Anthony Hitchens appreciation

[lqmac1]

Boy, did we hit on that pick. I wonder if he wouldn't be a first round pick if last years draft was redone. Letting Durrant and Carter walk shows the trust and faith the front office and coaches have in him. Hopefully we find another one in this years draft.

 

[Manwiththeplan]

don't let Risen see this thread....

 

[KingintheNorth]

I was very critical of the pick and was proven wrong, but 1st rounder? No. Good player, solid contributor, but let's not get carried away.

 

[AzorAhai]

I don't think he would be a 1st rd pick, but I could see him moving up into the 3rd at least, possibly 2nd. So far he has definitely justified being picked in the 4th. In the 1st a LB has to have elite 3 down potential or its not worth it.

 

[big dog cowboy]

He's a gem.

 

[Idgit]

don't let Risen see this thread....

Why? Because he'll refuse to just admit he was dead wrong on the Hitchens pick? That doesn't get old. I feel like handing him a shovel and helping him decide where to dig every time he takes the bait.

 

[Pessimist_cowboy]

he's promising but lets see what he can do over 16 games .

 

[Idgit]

he's promising but lets see what he can do over 16 games .

You really have concerns about that? I think he's a guy who's pretty much what-you-see-is-what-you-get.

He'll get a physical bump from the NFL offseason this year. And he's a smart player, so he might end up playing a little bit quicker with reps and another offseason as his already-good recognition improves. But he's pretty much destined to be solid-to-really-solid-but-not-spectacular during his entire time in the NFL. The biggest thing I hope to see from him next year is simply continuing to stay healthy so he can add 'durable' to his list of good qualities.

 

[AzorAhai]

You really have concerns about that? I think he's a guy who's pretty much what-you-see-is-what-you-get.

He'll get a physical bump from the NFL offseason this year. And he's a smart player, so he might end up playing a little bit quicker with reps and another offseason as his already-good recognition improves. But he's pretty much destined to be solid-to-really-solid-but-not-spectacular during his entire time in the NFL. The biggest thing I hope to see from him next year is simply continuing to stay healthy so he can add 'durable' to his list of good qualities.

This is almost exactly how I would describe him. He's probably never going to be great and your probably in trouble if he's your best LB, but he's the type of player every team could use a dozen of all across the depth chart.

 

[JoeyBoy718]

This is almost exactly how I would describe him. He's probably never going to be great and your probably in trouble if he's your best LB, but he's the type of player every team could use a dozen of all across the depth chart.

Yeah, he's an excellent 3rd LB. Nowadays, teams need 2 really good LBs who can play virtually every down of the game (in the base and the nickel). Since most teams only play in their base 40-50% of the time, you need your 3rd LB for that. Hitchens is that guy. He's also someone who could step up into the #2 LB spot if one of the top 2 goes down. We still need one more very good LB. My vote is McClain. I think Hitchens-McClain-Lee can be one of the best LB trios in the league if they can stay healthy and level headed. But even if we signed McClain, we'd need a 4th LB considering Lee's history.

 

[mattjames2010]

I don't see why he can't be a great player. We didn't go all-in on Durant because of Hitchens. He played above how many rookies do, even some taken in the first and second round.

I don't care much about where a player is drafted, his speed and measurables at the combine. I watch what i see on film, and if he continues to improve on what he's doing now; he'd be a great player. "Great player" doesn't mean he'll be a future HOF player, those are rare, but he can certainly be great.

 

[mattjames2010]

Hitchens had 75 tackles (From what I've read, the coaches credited him with 100? Not sure what that's about), two QB pressures, 3 TFL, 4 pass deflections, and an INT.

To me, those are stats you'd want out of a first round pick or an early second in their first year. But the debate is what his ceiling is, and that's where people will differ. Me, personally, I think it's high.

 

[Texas_Pete]

Good thread. I was pleasantly surprised with his play. Props to Marinelli's LB coach for getting this kid ready week in and week out.

Hopefully he picks Sean Lee's brain every chance he gets so that he can take the next step.

Can't wait to see Lee - McClain - Hitch wreck RBs next year.

 

[Fredd]

we need more mid-round picks like Hitch, that's for sure...

 

[CF74]

Pleasantly surprised and far exceeded my expectations. Hoping we find one more..

 

[speedkilz88]

He reminds me a lot of Singletary.

 

[tm1119]

Hitchens had 75 tackles (From what I've read, the coaches credited him with 100? Not sure what that's about), two QB pressures, 3 TFL, 4 pass deflections, and an INT.

To me, those are stats you'd want out of a first round pick or an early second in their first year. But the debate is what his ceiling is, and that's where people will differ. Me, personally, I think it's high.

You're really using the fact that we didn't resign the mediocre and always injured Durant as your argument?

Hitchens is fine but I think he lacks some coverage skills to ever be a great LB. He can hold his own but I certainly don't want to see him covering TE's or RB's down the field. Either way he was a very good 4th round pick and I'm happy to admit I was wrong on him

 

[YosemiteSam]

Hitchens is fat.

 

[CashMan]

He reminds me a lot of Singletary.

I am actually intrigued, in which ways? That is a big comparison, considering, what Singletary was able to do.

 

[speedkilz88]

Hitchens is fat.

He prefers "Husky"!