B Scar TV Podcast

NFL Draft Preview: Predictions, Draft Process, and Advice | The Group Chat

Scarlett Creative

This week in The Group Chat, join NFL veterans DJ Reader and Brennan Scarlett as they delve into the hottest topics surrounding the 2024 NFL Draft. Tune in to hear firsthand experiences, draft day memories, potential top picks to sleeper prospects, and expert analysis from those who know the game best. 

Full-length video episodes are available on YouTube.

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Created and Produced by Scarlett Creative.
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’Til next time... Peace ✌️

Speaker 1:

And we're back, man, and it is a big, big week, man Me, you got a beach. I got a beach over there with me.

Speaker 2:

We have a big week.

Speaker 1:

Yes, sir, what'd you say?

Speaker 2:

Yes, sir.

Speaker 1:

Oh, it's lit, brother. You know, the energy is just flowing right now, Coming off a weekend of great sports. We have another. The energy is just flowing right now, coming off a weekend of great sports. We have another great sporting event that's coming up. You know, we had boxing this weekend, we had the basketball playoffs kick off this weekend and this week we got the NFL draft coming up. Man, we got the NFL draft coming up One of the most exciting times of the year. Not only good players, talented group of guys, families' lives changing, but we're going to get to see some drip out there too, and I'm very excited for the outfits and the drip. So draft week is upon us. Man, how you doing B-Score? How you doing my guy man, I am doing very well.

Speaker 2:

I didn't get to go to the fight this weekend like you did, but I was here in Portland, Oregon. The sun has been shining on us so we had a little barbecue. Back-to-back weekends put a little barbecue, Getting on the grid. But again, you know I'm in this vegetarian phase of my life, so I put some mushrooms on the grill, had a little mushroom with a bean and corn patty put together on some bread, Ate good, Watched a little hoops and I had a great weekend, man, and I'm looking forward to this draft upcoming this week.

Speaker 1:

Man man. So the Trailblazers are not in the playoffs, but do you have a team that you're looking for? Are you watching someone right now? Are you watching anybody?

Speaker 2:

Man, I just want to see some good basketball.

Speaker 2:

I feel that this is like the time of year that I actually like watch. You know I haven't really watched much hoops this whole season, but once the playoffs start I start getting into it and I start to learn. You know the teams and which teams that I like, and I watched the Lakers a little bit. I watched the Knicks. It's cool to see the Knicks out there doing well, you see all those celebrities. Courtside finally got a decent team. So yeah, I don't know. I'll have an answer for you in a couple of weeks. Okay, get back to that.

Speaker 1:

We'll get back to that in a couple weeks. Right now, we got to talk about the draft man. We'll start off with our draft day stories. Let's get into our draft day stories. Um, I was a late round.

Speaker 1:

We'll start with you start with you the guy who actually got drafted okay, um, I was gonna bounce back and forth on our separate stories but uh, um, so I was a you, you know I was. I was worried. Honestly, it's draft day. You know I've been through a decent season at Clemson. My year started off rocky because I didn't get to play the first six games at Clemson. Then I ended up finishing, we ended up doing a national championship run, so we lost. But we went there, um, and I ended up getting nine games under my belt, felt good, felt like I performed well at all the pre-draft events that I had to do and those things.

Speaker 1:

A draft day comes along and I'm hearing all over the place. You've heard somebody's uncle said you're going to the second round and you look on all the sites and it doesn't say you're going anywhere. It says you're going to be. You might be back at your mama house is what it looks like. So you're just sitting there. You know the first day comes on and you watch it. It was good to see like some of my friends get drafted. You know I'm watching. I get to see my boy Shaq get drafted. Those guys and just people who I knew, but I obviously knew I wasn't going anytime soon.

Speaker 1:

In this draft, day two comes around. I don't know why I had so much hope on day two, but for some reason I was full with just false hope, real adrenaline like, oh, every person calling me that I don't know the number I'm getting scammed, scammed, likely calling me. Everything's going on, but it was cool. And then I finally get the call from Houston man, it's OB Rick Smith. Those guys Pick 166 in the fifth round and they're just like we're going to bring you to Houston and shoot. After that, me and my mom went to Texas Roadhouse, you know, and we got some food at Texas Roadhouse. It was lit, it was a good time. They ate the rolls, you know, they give you unlimited rolls and it was a vibe. That was my draft day story man. It was really. That was. That was my draft day story man. It was pretty too.

Speaker 2:

Man, my draft day story. So my college career was, was interesting. I didn't have a traditional path. You know I was. I was a high recruit coming out of high school, went to, went to Cal. I played three years of my eligibility at Cal. I had to redshirt one year because of an injury. So I took a, basically like a medical redshirt and I was super injured all throughout my college career and my high school career, just like season ending injury after season ending injury after season ending injury.

Speaker 2:

So after I finished my four years at Cal, graduated, I had one more year of eligibility, transferred to Stanford and for me, like I had the talent, had the size, I had the you know the tangible measurements and all measurables and all of that. But for me it was all just staying healthy. So Stanford went through the whole season, played every game, played in the d line, I really played out of position. I was playing like no, I was playing four tech all the way down to basically like zero, but always played a shade. I don't know if you knew that, but I was playing a one, three tech, like I was in the inside and I weighed probably like 200. And I came into Stanford at like 255. And I ended at like 270. So I only put on like 15 pounds of weight throughout that whole season. So I played out of position. But I played the whole season and you know I was knee braced up and all for every game had to be. So then, oh yeah, I was like I'm not taking any risks, like I just got to play these games. The production will come. You know, I had a few sacks, I showed my speed, athleticism, all that.

Speaker 2:

So, boom, we get around to, like you know, the kind of draft process. My name wasn't really in the mix for to get you know as a high draft pick. There was maybe some chance of being a late round, like a seventh round pick. And I had a few teams that had called me and were like, hey, we're likely not going to draft you, but if you're still around after the draft, we'd love for you to come in for a workout. So, sure enough, went through all three days of the draft, didn't hear my name.

Speaker 2:

You know, by the last day I was just over shit Cause I'm just. You know, my pride is hurt. Ego is just salted all over. Feel like guys are going who you know. I feel like I'm, I'm better than and you know, I was feeling like I was an underdog at that time, so I just, you know, I stopped watching the draft and, sure enough, after, uh, after it was over, one of the teams who had told me they would call me they did. Um, and houston called me and I came into a rookie mini camp where, uh, deej and beach paths first crossed back in 2016, and, uh, they liked me, they invited me, me to the veteran minicamp and then training camp and made the 53 man and we were off to the races.

Speaker 1:

Dude, it's interesting that you say that because, now that I think about it, the rookie minicamp is only three days. Huh, you like got to like get invited to stay back, like there's people who are just gone after those couple days, oh yeah oh, yeah, bro, uh, so that's a funny.

Speaker 2:

That's an interesting story too, because when I finished the rookie mini camp, I I still had school to finish up.

Speaker 2:

I was yeah, I remember, I remember back at stanford I remember and so coach Coach O'Brien and Coach Braybill were like, yeah for sure. Like go finish up your Stanford Masters, go do that, come back for like later OTAs and catch veteran minicamps. So we had the plan. So I was actually on that bus after rookie minicamp with the guys who had got cut. You know they're looking at me like, oh, you got. You know, you got cut too. I, I got cut. They're looking at me like, oh, you got cut too. I'm like, nah, bro, I'm just going to finish school, I'm about to be back, I'm about to come right back bro.

Speaker 1:

Hey, we should have played it off like yeah man, you know, I'll go back, sam we got to go get this degree, man Nah it didn't work out, bro, we got to go finish it.

Speaker 1:

That's cold, that's cold. Oh man, that's a wild process in itself, that part, the rookie mini camp, because there's some people there who are almost just bodies, but then there's somebody who really, like, might pop your eye and go crazy, but like that's wild. Okay, was there a moment where you thought like, all right, I know where I want to go If I don't get drafted immediately, like I have a plan of what I want to do?

Speaker 2:

I had no idea, bro, like I really didn't know exactly how this process is was going to shake out. You know, I knew that Houston like was you know they had showed me the most interest throughout the whole process because I had spoken to Coach Vrabes, other teams I was just talking to the scouts, but Vrabel was the linebacker coach and he actually took the time to call me. So I had a feeling that like, okay, houston, they're the hottest on me right now, yeah. And then actually when it ended, it was between houston and in pittsburgh. Those were really the only two teams that like had interest to even come in for a rookie minicamp, which, uh, I'll get.

Speaker 1:

I'll get to that pittsburgh story later on that's like an interesting thing because it's it's very like subjective sometimes, like how talent's seen across, like to everybody about like certain players, what's going on, how, like how they feel about them. Like that can take you from being drafted to either undrafted or where you get drafted. I think that's like a big thing in this draft for me. I was um, I'm looking at like all the boards and the talent. There's a lot of talented guys coming out in this draft. Me I was um, I'm looking at like all the boards and the talent. There's a lot of talented guys coming out in this draft like a lot like because I mean, shit, football college is basically free agency now. Like everybody's just going everywhere.

Speaker 1:

You know it's hard to keep up really with where kids are, but there's a lot of time. I mean kids are going to good situations to create matchups for themselves. There's a lot of talent in this group. There's a lot of like what people feel like maybe all right, everybody's pretty consensus on caleb williams is number one, quarterback, right, but then after that, like I can almost say this in every position maybe the one or two guys like like marvin harrison is considered the best receiver, but there's so many guys that everybody has preference on. It's kind of wild. I've been just going through this draft specifically like you got Marvin Harrison, you got Roma Dunza at receiver. You got Keon Coleman, you got there's just so many kids and it's it's's wild to see how talented this draft is loaded with, just like athletes there's so many athletes everywhere and just people feel about them all over the spectrum. It's kind of a wild thing.

Speaker 2:

Yeah, yeah. And the quarterback situation is pretty unique too, right, yeah, because they're saying there could be four quarterbacks that go in the first round. Caleb obviously, as you said, is a frontrunner, but then there's Bo Nix, and then the Washington quarterback, pennix, too right, who's the fourth one? You?

Speaker 1:

got Drake May. You got the Daniels kid from LSU. There's a lot of kids, that's the thing. That's why I would say it's so subjective. And then you got the kid from Washington. He's won so much, why is? He not considered the top guy, or JJ McCarthy. People have mixed views on him, but you got him. He's still up there on the top of that list too. So there's a bunch of quarterbacks there. There's like six or seven of them that are talking. That could go in their range.

Speaker 2:

Do you feel like Caleb Williams should be the hands down number one pick I there's the kids talented.

Speaker 1:

There's no really denying it. You see it all over the film If you watch him play. It's he, he can play, and so I think that's for me, with ball, being talented is the most important thing, but there's other things that go into it but it's hard for me to say he's just. It depends on what you want on your team. I would say yeah, he's got the most eye-popping stuff, but I wouldn't say he's just light years above the rest of these guys. You know what I'm saying? The kid Daniel Jaden Daniels from LSU put up crazy numbers.

Speaker 1:

Hosman, you know what I'm saying? The kid from Washington went out there, did what he did and still went. I mean, came to pro day Everybody's talking about he's injured, he's this. He ran a 4-4 at the pro day, put on a light show throwing the ball. Just, there's so many kids based off preference. I watched JJ McCarthy. He threw a pro day way better than I thought, like I've never seen him really throw the ball around, so like it was cool to actually see it.

Speaker 1:

Bo Nix had an amazing college career. Amazing, he was in there forever, but it was amazing Like he was there a long time. He's got to be old now, but what does that matter, he's playing good. So I mean, I don't see that he's that Caleb's like oh my god, better than any of these kids in the draft. I think Drake May might be the biggest project out of the quarterbacks that they have ranked at the top because he wasn't really surrounded by I wouldn't say talent, but I would say guys who sunday level talent. You know what I'm saying? Like he was surrounded by some guys, but sunday level talent. I'm saying from all across the board. As a team wise, I think he probably had the least around him than everybody else yeah, I feel like, uh, the quarterback position is tough man, quarterback position Because there's.

Speaker 2:

So the intangibles, arguably, are more important than the tangibles. Right, it's like, obviously you got to have the arm strength, the accuracy, you got to be able to make the throws all over the field to be even considered a first-round draft pick. But then, beyond that, it's like how do you measure leadership? How do you measure composure? How do you measure, you know, composure? How do you measure the response to adversity? How do you measure? You know, I think the response to adversity is like a big deal. It's a huge thing. These teams are drafting them Number one. Like in most cases, they're about to step in to a team that's, you know, more or less dog shit. Yeah, so they're about to step in to a team that's, you know, more or less dog shit. Yeah, so they're about to step into an adverse situation off rip and then and then.

Speaker 2:

How do they respond to that? And you actually have never seen most of these quarterbacks be in an adverse situation in their whole career. Because they were stars in high school, they probably went to the best high school. They won state championships and they went to the best colleges, the best talent going to the best receivers. First of all, if they lost in high school, they wouldn't even be here. If they lost in high school, they wouldn't even be in this situation.

Speaker 1:

You can't be good at quarterback and have a losing high school team. Nobody's going for that. Everybody's going to be like, whoa, no, that's on you, bro, but yeah, so that's going to be tough, Like you said, but that's something. How do you measure that, Like? How do you, as a scout, even see it? I don't know that you see it as often. I mean, you can say things, you can nitpick at things, but I think they got to do their due diligence as scouts to really see what goes on with these kids and these young men.

Speaker 1:

It's also a deep draft for the big uglies in all ways. You know you edge guys are a little bit prettier, so I wouldn't put you all in the big ugly category. Y'all still big and ugly, but for some reason y'all don't think y'all are. I like some of the edge guys, but you got some guy like the Chris Jenkins kid from Michigan. His dad played in the league. You got what Joe Alt, John Alt's son, the tackle, offensive tackle.

Speaker 1:

There's a bunch of not only league legacies but there's just a bunch of talent in this draft. From that o-line, d-line perspective, I think there's it's a good mix of having that covid year with a little bit of older kids going against that young talent in college and it really forced college ball to be better. I think in the trenches I've been watching some guys this year and I'm very into the kid from Texas sweat I'm he's huge Big nose guard. I just love watching him move around the way he gets after it. The kid from Florida State, Braden Feist he's a sleeper. He really came on to end the season. I told y'all Florida State had their backs up against the wall. They had to go out there and do their thing. He's really kids talented, Also like the combine bro. I feel like these kids are just getting super fast nowadays. Like I don't know if they speed these lasers up, but these kids are like they're flying.

Speaker 2:

Did you go to the combine? I didn't. No, I was a pro day guy Okay Okay. Four, six, nine no, I was a pro day guy, okay Okay. 4'6", 9" baby, 4'6", 269 pounds, getting after it.

Speaker 1:

You like that number, you like that 6'9"? Huh, 6'9".

Speaker 2:

I believe in that 6'9".

Speaker 1:

Bro, you might be happy that you didn't go to the combine. Let me talk about the combine. Combine was a weird experience, very strange experience. Combine was a weird experience. We're very strange experience. Um, I never thought like super highly myself, like in that regard, didn't think like about the combine, all that stuff like hope. I got invited, I did um, but when I got there, bro, just so many questions, so many questions, and I'm I was young and like naive, just kind of like Lord, these people, I, I'm, I was very skeptical. I'm like they asking questions, they already know that the answers to I don't know. I feel like they mess with me. It feels like interrogation. It feels like like you know what I'm saying, like I don't of that season, so they probably were extra pressing you Extra pressing.

Speaker 1:

For me it was tough because I'm like bro, y'all don't really know what's going on. This isn't the third, it's not that much. Ask me football questions, I'm answering, I'm drawing up coverages, I'm doing everything right. They're me football questions. I'm answering like I'm drawing up coverages, I'm doing everything right, I'm. They're not asking me any freaking football questions and it just stressed me out. I ended up performing okay. I performed okay. I didn't feel like I put my best foot forward in that performance, but I do think things leading up to that. And then pro day, I did very, very well. I feel like I had a really, really good pro day. I don't remember my 40 Tom it's not that important honestly for me, more of a 10-split guy and then just kind of coasted on out of there. But the pro day I was going stupid. I remember going stupid at pro day.

Speaker 2:

What was the craziest question that you got at the combine?

Speaker 1:

man, all my questions were very similar, like you're not gonna fuck us over if we draft you right, like basically all my questions like, which is also probably why I didn't like it. I kept getting annoyed because, like, all my questions led back to hey, hey, bro, we know you, hey, we know you. You're not going to fuck us over, is you?

Speaker 2:

You're not going to waste our money.

Speaker 1:

You're not going to waste our money, bro. I'm like damn bro. No bro, come on, I was going through some shit. I was going through some shit. I was a kid. Come on, I was going through some shit. I was going through some shit, I was a kid. Come on, bro.

Speaker 2:

Like all the questions led back to that, I was about to give millions of dollars to a 21 year old kid. That's probably the question I would ask are you not? About to squander this shit, are you?

Speaker 1:

no. And then, bro, you know, what's crazy is, like you go to the combine. There's so many coaches there you got like coaches that like recruited you in like high school and shit like that, who are now on like NFL staff and stuff, and I'm sitting there, I'm like bro, I mean sure you try to convince me to come to your school. You're not even there, no more. You're here now and you're trying to convince me to come there. Two, like man, you know me, bro, don't be over here impressing me, asking me all these questions in front of these people. Like they know me, like that too. Like don't do that, bro, don't be one of those guys. Like it was crazy. It was long. I had a unique combine experience, to say the least. I did get to stay in the train. However, the combine is set. The combine set up inside like a hotel that used to be a train station in India, lucas or Lucas or stadium. So I got to stay inside like one of the train, the train compartments. So that was really cool.

Speaker 2:

That's cool, that's cool. Well, I feel like um, when you talk about the big uglies right, and you talk about, like these skill positions, especially in the trenches offensive tackle, nose guard, defensive line, edge rusher I feel like it's a little bit easier to get that right. For at least, like the top picks, like the first round, in those positions do the intangibles matter as much.

Speaker 1:

I would say an outside defensive, like defensive lineman and interior office lineman are easier to get right early in the draft. I think it's tough being a tackle on that Island as a young guy. No matter, that's tough. You're dealing with y'all like that's a tough job. These are some. These are the guys who are getting paid the big bucks. That's who you got to deal with Like you got to be like it's tough. I wouldn't say it's it's, it's easier to hit. I would say it's tough.

Speaker 1:

And then the interior deep tackle drafting them that early you're taking a chance on the guy who maxed out 10 sacks but like he could be not good in there Very easily, not be very good against the run, not do as well in pass production like he did in college. So I think those are a little bit harder. But I think guards I think you see if a kid's playing guard in college, he wants to play there. Like you know that kid, he wants to play there, he loves it, he likes that shit Center. Same thing. You know what I'm saying.

Speaker 1:

Like I think DNs in college they've been playing DN pretty much their whole life. They enjoy it, they play it their whole life. They understand it's a little bit easier to get used to certain things. You're outside, you're a little bit more free, more space, I More space, I think, playing tackle, I think you can hit on them, but I've seen so many miss in the last few years too, just like and I wouldn't say like those guys are bad, but just like shoot, you're dealing with the TJ Watts, the Miles Gerrits, like those guys in the world.

Speaker 1:

It's a tough ask for a guy who's in year three or four, five, whatever the people who are at the top of their game. So I mean you come in year one and you got to deal with those guys.

Speaker 2:

Good luck, yeah, yeah, no, that's true, that's true, and I guess my mind immediately goes to like the Miles Gerrits or the TJ Watts or the Boses of the world or the Chase Youngs of the world.

Speaker 1:

Did you go up to the best ones, though? Did you go up to the best ones?

Speaker 2:

That's what I'm saying. It's easy to get those right because not only are they the most physically imposing players throughout, their whole career they also will be the most physically imposing in the NFL, correct. There's also some of those offensive tackles that are that way too, the huge ones, like a Trent Brown or like the-.

Speaker 1:

Laramie yeah, like those guys, Like those guys are huge. Like yeah.

Speaker 2:

They're also going to be the most talented tackle once they get to the league as well. So it's easier to hit on those. But it's like after you get to those like I guess there is that gray area of they have been the most physically imposing in their past, in their career, but now they're stepping into a realm where they won't be just like the quarterback Right. Then how do they respond?

Speaker 1:

And, like you said, even if they do, they might not have the intentions like you started talking about, to respond Like they. They still might be physically imposing. Like what's the one kid in New York? I haven't gotten to watch Kansas City in play so I don't want to judge like anything. No, makai Beckman, he's huge. No matter where you slice it, anywhere you put him, anywhere in the country, he's the biggest person around. And I mean I haven't watched him much, I don't know what's going on, but that kid it's hard to judge those intangibles, what is he going to do? You know what I'm saying? Laramie Sliv, because of an unfortunate incident, did they know anything else about his intangibles they didn't like? Or just in the third, what did they know? I think that's the hardest part I would say as a GM or those people evaluating talent is figuring out when someone, like, is going to click or quit on you or how are they?

Speaker 1:

going to respond Are they going to? You know, try to get the best out of it, or this is like you know those things are, because only really, you don't know that until you're around a person. Yeah, yeah, yeah, no doubt, and you've been through those rooms with people and that sort of thing.

Speaker 1:

So I mean it's kind of hard to judge. I think that's probably why they ask those crazy-ass questions and try to mess with people and mess with things. But I mean I don't even know if that's still a good measurement of it, because I mean just because you got somebody upset doesn't mean that they're not going to go out there ball out on the football field. You know, some people need that thing. It's interesting.

Speaker 2:

Right, right, right, yeah. Yeah, I mean I think that trying to rap, mentally, rattle somebody in a in a room or see how headstrong they are, I guess that's you know, one way to figure out if they're going to be able to stick with you through a grueling season. But I think, just like the intangibles of like drafted guys though they can be hard to uncover, I think that's why you see undrafted guys every year shine because of those same reasons. Like you, they weren't able to identify.

Speaker 2:

Oh, this dude actually has the quality that I'm looking for because, to your point, correct, sometimes you got to spend time with a guy and especially like after you get, you know, I guess, through like that third round, you know those fourth through seventh rounds, plus you're like top undrafted guys, the talent margin is super thin. So it's like you're looking at the same size. You're looking top undrafted guys. The talent margin is super thin, super thin. It's like you're looking at the same size, you're looking at the same speed. You know, all the measurables are essentially the same, you know. And then that's when the intangibles really make a big difference.

Speaker 1:

But yeah, as a GM, you're almost trying to guess the intangibles at that moment. Like well, then, my biggest thing has always been all right well. Like well, then, my biggest thing has always been all right. Well, what is our? What's our line between, like you said that and undrafted? Because I mean, think about undrafted guys. You know, like name, some like fire, like Wes Walker, an amazing talent in college, went berserk at Texas Tech, went flat out stupid, goes undrafted but goes to the league and does the exact same thing that he did in college. Like exact exact same thing. So do you miss on him just because of size? There's no way, not with what we're seeing in football. Just because of size.

Speaker 2:

Yeah, but he was also kind of like the first of his kind, like a Wes Welker wouldn't be missed in 2024. You don't think so. I mean, I don't know. You don't think so I don't know, man, because I mean the importance of that slot receiver now since Wes Welker.

Speaker 2:

Yeah, they are he kind of highlighted how they can change the game and especially that system. I mean I guess that system too right, like that position became really important. I mean, when we're in Houston, how many like that position became really important. I mean when we're in Houston, how many like Wes Welker replicas did we see come through via undrafted or even drafted? You know the like short quick. You know Kiki QT type that was supposed to be like the next Wes Welker.

Speaker 1:

Yeah, but I feel like guys get like I said, I feel like guys who go berserk in college get missed still all the time. Yeah, for sure, for sure. Who go berserk in college get missed still all the time, for sure.

Speaker 1:

We can't tell for what reasons that they get missed. Shoot, some of my favorite players all time weren't drafted. I'm a big James Harrison guy first of all. A guy big, the weight eating, the lifting the man I can say that now that I don't play with Cincy the man Dog, just dog. I just don't know how guys get missed and I don't know what they do. Yeah.

Speaker 2:

James.

Speaker 2:

Harrison was for sure one of my favorite players coming up for the same reason. Right, because my dad and I we used to like to watch the Steelers-Ravens back in the day when it was Palomaro and Harrison and Roethlisberger against Ray Lewis and Ed Reed and Flacco and the boys Just be a physical, just dogfight. My dad was a Ray Lewis fan and I just liked physical ball. I was playing linebacker and James Harrison just was a monster bro. And earlier, when I was talking about when I came out for when I started getting calls after the draft, it was Houston and it was Pittsburgh.

Speaker 2:

And the deciding factor for me for not choosing Pittsburgh, well, pittsburgh kind of like fell off the wagon. But I wasn't going to choose Pittsburgh because I had a conversation with Joey Porter Joey Porter was a linebacker coach at the time and you know he called me and said hey, we want you to come into rookie minicamp. You know, kind of be like a, you know a preferred undrafted rookie whatever. And I was like, okay, cool. Well, you know, love the Steelers, love what you guys are doing. It's an honor that you called me. You know, I just want to make sure that, like you know, I have a chance to compete and really make the team.

Speaker 2:

And joey was like oh yeah, you know. I mean, we got this 38 year old linebacker on the team that, like I don't know, if I was you I would come in and say I'm about to take your spot. I'm like 38? Who is he talking about, bro? And it came to me. I said on the phone. I was like are you talking about James Harrison, bro? Are you saying that me? I'm about to come in as an undrafted outside linebacker and y'all about to give me James Harrison's spot. I said, nah, bro, I'm about to come in as an undrafted outside linebacker and y'all about to give me James Harrison's spot. I said, nah, bro, I'm going to Houston.

Speaker 1:

Hey, and this is how you want me to talk to him. What did he?

Speaker 2:

thought Stop it. Stop it, man. Are you trying to get me killed? Dog? Yeah, man, no, no, shot you know, this 38-year-old on the team, who I don't know if I was you, I'd come take his spot.

Speaker 1:

What you trying to get me hurt dog? All right, he got to be on your all-time undrafted team.

Speaker 2:

James Harrison got to be on there. Easily, bro, easily At the top. If you had to come up with a team, you got Wes. Welker who you got, I like Wes Welker. Antonio Gates. Yes, you got to go with Kurt Warner, right? Yeah, super Bowl champ John.

Speaker 1:

Weeks, I got to add John Weeks on the mind. Baby John Weeks Shout out to my guy. Add John Weeks on that legend. John Weeks, shout out to my guy John Weeks on a legend, john.

Speaker 2:

Weeks. Brian Peters, Come on man.

Speaker 1:

Ray BP ST ST Kaimi, fairbanks, kaimi was drafted, bro, Don't disrespect Eme.

Speaker 2:

No he wasn't. Yes, he was no. Eme wasn't drafted.

Speaker 1:

See, I don't think so, bro. He was redshirted though in the league, but we're why do you think he was drafted? He was, he was supposed to, he was about. He was like right there, I was our last pick of that year, so he he was not drafted.

Speaker 2:

You gotta put him on the list, then for sure. Yeah, I mean, if we're he was not drafted.

Speaker 1:

You got to put him on the list then, for sure. Yeah, I mean, if we're talking like, I mean but kicker, it's probably a little bit easier for kickers. There's a bunch of kickers out there who've had like legendary careers that went undrafted For sure. Hunters too. I got to go more in my bag. I got Kurt Warner. He's got to be the undrafted quarterback. I don't know, I can't think of this. I can't think this far man, I know the ones you talk about. Wes Walker is one of my big guys, undrafted.

Speaker 1:

There's a lot of people who like you know, because it doesn't matter right, once you get in and you're playing, nobody's like going back to look up like oh, when was he drafted playing. Nobody's like going back to look up like, oh, when was he drafted. Like you know, I'm saying like, oh, this. And the third like and it does to the player, because that player always carries that damn chip on his shoulder.

Speaker 1:

I will forever carry that chip of being a fifth round draft pick or anybody else who got didn't get drafted where they felt like they should get drafted or went undrafted will always carry that chip. But but to the fans, when you're out there balling, ain't nobody Googling it, ain't nobody going to be like, damn bro, did you know he was undrafted? Everybody's just like man Kurt Warner, just sling that ball around and if somebody happens to tell them in passing that he was undrafted, they'll be like, oh my god, for real. Or unless they've seen that damn movie it's a good movie, by the way. If you haven't seen it, check it out, I haven't seen that it's a good movie.

Speaker 1:

I haven't seen it. It's a good story, dude. It's a super good story.

Speaker 2:

Really good. No, I think you that who gets it the worst are those top draft picks.

Speaker 1:

They're reminded repeatedly that they were a first or second round draft pick Very often.

Speaker 2:

By the coaching staff, by fans.

Speaker 1:

The media, everybody.

Speaker 2:

For how much we paid you. Hey, look at.

Speaker 1:

Peters over there. We didn't draft that guy, he's fucking balling. We drafted you in the first. Hey, hey, we drafted you. Look at Peters over there. We didn't draft that guy, he's fucking balling. We drafted you in the first round. What are you doing? You're like damn man Can't catch a break.

Speaker 2:

That's a good part about being undrafted is you can pull that underdog card.

Speaker 1:

And I will say that some coaches you know not going to name any names They'll make you feel like if you didn't go in those first four rounds you might as well have been undrafted. I remember that was a highly thrown around quote. Where we were, it was hey man. Ah, you were basically undrafted.

Speaker 2:

Like damn dude when Coach OB would go around the room. Hey, hey, scarlett, what round were you drafted? I was undrafted Coach.

Speaker 1:

Oh, oh.

Speaker 2:

Cole, dylan, dylan Cole, what round were you drafted? I was drafted in the eighth round. Oh Ha, that's what I thought. But I mean, his whole point was that anyone can make the team and just because you're drafted doesn't mean that you're going to make the team. That's a fact. That's a fact.

Speaker 1:

He was letting you know. If you went in those first couple rounds you was closer to the undrafted guys than you thought you were. No doubt.

Speaker 2:

No doubt, yeah, hey, no doubt, no doubt, yeah, hey, that talent margin is thin, thin, thin.

Speaker 1:

He let you know off rip is thin. So hey, nate Lee, do it. But I'm excited for these guys there's, there's so much. I actually get to a chance, a unique chance, tomorrow to go talk to some guys that are in this draft class. I'm super excited about it.

Speaker 1:

But just yeah, just about stuff that you know I would have told myself once getting into this league or with this opportunity, I guess I would have told myself just like I feel like I've done a decent job of this, just take full advantage of it, keep your faith, whatever. That is the main thing, and keep ball the main thing. You have an opportunity to really change not only the things for that organization on the front of your jersey, but the legacy of that last name on the back of your jersey, and I think that is the most important thing. When it comes to this opportunity, you're about to play a game that you've been playing since you were a child. Make money for it and do something that you truly love. Love it and make a bond that's going to last forever with some guys that you know are going to think like, are going to be like-minded people with the way you would think they're going to be aligned with the way you think they're in your professional sport and you work together.

Speaker 1:

So I think the biggest thing is just take advantage of all of it, man. So just take it all in. You're not going to be able to grasp everything. Find your lane and really, like I said just keep ball. The main thing. Be a we guy, not a me guy. Make sure that the team's taken care of and things. I think things will fall in place Wherever those chips may be. Be putting your best foot forward every day and that way you'll be all right.

Speaker 2:

Yeah, yeah, hopefully those kids soak up that game man.

Speaker 1:

I hope so. I hope so. Man, I don't, you know you young, you know I mean you, you halfway listening you trying to. So hopefully they catch the good parts. I was just sitting there, just locked in on everybody who was talking to me. I hopefully. I think that I paid attention to some of the most important parts and try to take those a long way. So hopefully those kids, you know they can, we can tap in, they can lock in and you know it's going to be a good time.

Speaker 2:

Yeah Well, I tip my hat to you, brother, for sharing the inspiration to the, to the youth, to the young bulls coming up. You know, cause obviously you've, you've been blessed to play this game for a long time and, you know, wasn't without having mentors and people that had already done it that you know could give you the game and, you know, give me the game too. As you know, as I went and played, played my career, I had a lot of folks, whether it be coaches or older guys, who gave me advice and either told me the way or showed me the way, whether it be drafted or undrafted I could speak on the undrafted portion. I just remember when I was going through that rookie minicamp and I was going through OTAs and veteran minicamp, how, for me, it was all about, like you said, put your best foot forward every rep.

Speaker 2:

Don't take a rep off. Don't take a practice off. Don't take a practice off. You know, don't go through a week full of workouts and feel like you didn't. You know, put your best stuff out there, because it all counts. You know the way that you study a playbook, the way that you, you know, run those sprints, the way you hit the bag. Everything counts and someone's watching the whole way through. And for me it was like you know. They always say like that quote never let them see you sweat. For me it was like never let them see you lose. Like I'm not trying to lose any rep, you know, even if it's just me against that bag, like I'm winning that rep.

Speaker 1:

I'm winning that rep.

Speaker 2:

I'm going to win that rep because, at the end of the day, if they have to decide between me and another guy, which inevitably they will you know how many times did we see Brennan Scarlett lose? We actually haven't even seen it. How many times did we see him, you know, have a mental mistake? Oh, we ain't seen that for we ain't seen that, for we ain't seen that for weeks. You know, like that's the type of conversations who I inherently knew that's what they're gonna have in the conversations, and so, uh, in those rooms when they're making the decisions. So I think that I think you hit the nail on the head, man, put your best foot forward every day and then understand, especially if you're undrafted dude, it's man. They already think you ain't going to do it. You ain't got nothing to lose.

Speaker 1:

Nothing to lose. Nothing to lose, brother. Go out there and do your thing. You can't make every play, but you can win every rep. No for sure.

Speaker 2:

You can find a way. I mean you in the hardest what do they say? The hardest job in the world, and you know you got the ability to go out there and prove some people wrong.

Speaker 1:

Yeah, you're already at the interview. Hey, you at the interview. Dog, you here Now you just. Hey, blow that shit out the water, go do your thing, do your thing. So shout out to all those guys who got a chance to really like. You know you at the interview. Now it is. It is the hay, what the coaches say, the hay's in the barn, the hay's in the barn, the hay's in the barn, no matter what way you think about it.

Speaker 1:

The hay's in the barn, guys. Nothing more you can do right now. Just know whether your name is called or not called this week. Good luck to you in this next journey, and just know that it's not over, because the hay is still in that barn, so you might as well light it up, keep going.

Speaker 2:

For sure. Absolute fact. That's an absolute fact. Well, let's, let's end this show Dej with our best quarterback drafted, number one since 2000. There's a bracket here. Would you like me to list off the candidates? Yeah go ahead and list them.

Speaker 1:

I already know who I got in my head, who I'm going with. Okay.

Speaker 2:

Eli Manning, alex Smith, michael Vick, baker Mayfield, andrew Luck, cam Newton, Joe Burrow, matthew Stafford these are all quarterbacks who were drafted number one, number one pick since 2000. Which of these quarterbacks would be standing champion if it was a bracket of who was the greatest one, who would be in the championship? Championship, though, let's get to that, and then, okay, your champion beat elon because he's got a ring.

Speaker 1:

Bro, he's got two of them. He beat brady twice in those rings. Oh man, the other ones. Oh my goodness. Jabril's been there, matt Stafford's been there.

Speaker 2:

One Are you?

Speaker 1:

going straight off rings. No, because who I'm picking is my guy and everybody's not the biggest fan, but I'd be Superman. Dab Cam Newton I need him.

Speaker 2:

I need Cam Newton. I got him. I need Cam Newton.

Speaker 1:

I got Cam Newton versus Eli, my championship dog. God dude, give me Cam baby. Give me Cam Also, one of the greatest cosplayers Dragging them, little dudes Dragging them little dudes. You don't know how it was being in Carolina. He just ah ah, down everywhere. He hit the end zone, turning everybody up. He ah ah ah. People tried to smack the ball out of his head and stuff. He still ah ah ah, damn.

Speaker 2:

Cam Putin.

Speaker 1:

Oh my God, Cam Newton baby, Give him to me For sure.

Speaker 2:

Cam Inspire, cam Inspire. I'm going to have to go with. I'm going to take Eli too, but I'm going to have to roll with Andrew Luck in the championship, wouldn't I?

Speaker 1:

I can't be mad at him. Andrew Luck can't be mad at him.

Speaker 2:

Andrew Luck can really play that quarterback position, bro, he could Also. You know I'm biased. I'm biased as a Stanford guy, but we were in that AFC South and we had the Colts. You know what I mean. And when you see Andrew marching down on that final drive, we was a little shaky.

Speaker 1:

Bro. When Andrew Luck slid on us on the sideline, I said you, we was a little shaky, bro. When Andrew Luck slid on us on the sideline, I said this guy is crazy. I said he don't get no haircuts, he got a flip phone. He's out here running a 4-5 down the sideline on us.

Speaker 2:

Who is this guy? The flip phone, though. For real, real life. I had a flip phone, bro.

Speaker 1:

I remember who was that that said something bruh, they said. Somebody said they said bruh, andrew Luck throws such a pretty football, even when he throw picks as a spiral. That's why it's so easy to catch him. It's perfect. He throw it right to you Catchable ball. Hey, andrew Luck was tough.

Speaker 2:

Him and TY used to get at us. He would have gone down as one of the greatest if it weren't for the injuries in the early retirement. He was on his way, bro. They had something special going at Indy too.

Speaker 1:

Him and TY little janky ass. I used to be like why we can't guard him. We can't stop this dude. He out there, 5'11", 100 and fucking 60 pounds, soaking wet. We can't stop him, man, he brought one of those, andrew Luck see, he just didn't have enough time for me. I got to go with my dog Cam bro, my dog Cam Newton. Yeah, out of that list. I mean, you know I love Vic, all of us grew up off Vic, but I gotta go Cam, I gotta go Cam. Cam is special.

Speaker 2:

God damn man, it's the draft this week.

Speaker 1:

It's the draft. The D's gonna be lit.

Speaker 2:

It's in Detroit too, in the D baby In your new city.

Speaker 1:

My city. You know what I'm saying? The D is going to be lit. No, ditty, it's up.

Speaker 2:

I sent you that article earlier today. They say downtown Detroit's on the up and up.

Speaker 1:

On the up and up.

Speaker 2:

You might have to grab you a little building Cuddy. Oh, I don't know if I can buy the whole building Cuddy in Cuddy.

Speaker 1:

Oh, I don't know if I can buy the whole building Cuddy. We have to see what's going on first. But hey, it's a good week though, to be a Lion, as always, and it's a good week to be in Detroit. The energy is great. This draft's about to be great, about to see who my new teammate's about to be. You know, get them in here to the great culture, hopefully. You know there's a couple guys I'll be watching and I'm excited to see. Can't wait to see it.

Speaker 2:

Man Me too, man, good luck with your sharing the words to these young folks.

Speaker 1:

Thank you, brother, appreciate that I'm going to get them right Until next week. It's your boy Deej. Next week it's your boy Deej, and it's your boy Beej. And we out from the group chat.