Jim Nagy, executive director of the Senior Bowl, tells McElroy & Cubelic why depth in the SEC has always been the league's calling card & how the NFL schedule has shifted the plans for the Senior Bowl
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Jim Nagy, Executive Director of the Senior Bowl, joining us now here live on Radio Row. How do you view this Alabama team now with Nick Saban out? Is it a lot different than you did before? Well,

It's the depth. Yeah, I think the depth's been affected. I mean, they lost players. And people have asked me the last couple days about Jalen Milrow and if he can take the next step. My question has been, does he have enough players around him to take that next step? You know, the law, like there's going to have to be certain players step up. Losing Isaiah Bond, guys like that, like guys that can make plays.

I don't know if they have those. Looking at what they've had the last few years, do they still have those type of players that can do that? So that's the biggest question. I mean, we've been spoiled. Looking at that wide receiver room over the years and the running back room. I mean, I think the running back room is fine. I think some of these young running backs are going to be really good. But are there enough playmakers in the tight end room right now, in the wide receiver room, that allow Jalen to take that next step? What about the defensive line? That's one area where they look the most –

unlike themselves. I still think they're going to be good in the back end. They're going to be young. I think they're going to be fine. They have good personnel, good talent, highly regarded blue chip prospects that are going to be in corner and safety and other spots. But the defensive line has been a group that we've been waiting for them to come on forever.

And it just hasn't really materialized, especially on the interior. So why does that not look the same as it once did? Yeah, look at the guys, Greg, the guys you played with and the guys that I scouted when I was in the NFL. I mean, that run of, you know, the Jaron Reeds all the way through the hands. I mean, there's just been so many great players. And, yes, the—

You probably follow the high school recruiting stuff closer than I do, so you probably have a better handle on the young guys in that DB room. But look at the DB room. I mean, you lose a first-round pick in Terry Arnold, a second-round pick in Kool-Aid. Amos transfers to Ole Miss. He's a good player.

So to me, the front end and the back end of the defense, I mean, those are two positions where they've cranked out first-round picks year after year after year. And then, you know, you talk about up front. I mean, it's not just the inside guys. It's not just the big guys stopping the run that have been so good. Where's the pass rush going to come from? I mean, now in two years, you've lost...

Last year they had Braswell and Dallas Turner. The year before that, obviously, our guy that's Will Anderson is killing it in the Houston Texans. So where's the pass rush going to come from? And I'm sure there's talented guys, but it's just unproven. We don't know where it's going to come from. We were talking a little bit earlier, Jim Nagy, executive director of the Senior Bowl, with us here live on Radio Row, SEC Media Days Day 2.

specifically in tier D linemen in this league, it just feels totally different. It used to be Mississippi State's got two guys. Auburn's got two guys. LSU's got four guys. Georgia's got five guys. Bama's got three guys. Like, that you were scared of. And when you watch them, you're like, holy hell, how are we going to manage that guy over the course of a game?

It feels like there's one or two in the league right now that you literally should be scared of when you go play them. Like you said with Bama, there's some talented guys that will emerge. But when you watch it, big picture, how different does it look to you across this league just at that position? Yeah, there's some guys on Bama's team that are going to play significant snaps that back in the day wouldn't have seen the field. And that just is what it is. I mean, right now I'm just thinking about the league.

I'm thinking Florida with like Brantley and Cam Jackson. Banks is solid also. Cam Jackson can be that guy. Banks. Consistently Banks. Yes. Cam Jackson's the guy we offered a senior bowl invite to last year. Really good player. And then I posted something on Twitter yesterday. They've got a transfer from Penn.

who was the Ivy League Defensive Player of the Year, Slackman. He's a good player. So right now, Florida, off the top of my head, Florida might have the best. I'm trying to visualize the Senior Bowl board right now. I mean, Florida, South Carolina's got a couple guys up there like Tonka Hemingway. I'm glad you brought up South Carolina. We talked about them yesterday. Tonka Hemingway has been playing football since 2013.

There's a lot of those guys, Greg. Greg, there's a lot of those guys. Luke Doty was a guy like that yesterday here. I was like, oh, my gosh, he's still playing college ball. It's unbelievable. There's no doubt. Jim, how do you manage the Joey Slackman? Because I went and found some of his film, and I'm like, man, this guy looks great. But then I'm watching the offensive line he's playing against, and I'm thinking, I mean, this dude looks like he plays at Thompson High School. Well, home was not quite there right now.

You know, Cole, that's the challenge is when you're watching smaller school players. And again, I'm not sitting here trying to pump up the Senior Bowl, but that's the value of the Senior Bowl is that you get to see smaller school guys against legit competition. And that's the great thing about the transfer portal. I know some fans don't like it.

In a lot of ways, I don't like it. But it gives some of these guys in their last year a chance to transfer up and prove themselves. And one of the great things about the senior role over the years has been the small school element. A couple years ago, just in the offensive line room alone, if you come to practice, there's a North Dakota helmet, there's a North Dakota State helmet, there's a Fordham helmet, there's a Tennessee chat. That year was unbelievable. In this past year, all Power 5 helmets.

That's all it was. So it's changed, and I hate that because it's – you know, that was always the great thing. I mean, a couple years ago, the kid from Wisconsin-Whitewater, Quinn Miners, emerges. Now he's one of the best guards in the NFL. Like, we're losing that –

But, yes, yeah, watching Slackman's tape the other night in the room when I got here to Dallas, yes, he's trying to block guys that look like me, but the tape is really good. But he's blocking them well. He's certainly getting off block. He's certainly a dominant player at that level. When you think about the position group nationally outside of defensive tackle that is –

I don't want to say most underwhelming because that can have a negative connotation. Right. But it's like, man, these guys used to be just on trees. You could find them anywhere, and now you just can't find them. What is that position? Because I feel like everyone is playing quarterback and receiver now. I mean, every other position is somewhat underdeveloped, and I'm not sure why. I mean, I know why that is. I mean, receivers make $30 million, quarterbacks make $55 million, and...

seven on seven leagues, but is there another position that you're like, man, I just wish there were more of these year in and year out, Greg. Um, the hardest position for us to find is probably off the ball linebackers, um, just for the next level guys that can cover. Um,

You know, there's a lot of guys that are good college linebackers, but when they get to the pros, and Greg, you probably played with a couple of these guys, that they just can't play on third down. They can't match up in space. Yeah. You know, when Coach Saban evolved the defense, but when he first got there, there was a lot of downhill thumpers, like 255-pound inside backers.

That was after practice. They were 265 on practice start. That's right. That's right. So, to me, every year we get to December and January, and I'm like, gosh, guys, like, what are we doing at linebacker right now? And safety is another one. Safety is a hard spot because those guys, again, they have to cover in the NFL, and they don't really have to cover in college. So those would probably be the two spots. Well, I'll tell you this. I have a buddy who coaches in the NFL, and he's like, last year's off-the-ball linebacker class was the worst I've ever seen, and next year's worse.

Like, it's crazy. I feel like that every year. I say it's worse every year. But think about why would you want to play linebacker in the era of you're never right? I know that sounds bad. Like, you play you want to play. Like, play linebacker to me. If you're a bad dude at linebacker, that's probably one of the coolest, most alpha things you can be. Yeah. But in the era of RPO, like, you're never right.

and it's just a terrible position. You look at the guys, they're all like 230 now. None of them are 240, 245. I think it's probably the hardest position to play outside of quarterback or thereabouts. Just think of the guy that was walking radio row yesterday, Errol Perkins from LSU. I mean, he's taken a lot of flack for what the tape looked like last year, him playing off the ball. That's a hard, that's a really hard position. And again, we had this debate at dinner last night. I was out with some

some some media guys and yes he's a dynamic college rusher but you guys saw him yesterday he's probably going to end up measuring for nfl scouts six one six one and a half maybe he's he's probably gonna have 32 inch arms when i was at the lsu pro day he was 212 pounds when i talked to him i i asked him point blank you know what are you weighing he said 212 now yesterday he said he was 220 225 whatever he said so he's put on weight but like

There's not a single pass rusher in the NFL with those dimensions. He was smaller than I expected yesterday. Yeah, there's not a single guy in the league rushing the pass that looks like that. So he's going to have to play off the ball. So my point being is, like, just be patient with the off-the-ball stuff. Hopefully it clicks this year. But to ask him to go out last year and play off the ball for the first time in his life –

I don't know what people expected, but that's a really tall order. Jim Nagy, executive director of the senior bowl with us. I want to get your thoughts on some of the quarterbacks in this league, just kind of how you evaluate them right now, because there are a couple of guys that took a big step last year. I don't know how much more of a step they could take this year. Kind of like a Milrow and a cook. Uh,

I don't know if you feel like Dart is kind of capped out. Carson Beck, we think, kind of in his own league. We don't really need to discuss him. Beck and Ewers. Yeah. Those two guys. Do you like Ewers that much? I love how he throws it. Now, it doesn't look pretty, but it comes out pretty. I think his anticipation, like if you were to ask me two years ago off the tape, good player, a lot of talent. I would like for him to kind of...

get the raw ability out a little bit more. I thought last year the way he anticipated throws was much, much better. He looked so much more comfortable. He wasted so many snaps two years ago, and now I think he's playing a much more mature quarterback position. But I still think talent-wise, there's just something about the sidearm delivery that is a little bit off-putting for me.

It's funky. There's no doubt. I love the kid. He went to my high school. I was standing behind him at the Manning camp watching him throw, and it's funky. I just was thinking of Phillip Rivers a little bit when watching Phil come out. It's not that ugly. It's not. I mean, I love Phil. No one loves him more than me, but...

His Philip's son is actually playing high school football down for him at St. Michael's down in Fairhope right now. And someone asked me that, does he throw like his dad? I'm like, his dad would never teach him to throw that. No, so I do. I agree. I think Carson Beck, I've said this over and over, I thought he was the most improved quarterback in the country last year. We were to the point where we were going to invite him to last year's game. And then Kirby called in December and he's like, can you hold off on the invite? We're really trying to keep this guy.

And I'm glad he stayed in because he would have been in that. I mean, think about that last year's draft. You had six quarterbacks go in the top 12. Like, where would have Carson Beck, you know, shaken out in that cup? We don't know. Like, he didn't go through the process. But I think going into the year, for the NFL guys, it's going to be Beck and Ewers. And then it's really up for grabs. Like, this is really going to be an interesting year to see who emerges. I mean, we saw Mac Jones emerge. We saw, you know, Joe Burrow emerge. Like, we've seen Kenny Pickett a few years ago. He was going to be a third or fourth-round pick.

and emerged as a senior. So someone's going to break out. Yeah. Because someone's going to break out. But like in this league, of the guys that I've done, like I think Graham Mertz is a little underrated. I like some of the things Graham Mertz has done. That's why I think Florida, you know, we talked about their D-line. That's a position group that if you're going to be a good team, you need to be good. Quarterback's a position. You need to be good. But I think outside of Beck and yours, it's just kind of a – it's everybody else. Yeah.

Again, one game sample. I watched him in the room the other night when we got here. Watched all 49 dropbacks of the bowl game against Wisconsin. And there's some really good stuff in there. I don't know if you guys have watched it. I think he's got some game. I mean, I was at their first practice last year in August to see Jaden Daniels and all those guys. And I hadn't seen Nussmeyer throw. I knew he had the arm. He could throw it. I knew he could throw it. But then I didn't know what it would look like with 21 other guys running around on the field. And that Wisconsin game, like,

There was some anticipation. There was some pocket field stuff. There was him sliding, going through progressions, being accurate through progressions, which is hard. So if I were LSU fans, I would feel really good. I think they have their guy. Where are you on A&M?

Blanking. Connor Wigman. Connor Wigman. I'm sorry. It's like one day at a time. Adam's not here today. I can only think about the four teams that are here, and I just forget sometimes. So I apologize. Connor Wigman. Similar to what I just said about Nesmar. I saw him throw at the Manning camp. He has a big enough arm. Yeah, I do. He's got a nice release. I think it's big enough.

I don't think he's got a huge arm, but I think it's enough. Like we always talk like that in scouting. Does he have enough of this or enough of that? Yeah, I think he's got enough of an arm. And I need to watch the tape. Some of my friends in the league really like the guy and are high on him and think he could be in that mix after the Carson Beck and Quinn Ewers, that next level. I think he could be there and maybe challenge that. But I have not watched any game stuff yet. All right.

I've got to get you to just tell us real quick. You guys do Senior Bowl Hall of Fame banquet down at the Grand Hotel in Fairhope. It's where my wife and I got married. It's incredible. The entire event is awesome. You've had me down the last few years, but...

People can be a part of this also if they want to, and it's just an amazing event every year. Yeah, we sell tickets to it. Yeah, it's a great event, and this year was really cool because we had some natural in-state connections. So having D'Amico Ryans was incredible. You know, obviously a Bessemer guy, an Alabama guy, and reigning NFL Coach of the Year, and Roddy White, best player in UAB history, and then going way back in time. Yeah.

You know, we had Marty Lyons from the New York Jets, another great Alabama player. So it's cool. You know, like we have our game, and I mean, now it's in February. We moved back a couple years ago to stay in the NFL calendar when they added that 17th game. So now we're in February, which sounds weird. We were always in January. But this kind of anchors the calendar for us. You know, we've got this whole— You're going to be right in line with Mardi Gras here soon when they add that 18th.

game. That would be a sweet weekend. Now we're talking. Greg, we were in Mardi Gras last year, but early in Mardi Gras. In 2027, the game is going to be Saturday and Fat Tuesday is going to be Tuesday. Okay.

Yeah. We've got to work with that. I'll see you in 2027. Mobile. When you're trying to schedule meeting room space for players and all this stuff at the convention center and all these Mardi Gras societies and balls going on. You have a room block at the battle house. We are in trouble. We know this. We've been talking to the hotels. We're in trouble. It's a good problem, though. Yeah.

Jim, thanks for hopping on. Where can folks find information for that event if they want to be a part of it? Yeah, SeniorBowl.com. Everything's on there. Follow us on Twitter, at SeniorBowl. So, yeah, guys, I appreciate all your support talking about the game in Birmingham. We're coming off our best year. We had 10 first-round draft picks. We had 45 in the top 100. It's amazing.

We had 43% of the draft. We had 110 players drafted. It's crazy. But it's a great event for the state. It's great for Mobile and the area, but it's great for the state. It's our most visible event outside of an Alabama-Auburn football game. It's the most visible event we have. So appreciate you guys promoting the game and talking about the game. Absolutely. Thanks for hanging out with us for a few minutes as well. Do you have to be a good player to be eligible for the Senior Bowl Hall of Fame? Or if you sacrifice your first metatarsal or whatever, does that give you a short list for honorable mention?

We have our own wing, guys injured. Injured Hall of Fame? I think that's what cost me the NFL career. Oh, that was it? That was it. Just the hand never recovered, and I just couldn't throw it. That was the whole thing. Not you at all. We don't talk about guys getting hurt, Greg. I don't know what you're talking about. Well, it doesn't happen unless your first-round left tackle gets bullrushed by a guy that ends up getting picked ninth and will ultimately be in the Hall of Fame named J.J. Watt. He's a pretty good player. There are worse things. There you go. He'll be in there one day.

Jim, thanks for hanging out with us. Thank you, guys. Thanks for having me be a part of it, and we'll talk to you again soon. Awesome. Thank you. I want to tell you quickly, Alabama heat and humidity can be brutal. Don't let it affect your home and family. Keep them comfortable with an affordable train cooling system. Train is our official partner here at JOX. They've been recognized as America's most trusted brand in 10 consecutive years. Find a comfort specialist near you at train.com. Speaking of quarterbacks, evaluations of SEC quarterbacks,

Jordan Rodgers has his list of top 10 quarterbacks in the SEC. We'll discuss that with him right after this live on Radio Row on Jocks 94.5. Catch up with all things McElroy and Kublik in the morning by subscribing to the podcast. Mythically, he's grown. He's almost like a little bit bigger than a player, right? Like the myth of Bo Jackson. Like, rate, and download the show from the Jock Cup or wherever you get your podcasts. At your job, do you ever have to deal with a nose roller? How about a snub pulley?

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I'm not self-aware. I refuse to be self-aware. I don't even look at mirrors at all.

which you can probably tell from my appearance. I don't have a crazy high IQ or I really don't have that many skills. I would say my main skill is I believe my instincts. I don't hesitate to follow my instincts ever. The extent that I have, I've gotten in trouble. The Sean Ryan Show on YouTube or wherever you listen.