MD was right

Aldon is a Pro Bowl talent. Hard to be disappointed there.

Watt is an all time player. Once in a lifetime talent..... I have a lot of relatives in Wisconsin. And I went to many of his games. Home and Rose Bowl. I always knew he was a beast. But this is just rediculous. He exceeded my expectations times 10. He's a instant first ballot hall of famer. He's the best defensive player in all of fooball right now. I think you could make that argument easily.

MD is technically wrong and much like some other posters have indirectly pointed out. It cant and shouldnt be said Watt >>> Smith.

It should be Watt >>> Ray Mac because we chose between our 2 most pressing defensive needs and went after Ray Mac and drafting Aldon versus drafting Watt and keeping Lawson or dipping into a very anemic field of FA OLBs.

At least from our perspective Harbaugh was more confident in his film study of Ray Mac and drafting an OLB then going for an unknown on the DL in draft pick and putting our eggs in one basket and pushing hard for Johnson. In the event that Johnson picked a different team we would've been left with picking between retaining Manny Lawson or signing Rocky McIntosh, Matt Roth, or Aaron Maybin.


So because hindsight is 20/20 would you rather have Ray Mac and Aldon or JJ Watt and any one of those 3: Lawson, McIntosh, Maybin)

Originally posted by SanDiego49er:
Aldon is a Pro Bowl talent. Hard to be disappointed there.

Watt is an all time player. Once in a lifetime talent..... I have a lot of relatives in Wisconsin. And I went to many of his games. Home and Rose Bowl. I always knew he was a beast. But this is just rediculous. He exceeded my expectations times 10. He's a instant first ballot hall of famer. He's the best defensive player in all of fooball right now. I think you could make that argument easily.

so not even 1.5 seasons in and hes a first ballot hall of famer???

Originally posted by Jcool:

Originally posted by SanDiego49er:
Aldon is a Pro Bowl talent. Hard to be disappointed there.

Watt is an all time player. Once in a lifetime talent..... I have a lot of relatives in Wisconsin. And I went to many of his games. Home and Rose Bowl. I always knew he was a beast. But this is just rediculous. He exceeded my expectations times 10. He's a instant first ballot hall of famer. He's the best defensive player in all of fooball right now. I think you could make that argument easily.

so not even 1.5 seasons in and hes a first ballot hall of famer???

to be fair...many said that about Willis

Originally posted by jreff22:
to be fair...many said that about Willis

Willis was a first team all pro as a rookie, Watt was not

Originally posted by Jcool:

Originally posted by jreff22:
to be fair...many said that about Willis

Willis was a first team all pro as a rookie, Watt was not

How many big name ILB's are there compared to DE's?

The one thing Maddog might be right about is how Aldon might just be a one trick pony. Thought it's not a bad trick to have

Originally posted by Jcool:

Originally posted by SanDiego49er:
Aldon is a Pro Bowl talent. Hard to be disappointed there.

Watt is an all time player. Once in a lifetime talent..... I have a lot of relatives in Wisconsin. And I went to many of his games. Home and Rose Bowl. I always knew he was a beast. But this is just rediculous. He exceeded my expectations times 10. He's a instant first ballot hall of famer. He's the best defensive player in all of fooball right now. I think you could make that argument easily.

so not even 1.5 seasons in and hes a first ballot hall of famer???

1st ballot. Lock.

I think there are many fans on this board who don't understand the mindboggling numbers that Watt is posting, especially at the 3-4 DE position.

Think about the most dominating 3-4 DE's of this generation. Here is a quick list:
1. Richard Seymour
2. Justin Smith
3. Haloti Ngata
4. Aaron Smith

Please add one if I have forgotten someone else:

Let'e break each one down:
1. Seymour is probably a first ballot Hall of Famer. Taking the best of his stats from any year as a 3-4 DE in NE, here is what you get:
Best sack year (8 sacks in 2003 and 2008); Pass deflected (8 in 2003 and 2006); Tackles (57 in 2003); Stop for Loss (7 in 2002)

2. Justin Smith. Possibly a Hall of Famer some day. Taking the best of his stats from any year as a 3-4 DE in SF:
Best sack year (8.5 sacks in 2010); Pass deflected (3 in 2008); Tackles (73 in 2008); Stop for Loss (5 in 2010)

3. Haloti Ngata. Probably a Hall of Famer some day. Taking the best of his stats from any year as a 3-4 DE in Baltimore:
Best sack year (5.5 sacks in 2010); Pass deflected (5 in 2008, 2010, 2011); Tackles (64 in 2008); Stop for Loss (5 in 2008, 2009, 2010)

4. Aaron Smith- Possibly a Hall of Famer some day. Taking the best of his stats from any year as a 3-4 DE in Pittsburgh:
Best sack year (8 sacks in 2001 and 2004); Pass deflected (7 in 2003); Tackles (70 in 2002); Stop for Loss (10 in 2002)

***JJ Watt, in 6 games in only the 2012 year****
Sacks (9.5); Pass deflected (8); Tackles (32); Stop for loss (7). If Watt did not play another game in 2012, he would only be behind A. Smith in Stop for Loss (in a single year of his career) and tackles from the group. He would still have more sacks, deflections, and stop for losses (outside Smith's one year) in this year versus all of the best years of the other athletes.


He is on track to the equivalent of a QB throwing for 9,000 yards in a season, or a RB running for 3500 yards. It is that crazy. He is on pace to beat the all-time single season sack record of 22.5 sacks at his 25.5 pace. We are talking about a 3-4 DE, not an edge rusher.

^^^^^^any clones this year or next?

Originally posted by SanDiego49er:
Watt is unbelievable. I have a lot of relatives in Wisconsin. And I've personally gone to many Wisconsin games. Both regular season and Rose Bowl. And I can tell you Watt was always a beast for the Badgers. Just unblockable and batting down passes like he does now. But I have to tell you I didn't expect him to be this good in the pros. He's unreal. Just unreal. He looks like the next Reggie White. He's going to be an all time player. Just insane how good he is.

Now I think Aldon Smith is really, really good and maybe even a perenial Pro Bowl level guy. And I love Aldon other than all his PAC MAN JONES off field episodes. But I'd have to say I think JJ Watt is probably going to be better overall. Probably an all time great vs. a Pro Bowl player is what we are looking at. Watt is like Justin Smith but younger, bigger, stronger and more athletic, with just as much motor....

It is so hard to be an nfl evaluator. Imagine JJ Watt dropped out of college when playing for Central Michigian, delivered pizzas, then went to play for wisconsin. (hardly a resume to burn a top 10 pick on).

Jason Pierr paul for the giants, pre draft evaluators had him as the workout freak who would bust, he has dominated.

Aldon Smith- Niners fans groaned at the pick, but he was a big reason why the team made it to the NFCC game. Aldon was a great pick.

The team needed an OLB to rush, With McDonald at DE and Justin Smith (at the time they drafted Aldon) it made sense, and still does.

Originally posted by SofaKing:
Oh pleeeease....

Look, J.J. Watt is a phenomenal player. He looks like a shoe in for the HOF. But based on the personnel that we had going into that draft, picking Aldon was the right call. We have J. Smith and McDonald. Where would Watt fit? Should we have let McDonald go in FA instead? In that scenario we are left without an elite pass-rusher, something that prevented this defense from being a top unit for years.

Aldon is putting up some eye-popping numbers too you know. He has a shot at breaking Reggie White's record as the fastest defender to reach 20 sacks. Reggie-freakin'-White. I think we're doing just fine with Aldon.

this is good, but Aldon has had a slow start in his 2nd year so far...

*Aldon is in his first year as a starter, just saying.


Watt is a great player, but we won't know for sure who we "should have" taken for a couple more years.

JJ Watts is a fantastic player but I wouldn't say Maddog was right. If you end up with DeMarcus Ware are you really going to be mad that you could have gotten Hali Ngata?

At some point you just have to grade your own selection and quit obsessing over what you could have gotten instead. Maddog is only right if Aldon Smith doesn't grade out to be an elite pass rusher. I think that would be my beef with Maddog. He knows his stuff and tends to find good talent, but he's too emotionally attached to his view on how the team should be built.

I didn't know the nfl hall of fame had a section for 3-4 DE and one for 4-3 DE...