OLB, Clint Sintim, Virginia

OLB, Clint Sintim, Virginia

Pros:  Good height and strong lower- and upper-body build. ... Often plays as the elephant linebacker in the 3-4, where he will likely play in the pros.

Cons:  Might be considered an end-linebacker "tweener" by 4-3 teams, but he could fit as a strong-side linebacker if he proves the ability to handle coverage responsibilities.

Styg's Broncos Fit:   Sintim is particularly suited to the outside edges in a 3-4 scheme.  He has strength throughout his body, with good height and is able to hold his own against FBs, creating pileups in the running lane.  Effective against tackles, is able to defeat their handwork and maintain leverage, but is not likely to beat them around the outside.  His ability to drop into coverage is in doubt, and he lacks the straight-line speed to project to be able to cover TEs.  Has stiff hips, so may not do well covering the flats on either side.  Plenty of upside and flashes of a physically powerful player, but Denver may want to look elsewhere on Day 1.

Around MHR:

From "Something Different:  2nd Round"

OLB – Clint Sintim, Virginia, Sintim is an aggressive defender who’s a perfect fit for a team that runs a 3-4 defense. He has great size, strength and quickness. He takes good angles off the edge and possesses outstanding tackling technique. He takes on the opposition at the line of scrimmage, sheds well and is good in pursuit. He can play the SAM linebacker position in a 4-3 defense, but has to improve his cover skills.

From "Getting Defensive"

After redshirting as freshman in 2004, Clint Sintim started every game as a freshman in 2005 and never looked back. During that freshman campaign he ranked fifth on the team in tackles, third in sacks and fourth in tackles-for-loss. His numbers steadily improved over his career and he tallied 45 tackles, 12.0 tackles-for-loss and four sacks in 2006. By his junior year Sintim was a leader of the defense and recorded 77 tackles, ranking third on the team. By his senior campaign he totaled 70 tackles, 11.0 sacks and 13.0 tackles-for-loss. His 0.92 sacks per game average in 2008 was the best among linebackers in the entire nation and he was rewarded with second-team All-ACC honors. Despite all the sacks, Sintim is a well balanced outside linebacker. He can deliver the big hit, get to the quarterback and drop back into coverage.

Around SBNation:

From "Scouting the Draft:  Clint Sintim" at The Phinsider:

Sintim is at his best when playing in downhill mode, particularly as a pass rusher when Sintim is able to play on the edge, often coming out of a four-point stance to go wide. Sintim has a nose for the quarterback and a surprisingly wide range of pass rush moves (with excellent handwork), including the ability to go into the body and bull-rush some offensive tackles when they start cheating to the outside. Against the run, Sintim seldom is caught out of position and plays his angles well but he can be inconsistent at shedding blocks and can be exploited in space by smaller, quicker offensive players.

From Scouting Report at Mocking the Draft:

 Sintim possesses prototypical outside linebacker size for the NFL. A good athlete, Sintim was a pass rush specialist for Virginia, finishing his career with 27 sacks. Has played with his hand down in 4-3 sets. Strong and physical, Sintim does a nice job beating blocks. A very aggressive player who always works hard on the field. Very competitive. Strong in pursuit. An experienced, four-year starter who has a good bit of intelligence.

Highlights:

Scouting Reports and Offsite Links:

• As he stood off to the side of the weight room waiting for the official start of the University of Vir-ginia's Pro Day Thursday morning, Clint Sintim was already a bundle of energy.
  
  "Thirty-seven days," Sintim said without any prompting.
  
  The Gar-Field High School graduate wasn't trying to get too far ahead of himself in his reference to when the NFL Draft begins on April 25th, but it was hard for him to contain his enthu-siasm.  [see more...]
• Was a four-year starter in the ACC...Named 2nd Team All-ACC in 2008...Led the entire country in linebacker sacks as a senior...Played through a serious shoulder injury in 2006 that eventually required surgery...Started his final 49 games with the Cavs...Could project outside or inside...Best fit at the next level will likely come on the strongside in a 4-3 scheme or outside in a 3-4...Big, versatile 'backer who makes a ton of impact plays...Excellent pro prospect who could end up being a stud in the NFL  like Ahmad Brooks was supposed to be.  [see more...]
• Clint Sintim is one of the most productive players in the 2009 NFL Draft and fits a variety of schemes. At Virginia, he played with his hand down as an end and standing up as a linebacker. He totaled 20 sacks his last two seasons at Virginia and is one of the better linebackers at getting after the QB. While many prospects in the draft have to be projected to a 3-4 rush OLB role, Sintim played the position well at Virginia. He also could contribute in a 4-3 difference as a SAM backer, with his natural strength. He is really a complete linebacker and should start in the NFL for a long time.  [see more...]
• To many pundits, Sintim is the second best outside linebacker after Wake Forest's Aaron Curry. That would put him ahead of players like Brian Cushing and Marcus Freeman. Senior week and the combine will be the difference maker, but Sintim could end up being a first round selection. He may not have gotten much recognition during the season due to the relatively poor performance of the Cavaliers, but that will change now.  [see more...]
• Clint Sintim flew somewhat under the radar in 2008 due to his teams struggles. He tallied 11 sacks in 2008 and his sack per game total was tops among all linebackers in the nation. With his size and power Sintim has the potential to be a game changing pass rushing linebacker. He does provide some versatility as he could play the strong side in a 4-3 in addition to his natural position as a rush backer in the 3-4. With good workouts look for him to rise up draft boards quickly.  [see more...]
•  big, physically built linebacker with a long wingspan and good power on contact. Played as a 3-4 rush outside linebacker after setting foot on campus and is NFL-ready. Has a good first step off the edge with the length and suddenness to slip blocks. Showcases good footwork and changes directions cleanly. Redirects well to the ball on inside runs.  [see more...]
• Nice height, size, and build ... Supreme versatility; Can play 4-3 SAM, 3-4 OLB ... Do-it-all linebacker in the appropriate schemes ... Athletic enough to be a consistent force in the pass rush ... Takes appropriate angles to ball-carriers ... Excellent strength ... Able to shake offensive linemen and make the tackle ... Highly productive and consistent playmaker even with the loss of Chris Long ... Will be an outstanding leader.  [see more...]