STRENGTHS
George has the athletic talent and high football IQ to play more than one position for the team that selects him in their front 7. His high football IQ and leadership skills are outstanding along with his effort on every play. He has excellent power, pass-rushing moves, and doesn’t over-commit or take false steps or the wrong angle when making tackles. He is a “mistake-free assignment” type of player that makes it easy to coach and to move him around your defense. He is stout against the run and takes on double teams and wins against both, pass and run blocking offensive linemen. George reminds me a lot of former Patriots Teddy Bruschi and like Teddy seems to identify where the ball is after the snap, quicker than the average player in the front 7 can identify. He reads the offense like a QB reads the defense and that is a unique skill for a player coming out of the college level at any position.
CONCERNS
George might not test at the combine as high as some teams would like to make him a top ten pick in this draft, doesn’t matter…select him anyway. He might not get your team double-digit sacks every year, doesn’t matter…select him anyway. It takes more than talent to play in the NFL and George has that…more than talent.
BOTTOM LINE: 1.42
If you knew what you know, about Teddy Bruschi now, and he was available to select in this draft at what point would you select him? For me, it would be in the top ten but I’m sure others would nit-pick Teddy right into the 2nd round. My feeling about George is, if he is not selected at some point in the top ten then a playoff team would be smart to trade up and select him because he will become the leader of your defense the day he steps onto the field for you. George understands when his team needs a big play and he produces it. George understands that team play is what makes a dominating defense. He knows that he needs to do his job and let the game come to him and not try to be a hero on every play, making a sack or tackle and causing him to be out of position on the important plays. He is not a “stat” kind of guy, but he is an impact player type of guy. Just like Teddy Bruschi, George wants to be on a winning & dominating defense and not on a defense that has excellent players who don’t dominate and win consistently. George is bigger than Teddy was and that makes it easier to move him around your front seven depending on the down and distance. I have no doubt that George could play any one of the LB positions and depending on down and distance inside or outside, on or off the line, be an impact player mainly because of his high football IQ, anticipation, and instincts to play the game.
