LB Watch: Payton Wilson

CalPolyTechnique

CalPolyTechnique

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We need to upgrade the LB position at all costs next draft/off-season. One college prospect to keep tabs on is NC State linebacker Payton Wilson. Big-bodied (listed at 6'-4", 238 lbs) and athletic (purported to be the best athlete on the team), and he's active in both the run and passing game:

Willis-Stats.png


 
Plankton

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The injury history is very worrisome with the player. Really good, really productive, but I would not be confident in him remaining available on game day.
 
Beaker42

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CalPolyTechnique said:
We need to upgrade the LB position at all costs next draft/off-season. One college prospect to keep tabs on is NC State linebacker Payton Wilson. Big-bodied (listed at 6'-4", 238 lbs) and athletic (purported to be the best athlete on the team), and he's active in both the run and passing game:

Willis-Stats.png


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At this point I’d take anybody.
 
Mac_MaloneV1

Mac_MaloneV1

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Beaker42 said:
Wrong. He might be a late rounder but he’d already be the best LB we have. Clark sucks and Bell is not a LB.
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I didn't say he's not better. I said he's more of the same.

He's basically just a big safety - which, basically, is what modern LBs are - because it's not like he plays downhill to stack and shed. There'd be no discernable difference between him and Bell.

His size is also pretty unprecedented in the NFL. At that height, he needs to put on a lot more weight to be solid against OL, or he needs to lose weight and be faster. He's going to constantly be giving up leverage to blockers.
 
Beaker42

Beaker42

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Mac_MaloneV1 said:
I didn't say he's not better. I said he's more of the same.

He's basically just a big safety - which, basically, is what modern LBs are - because it's not like he plays downhill to stack and shed. There'd be no discernable difference between him and Bell.

His size is also pretty unprecedented in the NFL. At that height, he needs to put on a lot more weight to be solid against OL, or he needs to lose weight and be faster. He's going to constantly be giving up leverage to blockers.
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We need help at LB and he would add it. Clark sucks and is slow at diagnosing a play. This kid excels at it.
 
Sully

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stilltheguru said:
who is the last linebacker that excelled at diagnosing plays as a rookie?
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Really? Play that game then we still have Tristan Hill and Taco Carlton. We have crappy OT that gave up 19 sacks in the Falcons games. Why cut them, they still need to develop. LBs need size and some weight. They are the ones that plug the holes along the DL. Clark is too light.
 
Mac_MaloneV1

Mac_MaloneV1

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Sully said:
Really? Play that game then we still have Tristan Hill and Taco Carlton. We have crappy OT that gave up 19 sacks in the Falcons games. Why cut them, they still need to develop. LBs need size and some weight. They are the ones that plug the holes along the DL. Clark is too light.
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Clark is 240. Same weight as Bobby Wagner. Fred Warner is 230.

Size isn't the problem with the LB corps, it's that they don't see anything. It has been true for every LB they've had since Sean Lee and it is in large part because college LBs don't have to.
 

stilltheguru

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Beaker42 said:
Guessing that would be Howling Boy.
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I don't know if LVE diagnosed plays well. But he and leanard came out the gates playing great. That was 5 years ago. If we draft a rookie and get good play year 1 it would be pure luck at the lb position. Jack Campbell supposedly diagnosed plays well in college and has been nothing in Detroit.
 

cnuball21

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Mac_MaloneV1 said:
Clark is 240. Same weight as Bobby Wagner. Fred Warner is 230.

Size isn't the problem with the LB corps, it's that they don't see anything. It has been true for every LB they've had since Sean Lee and it is in large part because college LBs don't have to.
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100% correct…

A LBr that’s 240 that runs a 4.5 is worthless if he can’t diagnose and have instincts.

That’s why Sean Lee ran like poo but looked like a 4.4 LBr.
 
TasteMyScythe

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How would you guys feel if Dallas used their 1st pick on LB Edgerrin Cooper?
LB is certainly one of the biggest needs, if not the biggest. To pair him with Overshown would give us two very fast/rangy, high athletic LBer's who accel in space and can cover. Plus, both are very adequate blitzers. And, let me add being able to spy a QB like Hurts.
Some of you want that big bruising LB who takes on OL and stuffs the run for no gain. But, the game has moved away from that and those LB are not seeing the field.
Cooper would be a perfect fit and would allow the defense to be more versatile. Then Bell can be moved back to S and replace Kearse.
 
kiheikiwi

kiheikiwi

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Right now, it looks like most of the top rated LBers are going in the top half of the 2nd round. Trotter, Cooper etc. There are a few, will be interesting to see how Dallas prioritizes their limited draft picks. Hopefully it's a better use of picks then last year's draft !
 
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