Aaron Curry is the best defensive prospect in 2009's draft. Mario Williams was the best in 2006's. The Texans passed on the popular choice in Reggie Bush for a defensive player and everyone shit a brick. Linebacker Ray Lewis has had the one of biggest impacts in this game for a long time. Here's a good stat for you - 4-3 OLBs have led the NFL in tackles for the past three seasons.
In that case, YES, then you'll still regret it, but there's no QB in this class who is as highly regarded as Peyton Manning was when he left Tennessee or Elway when he left Stanford .. that doesn't mean a HOF QB cannot emerge from this class, its still possible, but at this point that seems like a longshot so I would pass on the QB if I thought Curry could be a DeMarcus Ware type player .. and I say that as one who does believe franchise QB's trump all else if you don't already have one, but you have to feel confident you are drafting one at #1 Overall, because you are betting the franchise on it, at least the next four or five years, that's the kind of investment you're making and that's how long it will set you back if you're wrong, so IMO you should feel like you're drafting an Elway/Manning type talent, otherwise I'd take Curry instead
I just don't think Curry playing 4-3 OLB will have the same kind of impact that a 3-4 OLB like Ware or Merriman have with their teams. IMO Detroit has two choices with the top pick, if they feel strongly about either QB then it is a no brainer, if they don't feel strongly about either one then build from the inside out with the top OT prospect.
How do you know Detroit will play the 4-3? Cunningham has said he will run the scheme that fits his best players. They could very well play in the 3-4 next season.
Thanks for picking Crabtree for me, I'm not good at waking up early especially when I was trashed yesterday.
You're right I don't know, I'm assuming Schwartz would prefer to play a 4-3. I do think the pick makes more sense if they do play the 3-4 but still would have taken the QB.
I think Curry would be a hell of a fit with Schawtz and what hes running in Detroit BUT I really do think Jim is going to make a statement and draft a QB early on.
Ray Lewis was always able to do the things he did because he had a defensive line, for a few seasons his d-line wasn't that good and people thought his career was almost done....then they drafted Haloti Ngata And just because they are the best defensive players in their respective drafts doesn't mean Curry could even touch Williams as a prospect Tackles are the most meaningless stat in football, and that isn't even true, D'Qwell Jackson led the league in tackles this season and he is an ILB in a 3-4 And Patrick Willis did last season, and he is also a 3-4 ILB
This is going to sound like a contradiction, but if the Lions don't draft an Impact Player on defense with that pick, I think they might as well take a shot at the QB provided they believe there's a QB who has a decent chance to become a franchise QB at some point .. if you're not drafting an impact player elsewhere and you do need a QB (as they do), you might as well take the gamble .. I think its worth the gamble
I like MrElectric's choice of Curry. I've been looking over the Detroit message boards / media lately and there's a strong consensus that the team should NOT draft a QB. Not with the poor shape of the OL. Everyone thinks a young QB would be shell-shocked like Joey Harrington. Fifty+ sacks will do that to a rookie. I think the only realy question would be whether an OT should be taken. But as Electric said, the draft is deep with good LT and the Lions could pick one up with their second first rounder or even their 2-1 pick. So Curry is definitely a very credible choice. He will definitely be an impact player in the NFL. And I love to see when teams put several good players together - they start to feed off of eachother. Simms + Curry would be fun to watch.
Actually last season the Niners switched back and forth from 4-3 to 3-4 - but Willis did stay inside. Jackson didn't lead the league in tackles - Jon Beason did. Solo tackles that is. Ray Lewis dominated in with Kelly Gregg in front of him. Haloti Ngata came to Baltimore not to long ago. Sam Adams and Tony Siragusa were both very good at being fat, but they aren't there anymore and Lewis is still playing great.
