Daily NFL Draft Prospect Profile: Phillip Dillard, MLB, Nebraska
by Ed Valentine on Apr 7, 2010 11:00 AM EDT
in 2010 NFL Draft
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One thing I am learning as I do these Daily NFL Draft Prospect Profiles is to keep an eye out for under-rated players, or guys who don't begin drawing the attention of NFL Scouts and general managers until the later stages of their college careers.
One such player is Nebraska middle linebacker Phillip Dillard, a 6-foot-1, 245-pound player who came on strong as a senior with the Cornhuskers and has continued to impress during the pre-draft process.
As you will read later, Dillard is a guy being compared favorably with players who are expected to come off the board much earlier than he will. That equates to a late-bloomer who might end up being a late-round steal.
A little bit like Penn State middle linebacker prospect Sean Lee, Dillard has a lengthy injury history. When he has been on the field, though, the numbers indicate that he has been very good.
Let's take a closer look.
Phillip Dillard Scouting Reports
From Consensus Draft Services.
Versatile LB who can stuff the run and play the pass. Solid instincts, negotiates trash and plays the game inside out. Good hitter and sound tackler. Strong and rugged. Runs better than he times and can play sideline-to-sideline. Closes quickly. Solid athlete. ... Not very tall and probably maxed out physically. Not the fastest or most explosive athlete. Lacks the agility for man coverage in the NFL. ... Late-round pick or free agent, but definitely will be in a camp. Given time, could surprise.
From NFL.com.
He is a short, well built player with good strength and speed for the position. He is an instinctive, tough linebacker who plays with good technique and body positioning. He understands angles and run fits to maintain leverage on the ball. He appears to have better quickness and speed than his body type would indicate, and he has good strength but lacks great pop and power on contact. He is aggressive in pursuit but lacks great lateral agility and change-of-direction to consistently make plays in space. Dillard was a good defender in his senior season and has the raw talent to eventually develop into a solid linebacker at the next level.
From Fantasy Football Toolbox.
When he has been healthy, he has been a big part of the Nebraska defense. ... It is the injuries that are keeping Dillard down. He did have a decent NFL Combine and improved his stock a little bit more with a solid pro day. Yet, the injury question keeps coming back. He has the experience and talent of a Donald Butler or Jamar Chaney, who are considered probable third-round selections, but he will likely fall to at least the fourth round.
Why Dillard fits with the Giants
Because you are not always able to fill your needs in the first round or two of the draft. Sometimes the right players just aren't there, so you go in another direction and look to fill a need later. A player like Dillard might give the Giants the option of doing that at middle linebacker. If they truly like Jonathan Goff enough to give him a shot at the middle linebacker spot, a player like Dillard could be a solid option to at least provide an alternative.
Why the Giants should pass
Because middle linebacker is a huge need for the Giants and there are quite a few players more likely to be sure things as quality NFL players. Hopefully, when it is time for Dillard to come off the board the Giants have already addressed this position.
(E-mail Ed at bigblueview@gmail.com. Follow Big Blue View on Twitter.)
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Finally...
Thanks Ed for finally profiling a Husker! Having watched Dillard his entire career, I know more about him than any of the other prospects. The above breakdowns are right on. He plays faster than what he timed. A situation occurred between his junior and senior year, injury and attitude dropped him to the bottom of the depth chart. He fought extremely hard to get back to the top, which he did and had a great season with the Huskers (shows his determination). Dillard comes from the Pelini defense and has that Blackshirt pedigree about him. He has the potential to be a better back-up than Blackburn and could develop into a solid NFL linebacker. Diallard has the experience at all of the LB spots on the field. He was in the nickel and dime packages against the spread offenses of the Big 12. Saw him keep up with some decently fast TEs. I think a later round or FA pick-up for this guy. I think this defense needs a Blackshirt. Go Big Red and Go Big Blue!
I'm in favor of the Giants getting 2 LB's
and whether that’s McClain in the first, or maybe Darryl Washington in the 2nd…either way, I’d love to get 2.
Dillard is a hard worker, a dude who gets more out of his athleticism..that sort.
Value pick in the 6/7 range hopefully.
Wilkenson v2?
Sounds a lot like what we already have in Wilkenson. A versatile athletic backup caliber LB that could potentially blossom inot more if it weren’t for injury issues. I’m far less worried about depth at MLB as I am about starter. I don’t think Goff is a starter, but if we were to assume he was we do have depth in the form of Blackburn and WIlkenson. Wilkenson will proabbly break himself in camp or something, but Blackburn has always been a solid reserve.
A more durable...
player than Wilkenson. I believe the injury I spoke of was of the knee variety, but not that serious. He got down on himself after that, but pulled out of it. As I wrote earlier, has experience playing both MLB and OLB, so brings some versatility. I checked the numbers. He was slightly slower than McClain and faster than Spikes, but plays faster than his time. I think he could be a better back-up than Blackburn and can fill in WHEN Wilkensen gets hurt.
Maybe I'm hating because he's a husker
I am a Mizzou fan. I thought his injury woes went farther than one injury, but I don’t know the player that well so I could have been wrong there. Blackburn plays his heart out, knows the system, and is a coaches fav, so I don’t see him getting pushed aside. If we are talking late round or UDFA then yeah maybe some other option than “ouch I hurt myself” Wilk wouldn’t be a bad idea.
I've said that before
It’s not a friggen revalation, I don’t know what you think your point is. I live in a state without a D1 football program, so I follow programs where I have or had family which includes the Canes, Mizzou, and recently Bama. Earlier in another post someone was accusing me of liking Spoon just because of combine numbers I explained why I like Spoon so much is because I like to follow Mizzou and really enjoyed watching him play. I’ve been wishing for a long time for him to be a Giant someday. Isn’t having watched a player and being impressed with what you saw one of the best reasons to want that player on your team?
It's cool, Blue
You have an attachment to the player, and that’s nice. I understand it, having gone to the University of Maryland I always look for guys from there and hope they do well.
by Ed Valentine on Apr 7, 2010 10:53 PM EDT up reply actions
Now if only he could be a long snapper too....
I think we’re carrying a “linebacker” who isn’t even on the depth chart at the position to be long snapper, and I’d love to see the Giants get someone who not only can do the snapping, but could be useful in the linebacker role as well. I don’t see this guy as our first need at linebacker, but as an end of draft pickup he might be worth a chance.
A lot of teams carry snappers
whose only job really is to long snap. It is a special skill.
All the more reason to teach it to someone who can do something else...
And I’d feel better about having a “designated snapper” if our punter returned to form and our kicker gets better on his kickoffs.
Agreed
Although i don’t see Lee slipping past the second round, maybe a high third round. It would be sweet to see the Giants grab Spiller in the first and Lee in the second if McClain doesn’t fall to us though. I dont really see a need to draft this guy unless we don’t draft another MLB earlier. We already have plenty of capable backups we need a starter.
As time goes on my LB choices get slimmer & slimmer
and this guy wouldnt be part of my selections, Dillard is alright but there are too many other more talented guys even in the later rounds. Before I draft Dillard, I would let Goff get the Job or Kehl or Wilkinson, I want 2 LB’s out of the draft but not depth backers, they have to be guys that I can see taking the job outright, we have enough “almost there” players already
Peyton May Have The Wins!!
But Eli Will Have The Rings!!!
Rolando McClain, Brian Price, John Jerry, Jamar Chaney, Deji Kenji, Kenny Alfred, Rafael Priest....... April 22-24th.
regardless..
they need depth. Pierce and Clark may have been average at best..but that’s 2 roster spots. I guess you can call Wilkinson one of them, but they gotta get a player or 2.
For Goff and Wilkinson, they need competetion. THose 2 should be given every right to win the spot of course.
That’s also a reason I don’t wanna trade up. Cuz if you trade up for McClain…how could you justify not starting him?
half and half
Yes we need that impact guy… one that would instantly set himself as the starter above all the rest. (McClain, Spoon, or even in my opinion Washington) that guy has to come out of the first 2 rounds, or FA. But using a 4th or 5th on a second LB that could replace or compete with one of our “Coulda beens” is also a good idea…
As far as we’ve seen the LB’s are a weakness. I feel like someone will step up to fill the MLB spot effectively (drafted or already here). but competition will be key to making that happen. That’s where a guy like this is useful CCE718 says this guys a competitor, So i"m definitely not opposed to bringin him in with a late round pick.
i think we should trade up to get mcclain
If we think he will have the greatest impact. We have to stop looking at draft picks as gold. As Ed’s column on pass picks shows, it is a crap shoot with very little chance of getting a “great” player. This is why I hate when folks say trade osi for a 2nd pick. Osi is a pro bowler or at the very least a solid nfl player. Look at Ed’s article on all the players drafted in the 2nd round at 47 over the last 10 year and you will realize that the best we can hope for is a player who will be a probowler like Osi already is. As fans we love the hope of drafting a star with a pick more than the star player himself. Less that 50 percent of 1st rounders make it beyond 4 year and even fewer become stars. The odd get worse in the later rounds. I rather us trade some picks to attempt to get a greater chance at a high impact player.
by blueforever on Apr 7, 2010 5:15 PM EDT via mobile reply actions
I don't think 1st and 3rd gets it
According to the charts I’ve found our 15 pick is worth 1050 points. To trade up for McClain you have to figure at least getting in front of Denver, so you have to trade with Jacksonville. Their #10 pick is worth 1300 points. That is a 250 point differential. Our 3rd round pick is worth 195 points, so we’d have to do something more for a break even. Add that Jacksonville is the most liekly dance partner in that top category and they don’t have a 2nd rounder and they are probably going to dance with someone who will give them a 2nd rounder. The best deal we could prbably get with them is our #15 and our 2 for their #10 and 3rd. We’d still get the higher points value out of the trade, but they might due it for the urge to get into the second round. DO we really want to give up our 2nd to get up to McClain though?
when He's wearin a Blue Jersey
2 yrs from now will we care what we might have done with that second pick?
Or will we be standing in the Meadowlands drinkin and spillin beer on our Franchise MLB’s jersey, talkin about how he almost took Marion Barber’s head off last week.
I don't know if Barber will still be a Cowboy in 2 years
He’s falling out fo favor a bit, but I get the point you are making. To me McClain is good enough that I’m ok with him being our first pick, I won’t completely freak if they trade up, but I’d really rather they didn’t burn a 1 and a 2 on him. To me nothing is garunteed with any player in the draft and your 1 and 2 are your best shots of getting high quality. Odds wise you are more likely to have a successful pick making two at the top rather than one.
wants? concerns?
Yeah. Needs? Come on now. Our only real need was saftey and jr addressed that. What make you think that what we can get beyond the second round can replace sintim, boley or goff who already know our defense. Sintim and goff were 2nd and 3d rd picks but we think some newly drafted player with the same tallent rating will somehow be better? Same thing with dT with cofield, canty, alford, sometimes tuck. I know jR is good at finding tallent but we put way too much faith in draft picks. The jets did it right by trading up to get quality over quantity.
by blueforever on Apr 8, 2010 6:05 PM EDT via mobile up reply actions
The Jets traded up for a potential franchise QB
which is the only exception for trading multiple picks away in the first round. They also got a bit of a hometown discount trading with Mangina.
And most of the Giants roster and how talented (when healthy) it is, gives every basis for anyone who worries about the draft.
That’s how they built their team’s foundation. This is why when we have an 8-8 season, people give a crap.
They drafted well and drafted starters and depth. This is how you sustain success.
We’ll see how it works out for the Jets. It was cute for a year, but lets see how they can follow it up.
Why would you not?
Who could we really get with our 2nd round that is 1. better then getting McClain, and 2. So much better then someone we could get with that 3rd we would get? The only thing that would make me not want to trade for McClain is if another really good prospect falls to us in the first round and then we get a good MLB in the second like Lee or maybe Spikes.
They don't have to trade the 2nd rounder in there....
so that’s dead.
And Tiki Barber, Chris Snee, Michael Strahan, Amani Toomer, Osi Umenyiora, Steve Smith, Terrell Thomas…all wonder why in the hell the Giants would ever give up a 2nd round pick????
I still LOL at Spikes too….I’d rather see Kareem McKenzie playing MLB
I am not suggesting we necessarily trade our 2nd rounder but there is no one they can draft in 3-7 that will have an impact or can start for the other 3-7 rounders we have playing in front of them. The giants can add depth but they have solid depth already. We need impact players and I think a mlb like mcclain can have the most impact for our team. I want bpa but mclain can get us bpa and shore up a “potential” area of weakness. Like last year, many of these picks won’t make the squad or just be fodder that they keep around for special teams. The giants when healthy are pretty darn good (even with goff) and only an impact player will make a difference. Anyone else is just depth…. Yawn.
by blueforever on Apr 8, 2010 9:30 PM EDT via mobile up reply actions
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