How do the NTs rate, according to The Huddle Report

MrClean · Apr 6, 2010

Just for your fun and perusing, here are some profile from The Huddle Report on NTs we may consider. While we may not all agree word for word with Drew Boylhart, I find his colorful writing style to make for enjoyable reading.
First, Dan Williams;

Dan Williams DT Tennessee

STRENGTHS

Dan is a big, strong Defensive Tackle with excellent foot speed and quickness for a player of his size. He has the strength to push the pocket when rushing the QB and the athletic talent to engage and shed his blocker and make a tackle when defending in the running game. Dan has the quickness to split a double team and get into the back field and disrupt the blocking assignments of any pulling offensive line. He can play in a one gap system or a two gap system. He can also play nose tackle in a 3-4 defense. Dan has some solid pass rushing moves and will get sacks from the defensive position. He has the talent to play DT in any style of defense. Dan reminds me a lot of Vince Wilfork (DT New England Patriots).

NEEDS TO IMPROVE

Dan just needs to keep working as hard as he has this year to improve. He will need to work on his physical stamina for the next level. The more plays Dan is on the field, the more he will be able to impact. Dan has the abilities to be a hell of a DT for the team that drafts him.

BOTTOM LINE

Because of Dan's size and quickness and good lateral agility he can play multiple positions in any style of defense for you. I have no doubt that he could be a DE in a 3-4 defense also because of his quickness off the line and lateral agility. Dan is as close to a finished product that you can get at the college level for his position. He has the speed to catch most QB's from behind when they break the pocket, which is surprising for a person who is as large as he is. Let me tell you, when you see Dan on film start to chase down a QB from behind, it's like sitting on a boat and staring at a stunt plane as you think it is diving into the horizon when in all actuality, it just dove directly into the lake your boat was sitting on. It looks like it's all not happening in real time. That's why I call him Dan (Real Time) Williams because it looks like Dan is not playing in real time.

Drew Boylhart 11/09
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http://www.thehuddlereport.com/ppSD/protected/2010DRAFT/PlayerProfiles/Dan.Williams.htm

MrClean · Apr 6, 2010

Brian Price:

Brian Price DT UCLA

STRENGTHS

Brian has excellent athletic ability along with size and strength to play his position. He could play in a 4-3 defensive front or be a nose guard in a 3-4 defensive front. He has great lateral agility to shut down an opponent's running game. He's willing to do the dirty work and funnel plays to his teammates to make the tackles. Brian shows excellent quickness to rush the passer. He has good feet as well as balance and can be used in a 1-gap or 2-gap system as a run stuffer or pass rusher. Brian's ability to be able to play in any style defensive front as a pass rusher or run stuffer makes him worthy of being considered early in the first round.

NEEDS TO IMPROVE

Physical stamina is always a concern with players who are as big and as physical as Brian. Character is also an important consideration for first round draft candidates. Brian will have to have good workouts to convince some people of his talents -- not me, but others. When I watch Brian play, I see a player who has a strong personality to go along with his size, strength and versatility.

BOTTOM LINE

Brian looks to be a strong willed kid that plays football because it gives him the self-esteem that he needs to be successful. Some players play for money, some for the adulation of the fans -- Brian plays for respect. The respect of his peers, the fans, the press, and his coaches. Money will be a part of that respect, but it will not be everything. Brian shows leadership skills; just know that if you disrespect him, he will use those leadership skills to lead a team right down the field the wrong way. This kid has excellent talent and is the type of player you can build your defense around. He is not a boom or bust player as far as his play on the field. He is a boom or bust player if you do not respect him or if he has problems with how you coach him. This could make him very disruptive in the locker room. He reminds me a lot of Ted Washington, former DT for a number of championship teams. I believe after Brian works out, there will be teams in the top ten that will be interested in drafting him. Brian's athletic talents and ability to play in multiple defensive fronts as a pass rusher and run stuffer would be hard for me to pass up if I was a top ten team and needed a multi-talented Defensive Tackle. They are too hard to find with this type of talent.

Drew Boylhart 1/10
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http://www.thehuddlereport.com/ppSD/protected/2010DRAFT/PlayerProfiles/Brian.Price.htm

MrClean · Apr 6, 2010

Linval Joseph:

Linval Joseph DT East Carolina

STRENGTHS

Linval is a large, athletic defensive lineman who has excellent strength and balance to become a Pro Bowl defensive lineman for the team that drafts him. He has excellent feet and is quick enough to rush the passer, handle a double team and still make a tackle or fight through it to pressure the QB. Linval works well with his defensive linemen and gives good effort on every play. His techniques are very mature for a college player when playing in either a 1-gap or 2-gap defensive line systems. Linval is athletic enough to be used as a DE in a 3-4 defense because of his burst off the line, his ability to run players down and his change of direction skills. In short, Linval is one of the best defensive tackles in this draft and it will be very hard to keep this kid from becoming the player his potential suggests that he can become.

NEEDS TO IMPROVE

Linval has been playing with a group of Seniors that are very good players and very well coached. The question for Linval is, once this emotional structure is gone, how will Linval deal with the pressure of money and being the man that everyone looks to for impact? The answer to this will be the key to him becoming the top player his talent suggests that he can become.

BOTTOM LINE

Linval has as much talent to impact for the team that drafts him as Ndamukong Suh. That's right, he has that type of talent. The difference is that Linval has been surrounded by players who are as good and the coaching for the front four on this team is outstanding. Linval has not had to carry his team in the same way Suh has. When Linval goes out for a rest, some pretty good players come in to replace him and impact for his college team. That takes a lot of pressure off Linval mentally and emotionally, which means that he can make plays as they come to him rather than have to make a play that his team needs him to make at important times in a game. Linval did not need to be the focal point of his college teams defense and he did not have to carry his team to victory on his play alone. That's the difference between Ndamukong Suh and Linval. I think this kid will do it and become a player you make your defense around because he has seen how it is done: Linval has played with some great players and has had excellent coaching who have all shown him the way. This kid is going to be a hell of a football player. I call him Linval (Baby Suh) Joseph because he has the talent of the great Kong, but he hasn't been forced to use it like Ndamukong because he has been cocooned with excellent talent around him.

Drew Boylhart 2/10
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http://www.thehuddlereport.com/ppSD/protected/2010DRAFT/PlayerProfiles/Linval.Joseph.htm

MrClean · Apr 6, 2010

Mount Cody:

Terrence Cody DT Alabama

STRENGTHS

Terrence has remarkable athletic talent for his size. He is quick and strong and plays the game of football with power and passion. He shows excellent straight line quickness and must be double teamed by opponents to run the ball effectively against his college team. Terrence shows quick feet along with good effort and can be very disruptive when he gets into the back field. He is at his best in goal line situations because of his quickness and strength to move the line of scrimmage to his advantage. Terrence plays football with the same athletic talent as Ted Washington and the passion of William (The Refrigerator) Perry.

NEEDS TO IMPROVE

With all of his talent and passion, there are a ton of question marks about Terrence and his ability to consistently be successful at the next level. The first question is his work ethic. Right now he is a better athlete than the players he is up against and that will not be enough at the next level. He has a tendency to play to the level of his competition. He is carrying too much weight, which will affect his quickness off the line of scrimmage and add to potential injuries. I'm not sure how coachable this kid is. He just plays without much thought to what his responsibilities are. Right now, he is playing for the cameras. It is concerning to me that, even with all of his talent, he is being used in a rotation system until he loses weight.

BOTTOM LINE

When you look in the dictionary for the meaning of a boom or bust player I suspect you will see Terrence Cody's picture and no need for a definition. It's just that simple. The best thing that could happen to this kid would be if he is drafted much later than most people will rate him. That might give him the chip on his shoulder that I feel he will need to fulfill his contractual obligations for the team that drafts him. Right now, Terrence is marching to the beat of his own drum and doing it while he is playing for a very tough minded coach. The Alabama coaching staff has only been able to get through to this kid by suggesting to Terrence that he will only be an every down lineman when he loses weight. Terrence has decided that when he is good and ready he will get into better shape and he really doesn't care if he is on the field all the time or not. Here is the catch... I suspect the closer we get to the big games, the more weight this kid will lose and then you will see him on the field more often. Terrence recently has been taking his helmet off whenever he makes an impact play in a game. He has been running at full speed off the field after he makes an impact play. There is a reason for this, but for me, that reason works opposite of what I feel Terence is trying to accomplish. I'm not impressed by these actions because I suspect those actions are being done to play to the cameras and make Terence a higher draft choice then he deserves to be -- smart kid, maybe too smart. Terence's enormous athletic talent is not in question for me. For me the question is will Terence fulfill his contractual obligations or will he show up only when he feels he should show up? Will Terrence be coachable and will he be in control of his weight so that he can stay on the field injury free? Is Terence interested in learning his responsibilities or will he continue to just play the way he wants to play. Will Terence change his work ethic, learn how to work with his teammates and develop better defensive lineman moves?. All of these things Terence can do whenever he wants to. The problem will be when does he want to? Ted Washington had these same problems when he first came into the league and even with all of his athletic talent jumped around from team to team because of his attitude. Ted Washington made every defensive line better with every team he played with. I know Terrence will go to the combine and impress every one with his amazing athletic talent but it is not his athletic talent that I question. Remember... it takes more than talent to play in the NFL. Terrence has first round talent, but fourth round question marks. That makes him a perfect 2nd round draft choice for me.

Drew Boylhart 11/09
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http://www.thehuddlereport.com/ppSD/protected/2010DRAFT/PlayerProfiles/Terrence.Cody.htm

MrClean · Apr 6, 2010

Arthur Jones:

Arthur Jones DT Syracuse

STRENGTHS

Arthur is a big, strong 2-gap run stuffing defensive tackle. He has a lot of strength and does a nice job engaging and shedding his man to make a tackle. He shows good lateral agility and strength to cover and handle the 2 gap responsibilities. Arthur looks to be a solid teammate and does have some pass rushing abilities; however, his impact for the next level will be in stopping the run. He should be very good run stuffer.

NEEDS TO IMPROVE

Arthur doesn't have that burst off the line and the foot speed that you like to see in a pass rushing defensive tackle. He can get a push and collapse a pocket, but Arthur's mentality is to engage his man first, put his arms up and make the QB hesitate enough for someone else to get the sack.

BOTTOM LINE

I really feel that Arthur's impact position will be on the nose of the center in a 3-4 defense. If he adds about twenty pounds of bulk, this kid could become one of the dominating nose tackles in the league in a few years. His natural ability to stop the run is a big time positive, but his techniques right now (although solid) will need improving. He has the mindset to be a nose tackle because he is willing to do the grunt work and a defensive tackle in a 3-4 has to be willing to do the grunt work. Arthur could be a solid DE in a 3-4 if they use a 2-gap system, but because he lacks foot speed, I just think playing on the nose is the best option for Arthur to impact in the future. Arthur does a good job using his hands to keep offensive linemen off him, but the level of offensive lineman that Arthur has been playing against is not near what it will be at the next level. Arthur needs a lot more bulk and strength if he is going to compete at the next level and become the defensive lineman his talent suggests that he can become.

Drew Boylhart 3/10
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http://www.thehuddlereport.com/ppSD/protected/2010DRAFT/PlayerProfiles/Arthur.Jones.htm

MrClean · Apr 6, 2010

Cam Thomas. His take on Thomas is a good example of Drew's colorful original writing style.

Cam Thomas DT North Carolina

STRENGTHS

Cam has the size, athletic talent and long arms to be a dominant force as a defensive tackle in a 4-3 or as a nose tackle in a 3-4 defense. He shows nice feet and balance and looks like the offensive coordinator will have to double team him with a guard and center on every play. Cam has the size and the type of athleticism that songs should be made of and coaches should be drooling over. He has the type of athletic talent and size that you look for in a player who should be considered a top ten defensive lineman in any draft. The problem is that it takes more than size and athletic talent to play in the NFL.

NEEDS TO IMPROVE

Cam is weak against the run and does not show much when pass rushing. He doesn't play with very good leverage and shows a burst off the line only when he wants to. His college team used Cam as a nose tackle in a 3-4 and as a defensive tackle in a 4-3, but it doesn't make a difference -- unfortunately, he doesn't dominate in either system and, with his size and athletic talent, you would expect him to. I see nothing wrong with Cam's athletic talent and everything wrong with his work ethic. He will not be able to learn the techniques he needs to learn and gain the strength that he needs to gain for at least three or four years and that is only if he decided to work hard at it. If he hasn't done this by now, do you really think that he will once he gets drafted? With his size and athletic ability, he should be considered a top ten draft pick in the same breath as Ndamukong Suh (DT Nebraska) and not one scout, GM or coach to my knowledge has suggested that he is.

BOTTOM LINE

You've got to be kidding me. I believe that for an offensive lineman, blocking Cam was like blocking maple syrup. There is another DT (#9) on this team that got all the double teams and Cam still did not produce. Cam is the biggest kid on the field and they would move #9 on the nose to stop the run because Maple Syrup Cam was not stout enough. When it came to passing downs, they would put Cam on the nose to take up a double team and opponents still double teamed #9 instead. You don't draft players on size, speed, athletic talent anymore in the first three rounds. There is too much money involved to do that. Cam has the talent to be a top ten pick. He has the talent to challenge Suh as the top defensive lineman in this draft. My guess is that Cam is not motivated to be the best and drafting him in the first three rounds will not help to motivate him all. Maybe drafting him later in the draft will; however, there are too many good, motivated defensive tackles in this draft for me to bother drafting Cam at all. Maybe someone can reach this kid, but for me personally, I would rather draft a kid with less athletic talent but with a better work ethic and heart than Maple Syrup Cam. I guess he will play when he is ready. The question is... when will that be? Wait a second, I got it! If I'm a scout I can just say that I don't think that Cam's work ethic maturity has caught up to his mature athletic talent and he has great "upside"... and you wonder why there are so many former GM's, scouts and coaches talking about the draft on web sites and TV instead of still being a part of the draft management team for one of the 32 NFL teams! The draft in itself is its own business and if teams still are drafting just on talent and "potential to impact" in the first three rounds instead of talent, LTI, fitting a system and marketing potential, then that draft management team will fail. It's not about the "potential" to be great in the first three rounds any more. As a fan, I want bang for my buck. I personally look for potential after the first three rounds. Worry about "potential" after the third round unless you are talking about a QB. Nobody should be thinking about this kid until after the first three rounds because he was not motivated to be the best defensive lineman at the college level. Thinking you are going to draft Cam early and all of a sudden this kid will play up to his potential is a sucker bet. Don't get me wrong -- the "potential" for that to happen is there along with Cam's potential. If you tie yourself to that potential then be ready to take the consequences. The truth is there are no experts analyzing the draft. There is no credible "inside" information and every time you are right about a player, there is another player you will be totally wrong about. I know this for a fact, but looking at film is my way of trying to be correct.

Drew Boylhart 2/10
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http://www.thehuddlereport.com/ppSD/protected/2010DRAFT/PlayerProfiles/Cam.Thomas.htm

PHINANALYST · Apr 6, 2010

i am very interested in Joseph in rd 4 .... that remains my prediction ...

PerfectTeam · Apr 6, 2010

Arthur Jones has intrigued me a lot of late. I like the fact he was a wrestler in high school and had close 40 tackles for a loss in his career. He does have an injury history but could be a nice pickup in round 3 or possibly 4. Ive been curious about Brian Price as a NT but from what the gurus here have said it seems he spends to much time on the ground. I also wonder about Tyson Alualu. I think I read in Boomer's blog that he thinks he can play some nose. I like Alualu alot as an end but an very interested to hear about his potential as possibly a NT a la Jay Ratliff.

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