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A Closer Look at 2011 defensive Prospects


bedlamVR

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Okay the Senior bowl has convinced me that QB is probably not the way we are going at No.10 - I think the interest of the scouts is genunine about the players looked at (e.g. Locker) but I think they are doing that as a plan b in case Locker plummets . So with so much attention so far give to the various QB options maybe now would be a good time to look at some of the other options at 10 .

The talent in this draft is weighted very much in favor of the D with really only 1 or 2 offensive players standing out . I am also not going to waste time looking at Nick Fairly or Bowers , there is no way he is falling anywhere near where we may be able to move up to .

So I am going to focus mostly on OLB/DE, DT.NT that will be available at 10th and then people can tell me what an idiot I am for not including XYor Z, buthopefully spark a debate on what other options we would have other than QB .

Sound fun ?

Okay then

First up is Von Miller (scouting report from Walter Football (http://walterfootball.com/scoutingreport2011vmiller.php)

Strengths:

Outstanding speed; eliminates space in a hurry

Elite first step

Very intelligent; knows how to set up an OT

Technically sound with footwork

Plethora of rush moves

Great motor and gives nice second effort

Extremely productive junior year

Terrific range

Fluid athlete and can cover a lot of ground

Smooth hips in coverage

Can turn and run with running backs/tight ends

Stays low and runs with the arc

Instinctive with natural feel for the game

Tenacious pass rusher

Excellent counter moves

Smooth transition to 3-4 scheme in NFL

Leader with good work ethic

Playmaker

Still has upside

Weaknesses:

Very small frame

Gets overwhelmed at point of attack

Weak versus the run

Hand use could improve

Needs to add strength

Strictly a 3-4 outside linebacker

Summary: Von Miller doesn't have the size you look for, but he gets the most out of his abilities and has an extremely high level of athleticism. With the 3-4 scheme in the NFL now, you don't need to be 6-4, 255 pounds to play outside linebacker. All you need is a great first step and elite speed, and Miller brings both to the table. I have a first-round grade on Miller going into the season and I expect him to have a big senior year and end up being a first-round pick.

Player Comparison: Elvis Dumervil. Dumervil and Miller are both undersized, but they are tremendously athletic and wreak havoc on quarterbacks at the rush linebacker position.

I know he is small - (looks like an oversized S) but man he is quick and as the senior bowl displayed he is omni present . I think a lot of draftnecks over reacted and put him in the top five and he may yet go that high but I still think he only really fits as 3-4 OLB and while someone might take a flyer most of the teams ahead of us either run a 4-3 or a hybrid. Dallas is probably the best 3-4 fit in the top 10 and I really cannot see them targeting a LB over secondary help so there is a good chance he falls to us .

My big concern is he is a collage superstar and he is just going to get beaten up in the pro's against the stronger bigger OT, and is going to be targetted on every run as a weak link - Would be a boost the to pass rush though .

I cannot give you a game real to look at so here are some highlight s

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Yu7wh1VNnEo

Next Prince Amukamara

I can see him dropping on most boards but the Cowboys do seem a real prospect to take him at 9th over all . I actually think if we look at him it will be as well as re-signing Rogers or equiv. and Prince would transition to FS - which is potentially asking for trouble - and doesn't adress the main needs (Defensive front 7 or OL/QB)

Again the couting report is taken from Walters football

Strengths:

Excellent size and strength

Very good instincts

Playmaker

Very good ball skills

Nice awareness

Confident

Highly competitive

Smooth athlete

Impressive change of direction

Love his footwork

Instinctive

Fluid hips

Clutch

Plays very under control

Outstanding tackling technique

Best run support corner in 2011 Draft

Tough

Natural feel for the game

High talent level

Strong work ethic

Very consistent and productive

Overall skill set is rare

Weaknesses:

Still gets too high in backpedal

Hand usage in press man needs to be refined

Doesn't display a very good second gear in back half

Needs to prove he's still an elite corner without an elite pass rush (Ndamukong Suh) in 2011

Lacks elite speed

Summary: Amukamara could very well be the first corner drafted in 2011. He has a very nice talent level and he makes the most of it by being very competitive and not shying away from contact in run support. A couple things in his game could be fixed and he lacks elite speed, but there's enough here to the point where I believe Amukamara will be a top 16 pick in 2011 and could go as high as top eight.

Player Comparison: Antoine Winfield. Amukamara has a lot more size than Winfield, but these corners are both excellent in run support and are quite simply playmakers.

Against texas A&M

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=leX0rYpk9wc

Robert Quinn

College Position: Defensive End

School: North Carolina

Grade: Junior

Height: 6-5

Weight: 270

Birthdate:

Draft Projection: Top 5

Overall Rank: 5

Strengths

Highest upside of any pass rusher in the draft

Relentless as a pass rusher - quick hands and determined

Great size and length

Explosively quick - elite burst off the ball

Great straight line speed

Has athleticism to play in 3-4 and size to play in 4-3

A workout warrior who should test off the charts at the combine

Rare athlete for the position

Has overcome adversity - Had brain surgery in high school (benign tumor)

Weakness

Decision making - ruled permanently ineligible for taking improper benefits from an agent

Lost year cost him a chance to practice and display he had added polish to his raw talent

Conditioning - how will the year off affect him

Not overly powerful - struggles to anchor - gets pushed off the ball

Average versus the run

A drag down tackler

Overly reliant on athleticism - needs to refine technique

Not that convinced on Quinn . . . The agent thing and suspension raise flags, and he is not the strongest getting off blocks or the surest tackler I have seen . The year off really makes me worry . . . . but who knows .

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=kqJrjwjf55c&NR=1

Ryan Kerrigan

Another Name I read alot but looks much more like a traditional 4-3 end than 3-4 OLB which he would have to learn on the fly . I wouldn;t mind looking in 2nd or 3rd for that kind of prospect but not No.10, not for our system - I also think we already have a guy on the roster who fits this bill in Jarmon .

But hey ho .

College Position: Defensive End

School: Purdue

Grade: Senior

Height: 6-4

Weight: 263

Birthdate:

Draft Projection: Top 10

Overall Rank: 10

NFL Draft Position (Rank): Defensive End (4)

Strengths

Tenacious two-way defensive end prospect

Equally adept stopping the run or rushing the passer

Tremendous motor

Has a nose for the football

Knack for forcing fumbles

Can play 4-3 or 3-4 defensive end

Quick off the ball, shooting gaps to make plays in opposing backfields

Strong against the run

Hard worker with excellent intangibles

Has shined the past two years despite commanding double teams on a below average defense

Three year starter

Weaknesses

Tends to play too high

Needs to improve his ability to shed blocks

Over-reliant on shooting gaps and bull rushing

Lacks great speed

Average athleticism - not a rush linebacker candidate

Does not project as a premier pass rusher - more of a grinder

A throw-back player who will either shine due to his hard work and motor or fail to adjust to the speed and power of the pro game

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If Miller drops to 10, we should take him. Arizona and SFwill both have interest in him if they don't go after R. Quinn or Amukamara. If Amukamarais available,he won't get past Dallas. If we're to land Miller, it will probably look like this:

1. Carolina - Fairly

2. Denver - Peterson

3. Buffalo - Bowers

4. Cincy - Green

5. Arizona - Amukamara

6. Cleveland - Dareus

7. SF - Quinn

8. Tenn - Gabbert

9. Dallas - Best OL available

10. Miller

I'd say we have a 50/50 chance.

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If Von Miller gets overwhelmed at the POA, I say no thank you. The brass has already said Orakpo is not moving. Do you really want an undersized SAM that can't handle the POA?

You thought our run defense was bad now... HA!!!

Only way I want Miller is if we move Orakpo.

That being said, I want one of those DEs. I don't care if we draft a Quinn and move him to Sam or take a true 34DE. But I'm officially on drafting a college Dlineman to convert to SAM or play at RDE.

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If Von Miller gets overwhelmed at the POA, I say no thank you. The brass has already said Orakpo is not moving. Do you really want an undersized SAM that can't handle the POA?

You thought our run defense was bad now... HA!!!

Only way I want Miller is if we move Orakpo.

That being said, I want one of those DEs. I don't care if we draft a Quinn and move him to Sam or take a true 34DE. But I'm officially on drafting a college Dlineman to convert to SAM or play at RDE.

If we don't get one of the FA OLBs (Woodley please), we might make a run at Miller. That being said, Miller sounds a lot like Orakpo, just with a bigger repertoir of pass rush moves.

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If we don't get one of the FA OLBs (Woodley please), we might make a run at Miller. That being said, Miller sounds a lot like Orakpo, just with a bigger repertoir of pass rush moves.

This is how our big board should look:

1. Bowers

2. Fairly

3. Peterson

4. Quinn

5. Dareus

6. Clayborn

7. Kerrigan

8. Jordan

9. Watt

10. Miller

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Fairley over Bowers. Dareus at #3. I think we MUST target 3-4 DE; not only because it's hard as hell to fill compared with other spots, but because there are plenty of 3-4 OLBs in FA.

I wouldn't mind Quinn though, but we can find a placeholder opposite Rak, while we don't have the luxury at the front.

If we come away with Dareus or even Clayborn at #10, and McElroy with the 2nd, I'm a happy man.

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Miller doesn't get overrun at the POA as much as that listing leads to believe. I watched him during the Senior Bowl specifically to see and he seemed to do a pretty good job against the run. He played the JACK position at A&M, which according to their site is a hybrid position between DE and OLB. He primarily lined up with his hand in the dirt from what I've read (I've seen some games and he seemed to play a lot of DE). That's when he seemed to get overrun at the POA.

If we drafted Miller, if used properly, he and Rak could both fit in the defense. Rak could, on occasion in a 4-front look, line up at the defensive end spot and we could align Miller opposite him for one hell of a pass rush... Especially if we have a solid nose and another end that can demand any kind of respect from the offensive line.

I think, if we can't get Woodley, Miller is a MUST target for us. If we get Woodley I think we shift our focus to making sure we acquire Phil Taylor.

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I think, if we can't get Woodley, Miller is a MUST target for us. If we get Woodley I think we shift our focus to making sure we acquire Phil Taylor.

I think I'd rather try to get a Bowers or Quinn (unrealistic but you see what I'm getting at) to play SAM over Miller. What say you?

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Kerrigan over Miller imo. Did Kerrigan have a bad senior bowl? Haven't had a chance to watch the game yet.

Kerrigan isn't a 3-4 OLB though a better fit for the 4-3 scheme as a DE. Kerrigan didn't have a bad game but Miller was literally everywhere on the field and made a lot of plays from what I've read and gathered

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Kerrigan over Miller imo. Did Kerrigan have a bad senior bowl? Haven't had a chance to watch the game yet.
Actually, he looked pretty good, tho I'm not sure he was top 10 good. He certainly didn't hurt his stock.
Kerrigan isn't a 3-4 OLB though a better fit for the 4-3 scheme as a DE. Kerrigan didn't have a bad game but Miller was literally everywhere on the field and made a lot of plays from what I've read and gathered

Exactly. Kerrigan is a good 4-3 DE. He's definitely not a 3-4 DE and I don't think he'd be any better at linebacker than, say, Lorenzo Alexander. I like Kerrigan. But not for us.

I think I'd rather try to get a Bowers or Quinn (unrealistic but you see what I'm getting at) to play SAM over Miller. What say you?

Quinn possibly, but I really don't like the idea of converting a DE to play OLB. Yes, the same can kind of be said for Von Miller playing a hybrid position in college, but he demonstrated the ability to play backer in the Senior Bowl. I don't think he was overwhelmed at the POA in the Senior Bowl, and I think he'll add some weight in the pros. If we're going to ask both OLBs to be in coverage from time to time, we can also switch responsibilities. Some plays, Rak is the SAM. Some plays, Miller is the SAM. If we draft Miller he'd have to be utilized correctly (and so would Orakpo) or it's a bad move. If we package them the right way it's a major win for us.

I'm all about Von Miller if we can't get Woodley, to be honest.

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Miller should be above Quinn and Jordan should certainly be above Kerrigan and Clayborn.

I'll give you Kerrigan, but I have to see more from Jordan than his senior week. I like Quinn much more than Miller, I know Miller is a terror and a freak but his size is a concern and I won't stand to see more poor edge containment next year.

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I'll give you Kerrigan, but I have to see more from Jordan than his senior week. I like Quinn much more than Miller, I know Miller is a terror and a freak but his size is a concern and I won't stand to see more poor edge containment next year.

Again, nothing in the Senior Bowl suggested POA was going to be an issue... And keep in mind he'll gain weight on any NFL team that selects him. Not to 260 or anything... But 245, 250 is realistic.

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I'll give you Kerrigan, but I have to see more from Jordan than his senior week. I like Quinn much more than Miller, I know Miller is a terror and a freak but his size is a concern and I won't stand to see more poor edge containment next year.

Jordan was a monster all year, and he put up stats from the 5-tech that stand up against the other 4-3 DTs in this class. I like him well before the senior bowl. Heck, I'd put Watt above Clayborn. Clayborn is way overrated IMO.

As for Miller, he has size concerns, but you know he is going to produce like he did for multiple years, and has off the charts intangibles and character.

On the other hand, you have Quinn who has elite measurables, but has really only had one big season, and has some lingering questions about his maturity.

I am wary of guys who's greatest attribute are their physical numbers.

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I'll give you Kerrigan, but I have to see more from Jordan than his senior week. I like Quinn much more than Miller, I know Miller is a terror and a freak but his size is a concern and I won't stand to see more poor edge containment next year.

Jordan was a dominant DE the whole year at Cal and was the main reason why that D was good in the pac 10 and held Oregon to a low number of points. He's a great fit for what we do and I'd take him all the time over Clayborn who is overrated IMO he's a top 20 pick but not a top 10 player in this draft

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Von Miller is to small? Isnt that what they said about Fletcher? Kid can play, i would love to get him in the first and trade up from the second round to ensure we get a guy like phil taylor. Both looked great against top flight competition. I think if we can do this, out defense will be top 10 next year, as long as we can find someone to fill the free safety spot. I was all for Jake Locker, but i thought he looked terrible in the Senior Bowl. Accuracy issues just seem to be killing him.

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