Patriots type 3-4 OLB

[Ochmed Jones]

Kerrigan Purdeue 6'4" 260 (1st round grade)
Houston UGA 6'3" 260 (1st round grade)
Smith Mizzu 6'4" 260 (1st round grade)
Ayers UCLA 6'4" 255 (2nd round grade)
Beal Oklahoma 6'4" 265 (2nd round grade)
Sheard Pittsburgh 6'3" 260 (2nd round grade)
Acho Texas 6'3" 260 (3rd round grade)
Wright Miss State 6'3" 250 (3rd round grade)
Keiser Stanford 6'5" 244 (3rd round grade) [2nd round if he gets his weight up to 250 plus]
Allen Nebraska 6'4" 265 (4th round grade)
Romeus Putsburgh 6'5" 270 (4th round grade)
Mathews SC 6'4" 265 (5th round grade)
Elmore Arizona 6'5" 250 (5th round grade)
White Florida State 6'4" 260 (6th round grade)
Chinasa Oklahome State 6'5" 255 (6th round grade)
Winterswyck 6'4" 260 (6th round grade)
Bair Oregon 6'5" 270 (7th round grade)
Jones TExas 6'3" 260 (7th round grade)
Marshall South Florida 6'4" 265 (UDFA)
Lockett Ole Miss 6'5" 260 (UDFA)
Parr Virginia 6'6" 270 (UDFA)
Reed Arizona 6'4" 260 (UDFA)
Albright BC 6'5" 250 (UDFA)

 

[LuthierJr]

I think Beal will be there at #74 and would be a good value and pick.

He is not a flashy player, but he is smart, a hard worker, good character, always around the ball, a good tackler, good size, his measurables (ie speed) will see him drop some, but he plays faster than his time will show. In that respect he reminds me of Curtis Lofton albeit different positions and such.

Also in the Big 12 (being an OU fan I see most of these games) Acho is a bit more explosive, but plays a bit smaller than Beal.

 

[ATippett56]

I think Beal will be there at #74 and would be a good value and pick.

I think you underestimate his value in the 2011 NFL Draft.

NFL Draft Scout----Powered By: The Sports Xchange

Overall Rating: #49

 

[MaineMan]

At the Shrine weigh-in,

Bair measured 6062/273 - 33" arms
Elmore - 6043/255 - 30.8"
Winterswyck - 6037/268 - 32.5"

Bunting at NFP thinks Bair has the frame to add 20 lbs.

The most common remarks for all three of these guys have been -
1) not necessarily elite athleticism
2) non-stop motor

 

[Sciz]

I think there are quite a few good options. I really like Aldon Smith, but think he might go before #17. Kerrigan is another option at 17, and could fall to 28/33 territory after the combine. Beal seems like another 28/33 option.

For late round guys, I like Keiser, but he's too small right now. Looks like he has the frame to add weight, though. Cliff Matthews is a guy who needs tons of work on his technique, but seems like a good fit in the other areas.

Not a fan of Ayers, Acho, or Houston.

Bair is a DE prospect. Pretty low potential, though, since he's 26.

 

[MaineMan]

I think there are quite a few good options. I really like Aldon Smith, but think he might go before #17. Kerrigan is another option at 17, and could fall to 28/33 territory after the combine. Beal seems like another 28/33 option.

For late round guys, I like Keiser, but he's too small right now. Looks like he has the frame to add weight, though. Cliff Matthews is a guy who needs tons of work on his technique, but seems like a good fit in the other areas.

Not a fan of Ayers, Acho, or Houston.

Bair is a DE prospect. Pretty low potential, though, since he's 26.

Bair could be a good pickup for us in the 6th or 7th as an interior sub-rusher/reserve DE/Mike Wright replacement (if necessary). He got some very good reviews at Shrine Game practices, though maybe not enough to bump him up into the 5th.

 

[LuthierJr]

I think you underestimate his value in the 2011 NFL Draft.

NFL Draft Scout----Powered By: The Sports Xchange

Overall Rating: #49

Like I mentioned I think he is going to fall. He is going to run slow, and he will measure low in most areas I think. Most project him in the mid 2nd. I think he will fall to the late 2nd early 3rd. I hope he does as it would be a good value.

Then again I could be totally and utterly wrong! (as my wife often tells me I am)

 

[Sciz]

If he runs the 4.7 that's projected and tests out well in the agility/explosiveness drills, then I see no reason he wouldn't be a great fit.

 

[ayjackson]

What`s the knock on Ayers?

 

[Sciz]

What`s the knock on Ayers?

Can't shed blocks, isn't an upgrade when it comes to rushing the passer, and seems kinda soft. I don't have the link right now, but there's a video of the USC game this season, and Ayers was absolutely horrendous.

 

[BradyToAmendola]

Greg Romeus could be a steal. He missed all of this past season because of a knee injury but if he played he could have been a 1st rounder.

 

[JerseyDevil26]

Agree on Beal. Unless he has a bad combine there is no way he doesn't get picked in the first 2 rounds. He won't make it to round 3.

 

[WesWelker83]

Kerrigan Purdeue 6'4" 260 (1st round grade)
Houston UGA 6'3" 260 (1st round grade)
Smith Mizzu 6'4" 260 (1st round grade)
Ayers UCLA 6'4" 255 (2nd round grade)
Beal Oklahoma 6'4" 265 (2nd round grade)
Sheard Pittsburgh 6'3" 260 (2nd round grade)
Acho Texas 6'3" 260 (3rd round grade)
Wright Miss State 6'3" 250 (3rd round grade)
Keiser Stanford 6'5" 244 (3rd round grade) [2nd round if he gets his weight up to 250 plus]
Allen Nebraska 6'4" 265 (4th round grade)
Romeus Putsburgh 6'5" 270 (4th round grade)
Mathews SC 6'4" 265 (5th round grade)
Elmore Arizona 6'5" 250 (5th round grade)
White Florida State 6'4" 260 (6th round grade)
Chinasa Oklahome State 6'5" 255 (6th round grade)
Winterswyck 6'4" 260 (6th round grade)
Bair Oregon 6'5" 270 (7th round grade)
Jones TExas 6'3" 260 (7th round grade)
Marshall South Florida 6'4" 265 (UDFA)
Lockett Ole Miss 6'5" 260 (UDFA)
Parr Virginia 6'6" 270 (UDFA)
Reed Arizona 6'4" 260 (UDFA)
Albright BC 6'5" 250 (UDFA)

Kerrigan - cant drop into coverage, doesnt have speed or athleticism for the outside, 4-3 DE.
Smith - Seems too young and raw for BB.
Ayers - soft, doesnt improve pass rush, 4-3 OLB.
Beal - terrible run defender and gets engulfed at POA.
Sheard - too tight in the hips to drop into coverage, too short, englufed at times by OT, 4-3 DE.
Acho - cant play in space, 4-3 DE, cant hold 2 gaps.
Romeus - 4-3 DE, too tight in the hips, struggles in open space,
Matthews - engulfed by bigger OT, not athletic enough to play in space, tight in hips, 4-3 DE.
Lockett - terrible at setting the edge and gets engulfed by bigger OT, 4-3 DE


I really don't see a lot of fits here for New England. I think Pierre Allen on Nebraska could eventually be molded into a good OLB in our scheme. Hes not a great pass rusher right now but he does everything else well and I think he has the physical ability to develop into a good rusher.

Does anyone like any of these other 3-4 OLBs and do you guys think these guys can fit into BB's scheme?

 

[NePatriots]

Don't forget about Dain Taylor (6-3/251) out of Drake. The Patriots have been to scout him at least once that I can confirm.

 

[Sciz]

Don't forget about Dain Taylor (6-3/251) out of Drake. The Patriots have been to scout him at least once that I can confirm.

Random fact: The coach of Drake for Taylor's freshman year (2006) was none other than Rob Ash, who is now coaching at Montana State (think of Dane Fletcher). All the Pats need is more undrafted Dane/Dains that Rob Ash coached

(Obligatory "Rob Ash played for and then coached at Cornell College. Go Rams!" comment)

 

[BillBelichickFan79]

Trade up for Quinn

 

[Peachhead]

I'm in the Justin Houston (Georgia) camp. I figure, in the late 1st, why draft a undersized college 4-3 DE and convert him to 3-4 OLB and hope he does well, when we can draft a guy (Houston) who's already made that exact conversion and excelled (2nd in sacks in the SEC behind Fairley). Less of a learning curve and less of a projection.

IMO, we could also use some depth at the position. On day three we can probably pick up one or two of the tweener DE types (Reed is my favorite here) and if they makes the transition well and fast, fantastic! BB loves to rotate fresh players in. If they take a year or two to transition successfully, that's OK too. If they can't make a successful transition, that sucks but it's not a huge deal.

 

[Ochmed Jones]

I'm in the Justin Houston (Georgia) camp. I figure, in the late 1st, why draft a undersized college 4-3 DE and convert him to 3-4 OLB and hope he does well, when we can draft a guy (Houston) who's already made that exact conversion and excelled (2nd in sacks in the SEC behind Fairley). Less of a learning curve and less of a projection.

IMO, we could also use some depth at the position. On day three we can probably pick up one or two of the tweener DE types (Reed is my favorite here) and if they makes the transition well and fast, fantastic! BB loves to rotate fresh players in. If they take a year or two to transition successfully, that's OK too. If they can't make a successful transition, that sucks but it's not a huge deal.

The Georgia 3-4 and BB's 3-4 are not even remotely close. A lot of plays Houston put his hand in the dirt, BB never allows his OLB's to do that.

But Houston is sudden as a pass rusher and that gets my attention.

If Houston was more stout against the run, he would be my #1 OLB, but he can't hold the edge, so Kerrigan remains my #1 OLB.

 

[Ochmed Jones]

What`s the knock on Ayers?

Ayers is probably the most athletic OLB/DE player in this draft. And he probably has the most upside of any OLB/DE player in this draft.

As a pass rusher he has one move, speed up the field, if that is taken away, he is toast.

In coverage he projects as the best OLB in this draft.

Against the run he lacks size and can't set a hard edge to save his life.

 

[Ochmed Jones]

Greg Romeus could be a steal. He missed all of this past season because of a knee injury but if he played he could have been a 1st rounder.

Yes he could be a steal or he could be a bust. The doctors will determine where he goes in this draft.

I personally would take him, but not before the fifth round.