Louis Nix III

[Oviedo]

the whole "passing league" is a myth.. teams will always pound the ball if they see a team can't stop the run. What's the point of the 3-4 if you aren't going to half azz the NT position.

I think you need to go and look at some of the stats from the just completed regular season. Here are some facts:

1. Over 21 QBs passed for more than 3,000 yards with nine passing for more than 4,000
2. Only 13 RBs had more than 1,000 yards
3. There were 16 QBs with more than 20 TD passes while there were only five RBs with 10 or more TDs
4. Only 5 teams of 32 rushed the ball more than 50% of the time

People can be in denial all they want but running in the NFL has become a suplementary capability to passing. The primary way teams win now is through the air not on the ground. If anything that will become even more the case as we see the high powered offenses from college become more common because that is the talent base the NFL is drawing on.

This is a pass first league and we need to embrace that by getting talent that matches up to stop high powered offenses not plug the LOS. You stop the pass gamne in two ways: get to the QB and cover the WR. We don't do either very well which is why we need to draft and scheme accordingly.

[ikestops85]

Its kinda funny listening to some of you talking about the NT. Some are the ones saying LeBeau has to change it up. That you can't have a guy just clog up the middle in the pass happy NFL. The NT has to be able to pressure the QB nowadays. So LeBeau goes that way and teams start to run against us. Now that we are being run on these same people who wanted the change now want to go back and get a space eater NT. It does make me laugh.

While it would be great to get another nose tackle like Hampton or even Hoke you don't find many players like that anymore. Hampton didn't really 'command' a double team as much as he 'forced' a double team. He did this using something that is a lost art for defensive linemen --- he held. As soon as he felt a guard or center moving away from him he would latch on to them and anchor himself not letting them go. This is what freed up linebackers to make plays. It wouldn't show up on stat sheets and he didn't get any glory from it. He sacrificed personal accolades to play team football. I don't think you will find many 1st rounders these days willing to make that kind of sacrifice. That's why I would stay away from Nix.

[Dee Dub]

what CB do you see worth 15?

seems to be a pretty weak at CB and S at the top of the draft unfortunately.

Justin Gilbert Oklahoma State too me is a solid pick at 15. A better fit in a 3-4 than is Dennard.

[Eddie Spaghetti]

I respect your opinion dub, but I think that is too high for both of them

[Dee Dub]

Louis Nix III versus that great Alabama O-line last year in the Championship game. He could not be blocked one on one. A very disruptive force. I would love to see what Lawrence Timmons does behind a guy like this. Timmons is already one of the leagues best ILB. Could you imagine if he was free and clean more often? And then a team has to also account for Troy at or near the LOS? Wow!!! [URL="http://www.bing.com/videos/search?q=Louis+Nix+III&qpvt=Louis+Nix+III&FORM=VDR E#view=detail&mid=3851C086DE43343362A53851C086DE43 343362A5"]

http://www.bing.com/videos/search?q=Louis+Nix+III&qpvt=Louis+Nix+III&FORM=VDR E#view=detail&mid=3851C086DE43343362A53851C086DE43 343362A5[/URL]

[Dee Dub]

I respect your opinion dub, but I think that is too high for both of them

Based on what? Explain.

[Shoe]

Justin Gilbert Oklahoma State too me is a solid pick at 15. A better fit in a 3-4 than is Dennard.

What do you see or know in Gilbert that makes you like him so much? That goes to everyone out there, supporting CB/S as our pick. What do you see in Dennard that makes him that special? Because TBH, I'd like to take a CB #1. I just don't know that there is a guy worthy.

And I will tell you, CB seems a very hit/miss proposition in the 1st round. Consider the CB drafted in/around where we will be drafting:

2013
Dee Milliner (9)
DJ Hayden (12)

2012
Stephon Gilmore (10)
Dre Kirkpatrick (17)
Morris Claiborne (6)

2011
Prince Amukamara (20)
Patrick Peterson (5)

Now, obviously all are young guys and could develop. And Patrick Peterson is a star (though at #5, not really an option for us at #15). But which of those guys has stepped in and been a positive asset for their defense to date? And there in lies my problem with it. If they are so likely to be developmental prospects, why take them so high in the draft?

[Eddie Spaghetti]

Based on what? Explain.

based on every scouting report I could find and looking at the same amount of big boards mostly. And watching denard play some. Haven't seen much of gilberts play.

never claimed to watch film on every prospect out there.

[Oviedo]

What do you see or know in Gilbert that makes you like him so much? That goes to everyone out there, supporting CB/S as our pick. What do you see in Dennard that makes him that special? Because TBH, I'd like to take a CB #1. I just don't know that there is a guy worthy.

And I will tell you, CB seems a very hit/miss proposition in the 1st round. Consider the CB drafted in/around where we will be drafting:

2013
Dee Milliner (9)
DJ Hayden (12)

2012
Stephon Gilmore (10)
Dre Kirkpatrick (17)
Morris Claiborne (6)

2011
Prince Amukamara (20)
Patrick Peterson (5)

Now, obviously all are young guys and could develop. And Patrick Peterson is a star (though at #5, not really an option for us at #15). But which of those guys has stepped in and been a positive asset for their defense to date? And there in lies my problem with it. If they are so likely to be developmental prospects, why take them so high in the draft?

Same question could be asked about Nix, what makes him so special?

[Dee Dub]

What do you see or know in Gilbert that makes you like him so much? That goes to everyone out there, supporting CB/S as our pick. What do you see in Dennard that makes him that special? Because TBH, I'd like to take a CB #1. I just don't know that there is a guy worthy.

And I will tell you, CB seems a very hit/miss proposition in the 1st round. Consider the CB drafted in/around where we will be drafting:

2013
Dee Milliner (9)
DJ Hayden (12)

2012
Stephon Gilmore (10)
Dre Kirkpatrick (17)
Morris Claiborne (6)

2011
Prince Amukamara (20)

Now, obviously all are young guys and could develop. But which of those guys has stepped in and been a positive asset for their defense to date? And there in lies my problem with it. If they are so likely to be developmental prospects, why take them so high in the draft?

Gilbert is above average in every category for a corner. Has great size and speed. He is fluid in and out of his breaks/back peddle. Has a nose for the ball and is electric once he gets the ball into his hands. He is also one of the countries premier returners. This will enable Antonio Brown to be freed from that duty.

Here's what Charles Davis has to say about him....

"A 6-foot, 200-pound senior, Gilbert is a speedy, long corner who tackles well and also changes games on special teams -- he holds the Big 12 record with six kickoff returns for touchdowns. A seventh would tie the NCAA record shared by [URL="http://www.nfl.com/player/c.j.spiller/497204/profile"]C.J. Spiller[/URL] (Clemson, 2006-09) and Tyron Carrier (Houston, 2008-11). Gilbert has six interceptions this season, tied for fourth in the FBS, and he's getting better and better every week. He has returned two of those picks for TDs this season, including one of the two picks he made last week in a win over Texas."

[Dee Dub]

Same question could be asked about Nix, what makes him so special?

Watch the tape of him I posted above. He cannot be blocked one on one. That is against Alabama's O-line. Today the only player getting blocked by more than one player for the Steelers is Cam Heyward. That would stop with Nix inside. How much better would that make Heyward? Timmons? Troy?

If you watch that tape and dont see what makes Nix special, then you shouldnt watch football anymore. You're obviously not getting the whole concept.

[feltdizz]

I think you need to go and look at some of the stats from the just completed regular season. Here are some facts:

1. Over 21 QBs passed for more than 3,000 yards with nine passing for more than 4,000
2. Only 13 RBs had more than 1,000 yards
3. There were 16 QBs with more than 20 TD passes while there were only five RBs with 10 or more TDs
4. Only 5 teams of 32 rushed the ball more than 50% of the time

People can be in denial all they want but running in the NFL has become a suplementary capability to passing. The primary way teams win now is through the air not on the ground. If anything that will become even more the case as we see the high powered offenses from college become more common because that is the talent base the NFL is drawing on.

This is a pass first league and we need to embrace that by getting talent that matches up to stop high powered offenses not plug the LOS. You stop the pass gamne in two ways: get to the QB and cover the WR. We don't do either very well which is why we need to draft and scheme accordingly.

nope... as long as the run D is bad we will continue to struggle. You can't hide a bad rushing D behind a great passing D. Teams will eat that up. The best way to build a D is with a stout front 7 and let the DB's clean up bad passes by a QB under pressure.

We have to get a NT who commands 2 blockers. We need an NT who can push the pocket and disrupt throwing lanes in the middle. We could have Revis and Robinson at CB and they would still get torched if we don't get pressure. We can't cover guys for 6 to 7 seconds and win...

[ikestops85]

Watch the tape of him I posted above. He cannot be blocked one on one. That is against Alabama's O-line. Today the only player getting blocked by more than one player for the Steelers is Cam Heyward. That would stop with Nix inside. How much better would that make Heyward? Timmons? Troy?

If you watch that tape and dont see what makes Nix special, then you shouldnt watch football anymore. You're obviously not getting the whole concept.

Dub, I haven't seen much of Nix's play this year but I did catch some of the ND bowl game where the announcer (I don't remember who that was) was talking about ND's pro prospects and when Nix came up he said he didn't live up to expectations this year. That he played better last year. Has anyone else thought that?

[feltdizz]

Same question could be asked about Nix, what makes him so special?

That doesn't make sense... the tape speaks for itself. The real question is what will make a player special in our D? Do you really think a shut down CB will have an impact on our D next year? Hell to the NO.

Any CB we draft will take 3 years to grasp the D. Throw Nix in and we will see our LB's eat teams up.

[Dee Dub]

nope... as long as the run D is bad we will continue to struggle. You can't hide a bad rushing D behind a great passing D. Teams will eat that up. The best way to build a D is with a stout front 7 and let the DB's clean up bad passes by a QB under pressure.

We have to get a NT who commands 2 blockers. We need an NT who can push the pocket and disrupt throwing lanes in the middle. We could have Revis and Robinson at CB and they would still get torched if we don't get pressure. We can't cover guys for 6 to 7 seconds and win...

Excellent points feltdizz. I agree with you 100%. Cam Heyward has pass rush skills. He would be even better if he was lined up next to a 2 gap NT.