Defensive Line

[jebrick]

Top DT RAS scores
1. Braden Fiske (FSU): 9.97
2. Ruke Orhorhoro (Clemson): 9.90
3. Marshawn Kneeland (WMU) 9.87
4. Darius Robinson (Missouri): 9.64
5. Logan Lee (Iowa): 9.33
6. Gabe Hall (Baylor): 9.12
7. Byron Murphy (Texas): 9.03

Kneeland is an EDGE. He's good though

Logan Lee is overaged, too. I think you could make it work with any of the rest.

RAS scores are just for some crap. I think they make sense for LBS and maybe DL. I do remember seeing Puka's RAS was really really low.

[bradshaw2ben]

Top DT RAS scores
1. Braden Fiske (FSU): 9.97
2. Ruke Orhorhoro (Clemson): 9.90
3. Marshawn Kneeland (WMU) 9.87
4. Darius Robinson (Missouri): 9.64
5. Logan Lee (Iowa): 9.33
6. Gabe Hall (Baylor): 9.12
7. Byron Murphy (Texas): 9.03

Kneeland is an EDGE. He's good though

Logan Lee is overaged, too. I think you could make it work with any of the rest.

RAS scores are just for some crap. I think they make sense for LBS and maybe DL. I do remember seeing Puka's RAS was really really low.

I’ve been engaged with years of conversation with the guy who does RAS. There are several things he could do to make it more useful. For one, he doesn’t take players’ size into account when determining how athletic their movement skills are or their explosion scores are. So an edge who weighs 290 pounds and does a 35 inch vertical jump gets the same vertical jump score as an edge who weighs 240. Also it’s too broad. Specific movements and tests are better indicators for each position. It’s not necessary to run a fast 40 when you’re a defensive tackle but your ability to generate power and your short area quickness can matter a ton. RAS glosses over all that kind of stuff and so even for me, someone who is very into testing analytics, It’s only marginally useful. Which is a shame, because it’s really caught on with the general public.

[jebrick]

Braden Fiske with a visit to the Steelers

[steelmann58]

You gotta feel they add one

[steelmann58]

Yes don’t think as early as some might think. Maybe a small School prospect

[jebrick]

Sweat picked up on DWI Saturday night in Austin. How far does he fall? Day 3 ( which is where I had him in any case)?

[cop1211]

I’d snatch him in a heartbeat if he’s there in the 3rd for the Steelers.

[jebrick]

I’d snatch him in a heartbeat if he’s there in the 3rd for the Steelers.

I just think day 3 for the sole reason of 2 down players should not be drafted in the 1st 2 days. He is in a low value position ( for the NFL) and his motor has always been an issue. I would not like him even at pick 98 just because you could get a 3 down starter and other decent fat bodies like Evan Anderson or Justin Rogers later. Both do well eating blocks and handling doubles.

[bradshaw2ben]

I’d snatch him in a heartbeat if he’s there in the 3rd for the Steelers.

I just think day 3 for the sole reason of 2 down players should not be drafted in the 1st 2 days. He is in a low value position ( for the NFL) and his motor has always been an issue. I would not like him even at pick 98 just because you could get a 3 down starter and other decent fat bodies like Evan Anderson or Justin Rogers later. Both do well eating blocks and handling doubles.

I think Sweat is better than z 2-down player. He's got more juice than you average NT.

That said, with all the nickel defense played, I'm not even sure I know if PIT needs 5-techs, 1-techs, or 3-techs.

If it were my defense, I'd be loading up on 1s and 3s and moving away from 5-techs. Just find 1s and 3s who can generate pass rush and adequately hold the point as a 5 tech if need be. IOW, more like Cam Heyward and less like Armon Watts. As well as Watts played, he's become a bit of a dinosaur. His type are now role players and not valued as highly with draft capital or FA signings.

Now big dudes who can disrupt the interior? Valuable. Extra big/long guys who can do that are the new superstar class... even more important than EDGE rushers.

So, who are the 1s and 3s who are athletic enough can generate disruption and pass rush? (the number before their name is their consensus ranking):

20 JerZhan Newton
24 Byron Murphy II
Cream of the crop, game-wreckers.

62 Michael Hall Jr.
51 Kris Jenkins
53 Braden Fiske
Each offers different layers of disruption. Fiske has short arms and is overaged (2 years older than Jenkins & 3.5 years older than Michael Hall!) Fiske's production was boss but I think Jenkins my have a solid an longer career. Michael Hall I think is going to be the best of this trio in the NFL if he comes together but also has the most chance of fizzling.


67 Ruke Orhorhoro
77 Brandon Dorlus
84 Maason Smith
Mixed bag. Dorlus is pretty much a stunt rusher who can bring it from all along the line but not sure he's the guy you want in there vs Cleveland runnign the ball. Ruke would be my top 5-tech but is probably too high cut to be a 1 or 3 tech in the NFL. Great athlete, though. Maason Smith evokes Stephon Tuitt in a good way, but I think offers more pass rushing upside while also being a guy who can wreck your interior run game. He had a great 2022 and virtuatlly disappeared with injury and other nonsense in 2023... but is still young and a freak athlete for the position. I'd say he has the best chance of anyone in this class to be Chris Jones like someday. Or flipping burgers in 5 years.

108 Mekhi Wingo
98 DeWayne Carter
Solid choices who win as 3-techs with quickness. If you want to stop the run on the way to the QB with penetration, these guys may never be Aaron Donald, but they'll be solid pros.

145 Gabe Hall
277 Jaden Crumedy
Longer 5-tech types but who have a mix of quicks and strength that makes them plus pass rushers. Not opposed to either as value picks


416 Norell Pollard
477 Mario Kendricks
433 Pheldarius Payne
These three Virginia Tech DTs are like clones. They represent an archetype I think is going to swarm the NFL. The "shade under 300lb wave DTs". I would personally stockpile all three Va Tech guys and just keep a fresh one on the field on every nickel down. They are impossible to out-leverage because they're so quick and so high-motor. They represent the perfect nickel pass rushers and 1-gap run defenders in the modern NFL.


481 Casey Rogers
354 Jonah Laulu
Jeffrey Griffin Jr.
Older, experienced hands who produce, make smart plays, offer some pass rush. If you get one as UDFA, they'll have a good shot to make the team.

[cop1211]

You forgot Kristian Boyd.