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Feel It or F--k It 4.13.26: An RSP Podcast with Bob Harris and Matt Waldman

STACKED extracted the fantasy-relevant player signal from this video and kept the full transcript here for context.

35 min
Duration
Estimated from transcript
Apr 13, 2026
Published
Mon, April 13, 2026
9
Player insights
9
Players mentioned
Topics
Demond ClaiborneDesmond ReidDiego PaviaEli RaridonEli StowersJa'Kobi LaneJa'Mori MaclinJonah ColemanNicholas Singleton
Player analysis

Player insights

9

Demond Claiborne

PositiveRole3:00

188 lbs Wake Forest RB with proven volume and between-the-tackles ability who fits in the right scheme with the right offensive attitude. Claiborne is only 5–7 lbs away from James Cook's weight (194–195 lbs) and will likely add 5–7 lbs in muscle. Despite a spike to seven fumbles last year, he had only two fumbles across his other three starting seasons. Bob Harris describes him as pound-for-pound the best playmaker in the class due to speed, pace change, and ability to manipulate defenders; compares his game to Shady McCoy's movement and Jamaal Charles' ability to dictate the chain of action without taking excessive contact. Harris projects Claiborne as a potential class-best back if Jeremiah Love fails to meet expectations. Expected to land as a fourth or fifth round pick at best. Harris evaluates team fits including gap-style offenses (Bills model with James Cook), complementary roles in two-back systems (potential dash to Cam Akers' smash in New York under John Harbaugh), or split-back situations (better version of Woody Marks alongside Nick Chubb model). Potential landing spots include Steelers (complementing Rico Dowdle when Jaylen Warren departs) or Denver (competing with RJ Harvey, whom Harris views as a less intelligent runner).

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Desmond Reid

PositiveRole29:06

Bob Harris positions Desmond Reed (5'6" 174 lbs, very explosive) as a compelling scat back and return specialist prospect rather than a traditional tight end, comparing him more favorably to Tarik Cohen than to Darren Sproles despite the physical similarity. Reed's value is contingent on offensive fit—matched to the right situation, he can contribute meaningfully in a limited role.

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Diego Pavia

PositiveProjection11:02

Bob Harris assesses Diego Pavia as having top-three quarterback talent in the draft class with very strong on-field processing speed and aggressive, physical playing style for his 5'10", 207 lb frame. Character concerns may limit draft capital, but Harris believes Pavia could be a productive journeyman starter or backup capable of 'ripping a hole into defenses occasionally.' Harris compares his attitude and intensity to Baker Mayfield but with a more aggressive edge.

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Eli Raridon

NegativeRole26:37

Bob Harris disputes peer consensus that Eli Raridon is vastly underrated, citing significant blocking lapses despite assignment to specific opponents and minor hand-catching issues. At 6'6" 245 lbs with room to add weight, Harris suggests Raridon may be better suited as an inline blocker who filters out (Tyler Warren/Tucker Kraft archetype) rather than a primary receiving threat, though blocking concerns persist even in that role.

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Eli Stowers

NegativeRole27:26

Bob Harris is not concerned about Eli Stowers' limited tight end experience despite being a former quarterback, citing precedent (Travis Kelce) and noting that most college tight ends lack sophisticated high school backgrounds. The primary concern is offensive fit—whether Stowers can block at a higher level—but Harris rejects characterizations of him as an awful blocker, noting competencies as a stalk blocker on backside formations. Stowers' route running is very strong with excellent zone recognition from his QB background; his catch ability is elite, especially in contested situations; and he may be one of the best runners after the catch in the class.

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Ja'Kobi Lane

NegativeBust8:28

Has greater potential than projected role player status, but Bob Harris would choose to 'fuck it' if forced to make a tough call on whether he fulfills that potential. Strengths include fantastic hands and strong body control, but route running needs improvement and is described as sloppy and flaky in execution. RSP comps are George Pickens and late Chris Henry—great players with mercurial tendencies. Harris places Lane in the mid-range flakiness tier (less mercurial than Pickens/Henry, more so than Chris Brazell). The core fear is a Fred Gibson vibe—Gibson was a mid-round receiver who never developed into a consistent fantasy asset, suggesting Lane may face similar trajectory constraints despite his physical tools.

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Ja'Mori Maclin

PositiveSleeper22:04

Bob Harris sees Jamari Maclin as a sleeper who could become a poor man's Jayden Reed in the slot/flanker role. The North Texas receiver is not highly touted but has solid hands, good after-catch ability, and pretty good route running. He could earn opportunity on special teams and potentially grow into a third or fourth wide receiver role if he hooks onto a team, with upside to surprise.

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Jonah Coleman

NegativeBust13:35

Bob Harris rates Jonah Coleman as overrated relative to consensus top-5 to top-7 running back rankings, placing him well outside his top tier. Harris questions whether the 5'8", 220 lb back's acceleration, speed, and vision are sufficient to sustain a starting role year-round. Harris criticizes his pass protection technique—head-dropping, weak punch, overextension—and compares his blocking flaws to De'Anthony Foreman's tell-giving issues. Harris sees Coleman as roster-depth/situational contributor only, requiring proof of explosiveness and downhill decisiveness to change his view. Coleman is good enough to make a roster and contribute situationally, but Harris is not sold on his three-down back potential and notes he needs to show far more explosiveness and better decision-making on off-guard and off-tackle runs where he must get downhill faster.

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Nicholas Singleton

PositiveValue6:36

220-pound RB with good production history and strong receiving ability; Bob Harris believes his talent is higher than his designated day three value, though the running back position's nature will likely limit his draft capital. Singleton showed strong early-career receiving production but was limited by poor quarterback play and team's preference to keep recruits at running back (similar to how Georgia kept Nick Chubb over D'Andre Swift and Sony Michel). Harris views him as capable of being more than what has been seen in recent years—a bargain signing comparable to Green Bay's acquisition of Damien Martinez.

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Full transcript

Episode Transcript

308
0:00There will be no Rick Rolling to start this show.
0:02>> [laughter] >> Good morning, everybody. It's too late.
0:06I said it's too late. I might have Rick Rolled somebody.
0:09Never want to let him go. He is Matt Waldman of the Rookie Scouting Portfolio. We are here to feel and [ __ ] things and and and help
0:16you gain a little information. Right now, the Rookie Scouting Portfolio is out and available. If you're one of the 10 people on Earth who do not have one,
0:24go get it now. Matt, tell them what they'll find. Yeah, 164 um profiles on quarterbacks, running backs, wide receivers, and tight ends.
0:311,267 pages.
0:34Um lots of great analysis in terms of scouting reports, rankings, cheat sheets, um histories on these positions and how they're evolving and how that can impact
0:44you as a fantasy player as well as an NFL fan of the teams that you are following. Then you get a post-draft
0:51then that's you know, while the the first the pre-draft is kind of football approved with some fantasy insights that'll help you think philosophically
0:59about how you should be teams and building you know, building through the rookie draft. Then we get practical about it at a high level
1:07um and talk about you know, we factor in draft capital and um schemes >> and schemes and we look we study the
1:16depth charts of all the you know, where these players are going to and you get a cheat sheet that's basically two pages
1:23and you get a chance to have everybody tiered and everybody re-ranked according to some of those factors. And if I don't
1:31re-rank them because I think they're that good, then I give you an X value that helps you see when you should draft
1:37this player so that you can maximize the value without getting sniped. And I do that by studying a a bunch of drafts.
1:44So, you get all of this for 21.95 and a newsletter that comes that comes out regularly throughout the year that that gives you kind of previews of 2027
1:55prospects.
1:57So, you know, it's it's a great deal and I've appreciated the feedback thus far and and the people who are you know,
2:04continue to be lifetime subscribers and write me and tell me that I should charge double or when they make mistakes and they they
2:13buy the the the the um the what is it? Projections and dynasty rankings that I do which I charge more for. They're like, "Listen, just just
2:24keep the money and like give me the just give me the the 21.95 product and cancel the lot the other one or they'll
2:31buy the other one in in addition to it and say it's more than worth to have both and and it's a good combination.
2:36>> that's just me though. You follow Matt on the X and Blue Sky at Matt Waldman.
2:40I'm at Football Diehard. You can find my work at Football Guys right now, weekly notebook, all kinds of stuff.
2:45>> it. You really won't. It's it's mostly substance, very low on frills. Uh no frills. Um >> [laughter] >> no lots of frills. Everyone likes the
2:54frills, Matt. Except some of the NFL teams, some frilly players. Let's not say that about this fellow. 188 lbs.
3:02Wake Forest running back Demond Claiborne. Is he big enough to be a difference maker? Feel it or [ __ ] it?
3:07I'm feeling it in the right scheme and the and the offense with the right attitude.
3:12Um and that's the tough part is finding a coach and then GM who are aligned in that attitude that the guy can be that
3:18way. I mean, look at James Cook who's about 194, 195 lbs. I don't think Claiborne's more than a cheeseburger or two away from that.
3:27Um and you know, I think he'll probably get add 5 to 7 lbs anyway um in muscle and he's he's got a proven
3:38track record in terms of volume and being able to work between the tackles.
3:43He's his fumble rate skyrocketed last year. He had seven last year alone. But he only had two for the other three
3:51years that he was a starter.
3:53Um he's a very smart runner and he might be pound for pound the best playmaker in this class because of his speed, because
3:59how he can change pace, and how he can manipulate defenders. There's a lot of Jamal excuse me, there's a lot of um
4:06shady McCoy to his game in the way that he plays. And I think that he's one of those guys that like Jamaal Charles, he
4:14can also kind of dictate the uh the chain of action and with with physical play without getting like creamed. So, you know, he's a he's a
4:26really good football player and I wouldn't be surprised if he's if if Jeremiah Love does not play to the expectation we have of him. I would not
4:37be shocked if Demond Claiborne winds up being the best back in this class. So, if if you know, I guess like you know,
4:43you think of some of these players out there like I can go back for work done.
4:46I mean, there's been plenty of guys that weren't huge bodies, but I think there's a there's this you know, that mythical
4:52200 lb thing which you know, we see time and time again go by the wayside.
4:56Um what kind of team would best suit does Demond Claiborne? You know, I mean, I think really we're just looking for
5:03a team I mean, you look at the Bills and what they did with James Cook. And so, you can have a gap style offense that
5:11uses two tight ends and has a strong runner at the quarterback position and that could work out. You could see how
5:17Claiborne might be the be the the dash to Cam Akers' smash in New York under John Harbaugh. That could be a really nice
5:28complement where they get a one-two punch that's strong and maybe have guys like that.
5:34Um I think those you know, I mean, think of like Chubb and Woody Marks last year with Claiborne as a better version of
5:41Woody Marks.
5:42Um I could see him on a team like that where you know, I'm trying to think of you know, maybe the Steelers decide that
5:50they want to have a guy who can complement Rico Dowdle um and and a way that when Jaylen Warren leaves the
5:59you know, leaves the um the Steelers at some point that that would be that would be the case. So, I mean, I can you know,
6:06those are those are a few of the teams.
6:08If Denver decided, "Hey, we really like this kid." and you know, they can get him a little bit later. He could compete with RJ Harvey and I
6:18wouldn't be surprised if he's a little bit he's a he's a smarter runner than RJ Harvey is if you ask me and Harvey's
6:23nice. I don't think that's going to happen, but you know, those are some of the those are some of the places. I
6:29think you're going to see Demond Claiborne though probably wind up being a fourth or fifth round pick at best and he's going to have to work his way up.
6:36So, we'll see you know, we'll see how it goes. Another guy in that day three range, Nicholas Singleton. He's bigger, 220 nearly 220.
6:45Uh good history production.
6:47Should he go higher than his designated day three value? Feel it or [ __ ] it? I think his talent is higher than that. Um
6:53I just think that the nature of the running back position is probably going to limit limit him from doing so, but I
6:58think you're going to get a a bargain in the same way that maybe the Green Bay Packers just got a bargain in signing
7:04Damien Martinez from last year um to its roster. Um you Singleton is a very good receiver like you said. He was very strong early on in
7:14his career when he got the opportunity, but you just got to remember their quarterback was not very good. Um they did a lot of manufacturing of offense to
7:23help their quarterback. And they also wanted to keep recruits at running back like a lot of teams do. I mean, we could
7:30look back and say Nick Chubb was much better than D'Andre Swift or Sony Michel. Um but he had to split time with
7:40Michel um and I think that you know, they even tried to force-feed Swift in there if I remember correctly early on. Um you
7:48know, you can look at situations like that and feel like, "Oh, well, maybe Keaton Allen is is really good then."
7:55and and or that Singleton's not as good as we thought. I think it's just more about we need to keep recruits that we
8:02want to keep and by doing that is giving them playing time in this in in the NIL era which you know, and even before then
8:10they that's why they commoditized um you know, running backs. And I think Singleton's a guy who's capable of being more than what he's what we've seen from
8:19him in the past couple of years.
8:23All [clears throat] right, fair enough.
8:24Um I guess I guess running backs are always interesting you know, in that range. You never know who's going to pop
8:29up. A wide receiver, you know, a little different there. Jacobi Lane, does he have greater potential than his projected role player status? Feel it or
8:37it?
8:38>> Oh, absolutely feel it, but is he going to fulfill it? I would say [ __ ] it if I had to make a choice.
8:44Um if I had to be like make a really tough choice, I would say that because the hands are fantastic, the body control's strong, the route
8:54running needs improvement and a lot of it is kind of sloppy. Um I would say sloppy and I I don't want to
9:02say thoughtless, but kind of flaky in terms of how he he how he does stuff.
9:07It's interesting the the the RSP comps are George Pickens and and Chris Henry, the late Chris Henry. So, um interesting, great players with you
9:17know, a little bit mercurial uh to say the least. Are we putting them in that same basket? Yeah, I'd say so. I'd say
9:23that Jacobi Lane is you know, the the least mercurial of the Jacobi of the George Pickens, Chris Henry vibe is Chris Brazell. You you
9:32know, probably mid-range flakiness um is probably Lane. You know, so you can see the moments and you can see if he gets it together, that's great. But
9:43when one of my um Who was the oh Fred Fred Who was the the wide receiver whose first name was Fred? Fred Gibson.
9:53When Chad Reuter said to me, "Why do I feel a Fred Gibson vibe whenever I watch Jacoby Lane?
9:59Um that's kind of the the fear right there.
10:02Uh Ted Hearst, Georgia Georgia State.
10:06I you know, these two players stand out to me and you know why, they're 6'4. I like these bigger wide receivers with some
10:13athleticism. Uh does he have greater potential than his projected role player value? Yeah, absolutely. I think that if he can really refine his route running
10:21and I think there's there's reasons to believe that he could um he could and he plays with a level of dynamic athleticism that we see flashes
10:32of that maybe he could be an aspiring A.J. Green, a guy who's maybe, you know, an upper middle class A.J. Green during
10:39his career. Um so maybe not giving you 1,400 yard seasons, but maybe can give you 1,000 1,100 yards and somewhere between six to eight touchdowns. And
10:48you're using him as a fantasy starter and maybe has one year that's off the charts good due to an injury or great
10:54quarterback play. Um so yeah, if not though, I think that he can still give you the go up and get it of Tee Higgins
11:02and be kind of more of a Tee Higgins Mike Williams type of number two option who still will compelling fantasy value
11:09at his peak.
11:10Yeah, I'm just now a text coming across my device. He will be visiting Hearst, the Giants, Packers, and Chiefs this very week.
11:19So there we have that.
11:22Quarterback, Diego Pavia, a Vanderbilt quarterback with an interesting route >> [laughter] >> an upward trajectory. Can he keep that upward trajectory going? Can he become
11:32one of the best three quarterbacks in this draft class, feel or [ __ ] it? Okay.
11:35So talent-wise, could he become one of the top three best top three quarterbacks in this draft class when it's all said and
11:42done?
11:44yes, he can.
11:45Um will he? Will you Do you want to bet on that? [ __ ] no, because the NFL seems to be making a concerted effort to let
11:56everybody know about his foibles off the field and that he's and there's some thoughts that maybe he's not a good guy.
12:04Now, I don't know whether that's true or not and NFL teams sometimes the way they practice a character evaluation don't know that
12:12well or not. They There's still a lot of teams that um let's just say that they their skill at interviewing and who they who they
12:21assign the task of interviewing and discerning the information um isn't very good. But I would say that on the field Diego Pavia's processing
12:31speed is very strong. He's an aggressive physical football player for his size.
12:37He's like if it's like pouring Red Bull and vodka into Fruity Pebbles, you know, that's basically what you're That's it's the breakfast of champions.
12:48Um and I think the little hot sauce to it, too, to boot might be a little bit of part of the equation there. So if you can
12:55stomach all that I think you you might find up find out that you're having a really good time with Diego Pavia as as
13:02your journeyman starter quarterback or your backup who can come in and just rip a hole into into defenses occasionally.
13:10Is like 5'10 207 lb the size kind of the immediate, you know, barrier? The yeah, that that the fact that he thinks he's a
13:17full back at the end of runs, you know, in the SEC. I thought feels like we're talking about Baker Mayfield. Yeah,
13:23there's a little Baker Mayfield attitude with that. But I again, where where Baker was probably drinking like wine spritzers, >> [laughter]
13:31>> you know, Diego Diego's doing the vodka and the and the Red Bull.
13:35Uh Jonah Coleman, Washington running back, 5'8 220 lb. He'd be like a bowling ball.
13:42Uh is he overrated, feel or [ __ ] it? I think he is. Um obviously, if we're going to look at the consensus and see
13:48that I'm alone on an island here cuz I think a lot of people have him as like a top five to top seven running back and I
13:53don't have him remotely there. It's mainly because his grade is good enough for him to make an NFL roster. I could
14:01see him having a situational role for a team but I don't think that his acceleration and his speed and his vision
14:10are compelling enough for me to believe that he can hold down a starting role year after year while he's healthy. Um I
14:18did not think his pass protection was as strong as many people say um because I think a lot of people grade pass
14:26protection as get in the way and was the result good as opposed to was the technique sound and will that translate
14:34to um you know, NFL defenders and coverage types. And I think there's some good reps on his tape, but there's a lot
14:42of dropping his head making blocks where he's trying to back drop people or looking like he's doing some of that.
14:49The punch isn't as strong as it needs to be, um overextending into into blocks.
14:54Things that like when people said that De'Anthony Foreman was a really good blocker way back in the day and I was
15:02like, yeah, but he drops his head so much that defenses are just going to he's giving tells and you're going to
15:08see where that becomes a problem. And I think that this is kind of the same thing with with Coleman. Like good
15:13enough to make a roster, maybe good enough to become a contributor on a situational level, but I'm just I'm not sold. He's going to have to show me he's
15:23far more explosive and a slightly better decision-maker on runs towards, you know, off guard and off tackle where he needs to get downhill a little bit
15:32faster. Can he catch football well enough to be a three-down back if if the right opportunity arises? Yeah, I mean if those things work out, like I said,
15:39and he can catch, he can be a leak receiver, you know, screen passes, wide routes, things like that.
15:45All right. Let's look at the other side of that coin, Kansas running back La Shawn Williams. Is he underrated, feel or [ __ ] it?
15:52>> Absolutely, because he's a 5'9 218 bowling ball with actual legit speed.
15:58Um you know, he's got speed, he's got acceleration, he can catch. I like his vision. Um you know, overall when I look at his
16:07game compared to Jonah Coleman I I just feel like that you know, Williams to me is already a player who could contribute
16:18off the bench right now on a depth chart that is a little bit maybe a little bit weaker.
16:24But um you know, he's not far away as a blocker. You know, when I look at what his blocking skills have to offer
16:33he's actually already kind of in the com the committee tier. Um and or very close to that. So situationally if they know what they're going to have
16:43assign him to that is playing with his strengths he could be very good right away in that level. And I think he'll only improve.
16:50The biggest issue with him will be character and it's not from the standpoint that he's a poorly behaved human being. Um it's just
16:59that he left Iowa and was and according to his trainer was uninspired um you know, when he arrived at Kansas and the trainer said, you
17:11know, we got he was out of shape and didn't seem to be loving the game but we got him in the shape and the love
17:17for the game returned very quickly and he's a completely different player. Now, is this that maturity moment that we want from players that they rebound or
17:28is or teams going to assess that as he doesn't really have the passion for the game and he's a thermometer player to
17:35the worst degree that we don't want to have on our roster because we're worried that when football doesn't become fun anymore that he's he's going to abandon
17:44the game. That's what you're going to That's what might be the questions people have. I'm not saying they are, but it's what I would anticipate that
17:53the that NFL teams were looking into.
17:55But he's a he's a he's an interesting player who on the field um I saw good things.
18:02Yeah, he did not get invited to combine.
18:04We'll see how it plays out in the draft.
18:06While we were all watching Fernando Mendoza lead the way in Indiana, Kaylin Black was quietly getting the job done there.
18:13Is he underrated at running back, feel or [ __ ] it? Yeah, he's like a big he's like a plus-size Justin Forsett in the
18:19or a or similar size to Chester Taylor.
18:22Like a back who can you know, if you don't know those guys, they're in that, you know, 5'10 205 to 215 lb range. Guys who can run between
18:33the tackles, who have enough power to break a tackle, who finish strong, and they can attack into contact and they have just enough um
18:44burst and speed to be on an NFL field as a contributor. He catches the ball well out of the backfield on screens and wide
18:51routes and he's just a he's just a physical player who plays with an attitude and plays intelligently and he's reliable. He's one of those
19:01guys that I think could have a 10 10-year career as a running back in the league and maybe has one or two seasons
19:08because of injuries that the team goes, you know what?
19:11We can lean on him for an extended period of time. We don't want him to be our every year starter, but he might be
19:17able to give us that you know, 1,200 1,300 yard season and um and then we go, you know, then we go back to the original starter or we
19:27draft someone who has more compelling physical skills.
19:31Fair enough. Cade Klubnik, the Clemson quarterback.
19:36Uh say that sometimes.
19:38No, I'm not saying that any more times.
19:40Is a boom bust fantasy pick in superflex? I guess part of this is, you know, he's boom and busted both during his time in
19:48college is most notably busting last year.
19:51Uh feel it [ __ ] it? I'll totally feel it. You know, it's You know, he was the number one rated
19:57prospect among the quarterbacks coming into this year in a lot of locations. And because he had such a strong statistical season.
20:06And then this year he had a lot of drops. There were inaccurate passes and situations that seemed to be a habit. Um
20:14there's questions about the Clemson offense um being one that prepares quarterbacks conceptually and intellectually for the league. That's not the quarterback's
20:24fault, but it is the but it is the nature of the beast of where they played. Um and Clubnick somebody who has
20:30some mechanical issues to work out. His velocity sometimes suffers as a result.
20:35He also sails passes in the middle of the field because of it. Um they're actually two separate issues, but those are mechanical things that he needs to
20:43kind of work on to get straightened out.
20:45If he can get straightened out, develop a little bit more velocity to his game, he might be able to become a starter in
20:52the league. I think that there's some real skills there in terms of placing the ball, in terms of um moving around in the pocket, and creating um on
21:03and off of structure um that I think are compelling, but the the baseline accuracy is a big question mark and whether or not at a higher level of
21:14NFL play where defenses are disguising, he [clears throat] whether he's going to be able to do that along with correcting velocity. How often do we see that? A
21:22guy that comes in at this level of skill that winds up you know, all the pieces falling into place for him to become a starter. Is it
21:28Is it as much luck due to circumstances that it is their skill?
21:32Um it can be a little bit of both. I mean, I think Brock Purdy is maybe the higher end version of that. Drew Brees
21:39was someone that you know, teams maybe even questioned whether he was a second round pick. Right.
21:45>> And he was someone that kind of continued along those Ryan lines. Tom Brady, I mean, you know, you could look
21:50at Tom Brady or Mark Bulger. Those are other players that you could kind of look in there, but you can see that
21:56they're few and far between and a lot of the guys I'm mentioning came happened 20 years ago. Right. So, that's something
22:03worth noting.
22:04All right. Uh Jeremy's cousin, Jamari Maclin, uh could become a poor man's Jayden Reed. Feel it or [ __ ] it? I'm
22:10totally feeling this. I think there are a few receivers in this class who are kind of in that slot flanker role,
22:17probably more slot, who might not even be drafted, who could give you some He's not highly touted. He's not highly touted at all. He played at North Texas,
22:27um University of North Texas, and he was um compelling there. He's good after the catch. I think he has solid hands. Um
22:34the route running is pretty good. He's one of those guys that I think could earn opportunity on special teams, and if he hooks onto a team, maybe grows his
22:43game to the point that he becomes maybe a third or fourth wide receiver, and maybe surprises us from there.
22:49Uh these things uh stranger things have happened. I guess we would say the same for Cam Little Brown, uh Georgia Southern wide receiver, uh a
22:58developmental sleeper. Feel it or [ __ ] it? Absolutely feel it. You know, I think that he's he's he has he's well-built. He's got
23:07speed. He played at Auburn originally, and Auburn Auburn gets the athletes at in the SEC. I would I would if I were
23:15to characterize a team that that gets athletes, but maybe doesn't get great football players at compared to some of the other schools,
23:25Auburn is one of those teams. Um they do get great football players, too, but I would say that sometimes they're they're
23:31the team that you could stereotypically say, "Oh, this guy's an athlete. Maybe he can figure it out and become a a really strong football player at the
23:40next level." Like good enough for college, but not necessarily the pros.
23:44Brown though is very good at contested catches. I see some route ability with his game.
23:49Um would not be surprised. Do you remember Marlon Brown, the former Megly, yes.
23:55Ravens Yeah, former Ravens receiver out of Georgia, who was catching touchdowns left and right for 1 year, um but really didn't develop into a starter, but there
24:04was you could see the potential with his game. I think Camden Brown is kind of like the Marlon Brown of this class, who
24:11maybe he could have a little bit more luck and do a little bit more more to realize take an opportunity that
24:18works out well initially and realize it into something um that's stable and and consistent. Uh Oscar Gulp, Georgia tight end. Could he
24:29emerge as another uh Georgia tight end? Is he Could he be a top three option in this tight end class? I think most people have him
24:36outside the top 10. Do you think he has a lot more potential than that? Feel it or [ __ ] it?
24:40>> Yeah, I mean, I have him probably outside that as well, but it's not that far between him being one of the top
24:45three and and where I have him ranked right now. And the reason is his hands.
24:51Um he he he catches the ball fine.
24:56Where he struggles to catch the ball is with contested catches where defenders deliver a substantial hit. That's when I haven't seen him win the ball like that.
25:06If he just shows that he's tougher at the catch point in those scenarios than I've seen, he would probably be vaulted inside the
25:15top five just for that alone. Um he's 6'5" 245. Right now you'd say, "Oh, well, that's not heavy enough to really
25:23be blocking in line at a highly effective level."
25:27But I think with 10 lb, if he adds 10 lb, he can probably it will probably be more feasible. He's a technically sound
25:36blocker. He's actually a very smart football player who runs good routes, blocks well at the level he's at right now, and catches the ball reasonably
25:46well. So, he's he's more compelling than people realize. How many Like in this class, it sounds like there's not a lot
25:54of space between some of these like if we're looking talking about a guy outside the top 10 who could possibly be
26:00a top three. How many guys are in that same boat? Or or you know, or is this pretty much the whole class if it plays
26:06out that way? The the talents and skills are there for all these guys to contribute. They just need to hit the
26:11right circumstance. Yeah, they need to hit the right spot, but I would say that there's probably you know, there's probably eight to 10
26:20guys that fit that description. Um and then there's guys who have a similar score as these eight to 10, but I would
26:28say that they're pretty capped at what at what you're looking for. The one I don't understand, honestly, I'm just going to add this in here, is I I hear
26:37some of my peers saying Eli Raridon is vastly underrated, but when I watch his blocking, I think he has significant lapses,
26:46even though he's been assigned to certain guys. I just felt like his blocking is not the way people describe it to be. Um
26:56and that he has minor lapses with his hands that might also interfere. So, while he's a really strong athlete and he's 6'6" 245, and you could see a
27:05compelling opportunity for him to add weight, I I just he might just need to be maybe he's better off as one of those inline
27:14blockers who can just filter out and just be a you know, a Tyler Warren type, Tucker Kraft type. Maybe that makes him
27:22a little more compelling, but even then, the blocking concerns me.
27:26Okay, I know you like Eli Stowers. I just saw I saw a question on the Blue Sky this morning about him and you you
27:31know, questioning his you know, his experience level at the position and whether he is really should belongs in the top tier. Your thoughts there? Um
27:40yeah, I'm not really worried about that because most tight ends who come into um come into college football um aren't in sophisticated offenses playing
27:50tight end in high school. Um so, the fact that Stowers was a quarterback, there are a lot of guys who've hung
27:58around the league who were quarterbacks for 1 or 2 years in college football.
28:03Like Travis Kelce.
28:04>> Yep. And then had multiple and then had um and then they had even when they weren't starters, they stuck to rosters
28:12um because of the fact that they had those skills.
28:16Stowers, the only thing that's really concerning about his game is how much is whether you can match him up on an
28:22offense where you need him to block at a higher level than he does right now. But I don't think that I don't think he's as awful of a blocker
28:32as he's characterized when people teams are saying, "Maybe we should turn him into Mike Evans." I think he's I think he's got some competencies on the
28:42backside of formations as a stalk blocker, but he's going to have some improvement to made otherwise. But route running, his route running is very
28:50strong. He sees zones very well cuz he was a former quarterback. His cat his ability to catch the ball is as good as
28:56as almost anybody in this class, especially in contested situations, and he might be one of the best runners after the catch in this class.
29:06Desmond, not to be confused with Demond, which I did to open this show. Desmond Reed, Darren Sproles like, 5'6" 174 lb,
29:15very explosive. Feel it or [ __ ] it?
29:17Sproles comparison.
29:19No, we're going to we're going to [ __ ] it, but we're going to say that he's maybe more of an aspiring um Tarik
29:25Cohen. Um which may for some people go, "Oh, six of one, one half dozen of the other." And I'd say you got to watch a
29:32little closer. Yeah. Yeah. But Tarik Cohen could be Tarik Cohen had some good good moments uh with the Bears, some good games. I think that Desmond Reed is
29:44a compelling player who matched up in the right situation might be able to give you some a lot as a scat back and a
29:51return specialist.
29:54All right, fair enough. All right, so here's a little broader one. Public and team expectations about quarterback development is like a marriage. Feel or
30:01it?
30:01>> Yes, [clears throat] feeling that. Okay, cuz let's look at it this way. The first year that quarterbacks come into the league and
30:08they get an opportunity and they perform well in that first season, it's kind of like the honeymoon period of a of a
30:16marriage where like everyone everything's being idealized, nothing seems to be wrong, you're waiting for the other shoe to drop, but you don't
30:25really want it to. You don't think it's going to do that and you're just like you're ardently passionate about the other person. And then the and then
30:34after the the the marriage has been around for a little bit of a while and real life hits, you know, like defenses
30:41begin to adjust. I feel like this is a Jane Daniels attack. I know It might be or Baker Mayfield in the past
30:49or, you know, Desmond Ridder, you know, or you know, Jake Locker um or oh, Drew Lock, you know, lots of guys.
30:59When you uh you know, suddenly defenses adjust and they're the the variable there is that that's real life hitting. That's how
31:06real life's going to be in the NFL.
31:08Suddenly the fans start pointing the finger at the quarterback, the scouting staff the the um the you know, the coaches and the and
31:18the front office, maybe they start to sour a little bit or they expect this quarterback to to work and figure it
31:24out, but you know, they got to figure it out. Not they're not going to they try to help nominally, but they're really
31:31more about blaming at this point. And then, you know, you've got fingers pointing, you've got problems. People are now like suddenly going, "Wait a
31:39minute, this isn't who we thought we had."
31:42And then either the quarterback is able to adjust and now you have a comfort level, that deep level of comfort that
31:48you have with a good marriage where it's like, you know, you you know, you have that deep level of comfort and there's the you have these
31:56really high moments that are great um and but you learn the value of teamwork, you learn how things fit together, you learn how people fully are
32:07and you know the strengths and weaknesses and and it and it works out and you can end up having a championship. But if you don't do that,
32:15you're still stuck in the blame stage and the and the you know, the suddenly life hit and now, you know, you don't know how to you
32:24don't know how to figure this stuff out, then it there's a divorce coming and then there's lots of hand-wringing and therapy appointments and all that kind
32:33of stuff. So, I think that that's kind of how what happens here is that a lot of teams are terminally stuck in the
32:40first two stages, you know, where it's like the first year it's like this guy can't do any wrong. He's an elite
32:46player. He's going to be awesome. You even got quarterback former quarterbacks in the media who say all this because clickety-clickety-clackety-click um you know,
32:57you know, put a little bit more dollars in my basket um type of thing. And then you know, year two it's like, "Oh, you
33:04mean they adjusted?
33:06Oh, they don't look so good?" Then the quarterback's like, "Well, here's why here's why this guy might fail.
33:11Clickety-clackety-clickety-click."
33:13>> [laughter] >> You know, that's kind of I think what happens here and and you know, Sam Darnold apparently is one of the few who
33:21had some pretty good marriage therapy or he just got kicked out of the house and he found himself a he found himself a
33:27great spouse um you know, very recently, but uh but worked on his craft, you know, but he's survived you know, he survived the Jets where he
33:38was like, "Hey, I need some help. We might need an exorcism here."
33:42>> [laughter] >> And the coach is like, "I'm too coked up worrying about uh you know, I'm too coked up worrying
33:48about you know, I'm trying to medicate here just to avoid the situation I'm in, you know, allegedly allegedly coked up, yeah. He looked coked up. Let's let look
33:58let look at it that way. I thought it looked more of meth to me, but hey, whatever.
34:01>> Might have been hey, exactly. [laughter] I don't know either, but you know, he definitely looked he definitely looked like he was seeing something, too.
34:10>> [laughter] >> All right, so that's a fair assessment the Feel or [ __ ] It podcast, much like a marriage. We
34:17grow together and I've yet to grow apart cuz I'm never going to let you go, Matt.
34:21That's that's true. [laughter] Uh check out the Rookie Scouting Portfolio mattwaldman.com. Check out Matt @mattwaldman on the X device. Tons
34:31of great content posted all the time, you know, gives a little insights into things. I find it very useful. Find me
34:37there as well @football_diehard. Both of us on Bluesky as well. Uh for the draft next week we've got coming up. I know
34:44Matt, you and I are going to jump on with Sigmund Bloom for a little live streaming at the Football Guys the
34:48Audible channel, I believe it is. I'll be covering the draft uh for SiriusXM Fantasy Sports Radio. I'll be doing wrap-up shows uh Thursday night,
34:57Saturday night from the time the draft is done for a couple hours, so I'll join you there at some point, I'm sure. might
35:02see some Matt Waldman on there, I'm pretty sure. Uh so, it'll be a great time uh to get caught up on these guys
35:08and then they'll have helmets on. We can wave the green flag and start playing some fantasy football in earnest. Uh and
35:14I can't wait for that. Thank you very much, Matt. Love you. Goodbye.
35:17>> Love you. Goodbye.

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