2017 Defense: Potentially best ever?

[tony]

Hopefully, this thread title breaks Betteridge's law of headlines.

Anyway, in one of Jeff's and Dom's deals, Kolpack said that this defense has the potential to be the best ever at NDSU.

The defensive line looks solid and deep.

Linebackers - well, imo, DeLuca is the best MLB I've seen at NDSU, Levi Jordheim looked very good before his injury, and Plank looked pretty good backing up DeLuca, but nobody else is proven. Marlette has gotten some snaps and I think we've all been waiting to see Jabril Cox on the field.

DBs: Tre and Robbie have lots of experience at safety, but there's no experienced depth there. And at CB, Jalen Allison and Jayaan Wimbush have experience but need to lift their game up.

Safe to say that if Tanguay and DeLuca stay healthy, the defense should be better than last year, but it's a huge leap from there to "best ever." I sure hope they make that jump.

[BisonTeacher]

Man I hope so. I'd like to see them get back to a pressure defense as opposed to the bend but don't break version we saw last year.

[Mr Meaty]

I was just talking about this same subject with other Bison fans yesterday. We all agree that this should be a "best" defense in NDSU history. No pressure there. lol
But we will be deeper than in the past couple of years. Great veteran leadership on the field. It will still need our offense to help control the TOP and keep the defense "fresh". The offense can get up early and make a the other team one dimensional. Control the clock and defense can just pin their ears back to go for it. Team effort is needed.

[Prime Power]

LOL!!!! Front seven as a group are great with a few question marks LB. Secondary is no where near great.

[HerdBot]

LOL!!!! Front seven as a group are great with a few question marks LB. Secondary is no where near great.

Jalen Allison has the potential to be as good as any corner we've ever had. Tre Dempsey is a stud.

We need Grimsley to take his game to the next level and improve at the #2 and #3 corner.

If that happens we could be pretty darn good.

Love the front 7 though. Deeper than years past and feet talented. We need everyone to continue that upwards trajectory. Need one of the young linebackers to do well

[stevdock]

I know 2013 was arguably the best Bison team ever, but I believe it was Dudzik said on the radio in the last couple weeks that there were other defensive groups that had better stats than the 2013 group. I just don't remember which other two groups he said. One was either 2012 or 2014, and I want to say the other was somewhere around 2006, 2007, etc.

[td577]

Jalen Allison has the potential to be as good as any corner we've ever had. Tre Dempsey is a stud.

We need Grimsley to take his game to the next level and improve at the #2 and #3 corner.

If that happens we could be pretty darn good.

Love the front 7 though. Deeper than years past and feet talented. We need everyone to continue that upwards trajectory. Need one of the young linebackers to do well

I thought Grimsley has gotten better in every game he has played. He was getting better by the end of last year at not getting sucked up into the wash on every play action. He isn't an all-world tackler, but he is getting better at it. I am not worried about his role on the team and feel he is getting a very good grasp of how he is supposed to fit in a team defense philosophy. It has been baby steps, but in my opinion they have all been mostly forward and the third season we should see that next level.

[Hammerhead]

Which defense holds the current title? Is is the 2006 team with 3 upper-classmen who played in the NFL for multiple years, the 2013 team, or someone else?

[bisonmike2]

I hope we can revisit this thread in January and say, "yes, they were the best ever."

[tony]

Which defense holds the current title? Is is the 2006 team with 3 upper-classmen who played in the NFL for multiple years, the 2013 team, or someone else?

2013 for DI and all-time (26% 3rd down conversion rate!)
2006 for transition
1986 for D2
1965 for Pre-D2 (gave up 113 yards per game!)

2013 for best all-time: Marcus Williams, Christian Dudzick, Colten Heagle, and CJ Smith were the starting DBs. Kyle Emanuel, Cole Jirik, Mike Hardie, etc at DE. Drevlow, Schaetz and Perry on the inside. Beck, Littlejohn, Thorton, and Grant Olson at LB.

If 2017 is going to challenge best all-time, there will have to be improvements everywhere. And these improvements are going to have to translate into a much lower opponent 3rd down conversion rate. Last year's 40% was the worst since 2009.

We're also going to need to see these guys make big impacts: Cole Karcz, Derreck Tuszka, Dom Davis, Jabril Cox, Dan Marlette... and the CBs are going to have to take the next step.