James Laurinaitis-
ILB Ohio ST 6-2, 245,
4.7, 22 Reps, 4.18 SS, 33", 9'7"
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My Review Of James Laurinaitis:
The Reason:
Okay Pats fans this is an odd pick, I know. However in this Draft there are 5 or 6 players who I just don't think the Pats can pass on. Laurinaitis is one of those players. Again, Laurinaitis is a another player who shows how crazy this Draft really, if the Pats pass on Laurinaitis here, he should slip down to them at 34. However, I do think Atlanta, Miami, Baltimore, and Arizona might have interest. One of the problems is that after Laurinaitis their is a big drop in talent afterwards. You could easily see no ILB taken after Laurinaitis for an entire round or two. Plus, you can say what you want about him: "I like him", "I don't like him", or "I don't think he fits the system", but you cannot say he is not a good player. What he has done in college may truly be unprecedented. His college résumé is astonishing! I will go over as much as I can without getting to bored;-) In 2005 he earned his way onto the field as a backup to Bobby Carpenter. He barely got on the field. He had 9 Tackles on the season, but when Carpenter was injured he started the Fiesta Bowl against Notre Dame, and garnered 9 Tackles in the game. Then as a sophomore he won the 2006 Nagurski Award as the nation’s best defensive player. He started all 13 games at MLB and garnered 8.5 TFL, 4 Sacks, and 3 FF on 115 Tackles, and also picked up 5 INTs 7 PBU. Not bad, but not good enough, in 2007 he was better. He won was an All-American LB, and won the Butkus and Big 10 Defensive Player of the Year awards. Plus he won, "defensive player of week: Youngstown State, Akron ... Attack Force award: Washington, Minnesota, Wisconsin ... special teams dog tags: Wisconsin ... Big Ten player of week: Washington, Wisconsin ... Bill Willis award for defensive MVP ... Big Ten all-academic." He started all 13 games at MLB and garnered 8.5 TFL and 5 Sacks on 121 Tackles, and also picked up 2 INTs 5 PBU. And in the BSC Championship game he had 18 Tackles, giving him 139 TKL for the year. As a team Captain as a Senior he started all 13 games again, including Bowls that gives him 43 straight starts over the past four years. He garnered 7 TFL, 4 Sacks, and 1 FF on 130 Tackles, and also picked up 2 INTs 4 PBU. And in the Fiesta Bowl he had 9 Tackles, giving him 139 TKL for the year. You can say what you want about Laurinaitis but you cannot say his not a good football player.
The Player:
Laurinaitis doesn't have the pure speed of an elite prospect, he ran a 4.72 at his Proday. But he can change direction quicker than any other LB in this Draft. What separates him from the rest is his intelligence and instincts allow him to read his keys as fast as any LB in this Draft, and he has the quickness to instantly adjust and move laterally better than any LB in this Draft. Plus, he really does a nice job of naturally keeping his hands up and jabbing any offensive players who get near him. His ability to work through trash is better than any LB in this Draft. Plus, he is very underrated in pass coverage. He is one of the best Linebacker in this Draft in coverage. He doesn't have elite speed, but a 4.7 is good enough for a ILB. Especially. an ILB who can read and react so quickly and does such a great job of flowing to he ball. Does a good job of reading O-Linemen, and will flow in the direction they are blocking and shadow the RB until he find a hole. He ability to read OL also allows him to read screen and draws with All-American quickness. He is very difficult to fool. Does a better job of avoiding blockers than taking them on, which is not a pure negative, because he does a good job of constantly moving and not providing OL with a good target. Plus, he took on blockers much better as a Senior, where he seemed stronger, and kept his hands up and extended his arms into blockers much more instinctively. Still not a great blitzer, but he showed more aptitude in moving forward, sheds blocks a little faster, and protects his legs a little better. However, when he is unblocked he has a knack for attacking the QB with great speed and disrupts his rhythm or crushes him. Is one of those guys that tackles through ball carriers and sends them backwards. He is the rare player who actually looks more natural moving sideways down the line or in coverage then moving forward. He does an excellent job of using his quickness and anticipation to keep blockers from impacting him, so he can impact the ball carrier. Does a great job of redirect on the RB when he is blitzing the QB, and the it is a Draw, Toss, or Shuffle Pass.
Laurinaitis is not a classic 3-4 Inside Linebacker, but he can play football. He has ever award a LB can win, including the Butkus Award for 2007. He is very fast and tough on the field. He knows how to use his hands to take on blockers. He moves laterally as well as any Linebacker in this Draft, and slide effortlessly down the line and follow the RB to the hole or the outside. Excellent feet. Moves backwards smoothly, and is very underrated in coverage. In Ohio State's Bowl game in Laurinaitis's Junior year, he seem to be in on every tackle. In their scheme that say all the other players seemed to abandon the center of the field, and he to make every tackle up the middle. He had 19 tackles on the day. He is at his best when he can read and react and dance around blockers and get to the ball carrier. I thought he improved the weakest part of his game this past season, his blitzing. He just looked more natural rushing the QB this past season. I don't think he fits the 3-4 as well as Maualaga, because the weakest part of his game now, is taking on blockers. He still has a little too much flash and dash in him, and he still tries to run around blocks more than I like. He can get stalemated when he shoots the gap by the O-Linemen too much. Has learn to get lower and stouter, but I think he can learn a lot from Tedy Bruschi on taking on blocks. Has great character, and both his parents were professional athletes, and fitness freaks. He has learned a lot from his parents about being a professional athlete, fame, and taking care of your body. He could play a long time in this NFL. In the past 3 seasons he has garnered 366 Tackles, 24.5 TFL, 13 Sacks, 9 INTs, and 7 PBU. He has terrific instincts, and has found the hole faster each season. Break down well, and is a good form tackler. Plays low with good knee bend and lean, and once he reads his keys, he can fly to the ball low and fast. Has a super work ethic and will not be outworked on or off the field. This is the kind of guy you want on your team. His lack of speed will hurt him, but an ILB who runs a 4.7, is fine.
Laurinaitis showed great abilities at Ohio ST. Great cover LB. He is a hard player to judge, because he looks more natural move sideward and backwards than he does moving forward, which is the opposite of most LB I scout. Very fast and tough. A much netter athlete than given credit for. Knows how to use his hands to keep blockers off his body, although he is still more of a flash-and-dash LB who tries to run around blocks. Can slide down the line with exception quickness, and fluidly follow the RB to the outside. Excellent feet. When he is on, it can seem like his is in on every tackle. He is at his best when he can read and react and dance around blockers. Can get stalemated by O-Guards when he tries to shoot the gaps too much.