- Position: Inside Linebacker – Off-ball
- College: Utah State Aggies
- Gridiron Guy Position Rank: 13 of 17
Age: 21 | Height: 6’2 | Weight: 230 lbs
NFL Size Comparison: Mark Barron
LB at a Glance: Average Jack-of-all-trades LB who lacks the athleticism you would like
RESUME:
- 100-tackle season in 2018 (134)
- 7th most forced fumbles in MWC history since 2005 (6)
- Best Game: @ Wake Forest (L 35-38)
- 24 tackles (18 solo, 6 assists) | 1 sack | 2 FF
- Worst Game: v. Stony Brook (W 62-7)
- 4 tackles (2 solo, 2 assists)
- Pro Football Focus (PFF) First-Team All-American (2018)
- Associated Press (AP) Third-Team All-American (2018)
- Pro Football Focus (PFF) Mountain West Defensive Player of the Year (2018)
- Second-Team All-Mountain West (2018)
- Academic All-Mountain West (2017, 2018)
Strengths:
__________ Physical __________
Within average NFL size at 6’2 235 lbs
2018 & 2019 were productive years (134 tackles, 93)
Extremely productive in 2019 as he averaged 13 tackles a game
__________ Mental __________
Patience is a virtue, and he is not stupid to jump the gun on defense
Fairly quick at diagnosing plays, though not as fast as the best peers
Seems to be able to identify offenses every now and then, shows level of preparation
Average football IQ
__________ Run Stop __________
Acceptable ability to read fakes, and not bite on PA
Adequate vision to see the field
Physically tough to stick his nose into congestion
Excellent at playing to flow
Shows good instincts to know where the ball is trying to go
__________ Tackling __________
Strong fundamentals to tackling, with a good jab step, wrap up, and drop
Excellent pursuit angles can force a runner to the sideline
Quite aggressive when meeting a runner or even when taking them to the sideline
One of the most reliable tacklers in the college game
Strong grip to hold onto runners when he gets a hand on them
__________ Pass Rush __________
Xxxxx
__________ Coverage ___________
Good awareness to remember where receivers are
Can be a danger to QBs by robbing underneath outside zones
Can put himself in good positioning on the outside as he is asked to rob underneath many times
Weaknesses:
__________ Physical __________
Poor lateral movement and change of direction
Slow play speed makes his playmaking ability lackluster
Poor balance, runs with his shoulders, not his hips
Little examples of strength and power when playing on the field
Below average top speed with a 4.7 forty time
__________ Mental ___________
Fundamentally a reactive player who waits for the offense to attack rather than being aggressive
Lacks the tenacity you would like in a LB
2-Year starter less than ideal compared to others in his draft class
__________ Run Stop ___________
Has trouble tracking the runner in congestion, often losing them only for the RB to bounce
Slow to crash downhill
Disappointing pursuit speed, does not routinely chase down runners from behind
Inconsistent ability to find the hole, sometimes he does sometimes he doesn’t
__________ Tackling __________
Poor tackle range because of a lack of extended arms during a tackle attempt
Poor pop on tackles
__________ Pass Rush __________
Overall poor at shedding blocks
Weak initial impact when meeting the block, usually sees him bounce off rather than the other way around
Slow initial burst off the line, rarely if ever beats OL to advantageous positioning
Does not possess the speed or power needed to consistently break the pocket
Easily moved out of the way, does not maintain positioning when in contact
Little to no hand usage when rushing
__________ Coverage __________
Does not pressure the route as much as he should
Slow on man coverage, routinely lagging behind his assigned man
Lacks the closing speed you would like, though he can crash down into the flats respectably
Bold Predictions:
- Draft Placement: 4th – 7th Round
- Status: Long-Term Project Player
- Ceiling: NFL Sub
- Floor: Practice Squad
