touched on this a little bit, and I think that this post, when combined with his post make a lot of sense. Basically, we don’t know if Molden is going to be available for OTA’s, which is going to make it harder for him to progress at CB. On top of that, because he barely got a chance to play CB this past year, we don’t know if he’s going to be an elite cover corner, or just a nickel/dime back.

On top of our potential need at CB, we still have a need at FS. I think that Eugene Wilson did pretty well at FS this past year, but there is lots of room for improvement.

If we could manage to get Malcom Jenkins, we would have an insurance policy at CB, at least until we know what we’ve got with Antwaun Molden, and at the same time, we would have our FS of the future. I think that would be a great 1st round pick.

If Colt McCoy makes you look this silly, your tackling ability must be called into question. I still love him as a cover guy, though, and say that if he’s there, take him.

I still think we need too much help on defense to trade up. If we finally get that elusive winning season in 2009, I might be ready to take on the notion.

That said, for me personally – the only two guys I would even consider trading up for right now are Maualuga and Raji. I think those guys are both going to be difference-makers as rookies.

Malcolm Jenkins – despite what I said about not drafting a CB in the first round – would be impossible to pass up at 15 (which we all know won’t happen) – but I still wouldn’t trade up for him unless we lose Dunta.

Here’s a thought about trading up – maybe it’s not so unlikely. Recall that this season we finally have a 2nd-round pick. If the Texans are willing to trade two second-rounders for a QB, who’s to say they wouldn’t give up a 4 and a 6 for a guy they might think is as important to the defense as Schaub is to the offense?

Again – I still don’t think we’re there yet… but it wouldn’t be a huge shock to me if their guy is attainable.

…a trade up. We need to go down and get extra picks. We are so good at finding talent deep in the draft, and it’s so much better for our cap situation to do so, that going up seems to me to be the less-effective move.

Makes sense to me; but trading up should only be used in my opinion in a case where you feel the player is a once in a lifetime game changing beast. If you trade up you have to be completly in love with the player, which transienttexan surely is with Mr. Jenkins. Hopefully for his sake the front office feels the same way.

P.S.- Thanks for the shot-out…Mr. Flacco’s Unibrow was worthy of being traded up for.

id take orakpo…

This post sparkd some conversation. Everyone has their own opinion on what’s best, and none of us are “wrong”. Allow me to retort.

I don’t think Orakpo will be there at 13. Unless Maybin or Brown has an insane Combine, Orakpo will be gone. In fact, even if he’s not the first DE selected I would asume that he wouldn’t be there.

Larry English isn’t a bad idea, but not at 15. I would be ok if the Texans selected him if they traded down.

As for Jenkins, I admit I could be going out on a limb with saying we should draft him to play S, but I’m not alone. Several people are of the opinion he’ll make a better S than a corner in the NFL, and I think you’ll hear that a lot at the Combine. I personally don’t know what his feelings are about playing safety, but why not? He’d be a rookie so he shoud be less of a prima donna, and supposedly Jekins has a good attitude and has a do what is best for the team mentality. Also, it’s not like there isn’t any prestige at the position with players lie Polamalu and Reed getting the kind of attention they got this year.

This isn’t from Mel Kiper or Mike Moyock, but you’ll find a lot of draft scouting reports that say the same thing as this site: http://cdsdraft.com/profile.php?id=1232. Like I said, you’ll be hearing this a lot more when it comes to Jenkins.

I’ve been reading up on your boy English, and a lot of people are speculating that he’ll probably be best as a 3-4 OLB.

but I just don’t see him dropping to 13. I also think we are not yet ready to give up a #4. We still have too many holes to plug on the defense.

I don’t see him getting past Green Bay, and then New Orleans, but if the unthinkable happens and he drops to 15 then it is a no brainer. Drafts always seem to have a run on a particular position, and have a few 1st round mystery picks. This could be our year to get lucky.

Where we are at, I don’t think we will get good value for our pick. Trading up to 13 (our most likely spot to go to) would probably net us Jenkins. That, I don’t mind. He is the best defensive back available in this draft and, other than Taylor Mays, probably would be the best DB available in 2010. I also wouldn’t mind if we trade up and take Maualuga. He looks like he will be an impact linebacker, and would be the best ILB in 2010 if he was there.

Heres where things get weird.

I don’t want to trade up and take Raji or Everette Brown (and maybe Orakpo).

Here’s why.

The 2010 DT class is stupid deep. There are 6 legitimate ( at the moment ) first round prospects in Marvin Austin, Gerald McCoy, Terrance Cody, Demarcus Granger, Geno Atkins, and Vince Ohgobasse.

Other than Atkins, all could play NT. Terrance Cody especially.
I understand the desire to win now, but I don’t think we should bet the farm on one player when there are going to be a WHOLE bunch of comparable players available next year.

The same goes with the DE class. RIght now, the 2009 DE class is basically OLB’s (Rak and Brown might be able to bulk, but they would be projects).

2010, we are looking at 3-5 first round defensive ends. Everson Griffen, 6-3, 265 and runs a 4.58, George Selvie, Carlos Dunlap (you know him from the national championship game), the 6-6, 290lb DE that runs a 4.7, Greg Hardy, 6-5 260, runs a 4.7, and Brandon Graham 6-3 270 with a 4.7. All of those guys except maybe Selvie are better fits to play LE in my mind.

That means of 32 picks, there are probably 9-12 first round DEFENSIVE LINEMAN. Throw in people you know are gonna get drafted first round, Taylor Mays, Sam Bradford, Arrelious Benn, Jermaine Gresham, Russell Okung, Ciron Black, Donovan Warren, Eric Berry, Brandon Spikes, possibly Martez Wilson and Trevard Lindley, and some others.

That basically means that we are going to be able to pick up a first rate DE, DT, or possible safety anywhere they fall in the 2010 draft. It just seems right now that 2009 favors offense – 4 great OTs, 2 good QBs, 2 Great RBs, 2 good RBs, 3 great WR and a great TE, as opposed to 2 great LB’s, 1 great DT, 2 good DE’s, 3 great/good corners, and no real first round safety talent.

I understand this is 4 am ranting, but if we are looking to the future, use right now to lock up our guys, trade down for 2010 defensive picks, and bite the bullet and take one of the mid level defensive players. Other than Raji, Maualuga, and Jenkins, I don’t think any of the players would be instant awesome improvement, and Jenkins and Maualuga come with some question marks.

I am not going to dictate what exactly we should do, because anything happens on Dday, but I am getting more and more set on trading down, solidifying preferably the secondary, and then waiting til 2010 to take an impact DL.

was not traded up for. He was taken with the first round pick that the Chargers got from the Giants in the Manning-Rivers trade the year before. Meaning the Chargers traded DOWN to get that extra pick.