Well, he was All-SEC on the coaches poll and led the team with 6 sacks and 6.5 TFL so that is more than showing up for the last two games. BUT... he was a 1 year producer and I do not like spending a first rounder on those guys.
Bama/Titans fan here: He's a similar player to Daquan - who we're most likely going to let walk in free agency. He can flash in run support and create tackles for loss, a bit better pass rush than Jones, but not on Simmons level. More of a second round pick to me, but may rise for certain teams. I don't like him in the first round for us because I would prefer to see us go after someone more like Cam Jordan as a defensive end with a good bull rush, but can also beat a guy around the edge. This years draft seems pretty chock-full of those types of players. I see several that are long and have good size. Just depends on what JRob sees on film and who he likes the most.
If Jones does walk thats a big hole to fill. Nose tackle isn't glamorous but it's pretty vital. Our rush D was actually pretty decent this season, don't want a huge gap in the middle, we can't afford that lol
But you don't fill a niche role player with a 1st round pick. We need to use that on someone who makes a big impact.
Nose tackle =/= niche role player. Is barmore worthy of a 1st? I have no idea, but he's not, not worth a first just because he's be replacing someone you consider a niche role player which I also don't really agree with calling Jones a niche role player to begin with.
Who's the best nose tackle in the game right now? I'm a huge fan of the game as a whole, and I don't think I could come up with any actual impact nose tackles. Vita Vea? Quinnen Williams? Those are the best I know of. Would you consider them actual game changers? They can be good, but not taking over a game. How much of an impact does that position actually make in today's game? Using a first round pick on one would be a complete waste no matter how good they are.
I'm not sure why we think Barmore is a nose tackle. He was a sack leader known for his lateral quickness and his biggest question mark is that he gets pushed around in the run game.
Because that's the only position that would make sense for him to play on our defense if we lose Jones. Which is why I said he wouldn't be a fit for us. Also I compared him to Jones skills wise. I think he's a bit better than him, but not enough to warrant a 1st round pick. We have much bigger needs than spending a 1st round pick on an interior DL.
