Tag: David Woodward

Rams met with Washington CB Myles Bryant, Utah State LB David Woodward

The Rams continue to do homework on defenders in the draft.

The Rams have done a lot of homework on defensive prospects leading up to the draft, and that should come as no surprise. The team lost Cory Littleton and Dante Fowler, and also cut Clay Matthews.

They’ve met with a number of defenders this spring, be it at the combine or over FaceTime. We can add two more defensive players to the Rams’ list of pre-draft meetings as the team held video calls with Utah State linebacker David Woodward and Washington cornerback Myles Bryant.

Woodward has the size NFL teams want in a linebacker, standing 6-foot-2, 230 pounds. However, he’s not the most athletic player in the draft, running a 4.79 in the 40-yard dash and a 7.34 in the three-cone drill.

However, his production at Utah State was impressive, recording 93 tackles in only seven games last year before suffering a season-ending injury. In 2018, he had 134 tackles and 12.5 tackles for loss.

He’ll likely be a Day 3 pick and a reserve linebacker early on in his career, but the Rams could use all the help they can get at linebacker after losing Littleton.

As for Bryant, he also fills a need. The Rams declined Nickell Robey-Coleman’s option for 2020, leaving a void at slot corner. David Long Jr. and Darious Williams will compete at that spot, but they’re not nearly as proven as Robey-Coleman.

Bryant played safety at Washington last season but at 5-foot-8, he fits best as a nickel corner. He doesn’t boast great length or speed, but he’s plenty quick and is tough as nails when it comes to tackling. Bryant will likely be a late-round pick or priority free agent.

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5 mid-round linebackers Chargers should consider in 2020 NFL Draft

These linebackers should interest the Los Angeles Chargers in the 2020 NFL Draft.

Last offseason the Chargers made the point to address the linebacker position, in which they did. A year later, they’re in a spot.where they need to add more depth, especially after releasing Thomas Davis and knowing Denzel Perryman only has one more year left on his contract.

I don’t think that the position will be addressed in the early rounds, simply because quarterback, left tackle and wide receiver are more glaring needs. But there will be a few options in the middle rounds that should intrigue Los Angeles.

Here are five that the team could consider:

Akeem Davis-Gaither, Appalachian State

After a productive career for the Yosefs, Davis-Gaither put himself on the map with a solid week at the Senior Bowl. The 6-foot-1 and 224 pounder is a great athlete with the speed and acceleration to make stops in the running game out in space. Even though it doesn’t show up much in the box, he makes plays behind the line of scrimmage by weaving his way through traffic. Davis-Gaither is strong in both zone and man coverage where his change-of-direction skills and range standout, showing the ability to stay on the hip of faster receivers in the slot. He projects as a Will linebacker, but he could serve as an additional blitzer, too.

Troy Dye, Oregon

Dye, the 6-foot-3 and 231 pounder has plenty of experience under his belt,  starting 48 of 50 games for the Ducks. He has on the thinner side, which correlates to the lack of power when taking on blockers. However, Dye has encouraging athleticism, speed to cover ground in the running game and has the movement skills and intelligence against the pass in zone coverage, which is where he’s at his best, projecting best as a Will linebacker.

Davion Taylor, Colorado

Davion, the 6-foot and 228 pounder is a former All-Pac-12 sprinter. That track-speed is evident on the field where he is found making tackles sideline-to-sideline and in the backfield in the snap of a finger, making sound tackles. In the passing game, Taylor is smooth in his dropbacks and can stick with most position players down the field. Like Dye, he is built on the smaller side for the position. But he is a tough player that has a skillset to translate smoothly to a Will linebacker.

David Woodward, Utah State

Woodward, the 6-foot-2 and 230 pounder was having a heck of a junior campaign where he tallied 93 tackles, five tackles for loss, two sacks, four forced fumbles and two passes defensed before an injury ended his season seven games into the 2019 season. He has dealt with some injuries since high school, drawing some durability concerns. But when he is on the field, he raises some eyebrows. Woodward is an explosive athlete with the range to make plays sideline-to-sideline, always seeking contact, and he is stout in man coverage, showing the speed to mirror and run with running backs and tight ends.

Francis Bernard, Utah

After spending two seasons at BYU, another at the JUCO level and last season as a Utah reserve, Bernard shined in the starting role. The 6-foot and 234 pounder plays with plus instincts against the run, and shows terrific skills as a tackler. Bernard needs to gain a better feel for passing concepts, but he has the play speed, high motor demeanor to be an impactful, productive linebacker at the next level, projecting as a Mike linebacker and key special teamer.

Who and what to watch at the 2020 NFL Combine: Linebackers

The Lions Wire staff has identified which linebackers Detroit Lions fans should be watching at the 2020 NFL Combine.

The 2020 NFL Combine on-field workouts begin Thursday, February 27th in Indianapolis but the linebackers won’t take the field until Saturday, February 29th. One interesting note about some of the players in this group is that while they will work out with the linebackers, they may play another role in the Lions scheme.

This is the latest in a series of articles leading up to this year’s NFL Combine, where the Lions Wire team has identified players they will be tracking in order to determine potential fits within the organization.

If you missed the previous articles in this series, be sure to check out our quarterbacks, running backs, wide receivers, tight ends, offensive linemen, interior defensive linemen, and EDGE rushers previews.

Off-the-ball linebacker traits to evaluate

There are several on-field drills that emphasize a player’s abilities and the main areas Lions’ scouts will likely be focusing for the linebackers are:

  • Lateral movement should be smooth and quick.
  • Reaction to instructions, too many times prospects guess the command and make mistakes.
  • Can they turn and unlock their hips when dropping into coverage?
  • Head up and eyes on the ball.
  • Which linebackers take place in EDGE rushing drills? How do they perform under those expectations?

Isaiah Simmons, Clemson

Suggested by: Bryce Rossler

Simmons was a chess piece at Clemson, seeing snaps at free safety, strong safety, over the slot, outside linebacker, inside linebacker, and outside corner. And at the college level, he played all of them at a high level.

In the NFL, he likely won’t have that positional range, and depending on the scheme, he may be labeled either a linebacker or a safety. At the Combine, he will work out with the linebackers, but with the Lions, he would likely find the most success at the safety level, in Tavon Wilson’s role.

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Blessed with both speed and quickness, Simmons uses his rare athleticism to win in coverage, stop the run, and get home on disguised blitzes.

The Lions deploy three-safety sets roughly 50-percent of defensive snaps, and pairing him with Tracy Walker — along with last years third-rounder Will Harris in the third safety role — would give the Lions an instant upgrade in the secondary.

Zach Baun, Wisconsin

Suggested by: Jeff Risdon

Baun played outside linebacker in Wisconsin 34 scheme, alternating between rushing the passer and dropping into coverage. Due to his build (6-2.5, 240, with 31.13″ arms) and skill set, he is better suited for an off-the-ball role, and with the Lions, he is a natural fit for the Christian Jones role.

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Comfortable operating in space, Baun is a plus athlete who uses his intelligence, instincts, lateral quickness, and internal drive to flow to the ball all over the field.

Josh Uche, Michigan

Suggested by: Scott Warheit

Uche spent his first few years at Michigan adding weight and learning techniques as a situational stand-up pass rusher before finally earning a starting role in 2019. Like Baun, Uche is comfortable bending the edge and dropping into space, but Uche’s arm length (33.25″) and athleticism, makes him a player who will spend more time rushing the passer.

At 241-pounds, Uche is a bit undersized to be an every-down JACK linebacker in the Lions scheme, but his ability to drop into coverage and insane speed/bend off the edge makes him a unique prospect that is the perfect fit at SAM and WILL linebacker spots in a multiple scheme.

Malik Harrison, Ohio State

Suggested by: Scott Bischoff and Ty Finch

After examining three hybrid defenders in Simmons, Baun, and Uche, Harrison represents the first true off-the-ball linebacker on this list. Harrison has the size (6-2.5, 246 at Senior Bowl), speed, range, and power the Lions look for at their MIKE and WILL positions. He is gap sound, a complete run defender, and has shown some cover skills, which would make him an instant competitor in most schemes.

Jordyn Brooks, Texas Tech

Suggested by: Matt Urben

With speed, athleticism, and plus instincts, Brooks (est. 6-0, 241) is not talked about enough in the Lions community. He is a downhill, productive, run-stuffing inside linebacker, who fits the mold of a Lions linebacker, including struggling to cover tight ends and running backs. If the Lions plan on moving on from Jarrad Davis when his contract expires after this season, Brooks could be a target to develop and mix into a starter rotation in 2021.

Akeem Davis-Gaither, Appalachian State

Suggested by: Sonja Greenfield and Derek Okrie

Like Simmons, Davis-Gaither (6-1.5, 219 at Senior Bowl) would be a hang defender in the Lions scheme, but without the range to play deep safety. Davis-Gaither can rush the passer, cover the slot, and will be one of the quickest athletes on the field at any given time. If you like Miles Killebrew, then you’ll love Davis-Gaither, as he can do a lot of the same things Killebrew can, but with less power and more speed.

Troy Dye, Oregon

Suggested by: Max Gerber

Like Davis-Gaither, Dye (est. 6-3, 218) is another hang defender with speed to burn and strong tackling skills. In Detroit, he would play in the Killebrew role as a potential four-down defender, who would backup at WILL linebacker, see coverage work in obvious passing situations, with his skills truly shining on special teams.

Evan Weaver, California

Suggested by: Erik Schlitt

When watching Senior Bowl practices, Weaver stood out for being gap sound, recognizing the play early, and beating the offensive player to the correct hole. He has terrific football instincts and his anticipation shows up rep after rep. He attacks downhill with tenacity but won’t win any athleticism competitions, and at 6-2, 239 pounds, fits the profile of a Lions linebacker.

Shaq Quarterman, Miami

Suggested by: Zack Moran

Loaded with experience at the MIKE, Quarterman jumped onto the big stage as a true freshman. Quarterman is a two-down defender who attacks with power but lacks the range and athleticism to stay on the field in traditional third-down situations. He has a long history of production and rarely misses opportunities to make tackles, which will help him be an instant impact starter on special teams and reserve interior linebacker.