A starter of 47 games at the college level, Dietrich quickly impressed in the NAFL and CFL.

A team MVP, Captain and All-American for the London Silverbacks of the NAFL, Dietrich did well in an open tryout and was quickly signed by the BC Lions of the CFL for the 2010 season. He has done well enough in one season on the practice squad with the Lions to see a call up to the IFL and the Slaughter.

A long snapper, center and guard; Dietrich brings immediate value to the Chicago offensive line. In the IFL flexibility on the line is paramount, and finding a player with the ability to snap or play guard is a great steal for the Slaughter.

Dietrich will be represented in the USA by Simms & Shaw Sports Management Group.

The Dietrich File
6’2″, 310lbs
Birthdate: 12/2/1984
College: Wilfrid Laurier University

* This was the final copy before changes were made the week of the draft. Unfortunately, thanks to spammers, that version was lost in our site change-over. This was an April 19 version.

2011 NFL Draft Guide

The left tackle position gained fame in the 1980s as coaches tried to stop power rushers like Lawrence Taylor, and the value of the “blindside” protector soared. In today’s NFL, don’t forget about the right tackle.

Based on the rankings of ProFootballFocus, four of the top five right tackles in the NFL this season were drafted in the first round. The fifth player, Eric Winston, was a first round prospect before tearing his knee up. Seven of the top 10 right tackles in football were also drafted in the first round. Conversely, only three of the top 10 left tackles were drafted in the first round.

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The left tackle position will always be a more glamorous spot, especially in the draft, but those overlooking the importance of the right tackle in the NFL today will be surprised to know that the 2011 NFL draft featured three right tackles drafted in Round 1 (Tyson Smith, Nate Solder, Gabe Carimi).

The right side is making a comeback, and it would be no surprise to see at least one right tackle drafted in the top 5 picks this year. If so, it will be USC’s Matt Kalil.

Kalil is a swing tackle at USC, meaning he switches from the left to right side based on the strongside of the offense. Kalil has shown excellent ability at making a drop step and getting out in front of the pass rush from either side. His rare athleticism at the position makes him my No. 1 tackle and a top 5 player.

As a football scout, you are taught to have a standard to which incoming prospects are held. For linebackers, you can look at Ray Lewis or Patrick Willis as prime examples of the best possible outcome for a middle linebacker. You grade players to the standard set by Lewis and Willis—hoping for the day you come across a player who exceeds those expectations.

Every position has a “gold standard” that scouts compare players to. For quarterbacks, that player has been Peyton Manning. Until now…

Manning’s reign as the best draft prospect ever seen by these eyes has ended, thanks to Stanford quarterback Andrew Luck.

Why Manning?

You may wonder why Manning is the gold standard and not a player like John Elway or Dan Marino. Reason being, those players were not available for me to scout and it would be unfair to use them without seeing enough college film to grade them.

In my years covering the NFL draft, Manning has been the most impressive college quarterback I’ve seen. It’s also relatively easy to find clips online of Manning’s days at Tennessee, making it easier to grade him as a prospect based on his college career.

Grading Scale Requirements

All college players who are scouted during the regular season are graded on a fixed scale. Players must hit requirements before I write a scouting report—minimum three games viewed live or on film, at least a redshirt sophomore and they must be in my top 200 players. Each player is graded overall and per the traits that make up his position. For example, quarterbacks are graded on accuracy, arm strength, size, etc.

The Grading Scale
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Luck vs. Manning: The Breakdown

What makes Andrew Luck the new standard for quarterback play? Using available footage and scouting reports from Peyton Manning’s college career, I’ve done a side-by-side comparison of Manning and Luck.

Accuracy

Luck: 9.1 | Manning: 9.4

Luck and Manning played in two very different offensive systems, which skews the pure statistics in regard to accuracy. Manning, while completing 62 percent of his college passes, has better overall accuracy than Luck, who has completed 64 percent so far.

The difference here is that Manning’s accuracy trumps Luck’s current abilities on throws going more than 15 yards. Manning had a great feel for the ball and knew how to put it in a tight spot when throwing to short, middle or deep planes. I have to note that in 1995, Manning did post the lowest interception ratio of any college quarterback ever, with 1.05 percent of his passes being picked off. 

Arm Strength

Luck: 8.9 | Manning: 8.7

Neither Luck nor Manning are known for having a rocket, “Jay Cutler-style” arm. That’s because they don’t need it. Both quarterbacks are able to distribute the ball to every corner of the field. The separation from Luck to Manning here is due to Luck’s ability to rifle the ball harder and farther on the run.

Manning has never had issues with velocity, so this is not a criticism of his arm, it’s just to say that Luck’s arm strength and velocity are slightly better when you look at the two players ability to throw deep, middle, short and on the run.

Delivery/Release

Luck: 9.4 | Manning: 10.0

Manning has the best mechanics I’ve ever seen. If you want to teach someone how to throw a football, find a reel of Manning chucking the football and duplicate Manning’s motion to the best of one’s ability. Luck has a nice delivery of his own, but I would like to see him follow through more with his right foot when throwing the ball.

Luck, at this time, depends too much on arm strength and isn’t getting his full body into the pass. When watching the two players side-by-side, you will see Manning has a full carry over of his back leg, while Luck tends to slightly kick the leg up, but not through. This could cause problems for Luck when he needs to deliver a ball faster and harder than he’s had to in college.

Field Vision

Luck: 9.2 | Manning 9.0

The difference here is small on the grading scale, but it could pay off big in the NFL. Peyton Manning has never been the type of quarterback to limit his interceptions, averaging 11 interceptions per year over his final two seasons at Tennessee. Luck, on the other hand, delivers more high-accuracy passes and has thrown just 12 interceptions in two years. 

Football IQ

Luck: 9.8 | Manning: 10.0

Both players are incredibly intelligent, and if anyone can come close to the level of Football IQ that Manning showed at Tennessee, it’s Luck. Both have run complex offensive systems that require more from the quarterback than your average college spread option. Luck and Manning have learned to be thinkers on the field. 

Injury

Luck: 10.0 | Manning 10.0

Through two years, Andrew Luck has yet to be injured. Manning made it four. Neither player has any injury issues worth noting.

Receiver Location

Luck: 9.5 | Manning: 8.9

Stanford’s offensive scheme allows Luck to distribute the football as he sees fit. Luck has done a great job of not favoring any one receiver during his time running the west coast offense. Manning, on the other hand, would at times lock in to receivers Marcus Nash and Peerless Price. Luck has the upper hand over Manning in his ability to locate the receiver. 

Play-action

Luck: 9.4 | Manning: 9.1

Peyton Manning is a very good play-action quarterback in the NFL, but in college he needed work on this aspect of his game. Manning had a nice fake, but would struggle to locate intermediate receivers coming out of his fake. Luck, on the other hand, does a great job of locating the receiver and brings another level of play action due to his outside pocket mobility.

Pocket Presence

Luck: 9.7 | Manning: 8.9

Peyton Manning is known as a pocket magician—he slides up and out of the pocket with quick, choppy steps and delivers a strike. More so than anything, Manning’s quick strike mentality and ability to locate blitzers at the NFL level has romanticized his ability to do this as a college player. Frankly, he wasn’t great in the pocket, and there were legitimate concerns about his ability to ever get better.

Luck is a complete player in the pocket. He can move inside the pocket to elude blitzers as well as tuck and run if needed. Luck is strong enough to shake off pass rushers, where Manning was too thin in college to stand up against blitzers.

Poise

Luck: 9.3 | Manning: 9.8

Andrew Luck has played just two years compared to Peyton Manning’s four at Tennessee, so there is still time for Luck to further develop in this regard. Manning’s knack for coolness under pressure and ability to rally the team from behind were legendary by the time he left Knoxville. Luck has room to grow here. 

Production

Luck: 9.0 | Manning: 10.0

When it comes to the college production of Andrew Luck vs. Peyton Manning, we can only look at Manning’s first two years in comparison with Luck’s first two seasons. Even grading on a curve, Manning is the more productive of the two.

Running Ability

Luck: 8.5 | Manning: 5.5

With a timed 40-yard dash of 4.9 at the NFL Scouting Combine, Peyton Manning ran better than you might have expected, but it was no surprise that Manning did not show the athletic ability of other players at the position. He was known as a pocket passer at Tennessee. Luck, on the other hand, has been timed and estimated in the low 4.7 range. He has also picked up over 800 yards rushing in two seasons. 

Size

Luck: 10.0 | Manning: 9.5

Remember, this is based on Manning during his college days, when he was rail thin and chicken legged. Manning’s height is wonderful, but his lack of bulk was an issue back in 1998. Andrew Luck, on the flip side of things, is tall and thick. He’s built more like a safety or linebacker.

Touch

Luck: 9.6 | Manning: 9.2

The ability to place the ball in a catchable position can be one of the most underrated aspects of any quarterback’s toolkit. Knowing where to put the ball, and how hard to throw it to make the pass as catchable as possible cannot be overlooked.

Both Manning and Luck are exceptional at this, but my preference is Luck. Manning too often threw the ball at his receivers in college, rather than placing the ball where the receiver will be. This small difference, usually less than one yard in distance, makes a huge difference in run after catch ability and limiting dropped passes.

Final Score

Luck: 9.38 | Manning: 9.14

The final tally, the average of all 14 quarterback traits, shows that at the end of the day, Andrew Luck is simply a better prospect.

Luck, who enters the 2011 season as a redshirt junior, is no lock to enter the 2012 NFL draft. While it does seem highly likely, many also thought that Peyton Manning would enter the draft after his stellar 1996 junior season. Manning returned to Knoxville.

Luck is ready to make the jump from college to the NFL after this season, and he will be one of the most sought after college players since No. 16 was leading the band to the tune of Rocky Top.

We will be adding our grades in this week as we begin to finalize scouting for the upcoming draft class.

New Era Scouting Prospect Grade Chart and Letter System

Player Explosion Number definition

Bench Press (reps) + Vertical Leap + Standing Broad Jump = Explosion Number

Romeus vs. West Virginia

The game against West Virginia is a good example of exactly what Romeus can do. He shows up as a pass rusher and against the run. What I like the most about Romeus is how he uses his long arms, especially when setting the edge on the run. Let’s get into the meat and potatoes…

Right off the bat, you can see Romeus’ pass rushing skills at his best. The very first play in clip shows Romeus use some change of direction and a club/over move to get back to the inside and get the sack. This kind of inside move is even more effective when the tackles have been preparing for quick, outside rushes and you can see it clearly gets the blocker off-balance. At :16 in, Romeus shows that his awareness is nicely developing. Usually inexperienced pass rushers tend to keep their “eyes on the prize” and only focus on the pass rushing. Romeus shows that while rushing, he keeps his head up and sees the QB start to make the throw. Romeus immediately gets his long arms in the air to try to bat down the pass. While he didn’t block the pass, this play is important in showing the development of his awareness.

At :28 seconds, Romeus shows why I like him so much as a defensive end prospect. The offense has an outside running play towards Romeus and he plays it perfectly. Watch as Romeus locks out the blocker and maintains a strong base, setting the edge and flowing to the outside. When the runner gets close, he disengages from the blocker and makes the tackle. Textbook defensive end work. More great examples of Romeus setting the edge against the rush can be found at 2:59 and 3:22. At :47 seconds, Pitt is in a goal line defensive set and the offense rushes to the inside. Romeus does a great job using his hands to get off the blocker but stays home, keeping the runner from cutting back to open space and forcing him inside for no gain.

However, it’s not all roses for Romeus. At times, he can play out of control and can get sucked in on misdirection plays. A perfect example of biting on the misdirection is at 1:27 when the back gets Romeus sucked inside and cuts back to the outside, leaving him trapped in a crowd. Romeus shows that the can get out of control at times at 1:37 when he has a sure-fire sack but Jarrett Brown spins to the outside, leaving Romeus to take out another Pitt defender. Another example of Romeus getting out of control is at 2:06.

Overall, Romeus is a budding talent and shows a lot of promise for his senior season. If he further develops his awareness and plays under control, Romeus could wind up being the most dominate defensive end in the country. The draft fate of Romeus isn’t totally in his hands though. There’s stiff competition at the defensive end spot for the first round with players like Adrian Clayborn of Iowa, Allen Bailey of Miami and even some junior prospects like Robert Quinn of North Carolina and Da’Quan Bowers of Clemson.

Romeus vs. Utah — 2010

Since the Pitt vs. Utah game was a prime example of the flaws in Romeus’ game, it’s important to take a look at this footage as well. Romeus looked tired, sluggish and lazy at times during this game. He was rarely the first defender off the ball and didn’t put any pressure on the QB. Romeus also looked out of control at times, an issue he’s struggled with throughout his career. However, he did set the edge fairly well against the rush and got his arms up a few times to bat down passes, things that I mentioned earlier from his 2009 film.

Now, Romeus did miss a fair amount of August practice time with back spasms, but that shouldn’t be an excuse for the conditioning he appeared to have against Utah. Let’s hope Romeus turns it around this season and gets back to the form he knows he’s capable of.

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However, the ‘09 season exposed some of Dunlap’s limitations. He failed to get through the season without raising beet red character flags, displaying inconsistent effort and getting charged with a DUI. In addition, he played with too high a pad level, didn’t improve his technique, and failed to prove he could threaten the edge against good offensive tackles. As a result, his draft stock plummeted; the once highly-touted prospect slipped to the 2nd round.

This year, another freakish defensive lineman from the state of Florida is the subject of pre-season hype. But instead of being a Gator DL, Allen Bailey is a versatile Hurricane who once killed a gator with a shovel. There are many differences between the two defensive linemen, but it’s possible that Bailey could be plagued by some of the same on-field issues that dropped Dunlap’s draft stock.

Much of the hype surrounding Allen Bailey is warranted. After playing linebacker earlier in his collegiate career, Bailey settled in nicely as a defensive lineman, notching 7 sacks and 11 tackles for loss in ‘09. The strong and explosive athlete played both tackle and end, walking back offensive linemen from both spots. With added experience, Bailey should be even more productive this fall.

However, Bailey also displayed some major deficiencies in ‘09. Despite being a freakishly strong athlete, Bailey struggles to disengage from blocks. The issue shows up most glaringly when Bailey lines up at defensive end. Like Dunlap, Bailey lacks the speed to threaten the edge, so he resorts to plowing back offensive tackles. He’s largely successful in doing so, but he’s also slow to disengage, allowing quarterbacks to step around him and complete unhurried passes.

As a result, Bailey likely is a better fit at defensive tackle or five-technique in a 3-4 defense, but he’ll also need to show improvement to be effective at those spots. To be an explosive penetrating d-tackle, Bailey will need to do a better job of timing his jump off the snap. In addition, he’ll need to expand his repertoire of rush moves. He looks awfully slow and deliberate when deploying his spin move; it’s like watching a slow motion clip of Gerald McCoy. And if he doesn’t use his hands better, he won’t be nearly as disruptive a defensive lineman at the next level.

Though Bailey can be impressively fast in a straight line, the former linebacker doesn’t always cleanly change direction. He slides well laterally but will at times struggle to redirect, shed, and make a tackle. If he doesn’t improve in this area, teams that run a 3-4 defense may have reservations about his fit as an end in their system.

At this point, Bailey still is a better athlete than football player, much like Dunlap was coming out of college. However, Bailey is worlds aways from Dunlap when it comes to character and work ethic. Bailey is clean off the field and plays with an ever-churning motor on it; he’ll eagerly pursue plays and lunge to plant his large frame atop the pile.

Because of his strong effort on the field, it’s likely that Bailey will put in the necessary work to improve his technique and on-field awareness. Ideally, Bailey would get to focus on playing defensive tackle, but it appears that he’ll be playing defensive end again this year. Hopefully, the coaching staff will let him kick him inside, which will allow NFL scouts to evaluate him at what likely will be his NFL position.

If he shows significant improvement in his game, Bailey likely will go in the top half of the 1st round. The athletic freak should amaze onlookers at the Combine; hopefully, he’ll be just as impressive on the field this fall.

Here are two clips of the Miami defensive lineman: one playing defensive tackle against Florida State, the other at defensive end against Wake Forest. Though he was disruptive in both games, he’s clearly more of a difference maker when given a chance to be a beast inside.

GREEN BAY PACKERS

Situation/Coaching Change: After a 2008 campaign in which the Packers allowed 380 points and ranked 20th overall, General Manager Ted Thompson and Head Coach Mike McCarthy made the decision to bring in one of the most respected defensive minds in the game. Dom Capers has a history of turning around defensive units with his complex, multiple look 3-4 scheme. His best years were in Pittsburgh (1992-1994) where no team allowed fewer touchdowns than the unit he was calling the shots for. Two of his standouts from those teams, Kevin Greene and Darren Perry, have been hired by Green Bay to work under Capers in an effort to try and bring some of that success to the team.

Personnel: It usually takes at least two offseasons for a team making the transition to the 3-4 before the proper personnel is set in place. However thanks to an already versatuile group of front seven defenders on top of creative player acquisition, the Packers have the proper players to be a strong unit in 2009. The linebackers are as deep as a coach could hope for and the problems they have there are ones Capers is glad to deal with. There are so many talented players that fit the scheme well, the issue will be getting them all on the field. AJ Hawk and Nick Barnett are tough run defenders in the middle that have the athleticism to own the tackle-to-tackle box. Aaron Kampman has one of the outside spots locked up while Jeremy Thompson, Brady Poppinga, and rookie Clay Matthews all have skill sets that could make an impact within the scheme. The pressure can come from all angles with these linebackers on the field and that fact alone will heavily improve the performance of the unit in 2009.

Up front the Packers were fortunate to already have big bodies that can play multiple roles. The addition of top ten pick BJ Raji gives the team a true 3-4 nose tackle, arguably the most vital aspect of the scheme. He and Ryan Pickett will split time over center while Raji has the versatility to play defensive end. Cullen Jenkins was out of place at defensive end in the 4-3, but he could potentially be a top notch 3-4 end considering his ability to eat up blocks and stuff the run. Johnny Jolly and Justin Harrell are both big bodies that, if they can buy into what the scheme is all bout, could be outstanding role players hat allow the linebackers to fly around and make plays. If there is a group on the defense that holds this unit as a whole back, it will be up front. While the bodies are there, these players are going to be asked to do things they are not used to. While the linebackers are the most important group of the defense in this scheme, every play starts up front.

Key Player: Aaron Kampman – OLB

If the outside linebackers are not getting pressure on the quarterback, this scheme will be a complete failure. Kampman, the team’s featured pass rusher, is making the move from defensive end to outside linebacker a la Jayson Taylor in 2006 (under the familiar Dom Capers). While he does not have a low number in the age column (30 in November), Kampman ranks third in the NFL with 37 sacks over the past three years behind only DeMarcus Ware and Jared Allen. Kampman is a hard nosed technician that understands all aspects of getting to the passer and expect Capers to use him in the most efficient ways to keep him a productive player.

KANSAS CITY CHIEFS

Situation/Coaching Change: The Chiefs put in a record setting performance in 2008. But not in the way they were hoping as they totaled just 10 sacks all year, the lowest number over a 16 game schedule in NFL history. Head coach Todd Haley opted to bring with him his colleague from Arizona, Clancy Pendergast, to lead the team’s transition to the attacking 3-4 defense. While Arizona was not known for their defense throughout Pendergast’s tenure, he did improve the unit in to a dominant force during their playoff run in January. While most 3-4 defenses are all about attacking from different angles, Pendergast uses unique rotations to take full advantage of mismatches across the offensive line. He likes to use speed, explosion, and physicality to create this problems for the opposing offense. By doing so, he forces quartberbacks in to quick decisions that lead to a hefty amount of turnovers if the playmakers are there in the secondary. Turnovers are so related to wins in the NFL, and Pendergast will aim to get the ball in the hands of his defenders. His situation will be tough to handle as the Chiefs were 31st in defense in 2008, next to last.

Personnel: The transition to the 3-4 is not going to be a quick fix in Kansas City mainly due to the lack of true 3-4 personnel. While the acquisitions of veteran linebackers Mike Vrabel and Zach Thomas will aid the process of developing younger players, neither are on the right side of 30 and both of their games are noticeably on the decline. The team spent two early picks on defensive lineman that fit the scheme very well however. Tyson Jackson reminds scouts of the Patriots’ Richard Seymour and even though he has struggled to pick up certain assignments with consistency, he has the talent and mind set to be a strong force right away. Alex Magee did not have an overly productive career at Purdue, but he plays the game like a 3-4 end should and his transition to the NFL should be an easy one. He’ll be behind second year top five pick Glenn Dorsey who struggled vs. the double teams as 4-3 interior lineman but the hope is that he can be more of a factor as he will now be in space which will enable his ability to move in space and pursue ball carriers without as much traffic to get through. Tank Tyler and Ron Edwards are fighting for the starting nose tackle position, but neither have played with the consistency to give Haley enough confidence to hand the job over.

Vrabel and Thomas will give the Chiefs dependability and experience within the scheme, but neither will make plays and run around with the kind of athleticism that Pendergast wants. While more pieces are put in to place through the next couple of offseasons, they will be reliable enough to keep the defense on an improving scale. Derek Johnson will play next to Thomas and while the former first round pick has not exactly been deserving of the bust label, the jury is still out on him. He can fly around and make plays with a strong 3-4 defensive line in front of him, but that remains to be seen. Tamba Hali, the team’s top pas rusher, will play right outside linebacker. His ability to rush the edge is certainly there, thus the move for him should be a simple one. The struggle will be when he needs to play in space, especially in coverage as he has been a down lineman his entire football career dating back to high school.

Key Player: Derek Johnson – ILB

In the scheme that Pendergast is implementing, Johnson is going to play the role that Karlos Dansby did in Arizona. An inside linebacker that will be moved around within the box with a variety of roles. Johnson is a good blitzer that can take advantage of mismatches inside and out, yet he also has the ability to make plays in the middle. With Thomas next to him, he will be able to roam more and make plays all over the field. If he can get halfway decent play in front of him in the trenches, he could be a potential pro-bowler in this scheme.

DENVER BRONCOS

Situation/Coaching Change: Since the Broncos AFC Championship game appearance in 2005, the Mile High defense has been on the steep and steady decline. A lack of quality personnel acquisition and four different defensive coordinators in as many years made it nearly impossible for the unit to thrive. Enter Mike Nolan, one of the games most respected defensive minds. While his 18-37 record as a head coach in San Francisco does not spell confidence, his history of turning around defenses (Jets in 2000) and maintaining/improving already strong units (Ravens 2002-2004) leads one to believe that he is in his element when his sole responsibility resides on the defensive side of the ball. He is taking on quite the ask as the Denver defense was ranked 29th in the league and 30th in scoring in 2008. The run defense was non-existent and the pass rush was inconsistent which led to the team’s mere 13 takeaways, the second lowest in 30 years since the NFL moved to a 16 game schedule. He plans to implement an attacking style of 3-4 that moves players around, keeping running lanes to a minimum. The Broncos could have made the playoffs with a week 17 victory against the Chargers last December, but the defense allowed 52 points. With Nolan calling the shots, that would have never happened.

Personnel:

The Broncos’ defensive line has been abysmal throughout their downfall since the 2005 season. The lack of physicality against the run can be directly attributed to the lack of quality football players in the trenches. Unfortunately, the first offseason after the change to the 3-4 did not bring in a lot of talent to line and it will likely be the team’s downfall in 2008. While there are a couple of interesting athletes that are worth giving a shot (Tim Crowder, Ryan McBean, Marcus Thomas, Le Kevin Smith) at defensive end, there is a good shot none of the above mentioned players will be starting in 2010. The team lacks a true nose tackle and will try to make due with Ronald Fields and rookie Chris Baker. Without that plug in the middle however, the rest of the unit is going to need to elevate their level of play. With the scheme being new and the personnel not exactly fitting the bill, the lack of a true nose tackle could be the Achilles heal of a defense that has really struggled to stuff the run consistently.

If the Broncos defense does turn it around in eyar one under Mike Nolan, the back seven will deserve the meat of the credit. The team’s rotation at outside linebacker features two pass rushers that could combine for well over 20 sacks in Elvis Dumervil and Jarvis Moss. If an injury occurs to either one of those edge rushers, the Broncos have no depth to speak of. Inside, Andra Davis has plenty of experience as an inside ‘backer within the 3-4 from his days in Cleveland and appears to be much more comfortable than in the 4-3. The interesting component to the linebacker core will be DJ Williams, a former first round pick that excelled within the 4-3. With one less down lineman in front of him, Williams will have to fight off more direct blocks, something he seems to be struggling with during preseason. If he cannot fix that issue in his game, the Broncos run defense is going to be that much easier to run on. Robert Ayers, another first round pick from the 2009 class, will be moved around as a blitzing linebacker on third downs and if he along with Dumervil and Moss can pressure the passer, the veteran secondary will come down with plenty of turnovers. A lot depends on this unit and even though the depth is sorely lacking, the swarming/aggressive group could lead the charge towards a new attitude in Denver.

Key Player: Elvis Dumervil – OLB

After playing his entire career as a down lineman, Dumervil has made a seamless transition to the outside linebacker position. His 12.5 sacks in 2007 is a number that could easily be reached with his new role, one similar to what we see out of fellow short edge rusher James Harrison in Pittsburgh. His low center of gravity and smaller area for pass blockers to hold onto will make it much easier for Dumervil to reach the quarterback. With the likes of Andre Goodman, Champ Bailey, and Brian Dawkins roaming the outfield, Dumervil’s pressure potential is something that could bring the defense to another level quickly.