Hour 4: Can you be talked into Jeremiyah Love at No. 6?

I don't know what to make of the Jeremiah Love discussion, Darryl.

And coach Riz was on earlier today and he's been advocating for Jeremiah Love for a while.

Here's what I can tell you, I know.

The draft community believes he is an all-time prospect.

They have put him up there as higher than Ashton Gentee from last year, which is astounding

all things considered because Ashton Gentee was one of the highest rated running back

prospects in years.

And then they're putting up in the Safe One Barclay category as well, where Safe One is

legitimately one of the highest rated running back prospects I've ever seen.

And so to put him up in that rarefied air, it makes you stop and pay attention to the

point where it's like, all right, I could have maybe used some of you guys gassing them

up this way.

I don't know, maybe like four or five months ago, but the point is is that we've gotten

there with Jeremiah Love to the idea that enough people now have watched the tape.

They've talked to enough NFL people.

They're of the belief that Jeremiah Love is a once in a generation type running back

prospect.

Now that that's all said, the question then becomes, well, the Browns take him at number

six overall.

And I, Judkins has to factor into this, but I don't think Judkins should factor into

all of this.

Well, yeah, he has to, they drafted two running backs last year.

So you'd be talking about drafting three running backs in two years and two of them with

a first and a second round pit.

So I'll tell you right now, I'm not pro Jeremiah Love.

I need to make this known in the uprise.

I just, I'm laying out the situation.

I can't, the way you described it right there.

I can't let Samson get in the way of whether or not I take Jeremiah Love.

Well, no, no, I'm, no, jumpkins was the second pick, the second round pick.

Yeah, I know that.

Judkins was saying, I'm saying, but aren't you, you're equating for both the two of them

already being there, right?

Is that correct?

Yeah.

You took two guys last year.

You'd be taking him this year.

And that means on in a position in a league that's not a running league, it's a passing

league.

You will have invested three draft picks on that room and two of those picks are in the top

two rounds.

Which none of this, by the way, screams anything analytical at all, like for being the

analytical world that they live in, none of the screams analytical that screams bad

roster building.

Well, I mean, yeah, I mean, just in general, six overall on running back doesn't scream

analytical.

If Quinch on Judkins was not on this roster, yeah, we wouldn't have an argument.

I'd be all four.

I'd be down.

Oh, because it does bring up like an interesting little like a recent years.

We moved away.

It used to, for a couple of years stretch, it was like, don't take a running back on the

first round at all.

Then Jumir Gibbs happened, then Bijan happened and all of a sudden we started having these,

these kind of those where it was like, all right, you can take a running back again in

the first round.

It's not crazy.

Just you don't do it in the top five.

You just don't do it typically in the top five and then last year happened with Ashton

Gentie and a number five overall, he got taken now, but Ashton Gentie didn't have

some breakout year.

They had a miserable offensive line.

Nobody is blaming Ashton Gentie.

It's not his fault.

Vegas screwed him over in many respects.

The same way the Browns didn't help out Judkins when it came to an offensive line.

Same thing happened with Gentie, but what's interesting is that we're right back to that

same convo and now I do think we have to talk about how it works within Judkins and Coach

Riz says it works perfect because you can do it because you can line him out wide.

He can.

He can put him in the slot.

But are you willing to spend that much of your capital and your resources towards a running

back position that is not as valuable as it once was and especially in today's NFL?

They just don't we just don't look at running backs this at one running back.

I would I would phrase it is a running back wide receiver combo.

Like you're getting two players in one.

If you're looking for a justification, my concern is that they have so many other holes

that they need to fill and needs they they must address it is like the quarterback thing

right should the Browns, whether it's draft Ty Simpson, whether it's draft, you know,

drowler later or one of these other quarterbacks later in the draft.

Now you're at three quarterbacks drafted in two years.

You'll probably draft a quarterback in the first round next year.

So now you're talking about drafting four quarterbacks over a three year period.

Again, that's just bad roster planning and bad roster building like you just I understand

you got to keep taking swings, but also at the same time that there's other positions

that you need to address on your roster.

I think that Jeremiah Love would be a fantastic pick at six if the Browns didn't have so many

other problems.

The issue is they have so many other problems.

It becomes a luxury pick.

It's almost like if they make a defensive selection, okay, whether like whatever, right?

It becomes a luxury pick right now.

What they need to do is they need to come away in the first round with a receiver or

I should say they're starting left tackle.

I don't care about the order.

I don't care how you do it, but that's how you need to come out of that first round of

the draft.

But is Jeremiah is he different because of what he does?

You mentioned what he does in the past game and I think about his screen game in particular.

And then even they put him in the slot like 60 times last year in another game like,

well, that's why I call them a running back wide receiver combo because he can he is

such a versatile player and he's also an explosive player with that versatility.

Yeah, he's not stinks that the Browns don't have the luxury of being able to take him

this year.

I do almost wonder if they could justify it from that perspective of like he would help

out as much in the past game as he would in the run game.

And then you have this Batman Robin type thing between him and Jutkins.

It's kind of like you dead probably be your new Nick Chubb Kareem Hunt combo.

That's exactly what it would try to be.

Yeah.

Or even like what the y-ins just recently had with Jamir Gibbs and they're like one two

punch combo.

It was like Sonic and Hedgehog or something whatever that was called.

He would be a weapon.

Sonic and Knuckles.

Sonic and Knuckles.

Sonic is a Hedgehog.

He is not Sonic the Hedgehog.

I had played Sonic in a very long time and I was thinking to myself, I'm like, what the

how is that other guy's name?

What was Knuckles?

Yes.

Exactly.

David Montgomery.

Is Knuckles also a Hedgehog?

Don't look at me.

I have no idea.

I stumped you there first.

No, I know.

I'll look it up and double check.

Just be sure.

Okay.

Don't go away for it.

Yeah, that's what we need John today.

That's what we need John.

Do you want to score something affordable on any two and I'm thinking of Jamir Gibbs because

basically Jeremiah Love has calmed out as a bigger version of Jamir Gibbs.

That's his comp.

If you're trying to do this, this Sonic and Knuckles type thing that Detroit had, it is setting

up in many ways.

This does work.

It makes your offense better.

This is not what it was when we're talking defense and defense only where I think they're

shifting so much to the offensive side of the ball and they're trying to make sure you

have a competent offense.

What Jeremiah Love is what he does is so different than most backs or at least half the backs

that you talk about and that he does have a pass catching ability that is a borderline

elite.

Like it matters.

Here's the good news for us.

Here's the good news for us.

What's that?

I don't necessarily think that Jeremiah Love is even going to be on the board there.

Well, that brings another thing to the equation that we have to talk about.

If we're talking about taking Jeremiah Love at six, that then presumes that he's there

at six for you to take.

If he's there at six for you to take, then you will have a team that will trade up to

go ahead and get him.

I know.

He's the one guy that people would trade up for in this draft and if he's there at six,

somebody will bite.

For the longest time, I thought that would be the chiefs.

But the chiefs, they've addressed their running back situation this off season.

They got Kenneth Walker now.

They're good.

They're happy.

There are enough teams that if Andrew Berry is trying to cash some chips for the next

year's draft, this is how you would do it.

And so you got to weigh that in this equation as well.

I will concede.

There are three players that the Browns could pick at six that I have no argument against

and I will not be angry about.

All right.

What are they?

Okay.

Carnell Tade from Ohio State.

Okay.

Caleb Downs from Ohio State.

Okay.

I sense a theme here.

Carvell Reese Ohio State and Jeremiah Love.

Okay.

Like those three players, if the Browns end up with any of those three players, Jonathan,

there's, it's, it would be almost impossible for me to argue against those selections.

Nick Bumgarner was on the morning show today.

Coach Rez, it was Ken and he seems to think at six, Jeremiah Love is a great pick.

I think Jeremiah Love is the best player in this draft.

I think he is in the category or the tier of a Vision Robinson, Jameer Gibbs.

I think possibly even in a, in a sake one category at some point someday.

I think he's one of those guys that can change.

The tenor of a franchise on offense can be an immediate impact player.

I think he's better than us in Gen T.

I don't know if you're, if Jeremiah Love necessarily needs a, you know, amazing offense

to come in and, and, and really saying.

I think he could come in and help raise the team.

I think he could come in and work with a young quarterback and move him around.

You don't have to get rid of Judkins, maybe Dylan Sampson doesn't have quite a, quite

as much of a role, but you can play him with another guy at works.

You know, there's a lot you can do with him.

The other thing I think that could justify it more also in theory would be you have the

other pick in the first round.

You could, you know, you're a team right now that is trying to acquire as many young talented

players as possible to me.

It doesn't matter what position they play.

So at number six, I'm trying to get the absolute best player I can get, period, end of story.

And if that's Jeremiah Love, that's Jeremiah Love.

And if I have to get my tackle at 26, that's what I'll do.

You know, this is the time of year where I start watching more, listening more, reading

more because I have, I have a little more time to do it.

It's hard to do it in the middle of a football season with the draft coming up and start

really doing your homework on these guys.

And yeah, that's why I gave you those three players that if they're there at six and the

Browns walk away with any of those three guys.

And again, that'd be Caleb Downs, Carnell Tate, Jeremiah Love.

It's going to be very difficult for me to sit, whether it's in this chair when I'm joining

you or Ken and Anthony or whomever is going to be really hard for me to be like, yeah,

they really messed that pick up.

No, I think that if they walk away with any of those three players, we're good.

Was I have a hard time in general, I think in coming up with players that I would just

be very agitated about now in the beginning portion of this draft exercise, I was very

much and I, yeah, yeah, the coach is was like, no, don't do anything defensively.

These offense are nothing.

And everyone got on board with that and it felt like, all right, great, everyone's understanding

of what this needs to be.

You got to fill up the needs.

But ultimately we're switching to the offensive side of the ball.

And then the past week and a half or so, I've changed my tune on this a little bit because

I, what I think the Browns are trying to do in 2026 is changed.

Well, we first were having that discussion, Darryl.

It was about winning games in 2026 and it was about giving Shadore a best chance with

his offensive line and the wide receivers.

And the way I look at the Browns right now, I don't think they're trying to do that.

I don't think they're worried about 2026, I think they're worried about 2027 or 2028.

And then obviously the eyes on 2029 when you open the deal.

So when you open it up to that, then my opinion on all of this changes drastically, then

it is about just getting the best players you can and it is about breaking up.

And when I prefer to be the offensive side of the ball, of course I would.

I do have a preference in that regard, but if I had to rank these players, if I had

to rank these players, okay.

Love is one, downs is two, tat is three.

He's number one in the board for you.

Yeah.

Yeah.

Because I feel like he is such an explosive player.

The reason I haven't talked a lot about him, one, this is the first time I've been asked

about him.

And then secondly, I have made the assumption he ain't going to be there anyway.

Okay.

And he might be there legitimately, and I'm not just saying this because in the conversations

better if he existed six, but legitimately, he is a running back and running backs.

We've had one running back taken the top five in the past, you know, 15 years, well, I

guess two technically, but Ashton, Gen T was Gen T six or five.

I keep throwing that off.

Gen T was six.

He was six.

Okay.

So Gen T was six and then say one is the only other one in the top five and right.

Wasn't Leonard Frenette, top four?

Oh, we'd have to go back.

Maybe I said too many years attached to that, maybe that's what that was.

Now at least since sake one was taken in 2018, we've had one taken in the top five and

that was sake one.

And I believe three overall, but like the point remains and then it's true and you're

team building process.

You don't see it often is the point.

And yet we've had more guys in recent years, we brought cautionary tail.

They took Trent Richardson.

They traded up with Minnesota to take him third overall and we brought up Jamir Gibbs.

We brought up B. John.

We brought up guys that would take it in the top 15 like that does exist.

That is a thing.

And to get there for top five does take a lot for teams and I don't know.

I put it at 50, 50 right now that Jeremiah love exists at six overall for the Browns.

Now what I think will happen, I don't think the Browns would turn in the card and take

Jeremiah love.

No, I don't think they will either.

I think they would trade out and I think that would be their one opportunity they

could have to trade out.

And so I think they would take it and I think then we would just keep the conversation moving.

You know, I kind of feel like both downs in love would be what I would call luxury picks

for the Browns.

That comes to roster building and they've never gotten to this point.

You know, they would need K, you know, the reason why Caleb Downs would make sense at six

is because well, Grant Elpitz in the final year is contract.

So there will be a decision that has to be made there and Grant Elpitz certainly been

a fine player.

He's turned into a really fine player there in the secondary.

But that's where you're talking about that recycling your roster thing.

Okay.

If you don't want to keep Grant Elpitz, now you slide in Caleb Downs into that position

and again, these are things that teams like the Packers and the Patriots and the Eagles

and the Ravens and the Steelers, right?

These are things that they do.

Okay, fine.

We don't have to pay all of our guys when they go to free agency.

Yeah, we let a guy walk.

We bring up the next kid that we drafted and developed like it's nothing to them.

And the Browns have never been able to get on that cycle when it comes to roster building.

Aside from the fact they can't find a quarterback, like they can't get to that point on their

roster building.

It's they have to overspend in free agency to bring in the talent that they missed on

in the draft to try and play catch up.

And then, you know, it's about filling specific holes in the draft because well, that's

what they need to do rather than maybe taking the blue chip talent, the best player that's

available to you.

You got three really good players that were speculating potentially could be available

to the Browns there.

Like I said, I rank love is the best pure player there.

I rank downs as the second best player because I think both of those guys are game changers.

Okay.

I think they both can be game changers.

And I think coach Riz word by the way.

And I think I talked to coach Riz a lot, I spent a lot of time with coach Riz.

I've learned the game.

I think it can be a game changer as well, but I don't know as much about that.

I would not kill them if they take car and LTA that's not going to happen.

But I don't know that he's the game changer that people think I said I think I didn't

say he is.

There's a difference.

I said that downs and love are game changers.

And I said I think Tate potentially could be.

There's a difference there.

Okay.

There is a difference there were yes, but you were speaking in absolutes for a second

there.

All right.

And that's fine.

We don't need to do a thing about car now Tate.

I just I'm not as high on him as other people are.

I've kind of made that known.

And it's not anything that car now Tate himself can control.

It's just if I think of him as more of a T Higgins than I think of him as anything else.

That's not an insult to the guy that's still a very productive football player.

But I just don't think when I think T Higgins, I don't think game changer.

I think Jamar chase game changer.

I don't think of T Higgins as game changer.

I think of him as a very good football player.

Somebody would love to have on your team, but I don't I don't look at him as the the

bell of the ball.

But what I have done in recent weeks and what I've done in recent, I guess even months

is I've changed my perception of what I even need out of six overall.

If this draft isn't going to present itself as a very sexy draft, all things considered.

And yes, there are guys like Jeremiah Love that are good.

But overall, I think you have to look at number six this year is a little bit different

than what you typically see.

And so I maybe I don't need to fall in love with the player necessarily the same way you

typically would at six, but Carnell Tate just doesn't, he doesn't pass the smell test

for me, even in a weaker draft to be there at number six.

I think the best case scenario for Andrew Berry is all three of those players are available

at six.

And he, I mean, look, he's got the for sale sign on six, he would, he, I believe once

somebody to come up to six and he can slide down a couple of spots.

My concern is, yeah, you slide down too far.

I don't want to slide down too far.

It's too far.

I would probably say, I think 12's too far, unless you're getting a 20, 27 first rounder.

I want to grab one of the offensive linemen or wide receivers at some point is that the

idea because like the three wide receivers, we talked the most about between Tate, between

Tyson and lemon.

Like one of them is going to exist at 12, right?

And then even the offensive linemen we're discussing, I mean, I think Freelings going

to be there even potentially at 24, but like, yeah, I don't know that he's going to be

there at 24.

This is a top heavy tackle class they say, whereas with the receiver group, they're, it's

a very good receiver class and the talent is comparable.

Sure.

You know, I'm saying.

But I'm telling you, I think Freelings was a reach to begin with anyway.

And I think Freelings shot up because of what happened at the combine.

I think that was a lot of smoke and mirrors.

I don't think, I don't believe in Freelings draft rise the way that everyone has said

it's existed for three weeks.

I also don't believe in the, if you can play right tackle, you can play left tackle thing

that Andrew Berry does.

He likes to do that.

I don't believe in it.

I just do not.

I, I want a pure left tackle at that position.

I'm not looking for a project or a conversion or anything else.

I know it can be done.

I know it has been done.

George Warhop is a fine offensive line coach.

I love that they brought him back.

I just personally would feel more comfortable with a pure left tackle rather than taking a

right tackle and training him to play left.

My point is I'm open to options here.

I have gone from being, telling everyone to be close minded as possible in this whole

entire exercise.

To now, if you're not taking 2026 series, I, I'm as open minded to this discussion as

you can possibly get.

And I, I don't know, Darryl, that I'll go Mason Graham on everyone, like what they

did last year.

Yeah.

And I was Mason Graham, my favorite pick in the world.

No, felt like everybody got on board with it and it was what it was.

I, I don't know that I'm ready to say I'll do that.

Just just wave the pom-poms at whatever they choose.

Right.

But I'm having a hard time thinking of a pick that they could make it six or I would be agitated

with them.

Even I car now, Tate, I don't love car now, Tate.

If they take them at six because they think he's T Higgins.

Okay.

Right.

I'm not going to lie to you up for it.

You, you took a wide receiver.

You took a wide receiver that you think will be on this roster and be productive with

you for the next half decade plus.

How do I get mad at that?

I really do think they're going to take a right tackle and, and try and train them on

the left side.

I don't know what type.

Yeah.

Because supposed to be a right tackle.

He's set to be a right tackle.

And you're going to throw them on the left side.

That would be disastrous if they didn't.

I mean, look, they've brought in four offensive linemen this, this offseason and we don't

know what positions they play because while they can play multiple positions.

Right.

Yeah.

That's true.

We don't know.

We don't know if Elton Jenkins is your starting left tackle center or guard.

Right.

So.

You don't know.

You don't know.

To your point, versatility is something that they really, really believe in and prioritize

on that offensive line.

How do I know that?

Because I looked and watched what they did during free agency leading up to free agency.

They brought in guys that can play multiple positions.

No, I really think, no, they're not going to do what I want them to do, which I still

thinks the right thing to do.

I really think that they're going to get a right tackle.

They're going to try and convert to left tackle and say, hey, we had a swing tackle.

There's a starter.

You play either side, wherever we need them to go, that's where you can be.

Because that, you know what?

We can say the same thing about the guards and, you know, that's just how they're doing

things.

JPI fact check to you there as a senior research analyst.

Oh, I looked already.

You're good.

Yeah.

You're good.

And the top six, you're good.

You're good.

You're good.

Oh, no, definitely.

The problem is I went back too many years.

I meant to say since 2018.

Yeah.

And then we went.

Then we went.

We went.

I trust me.

I already fact checked myself there.

You had credit for Zeke as well, but then it's Trent Richardson in 2020 and 2012.

So like it's in the last 15 years, still not a high number by any stretch of the measure.

And it's definitely, you know, four in the last 10 in the last 10 drafts that we've had.

I still can't believe we talked about Trent Richardson like he was the next gym brown

and they ultimately traded him for a first-drown pick with the goals.

I can't believe it.

That's been 15 years.

But here we are.

It's been a long 15 years.

You have no idea.