My point has been the same in every post, no matter how you parse it. Namely, this year's group of DTs, DEs, and Edges is not considered to be a strong group. This has been said, over and over by most analysts... instead, this year's group of QBs, WRs, and Offensive Linemen are considered to be notable...
Last year, the Draft had Will Anderson as the top Edge.
Tyree Wilson as the top DE.
Jalen Carter as the top DT.
All of them were (and are) considered to be better prospects than ANY thing available this year.
Van Ness, McDonald... all better...
So, teams with a serious need squint really hard and pretend this year's group... hopefully... has a real prospect in it.
Murphy is barely over 6 feet tall, and he's the best of a weak lot. Shorter arms too... he'll have to be ELITE to make up for his height and length issues.
Sweat is the only one with requisite size, and he's overweight and maybe unmotivated... tough call in round one.
Latu has medical red flags.
Newton is a bit taller, but he too has length issues and is another stocky, maxed out looking player.
I like D. Robinson more than most, but he's a DE type and I'm unsure if we'll employ this hybrid type of player in our defense.
Fortunately... what this class lacks in elite prospects, it more than makes up in depth. There are a LOT of maybes in this group... and draft theory tells us to focus on QB, OT, Edge, CB, and WR anyway... to take one of these flawed Defensive front 6 players when the other positions are LOADED... that's just dumb... like selecting Iggy in a weak CB year.
Not parsing anything. I admire you refusal to admit that Murphy and Newton are higher rated DT's than every other DT in this class by as much as 15-30 picks, despite the information that's been presented But it isn't working. Even Zeurlein, your bible, has Murphy rated as the 15th best prospect in the ENTIRE draft. You're going through all kinds of mental gymnastics to say the top two DTs aren't that higher rated than the other guys, then they're not elite, then you spin it to "not that explosive" when most of the reports from actual draft analysts say the opposite. Your perception of the top two DTs in this class does not match what the experts are saying.
You've kinda made my point for me, if the WR and OL prospects are so deep and the DT class isn't and you need a DT, and we do, why not take a better DT earlier and get players from the loaded WR and OL prospect groups later in the draft?
Taking a higher rated DT (or any position of need) over a lower rated player isn't dumb. it's what good GMs do. You want to cling to this fantasy that there isn't a big difference in how teams see pass rushing DTs vs the guys you think are just as good in the second round, please do. It might a little tougher to look at what other people are saying about Murphy and Newton, but you do you.
Your Iggy analogy is as flawed as most of your analysis on this subject because his grade was never anywhere near the first round. Probably closer to the third round. He was a forced pick by Brian Flores who went to the Auburn pro day and got a woody for the wrong guy. Should have made a better effort to draft Derrick Brown.
A few more points- there are some pretty good DL in this draft, especially in the top 32. Last year's class wasn't much better, if at all. Tyree Wilson was a reach by the Raiders and not a guy who everybody liked last year. He was a late riser and was taken by a team that often overdrafts players. And Lucas van Ness and Will McDonald were rated higher than the DE/Edge guys in this class? Again, shocker, you're wrong. McDonald had a second/third round grade until late in the draft process. Lots of people thought the Jets reached for him. I think van Ness also had a low first/ early second round grade.
Latu has medical red flags? wow, You know who else did, Jaelen Phillips. That's worked out pretty well. Please Lord, make Latu available at pick 21. He's another guy I'd turn the card in for in a second. He'd provide instant impact as a pass rusher.
We have Dallas Turner, Jared Verse, Murphy, Newton, Chop Robinson, your guy Robinson from Mizzou in this draft and they represent about the same number of quality DL as last year's first round. Jalen Carter is bigger and better than the 2 first round DTs this year but there's more pass rush option to choose from in this draft.
And finally, not every DT has to be 340 lbs to make an impact or be worth a first round pick, no matter how many times you write it or say that mantra to yourself, it isn't true. And Murphy's arms are 1/4" shorter than Aaron Donald's but maybe you can find something Murphy did wrong in middle school to keep this discussion going.
