Outside linebacker/Middle Linebacker

Miami

5-11 231

Draft board overall prospect rank: #68

Draft board outside linebacker rank: #3

Overall rating: 71 (3^rd round grade)

40 time: 4.56

Games watched: Ohio State/Miami, Miami/Virginia Tech, Miami/Virginia, Miami/Florida State, Miami/Duke, Miami/South Florida

Positives

·         4 year starter

·         Great motor

·         Very productive (312 tackles in 4 years)

·         2 years of great production (2010: 111 tackles, 17 for loss, 2.5 sacks, 6 deflections, 2011: 106 tackles, 14 for loss, 3 sacks, 1 deflection)

·         Nose for the football

·         Takes great routes to the ball

·         Fundamental tackler

·         Sideline to sideline speed

·         Good 40 time (4.56)

·         Comfortable in coverage

·         Smooth hips

·         Leader on and off the field

·         Instinctive

·         Intelligent

·         Great work ethic

·         All the intangibles

·         Great on special teams

·         Gets deep in his drops in coverage

·         Solid blitzer

Negatives

·         Undersized (5-11 231)

·         Minimal strength (only 12 reps of 225)

·         Only an average athlete

·         Doesn’t shed blocks well

·         Not physical

·         Has trouble with bigger ball carriers

·         Has trouble jamming tight ends at the line of scrimmage

·         Too small to stay at middle linebacker

·         Not a good fit for a 3-4

·         Suspended in Miami scandal

NFL Comparison: Colin McCarthy

Every year there are undervalued players who become starters out of the mid rounds. Sean Spence has a very good chance to be that type of player this year. He’s undersized. There’s no getting around that. He’s 5-11 231 and only benched 12 reps of 225 reps, fewer than any running back had. Those are the guys he’s going to have to tackle at the next level.

However, lack of size aside, he’s a very complete prospect who should be a solid linebacker at the next level. He’s got great instincts, motor, intelligence, leadership, all the intangibles. He’s been very productive over the past 2 years at Miami and he’s a 4 year starter. He’s one of those players who has a nose for the football and always makes plays. You can’t ignore him if you’re watching a Miami game.

At the very least, he can become a very good special teams player. However, I think he has the ability to develop into a good starting linebacker in the NFL. He doesn’t have a lot of positional versatility, as he can only play as a 4-3 outside linebacker (maybe 4-3 middle linebacker), but I think he can become a starter at that position and maybe even in year 1. He’d be best in a cover 2 based scheme because he is above average in coverage and, of course, undersized.

He compares to another former Miami linebacker. Colin McCarthy had many of the same things said about him last season when he was coming out. However, he emerged as a starting linebacker for Tennessee as a rookie out of the 4^th round. He had 68 tackles as a rookie and has a bright future in Tennessee’s linebacker corps. Spence should go in the same range and have a similar impact.