The LB Thread

[Snooky97]

I feel I have a fairly good idea on the LB group after last year so will look into it again this year.



Ranking system

A+ - HOF Talent

A. All Pro

B+ Pro ball

B. Very Solid starter. Possible Pro Bowler

C+ Starter in the right scheme and situation

C. Rotational

D - Development needed, but very good in one specific Area

 

[captain stone]

I prefer right now to add a Lavonte David/Telvin Smith-type horizontal OLB to our position group instead of another Jamie Collins/Hightower-type vertical OLB.

 

[WaterfallJumper]

I prefer right now to add a Lavonte David/Telvin Smith-type horizontal OLB to our position group instead of another Jamie Collins/Hightower-type vertical OLB.

Ideally, we we want someone who can do it all. They're just fairly rare. Devin White might be one of those players, but he's probably going in the first before we pick. I like Mack Wilson a lot as another guy with good coverage ability (4 picks last year, 1 already this year), and he has that Alabama pedigree.

Otherwise, I'm still getting my bearings on this season. I'll do a more thorough review after all the tape is out by the end of the year.

 

[Snooky97]

I prefer right now to add a Lavonte David/Telvin Smith-type horizontal OLB to our position group instead of another Jamie Collins/Hightower-type vertical OLB.

People forget that Collins was an unreal athlete and could really do it. He was an athletic freak. He just wouldn’t listen and follow the schemes

 

[captain stone]

Ideally, we we want someone who can do it all. They're just fairly rare. Devin White might be one of those players, but he's probably going in the first before we pick. I like Mack Wilson a lot as another guy with good coverage ability (4 picks last year, 1 already this year), and he has that Alabama pedigree.

Otherwise, I'm still getting my bearings on this season. I'll do a more thorough review after all the tape is out by the end of the year.

Great. I always look forward to those write-ups.

 

[WaterfallJumper]

Great. I always look forward to those write-ups.

Appreciate it! In the meantime, make sure to read @BaconGrundleCandy 's draft thread. He's way more prolific than I am with his breakdowns.

 

[captain stone]

People forget that Collins was an unreal athlete and could really do it. He was an athletic freak. He just wouldn’t listen and follow the schemes

He was indeed an excellent athlete; he appeared to me, moreover, a better athletic player than he was an instinctive player. His first college games played were at Safety, if memory serves, so he either out-grew the position or it was suggested to him that he gain weight so that he could begin the switch to LB, for some reason I suppose. So his earliest experience did include coverage responsibilities, but his later & final experiences involved more up-field responsibilities like pass-rushing, gap-busting & run-blitzing. It seemed obvious to me that he was/is more comfortable in the latter roles than he ever was in the former ones. Kinda reminds me of Willie Mac, though Willie was a little bigger but also a little less twitchy.

As far as not listening and not following the schemes are concerned, I obviously and for more than one reason do not approve of open disobedience to your chain of command. However, did the situation really have to become so dire that he was traded, during a playoff run, for essentially the same compensation they would've received had they merely chose not to re-sign him and accept the compensatory pick, likely between #97-100, one year later than they received Cleveland's last pick of the 3rd round? I don't know why Bill sometimes tries to fit square DE pegs such as Collins & Chris Long into round, read-and-react LB holes. Doesn't seem to me to be the most efficient way to manage all of the assets at one's disposal.

 

[BaconGrundleCandy]

Here's a few off the ball guys ...

Mack Wilson
Devin White
Bobby Okereke
TJ Edwards
Troy Dye
Ty Summers
Dre Greenlaw
Khalil Hodge
Drue Tranquill
Tevon Coney
Tre Watson (interviewed him)
Devin Bush
Joe Giles Harris
Jordan Jones
Cam Smith
Terrill Hanks
Ben Burr Kirvin
Brandon Harris
Natrez Patrick

 

[Ochmed Jones]

Jennings of Alabama has to be on our draft board. He makes plays and seems to be Able to get after qb’s, while showing a little pass coverage skills.

 

[everlong]

To have that Ryan Mallet pick back and to have taken KJ Wright......

 

[captain stone]

To have that Ryan Mallet pick back and to have taken KJ Wright......

I didn't mind the Mallet pick; we needed a developmental QB, and he was one of the best players available regardless of position.
The ones that really bug me are not taking Telvin Smith with Any of our Three 4th-round picks in 2014...and not taking Genard Avery at 143 this year.

 

[everlong]

I didn't mind the Mallet pick; we needed a developmental QB, and he was one of the best players available regardless of position.
The ones that really bug me are not taking Telvin Smith with Any of our Three 4th-round picks in 2014...and not taking Genard Avery at 143 this year.

I looked at Mallet in depth and thought he was a less talented Drew Bledsoe. It pretty much bore out that way. I've been wrong about plenty of picks but not that one.

 

[WaterfallJumper]

Nice trip down memory lane . . . but what does that have to do with 2019 draft eligible LB prospects?

The problems I have with looking at college linebackers is that it's so tough to find a diverse skill set. Chase Hancock currently leads LB in passes defended, but he's a 6'1 #230 run and chase guy who would get eaten alive in our schemes. We all want that guy who can cover, but they either go in the 1st (Foster, Reddick, etc), or they are role players with some questions regarding their transition to the pros (like Telvin Smith) and every team passes on them multiple times.

Even the best cover LB are significantly inferior to safeties, though. Too many safeties on the field is just an invitation to get run over, so it becomes a trade off again.

I like Tre Lamar at LB, but he's more in the Bentley mold. It's tough to find a Deion Jones type -- and look what happens to him over the course of a game if teams keep running at him. He's a great player, but he can't hold up under a constant grind, and the defense ends up getting gashed. Great subpackage player, though.

I'll have more actual player analysis after the season, when I can do deep-dive reviews over multiple games and cut .gifs for review.

 

[everlong]

Nice trip down memory lane . . . but what does that have to do with 2019 draft eligible LB prospects?

Sorry for stealing the thread.

I agree with why it's hard to project for the Pats. I don't think Bill would consider Hancock much like he wouldn't a Bobby Wagner at the time. He's looking for a Jaime Collins or KJ Wright type where they have both the length, size, speed, football smarts, leadership and love of football. Those guys come once every few drafts and usually they're gone in the top ten. Collins and Wright were exceptions because they came from schools off the radar.

I think that's the secret to getting one of these guys in the middle rounds. You have to start scouting guys from nontraditional powers. Hancock fits that component but I don't his size works and besides that I think you're correct in saying rather than draft a small LB you draft a large safety like Derwin James or Cam Chancellor instead.

I haven't had a lot of time to look at the draft thus far so I don't have a lot to offer in names. When January rolls around and I start to look at the draft I'll pay attention to this type of evaluation but from a theoretical standpoint I think you and I agree.

 

[Snooky97]

Otaro Alaka - Texas A&M - ILB/MLB -
Ole Miss Tape

Coverage -

Looks comfortable in Zone coverage.

Can sometimes drift a bit and leave holes where he should be more disciplined.

Looks comfortable in Man to man as well. Nothing seems to fase him.

Run Defence - Can get off his blockers with ease at times and rarely misses a tackle. Has very good sideline speed to go with it.

Blitz - they don’t blitz him often, he’s definitely more of your coverage LB, but if they do decide to blitz him, he will cause a majority of RBs to struggle to pick him up, due to his pure power and speed.

Awareness - Seems to read the game really well, rarely gets out thinked and would rather make a tackle than a massive hit. He can do the latter as well. Smart, instinctive player.

Overall - C/B

Great player, who is going unnoticed at the moment. There will be noise about him when the draft gets closer.

If he excels his combine I can maybe see him sneaking into the late 1st area. Worse case scenario he’s a third round pick.

 

[patsfaninpa]

I prefer right now to add a Lavonte David/Telvin Smith-type horizontal OLB to our position group instead of another Jamie Collins/Hightower-type vertical OLB.

He's a safety. I'm wondering about the Abrams kid from Miss St. If you're in nickel or dime.
3 DL Guy, Flowers and FA (McCoy?)
3 LB Hightower can move to edge Van Noy and Abrams.
5 DB's Your normal nickel package. Which is your starting D really.

 

[WaterfallJumper]

He's a safety. I'm wondering about the Abrams kid from Miss St. If you're in nickel or dime.
3 DL Guy, Flowers and FA (McCoy?)
3 LB Hightower can move to edge Van Noy and Abrams.
5 DB's Your normal nickel package. Which is your starting D really.

Abrams is a really violent player. I heard he may not participate in the Senior Bowl due to injury, which is a bit disappointing, because I was hoping to see how he'd do with a more structured environment. I could see him as a Chung replacement down the road.

@Snooky97 Did you watch Dodson, too, or just Alaka? I'm a fan of both A&M LBs.

 

[Snooky97]

Abrams is a really violent player. I heard he may not participate in the Senior Bowl due to injury, which is a bit disappointing, because I was hoping to see how he'd do with a more structured environment. I could see him as a Chung replacement down the road.

@Snooky97 Did you watch Dodson, too, or just Alaka? I'm a fan of both A&M LBs.

Only watched Alaka at the moment. I do have a list of guys that I will watch this week and get reviews up. So if there’s anyone you want me to review then let me know

 

[Snooky97]

@reamer Dodson worries me in the run game from the first footage i've seen. Too often he runs straight into Lineman and they go through the gap where he was, but i will say his coverage is very good. Seems fluid, and has very good hands too. I will need to watch more tape of him though in the run game

 

[Snooky97]

Germaine Pratt - OLB/ILB - North Carolina State 6-3 240

Reminds me of Jamie Collins...

Coverage - Use to play safety so is very comfortable in zone coverage and moves around fairly easy given his size.

Can put him on TE's or RBs as well in a man to man scheme if you wanted to. He's more dominate against the TE's though. Matches up very well.

Run Defence - Very rarely misses a tackle, doesn't overshoot when trying to make a play. Sets the Edge well too.

Blitz - If and when he blitzes he makes a sure fire difference. He's got a great power rush, where he will just bull rush, and over power the tackle or the Back.

Awareness - Smart guy, passes guys off in zone coverage so well and gets others to make sure they got them, or know they are in their area.

I have him down as a 2nd - 4th rounder, depending how he tests. He may run the 40 between 4.5 - 4.7 so if he gets closer to the 4.5 mark, i can see him going higher than others. He can easily be a 3 down LB