Kelly Bryan sets official visit to MSU

[Prediction? Pain.]

Is this team really that much more talented than the 2011 defense that won exactly 7 games including the bowl win?

Fletcher Cox
Benardrick McKinney
Darius Slay
Jon Banks
Deontae Skinner
Charles Mitchell
Cameron Lawrence
Kaleb Eulls
Dewayne Cherrington
Josh Boyd

Those are just the Junior and Seniors on defense in 2011. In that list you have Cox (top 3 DT in the NFL), Boyd (started almost every year in the NFL), McKinney (has led or was close to leading the Texans in tackles every year), Slay (top 3 corner in the NFL), Banks (Thorpe award winner and starter in the NFL for several years), Cam Lawrence (started on special teams and at LB due to injury his rookie year, had a career ending injury), Eulls (started a few games for the Saints), Skinner (started a few games for the Patriots)

So is this current talent on defense that we are losing this year REALLY once in a 20 years talent level?

I agree with others that the the depth of this year's defense likely sets it apart from other recent good ones. But I don't think the 2011 or 2010 units were far off. If you go backward a year to 2010, remove Skinner, Eulls, Slay, McKinney, and Cherrington from your list and then add Pernell McPhee (solid DE in the NFL going on eight years now), K.J. Wright (one of the best LBs in the game in his prime, still rocking along in Seattle), Chris White (drafted by the Bills and played in 51 NFL games in the span of four seasons in the league), Nickoe Whitley (signed with the Browns as an undrafted FA, not sure how long he lasted), and Sean Ferguson (DE that played a at least a little with the Bills his first year out). Cox, Boyd, Mcphee, Wright, and White in the front seven were legit, as were Banks, Whitley, and Mitchell in the backfield.

[BrunswickDawg]

I agree with others that the the depth of this year's defense likely sets it apart from other recent good ones. But I don't think the 2011 or 2010 units were far off. If you go backward a year to 2010, remove Skinner, Eulls, Slay, McKinney, and Cherrington from your list and then add Pernell McPhee (solid DE in the NFL going on eight years now), K.J. Wright (one of the best LBs in the game in his prime, still rocking along in Seattle), Chris White (drafted by the Bills and played in 51 NFL games in the span of four seasons in the league), Nickoe Whitley (signed with the Browns as an undrafted FA, not sure how long he lasted), and Sean Ferguson (DE that played a at least a little with the Bills his first year out). Cox, Boyd, Mcphee, Wright, and White in the front seven were legit, as were Banks, Whitley, and Mitchell in the backfield.

This is a very talented and deep defense that has performed as well top to bottom as any defense we have ever had.

That being said, our scoring defense over the past 9 years has been consistently strong.
'10 - 19.8 (21st)
'11 - 19.1 (16th)
'12 - 23.3 (34th)
'13 - 23.0 (33rd)
'14 - 21.7 (23rd)
'15 - 23.2 (36th)
'16 - 31.8 (98th)
'17 - 20.9 (26th)
'18 - 13.5 (5th)

What that says to me is that we probably have a better chance of repeating the type of defense we have had the past 2 years. And that is with what - 7 different DCs. If we had had any continuity on defense over the past 8 years I think we could have consistently been a Top 15 scoring defense. If we keep Shoop, I would not at all be surprised to see that happen.

[ScottH]

Kelly Bryant