Blue Wire.

Welcome back.

It's the big blue banter.

New York Giants football podcast.

I'm Dan Schneier.

Joining is always my co-host, Nick Bellato.

And we are rolling right through draft coverage.

For those you have been following along, we've probably seen our video breaking down the linebackers.

We've seen draft profiles on some of the top wide receiver prospects.

The Giants might be interested in a pick 25 overall. We've done Jordan Addison, Dave Flowers, more to come there. Draft interviews starting next week, most likely, starting to lock down a few of those. We're going to get guests on experts to break down different positions, sleepers, targets on days one, two, and three. Eventually, Nick and I will get to our giant specific mock drafts. We'll get to breakouts, sleepers, and busts for each position, or at least each important position. We'll get to day one, day two, day three targets. If you're waiting for all of that good stuff and one more, I'm going to kind of cram in there, which is our corners breakdown. It's going to come as we get closer to the draft. We don't want to waste the good stuff now because more people tune in as you get closer. So for the diehards who are already tuning in, God bless. Thank you. But be patient. That stuff's coming. But today what we wanted to do was we both found a wide receiver in this class who we really, really like, who is being mocked in way down draft boards. I mean, some people don't think he's going to go until rounds five or six. He might make it to round four. I don't really think he's going to be a day two pick based on his profile. And he's certainly not being talked up as one. And it's funny, Nick, because you said before I watched him that this is going to be a dan schneier type player and i think at this point you're now like three for three on those dan shnir type wide receivers dating back to eli more from a couple years back who you watched and you knew i would love um and this guy is not like eli more as a flower as the past two guys you called so what made you think i want to start there, what made you so sure that this was going to be a Dan Schneier type receiver when you're watching

him? And just to spoil it now, we're talking about Charlie Jones, the wide receiver out of Purdue.

I thought that because it's a well-rounded game that he possesses. He's not overly flashy. He is not

the biggest individual. But can he release off the line of scrimmage versus press? Yes. Is he a subtle and nuanced route runner who knows how to uncover against man coverage? Yes. Can he find the voids in zone coverage? Does he have that type of mental processing that is so coveted by a team like the New York Giants with Brian Dable and Mike Kafka? Yes. Can he extend away from his frame and does he have soft hands? Yes. Does he win at the catch point for a 5 foot 11 wide receiver more than he probably should? Yes. And those five factors are the five factors why I was like, oh man, Dan is going to absolutely love this guy. And also he was a Big 10 wide receiver for two separate Big 10 schools, mind you. because this is a player who started at Buffalo, had a really good freshman year there and was like, you know what? I need to get a little bit more exposure. So let me go to the Big 10. But back when he transferred, because he's a little bit older of a prospect, damn, back when he transferred, he had to sit out a year and wait for the transfer portal. So he did that, went to Iowa, which was a terrible mistake, going to play for Brian Farrantz, not Kirk Farrant's son, who was their offensive coordinator, definitely not a conflict of interest there. And that offense sucks. Went there, Iowa misused them. So he was like, I need to go to a pass happy offense. Then goes to Purdue in 2022 and sets records at Purdue. And he just was able to shine there. So I just had this feeling that you would absolutely love this player, especially at the value that he's being discussed at. Yeah, it's a knockout value. You outlined all the things that I like. I mean, just think about all the things you just went over, Nick. It's such a complete profile. And you mentioned the soft hands, but it's also reliable hands.

He only had six drop passes in his entire career at the college level. That's incredible. But the things that stand out about what you broke down. And one other thing that we didn't even talk about, which is also part of his game, by the way, and the Giants legit need it, is he's an amazing returner. If you watch his highlights returning the return as a returner at Iowa, this dude is weaving in and out of tackles.

We need in and out of tackles, we're in and out of space, like finding lanes, just figuring it out in the punt return game. Not flashy in my mind from just the deep speed standpoint, though, much better speed than you realize on film. I feel like he's a much better vertical route run you would expect it did run like a four four three which is actually not that bad.

It's pretty solid for him even though he's a five 11 180. I think everyone in this class

Nick is just like five 11 180s. It's like the small the good receivers in this class are also small.

But specifically the things that you mentioned that stand out most to me about why I'm so excited

about Charlie Jones as a pure value play in this draft is one, him against zone coverage. I just love watching

him just find those soft spots, understanding where to be, because I just think about what

do the Giants need? And everyone could be like, oh, they need a big receiver because they have all

these slot guys. Or, oh, they need this, they need that. But the reality is in this specific system, what all they need over and over and over again is savvy smart receivers who are good at creating separation and good at things like that, finding spots and zone. Because that's the whole offense. It's get rid of the ball fast. And that's what all NFL offenses are in my mind these days. You want the vertical plays. You want the vertical shots. They're few and far in between. You need someone who can do what he can do against zone. But the number one thing that really stands out for me with Charlie Jones. So that's one. The second thing is another thing you mentioned, his release packages, dude, watching the Penn State game. And that was one of the ones I wanted to focus on because it was against a lot of those reps are against Joey Porter, who's going to be a first round draft pick likely at Corner. The way he releases off the line of scrimmage, there was one route I have in here against Porter. It was a slant that he ran against Porter, and he made it look so much like he was running a vertical, and then he turns it into just a slant route where he just creates so much separation with no wasted movement. And it's impossible for even a corner like Joey Porter to to stop him there. He had another inside release on an actual vertical route against Porter where he created the separation, stacked him, and then Porter like held him. It wasn't actually called for a flag, but it's like definitely going to get a flag at the NFL level. Those are like the differences in what you see in the college game versus the NFL game. Like that will get flagged at the NFL level. And one thing someone mentioned to me, Nick, have you heard this before? No one mentioned this to me actually. I heard this on a podcast and it really resonated with me when I was just talking about how like those two routes specifically. the person this was an evaluator of a college film a draft guy he was like the best receivers you want to find are the ones when you're projecting the next level are the ones who can make every single route they run look like a vertical route it's not always a vertical route but you make it look like a vertical route and I feel like in a lot of ways when I was watching Charlie Jones, I feel like he does a really good job

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