Dragon ~ Preston Smith ~ Mississippi State BullDogs ~ 6050/270
Regarding Dragons
Throughout the FootBall World, Defenses are in the process of undergoing spectacular Disruption and Revolution. Old Roles are getting dramatically transformed, and virtually every Front 7 ~ or Front 6!! ~ Defensive Job Description is transitioning into an Hybrid Role where the Defender is asked to excel in multiple Roles and multiple Fronts.
For that reason, and in order to offer NomenClature that speaks not to archaic, obsolete "Positions", but rather to Skill Sets that accurately reflect the dynamic Changes of the 21st Century Game and the Roles they have spawned, I have undertaken to craft Terminology that is designed to break Skill Sets down as they really are.
Defensive Coordinators have, since Time Immemorial, employed highly creative terminology in devising Defenses and in designating Assignments. In that Spirit, I have admittedly indulged myself considerably in devising the following NomenClature. It is undeniably colorful, but I like to think that there's an underlying Logic, as well:
Dragons ~ This is my terminology for Players who may've played either Defensive End or what you Earthlings call "OutSide LineBacker" in College, and who in any case possess the Size to player either at the next level. They would generally be deployed as Ends in a 43 or as "OutSide LineBackers" in a 34, and have even been known to get deployed as Interior Rushers in the Nascar Package. The Prototype would generally be somewhere around 6050/265 or so.
Of course, where and how any given Coach chooses to deploy his Players is his Business. Players that I characterize as Dragons may often or even routinely line up anywhere, on any given Down. My only purpose is simply to identify what I perceive as Skill Sets, to distinguish types, if you will, and perhaps create a universal Point of Reference.
Dragons in a 43 are Defensive Linemen, but Dragons in a 34, for instance, are off the Line and may be asked to drop into Pass Coverage from time to time, so that capacity ~ observed or inferred is going to be part of my Evaluations.
When evaluating Dragons, this is how I break down the Attributes to which I pay most particular attention:
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:
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.
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
For that reason, and in order to offer NomenClature that speaks not to archaic, obsolete "Positions", but rather to Skill Sets that accurately reflect the dynamic Changes of the 21st Century Game and the Roles they have spawned, I have undertaken to craft Terminology that is designed to break Skill Sets down as they really are.
Defensive Coordinators have, since Time Immemorial, employed highly creative terminology in devising Defenses and in designating Assignments. In that Spirit, I have admittedly indulged myself considerably in devising the following NomenClature. It is undeniably colorful, but I like to think that there's an underlying Logic, as well:
Dragons ~ This is my terminology for Players who may've played either Defensive End or what you Earthlings call "OutSide LineBacker" in College, and who in any case possess the Size to player either at the next level. They would generally be deployed as Ends in a 43 or as "OutSide LineBackers" in a 34, and have even been known to get deployed as Interior Rushers in the Nascar Package. The Prototype would generally be somewhere around 6050/265 or so.
Of course, where and how any given Coach chooses to deploy his Players is his Business. Players that I characterize as Dragons may often or even routinely line up anywhere, on any given Down. My only purpose is simply to identify what I perceive as Skill Sets, to distinguish types, if you will, and perhaps create a universal Point of Reference.
Dragons in a 43 are Defensive Linemen, but Dragons in a 34, for instance, are off the Line and may be asked to drop into Pass Coverage from time to time, so that capacity ~ observed or inferred is going to be part of my Evaluations.
When evaluating Dragons, this is how I break down the Attributes to which I pay most particular attention:
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:
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.
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
Preston Smith Scouting Report
Power: Outstanding. Extraordinary Drive Power, rushing the Passer, and tremendous Anchoring Strength against the Run.
Agility: Mediocre. Mediocre Launch Velocity. I've read that he wins with Speed when he lines up on the Nose, but I don't see that, myself, except for an occasional Flash. Mediocre Fluidity, as well. Adequate Acceleration.
Combat Skills: Extraordinary. Tremendous Paw Power, outstanding Paw Speed, and phenomenal Paw Positioning.
Intangibles: Tremendous. Superb Field Vision & Processing Speed and an awesome Motor.
Run Defense: Outstanding. Mediocre Fluidity, but tremendous Anchoring Strength, superb Field Vision, and a great Motor.
Pass Coverage: Deficient. He has the Field Vision and the Motor, but not the Fluidity or Acceleration. He has the Frame to play a 34 MidFielder, but he is far more effective playing forward, either on the Line or hovering around it.
Pass Rush: Effective. He was often deployed as the Nose Tackle in obvious passing situations at Mississippi, and played quite well. I didn't perceive him as being as quick as I've read about elsewhere, but I do believe, nevertheless, that the dynamic combination of Power and Combat Skills that he brings to the BattleField, fueled by a strong Motor, will successfully translate to the next level, and will do so at Defensive End, as well. I believe that his lack of Fluidity and Acceleration will preclude a dynamic Impact, mind you, but I think he could be consistently Disruptive.
Broken down into SubCategories, it'd go something like this:
Agility: Mediocre. Mediocre Launch Velocity. I've read that he wins with Speed when he lines up on the Nose, but I don't see that, myself, except for an occasional Flash. Mediocre Fluidity, as well. Adequate Acceleration.
Combat Skills: Extraordinary. Tremendous Paw Power, outstanding Paw Speed, and phenomenal Paw Positioning.
Intangibles: Tremendous. Superb Field Vision & Processing Speed and an awesome Motor.
Run Defense: Outstanding. Mediocre Fluidity, but tremendous Anchoring Strength, superb Field Vision, and a great Motor.
Pass Coverage: Deficient. He has the Field Vision and the Motor, but not the Fluidity or Acceleration. He has the Frame to play a 34 MidFielder, but he is far more effective playing forward, either on the Line or hovering around it.
Pass Rush: Effective. He was often deployed as the Nose Tackle in obvious passing situations at Mississippi, and played quite well. I didn't perceive him as being as quick as I've read about elsewhere, but I do believe, nevertheless, that the dynamic combination of Power and Combat Skills that he brings to the BattleField, fueled by a strong Motor, will successfully translate to the next level, and will do so at Defensive End, as well. I believe that his lack of Fluidity and Acceleration will preclude a dynamic Impact, mind you, but I think he could be consistently Disruptive.
Broken down into SubCategories, it'd go something like this:
Preston Smith Prospectus
I believe that Preston Smith's most likely Impact is that of a Player more Versatile than Dynamic, but I also believe that his tremendous combination of Power and Combat Skills, fueled by an outstanding Motor, translate into a Player who'll probably make a crucial contributory Impact upon his Team's capacity to Disrupt.
When I mention Versatility, mind you, I'm not referring to his deploying as 34 MidFielder. I believe that he could do so in a pinch, but only provided that he's not asked to drop into Coverage. I simply believe he lacks sufficient Fluidity.
However, as a 43 Defensive End, preferably from the Strong Side, he could become not only a dynamic Run Stopper, but a legitimate contributor to the Pass Rush, and while I believe that he lacks the Launch Velocity, Fluidity, and Closing Acceleration to make a dynamic Impact, his Power & Combat Skills should prove consistently Disruptive.
And as Defenses continue to deploy increasingly exotic Formations, specifically the emerging tendency to deploy Dragons inside on obvious Passing Downs, Smith is of course already Fully Qualified for such Work. And while I would expect no more dynamic an Impact thither than on the End, I would likewise expect consistent Pressure and Disruption.
Grateful Thanks, as always, for the crucial Work done by the folks at Draft BreakDown!!
When I mention Versatility, mind you, I'm not referring to his deploying as 34 MidFielder. I believe that he could do so in a pinch, but only provided that he's not asked to drop into Coverage. I simply believe he lacks sufficient Fluidity.
However, as a 43 Defensive End, preferably from the Strong Side, he could become not only a dynamic Run Stopper, but a legitimate contributor to the Pass Rush, and while I believe that he lacks the Launch Velocity, Fluidity, and Closing Acceleration to make a dynamic Impact, his Power & Combat Skills should prove consistently Disruptive.
And as Defenses continue to deploy increasingly exotic Formations, specifically the emerging tendency to deploy Dragons inside on obvious Passing Downs, Smith is of course already Fully Qualified for such Work. And while I would expect no more dynamic an Impact thither than on the End, I would likewise expect consistent Pressure and Disruption.
Grateful Thanks, as always, for the crucial Work done by the folks at Draft BreakDown!!
Yank Rank: Beast ~ Par Value!!
| Market Value 1st/2nd Round | Yankee Grade 1st/2nd Round |
Please do Note: This and all Evaluations issued by this Site are produced by a ludicrously unqualified Amateur, privy to not even the tiniest fraction of Coach's Tape, Scouting Expertise, Face to Face Interviewing, Experience, or Inside Information enjoyed by the Professionals. As such, anything put forth is certainly misinformed, euphonious, derivative Tripe, and should be rejected out'f hand and indeed shunned by all men and women of Good Will!!
I'm trying to discern Power, Agility, Combat Skills, and far more abstract, esoteric Concepts such as Processing Speed and Motor, and I'm trying to do so based almost entirely on a fascinating fusion of Tape, Combine Numbers, and Pro Days, while trying to attenuate my findings based on Allowances for Competition Level, Scheme, Concept, Context, and, above all: Trajectory!! This is not is even remotely a Complaint, mind you, but rather a Warning: Caveat Emptor!!
I'm trying to discern Power, Agility, Combat Skills, and far more abstract, esoteric Concepts such as Processing Speed and Motor, and I'm trying to do so based almost entirely on a fascinating fusion of Tape, Combine Numbers, and Pro Days, while trying to attenuate my findings based on Allowances for Competition Level, Scheme, Concept, Context, and, above all: Trajectory!! This is not is even remotely a Complaint, mind you, but rather a Warning: Caveat Emptor!!
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