This concept popped up in the other thread, so I decided to throw out my thoughts on the depth chart similarities/differences between the two teams. Take it with a grain of salt as it's mostly my opinion and perception. Take it with another grain of salt because obviously this season's story is yet to be finished and these players' stories are yet to be finished. Take it with a 3rd grain of salt because the defensive alignments and personnel groupings are different:
Depth Chart Comparison: Star Power (not recruiting stars) vs. Depth of position
Strongside Defensive End (2012)/3 Technique DT (2017) (here's where it get's tricky with positions)
2012: Kapron Lewis-Moore, Sheldon Day
2017: Jonathan Bonner, MTA, Micah DT
Star Power - 2012
Depth of Position - 2012, KLM and Day at one position trumps numbers for me
Noseguard 0 Technique/Noseguard 1 Technique or 2i
2012: Louis Nix, Kona Schwenke
2017: Jerry Tillery, Kurt Hinish, Brandon Tiassum
Star Power - 2012
Depth of Position - 2012, by a whisker as Hinish isn't as close to a refined NG player that Kona had become at that point. Kona wasn't exceptional, but was a tactician.
Defensive End (2012)/Strongside End (2017)
2012: Stephon Tuitt, Tony Springmann
2017: Jay Hayes, Andrew Trumbetti, Khalid Kareem
Star Power - 2012...for now
Depth of Position - 2017, not even close IMHO
Rush OLB (2012)/Drop End (2017)
2012: Prince Shembo, Ishaq Williams
2017: Daelin Hayes, Julian Okwara
Star Power - Very close right now, but I'm going 2017
Depth of Position - 2017, Prince was exceptional that year, but not egregiously more than Daelin, and Julian is much more productive than Ishaq
OLB/Rover LB
2012: Danny Spond, Ben Councell
2017: Drue Tranquill, Asmar Bilal, DJ Morgan
Star Power - 2017
Depth of Position - 2017, this shouldn't be a debate
Weakside ILB/Buck LB
2012: Dan Fox, Carlo Calabrese
2017: Greer Martini, Te'von Coney, Jonathan Jones
Star Power - 2017
Depth of Position - 2017, the fact that there are so many arguments about whether Coney or Martini is the better player answers this one easy. THEY ARE BOTH GOOD!!!!...but different and that's not a bad thing
Strongside ILB/Mike LB
2012: Manti Teo, Jarrett Grace
2017: Nyles Morgan, Jamir Jones
Star Power - 2012
Depth of Position - 2012, Grace gets less credit than he deserves for his ability, range, and pure nastiness on defense. That broken ankle he suffered was such a bummer, the kid was amazing (go back and watch his game against Arizona State before he got hurt).
Strong Safety:
2012: Zeke Motta, Nicky Baratti
2017: Nick Coleman, Devin Studstill, Jordan GH
Star Power - 2012
Depth of Position - 2017, even though people on this board were ready to ship Studstill back home after the 1st frickin' practice, he has come through and played a key role in safety depth this year. Baratti never really materialized
Free Safety:
2012: Mathias Farley, Chris Salvi
2017: Jalen Elliott, Isaiah Robertson, Nicco Fertitta
Star Power - Neither???
Depth of Position - 2017, Who is Chris Salvi? (I kid of course, he clearly got further in football than I ever could)
Cornerback:
2012: KeiVarae Russell, Bennett Jackson, Josh Atkinson, Jalen Brown
2017: Julian Love, Nick Watkins, Shaun Crawford, Donte Vaughn, Troy Pride
Star Power - This one is tough...I'm calling it a wash but I so badly want to pick 2017. Russell and Jackson were really special in 2012 though.
Depth of Position - 2017, not close once you factor in the amazingly talented Crawford with Vaughn and Pride and you don't even have to dip into the safety depth like they did in 2012
Depth Chart Comparison: Star Power (not recruiting stars) vs. Depth of position
Strongside Defensive End (2012)/3 Technique DT (2017) (here's where it get's tricky with positions)
2012: Kapron Lewis-Moore, Sheldon Day
2017: Jonathan Bonner, MTA, Micah DT
Star Power - 2012
Depth of Position - 2012, KLM and Day at one position trumps numbers for me
Noseguard 0 Technique/Noseguard 1 Technique or 2i
2012: Louis Nix, Kona Schwenke
2017: Jerry Tillery, Kurt Hinish, Brandon Tiassum
Star Power - 2012
Depth of Position - 2012, by a whisker as Hinish isn't as close to a refined NG player that Kona had become at that point. Kona wasn't exceptional, but was a tactician.
Defensive End (2012)/Strongside End (2017)
2012: Stephon Tuitt, Tony Springmann
2017: Jay Hayes, Andrew Trumbetti, Khalid Kareem
Star Power - 2012...for now
Depth of Position - 2017, not even close IMHO
Rush OLB (2012)/Drop End (2017)
2012: Prince Shembo, Ishaq Williams
2017: Daelin Hayes, Julian Okwara
Star Power - Very close right now, but I'm going 2017
Depth of Position - 2017, Prince was exceptional that year, but not egregiously more than Daelin, and Julian is much more productive than Ishaq
OLB/Rover LB
2012: Danny Spond, Ben Councell
2017: Drue Tranquill, Asmar Bilal, DJ Morgan
Star Power - 2017
Depth of Position - 2017, this shouldn't be a debate
Weakside ILB/Buck LB
2012: Dan Fox, Carlo Calabrese
2017: Greer Martini, Te'von Coney, Jonathan Jones
Star Power - 2017
Depth of Position - 2017, the fact that there are so many arguments about whether Coney or Martini is the better player answers this one easy. THEY ARE BOTH GOOD!!!!...but different and that's not a bad thing
Strongside ILB/Mike LB
2012: Manti Teo, Jarrett Grace
2017: Nyles Morgan, Jamir Jones
Star Power - 2012
Depth of Position - 2012, Grace gets less credit than he deserves for his ability, range, and pure nastiness on defense. That broken ankle he suffered was such a bummer, the kid was amazing (go back and watch his game against Arizona State before he got hurt).
Strong Safety:
2012: Zeke Motta, Nicky Baratti
2017: Nick Coleman, Devin Studstill, Jordan GH
Star Power - 2012
Depth of Position - 2017, even though people on this board were ready to ship Studstill back home after the 1st frickin' practice, he has come through and played a key role in safety depth this year. Baratti never really materialized
Free Safety:
2012: Mathias Farley, Chris Salvi
2017: Jalen Elliott, Isaiah Robertson, Nicco Fertitta
Star Power - Neither???
Depth of Position - 2017, Who is Chris Salvi? (I kid of course, he clearly got further in football than I ever could)
Cornerback:
2012: KeiVarae Russell, Bennett Jackson, Josh Atkinson, Jalen Brown
2017: Julian Love, Nick Watkins, Shaun Crawford, Donte Vaughn, Troy Pride
Star Power - This one is tough...I'm calling it a wash but I so badly want to pick 2017. Russell and Jackson were really special in 2012 though.
Depth of Position - 2017, not close once you factor in the amazingly talented Crawford with Vaughn and Pride and you don't even have to dip into the safety depth like they did in 2012
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