OLB, Larry English, Northern Illinois

OLB, Larry English, Northern Illinois

Pros:   Solid linebacker build, with more than adequate upper-body strength and legs for the position. Good motor, hustles down or across the field until the play is completed, even if initially blocked.

Cons:  Lacks the bulk to play with his hand down in the NFL, which he did in college. Gets engulfed by better left tackles on inside pass rush moves, lacks the strength to bull rush and doesn't quite have the speed to get the corner consistently

Styg's Broncos Fit:   MAC attack!!  Decent frame and build, just slightly undersized, and suffered early in his career when asked to put his hand in the dirt as a rush end.  But with the change to a stand-up rusher, English shows great quickness, terrific awareness and instincts, and a suitable amount of zone and pass coverage awareness.  He is energetic making plays near the line, keeping his feet and hands active, maintaining his balance in pursuit and disengaging from blockers.  Despite his quickness, he is too slow to legitimately pressure the outside edges and may not be able to keep up with elite TEs.

Around MHR:

Around SBNation:

From Scouting Report at Mocking the Draft:

English’s stats (32.5 career sacks and 57 tackles for a loss) make him an extremely intriguing pass rush prospect. He has good straight-line speed and a knack for getting to quarterbacks. However, he seems somewhat like a one-trick pony. He doesn’t play the run especially well and has little experience in pass coverage. As a senior, he only had 37 total tackles. Most likely a 3-4 outside linebacker, unless he can be a quick study and play strong-side linebacker for a 4-3 team.

From "Larry English Pro Day Results" at Red and Black Attack:

Defensive end Larry English ran the 40-yard dash and the 60-yard shuttle. He also participated in the broad jump and did positional drills. English said his fastest time according to one scout was 4.62 seconds and his slowest time according to another scout was 4.75 seconds. English ran the 40 in 4.77 seconds at the NFL Combine.

English said he improved on everything from the combine. He also revealed that he scored a 34 on the Wonderlic test.

Highlights:

More Highlights and the MVP.

Scouting Reports and Offsite Links:

• English told WTVO he felt good about his performance.  "I'm happy with the way today went.  I felt I helped myself.  I improved on all the things I did.  I improved from my combine results.  That's all I can ask for."
  
  Several draft projections have English going late in the first round of the draft.  He played defensive end at NIU, and he was a two-time MVP of the Mid-American Conference.  In the NFL he's projected to play outside linebacker.  [see more...]
• Another fast (4.78) and skillful defensive end from a small school. He most likely would be an outside linebacker at the next level. Has a good frame, although he needs to bulk up. Does not moves well laterally, despite his speed. Awkward hip turning motion. Was manhandled by better competition. Has struggled against physical blockers. Needs better technique and desire.  [see more...]
• The back to back MAC MVP, Larry English was one of the most dominant players in college football the past three years and totaled 32.5 career sacks. He played defensive end in college but likely is going to have to transition to a 3-4 rush OLB spot in the pros. As seen with several prospects in recent years, most notably Vernon Gholston, that transition to a new position is never a guarantee. English lacks the elite athleticism of some of the other likely 3-4 OLB in the class, but it is hard to ignore his collegiate domination.  [see more...]
• Uncle, Charles Richardson, lettered as a fullback at Wisconsin in 1972...Named the Mid-American Conference's Most Valuable Player two years in a row ('07 and ''08)...Also named the MAC Defensive Player of the Year as a senior...Owns the Huskies career sack record...Redshirted as a true freshman after he missed the final 11 games with an ankle injury...Tore his ACL in the Poinsettia Bowl as a sophomore...Tore a pectoral muscle prior to his senior campaign...Underwent surgery to place pins in his broken right thumb during the 2008 season...College defensive end who will probably have to move to outside linebacker in the NFL (most likely in a 3-4 scheme) but may not have the physical tools to do so successfully...Superb college player with an impressive resumé but a classic 'tweener who appears to be getting overrated as a pro prospect.  [see more...]
• Great build: strong and has solid muscle definition ... Consistently impressive statistical production ... Tough, physical ... Gritty player who maximizes his talent on the field; great motor ... Does a great job of anticipating the play and has a sixth sense you look for; Instinctive ... Gives second effort as a pass rusher ... Virtually unstoppable rip move ... Gets leverage and powerfully executes the bull rush ... Nice hand technique at point of attack ... Brings leadership to the table ... Outstanding character off the field.  [see more...]
• Displays a good first step off the edge and uses his hands well to shed blocks on the outside and reach the corner. Does a nice job getting offensive tackles to overextend and has the short-area quickness to shed blocks. Works hard in pursuit and chases the ball well from the backside. Is a physical tackler who has the ability to set the edge on the outside.  [see more...]
•  English is a fantastic athlete with the speed, change of direction skills and short area quickness to make a transition to OLB likely.  While considered a bit undersized to play end, heʼs not overly undersized but his future is standing up.  Heʼs proven capable of covering backs out of the backfield and sticking with tight ends when dropping back.  English actually appears much faster standing up then when at end.  He possesses top notch balance and rarely takes false steps.  His punch is very good for his size, has the long arms to keep blockers at a distance and works through trash very well.  His speed of the snap has been an absolute nightmare for even the nationʼs top OT prospects.  Good definition, excellent upper body strength and a decent variety of pass rush moves though speed will always be his biggest weapon.  [see more...]
• The two-time defending MAC Defensive Player of the Year, English quickly proved to NFL scouts at the Senior Bowl that his 31.5 career sacks at Northern Illinois were not a mirage.
  
  Too fast off the edge for the game's most athletic tackles, English certainly proved the pass-rush threat scouts are looking for, though there remain concerns about his ability to hold up at the line of scrimmage against the run. Teams operating out of the 3-4 alignment will be sure to pay extra attention to how English performs in linebacker drills at the Combine, as he was not asked to drop back into coverage often while with the Huskies or at the Senior Bowl.
  
  If he can demonstrate the straight-line speed and flexibility for coverage necessary to move to the rush linebacker position, English could follow the likes of DeMarcus Ware, Anthony Spencer and LaMarr Woodley as former athletic, albeit undersized, Senior Bowl standouts whose ability to pressure the quarterback resulted in first-day draft selections.  [see more...]