http://grantland.com/the-triangle/welcome-to-the-2015-nfl-draft-awards/
The Most Worrisome Comp That I Might Be the Only One Worried About
Dante Fowler and the Jaguars, a combination that gives off some weird Dion Jordan vibes to me. Their college production was remarkably similar, as they each had 14.5 career sacks across three seasons. Their scouting reports are remarkably similar, with both Jordan’s and Fowler’s highlighting their versatility and athleticism while expressing concerns about their ability to hold up against direct runs. They were great athletes and raw talents who needed to be molded into better football players.
The problem with Jordan, even beyond his suspensions, is that the Dolphins never found a consistent role for him on defense. He isn’t a good enough pass-rusher to play ahead of Olivier Vernon and Cameron Wake on the outside, but he isn’t polished enough to be a reliable coverage defender as a stand-up linebacker. Whether it is his inability to stay on the field, the coaching staff’s issues with developing his skills any further after he entered the league, or a problem with finding the right role for a guy who isn’t great at anything, Jordan has been a massive disappointment in Miami.
I’d be worried about the same happening with Fowler. There are more reasons to like him than Jordan — he has a wider range of pass-rush moves (even if they’re not refined), he’s better against the run, he seems to have more of a motor — but I’m still not sure how the Jaguars plan on using him. Fowler has suggested publicly that he’s going to fill the Leo pass-rushing role for Gus Bradley’s defense, but that doesn’t really seem to fit. Fowler is a great athlete, but as SB Nation’s Stephen White noted in his film review, Fowler didn’t really rush around the edge all that frequently at Florida. Using him as the Leo would also basically limit Fowler to pass-rushing, which would seem to go against the versatility that became his calling card at school.
It seems more plausible in the long run that Fowler will end up playing the Otto spot, which is closer to the role Bruce Irvin plays for the Seahawks. Seattle drafted Irvin hoping he could be its Aldon Smith, but Irvin has ended up as a disappointing mix of a decent pass-rusher and a competent outside linebacker, leading the Seahawks to pass on picking up his fifth-year option this offseason.
As the Otto, Fowler would serve as essentially a strongside linebacker near the line of scrimmage before transitioning into an edge rusher in clear passing situations. The Jaguars signed Dekoda Watson last offseason to play that role, giving him $1.5 million guaranteed in a three-year deal, and then released him after nine games and just one start. Jacksonville added Dan Skuta from San Francisco and expected to play him as its Otto this year, but in the long term, Fowler’s skill set fits best in that multifaceted role. If the Jags turn Fowler into a dominant pass-rusher, he’ll stay as a supersize Leo, because that’s where he’ll matter most. If he struggles to find a fit like Irvin or Jordan, though, the Jags may very well look back and wish they’d gone for the safer pick in Leonard Williams.
That suit, though? Can’t argue with that one bit.
NFL DraftJonathan Daniel/Getty Images
Oh … and the shoes, too.
NFL DraftJonathan Daniel/Getty Images
The Most Terrifying Talent Stack
Leonard Williams and the Jets, who found the draft’s most highly regarded player on the board at no. 6 and took him without worrying about how he would play in their defense. This is different from the situation I just mentioned with Fowler and the Jaguars. There’s an obvious fit for Williams in New York; he’ll be a 5-technique defensive end, which was always going to be his ideal landing spot. The problem is that the Jets are loaded at defensive end, where they already line up a pair of Pro Bowl–caliber ends in Muhammad Wilkerson and Sheldon Richardson. Defensive end was already the most impressive position on Gang Green’s roster; now, they’ve added the sixth overall pick to the mix.
I can understand hearing complaints about this from Jets fans who wanted the team to add an edge rusher or even another wideout, especially with Kevin White still on the board. But there are dumber things than building your team through a dominant defensive line. The cross-stadium Giants built their championship-winning teams from 2007 and 2011 on deep, athletic defensive linemen, beating the Patriots in a pair of Super Bowls by whipping their offensive linemen one-on-one. Todd Bowles blitzed as much as anybody during his time in Arizona, but if he can get pressure by rushing four, he would be foolish not to take it. When the Jets go into sub packages, Bowles will be able to mix and match his linemen to his heart’s content while keeping them fresh with steady rotations.
The other concern is over Wilkerson’s future. The Jets haven’t come to terms with the New Jersey native on a long-term contract, and there has naturally been post-draft speculation that the Jets selected Williams with the idea that he’ll replace Wilkerson in the starting lineup after Wilkerson eventually leaves town. I find that one hard to believe. Wilkerson is entering the final year of his rookie contract, during which he’ll make just under $7 million. The Jets can franchise him next year while paying him somewhere around $12 million, which wouldn’t be an unfair sum. Wilkerson can get more than that on the free market, but with that leverage, the Jets should be able to entice him to sign a lengthy extension. My suspicion is that Wilkerson will stay and Bowles will get the most out of his new charges.
The Most Worrisome Comp That I Might Be the Only One Worried About
The Most Worrisome Comp That I Might Be the Only One Worried About
Dante Fowler and the Jaguars, a combination that gives off some weird Dion Jordan vibes to me. Their college production was remarkably similar, as they each had 14.5 career sacks across three seasons. Their scouting reports are remarkably similar, with both Jordan’s and Fowler’s highlighting their versatility and athleticism while expressing concerns about their ability to hold up against direct runs. They were great athletes and raw talents who needed to be molded into better football players.
The problem with Jordan, even beyond his suspensions, is that the Dolphins never found a consistent role for him on defense. He isn’t a good enough pass-rusher to play ahead of Olivier Vernon and Cameron Wake on the outside, but he isn’t polished enough to be a reliable coverage defender as a stand-up linebacker. Whether it is his inability to stay on the field, the coaching staff’s issues with developing his skills any further after he entered the league, or a problem with finding the right role for a guy who isn’t great at anything, Jordan has been a massive disappointment in Miami.
I’d be worried about the same happening with Fowler. There are more reasons to like him than Jordan — he has a wider range of pass-rush moves (even if they’re not refined), he’s better against the run, he seems to have more of a motor — but I’m still not sure how the Jaguars plan on using him. Fowler has suggested publicly that he’s going to fill the Leo pass-rushing role for Gus Bradley’s defense, but that doesn’t really seem to fit. Fowler is a great athlete, but as SB Nation’s Stephen White noted in his film review, Fowler didn’t really rush around the edge all that frequently at Florida. Using him as the Leo would also basically limit Fowler to pass-rushing, which would seem to go against the versatility that became his calling card at school.
It seems more plausible in the long run that Fowler will end up playing the Otto spot, which is closer to the role Bruce Irvin plays for the Seahawks. Seattle drafted Irvin hoping he could be its Aldon Smith, but Irvin has ended up as a disappointing mix of a decent pass-rusher and a competent outside linebacker, leading the Seahawks to pass on picking up his fifth-year option this offseason.
As the Otto, Fowler would serve as essentially a strongside linebacker near the line of scrimmage before transitioning into an edge rusher in clear passing situations. The Jaguars signed Dekoda Watson last offseason to play that role, giving him $1.5 million guaranteed in a three-year deal, and then released him after nine games and just one start. Jacksonville added Dan Skuta from San Francisco and expected to play him as its Otto this year, but in the long term, Fowler’s skill set fits best in that multifaceted role. If the Jags turn Fowler into a dominant pass-rusher, he’ll stay as a supersize Leo, because that’s where he’ll matter most. If he struggles to find a fit like Irvin or Jordan, though, the Jags may very well look back and wish they’d gone for the safer pick in Leonard Williams.
That suit, though? Can’t argue with that one bit.
NFL DraftJonathan Daniel/Getty Images
Oh … and the shoes, too.
NFL DraftJonathan Daniel/Getty Images
The Most Terrifying Talent Stack
Leonard Williams and the Jets, who found the draft’s most highly regarded player on the board at no. 6 and took him without worrying about how he would play in their defense. This is different from the situation I just mentioned with Fowler and the Jaguars. There’s an obvious fit for Williams in New York; he’ll be a 5-technique defensive end, which was always going to be his ideal landing spot. The problem is that the Jets are loaded at defensive end, where they already line up a pair of Pro Bowl–caliber ends in Muhammad Wilkerson and Sheldon Richardson. Defensive end was already the most impressive position on Gang Green’s roster; now, they’ve added the sixth overall pick to the mix.
I can understand hearing complaints about this from Jets fans who wanted the team to add an edge rusher or even another wideout, especially with Kevin White still on the board. But there are dumber things than building your team through a dominant defensive line. The cross-stadium Giants built their championship-winning teams from 2007 and 2011 on deep, athletic defensive linemen, beating the Patriots in a pair of Super Bowls by whipping their offensive linemen one-on-one. Todd Bowles blitzed as much as anybody during his time in Arizona, but if he can get pressure by rushing four, he would be foolish not to take it. When the Jets go into sub packages, Bowles will be able to mix and match his linemen to his heart’s content while keeping them fresh with steady rotations.
The other concern is over Wilkerson’s future. The Jets haven’t come to terms with the New Jersey native on a long-term contract, and there has naturally been post-draft speculation that the Jets selected Williams with the idea that he’ll replace Wilkerson in the starting lineup after Wilkerson eventually leaves town. I find that one hard to believe. Wilkerson is entering the final year of his rookie contract, during which he’ll make just under $7 million. The Jets can franchise him next year while paying him somewhere around $12 million, which wouldn’t be an unfair sum. Wilkerson can get more than that on the free market, but with that leverage, the Jets should be able to entice him to sign a lengthy extension. My suspicion is that Wilkerson will stay and Bowles will get the most out of his new charges.
The Most Worrisome Comp That I Might Be the Only One Worried About
