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.
Speaks is the exception to how well the Chiefs have done with their first pick in the draft since Reid has been here:
Eric Fisher
Dee Ford
Marcus Peters
Chris Jones
Patrick Mahomes
Breeland Speaks
Mecole Hardman
Clyde Edwards Helaire
With the exception of Speaks, those are all really good NFL players with a few absolute stars. We don’t know with CEH, but the reports have been great. I don’t see a first round Andy Reid running back being a bust. [Reply]
I never believed in him. I tried to convince myself he'd work out because none of us wanted to blame Veach for trading up for a scrub but I never once saw anything where I was like oh there's the potential. I saw it in KPass though. I get that one.
Speaks looks like a guy who can play basketball surprisingly well for a fat guy but that's the most I can say about him. Just never understood that pick. [Reply]
Looks like the Chiefs wanted to give him one last confidence booster to see if he could turn it around. In the future - beware the Nate Taylor puff piece. [Reply]
This was actually the only yr I had any ounce of hope for the guy, being he actually got serious and cut weight got in shape etc. Guess Chiefs got tired of waiting and have a deep DL.
Still dont understand who in their right mind thought he could play standing up at the time be was drafted. Never understood the pick, let alone trading up for him. [Reply]
Chiefs GM Brett Veach says Breeland Speaks came up against a deep defensive line group he believes is deepest on the team. Concedes he got "behind the eight-ball" with coming in out of shape before ACL injury last year.
Chiefs GM Brett Veach says Breeland Speaks came up against a deep defensive line group he believes is deepest on the team. Concedes he got "behind the eight-ball" with coming in out of shape before ACL injury last year.