2026 Team Draft with Mike Golic Jr.

30:04But I mean, everyone else seems excited, like maybe just Jordan Love throwing the ball around more the way people want. So I'll go them. Yeah, I think the Packers are a good pick because even if they don't win the division, they could make a playoff run. It's kind of how I regard them, which is to say it's going to be a tale of two seasons pre and post Micah Parsons returning from injury. So the Packers defense is likely to look a lot better at the end of the year than the beginning. And then there are also, I think somewhat of a high, I wouldn't say high variance because I think the offense will always be good.

30:36But if Christian, I've been saying this all, if Christian Watson, Tucker Christian, Washington, Tucker craft are out there. This is a top five offense. If either of them are injured, it's not. So like if you hit the playoffs and Micah looks healthy and he's back to being Micah, Christian Watson and Tucker Craft are out there. This team could win the Super Bowl. I genuinely believe that, even with the offensive line questions. However, they could also, that's like a lot of big ifs, I said. I'm weirdly bullish on their offensive line this year. Tell me, but talk about it. For whatever reason, seeing a lot of them in preseason, hearing some of the stuff out of camp, the fact that you get a quality depth piece, Jaeger Burton was one of the stories of camp.

31:18I turned on some of the Packers games and just started watch it I'm like this guy's pancaking Zach Allen in their game against the Broncos looks like he developed a lot in camp and like you just look along the lines of scrimmage I thought they drafted well you got him in the fifth Chris McClellan who seems like he's going to be a strong factor on the defensive front was a third round pick for them and so I just think to be able to kind of bolster and there's your point the defense was a totally different unit without Micah but offensively their offensive line is one I'm keeping my eye on I feel like that group has a chance to take a decent step forward this year especially if they can stay healthy I'm optimistic about Jordan Morgan after watching him too last season you know and I think look this Packers offense I feel like we questions about the offensive line every year and then they just kind of make it work so we'll see um all right I'm up next I'm gonna take another bit of a swing here and kind of hedge one of your division picks I'm gonna take the Jacksonville Jaguars who are, I'm going to, I've been talking big game about how I'm Jags.

32:22A Jags enthusiast, how I'm Duval adjacent. And I feel like I got to walk the walk here and take my, my Jaguars who I think have one of the more balanced teams in the entire NFL, right? Like so many teams where it's like, oh, can the Texans offense be average? Can the Cowboys defense be average? I already know the Jags potentially top 10 in both units. Really believe that. Very good head coach who's the play caller. Brought back the defensive play caller who was excellent as well. Trevor Lawrence, I know it makes some people nervous. Can he put together over the course of a season? But I am pretty optimistic this season about Jacksonville.

33:07It would be pretty wild. Again, how you measured that. But again, we're searching for wins in this. We went back and looked it up when we were doing team previews on our show. You know when the last time the Jags won back-to-back seasons with double-digit wins? Was it the Bortles 2017? What was it? It was, and I'm going back to double-check now just to be sure, 1998-1999 season was the last time the Jags won double-digit games in back-to-back years. So Liam Cohen is intending what has not happened in the 21st century for Jacksonville this year. What would concern you the most for this team? Because I do think that division is one that, despite me peaking the Texans, I think is pretty open, especially with Jacksonville and the foundation they have.

33:55Where's the Achilles heel for you? If I had to rank concerns, one would be the offensive line. Two, and whether or not the run game can be better than what was in the second half last season. Two would be the loss of Devin Lloyd affecting the linebackers in the run defense, which was exceptional last season. And then I guess three would be just Trevor. Again, I really like him, but he's just got it. Putting together an entire season, I think, of really high-level play. So I think that would be the order in which I would rank them as well. But that's not that. Those concerns compared to some of the other ones, if you'd ask me the same question, are actually pretty small.

34:34Like love the coaching staff, like a lot of the players. They're kind of the T they're kind of like the team of very good, right? Like they have a lot of very good players instead of like outright superstars, but maybe Travis Hunter becomes a superstar. Maybe Brian Thomas jr. Returns to form. So I don't know. I feel good about them. All right. You're next starting to like my team again. All right, there we go. We got me in a confidence overflowing in the middle of this draft here. Um, all right. I need.

35:04I've got AFC East, AFC North, AFC South, NFC West, NFC North. We've got the, oh, okay. We've hit every division but one, I believe. But one. And still, I think this is where I'm going to take the Chiefs. Damn it. I wanted the Chiefs. in the history of the time we've done this is this I mean far and away the lowest the Chiefs yeah I think you took the Chiefs with the first overall pick last year if I believe and you still won which damn dripping with venom in that sense oh I really wanted the Chiefs I did but yeah I think again getting to buy low on a team with the core level of experience that these guys do and you know early in the season we'll see like it seems like by all accounts everyone expects with Eric the enemy back in the fold with Mahomes coming off the injury with Kenneth Walker coming in there and the strength of your team hopefully being still along that interior offensive line like heavy doses of run on the menu and then can the young guys step up on defense in enough time to kind of get the cavalry home because that was the one thing that surprisingly felt stale towards the end of last year was just the defense and all the haymaker answers you used to have were all of a sudden punches that were getting stopped by everyone else.

36:28The Chiefs, you never want to read too much into the preseason, but the draft class is looking pretty nice. And that matters because they're going to need them, especially on defense. Our Mason Thomas looks good, man. Man, Serge Lane looks as advertised. So, yeah, I think the Chiefs offense, It's just so funny because even as much as we hated it last year and crapped on it, it was still statistically mostly fine. That's another one where week one, I really want to see how Patrick Mahomes is moving. And I want to see their offensive approach. Are they really committed to running the ball with Kenneth Walker from under center?

37:08Are they going to play action off of that? Who's going to be the primary? You know what I mean? Is Xavier Worthy going to finally have a bigger role? that I'm interested in seeing it. But yeah, I wanted the Chiefs just because even though I don't think the Chiefs are going to win the division, they're a team where if they're there in January, it's like, you know, it's Patrick Mahomes. All right, I'm up. Here's where I will take the San Francisco 49ers. Ooh, okay. Look, a lot of bad vibes right now with all the injuries and ongoing. You know what? I just realized I almost said Dajon Love. Like that was an actual.

37:45I was I was wondering if that was happening there. You've internalized it so much. Internalized it as an actual factor on the team. Here's the thing. It's Kyle Shanahan. He can put together a top eight defense. In his sleep off of. You know, two hours of sleep in Australia while the Rams come in rested or what I will see how that works stuff. Um, there's enough here, especially like, yes, I understand it sucks that Ricky Pierce saw it sucks that Mike Evans is still like a little bit banged up, but you tell me they have McCaffrey Kittle, stripling, honestly, the way he looks. It's Kyle Shanahan, man.

38:36Brock Purdy is a good quarterback. It's enough. Offensive line is fine. You know, I I'll be interested in seeing it's, it's a little risky because what do Warner and Bosa look like coming off of the injury? We just don't. I really want to see that. But this was a team that won a zillion games last year with half of the damn team out. So it's always obviously risky because of the NFC West as well. But I just feel that there's enough of a floor here to where if they somehow do miraculously get better health, the ceiling is as high as most of the, like almost every team in the NFL outside of the top three.

39:17Yeah. I think, I mean, they kind of proved last year, right? The rest of the house can burn down. And as long as Christian McCaffrey is there and the offensive line is at least somewhat intact, you can kind of proceed moving forward. So yeah, I I'm with you this, I mean, this team last year in their form going toe to toe with what we knew of the NFC West last year had no reason to be happening and yet did. So I I'm with you, Kyle Shanahan. will always have a defender in me. All right. We got one more pick in the first half. Who you got? I am going to take...

39:51Somewhat. Ooh. All right. Honestly, bleep it. It's about winning games. I'm going to go with the Bengals here. Damn it! Easiest schedule in football, guarding the FTN. I wanted to... I feel like you're just right. You're a step ahead of me. Every, every pick. You're just like, right, right before I want to take these teams. All right. Sorry. The bangles, the Cowboys, the AFC Cowboys. Did you catch the bangles offensive line discourse this week? Oh man. I, I thankfully managed to like stay far enough away to not get too overwhelmed by it. But where, where do you fall on this? I mean, they've been the easy punching bag for so long, But yes, like they're trotting back out the same group that I think the reputation has not caught up to reality at all for.

40:45I mean, they're fine. They've got some Mims is like legit a stud. Fairchild looked good. Harris is competent center. Brown Jr. is probably the one I'm a little worried about. But that's not like compared. We look around the league. There's so many worse, like so many worse lines than the Bengals at this point. So how long do you think they actually stay committed to this idea of trying to live under center more and do some of that before Joe just says, get me back and gone? Actually, the schedule is something that I think could. Well, it's funny, right? Because I think I remember having I was thinking about this and then I looked at their week one opponent and it was the Tampa the box.

41:30And I remember thinking, oh, that's team. Rod spread it out against them. So I think it might just be a game, game like a situational thing. But they do need, if they're committed to it, you need to, it needs to be like a philosophy, right? Like, because you want to make the run of the pass look like each other. We want the offensive line to have comfort there. So I feel like we'll start to see it early on. And I think they're pretty committed to sticking with it. I don't know. I'm really interested in seeing if these two linebackers are improved. That's kind of the biggest, limiting factor for me.

42:05But yeah, I wanted the Bengals. You got the... Oh, God, your team's so good! I hate it! All right, now I gotta pivot. Deciding between two teams. And you know what? This is where I shall take the bucks. Oh, all right. I... Yeah. I've been biding my time trying to see if I was gonna get them super low. So in this case, I'd feel the ace. You stole this one at the exact right time, which I was curious about because I know you're very bullish on the Saints. Tyson injury just broke me. Awful. It's like a rookie receiver. And I'm saying it's like, that's, oh, wow, the Saints' whole season is going to look entirely different.

42:47For me, the premise of the Saints was the defense kind of holding the serve with what we saw last year, and then the offense taking a leap forward with more weapons for Tyler Shuck. And, you know, this really super fun, well-matched one-two punch with Alave and Tyson. and now Tyson's, for those who don't know, they put him on the PUP list, right? Or he's going to be... He's on PUP, yeah. All right. No, I think he's... I think it's PUP. I think it's four games. But, you know, it's the hammy, and he's got the hammy history, and I got myself really excited about it. I don't know. I just get... I'm still optimistic about the offense.

43:22I still think the arrow's pointing out for Tyler Shuck. But the other thing about the Bucs, Ruben Bain Jr. coming out, and that we talked about them as a preseason winner in week two was just a reminder. I had them as a top 10 defense on my defenses pod, and I'm feeling pretty good about that right now. So I feel good about Bucs. Yeah, Ruben Bain, another one. Don't overthink stuff like that. That was the Kyle Hamilton conversation coming out of college all over again where it's like there's a measurable deficiency that you want to point to for a player that all he does is ball. and again along the lines of scrimmage the Keelan Rutledge principle get the defensive end that plays like he's foaming at the mouth all the time it seems to genuinely hate his opponent that should be like a combine just like measure people's anger and show them things and see if like rage flares up you know upon looking at certain images all right let's take a quick break come back and do the second half of the team's draft the greats don't shy away from change They attack it head-on with confidence, preparation, and a clear strategy.

44:30KPMG LLP and their transformation professionals work with organizations across industries using advanced AI to help them move faster, work smarter, and adapt with purpose. Because in today's business environment, winning teams don't react to change, they shape it. Learn more at visit.kpmg.us. As you know, managing maintenance, repair, and operations is never easy. But for the ones who always rise to the challenge, Grainger has your back. From professional-grade products you can count on to fast, dependable delivery, they are there to help you keep things running smoothly. Plus, their technical product specialists are here to help answer your toughest questions.

45:09And because Grainger knows safety is always a priority, they're committed to being your partner in protecting both your people and your facilities. Call 1-800-GRAINGER, click grainger.com, or just stop by. What does it feel like to have a better laptop like the Dell XPS powered by Intel Core? With a premium design that's thin and light, it feels smooth, very smooth. For a better feel in your hands and less weight on your shoulders. With a responsive touchscreen, it feels fast and precise. For better scrolling, zooming, and swiping, so everything just flows. And with long-lasting battery life, it feels like nonstop energy.

45:42For a better way to work without being near a charger. Built for those who want better. The Dell XPS, built for you.

45:53all right we're back we move a little faster with uh these picks you're up next as a reminder mike has the rams bills ravens texans eagles packers chiefs and bangles i have the seahawks broncos patriots cowboys lions jaguars niners and bucks yes all right um where am i late right now all right i've got an afc east and afc west and a to afc north don't take him don't take him AFC South. I've got an NFC East and NFC West. I I know who I want. There's two teams I'm considering. I am going to go with

46:42Let's go. I'll go with the Saints here. Okay. It's the first time he didn't take one of my teams. Yep. I panicked a little bit there, and they were top of mind. So the window into my process that had a spreadsheet went completely wire. Many such cases. We've all been there drafting. That was me earlier, forgetting that the Texans existed, taking the Cowboys so early. But this is the part of the draft that makes the entire thing. Like, to your point, last year, so many of my wins came outside of those top ones. So now I'm starting to get nervous that this is where you've been biding your time for and are going to come in and swoop in.

47:18We don't have to spend any time on the Saints. We just talked about them. All your concerns there are the ones that were valid for me. The David Edwards signing at guard is a nice one that could be a capstone. I do like the young offensive tackles they've drafted in the last couple of years. You just need guys to stay healthy on the interior, and let's see what we can make happen. Give me the Bears. I don't have a piece of the NFC. Oh, no, I have the Lions. Crap. Wait, I'm pivoting. I'm taking it back. All right. Here we go. Sorry. It's fine. I get to take it back. Give me the Chargers. Ooh, okay.

47:54Yeah.

47:57So Chargers are very difficult schedule. Wow. Projections of the defense are not good. The schedule is a little bit scary, but I do think this is like top eight offense potential, even with the interior offensive line injuries. it's a defense that literally like rubs into my face every year every year I'm like this isn't going to be amazing and then they finish as a top 10 unit new defense coordinator a little bit concerning but uh I think the offense will be good enough to cover up for any defensive aggression I think I think this offense is going to be awesome man like I let's talk about that for a second like how much do the interior offensive line worries injuries worry you given everything else that's going on with the Chargers offense, the Mike Daniel effect, all of the other big bodies they've added as blockers.

48:44Do you think McDaniel can cover up for it? I think he can help some. I do believe his style of offense and just how much he can present opposing defenses, how much of it is predicated on stuff that moves the quarterback and the launch point can smooth edges for the interior. At the same time, he had one of the best centers in pro football last year like it was not like the Dolphins O-line was some slouch and you got a great tackle situation you got a rookie playing center now in Jake Slaughter which is mildly concerning and then the guard situation like we'll see hearing Jim Harbaugh come out and talk about platooning guards didn't fill me with the warm fuzzies like Trey Pipkins in a competition at the left guard or it just none of it felt really good to me so I I think that you can overcome it, but it automatically, kind of the same way the Jordan Tyson injury gave you, backed you off the Saints a little bit.

49:43Once I saw the Beatish injury, that was where all of a sudden I started to go, all right, I have to remember that I've been hurt before by this same situation. Yeah, I think the other thing I should just mention is like of all the remaining teams, this is the only one I believe with a top 10 quarterback. Yeah. That alone gets you a certain number of wins, probably. So I feel good about this, even if I kind of tip my hand a little bit. Maybe you're going to go in the direction that I initially did. You're next. It's bad. It's bad TV slash podcasting. But yeah, I'm going to take the Bears next. Which I already have the Packers in that division.

50:25So it's a little bit of insurance. Like, obviously, we know the defense is looks like it's really going to be in trouble with that, you know, turnover regression man coming for payment, but offensively it's another one. Like that's a group where, you know, the bears have been crying out for a 4 ,000 yard pass or Ben Johnson said he wants the best offense in NFL history. And like, at the very least they're going to have to be fun on that side. Cause I just don't think the defense is going to be able to stop anyone. Yeah, it's, um,

50:55it, it, it, it is one of those, like, can the defense even be like top 20 kind of situations, but the offense I think we all agree is top 10 and could be higher um Ben Johnson I think has kind of earned the benefit of the doubt as well not just as a uh offensive play caller but also as a just game manager I think he's really good at this so you know when we do this like you talk about like betting on the trenches I really like to just bet on coaches too and I think in my coaching rankings, he's already fifth or something. It's just absurd. That was kind of something I think you do with the Jags.

51:33I just already feel like Liam Cohen has kind of established. And Johnson's even higher than him. So I think that alone gives you a pretty good floor. All right. I'm up next. This is where things get a little bit freaky deaky.

51:52So screw it. I'll take the Vikings. All right. I was wondering when they were going to come off the board here. Is this as simple as like if Kyler is great, this team could actually way outperform performance? If Kyler is above average, this team could outperform, right? Like this is, I call them the Scooby-Doo team. You have three teams in the NFC North with awesome offenses and potentially awful defenses. And then you have one team that might be the only balanced team in the division. Now, a lot of questions. Defense has even some questions as well. But just feel like if you tell me at the end of the season that Kyler Murray was 14th, let's say 14th in QBR, pick your quarterback stat, where would you put this team?

52:42I mean, certainly in the mix for this division, especially with all of the change in volatility elsewhere that we've talked about. So, yeah, I think they could certainly be a contender for, like, an NFC wildcard spot for sure. I think if he's the 14th best quarterback in football, then this team could be winning the division for sure. All right, you're next. Yeah, we're getting ready to take our medicine here on some of these teams soon. I will go with the Colts here. Okay. Yeah, that was there in my next year as well. Yep. I mean, starting to get in the range now, flawed. But, you know, if everything breaks right and you've got the offense that comes back and looks even half as good as it did at the beginning of last season before the injuries took hold, then you've got a group that can go be competitive in the South and win some games there.

53:34Maybe the Texans' offense, you know, this is a little bit of a hedge if they just come back out and look dead dog average again. The Colts, to me, they're definitely a good pick for here. are, you know, we've talked about this a lot, so contingent on Jones' health, which we need to see, Pierce's health. We still don't know if he's playing week one, but he should be available for it. It's not like a serious injury. Like, even if he's not there week one or if he's not 100%, he should be fine over the course of the season. And the truth is, like, even if Jones isn't what he was during those, like, miraculous six weeks, it's still probably a pretty good offense, right like Shane Steigen's really good at this really fun group of skill players some questions on the offensive line some change there but you've got your stalwarts defensively they're a little bit they were so average last year but pool season of sauce Gardner don't entirely love the pass rush you're very dependent on young players CJ Allen not sure what you're gonna get out of him based on the preseason.

54:42So I it's the ceiling is I struggle to see find the ceiling with this team, but I think the floor might be decent with them. Yep, exactly. And looking now 23rd ranked schedule. So not a gauntlet by which is a product of playing in the south. But I'm looking at Colts there. I am looking at schedules right now and thinking through and along those lines, two teams that I'm looking at. very closely. I will go with the Steelers here. That was next up on my list. That's easy schedule. 24th. I said this when I did my AFC North preview, but I felt like upon revisiting the Steelers defense, I should have had them in my top 10.

55:34Now I did Joey Borg, Jr. Contract situations looming over this a little bit, but they're just really talented and kind of surprisingly deep at a certain few areas. I think offensively, I'm obviously not optimistic about the ceiling, but I think adding Pittman Jr. and we'll see what happens at wide receiver three, lifted the floor. I think this should still be a pretty good run game. I think the offensive line should be pretty good. you know i uh talked talked about this a bit but you're kicking troy fout foutenu to the left side i see how i could say his name every different every podcast i've heard it differently i always go i go foutanu but i think it all foutanu foutanu that's what i said and then i heard foutenu and i was like have i been saying it wrong the whole time all right the interior is awesome um right side we'll see who starts there it's kind of an interesting plot line traded broderick jones I didn't get to talk about that.

56:33Yeah, it was time. So yeah, I think I could see this team finishing with the 10th best defense or 11th best defense and like the 18th best offense, even with the Aaron Rodgers trajectory. And for Steelers fans, like that's your nightmare, right? I know, right? That's your worst. Well, because everything is special teams, by the way, very good special teams. But everything you just described there, especially like we always talk about how you want to build the foundation for your quarterback of the future and knowing this one's over. Like they were one of the teams that kept four on the roster, right?

57:12Or at least on the initial run of the roster. Yeah, they did. And so it's like the Vikings like cut Max Broser. He's on the practice squad. So, yeah. But like, yeah, you kept four. But like you're thinking about the future and like everything you just described about some of the skill players, especially the talent up front. Like having an O-line that seems already a silent with young talent. And then if Max Ahanichor touches any of the potential that we've seen for him, both coming out and through the early run of the preseason, like that's a fun group to picture a young quarterback coming into the league with.

57:42And it just seems like based on what we know about Mike McCarthy, the Steelers as a franchise, and what you just said there about the projections for this team, they could once again kind of be in that purgatory that's going to have them reaching to try and figure out what to do there. all right you're next all right um i am gonna go i know who i want i know who i want here give me the uh give me the commies i'll do the commanders okay again i'm not it's not a been a pre-season that's inspired any sort of confidence like the laramie tonsil injury is brutal the story we referenced before the story is coming out of Ravens joint practice about how badly that offensive line got beat, which those guys sound like they're taken very personally, is tough there.

58:35You know, we'll see, too. I was looking as we were getting ready for this, and I want to double check right now. Concerns about the, I think, the edge guys for them, Adafi Owe and Kalevan Chason, both status for week one, sounds like it's kind of up in the air, which, like, you know, not not great Bob for a defense that's certainly trying to make a big jump back there you already lost uh Newton with the pec injury so it's been kind of like the 49ers of the east coast but you know again maybe you catch lightning right and Jaden Daniels starts to look like the guy again with David Blau I couldn't hear what you said there sorry at the end could you uh you were so unconfident that you started backing away from the microphone mid I was I almost didn't want people to hear it, that maybe you strike lightning in a bottle and Jaden Daniels looks like the guy again with David Blau and a new voice in his ear on offense.

59:27Yeah, to be clear, all of our commander skepticism is not Jaden Daniels related. It's everything you referenced. All right, I'm taking the Giants then. Screw it. All right. One thing that the commanders have, both commanders and giants have kind of like sneaky, difficult schedules. So I don't feel super great about either because of that. But the Giants have things that do make me think maybe there's an optimistic case. Obviously not that optimistic word. But I do think this front seven is going to be really, I think the defense could be improved. You know, we talked about how, what a beast Arvel Reese has looked like, but you know, I think I've said this before.

1:00:10I think Abdul Carter becomes just massive household name this season. And then offensively, I think this offensive line is going to be decent and improved. I think this is going to be like a very ground and pound game. I will say I have no idea what this Giants offense is going to look like. It's Matt Nagy calling the plays. Then Greg Roman is like involved in the run game. That doesn't make sense together. So I don't know, like, are they going to be a very 21 personnel heavy Patrick Ricard ground and pound or Matt Nagy coming from Kansas city? We're going to spread things out. RPO. I just don't quite have a feel for it.

1:00:50We haven't seen Jackson Dart much, you know, so don't know. But I think there's enough young talent here to at least get excited about an upside case. Shohei Otani's interpreter was fired today. Ipe Mitsuhara ran up gambling debts to a Southern California bookmaking operation. The inside story of the biggest scandal in modern baseball. He was absolutely bananas, the amount of bets he was making. I've never seen anyone like it. From 30 for 30 Podcasts, this is The Betrayal of Shohei Otani. Presented by Gusto. New episodes available now. Listen wherever you get your podcasts. Summer Beach Hacks, brought to you by Instacart.

1:01:35One, maximize your time. Use Instacart to do your weekly grocery shop straight from your beach chair and get delivery right to your door. 2. Pack sandwiches that taste okay with a little sand in them. Honestly, not bad. It adds a little crunch. 3. Did I mention the grocery shopping from the beach chair thing? It's sort of genius. Download the Instacart app and get$0 delivery fees on your first three orders in 14 days. Service and other fees apply. Harry Douglas here. Game day brings the excitement. Your stay should feel just as memorable. With Marriott Bonvoy, official hotel partner of the NCAA and U.S.

1:02:11soccer, you're connected to a portfolio of brands designed for how you travel. Some offer complimentary breakfasts, others give you room to spread out, space to stay productive, or extended stay comforts. So whether you're a traveling fan or part of the team, Marriott Bonvoy celebrates the moments that live on before and after the game. Marriott Bonvoy, where game day checks in. All right, you're next. All right, Giants off the board. give me don't take him don't take him i'll take the panthers damn it that's the team i want here yeah i mean after that it gets it gets bleak but yeah easy schedule for them i went back and looked and i'm sure you've talked about it at some point in the pod but i was just like everyone's talked about you know regression candidates for like schedule stuff and turnover stuff when i think of the panthers i just think of the four down fourth down ride the lightning all last year and how successful they were.

1:03:07They were second in the league in fourth down attempts with 40 and converted at the fourth highest percentage and trailed at the sixth highest rate in the NFL. So it was just mashing turbo in the second half of games for them to try and get out of Dodge. So, you know, Ted McMillan couldn't have gone better last year. Like, what a win for them for whatever the quarterback situation is. If Bryce can go and stack a decent year on top of things. Defensively, taking some big swings. with the guys that they brought over, getting Jalen Phillips down there, getting Devin Lloyd from the Jags, who we talked about before, as a loss for them.

1:03:45Monroe Freeling is a cool high-upside draft pick for them at offensive tackle. They're a really interesting team. In a league where you've got a trend of a lot of tight ends on the field, they kept five on the 53-man roster, including signing Darren Waller. So I'm curious how they kind of deploy that group for a team that was also a really high 11 personnel use last year. Darren Waller was kind of good last year. A little bit. I like the idea of surrounding Bryce Young with gigantic skill players. Tiny quarterback. It's like the splinter meme, you know. You had talked about Tommy Tremble because I sent you a clip of Monroe Freeling and him and Tommy Tremble combining on like a big run play from the preseason looked pretty good.

1:04:32Hey, man. And Panthers fans, you guys were early on this boon on blocking tight ends, getting drafted and stashed everywhere. You got one of the best ones in the league, and you got them a while ago. So congrats to you for the foresight. Panthers defense should be good. I know I kind of wish... I was thinking of saying between them and the Giants, but I was flirting with putting them in my top 10. They finished just outside of it. But that's like a big making the leap unit. Yep. after the Jalen Phillips, Devin Lloyd preview in the preseason, I wrote somewhere, you got what you paid for, man. They look sick.

1:05:09Well, and like if you get a jump, like go in and watch it because when you sent me that, I kind of went down the Panthers rabbit hole and it's like, all right, if you can get some of these other young guys like Prince Lee Oman Mielin's one that Panthers fans are like, Jalen Phillips say he's probably the best pure pass rusher on our team just in terms of ability. Patrick Jones, one of the guys out of pit that's always running like his hair is on fire. Like they had a couple of early party at the quarterback preseason moments where, all right, if Jalen Phillips also gives you the boost of veteran to help young guys make the leap in that room, all of a sudden you got some pass rushing depth that looks kind of scary of weaponized, right?

1:05:46I think you just took the last team that could actually win their division. I'm not saying they will not take them, I think, but it wouldn't be insane for that to happen. By the way, shout out to JJ Jansen, 19th year in the league at Long Snapper. Career earnings,$18 million. The guy's just incredible. Good for him. All right, I'm up next. So there's one team in this next group that I think is clearly a better team. The problem is the division and the schedule. You know who I'm thinking of, I'm sure. like they're obviously like the offense has the potential to actually be decent and fun they're just in a nightmare situation but screw it I'll take the Cardinals here who have the hardest schedule is that who you thought I was gonna say uh I yeah yes we'll we'll discuss it I kind of some of that started leaking in a different direction but so what has you most excited about them well I yeah right maybe I was a little bit too the offense could be fun that was a little bit much maybe but because it's like matt lafleur new play caller offensive line they've invested in that i think people really it was a little bit slept on how bad and how injured and how like the nightmare situation that the offensive line was last year which by the way is also a point in kyla murray's favor but like Trey McBride, Marvin Harrison Jr., Michael Wilson, Jeremiah Love slash Algiers slash Connors.

1:07:28Like it should be like a pretty decent offense. Like if they were not in the NFC West, I do not think this team would be talked of as a cellar dweller the way they are. I think if the offensive line can hold up, stay solid, and you have a couple of guys take the next step in their development. The biggest one is obviously Paris Johnson. If you get that guy to make a big leap in this year, then that's a group where, yeah, Jacoby Brissett's a good enough veteran point guard where the sky's the limit. You obviously get Jeremiah Love back healthy. That was the least fun part of the preseason. But I'd say the O-line, and if Marvin Harrison goes out and plays with the confidence of a guy with his ability, then, yeah, this could be an offense that sneaks up on some people.

1:08:12we got seven teams left one let me check wait one two three four yeah seven teams left this is this is where it gets really difficult this is where i wouldn't say this is where fortunes are made because i think the middle of the draft is where that's where you won last year with the patriots and the seahawks both of whom i overdrafted this year classic overreaction but there's been years I think where a final 7 or 8 team has gone far and vaulted one of us to success so who's it going to be who you got next I took the Cardinals Cardinals off the board I don't feel good about any of this right now but in the interest of combining schedule and some other factors I'll take the Jets not 7 teams because you took the Saints yes wild um I'll take the Jets okay yeah that's about all you could say is yeah the Jets I mean Geno Smith lives here we've talked for years like I think they were one of the few groups that started the entire the same entire starting offensive line like obviously there's some changes this year but they've drafted young dudes there Garrett Wilson all that stuff like we we know the drill at this point I don't expect them to be very good but maybe just maybe the Justin Fields experiment last year really kind of slowed things down enough.

1:09:36And who knows? Maybe Gino's got a little, you know, one more letter to write back to people. Do you think there's a world in which the Jets have an average offense? I think you can squint and see it. But I'm not super confident. Like, I really think like the bigger X. I mean, Gino's obviously the biggest X character. but like frank reich like i i've talked about this yeah like this is kind of both of their opportunities to prove that it's not completely over gino and frank reich like show me something right i think i forgot who i had on to talk about the gino drive we'll always have the seven for seven gino pre-season drive but it was also like a good drive for frank reich like you know guys wide open he was doing some stuff so i just think like let's see frank reich this is it you got anything left in the tank same with Gino both of you um all right I'm gonna take the Raiders here who just announced that Kirk Cousins is going to be the week one starter the clock starts on that wouldn't be surprised if he looks decent week one against team that has yet to be picked because that defense is going to be very bad the Miami Dolphins um but also the Raiders defense kind of like should all was quiet like quietly above average last year and added some pieces um so i think like this is the raiders this division is really challenging but like they're not a bad team they have decent like they're compared to some of the other teams here both sides of the ball, there's enough.

1:11:24When you were talking about the Cardinals before, I almost thought you were talking about the Raiders. There's a little me that looks at this because, again, you got the best tight end in the NFL when he's healthy. I thought the run game overall, obviously, again, I'm not going to get too high off the preseason supply in terms of the O-line moving people, but Clint Kubiak, with what we know about the way his offense operate, it seemed to be having some of the desired effect for this group, being able to give these guys a chance like you know Mike Washington during the preseason with Ashton Gentry not getting reps look like an awesome second pitch there so I think offensively it has a chance to be a kind of fun group and then yeah defensively it should be much improved especially trying to you know portal in a linebacker group that can help you with some of the run issues yeah I feel good about this pick I feel good about like looking at the bottom I did want the Panthers and took them but I feel good about the Cardinals and the Raiders All right, just a few teams left.

1:12:21Who are you going to take? Oh, man. I guess I'll take the Titans. Yeah. And just hoping that the Rob Sala precedent of turning around defense is pretty quickly. Like having Jeffrey Simmons there helps a lot with that. But like brought in some of the guys that he's used to, like the familiarity with some of the, you know, Jermaine Johnson's John Franklin Myers of the world. And then, you know, offensively, I know it looked clunky and everyone's super down on Cam Ward after the preseason. I'm just hoping that after enough time, him and Dable kind of find the middle ground with certain things. Like, it sounds like they had a little bit of found gold through training camp.

1:13:03You know, you and I were both concerned about some of the interior offensive line situation. And it seems like, was it Fernando Carmona was their rookie fifth round pick who sounds like he's going to be the starter at right guard now. I thought J.C. Latham looked pretty good last year. They extended Skronsky. There's some stuff there defensively. Elante Taylor you brought in, too. So if the defense has the usual Salah effect and Cam Warden-Dable can get anywhere close on the same page, you and I both talked. I think he flashed a bunch of really interesting stuff in a situation last year that was nightmarish.

1:13:36Yeah, the preseason is weighing heavily here on this. And maybe that's an overreaction. Maybe it was just a couple bad outings. I didn't talk about Ward's second preseason game. It wasn't encouraging, but I will say there were some drops. And if I think it was Gunnar Helm gets his feet in, Ward made this out-of-structure play. I feel like there's a little bit of a different vibe around this team. There was another drop. I can't remember which player it was. And then in the third game, Carnell Tay played, and he did get open down. There was an opportunity for a big play. It was just a great play by, I think it was Dylan Thienemann, actually, in the Bears who made a nice recovery there.

1:14:20So I do think there's an upside case here, which is why I would have taken them as well if I was you. The defense is a good point, too, with the Robert Sala turnaround. And there's some good talent in the front seven, obviously. So I don't dislike this pick here. Filibustering a little because we're down the three remaining. It's all bad down here. I am going to take the Atlanta Falcons here.

1:14:52Speaking of preseasons, really making you feel bad about a team. Okay, spin zone. What if it's actually good that you saw in the preseason that Tua Tungabailoa should not start more than a game or two? So instead of writing it out, because it seems like they are desperate to name Michael Penix Jr. QB1. Yes. And they're going to drag it out because he hasn't played at all. We'll see how he looks. But I feel like at least there's a case there that he could give them some juice. We'll see what he looks like coming off of the injury. I think for me, like the defense and all of everything that's happened with the pass rush is just what's so concerning because this was a defense that took a big leap last year.

1:15:48And now you're like, I think everyone's expecting them to take a step back. But we're down to the final three. I got to pick a team. Honestly, of the three that were left makes perfect sense. And I didn't think about that, but I'm going to probably repackage that for a take at some point on radio. Sometimes it is just as important to know what not to do. And the Falcons may have found out through the preseason what not to do at quarterbacks. So, no, you've talked me into it. I'll take the Browns here just because the schedule difference between them and Miami is so stark. Oh, Falcons also have the easy schedule.

1:16:20I wanted to mention that, too. Yeah. Yeah. Sorry. So, yeah, right after them, according to FTN, the Browns. And, you know, again, completely new offensive line for the most part, the Deshaun Watson situation. But, like, you know, the young pass catchers on that team we've all talked about are really fun and guys I'd be excited about for the future. I like Spencer Fano a lot as a pick there up front of the offensive line defensively. Like you obviously lose the reigning defensive player of the year, but there's still a bunch of great players in that unit. This should be a top 12 defense. Yeah. Like top 12, 13.

1:17:00We'll see what the step back is, but yeah, like they're still incredibly talented at all three levels. Yeah. It's just, you know, when you don't have to game plan for the best defensive player in the world, it's going to change life for all of them in ways that they haven't figured out yet. So that's the only concern. But have fun with the Dolphins. That leaves me with the Dolphins, who have the fifth hardest schedule. So that's... This offense could be funky and interesting. Very interesting to see. I'm very curious to see what Bobby Slowick does. like if he can get weird uh i got chris bell in dynasty that's another player i'm interested in seeing you know a lot of young receivers caleb douglas chris bell we'll see what they got with them i think we all expect this run game to be kind of like nasty and fun not not physically nasty but like nasty and like what is happening on my tv kind of way um but the defense is just so lacking in talent at so many spots.

1:18:06It's going to be a real rebuilding. Let's see who we've got kind of year for them on that side of the ball. So it's just hard to get there with wins. I think, yeah, Malik Willis, God be with you, my guy. Just count the money, man. Just make sure you're there watching the bank account when that direct deposit hits every week. All right, that's it. all 32 teams so I'm going to read your team and then I'm going to read mine Mike took the Rams, Bills, Ravens, Texans, Eagles, Packers, Chiefs, Bengals, Saints, Bears, Colts, Commanders, Panthers, Jets, Titans, Browns. I took the Seahawks, Broncos, Patriots, Cowboys, Lions, Jaguars, Niners, Bucks, Chargers, Vikings, Steelers, Giants, Cardinals, Raiders, Falcons, and Dolphins.

1:19:01My first takeaway is I think you won the front of the draft and I won the middle of the draft. How do you feel? I would agree. And that's, that honestly is what had me nervous. I was brimming with confidence for the three Pete after our first 10 or so. And then after that, because I mean, we see every year, that's usually where it flips is one of those teams in the bottom half is going to wind up as a double digit win team. And I think you've got more of those potentially than I do. Of all of your picks, which one are you the happiest with? The happiest with probably getting the Chiefs and the Bengals both as low as I did just because of the potential upside there.

1:19:36That felt like getting to buy low on the Chiefs just felt strange and wonderful. Texans at four or two is, you know, that was the one that killed me because I was just, I just literally forgot to take them. I intended to. Yeah, I'm pretty happy with the Jags, Niders, Bucks, Chargers, Vikings turn, as I alluded to. I would say the Chargers feel good, too, from a value perspective. You taking the Saints before the Chargers was a moment where, in my draft room, we did a little celebration. How you felt about the Texans pick for me was exactly how my brain felt after realizing what I'd done with the Saints.

1:20:19I blame being an avid Mina Keim show featuring Lenny Listener and listening to you and Greg Rosenthal talk about the NFC South getting me high enough on the Saints supply to do something crazy. I'm still a Saints enthusiast. But like I said, I'm just pulling back a little bit after the Tyson injury. All right, Mike. You're back at ESPN. Have you been back on my show since you've been back at ESPN? I can't remember. Or anyways, tell folks where they can download the new show and listen to it and all of that. Yes, the Gullix, me and dad back on ESPN, 10 a.m. to noon Eastern, Monday through Friday on ESPN Radio.

1:21:00You can watch us on the app as well. And we have the Gullix wherever you get your podcasts as well. So plenty of places to find us and excited to be back in the family with you. People should definitely check it out. I think I'll be joining a lot of Fridays, it sounds like. So tune in for that. Thank you as always to Mike for joining. You can check out this pod, of course, wherever you get your pods, YouTube as well. You can check out my TV podcast there with David Dennis Jr. We're covering Lanterns, which is a show I'm super obsessed with right now. So go check that out. It's called Viewer Discretion.

1:21:32Thank you as always to the fine folks at Omaha Productions who make this pod, Kirsten Sebecki, Owen Saylor, Jack Foster, and Tucker Tashin. Back next week.

1:21:58We'll be right back.

1:22:17Labor Day weekend. Witness the Wild on ABC, ESPN, and the ESPN app.