As we’ve talked about all over this blog, the Lions new acquisitions along the defensive line seems to be designed to allow them to go another direction with their #2 overall selection. Though Kevin Ferguson of SideLion Report disagrees with me, I think this all but assures the Lions try to protect Matt Stafford by picking up OT Russell Okung. The truth is that the Lions need to protect their best QB prospect ever, and the tackles will go so fast and furious in Round 1 that all the elite pass protectors will be off the board.
We examined the consequences of the Lions going offensive tackle, rather than defensive tackle. And the key result seems to be that DT Gerald McCoy of Oklahoma will likely fall to the Kansas City Chiefs selection:
1. St. Louis Rams: QB Sam Bradford, Oklahoma
2. Detroit Lions: OT Russell Okung, Oklahoma State
3. Tampa Bay Buccaneers: DT Ndamukong Suh, Nebraska
4. Washington Redskins: QB Jimmy Clausen, Notre Dame
As the Lions go with Okung, this is most definitely going to be the fallout from that selection. And the Chiefs at this point are going to have a choice between the favorite of the Chiefs blogosphere, S Eric Berry of Tennessee, and McCoy.
Now we Chiefs fans are emotional creatures, and we have largely wedded ourselves so tightly to Eric Berry at this point that following our chances of picking him up has been a roller coaster. First, he was the frontrunner, then everybody started talking about Okung, then we started scratching our heads about McClain because of the Saban connection, but McClain has looked terrible in offseason workouts, so then it’s back to Okung who looked great, but the Lions seem set to take him now, leaving Berry as the frontrunner again.
At this point it would border on a personal affront to the Gods of Football should Pioli pass on Berry, for all we’ve been through in a single offseason.
But I assure you, Pioli’s obsession with defensive line does not share the emotional loyalty of a Chiefs fan.
More after the jump.
We know several important truths to keep in mind as McCoy gradually seems more and more likely to fall to Kansas City:
1. Scott Pioli does not want to go safety with the #5 overall. This was an argument that Peter King recently made, but considering his drafting history it’s pretty much a dead-on statement. Pioli is a positional value guy — and while Berry is one of the most phenomenal talents at safety that we’ve ever seen, safety isn’t as valued in the Parcells Tree as corner, defensive line, and passrushers.
2. Pioli rebuilds franchises by going DL first and foremost, and it’s not clear that he’s done with our defensive ends just yet. And it’s not clear that he’s happy at all with Alex Magee’s progress. And it’s not clear Dorsey’s his guy anymore. Loading up the defensive line with McCoy in the first round and (if he lasts) Terrance Cody in the second round would give this defense a Jackson-Cody-McCoy defensive line with a potential for talent and longevity that rivals what Warren-Wilfork-Seymour were able to do in New England.
3. Glenn Dorsey is on the trading block. We don’t know this for certain, but Dorsey’s strengths are not in the 3-4, they are in the 4-3. Dorsey is a one-gap penetrator who has somehow still developed the ability to be a brick wall against the run. Despite the fact that he is not made for this defense, he has managed to turn lemons into lemonade and became a crucial part of the unit by the end of the season. But Dorsey remains an awkard fit for the defense.
4. This team has holes everywhere. The best thing for this team this year might be a 2008-like stockpiling of Draft picks, and no player on the Chiefs trading block (with maybe the exception of Dwayne Bowe) would command better compensation than Glenn Dorsey. This is an incredibly strong Draft year paired with an incredibly weak free agency, so trying to pick up tons of selections is not a bad strategy.
5. Gerald McCoy can be a really good fit in the 3-4. Unlike Dorsey, McCoy is a great fit for the 3-4 defense. The above YouTube was McCoy (#93) playing against a good Florida offensive line, primarily from the end position. And he absolutely destroyed them, with deceptive athleticism and a toughness both against the run and the pass that will be extremely difficult to handle. Combined with his prototypical size/speed combo, this translates very well to the 3-4 end position. And Pioli would love spending his #5 overall on this position rather than going to a “lesser” position like safety.
6. The safety class is pretty deep this year. There is some outstanding talent available in the 2nd round this year. Jeremy listed off some of them, and I comprehensively reviewed the entire position back in February. We may not end up with Eric Berry, but Nate Allen, Chad Jones, or Morgan Burnett could be good value picks in the second round.
What say you, Addicts?
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