Pretty much where I’m at with the exception that I want a DL player at 2.
Thibs/Hutch/Walker
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Great points. But also, Parsons had to be the guy on that team. This GA defense was stacked! Would Walker have been the man with eye popping numbers if he spent three years just being a 4-3 edge defender honing his hand fighting?
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This.
I’ll add, I think if you’re going to watch his tape for him not getting off blockers, you have to consider what was his responsibility?
Was his responsibility to remain near the LoS and keep blockers engaged and let the LBs make plays? Don’t get pulled upfield and out of position. Let the play come to you.
They didn’t need him to be Hutch or Thibs.
I’m asking because I honestly don’t know but it would help explain his not get off blockers.
As said, that Georgia D was freaking stacked. A kid being told, just do YOUR job and let them do theirs seems very possible with that much talent.
I’m sure quiet conversations have been had behind the scenes with the Georgia staff asking questions on what were his responsibilities and how he did them.
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You’re right but that’s a part of the big “What If” package with Walker. What if he had a more prominent role on a defense? etc.
With Parsons, we knew how he performed in that role and it was really impressive. Walker has some of those traits though with the versatility and athleticism so you’re hoping that those natural gifts translate to a high level productive pro career but it’s mostly projection based on those gifts and that’s too big a question mark for me to take at 2 but then again, they all have massive question marks so it’s a pick your poison situation.
My approach has always been if all else is fairly equal, you swing for upside even if the risk is greater and nobody, even Hutch, has as much upside as KT IMO.
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I Like Walker I still say the DL system that Georgia played is why sacks were lower,
Some here falling all over Hutch who had one good year an has short arms an I am Not anti Hutch but he sure as as many warts an many here want to put on Walker.
I am not a KT fan Walker is who I want but Hutch would be ok by me. I never think trade down until it happens. Then i would be looking at Johnson for sure.
I think we need to pick a guy at 2 that can’t fail.
I don’t think its Walker is it.
I don’t think Thibs is it.
I don’t think Hamilton is it.
So who is it? That’s above my pay grade. Glad I don’t have to pick.
Once Hutch is picked, I have an easy pick to make that won’t fail barring injury: Jermaine Johnson.
But as I caution everyone: Don’t mark my words. 
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I like guys who have had production, so for me at 2 Thibz or Hutch, no projection necessary.
not good enough for The Lions… let me get this straight, Walker isn’t good enough, Hutch isn’t good enough AND neither is Thibs ???
I’m at that point to. Honestly can’t keep debating the same things about the same players… 
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All of you are missing the ‘big picture’…
Yeah, I don’t what it is either. It just sounds profound.
My problem with Walker is that he is a late riser. He has only come up the boards since the Combine. Late risers tend to be a result of measurables taken against ‘air’ coupled with smoke being blown by ‘insiders’ talking to all of the draft gurus. At least, that is what I suspect to be true most of the time.
Worst of all things is the manner in which we decide what we want and then rationalize our way to ‘proving’ it is the right choice. (Not that I have ever bought a high ticket item this way) We want ‘positional value’ while forgetting that the position itself lacks value unless it is properly supported allowing the player to perform. It is the player we draft, not the position. I have not heard enough about Walker as a player to think he should be drafted this high. I also haven’t heard enough to dismiss him from the conversation.
At the moment I do not want to draft Walker, but I am not opposed. KT has gotten more bad press so I am a bit less inclined towards him, but still not opposed. Actually, I don’t care who we pick at #2 as long as it is not a long snapper, a place kicker, a quarterback or a punter. In that order. This year.
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I can put this all to rest if you want me to. I pretty sure I know the pick
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Lol… I think it’s going to be Thibs or Willis, and most likely Thibs.
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I think it’s a bad comparison because Parsons was a beast in college. He was the best defensive player in the draft. The concerns on Parsons stemmed off rumors. Nothing more. Thibs situation is closer to Parson than Walker’s is.
I don’t think It’s the same comparison. I liked Ziggy in college because he stood out. He was consistently disruptive and a beast of a player but they moved him around a lot which hurt his development. He also hadn’t played the game very long so being under developed made sense. Ziggy also had the bend you want in a pass rusher. Walker does not. He’s stiff.
Walker is athletic for his size but he took most of his snaps on passing downs. He lined up at different spots along the line but his assignments were the same. Fill a gap and get after the QB. Yet he didn’t consistently shine at doing that. Sure he had some moments but he also had plenty of times where he was a non factor. Walker has been playing football a long enough time that he should be more developed. (Unlike Ziggy) My biggest concern with Walker however is he’s stiff. Watch some Walker tape and watch some Rashan Gary tape and you’ll see they are both stiff pass rusher. Their athletic profile is near identical too. Similar players, similar athletic abilities but Gary was a more developed player than Walker is.
I don’t hate Walker. I think he can have NFL success but he’s a developmental player who came off a well coach defense. Which begs the question of why he isn’t more developed?…. His bust factor is much higher than Thibs and Johnson.
If Walker hadn’t tested so well no one would be talking about him in the top 10.
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75% of his snaps came in passing situations. They brought him in primarily on passing downs.
I went back and watched a bunch of his games to see how Georgia was using him and to get a better feel for him since so much was being said about him that was conflicting. Here’s what I saw.
Early on Georgia was using him primarily as a Penetrating DT. But he was consistently ran directly at and didn’t wrap up the RB letting them slip buy. He had several times where he got to the QB but failed to wrap them up as well. (This problem continued through his 3 years) I find it funny that a lot of scouting reports claim he’s a good run defender because I don’t see it. Is he terrible? No…. But he’s definitely not great at it and that’s why Georgia took him out in obvious running situations.
Last season (After Johnson left) he slimmed down and lost 20 lbs and was used more on the edge. Yet he still took 75% snaps on passing downs. On a rare occasion he would drop back into a soft zone coverage but 99% of the time he was a penetrating DL or Edge guy.
When a guy is asked to get after it 75% of the time his stats should reflect that. They don’t because he’s stiff and he struggles to wrap up at times.
Personally I think he makes a better DT than a DE. He’s too stiff for the outside. He has the frame and ability to add weight and I think he should.
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Interesting findings. That’s for taking the time to go over it and write it up.
There was talk around here about Walker being a top 10 pick before the combine… and @Thats2 even predicted he would blow up the combine.
To be very precise… a lot of the attention he is getting here started when he was beating up UofM in the playoff game….
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The “lesson learned” from past drafts is to never take a LB in the top 10 unless he can rush the passer. Parsons could rush the passer, and even line up wide and try to cover receivers. He was the total package.
He was a defensive end that Penn State stood up as a linebacker. I never understood the people who questioned him as a pass rusher or edge player.
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