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Building the Board: A Look Ahead to the 2027 QB Draft Class

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Building the Board: A Look Ahead to the 2027 QB Draft Class

Todd McShay and Stephen Muench from The McShay Show bring their “Building the Board” series over to The Ringer NFL Show, where they analyze and rank the biggest college football QB prospects set to be available for the 2027 draft. They then shine a light on the NFL teams that will most likely need a QB by next spring and highlight others who may just want to take advantage of a very talent-heavy class to build roster depth. (00:00) Building the Board: A look ahead to the 2027 QB draft class (05:11) Todd’s and Steve’s 2027 QB class top-five lists (14:28) LaNorris Sellers (16:52) Sam Leavitt (25:21) CJ Carr (28:29) Arch Manning (36:38) Darian Mensah (37:56) Brendan Sorsby (42:03) NFL teams that should focus on the 2027 QB draft class The Ringer is committed to responsible gaming. Please visit www.rg-help.com to learn more about the resources and helplines available. Host: Todd McShay Guest: Stephen Muench Producer: Chris Sutton Video Editor: Stefano Sanchez Production Supervision: Conor Nevins and Arjuna Ramgopowell Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

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welcome to the ringer nfl show shiel is still on vacation so we're getting this opportunity my good friend and co-host steve mentioned i from the mcshay show kind of just taking over for the day and hope you guys enjoy we're going to get to this 2027 quarterback class that's being touted as potentially the greatest quarterback class in the history of the nfl draft we'll take you through our top five maybe some other quarterbacks that could rise and also spend some time talking about the abundance of teams that could wind up in the quarterback market in the 2027 class actually the list is a lot longer than we anticipated when we sat down and started prepping for this show we're excited to share our show with you here on the ringer nfl show and buckle up it's going to be a fun hour this episode is brought to you by chevrolet chevy drivers need a truck that shows up the same way they do you that's why chevy silverado is number one in manufacturer loyalty so they can go where others won't make their own way there and always get it done and as long as chevy people keep showing up we'll keep building trucks that do the same chevrolet together let's drive visit chevy.com slash trucks to explore the lineup this episode is brought to you by panda express telling someone you love them it isn't always easy but showing them through food sometimes that's better than words especially when that food's wok cooked at panda express a joe house favorite pick from delicious classics like orange chicken honey walnut shrimp kung pao chicken and black pepper sirloin steak perfect for when you're watching the team you love or eating with the person you love have you eaten yet click or tap the banner to order or visit a panda express near you you mensch you ready for this i hope so i better be right ringer nfl show this is exciting this i'm todd mcshay this is steve mensch steve and i for those of you may be watching for the first time because we're in a different platform if you will uh steve and i have known each other since we're like 18 years old we're in the same recruiting class to university of richmond he was an offensive lineman i was a quarterback been we wound up working together just a year or two after we graduated and we've been working together for almost 25 years yeah we're sick of each other we can complete each other's sentences uh but true but we love we still love working with one another i i think depending on the day i'm fired up for this man me too it's it's a good way to stop down because we're in the thick of things on the mcshay show right we're in the thick of things this summer it's the first time we're doing it this way it's called building the board the 2027 quarterback class and we're doing it this way because we may be entering into a a path to the draft if you will that sees the best quarterback class in the history of the nfl draft right and so we wanted to celebrate that as we're we're tracking towards something pretty special with all these big names that we're about to get to by really diving in and pinning head to head and the first part of the series we did arch versus dante that's arch manning from texas and dante more from oregon because it kind of the perception is they're the top two guys who's going to be the first one off the board and we've given grades on both of those players and we'll get to all that in a minute then the second part of the series was these two special athletes right we got lenora sellers from south carolina brennan sorsby's taking on a life of his own cincinnati transfer to texas tech after beginning his career in the nfl and he's going to be the first one off the board and we're going to be at indiana the gambling issues the gambling addiction trying to petition the ncaa winning the battle losing the the battle so to speak with the big 12 suing him all we've we've covered that ad nauseum but on the field they're two similar prospects in that they're still raw still developing as pastors but they are supremely talented then you get the blue blood guys right notre dame ohio state faces of college football cj car julian saying uh guys that were both red shirt sophomores first year starters last year looking to make that big jump in their second year as starters and most recently we've got two quarterbacks that sparked a debate at least one of them did in sam levitt from arizona state to lsu and the other we did darian mensah from Miami the similarities being they're two really talented quarterbacks that are are moving from one college program to another bigger opportunity levitt at lsu with lane kiffin and mensah and miami and we've already seen the last couple times that miami's brought in a quarterback for this one year transition to the nfl and the development that's happened with cam ward going from like a late round guy incarnate word to maybe a fourth fifth round guy at washington state to the first overall pick just a couple years back right uh and then carson beck reclamation project from georgia the injury and everything that happened and he now is in arizona as a day two draft pick and hopes that maybe he can become the starter but we'll get to arizona have they settled on their quarterback yet or could they be in the mix in 2027 so that's the backdrop he's steve mensch i'm todd mcshay i want to get right into it man let's go we're now four parts in eight quarterbacks evaluated i believe they are going to be among the top eight quarterbacks that we wind up giving grades to i feel pretty confident that we've already evaluated the top five guys but what's interesting is i'm certain based off of our first four parts of the series that your top five quarterback rankings different than mine so you give the fine folks tuning in today and we appreciate everyone who is your top five quarterbacks as we sit today i'll counter with mine and let's take it where it goes you say different i say better let's go uh dante moore oregon i think is the clear-cut number one quarterback prospect in this class after that we're going to go lenore sellers from south carolina who i've loved from the first time i laid eyes on them number three cj carr from notre dame that might surprise some people number four arch manning out of texas maybe a little controversial that he's this low has a chance to be the first quarterback taken but right now i have him as number four and five you just talked about him darian mensa from tulane to duke and now miami he's the fifth quarterback in my rankings right now we do have some similarities we do more similarities than arguments i think the top two guys here we go we're identical on dante is is number one on my list and we'll get to grades in a minute but i'm going to go with dante because i think he's going to be the top one in a minute but i think it's important to preface this for people who are driving in their car mowing their lawn sitting on in their living room wherever you're you're absorbing this show um that the grades of all top these top five guys for me and i think i speak for you match are very close and that that creates part of the excitement going into the year right uh but dante is the top quarterback for me on my board as is for you believe it or not because i did not expect it before i went to watch the tape actually is my number two quarterback prospect here's where things get interesting yep and i'm planting this flag and i was coming into our last show that we that came out yesterday and you can find it on netflix you can find it on spotify you can find it on apple anywhere else you get your podcast but i strongly urge you go find it because i felt like i was screaming at kuiper and he was yelling at me again about brady quinn or clauston i got that pissed of course you pick those two that's very that's very convenient for you to pick those two my third quarterback is sam levitt from lsu and we'll get into the the reasons why in a bit i see talent there that's that's unique i see special ability i don't think there's a big difference between he the physical traits and what it can become and my goodness he couldn't have found a better home true lane kiffin and what lane has done starting with usc in his days there developing quarterbacks offensive mind and and especially the last two quarterbacks that came through old miss before he decided to leave old miss in a well-documented situation of of aborting during the college football playoff but look what he did in short periods of time not not so much with jackson dart but jackson dart's final year the advancement and then last year with trinidad chambliss 246 or whatever the number was ranked um nil not a transfer portal quarterback not overall prospects of every position quarterback on some ranking he was 246 lane identified him brought him in he wasn't even going to be the starter luck is when opportunity meets preparation chambliss was prepared lane was preparing him for it took over as a starter and he flat out brilliant got better as the season went on and even in that georgia game just so special things so you take levitt with his traits that are better than jackson darts just get to your rankings you're already making the argument here who are the rest of your guys than chambliss i've got a high expectation for what we're going to see in baton rouge this fall so that's number three on my board classic big move i didn't interrupt you then i've got a number i've got two note tied at number four and that's with cj car and arch manning with identical grades very different players cj car kills you from the pocket i think he's going to take the next step i love his mind and the way he processes i i expect a huge year from car at notre dame and arch and this is where it's important and we'll get into it arch it will not surprise me one bit if arch manning is the number one overall quarterback and the number one overall player in the league and he's going to be the number one quarterback in the league and he's going to be the number one quarterback in the league and he's going to be the number one quarterback in the league and he's going to be the number one quarterback in the league and he's going to be the number one quarterback in the league and he's going to be the number number one quarterback in the league and he's going to be the number one draft when we're in washington dc celebrating what could be the greatest draft in the history of the nfl draft and it won't surprise me a bit if like his uncles arch surprises people and winds up going back to the sec for one more year of college football and he's not even available or not he's eligible but he's not available to draft until 2028 that's a huge gap between those two things number one overall pick in 2028 or we're still not there yet or we're still not there yet or we're still not there yet one more year of experience and that's the manning way right one more year of experience and that's the manning way right um and i'm gonna throw this one in there um and i'm gonna throw this one in there um and i'm gonna throw this one in there darian mensa is is number six on my board darian mensa is is number six on my board darian mensa is is number six on my board and i was i was i was higher on him and i was i was i was higher on him and i was i was i was higher on him as a prospect after watching his tape as a prospect after watching his tape as a prospect after watching his tape than i even thought i was than i even thought i was than i even thought i was going into it uh and mensa to me outside going into it uh and mensa to me outside going into it uh and mensa to me outside of dante moore and in some ways of dante moore and in some ways of dante moore and in some ways even more so than dante moore is the even more so than dante moore is the even more so than dante moore is the quarterback that i trust quarterback that i trust quarterback that i trust in a third and seven here's the read in a third and seven here's the read in a third and seven here's the read you have to put the ball perfectly to you have to put the ball perfectly to you have to put the ball perfectly to your receiver your receiver your receiver wants to throw another name in and let wants to throw another name in and let wants to throw another name in and let you know that he loves the guy you know that he loves the guy you know that he loves the guy let's for for the folks who haven't who let's for for the folks who haven't who let's for for the folks who haven't who haven't haven't haven't you know been following along in all this you know been following along in all this you know been following along in all this let's dive in let's dive in let's dive in quickly briskly to quickly briskly to quickly briskly to what makes dante one what makes sellers what makes dante one what makes sellers what makes dante one what makes sellers two i'll let you start two i'll let you start two i'll let you start dante one is it's is the brain i keep dante one is it's is the brain i keep dante one is it's is the brain i keep going back to this going back to this going back to this he's not his neurons fire quicker than he's not his neurons fire quicker than he's not his neurons fire quicker than everyone else's everyone else's everyone else's he's on a graduate level looking to get he's on a graduate level looking to get he's on a graduate level looking to get his doctorate in terms of playing the his doctorate in terms of playing the his doctorate in terms of playing the position position position understands how to read defenses knows understands how to read defenses knows understands how to read defenses knows where the ball has to go gets it out on where the ball has to go gets it out on time i mean now the we talked about this on our show but later on in the year guys are starting to pick up on tendencies texas tech started to pick up on some tendencies indiana picked up some tendencies and he's got to learn that maybe the right read isn't always the right decision because teams are going to start taking things away from him and he's going to take the next term step in terms of development based on what he's done so far i have no concerns about it and then you layer that with or you add that on top of the accuracy and the touch his ability to make layered throws ability to to throw to deliver the ball where guys can get yards after catch he's not the most mobile guy but he's mobile enough but the superpowers are his ability to decipher defenses and his ability to deliver the ball accurately yeah Dante think CJ Stroud is a rookie in Houston that's that's kind of the path and trajectory I see with Dante now this year Dante you got to remember started five games as a freshman at UCLA back in 2023 he sat behind Dylan Gabriel in 2024 at Oregon with Will Stein as the offensive coordinator who has become a quarterback whisperer in a short period of time right so much so that Kentucky threw a bag at him and brought him in to be their head coach okay yep and I'm interested to see now with a new coordinator in Drew Merringer who's been in this program the system it's not going to be this totally different system but it's a different play caller and there could be some some natural bumps in the road but I'm interested to see Dante who's now in that second year as a full-time starter in this system with two and a half years of starting experience four four full years in college football this is the year where you see a Mendoza leap from Cal to Indiana this is the year you see a Jaden Daniels leap from Arizona State first year LSU to that last year at LSU this is where you see the borough Ohio State to first year at LSU last year at LSU and I could go on and on Cam Ward etc Bo Nix I'm expecting to see the most refined polished best version of Dante Moore this year and if we see that he should be the first overall pick he's that talented and he could just step in the league and have a CJ keep doing this CJ Stroud like rookie season with Houston um and hopefully more consistency beyond what we've seen from Stroud since then um so that's that's where I'm at with Dante and I agree with you on on the traits and in the areas he needs to improve Sellers is your guy and I'm just going to preface it with this and I'll let you dive in because I like you from day one you you've called him Superman you just you you have not won the Super Bowl you have not won the Super Bowl waivered a bit and so when I took the time this summer and went back and watched last year which was not a great year and the fit with Mike Shula's offensive coordinator not a great fit and the product on the field with some injury in and out this all the stuff it was erratic but it was still special yeah his his combination of quickness speed arm strength competitiveness toughness and flashes more than flashes but some some real solid examples of being able to lead receivers drive it down the field tight windows all that stuff are phenomenal now he's got to learn to take some heat off the fastball he misses high over the middle which is a recipe for disaster I think there's some touch and natural like uh trajectory stuff and feel that he's missing currently but now he comes now steps in um Kendall Riles who his offenses average over 50 points a game right and and it's a system that's going to put his eyes Lenore sellers in the right place quick reads you know and uh I'm excited to see that fit because it's I think it's an offense that that will get some structure to Lenore sellers game while also affording him the ability to still be Superman as you like to say yeah I mean the Superman happened after the Missouri game two years ago where I think he just put that team on his back and said uh and we're not losing this game he refused to lose that game he was outstanding at the end of the game I think that's one of the reasons I like him so much is I think if the game is on the line you need someone to make a play I think he can do it the flip side of that has been is that he's had to carry that team since ever since then and it leads to him maybe pushing and trying to make two make something happen uh that's not there you see those kind of the things it's a little bit of a nitpicking because we both recognize some of the the touch issues but I do think I and tell me if I'm wrong I feel like he's a little more advanced as a pocket passer than maybe you do at this point and that's why I'm so high on no I I think that's fair but what's interesting is the third player on on my wrist is Sam Levitt and I actually think in some regards in terms of layering and making throws on the move chaos around him um I Sam Levitt is not dissimilar too in fact I think that they're they're very similar and that neither Levitt nor Sellers is the tallest guy they're both you know I think Sellers is listed at six three I guess six three and a half yeah he's not six three Sam Levitt is six one and a half I think that's pretty much close so you don't believe the the actual measurement you just want to go I mean in fairness you did see Sellers at the Manning Academy and you I stood next to him yeah I'm six I guess that's in college I was a 6007 so just the one-eighth of an age below six one no not sneakers on you think Joe Cullen was letting me put sneakers on as he put my McShay get up here no head back your chin up let's go Joe Cullen on the all-time great our defensive line coach at University of Richmond at the time went on to be defensive coordinator and has been in the league for a long time now and is widely considered one of the the best defensive line coaches in the NFL maybe he's with the Chiefs now yeah um anyway he's with the Lions the Jaguars Etc but I digress Levitt is just as quick as he is fast Levitt is so damn explosive it's breathtaking sometimes Levitt has a loose alive arm that you just can't coach no question and so yeah I like I I see the things you're nitpicking but I also see sellers I I see the the missed slant thrown behind I see the in cutting route over a little bit high and behind his receipt but there's this level of of degree of difficulty to his game and some of the things he can do that I think are exceptional And it's not true. not dissimilar from some of the Mahomes stuff. And now I see this opportunity like Mahomes had, yes, sitting behind Alex Smith and working with Andy Reid. Like, it's not that Mahomes can't enter the league, like, not accurate, having no touch and all that stuff. His footwork was a mess because no one kind of forced him to work on schedule on time. And Lane, as I touched on in the beginning, I can't think of a better place for this specific thing play within the schedule of my offense, but my offense is going to give you plenty of rope to go not hang yourself, but go be brilliant. You know? And so I look at Levin and I get pissed off. Now I'm going back to our show from yesterday. I get pissed off because I said, why am I seeing this? And my good friend, Steve Mensch, who's been seeing a lot of the same thing. But why aren't you looking at this situation and saying, I said this, I think Sam Levin is capable of being a top five pick in the 2027 draft. And if he goes back for another year, then even more likely. So I think this, I think what's about to happen in Baton Rouge is going to become the story of college football in 2026. And I get it. He's coming off the Liz Frank injury. He just had the equipment removed. He wasn't really a full go until just a couple of weeks ago, ran a 21 mile, an hour when they was tested LSU and the GPS. And since then, like he's getting more, he's going to be ready for camp. Look at what happened with Trinidad. And I'm seeing a guy who was more talented than Jackson dart and Trinidad Chambliss fair going with lane for at least one year at LSU. I think, I think you're missing the boat on this man. I think you are a fair, super talented quarterback playing for a super talented quarterback. Developer and super talented playmaker. I get it. I'll say it again. I see the world that you envision. I can't, I can't give it enough weight to overlook some of the issues on tape. And I think his mechanics and his accuracy are all over the place at times. And it's, you don't want to point out one tape, but listen, Mississippi state did not have a good defense. Second worst defense in the sec this year. And that tape, he completed 45% of his passes. It was early in the year. Before he got hurt. He didn't look good. It just didn't look good. And it wasn't, it got better, but not to the point where like, Oh, I feel really good about him as a pocket passer off script. He's going to make off platform throws. He's he is up there with the best in this class. And there are some damn good ones in this class. So I get it. I understand all those things. The accuracy from within the pocket is a bridge too far for me to put them in my top five. I mean, going back to the Mississippi state thing that was, we have arch. You have arch behind him. Mississippi state was the get right game for arch manning 346 yards and three touchdowns against that defense. I get it. There's different supporting cast. I understand that if you're looking at a common opponent between these two guys, they're pretty close together. It's not even close. How well he, how well arch played against that team and how well Sam Levitt played against that team. I can't think arch would have done against Texas tech, how arch would have done against Texas tech. Against that defense. Yeah. I don't know. I think that's a damn good defense. I mean, that would have been, and I thought Sam Levitt had a damn good game against that defense. I don't know, man. What I I'll go back and look at it. I will tell you this. Yeah. That's not a common opponent. Like we're now we're playing a game of a what if, and this could have and all that. Well, Texas techs defense was up there with Ohio state. You know, like I, I don't want to get in the nitpicking. I just, I hope you're seeing the talent and the potential. And I hope you're understanding the situation he's walking. My biggest thing with Levitt is if I see this player who has these tools that are different than just about everybody else in the class, maybe sans Lenora sellers. And now you're telling me he's going to a coach in a situation that is as adept at, addressing those stay on schedule, the timing of an offense, get your eyes right with your feet and, and work within these confines, but also utilize that creativity. And I'm, I'm staring down this path of brilliant ability and needing this certain thing that is being now handed to him. And it's my job. It's my responsibility as an evaluator to absorb all that information and report back. This thing could be. wildly wildly successful. This could be the men, the, the Fernando Mendoza, Indiana. Oh, this is the perfect marriage with Cignetti and, and Mike Shanahan with Mendoza's traits. Yeah, it could be. So call me over aggressive, but yes, but that's what, that's exactly what I'm calling you is over aggressive. I think that you're putting too much weight into it. It could happen. It could happen. It could happen. It could happen. It could happen. Here's what I know right now. If, if we, if that happens at the end, we're at the end of the year. Do you think, you know me well, if everything goes your way, we're going to be, end up settling on a very similar grave or Sam Levitt because we see the same. I know that. So we'll get there. And if that happens, great. It hasn't happened yet. I haven't seen enough to think it will happen. I mean, I just, I don't. You act like you're Lenora Sellers is Drew Brees or Tom Brady. No, I don't. Yeah. Like there, there's some, there's some really nice throws and there there's, there's some throws where you're like, Oh, it's in the tank. And hopefully, but like I'm watching him airmail stuff over the middle with his feet are a mess. And it's the same thing I'm seeing is not the same identical, but there's, there's warning signs with some of the sellers stuff. Of course there is with every quarterback. Yep. There's always a flaw with everyone. And I get that. I think, I mean, when the sun goes down, the appetizers come out. Yeah. You heard that right. Late night, half price, appetizers are here at Applebee's saucy, sweet, and spicy boneless wings, crispy, cheesy mozzarella sticks, creamy spinach, and artichoke dip. Your favorite apps, half price available every single night, because why should appetizers have curfews tap the banner to learn more dining only for a limited time at participating locations, restrictions apply copyright 2026 Applebee's restaurant LLC. I mean, I don't even think it's close. All right, moving on. CJ Carr is another guy that I think is going to go from like, Oh, he's, he's a night red shirt, sophomore, first year starter, Notre Dame running the ball. They've got two phenomenal backs, both first round draft picks. Jeremiah love is like out of this world talent wise. And what he did last year, production wise, and the best backup. One of the best backups in the history of college football is a first round draft pick. Number 32, overall Darien price to this. Seattle Seahawks. So the emphasis wasn't on CJ car in the passing game. You saw that reflected in some of the statistics. They're not mind blowing statistics for a guy who we're talking about. Potentially as a first rounder this year, and I'm not going to shy away from it. I spent time around CJ car down the Manning passing Academy and just watching the way he understood the coverages, the nuances, the way he throws the ball, the repetitive motion, the way he's added bulk to his frame. I just, I think I believe he's about to take another massive step. And I think Notre Dame is going to have to, and we'll gladly start to open things up and rely on him. And they got two five-star recruits coming in. They get fate phase on still there. Great house. There's another big, big physical receiver who's injured a lot last year, but super talented, super productive and had flashes when he was healthy. And now, two guys come in who are five stars, former five stars, Ohio state are transferred to Notre Dame. So they're preparing themselves for what car needs to be and what I expect him to be. And I know you like CJ car a lot. He's not the biggest, he's not the fastest. He's not, he's not, but my gosh, is he an assassin, especially in like, like you said on our show, layered, layered throws outside the numbers, all like there's some areas to improve, but this guy has got the traits, the F the, the accuracy, and as the grandson of Lloyd car will be well documented, he's just been around ball his whole life and I could see it firsthand. And I was, I was blown away by how different he was and the way he carries himself and his understanding of the game and the way he could teach the game compared to every other quarterback who also, they were all awesome, all great guys, but he was different, man. Car was different, thrown into the fire right away. I mean, you open up with Miami and Texas A&M and your first two starts. Awesome. I would have felt a little bit better if he had played better against Pittsburgh. And I think his grade would have been a little bit better. Pittsburgh late in the season. He didn't have a great game. I would have liked to have seen him perform better in that game because their, their schedule was soft. I mean, that's why they weren't in the playoff. Like let's call it what it is. That said, I'm, I'm very excited about where he is in the process. I'm very excited about his tools, not elite, but very good. And I do think he is outstanding and making those touch timing throws. And now he's going to have an opportunity to play, you know, where he's gonna be the offense, it's gonna run through him now. I think he's ready for that, and I agree with you. I see him taking the next step. Arch Manning is going to be a big discussion, right? How the hell do these two people who claim to know what they're doing and evaluating in a position that's arguably the most difficult to evaluate has had probably more documented high-profile failures than any other position. But still, these guys have been doing it for two and a half decades. They claim to know what they're doing. They've got their own show. How in the hell do they have Arch Manning as tied for fourth or fourth or fifth best grade or fourth best grade in this class? And I want to reiterate what I said off the top. This thing could go a few ways. One of the ways could be he's the first overall pick. He's that talented. He's 6'4", he's 230 pounds. And my two biggest takeaways watching him were this, and I'm going to sum it up. And it's why I think he could be the first overall pick. And it's also why I think he could be back in Austin, Texas in 2027. And we could be talking about him in the 28 draft class. The first takeaway was even I, after watching every throw during the season, being caught up in like, how does this fit Texas? And where's the improvement and all those things? Even I, when you sit down in the summer, fresh, off the beach, mind's relaxed, reset. I was watching him and be like, holy shit. He is so fast. And he is such a dynamic weapon as a runner. That acceleration he has when he takes a size. Yeah. And he was awesome in that game. And he took it over. And the confidence level he was playing with several, not all games in the second half of the season. And especially in that bowl game and the way he was like picking up the pups and the, and the litter, if you will. And like, let's go carrying his offense. There were moments where you're like, that's, that's arch, right? Yep. Still hard to unsee though. The Ohio state game and some subsequent games. Okay. And so will you love the progress? You love the traits. You love the body type. You love the pedigree. What's interesting is I don't think the quote unquote pedigree. Of being a Manning. And with your uncles being like really good pocket, but like elite pocket passers, certainly Peyton, Eli, like their understanding of the game. I don't, that's not what I would consider yet a strength of his. And I'm sure he'll get, get closer. If not there, but I think his eyes weren't where they should be a lot. I think he was swimming in it. I think part of it was media and surroundings driven. I think it's too much. No matter where you grew up with who your grandfather is, who your uncles are, who your dad and mom were. Like, I think any human being on the face of the planet, it was just around 20 years old. Who's in, in this boiling pot, if you will. Melting pot of Austin, Texas and the emphasis and, and then college football where he's not even a full-time starter yet. Right. And he's the number one overall. Pick he's the Heisman favorite. These are odds. These aren't just like hype. These are like, like we're talking about legitimate fan dual. Like these are odds. And that Texas is they, this is the year they win the national championship. Right. I think it was a lot for him. Then may met Matt and Patricia and a bunch of first rounders in the defense. Arvel Reese, Caleb downs, Sonny styles. And, and it's, and it was a shock. It was a shock to the system and the noise got loud. So with the first takeaway real quickly, if the first takeaway was my gosh, he is so much more dynamic than I even kind of like process last year. My second takeaway was if I'm being honest, he's further away as a passer currently than even I, maybe I, I recognize or wanted to admit because I, I saw such a pro such progress from the beginning of the year to the end of the year. But even in the end of the year, when he was playing really well, his, his ball placement, his consistency, his confidence in throws were not there. So I need to see as an evaluator and everyone in the NFL needs to see that we're taking a significant next step as a pastor this year. I agree. I couldn't agree more with everything you just said. I just want to maybe put a point on the noise outside and maybe the impact of all of that. And I can't even imagine trying to deal with it. I think if you don't handle it well, it's probably because of two reasons. One, you kind of, you know, what people would say is wilts under the pressure or you can't handle the spotlight. But I think, and I think this is the case with the arch. I think the other situation is you're trying too hard. I think it was a lot of, I want to live up to this. And I honestly don't think, and people can call me, whatever. They're going to tell me I'm sucking up to, to whatever. I don't care. I also don't think it was about living up to what his family expectations were or what expectations were outside the building. I really feel like he wanted to live up to what his teammates wanted. What his teammates expected of him. He, he, he wanted to give that to everyone around him that he cares deeply about. Right. He wanted to be that guy for them and he wasn't important. It wasn't about the legacy. It was about his team. And I, I really believe that, which I think is encouraging going forward. Yeah. So that's where we are in arch and you're going to look at these, these rankings and say, oh, they don't believe, you know, they're anti listen, man. I'm I'm buds with, with Cooper, his dad. I just spent time with he and, and, and Archie and Eli and Peyton. Like I believe in them as a family, in terms of what they're doing, how they're supporting. I believe in arch. I also was walking around and witnessing all like everyone. Some people love Chambliss and some, but I love Julian saying it, but like arch walks out of that building onto a field or is walking from one field to the next field. It's like with the Beatles, man. Yeah. And so there's a lot to, there's a lot to handle, but you know what iron sharpens iron and this is only going to make him better. Cause he, he proved that even in the face of it, when everyone was like quitting arch, he was like, he stuck in there. He grinded that is that that's parenting, that's family that's growing up in it. That's having the tools. And some people will say, well, of course he's like a Nepo, baby. He gets everything. He's get the best. He's got Texas, get all the money in the world. And he's no, I mean like, like, like as a dad, like the foundation pieces, you know? Um, so I'm, I'm excited to see what happens now in year two with Sark. Oh, by the way, Cam Coleman comes in. Cannot be understated how good that kid is. Yes. He is. It was him and Ryan Williams and Jeremiah Smith were like one, a one B one C and that unbelievable recruiter. Yeah. Yeah. Yeah. And Cam Coleman has shown brilliance, but Cam Coleman has been dealing with some quarterbacks that just don't belong at the table. Let's be honest. And so now arch has got that guy and he's, and he's got another one in, um, in a Wingo or Wingo, right? Yeah. And Wingo is super talented also in that recruiting class, but a lot of drops, a lot of inconsistency. So they need a one so they can get Wingo, some of the screens, the quick slams. Some of that stuff to go, let them get the ball and go and take it after. So that's going to be fun to watch this offense. Agree. And I think before, before we transition into like where these guys could go, the NFL teams that are, that are looking and the list is really intriguing. I'm excited to get there. I do want to mention Mensa and I mentioned it briefly off the top. That cat can flat out dissect you. He's an absolute assassin. And I think because he played at Duke and they're not in many national, national games and the ACC took a clear backseat and has for a little while to the SEC and the, uh, and the big 10, or you could say big 10 SEC. I'm not here for that fight today. Um, I think people underestimate who he is, but Miami, Miami had their choice probably with the money they were throwing around. We heard Ty Simpson offered maybe up to $6 million to go to Miami. Miami doesn't get guys that aren't ready. To come in and do it. As we saw with cam ward and Carson Beck, this guy is in Miami for a reason. And Duke was, as you said on our show yesterday, Duke, Duke sued the situation, if you will, to try to get Mensa back because of what we saw on tape. I think he's got a chance to be a really good starter. I, we, you and I both have late first round grades on them right now. And I think he's going to be just like Beck and ward before him. I think he's going to ascend this year. I agree. I think he's going to be a really good starter. I think I'd have them tied. you would feel comfortable with him having a first-round grade? Is that a better way of saying it? I would have him at 90, and I would probably, like, maybe with Mensa. Okay. So maybe it wouldn't be top five now that I've done. But you've got to remember, we had to do Sorsby first because of all the situation going on. And I see a first-round, like, he's a first-round talent if, I don't want to say he's, he's in the neighborhood talent-wise of Sellers and Levitt for me. And Arch. I'm not saying he's, and Arch. They're in that, those four are in that neighborhood of a mobility level, an arm talent level that separates them skill-wise. From even Dante Moore and CJ Carr and Mensa, okay? Yes. Of those four, he is the least refined. He is the most raw. But he is thick. He is strong. He is big. He's a powerful runner. He's a fast runner. He is, like, very instinctive runner. He creates. He extends. And there's more Mahomes in his game, if I'm being honest, than any of these other cats. And, but, like, but there's also some, like, Lamar here. There's some Josh Allen there. Like, but I'm just saying, like, the arm angles, the magician type, how the hell did he do that? Yeah. Tape. But he's also the least refined as a pass. He's got the most growth that needs to happen. And the really, truly unfortunate part that he got himself into, I'm not making any apologies. And I've said this, I'm thrilled that he finally stopped the fight. And I'm hopeful between now and January, it's about ownership, maturing, taking a deep look into himself, making sure he has the right things in place with the gambling addiction, and letting the league know most secondly to, to actually doing the work on himself that I, I do own what I did. I am imperfect. I'm still capable of being a leader of men. I'm still capable of being trustworthy and hear the reasons why. But first and foremost, I am sorry. I made the action. I, I, it was my actions that put me in this situation. And I'm ready to be a man at the, at the grown man's table. And I wasn't a few months ago when I, when my lawyers were fighting every different way to get out of the problems I created. So he created these problems and now he's got to deal with it. And he's going to wind up losing millions of dollars on that first contract. And most importantly, honestly, from a development standpoint, he's missing out on a four month run of development playing games. And we've seen with, from the bone next to the Jaden Daniels to like most of the top quarterbacks in the league. Look at Fernando in that, that third year, like he needed more game experience and he's not going to get it. And that's, that's as scary to me as anything else is that what, yeah, he's preparing, he's working with the quarterback coach. He's getting right. He's getting right off the field and on the field. We'll see him at the senior bowl, but not getting that opportunity is why I give a grade in the eighties rather than potentially a 90 and then up there with the top five. Got it. Wanted to get a feel for that. Cause I think people are going to re, want to want to understand why he's where he's at in a, in the rankings when they're updated. No, I appreciate it. And I'm glad you called that. Somewhere out there is a Chevy truck and the person who drives it. Well, that's a Chevy person. You probably know one, your buddy, your sister, ones who always show up to the first to rise the last to leave. They always have that little extra something. And maybe you've got it too. Chevrolet together. Let's drive. Visit chevy.com slash trucks to explore the lineup. This episode is brought to you by ADT. One second. You're enjoying your day off. The next, your phone buzzes. A window's been broken at home. You're miles away. In one second, everything can change. That's why ADT security systems can monitor your home 24 seven. They're backed by the most company operated monitoring centers in the industry. So you're always supported during an emergency. When every second counts count on ADT, visit adt.com to learn more. All right. I think it's a perfect time to transition. What's fascinating about this class. In addition to the depth of talent is where some of these NFL teams are in their current quarterback situation. Right. And I kind of clump it into tiers or maybe two different groupings of assuming things kind of play out. Play out the way that we think they're going to play out. That's the most likely scenario. There's a few teams that are going to be heavy, heavy quarterback market and have a chance maybe to be drafting early enough to just take one or, and, and, or have multiple picks in the first round. Those teams include the jets, the Browns, the Cardinals. I would put Pittsburgh in this. Middle ground of they're probably going to win a bunch of games. Decent chance. They make the playoffs, but they're every bit as QB needy for the future as those other teams. Yep. Right. You got Aaron Rogers. What like the Sorsby situation, had he gotten a supplemental draft from the NFL, that opportunity, I thought Pittsburgh was kind of a perfect place. Right. You know, bring him in. He's around Aaron Rogers. Aaron's not going to be bad. He's going to be back for 2027. Maybe he'll be at least kind and teach a couple things, but who cares if he is or he isn't, he can Sorsby can sit back and learn from this guy as he's suspended for part, if not all the season, all of that, but it didn't play out that way. But Pittsburgh's a team that may be once again, picking in the twenties, but this time it's not. Can he pick it this time? It could be CJ car. It could be Sam Levitt. It could be, it could be Julian saying, if he makes it, it could be Sorsby. It could be Darien Mensah. That part's fascinating to me. So talk to me through those, those four teams that I mentioned, if you see anything different or who would you add? I would add Minnesota. I really believe that Minnesota is, I mean, I, I don't, I'm not a believer that Kyler Murray's longterm answer, JJ McCarthy will be going, he's going into his third season now and won't be the starter. So they'll, I mean, if, if we're being honest about where we stand right now, do we think JJ McCarthy is, they're going to pick up the fifth year option on JJ McCarthy? I'd be stunned. I'd be stunned. So I think Minnesota is another team in there. And then there's a bunch of, and I'm sure you're going to get, but I also think so, but let's go back to that first group. What's fascinating is it's, it's, it's probable that the jets are going to have a top five, seven pick, right? Right. And that's naturally, they also have those other two first rounders. And, and we know they, like, first of all, Darren Muji, the general manager was actually at the Manning passing. Right. He's tall as a fucking string bean, by the way, I couldn't believe how I'd never met him in person. He's, he's like six, four, man. Anyway, I saw one general manager there last year in 2024. And it was less need a team that took a quarterback in the first round. Right. But he can sit. He's, he's close with the Manning family. He consistently goes there. But he, he was there and, and Ryan Poles was there because his son went, his son is, is, is a quarterback and was at the camp this year. It pulls us back. Son there met, met Ryan Poles, his dad, grandfather. He's a trip, man. It was awesome to catch up with him anyway. Um, but Muji, Muji was there. Um, Detroit had a representative there in Chris Greer. Keep it on other lines, man. But anyway, so you get the jets and the Browns with multiple picks. The Browns have two, the jets have three, right there. You would think some way, some shape are going to wind up probably picking the top five, whether it's just earn the pick or can move up with, with multiple picks. Arizona only has one pick, but, but I don't, I like Carson Beck. I just don't look, I'm not settling with this draft class coming up. Um, then Pittsburgh and Minnesota are two teams that quite frankly, it's very capable of getting in the playoffs. And if they don't, maybe they miss it by a game and they're still picking in that like 18 to whatever, 20 early 20 range. Okay. Right. Then there are these other teams that I think are interesting. And these are the teams that could bet benefit from the, in the depth of quarterbacks. But also I think there might be a team or two that wind up taking a quarterback. Cause like, when are we going to get an opportunity like this? Yeah. Atlanta is fascinating. One of my teams on that list too. Right. Atlanta's fascinating. Cause you just drafted Pennix the same year McCarthy was drafted. This is a huge year. Do we have a guy or not? And can he stay healthy? This is the third year for those quarterbacks, just to be clear, they were drafted in 24. This is the third, the third season. So by the end of this year, you got to decide whether you're going to tag them, you're going to extend them, or you're going to just let them go. in their final year of that rookie contract. You have one more year, but this is going to go a long way towards telling you whether or not you're going to do it. And to a tongue of my low, it was brought in as well, right? Yep. One-year deal. Now there's some other teams that are big-name programs, if you will, organizations, that I just want to throw on the radar. My son Tate is a massive Baker Mayfield Buccaneers fan. Yep. And I'm having a hard time telling them that there's some writing on this wall as an undersized guy who's taken a lot of hits. He's got to have a big year, I think, for them to commit long-term. And that's public knowledge, right? So they're an interesting team to keep an eye on as they kind of revamped and got younger when their entire. Their whole draft was defense, right? Right. Then you get the Eagles. Is this just another off-season of a lot of noise and A.J. Brown's out and Jalen Hurts is disgruntled, but he's going to be fine. And they just like to. They're that family. Like, Marissa's Italian. So I'm always like, you guys just yell too much. It's like there's a lot of yelling going on. But they couldn't love each other more. So maybe the Eagles are just that organization that are always going to be fighting and there's going to be chaos, but they thrive on it and it's a beautiful, wonderful thing. But it feels like it's gotten a little bit. Or maybe Howie just Howies and takes advantage of the depth of the class and says, there's no way I'm not taking one here. Right. So they're one of those teams to keep an eye on. And in that division, that Dallas, Dak Prescott, age, money, opportunity to draft someone younger, don't have to play. However that plays out, I'm told to keep an eye out on Dallas. Could, by the way, the way they've rebuilt that defense in the last eight months, they legitimately could be playing for a Super Bowl this year. And I am the anti, like, get off first take and get up every fucking day. Like, it drives me crazy. Can you imagine if they're actually good, what will happen? It's going to be. It will be nauseating. Nauseating. But keep an eye on Dallas. Anyone I missed? Yes. Colts. Daniel Jones, if he doesn't have a good year. How about Texans? Is it CJ? Yes. How about. I think the Lions are sneaky. They're a little more fringe. Yes. But wouldn't surprise me. And then Carolina. I should have mentioned. I forget the exact title, but he's now. Brad Holmes is the general manager. We know Chris Spielman's there. And they've got an unbelievable. Yeah. John Dorsey's there now, too. Oh, I didn't know that. They've put together, like, this super. The SEAL Team 6 front office. SEAL Team 6. Thank you. But I think that's intriguing, the Detroit situation. So. Yeah, Carolina. That's a lot of teams, man. I mean. Carolina. And who's. They didn't. There were some snakes in the grass, man, that I think. Like I said with Howie, I think there's some snakes in the grass of. Carolina's real. Carolina's real. And Dan Morgan's saying all the right things. I was really encouraged by the progress I saw from Bryce Young in a certain area. Yeah. And even the playoff loss. I was like. I'm starting to see it, right? But, undersized. Yeah. I'm starting to see it. I can see it. there's a lot of individuals with certain teams where this is like, Oh, we're great. Sign them up. 50, 40, 50, what is 60 million, whatever it is, or we're out. Breakup marriage, marriage is over. Like it's kind of wild. That's a lot of teams. We're mentioning Atlanta, Minnesota, Tampa Bay, Philly. I'm not gonna throw Dallas in there. Detroit. No, I'm not gonna throw them in there. Yeah. They're French. I think Dallas and Detroit are fringe. Yeah. Houston, Carolina. That's a lot of organizations. It is. And it couldn't be a better year for all of that kind of potential chaos with the quarterbacks in the NFL than the potential for this being one of, if not the best quarterback classes the draft has ever seen. Right? Yeah. One other team. And I can't see them doing it, but I never saw Atlanta drafting Pennix in the top 10. And after signing Craig Cousins to that deal. There's gonna be one. Miami. Oh yeah. I wrote them down. I should've mentioned. Yeah. Miami's another one to keep an eye on. I mean, do they fall in love with one of these guys and Malik maybe doesn't that Malik Willis doesn't have the year that they're hoping he has. And they paid him a, it's a contract that it's a lot of money, but it won't, they can, my understanding is they can maneuver. Yes. I also will never forget looking at, at their 30 visits pre-draft and the quarterbacks that they were bringing in just in case an opportunity, I'm talking third round for like, but when you sign a guy, a big name guy and you're clearly re retool, like no organization shredded more before starting to build up. It's from scratch. I've never seen anything. John, Eric Sullivan, John Eric Sullivan in a weird way. The new general manager has like, a dream opportunity as a pure evaluator. Like there's nothing better than there's no pressure to win right now. That old roster is stripped down. It is yours to build however you want to build it. And then awesome draft. Um, so, so, but to bring in all those quarterbacks and to be that interested, it signaled to me, yeah, they obviously are, they're counting on Malik to be awesome and to take the next steps and, and what he learned from the floor. And that, but we're, we're not banking our entire organization and my career is a new first time general manager on that. It's definitely him. No questions asked. So agree, which is smart business. Yeah. All right. This has been fun. We appreciate the NFL or the ringer NFL show. I should say, we appreciate the NFL too. Give us a hell of a life, you know, good business. We appreciate everyone, but we appreciate the ringer NFL show for giving us the, the opportunity to spread our wings a little bit. Here in the ringer, maybe get to a little bit different audience. If you like what you heard today, the McShay show, every it's on Netflix, it's on Spotify, it's on Apple, wherever else you get your podcast. We'd love to have you part of our, our, our family, if you will. Um, and if you thought we sucked and you probably aren't even listening to this cause you, you probably turned, it was just an off day. If we sucked, it was an off day. We're usually much better. It was definitely an off day. It definitely was mensch as always brother five stars. Thanks man. Ringer NFL show is produced by Chris Sutton. Video editor is Stefano Sanchez and production supervision by Connor Nevins and Arjuna Ramgopal. 21 plus and present in select States for Kansas and affiliation with Kansas star casino or 18 plus and present in DC, Kentucky, or Wyoming gambling problem. Call 1-800-GAMBLER. Or 1-800-MY-RESET. 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