DE/OLB (elephant) Victor Abiamiri

[TheBaronPatriot]

(getting everything below from my fav. draft site nfldraftcountdown.com)

Size. 6-4 1/4 267. (willie was 6"5 270)

In terms of Abiamiri I think he's a player the Pats would/should consider.
Here is why:
1.He's known to be a great athlete. Passes the eyeball test.
2. Long arms. Allows to gain seperation from blockers when setting the edge.
3. Packs a good initial punch which to me translates to being the first step in controlling the Tackle in holding the edge. You punch to neutralize, get position, and maintain outside leverage.
4. Fluid enough to drop into coverage.
5. Good pass rusher.
6. Good tackler. Makes plays in pursuit.
8. 7. Smart and hard worker with intangibles.
9. Production against top competition.
10. Room to improve and get better. Get bigger. Still improving.

Weaknesses:
1. Raw and needs to refine technique: can our coaching staff coach technique? I think they can.
2. Timed speed isn't special (4.8 40), yet athletic enough to drop into coverage and make plays in pursuit.
3. Needs to play more consistently: I think coaching and leadership can achieve this
4. Struggles to shed blockers: has long arms and packs good initial punch. He's got the ingredients to shed blockers. The rest is technique.
5. Minor durability concerns: I can live with this. So he missed some college games, that's ok with me.

I would take a shot at him @ 28 or trade down and grab him in the early 2nd.

 

[Box_O_Rocks]

News item provided by NFLDraftScout.com

01/23/07 - Senior Bowl North Team Tuesday Practice Report: Like Okoye, Notre Dame's Victor Abiamiri may have entered the Senior Bowl a bit overrated. Whether because of the attention due to playing for Notre Dame or because he might be the most impressive looking prospect in Mobile getting off the bus, Abiamiri has his share of followers. He flashes rare speed off the edge, quite a statement considering he is nearly 6-5 and weighed in at 270 pounds. That said, too often Abiamiri is stifled at the point of attack and unlike some of the more successful pass rushers here, Abiamiri struggles to make the play when he has been initially locked up. His frame and raw athleticism scream upside, but one would expect that a veteran of 49 games would have more in his pass rush arsenal.

Nothing I saw from him at the Senior Bowl suggested OLB. He made my Jarvis Green-sized 3-4 DE board as someone who could be bulked up to play behind Sey and Ty.

 

[TheBaronPatriot]

News item provided by NFLDraftScout.com
Nothing I saw from him at the Senior Bowl suggested OLB. He made my Jarvis Green-sized 3-4 DE board as someone who could be bulked up to play behind Sey and Ty.

Did he drop into coverage at all?
Was he not fluid? Did he look lost?
Did they let him play OLB at all and drop into a zone?
I'm interested to know why you think he does not translate to a 3-4 elephant.

Regarding the scouting report, I think he can be taught secondary moves to use once his athleticism puts him in position. My point is that he's got the tools to be a 3-4 elephant.
With that said though if you saw him drop back into coverage and look lost and stiff that's a different story.

 

[Box_O_Rocks]

Did he drop into coverage at all?
Was he not fluid? Did he look lost?
Did they let him play OLB at all and drop into a zone?
I'm interested to know why you think he does not translate to a 3-4 elephant.

Regarding the scouting report, I think he can be taught secondary moves to use once his athleticism puts him in position. My point is that he's got the tools to be a 3-4 elephant.
With that said though if you saw him drop back into coverage and look lost and stiff that's a different story.

He did not drop into coverage, he looked stiff during DL drills and in the scrimmages where he was playing the DE position he's played for 4 years. Unfortunately NFL Network's coverage of the Combine was one of the poorest efforts of sports related coverage I've been cursed to suffer through. That means DE ends doing LB drills did not get much coverage. Anthony Spencer who looked much more athletic during Senior Bowl week than Abiamiri looked stiff and uncomfortable in LB drills. DE Jay Moore played opposite Abiamiri in the Senior Bowl, he looked more athletic in the game too.

If you've seen Abiamiri drop into coverage and play standing up more power to you. I can only compare him to players involved in the same drills, scrimmages, and game at the Senior Bowl where he did not flash the athleticism I expect to see from a 3-4 OLB. I'd much rather draft Jay Moore in the 3rd or 4th rounds, he was fluid in LB drills and showed much more athleticism during Senior Bowl week.

 

[dryheat44]

News item provided by NFLDraftScout.com
Nothing I saw from him at the Senior Bowl suggested OLB. He made my Jarvis Green-sized 3-4 DE board as someone who could be bulked up to play behind Sey and Ty.

Interesting you say that. I've been going back and forth whether he's better suited for OLB or ILB duty. At 6'5" 271 he's certainly got the size and the long arms to take on blockers.

 

[Ochmed Jones]

I have a hard time projecting him as an OLB. He reminds me od a poor man's Spencer, another guy I just can't seem to project as an OLB in a 3-4.

 

[TheBaronPatriot]

We need a review of somebody who's seen him play in space.
Scott Wright (nfldraftcountdown.com) whom I trust very much as a scout has said that he can drop back in coverage and if a fluid athlete.

Yet BOR said that he looked stiff doing so.

Video footage of him playing in open space is what we need...
I'm guessing the Pats' scouts know the answer to this.

 

[patchick]

Scott Wright (nfldraftcountdown.com) whom I trust very much as a scout has said that he can drop back in coverage and if a fluid athlete.

Yet BOR said that he looked stiff doing so.

Splitting the difference we have Northwest Scouting, which generally does a great job projecting linemen to future NFL roles. They say: "Has the ability to drop into coverage…. although an Outside Linebacker… he is not."

 

[TheBaronPatriot]

He'll never be confused with Derrick brooks that's for sure.
But our 3-4 OLBs, especially the elephant which is where he projects to in my mind just needs to drop into the flats and cover space and make open field tackles.

And I can recall Willie sometimes covering slower RBs (ie NOT LT type backs with speed and quickness) out of the backfield. He didn't look very good doing it, but was always there to make the tackle.

 

[dryheat44]

He'll never be confused with Derrick brooks that's for sure.
But our 3-4 OLBs, especially the elephant which is where he projects to in my mind just needs to drop into the flats and cover space and make open field tackles.

And I can recall Willie sometimes covering slower RBs (ie NOT LT type backs with speed and quickness) out of the backfield. He didn't look very good doing it, but was always there to make the tackle.

To be fair, his coverage was highly dependent on techinques which are no longer legal.

 

[VJCPatriot]

He has the physical attributes to be a conversion project to OLB, but I doubt you'd count on him as a coverage linebacker. If someone has inside dirt/film, feel free to contradict.

 

[TheBaronPatriot]

I see him as the perfect elephant OLB for the pats.
He can contribute on running downs and in a pass rushing role right away.