what -- nobody outside the SEC should be drafted until the third round?
There are reasons to be skeptical about Washington -- the most serious being that he lacks ideal size for an inside linebacker. Were he 15 pounds heavier with all other things being equal, we are probably talking about a reasonably high first round pick. I also have concerns about if this player fits the Cardinals defense.
the "makes no plays" rap is unfounded. A player doesn't make First-team All-American by ESPN.com and All-America teams by Sporting News, Rivals.com and Pro Football Weekly by making no impact in games this year.
Per the TCU bio (I just put just games against the better competition) he played very well against the better teams he played:
posted 10 tackles, including 3 1/2 for loss, in the Tostitos Fiesta Bowl ... named to the All-Bowl Team by Sporting News... placed second on TCU with 11.0 tackles for loss on the season ... had a career-high 13 tackles in the 14-10 win at Clemson ... one of his stops in Death Valley was catching C.J. Spiller from behind for a touchdown-saving tackle ... also had a pick to go with nine tackles in the 38-7 victory at BYU ...
Where did I say that no one outside of the SEC deserves to be drafted until the third round? Do I think that one-year wonders from po-dunk conferences should get first-round grades from the team that I cheer for? No, I don't. It doesn't sound like I'm alone in that, but there apparently are a lot of people who are happy with that.
I didn't say he had no impact in games. I said that he didn't have much of an impact in games
against real football teams. It's easy for NFL talent to make plays against the likes of Wyoming and New Mexico. Those aren't legit Div I schools, which is why they play in the Mountain West.
Again, watch the tape:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7DGpZ7BMkS0
Show me where the big plays are. It seemed to me that the tackles for loss--especially in the Fiesta Bowl--came on plays where the runner was strung out or already wrapped up by teammates and D-Dub just came in and cleaned it up--exactly the kind of plays you saw Raynoch Thompson "make" week after week.
And Tom Brady was TERRIBLE at Michigan until his senior year when he split time with the infinitely better prospect, Drew Henson.
Your comment is completely without merit.
I remember a few years ago when you admitted you didn't watch college football. It sounds like that has changed, but you probably don't have the memory that many of us who have watched college football for years.
TCU was one of the best teams in the nation, and many observers have remarked that Daryl Washington was the best player on the team, even better than Jerry Hughes.
Which is why Tom Brady was drafted in the 6th round, not the second. And that's why Mike Kafka was drafted in the fourth round. And Levi Brown in the 6th.
Just because a guy is taken on the third day doesn't mean that he sucks; it usually means that teams feel there is more proven talent ahead of them--talent that's less risky.
The Patriots also weren't depending on Tom Brady to make plays and (realistically) start his first season. He had nearly a season and a half to re-make his body and get reps in camp. That's not the case for Daryl.
I didn't watch a lot of TCU games, but I know they were ranked, and that their defense was solid. But on the link above, Daryl Washington doesn't even seem to be the best
linebacker on the field. That #9 appears to be. Also, how good could TCU have been when they couldn't beat Boise State in the Fiesta Bowl and they never beat anyone outside the Top 15? They beat a Clemson team that finished 9-5? Awesome. They beat a Virginia team that finished at the bottom of their conference? Impressive.
Sean Lee is like Rob Fredrickson while Washington is like Jamir Miller.
I'm not saying their similar style players, what I'm saying is that Lee will be a solid player if he plays to his capability while Washington could be a big time playmaker.
Jamir Miller made his living on the opposite side of the line of scrimmage.
I understand that Daryl Washington's upside is probably higher than Sean Lee's. I actually agree with that. But I wish that the people currently defending the pick would admit a handful of concerns about him before we move on, close ranks, and hope for the best:
1) Dude didn't make enough plays against top competition in college.
2) Daryl was clearly upgraded because of dire need at the position.
3) Daryl wasn't drafted because of his illustrious college carrer, but more on a 40 time, a good interview, and one tackle he made against C.J. Spiller. Listen to the introduction of him on the Cards' website and it essentially says this.
4) Daryl wasn't even a finalist for the Butkus award.
Look: we drafted Levi Brown because of a dire need when he wasn't even first-team all Big Ten. He's been solid but hasn't performed to the expectations the team set when they drafted him.
Daryl's stat line from his senior season: 109 tackles, 2 sacks, 3 INTs, 4 passes defensed, 11 tackles for loss. (
http://gofrogs.cstv.com/sports/m-footbl/stats/2009-2010/teamcume.html#TEAM.IND)
Sean Lee's: 86 tackles, 2 sacks, 1 INT, 8 passes defensed, 11 tackles for loss. (
http://www.gopsusports.com/sports/m-footbl/stats/2009-2010/teamcume.html)
You're going to tell me that one of these guys is
significantly better as a playmaking prospect? Based on
workouts?
0 passes defensed against Boise State; 0 sacks. Boise passed the ball 40 times.
9 tackles (2 solo!), 1 INT, 0 TFL, 0 passes defensed against BYU.
13 tackles (8 solo), 0 INT, 0 TFL, 0 passes defensed against Clemson.
Krang, I respect your opinion. Why should I expect Daryl Washington to be a big-time playmaker at the NFL level when he wasn't a big-time playmaker in the Mountain West? 4 passes defensed his entire senior season!
I watched every game this kid played the last 2 seasons & he scares the hell out of me in the run game. Other than that, I like his skillset. He may eventually be as good or better than 'Los in the passing game because of his speed but he's way below #58 at taking on & defeating blockers & thats saying something.
