Why Ngata Is the Pick
I think he will be the only player taken in the draft who will redefine his position on the field. There are other great players in this draft, but none will change the way the game is played at his position IMO.
All the Gilbert Browns, Ted Washingtons, Sam Adamses, and Keith Traylors of the world used to be taken out of the game on passing downs.
Not anymore.
Ngata is 6'5" 340 and runs a 4.85 40. He'll be caving in NFL pockets on passing downs. Either that or he'll be absorbing two or more blockers so other guys can.
EDIT: this is from a post of mine at the back of the thread. A lot of people read only the first post, so here goes:
What Ngata would do by keeping us from substituting a man on passing downs is keep a 340-pound guy in the game who requires at least two blockers. The typical DTs and DEs who are substituted into the interior of the defensive line on passing downs don't require two blockers -- they're too light (Jay Williams, Zgonina, Rob Burnett, etc.). So Ngata would be absorbing two guys on passing downs -- imagine what that'd look like with one of Saban's all-out blitzes going on, with linebackers flying through the vacated spots in the middle around Ngata.
And Ngata wouldn't just allow us to keep from substituting a man -- what he'd also do is allow us to switch from the 4-3 to the 3-4 and vice-versa before the snap. As it is now, you won't see Keith Traylor in a 4-3 because he's too slow, so we don't have that option with him. Anything we do now in a 4-3 usually involves Zgonina and Holliday at DT, and neither of them can move to the traditional, "Ted Washington" NT position in a 3-4.
Ngata would give us that versatility and allow Jason Taylor a lot more freedom to freelance around the field, moving from the DE to the OLB position as we switch from the 4-3 to the 3-4. Nobody would know WHAT Jason Taylor was going to do after the snap, and it'd be because of Ngata's versatility in the middle.
And the other thing is that Traylor isn't getting any younger. We need a young guy who can do what he does, and Ngata can do even more. Those "Ted Washington" guys are pretty hard to come by, especially young ones, and they're a cornerstone of Saban's defense. It's a pretty important spot.
Yet another thing is that Ngata has the kind of toughness and intensity on the field that Saban is trying to cultivate in this team. I don't think it'd take long for him to become the SYMBOL of the defense -- a huge, tough, nasty guy who dominates on the line and sets an aggressive tone for the defense. If Saban is trying to create an intense and aggressive culture on the team, we need guys like Ngata who exemplify it.
And don't think we wouldn't put him in on offense in goal line situations. Jon Gruden took a relatively soft offense and made its attitude a whole lot nastier just by putting Warren Sapp in there at the goal line.
I think he will be the only player taken in the draft who will redefine his position on the field. There are other great players in this draft, but none will change the way the game is played at his position IMO.
All the Gilbert Browns, Ted Washingtons, Sam Adamses, and Keith Traylors of the world used to be taken out of the game on passing downs.
Not anymore.
Ngata is 6'5" 340 and runs a 4.85 40. He'll be caving in NFL pockets on passing downs. Either that or he'll be absorbing two or more blockers so other guys can.
EDIT: this is from a post of mine at the back of the thread. A lot of people read only the first post, so here goes:
What Ngata would do by keeping us from substituting a man on passing downs is keep a 340-pound guy in the game who requires at least two blockers. The typical DTs and DEs who are substituted into the interior of the defensive line on passing downs don't require two blockers -- they're too light (Jay Williams, Zgonina, Rob Burnett, etc.). So Ngata would be absorbing two guys on passing downs -- imagine what that'd look like with one of Saban's all-out blitzes going on, with linebackers flying through the vacated spots in the middle around Ngata.
And Ngata wouldn't just allow us to keep from substituting a man -- what he'd also do is allow us to switch from the 4-3 to the 3-4 and vice-versa before the snap. As it is now, you won't see Keith Traylor in a 4-3 because he's too slow, so we don't have that option with him. Anything we do now in a 4-3 usually involves Zgonina and Holliday at DT, and neither of them can move to the traditional, "Ted Washington" NT position in a 3-4.
Ngata would give us that versatility and allow Jason Taylor a lot more freedom to freelance around the field, moving from the DE to the OLB position as we switch from the 4-3 to the 3-4. Nobody would know WHAT Jason Taylor was going to do after the snap, and it'd be because of Ngata's versatility in the middle.
And the other thing is that Traylor isn't getting any younger. We need a young guy who can do what he does, and Ngata can do even more. Those "Ted Washington" guys are pretty hard to come by, especially young ones, and they're a cornerstone of Saban's defense. It's a pretty important spot.
Yet another thing is that Ngata has the kind of toughness and intensity on the field that Saban is trying to cultivate in this team. I don't think it'd take long for him to become the SYMBOL of the defense -- a huge, tough, nasty guy who dominates on the line and sets an aggressive tone for the defense. If Saban is trying to create an intense and aggressive culture on the team, we need guys like Ngata who exemplify it.
And don't think we wouldn't put him in on offense in goal line situations. Jon Gruden took a relatively soft offense and made its attitude a whole lot nastier just by putting Warren Sapp in there at the goal line.
