Originally Posted by
Rastak
3. DENZEL PERRYMAN | Miami (Fla.) 5106|236 lbs|4SR Coral Gables, Fla. (Coral Gables HS) 12/5/1992 (age 22) #52
BACKGROUND: A three-star linebacker recruit out of high school, Perryman spurned offers from LSU, Florida and Florida State to stay home and commit to Miami (Fla.). He saw immediate action for the Hurricanes and finished second on the team with 69 tackles. Perryman missed four games due to injury in 2012 as a sophomore (six starts), but still finished second on the team in tackles (64), earning All-ACC Honorable Mention honors. He started every game in 2013 as a junior outside linebacker and led the team with 108 tackles, adding 5.0 tackles for loss and 1.5 sacks, earning All-ACC First Team honors. Perryman again started all 13 games in 2014 as a senior middle linebacker and led the team with a personal-best 110 tackles, 9.5 tackles for loss and three forced fumbles, earning First Team AllACC and Second Team All-American honors. He accepted an invitation to the 2015 Senior Bowl.
STRENGTHS: Sturdy and thickly-put-together with a compact, filled out frame…plays low, balanced and flexible with natural pad level…physical striker and delivers pop at contact, striking through his target with violence…strong hands and rarely misses tackles, forcing fumbles (seven career)…fills run lanes with authority and attacks blocks with excellent take-on strength – plays like a bull and doesn’t have a passive bone in his body…accurate reads and instinctive backfield vision, trusting what he sees and tracking well…patient mirror skills at the line of scrimmage with controlled movements and body control, rarely fooled by ball fakes…decisive and aggressive pursuit angles, shooting gaps and closing fast as a blitzer…motivated with natural leadership traits and an intense temperament…motor is always revving, never taking plays off – also played on special teams coverages…reliable and durable for his play style, not missing a game the last two seasons…led the team in tackles with back-to-back 100+ tackle seasons as a junior and season, leaving Miami (Fla.) ranked ninth all-time in career tackles (351) with 37 career starts, including experience inside and outside.
WEAKNESSES: Shorter than ideal, which shows up in coverage…doesn’t display ideal secondary quickness after shedding blocks, lacking sudden movements…easily engulfed by bigger blockers, getting hung up when he doesn’t properly use his length…tight movements in coverage, lacking an instinctive feel in the middle of the field…inconsistent cover awareness and uncomfortable the farther he gets from the line of scrimmage – untested dropping in man coverage…overanxious at times downhill and will lick his chops before finishing…always trying to rip the ball out, but will sacrifice the tackle at times because of it…limited pass rush repertoire as a blitzer…minor durability issue – missed three games due to a right ankle injury in 2012 and missed most of the Senior Bowl due to an abdominal sprain.
SUMMARY: A hammer looking for a nail, Perryman is short, but not small with a stocky frame and indestructible body type, going full-speed at practice and staying fresh for games – holds the school record at linebacker with a 605-pound squat. He is quick to key/read/react with above average vision to be a magnet to the ball and has no problem doing the dirty work, taking on blocks and making plays that won’t show up in the statsheet. Perryman sets the tempo on defense and special teams and tackles through his target with force, leading with his facemask and bringing his hips. His inconsistent cover skills in both man and zone could keep him from being an every-down linebacker in the NFL, but he’s a hunter on the field with high character behind the scenes – top-50 prospect.
HOFer
Posting Permissions
Reply With Quote