lawngnome o-line Posted April 12, 2006 Share Posted April 12, 2006 They have us taking brick and Manny Lawson a DE/OLB from NC State. This name is relatively new to me...thoughts? Here's the breakdown: Strengths: Is a terrific natural athlete. Is tall and has the frame to continue to add bulk. He has good upper body power and is a "weight-room warrior". Has explosive strength and speed. Has rare speed for his size. Shows explosive initial burst and acceleration when turning the corner as a pass rusher. He has good recognition skills and natural instincts vs. the run. He has great closing burst to the QB and is a powerful tackler. He has a nose for the ball and makes a lot of big plays. He is at his best in pursuit vs. the run. Has great speed and will track down ball carriers from behind. Takes good angles and is a solid open-field tackler. He is a big-time playmaker on special teams, as well. Weaknesses: Is a 'tweener DE/OLB. Is vastly undersized at the DE position. Needs to continue to add bulk. Is powerful in the upper body for his size, but he lacks overall mass and brute strength. He plays with a narrow base. Has trouble holding his ground at the POA. Needs to improve his lower body strength and play with better leverage at the POA. Needs to continue to do a better job of using his hands and upper body to stay off of blocks. Overall: Lawson played primarily on special teams and as a sub-package contributor during his true freshman and sophomore seasons (2002-'03). As a junior in 2004, Lawson moved to a fulltime starting DE role and earned second-team All-ACC honors when he finished with 50 tackles, 12 tackles for loss and seven sacks. As a senior in 2005, Lawson started 11 of 12 games and finished with 58 tackles, 19.5 TFL, 10 sacks, one forced fumble and four broken up passes. He also blocked one kick in 2005, increasing his career total to seven. There are understandable questions regarding his future niche as an NFL defender but it's hard to ignore Lawson's freakish combination of size and speed. Lawson is an undersized rush end who was able to overcome his marginal size on the collegiate level by lining up wide and using his explosive upfield burst to stay off blocks as a pass rusher and run disruptor. However, he lacks the bulk, base and overall strength to hold his ground versus the run in the NFL and he won't be able to simply run around everyone like he did in college. Lawson will likely need time to either transition to a rush-linebacker position or to bulk up as a "weakside" end before he can contribute as an every-down player in the NFL. Also promising is the fact that Lawson has bulked up to 241 pounds and still was able to run the 40-yard dash in the 4.4's. On top of his playmaking potential as a defensive prospect, Lawson is a weapon as a kick blocker and cover guy on special teams, which gives him extra value. We expect Lawson to come off the board at some point during the second round of the 2006 draft. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
PeterNorth09 Posted April 12, 2006 Share Posted April 12, 2006 The only reason they have us drafting Lawson is because they know nothing about our team and think we're desperate to replace the amazing John Abraham. We already signed Kimo, still have Shaun Ellis and Bryan Thomas actually did not look that bad the last couple seasons. Thomas is a mediocre pass-rusher but he plays the run better than Abraham though that isn't saying much. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
124 Posted April 12, 2006 Share Posted April 12, 2006 Lawson at 4? No way in hell would we do that. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
PeterNorth09 Posted April 12, 2006 Share Posted April 12, 2006 Lawson at 4? No way in hell would we do that. They have us taking Lawson at 29. Either way, 4 or 29, it would be a bad move. We have alot more pressing needs than getting another pass rushing specialist. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
124 Posted April 12, 2006 Share Posted April 12, 2006 They have us taking Lawson at 29. Either way, 4 or 29, it would be a bad move. We have alot more pressing needs than getting another pass rushing specialist. At 29 it's still a bad move, yes, I agree. IMHO we already have all the LB's we need in Barton, Vilma, Chatham, Kassell, Hobson, Thomas & McClover. A back-up ILB wouldn't hurt though. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
gsnts725 Posted April 12, 2006 Share Posted April 12, 2006 maroney ftw @ #29 if we draft D'Brick. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
NIGHT STALKER Posted April 12, 2006 Share Posted April 12, 2006 The bottom line is, all these so called experts are guessing what we'll be doing just like we are...and that's the way it should be. We'll be taking D'Brick, Mario, Matt or Vince with the 4th pick (if we stay there)...take your pick. Anything other than that would be a surprise and really jolt the next 6 picks in the top ten after us. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
madmike1 Posted April 12, 2006 Share Posted April 12, 2006 They have us taking Lawson at 29. Either way, 4 or 29, it would be a bad move. We have alot more pressing needs than getting another pass rushing specialist. If lawson is there at 29 they should take him. He's gonna be a great outside LB in the NFL but i really doubt he'll be there... Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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