Inside Linebacker

I like this kid...

www.cbssports.com/nfl/draft/nfl-draft-scout/24372937/top-prospect-of-week-15-connecticut-lb-yawin-smallwood

I'm starting to really like Christian Jones from FSU. Looks like he could be had in the 3rd or 4th.



www.cbssports.com/nfl/draft/players/1737228/christian-jones

He reminds me a little of Keenan Robinson, who showed well in his limited opportunities before injury. He played defensive end for them this year, at least for a part of the year, so he might have some versatility as well.

At DE he was very quick off the snap, but didn't show much in the way of technique or power once he engaged a blocker. I guess that shouldn't be surprising for a guy who never played the position before, and he didn't embarrass himself. He got some pressure, and often had his man off-balance, but lacked counter moves to take advantage of that. In the end he had trouble getting home fast enough to actually get the sack, but did make his presence felt. He also dropped out a lot into zones, which helped confuse offenses. So, not an ideal fit at DE, but his willingness to do what the team needed and the raw physical tools it showcased are interesting. He needs some work technique wise, as he isn't very good at using his hands and length to shed blockers, but he has a ton of upside.

He's probably not a guy who you could depend on to be an immediate starter at ILB due to the need to learn a new role, but he could develop into a good one down the road and has skills that would be useful situationally until that point, as well as probably being a decent STs guy.

That's great insight and agrees with a lot of the conclusions I've made from researching him. Though I need to look at some other names that will also be around in the 3rd round. I think the 3rd round is a great place to get our next ILB. I'd rather our 2nd be spent on DL or a big DB with talent. I think we can try to bring Barnett back as a Vet and Riley. Then have guys like Keenan Robinson and Will Compton fighting for playing time. Will Compton played well in preseason last year, was with our PS all year until getting promoted at the end of the season.

Was very impressed with Skov's aggression, anticipation and angles. His speed is not where you'd like it to be, but could definitely handle the physicality.

I thought Smallwood was very late in his reaction and missed a few tackles.

Borland actually didn;t show as much anticipation as I recalled and had a few tackles broken too.

Jones struggles mightily in space. FSU moved him from inside to outside. He can run with almost anybody but don't ask him to do as much coverage. Sounds to me like more of an OLB similar to Ahmad Brooks.

He's a DE. Doesn't have the agility (ability to change direction) to play up. 3rd down specialist IMHO.

SMith will play safety in the NFL if he was ever a starter. Otherwise just a nickel backer/special teams guy.

Ryan Shazier just ran a 4.36 40 at his pro day. I had a feeling he was going to run fast after watching him on tape. That might shake things up a little bit.

Here I see him stepping into Riley's role. We have the OLB positions locked down, but obviously we don't have much going for us at ILB. I don't think he's quite heady enough to call the plays, at least not as a rookie, but he could do well in the role Riley played last year, which frees him up a bit more from the mental aspect. He would be an excellent addition to the defense I think, allowing coaches to be more creative with the blitz package. I think he would be particularly effective on the delayed inside blitz, as he is really sudden and can get home in a hurry once he makes his break which is something we have not had at that position in a long time. Since the early Lavar years really.

He's only 2 lbs lighter than Perry Riley was at the combine at the same height. He also said he felt he could add about 10 lbs pretty easily if asked. I don't see the weight as an issue.

Probably true on the draft position side. When it comes to his role though, I think the idea of bringing Riley back is that he could step over to the role Fletcher filled due to his experience. That is if the idea was to draft someone rather than pick someone up in free agency. If the idea was to pick someone up in FA, I think it would be a veteran player who could man the signal caller spot, which would free a rookie up to play another one.

In the end it is probably a moot point. But if Shazier is up, it means someone else is down, and it's not too often that two ILB prospects go in round one so that could put us in a good position to get a guy who can help.

Shazier is not bad in coverage. He's certainly got the speed to hang with guys, and as far as LBs go, he's not too bad.