Thought this would be a good discussion topic... Let's say we don't grab a Jabari Greer or Bryant McFadden in FA and instead elect to grab a #2 corner via the draft. Do you think we should go CB with the 17th pick in Vontae Davis, Alphonso Smith, or DJ Moore? Or, do you think we should go CB in the 2nd or 3rd round considering how deep that area is? Personally, I feel that we should go with a playmaker (Sanchez/Maclin/Britt/Heyward Bey) in the 1st, and grab our second corner in the 2nd. Whether it be Victor "Macho" Harris, Mike Mickens, Darius Butler, or someone else, it seems to me that the quality of CB in the 2nd round isn't that much different than those in the 1st. Macho Harris is my personal favorite. He doesn't have an ideal body, but he's extremely good in man-to-man and would fit our system well. Another scenario I'd love is if Malcolm Jenkins falls out of the top 5, to trade up around 7-9 and grab him. To me, Jenkins is a Top-3 player in the draft and would give us another true shut down CB. Oakland might trade back if they feel Maclin will still be available at 17. So, what do you guys think?
I agree there is no need to take a corner in the first round. I really like Darius Butler and believe he will be available to us in the 2nd round. Problem solved.
Of who you listed, I'd probably want Vontae Davis if anyone in the first (or, if by some miracle Malcolm Jenkins falls to us). If not, I'd like to see us try to trade up in the second or down in the first to grab Sean Smith. Hell, after the combine he may be worth the 17. He's a guy who, had he been playing at a bigger school, would be a top-half-of-the-first lock. His versatility fits in very well with Ryan's general philosophy as well.
I really like Sean Smith but I see him as the #1 Safety in the draft. With his size and speed I think he could be a real force at FS - a first round talent. But I also think Lowery could do well there as well for the Jets. So I'd prefer to take a top CB and move Lowery. As to the CB, I am not a fan of Vontae Davis (who's brother is Vernon Davis, TE for San Francisco). I've heard rumors the kid has a bad attitude - an entitlement attitude - who doesn't work as hard as he could. So I'd tend to steer clear of him unless those rumors are proven false. I like both Smith and Moore even though both are a bit undersized. Since Revis has good size I wouldn't be tremendously worried. Revis could take the bigger matchups. And if Smith and Moore leap well and show good speed at the Combine, that allays my concerns even more. If we go second round, I'd love to consider Macho Harris. He looked tremendous at the Senior Bowl. Very fluid in coverage - a natural CB. But I think his speed is the big knock on him. He might be better suited to a zone coverage system. And we need a guy who can lock down man-on-man.
I agree whole heartedly with your take. Davis may have some "work ethic" issues, but I have a feeling that will go away quickly with Ryan, the new DC and Plank coaching him. If we are to run ANY version of the 46, even part of the time, two good cover corners are a must. They are on their own if the pressure doesn't rush the QB in that scheme.
Smith's actually listed at 6-3, 214. That's pretty much prototypical size IMO. Of course, pre-combine dimensions are always sketchy, even 6-1 is a good size. http://utahutes.cstv.com/sports/m-footbl/mtt/smith_sean00.html The only thing numbers-wise that's a bit off is his current 40 time, listed at 4.50. Not terrible, but not top tier. The guy has a lot of talent though.
then we need a pass rush for them to be better than the Woodson/Harris tandem. Turnovers all day long.
The Smith I made reference to was Alphonso Smith who is 5-9, 193. He and DJ Moore (5-10. 182) are on the small side. I had already talked about Sean Smith earlier in my post. He has great size for a Safety and probably decent speed.
I would have no problem taking a CB in the first round. I like Sean Smith as a FS but agree that lowery would be a nice fit as well. If we go out and get another shut down corner on the other side we would have a very strong back field. We are not going to be able to blitz like Ryan wants to if we don't tighten up back there. simple. If we go that route then I think we should look for a WR in the second round.. maybe a Britt type if he is still around and then get another ILB in free agency. I think a lot of wholes would be addressed. I think we have a pretty good WR core if we utilize them correctly. Stuckey is a nice 3 man.. clowney can open the field and Smith is a weapon more than we have used him so far.. tell me what you think boys.
Sean Smith is a little too raw for me to go 1st round on him. What do people here think of Mike Mickens? I've heard good things, but I haven't seen any tape on him.
There's a great free agent class of CBs. But I want an ILB in free agency if we don't resign Barton and it looks like we're going to get Jim Leonhard, which would take care of the safety issue. For CB, I wouldn't mind signing one as well, but given our potential cap situation it might be better to draft one. And at the latest by round 2. I like Alphonso Smith in the first round. Other than his lack of height, he looks like the real deal.
Well a bunch of those corners are probably reaches as of right now. I think if Morreno is on the board we take him. But I could see Davis being there Im also pretty high on James Laurinitis
Bryant Mcfadden is a good option in FA. Good size, is aggressive and comes from an aggressive scheme.
What spot do you draft in? He would be a great choice, though the Jets will probably be stuck with DJ Moore at 17.
