first pick: DLine

If we go DLine in the first - allowing for trade flexibility so not necessarily at #8/9 - who you like?

 

Coples is the best player, and it appears from the Sr Bowl that he's OK pouring it on when it matters (all games should matter). And he can rush from inside, which isn't a skill we don't have but he's better there. If you enjoy watching the Giants this weekend he might be your pick.

I still believe Upshaw relieves no fewer issues for us than Coples does, however. In any 4-3 over sets, or obviously any 3-4, he's going to be a killer, and on any 4-3 under he makes sense if you want a guy up against the TE. He's also that versatile, light rusher this defense needs. Only thing that gives me pause (certainly not the idea that we're supposed to have 3 healthy starters, since I don't buy that) is that Hightower fits a similar mold, might be as versatile or more (could play ILB obviously) and can still edge rush, play contain LB, and so on.

Ingram is a level below but he's not that far off Coples in playing style, would be a similarly good 5 tech and can set the edge. He loses a bit in athleticism and height but otherwise is a hefty rusher. I just wish the options were better for the 260 lb terror you'd want around there (Aldon Smith was a 7, Pierre-Paul was 15, Orakpo 13, Robert Quinn isn't in the same category but I'd even take a guy like him and that was 14), or that devastating inside guy (Raji was 9, Ngata was 12, you can't even bitch much about Fairley where he dropped, or Sedrick Ellis in that range who gave the Saints 12 sacks in his first three years).

No one's differentiated themselves at DT at all, and even the versatility that Coples and Upshaw bring come at lesser need spots where there's some duplication, and certainly the division can tell you about busted linemen in the top 15.

I don't know. But I still like Upshaw.

 

Upshaw doesn't fit the 4-3.

 

he's not a DL, would seem to be the better 'correction', but absolutely I see him fitting a 4-3.

 

How? I haven't seen anyone besides you say that he's capable of being a 4-3 linebacker, and many including myself don't see him being a 4-3 RDE. If the team decides to become primarily a 3-4 team then I'm fine with picking him because Upshaw is a dynamic player, but he really does not fit the 4-3. By all means, show me some links of draft analysts who think he fits as a 4-3 linebacker.

 

Ehh. Argue shades of shit elsewhere.

 

We can disagree, but I honestly haven't seen any sites projecting Upshaw as a 4-3 LB. Not one. Some mention him as a possible 4-3 RDE, but I personally don't like him there.

 

we've disagreed about almost everything about this - whether we just want to get pressure from a down four only, etc - to me, we don't, and that's gotta come from somewhere. It's unconventional 4-3, but this isn't a conventional 4-3.

 

UNC is now running something similar their 4-2-5 that includes a bandit OLB/WSDE and a Ram rover/safety type. I should have just said front 7 instead of DLine and it woulda been all good.

 

Fine, but I still haven't seen anyone besides you suggesting him as a 4-3 LB.