3-4 personel

[darnik44]

I somewhat specialize in identifying 3-4 personel.

Nose Takles

Glenn Dorsey, LSU - top 5 (questionalble as a NT would need to add weight)
Sedrick Ellis, USC - Top 10 (questionalble as a NT would need to add weight)
Pat Sims, Auburn - Late 1st-mid 2nd (Could play DE also)
Dre Moore, Maryland - Mid 2nd round (Could play DE also)
Marcus Harrison, Arkansas - 3rd round
Frank Okam, Texas - 3rd round (not sold on him as a NT)
Red Bryant, Texas A&M - 4th round
Trevor Laws, Notre Dame - 4th-5th round (would need to add weight)

Defensive End

Kentwan Balmer, N. Carolina - Late 1st-early 2nd
DeMario Pressley, N.C. State - 2nd round
Phillip Merling, Clemson - 2nd round (would need to gain 15-20 pounds)
Nick Hayden, Wisconsin - late 3rd-4th round
Lionel Dotson, Arizona - 4th-5th round
Chris Harrington, Texas A&M - 4th-6th round (In time might be the best 3-4 DE of the class)

Outside Linebackers

Vernon Gholston, Ohio State - Top 10
Chris Long, Virginia - Top 5 (some questions)
Shawn Crable, Michigan - late 1st-mid 2nd
Quentin Groves, Auburn - 2nd round
Derrick Harvey, Florida - 2nd round (not sold on him here)
Chris Ellis, Virginia Tech - Late 1st-mid 2nd round
Phillip Merling, Clemson - 2nd round (he's a true "tweener")
Bruce Davis, UCLA - Late 2nd-early 3rd
Cliff Avril, Purdue - 3rd round
Titus Brown, Miss. St. - 4th round
Marcus Howard, Georgia - 4th round (Comparable to LaMarr Woodley)
Jason Jones, E. Michigan - 5th round
Louis Holmes, Arizona - 5th-6th round

Inside Linebackers

Keith Rivers, USC - Top 15 (would need to bulk up a bit)
Dan Connor, Penn State - 1st round (probably the most ready)
Curtis Lofton, Oklahoma - Late 1st-mid 2nd
Jonathan Goff, Vanderbilt - 2nd round (reminds me of LeVon Kirkland)
Jerod Mayo, Tennessee - 2nd round
Beau Bell, UNLV - 2nd-3rd round
Tavares Gooden, Miami - 2nd-3rd round
Ezra Butler, Nevada - 2nd-3rd round
Spencer Larsen, Arizona - 3rd-4th round

 

[lobo]

I somewhat specialize in identifying 3-4 personel.

Well put together. Gholston is a real beast who is a perfect fit in a 3/4...I would be shocked if he lasts to 16. Off the top of my head I agree with you on a large majority of your candidates...but Gholston is the best!!

 

[SuperSpck]

In some circles, I'm known as an expert in "Emo Theater".

It's not a bad gig if you don't mind eye shadow and ornamental letter openers.

 

[JeffGollin]

Nice comprehensive bit of info collecting. However, you list Chris Long of Virginia as an Outside LB.

He seems to better fit the profile of a 3-4 defensive end or 4-3 strong side DE.

Long is 6-3 1/2 and weighs 275 lbs. War Room says that he "lacks elite athleticism and explosion off the snap needed to be an outside speed rusher."

 

[darnik44]

Nice comprehensive bit of info collecting. However, you list Chris Long of Virginia as an Outside LB.

He seems to better fit the profile of a 3-4 defensive end or 4-3 strong side DE.

Long is 6-3 1/2 and weighs 275 lbs. War Room says that he "lacks elite athleticism and explosion off the snap needed to be an outside speed rusher."

Long's weight is rumored to be 260. His coach at Virginia (Al Groh) says he would make a great OLB, but might wear down at DE. If his weight really is 260-265 you can completely rule him out as a 3-4 DE.

 

[cardsfanmd]

Nice comprehensive bit of info collecting. However, you list Chris Long of Virginia as an Outside LB.

He seems to better fit the profile of a 3-4 defensive end or 4-3 strong side DE.

Long is 6-3 1/2 and weighs 275 lbs. War Room says that he "lacks elite athleticism and explosion off the snap needed to be an outside speed rusher."

From watching him this year I would definitely call him a 4-3 end. He is too tough at the line of scrimmage to put him at OLB IMO. Not sure he has the burst to do it either. I love the guy, and IMO he is the best player in the draft, just not a good fit for us. Thankfully, he wont be there for us to fret over @ 16.

 

[BigDavis75]

I seriously doubt Harvey makes it to the 2nd round, I would really like to get him with our first rounder.

 

[RON_IN_OC]

I somewhat specialize in identifying 3-4 personel.

Well put together. Gholston is a real beast who is a perfect fit in a 3/4...I would be shocked if he lasts to 16. Off the top of my head I agree with you on a large majority of your candidates...but Gholston is the best!!

 

[darnik44]

I seriously doubt Harvey makes it to the 2nd round, I would really like to get him with our first rounder.

He's pretty much proven he's not much of an edge rusher. I personally wouldn't draft him to play 3-4 OLB, but I had to include him because physically he fits the bill. He only had 6.5 sacks this year (3.5 which were against a D1-AA team). In the Capital One bowl Jake Long ate him alive. Sure Jake Long does that to everybody, but that's the caliber OT's he'll see in the NFL.

 

[cardsfanmd]

I was under the impression that he already declared.

 

[stretchthefield]

..

 

[AzKarl]

Great analysis but have a different take on Laws

I somewhat specialize in identifying 3-4 personel.


Nose Takles

Glenn Dorsey, LSU - top 5 (questionalble as a NT would need to add weight)
Sedrick Ellis, USC - Top 10 (questionalble as a NT would need to add weight)
Pat Sims, Auburn - Late 1st-mid 2nd (Could play DE also)
Dre Moore, Maryland - Mid 2nd round (Could play DE also)
Marcus Harrison, Arkansas - 3rd round
Frank Okam, Texas - 3rd round (not sold on him as a NT)
Red Bryant, Texas A&M - 4th round
Trevor Laws, Notre Dame - 4th-5th round (would need to add weight)

Defensive End

Kentwan Balmer, N. Carolina - Late 1st-early 2nd
DeMario Pressley, N.C. State - 2nd round
Phillip Merling, Clemson - 2nd round (would need to gain 15-20 pounds)
Nick Hayden, Wisconsin - late 3rd-4th round
Lionel Dotson, Arizona - 4th-5th round
Chris Harrington, Texas A&M - 4th-6th round (In time might be the best 3-4 DE of the class)

Outside Linebackers

Vernon Gholston, Ohio State - Top 10
Chris Long, Virginia - Top 5 (some questions)
Shawn Crable, Michigan - late 1st-mid 2nd
Quentin Groves, Auburn - 2nd round
Derrick Harvey, Florida - 2nd round (not sold on him here)
Chris Ellis, Virginia Tech - Late 1st-mid 2nd round
Phillip Merling, Clemson - 2nd round (he's a true "tweener")
Bruce Davis, UCLA - Late 2nd-early 3rd
Cliff Avril, Purdue - 3rd round
Titus Brown, Miss. St. - 4th round
Marcus Howard, Georgia - 4th round (Comparable to LaMarr Woodley)
Jason Jones, E. Michigan - 5th round
Louis Holmes, Arizona - 5th-6th round

Inside Linebackers

Keith Rivers, USC - Top 15 (would need to bulk up a bit)
Dan Connor, Penn State - 1st round (probably the most ready)
Curtis Lofton, Oklahoma - Late 1st-mid 2nd
Jonathan Goff, Vanderbilt - 2nd round (reminds me of LeVon Kirkland)
Jerod Mayo, Tennessee - 2nd round
Beau Bell, UNLV - 2nd-3rd round
Tavares Gooden, Miami - 2nd-3rd round
Ezra Butler, Nevada - 2nd-3rd round
Spencer Larsen, Arizona - 3rd-4th round

I believe Laws will play one of the ends in the 3-4 and not the nose. He was a beast this year but, he got no recognition because of ND's crappy season. He was unblockable. He will probably play the run stopping end position. Laws will also go higher than the 4th round in my opinion. The scouts who came to ND raved about him and I believe people are hoping he stays under the radar. He will definitely be gone before the end of round 3 unless he totally bombs in the combines and I don't expect that. He is extremely smart and stronger than heck as well as a tireless worker with a high motor.

 

[Skkorpion]

No offense intended to darnik or joeschmo or any others with fixed ideas about what kinds and sizes of players fit the various positions in the 3-4 but I reject your assumptions as no longer being valid.

Defensive coaches are using the 3-4 defensive alignment in new and different ways of emphasis. Dallas' 3-4 is not the same as Pitt's 3-4.

If the Cards pick players you deem mis-sized or mis-fitted for our 3-4, which is still developing, you might find yourselves prematurely criticizing soon-to-be-proven good selections.