Hello friends, it's your buddy Lou Pickney with you here with the DKDB updates.
April 8th, 2026.
It's a little more than 2 weeks away from night one of the 2026 NFL Draft taking place this year in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania.
I encourage you to check out the DKDB book market.
Visit it frequently.
I put the best of the best in the DKDB.
Top analysts and evaluators, people with proven track records of success figuring out this giant puzzle that is the NFL Draft.
No AI, no gimmicks, no staff efforts, actual real experts, major publications and outlets, and top independents.
So, in yesterday's DKDB update, I talked about a possible quote-unquote doomsday scenario for the Tennessee Titans.
And what would the Titans do at number four if whatever reason they can't find somebody willing to trade back, trade up, and they're stuck there.
They can't trade back from that spot.
And both Reese and Bailey are off the board, Arvell Reese and David Bailey.
What would they do?
Word's out that maybe they're not so high on Ruben Bain Jr.
Word's out that they like Carnell Tate, but probably not at number four overall.
Sonny Styles, tremendous athlete, but I don't know.
>> >> Which takes me back right here.
Jeremiah Love, running back, Notre Dame.
Don't see many running backs going in the top five of the NFL Draft anymore.
The year of 2005, three running backs going in the top five.
The game has changed.
And really the question with Jeremiah Love, if you're going to use the number four overall pick on it, do you believe that he can make a tangible difference in your passing game that other running backs simply can't?
There are very few people for whom that applies.
Of course, Love on top of that also a tremendous running back in the traditional sense.
Consistent, reliable, durable at Notre Dame.
The one thing that kind of goes against this, aside from positional value, is what Adam Schefter, who's seemed uncomfortable every time he's talked about it, which has been odd.
But, he seems to believe strongly that Jeremiah Love isn't going to go to the Titans at four or the Giants at five for that matter.
Maybe he's right.
And I can imagine if the Titans want to get a high-end edge rusher at number four, if they like Arvell Reese and David Bailey, if one of those two players is there, well, then perhaps it's an easier decision.
Perhaps it's not Love.
Part of the mystery of the draft, teams can like multiple players and all right.
And even at this point, we still have more than 2 weeks to go until the draft.
A lot of people giving opinions.
And the possibility of trades happening is a spectre that hangs over everything.
Although, I wonder how many trades we're actually going to see between now and the start of the draft as far as those first round picks in this year's draft.
We've already seen quite a few change hands.
There's a certain amount of mystery beyond the top spot or two as far as if you're trading up, better hope the player you're trading up to get actually falls to you.
You hear a lot of talk about Dallas looking to trade up, possibly with Arizona at number three, possibly to get David Bailey from Texas Tech.
You hear talk about Kansas City at number nine, maybe wanting Ruben Bain Jr., edge rusher from Miami.
A lot of talk, a lot of whispers.
We'll see with Jeremiah Love, but a lot of people still, despite what Adam Schefter's reported, a lot of people still think Jeremiah Love the Titans at four.
I'm not so sure.
As a Titans fan, personally, I'd be thrilled to have Jeremiah Love as part of the Titans, but we'll see what ends up playing out.
Who knows?
Somebody could leapfrog all the way to three to take Love.
Part of the mystery of the draft.
Let's talk about Keldrick Faulk, edge rusher, Auburn.
Got really good size.
I've thought about Faulk at 15 to Tampa Bay.
The Bucs need an edge rusher.
And Faulk is also large enough that he doesn't have to just rotate out on likely running plays.
He's got the size.
He's not a I could have a problem stopping the run.
But, of course, in the modern NFL, the emphasis is on pass rushing.
Faulk is quite adept coming off the edge as well on passing downs.
I've seen some fade on Faulk that say maybe more late first, mid to late first.
I would like the 25-30 range.
So, the Bucs at 15, something to think about.
Still wonder if the Bucs might go with a linebacker at 15, CJ Allen.
Well, there will be quality linebackers available on day two.
If you need an edge rusher, it's not easy to might have noticed that the market for edge rushers very limited for young players that have that great potential.
That's what a lot of the talk is with this draft, teams trading up for an edge rusher.
In a draft which really Fernando Mendoza at one to the Las Vegas Raiders, then I'll probably not need quarterbacks for a little while after that.
Ty Simpson, a mystery where he might go.
If Arizona's going to trade back in the late part of the first round, they might get Simpson there.
A lot of whispers to that end.
Anyway, so Faulk, if he doesn't go at 15 to Tampa Bay, there's a thought that he might go to Detroit at 17.
Although, it's noted in yesterday's DKDB update, also a lot of talk that Detroit is interested in Alabama offensive lineman Cayden Proctor at 17.
But, if Faulk is off the board at 15 to the Bucs, then that's suddenly not an issue for Detroit.
Let's talk about Kenyon Seddik, top tight end prospect in this draft.
Eli Stowers from Vanderbilt, another tight end getting a lot of attention as well, but Seddik really, particularly running that sub-44 40-yard dash at the combine.
All right.
This guy's legit.
The question is, would a team be willing to use a top 10 pick on someone like Seddik?
You know, Kansas City at number nine, Travis Kelce in the twilight of his career.
Although, there's a lot of indication that Kansas City might go with cuz they've had some various needs they got to fill, including potentially getting an edge rusher there.
Also, might be good to get a corner.
Those things can come into play, but even if that happens, even teams that don't necessarily need a tight end per se, like the LA Rams at 13, don't count it out.
If he's on the board for Carolina at number 19, be a nice pick up for the Panthers, but I'm not sure if Seddik's going to fall that far.
Jalen Feeneyman, safety, Oregon.
Lots of talk about Feeneyman going at 18 to Minnesota as a replacement.
Whatever happens with Harrison Smith, he ends up coming back for 2026.
He's at the tail end of his career.
Feeneyman had a great showing at the NFL combine.
A solid player at Purdue when he was there.
Had a great 2025 season for Oregon.
Great sideline to sideline coverage with that tremendous speed and quickness.
Good size to go with it as well.
A lot of talk he's going to go in that mid-first round range.
Caden McDonald, defensive tackle, Ohio State.
Sometimes you see quite a bit of variance with the number of positions.
Defensive tackle and some kind of yo-yoing as far as some thoughts have gone, but it's been pretty steady with McDonald in that late first round range, maybe mid to late first.
Chicago at number 25, a mystery, but a lot of thought that defensive tackle could be a move there for the Bears.
Also, you hear whispers of maybe a safety like Depends on who's on the board, obviously, but Manny McNeil Warren from Toledo also a possibility, but I think if the Bears go with a defensive tackle, McDonald with his eight and a half tackles for loss in that nose guard position, very difficult to achieve.
He's got that quickness.
He can get to the backfield.
That is a trait that is highly valued in the modern NFL.
Brings me to the case of Peter Woods, defensive tackle from Clemson.
I lived in Alabaster, Alabama, where he's from.
I lived there for a year, 2006 to 2007, just south of Birmingham.
It was a cool-sounding name.
He'll be from Alabaster, Alabama.
Woods very quick.
Actually, a bit wider than that 315 now.
But, he's got a tremendous ability to pressure quarterbacks from an interior defensive line position.
And it makes it interesting.
Some people There are some that say Woods will be a day two player, that he won't go on day one.
But, when you get the unique ability as far as being very quick and able to pressure opposing quarterbacks from that defensive tackle position, going to get your attention.
So, it'll be interesting to see how things play out for Peter Woods in the draft, but he should be one of the first tackles, defensive tackles, taken.
As far as edge rushers, let's talk about Keion White Mizzou.
Out of Ottawa, Ontario, Canada.
And Mizzou, age of 25, is not going to be the youngest rookie around.
I think in many ways that makes him a better fit for a team that is has a legitimate chance to contend and win right now.
So, I can see Mizzou, and maybe I'm wrong, and the Buccaneers would take him at number 15.
Most of these teams want to believe that they're going to have a chance to be competitive this year.
Remember, the NFL sells hope.
It's not football that they sell, they sell hope.
Mizzou made for a great one-two combo for Miami last season with Reuben Bain Jr.
on the other side.
And so, it's not common to have a 25-year-old edge rusher be given serious consideration as a first-round NFL pick.
And I'll tell you the projections have held pretty strong on Mizzou.
Even if he slides a bit, that just means some of those teams that had some very good 2025 seasons in a league where really everybody could use another edge rusher, at least to a certain limit.
So, we'll see what happens with Mizzou, similar skill sets and abilities.
There's a lot of talk for Zion Young to keep a watch on him.
Mizzou might first round.
We'll see a lot of talk with Zion Young.
And I think about somebody like Cash Cowell from Texas A&M.
I didn't have his profile pulled up here.
He's got those short arms, even shorter than Reuben Bain Jr.'s.
It'll be interesting to see how teams but Cowell also had what, 10 and a half sacks for Texas A&M last season, so he proved that he could do it, whatever his arm length is.
So, a lot of thoughts with edge rushers of where they might go, but Zion Young getting a lot of talk for mid to certainly late first round.
