Justin Houston, Aldon Smith, Ryan Kerrigan
 

Let's chat about these passrushers, in which there is some remote possibility that one of these three will make it to our pick.

Which ones do you like, which ones don't you like. And why.

I haven't seen too much Mizzou on tape just yet, so I'll let someone else comment on Smith.

Houston definitely has that wow factor, but at this point he's kind of a one-trick pony. He's a speed demon around the edge and he stacks up all his stats on bad teams. I haven't seen any sacks where he swims in, spins, or bullrushes. He just bolts around the corner -- which is intriguing as an OLB (I'd say, of the three, he's the best fit there), but that athleticism is something you can't teach. Moves, you can teach.

Kerrigan I'm not sold on yet, but again, I never seem to like passrushers in the draft. He has a little of that Tyson Jackson feel to him -- like he can be good, but he'll never be a game changer. He doesn't have that explosion in him that the other two seem to have.

I'll also say this about Houston: he has a Jared Allen-like enthusiasm in the run game. I really do like the kid, which is saying something. I just fear he's a one-trick pony.

Kerrigan I think is much inconsistent in the run game.

A one-trick pony that Crennel could morph into something more.

Smith is one of the most athletically dynamic players in the draft. He is simply an athletic stud. His major red flag, however, is durability. Every injury he's had can be excused as "freak," but when you've had enough of those...

If he's there in the first, it would be a fantastic risk-reward scenario.

I think he's a no-brainer for us. However, he'll probably shoot up the chart come draft time.

I think Smith is the second OLB off the board.

Really, imo, it all depends on which direction the Patriots want to go with the 1st pick. If they don't go OLB then I think either Ayers or Kerrigan drops to 21.

I think Houston will be there.

Smith will blow up after the combine, IMO.

Yep, to all of the above. I'll be really surprised if Smith isn't a top-15 pick.

This leads to

This.

Chiefs will never get a chance at him... unless something crazy happens, like a run on tackles and QBs or something.

Hopefully Smith blowing up leads Akeem Ayers right to our pick.

No thanks on Ayers.

No thanks to a guy who can play both the run and the pass? Because we were so good defending TE's.

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Why? He is the protypical 3-4 linebacker that we need.

Ayers is a prototypical 3-4 ILB, not an OLB.

We don't need another placeholder on the field at that position, we need a ferocious passrusher.