Well I'd love to have 4 studs across the D-line so if they are there in the first 4 rounds, I'd take all of them.
I do disagree with you that we need to add a Warren Sapp and Michael Strahan in order to have the defense we want. There are plenty of great NFL defenses out there right now that don't have 2 elite D-lineman.
I have no inclination to get into a DL vs. DB debate with you.
Suffice to say you need impact players in your front seven. I can't believe anyone would try to argue otherwise.
We currently have a linebacker or two. We need studs on the front four.
With all that being said I think Crawford could eventually have a Hatcher type season. He has been very disruptive this year and just seems to be coming up short in the stat line only.
Yeah, he could get there.... eventually. Hatcher took like 4-5 seasons to turn into that type of player. If a player is going to have a Hatcher-like career, I'd much rather him as top depth for most of his contract, as opposed to having three seasons of a bit of underachievement before finally hitting your stride.
Things look positive for him, but there is a category of player -- like a Travis Frederick, for example -- where they may not have hit that Pro Bowl caliber yet, but you know they are on their way and you aren't gonna draft any centers in the first two rounds. That is not where I'm at with Crawford.
He's more of a guy who could either turn into a Hatcher, or he could be better served as a Chad Hennings type who is great depth for years as part of a rotation but is never a big numbers guy or impact player. I'm not gonna panic if I have to start him, but I am actively looking for that Pro Bowler still, because it's a position in the Marinelli defense where you need that stud.
