THE HERD - Hour 3 - Todd McShay stops by The Herd

Thanks for spending time with The Herd; we’re live weekdays on Fox Sports Radio and streaming in the iHeartRadio app. Todd McShay, who’s covered the draft since the late nineties, joins from a secret but very cool spot, and I’ll start with this: if the Giants land the top pick, do you take Mendoza or ride with Jackson Dart, knowing NIL might keep some college quarterbacks in school?

I’d stick with Jackson Dart and auction the pick for a haul because quarterback demand will outstrip supply again. Stock multiple firsts and future capital from teams like the Browns, Jets, or Rams, reassess after another year with Dart, and be positioned for what looks like a deeper quarterback and wide receiver class next year.

On Caleb versus Bo Nix, both have sharp play callers and strong lines, but different strengths; were you high on Nix then, and what about now?

I graded Nix as an early second, and most teams did too, but Sean Payton zagged and built the fit around him. Caleb is the more gifted talent overall, yet in Payton’s system I trust Nix more right now, even if I’m not sold on a deep playoff run today.

I’ve always liked Sam Darnold, and when John Schneider went for him in Seattle, it made sense; did people around the league see it that way?

Schneider went back to his roots as a scout and team builder, got younger at quarterback, freed cap, and added draft ammo, and it’s showing up fast. I just want Sam to close strong to finally quiet the folks who judged him at twenty-one on that Jets team.

Your top prospects are stacked, especially at receiver; Oregon’s Dante Moore is polarizing on starts versus talent, so what does the tape say?

He’s the purest passer in college football with touch, anticipation, and enough movement to create, but he’s young and light on starts. He’d likely go top ten if he declares in a thinner early-entry group, yet another year of reps would raise his odds of long-term success.

Alabama–Oklahoma is tricky: OU’s at home with a rush, Bama can’t run it, and DeBoer can coach; who do you like and why?

Ty Simpson’s upside is real and the chess match is Venables versus DeBoer, but Bama’s getting bodies back and that changes the look. With extra prep time for an elite head coach, I lean toward this being the game of the weekend with Bama ready to answer.

Todd’s top ten has a run on wideouts, and the data on college starts matters; I’ve moved receiver up my value board, though I still prefer taking elite overall players in round one regardless of position fit if the grade says go.

You can often find receivers later while tackles are harder, and recent number one quarterbacks haven’t been the class’s best out of the gate. Landing spot matters, so a slight slide for a Dante Moore type might be better than going first to a shaky franchise.

George Pickens ducked the media as his play dipped, and that history raises questions. AJ Brown could be on the move, and Kansas City or New England feel like firm-culture fits, especially with a deep receiver draft to help manage cost.

Pickens’ body language and past flags are hard to ignore, and a tag or fresh start feels likely. I actually like AJ Brown to the Chiefs with Travis Kelce aging, and New England with Vrabel and a young quarterback also makes sense.

On Shadour Sanders, the Browns were short key pieces and it showed, and I’m not crowning him or that group of young passers with the Bonaix, Jaden Daniels, and Drake May tier yet. There’s promise, but they look more like next-year starters than instant franchise guys.

Long year, lots of rookies starting, and the AFC is oddly wide open while the NFC rosters feel stronger with stable coach–quarterback pairings and surprise climbers like Chicago and Seattle. Keep an eye on Green Bay’s ceiling next year, and yes, we’ll see if Sam Darnold keeps stacking wins; thanks to Todd McShay for stopping by—good stuff today, and we’ll see you tomorrow.