Patrick Willis
ILB | (6'1
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", 242, 4.51) |
MISSISSIPPI
Scouts Grade: 95
Flags: (D: DURABILITY) Player that can't stay healthy
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Strengths: Possesses good height, adequate bulk and still has room on his frame to improve bulk. He is quick, fluid and agile for his size. Shows very good lateral quickness and initial burst. He takes solid angles in pursuit and does a good job of sifting through traffic. Powerful enough to take on blocks in the phone booth when he's playing with leverage. He explodes through tackles and is reliable in space. A sideline-to-sideline pursuit linebacker. Shows good agility and fluidness in coverage. Gets a deep drop in zone and displays above average range. Can match up versus most tight ends and running backs one-on-one. Displays good burst and instincts as a blitzer, as well. Is a leader and hard-worker. Loves the game of football, plays through pain and leads by example.
Weaknesses: He lacks elite bulk and may need to add some weight in order to hold up better as an inside linebacker in the NFL. He has a muscular build but he does not possess ideal lower-body thickness. Plays a bit high at times and will let too many defenders get into his body. He is above average in terms of range in coverage, but he can be slow to diagnose at times. He also displays below average ball skills in coverage. Plays through pain but he has had trouble staying healthy throughout his career and always seems to be battling lingering injuries, some of which include knee, finger, foot and shoulder.
Overall: Willis played in all 13 games in 2003 as a true freshman, making 20 total tackles and one tackle for loss. In 2004, he saw action in 10 of 11 games and finished the year with 70 total tackles, 11 tackles for loss, five sacks, one fumble recovery, and one forced fumble. Willis earned first team All-SEC honors (Associated Press, coaches) after the 2005 season when he started the 10 contests he played in and recorded 128 total tackles, 9.5 tackles for loss, three sacks, one interception, one fumble recovery, and two forced fumbles. He missed the Wyoming game (9/24) with a knee injury and battled several other injuries including a broken finger, a sprained knee, a foot sprain, and a partially separated AC shoulder joint. Willis also missed spring practice in 2006 after having off-season foot surgery. He returned for the 2006 season and started all 12 games, finishing with 137 total tackles, 11.5 tackles for loss, 3 sacks, two forced fumbles, and one fumble recovery earning him first team All-American, first team All-SEC, SEC Defensive Player of the Year honors, and the Butkus Award. Willis needs to learn to play more under control and his recognition skills in coverage need work. Otherwise, there's very little wrong with Willis as an NFL prospect. He has an outstanding combination of size, speed and agility. His tremendous workout performances in the postseason only verified what we've seen on him as a playmaking starter the past few seasons in the SEC. In our opinion, Willis is the top linebacker in the 2007 class and he should be ready to start immediately as a middle linebacker in the NFL.