STRENGTHS
Nick is a smart linebacker who has could quickness and burst to the ball. He shows excellent leadership and has the ability to be a “coach on the field” type of player. Between the hash marks Nick is a tackling machine and with his ability to anticipate on sweeps and screens, Nick will make those tackles behind the line of scrimmage. Because of Nick’s high football IQ, he can play bigger than his size and that’s what he will bring with him at the next level to the team that selects him.
CONCERNS
Nick is a unique type of player and it requires a unique style of defense for him to be the impact player he has been for his college team. He is free to run to the play and does not take on blocks to make plays. In fact, he is easy to block because of his size and most teams will consider that a problem. He lacks the change of direction skills to impact against the passing game and along with his lack of height, Nick will struggle to deal with receivers of all different sizes. Nick’s size and limited athletic talents will be a concern for most teams at the next level.
BOTTOM LINE 3.39
Nick reminds me a lot of a former vertically challenged linebacker with the limited athletic talent to play in the NFL when he came out. Sam Mills was 5’9” 230lbs and played linebacker in the NFL for 12 years for the Panthers and the Saints. He was signed by the Browns in 1981 as a free agent and released after the preseason. He bounced around for a while and then got signed by the Saints in 1985 and became the anchor of that defense and made the pro bowl 4 years in a row before he went to the Panthers and became the anchor of that defense. My point is no matter where or what round or what team or even if he doesn’t get selected at all, because of Nick’s high football IQ and determination, with the right team and the right defense he can become an impact player. For the purposes of this draft teams are looking for bigger, faster and players with more length, so Nick is in for a struggle from day one. Defenses have changed and most coaches are now looking for lighter linebackers who can run and cover and don’t care much if they can stop the run as Nick can. That being said, Ray Lewis was Nick’s size and wasn’t a great cover linebacker and he was selected in the 1st round of the 1996 Draft but then again, that was 25 years ago. Do you see my point?
