Rookie Predictions

[RashanGary]

Pickett plays more base NT than Raji
Raji plays more sub packages than Pickett
Raji will not play a lot more overall snaps than Pickett (they'll be about even and it will be a great rotation)

Matthews makes more big plays than Hawk and Barnett combined
Matthews gives up more big plays than Hawk and Barnett combined

Quinn Johnson starts at FB for the Packers for a long time

TJ Lang does not play a snap of offense all year

[HarveyWallbangers]

Snake: All-pro in year 2? It's my understanding that he never dominated in a weak Big East let alone become dominant in the NFL!!

Are you talking about Raji? 1) Boston College plays in the ACC--not the Big East, 2) That's just Bedard trying to look smart. Dude was first-team All-ACC. I think most would say he was pretty dominant.

[Lurker64]

Snake: All-pro in year 2? It's my understanding that he never dominated in a weak Big East let alone become dominant in the NFL!!

Are you talking about Raji? 1) Boston College plays in the ACC--not the Big East, 2) That's just Bedard trying to look smart. Dude was first-team All-ACC. I think most would say he was pretty dominant.

Boston College was also the #7 ranked rushing defense in the nation, allowing 91.2 yards per game and 2.81 yards per attempt.

[cheesner]

Snake: All-pro in year 2? It's my understanding that he never dominated in a weak Big East let alone become dominant in the NFL!!

Are you talking about Raji? 1) Boston College plays in the ACC--not the Big East, 2) That's just Bedard trying to look smart. Dude was first-team All-ACC. I think most would say he was pretty dominant.

Boston College was also the #7 ranked rushing defense in the nation, allowing 91.2 yards per game and 2.81 yards per attempt.

I think Raji will be a good player for us, I just think it takes a year or two for a NT to have an impact on a team. The 2 DTs chosen last year in the top 10 - Glen Dorsey and Sederick Ellis, did not set the world on fire:

DT 98 Ellis, Sedrick TCKL 30 SCK 4.0 FF 0 13 games
DT 72 Dorsey, Glenn TCKL 46 SCK 1.0 FF 1 16 games

Although, Raji is physically stronger/bigger than these guys, so maybe he contributes sooner.

[HarveyWallbangers]

The 2 DTs chosen last year in the top 10 - Glen Dorsey and Sederick Ellis, did not set the world on fire:

DT 98 Ellis, Sedrick TCKL 30 SCK 4.0 FF 0 13 games
DT 72 Dorsey, Glenn TCKL 46 SCK 1.0 FF 1 16 games

Although, Raji is physically stronger/bigger than these guys, so maybe he contributes sooner.

I'm not sure you can compare Raji to Ellis and Dorsey. Both played in 4-3 defenses. I hope he gives us Vince Wilfork/Haloti Ngata-like production, but it's possible he turns into a Dewayne Robertson-like bust.

[Partial]

IMO, Ellis and Dorsey are both better prospects. However, i'm hopeful! I can see Raji's quickness and strength being a huge mismatch against a few RTs on second and long.

[HarveyWallbangers]

IMO, Ellis and Dorsey are both better prospects.

Completely different. Both those guys are 4-3 DTs. They aren't big enough to play 3-4 NT. At best, they are 3-4 DEs. Probably not because they are even shorter than Raji. For our defense, without question, I'd take Raji over either of those guys.

[Partial]

I agree with Dorsey, but Ellis is listed as 310. He was thought to be a future nose tackle IIRC. Raji is a big dude, thats for sure. I hope it works out with him.

[mission]

I agree with Dorsey, but Ellis is listed as 310. He was thought to be a future nose tackle IIRC. Raji is a big dude, thats for sure. I hope it works out with him.

It's not about how much a guy weighs... at all. It's leverage, playing style, etc ...

Apples / Oranges

[Partial]

Agree 100%. I see Raji as more of a penetrator/3 technique kind of guy than an NT. Seems to me that Brace was the NT in BC.

I've read many blogs and accounts of him consistently getting pushed back because he wasn't strong enough to hold the point of attack. For comparison sake, most people then would comment how Haloti Ngata was virtually immovable.

I've said from day 1 I see Raji as an end in our D. I think that's where he'll get most of his snaps to start as he gets stronger and learns how to play inside.

[cheesner]

The 2 DTs chosen last year in the top 10 - Glen Dorsey and Sederick Ellis, did not set the world on fire:

DT 98 Ellis, Sedrick TCKL 30 SCK 4.0 FF 0 13 games
DT 72 Dorsey, Glenn TCKL 46 SCK 1.0 FF 1 16 games

Although, Raji is physically stronger/bigger than these guys, so maybe he contributes sooner.

I'm not sure you can compare Raji to Ellis and Dorsey. Both played in 4-3 defenses. I hope he gives us Vince Wilfork/Haloti Ngata-like production, but it's possible he turns into a Dewayne Robertson-like bust.

Understand the differences in the systems, but my point was that interior DL usually don't make big impacts early. And I think that would be true regardless of system. Ngata and Wilfolk prove my point also, here are their numbers:


G GS Total Solo Ast Sck SFTY PDef Int Yds Avg Lng TDs

NGATA
2008 16 16 55 43 12 1.0 -- 5 2 8 4.0 7 0
2007 16 16 63 43 20 3.0 -- 2 -- -- 0.0
2006 16 16 31 13 18 1.0 -- 0 1 60 60.0 60 0

Wilfolk
2008 16 16 66 45 21 2.0 -- 1 -- -- 0.0 -- -- 2007 16 16 48 36 12 2.0 -- 2 -- -- 0.0 -- --
2006 13 13 50 40 10 1.0 -- 1 -- -- 0.0 -- --
2005 16 16 54 40 14 0.5 -- 1 -- -- 0.0 -- --
2004 16 6 42 27 15 2.0 -- 3 -- -- 0.0 -- --

[HarveyWallbangers]

He'll be the NT. He doesn't get pushed back. He's a kind of a freak in that he's a big guy who can get penetration, but that doesn't mean he isn't an anchor on the inside like other 3-4 NTs. He's kind of unique. There aren't many guys you could project to be a 3-4 anchor at NT and a 4-3 DT that can get penetration. Like I said though, it doesn't guarantee him anything. Robertson was supposed to be a similar player. Raji may be too short to play a lot at DE in the 3-4.

Ellis isn't nearly as stout as Raji, and yet you think he's a future NT. What?

[Lurker64]

Raji needs a lot of coaching before he can really be counted on to be a complete NT. He plays his man more than his gap, and that usually results in having a problem of being off balance when he's double-teamed. This is basically the same problem with every college DT ever that gets drafted. It usually takes a year of coaching to get this corrected, but it's something that most guys learn.

Pickett's going to get the most of the snaps at NT this year, but Capers is definitely going to find something to do with Raji.

[HarveyWallbangers]

Ngata and Wilfolk prove my point also, here are their numbers:

It's somewhat useless judging a 3-4 NT on his stats. He's not going to get many sacks. He may not even get a lot of tackles. If he's really good, teams are going to double him every play. That still opens things up for the LBs. Honestly, I can't remember how well Ngata and Wilfork did their rookie years, but I think both at least contributed quite a bit.

[HarveyWallbangers]

Hard to judge Wilfork. They were in the top 6 in rushing defense both in the year before he arrived and his rookie year. He wasn't a full-time start that first year.

Baltimore was 9th in the league in rushing in 2005. They were 2nd in Ngata's rookie year--only behind Minnesota's ridiculously low total that year. They've been in the top 3 in all three years Ngata has played. He's started every game for the Ravens since he's been in the league. I think Ngata was a stud from the beginning.