Tackle we should draft

[zephon]

D'Brickashaw Ferguson, 6-5, 295, Virginia
Andrew Whitworth, 6-6, 325, LSU
Max Jean-Gilles, 6-4, 340, Georgia
Eric Winston, 6-6, 310, Miami
*Justin Blalock, 6-4, 330, Texas
Marcus McNeill, 6-9, 340, Auburn
*Winston Justice, 6-6, 305, Southern California
Jon Scott, 6-7, 310, Texas

Here's the top 8. All of which have the chance to go in round ONE! Of course, there's a whole college football season to play and ANY of them could drop and god forbid gete seriously injured which would drastically change where they get drafted.

BTW, Those are not in any particular order. There's too much time left before next years draft to narrow them down further yet..

..One important note about Ferguson....there was an article at the end of the college season last year where Ferguson was quoted as saying that he still wasn't sure about the NFL because he was very very interested in going to law school! This was also one of the factors that HE said went into him not coming out last year even though he knew he was going in the top 10 and possibly the top 5 of the draft. Just file that one away for future reference.

Who knows, he may use Law School kinda like Emmitt Smith did with becoming a police officer? Never can tell. That was one of the reasons some teams passed on him and he wasn't picked until late in the 1st round (that wasn't the only reason though). After he was drafted, I still remember the Dallas papers saying that Smith kept telling the Cowboys that he was serious (he used it to get more money from the cowboys in his rookie contact!) and wouldn't play but was going to become a cop. (If you've ever set down and spoken with Emmitt Smith as I have, this story isn't suprising. I interviewed him for the MSU newpaper when they had training camp in Wichita Falls,TX and brought that up...he was kinda shocked that I knew about that btw :evil: )

 

[zephon]

lmao. ridiculous

yes, that statement he made was rediculous. Winston is NOT the
BEST to come out in a long time. In 2004 alone Gallery was a better prospect. 2003- Jordan Gross was highly rated (when he came out). 2002-Bryant McKinnie and Mike Williams (Now! McKinney and Williams both were referred to as the best pair in 10 years to come out..at that time).

Now, that said, NONE of the guys has lived up to that hype yet (although Gallery could start living up to it this season). They are all good and they ALL were rated higher than Eric (Gross was about the same on the hype rating) is currently. Don't get me wrong as I feel Eric is very good but isn't even the highest rated in next years class! That could change as there is an entire college season to be played but he went a little overboard with the "best in a long time" comment.

 

[VanDolPhan]

Whats with all the talk about OTs? We're taking a QB next year.

I don't believe the team will get to pick high enough for the elite QB meaning there is probably a good chance the team moves up to pick up one of the QB's who fall near the end of the first. Package our #2 with the #4 that year and a 3rd next year to move in the bottom 1/4 of the first round (I still think we pick top 10 just much better value at LT then QB by then and in range to hop into the first).

Think about it we'd have our bookend tackles (Carey at RT and a first rounder at LT strengthens the positions for a decade) for years to come along with being able to groom a QB with them and have a young RB to go with him.

 

[sayowe55]

D'Brickshaw

 

[Minnphin]

I don't believe the team will get to pick high enough for the elite QB meaning there is probably a good chance the team moves up to pick up one of the QB's who fall near the end of the first. Package our #2 with the #4 that year and a 3rd next year to move in the bottom 1/4 of the first round (I still think we pick top 10 just much better value at LT then QB by then and in range to hop into the first).

Think about it we'd have our bookend tackles (Carey at RT and a first rounder at LT strengthens the positions for a decade) for years to come along with being able to groom a QB with them and have a young RB to go with him.

I hope that we're not high enough to get an elite QB, but I don't know. The 10-15 range (where I think we'll be at best) might land us Omar Jacobs.

 

[Silverphin]

I don't believe the team will get to pick high enough for the elite QB meaning there is probably a good chance the team moves up to pick up one of the QB's who fall near the end of the first.

I don't know dude. Wasn't Dan Marino a late 1st rounder?

 

[VanDolPhan]

I hope that we're not high enough to get an elite QB, but I don't know. The 10-15 range (where I think we'll be at best) might land us Omar Jacobs.

And Omar Jacobs could be a 4th round pick by next year. I love it when people go on about these QB's as sure things when in reality crap happens. Kyle Orton a year ago was a surefire first rounder. There is going to be much much more value in LT's next year. We grab a stud at LT and since a lot of teams are drafting stud LT's (DT's are expected to have a great year also) it should push a solid QB to drop to the end of the first round (ie: Jason Campbell went in the first this year whereas I think next year he woulda dropped into the last couple picks of the first or early 2nd).

Take the stud LT and then trade up with our 2nd rounder and get that QB of the future. Pray our young DT's step up some and we can find a solid tackle in FA.

I don't know dude. Wasn't Dan Marino a late 1st rounder?

Exactly. Qb's can be found in the late first hence why I say the team should trade up. I just don't think we can pass on a draft where it's likely 2 Jonathon Ogden/Walter Jones types come out along with several others who have the potential to be good LT's.

Besides until this OL gets sorted out our QB is going to feel a lot like David Carr his first few years. Sort out the OL next year and grab a late first round Qb to groom under a vet for a year and in 2 years we could have a QB of the future starting with a 2nd year stud LT, a good run blocking mauler in Carey (In his 4th year at that point) at RT and a 3rd year RB in Ronnie Brown. Recipe for success and Chambers would be the go to veteran target and maybe we can draft a young WR in that same year to compliment him.

 

[Minnphin]

And Omar Jacobs could be a 4th round pick by next year. I love it when people go on about these QB's as sure things when in reality crap happens. Kyle Orton a year ago was a surefire first rounder. There is going to be much much more value in LT's next year. We grab a stud at LT and since a lot of teams are drafting stud LT's (DT's are expected to have a great year also) it should push a solid QB to drop to the end of the first round (ie: Jason Campbell went in the first this year whereas I think next year he woulda dropped into the last couple picks of the first or early 2nd).

Take the stud LT and then trade up with our 2nd rounder and get that QB of the future. Pray our young DT's step up some and we can find a solid tackle in FA.

You mean college qb's aren't sure things? Talking about the draft in August is speculatory? Glad you were hear to tell me that...I'm going to go to the can and think about this for a little bit while I look at my college football preview.

 

[VanDolPhan]

You mean college qb's aren't sure things? Talking about the draft in August is speculatory? Glad you were hear to tell me that...I'm going to go to the can and think about this for a little bit while I look at my college football preview.

/me chuckles

QB's have definately been hit and miss for decades at the top. OT's on the other hand have a pretty high success rate in the top 10. Not to mention drafting a QB later in the first round/early 2nd means much less pressure on him to succeed and much less pressure on the team to keep playing him if he turns out to be Akili Smith.

 

[Minnphin]

/me chuckles

QB's have definately been hit and miss for decades at the top. OT's on the other hand have a pretty high success rate in the top 10. Not to mention drafting a QB later in the first round/early 2nd means much less pressure on him to succeed and much less pressure on the team to keep playing him if he turns out to be Akili Smith.

I'm still holding out hope that Vernon Carey can be our guy at LT. And I'm a big Omar Jacobs guy, just a fan. If Jacbos bottoms out this year or is unavailable when we draft, then I agree that a LT is the way to go.

Also, Greg Eslinger in the mid second to mid third would be a great pick as well. Could be huge if we wanted to go back to the pulling running game that netted ricky 1800 in '02.

 

[Nicky Napoleon]

I'm still holding out hope that Vernon Carey can be our guy at LT. And I'm a big Omar Jacobs guy, just a fan. If Jacbos bottoms out this year or is unavailable when we draft, then I agree that a LT is the way to go.

Also, Greg Eslinger in the mid second to mid third would be a great pick as well. Could be huge if we wanted to go back to the pulling running game that netted ricky 1800 in '02.

The thing with Carey is that he may be a good LT, but a guy like "The Brick" is going to be a Franchise LT. Before the draft last year I really looked into this guy before he stayed in school, and he draws alot of comparisons to Jonathan Ogden. One report said that he seems to "toy" with defenders. Now you bookend those two you are set for 10 years.

 

[Nicky Napoleon]

Winston is coming off of a major injury, so I wouldnt have him in the top 3 or 4 right now.

 

[igor79]

Don't forget D'Brickshaw Ferguson

He's a stud...

yeah, that

 

[jlfin]

Yup next year is the draft of the LT. Draft one of the studs as they will fly off the boards and then take a QB in the 2nd and then grab a DT in the 3rd and pray this team can find a solid FA DT.

Reuniting McNeil with Brown would be an intriguing option.

They have 2 young DT's in Wright and Vickerson. I'd like to see how they develop before I start making draft projections.