Chris Trapasso on draft prospects for the Bills at 26

Gone South has been a podcast about crime in the American South, but for our new season, we're widening the lens.

Follow and listen to Gone South Season 5, available now on Apple podcasts, Spotify, or wherever you get your shows.

It's Mike Shope and the Bulldog, not WGR. Sports Radio 550.

Why could I possibly have enjoyed that more? I mean, way to overdo it.

There's more of me doing that than there is lime in the lime. I mean, just...

I snookered myself. Have you ever used that expression?

I don't think so. I don't think so. No, I don't think I've ever snookered.

No, I haven't either, but I aspire to. If anybody has a snooker table, let me know. I'd like to see it.

I think it's big. I think it's bigger than a bull table. I remember being in a place, a bar. I know I was somewhere where someone started to explain to me, and I was like, yeah, I don't know.

Let's you when I place nook. I'm good. I'm not going to remember any of this, and I'm not...

There's a blue ball, and a green ball, and a bunch of red balls. It's two different from yellow ball to me.

No, I think it'd be fun. I've played bumper pool. Oh, my dad has a bumper pool table in the basement.

Let me tell you, my uncle Jeff had a bumper pool. We get done eating...

Where is that table? It is time to go.

I had bumper pool with pops.

Christopher Paso, your thoughts. Snooker, bumper pool. Any billiards?

I've heard of... I've never heard of bumper pool, but at the outset there, I totally agree with you on the hint of lime tortilla chips.

It's not a hint. It's like they're doused in lime.

Exactly.

Way too much for guacamole. I guess on their own, they could be okay.

I don't know who would just eat those by themselves. It has to just be a plain tortilla chips.

I like... I don't like guacamole.

That's weird.

I am never dipping a chip in guacamole, and I like the hint of lime chips with like a queso or with salsa.

I don't find it overbearing. I get that it would be too much with something that already is lime flavored itself.

Exactly.

But I'm not a guacamole guy.

That's... I got to think about that. I'm not sure if I've lost total respect for you right now.

There's not a new revelation.

I didn't know it.

I don't remember everything you've ever said.

It's due to me. Sorry. If you told me yesterday, then that's on me.

No, it was probably 15 years ago. I told you I don't like guacamole.

So Chris, Christopher Paso with us, NFL draft, little more than a month now.

Everybody's, I think, still on. Am I possibly wrong here?

Mendoza at one, like, just I've never... If anybody else, if anybody isn't, I haven't seen it.

Mendoza to the Raiders.

Does the draft start at two or later?

How much drama or suspense is there about the second pick?

I think there's a fair amount because the two Ohio State Defenders, Arvel Rees and Sunny Styles,

who are both listed as linebackers.

I'm assuming Arvel Rees will be more of an ad-rusher, Micah Parsons type role.

They're both ridiculous athletes.

You can look at what they did at the combine.

Their measurements are through the roof.

I don't think either of them are legitimate finish products.

They are a little bit on the younger side.

But then there's David Bailey from Texas Tech, who's 23, but look like Jared verse last season.

Every top tier offensive tackle he faced.

I don't want to say demolish them, but he certainly got the best of them in those matchups.

I think at two, there will be a conversation and probably is the conversation happening right now in the Jets organization.

Do we go Arvel Rees?

Do we go more of the off-ball linebacker that has maybe in the perfect scenario Fred Warner upside in Sunny Styles?

Or do we go with a more finished product higher floor?

Still with pretty good ceiling in David Bailey.

And there's obviously a chance that they go like...

It's Draymond Green kicking off my 14th NBA season and the new season in my podcast.

Trust me, I'm not holding back.

Listen to the Draymond Green show wherever you get your podcast.

Offensive line or something else.

So I think there's a fair amount of entry with that number two overall pick.

Ironically inside the top five, and I wouldn't necessarily advocate for this.

It seems like the Tennessee Titans at four, everyone is writing in Sharpie, Jeremiah Love,

after all the stuff that they've done in pre-agency that did not include them signing one of those veteran running backs.

How do the teams in the top five, or even the Jets at two, feel about how this fell for them?

I'm thinking about Abdul Carter last year went three to the Giants.

And that was pretty close to a consensus pick.

Travis Hunter before him with Jacksonville trading up.

If you're the Jets, the Cardinals at three, or even Tennessee or the Giants four or five,

are you like, did you do well?

So to speak, finishing so badly where this is your year, or maybe it's not.

I feel like the answer is probably no that other years are better.

It is to me, it is emphatically no.

That I think a lot of those teams, there's a bunch of teams now that have two first round picks.

That's great.

I think you will see, I mean, there obviously needs to be suitors on both sides,

but you will see or hear about teams trying to get picks next year.

Because this is a class, and I try to stay as calibrated as possible with my grades from year to year to year.

There was like, look at my site right now.

There's like last season I had about six or seven like elite level players

that would be first round caliber prospects in any class.

Actually, it was eight.

This year, David Bailey is the only one.

Now, that does mean that there are more of mid to late first early second round grades that I have than usual,

but if you're a team picking in the top five, you would have liked to have seen, like you mentioned,

an Abdul Carter or a Jamar chase or a Malik neighbors or even a Marvin Harrison junior,

a prospect that picks a lot more of the boxes and has that freaky athleticism.

I think even Fernando Mendoza kind of sets the stage as the locked in,

essentially, number one overall pick where in a lot of draft classes,

I think he would still be a first rounder,

but he would not be the slam dunk number one overall pick quarterback

in really many of the last five to 10 to 15 years.

Right.

I was just going to ask you, how does he stack up with, like say,

Cam Ward 101 last year?

Is Mendoza a better prospect than Cam Ward?

He's slightly different, and I'm looking at my grades.

I have them very, very similarly graded.

And that is like in that technically, like mid to late first round,

maybe even early second round, like it's picks 21 to 40 in any draft.

So that would suggest that, yeah, like the Raiders are locked in,

but I think Mendoza and even Ward last year,

I understood it because positional value and the teams needed it,

but the traits are not there on par with Caleb Williams or Joe Burrow or Andrew Locke,

or even guys that weren't the first pick, like Justin Herbert.

There's been so many other quarterbacks, obviously Drake May,

who, Jake Daniels, who were those early round quarter,

those early first round pick quarterback that just had higher upside

than what I think Mendoza or even Cam Ward had last year.

Was Ward as much of a sure thing at this time last year

as Mendoza appears to be now?

I think very similar.

Yeah.

I'm just curious because if they're similar prospects,

at least according to you, I was just wondering if like Mendoza's profile is higher

because of the national title.

Like, you know, those sorts of stages can, you know,

certainly elevate our players profile.

And I think with Mendoza, I mean, he had just some really great moments

within the college football playoff that Cam Ward really didn't have.

For sure.

And I think last year famously, Kyle Brandt,

right before the NFL draft was like,

I've never seen a number one overall pick that's gotten less buzz,

especially a quarterback than Cam Ward.

And what you just outlined, I think if Indiana locked in the quarter finals

or if they had a couple losses in Big Ten play and maybe made the college football playoff

but didn't really win anything,

there would be similar like minimal-ish buzz relative to what the number one overall pick

and a number one overall pick quarterback typically would have.

They're obviously different styles, Mendoza's bigger.

He's not going to do as much throwing off structure.

Cam Ward does give you some improvisation ability

but they each have decent arms.

They're not amazing arm talents.

They have decent accuracy, not amazing accuracy.

And I think they do need to have a pretty insulated environment

for them to succeed in the NFL.

Let's be sure to mention your new site, Chris,

draftgradebook.com.

Pretty cool to look at.

I mean, it seems like really useful and attractive.

So congrats on that.

Thank you.

Yeah, right.

I mean, this is a cool new step for you.

I'm looking at wide receiver now because that's the law with us.

We have to talk about it.

And there's Ted Hearst.

And last night on ADP chasing,

the guys were talking about Denzel Boston.

You have maybe like your 10th receiver.

And Hearst is your fourth highest graded receiver.

And I said, well, here we go again.

Denzel Boston, that's a super cool name.

Ted Hearst is not a cool name.

So he's going to get slided by the community.

And Boston will be overrated.

I'm going with that.

As far as you're concerned, you're not falling for that.

Ted Hearst at wide receiver four.

That could be, is 26 if the bills were so inclined too early for Ted Hearst.

I personally don't think so.

But you do kind of have to play the game and gather that intel

if you're the bill's front office and ask around the league

where a lot of teams have him slotted.

Now the obvious wrench in the plan here is that the bills don't have

that second round pick anymore.

And I thought Ted Hearst would be a perfect round two selection.

But there's certainly scenarios where Ted Hearst is available in the third round

just because he played at Georgia State.

For the comparisons on my site, I have Ted Hearst as the small school dead Bryant

so, so similar to him, the size, the rebounding ability.

He's legitimately good in contested catch situations.

Very fast, tested very well at the combine.

And Denzel Boston, you might be being a big fantasy guy.

Well, remember this name reminds me so much of Kenny Golliday.

Who is a good player?

And I think he had a thousand yard season, one year for the Lions.

But is that someone you want to pick at 26 overall?

Probably not.

But it does feel like maybe because playing in the big 10,

Washington has produced some good receivers last couple of years.

There's the odds on favorite if we're trying to peg who would be a first round

or it would obviously be Denzel Boston.

I don't hate him as a prospect.

I still think he's in that round two range, like early to mid round two range,

where if the bills were to pick him at 26, it wouldn't be a drastic reach.

But I would just be similar to how he felt about Keon Coleman.

But not to the extent of concern.

The separation ability with Boston just is not something that he hangs his head on.

But he is legit 64 to 20 and plays to that size.

He really is one of the better rebounders in the class.

Golliday.

What happened to that guy?

His last year is the Dable Giants coach of the year.

He's right.

And he had six catches playing the full year.

How many times did he have to?

I would guess at least two.

Let me see.

He had two in a row for Detroit.

That's the number.

18 and 19.

Bulldog, he's 32.

Is he a free agent idea the day?

He's been out of the league for years.

What do you think?

Kenny Golliday.

Can he still hoop?

Maybe.

What should the bills appetite in your view, Chris B, for drafting a receiver at 26?

After making the move for DJ Moore, I mostly have ruled it out.

Not that I wouldn't love them to do it.

I just with the other needs they have, I wonder if, but not now you're mentioning,

like not having that second round pick, maybe that would have been the ideal spot

to draft a receiver.

But how funny you gave that up to get the guy that is your number one receiver now.

Would you be surprised if they used their top remaining pick on a receiver at this point?

Is it warranted?

That would be, I think they're absolutely, it would still be warranted

to use an early selection on a white receiver.

I think with DJ Moore, Khalil Stricier, Josh Palmer, Kean Coleman,

it's obviously an elevated group, but do I think it's great?

Do I think it's even a middle of the pack, White receiver group?

Not really.

What I've been kind of battling with, and obviously every time I'm on this show,

any show we have to talk White receiver, like Mike mentioned,

I've thought a lot about, even though in the playoffs,

the things that I think almost everyone agrees have been the Achilles heel

is the defense and the inability to get quarterbacks on the ground,

the inability to get the pass break up on third down,

the 33 points of game and the playoff losses.

That's the number one thing that I'm assuming is on the minds of Brandon Bean

and maybe even Jim Leonard, even though he's just new here, Joe Brady obviously

is that coach, but despite that, Jeremy's been leading the White receiver train

I think correctly because even though it's been the defense,

we watching every single snap have been able to tell

that Josh Allen has truly been elevating not just the receiver group,

but the entire offense and that there were stretches even in 24

where they scored all those points and last year,

where they're still right around 30 points of game,

where the receiver group was severely lacking.

And I think I said it when I was on the air last week

that I had a game with my wife down the stretch

and then into the playoffs for the bills, like we were trying to count

how many catches receivers made who were not named Khalil Shakir

and like any time that there was a Brandon Cook's catch

or a Gabe Davis catch or a Tyrell Shavers catch,

it was like a huge win where we kind of jokingly celebrated

because it just wasn't happening.

And think how crazy that is in today's NFL.

So I do agree with you, Bulldog,

that I think someone like a caches howl

or a Derek Moore from Michigan or TJ Parker from Clemson,

those edge rushers to round out the defense

is probably legitimately the number one thing that the bills need

and that will be in their minds.

But at the same time, I also think things could be a lot easier

for the offense and put them in better situations

in the playoffs.

If they had, they could roll out three really good wide receivers

in DJ Moore, Khalil Shakir,

and then whoever you pick in the first round.

I count 108 wide receiver catches by players

not named Shakir in 17 games.

That's like a little more than six a game.

I mean, it's a little bit too high a number for a drinking game,

I think.

That's true.

Six.

A little bit dangerous.

I think for a drinking game you want three or four,

this year I wouldn't touch it because it goes up.

Down the stretch though, it got very much where there were a few games

where like branding cooks had two catches and that was it.

Or like shabers had a catch and Gabe Davis had a catch

where it was like, oh my god,

it's either a throw to the running back,

the tight end or Shakir and that was it.

Right.

Christopher Paso, our guest draft gradebook.com for his new site.

How about Miami in this trade with Denver?

How did they do?

I think they did great.

I mean, I tweeted it right away that, you know,

we'll ultimately see what happens

and the actual draft picks obviously are what matter most.

But you have to give hats off to the jets and the dolphins.

Maybe outside of the Malik Willis signing,

even though they didn't pay him a ton,

but their process of rebuilding has been as emphatic

and I think as, by the book, as you could possibly be.

I mean, if you look by the draft trade charts,

Denver paid like the equivalent of like the 25th

or 26th overall pick for Jalen Waddle,

which to some people, that's about what he costs.

And I can also understand that people are saying

that anyone out there who thinks,

oh, well, he's a better receiver than DJ Moore.

Okay, that's fine.

Like I can understand that too.

There's some stats you can look at.

You just better separator.

He's a year younger.

But the bill paid roughly the equivalent of pick 64 for DJ Moore.

So my question to that would be,

do you really believe that DJ Moore is around worst

of a wide receiver than Jalen Waddle?

I think that gave new perspective on what the bill has paid,

which felt like an overpayment.

But I think now, for whatever reason,

maybe just because receivers are really important,

it feels like we are pretty entrenched with these two trades

and then along with the fact that AJ Brown hasn't been traded,

that it is a seller's market in terms of trading wide receivers

that the team's trading away the wide receivers

can get probably more value than they've ever gotten

in the last couple of seasons.

Miami gets a third too in that trade.

They flip fourths, but pretty good return.

Yeah, I feel like that is definitely.

Like I was sort of rolling my eyes when the off season

was beginning, Chris.

And the Eagles were reportedly looking for a first round pick

for AJ Brown with the contract with whatever extent

you believe in the headaches that might come with him.

I saw that there's no way.

And then the marketplace has absolutely dictated

that that should be the case.

Unlike just two years ago, we were kind of blown away

that Brandon B managed to extract a second round pick

from Houston for stuff on digs,

because the market just doesn't usually roll that way,

but it seems like it's changed.

The teams are willing to part with premium assets

and pay the big contract.

Normally, you don't have to do both, right?

If you're doing the team the favor of taking that contract

off their hands, that sort of buffers

what you got to pay in assets,

but that's not been the case with some of these receivers this year.

No, definitely not.

And for as much as time kind of hinting at the idea of

I'm still like holding out hope that the bills could pick

a receiver in the first round,

which is not what I think they absolutely need to do.

If they draft a really good address or it will help,

but I think maybe part of that is the fact that

it's a good wide receiver class,

but it is lacking the premiere,

like plug this guy in as your wide receiver wants.

Like the fact that McKay lemon ran pretty slow

at the USC pro day, like somewhere in the four fives,

Tarnel Tate, who was supposed to be this burner

at Ohio State, who caught everything,

the contestant catches her there, all that.

He runs four, five, three at the combine,

and then there's all that fiasco

of where the hand time numbers were.

The official electronic time was like four, five,

two, or four, five, three.

So I think there's not that,

there's usually two to three wide receivers,

whether it's Olave and Garrett Wilson,

whether it's Tatero Macmillan.

I mentioned to Mark Chase and neighbors and Harrison,

like premiere, like he can be a number one for you in year one,

and then by year two, we're thinking about all pro

characterization.

Typically, I think there is a lot in

that should be selected between pick 20 and pick 40 in this class.

So maybe that is kind of dictated these team selling receivers,

getting a little bit more than we all expected.

Chris, a couple of edge rusher prospects for you

before we wrap up here.

One is TJ Parker.

From Clemson, he's a little bit down your list of edge rushers,

but still a pretty good number, it seems.

And I've seen him mocked the bills a couple of times

in the last few days, and I'd be excited for that,

because then Bulldog can finally live out his dream

of getting a bills jersey of an actual player with his name on it,

thinking we're out.

And then also Jason Barham of Michigan.

I saw a little buzz about him today.

Yeah.

I saw Twitter chatter about him today too.

I'm not quite as high on Barham from Michigan.

I think he's more of like a day two or early day three pick.

Now that's not to say that he won't be picked earlier,

just where I have him evaluated.

He is your classic, just like stand up, rush the passer.

I don't think that he has the power,

and the past rushing moves that TJ Parker has.

And TJ Parker was a gigantic recruit at Clemson.

Didn't quite live up to it, but he reminds me just his play on the field,

his size, and his career arc in college.

Reminds me a lot of Rashon Gary, that he's like,

was this monster recruit and was good,

but never like, changed the program completely.

But when you watch him on film, you're like,

oh, I can understand.

Like he set the edge there, made a play against the run.

Then on second down, he did a swim move to the inside.

And one, I think he would be someone that,

I think Bill's fans could get pretty excited about

if they got him at 26.

I'm slightly a little bit lower on him than that,

but I think just based on where it seems to be that he could be selected,

TJ Parker would make a lot of sense at 26.

Jason Barham, more day two or day three for me.

One other edge guy I wanted to ask you about,

because I don't think we've had a chance to talk about him since the combine.

And if we did, I, whatever it was a couple of few weeks ago,

the kid from A&M with the short arms.

How?

Yes.

Is this how?

Is this someone that you think would be at 26, a good pick,

or because I've seen him mocked at the bills of fair amount too?

He had the fastest penny yard split

of any ad rusher at the combine.

So he has extremely short arms,

even shorter than Ruben Bain.

It's like in the first percentile since 1999 at edge.

So that is something that will presumably push him right into the bill's wheelhouse

in the late 20s.

But the explosiveness we've heard,

I think Brandon Beans even said it,

or just the general idea of they need more bend and speed.

You guys have talked about it.

That's Cassius Howell's game to a tee.

My comparison for him is Bryce Huff,

who I think the bills certainly know really well.

He was a terrorizing pass rusher on the jets for a long time.

And it's just that classic stand up rush linebacker,

who's maybe not going to be tremendous against the run.

But I think in the right system,

where they're not asking him to do a variety of things,

he can be that eight to 12 sack, 50 to 70 pressure player.

And I think outside of receiver,

he might be my favorite idea right now for the bills,

even with the shorter arms.

Because last season, transferring to Texas A&M,

it didn't really hurt him at all.

Like there was not, oh man, you see him a ton,

getting just devoured by these longer arm tackles.

And I think that could be something that we hear Brandon Beans say

that he's glad that he measured in with shorter arms

because it got Cassius Howell to number 26 overall.

Well, I guess probably Kenny Golliday

is not a realistic or plausible idea.

T. White Hilton is officially no longer such

as he has just announced his retirement.

And he also played last four years ago.

So who knows?

Now it's his retirement this second?

Like five minutes ago.

Wow.

I know.

He hasn't played four years.

Long happened.

Did he, was he here for a minute?

Bulldog?

I don't think so.

I don't think so.

It was an idea a couple of times.

Okay.

I think, but I don't, I don't know.

Well, that's, that's dead.

I don't think that it ever got to like, you know,

he might be coming.

Not even like Colton Paraco.

No, not even that far.

Right.

No cup of coffee.

Not even the derriest slay level.

Right.

And it looks like not to be like reporting

during an interview, but it looks like Logan Wilson

is retiring from the NFL, which was a bill's

linebacker idea.

Maybe that's why I just saw that as well.

Yeah.

Very good.

Chris, again, the new site draft

gradebook.com.

Check it out.

Thanks for your time.

We'll talk again next week.

All right.

Thanks a lot.

Bye.

Christopher Passo.

I'm, I'm distracted.

This soccer game we're watching is

hilarious so far.

It's the Champions League, Liverpool

and Galatasaray from Turkey.

Okay.

And the players on Galatasaray is up

one nothing in the first leg.

They won the first leg.

So it's a two leg thing and it's

total goals, right?

Liverpool just scored.

So this is different now, but every

time one of their guys gets touched,

it's a murder.

Yeah, like there's a lot of rolling around.

And the Liverpool manager is furious.

He's holding up five fingers.

I think because five different players

have just been like murdered on the

field.

They've all stayed in.

They all get better.

Right.

That shouldn't really be a, there's a

drinking game for you.

Is he really hurt when you're watching

soccer?

Is he really hurt?

This guy with the arm wrap is just,

I'm sorry, I'll stop.

He went down.

He grabbed his arm.

He's rolling all over the field.

The Liverpool guys get all mad at him.

He wraps his arm.

And every time they showed it, they're

definitely talking about it.

He's holding his arm.

Like he has to continue.

He's still like playing out.

He's putting on the show.

Right.

Yeah.

He's holding, you know, maybe it's a

little sore.

Was that the guy that was rolling around

for a while and the trainers were out

there and they got that spray can out

and like it looked like the doors were

playing or something.

There's so much of the spray blowing

around.

I've seen a couple of those already.

It was like a fog machine at a concert.

Yes.

I've seen a couple of guys get the

spray can already.

Wow.

Mike showed up in the bulldog here at

803-0550.

This is WGR.

With the New Year upon us, there's

no better time to take control of your

finances.

Follow and listen to Jill on Money

wherever you get your podcasts.