I have noticed lately that there is no general consensus at OLB for this team. Many consider one OLB as their favorite over another. My question is who is your favorite and why at OLB for the Jets? I understand many circumstances come into play like the combine, workouts, the senior bowl, etc, but lets put that aside for now and lets see who likes who the most.
First I loved Upshaw, then I started to give into the Mercilus hype but now I like Upshaw and Ingram now. Its honestly really tough evaluating these guys.
Upshaw and the only reason I pick him over merciless, is bc he's the safer pick, would be an upgrade at the current position adding youth and speed. Last thing this team needs a bust in the first round , go with the safer pick
I'm really high on Donta Hightower right now. I don't think he would be best suited in the long haul for OLB responsibilities, but it would be such a luxury to have his versatility on our defense. Someone who can rotate between inside and outside would be fantastic, hell, he could even put his hand in the dirt for us in some defensive packages I'm sure. Overall I just want Hightower. I think his stock will rise before it is all said and done.
I am a big fan of a lot of Linebackers, Whitney Mercilus, Courtney Upshaw, Luke Kuehchly (don't know why he isn't on this board), Vontaze Burfict and Dont'a Hightower We need to do anything to get 2 of 5
Safest pick Courtney Upshaw but imo he'll turn out into a Bryan Thomas kind of a guy. In love with Vinny Curry... in a couple of years he'll be a beast. I agree with the boom or bust rating on Mercilus... is he a Gholston or a Kerrigan? Never really considered Ingram at OLB. Prob would be a good pass rusher but what about the rest of an OLBs responsabilities?
Ingram has dropped back into coverage many times at SC and is very athletic for someone his size, he would be fine at OLB.
I cant pick personally. Upshaw- Should be the safest pick, very good all around LB, stops the run and can pass rush effectively, can come into the league and start, but I dont necessarily see a huge ceiling for him though. He can be a very effective player but Im not 100% sure he could be a huge sack number guy. Mercilus- Very effective pass rusher, not as impressive against the run but can sometimes be effective. Needs some time to adjust to OLB duties, not too sure how effective he would be in coverage. Has a huge ceiling IMO but can he reach it? And can he continue his effective style of play in the NFL? Id consider him a boom or bust in some circumstances of what Id like to see out of him. Ingram- Has the best of both worlds, can pass rush well, stop the run, and can work around in coverage. BUT he isnt very fast, misses tackles at times, and lacks a burst off the line which could very much effect him in the NFL. Also a boom or bust pick IMO. Hightower- A big time sleeper IMO, he can do it all, he can blitz well, stop the run, work well in coverage, and is very versatile (can play ILB and OLB). BUT is he the high sack number guy we are looking for or essentially Bart Scotts future replacement? Perry- I think he will have a big combine, he is very athletic and built to be a 3-4 OLB even though he played 4-3 DE. He has great strength, comes from a great program, and great speed off the line. My biggest problem with him is his injury history, he is always being hampered by something whether its his knee, ankle, hamstring, etc. It could effect him in the NFL. Also his inconsistency is the reason he will most likely be a day 2 pick, although his stock could change come April.
Right now Upshaw is at the top of my list. He's the most complete, has played the actual position we'd have him at extensively (OLB), and played against the best competition in college football. He's been a consistent stud. I'm also really high on Hightower but I'm not sure where he fits into the Jets needs/draft. I don't think he's worth the 16th pick but I doubt he'll be available in the 2nd round, and that's if we don't take an OL there. OLB is definitely a bigger need than ILB at the moment.
Upshaw is the best all-round football player on the list. I just don't think he will be available at #16. Ingram, Hightower & Mercilus would be my choice in order on who's available. Mercilus has the biggest upside and the lowest floor....High risk/High reward.
How could you possibly say this on January 25th? The draft is 3 months away. Outside of a handful of players, everyone's stock is going to fluctuate greatly in that time. Right now Curry's stock is rising. It might not continue to rise, but it very well could. It's ridiculous to think he couldn't end up as a first round pick. Many teams could have him there already.
All anyone can know by now is what's happening Jan 25th and Curry is currently a 2nd Rd prospect. The Combine will either help or hurt Curry's stock.
Like i said in the original post put all combine stuff aside. Curry right now just is not a 1 st round prospect. Of course he could have an exceptional combine and move into the first but there are many tangibles about his game and level of competition that don't help his case in being a sure fire first rounder.
Everything you say is fair, and I admit I glossed over the second part of your original post. I was going by the first part of your post. I was throwing out the name of one of my favorite players that I think would be a great fit for the Jets. I don't think it necessarily has to be the #16 pick. Of the guys you listed, it would be Upshaw. Least amount of questions.
I've stated in other threads that I think Upshaw is the safest pick of the bunch. I'd rather not see another Vernon Gholston in this organization. Kuechly is an inside LB, thread title mentions OLB. We're solid on the interior with Harris, not so much on the outside though.
No one wants another Gholston, I doubt any of the players were considering is like Gholston. Probably before your time on this site, I was one of the Gholston haters long before the Jets drafted him. I live in Columbus and saw his lousy work ethic and I don't care about football attitude. Gave up on plays and didn't hustle when the play was near him. Gholston had one rush move and got most of his stats against weak competition....Akron, Bowling Green etc. Gholston was a workout wonder that was fool's gold from the love at the combine. Mercilus won't be the next Gholston and probably not the next DWare, more than likely somewhere in the middle. I'm sorry to disappoint, I doubt Upshaw will be available at #16. If we go defense in Rd 1...my guess it will be Ingram, Hightower or Mercilus.
Ingram is getting rave reviews in Senior Bowl practices, might be a nice choice if Upshaw is gone at 16.
Nice breakdown of each player Johnny. I am also having a hard time to pick a favorite- it seems like every week I chose one, then I watch some tape on another, then like that prospect more and then repeat. My take on each one is: -Upshaw is probably the most proready OLB (maybe Hightower, but I’ll give the edge to Upshaw since he’s played the position all throughout college). He is also the safest pick and I dont see him reaching 10+ sacks a year. He has a massive frame and has a ton of power, he wont wow you with speed, but he will get to the QB. -Mercilus to me is the trickiest player. I honestly dont know what to think and he scares the shit out of me. I think he has potential to be a 14+ sack guy, but at the same time I can see him failing at the pro level. When I watch him, he has a good burst and good athleticism, but neither are elite, he has a knack for stripping the ball, he has a hard time anchoring in the run and can get overpowered at times. He just doesnt WOW me. -Ingram has potential to be a stud passrusher. His measurable's wont wow anyone but the kid is a straight up playmaker. His versatility is also a key factor when evaluating him- he can even drop back in coverage well and when he gets his hand on the ball, he can easily intercept it. The only troubling thing is that you wonder if he can still produce in the NFL with his size. He seems like a Steelers linebacker- dont care about measurable’s, can simply play and get to the QB. -Hightower seems to be getting a lot of praise lately, but the problem I have is that I just dont think he is a long term solution at the OLB position. I think he will be a stud at the next level- Rolando McClain said the Hightower is a better player and has more talent, but I dont see him staying at OLB once Scott is gone. And since we are trying to solve the hole at OLB, its a tough call. -Perry is a player that could run the fastest 40 for all OLB’s at the combine (aside from Zach Brown) and has a ton of potential. I havent seen much on him but in mocks I’ve seen him go as early as the 10th overall or as late as the end of the 2nd. The combine is will play a HUGE part in his stock. At the end of the day, Im think Upshaw and Ingram lead the pack, but it’ll change.
