Breaking down Akeem Ayers

[Quesadilla Joe]

http://www.nationalfootballpost.com/...him-Moore.html

Ayers had a very productive three-year career at UCLA as a SAM linebacker. He redshirted as a freshman then saw action in all games as a redshirt freshman, including three starts. He has been a full-time starter the last two seasons. He was a 4-star recruit out of high school and was offered by most of the Pac-10 teams as well as Nebraska and Colorado.

He has great size at 6-2 and 254 pounds but he did not run well at the Combine (4.86) and also looked as if he lacked some explosiveness doing the agility drills. He came back with a strong pro day, running 4.74 and dramatically improving his time in the 3-cone drill (7.19), vertical jump (34.5) and bench press (22 reps). While he may not have looked explosive in Indy, when you watch tape you see the opposite.

He is very instinctive and consistently around the ball. He plays with leverage and shows strength and power at the point of attack. He has quick hands and good hand use and can get rid of blockers quickly. He has excellent lateral movement and easily moves through trash. He makes a lot of plays versus both the inside and outside run and is a very good pursuit player. He is an explosive sure tackler and you don’t see him miss many.

Many times in passing situations he plays down and shows very good pass rush skills. He again shows quick hands and has the ability to use counter moves effectively. He shows good bend and is able to dip his shoulder and get under blockers when coming off the edge. He also shows a nice burst off of blocks to close.

When used in coverage he has a good drop, getting depth and has good awareness in zone. He reacts quickly to the ball in the air and has the plant and drive to close on the play. He is sure handed and has 6 career interceptions. While not a burner, he has the speed and quickness to stay with backs and tight ends in man coverage.

Overall, Ayers could be this year’s version of Brandon Spikes. Last year Spikes looked like a first-round talent on tape but tested poorly and dropped to the second round. When he got to New England he played just like he did at Florida and had a very productive rookie year. Ayers still could go in the lower part of the first round and if he goes to a 3-4 team he may turn out to be a great player. Because of his pass rush skills and run stopping ability he is a perfect fit for many of the 3-4 teams. He also can be a SAM linebacker in many 4-3 schemes. Regardless of his average workout, this player is going to be a good pro!