Sleeper DE who ran 4.66, 1.51 10 yd, 6'5" 272 lbs

I think it's pretty hard for ANYONE to gain 30 pounts and not lose quickness. I think when people talk about adding on weight they talk about 10-15 pounds.

 

He would play OLB....

 

He's not a DE, he then plays OLB.

How is his change of direction??

He looks like a workout warrior though.. 5th round.

 

Maybe we can just have him lift weights and run around to entertain the fans during halftime.

 

Sounds good to me...the Meadowlands halftime shows are usually atrocious.

 

Positives: Has a frame that can carry additional bulk, good arm length and large hands to grab and drag down ballcarriers...Shows very good hand usage, keeping the active in his pass rush, executing good crossover action to get an edge on a slower offensive tackle...Shows good body control, hip flexibility and balance turning the corner to give chase in the backfield...Gets a decent hand jolt with his punch to slow down backs and tight ends...Plays with pain and does not shut down until the whistle...Has the ability to collide and generate good pop on contact when he plays at a good pad level...Plays better on the move, but has the adequate power base to hold his ground and can be disruptive with his hands when he keeps them inside the framework...Seems more comfortable when asked to stunt, rather than anchor and read...Has the lateral agility to work down the line...Has enough leverage to sit in the gap and hold his ground (inconsistent vs. double teams), as he has the hand placement to get a quick release when he does not get engulfed by larger blockers...If he keeps his pads down in can be tough to handle in one-on-one blocking (will get washed on down blocks)...Not really extra strong at the point of attack, but plays with good knee-bend and leverage...Fights pressure vs. reach blocks...Has the functional hip flip to make plays off the edge...When he shoots his hands quickly, he can shock a blocker...Has enough foot quickness to move and get through trash...Plays the game on his feet and, if he gets a free lane to the quarterback, he can seal the deal and collapse the pocket...Shows nimble foot moves to skate, string plays out and catch them from behind...Has good leverage working off the edge and is a classic hand fighter in attempts to clear the line on the pass rush...Has a quick swim move that generates a good push past the blockers...His quickness allows him to bend on the corner and he likes to use his spin and counter moves a lot when used on the pass rush...Uses his reach efficiently to control and keep separation from blockers when trying to close on the quarterback...When he breaks free from the line, he takes dead aim on the quarterback, resulting in his high amount of flushes and pressures.

Negatives: Has adequate muscle tone and a soft midsection and is a bit high-cut with long calves...Quick to penetrate, but is inconsistent in his redirection skills and will overrun the play and then struggle to recover...Has good quickness off the edge, but not enough to explode past defenders and needs to show more suddenness in his initial step...Just adequate in the classroom and, while he can recognize blocking schemes, at times, he needs more than several reps to retain plays...Will run into the blocker rather than try to slip and avoid, causing wear and tear on his body...Will be late off the ball at times, as he does not have a natural feel for snap cadence...Lacks the bulk to split double teams...Recognizes the trap and can stack, but his marginal size hurts him working in-line...Must flatten and squeeze better on down blocks...Better getting into the backfield when challenging a tight end than an offensive tackle, as he sometimes gets too wired to big-bodied blocks...Has good strength as a wrap-up tackler, but needs to roll his hips better to put more force behind those tackles...Better with his swim and counter moves, as he is still trying to perfect his club and rip moves on the bull rush.

Compares To: MATT ROTH-Miami...Johnston is a work in progress, but he brings instant value as an edge rusher. His first lesson is that he cannot overpower NFL offensive tackles on a consistent basis. This might have worked at his level of competition, but not in the NFL, where tackles are much bigger and stronger. Johnston is a good leverage player who can hold his ground on the edge, but because of size issues, he is inconsistent in attempts to split double teams. With his ability to play on his feet and the flexibility he shows coming off the corner, he will get to the quarterback often, if not asked to play every down.

 

You know, just off the top of my head, just some of my scouting notes.

 

or else, he can replace the towel-waver if we trade him.

 

Can he do the Haka?

 

not at Gate D they weren't!! scumbag NYTimes!!

 

This guy sounds like a natural pass rushing OLB in the NFL. He'll never play DE. Maaaaybe in a 4-3.

 

sounds like a version of brian robison from last year, he went early 4rd round I think and had a very forgetable first season, more of a career backup with good stats in measurables that make a great special teamer in Madden

 

Wow. He was a guy people thought could be a 3-4 DE before these workouts...he was a big sleeper that had his name thrown around alot a couple weeks before the combine.

Nice workout...

 

Why not have him lose a few pounds, play OLB at about 260 and gain even more quickness?

 

In backup duty Robison had 26 tackles, 4.5 sacks and a forced fumble. I wish that our backup OLBs did that. I wish even more that our starters would have been able to get even 4.5 sacks and a forced fumble. Neither of our starters at OLB did.

 

Wow i didn't know that.. that can be projected into a 10 sack starter... in that case lets pick this kid up and hope hes a brian robison

 

he could fix his calf muscle problem running burgers for mangini.

 

Havent really heard much of him. But i am doing my research now on possible players we can draft at 6 or do on draft day