Demarcus Lawrence... Sneaky #16 pick

[rags747]

I believe we switched to the 3-4 because the thinking was that it was easier to find college LB'ers than DE'nds and fewer teams were playing the 3-4.

 

[FuzzyLumpkins]

If we were running the 3-4, we would all drooling over what there is to choose from. Barr is tailor-made impact in a 3-4. Now, we have to hope he is a situatonal rusher. There would be other options like Marcus Smith, Jackson Jeffcoat, Chris Smith and James Gayle later on.

Since we run the 4-3 (and this special version of it), it reduces the options way down to the point a player like Kony Ealy gets elevated because of the shortage of options.

If anyone thinks 4-3 rushers are easy to find, I just have to chuckle and mention Marcellus Wiley, Ebenezer Ekuban, Peppi Zellner and Shante Carver.

You think Kony Ealy is a prototype for the 4-3 what they are looking for? News to me since the old Kiffin playbooks in the intro would say sacrifice size for quickness when in doubt. There is a long history of undersized guys playing all along these types of fronts. Guys like Doleman in Minnesota, Rice in Tampa, Glover and Haley here, Freeney and Mathis, etc. If they can get into gaps and upfield then they can play the scheme

I get that you don't like Ealy but he is considered above Ford, Crichton etc on the back of his own merit not the lack of others.

Wiley was a free agent long in the tooth. Zellner was a 4th round pick and Carver was a noted reach whose downfall was a well documented drug problem. Painting the current scouts with the Lacewell brush is unfair anyway.

I think the problem here is that pass rushers of any type are hard to find.

 

[Alexander]

You think Kony Ealy is a prototype for the 4-3 what they are looking for?

Not at all. Simply pointing out that when a player like Kony Ealy is considered the second best "4-3 end", there is a problem with the depth at the position.

I get that you don't like Ealy but he is considered above Ford, Crichton etc on the back of his own merit not the lack of others.

You say this, but I see Ford and Crichton as better fits for Marinelli than Ealy.

I think the problem here is that pass rushers of any type are hard to find.

It is easier to plug in a new 3-4 OLB. It is also easier to take players from college and make them functional. Even old dogs like Greg Ellis could function as a 3-4 OLB quickly. Try bulking up a 240 pound speed OLB from college into a DE capable of playing all three downs. It will take time and you probably won't get instant results when you take that task on.

College defenses now are built on speed to stop spread offenses. Even the quality undersized rushers in college are spelled very often. That just does not fit with a traditional 4-3 scheme. Now if Marinelli were running something different, like say what Seattle or Jacksonville use, which is a 3-4 in 4-3 clothing, I would feel a little better.

 

[FuzzyLumpkins]

The Kiffin 4-3 under has the SLB up on the line. It is a 3-4 in a 4-3 clothing that used guys like Rice at DE.
While Peppers and Idonije were 280+ under Marinelli in Chicago, you can look to the other stops he had at Tampa, Minnesota, and Detroit as well as other disciples like Dungy in Indy to show that most of their DE go about 270.

I also do not see how Ealy is overrated. This draft is widely regarded as being shallow for DE and he is ranked around 20 by most boards that I see. It is what it is.

 

[FuzzyLumpkins]

And if you like those guys better then great but it is besides the point. Ford, Crichton and Ealy are all in that second tier of DE. We all have our pet cats. Not that I disagree either.

 

[dasander]

Easy to fall in love with this player but anybody who thinks he is worthy of the 16 pick needs to tap the brakes. Watch the Nevada game again where Bitonio dominates him. Compare his measurables again: 6'2.7" , 251, 4.8 40 at combine. Barr is 2 inches taller, 4 pds heavier, .14 faster, and so has the freaky athlete aspect much more than Lawrence. He's a 2nd round guy for me - at best a trade down in 1st and get him with a late 1st pick. But he's not the guy I want at 16.

I watched that game yesterday. After Bitonio stoned D. Lawrence on the first couple of plays they moved him over the right tackle where he started to make plays. It should be noted late in the game they moved D. Lawrence back over to Bitonio's side and he notched 2 sacks against Bitonio(though I'm not sure the quarterback didn't hold the ball too long on the last sack).

All-in-all while I like some aspects of their game I think both Bitonio and D. Lawrence are good, but not elite players; i.e. 2nd rounders

 

[DFWJC]

Please, no. Not at 16
If he's there at 47, then maybe. But the buzz is picking up a lot on this one, so he'll probably go before then. If so, then no thanks