SI Article: 2011 Draft Steals and Reaches
http://sportsillustrated.cnn.com/2011/football/nfl/04/30/draft.steals.r…
Jonas Mouton is listed as a reach...
"Jonas Mouton/LB/San Diego/Round 2/No. 61: Mouton was a solid linebacker at Michigan, but scouts questioned his instincts and were concerned about his 4.8 forty time at the combine. Many also think he's better suited to play in a 4-3 alignment versus the 3-4 employed by the Chargers."
I actually think that Mouton fits best as an ILB in a 3-4 which should keep him from having to play in space.
I absolutely agree that Mouton would be best suited as an inside backer in a 3-4...freak athlete who had difficulty maintaining leverage on the outside, it seems almost too easy a fix to move him inside in a 3-4 scheme
Mouton's problem was that he was slow to read and react, and he didn't take great angles. Moving him inside eliminates his edge responsibilities and negates some of those weaknesses.
Doesn't that also somewhat negate his athletic ability, which is probably his greatest strength? It seems like a perfect scenario for him would be having a consistent, relatively simple system that got him comfortable being in space.
I don't necessarily agree with you as to not using his athletic ability in the situation I outlined. I think its a case where this complicated situation is the reason it was a reach.
I agree it isn't that simple and that it was a serious reach. Hopefully things work out for him.
I love me some Jonas Mouton, and he's a heck of a football player... but I'm willing to bet that he would have been there for the Chargers in the 3rd round. Heck, there's a good chance he would have been there in the fourth.
So I kinda agree that ***as a second rounder*** he was a reach.
that I saw the ceiling with Mouton. I recall being regularly pissed off when he failed contain on the edge. Go Blue
In addition, Mouton is a fantastic blitzer and the Chargers need more sources of pass rush.
Personally I think Jonas should have gone to a team that plays a 3-3-5. He obviously is familiar with the scheme and he can show highlights from the last two years to enlighten his teammates.
I don't think they are questioning Mouton's ability, it's just that they likely could have selected him in a later round. He projects as a project player/special teamer which are chosen more in the 4th round or later. For example, the Steelers picked Woodley in the 2nd round, that was a steal.
He did a good job at times , made the tackle to end the illinois game, but I think sometimes hometown teams remember local guys or have local coaching connections. I think someone did Jonas a favor, basically. Best of luck to him.
Sounds about right to me. Wasn't everyone surprised he went so high?
I think if the Chargers have a little patience with him and let him learn and develop, he can definitely turn into a solid pro LB.
The NYTimes ran a good article during the playoffs about how the Steelers maintain such a consistently good LB corps, and it basically boiled down to a pro-redshirt. Bring in guys that have the ability but need some training, keep them off the field to drill them until they get it, and maintain a stable of young, raw, up-and-comers to replace the older guys. I distinctly remember thinking about Mouton after I read that article, and was hoping the Steelers would draft him and develop him. Here's hoping the Chargers do the same.
Call me crazy but Greg Jones going in the 6th round to the Giants seems like a huge steal. I know he's not great at pass coverage but before the season he was projected as the #2 linebacker and going in the 1st round on NFL draft countdown.
As much as I trust all those rankings and projections, I think the draft just shows that the experts don't truly know what goes on in those team rooms. Mel Kiper had De'Quan Bowers 6th overall and he didnt end up going til later. Greg Jones was projected 2nd Round and he went 6th. A guy named Donovan Warren left school thinking he was a 2nd-3rd Roung draft pick and we all know how that happened...
well put.
I'm not sure what Da'quan Bowers has to do with your argument. Kiper rated him as the 6th-best player, but he said all along (at least for the past couple weeks) that Bowers would slip due to his knee injury/issue. Just because he's the 6th-best player doesn't mean he's going to go #6. Ryan Mallett wasn't a 3rd round talent, but he went in the 3rd round due to his immaturity.
is calling Heyward a 'steal'. It's not just blind hatred towards the buckeyes-guy just had a huge drop-off his senior season. He was double-teamed a lot, but so was Graham. I think He ended up with four sacks this year...and he is coming off of elbow (I think) surgery. Yeah, guy was robbed by not getting picked in the top ten. Give me a break.