Merriman ran a 4.6 at his pro day...

[UberDork]

Merriman weighed in at 274 and he ran a 4.6 and on top of that he had a 40" verticle at his pro day today...he had 25 reps at the combine...wow

LINK

Sorry I forgot to put the link

[texansfan88]

you know the ironic thing about Merrimen? all of the Peek supporters to get him on the field seem to want the team to draft Merrimen

[WittTexan]

thought he didnt jump. gotta link?

[UberDork]

Does anyone out there besides me wonder how Merriman would do in the middle...perhaps the buc spot...Has anyone watched him?...he did play a little linebacker right?...Has anyone seen him in coverage?

[Nawzer]

I like Merriman a lot. But I thought he can play inside too. I have a feeling that we'll draft a linebacker with our first pick.

[Cincinnatikid]

Originally Posted by texansfan88

you know the ironic thing about Merrimen? all of the Peek supporters to get him on the field seem to want the team to draft Merrimen

Thats not true, i for one an not for it cuz this team doesnt need the most help outside. I believe peeks stats from his workout were not too far off from merrimens

[Rosusu]

If he can play inside I am all for him, I honestly dont know much about him so I cant say. I think for now we have almost too many OLB. We have 3 potential starters and some able backups so I rather draft someone who can play inside and play next to Greenwood supposing Sharper doesnt return.

[UberDork]

Here are what I think are Peek's combine numbers

Antwan Peek (6-1¼, 247, 4.52/40, 4.33/SS, 7.06/3-cone, 21/BP, 37"/V, 10’5"/LJ) | Cincinnati

If Merriman were able to play inside....I would be VERY excited about speed at our LB spots...And the thing about Merriman is that he is almost 30 pounds heavier...

[STEEL BLUE TEXANS]

Antwan Peek

CAMPUS AGILITY TESTS
4.54 in the 40-yard dash (4.63 hand-held) … 2.57 in the 20-yard dash … 1.56 in the 10-yard dash … 36-inch vertical jump … 10-foot-5 broad jump … 1,625-pound leg press … 775-pound squat … 375-pound bench press … Bench presses 225 pounds 24 times … 370-pound squat … 6.7 percent body fat … Right-handed.

[MojoX]

Originally Posted by Cincinnatikid

Thats not true, i for one an not for it cuz this team doesnt need the most help outside. I believe peeks stats from his workout were not too far off from merrimens

Its not just the workout numbers that make Merriman such an attractive prospect. The guy also has much skill and intensity. Here is a draft analysis from NFL.com:

A rare talent with the ability to play away from the line as a strong-side linebacker, off the edge as a rush end or in a three-point stance as a down lineman. He has excellent quickness and explosion off the ball. Merriman is more productive when allowed to roam the field. He has the flexibility, knee bend, agility and speed to make plays down the line, string out the run and shoot the gaps with suddenness.

He might be better suited to play outside linebacker at the next level; he has the short-area speed and burst to mirror and reroute tight ends and backs on pass routes. Shawne possesses a solid build with good strength and superb leaping ability. His lower-body strength and strong anchor allow him to hold his ground at the point of attack when lined up as a down lineman. He gets off the line with a sudden burst and shows the awareness to recognize blocking schemes. When he gets clear air into the backfield, he will instantly get to the quarterback.

He will sometimes struggle to defeat blocks working in-line, but is very active with his hands and shows good second effort. He has the power base to hold ground at the point of attack and is effective using his hands to split double teams. His long reach lets him maintain separation from blocks and he is a solid wrap-up tackler in space. He uses his hands to swat and swim with great effectiveness.

Merriman looks very fluid in his pass drops and utilizes his leaping ability to bat down a fair share of short passes at the line of scrimmage. He is still developing a feel in pass coverage, but has good hip snap and acceleration coming out of his backpedal. He closes with desire coming off the edge and his burst lets him sift through traffic to make plays from the backside. His above-average range and ability to take proper pursuit angles is evident when working in space.

He is a smash-mouth type of tackler who can fill the holes or redirect the outside runs back inside. He is very active with his hands, doing a nice job of fighting and shedding blocks to plug the running lanes. His explosive initial step and ability to anticipate the snap count lets him penetrate into the backfield with explosion. He is very effective at breaking down in the open field, extending his arms to wrap and secure as a tackler. Merriman plays until the whistle, but needs to operate with less of a reckless nature; his penchant for sacrificing his body to make the play has led to several minor injuries that affected his play.

For a player of such a young age, he has a good understanding of zone assignments and despite his size, is sudden in his transition to turn and run with the receivers. He knows how to use his explosiveness to close on the quarterback in a hurry, but will bite on play-action, taking false steps before redirecting. His tall frame comes in handy when he has to play the pass, as he does a good job of timing his leaps to deflect throws at the line of scrimmage.

In a 3-4 defense, he would be an ideal strong-side linebacker. He is developing good hand usage, but can be washed out of the play if an offensive tackle locks on to him due to his limited size as a down lineman. If a team decides to bulk him up, Jason Taylor and Jevon Kearse will have someone to compete with for the sack title before long.

[texansalltheway]

I know this is nit picky but I thought he was going to slim down from his combine weight to show that he could play OLB and/or DE. Isn't 274 a little heavy for a LB. Any ways I doubt he'll last till the 13th pick because he is probably the #1 DE now.

[STEEL BLUE TEXANS]

Adalius Thomas (Ravens) is 270 lbs.

[Vinny]

I don't care if he can play inside or not, if he falls to 13 I'd rush my card to the podium and snag him asap.

[jr0ck]

I don't care if he can play inside or not, if he falls to 13 I'd rush my card to the podium and snag him asap.

agreed, i like what i've read about him moreso than what i've seen of DJ. 274lbs, 4.6 40' and 40" vertical while maintaing "flexibility, knee bend, agility and speed"...yes please

[Blake]

Originally Posted by Vinny

I don't care if he can play inside or not, if he falls to 13 I'd rush my card to the podium and snag him asap.

I agree. This guy was meant to rush the QB from the OLB spot. There are so many 3-4 teams that could take him before us which kinda sucks.

Dallas could use him. San Diego could use him. Although they just signed Foley to a 3 year deal.

[MojoX]

I would be estatic if the Texans managed to trade up and snag this guy. I don't think he'll be at 13 though.

[cadahnic]

DJ is the best Defensive Player in the draft. What are you talking about J. To compare Merrimen to DJ is like comparing Lawrence Taylor to Willie McGinest. That is just not smart. DJ's whole career was based on making playes Merrimen was a filler and pass rusher. He made plays but you cannot compare the best to someone else. This is the type of hype that gets you to pick someone like David Pollack with the 13th pick.

[wags]

Originally Posted by DC_ROCK

Dallas could use him. San Diego could use him.

I don't see how Merriman gets by these two teams.

Peeks wonderlic score was 13, just about smart enough to go outside to get the paper. This is one of the reasons that he may not be a full time starting OLB. I'm a major proponent to having smart players and I may emphasize the wonderlic more than I should, but a 13???

I'm not as high on Merriman as most of you all and would like to see us take a conventional ILB, not a tweener in the 1st 3 rounds. Guys that have been a LB before such as Channing or Grigsby. There are a lot of tweeners this year so if warranted we can pick one up in the later rounds, not the 1st.

[infantrycak]

Originally Posted by SESupergenius

I'm not as high on Merriman as most of you all and would like to see us take a conventional ILB, not a tweener in the 1st 3 rounds. Guys that have been a LB before such as Channing or Grigsby.

Hasn't Merriman only been a DE one year? He was a LB in HS and for the 1st two years of college I thought.