10-22-2014, 03:54 AM
What's up guys. I just spent another two hours breaking down a prospect and would love to share what meager information I've learned. This time It's Denzel Perryman,
Denzel Perryman is a 6'0, 242 pound Inside Linebacker for the Miami Hurricanes. The 'Canes play a 34 defense, but generally speaking ILBs can do well in either scheme if they have the athleticism (also this could mean good things for his transition to a 43, but I'll explain that later). For this study, I looked at three of his games against Louisville, Duke, and Nebraska (courtesy of the excellent folks at www.draftbreakdown.com ). The competition was good, not great, with the exception of Nebraska - their O-Line was much stronger than the defensive linemen of Miami, and they also had a studly RB by the name of Ameer Abdullah. Anyway, on to business.
The stats that I recorded in my watch of these games: 28 total tackles, 5 missed tackles, 3 QB pressures, 2 sacks, 2 passes broken up, 1 interception, two forced fumbles, and five catches allowed. We don't scout off of stats, but these were good nonetheless - especially considering the fact that nearly every single one of his tackles was within five yards of the line of scrimmage.
Strengths:
The first thing I noticed about Perryman was his proficiency at reading run fits. (Run fits, put simply, are reading where the holes are going to be and getting there - like being an RB on defense.) Anyway, Perryman routinely figured out where the run was headed and was able to make himself skinny to avoid blockers and get to the ball carriers, which is preferable to going through blockers every single time. However, the power element to his game is excellent as well - when he is delivering a blow, whether it be to an offensive lineman or a ballcarrier, the recipient goes backwards almost every single time. Perryman also has a great athleticism package - borderline elite acceleration combined with good speed. His acceleration (much more important than speed for ILBs) allows him to get to the hole quickly once he makes his read, and his speed allows him to make tackles from sideline to sideline, as he did often during this game. He also has playmaker elements to his game, causing three turnovers in this three-game span. The coaches were also very confident of his athleticism, giving him the task of spying a very fast Duke QB.
Now, I'm going to take a moment and talk about the emotion this kid has when he plays. Intangibles aren't important for most positions, but the middle linebacker is the captain of the defense and needs to have a certain umph to his game... And this guy has it. He is extremely aggressive, always jumping on the pile and pursuing every play to the whistle with exceptional effort, and it gets results. There was one play where he was being blocked and tackled a runner with one arm, and the defense went wild. Another time, he was spying the QB, went all the way to the site of the completion, and delivered a blow that forced a fumble. Perryman has all the intangibles you could want at the linebacker position.
Weaknesses:
As strong and fast as he is, and despite giving an excellent pop to blockers when he engages, if Perryman doesn't initiate the block, he struggles getting free. I think this is a result of short arms (he's only 6'0) and bad technique. It's the biggest weakness in his game, and was particularly showcased against Nebraska, where his defensive line didn't stop any of the blockers and he got manhandled at times. Also, as is the case with every aggressive, emotional LB, he can sometimes get suckered into biting on play-action or against the option - although if he plays with a clear head he can usually make the right read. Finally, his coverage game leaves a little bit to be desired. He usually allows the receiver to make the catch and then tackles, rather than going for the PBU - but I think this is more the result of the soft zone coverage that Miami has their ILBs run.
Grade:
Instincts: 8.5 (Excellent at reading run fits, his only issue here is over-aggressiveness)
Athleticism: 8.5 (Borderline elite acceleration coupled with good sideline to sideline speed)
Block Shedding: 6 (The weakness in his game, due IMO to short arms and technique)
Intangibles: 9.5 (He's everything you want as far as the leader of your defense goes)
Coverage: 7 (Won't make many wow plays but he's adequate)
Strength: 8.5 (Very good pop when he hits a blocker or a ball carrier)
Total: 48.5/60 gives him a final grade of 81 out of 100.
Before I conclude this piece, let me say a few things. First, on his transition from a 34 to a 43 defense (as would be the case if we drafted him). 43 sets have (obviously) one extra defensive lineman, and particularly in our scheme, with Marks, Miller, and Bryant swallowing blockers, I think his main deficiency of block shedding could be covered up, allowing him to use his excellent instincts and athleticism to stop the ball carrier. I think most evaluators will agree and project him as a 43 MLB in the NFL. Second, I think this is one of those players who gets better in the NFL. Why? Due to the likelihood of a scheme change, as well as NFL level coaching. His two biggest problems, coverage and block shedding, are for the most part correctable through coaching, while his strengths - speed, strength, instincts, effort - are things you can't teach.
To conclude, Denzel Perryman is an aggressive, passionate 3-down 34 ILB who projects as a 43 MLB in the NFL, who has all the unteachable traits to be successful, with lots of potential. He reminds of CJ Moseley, with less coverage ability but more capability against the run. His positional value will most likely drop him in the draft, but if the Jaguars spent a top 10 pick on the guy I would call it a job well done.
Thanks for reading, everyone. Leave your comments below, or at the Hub of my scouting work where I have links to all the write-ups that I do (the link to which can be found in my signature) .
Denzel Perryman is a 6'0, 242 pound Inside Linebacker for the Miami Hurricanes. The 'Canes play a 34 defense, but generally speaking ILBs can do well in either scheme if they have the athleticism (also this could mean good things for his transition to a 43, but I'll explain that later). For this study, I looked at three of his games against Louisville, Duke, and Nebraska (courtesy of the excellent folks at www.draftbreakdown.com ). The competition was good, not great, with the exception of Nebraska - their O-Line was much stronger than the defensive linemen of Miami, and they also had a studly RB by the name of Ameer Abdullah. Anyway, on to business.
The stats that I recorded in my watch of these games: 28 total tackles, 5 missed tackles, 3 QB pressures, 2 sacks, 2 passes broken up, 1 interception, two forced fumbles, and five catches allowed. We don't scout off of stats, but these were good nonetheless - especially considering the fact that nearly every single one of his tackles was within five yards of the line of scrimmage.
Strengths:
The first thing I noticed about Perryman was his proficiency at reading run fits. (Run fits, put simply, are reading where the holes are going to be and getting there - like being an RB on defense.) Anyway, Perryman routinely figured out where the run was headed and was able to make himself skinny to avoid blockers and get to the ball carriers, which is preferable to going through blockers every single time. However, the power element to his game is excellent as well - when he is delivering a blow, whether it be to an offensive lineman or a ballcarrier, the recipient goes backwards almost every single time. Perryman also has a great athleticism package - borderline elite acceleration combined with good speed. His acceleration (much more important than speed for ILBs) allows him to get to the hole quickly once he makes his read, and his speed allows him to make tackles from sideline to sideline, as he did often during this game. He also has playmaker elements to his game, causing three turnovers in this three-game span. The coaches were also very confident of his athleticism, giving him the task of spying a very fast Duke QB.
Now, I'm going to take a moment and talk about the emotion this kid has when he plays. Intangibles aren't important for most positions, but the middle linebacker is the captain of the defense and needs to have a certain umph to his game... And this guy has it. He is extremely aggressive, always jumping on the pile and pursuing every play to the whistle with exceptional effort, and it gets results. There was one play where he was being blocked and tackled a runner with one arm, and the defense went wild. Another time, he was spying the QB, went all the way to the site of the completion, and delivered a blow that forced a fumble. Perryman has all the intangibles you could want at the linebacker position.
Weaknesses:
As strong and fast as he is, and despite giving an excellent pop to blockers when he engages, if Perryman doesn't initiate the block, he struggles getting free. I think this is a result of short arms (he's only 6'0) and bad technique. It's the biggest weakness in his game, and was particularly showcased against Nebraska, where his defensive line didn't stop any of the blockers and he got manhandled at times. Also, as is the case with every aggressive, emotional LB, he can sometimes get suckered into biting on play-action or against the option - although if he plays with a clear head he can usually make the right read. Finally, his coverage game leaves a little bit to be desired. He usually allows the receiver to make the catch and then tackles, rather than going for the PBU - but I think this is more the result of the soft zone coverage that Miami has their ILBs run.
Grade:
Instincts: 8.5 (Excellent at reading run fits, his only issue here is over-aggressiveness)
Athleticism: 8.5 (Borderline elite acceleration coupled with good sideline to sideline speed)
Block Shedding: 6 (The weakness in his game, due IMO to short arms and technique)
Intangibles: 9.5 (He's everything you want as far as the leader of your defense goes)
Coverage: 7 (Won't make many wow plays but he's adequate)
Strength: 8.5 (Very good pop when he hits a blocker or a ball carrier)
Total: 48.5/60 gives him a final grade of 81 out of 100.
Before I conclude this piece, let me say a few things. First, on his transition from a 34 to a 43 defense (as would be the case if we drafted him). 43 sets have (obviously) one extra defensive lineman, and particularly in our scheme, with Marks, Miller, and Bryant swallowing blockers, I think his main deficiency of block shedding could be covered up, allowing him to use his excellent instincts and athleticism to stop the ball carrier. I think most evaluators will agree and project him as a 43 MLB in the NFL. Second, I think this is one of those players who gets better in the NFL. Why? Due to the likelihood of a scheme change, as well as NFL level coaching. His two biggest problems, coverage and block shedding, are for the most part correctable through coaching, while his strengths - speed, strength, instincts, effort - are things you can't teach.
To conclude, Denzel Perryman is an aggressive, passionate 3-down 34 ILB who projects as a 43 MLB in the NFL, who has all the unteachable traits to be successful, with lots of potential. He reminds of CJ Moseley, with less coverage ability but more capability against the run. His positional value will most likely drop him in the draft, but if the Jaguars spent a top 10 pick on the guy I would call it a job well done.
Thanks for reading, everyone. Leave your comments below, or at the Hub of my scouting work where I have links to all the write-ups that I do (the link to which can be found in my signature) .