Deep Dive: Cornerbacks & Safeties

SPEAKER_01 0:00

Jacoby Brissett wants a new contract. We have quarterbacks. Mentor Delaney is there. Jamon McCoy is eventually going to the Cowboys, I think. And then Caleb Downs. All that and more on the Red Zone Blitz.

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You're tuned in to the Red Zone Blitz. Here we go. Here we go. The home for all things NFL in college football.

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And we're back.

SPEAKER_00 0:27

We're back. Yo, yo. Did you just say Jermud McCoy to the Cowboys? Of course.

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Because that is where he belongs, apparently, according to everybody.

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Except for us.

SPEAKER_01 0:37

Yes. We anti that. Don't want that. Sorry, Jamad. Do not want that. I did see a wide receiver posed outside the Cowboys Stadium today, fellas. He is uh I'll tell you that'd be George Pickens. No, it was not George Pickens. That was a good one. He is. Do you guys remember the show Mr. Fourth and Long? I think oh yeah. Yeah, with Jesse Hall, he won that show. He got a Michael Irvin was hosting it. But yeah, there is a similar thing that happened today. There was a player that was parked outside the star facility. Let me pull up his name if I can find it. It was uh he basically put had a little he had his cleats around his head, or sorry, around his neck. Here we go. If you pass Cowboys headquarters today, you might find former Weber State wide receiver Jalen Reed or Jalen Records. Sorry, Jalen Record. He's a draft eligible for the first time. He has his cleats around his neck, ready to run on the turf. He brought his workout numbers. He said, if I didn't feel like I had a real shot, I wouldn't do this. And on his sign, he says, I'll run my 40 right now. Just press record. Just press record 228 miles per hour top speed.

SPEAKER_04 1:44

22.8. That's what I think. But I don't think he's a good thing.

SPEAKER_01 1:50

He didn't put a dot in there. He just put two in. Yeah. Four touchdowns, 50 plus yards, five touchdowns, 30 plus yards. 43, 43, 4.4, guaranteed. 4.3 to 4.4 guaranteed. And you know what? I appreciate it. I wanted to give him a shout-out. I saw his stuff, could not remember his name, so I apologize. But you know what? I hope his story turns into something. And if he's listening to this for whatever reason, you can come on our podcast. We would love to advocate for you. Now, fellas, if you're new here and this is your first time listening, brief introduction. My name's G. You can contact me on Instagram at the Red Zone Blitz Pod. I manage that channel. You can also write to us, redzone blitzpodcast at gmail.com. I'm joined by Brandon. Brandon. What's up? What's up? Where can people find you?

SPEAKER_04 2:39

On on I on Instagram. It's Craze Wonder, K-R-A-Z-E-O-N-E-R. I gotta change it. You're on X as well. Yeah. I think it's the same.

SPEAKER_01 2:48

I think it might be the same. We'll fix out those names. We'll fix out those names. Matt, where can people find you? Yeah, you can find me on Instagram.

SPEAKER_00 2:55

Name Matt Caputo99. There you go. KK. I'm KK. You can find me on Instagram, KK Red Zone Blitz. There you go. Yeah, so I gotta change mine to something like that.

SPEAKER_04 3:04

Reminds me of the hammer tag from one and from what I used to do with competing shit. Make it easier for people.

SPEAKER_01 3:09

If you guys are looking to contact us for any reason whatsoever, you guys can give us a shout. We are gonna be in Pittsburgh. You see us there, say hi, run, you run into us. We'll have great conversation. Maybe we'll even buy you a beer. Who knows? Who knows?

SPEAKER_04 3:25

I just want to talk shit.

SPEAKER_01 3:26

That also we can find some ego fans for you. Oh, we'll find a lot of ego fans. You know what? You know who wants to talk shit? It's Jacoby Brissett. Fellas, so Jacoby Brissett is not attending phase one of the offseason program, and he's asking for a contract extension that pays him as a starter. That is per INFL Network's Diana Rossini.

SPEAKER_00 3:51

At least you didn't say Miss Rossini.

SPEAKER_01 3:53

I kid, I kid, Diana. I kid. I just joking. I just joking. It was Ian Rapperport that reported that. His current deal is$9.06 million in 2026, but only 1.5 of that is guaranteed. Listen, I'm not gonna feel bad for a millionaire, but that's slightly underpaid for a starting quarterback. The Cardinal, the Cardinals appear willing to address it, but they haven't named a starter yet, according to their GM, who decided to say that publicly. With Gardner Minshew also in the room, Arizona picks third overall and is being linked to Alabama quarterback Ty Simpson. Is there a world like is there a world where they completely just screw over Jacoby Brissett and they're just like, you know what? Ty Simpson looks like a good option at number whatever, 28 that they traded back in for. Let's say that they pick him at let's say okay, let's say they pick him in the second round to make it easy for us. They pick Ty Simpson in the second round, they get comfortable, they're like, you know what, we really don't want to bring Jacoby Brissett back. If you're the Steelers, do you call right now Jacoby Brissett? Like you just give him you just give the Cardinals a call just to say, can we take Mr. Brissett off your hands? No, they don't want him. Oh, I'm sorry. No. Who do you guys want?

SPEAKER_04 5:06

They don't want fucking anyone. Are you guys just gonna play? You want everyone brought up in the wildcat every fucking sure shit don't want to be.

SPEAKER_01 5:16

You both have gone to you both probably have gone to school with somebody with the girl that always said no to every guy that approached her. That every guy that she was too good for any guy that approached her. And you know where she ended up? Seven cats single.

SPEAKER_04 5:31

Crazy cat lady.

SPEAKER_01 5:32

Yeah. Just fucking Aaron Roger. Just arguing with people in the comment section on Facebook posts. That's where she's at. The highlight of the male interaction, those type of ladies get these days.

SPEAKER_02 5:43

I'd rather go for young broad in the draft than that old has been received.

SPEAKER_01 5:47

And the only perk you fucking Steelers have is the young broad can't say no if you draft him. I guess they could. Eli has said no.

SPEAKER_02 5:55

That's the Lane Kiffin way, baby. You just go for the young broads.

SPEAKER_01 6:00

The only the only thing you're it's perfect that you're an LSU fan. He fits this exact mold of this trifecta. Fellas, young broads, Lane Kiffen, and Steelers quarterbacks aside. It's time to talk about some cornerbacks. We got a bit of a good class this year. Number one cornerback in the Beast guy that we're gonna be breaking down. Shout out Dan Brugler from The Athletic. You can go check out the Beast there. Mansur Delaney, LSU. Mansur Delaney has shorter arms and underdeveloped lower half, according to Brugler. He has just 4.7% of career reps and press man coverage. Uh, essentially untested as a press corner. He is going in the top 10 in most mocks right now. The 2026 cornerback class is weak enough that an off-coverage zone corner with limited press experience can go top six, even. Is that a reflection of how good Delaney is, or is that a reflection of how weak this class is? And does it matter which one it is if he becomes a starter?

SPEAKER_04 7:00

See, I disagree with that. I think he's great in press coverage, he's very physical off the line, and he's great at mirroring you. He's on you like a glove, he can mirror you step for step. Very I don't think he took any penalties, but in the next in the NFL, he has to be watch. He's very handsy, so he's gonna get called. He could get called, especially if he gets beat. He's gonna get he's gonna get called on that. But if you do watch when he is playing with it, with uh playing physical with his hands, he has his head turned, and that's why they let you get away with that shit. If your head is turned, if you're watching the ball, the situational awareness, they let you get away with some of that shit. But he's just at mirroring, at glove, uh being a glove on you, sticking to you.

SPEAKER_01 7:43

Man, he doesn't bite on the double move, which is really important. And like he's had some big we've talked about him before. We've done a preview episode like this in the past where we looked through some film and we looked through his 30, his like scout film. He is he's very good at being situationally aware, like he will read the quarterback, drop to bait, and then drive in on those throws. Now, he lacks probably the elite recovery speed, I would say. If you're able to get by him, it's hard for him to recover. I do think that this is a weaker corner class. I don't disagree with that like statement. It's okay for it to be a weak corner class. Is he the best corner available right now? Yes, I also agree with that. It's okay for those both things to be true.

SPEAKER_00 8:31

He's got versatility, can play anywhere in the secondary. He's even played snaps at safety at the nickel position. Yeah, I agree with zero TDs allowed in 2025.

SPEAKER_01 8:42

Yeah, like for a team that was chaos, like LSU is not a functional team for the most part of the year. Him pulling out, sorry. I'm sorry, I'm sorry. They know they was pretty both your teams were just coaching, both your teams decided to just be crazy, but yeah, they weren't functional and they weren't having great success. And for to be a bright spot, I think, on a team that was to put it mildly, a train wreck. That is a plus. And then he ran a 4.3840 yard dash at the combine.

SPEAKER_00 9:09

I don't know how much people put weight into that, but and he transferred to LSE to play with better competition and practice, too. Wasn't he a four-year starter? I thought he transferred to LSU. Yeah, he transferred to L. Oh, sorry, he did. He did.

SPEAKER_01 9:23

Yeah, yeah, yeah. He did he did transfer. Yep.

SPEAKER_02 9:26

I was just gonna say for the like Brandon said for mirroring, he is probably the best corner in the draft for if they're going across field, like a receiver's going across field. He is mirrors the receiver perfectly, and I think the thing that he does best is he times his jump perfectly and he gets his hand in there. Doesn't really commit a lot of penalties that way.

SPEAKER_01 9:46

So he'll be good. I think he's another player that will go into a team that will be he'll be well utilized, I believe.

SPEAKER_04 9:53

And he brings that swagger on the defense. He does have these guys too. Oh, yeah.

SPEAKER_01 9:58

He but he brings him of corners are the wide receivers of swagger. Yeah, no, I agree. I agree. Moving on, fellas, speaking of swagger, I don't know if swagger, he hasn't played since 2024. Jamal McCoy, Tennessee, fellas. Uh, he's a gifted athlete for his size, but he has not played since 2024. So Jermaine McCoy missed the entire 2025 season with a torn ACL. He's just 20 years old. He's going in the first round based on tape from 2024 and some of his testing numbers. He played at Oregon State, then transferred to Tennessee, then blew his knee out before his first snap as a volunteer. Now, do you trust the tape from two years ago on this guy? And why or why not? What are we seeing on him? And why would you take a risk of a first round pick? I would say for the sake of your argument, top 20.

SPEAKER_04 10:48

When it comes to the talent, no one's questioning the talent. Like he might even be he might be the most talented cornerback in this class. That injury scares the shit out of me. Not just because it cost in the season, but it's how is it healed? Because he even said I could have played in the season, but I decided to shut it down. I could have played the last couple games, but I shut it down to work on on to focus on getting drafted. Okay. But then the combine came, wasn't ready. Okay, you said you could play in the season, but now you're not ready for the combine, it's still lingering. Then he had his pro day, and everyone was blown away with speeds. But then you dive deeper into the pro day and how they oh, there's always a nice one. Well, he's never gonna do like a grain of salt. Yeah, yeah. And the drills, okay. Yeah, he ran a quick 40. That's going in a straight line. But did you do the cone drill? How is your lateral movement? How is your push-off on that? He didn't show any of that, and everyone's been mocking him to the cowboys. It's always been cowboys. Every mock draft you've looked up, it's always been cowboys, and we've been saying you can't take them because we can't afford to have a red shirt at corner. We've done that. We had Overshone, we had Revel Jr. We're not in that position where we can take a red shirt guy. We need a guy that can come in right now, be a starter and on the defense. Like, we can't afford to have another guy that sits. Or what if he gets re-injured? You don't fucking know what this guy, but when it comes to the talent, no one's saying shit about his talent. If he didn't get hurt, he arguably could have been the best corner.

SPEAKER_00 12:30

Arguably he's better than he is better than even if he comes back this year, you gotta realize he hasn't played in so long. He's gonna be rusty. That's the thing.

SPEAKER_04 12:38

You haven't played in almost it'll be almost two years.

SPEAKER_01 12:41

And when they're and when the dust settles, there is a very good chance Jermaine McCoy had a better has a better career than Mansur Dwayne. There's there that is evident. But right now, teams that are mocking mocking them to the Cowboys, listen, it all it's all about windows, it's all about which team needs what when. You go to a team that is in the middle, like you can go to if you go to my if he goes to Miami, perfect. Miami doesn't fucking need them to play this year. Miami can give a fuck. Miami's like, all right, and take your time, buddy, and enjoy. Enjoy those palm trees. Go to Cardinals, I don't fucking give a fuck. The Jets. The Jets taking them with their second first round pick there at 16. I can see him taking him. Just being like, hey, whatever. We'll take him. He can sit back and enjoy. Even the Chiefs, what are their Chiefs are making with their late pick, 20 something? Yeah, like the Chiefs, but the Chiefs are in a window where they need players now. Like they need a guy that can play this year, they need a guy that they for sure know can take snaps this year. The Jets can easily be like, you know what? We got Arvell Reese. Even Arvell Reese, they may be like, you know what, Arvell? It's halfway through the season. We're gonna shut you down. We got Dante Moore coming in the woodworks. We need a tank. The Jets could do something like that. Let's say Arvell Reese even gets shut down for the last four games. The last month, they don't play Arvell Reese. Jermaud McCoy comes back, they play him. He looks adequate. He doesn't look great. He's got NFL snaps under his belt. He comes in the following year. Healthy Arvell Reese. One more year of Jermaud McCoy resting, being healthy. Jets rejuvenated team. Now you're cooking.

SPEAKER_00 14:18

Now you can have something. He's only 20 years old, so he's still a young guy. Yeah, so it's like more so there's still time for him to heal.

SPEAKER_01 14:24

The team that picks him cannot rush him. It cannot be. He's gonna go. You take him, talk to him, he's gonna be like, Yep, I'm ready to go. Let's go. Everyone's gonna say. Yeah, let's go, let's do it.

SPEAKER_04 14:34

Yeah, everyone's gonna say, I'm ready to go. Why are you though? Yeah. Because yeah, like that pro like his pro day, like I said, everyone was raving about the 40 speed. Okay, again, that's going to straight line.

SPEAKER_01 14:44

I don't mind guys doing pro days, but I don't think it really matters in terms of okay, you showed me what you fucking are good at. I don't know if you can turn left or right, like you said.

SPEAKER_00 14:54

That's what I mean, the plant, the lateral movement. That's what the NFL combine's for to test all your skill levels.

SPEAKER_01 14:59

Like a wide receiver is not gonna run at you in a straight line every single fucking time. He's gonna fucking turn and do different things. And how are you gonna do that when it's Justin Jefferson coming on you? Can you adapt to that? Can you adapt to a Jamar Chase, CeeDee Lamb, etc. etc.? So it'll be interesting. I do think he is the second best corner in this class. I don't think there's I don't think there's a corner better than him, but availability is the best ability. So whether or not he's available to play games, we'll see. But I think he'll go in the first round. Moving on, fellas, cornerback three, Chris Johnson, San Diego State. Chris Johnson played at San Diego State, a Mountain West program, not a power force school. He held opponents to 41.9% completions. And the Mountain West is not the SEC or Big Ten. The debate every team in the top 25 is having. Johnson's technique and instincts are clearly first round quality on tape, but how much of that 41.9% completion rate reflects elite corners and how much of it reflects Mountain West receivers? Is the competition discount on the group of five defensive backs justified or is tape tape? I know what Bran is gonna say. Bran's gonna give him the good old whipper snapper. You ain't playing the SEC boy.

SPEAKER_04 16:12

No, this I wish he's one of those guys I wish played his last year in a power four. Because I actually think he might, out of all this class, when it comes down to it, he potentially has a chance to end up being the best corner in this class. If you look at his fucking skills as a playmaker, two pick sixes this year, like he is lightning quick. His reaction, his recovery. So if you get by him, so this is the thing with him as a playmaker, he will bait the absolute fucking shit out of you. He will give a guy, if the guy's in front of him, he's gonna give him that one step in front and he's gonna he's watching the quarterback how he reacts. He's watching his eyes and he jumps those routes. If you beat him, he's one of those guys. When you think your receiver has that extra step and you let the ball go, that's when he turns the jets on, regains control or regains that step, and he's gonna make a play on the ball. He's so good in both man and in zone. Like he does not like as a playmaker, if you watch a tape, it's just highlight reel after highlight reel. But again, it's not against the power force, not right away. I think he's gonna, it's gonna be a little bit of a learning curve for him just when you're dealing with the talent level, the talent difference. But he's showtime though.

SPEAKER_01 17:39

He is, he's he's showtime, like he's a guy that you can go and you're gonna see him on highlight reel.

SPEAKER_04 17:45

He's a highlight reel machine. Everything you watch is highlight after highlight. He's gonna bait you, he's great. So if you're one of those quarterbacks, like if you're if he's going up against a rookie quarterback or a young quarterback, say he goes up against friend Fernando Mendoza. Fernando Mendoza doesn't go through his progressions, he's a first read guy. If you're staring down your first read and he knows you're staring down your first read, he's gonna sit back and he's gonna jump that route and he's gone. Pick six, pick six, easy, gone.

SPEAKER_01 18:11

Yeah, and and he's a guy like I know your Lions love taking Monroe Freeling and they love taking their offensive tackle, but I think if he's there at 17, I can see Detroit snatching a guy like that up.

SPEAKER_00 18:21

They also need help in the secondary, too.

SPEAKER_01 18:23

That is a Dan Campbell type of dude. He is gonna have a fun time. Keep it in moving, fellas. Avion Terrell from Clemson, Avion Terrell's brother, DeJordan, is on an NFL roster. Their father played semi-pro football. The family has NFL DNA. Avion is 5'11, 184 pounds on the lighter end for an outside corner. He had quite a few pass interception penalties against Duke and Boston College. Can a 5'11 184 pound corner play outside in the NFL? And if he's primarily a slot receiver cornerback, is he worth a first or second round value? He is a dog, though. Don't get me wrong, Aviantrello is a dog. I don't want to.

SPEAKER_04 19:04

And if you've listened to this podcast, you've known I've been super high on him. I've gone away from that. And the biggest thing is again the injuries. Like it was in his warm-ups or the first drill. Yeah. So we can't take a guy like that again. But he's just a ball of fucking energy. He's great at pushing you to the boundary. He's not the best tackler. He's a hit stick guy. He just wants to fucking run at you and he wants to drill you. So if you're one of those wide receivers that think you want to try and get, if you're running down the sideline and you're trying to get that extra yard, he's going to fucking drill you and you're going to go flying.

SPEAKER_02 19:46

Yeah, he doesn't play like his size 5'10, 186. But like you said, hit stick, he's got that honeybow Joe Aura. If you put him in the nickel and they try to run into the outside, he's like jet engine right into the backfield. I'd be a little bit weird about putting him on the outside against a big wide out, but other than that, like if you put him in the slot in the nickel, injuries, yeah, are a bit of concern. But otherwise, if you could take in a late flyer first round pick on him, I think it's worth it.

SPEAKER_00 20:15

He's also a physical run defender, so he comes up for those runs. He'll come up for that run. Absolutely. He's going after that football.

SPEAKER_01 20:23

He's showtime in a different way. Like he showtime in a way that like doesn't it doesn't scream like for the casual fan off the TV, but if you're watching the game long enough, you can see him absolutely destroy guys.

SPEAKER_04 20:35

But that's what I mean. If you watch a receiver, you get the guys that go out of bounds when they should go out of bounds. You get those receivers that think I'm gonna get that extra yard. The fuck you are, I'm gonna fucking drill the shit out of you, and you're going flying into your fucking bench.

SPEAKER_02 20:48

You know what? That's what you gotta that's what you gotta fucking love about a guy like this. He just brings the energy. Yeah, if there's he just flies in the backfield and just trucks, the difference.

SPEAKER_01 20:57

Like you look at Jalen Ramsey from the Steelers, and like that first game he had. Look at the look at the difference, and when you have a guy like that on the field, yeah, it just brings energy. Everyone's in the tone. Yeah, it's like if you have one guy doing it, now you can have your whole cast doing it, right? So it's definitely huge when it comes to uh setting the tone. Fellas, moving on. Colton Hood, Tennessee. Now, okay, so Colton Hood transferred three times Auburn, Colorado, then Tennessee. He didn't start at the first two stops. Tennessee became the best corners Georgia receivers faced. The transfer trail could be read two ways. Either he kept chasing opportunity and never quit, or he couldn't hold down a starting job at two programs before landing in a thin depth chart at a third. Georgia's Dylan Bell and Colby Young endorsing him as is the best counter argument, probably to the transfer skeptics. Which one do you think is right?

SPEAKER_04 21:51

The 2024 to Colorado. Colorado's an anomaly.

SPEAKER_01 21:55

They are just having a good old time.

SPEAKER_04 21:57

Because Dion played his guys. If you weren't his guy, you weren't, you just You weren't getting the starts, you weren't getting the time. So if you're not in a Dion guy, he's not using you. And so yeah, like that, I don't see an issue with transferring. But he's great. The only thing with him is he's gonna get penalties. He is very handsy. Yeah. Very handsy. And unlike Mansor Delaney, where he's more the situational awareness, he's got his head turned on the ball. Colton Hood's not doing that. He's not facing the ball. He's not turning his head. So that's when you get called. If you're not looking at the ball, you're gonna get those calls all the time.

SPEAKER_01 22:34

He does have good vertical speed, though. That's the one thing noticing about him. Like he closes space very quickly when he gets the ball thrown his way.

SPEAKER_02 22:41

He's good at push pushing the guys to the outside. But again, that's his problem. I notice he is very handsy with guys, but on the wide out, he never he doesn't have much experience in the nickel position. But on the wide out, and maybe it was had it helped that Jamon McCoy didn't play this year for boosted his stock a little bit. Absolutely.

SPEAKER_01 22:58

Yeah, that definitely helps. Fellas, moving on, we got D'Angelo Pons, national champion from Indiana. D'Angelo Pons is 5'9. He led the Big Ten in passes defended on a national championship contender. The Jeremiah Smith tape is in Brugler's report. Ohio State's elite wide receiver got the better of him on a couple of plays. That's one of the best wide receivers in college football history. Should you hold him getting beaten by Jeremiah Smith against him or is getting targeted by Smith at all a sign of respect for his role?

SPEAKER_04 23:30

Show me a corner that's not getting torched by Jeremiah Smith. Let's be honest. I don't think that has anything to do with it. I don't think that has anything to do with it. So he is small, but I think he's played with that chip on his shoulder. Like we said, there's there eventually comes a time when you've been told you're small your entire life. But the biggest thing with him is he shows up. He's the guy that got the pick six on the first play against Oregon. He's the guy that hit Ty Simpson and knocked him out of the Rose Bowl. That one-handed interception against Denzel Boston. There we go. So he's he is the playmaker. He shows up when it counts. That's the biggest thing. He's got the heart.

SPEAKER_01 24:04

Yeah. And he also is a guy that was under-recruited coming out of high school. And he landed at James Madison and he became a freshman all American there. He followed Kurt Signetti to Indiana. And you know what? He led the Big Ten and passes defended. So it's not like he was hiding back tape. Like he wasn't, he wasn't getting targeted at all. I think a lot of teams targeted him on purpose, being like, hey, that guy's short. Let's fucking throw it his way. And he actually defended it pretty well. So I think for him at least, is like a second-round pick is doable. I think that's if you're a team that needs a corner, and maybe you are you have a lengthy corner already, you could take the risk on a five foot-nine guy. He could come out of the gate swinging for you and make some big plays.

SPEAKER_04 24:46

Like he's thinking, he's got insane speed. He's got insane speed, he's got that pursuit speed, that recovery speed. So if he does get beat, he's another guy that can catch up, catch you.

SPEAKER_01 24:56

He doesn't give up on the ball. No, 100%. 100%, fellas. Those are our corners. Let's move on to our safeties. I'm actually gonna go in reverse order for the safeties. We're gonna start with the fifth rank safety and the Dave Brugler's the beast guide. I got AJ Halkey from LSU. AJ Halkey, 10 inter 10 career interceptions. He's productive for every coordinator he's played for. He also played at New Mexico, Houston, and then he ended up at LSU. Three very different programs and competitive levels. His 10 picks came across these three different environments. Is consistency across multiple programs and multiple coordinators the best possible indicator of NFL readiness? Or does playing at New Mexico and Houston inflate the interception total against weaker competition?

SPEAKER_04 25:39

It's he's played in different systems. So I think that every you can look at it so so many different ways. Like you can look at he's been in so many systems. Is there a character issue? Could he find a home? But you look at football and cinematics.

SPEAKER_01 25:54

Would you rather have sorry to cut you up? Would you rather have a guy that's played more systems than one guy that played all? I know you've said previously, like you obviously value a guy that's been loyal, but would you rather have a guy that's played three schools or would you rather have a guy that's played one? And it doesn't not just for corners, it's just like in general, any position.

SPEAKER_04 26:11

Again, it all depends on why they've transferred. But yeah, I think especially playing defense, if you've played in different systems and you've and you've succeeded in different systems, that makes you a little bit more draftable because they know that you can learn that you're coachable. Whereas if you've played in one system your entire time, that's those guys that might take a little bit longer to get up to a new system. Correct.

SPEAKER_02 26:31

It's also if you go from FCS to FBS to like Mountain West to SEC, then it just shows all your drive and your dedication, your motivation to get better.

SPEAKER_01 26:41

I think it shows that you're also versatile, right? Like you're also because he's had five different defensive coordinators at three schools. It's not like he had three, and he was productive for all five. I think that's rare.

SPEAKER_04 26:53

And that's what I mean. So you're playing in different systems, so you don't really know what his ceiling is because he's had to learn different systems. He you don't get comfortable. And if you look at the passive flexions, the interceptions, he's been consistent in every single system, every program he's gone to.

SPEAKER_01 27:08

He is one of the best at zone coverage. That is his one of his biggest plus points of his game, is how his zone awareness is off the charts.

SPEAKER_00 27:19

Seeing things before they happen, zero penalties and 702 defensive snaps.

SPEAKER_01 27:24

That's a lot of fucking mileage.

SPEAKER_00 27:26

That's crazy for no penalties.

SPEAKER_01 27:28

That's a lot of mileage, and you're not getting any penalties. That's huge. So I don't have him going first round. I can see him going second or third. That's not a bad player there. And moving on, fellas, I got Keontae Scott from Miami as safety four out of the beast guide. Keontae Scott is 25 years old. He's one of those guys that's had a six-year college career. He's going into the he's going in the second and third round in most mock drafts. Some players take longer to develop than others, but uh Scott's path, he went from JUCO to Auburn and a rotation to Miami for one breakout year, is probably the profile that makes NFL teams a little bit nervous. One breakout year at the end of a long career. His mother runs a nonprofit that helps fit kids find direction. I put that in there because I think that's an incredibly great thing that she's doing. She's the CEO of Starz Achievement Center dedicated to helping at-risk kids and families. Awesome work. I just wanted to put that plug in there. Is he someone when we also this question is a theme? Is we also talked about this with our edges. Is it one great year, or do you see something in him that is that can translate into the NFL?

SPEAKER_04 28:39

That one great year. What a year. It's a great fucking year. Yeah, what a year. And so we've already talked about Ruben Bain, we've talked about Mesador. He was there was games, he was arguably the best defender. And you look at it like as a blitzer, man.

SPEAKER_02 28:54

Oh, he was like a linebacker. He plays like a linebacker, he does, yeah. He's always down low by the line of scrimmage, but that could be a flaw in his game for because they he didn't really get tested moving backwards. There was no deep ball threat that we could really see him cover. I think they played him so far down low where it was just like he was blitzing all the time.

SPEAKER_01 29:14

But that's I think that's an asset though, because you can utilize him now and like you can almost mask him. So maybe you don't play like you take him in that position, but you can put him in more in linebacker situations and see him not get caught.

SPEAKER_04 29:27

So if you say you draft him as a safety, strong safety. Could you move him back to be a linebacker? Because he plays like one, he's forced a couple fumbles, he's got the sacks, he's got the pass deflections, got a couple interceptions. So all of a sudden, you put him on an inside linebacker in zone off the ball, spy.

SPEAKER_01 29:47

And I think a big thing, and our interview, if you guys have not listened to it, we had the opportunity to interview head coach of Grambling State, Mickey Joseph. And I think he's talking he talked about the importance of guys graduating from JUCO and graduating from going from a JUCO school into bigger programs and the dedication it really takes. And like sometimes maybe you're coming out of high school and you're not in the best, you're not in the best position, and you maybe haven't done the best things in high school in terms of your film and all that other stuff. But him starting at Snow College where he excelled, he was a two-time NC NJCAA All-American, and he was ranked the number four JUCO prospect across the board nationally. I have a so I have a soft spot for JUCO programs. I personally think he's gonna be fantastic, whether that be like you said, in a in a linebacker slot or in a safety slot, he has all the tools to plays fast with so much energy. He's got a chip on his shoulder, he's grinded, he's got a great story, he's got the family support. I'm cheering for him. Like on Friday, I really hope he gets taken in the second round. Like, I would be very happy if a team were to take him in the second round because I think he honestly deserves it. He's put in a lot of work. So cheering for Mr. Keonta Scott. Now, fellas, we're getting into the top three. Number three, Emmanuel McNeil Warren out of Toledo. Now, he's pre he is projected first round. He's coming out of a MAC school. Five of Toledo's defenders have been drafted uh in four years under Jason Candle's program. The MAC production pipeline is real, but it raises comp some competition level questions that we've already talked about. 6'4, 200 and 1 pounds, he's built like a linebacker. You're talking about a linebacker, he's built like one. He plays like one near the box. He makes diving interceptions on Mac tape. How do you reconcile elite tools, Mac competition at 23? And is there a meaningful sample of tape against power four offenses that support him going in the first round?

SPEAKER_04 31:52

Toledo is a team, like you just said, they've had five guys drafted, the last one being Quenyon Mitchell. That's a pretty fucking good company right there. But he's I it's your loyalty guy. It is, it's the loyalty, man. And again, with Toledo, but like he's got he's explosive, he's massive, nine career force punch out. Yeah, just gotta if you don't have that ball secured, he is knocking that right out of you.

SPEAKER_01 32:21

Like he's also one of those guys coming from a big family, one of nine children. Like I said, nine career force fumbles. There's he can he is a little over-aggressive sometimes. I think that's where he gets caught. He's got to clean up his tackling mechanics a little bit, but man, he's got good hands and ball skills. He's not a bad pick, I think, in the first round. If you got if you're taking him late in the first round, I think if there's a need on your team for safety, you I've come around on him. I used to see him mock to the Cowboys all the time, and he used to stress me out. I've come around on him a lot. I think he is a good prospect. Is he a guy that's gonna be making a right-away impact on your team that you're gonna sign up and be like, wow, this guy is just doing it all. No, not right away. He's not it's not gonna be right away, but eventually, I think you give him some time, you give him, you be patient with him, and I think he's gonna have himself, he's gonna have himself a time.

SPEAKER_04 33:14

Fellas, one penalty in his fucking college career. Yeah, that's 1861 defensive snaps, one penalty.

SPEAKER_01 33:24

The thing is, like you've been there, Brandon. When you're watching, when you're watching the game, it's third down, you're they got a stop, and then all of a sudden the ticker gets all yellow, and it's drive killer. It's just and then now you're like, really? We went from fourth and 13 to automatic first down.

SPEAKER_02 33:43

Well, with this guy, if he's causing turnovers and he's being aggressive, he's making plays, and then he does maybe gets a penalty, it's hard to get mad at him.

SPEAKER_01 33:51

No, it's hard, but it's also he shows good discipline in his tape in college, where it's like, you need stuff like that, you need disciplined players, you need players playing within the rules because the NFL is going to be heavily more scrutinized than you were in college, especially at Mac. Now, fellas, moving into our top two. The first one, this is probably the most polarizing safety in this class, just because where people are on him. Uh Dylan Thielenum from Oregon. Bruegler says he's physically maxed out. That's probably not the best phrase for a 21-year-old. His two brothers both played safety at Purdue, neither was drafted. Dylan is the best of the three, going somewhere in the first two rounds. Now, this is gonna be mean, but does being the best of three safety brothers at the same position say great athlete from a great family? Or does this say this family maxes out just below the NFL talent threshold, and Dylan is probably the best version of that ceiling?

SPEAKER_04 34:46

When you have a like, if you look at your odds, man, one of one of them's gonna make it.

SPEAKER_01 34:50

Yeah, not everyone can be LeVar Ball and produce three professional athlete.

SPEAKER_04 34:54

Exactly. So one of them's gonna make it.

SPEAKER_01 34:56

Actually, he produced two. Sorry, Jello was a failure. He's in your rapper now. I he's doing something. He's doing something out there, but yeah, listen, he's a versatile athlete, he's six foot, 201 pounds, both career interceptions in 2025 clinched the Big Ten win. He's got the ability to stay in phase and position himself to contest windows. Now, his mediocre burst and hip turn that hurts him on downfield corners and posts, and I think that takes him out of a lot of plays. He's got better stride acceleration than initial twitch when covering crossers, and then finally he arrives hot as a tackler, so it leads to inconsistent angles from depth. So there he is he the most like thoroughbred and proven, like he's played in big time games, he's got a good skill set. Yes, is he as sexy as a Keontae Scott when it comes to making those big time plays or a McNeil Warren? No, so you're almost betting on like the safety valve with this guy, like you know what you're getting. This is the bar, this is the floor, and that's what you're betting on. That's why I think teams are really they're excited about this guy.

SPEAKER_02 36:09

Yeah, the exciting thing about him too is he literally covers the entire field. Yeah, if you watch him on the tapes, he is everywhere. He's going sideline to sideline, covering a ton of ground, closing in on defenders a little bit raw. I can see him having stiff hips, and but he makes like the big plays. He had he ended two games, one in overtime, and uh yeah, he clinched the conference for the ducks. So it's a great year.

SPEAKER_01 36:35

Big time plays.

SPEAKER_00 36:37

Anything to add, KK? See he sees uh field really quickly, so he doesn't hesitate to make a play, just all go.

SPEAKER_01 36:43

Yeah, no, fair.

SPEAKER_04 36:45

All right, his his tackling is great, and he's great at play recognition. And yeah, if you if he recognizes early that it's a run play, man, he is downfield so fucking fast, and before you know what's going on, he's tackling it. Yeah, he's got a motor.

SPEAKER_01 37:00

Yeah, no, I and I think he's gonna go first round. I think so. I think there's too many teams that need a safety on that guy.

SPEAKER_04 37:06

He's going first round.

SPEAKER_01 37:08

All right, fellas.

SPEAKER_04 37:09

The man of the hour, safety one.

SPEAKER_01 37:12

The guy, the man, the myth, the legend. All right. I'm not gonna, I'm gonna go quickly through his strengths. I'm gonna quickly go through his strengths. His name is Caleb Downs. He played at Ohio the Ohio State University, six foot 206 pounds. He is rated the number five overall in prospect in the Dan Bruegler The Beast Guide. Rangy, physical presence, drops the hammer on arrival with outstanding balance, full speed tackler with elite twitch to break down in space. He raps, keeps eyes before feet, and accelerates through the target. He's quick to read the keys and fly to the football from anywhere in the field. He is consistent. He is like the most scheme versatile safety who can operate at any position in the secondary. Basically, the safety version of Sonny Styles. Same combine numbers, same Ohio State pedigree. Fellas, what is the highest pick that you will give this? Give him where what is the highest Caleb Downs will go, and what is the lowest that he can fall? And I want to know for the fall, what is the reason? Lay it on me.

SPEAKER_04 38:29

Highest, I think, would probably could potentially be three, but most likely four. I could really see the Tennessee Titans going after him. Yep. Fall. There's been mocks where the they've had him fall to the Cowboys at 12. Nah, it's not. He's not falling to 12. If he does fall to 12, it's because of that knee issue that came out that he had that had a physical, like the degenerative knee issue.

SPEAKER_00 38:57

If that's real, I thought that he'd fall a lot more because of that.

SPEAKER_04 39:01

I think it's personally, I do. I think it's bullshit. I think it's bullshit. But if he does fall, that's the reason why.

SPEAKER_01 39:07

If he falls to the Cowboys, is he your favorite Cowboys defensive player?

SPEAKER_04 39:11

No, overshown.

SPEAKER_01 39:12

Okay, outside of Overshown. Sorry, I know we have a bias.

SPEAKER_04 39:15

Probably.

SPEAKER_01 39:16

I think he's my favorite.

SPEAKER_04 39:18

I think Slotson is my favorite.

SPEAKER_01 39:19

I think the Downs jerseys inside Overshown. I think the Downs jerseys like will sell like hot cakes. That's the case. And sorry, I will let Matthew go next before I give you my little take here.

SPEAKER_02 39:33

I don't see him going past six, honestly. Yeah. I really it's I watch his tape, it's so hard, and I watched him all year. It's so hard to pick a flaw. He's just good, man. It's like there's so many wow plays where he's just he's getting held and he still makes the tackle in the backfield with one arm. And it's just like a predator with prey. The runner's just coming in and he's just flying down, and the runner's going down. He's maybe getting a yard. If it's third and ten and looks like they're gonna get the first down, downs is there and he's gonna stop them short. And then in the past game, too, he covers the field in zone coverage, in man. It's I think if Styles and Reese were not on Ohio State and not in the draft, Downs would probably go higher. He probably could have even gone top three. But because of those guys being in the draft, I don't see him sliding further than sixth. I think around five or six is probably where he's gonna get drafted.

SPEAKER_00 40:33

I see him going probably closer to the top ten, maybe or eight or nine. Okay, yeah. Just because of depends on your team need because there's so many high-end talents in this draft in different positions. His injury concerns me a little bit. I think he could always drop to maybe top 20.

SPEAKER_01 40:52

So everything I've read, like every single thing I've read, he doesn't make it past six. No, and that's hey, that's the con that's what I've read. And I've read a lot of a lot of these mock drafts, I've done a lot of like reading, listening, whatever. He doesn't make it past six, and I think there's a coincidence why this Browns pick trade thing keeps coming up, because the average notion is the Browns aren't gonna take him at six, and the Cowboys really are hunkering down on their defense, so there's a natural marriage there. But my god, if Caleb Downs makes it to where you're saying, KK, where he makes it to the ninth to the Chiefs, or he makes it to that's just not fair. That's not that's just not fair.

SPEAKER_04 41:45

You have one fucking down year and Caleb Downs just falls into your fucking lap.

SPEAKER_01 41:50

No, no fucking way, and I just think I think that is that would be heartbreaking, fellas. Fantastic. You want me to go through a quick I got a quick 10 round uh 10 pick mock draft. Do you guys want me to quickly go through it? Let's do it. All right, we just got this from ESPN. This is a little surprise for our we didn't have this on the docket, but I thought we would go through this quickly. Number one, you already know Mendoza. Number two, there's a scout in the AFC South. He says Jets are taking Arvell Reese.

SPEAKER_03 42:18

Absolutely.

SPEAKER_01 42:19

Number three, Arizona Cardinals. If they hold on to the pick, scout says they're taking David Bailey.

SPEAKER_03 42:23

That makes sense.

SPEAKER_01 42:24

Number four, NFC West. Scout thinks that if the Tennessee Titans hold on to the pick, they're taking Jeremiah Love. Makes sense. Number five, the New York Giants.

SPEAKER_03 42:34

That's gonna be Sonny Styles.

SPEAKER_01 42:35

They take Carnell Tate. Wow. Number six, Cleveland Browns, Francis Mongoa. Number seven, Washington Commanders. Number eight, New Orleans Saints. Check this out. Jermont McCoy.

SPEAKER_04 42:51

See, they can that's a team that can do it. That can wait on him.

SPEAKER_01 42:54

That can do it. They can literally be like, you know what? We're gonna wait. Kool-Aid McKinstreet, go fucking run a couple more left.

SPEAKER_00 43:00

Caleb Downs has already dropped.

SPEAKER_01 43:03

Number nine.

SPEAKER_00 43:03

So is Sonny.

SPEAKER_01 43:06

Reuben Bain Jr. to the Kansas City Chiefs.

SPEAKER_04 43:09

Again, that's just not fair.

SPEAKER_01 43:10

And number 10, the Cincinnati Bengals take Caleb Downs. That's is a drop. Like that is quite a drop to be made.

SPEAKER_00 43:21

But you look at some of those teams that are taking like Carnell Tate, maybe a little need for that, but I also think we're focused on the certain guys are gonna drop.

SPEAKER_01 43:32

I think Tyson, man. I the Jordan Tyson's a name, and sorry, this is not about safeties. You guys are gonna get unsolicited draft talk now if you're listening to this. But I think Jordan Tyson is a name to watch. He had a shit ton of teams on his watch list that came to watch him.

SPEAKER_02 43:46

Yeah, I think Tate is probably gonna fall. I think people are not looking at the fact that Jeremiah Smith was the number one receiver there. They gotta I think he's gonna think he's gonna fall.

SPEAKER_01 43:57

But do you think more teams should be taking why I

SPEAKER_02 44:00

Receivers, no, and that's why I think I don't think the Giants are going to be a good one.

SPEAKER_01 44:02

No, but like I think but see, I think it's the opposite. I think in a league where everybody's focused on scoring, like teams are focused so much on the offensive side of the ball. Like, I could give you quite a few teams out of that top 10 that need another wide receiver.

SPEAKER_04 44:15

That's perfect. Because if you're saying that Carnell Tate was only Carnell Tate because of what Jeremiah Smith did, but you've got Malik Neighbors. So you got quite a running mate. There's your Robin.

SPEAKER_01 44:24

You got quite a running mate there with Malik Neighbors.

SPEAKER_02 44:27

The Giants gotta focus on other positions, not just receiver.

SPEAKER_01 44:32

Just let them do what they're doing. Just let them do what they're doing. Don't try to don't try to. We're willing some shit right here. Yeah, don't try to get all crazy. Don't try to get all crazy and tell them what they need to do.

SPEAKER_02 44:43

You still have to go up against. Don't make it make sense. You mean you still have to go up against them.

SPEAKER_04 44:49

I trust our offense more than I would trust trust their offense, so that's not an issue.

SPEAKER_01 44:52

Yeah, I have a feeling they'll find a way to fuck it up. Yeah, but they'll find it.

SPEAKER_03 44:56

Dak owns the NFC East.

SPEAKER_01 44:58

You know what? A lot of people always eye roll when I say that. He owns the NFC East. Look at the record.

SPEAKER_03 45:03

Like that's the NFC East.

SPEAKER_01 45:05

Fucking fantastic. Fuck the Eagles. Fellows, amazing episode. I think that wraps up our final draft episode. We will be in Pittsburgh starting what Tuesday night? We're in Pittsburgh Tuesday night. We're gonna be all the way until Saturday afternoon. We're gonna be able to.

SPEAKER_04 45:23

Fuck, we miss a penguins playoff game by one fucking day. I know. By one fucking day. Should we change our flight? Should we change a flight? Should we change a flight?

SPEAKER_01 45:31

We'd have to find accommodations to fuck the accommodations, man.

SPEAKER_04 45:35

I'll sleep on the fucking streets. I don't care. I'll sleep with all the stuff shitting everywhere. Shitting everywhere now.

SPEAKER_01 45:41

We can't do that anymore. KK, if you what is one thing that you're most excited for about the draft? We'll do a little round table. Go ahead. What's your number one most exciting thing? So we're going down to Pittsburgh, Yinzer Country. What does this trip mean to you? Etc. etc. Tell the folks who may not know. Go ahead.

SPEAKER_00 46:02

Experience the NFL draft that I've never seen before. Yeah. That'd be interesting. Also meeting people, interviewing them, chatting with them.

SPEAKER_01 46:12

Spreading the love machine, Joey.

SPEAKER_00 46:13

Spreading the love.

SPEAKER_01 46:14

Yeah, there you go. Spreading the love. Matthew, what is one thing that you're most looking forward to? You're like returning home. Dude, there's fear. There's fear in the circles that Matthew's not coming back. There's fear. There's active fear. There's active fear that we're going to get called.

SPEAKER_00 46:28

Yeah, he's moving into Big Mike's house.

SPEAKER_01 46:30

Yeah, it's going to be Matthew and Big Mike.

SPEAKER_02 46:33

I'm going to stay with somebody else. Oh man, I can't wait. This is going up. Never been to Pittsburgh before. Growing up a Steelers fan. Like, this is going to be sick. Checking out the stadium, everything around there. I'm going to be with the fellow fans. Fellow Yinzers. Fellow Yinzer. I'm not a Yinzer because I'm not from Pittsburgh.

SPEAKER_01 46:48

Yeah, I guess we can give you honorary tags. Sure. Yeah, it's fine. Take it. That's fine. And you, my friend. How many people are supposed to be there? 700. 700,000.

SPEAKER_04 46:56

That is a lot of people I'm going to be talking shit with.

SPEAKER_01 46:59

Yes, sir.

SPEAKER_04 47:00

So when you're talking about Matthew might not make it back, I might not make it back for a completely different fucking reason. I'm going to end up in a ditch somewhere.

SPEAKER_01 47:08

Any lawyers in the greater Pennsylvania Pittsburgh area want to. We're going to find you in Philly. Oh boy. No, no. Could you imagine they just have Eagles can be a few years? Knowing Eagles fans, they drug him and then hang them in front of the stadium being like, look at him. He's wearing an Eagles jersey. Ah, look what we did to him. No, I would never let an Eagles fan touch you, don't worry. I die before I let that happen.

SPEAKER_04 47:32

Oh, I'd be dead. Yes. I died before I let that. It's the only way they're getting me there.

SPEAKER_01 47:37

I hope you guys know how to work the mixer when you guys are back. Just push a button. Push a couple button. Yeah. But wrapping things. What's the blue one do?

SPEAKER_04 47:46

What's the green one do?

SPEAKER_01 47:48

Make it happen. There we go.

SPEAKER_00 47:52

That was the green one. That was the green one.

SPEAKER_01 47:55

We purposely made it Eagles colors. We only picked it up. What does the blue one do? That's the one too then. No, I think the blue. This one. Cowboys blue. Oh, that's right.

SPEAKER_04 48:06

I picked my two favorites. That's the only two I need to know. You did pick my favorites. That's the only two colors I need to know now.

SPEAKER_03 48:11

Lock his ass up.

SPEAKER_04 48:12

Lock his ass up.

SPEAKER_03 48:14

You're going to jail.

SPEAKER_04 48:15

Huh?

SPEAKER_03 48:15

You're going to jail.

SPEAKER_02 48:16

This is what you're going to say to Eagles fans. Is that what's going to happen to you in Pittsburgh?

SPEAKER_04 48:21

Oh, fuck no. Only a fucking gingerbread man. You can't fucking catch me.

SPEAKER_01 48:25

No, but in all seriousness, thank you to each and every one of you guys that listen. You guys are the reason we are going. We probably would not have gone. This probably would be much more expensive if we had gone on our own to cover this. So a massive shout out to all of you guys for showing the presence, for showing the love, not just to our Canadian listeners. I've got people reaching out to me from Australia that are excited about the Australia game this year. People from Brazil have started to tap in. We're gonna work some things out with the NFL. I don't make any promises yet, but maybe a Brazil trip for the Red Zone Blitz might be in order. We're working out some things with our folks over at NFL International. Thank you once again to each and every person that has followed us. If you do not follow us, Red Zone Blitz Pod on Instagram, X, TikTok, you can email us redzone blitzpodcast at gmail.com. Follow our YouTube channel. We're gonna be coming out with a lot of fun content. And once again, if you are in Pittsburgh, you see us, you recognize us, or you're in Pittsburgh and we're there and you don't see where we are, shoot us a DM. We'll be pretty active on the socials. Once again, Red Zone Blitz Pod. I will be handling all the socials there. Brandon, one more time, your handle.

SPEAKER_04 49:40

Craig is wonder.

SPEAKER_01 49:41

We'll be tagged on the Yeah, I will be tagging all these guys in case they change their handles until by then. Any final words, KK? See you in Pittsburgh. All right, there you go. This has been a pleasure. This is G.

SPEAKER_00 49:54

Brandon, Matt, KK.

SPEAKER_01 49:55

And that wraps up our draft coverage. See you guys in Pittsburgh.