12-10-2019, 03:52 AM
LSU’s Devin White is atop most linebacker depth charts Youth Ryan Connelly Jersey , but what kind of player is he?"WhiteFanposts Fanshots Sections New York Giants NewsGiants Training Camp 2016Giants vs. Eagles 2015, Week 172019 NFL DraftIs Devin White the linebacker the Giants have been searching for?New,75commentsLSU’s Devin White is atop most linebacker depth charts, but what kind of player is he?EDTShareTweetShareShareIs Devin White the linebacker the Giants have been searching for?Nelson Chenault-USA TODAY SportsThe New York Giants have not drafted a linebacker in the first round for longer than many Giants fans have been alive. The last time the Giants selected a linebacker in the first round was Carl Banks in 1984, a full thirty-five years ago. A year ago they traded with the Los Angeles Rams for former first round linebacker Alec Ogletree, paying just a fourth round pick but taking on a massive contract in the process. And unfortunately, Ogletree has not been the solution for the Giants’ linebacking woes that many Giants fans hoped he would be. But sitting at the top of the draft, the Giants might have the opportunity to draft a productive linebacker with an elite athletic profile in Devin White out of LSU. White has risen up draft boards throughout the draft process, capped by a fantastic workout at the 2019 NFL Scouting Combine. But White is not without his faults, but would they be enough to scare the Giants away at sixth overall?MeasurablesProsExtremely athletic. Legitimate sideline-to-sideline ability. Has the ability to run with most receiving options. Thick, powerful build. Very active linebacker. Always in motion and in pursuit.Active communicator before the snap. Shows off explosiveness coming downhill. Flashes the ability to use his athleticism to beat blockers.Played a variety of linebacker positions and covered slot receivers.ConsToo easily fooled by deception and misdirection. Too much wasted motion after the snap.Processing speed is a question. Too often takes bad angles as a tackler. Lacks a plan as a pass rusher. Gets hung up on blockers too often.Note: It bears mentioning that White was arrested twice at age 17, before enrolling at LSU. The first was for having consensual sex with a 14-year old, resulting in a misdemeanor charge. The second was for “careless operation of a motor vehicle and flight from an officer.”Numbers Of NoteStatistics from Dan PizzutaWhite had 20.5 run stuffs per Football Study Hall Womens Ryan Connelly Jersey , the third most among this off-ball linebacker class behind West Virginia’s David Long (30) and Utah’s Chase Hansen (27.5).White’s three forced fumbles rank second in this class behind Washington’s Ben Burr-Kirven (4).Per Sports Info Solutions, White allowed 69.9 percent of his 23 targets to be completed for 7.3 yards per target. The yards per target mark is the fourth-worst among the top-25 linebackers.However, his six passes defensed was tied for the most among this obLB classWhite blitzed on 22.7 percent of his pass snaps, per SIS, and had a pressure rate of 24.8 percent, both marks were among the position leaders.Prospect VideoWhat They’re Saying - Joe Marino (The Draft Network - Scouting Report) Does He Fit The Giants?First, let’s address the legal and character questions: NFL teams will be doing their due diligence in digging in to every prospect’s background and character. If White’s history is the result of bad decisions and not maliciousness, and he has matured past them as a young man, then they aren’t likely to be red flags for NFL teams. However, if there have been other minor incidents or warning signs that we don’t know about, the NFL will have to take that into consideration and every team decide how comfortable they are with the potential risk. As I sit here, I don’t know, and I am not passing judgement. I would hope that he was just an idiot -- as 17 year olds tend to be. The only fair thing I can do is evaluate White based on the tape he has produced.Athletically speaking Authentic Ryan Connelly Jersey , White should fit in any defensive scheme in the NFL, and if he doesn’t, that scheme should probably be revised. That being said, he might not be a seamless fit in the Giants’ defense as it stands now -- primarily because of the presence of Alec Ogletree. White’s best fit in the Giants’ defense would be as the weak-inside linebacker, where he can use his athleticism in pursuit, in space as a coverage player on running backs and tight ends, or as a blitzer. However, that is the position played by Ogletree, who is not only the defensive signal caller but also very highly paid. There is also the question of what kind of player you are getting in White. At first blush, he looks like a defensive coordinator put him together using a create-a-player, after entering a cheat code. Perhaps an inch or two below “desired” height, but by no means undersized, with explosive power Ryan Connelly Jersey Boys , loose hips, and speed to burn, White has every physical tool you could ask for. However, his mental game does not appear to be nearly as developed as his physical abilities. Far too often White is baited by the offense and taken out of the play or simply frozen while he sorts out where the ball is going. Compounding the issue is a habit of taking poor angles to the football, often running to where an offensive player is rather than putting himself where they will be.White does flash the ability to use his athleticism to slip past blockers as a pass rusher, using his arms and loose hips to get past them in a blink. More often White comes downhill like he was fired out of a cannon when his number is called for a blitz. But like a cannonball, his only option when he hits an obstacle is to go through it. Similarly, too often he fails to truly stack and shed blockers, instead trying to rely on his explosive power and athleticism to bull them over, and he can wind up hung up on blockers as the ball carrier runs past. And this is the question with White. While his athletic profile and flashes suggest an elite prospect and perennial All-Pro, his mental game is not there yet. The team that drafts him must be sure they can teach him proper technique taking on blockers and squaring to tackle, as well as coach up the mental aspect of his game. Luke Kuechley is still the gold standard for inside linebacker play in the NFL, and while he is an elite athlete Infant Ryan Connelly Jersey , it is his sky-high football IQ and instincts that border on prescience that make him great. White DID show growth in that area over the last two years, and that might be enough to give confidence that he will get there. But if he doesn’t, he could be a player that always leaves his team wanting more. What has been going on in the draft world?"WhiteFanposts Fanshots Sections New York Giants NewsGiants Training Camp 2016Giants vs. Eagles 2015, Week 172019 NFL DraftNFL Draft: Nick Bosa, Drew Lock among players visiting GiantsNew,75commentsWhat has been going on in the draft world?EDTShareTweetShareShareNFL Draft: Nick Bosa, Drew Lock among players visiting GiantsJeff Curry-USA TODAY SportsWe are officially in draft month and there is officially less than four weeks remaining until the New York Giants are on the clock for the first time in the 2019 NFL Draft. We have been covering the draft almost constantly over the last couple months but things still manage to slip through the cracks. So lets go back and sift through the noise and circle back to some of those stories we might have missed. Brace yourself, the draft Is coming ...We have reached the point in the draft process where the smoke screens are so thick that even Keith Richards is stepping out for some fresh air. Scenarios are starting to get crazy, to the point where it seems any prospect might be available to the Giants at sixth overall. As such, Ian Rapoport is reporting that the Giants will meet with Nick Bosa, albeit under some unusual circumstances.The Giants host Drew LockThe Giants have been doing their due diligence on all of the quarterback options, sending nearly their entire brain trust to watch Kyler Murray and Dwayne Haskins at their respective pro days. They have also shown interest in Drew Lock and will be hosting him for an official visit this week.Hopefully Nick Bosa won’t sack him out of reflex.The Giants hold their local pro dayEvery year teams are allowed just 30 official visits with prospects. However, they also hold a special pro day for prospects from nearby colleges Ryan Connelly Jersey Draft , which does not count against their official visit total. NJ.com reports that this year the Giants are hosting a couple interesting players in corner Amani Oruwariye out of Penn State and defensive tackle Michael Dogbe out of Temple [prospect profile]. On a more personal note, WR Juston Coleman and CB Brandon Miller of Marist College (close to where I grew up) and defensive linemen Antoine White and Brian Dolce of SUNY Albany (my alma mater) will be in attendance on Friday when that workout is held.Ed Oliver is a freakOkay, yes. We knew this. We have known that Oliver is a freakish athlete for years now. Oliver is athletic enough that people have talked seriously about standing him up and playing him at linebacker. But still some were wondering if he was worthy of a top 10 pick or whether or not he was big enough to be a defensive tackle in the NFL (never mind that he was able to play nose tackle at 280 pounds for Houston).But he reminded us all just what kind of athlete he is at Houston’s pro day. At the Combine, Oliver had a broad jump of 10 feet and a vertical of 36 inches. To that he added a 4.71 - 4.75 second 40-yard dash, a 7.15 second 3-cone drill (faster than Jason Pierre-Paul) and a 4.22 second short shuttle (.02 faster than Saquon Barkley).VideoAfter skipping most of the combine, Oliver is back in the national conversation as a top-10 pick, and for the Giants at 6th overall. He probably never should have left it.