Quote Originally Posted by Lurker64 View Post
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