Stephen Hodge: Late round steal?

[RumblinTumblinWitten]

http://bleacherreport.com/articles/158485-stephen-hodge-nfl-sleeper-profile-number-one

College: TCU
Position: OLB/S
Physical Stats: 6'0; 235 lbs
Combined/Pro Day Stats: 4.58-second 40-yard dash; 22 reps; 10'2" broad jump
Projected Stock: Third to Fifth

Strengths:
- Physical
- Attacks ball
- Great tackler
- Great pass rusher
- Great ST player
- Very motivated and coach-able
- Can play multiple positions
- Fast
- Good size
- Low risk, high reward
Weaknesses:
- Change in position from college to pro
- Weird college system (4-2-5)
- Bad pass coverage for a safety, but above average for an OLB
- Played at non-BCS school
-Sometimes overattacks which puts him out of some plays

Teams Interested: The Bears and Cowboys are the front runners right now. Hodge is a cousin of Lovie Smith, so he's been on the Bears radar for a long time, and the Cowboys have been particularly interested in TCU players, sending multiple scouts and spending a particularly long time on Hodge.

Other Comments:
Hodge is this year's draft sleeper. I have never seen someone attack the ball carrier like Hodge. He's great at shedding blocks and he's an outstanding pass rusher. He is below average in coverage as a safety, but as an OLB he's above average. He's had great production in college, earning all MWC first team honors twice.

He's also a special teams standout. This guy is the most fearless player I have ever seen play college football. He is very versatile and can play many positions in the pros. You know he will always give 100 percent on the field.

This is the one player that shocks me how he's not being talked about as a 1st day pick. I do not see any weaknesses in him. In the Boise State game, he weighed 212 lbs, and he weighed in at the combine at 235 lbs. Even with that weight gain which was all muscle, he still ran an amazing 4.58-second 40-yard dash.

This guy is going to be a great OLB in the pros

 

[Alexander]

I would be extremely shocked if he doesn't at least become a solid special teamer. He simply likes to hit people too much.

 

[Vinnie2u]

He led with his helmet on this sack but the kid has some swagger..
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=87Eat-CWZNQ

 

[Cowboy Junkie]

special teams only unless the Cowboys decide to dump the 34 defense...

I do like this pick

 

[RumblinTumblinWitten]

special teams only unless the Cowboys decide to dump the 34 defense...

I do like this pick

seems like an ILB to me. Zach Thomas was much smaller, and Bradie James does not weigh that much more than Hodge, maybe 5 or so pounds.

 

[JIMMYBUFFETT]

Certainly a special teams ace . I see him maybe playing some sub packages too . Maybe nickle LB some day and perhaps SS in goalline situations . One of those kids (like most of the kids in this draft) that WILL contribute something to this team other than taking up locker space .

 

[CATCH17]

Definetely a role player @ best in this defensive scheme.

With the guys we chose in this draft we sure as heck better be awesome on our special teams units.

 

[Future]

- Weird college system (4-2-5)

The nickel is weird? Should help him see the field early in Dallas.

 

[DFWJC]

He is one of the (few) players that I was happy with based on what he can do and wear he was picked. Who knows if he makes the team, but it looks a like a "relative" value pick to me compared to some of the other picks. Mickens was too.

 

[TheCount]

This guy is for special teams, I don't see him seeing the field much as either a safety or linebacker.

 

[CATCH17]

This guy is for special teams, I don't see him seeing the field much as either a safety or linebacker.

I can definetely see him getting on the field in passing situations.


1 thing I think we did do this offseason was get more speed up the middle in situational packages.

I just wish we could've kept Burnett but we have players to mold into that type of player.

Hopefully Barbie can play that role too immediately.

 

[Cowboy Junkie]

seems like an ILB to me. Zach Thomas was much smaller, and Bradie James does not weigh that much more than Hodge, maybe 5 or so pounds.

Zach Thomas did not hold up well last year...

I think Bradie James is 6'3 in the 250s( I did not look this up, just going by what I think)

Hodge is Roy Williams (S) size but a little slower...
but a lot cheaper and maybe more hungry

 

[jterrell]

I expect he'd be a special teams ace and a strong safety in goal line packages.

He is a very Roy Williams type player and that's why he fell. The NFL is marginalizing those guys.

One thing is certain tho and that is he is a football player. He is like Roy Williams but the one we drafted not the one we released. This guy still loves to hit people.

 

[TheCount]

I can definetely see him getting on the field in passing situations.


1 think I think we did do this offseason was get more speed up the middle in situational packages.

I just wish we could've kept Burnett but we have players to mold into that type of player.

Hopefully Barbie can play that role too immediately.

That's why we drafted Williams, I thought?

Unless you're going to take out both Bradie and Brookings.

 

[Cowboys22]

Special teams ace, nickle linebacker, goaline safety. We need guys on the goaline D that can come up and put a lick on someone to stuff the play. This guy should be better in this role than anyone we currently have.

 

[CATCH17]

That's why we drafted Williams, I thought?

Unless you're going to take out both Bradie and Brookings.

It wouldn't shock me if they both get taken off the field.

Bradie has never been anything special in coverage but to his credit out of no where he became a monster pass rusher off the edge last season.

We used Roy a little in the Nickle packages at LB last year and I think that will be his role in this defense.

 

[Apollo Creed]

I would be extremely shocked if he doesn't at least become a solid special teamer. He simply likes to hit people too much.

Good because I haven't seen a guy like that on our team outside Keith Davis since 2003.

 

[Cbz40]

Cowboys want inside look at Stephen Hodge

9:10 AM Tue, Apr 28, 2009 | Permalink | Yahoo! Buzz
Tim MacMahon

Ex-TCU safety Stephen Hodge should stick with the Cowboys because of his ability to wreak havoc on special teams. After listening to Jerry Jones and Wade Phillips talk about the sixth-round pick, it sounds like he has a chance to be a squatty, modern-day version of Bill Bates.

If Hodge develops into a dependable part of the defense, that'd be a bonus. The Cowboys will try to convert him into an inside linebacker.

Hodge, who is listed at 6-0, 234 pounds, often played in the box in the Horned Frogs' 3-3-5 scheme, making 20.5 tackles for losses during his junior and senior seasons.

It's not unusual to see an in-the-box safety converted into a 4-3 weakside linebacker, such as Tampa Bay's Cato June, who won a Super Bowl ring with the Colts. Wade Phillips said the Mo spot (weakside inside linebacker) in his scheme is basically the same position.

However, the Cowboys don't plan to limit Hodge to the inside. They also want to see how he handles playing the strong side, hoping that he can serve as a backup to both spots.

"We'll have to see," Phillips said. "Obviously, he hasn't played linebacker. But he played safety and made a lot of tackles. He came up a lot and made a lot of plays and obviously was a real good safety. We see him as an inside 'backer and we'll just have to get a feel for if he can do both."

 

[speedkilz88]

50 Rogers, Justin LB 6-4 250 3 SMU
51 Brooking, Keith LB 6-2 241 12 Georgia Tech
52 Stewart, Matt LB 6-3 236 8 Vanderbilt
53 Octavien, Steve LB 6-0 238 1 Nebraska
54 Carpenter, Bobby LB 6-2 250 4 Ohio State
56 James, Bradie LB 6-2 245 7 Louisiana State


55 Hodge, Stephen LB 6-0 234 R Texas Christian
58 Williams, Jason LB 6-1 238 R Western Illinois

 

[Stash]

seems like an ILB to me. Zach Thomas was much smaller, and Bradie James does not weigh that much more than Hodge, maybe 5 or so pounds.

Second!