Branch is a run stopper, not a guy that gets a ton of sacks. Stopping the run is what Branch has help do all year and he did it again against USC. Branch also ties up two opposing OL's routinely every game, which allows for their middle linebacker to roam all over the field. That is one of the reasons why David Harris is having a great year for Michigan.
After the job Joe Thomas did for the Badgers vs the Hogs yesterday, and if he's available, we definitely should take him. He probably goes top 5 though. Should Brohm come out along with Russell to go with Quinn and Smith, he could trickle down to us. Also, Jarrett's performance against Michigan almost guarantees he could be top 5 material (11 catches, 205 yds and 2 TDs or 3). Calvin Johnson could be top 5 material as well with his 9 catches for 186 yds and 2 TDs vs the Mountaineers. AP had flashes of brilliance in the Fiesta Bowl vs the Broncs, clearly he had definite rust trying to shake off from his game. He did have a brilliant TD run to start OT for the Sooners. So far winners ... Joe Thomas, Dwayne Jarrett, Calvin Johnson Average performances (not difference maker) ... AP, Alan Branch To Be Determined ... JaMarcus Russell, LaRon Landry, Brady Quinn, Brohm, Troy Smith, Chris Leak By next week, the picture should be much clearer as most who will declare for the draft probably will have already done so.
It is pretty dangerous to judge players based on one game. Remember Timmy Smith with the Redskins? You have to look at the entire body of work, while looking for tendecies in the bigger games. In this regard Troy Smith is pretty interesting. I don't know if I would take him with the 8th pick but I would consider moving back into the first round or trading down and picking up additional picks.
From what I saw, Branch does not deserve to be a 1st round pick. He really eats up the blocks, but he doesn't really release well even on running plays. The big DT from USC looked like a better player.
Can't Edit: I looked it up, and the DT I liked so much was Sedrick Ellis. He's listed at 6'1", 295, so he's not worth a 1st day draft pick, but he's a gamer.
Curious about JaMarcus Russell. I know he known for his size but can he pass, run, & read defenses? I just hear about his height & wt while other QB are being regarded for their smart decision making, mobility, arm strength, ect. I don't hear anything about Russell’s passing game just his height & wt (which is great).
He's got possibly the strongest and most accurate arm of all the prospects, plus he's a pretty good runner. LSU fans sometimes complain about his decision making (he tries to do too much), but the tools are among the best.
You're basing all this on 1 game? You think now Jarrett is guaranteed top 5 and Calvin is possibly? Calvin will go top 5. Jarrett will go after Calvin depending on need for a WR. Both had great games yesterday, but that's not the determining factor in the draft..
I'm sorry for not responding earlier, but I disagree with one point and agree with another. Safeties can be equated to the tight end in offense. Against traditional run and vertical pass offenses, safeties aren't especially important. But just like tight ends become vital in a West Coast offense, Safeties become vital (perhaps more important than corners) in defending against a West Coast offense. But the biggest reason to pick Landry in the first round isn't question of the overall value of the position. Lack of a decent free-safety is the biggest weakness on the entire Texans roster. At least the O-line can run block. C.C. Brown is easily the worst defensive starter in the league.
I may be suffering from homerism, but Jared Zabranzky is projected to maybe a 7th round pick. He has decent size (6'2"), a strong arm and is very fast, although not real elusive when running. There has been a lot of talk about leadership of the qb, and if any of you guys watched the Fiesta Bowl, he definately showed that. He threw a horrible looking pick (receiver went long, he threw short) and gave OU a 7 pt lead with about a minute left in the game. I think a lot of qb's would have wilted in that situation. If you didn't see it, I'm sure you have heard about the comeback. He was under big pressure from OU. He showed that pocket presence that gets talked about and delivered big throws. Anyway, if we don't take a qb in the early rounds, I think he would be worth a pick at the end of the draft. I've watched the kid for 3 years and can tell you he has a big heart, a lot of confidence, and reasonable measurables. OU focused on shutting down Ian Johnson and even though Ian got a little over 100 yds rushing, it was definatley Z that carried the offense.
I wish Okoye with Louisville slips to our 2nd pick. Doubtful though. He's another intelligent young player/team leader. Graduating at 19. He's a monster.
1st choice - Russell 2nd choice - Brohm 3rd choice - Peterson Joe Thomas will go anywhere from 1 to 5. He will never slip.
I like Brohm's game a lot. Russell I'm not very high on. We have so many needs that I'm in favor of trading down and picking up another first day pick. We need to upgrade our entire secondary (except Dunta), OL, DL, RB, QB, and OLB. Yeah, that's pretty much the whole team. Basically our only good players are Mario, Demeco, Jerome Mathis, Andre, Moulds, Dunta, and Weaver. That's 7 players out of 50+. That's a problem.
