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Strengths: A tweener DE/OLB that can be very effective when turned loose up the field. Has very long arms (34.5 inches) and big hands (9.6 inches) for his smaller frame. Fires out of stance with very good leverage and shows good body control and lean when turning the corner. Displays very good initial burst and top-end speed for the position. Much stronger upper body than lower body. Uses rip and swim moves effectively. Does a good job of keeping his hands active and will jar some OT's with his initial punch. Displays a good motor. Plays with a mean streak and won't back down from physical challenge versus bigger OT's. He shows good initial pop as a tackler and will occasionally jar the ball loose.
Weaknesses: Is undersized. Lacks ideal height and has just adequate bulk for his shorter frame. Plays with a narrow base and will struggle to anchor at the point of attack when teams run at him. Gets in trouble when forced to play head-up or inside shoulder of OT. Needs to be a seven-technique to be effective. Gets too far up the field ate times and will take himself out of plays. Has very limited experience turning and running in coverage as an OLB.
Overall: Avril was an immediate contributor when he arrived at Purdue, playing 22 games (eight starts) in his first two seasons (2004-'05). Over that span he collected 69 tackles (5.5 for losses) and half a sack. He entered the Boilermakers' lineup for good in 2006, starting at linebacker in the first four games of that season before moving to defensive end to start the final 23 games of his career. In those last two seasons (2006-'07), Avril piled up 125 tackles (30 for losses), 12.5 sacks, six forced fumbles, two interceptions (one that he returned 43 yards for a score) and 11 pass breakups. He missed one game in 2005 because of a lower back injury. Avril is an undersized end that likely will fit best as a 3-4 linebacker in the NFL. His overall production in college was good but it could have been far better had Avril not spent so much time taking on blocks head-up over OT's and TE's. Strong showings at both the Senior Bowl and combine have improved Avril's draft value. In our opinion, though; he's still a bit of an underrated prospect that we consider worth the value late on Day 1 of the 2008 draft for teams in search of a rush-linebacker type.
Strengths: Possesses very good size and is well built for his height. Shows the ability to make plays outside the tackle box. He's athletic for his size. Is able to avoid a lot of block and sift through traffic. Wraps up upon contact and is a reliable open field tackler that flashes the ability to deliver the big hit. Times blitzes well, takes the shortest path to the quarterback and displays very good closing burst. Flashes the ability to run through blockers in the backfield and is a relentless pass rusher. Has experience lining up on the inside and outside.
Weaknesses: Is thickly built but doesn't play as strong as his measurables indicate. Can be overaggressive and overruns holes. Does not like to take on blocks and will get out of position at times running around them. Isn't physical or aggressive enough in coverage. Lacks ideal instincts in coverage, as well. Takes some false steps and over commits. Doesn't explode out of cuts, loses too much speed when forced to turn and run and lacks ideal man-to-man cover skills. Displays marginal ball skills and isn't much of a playmaker in coverage.
Overall: Wheeler played in all 12 games as a freshman in 2003, primarily on special teams, and finished the season with six tackles. He was redshirted in 2004. In his next two seasons (2005-'06), he appeared in 26 games (all starts) and recorded 153 tackles (26 for losses), 13 sacks, four interceptions and nine pass breakups. As a senior last season, Wheeler started all 13 games and turned in 89 tackles (nine for losses), six sacks, one forced fumble and five pass breakups. During his Yellow Jackets career, he spent time at middle linebacker, outside linebacker and defensive end. Wheeler has prototypical size for an inside linebacker but he plays a finesse game more conducive to the weak-ide position. Finding the right spot for him in the NFL might be tricky. He played multiple positions and had very good production in college. He also displays enough natural tools to contribute in the NFL. But the more we study him on film the more concern we have that something is missing. His recognition skills are spotty, especially in coverage and his natural instincts are questionable. He also seems to lack a certain degree of toughness. As a result, Wheeler has too many question marks in our opinion to warrant consideration any higher than Round 3.
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