The Non-Lemming’s Guide to the NFL Draft Pt II- Defensive Tackle

Day 2 has us looking at Defensive Tackle, another NY Giants need.

Link to PDF for Defensive Tackle Draft Board.  Click the “+” sign twice to zoom in and view.

Of course everyone knows about Suh and McCoy. And Wonder does not disagree here.  In the entire draft, he gives only 8 players a grade of “1” and you are looking at two of them.  Wonder is with the consensus here.  These two are special.   

But what about the pitfalls of drafting Defensive Tackle #1?  Wonder jumps right in and explains the 2010 story: “Andy, your analysis of the Defensive Tackles is completely in synch with why guys like Dan Williams and Brian Price have to fall.  They just do not have enough value to be first rounders.”  Add the fact that he has ‘4’ ratings for these two, and you can see why one of them is in red, an overvalued alert. 

Mathematically, if there are 30 DTs over 10 years taken in Round 1, that is ~3 per year.  And since so many bust, that must mean that the NFL on the whole is drafting too many too early.  Find the 0, 1 or 2 special ones per year and odds are you not going to yield more than that.  Which ones?  Wonder clearly believes it is not Price and Williams. Sure it is possible to have 4 terrific prospects in 1 year, 0 the next.  Time will tell.

For the Giants, it means investing in someone on the slow oven roaster plan, drafting them in Round 3 to Round 5 and seeing if you can find someone better than Barry Cofield.  It isn’t sexy, but make Canty earn his money this year while one of these rookies has the time to mature for 2012. 

For me, my bias is not to draft any of them in Round 1.  Yes, I have watched Suh and McCoy on film.  Yes, they look very good.  Yes, I would take either if they fell to me at 15 because there is overwhelming ideas of special impact.  But every year they all look very good and every year these rookies disappear for two more years.  I’ll worry about Tommie Harris when I have to worry about Tommie Harris.  If I am going on the slow oven roaster, it better not be with a 1st rounder.  Patience should not be required for a first rounder.  Lawrence Taylor and Jeremy Shockey didn’t wait.  Even Hakeem Nicks didn’t wait. 

If you can tell me Price and Williams won’t have to wait until Year 3, you’ve got my attention.  ‘Cause if I have to wait, I might as well go with any of ~6 others later on with the same result.  How many of you know who Brodrick Bunkley is?  Neither do I. 

Separately….

Giants sign Deon Grant  and it has to be an uptick.  all depth is an uptick.  bodies at safety are an uptick.

overheard this week on espn… Mark Schlereth (paraphrased): “Do you realize the Giants haven’t drafted a LBer #1 in 26 years????!!!!”  Where did you hear that one before?   

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