HarveyWallbangers
04-30-2006, 07:26 PM
Scouts Take:
A.J. HAWK, LB, Ohio State
Marc Ross, Buffalo: "If the Packers get him at 5 they'll be lucky. Just a great player. Off the field, everything is great. He's just what you want in a football player. With the overall package, there are no holes. I'd take Hawk over (Mario) Williams as the best defensive player in the draft and not even think about it."
Tom Heckert, Philadelphia: "He might be the safest pick in the draft. He's the surest thing you're going to get. He's everything you want. He's going to be a super player. We can't find any holes. He's 6-1. Maybe that's it. So what? He's a three-down guy."
Jim Gruden, Tampa Bay: "Very instinctive. Fast. I don't think he's a killer as much as he is a very good technician. He's always around the ball. He just sees it and gets there and makes the play. Not flashy, but when he gets up he's always getting off the pile. Good kid."
Jerry Angelo, Chicago: "I've watched Hawk a long time. They were talking Hawk or (Chad) Greenway. I said it wasn't even close. I've always compared Hawk to (Randy) Gradishar. It's a long time ago. You're always going to like the young guy better. I'll go with Hawk. He's great."
AFC scout: "He doesn't say much but great in the locker room. He makes the athletic plays, plus he can play at the point. He can meet people, shed them and make the play. I scouted Gradishar. I don't think (Ray) Nitschke was near the athlete Hawk is. Not much different from (Brian) Urlacher. Hawk plays the point better than Urlacher. I see Green Bay in dime keeping both him and (Nick) Barnett in. Blitz one."
Phil Savage, Cleveland: "I think he's the safest guy of all of them. I think he can be as physical a tackler as Ray Lewis. I don't know that he is taking on. Hey, who is?"
A.J. Smith, San Diego: "He's an awesome player. He roams everywhere. He just will be a terrific, terrific possibly Pro Bowl-type guy."
NFC scout: "He's not showy. He'll be quiet. But guys will gravitate to him once he starts making plays. He's the consummate football player. You can build your team around him."
Charles Fisher, Seattle: "I love the way he plays the game."
AFC scout: "You can't go wrong with him. Yes sir, no sir. His only problem is he's too intense. He's got to learn to mellow out a little. His eyes look like they're going to attack you. Of course, that's exactly what you want at linebacker."
Rich Snead, Tennessee: "Really solid player. Greenway probably makes more athletic plays than Hawk. If you were making a movie you'd cast him as a linebacker. You haven't seen him in a lot of man coverage. Watching him move around, I think he should be able to do that. He's the one guy I've seen in a long time that knocks people back when he tackles them."
AFC scout: "If he was there it would take me all of 1 second to turn the card in. He's so safe we didn't even interview him at the combine."
NFC scout: "In all likelihood, he's a safer pick than (Ernie) Sims. I think he's a little overrated. I think he's going to be a good player. He may even be a Pro Bowl player. But I just think down in, down out he tends to play in the secondary. He's not the biggest, stoutest guy. He's smart, tough, he's got range. I think he's a little like Rob Morris at Indianapolis. He's dependable and consistent. I just don't know if he's ever going to be a wow guy."
Bill Polian, Indianapolis: "Who is the better defensive player, Hawk or Sims? I'd make it on a very, very slim margin for Hawk only because he's bigger. But that's only for the draft. Hawk is a big, tough guy who runs and tackles and he's got quick twitch. He's a sure, solid tackler. He doesn't miss. He's got nose for the ball. I saw him live against Notre Dame in the Fiesta Bowl and came away incredibly impressed. (Andy) Katzenmoyer was a numbers guy. This guy is production."
AFC scout: "He's better than Gradishar. By far. Gradishar wasn't a real fast kid like Hawk. He's a little bit like Nitschke from Illinois. In a way he is (vicious). He just doesn't signify and testify it. Know what I mean? When Hawk tackles, he hurts your (expletive). Nice parents. Father never pushed him in athletics at all or bragged about him being a great athlete. He wanted him to be a great person as opposed to a good athlete."
AFC scout: "He beat their other linebackers, who are pretty darn good, to the ball even when he had to go across and over them. He goes and gets (Bobby) Carpenter when Carpenter was lolly-gagging it."
Jerry Reichow, Minnesota: "This guy is a football-playing fool, the cream of the crop. He's not as tall as Urlacher. We're talking two exceptional athletes."
Tony Softli, Carolina: "Bobby Carpenter is how they're supposed to look but when you turn on the film it's No. 47 (Hawk). You can't dispute his production and what he does. He kind of has his own style."
AFC scout: "If I didn't say (Reggie) Bush was the best player in the draft it might have been Hawk. This guy has more physical up side than (Jonathan) Vilma."
AFC scout: "One of our coaches wasn't that impressed. If you watch the guy, every play he's in the right place. He's around the ball, he's square, he can cover, he can rush."
Tom Modrak, Buffalo: "If he got to us I'd celebrate until we got to camp. He makes a difference in your defense even though sometimes other people don't regard linebackers that high. He plays so hard and he's so smart and he wants to be good. His impact won't be only on the field. I think he'll be a presence on your team."
A.J. HAWK, LB, Ohio State
Marc Ross, Buffalo: "If the Packers get him at 5 they'll be lucky. Just a great player. Off the field, everything is great. He's just what you want in a football player. With the overall package, there are no holes. I'd take Hawk over (Mario) Williams as the best defensive player in the draft and not even think about it."
Tom Heckert, Philadelphia: "He might be the safest pick in the draft. He's the surest thing you're going to get. He's everything you want. He's going to be a super player. We can't find any holes. He's 6-1. Maybe that's it. So what? He's a three-down guy."
Jim Gruden, Tampa Bay: "Very instinctive. Fast. I don't think he's a killer as much as he is a very good technician. He's always around the ball. He just sees it and gets there and makes the play. Not flashy, but when he gets up he's always getting off the pile. Good kid."
Jerry Angelo, Chicago: "I've watched Hawk a long time. They were talking Hawk or (Chad) Greenway. I said it wasn't even close. I've always compared Hawk to (Randy) Gradishar. It's a long time ago. You're always going to like the young guy better. I'll go with Hawk. He's great."
AFC scout: "He doesn't say much but great in the locker room. He makes the athletic plays, plus he can play at the point. He can meet people, shed them and make the play. I scouted Gradishar. I don't think (Ray) Nitschke was near the athlete Hawk is. Not much different from (Brian) Urlacher. Hawk plays the point better than Urlacher. I see Green Bay in dime keeping both him and (Nick) Barnett in. Blitz one."
Phil Savage, Cleveland: "I think he's the safest guy of all of them. I think he can be as physical a tackler as Ray Lewis. I don't know that he is taking on. Hey, who is?"
A.J. Smith, San Diego: "He's an awesome player. He roams everywhere. He just will be a terrific, terrific possibly Pro Bowl-type guy."
NFC scout: "He's not showy. He'll be quiet. But guys will gravitate to him once he starts making plays. He's the consummate football player. You can build your team around him."
Charles Fisher, Seattle: "I love the way he plays the game."
AFC scout: "You can't go wrong with him. Yes sir, no sir. His only problem is he's too intense. He's got to learn to mellow out a little. His eyes look like they're going to attack you. Of course, that's exactly what you want at linebacker."
Rich Snead, Tennessee: "Really solid player. Greenway probably makes more athletic plays than Hawk. If you were making a movie you'd cast him as a linebacker. You haven't seen him in a lot of man coverage. Watching him move around, I think he should be able to do that. He's the one guy I've seen in a long time that knocks people back when he tackles them."
AFC scout: "If he was there it would take me all of 1 second to turn the card in. He's so safe we didn't even interview him at the combine."
NFC scout: "In all likelihood, he's a safer pick than (Ernie) Sims. I think he's a little overrated. I think he's going to be a good player. He may even be a Pro Bowl player. But I just think down in, down out he tends to play in the secondary. He's not the biggest, stoutest guy. He's smart, tough, he's got range. I think he's a little like Rob Morris at Indianapolis. He's dependable and consistent. I just don't know if he's ever going to be a wow guy."
Bill Polian, Indianapolis: "Who is the better defensive player, Hawk or Sims? I'd make it on a very, very slim margin for Hawk only because he's bigger. But that's only for the draft. Hawk is a big, tough guy who runs and tackles and he's got quick twitch. He's a sure, solid tackler. He doesn't miss. He's got nose for the ball. I saw him live against Notre Dame in the Fiesta Bowl and came away incredibly impressed. (Andy) Katzenmoyer was a numbers guy. This guy is production."
AFC scout: "He's better than Gradishar. By far. Gradishar wasn't a real fast kid like Hawk. He's a little bit like Nitschke from Illinois. In a way he is (vicious). He just doesn't signify and testify it. Know what I mean? When Hawk tackles, he hurts your (expletive). Nice parents. Father never pushed him in athletics at all or bragged about him being a great athlete. He wanted him to be a great person as opposed to a good athlete."
AFC scout: "He beat their other linebackers, who are pretty darn good, to the ball even when he had to go across and over them. He goes and gets (Bobby) Carpenter when Carpenter was lolly-gagging it."
Jerry Reichow, Minnesota: "This guy is a football-playing fool, the cream of the crop. He's not as tall as Urlacher. We're talking two exceptional athletes."
Tony Softli, Carolina: "Bobby Carpenter is how they're supposed to look but when you turn on the film it's No. 47 (Hawk). You can't dispute his production and what he does. He kind of has his own style."
AFC scout: "If I didn't say (Reggie) Bush was the best player in the draft it might have been Hawk. This guy has more physical up side than (Jonathan) Vilma."
AFC scout: "One of our coaches wasn't that impressed. If you watch the guy, every play he's in the right place. He's around the ball, he's square, he can cover, he can rush."
Tom Modrak, Buffalo: "If he got to us I'd celebrate until we got to camp. He makes a difference in your defense even though sometimes other people don't regard linebackers that high. He plays so hard and he's so smart and he wants to be good. His impact won't be only on the field. I think he'll be a presence on your team."