Pachyderm_Wave
Hartselle Tigers (15-0) 5-A State Champ
I saw Daniel Jeremiah compared Jaylon Smith to Patrick Willis.. I personally don't see it. I would take Scooby, Jack, Lee, and Ragland over him. He's a good player but he's a long ways away from Patrick Willis.
A few things to really look at when trying to determine a good linebacker from a great one is range, areas of the field he can defend, versatility, and physicality. I want physical linebackers.
Some linebackers are explosive hitters, some are just solid wrap up tacklers that do it the way they're coached. Very few are both. Willis was both.
A good linebacker plays from tackle to tackle. A great linebacker plays from sideline to sideline, while still being physical in the box. Working through traffic and finding the football. Willis was both.
A good linebacker can cover a certain area within reasonable distance of the LOS. A great one will carry backs and receivers deep downfield in coverage. Again, Willis was both.
I vividly remember watching a one-armed Patrick Willis dominate in the SEC every week during his Junior year, playing with a huge cast on his hand nearly the size of the football. He had the toughess and grit that few play the game with. Combine all that with 4.4 speed in a 6'1", 240 pounder that can jump nearly 40" and you have yourself a mighty good prospect.
I get the comparison Jeremiah is trying to make in regards to Willis. When you watch Jaylon Smith, you see all of this on film. He was only a sophomore. Can still get so much better.... to the point where he begins to dominate games defensively the way Willis began to do his Junior year. Right now he just misses a few more tackles than Willis did. Once he gets that cleaned up, he's legitimately an elite prospect. Nobody knows if he'll be as good as Patrick Willis. That's a high standard to meet. But Jaylon Smith is the real deal in my opinion.