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Bench Warmer
By Vic Carucci
National Editor, NFL.com
(March 26, 2007) -- One man's ranking of the top five outside linebackers in the NFL draft:
1. Paul Posluszny, Penn State
Positives: Outstanding speed, athleticism, and explosiveness. ... Shows superb instincts. ... Does an excellent job of diagnosing plays and reacting to them. ... Plays with good leverage. ... Exceptionally strong tackler. ... Can cover running backs and tight ends one-on-one.
Negatives: Not many, although he sometimes struggles to get through traffic.
2. Lawrence Timmons, Florida State (Underclassman)
Positives: Athleticism and speed. ... Delivers hard hits. ... Maintains ground well against blocking fullbacks and offensive linemen. ... Does a nice job of chasing down ballcarriers from behind. ... Outstanding pass-coverage skills.
Negatives: Needs to work at using his hands better to separate from blockers. ... Could stand some improvement in tackling technique.
3. Jon Beason, Miami (Underclassman)
Positives: Athleticism and speed. ... Plays with aggressiveness. ... Does a good job of chasing down ball carriers from the back side. ... Able to work his way through a crowd. ... Gives top effort on every play. ... Can make an immediate impact on special teams.
Negatives: Tends to be too aggressive in reacting to play fakes. ... Needs to work on pass-coverage skills.
4. Rufus Alexander, Oklahoma
Positives: Athleticism and speed. ... Hard hitter. ... Does a solid job in covering running backs and tight ends one-on-one. ... Excels at anticipating the correct play and avoids biting on play fakes and misdirection plays. ... Can make an immediate impact on special teams.
Negatives: At barely over 6 feet, isn't particularly tall. ... Needs to learn to play with greater leverage. ... Must develop some pass-rush moves.
5. Stewart Bradley, Nebraska
Positives: Exceptional athleticism and speed for his 6-3-plus, 258-pound frame. ... Hard hitter. ... Makes good use of hands to gain separation in one-on-one blocks. ... Versatility; could play in a 3-4 or 4-3 scheme. ... Competitiveness.
Negatives: Sometimes has problems moving through traffic. ... Durability; suffered a major knee injury in October 2005.
National Editor, NFL.com
(March 26, 2007) -- One man's ranking of the top five outside linebackers in the NFL draft:
1. Paul Posluszny, Penn State
Positives: Outstanding speed, athleticism, and explosiveness. ... Shows superb instincts. ... Does an excellent job of diagnosing plays and reacting to them. ... Plays with good leverage. ... Exceptionally strong tackler. ... Can cover running backs and tight ends one-on-one.
Negatives: Not many, although he sometimes struggles to get through traffic.
2. Lawrence Timmons, Florida State (Underclassman)
Positives: Athleticism and speed. ... Delivers hard hits. ... Maintains ground well against blocking fullbacks and offensive linemen. ... Does a nice job of chasing down ballcarriers from behind. ... Outstanding pass-coverage skills.
Negatives: Needs to work at using his hands better to separate from blockers. ... Could stand some improvement in tackling technique.
3. Jon Beason, Miami (Underclassman)
Positives: Athleticism and speed. ... Plays with aggressiveness. ... Does a good job of chasing down ball carriers from the back side. ... Able to work his way through a crowd. ... Gives top effort on every play. ... Can make an immediate impact on special teams.
Negatives: Tends to be too aggressive in reacting to play fakes. ... Needs to work on pass-coverage skills.
4. Rufus Alexander, Oklahoma
Positives: Athleticism and speed. ... Hard hitter. ... Does a solid job in covering running backs and tight ends one-on-one. ... Excels at anticipating the correct play and avoids biting on play fakes and misdirection plays. ... Can make an immediate impact on special teams.
Negatives: At barely over 6 feet, isn't particularly tall. ... Needs to learn to play with greater leverage. ... Must develop some pass-rush moves.
5. Stewart Bradley, Nebraska
Positives: Exceptional athleticism and speed for his 6-3-plus, 258-pound frame. ... Hard hitter. ... Makes good use of hands to gain separation in one-on-one blocks. ... Versatility; could play in a 3-4 or 4-3 scheme. ... Competitiveness.
Negatives: Sometimes has problems moving through traffic. ... Durability; suffered a major knee injury in October 2005.
