Quote
AlbaNY_Ram
"...not sure he can rack and stack and fill aggressively in the middle."
In a base 3-4, wouldn't that role fall more to the Mike ILB (i.e., Reeder or Kiser)? And Howard, and the Mo ILB, would have more of the coverage responsibilities?
To answer your question no. Both ILBs have a run fit they are responsible for. The SILB is not tasked with being a superhero while the other WILB freelances.
Generally speaking 3-4 allows you to be bigger and more physical off ball with your ILBs and you need physicality due to one less covered OL up front who can pull and get in the way. ILBs have to be able to deal with OL second level. Sometimes that requires taking on the OL without getting rolled. Some guys can beat those OL on most snaps by movement, getting skinny, etc. Other guys stack them and plug it up. This is where the talent of the ILB does matter.
Also those bigger ILB in a 3-4 split the field. Whereas a 4-3 MIKE needs to cover sideline to sideline. This allows guys like Reeder to play in this scheme where he'd probably struggle a lot more in a 4-3.
Thirdly "pass defense" for our ILBs is dropping into their zones and reacting off of that. Which is a ton easier to pull off for a big guy than telling him he's gotta shadow the RB or man up on a TE. The goal for them is to arrive in time to disrupt the catch or ensure he gets no extra yards.
Going back to Davis the reason I mention him is because generally I don't see ILBs of his talent mocked to where we pick in round 2. And as I said I realize they won't take him and I get it. But there is room to look at this thing from that perspective of how low our floor is at the position and that differential in what you could get with good play. If we were to draft a guy like him and hit the impact on our defense would be significant.
