I hope Mazi Smith is a hit

[TwoDeep3]

I value these traits in nearly every position except NT. I want my interior DL to be very simple. Don't need them being articulate and thinking too much. Just eat up blockers, kill the man with the ball and don't jump offsides ever.

You do realize being articulate equates to intelligence, which aids in diagnosing nuances to seek out the ball carrier. Right?

 

[HungryLion]

 

[Kalyan]

No doubt Mazi will be a good DT this year and be a complete monster next year.

We need him to have a full offseason to be able to adjust to NFL and take on NFL OL, for a rookie 1T DT, too much to expect than rotational minutes and few impact plays

 

[cowboyec]

significant shift in philosophy.
game changing pick on many levels.

 

[big dog cowboy]

Schoonmaker is a decent pick but I wonder if he's going to be any more effective than Ferguson, at least for a year or two.

That makes ZERO sense. Schoonmaker is light years better blocker than Ferguson and just as good if not better receiver. He will play THIS year.

 

[charron]

We need him to have a full offseason to be able to adjust to NFL and take on NFL OL, for a rookie 1T DT, too much to expect than rotational minutes and few impact plays

All rookies need a full off-season but he will 100% make an impact in a limited role this year.

 

[CyberB0b]

While the FO has their warts, they get the benefit of the doubt with the draft after the last decade or so.

 

[conner01]

No doubt Mazi will be a good DT this year and be a complete monster next year.

Good point about next year. It is a very tough position to play and players tend to get better over time. He’s a physical beast and that’s gonna show early. But beating the best players requires technique and that takes some time to develop

 

[conner01]

That makes ZERO sense. Schoonmaker is light years better blocker than Ferguson and just as good if not better receiver. He will play THIS year.

I think he plays McKeon role this year
He’s a good blocker though I’m not sure he’s light years better than Ferguson and Ferguson has the advantage of a full off season

 

[GimmeTheBall!]

If he's not, they may never use prime capital to get a DT ever again. LOL.

Smith is the most important draft pick we made this year. If he can play his impact is greater than any other player we drafted, including the TE. Schoonmaker is a decent pick but I wonder if he's going to be any more effective than Ferguson, at least for a year or two. The offense also should have Pollard back and with the three WRs, TE is likely a tertiary target in this offense.

But Smith could instantly change the defense if he can anchor the middle.

Here's hoping Mazi doesn't fold like a Taco.

 

[FuzzyLumpkins]

Wow, is he strong. Both the center and the guard got off the ball well and he just sat down and had lunch.

 

[charron]

Good point about next year. It is a very tough position to play and players tend to get better over time. He’s a physical beast and that’s gonna show early. But beating the best players requires technique and that takes some time to develop

I think his strength this year is against the run. Maybe he has some success pushing the pocket a little but next year as he develops more technique he will bust out. For now I'll be happy him stomp rb's

 

[FuzzyLumpkins]

The great NT of the past twenty years like Vea, Wilcox, and Cox have had a world class bull rush that ragdolled people. Inside right on the guard or center they could more or less uppercut them off the line. It is a good litmus test for offensive line talent. I knew Leary could play for example when he was able to catch and redirect the punch from Vea.

I love that Michigan does a detailed job using pro concepts in some of the most bland vanilla schemes possible. That two gapping he was doing made me think of the Giants of the 80s but without LT. Just Bert and Marshall 2 gapping away.

I hope Quinn uses him more to blow people up than Harbaugh did.

 

[HungryLion]

The great NT of the past twenty years like Vea, Wilcox, and Cox have had a world class bull rush that ragdolled people. Inside right on the guard or center they could more or less uppercut them off the line. It is a good litmus test for offensive line talent. I knew Leary could play for example when he was able to catch and redirect the punch from Vea.

I love that Michigan does a detailed job using pro concepts in some of the most bland vanilla schemes possible. That two gapping he was doing made me think of the Giants of the 80s but without LT. Just Bert and Marshall 2 gapping away.

I hope Quinn uses him more to blow people up than Harbaugh did.

Well the good news is one of the first things McClay said after the pick was them believing he could bring pass rush by changing his stance and alignment.

 

[exciter]

I'm interested in seeing if we'll go side-by-side with him and Hankins in the middle on first downs. That's some beef and power in there for our run defense, and depending on who they play at the 1-tech, leaves one of those guys with some 1-on-1 matchups to defeat. If it's just a rotation of him and Hankins at 1-tech, the pick holds much less value to me. We've got the beef up the middle now and we need to use it, put teams in passing situations and bring in the pass rushers.

No! Outside of short yardage!

 

[buybuydandavis]

If he's not, they may never use prime capital to get a DT ever again. LOL.

Smith is the most important draft pick we made this year. If he can play his impact is greater than any other player we drafted, including the TE. Schoonmaker is a decent pick but I wonder if he's going to be any more effective than Ferguson, at least for a year or two. The offense also should have Pollard back and with the three WRs, TE is likely a tertiary target in this offense.

But Smith could instantly change the defense if he can anchor the middle.

Smith should be huge marginal improvement.
I don't know if Schoon will be *any* marginal improvement over Ferguson. Over Hendershott at least, but improvement at TE 2 is not what I'm looking for with a 2nd round pick.
Hanks + Mazi should be a force in short yardage.

 

[buybuydandavis]

No! Outside of short yardage!

But *in* short yardage - suhweet!

 

[buybuydandavis]

ah hahahaha!
Suhweeet!
We've been crappy on short yardage defense it seems like forever.

 

[Tabascocat]

The run defense will be a noticeable improvement

 

[T-RO]

This guy will be a monster. How many here expected from 11 what he delivered under Quinn?

Stop. Don't do that.

Even if he does super well Mazi will be unnoticed 95% of downs. He will not have sacks. In his best game of the year he might get two tackles.

His role as DT will be limited and he's not the prospect that Parsons was. It will take time and patience. Hyping him only hurts him.