Originally Posted by : Overview
Speaks finished strong in his final year in Oxford, sacking the quarterback six times in the team's final six games from the defensive end position. He started all 12 games for the Rebels in 2017, posting 67 tackles, eight for loss which included seven sacks to garner second-team All-SEC by league media. The Jackson, Mississippi native and four-star recruit was a defensive tackle initially, redshirting in 2014 and then starting two of 13 games played the following year (32 tackles, 5.5 for loss, one sack, two pass breakups). Speaks played in every game again as a sophomore, starting seven, making 28 tackles, 1.5 for loss, and a sack.
Originally Posted by : Strengths
Big man with good speed and plus athletic ability
Has experience at a variety of spots along defensive line
Has size and length to play in odd or even front
Punches with good hand placement, arm extension and rolled hips when allowed to two-gap
Has attitude and edge
Flashes potential to become more proficient with hands as a weapon
Able to play ahead of move blocks and disrupt into backside gaps
Plays with plus awareness
Responds well to flow of the play
Offers a little more pass rush than expected as power end
Pairs hands and feet to help free him as interior rusher along the edge
Arm-over move has some potential
Weaknesses
Had just one season of big production
Inconsistent at leveraging gap
Plays top-heavy with high pad level
Allows blockers under his pads when attacking gaps
Hip-tightness leads to narrowing of his base
Struggles to hold ground against down blocks and can be rolled out of the gap
Has straight line speed, but lateral agility and foot quickness are average in tight quarters
Goes over the edge with emotions
Chippy hitter willing to lead with helmet when play is ending
Ejected for targeting against Kentucky and ejected against Mississippi State for two unsportsmanlike penalties
Reid says Brett Veach "wore him out" watching tape on Speaks. Watched all of his snaps from last season, says he never saw him on the ground. Compares him to Tamba Hali with size and metrics.
Mitch Holthus said some interesting stuff post game about this guy.
Said Veach knew he wasn’t going to be what he wanted him to be this season, but still had the hustle and strength to rotate as a rusher.
Also mentioned that they saw him as a similar player as Tamba Hali and an offseason of dropping about 15 lbs to Tamba’s weight of 265-270 and adding strength would really help him. [Reply]
Originally Posted by RunKC:
Mitch Holthus said some interesting stuff post game about this guy.
Said Veach knew he wasn’t going to be what he wanted him to be this season, but still had the hustle and strength to rotate as a rusher.
Also mentioned that they saw him as a similar player as Tamba Hali and an offseason of dropping about 15 lbs to Tamba’s weight of 265-270 and adding strength would really help him.
Hali was a hand-in-dirt 43 DE coming out of college, drafted to do just exactly that in the pros (under Herm).
He switched to OLB when the new coaching era (Haley/Pioli) came along, after 3yrs into his NFL career. At this point, he knows how to practice, prep, and is accustomed to the speed/complexity of the NFL game.
It was a little easier transition for Hali than it's going to be for Speaks, and more importantly...just because Hali did it, doesn't mean Speaks will too. He just doesn't look the part...at all. Waaaay too slow, and even if he drops 20lbs, I'm not sure that's going to be enough to make up for his super duper sloth speed.
I mean...it's a problem when you've seen 4th graders run faster than what Speaks is doing out on an NFL field.
I just really have a hard time stomaching the Chiefs using another 2nd rd pick (via trading up) for a another project, on a team that's desperate for talent at every level. KPass is never on the field. Say what you want about his mutant-like physical traits, he simply can't get it done enough to even warrant more PT on a team that just resigned Zombo.
Reid era has been shitty at drafting/developing defensive players, other than for a few players, one of which was traded for peanuts and is no longer w/ KC.
KPass had a nice TFL today, but at some point, you need starters who can contribute with those early picks rd 1-3. Hopefully this guy plays more and stays out of the inj tub.
Dorian O'Daniel had another good game today. Don't know why the Chiefs waited til the 4th qtr to sub him into the game. KC current LB's cant fill gaps, tackle or disrupt running plays in backfield anyways so wtf not? [Reply]
DJ never ever ever looked lean, and Speaks is just a much larger dude than DJ.
DJ was by no means, a fat body at any point in his career and ran like a deer coming out of UT.
Speaks has a fucking keg hanging over his belt line.
Speaks is fat because he played DT in the SEC, now he's being asked to do something that's over is own head I'm afraid.
For the Chiefs sake, I hope he gets to camp next yr at 260ish...not counting on it though. Here it is 5months from the time he was drafted, and he still looks like the guy that walked through the door at Chiefs facilities day 1. [Reply]
Originally Posted by Demonpenz:
the weird thing is that he looks slow getting sacks but he is getting sacks
Exactly. I don't care how fat he looks, or how slow he is. He seems to have a knack of getting to the QB. Sure, he doesn't have elite speed, but he's productive. [Reply]
