A.J. Hawk or M. Williams?

[2002 OLY packfan]

LINEMEN...LINEMEN...LINEMEN.
On both sides of the ball.
Defense first. Studs on the line mean more sacks and more hurries which leads to more takeaways. We were weak in these areas. It'll take the pressure off our lb's and db's (which we also need and can get lower in the draft). If we get healthy I think this one improvement alone will get us back to the second season.
Where's a good place I can go to find our rankings in these areas?

 

[wpr]

Where's a good place I can go to find our rankings in these areas?

Start here and you can get to all the teams stats for both offense and defense.

NFC team stats

 

[wpr]

Here is an interesting email I got from Craig Phephles author of the salary cap web site:

FYI...just in case you haven't seen these draft blurbs.
CP


Underclassmen entering draft ESPN.com

The following is a list of underclassmen who have delcared for the 2006 draft. Third-year college prospects have until Jan. 15 to notify the NFL of their intentions to enter the draft.

Underclassmen in 2006 NFL draft

Player School Pos. Year
Mario Williams N.C. State DE Jr.
Vernon Davis Maryland TE Jr.
Laurence Maroney Minnesota RB Jr.
Ray Edwards Purdue DE Jr.
Devin Hester Miami-FL RS/DC/WR Jr.
Bernard Pollard Purdue DS Jr.
Willie Hall Middle. Tenn. St. OT Jr.
Demetris Summers South Carolina RB So.
Michael Williams Texas College De Jr.

Draft Dish: It's declaration time
By War Room scouts Sporting News

With all of the college bowl games complete and the all-star games on the horizon, the big story this week in the crazy world of draft prognostication is the status of underclassmen and the prospective early entry declaration deadline of Jan. 15.

The first weekend in January is traditionally the big decision-making time for the prospects, their families, coaches and advisers to determine which way they will go. Several players love the hype and hoopla that surrounds this time -- it's much like the recruiting process out of high school. Much of the hubbub will be resolved with grandstanding press conferences announcing that the player will, in fact, stay in school.

By Monday, Jan. 9 you can expect that the field will take shape, and approximately 25 names will be announced as entering the draft. About 35-to-40 will enter their names by the deadline. About 10 will be desperate non-prospects who will throw their names in the hat anyway, most likely as a result of losing eligibility from academic or disciplinary issues.

Here's a breakdown of the declared, who might declare and who should remain undeclared:

DECLARED

1. Mario Williams, DE, NC State.
Possibly the top 2006 prospect at his position.
2. Santonio Holmes, WR, Ohio State.
Becomes the best wide receiver in a weak class.
3. Vernon Davis, TE, Maryland.
Passes UCLA's Marcedes Lewis as the top tight end.
4. Laurence Maroney, RB, Minnesota.
May be the second running back selected in the late first round.
5. Ray Edwards, DE, Purdue.
Disappointing season; should have stayed in school.
6. Devin Hester, CB, Miami (Fla.)
Speedster without a true position, but return skills may land him in Day 1.
7. Greg Lee, WR, Pittsburgh.
Coming off mediocre season; possession receiver projects as late Day 1.
8. Bernard Pollard, DE, Purdue.
Another Boilermaker who should have returned to West Lafayette.

READY TO DELCARE

1. Reggie Bush, RB, USC.
Is worthy of No. 1 overall pick.
2. Winston Justice, OT, USC.
Projects as top offensive tackle and a top-10 overall pick.
3. Ngata Haloti, DT, Oregon.
Possibly the top defenive tackle in an underwhelming class.
4. LenDale White, RB, USC.
Maroney and DeAngelo Williams hope he stays. No. 2 only to Bush.

BACK ON THE FENCE IN A BIG WAY

Vince Young, QB, Texas.
Prior to the Rose Bowl and Texas' 41-38 national championship victory, all indications were that Young had made up his mind and was staying in Austin. In fact, he has had many conversations, starting on Heisman weekend, with Matt Leinart about his decision to stay at USC.

Leinart did not enter the draft after his junior year in order to win another Heisman and another national championship and was confident that he would be the No. 1 overall pick in 2006 that he was certain to be if he came out after his junior season. All of that came to an end in Pasadena, however. Leinart lost the Heisman to Bush, USC did not win it all and it appears he won't be the first pick off the board in April.

In fact, now many observers think Young has a chance to leapfrog Leinart on the value board and be selected before him. Young will listen to Leinart's sage advice, but he will not follow it. Texas coach Mack Brown is a great recruiter, but he may be the one who convinces Young he is ready for the NFL. This one will not be announced until the deadline, so stay tuned.

ON THE FENCE, BUT SHOULD DELCARE

1. Gaines Adams, DE, Clemson.
Shows first-round potential.
2. Michael Bush, RB, Louisville. May also be drafted ahead of Maroney and Williams.
3. Kyle Young, C, Fresno State. Would edge out Minnesota's Greg Eslinger as the draft's top center.
4. Leonard Pope, TE, Georgia.
Lean year for tight ends after Davis and Lewis.

ON THE FENCE, BUT SHOULDN'T DECLARE

1. Joe Thomas, OT, Wisconsin.
Knee injury suffered in Capital One Bowl clouds status.
2. Paul Posluszny, OLB, Penn State.
Knee injury suffered in Orange Bowl clouds status.
3. Ahmad Brooks, ILB, Virginia.
Various injuries contributed to inconsistent season.
4. Kai Parham, ILB, Virginia.
Would be an old-school inside linebacker in a new-school NFL.
5. Ashton Youboty, CB, Ohio State.
Needs another year in the weight room.
6. Patrick Willis, ILB, Mississippi.
Would be more highly-rated when the position is weaker next year.
7. Brian Calhoun, RB, Wisconsin.
Explosive talent, but backfield pool already is too crowded.

War Room scouts analyze NFL and college players, coaches and teams for the Sporting News.

 

[dhpackr]

sorry javon, but i just don't think aaron rodgers will be brett's replacement. maybe i'm wrong, but i hate the way rodgers throws the ball, by holding it up by his ear.

if bush, hawk, mario williams, lienhart are gone, and young is the best player there, we should take him. trade rodgers, for say a third round pick, and draft the best player available w/that pick.

i wouldn't draft lienhart, if he is the only one left at five, mario, hawk, bush, and young are gone, then i'm all for trading down and getting more picks. there are many teams that would be willing to trade up for matt.

 

[billv]

Neither of the two quarterbacks will be left. New Orleans and the Jets will each take one. The question remains which defensive player to draft.

 

[HatestheEagles084]

i wouldn't draft lienhart, if he is the only one left at five, mario, hawk, bush, and young are gone, then i'm all for trading down and getting more picks. there are many teams that would be willing to trade up for matt.

there will be many teams wanting to trade up for Vince Young...i say we look at that, trade down a few, and still end up with Kiwi or Ngata

 

[dhpackr]

i wouldn't draft lienhart, if he is the only one left at five, mario, hawk, bush, and young are gone, then i'm all for trading down and getting more picks. there are many teams that would be willing to trade up for matt.

there will be many teams wanting to trade up for Vince Young...i say we look at that, trade down a few, and still end up with Kiwi or Ngata

i wouldn't trade young, sorry friend, i feel this guy is way to talented to pass over.

 

[dhpackr]

Neither of the two quarterbacks will be left. New Orleans and the Jets will each take one. The question remains which defensive player to draft.

and i like hawk over mario. everyone thinks mario will be a stud like javon kearse and julius pepers. so i guess if we draft mario or aj, we will be making a smart move. i like hawk b/c the thought of barnett and hawk together w/all that speed will ensure a top 10 defence.

i feel lber is weaker than the packs defensive line right now. i'd like to play hawk or barnett at sam lber next season.

 

[HatestheEagles084]

i wouldn't trade young, sorry friend, i feel this guy is way to talented to pass over.

i know everyone is still mezmerized over the rose bowl, i'll let you guys come down from that euphoria...and in another month or two people will see things my way again

 

[DePack]

Brady Quinn is a junior and not coming out this year. If he was......I'd take him over anybody.

 

[GakkofNorway]

And you have watched lots of Brady Quinn film?

Aaron Rodgers was better in college than Brady Quinn is, why the hell would we need Quinn?

I would rather draft someone like Bruce Gradkowski or Basanez in the later rounds than using another high pick on a rookie QB.

 

[wpr]

HEY DEPACK<
ARE YOU GOING UNDER THE PEN NAME "SKY913" ON WEBSHOTS?? :wink:

Brady Quinn
sooo hot... we were in the front row, but on the other side of the field. God he's hot
by sky913

 

[DePack]

Do you even follow football? Not that soccer ****....I mean real football. Brady Quinn will be the number 1 pick in the draft next year. He will have two years of Charlie Weis prepping him for the NFL. He is bigger, stronger, faster, has a better arm and just as smart as Rodgers.

And yea....if you need film of him, I've got it. Besides, I was just pointing out to Javon that he was not coming out this year. Damn!

 

[GakkofNorway]

but you said you would take him over anyone if he came out, he wouldn't have been the best QB in the draft this year.

Also, he would likely become the 1st overall draft pick next year, because most of the talent in college football is in this years draft. I think if you'd put next years Brady Quinn into this years draft, he wouldn't have been #1.

I doubt next years draft will be so full of talent.

There are at least five players in this draft that could have gone as #1.

and btw, Rodgers will have 2 years of NFL experience, not 2 years of college football charlie weiss experience, and that is worth much more, he will be bigger, stronger than before, and a hell of a lot smarter than Quinn.

 

[DePack]

wpr....actually my pen name is Heywood Jablomi.


Although my daughter thinks he's pretty hot.

 

[dhpackr]

i wouldn't trade young, sorry friend, i feel this guy is way to talented to pass over.

i know everyone is still mezmerized over the rose bowl, i'll let you guys come down from that euphoria...and in another month or two people will see things my way again

i just feel young has size, strength, a good arm, and will be a geat NFL qb.

p.s. i live real close to allentown.

 

[TOPackerFan]

Brady would be the best NFL prospect in the draft this year if he came out. I'd take him over anyone, including Reggie Bush, but he's staying in school.

BTW, Quinn's sister is gorgeous (good reason to draft AJ Hawk IMO).

 

[warhawk]

IMO it will either be Hawk or Williams and now that Young has declared at least one will be available and probably both with Bush, Leinert, Young, and Ferguson leading the way. I don't think Houston will stay with Bush having signed their RB to a 21+ mil contract but thats for another thread.
IF Bates is HC or back as D coordinator I would lean to Hawk as he is an exact fit to Bate's schemes and the position is more in need. We have(and I am assuming something here that we will sign Kamp) and we have KGB which is better talent than we have at outside linebacker.
An interesting twist would be to trade down and end up with a MLB that they like, get more players, and move Barnett outside but I don't think TT is afforded the position of gambling like that.
Another opinion I have is forget CB. They will not give away the time invested in Carroll who showed promise in the second half of the season nor do they have the time to bring along a rookie. TT won't go there at least not early.
Forget guard (at least early) in the draft but I do think it should be a BIG priority to go after a FA. I don't care if TT likes going the FA route or not he needs to go there now or our running game will still be squat and our QB dead.

 

[HatestheEagles084]

Another opinion I have is forget CB. They will not give away the time invested in Carroll who showed promise in the second half of the season nor do they have the time to bring along a rookie. TT won't go there at least not early.
Forget guard (at least early) in the draft but I do think it should be a BIG priority to go after a FA. I don't care if TT likes going the FA route or not he needs to go there now or our running game will still be squat and our QB dead.

our second round pick will be a key piece to our puzzle--there will be some good players available (this is why I am in favor of trading down from #5 and getting another pick in that round)

(if we go d-line) *LB--there will be some good ones open, Abdul Hodge, Ernie Sims, etc.

*CB--forget CB...in the first round, meaning eliminate Jimmy Williams from our equation...but after Harris and Carroll, we have nothing, Hawkins is a big question mark...Jason Horton sucks, period...Penn State's Alan Zemaitis, close to 6'2, a three year starter, up against big ten competition, great technique, i'd like to see him with the packers

*O-line...2nd round...Max Jean-Giles or Latsui from SoCal could be around, good guards--I think we have a starter in Whitticker, but someone to replace the mess at the other guard position occupied by Wells/Ruegammer/Klemm...if not that, 3rd round perhaps

*Running back...I say we get someone in the middle rounds to take some of the load off of Gado so he can make it thru a 16 game schedule...I love Louisville's Micheal Bush, one big dude...UCLA's Maurice Drew is worth a 3rd round pick too, his stock might rise though

 

[Ryan]

Do you even follow football? Not that soccer ****....I mean real football.

:shrug: :looks down at his NISOA windbreaker:

Guess I should quite refereeing D1 games then... ah well...

 

[wpr]

wpr....actually my pen name is Heywood Jablomi.


Although my daughter thinks he's pretty hot.

DP,
I absolutely love it. Great reply! I should check with my daughter as well. She's a Jr this yr too. If she could land "HIM" maybe I could retire. Hmmmm....

 

[warhawk]

JavonWalker084,
I agree that depth at CB is an issue but Jimmy Williams is overkill for the Pack when talent wise we have to consider the No.1 concern being linebacker and No. 2 being D-line or end as far as the "D" goes. I could see a guard pick later in there somewhere but it's not likely we could get someone in there as a rook that could be trusted. I mean a player that could greatly improve the line. Thats why I say a FA there. Whittaker did o.k. but I personally cringe at the thought of Whittaker and a rookie at the guard spots next year. That smacks of what we saw in '05.
I'm strictly talking first round priorities here based on the thread and I guess my point is that BOTH Hawk and Williams may be there and certainly we will go with one or the other. But which one? I say this as TT doesn't have the backing to go radical and think outside the box here. IF he did and traded down to get more players for the greater good and took Jimmy Williams at CB and passed on the linebackers and ends available in this draft I will go on record to say he won't be ALIVE for the '06 season.

 

[HatestheEagles084]

JavonWalker084,
I agree that depth at CB is an issue but Jimmy Williams is overkill for the Pack when talent wise we have to consider the No.1 concern being linebacker and No. 2 being D-line or end as far as the "D" goes. I could see a guard pick later in there somewhere but it's not likely we could get someone in there as a rook that could be trusted. I mean a player that could greatly improve the line. Thats why I say a FA there. Whittaker did o.k. but I personally cringe at the thought of Whittaker and a rookie at the guard spots next year. That smacks of what we saw in '05.
I'm strictly talking first round priorities here based on the thread and I guess my point is that BOTH Hawk and Williams may be there and certainly we will go with one or the other. But which one? I say this as TT doesn't have the backing to go radical and think outside the box here. IF he did and traded down to get more players for the greater good and took Jimmy Williams at CB and passed on the linebackers and ends available in this draft I will go on record to say he won't be ALIVE for the '06 season.

no no i agree with you, i think you misunderstood my post...jimmy williams isn't in the picture for the first round pick--at least i hope not

If we trade down...Kiwanuka or Ngata will probably be there, and I think that we can get a solid middle linebacker (AJ Hawk = Outside), either Abdul Hodge or D'Qwell Jackson in the second round--and finally move Barnett to weakside--something that will strengthen this defense enormously--figure youre upgrading at two positions as compared to just one

I'm not saying pass on AJ Hawk because he might not be a great inside linebacker as compared to outside--I'm a big Ngata fan, I'm also a fan of this draft and I think it would be in our best interest to possibly acquire another second round pick, a lot of holes can be filled right there

If Brady Quinn joins Vince Young, the top defensive prospects (kiwi, ngata) might be pushed down to near #10

 

[TOPackerFan]

When is the deadline for juniors to declare? I thought it was last Friday, but I'm pretty sure that Young came out on Saturday so I'm obviously wrong.

 

[dhpackr]

i wouldn't trade young, sorry friend, i feel this guy is way to talented to pass over.

i know everyone is still mezmerized over the rose bowl, i'll let you guys come down from that euphoria...and in another month or two people will see things my way again

VY can run, throw, and has great size and athletisism, so i think in a few months, years, whatever, young will be productive.