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Who's the best coverage LB in the Draft?

justdev7

justdev7

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I've been watching a lot of highlights and lowlights of linebackers both inside and outside. Due to the less than stellar job we did of covering the middle of the field this year I've been focusing on coverage ability. I think out of all of the ILBs and OLBs Sean Witherspoon showed the most ability to cover 1 on 1 and Daryl Washington's long arms gave him an advantage making plays on the ball. But I still don't really think I can tell which guys are going to struggle and who is going to thrive at the next level in coverage.

So the question I'm posing is who are your Top 5 or 10 linebackers in coverage?

Here's mine:
1) Spoon
2) Daryl Washington
3) Sean Lee
4) Ronoldo McClain
5) Brandon Spikes
 
I think it's A.J. Edds and for me he just barely beats out Sean Weatherspoon because he's the smarter player, though Spoon is faster.
 
Any list of the best coverage linebackers in the draft without A.J. Edds on it must immediately be re-evaluated...

1. A.J. Edds

2. Sean Weatherspoon

3. Rolando McClain

4. Sean Lee

5. I'm actually going to go with Daryl Sharpton here...
 
i've read some stuff on edds that he may be viewed as a nickle lb...ie cover guy who isn't on the field much on first and second downs...

i guess they were saying not strong enough against the run or getting off blocks and thru trash....

like a kevin burnett when he was a cowboy...
 
IMO:
1. McClain.
2. Daryl Washington.
3. Spoon.
4. Spikes
5. Edds
 
TedSlimmJr said:
Any list of the best coverage linebackers in the draft without A.J. Edds on it must immediately be re-evaluated...

1. A.J. Edds

2. Sean Weatherspoon

3. Rolando McClain

4. Sean Lee

5. I'm actually going to go with Daryl Sharpton here...
Click to expand...

And a list without Roddrick Muckelroy, heh...

Seriously I agree with you. A list of coverage backers that doesn't include Edds definitely has to go back to the drawing board a bit. Not sure I'd really put McClain on the list though, to be honest. I'm not trying to hate or anything. I originally though Spikes was a better cover guy but that was a bit of an incomplete look at the two players. Spikes is better at reading the QB and flowing to the football but that's not the same as being better in coverage. When you say better in coverage I think you're generally implying man coverage. But at the same time one reason I thought Spikes better in coverage is because McClain doesn't inspire me in coverage...at all. He doesn't turn well at all. He's got length and he can also flow to where the QB's eyes are like Spikes...but as for pure coverage, not sure I'm seeing it.

One guy that I'm thinking need to be thought about in this type of question...well actually two guys...they are Keaton Kristick and Stevenson Sylvester. Kristick more than Sylvester. If it's a question of pure coverage? You give me Kristick and Sylvester, even Muckelroy, Lee...over McClain definitely. Well definitely, maybe...lol.
 
hooshoops said:
i've read some stuff on edds that he may be viewed as a nickle lb...ie cover guy who isn't on the field much on first and second downs...

i guess they were saying not strong enough against the run or getting off blocks and thru trash....

like a kevin burnett when he was a cowboy...
Click to expand...

I could actually see that, definitely. I think he'll grow into being a good player on first and second but his immediate role, the way he could get on the field, could definitely be third down.
 
ckparrothead said:
And a list without Roddrick Muckelroy, heh...

Seriously I agree with you. A list of coverage backers that doesn't include Edds definitely has to go back to the drawing board a bit. Not sure I'd really put McClain on the list though, to be honest. I'm not trying to hate or anything. I originally though Spikes was a better cover guy but that was a bit of an incomplete look at the two players. Spikes is better at reading the QB and flowing to the football but that's not the same as being better in coverage. When you say better in coverage I think you're generally implying man coverage. But at the same time one reason I thought Spikes better in coverage is because McClain doesn't inspire me in coverage...at all. He doesn't turn well at all. He's got length and he can also flow to where the QB's eyes are like Spikes...but as for pure coverage, not sure I'm seeing it.

One guy that I'm thinking need to be thought about in this type of question...well actually two guys...they are Keaton Kristick and Stevenson Sylvester. Kristick more than Sylvester. If it's a question of pure coverage? You give me Kristick and Sylvester, even Muckelroy, Lee...over McClain definitely. Well definitely, maybe...lol.
Click to expand...


Haha....these are great times CK...they really are...there's not much I'd rather be doing than looking at prospects and discussing our individual opinions...

...other than looking at a list some guy threw back at me with a bunch of names on it over Rolando McClain that won't even be playing on Sundays...:lol:

I do like Sylvester....in Indy or Chicago where they can stick him in a Tampa-2 defense...

I just think you're short changing McClain in coverage for some reason....which was one of his primary responsibilities for Smart....and one of the main reasons Bama's defense was able to hold so many QB's (NFL caliber QB's) to by far their worst passer ratings the last few years when they faced Bama's defense...

He comes off of his coverage and sniffs out a screen pass better than any linebacker I've seen in a long time.....he gets his hands on more passes (in zone coverage) and tips them more than any linebacker I can recall....he literally does it almost every game..

Spikes? I would have to echo your sentiments on McClain here....consider me uninspired...I haven't seen him cover a damn thing yet.....other than Ealey's facemask....
 
hooshoops said:
i've read some stuff on edds that he may be viewed as a nickle lb...ie cover guy who isn't on the field much on first and second downs...

i guess they were saying not strong enough against the run or getting off blocks and thru trash....

like a kevin burnett when he was a cowboy...
Click to expand...


Since McClain is only a 2 down linebacker and Edds is only a nickel linebacker....it only makes sense to draft both and have McClain out there on 1st and 2nd down...and Edds on 3rd down....

It's fail proof...
 
What can I say? The question was who's better in coverage not who's the better linebacker.
 
What do you think about Keenan Clayton as far as a coverage backer CK? He's a converted safety and seems to have a pretty decent feel for it....he's just too damn small for a 3-4 team to even consider.....Cover-2 or bust.....special teams player...

Same for Rico McCoy...

I think Patrick Trahan is an underrated linebacker...
 
TedSlimmJr said:
What do you think about Keenan Clayton as far as a coverage backer CK? He's a converted safety and seems to have a pretty decent feel for it....he's just too damn small for a 3-4 team to even consider.....Cover-2 or bust.....special teams player...

Same for Rico McCoy...

I think Patrick Trahan is an underrated linebacker...
Click to expand...

A few others I like: Donald Butler, Phillip Dillard, Kavell Conner, Lee Campbell.
 
TedSlimmJr said:
What do you think about Keenan Clayton as far as a coverage backer CK? He's a converted safety and seems to have a pretty decent feel for it....he's just too damn small for a 3-4 team to even consider.....Cover-2 or bust.....special teams player...

Same for Rico McCoy...

I think Patrick Trahan is an underrated linebacker...
Click to expand...

Honesty's the best policy and I haven't watched Keenan Clayton much to be honest. I, like a lot of NFL scouts but for different reasons, am actually pretty behind on my watching of 2009 Oklahoma players, other than Gerald McCoy. Notice I haven't really commented much at all on Trent Williams and Dominique Franks.

You can only spread yourself so many miles-wide before running risk of being inch-deep, and that's not what I'm about. It does sound like, from other things you've said, that you know Oklahoma like the back of your own hand so I certainly wouldn't mind hearing your own thoughts on the players in question.

That sounded sexual. My bad.

Anyway as for Rico McCoy I do have plenty of exposure to him and I will say he's disappointing as a straight cover guy. He seems, to me, to make one basic kind of play in coverage...and you need to be more than that.
 
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