I specifically came into this thread to ask about Bay Bay Thomas...and find the very last post are WW's thoughts about him. That's service! I might be in the minority, but I'd prefer the Jets take Thomas over Tate if both are available.
A-Dub is still a likely top fifteen pick though. I agree that he's got his fair share of issues, but his talent almost balances those problems out for me. At this point, Davis is better than Trent Williams, Vlad Ducasse, Bruce Campbell, and Charles Brown.
I surely agree Davis will be drafted alot higher then I have him rated. I'm just not seeing a great NFL career for Davis. I have a difficult time rating a player high with so many issues. I've never been high on this top group of OTs in this draft. I willing to bet the 3 of the top 6 OTs in this draft will be complete busts.
I'd take him over every receiver except Arrelious Benn. I think the knock on him playing in the option is a little ridiculous. He only spent two years playing for Paul Johnson at Georgia Tech. People seem to forget who recruited him: good ole' Chan Gailey. Bay Bay spent two years in a pro-style offense at Georgia Tech. A redshirt year and one year as a #2 receiver is a little more experience than people are giving him credit for. Thomas actually had a pretty good year in 2007 while playing in a pro-style offense. Yeah, he was way more productive under Johnson, but he was also far more developed.
Williams is a duplicate of Reggie Wayne to me, lacks a physicality that Jerricho has. As for Anthony Davis, as bad as his attitude is, as lazy as he is, and as sure I am that he'll never be a great Left Tackle, he'll, worst case, be one hell of offensive guard. He's really a much better fit inside, and I honestly feel like that's where he'll be selected if he gets past the middle part of round one. A stupid team could reach for him as a tackle, but I think he could be an instant starter on a team that needs quality, athletic guard prospect. In fact (coming from an RU fan that has been overly negative about Davis), if he and Mike Iupati were on the board at 29, I'd go Davis without hesitation. I can't think of a better situation to get the best out of AD than the Jets.
The only 2 Tackles I really like, but they're not elite talent....Bulaga & Campbell. IMO, Williams is a Right Tackle and some teams considering him in the top half of round one will not get value. Williams will not be a premier LT in this league. Davis' isn't a LT and again not worthy of a Top 15 pick. Davis may be better off projecting to OG. Having concerns on work ethic is a red flag. Okung is very athletic, I have major concerns on his ability to run block.......very overrated. Not in the Class of Joe Thomas, DBrick & Jake Long all Top Elite picks selected very early in the same range Okung is projected. Okung is poor value in the top 5. I like Brown, but again a second tier tackle that isn't very consisitent. I don't have a crystal ball, nobody can be 100% sure which player will be a bust. I look at film , study their backgrounds to make an educated analysis. I can tell you that there will be a few OTs drafted in this draft in RD 1..that will disappoint.
I would take every tackle that went in the first round last year over Okung who is easily the best tackle in this draft.
I like Charles Brown a lot - I think he's got the athleticism to develop into a very good left tackle in the right scheme. Anthony Davis is one of my top OL prospects. I think if he goes to the right team and they get him in the right mindset, he'll be a great player. There's a lot of "ifs" in there though... I've seen Trent Williams numerous times and he got abused by good pass rushers like Kindle and Von Miller - he had a damn good combine, so he'll likely be a first rounder. Like WW, I see him as a right tackle. I think Okung is overrated because of a thin tackle class. He really impressed me at the combine, but as a run blocker, he doesn't stand out.
Charles Brown may very easily be headed to the Seahawks at #14. He's one of Carroll's players, but more importantly he's a PERFECT for a zone blocking scheme. They could drop down a bit and still get him, and maybe try and package picks for Marshall.
