Here’s our recap and review of a very full cupboard of Ravens 2026 draft picks

The Baltimore Ravens turned the NFL Draft up to eleven over the weekend. With 11 new faces and an emphasis on targets and protection for Lamar Jackson, Luke Jones and Nestor recap and review a very full cupboard of purple draft picks in the 2026 class.

Nestor Aparicio and Luke Jones discussed the Ravens’ 2026 NFL Draft, highlighting the team’s 11 picks, including offensive guard Tyre Phillips, outside linebacker Zion Young, and punter Ryan Eckley. They debated the decision not to draft a center, noting the potential impact on the offensive line. They also analyzed the double-dip at wide receiver with Jacoby Lane and Elijah Surratt, and the tight end picks Matt Hibner and Josh Cuevas. Jones emphasized the need for these players to earn playing time and contribute significantly to the team’s success.

• [ ] @Nestor Aparicio – Bring the Maryland lottery ‘boardwalk edition’ tickets to the Pizza John’s event on Friday and have them available for attendees.

Maryland Crab Cake Tour and Draft Day Memories

• Nestor Aparicio discusses the Maryland crab cake tour and his excitement about visiting Pizza John’s on Friday.
• Nestor reminisces about Draft Day events, mentioning the excitement at Dona Ale House with 500 Ravens fans.
• Luke Jones recalls the Saturday and Sunday format of the draft in the past, including memorable moments like the Ed Reed and Terrell Suggs drafts.
• Nestor and Luke discuss the evolution of the draft format, from a Tuesday morning event to a weekend spectacle with significant pageantry.

Changes in Draft Format and Media Coverage

• Nestor and Luke discuss the current format of the draft, including the involvement of various media personalities and the increased pageantry.
• Nestor expresses frustration with the over-the-top production and the focus on personalities rather than football analysis.
• Luke acknowledges the league’s efforts to cast a wide net and appeal to a broader audience, including casual fans and those not deeply invested in the draft.
• Nestor and Luke agree that the draft has become more of a spectacle than a straightforward event focused on football.

Frustrations with Draft Coverage and Social Media

• Nestor and Luke discuss the challenges of consuming the draft through multiple platforms, including TV and social media.
• Luke highlights the frustration of being behind on picks announced on TV compared to real-time updates on social media.
• Nestor compares the draft coverage to a circus, with constant promotions and distractions from the main event.
• Both agree that the draft has become more about entertainment and less about the actual football picks and analysis.

Ravens Draft Picks and Center Position Concerns

• Nestor and Luke shift the conversation to the Ravens’ draft picks, focusing on the center position and the decision not to draft a center.
• Luke explains the Ravens’ rationale for not drafting a center, including the surprise that top prospects Logan Jones and Jake Slaughter were taken earlier than expected.
• Nestor and Luke discuss potential solutions for the center position, including the possibility of adding a veteran player or relying on current backup options.
• Both express concern about the potential impact on the offensive line if the center position remains a weakness.

Offensive Line and Guard Position Adjustments

• Nestor and Luke discuss the impact of the new guard picks on the offensive line, including the potential move of Tyre Phillips to right guard.
• Luke explains the strengths and limitations of the new guards, with a focus on their ability to adapt to different positions.
• Nestor and Luke consider the historical context of guard and tackle positions, drawing parallels to past players like Marshall Yanda.
• Both agree that the offensive line is stronger overall, but the center position remains a question mark.

Wide Receiver and Tight End Draft Picks

• Nestor and Luke analyze the Ravens’ double-dip at wide receiver with Jacoby Lane and Elijah Surratt, discussing their potential roles and the challenges of developing mid-round wide receivers.
• Luke highlights the Ravens’ history of success with tight end draft picks, expressing confidence in the potential of Matt Hibner and Josh Cuevas.
• Nestor and Luke discuss the importance of these positions in the Ravens’ offense, with a focus on the need for productivity from the new draft picks.
• Both agree that the success of these players will be crucial for the overall success of the offense.

Challenges and Opportunities for New Draft Picks

• Nestor and Luke discuss the challenges faced by the new draft picks, including the need to earn playing time and prove their worth.
• Luke emphasizes the importance of the new players’ traits and abilities in distinguishing themselves in a competitive roster.
• Nestor and Luke consider the potential impact of the new players on the offense, including the possibility of increased productivity and a more balanced attack.
• Both express optimism about the potential for the new draft picks to contribute significantly to the team’s success.

Final Thoughts on the Draft and Future Outlook

• Nestor and Luke reflect on the overall success of the draft, acknowledging the strengths and weaknesses of the Ravens’ picks.
• Luke highlights the importance of the new players’ development and the need for them to earn their roles on the team.
• Nestor and Luke discuss the potential impact of the new players on the offense, including the need for increased productivity and a more balanced attack.
• Both agree that the draft was a solid effort, with potential for significant contributions from the new players.

SUMMARY KEYWORDS

Ravens draft, offensive line, center position, wide receivers, tight ends, Zion Young, Jacoby Lane, Elijah Surratt, Matt Hibner, Josh Cuevas, Chandler Rivers, Dwayne Ledford, Eric DeCosta, NFL schedule.

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SPEAKERS

Luke Jones, Nestor Aparicio

Nestor Aparicio  00:01

Welcome home. We are W, N, S T. Am 1570 Towson, Baltimore. This is Baltimore. Positive. We were positively hitting the Maryland crab cake tour back out on the road. I am looking forward to it, because it’s a pizza John’s on Friday. I got a full house. I never have any problems when I say, Hey, I’m doing a pizza John’s. You want to come? Yeah, I’ll be there. So that’s Friday. It’s all brought to you by our friends at GBMC as well as the Maryland lottery and Farnan and Dermer Zach’s going to come on. I think we’re going to talk post draft Orioles. I don’t know if the Orioles are in peril or not, or wherever they are, but Luke Jones is here to discuss a wild weekend of trades surprises, even some cases, some coaches were surprised by who their teams took and the pageantry of the draft. That’s just I preferred it when it was like Howard Balzer and Kuiper in weird suits with yelling at Bill Polian. You know, I don’t, it’s not that I don’t recognize it. It’s just whatever the WWE is ever been in your life, it’s taken, maybe your generation, and just pumped it to, you know, zay flowers just happens to be running down the streets in the in the United Kingdom, and just all of it. It’s a little, it’s a little rich, you know, just in the end of it, I just want to talk about the players like you man, you know, yeah,

Luke Jones  01:29

I mean, it’s, it’s one of those things that we were actually talking about that in the media room in Owings Mills, where those of us who could remember Saturday and Sunday format remember his first and second round, it would take a really long time on Saturday, but it was one of those events, and I remember vividly being in college where you’d roll out of bed at 1030 11, maybe 1130 if I’m being honest, after a night out having you know you’re talking 2002

Nestor Aparicio  01:59

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2003 I’m just trying to think of the players. That was the at the Ed Reed class. I’m just,

Luke Jones  02:03

you know, Ed Reed, it was the Terrell Suggs year, and then trading back in and taking Kyle bowler. But I just remember that being the format. But, you know, you just alluded to, I

Nestor Aparicio  02:13

mean, I was at Dona station that day. Dona Ale House. There were 500 Raven maniacs there. I’m sure we were doing something for charity that day, because that’s the way we always rolled. And you know, Debbie was there, and you know, the whole padonia station crew was there, and I totally remember them where I was standing, you know, where my band once played, the moment that Kyle boy, you know, you remember those moments, right? I mean, Draft Day was that kind of an event for us. It was here from the from Jump Street. It was, it was, it always was a big deal at W NSD, the draft day forever,

Luke Jones  02:49

but, but some of what you alluded to, I mean, you can go back once upon a time, the draft was what on a Tuesday morning or something like that, where, I mean, like, seriously, you think about what it was 40 or 50 or 60 years ago compared to what it’s become, it was a lunchtime

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Nestor Aparicio  03:03

conference call.

Luke Jones  03:04

I mean, people, I’ve seen people even allude to this on social media, where you get home from work and you want to find out who your team drafted. You know what I mean? Like in this world, which it’s so difficult to even think about things in those terms anymore, with smartphones and the Internet and everything. But it really is interesting to see how the league tries to cast as wide a net as possible, to, you know, to appease and cater to those who aren’t the die hards, but at the same time, you see the crowds they had in Pittsburgh. I’ve said they’re shipping in, the woman from England.

Nestor Aparicio  03:42

The piss on the Pittsburgh people. They put Ingram up there, his kids yell at Pittsburgh that they’ve turned the commissionership into a buffoonery. By day three, they’ve got the Assistant Commissioner of this or that, just to prove that they have African Americans that work there, women that work there, people not Venezuelan journalists from Baltimore who own FCC licenses, but that, you know, they’ve got Mexico, they’ve, you know, they’re dude, I mean, they it is a machine in that way. And it’s like, QVC or something, right? Like, I don’t it, it just doesn’t stop. And at the end of the day, I’m more interested in the football angles of what Kuiper thinks to the pick, what a coach would think, where they got Nick Saban running around. They’re promoting College Game Day, like it’s just a lot going on above and beyond. Just like this is all my effing nerves. The Orioles are getting their ass beat 17 to one in the middle of all of this. And I’m like, hey, yeah, you know, like, just give me the picks and they up, are they down? And can this wide receiver play and he’s kind of tall and like, that’s where I really am on Monday morning afterward. But to dedicate the 20 hours to it over the weekend, I just wish I enjoyed it more that I don’t need. To be eye candied and entertained and booed and hissed and just, it’s just, it’s a just it, dude, it’s a circus. It’s a circus. Pat Mac and whatever, and hell his name, like it’s a circus. And I, it’s too long of a circus for me. That’s all I’m saying. And that’s a completely

Luke Jones  05:19

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fair opinion. I I understand why they do it in the first round and Thursday night. It’s a big event. Obviously, you saw hundreds of 1000s of people in Pittsburgh over the weekend. I mean, it’s a big event. I’ve said to you for years, I don’t know exactly who’s attending the draft, right? If you are big into the draft itself and everything you just said, the analysis and all that, the last place I would want to be is there in person, watching it right post, the pictures

Nestor Aparicio  05:47

of all the draft parties we have where Luke and his dad were in the corner, because that night, maybe Todd Heap was coming out and doing the show, or whatever we were doing. And everybody had guides. Mel Kuiper heights, Joel Bush bomb got there was no online. Everybody was circling players. We were all talking about every pick who’s going up, who’s going down, like it was like a clubhouse of people that really cared about the draft. And that’s how I know Eric Decosta, and that’s how he knows me and Phil savage. And I mean, I’m not saying that that doesn’t exist. But that’s not who this appeals

Luke Jones  06:23

to, right? Exactly, exactly. And I think for me, look again, they’re casting as wide a net as possible. So I understand so much of what they’re doing there isn’t really for me individually, as a 42 year old nerd, you know, sports nerd, football nerd, whatever, but I think where my frustration stems is on night one, I understand when it’s going to happen later in the draft, and they’re not sitting there presenting rounds four or 567, in a way that you’re sitting there with bated breath waiting for each pick. I understand you get to that point in the draft, there is going to be a little more, not Feature Driven, but big picture driven.

Nestor Aparicio  07:08

Let’s say, well, that’s where they go into 32 different locker rooms with 32 coaches and offensive coordinators who just got their star quarterback or their guard. Like, that’s where they get a chance to show Declan Doyle off to the world and let him do four minutes. You know, I like, I that’s football. What everything that happens on that stage from the minute Goodell starts the Hulk Hogan bu me like it devolves into, I can’t stay with this for 20 hours over. I mean, they need to put a channel on, like they do with Eli and Peyton, where it’s just sort of like nerds talking football. But I mean, even when they go to the stage, it becomes a DAP festival and it’s, yeah, I mean, the walk through, and I’m going to change my ad, and we’re going to have six sponsors, and I’m going to fake cry and real cry, and I’m going to kiss my cross, and I’m going to open my shirt, and I’m going to have a message, and my cleats are going to say this. And, like, I, I don’t know, man, I mean, I it’s just a lot. I keep going back to, like, at some point we’ll talk about the players, and I think that’s cool, but I just, I think, I don’t, I don’t know who stays with it the whole weekend. That’s all I mean, because it really is like going to a Barker fair in some way. You know what I mean, like as I see it on television, at least. Yeah.

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Luke Jones  08:34

But for me, the biggest point of frustration is early in round one. I mean, we’re talking early not not day three and round five, they’re already getting behind in terms of announcing the picks. And for me, that’s what’s frustrating in terms of and I don’t even obviously people are going to say that as well. Luke, you’re covering it in a different way than most people. Of course, right? I fully acknowledge that. I’m saying, if I, if I no longer covered the ravens and no longer covered the NFL, but still watch the NFL as I enjoy watching the NFL even when the ravens are on the bye week, right? I love that because I could sit on the couch and not doing any work and I’m still watching the league. But I think as someone, as many people are who are online in some capacity, right, when you’re watching the draft right? You have your smartphone and you’re getting notifications. You’re on the wnst tech service, or you just, you’re getting push notifications on your phone. I think the worst part is, it is not enjoyable, from the standpoint of, if you want to consume the TV product, that’s like, almost like a different world than being on Twitter online, where they’re now two or three picks ahead of what they’re announcing on TV like that, for me, is where the frustration really lies. And I I don’t know what the perfect answer is for that. And again, I understand a lot of what they’re doing is not for me, it’s for my sister or for my mom or for my you. Neighbor down the street who watches the Ravens on Sundays but doesn’t cover or doesn’t

Nestor Aparicio  10:04

follow the sport. You know, it’s funny. You say that about it appealing to women in some weird way, like, I don’t know that it does or doesn’t with my wife or what her cadence is, but now that I think about it, it’s a little bit like the Rose Bowl parade. We’re going to bring in the Jaguars float for the next few minutes, and we’re going to gloat about it and talk about how beautiful it is and how great this is and how great that is. We’re going to bring a legend in the stream about it. We’re going to make a pic, and it’s just like, boom, now we’re on to the lions. And it’s just, it’s pub. See, it’s here, here’s a necklace. No, here’s a lamp. No, here’s what you really need is a lamp shade. And it’s just sort of like, wow. And I wait for it, and I’m excited about it, but the minute, I mean the gadel thing, it really is a WWE Act, as is the whole Trump administration, really, in a lot of ways, but it’s just a, it’s, it’s a reality show thing that they’ve just it’s it’s gotten unwieldy. I really has. And I

Luke Jones  11:04

love football, yeah, I mean, and again, we’re not going to go back to the days of it being Tuesday morning on ESPN, right? We’re not going to go back to the days of it being Saturday and Sunday and the draft begins at noon on Saturday, right? We know that that ship has long sailed, but you just said something, I mean, you spark something in, you know, suggesting, and I don’t know how they would do this, right, but you suggested the idea of, maybe you have a different telecast and, and look, a lot of people would tell you, Well, there’s a magical thing called social media and live channels and YouTube shows and all kinds of stuff, where you can go to that and they’ll react, and it will be football, football, football. So there, there

Nestor Aparicio  11:47

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are plenty of thing called sports radio where that’s sort of where we cut our teeth, right?

Luke Jones  11:51

But I but for me, all that being said, All that aside, and all that Pomp and Circumstance just being baked in. For me, I just get frustrated in terms of pick is in yet we’re going to waste six more minutes talking about whatever we’re talking about at that point, right? And the picks become secondary. And again, I get that rounds 420,

Nestor Aparicio  12:10

minutes on the process of what we had to go through this weekend in order to consume the NFL diet, now being owned by ESPN, right? Like, so it’s all under, you know, you’re allowed in. I’m not. That’s just the beginning lock and four is not allowed in. You know, it’s sort of like, this is Oh, and by the way, I mean the Diana or, see, anything like, I ain’t even brought that up with you, but certainly was on my mind over the weekend, and on my timeline and on people’s breath about all of this, into saying, oh, pu to a lot of coverage and what we learn and what we don’t learn, and I saw the chef the Rappaport thing is going on now, like there’s drama way beyond the picks that the Ravens made. So let’s get on to the picks. Because, I mean, I can, I can do the Get off my lawn thing about the weekend. But really was a lot to consume and to your heart. And my heart, as I stare at my 1971 belt buckles, by the way, I picked up the Patriots. One Patriot Pat, you know, Randy vataha, you know, Brogan, old school, John, Hannah, Mike Vrabel, Bob Kraft, I think about the what it was, what it is, what it could be like. I’m all of that. You know what, dude, we still understand here you and me and going back to when John Ogden handed me the hat back at the felt forum in 96 and people said, Ray, who we want? Leland McElroy, that you know, I’ve been at this from the beginning. And how many nights did you and I spend in Indianapolis chasing coaches around before you existed in my life. I was out there chasing Jim Schwartz with a coffee and the Starbucks inside the Marriott before the new Marriott was built. And you know all the hamster trails out there running around. Oh, that’s where Mike Tyson, Oh, watch the shrimp cocktail. So, I mean, I know the whole drill with the combine and the importance of the draft and all of that. And this is where we get on to did we make our football team better? And we give them the b plus or the B minus or the a minus, or why take the tight end in the fourth round? Oh, they got the punter. You know, they did what Luke told them to do with the punter. So, you know, predictions, mock drafts, all of that, they picked a lot of football players. Dude, right? Like more of an usual new coach, as I said when I had the Baltimore banner executive sports editor Chris Corman on last week at Costas, there’s a lot to talk about with the franchise from a football perspective. Of that, you and I now get to put into focus. Who’s the center? Where’s the Lamar this? Where’s the mark? Andrews that? Oh, look at that. Tight ends. Oh, they picked a wide receiver. So this is where this gets to be fun for you and me, who really like football, and we’re waiting on the schedule, and they’re going to play in Brazil and all of that. Watch your wallets down on the beach. But I would say this is football season starts now, and the Orioles should watch out if they continue to lose like this, that we won’t talk more football.

Luke Jones  15:31

Yeah, that’s certainly fair, but it’s a big weekend for the Ravens. I It’s funny, you made the comment of who’s going to start at center? I don’t know. I mean, that’s still the biggest question that they had going in. Is still their biggest question going out, because they didn’t take a center. I mean, some people say, Okay, well, they took the guard, the guy that’s gonna be 26 years old in the seventh round, which, by the way, I had no problem with that pick. I mean, he could end up being a nice backup for them for a couple years as a mean streak. But you and I, as everyone was waking up Friday morning, breaking down the Vega yuan a pick, we had the full expectation they were going to draft a center at some point, right? And they didn’t do that. And I thought it was interesting, Eric to Costa was asked late Friday night about the center position, and you know how they felt about it. And you know it’s worth noting that you kind of look at the two guys that came off the board, Logan Jones out of Iowa, and Jake slaughter, they came off the board after the Ravens picked in the second round, and you could sense a little bit like Eric wasn’t nasty in his answer. Let me be clear. I’m not trying to misrepresent that. But you could sense a little bit of frustration in the sense that he was he said, Well, you know, the guy’s got to be there when we’re on the board and blah, blah, blah, blah, blah. And then, as he reflected on it, on day three, when it was apparent that everyone that was left round four on ravens didn’t love because, to your point, they made 11 picks over the course of the draft. If they love this center class, beyond those top couple guys, they would have taken someone and they didn’t. So and that’s when, at that point, Eric alluded to the idea that they liked those first two guys, but they weren’t, and he admitted some surprise, that those guys went off the board as early as they did. And I, I had said to you in the aftermath of the yuan a pick, that most of these center prospects like there wasn’t a Linder bomb, right? There wasn’t someone that was going to go in the first round. But most people assume that even Logan Jones and Jake slaughter and Connor Lou were more third, fourth round, kind of guys and but those two guys went late in the second round. And you kind of looked at where the Ravens picked they had 45 and then they took Jacoby lane at 80th to move up from 80th to the range where Logan Jones went 57 Jake slaughter went 63 that’s a lot of capital you have to give up to move up that high when you’re still talking late second round.

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Nestor Aparicio  18:03

It also speaks to how important it is, though, too. We got to get one of those two guys sure, and they didn’t do that, or those two guys do

Luke Jones  18:10

that, so they didn’t do that, right? And that’s where it’s fair to second guess, right, and, and I think even more than that, it’s more so fair to look at this, and we will monitor this look. Eric dicassa said they have a plan I believe them. Now it might not be Plan A or plan B, even at this point, we might be on the Plan C, but

Nestor Aparicio  18:31

I do think when Max Crosby was Plan A, sure, I mean, I do late night television here, that’s what

Luke Jones  18:36

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I do. But I I’ll buy the idea that they’re going to add another center, right? Whether it’s going to be someone like, I don’t know Graham Glasgow, who was released by Detroit, played Center last year. He’s 33 he’s talked he’s made comments that he’s pondering his future. He doesn’t know if he’s going to play someone like that will come in, or they’ll make a trade for some other you know Patrick McCary type guy that has played there, maybe not played there extensively. I mean, Danny Pinter, who I I assume, by default, is kind of at the top of their depth chart right now. He started games, but he’s never started more than one or two games at a time over the course of his career at center right he’s never been the guy for, you know Indianapolis, where he was before. So, you know, I’ll buy that. They’re going to add someone else. But all that being said, we’re going to look back at all the guys that were taken on day four. So Conor, Lou Sam Hecht, who I think a lot of Ravens fans are talking about him, Parker, brails, Ford, Bo Stevens, Burton, and even some of the guys that lasted to the sixth round that you know by that point, if you’re taking a center in the sixth round, Let’s call a spade a spade. That’s not someone you’re projecting to start year one, right? There was debate about, even if you take a center in the second or the third round, is that a guy that’s really going to be ready to start week one? Or is that a. Guy that best case scenario, maybe he’s ready to start by September or by October, November, right? Or might

Nestor Aparicio  20:07

be a player to be taken on, whatever the best version of Matt abigay or max Crosby would be, yeah, I mean, but and getting beaten up for three hours, who Sure can, who can absorb that position without having our game wrecked well with our MVP quarterback, and

Luke Jones  20:22

that’s why, what we were talking about this in the aftermath of round one drafting you want a was, I perceive that to be even more important, not just because you just improved your guard position immensely, but whoever is going to line up at center. And this still applies. And this is where, yes, they did get better on the interior line, even if they didn’t take a center that that group is still better than it was on Wednesday, because you do have you on a who, with John Simpson now flanking whoever’s going to be the center that’s going to help whoever that person is, right, whether it, whether it, whether it was going to be a rookie, whether it was going To be Corey Bullock, who was, you know, backup for the Ravens last year and on the practice squad the year before that, you want to figures

Nestor Aparicio  21:07

to be the left guard right

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Luke Jones  21:09

I don’t I think right guard. I think now, mentor has not committed to that. And I’m not sitting here saying that that’s going to be set in stone by any stretch, but I look at it like this, John Simpson, for the last three or four years, has been exclusively a left guard. He’s and it sounds funny to say this, because they just signed him to a three year, $30 million contract, but he’s the much more limited player between the two of them, if you’re looking at it from a big picture standpoint, right? You’re talking about veteran player who has made himself into a starter, has made a little bit of decent money here he got on the open market, compared to the 14th overall pick, compared to the guy that easily the consensus best guard in this draft class. So I look at it through the lens of which player has the higher aptitude to adapt from going from the left to the right side, and which player ideally would you want maybe at that right guard spot, long term, to me, it’s you on a but that said maybe I’m wrong, and maybe the

Nestor Aparicio  22:11

way all makes me think of is people should go listen to that Marshall yanda chat we had out of green. Yeah, that night about the year he went from right to left and right pushing off, and how his arm, like the science of it’s different, and also the value of this to say, we all know left tackles make more money than right tackles and protecting the blind side. Michael Oren, blah, blah, blah, blah, blah, what is there more value in a left guard or right guard? Which way we want to go? Which, you know, is the right handed? Is he left handed? Where’s the strength? Where did he play in college? Where’s he really? It’s like left field and right field catch and fly balls. Way different. Dude. Did you know way different? But yeah,

Luke Jones  22:51

it’s different. And I think it’d be important to add the context of Marshall yonder was talking about doing that in the middle of a season, right, knowing that his one shoulder. So I think the difference here would be, you’re going in and you’re, if you’re moving, you want a to the right guard spot. He’s going to have all spring and all summer to adapt to the right guard spot. And he moved around. I mean, my goodness, I think we all have seen, if you had any interest in seeing what he’s about. I mean, you saw Penn State would bring someone in to line up at left guard, and they would make him the sixth lineman, and they would motion him across the formation, bury somebody, yeah. So they really deployed him as a blocking weapon, really. I mean, when you kind of look at some of the tape and everything, so whatever they decide to do with him, I have very little doubt that he’s going to be able to handle it so but my gut tells me he probably goes to right card, and they kind of keep John Simpson doing what he’s been doing. We’ve talked about it, you and I both said it. I mean, when they signed John Simpson to a $30 million contract, I don’t necessarily view it in terms of being this over the top, unbelievable upgrade. Is he an upgrade over vore? He’s no question. I’m not, not going to downplay it too much at the same time, I remember that John Simpson, three years ago, was the weak link on their offensive line at that point in time. So I’m not going to suddenly say, Oh, he’s a guy that might be in the Pro Bowl this year. I think he can be fine, but I think it’s probably best, in my humble opinion, to keep him at left guard. That’s where he’s played for multiple years now, you kind of know he’s what What You See Is What You Get, whereas in terms of Venga, I think he’ll embrace it. I mean, I don’t know if you had a chance to see his press conference on Friday. You know he’s not a man of of he’s not going to speak and write a story for you so to speak, but the passion, you can tell, right? I mean, he flat out says, it’s my job that no one touches my quarterback, you know? And he talks about it in, you know, he uses some army kind of language in terms of being in the trenches and things like that, which I’m fine with, right? I mean, it’s cool, but he’s the kind of guy that I think, whatever. Ask him to do, he’s going to be fine with. So I’m guessing we see him at right guard. But hey, we’ll find out as early as this coming weekend, because there’ll be at rookie camp, and I’m guessing wherever they want him to play, he’s going to be starting to line

Nestor Aparicio  25:15

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up there right Glenn Doyle’s got his AI playbook somewhere, you know,

Luke Jones  25:18

working and I think, and I would say this fully acknowledging what you said about yonda, because I remember that once upon a time as well. But I think most offensive line you know, people that are offensive line junkies, that that really can break down that position, I think it’s a little less dramatic going from left guard to right guard compared to left tackle to right tackle. I think, I think that’s a more extreme adjustment. But I think this is a case, whatever they decide to do, just stick to it. Do it in the spring, do it in OTAs, do it at mandatory mini camp, doing it in training camp, preseason, all of that. And I think however they decide to do it, that won’t be as big of an issue. Who’s going to line up at center? Now that’s, that’s more of a question for me, and that’s where we are going to have a lot of questions. And Eric, as I assumed he would, he brought out the line that Ozzy Newsome always used to mention. We don’t play games until September, and he said, I think we’ll have a great offensive line at that point. We’ll have, we have a plan. It didn’t necessarily fall our way this weekend, but it’s still early, and I’m thrilled with what we’ve been able to accomplish, so we’ll see. All right, and I think what’s important here, the important takeaway is it sounds like they really liked Logan Jones and Jake slaughter. I think they thought those guys would be there in round three when they picked and they weren’t. So if they’re not, does that mean you reach and you take an inferior prospect just to do it, or do you stay true to your board and say, All right, let’s get as let’s add as much talent at the top of our board as we can, at as many other positions as we can, and then we come up for air at the end of the draft, and we adapt, and we look at this, and we will wait to see what other veteran players could shake free, because their team may be drafted a younger player, and they’re going to save some cap dollars, and you’ll see some guys become available that way. I already mentioned Glasgow. There’s one veteran player that could be an option, not saying it’s a great option, let me be clear, but it’s an option. And the other part here, where we do have to acknowledge net gains, right? Okay, no matter what they do at center, and this is going to apply, if they drafted the best center in this draft, they’re taking a step back at center. There’s no doubt, right? It might be two steps back. However, if the net gain is you’re way better at left guard going from Andrew Voorhees to John Simpson, and you’re way, way better at right guard, going from Daniel file Layla to Van goane, then you could still make an argument that you’re a better offensive line. Now it’s whoever’s playing center. Can’t be, can’t be an utter liability. Let me be very clear about that. But if they can find something that’s average, you know, average starter, league average starter, to use a baseball term, then I think the net gain there you’re saying it’s a better line. It doesn’t mean it’s gonna be the best line in football, because part of that’s also going to apply to what’s Ronnie Stanley looking like another year older? What’s Roger Rosengarten looking like with another year of experience under his belt? And I do think an absolute, absolutely massive factor that we have to continue to consider here is Dwayne Ledford, their offensive line coach, and I think he was a very big voice in that room in terms of not just with ioanni, but also evaluating all these other centers who they ultimately did not take. I’ll totally buy what dicost is selling in terms of not not anticipating Logan Jones and slaughter going off late in the second round. But I think it is very fair to question and to keep an eye on what happens big picture with all these other center prospects that they basically turn their nose up to right if, one of those guys that I mentioned that was taken in in round four, you know, Conor Lou, for example, or Sam hacked at the beginning of the fifth round, if, if one of those guys, if we’re looking up and it’s week 12 and the Ravens are having all kinds of issues at center. And you find out one of those guys is starting now for their team and playing pretty well for a rookie. Then Then you look back and you fairly say, hey, well, what happened here? What happened with this evaluation here? So we’ll see, where

Nestor Aparicio  29:36

are you on the tight end and and the and the wide receiver as well? Yeah. I mean, I mean, look, they put a lot of effort into this, right that, you know, and Eric should be getting better at this than he’s ever been, and he’s now built the coaching staff, as you pointed out on the air last week, fair or, you know, unfair. And the mentor, what mentor wants, he had these opportunities to talk about. Got all of this back in January before he hired him. What do you think we need to do with this football team? Fundamentally, that’s not what John Harbaugh wanted to do, not what Steve bishati thinks we should do, but like what the new group is going to do. You’re not Todd Monckton, who’s got his own thing going on in Cleveland. This is an install for philosophically, where they are right now. And look, dude, you’ve just done eight minutes on the center position just as something. Hey, we’ll get that in the draft. Maybe they’ll draft this. Maybe they’ll have an edge rusher. Maybe they’ll do that instead of this center at 45 maybe they’ll get a big wide receiver, because they need a wide receiver. Maybe they’ll get a tight end. Maybe it’ll be a mark Andrews kind of guy they can get in the fourth or fifth round. I don’t know. They they checked some boxes. We went through the boxes they didn’t check, but not really, because, I mean, we gave him credit for the guard, just all the way around. They addressed the offensive line. They can only do this one position at a time when their center runs off, their former first round center runs off and gets $28 million

Luke Jones  31:05

from the gypsies. Yeah. I mean, it’s, well, this is also alludes to what we were talking about before the draft. I mean, it felt like the Ravens had a couple more needs than usual ahead of the draft, so as

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Nestor Aparicio  31:17

an eight, nine team that got their coach fired, might Right, sure and some aging problems that that you have to, yeah, you have

Luke Jones  31:24

to at least consider for 2027

Nestor Aparicio  31:27

and they didn’t draft a left tackle as an example, sure, sure. That’s that’s fair to they didn’t draft a high corner, but as you have all the things you talked about, but they have one pick,

Luke Jones  31:37

8

sure, well, and that’s the thing. I mean, you don’t have four first round picks. And they

Nestor Aparicio  31:40

barely had that. They tried to give that away for Max Crosby, until Eric, what was Eric’s line? He was not crushed. What was the word? Got it, got it, got it, got it. I want to make sure,

Luke Jones  31:54

but that’s why, I mean, they took Zion young in the second round, someone that they seem to be really, really excited about. I think there’s, yeah, there’s some mixed opinions about his pass rush upside. But you watch this guy on tape, he is a wrecker when it comes to the run game. It’s really physical. He’s got kind of plays with a mean streak. And I think he’s going to be a guy when you consider the shape of their outside linebacker room with Trey Hendrickson, who is not the every down force that Max Crosby is. He’s much, I don’t to call him a situational pass rusher. Is a little harsh, but stopping the run, is it Trey hendrickson’s forte, right? It’s not his strongest suit.

Nestor Aparicio  32:34

He’s going to play in those situations. He’s going to, I mean, he’s but you want

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Luke Jones  32:39

him on the field for as much of second and long and third down as possible. So you take someone like Zion Young, who I think, even from Jump Street, I think is going to see a lot of time in early down run situations. You’re going to see him probably lining up on first downs. And maybe, maybe he comes off the field when it’s second and long and third down. And obviously they have a rotation. I mean, trying to describe it in a simplicity,

Nestor Aparicio  33:04

second round player, you expect to see him on the field play?

Luke Jones  33:07

I mean, well, you just look at the rotation. I mean, they have Hendrickson, they have Tavis Robinson, and they have Mike Green. I mean, okay, if you want to throw Adisa Isaac in there, because he was a third round pick two years ago, you can, but he’s barely played, right? He didn’t play last year. So they have three guys that you would say are, and I’m not saying they’re all stars, but three guys that you would say are roster locks before they took Zion young. So now they have four, and now it’s so he’s going to be part of that, whether he plays 15 snaps or whether he plays 40 snaps a game. He’s going to be part of that in some capacity, so, but they like him. We’re going to see how that develops. But you mentioned it, and this is where we transitioned into it. And I thought it was fascinating that they double dipped at both wide receiver and tight end. I’m not saying I was shocked, but I was a little I was certainly surprised that they took Jacoby lane and then Elijah Surratt back to back third and fourth round, and they’re both bigger wide receivers. I mean, we’ve talked about the idea of a bigger target on the outside for Lamar Jackson from his first couple years until the present, and you know, it’s never really worked out. Remember once upon a time they drafted miles Boykin. That didn’t work. They had DeAndre Hopkins in that capacity last year, and it worked to an extent, but you know, for whatever the reason, and you can question coaching. You can wonder about him, you can wonder about whatever it what it wasn’t a major impact, right? And sometimes it was, he wasn’t on the field, sometimes it was, he wasn’t being targeted. Whatever point is that’s, that’s something they’ve tried to add in recent years, or at least they’ve expressed the desire to add that, whether they’ve ultimately done it or not. But you know, Jacoby Laney, six foot four. Probably doesn’t play quite as strong as that, but, you know, he makes some highlight catches and drew a lot of PIs playing at USC. So you add him, and then sauraad is six foot two. He’s not quite as big, but he’s kind of that guy that I could see playing a little more of that bigger slot role that some teams, you know, we think of in terms of, traditionally, a slot receiver is this little guy, but you’ve seen teams kind of mix, you know, change that, and kind of challenge that. And Mark Andrews is lined up in the slot so much in his career, right? So, but I think with Sarat, he’s the guy that, you know, has some size, but he has a little more, you know, maybe a little plays with a little more physicality, and think you could see him lining up as a big slot. So it was fascinating to see them draft those two guys and double dip. Now, the skeptic in me of having watched the Ravens for three decades would acknowledge that for as much as Okay, zay flowers was an absolute smashing success as a first round pick. We’d all agree with that, right? We also know the history of this franchise, scouting and developing wide receivers, especially mid round guys. It’s not a whole lot to write home about.

Nestor Aparicio  36:14

8

So if you’re going to one on Hollywood brown too, sure, yeah,

Luke Jones  36:20

but we’re going back first round guys, right? I mean, they haven’t drafted and developed a ton of mid round guys that ended up being really good players. That’s a pretty short list there. So the skeptical lens of looking at them doing that is okay, you drafted two of them, if one of them becomes a starting caliber number two wide receiver with the with the idea that, okay, zay flowers is presumably they’re going to try to sign and extend him to a long term deal, and knowing how much that’s going to cost, that probably isn’t a good thing for Rashad Bateman. And you know, Bateman hasn’t been the most consistent number two wide receiver anyway, then you’re hoping one of those guys, at least one, you know, both, if they both do it, great, but at least one of them, if he if that’s a hit, then you’ll still take that. So maybe the idea is strength in numbers double dip, and you’re hoping that at least one of those guys becomes a legit, starting caliber wide receiver. If that in lieu of a center, you

Nestor Aparicio  37:21

probably you didn’t think you could get to the field or another corner back or helping the secondary in some way. I mean, look, they pick them one at a time, and I know it felt like they were coming off the board Fast and Furious in day three. But like by the time you get there, over 30 years of examining this, how many fifth and sixth and seventh round picks wind up being a Dallas Thomas, and how many of them wind up being Ryan Sutter,

Luke Jones  37:45

sure, and even, and even looking at it through that lens, a Dallas Thomas wasn’t a week one day one starter, right? Even guys like that, Matt, Matt judon, you know, go go through the list of some of the greatest final day picks in franchise history. Very, very few are starting right off the bat. I mean, that’s a really short list. And usually when, when they when they are. It usually means, because the Ravens aren’t very good that year, and their roster has like, I think of, you know, he wasn’t even a someone who was drafted, but think of someone like will Demps, right, who was such a great story, but a big product. Big reason why that was a product of them having gutted the roster post purge in 2002 so, so you always look at it through that lens, but, you know, they drafted two wide receivers. And then I think what was less surprising was them double dipping it tight end. I mean, it’s kind of their MO every time, every time they go into a draft saying, we need a tight end, they draft two. And so that’s where you look at it, and say Matt hibner and Josh Cuevas. Cuevas, his history would tell us Quavis might end up being the better player, because that’s just kind of how it’s worked out. But that was less surprising to me. I mean, di Costa had even alluded to the fact that it’s very likely they were going to take a tight end, and very possible they were going to take two tight ends. And when you consider no likely no Charlie Kohler, throw Pat Ricard into that mix as well, and all they had added was Durham Smythe, who was a blocking tight end right around andrews’s age. They absolutely had to get younger there. So, you know, I thought it was interesting, probably my biggest surprise, even more so than double dipping at wide receiver was trading back into the fourth round to get hibner. He was a guy that a lot of pundits thought was much more of a, you know, sixth round pick, let’s say so they clearly like him. But after I mentioned the skeptical view of the wide receiver position, this is where I want to be fair and say ravens, over the years, have known what they’re doing at the tight end position when it comes to the draft, right? I mean, even their less successful draft stories at the tight end position, generally speaking, have still been guys that have been useful, right? I mean, Crockett Gilmore didn’t become this great tight end, but he played. Right? He wasn’t like a complete stiff and couldn’t play at all. Max Williams, you know, had a lot of injuries, right? But he still ended up being an okay blocking tight end and ended up having a decent career, even though he never lived up to second round billing. But that’s where I look at this and say, Okay, if the pundits didn’t love hibner, well, the Ravens clearly see something there, and I think that’s where I give them more benefit of the doubt at tight end than I do at wide receiver, just based on their history, right? So, so between him and Cuevas and Cuevas, I think is probably a little more of a move around H back maybe do some of the things that Pat Ricard was doing the last couple years in monkens offense, which wasn’t always line up as a traditional fullback, but, you know, be a blocking tight end, motion across the formation, some H back type stuff. I think you could see him be a little more hybrid in that way. But they clearly addressed it, and they needed to, because we’ve talked about it. I mean, Mark Andrews contract extension or not, he’s not getting any younger. So you want to have someone that can compliment him. And I think in the case of Durham Smythe, who’s more of a blocking tight end that they signed you, you kind of want these younger guys to kind of learn from him a little bit in that way. So the idea is, and I’m not going to sit here and say that Matt hibner is definitely going to be tight end one over the next six, seven years. I don’t know if he’s going to be that player, but I feel pretty good that he’s at least going to be, and this is simplistic, because they’re not the exact same player by any means, but he’s going to at least fill the Isaiah likely role in some capacity, meaning just that number two receiving tight end. I think he can come in and help out in that way.

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Nestor Aparicio  41:43

You start to fill out the room now that we have the, I mean, they start to look and say, you know, you expect that guy to maybe catch 3035, balls this year, if he goes the right way, and he installs into the offense and you need him, and he starts to become a reliable guy on fourth and six, stick or third and six that can catch a ball. Like, that’s how it builds when you’re a rookie, is that you take to the playbook Declan Doyle takes to you. You and Lamar have a little special thing going on. Like, I that’s, that’s why it’s important your quarterbacks at OTAs And sure, why is in the building and why running practices without your quarterbacks

Luke Jones  42:21

just dumb Well, I mean, there are, there are years where it’s more important than others, and this is one of those years that’s going to be more important and and Lamar has been in the building. I mean, they’ve shown clips. I mean, he they had their, you know, their extra mini camp that a first year coach, you know, a new coach, is allowed to have with his team. And he was there last week.

Nestor Aparicio  42:40

Write this down for me, because I it’s Draft Day and I’m just gonna say something poignant. They’ve, they’ve used four of their picks on guys to catch the football, right? Sure of them, how many receptions are they going to be worth this year? Like, what do they expect from that on the field? In regard to where the guys they already have, which is, yeah, flowers and Mark Andrews give a lot of money too. They brought the other veteran in, right? So and Derek, Henry and Lamar is going to run the ball a little bit more than the average quarterback, although hopefully not too much, right, right? But I don’t know. Is that 60 receptions? 80 receptions? Is that how many plays? I don’t really, feels

Luke Jones  43:19

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really high given Okay, yeah. I mean, it’s tough to say.

Nestor Aparicio  43:22

I mean, let’s face it, one of those guys pops in any way and can get on the field, they should be worth 40 to 60 if any of those guys pops as a player, what Mark Andrews was early on? Right, right? And get some I don’t know if there’s some oxygen in this offense for Lamar to distribute the ball around. It’s not going to just be two or three guys, well,

Luke Jones  43:44

and, and I just, I don’t know if any of those guys as individuals is going to be the guy that catches 50 balls. It might be that they’re three of them might combine for 60, right? I mean, and you know, one of them’s at

Nestor Aparicio  43:56

35 I agree. But I think one of them has to step up and be fair. The shining light when you spend four picks on guys that’s fair football in this offense right here, right now, like I

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Luke Jones  44:08

Well, and that’s where I think you’re looking for traits that distinguish them. Right Jacoby lane is that guy on the outside that you’re hoping is going to be a red zone target for you. You’re hoping that he’s going to draw some PIs in the way that Tory Smith did once upon a time. And you’re, you’re hoping that he can develop now, he’s got to, he’s got to develop as a route runner, right? I mean, third round pick, 80th overall. Mean, that’s, you’re not getting a perfect prospect at that point in the draft. So, but, you know, you kind of go down the list. I mentioned sauraad. He’s kind of the guy that I think could be a big slot. And there are a lot of draft pundits that like Sarat better than Lane in terms of this double dip, right? That would have said on Wednesday that they thought Sarat would go earlier than Jacoby lane. So, and you know, that’s, that’s one draft pundits opinion, or a group of draft pundits their opinions. So, but, but I’m in agreement with you. Do they? I mean, these guys

Nestor Aparicio  45:01

don’t catch 60 balls this year at a four of them. You can’t get the wide receiver in the third round to get 20 ball. That’s one ball a week, I understand, but ain’t mine. Productivity is that you’d like to see a step up that these guys become. And I’m not just not putting it on stats or how many plays they play. I’m just saying productivity of a draft when you’re an eight and nine football team, when you’re not bringing in Odell Beckham or DeAndre Hopkins or, I mean, go through the list of any of the Mike Wallace, Steve Smith, who’s got like, you’re not going to bring that guy in right now, and you got flowers on the hook for 30 million next year. So this is your offense, and you have your new offensive coordinator who’s barely old enough to shave, you know, in with the quarterback, who’s the three time MVP around here, at least he is not in Buffalo. But so there’s a lot to say. This is a hell of a place to be a tight end drafted right now, or wide receiver right now, to come in, pick up the book. You’ll get on the field in this offense, and you’ll get the ball if you’ve earned it between now and September 13.

Luke Jones  46:08

Yeah, and, and just for some context here, because I went back and looked at it, because you kind of piqued my curiosity with it, Isaiah likely, DeAndre Hopkins and Charlie Kohler combined for 59 receptions last year. Now let’s be clear, that wasn’t an offense firing on all cylinders last year. And I would also say, Okay, that was 59 but Rashad Bateman only caught 19 passes, right? So zay flowers was at what, 86 I mean, Zay, zay could catch 95 passes this year, right? I mean, we so I said 120

Nestor Aparicio  46:42

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because I think Declan Doyle could use him different.

Luke Jones  46:45

I mean, that’s me. I’d be really surprised if zay is it like, it’s, it’s tough to project anyone to be in that territory, but short, like, at least, for the argument of for just this discussion, could he be more productive than he was last year? Of course, he could. He’s gonna be another year older and he’s more experienced, and he might have an offense that’s better suited for him and his individual skill set. So all of that point is that you’re making here, and I agree wholeheartedly is, yes, they’re going to need some production from that group. There’s no doubt. I also don’t want to overstate it. There’s not going to be enough snaps for Jacoby lane, Elijah Surat, Matt hipner and Cuevas to all be on the field a lot. I mean, there just isn’t, unless you have a slew of injuries, because zay flowers is going to be on the field every play. Bateman is still, at least until one of these guys proves otherwise, is still the number two wide receiver. These two tight

Nestor Aparicio  47:37

ends can’t go on the field at this point for five minutes. Look better than Mark Andrews at any point, if they don’t look like they can get there, that would be disappointing to me to have sort of young horses coming into this thing that they’ve drafted into, and especially with the hibner thing, which was a little bit controversial, quite frankly, against what some of the pundits thought that that you’re not going to see these Guys, and I don’t want to say in these effing preseason games, but you know, let’s see what they’ve got. And look, I’m, I’m all in on they’ll figure out the center that. I mean, they’re good at the football stuff. They are, yeah, I mean, I don’t know if

Luke Jones  48:19

I’m ready to, I’m not all in on that on they’ll figure out the center, but it’s where it is, right? That’s the reality right now,

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Nestor Aparicio  48:26

and when they get plays up in week three in Brazil, because, and let’s be

Luke Jones  48:30

clear, even if they took Logan Jones or Jake slaughter in the second round, we’re not going to be sitting here saying that that got oh, well, that’s the next Tyler Linder bomb, and that guy’s going to be fine, like you’re still talking about a rookie. So we will see how that plays out. I do trust that they will. I’d be surprised. Let me put it this way. I’d be very surprised if, come August 21 we’re four weeks in the training camp at that point in time, and their centers are Danny Pinter, Corey Bullock and Jovan Gwin. I’m guessing some veteran of some accomplishment level not, not going to be a five time Pro Bowl player, no, necessarily former pro bowl player, but some veteran player with more starting experience then Pinter will be added in some shape or form, whether it’s as a free agent, whether it’s they trade, I don’t know. I mean, trade up fifth round pick next year. You know something, sixth round pick next year for some player who’s making a little bit of money, but not much, has 50 starts under his belt, but on paper, isn’t necessarily a slam dunk to be a starter, but we’ll beef up that competition at the very least, and then we’re going to see. Does that mean it’s going to be good enough? Well, we’ll find out. Right? That’s where I would say. This is the same team that tried to get away with file Layla and Voorhees. 90s, and you know, Patrick McCary two years ago at guard, it worked well enough two years ago, and then it blew up in their face last year. So they are way better at guard, so that’s going to help whoever is going to play at center. I will continue to acknowledge that and say that to defend them, but they’re going to have to figure that out. But in a just and this will be my final point, in a big picture sense, you look at the draft right now, there are two, in my mind, slam dunks, three, because I got to count the punter now, Ryan eckley, the new punter. But of their draft picks, of their 11 picks, there are only three slam dunks who are going to be playing. Now there’s wide receivers and tight ends. Yeah, you want them to earn some reps, and they better earn some reps, to your point, because they took four of them, so some combination of those guys. But Ohana is going to be the one of the starting guards. Zion Young is going to be a big, big part of the O line. Oh, off. Not O line, outside linebacker rotation, sorry. And eckley is going to be the punter. Beyond that, it’s gonna be up to the rest of those guys to earn playing time. I mean, that’s just how it is, and that’s how a draft should be. First and Second round guys get on the field. Everyone else you got to earn it. I mean, you’re not just going to be handed playing time, and generally, if they are handed playing time, that’s usually not a good thing for your roster. So we’ll see how it plays out. I think it was a solid draft. I’m not ready to say that this is one of the all time great drafts, and I’m not gonna

Nestor Aparicio  51:35

sit they gotta see people, right? We’ll see right.

Luke Jones  51:37

8

And that’s that sounds. That sounds like a, you know? I’m not gonna sit here and say I know whether this draft’s gonna be an all time

Nestor Aparicio  51:42

is going to be an all 11 sounds better than

Luke Jones  51:45

seven, sure. And you’re hoping that you hit on some of those day three guys. They need to hit on some combination of those wide receivers and tight ends. And you know, I’ll tell you the other we didn’t mention them. Chandler rivers, fifth round corner, slot corner. Eric compared him to Tavon young and La Darius Webb. They like this kid. The scouts really liked him. I don’t think he’s going to play a whole lot this year, barring a number of injuries, but he’s a guy that I think they view through the lens of could be a guy that really helps them come next year and beyond. So think they really liked him. And you know, after that, who knows? Who knows? I mean, we’re gonna see I should get my lottery and that’s fine.

Nestor Aparicio  52:27

They’re right here. I got him right here. This is the boardwalk edition. I have the Maryland treasures. I’ll have these on Friday at Pizza John’s. Luke’s got the pizza John’s hat on. He’s got the foreign and Dermer gear. I’m wearing my Raskin global Leonard’s running around Europe right now. When he gets back, I’ll get him a lottery ticket as well. We’re going to be a planet fitness in Timonium on the seventh next week. Then we move to Lexington market, and failed for the crab races on the 13th. And then the 21st we could kick things off at the fishmonger’s daughter, I’m going to have to shave, although this is sort of my Stanley Cup beard at this point for for gritty up in Philadelphia, so I can get a smile out of the kids around here. Also our friends at GBMC, I walked a mile in their shoes. I’m going to have that gear on. They gave me a shirt. I got to get it pressed and fixed up. Put that onto the set here as well. I swear we’re in the middle of baseball season. It feels like the Red Sox came in and took two out of three over the weekend. They moved the game and 17 to one. And weird things are happening. So we’re gonna get some baseball in here. And it feels like we should have an NFL schedule, but we’re still so two and a half weeks away from that, it’s Derby week around here. I’m getting my preak on or my preak off, as it were, we got plenty of things to talk about, Luke and I go talk some baseball. Stay with us. You.