lee909

Both reports make for nice reading

Nationalfootballpost


CHASE THOMAS OLB, Stanford

2013 Grade: 7.2 I HT: 6-4 WT: 248

STRENGTHS - An under-rated athlete, Thomas has the skills to produce rushing the passer, chasing down ball carriers and in pass coverage. Aggressive rushing the passer and with a variety of pass rush moves, Thomas has consistently displayed the ability to defeat the OT to pressure the QB. Once he defeats pass blocker he has an explosive closing burst to the QB. Naturally instinctive and technically sound, Thomas does an excellent job of carrying out his responsibility on every play. He does not get fooled by miss-direction/trick plays. On running plays away he consistently makes sure the play is going away and then crashes down the line to track down the play in pursuit. He consistently maintains outside contain responsibility on outside runs to his side of the field, is able to defeat blocker and makes tackle or forces play back inside so teammates can make the play. Unlike many productive pass rushers, Thomas is consistently productive playing off the ball in pass coverage.

WEAKNESSES - The only real knocks on Thomas are that he lacks premier first step explosiveness to be an elite speed rusher and is not a top level athlete. He will likely be downgraded by some teams because his lack of great athleticism and Combine testing numbers will concern them.

SUMMARY - When I was evaluating Andrew Luck in 2011, Chase Thomas constantly jumped off the film when the Stanford defense was on the field and his play has only gotten better this season. While not the 265 pound OLB that has become popular in many 34 defenses, Thomas is more than strong enough to be a force against run blocks and productive as a "bull rusher." His consistent ability to play with great intensity and aggressiveness on every snap enables him to constantly fight through blockers to make plays all over the field. Overall, I doubt that Thomas is going to be drafted as highly as I have him rated, but I have little doubt that he will become a highly productive starting outside linebacker in a 34 scheme. He reminds me of a more athletic version of the Ravens Paul Kruger and I believe he will be a better player than him. In addition, with his playing mentality he will also likely make an immediate impact playing on special teams.



KEVIN REDDICK ILB, North Carolina

2013 Grade: 4.5 M HT: 6-3 WT: 240

STRENGTHS - Reddick is a well built kid that uses his frame well when taking on blockers and using proper leverage to maintain position. He shows great consistency against both the run and the pass with being assignment sound. He has the speed to play sideline to sideline and chase ball carriers down from behind. He shows a nice closing burst when making the tackle and is extremely violent when delivering the hit. He is an above average athlete that is fluid when asked to drop into coverage.

WEAKNESSES - Although he is a solid player, he rarely makes the wow plays that help change games. Instinctually he is limited and gets caught off guard on misdirection and play action, which is when he gets out of position. He struggles to use his hands and will lean on blockers which makes it hard for him to disengage. In coverage he struggles to get proper depth even though he has the speed to drop back and allows TEs to get the seam on him. His more of a straight line player.

SUMMARY - Kevin Reddick has been a key cog to the Tar Heel defense and is one of the more consistent performers. He has the speed and athleticism to develop into a quality starter but will struggle to be a true difference maker on the field. Many of his tackles are clean up plays which helps pad his stats a bit and will need to primarily work out of a 34 set in the NFL. His athletic skills make him a viable player against the run and the pass due to working well in space and chasing down the ball. He will need to improve his hand usage to better get off blocks and be more effective in the run game. As a senior he got off to a slow start but each game he did improve but with his experience, having been an immediate player right out of high school, tends to be a bit of a red flag. He should have had a big senior season instead of easing into it. Overall, Reddick will make a great pick up at the top of the fourth round and be an immediate success on special teams while adding quality depth. He looks as if he will need a season or two to improve on his technique before eventually make his way into the starting line up which keeps him out of the top 3 rounds.

"Two receivers to the left, Garcon to the right. Manning in the shotgun, puts Collie in motion. Looks in his direction...it's picked off! It's picked off! It's Tracy Porter again! He's runnin' free! He's gonna go all the way!

TwistedTiger

Both sound like quality FA pick ups. ESPN lists Reddick as the top UDFA.

TheOak

Only 5 draft picks and still picked up Noah's Ark.

With out trading down.

hagan714

my ark has a few empty stalls in it

TheOak

Great to know. Because we can only have 53 and can afford only 5-6 more.


4 mil in cap space
6x league min 405K = 2.4M

We start the season with 1.6M in cap.

alleycat_126

Kevin Redick and Chase Thomas ( and 3 more)

Crusader

WOW! Guy looks like a hitter. And seems to have decent hands too. Of course, everybody looks good on a highlight.

hagan714

thats after the party is over. till then it's a freaking open house party till ya drop.

saintsfan1976

What Payton does in late rounds and UDFA is more exciting to me than rounds 1 & 2.

I am thrilled to see guys like this coming to compete.

lee909