Hey I got ESPN Insider for a month so heres some profiles of LB's we're looking at.
Abdul Hodge
ILB | (6'0
", 236, 4.79) |
IOWA
Scouts Grade: 88
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Strengths: Has been one of the most productive ILB's in the nation during the past two seasons. Lacks ideal bulk but he is powerful. Shows very good overall technique. Plays with good leverage and uses his hands well. Shows the ability to take on and shed blocks despite his lack of ideal size. He is at his best working downhill vs. the run. He has adequate-to-good straight-line speed for an ILB. He also shows good lateral quickness and agility. Takes solid angles in pursuit and shows impressive closing burst. He is an explosive tackler with very good power in his hips and upper body. He is instinctive and shows excellent recognition skills. Rarely takes false steps and won't bite very often on the play-fake. He is a tough linebacker who will fill hard and won't back down to a physical challenge. Plays with a mean streak but also has excellent football instincts. He shows good burst when turned loose on the blitz.
Weaknesses: He lacks ideal size as an ILB prospect. Will have more trouble getting off of blocks and matching up in the phone booth at the next level. He also lacks ideal fluidity. He has a tendency to over-run pursuit angles and will struggle to recover in space. Does not get great depth in his zone drops. Has just decent range in zone coverage. Will have some man-to-man coverage limitations versus faster backs in the NFL.
Overall: Hodge was born in the Virgin Islands. He redshirted in 2001. He played in all 13 games as a redshirt freshman in 2002. He emerged as a fulltime starter during his sophomore season in 2003, when he finished with 141 tackles, nine TFL and two sacks in 14 games. As a junior in 2004, he collected 116 tackles, 4.5 TFL and three sacks. Hodge led the Hawkeyes with 158 total tackles as a senior in 2005 and also finished with 11 TFL, three forced fumbles, two fumble recoveries and one sack. Hodge led the team in tackles in each of his final three seasons (2003-'05) and was named first-team All-Big Ten in 2003 and 2004, and second-team All-Big Ten in 2005. Hodge lacks ideal size for a MLB prospect and he will get in trouble at times when he tries to run around blockers because it takes him out of position. Hodge also will have some coverage limitations in the NFL due to just adequate speed and change-of-direction skills. However, he is a tough and powerful player who is capable of overcoming his lack of ideal bulk. Hodge was one of the most productive linebackers in college football over the course of his final three seasons at Iowa and his impressive combination of quickness, strength, instincts and tackling skills leads us to believe that he will quickly emerge as a starting ILB/MLB in the NFL. Overall, Hodge grades out as one of the top-two inside linebacker prospects in the 2006 class and should come off the board at some point in the second round.