| Cosmos |
04-24-2010 10:33 AM |
Profile from CBS sports:
Analysis
Read & React: A disciplined defender who understands his containment responsibilities and has enough quickness, lateral agility and strength to stretch the runner wide. Good burst upfield as a pass rusher, but quickly recognizes the screen and draw, showing the ability to re-direct inside. Grabs hold of the back on the screen and kills the play. Improved his recognition of passing lanes and the impact he can have by getting his hands up as a senior, recording a career-high six PBUs.
Run defense: Lacks the bulk to remain at defensive end full-time in the NFL, but is stronger than his size might suggest. Plays with good pad level and has the strength in his upper and lower to stack and shed the block. Surprising lateral agility to elude blockers in space. Breaks down well and has a burst to change directions and better straight-line speed than he's given credit for. Good hustle downfield.
Pass defense: Was rarely asked to drop back into coverage while at Troy, but proved surprisingly nimble and alert as an outside linebacker at the Senior Bowl. High in his backpedal, but was smoother than expected turning and showed good straight-line speed to trail the tight end down the sideline. Raw, but has some legitimate upside here.
Tackling: Shows the body control to handle the transition to linebacker. Breaks down well in space for a career defensive end, showing the patience and quick feet to tackle elusive ballcarriers on the edge. Good size and strength to take down bigger ballcarriers. Prefers to wrap up securely and will do so when he can, but will use his long arms to trip up the ballcarrier when forced to make the diving attempt.
Pass Rush/Blitz: Not surprisingly, one of his better areas. Though he doesn't possess a truly explosive burst out of his three-point stance, he does have the quick step to force the tackle back on his heels and the agility to re-direct inside. Good strength for the bull-rush. Has shown a great deal of improvement throughout his career in terms of getting his hands up in the passing lanes -- posting one PBU in 2007, three in 2008 and six in 2009 …
Intangibles: Shy and reserved. A very humble and team-oriented player that the coaches rave about. Will have to have his wrist checked out at the Combine after breaking it during a pick-up basketball game prior to the 2008 season.
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