Jump to content

Round 1 (#8): Selection: S Donte Whitner


SDS

Recommended Posts

Oakland picking Huff is what threw the wrench in our works. In fact, we may have been able to trade down twice, once with AZ for Leinart, and again for Denver for Cutler. I defer to Levy and Modrak on Whittner, not Mel Kiper.

 

PTR

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Would you please shut up

 

I mean we have a dozen threads about the kid already saying the same thing

 

HE WILL START ...........he is better than the safeties we got.........bar none

674889[/snapback]

 

 

he better start! yikes... that shouldn't be an issue...

 

he will be fine in Buffalo.. but not top ten pick fine

Link to comment
Share on other sites

THE BILLS GOT A FOOTBALL PLAYER.

 

Don't know if we could've said that about Bunkley, Ngata, Cutler, Leinart, or anyone else at that spot except maybe Ernie Sims.

 

I'll say it again. THIS KID IS A FOOTBALL PLAYER. He'll be all over the field next year making plays, and he'll play above his ability, like he's always done. Fug it. I was pissed they took him at the 8 spot, but this team needs football players NOW. I'll take this pick.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

The reason I am upset has less to do with the guy as opposed to when we picked him. 

He may end up being great, but it was a reach.

674832[/snapback]

Simply because this person does not help us stop the run at all at the LOS or protect the QB/help the running game.

674833[/snapback]

 

Amen.

 

It's not about whether or not he's a good player, because he is. It's about value, and the Bills didn't get it with their pick. Although they needed a safety, OL and DL were higher priorities. A trade down would have been the way to go, regardless of whether or not they lost Whitner. Bottom line: this kid better be a stud because it was stupid to take him that high.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

While not a fan of the pick myself, you don't really add any credibility to the argument by calling Paul Zimmerman at Sports Illustrated a "no-name who nobody reads." That's showing your ignorance right there.

674854[/snapback]

 

It's not 1983 any more, Sparky. Join the real world.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Oakland picking Huff is what threw the wrench in our works.  In fact, we may have been able to trade down twice, once with AZ for Leinart, and again for Denver for Cutler.  I defer to Levy and Modrak on Whittner, not Mel Kiper.

 

PTR

674909[/snapback]

 

there are more draft guys in the world then Kiper and none of them had Whitner going in the top 10 or even 15

Link to comment
Share on other sites

I don't care who good this guy is in the Cover-Two.  The Bills now have SIX safeties on the roster, plenty of them undersized.  The #8 pick is reserved for the Ed Reed's and Ronnie Lott's of the world.  Guys who can change a defense, no matter what the scheme.

 

For Marv to make this pick with so many other glaring holes to fill is reprehensible.  Not only won't this guy start, this pick doesn't help the defense at the point of attack WHERE THEY WERE THE WEAKEST, doesn't improve a porous offensive line (Fowler?  Reyes?  Please...), hell... we have more of a need at quarterback than safety.

 

This is just a bad, bad pick by Marv.  The needs far outweigh the luxury of another safety.

674869[/snapback]

 

The other 'safeties' on this add up to a grand total of nothing, in case you haven't checked.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Oakland picking Huff is what threw the wrench in our works.  In fact, we may have been able to trade down twice, once with AZ for Leinart, and again for Denver for Cutler.  I defer to Levy and Modrak on Whittner, not Mel Kiper.

 

PTR

674909[/snapback]

 

I think you have it exactly right.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

I think he's a perfect fit for the new defense and I subscribe to the Huddle Report who indicatethe following in regards to DW:

 

Strengths

Donte is one of the better tacklers in this draft. He is a head up, wrap up, squeeze and drive tackler. He has really good speed, size and shows an excellent burst to the ball. He has good hands to go for the interception and shows impressive overall instincts for his position.

 

 

 

Needs to Improve

Donte is listed at 205 lbs, but he doesn’t look like he's that big. He must get stronger in the lower body so that he can finish his tackles better. He has trouble with the drive portion of his tackling techniques. Donte is tight in the hips and has to work more on his cover skills for the next level.

 

 

 

Bottom Line

If you want a safety set to go for a two-deep zone coverage defense, don’t think twice about drafting Donte. That is the system that he can handle right away and impact for you. He has good athleticism and I believe that after a few years, he will develop into a decent cover safety. He was made for the two-deep zone defenses that you see right now and if you're smart, you will draft him and worry about the other things later. He shows some leadership skills, but because he was in the Ohio St defense, I would suspect there were a lot of leaders, so you might find out that he has more to show in this area than you think. Donte has to get stronger, but he looks on film to be a tough kid and there are some games that he played in where he was one of the best players on the field. That is not easy when you have two potential 1st round picks playing with you. This kid will be able to come in and help a team right away and just might start for the team that picks him despite the fact that he is a junior and coming out early. Now, what more could you ask for in a draft pick than a ready-made two-deep zone safety that can tackle and intercept the ball? He’s not perfect, but he is ready-made. Donte (Ready-Made) Whitner!

Link to comment
Share on other sites

you may want to actually wait to see him play an nfl game before ridiculing the whitner pick. to those who are lambasting marv, i challenger every one of you to tell me whether you had one smidgen of an iota of a fraction of an opinion one way or another about whitner prior to 1:25 pm east coast time today. as to whether the bills could have traded down and still got him, i challenge any one of you to provide a smidgen of an iota of a fraction of evidence that the team that followed the bills (detroit) didn't want him badly.  and i think everyone would agree that the bills prior to today did not have an nfl-caliber strong safety.

 

by the way, here's what dr. z said about him:

 

No. 24 BENGALS: This guy will go higher because everybody's asking about him and everyone I talk to likes his game, which is aggressive and athletic. DONTE WHITNER, SS, OHIO STATE.

674781[/snapback]

Right, as good as defensive talent evaluators that the Bengals are.

 

They haven't had a top 10 ranked defense since the '80s.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

How about this concept:

 

I know this is hard to do.....very hard...

 

How about we give this kid a chance? 

 

How many bad plays has he made for the Bills???

 

Maybe MV tried to make a deal and could not.....I'm sure teams did not believe the Bills would take a QB, so why would they pay to get him???

 

Ngata and Bunkley both have their flaws too....and so do others at this point.

 

I am willing to give Donte Whitner a chance...I read OSU fans sya they did not like him...heard some that love his upside...keep in mind he is 20 years old...and the Bills REALLY did need a Saftey

 

Wait and see approach for me....only way Ill really get upset is if a good trade offer was turned down...

Agree with you.  The Bills really do need a satety.  All those saying Milloy was ineffective because of injuries ignored how many steps he had lost.

Say this about Marv too...he does have a set of em as they say to make this type of pick....

Pros: Whitner, who declared for the draft after his junior season, is a young prospect who will turn 21 in July. He is one of the emerging playmakers who made fast progress in his final season. He has adequate size for the safety position, but his speed, instincts and movement skills make him a possible first-round selection. He is a very physical safety that likes to hit and is a very reliable and hart-hitting tackler that uses sound technique. He can be effective on the safety blitz, due to his speed and attitude. He goes hard until the whistle blows, showing a good deal of passion in his overall play. He has the athleticism to also project to cornerback with a possibility of filling the nickel corner role early in his career. He plays much bigger and more physical than most. He is an instinctive player who makes good decisions with nice awareness, and has the feel to get into position to make the play. He has the skills to hold his own in man coverage with the instincts, speed and change of direction skills to match up in man situations. In pass coverage, he has the makeup of a top corner, though not as developed.

Cons: At times, his passion can cause him to take too many chances and get beaten. He is better in zone than man coverage. He does not have great size for strong safety.

Numbers: At the Combine, ran the 40-yard dash 4.45 seconds with a 40” vertical jump and 11’ broad jump. He also did 18 reps in the 225-pound bench press.

674706[/snapback]

The Bills really do need a safety. All those who felt Milloy was ineffective because of injuries ignore all the steps he had lost.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

×
×
  • Create New...