DE's in recent drafts

[CookieG]

Some stats on DE's taken late in round 1 in recent drafts:

2002 Round 1 #22 Bryan Thomas NYJ - 1st yr. 9 tackles, 0.5 sacks

2000 Round 1 # 26 Erik Flowers Buf - 1st yr. 20 tackles, 2 sacks

1999 Round 1 #20 Eb. Ekuban Dal. - 1st yr. 23 tackles, 2.5 sacks
Round 1 #22 Lamar King Sea. - 1st yr. 12 tackles, 2 sacks
Round 1 #29 Dimitrius Underwood Min. - enough said
Round 1 #30 Pat Kernet Atl. - 1st yr. 25 tackles, 2.5 sacks

In the 1999 draft New England took Damien Woody, a center, with the 17th pick. He went 17th despite the fact that 5 QB's went in the first 12 picks, thereby ensuring the availability of top players at almost every other position. Was Woody that good? Yes. Is Jeff Faine that good? Stay tuned.

[buffmaniac]

Yikes! this Jeff Faine thing will never end. I can't wait for the draft so that the Bills can take a dlineman or a CB in first round and we can just put this Faine stuff behind us.

[angneli]

We have a Center. Jennings can also play center. If your going to draft one do it when you can get vince carter of oklahoma. Not our biggest need this year.

[zanthrax54]

ya, i'm definitely saying we should solidify the third CB spot and what happens if Winfield or Clements goes down for a significant amount of time? Are we gunna start Thomas? or maybe invite Watson back...DRAFT A CB

[CookieG]

Teague, Brown or Sullivan go down with injury, C/G becomes our biggest need.

[buffmaniac]

Well what if Bledsoe gets hurt or Henry or Moulds. We could do this all day. Injuries happen. Right now though dline and CB are two thinnest spots especially considering the amount of people you need for those two spots.

[RustySabre]

With the 23rd pick of the 2003 draft, the Buffalo Bills select.............. a backup center?

[N.Y. Orangeman]

Actually, if Teague went down, Jennings would slide to Center and Price to RT, assuming Billy Contaty is not resigned.

If Brown went down, Price slides into the LG.

If Sullivan went down, Price slides into the RG.

[Mouldsie]

M. Price is awesome.

[CookieG]

So the best arrangement is as follows: a OT plays center unless injury forces us to play another OT at center. Brown plays G unless injured and replaced by an OT. Sullivan, drafted as a OT plays G unless injured and replaced by an OT. Why not have Van Pelt replace Peerless Price and Sam Adams back up Bledsoe?
We wouldn't draft a back-up center at #23 but the pro-bowl center for the next decade who starts on day 1, maybe.

[gwillrich]

If I remember correctly, we signed Conaty as an undrafted free agent at the Center position. I'm guessing we could probably do the same with another Center this year to address this glaring weakness that has some posters so deeply concerned.

We've also had a number of decent backup guards in our last few training camps. I'm guessing we could shore up depth at that position pretty easily by bringing one of those guys back or drafting a young guard on draft day 2.

If TD says Faine is the man, I'll be more than happy to see him taken. Otherwise, I'm not going to lose a lot of sleep about our depth at Center.

[RustySabre]

Originally posted by CookieG

We wouldn't draft a back-up center at #23 but the pro-bowl center for the next decade who starts on day 1, maybe.

So he would start then? Hard to believe such a prospect will be available at #23, seeing the position is so thin. A potential Pro-Bowl center, in this years draft, lasting that long? I don't see it happening.

[Mouldsie]

there have been a lot of good DE's drafted too you guys...

[dapimp1213]

Rebuttal....

2002 Draft:
1st Rd. Pick #11 Dwight Freeny- 1st Year:16games (8 Starts), 13 Sacks (3rd in the league)
1st Rd. Pick #23 Charles Grant- 1st Year: 16games (6 Starts), 7 Sacks, 1 TD

2nd Rd. Pick #35 Kalimba Edwards- 1st Year: 16games (4 Starts), 6.5 Sacks

2001 Draft:
1st Rd. Pick #7 Andre Carter- 1st Year: 15games (15 Starts) 6.5 Sacks (12.5 Sacks 2nd Season
2nd Rd. Pick #46 Aaron Schobel- 1st Year: 16games (11 Starts), 6.5 Sacks (8.5 Sacks 2nd Season).
3rd Rd. Pick #63 Derrick Burgess- 1st Year: 16games (4 starts) 6 Sacks

2000 Draft:
1st Rd. Pick #12 John Abraham- 1st Year: 4.5 Sacks. 2nd Year: 13 Sacks. 3rd Year: 10 Sacks
1st Rd. Pick #13 Shaun Ellis- 1st Year: 8.5 Sacks
2nd Rd. Pick #33 Darren Howard- 1st Year: 11 Sacks. 2nd Year: 6 Sacks. 3rd Year: 8 Sacks

1999 Draft:
1st Rd. Pick #16 Jevon Kearse- 1st Year: 14.5 Sacks. 2nd Year: 11.5 Sacks. 3rd Year: 10 Sacks.




....I could go on, but i think you get my point!

[CookieG]

Excellent post, proving that if you don't get a DE early in the draft
(before the 20th pick), you are just as likely to get a good player in round 2 as you are picking at the end of round 1. With the DL depth in this years draft, round 2 and even 3 should yield a decent defensive lineman. In round 1 we should grab a player at a position that will not yield a decent player later in the draft.

[MarcP]

Folks unless there is an outstanding player that slips through to 23 we will be trading down.We could use some depth on offense and LB plus a #3CB or backup RB. So I look for TD to do the wise thing and trade down. Pick up a 2 and 3 would give us a lot of options.

[Henry4MVP]

Originally posted by CookieG
Excellent post, proving that if you don't get a DE early in the draft
(before the 20th pick), you are just as likely to get a good player in round 2 as you are picking at the end of round 1. With the DL depth in this years draft, round 2 and even 3 should yield a decent defensive lineman. In round 1 we should grab a player at a position that will not yield a decent player later in the draft.

Neither one of the two "stats" posts PROVE anything. The draft is always a crapshoot. You can do things to put the odds in your favor, but you just never know.

[Mouldsie]

I trust TD to pick us a stud.


Don't forget Julius Peppers! He had a great 1st year until his suspension.

[quigs]

TD wont take a DE there if he's gonna be a bust. If he keeps the pick, he'll get one hell of a player--no matter what position. If there's no one left worth taking, he'll just trade it for more picks. Since there's no overwhelming need really, I have a feeling he'll trade back a few spots, pick up another pick or two, and take a d-lineman with his first selection.