Hatcher only made 1 Pro Bowl which was in 2013 with Kiffin as the DC.
Kiffin/Marinelli literally schemed with the goal of making the 3-tech DT the top pass rusher on the team. They're preferred order of pass rusher 3tech DT, RDE, LDE, 1tech DT. Marinelli had to adjust that idea later because he figured out that no amount of scheming was going to make a Cowboys DT into Warren Sapp.
Jimmie Jones was very talented and a great backup with Jimmy as the HC but he was the type that wouldn't function under Garrett.
Hennings played 1tech which means drawing double teams.
Leon Lett had Aaron Donald quickness.
Marcus Spears had bad knees. It didn't take much to choose Hatcher over him.
Which do you really prefer ? A guy that eventually becomes a pro bowler ..or a guy that eventually becomes a backup ?
- Hatcher was a pro bowler while Jimmie Jones was a very short lived starter that became a sub rotational.
Who'd take a sub backup over a pro bowler. You draft guys with the highest hope that they turn out
to be pro bowlers.-and gathering double digits sack production furhter more outweighs a guy that is
limited to backup sub duties. Drafted in 2006 but didn't get his chance to start until 2011.
And even with Kiffin, who initially wanted Hatch to be a 1 tech in his 4-3 scheme, but because Ratliff
had hampering injuries and his gruffed attitude forced team to release him, Hatch ended up getting the
3 tech gig, en route to highest sack total (11) in a single season by a DT since the Randy White days.
Whenever you can get double digits sack from an interior DT, that's a helluva accomplishment.
- Spears was never a take over dominator. he ended up having a decent, serviceable career. ..Nothing more .
That's not the satisfying production you'd expect from a 1st round pick.
You'd expect either a dominant 3 tech pass rusher .. or a Snack Harrison/Dontario Poe dominant run stuffer.
You'd expect a pro bowler as a 1st round pick..... Spears was never that in his entire career.
- Lett the Big Cat was easily one of the quickest, explosive first step get-off we'll ever see in a interior DT, and
imposing size length to go with that get off. If he had any issues besides the numerous off field suspensions and
arrests, he wasnt always the most consistent game to game player. But from what we got from him as
seventh round pick and a 2 time pro bowler.
- Henning was another decent role player. Wasn't anything special. he was your run of the mill
serviceable 1 tech. Not like he was a dominator. Where was his pro bowl accolades ?
As a one tech in the Jimmie days, i recall it was Tony Casillas often got the nod as the 1 tech until his
it came down to eventual injuries and eventual departure.
