With Their Pick In Round 1 GB Selects Kenny Clark DT UCLA

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2015 - Starter in all 13 games for a total of 29 consecutive starts ... Third-team AP All-America ... First-team All-Pac-12 Conference selection (AP and coaches) ... Team co-captain ... Appeared on the Bednarik, Nagurski, Outland and Lombardi Award Watch Lists ... Recorded career bests in tackles (75-second on team and 25th in Pac-12), sacks (6.0-second on team and tied for 10th in Pac-12) and tackles for loss (11.0-second on team and tied for 14th in Pac-12) ... He had the third highest PBU total on the team with five.
2014 - Starter in all 13 games ... Made 58 tackles (sixth on the team), 5.5 for loss ... Selected to the second-team all-conference squad ... Posted a career-high eight tackles at UVa and at California (1.5 for loss) ... Registered seven stops in games at Arizona State and at Colorado ... Had at least four tackles in eight games.

2013 - Appeared in all 13 games with four starts ... Made 31 tackles, four for loss ... Had a best game of six tackles vs. Arizona State ... Credited with one forced fumble ... Had nine multiple tackle games ... Named Sun Bowl Most Valuable Lineman ... Presented the Ed Kezirian "Coach K" Award for Academic and Athletic Balance at the team banquet.
HIGH SCHOOL - A four-star recruit according to both scout.com and rivals.com … Ranked No. 187 nationally by scout.com … SuperPrep All-West Region selection and the No. 24-ranked defensive tackle in the country … Ranked as the No. 20 defensive tackle in the nation and the No. 34 overall prospect on the West 150 list, according to scout.com … Regarded as the nation’s No. 24 defensive tackle and the No. 39 overall prospect in the state of California by rivals.com … ESPN.com’s No. 56 recruit in California and the No. 41-ranked defensive tackle in the nation … The No. 25-rated prospect in the CA/NV/HI region according to PrepStar … CIF Eastern Division Defensive Player of the Year … Also on the wrestling team … Team went 12-1 in his senior season … Credited with 71 tackles, 11.0 sacks for 64 yards lost, five forced fumbles, one fumble recovery … As a junior, had 31 tackles, 8.5 sacks and 17 tackles for loss … Coached by Alex Pierce.
PERSONAL - Full Name: Kenneth Duane Clark, Jr. … Born in San Bernardino, CA… Parents: Kenneth and Leslie Clark … Has one brother and two sisters ... Lists the NFL's Ray Lewis as the athlete he admires the most … Enjoys spending time with his family ... Interested in becoming a coach.

 
WEAKNESSES Short and missing arm length to be better tackle finisher. Allowed unusual amount of broken tackles (4) for an interior lineman. Not a quick twitch athlete. Needs to do a better job of bringing feet and hips through contact. Gets too anxious pursuing down line and can lose backside contain. Despite strength, lack of size will be challenging in some matchups. Straight line bull rusher with average lateral quickness for twists.

DRAFT PROJECTION Round 2

SOURCES TELL US "What bothers me about Clark is that he was so much better against weaker competition than he was against better talent. I like him, but not like everyone is hyping him up." -- AFC Pac-12 scout
 
Totally unsexy pick. But remember that TT sets his board early. Here is an opinion from ESPN:

What he brings: An excellent run-stopper, Clark has the core strength to anchor when teams run at him and enough quickness to disrupt plays in the backfield. In addition, he made strides as a pass-rusher in 2015. He has the first-step quickness as well as the athletic ability to continue to get better in that area. Clark has some versatility as he's capable of lining up on the inside in a base four-man front and on the outside in a three-man front. -- Steve Muench

Also, he was a wrestler and anyone who's been around wrestlers know that they are a different athlete, more focused and driven. The guy is clean on and off the field. No medical issues. No twitter issues. We get brainwashed by the mocksters. I'd feel a little more confident if TT didn't suck at drafting DL over the years. Hoping for the best.
Our next pick: Kyler Fackrell.
 
Clark, like some other guys was a little all over the place.

Ourlads who is pretty well regarded had him going at #21 to the Redskins.
The versatile and productive Clark will have a chance to start on the nose and can play the five technique as needed. Junior entry and captain from San Bernardino, CA. Started 29 consecutive games for the Bruins over two plus years. Second leading tackler on the team as a defensive tackle. Third team All-America and first team All-Pac 12. An inside run stuffer who is disruptive and draws double teams. Has a thick lower body, good strength, balance, and leverage. Gets upfield push. Played in the Bruins’ defense as a nose tackle and one technique defensive tackle. A flexible athlete who can win the leverage battle. Has quick, heavy, and fast hands along with light feet. Plays square down the line of scrimmage filling the running lanes. Good short area quickness. Quick to change directions. Productive and active in his play. Has a bag of tricks that keep him from getting blocked and disengaging quickly. Big strong hands. He has a good combination of quickness and power.

CBS had him at #36
STRENGTHS: Scouts can check off a lot of boxes with Clark. He was a high school wrestling champ, and many of those maneuvers translate from the mat to the football field, playing with low hips, leverage and power.
He's a stout run defender who comes off the ball low and hard, consistently winning the leverage battle. Anchors well to double teams, planting his feet into the turf and locking out his arms. Clark flashes a quick burst but doesn't rely on it, exploding through the gap to wreak havoc at the line of scrimmage when opponents attempt to pull to block others.
Asked to play defensive end, defensive tackle and nose guard for the Bruins, Clark will enter the NFL with plenty of position and schematic versatility.
WEAKNESSES: Just average size for the position. While possessing an exciting initial burst, Clark tops out quickly and shows just average change of direction and balance for the position, limiting his upside as a pass rusher.
Clark gives good effort in pursuit but too often gets caught up in the hand-fighting at the line of scrimmage and occasionally is extended too far over his feet.
COMPARES TO: Domata Peko, DT, Cincinnati Bengals - Similar to Peko, Clark is a power-packed run defender who should be a quality nose tackle for a long time, initially as a two-down defender with potential to be more.
IN OUR VIEW: Though he doesn't possess great size, Clark is one of the country's better run-stuffers, winning with strength, a naturally low center of gravity and hustle to plug rushing lanes. Overshadowed by flashier athletes throughout much of his career and still developing his pass rush skills, Clark flashes the violence, agility and motor to twist and drive blockers backward, projecting as a three-down interior player at the next level.


Now, others did not have him ranked as highly. It was a mixed bag. I don't see it as a terrible reach nor was it amazing value. I'd actually have preferred a small trade-down given how many DTs were left on the board. I would personally have like Butler a little better but thought he would be gone.

The guys on ESPN were commenting on Ragland, Reed, and Robinson all still being there by saying that it shows how much this is a passing league, and all 3 of these guys were more run stoppers than passing game defenders. Ragland has coverage issues and Reed and Robinson are more just run stuffers. I suspect everyone passed on them because they just did not see much ability to penetrate so they are relegated to early down rotational guys.
 
Not impressed at all by the pick as I thought there were better options on the board to pick from and that if we did want Clark that Ted could have at least traded down to get a extra pick or two and still got him. Guess we will have to give it 3 years to see how this looks. Hope Clark is a great player but not going to be doing cartwheels over this pick right now.

I also see this as the "safe" pick. This guy does not have huge upside but not a guy that will be a total bust either. There were several more guys that had a lot higher upside that could have helped this team but also carried a lot higher risk in taking them. TT rarely gambles on guys like that anyways.
 
If we aren't thrilled with this pick then he'll be great. ;)

Here was Ted drafting somebody not many were mentioning in all these mock drafts all these weeks. With his heart issue I can understand Ted not taking Ragland (other GMs have passed on him too). It will be interesting to see what Ted does today.
 
Time will bare out 3 yrs from now if Thompson was the smartest guy in the room. OLB Myles Jack& Noah Spence, ILB Reggie Ragland, DLs Robinson, Reed, Butler, and Nkemdiche were still all on the board at the time of the pick. Butler went to Car and Nkemdiche went right after we chose Clark.

But not all is as it seems. Jack fell because he might miss season due to needing micro fracture surgery on knee. Ragland has an enlarged aorta in his heart, Reed and Robinson were team mates on a very good D, and Nkemdiche is typical boom- bust pick with tons of talent but can he put it together and concerns with off field red flags. Butler is the one didn't see flags on for anything, though maybe (guessing) maybe his weight is a concern?

So as others have already said Clark is a safe pick and of good character, which seems to be very important to Thompson. With the D-Line starting the year thin, Clark's versatility will be of great value. I rate this as a very good pick but not great pick at this stage.....B+. Fills a big need and can play all 3 DL positions justifies the grade.
 
Agree Terra, there were some other "interesting" guys there but everyone had questions. Jack and Ragland had medicals and Ragland kept being called "a 2-down LB" which is the kiss of death for a LB in Rd 1. Nkemdiche had a hot/cold motor. Amazing on one down then invisible for the next 3 plus the character issues. The 2 'Bama DTs were big space eaters but it's telling that all 31 teams drafting in Rd 1 passed on them.

Butler was the one solid guy I would have liked better of the bunch. Noah Spence would have been the other intriguing pick. A real risk/reward type pick. Guess I wouldn't have complained too much about him. Agree that Clark was probably the safe pick. Maybe in 3 years we'll also find out he still had upside - after all he is only a 20yr old junior so his body still has some growing to do. Draft sites mostly gave the pick a "B" type grade which is understandable. Not a home run but not like the 49ers either.

From Walter's site - kinda funny and kinda true:
San Francisco 49ers: Joshua Garnett, G, Stanford MILLEN SMOKES KIELBASA ON TWITTER - Grade A Millen grade! The 2016 NFL Draft is complete!
Wow. Taking Joshua Garnett here at No. 28 would've been bad enough, but to move into the first round to grab him is borderline insane. I don't know if Garnett was the only person who accepted an invite to Trent Baalke's birthday party or not, but that's no reason to select a third-round prospect at this juncture. Moving up for Myles Jack would've made a ton of sense, and quite frankly, it would've been one of the best picks in the first round. Getting Garnett here after a trade, on the other hand, is absolutely ridiculous. Almost as ridiculous as posting a picture of someone smoking a kielbasa on Twitter.
 
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