Pete Werner: How do you like the pick? (1 Viewer)

How do you like the Pete Werner Pick

  • Love it

    Votes: 114 32.1%
  • Hate it

    Votes: 32 9.0%
  • Meh

    Votes: 76 21.4%
  • Too soon to tell

    Votes: 120 33.8%
  • Like it

    Votes: 9 2.5%
  • Don’t like it

    Votes: 4 1.1%

  • Total voters
    355
And what are you doing?! Armchair GM like everyone with an opinion, or you just don’t have an opinion?!
Yep. There’s a whole lot of stones thrown around here, from glass houses. We are all just fans, and we don’t have to agree on every player. Some feel we must all think the same tho.
 
Has more the size of a SS than a LB in the NFL but we will see what the weight room and trainers can do with him. One good thing is we have a LB with coverage ability here, just hope his body and frame hold up
 
Has more the size of a SS than a LB in the NFL but we will see what the weight room and trainers can do with him. One good thing is we have a LB with coverage ability here, just hope his body and frame hold up

233lb is big enough to play in today's NFL. Those 250lb thumpers are getting destroyed by guys like AK and CMac in the passing game.

Devin White - 237
Fred Warner - 236
Lavonte David - 233
Kwon Alexander - 227
Roquan Smith - 230
Darius Leonard - 230

If he has the heart and work ethic he'll be fine in the 230s.
 
Here's a little information on Werner. It took me a little while to gather it up.

Pete Werner- LB, 6'3"/238#, 4.58-40, Bench Press- 20 Reps., Vertical- 39.5", Broad Jump- 10'2", Short Shuttle- 4.38, 3-Cone- 6.95, Wingspan- 791/4".

Werner has a versatile linebacker background, he can play all three linebacker positions, but is best suited as a 4-3 SLB with coverage abilities. He's a physical striker with trigger twitch, early arm extension to punch and stay clean inside. Separates and searches for the runner. Plays quickly off the edge block to make sudden tackles. Fluid change of direction in space and has good agility and hips for smooth lateral transitions. He can match up in coverage. Attacks blitz blockers with force and some success. Has the versatility to be moved around the field. Werner has the talent and demeanor to compete for a roster spot.

Below average base to withstand angle blockers. He will have trouble constricting run lanes with force. While his listed size certainly looks NFL ready, his long thin lower half is not is not conducive to leveraging run lanes and overcoming the big bodies that will be coming his way at the next level. He will need to add strength to his frame, mainly his lower body. Right now he will need to find consistent angles and position as a tackler due to his below average strength to finish his tackles. I'm sure a few months with the Saints trainer will add some muscle to his whole frame. We'll probably see a difference once training camp and pre-season start.
 
Watching his highlights clips, my untrained eye sees a guy that’s around the ball, wraps up and makes tackles. Doesn’t lay big hits and not a lot of tfls. Dependable yet not dominating. Which may not be a bad thing at all.
 
Has more the size of a SS than a LB in the NFL but we will see what the weight room and trainers can do with him. One good thing is we have a LB with coverage ability here, just hope his body and frame hold up

The dude is 6' 3" and 238 lbs. I don't know of any SS that is near that size.
 
IMHO, Werner was the “safest” pick the Saints made, and the closest thing to a sure-fire starter 3 years from now.

CSP stated that he will work as a WILL initially, but he also has the ability to do some MIKE.

I think Werner has a chance to be the best LB drafted by the Saints in a long long time.
 
The dude is 6' 3" and 238 lbs. I don't know of any SS that is near that size.
Mike Detillier’s draft guide has Werner incorrectly listed as 6’ 1” 233 lb (which would put him into big SS size category). Everywhere else has him listed as 6’ 3” 238-242 lb (OLB size).

My favorite mistake in Mike D’s draft guide this year is listing La. Tech’s DT Milton Williams 6’ 3” 185 lb. Can you imagine a 6’ 3“ 185 lb DT playing in D1?
 
Take one look at Werner and you can see that he is taller than 6'1" and definitely more like 6'3". He is long and lean. A year of NFL-caliber weight training will help him.
 
So, I admit to feeling somewhat unsure about this pick. In terms of the broad outlines - we needed a LB and Werner is, in fact, a LB and seems to have all measurables - these are ok, no issues there. But I had no idea if he's actually any good.

So I looked at 3 field copies of his games (PSU, NW, Indiana) and, while I'm by no means a scout and even less so with anything other than OL and know very little about what Ohio asks their LB's to do, here are my impressions:

What I liked - He moves really well. A nice, smooth athlete, good change of direction, good stop/ start. I like his coverage skills, I would say probably that's what he does best. He was placed over the slot WR, and even out wide (with a 10 - 15 yard cushion) - though that doesn't seem like a great idea in general. He can cover. He also seems quite flexible in terms of position - will, mike, sam, seemed to move interchangeably between all three through out the games. Forced a couple of fumbles and when blitzing against RB blockers was often able to overpower them and create significant disruption/pressure/ sacks. Generally seemed to diagnose plays pretty quickly and pretty accurately. Not shy to stick his nose in, and generally around the ball. In some cases was able to deal with OL moving to second level quite well, i.e. take them on directly and create a stalemate, contracting the hole. From what I saw, he was OSU's best linebacker.

What I didn't like - There were a couple of missed tackles in the open field against niftier players. When blitzing against OL blockers mostly got stonewalled - what works for RBs does not work on OL, gotta be shifty! I don't feel he deals terribly well with trash - doesn't seem to navigate through it consistently and effectively enough at times. Most definitely doesn't protect his legs very well when being cut and usually goes down - less common issue in the NFL. There were occassions, particularly on zone plays where he missed his fit/ over pursued and there were nice cutback gains. He's not a thumper or at least not consistently so.

Overall - All in all, I thought he looked good, but is not a hugely dynamic playmaker - solid, steady, effective. I really liked his coverage ability and most definitely prefer him as a Will at this point. He does remind me a little of Anzalone (to my inexpert eyes), though he looks quicker, if not faster as well. So to me, Werner looks like a slightly better version of Anzalone without the injury history.
 
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My favorite mistake in Mike D’s draft guide this year is listing La. Tech’s DT Milton Williams 6’ 3” 185 lb. Can you imagine a 6’ 3“ 185 lb DT playing in D1?
I think Bobby Boucher was only like 5’9, 180lbs when he showed up at halftime and the Mud Dogs won the Bourbon Bowl.
He was a LB and a part time FB!
 
Not trying to be Debbie Downer, but he looked god awful in the NC game. I know its Bama but seeing a player against Nfl level talent is what I'm most interested in.
 

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