Kritik und Lob » After nailing my previous BYU homer picks of run

ning back Jamaal Williams and linebacker Fred Warner Youth Torrey Smith Jersey , it’s time to seriously consider linebacker Sione Takitaki."WhiteFanposts Fanshots Sections Keep Sounding PodcastPanthers 2019 NFL DraftCSR Film RoomLinebacker Sione Takitaki would be an ideal mid-round Panthers pick, but then again I’m a homerNew,15commentsAfter nailing my previous BYU homer picks of running back Jamaal Williams and linebacker Fred Warner, it’s time to seriously consider linebacker Sione Takitaki.ESTShareTweetShareShareLinebacker Sione Takitaki would be an ideal mid-round Panthers pick, but then again I’m a homerJeff Swinger-USA TODAY SportsFor the third straight year I get to tap into my BYU bias and spotlight a player from my alma mater who would be a good fit with the Carolina Panthers. Based on my track record it’s about time the Panthers start listening to me. In 2017 I advocated for BYU running back Jamaal Williams who was ultimately drafted in the fourth round (No. 134 overall) by the Green Bay Packers. Through two seasons he has churned out 1,020 rushing yards Stitched Torrey Smith Jersey , 472 receiving yards, and nine touchdowns. Last year I stumped for Brigham Young’s stud linebacker Fred Warner who was drafted in the third round (No. 70 overall) by the San Francisco 49ers. Warner started all 16 games as a rookie in 2018 and racked up 124 tackles in 16 starts. Both Warner and Williams have been great value picks for third- and fourth-round selections. With “BYU value pick” in mind my 2019 Brigham Young University homer selection is linebacker Sione Takitaki. In four seasons in Provo he compiled 241 total tackles (including 119 in 2018), 15.5 sacks, and 33.5 tackles for loss. His strong performance in the East-West Shrine game earned him an invitation to the Senior Bowl. Walter Football ranks Takitaki as the No. 14 inside linebacker and projects him to be a Round 4-6 selection. NFL Draft Scout labels him as a mid-round value. Takitaki performed relatively well at the combine. He finished second among linebackers in the broad jump and seventh in both the bench press and vertical leap. In the running drills he finished right among the middle of the pack. For fun, here’s how Takitaki compares to Luke Kuechly and Shaq Thompson, but keep in mind Luke had a legendary combine performance:Sione Takitaki combine resultsName40BenchVerticalBroad Jump3 Cone20-yd ShuttleName40BenchVerticalBroad Jump3 Cone20-yd ShuttleBy not re-signing Thomas Davis the Panthers are alarmingly thin at linebacker. Outside of Luke and Shaq the Panthers have basically no depth. After being so deep at linebacker for so long Youth David Mayo Jersey , it’s more than concerning to see a former position of strength become one of such potential weakness. If Luke Kuechly suffers another injury, Jared Norris isn’t the answer. The Panthers have several roster holes to fill and linebacker may not be at the top, but if Sione Takitaki is still available in the fifth or sixth round I’d be thrilled with the Panthers investing a pick in him. In recent years the Ravens have become known more as the team with Schrodinger’s elite quarterback and less as a team that could contend for anything meaningful. Last year that started to change. The defense turned into an elite unit, finishing with the 3rd best defensive DVOA. Meanwhile the offense stayed sputtering, especially through the air, so the Ravens used the 2018 offseason to revamp their receiving corps and surround Joe Flacco with legitimate weapons. It appears to be working. The Ravens replaced the ghosts of Jeremy Maclin and Mike Wallace with John Brown Stitched David Mayo Jersey , Michael Crabtree, and Willie Snead. All three have caught at least one touchdown thus far and all are on pace to eclipse 750 yards receiving. It’s a much needed addition since their running game hasn’t found its footing yet in 2018. They should get it together on the ground, though. Alex Collins is one of the most difficult backs in the NFL to tackle and Javorious Allen is a capable change of pace and receiving back. All those additions bump the Ravens offense up from bad to pretty good, but that’s all it needs to be with their defense. The Ravens currently sit first in the NFL in total defense, second in pass defense, and fifth in scoring defense. They’ve limited opponents to just 5.1 yards per attempt and have held opposing passers to a 67.6 rating Youth Greg Van Roten Jersey , best and second best in the league respectively. The Panthers will be coming home after two straight difficult road games, the latter of which is against the Super Bowl champion Eagles. Should the Panthers pull off a victory in Philadelphia, it wouldn’t be surprising for the team to suffer a let down on their home turf against a team they don’t see often and hasn’t yet garnered much national recognition. There’s a good chance the Panthers will struggle to move the ball on offense, and the Ravens offense is now capable enough to take advantage of turnovers and good field position. The Panthers may not have the horses to cover the Ravens three-deep wide receiving corps nor the speed to stick with John Brown deep down the field. The Ravens are very underrated and pose a lot of match-up problems for the Panthers. The Panthers have won seven straight home games, but a visit from the Ravens could be spell the end of that streak.