for your guys' quick-fire round. I wanted to wait for it. The Saints at 9 feels like have now become one of the most interesting teams in the draft. From what I've heard, they really are -- kind of similar to the question you just answered, are struggling with going BPA at 9 and kind of maybe taking Shedeur Sanders, who they don't have a first-round grade on, but the need is there. You've been in these draft rooms. Can you maybe do like a little semi-role play of what both sides of that argument looks like of the people in the building that are arguing for BPA and the people in the building that maybe are arguing to go the quarterback route? Because that's what it seems like is really just eating them up right now in the draft room.
DANIEL JEREMIAH: Here's the conversation. It's pretty simple. It's on the pro side of taking the quarterback there. Okay, we might not have huge grades on the quarterback, but he's better than anyone else we have on our roster at this position. He upgrades us. We have time. We're in a new regime here. We have time to let this quarterback -- if we think he can grow and develop and continue to get better, we can grow with him. That's the argument for taking one.
The other side of it is, well, what are we going to do if we don't have big grades on him? Then we're going to be in this exact same situation three years from now when we come to the realization that he is who we thought he was if we don't have him graded highly and we're looking to replace him.
Where in year one -- the same scenario, different logic. We're in year one. We don't have to do this right now. Let's get a sure thing. It's our first pick with this new setup here with Kellen Moore. Let's get a player that's going to help us and plug and play, we have big grades on, there's consensus on him. We can take a flier on one of these quarterbacks later on in the draft and take someone who we like to work with and can be developmental, while also leaving open the option that we could go that route next year when we might like a quarterback better.
So those are the types of conversations that take place in that room. It's usually coaches. They want someone who can come in and help us right now. Personnel is thinking a little bit more long-term. I think that's where the battle comes.
Q. For the Steelers, how does them not having a second-round pick affect what they do in the first? Who do you see them targeting in the third round?
DANIEL JEREMIAH: In terms of how it affects them, well, I mean, obviously they're not -- there is a scenario you can look at it and say, well, if they were worried about -- if they -- say they loved Shedeur Sanders, and they were worried about New Orleans being an option, man, you're going to have to part with some heavy artillery in next year's draft because you don't have a 2 this year. That's the first thing of how it could impact them. I think it limits their ability to move up. It would be very costly for them to move up with next year's draft.
That's one side of it. To me, if they aren't in love with a quarterback, I could see them being a team that's more than available and ready and willing to move back to try and get more in that range. Some of these needs that they have could be filled in that top of the second-round range and then get some extra picks as well.
I think it restricts them a little bit in terms of going up. It makes it more likely for them to move back. If you are going to stick and pick and pick in the first, then you're going to come around and pick in the third, to me, I would love to see them get a running back. If that was part of their calculus as a defensive tackle and a running back, I actually think they're pretty covered either way.
I think there's going to be guys at both positions in the third round. They happen to be two of the deeper positions in the draft. I think at that point in time, if you have, like, say, a TreVeyon Henderson, or Omarion Hampton were to get there, and you have Omarion Hampton and Kenneth Grant or Derrick Harmon, whoever you have a higher grade on your board, you just take them because I think there's going to be other backs. You can get a Dylan Sampson in the third round out of Tennessee as a running back. You could get Tuten from Virginia Tech in the third round. Defensive tackle-wise, there's going to be guys in that position as well in Round No. 3.
I don't think it impacts them. I think they can just take the highest-rated player, and they'll still have options in the third round that can come in and help them. Like defensive tackle-wise, you're looking at a -- maybe it's a Yahya Black or see what happens with Jamaree Caldwell from Oregon. Those types of guys are going to be around.
Q. Green Bay, what would surprise you that they would do at 23? A lot of fans are going to be there and want to see a pick. What would be something that they could do that would be, like, wow, that would throw you for a loop?
DANIEL JEREMIAH: Well, if they took a receiver in the first round, it sure as heck would throw us for a loop because everybody has been asking that for so long. They've amassed a good receiver room, but they've yet to really attack it there. That would be one I think that would -- that would probably floor us on the set and floor the audience there, floor the crowd there.
That would be definitely ironic if after all these years we wait until the draft is in Green Bay and they went ahead and took a receiver in the first round. That would be pretty epic.
Q. Who do you think they might? Just a rough idea on your end.
DANIEL JEREMIAH: In terms of what they will do, I don't think they will go the wide receiver route, if I'm looking at options for them. I think you can always look on the defensive side of the ball for corners. Max Hairston makes a lot of sense to me in that spot.
You can look at edge rushers. They just -- usually you just look for the most athletic and explosive SEC edge rusher -- or SEC defensive front seven player, and that's one that is going to pique their interest a little bit. Shemar Stewart doesn't have the production, but man, he would match all the explosive pieces that they've collected there over the last few years.
Q. For the Eagles at 32, you know, would you think they would be interested in taking a guy like Malaki Starks to replace C. J. Gardner-Johnson who was traded to the Texans this offseason?
DANIEL JEREMIAH: I think it would be a great fit. Obviously they love shopping at that store. He's a really, really good player who I think there's better ahead of him.
I don't think he made as many plays this year as he did previously, but he gives you someone who in a pinch can play your nickel. I think he could survive outside at corner if you had to get out of a game, and I think he could be an outstanding free safety, play over the top, roam and make plays.
He's young. He's really, really well-liked in that building in terms of the leadership, character, intangible side of things. I think that would be -- from a value standpoint and a fit standpoint, would be great.
It's just that I think the Eagles, given their druthers, would rather -- they always like to start big. To me, if it's closely graded and there's an opportunity for them to get somebody on the line of scrimmage, I would think they would lean in that direction. But if they got wiped out and cleaned up on the offensive and defensive line, man, he would be a great fit.
Q. I think earlier this week I saw you mentioned that for the Texans, it would be Banks or Booker. I'm curious, what do you think the chances are both are on the board at 25, or one, and what do you think about the choices between the two?
DANIEL JEREMIAH: Yeah, I don't think they're both on the board. I think that decision would be made for them. It might be a situation where they're both off the board at that point in time.
I would think a guy like Donovan Jackson could enter into their mix as a possibility there for one of those selections. It just feels like offensive line, and those are the two names that I had heard connected to them that they really, really liked.
So in terms of how I would stack it up, you know, the one guy in this draft class -- there's usually a guy like this every year where he kind of starts off in a range on my initial list, and then it feels like other guys are kind of moving up and moving around, and then without any rationale for it, he is kind of -- Banks for me has kind of slipped down, but it feels more like -- I was looking at it the other day. I was, like, I need to go back and revisit my original list and see who has moved and why, why did I have him go up or down?
He's one that felt more like other guys I had just moved up more so than he did anything to disqualify himself and move down.
When I do my final update, I'll move Banks back up a little bit closer to where I had him originally, which I think he was my 19th player at that point in time. He's a solid player. I just wish he strained to finish a little bit more.
Booker to me is a little more physical, has a little more edge to him. Obviously you are talking tackle versus guard. Pure grade-wise, I had Booker over him, but I don't know that there's a wrong answer there. I think they're both immediate upgrades.
Q. Real fast, seeing Jalon Walker and a lot of connections with the Carolina Panthers at No. 8, why is he a good fit in Carolina, and if he's not the pick, who are some of the other options?
DANIEL JEREMIAH: First of all, they're a team that a lot of people around the league expect is going to try and get out. There's a decent number of needs still left on that roster. Can't they parlay New Orleans' need for a quarterback into scaring somebody to come up in front of New Orleans?
I don't know if they can pull that off, but at least there's people around the league that think they're going to effort to do that in Carolina. Something interesting just to keep an eye on there for them.
For me, Walker, when you go into a defense that's dead last in points, yards, rushing yards per game, tied for 29th in sacks, 32nd in pressure rate, he helps all those areas. He is an impactful player. You can move him around. He just would add a really explosive element to their defensive.
I would love to see how they could play him off of Derrick Brown and being able to let him kind of shoot some gaps that are go going to be vacated with all the attention Derrick Brown is going to require. I think he would be a fun fit there.
Plus, just from a leadership standpoint, a culture builder, he checks those boxes as well. So that's why I love his fit there. If he's off the board or they decided to go in a different direction, I think you're just trying to find impactful guys on the defensive side of the ball, and that's why I'm just looking at edge rushers, defensive tackles. You could look at corners. How do they feel about the corners in this draft? I'm a Jahdae Barron guy. I love him. I think he would be a nice, athletic, explosive piece as well.
Get faster on defense. Get more dynamic. They need help everywhere. That, to me, is where I would look.
THE MODERATOR: That officially concludes today's call. Thank you, DJ, for the time, and thank you, media, for attending.
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