Latest / 2nd City Gridiron / Making Monsters Draft Series: Ohio State's Kayden McDonald, Davison Igbinosun & Caden Curry

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Making Monsters Draft Series: Ohio State's Kayden McDonald, Davison Igbinosun & Caden Curry · 2nd City Gridiron

• 0:09
  [SPEAKER_01]: Welcome back to another Making Monsters on Taylor Doll.
• 0:12
  [SPEAKER_01]: We're continuing on draft talk this time moving on to some Ohio State Buckeyes.
• 0:16
  [SPEAKER_01]: Lots of them to talk about probably won't even get to all of them today, but we're joined now by Dan Hope.
• 0:21
  [SPEAKER_01]: Lead Ohio State Beatwriter for 11 warriors Dan, you joined me last year to chat some Buckeyes and now we're continuing on with the long list of guys that are looking to get drafted this year too.
• 0:32
  [SPEAKER_00]: Yeah, it's been certainly a great two-year run for Ohio State in terms of producing prospects for a NFL draft, 14 players drafted this year, projected to potentially have double digits once again this year, including as many as five in the first round.
• 0:46
  [SPEAKER_00]: So Ohio State certainly has had a lot of talent come through its program the last two years.
• 0:51
  [SPEAKER_01]: Yeah, it's been honestly fun to watch.
• 0:54
  [SPEAKER_01]: And then I obviously tear for the bears.
• 0:56
  [SPEAKER_01]: I'm a Notre Dame fan, but I live in Florida and it's just like SEC nation down here.
• 1:01
  [SPEAKER_01]: So it's been kind of fun to see the big 10 starts to take over a little bit in things because all I heard for so long was SEC, SEC.
• 1:07
  [SPEAKER_01]: So that's been fun.
• 1:08
  [SPEAKER_01]: We were chatting a little bit off air, but the bears pick it 25.
• 1:12
  [SPEAKER_01]: It's nice and refreshing that we're not picking in the top 10 because it's been a lot of top 10 picks in recent years.
• 1:18
  [SPEAKER_01]: but that does skew things a little bit obviously of how the draft approach and who's going to be available in that area.
• 1:24
  [SPEAKER_01]: So I mentioned you a lot, a lot of guys sitting at the top of the draft this year, but guys that are going to most likely be drafted before the bears even get on the board to be able to make the pick.
• 1:34
  [SPEAKER_01]: So we're not going to get too heavy into these, but I do just want to get some of your thoughts when it comes to those two linebackers.
• 1:39
  [SPEAKER_01]: Obviously our vote race in sunny styles.
• 1:40
  [SPEAKER_01]: but then also Caleb down's the safety and wider receiver, Cardinal Tate.
• 1:44
  [SPEAKER_01]: So if you can just give us a few little lines on each of those guys, then we'll get into some of these prospects.
• 1:48
  [SPEAKER_01]: I think maybe we're fitting or at least in the range for as Chicago.
• 1:52
  [SPEAKER_00]: Yeah, I mean, I think, you know, starting with Caleb Downs, I mean, you're talking about a guy who was really from a moment he walked in the door at Ohio State to have a time he left two years later was the best safety in college football, two time unanimous all-American.
• 2:04
  [SPEAKER_00]: I mean, for me, if I was a GM, he'd be right there for Nana Mendoza, it's off of my board because just how consistent he was for the last two years, he's
• 2:13
  [SPEAKER_00]: He of any individual player was the biggest reason why Ohio State had been number one defense of a country each of the last two years and so I think Caleb Downs to me, I'll be really surprised if he's not a top-tempec because I just think that he's such a well-rounded safety and I think he's someone that NFL team is going to be able to.
• 2:30
  [SPEAKER_00]: plug-in play into its defense and make a big impact from day one.
• 2:35
  [SPEAKER_00]: You know, Arville res seems like a guy who's probably the most likely to be the first buck I off the board.
• 2:40
  [SPEAKER_00]: I think a lot of that is just based on his immense upside video has.
• 2:44
  [SPEAKER_00]: You're talking about a guy who played
• 2:46
  [SPEAKER_00]: really kind of half lineback or half edge at Ohio State this past season probably going to be more of a full-time edge russia in the NFL.
• 2:54
  [SPEAKER_00]: You just look at his physical attributes for things that he was able to do playing that role in a limited capacity.
• 2:59
  [SPEAKER_00]: He has so much versatility I think the best is yet to come for him and his football career and you know that's after a consensus all American season this past season and so certainly the upside is extremely high there and could result in him going as high as the number two overall pick
• 3:15
  [SPEAKER_00]: Sunny Styles is a guy who I think is really risen through the draft process and was a guy who I think already deserve to be a high draft prospect Just based on how well he played this past season a guy who was the captain of the Ohio State defense Really really consistent in the middle of that defense.
• 3:32
  [SPEAKER_00]: I mean until the final game of the season Sunny Styles had not missed a tackle all year, so he's just kind of
• 3:37
  [SPEAKER_00]: really consistent, a really well-rounded line-backer and then to test as well as he did at the NFL Combine, I think really made people take notice of him and put him in range where he's likely to be a top 10 pick and then Cardinal Tate just kind of continues what's been an incredible run for Ohio Statewide receivers the last five years is going to be the sixth
• 3:58
  [SPEAKER_00]: wide receiver from Ohio State, drafted in round one in a five-year span, a guy who really, yeah, he saw him come in as a freshman, make some plays, then two years ago, was that number three guy behind Jeremiah Smith and Ameka Abuka and started to break out, or, of course, of Ohio State's national championship season.
• 4:17
  [SPEAKER_00]: And then this past year of Ameka Abuka, me and Fell, he was able to be the number two guy opposite Jeremiah Smith.
• 4:22
  [SPEAKER_00]: and you really saw him break out and become a star.
• 4:25
  [SPEAKER_00]: I got you made a lot of big plays for them down the field and who I think has potential to be a really good downfield fret for NFL offense.
• 4:33
  [SPEAKER_01]: Yeah, and you want to give a lot of credit to some of these guys, too, who do stick around in moments like that because Cardinal Tate probably could have gone somewhere and been the starter previous and been, you know, the number one guy and talked about a little bit more and sticking around Ohio State and being able to kind of be a little patient of what your turn behind guys like a Jeremiah Smith and I'm a guy who obviously we just all want to make a could do in his fresh and his rookie season and the NFL and that's kind of similar to this guy that I want to dive into first.
• 5:01
  [SPEAKER_01]: specifically for the bears.
• 5:03
  [SPEAKER_01]: And that's going to be Kate and McDonald defense of lineman.
• 5:06
  [SPEAKER_01]: He's in that range on a lot of the big boards around that, you know, 25 to 30 range, which fits right into where the bears are picking.
• 5:14
  [SPEAKER_01]: And same college football career when you go back and you look at his numbers and college football, which led him to being talked about a lot in the state of Georgia.
• 5:22
  [SPEAKER_01]: But that transition took a little bit of time in Columbus.
• 5:26
  [SPEAKER_01]: He saw limited action, obviously, his freshman year, and then was behind Tyler Aquilium who got drafted in the first round the next year.
• 5:32
  [SPEAKER_01]: So he was used rotationally there, and then you really got to see him first out.
• 5:36
  [SPEAKER_01]: But chat a little bit just about that kind of trajectory of him from freshman year, just limited to being able to do what he was this last season.
• 5:44
  [SPEAKER_00]: Yeah, I think like you talked about, I think a good example of the development trajectory that's still possible at a school like at Ohio State, across college football as a whole.
• 5:53
  [SPEAKER_00]: There's so much talk nowadays about the transfer portal and instant gratification, but if it was a guy, he trusted the process at Ohio State.
• 6:03
  [SPEAKER_00]: probably going into last year.
• 6:05
  [SPEAKER_00]: I don't know how many of us would have expected that he'd be in the NFL draft right now.
• 6:08
  [SPEAKER_00]: We probably thought because he hadn't been a starter, he'd probably be a guy that would still be at Ohio State for another year, but he was phenomenal last season.
• 6:17
  [SPEAKER_00]: You'd name a missile American, which is certainly not an easy thing to achieve, and just really just dominant in the middle of that defense.
• 6:24
  [SPEAKER_00]: A true nose tackle, very much in terms of Akai who is dominant in the run game can take on double teams,
• 6:32
  [SPEAKER_00]: Blow up single blocks.
• 6:34
  [SPEAKER_00]: I think that he's someone who can go to the NFL and make an immediate impact on run defense You know past rush is probably the area where he still has some things to work on and that's probably why We're talking about him more as a late first round pick rapper vin and early first round pick
• 6:51
  [SPEAKER_00]: But, you know, I think Caden's a guy that, you know, if I was an NFL GM, I would certainly be very interested in him if I needed a nose tackle because that's such a valuable position.
• 7:03
  [SPEAKER_00]: We've seen the value NFL teams have placed on defensive tackles.
• 7:07
  [SPEAKER_00]: increase in recent years, and I just think he's a guy who's skill set really translates well to the league with his size and agility.
• 7:16
  [SPEAKER_00]: I mean, you mentioned Tilec Williams.
• 7:18
  [SPEAKER_00]: I think he's someone who compares very favorably to Tilec Williams in terms of their physical attributes.
• 7:26
  [SPEAKER_00]: But I think Hayden was more dominant as a run stop of in Tilec was a year ago.
• 7:31
  [SPEAKER_00]: I think Tilec's a
• 7:32
  [SPEAKER_00]: as a past rusher, but I think that Caden just his ability to just dominate him in the run game to just be that guy you can consistently count on every snap to be there, creating disruption, not letting people run up a middle of the defense, I think that's where he excels, and I think he's going to be a great player in the NFL.
• 7:53
  [SPEAKER_01]: Bears fans ears are perking up right now when you say that the Bears had one of the worst run defenses in the NFL last year, so it's definitely something they're looking to upgrade.
• 8:02
  [SPEAKER_01]: Andrew Billings has been a big part of that recently, but he's on the older side of things, the weight has kind of caught up to him, you know, he showed up to camp a little bigger this last year, and injuries has kind of bled into some of that.
• 8:15
  [SPEAKER_01]: It has been interesting to kind of watch what the Bears have been trying to do, and then
• 8:18
  [SPEAKER_01]: You know, you go and you have Dr.
• 8:19
  [SPEAKER_01]: Von Dexter and Greatie Gerrit, Greatie Gerrit gets hurt so you're trying to figure out how to use this line and get them to all work.
• 8:25
  [SPEAKER_01]: Well, do you think that Kate and McDonald can be in a maybe at starter at the next level right away?
• 8:30
  [SPEAKER_00]: I think so.
• 8:31
  [SPEAKER_00]: I mean, just based them away, he played last season.
• 8:34
  [SPEAKER_00]: I mean, I think that again, unanimous all Americans.
• 8:37
  [SPEAKER_00]: So you're not talking about, even though he only has one year of college experience, you're not talking about someone who's a project.
• 8:44
  [SPEAKER_00]: You're talking about someone who's already proven he can be the star of a defensive line for the best defense in the country.
• 8:52
  [SPEAKER_00]: So I believe that he can go in and start on an NFL defense in year one.
• 8:57
  [SPEAKER_01]: Yeah, so people who don't know obviously Ohio State have finished number one nationally in total defense and in college football last year and in being kind of the anchor that you talk about the nose tack was a lot of times being that 65 tackles eight tackles for lost three sacks to force bumbles defensive lineman of the year.
• 9:13
  [SPEAKER_01]: So you want to start those are players that kind of start to pull things up everybody that or everything I've read everybody I've talked to all says if you really want to see what kind of force he could be to go watch the Texas game that's what everyone keeps saying.
• 9:25
  [SPEAKER_01]: How he's throwing guards around in that game, and obviously against a really good opponent in Texas.
• 9:30
  [SPEAKER_01]: Is that something do you remember watching that game being like, okay, this guy can be something special?
• 9:35
  [SPEAKER_00]: Yeah, because that was really, I believe that was what was his first start, because last period was behind Tyler Williams and Ty Hamilton.
• 9:41
  [SPEAKER_00]: So that was really the first time we got to see him play a full game.
• 9:45
  [SPEAKER_00]: And I believe he had eight tackles in that game.
• 9:47
  [SPEAKER_00]: And there was definitely a lot of talk.
• 9:50
  [SPEAKER_00]: I mean, I remember talking about it with, you know, our other staffers of, you know, because of a position he plays, maybe he wasn't the guy getting most of the headlines after that game.
• 9:57
  [SPEAKER_00]: It was like, people need to go back and watch film watch, how good Kate McDonnell was in that game.
• 10:02
  [SPEAKER_00]: And you mentioned the stat line.
• 10:03
  [SPEAKER_00]: I mean, he maintained that all your long.
• 10:05
  [SPEAKER_00]: 65 tackles for a nose tackle.
• 10:07
  [SPEAKER_00]: That's what I've heard of.
• 10:09
  [SPEAKER_00]: You almost never see that.
• 10:10
  [SPEAKER_00]: So I think that speaks to the kind of player he is where, you know, he is back guy like he can take on a double team.
• 10:17
  [SPEAKER_00]: He can only lie, but he's also not just a guy who's gonna sit there and plug the gap.
• 10:20
  [SPEAKER_00]: He's a guy who's going to go and make plays too.
• 10:24
  [SPEAKER_00]: And when you have a guy who is as strong and powerful he is, but is also going in actually making plays and creating that disruption by himself, that's a really valuable guy to have.
• 10:34
  [SPEAKER_01]: Definitely as an I know right in that range it seems like most spares fans media want them to go Addressor or interior defensive line.
• 10:43
  [SPEAKER_01]: So that's kind of where it's weighing and less It's a couple of safety's that people are talking about obviously a thenomen and then a man who amic Near war and those are two safety's that are have the possibility But it does feel like a lot of people are leaning that interior defensive line or edge so we'll see what the bears are thinking another player I wanted to talk to you about is corner back.
• 11:00
  [SPEAKER_01]: Obviously, Davidson.
• 11:01
  [SPEAKER_01]: I want to make sure I say this right is it
• 11:04
  [SPEAKER_00]: Yeah, you got it.
• 11:05
  [SPEAKER_01]: Okay, Davis and Ignos said outside corner media starter with the buck guys.
• 11:09
  [SPEAKER_01]: That's one thing that you like to see when a guy can come in and kind of make his place on it on a really good defense pretty much from the start and then never lost that through his three seasons with Ohio State.
• 11:19
  [SPEAKER_01]: So chat some of his drinks that kind of what made him tick in that defense too on the back end.
• 11:24
  [SPEAKER_00]: Yeah, you know, I think Ryan Day said it well when he was talking about Davis and the innocent at the end of last season that Davis was really the guy who kind of changed the mentality of that corner back room at Ohio State, which was something they needed, they had kind of struggled in the secondary a few years when he came in.
• 11:40
  [SPEAKER_00]: And he's a guy, you know, really intense competitor, a guy who's a great tackler, you know, has good size to that corner back position, plays with a lot of confidence out there on the edge.
• 11:50
  [SPEAKER_00]: Now, the the biggest question mark with Dave's and the ignosive of biggest knock on him throughout his Ohio State career, especially in 2024, has been penalties.
• 11:58
  [SPEAKER_00]: He's someone who plays the position of a lot of physicality does have a tendency to grab opposing receivers in 2024.
• 12:06
  [SPEAKER_00]: He actually led the nation with B most penalties.
• 12:08
  [SPEAKER_00]: of any defender.
• 12:09
  [SPEAKER_00]: Now he did cut that number by more than half this past season.
• 12:13
  [SPEAKER_00]: So I think he has made progress there.
• 12:15
  [SPEAKER_00]: I think it's still a big question you're going to have if you're an NFL scout because especially making the transition from college where passenger appearance is a 15 yard penalty.
• 12:24
  [SPEAKER_00]: to the NFL where it's a spot-fowl, our offense is going to just throw deep balls on him as much as possible to try to bait him into penalties and get big gains.
• 12:34
  [SPEAKER_00]: And so I think that's going to be the biggest question mark for him in terms of whether he can be a starting quarterback in the NFL.
• 12:41
  [SPEAKER_00]: But I think other than that, I mean, I think the physical tools are there, I think he's going to be an immediate impact player in the run game at that corner back position
• 12:52
  [SPEAKER_00]: seeks out contact who tackles really well, and so I think that bears a lot to like about Davis and Ignanocin, other about penalty issue, which is something that again, he got better at this past season, but is still something he's going to have to continue to work on at the next level.
• 13:09
  [SPEAKER_01]: Yeah, the bear's drafted a Tyrex Steven saying a few seasons ago and his contracts coming up.
• 13:14
  [SPEAKER_01]: That's why we're kind of having the corner conversation right now, the corner room is set, but you have some decisions to make this next year, what that's going to look like.
• 13:21
  [SPEAKER_01]: people are kind of looking in this range at a quarterback.
• 13:25
  [SPEAKER_01]: But and he had issues, he came into the league saying, you know, he's a little handsy and that was something that could potentially be a problem early on with the bears.
• 13:33
  [SPEAKER_01]: It was a problem he got called for several early.
• 13:35
  [SPEAKER_01]: It kind of trickled down a little bit and it ended up being a little better than what it was early on.
• 13:40
  [SPEAKER_01]: But sometimes it's hard.
• 13:41
  [SPEAKER_01]: Those guys that play super physical and especially to your point.
• 13:44
  [SPEAKER_01]: the difference in college to the NFL, which it bugs me, I wish they would change that rule.
• 13:48
  [SPEAKER_01]: I don't think a quarterback should be able to launch it 50 yards and they get 50 yards on that.
• 13:53
  [SPEAKER_01]: I've talked to some like referees how they think about it officials and they're all like we don't love the rule either, but it is what it is.
• 14:00
  [SPEAKER_01]: But did not Patricia talk about that at all when he came to Ohio State last year, when it came to those penalties and trying to reduce those, was it something they worked on?
• 14:09
  [SPEAKER_00]: I think it was something that he really worked on a lot with Ohio State Secondary Coach Tim Walton then.
• 14:14
  [SPEAKER_00]: Okay.
• 14:14
  [SPEAKER_00]: You know, when you talk to Tim Walton about it, the biggest thing he'll say is that, you know, everybody talks about hands and the grabbing.
• 14:20
  [SPEAKER_00]: But what he said is that it's actually the feet.
• 14:22
  [SPEAKER_00]: It's actually being in the right position, you know, not getting out of positions where you have to grab the receiver.
• 14:29
  [SPEAKER_00]: It's about, you know, being in the right position, you know, Davis and Ignos and he's talked about it.
• 14:33
  [SPEAKER_00]: He said, you know, a lot of it was getting his hands at him.
• 14:36
  [SPEAKER_00]: getting his head around, excuse me.
• 14:38
  [SPEAKER_00]: There's a little bit of a discrepancy if it's kind of funny of it.
• 14:41
  [SPEAKER_00]: There was a story in in 2024 where Jim Knowles, a former Ohio State Defensive Coordinator said that they were putting of admits on Davis' hands to stop him from grabbing receivers.
• 14:52
  [SPEAKER_00]: When he was after about it last month's pro-day, he said that's cap.
• 14:55
  [SPEAKER_00]: He said,
• 14:56
  [SPEAKER_00]: That didn't happen.
• 14:57
  [SPEAKER_00]: So there's still kind of a, you know, debate there of whether he actually was having mits put on his hands or practice to stop them from grabbing receivers.
• 15:08
  [SPEAKER_00]: Either way, he did make improvements in that area of his last season.
• 15:12
  [SPEAKER_00]: Was an all big 10 corner back this last season.
• 15:15
  [SPEAKER_00]: So I think that's the good thing if
• 15:16
  [SPEAKER_00]: You know, you're you're looking at him as an NFL scout is, you know, he knew like he knew going back when he made the decision he could have entered the draft a year ago.
• 15:24
  [SPEAKER_00]: He knew that was the number one thing that he had to clean up.
• 15:28
  [SPEAKER_00]: He did make significant strides in that area and it's something that he continues to work on.
• 15:32
  [SPEAKER_00]: And so he certainly aware of the issue.
• 15:35
  [SPEAKER_00]: Ohio State was certainly aware of the issue and did whatever it could to help him fix that issue.
• 15:40
  [SPEAKER_00]: Now it's just a question of, you know, will the improvements he made last year translate to the next level?
• 15:46
  [SPEAKER_01]: Yeah, was it oven mitts, was it not we may never know, but we'll see if that what that looks like at the next level.
• 15:51
  [SPEAKER_01]: The final one I want us to specifically talk about a dresser, Caden Curry, another guy who contributed right away with the buck guys four year career there.
• 16:08
  [SPEAKER_00]: Yeah, and every guy much like Caden MacDonald who kind of had to wait his turn to be that starter.
• 16:12
  [SPEAKER_00]: They had two guys again at his position who were drafted last year in Jack Sawyer and JT2 a mole.
• 16:18
  [SPEAKER_00]: Wow.
• 16:18
  [SPEAKER_00]: So he, you know, made an immediate impact as a freshman got in there a little bit.
• 16:22
  [SPEAKER_00]: Then you saw him as a sophomore in junior was one of those rotational guys coming up, a bench playing occasionally.
• 16:27
  [SPEAKER_00]: Then this past year was the first time we really got to see him be that for readown defense event playing most of a snap some of a defensive line.
• 16:35
  [SPEAKER_00]: And he had an excellent year and he was a guy going into the year.
• 16:38
  [SPEAKER_00]: But there was some question like would he even be the starter after they brought in Bo Atkinson from North Carolina out of a transfer portal.
• 16:46
  [SPEAKER_00]: he ends up being very most productive defensive end last season, a lot of sacks, a lot of disruption off the edge.
• 16:53
  [SPEAKER_00]: And so, you know, I think Hayden's a guy who's firmly in that, you know, middle-round conversation of the draft.
• 16:58
  [SPEAKER_00]: I think has a lot of similarities, honestly, two Jack Sawyer who was a forefront pick last year in terms of extremely high motor guy, maybe not that guy who's going to blow you away in terms of
• 17:08
  [SPEAKER_00]: how fast he runs, but you know, his quick does a really good job using his hands, and you know, you never never gives up on a play.
• 17:16
  [SPEAKER_00]: I mean, I think one of my favorite things about Keaton Curry, but I think really kind of exemplifies who he is, is that until last year,
• 17:23
  [SPEAKER_00]: He was playing on the kickoff coverage team for three years.
• 17:26
  [SPEAKER_00]: You don't see a lot of defense events running down a field on kickoff coverage.
• 17:30
  [SPEAKER_00]: I think that tells you a kind of motor he has, the kind of athlete he is that he's able to run down a field full speed and kickoff coverage.
• 17:38
  [SPEAKER_00]: And so I think that he's one of those guys, he's just kind of at just intangible football player.
• 17:44
  [SPEAKER_00]: Maybe the physical attributes aren't going to wow you, but he's one of those guys that when you put on a pad, you blow the whistle, you go play.
• 17:52
  [SPEAKER_00]: he's going to make plays.
• 17:54
  [SPEAKER_00]: So, you know, I think that he's someone who's, you know, he's probably not ever going to be a 10-saxi-year guy in the NFL, but I think that he's someone who, if he's your, you know, second, third defense of then bear a mat rotation, that he can come into the league and be a productive player.
• 18:09
  [SPEAKER_01]: 4, 7, 8, 40 for people who don't know for Kate and Curry and then yeah, 53 tackles 13 and a half for lost nine sex.
• 18:16
  [SPEAKER_01]: That's some good good stat line to put up for him, especially when you look at the other guys like and that's one of the things looking at some of these good defenses talk to you right now.
• 18:25
  [SPEAKER_01]: I did one on Texas Texas tech recently who obviously had a really good defense to and when you look at all of the people who are
• 18:32
  [SPEAKER_01]: accumulating these stacks and tackles for losses and to be able to still get 9, 10, 11, 12, sacks when multiple guys are doing that.
• 18:40
  [SPEAKER_01]: That's when you know, never wanted to get defense, but number two, these players are really good.
• 18:44
  [SPEAKER_01]: I wanted to ask you about him when it comes to, because obviously the conversation, if you're not that, that guy that maybe is going to be the
• 18:51
  [SPEAKER_01]: 10 11 12 sat guy.
• 18:54
  [SPEAKER_01]: Are you able to stop the run?
• 18:55
  [SPEAKER_01]: That's going to be the other question.
• 18:56
  [SPEAKER_01]: And from what I've read about him, he has strengths and both series can get to the quarterback, but also can play the water the run well.
• 19:02
  [SPEAKER_00]: Yeah, again, kind of people were talking about Caden McGonald.
• 19:05
  [SPEAKER_00]: You look at the stat line, 50 free tackles.
• 19:07
  [SPEAKER_00]: This is a number guy who he's going to make a lot of tackles in the run game.
• 19:11
  [SPEAKER_00]: He's going to be very productive.
• 19:14
  [SPEAKER_00]: I think that he did a really good job.
• 19:15
  [SPEAKER_00]: You talk to Larry Johnson, the longtime defense of line coach at Ohio State.
• 19:19
  [SPEAKER_00]: If you're just a past rusher, you don't play at Ohio State.
• 19:22
  [SPEAKER_00]: You have to be able to set the edge and stop a run.
• 19:26
  [SPEAKER_00]: to play on Ohio State's defensive line, and so I think that he proved last season that he was really good in that area.
• 19:33
  [SPEAKER_00]: Again, it's like, it's he's the biggest guy if it may be you're looking for is like that ideal NFL defensive end, probably not, but I think that he showed.
• 19:43
  [SPEAKER_00]: He has the strength to hold up going against, I mean, you're going against a lot of free hundred plus pound defense tackles in the big ten, and he was able to consistently.
• 19:51
  [SPEAKER_00]: set the edge and and be an effective run defender.
• 19:55
  [SPEAKER_00]: So I think that he's someone, you know, whether it be as, you know, a traditional defense event in a four or three or, you know, he ends up, you know, being more of an outside linebacker in a free four.
• 20:04
  [SPEAKER_00]: I think that he's someone who's going to be able to play a run effectively.
• 20:07
  [SPEAKER_01]: Yeah, and a lot of teams are looking and need that rotational guy that you can just count on getting five or six, seven sacks and that and the bears are one of the, they need the number two, but they also need the number three.
• 20:18
  [SPEAKER_01]: But yeah, I think let's, before I let you go, Dan, I want to ask you just in general, there's like I said a lot more prospects when it comes to some of these Ohio State guys you mentioned when we were talking off air 13 guys drafted last year.
• 20:29
  [SPEAKER_00]: 14, I believe.
• 20:30
  [SPEAKER_00]: 14 last year.
• 20:31
  [SPEAKER_01]: OK, looking like it's probably trending in a similar direction.
• 20:34
  [SPEAKER_01]: But are there any other guys that we didn't talk about that?
• 20:37
  [SPEAKER_01]: You kind of have, whether they just you just feel like they'll transfer well to the next level, people aren't talking about them enough, anything in that range that sometimes we didn't address.
• 20:46
  [SPEAKER_00]: Yeah, I think the sleeper of this class in my eyes for Ohio State, who I think is going to go on to have a very good NFL career as well, Kess Merrick, and he's a guy who didn't put up big numbers in the receiving game as a tight end, but it's a really good blocker, someone who played a major role in Ohio State's offense as a run blocker for the past two years.
• 21:04
  [SPEAKER_00]: And I think he's a guy, you look at Luke Farrow who plays for the San Francisco 49ers right now.
• 21:09
  [SPEAKER_00]: a lot of people had him going undrafted.
• 21:12
  [SPEAKER_00]: He ended up going in the fifth round of at draft.
• 21:14
  [SPEAKER_00]: I've made that comparison a lot with Wolfocast Merrick.
• 21:16
  [SPEAKER_00]: I think they're very similar players, and I think his where he ends up getting drafted could be similar in terms of a guy who, you know, is he ever going to be a guy who's putting up big numbers as a past catcher in the NFL?
• 21:28
  [SPEAKER_00]: Probably not, but he's going to be able to come in and be in a really effective block or in most multi-tighten sets as well as making impact on special teams.
• 21:38
  [SPEAKER_00]: he's the guy that I look at who I think is not getting talked about by a lot of people, but I think it's going to end up being a fifth or sixth round pick and end up having a productive NFL career.
• 21:49
  [SPEAKER_01]: I did want to appreciate your time as always if we end up getting any of these Ohio State bunkers I'll reach back out and we'll chat a little bit more in depth about these guys, but I appreciate your time.
• 21:58
  [SPEAKER_00]: Sure things sounds good.
• 21:59
  [SPEAKER_01]: Thanks so much.
• 22:00
  [SPEAKER_01]: Have a good one.