STRENGTHS
Christian has the size, speed, and athletic talent to be one of the best LB’s in this draft. He shows very good agility to be used as a cover linebacker up against most, if not all, Tight Ends and big slot receivers. In fact, from what I see on film, that is the strength of his game that he will bring to the next level. His overall athletic talent is very good and his production and stats are very good also. Christian does his job and whatever the coaches ask him to do on the field he does with excellent results. Because of his size, speed, athletic talent, Christian has the “potential” to be an excellent linebacker for the team that selects him.
CONCERNS
Christian is effective at the college level because of his athletic talent. For the next level, he shows me on film, that he will struggle against the run, especially between the tackles. He is a poor tackler with poor upper body strength to finish. He struggles to recognize how a team is attacking him on running plays. He tries to go around blocks rather than take on blocks when offensive linemen come out to the second level. When he plays inside, he takes wrong angles on sweeps and screens but because of his athleticism gets away with it. When he plays on the outside he is easy to block and gets washed out and struggles to hold the point of attack and dump the play inside. When used to blitz he hesitates until he is sure of the play and then explodes to the QB. Believe me, for a player with his production I was very surprised, to see this type of play on the field.
BOTTOM LINE 3.11
I’m a simple guy and a run-first guy. For me, ALL defensive players have to be strong against the run and be good tacklers. Why, because you can’t teach the mentally needed to be strong against the run and a good tackler. You can teach the techniques but the truth is success, is all up to the players mentally to do this grunt work. When you’re a linebacker and that running back is coming straight at you, they have to WANT to take that player done and put him on his back. Not throw a shoulder into them, not dive at their legs, they have to show me a head up, wrap up, squeeze and drive tackle that will put that bigger player on their back. To be able to Form tackle doesn’t happen all the time but the “will” to make sure that player goes down has to happen on every play or you won’t make it in the NFL. Every player misses a tackle…that happens but that miss should not be because of a lack of the mentality to take that player down. I like Christian’s size and athletic talents. I respect his production on paper, but I do not like what I see on film in his style of play. That’s just me, most others seem to think differently.
