2013 Ask Jeff Risdon a Question

[gswhoops]

Jeff, if you were calling the shots how would you rank these guys (first round DE/OLBs)

Demontre Moore
Bjoern Werner
Dion Jordan
Jarvis Jones
Barkevious Mingo
Ezekial Ansah
Sam Montgomery
Alex Okafor

Are any/most of these guys limited scheme wise, to say a stand-up or hand-down role?

1. Moore
2. Mingo
3. Werner
4. Jordan
5. Montgomery
6. Jones
7. Okafor
8. Ansah

Mingo is strictly a linebacker, Jordan probably is as well at least early on. Jones is a 4-3 OLB to me. Montgomery is a 4-3 RDE only. Okafor is a DE that can slide inside a la Tuck & Peppers.

Forgive the noob question, but what exactly makes someone suited to LDE or RDE?

[Magilla_Gorilla]

Jeff -

What do you think Vance McDonald's stock looks like post-Senior Bowl practices? Also, what type of 40 would you expect from the Rice-Rocket at the combine?


Thanks.

[Icness]

Forgive the noob question, but what exactly makes someone suited to LDE or RDE?

It's a very good question, not sure that Matt Millen knows the answer to it

Most teams prefer to run to their right, which is right at the LDE. So you want the LDE to be stouter against the run. Most right tackles are slower-footed than left tackles, so a LDE doesn't necessarily have to have great speed to win as much as a RDE will against the more agile LT. Some teams do want to use their speedier guy on the left side to create more of an advantage (think Avril in DET) but it's usually the other way around.

[Icness]

Jeff -

What do you think Vance McDonald's stock looks like post-Senior Bowl practices? Also, what type of 40 would you expect from the Rice-Rocket at the combine?


Thanks.

2nd round pick, feel very confident about that. I wrote quite a bit about him here:
http://www.detroitlionsdraft.com/2013/0 ... /#more-611
At Rice he showed he could scoot but never seemed to understand real well how to get there. He's definitely toned up the calves and leaned out a bit up top. Was one of the most talked-about players in Mobile as a positive.

I know this: he's faster in a straight line than a couple of guys that are going to time in the low 4.5s. I'll put him at 4.54 but only because his inital burst isn't good enough to go 4.4. He's as fast as most WRs here in the last 20 yards. Except Marquise Goodwin, who ran a 9.98 100 "just for fun" a couple weeks ago.

[gswhoops]

Forgive the noob question, but what exactly makes someone suited to LDE or RDE?

It's a very good question, not sure that Matt Millen knows the answer to it

Most teams prefer to run to their right, which is right at the LDE. So you want the LDE to be stouter against the run. Most right tackles are slower-footed than left tackles, so a LDE doesn't necessarily have to have great speed to win as much as a RDE will against the more agile LT. Some teams do want to use their speedier guy on the left side to create more of an advantage (think Avril in DET) but it's usually the other way around.

Thanks Ice. To put it in mock draft planning terms then if you were a team like Miami with Wake or Dallas with Ware, you'd be looking at guys who would fit well at LDE right?

[ATL Boy]

If Tony Gonzalez does indeed retire do you think the Falcons should go after a TE like Eifert or Ertz in the first round or should they go after a Pass Rusher like John Jenkins?

[Icness]

If Tony Gonzalez does indeed retire do you think the Falcons should go after a TE like Eifert or Ertz in the first round or should they go after a Pass Rusher like John Jenkins?

I think they will strongly consider a TE in the 1st. But if a better pass rusher is available they'll jump at it. Jenkins is not that guy though; they need a DE or a hybrid DE/OLB. Jarvis Jones might be the guy and he could very well fall that far. Alex Okafor or Sam Montgomery will be in that range too.

[Icness]

Thanks Ice. To put it in mock draft planning terms then if you were a team like Miami with Wake or Dallas with Ware, you'd be looking at guys who would fit well at LDE right?

Yes, you got it

[ATL Boy]

If Tony Gonzalez does indeed retire do you think the Falcons should go after a TE like Eifert or Ertz in the first round or should they go after a Pass Rusher like John Jenkins?

I think they will strongly consider a TE in the 1st. But if a better pass rusher is available they'll jump at it. Jenkins is not that guy though; they need a DE or a hybrid DE/OLB. Jarvis Jones might be the guy and he could very well fall that far. Alex Okafor or Sam Montgomery will be in that range too.

Thanks Ice

[[RCG]]

I wasn't able to watch the Senior Bowl game, who stood out positively & negatively?

[Icness]

I wasn't able to watch the Senior Bowl game, who stood out positively & negatively?

Good- Ansah, Alford, Manuel, Poyer, Gooden

Bad-The North OL, Dysert, Greene, Lester

That's just the game itself

[Roger Murdock]

You seem lower on Werner than most people - thoughts on him? and 4-3 end, 3-4 OLB, or both?

Also Star - how do you think he fits into 3-4 and 4-3 alignments. Is he worth a top 10 pick as a 3-4 end?

[DirtyDez]

Is Warmack the greatest OG prospect of our era?

[Icness]

You seem lower on Werner than most people - thoughts on him? and 4-3 end, 3-4 OLB, or both?

Also Star - how do you think he fits into 3-4 and 4-3 alignments. Is he worth a top 10 pick as a 3-4 end?

I think Werner is more Ryan Kerrigan than Von Miller. He really does remind me of Kyle VandenBosch in his healthiest time in TEN and DET. That's a very good player but not a game changer IMO. He is a 4-3 strongside end and a top 10 pick. He can play an aggressive 3-4 LOLB spot the way the Steelers use LaMarr Woodley but he's not a blazing around the edge rusher like Aldon Smith or Demarcus Ware.

Star is not worth a top 10 pick in any scheme. He is best as a 1-technique, which is usually in a 4-3 but sometimes gets used in 3-4 (think Jay Ratliff in DAL). I don't see the value in taking a DT who will max out at 3.5 sacks and 45 tackles in a season in the top 10. He's not as dynamic of a presence as Phil Taylor. You want a 3-4 end that high? Sheldon Richardson is the man. Star is going to be a good NFL starter for a long time but he's going to be overdrafted.

[Icness]

Is Warmack the greatest OG prospect of our era?

He's better than Decastro last year or Iupati. I wasn't scouting at the time but Steve Hutchinson is the gold standard and I suspect Warmack has about the same grade that Hutch did. His run blocking is just phenomenal. Biggest knock is that he doesn't pick up stunts and interior blitzes well, which was also true of Iupati and he's turned out pretty good.

[reeDfense]

Do you think Manti has really fallen that far due to this whole fake GF thing? i personally have never really liked him...In your opinion who is the top MLB? And what are your thoughts on Matt Elam? Also what have you heard about Joeckel and the Chiefs?

[Icness]

Do you think Manti has really fallen that far due to this whole fake GF thing? i personally have never really liked him...In your opinion who is the top MLB? And what are your thoughts on Matt Elam? Also what have you heard about Joeckel and the Chiefs?

I think Te'o is still a top 40 pick. His truly awful performance against Bama hurts more than the Kekua crap, though that is not insignificant either. He is my #3 ILB behind Kevin Minter and Arthur Brown, though Brown absolutely cannot play in a 3-4 at his size.

Elam is overhyped. Big-time hitter, not much else there to like. Consistently beaten over the top and his range to the sidelines is slower than needed. Duke Williams from Nevada is a better player.

The Chiefs don't even know what they're going to do yet. A lot depends on what happens with Branden Albert, who is a free agent. I do believe they are just as interested, if not more interested, in taking Tyler Wilson #1 as they are Geno Smith. What I personally would do: let Albert walk, trade the 34th pick for Alex Smith, and draft Joeckel. Be forewarned that Joeckel is not as strong a prospect as Jake Long or Joe Thomas.

[DirtyDez]

Is Warmack the greatest OG prospect of our era?

He's better than Decastro last year or Iupati. I wasn't scouting at the time but Steve Hutchinson is the gold standard and I suspect Warmack has about the same grade that Hutch did. His run blocking is just phenomenal. Biggest knock is that he doesn't pick up stunts and interior blitzes well, which was also true of Iupati and he's turned out pretty good.

I guess he gave up 1 sack all season. Guys like Kiper/Mayock say he's the highest rated OG prospect they've graded. If he has an impressive combine in the bench press/lateral quickness drills he should go top 10. Interior pressure is harder to deal with than pressure from the ends (as a QB). I hope the Cards take him at #7.

Faneca/Hutchinson type career IMO...

[gswhoops]

The Chiefs don't even know what they're going to do yet. A lot depends on what happens with Branden Albert, who is a free agent. I do believe they are just as interested, if not more interested, in taking Tyler Wilson #1 as they are Geno Smith. What I personally would do: let Albert walk, trade the 34th pick for Alex Smith, and draft Joeckel. Be forewarned that Joeckel is not as strong a prospect as Jake Long or Joe Thomas.

Do you think Alex Smith will command a pick that high? I mean obviously I'd love to get as high a pick as possible for him.

[Icness]

The Chiefs don't even know what they're going to do yet. A lot depends on what happens with Branden Albert, who is a free agent. I do believe they are just as interested, if not more interested, in taking Tyler Wilson #1 as they are Geno Smith. What I personally would do: let Albert walk, trade the 34th pick for Alex Smith, and draft Joeckel. Be forewarned that Joeckel is not as strong a prospect as Jake Long or Joe Thomas.

Do you think Alex Smith will command a pick that high? I mean obviously I'd love to get as high a pick as possible for him.

I do think Alex Smith bring back at least a 2nd round pick, maybe some conditional picks later as well.

The Raiders are hoping to get a 3rd for Carson Palmer...and they might. He's a great fit for Bruce Arians in Arizona and I know they're not keen on using that 1st round pick on a QB. Carson will have to rework his contract though.