News: BTB: NFL analyst predicts Taco Charlton to be Defensive Rookie of the Year

[NewsBot]

NFL.com predicts that Taco Charlton will win 2017’s Defensive Rookie of the Year.

NFL.com’s Elliot Harrison released his bold predictions for the NFC and he had an interesting one for the Dallas Cowboys:

Dallas Cowboys: Taco Charlton is Defensive Rookie of the Year.

No rookie is in a better position to help his team immediately than Charlton -- and no team needs more help from a rookie than Dallas does from Charlton. The Cowboys recorded 36 sacks last season, a so-so figure made decidedly less relevant by the fact that opposing quarterbacks attempted 633 passes against them. Moreover, the team's leading "edge rusher" (a term I use generously), Benson Mayowa, garnered six whole sacks. Get excited. Charlton was an impact player at Michigan, a football powerhouse. He's a full-time player. He will also get every chance to play, and earn those Taco Bueno deals. Side note: They have the best bean burritos. Better than Taco Cabana or Taco Bell.
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It’s a pretty bold prediction from Harrison but it’s not impossible. The Cowboys’ pass rushing woes have been lamented over and over again in the past several years. Dallas has tried multiple solutions from free agent rentals to draft picks with baggage but nothing has worked out the way they hoped.

Taco Charlton is the sole first-round pass rusher the Cowboys have drafted since taking Anthony Spencer ten years ago. He’s also the first pass rusher selected in the first round for defensive coordinator Rod Marinelli since coming to the Cowboys. Taking Taco Charlton in the first round is a significant move as Marinelli has been known to be picky to the say the least.

There are two things that Harrison is dismissing though that will make it tough for Charlton to win such an award. The “no rookie is in a better position to help his team” theory would imply that Charlton is the best pass rusher on the team. Though Joey Bosa won it last year, it’s really difficult for rookie pass rushers to have success. It takes seasoning to learn how to win against the tackles in this league. Charlton wins with his combination of length and power. Going against Tyron Smith every day will certainly help his chances but there are more experienced pass rushers in front of him at this point.

The second part of that where he states that “no team needs more from a rookie than Dallas does” is debatable. There are several teams that traded up in the first round for a quarterback. A team like the Texans come to mind, where their best chance of returning to the playoffs is with their rookie quarterback, DeShaun Watson. Of course that is on offense, so maybe Elliott was limiting that comment to defense.

Though Taco makes this defense better on the depth chart, there is no guarantee that Charlton will be starting once the season begins. Marinelli is so dedicated to the idea of a solid eight-man rotation and he’s more likely to go with a veteran starting four. That would mean that Charlton would be entering the mix in certain packages. He may very well end up winning a starting job but it’s an uphill climb.

Do the Cowboys need Taco Charlton to perform well? Absolutely, they also need to help him develop as an edge rusher and that takes a little time. Also, consider that the Cowboys don’t have a single edge rusher that demands double teams as of right now. If Taco Charlton is starting on one side and DeMarcus Lawrence on the other, that’s two relatively unknown/unaccomplished commodities rushing off the edge. Bosa got the award just last year but he also had Melvin Ingram rushing on the opposite side.

In order for Taco Charlton to win the Defensive Rookie of the Year award, he’s going to need help from his counterparts to get there. He’ll likely need to crank out ten or more sacks and that means someone has to emerge to help him. Maybe the combination of a Maliek Collins and Stephen Paea collapsing pockets will free Charlton up to hit those kinds of numbers. Maybe Lawrence will have a breakout season in a contract year and that will help Taco’s chances. Maybe Hot-Rod will finally have the perfect eight-man rotation wreaking havoc on the league. That’s a lot of maybes but one can hope and if Harrison’s prediction comes to fruition, there will be a ton of smiling faces in Dallas. Who knows, there may even be some confetti and champagne.

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[Bullflop]

Yowser -- it's good to see Taco Charlton getting some positive backing here when many have expressed doubts about his abilities. He may not be the most athletic DE to be drafted this year but his tenacious, go-all-out-tendencies should likely stand him in good stead. Taco has more than enough length and power to get the job done. Anyhow, he's known for being relentless more than anything else and that's worth a lot.

Of course, nobody knows how successful he'll be in his rookie year, since so many rookies don't really show much until they get acclimated to the defensive system and have a 2nd offseason to gain strength and know-how. I think he'll be fine. It might take a while to get his feet under him and figure things out but he definitely wouldn't be the first rookie to require time to develop properly, if that's to be the case with him.

 

[JoeKing]

My expectations are not that high for our rookie 1st rd draft pick. In fact, the only think I agree with in this article is Taco Bueno's bean burritos are better.

 

[DrunkWithPower]

My expectations are not that high for our rookie 1st rd draft pick. In fact, the only think I agree with in this article is Taco Bueno's bean burritos are better.

Agreed....their bean burritos are the best! Wait...what were we talking about?

 

[jazzcat22]

Well, since this was a BOLD prediction, he also had one for each team.
Taco was boldly predicted for this.
Also the Cardinals were predicted to make the NFCCG, as the Eagles were predicted to make the playoffs.

It's the off season, they need something to talk about.
I change the station over to good morning football once in a awhile, you would not believe the crap they come up with that they think is entertaining...LOL...

 

[Bowdown27]

I think his role jumped up a few notches with Irving suspended. I expected limited role at first but I think he takes a lot more snaps and gets thrown right into the fire

 

[DFWJC]

Elliott Harrison is one of the true Dallas Cowboy homers at NFL.com.
God bless him

Man, would it be amazing if Taco had that kind of year.

I can see him contibuting, but not at a ROY level. Would love to see it!

 

[NorthwestDallas40]

I don't see a guy with his athletic profile being anything more than a solid LDE whose potential is 6-8 sacks a year. I hope I'm wrong, but I have higher hopes for D Moore and Tapper than I do Taco. Not a great 1st round pick IMO. Awuzie and Lewis were home runs though.

 

[xwalker]

Yowser -- it's good to see Taco Charlton getting some positive backing here when many have expressed doubts about his abilities. He may not be the most athletic DE to be drafted this year but his tenacious, go-all-out-tendencies should likely stand him in good stead. Taco has more than enough length and power to get the job done. Anyhow, he's known for being relentless more than anything else and that's worth a lot.

Of course, nobody knows how successful he'll be in his rookie year, since so many rookies don't really show much until they get acclimated to the defensive system and have a 2nd offseason to gain strength and know-how. I think he'll be fine. It might take a while to get his feet under him and figure things out but he definitely wouldn't be the first rookie to require time to develop properly, if that's to be the case with him.

The Marinelli rotation likely limits Taco's chances at being recognized by the National media.

I still find it comical that so many people judge Taco solely by the measurable(s). Some claim they watched his college game footage but I don't believe it in most cases. It's the same as Travis Frederick. People didn't know anything about him other than he ran a really slow forty.

The other comical aspect is that they think all great pass rushers have to be like Von Miller. Greg Hardy at one time was arguably the best 4-3 DE in the league and still might be if not for his mental deficiencies. Taco's measurable(s) are very similar to Hardy's.

 

[phildadon86]

The Marinelli rotation likely limits Taco's chances at being recognized by the National media.

I still find it comical that so many people judge Taco solely by the measurable(s). Some claim they watched his college game footage but I don't believe it in most cases. It's the same as Travis Frederick. People didn't know anything about him other than he ran a really slow forty.

The other comical aspect is that they think all great pass rushers have to be like Von Miller. Greg Hardy at one time was arguably the best 4-3 DE in the league and still might be if not for his mental deficiencies. Taco's measurable(s) are very similar to Hardy's.

Their combines were basically identical. Ive heard here he has a slow first step. That proves a lot of people havent actually watched the game tape.

 

[erod]

Yeah..........OK.

 

[jday]

Yowser -- it's good to see Taco Charlton getting some positive backing here when many have expressed doubts about his abilities. He may not be the most athletic DE to be drafted this year but his tenacious, go-all-out-tendencies should likely stand him in good stead. Taco has more than enough length and power to get the job done. Anyhow, he's known for being relentless more than anything else and that's worth a lot.

Of course, nobody knows how successful he'll be in his rookie year, since so many rookies don't really show much until they get acclimated to the defensive system and have a 2nd offseason to gain strength and know-how. I think he'll be fine. It might take a while to get his feet under him and figure things out but he definitely wouldn't be the first rookie to require time to develop properly, if that's to be the case with him.

Honestly, your latter description is my expectation. I have nothing against Taco, but the odds are against him to come in and put up stats worthy of Defensive Rookie of the Year honors. Here's hoping anyway, but that would indeed be a welcome surprise.

 

[Hardline]

I expect Anthony Spencer type production from him at least by year two.

 

[Section446]

He got one thing right:

No rookie is in a better position to help his team immediately than Charlton -- and no team needs more help from a rookie than Dallas does from Charlton.

 

[Bullflop]

The Marinelli rotation likely limits Taco's chances at being recognized by the National media.

I still find it comical that so many people judge Taco solely by the measurable(s). Some claim they watched his college game footage but I don't believe it in most cases. It's the same as Travis Frederick. People didn't know anything about him other than he ran a really slow forty.

The other comical aspect is that they think all great pass rushers have to be like Von Miller. Greg Hardy at one time was arguably the best 4-3 DE in the league and still might be if not for his mental deficiencies. Taco's measurable(s) are very similar to Hardy's.

Well said -- I'm not expecting much to crow about during Taco's first year for the reason you stated -- that he'll simply be the part of Rod Marinelli's rotation and that will limit his productiveness. Once he establishes himself as an exceptional contributor, perhaps that rotation may include more emphasis on his contributions and less on some of the others. Taco has his own advantages that should separate him from the rest of the pack. His length, strength and relentless effort should make him a team favorite, given enough opportunity demonstrate them and to succeed.

 

[Bullflop]

Honestly, your latter description is my expectation. I have nothing against Taco, but the odds are against him to come in and put up stats worthy of Defensive Rookie of the Year honors. Here's hoping anyway, but that would indeed be a welcome surprise.

My expectations for year one glory are somewhat meager as well. It may take some time for him to refine his skills and establish himself as a consistent performer, just as it does for most rookies. I'm certainly not discounting his prospects to be a pleasant surprise, though. He has enough qualities to perform satisfactorily. I'm just a bit skeptical if it'll be enough to qualify for Defensive Rookie of the Year honors, though. Marinelli likes to utilize his pass rushers in waves, so that, alone, would make winning individual honors difficult. I think his tenaciousness will help his cause eventually, however.

 

[jday]

My expectations for year one glory are somewhat meager as well. It may take some time for him to refine his skills and establish himself as a consistent performer, just as it does for most rookies. I'm certainly not discounting his prospects to be a pleasant surprise, though. He has enough qualities to perform satisfactorily. I'm just a bit skeptical if it'll be enough to qualify for Defensive Rookie of the Year honors, though. Marinelli likes to utilize his pass rushers in waves, so that, alone, would make winning individual honors difficult. I think his tenaciousness will help his cause eventually, however.

Taco may be better suited for LE, especially considering how much faster Tapper is off the ball. In that mold, you also have Mayowa and Moore competing for snaps, so if they slide TCraw back to DT, Taco may have a better opportunity rotating with DLaw...at least, until David Irving returns...then they'll have their hands full trying to figure out a good rotation.

 

[Boyzmamacita]

I would love, love, love it if Taco proves the doubters wrong. I saw a lot of Michigan games over the last two years. Ironically, Taco and Lewis were the two biggest playmakers on their defense and we ended up with both of them.

 

[Trouty]

I would love, love, love it if Taco proves the doubters wrong. I saw a lot of Michigan games over the last two years. Ironically, Taco and Lewis were the two biggest playmakers on their defense and we ended up with both of them.

Mamacita, I have so much hope for and belief in Taco, and I'm praying he's a steal at 28. I agree with X that he shows a lot of similarities (on the field, obviously) to Greg Hardy. He showed bend on his highlight clips (not having watched actual games, like yourself).

I truly believe he can be a RDE, I hope that's where we slot him and let him develop.

I've heard similar praise to that which you state regarding Lewis and him being the other who jumped out on film and gamedays! Woot!

 

[CF74]

Anything above 4-5 sacks will be cause for celebration....