[Elvis]

STRONG POINTS • Three-and-a-halfyear starter. Very competitive and productive. Instinctive — finds the ball. Tries to play a physical game. Solid run defender, who plays strong at the point of attack, sheds and gets to the play. Pressure generator as a pass rusher. Very good tackler. Quick hands and knows how to use them. Team leader.

WEAK POINTS • Short with short arms. Only average pass-rush production. Tenyard quickness but lacks long speed. Appears to lack scheme versatility. Devoid of good NFL pass-rush traits.

WAY WE SEE IT • Gaines is reminiscent of a poor man’s Kyle Williams, the longtime Bills defensive tackle who just retired. Gaines is short with short arms but strong, thick and possessing an allout motor. He makes plays because of his instincts and competitive nature, not his natural physical traits. He’s at his best as a run defender because he locates the ball, discards blocks quickly and keeps himself in position to make plays. Gaines flashes pass-rush ability mainly because he’s relentless. He is an undersized 4-3 nose who will be best in an NFL rotation, where he can contribute solidly on 10-15 snaps a game.

18. Greg Gaines DT Washington 6’1 307 lbs

Strengths: Gaines is a powerfully-built man who shows incredibly thick and compact limbs. Gets a good jump off the snap of the ball with good ball anticipation and timing. Shows good ball awareness, quickly finding and locating the football and working towards it. Quick to notice things, Gaines shows good anticipatory and play recognition ability to sniff out misdirection and screens. An absolute load to have to handle in the run game, showing tremendous power in his upper-body to quickly offset and move powerful blockers. Eats up double teams, showing the power and the anchor to sustain combination blocks. Utilizes his club arm to engage and his other arm to slow down runners. Possesses the finishing ability in his upper-body to consistently bring down and tackle. Plays with good leverage, keeping his pad level low to stay balanced upon contact.

Weaknesses: Tore his pec muscle during the offseason after his sophomore season. Very minimal pass rushing upside and lacks the quickness and the closing ability to win with anything other than hustle. A marginal athlete who lacks the change of direction skills necessary to redirect his large frame. Strictly a 2-down player. Gets turned around far too often, playing with his back towards the ball as the play goes directly past him. Despite his power, he doesn’t seem to be able to convert speed-to-power and get any push or movement with his bull rush. Appears to have minimal length with a stubby build.

Best Fit: 0-tech NT in either scheme Player Ranking (1-100): 71.9 – A powerful guy who had a really good season replacing Vita Vea for the Huskies. Not a guy who is going to offer any upside as a pass rusher, but possesses tremendous power and strength to assist in the run game, or at the very least open it for his teammates. A 4th round player.

Good stuff, maybe put this in the Gaines thread too for future reference?

[ramsman34]

Pats have 2 5ths - one our OG, wonder if we dance with them yet again and get back into the 4th??

And just like that!

[RedAlice]

And just like that!

I thought of you when I saw that.

Rams and Pats are besties now.

[Elvis]

I thought of you when I saw that.

Rams and Pats are besties now.

I don't like it, if McVay isn't careful he's gonna wake up in a bathtub missing a kidney...

[ramsman34]

I like the Gaines pick. He fits the NT in the scheme in this Defense.

Will be in the rotation immediately on early downs. Could also help against the pass just by clogging/pushing the A gaps - no pocket to climb for QB.

[rams74]

I don't like it, if McVay isn't careful he's gonna wake up in a bathtub missing a kidney...

Agreed. He's far too trusting of Mr. Belichick.

[ramsman34]

Will we ever take a LB?? Hopefully one who has STs experience.

[PARAM]

Well they have taken a Safety, RB, CB, OT and DT. I'd say they addressed some "needs".

[ramsman34]

And of course that is true. It boggled my mind that these so-called experts labeled Goff a bust based on playing a half season under Jeff Fisher.

I have no idea what Rosen’s career will look like but I know that it can’t be judged based on last year. That team was a complete mess.

Sadly for him, so are the Dolphins.

[JackPMiller]