Dragon End ~ Samuel Hubbard ~ Ohio State BuckEyes ~ 6054/270
Regarding Dragons
Throughout the FootBall World, Defenses are undergoing Transformational, Revolutionary Change.
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 in 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 will still fail if you simply can't dig in your Heels. But Core Power enables an Offensive Lineman to project Power in the Running Game and to reject Power in the Passing 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 lurching around like FrankenStein.
Frame: Vertical Leverage, Hands, Arm Length, and WingSpan.
Combat Skills: Horizontal Leverage, Paw Positioning, Paw Persistence, and FootWork. Above all: Pass Rush Repertoire.
Processing Speed: How quickly and effectively one Reads & Reacts to the Rapidly Roiling Tactical LandScape!!
Motor: Intensity and Stamina: How much Work has been put into Conditioning, and how it manifests itself.
Run Defense: All the Above, applied.
Pass Rush: Ditto.
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, Rushing the Passer.
Agility
* Fluidity, above all things: Core Agility & Flexibility makes everything possible.
* Launch Velocity ~ Speed into Contact off the Snap.
* Acceleration ~ Short Speed or Quickness.
Frame
* Vertical Leverage. Height is crucial, but it's actually better, I believe, to be an Inch shorter than an Inch Taller.
* Hands. The larger the better, generally, but compact is never a bad Attribute in The Trenches.
* Arm Length. Absolutely crucial. He who boasts the longer Arms initiates Combat.
* WingSpan. Arm Length + Torso Width. A more complete Measurement.
Combat Skills
* Lateral Leverage. Angles. Getting Square or better with the Target.
* Paw Positioning ~ It's all about Angles & Leverage.
* Paw Persistence ~ RPMs: Activity & Persistence.
* FootWork ~ RPMs: Activity & Persistence.
* Pass Rush Repertoire: Variety.
Processing Speed
* Reading & Reacting to Offensive Blocking Schemes with Speed & Precision.
* Field Vision: Finding Targets & approaching them effectively.
Motor
* Intensity.
* Stamina.
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 in 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 will still fail if you simply can't dig in your Heels. But Core Power enables an Offensive Lineman to project Power in the Running Game and to reject Power in the Passing 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 lurching around like FrankenStein.
Frame: Vertical Leverage, Hands, Arm Length, and WingSpan.
Combat Skills: Horizontal Leverage, Paw Positioning, Paw Persistence, and FootWork. Above all: Pass Rush Repertoire.
Processing Speed: How quickly and effectively one Reads & Reacts to the Rapidly Roiling Tactical LandScape!!
Motor: Intensity and Stamina: How much Work has been put into Conditioning, and how it manifests itself.
Run Defense: All the Above, applied.
Pass Rush: Ditto.
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, Rushing the Passer.
Agility
* Fluidity, above all things: Core Agility & Flexibility makes everything possible.
* Launch Velocity ~ Speed into Contact off the Snap.
* Acceleration ~ Short Speed or Quickness.
Frame
* Vertical Leverage. Height is crucial, but it's actually better, I believe, to be an Inch shorter than an Inch Taller.
* Hands. The larger the better, generally, but compact is never a bad Attribute in The Trenches.
* Arm Length. Absolutely crucial. He who boasts the longer Arms initiates Combat.
* WingSpan. Arm Length + Torso Width. A more complete Measurement.
Combat Skills
* Lateral Leverage. Angles. Getting Square or better with the Target.
* Paw Positioning ~ It's all about Angles & Leverage.
* Paw Persistence ~ RPMs: Activity & Persistence.
* FootWork ~ RPMs: Activity & Persistence.
* Pass Rush Repertoire: Variety.
Processing Speed
* Reading & Reacting to Offensive Blocking Schemes with Speed & Precision.
* Field Vision: Finding Targets & approaching them effectively.
Motor
* Intensity.
* Stamina.
Samuel Hubbard ~ Scouting Report
Power: 40 but improving. Hubbard joined the BuckEyes as Defensive Back, and is thus still acclimating to and integrating his increased muscle mass. In most cases, you are what you are, but Hubbard's exhibited a relentless appetite for personal evolution at Ohio State, and I thus deduce a far higher chance than normal that he'll improve considerably.
Agility: 80. Marginal Speed, but Impressive Launch Velocity and Acceleration, and extraordinary Fluidity.
Frame: 50. Adequate Height and WingSpan.
Combat Skills: 80. Incredibly well-developed Combat Skills, and rapidly improving.
Processing Speed: 90 and improving. His level of competence at his level of experience is ridiculous.
Motor: 100. Intense. Relentless.
Run Defense: 60 and trending upward. Mediocre at The Point of Attack. Excellent In Pursuit.
Pass Rush: 60 and trending upward. Mediocre Power, but agile, crafty, and relentless.
Samuel Hubbard ~ Prospectus
Woof. Crazy about this kid.
It amuses me immensely that I've just finished writing up Chad Thomas, because Thomas is Sam Hubbard's exact opposite.
Whereas Thomas's Potential is celestial, but his downside abysmal, Hubbard's Potential is dwarfed by his Intangibles.
Ceiling? Based on'is current level of physical talent, I'd go with 4th/5th Round.
Floor? Based on'is Intangibles...I'd go a lot higher.
The fact of the matter, though, is that Sam Hubbard's physical talent hasn't likely peaked, as he is not only still acclimating to having converted, at Ohio State, from Defensive Back to Dragon, but, having consistently exhibited a relentless focus on Greatness, registers ~ as I see things ~ as the rare strong bet to continue to substantially physically develop.
Everything I read about Sam Hubbard says that he's a mediocre talent, surviving on grit and savvy, and projects as a guy who is likely to earn Snaps and maybe even become a Starter, but who will certainly not excel.
Owl Shit. This guy has no Long Speed, as if that matters worth a damn on The GridIron, but possesses excellent agility where it matters, who's exhibited exceptional intrinsic Power at The Combine which I feel that he's got a very good chance of developing into Functional Power...and brings cosmic levels of Intelligence and Drive to the Field of Battle.
It amuses me immensely that I've just finished writing up Chad Thomas, because Thomas is Sam Hubbard's exact opposite.
Whereas Thomas's Potential is celestial, but his downside abysmal, Hubbard's Potential is dwarfed by his Intangibles.
Ceiling? Based on'is current level of physical talent, I'd go with 4th/5th Round.
Floor? Based on'is Intangibles...I'd go a lot higher.
The fact of the matter, though, is that Sam Hubbard's physical talent hasn't likely peaked, as he is not only still acclimating to having converted, at Ohio State, from Defensive Back to Dragon, but, having consistently exhibited a relentless focus on Greatness, registers ~ as I see things ~ as the rare strong bet to continue to substantially physically develop.
Everything I read about Sam Hubbard says that he's a mediocre talent, surviving on grit and savvy, and projects as a guy who is likely to earn Snaps and maybe even become a Starter, but who will certainly not excel.
Owl Shit. This guy has no Long Speed, as if that matters worth a damn on The GridIron, but possesses excellent agility where it matters, who's exhibited exceptional intrinsic Power at The Combine which I feel that he's got a very good chance of developing into Functional Power...and brings cosmic levels of Intelligence and Drive to the Field of Battle.
Damned right, Trajectory!!
Allow me, if I may, to quote The Timeless Wisdom of Fanatical Yankee ~ a great American:
"Trajectory > A Philosophical Formula that calculates a Prospect's Potential & Risk, based on perceptions of Talent, Intelligence, Passion, and Work Ethic: Talent x Intelligence x Drive = Potential/Risk."
Given good health, it says here that Sam Hubbard is a very good bet to develop good, perhaps even exceptional Power, and to continue to develop his already outstanding Combat Skills and Field Vision to an incredibly acute level, to play hard and relentlessly, to become a tremendous Run Defender and Pass Rusher, and, in short, to become an perennially excellent Player who inspires and leads his team and teammates, becoming very much the face of his franchise.
Ceiling? 2nd/3rd Round ~ Warrior.
Floor? 1st Round ~ Beast!!
Pay the man.
Thank you so very much, Draft BreakDown, without whom my Work would be virtually impossible.
Allow me, if I may, to quote The Timeless Wisdom of Fanatical Yankee ~ a great American:
"Trajectory > A Philosophical Formula that calculates a Prospect's Potential & Risk, based on perceptions of Talent, Intelligence, Passion, and Work Ethic: Talent x Intelligence x Drive = Potential/Risk."
Given good health, it says here that Sam Hubbard is a very good bet to develop good, perhaps even exceptional Power, and to continue to develop his already outstanding Combat Skills and Field Vision to an incredibly acute level, to play hard and relentlessly, to become a tremendous Run Defender and Pass Rusher, and, in short, to become an perennially excellent Player who inspires and leads his team and teammates, becoming very much the face of his franchise.
Ceiling? 2nd/3rd Round ~ Warrior.
Floor? 1st Round ~ Beast!!
Pay the man.
Thank you so very much, Draft BreakDown, without whom my Work would be virtually impossible.
Yank Rank: Beast ~ Sleeper!!
| Market Value #77 | Yankee Grade 1st Round!! |
Please do Note, Fellow FootBall Fiends: This and all CyberScouting Reports 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 with even reasonable levels of intelligence or Good Will!! I'm trying to discern Power, Agility, Combat Skills, and far more abstract, esoteric Concepts such as Processing Speed and Motor, and Intelligence and Drive, 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 making Allowances for Competition Level, Scheme, Concept, Context, and, above all: Trajectory!!
Please also note, Fellow FootBall Fiends: These CyberScouting Reports are not intended as predictions of success or failure, but as assessments ~ ludicrously amateurish assessments ~ of potential success. FootBall is a rough and often unfair business, and many a worthy Prospect has fallen far short of his potential, sometimes not because of his own failings, but because of those of coaching, scheme, timing...or because huge investments were made on other Prospects.
In other words: If any of my Super Dooper Deeper Sleepers ever fail to fulfill their vast potential, I’m confident that it goes without saying that it wasn’t their fault…or mine!!...Yes, I think that I'm being funny.
In other words: Caveat Emptor, Fellow FootBall Fiends!!
Enter at your own risk!!
Please also note, Fellow FootBall Fiends: These CyberScouting Reports are not intended as predictions of success or failure, but as assessments ~ ludicrously amateurish assessments ~ of potential success. FootBall is a rough and often unfair business, and many a worthy Prospect has fallen far short of his potential, sometimes not because of his own failings, but because of those of coaching, scheme, timing...or because huge investments were made on other Prospects.
In other words: If any of my Super Dooper Deeper Sleepers ever fail to fulfill their vast potential, I’m confident that it goes without saying that it wasn’t their fault…or mine!!...Yes, I think that I'm being funny.
In other words: Caveat Emptor, Fellow FootBall Fiends!!
Enter at your own risk!!
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