Your Favorite 2nd Round DE

[evil disco man]

Let's first assume that the Rams take Jake Long at #2 overall and that they will address the DE position with the next pick. Going by NFL Draft Countdown's ratings, I'll assume that Chris Long, Vernon Gholston, Derrick Harvey, and Phillip Merling are off the board by round two. And just to throw the "value" argument out the window, let's also say that the Rams have traded down in the 2nd to take your DE wherever he's "supposed" to go and that all six of these guys will be gone before our third round pick.

Who would you want to see in Ram horns?

My vote went to Lawrence Jackson because he's on my Pick Ten list, but I'll admit I don't know much about these prospects. Which pick is your favorite and why?

:l

-jake-

[Mooselini]

I would prefer Lawrence Jackson of that list. Though I have heavily favored Groves for the longest time. I think Jackson will be a tad bit better in the NFL.

[Fortuninerhater]

I like Jackson but I voted for Groves because he looks like the Vernon Gholston of the 2nd round.

[Bar-bq]

I've gone with Groves, who may find himself in the late first anyways to a team like Jacksonville. Chris Ellis is a very close second.

[keith m. klink]

The DISCO MAN had it right with his take on this question because they are all not 2nd rd material in my opinion . Campbell is such a toss up it almost hurts , so i would only look at GROVES and JACKSON as 2nd's , and i would take JACKSON . i think he would fit a little better with the RAMS . ELLIS in the 3rd with JONES and THOMPSON in the 3rd/4th rd area . but i like JONES also .

[HUbison]

2006 Campbell - jump on him.
2007 Campbell - pass on him.

Groves - whereas I can accept Gholston as a 4-3 base end (such as he would be as a Ram), I can't see Groves doing it. Smaller than Gholston, yet without the quick first step. He's going to have to get off the line to be successful which means he has to go to a 3-4 base.

Jackson - He's solid, and my pick from this list. But he's not the scary End that Long, Gholston or Harvey is. Good, not probably not great.

Jones - wouldn't take him in the 2nd, but he's got all the tools just without the experience

Thompson - is he pretty good, or did he just have a good senior year?

Ellis - character issue, but he got it done on the field. IMO, he can play the run like Vic A., but a little better getting to the QB

Other - Brian Johnston, Gardner-Webb - I like this guy. Still fairly new to DE, as he started at OLB, but he got into the backfield, and is dynamite against the run.

[keith m. klink]

HUB , i wouldn't care if they guy was the waterboy his freshman year . if the guy can tackle and make plays ' then by all means the RAMS should evaluate anyone thats a playmaker no matter what the size or speed . a playmaker is a playmaker and they find ways to do it at any level .

[shower beers]

I voted for Jackson because I don't see Groves falling to the second round.

[Nick]

Calais Campbell - Not a huge fan. He kind of disappeared this year as he played more and received more attention from offenses. His workouts have been unimpressive. It's not often you find ends of his size, but you've got to show me something on the field (games or workouts) and he hasn't recently.

Quentin Groves - I don't see him making it to our second round pick, unless teams are more concerned about his recent medical surgery than I think they are. Even if he is there, does he have the size and power to not get engulfed by bigger linemen as a down lineman? I'm not so sure. I think he'd be most successful as an OLB in a 3-4 scheme at the next level.

Lawrence Jackson - Probably my choice of second round ends. Good size and strength to defend against the run. He's been productive as a pass rusher in college but doesn't have the elite burst and explosion you look for in a top pass rusher at the pro level. I think he has starter potential as a left defensive end (or RDE for us, since Little prefers the left side). Is he Kenechi Udeze v2.0?

The last three guys on the list - Jason Jones, Jeremy Thompson, and Chris Ellis - don't seem to be great value to me at the top of the second round. You could likely get Thompson and Ellis in the third. Jones might go mid to late second, but I'm not sure how much he'd help our outside pass rush anyways as he's kind of a 'tweener.

Ultimately I'd go with Jackson, but there's a legitimate chance he could go in the first round as well.

[RAMarkable]

Originally Posted by Nick

Quentin Groves - Even if he is there, does he have the size and power to not get engulfed by bigger linemen as a down lineman? I'm not so sure. I think he'd be most successful as an OLB in a 3-4 scheme at the next level.

I've read this several times now and would like to respond. Let us recall that when Leonard Little came out of college he weighed approximately 237 - 240 lbs. And he-like Mr. Groves- is also 6'3" tall. Therefore if a LB like L. Little can put on about 20+ lbs. on his 6'3" frame why couldn't Q. Groves put on about 12 -15 lbs. to his frame also? And L. Little played LB in college and, unlike Groves, didn't even put his hand in the dirt until he got to the NFL. Look it is a decent argument to say that Mr. Groves will make a better OLB in a 3-4 defense; but let's not use his alleged lack of bulk to state that he can't play DE in a 4-3. If that were the case then how has L. Little survived all these years?

WHAT SAY YE?

[Nick]

Originally Posted by RAMarkable

Look it is a decent argument to say that Mr. Groves will make a better OLB in a 3-4 defense

...which is what I said...

Originally Posted by RAMarkable

but let's not use his alleged lack of bulk to state that he can't play DE in a 4-3.

...which I didn't do. I simply said I wasn't sure given his size and power.

[eric2810]

Lawrence Jackson is a well rounded DE that can play play the run and pass. He'd fit well in our defense. Is it me, or does Campbell look like a bust?

[Goldenfleece]

Originally Posted by RAMarkable

I've read this several times now and would like to respond. Let us recall that when Leonard Little came out of college he weighed approximately 237 - 240 lbs. And he-like Mr. Groves- is also 6'3" tall. Therefore if a LB like L. Little can put on about 20+ lbs. on his 6'3" frame why couldn't Q. Groves put on about 12 -15 lbs. to his frame also? And L. Little played LB in college and, unlike Groves, didn't even put his hand in the dirt until he got to the NFL. Look it is a decent argument to say that Mr. Groves will make a better OLB in a 3-4 defense; but let's not use his alleged lack of bulk to state that he can't play DE in a 4-3. If that were the case then how has L. Little survived all these years?

WHAT SAY YE?

I do get your point, but I don't know about how Groves' frame compares to Little's. The issue is not just height; it's also build. A guy who is kind of naturally lanky probably will not be able to put on as much weight. Little is a good example of how some under-sized guys who project to the 3-4 could also enjoy success as a 4-3 end, but it still hard to predict which ones can do that and which ones can't.