GloatMock 1.0

Cliff Avril is from Purdue. Played linebacker then they converted him to DE.
6'3 252lbs, and runs the 40 in 4.51.

Positives: Undersized to be any every down defensive end, but he has good upper-body muscle tone, ideal arm length, big hands, tapered thighs and calves, along with the feet, balance and change-of-direction agility to bring better value as a strong-side linebacker...Has exceptional closing speed vs. plays in front of him and the lateral agility to string plays wide...Can impact the pocket coming off the edge, using his sudden burst to slip past a lethargic blocker, but needs to add some more pass rush moves and keep his hands more active when attempting counter moves...Has the agility to bend down the line and cover ground well, showing good urgency closing on the pocket... Gives total effort in his chase and plays with his head up, showing good instincts to find the ball, especially vs. naked bootlegs...Better performer on the move than working through trash and has the balance to quickly redirect and close...Will generate better production standing up, but even with his hand down, if he gets a dip inside, a slower blocker can't recover...Smart player who will have no problem digesting a playbook at multiple positions (down lineman/strong-side linebacker/rush end)...Plays with good aggression and determination, despite being outweighed vs. every opponent...Plays until the whistle and builds acceleration nicely when attacking downfield...Puts in extra hours studying tape of the upcoming opponent and, while a leader by example, he will not hesitate to get vocal in the huddle...His best asset is his initial step off the snap, as he is quick to elude, dip his pads and redirect to plays underneath...Has a good feel for reading blocking keys and is usually in proper position, rarely biting on play-action...Attacks the point with good intent, even when he knows he will be washed out by the bigger blockers...Has good balance, staying on his feet and bounces up quickly when cut...Is quick to react to the play when he locates the ball and has the short-area quickness to spill inside, getting his hands up to deflect passes at the line of scrimmage...Takes good angles coming off the edge and shows good vision to locate the quarterback and flush him out of the pocket...Needs to use his hands more to ward off blocks, but is a slippery type with good avoidance skills on the move...Will sometimes run around blocks, but can stay square in one-on-one encounters...Uses his hands well to keep separation when he keeps them inside his frame...Scrapes to the ball well and has good press ability when playing over the tight end...Prefers using his swim move at the "five" technique to combat turn out blocks, but just needs to do it with better consistency...Carries his pads well, evident in Senior Bowl practices when he constantly chased down ballcarriers on the outside or challenged the QBs on naked bootlegs...Capable of getting very good production making plays from the backside, as he seems to work his hands better there in attempts to shed blockers and fall underneath...Good go-with-the-flow outside run container who can run, slide and move in space to make plays...Will flow too fast and overrun a few plays, but is quick to redirect...Keeps his feet and will sell out to get wide on a play (runs long distances to deliver the hit)...Not a hammer-type of hitter, but can run the field, hit and sell out, showing the body control to break down and wrap up (gets lazy at times and tries to take a side, but showed improvement in rectifying this as a senior)...You won't see too many misses or leaks when tackling, if he keeps his hands inside and pad level true...Shows good anticipation coming off the snap and, when he finds a clean rush lane, he will sell out, go airborne and do whatever is needed to pressure the pocket...Has a natural chop-and-swipe technique off the line, but uses his hands better vs. the run than as a pass rusher...Knows how to change and vary his speed when he breaks free from blockers...Covers ground and closes well from the backside better than he does in-line...Has a decent feel for the blitz and with his speed, he can bring the heat, thanks to good change-of-direction skills that make it difficult for slower linemen to block him.

Negatives: Undersized defensive end who converted from outside linebacker early in his junior year and lacks the bulk to face up to the bigger offensive tackles...Can beat a slower offensive lineman off the snap with his hand on the ground, showing a sudden burst, but if the lineman gets his hands locked on, he struggles to shed...Lacks the anchor to maintain ground vs. double teams and can be pushed back when trying to work inside (does have a nifty spin move in-line to beat a lethargic blocker)...Much more effective playing in space and on the move, as he gets absorbed too much by double teams working on the line of scrimmage...Can get the ballcarrier down along the outside, but needs to wrap and get in front of the opponent better, as he tends to grab or take a side (stronger runners like Ohio State's Chris Wells and Wisconsin's P.J. Hill had good success breaking his arm tackles)...Has the speed to impact the pocket coming off the edge, but his pass-rush moves are still raw and he needs to add to those array of moves (has a great spin move, but must be more forceful with his hands on club moves and show better shoulder positioning on rip moves)...Telegraphs his moves coming off the snap and when his hands get outside his frame, blockers can easily neutralize his counter moves...Not strong enough to plug the inside rush lanes as a defensive lineman...Will need time to re-adjust to playing linebacker (must refine his pass drop depth and open his hips quicker to come out of his breaks.

Compares To: SHAUN PHILLIPS-San Diego...Earlier in his career, Phillips struggled trying to play with his hand down at the NFL level. When the Chargers moved him to linebacker, they found a dominant force that could also attack the backfield and pressure the pocket. If some NFL team takes that lesson learned by the Chargers and shows patience letting Avril develop at strong-side linebacker, they could be rewarded with a Phillips clone. There is no question that he has the speed to cover receivers in the short-to-intermediate area and if he's not getting pounded by offensive linemen that outweigh him by 50-80 pounds on every play, his level of play could rival that of Phillips and another former Boilermaker, Dallas' Anthony Spencer.

 

Hardy just seems like the guy MR would take at WR. See: Chris Henry. Or Michael Griffin for CB when better CBs were on the board.

 

If I was looking for a CB, yes I would've taken the best CB on the board. Does that make sense?

 

Again - it only makes sense to take a good CB to play CB over a good (not top) safety to play CB.
It was a rhetorical question, because all it does is make sense. lol

Leon Hall, Revis, Ross, or Houston at corner before Griffin. But understand, I'd take Griffin before any of those guys to play safety. That's simple logic.
*Mike Griffin was projected to go in round 2.

 

Griff was considered the 3rd best safety. And at best the 2nd behind Laron Landry. Oh, did you forget about him? If he wore that rust orange or whatever color it is, you'd be rallying to get him to the HOF during the draft.

And yes, Griff has shown serious potential...AT SAFETY. At CB he was pretty bad. Not saying he couldnt grasp it eventually, but he played safety for a reason in college and it's the same reason he'll play it in the pros. Doesnt have the hips nor footwork for corner.