Zack Baun, OLB/EDGE. Wisconsin

[section314]

Thoughts on this guy? Seems to get home a decent amount off the edge. That MMQB/SI top 50 had him late 30’s. If he fell a bit, any chance he’d be in play for us with our 2nd rd pick? 

[jetstream23]

3 hours ago, section314 said:

Thoughts on this guy? Seems to get home a decent amount off the edge. That MMQB/SI top 50 had him late 30’s. If he fell a bit, any chance he’d be in play for us with our 2nd rd pick? 

 

Interesting (and funny) write up on the Draft Network done around the first month of the season....

Quote

PROS: Take every stereotype you know about a Wisconsin rush linebacker and Baun fits the mold. He's quick, he's agile, he loves stunts and working back inside oversetting tackles. He plays his butt off -- every single snap. Technically refined with his punch, he offers good pop and will effectively offset a tackle's pads when he's looking to stack up the line of scrimmage. Baun finds success in numerous phases of defense -- I've seen him corner from a 2 pt. release off the edge, watched him crash off the backside of outside run concepts, seen him slant into interior gaps on crashing DL flow and even take some reps flexed into the slot on the condensed side of the field. 

Baun can do a lot of things to an adequate to plus level -- and he's put over the top courtesy of motor and football intelligence. 

CONS: Ahem: take every stereotype you know about a Wisconsin rush linebacker and Baun fits the mold. He doesn't corner with the best looseness through his lower half -- when he's able to claim the apex of his outside rushes he's usually beating tackles significantly with first step quickness. I'm not sold on this length, separation skills and ability to stack blocks on the edge for a clean disengage are best suited to long-arming and not squaring blockers up. He's a little light in the trunk and while he plays tough, he can get swallowed at the POA by bigger blockers. Suffered a broken left foot in April 2018, less than a year after injury to the same foot cost him the entire 2017 college season as well

 

[KRL]

With what TJ Watt has done coming out of WISC you have to really do your 
homework on Baun.  His production is elite and with Jim Leonhard (former
Jet) as his DC you know he's playing in an attacking NFL type of defense.
I wouldn't mind him in the 3rd round

[sec101row23]

11 hours ago, jetstream23 said:

 

Interesting (and funny) write up on the Draft Network done around the first month of the season....

 

Wisconsin never really has highly rated recruiting classes but they recruit players that fit what they want to do.  They have a type of player they look for at certain positions and recruit to those styles.  They’ve done it with multiple coaching staffs and it all really goes back to Barry Alvarez for building that kind of program.  

[#27TheDominator]

Don't they list him around 235?

[jetstream23]

2 hours ago, sec101row23 said:

Wisconsin never really has highly rated recruiting classes but they recruit players that fit what they want to do.  They have a type of player they look for at certain positions and recruit to those styles.  They’ve done it with multiple coaching staffs and it all really goes back to Barry Alvarez for building that kind of program.  

I'd have zero problem if the Jets ended up with two Wisconsin guys, Baun and Biadasz, coming out of this Draft in the first 4 picks!  Add in an OT and WR, and that's practically my Holy Grail of a Draft.