Chiefly Bacon’s Lazy Big Board: OLB

There might not be a bigger hole on the Chiefs roster than there is at OLB. Justin Houston has struggled to regain his former form, Dee Ford runs hot and cold, Tamba Hali is rumored to be playing with bone on bone in his knee and Dadi Nicolas is coming off of a patella tendon tear that few players bounce back from, in a short period of time. Zombo, Ochi and the rest seem likely to have a ceiling of career backup. Add to this the fact that Dee Ford is in the final year of his contract, and Tamba Hali’s departure in 2018 could create $7M in cap space, and you start to believe that Chiefs HAVE to draft an OLB or two. This draft has a few decent options, but keep in mind, great pass rushers rarely fall past the 2^nd. Anyone available from there on is depth with a lottery ticket attached.

Pick 27 OLB TJ Watt 6’4” 252lbs

 

There are other players ranked higher than Watt, but none of them are as play ready. Rather than risking a high pick on player who still needs to develop his pass rush, Chiefs should take a polished product who’s less than a physical freak. That said, Watt’s athleticism is more than adequate. He has good strength and knows how to set the edge against the run. Already has a developing arsenal of pass rush moves and decent coverage skills. Watt has a motor that never stops running and is relentless in his efforts. His ceiling might not match that of his brother JJ, and some knee injuries in his past need checked out, but you won’t find another OLB, available here, that is better suited to step in and start right away.

40 Time	Bench	Vertical	Broad	3-Cone	20 Shuttle
4.69	21	37”	128”	6.79	4.13

Pick 59 OLB Jordan Willis 6′4” 255lbs

Well I have egg on my face. I’ve been telling people for weeks that Jordan Willis is too stiff to play OLB and that he’s a better fit at 4-3DE. Both of those things are true, but when I consider the other options available in the 2^nd round, I’ll take the stiff straight-line speedster and hope I can get him more flexible. Willis is a physical freak, he’s never going to have the bend that Justin Houston does, but his burst, straight line speed and agility are top notch. Willis can play OLB in the 3-4, but he’s going to need to win with hand-fighting and stunts. Hali is the perfect teacher for him, and Sutton can work him in somewhere. If he can’t hack it at OLB, there’s always the chance you could make him a SILB with some blitzing ability. Willis is purely a numbers guy that you have to develop, but those numbers are pretty eye popping and I’m not crazy about the other players available at this spot.

40 Time	Bench	Vertical	Broad	3-Cone	20 Shuttle
4.55	24	39”	125”	6.85	4.28

 

 

Pick 91 OLB Ryan Anderson 6′2” 253lbs

Anderson is a fairly average athlete who played for a very talented Alabama defense. He’s not going to give you 10+ sacks a year, but he has solid instincts and plays with discipline. He can be a good depth player or an average starter, but don‘t expect much more than the Chiefs have gotten out of Ford the past few years. Still Chiefs need to build depth, and Anderson is a guy you can feel good about if he needs to start for a few games.

40 Time	Bench	Vertical	Broad	3-Cone	20 Shuttle
4.78	None	None	None	None	None

Pick 104 OLB DaWuane Smoot 6‘3” 264lbs

Good strength and agility for the position with average speed. Not flexible enough to bend the corner. Plays hard and knows when to go for the ball. Four forced fumbles in two years. Still pretty raw as a pass rusher. Good body, but basically a project player who will need to acclimate to a new position.

40 Time	Bench	Vertical	Broad	3-Cone	20 Shuttle
4.77	None	29.5”	117”	7.18	4.39

Pick 132 OLB Josh Carraway 6′3” 242lbs

Might lack the demeanor to play football. Plays nice, doesn’t always look for the big hit or to bury his target. Great athlete though. Fast and flexible. Can bend the edge, which is a rare trait. Change of direction skills to succeed in coverage. Explosive burst to close the distance to the QB. Raw as a technician and could use more strength. Carraway has traits that get pass rushers drafted in the first round, his lack of polish or fire has him rated by many as a 5^th round pick. If I’m Dorsey, I’m not waiting that long. Heck, I might even draft him with a compensatory 3^rd. While he’s boom or bust, that ceiling is well worth the risk.

40 Time	Bench	Vertical	Broad	3-Cone	20 Shuttle
4.74	25	29.5”	120”	7.20	4.44

Pick 170 OLB Caroll Phillips 6′3” 242lbs

Philips isn’t particularly special in any one regard, but he’s a good athlete and plays hard. He can contribute on STs and offer depth at OLB. His ceiling is an average player, but he’s likely a career depth guy who earns his contract on STs. He does have one X-factor though: any guy named Carroll has to have a heck of a chip on his shoulder.

40 Time	Bench	Vertical	Broad	3-Cone	20 Shuttle
4.64	23	30”	123”	7.06	4.37

Pick 180 OLB Hunter Dimmick 6′3” 272lbs

Dimmick is built more like a 4-3 DE, but he has some agility. He’s kind of a tweener, but could do well as a first down run stopper at OLB. Might lack the athleticism to cover move TEs. Doesn’t have much bend around the edge, but he has a nice bull rush that can get home at times. If Chiefs can improve his coverage and hand-fighting skills, he could be a rotational rusher at OLB. (No Workout)

Pick 216 or 218 OLB TaShawn Bower 6′5” 250lbs

Bower is a recent convert to 3-4 OLB, but he seems to be more productive there than he was at DE. He’s not exceptionally strong, but he’s quick and has moldable traits. Still very raw, from a technique standpoint, and learning the game. He knows how to use his length to his advantage. Chiefs could catch a late round prize if Bower is able to develop quickly, but he’s likely to take a few years to work his way up the depth chart.

40 Time	Bench	Vertical	Broad	3-Cone	20 Shuttle
4.82	20	31.5”	121”	7.20	4.37

Pick 245 OLB Garrett Sickels 6′3” 261lbs

Average athlete who has modeled his game after Tamba Hali (both players are from Penn State). Doesn’t have many exciting physical traits, but finds a way to get it done in the pass rush with consistent effort and good hand-fighting. Liability against the run, gets stuck on blocks too easily. Needs more strength, but can’t afford to get much slower if he packs on weight. May not have the speed to cover TEs. Sickels will be a backup for a while. He might not be good enough on STs to make the roster, but if Chiefs can keep him on the practice squad, he has some potential down the road as a solid depth piece or a situational pass rusher.

40 Time	Bench	Vertical	Broad	3-Cone	20 Shuttle
4.90	20	28”	105”	7.21	4.41

This is a pretty decent OLB class, it’s probably not quite as good as last year’s, but Chiefs have some options in the first couple rounds. If Chiefs wait till the 3^rd or later to draft an OLB, they probably plan on keeping Ford and Houston around for a while. Pass rushers are like QBs, if they have even a chance at being elite, they’ll get over-drafted. While exceptions to the rule exist, like Chiefs’ own Justin Houston, they‘re few a far between. If Chiefs want a real OLB, they need to snag one early.

.