MidFielder ~ Hayes Pullard ~ Southern California Trojans ~ 6004/240
I don't consider Dragons that play what you Earthlings refer to as "OutSide LineBacker" in a 34 Defense to be MidFielders.
Dragons have a particular Skill Set and natural strengths which are divergent to those of MidFielders.
MidFielders, whether in a 434, a 335, a 425, a 245, or whatever you come up with, are natural Super Hybrids who can quite conceivably Rush the Passer, Drop into Coverage, and, above all, Defend against the Run.
When evaluating MidFielders, this is how I break things down:
Power: Above all: Core Power. Torso Power is important, but Core Power, from the Knees to the Ribs, is absolutely crucial. All the upper body strength in the world still fails if you can't dig in your heels. But Core Power enables a Defensive Lineman to project Power in the Passing Game and to reject Power in the Running Game.
Agility: Launch Velocity, Acceleration, and above all: Fluidity or Core Agility. Core Agility is even more essential to sustained good Health ~ and to sustained good FootBall ~ than Core Power. The ability to react with Serpentine smoothness is a tremendous asset in all Aspects of the Game, and certainly in the Hand to Hand Combat that characterizes Trench Warfare. All the Power in the World goes only so far if you're stiff and lumbering out there.
Combat Skills: Paw Power, Mechanics ~ Hand Speed & Positioning ~ and of course: Frame.
Intangibles: Processing Speed and Motor. Processing Speed or Diagnostic Velocity is about how quickly and effectively one Reads & Reacts to how the Rapidly Roiling Tactical LandScape effects Blocking Schemes, and Motor is about Endurance and Drive: How much Work has been put into Conditioning, and how it manifests itself.
Run Defense: Power, Agility, Combat Skills, Navigating Traffic, Processing Speed, Motor, and Tackling.
Pass Coverage: Agility, Processing Speed, and Catch Point Capacity.
Pass Rush: Power, Agility, and Combat Skills.
Broken down into SubCategories, it'd go something like this:
Power
* Core Power ~ lower body Power. Core Power trumps Torso Power. Tyrannosaurus Rex had exceptional Core Power.
* Torso Power ~ upper Body Power. Important, but not crucial. T Rex had lousy Torso Power...yet was King.
* Anchoring Strength against the Run.
* Drive Power in the Pass Rush.
Agility
* Fluidity, above all things: Core Agility & Flexibility makes everything possible.
* Launch Velocity ~ Speed into Contact off the Snap.
* Acceleration ~ Short Speed or Quickness.
* Verticity ~ The Ability ~ or lack thereof ~ to Flips Hips and Turn & Burn in Pass Coverage.
Combat Skills
* Paw Power ~ The Power & Speed of the initial Punch.
* Paw Velocity ~ How active the Hands are.
* Paw Positioning ~ It's all about Angles & Leverage.
* Frame ~ Above all: WingSpan.
Intangibles
* Processing Speed ~ Field Vision. Rapidly Reading & Reacting to the Offense.
* Motor ~ Intensity and Duration.
Run Defense
* Power
* Agility
* Combat Skills
* Navigating Traffic
* Processing Speed
* Motor
* Tackling
Pass Coverage
* Agility
* Processing Speed
* Catch Point Capacity
Pass Rush
* Power
* Agility
* Combat Skills
Agility: Terrific. Exceptional Fluidity and excellent Acceleration.
Combat Skills: Excellent. Exceptional Mechanics and remarkable at Navigating Traffic.
Intangibles: Tremendous. Extraordinary Field Vision, and an exceptional Motor.
Run Defense: Exceptional. Only Competitive at The Point of Attack, due to his mediocre Power, but he compensates for it very nicely with Combat Skills, Fluidity, and Savvy. In Pursuit, he's Tremendous: Extraordinary Field Vision, remarkable Navigational Skills, excellent Acceleration to Close, and an exceptional Motor. He's a solid Tackler, too.
Pass Coverage: Extraordinary. A beautiful Confluence of Agility and Field Vision, Pullard is simply a Natural.
Pass Rush: Competitive. Mediocre Power, but excellent Acceleration and exceptional Mechanics. He's got Potential.
Hayes Pullard seems like a perfect fit as a 43 Will MidFielder to me, an invaluable addition to any 21st Century Defense!!
His Pass Defense skills are phenomenal, and while he isn't the stoutest Run Defender in the Universe, he projects far better at The Point of Attack as at Will, where he'd be taking on generally much smaller guys, and In Pursuit, he has tremendous Potential. 21st Century Defenses are desperately clamoring for a guy with his Skill Set!!
Stick'm at Will in a 43, or at Mike in a 34, where he can Command like the Field General he was born to be while the Ted MidFielder takes on the worst of the Offensive Lineman, Good Man, Good Man...and he could be a Star.
And he'd be an incredible fit in Sub Packages, need I say.
Grateful Thanks, as always, for the crucial Work done by the folks at Draft BreakDown!!
6th/7th Round Market Value | Yankee Grade 1st/2nd Round |
None of this is even remotely a Complaint, mind you, but rather a Warning!! Caveat Emptor!!