Woodley at ILB?

[sebman2112]

LaMarr Woodley

DE | (6'1", 269, 4.67) | MICHIGAN

Scouts Grade: 87


Can LaMarr Woodley play ILB? Read at least three scouting reports:
Here are some options (feel free to use others):
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Watch this Youtube video (if you want. Mostly for those who don't have film)

Then tell me if you believe he could play inside, or be a versatile LB who plays both positions. According to recent reports Woodley could fall into the third round.

[BelichickFan]

I am intrigued about this - I've been thinking about it all day so your post is an amazing coincidence. Not sure we'd get him at the end of the third round, if we could move up a bit I'd be all for it but most mocks I see have him in the first half of round two.

[sebman2112]

Originally Posted by BelichickFan

I am intrigued about this - I've been thinking about it all day so your post is an amazing coincidence. Not sure we'd get him at the end of the third round, if we could move up a bit I'd be all for it but most mocks I see have him in the first half of round two.

I've been thinking about this ever since NE signed AD, LOL! He has more size than Harris, and is around the same speed, while also being stout against the run. Plus, NE often converts DE's to LB's, and he has played LB in 3-4 schemes.

[Canada's #1 Pats Fan]

Originally Posted by sebman2112

I've been thinking about this ever since NE signed AD, LOL! He has more size than Harris, and is around the same speed, while also being stout against the run. Plus, NE often converts DE's to LB's, and he has played LB in 3-4 schemes.

And most of the Pats (ie. Bruschi and Vrabel) were both college DE's and then made the transition to NFL OLB's and to their current Pats ILB's (just guessing on Vrabel as that is going to be his most likely position this year - I don't see AD being an ILB on a full time basis)

[BelichickFan]

The problem with someone like this is how high can you spend a pick on a guy who you're changing position. I think that's why Belichick always ends up passing on DE moving to LB, the good ones are gone earlier than he wants to spend a pick no such a high risk project.

[Box_O_Rocks]

Since this is an ILB thread: I'm watching NFL Network's Path To The Draft, Mayock has Stewart Bradley as his #4 OLB and is showing him being nice and instinctive on tape. I continue to love these Nebraska kids; Bradley's biggest issue from what I can see is improving his strength, I really like this kid to be an ILB in the Pats' system and develop into another inside/outside Vrabel.

Harris looks good on tape too, I wouldn't be too sad if he was a Patriot. Willis, Timmons, Posluszney did not show as well in terms of what they would need to do in a Patriot 3-4. Beason looked to have a little more potential, but not as much as Harris..Bradley remains the best overall ILB pick.

[midwestpatsfan]

While like most of you, I would love to see Patrick Willis in a Patriots uniform. Unfortunately that looks to be a long shot now. Woodley intrigues me the more I read up on him and watch the tape I can of him. I think he would be a nice fit for the Patriots at ILB and I think he could be potentially taken at #28 if the Patriots cannot trade back. He is a high to mid second round pick so I would not have a problem taking him there.

[BelichickFan]

Originally Posted by midwestpatsfan

While like most of you, I would love to see Patrick Willis in a Patriots uniform. Unfortunately that looks to be a long shot now. Woodley intrigues me the more I read up on him and watch the tape I can of him. I think he would be a nice fit for the Patriots at ILB and I think he could be potentially taken at #28 if the Patriots cannot trade back. He is a high to mid second round pick so I would not have a problem taking him there.

Woodley has ungodly size for a ILB and good enough athleticism. He's also a great guy and intrigues me when I read that he's very good with his hands and at getting off blocks.

The only problem I have, again, is do you want to spend a #1 on a guy switching positions. College to pro is difficult enough to evaluate, college DE to pro ILB is even higher risk. And do you want to risk a (low) #1 ?

If we took him at #28, though, I wouldn't be disappointed.

[Warren94]

I would prefer David Harris ILB from Michigan.

[Warren94]

STRENGTHS

LaMarr is a pass-rushing machine and he might be the best form tackler in this draft. He shows more quickness than speed, but never stops moving towards the QB until the whistle blows. He does an excellent job using his hands to keep the O-lineman away from his body. LaMarr forces his defender into making mistakes in technique and then explodes and takes advantage of those mistakes. He has very powerful legs and gets most of his push and explosion from his legs. This allows him to use leverage along with great hand-fighting techniques to beat his man and make the sack. LaMarr is just waiting to be drafted by the right team that knows how to use his talents.



NEEDS TO IMPROVE

LaMarr does not have the perfect size that most scouts like in a defensive end. He will have to work on his height. (Maybe he needs to wear lifts to the combine to make himself taller!) LaMarr also has those long arms, so he needs to continue to work on his upper body strength. My advice is, “Don’t worry about any of this stuff. Just draft him and set him loose; he is a pass–rushing machine.”



TALENT BOARD ROUND: 1

LaMarr is not your perfect-looking DE. He is a bit short and is not the best against the run, but there is way too much production in this player’s past to suggest that he is not going to find away to be successful at the next level. Some will suggest that he fits a 3-4 defensive scheme as an OLB, but I’m not sure he has that type of athleticism. However, I’m sure that will be discovered at the combine. I believe he is a pure DE for a 4-3 defense and will get bigger and stronger as he learns more tricks of the trade. He is a smart kid. He knows how to set up his defender and understands situational football. He knows just when to pull the string at the most important part of a game to make big plays. LaMarr will help the team that drafts him right away. He will make his presence known and will surprise a lot of people who think he will struggle because he plays now with some pretty good defensive linemen that free him up. For those of you who think that, I have this to say: look at this kid’s yearly production first and then look to see if those big, strong, young defensive linemen have been on the field while LaMarr was producing all of those years. Maybe it was LaMarr that made those other defensive linemen look good and not the other way around! LaMarr’s production has improved every year and his sacks have gone up this year over last year, so all I can say is “Won’t he be playing with good D-linemen at the next level?” The interesting issue for me is whether or not LaMarr has the ability to be moved to the MLB position at the next level. He is such a good tackler and is so smart that you have to wonder if he can be another Jeremiah Trotter? Either way, you got yourself a hell of a player in LaMarr Woodley so just draft him and worry about the other stuff later.

Nice write up on him.