Originally posted by jonnydel:
It's from looking at pure production stats. Barnett was highly productive in his career but many think it won't directly translate over to the NFL as he's got wide hips and lacks the COD quickness to get around tackles. Makes him a one trick pony rusher. What I like about Thomas over Barnett is he's got quicker hips. It means he'll be more likely to add a speed rush to his repetoire and be a pass rusher with more variance. I stick with my Nick Perry comparison with Barnett. He'll be productive, but most likely won't be able to produce double digit sacks year in and year out - which makes him a definite "no" as the 2nd overall.
Thomas has a much higher ceiling for pass rush IMO. While not Jason Taylor fast, he has the potential to be a good mix of size, strength and speed off the edge like so many dominant pass rushers in the past.
I agree with everything you said