D Day is upon us!

[wxwax]

Poe? That man has bust written all over him in bold face type. I'm astonished everyone is so high on him.

[Bengals1181]

Poe? That man has bust written all over him in bold face type. I'm astonished everyone is so high on him.

agreed.

[Trumpetbdw]

Poe? That man has bust written all over him in bold face type. I'm astonished everyone is so high on him.

I'm not sure that he has bust written all over him as much as many people like to go the other way when it comes to guys who do very well in the combine. He was a legit 1st round pick before the combine, so while maybe he shouldn't have shot up like he did, he's still a legit 1st round talent. In the right situation, he will be an impact player. He and Pittsburgh would be a match made in heaven. Now if he ends up in a dysfunctional situation, all bets are off. Many players, especially on the DL, become busts in those types of situations. But if Poe ends up in any number of places, I think he'll be a big success.

[GoBigOrGoHome]

My read on Poe:

Right team (Pitt, GB, MIN, Carolina, KC, CHI) = huge upside

Wrong team (WAS, DAL, SD, NO) = results that could be positively Haynesworthian

[wxwax]

Some things you can coach. Some things you can't.

I defer to our pros on the subject, but it's my feeling that you can't coach desire. A player either loves to play and plays hard, or he doesn't. This belief is one of the foundations of New England's draft philosophy.

A while ago we enjoyed a couple of research papers, one on the Wonderlic and one on predictors of success in the NFL. The second paper asserted that the best predictor of success in the NFL is a successful career in college.

Poe, with all of his physical gifts, was not a dominant player in college despite playing in a thoroughly mediocre conference. Therefore, it seems to me that the odds of him being a top pro -- the level of play you expect from a #1 draft pick -- are low.

[Bengals1181]

I'm not sure that he has bust written all over him as much as many people like to go the other way when it comes to guys who do very well in the combine. He was a legit 1st round pick before the combine, so while maybe he shouldn't have shot up like he did, he's still a legit 1st round talent. In the right situation, he will be an impact player. He and Pittsburgh would be a match made in heaven. Now if he ends up in a dysfunctional situation, all bets are off. Many players, especially on the DL, become busts in those types of situations. But if Poe ends up in any number of places, I think he'll be a big success.

I'd LOVE to see the site or expert who had Poe as a first round pick pre-combine.

[Andy Freeland]

I agree with biggie that he is a 1st round pick only for the right team. The right team in his case is one that is running a 3-4 (I don't see him as anything but a pure 3-4 NT) and has a strong locker room. He has to be surrounded by strong-willed veterans that police their own locker room. The Steelers are the best fit.

[Trumpetbdw]

I'd LOVE to see the site or expert who had Poe as a first round pick pre-combine.

I could pass along the communication Mike and I had following the Broncos loss stating that he was our #1 choice, and that the Steelers were rumored to be in love with him. Also, Mel Kiper's first mock draft, on January 18, had the Steelers taking Poe in round 1.

[Bengals1181]

I could pass along the communication Mike and I had following the Broncos loss stating that he was our #1 choice, and that the Steelers were rumored to be in love with him. Also, Mel Kiper's first mock draft, on January 18, had the Steelers taking Poe in round 1.

I don't have insider, but will trust you on kiper. I'm not really high on kipers opinion though. Heck, he still has Burfict as his #4 ILB.