STRENGTHS
Leo reminds me a lot of former LB/ER Kevin Greene. Between the hash marks Leo is a punishing football player. His burst to the ball and his strength are dominating factors in his overall game. He has quick feet and is an excellent tackler. He has good size and excellent bulk to give out and take the punishment his style of play requires, for him to stay healthy. Leo fires off the line of scrimmage with excellent power and against bigger players will use hand fighting techniques to free himself up quickly and get into the backfield or shed blocks and make tackles at the line of scrimmage against the run. He’s the type of player who will make the sack when everyone in the stadium knows he is coming. He’s a finisher, a disrupter, and the type of player offensive coordinators will have no choice but to game plan for. Leo is no honey badger on the field, he’s a freaking wolverine.
CONCERNS
Leo will not be considered by most teams, to be big enough to be a pass rusher. He does not have the agility to be used off the line, in pass coverage. He will not be considered strong enough or big enough to rush the passer or make tackles from the interior of the line. Leo is not the modern-day “run and chase” and makes tackles 20 yards down the field, type of player after the opponent has already made a first down. This confusion on how and where to play Leo will affect his draft status, not his play on the field.
BOTTOM LINE: 3.06
Leo is a playmaker, a disrupter, a clutch player. He is not fancy and he is not going to play in your defensive backfield except in zone coverage. Leo is an attack the line of scrimmage, stop the run, rush the passer, type of Linebacker who can be used to do all of those things, from any position in your front seven. Turn on the film and watch how Defensive Coordinator Jim Leonard took advantage of Leo’s athletic talents. If you are not ready to use Leo the same way…don’t bother drafting him. Oh, and by the way, if your Defensive Coordinator now, doesn’t think Leo can impact the defense making plays behind or at the line of scrimmage, I suggest you hire another Defensive Coordinator. Like Keven Greene, Leo will have to play in the right system and for the right Defensive Coordinator or he will not be as effective or impacting as he has been in college.
