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I lot of analysis have been talking about our needs at ILB, CB, S, and OT, but I feel the single most important need for our team is an OLB that can 1.) excel as a pass rusher and 2.) anchor against the run and 3.) drop into coverage when necessary.
The best player to play this position in the BB era has been Willie MCGinest, early in the BB era.
Ideally BB would prefer an intelligent, taller player in excess of 260 lbs. that can not only run fast, but is also "sudden".
Neither of our current 3 OLB's possess all these traits and hopefully Thomas will be moving back inside next season, leaving a perfect sceanario for a "sudden" speed rusher to come in on third and long and beat OT's around the corner. In this scenario needs #2 and #3 become much less important and #1 becomes much more important.
So who is abailable in the draft.
1.) C Long - He is intelligent, has the height and maybe a tad too much weight. HE has decent speed but is not "sudden" and has no experience at OLB. Maybe it is best if we let Miami take him and keep him at DE.
2.) Gholston - He has ideal height and weight, not sure about the intelligence, but has above average speed and is "sudden". He has experience both with the hand down and with the hand off the ground. He has experience dropping into coverage and while not great at it, he is not horrible in coverage.
3.) Campbell of Miami - He is extrmely tall so his 280 plus pounds do not look excessive. I am not sure he can count to five or that he can spell his own name, and while he may not have great timed speed, he is "suuden" with an outstanding first step. HE has played almost exclusively with his hand on the ground and I am not sure he would ever work in coverage.
4.) Harvey of Florida - He has the required height but could use a few pounds if he has to anchor on running plays. HE may not be the brightest bulb in the draft, but I am betting he is smarter than Campbell. He has decent speed and has a good first step. I have not seen him play with his hand off the ground much.
5.) Merling of Clemson - He has ideal hegiht and wieght with decent speed. And although I seen several Clemson games this past year, I can honestly say I can't remember anything he did on the field. Evaluation incomplete!
6.) Groves of Auburn - He has ideal height and could use a few pounds. Marginally more intelligent than Campbell. Superior speed and is extremely "sudden" with an outstanding first step. Great at chasing from the backside. Some experience with the hand off the ground as well.
In summary, assuming Long is off the board, Gholston makes sense at #7, however if Gholston is off the board, we might be betrter served to trade down a few spots and secure Groves.
The best player to play this position in the BB era has been Willie MCGinest, early in the BB era.
Ideally BB would prefer an intelligent, taller player in excess of 260 lbs. that can not only run fast, but is also "sudden".
Neither of our current 3 OLB's possess all these traits and hopefully Thomas will be moving back inside next season, leaving a perfect sceanario for a "sudden" speed rusher to come in on third and long and beat OT's around the corner. In this scenario needs #2 and #3 become much less important and #1 becomes much more important.
So who is abailable in the draft.
1.) C Long - He is intelligent, has the height and maybe a tad too much weight. HE has decent speed but is not "sudden" and has no experience at OLB. Maybe it is best if we let Miami take him and keep him at DE.
2.) Gholston - He has ideal height and weight, not sure about the intelligence, but has above average speed and is "sudden". He has experience both with the hand down and with the hand off the ground. He has experience dropping into coverage and while not great at it, he is not horrible in coverage.
3.) Campbell of Miami - He is extrmely tall so his 280 plus pounds do not look excessive. I am not sure he can count to five or that he can spell his own name, and while he may not have great timed speed, he is "suuden" with an outstanding first step. HE has played almost exclusively with his hand on the ground and I am not sure he would ever work in coverage.
4.) Harvey of Florida - He has the required height but could use a few pounds if he has to anchor on running plays. HE may not be the brightest bulb in the draft, but I am betting he is smarter than Campbell. He has decent speed and has a good first step. I have not seen him play with his hand off the ground much.
5.) Merling of Clemson - He has ideal hegiht and wieght with decent speed. And although I seen several Clemson games this past year, I can honestly say I can't remember anything he did on the field. Evaluation incomplete!
6.) Groves of Auburn - He has ideal height and could use a few pounds. Marginally more intelligent than Campbell. Superior speed and is extremely "sudden" with an outstanding first step. Great at chasing from the backside. Some experience with the hand off the ground as well.
In summary, assuming Long is off the board, Gholston makes sense at #7, however if Gholston is off the board, we might be betrter served to trade down a few spots and secure Groves.