How Good Can The Defense Be This Year?

[VeveJones007]

Originally Posted by Oldcolt

My biggest worry is that all this is predicated on coaching. Worries the hell out of me. Hope I'm wrong

Not all of it. As Pagano referenced with regard to Hooker, "See ball, get ball." Yes, there will be growing pains, but I guarantee there will be more jump out of your seat, holy shit-type plays made, particularly in the secondary.

[indycolts2]

Younger and faster with LB corps as well as secondary with a true space eater at NT in Hankins gets this group at least into the 15 - 20 ranking. There are unknowns such as Mingo and the continued health imporvement of Langford/Anderson that could contribute to an even better ranking.

If we are talking YPG regarding how good the defense can be this year that could get skewed if Luck is healthy and the offense gels with an O-line that continues to show the improvement it did last year in the second half of the season. This defense won't be a lockdown 60 minute defense IF teams are playing catch up.

[DrSpaceman]

I think it can be a top 15 defense. That's all I am expecting.

The LBer corp I still have no idea about.

Pass rush is still very iffy.

Its a whole new group that has not played together before.

The DL outside Hankis, still don't know how good they will be

And while the draft greatly improved the secondary, its still two rookies that are going to be starting at key positions. They are going to make mistakes.

And the coaching........if the team would play both halves and not just the second half, it would help.

Its not going to be a top 5 or 10 units, but I do expect it to be better. If they can be just an average D, I will be happy.

I've always thought with a top offense, if you have a D that can limit teams to 20 points a game or les, you are doing great. The top Ds are usually around 15 a game and I don't think 20 a game is too much to ask. Its reasonable but not great.

[DrSpaceman]

Originally Posted by natagu23

I think we jump up towards the middle of the pack defensively.

Pass rush is still a concern. However, the beauty of the Wilson pick is that it can afford us to blitz 5 or 6 assuming Vontae and Wilson can shut down #1 and #2 with Butler playing the slot.

In other words we can generate pressure with the blitz while now having a decreased risk of getting burned on the backend. Oh yeahh.....we'll have Hooker playing center field back there too.

Mingo is a wildcard. Not expecting much from him except being a decent starter on STs. Now, if we can some how tap into his freak talent and he can take advantage of our long disruptive front with guys like Langford and Anderson.....could we possibly get 5-8 sacks from him? *Thinks of Pagano* Well, maybe not.

Plus it will give the pass rush more time to get to the QB. You shouldn't have guys wide open from the start of the play with Wilson and DAvis both on the field, hopefully.

More time and more pass rushers alone should help. But you still need guys that can get to the QB, and I really have no idea of any of the currently players can do that

[Chromeburn]

Early 20's? Depends how they gel. In two years I see our secondary as a strength. Expect another corner next year. And some LBs. We will need another dline and a good young lb or two. Really it will take another draft. But getting Hooker was a great building block and weapon for the D. Now to shore up the front 7 some more.

Just looking at a single Ballard draft I can see the difference in approach and evaluation.

Grigson would have tried to out smart everyone and drafted a bunch of ppl no one heard of.

[Butter]

WHo knows, we still have late cuts to add. Rosters are still super fluid.

[Indiana V2]

I say that at the start of the season things will be rough, a lot of growing pains, and gelling going to happen, but by mid-season I think we may be top 20ish.

[ukcolt]

I don't care about giving up yards to a point, but what has been so exasperating is the complete lack of turnovers. There has never been the feeling that the defence can be counted on to get the ball back. Now with Hooker playing the centre field and potentially Geathers delivering some bone jarring hits some turnovers might occur.

[Maniac]

Originally Posted by indycolts2

Younger and faster with LB corps as well as secondary with a true space eater at NT in Hankins gets this group at least into the 15 - 20 ranking. There are unknowns such as Mingo and the continued health imporvement of Langford/Anderson that could contribute to an even better ranking.

If we are talking YPG regarding how good the defense can be this year that could get skewed if Luck is healthy and the offense gels with an O-line that continues to show the improvement it did last year in the second half of the season. This defense won't be a lockdown 60 minute defense IF teams are playing catch up.

The LB corps is the major unknown. I don't have a ton of faith there, I think slightly improved from last year, but we don't really have any difference makers there. I think that will be Ballard's focus in the next draft.

[daedge]

One of many things I'd like to see from our D next year is a BIG improvement on third down.

How often the past few years have we given up third and longs? And many of them were on screen plays, which we were never expecting. But that's coaching and we've still got the same scrubs........