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One scout's take

Sporting News, The, Oct 11, 2004

Mark Dominik, the Bucs' director of pro personnel, analyzes the top defensive players at diagnosing plays:

Who's the best? That's easy: Ray Lewis. He's got such anticipation. He's such a focused player, not only on the quarterback but also on the center and guards. Ray's got just a great feel for where the ball is, and he gets himself in position to make a play. Gosh, he's just everywhere. It's just something he has inside--instincts you want to find in every player. And he's got 'era to the tens.

He usually doesn't see the ballcarrier because he's not a tall linebacker. But even if he doesn't see the ballcarrier, it's almost like he knows exactly which lane that carrier is going to and whether he's going to cut back or bounce the play outside. He's got deceptive speed, so he can get out and make plays just about anywhere on the field.

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Generally, you're going to go with linebackers as the best at diagnosing because they're the ones in the best position to see the play. I think Derrick Brooks is still a top five guy who can read and react quickly. AI Wilson has that, too. They know exactly what their speed is and what their ability is to get through trash. They understand angles in terms of how to get to the ball so they can make a play.

Derrick Brooks, WLB, Buccaneers. Brooks has incredible speed and an uncanny ability to read and react quickly. He seldom is fooled by audibles and switches. He anticipates plays well before the snap because he focuses on the eyes of the quarterback and running backs.

Corey Chavous, SS, Vikings. Teammates say he routinely predicts plays before the snap, based on the offense's alignment and personnel. A diligent tape watcher, Chavous has memorized the habits and tendencies of scores of receivers, quarterbacks and even offensive linemen.

Chris Draft, MLB, Falcons. Draft asks excellent questions during film study and shouts presnap reminders like an on-field position coach. He does a great Job of recognizing and adjusting to formations the team hasn't seen on film, and he's careful not to overadjust to receivers and backs who are put in motion.

John Lynch, SS, Broncos. Lynch's knowledge of the game more than makes up for any loss of quickness at age 33. Lynch is an instinctive player, but he also studies a lot of film. He's very adept at seeing a play develop, and that gets him to the right spot at the right time.

Mike Minter, SS, Panthers, Teammates refer to Minter as the quarterback of the defense. In addition to being strong against the run and pass, he guides the younger members of the secondary into position by using his knowledge of other teams' personnel groups and tendencies.

Oat Nguyen, MLB, Cowboys. Nguyen doesn't have a classic middle linebacker build, so he uses his intuition, guided by film study, to anticipate where the play is going. By doing that, he beats potential blockers to the point of attack and makes plays.

Samari Belle, CB, Titans, No longer a "guesser," Rolle is good at reading patterns and recognizing the subtleties of how receivers' stances telegraph patterns. He quickly recognizes routes and formations, whether he's playing in man-to-man or zone coverage.

Zach Thomas, MLB, Dolphins. He often takes two steps laterally before the outside linebackers next to him take even one. That anticipation is a big reason Thomas is a tackling machine against the run and doesn't come off the field against the pass.

Mike Vrabel, OLB, Patriots. Bill Belichick calls Vrabel one of the smartest players be has coached. In Belichick's scheme, outside linebackers must determine when to blitz and when to cover. Vrabel diagnoses offensive formations with ease and helps make sure other linebackers are on the same page.

Al Wilson, MLB, Broncos. Improved patience has made him more dominant. Some linebackers are in such a hurry to make plays, they often overrun them. Wilson did that early in his career. Now, he waits to make the proper read, then makes his move and takes the best angle to the ball.

One scout's take

Sporting News, The, Oct 11, 2004

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