Top 5 (defense)

[j-off-her-doll]

DE:
1. Jadaveon Clowney – Concerns regarding his effort are overblown. Worth every bit of the #1 pick (in a stacked class).
2. Kareem Martin – Better 10-yard split, vert, and broad than Clowney. Great motor (82 tackles), productive (11.5 sacks, 21.5 TFL, 3 forced fumbles), ideal frame. 1[SUP]st[/SUP] RD player.
3. Jackson Jeffcoat – Another high motor guy with great athleticism and production, but he is undersized. He’ll likely start his career as a pass rush specialist.
4. Kony Ealy – Overrated, but he has a good frame and good COD ability. Not as productive or athletic as any of the player ranked ahead of him.
5. Trent Murphy – Huge hands, super productive, solid athlete. His frame looks like it can comfortably carry 260-265.

. . .

S:
1. Jimmie Ward – Has all the tools to be a dominant single-high FS. Instincts, quickness, ball skills, and perfect angles. He’s also outstanding covering the slot and a very good tackler. He’s my Safety prospect since Earl Thomas and Eric Berry.
2. Deonne Bucannon – Very good athlete. He has the tools to play either FS or SS. Playmaker. Very productive.
3. Calvin Pryor – Speaking of systems that demand different traits from their FS’s and SS’s, he’ll struggle as a FS but excel as a SS. Overrated coverage abilities – not a strength.
4. HaHa Clinton-Dix – Good in coverage, good tackler. Very solid but not a playmaker.
5. Ed Reynolds – Underrated player. 6 INT’s and 3 TD’s in 2012. 86 tackles in 2013. Can play either Safety. Good size with adequate athleticism.

http://mrebird.wordpress.com/2014/03/20/top-5-defense/

 

[SF Dolphin Fan]

I'm a big fan of Kareem Martin and wonder why he is not receiving more hype. I've seen mocks with him going in the 3rd/4th round, which seems ridiculous to me. I also like his teammate Kelsey Quarles at DT. What are your thoughts on him? I think I'd put him in the top 5 and move Sutton out???

 

[MiamiDolphin618]

Love that you have Ward as your top S. He would be an ideal fit for us.

Some differences at DE...I'm not a fan of Jeffcoat. Like your LBs but I'd put Carl Bradford and Yawin Smallwood

What are your thoughts on Dion Bailey at S? I like him more than Renyolds

 

[finsfanjay13]

I am a big fan of Kareem Martin. I've had the pleasure to watch him a lot over the years and have always considered him undervalued relative to his draft stock (which seems to be trending up finally).

 

[j-off-her-doll]

I'm a big fan of Kareem Martin and wonder why he is not receiving more hype. I've seen mocks with him going in the 3rd/4th round, which seems ridiculous to me. I also like his teammate Kelsey Quarles at DT. What are your thoughts on him? I think I'd put him in the top 5 and move Sutton out???

It was between Quarles and Sutton for that 5th spot, and I wouldn't argue with someone who put Quarles ahead of Sutton, but I'm giving Sutton the slight edge based on what he did in 2012. I think he knows that he has to be more like that player than the overstuffed Sutton we saw in 2013. By late April, I think Martin will be a consensus 1st RD pick.

 

[j-off-her-doll]

Love that you have Ward as your top S. He would be an ideal fit for us.

Some differences at DE...I'm not a fan of Jeffcoat. Like your LBs but I'd put Carl Bradford and Yawin Smallwood

What are your thoughts on Dion Bailey at S? I like him more than Renyolds

Love Jimmie Ward.

Jeffcoat is definitely undersized. I'm not a big fan of this DE class. But Jeffcoat has the athleticism and tools to be a productive pass-rush specialist early in his career, and even if he never adds the weight to be an every-down D-lineman, I think he'll provide good value based on what he can do.

I think Bailey can be a productive SS. Not as big or athletic as Reynolds, and when Bailey is asked to play deep, he takes bad angles. He's new to the position, so I' not knocking him too hard for it, but I like Reynolds.

---------- Post added at 08:39 AM ---------- Previous post was at 08:37 AM ----------

I am a big fan of Kareem Martin. I've had the pleasure to watch him a lot over the years and have always considered him undervalued relative to his draft stock (which seems to be trending up finally).

I've yet to hear a good reason as to why Ealy should be ranked ahead of Martin. Not saying there isn't one, but I don't know it, and I haven't seen or heard it. I think he'd be a great fit in Seattle (if he falls that far).

 

[Pat-London]

Im with you on Ha-Ha - just don't get the hype and some have him as the first S off the board.

 

[j-off-her-doll]

Im with you on Ha-Ha - just don't get the hype and some have him as the first S off the board.

I just don't see the dominant Center Fielder that some do. To me, he's a lot like a bigger, better (slower) Cris Clemons. He does an adequate job as a safety net, but he's not a guy who can take away the deep ball and come up and make plays in the intermediate area - like we saw Earl Thomas do against New Orleans and like Ed Reed did on a consistent basis when he was in his prime and like I believe Jimmie Ward will do (and did at NIU).

 

[hoops]

i was pretty high on craig loston til i saw how little burst and quick acceleration he has...can wear a target in coverage also...instinctual which will help him but just no pop off the screen the more i looked...

if you want a good value safety pick i think it's dion bailey of usc...

jackson jeffcoat....ugh....pass

 

[Pachyderm_Wave]

This is good work again. I've had Bucannon as my top safety for 6 months now. I look for reasons why he shouldn't be and still can't find 'em.

Dion Bailey looks like more of a nickel safety in the NFL. Safeties that get by in the NFL with 4.6 speed are few and far between. Safeties that become impact players or difference makers in the NFL with 4.6 speed are even more rare. Although Bailey could be in the mold of a Jairus Byrd and sneak a starter's role.


I like Kyle Fuller as the top CB. Might be the best tackling CB I've seen come out of college since Brandon Flowers came out of Virginia Tech.

Fuller has excellent cover skills, and tackles so well that he played the whip linebacker position against Georgia Tech's option attack. He was essentially the "force" player responsible for the pitch man and the quarterback. His job was really to maintain outside leverage and "force" the ball carrier back to the inside where all the help is on defense.... not allow him outside. Fuller went above and beyond this. His instincts and quickness was so good he was in the backfield making TFL's and causing fumbles.

Justin Gilbert has tremendous upside, didn't get burned nearly as much this year as last year. Was probably the most dangerous kick returner in the country the past 2 years outside of Tyler Lockett.

Jason Verrett is the best pure man cover corner... slightly undersized.. scrappy... fast... from Texas... reminds of Aaron Glenn coming out of Texas A&M.

 

[MiamiDolphin618]

I like Kyle Fuller as the top CB. Might be the best tackling CB I've seen come out of college since Brandon Flowers came out of Virginia Tech.


Jason Verrett is the best pure man cover corner... slightly undersized.. scrappy... fast... from Texas... reminds of Aaron Glenn coming out of Texas A&M.

I think both of these guys are being underrated for this given class. I could even see one or the other falling out of the 1st and thats going to be ridiculous value for someone

 

[Pachyderm_Wave]

I think both of these guys are being underrated for this given class. I could even see one or the other falling out of the 1st and thats going to be ridiculous value for someone

Absolutely. In all seriousness Kyle Fuller's game against Georgia Tech playing linebacker was perhaps the most ridiculous individual defensive efforts I watched all season.

 

[j-off-her-doll]

This is good work again. I've had Bucannon as my top safety for 6 months now. I look for reasons why he shouldn't be and still can't find 'em.

Dion Bailey looks like more of a nickel safety in the NFL. Safeties that get by in the NFL with 4.6 speed are few and far between. Safeties that become impact players or difference makers in the NFL with 4.6 speed are even more rare. Although Bailey could be in the mold of a Jairus Byrd and sneak a starter's role.


I like Kyle Fuller as the top CB. Might be the best tackling CB I've seen come out of college since Brandon Flowers came out of Virginia Tech.

Fuller has excellent cover skills, and tackles so well that he played the whip linebacker position against Georgia Tech's option attack. He was essentially the "force" player responsible for the pitch man and the quarterback. His job was really to maintain outside leverage and "force" the ball carrier back to the inside where all the help is on defense.... not allow him outside. Fuller went above and beyond this. His instincts and quickness was so good he was in the backfield making TFL's and causing fumbles.

Justin Gilbert has tremendous upside, didn't get burned nearly as much this year as last year. Was probably the most dangerous kick returner in the country the past 2 years outside of Tyler Lockett.

Jason Verrett is the best pure man cover corner... slightly undersized.. scrappy... fast... from Texas... reminds of Aaron Glenn coming out of Texas A&M.

Bailey looks lost in deep coverage. As a pure, in-the-box SS, he's not as big or physical as you'd like, but you can see his LB roots, and he plays the ball pretty well. But when he's deep, his angles are rough, and combining that with his speed, I wouldn't go try that.

Aside from Gilbert's upside, I have have these 5 CB's very close and all as 1st RD players. I have Fuller as my most versatile CB followed by Roby. But if I'm a team on draft day, my CB preference would probably just come down to usage.