2024 NFL Draft Discussion

[HighCalebR]

Just now, Old Guy said:

Playing the EDGE occasionally against MAC competition, is hardly the same as the NFL. Let the guy work at his craft/talent, which is interior pass rush. Those guys are a lot harder to find than EDGE rushers. Don't **** with the kid, let him eat where he excels and master that craft.

Wooden is a JAG wherever you play him. Cox will be a better option as EDGE 4 than Wooden. 

There is nothing wrong with having a solid 4 DT rotation with Kenny, Wyatt, Slaton and Brooks. In fact, it's a real good thing. Draft a Slaton replacement if we don't want to extend him and put Wooden firmly on the bubble. 

I whole heartedly disagree on Wooden. What you saw of Wooden last year was a player used VERY poorly and he still had some positive reps. Cox only reps came in the preseason and then a PS player jumped him for PT.

Just because you have Brooks set some edges and try to collapse a pocket doesn't mean he'll forget how to rush from the 3. 

And again. Brooks can still rotate in inside and be at around 40% of D snaps played. 

[Old Guy]

Just now, vegas492 said:

Gute threw some praise Cox's way the other day.  Said he didn't get many snaps this year because the guys in front of him were quite healthy.  But he seemed pretty happy with how Cox developed last year.

Wooden, has shown me nothing as well.  I've got zero issue trying him at EDGE.  It can't hurt.

I know that Brooks can play EDGE because he played there in college.  But I'd much rather keep him inside.

I'm 50/50 whether or not we draft an EDGE, or if we just grab a UDFA while drafting two ILB's.

For sure EDGE is not a position that I'm very worried about.  But I can say that about a lot of positions.

That is nice of Gute to say that, but the fact is when Enagbare went down, we activated another JAG and kept Cox inactive on gameday. I'm not giving up on the kid, but the facts are he couldn't get on the field as the 5th EDGE last year. The guy he couldn't beat out was a free agent who we let go. 

I know Cox really didn't play much football his last two years in college due to some 'issues,' so let's see what he does this year. Hopefully, we are all pleasantly surprised. 

[Leader]

14 hours ago, R T said:

Well, let's see. The sharing of opinions, good and bad. Posts of humor, good and bad. And occasionally some sarcasm, which appears you are yet to understand.    

You'd be better served by cutting down on the comments about other posters and just commenting one way of the other about a football fact.

[Old Guy]

1 minute ago, HighCalebR said:

I whole heartedly disagree on Wooden. What you saw of Wooden last year was a player used VERY poorly and he still had some positive reps. Cox only reps came in the preseason and then a PS player jumped him for PT.

Just because you have Brooks set some edges and try to collapse a pocket doesn't mean he'll forget how to rush from the 3. 

And again. Brooks can still rotate in inside and be at around 40% of D snaps played. 

I'll just agree to disagree on Brooks and where he is better utilized. Also, hope I'm wrong about Wooden. I will gladly eat crow if the kid turns into a player. 

My comment about Cox was not so much an endorsement of him as it was a comment on my lack of enthusiasm for Wooden. 

[ThatJerkDave]

6 minutes ago, HighCalebR said:

You've still got 5 guys who can start at Edge until Enagbare comes back. Gary Preston LVN Wooden and Brooks.

Wouldn't hurt to add talent to the room, never does, but we're set if they decide to ignore it.

Looking at the roster, there are also six more edge type LBs currently on the roster.  The one we have seen the most of is Arron Mosby, who is interesting because he might be able to play a handful of edge snaps, a handful of SAM snaps, and special teams.  Is he a world beater? Absolutely not.  But he could have some game day value.  

We also have:  Brenton Cox, Deslin Alexandre, Keshawn Banks, Deandre Johnson, and Kenny Odumegwu.  All of these guys are at least 6'3 and 250 pounds.  This isn't a who's who list of edge guys, and it is probably more likely that none of these six guys make the squad than any one of them does.  But we are also most likely looking at a very limited role on the 2024 team.  They won't likely be counted on to play more than a handful of snaps from scrimmage unless the room is absolutely decimated by injury.  

While the group can be added to and improved upon, I do think we can get through 2024 just fine at the position.

[Leader]

Just now, ThatJerkDave said:

We also have:  Brenton Cox, Deslin Alexandre, Keshawn Banks, Deandre Johnson, and Kenny Odumegwu.  All of these guys are at least 6'3 and 250 pounds.  This isn't a who's who list of edge guys, and it is probably more likely that none of these six guys make the squad than any one of them does.  But we are also most likely looking at a very limited role on the 2024 team.  They won't likely be counted on to play more than a handful of snaps from scrimmage unless the room is absolutely decimated by injury. 

Cox seemed to have promise, but he couldnt get himself on to the field. I'm hopeful he breaks through this year. I dont know squat about any of those other guys.

[Leader]

 

[vegas492]

Didn't Engbare get injured in the Cowboys playoff game?

I'm reading where Cox couldn't get any snaps, but he had Preston, Gary, LVN and Kingsley in front of him.  Not getting snaps in front of those guys should not be counted against Cox....like at all.  

Then we elevated someone over Cox for the 49ers game.  I'm not sure who it was.  But my guess would be that whoever that player was needed to be the better specials player.  (Just my guess there.)

Oh well.  Water under the bridge.  Consider me happy to have Cox on the roster, because prior to the 2022 college season, he was in the first round of mock drafts.  Clearly that was way off, but there is a football player there.

Also?  No doubt we should look at another EDGE in the next draft.  Wherever a player hits value for that pick, so long as the player fits thresholds.  And the later the pick, the lesser the threshold (attributes).

And?  Cox still has more college production (sacks) than Chop Robinson.

[ThatJerkDave]

9 minutes ago, Leader said:

Cox seemed to have promise, but he couldnt get himself on to the field. I'm hopeful he breaks through this year. I dont know squat about any of those other guys.

All of these guys, Cox included, are end of the roster types.  If they make the team, they would be primarily playing special teams and just a handful of defensive snaps.  I am highest on Mosby, because I *think* he can also add value as a SAM (when that position is on the field) and special teams.  But me knowing that he can do those things and thinking that he can are, admittedly, two different things.  

I am probably just higher on Wooden and Brooks than others.  I am also probably higher on Preston and Enagbare as well.  I am just looking at the DE/edge position as a want more than a need for the 2024 team. 

We do have to remember that the bulk of these reps are going to go to Gary, Preston and LVN.  Preston has always been able to play a lot of snaps.  Gary also played a lot of snaps last season, after the first month of the season.  LVN actually played less than Enagbare last year.  I don't believe that he won't be able to pick up some of the difference though, he will be 23 years old and was a first round pick.  Karl Brooks played about the same number of snaps as LVN in 2023.  We also have to remember that the pass rush group is less likely to drop into coverage with the Hafley defense vs the Barry defense, so we probably wouldn't ever see Brooks or Wooden chasing a slot WR like they are Preston Smith.

[HighCalebR]

38 minutes ago, Old Guy said:

I'll just agree to disagree on Brooks and where he is better utilized. Also, hope I'm wrong about Wooden. I will gladly eat crow if the kid turns into a player. 

My comment about Cox was not so much an endorsement of him as it was a comment on my lack of enthusiasm for Wooden. 

He just needs to be a JAG though. We're talking 4th-5th EDGE. All he has to do is belong on the field. 

I don't think Wooden will be a starter for us during the duration of his contract, I just think he's more than capable of being a depth player.

[ThatJerkDave]

14 minutes ago, vegas492 said:

Didn't Engbare get injured in the Cowboys playoff game?

I'm reading where Cox couldn't get any snaps, but he had Preston, Gary, LVN and Kingsley in front of him.  Not getting snaps in front of those guys should not be counted against Cox....like at all.  

Then we elevated someone over Cox for the 49ers game.  I'm not sure who it was.  But my guess would be that whoever that player was needed to be the better specials player.  (Just my guess there.)

Oh well.  Water under the bridge.  Consider me happy to have Cox on the roster, because prior to the 2022 college season, he was in the first round of mock drafts.  Clearly that was way off, but there is a football player there.

Also?  No doubt we should look at another EDGE in the next draft.  Wherever a player hits value for that pick, so long as the player fits thresholds.  And the later the pick, the lesser the threshold (attributes).

And?  Cox still has more college production (sacks) than Chop Robinson.

Keshawn Banks.  2 defensive snaps, 9 special teams snaps.

 

 

Also, every NFL team should always look to add pass rushers.  The stance here is (at least my stance, and I think Caleb's) that we can get by with what we have currently, and it is less of a need than it is a want at this point.

[Dubz41]

3 hours ago, coachbuns said:

Nice players ..10 in 1st 5 rounds .. this team is young now let alone have 15 or drafted players.

The 10 picks were all I had. Shared your thought and traded the late round picks to secure guys I liked.

[R T]

1 hour ago, Leader said:

You'd be better served by cutting down on the comments about other posters and just commenting one way of the other about a football fact.

Thanks for the unsolicited advice. 

You'd be better served by cutting down on the passive aggressive political comments and just sticking to the cutting and pasting about football fact you do so well. 

Am I doing this unsolicited advice thing right. 

[beekay414]

12 hours ago, ThatJerkDave said:

I mean, it was no secret that the Packers liked Wicks last draft season.  And he also checked all the boxes physically.  I think everyone was on him last season.  

Notice that I didn't say anything about myself on Wicks 😉

[beekay414]

Joe Milton doesn't process at an NFL or barely a collegiate level. It's why he failed at Michigan and had to go to a simplified one read offense like Tennessee. Let that dream die.