Looking at Linebackers

Lawrence Timmons (#83) takes down Miami’s Kyle Wright. Photo Courtesy

Tomorrow is the NFL Draft, and I honestly feel I’ve exhausted all possible angles in my in-depth pre-draft coverage. Except for one – and this one may be the most important on Saturday, given the recent release of defensive captain Al Wilson, combined with the recent free agent pick-ups of Warrick Holdman and D.D. Lewis – linebackers. Who’s out there? Who’s worth moving up? Who’s worth staying put? And if we have a choice between Jamaal Anderson or Jarvis Moss and Lawrence Timmons, who are we going to take?

The MIKEs

Patrick Willis, ILB, Ole Miss – Patrick Willis is pegged to be taken by Buffalo at 12 by just about every mock out there (including mine). He was extremely productive and still has the potential to improve (particularly in coverage). If We Drafted PW – We’d likely move up to 10 to get him, giving up most (if not all) of the rest of our Day 1 picks. He would be a stalwart inside, and D.J. Williams would stay in nickel packages since he’s better in coverage. It would be a great fit, but I’d rather stay put and take one of these other LBs.

David Harris, ILB, Michigan – A solid 16 tackles for loss in his senior campaign has moved this hard worker to a 1st round grade. More than any other linebacker, this guy reminds me of Wilson coming out – not the quickest, has shorter arms, but has exellent intangibles, including being an instant leader on the field. If We Drafted DH – we could stay put, and even then it could be considered a reach. I’ve said time and time again the Broncos should move down – if we were to do that, this guy could fall right to us and keep Williams on the outside.

The SAMs (and WILLs)

Jon Beason, OLB, Miami (FL) – Could we be targetting another ex-Cane (D.J. Williams)? Beason is the most polised of the OLBs, and the most ready to make an impact immediately in 2007. On top of that, he’s versatile, with experience at all 3 linebacker position. If We Drafted JB – or any of these OLBs, DJ would likely move inside and he would fill in at strong.

Paul Posluszny, OLB, Penn St. – “Puz” is the total package, a jack of all trades, but, as the saying goes, a master of none. He has good pass rushing and blitzing skills. He’s solid in coverage and he knows how to make plays. He’s a smart player and a playmaker, with all the intangibles and the hard work you’re looking for. He tends to play himself out of tackles at times, and I’ve read “can play out of control” in more than place. Injuries are a bit of a concern since he destroyed his knee two years ago, but he came back strong in 06 to put up similar stats as the year before. If We Drafted PP – we’d be getting “the best linebacker ever to play at Penn State,” the famous quote given by none other than Hall of Famer Jack Ham.

Lawrence Timmons, OLB, Florida St. – This guy (in the picture above) has only one year of starting experience, but his measurables are through the roof and has excellent athleticism. He’s the biggest risk/reward of the first round linebackers – he could be the greatest, and just as easily, without the proper honing and coaching, he could turn out to be a bust. An insane 18 tackles for loss out of 79 (roughly 1 in 5 tackles) demonstrates his athletic ability and tendency to make big plays. If We Drafted LT – the beauty of the pick would be in its subtlety. He could develop at strong with Williams and Ian Gold filling in at MIKE and WILL, respectively. The pressure would be off, and he would be free to just eat up runningbacks as he saw fit. He’s my #1 choice for linebacker – it gives Williams his much-deserved chance to shine, and it will let Timmons grow to be the freak that I believe he will be. Has all-time great potential written all over him.

Rumors that are flying today indicate we have our crosshairs on Patrick Willis by trading up to 10 with Houston. I would love that pick, but Timmons is my guy and I hope the Broncos sit still or trade down just a bit to snatch him up. The Draft’s tomorrow – I have to work around 1 PM MDT, so the Broncos should have drafted by then. Look forward to brutal criticism or glowing complements, depending on how I feel at the moment. Knowing our history with Shanahan, and how I’m the blindest Shanny fan there can be, even if I don’t like the pick at first, I know I’ll be turned shortly thereafter.