Welcome back everyone.  How’s the self-isolation going?  If it’s anything like ours, you spend your days yelling at your kids and your Boomer parents about the importance of quarantining.  No mom, it’s no ok if you just go to your Condo Association Happy Hour “for just a little bit.”  Seriously, we should build a wall around Florida.

In all honestly, this whole COVID thing wasn’t really impacting my daily activities or outlook on life, until it started to impact the Draft.  Now, shit’s getting real.  It’s the age old question:  Who blinks first when a worldwide pandemic threatens the greatest sporting event of the year?  I’ll tell you who doesn’t:  Roger Goodell.  There is nothing this man can’t do.  Need proof of this man’s greatness?  How about the recent CBA vote.  What’s Roger’s answer to combating player safety?  Two words:  More.  Football.  And the players approved it. 

So you just knew what his response was going to be when everyone said the Draft would have to be postponed.  No fucking way.  The show goes on because RG1 says so.  Sure, the public’s not invited, Kiper and McShay have to be 6 feet apart, and the home office is now the war room.  But none of that matters.  Despite all of the inconveniences that will occur during the 2020 Draft, what the people need is football.  Our society is starved for sports.  Ginger King’s wife busted him watching Esports (loves me some Evil Geniuses).  It’s bad.  Real bad.  The Commissioner knows this, and that’s why the 2020 Draft will be the most watched draft in history.  To use an analogy from a sport everyone has already forgotten, all the man does is hit dingers.

Anyway, we have much to catch up on.  Usually, we like to start with just the tip, and give you our Top 10 picks.  However, we’re going balls deep (just like this year’s WR and OL class).  Here’s my entire first round mock. 

Scouting Profile:
Tyler Swart – QB, Missouri S&T Miners
6’4″, 260 lbs
Great Lakes Valley Conference

2018 Stats:  212/331, 2,936 yards, 29 tds, 10 ints
2018 Record:  10-2 (Mineral Water Bowl Champions)
Bowl Game Stats:  13/22, 212 yards, 4 tds, 0 ints, 1 rushing td
School Records: Attempts, Completions, Completion %, Yards, and Touchdowns

Tyler Swart’s been chasing the dream of playing professional football for a long time.  His family moved from New York to Texas (a/k/a the Mecca of High School Football) when Tyler was in high school in order to give him a better opportunity. And the move paid off. After a prolific career at Division II Missouri Science & Tech, where he set several school passing records, and which culminated in a convincing 51-16 win in the Mineral Water Bowl over Minnesota State-Moorhead, Tyler is keeping the dream alive, and working to get to the next level.  But first, he faces his biggest challenge yet:  an interview with the Big Red Sports Machine.  We fired up the Big Red Sports Machine conference call to talk with Tyler about his career and what lies ahead.

Tyler, congrats on an amazing collegiate career.  Talk to us a little about your journey.

Thank you.  I loved it, and wouldn’t change a thing.  I felt that, me personally and as a team, we fought through a lot of adversity.  When I first came to Missouri S&T, the coach that originally recruited me left, and a new coaching staff came in.  I had to work to gain their trust and confidence, which was an unexpected challenge for me and my teammates.  But I enjoyed every minute of it.

What made you pick Missouri S&T?

I had offers from a few schools, some DI and DII programs, but my other passion besides football is engineering, specifically petroleum engineering, and I wanted to find a school that could further both my playing and academic needs, and Missouri S&T was the perfect fit. 

Who would you say your game compares to at the pro level?

Probably Big Ben.  He’s a big guy, but has shown himself to be mobile when needed, very durable and dependable.  I’m kind of built like him—my teammates call me Big Swart—and I’ve watched a lot of tape of him and tried to model my game after him, everything from his footwork to his arm mechanics. 

What are you up to now?

Well, I graduated this past December (with a BA in Petroleum Engineering, minor in Geology), and since then I’m still in Missouri, working out with the team and helping to prepare myself and other teammates to get a shot at the next level.

What’s been the interest level so far?

I was invited to an NFL pro day in Kansas City back in March.  That experience was incredible.  This weekend, I’ll be at a pro day for the Winnipeg Blue Bombers in the CFL.  There’s also some potential in the Arena League and in Europe. 

Basically, you want to keep that dream alive?

Absolutely.  I would love to play in the NFL, but really I just want any opportunity to play and show that I can contribute at a professional level. 

Best of luck to you Tyler.  If you ever want to make zero dollars, you can come work for the Big Red Sports Machine.

[Laughs]  Thanks, guys.  But I think I’ll stick with football and Petroleum Engineering. 

Let’s go to the Tape:

We’ve watched some tape on Tyler, and are impressed.  There are shades of Big Ben in his game.  He’s got good pocket awareness, anticipates the rush, moves well, throws well on the run, and when he sets his feet and has time, can rocket the ball down the field.  Tyler’s favorite throw is the 15-yard out, and it shows on film.  Check out the highlights at 40 seconds and 1:50…those are pro level plays. Tyler’s challenge will be getting the opportunity.  There are surprising number of DII players in the NFL…82 suited up last year, led by Malcolm Butler (West Alabama) and Adam Thielen (Minnesota State).  Of the 82, though, 0 were quarterbacks.  However, the Eagles just signed former DII (and AAF) quarterback Luis Perez last week, which, as Tyler noted, gives hope that the dream is still alive. 

One week closer, time to update the Mock Draft.  Some new faces (and quarterbacks) in the Top 10.  Here’s the Top half of Round 1.

Instant Analysis:  A new quarterback cracks the Top 10.  Drew Lock is climbing up the draft boards, and some people think he’ll leapfrog Dwayne Haskins.  He seems to be a good fit for Denver, and Elway is high on him…although he was also high on Brock Osweiler…and Paxton Lynch…and Trevor Siemian…and Case Keenum.  Wait, are you saying former players make for lousy front office executives?  Yes, I am.

[NFL fan, could be you]:  Where the Hell have you guys been?  Aren’t you guys a little late to the draft party?  I’ve seen tons of mock drafts already.  How come you guys haven’t put one out yet?  Kiper already has, like, 20 out.  What’s wrong with you guys? 

[Ginger King]:  While we appreciate the mock draft enthusiasm, note this:  mock drafts before free agency are absolute horseshit.  Don’t believe me?  Look at this tweet:

My kids don’t know their street address (or an emergency contact number), but they do know this:  Free agency shapes the draft.  Period.  How many (pre-free agency) mock drafts did you see with Jacksonville taking a quarterback?  All of them.  You think that’s happening now that they just signed Nick Foles and his (allegedly) ginormous trouser snake?  Da Raiders just signed Antonio Brown (and Tyrell Williams).  You think they’re going to draft a receiver with any of their three (3!) first round picks???  [side note: laugh all you want at Gruden and his questionable coaching decisions…but they just acquired the game’s best receiver for a bag of chips, AND have three first round draft picks].  I’m Team Chucky on this. 

And LOL at that Kiper shit.  Our streak of more first round picks right than Kiper (and McShay) is guaranteed to continue.  Book it.

Anyway, here’s my Top 10…just the tip for now…it costs extra to see my full mock (believe me, my full mock is HUGE.  The best.).  Anyway, enjoy St. Patrick’s Day (fucking amateur hour) and make sure to celebrate it the right way (blind drunk).  As soon as Roid Rage gets out of his Leprechaun costume, he’ll post his Top 10. 

Instant Analysis:  If you were to ask me one week ago, I would have told you the Kyler Murray to Arizona talk was a total smokescreen.  Now…call me naïve…but I’m totally buying this.  Sure, Arizona traded up in last year’s draft to get their quarterback of the future in Josh Rosen…but that was soooo last year.  New Coach new quarterback.  Simply put:  Kyler’s Kliff Kingbury’s guy, and if we know anything about Kliff Kingsbury, it’s that he picks the right partners.

San Francisco should take about 1 second to get to the podium, as Nick Bosa is an absolute no brainer.  I also think Quinnen Williams and Josh Allen are no brainers as well.  Things will get interesting at 5.  Tampa could go in a number of directions, but this is Jameis’ last stand, and pairing D.K. with Mike Evans would be a solid 1-2 punch (or at least enough cover for the front office to draft Tua next year). 

Speaking of a number of directions, the Giants are at 6 and everyone is screaming qb.  However, David Gettelman has a plan, and that plan involves re-building with a 38-year-old quarterback.  This pick (and their other first round pick) will be defense, as the Giants finally remember a long-forgotten football mantra:  Defense (and Saquon Barkley) wins championships.  I also think the Giants will trade for Josh Rosen.  His price will only go down the closer you get to the Draft, so hold tight G-Men.

Rounding out the rest of the Top 10, the Bills luck out by the run on defensive players and grab the best tackle in the draft with Jawaan Taylor.

Also, this Top 10 assumes no trades.  No way that’s going to happen.  If Dwayne Haskins slips past the Giants, there’s a good chance a qb needy team like Miami or Washington sneak in to the Top 10.