STRENGTHS
Patrick has the quickness and short-area speed teams are looking for in their linebackers to be able to chase down opponents and make tackles beyond the line of scrimmage. He has decent size and has the athletic talent to be used in coverage situations. He is a solid tackler and that along with his quickness allows him to cover running backs on check downs. That quickness to the play makes him easy to use in blitzing situations getting into the backfield quickly to disrupt or sack the quarterback. Patrick has good overall athletic talent and used in the right defensive system could become a core player for the team that selects him.
CONCERNS
Patrick has good ten-yard quickness but lacks the true speed needed to go sideline to sideline and cut off faster-running backs and athletic QB’s. In short, he tends to come to the party late, so to speak. You can see it on film and also in his stats that say he has more assisted tackles (47) than solo tackles (37). Those stats suggest that he takes a lot of false steps and when he tries to recover, he is late to make tackles. You can see it on film also if you watch closely. Patrick also struggles big time defending and making tackles in the running game. He lacks the bulk and leverage to get off blocks quickly and very rarely needs to be double teamed to gain needed yardage by his opponents. In his defense, that doesn’t mean he can’t impact at the next level, it just means he has to be in the right system and play the right position.
BOTTOM LINE 2.17
For the purposes of this draft, I’m not sure linebacker is the position for Patrick at the next level. Safety makes more sense and I think would fit his talents better. He has good speed but not enough speed or size as a Middle or interior LB. Patrick definitely can be used in nickel/dime packages as a linebacker or safety but when he’s on the field he will struggle against the run unless he can run free to make a tackle. Because he lacks the true speed but has excellent short-yardage quickness, Patrick can make plays for sure and as an outside linebacker in a 4/3 defense. He should be effective but unless he bulks up and learns better techniques in defending against the run he will struggle to compete as a linebacker on first downs and running downs unless, he is free and does not have to deal with shedding those bigger and more athletic, offensive linemen in the NFL. So, as I see it, right defensive system, Patrick should be better than average, wrong system and he will struggle to compete as an every-down linebacker and might be a better fit as a safety or in nickel/dime situations. Of course, I have been wrong, in fact, evaluating players to impact at the next level at the linebacker position has been my weakness. All I can tell you is what I see on film and be honest, it’s up to the player to prove me wrong and I never have a problem when they do.
