Two 2nd Rnd Nuggets From Tony Pauline: Cal LB Mychal Kendricks Vandy CB Casey Hayward

[manxman2601]

Draft Insider News & Notes: Week of 4-16

Mychal Kendricks/LB/Cal could squeeze into the late part of round two. The Baltimore Ravens, New England Patriots and Chicago Bears all highly rate the explosive defenders abilities.

Would make me happy - one of my binkies

Casey Hayward/CB/Vanderbilt will be off the board much earlier in the round. The New England Patriots, Dallas Cowboys and Tennessee Titans are all looking hard at the cornerback.

Was in my first mock of this draft season so another pick I'd be happy with.


So how would you feel if these were your two second round picks? Personally, although I like both, I could see us doing better in the second round.

 

[Blackluck]

It is becoming increasingly clear we are going to draft some sort of fast, athletic linebacker in the 2nd or 3rd, either as a cover LB and/or speed rush player. It may not necessarily be Kendricks but any of them will do - and personally I'd be pleased.

As for Hayward ... all I can say is :enranged:
We have drafted 14 (!) CBs during the BB era. I don't know where the Pat's are going wrong with their evaulation process, but apparently something is off or we wouldn't continue to draft so many. Please not another slow zone/nickle CB in the 2nd.

 

[dryheat44]

Draft Insider News & Notes: Week of 4-16



So how would you feel if these were your two second round picks? Personally, although I like both, I could see us doing better in the second round.

I guess it would depend on how we did in the first and who else was available in the second. If we came out of the first with Barron and Reyes, I think that's a really solid-looking first four picks.

 

[ATippett56]

Mychal Kendricks is not a fit for the 3-4 outside linebacker position. Bill Belichick is ideally looking for the 6'-4", 260 lbs, 4.60 sec forty yard prospect with long arms. Kendricks would be a better fit at outside linebacker in the 4-3 Tampa Two defensive alignment.

WalterFootball.com: 2012 NFL Draft: 3-4 Rush Linebacker Rankings

Mychal Kendricks, OLB/ILB, California
Height: 5-11. Weight: 239.
40 Time: 4.41.
Bench: 24.
Vertical: 39.5. Broad: 10-7.
Arm: 31 5/8.
Projected Round (2012): 2-3

Casey Hayward seems just a notch below Jamell Fleming, however Casey Hayward could be a nice consolation prize if Jamell Fleming is off the board.

 

[Blackluck]

I do not think we are necessarily looking for a prototypical 3/4 OLB, rather someone to play in the 4-2-5.

 

[Sciz]

Mychal Kendricks is not a fit for the 3-4 outside linebacker position. Bill Belichick is ideally looking for the 6'-4", 260 lbs, 4.60 sec forty yard prospect with long arms. Kendricks would be a better fit at outside linebacker in the 4-3 Tampa Two defensive alignment.

He'd be an ILB for the Pats. Or more specifically, a subpackage LB. Not a pass rusher.

 

[manxman2601]

He'd be an ILB for the Pats. Or more specifically, a subpackage LB. Not a pass rusher.

Agreed. However he is a really good blitzer. Had 8.5 sacks in 2010 playing outside.

Of the top 4 coverage LB's, I rank them:

1. Lavonte David
2. Mychal Kendricks
3. Bobby Wagner






4. Zach Brown

 

[WaterfallJumper]

If you're upset with Hayward, you haven't seen him play. Really, really instinctive. He's incredibly quick, and understands how plays develop. Diagnoses from the corner position as quickly as anyone I've seen. Major ballhawk.

If he ran .1 seconds faster, I think he'd be a lock for the first round; shave another .05 off that time, and he'd be a top-fifteen prospect. The only knock I have on him is straight-line speed (and perhaps that gambles a little too much, but it pays off so often that I don't mind).

Kendricks beat Solder for a couple sacks a few years ago, if I recall correctly. Just flew right past him on multiple occasions. Considering how well Solder has played in the NFL, and how highly BB rated him in the draft, I can only assume that Kendricks rates very highly as well as a blitzer. He's not a guy you'd play at OLB a lot, but in subpackages and as an occasional blitzer, he could be absolutely devastating--Dumervil with way, way more speed.

 

[BelichickFan]

I do not think we are necessarily looking for a prototypical 3/4 OLB, rather someone to play in the 4-2-5.

If the information we've been getting is correct, Bill seems to want a role playing LB - a coverage LB - whether it's Kendricks, Wagner, or whoever.

I am assuming that when we're in a 4-2-5 Nickel we would have Nink as a DE along with other DL and have Mayo and the new coverage guy as the two LB on the field.

Something like:

Nink-Nananee-Wilfork-DE at DL
Mayo-Kendricks at LB
McCourty-Dowling-Arrrington-Chung-Gregory at DB

(DE on the DL would be a new guy or Carter, I don't think we really have that guy right now).

 

[manxman2601]

If you're upset with Hayward, you haven't seen him play. Really, really instinctive. He's incredibly quick, and understands how plays develop. Diagnoses from the corner position as quickly as anyone I've seen. Major ballhawk.

If he ran .1 seconds faster, I think he'd be a lock for the first round; shave another .05 off that time, and he'd be a top-fifteen prospect. The only knock I have on him is straight-line speed (and perhaps that gambles a little too much, but it pays off so often that I don't mind).

Kendricks beat Solder for a couple sacks a few years ago, if I recall correctly. Just flew right past him on multiple occasions. Considering how well Solder has played in the NFL, and how highly BB rated him in the draft, I can only assume that Kendricks rates very highly as well as a blitzer. He's not a guy you'd play at OLB a lot, but in subpackages and as an occasional blitzer, he could be absolutely devastating--Dumervil with way, way more speed.

Very nice analysis.

It's looking like the Pats have a lot of interest in Ron Brooks. I wonder whether they're considering drafting both him and Heyward and then seeing which one fits best at safety (possibly Heyward) and which one at the slot corner position (Brooks?).

Interesting on Solder v Kendricks. If I remember rightly, Von Miller said Nate Solder was the best LT he played against in college. I think that says a lot about Kendricks ability as a blitzer.

 

[ATippett56]

He'd be an ILB for the Pats. Or more specifically, a subpackage LB. Not a pass rusher.

Personally, I would rather upgrade the base personnel in the front seven of the 3-4 defense and the defensive secondary before investing in a subpackage inside linebacker.

 

[zimmy]

I love Lavonte David. He has been in my mocks for a while. I read somewhere, can't remember where sorry, that the Pats really liked Bobby Wagner.

I agree that we need an upgrade at the sub package linebacker spot along with Mayo. We are in sub around 50% of the time so if Bill thinks there is a great coverage backer out there then it is well worth a 2nd round pick. Plus, both would be demons on special teams. As for Hayward, I'm a fan, the only thing lacking I think are his ball skills.

I would be happy if the first two rounds were:

27 - Brockers/Reyes. Will probably have to trade up for Brockers. Obviously move down if we feel we can get Reyes later.
31 - trade down and pick up one of the second tier OLBs - Irvin, Lewis, McClellin etc or trade it into next year
47 - Lavonte David
62 - Hayward

I think we can pick up a safety conversion later in the draft.

 

[Blackluck]

(DE on the DL would be a new guy or Carter, I don't think we really have that guy right now).

I think that guy is Chandler Jones. Since we play with the lead so often, we're spend as much time or more in nickel as we do base, might be another reason we're hearing about Patriot interest in Jones/Perry.
**
And thanks to reamer for the heads up on Hayward. That's reassuring (I was going on scouting reports.)

 

[Ochmed Jones]

I do not think we are necessarily looking for a prototypical 3/4 OLB, rather someone to play in the 4-2-5.

To play a 4-2-5 successfully in the NFL you MUST have two space eaters on the inside, I am not sure we have that on the staff now.

Mayo and a Kendrick/Wagner would give us two really fast, but decent run defenders.

I big safety/small LBer that can cover TEs/FBs would be perfect in the 4-2-5 and that leads me to Harrison Smith.

 

[rookBoston]

That hybrid LB/S role is something that could really help us on 3rd and long, where we've sucked pretty bad the last few years. I loved the film on Sean Spence in a big S role.

 

[VJCPatriot]

To play a 4-2-5 successfully in the NFL you MUST have two space eaters on the inside, I am not sure we have that on the staff now.

Mayo and a Kendrick/Wagner would give us two really fast, but decent run defenders.

I big safety/small LBer that can cover TEs/FBs would be perfect in the 4-2-5 and that leads me to Harrison Smith.

Devon Still + Janoris Jenkins + Harrison Smith = Revamped defense?