Shea McClellin

[RashanGary]

I started watching his games. At first, I didn't love him. He doesn't explode off the screen or anything. The more I watched though, the more I liked him.

He's a very, very smart player. He does a great job setting the edge, forcing runners inside, and he does it without getting tied up. Once the runner commits back inside, McClellin has a way about his game where the blocker just can't get their hands on him and McClellin turns it inside to make big play after big play in the run game. As a pass rusher, he's more clever than purely dominant, but boy oh boy is he clever. On 3rd down, the guys blocking him look lost. He gets the blocking scheme to commit, then pulls some kind of trick on them. His stunts and delays are a thing of beauty.


I'm a big fan of how well he stays home, yet how well he makes plays while doing it.


I put McClellin over Upshaw because he's a far more natural player. He hides his intentions really well, plays within the defense really well, handles blockers really well, takes great angles. . . . He'd be a beautiful fit in our defense. He's the type of player who can confuse the shit out of the opposition. He'll be a real reliable 1st and 2nd down player and a friggin nightmare on 3rd down. Blockers are just lost with this guy.

He'll get engulfed at times by stud NFL OT's, all OLBs do, but he can hunker down and whether or not he can beat that blocker to make that many big plays in the run game, he always has his edge locked down before he does anything else and he'll funnel it inside.

Put me in the McClellin camp. He's sneaky good. Jennings had that sneaky good way about him. I think McClellin does too. Some guys just know what they're doing and how to hide what they're doing from the guy across from them.

He looks a lot like a Patriot type of defender to me. He'd look great in Green and Yellow too.

Fuckin stud. That's my opinion.

[Brandon494]

Friend of mine lives in Houson....said tonight on his ride home on their sports show, Houston officials discussed GB has talked to the, about swapping picks to ensure New England doesn't take Shea ahead of them. IF true, Thompson would be pissed to know word was leaked.

Well that pretty much guarantees that we will not be picking this guy, you think Ted is going to let info like that get out.

[Lurker64]

Well that pretty much guarantees that we will not be picking this guy, you think Ted is going to let info like that get out.

It's also possible that this is just "reasonable speculation" not based on a leak or anything, and since this trade will be easy to consummate based on the math (the difference between #28 and #26 is GB's fourth round pick less nine points) that if it makes sense, then Ted can pull the trigger.

I don't think this sort of thing will happen before the draft, since it's entirely possible there are three players Ted loves on the board at #26, so he'll let Houston take one, New England take the other, and whichever third player is there he still loves, but it wouldn't be surprising if they discussed it.

[RashanGary]

Call me old fashioned though, but I'd prefer a stud DE over a stud OLB any day of the week. Problem is, the stud DL go like hot cakes in the top 15 picks. You can nab a stud OLB in the end of the first round.

[Bretsky]

How many stud DE's are their in the NFL ? You honestly can't count too many. The miss ratio is incredibly high in the draft.

Lots of stud OLB's though and one will come between pick 28 and 40. You might get the 6th or 7th DL or the 2nd best OLB.

In Green Bay's Defense I don't think the DE is a shining star. The OLB's can be though.

[Lurker64]

How many stud DE's are their in the NFL ?

If you're talking about 5-technique defensive ends playing in the 3-4 defense, I would say there are two: Justin Smith and J.J. Watt, with Calais Campbell possibly getting there in a year or two. Being a DE in a 3-4 and making an impact in addition to executing your assigned responsibilities is pretty tough.

[Bretsky]

If you're talking about 5-technique defensive ends playing in the 3-4 defense, I would say there are two: Justin Smith and J.J. Watt, with Calais Campbell possibly getting there in a year or two. Being a DE in a 3-4 and making an impact in addition to executing your assigned responsibilities is pretty tough.

Completely agree; that's why if that OLB is there you grab him and fill the DE the next two rounds

[Lurker64]

I agree that a star 5-tech is a big deal, the thing is? You're not going to find one of those ready-made at #28. Justin Smith went 4th overall, J.J. Watt went 11th overall, Tyson Jackson who was supposed to be that guy (but isn't, at least not yet) went #3rd overall. You can bring one along over time, Calais Campbell is becoming elite-ish, but this is his fifth year in the league. If you want to look at what a 5-tech we draft this year would do for the defense, look at Cameron Heyward in Pittsburgh or Wilkerson in New York from last year (and that was a better 5-tech class at the top than this is.)

Even if we were to land an elite 5-tech prospect this year (which is pretty much limited to Cox or Brockers) you're not going to get that high end play from them this year, and I don't know about you, but I think we can win the Super Bowl this year if things break right. I think a solid OLB who can play right away does more to help the defense on the short term, and you can grow 5-techs with time and effort. So I would personally prefer to take a safe, ready OLB with upside in the first (Branch or McClellin) then throw a hundred thousand picks at 5-tech picks later in the draft (Give me Wolfe in the third, Akiem Hicks in the Fourth, and Markus Kuhn in the 7th) hoping to grow a Brett Keisel type prospect.

[Bretsky]

I agree that a star 5-tech is a big deal, the thing is? You're not going to find one of those ready-made at #28. Justin Smith went 4th overall, J.J. Watt went 11th overall, Tyson Jackson who was supposed to be that guy (but isn't, at least not yet) went #3rd overall. You can bring one along over time, Calais Campbell is becoming elite-ish, but this is his fifth year in the league. If you want to look at what a 5-tech we draft this year would do for the defense, look at Cameron Heyward in Pittsburgh or Wilkerson in New York from last year (and that was a better 5-tech class at the top than this is.)

Even if we were to land an elite 5-tech prospect this year (which is pretty much limited to Cox or Brockers) you're not going to get that high end play from them this year, and I don't know about you, but I think we can win the Super Bowl this year if things break right. I think a solid OLB who can play right away does more to help the defense on the short term, and you can grow 5-techs with time and effort. So I would personally prefer to take a safe, ready OLB with upside in the first (Branch or McClellin) then throw a hundred thousand picks at 5-tech picks later in the draft (Give me Wolfe in the third, Akiem Hicks in the Fourth, and Markus Kuhn in the 7th) hoping to grow a Brett Keisel type prospect.

Man the more film I watch of Branch the less I feel he's a safe pick. He looks stiff in the hips and a straight line pass rusher. He doesn't seem to change directions too well. McClellin seems to be safe, steady, and Aaron Kampmen like Tenacious. I saw you liked him more than Brooks Reed..I know you were not a fan of my Smash Mouth Texan
but
If he's better than Reed

You draft him at 28

[Lurker64]

McClellin seems to be safe, steady, and Aaron Kampmen like Tenacious. I saw you liked him more than Brooks Reed..I know you were not a fan of my Smash Mouth Texan
but
If he's better than Reed

You draft him at 28

The big difference? Reed is crazy, while McClellin is smart. Kid played everywhere on that BSU defense, and he never took himself out of a play. I also think he's more loose on his feet, he's played in space a lot in college.

[Bretsky]

The big difference? Reed is crazy, while McClellin is smart. Kid played everywhere on that BSU defense, and he never took himself out of a play. I also think he's more loose on his feet, he's played in space a lot in college.

That is an interesting but accurate comparison IMO

In Brooks Reed, I saw a combo of the personalities of Clay Matthews and Odell Smash Mouth Thurman....who clearly would have been a great player if not for the lack of a brain

In McClellin I see Aaron Kampmen with more talent

[RashanGary]

Odds are, the OLB will be the better player at this point in the draft. I know everyone talks about how much DE's don't matter in this defense, but boy, I tend to disagree with that. Maybe on 3rd down they're not as big of a deal, but on 1st and 2nd. . . . star DL get you to 3rd and long. Star OLB's finish it off. And it's not like star DL can't get after the passer too, especially on 3rd down when they can pin their ears back and shoot a gap.

To me, a great OLB makes splash plays throughout a game. A star DL consistently disrupts the offense. Star DL are so rare. You have to take them first. Problem is, everyone else probably already did. It's a rule in the NFL, you take the big guys when you can. I don't care what defense you play, if you have a monster on your DL, whether it be nose, 3-tech, 5 tech or 6/7. . . it means more than an OLB.

Put Suh as our DE and I'll bet we're better off than plugging a star OLB into our defense.

The great ones hold their gap responsibility and once they read pass, they can shove the OL straight back into the QB's lap or shed the block and make a play. The great ones are just more man than the guy across from them. On 1st down, the DL mean more. On 2nd down, the DL mean more, and on 3rd down, if that same DL can get after it, he can mean just as much as the OLB.

DL play seems greatly underappreciated here IM humble O. It's like every down is 3rd down in our minds and every DL is incapable of destroying a QB on 3rd down.

[RashanGary]

As far as the DL that are being considered at our spot, unless there is some guy who's off the radar that I haven't seen, I watched those guys play and they look like a bunch of slugs.

I'm with you, Lurker. We're going to have projects and junk to choose from. OLB is clearly the more likely position where we can make an impact.


But take nothing away from those DL. The monsters inside are the most important pieces you can get, bar none. You just aren't going to get them without a high pick or some serious friggin luck. Even with the high pick, you need some serious luck. They're just rare. That's all there is to it.

[Smidgeon]

How big is McClellin? As far as I was aware, I thought the other OLB needed to be the big, dominant run-stuffer who didn't need to be quite as agile as Clay.

[Brandon494]

How big is McClellin? As far as I was aware, I thought the other OLB needed to be the big, dominant run-stuffer who didn't need to be quite as agile as Clay.

cough cough Nick Perry

[Bretsky]

cough cough Nick Perry

not in a 3-4 IMO

[Brandon494]

not in a 3-4 IMO

Why is that? and why would Shea McClellin fit in a 3-4?

[Joemailman]

Why is that? and why would Shea McClellin fit in a 3-4?

McClellin has played both DE and OLB in a hybrid 4-3/3-4 setup at Boise, much like Clay Matthews did at USC. (I'm not saying he's as good as Matthews). Perry hasn't done that and fared fairly poorly in both the cone and shuttle drills at the Combine. Many people seem him as a better 4-3 DE prospect than a 3-4 OLB prospect.

[Lurker64]

Why is that? and why would Shea McClellin fit in a 3-4?

At Boise State McClellin played four positions: DE, OLB, ILB, and DT. He had a ton of responsibilities and played extensively on his feet. Perry is a guy who pretty much exclusively went up field and got after the QB. McClellin held the point, handled outside contain, dropped into coverage, and rushed the passer extensively. You can't just look at stats when you're comparing the two guys.

Though, my objection to Perry is largely that I don't think he *can* do the things that I've already seen McClellin do effectively (e.g. drop into coverage.)

Perry's great if you want a guy who can get after the passer and you don't ask him to do anything else. We're not looking for that guy. Perry's a 4-3 end exclusively IMO, unless you're a 3-4 team who wants to make an exception for an OLB who almost never drops into coverage (like Ware in Dallas). But the thing is, if we were going to have one of our OLBs go on every play, it would be Matthews not "the guy opposite Matthews." One of the two OLBs has coverage responsibilities on virtually every play. So Perry actually makes Matthews less effective as a pass rusher, whereas McClellin does not.

There's also the little issue that Perry said at the combine that he doesn't want to play in a 3-4 defense. I wouldn't be surprised if he's off the Packers' board for that reason.

[Lurker64]

FWIW, I do think that Akiem Hicks could become a monster DE for us, with some seasoning. If you look at the physical tools he's better than Brockers (he certainly was when they were both at LSU) it's just that he had to play in Canada since he was ruled ineligible due to recruiting violations. Give the kid a year or two and some good coaching and you've got a good one on your hands.

Brockers is 6050 322 with 35" arms, 19 bench reps, 5.36 40, jumped 30" and 98"
Hicks is 6045 318 with 35 1/8" arms, 26 reps, 5.23 40, jumped 31 1/2" and 108" .

One of those two guys is going to go in the top 20 on the basis of mediocre tape and upside. It's not the Canadian.