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Speaker 1: Actually my comparison for him last year when I thought he was coming out was kind of like a little undersized Chad Pennington, who was actually my comparison for him. I just actually just thought about that as I'm on a jetshell.
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Speaker 2: It's NFL Combine week and our draft coverage is kicking into high gear with Yahoo's Nate Tights. We're talking the Jets landscape in round one, some trade scenarios, and which prospects are elevating your stocks. Now boarding begins in three two one. Nate, Let's start right here at the top. Let's do a mock draft. You have the Jets number two overall selection. Who should the Green and White tank?
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Speaker 1: Oh man, I think they have to go defensively, and I don't want to overthink it. Just go RVL Reese from Ohio State. We had, you know, mock drafts. We kind of been rotating which defensive player we've been plopping on the Jets and really how it leads to that way. This is an interesting draft class where there's a lot a lot of the best, or maybe not the positions that you usually associate with maybe a top prospect or they're the top prospects all have maybe a little bit of a blemish that maybe wouldn't put him up in the top five or a top ten in a typical draft. But Reese is not one of those players. This is just a very very good and very dynamic defensive player. Obviously, the Jets traded away a few of their dynamic defensive players very recently. It's not a one for one replacement of Quinn Williams or Sauce Gardner. But it is a guy that you can build around, and a creative defensive coordinator can really unlock him. But I do think he is scheme proof in the sense that he fits in a lot. And also this is a compliment to what the Jets do have. I think they have a very young, talented offensive line. I think they have an interesting receiving room with Wilson and Mitchell. That also, there's not like a receiver at two that I would I could justify taking for the Jets there. So I think this is also it's kind of an Okham's razor pick, just the simplest one the best player at a position of that is going to be a need, and it's a dynamic player worth building brown, So I would go with the RBL Reese from Ohio State, just because of how dynamic player he is.
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Speaker 2: What separates him from a Ruben Bain or a David Bailey or a Caleb Downs, some of the top defensive prospects in this draft class.
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Speaker 1: Downs, I'll start with him. His teammate's kind of a back seven version of Reese. For he's he can line up in a few spots and impact the game. He's just a It's a safety, which is a particular player in a maybe a better defensive situation or a different defensive situation I like better. I still think defensive play and really offensive player really and personnel and team building to start with the trenches and Reese is an off ball linebacker, but he could play on the edge, and he can be used in multiple different ways, So Aaron Glenn calling plays if they want to change up how they use the scheme. He can live in man coverage, he can live as a blitzer. He can live as an edge rusher if they want to go in those looks, which a lot of teams do with their off ball linebacker. Compared to a guy like Bain, Bain has is, I think a very good player just has a couple size things, his arm length is could be a big discussion where I think he's going to be a lot of good where he's good against the run and good against the pass. Where Reese I think has more excellent to his game just a next half pick above, a little bit more dynamic as a player. And then even guys like David Bailey from Texas Tech. I think David Bailey, I appreciate what he is as a pass rusher. He's going to be deficient as a run defender in the NFL, and I think the Jets, who already have Will McDonald on their team already kind of have that type. I think Bailey's a little bit better as a prospect, but that's the same type of player what they call a DPR designated pass rusher. While a guy like Reese is on the field every single snap can impact the game ways that don't affect the box score always. But the fact that he can, no matter what the scheme is, no matter what his task is as assignment, could be a plus player. That's more exciting to me.
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Speaker 2: How much does position depth their strengths in this draft class half to factor in the equation for GM Darren Mugi when he turns in that draft card at number two overall, if he indeed makes that selection there as far as hey, I do have a pick fourteen selections later.
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Speaker 1: Oh, I absolutely does, because you I think even now being on the media side, I've done so many mock drafts, and I do so many mock drafts, but actually there are a great learning assignment. It's a nice little homework for me because then you start seeing when the runs happen at positions, and I think, like the receiver run will start happening in the teens. I think the corner run will start happening maybe right as we get to like pick eight, and then and then we might get a little squeeze from eight to twenty on corners, and then after that then it kind of goes away. Offensive tackles I think are going to start going off the board more more commonly, like the late teens into the twenties might change, you know, as we see as the combine's about to happen, guys might get boost up just a little bit. But oh, those runs absolutely matter. The depth of these positions absolutely matter. Obviously, quarterback is the number one literally with Mendoza, but also there's none after that, So that changes everybody's equation. But you look at other position like receivers, there's a lot of depth at receiver. There's a lot of depth at edge different flavors too. There's a lot of depth that defensive tackle, more in the weight first round again into the early second. So that's where I think the Jets are in a position where they could start a run if that makes sense, at a position where they can kind of maybe get that first or second selection at where the position they deem they want to take in the teams.
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Speaker 2: Yeah, your colleague at Yahoo, Charles McDonald, picked a receiver for the Jets at number sixteen overall. Do you think ultimately you could see that happening as well? And how do you separate these top three guys?
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Speaker 1: Oh a receiver, yeah, oh man, that's oh man. I would even go four. It's it's okay, well go well for me, My number one is Carneal Tate. But I have these guys squeeze really tight. There's not like a big They're grade is the same more or less as far as how I do greates. So I have Carnel Tate as one. He has a lot of Reggie Wayne to his game that I really like. He's long, he's got great ball scales. Number two to me is Denzel Boston from Washington, because that's a true X, and a true X is a six to four guy can win isolated. He was their punt returner. He's not going to be an all crazy yat guy with the ball in his hands, but he's a red zone weapon. And it's not just oh he's six y four and he can do it. It's like no on film there. He is coming down with the ball, dunking on guys, good players too. I just I don't know what his actual ceiling is, but to me, it's like, this guy is at worst a number a really good number two in your offense, and maybe a sneaky number one. And then number three to me is Jordan Tyson from Arizona State who has injured probably every cl possible. But he's very twitchy. He has some similarities to Garrett Wilson, maybe a little bit bigger as far as play style, twitchiness, there's some similarities there. And then four to me is Makaya Lemon from USC. I have a little bit more qualms with him than some other people I think do I won't really want to see what combine measurements are because I think he's a little undersized and I think he's a slot only type player. And just like continuing conversation we just had with Reese, it's about how many plays you can impact, especially at receiver, and if I have to have if you have limitations, to me, oh, we have to put you in the slot. We can't line you up outside. We have to put you in motion. That dings you in my brain and how I evaluate guys. So that's how I look at the top four. Casey Concepcion from Texas, A and M would probably five. And I mean there's a lot of receivers on Day two as well, but those are the five to me that I could see being as top thirty players.
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Speaker 2: I'll call it. As far as a draft is concerned, how do you view a non premium position like running back? And how should the Jets specifically look at a guy like Jeremiah Love who's a threat to take the ball to the house every time he touches it. And a lot of people Nate as you know, are saying, hey, this guy's a top prospect overall for me, Oh.
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Speaker 1: Yeah, he's a top five guy. To me too, it is hard sometimes to talk out both sides your mouth when you're talking to big board and where they go in the mock. It's just that the floor is so high for running backs now. As far as that's when people say running backs don't matter, that is not true at all. We're seeing how impactful running backs can be. Running Backs just have to be able to have real value. You have to be on the field for every down you're talking about and packing downs, pass protection, receiving back. But I always think it's fascinating with guys like safety or running back, like how you value them. It's certain teams it's just like, yeah, go for it. And then like the Raiders last year taking Genty, I thought that was a terrible pick. But if a couple picks later someone took Genty, I would have not squinted at it as much because it's just the team makeup and what you're intending to do. So yeah, it's kind of I would say, ee the beholder, it's situation of the beholder a little bit for running backs.
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Speaker 2: They let's do a little wheels up, wheels down and talk about some of these prospects where you think their stock is headed. Sunny Styles from Ohio State, the impressive linebacker.
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Speaker 1: Yeah, oh up, Wheels way up. Yeah, he's just awesome player. This is a great linebacker class. I already talked about Reese, who's kind of his own thing. But then Styles is what you want a modern off ball linebacker to be. And I think he'll if he does test, he'll test well. His size will be good at the combine as well. But his stock's going up. I think the league likes him. I think Twitter analysts like him as well. I like him. He is a top fifteen pick to me, and I think that's going to happen too. So yeah, Wheels way up, stock up, however you want to put it. Sunny Styles, very good player.
00:09:32
Speaker 2: How about a safety from Toledo, Emmanuel McNeil Warren, a guy was a playmaker on the collegiate level.
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Speaker 1: Yeah, it's up. His stock is up to me, I've seen kind of both kind of like where his stock range is, and I might be the middle guy on him. I view him as maybe like just ballparking a prospect like range twenty six to thirty five, kind of range late first, early second, twenty to forty. We can call it. That's how I view him. But his stock is up, and I think he's going to test well if he tests. And I don't know where Toledo keeps finding these guys, but you know, Quinn and Mitchell stepped on like he was playing from Alabama. He goes to Philly and it was just like, wow, okay, great, But I think where he has the size and the speed that someone's going to fall in love with him. And I kind of sometimes you read between the lines for how other national people are talking about certain guys. It's kind of like, Okay, this guy has some hype, so I asked to be coming from somewhere, a team or something. So his stock is up. Wheels are up for him.
00:10:33
Speaker 2: You were down in Mobile, Alabama at the Senior Bowl. What did you see from Garrett nuss Meyer? And is he a guy who potentially is raising up draft boards right now?
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Speaker 1: He is because nuts Meyer has been a known quantity for a little bit. It was last year even he was battling for me for quarterback one until he went back to school with cam Ward. He's older, he's a little undersized, and and he's been hurt. He could be a little reckless. With the ball sometimes as far as like how aggressive he is, but I still really like him, so I just want to get the negatives out of the way. He's a guy that I've joked with Dan Brugler from The Athletic, who covers the draft, does an amazing job when we talk about Nuss Bayer Is. He's a guy we keep waving away redflex. Oh he's undersized, that's fine, it's fine, it's fine. He got hurt, it's fine, it's fine, it's fine, it's fine. He didn't start till his junior it's fine, it's fine, it's fine. He's older for his year. It's fine, it's fine. It's just because when you watch him, he was he was so banged up this year. Their offensive line was bad this year at LSU. The coach got fired, the receivers were not what you think of LSU receivers, and he's just surviving and playing. He gets banged up, which again brings up his size limitations, but then he has a senior Bowl that it's like, if you're optimistic about him, that's exactly what you wanted to see. He's a coach's kid, he's tough, he's a decent scrambler, like I would say, in above average, above average athlete who can just get the simple yards of simple first downs. But I actually my comparison for him last year when I thought he was coming out was kind of like a little undersized Chad Pennington. Wow, was actually my comparison for him. I just actually just thought about that as on a Jets show. So actually, yeah, so kind of like a smaller version of that. Chad was a little bigger than I think people realized, and but just kind of placed out accurate, pushing the ball. Knows what he is a little bit not an overwhelming athlete, but okay, gets the ball out quick. Coaches, kid, there's a lot of comparison. I have him what I call a late second or early third round grade. He'll be around that kind of player fifty range. But him and Tie Simpson from Alabama, I kind of have grouped the same and that kind of range right now.
00:12:41
Speaker 2: Well, you just made him more intriguing for me. I got to watch some more film on an us because Pennington, I'll tell you what, coming.
00:12:48
Speaker 1: Out one of my favorites ever. I love Chad Bennington.
00:12:54
Speaker 2: How about Caleb Banks from Florida? He is a guy did not play a lot of games last year with injured and then he goes to mobile and he looks unstoppable and he's got this athleticism for being such a monstrous specimen.
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Speaker 1: Yeah, he's I think he had thirty five inch arms, which is nothing to sneeze at, huge hands. Banks is one of these guys. He's hard to grade for me because I see the flashes and I see when he's dominant everything, but it's he's an older prospect that's been banged up and it's just flashes. But the thing is, it's very exciting. It's that's the stuff you want to see. It's dominant reps. It's not just flashes of good, it's flashes of true dominance. So again, you get into the eye this draft, I'm telling you, because there's not a lot of true what people call first round graded guys eight to ten, you know, and hopefully a solid drafter is about fourteen. A couple of years ago, there's about eighteen, and the twenty four draft, give or take that. When we get into what I call the green range, which is usually picks twenty to forty, it's going to become a lot of Again, eye of the beholder to the flash and grading to projection and grading to what we see. And I think that's what's gonna make it really interesting in April. But Banks is one of these guys that if you I understand, if you buy into him. And I think the Senior Bowl did him such a good service and showing showcasing how dominant he can actually be. And he has traits and he has a little production that you can point at as well. So I'm high on him, but I don't know how high I can get. But he's a guy I'm comfortably having the twenties range, and I could see him go. He's one of these guys that can go higher than I think people are assuming right now. And I could see some of the swell building up right there. But Banks is, Yeah, I definitely stock up because it's just what he did and mobile.
00:14:39
Speaker 2: So Banks is a monster. D'Angelo Pond's out of Indiana more of a smaller guy, but he plays like a giant. What do you think about him?
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Speaker 1: Love him? It's again, I am kind of a guy that grades the size and trades even at quarterback. I do because it's a physical game and it's a game it's a combat sport, and combat sports use weight classes for a reason. But the thing is why I'm saying all that is Ponds is awesome and he's a guy that I'm willing to break some of my thresholds for because of his play style, how smart he is. But he is so aggressive as a tackler, is a great tackler as well, like doesn't miss it tackle for an undersized guy. Again, when you can point at that as again, sometimes guys need projection and okay, these plays happen. These stats, Okay, stats are pointing some good things. But when you watch a guy, how they have to win in the NFL, like everybody has to win. Differently, Ponce has showcased that he can kind of overcome his size because he's so smart. He's got great ball skills, great awareness to kind of trigger on stuff underneath. So the guy that I've kind of compared him to is Kobe Durant. For the rams from the last few years, they're both about five to nine. I think Ponds will weigh in about high one seventies, and that's that's what exactly what Durant weigh in. Durant came from South Carolina, state, and it was a fourth rounder. Ponds obviously when we played on the national champions and say is a little bit more hype. So Pons win the fourth round. Oh, I'm sorry, Durant win the fourth round. Pond's I view as kind of a top fifty if guy again early second round, second round. Somewhere there's some way, shape or form where I have to You can't just wave away like I just did it with not smarter the size stuff, but his place down how smart he is and he's gonna be a good athlete even if he is undersized. There's enough to like that you can again wave away from the size kind of concerns.
00:16:31
Speaker 2: Nay, Let's build the perfect quarterback prospect from the twenty twenty sixth class. It can't use the same guy twice. We're gonna do five traits, starting with.
00:16:42
Speaker 1: Arm strength, oh Man, Drew Aller. If we're going Drew Holler from Penn Staff, we're just going arm strength and not where the arm is going or the throw is going, but just sheer arm strength. Yeah, we'll go with Drew Aller. I love it.
00:16:56
Speaker 2: What about accuracy?
00:16:59
Speaker 1: Fanana Mendoza, maybe Garrett Neusmeyer, but I would say, for Nando Mendoza because his ball placement's just exquisite and his sense of timing with the ball placement and everything. So I would say Mendoza.
00:17:10
Speaker 2: About mobility slash rush ability.
00:17:15
Speaker 1: Oh, Trailing Green from Arkansas, who was built like Randall Cunningham, runs like Randall Cunningham. But he's not Randall Cunningham. But he is a guy on day three, if you want to throw a dart, I get it. There's not many guys. There's six, five, two thirty. Can runs like a gazelle. His throwing motion is a little wonky. He has moments where he does look okay. But yeah, Taylor Green probably just sheer athleticism. If I had to pick one guy.
00:17:41
Speaker 2: Now, Fernando Mendoza might have been your top overall pick on this one.
00:17:46
Speaker 1: But what about pocket presence, Oh yeah, that would have been Mendoza. I would actually even throw a Nutsmeyer in there as well. Nutsmyer's pocket presence is pretty dang good. You can tell he's a coach's kid in the sense of like he unders stands timing and when to get the ball out, when to hang in and then push the ball. He kind of just has that nice feel for it. And again he's a little older, so probably that helps us too, just having those reps. But yeah, if I had to have a pick one, it would probably been Mendoza because his pocket presence is pretty dang good as well.
00:18:16
Speaker 2: Every quarterback has to have the it fact. Or how about intangibles and leadership?
00:18:22
Speaker 1: You know, Jalen Daniels from Kansas actually has like some intangibles to him. That's kind of fun. It's just like a gamer, a day three guy that I think is intriguing as a day three guy again undersized, pretty good athlete as well. I mean he's helping Kansas win a lot of games, which really helps. They have good coaches, but that helps as well.
00:18:41
Speaker 2: There's your perfect quarterback prospect from the twenty twenty six class. Yeah, I like it, Nate. Let's have some fun right now and get into some scenarios. Trade up, trade down. The Jets have a ton of capital. You'll looking at the four picks in the top forty four this year. You got the three first picks next year. We know that.
00:19:02
Speaker 1: Would you if your Jets.
00:19:04
Speaker 2: Management, if you're Darren Mougie, call the Raiders and inquire about the number one overall selection.
00:19:11
Speaker 1: You have to just do. That's your job as a GM is just turn over every stone and do due diligence and just see and just be like, hey, would you guys be interested in just moving back? And like are you gonna? It's the Raiders? You never know, you never know they're what they're thinking. So I think, but do I think the Raiders move off of it? They shouldn't. They should absolutely not. They have a nice, solid, good answer. I like Mendozo a lot and and like he I know there's questions like what is ceiling is because he doesn't look like the sexiest player like what we see with Josh Allen or something like that, but man, he's just a good prospect.
00:19:46
Speaker 2: Nate. What would get you to move off the number two overall? What if one of those teams behind you said I need Reese, I gotta get Bane. Yeah, you know, maybe it's David Bailey for another team? What would get you to move off of two?
00:20:02
Speaker 1: If your moviie, we're how far back? Am my moving? Would be the first question. But the if you could keep me inside the top twelve? You know, A, I mean, this is this where you can get interesting, because then you can start doing stuff with next year's picks. You can add to that that grouping, because not only just quarterbacks next year, it's a deep class in other positions too. There's some receivers or some edges. There's a corner from Notre Dame that's really good. Like, there's a lot of good players next year. So I'm kind of like, like that's the one you want to like stockpile. So if I don't know if you want four first round picks, but I think if say you move, I'll just make up a team who's aggressive here in the top ten. Say the Browns want to move up from two to six, I think a pick. I think you try to get more middle picks next year or even the draft after that, where because I think you're kind of stocked up this year where they have they got two first, they got two to one, two, twelve, and then they go to the fourth. So maybe if you want to move something into the third so you can kind of fill out that round, do something. But I would say you need at least a two and then maybe a two to the following year. So what I'm saying is a couple of mid round picks, you're not as likely to try and get that first round pick because you already have three. There's only so many rookie spots you can have. Actually, the Jets ahead of year like this, then they have four first round picks on like two champazing draft.
00:21:20
Speaker 2: That's rights, John Abraham Anthony, Yes, yes, okay, yes.
00:21:29
Speaker 1: This is fun.
00:21:30
Speaker 2: And I know you always got to find a dance partner if you indeed want to go to the dance. But the Jets are sitting there at sixteen overall, Nate, you've spoken about there are not sixteen first round grades. What would you consider as far as moving back up from sixteen? Drafting it too? And then you're watching the draft unfold five, six, seven, What kind of guy would you if you're the Jets get back up high into the top ten in order to make another selection.
00:22:06
Speaker 1: I mean one of these I think they should really focus on defense, and that's that's what's kind of fun for I do think I do really mean this, not to like wave away the question, but it's like they are sitting in a nice spot where that run might happen. That's some of the spots that they might select. Corner I'm kind of thinking of. I would say the highest I would move back up is maybe to twelve or eleven, one of those two spots where because I think that's the breaking point. That's when we're going to get to the next crop of guys or grades, I should say, And then that's when you can maybe get the pick of the letter save Ruben Baines is there at twelve. Yeah, well eleven, you move up, you know. Again, I don't think you will because of who's picking before that, But like that one makes sense. So it's like it really becomes depending on what of these guys. I don't think they should go for a Jeremiah Love or a Caleb Downs. I think they're settled that offensive line, and I think the receiver wise, the receiver run is going to start where they're picking if they're really excited about a guy like Keldric Falk, who I actually I'm more bullsh on than most other people. But again, fulk might just fall to them, like they really are sitting in this good spot at sixteen, And I really mean that, Like I think sitting picking between twelve and twenty is actually more ideal to me than picking between like three and eight, because it's it's kind of a game theory kind of thing, like while other teams make the mistake on these guys with blemishes, and now we can really get the guy that we like and prefer from this crop.
00:23:27
Speaker 2: It's time for our final boarding call. Give me a Day three prospect that stands out to you above the rest that you think is going to have an excellent NFL career.
00:23:38
Speaker 1: Oh man, tight end. Man, there's some tight ends that I really like. I don't know where their range is. Justin Jolli from North Carolina State is one that I really like. Jack Andres from Texas is another one. These are like third fourth round types, fourth round types that might just boom up Delp from Georgia because he can play in line. These guys, those type of tight ends can actually outplay their position or where they're drafted because of how much again impacted impactful snaps as a blocker, as a valid receiver.
00:24:08
Speaker 2: All right, Nate, we're gonna give you the virtual whiteboard right now. This is your red star time you are a scout. You're going in the draft room right now and saying this is the prospect that the Jets have to have, whether it's realistic or not, this is the best prospect in this draft for this team at this time.
00:24:32
Speaker 1: I mean, rvel Reese is pretty hard to like pass up man. That's when he's when you're you might get the number one overall player at two. That's a pretty good boon right there. And so he's one that I have a huge star. And really for the Jets, I look at corner and one of either manstre delayed from LSU might not be a perfect scheme fit for for Glenn because he likes to run so much man coverage. I think he's better more of a zone guy. But even the guy like Jermal McCoy for corn, that guy I mentioned from Tennessee. Those are the guys to me make a lot of sense for the Jets and where they're picking in the spots that they're picking at. So if I were saying I'm starring these guys, it would be Reese and then I mean maybe Sunny Styles as well, So it'd be if I did that, I'd be reset too. And then with my second first round pick, if I can just narrow to those three like Styles, McCoy and and Delaye, one of those three is there at fourteen, Okay, we're taking one if all three are there. Okay, now we got decisions to make. But I think of those those would be the four guys. If they can come out with two of those, I think that's a really good draft for the Jets. I think it's a perfect BPA for team need for Also, whatever scheme you wait play in that they are going to fit no matter what you want to.
00:25:41
Speaker 2: Run, Ny Tyson, I'll stand in analysis and we'll be listening to you on Football three oh one. Your podcast also will be following all your mock drafts up to the draft on YA.
00:25:53
Speaker 1: But no, thank you so much. I really appreciate it.
Speaker 1: Actually my comparison for him last year when I thought he was coming out was kind of like a little undersized Chad Pennington, who was actually my comparison for him. I just actually just thought about that as I'm on a jetshell.
00:00:12
Speaker 2: It's NFL Combine week and our draft coverage is kicking into high gear with Yahoo's Nate Tights. We're talking the Jets landscape in round one, some trade scenarios, and which prospects are elevating your stocks. Now boarding begins in three two one. Nate, Let's start right here at the top. Let's do a mock draft. You have the Jets number two overall selection. Who should the Green and White tank?
00:00:41
Speaker 1: Oh man, I think they have to go defensively, and I don't want to overthink it. Just go RVL Reese from Ohio State. We had, you know, mock drafts. We kind of been rotating which defensive player we've been plopping on the Jets and really how it leads to that way. This is an interesting draft class where there's a lot a lot of the best, or maybe not the positions that you usually associate with maybe a top prospect or they're the top prospects all have maybe a little bit of a blemish that maybe wouldn't put him up in the top five or a top ten in a typical draft. But Reese is not one of those players. This is just a very very good and very dynamic defensive player. Obviously, the Jets traded away a few of their dynamic defensive players very recently. It's not a one for one replacement of Quinn Williams or Sauce Gardner. But it is a guy that you can build around, and a creative defensive coordinator can really unlock him. But I do think he is scheme proof in the sense that he fits in a lot. And also this is a compliment to what the Jets do have. I think they have a very young, talented offensive line. I think they have an interesting receiving room with Wilson and Mitchell. That also, there's not like a receiver at two that I would I could justify taking for the Jets there. So I think this is also it's kind of an Okham's razor pick, just the simplest one the best player at a position of that is going to be a need, and it's a dynamic player worth building brown, So I would go with the RBL Reese from Ohio State, just because of how dynamic player he is.
00:02:00
Speaker 2: What separates him from a Ruben Bain or a David Bailey or a Caleb Downs, some of the top defensive prospects in this draft class.
00:02:10
Speaker 1: Downs, I'll start with him. His teammate's kind of a back seven version of Reese. For he's he can line up in a few spots and impact the game. He's just a It's a safety, which is a particular player in a maybe a better defensive situation or a different defensive situation I like better. I still think defensive play and really offensive player really and personnel and team building to start with the trenches and Reese is an off ball linebacker, but he could play on the edge, and he can be used in multiple different ways, So Aaron Glenn calling plays if they want to change up how they use the scheme. He can live in man coverage, he can live as a blitzer. He can live as an edge rusher if they want to go in those looks, which a lot of teams do with their off ball linebacker. Compared to a guy like Bain, Bain has is, I think a very good player just has a couple size things, his arm length is could be a big discussion where I think he's going to be a lot of good where he's good against the run and good against the pass. Where Reese I think has more excellent to his game just a next half pick above, a little bit more dynamic as a player. And then even guys like David Bailey from Texas Tech. I think David Bailey, I appreciate what he is as a pass rusher. He's going to be deficient as a run defender in the NFL, and I think the Jets, who already have Will McDonald on their team already kind of have that type. I think Bailey's a little bit better as a prospect, but that's the same type of player what they call a DPR designated pass rusher. While a guy like Reese is on the field every single snap can impact the game ways that don't affect the box score always. But the fact that he can, no matter what the scheme is, no matter what his task is as assignment, could be a plus player. That's more exciting to me.
00:03:47
Speaker 2: How much does position depth their strengths in this draft class half to factor in the equation for GM Darren Mugi when he turns in that draft card at number two overall, if he indeed makes that selection there as far as hey, I do have a pick fourteen selections later.
00:04:07
Speaker 1: Oh, I absolutely does, because you I think even now being on the media side, I've done so many mock drafts, and I do so many mock drafts, but actually there are a great learning assignment. It's a nice little homework for me because then you start seeing when the runs happen at positions, and I think, like the receiver run will start happening in the teens. I think the corner run will start happening maybe right as we get to like pick eight, and then and then we might get a little squeeze from eight to twenty on corners, and then after that then it kind of goes away. Offensive tackles I think are going to start going off the board more more commonly, like the late teens into the twenties might change, you know, as we see as the combine's about to happen, guys might get boost up just a little bit. But oh, those runs absolutely matter. The depth of these positions absolutely matter. Obviously, quarterback is the number one literally with Mendoza, but also there's none after that, So that changes everybody's equation. But you look at other position like receivers, there's a lot of depth at receiver. There's a lot of depth at edge different flavors too. There's a lot of depth that defensive tackle, more in the weight first round again into the early second. So that's where I think the Jets are in a position where they could start a run if that makes sense, at a position where they can kind of maybe get that first or second selection at where the position they deem they want to take in the teams.
00:05:20
Speaker 2: Yeah, your colleague at Yahoo, Charles McDonald, picked a receiver for the Jets at number sixteen overall. Do you think ultimately you could see that happening as well? And how do you separate these top three guys?
00:05:34
Speaker 1: Oh a receiver, yeah, oh man, that's oh man. I would even go four. It's it's okay, well go well for me, My number one is Carneal Tate. But I have these guys squeeze really tight. There's not like a big They're grade is the same more or less as far as how I do greates. So I have Carnel Tate as one. He has a lot of Reggie Wayne to his game that I really like. He's long, he's got great ball scales. Number two to me is Denzel Boston from Washington, because that's a true X, and a true X is a six to four guy can win isolated. He was their punt returner. He's not going to be an all crazy yat guy with the ball in his hands, but he's a red zone weapon. And it's not just oh he's six y four and he can do it. It's like no on film there. He is coming down with the ball, dunking on guys, good players too. I just I don't know what his actual ceiling is, but to me, it's like, this guy is at worst a number a really good number two in your offense, and maybe a sneaky number one. And then number three to me is Jordan Tyson from Arizona State who has injured probably every cl possible. But he's very twitchy. He has some similarities to Garrett Wilson, maybe a little bit bigger as far as play style, twitchiness, there's some similarities there. And then four to me is Makaya Lemon from USC. I have a little bit more qualms with him than some other people I think do I won't really want to see what combine measurements are because I think he's a little undersized and I think he's a slot only type player. And just like continuing conversation we just had with Reese, it's about how many plays you can impact, especially at receiver, and if I have to have if you have limitations, to me, oh, we have to put you in the slot. We can't line you up outside. We have to put you in motion. That dings you in my brain and how I evaluate guys. So that's how I look at the top four. Casey Concepcion from Texas, A and M would probably five. And I mean there's a lot of receivers on Day two as well, but those are the five to me that I could see being as top thirty players.
00:07:29
Speaker 2: I'll call it. As far as a draft is concerned, how do you view a non premium position like running back? And how should the Jets specifically look at a guy like Jeremiah Love who's a threat to take the ball to the house every time he touches it. And a lot of people Nate as you know, are saying, hey, this guy's a top prospect overall for me, Oh.
00:07:53
Speaker 1: Yeah, he's a top five guy. To me too, it is hard sometimes to talk out both sides your mouth when you're talking to big board and where they go in the mock. It's just that the floor is so high for running backs now. As far as that's when people say running backs don't matter, that is not true at all. We're seeing how impactful running backs can be. Running Backs just have to be able to have real value. You have to be on the field for every down you're talking about and packing downs, pass protection, receiving back. But I always think it's fascinating with guys like safety or running back, like how you value them. It's certain teams it's just like, yeah, go for it. And then like the Raiders last year taking Genty, I thought that was a terrible pick. But if a couple picks later someone took Genty, I would have not squinted at it as much because it's just the team makeup and what you're intending to do. So yeah, it's kind of I would say, ee the beholder, it's situation of the beholder a little bit for running backs.
00:08:42
Speaker 2: They let's do a little wheels up, wheels down and talk about some of these prospects where you think their stock is headed. Sunny Styles from Ohio State, the impressive linebacker.
00:08:55
Speaker 1: Yeah, oh up, Wheels way up. Yeah, he's just awesome player. This is a great linebacker class. I already talked about Reese, who's kind of his own thing. But then Styles is what you want a modern off ball linebacker to be. And I think he'll if he does test, he'll test well. His size will be good at the combine as well. But his stock's going up. I think the league likes him. I think Twitter analysts like him as well. I like him. He is a top fifteen pick to me, and I think that's going to happen too. So yeah, Wheels way up, stock up, however you want to put it. Sunny Styles, very good player.
00:09:32
Speaker 2: How about a safety from Toledo, Emmanuel McNeil Warren, a guy was a playmaker on the collegiate level.
00:09:39
Speaker 1: Yeah, it's up. His stock is up to me, I've seen kind of both kind of like where his stock range is, and I might be the middle guy on him. I view him as maybe like just ballparking a prospect like range twenty six to thirty five, kind of range late first, early second, twenty to forty. We can call it. That's how I view him. But his stock is up, and I think he's going to test well if he tests. And I don't know where Toledo keeps finding these guys, but you know, Quinn and Mitchell stepped on like he was playing from Alabama. He goes to Philly and it was just like, wow, okay, great, But I think where he has the size and the speed that someone's going to fall in love with him. And I kind of sometimes you read between the lines for how other national people are talking about certain guys. It's kind of like, Okay, this guy has some hype, so I asked to be coming from somewhere, a team or something. So his stock is up. Wheels are up for him.
00:10:33
Speaker 2: You were down in Mobile, Alabama at the Senior Bowl. What did you see from Garrett nuss Meyer? And is he a guy who potentially is raising up draft boards right now?
00:10:48
Speaker 1: He is because nuts Meyer has been a known quantity for a little bit. It was last year even he was battling for me for quarterback one until he went back to school with cam Ward. He's older, he's a little undersized, and and he's been hurt. He could be a little reckless. With the ball sometimes as far as like how aggressive he is, but I still really like him, so I just want to get the negatives out of the way. He's a guy that I've joked with Dan Brugler from The Athletic, who covers the draft, does an amazing job when we talk about Nuss Bayer Is. He's a guy we keep waving away redflex. Oh he's undersized, that's fine, it's fine, it's fine. He got hurt, it's fine, it's fine, it's fine, it's fine. He didn't start till his junior it's fine, it's fine, it's fine. He's older for his year. It's fine, it's fine. It's just because when you watch him, he was he was so banged up this year. Their offensive line was bad this year at LSU. The coach got fired, the receivers were not what you think of LSU receivers, and he's just surviving and playing. He gets banged up, which again brings up his size limitations, but then he has a senior Bowl that it's like, if you're optimistic about him, that's exactly what you wanted to see. He's a coach's kid, he's tough, he's a decent scrambler, like I would say, in above average, above average athlete who can just get the simple yards of simple first downs. But I actually my comparison for him last year when I thought he was coming out was kind of like a little undersized Chad Pennington. Wow, was actually my comparison for him. I just actually just thought about that as on a Jets show. So actually, yeah, so kind of like a smaller version of that. Chad was a little bigger than I think people realized, and but just kind of placed out accurate, pushing the ball. Knows what he is a little bit not an overwhelming athlete, but okay, gets the ball out quick. Coaches, kid, there's a lot of comparison. I have him what I call a late second or early third round grade. He'll be around that kind of player fifty range. But him and Tie Simpson from Alabama, I kind of have grouped the same and that kind of range right now.
00:12:41
Speaker 2: Well, you just made him more intriguing for me. I got to watch some more film on an us because Pennington, I'll tell you what, coming.
00:12:48
Speaker 1: Out one of my favorites ever. I love Chad Bennington.
00:12:54
Speaker 2: How about Caleb Banks from Florida? He is a guy did not play a lot of games last year with injured and then he goes to mobile and he looks unstoppable and he's got this athleticism for being such a monstrous specimen.
00:13:11
Speaker 1: Yeah, he's I think he had thirty five inch arms, which is nothing to sneeze at, huge hands. Banks is one of these guys. He's hard to grade for me because I see the flashes and I see when he's dominant everything, but it's he's an older prospect that's been banged up and it's just flashes. But the thing is, it's very exciting. It's that's the stuff you want to see. It's dominant reps. It's not just flashes of good, it's flashes of true dominance. So again, you get into the eye this draft, I'm telling you, because there's not a lot of true what people call first round graded guys eight to ten, you know, and hopefully a solid drafter is about fourteen. A couple of years ago, there's about eighteen, and the twenty four draft, give or take that. When we get into what I call the green range, which is usually picks twenty to forty, it's going to become a lot of Again, eye of the beholder to the flash and grading to projection and grading to what we see. And I think that's what's gonna make it really interesting in April. But Banks is one of these guys that if you I understand, if you buy into him. And I think the Senior Bowl did him such a good service and showing showcasing how dominant he can actually be. And he has traits and he has a little production that you can point at as well. So I'm high on him, but I don't know how high I can get. But he's a guy I'm comfortably having the twenties range, and I could see him go. He's one of these guys that can go higher than I think people are assuming right now. And I could see some of the swell building up right there. But Banks is, Yeah, I definitely stock up because it's just what he did and mobile.
00:14:39
Speaker 2: So Banks is a monster. D'Angelo Pond's out of Indiana more of a smaller guy, but he plays like a giant. What do you think about him?
00:14:51
Speaker 1: Love him? It's again, I am kind of a guy that grades the size and trades even at quarterback. I do because it's a physical game and it's a game it's a combat sport, and combat sports use weight classes for a reason. But the thing is why I'm saying all that is Ponds is awesome and he's a guy that I'm willing to break some of my thresholds for because of his play style, how smart he is. But he is so aggressive as a tackler, is a great tackler as well, like doesn't miss it tackle for an undersized guy. Again, when you can point at that as again, sometimes guys need projection and okay, these plays happen. These stats, Okay, stats are pointing some good things. But when you watch a guy, how they have to win in the NFL, like everybody has to win. Differently, Ponce has showcased that he can kind of overcome his size because he's so smart. He's got great ball skills, great awareness to kind of trigger on stuff underneath. So the guy that I've kind of compared him to is Kobe Durant. For the rams from the last few years, they're both about five to nine. I think Ponds will weigh in about high one seventies, and that's that's what exactly what Durant weigh in. Durant came from South Carolina, state, and it was a fourth rounder. Ponds obviously when we played on the national champions and say is a little bit more hype. So Pons win the fourth round. Oh, I'm sorry, Durant win the fourth round. Pond's I view as kind of a top fifty if guy again early second round, second round. Somewhere there's some way, shape or form where I have to You can't just wave away like I just did it with not smarter the size stuff, but his place down how smart he is and he's gonna be a good athlete even if he is undersized. There's enough to like that you can again wave away from the size kind of concerns.
00:16:31
Speaker 2: Nay, Let's build the perfect quarterback prospect from the twenty twenty sixth class. It can't use the same guy twice. We're gonna do five traits, starting with.
00:16:42
Speaker 1: Arm strength, oh Man, Drew Aller. If we're going Drew Holler from Penn Staff, we're just going arm strength and not where the arm is going or the throw is going, but just sheer arm strength. Yeah, we'll go with Drew Aller. I love it.
00:16:56
Speaker 2: What about accuracy?
00:16:59
Speaker 1: Fanana Mendoza, maybe Garrett Neusmeyer, but I would say, for Nando Mendoza because his ball placement's just exquisite and his sense of timing with the ball placement and everything. So I would say Mendoza.
00:17:10
Speaker 2: About mobility slash rush ability.
00:17:15
Speaker 1: Oh, Trailing Green from Arkansas, who was built like Randall Cunningham, runs like Randall Cunningham. But he's not Randall Cunningham. But he is a guy on day three, if you want to throw a dart, I get it. There's not many guys. There's six, five, two thirty. Can runs like a gazelle. His throwing motion is a little wonky. He has moments where he does look okay. But yeah, Taylor Green probably just sheer athleticism. If I had to pick one guy.
00:17:41
Speaker 2: Now, Fernando Mendoza might have been your top overall pick on this one.
00:17:46
Speaker 1: But what about pocket presence, Oh yeah, that would have been Mendoza. I would actually even throw a Nutsmeyer in there as well. Nutsmyer's pocket presence is pretty dang good. You can tell he's a coach's kid in the sense of like he unders stands timing and when to get the ball out, when to hang in and then push the ball. He kind of just has that nice feel for it. And again he's a little older, so probably that helps us too, just having those reps. But yeah, if I had to have a pick one, it would probably been Mendoza because his pocket presence is pretty dang good as well.
00:18:16
Speaker 2: Every quarterback has to have the it fact. Or how about intangibles and leadership?
00:18:22
Speaker 1: You know, Jalen Daniels from Kansas actually has like some intangibles to him. That's kind of fun. It's just like a gamer, a day three guy that I think is intriguing as a day three guy again undersized, pretty good athlete as well. I mean he's helping Kansas win a lot of games, which really helps. They have good coaches, but that helps as well.
00:18:41
Speaker 2: There's your perfect quarterback prospect from the twenty twenty six class. Yeah, I like it, Nate. Let's have some fun right now and get into some scenarios. Trade up, trade down. The Jets have a ton of capital. You'll looking at the four picks in the top forty four this year. You got the three first picks next year. We know that.
00:19:02
Speaker 1: Would you if your Jets.
00:19:04
Speaker 2: Management, if you're Darren Mougie, call the Raiders and inquire about the number one overall selection.
00:19:11
Speaker 1: You have to just do. That's your job as a GM is just turn over every stone and do due diligence and just see and just be like, hey, would you guys be interested in just moving back? And like are you gonna? It's the Raiders? You never know, you never know they're what they're thinking. So I think, but do I think the Raiders move off of it? They shouldn't. They should absolutely not. They have a nice, solid, good answer. I like Mendozo a lot and and like he I know there's questions like what is ceiling is because he doesn't look like the sexiest player like what we see with Josh Allen or something like that, but man, he's just a good prospect.
00:19:46
Speaker 2: Nate. What would get you to move off the number two overall? What if one of those teams behind you said I need Reese, I gotta get Bane. Yeah, you know, maybe it's David Bailey for another team? What would get you to move off of two?
00:20:02
Speaker 1: If your moviie, we're how far back? Am my moving? Would be the first question. But the if you could keep me inside the top twelve? You know, A, I mean, this is this where you can get interesting, because then you can start doing stuff with next year's picks. You can add to that that grouping, because not only just quarterbacks next year, it's a deep class in other positions too. There's some receivers or some edges. There's a corner from Notre Dame that's really good. Like, there's a lot of good players next year. So I'm kind of like, like that's the one you want to like stockpile. So if I don't know if you want four first round picks, but I think if say you move, I'll just make up a team who's aggressive here in the top ten. Say the Browns want to move up from two to six, I think a pick. I think you try to get more middle picks next year or even the draft after that, where because I think you're kind of stocked up this year where they have they got two first, they got two to one, two, twelve, and then they go to the fourth. So maybe if you want to move something into the third so you can kind of fill out that round, do something. But I would say you need at least a two and then maybe a two to the following year. So what I'm saying is a couple of mid round picks, you're not as likely to try and get that first round pick because you already have three. There's only so many rookie spots you can have. Actually, the Jets ahead of year like this, then they have four first round picks on like two champazing draft.
00:21:20
Speaker 2: That's rights, John Abraham Anthony, Yes, yes, okay, yes.
00:21:29
Speaker 1: This is fun.
00:21:30
Speaker 2: And I know you always got to find a dance partner if you indeed want to go to the dance. But the Jets are sitting there at sixteen overall, Nate, you've spoken about there are not sixteen first round grades. What would you consider as far as moving back up from sixteen? Drafting it too? And then you're watching the draft unfold five, six, seven, What kind of guy would you if you're the Jets get back up high into the top ten in order to make another selection.
00:22:06
Speaker 1: I mean one of these I think they should really focus on defense, and that's that's what's kind of fun for I do think I do really mean this, not to like wave away the question, but it's like they are sitting in a nice spot where that run might happen. That's some of the spots that they might select. Corner I'm kind of thinking of. I would say the highest I would move back up is maybe to twelve or eleven, one of those two spots where because I think that's the breaking point. That's when we're going to get to the next crop of guys or grades, I should say, And then that's when you can maybe get the pick of the letter save Ruben Baines is there at twelve. Yeah, well eleven, you move up, you know. Again, I don't think you will because of who's picking before that, But like that one makes sense. So it's like it really becomes depending on what of these guys. I don't think they should go for a Jeremiah Love or a Caleb Downs. I think they're settled that offensive line, and I think the receiver wise, the receiver run is going to start where they're picking if they're really excited about a guy like Keldric Falk, who I actually I'm more bullsh on than most other people. But again, fulk might just fall to them, like they really are sitting in this good spot at sixteen, And I really mean that, Like I think sitting picking between twelve and twenty is actually more ideal to me than picking between like three and eight, because it's it's kind of a game theory kind of thing, like while other teams make the mistake on these guys with blemishes, and now we can really get the guy that we like and prefer from this crop.
00:23:27
Speaker 2: It's time for our final boarding call. Give me a Day three prospect that stands out to you above the rest that you think is going to have an excellent NFL career.
00:23:38
Speaker 1: Oh man, tight end. Man, there's some tight ends that I really like. I don't know where their range is. Justin Jolli from North Carolina State is one that I really like. Jack Andres from Texas is another one. These are like third fourth round types, fourth round types that might just boom up Delp from Georgia because he can play in line. These guys, those type of tight ends can actually outplay their position or where they're drafted because of how much again impacted impactful snaps as a blocker, as a valid receiver.
00:24:08
Speaker 2: All right, Nate, we're gonna give you the virtual whiteboard right now. This is your red star time you are a scout. You're going in the draft room right now and saying this is the prospect that the Jets have to have, whether it's realistic or not, this is the best prospect in this draft for this team at this time.
00:24:32
Speaker 1: I mean, rvel Reese is pretty hard to like pass up man. That's when he's when you're you might get the number one overall player at two. That's a pretty good boon right there. And so he's one that I have a huge star. And really for the Jets, I look at corner and one of either manstre delayed from LSU might not be a perfect scheme fit for for Glenn because he likes to run so much man coverage. I think he's better more of a zone guy. But even the guy like Jermal McCoy for corn, that guy I mentioned from Tennessee. Those are the guys to me make a lot of sense for the Jets and where they're picking in the spots that they're picking at. So if I were saying I'm starring these guys, it would be Reese and then I mean maybe Sunny Styles as well, So it'd be if I did that, I'd be reset too. And then with my second first round pick, if I can just narrow to those three like Styles, McCoy and and Delaye, one of those three is there at fourteen, Okay, we're taking one if all three are there. Okay, now we got decisions to make. But I think of those those would be the four guys. If they can come out with two of those, I think that's a really good draft for the Jets. I think it's a perfect BPA for team need for Also, whatever scheme you wait play in that they are going to fit no matter what you want to.
00:25:41
Speaker 2: Run, Ny Tyson, I'll stand in analysis and we'll be listening to you on Football three oh one. Your podcast also will be following all your mock drafts up to the draft on YA.
00:25:53
Speaker 1: But no, thank you so much. I really appreciate it.
