# The Insider Podcast: A.J. Trade Rumors, Travis Hunter’s New Role, and draft prospect Kevlan Rutledge joins the Insiders

An episode of [NFL: The Insiders](https://invisiblenetwork.ai/podcast/1543090622), 14 Apr 2026, 43 min.

Audio: https://podtrac.com/pts/redirect.mp3/traffic.omny.fm/d/clips/e73c998e-6e60-432f-8610-ae210140c5b1/0414225e-5167-477f-9f83-ae390070e4d2/6d43fb1c-bd09-48f1-ba1d-b42c00099a64/audio.mp3?utm_source=Podcast&in_playlist=3e412703-0644-468e-9001-ae390070e4db

NFL Network Insiders Tom Pelissero and Ian Rapoport report the biggest news stories of the day, including the Lions, Texans and Patriots draft strategy and New England general manager Eliot Wolf’s comments about acquiring AJ Brown. Plus, Marc Ross discusses Travis Hunter’s full time cornerback role in 2026, Stacey Dales interviews draft prospect Keylan Rutledge, and Michael F. Florio fantasy football forecast. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

## Transcript

[0:07] Speaker 1: Teams are in final meetings, visits are winding now. We
[0:11] Speaker 1: will tell you all we know tonight about where things
[0:14] Speaker 1: stand with the twenty twenty six NFL Draft, now just
[0:18] Speaker 1: ten days away. Travis Hunter was one of the biggest
[0:22] Speaker 1: stories of the twenty twenty five draft, and now coming
[0:25] Speaker 1: off of major injury, there are questions about his role
[0:27] Speaker 1: in year two. We have answers and tweets about what's
[0:31] Speaker 1: next in Jacksonville. We also visit with Keelan Rutleds, the
[0:35] Speaker 1: former Georgia Tech guard, who is a whole lot more
[0:39] Speaker 1: than just one of the best beards in NFL draft history.
[0:43] Speaker 1: Welcome inside with the Insider's longside, Ian Rappaport, I am
[0:47] Speaker 1: Tom Pelissera. We got tons of draft news to get
[0:50] Speaker 1: into over the next sixty minutes. Let's start out in
[0:55] Speaker 1: New England, where the Patriots, the reigning AFC champs one
[0:58] Speaker 1: to eleven picks in that draft, including number thirty one overall.
[1:02] Speaker 1: Their executive vice president of player Personnel, Elliott Wolf, held
[1:05] Speaker 1: his pre draft media session today that Mike Rabel has
[1:09] Speaker 1: been in meetings offering his opinion all week, So how
[1:12] Speaker 1: exactly Elliott could things shake out?
[1:15] Speaker 2: We're open to anything, you know, whatever, whatever way we
[1:18] Speaker 2: can possibly improve the team, we're open to.
[1:20] Speaker 3: We have eleven picks, you know, most of.
[1:22] Speaker 2: Those are kind of later in the draft, but we
[1:24] Speaker 2: do have some flexibility with those eleven picks, and you know,
[1:28] Speaker 2: I think it'll depend a little bit on how the
[1:29] Speaker 2: board falls if we if we view that there's a
[1:31] Speaker 2: player that you know, is whether he's falling, or there's
[1:34] Speaker 2: somebody that we think we need to go get, we'll
[1:36] Speaker 2: be open to those opportunities.
[1:38] Speaker 1: Are you guys keeping the door open with the Eagles for.
[1:40] Speaker 2: A j Brown as far as players and other teams, again,
[1:43] Speaker 2: going to keep the door open to anything that we
[1:45] Speaker 2: think may improve our roster, whether that's with the player
[1:49] Speaker 2: you mentioned or other players.
[1:52] Speaker 1: A lot of picks in twenty twenty six, though, Ian,
[1:54] Speaker 1: I think that a fair amount of the storyline running
[1:57] Speaker 1: the Patriots, not just during draft weekend, but for a
[1:59] Speaker 1: month and more beyond, is going to be about one
[2:02] Speaker 1: that they ultimately could trade to twenty twenty seven picks
[2:06] Speaker 1: for what do we know.
[2:08] Speaker 4: Yeah, generally, in these situations, when you have a deal
[2:10] Speaker 4: that's either in the works or a highly highly rumored
[2:14] Speaker 4: player may or may not get traded. You have teams
[2:16] Speaker 4: kind of talking around it and trying not to mention
[2:19] Speaker 4: it and not want to get hit with any different
[2:21] Speaker 4: accusations of talking about a player on someone else's team.
[2:24] Speaker 4: I think it's fair to say none of that applies
[2:27] Speaker 4: here because really what this is is, as of right now,
[2:30] Speaker 4: just two teams that have had conversations that are going
[2:33] Speaker 4: to continue about AJ Brown, the Eagle star receiver. Is
[2:36] Speaker 4: there a chance that AJ Brown gets traded before the draft?
[2:40] Speaker 4: To me, I would say unlikely. Is there a chance
[2:42] Speaker 4: he gets traded around? Oh, I don't know. June first
[2:44] Speaker 4: to make sure that the cap hit for the Philadelphive
[2:46] Speaker 4: Eagles is half of what it otherwise would be. Yes,
[2:50] Speaker 4: I think that's a fair possibility. So the Patriots are
[2:52] Speaker 4: going to go through this draft, whether they trade or not,
[2:55] Speaker 4: whether they pick a bunch of players or put picks
[2:58] Speaker 4: in next year draft, whatever they do. The backdrop of
[3:01] Speaker 4: all of this is going to be are they going
[3:03] Speaker 4: to acquire AJ Brown for twenty twenty seven picks premium
[3:07] Speaker 4: twenty twenty seven picks or at least one of them?
[3:09] Speaker 4: That is obviously going to be a major storyline. The
[3:11] Speaker 4: fact that the Eagles added a receiver on Datavian Wicks
[3:15] Speaker 4: last week.
[3:15] Speaker 1: Only boasters that case.
[3:17] Speaker 4: The back to the Patriots haven't only boasters that case.
[3:21] Speaker 4: But still, I think it's most likely that we continue
[3:23] Speaker 4: to wait until probably right before June and first for
[3:25] Speaker 4: these two teams start having conversations that a lot of
[3:28] Speaker 4: people think they're going to have anyway.
[3:31] Speaker 1: Eagles trading with the Packers for a wide receiver. The
[3:33] Speaker 1: Patriots signed a wide receiver for the Packers in Romeo Dobbs,
[3:36] Speaker 1: so they have made moves to address the position. But
[3:39] Speaker 1: as you said, given the cap situation would come with
[3:41] Speaker 1: a pre June one trade, you may have some more
[3:44] Speaker 1: time to wait and continue to ask unanswerable questions. Let's
[3:48] Speaker 1: head down to Houston where Nick Cassario and some former
[3:52] Speaker 1: Patriots personnel, including James Lipfort or addressing reporters today about
[3:56] Speaker 1: their draft scenarios. They got eight picks in the twenty
[4:00] Speaker 1: only twenty six draft that Casario said, well, hey, it's
[4:02] Speaker 1: pretty much in the barn.
[4:04] Speaker 5: Look the draft was tomorrow, like we'd be ready to go. Like,
[4:06] Speaker 5: I think our staff has done an incredible job of
[4:09] Speaker 5: putting us in a position. There's a lot of information
[4:12] Speaker 5: obviously We've accumulated kind of from start to finish here,
[4:15] Speaker 5: so you know, just finishing up a few things here,
[4:17] Speaker 5: excited about the opportunities here. Next week. You know, we'll
[4:20] Speaker 5: see if we pick. You know, if we pick, we pick,
[4:21] Speaker 5: If we don't, we don't, I'm sure we'll keep you
[4:24] Speaker 5: on your toes like we always do. And if we
[4:26] Speaker 5: move out of the first round, then I'll probably get
[4:29] Speaker 5: you know, some choice words about the draft party.
[4:32] Speaker 3: So this is the way it goes, a.
[4:34] Speaker 1: Very casual setting right there, Nick, just just kicking back.
[4:37] Speaker 1: We know this. He he is very locked in when
[4:39] Speaker 1: it comes to the draft. There are a few gms
[4:41] Speaker 1: that have made more trades. Well he's talking about those
[4:44] Speaker 1: scenarios here, but potentially moving around it already sounds like
[4:48] Speaker 1: Houston among other teams nor in the back half around
[4:50] Speaker 1: one very open to the possibilities of potentially moving back.
[4:55] Speaker 4: Yeah, it's not like Nick iss Aaron needs to talk
[4:57] Speaker 4: it into existing. I think a lot of people in
[4:59] Speaker 4: the Texas organization at the Texas Draft party, for instance. No,
[5:02] Speaker 4: there is a possibility that the Texans are not going
[5:05] Speaker 4: to pick where they are slated to pick now, which
[5:07] Speaker 4: is twenty eight. Now, could they trade out of one
[5:10] Speaker 4: is an interesting question and definitely one of the bigger
[5:12] Speaker 4: storylines that we're going to be following in the lead
[5:15] Speaker 4: up to the draft, because I think it's pretty clear
[5:17] Speaker 4: f Mana Mendoza is going to go number one to
[5:19] Speaker 4: the Las Vegas Raiders, but where Ty Simpson goes will
[5:22] Speaker 4: go a long way, and determining whether or not teams
[5:25] Speaker 4: like the Texans or those teams kind of in that area,
[5:29] Speaker 4: whether they actually make the pick or not, because you
[5:31] Speaker 4: have a couple teams still in need of a franchise quarterback.
[5:33] Speaker 4: The Jets who have the first pick of the second round,
[5:36] Speaker 4: that is one. You have the Arizona Cardinals also early
[5:38] Speaker 4: I believe, right actually right after the Jets in the
[5:41] Speaker 4: second round as well. Could one of those teams take
[5:44] Speaker 4: a quick leap up, maybe trade with the Texans and
[5:47] Speaker 4: take Ty Simpson. That is one of these scenarios to
[5:50] Speaker 4: watch going forward in the draft, and that if you're
[5:53] Speaker 4: the Texans and you have the opportunity to trade out
[5:55] Speaker 4: of the spot for someone who's going to take a quarterback,
[5:57] Speaker 4: that's what you want because that team would then have
[6:00] Speaker 4: to pay quarterback premium, in other words, more than they
[6:02] Speaker 4: otherwise would have. Yeah, I think it's a very real
[6:05] Speaker 4: possibility that those people attending Detexans pre draft party go, uh,
[6:10] Speaker 4: all right, well, you know, I guess we'll see what
[6:13] Speaker 4: happens tomorrow.
[6:16] Speaker 1: Lions also have been active in trades during the draft
[6:18] Speaker 1: through the years. We all remember Brad Holmes making a
[6:21] Speaker 1: move back and then celebrating like a crazy person when
[6:24] Speaker 1: he was able to land Jamiir Gibbs. We would have
[6:26] Speaker 1: taken even if they didn't trade back. Well, Detroit coming
[6:29] Speaker 1: off a rare for them now non playoff season. They
[6:32] Speaker 1: got nine picks in the draft. Not many teams have
[6:35] Speaker 1: drafted better than Detroit since Dan Campbell and Holmes got
[6:39] Speaker 1: the talent. Sure sounds like their strategy is not changing.
[6:43] Speaker 6: I've always say the reason why we always go like
[6:45] Speaker 6: the best player available approach is because there is only
[6:50] Speaker 6: one draft, and the ross is going to change every
[6:53] Speaker 6: single year. Every single year. It's going to be new,
[6:56] Speaker 6: needs going to be you know, contracts are going to expire,
[7:00] Speaker 6: things are going to happen. So what may not seem
[7:03] Speaker 6: as immediate I need this right now for this year,
[7:07] Speaker 6: that might not be the case for the next year.
[7:09] Speaker 6: So that's what's been our approach on that. But you know,
[7:15] Speaker 6: there're just times where you might you know, it lines up,
[7:17] Speaker 6: like I said, maybe the best player is a perceived
[7:21] Speaker 6: need and it lines up that way. It's lined up
[7:24] Speaker 6: like that in the past, but that's not always the case.
[7:28] Speaker 1: Lions have the number seventeen overall pick, highest pick they've
[7:31] Speaker 1: had in several years because he and they have been
[7:33] Speaker 1: as successful as they have been, not just drafting well
[7:36] Speaker 1: but also identifying those players who are a fit for
[7:39] Speaker 1: their culture. Sometimes that's a surprise. Sometimes Jack Campbell's a
[7:43] Speaker 1: first round pick. Whatever it is, it's been working for Detroit.
[7:46] Speaker 1: What do you anticipate here again in a year that's
[7:48] Speaker 1: become a little bit unusual where they're coming off a
[7:51] Speaker 1: non playoff season trying to bounce back.
[7:53] Speaker 4: God, I still think of that Jack Campbell draft when
[7:56] Speaker 4: my phone lit up with people being like, I cannot
[7:58] Speaker 4: believe they took an off the linebacker where they took him.
[8:01] Speaker 1: Then he turns out to be a great player.
[8:02] Speaker 4: And it's like, you know what, it is possible that
[8:04] Speaker 4: Brad Holmes and the Detroit Lions know exactly what they
[8:08] Speaker 4: are doing, don't care about you know, where a players
[8:11] Speaker 4: waited based on what position he plays.
[8:12] Speaker 1: They just want really really good football players.
[8:15] Speaker 4: But this year going into the draft for the Lions,
[8:17] Speaker 4: Tom is maybe a little different because they do have
[8:19] Speaker 4: a big time need to tackle. Now, they don't necessarily
[8:23] Speaker 4: need a left tackle. There's obviously been talking about moving
[8:26] Speaker 4: Pinay Sewel from right to left. If that's the case,
[8:29] Speaker 4: then they need a right tackle rather than a left tackle.
[8:32] Speaker 4: But he's right, there is a possibility or maybe even
[8:35] Speaker 4: a likelihood that someone that warrants being taken seventeen overall
[8:40] Speaker 4: would be a tackle, would be someone that they would
[8:43] Speaker 4: take and slide in and say you or now are
[8:45] Speaker 4: starting right tackle. I would say this just my general
[8:48] Speaker 4: read on the Detroit Lions.
[8:49] Speaker 1: Two things. One, it's never going to quite be what
[8:51] Speaker 1: you think.
[8:52] Speaker 4: Because they do have a different way of looking at
[8:54] Speaker 4: the draft from a lot of people. Two, if you
[8:56] Speaker 4: say to me what do I think? I would say
[8:58] Speaker 4: a big person, big an offensive tackle, a defensive tackle
[9:03] Speaker 4: to come in and add to that really good defensive
[9:06] Speaker 4: line group that they have alongside Lee McNeil and Tylee.
[9:10] Speaker 4: I would say that to me makes sense. The Lions
[9:13] Speaker 4: drafting someone enormous would be something.
[9:15] Speaker 1: To talk about on drafting. Would not be surprised if
[9:19] Speaker 1: six even seven offensive tackles end up going in Round one,
[9:23] Speaker 1: just based upon where the strengths are in that draft,
[9:26] Speaker 1: that run on. That second group of offensive tackles may
[9:29] Speaker 1: well start in the late teams, right around where Detroit
[9:32] Speaker 1: is selecting. Every other team, of course, also can look
[9:35] Speaker 1: at the Lions holes and say they might take one,
[9:37] Speaker 1: which could generate some movement of teams trying to get
[9:40] Speaker 1: ahead of them. We also had some news over the
[9:42] Speaker 1: weekend that was not news within the NFL, but former
[9:46] Speaker 1: Miami defensive end and NFL draft prospect Ruben Bain Junior
[9:50] Speaker 1: was evolved in an auto accident twenty twenty four in
[9:52] Speaker 1: which a pass year later died because of injuries sustained
[9:55] Speaker 1: in the crash. According to a report that was published
[9:58] Speaker 1: on Sunday, Bain was cited for careless driving for the
[10:01] Speaker 1: accident that occurred at about four am local time on
[10:03] Speaker 1: March seventeenth, twenty twenty four, according to documents obtained by
[10:07] Speaker 1: the read Optional, but charges were dropped prior to the
[10:10] Speaker 1: pastor's death after nearly three months in a coma. Here's
[10:13] Speaker 1: what Brad Holmes said today about the work they've done
[10:15] Speaker 1: in the Bain situation.
[10:17] Speaker 7: Ruben Bain, the story came out yesterday that he was
[10:19] Speaker 7: involved in a fatal accident. I don't know if that
[10:22] Speaker 7: was something you knew ahead of time. Do you have
[10:23] Speaker 7: to do more research on that? What do you think
[10:25] Speaker 7: the chances are that maybe he's available to you to
[10:27] Speaker 7: seventeen after that?
[10:27] Speaker 6: There for you know, we've we've known that for a while,
[10:33] Speaker 6: so that doesn't really change anything from our standpoint any statement.
[10:39] Speaker 1: The family of the woman had died called the crash
[10:41] Speaker 1: a tragic accident and said they wish mister Bain the
[10:43] Speaker 1: best as he continues his life and career in in
[10:47] Speaker 1: no way minimalizing the loss of life. This was something
[10:51] Speaker 1: that was not new to NFL teams when it was
[10:53] Speaker 1: posted to social media on Sunday. There have been a
[10:55] Speaker 1: lot of work teams that I've spoken with had spoken
[10:58] Speaker 1: directly to Reuben Bain, who took them through the situation.
[11:02] Speaker 1: What impact, if any, do you believe this situation and
[11:06] Speaker 1: the revelation right now has on the draft status of
[11:09] Speaker 1: Reuben ban.
[11:11] Speaker 4: First of all, you know, the accident itself and the
[11:14] Speaker 4: fallout is tragic, is truly horrific and tragic, And for
[11:20] Speaker 4: what we are talking about right now.
[11:22] Speaker 1: We can you never want to.
[11:24] Speaker 4: It's tragic, but to put it to the side and
[11:26] Speaker 4: focus only on the draft part of it. I don't
[11:28] Speaker 4: believe that this will affect his draft stock in a
[11:31] Speaker 4: negative way. I mean, I think a lot of people
[11:33] Speaker 4: believe ruben Bain is a top ten pick. This revelation
[11:37] Speaker 4: coming out publicly doesn't affect that because as you mentioned,
[11:40] Speaker 4: as Brad Holmes mentioned, teams have known about this. They
[11:42] Speaker 4: have the opportunity to make some calls, to talk to people,
[11:45] Speaker 4: to talk to ruben Bain himself and understand the factors
[11:48] Speaker 4: that go that have gone into this horrific accident in
[11:52] Speaker 4: the wee hours of the morning a couple of years ago.
[11:54] Speaker 4: Should be noted there was no DUI test at the scene.
[11:59] Speaker 4: Ruben Bain, to the police report, was going five miles
[12:02] Speaker 4: per hour below the speed limit. The charges of careless
[12:05] Speaker 4: driving were dropped, believe a couple of weeks before her passing,
[12:10] Speaker 4: when there's a lot here that would speak to Ruben
[12:14] Speaker 4: may not being found at fault. Now the civil matter
[12:18] Speaker 4: has been settled. So sometimes you see headlines going into
[12:21] Speaker 4: draft week, it doesn't seem that's going to be the
[12:24] Speaker 4: case here, it seems that what is public was previously private,
[12:27] Speaker 4: is now public and it sort of is what it is.
[12:30] Speaker 4: Teams will have to make their own decision. But just
[12:32] Speaker 4: this doesn't feel to me like a draft week bombshell,
[12:36] Speaker 4: because privately, teams have known all about this time.
[12:40] Speaker 1: The group of Bane junior going to be in the
[12:43] Speaker 1: draft room, schedule to be there in Pittsburgh. Entirely possible
[12:46] Speaker 1: that he could end up going later than what the
[12:48] Speaker 1: mock drafts have suggested, but there are other factors in
[12:51] Speaker 1: that as well. There is no precedent for a player
[12:53] Speaker 1: with his short arm length as an edge player being
[12:57] Speaker 1: highly productive in the NFL. That's something that people are
[13:00] Speaker 1: taking it to consideration, even though of course he was
[13:02] Speaker 1: a very productive player at the college level. Travis Hunter
[13:06] Speaker 1: was a highly productive player at the college level, playing
[13:09] Speaker 1: both sides the football at Colorado. Attempted to do some
[13:12] Speaker 1: of the same in his first year in Jacksonville, never
[13:15] Speaker 1: really got off the ground, and then suffered a season
[13:18] Speaker 1: ending knee injury in practice. Ian and our Cam Wolf
[13:22] Speaker 1: have spoken right here on the Insiders in recent weeks
[13:25] Speaker 1: about what the future is going to hold for a Hunter.
[13:29] Speaker 1: Travis Hunter, Junior has some thoughts. Who told you this? Seean?
[13:33] Speaker 4: I mean I think what he means, Tom is man.
[13:38] Speaker 4: That's a great job of getting that information. Who could
[13:40] Speaker 4: have told you all that accurate info?
[13:43] Speaker 1: It's funny.
[13:44] Speaker 4: What I would like now is I would like more words,
[13:49] Speaker 4: just like which part of this did you have a
[13:50] Speaker 4: problem with?
[13:51] Speaker 1: Or did you have a problem with any of it?
[13:52] Speaker 4: Are you just simply impressed with my reporting ability, which,
[13:54] Speaker 4: to be totally honest, also coincides with Cam Wolfe's reporting
[13:58] Speaker 4: ability considering he was the one that ended up saying
[14:00] Speaker 4: this first, there's two parts of this report, Okay, two parts.
[14:04] Speaker 1: One is that the likelihood is.
[14:06] Speaker 4: Travis Hunter is going to be more of a corner
[14:08] Speaker 4: this year than a receiver, not that he's not going
[14:10] Speaker 4: to play receiver, just more snaps at corner. That seems
[14:12] Speaker 4: to be the way it's going. And then the part
[14:14] Speaker 4: of this which actually the team said publicly Mark, which
[14:18] Speaker 4: is that he may not be at full strength for
[14:21] Speaker 4: the spring, which I believe as well because he's come
[14:23] Speaker 4: back from an LCL. Either way, I expect very big
[14:26] Speaker 4: things from Travis Hunter. And then maybe when I go
[14:29] Speaker 4: to training camp, we can and we get the child.
[14:31] Speaker 4: We can talk about why he wanted to tweet about it.
[14:36] Speaker 1: All right, Mark Ross is here. Our front office analysts
[14:38] Speaker 1: has spent a lot of time working on drafts through
[14:41] Speaker 1: the years, evaluating players here, Mark, and for Travis Hunter,
[14:45] Speaker 1: it was a unique evaluation. We all covered that they
[14:48] Speaker 1: attempted to do something, they had to feel it out.
[14:50] Speaker 1: It didn't entirely work in year one. What do you
[14:53] Speaker 1: anticipate year two? Holds now, would you approach this.
[14:57] Speaker 2: Well?
[14:58] Speaker 1: Year two?
[14:58] Speaker 8: There's more twitter beak with Travis. Let's keep that going,
[15:01] Speaker 8: and I love it. But just as far as the
[15:04] Speaker 8: football perspective of it, when it happened, you know, at
[15:07] Speaker 8: Travis Hunter at two, whether he was.
[15:09] Speaker 1: A corner or receiver, that was very rich for that
[15:12] Speaker 1: to be his value.
[15:13] Speaker 8: So it had to be Travis Hunter as this special
[15:16] Speaker 8: phenomenal player on both sides of the ball to justify
[15:19] Speaker 8: where they took him and what they gave up the
[15:21] Speaker 8: two first round picks, the second round pick, the fourth
[15:23] Speaker 8: round pick, and so of course year one was a
[15:25] Speaker 8: disappointment because he was trying to do too much and
[15:28] Speaker 8: he couldn't settle in you know, this is a different
[15:30] Speaker 8: game here in the NFL then college. So I think
[15:33] Speaker 8: this is smart for the Jaguars to do this, to
[15:35] Speaker 8: be a full time quarter. They maybe just be saying
[15:38] Speaker 8: he's a part time receiver just to make him happy
[15:40] Speaker 8: or make him feel good. But let's just look at
[15:42] Speaker 8: the offense. Last year, they didn't even need him, you know,
[15:44] Speaker 8: as a team as well, the Jaguars played and then
[15:47] Speaker 8: with Brian Thomas Junior on offense, Parker Washington, and then
[15:50] Speaker 8: Jacobe Meyer is coming in there playing phenomenally middle of
[15:53] Speaker 8: the year.
[15:53] Speaker 1: So on the offensive side, Travis.
[15:55] Speaker 8: Really wasn't needed looking at it going into this season
[15:58] Speaker 8: either way. So as a core he is by far
[16:01] Speaker 8: their best corner now. So the need for him, Travis Hunter,
[16:04] Speaker 8: the corner is there much much more so than on
[16:07] Speaker 8: the offense side of the ball. So gotta get stronger,
[16:10] Speaker 8: gotta get bigger, gotta build his body up, going both ways,
[16:13] Speaker 8: doing too much. I was in practice during training camp,
[16:15] Speaker 8: you remember We're down there, Tom, and I was like,
[16:17] Speaker 8: this guy's got the penny on one play. He's doing this,
[16:19] Speaker 8: doing that. He needs to get bigger, stronger in one position,
[16:22] Speaker 8: learn and grow and then maybe become the dual threat
[16:26] Speaker 8: he was at Colorado. Mark, good stuff, Thank you very much.
[16:30] Speaker 8: We'll see you a little bit later on in the show.
[16:33] Speaker 1: Tons more to come here on the insiders, including a
[16:37] Speaker 1: visit from Keelan Rutledge, who is a big man with
[16:40] Speaker 1: a big beard, no mustache, and things to say to
[16:43] Speaker 1: our Stacy Dales, who also will join us right after this.
[16:47] Speaker 1: Dale's you know, are from the infinite amount of sideline
[16:50] Speaker 1: information at the scouting combine, which wide receivers could rise
[16:55] Speaker 1: up into round one Dale's with the data right after
[16:59] Speaker 1: this on the end the twy roy six NFL Draft,
[17:11] Speaker 1: now just ten days away, many burning questions remaine, including
[17:16] Speaker 1: who is the best wide receiver in the draft? Carlo Tate,
[17:21] Speaker 1: Jordan Tyson, Mackay Lemon, and Omar Cooper Junior. Making that
[17:25] Speaker 1: graphic from the NFL social media accounts so much to
[17:29] Speaker 1: dig into. Let's bring in our Stacey Dales, who you
[17:32] Speaker 1: saw across many days of Combine coverage, getting to know
[17:35] Speaker 1: these guys up close and personal. Has been working the
[17:38] Speaker 1: phone since Stacy, We've talked a lot about a few
[17:40] Speaker 1: of the guys on that list, especially Tate as well
[17:43] Speaker 1: as Tyson and Lemon. Interesting to see Omar Cooper Junior
[17:47] Speaker 1: make that graphic. Tell me what you've learned since about
[17:50] Speaker 1: how teams are perceiving the value of these receivers, and
[17:53] Speaker 1: specifically Cooper.
[17:55] Speaker 9: Not surprise Cooper's on that graphic at all. I think
[17:59] Speaker 9: he is a scout stream across the landscape. The scouts
[18:02] Speaker 9: love this guy, and listen, we're going to continue to hear.
[18:04] Speaker 9: This is a deep wide receiver class, right, which makes
[18:07] Speaker 9: as you mentioned, tom ian Hello, the valuation so important.
[18:11] Speaker 9: I've seen in mock drafts anywhere from three to five,
[18:14] Speaker 9: possibly even six sneaking in. We didn't even mention Casey
[18:17] Speaker 9: conception O. But this guy right here, Omar Cooper. What
[18:22] Speaker 9: a career at Indiana, so super loyal, right, great young man,
[18:27] Speaker 9: that's the feedback that I get. Obviously, very productive, leads
[18:30] Speaker 9: the national champion, who's yours in receiving yards nine thirty
[18:34] Speaker 9: seven of those. He ran a blazing speed at the
[18:38] Speaker 9: combine for his size and what people expect of him. Listen,
[18:42] Speaker 9: he played outside most of his career up until this year.
[18:45] Speaker 9: They move him inside the slot. He is a wide
[18:47] Speaker 9: receiver with a running back's mentality. He wants to run
[18:51] Speaker 9: through you, but he will run around you. He can
[18:54] Speaker 9: run around you and some of the feedback, just specifically
[18:58] Speaker 9: faster than some people maybe thought, given that four four
[19:02] Speaker 9: two forty, the strong hands at the catch point, the
[19:06] Speaker 9: football savvy, his intelligence, his body control outstanding, and his
[19:11] Speaker 9: stock just continues to go up. Remember he's from Indianapolis.
[19:14] Speaker 9: I mentioned loyalty. He stays there in Indiana, a place
[19:17] Speaker 9: for the Hoosiers entire career. He even goes to the
[19:19] Speaker 9: local pro day that the Colts held. You know, he
[19:23] Speaker 9: works out at the combine. He works out at Indiana
[19:27] Speaker 9: his pro day with Fernando Mendoza and caught a whole
[19:30] Speaker 9: bunch of footballs, led them in receiving yard receive receptions
[19:33] Speaker 9: as well. Excuse me, Omar Cooper will go in the
[19:36] Speaker 9: first round. In my mind, it's just a matter of
[19:39] Speaker 9: where his valuation lands.
[19:41] Speaker 10: That's interesting.
[19:42] Speaker 4: You talked to Stacey about how much coaches like him.
[19:44] Speaker 4: This is sort of when coaches get involved in in
[19:47] Speaker 4: the process, and you know, these guys are doing top
[19:49] Speaker 4: thirty visits and coaches really get to talk to him,
[19:51] Speaker 4: and you could see guys kind of skyrocket a little bit. Similar,
[19:55] Speaker 4: similar sort of question on Denzel Boston. Certainly someone who
[20:00] Speaker 4: I would say maybe a month ago I wasn't sure
[20:01] Speaker 4: if he was going to be a first rounder. Now
[20:03] Speaker 4: it kind of feels like it's trending that way.
[20:05] Speaker 1: What do you think about him?
[20:07] Speaker 9: Yeah, Ian, great point. This is why I wanted to
[20:09] Speaker 9: add him here today because listen, he's six four, he's
[20:13] Speaker 9: two twelve. Think Roma Dunes size, right. So happens to
[20:17] Speaker 9: also play at Washington. He is a catch radius monster,
[20:23] Speaker 9: and when I asked him, how would you describe your
[20:25] Speaker 9: catch radius, he said, I'm a giant vacuum. He just
[20:29] Speaker 9: sucks everything in around him. So he's going to be
[20:31] Speaker 9: that red zone guy. Now, he didn't run his forty
[20:33] Speaker 9: at his pro day, his agent's advice obviously in terms
[20:37] Speaker 9: of that decision. But he had a strong workout and
[20:40] Speaker 9: we know what he's done productively on the field, much
[20:42] Speaker 9: like Omar Cooper leads these guys at Washington in receiving yards.
[20:46] Speaker 9: And here's a cool backstory on him. They have this
[20:50] Speaker 9: jugs machine chart at you dub at their facility and
[20:54] Speaker 9: they're all supposed to put up how many jugs catches
[20:57] Speaker 9: they take in a day. And as he explained it
[21:01] Speaker 9: to me, he was catching anywhere from two hundred to
[21:04] Speaker 9: five hundred footballs every single day, and before last season
[21:09] Speaker 9: he has something like ten thousand jugs machine catches, and
[21:12] Speaker 9: again you got to throw those up on the board.
[21:15] Speaker 9: He added five thousand jugs machine catches last season in
[21:19] Speaker 9: his final year at Washington. So he is a worker.
[21:22] Speaker 9: Omar Cooper is a worker. And Boston is an interesting
[21:26] Speaker 9: study because it's not going to be necessarily about blazing speed.
[21:30] Speaker 9: But he has played outside a boundary receiver the entirety
[21:34] Speaker 9: basically of his career. He's willing to move inside and
[21:37] Speaker 9: thinks he's versatile. They all think they're versatile, right, but
[21:40] Speaker 9: he can play at all three levels within the offense,
[21:43] Speaker 9: and so I think he's a really interesting study guys
[21:45] Speaker 9: with his size and the comp that Daniel Jeremiah has.
[21:49] Speaker 9: Courtland Sutton who went in the second round fortieth overall,
[21:53] Speaker 9: I believe back in twenty eighteen.
[21:55] Speaker 11: He's a two time pro bowler.
[21:56] Speaker 9: So we'll see how this plays out.
[21:58] Speaker 11: But it's an interesting group receivers.
[22:02] Speaker 1: There's a great stuff. As always, we will talk to
[22:05] Speaker 1: you a lot more between now and the draft kicking
[22:08] Speaker 1: off next Thursday, April twenty third.
[22:13] Speaker 12: He hitted it off the love who stays on his
[22:16] Speaker 12: face Love here's a new zone in the inZone, and
[22:21] Speaker 12: it's better accepted bail of downs and.
[22:24] Speaker 1: It's seven that is batted down. It's David Bailey again.
[22:28] Speaker 1: What a season for this kid.
[22:30] Speaker 3: What a ballplayer. Folks, you're looking at right now, you
[22:32] Speaker 3: are looking at a star.
[22:34] Speaker 10: Tell me this is not NFL stuff right here giving
[22:36] Speaker 10: the football.
[22:37] Speaker 3: It's a d BOMs.
[22:38] Speaker 12: He's an absolute animal, fire god touchdowns.
[22:43] Speaker 10: That's a little nuance, Gus. I'm telling you that's an
[22:46] Speaker 10: NFL nuance right there.
[22:47] Speaker 1: We don't know what it is, but we know it
[22:50] Speaker 1: when we see it. The twenty twenty six NFL Draft
[22:55] Speaker 1: is now just Drake May days away, ten days until
[22:59] Speaker 1: things kick a Thursday, April twenty third, right here on
[23:03] Speaker 1: NFL Network and across the ESPN family of networks. Take
[23:07] Speaker 1: a look at the top ten draft order. After number
[23:11] Speaker 1: one and the presumption it is Fernando Mandoza, all heck
[23:16] Speaker 1: breaks loose. So let's talk about some of the teams
[23:18] Speaker 1: under the most pressure to deliver with those high draft
[23:22] Speaker 1: picks with our guy Mark Ross, with me Tom Pilaicero
[23:25] Speaker 1: here on the inside. So Sarah and tennessee Mark, we
[23:28] Speaker 1: know that there's been a lot of changes for a
[23:31] Speaker 1: number of years. I think they've got the coach now
[23:34] Speaker 1: in Robert Solid, They've got Brian Dable running that offense.
[23:37] Speaker 1: Why is it so important for them to nail this pick?
[23:40] Speaker 1: And what do they do well all all season?
[23:42] Speaker 8: I mean comparing them to the Patriots of this season
[23:44] Speaker 8: showing Drake May there because they had the new head
[23:47] Speaker 8: coach who was a former head coach. Defensive mine at
[23:49] Speaker 8: the offensive coordinator was a former head coach. And now
[23:52] Speaker 8: you're picking at four. You've spent a ton of free agency,
[23:55] Speaker 8: much like the Patriots did. And then the Patriots crushed
[23:58] Speaker 8: all those steps and they crushed the draft as well.
[24:00] Speaker 8: So Tennessee now has to crush the draft. And right
[24:03] Speaker 8: there at number four. They got to help cam Ward
[24:05] Speaker 8: a lot of spending this offseason on the defensive side
[24:08] Speaker 8: with John Franklin Myers and the crew. But for them,
[24:11] Speaker 8: I think if they can get the best player in
[24:13] Speaker 8: the draft at number four, it is a running back.
[24:15] Speaker 8: But if you have a running if your your franchise
[24:18] Speaker 8: quarterback in place, getting a Jeremiah Love makes sense to
[24:22] Speaker 8: be the new McNair. Eddie Georges of the Titans bringing
[24:25] Speaker 8: back the glory days because cam Ward needs playmakers around him,
[24:29] Speaker 8: comparing him the Drake May last season, who had nobody
[24:32] Speaker 8: around him.
[24:32] Speaker 1: Then they built the infrastructure.
[24:34] Speaker 8: The same thing could happen for the Titans, where this
[24:36] Speaker 8: infusion of talent, the explosive that he shows right there,
[24:40] Speaker 8: would bode well for the development of cam Ward. Got
[24:43] Speaker 8: to get some other playmakers in there too, Tom and
[24:45] Speaker 8: you know the rest of the draft, But that would
[24:47] Speaker 8: be the first step of the new renaissance of the Titans.
[24:51] Speaker 1: Vandersy to keep putting weapons around Jayden Daniels as well. Obviously,
[24:55] Speaker 1: twenty twenty four they won with an older roster, point
[24:58] Speaker 1: twenty five doubled down. It did not go well. Important picks,
[25:02] Speaker 1: no doubt about it. For Washington, how do you see
[25:04] Speaker 1: this shaking out? Yeah, what a difference the year makes.
[25:07] Speaker 1: You know, last year were talking about the Commander's coming
[25:09] Speaker 1: off the NFC Championship game and can they take the
[25:11] Speaker 1: next step, And now they're picking at number seven. That's
[25:13] Speaker 1: how fast the NFL comes at you.
[25:15] Speaker 8: But as you mentioned, they've got to help out Jayden Daniels,
[25:18] Speaker 8: who's coming off injury. Outside of Terry McLaurin, you know,
[25:21] Speaker 8: not a lot of playmakers even last year with Deebo,
[25:24] Speaker 8: there not a lot of playmakers. Of course, in free
[25:27] Speaker 8: agency they struck it big on the defensive side with
[25:30] Speaker 8: a dafe O Way and Chase On on the edge
[25:33] Speaker 8: as well as Leo Chanl. So now going into the draft, Okay,
[25:37] Speaker 8: we've got these picks, how can we.
[25:38] Speaker 1: Help out our guy?
[25:39] Speaker 8: I think that guy right there, Carnell Tate, who I
[25:42] Speaker 8: have as the best receiver in the draft. To pair
[25:44] Speaker 8: with this the Terry McLaurin who's also a Buck guy
[25:48] Speaker 8: as well, So learn from the veteran Buck guy.
[25:50] Speaker 1: Bring in that playmaking explosiveness, Jayden Daniels.
[25:52] Speaker 8: Let's see if they can win the NFC East and
[25:54] Speaker 8: get back to that NFC championship game zone.
[25:57] Speaker 1: Now, how about a team we never see up there
[25:59] Speaker 1: in the top ten and the Chiefs. Yes, the Chiefs
[26:02] Speaker 1: have the number nine overall pick. They got another first
[26:05] Speaker 1: round pick later on by way of the Rams. Here Mark,
[26:08] Speaker 1: no doubt this is an important draft for the Why
[26:11] Speaker 1: is it's so crucial for Patrick Mahomes and company for
[26:14] Speaker 1: this front office to nail these picks.
[26:17] Speaker 8: It's because it's a new era right here that they
[26:20] Speaker 8: need an infusion of that young talent. And every time
[26:22] Speaker 8: I see the draft order and see the Chiefs there,
[26:24] Speaker 8: Tom's like, is this real?
[26:25] Speaker 1: Like, yes, they are sitting right there.
[26:27] Speaker 8: But again, they've got an infrastructure, they've got mahomes, they
[26:31] Speaker 8: got Andy Reid. But they need to get better, especially
[26:33] Speaker 8: after free agency losing their two starting corners there where
[26:37] Speaker 8: they traded Trent McDuffie and Jalen Watson also left to
[26:40] Speaker 8: go both to go to the Rams. So first order
[26:43] Speaker 8: the business, Okay, are we just going to say target
[26:45] Speaker 8: the corner position and get a monsor delaying right there
[26:49] Speaker 8: from LSU or a Jamal McCoy from Tennessee. Those two
[26:53] Speaker 8: guys certainly will be in play right there because my
[26:57] Speaker 8: man's spags knows, hey, I got to have those corners
[26:59] Speaker 8: to shove you down. But also Tom, they could go edge.
[27:02] Speaker 8: You know outside of Chris Jones, and we've been talking
[27:04] Speaker 8: about this for years with the Chiefs is that they
[27:07] Speaker 8: just don't have a lot of punch, especially on the outside.
[27:09] Speaker 8: So if a room at Bane gets down there to
[27:12] Speaker 8: them at nine, you have to seriously say, this could
[27:15] Speaker 8: be a pick for the Chiefs. So with the Chiefs, definitely,
[27:18] Speaker 8: unfortunately for them, the two premier positions on defense where
[27:21] Speaker 8: they need pass rushing and need guys that can cover
[27:24] Speaker 8: at least at nine, There'll be some good options, should
[27:27] Speaker 8: be some good options for them.
[27:28] Speaker 1: The replenis the roster all just ten days away till
[27:32] Speaker 1: the twenty twenty six NFL Draft. Mark, We'll talk to
[27:34] Speaker 1: you a lot between now and then. Still more to
[27:37] Speaker 1: come here on the Insiders. You clean another name you
[27:40] Speaker 1: could hear fairly high in the NFL Draft. But how
[27:44] Speaker 1: high is high enough for Keelan Rutledge. I say just
[27:47] Speaker 1: take a guard first overall, Rutledge joining our Stacey Dales
[27:51] Speaker 1: right here on the Insiders.
[27:52] Speaker 4: Next two more days until visits, close up shop for
[28:05] Speaker 4: the season. Got a couple more to get in before
[28:07] Speaker 4: everything ends. Mensord Delay, one of the top corners, potentially
[28:11] Speaker 4: the top corner in this coming draft, has Bengals, Ravens,
[28:15] Speaker 4: and Commanders as his visits before we are all done
[28:19] Speaker 4: on Wednesday. Mikayle Lemon, USC receiver, one of the top
[28:23] Speaker 4: receivers in the draft, spent today with the Miami Dolphins.
[28:27] Speaker 4: They pick eleventh. Expect Lemon to be a first rounder.
[28:31] Speaker 4: Then Chris Brussel the second. Very very busy man, spending
[28:37] Speaker 4: most of his time in the last couple weeks on
[28:39] Speaker 4: visits Packers, Commanders, and forty nine ers this week as
[28:42] Speaker 4: a lot of teams would like to get to.
[28:44] Speaker 1: Know him a little better.
[28:46] Speaker 10: And then David Bailey.
[28:47] Speaker 4: The top edge of may in fact be the top
[28:50] Speaker 4: edge rusher in the NFL draft, spent last week with
[28:53] Speaker 4: the Tennessee Titans.
[28:54] Speaker 1: They picked four.
[28:56] Speaker 4: Just an open question out whether or not Bailey actually
[28:59] Speaker 4: gets there. Meanwhile, let's send things over now to our
[29:03] Speaker 4: good friend Stacy Dale's with a special guest.
[29:13] Speaker 9: Yeah see, and we are incredibly pumped right now to
[29:16] Speaker 9: welcome to the program. Healan Rutledge, one of my favorite
[29:21] Speaker 9: offensive linemen in this draft, of course, the Piccolo Award
[29:23] Speaker 9: winner back in twenty twenty five, the ACC's most courageous player.
[29:29] Speaker 9: What an honor for mister Rutledge, and what an honor
[29:32] Speaker 9: it is for him to now join the program. I
[29:36] Speaker 9: mentioned he's one of my favorite linemen. I don't know
[29:38] Speaker 9: if it's keelan because you're an absolute mauler on the
[29:41] Speaker 9: interior or you're just such an athlete.
[29:43] Speaker 11: And good guy all around.
[29:45] Speaker 9: Welcome, How are we doing in this draft process?
[29:50] Speaker 1: Man?
[29:50] Speaker 13: It's a blessing. I'm enjoying it for sure. Been a
[29:54] Speaker 13: long process, but it's flyn by at the same time,
[29:56] Speaker 13: So I'm ready, ready, you know, for about a week
[29:58] Speaker 13: and a half to hear the name call.
[30:01] Speaker 9: One of the things you told me back in Indianapolis
[30:04] Speaker 9: was you wanted to show off this draft off season,
[30:06] Speaker 9: if you want to call it that, your athleticism and
[30:09] Speaker 9: how well you can move that some of these teams
[30:11] Speaker 9: out there think you're just a physical mauler. As I
[30:13] Speaker 9: mentioned on the interior. What feedback have they given you
[30:16] Speaker 9: throughout the course of the last few weeks.
[30:19] Speaker 3: Yeah, I think I just showed exactly that.
[30:22] Speaker 13: I kind of knew I was going to do it,
[30:23] Speaker 13: and I mean you see it on the tape too,
[30:25] Speaker 13: But I think to go out there and indian put
[30:27] Speaker 13: a stamp on it, and what I did at the
[30:29] Speaker 13: Senior Bowl, I mean, i think.
[30:31] Speaker 3: The feedbacks heading in the right direction. So I'm really
[30:34] Speaker 3: excited to see what happens.
[30:37] Speaker 9: You had an awesome combine. You had a five oh
[30:39] Speaker 9: one forty. You were kind of flying out there for
[30:41] Speaker 9: the big boys. Your drill work and footwork was exceptional.
[30:45] Speaker 9: But I think your hands might be a gift that
[30:48] Speaker 9: people don't understand how technical you are, how good are
[30:51] Speaker 9: those hands and how do they how do they impact
[30:53] Speaker 9: you at the line of scrimmage.
[30:56] Speaker 13: Yeah, I mean I think just getting them hands inside,
[30:58] Speaker 13: getting them vice gripts on them being able to let go.
[31:00] Speaker 13: I mean, I think that's how you sustain and finished blocks.
[31:03] Speaker 13: When you're able to do that and get them hands inside. Man,
[31:06] Speaker 13: it's a long night for them d line.
[31:09] Speaker 9: Yeah, the measurables you see there on the screen, And
[31:12] Speaker 9: it was interesting you talk about the interior line and
[31:15] Speaker 9: obviously thirty forty three starts in your career at right guard,
[31:19] Speaker 9: forty eight games played Middle Tennessee State to Georgia Tech. Keelan.
[31:24] Speaker 9: We saw that time there on the tape with you
[31:26] Speaker 9: at guard. But Senior Bowl you mentioned bumping inside there
[31:29] Speaker 9: at the center. We saw out your pro day a
[31:31] Speaker 9: little bit of both for these teams. How comfortable are
[31:34] Speaker 9: you moving in should you need to snap the ball
[31:36] Speaker 9: this coming season in the NFL.
[31:39] Speaker 3: Yeah, I'm really comfortable with it.
[31:40] Speaker 13: I mean at Georgia Tech, I was kind of the
[31:42] Speaker 13: emergency guy, so you know, did it in practice there
[31:44] Speaker 13: some and then obviously going to the Senior Bowl and showing,
[31:47] Speaker 13: you know, showing that I could do it at that
[31:49] Speaker 13: level and planning as a better competition.
[31:50] Speaker 3: I mean, I'm completely confident in my ability to play
[31:53] Speaker 3: any of them. Three inside.
[31:56] Speaker 9: I love it this past season Georgia Tech for four
[32:00] Speaker 9: already pass block snaps, you don't give up a sack.
[32:03] Speaker 9: But what's really cool is your ability to move in
[32:07] Speaker 9: the run game. I mean, you talk about that athleticism,
[32:10] Speaker 9: get to the second level. What's that like for you
[32:13] Speaker 9: to possess that ability, And certainly it's going to be
[32:16] Speaker 9: important as you take the next step in the pros.
[32:20] Speaker 13: Yeah, I mean it's just get up on that second level.
[32:22] Speaker 13: Being able to, you know, if it's a if it's
[32:24] Speaker 13: a combo block column to a second level chip and climb,
[32:27] Speaker 13: or if it's pulling out on the perimeter, getting the
[32:29] Speaker 13: second level, and you know, being with these these more
[32:31] Speaker 13: athletic you know, outside linebackers, inside linebackers, being able to
[32:35] Speaker 13: you know, square them up and finish them. I mean,
[32:37] Speaker 13: that's that's a trait that you know, not all of
[32:39] Speaker 13: a lot of it as alignment can have.
[32:43] Speaker 9: I'll tell you one thing I didn't want to face
[32:45] Speaker 9: you on the basketball court. Now. People need to understand
[32:48] Speaker 9: you are a walking double double when you played right
[32:51] Speaker 9: state champion in the shot put. But let's go to
[32:53] Speaker 9: the let's go to the court. Tell me what kind
[32:54] Speaker 9: of power forward you were and what those handles were like.
[32:59] Speaker 13: Yeah, I mean I could put it on the ground
[33:01] Speaker 13: a little bit. I could face some people up back
[33:03] Speaker 13: to basket obviously, but uh, I could. I could play
[33:06] Speaker 13: a little bit. I can get on the perimeter and
[33:08] Speaker 13: drive a little bit. But it's a lot of pounds ago.
[33:10] Speaker 13: I mean it's pretty big right there, but a couple
[33:12] Speaker 13: of pounds ago.
[33:14] Speaker 9: When was that.
[33:16] Speaker 3: That was senior year, sometime in basketball season.
[33:19] Speaker 13: Okay, not as big as I am now, and you're
[33:22] Speaker 13: not obviously ready.
[33:24] Speaker 9: Well right now, you're what six three I think you
[33:27] Speaker 9: measured in in India, what three seventeen? How how nimble
[33:32] Speaker 9: do you feel at that size? I'm not even sure.
[33:34] Speaker 9: When I stood with you, I was pretty wowed by
[33:37] Speaker 9: just the whole the whole package really in terms of
[33:40] Speaker 9: how lean an athletic you are, but how much you
[33:42] Speaker 9: can move when you're on the field.
[33:44] Speaker 3: Yeah, I feel really good at that weight.
[33:46] Speaker 13: I'm obviously putting on some pounds caught you know, since
[33:48] Speaker 13: high school and coming in.
[33:50] Speaker 3: You know, around that two ninety range.
[33:51] Speaker 13: But I mean, obviously I'm always been a big dude,
[33:54] Speaker 13: and just put on extra pounds wasn't too you know,
[33:56] Speaker 13: to too hard for me. And then obviously just you know,
[33:59] Speaker 13: being able to move, move and be athletics kind of
[34:01] Speaker 13: just in my DNA.
[34:02] Speaker 3: I've always you know, every play off, it's a line
[34:04] Speaker 3: till college.
[34:04] Speaker 1: So you know, just being able.
[34:05] Speaker 3: To get up on my second level is just kind
[34:07] Speaker 3: of natural for me. So I feel good at this way.
[34:11] Speaker 9: And the mental fortitude Keelan and the toughness that I
[34:15] Speaker 9: think is is who you are as a person and
[34:17] Speaker 9: a player. But to go through that, you know, really
[34:20] Speaker 9: catastrophic car accident a few years ago and nearly have
[34:24] Speaker 9: part of your foot amputated, What was that like and
[34:29] Speaker 9: what did you learn about yourself in that process?
[34:33] Speaker 13: Yeah, I mean it's you know, it's crazy because obviously
[34:36] Speaker 13: you've had injuries and stuff like that, but when it's
[34:38] Speaker 13: something you know severe that like hey, you might get
[34:40] Speaker 13: your foot cut off, it's kind of crazy. You know,
[34:42] Speaker 13: you definitely don't want to hear that when you go
[34:44] Speaker 13: to doctor, But it's just you know, kind of what
[34:46] Speaker 13: I already knew about myself.
[34:47] Speaker 3: I'm tough. I'm resilient.
[34:48] Speaker 13: But then you go through something like that and it's
[34:50] Speaker 13: you know, more than just football, right, it's the mental it's, uh,
[34:53] Speaker 13: you know, how are you going through them days where
[34:55] Speaker 13: it's like they're telling you stuff like that and you're
[34:57] Speaker 13: just one step at a time just to get that
[35:00] Speaker 13: and you know, just battle myself back and got back.
[35:03] Speaker 3: On the field.
[35:03] Speaker 13: And when I knew I was back on the field, man,
[35:04] Speaker 13: I knew it was go time. So you just step
[35:06] Speaker 13: by step and it just showed you who I already was.
[35:08] Speaker 13: But you know, continue to build on that and know that, hey,
[35:11] Speaker 13: I'm resilient in anything that comes on.
[35:12] Speaker 3: I'm all overcoming.
[35:15] Speaker 9: Yeah, it's always go time with you and goal time
[35:18] Speaker 9: with you.
[35:18] Speaker 11: Give us a couple of your goals.
[35:20] Speaker 9: As you get ready to get drafted into the NFL,
[35:23] Speaker 9: and you know, presumably going to get drafted pretty high.
[35:26] Speaker 11: I know these teams love you.
[35:28] Speaker 13: Yeah, I mean, just getting there and just obviously soaking
[35:30] Speaker 13: it all in, getting with the vets, getting with the
[35:32] Speaker 13: guys that have been there, and you know, soaking up
[35:34] Speaker 13: that knowledge and being able prepared and be able to
[35:36] Speaker 13: run out there day one as a starter. I mean,
[35:38] Speaker 13: I think that's you know, everybody's goal, and that's definitely
[35:40] Speaker 13: my you know, you want to be a day one starter,
[35:42] Speaker 13: plug and play, and you know when I go out there,
[35:45] Speaker 13: I want to put stuff on tape that other other
[35:46] Speaker 13: people don't put on tape. I want to finish dudes.
[35:49] Speaker 13: I want to move people from point A to point
[35:50] Speaker 13: blee B. So I think that's kind of the goals
[35:53] Speaker 13: for me.
[35:53] Speaker 1: Rookie year.
[35:56] Speaker 9: Awesome, Keelan Rutledge. We appreciate you. Cannot wait to see
[36:00] Speaker 9: which one of these thirty two take you here in
[36:02] Speaker 9: a just over.
[36:03] Speaker 11: A week in the NFL draft.
[36:04] Speaker 9: Thanks for being with.
[36:05] Speaker 3: Us, Yes, ma'am. Thank you.
[36:07] Speaker 4: Insiders abound on our show. We got news insiders like oh,
[36:11] Speaker 4: I don't know being Peli Sara. We got fantasy insiders
[36:14] Speaker 4: like our good buddy Michael f Florio who's gonna do
[36:17] Speaker 4: a little fantasy forecast Forst.
[36:20] Speaker 1: Flourio.
[36:20] Speaker 4: Thank you very much for joining us, as always appreciate it.
[36:23] Speaker 4: Here's what I want to hear from you. I want
[36:26] Speaker 4: you to detail detail the potential impact that some of
[36:30] Speaker 4: these draft future stars are gonna make. Well, start with
[36:32] Speaker 4: Kenyan Sadek. Potentially, I would say, maybe more likely the
[36:36] Speaker 4: top tight end in the draft. What do you forecast
[36:39] Speaker 4: for him?
[36:40] Speaker 10: I think you should be expecting big things from Kenyan Sadik.
[36:45] Speaker 10: I think like a dream landing spot would be somewhere
[36:47] Speaker 10: like the Miami Dolphins. He is more like a wide
[36:51] Speaker 10: receiver type of weapon than a traditional tight end, consistent
[36:54] Speaker 10: with some of the tight ends that we've seen go
[36:56] Speaker 10: early in drafts in recent years. He could get open
[36:58] Speaker 10: at all three levels. He could win downfield and after
[37:01] Speaker 10: the catch, and he has the size to be an
[37:03] Speaker 10: immediate red zone weapon, evident by his eight touchdowns in college.
[37:07] Speaker 10: Last year, our land zerlong Ian comps into Trey McBride,
[37:11] Speaker 10: the best tight end in fantasy the last couple of years,
[37:15] Speaker 10: and last week I said, mackay Lemon to the Dolphins
[37:17] Speaker 10: at Levin at eleven. Maybe they goes to deep, maybe
[37:20] Speaker 10: they take him later in the first but they would
[37:22] Speaker 10: give Mlik. Willis a competent weapon, and he would have
[37:25] Speaker 10: a chance to be the top target on a team
[37:28] Speaker 10: like Miami who would trail often so volume. I think
[37:32] Speaker 10: he is a fantasy tight end one immediately if he
[37:36] Speaker 10: falls to a spot that has targets up for grab
[37:39] Speaker 10: at the tight end position.
[37:41] Speaker 4: So I have been forgiven myself for trading Travis Kelcey
[37:43] Speaker 4: a couple of years back, and then I ended up
[37:45] Speaker 4: in a situation this year where it's like, hey, maybe
[37:47] Speaker 4: i'd like Darren Waller for a couple of weeks. Anyway,
[37:49] Speaker 4: what a disaster. Need to draft guys like Kenyan Citik
[37:52] Speaker 4: got my team more guys like him at Florio.
[37:54] Speaker 1: Let's turn the page to receivers.
[37:56] Speaker 4: Give me some receiver matches that you like.
[38:00] Speaker 10: Casey Concept she owned as a player, and I would
[38:02] Speaker 10: really like it if he ended up in Carolina because
[38:05] Speaker 10: I just think he would be a great fit. Right Like,
[38:07] Speaker 10: the Panthers have been prioritizing wide receiver in the drafts
[38:11] Speaker 10: as of late, but they could still use some help
[38:13] Speaker 10: there and they have Nick Millan and Lagett who are
[38:15] Speaker 10: more perimeter receivers and field stretchers. Concept she owned could
[38:19] Speaker 10: play in the slot, and he is fantastic with the
[38:22] Speaker 10: ball in his hands after the catch. While watching him,
[38:25] Speaker 10: he reminded me of Zay Flowers and that is a
[38:27] Speaker 10: skill set that the Panthers lack right now. So it
[38:31] Speaker 10: would be a boost for Bryce Young. It would make
[38:33] Speaker 10: Concept she Own a late round pick with upside but
[38:36] Speaker 10: he could be the number two target there and that
[38:39] Speaker 10: is going to get people excited. And then a personal
[38:41] Speaker 10: favorite of mine, Ian, I heard you talking him up
[38:44] Speaker 10: earlier on the show, Chris Brazell. I would love it
[38:47] Speaker 10: if he went to the Tennessee Titans. He is a
[38:51] Speaker 10: very speedy receiver as you see here. He could go
[38:54] Speaker 10: up and get the ball as you see there, and
[38:57] Speaker 10: he is just a really good field stretch and I
[39:00] Speaker 10: think that will continue at the next level. He has
[39:02] Speaker 10: the size, physicality and catch radius to be an immediate
[39:06] Speaker 10: red zone option, and I think if he's in Tennessee,
[39:09] Speaker 10: he could come in right away and compete to be.
[39:11] Speaker 3: The top target.
[39:11] Speaker 10: He would fit very nicely with Wandel Robinson and Calvin Ridley.
[39:15] Speaker 10: He reminded me of Brian Thomas Junior when I watched
[39:18] Speaker 10: him play, and we remember the upside he brought as
[39:20] Speaker 10: a rookie, so there would be a lot of upside
[39:23] Speaker 10: there in the reserve rounds. And then Omar Cooper Junior.
[39:26] Speaker 10: I'd love to see him go to the Raiders. Continue
[39:28] Speaker 10: this trend of pairing college quarterbacks and wide receivers Mendoza
[39:33] Speaker 10: and Cooper. I think Burrow and Chase Nixon Franklin, Hurts
[39:36] Speaker 10: and Smith. It is a growing trend in the NFL.
[39:39] Speaker 10: And when you watch Cooper, the speed jumps out immediately,
[39:42] Speaker 10: which is why I think he will be a downfield
[39:44] Speaker 10: threat right away and that is his best attribute, but
[39:47] Speaker 10: he can be he can't win after the catch as well.
[39:50] Speaker 10: I just think he is someone you kind of want
[39:52] Speaker 10: to generate touches for, kind of like a Jaden Reed,
[39:54] Speaker 10: but just a better downfield version of that. And we
[39:58] Speaker 10: know brock Bowers is the top target in Las Vegas,
[40:01] Speaker 10: but Cooper would have a chance to be the wide
[40:04] Speaker 10: receiver one in year one, certainly get a bunch of
[40:06] Speaker 10: snaps and targets. I do think he would be a
[40:09] Speaker 10: bit boomer bust, but there would be a lot of
[40:12] Speaker 10: Spike Weeks, which means draft him in best Ball, but
[40:14] Speaker 10: I think he would be a good late round pick
[40:17] Speaker 10: in this landing spot.
[40:19] Speaker 4: Let's talk about champions aka the opposite of me and fantasy.
[40:23] Speaker 4: The Super Bowl champion Seattle Seahawks obviously said goodbye to
[40:28] Speaker 4: Ken Walker, who of course went to the Kannessee Chiefs
[40:30] Speaker 4: for a big time contract. What do you foresee for
[40:34] Speaker 4: the champs.
[40:35] Speaker 10: Ian Maybe we need to get lunch or something this summer.
[40:37] Speaker 10: We need to make you a champion in fantasy this year.
[40:42] Speaker 10: But for the Seahawks, I think j Darien Price would
[40:45] Speaker 10: be an excellent fit. Look, his biggest crime in college
[40:49] Speaker 10: was he wasn't Jeremiah Love. But he is still largely
[40:52] Speaker 10: viewed as the RB two in this class by many.
[40:55] Speaker 10: He is a one cut runner who is explosive, but
[40:58] Speaker 10: he scored eleven touchdowns last year on just one hundred
[41:01] Speaker 10: and thirteen carries. I do think he needs to improve
[41:05] Speaker 10: as a third down back. But with Seattle last year,
[41:09] Speaker 10: they ran the ball at the second highest rate in
[41:11] Speaker 10: the league at forty seven percent of their plays. They
[41:13] Speaker 10: lost Kenneth Walker. Zach Sharboney is recovering from a late
[41:16] Speaker 10: season torn ACL and up in the air. He could
[41:19] Speaker 10: come in and compete and probably win the job from
[41:22] Speaker 10: Emmanuel Wilson right away. If he was to end up here,
[41:25] Speaker 10: I think he's a fantasy RB two from day one.
[41:29] Speaker 4: All right, I take notes of that, and Fourio, thank
[41:31] Speaker 4: you very much for hanging with us.
[41:33] Speaker 1: Great stuff.
[41:33] Speaker 4: Is always one of these days we'll hang out and
[41:35] Speaker 4: I'll just steal all of your knowledge and maybe that'll
[41:37] Speaker 4: be good. We have knowledge we got lots of knowledge insiders.
[41:41] Speaker 4: Every single week night seven pm Eastern me Garafulla when
[41:46] Speaker 4: he decides, Judy sometimes pelis Ero a lot, and then
[41:50] Speaker 4: me whenever they make me.
[41:52] Speaker 1: Final days for pre draft visits. Some quarterbacks on the
[41:55] Speaker 1: Move Forward or Arkansas QB Taylor Green crazy testing numbers
[42:00] Speaker 1: is that these Steelers today all spend time with the
[42:02] Speaker 1: Ravens and the Cowboys. Meanwhile, Cole Peyton from North Dakota
[42:06] Speaker 1: stated another name you should hear during this draft on
[42:10] Speaker 1: a visit with the Colt, Steon Dawkins draft experience way
[42:14] Speaker 1: behind him, his tattoo experience still very much alive. You've
[42:18] Speaker 1: seen the front, now check out the back, and if
[42:21] Speaker 1: you look very carefully right between the shoulder blades, you
[42:25] Speaker 1: see his top one hundred ranking. Look at that from
[42:27] Speaker 1: ninety six to forty two, Dion continuing to rise, Which
[42:32] Speaker 1: raises an important question. Ian, if you were going to
[42:34] Speaker 1: get one thing tattooed on your back, what would it be.
[42:38] Speaker 4: It would not be my top one hundred ranking between
[42:41] Speaker 4: my legs. That was not his shoulder blades, by the way,
[42:44] Speaker 4: I don't know what anatomy you're looking at, but it.
[42:47] Speaker 1: Was not anyway, I have no idea. I'm not allowed to.
[42:50] Speaker 4: Get any tattoos. My mom would cry. I'm I'm out
[42:53] Speaker 4: on that.
[42:54] Speaker 1: I'm out, I'm out to
[43:01] Speaker 6: Dame between

Shows are listed from Apple Podcasts' charts and directory, and Podcast Index where it is used. Every show and episode belongs to its publisher and plays from the publisher's own feed; this site hosts none of them.