Preview 3-4 OLB Projections

[Ochmed Jones]

This is beyond a shadow of a doubt the most difficult projection in all of football. It basically involves finding the MOST athletic DE's in college and projecting how they will adjust from playing with a hand in the dirst to standing up. It takes a lot of athletic ability, football intelligence and size to play this position well.

And while these guys are rare, they are NOT nearly as rare as BB would have us think.

This year's draft is once again loaded with guys that project into the position in our defense,(some better than others) but it will not happen overnight, all will need time to learn the system and especially the techniques. Sadly because BB has refused to stock a pipeline of youngsters in trainging, we are bereft of anything even remotely resembling talent at this vital position.

1.) Robert Quinn UNC (6'5" and 255 pounds) - ubber athletic and a mean pass rusher to boot. Weak on run defense, but with a little courage and some sand in his pants, he could be sopecial in our defense. UNC and the NCAA are currently battling over and that will affect his status..

2.) Pierre Allen Nebraska (6'4" and 265 pounds) - somewhat athletic and has all the tools required for the position. This year is a good yerar to measure his true capabilities with Suh off campus.

3.) Ryan Kerrigan Purdue (6'4" and 260 pounds) - somewhat athletic but projects well in our defense. Gave Notre Dame fits.

4.) Winterswyk Boise (6'4" and 260 pounds) - poised for a great year and with a cream puff schedule should tear it up.

5.) Sam Acho Texas (6'3" and 260 pounds) - The latest in a long line of Texas DE's looking to convert to OLB in a 3-4 defense. Hopefully he is better on stairs than Kindle.

6.) Marshall South Florida (6'5" and 260 pounds) Gave Florida fits earlier in the year. May not be bright enough to learn our defense, but definitely fierce enough to play in it.

7.) Sheard Pittsburgh (6'4" and 260 pounds) playing opposite Romeus, he should see lots of single blocking, this is his chance to shine.

8.) Elmore Arizona (6'5" and 255 pounds) again somewhat athletic and projects well in our defense.

9.) Anthony Grambling (6'4" and 260 pounds) same as above.

10.) Egbuniwe Ga Tech (6'4" and 255 pounds) with Morgan gone this is his chance to shine and prove his ability to play 3-4 OLB.

11.) Beal Oklahoma (6'3" and 260 pounds) May not be athletic enough, but has a lot of the tools we need at OLB.

12.) Mathews SC (6'4" and 250 ponds) A little undersized but projects as a solid fit in our defense. With Norwood gone, he should have a monster year.

13.) Freeney Rutgers (6'3" and 250 pounds) Again under sized, but since BB drafted McCourty, it is reasonable to assume he watched a lot of Rutgers film, maybe this guy caught BB's eye.

14.) White Fla State (6'4" and 260 pounds) have not seen great production, but he has the tools we are looking for, he just has not put it all together yet.

15.) Hightower Alabama (6'4" and 250 pounds) A little small and coming off knee surrgery, probably projects better inside in our defense, but could project outside as well.

16.) McCarty Miami (6'3" and 245 pounds) again undersized and has had knee problems but with some bulk and time, he could be special in our defense.

 

[reflexblue]

What about Greg Romeous? I was seeing his name all over this board last spring.

 

[Defsoul]

What about Greg Romeous? I was seeing his name all over this board last spring.

Romeus underwent back surgery last week and will miss at least six weeks. Understandably he didn't look very good prior to the surgery.

 

[reflexblue]

Romeus underwent back surgery last week and will miss at least six weeks. Understandably he didn't look very good prior to the surgery.

thanx......

 

[LuthierJr]

On Beal from Oklahoma. I have watched every game he has played at Oklahoma (sooner fan!).

His production has been good. He does very well at setting the edge, he is a fairly big guy. Tackles well. Strong. He might be a solid, but not flashy OLB. He is not really fast (I'd guess 4.6-4.8 range fast enough I suppose), but decently strong. Don't know if he is strong enough to overpower NFL tackles. Probably not at this point. He kind of falls between a pass rusher and a edge setting run stopper. It will be interested to see how he develops, if at all, in the NFL. I wouldn't have him ranked really high for us personally.

 

[D-Money]

I love Quinn.UNC will have plenty of 1rst round talent this year.That Bruce Carter at LB is a freak of nature.

 

[Ochmed Jones]

I love Quinn.UNC will have plenty of 1rst round talent this year.That Bruce Carter at LB is a freak of nature.

Carter and Miller of Texas A&M are incredible talents, but just don't project well in our defense at OLB.

Same with Romeus and Calayborn or Iowa. Fantstic talents that don't project well in our 3-4 defense. Whole different ball game if Bb switches to a 4-3 however.

 

[cstjohn17]

Article on Ryan Kerrigan from Purdue, seems like a player who could be worth a look.

Boilermakers' Kerrigan bubbling up boards at DE - NFL - CBSSports.com - NFLDraftScout.com

 

[Ochmed Jones]

Article on Ryan Kerrigan from Purdue, seems like a player who could be worth a look.

Boilermakers' Kerrigan bubbling up boards at DE - NFL - CBSSports.com - NFLDraftScout.com

Depending on how he runs, he seems ideal for our defense. Because we do SEC/ACC games almost exclusively, Alabama/SC this weekend, I have not gotten to see him play this year and You Tube just doesn;t give me enough.

If he runs well and sets a mean edge, then BB should be in perfect position with Oakland;s pick to take him early.

 

[MaineMan]

Seems to me like BB is looking for (and the scheme sorta requires) guys who have proven ability to set the edge/defend the run, who can be a definite help in coverage rather than a liability, who read/react well consistently and who can get pressure in the backfield using something besides pure athleticism and/or speed.

Such guys may well be pretty rare.

So - how do the guys listed above rate in:
- setting the edge/run defense
- coverage
- read/react, football smarts
- getting pressure by using their wits

 

[WaterfallJumper]

Seems to me like BB is looking for (and the scheme sorta requires) guys who have proven ability to set the edge/defend the run, who can be a definite help in coverage rather than a liability, who read/react well consistently and who can get pressure in the backfield using something besides pure athleticism and/or speed.

Such guys may well be pretty rare.

So - how do the guys listed above rate in:
- setting the edge/run defense
- coverage
- read/react, football smarts
- getting pressure by using their wits

Kerrigan is off the charts in all those areas, with the exception perhaps of coverage. I haven't seen him drop much. Otherwise, he's just phenomenal. If his 40 time was just a little faster (he's rumored to run in the 4.8 range), then he would probably be my number one Patriots OLB target next year. As it is, I worry about his speed in coverage, even though his initial burst is excellent. Great player.

I still like Aldon Smith and Robert Quinn the best, but Ayers, Kerrigan, Acho and Curry intrigue me.

 

[BillBelichickFan79]

McCarthy couldn't play OLB for the Pats. He's just not that good of a player. He's too slow at times for the college game.

I think Romeus could play in this defense.

The Miami player you should be looking at for OLB is Olivier Vernon. Played double digit games as a true freshman, starting as a sophmore. Very athletic, good vs run and a good pass rusher. Always making plays around the ball. Won't be eligible until 2012 unfortunately.

 

[Ochmed Jones]

McCarthy couldn't play OLB for the Pats. He's just not that good of a player. He's too slow at times for the college game.

I think Romeus could play in this defense.

The Miami player you should be looking at for OLB is Olivier Vernon. Played double digit games as a true freshman, starting as a sophmore. Very athletic, good vs run and a good pass rusher. Always making plays around the ball. Won't be eligible until 2012 unfortunately.

Really hard to imagine a Miami player being slow.

 

[everlong]

I was focusing on Akeem Ayers recently and his 6' 4" 255 size with speed makes him worth the look. He looks like he could add ten pounds if needed.

The positive is he's used to standing up and dropping into coverage. He does a good job maintaining his leverage when stringing a play out towards the sideline.

The negative is he plays too high, doesn't get off of blocks, he lacks a quick first step and doesn't display any pass rushing moves.

So overall I'd give him a thumbs down.

 

[rookBoston]

I was focusing on Akeem Ayers recently and his 6' 4" 255 size with speed makes him worth the look. He looks like he could add ten pounds if needed.

The positive is he's used to standing up and dropping into coverage. He does a good job maintaining his leverage when stringing a play out towards the sideline.

The negative is he plays too high, doesn't get off of blocks, he lacks a quick first step and doesn't display any pass rushing moves.

So overall I'd give him a thumbs down.

I spent an afternoon watching film on Beal, Quinn, Ayers and Kerrigan, and of these Ayers stood out like a sore thumb. He's big, slow, stiff and showed poor tackling skills. Frankly, I'm shocked that people were talking about him so highly. He looks like a complete dud to me.

The other three, Beal, Quinn and Kerrigan all looked athletic and effective as pass rushers. Only Beal showed the variety of tools that BB asks an OLB to have, playing in a 3-pt stance, dropping into coverage, taking on a lineman and shedding the blocker to make a tackle. I was really impressed.

Quinn and Kerrigan are unquestionably athletic, and have great pass rushing skills. But it's a projection to see them play OLB. I thought Quinn has a bit of the bubble butt that I associate with lower body strength and down lineman. I thought he didn't look as good laterally as he does running downhill. The Kerrigan tape had him as an outside pass rusher with good agility.

I then looked back at the Cunningham tape, from when he played DE at Florida, to see what BB must have been looking at when he decided to draft him. On film, Cunningham played mostly from a down position, like Quinn and Kerrigan.

In any case, Beal is already my 2010 defensive binky. He's not a pure speedster like Quinn, but he'll run circles and do backflips around Ayers. Most important, he'll fulfill his responsibilities, read the motion of the offense and be in position to make the play. I'm hoping to take him at #32 to fit into our OLB rotation... which after the Miami game is starting to look pretty legitimate, headlined by Ninkovich's monster game and Cunningham's steady improvement.

 

[BillBelichickFan79]

Really hard to imagine a Miami player being slow.

I've watched plenty of Miami games. Hes the only white starter on D. The only reason he is starting is because hes a senior and they legitimately have no one else. Very thin at LB. Hes not fast enough or talented enough. Frustrating to watch him play.

Olivier Vernon is the real deal, my favorite player . I like Bailey as well as DE for us.

 

[everlong]

I spent an afternoon watching film on Beal, Quinn, Ayers and Kerrigan, and of these Ayers stood out like a sore thumb. He's big, slow, stiff and showed poor tackling skills. Frankly, I'm shocked that people were talking about him so highly. He looks like a complete dud to me.

I have to agree and he's not going in the first round like people are projecting. I wouldn't be surprised to see him on the board in the 5th. I was excited because the measurable and the fact that he stands up and drops in coverage but left very unimpressed. I'd also note that he doesn't seem to like contact and isn't physical.

With regards to the Cunningham pick I think the fact that cannot be overlooked, for that matter with any of our three Florida rookies, is that BB watched them practice and watched how they interacted with their teammates. I'm not sure if he has any such relationship at Purdue, Oklahoma or NC but I still find it hard to believe we'll take a OLB in the first unless the guy has Demarcus Ware skills and size and he has the inside story.

 

[JackBauer]

I've watched plenty of Miami games. Hes the only white starter on D. The only reason he is starting is because hes a senior and they legitimately have no one else. Very thin at LB. Hes not fast enough or talented enough. Frustrating to watch him play.

Olivier Vernon is the real deal, my favorite player . I like Bailey as well as DE for us.

I'm a Hurricane alum myself and I'll second your point. McCarthy sucks and I don't expect to see him playing in the NFL.

I like Spence but he's too small. Could be good for someone like the Colts.

 

[dliverey]

I am a big Beal fan as a OLB for us, but I would like to see him use his hands better to keep the OT away from his body.

He has a good motor also and does not give up on plays. I want him and Dareus in the 1st.

 

[ctpatsfan77]

I'm not sure if he has any such relationship at Purdue, Oklahoma or NC but I still find it hard to believe we'll take a OLB in the first unless the guy has Demarcus Ware skills and size and he has the inside story.

BB's "network" is sometimes overrated; for example, the Patriots have, AFAIK, never drafted one of Kirk Ferentz's players from Iowa.

That said, he uses his network to talk about players they've played against; for example, I believe he talked to Urban Meyer about Jerod Mayo.