The forgotten draft pick

Measurable Measurement %tile

Chandler Jones
Height 6' 5" 78
Weight 266 lbs 45
Arm Length 35½" 94
Hand Size 9¾" 38
40 Yard Dash 4.87s 39
Vertical Jump 35" 74
Broad Jump 120" 78
3-Cone Drill 7.07s 77
20 Yard Shuttle 4.38s 61
Bench Press 22 reps 38

Taco Charlton
Height 6' 6" 91
Weight 277 lbs 75
Arm Length 34¼" 74
Hand Size 9¾" 38
40 Yard Dash 4.92s 27
Vertical Jump 33" 50
Broad Jump 116" 60
3-Cone Drill 7.17s 64
20 Yard Shuttle 4.39s 54
Bench Press 25 reps 64
 
DakPresgoat said:
Taco played much better as the season went on.

I think he will at least be a solid DE. Maybe never a star. Maybe never a 10+ sack guy. But an overall god defensive end.
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For where he was drafted...I'm fine with if he's either a solid rotational guy or a starter in this league. I think people wanted a "war daddy". Cowboys didn't have that shot where they were drafting there.

That being said....he's young. I don't know what he will become. But it was premature for fans or anyone to write him off and people did it after 3 games.
 
TheFinisher said:
This is more an issue of erroneous fan expectations for a rookie DE selected late in the 1st Round.

If you expected Taco to come in year 1 and light the league on fire, that's your problem.

The reasonable minds understand the steep learning curve of that position.

The other side of this issue is the echo chamber of Cowboy fans who whined about the team selecting Taco over their pet cat TJ Watt. If enough people say he was a failed pick loud enough, that idea eventually spreads. The funny part about it was the masses who wrote him off before we even got to training camp.
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The fascination with TJ Watt was because of who his brother is. He was a late 1st to early 2nd round prospect. Nothing more nothing less. Just like Taco was. Except Taco was a better fit for this defense.
 
rocyaice said:
The fascination with TJ Watt was because of who his brother is. He was a late 1st to early 2nd round prospect. Nothing more nothing less. Just like Taco was. Except Taco was a better fit for this defense.
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It's no coincidence TJ Watt wound up going to a 3-4 team. He was never fit to be a 43 End.

People can believe that a 34 OLB and 43 DE are interchangeable all they want, the truth of the matter is they're very different positions.
 
rocyaice said:
The fascination with TJ Watt was because of who his brother is. He was a late 1st to early 2nd round prospect. Nothing more nothing less. Just like Taco was. Except Taco was a better fit for this defense.
Click to expand...
W/ all the hoopla, Watt had 7 sacks. Decent for a rook, absolutely, but not some blow it out of the water type of year.

Taco was extremely raw when we drafted him. If he hadn't been, he would never have slipped to the back of the 1st round. If you want players w/ great potential late in the 1st, this is the type you'll be drafting.

TJ is always going to be an injury concern. The book is far from written as to who will be better between he and Taco. W/ his injury issues, there's a good chance Watt will have a short career.
 
TheFinisher said:
It's no coincidence TJ Watt wound up going to a 3-4 team. He was never fit to be a 43 End.

People can believe that a 34 OLB and 43 DE are interchangeable all they want, the truth of the matter is they're very different positions.
Click to expand...

And that's exactly what people did around here....automatically said TJ could be a 4-3 DE.

I wasn't a big fan of the Taco pick myself. But I didn't want TJ either. However, I can see Taco becoming a legit starting in this league at DE than I can TJ. TJ may flourish for the Steelers. Like you stated, he's a better fit on a team that runs the 3-4.
 
kskboys said:
W/ all the hoopla, Watt had 7 sacks. Decent for a rook, absolutely, but not some blow it out of the water type of year.

Taco was extremely raw when we drafted him. If he hadn't been, he would never have slipped to the back of the 1st round. If you want players w/ great potential late in the 1st, this is the type you'll be drafting.

TJ is always going to be an injury concern. The book is far from written as to who will be better between he and Taco. W/ his injury issues, there's a good chance Watt will have a short career.
Click to expand...

And that was another thing on him. He was a injury concern when he was drafted.

Props to him on his 7 sacks. That's tough as a rookie. I just don't see the fit on this defense.
 
rocyaice said:
And that's exactly what people did around here....automatically said TJ could be a 4-3 DE.

I wasn't a big fan of the Taco pick myself. But I didn't want TJ either. However, I can see Taco becoming a legit starting in this league at DE than I can TJ. TJ may flourish for the Steelers. Like you stated, he's a better fit on a team that runs the 3-4.
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Taco was a good solid pick. Looking at his skillset, he should at the very least become a solid rotational guy or starter. Thing is, he has the ceiling to be a Chandler Jones type. Watt does not have near the ceiling. Between the two, I would've taken Taco in a heartbeat, due to the injury issues of Watt along w/ his nonfit in our D and the high ceiling on Taco.
 
TheFinisher said:
Measurable Measurement %tile

Chandler Jones
Height 6' 5" 78
Weight 266 lbs 45
Arm Length 35½" 94
Hand Size 9¾" 38
40 Yard Dash 4.87s 39
Vertical Jump 35" 74
Broad Jump 120" 78
3-Cone Drill 7.07s 77
20 Yard Shuttle 4.38s 61
Bench Press 22 reps 38

Taco Charlton
Height 6' 6" 91
Weight 277 lbs 75
Arm Length 34¼" 74
Hand Size 9¾" 38
40 Yard Dash 4.92s 27
Vertical Jump 33" 50
Broad Jump 116" 60
3-Cone Drill 7.17s 64
20 Yard Shuttle 4.39s 54
Bench Press 25 reps 64
Click to expand...


Is Taco really that big? I didn't know he was that tall.
 
Nightman said:
Do you know how many sacks DLaw and DIrving combined for year one?????

It was 1/2
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Since he said stupid Taco sack celebrations, can we say really stupid premature drubbing on Taco?
 
kskboys said:
Taco was a good solid pick. Looking at his skillset, he should at the very least become a solid rotational guy or starter. Thing is, he has the ceiling to be a Chandler Jones type. Watt does not have near the ceiling. Between the two, I would've taken Taco in a heartbeat, due to the injury issues of Watt along w/ his nonfit in our D and the high ceiling on Taco.
Click to expand...

I agree. He's extremely raw now. Initially, as the season progressed I was worried if he'd even get snaps. He got better as time went on. He still has work today......this team needs for him to be a starter for them and as of now...he seems to be on the right track.
 
TheFinisher said:
This is more an issue of erroneous fan expectations for a rookie DE selected late in the 1st Round.

If you expected Taco to come in year 1 and light the league on fire, that's your problem.

The reasonable minds understand the steep learning curve of that position.

The other side of this issue is the echo chamber of Cowboy fans who whined about the team selecting Taco over their pet cat TJ Watt. If enough people say he was a failed pick loud enough, that idea eventually spreads. The funny part about it was the masses who wrote him off before we even got to training camp.
Click to expand...

Is there a middle ground between "lighting the league on fire" and simply being good enough to get on the field?
 
erod said:
I was dadgum hard on Taco Charlton last year. Lots of us were. He wasn't worthy of that draft position, I still contend, and he looked weak and overmatched, like an undrafted free agent might.

Nobody talks about him. He's kind of already been tossed into the Kavika Pittman file to keep company with Shante and Ebennezer. Many of us turned that page in bustful disgust.

But......if.

If that guy turns into a real player worthy of his draft position, then the entirety of this defense could change. Add a LB and DT in the early rounds, sign a safety in free agency, and with the sudden promise in the secondary, things could get far more interesting on that side of the ball.

Geez, I'd like to see real defense played here again. It's been a hundred years.

Jaylon Smith's recovery and improvement is also key, but Taco could hold the key to it all. You add a bookend opposite of Demarcus Lawrence, who's the happiest franchise tag in NFL history, and you really be on to something here.

But........if. I don't like "ifs" but maybe this one will be different.
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"nobody talks about him"?
he is talked about incessantly in this group
 
i dont think its unreasonable to have SOME type of expectations for someone drafted in the first round especially given that u see other players drafted right around or after him have more success or catch on quicker.just because he plays for the team that i root for doesnt mean i'll give him a pass..if he is just gonna be a rotation guy or just kinda average isnt what most were hoping for. thats on the front office moreso but we'll see what happens this upcoming season.
 
erod said:
I was dadgum hard on Taco Charlton last year. Lots of us were. He wasn't worthy of that draft position, I still contend, and he looked weak and overmatched, like an undrafted free agent might.

Nobody talks about him. He's kind of already been tossed into the Kavika Pittman file to keep company with Shante and Ebennezer. Many of us turned that page in bustful disgust.

But......if.

If that guy turns into a real player worthy of his draft position, then the entirety of this defense could change. Add a LB and DT in the early rounds, sign a safety in free agency, and with the sudden promise in the secondary, things could get far more interesting on that side of the ball.

Geez, I'd like to see real defense played here again. It's been a hundred years.

Jaylon Smith's recovery and improvement is also key, but Taco could hold the key to it all. You add a bookend opposite of Demarcus Lawrence, who's the happiest franchise tag in NFL history, and you really be on to something here.

But........if. I don't like "ifs" but maybe this one will be different.
Click to expand...
I'm viewing Taco as another potential DLaw situation, in that DLaw took several years to finally get it. We just have to hope it doesn't take as long on Taco.
 
jday said:
I'm viewing Taco as another potential DLaw situation, in that DLaw took several years to finally get it. We just have to hope it doesn't take as long on Taco.
Click to expand...

DLAW had injury issues and drug suspensions. Thats why it took him so long. He's still a failed drug test away from a 1 year ban. Taco has none of those problems........he's just not good enough yet.
 
atlantacowboy said:
DLAW had injury issues and drug suspensions. Thats why it took him so long. He's still a failed drug test away from a 1 year ban. Taco has none of those problems........he's just not good enough yet.
Click to expand...
My point is, neither was DLaw in his first year.
 
rocyaice said:
And that's exactly what people did around here....automatically said TJ could be a 4-3 DE.

I wasn't a big fan of the Taco pick myself. But I didn't want TJ either. However, I can see Taco becoming a legit starting in this league at DE than I can TJ. TJ may flourish for the Steelers. Like you stated, he's a better fit on a team that runs the 3-4.
Click to expand...

At the size TJ was playing at he would have been broke in half playing hand in the dirt DE his first year. Maybe latter in his career after he gains some savvy but right off, he would have been pile drived through the field week in and week out.
 
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