Name: Tim Shaw
College: Penn State Number: 20
Height: 6-1 Weight: 235
Position: OLB Pos2: Pass Rush End
Class/Draft Year: Sr/2007
40 Time: 4.65 40 Low: 4.58 40 High: 4.73
Projected Round: 3-4
Rated number 7 out of 215 OLB's 112/2338 TOTAL
Analysis
Positives: Has a compact, solid frame with good upper body development, broad shoulders, thick chest, good bubble, tapered thighs and thick hamstrings...Shows good straight-line quickness and the arm extension to shed blocks...Has excellent straight-line speed, showing suddenness in his initial move off the ball and gets to top speed quickly effective short area pass defender because of his foot speed to stay with most receivers through their routes...Not the type who will take poor angles in pursuit, showing the closing burst needed to neutralize the cutback lanes...Has lined up at middle linebacker, right outside linebacker and left defensive end and never complained about the moves, putting team success above personal accolades...Attacks the ball with good urgency due to his ability to quickly break down plays in front of him...Very quick coming off the snap, staying low in his pads while generating quick lateral movements to string the plays wide...Has the natural ability to anticipate the flow of the ball...Shows the hand strength to shed blocks quickly, doing a nice job of extending to keep blockers from attacking his body, but needs to do this with more consistency...Stays at a proper pad level to extend, wrap and secure as a tackler and consistently keeps his legs moving on contact, doing a nice job of driving the ball carrier back ...Shows explosive acceleration when closing and has a natural flow in his backpedal...Has good strength to jolt and redirect tight ends in pass routes and plays bigger than his size indicates, demonstrating good physicality in his game...Demonstrates that ease of movement getting to the ball when working in space and the leg drive and strength to get the ball carrier on the ground instantly...Does a good job of coming downhill, using his hands to shed when working near the line of scrimmage, which allows him to fill the rush lane...Plays with good leverage taking on blocks coming off the edge...Has the speed and burst to head off ball carriers along the corners...His acceleration and power lets him get a strong push off the blocker...Needs to stay active with his hands to prevent getting absorbed working inside, but he gives good effort as a blitzer, especially when attacking from the back side, making him a better fit for inside linebacker.
Negatives: Has some stiffness in his hips that affects his lateral and change of direction agility, but is very combative in attempts to slip off blocks and string plays wide...Shaw is played out of position on the defensive line and might be a bit shorter than ideal for the outside linebacker position, but could be a nice fit at middle linebacker, as he compensates with good explosion coming off the ball and above average power behind his hits...Does not have the bulk to prevent from being engulfed by the larger offensive tackles when playing as a down lineman...Not used much in pass coverage and needs to show he has the ability to locate the ball when working in the deeper areas of the zone...Has more than enough functional strength to take on blocks and shed, but must be more alert to low blocks to protect his body from double teams...His change of direction skills might not let him cover large portions of the field, but he runs to the ball well and has the hand usage to slip off passive blocks.
