Tag Archive for 4-3

Shea McClellin Scouting Report

April 11, 2012 No comments

Position

OLB

Height

6’3

School

Boise State

Weight

260

Class

Senior

40 Time

4.65

Grade

1st Round

Pass Rush:

Looks like a natural rushing the passer. Has a good speed rush and displays the flexibility to get under a lineman’s pads and win around the edge. Excellent first step and uses his hands well to shed blocks. Doesn’t have a lot of polished moves, although he flashes some nice ones, but can get to the quarterback regardless. Is very versatile and can rush the passer a number of different ways. Is great at coming through on delayed blitzes and seems to always be getting pressure. Has a great motor.

Grade: 4.0

Strength:

Strong for his size but still maintains his speed and quickness. Not a guy who you’d expect to stand up to double teams and is clearly at his best playing in space. However, shows the necessary strength to bull-rush and stack and shed against the run. Helped by his physical and tenacious style of play.

Grade: 3.0

Quickness:

Has a great first step both from a 2 and 3 point stance. Is unstoppable once he times the snap count and gets a good jump. Has the speed to turn the corner consistently. An all-around athlete with great lateral agility as well. Uses it to his advantage to get positioning on lumbering lineman. Can drop into coverage and looks comfortable doing so.

Grade: 4.0

Point of Attack:

Plays the run well despite being slightly undersized. Has the ability to stack and shed and uses his hands well to get off blocks. Can be too aggressive at times and takes himself out of the play. However, he displays great instincts and often gets a jump on where the play is headed. Still prefers to avoid blocks as opposed to taking them on when working in space. Will take some poor angles at times because he gets over-aggressive. Has a great motor and is constantly running plays down from the backside.

Grade: 3.0

Tackling:

A good tackler who consistently wraps up and brings the ball-carrier down. Will lay some good shots on quarterbacks. Is athletic enough to make stops in space without issues.

Grade: 4.0

Intangibles:

A 3 year starter who was a versatile playmaker for Boise State. Was routinely lined up all over the field. Best suited as a 3-4 outside linebacker but can line up pretty much anywhere in exotic blitz packages. Grew up on a farm and was a star running back in high school. Has that country boy strength. A hard worker with a non-stop motor on the field. Has dealt with some minor leg injuries earlier in his career but has been a pretty durable player at Boise State.

Grade: 4.0

Outlook:

If you’re looking for the next Clay Matthews, or perhaps Aldon Smith, Shea McClellin might be your guy. I am shocked he is just recently being talked about being a late 1st rounder and he could still end up being selected in the 2nd or 3rd rounds on draft day. If he does fall that far, he would be an absolute steal. He’s a relentless pass-rusher with good athleticism to boot and it’s not like he is incredibly raw either. He should be able to make an immediate impact as a 3-4 linebacker and has the potential to be a 10+ sack guy year in and year out.

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Andre Branch Scouting Report

April 11, 2012 No comments

Position

DE/OLB

Height

6’4

School

Clemson

Weight

259

Class

Senior

40 Time

4.70

Grade

1st Round

Pass Rush:

A speed demon with great athleticism and flexibility. Has the speed and flexibility to routinely dip and turn the corner. Flashes the ability to use his hands well to keep himself free. However, still has a limited repertoire. Flashes a nice spin move as well and can occasionally attack a lineman with the bull-rush once he gets them off balance. Needs to add strength though as his bull-rush is still weak. Very agile and explosive and can fool lineman with fake inside moves. Can rush from different spots and has experience rushing from a 2 point stance. Has great closing speed and a great motor.

Grade: 3.5

Strength:

A bit undersized and he could stand to add some more mass to his frame. Lacks great power and it shows on his bull-rushes. Needs to continue to fill out his frame so he can be more of an every-down player and hold up better against the run if he stays at defensive end.

Grade: 2.0

Quickness:

Has a very quick first step and can be explosive off the line. Tremendous athlete. Very agile and looks comfortable in space. Can routinely chase down plays from the back-side. Turns it up on a notch when the quarterback is in his sights.

Grade: 4.5

Point of Attack:

Lacks strength and size to consistently hold up at the line. Will get washed out of plays at times. However, he does set the edge well and shows the ability to stack and shed to make plays. He needs to continue to add strength to do this more consistently. Will occasionally rush too far up the field and take himself out of the play. However, he’s quick enough and hustles to try and get back into position to make the play.

Grade: 2.0

Tackling:

Not a challenge for Branch to make tackles in space. Shows the ability to break down and has the lateral agility to stick with most backs and bring them down. Again, getting stronger will only help him as a tackler as well. Misses some tackles because he doesn’t wrap up strong enough or he tries to tackle too high. Can deliver some punishing hits on quarterbacks.

Grade: 2.5

Intangibles:

Only a 2 year starter but saw quite a bit of action as a freshman and sophomore. Only had one great season (senior year) where he finished with 17 TFL and 10.5 sacks, though 4 of those sacks came against Virginia Tech. Was recruited as an outside linebacker and could play the position in the pros. Probably best suited to play in a 3-4 defense right now because he lacks the size and strength to be an every-down 4-3 end. Has no major injury concerns and no major off-field issues. However, he was accused of gouging a lineman’s eyes in a game against Florida State.

Grade: 3.0

Outlook:

I’m actually quite surprised Andre Branch isn’t getting more hype then he is. He’s a terrific athlete who has the potential to be an excellent pass-rusher in the NFL. He’s a bit raw, but I’ve seen him flash some moves that makes me confident he will one day be a guy who can consistently put up 10+ sacks a year. He needs to add some strength and expand his repertoire but the sky’s the limit for him. Should be able to contribute right away on a 3-4 team on passing downs. Might have some trouble getting a lot of playing time early on 4-3 teams though. However, with hard work and dedication, he can be a heck of a player in a year or two.

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Michael Brockers Scouting Report

April 5, 2012 No comments

Position

DT

Height

6’6

School

LSU

Weight

322

Class

Sophomore

40 Time

5.35

Grade

4th Round

Pass Rush:

Not much of a threat rushing the passer at this stage. Is raw and needs a lot of work. Pops up right off the snap and it limits his effectiveness with the bull rush which is his main move. Will occasionally use a swim or club move but isn’t very successful with it. Leverage is a huge issue and despite his strength and initial push he is stone-walled far too often. Struggles to get off blocks and doesn’t use his hands very well.

Grade: 1.5

Strength:

Has bulked up since he arrived at LSU and has put on a lot of mass. Very strong frame. Has the upper body strength to bully lineman. Has a strong bull rush when he keeps his pad level down but that is a big issue for him. Is tall and is already at a disadvantage but he struggles to stay low and is often negated at the line of scrimmage because of this. Still lacks the strength to consistently stand up to double teams.

Grade: 3.0

Quickness:

Is quick off the snap when he times the snap count but can be pretty average when he doesn’t. Lacks an elite first step and was over-hyped as an athlete. Not quick enough to consistently beat lineman off the snap and get penetration.

Grade: 2.5

Point of Attack:

A bit underwhelming at the point of attack. His strength is felt and he’s rarely blocked back 1 on 1. He can hold his ground and shows he can get off the block and make tackles inside. However, he’s still developing his technique so he is wildly inconsistent. Again has issues with leverage and he will get upright allowing lineman to get in on him and control him. Still has the strength to fight off blocks but doesn’t show great technique in doing so. Struggles to hold up to double teams but can occasionally split them quite well. Not a guy who can consistently penetrate and make plays in the back-field but not a nose tackle type who can take up space either at this point.

Grade: 2.5

Tackling:

A great tackler who can consistently wrap up and make the play when he should. Is helped by his length and strength. Can grab a hold of runners and won’t let them get away. Delivers quite a pop on his hits as well.

Grade: 4.5

Intangibles:

Big concern is that he is raw. Has only started 1 full season and his numbers were not off the charts. Has no known off-field issues or injury concerns. Put on a lot of weight since coming to LSU and is not sloppy by any means. Worked hard in the weight room. Is versatile and has already played multiple positions at LSU. Is probably best suited as a 3-4 end.

Grade: 2.5

Outlook:

Michael Brockers is over-hyped in my opinion. He was over-hyped as an athlete and people set out expectations for him that were way too high. He was mediocre, if not below average, at the combine. He’s only started one year and is nowhere near polished enough to be a day 1 starter in the NFL. I think his best fit is going to be as an end in a 3-4 scheme. He’s not strong enough to be a nose tackle and he’d be a waste in a 4-3 scheme as he is only a 2 down player. He’s a bit of a tweener who lacks a position he can fit in perfectly and it’s a bit of a red flag. He’ll need quite some time to adjust and he may be headed down a path similar to former LSU defensive tackles Glenn Dorsey and Tyson Jackson.

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Dontari Poe Scouting Report

March 31, 2012 No comments

Position

DT

Height

6’4

School

Memphis

Weight

346

Class

Junior

40 Time

4.90

Grade

2nd Round

Pass Rush:

A good athlete but still developing as a pass-rusher. Can occasionally beat lineman with his strength and quickness. Most of the time he does just so when he gets penetration. However, lacks a repertoire of moves outside of the bull-rush and an occasionally threatening spin move. Will get upright and lose his leverage and strength allowing smaller lineman to handle him with ease. Lacks any counter moves and doesn’t always give great effort. Once he’s stopped initially, he’s pretty much a non-factor.

Grade: 2.0

Strength:

Impressive strength and a monster in the weight room. However, this doesn’t always translate to the field. While he does occasionally show some raw power as he can simply over-power lineman, too often he’s easily negated. Doesn’t use his hands well into contact and gets upright, losing his power. Very tough to move around though and you still can’t ignore his natural strength.

Grade: 3.5

Quickness:

Has a solid burst off the line and it’s even more impressive when you take his size into account. Has nimble feet and really doesn’t look like he’s nearly 350 pounds when moving around. Can be late at times off the line and needs to do a better job recognizing the snap.

Grade: 3.0

Point of Attack:

Can occasionally use his quickness and strength to slip blocks and get into the backfield. However, is rather disappointing considering his strength and athleticism. Never really dominates the line of scrimmage. Has trouble getting off blocks and needs to use his hands better to keep lineman off his body. Can be a little slow to find the football and does a poor job in pursuit. Is tough to move around though and is rarely driven back off the line.

Grade: 2.5

Tackling:

Helped out by his athleticism to be able to make tackles. Swallows up runners and can bring them down with ease due to his strength. Could do a better job in pursuit and chasing plays down from the backside.

Grade: 3.5

Intangibles:

A 2.5 year starter who didn’t put up dominant numbers against poor competition. A boom or bust prospect who is being over-rated due to his workout numbers. Should be given credit for his hard work in the weight room. Has no major injury concerns or known character concerns. Was voted team MVP by his teammates. Offers some scheme versatility as he can play in both the 4-3 and 3-4 defenses. Has nose tackle size but would struggle if asked to play the position as a rookie. Very raw and is a project player that needs a lot of work. Has short arms and they can be detrimental to his game. Motor runs hot and cold.

Grade: 2.0

Outlook:

Poe is grossly overrated because of his numbers. It’s rare to see someone his size with his athleticism so naturally people will be enamored with him. However, as a football player he’s simply not worth a 1st rounder. He’s very raw and if he’s thrust into a starting role right away, he’ll likely fail. It’s also concerning that despite his tremendous athletic abilities, he rarely dominated games in Conference-USA. It just doesn’t translate onto the field and it is a huge red flag. Yes, the potential is there, but Poe needs a lot of work before he can become an impact player.

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Mike Martin Scouting Report

March 16, 2012 No comments

Position

DT

Height

6’1

School

Michigan

Weight

306

Class

Senior

40 Time

4.90

Grade

3rd Round

Pass Rush:

A one-trick pony as a pass-rusher whose go-to move is the bull-rush. Has adequate quickness but not enough to threaten consistently as a pass-rusher. Lacks a variety of moves and struggles to get off blocks. Pad level tends to rise after initial contact which limits his push. Can be dangerous when he does fire off the snap and keeps his pad level low. Has a tremendous motor and never stops hustling.

Grade: 2.0

Strength:

Looks like a bodybuilder. Has a short and maxed out frame but has a lot of muscle. Has great lower body strength and it allows him to generate a lot of power when playing with good leverage. Flashes some very strong hands but has to do a better job on his initial punch.

Grade: 3.5

Quickness:

Has an adequate get-off and can be quite quick when he times the snap count. However, will never be an explosive guy who can beat your right off the snap. Tight hipped and doesn’t offer much quickness or agility when rushing the passer.

Grade: 2.5

Point of Attack:

Was routinely double-teamed at Michigan. More content with taking up blockers as opposed to splitting them. Not sure if it’s the scheme or him being limited in his ability to split double teams. Has good strength to anchor. Can be dangerous when matched up 1 on 1. Shows the ability to shed blocks using his strength inside. Can occasionally knife into the back-field and disrupt plays but relies more on strength than quickness. Does a good job of locating the ball and is great in pursuit. Will get too high at times and can be sealed off but has great balance and strength so he’ll never be on the ground much.

Grade: 3.5

Tackling:

A good tackler who prefers to drag runners to the ground using his strength most of the time. Very active inside and will chase plays down from the backside. Gives good effort and will make stops down the field.

Grade: 3.0

Intangibles:

A 4 year starter who has played numerous positions while at UM. Is very versatile. Can play 3-technique, 5-technqiue and will get looks as a nose tackle. A hard worker who always gives great effort on the field. Jacked and shows a lot of dedication in the weight room. A team leader. Performed very well in Senior Bowl practices. Underwent shoulder surgery as a freshman and played through an ankle sprain for most of the 2010 season.

Grade: 4.0

Outlook:

Mike Martin may not be the biggest or the best athlete but he is a football player. He’s got great intangibles and is a guy you want on your team. He’s very versatile having played in both 4 and 3 man fronts at Michigan. He can earn a spot in the rotation as a rookie and has the potential to be a starter eventually. Not much of a pass-rusher as he gets most of his pressures and sacks from hustle plays. However, is great against the run. Dangerous 1 on 1 but can also occupy blockers depending on the scheme.

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