Through last season and this off season I felt the lack of pass rush was the key to the poor record so most of my focus in this off season was on it.  Now that our heart rates are back to normal after getting both Ramsey and Jack I'd like to share some thoughts on our newly acquired pass rushers and to support Bullseye a bit in his position on team management.

 

I will base this on an excellent article from a Panther's website on Ngakoue.  There is a table there that ranks Combine measurables for 22 DE's.  Tyrone Holmes was not one of them but I have included his numbers for comparison.  Perhaps a MB member better skilled at overcoming formatting issues could copy the table for everyone.

 

http://www.catscratchreader.com/2016/3/7...ck-ngakoue

 

From the article there is this:

 

"Yannick Ngakoue was one of just three defensive ends from the 2016 draft class to reach the desired thresholds in five of the six combine tests consisting of 40-yard dash, bench press, vertical jump, broad jump, short (20-yard) shuttle, and 3-cone drill."

 

Thus he is listed first overall.  Bravo Dave.

 

What is really interesting to me are Tyrone Holmes numbers from NFL.com

 

     40 yd        Bench Reps  Vert jump Broad Jump   20 yd shuttle   3 cone      Targets met

      4.59 sec           28                 37.5"          9' 5"                 4.28 sec       7.00 sec            4

 

 

Three DE's met five of the six targets, in order, Yannick Ngakoue, Shaq Lawson and Noah Spence.

 

Four DE's met four of the six targets, in order, Joey Bosa, Tyrone Holmes, Emmanuel Ogbah and Shilique Calhoun.

 

 

 

The best bench was 32 reps by Ronald Blair.  Holmes tied for third with Joey Bosa at 28.

 

The best 40 yard was 4.59 seconds by Holmes who was tied by Charles Tapper.  Telvin Smith did 4.52 at his Combine per NFL.com

 

The best vertical jump was Holmes at 37.5" by a good margin.  Jalen Ramsey, a DB, did 41.5"

 

The fastest 3 cone was by James Cowser at 6.80 sec.  Holmes was fourth behind Bosa and Calhoun at 7.00 sec.

 

Only an average broad jump of 9'5" kept Holmes from challenging Ngakoue for the top spot.

 

 

 

Okay, he is a certified workout warrior.  What about production?  From CBS Sports,

 

<p style="color:rgb(17,17,17);font-family:'proxima-nova', Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">After coming off the bench as a true freshman in 2012, he became a sophomore starter in 2013 and recorded 37 tackles, 6.0 tackles for loss and 4.0 sacks. Holmes started all 14 games as a junior in 2014 and finished with 66 tackles, 14.0 tackles for loss, 7.5 sacks and two forced fumbles, earning Honorable Mention All-Big Sky honors.

<p style="color:rgb(17,17,17);font-family:'proxima-nova', Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"> 

<p style="color:rgb(17,17,17);font-family:'proxima-nova', Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">He had his most productive season as a senior in 2015 (13 starts) with 87 tackles, 24.0 tackles for loss, 18.0 sacks and three forced fumbles to earn First Team All-Big Sky, All-American and FCS Defensive Player of the Year honors. Holmes accepted his invitation to the 2016 East-West Shrine Game.

<p style="color:rgb(17,17,17);font-family:'proxima-nova', Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"> 

<p style="color:rgb(17,17,17);font-family:'proxima-nova', Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"> 

IN OUR VIEW: A three-year starter, Holmes lined up primarily in a three-point stance at left end, occasionally moving to the right side in Montana's four-man front. He became the first Montana player to win the FCS Defensive Player of the Year award since Kroy Biermann (2007), leading the FCS in sacks (18.0) in 2015 and finishing second in school history in career sacks (34.5) and tackles for loss (49.5).

 

 

Okay, he had production but Lageman didn't like his film.  He is from a small school and as Gene has taught us they are men among boys.  Maybe he will he will make it in the NFL and maybe he won't.  I think he is definitely worth watching and doubt that he will be risked on the practice squad.

 

Give Dave credit for getting this guy in the sixth round.

 

 

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Are either Ngakoue or Holmes force players?

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Interesting, thanks for posting. 

 

What did Lageman say about his film exactly? What didn't he like?

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I think Shaq Lawson was the only force player this year. I don't know if if Holmes was even considered.


I picked up the comment on Lageman from the MB. I don't know his reasoning. Holmes comes from and played in the most obscure part of the country so he had little exposure. He did not stand out in the Shrine game but given has roots he may have been a bit overwhelmed by his first exposure to the big time.

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Interesting, thanks for posting.


What did Lageman say about his film exactly? What didn't he like?

He told the story of number 37. I guess in that part of the country at all the high schools and colleges it's tradition that the best defense player wears number 37. Well Holmes didn't wear number 37.


I think that lore was enough to make Jeff not like him that much.

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I think Shaq Lawson was the only force player this year. I don't know if if Holmes was even considered.


I picked up the comment on Lageman from the MB. I don't know his reasoning. Holmes comes from and played in the most obscure part of the country so he had little exposure. He did not stand out in the Shrine game but given has roots he may have been a bit overwhelmed by his first exposure to the big time.

I just watched the East/West Shrine game on Youtube forwarding to each of Holmes' (#91 blue jersey) plays.  He had a couple tackles, a couple missed tackles, and a few pressures on the QB.  He had a decent swim move to disengage from the tackles, but was a hair slow off the snap on most plays, allowing the tackles to set up.  He had decent play speed, but didn't blow by any of the East right tackles.  He looks developmental to me by looking at that game tape.  

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He told the story of number 37. I guess in that part of the country at all the high schools and colleges it's tradition that the best defense player wears number 37. Well Holmes didn't wear number 37.

I think that lore was enough to make Jeff not like him that much.

Oh. That's like TMD kind of thinking! Ha

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Yannick seems motivated to prove that other teams shouldn't have slept on him, so it should be fun watching people turn their heads during PreSeason.

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Yannick seems motivated to prove that other teams shouldn't have slept on him, so it should be fun watching people turn their heads during PreSeason.

If he played for Ohio State, he would have been a first rounder.

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If he played for Ohio State, he would have been a first rounder.

I felt the same way. He's gonna give us 5 to 7 sacks per year for the next 4 years.

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Excited for PreSeason, and I heard Corey Grant is turning heads again (glad to hear that his injury didn't slow him down).

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