Went through a bunch of threads to identify all of our interests across the defensive line, is this all of them? Who else should be added to the list? Removed from the list? Should anyone be moved up or down on the draft target list?
FA Targets
-DE Yannick Ngakoue, IND
-DT Da’ron Payne, WAS
-DT Poona Ford, SEA
-DE Jadaveon Clowney, CLV
-DT Kalen Saunders, KC
-DT Greg Gains, LAR
-DT Armon Watts, CHI
-DE Ardon Key, JAX
-DE Clean Ferril, LVR
-DE Ogbonnia Okoronkwo, HOU
-DT Chris Wormley, PIT
-DT Maurice Hurst, SF
-DT Andrew Billings, CIN
Vet Trade Targets
-DE Brian Burns, CAR
-DE Chase Young, WAS
-DE Carl Granderson, New Orleans
-DE Za'Darius Smith, Minnesota
-DE D.J. Wonnum, Minnesota
1st Rd Targets
-DT Byran Breese,
-DE Lukas Van Ness, Iowa
-DE BJ Ojulari, LSU
-DE Keion White, Georgia Tech
-DE Derick Hall, Auburn
-DE Isahiah Foskey, ND
-DE Nolan Smith, Georgia
-DL Tuli Tuipulotu, USC
-DE Andre Carter, Army
2nd Rd Targets
-DT Siaki Ika, BU
-DE Will McDonald IV, Iowa St.
-DL Calijah Kancey, Pitt
-DE Zach Harrison, Ohio State
-DE Anudike-Uzomah, Kansas State
-DT Mazi Smith, Michigan
Foskey's not as heavy, not as powerful and I don't see as much agility either. He's a strict speed edge and while I think that's a fine guy to add - if you could add White, who brings the same athleticism while also being strong enough to move inside at times, he just seems more 'spags'.
Maybe the relatively paltry production in college will push him into the mid-2nd and we wouldn't be willing to gamble on him. But man, how many 6'5" 280+ lb guys who can pop up 30 reps and then run a 4.6 40 are you going to find?
Foskey's not as heavy, not as powerful and I don't see as much agility either. He's a strict speed edge and while I think that's a fine guy to add - if you could add White, who brings the same athleticism while also being strong enough to move inside at times, he just seems more 'spags'.
Maybe the relatively paltry production in college will push him into the mid-2nd and we wouldn't be willing to gamble on him. But man, how many 6'5" 280+ lb guys who can pop up 30 reps and then run a 4.6 40 are you going to find?
He's just a specimen.
I've said it before, but White is everything Veach wished he was getting with Speaks. [Reply]
I've said it before, but White is everything Veach wished he was getting with Speaks.
Whaaaaaaat?
Speaks lacked...everything. Athleticism, strength, agility - all of it.
That pick was real dumb from the moment it was made and it sure LOOKED dumb at the time.
(Well, for SOME of us...)
I mean if you looked at White and said "White is who we hoped Tanoh or Kaindoh could be..." then I'd understand that. But Speaks? Man, I see no comparison of those 2 at all. [Reply]
Seriously - WTF was Veach thinking with Breeland Speaks?
I really don't understand it. Didn't have the athleticism to play on an edge (certainly not as an OLB), especially when combined with the lack of length. And he didn't have the strength to play inside. He brought NOTHING to the table even as a prospect. There's no a single standout tool and wasn't from the moment he was drafted. [Reply]
Speaks lacked...everything. Athleticism, strength, agility - all of it.
That pick was real dumb from the moment it was made and it sure LOOKED dumb at the time.
(Well, for SOME of us...)
I mean if you looked at White and said "White is who we hoped Tanoh or Kaindoh could be..." then I'd understand that. But Speaks? Man, I see no comparison of those 2 at all.
Oh I'm not saying they're comparable prospects aside from size. That's kind of the point. [Reply]
Originally Posted by DJ's left nut:
Seriously - WTF was Veach thinking with Breeland Speaks?
I really don't understand it. Didn't have the athleticism to play on an edge (certainly not as an OLB), especially when combined with the lack of length. And he didn't have the strength to play inside. He brought NOTHING to the table even as a prospect. There's no a single standout tool and wasn't from the moment he was drafted.
They completely fucking fucked coaching that kid. I was really high on Speaks as a DT prospect. He absolutely had outstanding athleticism if they would have used him inside where he was best in college. Instead, brilliant fucking Bob tries to make him a damned OLB. Then he spends all year injured when Spags arrived and never developed. I don't think it was the pick as much as it was the absolute dipshits that were Sutton and Co.
I'm less nervous with Spags but if they pick Moro Ojomo, Tyler Lacy, or Dante Stills those butterflies might come back. [Reply]
Originally Posted by kccrow:
They completely fucking fucked coaching that kid. I was really high on Speaks as a DT prospect. He absolutely had outstanding athleticism if they would have used him inside where he was best in college. Instead, brilliant fucking Bob tries to make him a damned OLB. Then he spends all year injured when Spags arrived and never developed. I don't think it was the pick as much as it was the absolute dipshits that were Sutton and Co.
I'm less nervous with Spags but if they pick Moro Ojomo, Tyler Lacy, or Dante Stills those butterflies might come back.
Dude never so much as got extended run on a practice squad anywhere else. If it were mere coaching, SOMEONE would've given him a look at least on a practice squad.
It wasn't coaching. It was sub-average talent combined with a complete lack of drive.
The fact that he got a fresh start and showed up out of shape says it all. [Reply]
Keion White looks very promising in person but he effectively had one good year. You’d think an ass kicker like him would be owning people before last year no? Reminds me a bit of Kpassagnon when he was with us.
Originally Posted by RunKC:
Keion White looks very promising in person but he effectively had one good year. You’d think an ass kicker like him would be owning people before last year no? Reminds me a bit of Kpassagnon when he was with us.
Thought that guy was gonna rape…but…yeah.
Yeah, the NFL has a lot of 'looks like Tarzan, plays like Jane' players out there and really I'm not 100% certain how to separate the wheat from the chaff there.
But if there were a science to it, being a GM would be a hell of a lot easier. At points maybe you have to just spin the wheel and take your chances. Because man, find me many guys who's tools look more like Myles Garrett in a draft in any given year.
There aren't a ton of guys who are even reasonably likely to be available to us that I'd take ahead of him. Maybe Harrison? Maybe Smith-Njiba or Wright?
Among potential DEs, I know there are going to be safer picks, but give if anyone can tap this guy, it would seem Cullen (and having Jones on the line with him) can do it.
Gotta be honest, a few earlier mocks had White going to us at 31 and I laughed at the prospect of him being anything near a 1st round guy. But then we got the testing numbers and...yeah, that's a little different I guess.
The issue now is he's 24 and still raw. It's not all his fault, but I probably want a higher floor at that pick, I dunno. I could see how he'd be a dream for Spags, but man can be just get some bend please? [Reply]
Originally Posted by DJ's left nut:
Dude never so much as got extended run on a practice squad anywhere else. If it were mere coaching, SOMEONE would've given him a look at least on a practice squad.
It wasn't coaching. It was sub-average talent combined with a complete lack of drive.
The fact that he got a fresh start and showed up out of shape says it all.
You're acting like he wasn't regarded as a day 2 prospect by everyone. It might look smart in retrospect but that wasn't anywhere near what people thought then. The dude came off an outstanding Junior season and had really good measurables. The fact he failed is somewhere between his work ethic and coaching and probably does lean heavily towards work ethic. To say he had no talent is simply not true. He had talent. You don't do what he did as a Junior in the SEC and just completely suck nuts. [Reply]