Hour 3: Rich’s Top 5 NFL Comeback Player Candidates, plus Mike Mayock Talks NFL Draft

·47 min·4 clips

Howie Long's grandma moved him out of Boston due to busing violence, a story he'd never shared before.

The episode begins with Rich Eisen introducing the show and promoting its platforms. He welcomes longtime friend and former Raiders executive Mike Mayock to discuss his current podcast work with Sumer Sports, where he interviews NFL figures like Howie Long and Max Crosby. Mayock recounts a personal story about Howie Long's teenage years during Boston's busing violence. The conversation shifts to the Raiders, with Mayock speculating on Max Crosby's future and analyzing the team's signing of Kirk Cousins as a bridge for rookie quarterback Fernando Mendoza. Mayock explains the concept of the 'intersection' where a rookie QB's readiness meets team infrastructure. He then previews the NFL draft, noting a potential run on seven offensive tackles in the first round and evaluating prospects like Amarius Mims and Ty Simpson. Mayock expresses concern about quarterbacks with limited starting experience being pushed too early. After Mayock's segment, Eisen takes listener calls on topics including the best sports month and the movie Draft Day. Eisen then presents his top five NFL players he'd like to see bounce back in 2026, including James Conner, Malik Nabers, Cam Scadaboo, Jaden Daniels, George Kittle, and Patrick Mahomes. The show concludes with updates on upcoming guests like Whoopi Goldberg and Ian Rapoport, and Eisen's plans to run the 40-yard dash at St. Jude Children's Research Hospital.

As heard by us

Rich Eisen and Mike Mayock mix draft talk, analytics jokes, and Draft Day memories into a loose, lively football hour.

Rich Eisen's third hour settles into an easy football conversation with Mike Mayock, built around draft coverage, analytics, and the kind of media-room shorthand that comes from years of overlap.

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Why you'd press play

You get Mike Mayock on draft-night prep, Sumer Sports logistics, and Rich Eisen playfully auditioning himself as a data scientist.

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