MidFielder ~ Stephone Anthony ~ Clemson Tigers ~ 6025/243
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: Deficient. Exceptional Launch Velocity and extraordinary Acceleration, but awful Fluidity.
Combat Skills: Deficient. Raw, shaky Mechanics and shabby Navigational Tactics through Traffic.
Intangibles: Competitive. Tremendous Motor but mediocre Field Vision and Processing Speed.
Run Defense: Mediocre. Impressive Drive Power and exceptional Launch Velocity, so he can effectively blow up Runs right in front'f'm, but awful Fluidity, shaky Mechanics, and shabby Navigational Tactics through Traffic. He's blessed with extraordinary Acceleration in Pursuit, but his awful Fluidity and mediocre Processing Speed cripples that.
Pass Coverage: Deficient and potentially awful. Awful Fluidity and mediocre Processing Speed portend Trouble.
Pass Rush: Deficient. Impressive Drive Power, but awful Fluidity and deficient Combat Skills.
And, indeed: extraordinary might his Potential be.
There is such a wafer-thin line between a 1st Round Prospect and a UFA Prospect.
And I don't mind admitting that evaluating a Prospect like Stephone Anthony terrifies me.
Arguably the most confounding Aspect of Prospecting is that although I apply considerable mental resources in attempting to distinguish the Aspects of Power, Agility, Combat Skills, Motor, and above all Processing Speed from each other, they overlap and influence each other in many, many ways. It's no wonder that no one else tries to break it down as I do.
They probably know better. Hah!!
What I strongly suspect is going on here is that Stephone Anthony is one of those Prospects whose intrinsic Agility is far different from his effective Agility...and that the yawning gap that lies therein is attributable to Processing Speed.
Stephone Anthony's Combine Numbers, Pro Day Reviews, and Clemson Pedigree say he's a Top 10 Prospect.
His Tape...Well, I see a 5th or 6th Rounder, which is Light Years away from everyone else.
The Combine Numbers and Pro Day Reviews tell me there's Potential, here.
But the Tape tells me: Don't bet too heavily on it.
Trajectory is not always a Positive.
Grateful Thanks, as always, for the crucial Work done by the folks at Draft BreakDown!!
OverRated!!
2nd Round Market Value | Yankee Grade 4th/5th Round |
This is not is even remotely a Complaint, mind you, but rather a Warning: Caveat Emptor!!