Michael Brockers, DT, LSU

[Oldschool Leroy]

yea he's got those calais campbell tendencies (a high vertical base). Ask any fan in the nfc west how many times this guy bats passes down at the line.

iunno this could be important since we have a 6'0'' QB in our division that's near unstoppable.

Honestly I'm starting to like him more than Kirkpatrick.

Yes, get into those passing lanes and get your hands up. You said what I have been thinking.

[Oldschool Leroy]

At the end of the Georgia video the announcer says the defensice coordinator John Chavous (forgive the spelling if its not right) former defensive coordinator at Tennessee, said he would take his sophmore defensive tackles from LSU ( Brockers and Logan) over his all american DT's he had at Tennessee with Haynsworth and John Henderson. Thats pretty high praise.

Yep, that got my attention too.

[ThePantherDude]

I think we take Kirpatrick in the 1st and Brockers falls to us the 2nd. Remember he was a projected Top 10 pick next year not this year. He himself heard he was a early to mid 2nd round projection, or at least that's what he told SI.

[Jackofalltrades]

Rivera said he was happy with our situation at DT, so I'd be really surprised if we took one in the first two rounds. I like Still, Brockers and ESP Poe, but RR's comments make me about certain DT won't be the pick early going.

[DaCityKats]

Rivera said he was happy with our situation at DT, so I'd be really surprised if we took one in the first two rounds. I like Still, Brockers and ESP Poe, but RR's comments make me about certain DT won't be the pick early going.

smokescreen

[jramsey4]

I think we take Kirpatrick in the 1st and Brockers falls to us the 2nd. Remember he was a projected Top 10 pick next year not this year. He himself heard he was a early to mid 2nd round projection, or at least that's what he told SI.

They said the same things about Cam.

[Woodie]

Rivera said he was happy with our situation at DT, so I'd be really surprised if we took one in the first two rounds. I like Still, Brockers and ESP Poe, but RR's comments make me about certain DT won't be the pick early going.

The variable becomes how impressed Rivera will be once he starts looking at tape and how Brockers does in workouts and interviews. I think Rivera legitimately thinks both McClain and Fua will be good players, so isn't looking at DT as a high priority (at least for the draft). However, if once he has evaluated Brockers, he feels he can be a special DT, then I could see him making the move.

[rayzor]

I think we take Kirpatrick in the 1st and Brockers falls to us the 2nd. Remember he was a projected Top 10 pick next year not this year. He himself heard he was a early to mid 2nd round projection, or at least that's what he told SI.

no way brockers lasts that long. scouts and analysts have been raving once they start looking at his tape and listening to what his coaches and teammates have been saying. the talent is there, just not the experience. saying he is projected to go in the 2nd is really underselling him. he's easily the best DT in this class and legit first round talent.

Rivera said he was happy with our situation at DT, so I'd be really surprised if we took one in the first two rounds. I like Still, Brockers and ESP Poe, but RR's comments make me about certain DT won't be the pick early going.

i wouldn't read all that into his comments. DY might not be the urgent need or as weak as people think, but it's still not solid enough to pas up on a talent like this.

not being a top and urgent need doesn't rule out our being unable to pass up talent like that because of what we currently have. if he's the bpa for an area that could be improved then i feel pretty confident that we will.

[CPF4LIFE]

I say do it because he would be the best player available and his talent would be up there with the guys that are gonna get picked before him (guys with superstar potential). There isnt a sure fire player to go with where we are picking anyway and this guy sounds like he could be it so you dont pass up on him. Fua and McClain maybe good players but we still dont know what we have for sure at the moment kinda like the Qb situation last year. Maybe Clausen could have developed into something but it was clear his ceiling was nowhere near Cams and thats why we are a lot better off today. Same thing can be applied to the DT situation.

[OnlyPantherFaninMaine]

The more I watched the Niners get after Brees and the more I see the Texans D-Line get after Flacco, the more rational taking Brockers seems to be. I think our pick will be Brockers or OL.

[rayzor]

people might be content with the DTs we have or feel like drafting a guy like brockers would make our 2 3d round picks a waste, but that wouldn't necessarily be the case.

think of it in this way.

we might have, in time, a serviceable rotation at DT, brockers would/could be the thing that puts the Dline over the top and makes us a true dominant threat because of how much talent we have at the position.

people keep on whining about how we are weak up the middle and how they long for the good old days when we had a feared Dline.

if you want us to get back to that then this is the type thing you need to do.

adding a CB will make our pass defense better because it takes one receiver out of the game. adding someone like brockers would make our whole defense better because it clogs up middle running lanes and forces the QB to make bad decisions. it opens things up for LBs and DEs and makes less work for the secondary b/c the QB won't have all day to throw.

that said, if claiborne is available, we take that him instead. maybe blackmon but only because the dude is a star in the making. at any rate, it's a short list i would have in front of brockers.

[MHS831]

I read a stat (and posted it, but lost the link) that stated that DTs and WRs drafted in the first round are successful NFL players less than 40% of the time. OL succeed about 94% of the time (over the last 5 years, according to Frank Garcia on WFNZ). Why not draft a LOT, move Bell and Schwartz/Hangartner to guard, and cut Wharton, freeing $5 million to sign a proven, veteran DT? I cannot beleive alll the Cam lovers who think the OL is fine. He will be lucky to survive next season with Bell at RT. Are you banking on Otah? Really?

You get better at 2+ positions.

[rayzor]

that's an ok plan..i guess...but it's not an easy peasy one to pull of and it's got as much or more potential things to go wrong than you might think and i won't even address the whole "just cut wharton and save $5mil" thing.

you can't just move bell to OG. why in the world do you think he would be successful there? are you under the delusion that OGs are just OTs that can't hack it? meh.

you think you can just cut wharton and replace him with bell and not expect a significant drop off?

anyway, who is saying the Oline is fine? it needs work, but if brockers is more of talent than anyone else we have on the board and fits an area of need then we take him.

most teams fail at their draft choices because they are too focused on addressing needs that they will reach to fill that need and take someone who might be one of the most talented in that class but who just aren't that good.

if kalil is on the board we take him. if reiff or whoever shows himself to be an OT elite prospect and is ahead of brockers on the board, then we take him. i have no problem with that.

i don't want us to pass up on an uber talented prospect that can be a stud and helps us out in an area that we are weak and need help i because we are so nervous and fixated on one area that needs improvement or because we are scared that we might f*ck the pick because the percentages weren't in our favor.

you do your due diligence and scout the guys right and only draft people in the first round that are elite prospects that fit needs and you don't have to worry about suck trends.

if you want to be the best, you draft the best players and fit everything else around it. if it doesn't fit your "greatest"need, then so be it. fix it some other way. you don't constrict and suffocate your choices out of fear.

[Woodie]

people might be content with the DTs we have or feel like drafting a guy like brockers would make our 2 3d round picks a waste, but that wouldn't necessarily be the case.

think of it in this way.

we might have, in time, a serviceable rotation at DT, brockers would/could be the thing that puts the Dline over the top and makes us a true dominant threat because of how much talent we have at the position.

people keep on whining about how we are weak up the middle and how they long for the good old days when we had a feared Dline.

if you want us to get back to that then this is the type thing you need to do.

adding a CB will make our pass defense better because it takes one receiver out of the game. adding someone like brockers would make our whole defense better because it clogs up middle running lanes and forces the QB to make bad decisions. it opens things up for LBs and DEs and makes less work for the secondary b/c the QB won't have all day to throw.

that said, if claiborne is available, we take that him instead. maybe blackmon but only because the dude is a star in the making. at any rate, it's a short list i would have in front of brockers.

I'll be honest, I like both Fua and McClain. I do believe both of them will ultimately be solid DT's that can start on a championship level team. However, I don't think either of them will ever be elite. And while I think they will be able to start on a championship team, they will be mere role players that need playmakers around them to put fear in the offense. Brockers, on the other hand, seems to be that all-around dominant DT we haven't had since Kris Jenkins before his injuries. So, if Brockers is there, then I think he may be the best pick we could get.

We already know CJ is a monster, and Hardy is at least a very good pass rusher. So if we can add a DT that has the ability to push the pocket and not allow guys to step up from our outside pressure, then I believe our pass defense as a whole become exponentially better. Now I am generally against taking more youth at DT, but if Brockers is as good as he seems right now, then I don't see any way we can or should pass on such an impactful player.