Michael Brockers, DT, LSU

[carpanfan96]

didn't mean to pie you. meant to quote you.

not a pass rusher? that's not what he does? where you getting that from?

judging a DT's effectiveness by sack totals and QB pressures is a pretty incomplete and lazy way that leaves you with the wrong perception you are having of him.

I got that from watching a few games. His bull rush which is pretty good on run downs, looks average on passing downs because he comes out of his stance too high. The first time LSU played Alabama he got pushed around and stonewalled a lot because of that. He doesn't use his strength well when rushing the QB. He doesn't have elite burst or quickness, lacks pass rush moves and technique when rushing the QB. Because of his size and skill set he should be drafted to play as a 3-4 De.

I really don't see an elite skill set as a 3 tech in this guy and I've watched him play.

[DaCityKats]

Brockers played NT at LSU in a 4-3, and he excels at stuffing the run. It looks like Kearse was 315 when he got drafted.. so he gained 10lbs since then. He almost always lined up at the 1-tech opposite the Center at LSU.. I am sure he could play the 1-tech, the 3-tech, and 5-tech in the pros.. he is very diverse.

he played like you said every DT position and even some 5 tech/0 tech(over the center) in 3 line men sets. why is that not great to have? he excels at disrupting, the article in this very thread explains how he took the same role or position that Drake Nevis had who played 3 tech. he is not always line up at a 1 tech and is mostly lined up at the 3tech.

[DaCityKats]

Wes Bunting has joined the wagon and said he is his top ranked DT after having Still ranked #1.

[JawnyBlaze]

Bunting has him at #6 on his big board:

06 - Michael Brockers DT 6-6 306 Louisiana State 8.0 D J

8.0 Starts in first game as a pro… A prospect who possesses physical attributes that will create mismatches vs. most opponents… A featured player on a team.

D This prospect has NO weakness in any critical factors, but will need time and development in order to fulfill his potential.

J This prospect is an underclassman and has decided to enter the draft early.

[Cat'sGrowl]

An article from the BleacherReport on the Panthers and Brockers.

When Michael Brockers, a defensive tackle from Louisiana State, chose to enter the 2012 NFL draft, the possibility of Carolina drafting an interior lineman with their first pick—eighth or ninth, pending a coin-toss tiebreaker—became much more real.

Brockers is only a sophomore, but he's quickly developed into a disruptive force in the SEC. He has a good frame at 6'6" and room to add muscle at just over 305 lbs. Don't let that number fool you, however; he's plenty big enough to play defensive tackle in the NFL.

Brockers' announcement to leave LSU following his redshirt sophomore season has already shaken up the draft. Previously, it was believed that the Panthers would have to reach for a defensive tackle with their first pick if they want to address that position in the first round.

Brockers could potentially be the solution that Carolina needed to that conundrum. He's a well-rounded player and has as much upside as you'll find in a defensive player in this draft. He lacks experience, which will prevent him from going as high as we saw Ndamukong Suh, Gerald McCoy and Marcell Dareus go in recent years, but he has just as much talent.

Brockers is a well-balanced player and his low sack total this season—two sacks in 14 games—can be misleading. When watching LSU play, he was a player who showed up consistently. He was relentless with his pass rush and almost always demanded a double-team, which lays further credence to my previous claim. You don't put two of your best blockers on a player that is not a disruptive pass-rusher, and we saw that throughout the season.

When facing double-teams in the run game, Brockers excelled even more so than he did at pressuring the quarterback. He maintained great balance and held up well, even splitting the double-team at times—something we saw occur on multiple occasions in the SEC Championship.

Completing this defensive tackle are his athleticism and versatility. Brockers has quick feet and long arms that help him close passing lanes in a hurry. His quickness also allows him to penetrate as well as any prospect in this draft.

It's difficult to put a label on Brockers because he can be seen as a developmental prospect, but he's already incredibly skilled. That makes him a low-risk and possibly very high-reward player for the Panthers if they do take a chance on him early.

In Carolina, Brockers would make an immediate impact as a tackle in the 4-3 and at the 5-technique when the Panthers go to the 3-4. That added versatility makes him attractive for a team that likes to give different defensive looks, but his main allure is that he's a three-down lineman that is already as good as any interior lineman that the Panthers currently have on the roster.

It's almost a guarantee that Brockers will be available when the Panthers make their first pick and Ron Rivera will likely take pride in his ability to develop a defensive player in the way that Rob Chudzinski and Mike Shula developed Cam Newton last season.

Brockers has an elite mix of strength, relentless effort and size that could prove too tempting for Carolina. His stock will likely see a rise as he gets his chance to prove his talent at the combine and at his pro day, and this could prove to be the smart pick once the draft rolls around.

Even if the Panthers elect to head a different direction, Brockers has given the franchise a great backup plan in case the man that they're eyeing isn't left on the board when they take the clock.

[JawnyBlaze]

Walter now has Carolina taking Brockers with his most recent update.

http://www.walterfootball.com/draft2012.php

Carolina Panthers: Michael Brockers, DT, LSU

I listed Michael Brockers in this mock draft for the first time last week, and I had him going way too late. Brockers is a stud who has a great chance of being a top 9-14 pick. He's the best player available on the consensus board outside of Trent Richardson.

The Panthers have a huge need in the interior of their defensive line. They spent a pair of third-round picks last year on defensive tackles Sione Fua and Terrell McClain. Fua wasn't that bad as a rookie, but McClain was awful, constantly getting abused against the run. Adding an immense talent like Brockers would allow Fua and McClain to rotate next to him depending on the situation.

[Clicheking]

It's almost a guarantee that Brockers will be availablewhen thePanthersmake their first pick and Ron Rivera will likelytakepridein hisability to develop a defensiveplayer in the way that Rob Chudzinski and Mike Shula developed Cam Newton last season.

I like this quote. I feel comfortable with the idea that if Brockers is Rivers's and company guy and they think he has the potential to be great, the coaching staff will get it out of him. Something you couldn't always saw about Fox's crew.

[Jrock88]

9th overall, plug and play. Edwards and Brockers start, McClain rotationally.

this man can instantly make our D better.

Johnson, Edwards, Brockers, Hardy, that is a beefy, powerhouse D line.

make it happen.

[MHS831]

9th overall, plug and play. Edwards and Brockers start, McClain rotationally.

this man can instantly make our D better.

Johnson, Edwards, Brockers, Hardy, that is a beefy, powerhouse D line.

make it happen.

Criticize the source without details about the research behind it if you want to argue, and I am not endorsing the research, but here is an interesting statistic to consider when selecting a "raw" defensive tackle:

Defensive Tackles have a 37% hit rate in the first round of the NFL draft.

Defensive Tackles are the second worst position in the NFL draft first round. Many players end up getting dominated by superior NFL offensive lineman. Another reason DTs bust is a lot of them eat their way out of the league with poor work ethics. Teams taking a Defensive tackle in the NFL Draft watch out! (Frankly, I question this stat, but looking back--Dorsey, Elllis, McCoy, etc-- there are a lot of DTs who were highly regarded who are performing below their draft level)

http://www.vincentvalour.com/nfl-draft-history-1st-round-positional-hitbust-rate-defense/html

FWIW, CBs and LBs hit at 69%.--nearly twice as successful.

[rayzor]

Criticize the source without details about the research behind it if you want to argue, and I am not endorsing the research, but here is an interesting statistic to consider when selecting a "raw" defensive tackle:

Defensive Tackles have a 37% hit rate in the first round of the NFL draft.

Defensive Tackles are the second worst position in the NFL draft first round. Many players end up getting dominated by superior NFL offensive lineman. Another reason DTs bust is a lot of them eat their way out of the league with poor work ethics. Teams taking a Defensive tackle in the NFL Draft watch out! (Frankly, I question this stat, but looking back--Dorsey, Elllis, McCoy, etc-- there are a lot of DTs who were highly regarded who are performing below their draft level)

http://www.vincentvalour.com/nfl-draft-history-1st-round-positional-hitbust-rate-defense/html

FWIW, CBs and LBs hit at 69%.--nearly twice as successful.

five reasons why players bust regardless of position.

1) lack of natural talent and ability

2) poor work ethic/motor

3) lack of ability to adapt or grow at the position

4) miscast position-wise

5) significant injury history

i would add in that they were in a weak draft class for that position and need outweighted actual talent available.

if any one of these things are present the risk of busting is very high.

for years QBs who had "prototypical size" and a "cannon for an arm" were highly touted regardless of things like accuracy, pocket presence, decision making, or maturity. you wound up with busts like russel and leaf. teams figured it out and that's why ryan mallet fell like he did.

the same is true for every other position that has bust problems, teams just haven't known how to scout properly. people see measurables they like and jump on that thinking the rest can be "coached" in.

i think of the big 3 DT prospects expoected to go in the 1st round (still, brockers, and poe) that still is the most likely to bust mainly because of his motor and a lack of room for growth. imo, brockers and poe have all the traits that you look for in a successful prospect.

i think the thing that kills DTs so much is if they either eat their way out of the league and just get too fat or if they succeed in a 4-3 but get drafted to a 3-4 team or some other scheme problem.

either way, if we scout well, i don't worry about the guy busting. we have done pretty well traditionally in the first round, otah being the major exception.

fwiw...this is from the negative section on otah at cbs sports

Shows an ability to learn, but will need some reps, as he is not quick to take plays from the chalkboard to the playing field -- he lacks high football intelligence because he hasn't played the game for very long … Needs to be monitored in the training room because of poor work habits and lacks the maturity needed to handle the mental aspect of playing on an island at left tackle. He might be a better fit on the right side … Has questionable toughness and plays with inconsistent aggression … Shows adequate foot quickness to get off the ball, but can be late at times and will get lazy playing on his feet and struggles to bounce back up when cut … Has good natural strength, but displays marginal pop in his punch and poor explosion, as he fails to consistently sink his weight (waist bender) and is prone to getting too high in his stance coming off the line … Has adequate feet to sustain blocks, but struggles with too much room, as he has poor slide and mirror agility …

http://www.cbssports.com/nfl/draft/players/historical/1115000

point is, i'm not too worried about us drafting a DT if rivera, hurney, and don gregory all sign off on it and that, imo, brockers and poe are the least likely to bust.

[rayzor]

bump.

look at the whole discussion, not just the first page or two.

or just read backward from here.

[panther4life]

bump.

look at the whole discussion, not just the first page or two.

or just read backward from here.

thanks dude, was already reading it over. Now please go the other thread and try to tell me why my reasons for not wanting him are wrong.

[Actionman0z]

People get passionate about who the want. :) See all the Cam threads from last year. I dont doubt the talent level, just not sure its what we're looking for. IF we draft him, its because hes who we had as the best on our board. :) We'll see in a few months.

[MadHatter]

I just went back and watched the highlight Youtube from the Georgia game. Sorry....but he did not impress me.

He was playing WAY to high....rarely was around the QB...was out of position many times in the run game.

I saw a decent player, but nowhere near a "disruptive force". Combine this along with the fact that he is only a RS Sophomore (1 year semi-wonder) and I just don't know about him.

I don't see the same performance from him that I saw last season from Fairley.