The #9 Debate...................No Not Tony Romo, The Other #9

Von Miller LB Texas A&M
 

Von Miller sack specialist, the next Clay Matthews?

In this fanpost I want to discuss a few topics, mainly the divide on Von Miller and why I think you might want to take a closer look. First I want to start with the last two #9 draft picks from the previous NFL Drafts. In 2010 The Buffalo Bills selected C.J. Spiller 9th overall. In my personal opinion Spiller might of been the best RB from his class, but taking a RB over a few other players on a team desperate for playmakers has both sides of a argument here. One can say Buffalo took the BPA, the best player on their board, or they took the best playmaker that was available. Now I obviously didn't run Buffalo's war room, but if I did I would of taken a closer look at a few different options here.

Buffalo had a option to take the best safety in the class, Earl Thomas here but decided to take Spiller. Simply put the 2011 NFL Draft won't feature a Earl Thomas 9th overall, Rahim Moore is the best safety in the class but until we see his combine and how that effects his draft status, currently 9th overall is a reach in most opinions. Buffalo had a luxory pick here, and went with a RB. Now I grade Mark Ingram very highly, and to me he reminds me of another #22, the great Emmitt Smith. Spiller yes a playmaker but more known for his speed is something Dallas already has in Felix Jones. With Ingram you might get the best BPA left, which Jerry and Stephen have endorsed over the past few days. I am not promoting the pick of Ingram, unless he is indeed the BPA when the time comes. It looks like a classic Jerry pick, so be prepared. But like Buffalo, you would be getting a top tier RB, but the difference here is Ingram is a Heisman Trophy WInner, and with all the adversity in his life looks like a great young man. He just has the Emmitt type of style to him, so if indeed his is the selection, I would be very proud and have been preparing myself for that selection.

Buffalo also passed on a premier OT in Anthony Davis from Rutgers. In a class deep with OL talent, Buffalo could of selected Mike Iupati or Anthony Davis here. What is amusing is that the 49ers ended up with both of those players, giving them two huge pieces of the puzzle on OL. The only player that I can say is similar to Davis is Tyron Smith from USC, but Davis was already 323 pounds come draft day. Smith indeed can have a great combine and propel himself into top 10 status, thus making him the 9th overall selection a much better play than reaching for him. I myself compare Smith to another OL who came into the draft undersized but with great talent, D'Brickashaw Ferguson. Ferguson came into the draft around 300-310 pounds, it varies by the draft service. So if Smith has a great combine and weighs around 300-310 come draft time, he very well could be the 9th overall selection. Ferguson was taken 4th overall by the Jets, with a scouting grade of 98 by Scouts Inc. Smith already has a grade of 93 by Scouts Inc and has a similar scouting report. So if Dallas grades out Tyron Smith high, he should be the first OL off the board. It is yet to be known how high Dallas will grade Derek Sherrod or Gabe Carimi. Carimi received a grade of 92 and Sherrod a grade of 76. Two other OL, Nate Solder received a grade of 94 but I want no parts of Solder. Anthony Costanzo received a 91 and is another OL I want no parts of at 9th overall.

Part of the problem I have recently thought about was that if people want Dallas to fix the OL, and they take a OL 9th overall, I think alot of people on here would complain. Even the same people who want OL help might be complaining. Dallas needs to address the OL folks, we all know that, so if they take Tyron Smith 9th overall, I bet you would see alot of hating going on. I just see people complaining about the OL, and how Dallas needs to fix it, but it looks to me they don't want Smith or Sherrod that high. I don't know, just be prepared for public backlash if we take a OL 9th overall because people always find a way to bash this team in some sort of fashion.

Buffalo also passed on Mike Iupati as we mentioned earlier. who Scouts Inc gave a 93 grade. Iupati was the best G in the draft, but apparently Buffalo didn't view him highly. Now Iupati is a player I loved, and so did Dallas. Along with the great Earl Thomas, Iupati was one of the few players Dallas would of traded up for. The one we wanted we got in Dez Bryant, who received a grade of 94 from Scouts Inc. Dez Bryant made all the sense in the world at the 24 pick. Honestly to get a playmaker of his skill at 24 is a diamond, a epic steal. This draft there again, is no Mike Iupati. No guard has put himself into a early first round consideration. So we won't be seeing a guard selected that high.

Now Jacksonville took Tyson Alualu with the 10th selection that draft. Alualu had a great combine and workout and blew up the boards, but I was still surprised to see him go that high. Alualu had a grade of 89 from Scouts Inc, and another Cal Bear is a first round buzz, Cameron Jordan and is a player I value highly. Jordan has a grade of 93 from Scouts Inc, so my point is if Cameron Jordan is a better player and Alualu can go 10th overall, what spot could Jordan go? Cameron Jordan is going to be a great 3-4 DE, and scouts rave about his skills at the 5 technique but also his ability to line up all over the line. Cameron Jordan may not be a sexy pick to some, but Jordan is a stud. Not only in my eyes is he a stud, but alot of draft services. If Jordan participates in the Senior Bowl, he could sky rocket into the top 15 talk, maybe higher. A guy who loved Alualu last year was Mike Mayock on the NFL Network. I think Mayock is a great evaluator of talent and really knows his stuff. I guarantee Mayock hypes Jordan up like he did with Alualu and that right there alone could sell Jordan even more. Brandon Graham did the same thing last year, had himself a amazing Senior Bowl and combine, then the Eagles traded up to 13 to snatch him up. It goes to show you how a team will value a DE with pass rushing ability.

Buffalo didn't get a chance to take a look at Joe Haden, who was selected by the Browns 7th overall. Haden in most eyes was the best corner of the 2010 NFL Draft, he had a grade of 93. Now in my opinion Devin McCourty was the best corner in the draft. He had a grade of a 90. This year there are only 2 CB's in the draft that are worth the #9 pick this year, that is Patrick Peterson with a grade of 97, and Prince Amukamara with a grade of 96. There is a good chance Amukamara can fall to us 9th overall, but I am very skeptical of that happening. Cover corners, the lockdown ones are a very rare specimen. If somehow Amukamara falls to us at the 9 slot, then it should be one of the easiest decisions Dallas will have to make all offseason.

Buffalo had their options at 9th overall that year, and went with a playmaker at RB. What Dallas would of done 9th overall that year would of been Earl Thomas, Mike Iupati, or Dez Bryant. Dez is my favorite player and I would never re-do that draft and take another player. But the need of OL and S is so drastic that one could make that argument, and I would listen to that argument. Dez Bryant is a star and a budding superstar. So lets accept that fact we got one of the best young WR's in the NFL and move on. Now if somehow Mark Ingram, who received a Scouts Inc grade of 91, I think some, well most would be mad. At least you would be getting a great RB who would be added to a great offense with alot of weapons. All I am saying is prepared for the pick if it happens and embrace it if you can because Ingram is a great player. All I can say is instead of getting a bust, you would be getting a great player.

One more draft I want to go over was the 2009 NFL Draft. Green Bay selected B.J. Raji who received a grade of 96. If Dallas had been picking there Raji and Brian Orakpo would of been the primary discussion. Yes I still think a pass rushing specialist on the other side of Ware would be a great idea to take a look at. My whole point is that there are options with this 9th pick, there is alot of talent. Especially the last two drafts there has been a rise in talent. Some years seemed like the talent pool was shallow, but not over the last two years. This draft is also talent filled, with 56 underclassmen declaring for the draft, a record high. So much for players being concerned about the CBA.

One point I wanted to make this post was that the similarities between players, should be taken into account. The two players from this draft I want to really take a look at is Von Miller and Tyron Smith.

Von Miller has been called "undersized" by alot on here and I understand that argument. But when I hear people rave about Clay Matthews I want to really break this down.

Clay Matthews received a grade of 91 from Scouts Inc that draft. I want to list what Matthews measured in at as well. Matthews weighed in at 6'3 and 240 pounds. Von Miller received a 95 grade and according to Scouts Inc weighs in at 6'3 and 238 pounds. So for everyone saying Miller is too small, is he really too small? Or is it unfair or ignorant to take a look at Clay Matthews who, didn't produce like Von Miller did at college. Matthews had similar knocks that people are putting on Miller, that he isn't good enough in the run game. Miller has amazing speed and I think can be just as good as Matthews is and develop like Matthews had to do. Matthews developed his game so he could be decent in the run game. Matthews also added about 10-15 pounds since his arrival at Green Bay. So why can't Miller do the same thing? Miller can bulk up another 10 pounds without juicing right?

My whole point is that Von Miller was a highly recruited player and produced at a high level that Matthews did not at USC. Miller has amazing speed and a first step that is similar to DeMarcus Ware's. When it comes down to make a selection 9th overall the war room will have to decide who to take here. If no team is willing to trade up to 9th overall after all of Dallas's guys are gone, then your going to have to draft a player 9th overall. See teams are going to know Dallas wants to trade back and take a OL, but from all accounts Jerry has been clear he will take the BPA, but you know they will be fielding offers all night and be busy on the phone trying to work a deal if Prince Amukamara is gone. If a team knows Dallas wants to trade down, right then Dallas has lost some leverage. It also could happen say Dallas does indeed trade down, then comes time to pick and there is nobody there they like, that is also a concerning scenario. I watched Miami trade down a couple of times because simply, their guy was gone. They ened up taking Jared Odrick 28th overall because they probably ran out of trades and simply had to take a player at that point. Im sure they liked Odrick or they wouldn't have drafted him, but Odrick wasn't the Dolphins first guy on the list, I just do not want to see that happen this year.

If Jason Pierre Paul, who received a grade of 94 and went 14th overall to the Giants, and Derrick Morgan, who received a grade of 95 and went 15th overall to the Titans, can be drafted that high, then so can Von Miller. I think Von Miller is a better player than both of them. I read a few scouting reports recently and they compared Miller to Clay Matthews. If all else fails and Prince Amukamara is gone, then Von Miller might be the best option here. At least we would be getting a premier pass rusher, imagine Ware with a Matthews type motor on the other side.

The best case scenario is Prince falling to 9th overall, that would be a easy pick. Cameron Jordan at 9th overall would give us a much needed pass rushing DE. Tyron Smith, if he has a great combine and workout would become the 1st OL taken this draft. Taking Tyron Smith would solve our problems at RT, where Smith started and had a great year for USC. Taking Tyron Smith 9th overall would be a great pick, your getting a D'Brickashaw Ferguson type of player. Mark Ingram would be a worst case scenario, if Dallas doesn't grade out Smith, Jordan, Miller that high, then Mark Ingram could be Jerry's pick.

The whole greatness of the 9th overall selection is that we simply have options. Below I will drop some videos of Von Miller, Cameron Jordan, and Tyron Smith. In the Tyron Smith video, he is #70 and is the RT, he is going up against Cameron Jordan.