Scouting MLB's

[gpholmes]

So I keep hearing all this talk about how we need DL help, and righfully so, but what we almost need just as badly is a MLB/ILB. Probably the most underrated and least discussed reason for our D's collapse the past few years has been the loss of Al Wilson. Not only was he a great tackler, he was a leader, and players like him can cover up for a lot of D-line mistakes. It's no coincidence that with Wilson our rush D was ranked:

03: 7th yards allowed
04: 4th yards allowed
05: 2nd yards allowed
06: 12th yards allowed

and after he retired:

07: 30th
08: 27th
09: 26th
10: 31th

Now, our Dline situation has been horrid over the past few seasons, but CLEARLY Al made a huge difference in our run D, I mean that drop off after he retired is insane. Now for all the draft gurus out there, what prospects bring the type of leadership and tackling ability that can fill Al's void? Or any FA's?

[THEdraftnik]

Greg Jones
Mark Herzlich
Kelvin Sheppard

But I think the answer may be on our roster, Joe Mays can be a guy to build your defense around. The players really responded with his physical play. Just allow him to roam the field and blow up plays and we could be good.

[johnlimburg]

Quan Sturdivant probaly a second round pick from north carolina. Solid hitter with great instincts. Not a top cover guy but has solid range.

Nate Irving. A latter round draft pick. Could go anywhere from 4th to 7th. A sure tackler who will not blow you up though. Has decent coverage skills. However a little slow but has good game speed.

Mike Mohomed. A good coverage ILB. He makes plays with the ball in the air. He gets intoi the backfield a lot and hwen he does he makes the play. Probaly a 4th rounder.

Donta Hightower. One of the more overrated linebackers in this draft class. He has limited range and takes a lot of plays off. He doesnt look like he is in shape at all. He often looks gassed.

The top 3 guys i really like but hightower is someone i want to watch a bit more of.

[gpholmes]

I like Herzlich a lot, I always thought he had the size, tackling ability and cover skills to be an MLB but everywhere I read it says he's an OLB.

[johnlimburg]

Greg Jones
Mark Herzlich

But I think the answer may be on our roster, Joe Mays can be a guy to build your defense around. The players really responded with his physical play. Just allow him to roam the field and blow up plays and we could be good.

Well it depends on what defense you are talking about. In a 4-3 i like greg jones as an OLB alot. However herzlich is not as good as he once was. It is sad and all but i dont really like him much as a football player in the NFL.

On joe mays i completely agree. I beleive if we stay in the 3-4 he is the man to play inside of DJ. However with depth and a backup to mays i really like alex wujiak. He is a smash mouth football player. He takes on guards and fullbacks and stuffs the lane of the running back. I wouldnt mind him playing behind mays on the depth chart or even some training camp competition. He has better coverage skills than mays but at that position in the 3-4 defense that linebacker spot only plays the running downs and rarely drops into coverage

[BaileyFan4ever]

I think the thing that is missed the most of Al Wilson that you guys haven't mentioned is his intelligence. He made the adjustments for the defence and like you guys stated was the emotional leader of our defence, another thing were lacking.

Regardless of defence we need a MLB/ILB took in the 3-4 rounds. I really like Sheppard, whos been the emotional leader of LSU the last couple years and Sturdivant, a converted high school quarterback and safety who understands the game better then most ILB and is extremely atheletic.

As well with the addition of a smart leader ILB in the 3-4 or MLB in a 4-3 it would allow DJ to do what he does best; attacking. He is far more effective when he appears he isn't thinking. The guy can lay a licking but this past year with the loss of Andra Davis I noticed he looked confused a lot more then ever and was because of this, a step behind at times. The addition of a smart young ILB would take pressure off the rest of our LBs and make it IMO one of the better units in the NFL.

[THEdraftnik]

Well it depends on what defense you are talking about. In a 4-3 i like greg jones as an OLB alot. However herzlich is not as good as he once was. It is sad and all but i dont really like him much as a football player in the NFL.

On joe mays i completely agree. I beleive if we stay in the 3-4 he is the man to play inside of DJ. However with depth and a backup to mays i really like alex wujiak. He is a smash mouth football player. He takes on guards and fullbacks and stuffs the lane of the running back. I wouldnt mind him playing behind mays on the depth chart or even some training camp competition. He has better coverage skills than mays but at that position in the 3-4 defense that linebacker spot only plays the running downs and rarely drops into coverage

Herzlich will likely be a third or fourth round pick, and he is worth taking a flyer on. He is starting to regain some of th speed that once had him as a top 15 lock. He could be a good sleeper this year and end up being a key back up this year. With Starter potential.

I do like Wujciak, in my earlier mocks I had us taking in the later rounds, but his stock has begun to rise.

I think if we are looking for a 3-4 linebacker, we need Greg Jones, Kelvin Sheppard, or Mark Herzlich. In a 4-3, Sturdivant becomes a possibility.

[Butler By'Note]

Quan Sturdivant probaly a second round pick from north carolina. Solid hitter with great instincts. Not a top cover guy but has solid range.

Nate Irving. A latter round draft pick. Could go anywhere from 4th to 7th. A sure tackler who will not blow you up though. Has decent coverage skills. However a little slow but has good game speed.

Mike Mohomed. A good coverage ILB. He makes plays with the ball in the air. He gets intoi the backfield a lot and hwen he does he makes the play. Probaly a 4th rounder.

Donta Hightower. One of the more overrated linebackers in this draft class. He has limited range and takes a lot of plays off. He doesnt look like he is in shape at all. He often looks gassed.

The top 3 guys i really like but hightower is someone i want to watch a bit more of.

Donta Hightower didn't enter the draft, he chose to return to Alabama for his junior season.

[gpholmes]

I saw some vids of Kelvin Sheppard and I really like the guy. He is intelligent, passionate and seems to have a lot of those valuable intangibles that you can't teach.

If we could somehow end up with a combo of either Sheppard + Herzlich, Sheppard + Bruce Carter or Carter + Herzich I'll be a happy man

[johnlimburg]

Donta Hightower didn't enter the draft, he chose to return to Alabama for his junior season.

Ok. That makes sense because his stock was falling

[Kyousukeneko]

martez wilson out of illinos hasn'tbeen listedc, he is the size speed propsect out of the draft

[THEdraftnik]

martez wilson out of illinos hasn'tbeen listedc, he is the size speed propsect out of the draft

He isn't a great leader, and isn't the brightest bulb. This was mostly a leadership thread, so that's why he wasn't mentioned.

[johnlimburg]

I saw some vids of Kelvin Sheppard and I really like the guy. He is intelligent, passionate and seems to have a lot of those valuable intangibles that you can't teach.

If we could somehow end up with a combo of either Sheppard + Herzlich, Sheppard + Bruce Carter or Carter + Herzich I'll be a happy man

Im not to sure if we will get two linebackers inside the first 4 rounds at this point. Maybe if we gain more picks through trading down and trading players like orton then yes.

If we stay in the 3-4 i say we get two late round guys like mike mohomad(4th Round) and Alex Wujiak (5th round). Two backups and competition for mays.

If we stay in the 4-3 i beleive we need a new starter. I would take greg jones in the early second. And get mike mohomed in the 4th round. If we stay in the 4-3 i beleive wesley woodyard becomes a must resign and starter.

Greg Jones----------DJ Williams----------Wesley Woodyard
Mario Haggan------Mike Mohomad--------(Free Agent Solid Career backup)

[broncos SB2010]

Greg Jones
Mark Herzlich
Kelvin Sheppard

But I think the answer may be on our roster, Joe Mays can be a guy to build your defense around. The players really responded with his physical play. Just allow him to roam the field and blow up plays and we could be good.

If they switch back to a 4-3, there is no way Mays can be the MLB. He as absolutely no speed to cover anyone. Even in a 3-4 I don't think I would say he is someone to build a team around. He is just too 1 dimensional.

[Broncos Rex]

I like Herzlich a lot, I always thought he had the size, tackling ability and cover skills to be an MLB but everywhere I read it says he's an OLB.

I'm down with Herzlich too. I believe we will stay with the 3-4. Herzlich is an OLB but in a 3-4 scheme he would could and would play in the middle.