Supplemental Draft - Defensive Tackle

[CardLogic]

From the same Sportsline article that had a paragraph about Adrian Wilson, I noticed this:

"If a team is looking for a quality defensive tackle, they should strongly consider Southern California's Manuel Wright in the coming supplemental draft. Wright, who made himself available for the draft because of academic concerns, is a big-time player. Some scouts are worried he wasn't as productive as he should have been at USC, but he played behind some good players, such as Eagles first-round pick Mike Patterson. Wright was a big-time recruit coming out of Long Beach Poly, but he had to go to junior college before enrolling at USC. He eventually worked his way in as a starter last season when Shaun Cody, a second-round pick this year, moved to end. Wright had a big sack against Cal late and he played well in the Orange Bowl. At 6-feet-6, 310 pounds, he is worth a second-round pick in the supplemental draft. Any team doing so would forfeit their second-round pick in next April's regular draft. He's worth the risk, although he has to get into a situation where the coach stays on him a bit."​

What do you think??? Would Wright be worth going after? Does he have the talent to make him the 2nd round pick next spring? Or should the '05 Cardinals go with Davis and Bryant.

 

[BACH]

What do you think??? Would Wright be worth going after? Does he have the talent to make him the 2nd round pick next spring? Or should the '05 Cardinals go with Davis and Bryant.

Depends on Bryant.
Has he really stepped up his game and finally looking like a football player? If he has then I would pass on Wright. We don't know the value of our 2nd rounder next year, so taking him might be too risky.

However, if Bryant is he's usual self again this year then I would draft him. NT is perhaps our weakest position if Bryant is a non-factor. (By weakest I mean a position without a quality starter or a young talent that could develop into a quality starter)

 

[JeffGollin]

Two questions -

1. Is Wright a prototypical NT at 310? Or a just a decent-sized one-gap DT?

2. Is he good enough to use a high pick on? (i.e. he did play backup to Paterson and Cody. How good, in fact, is he?)

 

[Russ Smith]

The thing with Wright is he's not an "anchor tackle" which is really what I would say we need. He's a very talented kid, freak combination of size and speed and strength but he's very much a kid who gets by on natural talent, and his effective playing weight is more like 290 than 310. Not saying he can't bulk up but it'll take hard work and based on his career at USC he seems to be opposed to hard work.

 

[Russ Smith]

Two questions -

1. Is Wright a prototypical NT at 310? Or a just a decent-sized one-gap DT?

2. Is he good enough to use a high pick on? (i.e. he did play backup to Paterson and Cody. How good, in fact, is he?)

He's much more like Wendell Bryant as a player, he's a quicker penetrating type, sort of like Dockett except he's never been remotely the player Dockett was in college. He WAS a heavily touted recruit out of HS but so far as USC he's flashed talent now and then but mainly they've been waiting for him to bust out. They moved Cody to DE largely because Udeze left early and they had a tougher time than expected replacing him. Ultimately they decided they were better with Wright at DT and Cody at DE than Cody at DE.

He absolutely has the frame to get bigger and he's a terrific athlete, he just needs to be a much more consistent player, work harder. He's worth picking but i'll be stunned if someone takes him in round 2.

 

[red desert]

The thing with Wright is he's not an "anchor tackle" which is really what I would say we need. He's a very talented kid, freak combination of size and speed and strength but he's very much a kid who gets by on natural talent, and his effective playing weight is more like 290 than 310. Not saying he can't bulk up but it'll take hard work and based on his career at USC he seems to be opposed to hard work.

You could be describing Eric Swan. Bay City Titans, was it?

 

[Russ Smith]

You could be describing Eric Swan. Bay City Titans, was it?

Eric was I think 310 when we drafted him and that was in pretty good shape preparing for the draft. Wright is reportedly 320 now but that's because he's overweight.

Wright showed up his freshman year at USC ~ 25 pounds overweight and got in the doghouse with the DL coach right away. He played much closer to 290 than 310.

Wright is talented but I don't think he's close to what Swann was before all the knee problems in terms of talent. Heavily touted kid for sure.

Wright was one of 3 touted kids from that HS who went to USC, along with Hershel Dennis(RB) and Winston Justice(OT). Justice was arrested for soliciting a prostitute after his freshman year, had all sorts of grade problems and eventually missed the season with USC. Dennis had all sorts of off field issues and I don't think he ever played last year either, Dennis was accused of sexual assault by a girl he had dated and alcohol and pot were reportedly involved and he got suspended by USC while being investigated.

Then you had Manuel Wright who was arrested and charged with assault with a deadly weapon after his senior year of HS. Apparently he beat the crap out of some guy at Cal State Dominguez Hills at a party and since he's that big the cops ruled his hands to be a deadly weapon(he reportedly outweighed the guy by more than 100 pounds). Grades forced him into JC anyways.

All 3 are very talented but have had a lot of problems so far at USC and off the field.

 

[joeshmo]

http://www.arizonasportsfans.com/vb/showthread.php?t=54778

 

[CardLogic]

First, sorry for the joeshmo posted this topic two days ago (Sat.) I don't work weekends so I usually don't have time to read the board!!!

Second, great info on Wright, Russ. Sounds like one of those "athletically gifted, loads of potential, off-field issues" guys... kind of like Wendell Bryant.
So I'd guess the Cards will pass at the second round; if he falls further, well who knows?

 

[Russ Smith]

Here's a preseason scouting report for last season on Wright before his soph year.

The rising star on the USC defense might be mammoth DT Manuel Wright. Wright, 6’6", 290, is a sophomore that has a huge upside. Wright lost a lot of weight since the conclusion of last year and it will give him a lot more endurance. He was good enough this spring that USC moved Cody from his natural position inside to make sure Wright saw the field. The final starter along the front line is 6’4", 255 JR DE Frostee Rucker.

 

[sundevil81]

i can't see us spending a second rounder on a big talented DT with possible off the field issues if we weren't willing to spend a fifth rounder on a big talented DT with possible off the field issues (antajj hawthorne).

 

[Assface]

First, sorry for the joeshmo posted this topic two days ago (Sat.) I don't work weekends so I usually don't have time to read the board!!!

Second, great info on Wright, Russ. Sounds like one of those "athletically gifted, loads of potential, off-field issues" guys... kind of like Wendell Bryant.
So I'd guess the Cards will pass at the second round; if he falls further, well who knows?

I also posted it three weeks ago. http://www.arizonasportsfans.com/vb/showthread.php?t=53629