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LB, Baylor
Rankings
NFLDraftScout: #171 player overall, #9 inside linebacker. Fifth-round grade.
Nawrocki: #9 ILB, not in top 150 players. Grade: 5.22, should make a roster and contribute on special teams.
Kiper: #158 player overall, #9 ILB.
Draft Countdown: #185 player overall. Another #9 ILB. Late-round / free agent grade.
Scouts Inc: #219 player overall. #9 ILB! Maddening consistency. Grade: 44, borderline draft prospect.
Sports Illustrated: #206 overall, #11 ILB. BOO!
Biography/Honors
2014: All-Big "12" second team. Started all 13 games at middle linebacker. 114 tackles, 12 tackles for loss, 2 sacks, 9 QB hurries, two forced fumbles, and INT and a pass breakup.
2013: All-Big "12" second team. Started 9 games. 71 tackles, 2.5 tackles for loss, one sack, 10 QB hurries, 3 pass breakups and a 91-yard fumble return TD. Had 18 tackles in Kansas State game.
2012: All-Big "12" second team. Played in 13 games at middle linebacker with 10 starts. 124 tackles, 9.5 tackles for loss, 4 sacks, 8 QB hurries, two forced fumbles, one pass breakup. Seven games with at least 10 tackles and 9 in bowl game vs. UCLA. Led conference in tackles despite demotion to second-string for 3 games. I don't have an explanation for the demotion.
2011: Played in all 13 games on special teams and as a reserve linebacker. 13 tackles and a forced fumble.
2010: Redshirted.
Father Britt had a 9-year career at LB for the Eagles and Broncos, and played his final season with the Rams in 1997. He appeared in 13 games here and had four tackles.
Academics: Graduated in December with degree in health, human performance and recreation studies. What is that, monitoring people while they play beer pong or something?
Twitter: no Twitter ID
Injuries
2014: Sat out spring practices due to abdominal injury.
2013: Missed final four games due to groin/sports hernia injury.
NFL Combine Stats
(Combine averages for all linebackers in parentheses)
40-yard dash: 4.60 (4.73)
10-yard split: 1.60
Vertical: 35" (34.5")
Broad: 9'9" (9'10")
3-cone: 7.15 (7.19)
Shuttle: 4.36 (4.29)
Bench: 24 (22)
Scouting Report
Pluses: Big-league build. Runs from home to first in 4.1 seconds. Better than Ken Griffey Jr. or Alex Rodriguez at the same age. Oh, wait a minute, that's Bryce HARPER's scouting report.
Pluses: High football IQ and excellent field awareness. Durable and has frame to gain more weight and muscle. Very instinctive getting through traffic in the box. Always around the ball. Locates well and has the discipline not to bite on misdirection. Active hands make him difficult to lock on. Slips blocks quickly and beats blockers to the spot. Stays alive in pursuit down the line despite contact. Has very active feet and keeps his shoulders square, which allows him to maneuver past blockers in space and make open-field tackles. Has enough speed and athleticism to spy mobile QBs. Good closing speed. Very good motor. Excellent hip snap and wrapup technique make him a very good tackler. Gets good drops in pass rush. Vocal field leader with a tireless work ethic. Has the mindset of a core special teams player. Wins with intelligence, technique and instinct rather than sheer athleticism. Rams are collecting a lot of that type of player this year.
Minuses: Undersized and doesn't have ideal size or strength. Short armed and can get engulfed when run at. Not very powerful after contact. Not a lot of shock in his hands. Doesn't hold up well against bigger blockers. Takes some poor angles and doesn't have the speed or athleticism to recover. Tends to go around blockers and take himself out of plays. Struggles to stay with faster, more agile runners in space. Looks clumsy at full speed. Closing speed disguises that he's a little slow recognizing plays. Can turn and run well but doesn't have the size to match up with tight ends. Doesn't have the acceleration or change of direction to cover quicker backs. Average pass rusher who needs a clear path to get to the QB. Baylor's a 3-4, so scheme fit is a question, but Hager's characteristics probably dictate he switch to 4-3 OLB in the NFL anyway. May be too undersized to hold up play-to-play on defense and will be limited to special teams.
Compares to: Paul Worrilow, Colin McCarthy, Barrett Ruud
Fun Facts
Anybody else feeling old right about now? Bryce and Britt Hager are the first St. Louis Ram father/son combination I'm aware of. Jackie Slater's son Matthew has already been in the league with the Patriots a while and has been a Pro Bowl special teams player. Flipper Anderson's son Dres was signed as a rookie free agent by - perish the thought - the 49ers.
RamView
The Rams were said to be looking for LB depth in this draft, but let any perceived need there slide in order to build an army of offensive linemen. Hager's open-field tackling and nose for the ball are great qualities for a special teams player, and they got him with the pick they got for trading Zac Stacy, who didn't play special teams. Sounds like a win for John Fassel and another possible weapon for his already-loaded special teams.
Sources: Baylor Athletics, NFL.com, Pro Football Reference, ESPN.com, Rotoscouting.com
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