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Leighton Vander Esch from Boise State

Discussion in 'The Bill Nunn Draft Room' started by francobettis, Feb 22, 2018.

  1. francobettis

    francobettis Well-Known Member

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    I saw a mock with Steelers taking this ILB in the 1st round. Saw a video on him. Not a freakish athlete and not much of a speed LB. But I noticed that he positions himself well and makes plays. Is this the kind of player we need? We've failed with the freakish LB like Jones and Dupree. I want a guy who can make plays and is always in the right position to make plays.
     
  2. mac daddyo

    mac daddyo Well-Known Member

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    This kid would be an inside backer for us. I'm not sold on his need for us. I think we have that player in Vince and dirty red. We need one of those bigger SS converts to take shazier spot. At least in Rd. 1. :cool:
     
  3. steelersrule6

    steelersrule6 Well-Known Member

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    We need a ILB like Rashaan Evans not a SS convert :shrug:.
     
    • Agree Agree x 2
  4. mac daddyo

    mac daddyo Well-Known Member

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    We have a couple of them already. He's not much against the pass. We need a guy closer to shazier. I am talking about a guy that is only a few LBs. less than Evans but has ball skills too. Evans would be nothing more than Vince and matakevich. They already know the system. We need a guy like kyzir white. :cool:
     
    Last edited: Feb 23, 2018
  5. Diamond

    Diamond Well-Known Member

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    I posted this on jan 24:

    I'm very interested in drafting this player, he is the real deal:



    Boise State redshirt junior LB Leighton Vander Esch said that he's been told by multiple scouts and agents that he will be drafted no later than the second round.
    Vander Esch (6'4/240) declared for the draft earlier on Thursday. While he has not yet heard back from the NFL draft advisory board, the early buzz he has received has been encouraging. A stout run defender, the linebacker absolutely dominated on the statistical board this season, registering 141 tackles (third most in the NCAA), four sacks and a pair of interceptions for the campaign. "Leighton’s a very good player," one scout told the Idaho Statesman, "got the height, weight, the speed, he’s productive, he’s got great length." That evaluator added that Vander Esch "has all the measurables you want." Thu, Dec 21, 2017 04:02:00 PM











    http://seahawksdraftblog.com/leighton-vander-esch-declares-for-the-draft
     
  6. mac daddyo

    mac daddyo Well-Known Member

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    The kid is talented. Probably more so than Vince. I'd want him to start and add a shazier type next to him, then we would be upgraded. Red will be OK as he goes but I do believe Vince is as good as he is going to get and we could do better with starters. :cool:
     
  7. thesteeldeal

    thesteeldeal Well-Known Member

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    Agree.....I'm not interested in grooming a safety to play a new position. I'd much rather have a true ILB that could probably step right in day 1. I think Evans can be that guy especially being a Sr. starter at Bama. I'm sure our new DL coach can give a great insight into his abilities. Admittedly I've seen very little of LVE but from what I've seen he looks heady but not nearly as sudden and explosive as Evans. What I see from Evans is a guy who when he sees his target he gets there in a hurry and eliminates it. There are some injury concerns but that's impossible to predict....just like Watt last year. I guess the combine will give us some insight into LVE's athleticism....

    Like a few others have said the safety depth is better than LB so I'd be looking to go LB first ,safety second .
    I also think the need at safety is at FS not SS. I have no confidence in Davis playing the FS role. If he had that ability he should of taken Mitchell's place last year and moved Mitchell closer to the LOS. As bad as Mitchell was playing FS last year the fact that he seemed glued to that role speaks volumes to me....now all of a sudden Davis is gonna be the guy....I have my doubts.

    Of course the draft might not fall our way as far as LB then Safety but whether through the draft or FA the ILB spot needs to be addressed. If we can't do a better job of controlling the LOS with our front 7 it won't matter who is in our secondary. The job of our secondary gets much easier if the guys up front do their job first....
     
    • Agree Agree x 1
  8. mac daddyo

    mac daddyo Well-Known Member

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    First off kyzir white played the safety role as well as the ILB andOLBrole for WV. That's exactly how versatile he was and they used that ability to mix up the defensive looks. It not teaching a guy a new position. There are quite a few players in this draft like that too.

    As far as Davis making the move last year, it not his fault. Haven't you watched this team before? They are extremely slow in changing anything. :cool:
     
  9. Wardismvp

    Wardismvp Well-Known Member

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    Ideal ILB size 250ish and can RUN. Urlacher?
     
  10. SteelCity_NB

    SteelCity_NB Staff Member Mod Team

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    I'm going to wait and see how he looks at the combine.

    I don't think he's a poor athlete, but on tape, he's well behind Rashaan Evans. He is nowhere near as fast or quick.

    Ive got a 2nd round grade on him. I just don't see the explosiveness in his game. For people who don't think Evans can cover, I don't see where Vanderesch would be any better.
     
    • Agree Agree x 1
  11. thesteeldeal

    thesteeldeal Well-Known Member

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    Have you watched this team before.......they are also very slow at developing players and now we expect positive results for a position change for Davis and a rookie to come in and expect his versatility in college to automatically transfer to the NFL. In college most of these guys are some of the best athletes on the team,when they get to the NFL not so much. I don't see White as a first round safety let alone expect him to perform like a first round ILB. If we were to take him to play safety at 28 then the ok,maybe. If we select him at 28 thinking we can development him into a NFL starting caliber ILB ....not on board.

    Like I said if the draft doesn't fall our way and our top ILB prospects are off the board then safety might be the way to go but if LVE and especially Evans are there at 28 I'm not reaching for a safety convert to fill the ILB position. If we have to go safety first according to our board so be it we can address ILB later or in FA or both.....
     
  12. Diamond

    Diamond Well-Known Member

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    But LVE had only 9 less tackles this year than evans had in 4 years, LVE had 3 picks this year and evans had none, LVE had 4 sacks and evans had 6, production wise LVE had a far better year than evans plus LVE is a bigger backer with 6-4 height to reach up high and get those picks, LVE had 141 tot tackles this year compared to evans tot tackles 74, thats just off the charts.....
     
    Last edited: Feb 24, 2018
  13. mac daddyo

    mac daddyo Well-Known Member

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    I never said I wanted white in the first round. Evens on most boards isn't ranked as a top 28 pick either, nor is he as good as many are portraying him. It's about need and the position we are trying to fill. Evans may be OK at Vince's spot but he can't do near the things we need from shazier spot. That is going to take a different type of player. Many teams are going to the hybrid type SS/ILB types because of speed and coverage abilities. :cool:
     
  14. SteelCity_NB

    SteelCity_NB Staff Member Mod Team

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    Fantastic production. Can't argue that.

    But what kind of athlete is he?

    Do we need another Vince Williams? Or do we need more of a chase and run LB with good mobility.
     
  15. steelersrule6

    steelersrule6 Well-Known Member

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    Evans wasn't a fulltime starter in his career at Bama, he also played against much better competition than LVE.
     
  16. thesteeldeal

    thesteeldeal Well-Known Member

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    I'm not sure we can expect anyone to be able to do what Shazier can.....I've seen plenty of rankings and mocks where Evans doesn't get to us....if White is the guy we need do you advocate him being picked at 28. If not who do you like that can realistically step into Shaziers role....
     
  17. mac daddyo

    mac daddyo Well-Known Member

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    I think white may be there at our 2nd pick, maybe even 3rd if teams are looking at him as a typical SS only. I'm looking for guys that are near the 220 mark and can run in the 4.5's. Shazier wasn't much bigger than that when he first got here, but he was faster than that. His type of guy isn't very common so getting as close as we can may be all we can hope for this year. These SS types should be able to tackle the run but they also have much more experience in coverage. That's my thinking about it. We can put a few lbs. on these guys, shazier did. :cool:
     
    Last edited: Feb 25, 2018
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  18. Diamond

    Diamond Well-Known Member

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    So what, luke kuechly played in the ACC conference at BC and in his last year they only won 4 games, and if evans was just a backup at bama he might just be over rated.....
     
  19. Diamond

    Diamond Well-Known Member

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    He is athletic, has to be to put up the kind of stats he had during his college career, the combine will prove his athletic ability or not.....
     
  20. steelersrule6

    steelersrule6 Well-Known Member

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    The ACC is way better than the Mountain West Conference FYI, Bama is loaded with talent that's why Evans wasn't a fulltime starter.
     
  21. mac daddyo

    mac daddyo Well-Known Member

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    If he can't start at bama full time, what makes you think he can in the NFL? The NFL is way better than the SEC FYI.:cool:
     
  22. Trucked

    Trucked New Member

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    I like Darius Leonard.
     
  23. AskQuestionsLater

    AskQuestionsLater Writing Team

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    I concur with Elvis upon the combine. Seldom do athletes really stick out on tape. The combine is a much better measuring stick.


    Last one for me in terms of an inside linebacker was Jaylon Smith before the injury at the Fiesta Bowl.
     
  24. Wardismvp

    Wardismvp Well-Known Member

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    I have to disagree with your first comment, I really don't put to much faith in work out warriors

    that are playing in shorts. I want to see as much game tape as I can possibly see. And production from these game tapes.
     
    • Agree Agree x 2
  25. NY STEELERFAN

    NY STEELERFAN Well-Known Member

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    I agree with this, there are certain positions where measurable s come in handy and yes there drills that are helpful as well. I just don't put the combine as a part of my ranking process, I am all about the tape and what he does on the field. jmo

    As far as Vander Esch goes I am not sure if I would be happy with him in the first. The little tape I watched showed a guy with good coverage skills which is something we need in our ILB. It also showed him being around the ball and knocking it lose. The one thing that I didn't see was the strong hit, the moving the runner back. Defiantly a guy I want to see more on.
     

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