Top 2007 Defensive Draft Prospects

i have a thought, lets get into training camp, play the '06 season and THEN we can start thinking about draft pospects

 

I really love LaMar Woodley and Im hopin we take him next year. Huge guy (6'2 and 270) that would really help our pass rush. I'm expecting a big year out of him

Also, surprised you dont have Texas safety Michael Girffin ranked up there, I have him ranked behind Zbikowski

 

Solid Point, Solid.

 

1. Ahmad Brooks (SR) – why put Brooks here well he is going in the supplemental draft, and is a great athlete who can basically play in any defense. Already has experience in the 3-4 defense, fast strong and could end up being the best lb that came out in 06(Pro Comparison-Brian Urlacher)

I don't think hes any where near Urlacher. But he is a goof player and worth taking the risk on him.

 

Great job Nesquick, a few guys on there that I haven't even gotten a chance to really watch yet. Plus, I finally got the motivation to finish mine, so I'll just put it here too:

Defensive End

1. Gaines Adams, Clemson. Terrific natural athlete and passrusher, put up nearly 10 sacks last year, may be the best returning defensive player in the ACC.
2. Quentin Moses, Georgia. In his first year as a starter, he had 20 TFL and 11.5 sacks, kid’s a natural getting into the backfield, would make a terrific 34 OLB.
3. Adam Carriker, Nebraska. Equally skilled as a passrusher and run stuffer, won the team lifting competition. Could be a nice fit as a 3-4 End.
4. Baraka Atkins, Miami. Too small for DT, and not really as explosive as you’d hope a 43 end to be; but damn can he play. 34 End is perfect.
5. Lawrence Jackson, USC*. Ten sacks, and 16 for loss as a sophomore in 05. I love his potential, so he gets the last spot on the top 5. He just needs to take that next step, and he’ll be elite.

Defensive Tackle
1. Kareem Brown, Miami. A bit of a bold pick here, but in a sea of underachievers (at both Miami and the DT position in general), Brown actually…gasp… overachieves. Fast, strong, and potential for a massive year.
2. Frank Okam, Texas*. The big man in the middle for Texas, it was him, not Rod Wright that kept them from falling apart in there, and also protected the undersized Aaron Harris quite well.
3. Alan Branch, Michigan*. For being such a big man in a hybrid 34 defense that usually doesn’t get the NT much credit, Branch has produced quite well. At the top of his game, he could be a clone of John Henderson.
4. Quinn Pitcock, Ohio State. Going to have his work cut out for him this year. Solid, hard working type, won’t put up big numbers, you’ll see more flashy guys rise up past him by next year.
5. DeMario Pressley, NC State*. I’m just going to turn this into the “GH’s guy” pick. Pressley hasn’t had the impact most people expected of him when he signed with the Pack, but I’ll be damned if this isn’t his year (ok, maybe not “damned”, but I think he’s got it in him).

Outside Linebacker
1. Paul Posluszny, Penn St. Uhhmm…uuhhh… duh. Kid’s an absolute animal, not the most gifted athlete in the world, but is the best LB in the country right now.
2. Brandon Siler, Florida*. Siler was better than Channing Crowder when he took over for him back during his freshman year, and he’s gotten steadily better. Very good athlete, and plays the game like a 5th year senior, knows how to get into the backfield as well.
3. Rufus Alexander, Oklahoma. Rufus was the guy that really held the Sooner defense together last year when they were going through some serious turmoil overall, and apparently nearly made the jump. He’ll benefit from going back, the D will be vastly improved (Nic Harris, remember that name at Safety), and he’ll see his stock rise because of it.
4. Xavier Adibi, Virginia Tech*. The kind of athlete teams dream about having at OLB, and a person I knew that had the opportunity to watch VTech’s spring practices as apart of a coaching seminar said that he was the best player on the field. Tall, Dansby-like player, his impact would be swift.
5. Jon Beason, Miami*. OK, just a touch of homerism here, but I know a special player when I see one. If Ernie Sims can go at #9, then Beason, after what should be a more than stellar Jr. after the way he played in 05, is definitely worthy of a first round grade. He’s supremely confidant, has Defensive Back athleticism, and a mean streak to be reckoned with.

Inside Linebacker
1. Patrick Willis, Ole Miss. Best part about Patrick Willis? The fact that his membership on the All May Day team is mentioned on his Ole Miss team profile. Kid is a stud, perfect MLB size, speed, and a nose for the football.
2. H.B. Blades, Pittsburgh. Son of Hurricane great Bennie Blades, nephew of two more Hurricanes, Brian and Al Blades; it’s safe to say I’ve heard of him. If he was a Cane he’d be hyped as Vilma 2 right now.
3. Nate Harris, Louisville. Plays the game like it should, fast, angry, and with a purpose. Academic and personal troubles kept him out of Miami and in JuCo for a couple years, but he resoundingly announced his arrival last year, and this year may be one of the best defenders in the Big East.
4. Justin Warren, Texas A&M. I was having trouble placing him inside or out, he could probably play either one at a high level. Big enough to take on blockers, but also athletic enough to excel in coverage.
5. Vince Hall, Virginia Tech*. Looks a bit undersized, but is a very smart, and athetic ILB. He keeps that tech defense together and doing their jobs, much like Jon Vilma did with Miami back in the day (note, I compare a lot of people to Vilma). No matter how much talent there is on a team, they won’t be successful without a leader.
Honorable Mention: Buster Davis, Florida St. Ahh… Buster. He’s about 5-8 on his absolute best day, but he’ll give you all he has every day. I have no idea what role he’ll be in when he gets to the NFL, but I guarantee you won’t find a better backup LB/special teamer.

Cornerback
1. Antoine Cason, Arizona*. Love this kid, absolutely love him. The fact that he plays the game with that same swagger as the old Canes DBs had (thank you Mark Stoops) has a big role in that, so do his speed and playmaking ability.
2. Daymeion Hughes, California. Came on like a freight train towards the end of last year, up until then there were questions about whether or not he could make the big play. His 5 picks and 12 passes defensed answered that and then some, and with his size/speed combo, he’ll be just fine come next April.
3. Ramzee Robinson, Alabama. It might seem odd, considering all the talent on that Tide Defensive Backfield, but Robinson may have been the guy that impressed me the most. When teams were doing there best to avoid Harper, Peprah, and even Castille, Robinson was making plays. Love that, “go ahead and test me” attitude, too many corners enter the league without it.
4. Leon Hall, Michigan. Been waiting for a while Hall to make his impact. Never really stood out to me, that is until his two INTs in the bowl game vs Nebraska last year; sure, it was only Nebraska, but corners are supposed to make their big plays when everyone’s watching. All about attitude.
5. Simeon Castille, Alabama*. Don’t like him as much as I do Robinson, just because he’s still got a ways to go in terms of development. Used the rest of the defense to his advantage, which was great for Bama, but needs to step up his game. Could be next year’s Jon Joseph, Ahmad Carroll, etc.

Safety
1. Brandon Meriweather, Miami. BM improved his game by leaps and bounds every year at Miami, one of the few who’s done so in some time. Not physically imposing, but has become devastating hitter (let’s see Quincy try that again), and a gifted ballhawk.
2. LaRon Landry, LSU. I’m not quite as in love with Landry as other people are, he’s a terrific safety, but I have concerns about his adjustment to the NFL. Skinny, and doesn’t make up for it with his tackling, nor is he so athletic that it won’t matter.
3. Aaron Rouse, Virginia Tech. A pure strong safety in the NFL, he plays that Rober/LB position at VTech, so you can be assured he knows how to make a tackle. Love that size too, 6-4 220, he shouldn’t have the problems guys like Darnell Bing did, because he actually has the athleticism to cover.
4. Michael Griffin, Texas. He’s not Mike Huff, but he’s pretty good in his own right. Going to be interesting to see how he steps into the leadership role in that secondary, losing Huff and Cedric Griffin (no relation), it’ll help having his brother Marcus playing next to him.
5. Tom Zbikowski, Notre Dame. Good athlete, and a well balanced safety overall, but he’s got a problem with making some crucial mistakes in tight spots. If he works that out he’ll have no problem making a place for himself in

 

I had a feeling youd put Merriweather over Landry. Skinny nothing, theyre the same height and Landry's got a little under 20 pounds on him. And he's so unathletic he runs a 4.4. Landry is a physical player too and isnt afraid bring the wood.

Then again, I am a diehard LSU fan Even so, I believe you are mistaken in your analysis of Landry

 

20 pounds? On, like Mars? No way is Landry 20 pounds more than anyone besides maybe LSU's kicker. Every account I heard was about 190, and he looked it. BM isn't an imposing physical presence either based on size, but his tackling/hitting are unquestionable. He sent a kid from Clemson who must have been 6 inches, 70 pounds more than him to the hospital last year.

 

Hes listed near 205. Its tough to gauge any players weight while in pads, but Id say 195 sounds reasonable. Which bear in mind is still 10 pounds more than BM. But Im not a man of #s, and these stats dont really impress me. I certainly dont view these #s as insurmountable.

 

Neither do I, that's why I said in my first post that he was just flat out skinny. He looks it, and he plays like it. I'm not saying it's insurmountable either, I'm just pointing out that it's something that is concerning at the moment.

 

This post/response belongs in the BULLSHIT section. Go watch a few clips of Kellen Clemens and pretend like you wanted him from day one

 

Question to Green Hurricane, whatever happened to Willie Williams? There was so much hype surrounding that kid

 

The kid just can't get on the field. We don't know if it's him, or if Coker, Shannon, and the staff just really don't want to play him. When he gets some PT, it's in small stretches, and he always looks impressive, at least as impressive a guy can when he only gets 5 snaps a game. We're all hoping that they just turn Willie loose soon, but it's almost a joke because none of us even expect it.

 

Glenn Cook is starting right now at MLB, but he'll get beat out in about 2 weeks once Daryl Sharpton gets it going. Sharpton's young still, but they say he's the next Vilma, smart, fast, and relatively unheralded coming out of HS. Rocky wasn't the MLB last year anyway, he played a little there over the last two years, but it was mostly Romeo and Leon Williams starting.


Also, another name I wanted to put on my Defense list, Darius Sanders, a Senior DE out of Oregon. He didn't play a ton, but flashed tremendous potential.

 

Nes....nice job. I think it's very important you listed the defensive players coming out or possibly coming for 07's draft, since the Jets will probably be concentrating on the defensive side of the the ball, at least in Day 1.

A couple of players I really love......Quentin Moses......if he plays like he did last season, he could be a top 3 pick, he's relentless. Would be a perfect player for the Jets.

Anthony Reddick...........I was very dissappointed when he was injuryed, I believe in Miami's first game last year. As a Freshman, he was a very special player and was always around the ball. Sean Taylor wasn't missed as much when Reddick stepped up in 05. IMO, don't be surprised if he doesn't declare.

 

I'm just interested to see how they use him. Meriweather's going to start, no doubt after the way he played in '05, but you certainly can't take away Kenny Phillips job either, that kid might be the best to ever play at Miami by the time he's done (don't think it's impossible, they said no one would beat Bennie Blades or Ed Reed either). What I figure is that they'll use a lot of 3 safety sets, using one as a pseudo- Nickelback, probably BM because he's played there a lot over his career. You saw Lavon Ponder getting a lot of time last year along with KP and Meriweather, so it shouldn't be that big of an adjustment. If Reddick's healthy though, it sure will be tough to keep him off the field. I hope he doesn't declare, and give us an experienced Reddick and Phillips tandem for a year (maybe two..??).