How is Baun different? (1 Viewer)

[CTSaint]

Any idea why Tyler Biadasz has fallen? He isn't a good fit for the Saints but he's a good player. I live in the Chicago area and Wisconsin is on television almost every week. Other than not being the best in pass protection I don't know of a reason for him to fall this far. He seems like a good fit for Baltimore, Tennessee, or Jacksonville.

I read something about a shoulder injury he had/played through might have been the reason why he has fallen. Had surgery on it.

 

[boutte]

Tull and Kikaha were both good football players whose careers were cut short by injury. I hate to say it but I think the same thing will ultimately prove true for Anzalone. Let's hope Baun can shake the injury bug because we're going to need him.

 

[Infoman]

Baun is a hybrid EDGE/OLB/SS. That was not true of either Kikaha or Tull (Davis not Jethro).

This... Like I have been saying... The "Traditional LB" in a base defense is nearly a dead position... Almost all defense is now played in nickel / dime / and sub packages that include 5 DBs or more in some variation... you truly only need 1 or 2 traditional LBs on your team these days... everyone else on the back 7 needs position versatility outside of your boundary corners.

That's what Baun brings... position versatility, and the ability to play in multiple situational packages... It's what the new age of LBs are.

 

[SaintsManDan]

So when we picked Zack Baun, I immediately thought about Davis Tull & Hau'oli Kikaha.

I can't remember if Davis ever played a down for us and I know Kikaha got the short end of the stick due to philosophy changes and injuries.

Zack Baun is around the same size as Tull & Kikaha, so what makes him different? Of course we really do not know, but does anything stand out to you that's better than Tull & Kikaha?
For me it appears he has better speed.

Joe Schobert 6’1” 244 lbs
40- 4.77 sec
Vertical- 33.5 in
3 cone- 7.11 sec
Drafted 99th overall

Zack Baun 6’2.5” 238 lbs
40- 4.65 sec
Vertical- 32.5 in
3 cone- 7.00 sec
Drafted 74th overall

Schobert similarly to Baun transitioned from an OLB at Wisconsin to a MLB for the Browns. 400 tackles in 4 years with 49 starts. Recently signed a 5 year $53 mill deal with the Jags.

Baun hopes to make a similar transition with the Saints to a MLB or SLB role.

 

[Easyk83]

Joe Schobert 6’1” 244 lbs
40- 4.77 sec
Vertical- 33.5 in
3 cone- 7.11 sec
Drafted 99th overall

Zack Baun 6’2.5” 238 lbs
40- 4.65 sec
Vertical- 32.5 in
3 cone- 7.00 sec
Drafted 74th overall

Schobert similarly to Baun transitioned from an OLB at Wisconsin to a MLB for the Browns. 400 tackles in 4 years with 49 starts. Recently signed a 5 year $53 mill deal with the Jags.

Baun hopes to make a similar transition with the Saints to a MLB or SLB role.

They're probably looking for him at SAM, someone who can head up over TEs jam them, run with them and blitz whenever opportune. He'll likely also be used as a situational pass rusher which he can probably do up and down the line when hes allowed to pick his spots and play head up. Like Schobert he's a fast processor who just seems to play faster than the other guys. But in direct comparison Baun is just a bit longer, a bit more explosive, a bit bigger, a bit faster and a little bit more of a quick twitch type. He projects more as a pass rusher whereas Joe Schobert probably came out with a more refined overall game if less physical talent.

 

[Easyk83]

Any idea why Tyler Biadasz has fallen? He isn't a good fit for the Saints but he's a good player. I live in the Chicago area and Wisconsin is on television almost every week. Other than not being the best in pass protection I don't know of a reason for him to fall this far. He seems like a good fit for Baltimore, Tennessee, or Jacksonville.

Yeah what CT said, personally I tend to think our OLs are sometimes overrated based on reputation. This last class to my eyes was oft inconsistent and quite frankly Taylor made them look better than they were. Taylor was for my money the best of the Badger running backs and the most likely to be a star at the next level with his rare combination of vision, burst, speed, power balance and footwork. When we've had great OLs it would seem like it didnt matter who was running behind them. With this last group it seemed like Taylor was the only one who was genuinely and consistently effective.

If I was an NFL GM i'd be careful of overvaluing Wisco O-linemen for the same reason that I'd take SEC prospects with a grain of salt because frankly hype is a factor in this business.

 

[Zack Lee]

he is Mike Vick. But with a noggin lol

 

[Belfast Saint]

he is Mike Vick. But with a noggin lol

….and likes dogs

 

[bobad]

Baun has good lean around the edge in a film I watched. Penetrates and sheds blocks well, too. Just no way of knowing whether those skills will translate to the Pros. Hit the training room young man, shift into NFL gear!

 

[SteveNBFD]

Baun can drop into coverage, those other two couldn’t

 

[sammymvpknight]

The problem with both Kikaha and Tull is that they were VERY underdeveloped as actual linebackers. They were essentially small DE's. Both also had considerable issues with injuries (both were coming off injury when they were drafted). Kikaha actually was surprisingly good against the run as a 3-4 OLB but then the injuries began to mount. But he wasn't athletic enough to be useful in coverage.

Baun is a much better prospect. Certainly, he can still bust. But he proved more as a traditional LB than either guy, and was significantly better in coverage. I do questions his instincts as a stand-up LB and his ability to shed blocks. It's something that is a bit difficult to determine by looking at the available stuff on YouTube. But at least he has positive traits. He looks smart, hardworking, is a natural pass rusher, and looks very capable at dropping into coverage (probably one of the better LB's I've seen in this role, and I looked at about 20 LBs from this class). I'm hoping he's not a liability against the run and he is over his injuries a few years ago, because that is what is going to make or break him.

 

[Pbody]

I thought this was an apt appraisal.

Zack Baun ER Wisconsin

www.thehuddlereport.com

 

[sfidc3]

The problem with both Kikaha and Tull is that they were VERY underdeveloped as actual linebackers. They were essentially small DE's. Both also had considerable issues with injuries (both were coming off injury when they were drafted). Kikaha actually was surprisingly good against the run as a 3-4 OLB but then the injuries began to mount. But he wasn't athletic enough to be useful in coverage.

Baun is a much better prospect. Certainly, he can still bust. But he proved more as a traditional LB than either guy, and was significantly better in coverage. I do questions his instincts as a stand-up LB and his ability to shed blocks. It's something that is a bit difficult to determine by looking at the available stuff on YouTube. But at least he has positive traits. He looks smart, hardworking, is a natural pass rusher, and looks very capable at dropping into coverage (probably one of the better LB's I've seen in this role, and I looked at about 20 LBs from this class). I'm hoping he's not a liability against the run and he is over his injuries a few years ago, because that is what is going to make or break him.

You said it....Injuries...Baun has been relatively healthy during his college career.

I called this pick (but thought we would trade up into the 2nd to get him) but it is a high risk/high reward pick IMO. Baun is a "tweener" right now if he were to play his same/similar position in the NFL. Which apparently he will not. If they are going to move him to SAM that is going to be a big learning curve/challenge for him....we will see....

 

[Joodas Avila]

Biggest difference is neither Kikaha or Tull played LB in college and had to convert in the pros. Baun plays both, and both at a high level.

Kikaha was an excellent football player who tested poorly and had durability issues that ultimately proved to be his undoing. Even w/average to poor athletic ability, Kikaha managed to play and was transitioning well into the hybrid EDGE/LB role. Flat out, he just got hurt and never recovered. Had he not been cursed by injuries, I'm fairly certain he'd still be here and playing an integral role as our primary EDGE/LB.

Tull was just an uber athlete who feasted on lesser college competition. He was a DE only who we attempted to convert into a LB and he simply couldnt do it. The jump to the pros seemed to be too much for him.

Both Kikaha and Tull had holes in their designs, Kikaha being an average athlete and injury cursed, and Tull being an athlete and not a football player. Only real similarity Baun has w/both those guys are their size and projection as a EDGE/LB. Baun seems like he has both of Kikaha and Tull's best traits, and really none of the negatives that pretty much ended their NFL careers.

On the field, Baun plays crazy fast, he can bend the edge as a pressure player, seek and destroy vs the run, and is really fluid in coverage. It's actually quite impressive to see how much Wiss moved him around and the production Baun amassed for them. On top of that, he proved the onfield athleticism he displayed on film was legit at the Combine. I'm gonna go out on a limb and say Baun is the exact guy we thought/wished we had in Kikaha and Tull. I love DJ's Uchenna Nwosu pro comp, but I think Baun's film showed way more versatility and way better instincts and football IQ. To me, I think Baun is a Clay Matthews Jr-type. Deploy him as an EDGE, and he'll generate tons of pressures and get us Sacks. Play Baun as a FORCE/off the ball/read and react LB, and he'll find the ball, kill the carrier, and get us TFLs.

I love Ruiz and the rest of our picks, but Baun is by far my favorite player of this draft class. I believe he's the pick who makes an immediate mark as a rookie.

 

[Cajun Mike]

This... Like I have been saying... The "Traditional LB" in a base defense is nearly a dead position... Almost all defense is now played in nickel / dime / and sub packages that include 5 DBs or more in some variation... you truly only need 1 or 2 traditional LBs on your team these days... everyone else on the back 7 needs position versatility outside of your boundary corners.

That's what Baun brings... position versatility, and the ability to play in multiple situational packages... It's what the new age of LBs are.

His versaltility also led to his selection