Draft Profiles

[Cowboysrock55]

I think he's a perfect rover Buchannon, Barron, Su'a Cravens-type, who would excel in a 3-4.

Bad system match for us.

Barron? You mean Mark Barron who plays in a 4-3 cover two defense with the Rams?

We also use Byron Jones in a hybrid role.

 

[boozeman]

Barron? You mean Mark Barron who plays in a 4-3 cover two defense with the Rams?

We also use Byron Jones in a hybrid role.

Barron is a 4-4 LB almost.

 

[Simpleton]

Barron is a 4-4 LB almost.

Agreed.

Bucannon is basically just a pure ILB these days, I don't think Peppers can do that because of his size, he'll need to be moved around and kept away from OL/TE's.

 

[Cowboysrock55]

Maybe although I don't know if he has the range to play as the deep safety, I think he's much better by the line and using his athleticism moving downhill than side to side or backwards, which is probably why he's most often projected as a strong safety.

I just have a hard time believing a guy with his straight line speed and ability to cut on a dime doesn't have the range to play deep safety. This isn't some limited athlete that Michigan moved up near the line of scrimmage to help him out. This is a freak athlete who Michigan moved near the line.

Maybe his instincts just suck in zone coverage. Some guys just don't have the knack for it and it would explain his utter lack of INT's in his career.

 

[Simpleton]

I just have a hard time believing a guy with his straight line speed and ability to cut on a dime doesn't have the range to play deep safety. This isn't some limited athlete that Michigan moved up near the line of scrimmage to help him out. This is a freak athlete who Michigan moved near the line.

Maybe his instincts just suck in zone coverage. Some guys just don't have the knack for it and it would explain his utter lack of INT's in his career.

I'll be curious to see him in the coverage drills. He was a CB coming out of high school and then each year he was in college he was just moved closer and closer to the LOS, and now he's with the LB group at the Combine I believe.

I just don't think he has the movement skills backwards and side to side in coverage to play 20-40 yards downfield, probably not the instincts either.

 

[Cowboysrock55]

I'll be curious to see him in the coverage drills. He was a CB coming out of high school and then each year he was in college he was just moved closer and closer to the LOS, and now he's with the LB group at the Combine I believe.

I just don't think he has the movement skills backwards and side to side in coverage to play 20-40 yards downfield, probably not the instincts either.

The instincts are my real concern. But sometimes it's hard to tell. I don't know if Harbaugh used him the way he did because he wasn't good in a normal safety role or if he just thought he would have a greater impact on the defense moving him around all over the place. Sort of the way Darren Woodson was in college.

 

[Simpleton]

The instincts are my real concern. But sometimes it's hard to tell. I don't know if Harbaugh used him the way he did because he wasn't good in a normal safety role or if he just thought he would have a greater impact on the defense moving him around all over the place. Sort of the way Darren Woodson was in college.

True enough, although Woodson had like 6 or 7 picks in college to just one for Peppers, and that one was a nothing INT that came off a deflected pass and popped up into his arms about 10 yards behind the intended receiver.

The missing piece here of course is access to the Michigan coaching staff, I'd be curious to hear their reasoning for utilizing him how they did.

 

[Cowboysrock55]

True enough, although Woodson had like 6 or 7 picks in college to just one for Peppers

Yeah, it was just more of an example of a guy who clearly had the athletic ability to play safety but instead his college coach determined that it was more impactful to play him at LBer. I would be curious to know the Michigan coaches real thought process. Obviously they wouldn't come out and publicly say the kid isn't good enough to play corner or safety but certainly those may have been the discussions behind closed doors.

I fully expect him to go and blaze a 4.35 type forty as well.

 

[Jiggyfly]

Correct. It amazes me why people kiss Marinelli's ass when his rigid outdated system knocks out good talent because of poor scheme fit.

You keep saying this and it makes zero sense.

We rarely play any cover 2 anymore and Jones plays allover the place.

We rarely play a SLB which was a staple of Marinelli's defense.

We play a lot of 3 man rushes which never happened in Tampa and Chicago.

We play a ton of man which has never been a Marinelli staple.

There is nothing rigid about this defense it chnged a lot from the beggining till the end just last year.

 

[Simpleton]

You keep saying this and it makes zero sense.

We rarely play any cover 2 anymore and Jones plays allover the place.

We rarely play a SLB which was a staple of Marinelli's defense.

We play a lot of 3 man rushes which never happened in Tampa and Chicago.

We play a ton of man which has never been a Marinelli staple.

There is nothing rigid about this defense it chnged a lot from the beggining till the end just last year.

I agree, you saw a bunch of safety/LB blitzes over the last 2 months of the season last year, which is way out of Marinelli's comfort range. I'm sure most of that was due to the fact that we lacked DL talent and it was a way to get more talent on the field (better to have 6 DB's and 3 DL than 5 DB's and 4 DL) but what I really wonder is will Marinelli maintain that type of creativity if we upgrade the DL talent?

You'd certainly hope so.

 

[Cowboysrock55]

You keep saying this and it makes zero sense.

We rarely play any cover 2 anymore and Jones plays allover the place.

We rarely play a SLB which was a staple of Marinelli's defense.

We play a lot of 3 man rushes which never happened in Tampa and Chicago.

We play a ton of man which has never been a Marinelli staple.

There is nothing rigid about this defense it chnged a lot from the beggining till the end just last year.

Yeah the only thing that is rigid and consistent is really that Marinelli hates blitzing. Otherwise we have done a lot of different stuff behind that.

 

[Jiggyfly]

I agree, you saw a bunch of safety/LB blitzes over the last 2 months of the season last year, which is way out of Marinelli's comfort range. I'm sure most of that was due to the fact that we lacked DL talent and it was a way to get more talent on the field (better to have 6 DB's and 3 DL than 5 DB's and 4 DL) but what I really wonder is will Marinelli maintain that type of creativity if we upgrade the DL talent?

You'd certainly hope so.

Yeah that is good question and also applies to LB.

I think he has shown that he will play to strength of the team which is all I really care about.

 

[Simpleton]

Speaking of LB's:

http://www.bloggingtheboys.com/2017/2/28/14757880/nfl-draft-2017-profile-linebacker-zach-cunningham-potential-cowboys-first-round-pick

#41 - Zach Cunningham - Linebacker - Vanderbilt - 6-4, 230

Games Watched: Florida, Tennessee, Georgia, N.C. State

Pros: Excellent size and length with a frame that could easily add weight without sacrificing speed. Intimidating physical presence at times in the run game with excellent range and closing speed. Impressive strength and pop to jolt offensive linemen back in the run game, very strong hands to stack/shed, explosive and physical when attacking the run downhill. Effective blitzer, projects well in that regard with his combination of size, strength, and speed. Flexible in tight spaces with the ability to bend and beat offensive linemen to the spot. Rare to see this type of sideline-to-sideline speed and overall athleticism in a linebacker this size. Projects well to any 4-3 linebacker position due to his combination of size, speed, length, and athleticism.

Cons: Extremely poor tackling technique/form where he doesn’t wrap up and simply tries to arm tackle, resulting in way too many missed tackles on routine plays where ball carriers will slide off him and gain extra yards. Relies too much on his power in going for knockout/highlight hits. Tends to tackle high and grabs at players instead of getting low and running through ball carriers. Over-pursues far too often and loses gap integrity, doesn’t look very instinctive as far as being able to quickly diagnose plays or taking the proper angles. Looks a bit stiff and not very fluid in his coverage drops at times, he generally seems to have the athleticism and length to be able to hold up in short middle zones in the NFL but I think his coverage ability is overstated. Could struggle if asked to cover NFL RB’s and TE’s in man coverage due to mechanical change of direction in space downfield. Disappears for long stretches, even entire games (bowl game vs. N.C. State).

Conclusion: The potential for this player is through the roof due to his rare combination of size, speed, and athleticism. At times he looks like a future All-Pro but in my personal opinion he is entirely too inconsistent and disappears far too often to make me feel comfortable with taking him at 28. He consistently runs himself out of plays and misses easy tackles, which are two cardinal sins of the linebacker position. If he takes to coaching and has the drive to be great there is almost no ceiling for him, but that’s not a risk that I want to take in the first round when you consider the fact that linebacker is not an overly pressing need for the team.

I understand the intrigue behind a player with his physical gifts, but this draft class is far too strong at positions of far more pressing need for me to take a player that is this inconsistent at 28. Of course he would be a strong consideration if available in the second round.