[News] Eric DeCosta Sees 2017 Class As A 'Defensive Draft'

[sizzlingdoom]

  30 minutes ago, sizzlingdoom said:

I hear what you're saying about King. I think the speed thing is a bit overblown though at times. Especially considering he's a technician and can make up for it with things like foot placement, awareness, and anticipation. I also think if he's playing safety, it doesn't matter to much at all if he doesn't run a 4.4. Or even a 4.5 I think he can play some corner, but I also think he would make a nasty Safety combo with Weddle. As much as I hated it when we interchanged our safeties between Free and Strong, I think King and Weddle can play both positions at a very high level. Which would create a lot of versatility.
I like Jones and Wilson at corner. Interested to see what Wilson runs.
Peppers scares the hell out of me. I know a lot of people love him. But I honestly wouldn't even consider taking him in the 2nd. Especially in this draft. He just shouts athlete and college player to me. Not NFL star. I'd be really surprised if he ever makes a pro bowl. We'll see though. I think it's nuts people are just assuming he can not only all of the sudden become an NFL Safety, but one also worthy of a top 10 pick in some minds.

peppers isnt just an athlete though. his instincts are incredible and it shows on film. he was used as a LB and a blitzer/attacker in college and it didnt allow him to show any of his chops in coverage, but he is certainly athletic enough to cover in the NFL and he was the most instinctive player on the field, and that is a trait that translates to any position, if he is highly instinctive as a LB he will be highly instinctive as a SS, on tape he sniffs out the running lane before it develops, he sniffs out wr screens before the ball is snapped and covers ground in an instant. i understand the concern about switching from LB to S, but players successfully change positions all the time, and peppers has the IQ and unteachables to make it happen i think.

Yup. We'll see. I think there are a lot of split opinions on him. But I would also say I think a lot more people agree with you on the topic as opposed to my point of view.
When all is said and done, we just really need that #16 pick to be a pro bowler imo. And I hope it's a corner

[Ravenous_Ravens]

  19 hours ago, sizzlingdoom said:

I hear what you're saying about King. I think the speed thing is a bit overblown though at times. Especially considering he's a technician and can make up for it with things like foot placement, awareness, and anticipation. I also think if he's playing safety, it doesn't matter to much at all if he doesn't run a 4.4. Or even a 4.5 I think he can play some corner, but I also think he would make a nasty Safety combo with Weddle. As much as I hated it when we interchanged our safeties between Free and Strong, I think King and Weddle can play both positions at a very high level. Which would create a lot of versatility.
I like Jones and Wilson at corner. Interested to see what Wilson runs.
Peppers scares the hell out of me. I know a lot of people love him. But I honestly wouldn't even consider taking him in the 2nd. Especially in this draft. He just shouts athlete and college player to me. Not NFL star. I'd be really surprised if he ever makes a pro bowl. We'll see though. I think it's nuts people are just assuming he can not only all of the sudden become an NFL Safety, but one also worthy of a top 10 pick in some minds.

peppers isnt just an athlete though. his instincts are incredible and it shows on film. he was used as a LB and a blitzer/attacker in college and it didnt allow him to show any of his chops in coverage, but he is certainly athletic enough to cover in the NFL and he was the most instinctive player on the field, and that is a trait that translates to any position, if he is highly instinctive as a LB he will be highly instinctive as a SS, on tape he sniffs out the running lane before it develops, he sniffs out wr screens before the ball is snapped and covers ground in an instant. i understand the concern about switching from LB to S, but players successfully change positions all the time, and peppers has the IQ and unteachables to make it happen i think.

Isn't that the concern though. It is not like LB are never asked to cover, assuming the coach trusts them in coverage situations (obvious downs). Changing positions is never a guarantee that a player transitions well. Not impossible but not a given either. Peppers is certainly an athlete with instincts which is why he'll find a role some where. I cannot see many teams making him a LB other than passing downs perhaps and a lack of typical weight. Wouldn't want him to put on more weight either or lose out on speed and agility. He'll best be utilized as a back end hammer IMHO. That means needing a patient counter part at safety as tandem. Similar to a Bernard Pollard, probably more talented and less 15-yarders. Just a hunch on the last one.

[JoeyFlex5]

8 minutes ago, Ravenous_Ravens said:

Isn't that the concern though. It is not like LB are never asked to cover, assuming the coach trusts them in coverage situations (obvious downs). Changing positions is never a guarantee that a player transitions well. Not impossible but not a given either. Peppers is certainly an athlete with instincts which is why he'll find a role some where. I cannot see many teams making him a LB other than passing downs perhaps and a lack of typical weight. Wouldn't want him to put on more weight either or lose out on speed and agility. He'll best be utilized as a back end hammer IMHO. That means needing a patient counter part at safety as tandem. Similar to a Bernard Pollard, probably more talented and less 15-yarders. Just a hunch on the last one.

its less about position and more about role. he was used as a LB but not to cover often. against the pass he was often up close and spying on the line of scrimmage, he wasnt dropping back more than a few yards and his play often ended in either sniffing out a screen and blowing it up(something you want from your SS) or finding an opening to the backfield and pressuring the qb on a improvised blitz, and it worked extremely well for him. 

its unfortunate how he was used at michigan, it allowed him to be around the ball more than maybe any defender in the nation, so he was able to make a ton of plays, but the role didnt help his NFL stock at all. it seems that harbaugh was more interested in trying to get him a heisman rather than prepping him for the NFL. playing between 210 and 215 at linebacker is crushing his stock, even more so when you look at the general role of "attack as often as possible", when NFL teams are gonna be looking at him as a safety rather than a linebacker, and he was used in a specific role(very successfully) that did not allow him to make plays in coverage.

solomon thomas and jabrill peppers are in the same situation, yet on opposite ends of the court of public opinion. thomas played DT most of his time at stanford, has almost NO film as an edge rusher, has never been able to show any form of bend, and is built like an undersized DT but is about 10-15 lbs heavier than you want an OLB to be, yet he is inexplicably projected as an edge guy that is mocked as high as top 10. Then peppers, built like a safety, has safety athleticism, has shown traits that should very well translate to playing strong safety, yet used in a way that doesnt allow teams to see him playing as a true safety on film, and hes falling for this reason. im really confused as to how these 2 players stocks are drifting further apart yet they have the same concerns of having no film at their projected positions.

[Chuckx999]

This team is becoming soooooo bad with the draft choices the past 4-5 years it's becoming hard where to start. First Ozzie should not be allowed in the draft room or to sign free agents. Ozzie should just RETIRE.

Let all the players walk that want to walk. We are at best a 6-10 to 8-8 team with them so we will not miss any of them. As long as we are stuck with "old 3 and out Flacco" at QB the offense will suck. So DRAFT defense.

Start with CB's, LB and edge. Trade up and use those 5-7 round choices to get players that can start NOW.

WE HAVE PLENTY OF BENCHWARMERS that Ozzie has picked the past few years. It's hard to see our rivals load-up on those marquee franchise players while we just pick lemons year after year.

[manofsteel]

This is what I would like to see.......Trade Jimi Smith.....get 2 new cornerbacks from the draft ..... win the superbowl!

[manofsteel]

  On 3/4/2017 at 6:47 AM, GENE2407 said:

This is a pass happy league and the corners are not going to last until #16. Ozzie better get on the horn and trade up a couple slots. He'll have to give up one of his precious 4th or 5th rounder to do it but he'd better make a move.

I hear what you're saying and in any other draft I would agree 100%. But this is the craziest corner class I've ever seen. I think DJ said he had 10 corners in his top 50 players and he wanted to add more. There are elite ones too. There are 4-6 that I would be happy if we picked them at 16. The top 2 rounds are loaded overall too. A pro bowl corner will be available at 16 imo.
However, after they not only relied on Wright, but paid him and stuck with him as long as they did, I wouldn't be surprised if they took another similar approach. Like signing Davon House who's about to be cut.
I know people that like to pick at post will do so will this statement, but jeez I think it'd be nice to have Norman. I know he's expensive and annoying, but he's BA on the field. And would Thrive on our D. We just need to get a shut down corner this off season somehow. If we do that and Jimmy stays healthy, our secondary will go from a weakness to a huge strength.

Jimi Smith never stays healthy and he is soooooo slooowww trying to keep up and he Cannot Tackle......wake up!