ChiBears78
Member
- Joined:
- May 12, 2014
- Posts:
- 107
- Liked Posts:
- 97
My favorite teams
https://theloopsports.com/2018/03/30/bears-scouting-report-harold-landry/
Our excellent staff of Chicago Bears writers have covered most of the Bear’s options at number eight overall. Bradley Chubb (report on him still to come but not likely he falls to Chicago), Quenton Nelson, Tremaine Edmunds, and Minkah Fitzpatrick are the top four on my big board. And with the run on quarterbacks that is expected in the high end of the first round, it is almost inconceivable that none fall to the Bears.
However, in the unlikely event that none do fall, or the Bears aren’t completely enamored with their options, they should look at trade down options. Arizona and Buffalo need quarterbacks and could be looking to move into the top-10 from 15 and 12, respectively. If that happens, Boston College’s edge rusher Harold Landry is a very real and appetizing possible selection for Ryan Pace’s Bears.
With the need at outside linebacker and Landry’s skills as a pure pass rusher, Pace should take a hard look at Landry if he chooses to trade down into the teens.
Player: Harold Landry
School: Boston College
Position: Edge Rusher
Size: 6’3″, 252 pounds
Positives
He has a very good history of sack production. 16.5 sacks would be an excellent, sure-fire Pro Bowl season for an NFL pass rusher in a 16 game season. So when Landry did that in a 12-game college season, you can see why it raised a few eyebrows. Some players have a nose for the quarterback, and some don’t. Harold Landry does. The stats speak for themselves but on tape, it’s even more clear that Landry is one of the best pure sack artists in the draft. Obviously, getting to the quarterback is the most valuable asset you can ask for in any defensive player.
He possesses a great burst and speed off the edge. Don’t be fooled by Landry’s somewhat pedestrian 4.64 40 yard dash. His off-the-ball speed is the best in this draft class among linebackers and defensive ends. On his game film, what astounds me is that he isn’t even that good at jumping the snap, which is where the burst can come from in a lot of edge rushers (like Solomon Thomas last year). This tends to be an unteachable skill, which is why it’s something scouts particularly look for in pass rushers.
He has a dip move that will translate to the NFL level. Like Marcus Davenport, whose scouting report I completed last week, Landry has a pass rush maneuver that he goes to all the time and it tends to work very well: the dip. He’ll shoot off the line of scrimmage, drop his inside shoulder under the offensive tackle’s arm down to his stomach/hip line, and drive his feet outside so he can turn the corner and get to the quarterback quickly. It works often on tape and should do well against higher competition.
He forces lots and lots of fumbles. During his astounding 2016 season, Landry forced seven fumbles in 12 games, which is insane. Turnovers are something that the Bears’ defense severely lacked in 2017 and in all their years under Vic Fangio, so this would be a much-needed upgrade from what they had before. This will also translate well to the NFL because almost all of his fumbles were forced against quarterbacks in the pocket, who generally aren’t so great at holding onto the football against experienced turnover artists.
Negatives
His production fell off a cliff in 2017. There are two sides to Harold Landry’s college career. There’s the 2016 season where he put up 16.5 sacks, and the next year where he put up… five. That can be attributed to ankle injury issues (which is also a negative itself by the way) but on tape, he looked a lot more dominant and better as an NFL prospect in 2016. In addition, Landry exemplified the word “motor” in 2016 before showing significant effort and backside pursuit issues the next season. His junior year game film probably makes him a top ten pick, while his senior year film probably puts him outside the first round. Will the real Harold Landry please stand up?
He’s a one-move pass rusher. Here’s another similarity between Landry and Davenport (whose playing styles are almost nothing alike, to be clear, but have this trait in common). That dip move that I mentioned earlier is all he does. You’d really like to see an inside counter because the better offensive tackles in the NFL will adapt and stop the outside speed rush. This can be developed but it’s a little concerning that he only used one maneuver in his college career.
He isn’t much of a run stopper. I would have wanted Landry to be a complete player but his build just isn’t great for an elite run defender. He should get a little stronger as his NFL career goes on to supplement his elite speed rush.
Conclusion
Any time a player shows that much potential and polish at a premium position and skill (pass rushing), they have to be considered a top-15 pick, and often times players like that are taken in the top-10. Landry shows enough ability at getting after the quarterback on a consistent basis to solidify himself as a player who should be taken in the top half of the first round.
I project Landry to go in the 12-15 range. I rank him higher than Marcus Davenport in terms of pure edge rushers, and obviously behind Bradley Chubb. Landry is a clear trade down target for Chicago, and if a quarterback falls, I would call up Buffalo or Arizona with Landry as the Bears’ top target in a trade down scenario.
Our excellent staff of Chicago Bears writers have covered most of the Bear’s options at number eight overall. Bradley Chubb (report on him still to come but not likely he falls to Chicago), Quenton Nelson, Tremaine Edmunds, and Minkah Fitzpatrick are the top four on my big board. And with the run on quarterbacks that is expected in the high end of the first round, it is almost inconceivable that none fall to the Bears.
However, in the unlikely event that none do fall, or the Bears aren’t completely enamored with their options, they should look at trade down options. Arizona and Buffalo need quarterbacks and could be looking to move into the top-10 from 15 and 12, respectively. If that happens, Boston College’s edge rusher Harold Landry is a very real and appetizing possible selection for Ryan Pace’s Bears.
With the need at outside linebacker and Landry’s skills as a pure pass rusher, Pace should take a hard look at Landry if he chooses to trade down into the teens.
Player: Harold Landry
School: Boston College
Position: Edge Rusher
Size: 6’3″, 252 pounds
Positives
He has a very good history of sack production. 16.5 sacks would be an excellent, sure-fire Pro Bowl season for an NFL pass rusher in a 16 game season. So when Landry did that in a 12-game college season, you can see why it raised a few eyebrows. Some players have a nose for the quarterback, and some don’t. Harold Landry does. The stats speak for themselves but on tape, it’s even more clear that Landry is one of the best pure sack artists in the draft. Obviously, getting to the quarterback is the most valuable asset you can ask for in any defensive player.
He possesses a great burst and speed off the edge. Don’t be fooled by Landry’s somewhat pedestrian 4.64 40 yard dash. His off-the-ball speed is the best in this draft class among linebackers and defensive ends. On his game film, what astounds me is that he isn’t even that good at jumping the snap, which is where the burst can come from in a lot of edge rushers (like Solomon Thomas last year). This tends to be an unteachable skill, which is why it’s something scouts particularly look for in pass rushers.
He has a dip move that will translate to the NFL level. Like Marcus Davenport, whose scouting report I completed last week, Landry has a pass rush maneuver that he goes to all the time and it tends to work very well: the dip. He’ll shoot off the line of scrimmage, drop his inside shoulder under the offensive tackle’s arm down to his stomach/hip line, and drive his feet outside so he can turn the corner and get to the quarterback quickly. It works often on tape and should do well against higher competition.
He forces lots and lots of fumbles. During his astounding 2016 season, Landry forced seven fumbles in 12 games, which is insane. Turnovers are something that the Bears’ defense severely lacked in 2017 and in all their years under Vic Fangio, so this would be a much-needed upgrade from what they had before. This will also translate well to the NFL because almost all of his fumbles were forced against quarterbacks in the pocket, who generally aren’t so great at holding onto the football against experienced turnover artists.
Negatives
His production fell off a cliff in 2017. There are two sides to Harold Landry’s college career. There’s the 2016 season where he put up 16.5 sacks, and the next year where he put up… five. That can be attributed to ankle injury issues (which is also a negative itself by the way) but on tape, he looked a lot more dominant and better as an NFL prospect in 2016. In addition, Landry exemplified the word “motor” in 2016 before showing significant effort and backside pursuit issues the next season. His junior year game film probably makes him a top ten pick, while his senior year film probably puts him outside the first round. Will the real Harold Landry please stand up?
He’s a one-move pass rusher. Here’s another similarity between Landry and Davenport (whose playing styles are almost nothing alike, to be clear, but have this trait in common). That dip move that I mentioned earlier is all he does. You’d really like to see an inside counter because the better offensive tackles in the NFL will adapt and stop the outside speed rush. This can be developed but it’s a little concerning that he only used one maneuver in his college career.
He isn’t much of a run stopper. I would have wanted Landry to be a complete player but his build just isn’t great for an elite run defender. He should get a little stronger as his NFL career goes on to supplement his elite speed rush.
Conclusion
Any time a player shows that much potential and polish at a premium position and skill (pass rushing), they have to be considered a top-15 pick, and often times players like that are taken in the top-10. Landry shows enough ability at getting after the quarterback on a consistent basis to solidify himself as a player who should be taken in the top half of the first round.
I project Landry to go in the 12-15 range. I rank him higher than Marcus Davenport in terms of pure edge rushers, and obviously behind Bradley Chubb. Landry is a clear trade down target for Chicago, and if a quarterback falls, I would call up Buffalo or Arizona with Landry as the Bears’ top target in a trade down scenario.
