Texas Longhorns Defensive Player Draft - Fantasy & Reality (10)

Labeling Sergio Kindle as a hybrid left me room to draft another pure defensive end. This pick was just as effective and reliable against the teams where fans would leave by halftime, as he was on the memorable plays he made against the big boys. Oh yea, he was also a freakish athlete who was a two-sport star at Texas.

My reality pick is a guy I'm really looking forward to seeing in this year's defense, due to his ability to play a lot of ways which can introduce uncertainty in the minds of OCs and QBs. As a guy who in high school always made shit happen no matter where you put him, I look forward to seeing him do the same in his first year with an opportunity to get more snaps.

Fantasy Draft 10^th Pick (Position & Player): Defensive End | Brian Robison

Brian Robison is likely the most surprisingly freakish athlete I've ever seen. And no, him being white is not what makes it a surprise. Brian Robison is obviously a big, strong guy. But the reality is he packs a shockingly high amount of explosive power-per-pound, more than anyone I've seen his size. Although he's lost about 10 lbs since playing at Texas, his ability to both pass rush and play the run at Texas was impressive and an imperative for our success.

In his second year at defensive end in 2005, Brian played a major part in the defense's success with the balance of skills he brought to the table. His functional strength was something you wanted to be sure to avoid at all cost. Ask the 35 lbs weights he used to toss around in track and field. Do you remember how he accelerated through Rhett Bomar in the OU game in 2005? We witnessed his explosive power and ability to distribute it all in one motion. Before guys like Sergio Kindle got to campus he was the last guy you'd want to let go unblocked. I have no clue what check Bomar made at the line of scrimmage, but we enjoyed one of the most beautifully executed punishments I've seen in this sport.

Prior to the famous 4^th and 5 where Vince Young ever so effortlessly strolled into the endzone bringing thousands of grown men to tears, we stopped USC on defense when it was 4^th and 2. On what is likely still the most important defensive play of Brian's career (Ok, I'll speak for myself), he was one of the major anchors in making that play. He gained leverage, distributed the blocker, got in the mix, and then we topped it off.

Everyone seems to notice what people do on the big stage. But what I appreciated most about Brian is that he was just as passionate, consistent, and effective against each and every opponent. There was no pressure to turn up his play a notch. He played just as hard on every big play you witnessed as he did against any pedestrian team we'd faced. That made all the difference in his production and the influence he had in the 2005 championship season and in 2006 as the third ranked rushing defense in the country.

Oscar Giles has developed several DEs who played during my career in to very productive players who go on and make things happen at the next level. The advantage of knowing Brian is stronger and more explosive than any offensive tackle he'd face, is why I loved picking him here. He was tireless, passionate, and always left it out on the field for us. Although it will be a while, I look forward to the day when he and his talented wife (Rodeo Barrel Racer, Jayme Miller), send more phenomenal athletes to Texas for us to watch in awe.

Reality Draft 10^th Pick (Position & Player): Linebacker | DeMarco Cobbs

With the 10^th pick of the reality draft, I select DeMarco Cobbs. Like several players on this year's defense, he brings a diverse set of natural skills and smarts to the linebackicng corps that will allow him to see a ton of snaps this year and enable flexibility for the coaches.

We all know DeMarco's background in being a player that you could always put anywhere and he'll make a splash. He was on every high school All-American list and played everywhere they needed at Tulsa Central High School. To this day I can't define him as anything more than simply, a football player. But I believe he'll show us exactly why he's been wildly successful no matter where you put him.

What I like about DeMarco is that he plays smart, fast, and physical and ultimately earned himself a role in this defense. Being a bit of a tweener can be a challenge for a player because coaches may prefer to use you as a situational guy. DeMarco has proven to Manny Diaz that he can add value in the passing game as a blitzer and be a speedy backer in coverage. In the running game, he's proven to be a guy who will fly to the ball as fast as anyone on the field and finish physically.

I'm looking forward to seeing how many ways we use him in this year's defense but all indications show he can be just as valuable a utility guy on a college defense as he was on offense in high school. While there is some uncertainty about how exactly his role will unfold when we get out of base defense, I'm betting on him finding a way to make himself a substantial part of this year's defensive success.

Eleventh Draft pick(s) coming soon...