Stephen A. STUNNED by Mock Draft! Charles Davis Sounds the Alarm!

unfiltered. I'm not sold. I'm sorry. UNAPOLOGETIC. >> I'M NOT TRYING TO talk about them. Unlike anyone else, but knowing y'all, >> y'all will probably make me. >> This is the Stephen A. Smith Show. >> Welcome to hour number two with the Stephen A. Smith Show. Coming at you, as I love to do, over the airways of SiriusXM, Mad Dog Sports Radio every weekday from 1:00 to 3:00 p.m. Eastern Standard Time. After Mad Dog Russo Show goes off the air at 6:00 p.m. from 3:00 to 6:00 p.m. The reair of the Stephen A. Smith Show airs from 6:00 to 8:00 p.m. Eastern Standard Time. So, you get a double dose. And on a day like today, it is more than appropriate that that is the case because on the line with us right now, with us right now, is a man who calls games for CBS. He's an NFL analyst on NFL.com, uh, NFL radio as well. Uh, the one and only Charles Davis with his the exclusive reveal of his mock draft 2.0. What's going on big time? Long time no see. How have you been, man? >> I've been well. Good to talk with you again, Stephen. A, thanks for having me on. >> Absolutely. Always a pleasure. So, let's put your top 10 your f your top 10 picks on the board right now because I want to see it right now. Charles Davis. I want to see you got Mendoza at number one, of course. Uh uh you know, David Bailey, an edge rusher for the New York Jets at number two. Jeremiah Love at number three, a running back, Arll Reese at number four, linebacker Sunny Styles, who showed out at the NFL scouting combine just the other day going to the New York Giants at number five. Talk to us about this latest mock draft and how you came to this how you how you came to these conclusions, Charles. >> Yeah, we'll just go with the five that you just not that you noted there, Stephen. Okay, we'll start with that. Mendoza is pretty much a mortal lock to go number one to the Las Vegas Raiders. They need a complete reset. Quarterback has to be the starting point for it in this draft. To me, there's only one quarterback that's a first round quarterback, and that's Fernando Mendoza. He goes at the top to have them start over again. Two, David Bailey went through everything in in his drill work at the combine in Indianapolis. confirmed to all of us what we thought about him and maybe even gave us more expectations out of him. He was absolutely phenomenal. I put him two to the Jets because they just made a trade and traded away a pass rusher and Germaine Johnson to Tennessee. Bailey fits that role perfectly. the pick the one in the top five that probably get most people's attention, Jeremiah Love going there because the Cardinals need a little bit of everything, especially along the lines. But Jeremiah Love might be the best player in this draft. So why do you turn down great players when you're hitting a reset? That's why I gave him to the Cardinals at three. Obviously at four, Arville Ree is a projection from off the ball linebacker to edge rusher, similar to what Micah Parsons did coming out of Penn State. And five, of course, the New York Giants. You got to start over again. But defense, they're pretty good. But Sunny Styles, you said it yourself, he showed out. And by the way, his tape is just as good. Jeremiah Love, let's go to that. At number three, first of all, a running back at number three overall. Everybody that you listen to says you can always wait until later in the draft or later rounds to get yourself a running back. No running back should be taken that high. Tell us why you're feeling differently with this mod draft. I know the Cardinals have a lot of needs or whatever, but taking a running back with the third overall pick. Don't you consider that incredibly risky? Yeah, it it is risky, Stephen A. But you know something, what's also risky is not getting a great player. And this guy is a great football player. Remember Ashen Genty out of Boise State was a consensus number one running back. He went at six to the Raiders last year. The Raiders were abysmal across the offensive line. So he led the league in getting hit as he got handoffs, but when he had slivers of opportunity, when there were windows there, you saw it. Go back and watch the tape of him at Houston last year near the end of the season when he got an opportunity to run the ball, catch out of the back field. They can be dynamic and the Cardinals have to figure out who's going to play quarterback for them. How do you try and control things, tamp things down? You run it through your running back. I realize James Connor may be back this year, but at the same time, you don't turn down maybe the best player in the draft. Start with that from Mike Laflur. Get him the football. Get him opportunities and this kid can run it and he can catch it out of the back field. He is absolutely dynamic. >> If he falls below Arizona at number three, should the Giants take him at number five over Styles? I would say no because I think the Giants have enough pieces in place. You add to the defense for John Harbaugh coming in and what did John Harbaugh make his bones on that defensive side of the ball with the Ravens? Continue to tamp that, you know, have that going for them in a big way. They've got some decent runners with the Giants there. I'll tell you who if I'm Tennessee at four, I would have a hard time passing him up because that's your formula. remember some guy named Henry was there and Tennessee was pretty darn good. >> They've got to get the offensive line pumped up again. But maybe Tennessee is a place heavy runner for them. Off you go from there. The Giants are going to run everything through Jackson Dart their quarterback. That's for sure. But I will say this, I don't think he gets past nine. Kansas City is kind of like the floor for me with Jeremiah Love. Someone in that top 10 is going to take him. Todd Gurley went in the top 10. Genty we mentioned last year. Saquon Barkley went in the top 10 and everybody was saying that you shouldn't do that and then he got to Philadelphia ran for 2000 plus and they won a Super Bowl. >> If you're the New York Jets, how much effort should you put forth in your estimation, Charles Davis, to move up in the draft to try and get Fernando Mendoza? >> Put everything you possibly can into it. And I know Derek Muji, their their GM, has addressed this that he's got to make that phone call. If possible, you make a visit. You send flowers, candy, find out what their favorite drinks are, cigars, anything possible. What's it going to take Tom Brady? What's it going to take John Spy Tech? Find Mark Davis out in the street somewhere and have a little conversation. They're going to tell him no, Stephen A. They're going to tell him no. But you exhaust every possibility to try and move up because that's the only place to go because I'm telling you from my perspective. You're not going to use number two pick for a quarterback. They have the number 16 pick. This the consensus number two quarterback is Tai Simpson out of Alabama. I like the young man, but I think he's a second round quarterback. I'm not taking him in the first round. Someone might, but I don't think it should be the Jets unless they move down >> to get up more resources to take him. >> Is it because Fernando is that good or because there's so much of a flagrant precipitous drop off from the first quarterback taken, which would be him, to whomever is going to be the second quarterback taken. What is the reason as it pertains to Fernando Mendoza and why you should do everything you can to go after him if you're somebody that's not in the number one spot and if you're the Raiders, you shouldn't even consider it. You should hold on to him. Love the question. If you and I had this conversation mid-season, I would have leaned towards there's just not another quarterback. And you know what the kicker is on this whole thing, Stephen A? Prior to the 2026 season, all we talked about of what a bonanza the 2026 draft's going to be for quarterbacks. That's all we talked about. This college crop is going to be loaded with >> Ner Club Nick, all of these guys. >> This one is if Arch Manning jumps in, which I never expected him to do. I fully expected to be back, but still all of that was the conversation. Now the reality has kicked in. those guys have not panned out quite the way as as expected and anticipated. And Mendoza to me from midseason on kept reaffirming who he was as a player. Not just living up to you, not just making nice throws, not just make, you know, leading the number one team. toughness, the hits he absorbed, the plays that were made in big-time situations, hitting the right throws, the right decisions on third and seven and more. Third and five, it wasn't just a quarterback draw against Miami, Stephen E, he hit a lot of big plays along the way. The argument is out there, though, and I think you've heard it. Hey, if this were a different draft, where would you take Fernando Mendoza? Would you take him ahead of Caleb Williams? Would you take him ahead of, you know, Drake May? Would you take him ahead of Jaden Daniels? The answer is probably not. >> But guess what? This is a 2026 draft. This kid has the moxy to be the guy that can endure what you're going to have to go through as a Raiders uh build up again. I think it's the right move because I think he's a heck of a good football player, but I also think that he can handle everything that comes with it. Not just the toughness on the field, but what's going to happen off the field. being the face of the franchise. This young man seems equipped for it. I don't think there's another quarterback in this draft that I would put this high. Could you talk me into someone in the first round? Depends on the situation in the team. >> If Arizona trades back into the first round, you could talk me into Tai Simpson later. But how I have them ranked and how I view them, there's Fernando Mendoza and the rest of the quarterbacks come along. Simpson being second, but I'm not looking to take him until the second round. >> Analyst for CBS Sports, the NFL Network, and SiriusXM NFL Radio. The one and only Charles Davis right here with Stephen A. Just put it on display his mock draft 2.0 right here on the Steen Aman Smith Show, SiriusXM Mad Sports Radio. Ty Simpson, let's go to him in Alabama for a second. Second round pick. That's what you said. Uh, and this is widely considered to be the guy that'll be the second quarterback taken. What? What what what does that say about him? And what does that say about this quarterback class? If Mendoza is going number one overall and somebody as renowned as wise about football as you is saying, you know what, it's okay if we go the next 31 picks and don't even put another quarterback in the pick another quarterback in the draft. That's a wide discrepancy. Explain that. Let's go back a couple of seasons ago when the top quarterbacks were Kenny Picket out of Pit, Malik Willis out of Liberty, Desmond Ritter out of Cincinnati. That year, the league waited until I believe 21 or 22 when the Pittsburgh Steelers took Kenny Picket number one, and then they then they punted round two and came back round three for Desmond Ritter and and Malik Willis. Sometimes it's just not there and it's not a time to force it. Okay, teams will do that though. We have seen it. That to me that was one of those outlier years where people didn't force the pick. And guess what? Out of the three, Malik Willis is the hottest commodity now after he resurrected himself in Green Bay after starting in Tennessee. He's going to make 20 to 25 million this year. Stephen A, as the hot free agent quarterback [clears throat] going somewhere to start. >> But go to this year. we talked about all going into the preseason. Tai Simpson wasn't one of the main names mentioned because he hadn't been a starter yet at Alabama. He gets his starts. He now has 15 total coming into the NFL. We've seen recently that the more starts equals [snorts] a better opportunity and typically a better player to begin with. I'm not saying Simpson can't get there, but it's tough. Anthony Richardson 13 starts has struggled in Indianapolis. Mark Sanchez was only 16 starts. They went to two AFC title games, but he wasn't the focal point of that football team that Rex Ryan had. So, when you don't have many, look, Davis uh Davis Mills coming out of Stanford 11 starts starts his first two years, they draft CJ Strad, he's now the backup. More experience tends to play out there, right? Coach Coach Parcels gave us that quarterback formula. Here's an opportunity. Can he get there? Of course he can. The son of a coach. His dad's a head coach UT Martin. He probably took his first three and five step drop from under center Stephen A at the age of four and was on the white board breaking down defenses at five. We know all of that, but I don't see it right now. I would have loved to have seen him go back to school, >> but I think he and his people figured out pretty quickly with this dirt of quarterbacks, he could stay in and possibly still get into the first round. I think they kind of g game the system is the wrong word. I think they did good analysis. >> Right. >> Charles Charles Davis, let me ask you this. On your mock draft at number 21, you got the Steelers taking a wide receiver. At number 26, you have the Buffalo Bills taking a wide receiver. Omar Cooper catch of the year. I I I mean, one of the great great calls to me this year was my man Gus Johnson that works over at F at Fox Mendoza in trouble. What a what a great great call. IT'S A TOUCHDOWN. WOW. THAT WAS A PHENOMENAL call on his part. Phenomenal catch by Omar Cooper. But that's but that's not who you have going 21 overall. You've got Denzel Boston going number 21. You got Omar Cooper Jr. If you're the Pittsburgh Steelers, you pass up on Ty Simpson to take a wide receiver. Yes, I think you do because you're still talking about bringing back Aaron Rogers and you drafted Will Howard out of Ohio State who they like even though he's a sixth round pick. >> I don't think you go there for Tai Simpson. I think Tai Simpson works really well in a West Coast style offense and I'd like him in really good situations and controlled conditions. Not the not a monster arm. Technique, timing, anticipation, all those things. and Arizona works very well for him. Minnesota in in good climate right in a dome, places like that tend to fit and they run that type of offense that fits him really well. If I'm Pittsburgh, you you're talking about Rogers, you're talking about Howard, but they've got to pump up the offense as well. And and right now it's DK Metaf out on the perimeter and then you and I might get an opportunity to go out on the perimeter. I'm not saying that to be facicious, you know, to be that person. They just don't have the playmakers that you need and it's been a grinded out style for Pittsburgh for a number of years now. So I would pass on him there at Pittsburgh at 21 and take a receiver. Denzel Boston Pits. Exactly what Pittsburgh's looking for with a little more speed. Charles David, before I let you get on out here, just a couple of questions left. I've been talking to Charles Davis, CBS analyst, NFL Network analyst, SiriusXM NFL radio analyst right here doing giving us a unique perspective and the first look at this Mach 2.0 uh NFL draft coming up. Outstanding as always. Charles, I got to ask you, if Arch Manning and Trinidad Chamblas were both available for this draft, where would they fall in your mock draft list? >> Great questions. And I will tell you this, Arch Manning's going in the top 10 of my mock draft because you saw >> right now. >> Right now, >> you're saying right if it was right now, you would have him in the TOP 10. >> ABSOLUTELY. >> WOW. WHY? >> Even with the der of starts because when you take this group as a whole, as we've talked about, it's been Mendoza and Chase. Correct. So Mendoza and Chase. Arch M's ahead of the rest of those guys. There's no ifs, ends, or buts. I know he got off to the so-called slow start. I'm still surprised, Stephen E, that people didn't latch on to the fact that this kid's going to be a firsttime starter. All right. Oh, we expect him to be great right out of Oh, his name's Manning. He's going to be sensational. But boy, the second half of his season, all the way through their postseason, he was that kid. And boy, he's going to get another year. And that's the beauty of the Mannings. I don't think there was ever a chance he was coming out this year. He was going to be there. Chamblas would be in the fight right now for the number two spot with Tai Simpson. That run through the college football playoff >> was spectacular. The Georgia defense isn't the same Georgia defense it's been. But Stephen Ed, it's still the University of Georgia and that was a track meet that Trinidad Chamblas really established for his Old Miss team and that was just a survival game for Georgia trying to get through that one. So, this kid has come on in a big way and I'm loving the fact that he goes from Fair State to Old Miss and gets the extra year in college. That's good for college football. It's even better for Trinidad Chamblas and his development. Although, there's supposed to be a big pool of quarterbacks 2027, Stephen A. So, he's got to go back. I mean, we're right back into >> Charles, I'm going to toot my own horn for a second here. I was just down at Old Miss a little over a week ago. I promised him I'd go to one of their college basketball games and they had Trinidad Champlers waiting for me. I I I caught about six or seven passes from him. I DIDN'T DROP ONE PASS. I DIDN'T DROP ONE PASS, Charles Davis. I didn't drop one. >> You still got it. You still got it. And and and you like the young man, too, didn't you? >> I do. I do. And I'm wondering I I'm looking at him and I'm saying are you saying if it was this draft it would be Mendoza, Arch and Trinidad as your top three quarterbacks ahead of even the Tai Simpsons and the other quarterbacks that's going to be available for this draft or would Tai Simpson be thrown in the mix and would probably come before a Chamblas? I sense it would be thrown in the mix and it'd be a fight big time about who likes who better. That's what it would be. Arch and Mendoza would headline the draft. The other two that the next two would be right there. Nusmeer was hurt last year. I can't wait to see him come along. Right. I want to see Beck come along. Okay. Clubnik was supposed to be highly ranked. That's kind of falling off somewhere. I think the third round could be a big round for the college quarterbacks, but to your question, no. It is Arch. It is Mendoza. It is Mendoza. It is Arch. And then I'd have to have a fight between Tai Sinson and Trinidad Chamblas. That's where it would be. And I would love to have Gus Johnson narrating that one. I got to spend four. >> Damn right. The best in the business. No question. Judge Johnson. That would be phenomenal. No doubt about it. That's my brother right there. But I got to ask you, I mean, before I let you go, I'm looking at this and I'm saying, damn it, coaching matters. You got Dabo at Clemson. You you you got Lane Keifin that's going to be at LSU now. All right. And and then I'm looking Arch Manning. Let me say this. Educate me if I'm wrong. I sort of pointed the finger at Steve Sarkeesian last year. I felt that the pressure that was brought to bear on Arch Manning, he was so busy being protective of that and shielding Arch as much as he possibly could that I thought he played it safe on too many occasions and didn't sort of to use a phrase to spread his wings as a coach the way we're accustomed to Steven C and Steve Sarkeesian do. Am I wrong in saying that? I think there's a fair that that's a fair assessment in a lot of ways. I think Sarkc would probably say that's not exactly what was going on, but having an Arch Manning and knowing what was coming at him and living with their living day in and day out there their super sports information director John Biano, if we had him on, he'd say, "You guys have no idea what was coming at us every day, even though we think we do." I think Shark was going through that >> and somewhere around mid-season, Stephen A, correct me if I'm wrong, it felt like people finally said, "Okay, we've seen the circus. Let's go watch something else." And when we all melted away and let Arch Manning just be, things took off the second half of the season. I think he's good to go now. All right. He's got plenty of tutors in that family. From grandfather to dad to uncles, he's good to go. and he's had that year of experience. Now I think he'll be loose right from game one this year at the University of Texas and we'll start it up again. Arch Manning number one pick in year's NFL draft. >> I felt he handled it with incredible class because we would not me but a lot of people were putting him as a Heisman trophy leader and all. He never said a word. He didn't bring any of that to himself. All he tried to do was go out there and play football. And it was people with their lofty expectations draped all over his shoulders because of his uncles and Eli and Payton and his granddaddy and Arch. He didn't do that. It was them who did it. So I applaud him. And when you're looking for clearly from a mature perspective, he has that element. He's definitely wise beyond his years, which we would anticipate from the Mannings. They're the first family of football. They're class personified. So we wish him nothing but the best. But I was I I looked at it from that standpoint. Last question to you. Um looking at Styles the other day, >> it has me thinking about just a freak athlete that could be a sleeper who could be an absolute superstar on the National Football League level. I'm not talking about him. I'm just talking about anybody with the measurements, the traits, whatever. Is there a guy that stands out in your mind that's going to be that guy on the next level coming out of this 2026 NFL draft? just a talent that's off through the through through the roof, off the charts that everybody needs to look out for, no matter position, no matter what side of the football. Who would that be for you, Charles Davis? >> It's going to be a funny It's going to be a funny one for you because the safety out of Oregon, Dylan Theamman, he announced himself with such authority at the combine when he ran 436 that that kind of blew that out of the water. But Kaden Proctor, the offensive tackle for Alabama that we know about and we expected more of. If we get consistency out of that 350 lb tackle, I think he looks like a Detroit Lion. All right. I didn't put him there in my draft, but I kept I keep seeing him as a Detroit Lion. >> He and Pane Su holding down the tackle positions. He stays right there in shape. He's that guy. I know that. I know that Jared Goff's probably rooting for that. I I know you Jamal Gibbs, you probably root for that. No doubt about it. I appreciate it. Hey, Charles, man, outstanding work as always, man. It's been a long time since I've seen you continue the great work. Really, really appreciate you coming on the show. Appreciate the great work that you've been doing and appreciate the great work you continue to do for CBS, the NFL Network, and of course, SiriusXM NFL Radio as well. Keep up the great work, my brother. Know that you always have a home here. Looking forward to having you back on particularly as the draft approaches. Thank you so much. >> Thank you very much. Great to see you again Stephen A and continued success to you as well. >> Mad Dog Sports Radio Mad Dog6 is always the number to call 8886233646. You heard what he had to say about the upcoming NFL MC draft. What stood out in your mind as to what he had to say? That's point number one. Point number two, we going to get back to the Magic City and the strip club and all of that stuff and and Luke Cornet for the San Antonio Spurs speaking out against that promotional event scheduled to take place in the ATL the evening of March 16th um at State Farm Arena, home of the Atlanta Hawks. All of that and more coming up, so don't go away. You're listening live to Stephen A, SiriusXM, Mad Do Sports Radio. Back with your coals and more in a

Stephen A. Smith sits down with CBS/NFL Network analyst Charles Davis to break down his explosive 2026 NFL Mock Draft 2.0! Is Fernando Mendoza really the ONLY first-round QB? Should a running back go #3 overall? And where would Arch Manning land if he came out right now? 👀 Plus, why the Jets should “send flowers and cigars” to move up in the draft. https://sxm.app.link/YouTubeSAS Connect with me on social media: Twitter: https://x.com/stephenasmith Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/stephenasmith/ TikTok: https://www.tiktok.com/@stephenasmith Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/stephena/ LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/stephen-a-smith-763b31194/