News: DMN: NFL talent evaluator throws some cold water on idea Taco Charlton is a double-digit

[CF74]

I luv it!! More motivation for the rook to excel.. I expect 4+ his first year though....

 

[CATCH17]

Here is the thing with Taco Charlton... He's another potential good player with above average talent that we can add to the mix.

So even if he's doesn't turn out to be that cornerstone type of sack master that we are all hoping for he will at least make our unit better.


Maliek Collins played really well for a rookie and has more potential upside to develop.

David Irving is developing and he has the potential to be a Pro Bowl type of player or at least an impact guy. No worse than above average.

Crawford is about average or a little above ( could be better but we don't know because he's always playing hurt)

Lawrence ( See Crawford.)


So you add Charlton to this group and I think you have a pretty good foundation on your defensive line.

Jaylon Smith reminded me of a Von Miller type before he got hurt and that is kind of our ace in the hole.

 

[Denim Chicken]

over / under 35 sacks as a group this year?

 

[TheKey]

That tells me nothing but his opinion. He gives no real basis for the why of it.

And complaining about the one year as starter is pretty shallow. They changed schemes and he is a tweener in a 3-4 front.

I saw on YouTube a segment where NFL players read their draft profiles. JJ Watt's said he was not very quick, couldn't move laterally and would never be a double digit sack guy...

 

[ThreeandOut]

As I have said on this board numerous times. Only about a half dozen 4-3 defensive ends had double digit sacks last season. It's easier to find a pro bowl caliber QB than a defensive end with double digit sacks.

If he can get 6-8 sacks per season, he's a stud by today's NFL standards. Everyone seems to love Olivier Vernon but he is a 6-8 sack guy that's solid against the run; that's what we hope for Taco.

For all of the fuss you see on this board about our lack of pressure...we were actually 13th last season with our best pass rusher being injured. If we added another guy that could get a half dozen sacks in a season to our rotation...we would have finished 3rd, tied with the mighty Broncos.

I think that's a realistic expectation for Taco. So many offenses have quick release passing games these days so it's very hard to actually sack a QB. I do think there's some value in having two tall long-armed DL's like Irving and Taco. It's going to be very hard for QB's to see over these guys.

 

[gimmesix]

That was exactly my reaction to the headline, you could have printed twenty of these articles about Dak Prescott last year if anyone had bothered to write about a 4th round pick. IMO Taco is similar to Frederick, a late first rounder that could be good but might be much better than average.

Or a lot of other pass rushers who have succeeded in the NFL. Here's something I found on J.J. Watt with a quick search:

Every NFL draft prospect, from the elite prospects bound for first-round glory to Mr. Irrelevant, is subjected to scouting scrutiny in the months leading up to the NFL draft.

Nobody is immune; not even the reigning NFL Defensive Player of the Year.

Houston Texans defensive end J.J. Watt had some fun Thursday on The Dan Patrick Show reading scouting reports that were written about him for the 2011 NFL Draft, in which he was chosen No. 11 overall out of Wisconsin. Among the critiques that Watt has clearly debunked:

"Won't consistently get the edge on (offensive) tackles with his get-off or quickness."

"Lacks some lateral mobility, both rushing the passer and playing in space."

And the most damning of them all: "He won't ever be a stud pass rusher."

Truth is that Charlton could turn out to be exactly what some of these guys are saying, but they don't know any better than we do.

 

[GhostOfPelluer]

over / under 35 sacks as a group this year?

Since we had 36 last season and have pretty much everybody back - and many of the players are young and should improve - I'd be disappointed if we don't get 40 this season.

 

[gimmesix]

Not to mention he played injured almost all of last year.

This gets forgotten too often. A high-ankle sprain usually sidelines players so you know it's difficult to play through.

 

[Denim Chicken]

Since we had 36 last season and have pretty much everybody back - and many of the players are young and should improve - I'd be disappointed if we don't get 40 this season.

7 sacks from players that are not here any longer (and 1 from Gregory).

 

[Baileyneverfailey]

Double digit sacks is not the bar for a successful pass rusher. That's a high bar to clear.

There are 100+ starting defensive linemen in the NFL, easily 150+ who get a considerable number of snaps. How many have double digit sacks each year? About 15 or 20 of them.

6-8 sacks a season is a good consistent number you want your rushers to get. More than that just means they're probably a star player.

We have no idea what we're getting in Taco, but I think he has the potential to be a quality starter.

 

[GhostOfPelluer]

7 sacks from players that are not here any longer (and 1 from Gregory).

I hear you. I also see DLawrence who went from 8 sacks in 2015 to 1 last season. And with the way Irving and Collins played down the stretch last season, there is more in the tank. I see untapped potential. Rod the D-Line whisperer will have to earn his paycheck.

 

[Toruk_Makto]

It doesn't take a lot of bravery to say a guy won't be a double digit sack getter.

Those guys command 100mm dollar deals. If Taco is consistently productive in a rotation then at 28 you consider him good value and keep plugging away searching for a true terror.

Oh Gregory...

 

[Denim Chicken]

I hear you. I also see DLawrence who went from 8 sacks in 2015 to 1 last season. And with the way Irving and Collins played down the stretch last season, there is more in the tank. I see untapped potential. Rod the D-Line whisperer will have to earn his paycheck.

True. Looking at those numbers, I don't think any of these anonymous scouts would have had Collins at 5 sacks last season. And Mayowa coming in with 6 was a nice surprise. Taco will be another piece of an improving DL that doesn't rely on any one player to provide pressure, but sends waves of fresh, talented bodies to disrupt the QB.

 

[xwalker]

There is a lot of excitement around the Cowboys after drafting Michigan defensive end Taco Charlton in the first round of last weekend's NFL draft. Some view him as a potential All Pro one day while Charlton himself has promised he is "just touching the tip of the iceberg."
But some are not convinced about that just yet. ESPN's Mike Sando spoke with some coaches, executives and evaluators about each team's draft and one NFL personnel guy threw some cold water on those expecting Charlton to put up monster sack numbers.

"Taco [Charlton] is a lot like Kevin Dodd, who came out of Clemson last year for Tennessee," the evaluator told ESPN. "He is not your bend-the-edge, get-to-the-quarterback guy. He is a set-the-edge player who is talented -- really long. He is a starting-level, solid defensive end but not going to be the consistent double-digit sack guy."

SportsDay's Brandon George agrees that Charlton is likely not a starter as a rookie but believes that there is a lot of room for growth for the 6-foot-6, 277-pound former Wolverine.

"Does he start there right away? I don't know. The fact that he has not been great against the run, maybe you play him on just pass rushing downs early in his career, let him get going, get his feet underneath him before his kind of an every-down player for you," George said in the latest edition of the Candidly Cowboys podcast. "I think that the freak athleticism is what turned the Cowboys on to him and just the fact that they feel like he's on the rise. Basically you haven't seen the best of him. He started that one year at Michigan and that's partially a concern because he only got that one year to start but that first year he started he had 9.5 sacks. He was a difference maker so maybe this guy has a lot more to offer."

NFL Hall of Famer Dan Dierdorf, the current Michigan television analyst, agrees that Charlton should improve in the long-term for Dallas.

"I think he's still an ascending player," Dierdorf told ESPN Dallas' J Dub City. "He's not one of those guys that you say, 'He's peaked and this is all we're gonna get.' I think Taco Charlton is getting better every game."

Continue reading...

The ole unnamed NFL expert...

 

[xwalker]

Oh look, another anonymous guy.

 

[robjay04]

7 sacks from players that are not here any longer (and 1 from Gregory).

DLaw wasn't healthy and is entering a contract season, I expect him to be motivated to put up his best year so he can get paid(probably from someone else).

Collins will improve.

Irving will improve.

Mayowa seemed to improve as the season went on, he was actually red hot after we deactivated him...chances are he improves.

The rest are question marks but we have a unit with a lot of upside. We also had a lot of your players last season that improved as the season went on. I may be mistaken but I seem to remember that we were near the top in the NFL in sacks after Thanksgiving. That's a good sign for a young team.

 

[Verdict]

He's not an edge rusher. He's a quick SDE or a bit off elite WDE. 6-9 sacks is what I'd like.

I have been saying that all along. I hope I am wrong, but I just don't see him being the next D. Ware at right end. I think his reasonable projection is a solid but unspectacular player. Good against the run and maybe 6 sacks per year off of the left side.

 

[morasp]

Strengths
Rare combination of size, length and athletic traits as a rusher. Long-levered frame with athletic, knotted calves. Brings freaky athletic traits to table and is still growing into his body. Flashes instant reaction time off snap and up the field thanks to his twitch. Has enough upfield juice to push offensive tackles into hasty retreat. Generates pop through speed-to-power element. Very good flexibility throughout. Able to sink and swerve around corner if he gets early lead in race to the edge. Possesses hip swivel combined with shoulder turn to slip and flip around the corner of an offensive tackle he's engaged with as a pass rusher. Rushes with forward lean that keeps his momentum downhill. Uses rip-and-stab move and an ominous spin move that could turn into a dominant rush trait in the NFL. Elongated lateral slides can open into sprint very quickly to chase run play bouncing outside. Length gives him a shot at dramatically increasing his play-making ability against the run. Hand usage is improving.
Weaknesses
Despite talent and traits, production and overall play has been uneven at Michigan. Earned full-time starting nod in just his final season. Needs more weight-room work. Consistency of anchor at point of attack in question. Can be rooted out of his gap by power. Can do better job of using his length to keep blockers off of him. Doesn't make enough plays on other side of the line against run. Needs to show a nastier play demeanor at all times. Scouts question whether he has enough toughness for trench battles if bumped inside or to 5-technique. Held back by his inconsistent play speed. Excessive leaning and narrowing of his base during the play causes balance and footwork inconsistencies. Needs better readiness to take on move blockers.
Draft Projection
Round 1
Sources Tell Us
"Really, really talented player. You won't always see it on every play so that is going to be a coach's job to get that out of him. Rushers with his size and athleticism are hard to find and they usually go very early in the draft." -- AFC executive
NFL Comparison
Chandler Jones
Bottom Line
"Inconsistent" has been the buzzword that has followed Charlton since coming to Michigan, but he began the process of shaking it during his senior season. Charlton is an ascending prospect with the size, length, athleticism and pass-rushing potential that NFL general managers dream of. What you see today might not be what you get. While his production coming out of college will be modest, he could become a substantially better player as a pro if he's committed to the weight room and willing to absorb coaching. High-impact defensive end with all-pro potential is his ceiling. His floor is solid starter. -Lance Zierlein

http://www.nfl.com/draft/2017/profiles/taco-charlton?id=2557882

NFL.com ranked him at number nine overall.

 

[Zimmy Lives]

Yep, time will tell soon because he is going to worked hard by Rod and the Big Cat this offseason and given every opportunity to show what he can do with proper coaching.

This.

To say/assume the player will remain the same and not grow into the position is irresponsible and juts plain ignorant. The kid has coaches and he will mature.

 

[gimmesix]

True. Looking at those numbers, I don't think any of these anonymous scouts would have had Collins at 5 sacks last season. And Mayowa coming in with 6 was a nice surprise. Taco will be another piece of an improving DL that doesn't rely on any one player to provide pressure, but sends waves of fresh, talented bodies to disrupt the QB.

Our problem really isn't sacks. People get too caught up in sack numbers. Our problem was consistent pressure, making the QB uncomfortable. We didn't get that and it's why our defense failed.

I could live with Taco not recording a single sack if he is constantly around the quarterback making him have to move in the pocket and not set his feet well. However, I know he would be judged a bust if that happened, just like Spencer got the "Almost Anthony" label when he was getting close but not getting sacks.