Sports Krunch w/DKROM

1. With the first two picks essentially in sharpie (Trevor Lawrence to the Jaguars and Zach Wilson to the Jets), the 49ers will essentially begin this draft with the third overall pick, a selection for which they paid a heavy price to move up to. While we cannot be 100% certain which QB will be their choice (and we will get to Trey Lance and Justin Fields shortly), you and I seem to be in agreemen...

1. Just three years after winning Super Bowl LII, the Philadelphia Eagles appear to be in full rebuild mode. They have a very good chance at owning three first-round picks next year because of the Carson Wentz trade, and the trade with the Dolphins that saw them go from the 6th overall pick to the 12th. As a result, some believe the Eagles are 100% out on taking a QB in the first round. That said,...

1. Even before new GM George Paton arrived, the Broncos have quietly built a very promising young roster with talent on both sides of the ball. That said, the QB position remains a glaring hole of uncertainty five years after Peyton Manning rode off into the sunset. Based on the sample size so far, it would take the utmost of miracles for Drew Lock to become a franchise signal-caller. But based on...

1. The draft arguably begins at #4 overall with the Atlanta Falcons. And they are sending mixed signals as to what their intentions are. Chris Mortensen reported that they may have their eyes on selecting Matt Ryan’s long-term replacement and the apple of new GM Terry Fontenot’s eye is believed to be Trey Lance. On the other hand, Adam Schefter reported today that the Falcons have received calls f...

1. How long have you been a football fan and what (or who) inspired you to work in the sports industry? 2. How did you get your start in the business and how did you get from then until now? 3.  This has been a monumental year for women in both sports and the non-sports world alike. We witnessed the election of the first woman Vice President of the United States (Kamala Harris), the first wom...

1. Many people I know (if not most) believe that you should NEVER draft a running back in the first round, regardless of the talent. Do you agree or disagree with that school of thought? 2. Two RB’s that have a shot at going in the first round are Najee Harris of Alabama and Travis Etienne of Clemson. It’s a neck-and-neck race between them in terms of who is the top runner in this class. You curre...

1. The consensus top interior OL prospect in this class is Alijah Vera-Tucker from USC. We discussed him on our OT special, and Nick Kendell of MileHighHuddle.com said he doesn’t see a place at tackle for Vera-Tucker at the pro level. When it comes to his prospects at guard, Dane Brugler believes Alijah Vera-Tucker has Pro Bowl potential. Would it surprise you if Vera-Tucker becomes the best guard...

1. Before we get to this OT class, let’s discuss the earthquake that shook the NFL a few days ago. And that earthquake was a blockbuster trade in which the Dolphins traded the #3 overall pick in the draft to the 49ers for the 12th overall pick (which Miami subsequently traded to the Eagles), first-round picks in 2022 and 2023 (the former of which the Dolphins also traded to Philly), and a third-ro...

1. Today was the Penn State Pro Day and the consensus #1 linebacker in this draft Micah Parsons blew the roof off the facility with his freakish athleticism, most notably his sub-4.4. 40. But as you know more than anyone else, the tape matters FAR more than a Pro Day for any prospect. Based on the tape alone, why is Parsons the best LB in this draft class?  2. But as amazing as Parsons is on...

1. This has been a rather rough week for one of the top CB prospects in this draft class, Virginia Tech’s Caleb Farley. This week, his draft stock may have taken a hit as he underwent a microdisectomy procedure on his back on Tuesday. This is the second back operation he’s had in 15 months (he underwent surgery due to a pinched nerve in his back in December 2019). Many analysts had him as the top...

1. Not only the best pass-catcher in this draft, but arguably the best prospect period, is Florida TE Kyle Pitts. Daniel Jeremiah suggested that Pitts would be the overwhelming choice of folks around the NFL if they had to vote on which 2021 prospect is most likely to don a gold jacket. What makes Kyle Pitts so special and why is he worth a top-five pick despite playing a position that is less val...

1.   The Super Bowl champion Tampa Bay Buccaneers have made it clearer than ever that they are hell bent on running it back and repeating. Last week, we saw Chris Godwin receive the franchise tag, Lavonte David sign a 2-year extension and Tom Brady agree to an extension via restructure that cleared $19 million in cap space. And yesterday, minutes after the legal tampering period began, s...

1.  We are approaching the one-year anniversary of the NFLPA’s ratification of the current Collective Bargaining Agreement. It was ratified by a very slim majority thanks in part due to COVID-19. I was STRONGLY opposed to it personally because I don’t think the players got nearly enough in return for the 17th regular season game. How did most of your clients view it then, and how do you view...

1. When you look at this EDGE class, there are no sure-fire top-10 picks, yet it is ripe with sky-high potential. Two current budding EDGE stars (Brian Burns and Montez Sweat) were selected outside the top-10 in the 2019 draft (Burns at 16 overall, Sweat at 26 overall). Do you anticipate a similar eventual outcome from this year’s class? 2. The top EDGE on your board at the moment is Gregory Rouss...

1. I am as guilty as charged for carelessly saying “this guy is the best QB prospect since Andrew Luck” in the past, which I’m not qualified to do so given my porous film-evaluation skills. However, to say that about Trevor Lawrence may not be hyperbole. What makes Trevor Lawrence such a special, generational prospect? Do you like his fit with Urban Meyer and the Jaguars? 2. Almost every year, a Q...

1. Super Bowl LV Recap -Was this more of an awesome performance by the Bucs, just sheer luck given the circumstances Mahomes and the Chiefs were in, or a mixture of both? -Who do you think should have won SBLV MVP honors? 2.     Looking Ahead -Do you consider the Bucs favorites to win the NFC in 2021? -Only six QB’s have won a Super Bowl after losing one (Tom Brady, Peyton Mann...

1. Given the fact there will be no traditional scouting combine this year, do you think there’s a rather good chance that what transpires on draft night is actually more different than ever before compared to what top analyst mocks say? 2. Based on all the film study and character/biographical background research y’all have done at the Draft Network so far, what position groups in this 2021 draft...

1. QB Carousel -Are the Rams a legitimate Super Bowl contender with Matthew Stafford at QB? -Even with Jared Goff and the support for him in the building, should the Lions still highly consider trading up for a QB in the first round? -The Philadelphia Inquirer reported yesterday that the Eagles are getting close to trading Carson Wentz. But if they do trade Wentz, they will have to swallow an hist...

1. Initial head coach hiring grades -Jaguars: Urban Meyer -Jets: Robert Saleh -Falcons: Arthur Smith -Chargers: Brandon Staley -Lions: Dan Campbell -Eagles: Nick Sirianni 2. Initial GM hiring grades -Broncos: George Paton -Texans: Nick Caserio -Falcons: Terry Fontenot -Lions: Brad Holmes -Panthers: Scott Fitterer -Jaguars: Trent Baalke -Washington: Martin Mayhew 3. Truth/Exaggeration -If the Texan...

1. Today, the Electoral College ratified President-Elect Biden’s victory, but the overall election wasn’t anywhere close to as rosy for the Democratic Party. Democrats lost at least a dozen seats in the House and the GOP is highly likely to retain control of the Senate barring a total catastrophe in Georgia on January 5. In an era of very few “ticket-splitting” voters, this initially came as a sho...

1. Four years ago around this time, many (if not most) in the news media touted Hillary Clinton as a solid favorite to win...and we know how that ended. Today, several are describing Joe Biden in the same light. As I mentioned in the intro, we had Austin, Texas-based GOP strategist Matt Mackowiak on the program. He said he expects this to be a VERY, VERY close election and is convinced that whoeve...

1. Season Headlines Me:  -In the wake of the deaths of George Floyd, Breanna Taylor and others at the hands of police violence, NFL players have made it clear they will NOT be silent and will kneel during the playing of the National Anthem in protest. Even owners who are passionate supporters of the President (such as Jerry Jones), have given their players the green light to do so. Upon heari...

1. Last week, the sports world briefly hit the pause button in wake of the Jacob Blake shooting, starting with the NBA. As a result, it was announced that all NBA clubs intend to use their arenas as voting locations for the general election, whether it be for voter registration drives, in-person early voting, and/or having county officials there to collect completed absentee ballots. Given all the...

1. What we have seen with Major League Baseball (with the COVID-19 outbreaks within the Marlins and Cardinals causing games to be postponed) thus far is likely a preview of what to expect in the NFL this season. Peter King a few weeks ago wrote he is convinced that at some point the league will likely have to suspend play like the NBA did in March when the pandemic first hit. However, Richard Sher...

A. Latest Buzz (Buy Or Sell) -Chris Mortensen said today of all the teams that are being discussed as strong candidates to trade up, the Falcons are expected to be the most aggressive and could move up all the way to the top five. So buy or sell: the Falcons will trade up to the top five and take Jeffrey Okudah if the Lions pass on him at 3, or move down to 6.  -The run on WR’s will begin ear...