Mock Draft Monday 5/5 '25
The Plug
The Plug
- Western Conference Semifinals Preview
- NFL Draft ‘26 Prospects
- YouTube Rabbithole
Alright @YouTheReader,
Happy Cinco de Mayo! Today’s tune is Drake & Future’s I’m The Plug.
Very odd song title, let’s get to the sports…
After a weekend with a pair of Game 7s, the 2nd Round of the NBA Playoffs is underway for both conferences.
Western Conference
Denver and OKC split their regular-season series this year, each winning two apiece. These two franchises technically have some playoff familiarity, dating back to the 70s when the Thunder were the Supersonics; they defeated the Nuggets in the 1978 Western Conference Finals. The Nuggets beat the Sonics in the 1st Round of the playoffs in 1988 and 1994. In their most recent playoff matchup in 2011, the KD-Westbrook-Harden beat the Nuggets, the same year they dealt Melo at the deadline.
The Nuggets blew out the Clippers in Denver on Saturday night and only get one night of rest before Game 1 in OKC. This may have a big impact on their second-round series, as they really only have Russell Westbrook as their bench option. All 5 of Denver’s starters played 32+ minutes in the opening round, a stark contrast with OKC, which had 7 guys play 20+ minutes in 4 games. While the Joker averaged a triple-double and was magnificent, his supporting cast stepped up, too. Jamal Murray has looked like his pre-ACL tear injury form, Aaron Gordon is a reliable playoff performer, Christian Braun continues to develop into a useful wing, and Michael Porter Jr. is practically playing with one arm as he deals with a nagging left shoulder. The other major storyline is Russell Westbrook's return to Oklahoma City. After spending 11 seasons with the Thunder, Westbrook will play in his 2nd playoff series against them as an opponent, and it’ll be the first time he does so outside the COVID-Bubble Playoffs. Westbrook will draw a loud ovation and bring plenty of energy as the team’s 6th Man, but don’t expect any triple-doubles from the former Mr. Thunder.
One of the major storylines from the Thunder’s perspective is that Shai-Gilgeous Alexander gets to make his case that he’s the NBA’s MVP directly against the Joker. While the voting has already been cast, the award will be announced this Wednesday before Game 2 of the series. Last round in OKC’s close-out win in Game 4 against Memphis, SGA scored a playoff career-high 38 points. As impressive as the Thunder’s offensive game is, OKC's blitzing defense is what truly separates them. When you combine the fact that they have so much more depth than Denver and had 8 nights between their last 1st Round series, the Thunder should be flying around the court.
Prediction: Thunder in 5.
The Warriors won the regular-season series 3-1 over the Timberwolves. These two franchises have never played each other in the NBA Playoffs. This matchup is just the 3rd time in NBA history where a 6-seed will play the 7-seed in the 2nd Round.
The Warriors squeaked by the Rockets to advance to the 2nd Round of the playoffs for the 9th time in 13 years. Steph Curry got off to a slow start, scoring only 3 points by half, but finished with 22 points along with 10 boards and 7 assists. Golden State’s main scorer last night was Buddy Hield, who dropped a playoff career-high of 33 points while hitting on 9 of 11 3-pointers. Jimmy Butler also chipped in with some steady buckets, but Draymond Green seemed most composed. That is, until Draymond couldn’t help himself picking up a technical foul for knocking the head off Fred VanVleet. Green was otherwise great in Game 7 as he played an instrumental part in the Golden State defense holding Alperen Sengun to 9 of 23 shooting. The Warriors will now have to focus on a much more difficult assignment in trying to guard Anthony Edwards.
The T’Wolves got by the Lakers as Anthony Edwards bullied LeBron into giving up his crown. Edwards was the most talented two-way player with James and Luka Doncic on the court. When James wasn’t getting pushed around on the offensive end, Julius Randle played bully ball against LeBron while he was on defense. With Draymond Green and Anthony Edwards together on the floor, the banter will be prevalent, and tempers could flare at any minute. While these two teams don’t directly have playoff history, Jimmy Butler previously played for Minnesota when their future was still based around KAT, and Donte DiVencenzo spent one season in Golden State in 22-’23 before joining the Knicks. Minnesota is seeking two consecutive Western Conference Finals appearances for the first time in franchise history.
Prediction: Warriors in 6.
Building A Board ‘26
Garrett Nussmeier, QB, LSU
Garrett Nussmeier was born in Lake Charles, Louisiana, but played his high school football in Texas. His father, Doug Nussmeier, was taken in the 4th Round of the 1994 NFL Draft by the New Orleans Saints. After spending a handful of years as a backup QB in the NFL, Doug Nussmeier eventually turned to coaching all over the US college/pro leagues and even in the Canadian Football League. During Garrett Nussmeier’s time in Texas high school football, Doug was the Cowboys' QB coach, and he is currently the Offensive Coordinator. Garrett Nussmeier was rated a 4-star pro-style QB at Marcus High School in Flower Mound. He decided to play for LSU and has served as the team’s backup QB from 2021 to 2023, behind Jayden Daniels in two of those years. As a senior in ‘24, Garrett Nussmeier proved to be worth the wait as he threw for 4,052 passing yards and 29 TDs with a 64.2% completion percentage. Being the son of an NFL QB coach, Nussmeier has some very technically sound throwing mechanics and has decent scrambling ability in the pocket. After leading the SEC in interceptions (12), he’ll need to improve on cutting down on his turnovers. Otherwise, with another good season for the Tigers, Nussmeier should be in line to be a Round 1 selection in ‘26.
T.J. Parker, Edge, Clemson
TJ Parker is from Phenix City, Alabama. Highly recruited, Parker played at Central High School and posted 12 sacks in his senior season. After originally committing to Penn State, TJ Parker decided to switch to Clemson. As a freshman with the Tigers in ‘23, Parker was a Shaun Alexander Freshman of the Year finalist and was also named a Freshman All-American. The edge rusher had 41 tackles, 12.5 TFLs, 5.5 sacks, and 2 pass breakups in 13 starts. The starting sophomore in ‘24 improved with 64 tackles, 19.5 TFLs, 11 sacks, and set a new school record with 6 forced fumbles. Parker was one of the most feared pass rushers in College Football in ‘24, earning 2nd Team All-American recognition. With another successful season of getting after the QB, Parker is an early favorite to be the 1st pass rusher taken off the board in ‘26.
Isaiah World, OT, Oregon
Isaiah World is from San Diego, California. A 3-star recruit out of high school, World began his collegiate career with Nevada. After redshirting with the Wolfpack in ‘21, World was plugged into Right Tackle in ‘22 and struggled in pass protection. World allowed 11 sacks as a redshirt freshman, but showed enough promise as a player to be given the Left Tackle role his sophomore season. The move to the blindside in ‘23 saw massive improvements to World’s game as he allowed just 2 sacks, along with 11 QB Hits. In ‘24 as a junior, Isaiah World once more improved in pass protection as he cut down on both sacks allowed (1) and QB Hits (2). The redshirt senior has transferred to Oregon this spring and is expected to anchor the Ducks’ offensive line. At 6’8” and 310 lbs., Isaiah World has plenty of athleticism to play at the next level.
Raion Strader, CB, Auburn
Raion Strader is from Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania. In high school, Strader was a two-time team captain at Penn Hills Senior HS. His first collegiate stop was at Miami (OH) University. As a freshman in ‘23, Stader won the College Football News Freshman All-American Award with 57 tackles, one interception, and 13 pass breakups. As a sophomore in '24, Raion Strader continued his excellent play, being named the MAC CB of the Year. The 6’ corner picked off two passes and led all of College Football with 18 pass breakups. Entering the spring of ‘25, Raion Strader decided to transfer to Auburn University. If the ballhawk defensive back can continue to get his hand on the ball in the SEC, Strader will be an intriguing CB option in the ‘26 NFL Draft.
Eric Rivers, WR, Georgia Tech
