BillBelichickFan79
Rotational Player and Threatening Starter's Job
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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
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
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