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Here is Belchers job:
Get lined up where you can best perform your duties pre snap depending on the offensive formation
Read the "keys" of the offensive formation/motion to try and narrow down what will happen the moment the ball is snapped. This is done by reading the guards, usually. It is also where film study of your opponent pays dividends.
Diagnose run or pass as soon as possible and move accordingly..." false steps usually yeild big plays"
If it is run, immediately identify the pulling guard or where the full back is going and immediately attack that player with every ounce of your being. Making the tackle isn't the primary responsibility, it's "scraping" which is blowing up the lead block...this allows your teammates (most of the time DJ is next up and is expected to make the tackle) to make a play to make the tackle and do a better job of locating the ball to try and force a turnover. Once you "scrape" you try to shed the block and make the tackle.
That is where Belcher absolutely excells. The fact that DJ lead the team in tackles and Belcher was second is a direct result of a lot of really hard work.
I'd love to see a video of all of Belchers tackles because every one of them was the result of big time effort. Maybe even mores than any other player on defense.
If it is pass, identify your responsibilities and get good depth in your drop. Most of the time, this is where Belcher struggles a bit...he is still learning and misdiagnosed play action against well rounded teams and therefore didn't get sufficient depth on his drop and that left a pocket for quarterbacks to drop the ball into. I firmly believe this is coachable and that he has shown improvement from year to year.
Kuechly is a flier and a sound, form tackler that works well in space.
He isn't experienced in taking on pulling guards and lead blocks as his main responsibility.
Kuechly is a guy that can diagnose run or pass well, but "plays on his heels" and that's why even though he had almost 200 tackles, not very many of them were for loss and he forced 0 fumbles...but also didn't miss many tackles.
It essentially gives us two DJ type players at inside backer and nobody that is used to doing the dirty work while taking a guy COMPLETELY off the field that excels at those things at the NFL level.
In my opinion, he would make the least impact of any guy in the conversation for the 11 pick.
I see another Aaron Curry a lot more than I see the next Urlacher or RayRay.
IMO the best pick for us if we stay at 11 is Mark Barron.
He is a "dual threat" defender that has elite potential and how better to combat the increasing usage of the passing game than another elite prospect that would upgrade all packages on defense in both coverage and run support.
With our pass rush, ability to stop the run and force more passing situations and adding a guy like Barron to an already very good secondary...we could probably have a long run of games without a 300 yard passer while being one of the leading teams in terms of sacks and interceptions.
It would also be a great counter move to Denver adding Manning and SD having Rivers.
Simply put, if we aren't moving up for Tannehill Mark Barron should be the pick.
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