The Hogster wrote:I'd rather draft Honey Badger now--a guy who has already felt what it's like to mess up and lose it all--than a guy with character issues who has always gotten away with everything.
One guy has the experience to do better, while the other guy has a false sense of invincibility.
We are the kind of team that should make this pick.
I like Tyrann a lot. I'm a decent LSU fan (parents' alma matter) and have watched a lot of his games.
There is no doubt that Tyrann has got Football Smarts, instinct, nose for the ball, whatever you want to call it that can not be taught and he clearly has a knack for coming up with the plays that know how leads to at absolutely perfect times.
HOWEVER, Tyrann's biggest short coming isn't his height, it's that he is constantly out of position on the most routine of plays, namely covering his man on the outside (e.g. last year's NC game, the arkansas and Georgia (SEC Championship) game in 2011). He is a bit like Hall in that he is just as likely to intercept a ball as he is to be completely out of position and get burned. Contrast that with say a Carlos Rogers who is unlikely to get an interception but very unlikely to be caught out of position and get burned. He, like all corners mind you, is a risk tolerance pick. Like both men I just mentioned he will hit, hard, too. He was protected, (i) A LOT by LSU's front seven, hell just the pressure the front 4 could produce (just look at the draft positions of the players (last year and this year) that he's played behind- Michael Brockers DT (14th), Barkevious Mingo DE (absolute beast), Sam Montgomery DE (Beast) and Bennie Logan DT); (ii) Eric Reid (should be 1st round this year) and Brandon Taylor (73rd), the safeties who played behind him and (iii) Morris Claiborne, the corner on the other side of the field. Its not a slam dunk that he'll be a good cover corner.
I love his attitude on a football field, I agree with you that he should be in a position to have learned his lesson and already begun maturing/growing from it and I'm not overly bothered that a 19-20 year old kid did what he did and paid the price he did. I wouldn't spend more than a 4th or 5th on him, but not before I took a corner and/or safety before him that we LOVE with our 2nd and 3rd pick. His deficiencies can probably be taught/corrected. His natural talents are worth it.
Depending on his combine results (measurables and interviews), maybe, maybe we take him with our 3rd and hope that gamble (and it would be) pays off.