Building the Beast: Team + position matchmaking inside the projected top 10

0:28Welcome to another episode of Building the Beast. The race for us is the race to the top pick and what the top of the NFL draft order is starting to look like. It is by no means set in stone, but unfortunately for a handful of NFL teams, you can kind of take an educated guess where they're going to be picking in this 2026 draft. So with it starting to take shape, we wanted to look at who's at the draft or who's at the top of the draft order, what they might need, where they might be picking, how it influences the politics of trades and quarterback discussions and all that type of stuff, how it might influence which players get drafted.

1:07Fun early check in on the top of the draft order this week with Dane Brugler and myself. Let's get into it.

1:17and I am joined now as always by my friend my colleague Dane Brugler and Dane this week's episode comes well timed because I'm gonna step outside the box a little bit and not force us to revisit Ty Simpson's performance against Oklahoma too much like we can we can leave that for another time but as always when when you pump a guy up you know it's always going to be the next game where he lets you down a little bit well and that's the struggle with with ty is we don't really have the body of work you know and so when he does have a game that's maybe not what he has shown in the past month or two you waited a little bit differently because uh you know we just have a small sample size.

2:04This is what is 10th start. So yeah, we can, we'll have plenty more to talk about with, with Ty, um, as we go through, uh, in the next few months or next few weeks. But, uh, yeah, I mean, these quarterbacks are gonna come up with this discussion we're going to have today. Sample size does in fact matter after all, no matter how much I try to hand wave it away, but that's, that's not the overall topic of the show. We're going to take a little bit of a departure here as we move toward shockingly the, the end of the college football regular season, we're going to take a deep dive into next week as we get toward rivalry weekend and the end of the 12 game schedule.

2:43But I want to take a step back today, Dane, because it's weird when, when you start this thing out, it's, it's so ambiguous, right? I mean, we're, we're learning about the prospects. We're trying to figure out which positions are deep and we have no idea what any of it means to the landscape of the NFL, because the season is just getting started. You know, everybody's O and O, all that, all the cliches about hope springing eternal, but the weather's cold. The holidays are on the horizon and the draft order is starting to take shape, bud. We got some stinky teams across the NFL. And I think it's a good time to look at the top of the draft order, because of course, we don't know for sure how it's all going to settle in.

3:30There's still plenty of football left to play, but we have a pretty firm looking top 10. We got, what is it? We got 10, 10 teams exactly with three or fewer wins. And so you can sort of start to see the top 10 of the draft order crystallize. And I think that's important because the teams making this decision at the top of any draft have so much say in, in what it winds up looking like, in addition to just the players that are available and the positions of depth and stuff like that. But who is in what order can have such a drastic impact on the way we view a draft, right? It's not the order that's crystallized.

4:14It's the teams, right? It's the teams that we feel like are going to, and there's not a lot of shock, right? I mean, I think maybe Atlanta, I thought would be better than this. Um, you know, like there's, there's a few teams that are surprising, but it's not surprising to see Titans at the top. Hand up, hand up, pal. I, I thought cam ward. I thought cam ward might do something there. And I'm not saying that I thought they were going to have a commander's type of year, but I didn't think the Titans would be cruising toward the number one overall pick. And that's what it looks like is happening right now.

4:49I'm a little, I'm a little shocked and saddened to see just how bad it's been there. I thought, I thought they might be frisky and they are not frisky. They are not. I, I don't know. I, they have like how many cornerstones on that roster? You know, it's like, I just so few that I, I guess I'm not that surprised now. We'll see. Titans go to Cleveland in a couple of weeks. That could be a, a matchup of the loser is the new favorite for the number one overall pick. and you know what this is the Titans have an interim head coach the Browns have a head coach who's fighting for his job so this isn't like neither team is going to pack it in this isn't a tanking type of exercise for either of those teams or any of these teams so it will be interesting to see how this plays out right now the Giants are the number two team in terms of where the draft order is but they've got at least two more wins I think when you look at that schedule you think about what jackson dart can bring to that team so we're still going to see plenty of fluctuation with this order but i think that this you're absolutely right this is a good point in the calendar to kind of look at where we are and take kind of just take the temperature of where we are with the players we think we drafted that high and then the teams that we think will be doing the drafting i just before we dive in i do just want to say to your point that nothing is final we're in for a little bit of a demolition derby like a a garbage truck demolition derby of just trash teams playing each other because like I'm looking at it right now the Titans get the Browns coming up they get the Saints at the end of the season the Browns play the Raiders this week and the Titans later the the Saints have two games against the Falcons a game against the Dolphins and a game against the Jets, like all of these teams that are jockeying for position in the top 10 are playing against each other, which could lead to some very fun games where the fan bases are like rooting for their team to lose, which is always a great place to be in November and December.

6:59It's there are some fascinating examples in the past of this team won a week 17, this team where it just completely changed the order. And, you know, all of a sudden the Titans are now picking number one and take Cam Ward or I mean there's there's numerous examples and I'm sure this year will be the same and with so many teams in the top 10 needing a quarterback which we're about to talk about every every pick matters in terms of where these guys are selecting so the purpose of this is not to be a mock draft like I'm not interested in identifying a player or deciding which player is going to go first at his position.

7:38Like we got all spring to argue about Fernando Mendoza and Ty Simpson or try to sort out the receiver pecking order, the edge rusher order, all that stuff. I'm not interested in that today. What I want to look at here is, again, the teams that have that look like they're going to have these picks and what might be available to them and the situations they find themselves in as well and how that might affect the draft order. So it's an interesting place to start with the Tennessee Titans, who at one and nine right now are holding the number one overall pick. We'll see if that changes. But actually, let's just you can go.

8:17You can just start with a twofer because I do think it's really interesting, Dane. To me, the teams that currently sit one and two in the draft order don't, you would think at least, need a quarterback. I know it hasn't been great for Cam Ward, but I personally would be pretty surprised to see the Titans pivot off of him after one year. And obviously Jackson dart, there have been some injury issues, but has showed plenty of promise on a, on a giant's offense that doesn't have a ton of talent. And so it's interesting to think that this could be a year where the quarterback needy teams have to figure out a way past teams that, that might have an answer at that position.

9:00if you were to put cam ward into this year's draft class i think it'd be fascinating to hear teams stack the quarterbacks um because i don't think there'd be any consensus i think some teams would have cam at the top others might have cam third um among this year's quarterback group so yeah that would be really interesting but i agree with you i mean this it hasn't been a dream rookie season for cam ward but there's been enough good in between the bad for there to be optimism. And the Titans really feel invested in this quarterback, as they should be. And so if the Titans finish with the top pick, they'll be in a power position.

9:40This almost has to be a tradeback situation here. We've talked about this at length. There's no Miles Garrett, no Will Anderson, no Jamar Chase level of prospect at the top of this draft. So we know the Titans need help in multiple spots. And it's interesting because we we I think we always talk about that number one overall pick being traded, but it almost never happens. It's the last 25 years. It's happened twice. 2023, the Panthers came up to get Bryce Young. And then 2016, the Titans went up or excuse me, the the Rams went up for the Titans. Yeah, with the Titans. Yes. Thank you. Which, okay.

10:20How funny is that? Is like the Titans could be faced with another scenario where they drafted their quarterback the year before they were still very bad. And you're in a chance where you can sell the number one overall pick. And by the way, all right, I'm stretching it a little bit, but I think it's fun. A guy that a team might come up for is a quarterback who played at Cal. I know Fernando Mendoza is not at Cal anymore, but I don't know. I think that's interesting. You're not wrong. It is definitely interesting. I mean, it's just interesting that you think of the Cal quarterbacks, Jared Goff and Bowler and Aaron Rodgers.

10:55And yet, I mean, there was a left cow to go to Bloomington. You know, like it's just college football is weird. It's a new landscape. It really is. So I don't know. I got this pick has to be a trade. If the Titans pick number one, I'm not convinced they're going to get like what the Panthers gave up to go up to get Bray Shong. I mean, they gave up two ones, two twos and DJ more. Now, the Jets, they have the ammo if they fall in love with one of these quarterbacks. The team that I'm most focused on, though, is the Browns. They have two first round picks this year, and I would argue are the most motivated of all these teams to draft a quarterback in the top 10.

11:37And we'll talk about the Browns more here in a second. But from a Titans perspective, let's just say they make a deal with Cleveland. two ones this year and probably a third pick whatever that ends up being day two pick this year next year they could end up with the number three and number 20 overall picks in this draft i could be edge linebacker arvel reese and wide receiver makai lemon i mean fill in whatever tandem you want there but that's instant upgrades on both sides of the ball for at two key positions So, you know, I think it's the Titans are if they finish with the number one overall pick in a year where there's not that clear number one overall type of prospect, they're still in a good spot because there's a good chance they can move back and get a lot of picks where they can address these needs.

12:26do you think trading down to three from one could realistically net the titans to first round picks like say it was the browns like number three and number 20 you think it would be worth that much well it just it all comes down to what the competition is right like i don't i don't even think you can look at past trades because it just all depends on what are other teams offering you You know, what are the Jets offering? What are the Saints offering? Are they offering anything? How many underclassmen are in this draft? Or how many quarterbacks are in this draft? If the Browns finish, let's say the Titans finish first, Browns are second.

13:04Do the Browns feel good about a couple of these quarterbacks where they don't have to make that trade? And they feel good about whoever's going to be left for them at pick number two? Or is this going to be another one quarterback draft where they have to go get their guy? it just feels like there's more urgency within that Browns organization to to get it done you know it's that we've talked about the offseason in terms of a trade or free agency like I mean you're gonna trade a third round pick for Mac Jones like if the Browns don't draft a quarterback in the top five what what else are they doing to upgrade that position because I don't know if you just you look at 2027 and yeah it does right now looks more appealing in terms of a quarterback draft but if you're Andrew Barry if you're Kevin Stefanski you're just not promised that and so um I think that if you're the Titans you would feel good about getting two first round picks and then a kicker another day to pick what this year next year I think that's that's not a bad uh bad haul for in this particular draft to get and I think it's interesting because with uh you know you're gonna have a new head coach in Tennessee GM Mike Borgonzi um has only had one draft and so we don't really have a track record here to know you know like which way he might be leaning at least this early uh you know his background is interesting because he was in Kansas City under Pioli he was there under Dorsey uh and then Veach and so he was exposed to three pretty different philosophies uh when it comes to drafting and roster construction so there's still a lot about the Titans we are learning um and we'll learn as we go so but regardless I don't care what philosophy you're you uh are really trying to apply here more draft picks are good for a team with as many needs as tennessee it's interesting if you're if you're a titans or a giants fan looking for silver linings those teams sit at the top of the draft order right now and then and and like i said don't seem to need a quarterback and then the next four teams in the top 10 presumably have a need.

15:13And then, and that doesn't even include the LA Rams who we'll get to in a little bit. So the idea that you could be open for business has to be enticing to these teams that are trying to upgrade their roster. One other thing I wanted to hit on here, and I'm with you. This seems like a situation where you will desperately be trying to trade out of this pick. But for the sake of argument, if the Titans or the Giants were picking in this spot and you're not going to take a quarterback, where do you go? Like, I think that is a very interesting idea here at like edge rusher seems to me to be the default option, but is there something that I'm not giving enough credence to like, you just look at it with, with Reese potentially being an edge rusher with Ruben Bain.

16:02That is where my mind goes. Is there something else I should be thinking about? I mean, if you're the Titans, I think it's pretty easy if you if you're stuck at one and you're picking it's arville reese i mean he upgrades a key position for you uh gives you a dude on the defensive side of the ball uh in the front seven that you can do a lot of different things with i think that's pretty easy now if you're the giants pass rusher is not exactly your your top need i mean you just drafted one uh in second overall last year uh i mean it in brian burns what he's doing with the on that defense now so i don't it's not as cut and dry so i then things get a little more complicated but again i don't i don't think the giants are picking that early when it's all said and done um and that's almost why i mean can we can we skip the giants for now just go right to the browns since we're talking about them yeah absolutely we can which i said we'll talk about the giants here in a second but i because we talked so much about the browns and i and i really believe they're gonna finish with a if not a top two pick a top top three pick i mean this is we've talked about it before they saw last year as a one quarterback draft and that quarterback went one so they traded back from two giving them more ammo in this draft to not let that happen again where they were not going to be left without a quarterback and i i honestly don't know what haslam is going to do this off season um there's absolutely a case to bring back both stefanski at head coach andrew barry gm when you consider how hamstrung this organization was the last few years because of the owner forcing that Deshaun Watson trade but the record is undeniable and it's undeniably bad the last few years and ultimately maybe maybe Haslam decides a fresh start is needed and if that's the case then we're back to square one where this organization maybe isn't as desperate to get a quarterback this year but let's just say for hypothetical it's the fancy Barry they're back the pressure's on to win in 2016 or excuse me 2026 and that means throwing everything you can at finding that quarterback upgrade and it's it's going to happen most likely through the draft and so i think where things get most interesting is to see which or how many of these quarterbacks declare it because again if it's only fernando mendoza then all right we got to be aggressive to go up to one to get him if mendoza ty simpson and dante moore all come out which is possible um you know then things get more interesting about what their what their plan of attack is um i think more will be the most interesting of this group because again he's only 20 he has under 20 career starts oregon's going to be good next year phil knight's going to cut him a multi-million dollar check so he could go back get paid get better a mature all that good stuff but if he sees this as hey it strike while the iron's hot let's go in this draft it looks like I'm going to be a top three pick that might be hard to pass up.

18:59So Moore's NFL decision, I think is going to be a major domino here because if he comes out, he's right there in that top five overall mix. And that might change what the Browns are looking to do. And so that, that's, that's a big domino here. It's wild to me. And look, I know exactly how bad the Browns are. I've watched a fair amount of Cleveland Browns football this year. I know what it looks like, but the defense is fun at least, but it is. I, I don't know how you could go into this season with what you had at quarterback. And if that wasn't bad enough, you essentially pull the plug on a quarterback.

19:41Who's going to give you a chance by trading Joe Flacco away. And I like, I know Flacco wasn't good, but like you trade that guy away. You're signing up for a lot of weeks of playing with rookie quarterback. And so it seems weird to me that you could head into this season with that as your plan and then hate what you see so much that it would cause you to pull the plug, especially on a regime that just got extensions last year. I would like to think there's more of a big picture vision here for Cleveland than to be so. I mean, that's fair. Your your dismissive laugh is totally fair. but like to head into the season knowing that Dylan Gabriel and Shadur Sanders are probably going to have to play a lot of snaps and then be so alarmed by what it looks like that you're cleaning house that would be that would be kind of crazy to me but the Browns have done many crazy things to your point without going too far into this ownership group it's just uh you can't predict what they're going to do i mean i wouldn't be shocked either way um i and look it's i won't even go as far as to say there's a right or wrong move because again it's this this regime has had a lot of a lot of years to get it right and they haven't been able to but i think that they did the responsible thing last year by not forcing the quarterback and saying hey we're going to load up for next year and find our guy so you know i would like to i would like to see them get the chance um and you know we'll see how that plays out but and that's why it's important for more quarterbacks to come out so they have more bites at the apple because if they don't then theoretically there's a chance they could be on the outside looking in uh once again if they do not have that number one overall pick and say the jets just love mendoza they've got a little bit more ammo to go get him if they wanted to.

21:41So, you know, it's, um, it's, it's a tricky spot if you're, if you're Cleveland and it will make for a really interesting off season for them because they have to, they have to make a splash at quarterback and go for an upgrade in a big way. And I think the draft is the way to do that. I think the draft is the way to do that too, but you're so right. I mean, three is about as low as you could stomach being like if you're fall, if you're climbing higher in the pecking order than three, it's starting to feel really uncomfortable. And honestly, you'd probably rather be higher. You'd probably rather be one or two.

22:17Well, and to your point, this team has a lot of needs. Like, it's not like you drop the quarterback in there and you're ready to go, especially a rookie. They need help badly at offensive tackle. they need they have the worst i i think they are 32nd in the league in terms of wide receiver depth chart i mean they i think they are 32nd um so you know i mean you can if if they don't go quarterback say they don't say mendoza is the only one that comes out and they don't love mendoza for whatever reason then i you know then they could address they go offensive tackle and wide receiver with these two first round picks and theoretically get better and take a big step forward on offense but the quarterback question is still lingering.

22:59And it's, it's something that without having an answer at the most important position, it just, it's, it's tough to see the direction of this franchise and where it's going. Yeah. Totally worth mentioning Joel Batonio, Wyatt Teller, Ethan Posick and Cam Robinson, all free agents in 2026. Like this offensive line needs to be rebuilt. You can obviously, you can do some of that work in free agency, but there are. Conklin's on his last legs. DeJuan Jones coming back from a major injury like the offensive line needs to be. I mean, you'd love to bring back Betonio and Teller. You know, they're not what they used to be, but they're still service serviceable starting players in the NFL.

23:41So it's there's a lot of things they need to do that offensive line. And especially this draft, you're not there's no Joe Wall. Like we're not doing a draft a player in the top 10. And he's magically just going to fix a position. but it, you can take a step forward. Um, you know, Spencer Fano or, uh, one of these receivers, especially, um, they just, there, there's a lot of different ways that you can fix this offense. Um, and so it'll be interesting to see what their plan is to how to do that this off season. I wonder if the, and I don't think that they would, I like everything about the Travis Hunter trade seems like it was geared at having the ammunition to get a quarterback in the draft.

24:19But if you wind up in a spot where you're worried about that, I wonder if they would dip their toe in the acquiring a veteran market. I mean, the Watson trade worked out as poorly as conceivably possible. But like, you know, Kyler Murray looks like he might be playing in a new city in 2026. And it, you know, would not be remotely as expensive as what you did to get Deshaun Watson. And it seems far fetched to me, but I wonder if where they wind up in this order might force their hand just to make sure that they have more on the roster than they did this year. That is a possible outcome. There's no doubt about it, because if Dante Moore goes back and say even if Ty Simpson comes out, maybe they don't love the fact that he has 10 starts, you know, and they're not ready to spend the top five pick on him.

25:11So, yeah, there could be in a position where they have to go to plan B, whatever that looks like. You know, is that is that Kyler? Is that trading for Mac Jones? Is it you know, there's there's a lot of not great options, but that's kind of what plan B looks like. And that's, you know, I do think we need to say. Let's hope we get to see Shadour here at the final month of the season just to see what he looks like. And, you know, you don't want to like I have strong doubts with that, especially how that first game went. But I mean, he he was thrown into a tough situation, you know, with some first team practice reps with some more experience.

25:52Maybe he will look better as the season goes on and he can finish. And with some momentum going into the offseason, you don't want to completely close the door on that. but it's uh it does feel like that's a long shot in terms of okay we're gonna bank on that being our quarterback answer going into next year I think that's very fair it's it's easy to write off Shadur after what we saw against the Ravens but I'll give him the grace of saying yeah I mean you're thrown in in the middle of a game without prepping for that opponent the Ravens defense has been playing much more like we expect them to over the last month this this game coming up this weekend going to the Raiders like a very a dysfunctional Raiders team we're going to talk about them in a minute don't worry like if Shadur looks promising against the Raiders then maybe I'll revisit this but I agree with you right now that it's it's tempting to client kind of close the book on the options available to the Browns right now but we shouldn't do that just yet first and foremost it's going to be quarterback first round find the guy and if that they need to hope that works out plenty more to work through in the top 10 of this current draft order we'll do that right after a break dame we're talking about continuing to evaluate shader sanders right now the new orleans saints hold the fourth pick in the nfl draft and they are very interesting to me because this is hey Shadur for all the attention that that he gets we're still talking about a fifth round pick the New Orleans Saints have a month and a half to evaluate a guy that they spent a top 40 pick on in Tyler Shook before they potentially have to decide what to do with a top five pick and I don't want to speak too glowingly but like the first two weeks of the Tyler Shook era were encouraging, I will say, but I'm dubious to think that he could show them enough that they can just write off quarterback heading into a draft where they might hold the top five pick.

28:01If Tyler Shuck plays at a similar level the rest of the season, as we did, as we saw last game against Carolina, should that change? I mean, you're Mr. New Orleans. Should that change the Saints goals this offseason? If how we played against Carolina, And if we see that, that level of play the rest of the season, how, how should that change the way they attack the position, uh, this off season? I'll even say this. I know like the saints got their ass kicked by the Rams and everybody saw the ugly pick that he threw to Emmanuel Forbes on fourth down, but like against one of the league's better defenses and everything Chris Shula has got going on over there.

28:41Like I thought he, he didn't like, he did not look hopeless against the LA Rams, even though that was a lopsided game. So like I said, man, it's tough when you're talking about having a top five pick and like organizational DNA matters, right? Like Mickey Loomis, a Mickey Loomis just got a hell of a vote of confidence from Gail Benson, the owner of the new Orleans saints. So it doesn't look likely that the decision makers in new Orleans are going to change anytime soon. And like Mickey Loomis, it is baked into the saints DNA. Like they're not tanking. They're not like gutting things and laying down for next year or two years from now.

29:21Like the whole time, ever since Sean Payton got there, the saints are wired to try even when maybe they shouldn't. So it doesn't feel far fetched to me to think like if, if Tyler shook looks good here over what they still got, they still got seven games to play. If he looks good, it's not a hard sell to me to think Mickey Loomis could do that. And yeah, like let's, you know, we, we got him some offensive tackles. Let's, let's add some depth to the receiver core. Maybe we beef up this pass rush to make the defense a little bit better. You can sell me on that completely. I don't know if you should though.

29:58Cause even like, like I said, I'm, I've been impressed with Tyler Shook, but when you're talking about having a top five draft pick, it's it's dicey it's dicey to to say like no we're we're set here with what we saw I mean I don't want to hate on the guy because he it looks like his season is over and that sucks for Michael Penix Jr but look at how much optimism was born out of the last three weeks of Michael Penix's rookie season and look where the Atlanta Falcons are right now like small hey Ty Simpson and all over again small sample sizes can be deceiving right no doubt about it um but i know i think your point is absolutely correct though like this is the uh this is the same same regime that drafted tyler shuck in the top 40 picks is the same regime that's going to be doing the drafting this spring uh so and it's i think it's it's almost ironic that i don't i think all the teams in the top 10 might have the same gm like we we not might see any turnover uh among the gms and head decision makers among all these teams in the top 10, which seems rare, seems really strange, but it could play out that way.

31:06But this is also a Saints team that needs a lot of help elsewhere. I mean, I'm looking at their roster and it's like, yeah, they could really use a wide receiver. They could really use interior offensive line help. The defense is getting old. The number of defensive players currently in the NFL who were born in the 80s, I can probably count on one hand. The Saints have two of them, and so, which is kind of depressing that, I mean, we're getting to that, but you and I are both born in the eighties, right? Yeah, buddy. Oh, I know. Like it's, it's getting sad to see the birth years on the prospects that are coming out.

31:40Yeah. But I mean, Demario Davis, Cameron Jordan, I mean, these, these, those guys are both eighties kids. So, but that also speaks to, all right, they're time to turn the page at some point here soon. And they, Alante Taylor is a pending free agent after this year. So they're, the saints have a lot of needs where they, if there's not a quarterback sitting there for them when they're drafting that they think is a clear upgrade, they have plenty of other directions that they can address and feel like they're making their roster better for the future. Here's a silver lining. I will, I was curious for your take on this because like, again, after quarterback, I'm looking at edge rusher, especially like in the top five, right?

32:21I'm looking at edge rusher. I'm not even really looking at receiver so much. Like it's sometimes you'll like, you'll see top five receivers, but like number one receivers, number two, number three receivers typically don't see that as often. So immediately after edge rusher, I start looking at offensive tackle. And I think it's, it's a shitty year for some of these teams that need offensive tackle help who like the Titans and the giants, for example, where it's like, okay, we have our quarterback. Maybe, maybe the Titans would love to upgrade their offensive line. It's, it's been rough for Dan Moore.

32:56I know they just gave him a ton of money. JC Latham has had his struggles. The giants are set at left tackle, but maybe they'd like a right tackle, but like, does that guy exist? Like, I feel, I feel a little bit for teams that are going to be picking highly who want to draft that anchor of their offensive line. And the silver lining for the saints is that's probably the one thing you can afford to ignore. Like you just drafted Kelvin banks and tallies. Sufawaga. Eric McCoy's hurt, but, but he would eventually be back. And also Luke Fortner has been playing well at center for them. So at least the saints can look at it and be like, all right, we need receiver.

33:33We need edge rusher. We could probably use some corner help. We're eventually going to need a linebacker. Obviously we could need a quarterback, but at least we don't have to be worried about this offensive line class. We talked about it last week on the pod. when we talked about my top 50 about how like doing a top seven this year was just hard because these guys like i i have not studied the 2027 class yet um but i think i mean i can off the top of my head think of six seven guys that'll be in 27 class that would be number one in this class like it's just it's a it's a rough year at the top of the draft and um i think it's you know that's in most years some of these guys we're talking about in the top seven wouldn't be going this high but somebody has to go and i mean okay let's just pivot to the giants since we skip them at two um right tackle could be a position that you know they're they're looking at hard um jermaine illuminor he's probably gonna get paid this offseason and maybe it'll be by the giants But if it's not and it's a position that they need to go after, OK, would you feel comfortable taking Spencer Fano in a top five?

34:47You know, I don't the tape doesn't really support it, but I think he's the best offensive tackle in this class. And he's he's played right tackle at Utah, which fits with what the Giants would need. So, I mean, I think that even though that's probably earlier than you'd like to take him, you feel like you're getting a starter at a key position that is a building block of your offense, helping your quarterback, helping everybody else. So even though it's not going to get you super excited, I think that it does make sense in this class. But the Giants are also in a spot where, you know, they could use another receiver, especially with Malik neighbors coming off serious injury.

35:28but this is a receiver class that's again I don't know that I would draft these guys normally in the top seven but Jordan Tyson from Arizona State and I think something important with Jordan Tyson a factor that doesn't get talked about enough is just the medicals with him in four years in college he has missed almost 40 percent of his team's games due to injuries like that's his first two years it was a major left I knew it was tough I don't think I realized it was that tough yeah I I mean, his first two years, he missed, I think, a total of 12 games. It was a torn ACL, MCL, PCL in his knee. Last year was a broken collarbone that ended his year.

36:08Now, this year is a hamstring injury that sidelined him for the last month. And it might continue. There's a chance he might play this weekend, but it might continue another week or two. So, you know, it's it's one of those things that how does that? And I'm not saying he's going to fall in the draft, but the medicals will at least be a concern that teams are going to talk about at length, especially when you consider a guy like this in the top 10. And then the other name that I would mention with the Giants is Jeremiah Love, running back Notre Dame. And look, I get it. Don't do this. Don't do this, Dane.

36:43Don't start this discourse. It's got to be talked about because I put it this way. Drafting, running back in the top 10, I get it. It's cringeworthy. it's a cringeworthy topic from a lot of people and i mean it's like when i hear six seven and my kids are in earshot it's just torture to my ears okay so i get it but if the giants are drafting in that seven to twelve overall range like i said i don't think they're gonna be picking top two top five i think they're gonna win a couple more games they'll pay i think they'll be finished somewhere in that seven to twelve range i think that sounds right love's gonna to be in play at that point and i i think it's it is debatable about whether or not it's the right move with the current version of the giants but all right two things first love might be the clear best player available when the giants pick that is certainly a scenario if they're picking say ninth and you're stressing me out so okay do you do you're stressing me out the best running back or you draft you know a b-level corner or whatever it may be so the second thing is it's never a bad thing saying that you left the draft with the most explosive offensive weapon in the class so again I'm not saying that Giants should be drafting a running back but it's going to be at least part of the conversation here I mean I feel like part of this conversation about going over the top 10 teams and the different directions they could go is getting ahead of some of these storylines and Jeremiah Love potentially to the Giants as being not the pick but at least someone that is part of that conversation, I think we're kind of getting ahead of that because there could be a scenario where it just, that's how it works out.

38:30Dane, if Joe Shane survives this change in New York, which, and we don't know that he will, right? Like it's house money if he does. He can do whatever he wants. It's like, hey, why not? You know? He's gonna, if he survives this and turns around after on TV, because they were on hard knocks that year after being televised, moving on from Saquon Barkley and all that nonsense. If he turns around and drafts a running back in the top 10 to a, to a team that in my opinion is like not ready for that piece. It'll be bad. It'll be, it'll be really bad. It's like I said, I think it's definitely debatable about whether or not there that the timeline of that roster is ready for that.

39:18And again, I'm not advocating for this to happen. But I do think that it is going to be part of the conversation, because, again, if they're picking ninth and, you know, they're they don't love their options at right tackle. They don't love their options at corner. They don't love their options at receiver. Like it just it's going to be a weird spot because the top of this draft is very mediocre. And so I think it will be a they could be find themselves in a situation where they're clear best player available. The most explosive offensive weapon in the draft is sitting right there for them. Or do they go with someone that they graded as, you know, a average level starter at a different position?

40:02That's maybe, you know, not as important a position as some of these other ways they'd like to go. I'm just talking through scenarios here and thinking about different directions I could go. It's it's it's going to be something that's talked about. No, this is this is important. It's the whole point is to examine as many angles as possible. But I'm having an existential crisis and I get it, man. Just imagine Giants fans listening to this right now. I if they haven't turned it off by now, you know, like I mean, I get it again. I'm not advocating for it. I'm just I'm going through scenarios because that's what that's what we're doing.

40:37It's scenarios. That's what mock drafts are. It's, and this isn't a mock draft, but we're going through scenarios of what it could look like if it doesn't play out perfectly, which it often doesn't, they could be in a position where they have to make a hard choice. Hey, let me tell you this. If it can, if it comes down to this and I'm a big, I'm a big believer, like just draft the good football player. I get it. Just take the good football player. If the giants are in that situation. And if they're like, if they're picking high enough to draft Jeremiah love, then they'll probably be drafting high enough to take Caleb downs, just be the team that takes Caleb downs.

41:14And he, first of all, they need help in their back seven. Anyway, he is a guy that can wear a variety of different hats. He can raise the floor of your defense. And I, I like that a hell of a lot better than trying to dump a really good running back onto an offense that might not be ready for it um so i mean downs is my third overall player in the draft so i mean yeah sign me up i you're just getting a really good football player so i'd be all for that my dream for the giants would be whether through tradeback or like you said maybe they play their way into like the 7 to 12 range but either way if they came if they picked high and came out of this with like downs or the their favorite receiver whoever that is if it's Jordan Tyson fine if it's Carnell Tate fine whatever but drafting the best receiver in this draft to go along with who a guy who already looks like an all pro caliber player in Malik neighbors I'd feel pretty good about either of those outcomes and it's not it's really not a knock on Jeremiah Love I just don't want to sign up for four more years of of what we already did with Saquon yeah and especially I mean obviously Cam Scadaboo looked um you know he was a a good player before the injury you're going to worry about durability moving forward with him but i i think it gives you a little more confidence that you know you can find the tyrone tracys and the cam scataboos and three in the third fourth fifth rounds where you don't have to force that um but again i i it's never the worst thing to say you left the draft at the most explosive player offensive player in the draft that's that that's all i'm going to say um but hey let's let's go to the other new york team because i'm gonna say let's let's let's let's move on to that because actually dane all right i'm i'm recovering from my crisis but can i can i sell you a little new york jets hopium because when i was doing this exercise considering where jets football has been in recent memory and the fact that they just had a fire sale at the trade deadline.

43:21I came out of this exercise pretty encouraged about what's in front of the New York Jets. Obviously, it's problematic when you don't have a quarterback of the future and they just benched Justin Fields. It doesn't look like that experiment is going to work out. But when you look at this, I feel encouraged for a couple of reasons. Number one, for being a bad football team with no quarterback, I actually kind of dig the jets infrastructure. And most of that comes from having book in tackles that I feel pretty good about like Olu fashion, new and Armand membo. They look, they look the part, they look like guys that you can count on.

44:02You got a couple of nice pieces on your defensive line that figure to be around for at least the near future in Jermaine Johnson and will McDonald on top of that. I feel good about like, like what the jets did in this draft, at least with the important picks looks solid to me. Like I said, Membo and Mason Taylor, both looking like they are living up to their draft billing. And so if Woody Johnson is going to give Darren Moogie and Aaron Glenn, the runway to rebuild this thing, which trading away Quinn and Williams and sauce Gardner seems to suggest that that's going to happen. I feel like this, this brain trust seems to have done a good job in the draft already.

44:47And you've kind of got the bones of a decent roster starting to take shape. Garrett Wilson. I forgot to mention him, but that's another talented piece that's kicking around. So yeah, they got to find a quarterback obviously, but when they do that, they could be putting him into a roster. That's not as awful as I think people would have you believe. At least that's my contention no I mean I get it um I mean with Aaron Glenn Darren Moogie I mean they're they're not going to rush this process you don't trade away Quinton Williams and Sauce Gardner and then become competitive the next year you know this is going to be a process for them and so they're in a position where they don't have to force the quarterback pick this year they have those 2027 picks where they can even trade back this year and get another 2027 pick and load up for for next year and really cash in on a class that we think is going to be pretty strong at the quarterback position.

45:43Um, but yeah, I mean, I think this is, they hit on Membu, um, which has been awesome to watch. I always say Membu, even though I know it's Membu, like every, I apologize to Armand, but thank you. I mean, he's, he was one of my favorite players in the draft. So seeing him play well has been awesome to watch this year. And yeah, it gives you a reason. Mason Taylor's awesome too gives you a reason to watch that jets offense this year um but yeah this is a team that just it feels like a year away from being a year away and so it's just going to be a process it's going to take time and there's a lot of different directions that they could go in the first round this year if it's not a quarterback um whether that's another weapon at receiver um you know they could upgrade on the defensive line um you know a corner is obviously now a pretty major need with sauce gardener no longer there.

46:36You know, there's a lot of different directions they could go, but this feels like a process for this team. So because of the trades that they did also, they had, they picked twice in the first round and twice in the second round. And so that's a lot of opportunities to add premium type of talents to your team. I like that thought, to be honest with you. I mean, if, if it works out that you pick high enough to have a shot at a quarterback, that's fine. But I enjoy the idea that you don't have to force it this year. And I don't want to sell you false hope that whoever they add in the offseason, I don't know, maybe they bring back to Rod Taylor when this season's over or you can dabble in the veteran market.

47:18But if you have to go that route and you can build up your, your D your secondary add to your offensive line or draft some receiver help, if you can go that route and add four guys with big picks and worry about the quarterback in 2027, I'm as a draft nerd, I'm definitely excited about that. Obviously it's got to work out, but that's a real chance to sort of overhaul the DNA of your roster quickly. well and okay let's just let's play it out so they draft carnell tate with their first first round pick avion terrell uh so they have two ohio state receivers with garrett wilson and carnell tate that'd be fun avion terrell corner from clemson with their second first round pick uh and then they have two seconds so go to the trenches get uh amari washington a defensive tackle from oregon get uh double up with ducks get emmanuel pregnan uh the guard from oregon You upgrade both sides of the interior offensive and defensive lines.

48:21And that way you can go into next year and the Jets will probably still be pretty bad where they don't have to trade up to go get a quarterback. They can they'll probably still be picking top three, top five. You take Julian saying or Dante Moore or Arch Manning or whoever it ends up being. And you still have two more first round picks after that to add other premium positions. So the Jets with the draft capital they have, if things have to play out a certain way, but it's not a stretch to say that they're going to be in a position to really remake this roster. So going into the 2027 season, it looks completely different than what we're looking at right now.

49:02It's hard for me to let go of the idea that you basically can't do better than sauce Gardner, Garrett Wilson, and Jermaine Johnson in one draft. And, and the jets are still here, but Hey, it's a, it's a new regime. Hopefully ownership stays out of the way long enough to give them a chance. Really. That's my hope for the jets. But I, at least I like the idea that it doesn't feel desperate for the New York jets right now. Like you don't have to break your neck trying to solve the quarterback riddle this year. If it, if it works out that way that you can cool but otherwise you can take the the the low and slow approach to this thing all right we're going to take one more break we'll finish up the back end of the top 10 after this

49:51i'm always trying to avoid recency bias dane but we're recording this the day after vegas's loss to dallas on monday night football in which they just barely looked like an nfl team Like that's a harsh thing to say, but the eye test doesn't lie. And so sitting there with the sixth pick at two and eight in a year where I talked about this with Mays after that game. Even if you didn't think they were going to be good, you thought that they were going to have some sort of respectable floor with Pete Carroll and Geno Smith. And clearly, clearly that's not the case. and sitting there potentially with a top five pick or at the bare minimum, probably a top 10 pick.

50:34It just, it makes me wonder what's going to happen here. Like it really kind of feels like all bets are off. Like, I don't know that you can guarantee Pete Carroll gets another year as the head coach. I would, I don't know. I guess John Spitek would stay in place as general manager. But other than that, I mean, I don't know if Gino's in the long-term plans here. and yeah it's an interesting space to be for this team and then I'm still processing it because even if I didn't think they'd be good I didn't think we'd be doing this right away right because exactly to your point Pete Carroll and Geno Smith were expected to set a certain floor even if there were questions about how good they could be what is that ceiling the floor wasn't going to bottom out well it we're past that point so it's the the Raiders look like a team that'll be drafting top five and a team that will be looking for that quarterback.

51:28And again, a lot of the conversations that we had with the Browns, you know, they're in a position where they might get might be boxed out of one of these quarterbacks. Are they looking to trade up to number one to get a guy? How involves Tom Brady going to be in that decision? You know, if they find themselves on the outside looking in at a quarterback prospect because they're where they're picking in the draft order. What's their plan B? Are they going to be in the mix for Kyler or, you know, it's just that the Raiders have a lot of questions and it just, it doesn't feel like there are as many optimistic answers on the horizon for this team.

52:11Best case scenario. I'm putting you on the spot a little bit, but let's just say maximum chaos, maximum intrigue for us. certainly the maximum number of quarterbacks that you could see declaring for this draft that have a reasonable chance of being top 10 picks is it four would it be mendoza simpson sellers and more i guess yeah i mean i i know you hate i know you hate this i'm just i'm trying to game out what the availability might be and that's fair i mean i the way sellers has played like talent wise yeah i think sellers could go that early but it's just we're sellers is purely a bet on talent obviously we haven't seen that bear out but i mean you watch you watch that game against a &m where they they collapsed in the second half which half yeah yeah it well but it's full it's fully on display how much more help the guy needs you know and i don't know if that's a good enough reason to draft him highly right now i think if i was like as somebody rooting for lenora sellers and no offense to my Gamecock fans, but I kind of hope he just transfers to a better program in the off season and gives it one more go on a team with more NFL talent.

53:29But he has he has an undeniable amount of talent. And so if he were to join this draft, I'm tempted to think a team would be willing to take a chance on that type of talent, no matter what it has looked like. All it takes is one team. You know, I mean, if Anthony Richardson didn't go forward to the Colts, does Anthony Richardson still go in the first round maybe I don't know we'll never know but he's going to go down in history as a top five pick and obviously a bust because of that um with Sellers all it takes is one team and but it's tough because if it's one of those teams picking in the top 10 chances are it's not going to be a good team it's going to be a team with a lot of holes and similar to college going to be asking their quarterback to do a lot um and that just it's it's going to set him up for uh maybe disappointment uh because the nfl is not a developmental league and we've seen that time in time out so hopefully he goes back i think that if best case realistically three quarterbacks come out that have a chance to go top 10 dante moore fernando mendoza ty simpson when i i don't think that order is like set in stone i mean i think dante moore is awesome if he comes out i think he's going top five um fernando mendoza probably goes top five ty simpson's more of the wild card where he could easily go top five tape shows an nfl quarterback but the lack of starts the lack of uh you know starting experience is something that will be a hang-up for a lot of teams and understandably so so you know it will get really interesting but that's it's a big gift for all three of those guys to declare i just i have a hard time seeing i think at most we have two of these quarterbacks declare the reason I ask is the Raiders have the look of a team that could be the odd man out where it's easy it's easy to say tear it all down and find your quarterback of the future but if two quarterbacks are worth drafting in that range the Raiders have the least amount of ammo of the teams that are like trying to get up there right like the the Jets we just talked about all their capital.

55:34We talked about the Browns capital, talk about the Rams in a minute, sitting there somehow with two first round picks as a super bowl contender. It could be tough. And so like, it's, it's easy. It's easy to want to move on from this era, but the reality might be a lot harder. And I wonder if the Raiders wind up in a situation where you're trying to bolster the offensive line. I mean, you just re-signed Gino as part of this trade, try to bolster the offensive line, try to add some more weapons. I mean, I doubt any Raiders fan wants to hear that but that might be the uncomfortable reality of of where you are right now just with this quarterback class and what you have available to you and let's just get ahead of this now unless you're the Titans picking at number one the odds of you being able to trade back are very very low in this class just they're not going to be a lot of teams looking to trade up into the top 10 to get any of these players so i i promise you we're gonna hear a lot of from a lot of fans saying all right well we'll trade back we'll get more pick it's just not realistic to think you're gonna have many trade back opportunities in this class so i think we just get that out there now um but i think you're right the raiders are in a position where you know maybe mendoza is the first quarterback say the browns draft him the saints stick with shuck the jets are looking at 2027 and Ty Simpson falls in the lap of the Raiders where they feel like, all right, that's, that's a worthy guy to bet on.

57:02Maybe that happens. But you know, there's a chance where it doesn't. And they have to go in a different direction and kind of, you know, stick with Gino another year. I just, they feel like they're kind of in no man's land right now. I agree. And for the record, even if they managed to draft a quarterback, we got to do something about this offensive line. if you want anybody playing quarterback for this team to succeed. So I drafted a running back last year in the top five. That is a valid point. Well, let's, let's talk about that, Dane, because, all right, let's just, let's do a two for one here because Washington at seven and Cincinnati at nine are fun wild cards in this thought exercise, because we know they're not going to draft a quarterback.

57:45They're not like, that's impossible. I feel comfortable saying that on the record. And so it's a fun situation where two disappointing teams, I think the commanders and Bengals need to drastically update their upgrade their rosters anyway. But I think it's fair to say they would be better teams if their quarterbacks were more available for them this year. And so you roll into this year, roll into this draft, getting those guys healthy and hoping to address some of the problem spots. I it's it's funny to think like and here here's a toxic idea for you both of these teams could stand to use a first round top 10 type of pick on their defense right they both need so much help the commander's pass rush outside of Dorrance Armstrong who is hurt they they need to add a guy there that's why like if I'm looking at them in this situation I'm looking hard at whatever edge rushers might be available.

58:43The Bengals could use help at all three levels of their defense, but it creates an interesting conversation. If a Jeremiah love is head and shoulders better than the guy that's available to you. And I'm sure now you're doing it. I'm sure fans of these teams don't want to hear that. Although I will say this, the thing that makes it fun for me is like, I like Jeremiah love in a backfield with Jaden Daniels or on an offense with the amount of talent that the Bengals have that could be like, you know, throwing a match on some gas soaked wood, you know, like that could be a hell of a lot of fun. Whereas I don't think the giants are at that place yet.

59:23So it's a little more tenable for me to think that Jeremiah could love could land in a situation like this. And, you know, maybe we just, we finagle the defense another way, man, or we'll just score 45 points a game. Who cares? It'll be fun. with the the state of both of these defenses like it's there will be a lot of hate pieces written about if they went with a running back in the top 10 um but i think again just like i said with the giants you can cling to the fact that you're drafting the most explosive weapon offensive weapon in the draft and how that helps everybody else on offense helps your quarterback helps passing game um it's obviously it helps the running game so it's something that should at least be talked about it'll be part of that conversation but at the end of the day i think it's got to be defense i mean does reuben bain make it to the commanders at this point maybe maybe not is this where we see the first corner drafted uh you know jamard mccoy from tennessee How do they feel about Mansoor Delane from LSU, who, you know, just continues to be the best cover man in college football week in, week out.

1:00:35If this guy doesn't win the Thorpe Award, I don't I don't know what we're doing. Flip that out for me, Beller, if you don't mind. Thanks. Bengals, too. Right. I mean, they especially with a defense that, you know, we don't know what that the pass rush is going to look like at this point next year. So, you know, you could really address any position. The guy that I keep coming back to with the Bengals is Caleb Downs. I think he'd be such a great addition. Just not only day one upgrade over Jordan Battle. And if I have to watch Jordan Battle tackle anymore, it's just and Caleb Downs is just the opposite of that.

1:01:15But he's also a big culture guy and he's going to flip things for that defense. Even as a rookie, I have no doubt he can come in and be part of a culture shift on that side of the ball. So Caleb Downs is the guy that I keep coming back to for the Bengals as a guy that just makes perfect sense. It is. It's fun for me to think like I get it. Teams haven't drafted safeties in the top 10 and maybe that'll continue. But there are several landing spots that make sense. Primarily just like the commanders in the Bengals just need help any way they can get it. And I mentioned the giants needs on the back end too.

1:01:51And so like, even if the value doesn't line up the way that you would prefer putting a blue chip caliber defender onto a defense with this many holes, who's going to second guess that too much. And I mean, I agree with you for the record. It's funny. It's like Washington could use some juice on their offense to be clear, like to be fair. They just, they're old and slow. And like, as much as I like Terry McLaurin, that's not his game either. Like, But when you trade away all the picks you did to get Laramie Tunsil, Debo is not under contract, but you used a pick on that. I just I don't know how you avoid addressing the defense with the picks that you do have left.

1:02:31That's a good point, though. I mean, Debo, he might be one and done in Washington. And, you know, there's you just can't rule out a receiver there, especially with McLaurin and the injury issues he's had. They need they need the help. It's just a matter of it was like, okay, we spent last off season committing resources to the offense. Are we going to do it again? And when you have a young quarterback like Jaden Daniels, maybe the answer should be yes. I mean, shoot, maybe, maybe teams with LSU Heisman winners are just going to stockpile offense and ignore defense. I don't know, but it's, it's interesting to think the way that like the best players on the board could line up with what these teams actually look like.

1:03:08I feel like the decisions that ultimately get made there could definitely make people mad, but that just might be how it falls. And this obviously shift as we get into free agency and all that. But one player is not going to be the difference in having a season where you're 6-11 compared to 11-6. Obviously, there's a lot more that the commanders need to do to fix their issues. but it'd be pretty surprising if the commanders and Bengals, they both do not go defense. And the commanders do have almost a hundred million dollars in cap space. Like there are many avenues open to them improving this roster.

1:03:51Whereas I think the contracts, the Bengals have handed out in recent years, I think you're, and because they're the Bengals, I think you're going to be relying a little bit more on the draft to improve your fortunes. But this is still the lifeblood of, of roster building. And the commanders are particularly interesting to me just because you only have two picks in the top 100. Like your two is going to Houston as part of the Tunsil trade. So this pick, wherever it winds up being, it's seven right now, wherever it moves, it represents your best chance to add a difference maker in this draft. And what they decide to do with it will be interesting because I can imagine their fans just screaming defense, defense, defense.

1:04:34and will it line up that way? I don't know. The ultimate fly in the ointment, and I know we're running out of time here, but we got to talk. We got to talk about the LA Rams, Dane. Currently pick an eighth. We had a lot of opinions about the James Pierce trade when it happened. And I guess if I'm trying to be nice to Falcons fans, like James Pierce has had a solid rookie season. and we just talked about how maybe this is the draft to not miss a top 10 pick, you know, like maybe, maybe it's okay if you just have James Pierce and no top 10 pick in this draft, but it's still got a sting knowing that you've lost five straight.

1:05:19Kirk cousins has not looked like a guy who should give you a lot of optimism about the second half of the season and more importantly for our purposes you have now opened the door for the la rams to do some truly wild stuff like this is like philly having the jalen carter pick a couple years ago where it's like wait you're gonna play in the conference championship and you have this resource that obviously they could use it to go hunting for their quarterback of the future or you could add somebody sick to a roster that's already great it's it's so much fun to think about well and ironically I mean speaking of the Falcons this was kind of their thinking when they drafted Penix eight overall after signing Cousins it was they weren't planning on picking in the top 10 again so we're not going to pass on our chance to get a quarterback while we're here that may be how the Rams are going to think now obviously it hasn't worked out well with the Falcons, but that I think was more the contract they gave Cousins and the quarterback they drafted at eight as the reasons why it had that plan hasn't necessarily worked out so far.

1:06:30But the theory of, hey, let's not pass on a QB early when we don't have a plan for the position beyond a year or two. That's where it I think it makes perfect sense if Ty Simpson's still on the board at this point um you know for the rams to to go ahead and make that move and with the way the falcons are playing like you said i mean this this might this right now it's at eight it might turn into seven might turn into six they might be in a more uh easy position to go get one of these quarterbacks so yeah i think the rams are going to be really interesting uh with this pick and it has to sting if you're the falcons with the way this season has gone and you have a lot lot of questions moving forward it's it's you know the falcons the optimism meter has to be pretty low not only for this year but 2027 or 2026 2027 as well i don't know what you do there i guess let's be fair to kirk and give him seven weeks to to show something different but like it it looks like kirk cousins might be a guy you have to move on from and just eat that money we'll see what happens with penics and his injury i mean i'm not giving up on the guy but he'll be recovering from an injury and one way or another i think you gotta cover yourself if you're the falcons like whether that's holding on to whether it's kirk cousins or whether you bring in somebody else i it's it's not a great place for atlanta to be fifth season ending injury for penics over the last eight years i think or something like that um you know it's just and not to mention that Penix is just he's always been an inconsistent quarterback.

1:08:10I think that's just always who he's going to be. You watch him at Indiana. You watch him at Washington. He would look great one week, and then next week he would be all over the place. He's just it's it's very inconsistent. And it goes back to his mechanics. It goes back to, you know, some of the accuracy issues. And that has followed him to to the NFL, where he some weeks looks like a very more than serviceable starter. Other weeks, he looks like barely a starter. And it's just it's a hard to see that getting that much improved. But, you know, I mean, who knows? Maybe he'll he'll show improvement in 2026, stay healthy.

1:08:49But to your point, yeah, they've got some decisions to make. And I wouldn't be surprised if there's a new GM making those decisions when it went this offseason about that. with everything Terry Fontenot has done to finally get the Falcons back to the playoffs to have it face plant this magnificently yeah I can't say that would be super surprising can I tell you my half big take about the Rams bring it it's so easy to just be like well yeah like the Rams are gonna gun for a quarterback at the top of this draft and maybe they will it makes perfect sense Matthew Stafford is in the the you know the twilight of his career he'll be 38 this offseason yeah but I just, I feel like I know coaches, man and coaches.

1:09:34They like to think a little bit more outside the box than we give them credit for. Like everybody's going to have Sean McVay trying to trade into the top three to get Fernando Mendoza. What if Sean McVay and less need are like, no, let's get Arvel Reese in the top 10. Let's get, let's get Mansoor Delane. Let's get a cover corner because our outside corners could do with some upgrading. Let's let's draft a tackle because Rob Havenstein and Alaric Jackson are getting older. All that like there's there's a million ways they could go. What if they did that in the top 10 and then they still have their other first round pick where they could get a quarterback?

1:10:17They could even trade up for a quarterback. They could use their one and a two or a future one or whatever to go get Lenora sellers. If he were to be available or something like that, or, or even draft a guy later on, like you mean to tell me Sean McVay is not going to develop some weird draft crush on like a third round guy that they could get. Like, that's the type of thing coaches love to do, especially play calling head coaches who were like, Oh, get them in here, get them, get them with my playbook and we'll be Gucci. like i can just i can picture this so clearly where they're gonna zig where nobody expects them to we know they tried two years ago to trade up for brock bowers and they just weren't able to make it happen like they they are down to do some wacky stuff that's why that's exactly why this is in my head i mean honestly i don't i don't think that's crazy at all i think and honestly it's more it's probably more likely they don't draft a quarterback than than they do just because i don't think there's going to be a lot of quarterbacks to draft in this in this top 10 so So, yeah, I think it's more likely they go with Francis Mauga, right tackle from Miami or one of the corners, like you said.

1:11:24Or I mean, yeah, there's a lot of different ways they could they could play this, but they're going to get one of the better non quarterbacks in this draft. Good chance. And that's who knows. They could be picking eighth and then also 32nd. You know, they could be the Super Bowl winners with a top 10 pick and they'll be going into the offseason feeling pretty good about that. Very quickly, we can wrap up with the team currently sitting 10th. Like I said, there's 10 teams with three wins or less. The Arizona Cardinals, after their loss to San Francisco, they're three and seven. I don't know. It's hard to formulate an opinion on them.

1:12:02Like right here, right now, I think Jonathan Gannon and Monty Austin Fort will be back to guide this offseason. Or at the very least, I think Monty Austin Fort probably will be. But what do they do at quarterback? Like it doesn't seem like next year. It doesn't seem like Kyler Murray has a future there. But who knows? There's still there's a lot of season left. Jacoby Brissett has plummeted back to earth since getting that starting job. So like, I don't think it's out of the realm of possibility that Kyler plays quarterback for the Cardinals again this year. Or, and, and then, but then once you get to the off season, what do you do?

1:12:41Like, is his time they're done? Can you mend that fence? Do you want to mend that fence? So it's hard for me to know how to feel about them. Other than the fact that in general, I feel, I feel solid about where their roster is. Other than the fact that they seem to be at a quarterback crossroads. yeah I don't know what to make of the quarterback situation right now it's it's um especially with where they're slated to pick right now they're just going to be not going to have a lot of clear-cut options at that position so that'll be something to watch um you know we got the Jeremiah Love discussion here again like this is another team that doesn't feel like they're in the right timeline to make that swing where they're going to be investing in a top 10 running back But again, if you're looking to help your quarterback situation, an explosive option like Jeremiah Love, maybe that that's what does it.

1:13:33I think I'm Monty Austin Ford. I'm hoping to see Spencer Fano still there. Give me the red time. I swear we didn't talk about this before, but I was I'm looking at the draft order right now. And I was like, you know, this feels like the perfect spot where like if I'm drafting five, I'm not excited about taking a tackle. But if I'm the Cardinals sitting at 10, yeah, I can do that. I can draft a tackle. Yeah. Jonah Williams is going to be a free agent, you know, pair him opposite Paris Johnson. I mean, that, that, that makes a lot of sense that that's the type of building block that this team needs.

1:14:09And you still have questions at quarterback, but I think it's very unlikely you're going to answer those questions in this draft anyways, if you're the Cardinals. So adding a building block like that, that helps your offense is a step in the right direction. I will say it's a, it's a disappointing spot to be obviously because the Cardinals were at least the optimistic view of the Cardinals were that they were going to take that step. And, you know, they, they led the NFC West halfway through last season before they fell off. And the hope was that they could maintain that and build on it and be in the mix to, if not win the division, then at least make the playoffs.

1:14:44And they are comfortably in last place. look and holding a top 10 pick right now. Maybe that won't be the case by the season's end, but it's not where you were supposed to be. And that's why, like, if there is a change at coach or a change at GM, I can't say it would be super surprising, but my gut feel on this is just that these guys will get the year to pivot. Like, you know, they didn't draft Kyler Murray. They inherited that quarterback contract. So it's a weird spot to be. I'm curious to see what, like, there's a half a dozen different ways the Cardinals could pivot from where they are right now.

1:15:20Despite the record, is it fair to say the Cardinals are in a better spot now than when they took over this regime? Oh my God, dude. I'll never stop thinking about the fact that when Gannon took over, the Cardinals were the butt of like a thousand tanking jokes. Like they were the team that was tanking. That's how little talent they had. And that's why I'm not trying to sell anybody that this is a great roster, but I just look at it and I'm like, okay, like the, the bones of a, of a good team are here. I mean, the Cardinals are 11th in defensive DVO a right now. Like they've got talent on both sides of the ball.

1:15:53You'd like to see Marvin Harrison pick it up a little bit. I think the receiver core could be deeper. Walter Nolan's just coming back. Your first round, his debut game against against Dallas is still in my mind. So there's, there's reasons for optimism here, but it's just, it's kind of muddied up by the quarterback situation. yeah no doubt and i'm like we said i'm not sure what the answer to that is we'll see we'll see if the car i mean who knows maybe the cardinals will be picking in a vastly different spot than what we're thinking for better or for worse that's i mean there's still a lot of football left i'm intrigued to see how this all kind of settles but the the early impression of what the top of this draft could look like is starting to take shape and i think it's really interesting hopefully y 'all enjoyed this conversation depressing a little interesting a little exciting like it's a lot there are a lot of different emotions with all these teams and some of them having more options than others but yeah no i'm glad we did this because it was a good check-in and then we'll do it again here you know in another month or so and it'll be interesting to see how much it changes we'll have plenty of time to do this but yeah i think i i think it's just helpful to sort of get the lay of the land and be like all right these could be the pitfalls when it comes time to actually doing this.

1:17:11So we'll be back to regularly scheduled programming. It's rivalry week in college football next week, heading into Thanksgiving weekend. We got a lot to talk about with all the big games, all the big prospects next week. We appreciate it. Until then, we'll, yeah, we'll talk to you all soon.