Hitchens - Best rookie season for a Cowboys 4th round pick?

[xwalker]

Marion Barber and Chris Canty both started two games as rookies. Doug Free didn't go anything his 1st two years.

Hitchens started 11 and was a big contributor in others including a playoff game.

 

[Everson24]

We are not in the playoffs without him. So I say yes he may be the best. Great draft pick.

 

[bevo11]

Its funny how so many "experts" said this pick was crazy...crazy like a fox!

 

[JD_KaPow]

Marion Barber and Chris Canty both started two games as rookies. Doug Free didn't go anything his 1st two years.

Hitchens started 11 and was a big contributor in others including a playoff game.

Let's see...
Bob Svihus started 14 games as a rookie...for Oakland.
Tony Tolbert started 5 games.
Markus Steele started 10 games as a rookie in '01...and was never a starter again.
Those guys, plus Barber and Canty, are pretty much it for 4th rounders starting their first year. So yeah, Hitchens is right up there.

 

[bark]

Naw. He's a wasted 4 th round pick. Mel kipers disciples told me so

 

[Avery]

Good pick. Will never be a star but you can't expect your whole team to be that nor can you as the salary cap gods will claim him. If you can get a starter out of the 4th round, you've made a great pick.

 

[xwalker]

Good pick. Will never be a star but you can't expect your whole team to be that nor can you as the salary cap gods will claim him. If you can get a starter out of the 4th round, you've made a great pick.

Why can't he be a star? He is similar in weight and speed to Sean Lee, he's just 1.5 inches shorter.

He reminds me a bit of this guy:
London Fletcher
5-10, 242
4× Pro Bowl (2009, 2010, 2011, 2012)
2× Second-team All-Pro (2011, 2012)

Hitchens 6'1/2", 240 (draft measurements)

 

[Zimmy Lives]

I would say he has been a pleasant surprise. I thought he could develop into a reliable starter -- in the mold of fellow 4th-rounder Brady James -- in a year or two but I think he has earned the right to compete for a starting job next year.

 

[big dog cowboy]

Great pick Jerry!

 

[MWH1967]

Naw. He's a wasted 4 th round pick. Mel kipers disciples told me so

yeah, it's just smoke and mirrors....

 

[DFWJC]

Definitely worked out great for us!

It's worth mentioning though, that breaking the lineup of what was the 32nd ranked defense
Then the team loses star LB Sean Lee
Then the team loses team captain and LB Justin Durant
...let's just say that the path to starting had far less resistance than normal.

great job anyway.
Hitchens is a keeper

 

[TheMarathonContinues]

Ehhhh it might be by default lol. Part of it is that most 4th rounders aren't asked to come in and start right away. Especially in this organization. Hitchens would not be starting if it wasn't for all the injuries to our linebackers but he's definitely made the most out of it. He's getting better by the week.

Why can't he be a star? He is similar in weight and speed to Sean Lee, he's just 1.5 inches shorter.

He reminds me a bit of this guy:
London Fletcher
5-10, 242
4× Pro Bowl (2009, 2010, 2011, 2012)
2× Second-team All-Pro (2011, 2012)

Hitchens 6'1/2", 240 (draft measurements)

Yeah I don't get that either. He's played just as good if not better than some linebackers who have been stars in this league. I'm not going to make a guarantee on it or anything but I see no reason to believe his ceiling isn't as high as a star. He may never be one. But there's no proof to show that he can't. He's been very solid in a rookie year that had him playing all 3 linebacker positions. The fact that he did that and did it so fast tells me his football IQ is pretty good.

 

[AbeBeta]

Who were the LBs that all the experts on the board said we should have taken instead? How did they do?

 

[blindzebra]

Ehhhh it might be by default lol. Part of it is that most 4th rounders aren't asked to come in and start right away. Especially in this organization. Hitchens would not be starting if it wasn't for all the injuries to our linebackers but he's definitely made the most out of it. He's getting better by the week.



Yeah I don't get that either. He's played just as good if not better than some linebackers who have been stars in this league. I'm not going to make a guarantee on it or anything but I see no reason to believe his ceiling isn't as high as a star. He may never be one. But there's no proof to show that he can't. He's been very solid in a rookie year that had him playing all 3 linebacker positions. The fact that he did that and did it so fast tells me his football IQ is pretty good.

He does need to improve in pass coverage when his helmet is being pulled over his eyes though.

 

[DFWJC]

On draft day, I'm not sure if I would have taken a LB in that spot, but if I had, it probably would have been Kevin Pierre-Louis. I liked him a good bit pre-draft.
I knew of Hitchens, but not that much about him, to be honest.

 

[Proximo]

Good pick by the Cowboys. Not many teams get this type of production out of a 4th rounder during their rookie year.

The FO deserves credit. Unfortunately, some folks here refuse to give them any.

 

[KDM256]

Solid rookie season which exceeded pretty much everybody's expectations. With a year under his belt, Hitchens has plenty of time to get better and raise his game up a notch.

I remember a lot of people on CZ wasn't too pleased with the pick around draft time last year.

 

[DBOY3141]

Who were the LBs that all the experts on the board said we should have taken instead? How did they do?

I remember a lot of folks during the draft chat wanted Telvin Smith - FSU LB who went to Jax. I think he had a pretty good year.

 

[Doomsday101]

I think what has impressed me the most is Dallas has had him playing each of the LB spots and has played very well. This shows me the guy works hard and puts time in the film room to get himself ready.

 

[tm1119]

Just looking through our draft history...I know the 4th round is FAR from a sure thing, but boy have we had some horrible misses.

I'm too young to comment but wasn't Tony Tolbert pretty damn good from the start for us?