Mock Draft: Jeremiyah Love at No. 3? Caleb Downs Goes Early and WRs Fall

19:25Nick Shook:Whereas with Reese, you can use him all over the place. You can rush him alongside Jermaine Johnson and just make offensive lines that you're facing just enter nightmare scenarios with both those guys coming off the edge. So I just like the potential in the ceiling more, which is why in the choice between these two guys, you take the guy with the higher ceiling, maybe not as high of a floor, but a higher ceiling. Yeah, I think in just terms of like who's been the best players, Who are the most, who is the best talent? Right. I think Arvel Reese, Jeremiah Love, and Caleb Downs have an argument to be the top three players in this class.

19:55Now you have Styles going to the Giants, which is so good. I love this. They need linebackers. They don't need to force a tackle. I think they're in a nice spot compared to these other teams that they're good at tackle. And so I think adding Styles helps us answer the question, like, is Denard Wilson, defensive coordinator, like a good coordinator? he had a lot of excuses in Tennessee he comes from Baltimore like no I just saying like he he didn't really have the players to show it but he was creative but I think look if you have Sonny Styles and you have this front is John Harbaugh a good defensive coach because everything you know our friend Ollie says is that Harbaugh essentially was like a co-defensive coordinator the last handful of years like he's in the defensive meetings like he's it's not evenly offense defense and he has he's had a big hand in their defense throughout the years and so they just would be loaded and they they will have an opportunity at five to add to that defense and i think it's kind of perfect for them actually if they don't if if basically if styles falls to them instead of like let's say one of the edges yeah and i don't care that they sign tremaine admins

21:07Nick Shook:because I think that's an insurance signing that you make in March before you get to the draft and you hope that a guy like Styles is there. It doesn't matter to me. And I think that the fan reception to mock drafts is often like, well, they just added these guys. Why would they add another guy to the position? That doesn't matter to me. You're going for blue chip talent. And Sonny Styles has plenty of blue chip talent. He's a guy that also is going to be able to play on three downs for you. He's just as good as a coverage man as he is a tackler and a run stopper. He can basically do it all, and it fits the athletic profile, the testing that we saw from the combine.

21:36Nick Shook:in a good amount of production at Ohio State. He was the heart of that defense over the last couple of years. I mean, you look at the personnel that was on this team. You think about Downs and Reese also being there. Crazy unit, but Stiles was the face of it. I think he can quickly become the face of a Giants defense that, oh, by the way, includes Brian Burns, Dexter Lawrence, if he has the bounce back year that we hope he has. Addo Carter, your first round pick last year, you've invested a little bit in your secondary. Like, I like the way that this defense is starting to shape up, but maybe I've been higher on the Giants defense than most people because the stats don't back it up.

22:04Nick Shook:But you got a guy like Stiles to it. I would be even higher on them. I think there's a greater chance that Dexter Lawrence gets traded, by the way, then seems to be getting put out there. I don't care what, I don't care what Arba said. I just think there would be a market for him. He fits the profile of a guy who would get traded because two years left, he's already making a lot of money. He seemed like a, like a pain for the team last year a little bit. I know it's a new team. He's a good player. I'm not saying that he just fits the profile. He was on Bill Barnwell and I's list of guys who could get traded this offseason.

22:36It was talked about. So that's just a random aside that I never got to. Let's do your top seven, and then we'll take a break. Carnell Tate, you have going to the Browns and the Ohio State wide receiver, first receiver off the board. Is there anything that gets in your way of thinking Tate is worthy of a selection this high? Everyone is saying they're going to take a tackle and a receiver. In this case, they get to take whatever receiver they want.

23:07Nick Shook:Yeah, and if you're going to take a tackle and a receiver, and that's your plan, I think if you're going to try to maximize your picks, you go receiver first. And I chose Tate because I know the 40 time is not great. The 40 time is very similar to what Devontae Adams ran coming out of Fresno State. They have a lot of similarities in their style of play. Let's think about like even this past season. Where did Matthew Stafford turn in the red zone? He went to Devontae Adams. Why? Because he knows Devontae Adams is going to make the contested catch and score the touchdown. and Tate is kind of the same guy.

23:33Nick Shook:That's his greatest strength that he displayed at Ohio State, especially this last season. There's that highlight of him catching that touchdown pass between two guys against Wisconsin at Camp Randall. And when I saw that play happen in real time, I go, that's who that player is right there. And that's why he's worthy of the sixth overall pick in this draft. Now, is he a number one? Not really, but do I need him to be a number one right now? No, the Browns just need talented pass catchers, especially with their uncertainty at quarterback. So I'm very much on board with this. I don't care, you know, what anybody else says about needing an offensive lineman, because you can get offensive linemen that are quality with your second first round pick, because there's a pool of them that are probably still going to be available.

24:10Nick Shook:Maybe some guys that sneak up into the first round that you take, but you can't let this guy pass up because this guy has his main talent. Being a contested catchmaker will immediately translate to the next level, no matter who's throwing you the football. Well, and the thing was that he was a vertical receiver. That reminds me of Devontae Adams, too. It's like, yeah, Devontae Adams didn't have a fast 40 time. You know what he was in the NFL a lot? open down the field like yeah he was always making big plays and so is tate i mean tate tate is a big play merchant so it's a great combination and he he we said it about abuka and jsn a little bit that they weren't like the classic number one profile and yeah especially jsn pretty awesome it has fit that and abuka was a big play guy too so yeah i'm with you i think i makes sense.

24:54You keep the Ohio State train going. At number seven, it's Caleb Downs. Let's just review your top seven, by the way. We have Mendoza to the Raiders. We have David Bailey from Texas Tech to the Jets. We have Jeremiah Love from Notre Dame going to the Cardinals. Arvel Reese to the Titans. Sonny Stiles to the Giants. Carnell Tate, the receiver, going to the Browns. And then the Commanders going with Caleb Downs. That is spicy. um others it he's interesting caleb downs like some people think he's right there as one of the best players in the draft i also did hear a little bit of buzz of like i think there's some teams that won't see him that high it's the positional is he that big of a difference like and actually think he could fall a decent amount because we've seen it with safeties in the past why why washington why would you have him a little earlier than people say i'm i'm guessing if you went to the the sports books that you do the over under on where he gets taken if he gets taken here you're

25:59Nick Shook:going to win if you took the over yeah um well first off he's not going to slide past 10 because cincinnati is not going to let him go and washington's not going to let him go because their defense was the worst in the nfl last year that's dan quinn's calling card that's an embarrassment that they were the worst in the nfl last year they're another team that has invested heavily in the defense this year. Odafe Owe, Kalevon Chaison, Leo Chanel, Nick Cross, Amik Robertson, five new projected starters that they've added this offseason. But I don't care that they've added those many guys because Downs is a three level safety who I very much believe is one of the best players in this draft.

26:30Nick Shook:He, like Reese, like Styles, like Love, are the type of player that you just can't let slide past you. And especially for a team that has this big of a need. I'm not really worried about fit. We live in sub packages so much. We see teams go three safeties all the time this is just a playmaker who is not afraid to get his nose dirty he was one of the best tackling defenders I've seen in college football this past season I couldn't tell you how many times he'd find he'd wind up at the line of scrimmage on a short pass and just blow you know smoke screens up for example he's a player that I just think the world of and he can come in and be an instant difference maker for Washington defense that certainly needs one yeah and I think like styles with with the Giants downs with the commanders would be a bit of a culture tone setter for the entire group.

27:14I know it's not a new head coach, but it is a new defensive coordinator in Durante Jones who could use downs. They're fairly deep at safety. They signed Nick Cross. You know, Mike Sanders still has played on the outside and in the slot. Amik Robertson was signed to maybe play the slot. They have Will Harris, Kwon Martin at safety. I think having more guys is a good thing. The question there would be, do you leave Reuben Bain on the table you know when you when you absolutely need an edge that's a tough decision right there between

27:45Nick Shook:Bain and Downs yeah what did Von Miller have with Washington last year seven and a half sacks or something like that like Von Miller at his advanced age still making a difference that kind of shows that you can get production out of an edge rusher you also need an edge rusher but I do not want them to go edge rusher now because again I think Downs is just that talented of a player Bain ends up going the next pick and you want to talk about a divisive polarizing player it's Reuben Bain because of his short arms now a lot of people have worried about his short arms and dinged him for it and seen him falling into the teens and mock drafts because of it.

28:13Nick Shook:But New Orleans still hasn't re-signed Cam Jordan. He's near the end of his career anyway. You need that presence off of the edge. They have Chase Young under contract for two more years. I love the idea of Reuben Bain on one side, Chase Young on the other. Does it go against the whole build the offense with the offensive mind and Kellen Moore? Yes. It doesn't matter to me because you need a long-term replacement there. I think Bain is explosive and powerful enough to come in there and be that type of guy, answer that void for you for many years to come. and honestly I'm not too worried about his arm length because it doesn't really fit his play style anyway there's some weaknesses in it but he's a very instinctive player and I just think he's a guy that's going to make the leap to the next level and be able to you know give you quality snaps right away I think there's eight really standout players in this draft and you took them in the top eight in a row yes like Bane Bane is such a saint he they love big physical run stopping tough edges that, you know, aren't necessarily bendy guys who are going to win around the edge, whether it's Cam Jordan or Granderson or Marcus Davenport when he was there, even Chase Young kind of fits that profile.

29:18And Bain absolutely fits. I think they'll be really happy with that selection. I can see Mickey Loomis doing it. Those are the eight guys that, to me, stand out the most in this class. We got the rest of the first round to go. Let's take a break and we're going to come I'm back with the Chiefs on the clock at number nine.

29:39Nick Shook:Keep your family safe with help from Menards. From smoke and carbon monoxide detectors to fire extinguishers and more, Kitta Home Safety Products keep your family protected in case of emergencies. Kitta detectors feature enhanced sensing technology that reduces false alarms and give fast alerts for more time to get out safely. Check out all our kid of safety products and check out our weekly flyer on Menards.com for more great deals happening now. Back on NFL Daily. Feels good to be back in the chair. We'll be in the studio on Monday. Patrick Claibon back on the show on Monday. Looking forward to that.

30:24Jordan, of course. big week leading to the draft. I had a good time seeing my parents in freezing Massachusetts. And Shook had a good time on NFL Network this week. Who cares about ESPN here? Shook is wearing suits on Mock Draft Live. How come, Shook, you are looking so sporty if you're watching us on YouTube. He's got a very Chris Wesseling coated shirt and a nice looking suit. why do you clean up so much for Mock Draft Live when you don't for us?

30:58Nick Shook:I was told by the producer, Hytham, that we do it fancy on this show. And honestly, I pushed back because as a private school kid, I always wore a tie to school for many, many years. The idea of wearing a dress shirt without a tie is still foreign to me. So let me just tell you, I overcame some uncomfortableness just to wear that without the tie. It's tough. I mean, Shook can't just be buying things off the rack. He's got to get it specially suited for him. the Chiefs go cornerback Mansour Delane from LSU. This is not what they've done in the past. Did you think about them taking the first offensive lineman instead?

31:36Nick Shook:Yeah, because you think about their need at right tackle and how Juwan Taylor obviously wasn't worth the money that he made last year and he was okay for them, but he wasn't what you really want out of a right tackle. But I also think about the fact that they invested in Jalen Moore the previous offseason before Josh Simmons rose to be their starting left tackle. I think they need depth of the positions, both tackles, interior line too. But at this point, I think about who left this defense this past year. I think about what the identity of the Chiefs has been since they won the Super Bowl. What was that?

32:06Nick Shook:58 in Vegas. That was a defensive-minded Chiefs team. They are not that team anymore. They were not last year. They need to get back to that. They lost both starting corners in Jalen Watson and Trent McDuffie. They go and get Cater Kohu to play the nickel. But no offense to Noel Williams and even Christian Fulton. I think that they could use another addition. So they get the best corner in the draft in Mansoor Delane, a guy who I think is just very pro ready after a strong season at LSU. He might be the guy that is the clear number one at his position of any of the positions remaining. It's clearly a position of need.

32:37And yes, they've developed well in the middle rounds. They did take Trent McDuffie at the end of the first round. And that obviously worked out really well for them. And so I could see it happening. It is a nightmare scenario. I think for the Bengals to have the draft go this way to have, you know, neither of the Ohio state players, uh, including Caleb downs to not have Ruben Bain fall to them. They don't really need tackles. So the tackles not getting taken at all in the top nine really hurts them. By the way, I mentioned the over under for Caleb downs. It is nine and a half right now in Vegas.

33:10So that basically says, will he get taken before the Bengals or after? Cause we assume he's getting taken by the Bengals. If he makes it there instead, you have them taking a cornerback, Jermod McCoy from Tennessee. And yeah, this it's, they'd be in a tough spot. I think if the draft fell this way, why did you go with McCoy? So,

33:31Nick Shook:so two minor regrets and mistakes. This is the only pick that I really feel that about with this mock draft is I never considered the prospect of trading just because this is my first mock draft. Oh, forget it. But I mean, if they, if any team were to trade out after watching the first nine picks fall this way, it would be the Bengals and maybe try to get, you know, some help or, or, you know, get some capital back before spending your pick. And I also think about their roster and it's like DJ Turner really became a very good corner last year. And they like what they saw from Dax Hill who finished strong in the 2025 season.

34:02Nick Shook:So why would you go corner? And the only logic I have for that is your defense still needs help everywhere. They need a linebacker. There's just no linebacker worth taking at this point. They can use an edge rusher because yes, they got blame off a, but miles Murphy hasn't quite produced at the rate they expected him to, right? they just need help everywhere so why not take the next best corner that's available and and try to bolster your secondary that way because people love McCoy and what they love about him is how physical he is he didn't play college football in 2025 because he was recovering from an ACL injury but he looked great at his pro day and the 2024 tape just suggests this is a corner who's not afraid to get physical at all they need that kind of identity in their secondary and really in their defense as a whole so that's why I go in that direction but I would not be surprised if this this pick more than any is not the one that actually lands with their team well I mean, you know, you got to get used to the mock game.

34:49You can't be too surprised if any of them don't end up being right. It's a tough world out there. That's why we're going to nail ours. But, yeah, I think this is a tough one. If they do have that 10 pick, I wouldn't be surprised if they end up taking who's on your board at number 12. So we'll fly through Vega Ioni to the Dolphins. That would be a statement of intent type of pick. Penn State guard, big athlete. you can't worry about what the last group did taking savanea last year in the second round he is a he would be the first offensive lineman off the board in your draft and a guard and uh one of brandon thorns absolute favorites who i really respect the work that that he does he's his favorite first round pick so that would be interesting i wouldn't have been surprised though if you had put dylan thenaman to the bengals at 12 at 10 instead he goes to the cowboys any defensive back help is great do you think you're though you're just um almost playing to stereotype and giving their new defensive coordinator christian parker just another white safety

35:51Nick Shook:i just need a white safety i'm so glad somebody finally called me out on that because as soon as i wrote it and like after i had put the two together i was like oh god i'm totally gonna get pinned for giving him another white safety this is a guy who coached reed blankenship he coached cooper de jean in philly and cooper de jean's first year year and a half he wasn't just to corner. He was playing all over the place. And I kind of see something similar for Thineman in a secondary that needs it. Thineman is a guy that will be able to play in the box, not afraid to get dirty, but can also erase advantages downfield.

36:21Nick Shook:You know, he's good at dropping back and taking away passing lanes as a coverage safety over the top. And I think that that's just what the Cowboys have lacked. Now, if you, if you try to fit their depth chart in there, moved on from Donovan Wilson, right? Still have Malik Hooker back there and also made an addition in Jalen Thompson, but this is best player available in the secondary, I think. Now there's, there would have been some debate, I think a couple of weeks ago, if it should have been Thineman or if it should have been Emmanuel McNeil Warren from Toledo, I'm going Thineman because of that connection.

36:48Nick Shook:You just pointed out with the history of defensive coordinator, Christian Parker. Well, and he gets, well, he gets the versatility. He's, he's much more Cooper de Jean than he is Reed, Reed Blankenship. I don't think as natural, maybe a mover, but still very athletic and plenty versatile. Seems like a safe player to me, and they need help in the secondary, so it makes a lot of sense. You have the Rams up next at 13, taking Francis Maui Noah from Miami, so they get the first tackle off the board. Excellent value, excellent need. They didn't have to reach for it. They'll have their option in your draft of tackles.

37:28The Ravens start what's going to be a run of tackles with Spencer Feneau from Utah. And did you think about going wide receiver? They aren't going to be this high often. Did you think about Kenyon Sadiq, the tight end perhaps for Baltimore? I know they need a tackle, but I also think they need some weapons.

37:50Nick Shook:Those are actually all great questions. And I think you could have gone in a number of different directions, but I have retired from putting the Ravens, you know, pairing them with a receiver because they've done this over recent years. You've had mixed results. They basically - Flowers, Bateman, those are those are first round guys they do flower flowers pay it off bateman yeah not not quite as much right and i'm done trying to address the receiving core as all they need is lamar needs more receivers to make it work that's not their problem uh and they also wasted deandre hopkins after leaning on him early in the season so no i'm not going to spend capital on a receiver at this point in the draft with them and i go with uh fano because he's a tackle who might play guard in the nfl and is open to playing guard and i think about all right what needs do you have in that offensive line.

38:32Nick Shook:You lost your center, Tyler Linderbaum. You may like what you have in Corey Bullock, but if you get a guy who is versatile enough to shift from tackle to guard, he might also be versatile enough to shift from guard to center. So you get the versatility to plug and play him where you need it most, and they need offensive linemen. So that's why I go in that direction. The Bucs are up next at 15, and you haven't taken Akeem Mesidor from Miami. There's health concerns here. He is a fascinating prospect. We're going to talk about him a little more at length next week when we do our edge show, but I like that.

39:02If they make this pick, though, they got to get it right. If they go edge, they got to get it right. Let's go to the Jets, though, next, who you have taking Makai Lemon out of USC. They basically get their choice over of wide receiver twos. So you had a couple trends that I'll mention. The receivers fell a little bit, a lot of tackles in your first round. But for the Jets, I think they'd be thrilled to basically have the choice of wide receiver two. why lemon for them over let's say jordan tyson or any other the other options yeah it's a jets

39:34Nick Shook:team with two first round picks and the second one they spend on lemon because i felt lemon was the next best receiver in this class now we could talk about tyson and his ceiling but we also have the injury concerns that have made him a polarizing player you're not polarized by lemon the only thing that i'm worried about is maybe a little bit of effort and that only comes from watching his combine workout seemed like he didn't really turn it on until the second half of that workout God, I wasn't as impressed as I wanted to be or thought I was going to be by him in Indianapolis. But ultimately, that doesn't really matter that much.

40:00Nick Shook:I know on the tape, I think effort is the last thing you're questioning. Yes, exactly. When he's on the field. Exactly. So when you pair him with Garrett Wilson, you suddenly give yourself two, you know, high ceiling guys. And for Geno Smith, that'll help. But really, the next quarterback, that'll help as well. And it looks a lot better than that cobbled together receiving core of A.D. Mitchell and John Mechie and whoever else that they had in the middle of the season last year. Don't, don't, don't dismiss A.D. Mitchell. So I kind of like him as a number three. That was a cobbled together group.

40:27It was. Lemon, I think, is going to win in part with toughness and smarts. And I think he'd be a good pair for Gina Smith, who loves to throw over the middle of the field. I think wants a receiver that can read coverages like him. It's a lot to ask of a rookie, but he's always had a good connection with guys who can play really well from the neck up. So I think that's a good pick. The Cassius Howell pick to the Lions at 17 was the first one when I'm going through your picks that I was just like, whoa, surprise. Boom or bust, pure pass rush. Detroit is a team that is known to not really worry about what the consensus board is taking, and I think this would raise some eyebrows.

41:10Cassius Howell, defend it, Shook.

41:12Nick Shook:Yeah, that's precisely what I had in mind. Brad Holmes is the general manager, probably more than any other general manager in the NFL who will take his guy and doesn't care what everybody else says. cash is how the knock on him short arms like one person first percentile short arms at the edge rushing position but he proved himself at texas a &m and i thought it was kind of funny when we did mock draft live that we we picked like with the game on the line who are you taking from this edge rushing group and bucky went with cash is how and i was like yes that's why and that's what that's what brad holmes is going to look at too you need the compliment edge rusher we need to finally answer this question of who are they putting opposite aiden hutchinson on that defensive front i think he finally answered that right now and you just look past the fact that is you know measurables his arm length doesn't fit the archetype that you necessarily want yeah I just don't know if he can play on running downs or just because you don't know what a running down is if whether he can survive as a run defender I think in terms of pure pass rush juice he's got a crazy ceiling he's a really unique player it'd be a fun one and you're right I mean ultimately guys get drafted off answering that question that Bucky went with Howell like who do you trust on a third down and how on that fast track in Detroit would be really interesting.

42:23Also interesting in the same division, Minnesota taking Emmanuel McNeil Warren, the safety from Toledo. I would just love that for him. I would love that for Brian Flores. I think he could maximize what McNeil Warren likes to do. Big hitter, um, rangy guy, just, just a fun player to watch. You had the Panthers up next Lee Hunter going to Texas tech. This was another one. I was like, ah, okay. Okay. This is the, my question for you is, did you hear from Panthers fans that weren't happy about this? Well,

42:54Nick Shook:a little bit of both. Um, some liked them. A lot of people were like, I don't even want him in the first round at all. And I understand that. I think I'm the first person to put him in the first round, but I was thinking about compliment here. And we know what Derek Brown brings to the table. Derek Brown, one of the most underrated defensive linemen in the NFL and partially because he plays for Carolina, but he's a really good pass rusher at that position, which is relatively rare. Let's compliment him with a really good run stopper in Lee Hunter. Arguably the best run-stopping defensive tackle in this class.

43:21Nick Shook:Yes, it's high. It's higher than anybody else has projected him. Maybe it's not where it happens. But for me, I'm going to make this pick out of preference, and I want to build a bit of a wall in the interior with Jalen Phillips out there on the outside. If he can stay healthy, suddenly looking a little beefy up front, looking a little exciting in Carolina. I like that your mock was different. There were some trends with a lot of tackles. Hunter was surprising. Cassius Howell was surprising. I think there's too much of a consensus of picks 11 through 32 and that the actual draft is going to be way more unpredictable.

43:53So if we're if we're recapping the 16 to 20 picks, you had Lemon to the Jets, Cassius Howell to the Lions from Texas A &M. I mean, Emmanuel McNeil Warren from Toledo, the safety going to the Vikings, Lee Hunter from Texas Tech going to the Panthers. And then Avian Terrell, AJ's brother, the Clemson cornerback, going to the Cowboys. So you have them going back-to-back defensive back picks. You had them taking Deniman from Oregon earlier. And he does just seem like a cowboy, Avian Terrell. I don't know how to describe that, but he just does seem like a cowboy.

44:30Nick Shook:Yeah, he does. And basically, I felt really convinced in this pick once I went and checked out some of Brian Schottenheimer's recent comments, which included the fact that they wanted to keep Deron bland on the outside. They need a nickel corner. This is the best nickel corner in the class. I think Avion trail is just scratching the surface of his potential. I like the way that he worked out in Indianapolis. I was like, Oh, that guy's going to be a baller. Like that. You compare it with his tape. That guy's going to be a baller. He's just starting to figure it out. I think it's a perfect like value add at 20 to the secondary for the Cowboys who continue to try to repair that unit and try to fill out their secondary with a guy who I think is going to be really good in the slot.

45:03He just moves like an NFL player. He might be the type of guy who never is an all-pro or pro bowler, but just plays a lot of years in the league and has one or two seasons where he pops up. I basically just described his brother, A.J. Terrell, so maybe that's why. The Steelers, you have another tackle off the board, Monroe Freeling. He would be replacing Broderick Jones, in theory, at left tackle, who's had injuries and a bit of a problem. The Chargers are up next. You have them taking another wide receiver, Omar Cooper. I think breaking the hearts of some fans behind them, like if the Browns need a wide receiver, he could be an option later.

45:42The bills, the 49ers, I think could be looking at Omar Cooper. And yet this guy just feels like a Harbaugh guy. Can't you imagine Omar Cooper catching passes from Alex Smith on the 2000? Yes. 11 49ers. It just makes sense to me somehow.

45:59Nick Shook:And I know they didn't pair up in San Francisco. That was Kyle Shanahan 49ers when Debo Samuel showed up as a rookie, but that's the comp and it makes a lot of sense. I also think it fills the need they had at the position that they lacked in previous years. Like lab McConkey owns the slot, but they also do move him outside. Sometimes Cooper's kind of the same thing. You can play him outside. You can play him inside. Good run after catch guy, rugged receiver, the type that fits the identity of the chargers who even with their off season moves are clearly still focused on being a run first team.

46:25Nick Shook:But if they can finally protect Justin Herbert. And I know when I say that folks are like, well, why don't they invest in the offensive line? Well, they couldn't protect him last year because they lost both of their starting tackles. They have invested in the offensive line, There's offseason Tyler Biotish at center Cole strange at guard. Let's go to receiver. Let's give you an option for, to pick up somebody who can get open. Cause what did you say about them, Greg, especially when they lost in the playoffs, the Patriots last year, charges receivers couldn't get open. Their, their offense was uninspiring in terms of, you know, route design.

46:51Nick Shook:Mike McDaniels there. Now let's build this thing out. Let's give them a guy who's able to make big plays and is going to be very durable. And I know he's getting the Debo comp. I hear that. I think it's more of a receiver receiver than Debo. and not as special as a mover and just a yak type of guy. But I think of how they used Keenan Allen and McConkie together last year, and you can see them doing that with Cooper, two guys who just get open. He just seems like an NFL player. I personally think, I mean, I got to go back even more. I think he might be safer, quote-unquote, than Lemon or Jordan Tyson.

47:28Like, I just, I like him fitting in at the NFL level and being a player. That's why he fits here, I think, at 22. Yeah. And I like him with Herbert. More tackles off the board. Blake Miller from Clemson. You know, the Eagles, they love big guys. They could, you know, find their replacement potentially for Lane Johnson here, although you're not going to be replacing, you know, a Hall of Famer. And you keep the tackle run going with Max Iannacher from Arizona State. I do worry about the consensus that they're just taking wide receiver tackle. Like when there's that big of consensus, does it happen?

48:02And then another tackle off the board next, Caden Proctor from Alabama to the Bears. Give me between these three guys, kind of what stands out to you the most in the way that they play and they could fit with these teams.

48:15Nick Shook:I can quickly summarize all three. We could start with Miller because he's a guy with 54 games of experience at Clemson. So he's played a lot of football. You know what he is. And he slots in at right tackle as your future replacement for Lane Johnson. You give him a year at least to learn from the future Hall of Famer, and then you have your immediate answer. That's how Howie Roseman drafts. He drafts for the future. He doesn't draft for right now. So it makes way too much sense. That was the easiest pick to make of this entire first round. Ian Ocher with the Browns, I think you're going for the upside there.

48:39Nick Shook:You're going for a guy who played right tackle at Arizona State. Incredibly big, long, wins more with his hips than his feet, which is kind of rare, but it's also why I really loved him. I'm sitting in Indy watching him work out, and I'm like, God, he's got like the loosest, most oily hips I've ever seen from a tackle of that size. What do you mean? How do you win with your hips? I mean, other than you engage in position, usually it's about feet, but watch some of these clips here. If you're watching on YouTube, oftentimes he's swiveling in his hips and not with his footwork. And he's so long.

49:07Nick Shook:He's able to do that because he can still stay engaged. I think he's a guy who's going to sneak into the first round and could project to be much better than a lot of people expect him to be. And it's going to take a savvy front office to make that, that pick. And it's a team with two picks in the first round who might feel like they're willing to make their, take that risk. And then Proctor, Ozzy Trapilo is coming back from a ruptured patella tendon. You can't necessarily depend on that. You got high expectations in Chicago. You could always use another lineman. And I think at 25, that's really good value on Proctor, who is a super athletic, massive lineman and could eventually just be your long-term left tackle.

49:38Just so many tackles. Jeremiah loves Proctor in terms of this second kind of group of guys. He really likes the Alabama tackle. You have Jordan Tyson, the Arizona statewide receiver, falling all the way to 26, which I could absolutely see. I think he could go anywhere from 12 to out of the first round. It's not that crazy. I agree. And I could see this because they just feel like the team that's going to overcorrect for the thing that everyone got on them for. So you take another receiver in Jordan Tyson. Are you a Jordan Tyson guy?

50:13Nick Shook:If he's healthy, yes. If I could predict that he's going to be healthy for the next five years, yes. But I can't predict that. And history tells me that he may not be. but I think the bills are at a point now where they need to answer that receiver one question. And yes, they got DJ more Keon Coleman didn't work out. I know they have needs in the defensive side that they could address here, but I just feel like with Josh Allen in his prime, you can't afford to go another season when we get to the playoffs. And we're talking about Brandon cooks and Khalil Shakir and random appearances from Gabe Davis, who didn't play very much with them before his season ended.

50:42Nick Shook:You can't afford that. If you have super bowl aspirations, you need to invest in a talent and you can't just do it on the cheap. So if Tyson falls to this point for them in the draft, I think they have a really hard time looking at him and passing him up for somebody else. Fun player. I think the effort sometimes looked like it was going up and down, but it might have just been whether he was 100 % or not. And considering the injury history, that's just concerning. The 49ers you have taking Keldrick Falk, kind of a divisive prospect. On one hand, it's a great mock pick because he absolutely seems like a 49er.

51:16On the other hand, it's just they got a lot of defensive linemen that can't really rush the passer, and Keldrick Falk feels like another one of those guys.

51:22Nick Shook:That's true, but they also had a lot of injuries up front last year. I mean, you lost Nick Bosa from that equation. You had some turnover in the offseason, so you're working with younger defensive tackles, guys like C.J. West. You get Falk, a guy who's lined up up and down the line for Auburn and just gives you the versatility and the depth you need, and you think, why would you spend a first-round pick on a guy you see as a depth guy? Well, that's how important your front four is going to be to your chances of building on what you did last year. So you get this type of guy who, yes, is divisive, but there have been some 49ers fans who are very excited, very happy with the pick once they read this mock.

51:50Nick Shook:And I'm like, good. You kind of see the vision. You understand that you need more bodies and quality playmakers on the defensive front. I'm looking forward to talking about him a little more in depth next week as we get into the position previous. You had Caleb Lomu, the tackle, going to the Texans at 28. Did you consider taking Kenyon Sadiq, the tight end for the Texans at 28? instead he goes to the Chiefs or did he just want the big metrics grab of having a Travis Kelsey replacement I didn't want the metrics grab I just wanted it to work out for the Chiefs and have a Travis Kelsey replacement because I think Sadiq just makes too much sense fitting in that offense and I also think that there's no offense in the NFL that will capitalize on his athletic abilities at a greater rate than the Kansas City Chiefs with Andy Reid in charge it's just what they've been in this Mahomes era you got Mahomes coming off of injury you got Kelsey probably playing his last season of nfl football you get the successor you get one year with both of them as you try to get back to the playoffs it just makes a lot of sense and and you know i've gotten a lot of pushback on the loma pick to the texans and all i see it is is keep adding offensive linemen keep giving yourself options up front because this offensive line while it was better last year is still not as good as it needs to be and that's a good pick for a tackle at that point in this round it's just like everyone's just so offensive line desperate it's so impossible to get them they don't grow on trees they don't they don't really they're not available you get Titus Howard gets traded to the Browns got overpaid we can admit that he got overpaid maybe it'll work out but like that's the state of offensive line play right now in the NFL he's a big fella 6 '6 the Utah Ute and Sadiq I think he could go much earlier in this draft I think he's a pretty unique prospect I think the 49ers would think about him at 27 I just I think he would be an interesting guy kind of as the a long-term Kittle replacement.

53:40But either way, this is nice for the Chiefs. They would love a playmaker like that this deep. And I think they're a candidate to take a pass catcher again, whether it's a tight end or not. The Dolphins take Colton Hood, the Tennessee cornerback, at 30. Patriots at 31 take Clemson Edge, TJ Parker. And then you wrap up the draft at 32 with Brandon Cisse, the South Carolina cornerback who I don't know a ton about. I checked the pronunciation guide. Fun player. Do you think he's like the type of player that fits in that secondary specifically?

54:20Nick Shook:Yeah, I mean, they just lost Rick Wollin to free agency and I don't think they were too upset to see him go given how his last year and a half went with this team. But this is an athletic profile that kind of mirrors Wollin in some ways. And we know the strength of the Seahawks defense has been in their depth and the different types of players they've had both up front and in the secondary. So I think it's a natural like replacement there. They love Josh Jobe. You know, he played more down the back half of last season, really started from like week one or two that they were going to play him more.

54:45Nick Shook:Adding another corner with a guy who's kind of sneaks into the first round makes sense. But honestly, they could go in a number of different directions. I saw Lance Zierlein. He also mocked them with Jadarian Price from Notre Dame as another rugged running back back there. That makes sense too. I'm going to lean defense because that's their calling card. Yeah. So to recap, yeah, TJ Parker, differing views on him, but I could see the Patriots taking an edge certainly at 31. I don't think the draft fell that well for them. It's interesting to think about who didn't get taken here. So no Ty Simpson in your first round.

55:19I tend to agree right now. No Denzel Boston, Washington wide receiver. No Casey Concepcion. That's where I disagree the most. I think he could go as high as top 15. I don't think he's going to fall that far in this class. But he just, to me, he fits the profile maybe even more than Jordan Tyson of a guy NFL teams just look at and be like, I want that. So I don't think he's getting past a lot of receiver-needy teams in the late 20s. No C.J. Allen, the linebacker. You know, you mentioned, like, is there a linebacker worth taking for Cincinnati? Could they go as crazy as C.J.? Like, he has a high ceiling.

55:56He's an interesting player. No Caleb Banks. After that, we get to guys who kind of expected to fall out of the first round. but just those are some of the guys who fell as you kind of push some of those tackles up a little

56:05Nick Shook:higher yeah um i'm concerned that the browns are going to take ty simpson with their second first round pick because they just seem to be infatuated with him uh and i also know that we're getting the late cycle random quarterback push into the first round effort that we always get and this year the apple of their eye is ty simpson and we'll see how that plays out um boston i just feel like you know he's a bigger receiver but i feel like he's not quite a first round prospect and um and what was the who's the last guy on that list that you just listed there um in terms of the like the big names conception and cj allen i could totally see that with conception cj allen at 10 is too high but the bangles they have been a team that that does you know zig when others zag he fits their profile he just like he does big school big defense they love athletic guys measurable guys i i like cj Allen too.

56:56So we, we've got a couple weeks now to really get ready, but we will be back on Monday. Thank you, Shook. And we're going to be in the studio. I'm looking forward to that. It's myself. It's Patrick Claibon. I got a call later today. I'm working on obtaining the rights to Jordan Rodrigue for Monday's show. So we're hoping to do that too. All draft all the time. We have hit the home stretch. It is good to be back on NFL Daily. Football seems a little back with the lifting weights.