| April 18, 2005 | « Previous Story | HOME | Next Story » | Posted at 11:14 PM |
Will the Buffalo Bills strengthen the strongest unit on the team in the 2005 NFL Draft? The top 20 linebackers are profiled by NFL Scouting.
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| Linebackers | Bills Depth Chart | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
MLB
OLB
| Starters- MLB London Fletcher WLB Takeo Spikes SLB Jeff Posey Backups- The Bills linebackers are the backbone of the defense and easilly the strongest unit as a whole on the team. All 3 starters are locked up contractually and won't be challenged. Depth is a concern and may be addressed via the draft. |
Picked as the top outside linebacker in college football by The Sporting News before the 2004 season, Derrick Johnson lived up to his billing. The aggressive, speedy and explosive linebacker established himself as one of the nation's premier defensive players. He earned the Bronko Nagurski Trophy as the nation's top defensive player and the Butkus Award (nation's top LB). Johnson is a natural leader with exceptional quickness and is regarded as one of the finest pass defenders to ever play linebacker in the collegiate ranks. He has good size, but needs to dedicate more hours to the weight room; he lacks strength on his lanky frame. This is Johnson's major weakness; he does not show enough power to shed blocks and gets washed out on plays when working in-line. He also needs to use his hands better; he leaves himself too exposed, resulting in the blockers getting into his chest to lock on and sustain. Johnson did add bulk before the 2004 season, but the added weight did not affect his exceptional quickness. Once he gets heavily involved in a good weight-training program, he will be a steady playmaker at the next level. With his instincts, pass-defense skills and quickness, he will be perfectly suited to roam the field as a weak-side outside linebacker. His ability to drop back and settle into the zone soon will see him rival Miami's Zach Thomas for the right to be called the best pass defender among linebackers at the NFL level. 
Ware is an excellent edge rusher with outstanding speed and change-of-direction agility. He lacks the ideal frame you look for in an every-down end and could be limited to situational duties in the NFL because of his lack of bulk. However, if one should watch his battles against 344-pound tackle Nate Griffin (Marshall) and 330-pounder Andrew Whitworth (LSU) in 2004, you will see a player that compensates for a lack of size with a relentless motor and excellent lateral agility. He is a fluid and flexible runner who plays at a low-pad level and has proven to be very successful playing off the edge. Even with his long arms, when he works in-line, he struggles to disengage when the larger blockers lock on to him. However, he shows excellent snap anticipation ability and easily eludes blockers with his initial burst into the backfield. When he gets an edge on an offensive lineman's shoulder, he is quick to turn the corner and shows urgency closing on the passer. He looks more like a Jason Taylor clone, as he is best working off the edge. Some liken him to Baltimore's Terrell Suggs, but from film review, he doesn't have the pass coverage ability to drop back and handle zone assignments (best when making tackles in front of him). Still, his explosion and desire to make the play will make this guy one that will have to be accounted for on the field. 
Burnett is a powerful linebacker who looks good on eye contact, as he has a muscular frame with great speed and strength. He has an explosive burst coming off the edge and while he does show good hand placement, will sometimes try to overpower the offensive linemen, resulting in struggles attempting to shed when working in-line. He is a very confident athlete that loves the challenge. He has made good improvement to play under control, but needs to improve his read and react ability near the line of scrimmage. However, he struggles to defeat the reach block on the blitz and while he has the burst to close on the quarterback, he does not do this with consistency (momentum will take him out of the play, as his stiff hips prevent him from generating sharp stop-and-go action). Burnett is not considered a solid pass rusher, as he does not have effective rip and club moves to split double teams, nor does he deliver a fluid swim move to get an edge and slip off blocks. 
Blackstock is a fine pass rusher who has made steady progress improving his run defense skills. He has great straight-ahead quickness and works hard down the line. He displays balance and agility pursuing sideline-to-sideline. Blackstock has good explosion off the snap and excels when given a clear lane to make plays from the backside or flush the quarterback out of the pocket. His initial burst allows him to slip past slower offensive linemen to race uncontested into the backfield. He also shows very good snap anticipation to get a quick jump on the ball. He is an athletic open-field tackler who can run with backs and tight ends in the short area. At this time, he is a work in progress when asked to defend vs. the pass. His marginal hip snap prevents him from changing direction quickly and he must gather himself coming out of breaks. This results in over-pursuit in order to compensate. He does have that straight-line burst to plug the rush lanes and string plays out. Where he is becoming very effective is when he gives the ball carriers a chase through the backfield. Blackstock appears to be lost in zone coverage, as he will bite on fakes and play action and does a poor job of keeping eye contact on the ball and receiver when covering deep. He needs to gather himself coming out of his backpedal and his long limbs make him look stiff trying to get through transition. Blackstock does not get good depth in his pass drops and fails to maintain a good mirror on the receivers once they slip on past him. 
Thurman is a very productive tackler who has a smaller than ideal frame, but has room for additional growth. He shows above average range and decent speed to reach the outside, but because of his size, appears to be better on the outside as a space player. He has adequate strength at the point of attack, but can be redirected and washed out when trying to penetrate the line working inside. He is active with his hands and arms, but needs to generate more strength with them to prevent blockers from locking on and controlling. He can fill and stuff the runner in the hole, but struggles with trap and combo blocks. Thurman flashes good quickness to locate the ball on the move and appears to react quickly to passing plays in front of him. Odell does show some wasted motion, as he gathers before accelerating when asked to cover in the zone. When in pass coverage, he just seems to lack the feel and anticipation to get a good jump on the ball. 
Crowder plays with a vengeance and shows great urgency in his play. He is quick to fill the rush lanes, but will struggle at times to disengage when he does not use his hands to keep blockers off his chest. In pursuit, he has exceptional acceleration to the ball and an explosive jolt on contact. Crowder displays very good body control on the move and the ability to make open-field tackles. He throws his body around recklessly to make the play and shows no fear on the field. He has a good blend of power and aggression, showing fluid moves and quick decision to generally always be in position to make the play. In pass coverage, Crowder is a little a stiff in his hips, but shows an excellent burst and quickness out of his breaks. He is like a safety in short-area coverage, as Crowder can easily cover tight ends and running backs in the flats. He is also a solid deep-coverage defender who can easily run with receivers in his zone. As a blitzer, he explodes when coming off the edge and is very disruptive and productive in the opponent's backfield. He is very active working down the line and moves quickly to get into position to make plays. Rarely will you see him take false steps in zone coverage, staying in control to make proper reads. 
The three-year starter at middle linebacker has been the unquestioned leader of the defense throughout his career. Despite working with four different defensive schemes, he was quick to pick up the new playbooks and execute what the coaches wanted on the field. He possesses a good blend of quickness, agility, balance and flexibility, along with outstanding acceleration. He knows his assignments and those of his teammates, doing a very good job of lining people up. He is very quick reading blocking keys and has proven he can handled the mental aspect of the game. Barrett has the burst to run around blocks and excels at using his speed to get an outside edge on offensive linemen. He shows tremendous intensity and urgency to run and pursue down plays on the outside. Ruud might not have the bulk to take on the bigger blockers, but he is very effective when asked to face up or take angles to make the tackle. Ruud has a very good feel for reading blocking keys and fills the rush lanes instantly. His problems tend to arise when he has to take on a block and get off it to make the play, as he struggles some to disengage. 
An exciting playmaker who was the heart and soul of the Golden Eagles defense since his sophomore year. Not only did he excel as a weakside linebacker, but also provided big plays on the special teams coverage units. Boley has a lanky frame and needs to put on additional bulk. He is a very athletic linebacker, but is sorely lacking in playing strength. While his statistics speak for his production, it is because of his explosion and outstanding quickness roaming the field to make the play. He does a very good job of squeezing through tight quarters and shows urgency in his backside pursuit. Boley has only marginal instincts and reaction ability in pass coverage. He is better suited to make plays on the move, as he will get engulfed trying to take on blocks at the line of scrimmage. He makes passive arm swipes at the point of attack and is not the type to make plays going downhill. Based on his frame, lack of strength and inability to shed blockers, it is apparent that he will not play strongside linebacker in the pros. 
Beck plays hard, shows very good range and is a hit-and-wrap type of tackler who can generate enough pop on contact. He is a smart athlete who makes decent reads and is quick to react to blocking schemes and formations. He has the sudden burst to slip blocks on the move and is very active working down the line. Beck is better playing in the short zone, where he shows better awareness making plays in front of him. He is not an effective tackler in space, as he does not open his hips properly or show enough flexibility. He also struggles to use his hands effectively to prevent blockers from attacking his knees. Still, you notice that he has been highly productive making the clutch plays. 
Grigsby is a bit undersized and will have to operate in a 4-3 defense in the pros, or possibly move to weak-side linebacker to take advantage of his foot speed. Grigsby would be best served operating in a system that will cover him up and let him roam free. He is a much better performer making plays on the move, as he does not always use his hands effectively to prevent blockers from getting into his exposed chest and stonewalling him on the play. He lacks natural hands for the interception, and while he will make the effort, his small hands make him fight to secure the ball. Blessed with exceptional quickness, for some reason this avid weightlifter's strength does not always translate to the football field. He has the speed to string plays wide, but when asked to face up he struggles to shed. He just seems to lack the size with bulk to hold up at the point of attack at times. He has very good lateral agility and reads the full flow of the ball well. He is very instinctive making reads and is alert to blocking schemes. 
This guy is one of my favorite players in the draft. From the first time I saw him play, I remember thinking two things. One was "Damn that guy is fast!". The other was "Damn that guy looks huge!". McCune is both. He ran a 4.50, which is just ridiculous speed for a linebacker, middle or outside. But McCune is also 245 lbs. packed into a 6'0" frame. I don't know if any of you caught the guys weight in on the NFL network, but this guy makes David Boston look like he needs to hit the gym. Take a look at his guns. He has the potential to be a great MLB or SSLB. He has the speed to cover RBs and TEs. He is a big hitter and a good blitzer. And this is the thing that makes him an even bigger asset is the fact that he is a special teams demon. He got special teamer of the year in 2001 while he was a red shirt freshman. The next year he became the starter and posted great numbers in his junior and senior years. There are a few knocks on him. He doesn't have ideal height for a linebacker, but we currently have Fletcher, who is about 3 inches shorter, so the height issue is really a non-issue to me. He was in the National Guard for 3 years, so he will be a 26 year old rookie in the NFL. He could also use work on his coverage techniques. Not very big issues for me, but these are things that have pushed him down He could be the heir apparent for Fletcher or Posey. I would love to have a guy like him and Stamer being prepped for the future. - Jeremy Ford 
Tatupu is an active, playmaking linebacker who was a key cog in USC's national championship runs. He shows a good head for the position and good instincts. He has is very quick and can change directions quickly. He has great sideline to sideline speed for a linebacker and is excellent in pursuit. Tatupu is undersized though and has trouble when plays are run right at him. He shows good agility and does a good job avoiding blockers, but has a tough time shedding when linemen lock on and drive him. He will sometimes get caught up in traffic around the line of scrimmage. He shows good awareness and diagnoses plays well but will overrun some plays. In coverage, Tatupu stands out. He has good awareness in coverage and has the speed and athleticism to make plays. He has good hands and good ball skills. 
Highly recruited transfer from Butler County Junior College...Has only played two years of major college football but has what it takes to make an impact at the next level...Intriguing prospect who will only continue to get better and improve. Strengths: Good size...Strong, tough and likes to hit...Has a true linebackers mentality...Has excellent instincts...Adept at stuffing the run as well as dropping back into coverage...Has some pass rush ability...Makes plays all over the field...Still has a high upside. Weaknesses: Doesn't have a lot of experience...Raw and needs to work on refining his technique...Has only average speed...Can be too aggressive at times and takes bad angles.
