Wilfork#75
In the Starting Line-Up
- Joined
- Sep 27, 2010
- Messages
- 2,348
- Reaction score
- 859
Picks
1 (5) from Dallas - DE/OLB- Da’Quan Bowers- Clemson Tigers- JR
Height- 6’4” Weight- 270lbs Projected 40 Time- 4.64
2010 Statistics
Games: 13 (38), Total Tackles: 66 (149), Sacks: 15.5 (19.5), TFL: 25 (43.5), QB Hurries: 11 (27), Forced Fumbles: 2 (2), Int: 1, Passes Broken Up: 1 (4), Blocked Kicks/Punts: 0 (1)
Awards
2010 Bronko Nagurski Award Winner, 2010 Ted Hendricks Award Winner, 2010 First Team All American, 2010 All ACC First Team
My Take
Da’Quan has been ‘my guy’ since the start the season and I have no reason to jump off the bandwagon now. I believe that Da’Quan Bowers is the perfect fit for the Pats in the Willie McGinest elephant role, where he can make use of his size, strength, athleticism, technique and immense talent to make a huge impact. I believe he has all the skill required to excel in this role and would offer an incredible amount of versatility and flexibility to the Pats defence. Bowers has put up some huge sack numbers this season for Clemson and he can obviously get to the passer, but the key to his game and his fit to the Pats system is his ability to set the edge and play with great two-gap technique against the run.
There are some question marks about his athleticism and ability to effectively drop into coverage, however, with his incredible versatility BB can use him in so many ways that he wouldn’t be required to drop into coverage very often. And like Willie, if he is asked to drop into coverage it will only be in shallow zones where he has the length and athleticism to succeed. Bowers also gives the extra benefit of being able to play as situational pass rusher at the 5-tech and 3-tech. I know a lot of people want an athletic DE that can get to the QB on passing downs, and with Bowers size and strength he can provide that. With his talent and versatility I don’t believe there is a single player in this draft that would have as big an impact on the Patriots as Da’Quan Bowers.
Bowers makes all of the other players on defence around him better. Obviously with his pass rush abilities he reduces the time that QB’s have to throw, as well as scares QB’s into bad decisions and poor throws. This will make the DB’s jobs much easier, and make them more effective playmakers. While Bowers is a playmaker himself, he is also a facilitator for his teammates. His ability to take on blocks make his ILB’s much more effective and free to make plays. And we all know that Cunningham leads the league in ‘near sacks’, but with Bowers on the other side he would be much more likely to make those plays. Finally, his ability to strongly set the edge would make our DL much more effective. Many people on this board believe that if BB could play 3 NT’s along the DL he would. Unfortunately with this kind of system, and the big guys we have along the DL, we are susceptible to runs to the outside because our OLB’s aren’t great at setting the edge. With Bowers ability to strongly set the edge he reduces the space our DL needs to play in and makes them much more effective. This reduces the need to have more athletic DE’s because they are responsible for much less space.
Back Up plan:
- DE/OLB – R. Quinn- UNC
- CB- P. Peterson- LSU
- Trade Down
Video
YouTube - Da'Quan Bowers vs. Florida State (2010)
Scouting Report
Sideline Scouting - Da'Quan Bowers Scouting Report
1 (13) from Det via Oak - WR- Julio Jones- Alabama Crimson Tide- JR
Height- 6’4” Weight- 211lbs Projected 40 Time- 4.48
2010 Stats (Career)
Games: 12 (39), TD’s: 7 (15), Receptions: 75 (176), Rec Yards: 1,084(2,604), Avg: 14.5 (14.79)
My Take
I know a lot people won’t like this pick because WR isn’t a huge need at the moment and they would rather go DE. However, Julio Jones is a player that I see as just too good to pass up. While it is true that the Pats currently don’t have a huge need at WR, in the near future they may. While Branch was great this season and added a spark to the offence, he is getting older and has an injury history so I don’t know how long we can continue to rely on him. Tate has been pretty disappointing to me this season as a WR and I don’t have a lot of confidence in him going forward as a reliable wideout. Although he is still young and has some talent so I hope he proves me wrong. Taylor Price was pretty impressive against the Phins but he has still only played 1 game and is a complete unknown. So I believe that in the near future the Pats could be in need of a WR and I think this is the perfect time to grab one and ease them into the system without the pressure of needing to perform from day 1.
I believe if the Pats are on the clock with Julio Jones available they have to take him. It is not very often that they are in a position to take an elite WR prospect in the draft that wouldn’t compromise the system. There are very few if any big time wideouts that would fit with the current offensive scheme and perform. I believe Julio is the perfect complement to this system and would make this offence almost unstoppable. The only thing I believe this offence is lacking is a big target at WR that can go over the middle. Welker and Edelman are great underneath, Branch likes to work to the sidelines and Tate has deep speed but we don’t have any big targets that go over the middle. Currently we only have Gronk and Hernandez that go over the middle and they are very good at it, but a big target like Jones that can go over the middle could give this offence a dimension it’s lacking.
I think if you were to create a perfect WR for the Patriots you would come up with something very similar to Julio Jones. He is a hugely athletic and talented WR that can make all the plays. I think he is the type of player that makes the entire offence better. He is so big and athletic that DB’s can’t cover him one on one, and this extra attention could free up space for guys like Welker. I think the addition of Jones could make both Hernandez and Gronk unstoppable with the match-up problems the Pats could create. Jones is also as good a blocker as you will see at WR. He is a perfect compliment for Welker and Woodhead and would be amazing in both the screen game and the general running game. I don’t think there is a single offensive player in this draft that would have a bigger impact than Julio Jones. Perhaps the thing I like most about Jones is he is just a good kid. He is one of the very rare big time WR that is not a Diva, and is a great team player. Coming from Alabama he is use to sharing the ball with his teammates so I don’t think he would have a problem fitting on an offence with so many weapons. He is just a good football player, a good kid, and too good an opportunity to pass up.
Finally, looking at the WR’s on the roster we just don’t have a guy that Brady can just throw it up to and trust to come down with the ball in a contest. At 6-4, 211lbs, Jones offers that ability.
Pats WR’s 2010
- Branch 5-9, 195
- Edelman 5-10, 198
- Price 6-0, 205
- Tate 6-1, 195
- Welker 5-9, 185
Back Up Plan:
- RB- M. Ingram- Alabama
- Trade Down
Scouting Report
Sideline Scouting - Julio Jones Scouting Report
Video
YouTube - Julio Jones Highlights 2009
2 (5) - CB- Aaron Williams- Texas Longhorns- JR
Height- 6’1” Weight- 195lbs Projected 40 Time-4.48
2010 Stats (Career)
Games: 11 (37), Total Tackles: 45 (105), Sacks: 1 (3), TFL: 5 (12.5) Int: 0 (4), Passes Broken Up: 8 (19), Forced Fumbles: 2 (5), Blocked Kicks/Punts: 1 (5)
My Take
Aaron Williams is a guy I really like coming out of Texas and I think he would be a great fit for the Pats. He is a very talented corner that has the size, athleticism and skills to potentially develop into a no.1 CB in the future. However, what I like about Williams is his versatility. He has great size and athleticism that would make him a great fit for a hybrid CB/FS role on the Pats. He is a very confident player with great anticipation and recognition skills. He has the speed and athleticism to run with receivers, and maintains a strong position. He is above average in man coverage and has the speed to recover if caught out of position. He possesses good ball skills and is aggressive attacking the ball in the air. He is also very willing and active in run support and does a good job of wrapping up in the tackle. He needs to improve his consistency in his angles but it’s nothing that good coaching can’t fix.
Coming from a very talented Texas secondary he has a lot of experience in the nickel, covering the slot receiver, which I think would be huge for the Pats, allowing them a great amount of flexibility. And like McCourty last year Williams offers a huge amount of special team’s value, having blocked 5 kicks in his career at Texas. Williams is also a very high character kid who comes from a good pedigree, is very active in community service and even coaches a little league team, so character won’t be a concern.
Back Up Plan:
- CB- R. Dowling- Virginia
- CB- J. Smith- Colorado
- DT/DE- M. Wilkerson- Temple
Scouting Report- Sideline Scouting
Sideline Scouting - Aaron Williams Scouting Report
Video
YouTube - Aaron Williams vs. Nebraska ('09)
1 (5) from Dallas - DE/OLB- Da’Quan Bowers- Clemson Tigers- JR
Height- 6’4” Weight- 270lbs Projected 40 Time- 4.64
2010 Statistics
Games: 13 (38), Total Tackles: 66 (149), Sacks: 15.5 (19.5), TFL: 25 (43.5), QB Hurries: 11 (27), Forced Fumbles: 2 (2), Int: 1, Passes Broken Up: 1 (4), Blocked Kicks/Punts: 0 (1)
Awards
2010 Bronko Nagurski Award Winner, 2010 Ted Hendricks Award Winner, 2010 First Team All American, 2010 All ACC First Team
My Take
Da’Quan has been ‘my guy’ since the start the season and I have no reason to jump off the bandwagon now. I believe that Da’Quan Bowers is the perfect fit for the Pats in the Willie McGinest elephant role, where he can make use of his size, strength, athleticism, technique and immense talent to make a huge impact. I believe he has all the skill required to excel in this role and would offer an incredible amount of versatility and flexibility to the Pats defence. Bowers has put up some huge sack numbers this season for Clemson and he can obviously get to the passer, but the key to his game and his fit to the Pats system is his ability to set the edge and play with great two-gap technique against the run.
There are some question marks about his athleticism and ability to effectively drop into coverage, however, with his incredible versatility BB can use him in so many ways that he wouldn’t be required to drop into coverage very often. And like Willie, if he is asked to drop into coverage it will only be in shallow zones where he has the length and athleticism to succeed. Bowers also gives the extra benefit of being able to play as situational pass rusher at the 5-tech and 3-tech. I know a lot of people want an athletic DE that can get to the QB on passing downs, and with Bowers size and strength he can provide that. With his talent and versatility I don’t believe there is a single player in this draft that would have as big an impact on the Patriots as Da’Quan Bowers.
Bowers makes all of the other players on defence around him better. Obviously with his pass rush abilities he reduces the time that QB’s have to throw, as well as scares QB’s into bad decisions and poor throws. This will make the DB’s jobs much easier, and make them more effective playmakers. While Bowers is a playmaker himself, he is also a facilitator for his teammates. His ability to take on blocks make his ILB’s much more effective and free to make plays. And we all know that Cunningham leads the league in ‘near sacks’, but with Bowers on the other side he would be much more likely to make those plays. Finally, his ability to strongly set the edge would make our DL much more effective. Many people on this board believe that if BB could play 3 NT’s along the DL he would. Unfortunately with this kind of system, and the big guys we have along the DL, we are susceptible to runs to the outside because our OLB’s aren’t great at setting the edge. With Bowers ability to strongly set the edge he reduces the space our DL needs to play in and makes them much more effective. This reduces the need to have more athletic DE’s because they are responsible for much less space.
Back Up plan:
- DE/OLB – R. Quinn- UNC
- CB- P. Peterson- LSU
- Trade Down
Video
YouTube - Da'Quan Bowers vs. Florida State (2010)
Scouting Report
Sideline Scouting - Da'Quan Bowers Scouting Report
1 (13) from Det via Oak - WR- Julio Jones- Alabama Crimson Tide- JR
Height- 6’4” Weight- 211lbs Projected 40 Time- 4.48
2010 Stats (Career)
Games: 12 (39), TD’s: 7 (15), Receptions: 75 (176), Rec Yards: 1,084(2,604), Avg: 14.5 (14.79)
My Take
I know a lot people won’t like this pick because WR isn’t a huge need at the moment and they would rather go DE. However, Julio Jones is a player that I see as just too good to pass up. While it is true that the Pats currently don’t have a huge need at WR, in the near future they may. While Branch was great this season and added a spark to the offence, he is getting older and has an injury history so I don’t know how long we can continue to rely on him. Tate has been pretty disappointing to me this season as a WR and I don’t have a lot of confidence in him going forward as a reliable wideout. Although he is still young and has some talent so I hope he proves me wrong. Taylor Price was pretty impressive against the Phins but he has still only played 1 game and is a complete unknown. So I believe that in the near future the Pats could be in need of a WR and I think this is the perfect time to grab one and ease them into the system without the pressure of needing to perform from day 1.
I believe if the Pats are on the clock with Julio Jones available they have to take him. It is not very often that they are in a position to take an elite WR prospect in the draft that wouldn’t compromise the system. There are very few if any big time wideouts that would fit with the current offensive scheme and perform. I believe Julio is the perfect complement to this system and would make this offence almost unstoppable. The only thing I believe this offence is lacking is a big target at WR that can go over the middle. Welker and Edelman are great underneath, Branch likes to work to the sidelines and Tate has deep speed but we don’t have any big targets that go over the middle. Currently we only have Gronk and Hernandez that go over the middle and they are very good at it, but a big target like Jones that can go over the middle could give this offence a dimension it’s lacking.
I think if you were to create a perfect WR for the Patriots you would come up with something very similar to Julio Jones. He is a hugely athletic and talented WR that can make all the plays. I think he is the type of player that makes the entire offence better. He is so big and athletic that DB’s can’t cover him one on one, and this extra attention could free up space for guys like Welker. I think the addition of Jones could make both Hernandez and Gronk unstoppable with the match-up problems the Pats could create. Jones is also as good a blocker as you will see at WR. He is a perfect compliment for Welker and Woodhead and would be amazing in both the screen game and the general running game. I don’t think there is a single offensive player in this draft that would have a bigger impact than Julio Jones. Perhaps the thing I like most about Jones is he is just a good kid. He is one of the very rare big time WR that is not a Diva, and is a great team player. Coming from Alabama he is use to sharing the ball with his teammates so I don’t think he would have a problem fitting on an offence with so many weapons. He is just a good football player, a good kid, and too good an opportunity to pass up.
Finally, looking at the WR’s on the roster we just don’t have a guy that Brady can just throw it up to and trust to come down with the ball in a contest. At 6-4, 211lbs, Jones offers that ability.
Pats WR’s 2010
- Branch 5-9, 195
- Edelman 5-10, 198
- Price 6-0, 205
- Tate 6-1, 195
- Welker 5-9, 185
Back Up Plan:
- RB- M. Ingram- Alabama
- Trade Down
Scouting Report
Sideline Scouting - Julio Jones Scouting Report
Video
YouTube - Julio Jones Highlights 2009
2 (5) - CB- Aaron Williams- Texas Longhorns- JR
Height- 6’1” Weight- 195lbs Projected 40 Time-4.48
2010 Stats (Career)
Games: 11 (37), Total Tackles: 45 (105), Sacks: 1 (3), TFL: 5 (12.5) Int: 0 (4), Passes Broken Up: 8 (19), Forced Fumbles: 2 (5), Blocked Kicks/Punts: 1 (5)
My Take
Aaron Williams is a guy I really like coming out of Texas and I think he would be a great fit for the Pats. He is a very talented corner that has the size, athleticism and skills to potentially develop into a no.1 CB in the future. However, what I like about Williams is his versatility. He has great size and athleticism that would make him a great fit for a hybrid CB/FS role on the Pats. He is a very confident player with great anticipation and recognition skills. He has the speed and athleticism to run with receivers, and maintains a strong position. He is above average in man coverage and has the speed to recover if caught out of position. He possesses good ball skills and is aggressive attacking the ball in the air. He is also very willing and active in run support and does a good job of wrapping up in the tackle. He needs to improve his consistency in his angles but it’s nothing that good coaching can’t fix.
Coming from a very talented Texas secondary he has a lot of experience in the nickel, covering the slot receiver, which I think would be huge for the Pats, allowing them a great amount of flexibility. And like McCourty last year Williams offers a huge amount of special team’s value, having blocked 5 kicks in his career at Texas. Williams is also a very high character kid who comes from a good pedigree, is very active in community service and even coaches a little league team, so character won’t be a concern.
Back Up Plan:
- CB- R. Dowling- Virginia
- CB- J. Smith- Colorado
- DT/DE- M. Wilkerson- Temple
Scouting Report- Sideline Scouting
Sideline Scouting - Aaron Williams Scouting Report
Video
YouTube - Aaron Williams vs. Nebraska ('09)
