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Silverman: QBs Should Not Go Before Top D-Linemen In This Year's Draft

By Steve Silverman
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The Cleveland Browns and San Francisco 49ers went through the most brutal of football seasons in 2016, with the once-proud Chicago Bears just slightly better.

The offseason is crucial for all three of these teams, and the one thing that is clear is they simply did not have enough talent at crucial positions to win football games.

One of those positions was quarterback, and that is the position that all football fans understand the best. Give a team a good quarterback who has top-of-the-line physical skills, along with the mental capacity to understand the offense and avoid repeated mistakes, and that team is going to have a better chance to win.

But when teams have multiple holes to fill, going after the quarterback with a high first-round pick in this year's draft – particularly when the quarterback is not named Peyton Manning or Andrew Luck – is regularly a mistake.

The Browns and 49ers would be much better served selecting defensive linemen Myles Garrett of Texas A&M and Jonathan Allen of Alabama with the first two picks. Both men look like accomplished football players who can turn a defensive line into an area of strength.

Before we get into the strengths of both players, let's look at what happened in each of the last two drafts at the quarterback position.

Marcus Mariota and Jameis Winston have both done fairly well after being selected with the first two picks in 2015, but neither one of them has seen his team make the playoffs yet. That could change in 2017 if both quarterbacks continue to improve and so does their supporting cast.

Dak Prescott couldn't have worked out better for the Dallas Cowboys, but he was selected in the fourth round last year, and he would not have started in his rookie year if Tony Romo hadn't been injured.

Scouts were awfully high on No. 1 selection Jared Goff of the Los Angeles Rams and No. 2 pick Carson Wentz of the Philadelphia Eagles last year. Goff may still work out, but so far he has given every indication that he will be a bust. Wentz made quite a bit of progress, and he could be just what the Eagles need to improve next year.

As for the top defensive ends, Garrett is a potential monster once he makes his move to the NFL. At 6-foot-5 and 261 pounds, he has the kind of strength needed to win battles against the biggest offensive linemen. He is an outstanding pass rusher with an array of moves. He can beat opposing defensive tackles with speed to the outside or the quickness when diving inside.

He also knows how to work a stunt and accelerate when rushing up the middle. While the pass rush is the key to his highlight film, Garrett is just as good against the run as he is when getting after the passer. That's very unusual for all but the most talented defensive linemen.

The best pass rushers are usually missing something when it comes to the running game, but that is not the case with Garrett. Some scouts have pointed out that his run defense is not quite as sophisticated as his play against the pass, but that's not a key issue.

He makes up for it in power and desire.

Allen also looks like a sure thing at nearly 6-3 and a whopping 295 pounds. At this point in his development, Allen can play either inside or outside, but the projection is that he will eventually get most of his work done at defensive tackle.

Jonathan Allen
Alabama's Jonathan Allen (93) makes a tackle against Chattanooga on Nov. 19, 2016 in Tuscaloosa, Alabama. (Photo by Kevin C. Cox/Getty Images)

Allen has played at the highest level and passed every competitive test. When it comes to taking on a blocker and winning the battle, he excels because of his massive strength and surprising quickness. Allen has a great understanding of defensive line technique and how to use his hands as weapons, and he should only get better from here.

Both Garrett and Allen should be looked at as can't-miss performers.

The three highest-rated quarterbacks are Mitch Trubisky of North Carolina, Deshaun Watson of the national champion Clemson Tigers and DeShone Kizer of Notre Dame.

Trubisky played like a stud last season for the Tar Heels, but that was the only season he started during his college football career. When it comes to year-to-year progression, nobody knows what is going to happen with him. It is merely guesswork, and you should not believe anything else.

Kizer may be the most physically gifted of the three quarterbacks in terms of arm strength. But he has lacked consistency with the Irish, and some question his ability to understand the levels of sophistication needed in the NFL.

Of the three, Watson is the most ready as he led the Tigers to back-to-back national championship appearances against Alabama, and he was good enough to guide his team to a late win this past season.

Watson has thrown 30 interceptions the past two years, but his head coach Dabo Swinney has told everyone that the quarterback will win at the next level.

I believe him, and Watson would not be a bad selection for the Bears, who can put the Jay Cutler era behind them.

However, it will take time for Watson to develop, while the two big defensive linemen should be ready to help their teams start to turn it around from Day 1.

Please follow Steve on Twitter at @Profootballboy

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