I got this off a chargers site that was titled the best NT in the 2008 draft. Tell me who you think we should take and when or how we could get them. I should have added one of them instead of Pat Simms in my Mock.my bad. I like Trevor Laws in the second round. Glen Dorsey from LSU and Sedrick Ellis from USC both have the talent to play nose guard and at around 6? 2? 305 pounds they both have the size, however, they are a better fit in a 43 type of defense due to their ability to penetrate the gap and disrupt the opposing teams offense. Here are few excellent prospects that look like pure nose guards. Marcus Harrison- 6? 3? 310 lbs. Arkansas Very powerful prospect with a huge lower body. Very good at using leverage and holding his ground at the point of attack. Suffered a knee injury in 2006 and was suspended for three games in 2007 after a drug arrest, but still recorded 72 tackles, 5.5 sacks and 1.5 sacks. Harrison must fight the character issues, but talent wise he is special. Trevor Laws- 6' 1" 302 lbs. Notre Dame Laws is one of the best Sleeper prospects out there. From his defensive tackle position he led the Fighting Irish with an amazing 112 tackles! He also recorded 8 tackles for loss and 4 sacks. He was unblockable during the practices leading up to the 2008 Senior Bowl. Red Bryant- 6? 4? 325 lbs. Texas A&M Definitely has the size for it. Looked like a world beater as a sophomore. As a junior (2006) he blew out his knee in game 9, and missed the final four games of the season. Bounced back nicely from the injury and his senior year he recorded 46 tackles, 6 tackles for loss and 1 sack. Dre Moore- 6? 3? 310 lbs. Maryland Moore wasn?t surrounded by great talent at Maryland and that led him to be double teamed often. He has the quickness to put pressure on the pocket and the strength to tie up blockers. While not a special talent like Harrison, Moore may be able to slide out and play a 3-4 end. Ahtyba Rubin- 6' 3" 321 lbs. Iowa State Who? This is not a typo. Rubin is one of the fastest risers up the draft boards after back to back dominating performances at the East West Shrine Game and the Senior Bowl practices. Rubin has a low powerful anchor and consistently drives the center back into the quarterback. He converted from offensive line to nose guard in 2006 and was the strongest player on the Cyclone roster. He really emerged as a nose guard in 2007 recording 42 tackles, 4 tackles for loss and 1.5 sacks. Other Potential Recruits: Frank Okam, Texas; Jason Shirley, Fresno State; Chris Norwell, Illinois; Derek Lokey, Texas Frank Okam, Texas Height: 6-5. Weight: 320. 40 Time: 5.00. Projected Round: 1. Frank Okam's bread and butter is his ability to stop the run, but don't take that to mean he's a one-dimensional defensive tackle.
Dre Moore and Pat Sims are really nice 3-4 end prospects. It doesn't look like there are any definitive NT prospects. To me Rubin and Bryant are at the top, but they need work. Sedrick Ellis could be a NT in a 1 gap scheme, I think he could have a little trouble in a 2-gap 3-4.
Rubin please. Actually I'll stop...I barely know anything about the guy and I haven't seen a ton of film...but he sounds like a pretty good NT prospect. Frank Morton will rise come combine time.
I'm hoping for Rubin in the 3rd round. I've read some nice things on him, but obviously would like to know more.
Theres a chance he could go in the first...I doubt he lasts to the 3rd with NT being such a need for everyone.
...what are you smoking? The first round? Rubin is the 10th or 11th ranked DT on most "gurus" draft boards... Unless he does like 30-something bench reps and completely dominates the combine, he'll be around for our 3rd, possibly 4th or 5th pick.
He's also the only true standout 3-4 NT in the draft right now. Guys like Moore, Bryant, Sims, and Okam (amongst others) are all athletic enough to play 3-4 DE and at their heights, probably fit 3-4 DE better than NT. He's been a riser for a little bit now, and looked dominant at the Shrine game and Senior Bowl week. I've seen him go as high as 27 to the Chargers in mocks, and theres a good chance he doesn't make it out of the second. He's strong, plays with a great motor, and can't be blocked by one guy. He also plays a position almost every 3-4 team is looking for...the Chargers, Cowboys, 49ers, Jets, Rams, Bengals, Broncos, Dolphins, Browns, Panthers, Colts, and who knows who else are all going to be immensely interested in a guy with Rubin's size and skillset.
Is he really the only "true standout" 3-4 NT? Did he play 3-4 NT at Iowa State? I don't think he did. So he's just as big of a mystery as all of the other guys. Rubin and Red Bryant are basically the same player...except for a few inches in their height. There isn't a "true standout". Colts, Panthers, Rams, Bengals, and Broncos dont play the 3-4. He can rise, but he's not going to get ahead of Ellis, Dorsey, Balmer, Moore, Sims, and Laws.
Actually...he did. And the Colts...well they probably don't *need* a Rubin. The Panthers love big DTs, and they need one. Rams already use a 3-4 at times, and are planning to use it more. Bengals might make the switch, but either way they need a big run stuff DT. Same for the Broncos actually. He'll go ahead of Laws...well ahead. And of course those other 5 will go ahead of him...Dorsey and Ellis are top 10...Balmer is up in the air with the potential to go top 15 or in the third...Moore Sims looks like a late first-early second but being a big, dominating DT can move up...hell some are already speculating Sims ends up in the top 15...even top 10.
Actually uhh...Iowa State plays a 4-3 defense. Trevor Laws is probably the second best 3-4 lineman in this year's draft...only behind Chris Long. Both of these guys actually played in the 3-4 in college. Notre Dame and UVA play the 3-4...unline Iowa State. His experience in the 3-4 alone puts him well ahead of Rubin. Laws is a beast, and he'll go before Rubin. The Jets obviously weren't looking for DWare, unless you are talking about college dropout Danny Ware.
So did Texas when Casey Hampton played there. So did Miami when Vince Wilfork played for Miami. DeMarcus Ware played end at Troy. Vrabel was a DE at OSU. Most 3-4 players played in the 4-3 in college. It's the certain skills and athleticism they display that makes them 3-4 prospects. That first sentence alone should negate your whole argument. Moore, Balmer, and Sims are all better 3-4 end prospects than Long is. Groh even compared Long to Mike Vrabel, a DE/OLB, and not a 3-4 DE or 4-3 DT who could play DE in the 3-4. Laws is a high motor animal, but his physical tools aren't great enough for him to be a first day or early second day draft pick. That was really...good?
Didn't you just say that Rubin played in a 3-4 at Iowa State? I know a lot of pro 3-4 prospects come out of 4-3 defenses, but that wasn't what I was arguing. You tried to correct me on something that you had wrong in the first place. You're throwing a bunch of random teams and player's names into your arguments, and none of it makes sense man.
Yea, that was a bit of a retarded accident on my part. I was trying to answer the "is he the only true, standout NT" question and answered the wrongfully bold...basically it was a retarded situation thats easier explained by me smoking alot of weed tonight. It's more...he showed the skillset of a 3-4 NT with a sturdy build, playing with a high motor, and eating up multiple blockers all year. Yea, my mistake. Random teams: Player names: All of those guys I listed are considered 3-4 DL prospects here and on other boards. I still think you're totally off on Rubin. Position scarcity combined with his skillset, motor, and size has really made him a riser, and many fans now consider their team lucky to get him in the 3rd in a mock.
This year, there are several guys who could be good fits at NT. We might need to gamble on one of them. However, I think the NT class will get better very soon. BJ Raji will be coming out next year. Also, I was just checking out some of the new college recruits and Bama scored a massive DT from JuCo, Terrence Cody who is 6'5, 385 pounds. It will probably be 2-3 years until he's eligible but it seems like the NT horizon is getting better in future years. I'm not saying to hold your breath for this guy, but just that it doesn't seem like the last few years where there haven't been any quality NT prospects seem to be gone (or at least I hope).
I like Trevor Laws a lot. He might not have the pounds but he is good at what he does as a nose tackle. The fact that he had 112 tackles last year is insane and ND doesn't play easy scheduels. I think he is underated and I would love to see his kind of motor on our team.
i don?t see any real solutions for our NT problem in this years draft. I would just go with DRob another year. Raji looks real good, he could be our solution next year.
