April 21, 2025 • 44 mins
Will McFadden and Tori McElhaney kick off draft week with their full, 7-round mock drafts for the Atlanta Falcons. They go through every prospect, pick, and trade the Falcons could make in the 2025 NFL draft and why each move would help the team win in the fall.
Click the links below to follow along!
Tori's mock draft: https://www.atlantafalcons.com/news/seven-round-mock-draft-trades-mykel-williams-trey-amos-jared-ivey
Will's mock draft:https://www.atlantafalcons.com/news/seven-round-mock-draft-mike-green-max-hairston-nfl
Terrin's mock draft: https://www.atlantafalcons.com/news/falcons-seven-round-mock-draft-donovan-ezeiruaku-shavon-revel
0:00 - Intro
0:24 - It's draft week!
1:56 - 7-round mock draft
4:10 - First round moves
19:28 - Second round picks
28:31 - Rounds 3 & 4
37:12 - Rounds 5-7
41:13 - Mock draft recap
43:18 - Outro
See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
Mark as Played
Transcript
Episode Transcript
Available transcripts are automatically generated. Complete accuracy is not guaranteed.
Speaker 1 (00:00):
Thirty birds. What's up and welcome to another Atlanta Falcons podcast.
I'm your host Will McFadden. Today I am joined, but
be wonderful. Tory nack Laney and Torri it's draft week.
Are excited.
Speaker 2 (00:11):
Yes, I'm very excited. I am ready for the Falcons
to draft an ed Rusher or too, if they want to.
Speaker 1 (00:18):
I've been asking so many people. It's just, you know,
like this time of year, I feel like it's a
great way for me to catch up with people, like
once or twice a year. The draft is always one
of those times when I get friends just kind of
that's a brag across the country, just you know, they
moved away, things like that. Friends, it's a great way
to stay in touch. And every single one of them
is like, man, just tell me that they're going to
(00:38):
take a pass rusher, Like, tell me it's going to
be defense, And yeah, that is I think the prevailing
sentiment across the Falcons fandom at this point. Honestly, like
what I've been telling people that I myself would be
pretty shocked if they didn't go at least defense, right.
I don't know if it's going to be ed Rusher specifically,
but I would be surprised if it's not defense in
the first round. But we're going to talk about all
(01:00):
of those different scenarios today. We had each of us, myself,
Tory and Tarren Locke, had seven round mock drafts come
out last week, so please go read those on the site.
But we're gonna kind of just go through each of
those seven round mock drafts, talk about each of our picks,
the decision making process behind that, and it'll be a
nice little exercise to kick off Draft week. But what
(01:20):
we have coming down the pipe for the rest of
the way. On Tuesday, you will get a Falcons audible
previewing the draft. You'll get you know, Rack Arch and
shocks takes on the draft. Wednesday, we will have each
of our talented Falcons digital hosts sharing their final prediction
for who Atlanta will pick at number fifteen or if
they'll make a trade. And then, of course Thursday, the
draft is here and we will be recapping the first
(01:43):
day of the draft and on into the weekend. So
that's what we've got for you guys all week long.
It's a busy draft week. Tory, you're ready to start
talking about some mock drafts once again.
Speaker 2 (01:53):
Once again, that's all I do this time of year, which, honestly,
I kind of love it because it's been I think
we even talked about it our last podcast about mock
drafts and how fun they can be if you allow
them to be fun. Yeah, I will say I had
a lot of fun doing my seven round mock.
Speaker 1 (02:11):
Yeah?
Speaker 2 (02:11):
Yeah.
Speaker 1 (02:11):
Is there any reason why, Like I know, when you
do your first round mock drafts each week, it's every
team right right, So this time just being able to
focus on the Falcons having a computer simulation kind of
handle all the other teams. Is that better in your mind?
Or do you like the exercise of like I got
to lock into each pick. I'm thirty two different gms.
Here's how I see the board falling, Like where do
(02:33):
you land on the seven round aspect of it versus
the kind of first round aspect.
Speaker 2 (02:38):
I find the seven round so much easier because I
feel like I know this team so much more than
I know you know the thirty two other teams. I
can tell you, although I would argue if anyone wants
to come at me about like my knowledge about what
the other teams need because of how many I've done.
I feel pretty confident that I know the other teams
needs as well and could probably get through at least
(03:01):
the third or fourth round.
Speaker 1 (03:02):
You're like an honorary Las Vegas Raiders. Yeah, yeah, I
definitely everything.
Speaker 2 (03:07):
Yeah, And I think that for it's always just nice
because I've just been looking at so much to really
be able to focus in on just the falcons and
just what they need and just what could happen as
you're going through all seven rounds. So I'm really I
don't know, it was nice to kind of get out
(03:29):
of the hum drum of just doing the first round
for every every single thirty two teams in the league.
Speaker 1 (03:35):
Yeah, but it is important, as you said, like to
know what each of the teams is thinking, what their
needs are, like helps us kind of shape all right,
do you go edge rusher in round one and then
expect a corner to be there in round two? Or
should you flip that and maybe there's gonna be a
run on corners before you can get one in the
second round and where does that tearfall? So having an
understanding of the landscape that you're operating in is just
(03:56):
as important for any of the thirty two gms or
a mock after as anything else. So let's go ahead
and get into our mock drafts. Our seven round mock drafts,
as I mentioned, went up last week on the website,
and Tory, we'll start with yours. In the first round,
you had a trade I did.
Speaker 2 (04:13):
Yeah, I called this. I think I said this on Twitter,
and I think you even said it before this calling
my entire seven round mock draft ambitious. It's incredibly it's
incredibly ambitious, because.
Speaker 1 (04:27):
Everything you do is ambitious.
Speaker 2 (04:29):
Let's just be honest, right, Yeah, we got to set
the bar high.
Speaker 1 (04:31):
Yeah, it's your average state of being. People are on
idol and you're on ambitious exactly.
Speaker 2 (04:35):
So I was going through it, and I honestly, when
I sat down to do it, I was like, I'm
trading away that number fifteen pick. I was like, I
know I'm doing that. I have no doubt I'm doing it.
It was just a matter of how I was going
to do it. I also wanted to find a way
to accrue another second round pick and potentially get a
(04:57):
fifth round pick back. That that was kind of my
prevailing thought as to how I could work through this.
Speaker 1 (05:04):
So add add a second round try to get another
day three. Yeah, preferably a fifth.
Speaker 2 (05:08):
Yes, that was the goal, and I achieved the goal. Now,
whether or not people think that this could actually happen,
that's not what we're doing here. We're not going off
of like, oh, this could one hundred percent happen, because,
as Will and I talked about when we weren't recording,
it's like, you don't see trades like this at all,
with the amount of picks that I have absolutely moving around.
(05:32):
But it's a good thought, I think to maybe not
even look at the trade itself, but the idea of
what it would take for someone to move up and
or you know, what they would be valuing according to
what teams they need to jump over, et cetera, et cetera.
So that's my preamble. But I did have the Falcons
trading away the number fifteen overall pick to the Los
(05:54):
Angeles Chargers. It's a fifteen. The Falcons give up the
they're fifteen overall pick in the first round, and then
I had them giving up their one hundred and eighteenth
pick in the fourth round because of how many more
picks I needed. I feel like I needed to a crew.
Speaker 1 (06:11):
Yeah, so I got to balance the scales.
Speaker 2 (06:13):
Yeah, I had to give the Chargers something.
Speaker 1 (06:15):
You got to give something to get something. That's what
they always tell.
Speaker 2 (06:17):
Me, exactly. So and then the Chargers sent to the Falcons,
and this is their twenty second pick, their fifty fifth
pick in the second round. They're one hundred and twenty
fifth pick in the fourth round. So they essentially go
up in the fourth round by giving away that one
twenty five, one fifty eight in the fifth round, and
one eighty one in the sixth round.
Speaker 1 (06:37):
I you fleeced them, look out, Jim Marbaugh.
Speaker 2 (06:41):
No, The thing is is like I went back and
forth about like whether or not I was gonna do
any combination of the fourth, fifth, and sixth, and I
was just like, you know what, maybe the Chargers are
just sitting there like and this was my reason.
Speaker 1 (06:53):
So it's like drafted Kevin Costner is like, and I'm
taking my first round.
Speaker 2 (06:57):
Pick back exactly and this is my this is my
mock draft.
Speaker 1 (07:02):
I do what I want.
Speaker 2 (07:03):
But the reasoning being is the Chargers, I believe, are
in great need of an offensive weapon, and in this
specific scenario of how things were falling, there were a
lot of offensive guys that were falling off the board
early and which maybe potentially got the Chargers a little
(07:24):
bit like antsy about especially when you look at teams
like the Cardinals at sixteen, the Seahawks at eighteen, and
the Broncos at twenty that all could also use offensive
weapons and would really like someone like a Colston Loveland,
a Matthew Golden, or even a Ted McMillan. So that
was my thought process as to why the Chargers, Like,
(07:47):
why would they be somebody that would want to jump
to fifteen? And so that's what I landed on.
Speaker 1 (07:53):
There's kind of one player here who you didn't And
I think all the players you mentioned Loveland, Golden, and
McMillan make a lot of sense, but Omari and Hanson
is somebody that I've seen mocked to the Broncos a
little bit. So if you're in the AFC West and
the Chargers, you know, like they kind of cobbled together
a run game with Gus Edwards and the like last year,
but I mean, if you are able to add a
(08:14):
player with that kind of juice to that backfield with
Justin Herbert, that would be somebody who I can see
them moving up for if he's still on the board there.
Speaker 2 (08:21):
Yeah, so it was all about kind of where those
offensive players were falling. But people don't care about that.
Speaker 1 (08:28):
Yeah, we're not here for the Chargers in their run game.
Speaker 2 (08:30):
We don't care about that. It's what are the Falcons
going to do? Now? At pick number twenty two? And
I had them going with Mikel Williams from Georgia. And
I think that in this scenario the way that it fell, yes,
Schamar Stewart was still available, I will say that, and
I think that that probably a lot of people out
there would probably be like, what are you doing? Why
(08:52):
are you going Mikel Williams over Shamar Stewart. But as
we've talked about in previous podcast where we were talking
Edge Rusher Group specifically, I feel like I know what
I get with Mikel Williams. I feel like the floor
in the ceiling I can vividly pinpoint with Shamar Stewart.
I feel like, yeah, the ceiling's a lot higher, but
(09:14):
I also feel like the floor could be lower.
Speaker 1 (09:16):
I don't even know if the ceiling is is that
much higher for Shamar Stewart. Like again, I kind of
think the size is incredible, right, But Mikel Williams has
some of the longest arms, maybe the longest arms of
this pass rushing class. Like, he's right there with Shamar Stewart.
He's just as strong. He's just like, So, I get
what you're saying, because I think that the specific size
(09:36):
and physicality of Shamar Stewart will still be a little
bit of an overwhelming trait in the NFL, whereas Michael
Williams fits more of the mold of just like a
good pass rusher, but like Schamar is is kind of
built diff right a little bit. Yeah, So I get
what you're saying now.
Speaker 2 (09:53):
Yeah, And I think it's also important too. Mike Green
was off the board by the time that I got
to number twenty two, so which I think that actually
leads us right into your first round pick. Who was
Mike Green? And you stuck at fifteen. So I want
you to talk a little bit about that.
Speaker 1 (10:09):
I did a stick and pick and I kind of
weighed some of those options, like you said, like do
you want to trade back? Where do you trade back?
Because I do think a lot of those teams in
the twenties want the edge rushers in the corners, right. Yeah.
Speaker 2 (10:23):
Well it's interesting too because I was doing they could either, right,
I was doing my own you know, I did the
seven round mock draft, and then I did mock Draft
seven point zero, which you can go read right now
where I did the first and second round, and I
had the Falcons trading out of the first round and
then trading back into the first round. And the point
of that was to show that the reason you value
(10:44):
I think the reason the Falcons should value an edge
rusher in the first round is because of the teams
that are picking from twenty eight to thirty two. So
you're talking about Kansas City, Detroit, Philadelphia, Washington, Buffalo, You're
talking about those teams. Every single one of those teams
can and probably will if they're on the board, draft
(11:05):
someone off of the defensive front, like along the defensive front.
Those teams, those.
Speaker 1 (11:09):
Five teams, I mean, it's like a Super Bowl arms race.
And you just watched the Philadelphia Eagles light the Chiefs
on fire. Right, It's so if you're trying to win,
you're looking at what they did and said we need that.
Speaker 2 (11:20):
Yeah, and they all are looking for edge rushers in
defensive tackles. So I don't think if you're the Falcons
that you wait around and decide like, oh, I'm going
to get an edge rusher in the early second round
because I don't think the I think the caliber of
edge rusher that is available in the second round is
not the same as what could be available in the
first round. But I feel as though the caliber of
(11:42):
potentially a cornerback or a safety in the early second
round could be similar to what you could get in
the later half of the first round.
Speaker 1 (11:50):
I agree with that. I think, to me, the divider
is that the drop off at corner I kind of
see like four or five corners that I really feel
comfortable with, kind of as as that first round borderline
early second round player, then I feel like there's a
little bit of a drop off there. So the kind
of musical chairs becomes like are you able to get
one of those five and do you feel comfortable enough
(12:12):
that you'll be able to get him at like forty two?
Whereas if I'm looking at like a Braden Swinson or
you know that type of player, could they still be
there at forty two? And maybe I view that drop
off in tear a little bit less in the edge
rusher section. So that's just kind of how I've been
gaming out, but ultimately I was like, let's just go
(12:33):
get a guy. Ye just go get a dog. And
that's what I got in Mike Green. So I stuck
at fifteen. I took Mike Green out of Marshall. He
was I'm a little bit biased having Ben at the
Senior Bowl and like seeing him in person. He was
a player who I just kind of got a little
bit of fore warning on and went and just watched
him the entire time. Loved everything that I saw, Like
you could tell that he thought about every approach he
(12:55):
was going to have one on ones, he wanted to
try something different. He often was successful in doing that
different thing. And so what you saw was a player
who is smart, thinks through what he is doing, but
is tenacious and like violence, violence in the word, and
can win in a bunch of different ways. And it's like, yeah,
I do. I have a little bit of hesitation knowing
(13:17):
that historically Jeff Hilbrick has liked guys with long gar
arms and that is not Mike Green. Necessarily, he likes
length on the defensive line. I don't blame him, because
you're able to control and dictate kind of a lot
of stuff. If you're able to win that battle there.
But when you have a player like Mike Green and
some of the other pieces that Atlanta already has in place,
Zach Harrison, if you want length, go ahead and put
(13:39):
him out there, right, So that allows me, I think,
to just take a pure fireball off the edge. Who
is gonna from day one, I think, step in here
and really make an impact for Atlanta.
Speaker 2 (13:49):
Yeah, I like it, and I think that's honestly, you'll see.
My final mock draft is coming out this week, and
I actually went into the studio and did a whole
show about the mock draft with Taylor Viismore, our studio host,
and that's with no trades. That was the big thing.
I wasn't trading it for that show, and I wasn't
trading for the final mock draft with no trades. To me,
(14:11):
the best option on the board at number fifteen is
Mike Green at that point in time, according to how
the Right. So I am. I'm fully here with you,
I really am. And I know that it's funny because
we're also going to talk a little bit about Tarren
Walks seven round mock draft, and she went with an
addresher as well. I think we all we're all on
(14:33):
the same page, between Mike l Williams, Mike Green, and
Terreen's pick, which is Donovan Azeraku from Boston College. I
think we're all thinking the same way. Now are the
Falcons thinking the same way? We shall see that's the question.
But to the point of Tarran mocking Donovan Azaraku to
(14:54):
the Falcons, she had him going at number fifteen, which
I don't mind. I don't mind. I like watching does
Donovan is Iraku. I like what he provides. I think
we talked about how he's just this like traditional edge wresher.
Speaker 1 (15:09):
Actually, Taren was was kind of like telling me a
little bit about this the other day, and I went
back and rewatched a few games of Donovan Azraku kind
of just as we were talking about it, and I
like him even more kind of coming away from that.
He's he's weirdly agile, like he just puts his foot
in the ground and can cut on a dime, which
is usually something we say about wide receivers, not edge rushers.
(15:31):
He is incredibly long too. I mentioned Michael Williams and
like his lengthy arm. It's just the size, isn't a
Shamar Stewart or even Mikail Williams's he's a little slimmer,
but he is strong. It's just with him, like he
does everything at a at a good to great level.
But I don't know if there's any one thing that
he does at like an elite level. And that's where
as a pass rusher in the NFL, if you're going
(15:53):
up against an offensive tackle that has one elite trait,
could they just maybe like swallow you up with that
elite trait all game? And do you have a real
counter against that? Like that's kind of my question with
as Iraku because he won with a lot of his
technical ability and not a pure like athletic style. So
will that work at the next level.
Speaker 2 (16:13):
I think it's a good question, and that's why I
question the pick. His pick specifically at fifteen. I think
if this is twenty four or twenty five or twenty six,
like I feel very differently about it, because honestly, I'll
be again, I go back to I did the first
and second round, and I told you all I had
for my mock draft seven point zero. I drafted Donovan
(16:36):
is Iraku, and at I believe twenty seven because I
traded completely out, Oh gosh, I could. I traded completely
out of the first round, and then I traded back
with the Bears, and then I traded because they have
two second rounds, so I accrued three total second round picks,
(16:57):
you go. And then I moved back into the first
round to pick twenty seven with the Rams because the
Rams didn't have any second round picks, so I kind
of finagled the board a little bit.
Speaker 1 (17:09):
And the Rams hate first.
Speaker 2 (17:10):
Round and the Rams hate first round picks, so that
was another reason why I was like, I'm they want
to give it away. So that's what I did, And
I picked Donovan Ezeraku at twenty seven or twenty six
whatever the Rams are picking at, and that spot makes
a lot of sense to me.
Speaker 1 (17:29):
It does. But honestly, the way I feel kind of
like in this as we're talking about these pass rushers
and it is really just like a pick your flavor, yeah,
group pick them at fifteen, you know, like it kind
of to me, sure, could you recoup some second round
picks things like that, But if you're sold on a
guy Michael Pennoxs last year, good example, like didn't make
a lot of sense at the time. Right now, that conviction.
(17:50):
It looks like it'll pay off pretty well for Atlanta.
So if you like a guy, you have conviction. It
doesn't really matter what the mock drafts are saying, go
ahead and take him at fifteen. Again, this is not
a draft where it appears that there is just a
bevy of like blue chip guys. It kind of feels
like all things are pretty equal, So go ahead and
get your guy. And then for that reason, it could
(18:12):
be a weird draft where you just see guys going
ten spots earlier or later than you expected.
Speaker 2 (18:17):
That's the thing is, like, I don't think anyone really
knows how this first night is going to go. Yeah,
I really show yeah. And that's what makes this That's
what makes this draft very different I think from years past,
in the last two or three draft cycles. This draft
to me, I mean, you talk about it, it's like
a meat and potatoes draft. They say it's starters over stars,
like so it really is about the way that each
(18:40):
individual team is specifically grading these players, not I think
what the overall consensus of the athletic skills are, but
what each team is highly valuing.
Speaker 1 (18:52):
That's a great point. Did you listen to Dan Burglar
and Daniel Jeremiah on The Athletic Football Show. No not yeah, Okay,
so they kind of were going through I think some
of they're like draft gems, just like the guys outside
of the top but seventy five, I believe, or eighty five.
But they were basically saying the key for this draft
is just come away with starters. Yeah, Like, it's not
a star's draft, as you were saying, it's like, just
(19:12):
come away. If you can come away with three or
four starters on your team, you nailed it. You nailed
this draft. I mean that's obvious to say and much
harder to do, right, But let's let's hope the Falcons
can do that, and let's have it happen in the
second round right here. So we're moving on. In ar
mock drafts, I did a second round trade, so I
(19:33):
avoided a first round trade. I again just kind of
thought that the value of getting a player of the
caliber of Mike Green or Jane Walker or any of
these guys kind of in that top fifteen range made
more sense. So in the second round, I look to
move back a little bit and this, this to me,
is more like a trade that I think we'll see
commonly that it's not to say that your trade can't happen.
Speaker 2 (19:55):
It is a lot of picks. I get that ambitious.
Speaker 1 (19:57):
It's ambitious, ambitious, and.
Speaker 2 (20:00):
Even no one puts me in the war room.
Speaker 1 (20:02):
So and IVE got a teams on draft night. I don't. Yeah,
ambitious some applies to some things. But like there's a
caution out there as well. So I moved back only
three spots. I sent pick number forty six and pick
number two eighteen and the seventh round to the Cincinnati
Bengals to drop back to pick number forty nine, and
I got back a fourth round pick, pick number one nineteen,
(20:23):
So I'm going back to back in the fourth round,
I got one eighteen and one to nineteen.
Speaker 2 (20:26):
Nice.
Speaker 1 (20:27):
I like having that. Yeah, And the Bengals came up
jumped up ahead of the Arizona Cardinals or no, sorry
not actually it may have been the Cardinals, but I
had them written down for a different reason here. Anyway,
they jumped up. They got a pass rusher Landon Jackson,
who I actually feel like that made sense because then
a couple pass rushers went there. So in my fantasy
like scenario, they made a move with a purpose that
(20:49):
fourth round was well earned. So it's ours now.
Speaker 2 (20:53):
You're like, I'm justifying this move.
Speaker 1 (20:55):
Yes, And at pick forty nine, I was able to
snag my guy in this draft, Maxwell Harriston. I doubt
that he'll be there at forty nine. Yeah, Like I
think he'll be a fringe first rounder, could be like
the first player on Day two, could be like that
Cooper Dejen. Yeah, kind of scenario with him. But I
think he plays zone really well. He I was debating
between he and Chevon Revel, who I also really like,
(21:17):
but I've viewed Revel as more of a man corner.
I've vie Hairston is more of a playmaking zone corner,
and in this defense, I think Harston fits a little
bit more. He comes in immediately competes with the Alford
and my cues, and you kind of can just get
your best five out there in the secondary.
Speaker 2 (21:32):
Yeah. So I also went secondary in the second round.
So if y'all remember in my trade in the first round,
I picked up a second second round pick. So I
have pick number forty six and I have pick number
fifty five in the second round, and I think that
we I mean, I don't know, I think we probably
were on the same page in terms of I felt
(21:56):
like I told I said about that run on defensive
lineman an edge dreshers in the final five picks of
the first round. Well, then there's also these like teams
at the top of the second round that I think
could continue to value the trenches, whether it be offensive
line or defensive line. And so in both it's interesting
(22:17):
in both of our scenarios that two cornerbacks that people
have kind of sort of been mocking in the first
round are falling into the second round. Yours, Maxwell Harrison,
Mine Trey Amos from Ole miss and.
Speaker 1 (22:30):
Who I like like we both like having both of
these players. And I was excited when I saw that
you went with tre Amos because it's like I could
see either of these guys exactly.
Speaker 2 (22:38):
That was my whole thing, is I was when I
saw that he was available. I was like, to me,
that's at that point in time, that's the best player available.
And also kind of kill two birds with one stone.
You can bring in someone like a Trey Amos and
he can fit into where you need him to be. Yes,
And I really liked, I really liked the opportunity to
(23:03):
bring in somebody who has played in a multitude of systems.
This is somebody who you know Alabama, Old Miss, et cetera,
et cetera, but played for different different defensive coordinators. He's
played press zone, off man like he has been able
to showcase that he can do a little bit of everything. Yeah,
(23:23):
and he's swaggy too.
Speaker 1 (23:25):
He just like plays with a demeanor on the field
that I'm like, I don't know if it's a powder
blues or what, but like he just looks cool out
there on the field.
Speaker 2 (23:33):
Yeah, and I just think that he's on an upward
trajectory I do. I feel like, and that's somebody that
I would be willing to put a number forty six
overall pick in. So I went with Trey Hamos at
number forty six.
Speaker 1 (23:44):
He was the first prospect I watched during this draft cycle. Yeah,
first tape and I was like, this guy's a first
round Like, I was like, this is the best corner
in this class.
Speaker 2 (23:52):
You're like, I've watched no one, but I believe that.
Speaker 1 (23:53):
So I love Yeah, I love that pick.
Speaker 2 (23:55):
And then for my second second round pick, a number
fifty five, I went with safety Xavier Watts from Notre Dame,
and so I really valued secondary players in that second
round pick. No pun intended. And the more I'll say this,
the more I have watched Xavier Watts play, the more
I like what I see, and the more I think
(24:18):
that someone like him and his skill set, I said
that it was a bit more. His skill set, to me,
is a bit more layered than it is specific at
the safety position, which I think sometimes is what you
want at the safety position. He's to the same point
of what I said before. He's somebody who has done
a little bit of everything from rover linebacker to free safety,
(24:40):
and I do think that he has production that's incredibly
valued at the college level. And also we talk about
character and the makeup, and that's something that Terry Fonnos
said from the get go. Falcons ethos like they want
players who fit the makeup of what they want in
the locker room, and that's someone like an Xavier Watts.
(25:02):
Because everything I've read about this guy is that he
is everything that you would want as a leader in
your secondary and I think the idea of especially considering
we don't really know what's going to pan out with
DeMarco Helms, he is trending back, Rahemora said that he'll
be available for voluntary OTAs and manatory minichamp and all
that kind of stuff, But is he going to progress
(25:26):
quick enough to be a starter alongside Jesse Bates? And
I think that bringing someone in like an Xavier Watts
would be a really really nice way to one add competition,
but also to kind of level up what the safety
room looks like to go along with someone who's already
at a top level in Jesse.
Speaker 1 (25:43):
Yeah, this is again I think starting with the character side,
Like it seems like the Notary Damn program right now
is just filled with great dudes kind of doing the
right doing it the right way, playing football a high level,
being taught the right stuff. So yes, I think that
he fits from a character standpoint what they have not
only like brought in in free agency, but like what
(26:05):
they've drafted. You think about their first round draft picks,
I mean John Robinson like universally loved, You're.
Speaker 2 (26:12):
A better person than exactly.
Speaker 1 (26:13):
An amazing personality. So it's like they that is the
type of people they have drafted. But then DeMarco Helms,
like I view him almost as like that Kevin king
Roll that they were starting to view it is like
that box safety but kind of a hybrid nickel linebacker.
Speaker 2 (26:27):
And in dime.
Speaker 1 (26:28):
Yeah, and when you look at what we're talking about
with their linebackers and edge rushers, right, it's a lot
of attacking. You know, if we if they draft Jalen Walker, right,
we're saying sen k nellis send Jalen Walker on every play,
let's go. So you leave a vacancy there at that
second level. Having a safety who is able to really
roll down and be malleable helps you in that regard
(26:48):
because maybe you feel like we can replace that second
level defender easily with the guy at the third level
and you kind of can play there, and we know
Jesse can do it all, so right, exactly, you're good
on the back ends if he's out there solo coverage.
Really quickly, Let's look at Tarren. She also had a
second round trade, so she traded pick number forty six
to the Denver Broncos. Also a little bit of a
jump back, so number fifty one is what she got
(27:11):
back from Denver, and then picked up pick number one
twenty two in the fourth round, so she was she
got away with only giving one pick up for that,
she's a shrewd negotiator. I just get bullied left and
right by other general managers. So with that trade back,
she went with shabon Ravel. Yeah, so again we're like,
we're thinking pass rusher, we're thinking corner. There's a little
(27:31):
bit of group think maybe going on here.
Speaker 2 (27:33):
But it's okay because I have last week.
Speaker 1 (27:35):
We've been talking about this all for three months.
Speaker 2 (27:37):
That's true. And also I'll say this, like in my
second round seven mock draft seven point zero where I
went through the second round, I had the Falcons taking
a defensive tackle, so I prioritize defensive.
Speaker 1 (27:50):
Which I think that's a fair like, that's a totally
fair possibility.
Speaker 2 (27:54):
Right, So I think like, yes, all of us for
our seven round monks did kind of be like, oh,
we're valuing the corner. But I think it honestly was
probably how everything fell for us. And whereas with the uh,
the mock drafts that I do for Georgia Power, they
those are a bit more by my discretion. Yeah, and
I'm picking and choosing these I think are a bit
(28:14):
more like where do we think some of these simulators
are falling?
Speaker 1 (28:17):
Yes, And there was one Darius Alexander player out of Toledo, defensive.
I really like him. I kind of feel like he's
under the radar. But he was another player at the
Senior boll that popped. He was on the board. I
thought about taking him, but again, I just think the
corner if you can double up there, impactful. All right,
let's move on. You have a trade in the third round.
So you had your third round pick, and well we'll
(28:37):
have to kind of move quicker here into the Day
two and Day three, but you want to run down
that trade for us.
Speaker 2 (28:43):
Yeah, So this is another very ambitious trade with a
lot of picks going a lot of different places. So
the Atlanta Falcons sent to the New York Giants in
the fifth round one e one Vita the Chargers in
the sixth round two eighteen seventh round two forty two,
seventh round. I'm getting rid of seven.
Speaker 1 (29:01):
So laughed when I saw this because I was like, man,
Tory was like, all right, got I love my roster.
I drafted three all pros. Now in time get rid
of some Day three picks.
Speaker 2 (29:10):
Literally, I have said from go I don't want those
seventh rounders. If we're picking in the seventh rounder, I'm
just just put me in the podcast studio and I'll
just stay here.
Speaker 1 (29:19):
You don't even know what the words mister irrelevant mean.
Speaker 2 (29:21):
No, I.
Speaker 1 (29:24):
Get out of here. Relevant guys in this building.
Speaker 2 (29:26):
Yeah, So I'm getting rid of those seventh rounders, and
then I'm also giving up a future fourth and a
sixth round pick in order. It's a lot, I know,
in order to get the ninety ninth pick in the
third round and the one hundred and fifty fourth pick
in the fifth round. So with the third round pick
at number ninety nine, I got defensive tackle Ty Robinson
(29:46):
from Nebraska. This dude is huge, and I really I
was going back and forth as to kind of like
what I was going to be valuing, and I couldn't
get out of the back of my head. You've gotta
go defensive tackle, like you've got to. It's some a
guy that could really Pairallell with the young core that
you already have in Rucu Roo, Brandon Dourlist, Zak Harrison,
(30:08):
and Ty Robinson, even though he doesn't have I think
the all of the traits that you would want. I
think that his one his size, he's a giant human
being along with I think the toughness of which he
plays with. I would rather have someone who's giving me
one hundred and twenty percent over and over than maybe
(30:29):
an extra added like two inches in their arms, which
maybe is I don't know, maybe that that's not how
other people think, but that's how I think. If I
can get someone who I know is going to go
out there and just like absolutely give it their all
every single play, Okay, I'm fine with that.
Speaker 1 (30:46):
Yeah, I've then he He is somebody who just immediately
makes my brain start like churning with analogies. I'm like,
who do I want to camp this guy to? Because
it could be a fun co I think like the thing,
like the Fastic Fantastic four sabouts come out he did
this year, Like the thing is almost just what I think,
Like he is made of rock and just runs through
dudes like he is like a bull in a not
(31:07):
even a china shop, just like wherever else bowls like
to roam. I guess I'd nail that metaphor. But he
got me thinking back to cause like the Rams and
even the Panthers. Weirdly, I've just noticed that they'll usually
have like one of these just big, strong white dudes
right in the middle of their defensive line. Yeah, and
that is kind of I think he's gonna have like
(31:28):
a twelve year career because he's just gonna be impossible
to move there in the middle and be just a
real tough like just afternoon for whoever's there, they're gonna
just feel it. They're gonna come home, their kids are
gonna be like, let's play, and it's like I can't
even move right now. I just got tossed around all afternoon.
Like that is how I think Ty Robinson's career is
(31:51):
gonna pan out. So if you're adding him in the
third round to kind of like replace Grady Jarrett, totally
different player, but put him in there with David Onniamaida
like Tekwon Graham, let them be this the one gappers
and you've got somebody here who just bullies people. I
love that.
Speaker 2 (32:04):
Yeah. Yeah, So that was my third I got us
back in the third round. I know you, I know
Taran didn't get back in the third round. Did you
get back in the third round?
Speaker 1 (32:12):
No, No, I just got I got an extra fourth
round pick, so I got two in the fourth.
Speaker 2 (32:16):
Okay, let's move on. Let's move on to the fourth round.
Then all right, cool, do you want me to go first?
Do you want to go first?
Speaker 1 (32:21):
Why don't you go first? Well, you got picked one
twenty five, so let's we'll do. We'll start with uh
with tarn and I because we still are one to eighteen. Yes,
So in the fourth round of pick one eighteen, I
went with Savion Jones, the LSU edge rusher. He is
long and strong, can push the pocket. Again, an urgent,
violent player comes from a big time program, so there's
(32:44):
I think upside there. His he doesn't feel like a
player who's been fully unlocked, and I think if you
bring him in a rotational role, which again fourth rounder,
day three, it's kind of what you're thinking. Anyway, He's
got the tools to work with to become a good
NFL player, he's just not there yet. Yeah, but I
know he's six five, two eighty like, it's exactly what
you would want. So we're just kind of adding more depth,
(33:05):
throwing a lot of stuff at the wall. See what
sticks there. In the fourth round, and then with my
very next pick at pick one nineteen, I went wide receiver.
I went with Tory Horton out of Colorado State, who
is kind of slender the knocks against him or just
kind of like press coverage. Can he get off of
like a really physical corner and win free. But outside
of that, like he's really savvy. Think like Laqwan Treadwell
(33:28):
if he actually had NFL speed. Okay, no, no shots
still Lakwan, but like he came out and was so
productive at all miss because of his just savviness. He
was almost like Larry Fitzgerald or in gumbole like just
route running over the middle, make these catches, make nice moves,
Like that's Tory Horton, which is more speed, so he's
got downfield ability. I'm thinking, you know, Drake is in
the slot, Darnell and Tory Horton are on the outside.
(33:49):
You know Ray Ray kind of moving around. So if
we're adding another receiver, which I kind of think they
should at some point, whether that's the draft or just
a free agent afterwards, this is the type of player
that I think you could add a possession receiver with
speed and savvy kind of right away, he seems like
the perfect fit in the Rams offense. You know, like
Josh Reynolds kind of role where you forget about him
(34:09):
and then it's like Damn, there's a twenty eight yard catch.
So those were my two fourth round picks. Tarren really
quickly she had a pair of fourth round picks as well,
so onhen eighteen, she went with edge Femi Oladejo, who
I love. He's a former linebacker who is kind of converted,
only played like ten games last year for UCLA at
edge rusher, but he is an He just is focused
(34:31):
on getting past dudes. He's like, I know my goal.
Somebody told me to get to the quarterback, and that
is what I am hell bent on doing. And so
I like Fami Oladi as a little prospect, developmental prospect.
And then she went with center and into your offensive
lineman totally on the table as well, I think for
Atlanta Seth McLaughlin out of Ohio State, because Drew Dolman,
(34:53):
of course, is with the Chicago Bears, and Ryan Neuzol
remains a free agent, even though the Falcons I think
tentatively have him kind of planned.
Speaker 2 (35:01):
Yeah, So I also went with a center in the
fourth round at pick number one, twenty five, but I
went with Drew Kendall out of Boston College. And it's
funny because I didn't mean for this to happen. But
it's like your place one Drew who has a pretty
successful offensive line father, who was drafted in the fourth
round with another Drew who had a pretty successful offensive
(35:22):
line father in the fourth round. I didn't mean to
do that.
Speaker 1 (35:26):
It was funny that that's crazy.
Speaker 2 (35:29):
Crazy wow, But no, I I like the idea. I
know I said from go and Will and I joke
about this all the time. I know I said from go,
I'm not picking an offensive player in this draft. That
was when they only had five picks, and two of
which were seventh rounders. You had to value. I had
to value defensive players so highly in those first three
(35:51):
picks that I wasn't going to budge on going and
getting an offensive tackle or center or receiver. But now
that I've accrued more picks from my swift trading, you
know I was willing to take a center, specifically, because
I think that you can get quality centers in the
third day of the draft and they turn into something
(36:14):
for you. Drew Dolmen is an example. But I also
think that in order for you to feel good about
the position, you need to bring in significant competition for
Ryan Noosel, even if he's your guy bringing in competition
to see how far you can push it and what
ultimately works best for your offense and your offensive line.
Speaker 1 (36:34):
I mean you you can, you can try to justify
flip flopping any way that you want. I just what
I'm hearing is that you're not a woman of your word.
You went back on you went back on your no
offense stance so long.
Speaker 2 (36:46):
If that's the case, then everything I've because I've done
so many of these, everything I've said is a lie.
Speaker 1 (36:51):
Like you know, just work yourself into corners left and right.
Speaker 2 (36:53):
Every single thing I've done can be a lie.
Speaker 1 (36:56):
No, I think I think you're Kendel. It makes a
lot of sense, and I think, you know, pairing him
with Chris Lenstrom, another Boston college guy, makes a lot
of sense there as well. So we're thinking offense maybe
early day three, good chance to continue to add defensive depth.
But you have a fifth rounder, which I don't believe
tarn or I have. So our next picks are in
(37:18):
the seventh round. Yeah.
Speaker 2 (37:19):
So I got a fifth round back pick four, and
I ended up going with edge Jared Ivy.
Speaker 1 (37:24):
I love this.
Speaker 2 (37:26):
So Jared Ivy is a local guy, and I actually
covered his recruiting before he committed to Georgia Tech. And
I remember even back then him being a high school
student coming out of I believe Alpharetta, he No North Gwinnette,
North Guinnette. He was someone who's length immediately jumped off
(37:47):
the type and we talk about these long linebacker edge
rushers that someone like a Jeff Ulbrick values. That to
me is Jared Ivy. The length of which he plays
with and he's even added surprisingly as long as I
felt like he wasn't in high school. He's added weight
and length is what it feels like in his game.
(38:09):
And I think on it, and this was something that
I really liked to play around with, the idea of
him partnering someone or learning from someone like Leonard Floyd
who has that long and lengthy almost length and he's
had to learn how to use it at the professional level.
I think someone like Jared Ivy could benefit from learning
(38:29):
behind someone like a Leonard Floyd. So that was my
justification for Jared Ivy at pick one fifty four.
Speaker 1 (38:36):
Yeah, No, I love this pick. I think that he
is absolutely the type of player that you target on
Day three. A little bit like the Savean Jones said
I was talking about with the length, and for those
who may not be aware, like really quickly, the reason
length is important as an edge rusher is allows you
to maybe make first contact with an offensive lineman, so
you can dictate how that battle is more likely to go.
(38:57):
You can keep them off of them kind of a
long arm as you rush the arc. So it is beneficial.
Speaker 2 (39:02):
Also setting the edge in exactly.
Speaker 1 (39:04):
And it's like why people are freaking out about Will
Campbell as an offensive lineman prospect because he's got short arms,
which is like the opposite side of that coin. You
don't want to lose those battles to the long edge rushers.
So for those of you that already knew all of that,
and you're like, Will shut up, I got it. Sorry, apologize,
we're back on track. So that was your final pick
in your your draft because you just launched all of
(39:24):
your day three picks passed round five into the sun,
Taran and I did not do that. We're hanging around,
we're finishing the race here. So with pick number two,
forty two, I went with safety Malachi more similar kind
of thought process. He is much more of a box safety, obviously,
being a seventh round pick, He's limited athletically, but he
is fearless. He just runs downhill, he makes tackles. So
(39:48):
thinking special teams, thinking, you know, injuries do happen on
a game day. You need somebody to go in there
in the fourth quarter right and play some important minutes.
Like at least I have not seen from him anything
on tape that makes me think he will be scared
in that moment played at Alabama, played with Brian Branch,
played like a similar role as Brian Branch. So again
in today's NFL, that hybrid kind of joker move all
(40:11):
around safety role is important, and I think he would
he would fill that role.
Speaker 2 (40:15):
So and Tarn actually also had the Falcons drafting Malachi
More with the two hundred and eighteenth pick in the
seventh round. So you'll both through Look at you.
Speaker 1 (40:24):
Guys, I flippedabs. See I knew that she I actually
picked Malachai More partially because of her safety, like the
safeties that Atlanta could take in the in each round.
Yeah things, So she clued me in on him. Not
surprised to see her also take Malachai More here and
then she'll finish this off at pick two forty two,
Tarn had a offensive tackle, Jalen Travis out of Iowa State. Honestly,
(40:48):
she was like, he's the highest righted tackle available, so
I took him.
Speaker 2 (40:52):
And that's sometimes what you gotta do. In the seventh round,
I was.
Speaker 1 (40:54):
Gonna say, ladies and gentlemen, welcome to pick number two.
Forty two.
Speaker 2 (40:57):
Right, that's what you got.
Speaker 1 (40:58):
It's oftentimes, you know, priority undrafted free agents and guys
that you're like, we don't want even them to have
a chance going somewhere else, to just come here. We're
gonna take you. But that is the caliber of guys
we're looking at. No shots to Jalen Travis, who I'm
sure is gonna be amazing.
Speaker 2 (41:12):
Exactly. There you go.
Speaker 1 (41:14):
So, were there any selections that you made that you
would want to do over at that you felt like
I was kind of on the fence or something that
either Aryan and I did where you're like, nope, yep,
actually I want that. Let's let's do that move.
Speaker 2 (41:28):
I do think that the Mike Green, like being able
to get Mike Green at fifteen, I value that pretty highly.
Speaker 1 (41:36):
Is that kind of where You're not to spoil Wednesday's
podcast in our final predictions, but is that kind of
as you're like circling the drain on this this first
round pick.
Speaker 2 (41:43):
Yeah, if Mike My big thing is if Mike Green
is not there at fifteen, then I'm trading down. If
he's there, I'm probably gonna get him.
Speaker 1 (41:52):
Yeah, I again, I keep kind of coming back to
Mike Keil Williams. I just I could see the whole
thing when you said that, I immediately just started calling
the dogs in my head. So I'm like, for everybody
out there that's like, we want a Georgia play like it.
It makes a lot of sense. I do think he's
gonna be a good player. So if Mike Green's not
on the board, if if there's a little bit of
a run on edge rusher and he is still there,
you know, maybe it's at fifteen, maybe it is at
(42:13):
twenty two. Right, we'll see. But anything else that you
want to say now that it is officially draft week
before we wrap.
Speaker 2 (42:20):
Up, I'm so excited for this draft. I mean, it's
it's gonna be interesting because I don't think, like what
I said off the top, I don't think many people
know exactly what's gonna happen, especially when you're talking about
like quarterback market. Heck, like, we didn't even touch that,
but that's gonna be right. Thank god we don't have
to do that. But I truly do think that this
(42:41):
draft is going It could go any number of ways,
which makes me excited because then there's so much for
us to talk about, and there's so much intrigue and
there's just so many moves that could be made.
Speaker 1 (42:51):
Are we are we actually going to talk face to
face on Draft night or is it only going to
be through Twitter? Are we just gonna be locked in
on Twitter just flying our takes out there as the
draft role along, Probably because that's what I'm saying. You
say it's exciting. I'm like, I just want to be
with the people I know.
Speaker 2 (43:05):
I want to know what other people are thinking as
much as what my own brain is.
Speaker 1 (43:09):
That usually I try to stay as far away from
Twitter as possible.
Speaker 2 (43:12):
But like, no, this is no on Draft night. I'm
so there.
Speaker 1 (43:14):
Let me in, let me in that mosh pit. Yeah cool,
Well that will do it for our podcast today. Thank
you guys so much for listening again, Like subscribe, Like
wherever you're listening to this show, If you like it,
send it to a friend. They can listen to it
at the exact same place. How easy is that? So
thank you guys again. We have just so much more
draft content coming for you all. Stay tuned for that.
(43:35):
It's going to be an awesome week, can't wait. I'm
really excited.
Speaker 2 (43:39):
I think that we should put, like all of these
things that we're talking about, we should link in the
show notes for people to be able to click on
and basically read along with what we're talking about.
Speaker 1 (43:48):
That is a great idea, Jared, you heard the woman,
and that is a great time to also shout out
our producer Jared for today's show. Thank you Tory. I'm
Will McFadden. We will see you guys next time.
Speaker 2 (44:08):
M
Thirty birds. What's up and welcome to another Atlanta Falcons podcast.
I'm your host Will McFadden. Today I am joined, but
be wonderful. Tory nack Laney and Torri it's draft week.
Are excited.
Speaker 2 (00:11):
Yes, I'm very excited. I am ready for the Falcons
to draft an ed Rusher or too, if they want to.
Speaker 1 (00:18):
I've been asking so many people. It's just, you know,
like this time of year, I feel like it's a
great way for me to catch up with people, like
once or twice a year. The draft is always one
of those times when I get friends just kind of
that's a brag across the country, just you know, they
moved away, things like that. Friends, it's a great way
to stay in touch. And every single one of them
is like, man, just tell me that they're going to
(00:38):
take a pass rusher, Like, tell me it's going to
be defense, And yeah, that is I think the prevailing
sentiment across the Falcons fandom at this point. Honestly, like
what I've been telling people that I myself would be
pretty shocked if they didn't go at least defense, right.
I don't know if it's going to be ed Rusher specifically,
but I would be surprised if it's not defense in
the first round. But we're going to talk about all
(01:00):
of those different scenarios today. We had each of us, myself,
Tory and Tarren Locke, had seven round mock drafts come
out last week, so please go read those on the site.
But we're gonna kind of just go through each of
those seven round mock drafts, talk about each of our picks,
the decision making process behind that, and it'll be a
nice little exercise to kick off Draft week. But what
(01:20):
we have coming down the pipe for the rest of
the way. On Tuesday, you will get a Falcons audible
previewing the draft. You'll get you know, Rack Arch and
shocks takes on the draft. Wednesday, we will have each
of our talented Falcons digital hosts sharing their final prediction
for who Atlanta will pick at number fifteen or if
they'll make a trade. And then, of course Thursday, the
draft is here and we will be recapping the first
(01:43):
day of the draft and on into the weekend. So
that's what we've got for you guys all week long.
It's a busy draft week. Tory, you're ready to start
talking about some mock drafts once again.
Speaker 2 (01:53):
Once again, that's all I do this time of year, which, honestly,
I kind of love it because it's been I think
we even talked about it our last podcast about mock
drafts and how fun they can be if you allow
them to be fun. Yeah, I will say I had
a lot of fun doing my seven round mock.
Speaker 1 (02:11):
Yeah?
Speaker 2 (02:11):
Yeah.
Speaker 1 (02:11):
Is there any reason why, Like I know, when you
do your first round mock drafts each week, it's every
team right right, So this time just being able to
focus on the Falcons having a computer simulation kind of
handle all the other teams. Is that better in your mind?
Or do you like the exercise of like I got
to lock into each pick. I'm thirty two different gms.
Here's how I see the board falling, Like where do
(02:33):
you land on the seven round aspect of it versus
the kind of first round aspect.
Speaker 2 (02:38):
I find the seven round so much easier because I
feel like I know this team so much more than
I know you know the thirty two other teams. I
can tell you, although I would argue if anyone wants
to come at me about like my knowledge about what
the other teams need because of how many I've done.
I feel pretty confident that I know the other teams
needs as well and could probably get through at least
(03:01):
the third or fourth round.
Speaker 1 (03:02):
You're like an honorary Las Vegas Raiders. Yeah, yeah, I
definitely everything.
Speaker 2 (03:07):
Yeah, And I think that for it's always just nice
because I've just been looking at so much to really
be able to focus in on just the falcons and
just what they need and just what could happen as
you're going through all seven rounds. So I'm really I
don't know, it was nice to kind of get out
(03:29):
of the hum drum of just doing the first round
for every every single thirty two teams in the league.
Speaker 1 (03:35):
Yeah, but it is important, as you said, like to
know what each of the teams is thinking, what their
needs are, like helps us kind of shape all right,
do you go edge rusher in round one and then
expect a corner to be there in round two? Or
should you flip that and maybe there's gonna be a
run on corners before you can get one in the
second round and where does that tearfall? So having an
understanding of the landscape that you're operating in is just
(03:56):
as important for any of the thirty two gms or
a mock after as anything else. So let's go ahead
and get into our mock drafts. Our seven round mock drafts,
as I mentioned, went up last week on the website,
and Tory, we'll start with yours. In the first round,
you had a trade I did.
Speaker 2 (04:13):
Yeah, I called this. I think I said this on Twitter,
and I think you even said it before this calling
my entire seven round mock draft ambitious. It's incredibly it's
incredibly ambitious, because.
Speaker 1 (04:27):
Everything you do is ambitious.
Speaker 2 (04:29):
Let's just be honest, right, Yeah, we got to set
the bar high.
Speaker 1 (04:31):
Yeah, it's your average state of being. People are on
idol and you're on ambitious exactly.
Speaker 2 (04:35):
So I was going through it, and I honestly, when
I sat down to do it, I was like, I'm
trading away that number fifteen pick. I was like, I
know I'm doing that. I have no doubt I'm doing it.
It was just a matter of how I was going
to do it. I also wanted to find a way
to accrue another second round pick and potentially get a
(04:57):
fifth round pick back. That that was kind of my
prevailing thought as to how I could work through this.
Speaker 1 (05:04):
So add add a second round try to get another
day three. Yeah, preferably a fifth.
Speaker 2 (05:08):
Yes, that was the goal, and I achieved the goal. Now,
whether or not people think that this could actually happen,
that's not what we're doing here. We're not going off
of like, oh, this could one hundred percent happen, because,
as Will and I talked about when we weren't recording,
it's like, you don't see trades like this at all,
with the amount of picks that I have absolutely moving around.
(05:32):
But it's a good thought, I think to maybe not
even look at the trade itself, but the idea of
what it would take for someone to move up and
or you know, what they would be valuing according to
what teams they need to jump over, et cetera, et cetera.
So that's my preamble. But I did have the Falcons
trading away the number fifteen overall pick to the Los
(05:54):
Angeles Chargers. It's a fifteen. The Falcons give up the
they're fifteen overall pick in the first round, and then
I had them giving up their one hundred and eighteenth
pick in the fourth round because of how many more
picks I needed. I feel like I needed to a crew.
Speaker 1 (06:11):
Yeah, so I got to balance the scales.
Speaker 2 (06:13):
Yeah, I had to give the Chargers something.
Speaker 1 (06:15):
You got to give something to get something. That's what
they always tell.
Speaker 2 (06:17):
Me, exactly. So and then the Chargers sent to the Falcons,
and this is their twenty second pick, their fifty fifth
pick in the second round. They're one hundred and twenty
fifth pick in the fourth round. So they essentially go
up in the fourth round by giving away that one
twenty five, one fifty eight in the fifth round, and
one eighty one in the sixth round.
Speaker 1 (06:37):
I you fleeced them, look out, Jim Marbaugh.
Speaker 2 (06:41):
No, The thing is is like I went back and
forth about like whether or not I was gonna do
any combination of the fourth, fifth, and sixth, and I
was just like, you know what, maybe the Chargers are
just sitting there like and this was my reason.
Speaker 1 (06:53):
So it's like drafted Kevin Costner is like, and I'm
taking my first round.
Speaker 2 (06:57):
Pick back exactly and this is my this is my
mock draft.
Speaker 1 (07:02):
I do what I want.
Speaker 2 (07:03):
But the reasoning being is the Chargers, I believe, are
in great need of an offensive weapon, and in this
specific scenario of how things were falling, there were a
lot of offensive guys that were falling off the board
early and which maybe potentially got the Chargers a little
(07:24):
bit like antsy about especially when you look at teams
like the Cardinals at sixteen, the Seahawks at eighteen, and
the Broncos at twenty that all could also use offensive
weapons and would really like someone like a Colston Loveland,
a Matthew Golden, or even a Ted McMillan. So that
was my thought process as to why the Chargers, Like,
(07:47):
why would they be somebody that would want to jump
to fifteen? And so that's what I landed on.
Speaker 1 (07:53):
There's kind of one player here who you didn't And
I think all the players you mentioned Loveland, Golden, and
McMillan make a lot of sense, but Omari and Hanson
is somebody that I've seen mocked to the Broncos a
little bit. So if you're in the AFC West and
the Chargers, you know, like they kind of cobbled together
a run game with Gus Edwards and the like last year,
but I mean, if you are able to add a
(08:14):
player with that kind of juice to that backfield with
Justin Herbert, that would be somebody who I can see
them moving up for if he's still on the board there.
Speaker 2 (08:21):
Yeah, so it was all about kind of where those
offensive players were falling. But people don't care about that.
Speaker 1 (08:28):
Yeah, we're not here for the Chargers in their run game.
Speaker 2 (08:30):
We don't care about that. It's what are the Falcons
going to do? Now? At pick number twenty two? And
I had them going with Mikel Williams from Georgia. And
I think that in this scenario the way that it fell, yes,
Schamar Stewart was still available, I will say that, and
I think that that probably a lot of people out
there would probably be like, what are you doing? Why
(08:52):
are you going Mikel Williams over Shamar Stewart. But as
we've talked about in previous podcast where we were talking
Edge Rusher Group specifically, I feel like I know what
I get with Mikel Williams. I feel like the floor
in the ceiling I can vividly pinpoint with Shamar Stewart.
I feel like, yeah, the ceiling's a lot higher, but
(09:14):
I also feel like the floor could be lower.
Speaker 1 (09:16):
I don't even know if the ceiling is is that
much higher for Shamar Stewart. Like again, I kind of
think the size is incredible, right, But Mikel Williams has
some of the longest arms, maybe the longest arms of
this pass rushing class. Like, he's right there with Shamar Stewart.
He's just as strong. He's just like, So, I get
what you're saying, because I think that the specific size
(09:36):
and physicality of Shamar Stewart will still be a little
bit of an overwhelming trait in the NFL, whereas Michael
Williams fits more of the mold of just like a
good pass rusher, but like Schamar is is kind of
built diff right a little bit. Yeah, So I get
what you're saying now.
Speaker 2 (09:53):
Yeah, And I think it's also important too. Mike Green
was off the board by the time that I got
to number twenty two, so which I think that actually
leads us right into your first round pick. Who was
Mike Green? And you stuck at fifteen. So I want
you to talk a little bit about that.
Speaker 1 (10:09):
I did a stick and pick and I kind of
weighed some of those options, like you said, like do
you want to trade back? Where do you trade back?
Because I do think a lot of those teams in
the twenties want the edge rushers in the corners, right. Yeah.
Speaker 2 (10:23):
Well it's interesting too because I was doing they could either, right,
I was doing my own you know, I did the
seven round mock draft, and then I did mock Draft
seven point zero, which you can go read right now
where I did the first and second round, and I
had the Falcons trading out of the first round and
then trading back into the first round. And the point
of that was to show that the reason you value
(10:44):
I think the reason the Falcons should value an edge
rusher in the first round is because of the teams
that are picking from twenty eight to thirty two. So
you're talking about Kansas City, Detroit, Philadelphia, Washington, Buffalo, You're
talking about those teams. Every single one of those teams
can and probably will if they're on the board, draft
(11:05):
someone off of the defensive front, like along the defensive front.
Those teams, those.
Speaker 1 (11:09):
Five teams, I mean, it's like a Super Bowl arms race.
And you just watched the Philadelphia Eagles light the Chiefs
on fire. Right, It's so if you're trying to win,
you're looking at what they did and said we need that.
Speaker 2 (11:20):
Yeah, and they all are looking for edge rushers in
defensive tackles. So I don't think if you're the Falcons
that you wait around and decide like, oh, I'm going
to get an edge rusher in the early second round
because I don't think the I think the caliber of
edge rusher that is available in the second round is
not the same as what could be available in the
first round. But I feel as though the caliber of
(11:42):
potentially a cornerback or a safety in the early second
round could be similar to what you could get in
the later half of the first round.
Speaker 1 (11:50):
I agree with that. I think, to me, the divider
is that the drop off at corner I kind of
see like four or five corners that I really feel
comfortable with, kind of as as that first round borderline
early second round player, then I feel like there's a
little bit of a drop off there. So the kind
of musical chairs becomes like are you able to get
one of those five and do you feel comfortable enough
(12:12):
that you'll be able to get him at like forty two?
Whereas if I'm looking at like a Braden Swinson or
you know that type of player, could they still be
there at forty two? And maybe I view that drop
off in tear a little bit less in the edge
rusher section. So that's just kind of how I've been
gaming out, but ultimately I was like, let's just go
(12:33):
get a guy. Ye just go get a dog. And
that's what I got in Mike Green. So I stuck
at fifteen. I took Mike Green out of Marshall. He
was I'm a little bit biased having Ben at the
Senior Bowl and like seeing him in person. He was
a player who I just kind of got a little
bit of fore warning on and went and just watched
him the entire time. Loved everything that I saw, Like
you could tell that he thought about every approach he
(12:55):
was going to have one on ones, he wanted to
try something different. He often was successful in doing that
different thing. And so what you saw was a player
who is smart, thinks through what he is doing, but
is tenacious and like violence, violence in the word, and
can win in a bunch of different ways. And it's like, yeah,
I do. I have a little bit of hesitation knowing
(13:17):
that historically Jeff Hilbrick has liked guys with long gar
arms and that is not Mike Green. Necessarily, he likes
length on the defensive line. I don't blame him, because
you're able to control and dictate kind of a lot
of stuff. If you're able to win that battle there.
But when you have a player like Mike Green and
some of the other pieces that Atlanta already has in place,
Zach Harrison, if you want length, go ahead and put
(13:39):
him out there, right, So that allows me, I think,
to just take a pure fireball off the edge. Who
is gonna from day one, I think, step in here
and really make an impact for Atlanta.
Speaker 2 (13:49):
Yeah, I like it, and I think that's honestly, you'll see.
My final mock draft is coming out this week, and
I actually went into the studio and did a whole
show about the mock draft with Taylor Viismore, our studio host,
and that's with no trades. That was the big thing.
I wasn't trading it for that show, and I wasn't
trading for the final mock draft with no trades. To me,
(14:11):
the best option on the board at number fifteen is
Mike Green at that point in time, according to how
the Right. So I am. I'm fully here with you,
I really am. And I know that it's funny because
we're also going to talk a little bit about Tarren
Walks seven round mock draft, and she went with an
addresher as well. I think we all we're all on
(14:33):
the same page, between Mike l Williams, Mike Green, and
Terreen's pick, which is Donovan Azeraku from Boston College. I
think we're all thinking the same way. Now are the
Falcons thinking the same way? We shall see that's the question.
But to the point of Tarran mocking Donovan Azaraku to
(14:54):
the Falcons, she had him going at number fifteen, which
I don't mind. I don't mind. I like watching does
Donovan is Iraku. I like what he provides. I think
we talked about how he's just this like traditional edge wresher.
Speaker 1 (15:09):
Actually, Taren was was kind of like telling me a
little bit about this the other day, and I went
back and rewatched a few games of Donovan Azraku kind
of just as we were talking about it, and I
like him even more kind of coming away from that.
He's he's weirdly agile, like he just puts his foot
in the ground and can cut on a dime, which
is usually something we say about wide receivers, not edge rushers.
(15:31):
He is incredibly long too. I mentioned Michael Williams and
like his lengthy arm. It's just the size, isn't a
Shamar Stewart or even Mikail Williams's he's a little slimmer,
but he is strong. It's just with him, like he
does everything at a at a good to great level.
But I don't know if there's any one thing that
he does at like an elite level. And that's where
as a pass rusher in the NFL, if you're going
(15:53):
up against an offensive tackle that has one elite trait,
could they just maybe like swallow you up with that
elite trait all game? And do you have a real
counter against that? Like that's kind of my question with
as Iraku because he won with a lot of his
technical ability and not a pure like athletic style. So
will that work at the next level.
Speaker 2 (16:13):
I think it's a good question, and that's why I
question the pick. His pick specifically at fifteen. I think
if this is twenty four or twenty five or twenty six,
like I feel very differently about it, because honestly, I'll
be again, I go back to I did the first
and second round, and I told you all I had
for my mock draft seven point zero. I drafted Donovan
(16:36):
is Iraku, and at I believe twenty seven because I
traded completely out, Oh gosh, I could. I traded completely
out of the first round, and then I traded back
with the Bears, and then I traded because they have
two second rounds, so I accrued three total second round picks,
(16:57):
you go. And then I moved back into the first
round to pick twenty seven with the Rams because the
Rams didn't have any second round picks, so I kind
of finagled the board a little bit.
Speaker 1 (17:09):
And the Rams hate first.
Speaker 2 (17:10):
Round and the Rams hate first round picks, so that
was another reason why I was like, I'm they want
to give it away. So that's what I did, And
I picked Donovan Ezeraku at twenty seven or twenty six
whatever the Rams are picking at, and that spot makes
a lot of sense to me.
Speaker 1 (17:29):
It does. But honestly, the way I feel kind of
like in this as we're talking about these pass rushers
and it is really just like a pick your flavor, yeah,
group pick them at fifteen, you know, like it kind
of to me, sure, could you recoup some second round
picks things like that, But if you're sold on a
guy Michael Pennoxs last year, good example, like didn't make
a lot of sense at the time. Right now, that conviction.
(17:50):
It looks like it'll pay off pretty well for Atlanta.
So if you like a guy, you have conviction. It
doesn't really matter what the mock drafts are saying, go
ahead and take him at fifteen. Again, this is not
a draft where it appears that there is just a
bevy of like blue chip guys. It kind of feels
like all things are pretty equal, So go ahead and
get your guy. And then for that reason, it could
(18:12):
be a weird draft where you just see guys going
ten spots earlier or later than you expected.
Speaker 2 (18:17):
That's the thing is, like, I don't think anyone really
knows how this first night is going to go. Yeah,
I really show yeah. And that's what makes this That's
what makes this draft very different I think from years past,
in the last two or three draft cycles. This draft
to me, I mean, you talk about it, it's like
a meat and potatoes draft. They say it's starters over stars,
like so it really is about the way that each
(18:40):
individual team is specifically grading these players, not I think
what the overall consensus of the athletic skills are, but
what each team is highly valuing.
Speaker 1 (18:52):
That's a great point. Did you listen to Dan Burglar
and Daniel Jeremiah on The Athletic Football Show. No not yeah, Okay,
so they kind of were going through I think some
of they're like draft gems, just like the guys outside
of the top but seventy five, I believe, or eighty five.
But they were basically saying the key for this draft
is just come away with starters. Yeah, Like, it's not
a star's draft, as you were saying, it's like, just
(19:12):
come away. If you can come away with three or
four starters on your team, you nailed it. You nailed
this draft. I mean that's obvious to say and much
harder to do, right, But let's let's hope the Falcons
can do that, and let's have it happen in the
second round right here. So we're moving on. In ar
mock drafts, I did a second round trade, so I
(19:33):
avoided a first round trade. I again just kind of
thought that the value of getting a player of the
caliber of Mike Green or Jane Walker or any of
these guys kind of in that top fifteen range made
more sense. So in the second round, I look to
move back a little bit and this, this to me,
is more like a trade that I think we'll see
commonly that it's not to say that your trade can't happen.
Speaker 2 (19:55):
It is a lot of picks. I get that ambitious.
Speaker 1 (19:57):
It's ambitious, ambitious, and.
Speaker 2 (20:00):
Even no one puts me in the war room.
Speaker 1 (20:02):
So and IVE got a teams on draft night. I don't. Yeah,
ambitious some applies to some things. But like there's a
caution out there as well. So I moved back only
three spots. I sent pick number forty six and pick
number two eighteen and the seventh round to the Cincinnati
Bengals to drop back to pick number forty nine, and
I got back a fourth round pick, pick number one nineteen,
(20:23):
So I'm going back to back in the fourth round,
I got one eighteen and one to nineteen.
Speaker 2 (20:26):
Nice.
Speaker 1 (20:27):
I like having that. Yeah, And the Bengals came up
jumped up ahead of the Arizona Cardinals or no, sorry
not actually it may have been the Cardinals, but I
had them written down for a different reason here. Anyway,
they jumped up. They got a pass rusher Landon Jackson,
who I actually feel like that made sense because then
a couple pass rushers went there. So in my fantasy
like scenario, they made a move with a purpose that
(20:49):
fourth round was well earned. So it's ours now.
Speaker 2 (20:53):
You're like, I'm justifying this move.
Speaker 1 (20:55):
Yes, And at pick forty nine, I was able to
snag my guy in this draft, Maxwell Harriston. I doubt
that he'll be there at forty nine. Yeah, Like I
think he'll be a fringe first rounder, could be like
the first player on Day two, could be like that
Cooper Dejen. Yeah, kind of scenario with him. But I
think he plays zone really well. He I was debating
between he and Chevon Revel, who I also really like,
(21:17):
but I've viewed Revel as more of a man corner.
I've vie Hairston is more of a playmaking zone corner,
and in this defense, I think Harston fits a little
bit more. He comes in immediately competes with the Alford
and my cues, and you kind of can just get
your best five out there in the secondary.
Speaker 2 (21:32):
Yeah. So I also went secondary in the second round.
So if y'all remember in my trade in the first round,
I picked up a second second round pick. So I
have pick number forty six and I have pick number
fifty five in the second round, and I think that
we I mean, I don't know, I think we probably
were on the same page in terms of I felt
(21:56):
like I told I said about that run on defensive
lineman an edge dreshers in the final five picks of
the first round. Well, then there's also these like teams
at the top of the second round that I think
could continue to value the trenches, whether it be offensive
line or defensive line. And so in both it's interesting
(22:17):
in both of our scenarios that two cornerbacks that people
have kind of sort of been mocking in the first
round are falling into the second round. Yours, Maxwell Harrison,
Mine Trey Amos from Ole miss and.
Speaker 1 (22:30):
Who I like like we both like having both of
these players. And I was excited when I saw that
you went with tre Amos because it's like I could
see either of these guys exactly.
Speaker 2 (22:38):
That was my whole thing, is I was when I
saw that he was available. I was like, to me,
that's at that point in time, that's the best player available.
And also kind of kill two birds with one stone.
You can bring in someone like a Trey Amos and
he can fit into where you need him to be. Yes,
And I really liked, I really liked the opportunity to
(23:03):
bring in somebody who has played in a multitude of systems.
This is somebody who you know Alabama, Old Miss, et cetera,
et cetera, but played for different different defensive coordinators. He's
played press zone, off man like he has been able
to showcase that he can do a little bit of everything. Yeah,
(23:23):
and he's swaggy too.
Speaker 1 (23:25):
He just like plays with a demeanor on the field
that I'm like, I don't know if it's a powder
blues or what, but like he just looks cool out
there on the field.
Speaker 2 (23:33):
Yeah, and I just think that he's on an upward
trajectory I do. I feel like, and that's somebody that
I would be willing to put a number forty six
overall pick in. So I went with Trey Hamos at
number forty six.
Speaker 1 (23:44):
He was the first prospect I watched during this draft cycle. Yeah,
first tape and I was like, this guy's a first
round Like, I was like, this is the best corner
in this class.
Speaker 2 (23:52):
You're like, I've watched no one, but I believe that.
Speaker 1 (23:53):
So I love Yeah, I love that pick.
Speaker 2 (23:55):
And then for my second second round pick, a number
fifty five, I went with safety Xavier Watts from Notre Dame,
and so I really valued secondary players in that second
round pick. No pun intended. And the more I'll say this,
the more I have watched Xavier Watts play, the more
I like what I see, and the more I think
(24:18):
that someone like him and his skill set, I said
that it was a bit more. His skill set, to me,
is a bit more layered than it is specific at
the safety position, which I think sometimes is what you
want at the safety position. He's to the same point
of what I said before. He's somebody who has done
a little bit of everything from rover linebacker to free safety,
(24:40):
and I do think that he has production that's incredibly
valued at the college level. And also we talk about
character and the makeup, and that's something that Terry Fonnos
said from the get go. Falcons ethos like they want
players who fit the makeup of what they want in
the locker room, and that's someone like an Xavier Watts.
(25:02):
Because everything I've read about this guy is that he
is everything that you would want as a leader in
your secondary and I think the idea of especially considering
we don't really know what's going to pan out with
DeMarco Helms, he is trending back, Rahemora said that he'll
be available for voluntary OTAs and manatory minichamp and all
that kind of stuff, But is he going to progress
(25:26):
quick enough to be a starter alongside Jesse Bates? And
I think that bringing someone in like an Xavier Watts
would be a really really nice way to one add competition,
but also to kind of level up what the safety
room looks like to go along with someone who's already
at a top level in Jesse.
Speaker 1 (25:43):
Yeah, this is again I think starting with the character side,
Like it seems like the Notary Damn program right now
is just filled with great dudes kind of doing the
right doing it the right way, playing football a high level,
being taught the right stuff. So yes, I think that
he fits from a character standpoint what they have not
only like brought in in free agency, but like what
(26:05):
they've drafted. You think about their first round draft picks,
I mean John Robinson like universally loved, You're.
Speaker 2 (26:12):
A better person than exactly.
Speaker 1 (26:13):
An amazing personality. So it's like they that is the
type of people they have drafted. But then DeMarco Helms,
like I view him almost as like that Kevin king
Roll that they were starting to view it is like
that box safety but kind of a hybrid nickel linebacker.
Speaker 2 (26:27):
And in dime.
Speaker 1 (26:28):
Yeah, and when you look at what we're talking about
with their linebackers and edge rushers, right, it's a lot
of attacking. You know, if we if they draft Jalen Walker, right,
we're saying sen k nellis send Jalen Walker on every play,
let's go. So you leave a vacancy there at that
second level. Having a safety who is able to really
roll down and be malleable helps you in that regard
(26:48):
because maybe you feel like we can replace that second
level defender easily with the guy at the third level
and you kind of can play there, and we know
Jesse can do it all, so right, exactly, you're good
on the back ends if he's out there solo coverage.
Really quickly, Let's look at Tarren. She also had a
second round trade, so she traded pick number forty six
to the Denver Broncos. Also a little bit of a
jump back, so number fifty one is what she got
(27:11):
back from Denver, and then picked up pick number one
twenty two in the fourth round, so she was she
got away with only giving one pick up for that,
she's a shrewd negotiator. I just get bullied left and
right by other general managers. So with that trade back,
she went with shabon Ravel. Yeah, so again we're like,
we're thinking pass rusher, we're thinking corner. There's a little
(27:31):
bit of group think maybe going on here.
Speaker 2 (27:33):
But it's okay because I have last week.
Speaker 1 (27:35):
We've been talking about this all for three months.
Speaker 2 (27:37):
That's true. And also I'll say this, like in my
second round seven mock draft seven point zero where I
went through the second round, I had the Falcons taking
a defensive tackle, so I prioritize defensive.
Speaker 1 (27:50):
Which I think that's a fair like, that's a totally
fair possibility.
Speaker 2 (27:54):
Right, So I think like, yes, all of us for
our seven round monks did kind of be like, oh,
we're valuing the corner. But I think it honestly was
probably how everything fell for us. And whereas with the uh,
the mock drafts that I do for Georgia Power, they
those are a bit more by my discretion. Yeah, and
I'm picking and choosing these I think are a bit
(28:14):
more like where do we think some of these simulators
are falling?
Speaker 1 (28:17):
Yes, And there was one Darius Alexander player out of Toledo, defensive.
I really like him. I kind of feel like he's
under the radar. But he was another player at the
Senior boll that popped. He was on the board. I
thought about taking him, but again, I just think the
corner if you can double up there, impactful. All right,
let's move on. You have a trade in the third round.
So you had your third round pick, and well we'll
(28:37):
have to kind of move quicker here into the Day
two and Day three, but you want to run down
that trade for us.
Speaker 2 (28:43):
Yeah, So this is another very ambitious trade with a
lot of picks going a lot of different places. So
the Atlanta Falcons sent to the New York Giants in
the fifth round one e one Vita the Chargers in
the sixth round two eighteen seventh round two forty two,
seventh round. I'm getting rid of seven.
Speaker 1 (29:01):
So laughed when I saw this because I was like, man,
Tory was like, all right, got I love my roster.
I drafted three all pros. Now in time get rid
of some Day three picks.
Speaker 2 (29:10):
Literally, I have said from go I don't want those
seventh rounders. If we're picking in the seventh rounder, I'm
just just put me in the podcast studio and I'll
just stay here.
Speaker 1 (29:19):
You don't even know what the words mister irrelevant mean.
Speaker 2 (29:21):
No, I.
Speaker 1 (29:24):
Get out of here. Relevant guys in this building.
Speaker 2 (29:26):
Yeah, So I'm getting rid of those seventh rounders, and
then I'm also giving up a future fourth and a
sixth round pick in order. It's a lot, I know,
in order to get the ninety ninth pick in the
third round and the one hundred and fifty fourth pick
in the fifth round. So with the third round pick
at number ninety nine, I got defensive tackle Ty Robinson
(29:46):
from Nebraska. This dude is huge, and I really I
was going back and forth as to kind of like
what I was going to be valuing, and I couldn't
get out of the back of my head. You've gotta
go defensive tackle, like you've got to. It's some a
guy that could really Pairallell with the young core that
you already have in Rucu Roo, Brandon Dourlist, Zak Harrison,
(30:08):
and Ty Robinson, even though he doesn't have I think
the all of the traits that you would want. I
think that his one his size, he's a giant human
being along with I think the toughness of which he
plays with. I would rather have someone who's giving me
one hundred and twenty percent over and over than maybe
(30:29):
an extra added like two inches in their arms, which
maybe is I don't know, maybe that that's not how
other people think, but that's how I think. If I
can get someone who I know is going to go
out there and just like absolutely give it their all
every single play, Okay, I'm fine with that.
Speaker 1 (30:46):
Yeah, I've then he He is somebody who just immediately
makes my brain start like churning with analogies. I'm like,
who do I want to camp this guy to? Because
it could be a fun co I think like the thing,
like the Fastic Fantastic four sabouts come out he did
this year, Like the thing is almost just what I think,
Like he is made of rock and just runs through
dudes like he is like a bull in a not
(31:07):
even a china shop, just like wherever else bowls like
to roam. I guess I'd nail that metaphor. But he
got me thinking back to cause like the Rams and
even the Panthers. Weirdly, I've just noticed that they'll usually
have like one of these just big, strong white dudes
right in the middle of their defensive line. Yeah, and
that is kind of I think he's gonna have like
(31:28):
a twelve year career because he's just gonna be impossible
to move there in the middle and be just a
real tough like just afternoon for whoever's there, they're gonna
just feel it. They're gonna come home, their kids are
gonna be like, let's play, and it's like I can't
even move right now. I just got tossed around all afternoon.
Like that is how I think Ty Robinson's career is
(31:51):
gonna pan out. So if you're adding him in the
third round to kind of like replace Grady Jarrett, totally
different player, but put him in there with David Onniamaida
like Tekwon Graham, let them be this the one gappers
and you've got somebody here who just bullies people. I
love that.
Speaker 2 (32:04):
Yeah. Yeah, So that was my third I got us
back in the third round. I know you, I know
Taran didn't get back in the third round. Did you
get back in the third round?
Speaker 1 (32:12):
No, No, I just got I got an extra fourth
round pick, so I got two in the fourth.
Speaker 2 (32:16):
Okay, let's move on. Let's move on to the fourth round.
Then all right, cool, do you want me to go first?
Do you want to go first?
Speaker 1 (32:21):
Why don't you go first? Well, you got picked one
twenty five, so let's we'll do. We'll start with uh
with tarn and I because we still are one to eighteen. Yes,
So in the fourth round of pick one eighteen, I
went with Savion Jones, the LSU edge rusher. He is
long and strong, can push the pocket. Again, an urgent,
violent player comes from a big time program, so there's
(32:44):
I think upside there. His he doesn't feel like a
player who's been fully unlocked, and I think if you
bring him in a rotational role, which again fourth rounder,
day three, it's kind of what you're thinking. Anyway, He's
got the tools to work with to become a good
NFL player, he's just not there yet. Yeah, but I
know he's six five, two eighty like, it's exactly what
you would want. So we're just kind of adding more depth,
(33:05):
throwing a lot of stuff at the wall. See what
sticks there. In the fourth round, and then with my
very next pick at pick one nineteen, I went wide receiver.
I went with Tory Horton out of Colorado State, who
is kind of slender the knocks against him or just
kind of like press coverage. Can he get off of
like a really physical corner and win free. But outside
of that, like he's really savvy. Think like Laqwan Treadwell
(33:28):
if he actually had NFL speed. Okay, no, no shots
still Lakwan, but like he came out and was so
productive at all miss because of his just savviness. He
was almost like Larry Fitzgerald or in gumbole like just
route running over the middle, make these catches, make nice moves,
Like that's Tory Horton, which is more speed, so he's
got downfield ability. I'm thinking, you know, Drake is in
the slot, Darnell and Tory Horton are on the outside.
(33:49):
You know Ray Ray kind of moving around. So if
we're adding another receiver, which I kind of think they
should at some point, whether that's the draft or just
a free agent afterwards, this is the type of player
that I think you could add a possession receiver with
speed and savvy kind of right away, he seems like
the perfect fit in the Rams offense. You know, like
Josh Reynolds kind of role where you forget about him
(34:09):
and then it's like Damn, there's a twenty eight yard catch.
So those were my two fourth round picks. Tarren really
quickly she had a pair of fourth round picks as well,
so onhen eighteen, she went with edge Femi Oladejo, who
I love. He's a former linebacker who is kind of converted,
only played like ten games last year for UCLA at
edge rusher, but he is an He just is focused
(34:31):
on getting past dudes. He's like, I know my goal.
Somebody told me to get to the quarterback, and that
is what I am hell bent on doing. And so
I like Fami Oladi as a little prospect, developmental prospect.
And then she went with center and into your offensive
lineman totally on the table as well, I think for
Atlanta Seth McLaughlin out of Ohio State, because Drew Dolman,
(34:53):
of course, is with the Chicago Bears, and Ryan Neuzol
remains a free agent, even though the Falcons I think
tentatively have him kind of planned.
Speaker 2 (35:01):
Yeah, So I also went with a center in the
fourth round at pick number one, twenty five, but I
went with Drew Kendall out of Boston College. And it's
funny because I didn't mean for this to happen. But
it's like your place one Drew who has a pretty
successful offensive line father, who was drafted in the fourth
round with another Drew who had a pretty successful offensive
(35:22):
line father in the fourth round. I didn't mean to
do that.
Speaker 1 (35:26):
It was funny that that's crazy.
Speaker 2 (35:29):
Crazy wow, But no, I I like the idea. I
know I said from go and Will and I joke
about this all the time. I know I said from go,
I'm not picking an offensive player in this draft. That
was when they only had five picks, and two of
which were seventh rounders. You had to value. I had
to value defensive players so highly in those first three
(35:51):
picks that I wasn't going to budge on going and
getting an offensive tackle or center or receiver. But now
that I've accrued more picks from my swift trading, you
know I was willing to take a center, specifically, because
I think that you can get quality centers in the
third day of the draft and they turn into something
(36:14):
for you. Drew Dolmen is an example. But I also
think that in order for you to feel good about
the position, you need to bring in significant competition for
Ryan Noosel, even if he's your guy bringing in competition
to see how far you can push it and what
ultimately works best for your offense and your offensive line.
Speaker 1 (36:34):
I mean you you can, you can try to justify
flip flopping any way that you want. I just what
I'm hearing is that you're not a woman of your word.
You went back on you went back on your no
offense stance so long.
Speaker 2 (36:46):
If that's the case, then everything I've because I've done
so many of these, everything I've said is a lie.
Speaker 1 (36:51):
Like you know, just work yourself into corners left and right.
Speaker 2 (36:53):
Every single thing I've done can be a lie.
Speaker 1 (36:56):
No, I think I think you're Kendel. It makes a
lot of sense, and I think, you know, pairing him
with Chris Lenstrom, another Boston college guy, makes a lot
of sense there as well. So we're thinking offense maybe
early day three, good chance to continue to add defensive depth.
But you have a fifth rounder, which I don't believe
tarn or I have. So our next picks are in
(37:18):
the seventh round. Yeah.
Speaker 2 (37:19):
So I got a fifth round back pick four, and
I ended up going with edge Jared Ivy.
Speaker 1 (37:24):
I love this.
Speaker 2 (37:26):
So Jared Ivy is a local guy, and I actually
covered his recruiting before he committed to Georgia Tech. And
I remember even back then him being a high school
student coming out of I believe Alpharetta, he No North Gwinnette,
North Guinnette. He was someone who's length immediately jumped off
(37:47):
the type and we talk about these long linebacker edge
rushers that someone like a Jeff Ulbrick values. That to
me is Jared Ivy. The length of which he plays
with and he's even added surprisingly as long as I
felt like he wasn't in high school. He's added weight
and length is what it feels like in his game.
(38:09):
And I think on it, and this was something that
I really liked to play around with, the idea of
him partnering someone or learning from someone like Leonard Floyd
who has that long and lengthy almost length and he's
had to learn how to use it at the professional level.
I think someone like Jared Ivy could benefit from learning
(38:29):
behind someone like a Leonard Floyd. So that was my
justification for Jared Ivy at pick one fifty four.
Speaker 1 (38:36):
Yeah, No, I love this pick. I think that he
is absolutely the type of player that you target on
Day three. A little bit like the Savean Jones said
I was talking about with the length, and for those
who may not be aware, like really quickly, the reason
length is important as an edge rusher is allows you
to maybe make first contact with an offensive lineman, so
you can dictate how that battle is more likely to go.
(38:57):
You can keep them off of them kind of a
long arm as you rush the arc. So it is beneficial.
Speaker 2 (39:02):
Also setting the edge in exactly.
Speaker 1 (39:04):
And it's like why people are freaking out about Will
Campbell as an offensive lineman prospect because he's got short arms,
which is like the opposite side of that coin. You
don't want to lose those battles to the long edge rushers.
So for those of you that already knew all of that,
and you're like, Will shut up, I got it. Sorry, apologize,
we're back on track. So that was your final pick
in your your draft because you just launched all of
(39:24):
your day three picks passed round five into the sun,
Taran and I did not do that. We're hanging around,
we're finishing the race here. So with pick number two,
forty two, I went with safety Malachi more similar kind
of thought process. He is much more of a box safety, obviously,
being a seventh round pick, He's limited athletically, but he
is fearless. He just runs downhill, he makes tackles. So
(39:48):
thinking special teams, thinking, you know, injuries do happen on
a game day. You need somebody to go in there
in the fourth quarter right and play some important minutes.
Like at least I have not seen from him anything
on tape that makes me think he will be scared
in that moment played at Alabama, played with Brian Branch,
played like a similar role as Brian Branch. So again
in today's NFL, that hybrid kind of joker move all
(40:11):
around safety role is important, and I think he would
he would fill that role.
Speaker 2 (40:15):
So and Tarn actually also had the Falcons drafting Malachi
More with the two hundred and eighteenth pick in the
seventh round. So you'll both through Look at you.
Speaker 1 (40:24):
Guys, I flippedabs. See I knew that she I actually
picked Malachai More partially because of her safety, like the
safeties that Atlanta could take in the in each round.
Yeah things, So she clued me in on him. Not
surprised to see her also take Malachai More here and
then she'll finish this off at pick two forty two,
Tarn had a offensive tackle, Jalen Travis out of Iowa State. Honestly,
(40:48):
she was like, he's the highest righted tackle available, so
I took him.
Speaker 2 (40:52):
And that's sometimes what you gotta do. In the seventh round,
I was.
Speaker 1 (40:54):
Gonna say, ladies and gentlemen, welcome to pick number two.
Forty two.
Speaker 2 (40:57):
Right, that's what you got.
Speaker 1 (40:58):
It's oftentimes, you know, priority undrafted free agents and guys
that you're like, we don't want even them to have
a chance going somewhere else, to just come here. We're
gonna take you. But that is the caliber of guys
we're looking at. No shots to Jalen Travis, who I'm
sure is gonna be amazing.
Speaker 2 (41:12):
Exactly. There you go.
Speaker 1 (41:14):
So, were there any selections that you made that you
would want to do over at that you felt like
I was kind of on the fence or something that
either Aryan and I did where you're like, nope, yep,
actually I want that. Let's let's do that move.
Speaker 2 (41:28):
I do think that the Mike Green, like being able
to get Mike Green at fifteen, I value that pretty highly.
Speaker 1 (41:36):
Is that kind of where You're not to spoil Wednesday's
podcast in our final predictions, but is that kind of
as you're like circling the drain on this this first
round pick.
Speaker 2 (41:43):
Yeah, if Mike My big thing is if Mike Green
is not there at fifteen, then I'm trading down. If
he's there, I'm probably gonna get him.
Speaker 1 (41:52):
Yeah, I again, I keep kind of coming back to
Mike Keil Williams. I just I could see the whole
thing when you said that, I immediately just started calling
the dogs in my head. So I'm like, for everybody
out there that's like, we want a Georgia play like it.
It makes a lot of sense. I do think he's
gonna be a good player. So if Mike Green's not
on the board, if if there's a little bit of
a run on edge rusher and he is still there,
you know, maybe it's at fifteen, maybe it is at
(42:13):
twenty two. Right, we'll see. But anything else that you
want to say now that it is officially draft week
before we wrap.
Speaker 2 (42:20):
Up, I'm so excited for this draft. I mean, it's
it's gonna be interesting because I don't think, like what
I said off the top, I don't think many people
know exactly what's gonna happen, especially when you're talking about
like quarterback market. Heck, like, we didn't even touch that,
but that's gonna be right. Thank god we don't have
to do that. But I truly do think that this
(42:41):
draft is going It could go any number of ways,
which makes me excited because then there's so much for
us to talk about, and there's so much intrigue and
there's just so many moves that could be made.
Speaker 1 (42:51):
Are we are we actually going to talk face to
face on Draft night or is it only going to
be through Twitter? Are we just gonna be locked in
on Twitter just flying our takes out there as the
draft role along, Probably because that's what I'm saying. You
say it's exciting. I'm like, I just want to be
with the people I know.
Speaker 2 (43:05):
I want to know what other people are thinking as
much as what my own brain is.
Speaker 1 (43:09):
That usually I try to stay as far away from
Twitter as possible.
Speaker 2 (43:12):
But like, no, this is no on Draft night. I'm
so there.
Speaker 1 (43:14):
Let me in, let me in that mosh pit. Yeah cool,
Well that will do it for our podcast today. Thank
you guys so much for listening again, Like subscribe, Like
wherever you're listening to this show, If you like it,
send it to a friend. They can listen to it
at the exact same place. How easy is that? So
thank you guys again. We have just so much more
draft content coming for you all. Stay tuned for that.
(43:35):
It's going to be an awesome week, can't wait. I'm
really excited.
Speaker 2 (43:39):
I think that we should put, like all of these
things that we're talking about, we should link in the
show notes for people to be able to click on
and basically read along with what we're talking about.
Speaker 1 (43:48):
That is a great idea, Jared, you heard the woman,
and that is a great time to also shout out
our producer Jared for today's show. Thank you Tory. I'm
Will McFadden. We will see you guys next time.
Speaker 2 (44:08):
M
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