There are many lines of thought on who will be without a doubt our pick if we do not trade down, here
is my line of thinking of the top 6......
Matt Ryan
My thoughts:
The QB with the IT factor, has good to possibly very good mental skills to succeed in the NFL, but as far as physical tools, there is no area where you see elite QB....then again, there was no area where you saw elite in Tom Brady. He has very good Leadership skills, and pretty much carried an average BC offense to 11 wins (For the 1st time since 1940) including a bowl win.
My problem:
He gives me the impression of having the gunslinger, will challenge you and force the ball if I have too mentality, and even though QBs like Brett Favre, Payton Manning and Dan Marino, had it also, all three also were/are more gifted in one area of more. Ryan will never have the arm strength, Release, toughness or accuracy of those three, so he will throw way more INTs then you would hope for in a franchise QB. There is a very good chance he will be a good QB, but because of the money and expectations of being a QB picked #1 overall, good will not cut it.
Why not #1:
Simply we have Beck, and even if Beck is not your cup of tea, Beck is better then Ryan in many areas, like accuracy, better arm, more knowledge of the game, and better deep ball. Also unless you are sure Beck did not impress Coach Lee, or gave him reason to doubt him, picking a QB #1 overall is very doubtful, many believe (same as me) that Matt Ryan is not that much better then the next 3 QB after him, and there is a good chance one of them may fall to the 32nd pick where it will be cheaper if we really need to groom another QB.
Jake Long
My thoughts:
Jake is very powerful, great run-blocker, has proven he can do a good job pass-blocking. Is a very tough linemen that will be driven back, and once he gets control of a D-player, pretty athletic for his size and power. He is smart, and even though as many experts believe, his talents would serve a team better at R-tackle in the NFL, he could learn and catch up to the NFL speed fast enough to be a very good L-tackle, but he really not a good enough athlete to be on the left side.
My problem:
He very well may only be a R-tackle in the NFL, many here would love to have him as our overall #1, but many believe he is not a agile enough to go against speed rusher (meaning he is good but not great), and with the speed of the NFL, he is going to have more trouble then many expect against the speed he will have to deal with as a L-tackle in the NFL.
Why not #1:
He is very aggressive, very long arms to engulf defensive players, very powerful, and has even more room to grow, but he does not have the agility to move around fast enough to control very athletic and fast pass-rushers. This a very deep class of tackles, if we can not find a true L-tackle, we will at least find a R-tackle that can play in the 2nd round. There is even a tackle in Ryan Clady that even someone as knowledgeable as Boomer seem to be very high on. If we end up with another R-tackle, Carrey can still handle the left-side, and who knows, may actually do even better this year.
Darren McFadden
My thoughts:
This years premier RB is extremely fast, has great vision, awesome moves, has very good size, and is tough, not afraid of contact. He is a threat to take it all the way every time he touches the ball, reminds some people of a tougher Adrian Peterson, but will have to work more on his blocking and is not as good a receiver as he could be.
My problem:
He is a very good RB, there is no doubt, but he also runs very upright, and considering he also has no problem with contact and will not go down easily, he will take a lot of punishment. There is a problem with ball security, which will happen with someone that does not go down easy and tries to power for that last yard.
Why not #1:
He is an elite RB coming from college, and has shown to be very tough, but as in every position in the NFL, the speed of the NFL is going to slow him down considerably, and will take a while to catch up, Miami on the other hand does not need another RB, especially one that is nowhere as good a receiver or blocker as Miami's 1st two on the list. Finally Parcells said he does not want anyone that has character issues, and McFadden seems to like getting into fights in his spare time.
Glenn Dorsey
My thoughts:
Great D-tackle, very powerful, disruptive, has a none-stop motor, hard worker, very agile, and has very good leverage. This is a guy that will automatically make everyone around him better, he eats up blockers like a mad man, and allows everyone else to take much easier paths to the QB or RB. Injuries are still a concern, and size makes you wonder if he could be a N-tackle in the NFL.
My problem:
This is a very powerful player, but his size dictates that he could be better off in a 4-3 defense, the injuries are something to worry about, even though he does not have a history of injuries, this one seems to be lingering, so makes you wonder how serious it may be, and if he will be able to start right away.
Why not #1:
This is an amazing talent, can't go wrong with this guy if the injury is shown to be nothing, and has not effected him. His size will make him a slower then normal DE or and undersized Nose-tackle. There is not much more then you can add to his 6'1 frame, so at best he will always be an undersized Nose-tackle, if not for how dominating he continued to be hurt, that size would really be a big warning to worry about in the NFL for a team that would be running a 3-4. Even though I like this guy, there is still one player I like better then Dorsey.
Vernon Gholston
My thoughts:
This is a player that is an awesome athlete, as well as being very strong, as a DE he showed the quickness of an elite pass-rusher, but will probably be a outside LB in a 3-4 defense. Still could add more size and play DE in the 4-3 if needed. Could be a very good LB in the NFL, but there are areas that he will have to learn to become a consistent LB.
My problem:
As a DE in college he was great, and in a 4-3, there is little that is wrong with his game, but as 3-4 LB, he is going to have to become better in coverage, he is going to have to learn to react better, and is more of an athlete then a football player. He is also not as consistent as he could be, and durability could also be a problem.
Why not #1:
Gholston is a great talent, and will be very successful in the NFL, and I would not be very upset if we took him, but I still would have him as 3rd on my list of players that I would want at #1 overall. This guy does deserve to be picked higher then the position that many are predicting for him. If we end up taking him, you will not hear me complain at all.
Chris Long
My thoughts:
This player is the most complete defensive player in this years draft (yes, even more then Dorsey), he is as effective against the run, as he is against the pass, has motor that seems to never stop, on every play, you are getting 110% from him, and is the type of player that will need to be accounted for. Even though he has good size, and some room to get bigger, in a 3-4 defense, odds are he will be a LB, so he will have to learn how to be better in coverage
My problem:
Chris is not as good a Pass-rusher as Gholston, and will not be as effective in making his teammates look better like Dorsey. If he is put at LB, he will have to learn to be better in coverage, and be even more disciplined, because if he allows his intensity to take over him, he is going to fall into over pursuit on many plays.
Why #1:
This guy is the real deal, he showed how fluid he is at his size, does a great job of rushing the QB, is awesome against the run, is none stop, and great bloodlines, and has known the game from a very young age, and unlike many in this group, he is more football player then just great athlete. He will become a force in the NFL, and someone that will need to be accounted for at all times.
All very good players, and truthfully, I would not be extremely upset if any of them were picked (Well, I don't really want to hear the name Darren McFadden), but I am hoping we go with one of the D-players 1St, because, in the 2ND we will be able to find a Offensive tackle and another QB to compete with Beck. If Beck proves to not be starter material, then odds are we will go after Ryan.
Obviously this is only my opinion, as many here have, and I would love to hear what you guys have to say about who you would like to see #1, and why not the others. Thanks
is my line of thinking of the top 6......
Matt Ryan
My thoughts:
The QB with the IT factor, has good to possibly very good mental skills to succeed in the NFL, but as far as physical tools, there is no area where you see elite QB....then again, there was no area where you saw elite in Tom Brady. He has very good Leadership skills, and pretty much carried an average BC offense to 11 wins (For the 1st time since 1940) including a bowl win.
My problem:
He gives me the impression of having the gunslinger, will challenge you and force the ball if I have too mentality, and even though QBs like Brett Favre, Payton Manning and Dan Marino, had it also, all three also were/are more gifted in one area of more. Ryan will never have the arm strength, Release, toughness or accuracy of those three, so he will throw way more INTs then you would hope for in a franchise QB. There is a very good chance he will be a good QB, but because of the money and expectations of being a QB picked #1 overall, good will not cut it.
Why not #1:
Simply we have Beck, and even if Beck is not your cup of tea, Beck is better then Ryan in many areas, like accuracy, better arm, more knowledge of the game, and better deep ball. Also unless you are sure Beck did not impress Coach Lee, or gave him reason to doubt him, picking a QB #1 overall is very doubtful, many believe (same as me) that Matt Ryan is not that much better then the next 3 QB after him, and there is a good chance one of them may fall to the 32nd pick where it will be cheaper if we really need to groom another QB.
Jake Long
My thoughts:
Jake is very powerful, great run-blocker, has proven he can do a good job pass-blocking. Is a very tough linemen that will be driven back, and once he gets control of a D-player, pretty athletic for his size and power. He is smart, and even though as many experts believe, his talents would serve a team better at R-tackle in the NFL, he could learn and catch up to the NFL speed fast enough to be a very good L-tackle, but he really not a good enough athlete to be on the left side.
My problem:
He very well may only be a R-tackle in the NFL, many here would love to have him as our overall #1, but many believe he is not a agile enough to go against speed rusher (meaning he is good but not great), and with the speed of the NFL, he is going to have more trouble then many expect against the speed he will have to deal with as a L-tackle in the NFL.
Why not #1:
He is very aggressive, very long arms to engulf defensive players, very powerful, and has even more room to grow, but he does not have the agility to move around fast enough to control very athletic and fast pass-rushers. This a very deep class of tackles, if we can not find a true L-tackle, we will at least find a R-tackle that can play in the 2nd round. There is even a tackle in Ryan Clady that even someone as knowledgeable as Boomer seem to be very high on. If we end up with another R-tackle, Carrey can still handle the left-side, and who knows, may actually do even better this year.
Darren McFadden
My thoughts:
This years premier RB is extremely fast, has great vision, awesome moves, has very good size, and is tough, not afraid of contact. He is a threat to take it all the way every time he touches the ball, reminds some people of a tougher Adrian Peterson, but will have to work more on his blocking and is not as good a receiver as he could be.
My problem:
He is a very good RB, there is no doubt, but he also runs very upright, and considering he also has no problem with contact and will not go down easily, he will take a lot of punishment. There is a problem with ball security, which will happen with someone that does not go down easy and tries to power for that last yard.
Why not #1:
He is an elite RB coming from college, and has shown to be very tough, but as in every position in the NFL, the speed of the NFL is going to slow him down considerably, and will take a while to catch up, Miami on the other hand does not need another RB, especially one that is nowhere as good a receiver or blocker as Miami's 1st two on the list. Finally Parcells said he does not want anyone that has character issues, and McFadden seems to like getting into fights in his spare time.
Glenn Dorsey
My thoughts:
Great D-tackle, very powerful, disruptive, has a none-stop motor, hard worker, very agile, and has very good leverage. This is a guy that will automatically make everyone around him better, he eats up blockers like a mad man, and allows everyone else to take much easier paths to the QB or RB. Injuries are still a concern, and size makes you wonder if he could be a N-tackle in the NFL.
My problem:
This is a very powerful player, but his size dictates that he could be better off in a 4-3 defense, the injuries are something to worry about, even though he does not have a history of injuries, this one seems to be lingering, so makes you wonder how serious it may be, and if he will be able to start right away.
Why not #1:
This is an amazing talent, can't go wrong with this guy if the injury is shown to be nothing, and has not effected him. His size will make him a slower then normal DE or and undersized Nose-tackle. There is not much more then you can add to his 6'1 frame, so at best he will always be an undersized Nose-tackle, if not for how dominating he continued to be hurt, that size would really be a big warning to worry about in the NFL for a team that would be running a 3-4. Even though I like this guy, there is still one player I like better then Dorsey.
Vernon Gholston
My thoughts:
This is a player that is an awesome athlete, as well as being very strong, as a DE he showed the quickness of an elite pass-rusher, but will probably be a outside LB in a 3-4 defense. Still could add more size and play DE in the 4-3 if needed. Could be a very good LB in the NFL, but there are areas that he will have to learn to become a consistent LB.
My problem:
As a DE in college he was great, and in a 4-3, there is little that is wrong with his game, but as 3-4 LB, he is going to have to become better in coverage, he is going to have to learn to react better, and is more of an athlete then a football player. He is also not as consistent as he could be, and durability could also be a problem.
Why not #1:
Gholston is a great talent, and will be very successful in the NFL, and I would not be very upset if we took him, but I still would have him as 3rd on my list of players that I would want at #1 overall. This guy does deserve to be picked higher then the position that many are predicting for him. If we end up taking him, you will not hear me complain at all.
Chris Long
My thoughts:
This player is the most complete defensive player in this years draft (yes, even more then Dorsey), he is as effective against the run, as he is against the pass, has motor that seems to never stop, on every play, you are getting 110% from him, and is the type of player that will need to be accounted for. Even though he has good size, and some room to get bigger, in a 3-4 defense, odds are he will be a LB, so he will have to learn how to be better in coverage
My problem:
Chris is not as good a Pass-rusher as Gholston, and will not be as effective in making his teammates look better like Dorsey. If he is put at LB, he will have to learn to be better in coverage, and be even more disciplined, because if he allows his intensity to take over him, he is going to fall into over pursuit on many plays.
Why #1:
This guy is the real deal, he showed how fluid he is at his size, does a great job of rushing the QB, is awesome against the run, is none stop, and great bloodlines, and has known the game from a very young age, and unlike many in this group, he is more football player then just great athlete. He will become a force in the NFL, and someone that will need to be accounted for at all times.
All very good players, and truthfully, I would not be extremely upset if any of them were picked (Well, I don't really want to hear the name Darren McFadden), but I am hoping we go with one of the D-players 1St, because, in the 2ND we will be able to find a Offensive tackle and another QB to compete with Beck. If Beck proves to not be starter material, then odds are we will go after Ryan.
Obviously this is only my opinion, as many here have, and I would love to hear what you guys have to say about who you would like to see #1, and why not the others. Thanks
