Dontari Poe

Poe is a true nose tackle from Memphis. I could see TT picking Poe in the first round to solidify the defensive line. Poe could keep interior linemen off Hawk and Bishop while Raji can move to end and rush the passer.

Poe is 6-4, 345 lbs.

Poe would take Pickett's place then, yet McCarthy has said that this has been Pickett's best season.

Still, I like the idea. Pickett is how old? If we can draft a good OLB or DE in the 2nd round along with Poe, that could be a good draft.

How many NT's do we need? We currently have two in Raji and Pickett...whichever of those two is playing DE is playing out of position...neither is a 3-4 DE at 330+ pounds. I understand the concept of putting your best guys on the field, but when Pickett's contract is up Raji will take over at NT and that will be that.

This is one of the problems Capers has faced since instituting the 3-4 here...trying to make square pegs fit in round holes. The very last position we need to be drafting is NT....right up there with QB and WR.

Any other position on defense though can be upgraded.

Raji isn't a true NT. He was a 4-3 defensive tackle in college and plays his best when he's rushing up field. A true NT anchors the line and ties up multipe blockers.

He weighs 350 pounds. He's not a DE.

Raji is not 350 (don't go by the listed weight). He's better at rushing up field. Occupying blockers would be wasting his talent.

Raji does both very well imho. NT is his best position. But we need DEs who take up blockers also. Raji is a pocket collapser - fhat's what we need most in a NT

Poe is totally dominating the combine. Now looks like a top 15 pick.

Poe is skyrocketing up draft boards with his rare measurables, and he sits somewhere in the middle of the first round at this point. If all goes well during the pre-draft process, it wouldn't be a surprise to see him go as high as No. 11 to the Kansas City Chiefs, who need a versatile anchor in the middle of their defensive line.

NT in a 3-4 is used to occupy two blockers, the center and a guard, on every play. The NT keeps blockers from getting to the second level and taking on linebackers. Putting Poe at NT would have allowed Raji to move to defensive end and used his athleticism to rush the passer.

Unfortunately, this argument is moot.

Poe will be a huge bust. You heard it hear first. His measurables do not match his production. I suspect he is motivated by something other than the love of the game - which is a sure path to failure at the NFL level.

I hope he goes to the Ravens - it would be poetic. Once upon a midnight dreary and all.

Ravens already have Ngata.

What is your "bust" prediction based off of? Is it factual or just playing the odds?

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Been breaking down the Memphis game tapes?

i added my reason. His production in college did not match his capabilities. Makes me think that he wasn't motivated.

You should probably alert the scouts who are ranking him in the top 15.

It's tough to make a judgement like yours. Since he didn't put of eye-popping numbers while playing for MEMPHIS you assume he's lazy? Instead of attributing it to playing on a bad team, facing double teams or anything else, you automatically assume he's not motivated to play. Guess only time will tell.

In this article, Bruce Feldman talked to an offensive line coach who faced Poe several times. The coach said that Poe "took plays off and wasn't a great effort guy." He said Poe took off more plays than usual even for someone his size. But he went on to praise his talent and great balance.

What are you his agent or something?

I look at it differently. He was against inferior competition and should have done even better. Big E has it right - he spent entire games with little effort. You nor I know why that is the case. Maybe he was injured? Maybe the defensive scheme cast him in a role as 'taking it easy', or maybe, just maybe, he's a lazy low effort guy who turned it on for the combine because he is interested in cashing in on a big rookie contract.

But why bother warning? They didn't listen to me about Vernon Gholston, Tyson Jackson or Aaron Maybin.

I just find it interesting that you can dismiss somebody without ever seeing him play live (and let's not pretend you were following Memphis football the last three seasons).

it's very easy to say someone will not pan out, because you will be right the majority of the time. Also, due to selective memory it's very easy to recall the people you said would not pan out and were right about and not remember the people you said wouldn't and did. Once again, very few people make it as stars in the NFL so you are going to be right the majority of the time.

I thought Cam Newton was going to be a complete bust and was completely proved wrong this past year. I think Robert Griffin will be a bust as well. I am not sure if you follow Memphis football to make an assessment about Poe. My assessment on Robert Griffin is based on seeing him in person twice and watching a large percentage of Baylor games the past 3 years.

All that said Poe will not be there when the Packers draft (unless they trade up). I don't mind drafting an athletic big man. Ted Thompson's strategy has always been "there are only a limited number of big bodies each year" and likes taking offensive and defensive linemen early.

I am not sure about Poe but I also don't adhere to the "inferior competition" argument either. I am in the heart of Big 12 country which has been the 2nd best conference in football for many years now. I have watched many people who dominated in the Big 12 do absolutely horrible in the NFL. I have also watched people who did "ok" in college that went on to have hugely successful NFL careers.

I think one thing can be said, I don't really see a lazy, no effort guy changing what he has done his whole life to intensely train for the combine just to go back to being lazy again. We will all see, we saw what happened with Tony Mandarich. I haven't watched enough of Poe to make an assessment but I am a huge fan of athletic big men because they rarely bust, but when they do they are a huge (literally and figuratively) bust.

Couple of points:

1. I listed those players to show that just because you get drafted in the top 15 doesn't mean you are going to be successful.
2. The players in the list (I just noticed this now) had their stock shoot up based on their combine test results. I don't recall Jacksons' college career, but the other 2 were less successful than you would expect with their physical tools.
3. You can't see a guy working hard to cash in and then taking it easy? Come on! That happens every year. Our own Cletidus Hunt and Freeman, and across the NFL with QB Russell to the Raiders? He was said to be the last in and first to leave the facility. Teammate said if he put as much time in learning the offense as he did playing xbox, he would be HOF material.
4. Not sure your point on the inferior competition. How many players will be drafted out of memphis and the rest of the conference USA? How many players will be drafted out of the the big 12? More players getting drafted probably means better players. As a defensive tackle, do you have a better opportunity to make a play against an okay tackle or an NFL caliber tackle? Not sure how you took the leap of logic to get to the idea that if you play in the big 12 you are not going to bust.

The first paragraph of post #18 says it all... There are way tooooo many "I told you so" fans out there.

My entire point is this: It is very easy to pick a player, call him a bust without ever watching him play for one minute and and be right.

Dontari Poe does seem like the real deal, and the Packers won't have a chance at him I'm afraid. /sigh

With Poe at NT, Raji could move to DT where he seems to play much better.

I'm still hoping that either A) Fletcher Cox falls to the Packers in Round 1. Barring that b) Packers trade down and get 2-3 2nd round picks or 2 2nds and 2 3rds and get Bruce Irvin at OLB and Kendall Reyes at DE with their 2nd round picks. Getting Markelle Martin in there at SS sure would be nice too considering Collins' situation.

worthy > poe

Right you are...he'll be gone probably by #15. Personally I'd like to see the Packers take a guy like Fletcher Cox, who could be available.

The kid would be great as DE.

Cox would be a great pick... I like the way you think!