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Vontaze Burfict

Arizona St.

Ht. 6-3 Wt. 250

Instincts/Recognition:  My biggest concern with Vontaze Burfict, outside of his work ethic, is the amount of times he completely took himself out of the play by taking poor angles and guessing on where the ball was going.  He doesn’t have elite level instincts or play recognition.  He doesn’t always trust his eyes and guesses too often.

Run Defense:  Burfict can be a dominating run defender.  He plays with rare physicality that may only be rivaled by one, Ray Lewis.  He has the size and power to take on blocks and shed quickly to disrupt running plays.  He’s an elite level athlete for his size that can make plays from sideline to sideline.  His aggressive nature sometimes takes him completely out of the play as he overruns the play frequently.  He doesn’t possess the instincts to be an everydown factor in the run game.  Read the rest of this entry » «Vontaze Burfict Scouting Report»

Dont’a Hightower

Alabama

Ht. 6-4 Wt. 260

Instincts/Recognition:  Dont’a Hightower possesses the instincts to be an effective, especially in the pass game.  He has a knack for finding the football in the pass game and sits in zone and reads the quarterback as well as any LB in this draft.  Vastly underrated in coverage due to the perception of him being a limited athlete.  He’s an aggressive downhill thumper that can get caught out of position but its usually due to his aggressive style of play.

Run Defense:  Hightower is the best linebacker in this draft against the run.  He plays downhill with good instincts to blow up plays in the backfield.  He’s ox strong at the point of attack and stacks-and-sheds blocks as well as anyone.  His hips are a little tight, so he struggles to get out to the perimeter on outside runs.  Read the rest of this entry » «Dont’a Hightower Scouting Report»

Luke Kuechly

Boston College

Ht. 6-2 Wt. 237

Instincts/Recognition:  Luke Kuechly is clearly the most instinctual linebacker in this draft.  He is the all-time NCAA leading tackler and you don’t get there without having elite instincts and play recognition.  Kuechly won’t be fooled by misdirection and he rarely is out of assignment.  His nose for the ball and ability to read and react quickly is on a level of its own.  He’s a special player from an instincts and recognition standpoint.

Run Defense:  Kuechly can the find the football quickly and will be a high volume tackler in the NFL.  He’s a solid tackler that rarely misses tackles.  His tackling technique is flawless as he wraps up and drives through the ball carrier.  Because of his strength, or lack thereof, Kuechly doesn’t take on blocks as well as you would like.  He has a tendency to get engulfed by blockers and struggles to disengage.  The biggest knock on Kuechly is his inability to make plays in the backfield.  Most of his tackles come in the second level and rarely is he sniffing out plays before they develop. Read the rest of this entry » «Luke Kuechly Scouting Report»