Patrick Peterson

[Saucy]

I'm not suggesting we draft him...I still want a top DT, but if we don't get Nick Fairley, he may be the second best defensive player. My questions is who would you compare him to? Is he another Champ?

[Al Wilson 4 Mayor]

I think he's a safety at the next level, and a very good one at that. I just don't want Denver to take him. If he's the best option at that pick someone like Detroit will be willing to trade up.

I'm not convinced Fairley goes that high either. He has the most upside of all of the DT's, but I think questions about his character might make him fall. I think JJ Watt is a safer pick than Fairley.

[beastlyskronk]

It depends on what he plays really, I don't think you can really compare him to anyone in the NFL. Champ would be the closest thing I could compare him to if he reaches his ceiling, but I think he'll be better than Champ. If he doesn't reach his ceiling, I think he'll be like Antonio Cromartie. If he plays FS I think he'd be kind of like Ed Reed but a bit better at tackling.

[Al Wilson 4 Mayor]

Peterson doesn't run a 4.28. I don't think the Champ comparisons apply.

[beastlyskronk]

I don't think Champ plays at a 4.28 either nor do I think that speed is necessary to be an elite CB. Plus Peterson supposedly ran a 4.37 at a LSU workout in the spring. The difference in speed is only half a yard. Also Peterson will probably be better in press coverage than Champ, and yes I know Champ doesn't play much press coverage which is one thing I do not like about him.

Also Peterson can really play both safety positions. He's extremely versatile so if he's there I'd definitely take him. He'd start from day one somewhere on our defense.

[Saucy]

So you guys think he'll be better as a FS? Isn't that another one of our needs? If we keep Champ and draft Peterson, that could be amazing.

[beastlyskronk]

Well I don't know if he'll be better but either way he'll be elite. There will be a learning curve if he moves to FS at the next level though so it might take him a season to get the angles ironed out. And I know some fans will be calling for his head at the end of the season and call him a bust if he doesn't do great immediately. I do think he would do good, better than what we have just because of his raw physical ability.

Plus we'll finally be able to put a S in man coverage on a TE and not have to worry about anything.

[Al Wilson 4 Mayor]

I don't think Champ plays at a 4.28 either nor do I think that speed is necessary to be an elite CB. Plus Peterson supposedly ran a 4.37 at a LSU workout in the spring. The difference in speed is only half a yard. Also Peterson will probably be better in press coverage than Champ, and yes I know Champ doesn't play much press coverage which is one thing I do not like about him.

Also Peterson can really play both safety positions. He's extremely versatile so if he's there I'd definitely take him. He'd start from day one somewhere on our defense.

Peterson might be as fast as Champ now, but when Champ came out he ran a 4.28 at the combine. He has one of the five fastest combine numbers ever. Additionally, players always mysteriously run faster on campus than they do at the combine. (Ohio State anyone )

I'm not trying to flame anybody, but I just don't think it's an accurate comparison. Peterson is a much bigger specimin. He doesn't have the recovery ability that Champ has either, IMO. Deion Sanders and Champ are the two best cover corners I have ever seen play the game, and I just don't think Peterson compares to those players.

Having said all of that I think Peterson could play corner pretty well at the next level, but I don't think he can play it at the level Champ does.

IMO Chris McAllister is the closest comparison you can make to Peterson at the CB position, or maybe even Rod Woodson. He has better speed than McAllister did, but the way they play is fairly similar. If he can play anything like Wooodson did he'll be pretty special.

Once again, I'm not saying I don't want him to be a Bronco, I just think we have ignored the DT position for too long. Trevor Pryce is the last DT we took in the first or second round. Thinking about that still blows my mind.

I think if Peterson is there we should trade back to later in the top 10 and take JJ Watt.

My dream draft includes JJ Watt then Jared Crick.

[MHS]

peterson is the player i want the most in the draft, at least in the first round.

I would say peterson in the first. Use both 2nd rounders on the D line and then casey mathews in the 3rd.

[InElwayWeTrust]

He is not the second best defensive player to Fairley. Peterson is a better player than Fairley without a doubt, hands down, and it isn't really close. With that being said, if we keep Champ, I think we should take Fairley because we need D-Line. Don't get me wrong, I really like Fairley, he is a beast, and I think he would do wonders for our D-Line, but Peterson is unbelievable. He shuts people down like I haven't seen in awhile in college. He will be "Champ, Asomugha, Revis" LIKE in the NFL.

[Al Wilson 4 Mayor]

Well I don't know if he'll be better but either way he'll be elite. There will be a learning curve if he moves to FS at the next level though so it might take him a season to get the angles ironed out. And I know some fans will be calling for his head at the end of the season and call him a bust if he doesn't do great immediately. I do think he would do good, better than what we have just because of his raw physical ability.

Plus we'll finally be able to put a S in man coverage on a TE and not have to worry about anything.

That's a good point.

I personally think Bruton has looked good lately. Many were ready to tie him up and torch him after the play in which the fullback was left alone in the flat, but the breakdown in coverage wasn't his fault. He graded out pretty well the previous week. I don't think safety or CB is a need. I think our anemic pass rush makes our secondary look pedestrian when it's not.

[beastlyskronk]

Peterson might be as fast as Champ now, but when Champ came out he ran a 4.28 at the combine. He has one of the five fastest combine numbers ever. Additionally, players always mysteriously run faster on campus than they do at the combine. (Ohio State anyone )

I'm not trying to flame anybody, but I just don't think it's an accurate comparison. Peterson is a much bigger specimin. He doesn't have the recovery ability that Champ has either, IMO. Deion Sanders and Champ are the two best cover corners I have ever seen play the game, and I just don't think Peterson compares to those players.

Having said all of that I think Peterson could play corner pretty well at the next level, but I don't think he can play it at the level Champ does.

IMO Chris McAllister is the closest comparison you can make to Peterson at the CB position, or maybe even Rod Woodson. He has better speed than McAllister did, but the way they play is fairly similar. If he can play anything like Wooodson did he'll be pretty special.

Once again, I'm not saying I don't want him to be a Bronco, I just think we have ignored the DT position for too long. Trevor Pryce is the last DT we took in the first or second round. Thinking about that still blows my mind.

I think if Peterson is there we should trade back to later in the top 10 and take JJ Watt.

My dream draft includes JJ Watt then Jared Crick.

I do realize teams hype up 40 times for certain players but it wouldn't be too far fetched to say he ran a 4.37. He's already considered a 4.44 guy. But I think Peterson's ceiling is higher than McAlister. Woodson was possibly the best ever. Honestly I think Peterson will be the best CB ever if he can reach his full potential. He has great physical tools and I do think his recovery speed is up to par with Champ.

But the thing I like about Peterson is that he's already so good and he still has room to improve. He still has to work on his footwork and his backpedal, just technical aspects of his game. I mean he does have good footwork and everything but I see room for improvement and that improvement could turn him into a top CB of all time. His potential/ceiling is too great not to take him if Fairley is already taken and he's there.

I don't particularly like Watt because I don't think he has much more he can improve on. I think he'll be a solid NFL player but not much more than that. Haven't watched Crick enough to know what to think about him.

[Al Wilson 4 Mayor]

I do realize teams hype up 40 times for certain players but it wouldn't be too far fetched to say he ran a 4.37. He's already considered a 4.44 guy. But I think Peterson's ceiling is higher than McAlister. Woodson was possibly the best ever. Honestly I think Peterson will be the best CB ever if he can reach his full potential. He has great physical tools and I do think his recovery speed is up to par with Champ.

But the thing I like about Peterson is that he's already so good and he still has room to improve. He still has to work on his footwork and his backpedal, just technical aspects of his game. I mean he does have good footwork and everything but I see room for improvement and that improvement could turn him into a top CB of all time. His potential/ceiling is too great not to take him if Fairley is already taken and he's there.

I don't particularly like Watt because I don't think he has much more he can improve on. I think he'll be a solid NFL player but not much more than that. Haven't watched Crick enough to know what to think about him.

JJ Watt and Crick are very similar athletically. They are both around 6'6" and 290. Both have excellent motors and have room to put bulk on their frames. I think both have a lot of upside. I think if we want Watt we'll have to pull the trigger in the top ten, and I think Crick will be available at the beginning of the 2nd when we pick.

You might be right about Peterson. I don't want people to misunderstand me because I think he is special. However, if you put him back there he'll have the same problem that Champ and everybody else has back there. No DB can cover WR's consistently for 4-5 seconds. We are 2nd to the last in league in INT's, and I firmly believe our secondary is much better than that. If it wasn't for an amazing play by Vickerson we'd be last in INT's.

We absolutely have to invest in the trenches. Even with Doom coming back we can't assume he's going to be able to recover 100% from his pectoral tear.

[beastlyskronk]

That's a good point.

I personally think Bruton has looked good lately. Many were ready to tie him up and torch him after the play in which the fullback was left alone in the flat, but the breakdown in coverage wasn't his fault. He graded out pretty well the previous week. I don't think safety or CB is a need. I think our anemic pass rush makes our secondary look pedestrian when it's not.

I don't really like Bruton that much. I see him as nothing more than an average starter. He's a great special teams ace and is valuable as a backup and that alone is enough to keep him on the team but I don't like him as a full time starter. I think youth in the secondary is needed. Obviously we should be good next year should Champ return, and even if he doesn't we could get by if Cox isn't suspended. But I do think we need to address S as McBath hasn't shown the ability to stay healthy (I don't think he's injury prone however just unlucky).

My draft would ideally be Nick Fairley, DeAndre McDaniel/Quinton Carter, Phil Taylor, and Davon House in the first 3 rounds. Or if we feel confident with a FA NT signing we could take Curtis Brown in the 2nd. But even if we do sign a NT in FA I would still try to draft a NT and I think Phil Taylor will be the best in this class and a very good player in about 2 seasons

[themadfanatic]

Peterson doesn't run a 4.28. I don't think the Champ comparisons apply.

Petersons low 40 time was 4.30 so I'd say the comparisons are fair