MidFielder ~ Ramik Wilson ~ Georgia BullDogs 6016/238
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: Exceptional in all regards: Launch Velocity, Fluidity, Ricochet, and Acceleration.
Combat Skills: Mediocre. Mediocre Mechanics and mediocre Persistence.
Intangibles: Marginal. Mediocre Motor and marginal Field Vision.
Run Defense: Competitive. Mediocre Power and Combat Skills and marginal Field Vision though exceptional Acceleration.
Pass Coverage: Mediocre. Exceptional Fluidity and Ricochet but his marginal Processing Speed is a killer.
Pass Rush: Impressive. Mediocre Combat Skills, but impressive Launch Velocity and Acceleration.
As far as Schematic fits go, he seems to small to me to play any Role in the 34 except for Mike, and he doesn't seem to've developed sufficient Field Vision to excel there, either. That leaves the 43 Will as his only optimal fit, I think, as he just doesn't seem Stout enough to play the Sam, nor again to possess the Field Vision to play Mike effectively.
I think he'd have a Shot, there: His Agility seems nicely suited for that Gig, and his lack of Power would be least damaging to his Efforts to contribute. But he's got a lot of Work to do ~ a lot of Time & Training, I think, before he's ready.
Grateful Thanks, as always, for the crucial Work done by the folks at Draft BreakDown!!
Market Value 4th/5th Round | Yankee Grade 6th/7th Round |
None of this is even remotely a Complaint, mind you, but rather a Warning!! Caveat Emptor!!