Gaines Adams

[everlong]

He will probably be long gone by the time we pick but stranger things have happened and I've been reading lately that he could project as a 3-4 tweener which could drop his stock and he has a similar build to McGinist when exiting college. If he dropped to the mid teens perhaps a trade up.


http://www.nfldraftcountdown.com/sco...inesadams.html

Height: 6-5 | Weight: 260 | 40-Time: 4.75

Official Bio

Strengths:
An outstanding athlete...Extremely quick and agile with very good speed...Has a tremendous first step and a great burst to close...Has very long arms and uses his hands well...Has the frame to get bigger and develop physically...Looks fluid when dropping into coverage...A terror in opponents backfields and just seems to have a knack for getting to the quarterback...Productive and disruptive...Versatile and also has the ability to play outside linebacker for a 3-4 team at the pro level.

Weaknesses:
Does not have the ideal bulk you look for and needs to add some weight...Does not play the run nearly as well as he does the pass...Needs to get stronger...Can play with better pad level and leverage...Struggles when blockers are able to lock on...Might be a bit of a DE / OLB 'tweener...Becomes somewhat one-dimensional at times...Will get overly aggressive and run himself out of plays...Intelligence???

Notes:
Played eight-man football in high school and then spent a year at Fork Union Prep before coming to Clemson and redshirting in 2002...Seriously considered coming out after his junior season but was given a very conservative grade by the NFL's underclassmen advisory panel and chose to go back to school...Has been as good as any defensive end in the nation the past two years...Top natural pass rusher.

http://insider.espn.go.com/nfldraft/...2=stateChanged

Strengths: Possesses adequate-to-good height and only decent bulk -- but room on his frame to get bigger. Very agile for the position. Displays explosive first-step quickness and good top-end speed as an edge rusher. Displays very good instincts and awareness as a pass rusher. Has long arms, times his jumps well and does a great job of batting down passes at the line of scrimmage. He also has shown good fluidity when occasionally asked to drop in coverage on zone blitzes. He has improved his discipline and technique versus the run. Does a fine job of sealing off the backside. He gets upfield quickly and can be disruptive in the backfield versus the run. Also shows very good change-of-direction skills in space, which allows him to redirect and pursue as a run defender. He is a hard worker with solid all-around intangibles.

Weaknesses: Lacks ideal bulk and lower-body strength. He will need to improve his size in order to consistently take on NFL blockers. He absorbs too many blocks and doesn't do a consistent enough job of disengaging once reached. Needs to play with more consistent leverage versus the run. Has a tendency to come out of his stance too high and will allow linemen to get into his pads too frequently. He needs to become more consistent as a tackler. He will overextend at times and gets caught lunging or leaving his feet too frequently.

Overall: Adams was redshirted in 2002. He saw action in 12 games as a backup defensive end for the 2003 season, registering 15 total tackles, four tackles for loss, and one sack. Adams played in all 11 contests with just one start (Texas A&M) in 2004 but did win Clemson's defensive 12th man award after recording 35 total tackles, eight tackles for loss, five sacks, and two blocked punts. In 2005, he took over as the starting "bandit" DE and made 56 total tackles, 15 tackles for loss, 9.5 sacks, 29 quarterback pressures, and three forced fumbles. Adams started all 13 games during the 2006 season, finishing with 62 total tackles, 17.5 tackles for loss, 12.5 sacks, two forced fumbles, and three fumble recoveries.
Adams made a wise decision to bypass the 2006 NFL Draft and return for his senior season. He played eight-man football in high school, so he needed the extra time in college to mature both physically and as a player. He still needs to get bigger and do a better job of defending the run, but he has the frame to add at least 15 more pounds and he made noticeable strides in his run-stopping technique during his final season at Clemson. Adams should eventually become a playmaking starter as a 4-3 end in the NFL -- and he also displays enough athletic ability to fit as a 3-4 outside linebacker. Regardless, Adams grades out as the premier defensive end prospect in the 2007 class and he should come off the board within the top-10 picks.