Our backup NTs

[RashanGary]

Back injuries can obviously be nagging and end careers. Harrell is a naturally big, naturally powerful, instinctive defensive lineman with a good character and a drive to succeed. He was a great pick in theory that didn't pan out because of his nagging back injury that he didn't have until coming to the NFL.

It's too bad. I obviously thought he was going to be something special, but right now, I just don't know if he's ever going to get on the field consistently or ever be able to really lift the way he needs to, to be NFL strong.

We'll see. This might be the year. I have some hope. Listening to Waldo brings it back.

[KYPack]

Pryor from KY is way too small to be a 3-4 NT. Kid's got a vicious motor, but he's not NFL size, yet.

He's 6'0 319, and a couple of the taller guys ranked ahead of him are lighter. What do you expect him to do? Get taller?

Pryor isn't really a NT player. He's a 3 technique. This kid has an NFL motor. He hustles and gets the odd sack by using that hustle. He's the kind of guy who will root around and find a niche in the line and squirt thru. He uses everything he's got to make plays. Great attitude and all. He is not a power player. Has lots of trouble on a double team and doesn't really like playing on the centers hat.

Another thing about him that was troubling was his inability to play hurt. He would go when he was in there, but takes himself out with small hurts. if his toe or elbow is bothering him, he doesn't wanna play.

Now this is one of the few guys I saw play in college last year. You draft experts gotta give me some leeway. I watch about 90% less college ball than I used to. This is a guy I saw play, gimme my local knowlege on him.

You, Waldo, B-man, Harve and others are the draft kings, I yield to your power. Get outta my way and let me have my say on this one prospect, boys.

[rbaloha1]

Unsure if the backup nt are viable players for the scheme.

IMO Pickett should be fine at nt. How many plays per game RP is able to contribute given age and injury history remains to be seen.

Harrell is a de for this scheme due to his good feet for the position. DEs need to tie up blockers and keep feet moving allowing the lbs to fill gaps and make tackles. IMO Harrell fits the criteria and is wasted at ng.

NG is the key position in the 3-4. Height is irrelevant but weight matters due to the continual pounding on every play.

That was a nice list of prospects and maybe as the Sporting News projects Ron Brace is the pick in round 3.
Is Brace capable of playing nt?

The Kentucky player was a top performer in the SEC and faced continual double teams since he was their best player. Made plays and would be thrilled if selected. However does need to bulk up but appears to have the frame. Plays big as well.

[Lurker64]

Pryor isn't really a NT player. He's a 3 technique. This kid has an NFL motor. He hustles and gets the odd sack by using that hustle. He's the kind of guy who will root around and find a niche in the line and squirt thru. He uses everything he's got to make plays. Great attitude and all. He is not a power player. Has lots of trouble on a double team and doesn't really like playing on the centers hat.

But in Capers 3-4 defense, since it's a 1-gap assignment system for all of the DL, all Pryor would have to do is line up in either the 0-tech or the 1-tech and hit one A-gap or the other. Since you're not expecting him to control two gaps, wouldn't "rooting around and finding a niche to squirt though" be an advantage? I would venture that "has a lot of trouble on a double team" is something you can say about virtually every DT or NT prospect coming out in the draft, in all honesty.

Certainly, he's not as strong as he could be, but no rook is and they all get more powerful. But guys who can shoot gaps are valuable to a 1-gap 3-4 system (like Capers runs), but not so valuable to a 2-gap 3-4 system (like Belichick and his disciples run.)

Harrell is a de for this scheme due to his good feet for the position. DEs need to tie up blockers and keep feet moving allowing the lbs to fill gaps and make tackles. IMO Harrell fits the criteria and is wasted at ng.

Harrell actually fills a really valuable role in the 3-4, he's the DE that you can line up at NT for 10-20 plays a game in a pressure package or just to give the starting NT a breather, and he won't get you killed playing that spot. He's not going to be able to hold up at the nose the whole game, but he's going to be fine for a couple of dozen plays a game. Assuming Harrell is healthy, with the roster the way it is now, if Pickett has to come out for some reason, Harrell's the guy they slide in at Nose to replace him. He's probable that guy no matter who we draft at the NT position (Harrell handles a double team a lot better than any of the other NT prospects.)

[texaspackerbacker]

I like the fact that people are finally coming around to a positive point of view on Harrell, especially the dual use thing--rotating at both DE and NT.

We can still probably use a backup in the 3rd - 5th round in case Harrell can't stay healthy and to develop for after Pickett is gone.

[KYPack]

Pryor isn't really a NT player. He's a 3 technique. This kid has an NFL motor. He hustles and gets the odd sack by using that hustle. He's the kind of guy who will root around and find a niche in the line and squirt thru. He uses everything he's got to make plays. Great attitude and all. He is not a power player. Has lots of trouble on a double team and doesn't really like playing on the centers hat.

But in Capers 3-4 defense, since it's a 1-gap assignment system for all of the DL, all Pryor would have to do is line up in either the 0-tech or the 1-tech and hit one A-gap or the other. Since you're not expecting him to control two gaps, wouldn't "rooting around and finding a niche to squirt though" be an advantage? I would venture that "has a lot of trouble on a double team" is something you can say about virtually every DT or NT prospect coming out in the draft, in all honesty.

Certainly, he's not as strong as he could be, but no rook is and they all get more powerful. But guys who can shoot gaps are valuable to a 1-gap 3-4 system (like Capers runs), but not so valuable to a 2-gap 3-4 system (like Belichick and his disciples run.)

Yeah, maybe.

Who really knows, Pryor is a motor rather than power DT. He's the kind of kid who you really like, but he then you wonder where he went.

I know the party line is that Capers one gaps the DLine in his 3-4. I've mainly watched a lot of LeBeau's 3-4. LeBeau 2 gaps his interior guys, the NT and 1 or 2 DE's. The interior guys for LeBeau are spear carriers. The 2 OLB's are basically DLineman who one gap, blitz, and cover a little. I probably have to wait until i see some more on what Don is running now. I've always thought Capers and LeBeau ran the same scheme, but Don may have evolved to a different scheme since they've been apart. Hell, it's been 15 years since they coached together.

[pbmax]

I know the party line is that Capers one gaps the DLine in his 3-4. I've mainly watched a lot of LeBeau's 3-4. LeBeau 2 gaps his interior guys, the NT and 1 or 2 DE's. The interior guys for LeBeau are spear carriers. The 2 OLB's are basically DLineman who one gap, blitz, and cover a little. I probably have to wait until i see some more on what Don is running now. I've always thought Capers and LeBeau ran the same scheme, but Don may have evolved to a different scheme since they've been apart. Hell, it's been 15 years since they coached together.

Have you seen any one-gap? Because one of the tidbits Darren Perry revealed at his hiring was that the Steelers had not two gapped exclusively for a while, though that change had happened after Dom left. From a distance, that makes some sense since Harrison and esp.Woodley have good weight/size, the starting lineman are not huge by 3-4 standards. I know height/weight is not completely determinative. But when I read Perry's comment, I thought it explained the size chart Harvey came up with early, that showed esp. the Steelers playing a little lighter than the rest.