Bigdog
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Thanks for the info and postI live in Boise, watch alot of BSU games, and went to his pro day this week... Generally, I am not a fan of a LB at 19, but given our need, I think he would be a high upside, high floor pick. He has exceptional athleticism for a man his size (6'4" 256). You just don't see guys his size run, change direction, and backpedal so effortlessly. Plus, he has good instincts at MLB and was good diagnosing plays. His weakness right now is taking on blocks, which is certainly a big concern at NFL level. That is part his height, part technique (using his shoulder, not his extended arms), and part playing strength. But even at 256, he has the frame to get stronger and add bulk without losing speed. To me, the upside of this guy is Brian Uhrlacher. And the downside is Karlos Dansby.
As for your questions: He is a day 1 starter at MLB (Jaylon to SLB). He is a 3 down LB, and upgrade over Jaylon, because of his elite coverage skills (pushing Jaylon to the bench on 3rd downs). No concern about his lack of experience. His production as a first-year starter was off the charts (141 tackles, 8.5 for loss, 4 FF, 4 sacks, 2 INT, 5 PD; by comparison, Rashan Evans had 74 tackles, 13 for loss, 1 FF, 6 sacks, 1 INT, 3 PD). And he's very smart, so his lack of experience should be overcome relatively quickly.
Final point: he was not heavily recruited out of high school (he played in an 8-man program at a small Idaho school) and walked on to BSU = he is self-motivated, self-made, and hungry. RKG