Alan Branch from Michigan is 6-6 330 pound DT. This guy is an animal. He would make a great 1st round pick at NT. Move Dewayne to DE and put this guy at the nose. What do you think?
I love it. The first thing we should do next year is adress the NT position, and maybe consider getting a passrusher too.
This has been discussed a thousand times, but here we go again. WHile Branch may have the weight at 335, he most liekly will not be a nosetackle in the NFL. His game is much more along the lines of TY Warren and Richard Seymour. He is a big guy with a little speed and a whole lot of athletic ability for a big man. He does not have the leverage or massive amount of strength for a NT, plus in college he shifts out to DE on many occassions. I love him as a prospect, but not as a NT, he fits much better as a 4-3 DT or a 3-4 DE. There are not many real prospects at NT in this years draft, especially not in the early rounds, but a few guys who you may want to look at are Louis Leonard 6-3, 330 Fresno St, Ken Scott 6-2 325 Texas Tech, Paul Soliai 6-4 320 Utah, and Brian Gabourel 6-3 320 Central Florida. On a side note Robertson has protypical nosetackle size at about 6'1" 320 (While Ted Washington and Sam Adams have been succesful, they are not neccessairly what you have to have). I still hold out hope that he can build the neccessary strength or that Tui, Moore, or Pouha can hold that spot, because there is not really anyone out there who is an upgrade who will be a Free Agent or available in the draft.
Everytime I try to watch Alan Branch I get distracted by Lamarr Woodley and David Harris. Those two would look great in green. Brach wouldn't be bad either
Well put! That being said Alan Branch would still be a very good draft pick for us because in our 3-4 defense he would play RDE. IMO, I consider that position our biggest need on defense; the position is currently being held by Kimo Von "Old " Hoffen, who's the absolute worst. I figure Robertson will be gone next year and like you mentioned the NT position handled by the platoon of Moore, Tui and Pouha in no specific order. Other possibilites for RDE would be Frank Okam, Red Bryant and my personal favorite Adam Carriker.
yj.... very good thought the DE spot in the 3/4 HAS TO BE manned by the tall athletic types that can create havoc for the QB's in the short passing game and give the opposing oline fits. one of the reasons i think mario williams better spot would likely be a 3-4 end but how do you explain the #1 choice as a 3-4 end. the ideal size package up front is a space eating nose tackle and taller, more athletic DE's. Sean ellis fits the mold nicely and had an effective rookie year at DE but has not shined since. jil
Great post...unfortunately, we're looking for an NT at exactly the wrong time, because there are some very strong 4-3 DT prospects in this year's draft, but no real stud 3-4 NT. We might already have one--Tui apparently had a solid camp and was looking good, but I'm not going to hold my breath. That being said, there are some second-tier NT prospects like you mentioned that we could get in the 2nd or even the 3rd round. And just because there's no stud 3-4 NT doesn't mean our defense is doomed for another season; this is a great year for pass-rushing OLBs (some converted from DE) and 3-4 DEs.
Alan Branch is the Michigan Wolverines defense. At 6'6 330, Branch will no doubt be a first round pick if he decides to declare for the draft since he is a junior. The JETS defense will be a lot better if we can draft this beast of a man.
And the way it's looking, the pick will not be a Top 10 pick. So as a middle 1st round pick(Possibly later?), it'd be very nice.
i referenced Gaines Adams in another thread, but it's probably more appropriate here. i think he's a beast. he's pretty big, strong, and has good quickness. i watched the Clemson game this past Saturday and he clearly stood out. he's playing along an excellent future-NFL DL, but the fact that he stands out says something. i'm not sure where he's projected to go, but i'd like to see him at DE to replace Kimo and rotate with - then eventually surpass - Robertson. cheers
I love Alan Branch and he will be a sick 4-3 DT or 3-4 DE and we could certainly use him...give us our own Richard Seymour...but I wouldn't bank on it. If Branch declares he will almost certainly be the top rated DT and a certain top 20 pick barring anything major. After combines etc this is the kind of guy that will shoot up boards and end up going top 5. With teams needing DTs earlier than us in the draft he isn't likely gonna slide to us since it looks like we will be 8-8 or better this year. Keep in mind Romeo Crennel runs the same D as us with the browns and is going to almost certainly going to have a worse record than us. Branch will probably be a brown if he doesnt go even earlier.
Woiuldn't we stick a 6'6 330 pounder at the NT spot in our 34? We don't need a 34 DE nearly as bad as we need a NT.
3-4 NTs are typically shorter and stouter generally around 6'2 or shorter where as 3-4 DEs are taller more around 6'6 in order to get around long armed tackles. This is why Robertson doesn't work at 3-4 DE...he wouldn't be able to consistantly get pressure. He is undersized for 3-4 NT as far as weight so hes having trouble, but if he gained like 10+ lbs hopefullly without hurting speed which is very possible in the offseason with a trainer his game should improve considerably. We will probably address NT in the offseason anyway if just for competetion but I have a feeling in a year Robertson won't be looked upon as quite as much of a bust. As for moving him to DE because he's too light for his position at NT...it was tried by mangini but failed and they know what they are doing. I think Robertson is 6'1...which is too short to play 3-4 DE. His position is NT...hes learning it this year and will train to make his physique fit it in the offseason. Keep in mind that Vince Wilforks rookie season he was downright bad until he learned how to play the NT...He shifted where he lined up and changed his approach and now he is one of the most dominant in the game...A new system takes time to learn
Personally I think we should take a pass rusher first since they are tougher to find and I really like Woodley. NT would be my 2nd pick. Anyone know of any good NT UFA's next season?
Name: Adam Carriker School: Nebraska Position: Defensive EndHeight: 6'6" Weight: 295 NFL Comparison: Aaron Smith, Pittsburgh Steelers Positives: Defensive ends with Carriker?s size and versatility are not easy to find. His raw strength and long arms enable him to defend the run as well as any other end in this year?s draft class. He plays with good leverage and can collapse the pocket with a fierce bull rush. Carriker is also remarkably quick for his size and moves well in pursuit (a team-high 9.5 sacks in 2005). An excellent student and a former high school quarterback, Carriker is always one of the smartest players on the field. Negatives: As with most linemen his size, Carriker doesn?t explode off the line as quickly as some of the elite pass rushers. He is more likely to beat his man with leverage than with finesse. Ankle injuries hampered Carriker during his first two seasons at Nebraska. Overall: Carriker is mobile enough to play every down as a 4-3 end, but could excel in a 3-4 because his presence will occupy multiple blockers. While many of the other elite ends in this year?s draft class are smaller pass-rush specialists, Carriker?s versatility could net him a big payday in April.
