- Banned
- #1
DownWithDisease
Very Banned
Offline
In the most recent Mock Draft on WalterFootball, they have the Saints selecting William Gholston in the 3rd round. I like the pick, and think it makes a great deal of sense... if the Saints view Akiem Hicks as their NT (and Bunkley)
Gholston is a giant at 6'7, 280lbs.. and would be a nice fit in our 3-4 scheme at DE. He never reached his full potential at MSU, but the talent is there. His pass rushing skills never really blossomed, but that wouldn't be his primary role in a 3-4. He has all of the tools to become a dominant 3-4 DE. He also plays with a mean streak... So much so, it has gotten him into trouble and even got him a suspension for punching Michigan OT Taylor Lewan in the face.
<iframe width="560" height="315" src="http://www.youtube.com/embed/KRPtwR8Zwb8" frameborder="0" allowfullscreen></iframe>
Gholston is a giant at 6'7, 280lbs.. and would be a nice fit in our 3-4 scheme at DE. He never reached his full potential at MSU, but the talent is there. His pass rushing skills never really blossomed, but that wouldn't be his primary role in a 3-4. He has all of the tools to become a dominant 3-4 DE. He also plays with a mean streak... So much so, it has gotten him into trouble and even got him a suspension for punching Michigan OT Taylor Lewan in the face.
Blue chip high school recruits out of the state of Michigan usually end up in Ann Arbor or another big-time program like USC (Nick Perry) or Alabama (Mark Ingram). But the much-heralded Gholston, a five-star recruit who had offers from just about every program in the nation, landed in East Lansing and slowly but surely came into his own as one of the top defensive linemen in the Big Ten.
He spent his true freshman season as a backup defensive end/linebacker, but a shoulder injury ended his season prematurely. Gholston returned as a starting sophomore defensive end in 2011 and set several career-bests with 70 tackles, 16.0 tackles for loss, 5.0 sacks and one forced fumble, earning Second Team All-Big Ten honors.
However, his 2011 season wasn't without some controversy, as Gholston was suspended for Michigan State's last second Hail Mary win over Wisconsin because of a few dirty plays against rival Michigan a week earlier (punching left tackle Tyler Lewan and twisting quarterback Denard Robinson's helmet). With the full support of the coaching staff and zero off-field incidents, it would be unfair to label Gholston as a bad character prospect, but his football focus and on-field demeanor is a question mark that the NFL won't ignore.
Scouts also can't ignore the solid numbers Gholston put up in 2012: 59 tackles, 4.5 sacks and 13 tackles for loss to go along with 10 passes defensed and a forced fumble. His decision to leave school a year early may have been prompted by the recent birth of his first child.
If Gholston's name is familiar in NFL circles, it's because his cousin is former Ohio State star Vernon Gholston, who was a bust as a first-round pick by the Jets and is currently out of the league.
Similar to Jerel Worthy in 2011, Gholston isn't the "elite" defensive lineman that some believe, but he does have pass rush ability and has yet to reach his ceiling.
<iframe width="560" height="315" src="http://www.youtube.com/embed/KRPtwR8Zwb8" frameborder="0" allowfullscreen></iframe>