Scouting Report On The Most Realistic 1st Round Pick

[NeonDeion21]

If you were to ask me right now, who I think the Dallas Cowboys will most likely end up drafting with their first round pick, I would have to say defensive end Kony Ealy from Missouri. And most of Cowboys Nation would hate that pick, partly due to the fact that he’s not Aaron Donald, Anthony Barr or a surprise name like Taylor Lewan. Ealy is a raw talent, who many have labeled as stiff, under-achiever, and not overly athletic. And if the Cowboys do decide to select Ealy, the talking heads on your television set will be out in full-force, saying that the Cowboys reached for a need. Mel Kiper Jr of ESPN currently has Ealy as a third or fourth round pick.

But I believe Ealy is a much better player than the national media has given him credit for and I can see why the Cowboys are interested in his talents. I think the biggest thing people are missing about Ealy is his versatility. Now, versatility is useless if you can’t “win’ at one position. But I believe Ealy thrives as a nickel defensive tackle that can create interior pressure. I believe Rod Marinelli would be thrilled at the different combinations of rushers they would be able to send at quarterbacks in obvious passing situations.

I don’t believe Ealy is an outstanding athlete that can play the weakside defensive end like Anthony Barr. He just doesn’t have the uber-quickness or elite bend to be a premier pass rusher in the NFL. But Ealy has a certain role that is en vogue in the NFL today. The ability to take strong defensive ends and move them inside on passing downs to generate more pressure. The two that are now famous for this are Justin Tuck and Michael Bennett, both of whom received big contracts this spring. And those are the best comparisons for Kony Ealy:

(Click the Chart to Enlarge)

Read the rest at: http://cover32.com/cowboys/2014/04/24/scouting-a-realistic-first-rounder-for-the-cowboys/

 

[reddyuta]

I like Ealy but i think we can draft him in a trade down into the 20s.

 

[visionary]

i honestly dont know what to think of Ealy

 

[NeonDeion21]

I like Ealy but i think we can draft him in a trade down into the 20s.

Not so sure. Pass rushers are highly valued come draft day. ARZ, NYJ, and others looking for pass rushing help.

 

[reddyuta]

Not so sure. Pass rushers are highly valued come draft day. ARZ, NYJ, and others looking for pass rushing help.

you have to take a risk when you trade down,i think they need t be reasonably sure atleast one of their targets will still be there if they trade down.I dont want a situation like last year when we took Tfred in the frist even though he was graded as a 2nd rd guy by our own scouts.

 

[tm1119]

I don't disagree with your comparisons, however there is 1 problem. Michael Bennett= Undrafted and Tuck= 3rd round pick.

You're absolutely right that bigger DE's who don't fit the "quick twitch" mold can still be very effective and productive players in the NFL. And I also agree that everyone here is too quick to dismiss any DE that doesn't run a sub 4.70 40. But I wouldn't take Ealy at 16 just because of the question marks that come with him. He's still very raw and underdeveloped from a technique standpoint. If you were somehow able to guarantee me that he's definitely going to turn into Michael Bennett I'd be all for it, but a 4-3 DE who isn't that great quick twitch athlete and still has a lot of developing to do is a little too much of risk in my opinion. Trade back into the early-mid 20's and I would have no problem with Ealy though.

 

[NeonDeion21]

I don't disagree with your comparisons, however there is 1 problem. Michael Bennett= Undrafted and Tuck= 3rd round pick.

If you knew now what you know about Bennett and Tuck, where would they be drafted in this draft? I would argue top 10 for both. I would take both players over Anthony Barr. Doesn't mean I don't like Barr, but interior guys who can get 8-10 sacks are highly valuable.

 

[tm1119]

If you knew now what you know about Bennett and Tuck, where would they be drafted in this draft? I would argue top 10 for both. I would take both players over Anthony Barr. Doesn't mean I don't like Barr, but interior guys who can get 8-10 sacks are highly valuable.

You should have highlighted the part where I said "If you were somehow able to guarantee me that he's definitely going to turn into Michael Bennett I'd be all for it"....but Ealy is far from a sure thing because he's far from a finished product. My point was more that DE's who aren't considered premium edge rushers don't and shouldn't get drafted that high. Lamar Houston, Carlos Dunlap, Michael Johnson, Calais Campbell, Justin Houston, ect....none were picked in the 1st round because they didn't fold the DE prototype. What you are suggesting is that Ealy is next in line to break that mold and we should pick him. And I don't necessarily disagree, but 16 just isn't the spot to do it when there is so much evidence of guys like him lasting. Now isn't the time to make the hero pick trying to outsmart everyone else.

And I also think its a fair question to ask what separates Ealy from guys like Scott Chrichton and Kareem Martin?

 

[DFWJC]

Ealy at 16 would not be good.

 

[MichaelWinicki]

That would be an absolute horrible pick.

He's somewhat inconsistent.

In addition his numbers, especially his 10-yard dash split doesn't even remotely suggest enough "quick twitch" to be an effective pass rusher from the weak defensive end spot.

 

[Sarge]

No thanks, not at 16 or Anywhere in Round 1.....

 

[MichaelWinicki]

If the Cowboys were going to reach for a guy who's not a true 4-3 WDE prospect, I'd rather see them draft Kareem Martin. Bigger than Ealy. Faster than Ealy. And more productive last season.

 

[dboyz]

Ealy is a second rounder. He would be a bad pick at 16.

 

[reddyuta]

Ealy is a second rounder. He would be a bad pick at 16.

I dont think he is a 2nd rder at all,his versatility will get him drafted in the first rd.

 

[ccb04]

Not sure what to think of Ealy. Some things about him underwhelm. But there are also some things to like. Certainly, he's unpolished and needs refinement. I like his size & potential versatility. It's also been reported that he ran in the 4.6's at his pro day...with one account even having him at 4.57 unofficially. His time of 6.83 in the 3-cone drill at the combine was exceptional (and tops among all DE's). For comparison, Clowney posted a 7.27 3-cone time at the combine.

While I'd prefer to trade down at least a few spots & gain an additional pick before selecting Ealy...I think he could well be among the Cowboys top considerations at #16 if A: Donald, Barr, etc. are gone...and B: they're unable to trade down.

Kiper may have him as a 3rd/4th round pick...but CBS/NFLDS has him ranked as the 3rd best DE...and Mayock has him ranked as the 2nd best DE behind Clowney in his more current top 5 position-by-positon rankings.

 

[1LoyalCowboyFan]

i honestly dont know what to think of Ealy

lol i thought I did twice but now I'm with you

 

[egn22]

Pass
Trade up for Barr

I honestly believe this is more likely from Jerry

 

[xwalker]

There are other guys that could probably play DE and then move to DT in the nickel. What is much harder to find are the elite Weak Side DEs.

A guy like Kareem Martin could probably do it. I don't really want a guy at 16 whose best position is his 2nd position.

I don't think there is any chance that Bennett would be a top 10 pick. It took a long time for him to develop the skills to overcome his lack of elite physical talent. You wouldn't be drafting the player that he is now, you're drafting the player that he was several years ago.

 

[NeonDeion21]

There are other guys that could probably play DE and then move to DT in the nickel. What is much harder to find are the elite Weak Side DEs.

Now I agree with that, but I think there may only be two in this draft; Clowney and Barr. Anyone else is a total shot in the dark.

 

[MichaelWinicki]

Not sure what to think of Ealy. Some things about him underwhelm. But there are also some things to like. Certainly, he's unpolished and needs refinement. I like his size & potential versatility. It's also been reported that he ran in the 4.6's at his pro day...with one account even having him at 4.57 unofficially. His time of 6.83 in the 3-cone drill at the combine was exceptional (and tops among all DE's). For comparison, Clowney posted a 7.27 3-cone time at the combine.

While I'd prefer to trade down at least a few spots & gain an additional pick before selecting Ealy...I think he could well be among the Cowboys top considerations at #16 if A: Donald, Barr, etc. are gone...and B: they're unable to trade down.

Kiper may have him as a 3rd/4th round pick...but CBS/NFLDS has him ranked as the 3rd best DE...and Mayock has him ranked as the 2nd best DE behind Clowney in his more current top 5 position-by-positon rankings.

I'm not into "Pro-day" times unless you have each and every other prospect there running on the same track. If he ran a 4.57 then Clowney would have ran a 4.35. LOL! To me the combine results are more realistic because you can then truly compare one guy to another.

That being said Ourlads has him as the 5th best DE and has given him a selection range of the 2nd/3rd round. Physically he was rated the 13 out of 43 defensive lineman.