Scout- Bryce Ahaus
College: Penn State
Height: 6'2
Weight: 210 lbs
40-Time: 4.5
Bench Press: 15
Vertical:
Athleticism: 6.00
Q.A.B./C.O.D. 6.00 For a safety not an exceptional athlete, needs to take a correct angle to avoid being out of position and compromising for his athleticism. Flexibility 5.00 Not a very fluid mover. Prefers to go through you not around you Deep Speed 6.00 struggles in a deep zone. Needs cushion to not get burnt. Explosion 7.00 Blows people up, no fear at the Point of Attack. Does not go left and right very well.
Coverage Ability: 5.80
Man Press 6.50 Very very physical, best lined up on TEs or big WRs. Man Off 6.00 Struggles on slot receivers he can’t get physical with, players like TY Hilton would burn him. Zone 5.00 Looked lost very frequently, tendency to leave his zone to chase a WR. Hand Fighting 6.50 Physicality is not something he lacks. Hips/Turn Ability 5.00 Speedier WR will dominate him here, does not have much East/West ability, Slants and Ins/Outs will dominate him.
Play Making: 6.50
Closing Quickness 8.00 Caused a lot of incompletions due to quickly hitting a receiver after the catch was made. Lays the wood on receivers across the middle. Ball skills 5.50 One career INT, very few pass breakups over at least 40 career games. Didn’t close well on ball, focuses more on initiating contact. Route/play Diagnosis 6.00 Looks completely lost at times in zone coverage, but breaks well on run plays.
Run Support: 7.67
Quickness Upfield 7.50 Very good instincts vs the run. Recognized and breaks on the run with a great angle, rarely gets ran over. Fight Through Blocks 7.00 Disengages well from WR/TE, Takes linemen and FB right on. Will blow up blockers, very agile getting around crowded areas. Tackling 8.50 Very fundamentally sound tackler, but can absolutely light people up. Might be the best tackling safety in the whole draft.
Competitiveness: 7.50
Toughness 8.00 Is not afraid to take on bigger players, relentless finisher and hitter. Left a game his senior year with a neck injury, and returned a quarter later. Production 6.50 Had great stats in college regarding run stopping, but severely lacks skill in pass coverage, and the stats show that. Consistency/Motor 8.00 Even when he is burnt in coverage he always ends up near the ball or on top of the ball carrier.
Intelligence: 6.67
Instincts 5.50 Great run instincts, but can’t compensate for this in the NFL with his terrible pass instincts. The NFL is a pass happy league. Learn/Retain 7.00 Named team captain, 3 year starter, 4 year contributor. Learned the Penn State system quick and effectively. Teamwork 7.50 Notorious for his dance sessions with SaQuon Barkley, high energy guy, was a team captain.
STRENGTHS
Impressive run stopper. Will for sure contribute in the NFL level. Great tackling skills, very high motor. Displayed a knack for pursuit. High energy guy who seemed to be very respected by teammates. Highly aggressive at the POA.
WEAKNESSES
Coverage. Looks lost in a zone coverage, not laterally quick enough for Man to Man at the NFL level, never showed a knack for getting good reads on a QBs throws, which will get him roasted in the NFL. Not a superior athlete which is almost needed at the NFL level. Doesn’t cover the width of the field as the high safety very effectively.
BIG PICTURE
Most likely a day 3 pick. His superior run stopping ability will allow him to carve out a role in the NFL. He projects as a Box Safety, or on 3rd and short/running situations with his aggressiveness. He could easily become a special teams superstar with his hustle and ability to put anybody on the ground. A good comparison for him would be Laron Landry, minus the steroids and personal foul issues. He will be a good rotational player in the NFL if he lands in the right system.