Combine Talk: Defensive Line

[VJCPatriot]

Orakpo 4.63 4.63. He looks good running the 40.

 

[mayoclinic]

Orakpo looks smooth. Jarron Gilbert looks very good too.

 

[Box_O_Rocks]

B.j. Raji u5.14

 

[mayoclinic]

5.13/5.14 for BJ Raji is pretty decent given how heavy he is right now.

 

[Box_O_Rocks]

Tyson Jackson vertical...28.5"

 

[mayoclinic]

Lawrence Sidbury 4.53 2nd run (4.58 1st) looks like a beast.

 

[mayoclinic]

Lawrence Sidbury, Connor Barwin and Brian Orapko finished as the top 3 DLs in the 40. Jarron Gilbert finished 10th.

 

[Box_O_Rocks]

Gilbert had a 4.87 official 40

 

[Box_O_Rocks]

Mayock is saying Gilbert is not yet a consistent player.

 

[Box_O_Rocks]

Maybin did not look good in the 3-bag drill.

 

[mayoclinic]

Mayock is saying Gilbert is not yet a consistent player.

That's not a surprise, but his athleticism is impressive.

 

[mayoclinic]

Maybin did not look good in the 3-bag drill.

I thought Maybin looked fairly decent in some of the agility drills. Michael Johnson looked very good, buy Mayock isn't backing off an inch on his opinion of him. Paul Kruger looked horrible. BJ Raji looks good for a Mack truck.

 

[Box_O_Rocks]

8'7" B.J. Raji broad jump

 

[VJCPatriot]

Sidbury is looking pretty good in drills. Hmm darkhorse?

 

[mayoclinic]

Sidbury is looking pretty good in drills. Hmm darkhorse?

He looks great moving forward but awkward in space. Great athleticism, but I'm not sure he can play OLB for us.

 

[mayoclinic]

8'7" B.J. Raji broad jump

That's about the same as Maualuga, with an extra 80+ lbs. Not bad.

 

[mayoclinic]

I see Mayock has Robert Ayers as his #1 DE, ahead of Everett Brown. He has Michael Johnson up to #5 despite bashing him for inconsistency. Johnson ran a 4.75 40 and has looked very fluid in drills.

 

[mayoclinic]

I haven't seen any numbers for Robert Ayers at all, and didn't see him work out. Is he not working out, or did I miss something? I also haven't seen much of Everett Brown. Did I miss a DL group?

So far, Connor Barwin, Aaron Maybin, Brian Orapko and Michael Johnson have looked the most impressive of the DE/LBs that I've seen. Maybin and Johnson surprised me with how fluid they were in space in some of the drills, and in reacting to the ball. They all show good power and burst. Sidbury looks great going forward and will probably rise up as a pass rusher, but he looked very awkward going backwards and in space. Not sure he could make it as a 3-4 OLB in our system. Would like to see how Brown/Barwin/Ayers did in the drills.

Jarron Gilbert looks very intriguing as a 3-4 DE. BJ Raji looks too heavy to me, but surprisingly agile given his bulk. I hope he falls a bit and that we get a good pick for Cassel and have a shot at him, or one of the OTs.

 

[VJCPatriot]

Raji's stock has been on the rise. Him running the way he did at his weight is impressive. I don't think he gets out of the top 10 at this point.

 

[Seneschal2]

Sidbury looks great going forward and will probably rise up as a pass rusher, but he looked very awkward going backwards and in space. Not sure he could make it as a 3-4 OLB in our system.

Question: How does Sidbury compare to our current roster crop of developmental DE/OLBs?

Answer: No one but the Pats brass know because we haven't seen enough of them

Logic: Don't write off a Sidbury when he may be a better pass rusher now than our current crop. Maybe the entire group needs work on coverage too. This is why they're developmental.

Food for thought: Belichick will always look for ways to upgrade the roster from the top down and the bottom up. Sidbury (or anyone else), could supplant a bottom of the roster player.