Mock Draft Monday 5/27 '24
Wu-Tang Forever
Wu-Tang Forever
- Building A Board ‘25 (Vol V)
- NBA Draft ‘24
- YouTube Rabbitthole
Alright @YouTheReader,
Today’s tune on the last Mock Draft Monday this May is Wu-Wang Forever by Drake. This was the 4th track off the album Nothing Was The Same.
The NY rap group, Wu-Tang, had a song called It’s Yourz. It was featured on their 1997 album, Wu-Tang Forever.
9 AM in Dallas was Drake’s first timestamp and location song. Throughout his career, the Toronto rapper has made quite a few timestamps and location songs that are always rap. I’m assuming he is asking the female subject of the song if they prefer when he raps or sings. Notice
While this isn’t a total tribute song to the legendary 90s rap group, Drake uses this line which originally came from Raekwon of Wu-Tang.
These lines are likely directed at Chris Brown. Back in the summer of ‘12, Drake and his entourage allegedly got into a scuffle with Chris Brown and his entourage. It happened at W.i.P. Nightclub in SoHo, a basement club in NYC, and one would have to assume it centered around Rihanna. Spurs PG at the time, Tony Parker, suffered a scratched retina, and he sued the club for $20 million. Yikes, what a disaster. W.i.P. Nightclub has since been shut down and turned into a Japanese restaurant, or it’s vacant and I can’t tell because of Google Maps. Either way, it’s a real shame, it would’ve been a cool place to have a pint of Guinness.
Found this out on RapGenius, but Mazin Elsadig co-starred on Degrassi with Drake. They were good friends when he was acting. Much like most Nothing Was The Same, these sorta play on the theme of how things changed once he started to pursue music.
Back in my day, this paranoid rolling with my boys was a very popular Instagram caption for the era. I’m skipping over a lot of the lines on this one but the idea behind this song and “It’s Yours” is Drake claiming that the game (rap) is his.
Nice beat and a cool sample. While not my favorite track on the album, it has a unique sound different from most rappers at the time. These lines also connect with his next song on the album, Own It.
On to the sports…
The ‘25 NFL Draft won’t be in Lambeau Field until April 24th, ‘25. I don’t have a Mock Draft for that class, still have to learn more about the players first. So, just like last year’s Mondays, we’ll get started with the biggest names in College Football for this upcoming season, adding 5 more players every Monday Mock Draft to Build A Board.
Last week’s Mock Draft Monday reached 2 hopeful NBA Draft lottery picks, a Michigan Man National Champion, and a sack machine getting ready to play for Texas A&M. (Plus Duff 🫡)
Malaki Starks, S, Georgia
Malaki Starks is from Jefferson, Georgia, and was a 5-star prospect coming out of high school. Most publications such as ESPN had him ranked the #1 athlete of his class and for good reason. As a true freshman in ‘22, Starks had an immediate impact on the National Champion Bulldog defense. He made 14 starts and was 3rd on the team in tackles with 68. Starks also led the team in pass breakups (7) and picked off 2 balls. For his play, Malaki Starks was named a finalist for the Shaun Alexander Freshman of the Year Award. Malaki Starks returned as the starter in ‘23 and was just as impressive. He finished the season with 52 tackles while picking off 3 balls to go with 7 pass breakups. The centerfielder of the Georgia secondary was named 1st Team All-SEC and as well as a Consensus 1st Team All-American. Starks is an excellent defender who can go up with any WR in college football and win contrasted jump balls. What makes him even more dynamic is if he does come down with the football, he becomes a real threat taking it the other way. He enters the ‘24 CFB Season as the top safety prospect.
Howard Cross III, DT, Notre Dame
Howard Cross III is from Paramus, New Jersey. His father Howard Cross Jr. played TE for the New York Giants from 1989 to 2001. He had 4 catches for 39 yards in the Giants Super Bowl XXV win over the Bills. His son Howard Cross III played high school football at St. Joe’s Regional in Montvale, New Jersey. In ‘18, Cross III was named the NJ.com State Player of the Year as he helped the Green Knights win their 19th New Jersey State Championship. Despite his father’s NFL pedigree, winning, and individual accolades, Howard Cross III was labeled a 4-star prospect by ESPN. He chose to play for Notre Dame. As a freshman in ‘19, Cross III saw action in only 4 games. During his sophomore season in ‘20, he saw a bit more action but only compiled 13 tackles as a depth piece on the Fightin’ Irish defensive line. In ‘21 as a junior, Cross III made his first 2 starts in college and also picked up his first 3 sacks. As a senior in ‘22, Cross III made 7 more starts and had 33 tackles, a team-high for an interior lineman. As a graduate student in ‘23, Howard Cross III had his best season yet. The AP named him 2nd Team All-American. As the Notre Dame nose tackle, Cross III had 66 tackles, 7 tackles for loss, 2 pass deflections, 2 sacks, and 2 forced fumbles. Since he was a student during the ‘20 Pandemic season, Cross III has elected to play a 6th season at Notre Dame and will look to once again improve upon his previous season.
Kevin Winston Jr., S, Penn State
Kevin Winston Jr. is from Columbia, Maryland. His father, Kevin Winston, played college football at James Madison University. Out of high school, Kevin Winston Jr. was a 3/4 star prospect from the likes of ESPN and 247Sports. During his freshman season in ‘22, Winston Jr. appeared in 12 games and made 16 tackles mostly contributing on special teams. As a sophomore, Winston Jr. cracked the Penn State defensive starting lineup and vastly improved from a production standpoint. In 13 starts, Winston Jr. had a team-high 60 tackles, 2.5 TFLs, 5 pass breakups, and an interception. Throughout his sophomore campaign, Winston Jr. is credited for not missing a single tackle in coverage so I’d say that justifies labeling him a sure-tackler. If he can continue to improve in pass coverage and keep up the steady play as a downhill hard hitter, Winston Jr. has a real shot at being a 1st Rounder in ‘25.
Emeka Egbuka, WR, Ohio State
Emeka Egbuka is from Steilacoom, Washington. While in high school, Egbuka was not only Washington’s ‘19 Gatorade Player of the Year in football but a standout on the baseball diamond as well. After turning down numerous college baseball offers, Emeka Egbuka chose to play for The Ohio State Buckeyes. As a freshman at Ohio State, Egbuka didn’t crack the offensive starting lineup but made the Freshman All-American team for his skills at kick returning. As the Buckeye kick returner, Egbuka averaged 29 yards per return - the best in the Big Ten. During his sophomore season of ‘22, Egbuka was inserted into Ohio State’s offensive starting lineup and he had a terrific year with 1,238 total yards and 12 total TDs. Ohio State used him a bit in the running game for some trickery along with his 46 receptions of 10 or more yards earned Egbuka 3rd Team All-Big Ten honors. During his junior year in ‘23, Emeka Egbuka dealt with an ankle injury for the majority of the season. He underwent ankle surgery midseason and missed 3 games. All-in-all his campaign ended with 10 games played, 41 catches, 515 yards, and 4 scores. At 6’1”, Emeka Egbuka may not be the most physically imposing WR in this class but he knows how to run clean routes, and when he gets the ball in his hands can be just as dynamic as his freshman year when he was an elite kick returner. With a bounce-back from injury senior season, Emeka Egbuka will have a shot at becoming a 1st-round WR in the ‘25 NFL Draft.
Denzel Burke, CB, Ohio State
Denzel Burke is from Phoenix, Arizona. In high school, he played WR but was already more known as an elite defensive back as The Arizona Republic named him the state’s best corner. Burke’s career at Ohio State got off to a hot start as his freshman season was arguably his best. In 13 starts as a true freshman, Burke had 1 INT, 13 pass deflections, and was named to the Freshman All-American team. While he couldn’t keep that standard as a sophomore, Burke returned to form as a junior in ‘23. He was named 2nd Team All-American and 1st Team Big-Ten as he picked off another pass with 9 pass deflections. With another healthy season for the Buckeyes, Denzel Burke will have a shot at becoming the most experienced CB in The Ohio State’s program history. His 35 career starts currently rank 11th all-time while his 26 career pass breakups rank 6th. At 6’1”, he has the size to play on the outside in the NFL with plenty of College Ball experience.
With the NBA Draft set for June 26th, we’ll add 5 more NBA Draft prospects to a list in preparation for a Mock Draft 1st Round. Today’s 5 are focused on 5 Power Forward or Centers from college.
Zach Edey, Center, Purdue
Zach Edey is from Toronto, Canada. He has been one of the more well-known college hoopers in the sport because of his 7’4” size, but he’ll also go down as one of the game’s greatest players in college basketball history. After starting out as a freshman off the bench who averaged 8.7 points, 4.7 rebounds, and 1 block per game, Edey his sophomore year earned a starting role. That saw his numbers improve to 14.4 points, 7.7 rebounds, and 1.2 blocks per game. Then in ‘22-'23, the Canadian center had one of the most statistically dominating seasons in college basketball history as he averaged 22.3 points, 12.9 rebounds, 2.1 blocks, and 1.5 assists per game. Yet somehow, this past season the Purdue Big Man continued to get even better as he put up 25.2 points, 12.2 rebounds, 2.1 blocks, and 2 assists per game while shooting an efficient 62% from the floor. On his Senior Night, Edey’s mother told a funny story about when he was visiting Purdue, a student noticed him on campus because of his size and asked him for an autograph. Edey said he wasn’t on the team, but the student insisted. After giving his John Hancock, he turned to his mom and said, “That kid just got an autograph from a nobody.” 4 years later, Zach Edey is the National Player of the Year, Kareem Abdul-Jabbar Award winner, and Purdue’s all-time leader in career points as well as rebounds. Call me old-fashioned, but he could certainly find some role in the NBA.
DaRon Holmes II, PF, Dayton
DaRon Holmes is from Goodyear, Arizona. He was a four-star prospect and top 50 recruit from high school, the highest-ranked high school recruit to ever sign with Dayton. Holmes immediately started for the Flyers as a freshman as he averaged 12.8 points per game and set the school’s single-season block record of 81. During his sophomore season, the 6’10” forward was the A-10 tournament’s Most Outstanding Player, averaging 21.7 points, 10.1 rebounds, and 4 blocks in the A-10 Tourney. Holmes also had 89 dunks as a sophomore, the most in College Basketball during the regular season that year. This past season at Dayton was DaRon Holmes’ best as he averaged career-highs in points (20.4), rebounds (8.5), and assists (2.6), while improving his 3-point shot to 39% from beyond the arc. Holmes’ talent as a big with underrated guard skills makes him a perfect fit for today’s NBA. He was a highlight reel in College, but the production was also there as he was named 2nd Team All-American by the AP. He can defend the paint, shoot, pass, and throw down poster dunks.
Kyle Filipowski, Center, Duke
Kyle Filipowski is from Westtown, Orange County, NY…About an hour northwest of Rockland County, NY, or better yet an hour & half Upstate from The City. Kyle has a twin brother who plays for Harvard, so his family sure has brains. As a freshman in ‘22-’23, the Upstate New Yorker averaged 15.1 points and 8.9 rebounds per game, which led the Blue Devils in both categories of the stat sheet. He can keep a defense honest as he shot 28% from behind the arc. Filipowski was named ACC Rookie of the Year, ACC Tournament MVP, and the Kyle Macy National Freshman of the Year. He became just the 2nd Duke Blue Devil to be awarded ACC Rookie of the Year and ACC Tournament MVP, joining Zion Williamson. During his sophomore campaign in ‘23-’24, Filipowski improved on his 3-point shooting, bringing his percentage up to 35%. The 1st Team All-ACC and All-ACC Academic center 16.4 points and 8.3 rebounds per game. Filipowski was involved in a student storming of the court incident in Wake Forest which was all over the internet for a bit this winter. Luckily for him, the NBA doesn’t allow fans to storm the court so he should be safe as a rim-protecting stretch big in the Association.
Alex Karaban, PF, UCONN
Alex Karaban is from Northborough, Massachusetts, where he started his high school days before going to school in New Hampshire and then accelerating his graduation at IMG Academy down in Bradenton, Florida. He was named the Gatorade New Hampshire Player of the Year for ‘20-21 after averaging 25.8 points, 8.7 rebounds, 2.9 assists and 1.9 blocks per game. In ‘22-’23 as a redshirt freshman, Karaban cracked the starting lineup in just the 2nd game of the season and didn’t look back as he made the next 38 starts. He led the team in total minutes played as he averaged 9.3 points, 4.5 rebounds, and 1.7 assists while shooting an impressive 48% from the floor to go with 40% from behind the 3-point arc. Karaban is not a flashy player whatsoever, but he gets the job done effectively. Entering last season, Karaban was asked why his game gets overlooked he said, “People have just always looked past me and I think that is just going to continue this year and I love it. I love continuing to prove people wrong. People undervalue what I can do and you know I’m totally fine with that, I love it. It’s a motivating factor that I’ll never lose.” Even after winning the National Championship in ‘23, Karaban was clearly determined to prove more people wrong and he did so as a redshirt sophomore averaging 13.3 points and 5.1 rebounds while hitting on 38% of his 3-pointers. While he again last year was snubbed from individual accolades, Karaban won back-to-back National Championships at UConn and was a key steady cog in their titles. UConn used Karaban in multiple ways for a PF, including running him off screens as a shooter on flares. He has a very high basketball IQ and it’s been Noted he was one of the best cutters in College Hoops. The timing of knowing when to cut to the hoop is an underrated aspect that could make up for Karaban’s lack of otherworldly athleticism. With his motivated demeanor, basketball sense, and shooting, Karaban could be a steady stretch 4 in the NBA.
PJ Hall, PF, Clemson
