RS12
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The scoop: "He's damn good. Now, I don't (have him ranked as high) as you do (third overall) because he's not big enough for inside and he's not as long as you like on the outside. You have to figure out where you will play him, but he won't stop. He's going to be really productive." -- AFC director of scouting on Stanford DL Solomon Thomas
The skinny: He's right about Thomas -- he's damn good. One of the things that makes Thomas so appealing is that he combines foot quickness with above-average strength into a motor that revs as hot as any muscle car out there. In my opinion, there is no doubt that he will be a disruptive, productive pro, but NFL evaluators are always a little concerned about players who fall beneath their positional norms for size. Thomas is a little light (6-foot-3, 273 pounds, per school measurements) to play on the interior, but that is where he is most dangerous. He might end up getting pegged as an early down defensive end who moves inside to defensive tackle on passing downs.
The scoop: "He needs to be uncovered so he can fly around and just go get the ball. He didn't have much help over there and he took it upon himself to make as many plays as possible. I love that mindset." -- AFC East regional scout on Vanderbilt LB Zach Cunningham
The skinny: The scout believes Cunningham needs to be free to roam and chase in order to be at his best. I would tend to agree with this sentiment, although I do believe that his downhill, attacking play style can work inside in a 3-4 as well. Cunningham is extremely productive, but he's also inconsistent at taking on blocks and would likely benefit from being on the weak side of a 4-3 defense where he can range around the field while in base packages and handle coverage duties on third down.
http://www.nfl.com/news/story/0ap30...fl-draft?campaign=tw-cf-sf55443165-sf55443165
The skinny: He's right about Thomas -- he's damn good. One of the things that makes Thomas so appealing is that he combines foot quickness with above-average strength into a motor that revs as hot as any muscle car out there. In my opinion, there is no doubt that he will be a disruptive, productive pro, but NFL evaluators are always a little concerned about players who fall beneath their positional norms for size. Thomas is a little light (6-foot-3, 273 pounds, per school measurements) to play on the interior, but that is where he is most dangerous. He might end up getting pegged as an early down defensive end who moves inside to defensive tackle on passing downs.
The scoop: "He needs to be uncovered so he can fly around and just go get the ball. He didn't have much help over there and he took it upon himself to make as many plays as possible. I love that mindset." -- AFC East regional scout on Vanderbilt LB Zach Cunningham
The skinny: The scout believes Cunningham needs to be free to roam and chase in order to be at his best. I would tend to agree with this sentiment, although I do believe that his downhill, attacking play style can work inside in a 3-4 as well. Cunningham is extremely productive, but he's also inconsistent at taking on blocks and would likely benefit from being on the weak side of a 4-3 defense where he can range around the field while in base packages and handle coverage duties on third down.
http://www.nfl.com/news/story/0ap30...fl-draft?campaign=tw-cf-sf55443165-sf55443165
