A Few Arguments for Drafting Jake Long

[Gardenhead]

Here are some arguments for taking Jake Long. Most of them have been mentioned before, but I just wanted to put them all in one post. Feel free to merge if desired.

1. He fills a need. Whether he plays RT or we shift Vern Carey back to RT, we need help bad on the OL and he'll be able to start immediately, as most rookie Tackles do (as opposed to QBs).

2. He is arguably the BPA. You may think McFadden or Chris Long are the best players in the draft, but no one can say he's not in the argument.

3. His downside is minimal. Every player at every position can bust. I don't buy the theory that Tackles bust at a lesser frequency than other positions. However, some guys don't perform at a high level in college, but their "upside potential" can be seductive. By all accounts, he's a mauler when run-blocking, and only gave up 2 sacks in college. The guy has proven he can dominate.

4. Taking him at #1 frees us up to take the BPA at #32. I think this is a huge factor. We need O-line help bad. If we address that at #1, we won't have to address it at #32. Every year, a sure-fire top 20 guy drops into round 2. I'd hate for us to pass on a top-flight CB or LB at #32 because we feel we need to take a guy like Sam Baker, a guy who is clearly not as good as Jake Long.

5. He will help the development of John Beck. Beck, and any other QB needs a solid O-line to develop. And if John Beck ends up sucking, we'll have a top-5 pick next year and will be free to select a top-flight QB. That QB will be able to develop knowing Jake's got his blind side.

I know this draft is deep at Tackle, and I'm sure a good prospect will be around at #32, but why take a chance at a guy who was okay in college and needs grooming? There is a very good chance that the expected "run" on tackles might leave us with no good tackle prospects at #32.

Draft Jake Long, dammit!

 

[FinFanatic80]

I understand every point your making and agree with all of them, with that said i still feel that Chris Long is the BPA and that a top teir OT will be available at #32. In my opinion i feel if we draft like this we would be filling 2 needs as well, because i dont think JT will be a fin too much longer and if he is i feel like he doesnt fit our system as much as Chris Long would. Dont get me wrong JT is an outstanding player and has been for a long time, but he needs to play in a 4-3 system with his hand on the ground to be the most affective.

 

[lane26]

i agree with everything you just said. especially about there not being a really dominant T at the 32 Spot. i dont think albert will be available (G) and most of the good Ts will go in the mid 1st round. and im sure another one or two will go late 1st round.

I think the line would be good next year if Long was a part of it.

 

[LLV]

Hey guys LLV here.

We just filled out a short scouting report on Jake Long just today. You can check it out at leisurelasvegas

Here is a sneak...

Jake Long, OT, Michigan

Outstanding size, muscular with a thick build, long arms. Plays with a killer instinct and does not slack off. Alert and instinctive blocker. Exceptional drive blocker with great leg drive. Good technician who understands leverage. Bends from the knees. Very strong hand punch and knows how to use it. Negates the bull rush. Good blocker while in motion - knows who to pick up and drives the defender backwards. Dominant short area blocker. Incredible consistency to his game. Rarely commits a penalty. Mature with outstanding work ethic. A leader.

Is not an elite pass protector. Must use effort, reach and positioning to seal off edge rushers. Footwork and foot quickness are only adequate. Gets caught overextending and plays off-balance at times. Isn't very agile. Lags a bit when asked to block outside the short area.

 

[Bigjbizzle2]

Hey guys LLV here.

We just filled out a short scouting report on Jake Long just today. You can check it out at leisurelasvegas

Here is a sneak...

Jake Long, OT, Michigan

Outstanding size, muscular with a thick build, long arms. Plays with a killer instinct and does not slack off. Alert and instinctive blocker. Exceptional drive blocker with great leg drive. Good technician who understands leverage. Bends from the knees. Very strong hand punch and knows how to use it. Negates the bull rush. Good blocker while in motion - knows who to pick up and drives the defender backwards. Dominant short area blocker. Incredible consistency to his game. Rarely commits a penalty. Mature with outstanding work ethic. A leader.

Is not an elite pass protector. Must use effort, reach and positioning to seal off edge rushers. Footwork and foot quickness are only adequate. Gets caught overextending and plays off-balance at times. Isn't very agile. Lags a bit when asked to block outside the short area.

your nuts watch the tapes again he gave up one sack all year and had ZERO penalties. the one sack he gave up was to vernon gohlston. so to say he is weak in pass protection make you irrelevant imo

 

[Gardenhead]

Hey guys LLV here.

We just filled out a short scouting report on Jake Long just today. You can check it out at leisurelasvegas

Here is a sneak...

Jake Long, OT, Michigan

Outstanding size, muscular with a thick build, long arms. Plays with a killer instinct and does not slack off. Alert and instinctive blocker. Exceptional drive blocker with great leg drive. Good technician who understands leverage. Bends from the knees. Very strong hand punch and knows how to use it. Negates the bull rush. Good blocker while in motion - knows who to pick up and drives the defender backwards. Dominant short area blocker. Incredible consistency to his game. Rarely commits a penalty. Mature with outstanding work ethic. A leader.

Is not an elite pass protector. Must use effort, reach and positioning to seal off edge rushers. Footwork and foot quickness are only adequate. Gets caught overextending and plays off-balance at times. Isn't very agile. Lags a bit when asked to block outside the short area.

How else other than "effort, reach, and positioning" can somebody seal off edge rushers? By telepathy?!?! You state this like its a negative or something. God forbid a player use effort, reach, and positioning to block edge rushers.

 

[phinzfan21]

Good post. I agree with it all.
I hope we draft Jake.
But I will not mind if we take C. Long either.

 

[3rdandinches]

I understand every point your making and agree with all of them, with that said i still feel that Chris Long is the BPA and that a top teir OT will be available at #32. In my opinion i feel if we draft like this we would be filling 2 needs as well, because i dont think JT will be a fin too much longer and if he is i feel like he doesnt fit our system as much as Chris Long would. Dont get me wrong JT is an outstanding player and has been for a long time, but he needs to play in a 4-3 system with his hand on the ground to be the most affective.

I look at it this way - C.Long is awesome plays OLB, if we don't draft him 1st we will fill that need with S.Crable/E.Butler/P.Wheeler/Henderson which we can get with a 3rd or 4th.

J.Long is also awesome at LT, if we don't draft him you almost have to draft someone with your 32nd pick if not the drop off will be enormous.

Now there will be some top notch talent available at 32 that would fill another starting position for us whereas with the 3rd or 4th will be alot harder to find a solid DE/CB/WR/TE. It still can be done just alittle harder than if we take J.Long 1st.

 

[LLV]

How else other than "effort, reach, and positioning" can somebody seal off edge rushers? By telepathy?!?! You state this like its a negative or something. God forbid a player use effort, reach, and positioning to block edge rushers.

Elite tackles are quick out of their set stance which involves quick foot shuffling and this enables them to mirror the defender or redirect the defender wide depending on what type of rush the pass rusher is providing. The comment is a criticism on footwork. He lacks the explosion to naturally seal the edge and this may lead to trouble against NFL caliber edge rushers. He is also susceptible to inside penetration as he is kind of stiff in the hips. It is a minor criticism. No need to freak out over it. It was written since there are few other negatives to his game that we can think of.

 

[LLV]

your nuts watch the tapes again he gave up one sack all year and had ZERO penalties. the one sack he gave up was to vernon gohlston. so to say he is weak in pass protection make you irrelevant imo

I have personally attended 5 of his games and saw him shut down Tamba Hali. I am pretty sure I listed the fact he rarely commits a penalty. Do you understand the definition of an elite pass protector? Jake Long is a great pass protector, not an elite one. If he were so obviously an elite one it would be unanimous that he could handle the left tackle position in the NFL.

 

[hemidemon]

your nuts watch the tapes again he gave up one sack all year and had ZERO penalties. the one sack he gave up was to vernon gohlston. so to say he is weak in pass protection make you irrelevant imo

No he's not. That is the knock on Jake and why they say he's not a #1 pick in this draft. Yes he played well in college, but it's a whole different ball game in the pros. Jake can get away with sloppy footwork in college. It's not going to happen in the NFL. Jake is not playing a position that has the game changing effect that OLB or DE has. Chris Long is better prepaired for the pros. He's the better chioce at #1.

 

[Lazy1]

I understand every point your making and agree with all of them, with that said i still feel that Chris Long is the BPA and that a top teir OT will be available at #32. In my opinion i feel if we draft like this we would be filling 2 needs as well, because i dont think JT will be a fin too much longer and if he is i feel like he doesnt fit our system as much as Chris Long would. Dont get me wrong JT is an outstanding player and has been for a long time, but he needs to play in a 4-3 system with his hand on the ground to be the most affective.

Jason played a lot these last 2 seasons standing up and being an edge rusher. In all his years in the league, his best season ever was when he played the highest % of plays at olb in nick sabans hybrid. Taylor may be traded but its not because hes not a fit for our system.

 

[Phinfan31]

I understand every point your making and agree with all of them, with that said i still feel that Chris Long is the BPA and that a top teir OT will be available at #32. In my opinion i feel if we draft like this we would be filling 2 needs as well, because i dont think JT will be a fin too much longer and if he is i feel like he doesnt fit our system as much as Chris Long would. Dont get me wrong JT is an outstanding player and has been for a long time, but he needs to play in a 4-3 system with his hand on the ground to be the most affective.

The only problem here...is Chris Long is not a 3-4 DE. He and all of his NFL scouts/coaches, etc. have been discussing this for a long time now. If hes in a 3-4, he is a OLB. They've been saying it for weeks now. The problem with taking a OLB #1 is that we have JT and Joey Porter...I think by us going after Calvin Pace that was a sign that BP/Ireland dont want to take DE/OLB #1.

Even though BP has taken 10/13 DEF players in the 1st round...when you think of who has the most long term potential (ability to stay consistent every single year, guaranteed to dominate kinda prospect...u have to see Jake Long as that guy. Because the absolute WORST case scenario is he is a DOMINATE, perennial pro bowl RT. Imagine this guy against the Right DE's...who are not very good. Name a BIG NAME right DE. Jake will dominate them in his rookie year.

This value cannot be overlooked. While Chris could be an awesome big play, all over the field kinda guy on DEF...I believe his chances for injury are higher, he might not be utilized in our system as good as some might think...and what happens if he cant play DE and can only play OLB, a position he never played in college and has only "showed a little promise" in his athletic drills. Nobody is sold he can play that position. Everyone is sold he can play 4-3 DE. Here lies the problem with Chris Long. His worst case scenario for US considering our DEF is 3-4 is that he could be a mediocre OLB.

Id rather go with the most guaranteed prospect in the draft if im shellin out 30+ mil. Jake Long is guaranteed to be apro bowler and he directly impacts the QB, the WR's, and the RB...not to mention the OLINE with leadership, etc.

And I gotta say..just check out my ideal draft below. Like the original poster said - he allows us to take BPA at 32..not hoping a good Oline guy drops to 32 and taking based on need. All the gurus are saying 5-6 Oline men can be taken in this years draft...possibly. If I draft Chris Long I better be guaranteed that at the very least Gosder Cherilus is there at 32. Cant be promised that...we could take one of the top notch CBs in a deep class, a top LB like Dan Conner, a top WR considering only 3 tops should be taken in the 1st round. Maybe the top TE prospect? Who knows. We have OPTIONS! thats what i like the most.

 

[Kdawg954]

Here are some arguments for taking Jake Long. Most of them have been mentioned before, but I just wanted to put them all in one post. Feel free to merge if desired.

1. He fills a need. Whether he plays RT or we shift Vern Carey back to RT, we need help bad on the OL and he'll be able to start immediately, as most rookie Tackles do (as opposed to QBs).

2. He is arguably the BPA. You may think McFadden or Chris Long are the best players in the draft, but no one can say he's not in the argument.

3. His downside is minimal. Every player at every position can bust. I don't buy the theory that Tackles bust at a lesser frequency than other positions. However, some guys don't perform at a high level in college, but their "upside potential" can be seductive. By all accounts, he's a mauler when run-blocking, and only gave up 2 sacks in college. The guy has proven he can dominate.

4. Taking him at #1 frees us up to take the BPA at #32. I think this is a huge factor. We need O-line help bad. If we address that at #1, we won't have to address it at #32. Every year, a sure-fire top 20 guy drops into round 2. I'd hate for us to pass on a top-flight CB or LB at #32 because we feel we need to take a guy like Sam Baker, a guy who is clearly not as good as Jake Long.

5. He will help the development of John Beck. Beck, and any other QB needs a solid O-line to develop. And if John Beck ends up sucking, we'll have a top-5 pick next year and will be free to select a top-flight QB. That QB will be able to develop knowing Jake's got his blind side.

I know this draft is deep at Tackle, and I'm sure a good prospect will be around at #32, but why take a chance at a guy who was okay in college and needs grooming? There is a very good chance that the expected "run" on tackles might leave us with no good tackle prospects at #32.

Draft Jake Long, dammit!

I have been saying for a while that drafting Jake Long fills the BIGGEST need by far on this team and allows us to go BPA at 32. Its crucial that we think like this, because if a guy like Cason or Sweed slips to #32, I would love to get my hands on that first round prospect, instead of reaching for a Carl Nicks in the second round who has red flags everywhere. There is no guarantee that we get Cherilus or Otah at 32 . . . if we could guarantee that, then sure I would be more open to Chris Long at #1 . . . but unless trading JT is a sure thing, we have our starting OLB's on this team already . . . are we sending Joey P to the bench? Or even JT? They are still on this team, and Chris Long just ISN'T a 3-4 DE.

 

[3rdandinches]

The only problem here...is Chris Long is not a 3-4 DE. He and all of his NFL scouts/coaches, etc. have been discussing this for a long time now. If hes in a 3-4, he is a OLB. They've been saying it for weeks now. The problem with taking a OLB #1 is that we have JT and Joey Porter...I think by us going after Calvin Pace that was a sign that BP/Ireland dont want to take DE/OLB #1.

Even though BP has taken 10/13 DEF players in the 1st round...when you think of who has the most long term potential (ability to stay consistent every single year, guaranteed to dominate kinda prospect...u have to see Jake Long as that guy. Because the absolute WORST case scenario is he is a DOMINATE, perennial pro bowl RT. Imagine this guy against the Right DE's...who are not very good. Name a BIG NAME right DE. Jake will dominate them in his rookie year.

This value cannot be overlooked. While Chris could be an awesome big play, all over the field kinda guy on DEF...I believe his chances for injury are higher, he might not be utilized in our system as good as some might think...and what happens if he cant play DE and can only play OLB, a position he never played in college and has only "showed a little promise" in his athletic drills. Nobody is sold he can play that position. Everyone is sold he can play 4-3 DE. Here lies the problem with Chris Long. His worst case scenario for US considering our DEF is 3-4 is that he could be a mediocre OLB.

Id rather go with the most guaranteed prospect in the draft if im shellin out 30+ mil. Jake Long is guaranteed to be apro bowler and he directly impacts the QB, the WR's, and the RB...not to mention the OLINE with leadership, etc.

And I gotta say..just check out my ideal draft below. Like the original poster said - he allows us to take BPA at 32..not hoping a good Oline guy drops to 32 and taking based on need. All the gurus are saying 5-6 Oline men can be taken in this years draft...possibly. If I draft Chris Long I better be guaranteed that at the very least Gosder Cherilus is there at 32. Cant be promised that...we could take one of the top notch CBs in a deep class, a top LB like Dan Conner, a top WR considering only 3 tops should be taken in the 1st round. Maybe the top TE prospect? Who knows. We have OPTIONS! thats what i like the most.

That's what I've been posting all along that at worst he's a dominant RT, at worst. I have a real hard time drafting an OLB 1st overall or a QB who might be good, especially when we already have one on the roster.
When he does turn out to be great we'll benefit even more with VC being even more effective on the right side.