My Short List
Ahh...Defensive Tackles.
I love all of FootBall...and all FootBall players...
But D Tackles lie closest to my heart.
These are the Grizzlies ~ on occasion: The Super Grizzlies!! ~ that forge Championships...and are then forgotten...
...Except by those of us who truly Love This Game.
As with O Line Grizzlies ~ who own an equally resplendent place in my Heart ~ it's all about Core Strength and Core Power, Fluidity, Launch Velocity and Explosion...when I'm evaluating D Grizzlies.
Michael Brockers ~ 6.6/322 ~ 1st ~ 1st
SuperBeast!! Michael Brockers is a little raw and will probably need time to develop, but he brings a disruptive fusion of Core Strength, Core Power, and Launch Velocity to this Great Game.
This is a rare Force who should become equally devastating against the Run and against the Pass.
Most impressive, though, are his already well-refined Diagnostic Acuity and Processing Speed. Watching him on Tape, it's clear that he's watched plenty Tape, himself, and is a truly dedicated Student of the Game.
Build your Defense around this guy.
A Steal, despite the lofty Price Tag!!
Alameda Taamu ~ 6.3/348 ~ 3rd ~ 1st
Beast!! Alameda Taamu is a gargantuan MASS...yet he boasts very little excess weight, having vanquished previous weight problems.
That isn't fat.
That's Core Strength.
And he commands surprising Agility.
What I love most, though, is his Work Ethic.
I believe that Alameda Taamu has the potential to be the mauling, Run-Stuffing, Middle-Clogging, Lynch Pin of a Defense ~ probably as a "34" Nose Tackle ~ for at least the next decade...and that he will be.
Steal!!
Akiem Hicks ~ 6.5/318 ~ 5th ~ 2nd-3rd
Starter!! More Like: Potential Beast with a Low Floor!!
Akiem Hicks commands my Trifecta: Impressive Core Strength, Explosive Burst, and superior Fluidity.
The Long Arms are a pretty sweet bonus, too.
Raw?? Oh, HELL, yeah.
He needs a lot of work.
But so are Michael Brockers and Dontari Poe, who are ~ quite aptly ~ looking at 1st Round Market Value.
Hicks has a dubious resume and needs to answer some questions, otherwise I'd put a 1st Rounder stamp on'm.
Even as it is, he represents one hell of a sweet roll of the dice on Day 3!!
Super Sleeper!!
Josh Chapman ~ 6.1/316 ~ 4th-5th ~ 2nd-3rd
Starter!! Josh Chapman commands neither Fluidity nor Lateral Agility to any great degree, but this guy brings outstanding Core Strength, Long Arms, and astonishing Tenacity to the table!!
He played half his Senior seasons with a torn ACL.
That is unheard of.
That injury, the resulting surgery, and the fact that his long term health is going to be in question when the Draft comes has caved his Stock in, of course.
But I see that as an overwhelming Opportunity.
This kid has the heart of a LION...And when I consider his Heart, his Passion, and his Tenacity, combined with his brutal Core Strength, it's crystal clear to me that he's one of the best bets you can make, this year.
He will not dazzle you, by any means, but this is the kind of guy who will consume Blocks at the very heart of the Battle, and do so, I believe, for a very long time.
Josh Chapman looks like a starting caliber Nose Tackle at the next level, and a damned good one.
Steal!!
Mike Daniels ~ 6.0/291 ~ 7th ~ 4th-5th
Super Role Player!! Mike Daniels is about the size of a Gnat, and has no business manning the interior of a Defensive Line at the Professional level.
But it says here that this guy is, nevertheless, gonna carve out a long, remarkable career for'mself.
Mike Daniels simply lacks the size to hold up in the Run Game at the next level, let's be clear about that.
But he brings a truly astounding fusion of (relative) Core Strength, explosive Burst off the Snap, astonishing Fluidity, frightening Lateral Agility, and relentless Tenacity to the table!!
As a Passing Down Sub Rushing Under Tackle, he could and should be a FORCE.
Obviously, I love this kid, and while his role must of course be limited at the next level ~ though I get the sneaky suspicion he'll end up getting a lot more snaps than even his most ardent fans would expect!! ~ his potential Excellence at his Work, in my view, warrants a substantially earlier pick than might be expected under most circumstances!!
Steal!!
Jaye Howard ~ 6.3/301 ~ 7th ~ 4th
Potential Starter!! Jaye Howard exhibits outstanding Core Power on the Attack, but needs to work on his Core Strength in Defense. His Burst is impressively explosive, and his Dexterity is also remarkable.
He could be a real Force in Pass Defense, but needs a lot of work on his Core Strength to become effective in Run Defense. At worst, a tremendous Sub Pack weapon. At best, a very good Starter.
Sleeper!!
Chigbo Anunoby ~ 6.4/328 ~ UFA ~ 3rd-4th
Potential Starter!! Chigbo Anunoby commands utterly brutal Core Strength, surprisingly decent Fluidity, and absolutely startling Processing Speed for a Prospect coming from a small school.
Anunoby is merely one of the many gems unearthed by Wes Bunting of National FootBall Post.
He is very raw, of course, and is much better against the Run than the Pass, but there's no question that he commands remarkable upside.
Sleeper!!
Notes
1 ~ GOD, I love Defensive Tackles.
2 ~ It's a funny position, because categorizing these guys is a dubious endeavor. Hell...Mel Ingram was a D Tackle this year, and now he's a freaking FLANKER, without playing a Snap!!
3 ~ I may get more aggressive ~ or complicated, or both ~ in categorizing these guys, next year...For now: suffice to say that several of these so called "Tackles" project more effectively ~ in my opinion ~ as "34" Ends in the Patriots unique design...And then some project as Nose Tackles, some project as Under Tackles ~ or even as Over Tackles. Haw ~ and some as Hybrids...
4 ~
My Holy Grail is the Interior Pass Rush Threat.
QuarterBacks have been getting Edge Heat since they were SIX.
They're USED to that.
It's the Monsters who actually command the
rare fusion of Burst, Fluidity, and Core Power to consistently threaten the seam ~ while NOT being so Core Strength deficient that they bear a "Run HERE" sign stamped on their foreheads!! ~ that make DREAMS ~ and NIGHTMARES!! ~ come true!!
5 ~ In the Real World ~ while eternally keeping an eye out for that Holy Grail!! ~ I'll settle for trolling for Sub Pack Specialists...As such, I am
extremely excited about the Patriots having snatched up
Jon Fanene as a true Tackle/End Hybrid who is explosive against the Run AND an explosive Pass Rusher!! His Impact on a well coordinated, well leveraged Hybrid Defense such as ours could be IMMENSE.
6 ~ Likewise, I am not QUITE ready to yank the Flush Handle on
Myron Pryor, who has flashed
tremendous Interior Rush Capacity during the FULL minute and an half that he's been available, ere the last 3 years...
7 ~ And THOSE considerations are of course what put
Mike Daniels and
Jaye Howard on my Radar.
8 ~ I am scared to DEATH of the WorkLoad that
Vince Wilfork has suddenly taken on, the last two years, and I am DESPERATE to drastically reduce it, before we lose two YEARS ~ one lost, and one in recovery ~ to a cataclysmic injury!! As such, I want Kyle Love rotating in there regularly, at the very least. We are playing with FIRE, Gentlemen, and I'm afraid we're about to PAY.
9 ~
Michael Brockers is a Super Binky. My original plan ~ and possibly: my Final Plan ~ has always been to Trade Back, per usual, with #27...But now that his Market Value has ~ amazingly ~ drifted into range, I am FULLY prepared to go ALL IN and Trade UP for this potential SUPER BEAST!!
10 ~
Akiem Hicks is RIGHT UP THERE with Brockers and Poe for upside...
and he's Day 3!! SOLD!!
11 ~
Chigbo Anonuby is a UFA Prospect??? WHAT??? Remember that expression "It is, after all, quite possible to have TOO many Athletic, Run Crushing, Double Team Consuming, MENACING SuperBeasts"??? Neither do
I!!!
12 ~
Alameda Taamu, Josh Chapman, and
Damon Harrison ~ 10000 unit limit!! ~ are 3 Nose Tackles that greatly interest me!!
13 ~ And I've moved
Dominique Hamilton ~ 10000 unit limit!! ~ to Defensive End!!