I like Miller the best out of the bunch. Has all the tools you want both physically and smarts. He just seems to play fast, strong and smart. At Texas A&M he plays something called a JOKER in their system. It is reserved for their most athletic and versatile player on the D, which means he has asked to do a lot of things that a 3-4 OLB in the NFL would be asked to do including coverage. Transition should be easier then most DE conversions. But he also plays very erratic or spastic, sometimes runs himself out of plays thus trying to make a lot of arm tackles. That is another thing he also needs to learn to tackle better as well, his open field tackling leaves a lot to be desired.
Kerrigan is a 4-3 guy only IMO, good prospect not our system.
Ayers may be the best of the athlete of them all. Production wont wow you at all but I don't think he has ever settled into an actual position with UCLA. He has played multiple positions in multiple sets - DE, DT, OLB, ILB, and was hindered by a very green front 7, Ayers was the only starter from 2009 to play in the front 7 in 2010. Jack of all trades tag may actually hurt him as he never been able to settle into and refine his technique at any position thus he may be the greenest or rawest of the 3-4 OLB prospects.
Miller is pure speed and athelticism, not much more. He is lined up standing up in that wide 9 tech, and all he this is use his speed to make plays when offense allows such type of plays. It's very rare in NFL that offenses let you make plays unblocked from that position. He is not much of traditional passrusher, and neither does he contain any passrush moves that are good enough for NFL right now.
Kerrigan is one of the best (technically) passrushers i have seen in years coming out. He uses his hands so well to get separation, it's amazing. But he also has extremely stiff hips and absolutely no agility. Has great motor, he keeps playing, but sometimes even when he comes past the lineman with a great move, he just doesn't posses any athleticism to dominate the backfield and make more plays. Sometimes it's a problem in college and in NFL it can be even bigger problem.
So Kerrigan and Miller are really two opposites completely. Miller makes the plays with amazing agility and speed but with no passrush moves. Kerrigan is amazing in shedding blocks and create a free path toward the QB on his own, but he is very bad in finishing the plays.
I have to look more at Ayers, but between the two above, Kerrigan is my type of player. I don't like to have players on defense that can't use their hands and technique to shed blocks. Kerrigan has that, in addition a very good motor and IQ.
Personally, i don't think there is any difference wheter you rush from the 3 point stance or 2 point stance. You need to use your passrush moves in either case. Players that can get free with their hand down can also do it standing up.
Only in obvious passing downs, Miller would get a role on this defense similar to the one he was asked in college. That doesn't justify that 1st round pick at all.
Stopping the run has also been a major issue this year and we can't have players that don't know how to contain the plays on the edge, disengaging from blocks, that's what Porter has been struggling with, he is a passrusher but not a balanced DE.
I loved Alualu last year and Suh for their ability to disengage from blockers, pursuit along the LOS and for being technically polished. These are the kind of players that make impact early on, while the young players that are athletic and not polsihed are much more risky and usually don't produce anything early on.
This year, there are two other freaks - Adrian Clayborn and Cameron Jordan. Both are amazing from a technical standpoint and remind alot about Alualu and Suh in their ability to use their hands and feet to get free from blocks which will make them able to make plays at the next level.
Dockett is really the player that inhibts us from playing true 3-4. he can't shed blocks at all, all he does is penetration. He can't read plays.
Now we have two on that line that know how to use their hands and also even more importantly how to take on two blockers and not letting one of them getting to the next level. Campbell and Williams both have that ability.
IMO if we want to play 3-4, we need to add either Clayborn or Jordan and first then we have a line that will allow our LB's to make plays. Right now, DD does not fit in this defense at all.
But we should go 4-3, get Kerrigan in round 2 or Quinn in round 1, both are amazing passrushers and have following alignment:
LE (Campbell) - NT (Dan) - UT (DD) - RE (Kerrigan/Quinn)
Kerrigan reminds me of either Aaron Kampmann or Jared Allen. While Quinn reminds me Trent Cole.
Campbell would be unblockable from that strong side spot, always get single coverage. While DD could penetrate all he wants, without hurting the defense behind him.
Than DW would be a great WOLB, he can use his athleticsm to cover more ground that he would be asked to do and all we need to do is upgrade the other two LB positions through draft and FA.
Secondary needs to play more man to man, it's obvious. We went to that early in Dallas game and it resulted in two pick six plays.
That allows AW to play zone arround the LOS and that's what he can do best. He is the eight man against the run and the 5th passrusher.
We also need to upgrade the nickel corner position.
So
1) Kerrigan/Quinn
2) Either MLB/SOLB in draft
3) Nickel corner
Even if we plan go 4-3, guys like Clayborn and Jordan are still a fit, these players are so good because they are unblockable and technically polished, so they fit on any team in NFL. Just like Alualu and Suh would do.
