Untitled

1)    Nick Fairley (Auburn) 6’4” 315 lbs

A defensive tackle who can dominate against the run and pass with a nasty streak...If I were an owner...where do I sign?  Alot of debate about how Fairley measures up to Ndamukong Suh but they really have different body types.  Fairley reminds me more of Warren Sapp coming out of college. Two beefy DTs who get giddy for hitting somebody too hard.  Fairley would be most effective playing “three technique” tackle (4-3 alignment) lining up between the guard and tackle and splitting that gap.  However, Fairley is powerful enough to play in hybrid NT/DE in 3-4 defense that is gaining popularity (article I wrote on this: <strong>NFL DTs</strong>).  If a defensive coordinator can corral his aggression, Fairley will make a run at impact DROY player in 2011. 

 

2)    Marcell Dareus (Alabama) 6’3” 309 lbs

Has better leverage than Fairley but not as explosive and certainly doesn’t possess same upside.  A safe pick who will produce playing “three technique” tackle position.  Good strength and quickness will make him a cog in a defensive line for years to come.  Some fans will be bored with this pick.  On film he gets swallowed up by bigger guards and I am on the fence to whether he can play DE in 3-4 defensive scheme as he lacks true pass rushing instincts.  Warren Sapp thinks he will turn out to be the better pro player but Sapp also thought McCoy would be better than Suh.

 

3)    Muhammad Wilkerson (Temple) 6’5” 305 lbs

 Great quickness for 300 lb guy.  But DTs with skinny arms scare me.  Looks like a basketball player (which he was) who spent too much time at White Castle.  However, you can’t discount his quickness and pure athletic ability.  Looks to be a “three technique” player who will need few years of weight training until it translates on the field but has good upside.  In 2010 he had 13.0 tackles-for-loss and 9.5 sacks – not bad for a defensive tackle most don’t know about yet.

 

4)    Phil Taylor (Baylor) 6’4” 340 lbs

Most intriguing tackle in the draft and he is rising to potentially the first round.  Huge size with surprising agility (will test well at combines).  When you see Taylor you think this guy is a “zero technique” tackle who will plug your defensive line for long time.  But he gets moved sideways way too easily for his size.  Could be dynamic as a guy you play at DE in 3-4 alignment then move him over to NT on passing downs.  Taylor destroyed Demarcus Love in one-on-one drills and pretty much dominated the entire North offensive line during North-South game.

 

5)    Corey Liuget, (Illinois) 6’2” 300 lbs

I have Corey going in the second round.  Has ideal size for DT while showing good leverage and distributes his weight well.  Better suited to play DE in 3-4 alignment or DT in 4-3 alignment that has a good penetrating tackle playing next to him.  Thick “bubble butt” player who has good motor but lacks ideal pass rushing skills to be special.

 

 

Top 5 DTs in 2011 NFL Draft

1)    Nick Fairley (Auburn) 6’4” 315 lbs

A defensive tackle who can dominate against the run and pass with a nasty streak...If I were an owner...where do I sign?  Alot of debate about how Fairley measures up to Ndamukong Suh but they really have different body types.  Fairley reminds me more of Warren Sapp coming out of college. Two beefy DTs who get giddy for hitting somebody too hard.  Fairley would be most effective playing “three technique” tackle (4-3 alignment) lining up between the guard and tackle and splitting that gap.  However, Fairley is powerful enough to play in hybrid NT/DE in 3-4 defense that is gaining popularity.  If a defensive coordinator can corral his aggression, Fairley will make a run at impact DROY player in 2011. 

2)    Marcell Dareus (Alabama) 6’3” 309 lbs

Has better leverage than Fairley but not as explosive and certainly doesn’t possess same upside.  A safe pick who will produce playing “three technique” tackle position.  Good strength and quickness will make him a cog in a defensive line for years to come.  Some fans will be bored with this pick.  On film he gets swallowed up by bigger guards and I am on the fence to whether he can play DE in 3-4 defensive scheme as he lacks true pass rushing instincts.  Warren Sapp thinks he will turn out to be the better pro player but Sapp also thought McCoy would be better than Suh.

3)    Muhammad Wilkerson (Temple) 6’5” 305 lbs

 Great quickness for 300 lb guy.  But DTs with skinny arms scare me.  Looks like a basketball player (which he was) who spent too much time at White Castle.  However, you can’t discount his quickness and pure athletic ability.  Looks to be a “three technique” player who will need few years of weight training until it translates on the field but has good upside.  In 2010 he had 13.0 tackles-for-loss and 9.5 sacks – not bad for a defensive tackle most don’t know about yet.

4)    Phil Taylor (Baylor) 6’4” 340 lbs

Most intriguing tackle in the draft and he is rising to potentially the first round.  Huge size with surprising agility (will test well at combines).  When you see Taylor you think this guy is a “zero technique” tackle who will plug your defensive line for long time.  But he gets moved sideways way too easily for his size.  Could be dynamic as a guy you play at DE in 3-4 alignment then move him over to NT on passing downs.  Taylor destroyed Demarcus Love in one-on-one drills and pretty much dominated the entire North offensive line during North-South game.

5)    Corey Liuget, (Illinois) 6’2” 300 lbs

I have Corey going in the second round.  Has ideal size for DT while showing good leverage and distributes his weight well.  Better suited to play DE in 3-4 alignment or DT in 4-3 alignment that has a good penetrating tackle playing next to him.  Thick “bubble butt” player who has good motor but lacks ideal pass rushing skills to be special.

NFL Draft

Cam Heyward - Son of late Craig "Ironhead" Heyward - NFL Draft

Cam Heyward (Ohio State) 6’5” 294 lbs DE

The son of the late Craig "Ironhead" Heyward who terrorized linebackers for years by brutally using his head as a battering ram.  While Cam plays on the other side of the ball, they have a similar mentality says Cam "We were both guys who just loved to pound".

Cam Heyward hallmark is his performances in big games and is projected to go late in round 1 of the NFL Draft.  Some scouts have him going in the top 15.  Could be great value pick if he slides after undergoing an ulnar collateral ligament surgery – commonly known as Tommy John surgery – on Jan. 12.  Heyward won’t be able to work out for pro scouts in Indianapolis.  His pro day is March 30.

Heyward has the size to play DT in 4-3 alignment and athleticism to play DE in 3-4 alignment.  He was a leader on a great Ohio State defense that helped the Buckeyes win four straight Big Ten titles.

NFL Draft

Team by Team Post Super Bowl Analysis: NFC West

Were a few weeks removed from the Super Bowl and the talk of the game and Aaron Rogers’ great performance have been overshadowed by CBA grandstanding.  It’s tough for the average football fan to relate to this squabble.  We should all be so lucky.   Hopefully they will come to an agreement before someone crosses a line that takes months, if not longer, to come back from.

NFC West:

Last month we focused on the NFC East, which more closely resembled the NFC Least as the dust settled.  This week we’ll look at the NFC West.  This division was mediocre to bad from top to bottom.  The Seahawks claimed the division crown but actually accounted themselves well in the playoffs by knocking the defending champion Saints off.  Where do these teams go from here?   All in all this division looks to be on the upswing with change and optimism aplenty for the entire division.  Now don’t misquote me, they all won’t have 10 + win seasons, but there is reason for optimism for all fan bases.

Seattle Seahawks 7-9

You have to give Pete Carroll credit for getting this team to 7-9.  I am not even sure they have 7 win talent.  They played hard, as all Carroll teams do, so shame on me for underestimating that factor.  So where does Seattle go from here?  Their first decision is quarterback.  When healthy, Matt Hasselback is a solid pro but he is rarely healthy on a regular basis these days.  Ideally they would look to groom a young QB and have Hasselback run the ship until the future QB is ready.  The other part of the equation is that Charlie Whitehurst in under contract for $4 million which is a lot of money for a backup.  Decisions, decisions……

Strengths: 

1. A coach who can get his players to play. 
2. Some key players returning from injury, especially along the defensive line.
3. Solid wide outs under contract. 
4. A loud home field advantage (honestly, less to be excited about compared to their division rivals).

Weaknesses: 

1. 25 unrestricted free agents that will hit the market, assuming there is a market to hit.
2. Name one Seahawk who is a stud?  Ok, Marshawn Lynch is still running over Saints, but I can’t put him in the star category.
3. Aside from Okung the O-line is below average which hurt the run game and probably aged Hasselback even more.
4. Aside from Trufant, who is getting long in the tooth, the secondary needs to be revamped. 

Needs:  See weaknesses above.  Look at all the good teams and you need the Coach-QB tandem.  Seattle has an enthusiastic coach, but they don’t have a signal-caller who can lead them to a title.  Can Pete Carroll’s troops believe in him long enough to get their franchise QB?    

St. Louis Rams

The Rams just missed making the playoffs with rookie Sam Bradford under helm.  As I stated above, Seattle needs that Coach-QB combo; well, St. Louis has it with Bradford and Steve Spagnuolo.  I always thought Spags had the making of a good coach when he was the Giants Defensive Coordinator.  The big question this offseason for the Rams is how Sam Bradford and Josh McDaniels will comingle.  McDaniels had a good reputation before he torpedoed the Broncos by trading all their good players away for a $2.00 coupon to Subway. 

Strengths: 

1. Smart, energetic, young coach.
2. A young franchise QB. 
3. Steven Jackson continues to put out good numbers with little support.
4. A young and talented defensive line. 

Weaknesses: 

1. Aside from Donnie Avery, who is attempting a comeback form injury, there is a lot of room for improvement. 
2. Their back seven is weak, particularly at safety and linebacker. 
3. Depth.  Even at their strengths, there is little room for injury. 

Needs:  More playmakers on both sides of the ball. The Rams can supplement their draft with solid free agent acquisitions but a young team like the Rams needs to be careful who they bring into the locker-room.  They should avoid certain veteran wideouts like TO, Moss or Ocho-Stupido.  While no one can dispute their talent their presence is more distraction than they’re worth. 

San Francisco 49er’s

Here was the team picked to win the division coming off a promising 2009.  And what happened?  Mike Singletary yelled the team to death!  Shhhh, you can still hear him yelling.  If you put your ear up to a seashell you can hear him yelling.  Of course there are other factors as well.  The fact that Alex Smith is the perennial tease doesn’t help.  Smith manages to show just enough, often at the end of the season, to make you think he is the franchise QB you thought you were getting in the first round.  In 05 the 49ER’s picked Smith #1 overall are were rewarded with a 6-10 record.  The Pack chose Rodgers at # 24, hmmmmm.  I love hindsight. 

Well there’s a new Sheriff in town: Jim Harbaugh brings a pedigree as a player and college coach that should give him a lot of credibility with the existing players.  Unfortunately Andrew Luck won’t be behind center and for the moment it looks like Smith will. That could change come April though. 

Strengths: 

1. Jim Harbaugh will get them 2-3 more wins based on his temperament alone. 
2. Some good building blocks to work from based off the last 2 drafts. 
3. The #7 pick in the draft should yield a much needed impact player. 

Weaknesses: 

1. Alex Smith & David Carr are no one’s answer @ QB.
2. The defense was supposed to be strength but the lack of sacks was a problem all season. 
3. The secondary, particularly cornerback is a concern, especially considering Nate Clements & his ridiculous cap figure.

Needs:  All in all, 49ER’s fans have to feel a little more optimistic about their prospects, especially considering this division is wide open.  They should be concerned with what is being built in St. Louis, but competition should make you stronger. 

It starts and finishes at QB, so obviously they will look at some of the available free agents or address it in the draft.  If they do draft a QB, will they reach for someone at #7 like Cam Newton or will they look for someone in the second round and endure another year of Alex Smith.   I know the rest of the division is hoping for another year of Smith. 

Arizona Cardinals

Uhhhhhhhhhhh, can you say quarterback?   I don’t think the Cardinals can.  What a mess.  How bad do you think Larry Fitzgerald would like to switch places with Anquan Boldin about now?  When Kurt Warner retired the Cards hoped that Matt Leinart would fulfill his #1 pick pedigree.  That didn’t work out so well.  They turned to Derek Anderson who laughed his way right onto the bench and possibly out of the NFL.  Max somebody or other and Red Skelton is simply forgettable. 

This team needs to find its quarterback of the future but also needs a credible starter in the interim.  Apparently Larry Fitzgerald gets to pick who he wants throwing him the ball.  It always works well when the wide receivers call the shots.   They’ve talked about Marc Bulger and apparently don’t want Donovan, well, I can’t argue with them on that one.

Strengths: 

1. Larry Fitzgerald is a stud, no matter what stiff throw’s him the ball. 
2. The coaching staff of Ken Whisenhunt and now Ray Horton come from an organization that knows how to win.
3. There are still some good players from a team that was a dangerous playoff team a few years back.
4. The #5 position in the draft.

Weaknesses: 

1. Quarterback, as illustrated above.  Warner was a great leader which is something this team sorely needs. 
2. The secondary got torched last season and needs an influx of talent. 
3. The offensive line will need to improve for any QB to have some success next season.

Needs:  Despite sounding like a broken record, it all starts at quarterback.  They need to find their signal caller of the future while finding a credible starter to bring leadership and stability to the offense.  On defense Ray Horton needs to bring some Steeler toughness and maybe a few players!    

NFL Draft

Disruptive Nose Tackles win championships

Often, we hear the QB position is the most important to a team and the high percentage of "franchise tags" for QBs would support this.

But for my money, give me a disruptive force against the core of a offensive line - the middle.  You know the same location a QB starts the play and often the same location a running game tries to establish its toughness.

This is the era of disruptive DTs.  Attacking the underbelly of an offense line is good business in NFL (7 of the last 11 super bowl winners possessed dominant NT playing in 3-4 defense).  The smart teams have figured it out by drafting pressure DT who can play NT or DE in 3-4 alignment. They possess the strength/size to hold down NT role while having the athletic ability to slide over to DE to marauder opposing QBs. The line between DE and DT in 3-4 have narrowed considerably.  Even Bill Belichick moved the immovable NT Vince Wilfork to DE in spot situations in 2011.

Now what works really well here is having a traditional 2 gap technique NT to go along with your hybrid DT/DE.  Kelly Gregg gives Baltimore the flexibility to move Haloit Ngata anywhere they want. Ryan Pickett is a great compliment to  moving B.J. Raji ''The Freezer'' to the inside. I have created two list of disruptive DTs who are dominant against rush or pass and in several situations - both.  Below is a list (Part 1) of disruptive DTs who are dominant against rush or pass and in several situations - both.  In Part 2, we discuss top 5 DTs in the 2011 NFL Draft who have the strength and athletic ability to play NT or DE.

1. Haloti Ngata (Bal)  6'4" 350 lbs - a new era NT who can also play end.  He is

    more of a souped-up SUV.  What makes him so special is he can be dominant
   at NT or DE in 3-4 defense. An "absolute monster" according to Colts center Jeff

   Saturday. Compiled 62 tackles and 5.5 sacks.

2. Vince Wilfork (NE) 6'2" 325 lbs - one of the most dominant space eaters of the 

    past few years. Belechik showed us he can play DE also.  Pure 2 gap technique

    nose tackle.

3. Ndamukong Suh (Det) 6'4 305 lbs - Stunning numbers for a rookie DT

    (66 tackles and 10 sacks).  Gil Brandt a longtime Cowboys scout recently stated

    that Suh is "the Merlin Olsen of today".  Suh played in a two-gap system at Nebrask,

    but Detroit's cut him loose in a one-gap style that encourages linemen to

    "play the run on the way to the quarterback." 
 
4. B.J. Raji "The Freezer" (GB) 6'2" 337 lbs - was a wrecking ball in postseason.

    39 tackles and 7 sacks in 2011. Remember his name.

5. Kyle Williams "Meatball" (Buf) 6'1" 310 lbs - Terror against against the run and

    pass this year.  A low center of gravity guy who keeps getting better.
    77 tackles and 5.5 sacks and making his pro-bowl appearance.

(honorable mention - two stud players who I thought declined somewhat in 2011 - Casey Hampton, PITT and Kevin Williams, MINN)

NFL Draft