Nice read! Cosell thinks at the end of the day, Jermaine Johnson will be the best pass rusher of this draft
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Honestly, give me Sauce Gardner if no Hutch. So much indecision and uncertainty around the other EDGE guys. Add on the questionable production, tape, and character concerns (KT), and it’s seeming more and more like a potential bust pick.
Even though it won’t sit well with the Lions faithful, forget the Okudah pick. He actually had question marks and then struggled with some unfortunate injuries. Different regime. Nobody in the industry that I’ve seen can identify a reason Sauce won’t be an instant stud. I hate the positional value of the pick, but we can’t afford to fail on #2 with a forced selection.
By the way, Willis is also a big no for me. I’ve said this many times but I want a guy who can sit in the pocket 40x a game and beat you… not a guy with shaky pocket presence and accuracy concerns. If they draft him I’m just going to assume they literally had no better options and said screw it. But I’m still convinced they brought him in for a visit to force a team’s hand into trading with them or Jacksonville.
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I am not fully in support of this, but I don’t fully disagree with it either.
Thibz seems to win very early, or not at all. I believe his lack of sacks is tied solely to his motor and his lack of football instincts. Jared Allen, TK Watt, Maxx Crosby, T Hendrickson don’t win early very often, but they get home. If coverage sacks weren’t a regular THING, there wouldn’t be a name for them….
Yes- blasting off the edge and killing the QBs blindside regularly would be awesome. Makes me think of Shawn “lights out” Merriman……
In reality those guys often find themselves double and triple teamed, and unless they are relentless high motor guys too, they get frustrated and neutralized.
I’m not 100% confident in the PRWR etc metrics…. How many elite OTs did they play? Line up against Neal or Eckwonu and rush for 40 snaps and that win rate goes down….
Someone wisely mentioned the win rates of Hutch, Mafe, Ebiketie, and Karlaftis all being super high, MAYBE THE BIG 10 OTs sucked?
I just can’t take a 2 time transfer Edge/OLB that is turning 24 at #2 overall….
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Yup, this.
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IMO Sauce, Dean and Ebiketie would be a dream scenario through 34 I’m just not sure that Ebiketie falls that far and he’s by far my favorite of the edge guys that may slide to 32/34.
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I need to watch more on him. Admittedly, I don’t know much at all about the dude. KT could be amazing…or not. I see high risk in him too.
Agree w/you too–> the past has nothing to do w/today. Okudah is not Sauce. However, I haven’t given up on Okudah yet either. I just don’t wanna pick a CB because I feel like we are building a DL that is gonna make DBs look so much better/make their job easier. I do agree we need playmakers though…dudes that cause turnovers, preferably.
emphasized text[quote=“Binger6, post:2, topic:15482”]
I’m just going to assume
[/quote]
Not even gonna say it. 
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For sure. I also haven’t given up on Okudah, and I’d be willing to bet even the Lions are a little unsure of what they truly have at CB. Nevertheless, premier cover corners are getting paid more every year, just like WR’s. You sack quarterbacks three different ways.
- Elite pass rushing
- Elite pass coverage
- Scheme/blitz packages
I trust this FO to make the right decision, but I will at least understand taking a corner. Might as well tackle one pillar of the sack pyramid with a cornerstone, known product… instead of taking a higher risk on a guy who may or may not pan out. Historically speaking, EDGE guys are also riskier selections in the draft anyways. Like I said, I’m not 100% for it, but I’d understand it.
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I sure do want the 2nd coming of Suh! That’s my dream.
They dont’ come around often.
Josh Allen
A young Donald or Suh
Those are the 2 pieces I’d be building around, in a dream world.
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I just don’t see it with Johnson. I don’t get it. I’m not a scout, though, so who knows.
I’d much rather have Sauce Gardner (who I think is a better prospect than Okudah was) or even Derek Stingley at 2 than Johnson. Just seems like a huge bust waiting to happen.
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I do see it when I flip on the tape, especially in the senior bowl where he embarrassed every O-lineman and had everyone “ooh-ing and ahh-ing”. He also seems to be a better run defender than KT. What I can’t jump across is the mental hurdle of him being a 2x transfer and old as dirt, for draft standards.
For now I’m comfortable with whatever the Lions do, it’ll work out.
First of all, they have an elite scouting team from Brad on down, who work collaboratively and are very thorough in their process. They also have numerous former players in the staff who know NFL talent when they see it. Those facts alone tell me they won’t just make a pick unless they truly see that player making an impact.
Second off, EVEN IF they draft a less talented player (let’s say they missed something in evaluation), I trust that coaching staff to develop and motivate everything they possibly can out of that selection - to at least make it not a bust pick.
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I see this too, man. Exactly how I feel.
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I do, though I’m not a scout either as it turns out. 
Even as I’m less worried about KT personality as disruption, I’ve become more entrenched with JJ as the solution. I see him as slightly superior to KT athletically and matched with Hutch’s intensity, vision and football IQ.
There’s diversity of opinion for sure, including this Chris Simms take on the top 5 edge players this year. Spoiler alert: No Thibs.
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I wouldn’t hate it if they took him.
Not my 1st choice but I wouldn’t hate it
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Maybe, but any one of them would improve this team. So they take one of those three and take this Johnson @32. If he’s still there. Problem solved.
Me too. I won’t hate Thibs, Hutch, Walker or JJ because all address a weakness in my book. And then there’s the nattering fact that my distant impressions and facile understandings don’t make me an expert.
But don’t get me started on Hamilton or Willis. 
And I honestly think Pickett is possible
You should definitely enter the draft contest with Pickett. I think you would have sole ownership and if you’re right on your way to possible victory.
I think the winner should get a special title for a while, but I don’t have that kind of power.
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64.2% Career Completion % / Career YPA 7.5 - Tom Brady pin point accuracy, GOAT
62.8% Career Completion % / Career YPA 8.4 - Malik Willis QB w accuracy concerns
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I read an interesting article that said that Pittsburgh only had Pickett as a round 1 QB. Definitely not the narrative going around, although wouldn’t surprise me because I’ve felt the same for a while.
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I wouldn’t want that to be correct.
I just think he is going way higher than most people think he will. A Pro style QB that topped Marino’s TD total in college is gonna get picked fast
I just don’t believe we go QB at #2
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