from Draft Insiders - 2004 (emphasis mine)
6'-1", 240 lbs, Notre Dame (taken in the 2nd round, #60, by New Orleans) Aggressive athletic inside linebacker completed a fine career for the Irish, starting the past three seasons. Courtney moved to inside linebacker as a senior after two prior seasons starting on the outside, totaling 31 starts in 42 games. He has been a very productive high moter 'backer with good intelligence and instincts. As a senior, he recorded 107 tackles, 14 TFL and 3.5 sacks. As a junior, he made 90 tackles, 10 TFL and 3 sacks, earning All-American honers for the first time. He lacks great size for the inside linebacker spot, but he is one of the best athletes at the position in recent years. He may be best suited for the outside and the strongside in particular. He displays good technique and instincts that allow him to get the most out of his athleticism. He has good movement skills and is solid in pass coverage. He reads the QB's eyes, gets in the passing lanes and does a great job of getting into position to make a play on the ball. He shows some stiffness in deep drops, but can play over the TE or match up with backs in man coverage. In run defense, he can be slow at times when attacking the line of scrimmage, though is quick and aggressive when moving laterally along the line. He can fight through trash and stay on his feet. He hits with some force on his tackles, displaying fine technique and wrap up ability. He was slightly inconsistant on a weekly basis, but the Irish defense played with some key injuries during the past two seasons. He is an athete with fine functional strength and the speed to make tackles consistantly at the sidelines. He is a smart kid, a real warrior, and an excellant example on and off the field. He has good toughness, work ethic and is really competitive. He is an explosive hitter, shows fine instincts, locates the ball quick and usually keeps leverage. He reads and reacts quickly and is almost always in position to make the play. He can take false steps, which puts him in poor position to recover on plays. He stays clean mostly and runners cannot cut back on him or around him. At the Senior Bowl, he showed good tackling skills with the speed to make plays all over the field. He has good instincts and reactions and can play in reverse with the ability to match up in man coverage. In pass coverage, he has good technique in his drops and the change of direction skills necessary to play man situations. At the combine, he had a great workout and ran a 4.54, did 22 reps, and had a 36.5" VJ and a 9'6" BJ. He is a versatile defender with fine triangle numbers to play both inside or outside in the NFL. Top 100 prospect and may last to the early 2nd day. Athlete with starting talent and upside.
