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Shazier isn't fast like Lawrence Timmons is fast. Ya know, "fast for his position," "builds up to good speed," all the cliches. He's extraordinarily fast. By his workout numbers, he might be the most explosive player in the entire draft - not LB, player. His Pro Day 40 was unofficially a ******* 4.35. Yes, Pro Day 40s are usually inflated, but even you call him a 4.45-4.50 guy, he's still among the NFL's fastest LBs as we speak. At the Combine, where everyone competed on even footing with impartial timers, he topped the field with his vertical and broad jumps. His 3-cone was good. He put up 25 reps on the bench (more than Clowney, more than Mack) despite relatively long arms. Simply put, he and Aaron Donald were the athletic superstars of the draft season.
So, is he a workout warrior like Vernon Gholston? I'd say no. He plays to that speed. His burst off the ball is fantastic and he's a blur as he closes in. Pursues with intensity.
Is he a frightened, shivering weakling incapable of taking on blocks? No, he is not anywhere close to Anthony Barr. He shows a punch when he's first reached by a blocker, and as the current buzzterm goes, he converts speed to power. The explosiveness in his body, particularly his lower half, makes him harder to move than he should be. Watch the bowl v. Clemson, one of the most talented offenses in the country. On the first two snaps, you see him shrug off a guard on the second level and chase Sammy Watkins out of bounds, then toss aside a TE in helping to pinch off Tajh Boyd's running lane. A few plays later, on Tajh Boyd's touchdown run, a pulling guard comes in motion and levels Shazier in stride. Does he knock Shazier on his ***? No, Shazier stays not only upright, but in control of his stance and in the play.
No, this play does not prove Shazier is Levon Kirkland. But to say he's a scrawny weakling who gets taken out of the play with a pinky is major hyperbole. Keep watching the Clemson game and you see him absorbing blocks and redirecting blockers. It's not all about weight; a lot of anchoring has to do with how the guy uses his hands. Merrill Hoge used to talk about Chuck Noll's obsession with hand size and hand power, and that it was a primary factor in his scouting. Shazier has big, strong hands with good punch and control of them. He holds his spot well for a 237-pounder, and in today's NFL, I will happily trade a walrus who can grab a RB five yards downfield and fall down with him but can't move, for an ultra-explosive playmaker who can at least hold his own in the middle.
This wasn't the optimal pick IMO. Fuller and Beckham were by far the top players on the board leading to our pick, and both got stolen. That sucks. But I'm certainly glad we took extreme athleticism over the "safe" pick, someone like Dennard or Mosley that would please Mel Kiper but have a limited impact once the actual football starts.
So, is he a workout warrior like Vernon Gholston? I'd say no. He plays to that speed. His burst off the ball is fantastic and he's a blur as he closes in. Pursues with intensity.
Is he a frightened, shivering weakling incapable of taking on blocks? No, he is not anywhere close to Anthony Barr. He shows a punch when he's first reached by a blocker, and as the current buzzterm goes, he converts speed to power. The explosiveness in his body, particularly his lower half, makes him harder to move than he should be. Watch the bowl v. Clemson, one of the most talented offenses in the country. On the first two snaps, you see him shrug off a guard on the second level and chase Sammy Watkins out of bounds, then toss aside a TE in helping to pinch off Tajh Boyd's running lane. A few plays later, on Tajh Boyd's touchdown run, a pulling guard comes in motion and levels Shazier in stride. Does he knock Shazier on his ***? No, Shazier stays not only upright, but in control of his stance and in the play.
No, this play does not prove Shazier is Levon Kirkland. But to say he's a scrawny weakling who gets taken out of the play with a pinky is major hyperbole. Keep watching the Clemson game and you see him absorbing blocks and redirecting blockers. It's not all about weight; a lot of anchoring has to do with how the guy uses his hands. Merrill Hoge used to talk about Chuck Noll's obsession with hand size and hand power, and that it was a primary factor in his scouting. Shazier has big, strong hands with good punch and control of them. He holds his spot well for a 237-pounder, and in today's NFL, I will happily trade a walrus who can grab a RB five yards downfield and fall down with him but can't move, for an ultra-explosive playmaker who can at least hold his own in the middle.
This wasn't the optimal pick IMO. Fuller and Beckham were by far the top players on the board leading to our pick, and both got stolen. That sucks. But I'm certainly glad we took extreme athleticism over the "safe" pick, someone like Dennard or Mosley that would please Mel Kiper but have a limited impact once the actual football starts.
