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The NFL Lens: Timing the Dynamite w/Lawrence Timmons
Lawrence Timmons demolition of Jeremy Hill at the goal line reveals the technique behind the primal force. Be it blowing up buildings or ball carriers, successful linebackers and demolition experts understand that timing and placement are essential components of a successful job. Steelers linebacker Lawrence Timmons demonstrates both timing and placement with his dynamite, blowing up Jeremy…
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NFL Lens: Quiet Plays With David Johnson
What type of displays should set off fireworks in the minds of talent evaluators? David Johnson’s touchdown catch against Atlanta is one of them. Repeat after me: There is no magic moment without layers and layers of data processed beneath the surface. Try to remember this in light of the moments below: Bo Jackson running up…
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NFL Lens: Hard Break w/Jordan Reed
Reed demonstrates both facets of executing a hard break. I once watched Michael Irvin teach the mechanics of a hard break on an NFL.com pre-draft special. His two pupils: A.J. Green and Greg Little. Irvin explained that the two most important components of the hard break—the style of break often used on outs, curls, and…
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NFL Lens: Vertical Accuracy w/Jameis Winston
Jameis Winston and Alex Smith illustrate how vertical accuracy begins with the feet and the mindset, not the arm. There will be no rants about arm strength today. It’s because emphasizing arm strength during a discussion of deep ball accuracy is like having a discussion about Einstein and spending most of your time on his…
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The NFL Lens: Agility and Flexibilty w/LeGarrette Blount
It’s always in the hips, folks. This dude is how most football fans I know react to speed. But if you want to see me act like this guy over a player, show me a prospect with great hips. If a football player is capable of doing a deep squat—especially in the context of his job—I’m…
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The NFL Lens: Economy of Movement With Michael Bennett
A look at one of the most disruptive defensive linemen in the game. Whether it’s offense or defense, you can often spot the best players on the field based on the economy of their movement. Even if that player has a variety of flashy moves and strings them together in mind-blowing ways, they only do…
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The NFL Lens: Balance With Jay Ajayi
Jay Ajayi’s impressive display of balance against Pro-Bowl caliber defensive end Kyle Williams. Define “balance” and “power.” Ask two talent analysts to do this and it’s one of the easier ways to take a conversation about football into the weeds. There’s enough overlap between the two concepts that it can spawn debates about what belongs…
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The NFL Lens: A Maritime Tale of Pulp Fiction w/Rob Gronkowski
Batten down the hatches, Rob Gronkowski tells a shocking maritime tale. I’ve been spending time each day diagramming run blocking schemes and pass routes. One of those routes is the sail route. When drawn up in a book or a blackboard, a sail route (bottom left quadrant) looks like an upside-down “L”. One of the…
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The NFL Lens: Pad Level With Jarvis Landry
A great example of pad level from a wide receiver? Go figure. What’s the most important thing you look for in a player? It’s easily in the top-10 of common questions that I get about evaluating football prospects for a living. One essential answer is comfort giving and receiving physical contact. You’d think this quality…
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The NFL Lens: Ball Security
Ball security that can withstand a defensive gauntlet. Ball security is a more complex subject than it appears. In theory, it’s so vital that it can change games and alter the course of careers if not practiced. David Wilson and Stevan Ridley can attest that a lack of ball security can put the kibosh on…