Greg Cosell’s draft preview: Many good defensive prospects for interior, too
We’ve looked at the edge defenders in this draft, and it’s a deep group. There are some possible impact defenders up the middle too, at the interior line and off-the-ball linebacker positions.
I want to start with TCU inside linebacker Paul Dawson, a player who people have forgotten about because he didn’t run well at the combine, which can be a big mistake.
Dawson is a guy who you actually have to watch the film on. His play recognition, ability to trigger instantly and downhill explosion in run game as good as any linebacker in this draft class. I think he’s a more athletic and twitchier mover than both Clemson’s Stephone Anthony and Mississippi State’s Benardrick McKinney, and a better prospect as a stacked inside linebacker than both of them. In fact, I think Dawson is the best inside linebacker prospect in the class.
In addition to being used extensively in pass coverage (a big plus for NFL teams who seek three-down linebackers), he has excellent lateral quickness in the box and a downhill mentality with very good short area burst. He made a lot of plays attacking downhill and shooting gaps; it very difficult for offensive linemen to block him off double-teams at the line of scrimmage because he shot gaps and defeated concept of double teams.
But Dawson fell off the radar a bit after he ran a 4.93 40-yard dash at the combine. That might be a mistake. Dawson, while not possessing ideal size to be a 4-3 middle linebacker at 235 pounds, projects as a natural 4-3 weak-side backer. I think he will be a very nice pick.
Here are my thoughts on some other top interior linemen (including some 3-4 defensive ends – here are my extended thoughts on USC’s Leonard Williams), and off-the-ball linebackers:
DT Danny Shelton, Washington
Shelton is a huge man at 339 pounds, and I was very impressed how many snaps he played against spread, up-tempo offenses. I think he’ll play fewer snaps in the NFL, which could enhance his effectiveness. And he was very good in college.
Shelton is not just a big space eater in the middle of the defense, he also has excellent lower body movement and agility. What was most impressive was Shelton really played a quick man’s game, as he played with outstanding athleticism and movement. But he’s also relentlessly strong and powerful and methodically moved offensive linemen, at times physically manhandling them with his upper and lower body coordination.
I see some similarities to Dontari Poe or Vince Wilfork with his sheer size, and quick feet and outstanding movement ability. Shelton was a better college player than Poe, though Poe has developed into an excellent NFL player. We’ll see if Shelton can similarly develop in the NFL.
DT Malcom Brown, Texas
Brown is another big tackle, at 319 pounds. But he’s so athletic, there were times he’d align as a defensive end or standup outside linebacker as an edge pass rusher in sub packages.
Like Shelton, he also plays a quick man’s game with excellent athletic movement. He showed the bend and burst off the ball to win with quickness. He could develop into a very good interior pass rusher. He also showed the ability to engage, control and shed an offensive lineman’s blocks with violent hands and explosive hips. He has excellent strength.
Brown has the skill set and attributes to be effective in both 3-4 and 4-3 fronts, which makes him a very valuable prospect.
DE Arik Armstead, Oregon
Although Armstead played a few positions for Oregon, I think he projects best as a 3-4 defensive end in the NFL. And with his side, he has a natural comparison to Arizona Cardinals end Calais Campbell.
Armstead can be really, really good. He could become one of the best players in this draft class. There are a lot of tools to work with. On Armstead’s good plays, you saw outstanding leverage, power, quick hands and ability to contact and release. He is a very fluid mover for a big man.
What I liked most was Armstead’s consistent ability to play low with good leverage, especially for a player who is 6-7. That will transition well to the NFL.
DT Eddie Goldman, Florida State
Goldman showed very good movement for a 330-pound defensive tackle, working down the line of scrimmage in the run game with effectiveness. He is a plus athlete for an interior defensive lineman, with excellent quickness off the ball. He moved his feet very well.
However, he is not an inside pass rusher at this point. He has the athletic skill set and hand usage to develop with coaching and refinement, but it’s not there yet.
At this point he is a base defense tackle due to lack of pass rush. Teams’ projection of him as a pass rusher as he develops will determine his draft status.
OLB Shaq Thompson, Washington
Thompson is a freakish athlete. The question will be where he plays, and overcoming a lack of experience at 4-3 weak-side linebacker, which I think is the only position he profiles at in the NFL.
Thompson played safety and running back in college, and there is a question if he can be a Kam Chancellor-type safety. He has good size like Chancellor, but he doesn’t really play a physical game. He did not really strike as a tackler in the box; he’s much more of a drag down tackler. Thompson at times avoided contact as a run defender when there were a lot of bodies in the box – you can’t play that way in the NFL.
There’s a lot to work with from an athletic and movement standpoint, however. If you can protect him so he can run and chase to make tackles, he has excellent play speed. He’s a very fluid change of direction athlete with loose hips and easy transition. He’s very explosive. His sheer athletic ability makes him a very interesting prospect.
ILB Benardrick McKinney, Mississippi State
McKinney has old-school middle linebacker size at 6-4, 246 pounds. And at times he ran down the vertical seam with tight ends, usually in a zone. The question, however, is if he can be a true three-down inside linebacker.
Going back to Dawson, McKinney ran well at the combine (4.66 in the 40) but on the football field he doesn’t move nearly as well as Dawson. He’s a measured and methodical mover, not sudden or fluid changing direction. He is good athlete but, not a Luke Kuechly-type of athlete. To me he’s a conventional middle linebacker-type player at his best working inside in the box, diagnosing and triggering to make tackles in the run game.
OLB Eric Kendricks, UCLA
Kendricks isn’t a huge linebacker (6-foot, 232 pounds), so I think his only NFL position will be as a 4-3 outside linebacker. Overall he is not a very physical player, and that’s a bit of a concern as you project Kendricks to the NFL. He showed a tendency to wait on blocks rather than step up and take them on, especially on gap scheme runs.
Kendricks is a high energy, high tempo player who always plays with competitiveness and urgency. He showed the ability to work through traffic and find the ball in the run game; that was a strength of his game. But he’s not purely explosive as a mover. He plays fast but he’s not a sudden quick twitch mover.
ILB Denzel Perryman, Miami
Perryman is another player who has an old-school inside linebacker build, short and stout. What’s the value of these kinds of linebackers in the NFL? That will determine Perryman’s draft status.
Perryman did match up man-to-man on backs in Miami’s man coverage concepts at times, and he has light feet for his body type. He is an aggressive, attacking stacked-box linebacker who’s very good at the point of attack in the run game, He brings physicality and toughness to the defense. He reminded me of NFL linebackers like Stephen Tulloch and D’Qwell Jackson, who are very good stacked-box players who developed over time into better coverage players.
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NFL analyst and NFL Films senior producer Greg Cosell watches as much NFL game film as anyone. Throughout the season, Cosell will join Shutdown Corner to share his observations on the teams, schemes and personnel from around the league.
