Is there a "Clay Matthews" in this draft?

[Oaf]

Any draftniks know if any of these pass rush prospects draws comparisons to Clay Matthews?

We have Sheppard (ugh), Bradham, Lawson, then who? If there's an "unblockable" relentless-type in this draft, I'd just go for it and take my chances in the 2nd for a QB.

side note: What are your guys' thoughts on if one of the top 3 OTs gets to us, and shifting Gordy over to LG?

[Mouldsie]

An unblockable relentless type.... yes that person would probably be going #1 overall lol

When we shift to 3-4 looks I believe Mario will be used standing up frequently as will Lawson but I agree on needing another pass rusher. If Ziggy Ansah is there at 8 and we have no trade partners I might pull the trigger on him for his crazy upside. Draft is pretty deep at DE. One guy I would love to take in the 3rd round is Quanterus Smith: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vWCAavZMJBY


I'd rather not take an OT if we can trade down, if not and he's BPA then go for it.

[BillsFever21]

Hey at least we got Aaron Maybin instead of him or Orakpo in the 2009 draft. Don't be so greedy.

Another great job by Buddy Nix on that one. That would've been a great draft with Wood, Bryd and Levitre drafted that if he didn't screw up the Maybin pick. Now we only have two of them first four picks on the roster and who knows what will happen with Byrd or even Wood for that matter.

[Mouldsie]

Buddy Nix?

[IlluminatusUIUC]

Er, we were kinda hoping Mario Williams would be that guy.

[BillsFever21]

Buddy Nix?

Sorry meant Russ Brandon since Nix didn't get there until 2010. They are both just as big as losers though and Brandon is still here and the one who hired him. I'm surprised he actually hit with the Byrd pick and usually the top rated guards and centers and pretty safe picks in the first couple rounds.

There were also many other good players drafted after Levitre in the second round that year so good thing he didn't screw that one up. McCoy, Kruger and Volmer were all drafted shortly after him. At least we didn't take Pat White like the Dolphins though.

The rest of the draft was a huge failure though as usual in the middle and late rounds. Nobody drafted after them guys were even on the team last season and outside of Nelson I don't think they even saw any playing time.

[The Jokeman]

Any draftniks know if any of these pass rush prospects draws comparisons to Clay Matthews?

We have Sheppard (ugh), Bradham, Lawson, then who? If there's an "unblockable" relentless-type in this draft, I'd just go for it and take my chances in the 2nd for a QB.

side note: What are your guys' thoughts on if one of the top 3 OTs gets to us, and shifting Gordy over to LG?

Chase Thomas got some early Matthews' type buzz from http://walterfootball.com/scoutingreport2013cthomas.php but his 2013 wasn't significantly better than his other years at Stanford and he ran an average 4.91 forty time which tempers the thought of him being the next Clay Jr. Yet he is still worth a look in the mid rounds as a developmental type guy or at the very least a 3rd down pass rusher who could also play inside or even in a 4-3. In other words better depth than what we have now in Moats, White, Lloyd etc. yet probably not likely to ever start. I think he'd make a good 5th or 6th LB if playing a 3-4 so he might be pursuing but I have a feeling we might be getting a LB earlier than the 4th round where he projects to be taken.

EDIT: Sidenote: I only would take Joeckel or Fisher to man LT and move Glenn to LG but think both will be gone well before pick 8. I'm not as impressed with Lane Johnson as some of the recent reports have made him out to be.

[JoeMama]

I see a great deal of upside in Nigel Bradham. Perhaps not Clay Matthews level upside but upside nonetheless.

He's not smallish for a guy with his speed and athleticism. With a halfway decent coordinator (and I believe Mike Pettine is a good one), I think Bradham can take the next step.

#53 may not have knocked anyone's socks off last season, but he didn't shame himself either. We've had plenty of liabilities at OLB in recent years but Bradham certainly wasn't one.

[The Jokeman]

I see a great deal of upside in Nigel Bradham. Perhaps not Clay Matthews level upside but upside nonetheless.

He's not smallish for a guy with his speed and athleticism. With a halfway decent coordinator (and I believe Mike Pettine is a good one), I think Bradham can take the next step.

#53 may not have knocked anyone's socks off last season, but he didn't shame himself either. We've had plenty of liabilities at OLB in recent years but Bradham certainly wasn't one.

Speculation is Bradham will be kicked inside under this new 3-4 alignment. With Mario and Lawson manning the outside. I like what Bradham offered in a 4-3 but his skill speed, which is he's best skill, might be less important in a 3-4.

[JoeMama]

Speculation is Bradham will be kicked inside under this new 3-4 alignment. With Mario and Lawson manning the outside. I like what Bradham offered in a 4-3 but his skill speed, which is he's best skill, might be less important in a 3-4.

Interesting. I hadn't heard that.

Ever since I saw Bradham chase down Chris Rainey from behind at FSU, I was impressed with the kid.

FWIW he's built similarly to Patrick Willis.

Bradham 6'1" 241lbs 4.64 forty

Willis 6'1" 242lbs 4.51 forty

Obviously it's a shallow comparison since there's a large gap in pure talent between the two, but I don't think Bradham's measurables will be a hindrance if they slide him inside.

[BertSquirtgum]

Hey at least we got Aaron Maybin instead of him or Orakpo in the 2009 draft. Don't be so greedy.

Another great job by Buddy Nix on that one. That would've been a great draft with Wood, Bryd and Levitre drafted that if he didn't screw up the Maybin pick. Now we only have two of them first four picks on the roster and who knows what will happen with Byrd or even Wood for that matter.

That still makes me sick. I wanted Orakpo in a bad way.

[Oaf]

An unblockable relentless type.... yes that person would probably be going #1 overall lol

Not necessarily, as we all know, Matthews dropped into the 20s..

[JoeMama]

That still makes me sick. I wanted Orakpo in a bad way.

That draft represented an all time low for me.

We wanted a pass rusher, so what did we do?

We drafted the smallest, slowest one of the group.

It defied logic on so many levels to be laughable. Even Joe Pa was baffled by the pick.

Memories...

[BertSquirtgum]

Stupid tricky dick. It was his pick all the way. He loved undersized talentless bums.

[K-Gun]

Any draftniks know if any of these pass rush prospects draws comparisons to Clay Matthews?

We have Sheppard (ugh), Bradham, Lawson, then who? If there's an "unblockable" relentless-type in this draft, I'd just go for it and take my chances in the 2nd for a QB.

side note: What are your guys' thoughts on if one of the top 3 OTs gets to us, and shifting Gordy over to LG?

Jarvis Jones, except Jones played way better in college than Mattews, and Matthews doesn't have spinal stenosis.

[Cali512]

I see a great deal of upside in Nigel Bradham. Perhaps not Clay Matthews level upside but upside nonetheless.

He's not smallish for a guy with his speed and athleticism. With a halfway decent coordinator (and I believe Mike Pettine is a good one), I think Bradham can take the next step.

#53 may not have knocked anyone's socks off last season, but he didn't shame himself either. We've had plenty of liabilities at OLB in recent years but Bradham certainly wasn't one.

he also had bout 3-4 of the biggest of the yr for us

[NOT THE DUDE...]

jones and mingo at the top

sleeper or after the 1st? probably brandon jenkins if healthy

[Oaf]

Of Jones or Mingo, which do you like at 8?

[k-oneputt]

I think Mingo has more upside but Jones is the safer pick as far as bust potential imo.

With Jones you have the health question and I won't claim to know anything about it. What I do know is he looked damn good the last couple of years at Georgia.

[DraftBoy]

Not really.

[k-oneputt]

Not really what ?

Care to elaborate ?

[DraftBoy]

Not really what ?

Care to elaborate ?

Do you really need elaboration? Matthews is a tenacious pass rusher who has speed plus power. He has the technique to extend his arms and keep blockers off his chest plate. No OLB prospect is near that level. Jones, Collins, Ansah and Mingo are mostly speed based rushers who struggled to get off blocks. Washington is a power guy whose got decent speed but not to Matthews level.

None of them have advanced technical ability.

[k-oneputt]

That's more like it.

And all these super scouts knew all this about Mathews coming out of USC ???????

He was the 3rd best lb on his own college team at the time.

[justasportsfan]

One guy I would love to take in the 3rd round is Quanterus Smith: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vWCAavZMJBY


I'd rather not take an OT if we can trade down, if not and he's BPA then go for it.based on that video, all I saw was a guy who for the most part could not get through a blocker at the college level.

[K-Gun]

based on that video, all I saw was a guy who for the most part could not get through a blocker at the college level.

HGH is a hell of a drug

[pmoon6]

That's more like it.

And all these super scouts knew all this about Mathews coming out of USC ???????

He was the 3rd best lb on his own college team at the time.Clay Matthews benefited greatly transitioning to the pro game from his Dad and Uncle.....and Kevin Greene, who is underrated as one of the best linebackers to ever play the game.

[k-oneputt]

Clay Matthews benefited greatly transitioning to the pro game from his Dad and Uncle.....and Kevin Greene, who is underrated as one of the best linebackers to ever play the game.

Absolutely did. Matthews was a good, under the radar player who the Green Bay scouts found.

[DraftBoy]

Absolutely did. Matthews was a good, under the radar player who the Green Bay scouts found.

He was a first round pick. He wasn't that under the radar at all.

[IlluminatusUIUC]

He was a first round pick. He wasn't that under the radar at all.

Yeah he was on the cover of the Sports Illustrated draft issue.

http://cdn.bleacherreport.net/images_root/slides/photos/000/682/287/ClayMatthews_display_image.jpg?1296522100