Rookie Orientation

You know all those other NFL podcasts with just a couple of talking heads droning on about players you don’t really care about? This is not that. Whether you’re looking to get acquainted with the future stars of the league, or you’re a fantasy owner searching for insight, Rookie Orientation will prep you with everything you need to know about the top rookies from this year’s draft class.

Latest Episodes:

The Shocking Selection: Daniel Jones (Giants, No. 6 Overall) Sep 02, 2019

Show notes

The pick was made and the football world collectively scratched its head in confusion. Daniel Jones? At the sixth pick? With so many great defenders and even Dwayne Haskins still available? What did the Giants see in this guy?

On the season finale of Rookie Orientation, Matt Harmon tries to answer that very question. Why did the New York Giants, who had two picks in the first round of the 2019 NFL draft, invest the sixth overall pick in a guy most football prognosticators pegged as a second-round prospect at best? Matt dives into the most talked-about pick of the offseason with Jones' college roommate and Duke teammate Ben Humphreys, as well as Yahoo Sports' Kimberley Martin and Eric Edholm.

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The Defining Defender: Devin White (Buccaneers, No. 5 Overall) Aug 26, 2019

Show notes

In the 2019 offseason, the Tampa Bay Buccaneers fired head coach Dirk Koetter and replaced him with Bruce Arians. The move signaled an investment in fixing the talented, yet inconsistent offense that never quite clicked in three years under Dirk Koetter.

But what about Tampa's even greater stretch of defensive ineptitude? The Bucs' answer on that side of the ball was using the fifth overall pick in the 2019 draft to select LSU inside linebacker Devin White.

Matt Harmon is joined by Yahoo Sports' Tank Williams and Eric Edholm, as well as Dr. Jen Welter, the first female coach in the NFL, to dive into why White could be the perfect fit to bring glory back to Tampa Bay's struggling defense.

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The Revolution: Kyler Murray (Cardinals, No. 1 Overall) Aug 19, 2019

Show notes

Kyler Murray's small size was a big issue earlier this spring. The reporting of his official height and weight during February's scouting combine was followed and scrutinized with the fervor of a royal wedding.

While the drama surrounding Murray's height might be overblown -- it's still a big deal that a quarterback under 6' was selected with the first overall pick in the NFL Draft.

On this week's episode of Rookie Orientation, Matt Harmon investigates Murray's ascendant college career, his fit in Arizona with rookie head coach Kliff Kingsbury and how the league evolved over a short period of time to a place where a 5'10" number one overall pick isn't as far-fetched an idea as it may seem.

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The Volatile Rocket: Drew Lock (Broncos, No. 42 Overall) Aug 12, 2019

Show notes

Drew Lock has an absolute cannon for an arm. No one doubts that. Yet every team in the league passed up on the opportunity to draft the young quarterback that, in the weeks leading up to the draft, many were predicting could be a top-10 pick.

Matt Harmon digs into the complicated scouting profile of the young Mizzou passer, why he fell out of the first night of the draft, his awesome strengths, his frustrating weaknesses and his fit with John Elway, Joe Flacco and the Denver Broncos.

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The Dynamic Disruptor: Ed Oliver (DT, Bills, No. 9 Overall) Aug 05, 2019

Show notes

Buffalo Bills 9th overall pick Ed Oliver could be a once-in-a-generation player at defensive tackle, yet most draft prognosticators pegged him at the 3rd best defensive lineman in the draft, behind the obvious talents of Quinnen Williams and Nick Bosa.

This week on Rookie Orientation, Matt Harmon investigates the undeniable talents and subtle flaws of Ed Oliver and how his time at the University of Houston hampered his potential. Is his diminutive size for the position a red flag, or will NFL coaching bring out the previously-unseen best in this top ten pick?

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The Structure Savant: Dwayne Haskins (QB, Redskins, No. 15 Overall) Jul 29, 2019

Show notes

Ohio State quarterback Dwayne Haskins was almost Maryland quarterback Dwayne Haskins. One of the knocks against Ohio State quarterback Dwayne Hasksins is that he started for the Buckeyes for only a season and as a result, NFL evaluators were split on his abilities. Maryland quarterback Dwayne Haskins, on the other hand, could've been a three-year starter.

While we know that Haskins the Buckeye fell to the 15th pick overall to the Washington Redskins, could Haskins the Terrapin, a classic pocket-passer straight out of another era, have gone first overall? Or is his old-school play style that yielded comparisons to Derek Carr, Drew Bledsoe and, in this episode, Nick Foles a concern going forward in a league no longer suited to his strengths?

Matt Harmon outlines the ascendant rise and draft-night fall of Dwayne Haskins, a gun-slinger some consider overrated and other consider the best passer in the 2019 draft.

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The Tantalizing Tumbler: Greedy Williams (CB, Browns, No. 46 Overall) Jul 22, 2019

Show notes

LSU cornerback Greedy Williams had first-round aspirations, but concerns about his personality and tackling ability caused a surprising draft-night fall to the second round, where Cleveland GM John Dorsey took a risk on the young defensive back.

What caused an athlete that some considered the best shutdown corner in the draft to be passed over by almost every team in the league? Will he succeed in Cleveland where he’ll be lining up against Odell Beckham, Jr. and Jarvis Landry every day in practice? Matt Harmon asks, “what happened,” to Greedy Williams this week on Rookie Orientation.

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The Captivating Specimen: D.K. Metcalf (WR, Seahawks, No. 64 Overall) Jul 08, 2019

Show notes

Episode 8 of Rookie Orientation features D.K. Metcalf, a physical freak out of Ole Miss who took an unexpected tumble down the draft board, before landing with the receiver-needy Seahawks.

From the shirtless pictures, to the jaw dropping display of speed, from the draft day tumble to falling right into a potentially perfect situation. The tales told during the evaluation process for Metcalf proved more fascinating at every turn.

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The Dominant Riser: Quinnen Williams (DE, Jets, No. 3 Overall) Jul 01, 2019

Show notes

Episode 7 of Rookie Orientation features a dominant breakout defensive star from Alabama's Crimson Tide.

Throughout the 2018 college football season, Williams began the tear that would land him near the top of the NFL Draft. Fueled by a great loss, the dominant riser truly showed us what it meant to not be denied.

As Williams begins his NFL career, the New York Jets hope he’ll be able to use his strength and many skills to wreak havoc on opposing QBs.

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The Unmistakable Force Of Speed: Noah Fant (TE, Broncos, No. 20 Overall) Jun 24, 2019

Show notes

Episode 6 of Rookie Orientation profiles spry speedster Noah Fant, who the Denver Broncos hope will add another dimension to their offense, after drafting him with the 20th overall pick.

Matt Harmon takes a closer look at the intriguing tight end rookie, who makes for a… complicated evaluation.

Will the areas of Fant’s game that needed a little extra context to analyze - become more clear in the pros?

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