DJ ran today

[mullet]

gil brandt says DJ ran today at the combine... came it at 4.56.
good time, and good on him for running.

 

[silverbear]

gil brandt says DJ ran today at the combine... came it at 4.56.
good time, and good on him for running.

I saw DJ running the 3 cone drill, and bluntly, it looked like he needs to lose some of his new-found weight (he came in at 242 pounds)... I don't know if he let himself get out of shape these last few weeks, or if it was a conscious decision to try to bulk up...

 

[T-New41]

I seriously doubt DJ would show up out of shape. He just doesnt seem like that kind of guy to me. Is 4.56 fast for a LB? For some reason I thought he'd be a little quicker than that.

I didnt see any of his workout, but does it seem like he gained stock or lost stock? Everything I have read makes me think Merriman will be gone before DJ and we may have a shot at DJ.

 

[ManicDepressiveMan]

I seriously doubt DJ would show up out of shape. He just doesnt seem like that kind of guy to me. Is 4.56 fast for a LB? For some reason I thought he'd be a little quicker than that.

I didnt see any of his workout, but does it seem like he gained stock or lost stock? Everything I have read makes me think Merriman will be gone before DJ and we may have a shot at DJ.

4.56 is a superb time for a LB.

 

[T-New41]

4.56 is a superb time for a LB.

Thanks. I have seen a lot of his games and on the field he looks blazingly fast. One knock a lot of people seem to have on him is that he misses a lot of tackles. I just dont see it.

I have seen most Texas games the past few years and yeah, he misses an occasional tackle, but people are making it seem like he misses a tackle every other play. The dude led his team in tackles 2 years in a row. The one game he did fairly poorly in (the rose bowl) Michigan made a concious effort to take him out of the game. By doing that, the other LB had a field day.

Anyway you slice it, if he is there at 11, that is great value and he would look good with a star IMO.

 

[jimmy40]

I saw DJ running the 3 cone drill, and bluntly, it looked like he needs to lose some of his new-found weight (he came in at 242 pounds)... I don't know if he let himself get out of shape these last few weeks, or if it was a conscious decision to try to bulk up...

When I heard him saying a few weeks ago that he could play any linebacker position I figured he must be putting on some weight. I haven't seen the video on the drill but I know some other guys said he looked great.

 

[ghst187]

Anyway you slice it, if he is there at 11, that is great value and he would look good with a star IMO.

True, he's a great player in the similar vein that Roy W was a great player at OU. The guys just made big plays constantly. DJ is probably a step faster at game speed too.
Now, I don't think he can play the MLB even though I'm afraid he's bulking up so teams will think he can...he's strictly an OLB.
The reason I would take Merriman over DJ is Merriman's versatility. Merriman can line up at MLB, OLB, or DE. He could be a pure speed/edge rusher on 3rd down and move back to blitzing OLB, or MLB on 1st and 2nd downs. He could really cause some problems for an offense as well as be versatile enough to find his spot whether we switch to a 3-4 or stay with a 4-3. That's the only reason I would take SM over DJ.
And granted I truly want Mike Williams, but I would be ecstatic with any of the three. I think they will all be very good, if not great, players in the NFL.

 

[wick]

True, he's a great player in the similar vein that Roy W was a great player at OU. The guys just made big plays constantly. DJ is probably a step faster at game speed too.
Now, I don't think he can play the MLB even though I'm afraid he's bulking up so teams will think he can...he's strictly an OLB.
The reason I would take Merriman over DJ is Merriman's versatility. Merriman can line up at MLB, OLB, or DE. He could be a pure speed/edge rusher on 3rd down and move back to blitzing OLB, or MLB on 1st and 2nd downs. He could really cause some problems for an offense as well as be versatile enough to find his spot whether we switch to a 3-4 or stay with a 4-3. That's the only reason I would take SM over DJ.
And granted I truly want Mike Williams, but I would be ecstatic with any of the three. I think they will all be very good, if not great, players in the NFL.

The problem with Merriman is that he was never a *great* player at Maryland, whereas Johnson was a great player the minute he stepped on the field as a freshman.

 

[silverbear]

When I heard him saying a few weeks ago that he could play any linebacker position I figured he must be putting on some weight. I haven't seen the video on the drill but I know some other guys said he looked great.

Well, I'm a big Horns fan, and a big DJ fan, so I was paying particular attention to the tube when he ran that drill, and he was clumsy, stumbling a little at one point and finishing up just outside of the cones rather than between them as he was supposed to... all in all, it looked like this was the first time he'd ever run that particular drill...

I felt a little better when I saw his 40 time, which they estimated at 4.65, but which a lot of sources apparently clocked at a lot closer to 4.55... that means he's likely to crack 4.5 seconds when he runs on the very fast track at UT during their Pro Day later this month...

However, while I was initially pleased to see him listed at 242 pounds, watching him work out made me wonder if he didn't need to drop back to around 235 pounds... his game is pure speed...

 

[wick]

Well, I'm a big Horns fan, and a big DJ fan, so I was paying particular attention to the tube when he ran that drill, and he was clumsy, stumbling a little at one point and finishing up just outside of the cones rather than between them as he was supposed to... all in all, it looked like this was the first time he'd ever run that particular drill...

I felt a little better when I saw his 40 time, which they estimated at 4.65, but which a lot of sources apparently clocked at a lot closer to 4.55... that means he's likely to crack 4.5 seconds when he runs on the very fast track at UT during their Pro Day later this month...

However, while I was initially pleased to see him listed at 242 pounds, watching him work out made me wonder if he didn't need to drop back to around 235 pounds... his game is pure speed...

I don't think you were watching the right guy. Johnson ran the shuttle in 3.87 seconds, and there's a premium article on espn.com right now calling his workout one of the most impressive by a linebacker in years. Doesn't sound like a stumbling, overweight guy to me.

 

[Bobo]

NFL Network showed 1 bad 3 cone by him, but apparently he did great with another try. Everything I've read and heard said he looked very good.

 

[InmanRoshi]

Scouts,INC is calling it the best combine workout by a LB in years.

 

[silverbear]

Scouts,INC is calling it the best combine workout by a LB in years.

Well, the only time I actually saw him in action must have been that one bad 3-cone drill... and I repeat, he looked really, really bad running it...

But I'm encouraged by some of these other things I've read in here, so I'm glad I brought the whole thing up... like I said, I'm a BIIIG fan of DJ, been a Horns fan for the best part of forever, and it would suit me right down to the ground if he wound up being there when the Boys pick at 11... my favorite stat about him was setting the NCAA single season record for fumbles caused...

The guy's good, and I have little doubt that he'll play in a Pro Bowl or two or three before it's all over...