the only draft debate is Evans v Vander Esch! "possible"

Quote
guinnessram
Hager, Littleton, Longacre, etc.

We just created a monster DL. We need guys who can fill.

If RB's make it past the LOS, who's going to come up and fill?

We were 28th against the run.

We desperately need a playmaking force @ LB.

We are going to draft the best LBERS.

Guaranteed.
* Offer not valid in all 50 states, especially CA.

Kevin P.

Is he a one year wonder or a star at the next level?
LEIGHTON VANDER ESCH 6'4 240-250 lbs

Mountain West Defensive Player of the Year (2017)
Mountain West Championship Game Defensive MVP (2017)
Burlsworth Trophy Candidate (2017)
2x Mountain West All-Academic Team (2015-16)

BOISE STATE CAREER
RS JUNIOR (2017): Had a sack among his seven tackles (six solo) against Troy (Sept. 2)...made a career-high 16 tackles (10 solo), two sacks and forced a fumble at Washington State (Sept. 9)...intercepted a pass, forced a fumble, and made 13 tackles (seven solo) against New Mexico (Sept. 14)...shared a tackle-for-loss among his 10 tackles (six solo) against Virginia (Sept. 22)...

recorded his second interception of the season, returning it 36 yards, and made six tackles (five solo) at BYU (Oct. 6)...posted a game-high 11 tackles (nine solo), including one for loss, at San Diego State (Oct. 14)...for the second-straight game, posted a game-high 11 tackles (seven solo) for the Broncos vs. Wyoming (Oct. 21)...

Tallied five total tackles (one solo) in the victory at Utah State (Oct. 28)...Collected seven tackles (five solo) vs. Nevada (Nov. 4)...made 13 total tackles (seven solo) with one tackle-for-loss at Colorado State (Nov. 11)...also had one forced fumble in overtime (recovered by Horton) to end the Rams' drive and the game...

Made six total tackles (two solo) vs. Air Force (Nov. 18)...Collected eight tackles (six solo) in the loss at Fresno State (Nov. 25)...Won MW Championship Game Defensive MVP after tying his career-high with 16 tackles (10 solo), 10 of those in the first half, along with icing the game with an interception late in the fourth quarter in victory over Fresno State (Dec. 2).

RS SOPHOMORE (2016): Limited to six games due to injuries throughout the year...made 27 tackles (23 solo) including 3.5 tackles-for-loss and a sack, also picked off a pass...recorded a sack among his five tackles (four solo) at Louisiana (Sept. 3)...

shared a tackle-for-loss among his two tackles against Washington State (Sept. 10)...made three solo tackles at Oregon State (Sept. 24)...came up with his first-career interception, made 2.0 tackles-for-loss among his nine tackles (seven solo) at Air Force (Nov. 25)...made six solo tackles against Baylor (Dec. 27).

RS FRESHMAN (2015): Appeared in 12 games...had 20 tackles (14 solo) including a sack and recovered a fumble...rushed once for 10 yards and a first down on a fake punt...made a solo tackle against Washington (Sept. 4)...broke up a pass and made two tackles (one solo) against Idaho State (Sept. 18)...had three tackles (two solo) at Virginia (Sept. 25)....

recovered a fumble and made three solo tackles against Hawai'i (Oct. 3)...had a tackle-for-loss among his four tackles (two solo) against Wyoming (Oct. 24)...made six tackles (five solo) and led the team onto the field with The Hammer at UNLV (Oct. 31)...rushed for 10 yards on a successful fake punt against New Mexico (Nov. 14).

FRESHMAN (2014): Redshirted the season.

HIGH SCHOOL CAREER
Played football, basketball and track and field at Salmon River High School...helped team to 1A Division II state titles in both football and basketball as a junior and senior...averaged 29.4 points and 11.1 rebounds per game as a senior on the basketball team...named IdahoSports.com Student-Athlete of the Year in 2014...All-Idaho 1A Division II Player of the Year...played quarterback and middle linebacker...

in 2013 completed 60.8 percent of his passes (121-for-199) for 2,155 yards and 28 touchdowns with just one interception...also carried 157 times for 1,565 yards and 34 touchdowns...on defense he made 131 tackles (85 solo) with five interceptions, five fumble recoveries and four defensive touchdowns...played for head coach Charlie Shepherd.
[www.broncosports.com]

OVERVIEW
Vander Esch's family made headlines before the Las Vegas Bowl in December, and his play during the team's win over Oregon made the headlines afterward. The Vander Esch's cruised from Idaho to Las Vegas in a big bus adorned with Leighton's picture, number, and team colors. The 2017 Mountain West Defensive Player of the Year (and team captain) paid off their trip with 12 tackles, three for loss, a sack, and a forced fumble. He was also the Mountain West Championship Game MVP with 16 tackles and a game-sealing interception. The first-team all-conference pick totaled 141 tackles, 8.5 for loss, four sacks, four pass breakups, and four forced fumbles in his junior season. Vander Esch was limited to six games due to injuries in 2016 (27 tackles, 3.5 for loss, one sack, one interception), and was a reserve for 12 games the previous year as a redshirt freshman (20 tackles, sack). He led Salmon River High in Idaho to state titles in football and basketball as a junior and senior.


STRENGTHS Big, long and athletic. Has history of achievement with dominant performances and state titles in two sports in high school. Former basketball standout with fluid hips and smooth movement around the field. Almost no delay in his change of direction. Has agility and quick-twitch for sudden lateral bursts in his slides to close out slashers. Triggers with compact burst to the ball. Works under climbing blockers to stay clean. Easy sideline-to-sideline range as tackler. Has athletic ability to recover and tackle despite over pursuit. Widens frame and opens arms to welcome his prey as a tackler. Generally wraps up. Very talented in coverage. Quick but smooth in his drops. Mirrors quarterback's eyes with ability to redirect from side to side as he follows. Uses active, catch-ready hands to breakup the pass or take it away. Shows real rush talent and instincts as a blitzer. May have enough ability to beat a tackle as edge rusher from time to time.

WEAKNESSES Has just one year of starting experience. Still filling out his frame. Play strength has room for improvement. Has some struggles in taking on blocks and will get washed away by down blocks. Hasn't learned to use hands effectively to punch and separate. Takes himself out of tackle opportunities by attacking iso-blocks and lead blocks with a shoulder. At times, will over pursue or run himself out of position in attempt to play fast and avoid having to deal with blockers.

DRAFT PROJECTION Round 1
NFL COMPARISON Karlos Dansby (early version)

BOTTOM LINE Vander Esch is a loose-hipped, instinctive linebacker who played in 2017 like he had a GPS tracker on the football. His production totals against both the run and pass are rare for being a first-year starter and with a frame that is primed for more muscle, his NFL ceiling is high. Vander Esch might benefit from a reduced role his rookie season while he improves his play strength and becomes more skilled at taking on blocks. He's an every-down linebacker with very good starting potential and the talent to fill up a stat sheet.
[www.nfl.com]


Is he a product of Bama's talent or a lock at the next level?
RASHAAN EVANS 6'3 230

2016 (Junior)
Made the move to the inside during the fall after spending the previous two seasons on the outside ... totaled 53 tackles with four sacks (-16 yards), 4.5 tackles for loss (-17 yards), a forced fumble and a fumble recovery ... added six quarterback hurries and two pass breakups to his season totals ... named one of the UA coaches’ special teams players of the week for his performance at Arkansas. USC:

Was limited in practice during game week, forcing him into a limited role ... still managed to finish with a career-high four unassisted tackles by night’s end. Western Kentucky: Entered after the first quarter and finished with three total tackles against the Hilltoppers ... helped limit the WKU ground attack to only 23 yards. Ole Miss: Finished with a pair of tackles against the Rebels ... played significant minutes at middle linebacker following the loss of Reuben Foster for the majority of the second half. Kentucky:

Set a career high for tackles with five stops against the Wildcats, registering one sack (-3 yards) in the process ... pressured the quarterback once and forced the first fumble of his career ... the fumble was recovered by Ronnie Harrison and returned 55 yards for Alabama’s second touchdown of the evening. Arkansas: Totaled a career-high seven tackles with half a sack (-2 yards) against the Razorbacks ... added a pair of quarterback pressures to help the Tide defense collect a season-high 12 quarterback hurries by game’s end. Tennessee: Finished with two tackles against the Volunteers ... helped limit the high-powered UT offense to only 163 total yards. Texas A&M: Made one stop from his inside linebacker spot ...

played a key role in helping to limit the Aggie offense to 278 total yards. LSU: Collected one tackle, sacking the Tiger quarterback for a loss of one yard to force a punt on the second offensive drive of the day ... saw significant playing time and helped limit the Tigers to only 125 yards of total offense. Mississippi State: Tied for the team lead with six tackles against the Bulldogs ... added his first career pass breakup while totaling a career-high tying two quarterback hurries ... his pressure helped limit the MSU quarterback to a 61.15 quarterback rating. Chattanooga: Pressured the quarterback once while adding one tackle against the Mocs ...

also recovered his first fumble of the season, falling on top of the ball after it came out of the Chattanooga quarterback’s hands. Auburn: Did not record any stats in the Iron Bowl ... helped on a defensive unit that limited the Tigers to 182 yards of total offense, including 66 yards rushing. Florida: Came off the bench to play a key role on the Alabama defense following the loss of Shaun Dion Hamilton ... totaled three tackles on the day, including half a tackle for loss (-1 yard) ... leapt into the air to meet the Gator running back head on for his first tackle of the game, helping the Tide maintain its goal line stand and force a UF turnover on downs. Washington:

Made his first career start, filling in for the injured Shaun Dion Hamilton ... matched his career high for tackles with seven stops against the Huskies ... registered one sack (-7 yards) while helping to limit the UW offense to only 194 total yards. Clemson: Set a career-high mark for tackles with 11 stops to rank second on the team ... made six solo tackles with five assisted ... added half a sack (-3 yards).

2015 (Sophomore)
Made 10 tackles in his second season after notching 15 stops in 13 games as a true freshman. Wisconsin: Entered as a linebacker late in the game while also serving on special teams ... did not record any statistics. Middle Tennessee: Saw action on defense and special teams, but did not post any stats by game’s end. ULM: Recorded his first tackle of the season, a sack that pushed the Warhawks back nine yards ... his sack was one of the Tide’s season-high six in the game.

Georgia: Came off the bench on defense while also seeing time on special teams, but did not record any stats. Arkansas: Collected his second sack of the season (-5 yards) to go with his two total tackles ...more than 250 yards below their season average entering the night. Texas A&M: Provided depth at linebacker but did not record any tackles. Tennessee: Recorded two quarterback hurries coming off the bench in passing downs ... played a key role in an Alabama pass rush that recorded five total sacks and eight quarterback hurries by day’s end. LSU:

Saw time against the Tigers but did not record any stats. Mississippi State: Notched one tackle against the Bulldogs. Charleston Southern: Played against the Bucs but did not record any stats. Auburn: Finished with two tackles in the win over the Tigers ... helped limit the AU offense to only 260 yards on offense. Florida: Notched one tackle in a reserve role against the Gators. Michigan State:

Saw action against the Spartans but did not record any stats. Clemson: Produced the best game of his career, finishing with both of the Crimson Tide’s sacks on the night for a loss of -14 yards ... totaled three tackles in the victory over the Tigers to set career-high marks for tackles, tackles for loss and sacks.

2014 (Freshman)
An outstanding athlete who excelled on special teams while working his way onto the field at outside linebacker in pass rushing situations ... played in 13 games ... recorded 15 tackles on the season with two tackles for loss (-11 yards), one sack (-10 yards) and three quarterback hurries ... tied for the team lead in special teams tackles with 12 ... recorded a solo tackle on his first career kickoff coverage ... earned Special Teams Player of the Week honors from the Alabama coaching staff following the Southern Miss and Mississippi State games.

West Virginia: Notched one solo tackle on kickoff coverage. FAU: Registered two unassisted tackles ... had first career sack for a 10-yard loss ... recorded first quarterback hurry. Southern Miss: Named the Special Teams Player of the Week for his efforts against Southern Miss ... finished with two solo stops. Florida: Recorded one tackle off the bench at outside linebacker against the Gators. Texas A&M: Registered one tackle and helped limit the SEC’s top-ranked offense to just 172 yards. Tennessee: Made one solo tackle on special teams in Knoxville. Mississippi State:

Led the team with three special teams tackles to earn Special Teams Player of the Week honors from the coaching staff. Western Carolina: Made two tackles with one on kickoff coverage and one behind the line of scrimmage on defense. Auburn: Came off the bench late to provide a pass-rushing spark, tallying one quarterback hurry. Missouri: Made two special teams tackles and recorded a quarterback hurry ... both solo stops in the Tide’s SEC Championship Game victory over the Tigers.

High School and Personal Data
One of the top outside linebackers in the class of 2014 and a five-star prospect out of Auburn High School … Parade All-American … second team MaxPreps All-American … selected to participate in the Under Armour All-America Game … No. 11 in the final 247Sports Top 247 as well as the site’s No. 1 outside linebacker and No. 2 player in Alabama …

No. 15 nationally in the 247Sports Composite rankings while also rating as the No. 1 OLB and No. 2 player in the state … No. 9 in the final Scout300 and the No. 1 outside linebacker … 14th in the Rivals100, the No. 1 outside linebacker and No. 3 player in Alabama … rated 52nd in the ESPN300 and the No. 2 outside linebacker nationally … ESPN listed him as the No. 4 player in the state and No. 30 player in the Southeast Region … four-star member of the PrepStar Top 150 Dream Team … ranked 184th-ranked player in the class of 2014 by PrepStar…

No. 1 on the final 2014 AL.com A-List … named first team 6A All-State by the Alabama Sports Writers Association as a senior in 2013 and named the ASWA 6A Lineman of the Year … selected to the AL.com 2013 Super All-State Team … finished with 77 tackles including 43 tackles for loss and 17.5 sacks as a senior, while adding five pass breakups, three forced fumbles, a blocked punt and a fumble recovery … played in the Alabama-Mississippi All-Star Game … first team ASWA 6A All-State selection as a junior in 2012 … played for head coach Tim Carter at Auburn High School … chose Alabama over Auburn and UCLA.
[www.rolltide.com]


OVERVIEW
Some in Evans' hometown of Auburn, Alabama, did not appreciate his signing with the Tide as a top high school recruit. Those with priorities in the wrong place threatened his family's business and made their lives difficult. Now he's looking to become a star in 2017; in fact, in February Evans tweeted that he would win the Butkus Award as the nation's top linebacker. After sitting behind future pros like Reuben Foster for three years, he was ready to meet that promise. Evans was a second-team All-SEC pick in 2017, starting 12 games, tying for the team lead with 74 tackles, leading the team with 13 tackles for loss, making six sacks, and breaking up three passes. In the team's two playoff games in 2016 (his only starts of the year), Evans made 18 tackles from an inside linebacker position. He had 53 total for the year, including four sacks, six quarterback hurries, and a forced fumble in 14 games. Evans had to bide his time like many highly-recruited players coming to play for Nick Saban. The Parade All-American and five-star prospect actually played significantly as a true freshman on special teams in 13 games (15 tackles, two for loss, sack; team-leading 12 special teams tackles). Evans again mostly played as a special teamer and reserve outside linebacker in 2015, though his two sacks against Clemson in the national championship victory that season put him on scouts' radars.


STRENGTHS Build like new breed of NFL linebackers. Possesses good length and great speed. Premium athlete with plus agility, range and explosiveness. Quick to diagnose. Works around the trash when scraping. Able to pace to the perimeter with the jet sweepers and scat-backs. Patient against misdirection and isn't easily baited out of position. Deftly side-steps blocks without giving his gap responsibility. Has athletic ability to dance from gap to gap and look up shifty running backs. Learned from tough guys ahead of him and adapted their demeanor. Explosive, wrap-up striker who sees what he hits. Plays with pain. Sub-package rusher with upfield burst to threaten the edge. Can unleash impressive spin counter in either direction. Burst as delayed blitzer from inside linebacker spot is too much for most linemen to catch.

WEAKNESSES Just a beat behind in diagnosing. Lacks instincts of players who have extended history at the position. Can improve leverage in his pursuit. Fast flow ahead of blockers can allow for cutbacks. Can get wired to climbing blockers. Needs to improve his punch-and-separate when taking on blockers. Benefitted from playing behind monsters along the defensive line. Will wait rather than trigger when downhill shots are available. Will need to trust his athletic ability to squeeze routes tighter. Nagging groin injury plagued him last season. Scouts have some concerns about durability.

DRAFT PROJECTION Round 1
SOURCES TELL US "He made a lot of progress as an inside backer from last year to this. He was more instinctive and a lot more natural." -- AFC area scout
NFL COMPARISON Lawrence Timmons

BOTTOM LINE Ascending linebacker talent who has the speed to fly around from sideline to sideline and played with an improved feel for the position in 2017. Despite limited playing time over his first few seasons, Evans adapted a "work while you wait" mindset that prepared him to for impressive performances in three consecutive national championship games. Evans is an ideal inside linebacker fit for a blitz-happy 3-4 unit, but he could easily fit as a 4-3 WILL with rush potential on sub-packages. Evans is an early starter with high-end potential if he can stay healthy.
-Lance Zierlein
[www.nfl.com]