NT Dan Williams

I recently read that this guy is the top NT prospect in the draft, but in all honesty I hadn't heard of him. What are your thoughts on drafting a NT with at 13 or 16/17?

Originally posted by rum53:
I recently read that this guy is the top NT prospect in the draft, but in all honesty I hadn't heard of him. What are your thoughts on drafting a NT with at 13 or 16/17?

Not a big fan of drafting a NT at 13 or 16/17. Rather keep Franklin, and draft a DT later for a backup.

as for Dan Williams, he could go anywhere from 16/17 Tennessee, 18 Pittsburgh, to 30 Minnesota.

Originally posted by AB83Rules:

Originally posted by rum53:
I recently read that this guy is the top NT prospect in the draft, but in all honesty I hadn't heard of him. What are your thoughts on drafting a NT with at 13 or 16/17?

Not a big fan of drafting a NT at 13 or 16/17. Rather keep Franklin, and draft a DT later for a backup.

as for Dan Williams, he could go anywhere from 16/17 Tennessee, 18 Pittsburgh, to 30 Minnesota.

My only thought was that drafting a NT high in the draft would help Willis for years to come. Also, he'll be able to learn the position for a year while playing behind Franklin.

i wouldnt do it...

franchise franklin. extend him midseason.
use our two 1st round picks to make our team better instead of swapping an uproven rookie for one of the most consistent players currently on our team. not how you turn the corner.

continue to develop balmer and the rookie #60 (name?)

Williams had a solid senior year, but hasn't been spectacular at Tennessee. IMO, it's going to take him 2-3 years to adjust to the next level and make the kind of impact that will justify a mid-1st rounder. That's fine for teams that can afford to have their 1st rounders develop over time...just not sure that's an option for us right now.

Originally posted by GhostofFredDean74:
Williams had a solid senior year, but hasn't been spectacular at Tennessee. IMO, it's going to take him 2-3 years to adjust to the next level and make the kind of impact that will justify a mid-1st rounder. That's fine for teams that can afford to have their 1st rounders develop over time...just not sure that's an option for us right now.

I agree that right now it's not a position of need to draft in the 1st round, but what you describe could be said about any nose tackle in a 3-4. It takes that long for just about any NT to make a difference.

Originally posted by nvninerfan1:

Originally posted by GhostofFredDean74:
Williams had a solid senior year, but hasn't been spectacular at Tennessee. IMO, it's going to take him 2-3 years to adjust to the next level and make the kind of impact that will justify a mid-1st rounder. That's fine for teams that can afford to have their 1st rounders develop over time...just not sure that's an option for us right now.

I agree that right now it's not a position of need to draft in the 1st round, but what you describe could be said about any nose tackle in a 3-4. It takes that long for just about any NT to make a difference.

For the most part, you're right....so it might make more sense for us to use later rounds to grab someone like Cam Thomas or Torrell Troupe and let them develop over the next few years.

Originally posted by GhostofFredDean74:

Originally posted by nvninerfan1:

Originally posted by GhostofFredDean74:
Williams had a solid senior year, but hasn't been spectacular at Tennessee. IMO, it's going to take him 2-3 years to adjust to the next level and make the kind of impact that will justify a mid-1st rounder. That's fine for teams that can afford to have their 1st rounders develop over time...just not sure that's an option for us right now.

I agree that right now it's not a position of need to draft in the 1st round, but what you describe could be said about any nose tackle in a 3-4. It takes that long for just about any NT to make a difference.

For the most part, you're right....so it might make more sense for us to use later rounds to grab someone like Cam Thomas or Torrell Troupe and let them develop over the next few years.

I really like Cam Thomas as a mid-round NT prospect!

[ Edited by tohara3 on Feb 17, 2010 at 18:19:42 ]

Originally posted by GhostofFredDean74:
Williams had a solid senior year, but hasn't been spectacular at Tennessee. IMO, it's going to take him 2-3 years to adjust to the next level and make the kind of impact that will justify a mid-1st rounder. That's fine for teams that can afford to have their 1st rounders develop over time...just not sure that's an option for us right now.

Solid senior year? LOL!!!!!!!!! Dan Williams has been a beast for 2 years at UT, yeah it took a while for him to get going at UT but that isn't strange for an overweight high schooler coming into college in the toughest conference at the toughest position.

Originally posted by volfan2008:

Originally posted by GhostofFredDean74:
Williams had a solid senior year, but hasn't been spectacular at Tennessee. IMO, it's going to take him 2-3 years to adjust to the next level and make the kind of impact that will justify a mid-1st rounder. That's fine for teams that can afford to have their 1st rounders develop over time...just not sure that's an option for us right now.

Solid senior year? LOL!!!!!!!!! Dan Williams has been a beast for 2 years at UT, yeah it took a while for him to get going at UT but that isn't strange for an overweight high schooler coming into college in the toughest conference at the toughest position.

That wasn't meant as a shot at Williams, just an observation. We obviously have a difference of opinion of what being a "beast" is in the SEC...I can say his senior season was probably worthy of the "beast" title (definitely grant you that), but I can't say his junior year was even close to that.

That said, for what he does (plug gaps, taking on double-teams, being disruptive in the middle and projecting as a true 3-4 NT), he'd definitely be BPA in the middle of the 1st round.

[ Edited by GhostofFredDean74 on Feb 17, 2010 at 19:46:38 ]

Originally posted by rum53:
I recently read that this guy is the top NT prospect in the draft, but in all honesty I hadn't heard of him. What are your thoughts on drafting a NT with at 13 or 16/17?

I like him a lot especially as a 3-4 NT. I don't think they'll draft him simply because Franklin will resign and they're still hoping Balmer develops into his replacement down the road.

Anyway, he had an outstanding Senior Bowl practices and game. He stonewalled Iupati several times during the game. He does exactly what an NT in the 3-4 is supposed to do: Use his strength to hold the point of attack against the guard and center, freeing up the ILB to make a play. The NT is the most underrated position in the 3-4 because his play will never fill up the stats sheets and it takes someone so unselfish to play a position that will never receive any recognition except from the defensive players themselves. It's why Willis and Justin Smith were praising Franklin throughout the year.

We need starters with our first round picks. And Franklin is starting at NT

Originally posted by GhostofFredDean74:

Originally posted by volfan2008:

Originally posted by GhostofFredDean74:
Williams had a solid senior year, but hasn't been spectacular at Tennessee. IMO, it's going to take him 2-3 years to adjust to the next level and make the kind of impact that will justify a mid-1st rounder. That's fine for teams that can afford to have their 1st rounders develop over time...just not sure that's an option for us right now.

Solid senior year? LOL!!!!!!!!! Dan Williams has been a beast for 2 years at UT, yeah it took a while for him to get going at UT but that isn't strange for an overweight high schooler coming into college in the toughest conference at the toughest position.

That wasn't meant as a shot at Williams, just an observation. We obviously have a difference of opinion of what being a "beast" is in the SEC...I can say his senior season was probably worthy of the "beast" title (definitely grant you that), but I can't say his junior year was even close to that.

That said, for what he does (plug gaps, taking on double-teams, being disruptive in the middle and projecting as a true 3-4 NT), he'd definitely be BPA in the middle of the 1st round.

I watched every UT game for years and Dan Williams was most certainly the biggest surprise at UT his Jr year and was a beast. Only reason why some would say different is because he came out of nowhere for most people. He had 48 tkls 8.5 for loss, 1.5 sacks and a game saving blocked kick for a top 3 D nationally in his Jr year and then followed it up with an even more impressive year in his Sr season. That to me in the SEC = Beast.

Originally posted by volfan2008:

Originally posted by GhostofFredDean74:

Originally posted by volfan2008:

Originally posted by GhostofFredDean74:
Williams had a solid senior year, but hasn't been spectacular at Tennessee. IMO, it's going to take him 2-3 years to adjust to the next level and make the kind of impact that will justify a mid-1st rounder. That's fine for teams that can afford to have their 1st rounders develop over time...just not sure that's an option for us right now.

Solid senior year? LOL!!!!!!!!! Dan Williams has been a beast for 2 years at UT, yeah it took a while for him to get going at UT but that isn't strange for an overweight high schooler coming into college in the toughest conference at the toughest position.

That wasn't meant as a shot at Williams, just an observation. We obviously have a difference of opinion of what being a "beast" is in the SEC...I can say his senior season was probably worthy of the "beast" title (definitely grant you that), but I can't say his junior year was even close to that.

That said, for what he does (plug gaps, taking on double-teams, being disruptive in the middle and projecting as a true 3-4 NT), he'd definitely be BPA in the middle of the 1st round.

I watched every UT game for years and Dan Williams was most certainly the biggest surprise at UT his Jr year and was a beast. Only reason why some would say different is because he came out of nowhere for most people. He had 48 tkls 8.5 for loss, 1.5 sacks and a game saving blocked kick for a top 3 D nationally in his Jr year and then followed it up with an even more impressive year in his Sr season. That to me in the SEC = Beast.

Fair enough...I'm not going to argue opinions, even though I've watched every Vols game for the last 30+ years (father was a Vols fan too). I like Williams just as much as you do, but I felt like he played in spurts his junior year...dominant in some games and pretty damn quiet in others (definitely had stamina issues, like many big bodied DTs).

He definitely put it all together this past year, but even still, felt like there were times (specifically against Auburn and Florida) where he got pushed around a bit going man-on-man. It's just a lack of consistency thing for me when it comes to Williams...call me crazy, stupid or worse.

Nah...he's got the stuff to be a good NT, but with OT, RB/KR, CB, DE being bigger needs, and the fact they'll franchise Franklin, I can't see drafting Williams. What I'd rather see if Singletary wants to use his BPA on DL is to get Odrick. He'd be a lot closer to what both Nolan and Singletary were looking for when they drafted Balmer. He wasn't a one-year wonder...he had a very good career at Penn St. He excelled at the Senior Bowl...I think he has the makings of a formidable LDE for us and would raise the bar on our DL.