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Meet Your Draft Picks: Anthony Spencer
By Tim Wilson
Anthony Spencer, DE/OLB, Purdue University, 1st round draft pick
Measurables: 6’3”, 261, 4.71 forty yard dash
Positives: An explosive pass rusher and up-the-field defender. Possesses excellent overall athleticism and top-end speed. Flashes the burst and closing quickness necessary to rush from the outside in the NFL. Has demonstrated good knowledge of technique and play recognition ability, particularly in his 2006 senior season. Great motor, good at backside pursuit, and a fairly strong overall run defender, even against larger blockers. Works well down the line and changes direction well. Has a developing frame with good upper-body muscle tone and room to add at least another 10 pounds of bulk with no loss in quickness. Plays through pain, as evidenced by his 15-tackle performance vs. Notre Dame in 2006 despite a hyper-extended knee. Named Purdue Boilermaker’s Most Valuable Player for 2006 season. First team 2006 All Big-10 selection.
Negatives: As an NFL defensive end, Spencer would be undersized, but he fits the prototypical mold for the 3-4 OLB. Can struggle when going head-up against larger offensive linemen, but possesses enough speed that this should not be expected to be a significant problem. Learning a new position at LB and has only moderate experience dropping into downfield coverage. Rarely used in space. In a strong TE division like the NFC East, may have to be protected in coverage against receiving TEs. Will need to further develop his array of pass rush moves as he progresses in the NFL, but has a solid foundation to work from.
Outlook: Anthony Spencer certainly appears to be the real deal — the ideal specimen for a 3-4 outside pass rusher, displaying excellent speed and strength and a strong production record to back it up. As a pass rusher he can generate instant penetration, both from his natural athletic ability and from his excellent knowledge of technique. He combines proper hand technique with an array of rip-and-swim moves to explosively close on quarterbacks, he can guard his legs versus the chop block while maintaining the angle to close on the ball, and he gets great production when he beating the offensive tackle with quickness and flashing his lateral range to slip in-line.
The guy is a certified pass-rusher, and there is no doubt that he will help the Cowboys when on the field in that capacity. In addition, his motor, his character, and his toughness are all everything you would want in a first-round pick, and he appears to be the type of player who will do what is necessary to continue his development in the NFL.
The only thing you can really come up with on him as far as a potential flag is that his production underwent a sharp increase his senior season. He was slightly dinged up in 2005, limiting him to 3 sacks and 23 tackles. In 2004, his sophomore season, he rang up 7.5 sacks in just 11 starts, but nothing approaching his 10.5 sacks, 26.5 tackles for a loss, and 5 forced fumbles in 2006. So he’s not quite a Mario Williams, whose reputation was made almost entirely in one year, but his senior year was clearly the reason Spencer was taken in the first round. This is really nitpicking, though. Spencer’s production was consistent from game to game when healthy and he clearly has the physical tools necessary to succeed against the next level of competition.
The big thing to watch this summer and fall is his transition from a 3-point defensive end to a 2-point outside linebacker. While Spencer has some coverage experience from his college career, he is still limited in that area, and is not used to working in space. At the moment, this is probably a minor issue, since he will likely be utilized largely as a pass-rusher, with the speedier and more experienced inside linebackers lending a hand in coverage. Even pass-rushing LBs need to cover occasionally, however (Shawne Merriman, for instance, excels as a pass rusher but is also an underrated cover LB), and eventually Spencer will probably find himself in the flat with a receiving fullback or running an outside curl with Matt Schobel or Chris Cooley. Spencer probably has the athletic ability to succeed in these roles down the line, but right now it will certainly be the rawest area of his game.
Spencer continues the tradition of Purdue defensive ends that have made the leap to the pro level, following in the footsteps of Roosevelt Colvin, Shaun Phillips, Ray Edwards, Chike Okeafor, and Dallas’ very own Akin Ayodele.
http://theboysblog.com/
By Tim Wilson
Anthony Spencer, DE/OLB, Purdue University, 1st round draft pick
Measurables: 6’3”, 261, 4.71 forty yard dash
Positives: An explosive pass rusher and up-the-field defender. Possesses excellent overall athleticism and top-end speed. Flashes the burst and closing quickness necessary to rush from the outside in the NFL. Has demonstrated good knowledge of technique and play recognition ability, particularly in his 2006 senior season. Great motor, good at backside pursuit, and a fairly strong overall run defender, even against larger blockers. Works well down the line and changes direction well. Has a developing frame with good upper-body muscle tone and room to add at least another 10 pounds of bulk with no loss in quickness. Plays through pain, as evidenced by his 15-tackle performance vs. Notre Dame in 2006 despite a hyper-extended knee. Named Purdue Boilermaker’s Most Valuable Player for 2006 season. First team 2006 All Big-10 selection.
Negatives: As an NFL defensive end, Spencer would be undersized, but he fits the prototypical mold for the 3-4 OLB. Can struggle when going head-up against larger offensive linemen, but possesses enough speed that this should not be expected to be a significant problem. Learning a new position at LB and has only moderate experience dropping into downfield coverage. Rarely used in space. In a strong TE division like the NFC East, may have to be protected in coverage against receiving TEs. Will need to further develop his array of pass rush moves as he progresses in the NFL, but has a solid foundation to work from.
Outlook: Anthony Spencer certainly appears to be the real deal — the ideal specimen for a 3-4 outside pass rusher, displaying excellent speed and strength and a strong production record to back it up. As a pass rusher he can generate instant penetration, both from his natural athletic ability and from his excellent knowledge of technique. He combines proper hand technique with an array of rip-and-swim moves to explosively close on quarterbacks, he can guard his legs versus the chop block while maintaining the angle to close on the ball, and he gets great production when he beating the offensive tackle with quickness and flashing his lateral range to slip in-line.
The guy is a certified pass-rusher, and there is no doubt that he will help the Cowboys when on the field in that capacity. In addition, his motor, his character, and his toughness are all everything you would want in a first-round pick, and he appears to be the type of player who will do what is necessary to continue his development in the NFL.
The only thing you can really come up with on him as far as a potential flag is that his production underwent a sharp increase his senior season. He was slightly dinged up in 2005, limiting him to 3 sacks and 23 tackles. In 2004, his sophomore season, he rang up 7.5 sacks in just 11 starts, but nothing approaching his 10.5 sacks, 26.5 tackles for a loss, and 5 forced fumbles in 2006. So he’s not quite a Mario Williams, whose reputation was made almost entirely in one year, but his senior year was clearly the reason Spencer was taken in the first round. This is really nitpicking, though. Spencer’s production was consistent from game to game when healthy and he clearly has the physical tools necessary to succeed against the next level of competition.
The big thing to watch this summer and fall is his transition from a 3-point defensive end to a 2-point outside linebacker. While Spencer has some coverage experience from his college career, he is still limited in that area, and is not used to working in space. At the moment, this is probably a minor issue, since he will likely be utilized largely as a pass-rusher, with the speedier and more experienced inside linebackers lending a hand in coverage. Even pass-rushing LBs need to cover occasionally, however (Shawne Merriman, for instance, excels as a pass rusher but is also an underrated cover LB), and eventually Spencer will probably find himself in the flat with a receiving fullback or running an outside curl with Matt Schobel or Chris Cooley. Spencer probably has the athletic ability to succeed in these roles down the line, but right now it will certainly be the rawest area of his game.
Spencer continues the tradition of Purdue defensive ends that have made the leap to the pro level, following in the footsteps of Roosevelt Colvin, Shaun Phillips, Ray Edwards, Chike Okeafor, and Dallas’ very own Akin Ayodele.
http://theboysblog.com/
