Love to get the LSU back, Dillion, swift or Taylor although Taylor has had so many carries coming into the nfl
Jonathon Taylor is the only rb I REALLY like. He’s had a lot of carries but with Duke and David Johnson rolleyes he shouldn’t get more than 180-220 carries. That’s less than 14 carries a game.
So you hope to replace the best qb in franchise history and he’s only 24 yrs old? You make OB look like Ozzie Newsome.
McGinn’s NFL Draft Series: Scouts on top defensive linemen The class isn’t a good one, nor is it a bad one. For every hit will come a miss. Yet the rewards are so vital at this most critical position that teams come back for more every year. “At some point, you’ve got to take a shot on these guys,” one executive in personnel said. “These dudes don’t grow on trees.” Exactly. “This might be the position most of all that people just kind of invent players,” said another personnel man. ‘Oh, we’ve gotta have big bodies.’ OK, but if they’re not any good, how does it help you?” Auburn’s Derrick Brown is the chairman of the board, and some scouts say South Carolina’s Javon Kinlaw has a chance to be even better when their careers are wrapped up. Brown is one of the five best players in the draft regardless of position, and Kinlaw is the No. 2 defensive lineman on most draft boards. “Brown’s probably the most certain of the top guys in the draft,” said an AFC scout. “It’s a bit of a reach to say he’s the best player in the draft, but I don’t think he’s going to fail. His floor is very high.” Kinlaw, another senior, is almost the exact same imposing size as Brown but has even longer arms and much bigger hands. “Probably not as good an athlete as (Albert) Haynesworth,” another personnel man said. “But he gives a better effort.” The rushers, or 3-techniques, would be TCU’s Ross Blacklock, Oklahoma’s Neville Gallimore and Auburn’s Marlon Davidson. Jordan Elliott of Missouri and Justin Madubuike of Texas A&M are viewed as more versatile by teams because they’re comfortable playing 3-technique or nose tackle. Then come the three stuffers: Alabama’s Raekwon Davis, Ohio State’s Davon Hamilton and Utah’s Leki Fotu. My poll of 17 personnel people revealed little agreement beyond Brown and Kinlaw. Brown was a unanimous choice among the scouts, and Kinlaw gathered 16 second-place votes to go with one third. The point totals in the 1-to-5 voting showed Brown with 85 and Kinlaw with 65. Following, in order, were Blacklock (31), Gallimore (21), Davidson (16), Madubuike (11), Davis (10), Elliott (nine), Fotu (three) and Hamilton and Arkansas’ McTelvin Agim, each with two points. What stood out in the balloting was the attractiveness of the rushers over the stuffers. “When seven of the 10 plays are passes in the National Football League, you don’t need those guys anymore,” one executive said in reference to run-stopping base defensive ends. “Everybody will give up size for quickness and rush. It’s happening in high school. If you can’t run, then your chances of playing are slim and none.” That’s where Blacklock, Gallimore, Davidson and possibly Madubuike come in. All are somewhat undersized for regular turns at 1-technique. What they possess are speed and athletic ability. Gallimore (4.82), Madubuike (4.85) and Blacklock (4.91) all can run, and Davidson, despite a 5.04 clocking, had more career sacks (17) than the others. An AFC personnel man paused before sizing up the triumvirate of Blacklock, Gallimore and Madubuike. “They all have potential,” the scout said. “They all test out well. I wish they played a little more consistently. They all have some speed, some quickness. They all have plays that are pretty darn impressive, and they all disappear in stretches.” One scout listed Brown and Kinlaw as 1-techniques in a positional grouping that also included Davis, Madubuike, Fotu, Hamilton and LSU’s Rashard Lawrence. An evaluator summed up the never-ending assignment for him and his peers like this: “You’ve just got to get the right one.”
RANKING THE DEFENSIVE LINE 1. DERRICK BROWN, Auburn (6-4 1/2, 324, 5.17, 1) 2. JAVON KINLAW, South Carolina (6-5, 324, no 40, 1) 3. ROSS BLACKLOCK, TCU (6-3, 290, 4.91, 1-2) Played RB and TE for some of his high school career. “Dad was a (Harlem) Globetrotter,” said one scout. “Great home life. Best football is ahead of him. He’s got feet, eyes, strength to push the pocket. He can two-gap. Understands how to use his hands. Has a feel for the game. Has quickness and burst. All his is upside. I do see him as a first-rounder.” Redshirted in 2016, started in ’17, blew out his Achilles and sat out ’18, started in ’19 and declared a year early. “Depending on what he weighs, he can do a lot,” another scout said. “He was 310 at one time. He ran 4.9 at 310, same as at 290. It’s hard to find college players on the inside that have legit pass-rush ability. He does. … He’s immature. That shows up in his film, too. When he gets hard coaching from guys that make him grow up and be a man, it’ll show up on the field as well.” Finished with 67 tackles (15 1/2 for loss) and 5 1/2 sacks. “You see some athletic ability,” said a third scout. “Nimble, quick. But a non-explosive guy. He just gets beat up inside. I don’t think he’s very tough or competitive. Just a flash gap-penetrating guy.” From Missouri City, Texas. 4. NEVILLE GALLIMORE, Oklahoma (6-2, 305, 4.82, 1-2) Played mostly NT for the Sooners but projects as a 3-technique. “He and Blacklock are pretty similar,” said one scout. “Gallimore plays a little harder. He flashes a ton when he chases. He can really run sideline to sideline.” Started at least five games in all four seasons after redshirting in 2015. “Not a perfect player, but he’s fun to watch,” said a second scout. “He’s a really good athlete. He’s really explosive, but he’s a linear athlete and gets really (upright).” Finished with 148 tackles (18 for loss) and 8 1/2 sacks. “I’m lukewarm on him,” a third scout said. “I don’t know if he’s got a true feel for it. Gets a little disruption as an interior pass rusher. More of a one-gap player. He’ll get engulfed at times. Does he have steel, or is he just a flash player? Second round.” Born and raised in the Canadian capital of Ottawa by Jamaican parents. “He was almost unblockable at the Senior Bowl,” said a fourth scout. “His competitiveness isn’t an issue. But for his ability level his productivity isn’t very good.” Short arms (32 3/4). 5. MARLON DAVIDSON, Auburn (6-3 1/2, 300, 5.04, 1-2) 6. JORDAN ELLIOTT, Missouri (6-4, 302, 5.01, 1-2) Began his career playing six games at Texas in 2016. Sat out ’17 as a transfer before backing up in ’18 and starting in ’19. “He’s a 3-technique and he can two-gap,” said one scout. “He flashes burst. He’s a disruptor. Has some issues with size blockers. Kid’s got good film. He’s really good.” Finished with 76 tackles (19 1/2 for loss) and six sacks. “He’s not starter level,” said a second scout. “He doesn’t have that type of twitch or that type of hand use. He’s a decent pass rusher.” Played the season between 300 and 305 after having been 320-plus earlier in his career. “Just more of an effort pass rusher,” said a third scout. “More of just a run stopper. Knows how to play. I thought he’d be a nice utility backup type guy to have.” His score of 30 on the 12-minute, 50-question Wonderlic intelligence test was the highest at the position. His arm length (32 3/8) was the second-shortest among the top 15 defensive linemen. From Missouri City, Texas. 7. JUSTIN MADUBUIKE, Texas A&M (6-2 1/2, 293, 4.85, 2) Fourth-year junior paced the position in the 3-cone at 7.37 seconds. One team that throws all testing numbers into a hopper and comes up with overall rankings had him as the best athlete at the position. “He’s a really good athlete,” said one scout. “He’ll be a third-rounder. He’s got some character concerns. Just personality and small things off the field with his teammates.” Fourth-year junior redshirted in 2016, backed up in ’17 and started and won team MVP honors each of the past two seasons. “He’s got as much talent as any of ’em,” said a second scout. “But he doesn’t love football. He can do everything. He can run, too.” Finished with 105 tackles (24 1/2 for loss) and 11 sacks. “He’s more than athlete enough, but he’s one of those guys who picks his spots,” a third scout said. “He’s got to play inside, and I don’t know if he can. He’s more like a move nose tackle than an anchor. … He was a highly rotated player. He tapped himself out. I don’t think he’s a tough guy.” Arms were 33 1/2, hands were merely 9. From McKinney, Texas. 8. RAEKWON DAVIS, Alabama (6-6, 311, 5.13, 2-3) 9. DAVON HAMILTON, Ohio State (6-3 1/2, 320, 5.17, 2-3) 10. LEKI FOTU, Utah (6-5 1/2, 330, 5.17, 2-3) 11. McTELVIN AGIM, Arkansas (6-2 1/2, 308, 4.94, 3-4) 12. LARRELL MURCHISON, North Carolina State (6-2 1/2, 297, 5.06, 3) 13. JAMES LYNCH, Baylor (6-3 1/2, 289, 4.96, 3-4) 14. RASHARD LAWRENCE, LSU (6-2, 308, 5.16, 4-5) 15. ROBERT WINDSOR, Penn State (6-4 1/2, 290, 4.90, 5-6) OTHERS, in order: John Penisini, Utah; Josiah Coatney, Mississippi; Raequan Williams, Michigan State; Carlos Davis, Nebraska; Tyler Clark, Georgia; Khalil Davis, Nebraska; Benito Jones, Mississippi; Jashon Cornell, Ohio State; Darrion Daniels, Nebraska; Malcolm Roach, Texas; Calvin Taylor, Kentucky; Bravvion Roy, Baylor; Robert Landers, Ohio State. THE SKINNY UNSUNG HERO John Penisini, NT, Utah: A rugby player who didn’t play football until his senior year of high school in West Jordan, Utah. Spent two years at a junior college, backed up in 2017 and started at 3-technique alongside Leki Fotu for two years. Penisini (6-1 1/2, 318) offers next to nothing as a pass rusher, but there are teams that like his ruggedness and shock-absorbing capabilities. SCOUTS’ NIGHTMARE Raequan Williams, NT, Michigan State: Played well at 315-plus as a junior but wasn’t as effective at 300 as a senior. He was down to 287 at the Senior Bowl, but a month later was 308 at the combine. Durable, conscientious big man (6-4, 308) who gives great effort. If Williams gets his weight squared away, he might earn a run-down rotational role. SCOUT TO REMEMBER Bucko Kilroy: He spent 64 years in the NFL, first as a six-time All-Pro lineman in Philadelphia and then as a successful GM, personnel director and scout for the Eagles, Redskins, Cowboys and Patriots. He helped found the National Football Scouting combine in 1981. Intelligent, innovative and barrel-chested. A larger-than-life character. Dick Steinberg, one of the many outstanding scouts whom Kilroy hired, said in 1992: “He knows as much about pro football as anyone in history.” He died in 2007 at age 86. QUOTE TO NOTE AFC executive in personnel: “The stationary guy in today’s football, I don’t know how he survives. At any position.”
McGinn’s NFL Draft Series: Scouts on top edge rushers You certainly couldn’t argue with the company that Boise State’s Curtis Weaver and Utah’s Bradlee Anae keep when it comes to the sack artists in the NFL draft. Weaver rolled up 34 sacks, Ohio State’s Chase Young recorded 30 ½ and Anae finished with 30. Of the top 30 edge rushers this year, they rank 1-2-3 in career sacks. Young’s berth atop the position is unchallenged. When 17 personnel people were asked to name the best front-seven player in the draft, Young drew 14 votes compared to three for defensive tackle Derrick Brown of Auburn. As for Weaver and Anae, they find themselves in a free-for-all for draft positioning with a horde of less productive but generally more gifted players. “I’m not in love with any of their physical traits,” an AFC executive said. “But they do have production that is undeniable.” There’s the rub. As invaluable as sacks are in today’s NFL game, no team in their right mind would dismiss Weaver and Anae out of hand. At the same time, every one of the league’s 32 decision-makers must answer this question: do the production numbers for Weaver and Anae translate to pro football? My poll of 17 personnel men placed them well down in the pecking order. In the poll, scouts were asked to rank the best edge players on a 1-2-3-4-5 basis, with a first-place worth five points, a second-place vote worth four and so on. A unanimous selection, Young totaled 85 points. Four other players finished in double digits, including K’Lavon Chaisson (59), A.J. Epenesa (34), Yetur Gross-Matos (31) and Julian Okwara (16 ½). Rounding out the vote were Anae (six), Josh Uche (six), Darrell Taylor (3 ½), Jason Strowbridge (three), Jabari Zuniga (three), Alex Highsmith (two), Alton Robinson (two) and Jonathan Greenard, Terrell Lewis, Delontae Scott and Weaver, each one. “Chase Young, and you’ve got to take a chance on Chaisson,” an NFC executive said. “Besides that, if you’re looking for somebody to come in, there’s nothing.” Another more hopeful scout, mindful that the undrafted Shaquil Barrett led the league in sacks last season with 19 ½ for Tampa Bay, said, “there’s always those rushers that come out of nowhere.” Although Weaver and Anae played out west away from the main media focus, they did major damage in the Mountain West and Pacific-12 conferences. They did it, however, without relying on the physical attributes usually associated with the NFL’s leading rushers. Each has short arms: 32 3/8 inches for Weaver, 32 1/8 for Anae. Neither runs fast. Anae clocked a disappointing 4.93 40 at the combine. Weaver postponed his 40 until the Utes’ pro day, which won’t be held due to the COVID-19 pandemic. One scout estimated Weaver’s speed at 4.9; another scout guessed between 4.85 and 4.9. Their body composition leaves much to be desired as well. At the combine, Weaver’s body fat was measured at 18.4% and Anae’s at 16.2%. Of the 66 players categorized as defensive ends and linebackers in Indianapolis, the only two with higher body-fat percentages than Weaver were Epenesa (21.6%) and LSU linebacker Michael Divinity (18.6%). Over time, statistics show that the average body fat for an All-Pro edge player was 11.8%; of the defensive ends, Young had the lowest this year at 7.8%. Some teams combine all testing information and measurements, which leads ultimately to a composite athletic score for each player. Players are divided into six color-coded categories. Weaver was in the fifth category, Anae in the sixth. Even before the combine, an AFC scout wondered how Anae’s modest ability would stack up. “Plays hard, good rush feel, good player,” he said. “You question how well his traits will translate.” The teams that forecast success for Anae view him as an all-out player who simply will not be denied. “This dude just goes and goes and goes and goes,” said one scout. “The 4.88 (in the 40) is acceptable. Has enough speed to turn the corner. Got a little tightness. Struggles to get off blocks. I got him third round.” Anae has described himself as an “adrenaline junkie” who grew up in Hawaii idolizing Junior Seau and Troy Polamalu. His family includes a long line of athletes. He has studied the Steelers’ T.J. Watt, trying to pattern his game after him. Still, doubts persist. One team with a 4-3 defense graded him as a free agent at defensive end. “Maybe he’d be a little bit higher for 3-4 teams,” said one of the team’s personnel people. “We didn’t think he had any special physical qualities. Kind of just saw him as an effort guy that was playing against a bunch of teams that were throwing 60 times a game so he was getting a lot of chances at sacks.” Weaver broke the Mountain West Conference record for career sacks. Given the level of play that might not be regarded as a monumental achievement, although it should be noted that top NFL rushers such as Jerry Hughes (28 ½), DeMarcus Lawrence (20) and Barrett (18) were among those that he surpassed. “He is slippery,” said one scout. “Very good with his hands. More finesse and athleticism as a pass rusher than power. He does have pressure production, which counts, too. If you hit with Weaver he’s a guy that can be a talented pass rusher and a three-down starter.” At the combine, Weaver said his ability to bend beneath tackles on outside rushes is his forte and exceeds that of any rusher in the draft. Four years ago, Weaver weighed about 300 pounds. He played between 275 and 280 this season, and after suffering a high-ankle sprain and foot damage Nov. 16 against New Mexico his conditioning suffered as he tried just to get through the final four games. Weaver’s non-competitive performance in the Las Vegas Bowl damaged his stock with several teams. “Not a big fan,” one personnel man said. “Really average traits. Really average genetics. Bad body. Just don’t see it.” NFL draft history is littered with edge pass rushers that flourished in the collegiate game but either failed or had only modest success in the professional game. The need is never-ending for defensive coordinators. Anae and Weaver will get every opportunity to prove themselves.
RANKING THE EDGE RUSHERS 1. CHASE YOUNG, Ohio State (6-5, 264, no 40, 1) 2. K’LAVON CHAISSON, LSU (6-3, 254, no 40, 1) 3. A.J. EPENESA, Iowa (6-5, 275, 5.06, 1-2) 4. YETUR GROSS-MATOS, Penn State (6-5, 266, no 40, 1-2) Gross-Matos, a third-year junior, is “very talented,” one scout said. “He’s a three-down player. He’s a bigger guy than most of these pass rushers, which I like about him. He’s bigger than Chaisson and Okwara and Uche. But he’s got some off-the-field stuff, maturity and things. (Editor’s note: Gross-Matos was suspended in July of 2019 for a violation of team rules and spent that summer away from the team). I think he’s a first-round talent.” Played in a rotation as a freshman before starting 25 games as a DE in a 4-3 for two seasons. “He’s still pretty raw,” said another scout. “He’s got to learn a little more toughness, a little more finish. Got to get his technique down. He’s got traits that are pretty high end and you’d like to develop.” Arm length (34 7/8) tied for the longest among the top 15 at the position. “His floor is pretty high but his ceiling isn’t as high as Okwara’s,” said a third scout. “But the bust factor isn’t there because he plays his balls off. He can play the run.” He finished with 111 tackles (37 for loss) and 19 sacks. “I think he stinks,” said a fourth scout. “He’s not explosive. He’s leggy. More of a technician than anything else.” Gross-Matos is from Spotsylvania, Va. 5. JULIAN OKWARA, Notre Dame (6-4, 252, no 40, 2-3) A polarizing prospect, to say the least. “Like him,” said one scout. “He can rush the passer. He’s athletic as heck. He can (bend). Second round.” Okwara started in the last two of his four seasons, mainly from a two-point stance in a 3-4 defense. “Sometimes these kids go to Notre Dame and they make them think they’re something really, really special,” said one scout. “That’s not an attitude you want in a defensive lineman. You want a hungry guy, and I didn’t see that. I do think he’s gifted. Not Chase Young gifted. But he’s not an impact player. I wouldn’t bet on him.” Okwara finished with 77 tackles (23 for loss) and 14 ½ sacks. His senior season ended after nine games because of a fractured fibula. “He does have elite pass-rush skill,” said a third scout. “He’s more talented as a rusher than Epenesa. He’s got better bend. He’d have been a low 4.6, maybe even a 4.5 guy. He’s more talented than Anae. It’s not even close.” His brother, Romeo, is an edge rusher for the Lions. “He has high bust potential,” a fourth scout said. “He is freakishly talented but he has never consistently played to his ability. He’ll give you one game where he looks like a top-10 pick and then three games where he looks like a sixth-rounder. Football character is not very good at all. He doesn’t like to gain weight. He has a hard time holding weight. It’s reflected in his game. Somebody could take a swing at the bat in the third or he could slide to Day 3 depending on how he recovers from the injury and what his weight’s like and how much you believe you can get the stuff out of him.” Okwara is from Charlotte, N.C. 6. BRADLEE ANAE, Utah (6-3 ½, 257, 4.93, 2-3) Anae is a three-year starter at LE. “Some guys know how to rush the quarterback and some guys don’t,” said one scout. “Bradlee Anae does. He’s got a great feel for it. Knows how to counter pressure. Can really turn the corner. Really good with his hands. Similar to Nick Bosa that way. He has the right mentality. People were saying he’s a meathead. Do you want a bookworm to play defensive end?” Anae broke the school-record of 29 ½ sacks by Hunter Dimick with 30 and also had 135 tackles (41 ½ for loss) and six forced fumbles. “He’s going to be a pain in the ass (for offenses),” another scout said. “He has talent but there’s not a lot of skill. He can bend a little bit but it’s more just quickness off the ball and he just doesn’t stop. Like the Energizer Bunny. His sacks will come from effort or winning right off the bat as opposed to skill.” Anae ran a slow 40 and his arm length of 32 1/8 was the shortest of the leading edge rushers. “He’s not an elite guy,” said a third scout. “He’s been a big hype guy. He had a good Senior Bowl. He’s not that talented as a rusher in terms of twitch, explosiveness.” Anae is from Laie, Hawaii. 7. JOSH UCHE, Michigan (6-1, 245, no 40, 2-3) 8. DARRELL TAYLOR, Tennessee (6-3 ½, 267, no 40, 3-4) 9. CURTIS WEAVER, Boise State (6-2 ½, 265, no 40, 3-4) 10. JABARI ZUNIGA, Florida (6-3 ½, 264, 4.61, 3-4) 11. JASON STROWBRIDGE, North Carolina (6-4, 275, 4.91, 4) 12. TERRELL LEWIS, Alabama (6-5, 262, no 40, 4) Several teams said Lewis was a major medical risk stemming from elbow and right knee injuries, including a torn ACL in July 2018. “He’s really talented,” one scout said. “The durability stuff scares me. He’s got like top-15 talent if his body holds up.” He declared a year early after starting just four of 26 games. “Three years ago I would have said, ‘Oh, yeah, top-10 pick,’” said another scout. “Three years later he’s had two major injuries and missed almost two full seasons. This year he knew he was on the clock, damaged goods potentially, so he just cruised through the year. Just did everything to stay on the field and everything not to get hurt. He’s got a basketball body. He looks the part but, wow, doesn’t make any plays. He’s got the potential to, but just hasn’t. He’s a true boom or bust. He’s either going to hit big or he’s going to be out of this thing pretty quickly.” Lewis finished with 58 tackles (14 ½ for loss) and eight sacks. “He was mentioned in the first round in some mock drafts,” said a third scout. “My God, I hope somebody drafts him there.” Lewis is from Washington. 13. JONATHAN GREENARD, Florida (6-3 ½, 263, 4.87, 4-5) 14. ALEX HIGHSMITH, Charlotte (6-3, 248, 4.70, 4-5) Highsmith was redshirted in 2015 after not being heavily recruited. Backed up in 2016-’17 and started at DE in 2018-’19. His statistics improved every year. “Had a really good game against Clemson (Sept. 21) and then his play kind of leveled off,” one scout said. “He didn’t play with the same motor after playing with his hair on fire against Clemson. Overachiever all the way. A rotational guy that has to play special teams.” Finished with 185 tackles (46 for loss) and 20 sacks. “He has zero strength,” said another scout. “He’s undersized. Looks like a 3-4 outside guy. He worked out pretty good.” Highsmith scored a Wonderlic of 26 and is from Wilmington, N.C. 15. D.J. WONNUM, South Carolina (6-4 ½, 258, 4.76, 5) OTHERS, in order: Khalid Kareem, Notre Dame; Casey Toohill, Stanford; Alton Robinson, Syracuse; Azur Kamara, Kansas; Delontae Scott, SMU; Trevis Gipson, Tulsa; James Smith-Williams, North Carolina State; Carter Coughlin, Minnesota; Kenny Willekes, Michigan State; Anfernee Jennings, Alabama; Derrek Tuszka, North Dakota State; Jonathan Garvin, Miami; Nick Coe, Auburn; Mike Danna, Michigan; Oluwole Betiku, Illinois. THE SKINNY UNSUNG HERO Casey Toohill, Stanford: Toohill made himself some money with a big combine: a 4.62 clocking in the 40, a position-best 39-inch vertical jump and a position-best 30 on the Wonderlic. A late bloomer, he didn’t start until his third year (2018), and that season ended after seven games with an ankle injury. He had an eight-sack season in 2019 as an OLB in a 3-4. “Awesome kid,” said one scout. “He’s on that fringe of maybe being able to start.” SCOUTS’ NIGHTMARE Nick Coe, Auburn: A four-year DE out of Asheboro, N.C., Coe posted a seven-sack season in 2018 before the roof fell in. At 6-4 ½ and 277, he’s a physical specimen with loads of ability. But according to a scout, he fell asleep in meetings, complained about his role and ended up being benched. Now, he might not even be drafted. “You think you’ve got to give this guy a chance just because he’s body beautiful,” said one scout. “But the guy made like four plays all year.” SCOUT TO REMEMBER Walt Yowarsky: Yowarsky spent five decades in the NFL, first as a top lineman, then as an assistant coach and finally as an area scout for the Cowboys from 1977-2001. Described by one former colleague as “strong-willed” and “not afraid to ask tough questions of coaches and players.” In 1990, Yowarsky got on the proverbial table and helped persuade Jimmy Johnson to draft Florida RB Emmitt Smith in the first round. Citing several others members of the Dallas’ personnel department, ESPN reported that the final sentence in Yowarsky’s report read: “Smith will some day make Cowboys fans forget about Tony Dorsett.” He died in 2014 at age 86. QUOTE TO NOTE AFC executive in personnel: “The 3-cone, to me, is the most important drill because you see feet, you see hips, you see change of direction. How does football differ from baseball, basketball, track? Those are straight-line games, basically. Change of direction is the whole key in football.”
I am interested in the route the #Texans take for their defensive line entering the draft. Optimal would be a three down players on the interior. The issue is if they can’t get that type of player. — patrick (@PatDStat) April 20, 2020 the #Texans like longer defensive ends over tackles and sometimes the guard and shorter and stouter interior players to play over the guard and center. — patrick (@PatDStat) April 20, 2020 Back to if they can’t land a 3-down player. That leaves them a chance to get a longer defensive end if they chose that route or wait later in the draft for 2-down players to be run stuffers. #Texans — patrick (@PatDStat) April 20, 2020 If the board adjusts the #Texans to wait for a run stuffer to team with Brandon Dunn, think similar to Reader. Big bodied and eat up folks to leave BMack and Cunningham free to eat. — patrick (@PatDStat) April 20, 2020 So… optimal would be 1.) three down player. after that it will be dicated on the board but the addition of Jernigan gives them the flexibility to go in any direction in the draft and feel comfortable with their choice imo. #Texans — patrick (@PatDStat) April 20, 2020 Twitter: @zshawn10
