Post Draft Thoughts

[AZBearsFan]

15 hours ago, Sugashane said:

Ogbah was someone I thought would be signed rather quickly. Not a stud but he seemed like a solid player when I (rarely) watched him, and I was a fan pre-draft too. 

Ogbah had a 2 year run (2020-21) where he got to the QB a lot but other than that he hasn’t really gotten to the QB any more than DeMarcus Walker. The guy out there with the best track record for getting to the QB frequently is still Ngakoue, despite his disappointing 2023, and it’s not close. Last year was the only year in his 8-year career that he didn’t have at least 8 sacks. The chances he is a secondary impact pass rusher for us are still a lot higher than anyone else out there. I suspect he’d have a decent amount to teach Booker too. 

[StLunatic88]

3 hours ago, AZBearsFan said:

Ogbah had a 2 year run (2020-21) where he got to the QB a lot but other than that he hasn’t really gotten to the QB any more than DeMarcus Walker. The guy out there with the best track record for getting to the QB frequently is still Ngakoue, despite his disappointing 2023, and it’s not close. Last year was the only year in his 8-year career that he didn’t have at least 8 sacks. The chances he is a secondary impact pass rusher for us are still a lot higher than anyone else out there. I suspect he’d have a decent amount to teach Booker too. 

If you are just looking at the counting stats, sure. but YN has always been a zero in run defense. I would gladly take Ogbah over Yannick as an all around player right now. (assuming hes healthy)

[soulman]

Not altogether certain why anyone would say we haven't replaced Justin Jones or Ngakoue when we have two highly drafted DT from 2023 and Booker from 2024.  At least with Dexter and Pickens it seems to me they're expecting them to start.

I have no problem with wanting to bring back Ngakoue if the price is right.  Booker can learn a lot from him but I believe they also expect Booker to take some snaps eventually.  They're already working him hard so I believe they plan to play him.

Dexter has lost weight and better prepared himself to play as a 3 tech DT as opposed to the 1 tech role he had in college.  Flus has said they plan to move him around to create mismatches so he could play some at DE.  Cowart and the rookie Randolph will battle for the 1 tech backup spot.  It's not an All Pro DL but it's not without players with skills and some experience. They may be better than expected.

[AZBearsFan]

19 hours ago, StLunatic88 said:

If you are just looking at the counting stats, sure. but YN has always been a zero in run defense. I would gladly take Ogbah over Yannick as an all around player right now. (assuming hes healthy)

I don’t disagree, but I don’t think they need an all around player right now. I think the immediate need is to add someone who helps us get to the QB and get off the field in 3rd down passing situations assuming that Booker can’t be that right away (which can’t be expected IMO). That’s a role Ngakoue is basically made for. I’d bring him in specifically to play on passing downs and that’s it. 

[AZBearsFan]

5 hours ago, soulman said:

Not altogether certain why anyone would say we haven't replaced Justin Jones or Ngakoue when we have two highly drafted DT from 2023 and Booker from 2024.  At least with Dexter and Pickens it seems to me they're expecting them to start.

I have no problem with wanting to bring back Ngakoue if the price is right.  Booker can learn a lot from him but I believe they also expect Booker to take some snaps eventually.  They're already working him hard so I believe they plan to play him.

Dexter has lost weight and better prepared himself to play as a 3 tech DT as opposed to the 1 tech role he had in college.  Flus has said they plan to move him around to create mismatches so he could play some at DE.  Cowart and the rookie Randolph will battle for the 1 tech backup spot.  It's not an All Pro DL but it's not without players with skills and some experience. They may be better than expected.

I don’t have a problem with what we’ve done at DT at all. Most teams rely upon their 2nd round picks to elevate to starters by year 2 like Dexter, who definitely flashed as a disrupter the back half of 2023. Not being Aaron Donald as a rookie doesn’t mean he wasn’t good there - he earned the right to show us he can be the top guy IMO. Pickens to me has always been a more natural fit skill set wise at 3T than nose, so while he didn’t flash nearly as much as Dexter last year, he was also out of position all of 2023, so slotting him in there behind Dexter makes a lot of sense to me. 

[StLunatic88]

2 hours ago, AZBearsFan said:

I don’t disagree, but I don’t think they need an all around player right now. I think the immediate need is to add someone who helps us get to the QB and get off the field in 3rd down passing situations assuming that Booker can’t be that right away (which can’t be expected IMO). That’s a role Ngakoue is basically made for. I’d bring him in specifically to play on passing downs and that’s it. 

I’m not sure Ngakoue is that guy anymore. Sure he used to be, it’s who we expected him to be last year. But he just doesn’t look the same, and surely didn’t have that type of impact. He’s a clean up sack guy now, he’s not doing it on his own, and to me that can be accomplished by a lot of dudes. 

id rather get another all around DE, bring more pressure from everywhere (even if it’s a little less, although I’m not convinced this version of Yannick it would be) and have it be someone like Dexter step up/be freed up