lineBacker in draft

Hey I got ESPN Insider for a month so heres some profiles of LB's we're looking at.

Abdul Hodge
ILB (http://insider.espn.go.com/nfldraft/draft/tracker/position?id=90) | (6'0http://espn-att.starwave.com/i/nfl/trans/3_8.gif", 236, 4.79) | IOWA (http://insider.espn.go.com/nfldraft/draft/tracker/school?id=2220)

Scouts Grade: 88View by: Player (http://insider.espn.go.com/nfldraft/draft/tracker/players?draftyear=2006) | NCAA School (http://insider.espn.go.com/nfldraft/draft/tracker/school?draftyear=2006) | Position (http://insider.espn.go.com/nfldraft/draft/tracker/position?draftyear=2006) | NFL Team (http://insider.espn.go.com/nfldraft/draft/tracker/team?draftyear=2006) | Flag (http://insider.espn.go.com/nfldraft/draft/tracker/alert?draftyear=2006)http://espn-att.starwave.com/i/in.gif | All Ranked Players (http://insider.espn.go.com/nfldraft/draft/tracker/rankedPlayers?draftyear=2006)http://espn-att.starwave.com/i/in.gif | NFL Draft History (http://insider.espn.go.com/nfldraft/draft/tracker/histround?year=2005&draftyear=2006) You are signed into Insider http://espn.starwave.com/i/in.gif and have access to the exclusive draft content below.
Strengths: Has been one of the most productive ILB's in the nation during the past two seasons. Lacks ideal bulk but he is powerful. Shows very good overall technique. Plays with good leverage and uses his hands well. Shows the ability to take on and shed blocks despite his lack of ideal size. He is at his best working downhill vs. the run. He has adequate-to-good straight-line speed for an ILB. He also shows good lateral quickness and agility. Takes solid angles in pursuit and shows impressive closing burst. He is an explosive tackler with very good power in his hips and upper body. He is instinctive and shows excellent recognition skills. Rarely takes false steps and won't bite very often on the play-fake. He is a tough linebacker who will fill hard and won't back down to a physical challenge. Plays with a mean streak but also has excellent football instincts. He shows good burst when turned loose on the blitz.

Weaknesses: He lacks ideal size as an ILB prospect. Will have more trouble getting off of blocks and matching up in the phone booth at the next level. He also lacks ideal fluidity. He has a tendency to over-run pursuit angles and will struggle to recover in space. Does not get great depth in his zone drops. Has just decent range in zone coverage. Will have some man-to-man coverage limitations versus faster backs in the NFL.

Overall: Hodge was born in the Virgin Islands. He redshirted in 2001. He played in all 13 games as a redshirt freshman in 2002. He emerged as a fulltime starter during his sophomore season in 2003, when he finished with 141 tackles, nine TFL and two sacks in 14 games. As a junior in 2004, he collected 116 tackles, 4.5 TFL and three sacks. Hodge led the Hawkeyes with 158 total tackles as a senior in 2005 and also finished with 11 TFL, three forced fumbles, two fumble recoveries and one sack. Hodge led the team in tackles in each of his final three seasons (2003-'05) and was named first-team All-Big Ten in 2003 and 2004, and second-team All-Big Ten in 2005. Hodge lacks ideal size for a MLB prospect and he will get in trouble at times when he tries to run around blockers because it takes him out of position. Hodge also will have some coverage limitations in the NFL due to just adequate speed and change-of-direction skills. However, he is a tough and powerful player who is capable of overcoming his lack of ideal bulk. Hodge was one of the most productive linebackers in college football over the course of his final three seasons at Iowa and his impressive combination of quickness, strength, instincts and tackling skills leads us to believe that he will quickly emerge as a starting ILB/MLB in the NFL. Overall, Hodge grades out as one of the top-two inside linebacker prospects in the 2006 class and should come off the board at some point in the second round.

D'Qwell Jackson
ILB (http://insider.espn.go.com/nfldraft/draft/tracker/position?id=90) | (6'0http://espn-att.starwave.com/i/nfl/trans/1_2.gif", 230, 4.78) | MARYLAND (http://insider.espn.go.com/nfldraft/draft/tracker/school?id=2284)

Scouts Grade: 86View by: Player (http://insider.espn.go.com/nfldraft/draft/tracker/players?draftyear=2006) | NCAA School (http://insider.espn.go.com/nfldraft/draft/tracker/school?draftyear=2006) | Position (http://insider.espn.go.com/nfldraft/draft/tracker/position?draftyear=2006) | NFL Team (http://insider.espn.go.com/nfldraft/draft/tracker/team?draftyear=2006) | Flag (http://insider.espn.go.com/nfldraft/draft/tracker/alert?draftyear=2006)http://espn-att.starwave.com/i/in.gif | All Ranked Players (http://insider.espn.go.com/nfldraft/draft/tracker/rankedPlayers?draftyear=2006)http://espn-att.starwave.com/i/in.gif | NFL Draft History (http://insider.espn.go.com/nfldraft/draft/tracker/histround?year=2005&draftyear=2006) You are signed into Insider http://espn.starwave.com/i/in.gif and have access to the exclusive draft content below.
Strengths: Is an athletic and instinctive ILB prospect that also has experience playing the WLB position. Lacks size but is tough and powerful. At his best vs. the run when he's protected and has room to roam. He has terrific recognition skills and diagnoses things quickly. He will not take a lot of false steps and he gets a great jump on most plays. He takes excellent angles in pursuit. Is quicker than fast but has adequate top-end speed. He shows a closing burst to the ball carrier and is a very sound open field tackler. Shows very good COD skills and the ability to break down and redirect quickly in space. He has good hip explosion and a very powerful upper body. He will force fumbles as a tackler and has a nose for the ball. He is very smooth in his hips and has good range in zone coverage. Possesses the quickness, fluidity and instincts to cover most backs man-to-man out of the backfield. Shows very good ball skills and is a natural playmaker when the ball is in the air. Also shows good instincts and closing burst when turned loose on the blitz.

Weaknesses: He is undersized. Lacks lower body strength. Plays with a narrow base and has trouble taking on iso-blockers. He gives up too much size in the phone booth and does not show the consistent ability to shed after being reached. He has to be covered in order to be effective. He lacks explosive power as a tackler. He has adequate but not elite speed. As a result, he may not be able to slip as many blocks and stay on the move as easily in the NFL as he did in college. He also has some durability issues as an undersized LB who has gone through wrist surgery and missed a game due to a leg injury all in the last year.

Overall: Jackson played as a backup in all 14 games as a true freshman in 2002 and finished with 51 tackles. He emerged as a fulltime starter in 2003 and earned second-team All-ACC honors with a team-high 136 total tackles. As a junior in 2004, he finished with a team-high 123 tackles, including seven TFL, four sacks, two INTs and five PBU. He missed 2005 spring practice after having surgery on his wrist. Jackson was named ACC Defensive Player of the Year in 2005, when he started all 10 games that he played (missed Temple game with leg injury) and finished with 137 tackles, 6.5 TFL, four sacks and two interceptions. Jackson emerged as an elite linebacker at the WLB position as a sophomore in 2003, he made a seamless transition from WLB to MLB as a junior in 2004, and he took his game to the next level as a returning starter at MLB in 2005. He lacks ideal size and does not have the base to consistently take on blockers in the phone booth. He also has some durability issues that are likely to cause him to slip a bit on draft day. However, Jackson is an instinctive, athletic, quick and powerful linebacker for his size. In our opinion, Jackson shows the physical tools and mental capability to emerge as a starting inside linebacker in the NFL. Even if he's not ready to play a fulltime starting role as a rookie, he has the cover skills to play a nickel linebacker role and he also can contribute by covering kicks on special teams. Jackson should come off the board in the second round of the 2006 draft.

Rocky McIntosh
OLB (http://insider.espn.go.com/nfldraft/draft/tracker/position?id=89) | (6'2http://espn-att.starwave.com/i/nfl/trans/1_8.gif", 237, 4.63) | MIAMI (FLA.) (http://insider.espn.go.com/nfldraft/draft/tracker/school?id=2289)

Scouts Grade: 85View by: Player (http://insider.espn.go.com/nfldraft/draft/tracker/players?draftyear=2006) | NCAA School (http://insider.espn.go.com/nfldraft/draft/tracker/school?draftyear=2006) | Position (http://insider.espn.go.com/nfldraft/draft/tracker/position?draftyear=2006) | NFL Team (http://insider.espn.go.com/nfldraft/draft/tracker/team?draftyear=2006) | Flag (http://insider.espn.go.com/nfldraft/draft/tracker/alert?draftyear=2006)http://espn-att.starwave.com/i/in.gif | All Ranked Players (http://insider.espn.go.com/nfldraft/draft/tracker/rankedPlayers?draftyear=2006)http://espn-att.starwave.com/i/in.gif | NFL Draft History (http://insider.espn.go.com/nfldraft/draft/tracker/histround?year=2005&draftyear=2006) You are signed into Insider http://espn.starwave.com/i/in.gif and have access to the exclusive draft content below.
Strengths: A physically gifted and versatile LB prospect that peaked as a senior. Possesses a very good combination of height, weight and speed. Has adequate bulk and room left on his frame to get bigger. Has long arms, a wide wingspan and impressive agility for his size. Also has very good straight-line speed for his size. Is at his best working in space versus the run. Does a good job of slipping blocks and pursuing. He is a sideline-to-sideline run supporter who also makes a lot of plays in the backfield. Shows very good initial quickness and closing burst. He is a solid wrap-up tackler in space. Shows good speed and closing burst as a pass rusher. If he can improve his pass rush moves he can be an impact pass rusher in the NFL. He has upside in coverage because of his wingspan and speed. He has a great work ethic and is an intense player. Excellent production and experience on special teams.

Weaknesses: Lacks ideal overall strength and plays with too narrow of a base. Does not show explosive upper-body power, either. He does not like to take on blocks and will occasionally take himself out of position by running around blockers. Takes too long to disengage and must improve his hand usage. Still has room to improve in terms of his recognition skills in coverage. Better in man-to-man than he is in zone coverage. Has had some durability issues in the past. Knee in 2003 (missed opener vs. La. Tech) and shoulder in spring of 2004.

Overall: McIntosh redshirted in 2001 and was a part-time starter the next two seasons (2002-'03) before taking over as the team's starting SLB during his junior season in 2004. McIntosh finished second on the team with 111 total tackles as a junior. He also has 13 tackles for loss, four sacks and three passes broken up. McIntosh started all 12 games as a senior in 2005 and finished with 89 tackles (team-high), 10 TFL, 5.5 sacks, two fumble recoveries and on forced fumble. McIntosh is a versatile prospect with experience at all three linebacker positions. He was bothered by a lingering shoulder injury in 2004 but still had a productive season and he continued to make positive strides as a senior in 2005. McIntosh still has room to improve in terms of his upper-body strength and ability to take on and disengage from blockers. However, McIntosh has the physical tools to develop into a solid starter in the NFL. He played more SLB than any other LB position in college but he has the frame, athletic ability and speed to play any or all three spots in the NFL, and we think his best fit will be at the WLB position. He also played a great deal on special teams while at Miami and shows a lot of promise in that facet as a pro. In our opinion, McIntosh warrants second-round consideration as one of the top-10 overall linebacker prospects in the 2006 class.

Thomas Howard
OLB (http://insider.espn.go.com/nfldraft/draft/tracker/position?id=89) | (6'3http://espn-att.starwave.com/i/nfl/trans/1_4.gif", 239, 4.47) | UTEP (http://insider.espn.go.com/nfldraft/draft/tracker/school?id=2436)

Scouts Grade: 88View by: Player (http://insider.espn.go.com/nfldraft/draft/tracker/players?draftyear=2006) | NCAA School (http://insider.espn.go.com/nfldraft/draft/tracker/school?draftyear=2006) | Position (http://insider.espn.go.com/nfldraft/draft/tracker/position?draftyear=2006) | NFL Team (http://insider.espn.go.com/nfldraft/draft/tracker/team?draftyear=2006) | Flag (http://insider.espn.go.com/nfldraft/draft/tracker/alert?draftyear=2006)http://espn-att.starwave.com/i/in.gif | All Ranked Players (http://insider.espn.go.com/nfldraft/draft/tracker/rankedPlayers?draftyear=2006)http://espn-att.starwave.com/i/in.gif | NFL Draft History (http://insider.espn.go.com/nfldraft/draft/tracker/histround?year=2005&draftyear=2006) You are signed into Insider http://espn.starwave.com/i/in.gif and have access to the exclusive draft content below.
Strengths: Is an explosive athlete with a rare combination of size and speed. Can change directions quickly and shows very good burst when closing in. He shows very fluid hips for his size. He covers a lot of ground vs. the run and can be very disruptive in the backfield. He pursues hard and plays with a good motor. Will make plays from behind vs. the run. He possesses powerful upper body strength. He is an explosive tackler that will jar the ball loose on occasion. Shows good initial burst and speed as a pass rusher. Has instincts on the blitz and has been very productive when turned loose to rush the passer. He also has a lot of upside in coverage because of his speed, fluid hips and ball skills.

Weaknesses: Level of competition is a concern. He will have a big leap to make in the NFL, where he won't be able to run around as many blockers as he did at the mid-major collegiate level. He must learn to do a better job of taking on and disengaging from blocks in the phone booth. He will take some poor angles and can be over-aggressive. Needs to improve his consistency as a tackler and do a better job of wrapping up in space all of the time. He has below average recognition skills in coverage. Will take some false steps and gets some late jumps on the ball. He gets away with it at his level but needs to diagnose things quicker in the NFL.

Overall: Howard redshirted in 2001 and played as a backup and on special teams during his redshirt freshman season in 2002. He emerged as a starter at the WLB position as a junior in 2003 before moving to the SLB position as a junior in 2004, when he finished with 62 tackles, 14 tackles for loss, eight sacks and two interceptions. Howard started all 12 games as a senior in 2005 and finished with 85 tackles, seven TFL, three sacks and one interception, while earning second-team All-Conference USA honors. Howard doesn't get a lot of national attention at UTEP but he is a legitimate early-round NFL prospect with a rare combination of size and speed. There are questions regarding his level of competition and Howard still has room to improve in terms of his recognition skills, ability to take on blocks and overall tackling consistency. However, Howard emerged as a big-time playmaker during his final two seasons at UTEP and he has the NFL "measurables" to back it up. Howard will need more time than most in terms of his transition to the NFL, but he shows great promise to develop into a starting OLB in the NFL. He also has the skills to contribute as a nickel linebacker on passing downs, as well as a cover-guy on special teams right away as a rookie. We are not quite as high on Howard as some, but we still think he warrants early second-round consideration in the 2006 draft.

Any other request?

Any other request?

killer ;) how about demeco ryans and jon alston if you wouldn't mind?

one may fall, the other may rise.

No Problem

DeMeco Ryans
OLB (http://insider.espn.go.com/nfldraft/draft/tracker/position?id=89) | (6'1http://espn-att.starwave.com/i/nfl/trans/1_4.gif", 236, 4.69) | ALABAMA (http://insider.espn.go.com/nfldraft/draft/tracker/school?id=2056)

Scouts Grade: 91View by: Player (http://insider.espn.go.com/nfldraft/draft/tracker/players?draftyear=2006) | NCAA School (http://insider.espn.go.com/nfldraft/draft/tracker/school?draftyear=2006) | Position (http://insider.espn.go.com/nfldraft/draft/tracker/position?draftyear=2006) | NFL Team (http://insider.espn.go.com/nfldraft/draft/tracker/team?draftyear=2006) | Flag (http://insider.espn.go.com/nfldraft/draft/tracker/alert?draftyear=2006)http://espn-att.starwave.com/i/in.gif | All Ranked Players (http://insider.espn.go.com/nfldraft/draft/tracker/rankedPlayers?draftyear=2006)http://espn-att.starwave.com/i/in.gif | NFL Draft History (http://insider.espn.go.com/nfldraft/draft/tracker/histround?year=2005&draftyear=2006) You are signed into Insider http://espn.starwave.com/i/in.gif and have access to the exclusive draft content below.
Strengths: Is quicker than fast. Moves well laterally and when coming forward. He is instinctive and his technique is outstanding. He plays with leverage and shows very good balance and body control. Is quicker than fast. Takes excellent angles in pursuit and is a reliable, powerful tackler. Really has a nose for the football. Is disciplined and will execute his assignments. He shows good recognition skills and won't take too many false steps. He shows adequate-to-good range in underneath zone coverage. Gets good jumps on the ball and also shows good ball skills when in position to make a play. He has developed his array of pass rush moves and is relentless in pursuit of the QB. He has spent some time with his hand down as an edge rusher on obvious passing downs. He is a hard worker on and off the field. Intelligent player and good student. High character person with elite overall intangibles.

Weaknesses: Is an elite prospect but lacks elite top-end speed and ideal size. While he possesses adequate size as a MLB or WLB, he lacks ideal height and bulk for an SLB and will struggle to stack at the LOS vs. taller, bigger TE's in the NFL. Will need to improve his overall strength. A better fit size-wise at WLB in the NFL, but lacks ideal top-end speed at that position. Will have some trouble when forced to turn and run vs. faster RB's one-on-one. Had some minor injuries during career at Alabama, including both hamstrings in spring of 2005.

Overall: Ryans played a reserve role as a true freshman in 2002. He finished with a team-high 126 total tackles as a sophomore in 2003. He also set the school's single-game record versus Arkansas with 25 total tackles that season. As a junior in 2004, he finished with 78 tackles and seven tackles for loss. Ryans started all 12 games as a senior in 2005 and finished with 76 tackles, 12 TFL, five sacks and one interception. He finished his career at Alabama with 37 starts and was named the SEC Defensive Player of the Year in 2005. Ryans was a four-time All-Academic SEC selection and was also a recipient of the prestigious NCAA Top VIII award, which recognizes outstanding achievement in athletics, scholarship and community service and is given each year to a total of eight student-athletes from Division I, II and III. Ryans is an experienced, intelligent and versatile linebacker prospect that improved with each season of experience and finished with his best season as a senior in 2005. While Ryans spent most of his time in college at the SLB position, he showed the versatility to play all three LB positions. We think his best fit will be at WLB in the NFL. Ryans lacks elite speed and he will need to improve his bulk and strength in order to match up better in the NFL. However, he plays the game with outstanding technique and instincts. He is quick, aggressive, tough and active versus the run. He shows outstanding tackling skills and he has developed into a solid contributor in the passing game  both as a pass rusher and in coverage. Ryans has the physical tools to develop into a playmaking fulltime starter in the NFL and he is polished enough to contribute immediately as a rookie. Ryans should be one of the top-five linebackers selected in the 2006 draft  most likely late in the first round.

You know I wrote these myself so..... yeah

Jon Alston
OLB (http://insider.espn.go.com/nfldraft/draft/tracker/position?id=89) | (6'0http://espn-att.starwave.com/i/nfl/trans/3_4.gif", 223, 4.5) | STANFORD (http://insider.espn.go.com/nfldraft/draft/tracker/school?id=2416)

Scouts Grade: 73View by: Player (http://insider.espn.go.com/nfldraft/draft/tracker/players?draftyear=2006) | NCAA School (http://insider.espn.go.com/nfldraft/draft/tracker/school?draftyear=2006) | Position (http://insider.espn.go.com/nfldraft/draft/tracker/position?draftyear=2006) | NFL Team (http://insider.espn.go.com/nfldraft/draft/tracker/team?draftyear=2006) | Flag (http://insider.espn.go.com/nfldraft/draft/tracker/alert?draftyear=2006)http://espn-att.starwave.com/i/in.gif | All Ranked Players (http://insider.espn.go.com/nfldraft/draft/tracker/rankedPlayers?draftyear=2006)http://espn-att.starwave.com/i/in.gif | NFL Draft History (http://insider.espn.go.com/nfldraft/draft/tracker/histround?year=2005&draftyear=2006) You are signed into Insider http://espn.starwave.com/i/in.gif and have access to the exclusive draft content below.
Strengths: One of the fastest linebackers in this year's class. A fluid athlete. Has excellent range in run support. Pursues hard, takes good angles and closes quickly. He hits a lot harder than his small frame would indicate. He has great power in his hips and upper body. Is a solid wrap up tackler in space. Has become a legitimate pass-rushing weapon. Has great instincts and closing burst when turned loose on the blitz. Also does a good job of using double moves to stay off of blocks. He continues to improve in coverage and the has fluidity and speed to match up in the NFL. He also shows decent ball skills. Has great experience and has been extremely productive in the past on special teams.

Weaknesses: Is undersized. Lacks ideal bulk and lower body strength. Gets washed out too easily in the phone booth. Needs to improve his base and continue to get bigger. He has to be on the move to be effective vs. the run. He still has room to improve in terms of his ability to take on and disengage from blocks. He also needs to improve his recognition skills and consistency in coverage. Is a much better pass rusher than cover guy at this point. A late-bloomer who will need time to develop physically in the NFL.

Overall: He redshirted in 2001 and was a part-time starter throughout his true freshman season in 2002 and sophomore season in 2003. As a junior in 2004, he started all 11 games and finished with 62 tackles, 10 sacks, 14.5 tackles for loss, one interception and three forced fumbles. He has started 16 games in his three-year career and was named Second-Team All-Pac-10 as a junior in 2004. Alston started all 11 games as a senior in 2005 and finished with 52 tackles, 9.5 TFL, 6.5 sacks and one interception. He was named honorable mention All-Pac-10 as a senior. Alston has always had good athleticism and speed but he struggled to overcome his lack of ideal size and strength early in his career. He finally had a breakout season as a junior in 2004 and he continued to play at a very high level as a senior in 2005. Alston is a bit of a 'tweener WLB/SS prospect but we think his best fit would be as a WLB in a scheme that emphasizes speed over size (ie Colts and Buccaneers). He will need time to develop physically before he's ready to compete for a consistent role on defense in the NFL, but he is an excellent special teams player and can contribute in that facet early in his pro career. If Alston is not taken late in the third round, he will be a great value early on the second day of the 2006 draft.

Damn. I'm a Jon Alston fan now. Sounds like a Redskin. Plus I'm pretty sure Pierce and Marshall's draft profiles weren't nearly as flattering.

thanks again.

marshall's was almost identical. He was also a WLB/SS tweener that couldn't shed block or play in the box, but he had speed, intelligence, and some ball skills.