Sports Krunch w/DKROM

1. Should a lengthy suspension for Rashee Rice be handed down as expected, who becomes the Chiefs biggest X factor on offense for the first half of the season outside of Mahomes and Travis Kelce?

2. Do you think the Texans are a serious threat to win the AFC Crown this season, or do you agree with Edholm's assessment that 2025 is the more likely year that Houston will be on Lombardi watch?

3. If Anthony Richardson stays healthy this season and essentially picks up where he left off, how bullish will you be on the Colts' chances to win the AFC South?

4. Which of those two (DC Zach Orr or RB Derrick Henry) is more important in shaping the Ravens overall fate this year?

5. Which of Justin Herbert or Josh Allen is better positioned for offensive success this season?

6. Which of those three secondaries (Bengals, Lions, or Eagles) do you think will be the most improved?

7. If no long-term deal with Dak Prescott is reached by the eve of Week 1, should the Cowboys immediately open the phone lines and see if they can trade him by the deadline?

8. If new Packers defensive coordinator Jeff Hafley can finally maximize the talent on that side of the ball and should Jordan Love essentially pick up where he left off in 2023, are they a bona fide Super Bowl contender?

9.What, in your mind, would a successful rookie season for Caleb Williams look like?

10. If no long-term deal is agreed to by the eve of Week 1, which teams should be calling the 49ers to inquire about Brandon Aiyuk's availability...and should they be willing to surrender a first-round pick to acquire him?

11. Over/Under (Rookie QB Starts)

-Drake Maye (O/U, 7)

-Michael Penix, Jr. (O/U, 1.5)

-J.J. McCarthy (O/U, 10)

-Bo Nix (O/U, 10)

12. This or That (way-too-early predictions)

-Which second-year QB takes the bigger step forward this year, Bryce Young or Will Levis?

-Which head coach has the hotter seat headed into 2024, Robert Saleh or Dennis Allen?

-Which Dallas Cowboy not named Dak Prescott is more likely to ink a contract extension before Week 1, CeeDee Lamb or Micah Parsons?

-Which team is more likely to win the AFC North, the Bengals or the Steelers?

-Which 2023 playoff team is more likely to return to the playoffs this season, the Rams or the Bucs?

-Which team with a first-year head coach is more likely to make the playoffs, the Chargers or the Seahawks?

-Which team is more likely to end up with the #1 overall pick in the 2025 NFL Draft, the Broncos or the Panthers?

1. NFC North

-Have you ever seen a better situation for a #1 overall pick to walk into? What can Bears fans realistically expect from Caleb Williams in his rookie season?

-Do you think Kiran Amegadjie makes more sense as a long-term replacement for Braxton Jones at LT, or as a long-term replacement for Teven Jenkins at guard?

-How good of a chance do you think Austin Booker has to develop into Montez Sweat's long-term bookend for the Bears?

-What makes J.J. McCarthy and Kevin O'Connell a hand-in-glove fit schematically speaking?

-What makes Dallas Turner potentially worth this massive price (six total picks) for the Vikings?

-Do you anticipate Jordan Morgan being the Packers starting left tackle come Week 1 or do you see him starting his NFL career inside?

-If one of Edgerrin Cooper or Javon Bullard (or both) makes a solid contribution this season, can we be very confident that this Packers defense finally plays up to their potential after two underwhelming years?

-Would it be a massive disappointment if this 2024 Lions defense isn't the best D Dan Campbell has had in his time in Detroit thus far?

-Would you be surprised to see either Christian Mahogany or Mekhi Wingo (or both) as a full-time starter in 2025?

2. NFC East

-Why do you think the Commanders decided to go with Jayden Daniels over Drake Maye?

-Even if it doesn't show up on the stat sheet, should we expect a pretty sizable impact from Ben Sinnott this season?

-Would you bet on both Tyrone Tracy, Jr. and Theo Johnson becoming foundational pieces for this Giants offense along with Malik Nabers?

-If Tyler Nubin and/or Andru Phillips makes a solid impact this year, are the Giants likely a top-12 defense or better?

-In 2023, the Eagles surrendered 35 TD passes and only intercepted 9. With Quinyon Mitchell and Cooper DeJean now in the fold, how much should we expect those numbers to improve in Philly's favor this season?

-What makes Jalyx Hunt such an intriguing project for Vic Fangio to work with?

-Do you anticipate Cooper Beebe starting at the pivot for Dallas in 2024?

-How optimistic should the Cowboys be about Marshawn Kneeland becoming a long-term defensive cornerstone like Demarcus Lawrence has been?

3. NFC South

-Was Xavier Legette's breakout campaign last year a fluke or was it a sign of things to come?

-Do you think Jonathon Brooks is likely to be the centerpiece of the Panthers offense in Year 1 of the Dave Canales era?

-If Kirk Cousins shows even the slightest signs of decline between now and 2026, should the Falcons hand the reins over to Michael Penix, Jr. two years from now?

-We all know Raheem Morris can maximize defensive talent, thus are you bullish on two of these three picks (Ruke Orhorhoro, Bralen Trice, Brandon Dorlus) being hits?

-Are you at least somewhat puzzled by Taliese Fuaga's schematic fit with the Saints?

-If the 2024 season goes south for the Saints, should they be willing to start Spencer Rattler for say 3-5 games?

-What does Graham Barton offer the Bucs from Day 1 and how much improvement should we expect from their running game this season?

-Do you think Chris Braswell has what it takes to become a full-time starter for the Bucs?

4. NFC West

-How does Darius Robinson improve this Cardinals defensive front from Day 1 and what is the best way to utilize him?

-What made Trey Benson stand out from all the other running backs in this class and do you believe he's fully capable of shouldering a heavier workload at the NFL level?

-Is it fair to expect a DROY level performance from Byron Murphy this year?

-Can you see Blake Corum getting 35-40% of the carries for the Rams this year?

-What makes Ricky Pearsall the ideal WR for a Kyle Shanahan offense?

-Would you be surprised to see both Renardo Green and Malik Mustapha end up as starters for the 49ers by 2025, if not sooner?

1. AFC East

-If you're the Patriots, would you be willing to start Jacoby Brissett for half the season or longer in order to benefit Drake Maye long-term?

-In your view, how good of a start did the Patriots get in building the nest for Drake Maye?

-Was taking Olu Fashanu over Brock Bowers the more prudent move for the Jets?

-Can you see Malachi Corley automatically upgrading the role vacated by Randall Cobb in the Jets WR room?

-In your view, does Chop Robinson have what it takes to develop into an every-down defender, or is it more likely he ends up as a designated pass rusher at the NFL level?

-Which two of those four Dolphins picks (Patrick Paul, Jaylen Wright, Mohamed Kamara, Malik Washington) are most likely to hit and why?

-Do you think Josh Allen has what it takes in order to get the most out of Keon Coleman?

-Why should Bills Mafia be bullish on Cole Bishop being a long-term fixture at the safety position?

2. AFC North

-Would it be highly ideal if Amarius Mims has a redshirt rookie year to fully focus on getting his body into NFL shape?

-Do you have ample optimism any of these Bengals selections (Kris Jenkins, Jermaine Burton, Erick All) become long-term pieces for the Bengals?

-Can you see Michael Hall, Jr. evolving into a three-down player down the road?

-Both Troy Fautanu and Zach Frazier figure to be Day 1 starters, but Mason McCormick has a ways to go as he finds himself behind James Daniels and Isaac Seumalo on the depth chart. That said, can you see all three of them as starters in 2025?

-How well have the Steelers set up Russell Wilson and/or Justin Fields for success this season?

-How does Nate Wiggins fit into the Ravens mold?

-Can you see Roger Rosengarten as the long-term successor to Ronnie Stanley?

3. AFC South

-In your view, is J.C. Latham's best fit at the NFL level at tackle or guard?

-Do you think T'Vondre Sweat can be more than a mere rotational piece on the Titans DL?

-Does the addition of Laiatu Latu give the Colts one of the NFL's top-five defensive front fours?

-Character questions aside, what does Adonai Mitchell bring to the Colts receiving corps that was lacking last year, and do you see him getting the starting job on the boundary opposite Michael Pittman, Jr.?

-Do you think the Jaguars WR room this year (BTJ, Kirk, Gabe Davis) is better than last years (Ridley, Kirk, Zay Jones)?

-How do Kamari Lassiter and Calen Bullock immediately help upgrade a Texans pass defense that was pretty leaky outside of Derek Stingley, Jr. last season?

-Can you see the Texans Week 1 starting OL including Blake Fisher at RT with Tytus Howard kicking inside to guard?

4. AFC West

-Aside from meeting the value at 5, why is Joe Alt a better fit for the Chargers than J.C. Latham?

-Health permitting, can you see Ladd McConkey emerging as Justin Herbert's top target in the passing game and catching 75-80 passes his rookie season?

-What makes Bo Nix such a hand-in-glove fit for Sean Payton's offense?

-Of those four Broncos picks (Jonah Elliss, Troy Frankloin, Kris Abrams-Draine, Audric Estime), which one do you see as most likely to grow into a core piece?

-Should the Raiders eventually plan to utilize Brock Bowers in a very similar role as they currently utilize Davante Adams schematically speaking?

-Based on their selections of Jackson Powers-Johnson and Delmar Glaze, do you think the Raiders are aiming for a run-first identity on offense under Antonio Pierce, even though they have an abundance of skill position talent?

-Do you see Andy Reid plugging Xavier Worthy into that DJax role right off the bat?

-Assuming the Chiefs don't make a veteran addition at the LT position, do you think Kingsley Suamataia has a decent chance to beat out Wanya Morris for that job?

-How bullish are you about Jared Wiley cementing himself as the long-term heir to Travis Kelce by 2026?

1. If you were making the pick for the Commanders at 2, which QB would you select and why?

2. As NFL insider Benjamin Allbright reported last Thursday, there are people in that New England front office that want to trade back and stockpile future draft capital, but owner Robert Kraft, who's 82 years old, wants a QB badly. Whose course of action do you personally prefer the Patriots to take: Kraft's or the front office's? Can you see the two sides coming to a compromise in which they trade down with the Vikings and then trade back up to the 5-8 range and get QB4 (most likely J.J. McCarthy)? That's exactly what Monti Ossenfort and the Cardinals did last year.

3. If you're the Cardinals, would you stand pat at 4 if the Vikings don't give you a package that's equal in value to the Trey Lance package? On the flip side, if you're the Vikings in that scenario, do you bite the bullet and give up both firsts along with next year's first to get to 4 or 5, or are you willing to wait until pick 7 or 8 to make your move?

4. On a scale of 1-10, how dumb would such a big trade-up for QB4 be for the Broncos?

5. Do you think the Chargers would be making a massive mistake if they indeed pass on three of the most talented WR prospects to enter the NFL in recent years?

6. If you're Bears GM Ryan Poles, what would your preferred course of action tomorrow night be: A: Make the trade-up to 3 for Marvin Harrison, Jr., B: Trade one of those 2025 2's to move up to say 7 or 8 in order to land Malik Nabers or Rome Odunze, or C: Stand pat at 9 and try to trade back if the board falls a certain way?

7. Buy Or Sell

-Washington QB Michael Penix, Jr. will be a first-round pick

-At least 22 of the 32 first-round picks will be offensive players, breaking the all-time NFL Draft record of 19

-More than 6 trades will be made tomorrow night, including the Cardinals moving up from 27 for a top-flight corner, and the Commanders packaging one or both of their second-round picks to move into the late 'teens/early 20's for an offensive tackle

-Texas DT Byron Murphy will be the first defensive player off the board, either going at 8 to the Falcons or at 9 to the Bears

-Texas WR Xavier Worthy will be the fourth WR off the board

-Either the Jaguars or Colts will trade up to 8 with the Falcons or to 9 with the Bears to select whichever of the top 3 WR is still remaining

-The Los Angeles Rams will select a QB on Day 2 or 3

8. Which team would you say is under the most pressure to come away with a good draft haul this weekend?

9. "What we THINK will happen" first-round mock draft (trades allowed)

1. One area of Caleb Williams' game that needs to be ironed out is his over-reliance on out-of-structure plays. However, as ESPN NFL analyst Mina Kimes noted, whenever Caleb had to play in-structure at USC, he proved he is more than capable of doing so. Do you agree with her view? Another knock on Caleb Williams is that he tried to be Superman far too often, always looking for the home run play as opposed to taking what the defense gives him. However, a big reason for that could've been the overall supporting cast at USC. In all 8 of his career losses with the Trojans, the defense surrendered an average of 43 points per game. Do you think going to a team like the Bears, who have an ascending defense, can help him tremendously in out-growing his habit of being on the high dive far too often?

2. Why do you think the NFL seems to not be as high on Drake Maye as draft media is?

3. How bullish or bearish are you on Jayden Daniels' long-term NFL outlook, especially if he ends up going to the Commanders at 2?

4. What on J.J. McCarthy's game tape suggests he's worth spending a high first-round pick on and if you don't see such evidence, what do you think the NFL sees that you don't?

5. What do you think of the potential fit of Bo Nix in a Sean Payton offense?

6. Joel Klatt, who is the color analyst for college football on Fox believes that if Michael Penix, Jr. is surrounded by a similar cache of talent at the NFL level as he was at Washington, he has an excellent chance to be even more productive than Brock Purdy and Tua Tagovailoa. Do you agree with Joel's assessment?

7. On a scale of 1-10, how strong is the case for Spencer Rattler being the first QB off the board on Day 2?

1. In your opinion, which QB out of Jayden Daniels, Drake Maye, or J.J. McCarthy should be the Commanders pick at 2? Washington also has a glaring deficiency at OT as their current depth chart consists of Braeden Daniels, Cornelius Lucas, Andrew Wylie and Trent Scott. If you're Adam Peters, do you try extra hard to package your two second-round picks (36 and 40) to move up into the late 'teens or early 20's to select a tackle?

2. What do you think is the better plan for the Giants: trading up to 3 or 4 to select Drake Maye or J.J. McCarthy, or taking one of the stud WR's at 6 and using their second-round pick on Michael Penix, Jr.?

3. With numerous OT-needy teams picking ahead of them (Raiders at 13, Saints at 14, Bengals at 18, Rams at 19, Steelers at 20, and the Dolphins at 21), do you think the Eagles would be more than willing to package one of those second-round picks to move up to 15 with the Colts, or even to 12 with the Broncos in order to get their long-term successor to Lane Johnson?

4. Dallas must find multiple starters in this draft. And as an NFC scouting director told ESPN NFL Draft analyst Jordan Reid, a potential reason for the Cowboys' quiet free agency is that "they seem to be confident" in doing just that. Do you share the Cowboys supposed confidence? Would you anticipate two of the Cowboys three top-100 picks being spent on the offensive line given the departures of Tyler Biadasz and Tyron Smith?

5. Commanders Three-Round Mock (No Trades)

6. Giants Three-Round Mock (No Trades)

7. Eagles Three-Round Mock (No Trades)

8. Cowboys Three-Round Mock (No Trades)

1. If you're the Bengals, do you trade Tee Higgins during the draft, or do you think you can get a better return by trading him right before the mid-July franchise tag deadline?

2. Last year, Steelers GM Omar Khan traded up three spots to select a raw, but super promising athletic OT in Broderick Jones. This year, can you anticipate Pittsburgh making an even bigger jump up the board (say seven or eight spots) to select a potential bookend tackle to Jones?

3. If there's a certain position other than QB that may not be a need for the Browns now but will in 2025, what is it and which prospects at that particular position would be ideal Day 2 investments for them?

4. Which prospects at positions other than OT, G, and EDGE can you see being selected by the Ravens at 30 overall?

5. Bengals Three-Round Mock (No Trades)

6. Steelers Three-Round Mock (No Trades)

7. Browns Three-Round Mock (No Trades)

8. Ravens Three-Round Mock (No Trades)

1. Say the Cardinals trade back with the Vikings, netting them picks 11 and 23, meaning they would have four selections in the top 35. But shortly thereafter, in typical Monti Ossenfort fashion, the Cardinals offer the Chargers two of those four top-35 selections along with say a second or third next year to come up to 5. If you're Jim Harbaugh, do you take that deal and get yourself say Taliese Fuaga at 11 and Adonai Mitchell in the 20's, or do you stand pat at 5 and take the top WR on your board?

2. At this time, do you think it is more likely the Broncos move back from 12 as opposed to trade up? NFL insider Benjamin Allbright also said last week that there are various scenarios in which the Broncos trade back TWICE and still get someone they highly covet. Do you feel similarly?

3. If Jayden Daniels falls past the Commanders, do you highly anticipate the Raiders to offer a King's Ransom to the Patriots in order to trade up to 3? How ideal of a landing spot are the Raiders for a rookie QB?

4. Which of those two positions (WR or OT) is the most urgent for the Chiefs to address? Just two years ago, Brett Veach traded up eight spots to select Trent McDuffie, who was arguably the best player on the field in Super Bowl LVIII. Do you expect Veach to his absolute darnedest to try to trade up even higher to nab such a difference maker at OT or WR?

5. Chargers Three-Round Mock (No Trades)

6. Broncos Three-Round Mock (No Trades)

7. Raiders Three-Round Mock (No Trades)

8. Chiefs Three-Round Mock (No Trades)

1. If you're Eliot Wolf, who's the Patriots de facto GM, what would you do with the third overall pick? If the Patriots do indeed stand pat at 3 and take a QB, should they have Jacoby Brissett start the entire 2024 season and whichever QB they select take the reins in 2025 a la Alex Smith and Patrick Mahomes?

2. Before free agency, most mock drafts had the Jets selecting a tackle with the 10th overall pick. But shortly after the news of the Tyron Smith signing broke, myself and several others on Draft Twitter immediately concluded that the Jets were going to draft Georgia TE Brock Bowers. Given the "win now or else" situation the Jets are in, does it feel inevitable to you that Bowers is going to be the pick at 10 if he's there?

3. The Dolphins are one of the more difficult teams to gauge when it comes to what they'll do in the first round. What positions do you think they're eyeballing the most at 21 overall?

4. Bills GM Brandon Beane is not shy about trading up in the first round as he done so four times in the past six years, including last year when they moved up for Dalton Kincaid. If you need to move up to say picks 12-15 in order to nab one of the top WR's to replace Stefon Diggs, should Brandon Beane be more than willing to do so?

5. Patriots Three-Round Mock (No Trades)

6. Jets Three-Round Mock (No Trades)

7. Dolphins Three-Round Mock (No Trades)

8. Bills Three-Round Mock (No Trades)

1. Would you be surprised or even shocked if the Titans, should they keep the pick at 7, do not upgrade Will Levis's protection with a new OT? Another thing to keep in mind is that Tennessee only has two top-100 selections (7, 38). If another team offers the Titans another such selection for them to move back, would you take that deal if you're Ran Carthon?

2. When you look at the Colts, this is a roster that doesn't really have any glaring holes on it, so they are well-positioned to take the absolute best player remaining on their board at 15. However, they don't have a proven receiving threat outside of Michael Pittman, Jr. and they also lack a legit shutdown boundary corner. Do you anticipate the Colts addressing one of those two needs in the first round, or can you easily see them looking elsewhere?

3. If you're Trent Baalke, do you try everything possible to trade up into the top-10 for one of those big-three receivers (should one fall to 8 or 9), or do you stand pat at 17 and take a Brian Thomas, Jr. or an Adonai Mitchell? Jacksonville also has another urgent need at the cornerback position. Do you think it would be more prudent for the Jaguars to address that particular position at 17 and WR with their second-round pick?

4. Stefon Diggs will turn 31 this November and both he and Nico Collins are slated to be free agents next year. Because of those circumstances, can you still see the Texans taking a WR with one of their three Day 2 picks?

5. As you predicted on our Texans offseason preview episode, they made one big splash signing in free agency (Danielle Hunter) and made some excellent short-term value signings at other positions of need such as CB (Jeff Okudah and C.J. Henderson), DT (Denico Autry) and LB (Azeez al-Shaiir). Thus, Nick Caserio is in a sweet spot to truly take the best player available. I believe another reason the Texans were willing to drop down 19 spots from 23 to 42 is because they believe the options at DT, LB, or CB are going to be plentiful at that juncture of the draft. Which of those three aforementioned positions should be Houston's highest priority with their two second-round picks?

6. Titans Three-Round Mock (No Trades)

7. Colts Three-Round Mock (No Trades)

8. Jaguars Three-Round Mock (No Trades)

9. Texans Three-Round Mock (No Trades)