Movin' On Up (The Draft Board)

[NYCSkin]

So with the Packers and Zona winning I think we are cracking the top 5 now. So in prep for bowl season, here are four D line players I will be keeping my eyes on:

1. Gaines Adams, Clemson, DE (Music City Bowl, Dec. 29)
2. Amobi Okoye, Louisville, DT (Orange Bowl, Jan. 2)
3. Quinn Pitcock, Ohio St., DT (BCS Championship, Jan. 8)
4. Tim Crowder, Texas, DE (Alamo Bowl, Dec. 30)

Any other players you draftniks propose I keep an eye on?

Granted even if we pick one of these players Grilliams won't play them until week 10 after they have mastered "the system"...

[GTripp0012]

Originally Posted by NYCSkin

So with the Packers and Zona winning I think we are cracking the top 5 now. So in prep for bowl season, here are four D line players I will be keeping my eyes on:

1. Gaines Adams, Clemson, DE (Music City Bowl, Dec. 29)
2. Amobi Okoye, Louisville, DT (Orange Bowl, Jan. 2)
3. Quinn Pitcock, Ohio St., DT (BCS Championship, Jan. 8)
4. Tim Crowder, Texas, DE (Alamo Bowl, Dec. 30)

Any other players you draftniks propose I keep an eye on?

Granted even if we pick one of these players Grilliams won't play them until week 10 after they have mastered "the system"...

Staying with the defensive line theme, keep an eye on Alan Branch of Michigan. He's a Junior and is no guarentee to come out, but is a monster on the inside at DT.

One other name on the DL. Quentin Mozes of Georgia.

[Big C]

that ILB from Ole Miss...anyone know anything about him? he seemed like hed be a good guy to get if we traded down. im not sold on drafting d-linemen high, they seem more hit and miss than other positions aside from qb

[GhettoDogAllStars]

Originally Posted by Big C

that ILB from Ole Miss...anyone know anything about him? he seemed like hed be a good guy to get if we traded down. im not sold on drafting d-linemen high, they seem more hit and miss than other positions aside from qb

Good point. It seems like DL is really deep. I'm not really comfortable using our top pick on DL. If we could trade down we'd still be able to get a starting-quality D lineman, and have more picks later. If we can't trade down, I'd say draft Polzy (don't know the spelling) ... the guy won the Bednarik award two years straight!

[ArtMonkDrillz]

Originally Posted by GhettoDogAllStars

Good point. It seems like DL is really deep. I'm not really comfortable using our top pick on DL. If we could trade down we'd still be able to get a starting-quality D lineman, and have more picks later. If we can't trade down, I'd say draft Polzy (don't know the spelling) ... the guy won the Bednarik award two years straight!

I was thinking the same thing. He'd practically be a steal because he probably should have come out of college last year but he got injured in the fiesta (I think) bowl and decided to stay at Penn State for another year.

[redsk1]

Top 5 right now. Right now i think we are tied for the 4th worst record in the league. How is it decided from there? Worst division %?

Alot hinges on this draft IMO. Defense, defense, defense in the draft. If we end up w/ a top 5 pick and we can trade down a couple spots, get a stud lb, and another early pick to draft dline or secondary, lets do it. The penn state lb looks like a great pick up even though we need pass rushing help. Use free agency to pick up one and draft the other if we have to.

If we have a top 5 pick someone is going to be desparate enough to move up and trade if it makes sense.

[Big C]

Originally Posted by redsk1

Top 5 right now. Right now i think we are tied for the 4th worst record in the league. How is it decided from there? Worst division %?

Alot hinges on this draft IMO. Defense, defense, defense in the draft. If we end up w/ a top 5 pick and we can trade down a couple spots, get a stud lb, and another early pick to draft dline or secondary, lets do it. The penn state lb looks like a great pick up even though we need pass rushing help. Use free agency to pick up one and draft the other if we have to.

If we have a top 5 pick someone is going to be desparate enough to move up and trade if it makes sense.

i think its based on difficulty of schedule. whoever had the easiest schedule gets the higher pick

[Bill B]

Originally Posted by NYCSkin

So with the Packers and Zona winning I think we are cracking the top 5 now. So in prep for bowl season, here are four D line players I will be keeping my eyes on:

1. Gaines Adams, Clemson, DE (Music City Bowl, Dec. 29)
2. Amobi Okoye, Louisville, DT (Orange Bowl, Jan. 2)
3. Quinn Pitcock, Ohio St., DT (BCS Championship, Jan. 8)
4. Tim Crowder, Texas, DE (Alamo Bowl, Dec. 30)

Any other players you draftniks propose I keep an eye on?

Granted even if we pick one of these players Grilliams won't play them until week 10 after they have mastered "the system"...

I know he is not a defensive lineman but take alook at Leon Hall - he can actually cover unlike Carlos Rogers

[AlvinWalton'sNeckBrace]

well...one way or another, we'll get a high pick haha...I agree we should stay away from D linemen too...they never seem to do well when picked high, although having said that I'm sure someone will come up with a long list of D linemen who have done superb, but still I can't think of any...trade, get more picks, fill more holes ...CB, DL, S, maybe LB

[wilsowilso]

I'd be happy with a stud DE, but I'm also not too sure about taking a DT that high. Linebackers are pretty safe high picks. I would say trade down five to seven spots and get another good pick. The exception might be that Michigan DT if he declares and is still there. He is huge and not in a fatboy kind of way.

[Big C]

top 5 d-linemen recently

courtney brown-flop
mario williams-unconvincing so far
cedric jones- who? 5th pick by giants in 96
dan wilkinson- not worth a #1 overall
darrel russel- good for a while, then imploded
andre wadsworth- bust

dewayne robertson- not sure if he was worth this pick
gerrard warren- bust
justin smith- solid but dont think hes worth this pick

simeon rice-beast
willie mcginist-beast, but really a linebacker
peter boulware- not really a dlinemen, but drafted as one
peppers-beast

i mean, if we get a top 5 pick, i dont really want to grab a d-end. lots of busts, few successes. the successes half have been converted to 3-4 linebackers. i want to trade down if we get a top 5 pick and get a cb, mlb, or dlineman

[Schneed10]

The GW system places a premium on the kinds of DEs who can defend the run first and foremost. Sacks from DEs are not a big deal. Daniels, Carter, and Wynn are fine DEs in my view.

When GW's system is working well, we have a line that stops the run on first down, putting teams in 2nd and 3rd & longs. Then with a shut down secondary, we're free to blitz LBs from all over the place.

Right now we don't have anything close to a shut-down secondary. We need DBs. CB and SS. Our line is also not great at stopping the run. Carter is improving, and Wynn/Daniels are still effective at it when healthy. And Griffin is still stout. It's the Golston/Salave'a spot that needs an upgrade. When you see film, Golston is always getting blown back. He makes the occasional quick pass rushing play, but he's a tad undersized. And Salave'as legs show too much wear and tear. We need a behemoth at DT.

I'm also OK with a stud LB. I'd rank our needs in this order:

1) DT
2) SS
3) CB
4) LB

[GTripp0012]

Originally Posted by Schneed10

The GW system places a premium on the kinds of DEs who can defend the run first and foremost. Sacks from DEs are not a big deal. Daniels, Carter, and Wynn are fine DEs in my view.

When GW's system is working well, we have a line that stops the run on first down, putting teams in 2nd and 3rd & longs. Then with a shut down secondary, we're free to blitz LBs from all over the place.

Right now we don't have anything close to a shut-down secondary. We need DBs. CB and SS. Our line is also not great at stopping the run. Carter is improving, and Wynn/Daniels are still effective at it when healthy. And Griffin is still stout. It's the Golston/Salave'a spot that needs an upgrade. When you see film, Golston is always getting blown back. He makes the occasional quick pass rushing play, but he's a tad undersized. And Salave'as legs show too much wear and tear. We need a behemoth at DT.

I'm also OK with a stud LB. I'd rank our needs in this order:

1) DT
2) SS
3) CB
4) LB

I like the DE's that can anchor the run philosophy, but with Daniels and Wynn over the hill to say the least, it's a position that needs to be addressed. Not necessarily in the first round because that's when the premium pass rushers go, but we do need to draft an anchoring defensive end.

I'd agree with your list of needs, but we need a DE also at some point. If we need an LB, it has to be an MLB. With Marcus, Lemar, and Rocky, we have a glut of guys who are best outside, but struggle with parts of the game that a MLB has to be good at.

[Schneed10]

We need the kind of DT that just absolutely cannot be moved. I'm talking some giant Ted Washington/Grady Jackson type guy. Alan Branch from Michigan would be ideal if he comes out this year. Can you say John Henderson prototype?

Stop the run first, get them in second and longs, and then dictate the game by blitzing and relying on your stud secondary.

PS Build a stud secondary.

[JWsleep]

I agree about the d-line needs, but if we end up that high, we must trade down IMO. We have too many needs and not enough picks. Plus, as has been pointed out, top five D-line picks are risky business.

(Sad that this is our big topic now... )