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.
There was obviously another team that they suspected wanted him...this draft is about filling out the roster. They got Mahomes...with a year in the system.
Seems like none of the other teams rated the remaining CB very highly. [Reply]
Originally Posted by duncan_idaho:
Well, for starters... Speaks played SEC football. The highest level of college football... and Kpassagnon was at a FCS school. So he’s much more proven and less of a pure project.
I think you can do some interesting and unpredictable things if you have a guy big enough to play 43 DE but versatile enough to drop into space like a 34 OLB.
Not only that, but Speaks has more experience playing EDGE than Tanoh did [Reply]
Originally Posted by kccrow:
Veach obviously thought someone wanted Speaks before 54 or he wouldn't have made the deal. That's all that really matters. I'd suspect the team that really wanted him was the Chargers.
We got a good player folks... Not sure why everyone's panties are in a bunch. It wasn't a CB, but it didn't HAVE to be a CB... Fuck.
I just wish most of them would think for a minute that Pittsburgh selected a 6th round talent, on their first round selection.
Originally Posted by Coach:
I just wish most of them would think for a minute that Pittsburgh selected a 6th round talent, on their first round selection.
That was bad.
Only if he turns out to be a 6th round talent........ [Reply]
It's hard to take some people seriously when they would've been happy with the pick being their local mailman if the commish announced him as a cornerback. [Reply]
If he really has the quickness we are seeing, 285 pounds means, or at least hopefully means, he isn't going to get shoved out of the play very easily [Reply]
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