Super Bowl Domination

Chapter 1586 Disrupting the Perception
Li Wei... actually turned the tables on him?
Hubble's eyes showed a hint of surprise, but upon reflection, it was not unexpected. The reason Li Wei was Li Wei was because he could always bring surprises.

For now, Li Wei is simply continuing to play it safe.

After a brief pause, Hubble neither admitted nor denied it. Instead, he went with the flow. Since Levi had launched a counterattack, he could seize the opportunity and pull Levi back into his rhythm, engaging in a back-and-forth exchange to probe for the information he needed.

A standoff?

Hubble has never been afraid of anyone. "It seems you guys are also keeping a close eye on linebackers? So, which linebacker do you think is worth watching?"

Compared to wide receivers, the real focus of this year's draft should be on cornerbacks and linebackers, especially in the first round.

Although the Kansas City Chiefs no longer have a first-round draft pick, they need to bolster their defense, especially their secondary, cornerbacks, and safety.

Livy is testing Hubble, and Hubble is testing Livy in return.

Li Wei chuckled. "No, I haven't done any research. I've only heard of Isaiah-Simmons."

Hubble chuckled, "Indeed, who hasn't heard of Isaiah Simmons? But unfortunately, he probably has no chance of joining Kansas City."

Isaiah Simmons, a linebacker at Clemson University, is one of the most talked-about linebackers in this year's draft. Known as an "all-around defensive monster," he can play multiple positions in college, including linebacker, cornerback, and safety, showcasing incredible physical talent and qualities.

"Future Hall of Fame level talent," that's the scout's conclusion, a coveted rising star.

Based on all available information, Simmons is a shoo-in for the first round of the draft, and if the Kansas City Chiefs want to acquire him, they will likely have to pay a huge price.

Li Wei spread his hands. "No, we won't have too many expectations."

Hubble, the shrewd old fox, keenly caught the loophole left in Levi's words: "Isn't Simmons worth trading up for?"

Levi declined to comment, "So the Baltimore Ravens are preparing to trade up? What pick does Coach Hubble think Simmons might be selected?"

Linebacker, a very important yet not so important position. In fact, in the years since Von Miller, the market value of linebackers has continued to decline. Now the value of the league's defense is shifting towards defensive forwards and cornerbacks, and linebackers and safetymen are losing their status.

Therefore, Li Wei's counterattack was accurate and sharp.

Hubble got caught up in it. "Anything is possible. Washington, Detroit, Carolina..."

Washington National Football Team, second pick; Detroit Lions, third pick; Carolina Panthers, seventh pick.

All of these teams could potentially choose defensive players, or even linebackers, but as Levy said, how much are the Baltimore Ravens willing to pay to compete with these teams?

Furthermore, are these players willing to use their high draft picks to select a linebacker?
After a flurry of thoughts, Hubble noticed a detail, his eyes lighting up as he looked at Levi, "You think Simmons doesn't deserve a high draft pick?"

Li Wei smiled but remained silent.

Hubble frowned slightly. "Simmons can play multiple positions and can be adjusted according to the team's tactics. His talent has enormous potential for development."

Li Wei said, "However, you can't bite off more than you can chew. Coach Hubble, the NFL's playbook is not the same as the NCAA's."

Countless players have excelled in multiple roles in the NCAA, but the NFL is a different story. Players need to redefine their roles based on the team's tactics and the coach's style, and can no longer greedily try to play multiple positions, or the outcome will be disastrous. How could scouts and coaches not have considered this?

Hubble, "Simmons' von Derrick test results..."

The words were left unsaid because Simmons did not participate in the Von Derik test!
As mentioned before, linebackers are equivalent to quarterbacks in the defensive unit, and they are often the ones the coaching staff uses to plan tactics, so the von Derrick test for linebackers is particularly important.

Hubble suddenly realized that during this year's rookie training camp, everyone was talking about Burro's von Derrick test score, which was lower than expected, only 34 points. Although people did not expect him to get a perfect score of 50, a score below 40 points still caused some concern. Perhaps Burro was not as perfect as rumored.

Burrow stole all the attention, to the point that people overlooked the fact that Simmons, the top favorite for linebacker, had opted out of the Von Derik test.

Hubble was startled and looked at Levi. Had Levi figured something out?
Simmons belongs to Clemson University, which is a fierce rival of the University of Alabama, and often the person who knows you best is your enemy.

Li Wei did not respond, remaining calm and letting his thoughts run wild in Hubble's mind.

Hubble, being a shrewd old fox, only experienced a fleeting moment of confusion before noticing Levi's composure and quickly regaining his footing.

But Hubble didn't rush to retaliate. Instead, he paused for a moment, a hint of amusement in his eyes. "So this is your mission? To create confusion?"

Levi spread his hands. "Damn, we've been found out. But it's fine as long as Coach Hubble knows it himself; there's no need to tell anyone else and let us cause some trouble."

Li Wei... actually admitted it?

According to Hubble, Levi's actions today were indeed unusual. From Hertz at the beginning, intentionally or unintentionally undermining this year's top draft pick, Burrow, to Luggs and Simmons, Levi was intentionally or unintentionally targeting draft favorites, stirring up trouble and affecting their draft prospects.

If these draft prospects slip in the draft, or even fall from the first round to the second round, the Kansas City Chiefs might be able to pick them up.

But now, with Li Wei's poised and confident demeanor, showing no sign of nervousness whatsoever, Hubble became uncertain.

Upon closer examination, Hubble's inference wasn't entirely accurate.

Firstly, the Kansas City Chiefs don't have a first-round pick, and the second-round pick is still far off, so they'll need a lot of luck to snag a pick.

Secondly, such a simple and crude approach doesn't seem like the methods of Vic and Levi. How could they so brazenly come out and criticize all the draft picks and then foolishly expect the teams to buy into it?

Hubble remained calm, especially in this situation. Instead of contradicting his own guess, he continued speaking along with Levi's lines.

"So, what's next? Who are you planning to target?"

"Chase-Young? Or Jeff-Okudah?"

Both are defensive stalwarts at Ohio State University; the former is a defensive end and the latter a cornerback. Together with another cornerback, Damon-Arnette, they form Ohio State's defensive trident, which shone brightly last season and attracted much attention.

They were all top picks in the draft; and these were positions the Kansas City Chiefs needed to fill.

Li Wei's smile widened completely. "If Ohio State found out, they might just rush to Kansas City and fight me."

(End of this chapter)