Off the Ball Linebacker Prospects

[Cowboyny]

Don't pay attention to the order, comes from Draft Buzz. Also there might not be some prospects listed.

1-Edgerrin Cooper Texas A&M-modern day linebacker
2-Jermaih Trotter Jr. Clemson-not great against the run?
3-Payton Wilson NC State-major injury concern?
4-Junior Colson Michigan-great size, questionable instincts?
5-Marist Liufau Notre Dame
6-Tommy Eichenberg Ohio State-lack of size/athleticism?
7-Cedric Gray North Carolina
8-Ty'Ron Harper Missouri
9-Edefuan Ulofoshio Washington
10-Jaylan Ford Texas

 

[cnuball21]

Love Coop. Parsons lite as a prospect IMO and no issues taking him at 24.

Im not that high on Trotter…good college player but the lack of length is worrisome and he doesn’t look an elite athlete that would be able to overcome it. Maybe ok with him in the 3rd.

Wilson is a stud…but dude has had double digit surgeries…pass.

Colson seems like a good at everything not great at anything type player. Solid mid round option that could be a Hitchens like player.

Big fan of Gray. I think he should be a target for us as well - probably higher on him than Trotter.

 

[Cowboyny]

Love Coop. Parsons lite as a prospect IMO and no issues taking him at 24.

Im not that high on Trotter…good college player but the lack of length is worrisome and he doesn’t look an elite athlete that would be able to overcome it. Maybe ok with him in the 3rd.

Wilson is a stud…but dude has had double digit surgeries…pass.

Colson seems like a good at everything not great at anything type player. Solid mid round option that could be a Hitchens like player.

Big fan of Gray. I think he should be a target for us as well - probably higher on him than Trotter.

-Cooper appears to be the only legitimate 1st rd prospect at the position.
-What I read about Trotter is his inability to stop the run
-Wilson is that injury prone guy they franchise has always targeted
-Love Colson's size, but many have questioned his instincts.
-Need to watch Gray

Right now it's either Cooper in rd 1 or taking a Wilson on day 2 for me and hold my breath he holds up. Pretty sure there will be others as the process progresses that will emerge.

 

[Cowboyny]

CEDRIC GRAY​

SCOUTING REPORT: STRENGTHS​

• Elite athletic skills -- Made Bruce Feldman's 'Freaks List' at number 41. He wrote: "At 6-3, 270, he has just 11.3 percent body fat, and he vertical-jumped 36.5 inches, broad-jumped 10 feet and bench pressed 390 pounds. This offseason, he topped over 20 mph on the GPS and did six pull-ups with a 70-pound belt attachment."
• Gray can be used as a rangy run defender inside, instinctive when it comes to locating the ball with the quickness to get to it before blockers can react at the second level.
• He plays bigger than his listed size, with the functional strength and motor to take on and hold ground against much bigger blockers.
• He has a compact build, but Gray is a crafty edge player who is very good against the run. He sets the edge and effectively wards off blocks with a strong core, powerful limbs, and natural leverage.
• He has an excellent feel for working off blockers and knowing how and when to counter as the play goes on.
• Accelerates rapidly and has a great feel for angles. He isn’t huge, but he packs a pop.
• Gray has violent hands and consistently breaks away and disengages from blockers. He’s instinctive, reading, reacting and locating the ball quickly, and finishing plays as an authoritative, wrap-up tackler.

SCOUTING REPORT: WEAKNESSES​

• He’ll need to be covered up to be effective. He’s not the kind of guy you can line up in the pass rush and have him bend the edge; he’s limited to shooting through gaps.
• As a run defender, he’s too much of a grab-and-drag tackler, lacking violence and too frequently allowing running backs to escape.
• He’s not a guy who can be put on the edge every down and be expected to consistently create pressure.

 

[rambo2]

-Cooper appears to be the only legitimate 1st rd prospect at the position.
-What I read about Trotter is his inability to stop the run
-Wilson is that injury prone guy they franchise has always targeted
-Love Colson's size, but many have questioned his instincts.
-Need to watch Gray

Right now it's either Cooper in rd 1 or taking a Wilson on day 2 for me and hold my breath he holds up. Pretty sure there will be others as the process progresses that will emerge.

They better take the best player available at 24 or trade back a little bit. The best player available is likely not a linebacker. The 1st round is strong this year. Brugler thinks that there should be around 25 players with a 1st round grade.

The Cowboys should sign a good linebacker in free agency and they should sign a running back as well. I favor signing Derrick Henry. I would like that and drafting the center Jackson Powers-Johnson. I think Powers-Johnson gives them a solid upgrade at center and it would get the running game going especially if Henry gives them something.

 

[Cowboyny]

Gray sounds like the type this front office would target. What I have seen about many of these linebackers "grab and drag tacklers".

 

[Cowboyny]

They better take the best player available at 24 or trade back a little bit. The best player available is likely not a linebacker. The 1st round is strong this year. Brugler thinks that there should be around 25 players with a 1st round grade.

The Cowboys should sign a good linebacker in free agency and they should sign a running back as well. I favor signing Derrick Henry. I would like that and drafting the center Jackson Powers-Johnson. I think Powers-Johnson gives them a solid upgrade at center and it would get the running game going especially if Henry gives them something.

Cooper might have one of those 1st rd grades, if they deem him to be the best available, have no issue drafting him. This early in the process my favorite is Barton from Duke.

 

[CalPolyTechnique]

I would rank Gray higher and Trotter lower.

 

[Bluefin]

CEDRIC GRAY
At 6-3, 270

He plays bigger than his listed size

Damn!

He just doesn't look THAT big on the field.

j/k.

Cedric Gray's an option to watch in round 3.

 

[cnuball21]

Damn!

He just doesn't look THAT big on the field.

j/k.

Cedric Gray's an option to watch in round 3.

270 is def a typo.

 

[Cowboyny]

270 is def a typo.

Yes, believe he is listed at 235

 

[KingintheNorth]

My thoughts (so far).


Cooper. I wanted to be excited about him. I heard he was a special athlete. He always looks like he's going less than top speed, almost cautious. I was disappointed. I never saw the twitchiness or explosiveness. Need to watch more.

Trotter. Was one of the top LB prospects coming into the season. Seems top heavy and unbalanced.

Colson. Athleticism and size are pluses. His instincts aren't always there, and I see some Jaylon Smith-like guessing.

Payton Wilson shows some Fred Warner flashes. The medicals will be key for him.

Hopper is one of my favorite LB prospects. Sees balls, attacks ball. Wish he was bigger than 220 lbs.

Gray looks like a monster. I watch him flying all over the field and wonder why he's not being ranked higher.

A guy I love is Kentucky's Trevin Wallace. He was #11 on Feldman’s Freak List. Here's what Feldman mentioned:

"The former high school track star — who once jumped 23-4 1/4 inches to break a school record that stood for 44 years and also won the state weightlifting title with a 335-pound power clean — is now up to 242 pounds, but still runs 22 MPH on the GPS and vertical-jumps 38.5 inches. His power clean is now up to 380 and he squats almost 600."

 

[CalPolyTechnique]

Brugler made an issue of Wilson having “double digit” surgeries but that info is almost clickbait.

Players have routine off-season surgeries all the time to clean up frayed ligaments, remove scar tissue, et cetera. The real proof is in the pudding; how many games are those surgeries causing him to lose.

An “injury prone” player with double-digit surgeries doesn’t play 11-12 games per season for 4 years:

 

[Hawkeye0202]

Love Coop. Parsons lite as a prospect IMO and no issues taking him at 24.

FYI....Not sure you remember or know this but Jerry said the only reason we took Parsons coz he was assured he was more than an off-ball LBer. In other words, he was unwilling to use a 1st on an off-ball LBer.......take it for what it's worth

 

[Sydla]

My only experience watching Wilson was the ND game. He was all over the field, registering 14 or 15 tackles. Granted, ND's offense lit them up and gashed them with the run but he was a very active LB.

 

[cnuball21]

FYI....Not sure you remember or know this but Jerry said the only reason we took Parsons coz he was assured he was more than an off-ball LBer. In other words, he was unwilling to use a 1st on an off-ball LBer.......take it for what it's worth

We drafted LVE so disagree there. He was also on record saying they loved Parsons bc he was a “pressure player” which I think is Coop.

 

[Cowboyny]

My thoughts (so far).


Cooper. I wanted to be excited about him. I heard he was a special athlete. He always looks like he's going less than top speed, almost cautious. I was disappointed. I never saw the twitchiness or explosiveness. Need to watch more.

Trotter. Was one of the top LB prospects coming into the season. Seems top heavy and unbalanced.

Colson. Athleticism and size are pluses. His instincts aren't always there, and I see some Jaylon Smith-like guessing.

Payton Wilson shows some Fred Warner flashes. The medicals will be key for him.

Hopper is one of my favorite LB prospects. Sees balls, attacks ball. Wish he was bigger than 220 lbs.

Gray looks like a monster. I watch him flying all over the field and wonder why he's not being ranked higher.

A guy I love is Kentucky's Trevin Wallace. He was #11 on Feldman’s Freak List. Here's what Feldman mentioned:

"The former high school track star — who once jumped 23-4 1/4 inches to break a school record that stood for 44 years and also won the state weightlifting title with a 335-pound power clean — is now up to 242 pounds, but still runs 22 MPH on the GPS and vertical-jumps 38.5 inches. His power clean is now up to 380 and he squats almost 600."

Great analysis! Gray/Wallace are 2 I am going to watch soon.

 

[Gambit]

Jermaih Trotter Jr

Undersized. Likely will get picked, don't see him getting Ivan Pace treatment but probably a 3rd or lower pick.

Payton Wilson NC State-major injury concern

Not sure major is right word. It's a volume thing combined with age. Like the player but probably off our board this year.

 

[Cowboyny]

Undersized. Likely will get picked, don't see him getting Ivan Pace treatment but probably a 3rd or lower pick.


Not sure major is right word. It's a volume thing combined with age. Like the player but probably off our board this year.

Not a fan of Trotter, he isn't the type of backer we need.

It's tough to take another injury prone LB after Lee, Jaylon and Lve.

 

[Malhavoc]

No LB in round 1 for me. Big fan of Cedric Gray.