Rank the OL/DL Prospects

[LUKE23]

Most would agree we need help at the lines more than anything. Hard to argue otherwise looking at our roster. Looking at the guys that will go in the 1-15 or so range, how does everyone rank the OL and DL?

I'm more looking to see here over giving my opinion, I have to admit I haven't watched the OL anywhere close as detailed as I have the DL's. I really wanted Cody, but that isn't happening as he's going back to school.

So we have A. Smith, Monroe, J. Smith, Oher as the OT possibilities. We have McCoy and Raji as DT possibilities, and Orakpo, Brown, Maybin as the DE possibilities. I guess rank these 9 guys.

[SugarRay34]

OL
A. Smith
Monroe
J. Smith
Oher

DT
Orakpo
Raji
Brown
Maybin

What about Jackson out of LSU. I am intrigued by that guy.

[LUKE23]

I was talking more rank them all overall. I was just curious on the consensus.

[wichmae]

I would go D before O on this one

[Wade-A-Holic]

If we're looking for the best value at #9, it's going to be offensive line for sure. There just isn't much quality or depth on the defensive line this year.

[LUKE23]

If we're looking for the best value at #9, it's going to be offensive line for sure. There just isn't much quality or depth on the defensive line this year.

I think most would disagree with you, in fact I know they would. For DE's this is a pretty strong draft. DT isn't that great I would agree, but there are still probably three first round DT's too (McCoy, Raji, Marks).

But Orakpo, Brown, Maybin (if he comes out), Johnson, Selvie all have shots at going first round.

[xTitan]

OL
A. Smith
Monroe
J. Smith
Oher

DT
Orakpo
Raji
Brown
Maybin

What about Jackson out of LSU. I am intrigued by that guy.

I see Jackson as a 3-4 defensive end.....

[aaprigs311]

On a side note, Andre Smith is suspended and will not play in the Sugar Bowl due to 'improper dealings with an agent.' Probably just Saban being a dick again. I don't see it influencing his draft stock much.

[ReasonablySober]

It's tough to do. I think Monroe is the most complete offensive lineman right now, but Jason Smith could be Jason Peters and soon. He switched positions and he's got upside. He's probably the best fit for the ZBS in this draft. Andre Smith might be the most dominant right now, particularly in his run blocking but I worry about his pass protection in the NFL and the fact that he doesn't have ideal LT size. Britton I saw as a right tackle last season and he was as dominant as anyone. I haven't seen him play LT but there's no doubt that he's got the size and work ethic to succeed. Russell Okung I've only watched twice and didn't really pay much attention to. I was to busy being blown away by Dez Bryant. I'm semi-intrigued by Alex Boone, Ciron Black and Phil Loadholt. Loadholt and Boone are both massive and came in with a lot of hype but while I thought they looked like good prospects, Scouts seem underwhelmed. I hope Boone and Loadholt get a lot of burn at the Senior Bowl, I'd love to see them play. Black and Okung are both juniors unfortunately.

As for the D-Line, they're freaking tough as hell to project. Most get by on their overwhelming physical gifts. If they don't have a desire to really improve, they'll be serious busts, all of them. There isn't a Mario Williams, Richard Seymour, John Henderson or Albert Haynesworth in this class. Nobody will be so much of a physical force that they will demand a double team from the get-go.

Aaron Maybin put up gaudy stats and you can't question his athletic ability, but he has one move: run around the big slow dude. He lined up wide and just ran up field on every passing down. If he had to run eight yards into the backfield to avoid engaging the OT he would. That won't work in the NFL. However, you simply can't ignore the potential.

Brian Orakpo will play both the run and the pass and isn't afraid to mix it up with an offensive tackle. He can go inside or out and he now understands that if he varies his routine he'll put the OT on his heels faster. He absolutely embarrassed Oklahoma's Phil Loadholt. I wouldn't have any problem taking him at #9.

Everette Brown is more explosive, younger, faster and more technically sound than Orakpo. He's a pass rusher and has more moves than most DE's I've seen in college. He doesn't play the run as well as Orakpo and he isn't as strong. But he could be another Demarcus Ware with the way he goes after the QB.

I haven't watched Sen'Derrick Marks, but of these potential first round DTs I saw, here were my impressions:

Peria Jerry is vicious. He's a one-gap DT that won't eat up a lot of space but he's quick off the line and gets into the backfield. This season he had 17 tackles for loss despite being doubled the majority of the time. When he wasn't he was an absolute force. I think if you want an experienced DT he's a good place to start.

I only watched BJ Raji once but he was completely unblockable. He would better fit Green Bay's scheme because of his size and the fact he can also keep linemen off of his linebackers. I didn't think he's the natural athlete that Jerry or McCoy are but he's still pretty damn good.

McCoy's got the most upside. He's tall, very athletic, very strong and comes with the pedigree. He was #4 on Rivals top 100 coming out of high school and he's done nothing but live up to the hype. The fact that he isn't carrying more weight scares me a bit but I think he's the kind of lineman you could move around. He may actually be looked at as a 3-4 DE and physically he looks a lot like the 49ers Justin Smith. But I think that frame could hold 20 more pounds and McCoy may end up having a similar impact to Kevin Williams and Tommie Harris. I don't think he's a guy you take if you need immediate contribution, but the payoff could be big if you stick with him.

The offensive linemen are going to be the safer picks in this draft. They're more experienced and have the advantage of size. But there are defensive linemen that offer enormous upside.

This is pre-senior bowl, pre-combine but if I had a wish list here's how I would go:

1 - Everette Brown
2 - Gerald McCoy
3 - Eugene Monroe
4 - Brian Orakpo
5 - Jason Smith
6 - Andre Smith
7 - Aaron Maybin
8 - Peria Jerry
9 - BJ Raji
10 - Russell Okung

[aaprigs311]

This is just my cumulative fab 5

1. Orakpo
2. Andre Smith
3. Eugene Monroe
4. Everette Brown
5. Charles Johnson

[LUKE23]

I'm going to need a little more detail.

Great post man.

[aaprigs311]

I really think we'll go offensive line. It's definitely a major need and there is better depth on the o-line than d-line in this draft. Thus, making it more likely that an o-linemen is TT's bpa chose. That make any sense?

I'll be content with o-line help, but drafting an end like Orakpo or Brown would just be so much sexier and exciting.

[aaprigs311]

I'm going to need a little more detail.

Great post man.

Amen to that.

[El Duderino]

I only watched part of one Florida St. game this year prior to the Badgers bowl game and man, Everette Brown sure is a skilled and impressive player, plus he played hard every snap i zeroed in on him. He probably is best suited for a 3-4 defense, but even if we stayed a 4-3, i'd have a hard time passing on the kid if he was still on the board. Our defense line is in desperate need of some speed and athletic ability. Watching that unit flail and flop around while trying to rush the passer was painful.

For all his warts in the running game, one thing KGB provided at least was a relentless pass rusher that even if stuffed initially, he had the speed/stamina to keep coming and eventually chase down a QB that either left the pocket or had been standing back there a long time. Way to often this year a QB would just be standing back in the pocket forever as Kampman was doubled and both DT's along with Montgomery just stood on the line of scrimmage jumping to deflect the pass because they had no ability to get passed their man at all and thus simply gave up.

[Ill-yasova]

Hey DB. Rank the db's that will go between the 4-6 round. Please assign numerical value, and a psychological write up. Gonna need that by 2:00 PM.

[ReasonablySober]

Hey DB. Rank the db's that will go between the 4-6 round. Please assign numerical value, and a psychological write up. Gonna need that by 2:00 PM.

I honestly couldn't tell you a single thing about 95% of the DBs in this draft. I've watched Jenkins a dozen times and Davis maybe six times. I think I've seen Mays about eight times. I watched William Moore and Rashad Johnson each twice, though both times it was because I was scouting other players. I liked Courtney Green a couple seasons ago and thought he looked like a future starter, but it sounds like he never improved. Nic Harris is in that same boat.

Going into this season I had the lines and linebackers pegged as needs for the Packers so those are the areas I tried to check out the most. Second came tight ends and runningbacks. I've seen most of the top 25 WRs but I didn't make a point to look at each in depth the same way I did the linemen.

Also, I should have added Greg Hardy to my original list. He's got huge talent and ability but because of his injury history and character issues I didn't expect him to come out. It's sounding like he is. I don't know if he's worth a risk at #9 with Everette Brown and McCoy possibly around, but if he stays on the field he could be a monster.

[Bernman]

DE

1. George Selvie- South Florida....the least questions to be answered about any defensive end. Ultra productive in 2007 but suffered a drop-off this year, only because he was being constantly double or triple teamed. Non-stop motor. Great get off from the line of scrimmage. Uses long arms to shed defensive lineman and get the corner when necessary. Great reaction time and lateral quickness to snare ballcarriers who are trying to cut across his body. Solid against the run in spite a proclivity to rush the edge for that reason. All he needs to do is gain a little weight. But certainly has the frame to do so without losing much athleticism. Already strong for his size.

2. Everrette Brown- Florida State.....quickest/fastest DE in this class and will be among the best in that category in the NFL. Vicious. Has fairly long arms and uses them well. Solid strength, but understands the need to use leverage on much bigger linemen and bull rush them as they're off balance. Not limited to one or two moves and shows off his agility with spin moves. Problem with that is it can take him off balance and he loses sight which could cause him to get blown over or sidestepped by opposing running back. It seems more of a reaction to not beating the DE off the corner and not a reaction to where the ballcarrier is. His awareness against the run isn't the highest. Could be a liability against it in the NFL. Case in point, Florida State was 42nd in the nation against the run and Selvie's South Florida 8th. Wisconsin ran all over FSU, often on Brown's side of the line. He loses contain a lot.

3. Aaron Maybin- Penn State- immense potential for the pros and was productive this year. Youngest DE projected to declare? He should fill out pretty naturally as a result, although could lose some speed and be a bigger target for OT's to get their hands on. One move is speed rush and will need to expand his repertoire. Smart kid so more should develop, but we have to make an educated guess about that. Not really a liability against the run because he reacts quickly and can move laterally well. PSU was 9th against the run. Has an attitude which can translate into a positive or negative.

4. Michael Johnson- Georgia Tech....has an immense amount of potential, but has never completely translated to production. Best "all-around" defensive end of the four. Won't be a liability against either run or pass, but may not make an impact against either one. Most physically developed. Strong. Great timed speed but doesn't seem to translate to great burst on D-Line. Not the quickest reactions or laterally and as a result is often trailing plays making inconsequential tackles/efforts. I wouldn't touch him within the first 20 picks or so, but would certainly be an option if somehow he was available in the end of first or second. Really pays for the Packers winding up in the top 10 because he could be too tempting later, but thankfully we don't have that conundrum.

BUST ALERT

Brian Orakpo- Texas.....one year wonder essentially. Concern is he sniffed the green and worked harder than he ever has in his life. Suffered a knee injury during his career. Small frame with short arms and as a result could get enveloped by long-armed lineman who also possess quickness to get in position and get their hands on him in the in the pros. Get-off is alright, but not near the level of the elite linemen in this class. Workout wonder. Vernon Gholston clone. The Pack drafting him w/ the #9 pick would ruin the entire draft for me.

DrugBust keeps asserting that a high majority of impact D-Lineman are drafted in the first half of the first round, but 7 of the top 12 leading sackers at the DE position weren't even drafted in the first round.

If you can get two impact players like Maualuga and Selvie in the same draft somehow to address much needed front 7 woes, you do it. Add a player like Peppers in free agency, and all of a sudden the front 7 is a major strength. Immense amount of depth, talent. D-Line rotation can conserve energy and wreak havoc in the backfield, forcing opposing QB's to rush their decisions, and opportunistic backers can take advantage. Also, you have 1-2 much needed vocal leaders to direct the defense and demand success.

[ReasonablySober]

Selvie was no more double or triple teamed than anyone else on this list. The fact is he was injured most of the season with an ankle sprain and simply wasn't as explosive. He should stick around another year, put on 15 pounds and have a healthy and productive season.

I have huge reservations about drafting a guy with size issues and an injury history. If we were running a 3-4 I wouldn't have a problem with taking the guy in the second round but I don't see him playing with his hand in the dirt in the NFL.

I'm with you on Johnson, except for the line about immense potential. He's massively overrated in terms of his explosiveness and speed. People like to compare him to Mario WIlliams in that they're both tall DEs with a lot of hype that didn't live up to it in college. He's not Peppers and he's not Williams, or even a close facsimile.

As for where you find pass rushers, since 2000, 60% of the players that landed in the top 10 in sacks at some point where taken in round one.

[El Duderino]

As for where you find pass rushers, since 2000, 60% of the players that landed in the top 10 in sacks at some point where taken in round one.

Is there a site you know of that keeps track of QB pressures among NFL players? I ask because while sacks are vital, so is just getting pressure. I remember some weeks ago McGinn did a piece on the defensive line and he listed both the number of sacks and pressures of the players compared to players on the team last year. While the lesser number of sacks was glaring, the lesser number of pressures was even more glaring. When it comes to DT's, they don't often rack up high sack totals, even top shelf ones. That said, the more skilled DT's are able to at least collapse the pocket or flush the QB into the ends reasonably often.

I'd be curious if there was a pressures stat, how defensive lineman around the NFL have stacked up the last 5-10 years.