Sean McVay has talked with Zac Taylor before the last two drafts

Zac Taylor coached with Sean McVay for two years with the Los Angeles Rams. Taylor was the wide receivers coach in 2017 and the quarterbacks coach in 2018. He was on McVay’s coaching staff when the Rams went to the Super Bowl with Jared Goff against the Patriots.

On the Flying Coach Podcast, Taylor admitted that he talked with his former boss during the pre-draft process over the least two years.

“I was texting you jokingly saying ‘if you don’t take this Burrow, I’m gonna have to come to Cincinnati and smack you,’” McVay said during the podcast.

Burrow was a no-brainer pick for first overall in 2020, so that advice was easy to agree with. But in the 2021 draft, there wasn’t a clear pick for the Cincinnati Bengals. They ended up drafting Ja’Marr Chase, but it wasn’t an easy decision.

“I know you thought we should’ve drafted a lineman, Sean. But we went with a receiver. We went with the guy that scores touchdowns,” said Taylor told McVay. “I’m just kidding, you text me two years in a row now on your thoughts on top five picks in the draft. Usually playmakers.”

Of course, McVay has plenty of time to help out one of his former assistants, since the Rams haven’t had a first round pick since 2016. McVay joined the Rams in 2017, so he has never had a first round pick as the Rams coach.

But as one of the best head coaches in the NFL—certainly the best head coach under 40 years old—Taylor will probably always welcome McVay’s advice.