1. Hi Guest, Registrations are now open. See you on the inside.
    Dismiss Notice

Top ILBs in upcoming draft

Discussion in 'The Bill Nunn Draft Room' started by TarheelFlyer, Jun 20, 2018.

  1. Wardismvp

    Wardismvp Well-Known Member

    14,304
    2,167
    Oct 26, 2011
    A whole lot of talent in the Bayou. God given ability is a tough nut to crack.
    and other than Cali, Texas and Fla, Louisiana is the place where football players are.
     
  2. steelersrule6

    steelersrule6 Well-Known Member

    27,400
    6,622
    Nov 14, 2011
    If Pratt tests well, I think the Steelers need to consider him at #20. He could be a 3 down ILB for them.
     
  3. mac daddyo

    mac daddyo Well-Known Member

    27,702
    5,275
    Oct 22, 2011
    revamp the position. Pratt, fort, connelly, gilbert Add burns from fla.st. to the ol b spot. Dump vince , matakevich, bostic and dupree. Add speed to both units. :cool:
     
    Last edited: Feb 10, 2019
  4. NY STEELERFAN

    NY STEELERFAN Well-Known Member

    8,604
    1,333
    Dec 10, 2012
    Burns is a guy that hasn't gotten a bunch of talk here. I have seen his name a couple times but nothing hard core. If the draft does D heavy like some are saying guys like Burns, Ferguson and Z. Allen could be guys we look at. So much time and so much movement to come..........
     
  5. NY STEELERFAN

    NY STEELERFAN Well-Known Member

    8,604
    1,333
    Dec 10, 2012

    I have a question which games did you watch of Pratt? I just watched the Georgia St game and was not impressed. What I do is watch the film then go to the game stats, so I was shocked when I saw that he had 7 tkl 5 solo ad 1 sack. The sack he had came unblocked and almost missed the tackle. This is something I noticed all game, plays fast and out of control a lot. One play he dropped into coverage lost his guy then left his zone open for the QB to run right into. The center #50 ate his lunch all day, Pratt could not shed his blocks. He was able to beat him once in the 3rd. I need to watch more so was wondering which games you liked of him.
     
  6. NY STEELERFAN

    NY STEELERFAN Well-Known Member

    8,604
    1,333
    Dec 10, 2012
    One name that I would like to bring back up is Jordan Kunaszyk CAL. I was high on him during his bowl game in December and he didn't disappoint. I liked what I saw from him just forgot about him until now, could be a diamond in the rough, speed at the combine will make or break him as far as draft stock goes.
    https://www.sports-reference.com/cfb/players/jordan-kunaszyk-1/gamelog/2018


    Another name I came across while looking up Pratt was, Juwan Foggie, Charlotte. I am not sure if he is an OLB or an ILB, but he is a former WR turned LB and he lead the country in INT's by LB's. I have a feeling he isn't gonna get drafted so he is high on my FA list.

     
    • Like Like x 1
  7. Blast Furnace

    Blast Furnace Staff Member Mod Team

    41,499
    8,937
    Oct 16, 2011
    NC
    Georgia
    Clemson

    Plus the link to the film study I posted.

    Disagree with your film breakdown, especially #50 eating his lunch all day. His sack is typical of ILB, he worked his way around and showed good speed to get to the QB, he went long way to get that sack. Plus he had 2 or 3 other hurries on the QB, just missing the sack. He wasn't perfect but it's not a highlight reel.

    He only missed 5 tackles this year, down from 16 the previous season. So while he does tend to over pursue, he improved on it a lot and recovers very well as 5 missed tackles indicates.

    I see a guy with good closing speed that can play side line to side line, good in coverage and run defense. He had 104 tackles, 10 for a loss, couple FF's, 6 sacks and an interception.

    It's early in the process for me but this guy is on my A list so far.
     
    • Like Like x 2
  8. Jball

    Jball Well-Known Member

    3,762
    805
    Jan 1, 2012
    At #20? Or 2nd?
     
  9. NY STEELERFAN

    NY STEELERFAN Well-Known Member

    8,604
    1,333
    Dec 10, 2012

    Thanks I will check them out this is what's cool about threads like this. Everyone see's things a little different, I went back and watched that game after your post and I don't see it any different. I watched right up till his sack in the 3rd and I still saw the same things. Yeah he went a long way for the sack but he went around the left end untouched, sorry that don't impress me. And #50 owned him all day, in the first on the first TD it was like from the 7-8 yard line the OT came out and took Pratt out of the play allowing the RB to run around the end for a TD. This shows me he has a problem with shedding a block which is something I worry about with a ILB.

    Now onto the other pressures he had yes there were a few where he did come up the middle and run the RB over, I did see that and that was nice. However also in the 3rd he had a pressure coming up the middle untouched. He does play a lot of coverage and has what looks like the speed to go sideline to sideline. I will look at some of these other games that you said to see more.

    Hanks is also on my list and it will be interesting to watch him and see if he plays the same way as many here have talked about him too.
     
  10. Blast Furnace

    Blast Furnace Staff Member Mod Team

    41,499
    8,937
    Oct 16, 2011
    Yup, I don't do long drawn out back and forth anymore. I said my piece and disagree with your take. Not surprising, you and I rarely see eye to eye on prospects. :smiley1:

    I'm no expert, I gather information from several areas; my own film evaluation of course plus film breakdown and analysis by more knowledgable people and Combine results. For me, Combine is more of a final stamp of approval than an eliminator. There are certain tests and grades of each position that should be met, IMO. I also like to see how fluid they move in these tests. I'll be watching to see how Pratt performs during those.
     
  11. Blast Furnace

    Blast Furnace Staff Member Mod Team

    41,499
    8,937
    Oct 16, 2011
    Not sure yet and want to see how he performs at the Combine, too.

    I have a lot more players to look at still, so he may drop or rise accordingly.
     
  12. thesteeldeal

    thesteeldeal Well-Known Member

    13,841
    1,898
    Oct 18, 2011
  13. AskQuestionsLater

    AskQuestionsLater Writing Team

    21,265
    5,113
    Apr 21, 2016
  14. NY STEELERFAN

    NY STEELERFAN Well-Known Member

    8,604
    1,333
    Dec 10, 2012
    You can say that again about long back and forth's there are a few around here that don't know what an opinion is and think their's is the only one that matters. But anyways as far as you and I go we usually disagree on prospects but we usually do it open minded and bring up good points about them. :smiley1:

    I am not a Combine guy, I put a lot of stock in game film and bowl games. I by no means am saying that some drills and numbers aren't important but they aren't my drafting reasons. If a guys runs a nice 40 or something and I haven't watched him then I will look more into him. I too am no expert, heck man I am far from it I am just a fan. However this IS a message board and this is what we do here talk back and forth about different things. And for the most part it is usually done in a fair and knowledgeable way and I like many of the posters looks on different players. Sorry if this got to long ;)
     
    • Like Like x 1
  15. Steel_Elvis

    Steel_Elvis Staff Member Mod Team

    15,297
    4,320
    Nov 4, 2011
    After watching 4 games for Wilson, I think this evaluation is a bit rosy. He’s a solid player, but so far I’m not seeing a star LB. In 4 games I only saw him make a couple of big defensive plays. Other top LBs make a few key plays per game. To see what the hype was about I had to watch one of those annoying highlight videos with rap music backgrounds. Even watching that, the first 2 plays they showed were interceptions that he made off of passes tipped by a teammate. He showed good ball skills, but he wasn’t the real playmaker. The 3rd play was a tackle on a kickoff return. That said, he’s a tough player to evaluate because his front line dominated pretty frequently, so he often didn’t have to do much.

    The good: He’s at his best playing in coverage, and that will translate well to the NFL. He definitely won’t have to come off the field on 3rd down. He shows the ability to play in both man and zone, and clearly understands route combination concepts. Also, as noted in the article he doesn’t get fooled. He seems to have a high football IQ.

    The bad: The article said that he gets off of blocks easily. I saw the opposite. He benefited from a strong D line, and still had difficulty getting to the ballcarrier way too often. He’s an adequate, not good, tackler. While he’s very solid in coverage, he didn’t offer much at all as a blitzer in the games I watched. To me that means that he’s a bit less impactful on 3rd down. I contrast that with Devin Bush who offers less in coverage, but is a fantastic pass rusher from the LB position.

    Is Wilson worth a 1st rounder? Maybe. I see him as borderline. A player in the 30-50 overall range. He brings value by being a true 3 down LB, but I think he’s just “good” on all 3 downs, not “great.” That’s my take so far.
     
    • Like Like x 1
  16. mac daddyo

    mac daddyo Well-Known Member

    27,702
    5,275
    Oct 22, 2011
    I think Bush also benefited from a strong front. Similar to Wilson so these guys are hard to evaluate. I do like Wisconsin's boys. Connelly is undervalued I believe. If Edwards was faster he would be a great pick. Both of these guys can play the position and have been consistent for a few years. Just good, smart college football players. Will it translate is the question. If it were up to me, I would bring fort back and grab two minimum in this draft.:cool:
     
  17. steelersrule6

    steelersrule6 Well-Known Member

    27,400
    6,622
    Nov 14, 2011
    That's why they have a mute button for those highlight videos :shrug:
     
    • Like Like x 1
  18. AskQuestionsLater

    AskQuestionsLater Writing Team

    21,265
    5,113
    Apr 21, 2016
    The more I see Mack Wilson, the more I wonder if he is a top 32 player or top 50 overall. Something is not right within watching some of the tape. While I do not believe his success are the result of those great Alabama Defensive Lineman, the fact of the matter is he seems more adept at being deployed in coverage than having an all around skill set.



    While I do believe he will hear his name called on Day 1 of the draft, I do not see a top 20 prospect in Mack Wilson. There are too many unanswered questions with his athletic abilities alone. Add the fact he lost his playcalling duties to a sophomore and that increases the concerns even more.



    To say he NEEDS to have a great combine in it of itself is an understatement if he wants to be considered a top 20 prospect. He must have a great one. Here is something else to consider. These points are as follows:



    - This season, 337 prospects will coverge in Indy for the combine. There are plenty more prospects that will enter the combine. For the sake of keeping things simple, let us just use this figure for the time being.


    - On draft day, accounting for the compensatory picks, up to 256 will be selected (keep in mind I am using the total number of selections from 2018 for reference as compensatory picks have not been announced yet).


    - Of those 256, only 12.5% of those prospects are warranted a first round selection by the NFL Draft Advisory Board. Of those 32, only 20 will be will given a top 20 selection by the same board. While being one of 32 to be given such a high grade is nice, here is a more gruesome way of putting this process into context:



    **** Up to the 256 approximate prospects that will hear their name during the NFL Draft, only 7.8% of them will hear their name within the first 20 picks. ****



    In short?! It is unthinkably, colossaly difficult to be a top 20 pick; regardless of circumstances. Those players are usually the cream of the crop in their class; some even capable of having transcending effects within their position. They MUST be what we call "Day One Impact Players".
     
  19. Steel_Elvis

    Steel_Elvis Staff Member Mod Team

    15,297
    4,320
    Nov 4, 2011
    Yep, that’s what I do. However, I also find that if I have to watch a highlight video to see what the hype over a player is all about because there was nothing noteworthy in 3 or 4 games, it’s not a good sign. The highlight films don’t show jack about a player.
     
    • Winner Winner x 1
  20. Steel_Elvis

    Steel_Elvis Staff Member Mod Team

    15,297
    4,320
    Nov 4, 2011
    I don’t think Bush is hard to evaluate. If he were 6’1” 240 and did everything else exactly the same, he’d be a Top 10 pick all day. The problem is that he’s 5’11” and maybe 225-230. He’s still a great player, but being 5’11” will sometimes limit him. I can distinctly remember a screen pass that he broke up by stepping into the passing lane and tipping it away off his fingertips. It was an incomplete pass, but if he were 2 inches taller it’s maybe a pick 6.

    Bush reminds me of Tyrann Mathieu. They play different positions, but they are both undersized and we’re doubted at draft time because of their size even though the evidence of their ability and IQ as football players consistently shows up on tape.
     
  21. mac daddyo

    mac daddyo Well-Known Member

    27,702
    5,275
    Oct 22, 2011
    he's more of Michigan's slower version of peppers. I just meant with the players in front of him they kept him clean to run free a lot. I have seen a lot of this kid living in big 10 country. Not sold on him at 20.:cool:
     
  22. SteelCity_NB

    SteelCity_NB Staff Member Mod Team

    5,418
    684
    Oct 23, 2011
    Still working on my top 32 but I don't foresee Wilson or Bush making it. I think they are both 2nd round guys.
     
  23. mac daddyo

    mac daddyo Well-Known Member

    27,702
    5,275
    Oct 22, 2011
    His soph year Bush had 94 tackles but only 35 were solo stops. Last year he dropped to the 70's. Exposed against better teams. Just not sure he's the answer we are looking for, and not at 20. :cool:
     
  24. mac daddyo

    mac daddyo Well-Known Member

    27,702
    5,275
    Oct 22, 2011
    I would love to see Edwards run a 4.7 or below at the combine. Connelly a sub 4.7 too. Great instincts with these two. The numbers on these guys reflect that. They make plays consistently. Solo stops and for Edwards speed makes a lot of plays in the pass defense game. Just two good linebackers. Would help a team tremendously. We need that help. :cool:
     
    Last edited: Feb 15, 2019
    • Agree Agree x 1
  25. SteelCity_NB

    SteelCity_NB Staff Member Mod Team

    5,418
    684
    Oct 23, 2011
    My top 5 ILB

    1. Devin White LSU
    2. Germain Pratt NC state
    3. Mack Wilson Alabama
    4. Devin Bush Michigan
    5. Tre Lamar Clemson

    I think White is the best overall ILB. He's nowhere near what Roquan Smith was last year though but I think he is really good at everything. I think he is a Top 15 guy.

    I'm going Pratt #2. Many may disagree (although I do sense alot of support for Pratt on this board. Smart people), but his size and athleticism shows on tape. I think he is also the strongest linebacker. Everyone he hits go backwards. It's tough to judge, but he might be the fastest ILB too. He comes down into the hole sometimes like a safety. Highly productive.

    Great Clemson tape. Saw the Wake game which was good and Notre Dame from last year. If anyone has this year's Syracuse tape I'd love to see that. Think he had 14 solo tackles with 2.5 sacks.

    I also read this guy clocked in at 4.55 forty time earlier this year. If that's even remotely close, 1st round lock. I have him as a Top 30 guy.

    I like the fact Mack Wilson has 6 career INTs. He's a really good coverage LB. I think he benefitted from the Bama Dline. Don't like him much in the run game. Always tries to dance around linemen but I'm not sure if he has the athleticism to do so. Top 40.

    I'm not seeing the Bush 1st round hype. He's short. He doesn't have the athleticism that a 230 LB should have. Questionable range. Does attack downhill pretty good though. Top 50.

    I've seen some Lamar tape but not enough for a final projection yet. He's on the outside looking in. He has the siE and athleticism to be a factor. He had great production too. Probably also benefitted from the Clemson front. Is he more athletic than both Wilson and Bush? I think he is but I will need to see him at the combine. He could turn out to be my #3 ILB but I'm just not sure yet.
     

Share This Page

Welcome to the ultimate resource for Steelers fans. Sign Up Here!