ekeicher16
09-14-2008, 03:18 PM
Woodley busts out
Lost in the Steelers' blowout victory over the Texans was the breakout performance of LaMarr Woodley.
The second-year standout finished with three tackles, a sack, and an interception in the opener; and flashed outstanding versatility as an edge player in the Steelers' 3-4.
"He was a beast," said an AFC scout who witnessed the performance. "He was all over the place, and they appeared to have no answer for him."
Woodley, the team's second round pick in 2007, was making his first start at outside linebacker, and he picked up where he left off last season. As a rotational player, Woodley played about 15 snaps per game last season, but finished the year with four sacks. His potential was so enticing the team elected to let last season's starter (Clark Haggans) leave during free agency.
"You could see his potential in the limited reps that he received last season," said an AFC scout. "Although he played far fewer snaps than Haggans, he still matched his production while adapting to a new position. So you knew that he had the potential to be a special player if he had the chance."
Although Woodley starred as a defensive end at Michigan, scouts were concerned about his size as a pro defensive end, and downgraded him in spite of his stellar collegiate career. Thus, the Steelers were able to nab a first round talent in the middle of the second round and bring an added dimension to their pass rush.
As one of the biggest linebackers in Steelers' history, Woodley poses a problem for teams attempting to block him with a running back in pass protection. He overpowers them with his strength, and is always at an advantage when he comes off the open side. He also flashes enough athleticism to occasionally drop into coverage, so he is difficult to account for when facing the Steelers' complex zone blitz scheme.
"He is going to be a problem for offenses," said an AFC scout. "He is simply too big for running backs to handle in pass pro, and his ability to turn speed into power makes him a difficult for offensive linemen. When he gets it all figured out, he is going to be something special."
Lost in the Steelers' blowout victory over the Texans was the breakout performance of LaMarr Woodley.
The second-year standout finished with three tackles, a sack, and an interception in the opener; and flashed outstanding versatility as an edge player in the Steelers' 3-4.
"He was a beast," said an AFC scout who witnessed the performance. "He was all over the place, and they appeared to have no answer for him."
Woodley, the team's second round pick in 2007, was making his first start at outside linebacker, and he picked up where he left off last season. As a rotational player, Woodley played about 15 snaps per game last season, but finished the year with four sacks. His potential was so enticing the team elected to let last season's starter (Clark Haggans) leave during free agency.
"You could see his potential in the limited reps that he received last season," said an AFC scout. "Although he played far fewer snaps than Haggans, he still matched his production while adapting to a new position. So you knew that he had the potential to be a special player if he had the chance."
Although Woodley starred as a defensive end at Michigan, scouts were concerned about his size as a pro defensive end, and downgraded him in spite of his stellar collegiate career. Thus, the Steelers were able to nab a first round talent in the middle of the second round and bring an added dimension to their pass rush.
As one of the biggest linebackers in Steelers' history, Woodley poses a problem for teams attempting to block him with a running back in pass protection. He overpowers them with his strength, and is always at an advantage when he comes off the open side. He also flashes enough athleticism to occasionally drop into coverage, so he is difficult to account for when facing the Steelers' complex zone blitz scheme.
"He is going to be a problem for offenses," said an AFC scout. "He is simply too big for running backs to handle in pass pro, and his ability to turn speed into power makes him a difficult for offensive linemen. When he gets it all figured out, he is going to be something special."