Name: Courtney Upshaw
Ideal Position: 3-4 OLB
Measurements: 6-2 270 lbs.
School: Alabama
- Thick guy who has drawn comparisons to Woodley since the preseason this year. Plays faster than you would think for his weight and shows good hand extension. There is a lot to like about Upshaw and the problems I have with him are small ones.
- Is not always a guy who can shed an LT and make a tackle, however he will always eat a block up and make the RB change lanes if he is planning to run in Upshaw’s gap.
-Does a good (not elite) job bending the edge and has the skill/speed to loop around behind the pocket and get a strip sack.
-Very active presnap, does a good job diagnosing the play and keeping the BC from cutting back when he plays backside.
-Elite finisher. Whether he chases someone down, hits the head up, or is jumping in on a gang tackle, when he gets his hands on you they might as well blow the whistle.
-On pass rushing downs he has lined up as a 4-3 DE and looks strong there which definitely makes him more attractive to teams who may have coaching changes this year on the defensive side.
-Even when he gets himself out of position, he rarely loses his balance and when he does he recovers strong. He presents a small target to blockers by turning his pads while keeping solid leverage.
-Woodley…I mean Upshaw has a huge ceiling and will provide a great young defender for whoever picks him up. His only competition for the top 3-4 OLB spot is Zach Brown from UNC who is a two sport star that is rumored to run a mid 4.2 40 which would be amazing. As of now I can’t see Upshaw falling out of the top 12 unless need strictly makes teams avoid him. Possible destinations: Cardinals, Chargers, Miami, Buffalo.
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