PFW has some really high praise for Weatherspoon. Luckily for us it seems he grades lower because of "short arms" - sounds be a classic case of scouts measuring generic characteristics instead of focusing on football performance.
Quote:
Instinctive with outstanding football IQ - has a nose for the ball. Reads and diagnoses quickly. Excellent athletic ability, agility, and movement skills. Plays on his feet. Flows fast and displays outstanding range and closing speed. Secure tackler -- explodes on contact. Able to break down and corral balcarriers in space. Reliable in coverage -- shows awareness and breaks on throws in front of him. TImes blitzes and bursts to the quarterback. Vocal on-field leader. Outstanding character. Exceptional weight room strength and workout numbers.
[...]
Intense, freakishly explosive, short-armed athlete who packs a punch and plays as fast as his measurables indicate. One of the most physically gifted linebackers in the last several years. Weatherspoon's combination of speed, instincts, and football smarts allow him to fly around the field and make plays. Seek-and-destroy 'backer who needs lanes to pursue to be his best.
Weatherspoon sounds like a low risk / high reward pick for us, and a potential impact player at a position of need. Kind of like a young Brooking who can also actually blitz?
Can't ask for much more considering we're drafting 19th. What do you guys think?
