Drake Nevis

[mystrymaster]

I didn't pay as much attention to his play on Sunday night as I wanted to but I am guessing that since we stopped the run as well as we did his play was solid, can anyone of our great game breakdown folks comment on how he played this Sunday or even comment on all the DT's?

[Smitto]

Andy break it down for him!!!

Drake was stout, the dude was coming of double teams and making plays.... dare i say he is better than moala? YES!... he didnt look like a 294 pounder in that game.. though no one is actually sure how much he weighs... im not a breakdown type of person but i can tell you he had a great game.

[mystrymaster]

Andy break it down for him!!!

Drake was stout, the dude was coming of double teams and making plays.... dare i say he is better than moala? YES!... he didnt look like a 294 pounder in that game.. though no one is actually sure how much he weighs... im not a breakdown type of person but i can tell you he had a great game.

I was waiting for Andy but didn't want to call him out and make him do this instead of actual work

Nice, My brother is a huge LSU fan and said that we were going to be real surprised by him.

[Xfiles]

Drake was an effective gap penetrator on running plays inside the tackles and he was disrupting the blocking. He made some plays inside but so did Antonio Johnson. Both were effective at funneling the inside running plays to the outside where LB's(mostly Angerer) and DB's were coming up to hit. Great job in general by the Defensive line.

[Smitto]

I was waiting for Andy but didn't want to call him out and make him do this instead of actual work

Nice, My brother is a huge LSU fan and said that we were going to be real surprised by him.

Lol, the colts definitely got a steal getting him.. hopefully he stays healthy, i would much rather him in than moala he pretty much compliments johnson

[Jason_]

Nevis had a great game...had his name called multiple times by Collinsworth. In the first 2 games, I saw him on the field most often on passing downs with Eric foster as the other DT. In the Pitt game, he was in much more often, and played along side both Antonio Johnson and Eric Foster at different times. Nevis is easily more productive when he's in with Johnson because Nevis actually gets to play the UT position, which is his natural position. When he's in next to Foster, he becomes the NT and that's simply not what his skill set allows him to do best. Foster was able to (try to) make a few plays here and there because he was getting 1 on 1 while Nevis was the more likely of the 2 to face a double team.

IMO, Antonio Johnson and Drake Nevis both get game balls....Foster gets a consolation prize for his effort....but am I the only one who thinks it's kind of sad when there's only a 20 lb difference between your DT and the other team's QB? lol

So yeah, basically Nevis got to play beside a true NT and he had a whale of a game...as long as he keeps getting to play beside a true NT I think he'll continue to improve and impress.

[Jay305]

idk why Foster is still in the DT Nevis was a beast

[DILLIGAFER]

Nevis was a BEAST! From all I watched he would plow over 2-3 O linemen and plug the holes. One of the best rookie D lineman showings I have seen in a long time. I remember on particular play he took the center and right guard and pushed them both down then tackled the RB at the line. He was a very nice addition to the Freeney/Mathis duo. Anderson had a good game as well. Picked up a sack fumble by Freeney to run it in for a touchdown. It was Anderson wasn't it?

[Rich Cannon]

Andy break it down for him!!!

Drake was stout, the dude was coming of double teams and making plays.... dare i say he is better than moala? YES!... he didnt look like a 294 pounder in that game.. though no one is actually sure how much he weighs... im not a breakdown type of person but i can tell you he had a great game.

It was said he gained 10 lbs of muscle during the lockout. Sorry dont have the link, but he looked great, hes our future at DT for sure

[Dtman513]

Nevis is a diamond in the rough.

[Andy]

He looked great against the Steelers. He provided great pass pressure on top of Freeney and Mathis. He is the steal of the draft, and has performed well in the preaseason and in the regular season. He's gonna be a starter in a couple of weeks.

[Smitto]

It was said he gained 10 lbs of muscle during the lockout. Sorry dont have the link, but he looked great, hes our future at DT for sure

Whoa thats pretty awesome, he's only gonna get better as the season goes on.. definitely the future DT

[21isSuperman]

Nevis had a great game against Pittsburgh. He was constantly in on tackles and played very well. Now he needs to prove that it wasn't a one-game wonder

[Steagles]

He was a monster, enough said.

[Balzer40]

idk why Foster is still in the DT Nevis was a beast

I don't know why Foster is on the team, period. He's awful!

[chrisfarley]

be interesting to see how he does against the long-arm o-lineman. i like him a lot. the knock on him is short arms and undersize or whatever, i think he is right-sized.

[Steagles]

be interesting to see how he does against the long-arm o-lineman. i like him a lot. the knock on him is short arms and undersize or whatever, i think he is right-sized.

Well he's not small, thats for sure. He's huge!

[a06cc]

Although he is a rookie it's hard to make predictions about him just yet. However he should've been a first round pick. He could've played a DE in a 3-4 system and produced in a big way. Instead we got him and I'm very happy about it. Watched him play in college, and I always say this when someone has a topic about Nevis. He was the best DT coming out of the draft. He was just labeled to small.

[Poster X]

Nevis should start immediately. This guy has one heck of a future ahead of him and I'm glad he is on this team, as opposed to any other.

[MAC]

Nevis is easily more productive when he's in with Johnson because Nevis actually gets to play the UT position, which is his natural position. When he's in next to Foster, he becomes the NT and that's simply not what his skill set allows him to do best. Foster was able to (try to) make a few plays here and there because he was getting 1 on 1 while Nevis was the more likely of the 2 to face a double team.

My Sporting News draft magazine had him rated as a first rounder. He's tremendous and should absolutely be starting alongside Johnson. Moala would make a fine backup for him - the problem would then obviously be Johnson's backup. I would have liked to see them keep Matthews for that job.

As a Rutgers fan I like Foster, but he's similar in size to Freeney. He's lighter than Anderson, and Brayton. Considering that his biggest attribute seems to be speed, I can't fathom why he isn't considered a defensive end? If they had developed him for that backup role they might have never drafted Hughes in the first place - using that high pick for a more pressing need.

[Jason_]

My Sporting News draft magazine had him rated as a first rounder. He's tremendous and should absolutely be starting alongside Johnson. Moala would make a fine backup for him - the problem would then obviously be Johnson's backup. I would have liked to see them keep Matthews for that job.

As a Rutgers fan I like Foster, but he's similar in size to Freeney. He's lighter than Anderson, and Brayton. Considering that his biggest attribute seems to be speed, I can't fathom why he isn't considered a defensive end? If they had developed him for that backup role they might have never drafted Hughes in the first place - using that high pick for a more pressing need.

As far as I know, Ogbu and Matthews are still on the PS. Question is, are either of them NTs? I honestly don't know...can't remember from preseason. After some googling, it appears Matthews is an UT, not a NT. Here's a summary I found on him:

Mathews lacks power at the point of attack and struggles to anchor when the opposition runs at him. He does a nice job keeping his base down and extending his arms into blocks. But he lacks ideal balance on the move and consistently ends up on the ground. Mathews possesses a decent first step vs. the pass game, but he has a tendency to get too high on contact and struggles to fight his way through blocks. He looks a lot more dangerous when asked to stunt and showcases a good pop on contact. Mathews keeps his base down and has some lateral mobility inside. He isn't explosive when asked to close, but he can create push inside. He is easily sealed away from the ball in all areas of the game and is routinely overwhelmed on run plays inside.

Mathews seems to trend as a three-tech tackle, not someone who is going to engage blockers and free people up.

source: http://www.stampedeblue.com/2010/4/24/1442081/bbs-take-on-the-colts-selecting

It's also a little disconcerting that, as best I could find, he was never actually a starter in College at Cincinnati.

[Jason_]

It appears Ollie Ogbu however was a NT at Penn state, albeit an undersized one at 6'1" 283 lbs. Still, hopefully he'll show some improvement, maybe put on a few more pounds of muscle and be signed to the active roster as Johnson's backup. At least then we'd have 2 actual NT's. Just a thought

http://www.cbssports.com/nfl/draft/players/1117621

[MAC]

As far as I know, Ogbu and Matthews are still on the PS. Question is, are either of them NTs? I honestly don't know...can't remember from preseason. After some googling, it appears Matthews is an UT, not a NT. Here's a summary I found on him:

It's also a little disconcerting that, as best I could find, he was never actually a starter in College at Cincinnati.

Well that doesn't sound good - particularly the last part. I was basing my comments on a distant memory about him putting on a lot of muscle in the off-season. And I could have sworn I saw him playing NT in the preseason.

Apparently not well enough.

Sigh.

Well I pulled up a couple of things before posting:

"Mathews started only as a Senior at Cincinnati tallying 44 tackles, 12.5 tackles for a loss, and 3.5 sacks. Physically, however, Mathews is impressive as he ran a 4.90 seconds 40-yard dash at 6-foot 3-inches tall and 294 pounds. At Cincinnati he was used utilized almost entirely for his ability to penetrate, his length to disrupt passing and rushing lanes, and his speed to put pressure on the quarterback." from http://www.coltzilla...icardo-mathews/

And this was the article I was talking about:

"Good Morning! Did You Know Ricardo Mathews Is 315 Friggin Pounds!"

http://www.stampedeb...-friggin-pounds Stampede Blue got it from a Star interview but it's link to start failed. It also mentioned how good he looked next to Nevis.

That sounds like he was trying to play nose tackle to me - put perhaps it cost him some speed or something.

Who knows.

I can't believe I'm quoting Stampede Blue.

[MAC]

It appears Ollie Ogbu however was a NT at Penn state, albeit an undersized one at 6'1" 283 lbs. Still, hopefully he'll show some improvement, maybe put on a few more pounds of muscle and be signed to the active roster as Johnson's backup. At least then we'd have 2 actual NT's. Just a thought

http://www.cbssports...players/1117621

Well Ogbu I wanted on the team just on the basis of his name alone.

The linked article does refer to Penn State having a sound run defense despite nothing special at LB. In the big ten that's nothing to sneeze at. Perhaps you're right. I'll bet he's lifting weights and popping steroids like Good-N-Plenty as we speak. Come ON Ollie - you can do it.

[oldunclemark]

My Sporting News draft magazine had him rated as a first rounder. He's tremendous and should absolutely be starting alongside Johnson. Moala would make a fine backup for him - the problem would then obviously be Johnson's backup. I would have liked to see them keep Matthews for that job.

As a Rutgers fan I like Foster, but he's similar in size to Freeney. He's lighter than Anderson, and Brayton. Considering that his biggest attribute seems to be speed, I can't fathom why he isn't considered a defensive end? If they had developed him for that backup role they might have never drafted Hughes in the first place - using that high pick for a more pressing need.

Define UT and NT....

I thought Nevis being short and strong is a natural Nose tackle/

[Balzer40]

Define UT and NT....

I thought Nevis being short and strong is a natural Nose tackle/

The only player we have on the roster that is even close to a true NT is Mookie. NT's are stout at the point of attact, Idealy take on 2 blockers and still stand his ground. UT's are smaller, quicker, and good gap penetrators.

[indy_nick]

Define UT and NT....

I thought Nevis being short and strong is a natural Nose tackle/

DT=3 tech (lines up between the 3rd and 4th shoulder starting with the center and moving right)

NT=1 tech (lines up between the 1st and second shoulder starting with the center and going left)

Totally different gap responsibilities and different jobs on the field.

[Coffeedrinker]

Nevis had a good game but one thing a lot of people are overlooking is, for the first game all season Mookie played well. AJ played horrible in both the Houston and Cleveland games but he played well against Pitt, probably in large part because of their bad guards.

[oldunclemark]

DT=3 tech (lines up between the 3rd and 4th shoulder starting with the center and moving right)

NT=1 tech (lines up between the 1st and second shoulder starting with the center and going left)

Totally different gap responsibilities and different jobs on the field.

Nick.....with respect to your knowledge..please continue

what is 3-technique...?

..and what do you mean..the 3rd and 4th shoulder..

[Blackhawk4]

Nick.....with respect to your knowledge..please continue

what is 3-technique...?

..and what do you mean..the 3rd and 4th shoulder..

3rd and 4th shoulder = In between the Guard and Tackle. When lined up you have freeney and mathis outside the tackles. You would have Mookie Johnson (The NT) lined up between the shoulder of the Center and the guard. He's in between the the 1st shoulder (Either left or right of the center's shoulder) and the guard's inside shoulder (The 2nd shoulder). The 3 tech DT (Moala, Nevis) line up between the other guard and other tackle. Say Mookie is taking the LG and C, Moala or Nevis would be lined up between the RG and RT and their shoulders (RG = 3rd shoulder {His shoulder closest to the RT's shoulder} and RT = 4th shoulder {Inside shoulder}).

If anyone notices any mistakes please correct me.

[indy_nick]

Nice Blackhawk. You just beat me to the response with that image! Hope that helps Mark

[Jason_]

Nevis had a good game but one thing a lot of people are overlooking is, for the first game all season Mookie played well. AJ played horrible in both the Houston and Cleveland games but he played well against Pitt, probably in large part because of their bad guards.

I disagree, I thought AJ has played well so far this season. He's not a pro bowl NT by any means, but I think we're getting more than we could have asked for out of a guy who was a 5th round draft pick that we signed off of someone else's practice squad.

IMO, Nevis had a breakout game because he finally got to play next to AJ. In the previous games I mostly saw AJ and Moala playing together and Nevis/Foster playing together. If Nevis is lined up next to Foster then Nevis becomes the NT and both lose effectiveness. Against Pitt, Nevis finally got to line up next to a true NT and both played extremely well. If anything, we might have learned that Moala is the one not playing well, not AJ.

[Coffeedrinker]

I disagree, I thought AJ has played well so far this season. He's not a pro bowl NT by any means, but I think we're getting more than we could have asked for out of a guy who was a 5th round draft pick that we signed off of someone else's practice squad.

All I can say is watch the games again, more often than not, in the first two games, he is pushed off the LOS and directed a step or two the way the blocker wanted to direct him. In the Steelers game even when he was negated (which didn't happen often) he was at least playing at the LOS or on the Steeler side of the ball.

IMO, Nevis had a breakout game because he finally got to play next to AJ. In the previous games I mostly saw AJ and Moala playing together and Nevis/Foster playing together. If Nevis is lined up next to Foster then Nevis becomes the NT and both lose effectiveness. Against Pitt, Nevis finally got to line up next to a true NT and both played extremely well. If anything, we might have learned that Moala is the one not playing well, not AJ.

It could be, but if that was the case then how do you explain the run defense playing well in the Cleveland game? The best line up I have seen is Freeney, Moala, Nevis, Anderson. When these 4 have been in the game, they are all playing two yards past the LOS almost immediately off the snap. That's what I'm using to judge it since I don't know what play was called and therefore their gap assignments.

Lastly, of the plays of Nevis they highlighted Sunday night, 2 of the 3, it was Foster and Nevis as the DTs.

[profanity removed]

All I can say is watch the games again, more often than not, in the first two games, he is pushed off the LOS and directed a step or two the way the blocker wanted to direct him. In the Steelers game even when he was negated (which didn't happen often) he was at least playing at the LOS or on the Steeler side of the ball.

It could be, but if that was the case then how do you explain the run defense playing well in the Cleveland game? The best line up I have seen is Freeney, Moala, Nevis, Anderson. When these 4 have been in the game, they are all playing two yards past the LOS almost immediately off the snap. That's what I'm using to judge it since I don't know what play was called and therefore their gap assignments.

Lastly, of the plays of Nevis they highlighted Sunday night, 2 of the 3, it was Foster and Nevis as the DTs.

DOES PEYTON MANNING USE PROTECTION WHEN HE'S FUC KING ADDAI? OR DOES HE JUST SHOOT HIS LOAD INTO HIM??????

[Jason_]

All I can say is watch the games again, more often than not, in the first two games, he is pushed off the LOS and directed a step or two the way the blocker wanted to direct him. In the Steelers game even when he was negated (which didn't happen often) he was at least playing at the LOS or on the Steeler side of the ball.

Unfortunately I have already deleted the recordings of those 2 games or I definitely would. I can't say anything specific about the Houston game but I do remember at least 2 or 3 occasions in the Cleveland game where AJ got in the backfield and was the one who forced McCoy to scramble. If AJ had a little better closing speed he could have gotten the sack. That's unfortunately all I can offer though since I already deleted the recordings. I will definitely be keeping a close eye on him in the coming games though to see if he can continue to improve.

It could be, but if that was the case then how do you explain the run defense playing well in the Cleveland game? The best line up I have seen is Freeney, Moala, Nevis, Anderson. When these 4 have been in the game, they are all playing two yards past the LOS almost immediately off the snap. That's what I'm using to judge it since I don't know what play was called and therefore their gap assignments.

I can only go back to what I said above in that I had already felt from the Cleveland game that AJ was playing well. The only DT I haven't closely paid attention to so far is Moala.

Lastly, of the plays of Nevis they highlighted Sunday night, 2 of the 3, it was Foster and Nevis as the DTs.

I can only think off hand of one of the two you're referring to and that would be the one where Nevis threw Pouncey to Nevis' left, which is also where the double block was coming from. So he threw the C into the G who was double teaming him and made a monster of a play. However, the fact he was the one who was double blocked indicates to me that he was being treated as the NT by the Pitt OL and that's not, imo, where Nevis is going to excel.

As for Foster, I want to clarify....I think he's doing the best he can but the fact that he's about 20-30 lbs lighter than a DT should be is what reduces his effectiveness. Considering how grossly undersized he is I think he does a very good job. I would still like to see him replaced with a new DT and move Foster to DE. Overall I think that improves an already improved DL.

[GoColts8818]

You know I would agree we could probably use another DT for depth (I am not buying into Foster like the coaches have) but I would be happy with Johnson and Nevis as the starters and Moala backing them up. I would almost look for a DT in four 4-7 for depth.

[Jason_]

You know I would agree we could probably use another DT for depth (I am not buying into Foster like the coaches have) but I would be happy with Johnson and Nevis as the starters and Moala backing them up. I would almost look for a DT in four 4-7 for depth.

Well, based on the DT's I've been scouting personally, I would change that to rounds 3-5 instead of 4-7 but overall I definitely agree. I think Johnson and Nevis would make a very potent starting DT combo. There are only 3 players who I would consider in one of the higher rounds and they are Brandon Thompson of Clemson, Josh Chapman of Alabama and Dontari Poe of Memphis. Poe being the far less likely because, while the Colts have been obviously working towards getting bigger and stronger, a 6'5" 350 lb DT might still be a bit of a stretch. lol However, he has more speed than you'd expect from a 350 Dt.

Thompson however is the one DT I would give serious consideration to in the middle of the 1st or early 2nd round. This is the general area he's projected as of now but as we all know that will change as the year goes on. There are a few very solid potential NT's in the 3rd-5th rounds who have good to great strength and speed, the one thing Thompson has over them is an explosive burst off the line. He also uses his hands better than the other DTs. From the second the ball is snapped he uses his hands to fight off the opposing blocker and is able to keep from getting fully engaged.

Chapman I haven't been able to pay as close attention to because every time I watch an Alabama game I wind up fixated on Dre Kirkpatrick. However Chapman is very highly regarded and, on a list of the top 10 strongest players in college football, he came in #1..Poe came in #5.

The mid round guys I've been watching so far and have been the most impressed with are Jaye Howard of Florida and Kendall Reyes of UConn. I haven't been able to catch a Purdue game yet but I have one recording soon so I'll be able to check out Kawann Short. These guys, along with Thompson, are pretty much the same size as AJ..they're all in the 6'1-6'3" range and 310ish lbs. They all get a good push on the pocket even against a double block, and they each very consistently beat 1 on 1 blocking.

[GoColts8818]

Well, based on the DT's I've been scouting personally, I would change that to rounds 3-5 instead of 4-7 but overall I definitely agree. I think Johnson and Nevis would make a very potent starting DT combo. There are only 3 players who I would consider in one of the higher rounds and they are Brandon Thompson of Clemson, Josh Chapman of Alabama and Dontari Poe of Memphis. Poe being the far less likely because, while the Colts have been obviously working towards getting bigger and stronger, a 6'5" 350 lb DT might still be a bit of a stretch. lol However, he has more speed than you'd expect from a 350 Dt.

Thompson however is the one DT I would give serious consideration to in the middle of the 1st or early 2nd round. This is the general area he's projected as of now but as we all know that will change as the year goes on. There are a few very solid potential NT's in the 3rd-5th rounds who have good to great strength and speed, the one thing Thompson has over them is an explosive burst off the line. He also uses his hands better than the other DTs. From the second the ball is snapped he uses his hands to fight off the opposing blocker and is able to keep from getting fully engaged.

Chapman I haven't been able to pay as close attention to because every time I watch an Alabama game I wind up fixated on Dre Kirkpatrick. However Chapman is very highly regarded and, on a list of the top 10 strongest players in college football, he came in #1..Poe came in #5.

The mid round guys I've been watching so far and have been the most impressed with are Jaye Howard of Florida and Kendall Reyes of UConn. I haven't been able to catch a Purdue game yet but I have one recording soon so I'll be able to check out Kawann Short. These guys, along with Thompson, are pretty much the same size as AJ..they're all in the 6'1-6'3" range and 310ish lbs. They all get a good push on the pocket even against a double block, and they each very consistently beat 1 on 1 blocking.

Round 3 to 5 would be fine too. I was just more or less saying I don't think we need one with a super high pick because I think we have two guyswho can start. Don't get me wrong though if a Warren Sapp type player is looking us in the face in round one I am not going to complain if we took him.

[Jason_]

Round 3 to 5 would be fine too. I was just more or less saying I don't think we need one with a super high pick because I think we have two guyswho can start. Don't get me wrong though if a Warren Sapp type player is looking us in the face in round one I am not going to complain if we took him.

Totally agreed...and yeah I knew what you were getting at. I don't know if you watch any college ball at all so I just wanted to throw a few names out and what area of the draft they're currently projected in so that you could keep an eye out if you catch any of the games.

[Superman]

Well, based on the DT's I've been scouting personally, I would change that to rounds 3-5 instead of 4-7 but overall I definitely agree. I think Johnson and Nevis would make a very potent starting DT combo. There are only 3 players who I would consider in one of the higher rounds and they are Brandon Thompson of Clemson, Josh Chapman of Alabama and Dontari Poe of Memphis. Poe being the far less likely because, while the Colts have been obviously working towards getting bigger and stronger, a 6'5" 350 lb DT might still be a bit of a stretch. lol However, he has more speed than you'd expect from a 350 Dt.

I keep hearing about this guy. Is he a nose tackle, or a 3-tech?