A Couple Reviews of Anthony Schlegel

I am interested in the guy....all the critics seem to say the same thing, that he has great football sense and top intangibles but is not a good enough athlete to combine his physical skills and mental abilities to make himself a super star. Apparently he is a solid ILB who will be a good first and second downer and good on short yardage plays but lacks ability in the open field and with any sort of coverage other than short zone. I still think he can be good, and I know there was that huge argument about who a "Magini guy" is, but I really think Schlegel is one. If you look at how Mangini uses players, he doesn;t necessarily need 1 guy that can do everything, but different guys that each do certain things extremely well and Schlegel seems to be that sort of guy. I do think we may have drafted him a bit high though, and so do alot of the "experts". By the way, I just realised how sick Ohio;s defense was last season...Hawk, Schlegel, and Carpenter as LBs with Conte Whitner at Safety and a pretty darn good, but undrafted DT named Marcus Green...wow.

From NFLDRAFTCOUNTDOWN.COM---estimated as a mid-rounder
6 feet, 0.5 inches, 250 pounds, 4.81 second 40 time

STRENGTHS:
Solid frame and good bulk...outstanding football insticts, very tough and strong...excels versus the run...can deliver the big hit...solid and reliable tackler...does well taking on blockers....smart with premier intangibles

WEAKNESSES:
Does not have ideal height, not a great athlete, lacks elite speed, quickness, and agility...really struggles in coverage...range is basically limited to the tackle box...upside might be limited to that of a situational player


(Next Is A Long Read But Very Well Detailed)
from NFL.COM
6 feet, 251 pounds, 4.94 second 40 time

SUMMARY

Schlegel is a very interesting player who made a name for himself as a freshman at Air Force, but then choose to transfer to Ohio State, and until his senior season, he did not become a full-time, 40-plus snap-a-game player. As a junior, he rotated with other linebackers so often, that he often only played 15 to 20 snaps per game -- he almost always played on short yardage runs and was very productive. When he became a full-time starter as a senior, he was still highly productive vs. the inside run, but his lack of athleticism really showed up when he was forced to play outside in space. Overall, Schlegel is not the ideal linebacker because of his athletic limitations, but his smarts, toughness, instincts and production between the tackles cannot be ignored. He will struggle if he ends up playing for a team that requires its middle linebacker to play a lot in space, but he can be a productive two-down inside linebacker for a team that uses him correctly. Teams should be hesitant to draft him high because of his limitations, but his instincts and intangibles will make him a valuable member of whatever team he goes to.


STRONG POINTS

Schlegel is a tough and highly competitive linebacker, whose instincts enable him to consistently produce at a higher level than expected. He reads and reacts very quickly and is aggressive to the inside run, he will stand up the lead blocker in the hole, and he can make hard, physical tackles at the point of attack. He slips and slides surprisingly well in traffic to avoid blockers, and is consistently around the ball and making tackles on inside runs. He drops off the ball into a short area zone well, he reads the QB, he breaks and closes on passes, and he uses his front arm to break up the pass.


WEAKNESSES

Schlegel is a limited athlete who lacks the quick feet and playing speed to get outside the tackles to make plays. He lacks the explosive burst to close on the ball fast in outside pursuit. He does not consistently pick up the tight end quickly in man-to-man coverage, which allows separation, and he lacks the burst or speed to catch up -- this is not a guy teams want covering in man-to-man. He does not protect his legs well, and he can be cut to the ground too easily by low blocks. He lacks agility and quick feet, so he struggles to adjust and tackle well when out in space -- he often ends up lunging and diving.


ATHLETIC ABILITY

Schlegel is limited in his overall athleticism, but his smarts, competitiveness and instincts make him look athletic in a small area. He has adequate foot quickness, but lacks the quick acceleration and burst to make tackles outside the tackles consistently. His ability to read the play very fast helps him get started to the ball quicker than you'd expect. He does not have the playing speed to stay with tight ends in man-to-man coverage, and cannot chase down plays in pursuit outside along the sideline. His lack of agility and balance hinders his ability to stay under control and tackle well out in space -- he struggles to change directions and adjust to jukes by ball carriers. He does have good flexibility to bend his knees and play strong at the point of attack -- he can stand up lead blockers and can make hard, physical tackles in the hole.


COMPETITIVENESS

Schlegel is a very tough football player who consistently shows toughness taking on strong and aggressive blockers at the point of attack. On important running plays, Schlegel has always shown a knack for stepping up and making big plays -- on inside runs, he makes the tackle, and on outside runs, he gets into the backfield quick enough to disrupt the run before it gets started. His overall production is just like his play on clutch plays -- very good vs. inside runs, disruptive on outside runs without making the play, solid in short area zone coverage, struggles in deep zone and cannot cover tight ends and running backs in man-to-man coverage. There is no doubt he is a team player who gives a top-notch effort on every snap, and is willing to sacrifice his body to slow down blockers, so that his teammates can make the tackle -- once he gets moving towards the ball carrier, he never quits until he makes the tackle or someone else does.


MENTAL ALERTNESS

Schlegel is a smart young man, which is clear from his tackling technique, from his technique taking on blockers, and from his being accepted to the Air Force Academy to start his college career, but he needs to learn to use his hands better to protect his legs. He has excellent instincts vs. the run and is good vs. the pass, but will occasionally miss picking up the tight end in coverage. He plays with a very high level of concentration and focus on every snap and it is the main reason he has been so productive at Ohio State despite being a limited athlete.


STRENGTH/EXPLOSION

Schlegel is short for a middle linebacker, but he has good bulk and is very well built for his size. He no doubt has the toughness to play through pain, but he has been dinged up and missed some time due to injuries, and when you combine his injury history with his lack of athleticism, you conclude he will struggle to be a durable NFL middle linebacker. Schlegel is not a quick or explosive player when it comes to accelerating to full speed and closing on the ball carrier, but he does show explosiveness as a tackler -- he can bend his knees, sinks his hips and he can drive up into the ball carrier to make an explosive hit. He has very good playing strength at the point of attack vs. blockers and as a tackler.