My fantasy scenario would be signing Rolando McClain and drafting Denzel Perryman. This dude knows how to tackle. I think he's quicker and more instinctive than some scouts will give him credit for.

Badass


Scouting Report from Walter Football

Strengths:
Instinctive
Extremely physical
Fabulous run-defender
Takes on blocks extremely well
Adept at shedding blocks
Excellent tackler
Quick, covers a lot of ground
Enough quickness to defend perimeter runs
Play recognition
Intelligence
Hard hitter
Takes on blocks
Can shed blocks
Gets depth in his pass drops
Aggressive attitude
Blitzing ability
Explosive
Good open-field tackling
Made some plays in pass coverage
Scheme versatility

Weaknesses:
Lacks elite speed
Lacks length
Short
Could be limited in pass coverage

Summary: Before the NFL became a league that was passing based, middle linebackers like Perryman were a prime commodity to build a defense around. With the league trending toward the aerial offense, middle linebackers have been downgraded in their emphasis in the NFL draft. Still, quality middle linebackers are a critical ingredient to any good defense and there are plenty of teams interested in drafting Perryman early in the 2015 NFL Draft.

Perryman steadily improved over the past three season as a tough defender for the Hurricanes. He notched 64 tackles with six tackles for a loss, two passes broken up, one forced fumble and an interception returned 41 yards for a touchdown in 2012. Perryman took his game to another level as a junior with 108 tackles with five tackles for a loss, one sack and three passes broken up in 2013. He considered entering the 2014 NFL Draft, but decided to return to school.

2014 was Perryman's best season with 110 tackles with 9.5 for a loss, three forced fumbles, two sacks, five passes broken up and one interception. He had a big impact in a number of games and showed an improved ability to play the pass.

For the NFL, Perryman looks like a three-down starting middle linebacker. He is a tough run-defender who is a force in the tackle box. Perryman takes on blocks well and is quick to read his keys. He has good instincts and uses them to limit runs. Perry is also a good tackler and a very physical defender. He will tackle backs with violence and plays with a mean streak. While Perryman doesn't have elite speed, he is quick enough to get to runs on the perimeter.

Perryman might not have the skill set to be a pass-defender who can cover in man like some elite middle linebackers in the NFL, Luke Kuechly for example. Still, Perryman does well to read the eyes of quarterbacks and disrupt passing lanes. He moves well in zone and picks up targets in his area. Perryman doesn't have great length, fluidity or is extreme speed. Thus, he is somewhat limited in pass coverage. However, Perryman could improve with NFL coaching.

Perryman also is a leader. He commands the defense and provides a real presence with his physicality. Sources say that Perryman could go late in the first round of the 2015 NFL Draft and shouldn't get out of the second round.