Building the Beast: How free agency affected the 2026 NFL Draft

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1:49Welcome to another episode of Building the Beast. I am Dave Hellman, and we are back from our free agency sabbatical. Dane Brugler and myself, I dragged Dane out of his tape lab where he is very, very diligently watching all of the prospects he needs to finish this year's edition of The Beast. Took more of a 30 ,000-foot view for this episode, though, rather than the granularity of The Beast. We're going to reset the top of the 2026 NFL Draft. So much changed during free agency, even during the time we were getting ready to record this episode. The Miami Dolphins traded Jalen Waddell to the Denver Broncos.

2:29So another team with multiple first round picks in the 2026 NFL draft. We talked about all of those teams with their multiple picks, how they could influence things and how teams decisions in free agency affected what the top of the 2026 draft looks like. who has a very clear map to their pick, whose future is a little more uncertain or a little hazier than we thought, and what we think might happen when we finally get to the end of April. Really fun thought exercise with Dane Brugler. Let's get to it.

3:03Well, Dane, I'm excited to bring you back out to the macro view, the 30 ,000-foot view of the draft, because what you just told me, unsurprisingly, is in mid-March, you are in the trenches of getting the Beast actually ready for publication. And before we got set to record, you were watching D2 college tape. So to go from D2 college tape with, like, the bounce house on the sideline and 300 people in the stands, to go from that to talking about the top 10 of the first round of the draft, that's quite a culture shock there, buddy. Got to adjust your eyes a little bit. Yeah. Thank you for letting me see some daylight.

3:45It's there's snow on the ground here. So it's not exactly the daylight I was hoping for. But yeah, this is a tough part of the process because they're getting all the pro day information and you're getting Grand Valley State. You're getting all these lower level schools and you're weeding through it. You're like, oh, this is kind of interesting. Okay, this guy jumped 42 inches, ran a 4.3. I need to go watch him. I need to go figure it out. Or you pick up stuff from scouts who, hey, just leaving this pro day. This guy looked good during his workout. Something to look for. Okay, I got to go do more work on him.

4:22So there's a lot, the pro day circuit. So it's kind of like an off the market, like it's kind of behind the scenes type of thing. But there's a lot going on and there's a lot of guys to get through. So, yeah, it's just an interesting part of the calendar for the scouting process. I do want to get into the weeds with you a little bit before we get to the draft, but we still have five more weeks before we have to worry about. And today is not that day. Today, we want to reexamine our priors and what we are expecting, particularly with the top of this 2026 NFL draft. And it felt like a great time to do it because by and large, the interesting part of free agency is over.

5:06Obviously, the first wave happened in like four hours last Monday. And by Wednesday, the needle movers are mostly picked clean. I guess I'll throw in the caveat right now. No team is ever fully done adding. Before we started recording today on Tuesday morning, the Miami Dolphins traded Jalen Waddell to the Denver Broncos for a haul of draft picks, including Denver's first rounder. So we're going to talk about that and we're going to leave some space for things to change all across the board. But after the initial wave of free agency, we have a way, way better idea of what teams are probably going to do or at least what teams want to do in the first round of the NFL draft.

5:53I just thought it would be a good exercise to go through and reexamine what we were looking at. Because, I mean, as recently as two weeks ago, we were saying, well, we'll see what happens after free agency. We don't have to say that anymore. We can kind of follow a roadmap to what these teams want to do, at least at the top of the draft. I do think it gets a little bit murkier as you go, but at least the first 15, 16 picks, I think I'm ready to start taking some educated guesses. Yeah, obviously, free agency is a big step to, you know, if we're looking for those breadcrumbs about how these teams are thinking in the first round.

6:27Ideally, you know, free agency is a way to plug holes. So in the draft, you're wide open. you know you signed two edge rushers okay edge rusher is no longer in need that doesn't stop you from drafting an edge rusher in the top 10 if the right player is there for you and you have a high enough grade but i think it does help us at least point us in the right direction about where some of these teams are thinking um and you know obviously we know what's happening at one with the raiders but i mean i love what they did with bringing linderbaum in yeah they paid a premium a high premium, but to give a rookie quarterback, Fernando Mendoza, a veteran center who is going to ease your transition to pro-life, that is something that is, I think it'll be well worth the money when they look back at this contract.

7:16I would have been even more excited if I had pick 14 to play around with for the Las Vegas Raiders, but it was not meant to be. That's a topic for another day. You're right though. Let's just, let's go through it. I'm just going to pepper you with questions and reckless ideas through at least we'll say definitely the first half of the draft. We'll pick a few other teams that we're interested in. Like I said, thanks to the Miami Denver trade, we are back up to five teams that have multiple first round picks. The Rams very briefly brought us down to four when they traded Trent McDuffie or traded for Trent McDuffie, but we're back up to five.

7:52So we'll hit on all that. We'll hit on a few other teams, but let's go through the top of the draft. You already said it. I don't need to spend any time on the Las Vegas Raiders. They still have Max Crosby on their roster, but they're also going to pick Fernando Mendoza one overall. So let's start at number two, Dane. And I think we, we talked about this as far back as the combine. Like when you, when you trade away Jermaine Johnson during the combine on the eve of free agency. Not that Jermaine Johnson was like the focal point of your defense, but it certainly seems to signal that you're trending toward taking an edge number two overall.

8:31And while I actually, I like a lot of what the Jets did in free agency, like Joseph Osai, Kingsley and Igbari. You added some pieces on the offensive line. You added some pieces on the back end, Mika Fitzpatrick and Nashawn Wright. Even with all of that said, nothing the Jets did changes my opinion about what makes the most sense for them to do at number two. And that, for me, is draft an edge rusher. And I think even, I don't think it's necessarily an edge rusher. I think it's necessarily, it's more about you're going to draft the best player, the best non-quarterback in this draft. And in this particular draft, it looks like that's likely going to be an edge rusher.

9:12So it does match up with your potential needs. And even when you look at what they did in free agency, it's like, what, 80-20 defense to offense in terms of the additions they've made. So they've gone heavy on the defensive side of the ball. But this is less about need and more about let's draft the most impactful player possible. And for this team, it's looking more and more like that would be an edge rusher. I mean, I've said Arvel Reese from the start. I still think that way. If they believe it's David Bailey, I can kind of understand where they're coming from. even though I personally, I think Arvel Reese is the better option there.

9:48But I still think we have to keep an open mind to a Sonny Styles or, you know, because I think it's less about need at Ed Rusher and more about getting that impact player. And there's different ways they could do that. I would say that I think probably the biggest need on this team at this point outside of quarterback is maybe receiver. So I don't I don't think there's a receiver that they would even entertain at that point. Now, 16 is a different story. But yeah, I think all that said to go back to your original point is looking more and more like edge rusher, like we've kind of thought for a long time.

10:22So I guess you said it more correctly than I did. It's not so much that it has to be an edge. But if you're just talking about bang for your buck, maximizing the value of the position with what's available this year. And I was thinking about this as well. Like the Jets just drafted offensive tackles with two huge picks very recently. Like it doesn't seem to make sense at offensive line. This really doesn't seem like the landing spot for Jeremiah Love between what where the Jets are in their build and the fact that they tagged Brees Hall. There's not a cornerback or a receiver, in my opinion, that really merits this sort of pick.

10:59And so I think it's smart to save a little room in your heart for Sonny Stiles because of all the different things he can do. But it just feels like it has to be a defender and preferably one that affects the quarterback. And that's just where I land. And yeah, I'm not really interested in whether it's Bailey or Reese, but I just feel like it's probably there. Yep, we agree. Moving on to number three. I'm curious how you feel about this because I just feel like the Cardinals are a blank slate. And nothing they did in free agency or really the lack of what they did in free agency, in my opinion, really changes my opinion about what might happen here.

11:39I guess my only takeaway is not that Tyler Algier's contract is huge, but you add Tyler Algier on a two year contract. They still have James Connor and Trey Benson. It seemed kind of unlikely this would be a Jeremiah Love landing spot. And now I'm just writing that off completely. Now I'm thinking offensive line or defensive line, take your pick. I would agree. Yeah, I think when you look at where this team is and their roster construction, it feels more like they're, if they drafted Love, it'd be more like the Raiders drafting Gentry last year, where they're not a running back away from competing, especially in that division.

12:17I mean, arguably the toughest division in football. So they're looking at the 2027 roster and beyond. And I don't know if, you know, Monty Austin Ford believes he has that type of job security or not, but that's kind of what you have to do. And so that would lead us to, especially with no quarterback in this draft, that leads us to, like you said, offensive line, defensive line. It still feels like right tackle makes the most sense for this team, whether that's Maui Noah from Miami, Spencer Fano from Utah, or, you know, like you said, with defensive line, if they wanted to go with the pass rusher that doesn't go at two to the Jets, There's no such thing as having too much pass rush, even though they've invested in that spot in the last year, between last offseason, last draft.

13:02But I still think that right tackle, to me, looks like the most likely pick here, where you pair him with whoever that is, with Paris Johnson. You feel like you have your tackles moving forward. There's definitely a sound decision-making process if they go that way. Your pick prior to free agency, when you did a post-combine mock was Francis Maui Noah. Do you have a sense from being plugged in and from talking to people? Do you think it's trending that way? I mean, I know Spencer Fano has a lot of fans. Oh, yeah. I get the feeling from my perspective that it seems like more people believe in Maui Noah as a right tackle.

13:40Am I off base on that? Or do you think it's just beauty being in the eye of the beholder? Yeah, I think it comes down to what do you think of the arm length discussion with Fano? a lot of teams are taking a wait and see approach to see what his arms are at the pro day. That's fact. That is a true statement. If he comes in at the pro day and is 32 and 7 eighths, guess what? Meats back on the menu, boys. Like, it's... A Lord of the Rings reference. Oh, I'm in heaven. Thank you. I don't know where that came from. It's scrambled eggs up there right now. But that's the kind of thing we're talking about with, you know, we talked about this with Will Campbell last year.

14:24You know, the combine was one measurement. The pro day was another measurement. But the scouts love Fano because of the movement skills. He crushed the combine. Not only the drills, but the position drill. Not only the agility drills, but the position drills as well. So teams are looking for a reason to draft Spencer Fano high. And if he's able to come in with the longer arms at the pro day, that's exactly the type of maybe motivation. Some of these teams need to feel comfortable drafting him as early as they would like to. So I don't feel comfortable saying there's a clear favorite between those two.

15:00But because I do think it'll be, like you said, beauty is in the eye of the beholder. Such a theme for the top of this draft, like evaluators all over the place between between Fano, Ruben Bain, Mansoor Delane. Just a lot of people waiting on those pro days and saying, come on, man, just give me, just give me something. Yeah. All right. Number four, I, I was most excited to talk to you about this when, when we did this, when we knew we were going to do this exercise coming out of free agency. Tennessee Titans spent a boatload of money in free agency. They added all kinds of resources to their defensive line.

15:39They signed Wandel Robinson at receiver. regardless of how you feel about the actual players or the expenditures. I think they did a good job of covering themselves and being forced to go down a certain avenue. Like they could draft an edge if they wanted to. They could add to their offensive line if they wanted to. But they're not forced to do anything specific, which leads back to the question. And you mocked Jeremiah Love to Tennessee in your post-combine mock draft. and I like this is where it gets really serious for me where I don't see Jeremiah Love going to one of the top three teams in this draft Tennessee is the first team where his talent lines up with the place on the board and lines up with what Tennessee has done because Tony Pollard and Ty J Spears are fine I don't think it's enough to keep you from doing that but with all the money that they've spent in free agency, do you still think that is...

16:39I certainly think it's realistic, but do you think it's the most advisable way to go about this if you're the Titans? Yeah, and I think you're right to mention Edge off the bat because, you know, you bring in Jermaine Johnson, but, I mean, he's on a contract year, right? Coming off injury not that long ago. Like, there's still a, when you look at it, a need there in terms of just more juice off the edge. So if they did want to go with one of those edge rushers, if Bailey's still there, it makes perfect sense. But I just keep coming back to Jeremiah Love. And when we saw the Saints and the Chiefs both go get, what, the two backs, arguably the two backs, top backs in free agency, I think, you know, I heard a lot of people talking about, oh, Love is going to slip and going to fall out of the top 10.

17:25And my reaction was the exact opposite, where I think part of the reason the Chiefs and Saints went that direction, they don't think that one of the best players in the draft, talking about Jeremiah Love, is going to fall to them. Or at the very least, they couldn't count on him falling at eight or nine, respectively, in the draft. So I just keep coming back to love with the Titans, and you think about, we talk so much about offensive line and receivers as the way to support your young quarterback. The impact of Jeremiah Love, that caliber of a weapon on your offense, and the way it changes the way defenses are going to game plan for you, that changes everything.

18:03And I mean, I think Love's a better prospect than Nash and Gentry a year ago. I put him more in the bucket of a B. John Robinson type of prospect. And the one thing I always come back to as well is with Robert Sala, he spent the last year in San Francisco. So he had a front row seat for that multifaceted impact of Christian McCaffrey and what that meant for the Niners and that offense. And yeah, I'm sure that he would love a pass rusher or a fun defensive toy at four. But I think he'd also really like one of those type of backs where you're going to help the quarterback immediately. He's going to help you put points on the board.

18:40You can be versatile with the way you use him. So I don't know. I just keep coming back to love as one of those. I think that they're ready to compete right now with a young offense. You plug him in. He's going to make everybody better. I think I know the answer to this question but it's something I've been thinking about a lot while doing this exercise do you think going back to the Chiefs and the Saints both spending a lot of money on free agent running backs and those were two of the most no doubt about it like it lines up with the value it lines up with the need either one of these teams seems like a very likely landing spot with that off the board you think it's more likely Jeremiah Love goes inside the top five, then falls out of the top 10 altogether?

19:26Because, I mean, it's hard to imagine that, right? But if you're looking at a team like Tennessee or even the New York Giants, where maybe these are teams that would rather just have foundational pieces on the line of scrimmage, and if they don't take Love, then maybe you're looking at a situation where he were to fall outside the top 10. What do you think is more likely between those two scenarios? Him going that high to a team like Tennessee, or maybe through no fault of his own because he plays running back, he falls to like 11, 12, 13, even though he's one of the best three or four talents in this draft class.

20:04Overwhelmingly, I believe he goes top seven. I mean, you throw the commanders in there too, right? If he were to fall to the commanders, it's hard to imagine the slide going much further than that. And I know the commanders have other needs, but they just spent a lot of money in free agency to where I think they could get away with that if they wanted to. It'd be like the Lions when they took... Jameer Gibbs? Gibbs in that draft where we're looking at it like, oh, wow, they have DeAndre Swift. And are they really ready to drop in that type, you know, like in that point in their roster construction to do that?

20:35And obviously they have no regrets making that pick. And I think that would be it would be a similar line of thinking for a team like the commanders where, yeah, they could address other needs. but you drop in a weapon like that and what it means for your backfield to have Jaden Daniels and Love next to each other and what that means for your offensive attack, the ways that you can put stress on defenses. I just think that he's too good of a player, too good of a prospect where he, I just don't see him falling out of the top seven. I just don't, I don't see it being a realistic possibility. When you consider all the work the commanders have done on their defense, I guess my only question would be, what do you value more between a running back who might be the best player in the class or a receiver who plays a more valuable position, but is not like a rare sort of first receiver off the board.

21:26That's the key. That's the key, right? Is that we're not talking about drafting a Malik neighbors here, or, you know, we're talking about drafting, um, you know, more like, uh, I don't want to, I was going to, no, I'm not going to say that. I don't want to make it sound like these receivers are not good, because they are. These are good receivers at the top with Carnell Tate, and I don't want to denigrate them. But this is also a deep receiver class. So if you don't feel like you're getting a true 1A receiver in the top 10, you're looking at your options. And I know commanders only have so many draft picks, but if they wanted to wait until day two to go that direction, they could.

22:07And still feel like you're getting someone that's going to help you. But I think it is fair to point that out. and I know we're not to the commanders yet, but we might as well be. They have an A receiver, right, with Terry McLaurin, and then a bunch of C-level receivers. And so there is room there to get better, but I still think that it's more about the impact value and what love can bring. And so if he gets past Tennessee at four, if he gets past the Giants at five, I think the commanders at seven would be, tough to pass on that type of offensive weapon at that point. The other thing that stands out about the commanders is even with the Amik Robertson signing because obviously Amik Robertson and Mikey Sayre still are both guys that can play inside that could be a spot where maybe you try to draft an outside corner but it's very similar to receiver where it's like is this the year that you love the value there and I don't envy teams who have to make that decision because in a vacuum, I think Jeremiah Love is the best prospect of any option you could take at, between Love, receiver, and corner, Love is going to be the best player available, but he plays running back.

23:20That's a tough equation to solve, but I wouldn't be surprised if a team like the Commanders came down on running back if he was sitting there for him. Yeah, and I think it's not just a running back. It's one of the best players in the draft and someone that can help you in so many different ways, that multidimensional threat that he brings is something that makes him more than just, oh, we're going to draft a running back here. You know, I just think it's so much more of a loaded way to go than just what it looks like on the surface. We argued plenty during the season about the Giants as a Jeremiah Love landing spot.

23:59I guess that's still on the table, but I got to be honest with you. I mean, it's definitely still on the table. I won't rule that out. But looking over what the Giants have done and what they could potentially use, I do think that's a situation where I'm okay getting more bang for my buck somewhere else. And maybe Jeremiah Love isn't even an option for you, but I would guess you probably feel good about one of the offensive linemen being there for you at five or if they're not an edge rusher, or at the very least, if all that stuff is gone, then Sonny Stiles would be there for you at five. Pair him with Tremaine Edmonds for a year or two.

24:41I just think there are several other avenues I'd rather go if I'm the Giants than draft a running back for where they are specifically in their build. Yeah, and they have their starting five on the offensive line, but I believe Schmidt's at center. he's in a final year of his deal and you could potentially upgrade over him. And I'm not saying they go that way in the first round, but a guy like Spencer Fano, if they love him enough, you project him as potentially playing multiple spots, whether it's guard, he looked great during center drills at the combine, maybe a long-term option, tackle down the road.

25:21And so I wouldn't rule out offensive line, but yeah, I come back to Sonny Stiles, even Caleb Downs in that mix even like a Mansoor Delane you know someone on defense that could be an impact player for you because I think when you look at what the Giants did they plugged most of their holes right in free agency but they did it with duct tape more than cement right like you know you bring in Tremaine Edmonds at linebacker you bring in a Greg Newsome corner Darnell Mooney Calvin Austin at receiver these guys can be multi-year answers if they need to be, but I think ideally you don't want them to be.

26:00You ideally want to find upgrades at some point. And so I think they potentially do that at five. Receiver, I can't rule that out either, but same thing we've been saying with receiver with these other teams, this is not a true 1A type of situation. So I think it's more likely we see the Giants address receiver on day two rather than day one. I'm going to keep picking through the big picks at the top of this draft. We're going to take a quick break first. Every now and then you get a piece of clothing that makes you rethink your entire closet. For me, it came in the form of the softest sweater I've ever worn, made out of alpaca fiber by Paca in Peru.

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29:27All right, Dane, I'm going to do your favorite thing. I'm going to throw you a loaded, open-ended question. about your local team, and it's this. How do you feel about the patch job the Cleveland Browns have done on the offensive line over the last week or so? Truthful answer, I just don't know how to feel. Obviously, they had to overpay in some of those situations to do what they did. But the big question is, what's the short-term and long-term plan at left tackle? right that that is the the million dollar question for this team um i yeah i think in a perfect world you're drafting your joe alt here at pick number six right the problem is there's no joe alt in this draft and i know monroe freeling from georgia has been the fad pick at six uh since we left the combine and i get why um you know it's it's funny because freeling we you know if anybody listens to this podcast you know Freeling was one of my guys um put him in the first round at Thanksgiving before you know we were talking about him that high just because I'm believer in the tools and believer in the upside but now we're talking about him at six it's pretty rich and I I think that I mean this happens every year where I like a player and then all of a sudden the hype exceeds kind of where my uh interest level is on the player um but I get why he's being talked about that way like I said I'm a believer in the upside a believer in the athletic tools it's just they The Browns also need a left tackle who's going to step in from day one, and I'm just not sold that Freeling's ready to do that.

31:02Now, yes, he has more of a true left tackle skill set than Spencer Fano or Maui Noah. And all it takes is one GM to see that vision for him. And whether or not that's Andrew Barry, I don't know. But I do know that the scouts that I talk to for many different teams, they don't see Freeling going that high just because of how raw he is as a player. And yeah, I know his agility and the speed testing was great at the combine. The on-field workout was rough, and that's something to keep in mind here. So I don't feel great about the left tackle position, but I think obviously you have to feel better about where the Browns are.

31:44There was nowhere to go with up. The way the offensive line played last year, they lose almost everybody. they've done a nice job of filling gaps in different ways but there's still that big question mark about what's going to happen at left tackle and do they feel like this is one of those teams where i think they they are waiting to see what their arm length is at the utah pro day and that could affect what they do at six but i would also say uh this maybe this is the spot where you go and get your impact receiver go get your ball winner um you know because even though So there might not be a 1A receiver.

32:18Carnal Tate is, I think, better than anything they have on the roster right now at receiver. So I think that's a direction that could go as well. I'm a big believer in not forcing it just because that makes sense. Like, I understand you want a left tackle of the future. I'm dubious that a left tackle of the future is available at six in this draft class. And even if Monroe Freeling gets drafted really highly, I don't know, at six, yeah, I'd rather I'd rather get a receiver that I feel really good about or even even though you'd probably rather not spend your first round pick on defense considering what the Browns already have on defense or your top 10 pick anyway.

32:59Give me give me downs or even an edge rusher or or whatever. Give me the give me a slam dunk defender before I'm trying to project a left tackle at six overall. And that's the beauty of having two first round picks. You can still play around. I mean, shoot, you got pick 24 and pick 39. You can even trade up in the first round for Freeling if he falls into the teens or whatever. You know, like there are other ways to do this thing rather than just force it at six. And I hope the Browns realize that. I think fans would be frustrated with that because that's what they did last year. You know, they took their highest graded defensive player.

33:40That was Mason Graham. And Graham was fine as a rookie. you know you're hoping for a jump as a sophomore just to really live up to where he was drafted but they also passed on you know a couple offensive tackles that you know would look pretty good on that roster right now to go that route so yeah but I think your point as a whole is correct it's spot on you know you don't take a lesser player just because it's going to fill a need. I think that, you know, drafting Colton Miller at six, it does feel a little rich, but you know, when you look back three years from now, maybe it pays off. Colton Miller wound up being a pretty solid pick.

34:21That's it. Exactly. And, you know, it's one of those things where you're kind of hedging your bet where, you know, you feel comfortable taking him at 14, but not six because you're hedging, right but if you think that he has a path and you feel good about him reaching that path to get to being a starting level left tackle I get it I so but I think this is a long way to talk about the offensive tackle position how it's just really it's a tough you know whether it's Maui No or Fano or Freeling or any of these guys it's tough to talk about in the top 10 especially for a team like the Browns who need a left tackle and there's not like a clear way to attack it and it's just a matter of how Andrew Barry feels like the best way to go about that is but when you look at what that moves they made going back to your original question it really feels like that left tackle is kind of the one spot where it's like all right I'm just not sure what the vision is here quite yet I'm going to try to pick up the pace a little bit so we can talk more teams like I said the Saints were one of the teams that we had penciled in for Jeremiah Love you can take that out of the equation receiver cornerback make a ton of sense edge rusher makes a ton of sense if there's one available.

35:34I wanted to throw a hot take at you, Dane. Okay. Considering that the Saints need a pass catcher, and if you're talking about the way value lines up with things and which receivers might go off the board before they pick, if any, is this the beginning of Kenyon Sadiq watch? Interesting. Like, is this the ceiling for Kenyon Sadiq? I feel like before eight, I'm dubious, but this is where I start to be able to imagine that happening. Yeah. And especially if you feel like he could be a, a Colston Loveland type of impact for you, then yeah, I mean, you have to consider that for sure. And I mean, I, I mean, you tell me like, I don't, there's nobody tight end on that roster.

36:21That's going to stop them from doing that. Right. I mean, I like Jawan Johnson's under contract, but that shouldn't stop you if you were to love a guy like Kenyon Sadiq. Right. And I don't love Kenyon Sadiq as much as I loved Brock Bowers, but this is a different draft. And so, yeah, I would get it if you consider him at that point. Still feels a little rich to be taking Sadiq that high, but I've always been a big Sadiq fan going back to the summer. So I would certainly understand it if they would go that direction. I'm racking my brain. I don't remember them taking a tight end that early. seem a little bit out of character for this team.

36:58The other thing, too, that we have to remember, this is a deep, deep tight end class. And so if they do want to get better in that room, they don't have to force it. It'd be more about impact potential for a truly unique weapon like Sadiq as opposed to, hey, tight end's a need, and we need to fill it at some point. Let's just do it now. It's a deep, deep tight end class. That would be the earliest the Saints have drafted a tight end since Cam Cleland all the way back in 1998. Big old Cam, yeah. Maybe a stretch. I'm trying to creatively problem solve. If the first receiver is off the board and you don't love your other options, maybe an idea.

37:40I think that applies to the Kansas City Chiefs as well, but with their activity in the last week or so, hard not to imagine them wanting to address defense. My only take with the Chiefs is it's just way too easy to assume they would draft a cornerback at nine. Maybe they would, but considering all the different places they've found talented cornerbacks around the draft in recent years, I would probably prioritize edge if I were them and try to find my cornerback later, whether that's at pick 29 or like way later in the draft. But like, if I'm the Chiefs, edge would be my number one priority, assuming one of the big guys is still there at pick number nine.

38:20I agree. And I think it lines up with what they want to be. You added Reuben Bailey here or, excuse me, Reuben Bain. I mixed David Bailey and Reuben Bain there. Sorry, you're deep in the beast. We know, we know. I just created a new player. But like, I think that Noel Williams, the way he played down the stretch last year for the Chiefs, who loved him coming out of Cal last year. I thought that was a great pick in the third round by the Chiefs. I think they feel maybe have some confidence in what the cornerback room looks like right now, even when you lose him to Trent McDuffie. so um and this is I think it's a good point by you that finding you know yeah they did draft a Trent McDuffie in the first round but the track record of where they found corners elsewhere and maybe you know gives them a little bit of uh confidence they can find a guy later I don't think this is a deep deep cornerback class but I think at least through the top 100 picks I think there's some some good talent that you feel like all right we're gonna find someone that's a potential starter for us.

39:18Well, with that in mind, and we can just do both Chiefs picks here while we're talking about them because they have picked 29 now. So the Chiefs pick 9-29, and then on Friday, they pick 40th and 74th. Let's just say they draft a defensive lineman in the top 10. So if you've got pick 29, you feel better about grabbing a cornerback there if it's not as deep of a cornerback class, if it lines up that way. Or I do think the Chiefs could probably use a pass catcher, whether that's a receiver or a tight end, whatever. I just think you want a young, talented pass catcher. I know how much you love the depth of the receiver class.

40:00Maybe if cornerback is a little more scarce, maybe you feel better waiting for Friday to do a pass catcher. And I think it depends on who's there, right? I don't think that they should go, the Chiefs should go into the draft saying, okay, edge here, corner here. you know like you just of course right you kind of keep your options open to see who might follow you if they love david boston and or geez denzel boston um yeah and we're in we're in the middle of this you can tell um and and boston didn't run the 40 at the pro day but he did have a 680 three cone at 210 pounds 37 and a half inch vert at the pro day so he even though you want to see that 40, the agility, the short shuttle, the three cone, the vert were really, really impressive for a guy that size.

40:48So yeah, I think it depends who's there. I mean, what do they think of the two Tennessee corners? Jermon McCoy, Colton Hood. If one of those two guys are there, maybe that makes sense for what they could be looking at a corner. So yeah, I do think that whichever direction they go, if it does come down to those two positions, receiver or corner, there'll be at least someone there at 29 that feels like, okay, we're going to upgrade our spot, and then day two, we can maybe go to that other position. I think you could look at all levels of the defense to try to figure out what Cincinnati wants to do with their 10th overall pick.

41:24My question for you, A, okay, so, I mean, the Bengals just gave a bunch of money to Boye Mafe. They signed Jonathan Allen as kind of a stopgap pass rusher sort of guy. And on top of that, Shamar Stewart and Miles Murphy, are still there and you're still at least somewhat hoping more so for Shamar Stewart at this point, but you're hoping those guys can give you a little bit more. I would imagine at some point you have to say, all right, we've thrown what we can at the defensive line. We have to go somewhere else. I don't really know linebacker lines up for the Bengals here because I don't expect, expect Sonny styles to be there.

42:04That leads me to cornerback or safety. I mean, Caleb Downs makes a hell of a lot of sense here if he were still hanging around um but just in general like it seems like the value lines up for Cincinnati in the secondary in one way or the other yeah if Caleb Downs is there I I know this is a team that usually doesn't draft safety that early but most teams are like that um and Downs is a type of player where I think somebody has to buck the trend because at some point, Caleb Downs becomes a bargain the further he falls. I hear that from Chiefs fans and from Giants fans and like, oh, we're not going to draft a safety that early.

42:47Somebody's going to because, again, Caleb Downs is a little bit different. But it'll be interesting with that secondary because, you know, you bring in Brian Cook, right? So the and I know they've talked up Jordan Battle this this offseason. whether or not that's genuine I don't know but it's at least something that they have to look at with Downs because the immediate upgrade he brings is something that makes the defense as a whole better from day one so I would love to see Downs there Delane's a good name to bring up as well especially if you think he has inside-outside versatility because I think with the way that they're going to mix and match their corners this year I think Delane if you feel like he can play both in the slot and outside I think gives you a little bit of versatility so either way I think that I think you got it right though secondary would make the most sense for this team especially if those top three edge rushers are off the board is there and just in general not necessarily for the Bengals but like okay we know Caleb Banks unfortunately broke his foot working out at the combine we'll see how that affects his draft stock.

43:59Peter Woods is a name we all know. I feel like people are all over the place with him. Like, is there an interior defensive lineman that even makes sense in this range? And I'm not for the purposes of this. I'm not thinking of Ruben Bain as an interior guy.

44:16I would be surprised. I don't know. I don't see any of these defensive tackles worthy of top 15, you know, top half of the first round. I feel like I'm really reaching for a need at that point, as opposed to taking better players. But I don't know, maybe they disagree. Maybe they see the long-term vision with a Peter Woods and the upside. Because Peter Woods is the ultimate grade to the flashes type of prospect, where you show me his 10 best plays from this last year, last two years. And it's like, all right, yeah, sign me up. I'll take that. but okay, then show me the body of work. And it's like, all right, I'm less excited.

44:55And so I won't say I'd be surprised just because I think some teams do really like him, but it would still, for him to go in the top 10, I still think would be a little surprising. The Miami Dolphins are very interesting in the sense that they are now in a full teardown after the Waddle trade. They own seven top 100 picks. It's going to be fascinating. I know, isn't that? What's Malik Willis saying to himself right now? Malik Willis is saying, damn, that direct deposit kicks ass. I'd say just, yeah, just look at the bank account and you'll be all right. You'll be fine. It's very interesting from a team building standpoint, and I can't wait to see what they do.

45:35It makes it hard slash boring on us right now because I'm just like, the Dolphins need everything. The Dolphins can do whatever they want. I would say their secondary is like a blinking red light, Like in terms of just needing upgrades, the secondary stands out to me as something you want to work on. But other than that, they have pick 11 and pick 30, and they could do damn near whatever they want with them other than draft a quarterback. Yeah, I mean, who's their best pass catcher now? Malik Washington? Malik Washington, yeah. And that's including the tight ends, right? I mean, it's a little bleak there at several positions.

46:14Okay, I'll put you in the GM spot. If you're Miami sitting there at 11, who are you hoping is on the board when you pick as you kind of usher in this new era of Dolphins football? I think an ideal scenario for Miami would probably be that the best cornerback on their board is there, whoever that is for them. Like if it's Mansour Delane, sure. If it's Jermod McCoy, or if you really like somebody like Avion Terrell, like whoever you like the most, if he's there, I just think that's a good place to start. Because again, I just think the secondary needs an infusion of talent. I think they've got enough on their defensive front that that's not where I'm starting if I'm John Eric Sullivan.

47:02Now that Jalen Waddell is gone, I guess you could talk me into receiver as well. But again, like, is it the best receiver available or am I just picking a receiver because because I supposedly need one? I just I think the value at cornerback lines up pretty well with where they're picking, at least in my expectation. But again, going back to what I said about the Saints, if Kenyon Sadiq is there and you need a pass catcher and he's like he's the best tight end. And do you feel better about him or taking the second best wide receiver just because you need one? So I mean, that's yeah, that's an interesting debate about a guy like Makai Lemon or Kenyon Sadiq, you know, like just which obviously two different positions.

47:53And that has to play a part just because of the way they're paid and all of that. But their impact for a team like this, I think, yeah, that's that'd be an interesting debate if they went that way. I think for where the Dolphins are though, like if you just look at Miami, we don't even know if Malik Willis is going to work out. And unfortunately for him, he's up against it now where I just, I don't even know how good his supporting cast is going to be. Drafting a tight end that high would frustrate me if I was a Dolphins fan because are we going to maximize his first contract? Like, is he going to help us win before he's priced out of there anyway?

48:29So I think hopefully for the Dolphins, a DB that you feel really good about is there at 11. Like I said, if it's an outside corner, great. Maybe this is a spot for Caleb Downs, but I just think that has a great chance of lining up from a value perspective. Like you said, seven picks on the top 100. So there's a lot of different ways they could go about this. And I know most of those picks are mid to late third round, but it's still, they have a lot of different avenues to really build this thing the right way. I mean, for a first-year GM, having seven picks in the top 100 is a pretty exciting proposition to build this way, the way that you feel like it should be.

49:13The Dallas Cowboys picked 12th and 20th. And, Dane, you did say the ideal circumstance is not to go into the draft saying like, all right, it's got to be these two positions in some order. But we've covered a lot of Cowboys drafts together. Look me in the eye and tell me pick 12 and 20 aren't going to be some combination of cornerback, linebacker, edge rusher. I would just however it lines up for them, whatever works out. But it's going to be two guys that play those positions. I just I don't see any other alternative based on what they've done to this point. Right. The hope would be. I'll ask you a question.

49:57say Sonny Styles makes it to pick eight. You call him the Saints and saying, like, hey, let's figure something out to go get him. Is that, because when you look at this. Yes. Me, Dave Hellman, I'm doing it. Yes. The Dallas Cowboys are saying we need two contracts. Like we need two young, cheap players because we haven't signed that many free agents. Well, and I'm not saying necessarily trade 12 and 20 to do it, but 12 and something. Oh, if I, if I could get up to eight for 12 and the third round pick that I just got for Oso Digizua, I'd be pretty into that. I was going to say, you could just make sure you get Sonny styles, get your linebacker.

50:37And then at 20, you can come back and whether that's, you know, your corner or if they want to go edge, whatever. Yeah. Cause I, I think that there, I don't know that I feel great about a linebacker, a non Sonny styles linebacker, either of those two picks. Like I like CJ Allen a lot. take about 20. I don't know. I mean, for me, that's a little rich. I could see the Cowboys doing it, but yeah, I think that we're on the right track. It's going to be defense, most likely defense, defense, and how they go about it will be really interesting. Speaking of interesting, the LA Rams, just, okay, here's the exercise for the Rams.

51:18Tell me, tell me what would be the most fun thing they could do with this. because we're not talking about needs at this point for the LA Rams. You're either drafting a guy that you can stow away for the future, like a developmental offensive tackle or an understudy edge, or you're plucking an incredibly exciting guy and dropping him into the best roster in the league. Dropping a top three receiver onto this team should be illegal. Yeah, Makai Lemon, he's a Southern California kid, went to USC, keep him there, keep him home. And I think that's not necessarily without a foundation of an idea, of a plan, because when you look at it, Devontae Adams, he's going into a contract year.

52:07And him and Puka, while outstanding, are not the most durable receivers either. They've been banged up over their careers, so you just don't know when they might miss a game here or there. And so having a Makai Lemon to work into your rotation and really emerge as a big part of this offense, it'd be pretty fun. I don't know. I think that's if I'm looking for the most fun option, I think that's probably it. All right. Before we finish up, let's take one more quick break. Performance comes down to controlling what you can. For Jessica Pagula, it starts with the air around her. A Blue Air user for over five years, she trusts Blue Signature Air Purifiers.

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54:04The Baltimore Ravens briefly didn't have pick 14, but it's back now.

54:12the Ravens are surprisingly like for a team at this point in the board there was the Ravens are surprisingly I had an easy time coming to this opinion and it's just that when you spend that type of money on Trey Hendrickson the secondary is pretty well stocked you just said it about the Cowboys like I don't think the value is there at linebacker for pick 14 and I just come down on it with Baltimore where I'm like, whatever offensive lineman or pass catcher you feel better about is probably the way that I would go because I don't think defense lines up very well between what they already have and the value of what's available with a pick like this.

54:53Yeah. And we've said it before, not that long ago, they drafted a safety at 14, you know, a non quote unquote non-premium position. Could it be that way again, whether it's a guard or a tight end this year? Talking about Vega Yawane or Kenyon Sadiq, I think that's certainly a way that, as they look to maximize this offense and through the draft, either one of those two directions make a lot of sense to me. Similarly, the Buccaneers stress me out a lot because they come out of free agency without what I would consider like a glaring emergency level need, but they just have like three spots where they still need help.

55:43Like they could use another pass catcher. Their pass rush could still use some juice. They still need another linebacker, in my opinion. And all of those things feel equally urgent, which maybe that's a good spot to be because Jason Light can just grab the best player in that group. But it was hard to settle on one course of action for this team because I think there are two or three that still make a lot of sense. Yeah, doing a mock with the Bucs in mind, it is a little difficult there in the mid-first round because I think they'd love to add another edge rusher. But is there going to be one there that you feel great about?

56:22I'm not sure there will be. Would they be a Kenyon-Sadiq team where that answers kind of one of the concerns you have about the passing game and adding another dynamic threat to help your quarterback. So the Bucs are tough. I was hoping I'd feel better about how they would attack the first-round pick based off of what they did in free agency or what happened, and I'm not sure I'm there. They didn't do a whole lot. I mean, they added some players, Alex Anzalone. It's not that they did nothing, but they just didn't really clear things up, in my opinion. No, that's fair to say, especially when you lose a guy like Mike Evans, too.

57:09Last pick in the first half of the first round, which doesn't get talked about enough, in my opinion. It is interesting that the Jets have these two big picks in the top half of the first round. I wanted to do this with you. let's just say for the sake of conversation that it's arvel reese that goes to overall to the new york jets i am really interested what the other pick would be and what you prioritize if you add that big of a piece to your defense with the number two overall pick you already mentioned receiver i totally get it if that were the direction they would go but what do you think I think it has to be a receiver.

57:47I mean, I think overwhelmingly it would be some type of offensive weapon. And like you said, with Brees Hall likely in the fold, you're not looking at running back early. So you're kind of shifting your attention to receiver. You feel good about Mason Taylor, your second round tight end from last year. Your offensive line's in good shape. I don't think there's a quarterback worth taking. Now, maybe they feel differently about Ty Simpson. Maybe they do. I would be surprised if Ty Simpson's the pick there, especially with the draft capital they have saved up for next year to go and make a splash in what is, I'm not going to say almost certainly, but should be a better quarterback class.

58:31That is based off of just my opinion, based off of how NFL teams talk. They talk frequently about the 2027 quarterback draft class. so I think it's more likely we see the Jets hold on and not draft a quarterback in the first round wait until um wait until next year or you know I guess you can't rule it out on day two if a Ty Simpson were to fall or if they love um Nussmeyer or something like that but at pick 16 I think you're just you're crossing your fingers that one of these offensive playmakers is going to fall to you at that point, whether that's a Makai Lemon. How do you feel about Jordan Tyson?

59:12They just need to add some more juice on the offensive side of the ball for the short term and the long term. As an unabashed Ty Simpson supporter, I need the Jets to be more patient than that. You can't you can't do that with pick 16. Yeah, maybe he's even there at pick 33 or what would really be great is if you could draft him at pick 44. I don't know if that's realistic, but wait till Friday if you have to, or preferably just wait until next year. But pick 16, we're, we're trying to add like a foundational piece. And you know, if Ty Simpson turns out to be a Pro Bowl quarterback, first of all, I'm going to be very excited, but given the capital that you've saved up for next year, I think that's a risk you can afford to take.

59:56All right. I'm, I'm not going to go pick by pick the rest of the way, because we'll be here for three hours. But I did, I just wanted to pick out a few, Dane, before we get out of here that I wanted to pick your brain about because they're interesting to me. Ironically, the first one is the very next pick, pick 17. I completely understand why. But the Detroit Lions are one of those teams where everybody in the draft space is just mocking them a new left tackle. I get it. I totally do. Taylor Decker's not there anymore. I understand why. But I'm curious for your perspective on if it's not that very understandable decision, what do you think would make sense for Detroit?

1:00:36I landed on edge. I know that's easier said than done at pick 17. But I do think if it's not an offensive tackle, some sort of defender and preferably defensive lineman is where I would be looking. We've been trying to get Aiden Hutchinson a running mate, the other edge position opposite him for three years now. And they haven't been able to really answer that type of role. And so I think if the right edge rusher is there, then I think we've got something to talk about. And so, yeah, this is an interesting edge class when you get past those top three, talking about Arville Reese, Bailey, and then Bain.

1:01:18And, you know, like who's that fourth pass rusher off the board going to be? I mean, could it be Mesador? Could it be the name to watch? Malachi Lawrence, our guy from UCF. Central Florida. Yeah, let's go. I mean, I'm to the point where I wouldn't be shocked at all if he gets into that top 30, top 25. You know, if you're a believer in that explosiveness, which I think a lot of teams are, once you get past, because we're in the second half of the first round now, and that's where I think things are going to get a little interesting because there's so many names. There's like 30 names in this mix, and there's just not a lot of difference between one and 30.

1:02:01And so if we see a guy like Malachi Lawrence go as early as the top 25, I don't think I'd be shocked. The early 20s are really interesting to me. We don't have to necessarily focus on a specific team, But if we can just assume Ty Simpson is not going to be pick 21 to the Pittsburgh Steelers, because I wouldn't expect that to happen. If we can assume that, then the early 20s look like a real offensive tackle minefield. I think that would make a hell of a lot of sense for the Steelers if they're not sold on Broderick Jones being a guy that they're tied to for the future. or maybe, you know, obviously Isaac Silamalo leaving a guard need is part of that as well.

1:02:47The Philadelphia Eagles, I think people are going to be talking about a potential heir apparent to Lane Johnson for the foreseeable future until they finally draft one. And Cleveland as well. Obviously, it depends on what the Browns do at pick six, but if they don't draft a tackle there, the needed tackle is obvious. The draft capital to potentially trade up is there. So that stretch in the early 20s is very interesting. And I guess offensive tackle, not a need for the Chargers, but interior offensive line, still a very, very big need for the Chargers. So just in general, the first half of the 20s, if you're hoping a tackle or an offensive lineman falls to you, I have this whole stretch circled.

1:03:29It's such a weird tackle class because there's, what, like six, seven tackles that we think are going to go top 32 probably. and then there's just a massive drop-off and it just feels like there's no real middle class of the tackle position this year where, all right, we didn't get our guy in the first round, wait till the second round. If you don't get your guy in the first round, you're probably gonna be out of luck getting a tackle in this class and so it really does make it interesting for some of those teams in the back half of round one where they're gonna have an opportunity had Caleb Lomu or Max Einachor from Arizona State, Blake Miller, Clemson, guys that are, we're talking about them as late first rounders for a reason.

1:04:16And so it's just going to be really interesting. But at the same time, like I said, you can't wait until the second round to get your guy. If you want to tackle, you're going to have to, there's going to be a tax and you have to pay that tax and take them in that late first. And so, especially if you're the Browns and you go with the receiver and go Carnal Tate, at six, you're going to be looking immediately at offensive line there. And, you know, there's going to be a few, there should be a few options there, but I don't know if it immediately addresses something that is going to be a need from day one.

1:04:47So it's, it's interesting with, with several of those teams and in the direction they could go. I would throw, obviously when you're picking that late, you're at the mercy of, of everyone else, but the 49ers, there's a little bit of uncertainty with Trent Williams. and obviously he's nearing the end of his career anyway. The Houston Texans, I assume, even with what they've done on the offensive line, would have an eye on trying to improve that. If you're the Niners, you would love to see a Caden Proctor fall to you, right? Absolutely. Where you can let him compete at guard day one and then groom him to be the left tackle of the future.

1:05:24I think that would be ideal for a team like the Niners. But I know the Eagles fans are probably thinking the same thing with, like you mentioned, with Lane Johnson. So yeah, it's a really, I think, a tackle minefield, offensive line minefield's a good way to put it. One last one I wanted to get you on the record with. It's similar to the Lions, just on the other side of the ball. With free agency winding down, I think the draft universe is going to be hyper-fixated on the Chicago Bears' lack of pass rush juice coming out of free agency. I get it if that's the way that they go, and this is a good year to need pass rush if you're picking 25th overall, A, do you agree that that is a pretty realistic proposition?

1:06:11And B, if it's not that simple, I'm thinking safety for the Bears or which direction would you go? If the right safety is there. Talking about, like, I don't think Theanaman, Oregon safety is going to be there, but McNeil Warren from Toledo, that's a potential fit. that would make sense for the Bears. But yeah, I mean, defensive line, we mentioned Malachi Lawrence as a guy that I think is red hot and, you know, he's going to go probably earlier than most people think he could be in that mix. Do they look at these defensive tackles? Is this where we see the first defensive tackle off the board?

1:06:47You know, just answering, you know, some of those needs on the defensive line. So once we get to that late first round, I think the defensive line, the stack is all over the place in terms of defensive tackle and edge rushers and how these teams view these guys. And so with the Bears, I mean, there's like six or seven names just on the defensive line coming into my brain that could be potential fits there. I'm really, I'm jealous of all the really good teams picking at the back end of the first round. I mean, starting with the Seahawks, you can talk about the Chiefs. Obviously, the Texans don't need a lot of help rushing the passer, the 49ers, the Bills.

1:07:27Like all of these teams, in my opinion, would have a better shot at adding a good edge than you're supposed to have a shot at when you pick that late. It's very unfair to me. I mean, that's and it's interesting with these teams with multiple first round picks, right? It's a lot of fun to think about the combinations, you know, whether it's the Browns, whether that's, you know, now the Dolphins are part of that mix. Just the different ways that you could go about it. It's not about right or wrong. It's more about this combination or that combination. And so I think that's where, you know, it's a little more complicated for those GMs to kind of go through these scenarios and figure out, okay, where are we getting our best bang for a buck?

1:08:13And making sure we're maximizing this opportunity to have multiple first round picks, which is definitely a lot of fun. It's the same confusing math equation that it was a week and a half ago. It's just different variables than it was before. Really enjoyed resetting the table with you, Dane. And we're, I mean, we're back on our regular schedule now. We took the week off for free agency, but we'll be back every week from here on out. Get a little more granular with it as we get deeper into March and April and get closer to the actual draft. Looking forward to it. Until then, I'll let you run and dive back into your tape and we will talk to you all next week.

1:08:54Thank you.

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