The more I watch tape on these kids (again), the less thrilled I am with the prospects of adding a quality OLB in this draft. Every single one seems to have some major flaw that I just can't get over. The few I think will be good players in the NFL without some significant time investment are going to go in round 1 or high round 2 (namely Chubb, Landry, and Davenport).
At this point, I'd really question the Chiefs if they went that way in round 2. I think there will be far more players at other positions primed to make a more immediate impact with that pick. I think pass rusher should be a position picked but with an emphasis on projectable traits in round 3 or 4.
So, that said, I'm curious for everyone's opinions on these guys. The who and why.
Here's a few that pique my interest to get started and some comps in this draft (in my opinion):
Dorance Armstrong Jr. (Kansas) - I like this kid a bit and that's mostly due to athleticism and the fact that he did have one good year of production. He just didn't produce this past season and that's a huge concern. He has speed, a good first step, and agility to flatten on his bend. He has a poor repertoire of pass rush moves and no plan, he just doesn't set up moves. He doesn't have good strength at the point of attack and he doesn't convert speed to power and deliver a jolt to the offensive lineman.
Others like him in this class: Kemoko Turay (Rutgers), Jeff Holland (Auburn)
Tyquan Lewis (Ohio State) - Lewis has always been a solid producer, but he isn't flashy and doesn't possess elite traits. Lewis actually reminds me most of a guy like Tamba Hali. Decent power and good use of his hands, but he's not going to ever have an elite first step and he is pretty stiff. He'll have to get stronger at the pro level to continue producing decent stats.
Others like him in this class: Chad Thomas (Miami), Justin Lawler (SMU), Marcell Frazier (Missouri), Duke Ejiofor (Wake Forest), Lorenzo Carter (Georgia)
Hercules Mataafa (Washington State) - Has fairly good technique and good burst, plus solid hand usage. Major knock is the size and, more importantly, length. Probably only 6'1" and doesn't look to have very long arms. With a size disadvantage, keeping lineman off his frame needs to be a priority and I'm not sure he'll be able to do that. Generally gets by lineman because he has much better speed and quickness (much due to the size difference), but that may not be a factor in the pros.
Others like him in this class: Ogbonnia Okoronkwro (Oklahoma), Olasunkanmi Adeniyi (Toledo), Marquis Haynes (Mississippi) [Reply]
The Chiefs have Ford (1st round pick; contract year), and KPass (2nd round pick; physical freak). We desperately need those two to step up because its clear we're going to be hard-pressed to do better than them this offseason.
They do need to address the depth of the position in either the draft and/or FA, because Frank Zombo can't play meaningful snaps on this team anymore. [Reply]
Games watched: USC, Colorado, Stanford, Michigan State, California
Prospect grade (out of 100): 89.0
I would take him in the: first round
One sentence bio: 2017 AP Pac 12 Defensive Player of the Year and all-conference at two, yes TWO positions (DT and EDGE).
One sentence scouting report: Transitioning to a more natural EDGE rusher position in the NFL, Mata’afa comes to his next opportunity with an explosive, powerful first step and knack for disruption. [Reply]
If Mataafa is there at our pick in the 2nd, we should take him.
He could hulk up a bit and be just fine without much loss of speed. Dwight Freeney was also 6'1 and played at around 260 for the majority of his career.
No, I'm not saying he's Dwight Freeney, only that if the guy is actually a good player, he can overcome size limitations.
Mataafa is a pretty good player. About as good of a dice roll as you're gonna get if you can possibly take him in the late 2nd round. [Reply]
Dorance Armstrong just didn't get the stats. If you watched any KU games(yes I know how miserable they are) he did a lot of good things even with the defense keying on stopping him. I would absolutely take him if he is there at our 2nd round pick [Reply]
Originally Posted by TambaBerry:
Dorance Armstrong just didn't get the stats. If you watched any KU games(yes I know how miserable they are) he did a lot of good things even with the defense keying on stopping him. I would absolutely take him if he is there at our 2nd round pick
NFL Draft Scout/CBS downgraded him to a 5-6th rounder at this juncture. We all know he should blow up the combine athletically, so that probably means he settles back in with a 3rd round rating. With just how bad his season ended up being, I'm not going to buck the thought that he could be there at 78. [Reply]
Love this guy. Speed, power and can hold the edge. Get him Veach
This sounds lazy but Holland reminds me of Houston coming out of Georgia. Houston had/has a quicker get-off, but Holland has that knack to make himself skinny with his upper body and he uses his hands effectively to get into good pass rush lanes and pursuit angles. Very disciplined rusher and is solid in the run game. I would not be opposed to taking him in the 2nd or the 3rd round. [Reply]
