Jabaal Sheard OLB/DE

[bg7brd]

This guy could be a option for OLB in the 2nd. It might be a bit too high but CBS sports has him ranked 41 and the Huddle Report has him 45. He's really strong and has a mean streak, something this D needs. If we take a QB or Peterson in the 1st I could live with him as our 2nd pick. Any thoughts?

http://www.cbssports.com/nfl/draft/players/1243192

 

[WildBB]

This guy could be a option for OLB in the 2nd. It might be a bit too high but CBS sports has him ranked 41 and the Huddle Report has him 45. He's really strong and has a mean streak, something this D needs. If we take a QB or Peterson in the 1st I could live with him as our 2nd pick. Any thoughts?

http://www.cbssports.com/nfl/draft/players/1243192

01/08/2011 - PLAYERS TO WATCH: DE Jabaal Sheard has been the force that has led the Pittsburgh defense. Faced with a devastating injury to DE Greg Romeus, the Big East's 2009 co-Defensive Player of the Year, Sheard had to pick up the slack and, at the same time, overcome the stigma of an offseason arrest for a fight. Sheard wound up making first-team All-American team and was a finalist for both the Bronko Nagurski and Ted Hendricks awards. Sheard has nine sacks, 14.5 tackles for losses, 15 quarterback hurries and four forced fumbles. - The Sports Xchange

Haven't seen him, but from that write up he's not a reach at our 2nd.

 

[Mitch]

This guy could be a option for OLB in the 2nd. It might be a bit too high but CBS sports has him ranked 41 and the Huddle Report has him 45. He's really strong and has a mean streak, something this D needs. If we take a QB or Peterson in the 1st I could live with him as our 2nd pick. Any thoughts?

http://www.cbssports.com/nfl/draft/players/1243192

You are right on, bg7brd!

Sheard fits the Steelers' criteria for OLB/DE types because he can bull rush and turn the corner with quickness.

In fact, of all the OLB/DE prospects in this year's draft that I've studied film on, next to Ryan Kerrigan, Sheard has the best bull rush...and I would say it's close.

 

[Early]

Kerrigan has, arguably, the best right arm since Reggie White. It's absolutely amazing how well he can sell the speedrush, commit the lineman's hips outside, then redirect his feet and hips inside (lineman don't notice that), while keeping his upper body frame outside completely together with the tackle. His upper frame talls the tackle it's speerush, but his hips and feet are doing the opposite, going inside. That sells it completely, because then he can redirect his upper frame with strength of his right hand and with proper timing and mechanics, he can bounce his chest where his hips and feet are-inside. Then, you end being inside and the tackle out of balance outside. I have watched arround 5 tapes on Kerrigan, and it's pretty clear that he is by far the best passrusher at this particular move that made Reggie White the player he was. I analyze lineman closely each year, and you don't see this type of talent often.

Besides, Kerrigan can speedrush to some extent, and he can bullrush very effectively also. He is by far the best edgerusher in this draft, and one of the best to come out in recent time.

He is very different to Clay Matthews and Von Miller that get their sacks with athleticism, and deep into plays where the QB is moving out of the pocket and the play is dead. With all respect to Matthews but that is how majority of his sacks came. There are also few based on passrush moves, but most I have seen come on dead plays where his freakish speed and balance make it impossible to extend plays. Secondary/coverage sacks where athletic players like Matthews and Von Miller can excel.

Von Miller will be in the same mold. He wont get any immediate sacks that don't require great coverage back deep. He doesn't make them in college often, and defenitely not in NFL either. He can be a beast on a team that allows him to run arround for seconds and seconds and that don't even ask him to play the run. Athletic DE's or corners are very dangerous in that case on teams that can cover well.

However, the best edge rushers are those that can give you immediate pressure, in additon to stopping the run. Here we talk about players like Freeney, Harrison or Demarcus Ware.

Kerrigan is a stud passrusher, against the run, i'm much less convinced though. Sometimes he shows he can shed and pursuit, sometimes he gets blown away. But that's still maybe good enough. And his best side is the left, because his best arm is the right, and guys that can penetrate inside and put so much pressure in the face of the QB are always best on the strong DE side.

Sheard is very good. He is defenitely not exceptional as Kerrigan. But he posses the same skillset. I like many things about Sheard.

I even more like Romeus. He looks like a freak and plays with proper technique. It's amazing that those two play on the same D-Line.

If we look for an edge rusher, i must say Kerrigan is by far the best, while if we go D-Line, by far the best one is Cameron Jordan, followed by Wilkerson. These guys can shed, pursuit, nightmares against the run, and still add value as passrushers.

I think we should get both Kerrigan and Cameron Jordan. Take Kerrigan with the 5th pick and trade up with our second somehow and get Jordan. These guys will dominate the NFL for years to come. Add Calais Campbell and Williams and we have amazing talent up front. We need to get rid of Darnell Dockett, because his style just doesn't match the two gap system that is so much more effective.

One gap system only works on a defense that asks all four lineman to do that and in addition asks its corners to stay underneath and help the lack of D-Line to stop the run. Dockett is the weakness of this defense, due to his skillset being the weakness. I know many won't agree, but im convinced about that. We need to go two gap all the way, read and react football, just like Steelers, Jets and Baltimore do. Dockett should play in a Tampa 2 defense.

 

[Mitch]

Kerrigan has, arguably, the best right arm since Reggie White. It's absolutely amazing how well he can sell the speedrush, commit the lineman's hips outside, then redirect his feet and hips inside (lineman don't notice that), while keeping his upper body frame outside completely together with the tackle. His upper frame talls the tackle it's speerush, but his hips and feet are doing the opposite, going inside. That sells it completely, because then he can redirect his upper frame with strength of his right hand and with proper timing and mechanics, he can bounce his chest where his hips and feet are-inside. Then, you end being inside and the tackle out of balance outside. I have watched arround 5 tapes on Kerrigan, and it's pretty clear that he is by far the best passrusher at this particular move that made Reggie White the player he was. I analyze lineman closely each year, and you don't see this type of talent often.

Besides, Kerrigan can speedrush to some extent, and he can bullrush very effectively also. He is by far the best edgerusher in this draft, and one of the best to come out in recent time.

He is very different to Clay Matthews and Von Miller that get their sacks with athleticism, and deep into plays where the QB is moving out of the pocket and the play is dead. With all respect to Matthews but that is how majority of his sacks came. There are also few based on passrush moves, but most I have seen come on dead plays where his freakish speed and balance make it impossible to extend plays. Secondary/coverage sacks where athletic players like Matthews and Von Miller can excel.

Von Miller will be in the same mold. He wont get any immediate sacks that don't require great coverage back deep. He doesn't make them in college often, and defenitely not in NFL either. He can be a beast on a team that allows him to run arround for seconds and seconds and that don't even ask him to play the run. Athletic DE's or corners are very dangerous in that case on teams that can cover well.

However, the best edge rushers are those that can give you immediate pressure, in additon to stopping the run. Here we talk about players like Freeney, Harrison or Demarcus Ware.

Kerrigan is a stud passrusher, against the run, i'm much less convinced though. Sometimes he shows he can shed and pursuit, sometimes he gets blown away. But that's still maybe good enough. And his best side is the left, because his best arm is the right, and guys that can penetrate inside and put so much pressure in the face of the QB are always best on the strong DE side.

Sheard is very good. He is defenitely not exceptional as Kerrigan. But he posses the same skillset. I like many things about Sheard.

I even more like Romeus. He looks like a freak and plays with proper technique. It's amazing that those two play on the same D-Line.

If we look for an edge rusher, i must say Kerrigan is by far the best, while if we go D-Line, by far the best one is Cameron Jordan, followed by Wilkerson. These guys can shed, pursuit, nightmares against the run, and still add value as passrushers.

I think we should get both Kerrigan and Cameron Jordan. Take Kerrigan with the 5th pick and trade up with our second somehow and get Jordan. These guys will dominate the NFL for years to come. Add Calais Campbell and Williams and we have amazing talent up front. We need to get rid of Darnell Dockett, because his style just doesn't match the two gap system that is so much more effective.

One gap system only works on a defense that asks all four lineman to do that and in addition asks its corners to stay underneath and help the lack of D-Line to stop the run. Dockett is the weakness of this defense, due to his skillset being the weakness. I know many won't agree, but im convinced about that. We need to go two gap all the way, read and react football, just like Steelers, Jets and Baltimore do. Dockett should play in a Tampa 2 defense.

Man, Early, this post is outstanding!

As you know, I am very high on Kerrigan too.

The thing is...even though you have the guts to point out a real truth about what's expected of DEs in this 34...we won't get rid of Dockett. We have to hope that Dockett will be inspired by Horton to play the two gap as strong and as determined as he can and still be able to exploit gaps weh he is asked to twist and stunt.

What are your takes on Robert Quinn, Justin Houston and Aldon Smith?

 

[Early]

Man, Early, this post is outstanding!

As you know, I am very high on Kerrigan too.

The thing is...even though you have the guts to point out a real truth about what's expected of DEs in this 34...we won't get rid of Dockett. We have to hope that Dockett will be inspired by Horton to play the two gap as strong and as determined as he can and still be able to exploit gaps weh he is asked to twist and stunt.

What are your takes on Robert Quinn, Justin Houston and Aldon Smith?

It messes things up that you need to play one player on that D-Line in one gap style and two/three others playing two gap. It gets way to complex and it restrains the defense behind the first level, as far as second and third level, you get restrains due to Docket not being able to play two gap and contain the run two dimensionally. He is a freak controlling that one gap in one dimension. But if that doesn't suit the defense, why keep him???

I would trade him for a first rounder, if that can give me Cameron Jordan. He will become a decent passrusher, but man can he play the two gap, shed blocks, pursuit along the line, open up linebackers, he is so smart and dedicated, disciplined, and he doesn't take plays off. And he adds some value as passrusher.

I love Aldon Smith. But i love him inside , not outside. He is a complete mismatch against guards with that first step and extremely long arms for that frame, but also against tackles, but less so. He knows how to use his hands, that's for sure to get separation from the inside.

He reminds me of a more athletic but less powerfull Calais Campbell that also exhibits the same technique from the inside. I would love to see him bulk up and be used as Justin Tuck. He is more a fit if used like that for 4-3 teams than 3-4 teams. He can also make a good edge rusher in either scheme, more project here than Kerrigan, but i like him.

I need to watch more of Houston and Quinn. I have seen two games from Quinn, and i wasn't impressed at all like i was with Kerrigan. It's more flashes and athleticism, while with Kerrigan it's consistency and technique and pressure almost every snap in some form or another. Quinn is not a technician. Is much more athletic, but it's not like he has no technique at all either. Houston, i haven't seen a single game on him where i watch him every play.

I think we need to get either Jordan or Wilkerson, these guys are way too good to pass on.

I'm also in love with Jimmy Smith, CB. Truth is that he has Nnamdi Asomugha stats in college, he has dominated and i do see that watching his games. I don't remember the exact number right now, but it was redicilous, it was a number you can compare to Nnamdi's in NFL, redicilous low number of completed passes against him and even more so targeted passes. Teams just stay away from his side, QB's don't even look there.

If you watch close, he can really get the hands on you on LOSm they are long and he is good at it, and he has fluid hips and he is so good to come under a route. Every team looking for man coverage abilities should consider this guy. I know we are not going to play man, so we may not be the best fit, but his skills are amazing for another scheme, Jets, Raiders, Baltimore etc. His tackling isn't the best, so that's not so good.

Clayborn and Ballard - full of potential. Usually i'm VERY critical of lineman coming into the draft. Last year i was only in love with Alualu and Suh and Smith (Jaguars as well, IR from game one) for their technical abilities and their potential to produce early on in the career. This year, it's just loaded with talent. Clayborn also shows these flashes of shedding pursuiting dominating LOS, even putting pressure on the QB. At times he is unblockable. Than he disseapears, so he is not consistent as Jordan at all. Ballard, the same. Very nice flashes and then gets away and is not there and than dominates again. Both these guys can turn up really good, they have some technique already now at this point.

But there is only three guys i see as can't miss even from early on:
Jordan, Wilkerson, Kerrigan. NFl technique on college level.

Then, there is bunch of guys this year that already in college have shown to posses some technique that you usually acquire and learn on next level. It's a long list and some of them are even big athletes.

 

[Early]

I think it goes deeper and says about coaching in college. We se Cal producing two technically outstanding lineman in Alualu and Jordan. They play alot 3-4 and this has required outstanding coaching by the staff so it's a combination of two great footballplayers being lucky to get such good coaching even in college.

You can say that it's as if they already have been in NFL for some time, before even being drafted, they are ahead of time. They exhibit a two gap technique that almost no other lineman in college learn very well besides the NT's on every team. But they are 5 technique, being capable of playing two gap, and they are good passrushers.

I think it also says something about coaching when you see Romeus and Sheard being part of the same D-Line and exhibit such a good technique. At times they look like a true NFL tandem out there.

Sheard looks somehow bulky, but not to make mitake, he can really bend as well, and i love the fact that he can bullrush, as you also mention, Steelers don't draft edgerushers that can't bullrush.