Zac Diles

[LORK 88]

Originally Posted by Hook'er

They actually have him listed as the fastest Inside Linebacker in last years draft. (ESPN Draft Guide 2007)

Zach Diles Kansas State
+Reads plays quickly, and has an explosive first step and can make plays at the line of scrimmage. Closes well and delivers big hits. Good body control and wraps up on contact. Can slip blockers in space and has unlimited range. Plays with nonstop motor. Gets good depth on zone drops. Changes direction quickly and burst out of cuts.
-Undersized and gets ingulfed at times. Wears down in every-down role. Plays too high and can get driven back. Doesn't use hands well, lacks upper body strenght and takes too long to shed blocks. Avoids blockers instead of stacking them up, overruns holes and gets caught out of position. Doesn't show a variety of pass-rush moves or the lower-body strenght to push blockers back into the QB.

He ran a mid 4.7 at his pro day last year (he wasn't invited to the combine), I don't think ESPN realized that Patrick Willis runs in the 4.3 - 4.4 range. Regardless, Diles earned his spot on the starting roster when the odds were heavily in his favor of being on the PS at best. His quickness, smart play, and physical nature have earned him the inside track to starting, let's hope he can exceed expectations again.

[badboy]

I'll take a 7th rounder evry year that can start his second season. Some scout ought to get a free steak dinner on Mr. Diles eval. Can't wait to see what Smithiak does this year with the 7th. He got a starting center with our 6th. So a starter or solid back up is not out of question. Smiley face goes here