Mock Draft Monday 9/16 '24
Energy
Energy
- NFL Draft ‘25 Build a Board
- UNC Hoops
- YouTube Rabbithole
Alright @YouTheReader,
Today’s tune is Drake’s Energy. It’s a Monday and I’m feeling a bit low energy so here are yesterday’s Notes on…
Jets @ Titans, Week 2
Pregame: Finnegan’s at 12:30 PM ET. 1st-pint Guinness Challenge: I Failed. ❌
Quarter 1
- The Titans start the game with 2 running plays and the Jets’ Will McDonald picks up a sack on a QB spy. The Jets offense starts with 3 straight Breece Hall touches for a 1st Down, including a Wild Cat direct snap. Aaron Rodgers gets called for intentional grounding which sets up 2nd & 20. On 3rd and long, Malachi Corley catches his 1st career pass on a screen, which leads to a punt and calls for a pint.
2nd-pint Guinness Challenge: I Failed. ❌
- The Titans run a pick play with Calvin Ridley which picks up their first 1st Down. The Jets defense commits 4 penalties on the drive and has very little pass rush. Ridley scores on a Jet-sweep as the Titans go up 7-0.
- To close out the first 15 minutes, the Jets go 3-n-out. What an awful opening quarter.
Quarter 2
- Jets special team gunner, Irvin Charles, makes a great tackle in punt coverage. On 3rd & 7, Jermaine Johnson gets flagged for a weak roughing the passer call. It would’ve forced a punt, instead, the Titans got a free 15 yards and drove into the Jets’ Red Zone. LB CJ Mosley is heading to the locker room with a toe. He does look a step slow. After the Jets start getting chirped a bit in the fantasy football group chat, it’s time to put the phone on Airplane Mode. #TakeFlight
- On 3rd and Goal, Titans QB and Mayonnaise-in coffee enthusiast, Will Levis inexcusably underhands a backward pass. Not to sound like a jerk, but that might’ve been one of the stupidest plays I’ve ever seen a QB attempt. Even his coach had to ask him “WTF are you doing?”
- The Jets offense goes 3-n-out, but Irvin Charles again makes a great special teams tackle on punt return duties. On the Titans 1st offensive play after Levis’ fumble, he launches a deep ball that Jets backup CB Brandin Echols picks off. An insane interception, they need to take advantage.
- Aaron Rodgers just starts throwing short, quick darts as RB Braelon Allen is in for the series over Breece Hall. Rodgers finds Allen Lazard, Braelon Allen, Garrett Wilson x2, and Tyler Conklin. This sets up a 1st & Goal at the 2-minute warning.
- 20-year-old rookie RB Braelon Allen scores his 1st career TD on a screen pass. The Jets use Breece Hall in motion as a decoy. Nice play design. Tied 7-7.
- With about 110 seconds left to play in the half, the Titans drive for a field goal after Jets S Chuck Clark gets called for helmet to helmet. 10-7 Titans at half.
3rd-pint Guinness Challenge: I Failed. ❌
Quarter 3
- The Jets get the ball at start of 2nd half. After a delay of game penalty backs them up, we have our first Mike Williams sighting on a 3rd & 15. The pass to Williams doesn’t get completed but the Titans get called for roughing the passer. Bit of a momentum shift as on the very next play Breece Hall gets loose for 30 yards on a toss. The Jets have to call a timeout after nearly a 2nd delay of game penalty. Right after the timeout, Aaron Rodgers hits Breece Hall on a Go-Ball for a 26-yard TD. Great catch, not too many RBs come down with that. 14-10 NYJ
- The Jets’ defense then holds then forces a Titans’ 3-N-Out as DT Javon Kinlaw draws a holding call on a pass rush. The Jets' offense can’t do anything either as they trade field position with punts. Then Will Levis throws 3 straight incompletions and Irvin Charles blocks the Tennessee punt. Charles is having one helluva game.
- After a Breece Hall 1st Down, the Jets settle for 3 to make it 17-10 NYJ. Jermaine Johnson gets carted off with an apparent Achilles’ injury. Will Levis breaks off a long run to pick up a 1st Down He then finds Calvin Ridley on a deep ball touchdown with Sauce Gardner in coverage. Sauce didn’t react to ball, not great. 17-17 tie game. Calls for another pint.
4th-pint Guinness Challenge: Count It! ✅ (& on the house!)
Quarter 4
- After forcing a Titans’ punt, and then picking up a 1st Down with Wilson & Hall, Aaron Rodgers can’t hit Allen Lazard deep. The Jets’ defense needs another stop and they get it forcing a quick 3-n-out.
- With 4 seconds left on the play clock on 3rd & 1, Aaron Rodgers shifts his offense line’s blocking assignments and then finds Garrett Wilson with a beautifully thrown over-the-shoulder fade off his back foot. Wilson makes a great adjustment to catch the football after beating L'Jarius Sneed at the line of scrimmage.
- Soon after, Aaron Rodgers then finds Mike Williams on a jump ball along the opposite sideline. After a Breece Hall 6-yard gain, Braelon Allen finds the end zone for the 2nd time today on a 20-yard TD. 24-17 NYJ
- Coming up on the 2-minute warning, the Titans are now driving down the field. Jets DT Soloman Thomas whiffs on a sack which results in Titans 1st Down. The Titans are set up with 3rd & Goal with 30 seconds left to play at the Jets’ 8-yard line when Will McDonald comes up with a massive sack. On 4th & Goal from the 14-yard line, Will Levis can’t connect with Tyler Boyd with Tony Adams in coverage. Jets then knee the ball with 23 seconds to play and win 24-17.
5th-pint Guinness Challenge: I Failed. ❌
Post-Game Pint: A win is a win.
More sports…
Back to building on to the ‘25 Draft Board, here’s what we got so far…
Aireontae Ersery, OT, Minnesota
Aireontae Ersery is from Kansas City, Missouri. After playing sparingly as a freshman and redshirt freshman in ‘20-’21, Ersery became the starting LT for Minnesota in ‘22 while being named an All-Big Ten Honorable Mention. His junior year in ‘23 was improved as Ersery was named AP 1st Team all-Big Ten. The 6’6” and 330 lbs. people mover was graded as excellent in the run game in ‘23. Ersery earned an 86.7 PFF run-blocking grade which was 2nd only to Taliese Fuaga (now with the Saints). Given his immense size and elite run-blocking skills, Aireontae Ersery may move over to RT in the NFL.
Tai Felton, WR, Maryland
Tai Felton is from Ashburn, Virginia. He chose to play for Maryland thanks to its proximity to home with other offers from Virginia, Virginia Tech, Nebraska, Wake Forest, Michigan State, and Liberty. After a freshman season in ‘21 when Felton only had 5 catches for 51 yards, the speedy WR earned more of a role in ‘22. As a sophomore, Felton made 23 catches for 309 yards while scoring his first 2 TDs. He ended his sophomore season on a high note during Duke’s Mayo Bowl and carried the momentum into his junior season. In ‘23, Felton was an unquestioned starter for the Terps as he led the team in receiving TDs with 6. All in all, Felton caught 48 passes for 723 yards as a junior. This season has been Tai Felton’s best start yet. Through 3 games, Tai Felton already has 27 catches for 447 yards and 4 TDs. At the moment, PFF College has Tai Felton graded at 92.4 for the season, 2nd best among all FBS WRs. His excellent YAC ability was evident in his eclectic 75-yard catch-and-run touchdown against UConn. Tai Felton will look to continue his strong start to his senior season and then will have the opportunity to follow former Terps WRs like DJ Moore, Stefan Diggs, and Torrey Smith as a pro.
Ben Bell, Edge, Texas State
Ben Bell is from Cedar Park, Texas. His first college spot out of high school was at Louisiana Tech. As a freshman in ‘21, Bell played in 10 games, made 27 tackles, and led the team in sacks (3.5). Ben Bell then decided to transfer to Texas State in ‘22 as a sophomore. As an outside linebacker for the Bobcats, Bell made 25 tackles, 3 TFLs, and 2 sacks while not starting. Bell then took over the starting role in ‘23 which helped him be named All-Sun Belt 2nd Team for his 57 tackles, 16 TFLs, 10 sacks, and 6 QB hurries. The senior defensive end has got off to a nice ‘24 season with 3.5 total sacks already in 3 weeks. At 6’2” and 250 lbs. with flowing red hair, Ben Bell looks like he lives north of the wall.
Clay Webb, OG, Jacksonville St.
Clay Webb is from Oxford, Alabama. Highly recruited as a 5-star prospect out of high school, Webb chose to play for Georgia as his first school. From ‘19 to ‘21, Clay Webb saw limited action in a crowded and talented Bulldog offensive line group but was named the Offensive Scout Team Player of the Year. In ‘22, Clay Webb decided to transfer to Jacksonville State where he immediately earned playing time. He helped Jax State lead their ASUN conference in rushing offense and points scored in ‘22. Clay Webb then returned for his redshirt junior season in ‘23 and was even better. The 6’3” & 310 lb. lineman was named 1st Team All-American and the FBS Offensive Guard of the Year by College Football Network. PFF College gave the LG an 87.5 grade in ‘23, which was up there with the highest marks among all interior linemen.
Jalen Catalon, S, UNLV
Jalen Catalon is from Mansfield, Texas. Out of high school, he spent 3 seasons at Arkansas where he played in 21 games as a Razorback. From ‘20 to ‘22, Catalon came down with 5 interceptions and 14 passes defended. His freshman season was his healthiest and earned the star safety All-SEC First Team in ‘20. He then missed his most of his sophomore and junior years with season-ending injuries. In ‘23, Catalon decided to transfer to Texas for a season. As a Longhorn, Catalon made 4 starts with 17 tackles and a forced fumble. Unfortunately, he again dealt with an injury during the Texas vs. Oklahoma Red River Rivalry game and only saw limited action the rest of the season. This past offseason, Jalen Catalon decided to play for his former Razorback coach at UNLV. It’s only been 3 games with the Rebels but Catalon looks comfortable in their defense as he’s already come down with 3 interceptions. The veteran safety has returned 1 INT for a TD and took another one back 46 yards. If he can continue his excellent start with UNLV, Catalon certainly has NFL safety potential.
Previewing possible College Basketball starting 5s for this upcoming season. So far it’s been Duke, UConn, St. John’s, Kansas, Alabama, Houston, and Gonzaga. This week it’s the UNC Tar Heels.
RJ Davis, G, Senior
RJ Davis (no relation) is from White Plains, New York, and went to Archbishop Stepinac.RJ Davis’ dad, Robert, played for Dobbs Ferry and is the school's all-time leading scorer. While RJ was in high school, he was named the ‘20 Gatorade High School Player of the Year in New York as well as Mr. Basketball. He was selected to play in the McDonald’s All-American Game, Jordan Brand Classic, Iverson Classic, and BallisLife All-American Game while also setting the all-time prep scoring record in Westchester County with 2,446 career points. As a freshman in ‘20-’21, RJ Davis was Academic All-ACC and he averaged 9.4 points per game. In his sophomore season at Carolina, Davis was awarded the Co-Most Improved Player (Danny Green Award) as he averaged 13.5 points and 3.6 assists while leading the team in steals. During his junior season in ‘22-’23, Davis made another jump in scoring to 16.1 points and a career-high 5.1 rebounds per game while being named UNC’s MVP. Last season as a senior was RJ Davis’ best yet, as he averaged a career-high 21.2 points and shot 40% from 3. He became the first Tar Heel this decade to earn consensus 1st Team All-American honors as he also joined Phil Ford, Michael Jordan, Joseph Forte, and Ty Lawson as the only Tar Heel guards to be named ACC Player of the Year. Davis enters this season as a 5th-year senior and is 5th all-time on UNC’s scoring list with 2,088 career points. In fact, RJ Davis is the only Tar Heel ever with over 2,000 points, 500 rebounds, 400 assists, 250 3-pointers, and 100 steals.
(Source: UNC Heels)
Elliot Cadeau, G, Sophomore
Elliot Cadeau is from West Orange, New Jersey. Never been but I know the traffic around the Oranges can sometimes be a bit much. Starting in high school, Cadeau played Bergen Catholic in Oradell, New Jersey, where he was named to the Freshman All-American First Team by MaxPreps. He missed his entire sophomore season with the Crusaders due to an ankle injury and would then transfer high schools to Link Academy in Branson, Missouri. After his junior year at Link Academy, Cadeau left for UNC a year early and was the team’s starting PG as a freshman. Last season in 37 games, Cadeau averaged 7.3 points, 4.1 assists, and 2.2 rebounds per game. He flashed some serious potential as a passer. Cadaeu was named to the ACC All-Freshman team, joining the Tar Heel point guard likes of Raymond Felton, Ty Lawson, Kendall Marshall, Coby White, Cole Anthony, and Caleb Love. Lastly, on Cadeau, he’s a Jets fan so must be happy after their Week 2 win.
Cade Tyson, F, Junior
Cade Tyson is from Monroe, North Carolina, which is about 2 hours south of Chapel Hill. Tyson was the North Carolina Mr. Basketball of ‘22 as he averaged 24 points, 8 rebounds, and 3 assists per game his senior season. Out of high school, Tyson chose to play for Belmont University where he won the Missouri Valley Conference Freshman of the Year in ‘22-‘23. That season, the 6’7” wing player averaged 13.6 points and 4.6 rebounds while shooting 42% from beyond the arc. He followed up his freshman season with a 2nd Team All-MVC season with 16.2 points and 5.9 rebounds while hitting a conference-best 47% from 3. While Cade Tyson may not see the same amount of volume of shots at UNC, he should be just as effective as a secondary scorer that the Tar Heels coming off screens and spotting up from deep.
Ven-Allen Lubin, F, Junior
Ven-Allen Lubin is from Orlando, Florida, where he led Orlando Christian Prep to a state title in ‘20. His first college out of high school was Notre Dame. As a freshman for the Irish, Lubin played in 28 games while averaging 6.2 points and 3.3 rebounds in ‘22-’23. He then transferred to Vanderbilt and played for former Tar Heel great Jerry Stackhouse. As a Commodore in ‘23-’24, Lubin made 26 starts as his numbers improved to 12.3 points and 6.3 rebounds per game. While Ven-Allen Lubin may be a bit undersized to play center at 6’8”, the big man has a 7’1” wingspan which makes him an excellent rebounder over people who may be a few inches taller. Not only can he crash the boards and finish around the rim, but Lubin has a solid mid-range jump shot and last season expanded out to beyond the arc (33% from 3).
Ian Jackson, F, Freshman
