rastaman
02-14-2008, 11:06 PM
Here are a few DT's who be available in the later rounds, and would make a great partner playing alongside with Marcus Thomas.
If Denver is serious about moving away from high priced veteran quick fixes and plans to rebuild the Defense thru the Draft, these guys would be of some help.
Nick Hayden (Sr.), Wisconsin
Hayden, a 6-foot-5, 301-pound versatile interior lineman, works extremely hard inside and is good against the run. He's a competitive defender who has good explosion off the snap. Hayden has quick feet, keeps his pad level low, and has good leverage against the opposition. He has a good motor and locates the ball quickly to make plays. Using great technique inside, Hayden's able to gain leverage against bigger opposition and gets in position to defend the run. Through six games he's made 23 tackles -- five for a loss -- and three sacks.
Boston College DT B.J. Raji
At 6-foot-1, 325-pounds, Raji is a big, physical interior lineman who commands a lot of attention. A good athlete who has a solid burst off the line, he plays with leverage, and bull rushes opponents up the field. Raji also has a quick first step and immediately penetrates upfield and makes plays in the backfield. With his great strength, he brings down the opposition with his initial push, gets off blocks very well and can handle double-teams. But there's an interesting twist about Raji and his draft status. He was ruled academically ineligible this season and was redshirted. Boston College is trying to convince him to come back for his senior season, but the risk of suffering an injury next year will only hurt his draft status even more. Expect Raji to enter the draft and be a high Day-Two selection.
James McClinton (Sr.), Kansas
McClinton, who's generously listed at 6 foot 1, 285 pounds, is an explosive interior lineman limited only by a lack of height. He has a quick first step, great balance, and great instincts. He has excellent lateral quickness and is able to change direction well. He plays with a high motor and is always around the ball. A great tackler who possesses outstanding closing speed, McClinton is a lineman who sheds blocks well, but tends to struggle against a bigger opposition. He has good technique and hand placement that gives him leverage. Through five games this season, McClinton has 26 tackles, eight tackles for a loss and two sacks. This defensive tackle out of Kansas has a chance to elevate his stock into Day One of next April's draft with a strong finish.
Jason Shirley (Sr.), Fresno State
A monster in the middle, Shirley, who's listed at 6 foot 5, 330 pounds, has the ability to take over a game with his physical play. He can take on a double team with ease, shed blocks, and make a play in the backfield. Shirley has great strength and gains instant leverage against the opposition, making it almost impossible to block him one-on-one. He holds his ground well and is tough to knock to the ground. Shirley's another player with an interesting footnote as he missed the first two games of the season for conduct detrimental to the team. It's unknown what Shirley did, but since his return he's played in three games and has collected seven tackles, four tackles for a loss and two sacks. He's a good prospect with excellent size, but he lacks proper technique. He relies on his raw strength too much and gets worn down as the game moves forward, so he'll need some coaching and will need to improve his conditioning to be successful at the pro level.
Frank Morton (Sr.), Tulane
Morton is a huge defensive tackle with a lot of promise. At 6 foot 2, 331 pounds, Morton has the ideal size to be a dominant run stuffer. He has flashes of dominance, but then he'll fade and become inconsistent. He plays low, gains leverage, and gets a quick initial push. He gets good penetration, but has to improve his footwork to get off blocks better. Morton has good instincts, displays a good burst into the backfield and is a hard worker -- but he has to improve his technique. A high ankle sprain to start the season hampered Morton
If Denver is serious about moving away from high priced veteran quick fixes and plans to rebuild the Defense thru the Draft, these guys would be of some help.
Nick Hayden (Sr.), Wisconsin
Hayden, a 6-foot-5, 301-pound versatile interior lineman, works extremely hard inside and is good against the run. He's a competitive defender who has good explosion off the snap. Hayden has quick feet, keeps his pad level low, and has good leverage against the opposition. He has a good motor and locates the ball quickly to make plays. Using great technique inside, Hayden's able to gain leverage against bigger opposition and gets in position to defend the run. Through six games he's made 23 tackles -- five for a loss -- and three sacks.
Boston College DT B.J. Raji
At 6-foot-1, 325-pounds, Raji is a big, physical interior lineman who commands a lot of attention. A good athlete who has a solid burst off the line, he plays with leverage, and bull rushes opponents up the field. Raji also has a quick first step and immediately penetrates upfield and makes plays in the backfield. With his great strength, he brings down the opposition with his initial push, gets off blocks very well and can handle double-teams. But there's an interesting twist about Raji and his draft status. He was ruled academically ineligible this season and was redshirted. Boston College is trying to convince him to come back for his senior season, but the risk of suffering an injury next year will only hurt his draft status even more. Expect Raji to enter the draft and be a high Day-Two selection.
James McClinton (Sr.), Kansas
McClinton, who's generously listed at 6 foot 1, 285 pounds, is an explosive interior lineman limited only by a lack of height. He has a quick first step, great balance, and great instincts. He has excellent lateral quickness and is able to change direction well. He plays with a high motor and is always around the ball. A great tackler who possesses outstanding closing speed, McClinton is a lineman who sheds blocks well, but tends to struggle against a bigger opposition. He has good technique and hand placement that gives him leverage. Through five games this season, McClinton has 26 tackles, eight tackles for a loss and two sacks. This defensive tackle out of Kansas has a chance to elevate his stock into Day One of next April's draft with a strong finish.
Jason Shirley (Sr.), Fresno State
A monster in the middle, Shirley, who's listed at 6 foot 5, 330 pounds, has the ability to take over a game with his physical play. He can take on a double team with ease, shed blocks, and make a play in the backfield. Shirley has great strength and gains instant leverage against the opposition, making it almost impossible to block him one-on-one. He holds his ground well and is tough to knock to the ground. Shirley's another player with an interesting footnote as he missed the first two games of the season for conduct detrimental to the team. It's unknown what Shirley did, but since his return he's played in three games and has collected seven tackles, four tackles for a loss and two sacks. He's a good prospect with excellent size, but he lacks proper technique. He relies on his raw strength too much and gets worn down as the game moves forward, so he'll need some coaching and will need to improve his conditioning to be successful at the pro level.
Frank Morton (Sr.), Tulane
Morton is a huge defensive tackle with a lot of promise. At 6 foot 2, 331 pounds, Morton has the ideal size to be a dominant run stuffer. He has flashes of dominance, but then he'll fade and become inconsistent. He plays low, gains leverage, and gets a quick initial push. He gets good penetration, but has to improve his footwork to get off blocks better. Morton has good instincts, displays a good burst into the backfield and is a hard worker -- but he has to improve his technique. A high ankle sprain to start the season hampered Morton