Official 2021 Off Ball Linebacker Thread

[Hunter2_1]

25 minutes ago, goldfishwars said:

Man I could easily make the case that Collins is more attractive to BB than anyone else in this draft.

He does seem the type

[OnlyGlove]

Would Collins or Parsons be able to play edge rusher in packages?

 

Looking at options for Raiders at 17, need pass rush but Crosby and Ferrell in base aren't the main issue, it's no interior pass rush. But with Ferrell moving inside on packages. Key isn't offering anything on the edge.  The idea of having  a Off the ball LB in base that could potentially play edge is very intriguing for me.

Was also thinking if Azeez Ojulari or Joseph Ossai could play outside linebacker in a 4-3?

[goldfishwars]

On 2/11/2021 at 2:08 AM, jrry32 said:

Anybody have recommendations on Day 3 LBs to check out? Thus far, I've liked Isaiah McDuffie, Tony Fields, and Garret Wallow. I also love Grant Stuard as a special teams demon late on Day 3. 

He might end up going higher than Day 3, but have you seen Jamin Davis? 

[jrry32]

7 hours ago, goldfishwars said:

He might end up going higher than Day 3, but have you seen Jamin Davis? 

I watched the UF game. I wasn't blown away. Would like to see more, though, because there are interesting tools.

[Hunter2_1]

Not seen Surratt mentioned much here. I think he'll be a riser by the time draft comes around.

 

43 outside who plays every down, who's added coverage ability and better play diagnosis to his skill set. Seems an all-round package, who just needs to keep adding polish. 

Don't know where he'll be taken, but I bet it's higher than most think

Edited February 16, 2021 by Hunter2_1

[MSURacerDT55]

Zaven Collins:

Quote

 

“Collins did unprecedented things at the linebacker position this season for Tulsa. His 93.7 coverage grade sits well above the previous PFF record set by former UCLA Bruin and current Minnesota Viking Eric Kendricks in 2014 (92.1).

“The 6-foot-4, 240-pound off-ball linebacker tallied four interceptions, three forced incompletions and nine passing stops when dropping into coverage. He was also one of the top blitzing weapons in the country. All told, Collins picked up 16 pressures on 51 rushes and was the only player at his position to record 90.0-plus grades in coverage and as a blitzer.”

 

Starting to become my draft crush

[MOSteelers56]

I’ve been on the Zaven Collins hype train for a long time. He’s going to be a good one.

[Scoundrel]

9 minutes ago, MOSteelers56 said:

I’ve been on the Zaven Collins hype train for a long time. He’s going to be a good one.

Many have

[MOSteelers56]

6 minutes ago, Counselor said:

Many have

Definitely. He’s got a lot as a prospect. I feel like all you have to do is watch him and you’ll like him. 

[LinebackerGod]

I don't like Zaven Collins really. I don't think he's bad, but I just see kind of a solid dude that doesn't do anything spectacularly. I don't like his body.

*He's not twitchy enough to be considered a legitimate coverage piece, even though he does a great job of hitting depths in zone drops.
*He's not nuanced enough to be a full-time pass rusher.
*He's not elite in his ability to read the OL and flow to the ball.

 

His best traits are his hustle, tackling, and ability to set a physical edge. I think he can give you a little bit of everything, but he's not some elite LB prospect. He seems like a good kid and someone that I will be rooting for, but I don't think he will be a special player. Just an average starter, which isn't bad given how many busts there will be.

 

 

 

I am very high on Jahad Woods, Garrett Wallow, and Paddy Fisher as late round picks. Woods is a little ball of pee and vinegar that reads exceptionally well and has speed and agility to cover ground. Wallow is a fantastic WLB prospect that scrapes and hits. Has great potential as a pass defender. Fisher is just so good at diagnosing and playing with his hands. He's limited athletically, but he makes every play he's supposed to make. Plus the dude is good in zone coverage where he covers between the hashes. Just don't ask him to go out in space.

 

I also really like Chaz Surratt and think he ends up being a late 2nd round pick. He's got an immense toolbox despite being raw and new to the position. I think he provides the splashy traits of being able to rush the passer, cover TE's and some slots, and chase sideline-sideline. He misses some tackles and doesn't play with great body control/leverage yet. That's to be expected.

[Jeezla]

Baron Browning vs Cameron McGrone. Who is more athletic?

[LinebackerGod]

11 minutes ago, Jeezla said:

Baron Browning vs Cameron McGrone. Who is more athletic?

McGrone. Browning is big and fast in a straight line, but McGrone has better functional athleticism and will be able to be "wrong" more often because of his ability to move laterally quickly.

[Jeezla]

4 minutes ago, GodOfLinebackers said:

16 minutes ago, Jeezla said:

Baron Browning vs Cameron McGrone. Who is more athletic?

McGrone. Browning is big and fast in a straight line, but McGrone has better functional athleticism and will be able to be "wrong" more often because of his ability to move laterally quickly.

Browning defnitely has some lateral quicks too tho. He's noticeably more agile than KJ Britt for instance. McGrone has more stop/start ability, but Browning is no slouch in that department, imo.

Edited February 24, 2021 by Jeezla

[jrry32]

2 hours ago, GodOfLinebackers said:

Fisher is just so good at diagnosing and playing with his hands. He's limited athletically, but he makes every play he's supposed to make. Plus the dude is good in zone coverage where he covers between the hashes. Just don't ask him to go out in space.

I just couldn't convince myself that Fisher has the athleticism to be a factor on Sundays. I might need to take another look at Jahad Woods. A couple people, including yourself, have been very complimentary towards him. On first viewing, I saw a tiny LB who didn't appear to have the athletic traits one would need to overcome his size (basically, great athleticism).

[LinebackerGod]

1 minute ago, jrry32 said:

I just couldn't convince myself that Fisher has the athleticism to be a factor on Sundays.

He might not. I just see a guy who has pretty much perfect reads and excellent hand usage to combat blocks. He's probably going to come off the field on 3rd downs, but I think he absolutely has a role as an ILB on neutral downs. He's a clean prospect who simply doesn't have sideline-sideline speed. Those guys are still valuable to gap-sound defensive teams, which appear to be going by the wayside anymore.

1 minute ago, jrry32 said:

I might need to take another look at Jahad Woods. A couple people, including yourself, have been very complimentary towards him. On first viewing, I saw a tiny LB who didn't appear to have the athletic traits one would need to overcome his size (basically, great athleticism).

Woods is a tackling machine. He reminds me a little bit of a D'Qwell Jackson type player with a little more juice. His reads are really good and the only time he's fooled is when they false pull guards. He's got good foot quickness and plays within himself. I think the only hiccup that could arise with him is his lack of length hurting him in passing and running situations. Not sure of his measurables, but it looks like he's got little stumpy arms and doesn't really shock blockers.