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Posted by Rafael at Thursday, March 01, 2012
Part two of this week's chat with the National Football Post's Wes Bunting reviews some outside linebackers who could figure into Dallas' draft plans in the first two rounds.
Cowboys Nation: Let's move to rush linebackers and talk about two guys who helped themselves in Indy. Let's begin with Bruce Irvin. He's been somewhat of an enigma, because he missed the All-Star games. He did this week what you predicted he would weeks ago. He blew up his workouts. Where does he stand now?
Wes Bunting: I'm going to keep the same grade on him which is a 2nd-3rd round grade. I saw some mocks today, where he was in the late 1st. He's a good player and he worked out well. Would I use a 1st round pick on him at this stage? Probably not, but if I could get him in the 2nd, I'd be happy.
He's a legit 6'3''. He was 245 and ran 4.43. He's got natural pass rushing skills. The question still is can he make the jump? I saw some Von Miller in his movements when he did the drills.
At the end of the day I wouldn't be surprised if he got into the 1st, but I'd take him in the 2nd round range.
CN: The question from Cowboys land is, will he last to pick 45? He would be a nice option to have there.
WB: He would be fine. He would be really good there.
CN: He seems like an ideal pick if the team franchises Anthony Spencer for 2012. Here's a guy who can complement Spencer and work in slowly and be your 3rd down rusher as a rookie.
WB: I think he could play a role similar to Aldon Smith's in year one, where he comes in the nickel and can be an 8-10 sack guy. I really think he could do that. Especially if he has a complement like DeMarcus Ware across from him? Holy smokes.
CN: Talk about Shea McClellin. A couple of your roundtable guests last night said he was their surprise player. He built on the good week he had at the Senior Bowl with some strong workout numbers. There's no way he falls to the 3rd now, is there?
WB: He's a tough guy to figure out because he's at his best rushing the passer with his hand on the ground. But he was a legit 265 so I could see some 4-3 teams, especially those wide-9 teams looking at him as a defensive end. I would see some 4-3 teams look at him as a strong-side 'backer and a defensive end. And I can see those 3-4 teams looking at him as a strong-side outside linebacker. He's not as natural rushing the passer standing up, but he's got a great motor. He can turn and run with backs and tight ends. He knows how to use his hands. I think he can improve as a standing rusher.
I think he can play anywhere across a 3-4 linebacking front. He's too good of a football player to get out of the 2nd round.
I like Bruce Irvin a little more, because I think he's more dynamic as an athlete. But overall, I think McClellin is a little safer. I think you have to figure out if Irvin has a clean character report. If you're satisfied, I'd take him. If you have any questions, McClellin could be a heck of a player.
Looking at the Cowboys, if you could get a corner in the 1st and a McClellin or an Irvin, that's a heck of draft, with those first two picks.
CN: Is he a top 60 player? A top 45 guy, in your opinion?
WB: I wouldn't be surprised if McClellin goes anywhere from 25 to 50. There are not many of these pass rushers. Andre Branch is another guy. He had great workouts and a lot of 3-4 teams are interested in him now. I only graded him as a 4-3 outside guy, but there are just not that many guys in this class who can rush from the outside. You've seen the shorter, smaller guys with the James Harrisons and Lamarr Woodleys. Last year we had the jumbo guys like Aldon Smith and Ryan Kerrigan. Now teams seem to be thinking, if this guy can rush from a two-point stance and get after it, we'll try him, no matter what he looks like.
That's why Melvin Ingram is getting so much love. Why McClellin and why Andre Branch are getting so much attention. They've got pass rushing skills.
CN: Let's re-visit Melvin Ingram. He was a regular early on, and we dropped him a bit because it was becoming the Melvin Ingram show a bit. He tested very, very well. Before the Combine started, I saw some mocks that had moved him into the back end of the top-10. Where does he sit now?
WB: I'm not gonna say he's a top 10. I'd say he goes in the 13-23 range. I really like him. I do. I just don't think he's an elite talent. Playing in a 3-4 is going to help him. He can rush from a number of ways and get the quarterback from a number of positions. He's going to be successful. Can he beat NFL left tackles consistently? I don't think so. I think he can play on the opposite side, with his hand on the ground. I think he's a 7-10 sack a year guy in the NFL.
CN: You've projected sack ceilings for a lot of these guys. Where can McClellin top out, if he hones his skills and can rush standing up as well as he did in college from a 3-point stance?
WB: That's hard to say. I gave him the same grade I gave Brooks Reed. I think I'll have him rated a little higher than Reed, because I think he can rush effectively in more ways. I think Reed had 6.0 sacks this year. I think McClellin would have similar type years. If he has a good year? In a great year he can get 10.0 sacks, but most years, I see him as a 6-to-8 sack guy.
CN: That's on par with Anthony Spencer, maybe even better, for a 2nd round investment.
Talk about Oklahoma's Ronnell Lewis. He bounced around a lot in OU's defense, but he tested really well and he projects to the strong side. Is he a 3-4 strong side backer? Is that his strongest position?
WB: I'd say that, because I think he weighed in at 250. He's a bit linear. He's got a good get off burst. He reminds me a little of Sergio Kindle, when he came out. A lot people had late 1st round grades on him but he was such a linear player. He's got an explosive element to his game. I just don't see a natural pass rusher at this stage. But he plays with a good motor. He works hard. He's got some power. I said these same things about Brooks Reed last year and he turned into a good 2nd round player.
Lewis has some off-field concerns. He has some learning disabilities. I think he struggled with his class work and that's one reason he came out early. He can be a four-down player because he is the best special teams player among the linebacking group, by far. He is a devastating striker on special teams.
Posted by Rafael at Thursday, March 01, 2012
Part two of this week's chat with the National Football Post's Wes Bunting reviews some outside linebackers who could figure into Dallas' draft plans in the first two rounds.
Cowboys Nation: Let's move to rush linebackers and talk about two guys who helped themselves in Indy. Let's begin with Bruce Irvin. He's been somewhat of an enigma, because he missed the All-Star games. He did this week what you predicted he would weeks ago. He blew up his workouts. Where does he stand now?
Wes Bunting: I'm going to keep the same grade on him which is a 2nd-3rd round grade. I saw some mocks today, where he was in the late 1st. He's a good player and he worked out well. Would I use a 1st round pick on him at this stage? Probably not, but if I could get him in the 2nd, I'd be happy.
He's a legit 6'3''. He was 245 and ran 4.43. He's got natural pass rushing skills. The question still is can he make the jump? I saw some Von Miller in his movements when he did the drills.
At the end of the day I wouldn't be surprised if he got into the 1st, but I'd take him in the 2nd round range.
CN: The question from Cowboys land is, will he last to pick 45? He would be a nice option to have there.
WB: He would be fine. He would be really good there.
CN: He seems like an ideal pick if the team franchises Anthony Spencer for 2012. Here's a guy who can complement Spencer and work in slowly and be your 3rd down rusher as a rookie.
WB: I think he could play a role similar to Aldon Smith's in year one, where he comes in the nickel and can be an 8-10 sack guy. I really think he could do that. Especially if he has a complement like DeMarcus Ware across from him? Holy smokes.
CN: Talk about Shea McClellin. A couple of your roundtable guests last night said he was their surprise player. He built on the good week he had at the Senior Bowl with some strong workout numbers. There's no way he falls to the 3rd now, is there?
WB: He's a tough guy to figure out because he's at his best rushing the passer with his hand on the ground. But he was a legit 265 so I could see some 4-3 teams, especially those wide-9 teams looking at him as a defensive end. I would see some 4-3 teams look at him as a strong-side 'backer and a defensive end. And I can see those 3-4 teams looking at him as a strong-side outside linebacker. He's not as natural rushing the passer standing up, but he's got a great motor. He can turn and run with backs and tight ends. He knows how to use his hands. I think he can improve as a standing rusher.
I think he can play anywhere across a 3-4 linebacking front. He's too good of a football player to get out of the 2nd round.
I like Bruce Irvin a little more, because I think he's more dynamic as an athlete. But overall, I think McClellin is a little safer. I think you have to figure out if Irvin has a clean character report. If you're satisfied, I'd take him. If you have any questions, McClellin could be a heck of a player.
Looking at the Cowboys, if you could get a corner in the 1st and a McClellin or an Irvin, that's a heck of draft, with those first two picks.
CN: Is he a top 60 player? A top 45 guy, in your opinion?
WB: I wouldn't be surprised if McClellin goes anywhere from 25 to 50. There are not many of these pass rushers. Andre Branch is another guy. He had great workouts and a lot of 3-4 teams are interested in him now. I only graded him as a 4-3 outside guy, but there are just not that many guys in this class who can rush from the outside. You've seen the shorter, smaller guys with the James Harrisons and Lamarr Woodleys. Last year we had the jumbo guys like Aldon Smith and Ryan Kerrigan. Now teams seem to be thinking, if this guy can rush from a two-point stance and get after it, we'll try him, no matter what he looks like.
That's why Melvin Ingram is getting so much love. Why McClellin and why Andre Branch are getting so much attention. They've got pass rushing skills.
CN: Let's re-visit Melvin Ingram. He was a regular early on, and we dropped him a bit because it was becoming the Melvin Ingram show a bit. He tested very, very well. Before the Combine started, I saw some mocks that had moved him into the back end of the top-10. Where does he sit now?
WB: I'm not gonna say he's a top 10. I'd say he goes in the 13-23 range. I really like him. I do. I just don't think he's an elite talent. Playing in a 3-4 is going to help him. He can rush from a number of ways and get the quarterback from a number of positions. He's going to be successful. Can he beat NFL left tackles consistently? I don't think so. I think he can play on the opposite side, with his hand on the ground. I think he's a 7-10 sack a year guy in the NFL.
CN: You've projected sack ceilings for a lot of these guys. Where can McClellin top out, if he hones his skills and can rush standing up as well as he did in college from a 3-point stance?
WB: That's hard to say. I gave him the same grade I gave Brooks Reed. I think I'll have him rated a little higher than Reed, because I think he can rush effectively in more ways. I think Reed had 6.0 sacks this year. I think McClellin would have similar type years. If he has a good year? In a great year he can get 10.0 sacks, but most years, I see him as a 6-to-8 sack guy.
CN: That's on par with Anthony Spencer, maybe even better, for a 2nd round investment.
Talk about Oklahoma's Ronnell Lewis. He bounced around a lot in OU's defense, but he tested really well and he projects to the strong side. Is he a 3-4 strong side backer? Is that his strongest position?
WB: I'd say that, because I think he weighed in at 250. He's a bit linear. He's got a good get off burst. He reminds me a little of Sergio Kindle, when he came out. A lot people had late 1st round grades on him but he was such a linear player. He's got an explosive element to his game. I just don't see a natural pass rusher at this stage. But he plays with a good motor. He works hard. He's got some power. I said these same things about Brooks Reed last year and he turned into a good 2nd round player.
Lewis has some off-field concerns. He has some learning disabilities. I think he struggled with his class work and that's one reason he came out early. He can be a four-down player because he is the best special teams player among the linebacking group, by far. He is a devastating striker on special teams.