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Outside linebackers: top senior prospects

Sporting News, The, Dec 6, 2004 by Dan Pompei

1 Derrick Johnson, 6-3, 231, Texas. Fast, athletic playmaker with instincts. Has a burst to the ball. Is disruptive and can be a difference-maker. Can hit. Misses some tackles and isn't as physical as some linebackers.

2 Kevin Burnett, 6-3, 236, Tennessee. Highly athletic player with speed and explosiveness. Will mix it up with the big boys. Is ideal fit at weakside linebacker.

3 Ryan Claridge, 6-2, 259, UNLV. Big, physical linebacker who could play the strong side or in the middle. Isn't as athletic or fast as some prospects. Could make more plays.

4 Michael Boley, 6-2, 225, Southern Miss. Athletic linebacker who has all the skills. Can cover. Should test out well and could improve his stock. Could show more desire.

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5 Zac Woodfin, 6-1, 235, Alabama-Birmingham. Athletic linebacker with instincts. Makes plays. Can pop you. Has decent size. Isn't a burner but can run some.

6 Pat Thomas, 6-2, 230, N.C. State. Instinctive player who finds the ball. Can cover well for his size. Has the potential to develop in the right system in the NFL.

7 Leroy Hill, 6-1, 220, Clemson. Has cover ability and instincts. More of a chase player than a take-on player. Can run. Is undersized. Isn't real natural athletically.

8 Derek Wake, 6-2, 240, Penn State. Athletic player who has pass-rush skills. Can drop into coverage some. Was considered to play defensive end this season, and could be a great fit as a 3-4 outside linebacker.

9 Roger Cooper, 6-2, 243, Montana State. Big, athletic player with good intangibles. Moves well and can close on the ball. Is raw and might lack a feel for the game.

10 Brady Poppinga, 6-2, 260, BYU. A perfect fit as an outside linebacker in a 3-4. Has natural pass-rush skills and quickness off the snap. Is tough and instinctive. Plays hard. Should be a special teams contributor.

11 Arnold Harrison, 6-2, 236, Georgia. Athletic player who can hit. Is smart. Takes good angles. Doesn't make enough plays.

12 Tyson Smith, 6-2, 240, Iowa State. Instinctive player who reads well and gets to the ball. Is tough but a bit undersized. Would be best suited on the weak side.

SCOUT'S VIEWS

Observations and opinions from two NFL pro scouts, one from each conference

Willis McGahee is running well. He's running with a lot of power, has most of his quickness back and breaks a lot of tackles. He probably runs inside better than Travis Henry. Henry won't be back in Buffalo next year.... It absolutely was a scapegoat move for the Rams to cut Sean Landeta, You can't expect the punter to take all the blame for their special teams problems. Your cover guys need to escape blocks and go make tackles regardless of how far the punt goes. Those guys are as much at fault as the guy who punts the ball.... The Ravens' Ed Hartwell may be off the radar for the average fan, but he'll probably be the top linebacker in free agency. He's a physical linebacker who can run. He's going to be a big-time money guy.... Marvin Harrison has had some great seasons and great games--and has a heck of a quarterback. Terrell Owens has had some great games. But Randy Moss, to me, still is the No. 1 receiver in this game.... It sounds like the firing of Butch Davis is pretty close to a done deal. You can't predict injuries--and the Browns have had a lot--but he's a part of the draft and free agency. They've had a lot of first-round picks who haven't come through, like Courtney Brown, Gerard Warren and William Green. And they went after a vet quarterback (Jeff Garcia) in free agency and can't keep him healthy.... It's a credit to the Patriots' defensive system that they can put people in there who probably aren't as talented as their injured players and they don't skip a beat. They do such a good job of keeping you off-balance that it's hard to get one-on-one matchups all the time because you don't know where guys are going to be or where blitzes are coming from.... R.W. McQuarters is playing well for Chicago. He was exciting on defense and as a returner on Thanksgiving Day. It was good to see him playing with the type of confidence you thought he would have when he came into the league.

It's easy to gem perspective on Brett Favre's streak of 200 consecutive starts because the next closest guy was "Jaws" (Ron Jaworski), who had 116, You look at Favre and you say. "Here's what the good Lord was thinking when he decided to make an NFL quarterback. The real NFL quarterback, not the glamour guy." The guy can make all the throws, can run when he has to, is poised in the pocket add is a tough guy. He can take a shot and get up.

Outside linebackers: top senior prospects

Sporting News, The, Dec 6, 2004 by Dan Pompei

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