BillBelichickFan79

Greg Hardy has been my favorite candidate for us at OLB and still is even though he's been troubled with injuries. Hardy has the pure pass rushing ability all of us are looking for, along with the strength/power to get get off blockers.

He's a pretty good athlete who I think can make plays out in space, and is solid vs both the run and pass. You have to love his pure explosive pass rushing ability and his ability to bull rush or use some of his moves like his spin move. If this guy falls due to medical concerns, I would definitely love to add him. I think he'd be a force in our defense.

For those of us wanting to add Peppers, we might be able to add a guy comparable to him via the draft for a much more cost-effective price.

CBS Scouting Report - Greg Hardy


Overview

Blessed with a combination of size, strength and overall athleticism that has drawn comparisons to Julius Peppers and Mario Williams, Hardy appears capable of putting together a senior campaign that results in his being the first overall pick of the 2010 NFL Draft.

Unfortunately, Hardy has battled inconsistency and injury throughout his collegiate career. He didn't start a game in 2008 due to his struggles following surgery on the fifth metatarsal of his left foot in the offseason and was hampered by the injury again this spring.

When healthy, however, Hardy is a dominant force, as demonstrated by the 64 tackles, 18.5 tackles for loss and 10 sacks he posted in only 10 games his junior season. Hardy's ability to collapse the pocket (21.5 sacks and 7 forced fumbles over his career) is certainly intriguing, but to warrant high-round consideration, Hardy will have to do something he's never done before - make it through a full season without injury.


Analysis

Pass rush: Good, not great quickness off the ball, but accelerates quickly and can explode past the tackle off the edge. Very good use of hands to ward off the tackle's block. Slaps away opponents' hands quickly with good hand placement and underrated upper-body strength. Strength shows up with a good bull rush. Can drive the tackle into the quarterback. Has a tendency to get his sacks in bunches and disappear for long stretches.

Run defense: Good lateral agility to beat the tackle outside and force the sweep wide. Good strength and use of leverage to control the tackle. Feels the cut block coming and sprawls effectively to protect his legs and maintain his balance. Good effort and closing speed behind the line of scrimmage. Showed good effort in pursuit downfield in 2007, but struggled in this area in 2008 (possibly due to recurring foot injuries).

Explosion: Good, not great initial burst off the snap. Lacked the burst he had shown in previous years and struggled to re-direct in 2008. Flashes explosive hitting ability, especially when given space to gain momentum.

Strength: A vastly underrated component of Hardy's effectiveness as a pass rusher. Good upper-body strength to disengage from the pass blocker. Good strength for the bull rush. Good leverage and leg drive to anchor when necessary.

Tackling: Rangy defender who can break down in space and make the secure tackle. Good strength to make the one-armed drag-down tackle when occupied with a blocker. Inconsistent effort in pursuit downfield in 2008.

Intangibles: Rare athleticism for the position. Actually used as a wide receiver early in his career and has three receiving touchdowns as a Rebel. Struggled with a foot injury in 2008 and was only used as part of a rotation. Will require an extensive medical check at the Combine. Has undergone two separate surgeries on his right foot for stress fractures, the second of which required a screw be placed in his foot for stabilization. The injury was aggravated by an automobile accident suffered on July 11, 2009, though Hardy was cleared for football by team doctors shortly thereafter.

NFL Comparison: Julius Peppers, Carolina Panthers

Marqui

I hope we draft him too. He's maybe not 1st round prospect at this point though.

mayoclinic

I'd be fine with Hardy with one of our 2nd round picks. I'd rate him and Greg Romeus, and possibly Jason Pierre-Paul, as my favorite guys to take with the Jacksonville pick. I don't think I'd take him at #24-25 though - I'd trade back him there was no better value on the board. His injury history and other issues are enough to drop him to the 2nd round for me, at least at this point.

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"OVER Loading at ANY position can create a Fatal Advantage. THAT is what interests ME. Attacking With Concentrated Force. THAT is what WINS. In the words ~ more or less ~ of General Patton: 'I'm fighting a WAR, here. Let the B*****ES worry about their FLANKS.' " - Off the Grid

"The key to any successful organization is to anticipate things, not react to them." - Michael Lombardi

BillBelichickFan79

Yup I love all 3 of these guys but want Hardy the most. He was one of the most exciting players to watch on the defensive side of the ball throughout his career at Ole Miss.

Hopefully he can shake the injury bug because this guy has the talent to be a star. If he didn't get hurt, I think he would've gone top 15. Just hearing him being compared to Peppers and Williams gives me the chills.

The Intimidator

He's projected by many to go in the top 20, which means that the Pats would have to try to trade up. I think this kid will be an absolute stud. He's 6-5, 265 pounds, and has apparently been clocked at 4.67 seconds in the 40 yard dash. Now, he has some injury problems, but I honestly think he could be worth the risk. He's probably the best DE coming out this April.

If the Pats are looking to stick with the 3-4 next season, they could target someone like Cameron Heyward from Ohio State. He's 6-6, 285 pounds, and he's a great fit as a DE in a 3-4 system. According to most mocks, he could be had in the second round, which would allow the Pats to use their first rounder on the best available player, whoever that may be. Other fits at DE in the 3-4 system could be Allen Bailey from Miami and Jake Odrick from Penn State. They are also players who could be available in the second round.

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We will Back next year.

mayoclinic

Projections on Greg Hardy vary wildly from top 20 to end of the 2nd round. He's still a wild card as to where he goes in the draft.

I think Cameron Heyward is a fabulous 3-4 DE prospect. He's on the fence as to whether or not to come out, and many people are predicting that he will be a top 20 pick. I think 2nd round is very generous.

Allen Bailey has announced that he will be returning to Miami next year.

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To view links or images in signatures your post count must be 10 or greater. You currently have 0 posts.
"OVER Loading at ANY position can create a Fatal Advantage. THAT is what interests ME. Attacking With Concentrated Force. THAT is what WINS. In the words ~ more or less ~ of General Patton: 'I'm fighting a WAR, here. Let the B*****ES worry about their FLANKS.' " - Off the Grid

"The key to any successful organization is to anticipate things, not react to them." - Michael Lombardi

BillBelichickFan79

I think Hardy is worth the risk in round 1, and I hope BB feels the same way. Has the size, speed, power, and skill set I've been looking for in an OLB for a while. He can just take over and dominate a game at anytime.

BradyMossWelker

My favourite outside linebacker s jerry hughes, I think he will be our first pick, unless someone real talented falls into the 25th, like taylor mays or dunlap, mclain.
I like Greg Hardy, but like Mayo, as a 2nd rounder, but I prefer him to greg romeus

BillBelichickFan79

haven't seen enough of Hughes this year, gotta take a look at him tonight. I like Hardy the best, but I also like Dunlap, Romeus, Pierre-Paul, and even Ricky Sapp and Sergio Kindle.

If I could only have one though I would take Hardy, even with his injury history.

carolinatony

I would love for us to take Greg Hardy,Greg Romeus, Jason Pierre-Paul or Hughes. Wouldn't it be nice to grab 2 of these guys!

Throw in Mike Johnson OG Alabama and thats a very good draft.