hagan714

Inside Linebacker
Cover 2: very good foot speed, agility, may lack ideal bulk.
Two-down run stuffers: size and strength (point of attack)
Every-down player: smarts, great instincts, strong intangibles and high character .

1. Patrick Willis - 6011, 237, 4.37, Ole Miss

One of the most prolific tacklers in recent memory during his time in the SEC, is a quiet, confident leader has everything it takes to become a star. Willis is a tackling machine. He has amazing intelligence and can read and react with the best of them. Willis has an unbelievable awareness on the field that allows him to read and react to fill the holes against the run or drop into coverage. He has good speed and quickness with the range to go sideline-to-sideline. When he get there he is a big hitter and reliable tackler. He is rarely out of position and doesn't often fall victim to play fakes and misdirection. He gets good depth on his drops and has good instincts and takes proper angles to the receiver, creating more than a few pass breakups by nailing an opposing receiver as the ball arrives. Once again a strong and powerful intimadator in the middle. Versatile and could conceivably play either inside or outside. Good pass rusher on blitzes. Hard worker and a leader with top-notch intangibles. Willis is a leader on and off the field--a true character guy that a coach and team would love to have wearing their team's jersey.

Willis relies heavily on his ability to read the action to get into position to make the play and doesn't have the athleticism of some other LBs to improvise when necessary. He is adequate in coverage but nothing special and he can still stand to improve in that area. He needs to make better use of his hands to avoid cut blocks and lacks ideal lateral quickness and has a tendency to takes a few false steps to the ball after the snap. Needs to bulk up and get a little bigger. Plays too high at times and gets overwhelmed by massive blockers. Has some durability concerns.

Willis is a terrific defender who brings an emotional presence to the field and a true character guy that a coach and team would love to have wearing their team's jersey. Simply one of the best linebackers available this year.
He soared 39 inches in the vertical jump and ran the 40 in 4.51 seconds at the combine

2. Anthony Waters - 6025, 245, 4.69, Clemson

Big time ACC middle linebacker, who has the toughness and anticipation skills to snuff out the run and the overall speed and athletic ability to excel in coverage. Posted 109 tackles last season and has collected a total of 214 during his career. Also flirted with the idea of leaving Clemson after his junior year, but decided another season at Clemson would help his draft stock.
Natural at LB: Smart, great size, bulk, excellent instincts, reliable tackler and a big hitter. He fights through blocks well and has solid range. Versatile and a decent pass rusher. Good motor.

Average timed speed and agility. Solid but not great in coverage and will struggle in man situations. Doesn't have fluid hips, sub par hands and ball skills. Technique needs refining. Some minor character concerns.

One loose end: Some on you may remember Clemson ILB Anthony Waters. He suffered a very serious ACL injury early last season, and he hasn't been able to even begin working out; at least at this time. The reason that I mention him is that one of the scouts who knows him well, and who had been very high on his prospects told me that Anthony is the "kind of kid that you want to pull for". He "had practically nothing" in terms of things available as he was growing up, and he had made great progress with his life when he went down with his injury. He will be doing some pre-draft workouts in March, hoping that he'll be able to show enough to convince someone to take a chance on him. His situation bears watching.

Waters will be a Round 7 or undrafted player. Potential steal.
Due to injury, Waters was unable to attend the Combine or work out at Clemson's Pro Day on March 13. Although still not 100 percent, he had a personal workout at Clemson on April 3, running outdoors on FieldTurf. Twenty NFL teams were represented. Waters (238 pounds) ran the 40-yard dash in 4.69. He also had a 34½-inch vertical jump. He didn't so the long jump or any other sprints but did well in position drills.

3. David Harris - 6022, 243, 4.55, Michigan

Harris absolutely defines the term "football player". Will not dazzle you, but comes to work everyday and tackles everything in sight. A classic, old-fashioned, run-stuffing middle linebacker. Has good size and a thick, solid frame to go with an excellent motor that never stops. He is smart with good instincts for the game. Terrific natural instincts and being especially adept at making the right reads. Diagnosing the play quickly, making the proper pre-snap read and then keeping the defenders around him in the right place. Harris does not get out of position on misdirection plays. He excels versus the run and reacts well. Has a "search and destroy" attitude. Lays the wood. Excellent tackler. Plays faster than he times. Has showcased impressive pass rush abilities. Is able to constantly shed blocks and get to the ball. He brings intangibles to the position and will be a good character player for the locker room.

Harris has short arms and his body might be maxed out. Struggles in space and looks stiff in coverage. Not much of a pass rusher and doesn't make a lot of impact plays. He is better in zone than man-to-man when it comes to sticking to most running backs or tight ends in man coverage, but he has the type of work ethic and dedication to improve as a pass defender over time. Has some durability issues. Does not possess elite intangibles. Overall upside is limited.

He can be productive playing the middle in a base 4-3 system or even inside linebacker in a 3-4 scheme. Classic thumper in the middle who might be more of a backup or situational guy at the next level but he is a field general with outstanding intangibles.
***Harris had knee surgery in 2003 (left anterior cruciate ligament) and re-injured the knee in 2004 before fighting back to become a steady stopper over the past two seasons.

4. *Jon Beason - 6002, 237, 4.72, Miami (OLB/ILB)

An all-out hustler, Beason used an ideal combination of speed, smarts and natural instincts to become one of the best defensive playmakers in the ACC. A hard-hitting, firm tackler at the point of attack, Beason is able to diagnose the play quickly and weave his way through blockers to penetrate the line of scrimmage. Is not afraid to take on blockers. Uses his quickness to get around the big boys. He can carry between 230 and 235 pounds without losing a step and brings great character and intangibles to the field. Not only can he have an impact on a defense with his level of play, but he'll make others play harder if not better. Good pass defender. Smart player

The biggest concern will probably be his size. His speed is a quesion for some. Easily gets lost in the pile. He can be engulfed by the pile at times because he lacks great bulk to sustain his ground when faced with some lead blockers. He can also be a little too aggressive at times, leaving backs or tight ends open.

He may project as an inside linebacker for a team that uses its defensive linemen to keep its linebackers clean to make plays sideline-to-sideline, thus taking advantage of Beason's athleticism and minimizing problems related to his lack of height. While he may not be the second-coming of Jonathan Vilma, he is just a notch below that with the ability to play either inside or outside based on the scheme employed by the team that selects him.

5. *Brandon Siler - 6016, 241, 4.63, Florida

Brandon Siler has been a steadying force as a MLB since his true freshman year when he played in all 12 games and started 6 of them. He is all business when it comes to football. Siler has great size and a football body. He's naturally strong and fast, and shows good quickness and agility. Plays with a nasty demeanor so he is a hard hitter and has the speed to make plays sideline to sidelines as well as being a good blitzer, getting through lanes quickly.A big hitter and reliable tackler. He does a nice job versus the run showed the ability to fill and takes on blockers well. He plays with a low pad level and is outstanding against the run. His has smarts and great instincts to over come not being an an elite athlete. He is a tremendous read and react player and makes all the playcalls on the field. A lot of experience.

Siler doesn't inspire much confidence in his pass coverage. In coverage he lacks fluid hips resulting in him struggling in coverage and his ball skills are sub par. While he has the quickness and agility to run with the receivers, he doesn't show good footwork or ball skills. Ball skills are sub par. While Siler shows good tackling ability, at times he will try to make a big hit or just drag a guy down with his arms and will miss the tackle. He is not very explosive and lacks a burst so he does have limited range. Siler is better at avoiding rather than engaging or shedding blockers. He may not have a huge upside. A two down thumper.

Siler has starting potential but will be held back by marginal physical tools and he'll likely have to play in a scheme that hides his coverage deficiencies. A very good college player who might not be the pro prospect his press clippings would lead you to believe
He ran the short shuttle in 4.39 seconds and the three-cone drill in 7.70 seconds. He measured a 9-foot-8 broad jump and completed 23 repetitions on the 225-pound bench press.