DMN Blog: Dallas Cowboys draft review: LB Stephen Hodge

[WoodysGirl]

12:55 AM Fri, May 15, 2009 | Permalink | Yahoo! Buzz
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Selected: Sixth round, 197th overall
Size: 6-0, 234
School: TCU

POSITIVES
Hodge is a special teams stud. He has pretty good speed (4.58 40) and a relentless motor. He has a feel for weaving through traffic, and he's a big hitter. As a safety in TCU's 4-2-5 scheme, he was a major threat as a blitzer, both against the run and pass. He reads passing schemes well and has excellent quickness for a linebacker. He's not a great man-on-man defender, but he displays outstanding instincts in zone coverage.


NEGATIVES
He's a classic 'tweener who the Cowboys are trying to convert into an undersized inside linebacker. He likely will be a liability against the run. His ability to take on blocks from offensive linemen is a huge question mark. He didn't stay at safety because he could have been exploited in coverage by wide receivers.

COWBOY FIT
The Cowboys hope he's their next Bill Bates - or at least a solid replacement for Keith Davis. He'll probably play on most special teams units, if not every one. He will have the opportunity to compete for immediate playing time in the defensive sub packages, too. But any playing time he earns as a linebacker would be a bonus. He was drafted primarily to make plays on punt and kickoff coverage.

LB COACH REGGIE HERRING
The biggest thing with him is that he's so natural and instinctive in his drops. That's the thing that you're born with. The thing that sticks out with Hodge is he has excellent ball skills, and he has great space instincts. He has a great feel for coverage - when to speed up, when to slow down, when to break on the ball, when not to break on the ball. He has a great feel for routes and things for that nature. He's instinctive in coverage. Along with that, you have a kid that's bright-eyed, smart and competitive. ... We really think that early on - everything is all premature until we get pads on - but he has a chance to really fulfill a role as a great special teamer and maybe in our dime package. Therefore, while he's developing as a linebacker and learning a new position, he could have great value to this team. ... He's an excellent blitzer from the secondary, and that also is going to bode well with our dime package and sub, where we like to blitz our ILBs. ... He's 238, 5-11 or 6-foot. He's as big as Zach Thomas, and he's got great instincts in space and can run-hit. We'll see. Nobody thought Zach Thomas could play, either. (His size) doesn't concern me. I just like his great instincts.

SCOUTING REPORTS
NFL Draft Scout (NFL.com)

DraftCountdown.com

 

[Typhus]

I know nobody likes talking special teams, but it would be nice to get that swagger back with that group.

I would love to see Hodge emerge as a ST Icon like Bill Bates, or Kenny Gant and the shark dance.

ST's get over looked by many, but this unit this year has the potential to be pretty good.

 

[SDogo]

I know nobody likes talking special teams, but it would be nice to get that swagger back with that group.

I would love to see Hodge emerge as a ST Icon like Bill Bates, or Kenny Gant and the shark dance.

ST's get over looked by many, but this unit this year has the potential to be pretty good.

Kenny Gant was one of my all time favorite Cowboys. The dude even got me pumped up. Your spot on, we need one of those guys!

 

[Chocolate Lab]

More "run-hit" talk from Herring, just like with Jason Williams. It's pretty clear it was a priority to find more physical players in this draft.

I've posted before that what struck me on a NFLN replay of one of Wade's Buffalo teams was that the defenders were flying around and hitting like madmen. They were kind of a group of no-names who didn't look particularly big, but they were blowing people up. I think that's the direction we're going, or at least trying to. Remember the coach talking about Deangelo Smith being a "violent" football player.

 

[theebs]

More "run-hit" talk from Herring, just like with Jason Williams. It's pretty clear it was a priority to find more physical players in this draft.

I've posted before that what struck me on a NFLN replay of one of Wade's Buffalo teams was that the defenders were flying around and hitting like madmen. They were kind of a group of no-names who didn't look particularly big, but they were blowing people up. I think that's the direction we're going, or at least trying to. Remember the coach talking about Deangelo Smith being a "violent" football player.

that bills team in 98 was excellent, how they didnt win anything in 98 or 99 is troubling when u look at it from our perspective with this team now.

They had a defense that was good enough to dominate and win the superbowl. That loss in 98 to the jets at home I think stung them and set them back. Had they won that game, they would have won the division and probably at least went to the championship game....could they beat denver...I dont know but they would have stopped the run better than the jets did.

oh well. The flutie flakes were a success!

 

[JIMMYBUFFETT]

I know nobody likes talking special teams, but it would be nice to get that swagger back with that group.

I would love to see Hodge emerge as a ST Icon like Bill Bates, or Kenny Gant and the shark dance.

ST's get over looked by many, but this unit this year has the potential to be pretty good.

True , but I don't feel like anything sets the tone of a game more than a big special teams return or stop . Felix breaks a big one on the opening kick off , and the offense comes out fired up . Hodge smashes someone inside the twenty on a kick off and the defense comes out fired up . While it certainly plays a big part in field position and turnovers , I think plays an even bigger mental roll for the team .

 

[WarDaddy]

Heck yeah. This team has been missing enforcers on the defensive side for the past several seasons and you need those in December and January. Having all this talent is good and I'm thankful but you need some guys on the team that will attach an ** to the end of a tackle sometimes.

 

[Woods]

I think I mentioned this in a previous thread, but at 238 lbs, Hodge is only about 4-5 lbs lighter than Brooking. And Brooking is about 6'-2".

With one off-season in the weight training program, I'm sure that Hodge can put on 4-8 lbs of "good weight" (i.e., mostly muscle). That's plenty big enough for Wade's schemes, IMO.