At #6, No Can't-Miss Defenders Available

[seanyt]

It's not a great draft, period.

First and foremost, you can reach in rounds 3-7 for players you need, but you always take the best player available in the first round. If you've got the #1 pick, and you've got a QB at the top of your board but don't need one, you better trade down. History is full of disastrous examples of reaching in the first round for a "need".

That said, the Skins cannot afford to ignore the defense again. Everyone knows this, so any attempts by the Skins to trade out of the #6 spot will be met with gleeful smiles by all the other GMs. Another opportunity to rape Danny and Vinny. Unless God smiles on us again (like the Ditka trade), the Skins won't get fair value for their #6 pick to trade down.

So where does that leave us? You have to pick your poison:

(1) Reach for a DT/DE with the #6 pick and risk scorn if the guy doesn't play up to it, or the guy you pass over turns out to be the next Jerry Rice.

(2) Trade down and get screwed with a lowball offer from a better front office. They know we're desperate. Trading draft picks with Vinny is like playing poker with a moron. Sure, you take all his money, but don't you feel sorry for the guy after a while?

(3) Draft the best player available. If that happens to be CJ, you get (most likely) a great receiver that you really don't need, but leave gaping holes on the defensive side of the ball.

Of course, if they do #1, they can always claim afterwards that he was at the top of their board and they really did #3. Like always.

Yeah, the Writing is on the wall for (1) we are in desperate need for Run stopping/ Qb sacks, and (3) reminds me of Detroit.

[Tastes Like Chicken]

If Adams or Branch isn't there at #6, trade down and pick up an extra pick. We have many needs (DE, CB, DT, LB, OL) and sorely lack depth.

[tizzod]

if he's available and we pass on him, i'm gonna personally find whoever made the decision and kill him

You must not have been here when all the armchair GM's threw hissy-fits and threatened to burn their season tickets when we passed on the "can't-miss" Mike Williams.

[Uno Boss]

If Adams or Branch isn't there at #6, trade down and pick up an extra pick. We have many needs (DE, CB, DT, LB, OL) and sorely lack depth.

If adams and Branch are there at number six then hopefully we can switch with a lower team who wants them bad enough to get more picks....

These guys are "good" college players.....

when you have a pick this high you have to draft someone who is

" great"

and this draft doesnt have an abundance of "great" players to choose from.... so why not try and get more "good" players and build a "great" team....

[Tarpon75]

It doesn't matter what defensive player we draft he'll never play until the last two weeks of the season. Even if we had the first 10 picks in the draft and took the top 10 defensive players it doesn't change the fact GW hates rookies.

Wasn't Golston a starter by week 4 or 5?

[deejaydana]

I agree. Just look at last year's defensive line prospects. Mario Williams, Bunkley, Kiwanuka, Ngata, Hali, McCargo and others made little or no impact in their rookie seasons.

Also Hawk, Greenway, Wimbley, Cromartie, Lawson were relatively nonexistent.

Ernie Sims and DeMeco Ryans were the only two worthy of such high picks, yet Ryans was a second rounder.

Hawk and Wimbley are non-existent? What games are you watching home-boy? Our team would die for that kind of non-existent.

IMO Alan Branch is an absolute MONSTER and he is still growing! He is exactly what we need and will be off the board by the 10th selection.

[skins84]

I agree. Just look at last year's defensive line prospects. Mario Williams, Bunkley, Kiwanuka, Ngata, Hali, McCargo and others made little or no impact in their rookie seasons.

Also Hawk, Greenway, Wimbley, Cromartie, Lawson were relatively nonexistent.

Ernie Sims and DeMeco Ryans were the only two worthy of such high picks, yet Ryans was a second rounder.

Wimbley had 9 sacks so I think you can take him off your list.

[brunellrules08]

i agree Lamaar woodley would be a great pick at 6 but please hope the redskins dont choose any of the wolverines db's after their showing in the rose bowl

[method man]

Just getting Alan Branch would make our D ranking jump up 10 spots higher, given that he is not injured.

[DCSaints_fan]

OK, you win. Exactly two first rounders were worth the pick in their rookie season-Sims and Hawk. I think you got my point though....

edit* oops, and Wimbley and Whitner. So 4 out of 18 defensive 1st round picks(22.2% success rate IMO) is not a chance I'd like to take. That was my point but it got lost there in my own idiocy:doh: :laugh:

Ngata has been playing pretty well for Baltimore. DTs rarely put up great measurables, but he's getting the job done.

[kevinklein]

If Calvin Johnson is there select him, if not trade down, this draft looks to be not a great defensive one.

Another WR?

[l!ghtbringr]

That said, the Skins cannot afford to ignore the defense again. Everyone knows this, so any attempts by the Skins to trade out of the #6 spot will be met with gleeful smiles by all the other GMs. Another opportunity to rape Danny and Vinny. Unless God smiles on us again (like the Ditka trade), the Skins won't get fair value for their #6 pick to trade down.

(2) Trade down and get screwed with a lowball offer from a better front office. They know we're desperate. Trading draft picks with Vinny is like playing poker with a moron. Sure, you take all his money, but don't you feel sorry for the guy after a while?

just to clarify, trading down isn't normally instigated by the team with the higher pick looking for suiters lower on the draft queue. it's done by Player A (ie Calvin Johnson) being on the board when team #5 is picking and knowing that teams #9,10,11 and 12 are interested in a WR. if your team is looking for a WR and you *know* (reasonably) that someone in front of you is going to take him you have to trade up to a team you know wouldn't care about trading it's pick and is in position to draft the player you're looking for. in this scenario teams 6-8.

so just because a team knows we'd prefer to trade down and acquire more picks doesn't necessarily mean we'd get shafted on a deal just because they know that. they would still "need" our pick just as much and the fact that we're looking to trade means a deal could actually be done faster.

of course all this is thrown out the window if we trade the pick before the draft even happens.

[TODD]

I'd like to trade down and grab Woodley, if possible. I think the OLB/DE hybrid is just what this defense needs as we should be craving speed on the outside at this point. Since WLB and DE are desparate needs for us, picking someone of the like makes a lot of sense.

With that being said, if Adams or another bigger DE is very impressive to the coaches, I don't think we can go wrong with using our selection there.

[armada58]

To all the "Draft Calvin Johnson" people........

I understand your opinion. I really do. However, there is virtually no chance in hell that Calvin Johnson is going to be there at #6. No shot. You've got let the thought of drafting Calvin Johnson go. Not because he's no worthy, but because he simply won't be there.

[kidskin]

calvin johnson will go to the browns or bucs.i said before to trade the 6th pic to oakland for burgess and there 2nd and maybe there third depending how bad they want 2 of the first 6 picks.

[monkforhall]

Let's go to the combine and see what develops. Isn't that where the young superstars are first glimpsed.

Yes, but how are we all going to get in?

We need Branch, win the game at the line of scrimmage. Got to plug that gaping hole.

[Prosperity]

If Calvin Johnson is there select him, if not trade down, this draft looks to be not a great defensive one.

If we drafted Calvin Johnson I would punch myself in the face

[Thirtyfive2seven]

I have to admit we NEED a defensive player badly. Really badly. We need to draft a DT or a DE and probably a corner in the later rounds and if not get one via FA. However, with all that said I'm starting to jump on the Calvin Johnson bandwagon. He catches everything thrown his way. He's fast. He has great hands. He outjumps defenders similar to Randy Moss but without all the attitude. Based on the best player available this guy is IT hands down. Do you know how much easier it would be to score in goalline situations with a HUGE receiver like that? Hell, even if they double him someone else has GOT to be open. This is SUCH a tough decision and I don't have much faith in the FO in Ashburn. My gut tells me to trade down and get some depth on the d-line, a linebacker, o-line, and CB but if this guy is there....

[terpfan]

Drafting Calvin Johnson would be idiotic... but luckily I highly doubt he will be there at #6 anyway.

[moondog]

Also Hawk, Greenway, Wimbley, Cromartie, Lawson were relatively nonexistent.

Ernie Sims and DeMeco Ryans were the only two worthy of such high picks, yet Ryans was a second rounder.

You couldnt be more wrong about Wimbley, kid was probably the best player or at least the most exciting to watch on our defense and he was always after the ball or on it. Playmaker, beast, and extremely gifted. He'll be a pro-bowler soon and probably the cornerstone of the defense.

i know im a little late on the thread but 62 tackles 11 sacks 3 fumbles recovered

thats a pretty good rookie year if you ask me...doesnt sound too non existent

[Newera]

Personally to me, all great defenses have "Talented" middle linebackers. Urlacher in Chicago. Lewis in Baltimore. Thomas in Miami. Wilson in Denver. And Marshall in Washington.

Okay, that is a joke, and therein lies problem number one. You have to have a strong middle linebacker to anchor your defense. We don't. Ever since Pierce has left this defensive has progressively gotten worse each year since.

This defense needs a strong middle linebacker that has a nose for the ball and genuine sideline to sideline speed, and that is Willis. It' also needs at least two cover corners to be effective. We were strong in 2003 because of those reasons. We first have to get back to stopping the run and forcing teams to third and longs.

In 2003 we got sacks as a result of elaborate defensive schemes employed by Williams, and the covering abilities of Smoot and Springs. However, when Greg does not have confidence in his corners, he will not blitz as much -- and calls a less aggressive game -- ala 2006.

Personally we need to either sign London Fletcher (who played for Williams in Buf and was third in the league in tackles) and draft a true cover corner. Or draft Patrick Willis and go after Clements or Samuels in free agency. I prefer the later.

I think better play in the middle and another good cover corner to go along with Springs, and Greg finally realizing at the end of this year he needs to change his schemes a bit, in other words remain a step ahead of offensive coordinators who have since caught up with his schemes, and this defensive can probably move back to the upper middle of the pack. That is all we really need.

The offensive will only get better with their power run and go deep philsophy. And, of course, the continued development of Jason.

This year was probably the best thing to happen to the Skins. I really believe that. Because we weren't that good, we will work harder