'Bama LB McLain could be the Bills pick

[bkc]

After reading all that Saban stuff, I'll go with this draft:

(I'm assuming all LT's we like are taken, Bradford and Clausen are taken)

 

1-Brandon Graham OLB34 Michigan---no one is better at the outside blitz--better player for 3-4 than McClain here

2-Rodger Saffold OT Indiana---the only guy he had trouble with this year was our #1 pick!

3-Cam Thomas DT34 North Carolina---Gum up the middle. Nose is important

4-Mike Neal DE34 Purdue---brute strength and quick first step, great in Shrine game

5-Pat Angerer ILB Iowa---led team in tackles, 2nd in Big10 in INT's

6-Derek Hardman OT Eastern Kentucky---46 consecutive starts at tackle (RT then LT)

6-Blair White WRF Michigan State----best in the business of sideline catches

7-Nate Byham TE Pittsburgh----all-Big East tight end last season - one scouting service had him #1TE

7-Chris Marinelli OT Stanford----his line led the Pac-10 in fewest sacks allowed, has experience at OG too

I think saffold in the second round is a better play then reaching for the second level tackles at 9

I also like cody in round 2 .

[Astrobot]

I think saffold in the second round is a better play then reaching for the second level tackles at 9

I also like cody in round 2 .

 

Agree I think Saffold is the real deal where I dunno about Davis/Williams. I like Brown, though.

I just saw a draft that had us taking Trent Williams, then Cody, then Jermaine Cunningham.

[aristocrat]

i agree not many , but patrick willis and brian urlacher come to mind,and i know there are more.

 

arrington, urlacher, suggs, sims, hawk, mayo, rivers, curry...

[sharper802]

I keep hearing that Levitre cannot play LT, because he has the short arms and doesn't have the ideal "range" if you will to be an NFL LT. That being said, I will tell you to a man, that Levitre looked far more effective this past season when he was at LT than when he was a guard. At guard, I recall many a time when he was pushed into the backfield and planted squarely on his rump roast. But, when he was at LT, he seemed to lock it down for the most part.

Hope you aren't right because he can't play LT long term and according to you he can't play LG. I don't think he was as good as Wood but he held his own most of the time. Do you think having a revolving door next to him at LT could have hurt his development?

[oak tree 12]

Awesome! Get an ILB that doesn't rush the passer, gets washed out of plays a the college level and is a horrible arm tackler with the 9th pick!!! Just the thing Donahoe or Levy would do.

 

saban called him one of the best smartest players he has ever coached but i guess you know more!

[oak tree 12]

Though I think OT should be our top priority, I wouldn't be terribly upset if McClain and Cody were our first two picks..

 

 

give me a break there is no way in hell cody will be a top 10 pick and probably not a first rounder. maybe a late second rounder or early thirs rounder!

[DanInSouthBuffalo]

I'd draft Sergio Kindle instead. I think OLB is more of a problem since Maybin, Kelsay, and/or Schobel are slotted to play there.

[RyanC882]

After reading all that Saban stuff, I'll go with this draft:

(I'm assuming all LT's we like are taken, Bradford and Clausen are taken)

 

1-Brandon Graham OLB34 Michigan---no one is better at the outside blitz--better player for 3-4 than McClain here

2-Rodger Saffold OT Indiana---the only guy he had trouble with this year was our #1 pick!

3-Cam Thomas DT34 North Carolina---Gum up the middle. Nose is important

4-Mike Neal DE34 Purdue---brute strength and quick first step, great in Shrine game

5-Pat Angerer ILB Iowa---led team in tackles, 2nd in Big10 in INT's

6-Derek Hardman OT Eastern Kentucky---46 consecutive starts at tackle (RT then LT)

6-Blair White WRF Michigan State----best in the business of sideline catches

7-Nate Byham TE Pittsburgh----all-Big East tight end last season - one scouting service had him #1TE

7-Chris Marinelli OT Stanford----his line led the Pac-10 in fewest sacks allowed, has experience at OG too

 

I like that draft. Would instantly imporve the D, great value picks in the later rounds (if those players are available, which I think is a big "if" for many of them) and helps out the O line.

[alg]

Awesome! Get an ILB that doesn't rush the passer, gets washed out of plays a the college level and is a horrible arm tackler with the 9th pick!!! Just the thing Donahoe or Levy would do.

 

Agreed. And now has been diagnosed with a serious decease.

[jeffhcb1]

Way to go Drayton. Let's tell everyone what we are doing.

 

PTR

 

Are you kidding? Do you seriously think anyone cares what the bills are trying to do? LOL. What a joke.

[jangalang]

After reading all that Saban stuff, I'll go with this draft:

(I'm assuming all LT's we like are taken, Bradford and Clausen are taken)

 

1-Brandon Graham OLB34 Michigan---no one is better at the outside blitz--better player for 3-4 than McClain here

2-Rodger Saffold OT Indiana---the only guy he had trouble with this year was our #1 pick!

3-Cam Thomas DT34 North Carolina---Gum up the middle. Nose is important

4-Mike Neal DE34 Purdue---brute strength and quick first step, great in Shrine game

5-Pat Angerer ILB Iowa---led team in tackles, 2nd in Big10 in INT's

6-Derek Hardman OT Eastern Kentucky---46 consecutive starts at tackle (RT then LT)

6-Blair White WRF Michigan State----best in the business of sideline catches

7-Nate Byham TE Pittsburgh----all-Big East tight end last season - one scouting service had him #1TE

7-Chris Marinelli OT Stanford----his line led the Pac-10 in fewest sacks allowed, has experience at OG too

 

Too many guys from the Big Tenleven in the front of that draft for us. I would like that Angerer pick though.

[SuperKillerRobots]

I was thinking about the draft on the way home today. A couple of facts came to mind and I had an ah ha moment.

 

1. Levitre was a right and left tackle at OSU and played the last year and a half there. He is our Left tackle.

2. Suh or Cody won't be there at 9 as NT becomes our new #1 priority. So either we trade up or we bypass it thins season making the LB corps better behind that spot.

3. As far as QB goes, I suspect that Clausen and Bradford will both be gone. So that means we either trade for one or what we've got is what we've got and maybe pick a project later on.

4. Which leads me back to point #2, and unless we get a lot better at LB, the guys we have aren't going to cut it and someone like Mcclain will be our pick.

5. I suspect with Levitre going outside, guard drafting in 2nd or 3rd will happen.

 

There's no way Levitre plays tackle for us. Not a chance.

[SuperKillerRobots]

If he recovers, they have the chance to have Wood as a fixture at Center. Why they chose to lift their leg on that is still a curiosity to me.

 

We can only hope Gailey has more sense than the last group of jokers.

[Dr. Fong]

Just the thing Donahoe or Levy would do.

 

Only if he was a 220 lbs converted safety and had high character.

[SuperKillerRobots]

After reading all that Saban stuff, I'll go with this draft:

(I'm assuming all LT's we like are taken, Bradford and Clausen are taken)

 

1-Brandon Graham OLB34 Michigan---no one is better at the outside blitz--better player for 3-4 than McClain here

2-Rodger Saffold OT Indiana---the only guy he had trouble with this year was our #1 pick!

3-Cam Thomas DT34 North Carolina---Gum up the middle. Nose is important

4-Mike Neal DE34 Purdue---brute strength and quick first step, great in Shrine game

5-Pat Angerer ILB Iowa---led team in tackles, 2nd in Big10 in INT's

6-Derek Hardman OT Eastern Kentucky---46 consecutive starts at tackle (RT then LT)

6-Blair White WRF Michigan State----best in the business of sideline catches

7-Nate Byham TE Pittsburgh----all-Big East tight end last season - one scouting service had him #1TE

7-Chris Marinelli OT Stanford----his line led the Pac-10 in fewest sacks allowed, has experience at OG too

 

I would be happy with this draft. I think there is a bigger probability that we take an OLB in the first two rounds than people think.

[manbeast]

Yep, there are a lot of 6'2" left tackles starting in the NFL, Andy should have no problem sliding over...

Its not his height it is his wing span. If he is quick enough he can compensate for it.

[OldTimer1960]

That's what got me thinking about our setup. 3 year starter at tackle in college. Looked okay at LT, with a whole off season to practice/learn. ....

 

It isn't just about "practice and learning", a player also has to have enough size and athletic ability to play

a position. By that logic, Demetrius Bell and Jamon Meredith should also be fine at LT because they too have

all offseason to practice and learn.

 

Now, maybe Levitre is an exception and he can overcome his relative lack of height and shorter arms to be

a good NFL LT. I don't know that. But, I do know that most or all of the starting LTs in the NFL are taller and

have longer arms than he does.

[/dev/null]

Awesome! Get an ILB that doesn't rush the passer, gets washed out of plays a the college level and is a horrible arm tackler with the 9th pick!!! Just the thing Donahoe or Levy would do.

 

They would trade up for that kind of player

[thebandit27]

You guys cannot be serious, right? McClain is the best ILB in this draft. No question. He's 6'4", 260lbs and lowers the boom every chance he gets. He had 105 tackles, 4 sacks, 1 FF, and 3 INT's, not to mention he was the defensive captain that made all of the calls and adjustments on the field. He was the unquestioned leader of on of the best defenses in the nation. He also put in more hours than most studying game film and working to get better. If the top 2 OT's are gone I'd take him in a heartbeat.

 

I disagree.

 

Yes, McClain looked very good in Alabama's defense--and while I do think he'll be a good pro, I'm not excited about drafting him at 9th overall. I happen to believe that there are several other LBs that will be equally (if not moreso) effective at ILB in a 3-4 in the NFL, and that several of them will be available later in the draft.

 

Guys like Washington's Donald Butler (my #1 ILB in the draft) and TCU's Daryl Washington are both ideal candidates to play 3-4 ILB--and while they were just as productive as McClain in college, they actually are better athletes (quicker and more explosive) more consistent, and more sound tacklers.

 

Just my opinion really, but having watched all 3, I don't see a dropoff, let alone a big enough dropoff to say that it's worth taking McClain at 9 when better players will be available at that pick, and equal talent will be available at ILB later.

 

http://espn.go.com/ncf/player/profile?playerId=237212

 

http://espn.go.com/ncf/player/profile?playerId=184362

 

http://espn.go.com/ncf/player/profile?playerId=189938

[H2o]

I disagree.

 

Yes, McClain looked very good in Alabama's defense--and while I do think he'll be a good pro, I'm not excited about drafting him at 9th overall. I happen to believe that there are several other LBs that will be equally (if not moreso) effective at ILB in a 3-4 in the NFL, and that several of them will be available later in the draft.

 

Guys like Washington's Donald Butler (my #1 ILB in the draft) and TCU's Daryl Washington are both ideal candidates to play 3-4 ILB--and while they were just as productive as McClain in college, they actually are better athletes (quicker and more explosive) more consistent, and more sound tacklers.

 

Just my opinion really, but having watched all 3, I don't see a dropoff, let alone a big enough dropoff to say that it's worth taking McClain at 9 when better players will be available at that pick, and equal talent will be available at ILB later.

 

http://espn.go.com/ncf/player/profile?playerId=237212

 

http://espn.go.com/ncf/player/profile?playerId=184362

 

http://espn.go.com/ncf/player/profile?playerId=189938

I understand your point of view, but McClain has size that these guys just don't have. At 6'4" and right at 260lbs, with the block shedding ability he's shown, I believe he is a cut above the rest. These other guys only run in the mid 230's and might not hold up as well against the run, IMO. Haven't watched them enough to know though, but I did watch McClain play 6 or 7 games last season and am sold he will be a standout ILB in the NFL. Just my opinion though.