Two months ago I would have sworn Edge/DE would be the safer pick for us in the top 10. Now I understand why it is possible WR could be, I find myself leaning to Tyson right now.
It is amazing but we really could have Downs fall to us...That will be a big decision as I am sure there will be some serious offers. This feels like the Kyle Hamilton whiff on our part. He is a must take especially if you are selecting out of the top 5
Finally got to watching Downs. Wow. Safety might actually be one of my better spots as to evaluation, I haven't really missed on much on this one, lol Quan Martin might end up a rare miss from me but I wasn't blown away by him.
But as safeties I've been blown away over the years include Kyle Hamilton, Brian Branch, Fitzpatrick, and Derwin James. My kids rememeber to this day me screaming at the TV when they took Daron Payne instead of Derwin. A decent safety doesn't change a defense IMO.
But an elite safety can change a defense, this dude is elite. I think he's better than Hamilton. But a different type of safety. He's not as freakish as far as size as Hamilton --- and if he tests in a pedestrian way in the combine because of that like Hamilton he might not go top 10. You might recall some on ES werre down on Hamiton, not me though, just because of his 40 time -- apparently neither was Del Rio, that came out later. But they were wrong.
As for Downs, his superpower are his instints. They are insane. It's the thing i look for most in LBs and safeties that is are the anticipating wherethe ball is going. This dude is a magnet for the action and redirects so quickly when he has a false step. He's EVERYWHERE. I could see him drop out of the top 10 because his numbers aren't crazy -- not his size, not INTs, not tackles -- but you could easily see his game translate.
Smart-fiery dude. I watched a segment on him where he said as a kid he'd play football chess games in his mind -- if this happens, then that, etc. And as a player that's his drill, just knowing what's coming from his studies of the opponent. And it shows. Also love how low and soundly he tackles. He wraps his tackles well.
He's a great fit to this defense IMO. It made me think of something I haven't yet. Some complain that Washington's LBs down go east to west well. And the DEs don't set the edge well. All true. But the thing is Downs would offset much of that. He's a sideline to sideline mover and gets to the edges fast and brings his targets down. The safeties on this team are part of the problem as for holding the edge. Some of the the big runs on the edges often involve the safety either not getting there or they do and they whiff on the tackle. This would help fix that.
I don't hear any talk about this team's safeties as to stopping outside zone runs, etc. But they are part of it. Watching Downs brought home to me that this safeties are a bigger part of the problem with this defense than some, including me acknowledge. Downs looks like he's from a different planet than name the safety who has played here in recent years.
This dude is a stud.
 }})
