6 OLB Prospects Reviewed

With the prospect of losing Worilds and possibly cutting Woodley after June 1, I decided to watch some early round 3-4 OLB candidates. Here are my rankings of the guys that I watched. Note that I did not spend time on Clowney or Mack since they are almost certainly top 5 picks. I had watched a couple of Mack games a month or two ago, and he’s 100% the real deal, and would rank 1[SUP]st[/SUP] on this list.

1. Jeremiah Attaochu – GA Tech – Some will call me crazy, but I think he’s the next best 3-4 OLB prospect after Mack. When I watch him play, I’m reminded of a young Terrell Suggs. I found very little film showing him dropping into coverage. He basically only did it a few times per game at most. However, he attacks the line of scrimmage with a great combination of upper/lower body strength, quickness and non-stop relentlessness. I honestly think he’s a 10+ sack/year guy in the NFL if he goes to a 3-4 team. He also holds up very well against the run. I also like that he never takes a play off. Every play is flat out. Right now I am seeing him projected in the 3[SUP]rd[/SUP] round. I strongly doubt that he will be there at our 2[SUP]nd[/SUP] round pick. Look for him to rise between now and May. Honestly, if we lose Worilds I would have no problem taking Attaochu at #15. I think he’s that good.

2. Marcus Smith – Louisville – I like Smith a lot as well. He’s a bit faster and maybe a tad bit less powerful than Attaochu, but he plays with the same level of intensity attacking the line of scrimmage. He also drops back into coverage fairly smoothly, and shows a fair bit of versatility. He is particularly good at forcing fumbles, and I got see him in person back in October when he racked up 2.5 sacks and a critical forced fumble against my UCONN Huskies. This is a good player, and I think it’s possible that he’s there for us in the 2[SUP]nd[/SUP], but I wouldn’t mind taking him late in the 1[SUP]st[/SUP] if we trade down.

3. Anthony Barr – UCLA – I know he’s projected really high right now, but I think there’s a good chance that he is still available when pick #15 rolls around. His ceiling is high, but he has a long road ahead of him to reach that ceiling. He shows exceptional quickness and range, and makes some awesome splash plays. However, if he is not able to get past a lineman in the first ½ second, he’s done. He needs to get much stronger in the upper body, and needs to learn how to use his hands to disengage. Right now, his game almost pure speed. I wouldn’t be disappointed if we take him at #15 because of his long-run potential, but if that happens I would expect a redshirt year in 2014.

4. Kyle Van Noy – BYU – While I still think he would ultimately be best as an ILB in our scheme, he does offer great scheme and positional versatility, along with great football savvy and instincts. I love him in pass coverage compared to all of the other potential OLBs. He’s a very good overall player and has a great nose for the football. Now if we can just teach him how to tackle! I would be good with him at pick #46, and I do think he’ll make it there. I don’t see teams jumping all over him in the 1[SUP]st[/SUP] or early 2[SUP]nd[/SUP].

5. Dee Ford – Auburn – I am seeing Ford projected as a lower 1[SUP]st[/SUP] rounder. I don’t see that at all. He’s a very dangerous speed rusher, but that’s pretty much all I see in him on film. He’ll work inside a bit, with very mixed success, but he will make his living racing tackles to the edge. I think he is one of a few OLBs worth a look at pick #46, but he wouldn’t be on my radar any earlier than that. If someone wants him earlier, great. That just means it’s more likely that a better player lands in our laps later.

6. Jackson Jeffcoat – Texas – Jeffcoat has put up great career numbers. On film I see a really good college player, but not quite a great prospect. He checks all of the boxes for a 3-4 OLB, but to my eyes he just barely checks each one. I guess I see a guy who should be a decent pro, but may be just a bit too weak, and lack just enough quickness, to be a really good pro. To me he looks like a guy who can be an OK starter, but would leave us wanting a bit more. However, it’s close enough so that I would be pretty good with him at our (assumed) 3[SUP]rd[/SUP] round comp pick if he’s there.

That’s it for now.

 

Nope. There's no way that I trust Woodley to play in 16 games, or to be anywhere near as effective as he was over his first 4 1/2 seasons if he does play. If we don't resign Worilds, we are in dire need of something more than we have on the outside. I will also say that my confidence in JJ becoming something special is not terribly high. I'm hopeful that he will, but not ready to bet our ability to rush the passer on him. Everything we do on pass defense is dependent upon our OLBs winning their match ups. I'd rather have 3 quality pass rushers than 1, so I'd err on the side of taking someone good. Honestly, I might go there even if we keep Worilds and let Woodley go.

Here's my thought on restocking the defense: we are going to need a handful of new players, some of them starters this year, many to be starters next year. The two most expensive defensive positions to fill in free agency are corner and OLB, because corners and pass rushers come at a premium price. Therefore, those are the positions that I target most aggressively in the draft, and try to fill in at least 1 or 2 other needs (S, ILB, D line) in free agency.

 

Shaun Phillips? Anthony Spencer? Both guys are probably in the mix for 1 year deals. I think having a rent-a-rusher strategy for 1 year while young guys develop is OK.

 

There's some serious hopes and maybes in there, Mac. I don't think we can wait another year on hopes and maybes.

 

You can make arguments like that for any position group, any year. And you know what? The VAST majority of the time there's a really good reason why guys entering the 3rd - 5th seasons with limited playing time and production don't make it. Westerman has shown some potential, but he has also been cast off by FOUR teams in his brief career. He may be a serviceable 4th OLB, but I think even expecting that is pretty borderline. I mean, the Jets didn't like him and it's not like they have barn burners at OLB. Carter and So'oto... come on.

 

No Mac, that's not what I was saying.... but OK, let's have this different conversation instead. Of course the team needs to bring in a bunch of unproven players every season. You need numbers in training camp. You need practice squad players during the season. And you need to restock the practice squad on a regular basis when you've seen a guy enough to know he's not going to work out, and you replace him. Occasionally you're going to stumble upon a diamond in the rough. Every team does. However, you don't base your talent replenishment strategy on hoping that someone who hasn't gotten it in 2-4 years suddenly gets it. You especially don't do that at a position that is as critical to the team as OLB is to us.

 

My point is pretty simple: The OLB is the key to our defense. When we have had OLBs that consistently pressure opposing QBs, our defense has flourished. When we haven't, our defense has had problems. The success of our coverage has always been driven by pressure up front. The success of our ILB, safety and corner blitzes has been driven by the other teams having to roll protection toward our OLBs. The position is always a need unless we have 2 solid starters ready to go for the upcoming season. Even then, we'd better be sure that the next guy up is solid as well. The group of players that you've mentioned provides nowhere near enough certainty of production to take OLB out of the picture in the early rounds of the draft. Yes, sometimes these kinds of guys work out in the long run, but the probability is not high enough to say that OLB is not a position of need. The front office needs to make absolutely sure that they give DL the tools he needs to get pressure. If some of the guys you've mentioned DO work out, even better. At a position like OLB, I would rather have the cupboard overflowing than bare.

Right now every single OLB that we have (including Worilds until free agency opens up) come with question marks. We can trot a bunch of different players out there and it won't matter unless 2 of them are difference makers.

 

That's what I'm thinking as well. Shaun Phillips played for Denver last season under a 1 year/1.4 million contract after having a 9.5 sack season the previous year in San Diego. John Abraham signed a 2 year/4.6 million dollar contract with Arizona last year. $3 million of that was his 2014 salary, so the deal was essentially zero risk for the Cards. Rentals are available.

Also, Worilds himself may be a rental option. I find it hard to believe that someone is going to look at his resume and injury history and shell out a ton of guaranteed dollars. If he doesn't like what he's seeing for long-term offers, a 1 year, $3-4 million fully guaranteed deal to play one more year as the starter in a system he knows could be his best path to securing a lucrative long-term deal in 2015.

 

I was thinking the same thing with the Oline.

Oh no I didnt!

Sorry Mac, just kidding