Bigger Problem: D Line, or DB's?

If Griffin gets his act together and Harper not playing in a titan uni, our secondary should be alright. I say drafting a lb would be ideal.

 

Fix the D-Line. More pressure creates forced passes resulting in more picks. Win win for both D-Lineman and DB's by improving the line first. Plus, a better line also helps the run support. If you have safeties and other DB's coming up to help slow down the running game, then your D-Lineman are Chiefs or Raiders and there's nothing that can help those poor souls.

 

Well I've been lurking this forum since 2008, I suppose it's about time I start giving my two cents.

The reason there's a debate of which position is more important is because they're both of equal necessity. Of the secondary and D Line players on the board, draft the one that is rated the highest.

To 2ToneBlueBlood,
With all that said, I don't think fixing one component of the defense necessarily, "Fixes the defense" but helping either the pass rush or the secondary play is definitely a step in the right direction.

Plus, Nick Harper is gone, so we've already improved at the corner position.

 

Obviously improving the front 7 is the most critical item at hand. The most bang is going to come from having a more dominating front 4. A dominating front 4 is critical to our scheme and we are significantly worse than we were when we had AH and a more effective KVB. If we can get a double digit sack guy consistently putting pressure on the QB our secondary will look much better. Even with the loss of AH our biggest deficiency is still DE right now. The DTs we have aren't AH but we do have some talent there and we have Marks who hopefully will step up some. Ford and Hayes are decent DEs but we need another, preferably more dominating, guy in the rotation.

We do have some issue with the loss of Harper. Comments that just anyone can fill in are ridiculous. Sure Harper wasn't that great last year but it would still be nice to have someone playing over there as effective as Harper was a few years back. We don't necessarily need an all pro guy but someone solid and consistent.

We are taking a significant hit at LB as well with the loss of KB and Thornton basically done. Witherspoon helps makes things better but comparing the LB group now to the one we had a few years back when KB and Thornton were both playing at a high level this group is going to be a step back.

The one position we can upgrade and get the most improvement in the defense (and get it next year) is to pick a very effective pass rushing DE. I'm not sure even if we get one of the best Cbs or LBs in this draft we will get as big of an upgrade to the defense as we would taking the right DE.

 

Option B.

 

Word.

 

Definitely, it was downright pathetic at times. I had flashbacks of Rey Hill and Lamont "You Big Dummy" Thompson running around without a clue. Not a pretty sight.

I'd be cool with taking a LB (either McClain or Weatherspoon) in the 1st and Kareem Jackson in the 3rd. Kid looks like a very solid CB with great instincts.

 

Both are a problem.

But to fixed the D it would be easier to address the dline.

Good secondary players are hard to come by but if you have a very disruptive line ( with AH ) it can make the average joe into a pro bowl CB.