Offline
Beau Bell (OLB)
Analysis
Positives: Has a thick frame with good bone structure, thick chest, broad shoulders, large hands and good muscle definition in his thighs and calves...Just adequate in the classroom and does not relish practicing, but is a solid playmaker who plays at a low pad level and is quick to close when he locates the ball...Shows strength at the point of attack, taking on the lineman or fullback with aggression, using his hands well to shed...Naturally fast and strong, running with a normal stride and quickly accelerates, showing the top-end speed to make plays in pursuit...Has the functional lateral movement to fly to the action along the sideline...Plays with awareness, reading and reacting quickly to plays in front of him...Instinctive athlete who has the knowledge needed to call defensive signals...Finds a way to get to the ball, staying on his feet and knowing how to avoid blocks while maintaining balance on the move...Sees counter plays quickly and plays with a good motor, as he is relentless in his pursuit...Accelerates quickly in space and shows good desire to get to the ball...Will step up and take on blocks, flashing a quick shed, as he uses his strong hands to shock and jolt a lethargic defender...Slips blocks and scrapes through seams to deliver a solid hit, as he is quick to adjust when on the move...Uses his hands to work through traffic and to ward off blocks, demonstrating the power to take on blockers, adjust and react to counter moves...Is quick to close on outside runs, playing with leverage and range to reach the perimeter while avoiding blocks to make the tackle...Likes to run under blocks, but he can quickly accelerate in space and has the speed to reach the outside ballcarrier and force the run back inside...Has the ability to work through traffic and finish off a tackle...Comes off the edge with explosion as a pass rusher and can blast his way up the middle to track down the ball...Can play any linebacker position, but his hand usage, run pursuit and zone drops are better suited for the middle. He doesn't redirect quickly, but has a burst and shows desire to get to the ball...Tackles with a short punch, letting the ballcarrier know he is there, as he uses his upper-body strength to fill, stack and tackle inside the box and at the point of attack...Shows good acceleration to the ball in zone coverage, as he can drop into the secondary with his head on a swivel and has the acceleration to get to the receivers in the deep zone...Also shows good awareness in man coverage, mirroring the receiver in the short area before switching off on his assignment... Allows little cushion on running backs coming out of the backfield in passing situations, staying low in his pads to wrap and secure...Does not have natural hands, but they are big and thick, using them efficiently as a senior, along with good timing and leaping ability to get to the ball at its high point...Displays proper hand usage, anticipation, timing and vision to make good adjustments on the move when blitzing.
http://www.nfl.com/combine/profiles/beau-bell?id=190
Curtis Lofton (LB)
Analysis
Positives: His frame is stocky, but not overly thick, with solid overall muscle development, tapered hamstrings and a thick chest, broad shoulders and defined calves...Instinctive player with above-average quickness and playing speed to close on the ball with good urgency...Physical tackler with a nose for the ball...Like DeMeco Ryans, his instincts, downhill closing speed and ability to sift for the ball through trash makes him a better prospect in the middle than the strong side...Moves well laterally, but is best when making tackles inside vs. wide plays...Has a solid work ethic and strong leadership ability...Smooth and flexible when giving chase and shows the feet to get good depth in his pass drops...Able to slip and avoid blocks on the move, showing natural pop and strength to bring down ballcarriers on initial contact...Changes direction well and has the acceleration to close...Plays with good emotion and will give chase until the whistle...Will run a long way to deliver a hit and is a violent collision-type tackler who sells out to make plays...Well-respected by the staff and has a solid work ethic, as he will do the little extras to improve...Rarely caught out of position and reacts decisively to the run or pass...Able to anticipate and track the ball in flight...When he sees blocking schemes develop, he moves quickly to avoid...Keeps his pad level down to get inside the offensive lineman and slip blocks...Effective reading the inside run and stepping up to take on the lead blocker in attempts to stack (will struggle vs. double teams)...Can stuff a fullback and clog the rush lane when he squares his shoulder and lowers his pads to stick his hat in the opponent's chest...Has the upper-body strength and hand punch to reroute tight ends and slot receivers...Adequate when playing over the tight end, playing off blocks and taking good angles when chasing down outside runners...Slippery getting around trash and shows enough range to the sideline to push the run back inside, sifting and scraping, showing the short-area burst to close on the ball...Strong tackler who explodes behind his hits when striking people on contact...Can lock on and stay on the hip of short-area receivers, thanks to loose hips and quick feet to shadow...Picks up secondary receivers well in the zone and gets a quick break on the ball, showing good hands and vision to track the ball in flight and get to the pass at its high point...Not much of a pass rusher, but on the bull rush, he can bring the heat and chase down ballcarriers from behind.
http://www.nfl.com/combine/profiles/curtis-lofton?id=774
So I am curious as to why many are so amped on Lofton and not over a guy like Bell? They are both better suited to play MLB in a 4-3, they are both phone both players, and the both hit hard, though word is Bell hit harder. Bell is bigger and stronger than Lofton (not much stronger 2 more reps at 225). Bell did not apparently work out at the combine other than the bench.
So what makes Lofton a better prospect? Enough to make some here want him at 10 Bigger school = more proven?
Analysis
Positives: Has a thick frame with good bone structure, thick chest, broad shoulders, large hands and good muscle definition in his thighs and calves...Just adequate in the classroom and does not relish practicing, but is a solid playmaker who plays at a low pad level and is quick to close when he locates the ball...Shows strength at the point of attack, taking on the lineman or fullback with aggression, using his hands well to shed...Naturally fast and strong, running with a normal stride and quickly accelerates, showing the top-end speed to make plays in pursuit...Has the functional lateral movement to fly to the action along the sideline...Plays with awareness, reading and reacting quickly to plays in front of him...Instinctive athlete who has the knowledge needed to call defensive signals...Finds a way to get to the ball, staying on his feet and knowing how to avoid blocks while maintaining balance on the move...Sees counter plays quickly and plays with a good motor, as he is relentless in his pursuit...Accelerates quickly in space and shows good desire to get to the ball...Will step up and take on blocks, flashing a quick shed, as he uses his strong hands to shock and jolt a lethargic defender...Slips blocks and scrapes through seams to deliver a solid hit, as he is quick to adjust when on the move...Uses his hands to work through traffic and to ward off blocks, demonstrating the power to take on blockers, adjust and react to counter moves...Is quick to close on outside runs, playing with leverage and range to reach the perimeter while avoiding blocks to make the tackle...Likes to run under blocks, but he can quickly accelerate in space and has the speed to reach the outside ballcarrier and force the run back inside...Has the ability to work through traffic and finish off a tackle...Comes off the edge with explosion as a pass rusher and can blast his way up the middle to track down the ball...Can play any linebacker position, but his hand usage, run pursuit and zone drops are better suited for the middle. He doesn't redirect quickly, but has a burst and shows desire to get to the ball...Tackles with a short punch, letting the ballcarrier know he is there, as he uses his upper-body strength to fill, stack and tackle inside the box and at the point of attack...Shows good acceleration to the ball in zone coverage, as he can drop into the secondary with his head on a swivel and has the acceleration to get to the receivers in the deep zone...Also shows good awareness in man coverage, mirroring the receiver in the short area before switching off on his assignment... Allows little cushion on running backs coming out of the backfield in passing situations, staying low in his pads to wrap and secure...Does not have natural hands, but they are big and thick, using them efficiently as a senior, along with good timing and leaping ability to get to the ball at its high point...Displays proper hand usage, anticipation, timing and vision to make good adjustments on the move when blitzing.
http://www.nfl.com/combine/profiles/beau-bell?id=190
Curtis Lofton (LB)
Analysis
Positives: His frame is stocky, but not overly thick, with solid overall muscle development, tapered hamstrings and a thick chest, broad shoulders and defined calves...Instinctive player with above-average quickness and playing speed to close on the ball with good urgency...Physical tackler with a nose for the ball...Like DeMeco Ryans, his instincts, downhill closing speed and ability to sift for the ball through trash makes him a better prospect in the middle than the strong side...Moves well laterally, but is best when making tackles inside vs. wide plays...Has a solid work ethic and strong leadership ability...Smooth and flexible when giving chase and shows the feet to get good depth in his pass drops...Able to slip and avoid blocks on the move, showing natural pop and strength to bring down ballcarriers on initial contact...Changes direction well and has the acceleration to close...Plays with good emotion and will give chase until the whistle...Will run a long way to deliver a hit and is a violent collision-type tackler who sells out to make plays...Well-respected by the staff and has a solid work ethic, as he will do the little extras to improve...Rarely caught out of position and reacts decisively to the run or pass...Able to anticipate and track the ball in flight...When he sees blocking schemes develop, he moves quickly to avoid...Keeps his pad level down to get inside the offensive lineman and slip blocks...Effective reading the inside run and stepping up to take on the lead blocker in attempts to stack (will struggle vs. double teams)...Can stuff a fullback and clog the rush lane when he squares his shoulder and lowers his pads to stick his hat in the opponent's chest...Has the upper-body strength and hand punch to reroute tight ends and slot receivers...Adequate when playing over the tight end, playing off blocks and taking good angles when chasing down outside runners...Slippery getting around trash and shows enough range to the sideline to push the run back inside, sifting and scraping, showing the short-area burst to close on the ball...Strong tackler who explodes behind his hits when striking people on contact...Can lock on and stay on the hip of short-area receivers, thanks to loose hips and quick feet to shadow...Picks up secondary receivers well in the zone and gets a quick break on the ball, showing good hands and vision to track the ball in flight and get to the pass at its high point...Not much of a pass rusher, but on the bull rush, he can bring the heat and chase down ballcarriers from behind.
http://www.nfl.com/combine/profiles/curtis-lofton?id=774
So I am curious as to why many are so amped on Lofton and not over a guy like Bell? They are both better suited to play MLB in a 4-3, they are both phone both players, and the both hit hard, though word is Bell hit harder. Bell is bigger and stronger than Lofton (not much stronger 2 more reps at 225). Bell did not apparently work out at the combine other than the bench.
So what makes Lofton a better prospect? Enough to make some here want him at 10 Bigger school = more proven?
