The Top Big Ten Prospects in the NFL Draft with Rhett Lewis

Rhett Lewis of NFL Network and SiriusXM joins the podcast to preview his Big Ten picks in the 2026 NFL Draft.

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College Sports Scene Today is hosted by Pete Pistone and produced by Mia Pistone

Transcript

SPEAKER_01 0:05

Hi everybody, Pete Stoney here for College Sports Scene today, and it is NFL Draft Week. And let's bring in a guy who certainly knows what he's talking about here, one of our colleagues at Sirius XM. You see him on NFL Network. Also on the Big Ten Network, Rhett Lewis is with us here to break down the NFL draft this weekend from the Big Ten perspective. Rett, how you doing, pal?

SPEAKER_00 0:26

Man, I am fantastic. Uh great to be back with you. Uh, the first host I shared the Sirius XM uh airwaves with, uh, back, gosh, just before COVID, I want to say, or maybe right after COVID. But uh great to be back with you, Pete. This is my favorite time of year, man. It is for sure.

SPEAKER_01 0:42

Now, Rhett is a proud Indiana Hoosier since you and I haven't spoken in a while. Congratulations on the national championship. You know, you know, the sport moves so quickly, and here we are, we're talking about NFL draft, and that happened in January. But as you think about it, Rhyth, what how does it resonate? How do you think this Hoosier Championship is going to resonate going uh down the road?

SPEAKER_00 1:01

Well, look, I I think um just to kind of keep it uh with what's going on here, you know, this week with the draft, I think it's gonna be another infomercial for Indiana football. And so I think, you know, as we kind of continue to hit the touch points of the, you know, kind of larger football calendar, you'll continue to be reminded that Indiana was the best team in football. Um they're gonna have their spring game uh on the same day as the as uh as the draft as day one of the draft on Thursday. And so they're gonna complete the spring game, and then with everyone in the stadium, they'll throw on the draft on the on the jumbotron and they'll see Fernando Mendoza go number one overall uh for the first time in program history, having a number one pick uh going to the Las Vegas Raiders. So I think it it'll just kind of be a constant reminder of just how good they were, how incredibly talented uh and dedicated Kurt Signetti is as the head coach of that program, um, and all who continue to contribute to it. So um, and after Fernando Mendoza goes, I think there's gonna be eight or nine other of his teammates that hear their names called over the course of the three days. So I think it resonates uh loudly uh and we'll continue to do so, Pete.

SPEAKER_01 2:07

Well, let's talk about Mendoza. We know that there's one thing for sure. He's the number one pick, gonna go to the Raiders. We know everything he did in college. You've seen his game and broken it down. Brett, break his game down now into the NFL and what we think we'll know about the Raiders' offense coming up this season.

SPEAKER_00 2:22

Well, look, I think in baseball we talk about five tool players, right? Um, I think I could list like 10 different tools for Fernando Mendoza. And I think it starts um, you know, I think people want to see like a one, does he have the baseline physical tools? And that is clear he does. He has plenty enough arm strength. He pushed the ball down the field better than any quarterback in college football this last year. He's got uh off the charts accuracy. Um, and and but when I say accuracy, I don't just mean he completes a lot of passes. He puts the ball where it needs to be for his receivers to go and make plays with it afterwards. That's why Omar Cooper broke 30 tackles uh this year. Um, and then, you know, you think about the pinpoint nature of those back shoulder throws to Elijah Surratt. He's got all that the arm strength and accuracy. He's got the mobility, I think is another thing that's kind of a little bit underrated. Obviously, that the play of the of the game in the national championship, right? The the QB sneak on fourth and five, they got him a score and uh breaking tackles, diving, all that. He's got he's scrambled for big time yardage. And in doing so, he also showcases his toughness and then endears himself to his teammates that way too. Started in the Iowa game, had some big time scrambles, got hit hard out of bounds, popped right back up. And I think that's how you then bring in the leadership phase. He connects with all corners of the locker room. Uh, he has that magnetic ability to bring guys together, and he is damn good and he wins. And that is maybe one of the best things about being a leader is guys can count on you to perform in the biggest moments. And he has the clutch G. Iowa, Oregon, Penn State, all throughout the college football playoff, he has done it uh in the biggest moments. Uh, and then the the last thing, though, is his superpower, and that's his brain, Pete. Um, he not just the ability to see concepts on a whiteboard or on tape in a meeting room, but then to take them and process them and execute them on the field. He does it uh as better than anybody in this class and as good as anybody we've seen in the last few years of college football, but it's also inclusive of his work ethic, his desire, and his commitment to be the absolute best that he can be, the best he can be for his teammates and for his team. I I don't know how he doesn't check all the boxes. So laminate the report, send in the card.

SPEAKER_01 4:30

It's it's Mendoza at one. All right, so unfair question because we don't know exactly what's going to be around him, though. But so what kind of expectation do you have him with the team to bring them to be better, certainly than they were a year ago, right?

SPEAKER_00 4:42

Yeah, uh, you're talking about for the Raiders. Yeah, yeah, yeah. So for the Raiders, look, I think they've done a great job at already trying to support him, and he's not even on the team yet. They brought in Tyler Lenderbaum as the center to be, you know, the guy that anchors their offensive line, improved that part of it. Uh Clint Kubiak is a is a tremendous uh offensive coach now as the head coach. And I think he's already been learning this Las Vegas Raiders offense. So he's gonna come in with a step ahead. And he's already they brought in Kirk Cousins, who has great experience in this system, going back to his time in Washington when he came in the league, and you know, operates it so well, understands it so well, and is essentially an additional coach for Fernando, but also gives Fernando the opportunity to say, like, okay. Or the coaches to say, hey, if if Fernando's not 100% ready week one, we know we can we can get Kirk ready to play. And then eventually Fernando takes over. So I think they've continued to do a really good job to support him, and they'll do more with the nine picks they have after they take him number one overall, uh, to set him up for success.

SPEAKER_01 5:44

All right. So we know that that's gonna be the number one pick. I think you projected 11 Big Ten players last time. I looked at one of your mock in the first round. In the first round, yeah. Uh the Jets have number two. Is it gonna be another Big Ten player, Arvell Reese from Ohio State? Is that next up?

SPEAKER_00 5:57

Yeah, I believe. I believe um actually, you know, I think the more that I've kind of looked at this, um I think David Bailey from Texas Tech actually makes the most sense. Uh, number two for a team that really needs a contributor right now and may not have the time or the luxury to groom a raw but extremely talented player like Arvell Reese, who played most of his time at off-the-ball linebacker, but also played a considerable amount of snaps as an edge rusher, but again, as a one, really a one-year player on defense. And so I I think um I think ultimately they go with the safer pick, safer bet, uh guy who had 14 sacks this year for Texas Tech, Bailey, firecracker off the edge. I think he he goes number two, but Reese, look, he's gonna go by number five at the very latest. There's a lot of buckeyes on this list as well.

SPEAKER_01 6:45

Give me your take on the case. Four of them that'll go in the top seven or eight, I think. All right, let's go to Sonny Styles next, the safety there. Where do you see him and kind of his skill set of where it might fit in in the NFL, right?

SPEAKER_00 6:55

Yeah, so Sonny Styles, you know, I was I was shocked. I saw him for the first time in 2022, my last year, uh rather 2023, my last year doing um color on the radio for Mile Ma Moderate, Indiana. Watched him down on the field, he was a six foot three, two hundred and thirty-five-pound safety slash nickel corner. And I was like, what in the world is going on here? Why is this guy not rushing the passer off the edge? Like this is he's a you know, he's a great god out here. What's going on? Well, you know, he was just so if athletically inclined, and we saw that at the combine, running a 4-40, jumping 43 inches in the verte, like all that stuff. So ultimately he does find a home at linebacker, and that's um where I think Robert Salah, head coach of the Tennessee Titans, is gonna say, I see my next Fred Warner right here in Sonny Styles. And I think he goes uh number four, that is if um if the Cardinals take Arvell Reese at three. So I think it's a good chance you see Buckeyes back to back there at three and four. Um, and uh two more to go once you get past those two.

SPEAKER_01 7:58

Well, I want to ask you about a guy who's got a Chicago background from Marist High School here in Chicago, Carnell Tate, wide receiver from Ohio State. Where does he fit in?

SPEAKER_00 8:06

Yeah, look, I think um I it's we've kind of heard a lot of different teams that could take Carnell Tate, starting with the Giants at five, uh Browns at six, Commanders at seven. Um, I think uh eight at the Saints at eight, and the Chiefs at nine is probably the floor uh for Carnell Tate. Um, I think he is the best receiver in this class. Um, I think he is the most set for success immediately out of this group. And I think he is um he's a he is a top 10 talent. I look, I don't look he, you know, the the one thing about him is he's kind of always played in the shadow of Jeremiah Smith. But I think this last year you kind of saw that when called upon, he could be a number one type receiver. And I think that's what teams will bank on.

SPEAKER_01 8:57

All right, let's finish the Buckeye table here. Caleb Downs next up, they're projected to be in the first round.

SPEAKER_00 9:02

Yeah, look, I I thought when the Bengals had the 10th pick before they traded it to the Giants for Dexter Lawrence, that that was going to be the uh the absolute floor for Caleb Downs. I think now there's a real shot he actually goes at five to the New York Giants. I think John Harbaugh is gonna see uh the new head coach there of the Giants gonna see an opportunity there to recreate what he had with Kyle Hamilton uh in Baltimore and maybe even going further back to Ed Reed. Like Caleb Downs is, you know, probably has the best football IQ of any player on the defensive side of the ball in this class uh and would rival any player period in this class with his knowledge of the game. Uh not to mention he makes a bunch of tackles. He's a playmaker, he's around the ball. Um, I would I would start looking for downs at five with the Giants.

SPEAKER_01 9:43

Okay. Another guy I find interesting, and I've kind of seen his stock rise in Paul, like they all do for the most part, back on the offensive side, wide receiver from USC, Mikhail Lemon. How do you see him plugging things in here?

SPEAKER_00 9:54

Yeah, look, I I I think you start looking for Mikhail Lemon at 11 with the Miami Dolphins. Um, I think he doesn't have like the uh elite athleticism of some receivers in this class. Um, you know, and and look, neither did Carnell Tate either, but they're both just really, really solid receivers. I think the the part that maybe separates Mikhail Lemon from others is his craft in running routes. He's really good, especially in the intermediate game. If you separate the field into three levels, 0 to 10, 10 to 20, 20 and beyond, he's he kind of lives in that 11 to 20 zone. And that is a that those are pro throws right there. So I think he's gonna be a really quarterback-friendly target for whomever he goes to. And uh I would say 11 to the Dolphins, 13 to the Rams, 16 to the Jets is probably his floor.

SPEAKER_01 10:37

All right, and then back to your alma mater. Omar Cooper, you talked about him earlier, what he saw him do in college. Where does he slide it into this first round for you?

SPEAKER_00 10:44

Yeah, look, I I I I sometimes wear my homer cap um proudly when talking about Omar Cooper, but I I do believe that uh he is the number two receiver in this class. I got him above Mikhail Lemon. Um, I actually had him going 13 to the Rams. I I just think that he has something that you just can't, you can't measure with testing. You can't measure um, you know, implicitly other than the results, which are the fact that he makes guys miss and he runs through tackles and he creates extra yards with the way that he can use his elite body control to his advantage. He catches the ball, and then if a guy, the first guy rarely ever gets him, but the guy that ultimately brings him down is gonna have a hell of a time getting him down because he's gonna contort and twist his body to get an extra two or three yards, and oftentimes those are first downs. So uh really, really impressed with the development arc for Omar Cooper from when he got to Bloomington playing for Tom Allen. Really, really developed this last year under Kurt uh Kurt Zignetti. Has inside outside flexibility in terms of playing on the slot and the perimeter. I think he's uh he's a home run hit there, and I think he's only gonna get better.

SPEAKER_01 11:50

So the rest of the first round, right, for you from the Big Ten, who else stands out that you think you're gonna hear their name on Thursday night?

SPEAKER_00 11:57

Yeah, so um let's see, I think you're gonna be talking about um Olive Ivanga Yiwani uh as uh as the first Big Ten offensive lineman uh off the board. Uh, and I think he's the best guard in this class, true guard in this class. I think he could go as early as 14 to the uh Baltimore Ravens. I think you look at 21 to the Steelers, 22 to the Chargers, all that stuff kind of makes sense to me. But I think he's gone in the first 22-ish picks. Uh, I think you're talking about um, you know, if we're looking at other big tenors, um, trying to see who I'm who I might be missing off the top of my head here. Oh, from Oregon, you're gonna have two two Oregon ducks, uh Dylan Fieneman and Kenyon Sadiq, uh talking about the safety and the tight end, respectively. I think both those guys go in the teens. Um, although there's been some talk, maybe Sadiq a little bit earlier, maybe, you know, maybe 12, maybe 13. Um, he's an incredible talent. Both those guys are really, really good players. Um, and then when you get a little bit further down uh to the back end of the class, um, you could be talking about uh, let's see, uh Denzel Boston from Washington um could be one of those players, could be the fifth or sixth receiver off the board. So yeah, man, it's it's gonna be, I think it's gonna be a record-setting first round for the Big Ten. All right.

SPEAKER_01 13:18

I obviously we're Big Ten centric. Let's wrap up. Sort of big picture. How deep is this draft? Who else are we talking about here when you got to go over the three days we're gonna have in Pittsburgh, right?

SPEAKER_00 13:27

Yeah, look, I think the position groups that are the deepest uh that you're talking about here are the edge rushers and the um I I think the top end of the offensive linemen. And then you're just gonna talk about there's gonna be receiv really good receivers going off the board in the third round, uh, and even even into the start of the fourth round. I think that's where you see a guy like Elijah Surratt from Indiana. Um, I think Marlon Klein, tight end from Michigan, is gonna go on day two. Um I think Max Clare, tight end from Ohio State, is gonna go on day two. Um I think Jennings Dunker and Caleb Tiernan are gonna be the next error next tier of offensive linemen that go on day two uh out of the Big Ten. I I think um, yeah, I think you're gonna see guys well represented kind of throughout all three days. Uh and look, like I mentioned, you know, you've got uh Pat Coogan, Aiden Fisher, Riley Noakowski, Kalon Black, Roman Hemby, uh, maybe Lewis Moore, maybe EJ Williams, all hearing their name called at the very end of this draft uh on day three from the national champions, um, who I do think have a chance to get double-digit draft picks. So it would be a record-setting day for uh for Indiana football as well in terms of players that get drafted.

SPEAKER_01 14:34

It'll be fun. All starts on Thursday night from Pittsburgh. Rhett, appreciate it and how busy you are this week, but great insight. And look forward to talking to you soon, pal. You got it, Pete. My pleasure. That's our guy Rhett Lewis. You can hear him on Sirius XM. Also see him on Big Ten Network and of course NFL Network. I'm Pete Fastoni. Thanks for tuning in. We'll see you next time on College Sports Scene Today.