Speaker 1: Coach gros All start to you ought to present off
the Bench with Jacob Hester and T bob Abert.
Speaker 2: Yeah yeah, yeah, yeah yeah.
Speaker 1: Off the bench with Jacob Hester and T. Bob Abert.
Speaker 3: I got to come off the pitch.
Speaker 1: Now Here's Jacob Hester and T. Bob Abert.
Speaker 4: Welcome in our number two Monday edition Off off the
Bench Taylor Trumper with you alongside Matthew Mussolantra villar Rial,
Cassie's Bizzali A full studio here on this Monday morning,
we were Baseball heavy Hour number one. We also had
Ross Jackson on recapping the New Orleans Saints Draft. Right now,
I want to continue our discussion on the NFL Draft,
but want to kind of look at it outside the
New Orleans Saints as far as like a winners and losers,
because there were certainly some teams that made some moves.
We talked about it with Ross of how smart it
was for the Saints to stay put make on nine
of their draft picks, very unlike Mickey Loomis, but it
apparently worked out for him, at least it appears to
as of right now. But a couple of teams that
were on the move and I think we're actually winners
in this draft. I never thought I would say this.
Mel Kiper would pat me on the back for this.
I think the Cleveland Browns were the one of the
winners of this NFL draft. Again, I never thought i'd
say it, But they got a haul for that second pick,
so it really started on Thursday night. Now they pick
swafted with the Jags, so they got five, the Jags
got two, They got a third round pick and the
Jacksonville Jaguars first round pick for next year. And they
still ended up drafting Mason Graham, who a lot of
people thought could have been the best defensive player in
this draft. They needed help on the defensive line. A
lot of people thought they might go Abdul Carter like
that was a really good move to me also when
I first looked at it, So look, they're the ones
that finally drafted Shador Sanders in round five.
Speaker 2: Who ray for them.
Speaker 4: They drafted Dylan Gabriel in round four when I initially
looked at him, like, you drafted back to back quarterbacks,
Like that's such a Cleveland Browns thing to do. However,
actually like it. It gives you some options. Gabriel and Shador Sanders,
two very different quarterbacks. You also have Kenny Pickett and
Joe Flacco. I think we can close the book on
Deshaun Watson, but he's technically still on the roster. So look,
you have an aging veteran in Joe Flacco. You have
Kenny Pickett, who's got a little bit of mobility, he's
been in the league for a few years. You got
Shador Sanders, who's your typical pocket passer, and then Dylan
Gabriel who can run in his very mobile That gives
you options depending on what kind of scheme you want
to run. You have a basically four different styles of
quarterbacks for whatever you want to do, and two really
talented young players in Dylan Gabriel and Shador Sanders. Also,
you needed a running back help in a big, big way.
Speaker 2: What do they do?
Speaker 4: They grab Quinn Shawn Judkins in round two and Dylan
Sampson in round four. Either one of those guys could
start right away no longer with Nick Chubb, they essentially
have Jerome Ford on their roster and nobody else.
Speaker 2: They needed help in the running game.
Speaker 4: We know that Kevin Stefanski kind of a run first
offensive scheme and a tight end Harold fannin junior, which
is actually the triple Crown winner in college football in
terms of tight ends. He let all tight ends and receptions,
yards and touchdowns. That's a pretty complete draft for the
Browns moves Like I never thought I would say this,
but I thought they actually did a really good job.
Speaker 5: I have full confidence in them to turn it into
wins on the field.
Speaker 2: Too. Well. That, yeah, that's a different story.
Speaker 5: You bring up an interest thing with a quarterback room though,
because I mean that's gonna be one of the more
interesting storylines to watch yea all throughout the summer and
into training camps. I mean, they're not gonna carry four
quarterbacks into the regular season.
Speaker 4: Well, and it it also is what are they gonna
do with DeShawn Because if Deshawn's still on the roster,
like I'd cut him, they still own him a lot
of money. But like if they want to keep him one, yeah,
possibly two of those four quarterbacks are gone are gone.
Speaker 5: So because I mean, cause that that's like, that's gonna
be the interesting thing they stocked up there. And I
mean the Dylan Gabriel pick is is interesting.
Speaker 2: Yeah, especially if they want to run the Ball.
Speaker 3: Yeah.
Speaker 5: I was about to say, like he fits more of
what you're seeing into day's NFL at quarterback where they
want that mobility, they want that, you know, the quarterback
to be a part of the not just mobility, to
be a part of the run game, whether it's you know,
Lamar Jackson and Jade Daniels and Kyler Murray can do
that a little bit for you as well. So, uh,
that that pick that picks interesting? I mean, yeah, I
think they crushed the running that's got. That's the best
running back draft to them.
Speaker 2: Yeah and Samson.
Speaker 4: Yeah, there were people that were arguing, like for those
some of the best running backs in the draft, you
got them both.
Speaker 5: You got them both and and late. I mean round
two and well round two for for Judkins, but round
four f f.
Speaker 2: The SCC player of the Year.
Speaker 4: I don't know why he was so underrated coming into
this draft. I mean, it's duty shout out Dutch. Yeah,
it's not like he's undersize or anything. But like, if
you told me you had two fourth round picks, you
got Dylan Sampson and Dylan Gabriel, Like that's pretty good
value there in the fourth round.
Speaker 2: Yeah, No, I mean that's that's fantastic.
Speaker 5: I mean, look, we've seen great running game from the
Browns in the past.
Speaker 2: I think that just continues that. No, it was. It
was a really really really good draft for them.
Speaker 5: And uh, you know, now, how many names does our
guy with the quarterback jersey add to the back of
it or is that thing kind of just morphed into address?
Speaker 4: He kind of yeah, because I think I think he
ran out of room this year. I don't remember who
the quarterback was. It may have been Bailey Zappi. I
think he ran out of room this year with all
the different starting quarterbacks. So he's gonna have to maybe
make a trench code out of it or something. Look
to your point, yes, Cleveland had a good draft, but
they're gonna turn it into wins on the field. Probably not,
because they're the Cleveland Browns. They'll probably wind up, like,
knowing knowing them, they'll be like, ah, we're gonna cut
s your or end Dylan Gabriel and just roll with
the veterans, and then they're all gonna get injured. I mean,
that's just who the Cleveland Browns are. My second winner
is the San Francisco forty nine ers, strictly due to
the fact that they had eleven draft picks in total
and they used all of them. This is big for
them because they lost essentially their entire defense.
Speaker 2: So what did they do?
Speaker 4: Their first five picks in the draft, all defensive players.
They did a really nice job there. And then in
round five you get Jordan James, the running back out
of Oregon. He's been a really good player and underrated
player in college. If you remember two years ago, he
was kind of that one two punch with Bucky Irving,
so he kind of got shuffle. But this past year,
I mean he was the bell coal back in one
of the highest scoring offenses in the country. He was
a really good player. I mean he's five to eleven,
he's two hundred and ten pounds. He can do a
little bit of everything for you. Like the Christian McCaffrey,
injuries are a real thing right now, we don't know
what his future in the NFL looks. Like Kyle Shanahan
loves to run the football. I think Jordan James. I
think Jordan James could potentially be that guy for him.
I really like what the forty nine ers did.
Speaker 2: I like the picking Nick Martin in the third round.
Speaker 5: That's a guy that the Saints did plenty of work
on as well out of Oklahoma State and looks looks
like one of those kind of linebackers are gonna find
later in the draft and look up and he's gonna
be Pro Bowl type player potentially.
Speaker 2: I like that pick as well.
Speaker 5: Obviously I like the Mikel Williams pick in the first
round for them at eleven.
Speaker 2: That a lot of potential.
Speaker 5: I know in AFR we kind of comped him a
little bit to like Daniel Hunter in a sense where
he looks the part and the production maybe went in there.
There were some injuries and stuff in college, but if
you get him right, you get him healthy, that's a
guy can who can wreck the game. So yeah, defense
is absolutely cute, huge for them, and uh, I mean
they addressed it. They definitely addressed They addressed the line.
They addressed every level too. Yeah, they addressed the line
with three picks on the line, a linebacker and then
a cornerback as well.
Speaker 2: So uh yeah, Well, we'll see how the Niners go. Man.
Speaker 5: That's what they've kind of been known for over the
last few years and during this run under Shanahan. Oddly enough,
I hadn't been the offense. It's been just the stout, nasty,
hit you in the mouth defense.
Speaker 4: All right, look, we've been a little too nice. That
was our winners. Let's get into the losers. And I
was telling this this during break. This was not planned.
I did not mean to pick on the NFC South.
But it turns out my two biggest losers of the
NFL Draft, good news for Saints fans, are in the
NFC South, the Tampa Bay Buccaneers in the Atlanta Falcons.
Speaker 5: Falcons are always losers, if being if we're being honest,
that's always lose.
Speaker 4: You're you're right, you're right. The empty Super Bowl case
it shows that. But look, we'll start with the Tampa
Bay Buccaneers. As far as your first round pick goes,
everyone knew that Tampa's big as need was on defense
because if you go look at offense rankings, they were
top five in the NFL and passing and rushing offense,
and they were one of the bottom five defenses in
the NFL. And what do you do with your first
round pick? You draft in Mecca Egbuka. Not only do
I think there were better receivers available, but you have
Mike Evans. You just resigned Chris Godwin. Jalen McMillan was
really good for you last year as a rookie. When
both of those guys went down and you drafted Mecca
eg Buca. I mean, it's fine, like he's a good player,
but where does he fit in your offense? Now this
is not egg Buca's fault, but my point had always
been you'd never been a one in college. He had
always been behind Marvin Harrison, Chris Alave, then Jeremiah Smith.
Now look, Brian Thomas had never been a one in
college and he turned out to be excellent as a rookie.
But I just look at the Tampa Bay Buccaneers. They
needed a lot more help than wide receiver. They went
luxury pick in the first round when you had obvious needs. Now,
their next two picks were corners. They go Benjamin Morrison
and Jacob Parrish, a cornerback duo. Like that's fine, but
you could have got a premier defensive player in the
first round. And then late you take another wide receiver
in Tess Johnson. He was undersized, not sure how much
he can play this season. Like, you had a lot
more needs on defense, and you went value pick and
wide receiver. Twice, you went luxury pick when you had
a lot of needs. I just I thought they should
have went somewhere else outside of a BUCA first round.
Speaker 2: That was a little good surprising.
Speaker 5: Now, I will say this from a Saints respect, I'm
not excited about having to face him now every year
as well twice with the rest of those receivers that
you just you know, rattled off the edge picks that
they picked up as well later in the draft. See
what kind of value they can get there. I mean,
here's the thing I have with the Bucks though, It's like, man,
the NFC South's no prize, I get it. It's a
really bad division. It's hargadbly the worst division football, and yeah,
they just kind of own it. So it's like, man,
the moves look head scratching, but they just keep winning
the division, making playoffs, so you know, let's maybe they
know what they're doing.
Speaker 2: A little bit over there.
Speaker 5: Again, it's a horrible and if they were in any
other vision they probably would finish last. But for where
they are right now, it's interesting. Some head scratching moves,
for sure, but hard to argue with the results that
have been happening all the field.
Speaker 4: Well not only that, Like, sure, is Michael Pennick the
answer in Atlanta?
Speaker 2: We don't know.
Speaker 4: So right now, Tampa Bay is the only team that
does not have a question a quarterback. Yeah, I don't
really know what Bryce Young is going to do. I
don't think he's a long term answer. He looked better,
Canny build on that. Can Michael Pennock Junior be the
full time starter? We know the Saints are in quarterback
hell right now. You don't know what car is going
to do. Is Tyler Shutt going to have to start
year one? I mean, you could say what you want
about Baker Mayfield, but that's the only quarterback in that
division right now that is a legitimate starting quarterback that
you know for sure. Is the franchise guy at that
team that helps you a lot as well. But my
second loser, it's going to be the Atlanta Falcons.
Speaker 2: Look, you drafted Jalen Walker in the first round. I
don't hate it.
Speaker 4: This is a pick based on potential, But where does
he kind of fit? You know, Jaalen Walker? And I'm like,
can he play inside? Do you need him on the edge?
Where can you play him? The good news is he's
an athletic guy. I'm okay with that pick. But you
give up a future first round pick to trade back
up into the first round to take another edge rusher
in James Pierce. Let's say you want to play Jalen
Walker on the edge. Okay, you get two edge rushers,
that's fine. You needed help pass rushing. But to give
up a future first round pick to take another outside
linebacker when you just drafted Jalen Walker, I think that's
a lot to give up in that situation. It's nothing
against James Piers. I just I don't know if I
would have given up a future first for that. Also,
you drafted two safeties in this class. You already have
Jesse Baits on the roster, you had two more with them,
but you needed depth on the interior. You didn't grab that.
You grab two safeties. One of them is going to
be a rotational piece with Jesse Baits there. I mean
a lot of talent in that room.
Speaker 2: Certainly.
Speaker 4: I'm not saying they they grab guys that are going
to be bust.
Speaker 2: It's just I don't know about the fits with them.
In Atlanta.
Speaker 5: I like the two edge rusher picks. I do do.
Speaker 2: You like giving up a first though for peers trading
back up.
Speaker 5: No, I wouldn't say I like giving a first up.
But I mean, look, you have you have Leonard Floyd
under contract for one more year if you're Atlanta, Yeah,
and he's going into his eleventh year in the NFL.
Speaker 2: It's a veteran. It's time to start looking towards your future.
Speaker 5: I think Jalen Walker has obviously a very bright future.
And I really really like James Pierce. I mean that
that's a guy you kind of mentioned versatility, things of
that nature. Athleticism for sure, like I James Pierce. So
I don't know if I would have given up a
first round pick, you know, but it's definitely a spot
that they thought they needed to address because I mean
if you just if you look at that spot for
them a year ago, you know, Leonard Floyd at eight
and a half sacks, uh, but outside of that at
defensive end, I mean, you know, look you got two
young players in Harrison in London and then Morgan Fox
as well. You know, look just looking at their defensive roster,
you're he hit three to three and a half sacks,
the guy eight years league.
Speaker 2: So I think they definitely address needs there, give it out.
Speaker 5: The first round pick to get Pierce is interesting, but
they went in with the clear playing and they got him.
I think they got two really really good players that
am not excited. The SAME's offensive line as the Blocks.
Speaker 4: Well, and that's the thing, right, Like maybe you look
at it, none of these teams outside of the Bucks
really have a good offensive line, like the Panthers' offensive
lines nothing right home about it. And you're like, hey,
this is a winnable division. Let's just wreck havoc on
the opposing quarterback, right, let's make their life hell I
Michael Pinnox, we think he's going to be the guy.
We compare that with a really good defense. So no,
I certainly I certainly understand the pick. I do like
the picks as well. I just I don't know about
giving up the first rounder though. That's just that's a
little rich for me. And I also also just always
like picking on the Atlanta Falcons. If the two safeties
again there you on that they're solid players, but you
needed a lot more, Like you have Jesse Bates back,
and it's not like I get it, Jesse Bates is
getting older. It's not like his plays declining any like
I would have taken one safety and maybe win in
two or your depth on that. But I mean, I
guess they just went pure potential there, and I understand it,
but I don't know that one's a little head scratching
to me.
Speaker 2: Yeah, No, the safeties are definitely confusing. That one.
Speaker 5: I don't necessarily understand uh as much, but I with
the end is I'm with you.
Speaker 2: There, all right.
Speaker 4: Look, we're going to take a quick time out. That
was just kind of like a draft winner and loser.
What we kind of thought, we liked, what we didn't
like from the draft. We're gonna take a time out.
When we get back, we're gonna talk a little LSU football.
They add a player in the transfer portal and lose
a player over the weekend.
Speaker 2: We'll break that down next.
Speaker 1: You're on Off the Bench, Off the Bench, back to
sports Talk, maybe off the Bench.
Speaker 4: Welcome back in and Monday edition of Off the Bench.
Taylor trumperd with you saiding along Matthew Musso, Landra Villarrial
Cassi's Bizzali here as well. I want to talk a
little LSU football. As it was announced over the weekend
that LSU has lost a defensive tackle to the transfer portal,
and it's someone who actually just got on campus.
Speaker 2: It's Dylan Battle.
Speaker 4: After just four months on campus, he has entered the
transfer portal. He's a freshman early in roly look, a
three star prospect coming out of Arlington, Texas. Nice size
six two, three hundred and ten pounds. You have a
lot of bodies at defensive tackle, just not a ton
of experience. It's something we have talked about all off
season long. I think the room will be fine if
Dominic amad bro and Dominic McKinley will live up to
the high look.
Speaker 2: Outside of them, you have Jacobe.
Speaker 4: And Gillery, Shoan Washington, Sideer, Mitchell, Zion Williams, Walter Mathis
are coming in, Brandon Brown's coming in in the fall.
It makes sense that someone transferred. I just didn't think
it would be at freshman. You know, we were talking
about it a little bit during break and Mussom engine
the fact that you know he was big on bo Davis.
Speaker 2: This is a Bou Davis guy, and I get it.
Speaker 4: Anytime there's turnover at the defensive tackle position, you expect
one of the guys to leave. I thought that LSU
had been fortunate up to this point. You didn't hear it.
You hear it now, so it's unfortunate that you lose
a Dylan battle. However, this does come on the heels
of LSU getting a commitment from South Florida defensive tackle
Bernard Good.
Speaker 2: And when you look at Good in.
Speaker 4: Six foot one, two hundred and eighty pounds, played twenty
seven games in college over the past three years. Last
season at South Florida by far his best. He had
thirty five tackles, ten tackles for a loss, one and
a half sacks. Moose, You and I were kind of
talking about it during break, you know, Kelly a couple
of weeks ago, right when spring wrapped up, said, I
think we're good in the transfer portal. Most likely unless
a big time name inners, we're an immediate impact player
inners the portal, then things will change. But on the surface,
this kind of just looks like a depth piech right.
I mean nothing about Bernard goodin jumps out at you.
He's a little bit undersized for the defensive tackle spot
at six one, two eighty five. He has played in
a lot of games, but the production it's been Okay,
what are you what are your thoughts on this?
Speaker 2: Because my thing was, Okay, maybe Kyle.
Speaker 4: Williams likes the leaner defensive tackle, right because you saw
under Bo Davis.
Speaker 2: You bring in Zion Williams.
Speaker 4: He's three hundred and thirty pounds, you bring inside of
your Mitchell, he's massive. You got a lot of big body,
run stuffing guys in there. If Kyle Williams prefers maybe
a leaner defensive tackle, maybe that's why they bring this
guy in. But it's kind of not the name we
maybe thought we would hear for LSU as for as
a portal edition.
Speaker 2: No, And I mean, look, he's a really good player.
Speaker 5: I mean, this guy is a top fifty player in
the transfer portal. He was the highest uncommitted player in
the transfer portal that you just went it. You went
out and got so. I mean, like he is a
good player. The athleticism is obviously what's going to jump
off the page. I mean, I think of Blake Baker's
defense and especially even you know Kyle Williams, I'll coaching
the defensive line, havoc is going to be something huge
for him. Blake Baker talked about that during the spring
when when he was asked about Kyle Williams that you know,
you watched kylewams NFL career and you know at the
time when he was finally able to get in there
start being aggressive rushing in the pass uner that's where
that's where he kind of exploded and became the great.
Speaker 2: NFL tackle that we all saw.
Speaker 5: And that's something that he's going to bring tell issues defense,
So I think that plays into it. My thing is,
though you already kind of have a couple of those guys.
I mean Don McKinley is extremely athletic asides. I mean,
he's he's over three hundred pounds. He's like no and
he's like three ten, three fifteen, it's like six five
sixty six.
Speaker 2: He's just a huge guy.
Speaker 5: But I mean that's a dude who had three sacks
for you a year ago and very limited opportunity, like
he can create that having for you as well. Obviously,
I'm ed bro is similar in size to a guy
like Bernard Gooden. So I mean I think it obviously
has you know, traits of that, but you know you
can look at it and go, well, it's the experience, okay,
But with that experience hasn't necessarily come a bunch of production.
Speaker 2: Maybe.
Speaker 5: I mean it was a good season thirty five tackles,
a sack and a half a year ago and a
few more pressures in eleven starts.
Speaker 2: But I don't know when I thought they want to
go out.
Speaker 5: And add an experienced piece I kind of had in
my mind, you know, multi year starter at a different school,
someone who can come in and play immediately for LSU
along the defensive line, especially on the interior, much like
you saw them do all throughout the fall and a
winter portal window where I mean, how many times when
we come here and we talk about the latest edition,
it was this is a guy who they are bringing
in to start day number one Like this, They are
going out and getting guys who will immediately impact and
change this defense. We could run through them on the
offensive side as well as on the defensive side.
Speaker 2: So he doesn't scream that to me, but I think
it's a.
Speaker 5: Really solid addition who's going to play and is going
to help LSU. It's just head scratching, because you definitely
had depth.
Speaker 2: You were in searching experience.
Speaker 5: You got both here, but maybe not to one as
far end of the spectrum as I think many of
us thought they might go.
Speaker 4: Yeah, and you know the reason it's said scratching to me,
it's not what you said you were going to do
in the transfer portal, right, you were like, hey, if
there is a huge impact, like gotta have him game
changing guy. Maybe he turns out to be this just
on paper right now, it doesn't seem that way. But
if you remember or last year, a lot of people
kind of questioned, oh, you need because you need a
defensive tackle help even more so last year than you
do this year. And a lot of people questioned when
JVR sugs was one of the first names on the
boat on the board, right, he's from Grand Valley State,
and he was a little undersized as well. Now he
was a little bit bigger than this, but JVR Suggs
said about six foot six one right, around three hundred pounds.
He was probably your best interior pass rusher a year ago.
As far as the defensive tackle spot goes, I mean,
he helped you in a lot of different ways, like
maybe they're trying to fill that role a little bit.
Speaker 5: The problem with da though, Taylor, is that was such
so situational, which I get it, but it was the
third down guy. He was in there on third down.
But is that really But that's not much you were
looking like that. That's where I give him. I'm with
you where I'm like, that's not really what it sounded
like you were after.
Speaker 2: So I don't know.
Speaker 5: It's it's a little bit of a mixed reaction because
it's not like I think Goodn's a bad player.
Speaker 2: It's clearly he's not.
Speaker 5: He's it's not fifty player in the portal and he's
gonna help you.
Speaker 2: It's just not really the direction I thought they would
They would go there, because.
Speaker 5: I mean, I think the Sugs comparison is a great one.
Speaker 2: But even he was a third down pass rusher for you.
Speaker 4: I don't want to be negative any more than we
already are, but maybe this says a lot about what
they think of their their interior pass rushers on their team.
I mean, maybe maybe maybe that's where they're at. Maybe
they were like, hey, we wanted Bro and McKinley to
take that next step. Because McKinley shook flashes, he was great.
He w wasn't every down player.
Speaker 2: Bro.
Speaker 4: Everyone thought, hey, he's going to get better. He played
out of position last year, he's he's transferred en. I mean,
he had to gain what forty five pounds just to
get on the field a defensive tackle. Maybe he hasn't
taken the next step you thought he would. Maybe you
just need immediate help there. I mean, I hope that's
not the case, but I mean maybe that's.
Speaker 2: The thought right now.
Speaker 5: Okay, And if that's the thought, then ye, I mean,
that's thing we're sitting here talking about it. We have
to let it all play out. But no, I mean,
the team is in a great spot. The roster is
in a great spot. It's the best one Brian Kelly
has ever had, like and this this does help that
as well.
Speaker 2: It's just it's the move feels like a bit of.
Speaker 5: A head scratcher because it's not necessarily where they looked
like they were going there. But I mean, i'll tell
you the thing that's been it's impressive to me, Taylor,
is the buy in that you've seen. I mean, because
you know, it's one thing for Brian Kelly to get
on a microphone in a press conference and say, you know,
he'd be he wouldn't be surprised if nobody leaves, because
I mean it's like, okay, easy, Like, look at the
state of college athletics that we're in. People are always
going to leave, even when you don't expect it. But
I mean, if you come out of this with three
guys entering the portal, and and really you can count
it as too because we knew John Emory was already
going in there, because Brian.
Speaker 2: Kelly were you were counting on.
Speaker 5: Kelly two weeks before that happened, said we're set at
running back now it was just quote, we're set at
running back. So really, if you lose Javin Nicholas and
you lose Dylan Battle, that speaks to the buy in
that is happening in that building right now, and you
brought in the right guys in the portal. And I
think Bernard Gooden absolutely factors into that.
Speaker 2: It's just not like.
Speaker 5: If you would have told me, and again not that
his resume is bad, but if you would have told
me that, okay, we're there, they're gonna bring in Art
good out of the portal before everything started out, I'll
be like, hey, that's that's just not the type of
resume I thought they were looking for.
Speaker 2: Not to say he can't help the team. I'm sure
he will. I'm sure he will.
Speaker 4: No, it's to your point, like, that's not even the
position I really thought they were going to go because
I actually kind of like the depth of defensive tackle
right now. Like I know, I know everybody's like, oh,
you're kind of unproven there. I think there's a lot
of talent in over him. Like, Okay, for example, there's
a guy in the portal right now, Aj Halsey. He's
a safety out of Houston. Everyone's after him. There are
no reports that also is after him right now. But
let me tell you what Aj Halsey has done. First off,
I think safety is the biggest question mark on your
team right now. Outside of Tamarcus Cooley. I think there's
a big question mark now. Shawn Spears, he showed flashes.
Jvan Toviano, he's finally moving to safety full time. You
still have, you know, some young guys in that room.
You have Jordan Gilbert coming back and then CJ. Jim
Coyley and Jacob Bradford are coming in the fall. AJ
Halsey thirty six games every three years. Look what he
did last year at Houston, seventy four tackles, five interceptions.
That's a guy you add that could start right away.
That's a guy for whatever reason, has not been linked
to LSU yet, not to say that LSU is not
doing work behind the scenes. Well, when you look like
Ole miss is on commitment, watch for and hallab Amazon commitment,
watch for him. A lot of SEC teams. I less
U's a name that has been mentioned a ton like.
A guy like that is maybe where I thought LSU
would go. Not necessarily a defensive tackle. All right, look,
we're going to take a time out. When we get back,
we're gonna break down the LSU players in the NFL draft.
Handful of them got drafted, even more so picked up
his undrafted free agents.
Speaker 2: We're breaking all down next here on off the bench.
Speaker 1: Off the bench.
Speaker 2: Uh oh.
Speaker 3: Speaking of baseball, spring is sprung. Baseball's in the air.
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Speaker 2: Go for dose. Seis drink responsible.
Speaker 1: Back from the break where the sports talk gets real
kind of Off the Bench and with Hester and t Bob.
Speaker 4: Welcome back in Monday edition of Off the Bench, Taylor Sharper,
whether you're sitting alongside Matthew Mousso and we were about
halfway done with this Monday show when I continue discussing
the NFL draft. A handful of LSHU Tigers selected in
the twenty twenty five draft. Obviously, Will Campbell heard his
name called early. He's the first LSU offensive lineman to
be drafted in the first round since Alan Fanica. Just
the second in school history. He goes fourth overall to
the New England Patriots in the second round and forty
two overall Mason Taylor, the tight end, goes to the
New York Jets. Emery Jones and Savion Jones both found
their way into the third round. Braden Swinton falls to
the fifth round. He goes to the New England Patriots.
Also in the fifth round, it's Miles Frasier to the
Denver Broncos, and then Garrett Dellinger had picked two forty
three in the seventh round, picked up by the Baltimore Ravens.
He will actually team up with Emrie Jones up there
in Baltimore. We do have a handful of undrafted free
agents as well, Major Burns at safety, Zi Alexander at cornerback,
which you're going to get into. I'm pretty surprised that
Zi actually did not get drafted. Gio Payaz with the Bears,
Josh Williams with the Bucks that's a tough landing spot
for him, and Paris Shand with the Buffalo Bills Moose.
As far as the drafted guys go, right, the seven
names we saw have their name called what fit do
you like the best?
Speaker 2: Out of that group.
Speaker 5: I mean Will Campbell's I mean kind of the easy
answer there, but I mean, I mean, look, Mike Vrabel
is a successful head coach in the NFL. You've seen that.
I mean, he's gotten over the tomp entirely. No, but
I mean he had Titans is the number one seed
one season. The sin they let him go exactly right.
So I like what Rabel's building in New England. You
have Drake May. Now you get your franchise left tackling
Will Campbell. I think he'll be fine. I mean so obviously.
I mean I love that. I really like Miles Fraser
with the Lions too, man, I think that could be
an absolute steal. Like I thought there was really a
good chance that Fraser would come off the board day two,
probably in round three. He makes it all the way
to a Round five, Uh, I think the I think
the Lions got really good value there because Fraser had
a great pre draft, especially the Senior Bowl. I mean,
he was like the offensive player of the day. I
think in one of the Senior Bowl practices something along
those lines, Like he really turned heads there. And I mean,
you know, he's obviously a great team guy. He put
out great tape for three seasons at LSU, So I
really liked that pick a lot for the for the Lions,
and then I thought it was great to see great
to see Dellinger get drafted and Emory Jones went off
the board. Emory Jones and Savean Jones both went off
the board quicker than I thought they would both going
in round three.
Speaker 2: So major hat tips to those guys.
Speaker 5: They worked their ass off obviously in their pre draft
and they're gonna have a lot, a lot of success
hopefully in the NFL.
Speaker 2: I like Garrett Bellinger in the seventh rounds of.
Speaker 4: Ravens now his is obviously due to injury, right Like
if Garrett Dellinger doesn't go down in that Texas A
and M game, two things one LSU season probably looks
a lot different. But also he gets you drafted a
lot higher. I love his versatility. This is a guy
that came to LSU and everybody thought he was going
to be your future left tackle. You started in mcguard.
He was excellent there on both sides, left and right.
He's played a little bit of center for you. Like
Garrett Dellinger could pretty much play anywhere on the line
of scrimmage. He's also played a ton of football where
you I love that pick in the seventh round for
the Ravens paying him with a Emery Jones. But look
my favorite pick of the draft, Mason Taylor to the
Jets in round two. I love this fit. The Jets
are gonna want to run the ball a lot, right.
They have Justin Fields, you have Braylen Allen, you have
Breeze Hall. The short passing game could be used a
lot for justin Field as a compliment to the running game. Also,
outside of Garrett Wilson, there's not a ton of options
out there in New York. Devontae Adams is not going back, obviously,
Aaron Rodgers is out of that building. He brought in
a lot of guys that are not going to return
as well. But truly, Garrett Wilson and everything else is
up for grabs. I think Mason Taylor is going to
catch a lot of passes this year for New York.
It's funny the other day when he got drafted. If
you look at the sheet, they show like the positives,
it said smooth athlete, great after the catch, zach Ertz,
that's what it's said. There's three positive if my thought
as well, Hell, if he could be zach Ertz, this
guy's going to have a heck of a long career.
Zach ERT's still playing in the NFL obviously, but it
makes a lot of sense, right Like zach Ertz has
been that super reliable guy for a number of years now.
Mason Taylor was that, whether it was with Jayden Daniels,
whether it was with Garrett Nosemeyer. When either of them
got in trouble, they found Mason Taylor. Justin Fields is
a guy that likes to run around a lot. He's
going to get himself in trouble doing that at times.
Can he find Mason Taylor. I think that's a perfect
fit for the Jets.
Speaker 5: No, it is that makes that does that makes a
lot of sense. I like that pick too, and I'm
just fired up for Mason Taylor also because I mean,
you know, in the same vein as Will Campbell. I mean,
those two guys. That was such a great punctuation to
their LSU career.
Speaker 2: Yep. I talked about this when I was filling in
for Hunt last week.
Speaker 5: Both of those guys came in and set the standard
at their position at LS, Like when the next they
you could very well this season and next be looking
at Tredez Green and then comparing him back to Mason Taylor,
because that's what it is at tied end. The next
offensive linean really any of them, if they have you know,
any mock theam of success.
Speaker 2: They're going to be compared to Will Campbell.
Speaker 5: So to see both those guys go where they did
and go to the teams they went to where I
think both are great situations. Just a really awesome way
for their career and their time at LSU to end.
Speaker 4: As far as the undrafted free agents, I'm a little
surprised y Alexander didn't get drafted. I understand he had
the knee injury two years ago, but he bounce back
in a big way this year. He was still a
really really good corner. I mean there were times this
year like a buddy of mine would text me during
the Arkansas game and he was like, Hey, did I
Alexander not play? No, he played, you just didn't see
him all game because he shut down that side of
the field. He did that a number of times this
past season throughout his career. Were you surprised to see
him not drafted? Because it wasn't. I mean me and
you were talking. It wasn't an especially deep cornerback draft.
Speaker 2: No it wasn't.
Speaker 5: But yeah, I mean I am surprised because of what
you said. It's the way he bounced back from that
that injury. And Zi's got good size, like.
Speaker 4: Having six for two, he's around two hundred pounds, Like
you don't lay that a lot, no length. He can
run pretty well.
Speaker 5: I mean in in the sec he acquitted himself very
very well.
Speaker 2: I mean, the guy I think at.
Speaker 5: One point was like pro football focuses like second best
quarterback terms like so, I mean, that's surprising to me
that he didn't go in all seven rounds.
Speaker 2: I wouldn't expect things.
Speaker 5: I was going to be a first round pick or
even a Day two pick. It was probably gonna be
Day three. But yeah, I'm very very surprised somebody did
not take a flyer on him because of the way
he bounced back from that injury.
Speaker 4: One other name I want to mention was the guy
that everybody was keeping their eye on just because of
how good his pro day was. Josh Williams. I mean,
he ran a four to four in the forty. He
had the incredible vertical jump. We talked about the brawl jump,
and Josh was a really good player here for a
number of years. I know there's a lot of people
that are gonna say, oh, he's a walk on. Yeah,
but Josh, I mean he came in, he was everything
to this team for about three years. I mean he
was kind of your most reliable guy. Brian Kelly trusted
him more than anybody on this team. You pair his
solid college production, they really really good pro day. I
thought there was a chance he could get drafted. Now
he doesn't. That's not the big deal. What I want
to look at is where he got drafted. He goes
where he got signed. He signed as an undrafted free
agent to the Tampa Bay Buccaneers. This is an unfortunate
spot for Josh. I think this is a really tough spot.
I think Josh is a good player. I think there's
a spot for him on a team. I don't know
if it's this team. You look at Tampa Bay, Bucky
Irving was phenomenal as a rookie last year, one of
the best running backs in the league. They still have
for Shad Whitey bringing back Sean Tucker. I mean, that's
a really good three headed monster out there in Tampa?
Speaker 2: Did they have room for a Josh Williams. I guess
this is my main.
Speaker 5: Question, well, Taylor, and the answer to that question might
be an Another question is Josh Williams. We know the
type of player he is, you know the type of
fighter he is. Are they going to be able to
keep him off the team?
Speaker 2: Yeah?
Speaker 5: A special teams guy, he could be a special teams guy.
I think he's definitely an option for their practice squad
as well. And if he doesn't catch on there, I
think somebody else will absolutely take another shot at him.
And you know the worker that Josh Williams is, he
feels like the type of guy at all he needs
a chance. I'm not telling you Josh Williams about to
go be a pro bowler and an All Pro running bucks.
I don't believe that, but I think he could be
a very good piece for an NFL team for a
good few years, just because of the work ethic and
the multiple different things that he can do.
Speaker 2: From the running backs, the should and.
Speaker 5: That guy can obviously run block, he can, You've seen him.
You have success running the football. You can catch the
ball with the backfield like and it's just the way
he works. I mean, that's the kind of guy you
see coming as the undrafted free agent and make a
team somewhere, not saying it'll be with Tampa Bay. That's
the kind of guy you see coming and make a
team somewhere.
Speaker 4: Well to your point, Look, I was just talking about
the good running back room the Tampas, and they do
and all those guys catch the ball out of the backfield.
I'll tell you what, none of them do. You go
rewatch the Tampa Bay games. They're all running routes and
none of them are good pass blockers. Josh Williams a
very very good pass block. As good as the run
blocking was for Tampa, their pass blocking was kind of spotty.
I mean, you saw this saying to get to Baker
Mayfield in that second quarter. Remember when the Saints ultimately
took the lead. He forced Baker into two bad interceptions
because he had to rush and throw the ball because
your pass rush was getting to him. They weren't a
great pass blocking team. None of their running backs are
that great at pass blocking. So yeah, if Josh Williams
can get out there, he's the type of guy that
all he needs is an opportunity and he can make
that happen. Greg Penn still unsigned. That's kind of the
yeah one we were talking about.
Speaker 5: I didn't think Greg Pam would get drafted, but I
definitely thought somebody would sign him as the undrafted free agent.
So that part has surprised me up to this point.
I mean, I can give a check see if it's happened.
Speaker 4: I mean I haven't seen it anywhere, but look, you
know it was Greg the fascism of astic guy here.
No he wasn't. But Greg Penn was never out of position.
He was always there to make the play. He was
a smart guy. I mean he was awarded eighteen for
a reason, right, I mean, this coaching staff trust him.
I think if Greg bin gets a shot a lot
like a Josh Williams, I think I think there's a
chance he makes a team if he eventually gets picked.
Speaker 2: Up for sure. Yeah, I mean I do too. That's
the thing.
Speaker 5: I'm just surprised no one took like a shot like
UDFA deal somewhere there. So that that is that part
surprising me. Not that he went undrafted, all right, so
kind of put a bow on it. We had seven
Tigers drafted.
Speaker 4: We have five more at the moment, Major Burns, Zia,
Alexander g Opiez, Josh Williams parashand all have signed deals
as undrafted free agents. Sorry, we get back. We're gonna
wrap up hour number two of Off the Bench.
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Speaker 1: Welcome in to the best morning sports. This show around
Off the Bench with Hester and T Bob.
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Speaker 2: All right, welcome back.
Speaker 4: In final segment, Hour number two, a Monday edition of
Off the Bench, This one here is for a Landra
because we got UFC coming to New Orleans and Landra.
How fired up are we?
Speaker 8: I'm very fired up a bit. Yeah, we knew about
this us back in February. We talked to him super
Bowl week media row and he told us that this
was in the plan and in the cards.
Speaker 6: So really excited about this.
Speaker 8: Every Max Holloway and Dustin Poree fight is an instant classic,
so should be a good one.
Speaker 6: His retirement fight here in.
Speaker 8: New Orleans where it all start, or well, not in
New Orleans, he's from laugh yet, but in Louisiana where
it all started. So and that's what he was saying,
that he wanted to lay the gloves down where it
all started. So really excited about it. Hopefully I can
make my way there somehow. But yeah, it should be
a good one. I was about say, I didn't see
the rest of the card.
Speaker 2: That's what my question was.
Speaker 4: They have the undercard yet, let me see, and I
know by any means necessary, you will find a way
out there.
Speaker 2: That's happening.
Speaker 8: I have to Gordy Gordy, if you're listening, help me out.
Speaker 4: I know somebody from three to six he'll he'll be
there as well. Movies, are you a big UFC guy?
Speaker 2: I wouldn't say a big UFC guy.
Speaker 6: I like the US Preyer Halloway by the way, I.
Speaker 2: Will like I will watch it, but I normally watched
most of it during like the summer, when there might
not be anything else going on. Well, July nineteenth, Yeah,
so I'd love to be there as well.
Speaker 5: Man, that just would be an awesome Like it's a
bucket list thing for me to go to a UFC fight.
Speaker 4: My brother called me Thursday when they thought this whole
thing was coming down, and he was like, hey, we going.
Speaker 2: It's like, man, I don't know how much your tickets.
Speaker 4: He's like, I don't know, probably like two hundred and
fifty a person Like we'll see, man, we'll see.
Speaker 6: We'll see what happens to be there.
Speaker 2: You will you will find a way.
Speaker 4: Yeah, if I know you, you will find it with
there's no question about it.
Speaker 2: Okay, Well who do we like? Early on? Who do
we like?
Speaker 8: So you can't ever count Max Holloway out of a fight,
and you can't.
Speaker 2: Ever cat Max's so scrappy.
Speaker 8: Yeah, and you can't ever count Dustin out of fight
obviously either, so it's gonna be a really good one.
I think the last time they matched up, Dustin took
that one. I can't remember what the first one was, Like,
I think Dustin won both of those.
Speaker 2: So it's hard to beat somebody three dumbs.
Speaker 8: Yeah, it is hard to be somebody three times. But uh,
it's just all of is really exciting. I'm hoping Dustin
wins for his retirement.
Speaker 2: Well yeah, like in Louisian, I guess it's good.
Speaker 4: Like he's not taking an easy way out either, like
Halloway's legit.
Speaker 8: Yeah, so I think I'm gonna put my money on
Dustin here.
Speaker 6: It feels like he might be.
Speaker 8: I don't know if there's any odds out yet, but
it feels like he's probably gonna be the favorite just
considering the circumstances.
Speaker 6: But I am hyped up for this one.
Speaker 2: Yeah, I'm fired up for it as well.
Speaker 8: Hopefully we can get another. Hopefully we can get Dustin
on again.
Speaker 6: That'd be cool.
Speaker 4: I mean, I know somebody in the studio who knows him,
so maybe maybe that can't happen. I wonder if this
is like a side of things to come for New Orleans, because, like,
you know, this is there's a market down here for it.
I mean I know a ton of people like yeah,
obviously Landra and and Matter big UFC.
Speaker 2: Fans, that's just two people.
Speaker 4: Like I know a ton of people who are big,
big fight fans here in Louisiana. Like, yeah, there is
certainly a market for it here. New Orleans is a
great spot. You have multiple been used to do it. Like,
I think this could be the start of, like you know,
three years down the road, we're looking like once a
year there's a UFC fight.
Speaker 8: That'd be pretty cool. I mean, well, we talked about
it during Super Bowl Week. I mean, people show up
and show out to New Orleans. It's anything for anything,
So I think people make the trip. It's one of
those places where maybe not to us, but other people
who've never been to New Orleans.
Speaker 6: It's like a bucket list thing. So there's like a.
Speaker 8: UFC fight and you get the chance to go to
New Orleans at the same time. I think it'll be good,
but it'll be either way. Having more UFC fights in
New Orleans would be awesome. I'd have to go to
like every single one of them.
Speaker 4: Well, and also like it's perfect timing, right because like
baseball season will be over, yeah in July, there's nothing
really going on. Like true, that's a big time event
here in a sports craves city like New Orleans.
Speaker 2: Like that's perfect.
Speaker 4: It's kind of your your gap between baseball and football
season rolling around.
Speaker 8: Yeah, And the last time it happened, I think it
was like the last time Dustin fought here was like
in twenty fourteen, So it's been a minute since they
since they came to New Orleans, all right.
Speaker 2: Before we go to in that long game, so yeah.
Speaker 6: If I'm remembering correctly, Yeah.
Speaker 4: Before we go to break here, want to give a
quick recap. We only have about two minutes left of
LSU softball over the weekend. So Game one went about
as bad as you could possibly imagine. They get run
ruled by Florida fourteen to four in six innings.
Speaker 2: Florida tore the cover off of the ball. This was
a Jaden Heavener.
Speaker 4: I mean, she goes two innings, it gives up four runs,
three strikeouts. She has been super solid all year long,
not on Saturday. This is a for what it's worth,
a Saturday, Sunday, Monday. So Game three is tonight, a
deciding Game three, because yesterday there was a thriller two
to one. LSU takes down Florida in Tiger Park. This
game was zero to zero heading into the fifth inning.
In the bottom of the fifth, LSU gets a solo
home run from Torri Edwards makes it one to nothing.
Florida answers in the top of the sixth. LSU goes
into the bottom of the seventh ning tied one to
one and they walk it off. They get an RBI
double by Sierra Daniel is a single at RBI single,
I should say to score the winning run on. LSU
wins two to nothing over the Florida Gators. Really good matchup.
I'm excited for Game three. I mean, this is an
LSU team thirty eight and eleven on the year, Florida
forty one and eleven. Both of these teams similar conference records.
LSU ten and ten, Florida twelve and eight. Again, Game
three coming up tonight in Tiger Park at about five pm. Right,
that's going to do it for hour number two of
Off the Bench. We were NFL draft heavy coming up
here in hour number three, we're gonna have some weekend winners.
We got Devin Snow coming up, and then Hunter McCann's
gonna hop one give us his thoughts on lsu versus Tennessee.
Speaker 2: Stay tuned for that.
Speaker 4: Worlds are gonna close things out like we do every day,
with a little bit of ass the bench to hour
three coming up, you're on one of four five ESPN
better age
Speaker 1: Off the bench